1. RESERVATION FOR WOMEN IN ULBs (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: The Nagaland Legislative Assembly recently passed a bill seeking to reserve 33% of seats in urban local bodies (ULB) for women, demonstrating a significant step toward gender equality.

Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)

• About: ULBs are responsible for governing cities or towns with specific population criteria.

o ULBs are delegated numerous functions by state governments, encompassing public health, welfare, regulatory roles, public safety, public infrastructure projects, and developmental activities.

• 74th Constitutional Amendment Act: The constitutionalization of urban local governments took place with the enactment of this Act in 1992, under the leadership of the P.V. Narasimha Rao government. It became effective on June 1, 1993.
• Articles:  243-P to 243-ZG
• Part: IX -A
• Schedule: 12th

Structure

• Municipal Corporation: Typically located in major cities like Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata.
• Municipality: Commonly established in smaller cities, also referred to by various names like municipal council, municipal committee, or municipal board.
• Notified Area Committee: Established for rapidly developing towns and areas lacking essential amenities.
• All committee members are nominated by the state government.
• Town Area Committee:Found in small towns and holds limited authority, primarily concerning matters like street lighting, drainage, roads, and sanitation.

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2. GI TAG PRODUCTS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: Several products from Uttarakhand, including a local brick-tea and textiles made from a Himalayan plant, have recently received the coveted GI tag from the Geographical Indications Registry.

Key Points

• Uttarakhand's Berinag tea, popular among London tea houses and tea blenders, is crafted from Himalayan plant leaves found growing wild in the region.
• The leaves are skillfully compressed into a solid mass to create this unique tea.
• Another product, Bichhu buti fabrics, made from Himalayan nettle fibers, has also earned the prestigious GI tag.
• The Uttarakhand mandua, a finger millet cultivated in Garhwal and Kumaon, is a dietary staple in various parts of the state.
• Jhangora, another homegrown millet, also made the list of products awarded the GI tag.

GI Tag

• About: It is a symbol used on items that come from a particular geographical area and have qualities or a reputation linked to that place of origin.
• Nodal Ministry: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Tenure: 10 Years
• Regulated By: Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act, 1999.
• India’s First GI Product: Darjeeling Tea (2004-05).

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3. DAY-NRLM (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Govt Schemes)

Context: Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihood Mission and SIDBI recently signed an MOU that marks a significant milestone in the journey of women-led enterprises.

Key Outcomes Expected from this Collaboration

• Enhanced capacity and ability of State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLM) teams to promote the graduation of seasoned SHG members into micro-entrepreneurs
• The establishment of a reliable and sensitive support architecture for women-led enterprises, involving a network of field cadres, mentors, and experts
• The implementation of standardized protocols within DAY-NRLM to support women-led enterprises
• The formation of partnerships with financial institutions and a network of financiers
• The design and implementation of new financial schemes, such as credit guarantees and interest subventions
• The creation of clear, scalable models for promoting women-led enterprises which can be replicated nationwide.

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihood Mission

• Type: Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM)
• Launch Date: The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) introduced this centrally sponsored scheme in 2011, restructured from the Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojna (SGSY).
• It was later renamed as Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana (DAY-NRLM) in 2015.
• Objective: DAY-NRLM aims to establish efficient institutional platforms for rural poverty alleviation. 
• It empowers Self Help Groups (SHGs) to enhance household income, attain sustainable livelihoods, and gain better access to financial services.
• World Bank Support: The mission receives partial financial backing from the World Bank.
• Target: The mission's goal is to reach 7 crore rural poor households over 8-10 years, through self-managed SHGs and associated collectives for livelihood improvement.

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4. IMPACT OF EL-NINO (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has recently provided an update on the ongoing El Nino event in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, forecasting its potential continuation into April 2024 and peaking between November and January.

• El Nino is the warmer-than-normal phase of ENSO, when the sea-surface temperatures in the eastern and central equatorial Pacific Ocean are warmer than the average by more than 0.5 degrees Celsius.

Key Points

• This could cause further rise in global average temperatures and fuel more extreme weather events such as heatwaves, wildfires and droughts. 
• For India, it could mean a warmer-than-normal winter season in most of India and also a stormier-than-normal pre-monsoon season for north-west India.
• The current El Nino developed pretty quickly during July-August 2023 and reached moderate levels by September.
• During El Nino, the winter cold tends to be trapped to the northwest and central India. But this year’s El Nino is warmer than expected in the western Pacific and the Arabian Sea is warm.

