1. GOVERNOR (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: The Prime Minister of India urged Governors to act as an effective bridge between the Centre and State governments. This call aims to enhance coordination and communication across different levels of government.

Office of Governor:

• Constitutional provisions: Articles 153 to 167 in Part VI of the Constitution.
• Part of: The state executive, others include the chief minister, the council of ministers and the advocate general of the state.

o He is the chief executive head of the state. 

o But, like the president, he is a nominal executive head (titular or constitutional head). 

• Appointment: By the President (on the advice of the central government) and, therefore, acts as the vital link between the Union and the state governments.
• Term of the office: Five years subject to the pleasure of the President.
• Removal: The Governor of State holds office during the pleasure of the President of India and can be removed by the President at any time.
• Powers of the Governor: Executive powers, Legislative powers, Financial powers, Judicial powers.

o Article 200: This Art of the Indian Constitution delineates the procedure for a Bill approved by the Legislative Assembly of a State to be presented to the Governor for assent.

o Article 201: It stipulates that when a Bill is reserved for the consideration of the President, the President can either assent to or withhold assent from the Bill.

o Veto Power: Supreme Court clarified that the Governor is envisioned as a constitutional statesman guiding the state government on matters of constitutional concern and, as such, cannot exercise the authority to veto a Bill enacted by the legislative assembly.

ü According to CJI, The Governor, as an unelected Head of the State, is entrusted with certain constitutional powers. However, this power cannot be used to thwart the normal course of lawmaking by the State Legislatures,”.

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2. AXIOM-4 MISSION (Syllabus GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: India has shortlisted two astronaut-designates for the upcoming Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station.

Axiom-4 Mission

• About: It is the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station.
• Collaboration: The mission represents a collaboration with NASA and is the fourth in a series by Axiom Space, following Ax-1, Ax-2, and Ax-3.
• Launch: Ax-4 is scheduled for launch in 2024, with the specific date contingent on spacecraft traffic and planning considerations.
• Objectives: 

o Axiom-4 aims to facilitate commercial activities, including scientific research, technological development, and space tourism.

o The mission will demonstrate the viability of commercial space stations as platforms for business and innovation.

• Key Features of Axiom-4

o Spacecraft and Crew Composition: The mission utilizes a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, launched by a Falcon 9 rocket, and includes both professional astronauts and private individuals.

o Mission Duration and Activities: Axiom-4 is expected to last about 14 days, during which the crew will conduct scientific experiments, technology demonstrations, and educational outreach.

o Long-Term Vision: Axiom Space plans to build the world's first commercial space station, with Axiom-4 being a step towards transitioning from the ISS to an independent orbital outpost.

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3. WORLD DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2024 (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: The World Bank has expressed concerns regarding the potential challenges faced by 108 countries, notably including India and China, in their journey toward becoming high-income developed economies in its World Development Report 2024.

World Development Report 2024

• About: It identifies what developing economies can do to avoid the “middle-income trap.” Lower-middle-income countries must go beyond investment-driven strategies.
• Focus: On advancing technological innovation and reconfigure economic structures to enhance economic freedom, social mobility, and political contestability.
• Key Highlights of Report

o Wealth Trap Threshold: The World Bank report identifies a “trap” occurring at about 10% of annual US GDP per person, roughly $8,000 today, for countries growing wealthier.

o Middle-Income Classification: This wealth trap is situated within the range that defines “middle-income” countries according to the World Bank.

o Progress to High-Income Status: Since 1990, only 34 middle-income economies have transitioned to high-income status, with over a third benefiting from EU integration or previously undiscovered oil.

o Challenges for Emerging Economies: Without changing their economic models, the report forecasts that China will take over 10 years to reach a quarter of US income per capita, Indonesia 70 years, and India 75 years.

o India's Development Goal: The report acknowledges India's target to become a developed nation by 2047 as a commendable objective.

Recommendations

• 31 Strategy: Prioritize initial investment, integrate new technologies, and balance efforts across all three components of the 31 strategy for comprehensive growth.
• Stimulate Business Dynamism: Reward firms that add value to stimulate business innovation and deepen capital markets.
• Promote Social Mobility: Ensure equal opportunities for women, minorities, and disadvantaged groups, with initiatives like removing barriers for women entrepreneurs potentially increasing real income by 40%.
• Reflect Environmental Costs: Improve economic efficiency by incorporating environmental costs into energy pricing.

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4. SCHISTURA SONARENGAENSIS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: A group of scientists has identified a new species of loach in Meghalaya’s South Garo Hills district, near Bangladesh border.

