1. OPEC (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: Petroleum and natural gas minister recently urged OPEC to consider oil-consuming nations and reduce output cuts.

India and oil import

• India, which imports over 80% of its oil needs, has experienced a rise in oil prices due to production cuts, making it susceptible to potential impacts on its import bill, inflation, and trade deficit with any global price increases.
• India is not a participant in OPEC or OPEC+.

OPEC

• About: It is a permanent, intergovernmental organization, created at the Baghdad Conference in 1960, by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.
• Headquarters: Vienna, Austria.
• Aim: To regulate oil supply with the aim of stabilizing the global oil price, thus preventing volatility that could negatively impact the economies of both oil-producing and oil-importing nations.

OPEC+

• About: It is a group of 23 oil-exporting countries that meets regularly to decide how much crude oil to sell on the world market.
• Aim: To work together on adjusting crude oil production to bring stability to the oil market.
• At the core of this group are the 13 members of OPEC (the Organization of the Oil Exporting Countries), which are mainly Middle Eastern and African countries.
• Members: 13 members of OPEC (Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Libya, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, and Venezuela) and 10 other oil-producing countries (Russia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, South Sudan and Sudan).
• Russia, a major oil producer surpassing even Saudi Arabia, holds a pivotal position alongside OPEC in shaping worldwide crude oil price trends.

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2. SAMPRITI EXERCISE (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: India and Bangladesh recently initiated the 11th edition of their annual joint military exercise, SAMPRITI, in Umroi, Meghalaya.

SAMPRITI Exercise

• About: It is an important bilateral defence cooperation endeavour conducted alternately by both countries.
• Aim: To strengthen and widen the aspects of interoperability and cooperation between both the armies.
• 10th Edition: Jashore Military Station in Bangladesh
• SAMPRITI-XI promises to further enhance defence cooperation between India and Bangladesh, fostering deeper bilateral relations, cultural understanding, and mutual benefits from shared experiences in Sub Conventional Operations.

Other Military Exercises of India with other 

• JIMEX: India-Japan
• Ex-Desert Knight 21 exercise: Indian Air Force and the French air and Space Force.
• Indra Dhanush: Indian Air Force and the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom
• Exercise Pitch Black: India and Australia.
• AUSINDEX: Indian Navy and the Australian Navy.

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3. OECD (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: The OECD recently urged India to accelerate financial sector structural reforms by reducing government ownership and liberalizing foreign direct investment (FDI).

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

• About: It is an international organization with 38 member countries.
• Founded in: 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade.
• Headquarters at: Paris, France.
• Members: The majority of OECD members are high-income economies with a very high Human Development Index (HDI)and are regarded as developed countries. 
• Aim: Fostering economic development and cooperation and fighting poverty through the promotion of economic stability.

Foreign Direct Investment

• About: FDI means investment through capital instruments by a person resident outside India in an unlisted Indian company, or in 10% or more of the post issue paid-up equity capital of a listed Indian company.
• FDI Inflow: India continues to be an attractive destination for foreign investment, ranking as world’s 7th largest FDI recipient in 2021 (UNCTAD).

oIn 2023 (World Investment Report): India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) were the top recipients, with a 10% and 5% increase respectively. Asia accounted for over 50% of global FDI.

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4. INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: Recently, the challenges and opportunities related to meeting the increasing demand for minerals essential for clean energy technologies were prominently discussed during the inaugural IEA Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Summit in Paris, France.

Key points

• Critical minerals include copper, lithium, nickel and cobalt, which are essential components in such rapidly growing clean energy technologies.
• Between 2017 and 2022, demand from the energy sector for lithium tripled.
• There was a 70 per cent increase in cobalt demand and a rise of 40 percent in nickel demand too, as per the IEA estimates.

International Energy Agency

• About: The IEA is at the heart of global dialogue on energy, providing authoritative analysis, data, policy recommendations, and real-world solutions to help countries provide secure and sustainable energy for all.
• Located: Paris
• Established: In 1974
• Members: 30 member countries, 8 association countries, and 3 accession countries
• India became an Associate Member of IEA in 2017.
• Four main areas of focus: Energy security, economic development, environmental awareness and engagement worldwide.
• Reports published by IEA: World Energy Outlook, World Energy Balances, Energy Technology Perspectives, World Energy Statistics and Net Zero by 2050.

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5. WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: Recently, the European Union expressed its willingness to negotiate on global trade norms related to food security, aligning with India's longstanding concerns at the World Trade Organisation, which had been deadlocked for a decade.

World Trade Organization (WTO)

• Background: The WTO is the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which was created in 1947.

oIt officially commenced operations on 1 January 1995, pursuant to the 1994 Marrakesh Agreement.

• Created by: Uruguay Round negotiations (1986-94).
• Work: It is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations.
• Headquarter: Geneva, Switzerland.
• Membership: Total 164 countries. China becomes its member only in 2001.
• Decision Making:

o Ministerial Conference: Top decision-making body which must meet at least every two years. All decisions are taken by consensus.

oGeneral council: It is the top day-to-day decision-making body. It meets a number of times a year in Geneva.

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6. CASTE CENSUS (Syllabus: GS Paper 1– Society (Population)

Context: The Bihar caste survey was recently released by the state government.