El Niño:

• Meaning: It is a phenomenon that occurs when the surface waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean become unusually warm, affecting the weather and climate around the world. The current El Nino event is the 5th since 2000.
• Also known as: The little boy or the Christ child.
• Part of: Larger cycle called the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which also includes La Niña, the opposite phase of cooling waters. 
• Occurrence: El Niño and La Niña events occur every 2-7 years, on average, but they don’t occur on a regular schedule.
• Duration: El Niño and La Niña typically last 9- 12 months, but can sometimes last for years.

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5. STABLE AURORAL ARC (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: Recently, the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) in Ladakh captured stunning images of a rare red-colored aurora known as a Stable Auroral Arc.

Stable Auroral Arc

• About: It is a rare atmospheric phenomenon that was observed during a strong G3-class geomagnetic storm.
• Unique Formation: Unlike auroras, which result from charged particles colliding with the atmosphere, SAR arcs form through a distinct process.
• Heat Energy Indicating Earth's Ring Current: SAR arcs are a manifestation of heat energy escaping into the upper atmosphere from Earth's ring current system, a circular electrical circuit that carries millions of amperes around the planet.
• Ring Current During Recent Storm: The recent geomagnetic storm intensified the ring current due to prolonged geomagnetic activity, causing energy to dissipate into these SAR arcs.
• Global Observation: This exceptional event was documented in various regions across the world.

How does Aurora form?

• Formation of Aurora: Aurora is created when the sun ejects charged particles from its corona, generating solar wind.
• This solar wind interacts with Earth's ionosphere, giving birth to the aurora.
• Northern Hemisphere: it is known as the northern lights or aurora borealis.
• Southern Hemisphere: it is referred to as the southern lights or aurora australis.
• Hemispheric Differences: The auroral asymmetry between hemispheres is partially attributed to the interference of the sun's magnetic field with Earth's magnetic field.

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6. INDUS-X INITIATIVES (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: The maiden INDUS-X Investors Meet was recently organized in New Delhi by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) and the US Department of Defence as a pre-cursor to the 2+2 Indo-US Ministerial Dialogue.

• The INDUS-X Educational Series (Gurukul) was also launched during the event.

iDEX Initiative

• About: The Government announced a central sector scheme named as Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) for 5 years from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
• It was launched under the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) under the Ministry of Defence
• Objective: To foster innovation and technology development and to provide financial support to nearly 300 Start-ups/MSMEs/individual innovators and about 20 Partner Incubators through Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO).

India-U.S. Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) Initiative

• About: It is an event conducted in Washington DC in June 2023.
• Conducted by: iDEX, in partnership with the US Department of Defence.
• Objective: To expand the strategic technology partnership and defence industrial cooperation between the start-up ecosystems, businesses and academic institutions.
• It includes: The collaboration agenda under the Defence Innovation Bridge includes the launch of Joint Challenges, Innovation Partnership Program, Academia partnership, Joint Innovation Fund, establishing of Testing and certification facilities in India etc. 

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7. HERMES 900 STARLINER (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: India has recently decided to acquire additional Israeli medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles in light of the tense situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, further bolstering the Indian Army's surveillance capabilities along the northern borders.

Hermes 900 Starliner

• About: This is an Israeli-manufactured medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and serves as the larger variant of the Hermes 900. Here are its key features:
• Size: It boasts a substantial wingspan of 17 meters.
• Weight: Remarkable 1,600 kilograms.
• The UAV can reach a service ceiling of 30,000 feet and maintain flight for up to 36 hours, ensuring extended missions.
• ATOL Capability: Automatic take-off and landing (ATOL) capability allows it to operate in near-zero visibility conditions, enhancing its versatility.
• Icing Condition Safety: Equipped with an active de-icing system to ensure safe operation in icing conditions by removing ice from critical surfaces.
• Payload Versatility: It can carry various multi-sensor payloads weighing up to 450 kilograms, making it suitable for multiple applications.
• Real-time Imaging and Surveillance: Onboard imaging sensors capture real-time imagery and video, enabling wide-area persistent surveillance during both day and night.
• Advanced Radar Systems: It is equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for detailed imaging.
• Features a ground-moving target indicator (GMTI) radar for target tracking.
• Includes a maritime patrol radar for detection, location, and target acquisition.

