1. SIPRI REPORT (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Security)

Context: India's nuclear arsenal has grown to 172 warheads this year, edging past Pakistan's 170 warheads. Meanwhile, China maintains a significantly larger stockpile with 500 warheads, including some on high operational alert for the first time, reports SIPRI.

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

• About: It is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. 
• Established in: 1966
• Vision: SIPRI envisions a world where sources of insecurity are recognized, conflicts are pre-empted or resolved, and peace is enduring.
• Provision of Data and Analysis: SIPRI provides data, analysis, and recommendations sourced from open channels, offering valuable insights into global security trends.
• Target Audience: SIPRI's research serves policymakers, researchers, media, and the general public, contributing to informed decision-making and public discourse.

Key findings of Report

• Launch of Third SSBN: India's third SSBN, currently known as S4, was reportedly launched in November 2021. It represents a significant advancement in India's naval nuclear capabilities.
• SSBN Arighat: It was launched in November 2017 and completed advanced sea trials during 2021-22, showcasing its readiness for operational deployment.
• Strategic Deterrence Assurance: India maintains confidence in its strategic deterrence capabilities, bolstered by advancements such as the Agni-5 ballistic missile.
• Global Pursuit of Capability: SIPRI notes that India, Pakistan, and North Korea are actively pursuing the capability to deploy multiple warheads on ballistic missiles, aligning with major nuclear powers like the US, UK, Russia, France, and China who already possess this capability.

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2. Great Nicobar Project (Syllabus GS Paper 3 – Infrastructure)

Context: The opposition has criticized the proposed Rs 72,000-crore infrastructure upgrade at Great Nicobar Island, calling it a serious threat to the island's indigenous population and fragile ecosystem.

Great Nicobar 

• Location and Size: It is the southernmost and largest of the Nicobar Islands, spanning 910 square kilometers. It lies in the southeastern Bay of Bengal.
• Geographical Significance: Indira Point, located on Great Nicobar, marks India’s southernmost point and is remarkably close to Sabang in Sumatra, Indonesia, at a distance of only 90 nautical miles (less than 170 km).
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands: It form a group of 836 islands, divided into the Andaman Islands to the north and the Nicobar Islands to the south by the Ten Degree Channel, which span 150 km. 

Great Nicobar Project

• About: The GNI project is a significant endeavor slated for the southern Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

oIt encompasses diverse elements such as an international container trans-shipment terminal, an airport, township development, and a substantial power plant spanning 16,610 hectares.

• Project Components: The project entails a trans-shipment port at Galathea Bay, valued at ₹35,000 crore.

oAdditionally, it includes the establishment of a dual-use military-civilian international airport, a power plant, and a township.

• Implemented by: Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO).
• Participation in Global Maritime Economy: According to the NITI Aayog report, the proposed port will enable Great Nicobar to participate in the regional and global maritime economy by becoming a major player in cargo transshipment.
• Environmental Concerns:

oLoss of tree cover, alongside resulting runoff and sedimentation in the ocean, could detrimentally affect local flora, fauna, and coral reefs.

oThe project's development also poses a threat to the island's mangrove ecosystems, further exacerbating environmental concerns.

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3. NATIONAL TESTING AGENCY (NTA) (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Education)

Context: The Supreme Court instructed the central government and the National Testing Agency (NTA) to ensure that anyone involved in the alleged paper leak of this year's National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) faces strict consequences.

National Testing Agency (NTA)

• About: The NTA is an independent, autonomous, and self-sustained premier testing organization established under the Societies Registration Act (1860).
• Nodal Agency: Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India (GOI).
• Formation: 2017.
• Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Composition: Chairperson, a secretary and 8 or more officials representing different national level institutes.
• Objective: To conduct efficient, transparent, and international standard tests to assess the competency of candidates for admissions to premier higher education institutions.
• Mission: To improve equity and quality in education by administering research-based valid, reliable, efficient, transparent, fair, and international-level assessments.
• Functions:

oIdentify partner institutions with adequate infrastructure to facilitate online examinations without disrupting their academic routines.

oCreate a question bank for all subjects using modern techniques.

oEstablish a robust R&D culture and a pool of experts in various aspects of testing.

oAssist colleges and universities in testing, providing training and advisory services, and offer quality testing services to academic institutions in India.

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4. SAME SEX MARRIAGE (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Social Issues)

Context: Thailand's Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, marking a historic step towards becoming Southeast Asia's first country to enact such legislation.

