1. INDIA-MALDIVES TIES (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - IR)

Context: Recently, President Mohamed Muizzu's government, known for its 'India Out' campaign, opted not to renew the hydrographic survey agreement with India, merely a month after calling for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the Maldives.

India Maldives Relations

• Economic: Trade agreement signed between India and Maldives in 1981. India is Maldives' 4th largest trade partner.

oIndia becomes Maldives' second-largest trading partner in 2021, experiencing a 31% growth in bilateral trade despite the pandemic.

• Defence: India offers the highest number of training opportunities for the Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF), fulfilling approximately 70% of their defence training needs.
• Developmental Cooperation: India implements notable development projects in the Maldives, such as the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Maldives Institute of Technical Education, and the National College for Policing and Law Enforcement (NCPLE).

India Out Campaign

• ‘India Out’ campaign started around 2020 with some on-ground protests in the Maldives and later spread widely across social media platforms using the phrase with a related hashtag. 
• It was alleged that New Delhi has sent a large military contingent to the Maldives, a claim that the Solih government repeatedly denied.

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2. BARRACUDA Syllabus GS Paper 3 - Sci and Tech)

Context: Recently, taking ahead the cause of eco-friendly maritime transportation, Barracuda, said to be India's fastest solar-electric boat, was launched at the yard of Navalt Solar and Electric Boats, located off Aroor in Alappuzha.

India’s Fastest Solar-Electric Boat

• About: The Barracuda, hailed as India's fastest solar-electric boat, was launched at the Navalt Solar and Electric Boats yard in Aroor, Alappuzha.
• Purpose: Named after the swift and long fish, Barracuda is designed by Navalt to operate as a workboat in rough seas, capable of ferrying up to 12 passengers and cargo.
• Specifications: The 14-meter-long, 4.4-meter-wide vessel can reach a top speed of 12.5 knots (23 km/h) and has a range of seven hours on a single charge.

oIt is equipped with twin 50 kW electric motors, a marine-grade LFP battery, and 6 kW solar power.

• Launch Presence: The vessel was built for Mazagon Dock and will be introduced at its Mumbai dock.
• Environmental Impact: Barracuda can navigate through waves as tall as four meters and operates silently without noise, vibration, and air pollution.
• Contribution: Aims to contribute to a cleaner and quieter ocean by offering affordable alternatives to conventional fossil-fueled boats.
• Recognition and Awards: The boat received the world's best startup award in the mobility and transportation category at the Berlin Start-Up Energy Transition Awards 2023.

oNavalt Solar and Electric Boats, operating from Kochi, has also been honored with various prestigious awards, including the Gustave Trouve Awards twice.

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3. ASEAN-INDIA MILLET FESTIVAL (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: Recently, the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Tribal Affairs inaugurated the ASEAN-India Millet Festival in New Delhi.

ASEAN-India Millet Festival 

• The ASEAN-India Millets Festival showcases a broad spectrum of participants, encompassing Indian farmers, industrialists, and representatives from ASEAN member states.
• This festival is an outcome of the successful collaboration under the comprehensive strategic partnership between ASEAN and India, which was underscored during the ASEAN-India Summit.
• The inception of this initiative can be traced back to a joint statement on food security endorsed during the ASEAN-India Summit, emphasizing the pivotal role of millets in ensuring food security.

Millets

• About: They are collective group of small seeded annual grasses that are grown as grain crops, primarily on marginal land in dry areas of temperate, sub-tropical and tropical regions.
• Includes: Sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), finger millet (ragi), barnyard, foxtail, brown top and other varieties.
• Also known as: Supergrain, poor man’s food grain.
• Largest Producer: India is the largest producer of millets with 37.5% of the total global output followed by Sudan and Nigeria.
• Good Source of: Protein, fibre, and essential vitamins, as well as minerals.
• Advantages of Millets: Food and economic security, high nutrition, low glycemis index, climate resistant, doubling farmers' income. Etc.

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4. GOVERNMENT-E-MARKETPLACE (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Govt Schemes)

Context: Recently, the Coal Ministry's Government e-Marketplace (GeM) procurement has surpassed the target of 21 thousand crore rupees in the current fiscal year, reaching over 34 thousand crore rupees.

