MONTHLY CURRENT AFFAIRS

MARCH
2024

BHADRA IAS ACADEMY

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JORHAT
 MARCH MONTHLY MAGAZINE (2024)

ABOUT BHADRA IAS ACADEMY

Welcome To Bhadra IAS Academy

We have been relentlessly trying to help and guide the civil service aspirants of
the North Eastern region to realize their dream of becoming a Civil Servant.
With the experienced guidance of our well-qualified faculty, we have been
performing consistently which is attested by our proven track record.

Why Choose us
We have been training the ambitious youth of Northeast perfectly with well-
structured and updated study material so that they can serve the country well.

Our Mission
To become a leading institution producing eminent and responsible civil
servants from Northeast for the country.

Our Vision
We endeavour to develop a competitive attitude with a sound academic base
amongst the students by emphasizing leadership development, ethics & social
responsibility.

Our Branches
Offline Branches: Guwahati and Jorhat
Classes are also available in Online Mode (Live + Recorded Classes)

BHADRA IAS ACADEMY Website: [Link]

Address: Guwahati (Maligaon and Bhangagarh) and Jorhat Call: 8638391721
 MARCH MONTHLY MAGAZINE (2024)

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE (1-12) INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (24-35)

1. Simultaneous Elections 4. Rohingya Refugees
2. Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code 5. India-Pakistan trade
3. Election Commission rules regarding cash 6. Order of the Druk Gyalpo
carrying limit during elections 7. PM’s visit to Bhutan
4. National Assessment and Accreditation 8. Pakistan carry out airstrikes in Afghanistan
Council (NAAC) 9. Exercise Tiger Triumph
5. National Disaster Response Fund 10. Exercise LAMITIYE
6. Vote from Home 11. India- Nepal
7. Senthil Balaji Case 12. Yaounde Declaration
8. ULLAS Initiative 13. Exercise Cutlass Express
9. ‘Vocal for Local’ Initiative
10. Citizenship Amendment Rules, 2024
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (36- 42)
1. Kulasekarapattinam Spaceport
ECONOMICS (13- 20) 2. Krutrim AI
1. Uttar Poorva Transformative 3. Genetic Rescue
Industrialization Scheme (UNNATI) 4. Predictive AI
2. Bima Sugam 5. Samudrayaan Mission
3. MeitY Startup Hub 6. Inflection 2.5
4. National Mission for Edible Oils 7. IRIS AI Robot
5. Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme 2024 8. IndiaAI Mission
6. Minimum Alternate Tax
7. Core Inflation ASSAM (43-49)
8. India’s First Under-River Metro Tunnel 1. Majuli Masks
9. e- Kisan Upaj Nidhi platform 2. Brindabani Bastra
10. UDGAM Portal 3. Small Tea growers tasting big success
4. State government introduces 6 local languages
5. Chatra Divas
HISTORY & CULTURE (21- 23) 6. Assam Rifles celebrates 189th Raising Day
1. Kochrab Ashram 7. Assam Gaurav
2. Nana Jagannath Shankarseth 8. Chapphou Kut
3. Pandavula Gutta 9. Lachit Borphukan

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (24-35) INTERNAL SECURITY (50-53)

1. Rohingya Refugees 1. Grey Zone Warfare
2. India-Pakistan trade 2. Innovations for Defence Excellence- Defence
Innovation Organisation (iDEX-DIO)
3. Order of the Druk Gyalpo

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 MARCH MONTHLY MAGAZINE (2024)

INTERNAL SECURITY (50-53)

3. Project Seabird
4. Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft
5. ICGS Samudra Paheredar
6. Signals Technology Evaluation and
Adaptation Group (STEAG)

ENVIRONMENT (54-59)
1. Star rating System for SEIAA
2. World Air Quality Report 2023
3. Biomining
4. State of Global Climate Report 2023
5. World Forest Day
6. Earth Hour
7. Vechur cow

HEALTH AND DISEASES (60- 62)

1. CoViNet
2. Post vaccination immunity
3. World Tuberculosis (TB) Day
4. Foot and Mouth Disease

MISCELLANEOUS (63-70)

1. Gig Workers in India

2. Green Hydrogen
3. Regional Rural Banks
4. Mission Divyastra
5. Pradhan Mantri Samajik Utthan and Rozgar
Adharit Janakalyan (PM- SURAJ)
6. India ranks 134th in global human
development index

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 Page | 1 MARCH MONTHLY MAGAZINE (2024)

POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Simultaneous Elections  In the first step, simultaneous elections will

be held to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
GS PAPER: 2: POLITY & GOVERNANCE
 To achieve synchronisation at the first step,
What do you mean by Simultaneous Elections/ the government should take a one-time step
One Nation, One Election? where they pick a specific date after a Lok
 The concept of "One Nation, One Election"
Sabha election.
envisions a system in which all state and Lok  After this date, the terms of all state
Sabha elections must be held assemblies that have elections will end along
simultaneously. with Parliament's term.
 To effect these changes, the panel has
 This will entail restructuring the Indian
election cycle so that elections to the states recommended amendments to Article
and the centre coincide. 83 (duration of Houses of Parliament)
 This would imply that voters will vote for
and Article 172 (duration of State
members of the LS and state assemblies on legislatures) of the Constitution.
 For this, no ratification by the states
the same day and at the same time (or in a
phased manner as the case may be). will be required for the constitutional
amendment.
 In the second step, elections to
What is News? municipalities and the panchayats will be
 The HLC, popularly known as the Kovind synchronised with elections to Lok Sabha
panel after its chairman, former President and state Assemblies.
Ram Nath Kovind, was constituted in  This will be done in such a way that
September 2023 to study about local body elections are held within
simultaneous elections. 100 days of the elections to Lok Sabha
 The High-level Committee (HLC) on One and state Assemblies.
Nation, One Election submitted its report to  This will require ratification by not less
President Droupadi Murmu. than one-half of the states.

Key recommendations of the HLC? Insertion of Article 324A

Simultaneous election by 2029  The committee recommended an Article
 The panel recommended amending the 324A, which states that Parliament may
Constitution so elections for the Lok Sabha, make a law to ensure that elections to
all state assemblies and local bodies can be municipalities and panchayats be held
held by 2029. together with General Elections.

Amending the Constitution (two steps) Single electoral roll and election ID
 In all, 18 amendments to the Constitution  To make single electoral roll and electoral
and other statutes have been suggested. photo identity cards for use in elections to

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 Page | 2 MARCH MONTHLY MAGAZINE (2024)

all the three tiers of government, the  Making a motion of no confidence by the
committee recommended that Article Members of Parliament is not only their
325 of the Constitution be amended. right, but also their responsibility. The
 Then only, Election Commission of India can Committee would not like to dilute this
prepare a single electoral roll and election ID feature of the Indian Parliamentary system.
in consultation with the State Election
Commissions. 2. Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code
 These amendments will require ratification
by not less than one-half of the states. GS PAPER: 2: POLITY & GOVERNANCE

What is in News?
In case of hung house The Supreme Court recently dismissed the
 In the event of a hung House, a no- review petitions filed against its judgment
confidence motion, or any such event, fresh related to Section 120B of the IPC.
elections should be held to constitute the
new Lok Sabha or state Assembly for the
unexpired term of the House.

Meeting logistics requirement

 The committee suggests that the Election
Commission of India should plan ahead with
State Election Commissions for things like
manpower, polling staff, security forces, and
voting machines to ensure fair elections
across all levels of government at the same What is Section 120B of the IPC?
time.  Section 120A of the IPC defines the offence
of criminal conspiracy. Section 120B of the
Rejected the Germany model of bringing no- IPC, on the other hand, defines the
punishment for criminal conspiracy.
confidence motion against a government
 Criminal Conspiracy under IPC is an
 The committee rejected the concept agreement between two or more persons to
of constructive vote of no-confidence, commit an illegal act or to commit a lawful
which is the model in Germany. act by illegal means. In other words, it is a
 In this model, to bring a no-confidence criminal offence where two or more
motion against a government, a individuals agree to plan and execute a
positive vote of confidence in an criminal act.
 Section 120A of the IPC states: “When two
alternate leader or government is
or more persons agree to do or cause to be
required. done, an illegal act or an act which is not
 The committee said that the prevailing illegal by illegal means, such an agreement is
Parliamentary practice in this regard is designated a criminal conspiracy”.
appropriate and does not require any  For a conspiracy to be established,
change. there must be an agreement between the
conspirators, a common intention to commit

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an illegal act, and an overt act in furtherance a term which may extend up to six
of that intention. months, a fine, or both.
 The agreement does not have to be in
writing or expressed verbally; it can be
inferred from the conduct of the parties.
 The Doctrine of Agency in a Criminal
Conspiracy:
3. Election Commission rules regarding
 It is said that a criminal conspiracy is a cash carrying limit during elections
partnership in crime because every
member involved is a joint and mutual GS PAPER: 2: POLITY & GOVERNANCE
agent to each other for the common
purpose, i.e., execution of the Measures to curb money power
conspired crime.  Strict vigil on the movement of cash, liquor
 By this doctrine of agency, the law etc.
contemplates that the act of one of  Before each election, the Election
the members in the conspiracy is Commission provides clear directions to
deemed as the act by each of them, the police, railways, airports, the
due to all members being equally Income Tax department, and other
liable. enforcement agencies.
 Punishment for Criminal Conspiracy:  They are instructed to closely monitor
 Under the purview of IPC 120B, the movement of cash, liquor, jewellery,
conspiracy is divided into two drugs, and gifts—anything that could be
categories depending on the given out during the polls.
nature, gravity and punishment for  Appointment of expenditure observers
the said offences. Also, whether the  EC also appoints expenditure observers
case is bailable or not, depends on the for every district, alongside static
above-mentioned circumstances. surveillance teams and flying squads.
 In the first part, it states that if the  The flying squads comprise a Senior
conspiracy is to commit an offence of Executive Magistrate as the head, a
serious nature, an offence which is senior police officer, a videographer,
punishable with death imprisonment, and three or four armed police
imprisonment for life, or with rigorous personnel.
imprisonment for at least a term of 2  These teams are provided with a
years or more, or if there is no dedicated vehicle, a mobile phone, a
punishment mentioned in the code for video camera, and necessary documents
the offence committed, such person required for seizing cash or goods.
shall be treated in the same manner as  Role of surveillance teams
of the offence committed and abetted  Surveillance teams put up check posts
by him. on roads, video graphing the entire
 Whereas, in the other part of Section checking process.
120B, conspiracy other than the  Their location is changed frequently to
offence committed under the first maintain an element of surprise.
part, conspiracy to commit an illegal  While check posts are supposed to be
act is covered. In this kind of case, the set up from the date of announcement
section provides a uniform of polls, the final 72 hours before polling
punishment, which means will see enhanced enforcement.
imprisonment of either description for

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 If a vehicle with a candidate, agent, or

party worker has more than Rs. 50,000
Why EC takes measures to curb money power? cash or items like drugs, liquor, arms, or
 The EC’s efforts are meant to keep an eye gifts worth over Rs. 10,000, they will be
on campaign expenditure by candidates. confiscated.
This is done to provide a level playing field  If any suspicion of a crime arises during
to the candidates contesting elections. checking, the seizure will follow the
 The ruling governments have an Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), and an
advantage before elections when it FIR will be lodged within 24 hours.
comes to publishing advertisements
that disturb the level playing field.
 Campaign expenditure by candidates is 4. National Assessment and
capped at:
 For Parliamentary Constituencies Accreditation Council (NAAC)
 Rs 95 lakh per constituency in
GS PAPER: 2: POLITY & GOVERNANCE
bigger states, and Rs 75 lakh per
constituency in smaller ones. What is in News?
 For Assembly Constituencies The National Assessment and Accreditation
 Rs 40 lakh per constituency in Council (NAAC) has decided to introduce a
bigger states, and Rs 28 lakh per binary categorisation of “accredited” or “not
constituency in smaller ones accredited” for higher educational institutions.

What are the rules for carrying cash and other

items?
 Rules for Airports
 According to EC instructions, the CISF or
police at airports must immediately
inform the Income Tax Dept if anyone is
carrying cash exceeding Rs. 10 lakh or About National Assessment and Accreditation
more than 1 kg of bullion. Council (NAAC):
 The Income Tax Department will then  It is an autonomous body of the University
verify the situation according to tax laws Grants Commission (UGC), under the
and take action if a satisfactory Ministry of Education. It was established in
explanation is not provided. 1994 in pursuance of the recommendations
 This means that cash or bullion can be made by the National Policy of Education,
seized till verification is completed, in 1986. It’s headquarter is in Bengaluru.
order to ensure that it is not related to  Function: Evaluation, assessment, and
any political party or candidate. accreditation of Higher Education
 At check-posts controlled by the Institutions (HEIs) in the country.
surveillance team  Assessment is a performance evaluation of
 At check-posts, if over Rs. 10 lakh cash is an institution and its units and is
found in a vehicle without any accomplished through a process based on
suspicion, it will not be seized. self-study and peer review using defined
 Instead, the Income Tax authority will criteria. Accreditation refers to
be informed for necessary action. the certification given by NAAC, which
 Rules for vehicle carrying a candidate, or is valid for a period of five years.
his/her agent or party worker

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 The ratings of institutions range from A++ to rehabilitation due to any

C. If an institution is graded D, it means it is threatening disaster situation or disaster.
not accredited.  It is constituted to supplement the funds of
 Eligibility Criteria: HEIs with a record of at the State Disaster Response Funds (SDRF) in
least two batches of students graduated or case of a disaster of severe nature, provided
been in existence for six years, whichever is adequate funds are not available in SDRF.
earlier, are eligible to apply for the process
of Assessment and Accreditation (A&A) of
NAAC and fulfill all the specified conditions.
At present, the Assessment and
Accreditation by NAAC is done on a
voluntary basis.
 NAAC has identified seven criteria:
i. Curricular aspects, ii. Teaching-
learning and evaluation, iii. Research,
Consultancy and extension,
iv. Infrastructure and learning resources,
v. Student support and progression,  It is placed in the “Public Account” of the
vi. Governance and leadership and GOI under “reserve funds not bearing
vii. Innovative practices as the basis for its interest”. Since it is placed in the public
assessment procedure. accounts, the government does not require
 Composition: parliamentary approval to take money out
 It functions through its General Council of this fund.
(GC) and Executive Committee  Eligibility:
(EC), comprising educational  NDRF guidelines state that natural
administrators, policymakers and senior calamities of cyclones,
academicians from a cross-section of drought, earthquake, fire, flood,
the Indian higher education system. tsunami, hailstorm, landslide,
 The Chairperson of the UGC is the avalanche, cloud burst, pest attack and
President of the GC of the NAAC. cold wave and frost considered to be of
severe nature by the Government of
India (GoI) and requiring expenditures
5. National Disaster Response Fund by a state government in excess of the
balances available in its own SDRF will
GS PAPER: 2: POLITY & GOVERNANCE qualify for immediate relief
assistance from NDRF.
What is in News?
 The NDRF also covers man-made
The Karnataka Government has moved the
disasters such as terrorist attacks,
Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre
chemical or biological disasters, or
to release financial assistance from the National
nuclear disasters as notified by the
Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to the State.
Central Government.
 For availing the NDRF funds, States are
About National Disaster Response Fund required to submit a
(NDRF): memorandum indicating the sector-wise
 It is a fund managed by the Central damage and need for funds. The Centre, on
Government to meet the expenses for its part, assesses the damage and
emergency response, relief, and grants the additional funds to states.

