1. CHILD MALNUTRITION (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Health)

Context: The Union Minister of Women and Child Development (WCD) recently launched the first-ever "Protocol for Identification and Management of Malnutrition in Children," highlighting the government's commitment to addressing child malnutrition.

• The protocols define in detail the identification of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), the processes that needed to for a healthy weight.

Malnutrition

• About: Malnutrition encompasses various forms, including undernutrition (characterized by wasting, stunting, and underweight), as well as obesity and the resulting diet-related noncommunicable diseases. 
• Three Main Groups of Malnutrition

oUndernutrition: Comprises wasting (low weight-for-height), stunting (low height-for-age), and underweight (low weight-for-age).

oMicronutrient-related malnutrition, encompassing micronutrient deficiencies or excess.

oOverweight, obesity, and diet-related noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain cancers.

• Malnutrition represents a persistent and enduring challenge for the public administration in India.

Government Initiatives

• POSHAN Abhiyaan
• Mid-day Meal (MDM) scheme
• The National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013
• Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)
• Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme

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2. ITALY-INDIA AGREEMENT (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: India and Italy recently signed a defence cooperation agreement to promote cooperation in varied defense domains, including security and defense policy, R&D, and military education.

Defence Corperation

• Joint Defence Committee: To promote a "structured dialogue" between defense companies in India and Italy.
• IORA: Italy has also a dialogue partner of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Dialogue Partner since 2019.
• Italy extended its support to India's increased involvement in international export control regimes, including the Wassenaar Arrangement, the Australia Group, and the Nuclear Suppliers' Group (NSG), in areas such as nuclear, missile, and dual-use technology and substances, thereby reinforcing global non-proliferation initiatives.

Italy

• Location: Italy, a country in southeastern Europe located for the most part on the Apennine Peninsula.
• Boundaries: northwest by France

oNortheast by Slovenia 

oThe Italian Peninsula is bounded by the Adriatic Sea in the east, 

othe Sea of Sicily in the south

othe Ionian Sea in the southeast

• Lakes: Lake Garda near Verona is Italy's largest lake.
• Mountains: Alps, the world-famous mountain range in the north is partly situated in Italy.

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3. NCDC (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Governance)

Context: The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation addressed the 89th General Council meeting of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) in New Delhi recently.

National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)

• About: The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) was established by an Act of Parliament in 1963 as a statutory Corporation.
• Establishment: 1963.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Cooperation.
• Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Functions

oThe organization is responsible for planning, promoting, and providing financial support for programs related to the production, processing, marketing, storage, export, and import of agricultural produce.

oIn addition to agricultural endeavors, the organization is involved in the supply of consumer goods and the collection, processing, marketing, storage, and export of minor forest produce through cooperatives.

oThe organization plays a vital role in assisting various types of cooperatives and aims to expand their financial base.

oFinancial support is extended to projects in the rural industrial cooperative sectors and certain notified services in rural areas.

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4. INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) lifted its 2023-24 growth projection for India to 6.3% from its July estimate of 6.1%, citing “stronger-than-expected consumption” during the June quarter.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) 

• About: The IMF works to achieve sustainable growth and prosperity for all of its member countries.
• Establishment: In 1944 in the aftermath of the Great Depression of the 1930s.
• Member countries: 190 countries.
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C
• Representation: Each member country has a representation on the IMF's executive board.
• Voting Power: The allocation of voting power on the executive board is based on the financial importance of each member country.

Objective of IMF

• To improve and promote global monetary cooperation of the world.
• To secure financial stability by eliminating or minimizing the exchange rate stability.
• To facilitate a balanced international trade.
• To promote high employment through economic assistance and sustainable economic growth.
• To reduce poverty around the world.

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5. BRICS (Syllabus: GS Paper 2– IR)

Context: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) will be hosting the 8th BRICS International Competition Conference (BRICS ICC) 2023, themed ‘New Issues in Competition Law and Policy – Dimensions, Perspectives, Challenges’.

BRICS

• It  is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (included in 2010)
• Founded By: 2009.
• Headquarter: Shanghai.
• Membership: The heads of the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) gathered for the first occasion in St. Petersburg, Russia, during the G8 Outreach Summit in July 2006.

oIn December 2010, South Africa received an invitation to become a part of BRIC, leading to the adoption of the acronym BRICS for the group.

oIn August 2023, at the 15th BRICS Summit, BRICS was expanded to add Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in the bloc. Full membership is scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2024.

• Significance: BRICS is a significant alliance that gathers the major growing economies.

Competition Commission of India (CCI)

• About: The commission is a quasi-judicial body which gives opinions to statutory authorities and also deals with other cases.
• Establishment: Competition law under the Competition Act, 2002.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
• Composition: One Chairperson and six Members who shall be appointed by the Central Government.

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6. UNEMPLOYMENT IN INDIA (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: India's unemployment rate recently reached a six-year low of 3.2 percent in the July-June 2022-23 period, indicating a significant improvement as reported in the latest annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) report.

• The report, was unveiled by the National Statistical Office (NSO).

Key Points

• Labor Market Indicator: Wage employment is often considered an indicator of a healthy and improving labor market. It reflects the ability of an economy to provide jobs with regular wages, benefits, and job security.
• Decline in Wage Employment: In the past year, there has been a noticeable decline in wage employment opportunities. This decline signifies challenges in the labor market, where there may be fewer job opportunities with consistent wages and benefits.
• Increase in Labor Force Participation Rate: Concurrently, there has been an increase in the labor force participation rate.
• Lack of Decent Job Opportunities: The rise in the labor force participation rate suggests that a growing number of people are entering the labor market.
• Shift Towards Self-Employment: As wage employment opportunities diminish, individuals are increasingly turning to self-employment as an alternative.

