1. CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: Recently, the National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has released All India Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Base 2012=100.

Consumer Price Index (CPI)

• About: It measures price changes from the perspective of a retail buyer.
• Base Year: 2012
• Released by: National Statistical Office (NSO)
• CPI Formula: CPI = (Total cost of basket of goods and services in the current period / Total cost of basket of goods and services in the base period) x 100
• CPI is calculated For a fixed list of items including food, housing, apparel, transportation, electronics, medical care, education, etc.
• Types of CPI: CPI for Industrial Workers (IW), CPI for Agricultural Labourers (AL), CPI for Rural Labourers (RL) and CPI for Urban Non-Manual Employees (UNME).
• The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) uses CPI data to control inflation.

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2. SALEM SAGO (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Art and Culture)

Context: Recently, the Salem Starch and Sago Manufacturers Service Industrial Cooperative Society Ltd. (popularly called SAGOSERVE) received a Geographical Indication Tag, or GI Tag, for Salem sago (Tamil Nadu).

Salem Sago (Sabudana)

• Sago, a product of raw tapioca, originates from the crushed tapioca roots.
• It takes the form of small, firm globules or pearls, displaying a pure pearl-white color.
• The sago production process utilizes wet starch powder obtained from tapioca roots, while the dry powder finds applications in various industries.

What is Tapioca?

• It is a prominent horticultural crop covering approximately 300,000 hectares in Tamil Nadu, yielding an impressive 6 million metric tonnes.
• Climate and Soil: Tapioca thrives in well-drained soil, particularly red lateritic loamy soil.
• It flourishes in tropical, warm, and humid climates.
• Rainfall: Exceeding 100 cm annually, is essential for its growth.
• Tapioca cultivation can extend up to elevations of 1000 meters.

What is GI Tag?

• 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.
• The World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) also regulates Geographical Indications.
• India’s First GI Product: Darjeeling Tea (2004-05)

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3. PALM OIL (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)

Context: Recently, Assam Chief Minister revealed that the state government had embarked on a significant oil palm plantation project in collaboration with Patanjali Food Limited (PFL).

• The ambitious project is an initiative to achieve the India’s Prime Minister goal of self-sufficiency in edible oil production. 

Oil Palm planation and adverse impacts

• GREEN, a 2009 documentary by Patrick Rouxel, highlighted the impacts of deforestation triggered by oil palm plantations in Indonesia. 

oIt focussed on the orangutans of the region. A similar scenario is likely to happen in  Northeast India as well. 

• Northeast together encompass two global biodiversity hot spots: The Eastern Himalayas and the Indo-Myanmar region. 

oThese regions flaunt extensively rich biodiversity in terms of forest tracts, which are home to several threatened and endemic wildlife species as well as medicinal plants.

• Impact on National Parks: Assam, with significant biodiversity and national parks like Manas and Kaziranga, should avoid monoculture plantation projects that could harm its rich ecological diversity.

oThe proximity of the trees planted to optimise the use of limited available space further impacts soil quality. 

• Fertilisers and pesticides are frequently used to compensate for the deficiency of nutrients. 
• Amendments to Forest (Conservation) Act: Recent amendments have implications for the expansion of oil palm plantations by allowing non-forest activities in deemed forests, potentially leading to deforestation.

Palm Oil

• About: It is also known as palm fruit oil. Palm oil is produced from the fruit of the oil palm tree (Scientific name: Elaeis guineensis).
• Production: Indonesia> Malaysia - 84% of the worlds palm production
• Consumption:  India (9.4 million tonnes)> Indonesia (6 million tonnes)
• Major Oil Palm Production States in India:- Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Kerala, Gujarat,
• Goa, Tamilnadu, Maharashtra, Tripura, West Bengal and some areas of Andaman

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4. NECHIPHU TUNNEL (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: Recently, Defence Minister of India inaugurated a total of 90 border infrastructure projects in 11 states and Union Territories. 

• These projects include the Nechiphu tunnel, which will ensure year-round connectivity to the strategically important Tawang region in Arunachal Pradesh, and the laying of the foundation stone for a significant military airfield in Nyoma, located in eastern Ladakh.
• These projects will help in faster mobility of troops and equipment to the Line of Actual Control in case of a contingency while also improving overall connectivity for the population.