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 The financial assistance from NDRF is for  Persons with Disabilities: The disability
providing immediate relief and is not shall not be less than 40% of the
compensation for loss/damage to properties prescribed handicap and certified by the
/crops. In other words, the NDRF amount certifying authority.
can be spent only towards meeting the  Media persons covering ‘polling day
expenses for emergency response, relief activities’: Carrying authorisation letters
and rehabilitation. from the Election Commission
 The NDRF is not used for disaster  Workers from essential services: Services
preparedness, restoration, such as metros, railways and health care
reconstruction and mitigation. These  Service voters: Personnel of the armed
activities are funded by other schemes forces posted away from their
such as the National Disaster Mitigation hometowns, Central Armed Police
Fund (NDMF), the National Cyclone Risk Forces personnel deployed away from
Mitigation Project (NCRMP), National home and those on poll duty.
Flood Management Programme
(NFMP), etc.
 Sources of Financing NDRF:
 It is financed through the levy of a
cess on certain items, chargeable to
excise and customs duty, and approved
annually through the Finance Bill.
 The requirement for funds beyond what
is available under the NDRF is met
through general budgetary resources.
 The National Executive Committee (NEC) of How to avail the vote-from-home facility?
the National Disaster Management  Key to the process is Form 12D, which is
Authority takes decisions on the expenses a letter informing the Assistant
from NDRF. Returning Officer (ARO) that the person
 The NDRF accounts are audited by the may not be in a position to go to the
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) polling station to vote.
every year.  The form can be downloaded online
from the ECI website or collected from
the office of the representative district
6. Vote from Home officer of a parliamentary constituency.
 The form has to be filled and submitted
GS PAPER: 2: POLITY & GOVERNANCE
within five days of notification of the
What is in News? polling date. Once filed, two polling
officials, accompanied by a videographer
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has, for
and a security person, will visit the
the first time in the history of the Lok Sabha
elector’s home and oversee the postal
elections, extended its ‘vote-from-home’ facility
ballot voting process.
to Persons with Disabilities (PwD) and senior
 The voter will receive an intimation
citizens aged 85 and above.
about the date and approximate time of
visit via SMS or through post. The home
About Vote-from-Home: voting option will be attempted twice.
 Who is eligible?  The polling team will schedule a second
 People aged 85 and above visit if the elector fails to be at the given

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address during the first visit. If the voter  Whether he had disabled himself from
is absent on the second visit, “a further performing the duties and
visit will not be entertained.” The voter responsibilities of being a public
will subsequently be ineligible to vote servant.
both at polling booths and through the  The arguments referred to
home voting scheme. a 2014 Constitution Bench judgment of the
SC in Manoj Narula versus Union of India. In
this case, the SC had held that -
 The basic norm for holding a public
7. Senthil Balaji Case office was constitutional morality, that
is, to avoid acting in a manner
GS PAPER: 2: POLITY & GOVERNANCE contradictory to the rule of law.
 The second norm was good
What is in News? governance - the government has to
While AAP leaders say that Mr. Kejriwal (sent to rise above narrow private interests or
the custody of the ED till March 28) will remain parochial political outlook and aim at
Delhi’s Chief Minister, questions are being doing good for the larger public interest.
 The third was constitutional trust, that
raised about whether he can continue to hold
public office. is, to uphold the high degree of morality
attached to a public office.
Judgments in the Supreme Court and High
Courts have previously concluded that The Madras HC Verdict in the S. Ramachandran
constitutional morality, good governance, and versus V. Senthil Balaji Case:
constitutional trust are the basic norms for  The Madras HC judgment highlighted
holding a public office. the practical difficulties of being a Minister
S. Ramachandran versus V. Senthil Balaji: while in custody.
Background of the case:  Ministers sitting in prison cannot ask the
 Balaji, a former Tamil Nadu Electricity Secretary of State to get the files
Minister, was arrested by the ED on money- concerning any of the departments
laundering charges last year. without breaching the oath of office.
 He continued to be a State Minister without  Even if Mr. Balaji had been allowed to
portfolio while he was in judicial custody. transact official business, the files would
have to be “scanned thoroughly” by the
Case before the Madras HC: prison authorities before it reaches his
 The Madras HC was hearing the arguments hands.
 The HC asked whether a person should be
made in court on whether a Minister must
forfeit his right to occupy a public paid salary from the State exchequer while
office that demands a high degree of occupying a public office without performing
morality if he is accused of a “financial any duty attached to the office he held.
 Though Mr. Balaji did not completely suffer
scandal”.
 The Madras HC heard arguments on - a disqualification as an MLA under the
 Whether he has virtually forfeited his
Representation of People Act 1951,
office as a Minister on account of being arguments are based more on the concern
arrested and detained in prison, or in for public morality or constitutional
other words by being in judicial custody, morality.
 The citizens “legitimately” expect that
and
persons in power had high standards of

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moral conduct. It had described the role of a About ULLAS Initiative:

Chief Minister as “the repository of the  The Understanding Lifelong Learning for All
people’s faith”. in Society (ULLAS) initiative is poised to
 Political compulsion cannot outweigh the revolutionise education and literacy across
public morality, requirements of good/clean the nation.
governance and constitutional morality.  It is done by fostering a learning
ecosystem that reaches every individual,
bridging the gaps in basic literacy and critical
life skills.
8. ULLAS Initiative  It imparts basic education, digital and
GS PAPER: 2: POLITY & GOVERNANCE financial literacy and critical life skills to
citizens aged 15 and above who lost on the
What is in News? opportunity to go to school. It is being
The Ministry of Education is set to conduct the implemented through volunteerism.
 Its objective is to impart not
Foundational Literacy and Numeracy
Assessment Test (FLNAT) as part of the ULLAS - only Foundational Literacy and
Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram. Numeracy but also to cover other
components which are necessary for a
citizen of 21st century such as
 Critical Life Skills(including financial
literacy, digital literacy, commercial
skills, health care and awareness, child
care and education, and family
welfare);
 Vocational Skills Development(with a
view towards obtaining local
employment);
 Basic Education(including preparatory,
middle, and secondary stage
equivalency)
 Continuing Education(including
engaging holistic adult education
courses in arts, sciences, technology,
culture, sports, and recreation, as well
as other topics of interest or use to local
learners, such as more advanced
material on critical life skills).
 The ULLAS app can be used for registration
of learners and volunteers either through
self-registration or by surveyors. It will serve
as a digital gateway for learners to engage
in diverse learning resources through the
DIKSHA portal of NCERT.

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Key Facts about Government e-Marketplace

9. ‘Vocal for Local’ Initiative (GeM):
 It is an online platform for public
GS PAPER: 2: POLITY & GOVERNANCE
procurement, launched in 2016 by
What is in News? the Ministry of Commerce and Industry,
Government of India.
NITI Aayog recently launched the 'Vocal for  It is a one-stop portal to facilitate online
Local' initiative under its Aspirational Blocks procurement of common use Goods &
Programme.
Services required by various Government
Departments / Organizations / PSUs.
 The purchases made through GeM by
Government users have been authorised
and made mandatory by the Ministry of
Finance under the General Financial Rules,
2017.
 The platform is owned by GeM SPV (Special
Purpose Vehicle), which is a 100%
Government-owned, non-profit
company under the Ministry of Commerce
and Industry.
What is ‘Vocal for Local’ Initiative?
 It is an initiative of NITI
Key Facts about Aspirational Blocks
Aayog under its Aspirational Blocks
Programme:
Programme to encourage a spirit of self-
 It is on the lines of the Aspirational District
reliance among the people and propel them
Programme that was launched in 2018 and
towards sustainable growth and prosperity.
covers 112 districts across the country.
 As a part of this initiative, local products
 This new programme is aimed at improving
from 500 aspirational blocks have been
performance of blocks lagging on various
mapped and consolidated under
development parameters.
the Aakanksha brand.
 This will enable holistic development in
 Aakanksha is an umbrella brand, which
those areas that require added assistance.
could be supplemented into multiple
 The programme will initially cover 500
sub-brands that have the potential to
districts across 31 States and Union
create an international market.
Territories.
 In order to encourage these products,
 Over half of these blocks are in six States:
a dedicated window for the Aspirational
Uttar Pradesh (68 blocks), Bihar (61),
Blocks Programme under the brand name
Madhya Pradesh (42), Jharkhand (34),
Aakanksha has been established on the
Odisha (29), and West Bengal (29).
Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal.
 The partners will also provide technical and
operational support for the facilitation of e-
commerce onboarding, establishing linkages,
financial/digital literacy,
documentation/certification, and skill
enhancement, among others.

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India due to persecution on the ground of

‘Vocal for Local’ is an initiative of religion. It aims to protect such people
from proceedings of illegal migration.
a) Ministry of Railways  The cut-off date for citizenship
b) Election Commission is December 31, 2014, which means the
c) Niti Aayog applicant should have entered India on or
d) None of the above before that date.
 The act will not apply to areas covered by
the Constitution's sixth schedule, which
deals with autonomous tribal-dominated
regions in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and
10. Citizenship Amendment Rules, 2024 Mizoram.
 Additionally, the act will not apply to states
GS PAPER: 2: POLITY & GOVERNANCE
that have an inner-line permit
regime (Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and
Context Mizoram).
 The Constitution deals with the citizenship
from Articles 5 to 11 under Part II. However,
it contains neither any permanent nor any Citizenship Amendment Rules, 2024
elaborate provisions in this regard.
 Article 11 empowers the Parliament to enact  Eligible refugees seeking citizenship
a law to provide for such matters and any through registration or naturalization must
other matter relating to citizenship. submit an application along with
Accordingly, the Parliament has enacted the an affidavit confirming the accuracy of the
Citizenship Act (1955), which has been statements made in it.
amended from time to time.  Additionally, they need an affidavit from an
Indian citizen vouching for their character
What is Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and a declaration stating their familiarity
2019? with one of the languages listed in the
 It seeks to amend the definition of illegal eighth schedule to the Constitution of
immigrant for Hindu, Sikh, Parsi, Buddhist, India.
Jains and Christian (but not Muslim)  The rules require the application to be
immigrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and submitted electronically to an empowered
Bangladesh, who have lived in India committee via the district-level committee,
without documentation. as notified by the central government.
 They will be granted fast track Indian  Once the application is submitted, the
citizenship in 5 years (11 years earlier). district-level committee, headed by a
 The Act (which amends the Citizenship Act designated officer, will verify the
1955) also provides for cancellation of documents.
Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)  It will also administer the oath of allegiance
registration where the OCI card-holder has to the applicant.
violated any provision of the Citizenship  If an applicant doesn't show up in person
Act or any other law in force. to sign the application and take the oath of
allegiance, despite being given chances,
the district-level committee will send the
Who is eligible for Citizenship? application to the empowered
 The CAA 2019 applies to those who were committee to consider rejecting it.
forced or compelled to seek shelter in

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 Applicants must provide supporting principle of secularism enshrined in the

documents such as: preamble of the constitution.
 passport issued by the governments of  India has several other refugees that
Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Bangladesh, include Tamils from Sri Lanka and Hindu
 a birth certificate, Rohingya from Myanmar. They are not
 any form of identity document, land or covered under the Act.
tenancy records, or  It will be difficult for the government to
 any document proving that the differentiate between illegal migrants
applicant's parents, grandparents, or and those persecuted.
great-grandparents were citizens of one  The Act throws the light on the religious
of the three countries. oppression that has happened and is
 Applicants also have to provide proof happening in these three countries and
that they entered India before thus, may worsen our bilateral ties with
December 31, 2014. 20 supporting them.
documents for this can be of:  It provides wide discretion to the
 either a visa and immigration stamp, government to cancel OCI registrations
registration certificate from the for both major offences like murder, as
Foreigners Regional Registration Officer well as minor offences like parking in a
(FRRO), no-parking zone or jumping a red light.
 or slip issued by the Census
enumerators in India, government- Government’s Stand
issued licence or certificate  The government has clarified that
 permit in India (including driving license, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh
Aadhaar number, ration card), are Islamic republics where Muslims are
 marriage certificate issued in India etc. in majority hence, they cannot be
 Once an application is approved, treated as persecuted minorities.
the applicants will be issued a  According to the government, this act
digital certificate. aims at granting rather than taking away
someone’s citizenship.
 This Act will come as a big boon to all
Concerns against the Amendment Act those people who have been the victims
 Issues in the North-East: of Partition and the subsequent
 It contradicts the Assam Accord of conversion of the three countries into
1985, which states that illegal theocratic Islamic republics.
migrants, irrespective of religion,  Government has cited that the partition
heading in from Bangladesh after of India on religious lines and
March 25, 1971, would be deported. subsequent failure of the Nehru-Liaqat
 Critics further argue that the pact of 1950 in protecting the rights and
extensive exercise of updating the dignity of the minorities in Pakistan and
National Register of Citizens (NRC) Bangladesh as the reasons for bringing
will become Null and Void due to this this Act
Amendment act.  After Independence, not once but twice,
 Critics argue that it is violative of Article India conceded that the minorities in its
14 of the Constitution (which guarantees neighbourhood are its responsibility.
right to equality and applicable to both First, immediately after Partition and
the citizens and foreigners) and the again during the Indira-Mujib Pact in
1972 when India had agreed to absorb

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over 1.2million refugees. It is a historical

fact that on both occasions, it was only
the Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and
Christians who had come over to Indian
side.
 Regarding questions of not including
minorities from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, etc.,
the Government clarified that the
process of awarding citizenship to
refugees has been undertaken by
different governments in the past on
case-to-case basis from time to time, on
“reasonable qualifications to Article 14”.
This time the case of refugees fleeing
religious persecution from these three
countries has been considered through
this Act
 The government thus has assured the
people of Assam that their linguistic,
cultural and social identity would be
preserved.

Which of the statements given below is/are not

correct?
1. Election Commission of India is a
constitutional body
2. Election Commission of India conducts
elections for Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and
for local governments.
Select the correct codes:
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

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ECONOMICS

1. Uttar Poorva Transformative institutional arrangements for the

Industrialization Scheme (UNNATI) scheme. (Rs. 300 Crore).

GS PAPER: 3: ECONOMICS Salient features of the scheme

 Scheme period: The scheme will be
What is in News?
effective from the date of Notification
The Union Cabinet approved the proposal for
and up to 31.03.2034 along with 8 years
Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization
of committed liabilities.
Scheme, 2024 (UNNATI – 2024).
 Commencement of Production or
operation: All eligible Industrial Units to
commence their production or operation
within 4 years from the grant of
registration.
 Districts are categorized in two
zones: Zone A (Industrially Advanced
Districts) & Zone B (Industrially Backward
Districts)
 Earmarking of funds:60% of the outlay of
Part A has been earmarked to 8 NE states
and 40% on First-In-First-Out (FIFO) basis.
 All new Industrial units and Expanding
units would be eligible for the respective
What is Uttar Poorva Transformative incentives.
Industrialization Scheme (UNNATI)?  Implementation of the scheme will be
 It is aimed at developing
overseen by the Department for
industries and generating employment in Promotion of Industry and Internal
the North East Region, seeks to create Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and
productive economic activity in Industry.
manufacturing and services.  Committees at the national and state
 Its main objective is to generate gainful
levels, including the Steering Committee
employment, leading to the overall socio- and State Level Committee, will monitor
economic development of the region. implementation, ensure transparency, and
 Expenditure involved:
recommend registration and incentives
 This will be a Central Sector Scheme. claims.
 It is proposed to be divided into two
parts. Part, A caters to the incentives to
the eligible units (Rs. 9737 crores),
and Part B, is for implementation and

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2. Bima Sugam policy in an electronic format. Customers

can view all their policies — life, health and
GS PAPER: 3: ECONOMICS
non-life insurance — in one single
application or window under Bima Sugam.
What is in News?
Recently, the Insurance Regulatory and
Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has
3. MeitY Startup Hub
approved the setting up of Bima Sugam.
GS PAPER: 3: ECONOMICS

What is in News?
Ministry of Electronics & IT Startup Hub is
empowering innovation, driving growth and
forging success within the vast landscape of
Startup Mahakumbh 2024.

About Bima Sugam:

 It is like an e-commerce platform where
insurance companies can sell their
products. It onboards all the companies
that offer life and non-life insurance
products under one roof.
 It aims to provide an 'end-to-end' digital
journey to all policyholders like
from buying insurance policies to
renewals to claim settlement to portability About MeitY Startup Hub:
to grievance redressal.  It is established as an Independent Business
 It serves as a one-stop solution for all Division (IBD) under the aegis of Digital India
insurance stakeholders, including Corporation (DIC) under the Ministry of
customers, insurers, intermediaries and Electronics and Information
agents, thereby, promoting transparency, Technology (MeitY), Government of India.
efficiency and collaboration across the  It is aimed at fostering entrepreneurship and
entire insurance value chain. innovation in the technology sector. It
 It will be a unified platform, which will supports startups, incubators and Centers of
be integrated with various govt databases, Excellence (CoEs) through various programs
insurers, intermediaries, insurance and initiatives to drive digital transformation
repositories, etc., for fetching customer and promote India's leadership in emerging
details, providing product information, and technologies.
buying and servicing Insurance policies.  Mission: It has a mission to build a
 Bima Sugam aims to eliminate the conducive innovation and start-up
paperwork as you can simply have your ecosystem by bringing together various

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technology innovation stakeholders and About National Mission for Edible Oils - Oil
paving the way toward a strong economy Palm (NMEO-OP):
built on the twin engines of innovation and  Launched by the Government of India in
technological advancement. August 2021, NMEO-OP targets a
 It acts as a national coordination, facilitation substantial increase in oil palm cultivation
and monitoring center that will integrate all and crude palm oil production.
the incubation centers, start-ups, and
innovation-related activities of MeitY.

What is Digital India Corporation?