Government eMarketplace (GeM)

• About: It is an online public procurement platform in India.
• Launched: In August 2016
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India
• Objective: To create an open and transparent procurement platform for government buyers to facilitate the online procurement of goods and services.
• Key Features

oIt is a one stop portal to facilitate online procurement of common use Goods and Services.

oThe portal is open for all government buyers— Central and State Ministries, departments, public sector enterprises etc.

oPrivate buyers cannot buy on the platform but private people can sell products to government bodies through the portal.

• Significance of GeM

oTransparent and Cost-effective Procurement.

oPromotion of Atma Nirbhar Bharat.

oEntry of Small Local Sellers.

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5. DIRECT TAX (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: Net direct tax collection in the eight months of the current fiscal touched 58.34 per cent of Budget Estimates (BE) at Rs 10.64 trillion.

Direct Tax

• About: This tax is imposed directly on the taxpayer and is paid directly to the government by the individuals or entities subjected to it.
• The responsibility for levying and collecting direct taxes, as well as formulating other policies related to direct taxes, lies with the Central Board of Direct Taxes.

Types of Direct Tax

• Income Tax: Income tax is a tax charged on the annual income of an individual or business earned in a financial year.
• Corporation Tax: A corporate tax, also called corporation tax or company tax, is a direct tax imposed by a jurisdiction on the income or capital of corporations or analogous legal entities.
• Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT): Dividend signifies the allocation of profits to a company's shareholders.

oThis tax is a specific tax imposed on the dividends disbursed to shareholders by the corporation.

• Securities Transaction Tax: It is a tax on gains made on the domestic stock exchange on securities such as equities, options, and futures.
• Alternate Minimum Tax: It is a direct tax applied to the buying and selling of securities listed on recognized stock exchanges in India.
• Minimum Alternate Tax: MAT is a provision in Direct tax laws to limit tax exemptions availed by companies, so that they pay at least a minimum amount of corporate tax to the government.

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6. CONSERVATION OF ELEPHANTS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, working in coordination with the State Forest Departments, ground-validated 150 elephant corridors across 15 elephant range states in the country.

Elephants Resevers

• Designating Critical Habitats: Notification of 'Elephant Reserves' focuses on vital elephant habitats, promoting synergy in conservation efforts and minimizing human-elephant conflict.
• Establishment of Elephant Reserves: Presently, 33 Elephant Reserves have been set up across 14 key elephant states, emphasizing the commitment to elephant conservation.
• Integrated Conservation Approach: Elephant Reserves are strategically positioned to overlap with Tiger Reserves, Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Reserved Forests.

o These areas are safeguarded under legislative frameworks such as the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, Indian Forest Act, 1927, and local State Acts.

Elephant Corridors

• About: It can be defined as a narrow stretch of land that facilitates the movement of elephants between two or more adjacent habitats that are conducive to their well-being.
• State Wise Distribution: West Bengal takes the lead with 26 corridors, making up 17% of the total.
• East central India -  52 corridors, The North East region - 48 corridors, Southern India - 32 corridors., and Northern India - 18 corridors.

Project Elephant

• Launched: In 1992 as a centrally sponsored scheme.
• Objectives: (1) To protect elephants, their habitat & corridors, (2) To address issues of man-animal conflict, (3) Welfare of captive elephants.
• It provides: Financial and technical support to major elephant bearing states for protection of elephants, their habitats and corridors. 
• Under the Project, Elephant reserves have been established across states.

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7. WHO ON E-CIGARETTES (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Recently, the World Health Organization highlighted that E-cigarettes, as consumer products, have not been shown to be effective for quitting tobacco use at the population level. 

Key Points of WHO 

• 34 countries have implemented a ban on the sale of e-cigarettes, while 88 countries have no minimum age restrictions for purchasing these products. 
• Additionally, 74 countries lack regulations to control the harmful effects of e-cigarettes.
• In India, the possession of e-cigarettes is considered a violation of the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarette Act, 2019.
• According to data children aged 13-15 are using e-cigarettes at higher rates than adults across all WHO regions.
• In Canada, the rates of e-cigarette use among 16 to 19-year-olds have doubled between 2017 and 2022, while in the U.K., the number of young users has tripled over the past three years.

