theIASHub | 21 Jan, 2025 | 163
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India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC): This agreement presents a tremendous opportunity for US-India to strengthen their partnership and promote their strategic interests.
o Bipartisan support in the U.S. to strengthen economic, security, and democratic collaboration.
o Strengthening ties with participating nations like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Italy & Germany.
o Private sector involvement is essential for its success.
o UAE & Saudi Arabia: Driving forces for advancing IMEC.
o Opens new opportunities for FDI & Strengthens diplomatic ties with West Asia and Europe.
Mercy Petition: The Supreme Court recently granted the Centre a final chance to decide on the mercy plea of Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted for assassinating Punjab CM Beant Singh. If the Centre fails, the court will hear Rajoana's plea to reduce his death sentence.
o Mercy petition filed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in March 2012.
o Article 161: The Governor can exercise similar powers for offences under State laws but cannot pardon death sentences or Court Martial punishments.
o Acceptance of mercy petitions is not binding on the President or Governors.
o President: Can pardon Court Martial punishments and death sentences.
o Governor: Cannot pardon these categories.
o Petition can be filed by the convict or their relative within seven days of Supreme Court appeal dismissal.
o Petition is forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for recommendations.
o MHA consults the concerned State Government before advising the President or Governor.
Colossal Discoveries at Ratnagiri: ASI unearthed a colossal Buddha head (3-4 feet), a giant palm (5 feet), an ancient wall, and inscribed relics dating back to the 8th-9th Century AD that highlights Ratnagiri's significance as a Buddhist learning center rivaling Nalanda.
Kalinga (261 BCE), which led to his conversion to Buddhism.
o Kalinga's trade links popularized Buddhism across Southeast Asia.
o Known for Mahayana and Tantrayana sects, it once rivaled Nalanda in Buddhist scholarship.
o Possibly visited by Hiuen Tsang (638-639 AD) during his Odisha travels.
o Led by archaeologist Debala Mitra, the findings emphasized Ratnagiri's historical richness.
o Focus on studying the cultural and material links with Southeast Asia.
o The annual Baliyatra festival commemorates these 2,000-year-old links.
Indian Coffee: In the first half of January 2025, India Exported 9,300+ tonnes of coffee with top buyers including Italy, Belgium, and Russia.
o India ranks as the 7th largest coffee producer, exporting $1.29 billion (FY 2023-24), up from $719.42 million (2020-21).
o Top Producer: Karnataka contributes over 70% of India's total coffee output.
o For example, Araku Valley—20% production growth through tribal collaboration and GCC loans, benefiting 150,000 families.
o Rainfall: Needs 150-250 cm annually.
o Soil: Prefers well-drained loamy soil rich in humus, iron, and calcium.
o Shade Requirement: Grows under shady trees.
o Ripening Condition: Requires dry weather for berry ripening.
o Elevation: Thrives at 600-1,600 m above sea level on hill slopes.
Entity Locker: The National eGovernance Division (NeGD), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has developed Entity Locker, a cutting-edge digital platform designed to transform the management and verification of business/organisation documents.
o Cloud-Based Solution: Secure storage, sharing, and verification for businesses, MSMEs, startups, societies, etc. 10 GB encrypted cloud storage for document safety.
o Real-Time Access: Integration with government databases ensures instant document verification.
o Consent-Based Sharing: Secure and accountable sharing of sensitive information.
o Aadhaar-Authenticated Access: Role-based access to ensure accountability.
o Digital Signature Support: Legally valid signatures for document authentication.
International Conference on Sustainable Circularity: Recently, the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, GOI, addressed the 3rd International Conference on Sustainable Circularity, organized by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).
o Vehicle Scrappage Policy (2021): Mandates fitness tests for old vehicles and promotes BS-VI-compliant replacements.
ü Projected to reduce 17% NOx and 11% PM2.5 emissions from trucks.
o End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) Rules (2025): Effective April 1, 2025, ensuring EPR compliance and proper vehicle scrapping in registered facilities.
o Electric Vehicle (EV) Promotion: FAME & PLI schemes: Boost EV adoption, with sales expected to hit 35% by 2030, reducing 5 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
o Automotive Industry’s Role in SDGs: Contributing to SDG 7 (Clean Energy), SDG 8 (Decent Work), and SDG 9 (Innovation & Infrastructure).
ü Transitioning to renewable energy to minimize EV battery charging impact.
Lead Poisoning: As per the WHO estimate nearly 1 million people die annually from lead poisoning.
o UNICEF warns that 800 million children face intellectual disabilities and behavioral disorders due to lead exposure.
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