 It has been set up by the Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology
(MeitY), Government of India, to innovate,
develop and deploy ICT and other emerging
technologies for the benefit of the common
 It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with a
man.
 It plays the role of a leader in promoting e-
special focus on the North east region and
Governance by taking forward the projects the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with a
and activities of the Digital India focus on increasing the area and
Programme, to facilitate its stakeholders to productivity of oilseeds and Oil Palm.
 Targets:
realise its goals.
 It also provides strategic support to
 To increase the area of oil palm to 10
Ministries & Departments, both at Central lakh hectares from 3.5 lakh ha during
and State level for carrying forward the 2019-20 by 2025-26 (an additional 6.50
mission of Digital India Programme by way lakh ha).
of Capacity Building for e-governance  To increase the Crude Palm Oil
projects, promoting best practices, production from 0.27 lakh tonnes during
encouraging Public-Private Partnerships 2019-20 to 11.20 lakh tonnes by 2025-26.
(PPP), nurturing innovation and technology  Increase consumer awareness to
in various domains. maintain a consumption level of 19.00
kg/person/annum till 2025-26.
 The State Department of Agriculture, State
Department of Horticulture, Central
4. National Mission for Edible Oils
University, ICAR-Institutions, CDDs, SAUs,
GS PAPER: 3: ECONOMICS KVKs, Central Agencies/Cooperatives, Oil
palm processors/ Associations, DD Kisan,
What is in News?
AIR, DD, TV channels will be the
Prime Minister recently inaugurated the first Oil
implementing stake holders of the NMEO-Oil
Palm Processing Mill under Mission Palm Oil in
palm.
Arunachal Pradesh.
 Features: The salient features of NMEO-OP
include assistance for planting material,

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inputs for intercropping upto gestation

period of 4 years and for maintenance,
establishment of seed gardens, nurseries,
micro irrigation, bore well/pumpset/water
harvesting structure, vermi compost units,
solar pumps, harvesting tools, custom hiring
centre cum harvester Groups, farmers and
officers training, and for replanting of old oil
palm gardens etc. About Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme
2024:
Oil Palm Production in India:  It aims to further accelerate the adoption of
 Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis), originated in Electric Vehicles in the country. It is a fund
West Africa is comparatively a new crop limited scheme with a total outlay of Rs. 500
in India and has the highest vegetable oil crore for the period of 4 months.
yielding capability per ha.  It is for faster adoption of electric two-
 It produces two distinct oils, i.e., palm oil wheeler (e-2W) and three-wheeler (e-3W) to
and palm kernel oil, which are used for provide further impetus to the green
culinary as well as industrial purposes. mobility and development of electric vehicle
 Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and (EV) manufacturing eco-system in the
Kerala are major Oil palm-growing country.
States and account for 98% of total  Eligible EV categories
production.  Two Wheelers (electric) (e-2W)
 Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Gujarat,  Three-wheeler (electric) including
and Mizoram also have sizable area under registered e-rickshaws & e-carts and L5
Oil palm cultivation. (e-3W)
 The scheme will be applicable mainly to
those e-2W and e-3Ws registered for
commercial purposes. Further, in addition to
5. Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme commercial use, privately or corporate
2024 owned registered e-2W will also be eligible
under the scheme.
GS PAPER: 3: ECONOMICS  To encourage advance technologies, the

What is in News? benefits of incentives, will be extended to

Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme 2024 only those vehicles which are fitted with
Recently, the Union Ministry of Heavy Industries advanced battery.
announced Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme  Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Heavy Industries

2024

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 All companies are required to pay

6. Minimum Alternate Tax corporate tax based on which is higher of
the following:
GS PAPER: 3: ECONOMICS
 Normal Tax Liability: Tax computed as
What is in News? per the normal provisions of the
The Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) Income-tax Law, i.e., by applying the
recently observed that the assessee was entitled relevant tax rate to the taxable
to claim credit for Minimum Alternate Tax income of the company.
(MAT) under the Vivad se Vishwas (VSV)  Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT):Tax
Scheme. computed at 15% (previously 18.5%)
on book profit plus cess and surcharge.
 MAT is calculated on the "book profits" of a
company, which is different from the taxable
profits computed under the regular
provisions of the Income Tax Act.
 What is MAT credit? When the amount of
MAT for a company is greater than its
normal tax liability, the difference between
About Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT):
MAT and normal tax liability is called MAT
 It is a provision in the Income Tax Act of
Credit.
India. It primarily applies to companies and
is designed to ensure that companies that
Key Facts about Vivad se Vishwas (VSV)
report substantial book profits but pay little
Scheme:
to no income tax due to various exemptions
 “Vivad se Vishwas Scheme” or “No Dispute
and deductions are subject to a minimum
but Trust Scheme” is a direct tax
level of taxation.
scheme introduced by the Government of
 The primary objective behind the MAT tax in
India in 2020 for settling disputes between
India is to curb tax avoidance by companies
taxpayers and the income tax
that manipulate their financial
department. It aims to minimize tax-related
statements to reduce their taxable income
litigation.
artificially. With the introduction of MAT,
 Under this scheme, the interest and
companies have to pay a fixed percentage
penalty associated with the disputed tax
of their profits as MAT.
amount is completely waived off on the
 MAT is applicable to all companies,
final settlement of the disputed tax
including foreign companies.
amount.
 However, it does not apply to
 There was a time limit set for the payment
companies that have been granted
of taxes under the scheme.
exemption under Section 10AA of the
Income Tax Act, which pertains to
Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

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7. Core Inflation regularly as those of food and fuel: as

such, an increase in their prices could be
GS PAPER: 3: ECONOMICS
taken relatively to be much more of a
What is in News? permanent nature.
According to economists, core inflation is likely It follows logically for Central Banks to
to remain low, around 3% in the near term, target only core inflation, as it reflects
owing to weak rural demand, softness in the demand-side pressure in the
housing inflation and lower input cost pressures. economy.
Core inflation, by eliminating the
volatile components from the
headline helps in identifying the
underlying trend in headline
inflation and is believed to predict
future inflation better.
Whenever core inflation rises, Central
Banks increase their key policy rates to
suck excess liquidity from the market,
and vice versa. It is, therefore, a
About Core Inflation: preferred tool for framing long-term
 It is the change in the costs of goods and policy.
services excluding the price variations
in seasonal elements, such as those related What is Headline Inflation?
to food and energy.  Headline inflation is the total inflation in an
 Food and energy prices are exempt from this economy.
calculation because their prices can be too  It is the raw inflation figure reported
volatile or fluctuate wildly. Core through the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
inflation represents the long-term trend in  The headline inflation figure includes
the price level. inflation in a basket of goods that includes
 Why is it important? commodities like food and energy.
It is used to determine the impact of  It is different from core inflation, which
rising prices on consumer income. excludes food and energy prices while
To deal with such situations, many calculating inflation.
central banks use measures of core
inflation that are designed to filter 8. India’s First Under-River Metro Tunnel
transitory price movements.
GS PAPER: 3: ECONOMICS
If the increase in the price index is due
to temporary shocks that could soon What is in News?
reverse themselves, it may not require India's First Under-River Metro Tunnel
any monetary policy action. Prime Minister recently inaugurated a metro
On the other hand, prices of other train service in Kolkata, marking the opening of
commodities do not fluctuate as India’s first under-river metro tunnel.

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into a canal near the town of Tildanga in

Malda district. This supplies the Hooghly
with adequate water even in the dry
season.
 Haldi, Ajay, Damodar and Rupnarayan are
the rivers that feed the lower reaches of
the Hooghly.
 The important cities near the Hoogli River
are Jiaganj, Azimganj, Murshidabad, and
Baharampur.
About India's First Under-River Metro Tunnel:
 It is a part of Kolkata Metro’s East-West
Corridor.
 It passes under the Hooghly River and
9. e- Kisan Upaj Nidhi platform
forms part of section from Howrah Maidan GS PAPER: 3: ECONOMICS
to Esplanade.
 The stretch also has the deepest metro
What is in News?
station in the country, the Howrah Maidan Recently, the Union Minister for Consumer
station, at 32 metres below ground level. Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Commerce
and Industry and Textiles launched ‘e-Kisan Upaj
Key Facts about River Hooghly: Nidhi’ (Digital Gateway).
 The Hooghly River, also known as the
Bhagirathi-Hoogly and Kati-Ganga Rivers, is
one of the significant rivers in West Bengal.
It is a distributary or arm of the Ganges
River.
 Course:
 It is formed in Murshidabad, where the
Ganga splits into two parts, while
the part flowing through
Bangladesh is called the Padma. About e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi platform:
 The Hooghly River is silted up above  It is a digital gateway of Warehousing
Kolkata, and the river flows to the west Development and Regulatory
and south to the estuary of Rupnarayan Authority (WDRA).
and then south and southwest to enter  It is the initiative with its simplified digital
the Bay of Bengal through a 32- process can ease the procedure of farmers'
kilometer-wide estuary. storage at any registered WDRA warehouse
 The Hooghly’s majority of water comes for a period of 6 months at 7% interest per
from the Farakka Feeder Canal instead of annum.
natural water.  This digital intervention is poised to mitigate
 The Farakka Barrage is a distress sales by providing farmers with
dam that diverts water from the Ganges viable post-harvest storage options.

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Key facts about Warehousing Development unclaimed deposits/accounts through UDGAM

and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) portal.
 It was established under the Warehousing
(Development and Regulation) Act, 2007 and
it consists of one Chairperson and two full
time Members.
 Mission of WDRA:
It is to establish a negotiable warehouse
receipt system in the country.
It will make warehouse receipts a prime
tool of trade and facilitate finance About UDGAM Portal:
against it, enable banks to improve the  UDGAM refers to Unclaimed Deposits-
quality of their lending portfolio Gateway to Access inforMation, which is an
This will help foster scientific online portal developed by the Reserve Bank
warehousing of goods, increase liquidity of India (RBI).
in rural areas, improve supply chains,  It facilitates the registered users to search
enhance grading and quality of goods unclaimed deposits/accounts across multiple
and there by ensure higher returns to banks at one place in a centralised
depositors. manner. The unclaimed deposits can
 The negotiable warehouse receipts issued by be claimed only from the respective bank.
the WDRA will help the farmers to seek  There are 30 banks, which are part of
loans from banks against the National UDGAM portal, and they cover around 90%
Warehouse Receipts (NWRs). It will also of unclaimed deposits (in value terms)
avoid distress sales of agricultural produce in Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA)
during the peak marketing season and to Fund of RBI.
avoid the post-harvest storage loss.  This portal provides information related to
 136 agricultural commodities including both individuals and non-individuals
cereals, pulses, oil seeds, spices, rubber, category unclaimed deposits.
tobacco, coffee etc for issuing negotiable  After registration on the portal a person will
warehouse receipts and also 24 horticultural get Unclaimed Deposit Reference
commodities for cold storage and 9 non- Number (UDRN) which is a unique
agricultural commodities have been notified. number generated through Core Banking
Solution (CBS) by banks and assigned to each
Unclaimed account/deposit transferred to
10. UDGAM Portal Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA)
GS PAPER: 3: ECONOMICS Fund of RBI.
 This number is used so that the account
What is in News? holder or the bank branch where account is
Recently, the Reserve Bank of India said 30 maintained, cannot be identified by any
banks are facilitating people to search their third party.

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HISTORY AND CULTURE

 On 20th of May, 1915, Gandhi began
1. Kochrab Ashram living in a bungalow in Kochrab village.
The bungalow, which he soon
What is in news? rechristened as the Satyagraha Ashram,
The Prime Minister inaugurated the was given to him by his fellow lawyer
redeveloped Kochrab Ashram in Ahmedabad, and colleague, Jeevanlal Desai.
Gujarat, recently to mark the 94th anniversary  Mahatma Gandhi based himself here for
of the Dandi March. about one-and-a-half years before moving
to the new campus of Sabarmati Ashram. It
is a colonial-style building with a white-
washed façade.

2. Nana Jagannath Shankarseth

What is in news?
Nana Jagannath Shankarseth
About Kochrab Ashram: The Maharashtra cabinet decided to ask the
 It was the first ashram founded by Mahatma
Ministry of Railways to rename Mumbai Central
Gandhi in 1915, following his return to India station after Nana Jagannath Shankarseth.
from South Africa. It is located in Kochrab
village, situated on the outskirts
of Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
 It was called Satyagraha Ashram based on
his ideas of achieving India's independence
from British rule through peaceful methods.
 Establishment:
 Gopal Krishna
Gokhale requested Mahatma Gandhi to
return to India, which needed his skills About Nana Jagannath Shankarseth:
as a community organizer.  He was a social reformer, educationist and
 Mahatma Gandhi began his association philanthropist is often described as the
with Ahmedabad after returning to “architect” of Mumbai (then Bombay).
India from South Africa. About his  He made extremely valuable contributions in
decision to settle in Ahmedabad in terms of both ideas and money to multiple
1915, Gandhi wrote that, as a Gujarati, sectors, to lay a strong foundation for the
he should be able to serve the country city.
best through the Gujarati language.


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 He was greatly inspired by the legendary 3. Pandavula Gutta

merchant and philanthropist Sir Jamsetjee
Jeejeebhoy. What is in News?
 He became the first Indian to be
Recently, Pandavula Gutta has been officially
nominated to the Legislative Council of
recognised as the sole Geo-heritage site in
Bombay.
Telangana.

What are some of Shankarseth’s most

significant contributions?
 Education:
Shankarseth was deeply committed to
the growth and spread of education in
Bombay, and donated land owned by
his family for educational institutions.
He founded the Native School of
Bombay, which was renamed first as the About Pandavula Gutta:
Bombay Native Institution, and then as  It is a geological marvel older than the

the Board of Education. Himalayan hills. It is located in

Finally, this institution evolved into Jayashankar Bhupalpally district in
the prestigious Elphinstone College. Telangana is home to many prehistoric
 Museum, Temples: habitation sites.
Shankarseth was among the wealthy  It is rich in terms of number of paintings,

donors who helped promote Dr Bhau rock shelters and its habitation, right
Daji Lad Museum in Byculla, which was from the mesolithic to medieval times.
designed by a famous London-based  The paintings feature geometrical

architect. designs and impressions in green, red,

The Bhawani Shankar Temple near Nana yellow and white pigment colours.
Chowk was Shankarseth’s tribute to his These cave paintings offer a rare glimpse
late mother Bhawanibai Murkute. into the prehistoric man’s rock art
 Railways identified on walls and ceilings of caves,
The first train in India ran between rock shelters and isolated boulders.
Boribunder and Thane on April 16, 1853.  The rock art paintings depict wild life like

The 34-km project undertaken by the Bison, Antelope, Tiger, Leopard etc.
Great Indian Peninsular Railway Other shapes like swastika symbol,
Company. circles and squares, weapons such as
The committee that gave the project bows, arrows, sword and lancer etc are
impetus included Sir Jamsetjee present in these paintings.
Jeejeebhoy and Nana Shankarseth.
What is a Geo-heritage site?
 “Geoheritage” is a generic but
descriptive term applied to sites or areas

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of geologic features with

significant scientific, educational, cultural
or aesthetic value.
 Scientifically and educationally
significant geoheritage sites include
those with textbook geologic
features and landscapes, distinctive
rock or mineral types, unique or
unusual fossils, or other geologic
characteristics that are significant
to education and research.
 Culturally significant geoheritage
sites are places where geologic
features or landscapes played a role
in cultural or historical events.
 Aesthetically significant geoheritage
sites include landscapes that are
visually appealing because of their
geologic features or processes.

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INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
 A 2018 UN fact-finding commission
1. Rohingya Refugees claimed the Myanmar government had
“genocidal” intent against the Rohingya.
GS PAPER: 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

What is in news? Rohingyas in India:

 As per the Ministry of Home Affairs, there
A wooden boat capsized off the Indonesian
coast carrying Rohingya refugees. This has once are more than 40,000 Rohingya in India.
again drawn attention to the plight of the Only 14,000 of them hold United Nations
refugees who are increasingly embarking on High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
dangerous sea journeys to seek a better life. refugee ID cards, which offers them
protection from arbitrary detention.
As per the United Nations High Commissioner  There are clusters of Rohingya population in
for Refugees (UNHCR), over 4,500 Rohingya Jammu, Hyderabad, and Delhi-NCR, besides
refugees set off on dangerous journeys across the states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and
the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea last Rajasthan.
year.  The UN says that India has an international

About Rohingya Refugees: legal obligation to provide Rohingya

 The Rohingya are a Muslim minority ethnic refugees with necessary protection.
group with their roots in the Arakan
kingdom in Myanmar, formerly known as Legal Provisions for ‘Refugees’ in India:
Burma.  In India, no legislation has been passed that

 The Rohingya are culturally and religiously specifically refers to refugees.

distinct from the majority Buddhist  Hence, Rohingya refugees are often clubbed

population in Myanmar. with illegal immigrants deported by the

 The Rohingya claim to have lived in Government under the Foreigners Act,
Myanmar’s Rakhine State for generations, 1946 and the Foreigners Order, 1948.
but successive governments in the country  Section 3 of The Foreigners Act, 1946 gives

have disputed their ties, labelling them the Central government the right to deport a
illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. foreign national.
 Myanmar has refused to recognise them,  The power to identify and deport foreign

denying them citizenship since 1982, thus nationals who are in India illegally has been
making them the world’s largest stateless delegated to state governments, Union
population devoid of fundamental rights Territories and the Home Ministry’s Bureau
and security. of Immigration.
 Their largest exodus began in August 2017  Illegal immigrants who are intercepted at

when a massive wave of violence broke out the border while entering India
in Rakhine, driving more than 7.5 lakh unauthorizedly can be sent back then and
people to seek sanctuary in Bangladesh to there.
escape the brutality of security forces.

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Why are Rohingyas Taking Sea Route? dangerous journeys across the Bay of
 While over one million Rohingya have fled Bengal and the Andaman Sea to Muslim-
Myanmar since the 1990s, around 6 lakh majority nations
remain in the country. of Indonesia and Malaysia.
 They mostly live in camps for internally  However, human traffickers exploit their
displaced people where their movements desperation, charging exorbitant amounts
and livelihoods are restricted. to ferry them on rickety boats from
 An estimated 9.6 lakh Rohingya, Bangladesh to Indonesia.
meanwhile, reside in refugee camps in  The treacherous voyages with inadequate
Bangladesh. space and in the absence of basic supplies
take weeks and sometimes stretch into
months.
 Horrifying accounts of abuse during the
journey, including violence against women,
have been recorded. Many do not survive
the journey.

