1. Capacity Building Programme

Capacity Building Programme: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched a two-day training program for electoral field functionaries from Bihar at the India International Institute of Democracy & Election Management (IIIDEM), New Delhi, as part of preparations for the upcoming state elections.

• Objective: Equip Booth Level Officers (BLOs), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), and District Election Officers (DEOs) with skills for effective electoral management.

o Provide one-day training for State Police Nodal Officers to improve coordination with election authorities for better law and order management.

o Trained BLOs will act as Assembly Level Master Trainers (ALMTs), strengthening the national electoral network.

• About India International Institute of Democracy & Election Management (IIIDEM)

o Establishment: By the Election Commission of India in June 2011.

o Purpose: Training, research, and capacity-building in election management and democracy.

o Collaboration: Developed with support from the Union Government, United Nations, Commonwealth, and Sweden-based IDEA.

o Headed by: Director General.

Global Recognition: IIIDEM has trained over 3000 election professionals from 141 countries

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2. World Economic Outlook

World Economic Outlook: The IMF's World Economic Outlook (WEO) recently projected India's GDP growth, confirming it as the fastest-growing major economy.

• Major findings: India remains the fastest-growing major economy with projected growth of 6.2% in 2025 and 6.3% in 2026.

o Global Growth: The global growth forecast is downgraded to 2.8% in 2025 and 3.0% in 2026, due to trade tensions, policy uncertainty, and slower cooperation.

o Major Economies: China's growth forecast is revised to 4.0%, while the U.S. growth is reduced to 1.8%.

o Global Inflation and Risks: Global inflation will decline, though slowly, with ongoing risks like trade tensions and market volatility.

• About WEO: Provides IMF’s estimates and forecasts for global output, GDP growth, inflation, consumer prices, current account balances, and unemployment.

o Released by: International Monetary Fund (IMF).

o Frequency: Typically, twice a year.

o FocusIt analyzes global economic developments, covering industrial, developing, and transitioning economies, while addressing current issues.

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3. Musk Deer

Musk Deer: Recently, the 2024 report titled Plant Breeding Programmes in Indian Zoos: Assessment and Strategic Actions by the Central Zoo Authority revealed that Indian zoos lack a conservation breeding programme for the endangered musk deer, despite its protection under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

• Key Findings:

o Failed Past Efforts: Breeding initiatives since 1965, including the Himalayan Musk Project (1982), failed due to poor planning and infrastructure.

o Species Misidentification: Confusion between Himalayan and Alpine musk deer compromised breeding accuracy.

o No Founder Stock: India lacks the essential founder stock to initiate a sustainable breeding programme.

o Lack of State Coordination: Despite being Uttarakhand’s state animal, musk deer conservation is not prioritized.

o China has successfully implemented a musk deer breeding program, using a non-lethal technique to extract musk from living animals.

• About the Himalayan Musk Deer (Moschus leucogaster): Native to the Himalayas, found in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, and China, inhabiting alpine forests and scrublands.

o Behaviour: Solitary, nocturnal, and territorial. Males have curved canines and a musk gland, making them targets for poaching.

o Protection Status: Endangered (IUCN Red List) and under Schedule I of the WPA, 1972.

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4. Akshvi

Akshvi: Akshvi (Aapda Kshati Vivaran), a digital disaster wallet by SEEDS India allows disaster-affected families to self-report economic and non-economic losses during extreme events like floods, heatwaves, and cyclones.

• Objective: Empower communities to self-report climate losses, create a reliable local database for targeted relief, and capture overlooked socio-cultural impacts.
• Key Features:

o Verified Accuracy: After Cyclone Dana, 98% of self-reported data was validated, dispelling concerns of over-reporting.

o Piloted: five districts across Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and West Bengal.

o Multiple Reporting Modes: IVRS: Voice-based, ideal for non-literate users; WhatsApp Chatbot: Easy digital interface; Assisted Data Entry: Facilitators support households in logging losses

o Multi-Dimensional Data: Records economic, emotional, and cultural impacts often missed in official assessments.

o Welfare Integration: Linked with government welfare schemes and insurance for direct beneficiary support.

o Scalability Goal: Aim to reach 1 million households within a year.

o Policy Advocacy: Insights from Akshvi shared with NDMA and MoEF&CC to contribute to India’s Loss and Damage Framework (L&DF).