Unemployment: NSSO defines unemployment as a situation in which all those who owing to lack of work, are not working but seek work through employment exchanges, intermediaries, friends or relatives. National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) launched Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) in April 2017.

The objective of PLFS is primarily twofold:

• To estimate the key employment and unemployment indicators (viz. Worker Population Ratio, Labour Force Participation Rate, Unemployment Rate) in the short time interval of three months for the urban areas only in the ‘Current Weekly Status’ (CWS).
• To estimate employment and unemployment indicators in both ‘Usual Status’ (ps+ss) and CWS in both rural and urban areas annually.

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7. ZEALANDIA (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: An international team of geologists and seismologists have now created a new map of Zealandia, the Earth’s forgotten 8th continent.

Zealandia

• About: Zealandia is a long, narrow microcontinent located in the South Pacific Ocean, primarily to the east of Australia and to the south of New Caledonia.
• Location: This submerged microcontinent encompasses the region that includes New Zealand and New Caledonia, situated in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
• Ancient Connection: Zealandia, also known as Te Riu-a-Māui in the Māori language, was once a constituent continent of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana, which existed over 500 million years ago. 
• It shared its existence with Western Antarctica and Eastern Australia.
• Separation from Gondwana: Approximately 105 million years ago, Zealandia began to separate or "pull away" from Gondwana, marking the start of its independent geological history.
• Submergence Over Millennia: As Zealandia separated, it gradually sank beneath the ocean's surface, with over 94 percent of its landmass remaining underwater for millennia.
• Size: Zealandia covers an area of approximately 1.89 million square miles (4.9 million square km), making it roughly half the size of Australia.
• Tectonic Plate Boundaries: Zealandia is located along the boundaries of several tectonic plates, including the Australian Plate, Pacific Plate, and Indo-Australian Plate, contributing to its dynamic geological activity.

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8. HEMOCHROMATOSIS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci & Tech -Diseases)

Context: Recently, health experts revealed all about Hemochromatosis or ‘bronze diabetes’.

Hemochromatosis

• About: Hemochromatosis is an inherited condition characterised by the gradual accumulation of iron over many years.
• Types of Hemochromatosis: Hereditary: This type is driven by a mutation in the HFE gene, leading to individuals being homozygous for the C282Y variant.

oThis genetic anomaly results in a lifelong struggle with excessive iron absorption in the intestines.

• Secondary Hemochromatosis: They are typically caused by external factors such as frequent blood transfusions, excessive iron supplementation, or certain medical conditions.
• Iron buildup in secondary hemochromatosis is often faster and can impact organ function similarly to the hereditary form.
• Symptoms: Common symptoms include persistent fatigue, unexplained weight loss, weakness, and joint pain.

oUsually emerge between the ages of 30 and 60.

• Treatment: Phlebotomy serves as the standard treatment for primary hemochromatosis.

oThis procedure involves the removal of red blood cells, which are the body's primary source of iron.

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9. CURATIVE PETITION (Syllabus: GS Paper 2– Polity)

Context: Recently, the Supreme Court agreed to hear curative petitions filed by Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel, highlighting arithmetical errors in the calculation of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in an open court.

Curative Petition

• About: A curative petition represents the final and ultimate recourse available to individuals seeking justice, as guaranteed by the Constitution of India. 

oIt becomes applicable once a review plea against a final conviction has been rejected.

• Background: The concept of the curative petition originated from a legal case in 2002, known as Rupa Ashok Hurra Vs. Ashok Hurra, which raised the question of whether an aggrieved person has any recourse after the dismissal of a review petition in the Supreme Court.
• Objective: The primary aim of a curative petition is to ensure that there is no miscarriage of justice and to prevent any potential abuse of the legal process.
• Article 137 of the Indian Constitution: It provides significant support for the concept of a curative petition.

oArticle 137 empowers the Supreme Court of India with the authority to review any judgment it has pronounced or order it has made.

• SC's Review Power: This review power applies specifically when the matter pertains to the laws and rules established under Article 145 of the Indian Constitution.

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10. ELECTORAL BONDS (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: Recently, the Supreme Court announced that it will deliver its verdict on the validity of electoral bonds before the 2024 general elections commence, addressing concerns about their potential role as catalysts of corruption.

Electoral Bonds

• About: Electoral bonds are bearer instruments, akin to promissory notes, available for purchase by any Indian citizen or an Indian-incorporated company.
• Introduced: In 2018 by the Union government.
• Donation Option: Citizens or corporations can buy these bonds and subsequently donate them to any eligible political party of their choice.
• Resemblance to Bank Notes: Electoral bonds are akin to banknotes and are payable to the bearer on demand, devoid of any interest.
• Digital or Cheque Purchase: Individuals and parties can acquire these bonds either digitally or through a cheque.
• Eligibility: Only political parties registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and those securing at least 1% of votes in the last general election to the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of the State can receive electoral bonds.
• Encashment Procedure: Political parties can encash these bonds solely through a designated bank account with the authorized bank.
• Mandatory Disclosure: Political parties must disclose the amount received via electoral bonds to the Election Commission.
• Donor Anonymity: Importantly, electoral bonds do not bear the name of the donor, ensuring the anonymity of the contributor.

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