1. TRAVEL & TOURISM DEVELOPMENT INDEX (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: A recent World Economic Forum (WEF) report predicts that the travel and tourism sector's contribution to global GDP will return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024.

Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI)

• About: WEF has developed a Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) which rates countries in terms of their travel readiness.

oThis report is important because it has been developed as the industry standard and is the result of a collaboration between key industry partners and stakeholders. 

• TTDI focuses on five pillars: Travel and Tourism sector: Enabling environment, Travel & Tourism Policy and Enabling Conditions, Infrastructure, Travel & Tourism Demand Drivers, Travel & Tourism, and Sustainability.
• India’s Status: India, with a score of 4.25, holds the 39th position and is the only South Asian nation in the top 50 countries. (54th in the 2021).

oThe country is highly price-competitive (18) and boasts competitive air transport (26) and ground and port (25) infrastructure.

oThe rise was driven by the country’s strong natural (6), cultural (9), and non-leisure (9) resources. India is among the only three countries to score in the top 10 for all the resource pillars.

World Economic Forum

• About: The WEF is a Swiss nonprofit foundation established in 1971, based in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Initiated by: German professor Klaus Schwab
• Recognized by: Swiss authorities as the international institution for public-private cooperation.
• Funded by: WEF is largely funded by its partnering corporations. These are generally global enterprises with annual turnover greater than $5 billion.
• Mission: Committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas.
• Some major reports published by WEF are: Energy Transition Index, Global Competitiveness Report, Global IT Report - WEF along with INSEAD, and Cornell University publishes this report, Global Gender Gap Report, Global Travel and Tourism Report.

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2. EUROPE’S COPERNICUS PROGRAMME (Syllabus GS Paper 3 – Science and Tech)

Context: The European Union recently activated its "rapid response mapping service" to assist Iran in searching for a helicopter carrying the President of Iran.

Europe’s Copernicus Programme

• About: It is part of the EU’s space programme and aims to monitor the Earth and its environment by collecting data from a set of satellites known as the Sentinels.

oIt also gets data from contributing missions (existing commercial and public satellites) and in situ or non-space sources such as ground stations.

• Historical Background

oNamed after the 15th-century scientist Nicolaus Copernicus, the programme was launched in 1998.

oInitially, it was known as the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security Programme (GMES).

• Implemented by: EU member states with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA) for the space component and the European Environment Agency (EEA) for the in-situ component.
• Rapid Mapping Service: It is one of the crucial components of the Emergency Management Service (EMS), which comes under the EU’s Copernicus programme.

Copernicus EMS

• About: It has been operational since 2012. It provides geospatial information derived from satellite remote sensing and in situ data sources.
• Purpose: The Copernicus EMS helps manage natural disasters, man-made emergencies, and humanitarian crises.
• Two Main Components

oMapping Component: Provides maps and analysis based on satellite imagery.

oEarly Warning Component: Issues alerts about floods, droughts, and forest fires, and provides near-real-time assessments of forest fire impacts.

• Mapping Component

oRapid Mapping (RM): Delivers maps within days or hours, anywhere in the world. Used for immediate disaster response, such as locating Raisi’s crashed helicopter.

oRisk and Recovery Mapping (RRM): Provides maps for disaster management within weeks or months. Focuses on prevention, preparedness, disaster risk reduction, and recovery.

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3. HIMALAYAN IBEX (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: Recently, wildlife authorities in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul & Spiti district commenced surveys to conduct a census, estimating the populations of blue sheep or bharal and Himalayan ibex, primary prey for the iconic snow leopard.

Himalayan Ibex

• About: It is a subspecies of the Siberian Ibex.
• Scientific name: Capra sibirica hemalayanus
• Habitat: Cold deserts, rocky outcrops, steep terrain, high-land flats, mountain ridges, and low mountains and foothills.
• Global Distribution: This species can be found in several countries, including India, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Southern Siberia, and China.
• Behaviour: In winter, they come down to lower elevations in search of food as the mountains get covered in snow.
• Geographic Range: The Ibex is distributed across montane environments in Asia, inhabiting elevations ranging from 500 m to 6,700 m.
• IUCN Status: Least concern.
• Hemis National Park: Home of Himalayan ibex.

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4. FLIGHT TURBULENCE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – S&T)

Context: A Singapore Airlines flight (SQ321) from London to Singapore recently encountered severe turbulence, resulting in one death and several injuries. 