Nechiphu Tunnel

• About: It is a unique 500-metre-long “D-shaped, Single Tube Double Lane Tunnel”.
• Located:  Balipara-Charduar-Tawang (BCT) Road in West Kameng District.
• Dual Traffic Capacity: This tunnel is designed to facilitate two-way traffic and will be equipped with advanced lighting and safety infrastructure.
• Objective: Its primary purpose is to provide an alternative route that circumvents the persistently foggy conditions near Nechiphu Pass, which have historically disrupted both civilian and military traffic.
• Modern Electro-Mechanical System: The tunnel will incorporate a cutting-edge electro-mechanical system, inclusive of firefighting mechanisms.

Line of Actual Control

• About: The LAC is the demarcation that separates Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory.
• It is segmented into three sectors: the eastern sector, encompassing Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim; the middle sector, covering Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh; and the western sector, located in Ladakh.
• India considers the LAC to be 3,488 km long, while the Chinese consider it to be only around 2,000 km.

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5. INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION (IIP) (Syllabus: GS Paper 3– Economy)

Context: Recently, industrial growth reached a five-month peak in July, and in August, consumer inflation decreased to below 7%, providing the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) with important economic indicators to consider.

• According to data, the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) also increased from preceding month and also compared to last year, suggesting the back of a recovery in manufacturing ahead of the festive season.

Index of Industrial Production (IIP)

• IIP is an indicator that measures the changes in the volume of production of industrial products during a given period.
• Published by: National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
• It is a composite indicator that measures the growth rate of industry groups classified under:
• Broad sectors: Mining, Manufacturing, and Electricity.
• Use-based sectors: Basic Goods, Capital Goods, and Intermediate Goods.
• Base Year: 2011-2012.
• Significance of IIP: It is used by government agencies including the Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank of India, etc, for policy-making purposes.
• IIP remains extremely relevant for the calculation of the quarterly and advance GDP (Gross Domestic Product) estimates.

Eight Core Sectors

• These comprise 40.30% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
• The eight core sector industries: Refinery Products> Electricity> Steel> Coal> Crude Oil> Natural Gas> Cement> Fertilizers.

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6. G-7 (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: Recently, German Ambassador Philipp Ackermann emphasized that the G-7 countries' agreement on the draft declaration saved the G-20 from an early demise, despite claims by some countries, like Ukraine, that Western nations had completely compromised their stance on Russia and Ukraine.

G-7

• About: It is an intergovernmental organization. The bloc meets annually to discuss issues of common interest like global economic governance, international security and energy policy.
• Formation: 1975.
• G7 countries: UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US.
• India is not a part of G7
• Membership: Apart from the 7 member countries, the European Union (EU) has also participated fully in the G7 since 1981 as a “non-enumerated” member.
• Presidency: It rotates annually among the member countries, with each country hosting the summit and setting the agenda for the year.
• Meetings: The G7 holds annual meetings. 
• Informal nature: The G7 does not have a formal charter or secretariat. Decisions are made through consensus, and there is no formal voting system or legal obligations.
• Recent summit: The 49th G7 summit was held in Hiroshima, Japan.

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7. NITI AYOG (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity & Governance)

Context: NITI Aayog undertakes Special Campaign 2.0 for disposal of pending matters and Swachhta. The focus of the campaign was to ensure timely and effective disposal of Public Grievances references from Members of Parliament, State Governments, Inter-Ministerial Consultations and Parliamentary Assurances by Ministries / Departments. 

NITI Ayog

• It is the premier policy ‘Think Tank’ of the Union Government, providing both directional and policy inputs.
• Establishment: In 2015 via an executive resolution by replacing the Planning Commission of India
• Objective: To develop a common vision for both the Central and State governments, recognizing that robust states are the foundation of a robust nation.
• To encourage an ongoing environment of competitive and cooperative federalism among the states.
• Composition of NITI Aayog
• Chairperson: Prime Minister
• Vice-Chairperson: To be appointed by Prime-Minister
• Governing Council: Chief Ministers of all states and Lt. Governors of Union Territories.
• Regional Council: To address specific regional issues, Comprising Chief Ministers and Lt. Governors Chaired by Prime Minister or his nominee.
• Ex-Officio membership: Maximum four from Union council of ministers to be nominated by Prime minister.
• Special Invitees: Experts, Specialists with domain knowledge nominated by Prime-minister.

Special Campaign 2.0

• Inaugurating Gandhi's Clean India Vision: The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) launched a special campaign aimed at addressing pending matters.
• Evolution from 2021 to 2023: Originally initiated from October 2nd to 31st, 2021, this campaign's remarkable success led to its extension into 2022 and further into 2023, giving rise to Special Campaign 2.0.

