1. UNSC REFORM (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Internation relations)

Context: United Nations Secretary (UNSC)-General Antonio Guterres recently gave a clarion call to reform the UN Security Council “in line with the world of today” and based on equity, telling leaders that the 15-nation body reflects the political and economic realities of 1945 and risks becoming part of the problem instead of solving it.

United Nations Security Council (UNSC)

• About: It is one of the six principal organsof the United Nations (UN).
• Formation: By the UN Charter in 1945.
• Objective: Primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
• Members: 15 (5 permanent + 10 non-permanent members).
• Headquarter: New York, USA.
• UNSC Presidency: Held by each of the 15 members in turn for one month, based on English alphabetical order.

o Eligibility for presidency: Both permanent and non-permanent members are eligible for the UNSC presidency.

o India as a non-permanent member: 8 times. The latest membership was for the year 2021-22.

UNSC Reform: Meaning

• The aim for UNSC reforms encompasses: Reform in categories of membership (permanent, non-permanent)èQuestion of the veto held by the five permanent membersèRegional representationèSize of an enlarged Council and its working methodsèRelationship between UNSC & UNGA etc.

Need of UNSC Refrom:

• To make it effective, authoritative, and better able to serve all the member states and people of the world.
• To reflect present geopolitical realities.
• Democratic deficit: Ensuring representation of large number of developing nations.
• Non representative: Regions like far East Asia, South America, Africa have no representation in the permanent membership.
• Misuse of veto power: The veto is not a right, but rather a privilege unfairly used according to their national interests.

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2. GENDER BUDGETING (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: India is considering a major change in the annual budget to better capture spending on gender equality and women’s empowerment. This will entail a revamp in the gender budget statement that’s part of the annual exercise.

Gender Budgeting

• About: According to the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), gender budgeting is a tool to achieve gender mainstreaming incorporating a gender perspective and sensitivity at all levels so as to ensure that the benefits of development reach women as much as men. 
• Aim: Finding out whether women and men can access the same opportunities equally. 
• Adoption: The Government of India had adopted Gender Budgeting in 2005-06. The government publishes a Gender Budget Statement(GBS) every year along with the Union Budget.
• Benefits: Promotes gender equality, improved resource allocation, better targeting, economic growth, political empowerment, reduces gender-based violence, accountability and transparency etc.

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3. INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – International Relations)

Context: The International Criminal Court (ICC) recently disclosed a hacking incident, a breach at one of the world’s most high profile international institutions.

International Criminal Court (ICC):

• Establishment: In 2002 pursuant to the multilateral Rome Statute.
• Headquarter: The Hague, Netherlands.
• About: It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimeslike - genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression.
• Members: 123 countries. Countries like – India, China and Pakistan have not signed the treaty and not a party.
• Jurisdiction: The ICC’s jurisdiction is limited only to natural persons (unlike the International Court of Justice, which hears disputes between states) with minimum age of the alleged perpetrator should be 18 years at the time of the commission of the crime.
• Relation with UN: The ICC is not part of the UN. The Rome Statute was negotiated within the UN; however, it created an independent judicial body distinct from the UN.

Difference with International Court of Justice (ICJ):

• Established: In 1945 under the UN Charter.
• Headquarter: Hague, Netherlands.
• Function: To settle legal disputes between states and to provide advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by UN bodies and specialized agencies. Every year the Court submits a report on its activities to the United Nations General Assembly.
• Composition: The Court is composed of 15 judges elected by the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council (UNSC).

o Judges are elected for a 9 years term and can be re-elected. Elections are staggered, with 5 judges elected every 3 years to ensure continuity within the court.

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4. iDEX INITIATIVE (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – International Relations)

Context: The US delegation, led by Under Secretary (Research & Engineering), met a team of Innovations for Defence Excellence-Defence Innovation Organisation (iDEX-DIO) under Ministry of Defence at IIT Delhi explaining how the initiative is revolutionising the defence innovation ecosystem in India.

iDEX Initiaitve

• About: The Government announced a central sector scheme named as Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) for 5 years from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

oIt 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 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 launch of Joint Challenges, Innovation Partnership Program, Academia partnership, Joint Innovation Fund, establishing of Testing & Certification facilities in India etc. 

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5. JOINT CALL TO ACTION FOR FORESTS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3– Env & Eco)

Context: The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), recently launched the Joint Call to Action for Forests towards 2030. 

Joint Call to Action for Forests

• Aim: To highlight the need for increased action and political commitment to implement forest solutions in pursuit of the United Nations-mandated Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
• It has four focal areas: Implementation and action; data, science and innovation; finance for forests; and communication and awareness-raising.

Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF)

• About: It is a partnership of 16 global organisations chaired by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
• Working: Challenges and opportunities have been identified in protecting, restoring and sustainably managing forests, and action and ambition are needed. 

o The CPF members committed to “reinforcing action to strengthen efforts at all levels to fully unlock the contributions of forests to sustainable development and achieve our joint vision for forests towards 2030”. 

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

• About: It is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
• Formation: 16th October, 1945.
• Headquarter: Rome (Italy).
• Goal: To achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.
• Members: 195 members - 194 countries and the European union
• World Food Day: Celebrated every year on 16th October.