Schistura sonarengaensis

• About: It is a new species of loach.

o Loach is a freshwater bottom-dwelling fish and found across rivers in South East Asia.

• Geographic Range: Found in cave-dwelling populations within the Barak-Surma-Meghna drainage in the South Garo Hills district of Meghalaya.
• Physical Characteristics:

o Distinctive Appearance: Features prominent eyes and 13-26 vertically elongated to circular black blotches on a grayish-black mid-lateral stripe over a dull white or pale-beige body.

o Reduced Pigmentation: Shows less pigmentation compared to surface-dwelling relatives, but does not have the typical subterranean adaptations like blindness.

o Comparison to Other Species: Retains prominent eyes and differs from other Schistura species in the Barak-Surma-Meghna and adjacent river drainages of northeast India, except for Schistura syngkai.

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5. WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Gov. Policies)

Context: The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) recently launched the Women Entrepreneurship Program, aiming to empower women entrepreneurs and drive economic growth.

Women Entrepreneurship Program:

• About: Designed to address the distinct challenges that women face when starting and growing businesses.
• Empowerment Goal: Aims to empower approximately 25 lakh women across India with the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to start and grow successful businesses.
• Partnership: In collaboration with Britannia Industries Limited.
• Financial Support: Offers financial grants and showcases products and services on the Skill India Digital Hub to promote an inclusive environment for women entrepreneurs.
• Certification: Upon completion of these courses, participants will receive a co-branded certificate from NSDC, Britannia Industries, and NIESBUD, acknowledging their entrepreneurial skills and competencies.
• Educational Resources: NSDC, with support from NIESBUD, provides free online self-learning entrepreneurship courses through the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH).
• Course Content: Available in multiple languages, covering entrepreneurial skills, enterprise setup, finance basics, digital skills, and market analysis.

National Skill Development Corporation

• Establishment: Founded on July 31, 2008, as a not-for-profit public limited company under section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956.
• Operational Model: Functions as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE).

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6. SURROGATE ADVERTISING (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - Social Justice)

Context: The Health Ministry of India has recently taken a proactive stance against the surrogate advertising of tobacco and alcohol products, aiming to tackle this issue effectively.

Surrogate Advertising

• About: The word ‘surrogate’ refers to ‘substitute’ and involves using a brand’s name, logo, and essence to sell a product or service that it is not commonly known for.

oSurrogate advertising involves promoting legally admissible products or services instead of those that are restricted.

• Consumer Impact: Surrogate advertisements promote products in restricted categories, undermining consumer rights and potentially having serious implications.
• Brand Image Duplication: It refers to a form of advertisement that duplicates the brand image of one product to promote another product of the same brand.
• Nature of Surrogate Goods: Surrogate goods could either resemble a similar commodity or an entirely different product, meaning companies disguise their products under another product's branding.
• Examples in Practice: From liquor to tobacco-related products, several brands use surrogate advertising to maintain their industry presence and spread their message.
• Surrogate Ads in India: Surrogate ads are common across media platforms, with liquor brands using their names and logos to promote unrelated products like music CDs and soda.
• Subtle Promotion: While the target audience may recognize the brand’s niche, surrogate advertising allows for subtle and legal messaging.
• Purpose and Brand Extension: The motive is to ensure customers can recall the original product despite its disguise. This process is also known as “brand extension.”

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7. GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR IMPROVED NUTRITION (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Health & Nutrition)

Context: A recent report Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) calls for nutrition investments in the agri-food sector which it argues, can reduce gender inequalities, increase productivity and enhance business resilience.

Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN):

• About: It is a Switzerland-based foundation, launched the report titled “The Case for Investment in Nutritious Foods Value Chains: An Opportunity for Gender Impact”.
• Created in: 2002
• Objective: It supports public-private partnerships to increase access to the missing nutrients in diets necessary for people, communities and economies to be stronger and healthier. It works in partnership with governments and international agencies.
• Highlights of the Report:

o Increased Funding for Nutritious Foods: Increased funding is needed for nutritious food value chains, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that lack access to financing in emerging markets.

o Global Statistics: According to the FAO, women make up 38% of all agri-food workers worldwide.

o Regional Disparities: The share of women in the agri-food sector is higher in less privileged regions, with sub-Saharan Africa at 66% and South Asia at 71%.

o Nutrition's Role in Food Security: Achieving food security requires attention to the nutritional aspects of food production and consumption.

o Production Stats: South Asia, with India as the world’s second largest producer, has high tomato production levels.