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8. AIR QUALITY INDEX (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)

Context: A research study conducted released recently in July last year, highlighted that the air quality throughout the entire Indo-Gangetic Plains was favorable on Diwali night. This improvement was attributed not to the city's cracker ban but rather to the prevailing winds that effectively dispersed pollutants across the northern region of India.

Key Points of Study

• The PGIMER study found that PM2.5 and sulphur dioxide (SO2) were the major pollutants generated by firecrackers. There was no effect on the ozone level, contrary to earlier assumptions. 
• The rate of growth of PM2.5 and SO2 due to crackers dropped dramatically by 42% and 67% on Diwali night in 2020 compared with 2017-19 in the entire Indo-Gangetic Plain due to the windy conditions.
• According to study: The good air of recent days is largely because there have been more rainy days. The number of days with better air quality is always in proportion to rainy and windy days. 
• This means that the weather condition is the single most important factor in the pollution level

Air Quality Index

• Air Quality Assessment: AQI is a tool for assessing the safety of the air you breathe.
• Monitoring and Reporting: Organizations responsible for AQI reporting measure the concentration of 6 diverse air pollutants - Particulate matter (PM2. 5 and PM10), Ozone (O3), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Lead (Pb) and Ammonia (NH3)  at various monitoring stations.
• National Air Quality Index (NAQI): The widely employed NAQI, issued by the Central Pollution Control Board, provides a 24-hour average.
• Unit of Measurement: AQI is measured in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³).

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9. NEW SPIDER SPECIES (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)

Context: Recently, two new spider species, the Palpimanus Godawan and Palpimanus Maldhok, have been found in the conservation sites of the Rajasthan Desert National Park and Solapur.

New Spider Species

• Local Names: These two spider species, Godawan and Maldhok, have been named in tribute to the indigenous name of the Great Indian Bustard.
• Spider Characteristics:  They tend to conceal themselves under rocks or within crevices when disturbed.

oMaroon Coloration: These spiders share their maroon color with the other two known species in the Palpimanidae genus.

oGround-Dwelling: They primarily inhabit the ground and have robust bodies, limiting their ability to disperse through common spider methods such as ballooning and web-shooting.

oRestricted Range: They tend to stay within a confined area.

Great Indian Bustard

• Geographic Distribution: The Great Indian Bustard is primarily found in the Indian subcontinent and holds the status of being India's flagship grassland species.
• Impressive Bird: It ranks among the world's largest flying birds and is the heaviest flying bird in India.
• Population Distribution: Approximately 95% of the world's Great Indian Bustard population, totaling around 150 individuals, resides in Rajasthan.

oThe majority of these birds are concentrated in the Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, including their natural habitat in the Desert National Park.

oThe species also thrives in the grasslands of Kutch, Gujarat, home to the second-largest bustard population in India.

oOther populations can be found in arid regions of Maharashtra (Solapur), Karnataka (Bellary and Haveri), and Andhra Pradesh (Kurnool).

• State Symbol: The Great Indian Bustard holds the esteemed position of being the State bird of Rajasthan.
• Conservation Status

oIUCN: Critically Endangered.

oCITES: Appendix I

• The Indian Wildlife (Protection)Act, 1972: Schedule I

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10. SECTION 124A (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: Recently, the Supreme Court referred the issue of the constitutional validity of the controversial sedition offense, defined in Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, to a five-judge bench for deliberation.

Section 124A of the IPC

• Sedition Definition: It delineates sedition as an act where an individual, through spoken or written words, signs, visible representations, or any other means, endeavors to incite hatred or contempt, or provokes disaffection towards the legally established government in India.
• Understanding Disaffection: Disaffection encompasses disloyalty and all forms of enmity. However, it's crucial to note that remarks that do not aim to stir up hatred, contempt, or disaffection will not qualify as an offense under this section.
• SC's Clarification: In the case of Balwant Singh v. State of Punjab (1995), the Supreme Court emphasized the importance of considering the true intent behind a speech before classifying it as seditious.
• Punishment under Section 124A: Punishment under the law varies from imprisonment up to three years to a life term and fine.

Sedition Law

• About: The British government introduced the sedition law, found in Section 124A of the IPC, in 1870 as a means to suppress opposition to colonial rule.
• Addition by Thomas Babington Macaulay: The original version of the IPC, established in 1860, did not include this provision; it was added by Thomas Babington Macaulay in 1870.

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