Rising Death Toll:

 The UN estimates that one in eight Rohingya
who take the sea route die or disappear in
 Most live near the Myanmar border in the
the attempt, making the Andaman Sea and
Cox’s Bazar, which has grown over the
Bay of Bengal among the deadliest stretches
years to house some of the world’s largest
of water in the world.
and most densely populated refugee
 Last year, the number of people embarking
camps.
on sea journeys increased by 21%. The
 These overcrowded camps lack basic
UNHCR reported a 63% increase in deaths or
human necessities, forcing the Rohingya to
disappearances compared to 2022.
live in harsh conditions.
 There is a shortage of food, access to water
is inadequate, sanitation facilities are
missing, healthcare is insufficient, and
2. India-Pakistan trade
children are growing up without formal
education. GS PAPER: 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
 Security conditions also have deteriorated
over the years due to gang violence and an What is in News?
increase in arson attacks in camps. Recently, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister
 Over 60 Rohingya were killed in Muhammad Ishaq Dar said that his country may
Bangladeshi camp clashes in 2023. seriously examine the question of resuming
 With the option of returning to Myanmar trade with India.
virtually impossible, an increasing number
of Rohingya have been undertaking

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Pakistan had stopped trade after the tanning/dyeing extracts, and nuclear
constitutional changes in Jammu and Kashmir in reactors, boilers, machinery, and
2019. mechanical appliances.
o Meanwhile, India’s imports from Pakistan
Bilateral trade between India and Pakistan
in 2018-9 included mineral fuels and oils,
edible fruits and nuts, salt, sulphur, stone
Composition of India-Pakistan trade
and plastering materials, ores, slag and ash
and raw hides and leather.
Why was India-Pakistan trade paused?
o Pakistan suspended bilateral trade with
India in August 2019, after the Indian
government abrogated Article 370 of the
Indian Constitution.
 The now-scrapped article gave a
special status to the erstwhile state
of Jammu and Kashmir, following its
accession with India in 1947.
o However, experts believe an underlying

o Despite having MFN status since 1996, reason for suspending trade was the 200
Pakistan maintained a Negative List of per cent tariff imposed by New Delhi on
1,209 products that were not allowed to be Pakistani imports earlier that year after
imported from India. India revoked Pakistan’s MFN status.
 India took this step in the aftermath
 Most Favoured Nation (MFN)
status is a principle in the WTO that of the Pulwama terrorist attack in
ensures that countries treat all other February 2019.
 India withdrew Pakistan’s MFN status
members equally.
 This means that if a country improves
within 24 hours of the attack.
the benefits it gives to one trading
partner, it must give the same Why might Pakistan be reconsidering trade
treatment to all other WTO with India?
 Change of government in Pakistan
members.
o Only 138 products were allowed to be  There has been a change of face, if not
imported from India through the Wagah- regime, since Imran Khan following
Attari border land route. elections held earlier this year.
 Still, India maintained a significant
 While the Pakistani military remains
trade surplus over Pakistan. firmly in control, a new government
o In 2018-19, cotton and organic chemicals indicates the possibility of a new policy.
 Economic crisis in Pakistan
accounted for around half of Pakistan’s
imports from India.  Devastating floods in 2022, high inflation,
 Other major Pakistani imports from
and political instability alongside
India that year included plastic, structural issues, have led to multiple

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crises related to meeting the food and the decision on Article 370 — which
energy needs of the population. will not happen.
 Pakistan is approaching IMF and friendly  Terrorism
countries for loan India too would not want to trade
 Pakistan has had to frequently approach without major steps from Pakistan on
the IMF or friendly countries like Saudi curbing terrorism.
Arabia and China for billions of dollars in External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar
loans. has frequently said trade and
 With the pause in trade with terrorism cannot go together.
India, importing goods from faraway
countries further depletes its low foreign Today, India’s position is stronger, and the
exchange reserves. Indian government is not going to make any
 Direct trade will increase the efficiency concessions. The ball then is in Pakistan’s court;
 Trade between India and Pakistan is and there is no domestic consensus on how to
already taking place through Dubai or reset ties with India. This is the problem: trade
other countries. with India makes economic sense for Pakistan.
 This raises costs, and the logic of But the politics of doing the right thing are
efficiency and geography demand a quite hard in Pakistan.
resumption of direct trade.
 Pakistan’s relationships with Afghanistan 3. Order of the Druk Gyalpo
and Iran have become tense
 In fact, Pakistan’s ties with India are more GS PAPER: 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
stable than its western frontier with
Afghanistan and Iran. Recently, the Prime Minister of India received
Bhutan’s highest civilian award, the ‘Order of
Challenges to normalisation of India-Pakistan the Druk Gyalpo’, during his two-day State visit
trade to the neighbouring nation.
 Role of hardliners
Given that PPP chairman Bilawal
Bhutto Zardari has taken a hard line
against India in public statements over
the last few years, it is not clear if his
party will support trading with India.
 Role of Pakistani Army
Pakistani army traditionally opposes
any steps taken to normalise the
relationship between these two
countries.
 Pakistan’s demand on Article 370 About Order of the Druk Gyalpo
Pakistan has put preconditions on talks  It stands as Bhutan’s most esteemed civilian
with India, demanding the reversal of accolade, reserved for individuals who have

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demonstrated exceptional contributions to  Formal diplomatic relations between India

society, embodying values of service, and Bhutan were established in 1968.
integrity and leadership.  The basic framework of India-Bhutan
 As per ranking and precedence established, relations is the Treaty of Friendship and
the Order of the Druk Gyalpo was instituted Cooperation signed in 1949 between the
as the decoration for lifetime two countries, which was renewed in 2007.
achievement and is the pinnacle of the
honour system in Bhutan, taking precedence Trade & Economic Ties:
over all orders, decorations and medals.  The India-Bhutan Agreement on Trade,
 The award has been conferred to Prime Commerce and Transit – was first signed in
Minister of India in recognition of 1972.
outstanding contribution to the growth of  The agreement establishes a free trade
India-Bhutan relations and for his regime between the two countries.
distinguished service to the Bhutanese  India is Bhutan’s top trade partner both as
nation and people. an import source and as an export
 The present Prime Minister of India became destination.
the first foreign head of government to  Since 2014, India’s merchandise trade with
receive Bhutan’s highest civilian honour. Bhutan has almost tripled from USD 484
 Others to receive this award include Her million in 2014-15 to USD 1422 million in
Majesty The Royal Queen Grandmother Ashi 2021-22.
Kesang Choden Wangchuck in 2008; His o It accounting for about 80% of
Holiness Je Thrizur Tenzin Dendup in 2008; Bhutan’s overall trade, with the
and His Holiness Je Khenpo Trulku Ngawang balance of trade in India’s favour.
Jigme Choedra in 2018.
Cultural & Buddhist Links:
 A number of Bhutanese pilgrims travel to
Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Nalanda, Sikkim,
4. PM’s visit to Bhutan Udayagiri, and other Buddhist sites in India.
 As a part of the 50th anniversary celebration
GS PAPER: 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS of diplomatic relations, GOI sponsored a visit
by 18 Lam Netens (Buddhist monks) and
What is in News? representative of the Central Monastic Body
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 22, of Bhutan to India.
2024, arrived in Paro, Bhutan for a 24-hour
State visit. Hydropower Cooperation:
 Mutually beneficial hydro-power
India – Bhutan Bilateral Relationship: cooperation with Bhutan is a key pillar of
 India and Bhutan share unique and bilateral economic cooperation.
exemplary bilateral relations, which are  For Bhutan, hydro-power development
based on mutual trust, goodwill and continues to be a vital catalyst for socio-
understanding. economic development.

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 Revenues from Hydropower constitutes a as a sign of the close economic

significant portion of the total revenues of interdependence between both countries.
the Royal Government of Bhutan.
 The ongoing cooperation between India and Educational, Cultural Cooperation and People-
Bhutan in hydro-power sector is covered to-People Exchanges:
under the 2006 bilateral agreement for  There is close bilateral cooperation in the
cooperation and its Protocol signed in 2009. educational and cultural fields between
 Four hydro-electric projects (HEPs) totalling India and Bhutan.
2136 MW are already operational in Bhutan  Over 950 scholarships are being provided
and are supplying electricity to India. annually by GoI for Bhutanese students to
 The 720 MW Mangdechhu was study in India in a wide range of disciplines
commissioned in August 2019 and handed including medicine, engineering, etc.
over to Bhutan in December 2022.  It is estimated that approximately 4,000
Bhutanese are studying in undergraduate
New Areas of Cooperation: courses in Indian Universities on self-finance
 Apart from hydro-power cooperation and basis.
development partnership has moved into  Under the Nehru Wangchuck Scholarship
new and emerging areas with full Scheme since its inception in 2010, 8 slots
interoperability of the flagship digital project are annually allotted to students and
RuPay, which has been successfully scholars from Bhutan.
completed.  20 slots are provided every year to students
 Bhutan became the second country to from Bhutan under the ICCR Scholarship.
launch the BHIM app, further deepening the
financial linkages between our two PM Modi's State Visit to Bhutan:
countries.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 22,
 Space cooperation is a new and promising 2024, arrived in Paro, Bhutan for a 24-hour
area of bilateral cooperation. State visit.
 The India-Bhutan SAT was launched into  PM Modi will receive Bhutan’s highest
space in November 2022 by ISRO's Polar civilian award, the Order of the Druk
Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). Gyalpo.
 Inauguration of Ground Earth Station during  This is PM Modi’s first visit since the award
visit of Chairman, ISRO also took place in was announced in 2021, which will be
March 2023. presented Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar
Namgyel Wangchuck, in appreciation for his
Indians Working in Bhutan: efforts towards strengthening India-Bhutan
 About 50,000 Indian citizens are working in ties.
Bhutan, mainly in the construction sector,
education and technical consultants
involved in infrastructure projects.
 Some Indian daily-workers also enter and
exit Bhutan every day in the border towns,

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5. Pakistan carry out airstrikes in  The British extending their control to

Afghanistan the region
 The Anglo-Afghan wars (1838-42 and
GS PAPER: 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1878-80)
 A policy reassessment due to fears of
What is in news? Russian advancement and a possible
Pakistani fighters carried out airstrikes inside attack from the Pashtun tribes.
the Afghan provinces of Paktika and Khost,  Tensions
leading to fighting along the border. As per  Successive Afghan governments have also
Afghani officials, at least eight civilians, including disputed the Line, claiming Pashtun
three children, were killed in the pre-dawn territories in Pakistan, including the
attacks. Federally Administered Tribal Areas
(FATA) and parts of the North West
As per Pakistan, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
Frontier Province.
(TTP) and other splinter groups were the prime
 The disagreement over the border has
target of the intelligence-based anti-terrorist
caused tensions between Pakistan and
operations.
the Taliban— despite historically good
Afghanistan – Pakistan Border bilateral ties.
 About
 The Durand Line is the 1,640-mile (2,640- Why has Pakistan’s relationship with the
kilometer) border between Afghanistan Taliban soured?
and Pakistan.  Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021
 It was established in 1893 as the border After the Taliban took control in 2021,
between British India and the Emirate of tensions rose because they refused to
Afghanistan. accept the Durand Line as a permanent
 The line is named after Sir Henry border. They said it split the Pashtun
Mortimer Durand, the foreign secretary ethnic group.
of the colonial government of India. In the days after, there were small fights
 Dispute between the two sides along the
 The Durand Line has been a point of border.
contention between Pakistan and  Role of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
Afghanistan since 1947, when Pakistan The tensions further escalated after the
became an independent nation. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also
 The line cuts through Pashtun-dominated known as the Pakistani Taliban, called
tribal areas, and the Pashtuns consider off a ceasefire in November 2022, when
the line to be an artificial division. talks brokered by the Afghan Taliban
 The dispute has its origins in the following broke down.
events: The Afghan Taliban and the TTP are
 The fall of the Durrani dynasty in the separate groups with common
18th century ideological links.

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 Unprecedented terror attack across 6. Exercise Tiger Triumph

Pakistan
GS PAPER: 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
After the ceasefire ended, the
regrouped TTP’s actions resulted in an
unprecedented surge in terror incidents
across Pakistan.
This led to a big increase in terror
attacks, especially in the provinces of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan,
which are next to Afghanistan.
Amid a multifaceted crisis, Pakistan
urged the Afghan Taliban to control the
TTP.
The Taliban assured that they wouldn’t
 It is a bilateral tri-Service Humanitarian
permit anyone to use Afghan soil for
Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)
attacks against any country.
Exercise between India and the US.
However, the surge in attacks since
 It is aimed at developing interoperability for
2021 has created distrust between
conducting HADR operations and refine
Pakistan and the Taliban.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to
enable rapid and smooth coordination
What triggered the airstrikes?
between forces of both countries.
 Recently, on March 16, seven Pakistani
 On completion of the Harbour Phase, the
soldiers were killed after a suicide
ships, with the troops embarked, would sail
bomber rammed an explosive-laden
for the Sea Phase and undertake Maritime,
truck into a post in North Waziristan.
Amphibious and HADR operations in
 In response to this incident, Pakistani
accordance with injected situations.
planes had bombed the Barmal district
 Indian Navy Ships with integral helicopters
of Paktika province and Sepera district in
and landing crafts embarked, Indian Navy
Khost, Afghanistan.
aircraft, Indian Army personnel and vehicles
 Notably, this was not the first time that
and Indian Air Force aircraft and helicopters
Pakistan has launched airstrikes against
along with the Rapid Action Medical Team
Afghanistan.
(RAMT) would be participating in the
 In April 2022, the Pakistani military
exercise.
carried out a similar operation in Khost
and Kunar provinces.

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7. Exercise LAMITIYE 8. India- Nepal

GS PAPER: 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS GS PAPER: 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

What is in News?
What is in news?
Indian Army contingent departed for Seychelles Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal
to participate in the Tenth edition of Joint Prachanda won a vote of confidence in the 275-
Military Exercise “LAMITIYE-2024”. member lower house of Parliament recently.

Prachanda won his third trust vote in a bit more

than a year. It happened after the Prime
Minister ended his party's partnership with Sher
Bahadur Deuba's Nepali Congress and formed a
new alliance with K P Sharma Oli's Communist
Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist).

Political crisis in Nepal

About Exercise LAMITIYE:
 Floor test of January 2023
 It is a joint military exercise between
 Prachanda took oath for the third time in
the Indian Army and Seychelles Defence
December 2022 (he had been Prime
Forces (SDF). ‘LAMITIYE’ meaning
Minister earlier in 2008-09 and 2016-17).
‘Friendship’ in the Creole language is a
 He won 268 votes in the floor test of
biennial training event and has been
January 2023 after receiving support from
conducted in Seychelles since 2001.
almost all parties, including both the Nepali
 45 personnel each from the GORKHA RIFLES
Congress and the CPN-UML.
of the Indian Army and Seychelles Defence
 Second floor test in March 2023
Forces (SDF) will participate in the 2024
 Prachanda had to seek a second vote in
exercise.
March 2023 after CPN-UML and the
 The Exercise will enhance cooperation and
monarchist Rashtriya Prajatantra Party
interoperability between both the sides
withdrew support.
during Peace Keeping Operations. The
 These parties withdrew
exercise will also build and promote bilateral
support over Prachanda’s
military relations in addition to exchanging
backing for Ramchandra
skills, experiences and good practices
Paudel of the Nepali Congress
between both armies
to be President.
 Both sides will jointly train, plan and execute
 Nepali Congress supported the Prachanda
a series of well-developed tactical drills for
government during this floor test.
neutralization of likely threats that may be
 Third floor test in March 2024
encountered in Semi-Urban environment,
 On March 4 this year, Prachanda
while exploiting and showcasing new-
dumped Nepali Congress (led by
generation equipment and technology.
Deuba) and went back to CPN-UML (led by

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K P Sharma Oli), which triggered the vote  Politicians in Nepal have often described
in Parliament. the country as being India-locked,
 Nepal had seen 13 governments since 2008 meaning it needs India for access to
 Nepal has had 13 governments since 2008, ports.
the year in which the country’s 239-year-
old monarchy was abolished and a republic Bilateral cooperation between India and Nepal
was proclaimed.  Bilateral trade between India and Nepal
 Over the years, Prachanda, Deuba, and Oli  India is Nepal’s largest trade partner, with
have been the leading political actors in bilateral trade crossing $7 billion in FY
Nepal. 2019-20.
 Impact of political instability on Nepal  India provides transit for almost all of
 The political instability in Nepal has Nepal’s third country trade.
impacted the country’s economy.  Indian exports to Nepal have grown more
 Thousands of young Nepalis are heading than eight times over the past decade,
abroad, mainly to the Middle East, South while exports from Nepal have almost
Korea, and Malaysia, in search of work. doubled.
 In 2022-23, about 7.7 lakh people got  Cooperation during Covid Pandemic
permits to go to foreign job destinations.  During the Covid-19 pandemic, India
provided assistance of more than $7
India’s stand million to Nepal.
 Cause of concern for India  This included the supply of more than 23
 The extraordinary political instability in tonnes of medicines and medical
Nepal is of concern to India, where equipment, more than 9.5 million doses
Prachanda’s moves are being watched of vaccines, and a medical oxygen plant.
with a mix of caution and admiration.  People to people contact and remittances
 However, while Prachanda retains  About 8 million Nepalese citizens live and
significant goodwill in New Delhi, his now work in India, and some 6 lakh Indians
partner in government, Oli, does not. live in Nepal. Indians are about 30% of
 Oli and India foreign tourists in Nepal.
 The actions and statements by Oli in 2015  The bilateral remittance flow is estimated
had caused a fair bit of bitterness in India. at $3 billion from Nepal to India, and $1
 During his tenure the billion in the opposite direction.
Nepalese constitution was India Vs China in Nepal
drafted, which led to protests  Use of Chinese card by Nepal
and the infamous border  Nepal is sandwiched between the
blockade. two Asian giants.
 Oli, who was Prime Minister then,  The Nepalese political leadership,
portrayed India as the neighbourhood including the country’s former
bully in his country. monarchs, has long sought to play
 Nepal being described as India-locked the China card to manage the
relationship with India.

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 China is pouring aids to wean Nepal About Yaounde Declaration:

away from India  It was signed by the health ministers of
 China has been pouring aid and 11 African countries with the highest
investment in infrastructure to wean burden of malaria, committing to
Kathmandu away from New Delhi. accelerated action to end deaths from
 Nepalese imports from China almost the malaria disease.
tripled from (Indian) Rs 49.5 billion in  It was signed at the Yaoundé
2013-14 to Rs 138.75 billion ($1.67 conference, co-hosted by the World
billion) in 2022-23. Health Organization (WHO) and the
Government of Cameroon.
New Delhi’s position on the politics and future  The 11 countries that signed the
of Nepal must remain nuanced and flexible, with declaration are: Burkina Faso,
the people of Nepal at its centre. It must ensure Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of
that China or its proxies do not get an the Congo, Ghana, Mali, Mozambique,
opportunity to ride on suspicion or prejudice Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Uganda and
against India. Tanzania. These countries carry roughly
70% of the global malaria burden.
More than an elder brother, India must take
 They committed to provide stronger
steps to make Nepal an equal partner.
leadership and increased domestic
funding for malaria control programmes;
to ensure further investment in data
technology; to apply the latest technical
9. Yaounde Declaration
guidance in malaria control and
GS PAPER: 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS elimination; and to enhance malaria
control efforts at the national and sub-
What is in News? national levels.
Ministers of Health from African countries with  The ministers further pledged
the highest burden of malaria recently signed to increase health sector investments to
the Yaounde Declaration with the objective of bolster infrastructure, personnel, and
ending malaria deaths. programme implementation; to
enhance multi-sectoral
collaboration; and to build partnerships
for funding, research, and innovation.
 In signing the declaration, they
expressed their “unwavering
commitment to the accelerated
reduction of malaria mortality” and
“to hold each other and our countries
accountable for the
commitments outlined in this
declaration.”