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8. KINDLINS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: A new study has investigated the influence of Kindlins adapter proteins that exist inside cells of vertebrates, in various cancers.

Kindlins:

• About: These are adapter proteins that exist inside the cells attached to the cell membranes of almost all types of cells in vertebrates.
• Signal Transduction: They transfer mechanical cues from the extracellular environment into biochemical signals within the cells, interacting with structural proteins, receptors, and transcription factors.
• Impact of Structural Disruptions: Structural disruptions in Kindlins can significantly affect mechano-chemical signaling, impacting the balance of body systems crucial for survival and proper function.
• Homeostasis: This balance is referred to as homeostasis, and disruptions can lead to severe physiological consequences.
• Mutations and Cancer Risk:

o Influence of Carcinogens: Kindlins can undergo mutations due to various chemical and physical carcinogens, such as nicotine and ultraviolet rays.

o Cancer Development: Mutated Kindlins may disrupt cellular mechanical homeostasis, potentially leading to cancer cell growth. Understanding these genetic alterations is crucial for deciphering cancer mechanisms.

Research Efforts:

• Data Collection: Researchers at S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata, analyzed data from 10,000 patients with 33 cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas.
• Objective: Their goal is to investigate the role of Kindlins in the transformation of normal cells into cancerous ones.

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9. T. NADU ARUNTHATHIYARS RESERVATION ACT (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu hailed the Supreme Court’s seven-judge Bench ruling, which upheld the Tamil Nadu Arunthathiyars Reservation Act, 2009 by a 6:1 ratio, as a significant endorsement of the Dravidian model government.

Tamil Nadu Arunthathiyars Reservation Act, 2009

• About: It is a special reservation of seats in educational Institutions including Private Educational Institutions and of appointments or posts in the services under the State within the Reservation for the Scheduled Castes.
• Definitions: “Arunthathiyars” means the castes, Arunthathiyar, Chakkiliyan, Madari, Madiga, Pagadai, Thoti and Adi Andhra within the list of 76 Scheduled Castes notified by the President of India under Article 341 of the Constitution of India by the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 as amended from time to time.
• Reservation of seats: In the sixteen per cent of seats offered to Arunthathiyars within the seats reserved for Scheduled Castes for admission in Educational Institutions.
• Action Taken: In 2008, the Tamil Nadu government decided to implement a 3% internal reservation for Arunthathiyars within the Scheduled Caste quota of 18%.
• Recommendation The decision was based on the recommendations of a committee led by Justice M.S. Janarthanam of the Madras High Court.
• Considerations: The internal reservation aimed to address the social, educational, and economic backwardness of Arunthathiyars within Scheduled Castes.
• Impact of the Reservation Act: Post-implementation, the number of Arunthathiyar students admitted to engineering, arts and science, and medical colleges increased.
• Legal Challenge and Supreme Court Ruling: The Tamil Nadu Arunthathiyars Reservation Act, 2009, faced a challenge in the Supreme Court.
• Supreme Court Verdict: In 2020, the Supreme Court upheld the validity of the Act.

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10. OPEN MARKET SALE SCHEME (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: The Union government has allowed States to directly purchase rice from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) under the Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic), bypassing the e-auction process.

Open Market Sale Scheme

• Definition: OMSS is a scheme where the Food Corporation of India (FCI) sells surplus stocks of wheat and rice through e-auctions in the open market.
• Purpose: The primary goal of OMSS is to dispose of surplus stocks held by FCI and regulate the prices of wheat in the open market.
• Auction Frequency: FCI conducts weekly auctions for OMSS wheat on the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) platform.
• Role of NCDEX Platform: NCDEX is a commodity exchange in India that facilitates trading in various agricultural and other commodities.
• State Procurement: States can procure food grains through OMSS without participating in auctions to meet their needs beyond central pool allocations for National Food Security Act, 2013 beneficiaries.

Food Corporation of India

• About: The FCI is a government-owned corporation responsible for managing food security in India.
• Establishment: It was established in 1965 under the Food Corporation's Act of 1964 to ensure the adequate availability of food grains and maintain market price stability.
• Buffer Stocks: FCI maintains buffer stocks of food grains to guarantee food security during times of scarcity or crisis.
• Distribution Role: The FCI is tasked with distributing food grains across the country through the public distribution system.
• E-Auction Method: As part of its operations, FCI uses e-auctions to dispose of surplus food grains.

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