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5. Climate Crisis

Climate Crisis: Recently, a new report by the UN Spotlight Initiative highlighted the alarming rise in intimate partner violence (IPV) and other forms of gender-based violence (GBV) linked to the impacts of climate change.

• Key Findings: Every 1°C rise in global temperature increases IPV by 4.7%. Without action, climate change could be linked to 1 in 10 IPV cases by 2100.

o At 2°C warming, 40 million more women may face IPV annually; this more than doubles at 3.5°C. In Sub-Saharan Africa, IPV cases may triple by 2060 under a 4°C scenario.

o Disasters, displacement, and economic hardship increase GBV risks, especially for Indigenous women, LGBTQ+ individuals, the elderly, and women with disabilities.

o Over 1 billion women globally have faced violence, but only 7% report it and in 2023, 423 million women experienced IPV, highlighting significant underreporting.

o Only 0.04% of global climate finance targets gender equality, despite growing evidence of climate-GBV links.

o Countries like Haiti, Liberia, and Mozambique are embedding gender justice into climate action through mobile GBV clinics, green job retraining for women, and integrated protection services.

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6. SC Invokes Article 142

SC Invokes Article 142: In a recent move to prevent disruption in the academic journey of 250 students, the Supreme Court exercised its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution.

• Why the Intervention Was Needed: The institute was required to vacate its premises by April 30, 2025, under a settlement, but its new campus is still under construction, prompting a need for temporary relocation.
• Court’s Intervention and Directions: The bench, citing the risk to 250 students’ education, invoked Article 142 to allow temporary relocation. It directed AICTE and Mangalore University to waive the 30-year lease condition for two years, permitting academic operations at the interim site if student facility norms are met.
• About Article 142: It empowers the Supreme Court to pass any order or decree necessary for complete justice .

o Nature of Power: It is a discretionary and unique power given only to the Supreme Court.

o Concept of Complete Justice: It allows justice beyond technicalities by filling legislative gaps, and interpreting or overriding laws to protect constitutional values, fundamental rights, and social welfare.

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7. Missing Dark Matter

Missing Dark Matter: Recently, astronomers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have identified the probable cause behind the unusual lack of dark matter in the distant galaxy NGC 1052-DF2.

• About Dark matter: Essential in galaxy formation, but NGC 1052-DF2, an Ultra-Diffuse Galaxy (UDG), defies this by showing a significant lack of dark matter.

o The Department of Science and Technology (DST) reports that the galaxy's dynamical mass is less than 340 million solar masses, only slightly larger than the 200 million solar masses of its stars, challenging standard galaxy evolution models.

• Revisiting Galaxy Formation Theories:The discovery of NGC 1052-DF2 challenges traditional dark matter models, offering a unique case of galaxy evolution with minimal dark matter.
• New Models to Resolve the Discrepancy: New mass models using stellar data showed that assumptions of a "cuspy" dark matter halo do not fit the galaxy's observed characteristics, suggesting no significant dark matter.

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8. Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)

Indus Waters Treaty (IWT): India made a significant move by suspending the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a critical agreement between India and Pakistan that has stood for 65 years.

• This decision came in the wake of a tragic terrorist attack in Pahalgam, where 26 lives were lost, reportedly at the hands of Pakistani terrorists.
• About Indus Waters Treaty (IWT): A water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan, arranged and negotiated by the World Bank, signed in 1960.

o Provisions of the Treaty: Eastern Rivers: The Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers are allocated to India for unrestricted use; Western Rivers: The Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers are designated for Pakistan's use.

o Hydroelectric Projects and Tensions: The Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric projects have fueled tensions between India and Pakistan, with Pakistan alleging violate the Indus Waters Treaty.

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9. Lipids

Lipids: New research questions the long-held belief that proteins alone drive evolution, bringing attention to the crucial role of lipids.

• About: Lipids are fatty, wax-like hydrocarbons made of carbon and hydrogen.
• Presence: Found in blood and all body cells; integral to cell membranes.
• Functions: Provide cell structure → Control entry and exit of substances in cells → Aid in energy storage and movement → Help absorb vitamins and produce hormones.
• Solubility: Non-polar, hence insoluble in water, and soluble in non-polar solvents like chloroform.
• Sources: Abundant in fried foods, animal fats, and dairy (e.g., butter, cream, cheese).
• Types of Lipids: Triglycerides → Steroid Hormones → Bile Salts (from cholesterol) → Fatty Acids →  Phospholipids & Cholesterol.

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