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and demonstrated procedures of boarding

10. Exercise Cutlass Express operations.
 As part of Cutlass Express 2024, the Indian
GS PAPER: 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Navy actively engaged with participants
from 16 friendly foreign
What is in News? countries. The Indian Navy has been
INS Tir, the lead ship of First Training Squadron participating in the exercise since 2019.
(1TS) participated in Exercise Cutlass Express -
24 (CE – 24) held at Port Victoria, Seychelles

About Exercise Cutlass Express:

 It is an exercise conducted in East African
coastal regions and the West Indian
Ocean to counter malign influence,
aggression and activity along overlapping
command seams and maritime regions.
 It is a premier multinational maritime
exercise sponsored by U.S. Africa Command
(AFRICOM) and led by U.S. Naval Forces
Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet.
 It brings together maritime forces from East
Africa, West Indian Ocean nations, Europe,
North America and several international
organizations to enhance maritime law
enforcement capacity, promote national and
regional security and increase
interoperability among participating nations.
 Training was conducted on theoretical and
practical aspects of Maritime Interdiction
Operations, Visit Board Search and Seizure
procedures and Diving operations. During
the sea phase, the ship's VBSS team boarded
Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG) ship LE Vigilant

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

cryptography is not very large or very
1. Kulasekarapattinam Spaceport fast, but it is very secure.
 The maximum speed, scale and security
GS PAPER: 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
of the transfer is achieved by sending
What is in News? the secret key using quantum coding,
Scientists are proposing new technology known but encoding and sending the data itself
as quantum cryptography to protect sensitive using traditional methods and
communications. algorithms.
 Benefits of quantum cryptography
 Provides secure
communication: Instead of difficult-to-
crack numbers, quantum cryptography
is based on the laws of physics, which is
a more sophisticated and secure
method of encryption.
 Detects eavesdropping: If a third party
attempts to read the encoded data,
then the quantum state changes,
What is Quantum cryptography? modifying the expected outcome for the
 It is also known as quantum
users.
encryption which uses the naturally  Offers multiple methods for
occurring properties of quantum security: There are numerous quantum
mechanics to secure and transmit data in a cryptography protocols used. Some, like
way that cannot be hacked. QKD, for example, can combine with
 It is completely secure against being
classical encryption methods to increase
compromised without the knowledge of the security.
message sender or the receiver.
 It is impossible to copy or view
data encoded in a quantum state without
2. Krutrim AI
alerting the sender or receiver. It uses
GS PAPER: 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
individual particles of light, or photons, to
transmit data over fiber optic wire.
What is in News?
 Process:
Earlier this year, Indian multinational
 Quantum cryptography is not replacing
ridesharing company, Ola, introduced Krutrim
traditional cryptography; rather, it
AI, claiming it as “India’s own AI”.
allows for a more secure transfer of the
keys used in encoding and decoding.
 The amount of information which can
be transferred using quantum

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3. Genetic Rescue
GS PAPER: 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

What is in News?
Genetic rescue is proposed as a method to
conserve Ranthambore National Park’s tiger
population.

About Krutrim AI: What is Genetic Rescue?

 It is envisioned to be personalised  Genetic rescue is the process of increasing

assistant, which can simplify personal and population growth with new genetic
professional life by getting a variety of variation by migrating individuals into
tasks done for you. It hopes to bridge the another small population (i.e., gene flow).
gap between conventional AI and the
specific needs based on Indian languages
and culture.
 It uses Natural Language Processing (NLP)
— a component of AI — to understand the
nuances of human language, including
colloquialisms and cultural contexts.
 Machine Learning (ML) algorithms enable
it to learn from vast data sets and improve
its responses over time. Moreover, Deep
Learning, a sophisticated branch of ML,
helps it recognise patterns and analyse  In practice, wildlife managers take
complex data. individuals from a larger, healthier
 One of the distinguishing features of population, and bring them to a smaller
Krutrim AI is that it has the ability to population to introduce new variation. This
understand the intent of the user. While conservation strategy aims to alleviate
most AI models rely on keyword matching genetic load, decrease extinction risk, and
and statistical probabilities, Krutrim AI enhance the viability of endangered species
reportedly dives deeper to understand the and populations.
user’s request.  It is often employed in conservation biology
 It can help with a variety of creative to mitigate the negative effects of
and knowledge retrieval tasks. One can inbreeding depression, which can occur
write an email, seek information on topics when individuals within a population mate
of interest, learn new skills, plan travel or with close relatives, leading to decreased
learn a new recipe, and more. reproductive success and viability of
offspring.

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 Genetic rescue can have both beneficial and  Anticipate outcomes,

deleterious effects, depending on factors  Anticipate market shifts, and
such as the magnitude and duration of gene  Make strategic decisions with
flow, as well as the genetic and non-genetic unprecedented foresight.
factors influencing population dynamics.  By learning from historical data and adapting
There can be risks involved with moving to emerging patterns, Predictive AI becomes
animals around, so it’s often thought of as a a strategic ally, guiding businesses through
last resort. the complex terrain of uncertainty.

Predictive AI vs. Generative AI:

4. Predictive AI  Predictive and generative AI both use

GS PAPER: 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

machine learning, combined with access to
lots of data, in order to produce their
What is in News? outputs.
Predictive AI emerges as a transformative force,  However, predictive AI uses machine
reshaping how businesses analyse data, make learning to extrapolate the future.
decisions, and stay ahead in their respective Generative AI uses machine learning to
industries. create content.
 For example, a predictive-AI model tells
fishermen when a storm is coming. The
What is Predictive AI?
generative-AI model writes a novel that
 Predictive artificial intelligence (AI) refers to
imagines various interactions between
the use of machine learning to identify
weather and fishing voyages.
patterns in past events and make
 In a sense, generative AI is similar to
predictions about future events.
predictive AI, as it uses statistical analysis
 Unlike conventional AI, which
to "predict" which words and concepts
predominantly focuses on analysing
belong together.
historical information, Predictive AI
 But the goals for generative and predictive
operates on a visionary principle: the ability
AI are different, the machine learning
to foresee and forecast future events.
models they use are different, and the use
 At its essence, this cutting-edge
cases are different.
technology harnesses the power of
advanced algorithms and machine learning
Some Use Cases of Predictive AI:
models to scrutinise vast datasets,
Analysing the impact of an extreme weather
identifying intricate patterns, correlations
event:
and trends that might elude human
 A volcano in Iceland erupted (recently) for
perception.
the 4th time since December, spewing
 The key distinction lies in Predictive AI’s
smoke and molten lava into the air.
capacity to go beyond mere data analysis. It
 A 2010 eruption in Iceland had halted
transforms data into a predictive asset,
around 100,000 flights in Europe as ash
enabling organisations to -

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clouds and haze enveloped the skies

around the Arctic Circle. 5. Samudrayaan Mission
 Will it impact air travel this time? That’s GS PAPER: 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
where data analysis for pattern searches What is in News?
using predictive AI comes in. The National Institute of Ocean Technology
 Moscow-based Yandex has developed an (NIOT) has completed a key test for India’s first
interactive map that allows the real-time manned submersible mission called
monitoring of ash clouds after eruptions. Samudrayaan.

Oil and gas exploration:

 For instance, an oil drilling company with
wells around the world has the historical
geological data on the regions where all oil
drilling has led to successful finds.
 A predictive AI system trained on this
historical data could predict where a new
oil well could be located.
 Earlier this month, Saudi Aramco, the
world’s largest oil producer, showcased
its metabrain generative AI.
 Metabrain is helping Aramco to analyse What is Samudrayaan Mission?
 It is India’s first manned mission to explore
drilling plans and geological data as well as
historical drilling times versus costs and the deep ocean.
 It is aimed to develop a self-propelled
provide precise forecasts.
manned submersible to carry three human
Medicine research: beings to a water depth of 6,000 meters in
 The models of predictive AI could be used the ocean.
 It is designed to study the deep ocean
in drug discovery, which happens to be one
of the most promising areas of research resources and conduct biodiversity
currently. assessments as well.
 The project is part of the larger Deep Ocean
 For this reason, the pharmaceutical
industry is increasingly seeking to Mission, which supports the Central
collaborate by pooling data. Government’s Blue Economy policy.
 Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Earth
 A recent initiative to facilitate, the
‘MELLODDY Project’, involves the EU Sciences (MoES)
Innovative Medicines Initiative and around
ten pharmaceutical companies. What is MATSYA 6000?
 It is a manned
submersible vehicle developed by the
National Institute of Ocean Technology
(NIOT), Chennai.

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 It was developed under the Samudrayaan  Advanced Marine Station for Ocean
mission to facilitate humans in the deep Biology
ocean in exploring mineral resources. It has
an endurance of 12 hours of operational
period and 96 hours in case of emergency. 6. Inflection 2.5
 It will allow scientific personnel to GS PAPER: 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
observe and understand unexplored deep-
sea areas by direct interventions. Further, it What is in News?
will enhance the capability for deep-sea
Recently, Inflection AI company launched its
man-rated vehicle development.
latest LLM, Inflection 2.5, an upgrade to its
 Expected to be launched in 2024-
25, it would make India only one among six model that powers its friendly chatbot Pi
personal assistant.
countries (US, Russia, Japan, France, and
China) to have piloted a crewed under-sea
expedition beyond 5,000 metres.

Key Facts about Deep Ocean Mission:

 It is a mission-mode project to support the
Blue Economy Initiatives of the
Government of India.
 It has been launched as a Central Sector
Scheme of Ministry of Earth Sciences.
 It is a high-level, multi-ministerial, multi-
About Inflection 2.5:
 It is an “upgraded in-house model that is
disciplinary programme for a
better understanding of the deep sea living competitive with all the world’s leading
and non-living resources of the Indian LLMs.
 The newly upgraded Large Language
Ocean.
 The Mission consists of six major
Model comes with its signature personality
and uniquely empathetic fine-tuning.
components:
 With the new upgrade, Pi has now been
 Development of Technologies for
Deep Sea Mining and Manned endowed with world-class real-time web
Submersible and Underwater search capabilities to ensure that users get
Robotics; access to high-quality and up-to-date
 Development of Ocean Climate information in real time.
 The new LLM, users are talking to the Pi
Change Advisory Services;
 Technological chatbot about a wider range of topics
innovations for exploration and cons including discussing current events, getting
ervation of deep-sea biodiversity; local restaurant recommendations,
 Deep Ocean Survey and Exploration; studying for a biology exam, drafting
 Energy and freshwater from the business plans, coding, and even fun
Ocean; discussions on hobbies.

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About IRIS AI Robot:

What is PI chatbot?  It is powered by Robotics and Generative
 Pi is an AI chatbot with which one can have AI technologies. It has a dedicated Intel
deep and meaningful conversations. processor and coprocessor for seamless
 To access the chatbot, one needs to log on performance.
to [Link], click on Meet Pi, and  Its Android App interface allows users to
simply start talking to the chatbot right control and interact with the robot,
away. ensuring a personalized learning
 It is more humane and has been promoted experience.
as a chatbot that has a personality.  It is not just a passive presence in the
 It is more like a companion to humans and classroom but a dynamic voice assistant
is free to use. and interactive learning tool. It acts as
 The chatbot comes with a voice, in six an AI voice-controlled
distinct voices, to choose from adding life assistant, responding to user queries,
to conversations. providing explanations, and delivering
 The chatbot has been shown billions of educational content.
lines of text on the open web.  It engages users in interactive learning
 This allows Pi to have conversations with experiences through personalized content
users and answer a wide variety of generation, quizzes and interactive
questions, according to the company. activities.
 Equipped with a 4-wheel chassis, Iris can
move freely within its environment,
facilitating interaction with users and
7. IRIS AI Robot navigating through learning spaces.
GS PAPER: 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY  Its hands, featuring 5 DoF each, enable Iris
to manipulate objects, perform
What is in News? demonstrations and engage in hands-on
A groundbreaking development in education learning activities.
has emerged from Kerala's  The robot can teach subjects from nursery
Thiruvananthapuram, where a school has to Class 12. The robot currently
introduced India's first AI teacher robot, Iris. speaks three languages - English, Hindi and
Malayalam.
 It is created by the Maker Labs.

8. IndiaAI Mission
GS PAPER: 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

What is in News?
Recently, the Cabinet has approved the
comprehensive national-level IndiaAI mission.

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datasets to Indian Startups and

Researchers.
 IndiaAI Application Development
Initiative: It will promote the AI
applications in critical sectors for the
problem statements sourced from
Central Ministries, State Departments,
and other institutions.
About IndiaAI Mission:  IndiaAI FutureSkills: It is conceptualized
 It will establish a comprehensive to mitigate barriers to entry into AI
ecosystem catalyzing AI innovation through programs and will increase AI courses in
strategic programs and partnerships across undergraduate, masters-level, and Ph.D.
the public and private sectors. programs. Further, Data and AI Labs will
 It will be implemented by ‘IndiaAI’ be set-up in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities
Independent Business Division (IBD) under across India to impart foundational level
Digital India Corporation (DIC). courses.
 It has the following components:  IndiaAI Startup Financing: It is
 IndiaAI Compute Capacity: It will build a conceptualized to support and
high-end scalable AI computing accelerate deep-tech AI startups and
ecosystem to cater to the increasing provide them streamlined access to
demands from India’s rapidly expanding funding to enable futuristic AI Projects.
AI start-ups and research ecosystem. It  Safe & Trusted AI: It will enable the
will comprise AI compute infrastructure implementation of Responsible AI
of 10,000 or more Graphics Processing projects including the development of
Units (GPUs), built through public- indigenous tools and frameworks, self-
private partnership. It will act as a one- assessment checklists for innovators
stop solution for resources critical for AI and other guidelines and governance
innovation. frameworks.
 IndiaAI Innovation Centre: It will  The IndiaAI Mission will propel innovation
undertake the development and and build domestic capacities to ensure the
deployment of indigenous Large tech sovereignty of India.
Multimodal Models (LMMs) and
domain-specific foundational models in
critical sectors.
 IndiaAI Datasets Platform: It will
streamline access to quality non-
personal datasets for AI Innovation. A
unified data platform will be developed
to provide a one-stop solution for
seamless access to non-personal

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ASSAM

1. Majuli Masks and other materials available in the riverine

surroundings of their makers
GS PAPER: 5: ASSAM
 Traditional practitioners are working to take
What is in News? the art out of their traditional place in
Recently, the traditional Majuli masks and sattras, or monasteries, and give them a
Majuli manuscript painting in Assam were given new, contemporary life.
o Sattras are monastic
a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
institutions established by Srimanta
Sankardev and his disciples as
centres of religious, social and
cultural reform.

Key facts about Majuli manuscript painting

 It is a form of painting — also originating
in the 16th century — done on sanchi
pat, or manuscripts made of the bark of
the sanchi or agar tree, using
About Majuli masks: homemade ink.
 These are handmade masks traditionally  The earliest example of an illustrated
used to depict characters in bhaonas, or manuscript is said to be a rendering of
theatrical performances with devotional the Adya Dasama of the Bhagwat Purana
messages under the neo-Vaishnavite in Assamese by Srimanta Sankardev.
tradition, introduced by the 15th-16th  This art was patronised by the Ahom
century reformer saint Srimanta kings. It continues to be practised in
Sankardeva. every sattra in Majuli.
 Srimanta Sankardeva established this art of
masks through a play called Chinha Jatra. 2. Brindabani Bastra
 The masks can depict gods, goddesses,
GS PAPER 5: ASSAM
demons, animals and birds — Ravana,
Garuda, Narasimha, Hanuman, Varaha What is in News?
Surpanakha all feature among the masks.  A replica of Brindabani Bastra, crafted with
 They can range in size from those covering 'paat' thread by artist Dr. Ranjit Kumar
just the face (mukh mukha), to those Baruah, was unveiled at the auditorium of
covering the whole head and body of the Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankaradeva
performer (cho mukha). Viswavidyalaya (MSSV), Guwahati campus.
 Material used: The masks are made
 Padadhikar of Srimanta Sankaradeva Sangha
of bamboo, clay, dung, cloth, cotton, wood and chancellor of the university, Bhabendra

Nath Deka, unveiled the 10x38 feet replica

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 The replica is named "Sankari Jugar  Such silk-weaving artworks were produced
Brindabani Bastrar Kala Samahar." in Assam and its vicinity up to around 1715
and were exported to places like Tibet.
About Brindabani Bastra:  The exhibit owned by the British Museum,
 It is a silk drape woven by Assamese weavers acquired in 1904 from Tibet, is nine and a
during the 16th century under the guidance half meters long and features several pieces
of Srimanta Sankardeva, a Vaishnavite saint of silk drapes depicting Krishna's life, along
and scholar in present-day Assam with a portion of a poem written by
Mathuradas Burha Aata, a disciple of Sri Sri Srimanta Sankardeva.
Madhabdev, the first Satradhikar of the  Efforts by Indian government agencies to
Barpeta Satra, led the weaving of the repatriate the silk drape have been
Vrindavani Vastra along with 12 assistant unsuccessful.
weavers.  In 2013, the Assam government requested
 The drape depicts the childhood activities of the British Museum to exhibit the Vrindavani
Lord Krishna in Vrindavan. Vastra in London for public viewing. It was
 Parts of the original Vrindavani Vastra are displayed until August 2016 in an exhibition
currently housed in the Victoria and Albert titled 'Krishna in the garden of Assam: the
Museum in London and the Musee Guimet cultural context of an Indian textile' in Room
(Guimet Museum) in Paris. 91 of the British Museum.
 Assamese silk weavers depicted scenes from
the Bhagavatha and Mahabharatha,
particularly focusing on Lord Krishna's 3. Small Tea growers tasting big success
childhood, under the supervision of GS PAPER 5: ASSAM
Srimanta Sankardeva and his disciple
Madhvadeva during the 16th century. Historical Overview of the Indian Tea Industry:
 First woven between 1567 and 1569, the  The Indian tea industry boasts a legacy of
Vrindavani Vastra was taken to Bhutan and approximately 200 years, signifying its deep-
later to Tibet, from where it was brought rooted history.
back to Europe by European merchants.  Tea holds a pivotal position as a crucial
 Reports suggest that a piece of the trading commodity within India, reflecting
Vrindavani Vastra was collected by a its economic significance.
reporter of "The Times" (London) and  Initially, the tea industry in Assam was
donated to the museum around 1904. colonial, dominated by large-scale
Similar silk drapes are also held by other plantations with limited local participation.
museums like The Philadelphia Museum of  Legislative restrictions, even post-
Art. independence, hindered Assamese natives'
 In 2004, a similar piece of silk drape, possibly involvement in tea cultivation until 1978
designed by Srimanta Sankaradeva during when restrictions were lifted.
the 16th century, was auctioned by Christie's
in New York.