Same Sex Marriage

• Definition: Marriage between two men or two women is the practice known as same-sex marriage.
• Global Regulation: In most countries worldwide, laws, religious beliefs, and customs have regulated same-sex marriage.
• International Recognition: Over 30 countries legally perform and recognize marriages between same-sex couples as of 2022.
• Recent Legalization: Mexico is the most recent country to legalize same-sex marriage.
• Indian Legal Framework: The right to marry is not expressly recognized either as a fundamental or constitutional right under the Indian Constitution.
• In India: No legal recognition of same-sex marriages and no constitutional or fundamental right to civil unions.

oRight to marry: No fundamental right to marry under the Constitution.

oRight to adopt: Queer couples do not have the right to adopt.

• Global: 35 Countries.

oThe latest being Andorra (in February 2023) and Nepal (in June 2023). The Netherlands was the first country to legalise same-sex marriages in 2001.

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5. GEMINI (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Google has launched its Gemini app in India, offering support for nine Indian languages and English, providing users with an AI-powered tool for answering queries via typing, voice, or image uploads.

Google Gemini

• About: It is a new multimodal AI model capable of comprehending and processing various formats simultaneously, such as text, code, audio, image, and video.
• Built: Gemini was built from the ground up to be multimodal, which means it can operate across and combine different types of information, including text, audio, image, code, and video.
• It can recognise images, speak in real-time, and even solve physics with remarkable ingenuity.
• Gemini 1.0 comprises 3 Models: Ultra, Pro, and Nano.

oGemini Ultra: It is Google’s most powerful LLM ever and is aimed at enterprise applications that will run it for “highly complex tasks.

oGemini Pro: It is the most general-purposed of the three and has already been plugged into Bard for prompts that require advanced reasoning, planning, and understanding.

oGemini Nano: It described as the most efficient model for on-device tasks, has been baked into the Pixel 8 Pro to process tasks like information summarisation and Smart Reply.

• Tensor Processing Units: Gemini 1.0 on its AI-optimised infrastructure using its in-house designed Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) v4 and v5e.
• Hindi Languages Available: Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.
• Significance: It will help people access information and complete tasks in their preferred language.

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6. ANGEL TAX (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: Amid a downturn in startup funding and resultant job losses, Indian Inc has urged for the repeal of Angel Tax. 

Angel Tax

• About: An income tax levied, when an unlisted company issues shares to an investor at a price higher than its fair market value.
• Under: Under Section 56(2)(viib) of the Indian Income Tax Act.
• Tax rate: The effective rate of the angel tax is 30.6%.
• Aim: To curb the practice of issuing shares at a premium much higher than their fair value, which could potentially involve money laundering or tax evasion.
• Applicability: Angel Tax was applicable to startups and unlisted companies that raised capital through the issue of shares.

oIf the issue price of the shares exceeded the fair market value, the excess amount was treated as income and taxed according.

• Exemptions: The entity should be a DPIIT recognized Startup; Aggregate amount of paid up share capital and share premium of the Startup after the proposed issue of share, if any, does not exceed INR 25 Crore.
• DPIIT Recognition: 

oStartups seeking exemption from Angel Tax were required to be recognized by the DPIIT. 

oThe criteria for recognition included innovation, scalability, and the potential to generate employment.

• Eligibility Criteria for Startup:

oTurnover should be less than INR 100 Crores in any of the previous financial years.

oAn entity shall be considered as a startup up to 10 years from the date of its incorporation.

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7. FOREST FIRE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Disaster Management)

Context: Himachal Pradesh is currently experiencing widespread forest fires, with the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department reporting a total of 1,684 fires since April 15.

Forest fire

• About: An unclosed and freely spreading combustion that consumes the natural fuels.

oWhen a fire burns out of control it is known as Wild Fire.

• Types of Forest Fires

oSurface Fire: Spreads along the ground, burning surface litter like leaves and twigs.

oUnderground Fire: Consumes organic matter beneath the surface, spreading slowly and often undetected, also known as muck fires.

oGround Fire: Burns subsurface organic fuels such as duff layers and roots, often more damaging than surface fires.

oCrown Fire: Burns the crowns of trees and shrubs, often fueled by surface fires, especially dangerous in coniferous forests.

oFirestorms: Rapidly spreading intense fires, creating fiery twisters with temperatures reaching around 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Government Initiatives

• National Action Plan for Forest Fires (NAPFF): It was launched in 2018 to reduce forest fires by informing, enabling, and empowering forest fringe communities and incentivizing their collaboration with state forest departments. 
• Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme (FPM): It is the sole government-sponsored program dedicated to assisting states in managing forest fires.