Turbulence

• About: It means a pockets of disturbed air can have many causes, most obviously the unstable weather patterns that trigger storms
• Flight turbulence: It means disruption of airflow over the wings of an airplane, which causes it to enter irregular vertical motion.
• Types of flight turbulence: There are at least seven kinds of turbulence that an aircraft can run into:

oWIND SHEAR: Happens when there is a sudden change in wind direction, whether vertically or horizontally. Typically occurs close to thunderstorms, jet streams, etc.; tricky for pilots as tailwinds suddenly change to headwinds or vice versa.

oFRONTAL: Created in the frontal zone when warm air is lifted by sloping frontal surface and friction between opposing air masses. Most palpable when warm air is moist; intensity increases with thunderstorms. Most common close to thunderstorms.

oCONVECTIVE: When land surface temperature rises, the air above the ground heats up and rises, creating air pockets around it. Convection currents cause difficulties during approach as they tend to affect the rate of descent.

oWAKE: Forms behind an aircraft when it flies through air-creating wingtip vortices. Can be dangerous for small aircraft following bigger ones, which tend to disrupt the airflow more strongly in their wake.

oMECHANICAL: This type of turbulence occurs when tall solid objects such as mountains or highrise constructions disrupt the normal airflow, causing the air for planes to fly through to become dirty.

oCLEAR AIR: Occurs when an aircraft crosses from one air mass to another, which has a different direction. Clear air turbulence could also happen when an aircraft moves out of a jet stream. Clear air turbulence is mainly caused by wind or jet streams.

oMOUNTAIN WAVE: One of the most severe; these are oscillations that form on the downwind side of mountains when strong winds flow towards mountains in a perpendicular fashion. Aircraft tracking perpendicularly across, or downwind of a mountain, may experience sudden loss of altitude followed by a sudden reduction in airspeed.

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5. MATUA COMMUNITY (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Art & Culture)

Context: The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) sparked discussions in five Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal, particularly among the Matuas, a Hindu sect seeking citizenship under the act.

Matua Community

• About: It is a sect of depressed class Hindus, primarily comprising Namasudras, a Scheduled Caste group.
• Origin: from East Pakistan, Matuas migrated to India during Partition and subsequent events such as the creation of Bangladesh.

oDespite their long presence in India, a significant portion of the Matua population still lacks Indian citizenship.

• Founder: The Matua sect, rooted in Vaishnava Hinduism, was founded by Harichand Thakur in undivided Bengal.
• Beliefs: The teachings of Harichand Thakur attracted members of marginalized communities, including Chandals and Namasudras, historically considered untouchables.
• Geographical Settlement: Following the partition of East Pakistan, a considerable number of Matua followers resettled in West Bengal, shaping the demographic landscape of the region.

oWest Bengal became a significant hub for the Matua community, fostering their cultural, social, and religious practices.

Matua Mahasangha

• About: Matua Mahasangha emerged around 1860 AD in present-day Bangladesh and gained supporters in both Bangladesh and West Bengal, India.
• Founder: The movement was initiated by the followers of Harichand Thakur, who received spiritual enlightenment at a young age and preached his philosophy through Twelve Commandments.
• Emphasis on Education: Thakur's teachings prioritize education as a vital means for societal upliftment, reflecting a belief in knowledge as a tool for progress.

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6. SCHENGEN AREA (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: Recently, the European Commission unveiled a global rise in short-stay Schengen visa fees, resulting in a 12% increase in the cost of Schengen visas (type C), affecting travelers intending to visit Europe.

Schengen Area

• About: An area without internal border controls. 
• Membership: The Schengen Area comprises 29 European countries. 

o25 EU states: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, and Sweden. 

oNon-EU members:  Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

oRecent entry: Bulgaria and Romania become Schengen members.

• Origin: Named after the 1985 Schengen Agreement and the 1990 Schengen Convention, both signed in Schengen, Luxembourg. Operates as a single jurisdiction under a common visa policy for international travel purposes, facilitating ease of movement for citizens and visitors.

Schengen visa regulation: 

• About: Schengen visas allow the holder to travel freely in the Schengen area for short stays of a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period. 

oThe visas are not purpose-bound, but they do not grant the right to work.

• Comparison with US Visas: While US offers 10-year visas to Indians for visit and tourism (B1/B2 category), Schengen countries typically issue travel date-specific visas.
• New regulations: Indian nationals can now be issued long-term, multi-entry Schengen visas valid for two years after having obtained and used two visas in the past three years. The two-year visa will normally be followed by a five-year visa, if the passport has sufficient validity remaining.

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7. GENETIC DRIFT (Syllabus: GS Paper 3– Sci and Tech)

Context: Genetic drift, not natural selection, was recently identified as the main factor driving speciation in endangered pupfish species.

Genetic Drift

• Definition: It is an evolutionary change in allelic frequencies of a population as a matter of chance.

oGenetic drift describes random fluctuations in the numbers of gene variants in a population.

oIt takes place when the occurrence of variant forms of a gene, called alleles, increases and decreases by chance over time.

oThese variations in the presence of alleles are measured as changes in allele frequencies.