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Evolution and Global Recognition: contributions to the state's economy and

 Over the years, the industry has flourished, the overall tea production system.
giving rise to numerous global tea brands.
 The Indian tea industry has become one of Role of Soneswar Bora in Promoting Small Tea
the most technologically advanced tea Cultivation:
industries worldwide.  Soneswar Bora, the former Minister of
Agriculture of Assam, played a crucial role in
Significance of Assam in Tea Production: promoting homestead tea cultivation.
 Assam, a leading tea-producing region,  His initiatives aimed at utilizing uncultivated
contributes significantly to India's tea land and alleviating unemployment, earning
output, yielding around 700 million kg him the title 'Father' of small tea growers in
annually. Assam.
 This accounts for approximately 55 percent
of India’s total tea production and is a vital Support and Collaboration for Small Tea
source of foreign exchange earnings for the Growers:
state, estimated at around Rs 3,000 crore  The establishment of the All Assam Small
annually. Tea Growers' Association in 1987 marked a
turning point, facilitating collaboration with
Tea as a Key Agricultural Product in Assam: institutions like the Assam Agricultural
 Assam's economy remains predominantly University.
agricultural, with tea being one of the  Initiatives like the Small Tea Growers’
primary agricultural products. Advisory Programme have significantly
 Renowned globally for its aromatic qualities, contributed to the promotion and technical
tea contributes over 25 percent to the support of small-scale tea cultivation.
state’s gross domestic product.

Role of Small Tea Cultivators: 4. State government introduces 6 local

 The tea sector is labour-intensive, with a languages
significant dependency on a large workforce.
GS PAPER 5: ASSAM
 Small tea cultivators play a crucial role in the
tea production system, particularly in
Assam, where they constitute a substantial  The State government of Assam has
part of the industry. introduced six indigenous languages as the
medium of instruction in the foundational
Emergence of Small-scale Tea Cultivation: stage.
 Small-scale tea cultivation, associated with  Mising, Rabha, Karbi, Tiwa, Dimasa, and
homestead tea gardens and agro-based Deuri languages have been declared as the
farming, is a relatively new development in medium of instruction with immediate
the Indian tea industry. effect.
 Despite its recent history, small tea
cultivators have made extensive

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 This move is in accordance with the National  Despite socio-economic hardships, he

Education Policy (NEP) and aims to facilitate exhibited resilience and determination,
better learning for students belonging to the emphasizing education and personal growth.
Mising, Rabha, Karbi, Tiwa, Dimasa, and His pursuit of higher education, culminating
Deuri communities. in a Master’s Degree in Science, exemplified
 A notification by the Department of School his belief in the transformative power of
Education stated that after the foundational learning.
stage, these languages will be shifted to
regional language as the medium of Leadership and Activism:
instruction.  Bodofa’s journey from rural Assam to the
 This initiative will empower people to forefront of a socio-political movement for
pursue education in their mother tongue, Bodo rights showcased his indomitable spirit
thereby enhancing accessibility and and visionary leadership.
inclusivity in education.  As a student leader, he recognized the
urgent need for sociopolitical empowerment
among the Bodos, leading the All Bodo
5. Chatra Divas Students’ Union (ABSU) and advocating for a
separate Bodoland state.
GS PAPER 5: ASSAM

Philosophy and Vision:

What is in News?  Bodofa’s vision for Bodoland extended
 The celebration of Chatra Divas, marking the beyond political aspirations, emphasizing
birthday of Upendra Nath Brahma, cultural preservation, socio-economic
affectionately known as “Bodofa,” holds development, and indigenous identity
profound significance within the cultural and assertion. He advocated for inclusive
socio-political landscape of Assam. development and mutual respect among
 This commemoration resonates deeply, not diverse communities, promoting harmony
only within the Bodo community but also and coexistence.
among the broader youth demographic
across Assam. It serves as a moment of Legacy and Significance:
introspection and inspiration, prompting  The significance of Chatra Divas lies in its
reflection on the legacy of a visionary leader role as a platform for commemorating
who dedicated his life to advocating for the Bodofa’s ideals and principles, inspiring
rights and empowerment of his people. successive generations of youth in Assam.
Regardless of ethnic or cultural
Birth and Early Life: backgrounds, Bodofa's legacy offers lessons
 Born on March 31, 1956, at Dotma in in education as empowerment, non-violent
Kokrajhar district, Bodofa’s early life was resistance, solidarity, and advocacy for
marked by the challenges typical of marginalized communities.
marginalized communities in Assam.
Relevance to Assam's Youth:

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 Education as Empowerment: Bodofa’s  Centered in Assam, Pao's endeavor serves as

emphasis on education underscores its a beacon of hope for the revitalization of
transformative potential, inspiring youth to traditional handloom industries in the
pursue excellence and societal change region.
through learning.
 Non-Violent Resistance and Democratic
Engagement: Bodofa’s commitment to non- 7. Assam Rifles celebrates 189th Raising
violence and inclusive dialogue guides youth Day
activism, contributing to social justice and
GS PAPER 5: ASSAM
democratic consolidation.
 Solidarity and Inclusivity: Bodofa’s What is in News?
principles of solidarity and mutual respect The Assam Rifles, established in 1835,
inspire youth to foster cross-cultural celebrated its 189th Raising Day on
understanding and cooperation, celebrating 24th March, marking it as the oldest and most
diversity as strength. decorated Para Military
 Advocacy for Marginalized Communities: Force of the Country.
Bodofa's advocacy for the marginalized  Over the years, the Assam Rifles has remained
inspires youth to champion social justice and a steadfast pillar of support
equitable development, contributing to a for the people of the North East, fostering a
more inclusive society. sense of security amidst the
region's progress towards development and
prosperity.
6. Assam Gaurav  Continuing to adapt to emerging challenges,
GS PAPER 5: ASSAM the Assam Rifles remains
dedicated to its motto and role as the 'Sentinels
 Jecin Kumbang Pao, an entrepreneur in the of the North East'.
handloom and textile sector, receives the
"Assam Gaurav" Award from the
Government of Assam for her outstanding About Assam rifles:
contributions to preserving and promoting  Assam Rifles is one of the six Central Armed
Assamese traditional crafts. Police Forces (CAPFs) that come under the
 Pao's venture, "Kangkan Dhemaji," has MHA’s administrative control.
revitalized Assamese handloom and textiles,  Besides maintaining law and order in the
expanding its reach with outlets in Dhemaji, Northeast (a task it performs together with
Dibrugarh, and Guwahati since its the Army), the Assam Rifles also guards the
establishment in 2017. border with Myanmar in the region.
 Operating under the proprietorship of M/S  It is the oldest paramilitary force in India.
KANGKAN EMPORIUM, Pao's enterprise is  The unit can trace its lineage back to a
renowned for its quality and authenticity, paramilitary police force that was formed
directly benefiting hundreds of weavers and under the British in 1835 called Cachar Levy.
revitalizing age-old craftsmanship.

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 Since then, the Assam Rifles have undergone  Chapphou Kut, also known as Chapchar Kut
a number of name changes— the Assam in Mizoram, symbolizes agricultural rituals
Frontier Police (1883), the Assam Military intertwined with nature's rhythms.
Police (1891) and Eastern Bengal and Assam  Its celebration in Dima Hasao holds
Military Police (1913), before finally profound significance, shedding light on
becoming the Assam Rifles in 1917. lesser-known traditions of the Kuki-Chin-
 It is also known as ‘Sentinels of the Mizo tribes.
Northeast’.
 HQ: Shillong, Meghalaya.
 Motto: Friends of the Hill People. 9. Lachit Borphukan
 It is the only paramilitary force with a dual
GS PAPER 5: ASSAM
control structure.
 While the administrative control of the force What is in News?
is with the Ministry of Home Affairs, its Recently, the Prime Minister of India unveiled a
operational control is with the Indian Army, 125-foot bronze statue of Ahom general Lachit
which is under the Ministry of Defence. Borphukan at his burial site in eastern Assam’s
Jorhat district.

8. Chapphou Kut
GS PAPER 5: ASSAM

What is in News?
 Chapphou Kut celebrated at Pangmoul in
Dima Hasao recently, marking the first
joyous celebration of the festival in the
region, reviving age-old customs and rituals. About Lachit Borphukan:
 The theme of the festivities was "Celebrating  He was a legendary army commander of
Traditions: Making Memories," drawing the Ahom kingdom (1228-1826). He was
people from diverse backgrounds and walks known for his leadership in the 1671 ‘Battle
of life. of Saraighat’.
 Esteemed community leaders graced the  He defeated the Mughal forces, led by Raja
occasion, fostering unity and camaraderie. Ramsingh-I, in this battle, and thwarted a
 The village resonated with the beats of drawn-out attempt by them to take back
drums, gongs, and traditional melodies, as Assam.
participants adorned colorful attires,  He was chosen as one of the five
heralding the revival of cultural heritage. Borphukans of the Ahom kingdom by king
'Chapphou' derives from 'Chap' and 'Phou,' Charadhwaj Singha and given administrative,
representing fallen trees and drying judicial, and military responsibilities.
materials from the traditional jhum  Borphukan preferred guerrilla tactics which
cultivation. provided an edge to his smaller, but fast
moving and capable forces.

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 He was buried at the ‘maidam’ — burial

grounds for Ahom royals and nobles — at
Hollongapar, after passing away a year after
the battle at the age of 49 due to illness.

Key points about the AHOM Kingdom

 The Ahom kings ruled large parts of what is
now known as Assam for nearly 600 years,
from the early 13th century to the early
19th century.
 This was a prosperous, multi-ethnic
kingdom which spread across the upper
and lower reaches of the Brahmaputra
valley, surviving on rice cultivation in its
fertile lands.
 The Ahoms engaged in a series of conflicts
with the Mughals from 1615-1682, starting
from the reign of Jahangir till the reign of
Aurangzeb.

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INTERNAL SECURITY
 There are typical aspects that tend to be
1. Grey Zone Warfare present in most grey zone warfare activities.
 The first is that grey zone elements
GS PAPER: 3 : INTERNAL SECURITY
remain below the threshold that would
What is in News? justify a military response, often
The phrase 'grey zone warfare' crops up in through the use of non-military tools.
descriptions of Chinese actions around an island  The second common characteristic of
that it claims as its own. grey zone activities is that they unfold
gradually over time rather than
involving bold, all-encompassing actions
to achieve objectives in one step.
 The third characteristic, which applies to
some but not all the activities in this
sphere, is a lack of attributability. Most
grey zone campaigns involve actions,
whereby the aggressor aims for
About Grey Zone Warfare: plausible deniability of its action.
 Grey zone warfare generally means
 In cases where grey zone actions are
a middle, unclear space that exists between open and attributable, they are justified
direct conflict and peace in international using extensive legal and political
relations. arguments. In addition, aggressors also
 It can be broadly defined as the exploitation
recruit other countries to their point of
of operational space between peace and view.
war to change the status quo through the  Grey zone campaigns target specific
use of coercive actions which remain below vulnerabilities in the targeted
countries.
a threshold that, in most cases, would
prompt a conventional military response.
 Activities characterised as grey zone warfare
2. Innovations for Defence Excellence- Defence
methods range from the use of proxies for
Innovation Organisation (iDEX-DIO)
kinetic action or change of territorial status
quo through coercion to non-kinetic GS PAPER: 3 : INTERNAL SECURITY
subversive actions such as
What is in News?
cyberattacks, economic
The iDEX-DIO, under the aegis of Department of
coercion, disinformation campaign, election
Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, is
meddling, and more recently,
organising DefConnect 2024.
weaponisation of migrants.

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About Innovations for Defence Excellence-

Defence Innovation Organisation:
 It is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of
Defence, Govt of India launched in 2018.
 Objective: The objective of the scheme is
to cultivate an innovation ecosystem in the
Defence and Aerospace sector by
collaborating with startups, innovators, About Project Seabird:
MSMEs, incubators, and academia.  The largest naval infrastructure project for
 Funding: It will be funded and managed India, it involves creation of a naval base at
by a ‘Defence Innovation Karwar, Karnataka, on the west coast of
Organization (DIO)’ which has been India.
formed as a ‘not for profit’ company as per  History:
the Companies Act 2013 for this purpose,  In the post-Indo-Pak War of 1971
by the two founder members. Defence scenario, India learned that the Indian
Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) - HAL & Navy needs an additional naval
BEL. base since Mumbai Harbour faced
 It functions as the executive arm of DIO, congestion, which led to security
carrying out all the required activities while issues for its Western Fleet.
DIO will provide high level policy guidance  It was initially sanctioned in 1985, and
to iDEX. the foundation stone was laid on
 It offers grants and support for R&D with October 24, 1986, by Rajiv Gandhi.
significant potential for future adoption in  This is a massive project with the first sealift
Indian defence and aerospace. facility in the country and a transfer system
for docking and undocking ships and
submarines.
3. Project Seabird  Its first phase, which included the
construction of a deep-sea harbour,
GS PAPER: 3 : INTERNAL SECURITY
breakwaters dredging, a township, a naval
What is in News? hospital, a dockyard uplift centre and a ship
The Defence Minister will inaugurate two big lift, was commissioned in 2005.
piers and seven towers with 320 homes for  The development of phase 2 of INS

Navy officers and Defence civilians as part of Kadamba commenced in 2011.

Project Seabird at Naval Base Karwar in  This phase is further divided into 2A
Karnataka. and 2B. It was planned to expand the
facilities to dock additional

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warships and a new Naval Air in collaboration with a foreign defence

Station, among other projects. major.
 Once completed, it will be the largest naval  The aircraft will have a low electro-
base in the Eastern Hemisphere. It will be magnetic signature, which will make it
able to accommodate around 32 warships, difficult for enemy radar to detected it.
23 submarines and hangers for several  At the same time, it will have powerful
aircraft. sensors and new weapons, so it is able
to register the signature of enemy
aircraft and take them out.
4. Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft  The Aeronautical Development Agency
GS PAPER: 3 : INTERNAL SECURITY (ADA) under the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO) will be
What is in News? the nodal agency for executing the
programme and designing the aircraft.
Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Security
 It will be manufactured by state-
(CCS) cleared a Rs 15,000 crore project to design
owned Hindustan Aeronautics
and develop the Advanced Medium Combat
Limited (HAL).
Aircraft (AMCA).

5. ICGS Samudra Paheredar

GS PAPER: 3 : INTERNAL SECURITY

What is in News?
The Minister of External Affairs recently visited
Indian Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar,
which is in Manila Bay in the Philippines, as part
About Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft:
of an overseas deployment to ASEAN countries.
 It is India’s fifth-generation fighter
multirole fighter jet.
 Features
 It will have advanced stealth features to
avoid detection by enemy radar.
 Fuel and Weapon: The aircraft will have
a large, concealed internal fuel tank of
6.5-tonne capacity, and an internal
weapons bay for a range of weapons,
including indigenous weapons.
 Engine: The AMCA Mk1 variant will have About ICGS Samudra Paheredar:
the US-built GE414 engine which will be  It is a specialised Pollution Control
developed indigenously by DRDO’s Gas Vessel (PCV) of the Indian Coast Guard. It is
Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) the second PCV of India(the first being ICGS
Samudra Prahari).