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6. RASTRIYA VIGYAN PURASKAR (Syllabus: GS Paper 2– Government Initiatives/Governance)

Context: Nearly a year after the Union Government decided to cut the number of prizes annually awarded by its science-affiliated Ministries, it has instituted the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP) -  56 prizes to felicitate scientists, technologists and innovators.

Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP)

• About: Similar to the prestigious Padma awards, these awards will not include any cash component; instead, they will likely bestow only a certificate and medallion on the awardee.
• It will comprise: 3 Vigyan Ratna awards, as well as 25 Vigyan Shri, 25 Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, and 3 Vigyan Team awards.
• Frequency of award: Annually.
• Categories covered: Total 13.

o It will include - physics, chemistry, biological sciences, mathematics and computer science, earth science, medicine, engineering science, agricultural science, environmental science, technology and innovation, atomic energy, space science and technology, and a 13th category, simply called ‘Others’.

• Open to PIOs: The RVP will also be open to persons of Indian origin (PIOs), but with some exemptions.
• It will start from: May 11, 2024, which is National Technology Day, and will be awarded on National Space Day, August 23. 
• Criticism: The RVP awards are a major truncation of the nearly 300 awards that were given by scientific Ministries, though most of these were internal awards. 

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7. WOMEN’S RESERVATION BILL (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: The government recently brought The Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, 2023 to provide 33 % reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies. 

Women's Reservation Bill 2023 [The Constitution (One Hundred Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023]

Key features of the Bill

• Reservation for women: The Bill reserves, as nearly as may be, one-third of all seats for women in Lok Sabha, state legislative assemblies, and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.  

oThis will also apply to the seats reserved for SCs and STs in Lok Sabha and states legislatures.  

• Commencement of reservation: The reservation will be effective after the census conducted after the commencement of this Bill has been published.  

oBased on the census, delimitation will be undertaken to reserve seats for women.  

oThe reservation will be provided for a period of 15 years.   However, it shall continue till such date as determined by a law made by Parliament. 

• Rotation of seats: Seats reserved for women will be rotated after each delimitation, as determined by a law made by Parliament.   

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8. NAGORNO-KARABAKH REGION (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – International Relations)

Context: Azerbaijan has launched what it called “anti-terrorist activities” in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, stressing that the offensive would only target military structures.

Nagorno-Karabakh Region

• About: It is a disputed territory between Azerbaijan and Armenia, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. Although most of it has been governed by the unrecognised Republic of Artsakh (also known as the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic [NKR]) since the first Nagorno-Karabakh War (1988-94). 

oIt is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, within the mountainous range of Karabakh, lying between Lower Karabakh and Syunik, and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains. 

Azerbaijan: It is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of the South Caucasus region.

• Bordered by: Caspian Sea to the east, Russia (Republic of Dagestan) to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia and Turkey to the west, and Iran to the south. 
• Capital: Baku and is the largest city.

Armenia: It is a landlocked country located in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region.

• Bordered by: Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, the Lachin corridor (under a Russian peacekeeping force) and Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan to the south.
• Capital: Yerevan, and is the largest city and the financial centre.

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9. CLIMATE ACTION TRACKER (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)

Context: Climate Action Tracker, an independent scientific analysis that tracks government climate action and measures it against Paris Agreement goals, has updated its rating system and published it
recently.

Climate Action Tracker

• About: It is an independent research group with the aim of monitoring government action to achieve their reduction of greenhouse gas emissions with regard to international agreements.

oIt is tracking climate action in 32 countries responsible for over 80% of global emissions.

• Key highlights of the report:

oWorld scenario: Only Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco, Nepal and United Kingdom have been rated as “almost sufficient” and only Gambia is “sufficient” or 1.5 degree compatible.

üUSA, which used to be rated as “critically insufficient”, is now “insufficient” as per the new rating system.

oIndia’s efforts: India’s nationally determined contribution (NDC), which was rated as 2 degrees compatible or “almost sufficient”  by the Climate Action Tracker until last month, has now rated India as “highly insufficient” in its action and policies on climate change.

India’s NDC has three main elements: Emissions intensity target of 33%–35% below 2005 levels; electric power capacity target of 40% installed capacity from non-fossil-based energy resources by 2030); and creating a carbon sink of 2.5–3 GtCO2e through additional forest and tree cover by 2030. 

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10. ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE (AMR) (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Helath)

Context: A new report providing fresh evidence on the health and economic costs of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). 

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

• Meaning: AMR in a person occurs when micro-organism (bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites) change over time and no longer respond to medicines designed to inhibit or kill them. 

oIt makes infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.

oThese micro-organisms are often known as “superbugs”.

oIt is a global public health issue, leading to a silent pandemic due to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in different sectors. 

• Prevalence: AMR was directly responsible for as many as 1.27 million deaths globally in 2019 according to the Lancet report.

oThe World Health Organisation (WHO) even declared antimicrobial resistance to be one among the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity.

oIn India, there is one of the highest rates of resistance to antimicrobial agents used both in humans and animals.

Key highlights of the report

• Based on: Statistics from OECD, European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) countries and Group of 20 (G20) countries. 
• Without a strong One Health action plan, AMR levels will continue to be unacceptably high and may lead to thousands of deaths every year in the OECD and EU/EEA and G20 countries. This could result in extended hospitalisations and thus, increased pressure on healthcare systems.
• The total consumption of antibiotics in humans has been increasing for the last two decades. Resistance to third line antibiotics could double in 2035 than it was in 2005.

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