Line of Actual Control (LAC)

• About: The LAC is the demarcation that separates Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory known as Mc Mohan Line.
• Three Areas:

o Western (Ladakh, Kashmir),

o Middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal) and

o Eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal).

• As LAC is not fully and officially demarcated, it has led to differing perceptions regarding the alignment, with China making territorial claims in the following areas.

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8. QS ASIA RANKINGS (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Education)

Context: The UK-based ranking agency, QS Quacquarelli Symonds declared its Asia ranking for the year 2024, QS World University Rankings: Asia 2024.

Key Points of Ranking

• Ranking of Indian Institutes: IIT Bombay(40th position), IIT Delhi follows closely at the 46th spot and IIT Madras maintains its high standing,(53rd position), all consistently preserving their Asia rank from the previous year.
• Notable Improvements:
• IIT Kharagpur has made a leap from the 61st rank in 2023 to 59th in the latest rankings.
• Similarly, IIT Kanpur has significantly advanced from its 66th rank in the previous year to the 63rd spot in 2024.
• Two Non-IIT Institutions: Indian Institute of Science Bangalore and Delhi University.
• IIT Bombay leads nationally in both Academic and Employer Reputation indicators, drawing on the expert opinions of 144,000 academics and employers. 
• Other Indian institutes that made it to the top 100: IIT-Delhi (46), IIT-Madras (53), Indian Institute of Science (58), IIT-Kharagpur (59), IIT-Kanpur (63), and University of Delhi (94).

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS)

• About: It is a prominent global provider of services, analytics, and insight to the higher education sector worldwide. 
• Focus:  On delivering valuable support and resources to the global higher education community.
• Mission: To empower individuals from all over the world to achieve their full potential by facilitating educational success, promoting international mobility, and aiding in career development.
• 10 indicators: Academic reputation, faculty-student ratio, international relation network, international faculty, students, and outbound exchange students etc.

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9. NEW GUIDELINES OF UGC (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Governance)

Context: The University Grants Commission (UGC) recently notified the final regulations that will allow foreign universities to set up campuses in India with complete autonomy.

Highlights of Regulations

• Approval: Foreign Higher Education Institutions (FHEIs) must obtain approval from the UGC before establishing Indian campuses, offering any program, or discontinuing any course or program.
• Program Standards: FHEIs are not permitted to offer programs that do not conform to the standards of higher education in India.
• Eligibility: FHEIs are eligible if they are ranked within the top 500 in global rankings, either overall or in specific subjects.
• If they possess exceptional expertise in a particular area.
• Qualifications: Qualifications granted and the quality of education in FHEIs' Indian campuses must be equivalent to those awarded in their home jurisdiction.
• Program Modes: FHEIs are not allowed to offer programs in online or open and distance learning modes.
• Autonomy: FHEIs are granted autonomy to determine the admission process and criteria, recruit faculty and staff, and establish a transparent and reasonable fee structure.
• Restrictions: The operation of FHEIs in India must not be in conflict with the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, or friendly relations with foreign States.

University Grants Commission

• Established in 1956, this statutory body's primary responsibilities include the coordination, determination, and maintenance of higher education standards in India.
• Function: Granting recognition to universities and colleges across the country.
• It is responsible for disbursing funds to the universities and colleges that have received recognition.

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10. NON-MELANOMA SKIN CANCER (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Recent studies have highlighted the alarming increase in non-melanoma skin cancer cases among outdoor workers, with nearly one-third of these cases resulting in fatalities, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

• In 2019, approximately 1.6 billion people of working age (15 years and older) were exposed to solar ultraviolet radiation while working outdoors, accounting for 28 percent of all working-age people.

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer

• About: Non-melanoma skin cancer is a common type of cancer that starts in the top layer of the skin. 
• The main types are basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
• Symptoms: Growth or unusual patch on the skin
• Any part of your skin can be affected, but it's most common in areas exposed to the sun, such as the: head, face and ears, neck and shoulders, back, hands & lower legs.
• Causes: Ultraviolet (UV) light is the most common cause of non-melanoma skin cancer. It comes from the sun and is used in sunbeds.
• Treatments: Surgery is the main treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer.

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