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 It was indigenously built by ABG Shipyard, quantum computing for military

Surat. It is stationed on the East Coast of applications.
India in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.  Objective: Its primary objective is
 Features: to nurture technologies across wired and
 The ship is propelled by twin diesel wireless systems, covering a wide
engines, producing power that is further spectrum of domains including electronic
enhanced by twin shaft generators for a exchanges, mobile communications,
maximum speed of 21 knots. software-defined radios, electronic warfare
 At economical speed, the ship has systems and more.
an endurance of 6,500 nautical
miles and can stay at sea for 20 days.
 The ship’s primary role is pollution
response at sea and is equipped with
the most advanced and sophisticated
pollution response and control
equipment for mitigating oil spills,
which includes containment equipment
like hi-sprint booms and river booms,
recovery devices like skimmers and side
sweeping arms. The ship is capable of
unhindered oil-recovery operations.
 The special features include an  The unit will conduct technical scouting,
integrated platform management evaluation, development and management
system, a power management system of core ICT solutions while providing user
and a high-powered external firefighting interface support through the maintenance
system. and upgrade of contemporary
 It is capable of operating one twin- technologies.
engine ALH/ Chetak helicopter.  It will help bridge the divide between the
armed forces on the one hand
and industry and academia on the other. It
6. Signals Technology Evaluation and is aligned with the tenets of Atmanirbhar
Adaptation Group (STEAG) Bharat and Start-Up India.
 Significance:
GS PAPER: 3 : INTERNAL SECURITY  It will play a crucial role in fostering
self-reliance in high-end
What is in News?
communication technologies, which
The Indian Army has initiated a significant have traditionally been dominated by
development in its technological capabilities by countries with advanced economies
establishing the Signals Technology Evaluation and research ecosystems.
and Adaptation Group (STEAG).  The establishment of this Center of
Excellence is expected to be a game-
changer in India's quest
About Signals Technology Evaluation and
for technological self-sufficiency.
Adaptation Group:
 It is a unit dedicated to researching and
evaluating futuristic communication
technologies like 6G, Artificial
Intelligence (AI), machine learning and

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ENVIRONMENT

has the potential to have a substantial

1. Star rating System for SEIAA environmental impact.
 As per the star-rating system, the SEIAA
GS PAPER: 3: ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY
would get points on a scale of 0 to 7.
What is in News?  A SEIAA would get two points for
The MoEFCC has informed the NGT that its plan granting a clearance in less than 80
to implement a star-rating system for states days, one point for clearing a project
based on their promptness in awarding between 80 and 105 days and 0.5
environmental clearances to industrial or points if the clearance was granted
infrastructure projects has not yet been between 105 and 120 days.
operationalised.  Zero points would be given to a SEIAA
if it takes more than 120 days for
granting environmental clearance.
The Ministry told the NGT’s Chennai bench that  The proposed star-rating system will
it is still in the process of upgrading and beutilised to “rank” and “incentivise” States
operationalising the website that would on how “quickly” and “efficiently” they can
facilitate this ranking of the State Environment accord environmental clearances.
Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAA).  The ranking system aims to encourage
What is the Star Rating System for SEIAA? efficiency in decision-making without
 The star-rating system was introduced compromising regulatory safeguards.
in 2022 by the Ministry of Environment,  Industries with higher ratings will be eligible
Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC), and is for various incentives and benefits and thus
based on - promotes ease of doing business.
 Pollution control measures,
 Environmental management practices, Concerns Regarding the Star Rating System of
and the SEIAA:
 Compliance with regulatory  Limited scope: It focuses on the
requirements. environmental performance of industries
 The rating, for which industries must apply and does not consider other important
every year, range from one to five stars, factors, such as socio-economic impacts,
with five stars indicating the highest which can also affect sustainability.
environmental compliance and performance  Self-reporting and verification: The system
level. relies on self-reporting by industries, which
 The ratings are publicly displayed on the can be prone to manipulation and
SEIAA website. inaccurate reporting.
 SEIAA is a regulatory body established o Verifying the reported data can also
by the MoEFCC under the be challenging, particularly for
Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) smaller industries.
Notification 2006.  Lack of stringency: The criteria for awarding
 The SEIAAs grant clearances on the stars may need to be more stringent to
recommendations of the Expert ensure the highest level of environmental
Appraisal Committees which go performance.
through every project proposal that o This may be difficult to enforce due
to lack of capacity and resources.

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 Limited participation: This is mainly because 2. World Air Quality Report 2023
industries do not see any immediate
benefits of participation or have limited GS PAPER: 3: ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY
resources.
What is in News?
 Incentives may not be enough: While the
incentives provided for higher star ratings Delhi was identified as the capital city with the
can encourage industries to improve their poorest air quality, according to a new report by
environmental performance, more is needed World Air Quality Report 2023.
to ensure sustained improvement in the
long run.
 Lack of public awareness: There may be a
need for more public awareness about the
system, which can limit its effectiveness in
promoting sustainable development and
environmental protection.

Why has there been a Delay in Operationalising

Star Rating System for SEIAA?
 The MoEFCC had introduced the star-rating
system in 2022 but it was challenged in the About World Air Quality Report 2023:
NGT by a Tamil Nadu-based  It is published by the Swiss organisation
organisation working for the rights of IQAir.
fishermen.  Highlights:
 The petitioners argued that it was arbitrary  With an average air annual particulate
and would result in a dilution of matter 2.5 (PM2.5) concentration of
scrutiny during the environmental impact 54.4 micrograms per cubic
assessment (EIA) process. metre, India had the third worst air
 The petitioners also argued that the quality.
Ministry’s order was contrary to the  India was better than only two of its
Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) neighbouring countries, Bangladesh and
notification of 2006 which mandates Pakistan.
detailed scrutiny of all the impact of all  While Bangladesh remained the most
projects. polluted country in the world, with an
 However, the Ministry defended its decision average PM2.5 concentration of 79.9
and said that the rating criteria does not micrograms per cubic metre, Pakistan
seek to change any process or timelines as was second, with a level of 73.7.
provided in the EIA notification 2006.  It also identified Delhi as the most
polluted capital city in the world for the
fourth consecutive time. Bihar's
Begusarai was termed the world's most
polluted metropolitan area.
 Ten out of the top 11 most polluted
cities in the world are from India, the
other being Lahore in Pakistan.
 96 percent of the Indian population
experiences PM2.5 levels more than

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seven times the WHO annual PM2.5 to clean up sites that have been polluted
guideline. with metals.
 Process:
What is Particulate Matter (PM)?  Valuable metals are commonly bound
 It is made of solid particles and liquid up in solid minerals. Some microbes
droplets in the air. In general, any type of can oxidize those metals, allowing
burning or any dust-generating activities them to dissolve in water.
are sources of PM.  It is the basic process behind most
 PM comes in many different sizes. biomining, which is used for
 Larger particles come mostly from metals that can be more easily
the soil. Smaller particles come from recovered when dissolved than from
burning of fossil fuels, like gasoline in solid rocks.
cars, diesel in trucks, and coal used  A different biomining technique, for
by power plants. metals which are not dissolved by the
 PM is also divided into primary and microbes, uses microbes to break
secondary categories. down the surrounding minerals,
 Primary PM is directly emitted from a making it easier to recover the metal
smokestack or a tailpipe. Secondary of interest directly from the remaining
PM forms downwind from sources of rock.
gaseous emissions through chemical  When the metal of interest is directly
reactions. dissolved, the biomining process is
called “bioleaching,” and when the metal
of interest is made more accessible or
3. Biomining “enriched” in the material left behind, it is
called “biooxidation.”
GS PAPER: 3: ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY
What metals are currently biomined?
What is in News?  Most current biomining operations
Delhi's biomining project to clear landfill sites target valuable metals like copper,
is likely to miss the latest deadline of 2024. uranium, nickel, and gold that are
commonly found in sulfidic (sulfur-
bearing) minerals.
 Microbes are especially good at
oxidizing sulfidic minerals, converting
metals like iron and copper into forms
that can dissolve more easily.
 Compared to typical mining that uses
hazardous chemicals and has a large
CO2 footprint, biomining represents
an environmentally
friendly alternative, producing very
About Biomining: little (if at all) hazardous waste.
 It is the technique of extracting metals
from ores and other solid materials,
typically using micro-organisms (bacteria,
algae, fungi, or plants). It may also be used

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4. State of Global Climate Report 2023 record (since 1950), driven by extreme
melt in both western North America and
GS PAPER: 3: ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY
Europe, according to preliminary data.
 In 2023, renewable capacity additions
What is in News?
increased by almost 50% from 2022, for a
As per the State of the Global Climate report,
total of 510 gigawatts (GW), the highest
published recently, 2023 was found to be the
rate observed in the past two decades.
hottest year on record.
Key Facts about World Meteorological
Organisation (WMO):
 It is a specialized agency of the United
Nations (UN). It originated from
the International Meteorological
Organization (IMO), which was founded in
1873.
 Established in 1950, WMO became the
About State of Global Climate Report 2023: specialized agency of the UN for
 It is an annual report published by the meteorology (weather and climate),
World Meteorological Organisation operational hydrology, and related
(WMO). Many experts and partners geophysical sciences.
contribute to the report, including UN  Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
organizations, National Meteorological and  Currently, it has a membership of 191
Hydrological Services (NMHSs), and Global countries.
Data and Analysis Centers, as well as  Governance Structure:
Regional Climate Centres, the World  Its supreme body is the World
Climate Research Programme (WCRP), the Meteorological Congress, which
Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW), the consists of representatives of all
Global Cryosphere Watch and the members. It meets at least every four
Copernicus Climate Change Service years to set general policy and adopt
operated by ECMWF. regulations.
 A 36-member Executive Council meets
Highlights of the 2023 Report: annually and implements policy. The
 2023 was the hottest year on record, Secretariat, headed by a secretary-
with the global average near-surface general appointed by the congress for a
temperature at 1.45 °Celsius (with a four-year term, serves as the
margin of uncertainty of ± 0.12 °C) above administrative centre of the
the pre-industrial baseline. It was organization.
the warmest ten-year period on record.
 On an average day in 2023, nearly one
third of the global ocean was gripped by 5. World Forest Day
a marine heatwave, harming vital
ecosystems and food systems. Towards GS PAPER: 3: ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY
the end of 2023, over 90% of the ocean
What is in News?
had experienced heatwave conditions at
World Forest Day, also known as International
some point during the year.
Day of Forests, is celebrated on March 21 each
 The global set of reference
year.
glaciers suffered the largest loss of ice on

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essential lights and electric appliances for one

hour on March 23 night.

About Earth Hour:

 It is a global grassroots movement uniting
About World Forest Day: people to take action on environmental
 It is celebrated every year to remind issues and protect the planet. It is organized
people of the significance of forests and by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
trees in our lives. Countries are encouraged  It started in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 as a
to take part in regional, global, and local symbolic lights-out event and has since
drives to set up a scope of forest and tree- grown into a global movement involving
related campaigns, like planting campaigns. millions of people in over 190 countries and
 The Food and Agriculture Organization of territories. It takes place towards the end of
the United Nations (FAO) and the United March every year.
Nations Forum on Forests are the  “Earth Hour” encourages people to switch
coordinators of the International Day of off all lights for an hour, from 8:30 p.m. to
Forests. 9:30 p.m. local time, to promote awareness
 It is observed on March 21 every year. of climate change challenges and energy
 History: conservation.
 In 1971, the General Assembly of the  Governments and companies also
European Confederation of Agriculture participate by turning off non-essential lights
proposed that we should celebrate a in their buildings, monuments and
day dedicated to forests. landmarks to raise awareness about the
 March 21 was chosen as World impact of energy consumption on our
Forestry Day by the United Nations as planet.
it coincides with Vernal Equinox and
Autumn Equinox in northern and Key Facts about World Wildlife Fund (WWF):
southern hemispheres.  It is an international non-governmental
 The theme for this year is - Forests and organization (NGO)founded in 1961 in
Innovation: New Solutions for a Better Morges, Switzerland, to protect endangered
World. species of wildlife and preserve natural
habitats.
 Mission: To stop the degradation of the
planet’s natural environment and to build a
6. Earth Hour
future in which humans live in harmony with
GS PAPER: 3: ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY nature.
 WWF works with a broad spectrum of
What is in News? partners, including governments, industry,
The power discoms in the national capital are and local communities, to find solutions to
gearing up to make the 'Earth Hour' a success by the challenges that face our natural world.
encouraging their consumers to switch off non-

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7. Vechur cow
GS PAPER: 3: ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

What is in News?
Dr. Sosamma Iype won the Padma Shri in 2022
for one of her remarkable work of saving and
resurrecting a breed of indigenous cattle, the
Vechur cow.

About Vechur cow:

 It is one of the rare dwarf cattle breeds of
India, it is considered to the smallest cattle
breed in the world.
 It is known by the name of a place Vechur -
a small place by the side of Vembanad lake
near Vaikam in Kottayam district of South
Kerala.
 These are light red, black or fawn and white
in colour. The animals are well adapted to
the hot and humid climate of the area. Milk
production is relatively higher than any
other dwarf cattle.
 It is docile, short, disease-resistant and easy
to maintain with low food requirement as
compared to other crossbred species.
 It is resistant to Mastitis (blockage of teats in
the udder), foot and mouth diseases and
respiratory infections and require almost no
veterinary care.
 The medicinal property of its milk has been
accepted by Ayurveda too. Since the Vechur
cow milk has got higher proportion of
smaller fat globules and saturated fatty
acids, it would be therapeutically useful in
malabsorption syndrome.

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HEALTH AND DISEASES

Pune, and the Translational Health Science

1. CoViNet and Technology Institute are part of this
network.
What is in news?
Recently, World Health Organisation (WHO) has Key facts about World Health Organisation
launched a new network for coronaviruses, (WHO):
CoViNet.  It was established in 1948, is a specialized
agency of the United Nations that connects
nations, partners and people to promote
health.
 The governance structure of the WHO is
designed to support the implementation of
its mandate and the achievement of its
objectives. It includes:
 Membership: It currently has 194
member states.
 World Health Assembly (WHA): The
About CoViNet: highest decision-making body of WHO
 It is a network of global laboratories with and comprises representatives from all
expertise in human, animal and member States.
environmental coronavirus surveillance. It  Secretariat: Responsible for carrying out
will identify and monitor potentially novel the policies and programs approved by
coronaviruses that could emerge shortly. the WHA.
 The network will now have animal health  Director-General: Director-General
and environmental surveillance and timely heads the WHA and is supported by a
risk assessment to feed WHO policies and senior management team.
protective measures.  Regional Offices: WHO also has six
 In low- and middle-income countries, regional offices: Africa, the
CoViNet will support the building of more Americas, Southeast Asia, Europe,
laboratories to monitor MERS-CoV and Eastern Mediterranean and Western
novel coronaviruses of public health Pacific.
importance.
 Data generated through CoViNet's efforts
will guide the work of WHO's Technical 2. Post vaccination immunity
Advisory Groups on Viral Evolution (TAG-
VE) and Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO- What is in news?
VAC). In recently published a review it was found that
 It currently comprises 36 laboratories from only a few vaccines provide long-lasting
21 countries in all six WHO regions. Three protection spanning more than 20 years.
Indian laboratories namely; the Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research-National
Environmental Engineering Research
Institute, the Indian Council of Medical
Research-National Institute of Virology in

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some potent vaccines, such as the mRNA

COVID-19 shots, fail to activate these cells in
the bone marrow.
 To provide long-term protection, then,
vaccines must generate memory B cells and
LLPCs in the bone marrow. Different
vaccines differ in their ability to produce
these cells, explaining the disparity in their
durabilities.
About Post-vaccination immunity:
Process
 In the fundamental immunological 3. World Tuberculosis (TB) Day
mechanism, our lymph nodes first
produce the memory B cells that confer What is in News?
long-term protection against a disease. World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is celebrated on
 These cells ‘memorise’ the antigen the March 24 annually to spread awareness around
vaccine has delivered. When a foreign the deadly disease.
object like a virus enters the body bearing
the same antigen, the B cells will trigger
the production of a large number of
potent antibodies to destroy it, removing
the infection.
 These memory B cells require T cell
support, and only vaccines that stimulate
T cells can also induce the body to
produce them. Further, not all vaccines –
including the polysaccharide typhoid and
the pneumococcal vaccines – prompt the About World Tuberculosis (TB) Day:
 It is celebrated to raise awareness around
body to make B cells.
 In some cases, frequent boosters the disease, increase efforts to eradicate the
are required to enhance the duration of disease, and mobilise support for those
immunity the cells confer, ranging from affected by TB.
 Background
six months to a few years.
 Also, vaccines trigger the production of  March 24, 1882 is considered a
memory B cells to different degrees, plus significant date in the battle against
having memory B cells alone does not tuberculosis as it is on this day that Dr
guarantee protection. Robert Koch discovered the bacteria
 Another essential immune cell, called long-
that causes TB.
lasting plasma cell (LLPC), migrates from the  It was not before the year 1982, on the
centenary of Dr. Koch's discovery that
lymph node to the bone marrow and may
endure for decades. the International Union Against
 LLPCs are the main immunological factor
Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD)
in vaccine-induced immunity. Every vaccine proposed observing March 24 as World
tries to create long-lasting plasma cells for TB Day to raise awareness about TB and
lifelong protection. its global impact.
 The measles and rubella vaccines produce
these cells in the bone marrow. However,

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 The first World TB Day was officially  It does not affect horses, dogs, or cats.
observed in 1983, and since then, it has  It is a Transboundary Animal Disease
become an annual event. (TAD) that deeply affects the production of
 Theme of World Tuberculosis day livestock and disrupts regional and
2024: “Yes! We can end TB”. international trade in animals and animal
products.
What is Tuberculosis?  It is also not related to hand, foot and
 It is a bacterial infection spread through mouth disease, which is a common
inhaling tiny droplets from the coughs or childhood illness caused by a different virus.
sneezes of an infected  The organism which causes FMD is an
person. Mycobacterium aphthovirus of the family Picornaviridae.
tuberculosis bacteria is responsible for  There are seven strains (A, O, C, SAT1,
TB. SAT2, SAT3, and Asia1) which
 It mainly affects the lungs, but it can are endemic in different
affect any part of the body, including the countries worldwide.
tummy (abdomen), glands, bones and  Immunity to one type does not protect
nervous system. an animal against other types or
 TB is a potentially serious condition, subtypes.
but it can be cured if it's treated with the  FMD is characterised by fever and blister-
right antibiotics. like sores on the tongue and lips, in the
mouth, on the teats and between the
hooves.
4. Foot and Mouth Disease  The disease is rarely fatal in adult animals,
but there is often high mortality in young
What is in News? animals. The disease causes severe
The Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) has production losses, and while the majority of
affected around 60% of milch cattle in Pilibhit affected animals recover, the disease often
district, Uttar Pradesh. leaves them weakened and debilitated.
 It was the first disease for which the World
Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH,
founded as OIE) established official status
recognition.

About Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD):

 It is a highly contagious viral disease of
livestock that has a significant economic
impact. The disease affects cattle, swine,
sheep, goats and other cloven-hoofed
ruminants.
 Intensively reared animals are more
susceptible to the disease than
traditional breeds.