Forest fire in India

• Forest fire season: November to June is considered to be forest fire season in India, with hundreds of thousands of small and large fires burning every year.
• Worst fire months: April-May are usually the worst fire months across the country.
• According to India State of Forest Report (ISFR): More than 36% of India’s forest cover was prone to frequent fires. About 4% of the forest cover was ‘extremely prone’ to fire, and another 6% was ‘very highly’ fire prone. 
• Most prone region: Severe fires occur in dry deciduous forests, with forests in Northeast India, Odisha, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Uttarakhand being the most vulnerable.

oRecent incidents of forest fires have been reported from Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya, and Maharashtra.

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8. FILOBOLETUS MANIPULARIS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: Recently, scientists discovered the Filoboletus Manipularis, a rare bioluminescent mushroom emitting a bright green glow at night in Western Ghats region in Kerala.

Filoboletus Manipularis 

• About: It belongs to the Mycenaceae Family of Fungi and is notable for its bioluminescent capabilities.
• Structures: This species emits greenish light primarily from its stipe (stem) and pileus (cap), making it visible in dark environments, such as the forest at night.
• Habitat and Ecosystem: The forests of the Western Ghats provide optimal conditions for bioluminescent fungi like Filoboletus Manipularis due to high humidity and low light levels.
• Ecological Role: These fungi are secondary saprophytes in the forest ecosystem, crucial for breaking down plant litter and contributing to nutrient cycling.
• Biochemical Process in Filoboletus Manipularis

oBioluminescence in Filoboletus Manipularis is mediated by a chemical reaction involving luciferin and luciferase, facilitated by oxygen.

oThis bioluminescent trait likely evolved to attract insects for spore dispersal, similar to other bioluminescent organisms such as fireflies and certain marine species.

Bioluminescence

• About: It is the production and emission of light by a living organism. 
• Bioluminescent creatures are found throughout marine habitats, from the ocean surface to the deep seafloor.

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9. PRO-TEM SPEAKER (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: The 18th Lok Sabha is set to commence its inaugural session, with anticipation surrounding the election of the new Speaker amidst the NDA coalition's recent electoral success. In the interim, a pro-tem Speaker will oversee the swearing-in of newly elected Members of Parliament.

Pro-Tem Speaker

• Definition: It is a temporary presiding officer of the Lok Sabha, appointed to carry out specific duties until the regular Speaker is elected.
• Meaning: The term 'pro-tem' is derived from Latin, meaning 'for the time being' or 'temporarily'.
• Constitutional Mention: The Constitution does not explicitly mention the post of pro-tem Speaker.
• Appointment by: When the Speaker's post is vacant before a new Lok Sabha is formed, the President appoints a Member of the House as Speaker pro tem, as per the handbook.

oUntil the election of the new Speaker, a pro-tem Speaker is appointed to perform essential duties temporarily.

• Election of the New Speaker: In the new Lok Sabha, the Speaker is elected by a simple majority vote among the members.
• Role and Duties: As the Presiding Officer of the Lok Sabha, the Speaker is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day proceedings and maintaining order within the house.

oPrimary Duty: The pro-tem Speaker's main responsibility is to administer oaths to the newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs), as mandated by Article 99 of the Constitution.

• Article 94: It states that the Speaker remains in office until immediately before the first meeting of the new House of the People after a dissolution.

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10. GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: Recently, at the Global Environment Facility (GEF) council meeting in Washington, DC, an amount of $736.4 million was allocated towards environment protection. This funding aims to bolster global efforts in safeguarding the environment.

Global Environment Facility (GEF)

• About: It was established on the eve of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit of UNFCCC to address critical environmental challenges worldwide.
• Focus Areas: GEF is dedicated to combating biodiversity loss, climate change, pollution, and the degradation of land and ocean health through its family of funds.
• Supported Conventions: GEF provides financial assistance to support the objectives of five major international environmental conventions:

oMinamata Convention on Mercury

oStockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

oUnited Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD)

oUnited Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

oUnited Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

• Membership: GEF comprises 184 member countries, including India, demonstrating its global reach and impact.
• Governance: The governing council, composed of 32 members appointed by GEF member countries, oversees its operations and strategic direction.
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., coordinating activities and supporting initiatives globally.
• Funding Mechanism: The GEF Trust Fund provides financial resources to developing countries and economies in transition, facilitating their participation in international environmental agreements and conventions.
• GEF Council: It serves as the principal governing body of the GEF, consisting of 32 members appointed by constituencies from member countries (14 from developed nations, 16 from developing nations, and two from economies in transition).

oIndia, along with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, and Maldives, has established a permanent Constituency in the GEF's Executive Council.

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