E-cigarettes

• About: It is a battery-operated vaporizer designed to emulate the act of tobacco smoking. Its mechanism involves heating a nicotine-infused liquid known as "juice."
• E-cigarettes encompass potentially hazardous elements, including heavy metals such as lead, volatile organic compounds, and carcinogenic agents.
• E-cigarettes contain nicotine but not tobacco, they do not fall under the purview of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (COTPA). 
• Composition of an e-cigarette: Nicotine, propylene glycol, glycerine, flavorings, and various other chemicals.

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8. KASHI VISHWANATH CORRIDOR (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Infrastructure)

Context: Prime Minister of India has celebrated two years of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor.

Kashi Vishwanath Corridor

• About: A 400-Metre Long Corridor for Pilgrims and Devotees of Baba Vishwanath
• Corridor Purpose: To facilitate the journey of pilgrims and devotees of Baba Vishwanath, who previously faced challenges navigating congested streets and poorly maintained surroundings.
• Traditional Practices: Pilgrims traditionally undertake the age-old custom of taking a dip in the holy river, collecting Gangajal, and then offering it at the temple. 
• Significance

oThe corridor links the renowned Kashi Vishwanath temple to the ghats lining the sacred Ganga river.

oDedicated to Lord Shiva, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple is among the most renowned Hindu temples globally.

oSituated on the western bank of the holy Ganga river, the temple holds the distinction of being one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, signifying its status as one of the holiest Shiva temples.

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9. INDIRA GANDHI PRIZE FOR PEACE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: Recently, music conductor Daniel Barenboim and peace activist Ali Abu Awwad were jointly awarded the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament, and Development for 2023.

Key Points

• Barenboim and Awwad, whose work focuses on the use of non-violent tools of music, dialogue and peoples’ participation, were chosen by an international jury chaired by former chief justice of India.
• For his humanitarian efforts in cultural education and integration, Barenboim was awarded several accolades, including Germany’s Great Cross of Merit, Spain’s Prince of Asturias Award, and France’s Commander of the Legion of Honour.
• In 2014, Awwad co-founded a Palestinian-lsraeli initiative called Roots to promote understanding, nonviolence and transformation.

Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace

• About: The prestigious award, known as the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize, is named after the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
• Annual Conferment: Since 1986, it has been conferred annually by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.
• Recognition of Creative Efforts: This prize also recognized as the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament, and Development, is bestowed by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust to honor individuals or organizations. 
• Promotion of International Peace: The award acknowledges endeavors that contribute to the promotion of international peace, ensuring that scientific discoveries are utilized for the greater good of humanity, and expanding the scope of freedom.
• Prize: Recipients of the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize are honored with a substantial cash award of 2.5 million Indian rupees along with a citation.
• First Prize was Awarded: Parliamentarians for Global Action in 1986.
• The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace 2022: Indian Medical Association and the Trained Nurses Association of India.

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10. RDSS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Govt Schemes)

Context: Recently, the government has been considering the extension of a scheme aimed at bolstering India's power distribution infrastructure beyond its originally planned five-year duration, with the goal of connecting more households, particularly in rural areas, to the electricity grid.

Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS)

• Objective: To enhance operational efficiencies and financial sustainability for DISCOMs.
• Approach: Achieved through result-linked financial assistance, contingent on meeting pre-qualifying criteria and achieving basic minimum benchmarks.
• Budget: The scheme allocates Rs 3,03,758 Crore over 5 years (FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26), with an estimated Government Budgetary Support (GBS) of Rs 97,631 Crore.
• Nodal Agencies: REC and Power Finance Corporation (PFC) 
• Targets

oReduce AT&C losses to pan-India levels of 12-15% by 2024-25.

oEliminate ACS-ARR gap by 2024-25.

oEnhance the quality, reliability, and affordability of power supply to consumers, fostering a financially sustainable and operationally efficient distribution sector.

• Components

oPart A: Financial support for Prepaid Smart Metering & System Metering and Distribution Infrastructure up-gradation.

oPart B: Training & Capacity Building, along with other Enabling & Supporting Activities.

Significance of RDSS

• The world's largest electrical energy smart metering program aims to replace 250 million traditional meters with smart ones, reducing energy theft and ensuring reliable electricity supply. 
• The reforms also target improving the reliability and quality of supplied power.

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