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MISCELLANEOUS

1. Gig Workers in India workforce or 1.5% of the total workforce in

India.
What is in news?  The gig workforce is expected to expand
 According to a recent study on app-based to 2.35 crore workers by 2029-30.
workers, they work long hours for minimal
pay, with 68% of drivers reporting that their Importance of Gig Workers and Issues Faced by
expenses surpass their profits. Them:
 Hence, regulatory oversight and monitoring  The role of gig workers has been gaining
methods for app algorithms are required. importance as they infuse flexibility and
talent availability in the job market.
What is Gig and Platform Economy?  The future workforce will indeed be a
 The term gig economy means a general blended model -
workforce environment, which  Wherein the gig economy is expected to
includes short-term employment, play an important role not only as a
contractual jobs, and independent talent management strategy,
contractors.  But also accelerate job creation and
 It is also called freelancer economy, boost the country’s economic growth.
agile workforce, sharing economy, or  However, Niti Aayog’s report ‘India’s
independent workforce. Booming Gig and Platform Economy’,
 The platform economy refers to the trend of recognises lack of job security, wage
commerce increasingly strongly attracted irregularity and uncertain employment
toward and favouring digital platform status for workers, as top challenges in the
business models. sector.
 It recommends extending social
Who are Gig Workers? security provisions such as sick leave,
 The new Labour Codes of 2019 defines a gig insurance and pension to gig workers
worker as “A person who performs work or and their families.
participates in a work arrangement and  The new Rajasthan Platform-Based Gig
earns from such activities outside of Workers (Registration and Welfare) Act
traditional employer-employee 2023 is the first-of-its-kind ground-breaking
relationship”. piece of legislation.
 It includes freelancers, workers who are  It aims to establish a welfare board and
employed on a contractual and project- a dedicated social security fund for
based basis and short-term work. platform-based gig workers in the state.
 Most commonly, platform-based
work where workers earn money by Highlights of the Recent Study on App-Based
providing specific services, including food Workers:
delivery services like Zomato, Swiggy or e-  Long working hours: Almost a third of app-
commerce platforms such as Amazon, based cab drivers work for over 14 hours a
Flipkart, use gig workers. day, while more than 83% work more than
 It is estimated that 77 lakh workers were 10 hours and 60% work over 12 hours.
engaged in the gig economy in 2020-21  Social disparities make the situation
constituting 2.6% of the non-agricultural worse, with over 60% of the drivers

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from SCs and STs working for over 14 2. Green Hydrogen

hours a day.
 Low earnings: Over 43% of participants in What is in News?
the study earn less than ₹500 a day or The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
₹15,000 a month, after deducting all their (MNRE) plans to convene a meeting with
costs. relevant stakeholders to discuss the
 Over 80% of app-based cab drivers development of specialised cylinders for green
were not satisfied with the hydrogen storage.
fares offered by the companies, while
over 73% of app-based delivery persons
showed dissatisfaction with their rates.
 68% of cab drivers’ overall expenses
exceed their earnings, which indicates
how a vast number of app-based
workers could be in debt-like situations.
 These income disparities further
exacerbate the already existing social
inequalities and perpetuate cycles of
poverty and distress. About Green Hydrogen:
 Stress and potential health issues: Due to  It is produced using electrolysis of
the demanding work hours, drivers water with electricity generated by
are physically exhausted. renewable energy. Its carbon intensity
 They are exposed to an increased risk ultimately depends on the carbon neutrality
of road traffic accidents, especially due of the source of electricity (i.e., the more
to the 10-minute delivery policy of renewable energy there is in the electricity
certain e-commerce platforms. fuel mix, the "greener" the hydrogen
 The lack of social and job security produced).
creates additional stress and leads to  It has enormous potential to decarbonize
potential health issues. several sectors, reduce carbon emissions
 Other issues: and achieve energy independence.
 41% of the drivers and 48% of delivery  Its production using renewable energy
persons said they are unable to take sources like solar, wind, and hydropower is
even a single day off in a week. sustainable and environmentally friendly.
 Less than 37% of the drivers said they It can replace traditional fossil fuels in
belonged to a union. transportation and industry, providing a
 Another major complaint of the workers constant and reliable source of energy.
is the issue of ID deactivation and  Hydrogen is stored in cylinders at a
customer misbehaviour. much higher pressure.
 Recommendations: The study  Gas cylinders are typically categorised
recommended stronger social security for into four types, depending upon the
app-based workers. materials used. Type 1 and Type 2 are
 It called on the government to exercise suitable for storage, while Type 3 is
oversight on the fairness of algorithms preferred for storage and
and mechanisms used by platforms to transportation, and Type 4 is
monitor such workers. recommended for on-board storage.
 Unlike compressed natural gas (CNG),
which is stored at a pressure of around

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3,600 psi, the pressure at which agricultural labourers and socio-

hydrogen is stored ranges between economically weaker sections.
5,000-10,000 psi.  The RRBs mobilize financial resources from
 A vehicle can be powered by hydrogen rural/semi-urban areas and grant loans and
in two ways– burning it in an internal advances mostly to small and marginal
combustion engine or using a fuel cell to farmers, agricultural labourers and rural
convert it into electricity to charge on- artisans.
board batteries.  Origin:
 While both Type 3 and Type 4 cylinders  The Narasimham Committee on
are reinforced with carbon fibre, which Rural Credit(1975) recommended the
makes them light and ideal for use in establishment of RRBs.
vehicles, Type 4 cylinders are even  The establishment of RRBs finds its
lighter as they are lined with a polymer route in the ordinance passed
as opposed to the aluminium lining in on 26th September 1975, and
Type 3 cylinders. the RRB Act of 1976.
 Prathama Grameen Bank was the
Application of Green hydrogen first RRB bank and was established
 It has numerous applications and can on 2nd October 1975.
be used in fuel cells to power vehicles  RRBs were configured as hybrid micro
and provide electricity. It can also be banking institutions, combining the local
used in heating systems and in orientation and small-scale lending culture
the production of chemicals and of the cooperatives with the business
fertilizers. culture of commercial banks.
 Furthermore, Green Hydrogen can be  RRBs perform various functions in the
used in microgrids, providing electricity following heads:
to remote areas and enabling energy  Providing banking facilities to rural
independence. and semi-urban areas.
 Carrying out government operations
like the disbursement of wages of
3. Regional Rural Banks MGNREGA workers, distribution of
pension, etc.
 Providing Para-Banking facilities like
locker facilities, debit and credit
cards, mobile banking, internet
banking, UPI etc.
 The RBI has set a Priority Sector
Lending (PSL) target of 75% of total
outstanding advances for RRBs as against
40% for Scheduled Commercial Banks.
About Regional Rural Banks (RRBs):  Ownership: The shareholding pattern of
 RRBs are banks formed in collaboration
RRBs among the three sponsoring entities
by the Central Government, State is [Link] among the central government,
Governments, and Sponsoring Commercial sponsoring bank, and state government,
Banks to give loans to rural areas. respectively.
 Their mission is to fulfill the credit needs
 The area of operation of RRBs is limited to
of the relatively unserved sections in rural the area as notified by the Government of
areas: small and marginal farmers,

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India, covering one or more districts in the  As of now, the United States, Russia, China,
State. France and the United Kingdom are known
 Regulation: Regional Rural Banks to have MIRV-equipped missiles.
are regulated by the RBI and supervised by  While Pakistan is developing such a
the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural missile system, Israel too is suspected
Development (NABARD). to either possess the missile or be
 Sources of Funds: It comprise of owned developing it.
funds, deposits, borrowings from  These missiles can be launched from land or
NABARD, Sponsor Banks and other from sea (or from a submarine).
sources, including SIDBI and the National
Housing Bank. Background
 Management: The Board of  MIRVs were originally developed in the early
Directors manages these banks, overall 1960s to allow a single missile to
affairs, which consists of one Chairman, carry multiple nuclear warheads, each
three Directors as nominated by the Central capable of striking different targets.
Government, a maximum of two Directors as  The inception of MIRV technology was done
nominated by the concerned State by the United States with deploying:
Government, and a maximum of three  a MIRVed Intercontinental Ballistic
Directors as nominated by the sponsor bank. Missile (ICBM) in 1970 and
 a MIRVed Submarine-Launched
Ballistic Missile (SLBM) in 1971.
4. Mission Divyastra
What makes MIRV technology especially
What is in News? lethal?
 India has announced the successful testing  In contrast to a traditional missile, which
of an Agni missile capable of carrying carries one warhead, MIRVed missiles
multiple warheads meant to hit multiple warheads can be released from the missile
targets simultaneously. at different speeds and in different
 The test was carried out from Dr APJ directions.
Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast.  The development of MIRV technology is not
 The success of Mission Divyastra was easy.
announced by PM Modi.  It requires the combination of large
 This technology will ensure that a single missiles, small warheads, accurate
missile can deploy multiple war heads at guidance, and a complex mechanism
different locations. for releasing warheads sequentially
 This system is equipped with indigenous during flight.
avionics systems and high accuracy
sensor packages, which ensured that Agni Missiles
the re-entry vehicles reached the target  Over the years, India has been able to
points within the desired accuracy. acquire a credible minimum nuclear
deterrence. In this, the Agni missile system
Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry is integral to India’s counter second-strike
Vehicle (MIRV) technology capability especially against China.
 The MIRV can target multiple targets that  The Agni category missiles are solid
can be hundreds of kilometers apart with a propelled ballistic missiles, ranging from
single missile. short range missiles to intermediate range
missiles (700-5000kms).

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 The road and rail mobility of this series Agni-5 missiles

provides greater chances of  Agni is a long-range missile developed
survivability. indigenously by DRDO.
 This latest variant of the missile is
History of Agni Missiles equipped with what is known as MIRV
 The Agni missile is a component of the (Multiple Independently Targetable Re-
Integrated Guided Missile Development entry Vehicle) technology.
Program (IGMDP) that was launched by  This Agni, capable of carrying nuclear
India in 1983. warheads, has a range of more than
 In 1989, India test fired Agni 1 category 5,000 km, making it a long-range missile.
missile o India announced the
development of Agni V in 2007.
Missiles in Agni Family o The maiden flight test of Agni-V
was conducted in April 2012.
 Agni-V uses a three-stage solid fuelled
engine and can reach most parts of
China. It is aimed mainly at thwarting the
challenge from China.

5. Pradhan Mantri Samajik Utthan and

Rozgar Adharit Janakalyan (PM- SURAJ)

What is in News?
PM Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Samajik
Utthan evam Rozgar Adharit Jankalyan (PM-
SURAJ) portal for credit support to
entrepreneurs from disadvantaged sections of
society virtually.

 The family consists of short to long range The PM also distributed Ayushman Health
surface to surface ballistic missiles. These Cards, and Personal Protective Equipment to
are Safai Mitras under the National Action for
 Agni I - short-range ballistic missile Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE)
(range – 700 to 1200 km) scheme.
 Agni II – medium-range ballistic missile
(range – 2000 to 3500 Km) Pradhan Mantri Samajik Utthan evam Rozgar
 Agni III – intermediate-range ballistic Adharit Jankalyan (PM-SURAJ) portal
missile (range – 3000 to 5000 Km)  The portal will act as a one-stop point where
 Agni IV - intermediate-range ballistic people from disadvantaged sections of
missile (range – 3500 to 4000 Km) society can apply for and monitor the
 Agni V – Inter-continental ballistic progress of all loan and credit schemes
missile (range -5500 to 8000 Km) already available to them.
 This initiative will help in providing financial
assistance directly to beneficiaries,
eliminating middlemen and commissions.

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 It aims at uplifting the most marginalised Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
segments of society. (MoHUA).
 Implementing agency: Ministry of Social  Implementing agency
Justice and Empowerment and its  National Safai Karamchari Financial
departments. Development Corporation (NSKFDC)
 Previous efforts  Coverage
 To achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047 ,  Five hundred cities (converging with AMRUT
it is necessary to ensure that facilities cities) will be taken up under this phase of
available to others like gas connection, bank NAMASTE. It will be implemented for the
accounts & toilets are available to Dalits, period 2022-26.
backwards, deprived and tribals.  Aims
 The Government is making all possible  Zero fatalities in sanitation work in India
efforts to empower the SC, ST and OBC  All sanitation work is performed by skilled
communities. workers
 The assistance provided to them by  No sanitation workers come in direct contact
various institutions has been doubled with human faecal matter
in the last 10 years.  Sanitation workers are collectivized into
 The government has provided SHGs and are empowered to run sanitation
almost one lakh 60 thousand crore enterprises
rupees for the welfare of the SC  All Sewer and Septic tank sanitation workers
community this year alone. (SSWs) have access to alternative livelihoods
 Other measures include:
 reservation of 27% seats for the Components of the scheme
OBC in the all-India quota of  Extending Insurance Scheme Benefits
medical seats,  These workers and their families will
 greater opportunities for OBC be covered under the Ayushyaman
students in NEET examinations, Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya
 support through the National Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
Overseas Scholarship for  The premium for AB-PMJAY for those
underprivileged students identified SSWs families who are not
pursuing Master and PhD covered earlier shall be borne under
degrees abroad. NAMASTE.
 Keeping in mind the entrepreneurship  Livelihood Assistance
among Dalits, the government has  The Action Plan will promote
launched the Ambedkar Social mechanization and enterprise
Innovation and Incubation Mission. development.
 Identified SSWs and their dependants
NAMASTE (National Action for Mechanised will be given counselling on available
Sanitation Ecosystem) Scheme livelihood choices and an opportunity
 Objective to acquire alternative skills, if they so
 To ensure safety and dignity of sanitation desire.
workers in urban India as well as providing  An SSW may choose to continue
sustainable livelihood to these workers. working in the sanitation sector,
 Ministries involved thereby becoming eligible for receiving
 It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Social capacity building training.
Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE) and the

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 Alternatively, the worker may choose Background

to explore an alternative livelihood  It was developed by Pakistani
option or an entrepreneurial venture. economist Mahbub ul Haq and is now used
 The identified SSWs and their family to assess a country's development as part of
members will be extended benefits of the United Nations Development
all the social security schemes. Programme's Human Development Report.
 Along with HDI, HDR also presents:
 Other assistance  Multidimensional Poverty Index
 Capital subsidies of up to ₹5 lakh on (MPI),
sanitation machinery costing up to ₹15  Inequality-adjusted Human
lakh and interest subsidies on loans. Development Index (IHDI),
 Interest rates will be capped between  Gender Inequality Index(GII) since
4-6% for the beneficiaries. 2010 and
 The scheme also provides for training  Gender Development Index
the workers in the use of these (GDI) since 2014.
machines, during which time a stipend  Th HDI also embodies Amartya Sen’s
of up to ₹3,000 per month will be “capabilities” approach to understand
provided. human well-being, which emphasizes the
importance of ends (like a decent standard
6. India ranks 134th in global human of living) over means (like income per
development index capita).

Key Highlights of the HDR 2023/24 – India

What is in News?
specific
India’s ranking on the United Nations Human
 Theme of the report
Development Index (HDI) improved by one
 Recently released 2023/24 Human
position in 2022 to 134 out of 193 countries
Development Report (HDR) was titled
ranked compared to 135 out of 191 countries in
as “Breaking the Gridlock:
[Link] has been ranked number one.
Reimagining Cooperation in a
Polarized World."
The Human Development Index (HDI)
 India’s ranking
 It is a statistical composite (first published in  India ranked 135 in 2021. It had moved
1990 by the UNDP) index, which measures up to 134 in 2022.
average achievement of a country in 3 basic  India in the medium human development
dimensions - category
 Between 1990 and 2022, the country
saw its HDI value increase by 48.4
percent, from 0.434 in 1990 to 644 in
2022.
 India’s performance on various indicators
 India’s life expectancy at birth has
slightly improved from 67.2 years in
2021 to 67.7 years in 2022.
 There is an overall increase (5.88%) in
expected years of schooling (EYS) from
11.9 years to 12.6 years, leading to an
improvement of 18 places.

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 Gross National Income (GNI) per capita  The failure of collective action to
also improved from $6,542 to $6,951. advance action on climate change,
 Performance of India’s neighbourhood digitalisation or poverty and
 Sri Lanka has been ranked much ahead inequality not only hinders human
at 78, while China is ranked 75, both development but also worsens
categorised under the High Human polarisation and further erodes trust in
Development category. people and institutions worldwide.
 Bhutan stands at 125 and Bangladesh  Nine in 10 people worldwide endorse
at 129th position. democracy, but over half of the
 Nepal (146) and Pakistan (164) have respondents expressed support for
been ranked lower than India. leaders who may undermine it, for
 India’s progress in reducing gender instance, by bypassing fundamental rules
inequality of the democratic process.
 India has also shown progress in  Political polarisation in countries is also
reducing gender inequality and ranks responsible for protectionist or inward-
108 out of 166 countries in the turning policy approaches.
Gender Inequality Index (GII) 2022.
 The GII measures gender inequalities Four areas for immediate action proposed by
in three key dimensions – reproductive the report
health, empowerment, and labour  To break through the current deadlock &
market. reignite a commitment to a shared
 The country's GII value of 0.437 is future:
better than the global average of 0.462  planetary public goods for climate
and the South Asian average of 0.478. stability as we confront the
 India’s performance in unprecedented challenges of the
reproductive health is better Anthropocene;
than other countries in the  digital global public goods for
medium human development greater equity in harnessing new
group or South Asia. technologies for equitable human
 India's adolescent birth rate development;
in 2022 was 16.3 (births per  new and expanded financial
1,000 women ages 15-19), an mechanisms, including a novel
improvement from 17.1 in track in international cooperation
2021. that complements humanitarian
 However, India also has one assistance and traditional
of the largest gender gaps in development aid to low-income
the labour force participation countries; and
rate—a 47.8 percentage  dialling down political
points difference between polarization through new
women (28.3%) and men governance approaches focused on
(76.1%). enhancing people's voices in
deliberation and tackling
Observations made by the HDR 2023/24 misinformation.
 The report shows that the two-decade
trend of steadily reducing inequalities
between wealthy and poor nations is
now in reverse.

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BHADRA IAS
ACADEMY

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