• Given that Bihar's coalition government primarily consists of Other Backward Classes (OBCs), they have recently experienced marginalization within the existing reservation system.

Caste Census

• About: The caste census entails the categorization of India's entire population by caste, with a focus on Other Backward Classes (OBCs), rather than solely on Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).
• The initial separate data for SCs and STs was published in the 1952 census.
• The first-ever caste census data became available in 1931.
• Despite the inclusion of caste data in the 2011 census, the information was not made public.
• Caste Survey: As only the central government can conduct a census, states like Bihar and Odisha have been conducting socio-economic caste surveys to inform policy-making by assessing the social and economic conditions of various castes.

Key Findings of the Survey

• The largest social group in Bihar, the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), comprises 36.01% of the population.
• Other Backward Classes (OBCs) make up 27.12% of the population.
• Scheduled Castes (SCs) account for 19.65%.
• Scheduled Tribes (STs) represent a minority at 1.68%.

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7. SWADESH DARSHAN SCHEME (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Government Schemes)

Context: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi recently inaugurated several Government of India projects, including the 'tourist facilities at Nathdwara,' funded by the Ministry of Tourism as part of the Krishna circuit of the Swadesh Darshan scheme.

Swadesh Darshan Scheme

• Aim: To promote, develop and harness the potential of tourism in India.
• Launched: In 2014-15 for the integrated development of theme-based tourist circuits.
• About: The scheme was envisioned to synergize with other government schemes such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Skill India, and Make in India with the idea of positioning the tourism sector as a major engine for job creation, the driving force for economic growth, building synergy with various sectors to enable tourism to realize its potential.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Tourism and Culture
• Some of the prominent circuits:  Buddhist Tourist Circle, Ambedkar Tourist Circle, and the North-East Tourist Circle.

Swadesh Darshan 2.0

• About: The program has been revitalized with the "vocal for local" philosophy and aims to offer financial assistance for enhancing tourist infrastructure.
• Prominent places identified are: Jhansi and Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, Gwalior, Chitrakoot and Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh and Ajanta and Ellora in Maharashtra.

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8. BADIS LIMAAKUMI (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)

Context: Recently, scientists made a significant discovery by identifying a new fish species, named Badis limaakumi, in the Milak River of Nagaland.

Key Points

• The new species discovered in the state’s Mokokchung district has a distinct opercular blotch at the base of its opercular spine (a bone series that serves as a facial support structure and a protective covering for the gills). 
• The spots on the sides and cleithrum (a membrane bone) and more lateral line scales are absent in this species.
• Family: Badidae
• Found: India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand and Myanmar.

oThere are 26 recognized fish species in this family.

oThe new fish species differs from other members of the Badis badis due to its larger size and other physical characteristics.

MILAK RIVER

• Milak river flows through MokokchungDistrict.
• Main tributary of Milak river is Tsurong.

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9. LCA MARK 1A (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: The Indian Air Force (IAF) recently announced its plan to replace all MiG-21 squadrons with the LCA Mark 1A by 2025 as part of its modernization efforts.

LCA Mark 1A

• Indigenous 4+ Generation Fighter: The Light Combat Aircraft Mk-1A is a cutting-edge 4+ generation fighter aircraft, proudly designed, developed, and manufactured in India.
• Superiority Over Previous Variants: The Tejas LCA Mk-1A surpasses its predecessors in avionics, performance, and weapons capabilities, making it a formidable addition to the Indian Air Force.
• Advanced Operational Capabilities: This aircraft boasts crucial operational features including an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Missile capability, Electronic Warfare (EW) Suite, and Air to Air Refuelling (AAR) capability.
• Various BVR Missiles: It is highly adaptable, allowing for seamless hardware and software integration to accommodate a variety of Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missiles available in the Indian Air Force's inventory.

MiG-21

• These aircraft are single-engine, single-seater multi-role fighter/ground attack planes.
• India has acquired more than 700 MiG-21 aircraft of various variants over the years, including the Type-77, Type-96, and the BIS.
• The most recent variant is the MiG-21 Bison, featuring upgrades like advanced missiles, radars, and improved avionics.

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10. INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: Armenia recently voted to join the International Criminal Court, straining its ties with Russia following the recent arrest warrant issued for President Putin related to Ukraine.

Key points

• Armenia's relations with Russia have frayed significantly in recent years.
• In 2020, Moscow brokered a deal that ended a six-week war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It mandated that Yerevan cede to Baku large swaths of territory in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, a part of Azerbaijan with a predominantly Armenian population.

International Criminal Court (ICC)

• Origin: The International Criminal Court was established through the 1998 Rome Statute and commenced operations on July 1, 2002, coinciding with the Statute's enactment.
• Mission: The ICC's primary mission involves investigating and potentially prosecuting individuals accused of the most serious international crimes, including genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.
• Headquarters: Hague, Netherlands.
• Members: 123 nations have become States Parties to the Rome Statute, acknowledging the ICC's jurisdiction.

oIndia is not a party to the Rome Statute along with US and China.

• Funding: Financial contributions from States Parties and voluntary donations provided by governments, international organisations, individuals, corporations, and other entities.

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