• Population Size: It occurs in very small populations, but its effects are strong.
• Cause: Occurs due to an error in selecting the alleles for the next generation from the gene pool of the current generation.
• Environmental Independence: It does not occur due to any environmental influences.
• Stability in Large Populations: In large populations, the allele frequency of the genes remains relatively stable because the genes are not affecting fitness and do not have a natural selection pressure against the alleles.
• Types of Genetic Drift

oBottleneck Effect: Population size severely decreases due to competition, predators, or diseases.

oFounder Effect: A new population is founded in a new location due to physical or geographical barriers. The new population formed does not interact and mate with the original population.

Gene Flow

• About: Gene flow entails the transfer of genes among populations, species, or organisms, exemplified by bacterial gene transfer. Conversely, genetic drift involves the random selection of genes within a population.
• Migration: Gene flow arises when individuals migrate from one population to another and interbreed.

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8. CRYPTOCURRENCY (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently cautioned that cryptocurrencies, propelled by speculative interests, pose risks to the financial system, urging retail investors to exercise caution.

Cryptocurrency

• About: Cryptocurrency refers to a digital or virtual currency that employs cryptography for security measures.
• Decentralization: One of the defining features of cryptocurrencies is their decentralized nature, which means they are not under the control of any government or institution.
• Examples: Prominent examples of cryptocurrencies include Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin.
• How Does Cryptocurrency Work: It operates through a decentralized digital ledger called the blockchain, where transactions are publicly recorded and verified by a network of computers worldwide.
• Three key-elements of crypto-currency:

oIt is a digital representation of value,

oIt can be transferred electronically and

oIt is recorded in a digital ledger (Blockchain Technology) that is widely accessible.

• Types of Cryptocurrencies: Payment cryptocurrency, Utility Tokens, Stablecoins and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC).

Significance of Cryptocurrencies

• Corruption Monitoring: Operating on a peer-to-peer network, blockchain technology aids in monitoring corruption by tracing fund flows and transactions.
• Efficiency in Time: Cryptocurrencies can significantly reduce costs and time for both senders and recipients, as transactions occur online with minimal fees and near-instantaneous processing.

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9. ARTIFICIAL WOMB (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Artificial wombs, a groundbreaking innovation, offer promising prospects for infertile women, potentially revolutionizing reproductive technology.

Artificial Womb

• About: It is a device designed to simulate the environment of the uterus and support the growth and development of embryos or fetuses outside the body of a biological mother.
• known as: Ectogenesis chamber or artificial uterus.
• Structure and Function: Typically, these devices involve a clear "biobag" filled with fluid where the infant is suspended, mimicking the conditions of a uterus.
• Extended Development Period: The purpose of an artificial womb is to extend the gestational period for premature babies, allowing them to further develop outside the mother's body.
• Reduced Complications: By spending additional time in an artificial womb, premature infants can potentially reduce the risk of complications associated with premature birth.

oIn these devices, babies do not breathe air but have their lungs filled with lab-made amniotic fluid, replicating the conditions of the womb.

• Focus: A significant focus of artificial womb technology is to support and enhance lung development, which is often a critical factor in the survival of premature infants.
• Treatment: The ultimate goal is for infants to transition from the artificial womb to conventional care with improved chances of survival and fewer complications.

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10. VIABILITY GAP FUNDING (VGF) (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: Recently, the coal ministry invited proposals from public and private sector entities, among others, for coal gasification projects, as part of an ₹8,500-crore viability gap funding initiative.

Viability Gap Funding (VGF)

• About: VGF stands for Viability Gap Funding, which aims at supporting infrastructure projects that are economically justified but fall marginally short of financial viability.
• Initiated: In 2004, supports projects falling under Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).

oThis scheme operates as a Plan Scheme, with budget allocations made on an annual basis by the Ministry of Finance.

• Aim: VGF grants are given as capital subsidies to encourage private sector involvement in financially unviable PPP projects.
• These projects often lack commercial viability due to extended gestation periods and limited future revenue prospects.

Components of Viability Gap Funding Scheme

• Sub-scheme 1: This includes Water Supply, Solid Waste Management, Waste Water Treatment, Health and Education etc. 

oThe amount of VGF under this scheme shall be equivalent to the lowest bid for capital grant, subject to maximum of 30% (Thirty percent) of the Total Project Cost.

• Subscheme 2: This scheme supports demonstration or pilot social sector projects in areas such as health and education. It expects a minimum of 50% operational cost recovery.

oUnder this scheme, the Central Government and State Governments jointly fund up to 80% of capital expenditure and up to 50% of operation and maintenance costs for the first five years.

oThe Central Government contributes a maximum of 40% of the total project cost (TPC) and may additionally cover up to 25% of operational costs during the project's initial five years of commercial operations.

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