State PCS - Jharkhand (JPSC)

• 16 Jan 2026

PESA Act Implemented in Jharkhand After 25 Years

Why in News? 

Jharkhand has implemented  Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), 1996 after 25 Years, making it one of the last Fifth Schedule states to do so. 

Key Points 

• PESA Act, 1996 – Objective: PESA was enacted to extend self-governance and democratic decentralisation to Scheduled Areas by empowering Gram Sabhas. 
  • Coverage: The notified rules apply fully in 13 districts and partially in 3 districts, covering major tribal-inhabited regions of Jharkhand. 
• Gram Sabha as Supreme Authority: The rules recognise the Gram Sabha as the most powerful institution in Scheduled Areas, responsible for decision-making related to village governance. 
  • Powers over Natural Resources: Gram Sabhas are empowered to manage community resources, including minor forest produce, small water bodies and minor minerals within village boundaries. 
  • Role in Social Regulation: Gram Sabhas are authorised to resolve local disputes, act against social evils, and impose limited penalties, reinforcing traditional justice mechanisms. 
• Administrative Role of District Authorities: The Deputy Commissioner will notify Gram Sabha boundaries, while district-level teams will prepare development plans in consultation with Gram Sabhas. 
• Government’s Stand: The state government describes the move as a historic step towards tribal self-rule, ensuring control over jal, jangal and zameen (water, forest and land). 

Read More: PESA Act, 1996 

Gujarat to House India’s First State-Funded BSL-4 Lab for High-Risk Pathogens

Why in News? 

The foundation stone was laid for India’s first state-funded Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) laboratory in Gujarat. This facility marks a significant leap in India's decentralized high-containment research, previously limited to central government institutions.

Key Points: 

• Integrated Complex: The lab is designed as a multi-tier facility featuring BSL-4, BSL-3, and BSL-2 modules. 
• Animal Research: Crucially, it includes ABSL-3 and ABSL-4 (Animal Biosafety Level) modules, allowing scientists to study how deadly viruses interact with living organisms—a vital step in vaccine development. 
• Funding Model: Unlike India’s existing BSL-4 labs (such as the NIV in Pune), which are centrally funded by the ICMR, this is the first project of its kind to be financed and managed by a State Government. 
• Timeline: Planning for the high-containment hub began in mid-2022 following the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding local diagnostic self-reliance. 
• Pandemic Preparedness: The facility will allow Gujarat to identify and research "Disease X" or new viral outbreaks without having to send all samples to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, thereby saving critical response time. 
• One Health Approach: By integrating Animal Biosafety (ABSL) modules, the lab supports the "One Health" framework, recognizing the link between human, animal, and environmental health in preventing zoonotic spillover.

Biosafety Levels (BSL) 

• BSL-1 & BSL-2: Handle moderate-risk agents (like E. coli or common flu) that cause mild disease in humans. 
• BSL-3: Deals with indigenous or exotic agents that may cause serious or potentially lethal disease through inhalation (e.g., Tuberculosis, SARS-CoV-2). 
• BSL-4 (High Containment): Reserved for the most dangerous and exotic agents that pose a high risk of life-threatening disease, have no known vaccine or treatment, and can be transmitted via aerosols.  
• Examples include Ebola, Marburg, and Nipah viruses. 

Read More:National Institute of Virology, One Health Approach