1. ARTICLE 370 (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: Recently, the voting for the fifth Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC)-Kargil took place, marking the first elections in Ladakh following the revocation of Article 370.

Article 370 and its Removal

• Background: The Constituent Assembly of Jammu & Kashmir (through Article 370) was empowered to recommend which articles of the Indian Constitution should apply to the state.
• Clause 3 of the article 370 gives the President of India the power to amend its provisions and scope.
• Removal of Article 370:

o Amendments were made to make applicable the entirety of India’s Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

o It was done when the State was under President’s Rule with no elected Legislative Assembly in place.

o In 2019, the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order 2019, issued by the President, withdrew the special status of J&K and extended all provisions of the Indian Constitution to J&K.

o The J&K (Reorganisation) Act 2019 bifurcated J&K into two UTs - J&K was an UT with a Legislative Assembly; Ladakh was without an Assembly.

Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council

• LAHDC, Leh was constituted in accordance with the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Act, 1995.
• The Council came into being with the holding of elections on August 28,1995.
• The democratic constitution of the Council has heralded democratic decentralization of planning process with the involvement of people at the grass root level.

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2. UAPA 1967 (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: Recently, the Centre declared the National Liberation Front of Tripura, All Tripura Tiger Force, and their factions as unlawful associations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA)

• Passed: in 1967.
• Aims: To effective prevention of unlawful activities and associations in India.
• The Act grants complete authority to the central government. 
• If the Centre perceives an activity as illegal, it can proclaim it as such through an Official Gazette.
• Applicability: Under the act, both Indian and foreign nationals can be charged.
• Punishment: The act has the death penalty and life imprisonment as the highest punishments.
• Duration of punishment: Under section 43D, police are empowered to detain the accused in police custody for 30 days and in judicial custody for a period of 180 days without the charge sheet.
• UAPA Apply: Both Indian and foreign nationals can be charged.
• Meaning of Unlawful Activity: It pertains to any action by an individual or group with the intent to undermine India's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

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

Context: Recently, the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) announced a partnership with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to establish a $600 million India-Japan Fund (IJF), with JBIC and the Government of India (GoI) as primary investors.

• The announcement marks NIIF’s first bilateral fund, with the GoI contributing 49% of the target corpus and the remaining 51% contributed by JBIC.

National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF)

• About: NIIF is sponsored and anchored by the Government of India, which holds a 49% interest in it.
• Set up: in December 2015 as a Category-II Alternate Investment Fund.
• NIIF is India’s first sovereign wealth fund.
• Focus: investing in core infrastructure sectors, such as transportation, energy and digital.
• Headquarters: Mumbai.
• Objective: To provide long-term capital to the country’s infrastructure sector.
• It is a collaborative investment platform for international and Indian investors.
• Funds managed: Master fund, Fund Of Funds and  Strategic Fund.

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4. FLASH FLOOD (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Disaster Management)

Context: Recently, a glacial lake outburst in north Sikkim's Mangan district, caused flash floods and breached Sikkim's Chungthang dam, the state's largest hydropower project.

Flash flood

• Meaning: A flood caused by heavy or excessive rainfall in a short period of time, generally less than 6 hours known as a flash flood.
• Conditions for occurrence: It can occur either within minutes or a few hours of excessive rainfall.

o It can occur even if no rain has fallen, or after a sudden release of water by a debris or ice jam.

o It happens more where rivers are narrow and steep, so they flow more quickly.

o It can occur in urban areas located near small rivers since hard surfaces such as roads and concrete do not allow the water to absorb into the ground.

• Causes: It may be caused by

o Heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, tropical storm, or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields.

o It also occurs due to Dam or Levee Breaks, and/or Mudslides (Debris Flow).

o Occur on or near volcanoes, after eruptions, when glaciers have been melted by the intense heat.

Key Points

• The burst led to the breach of Sikkim’s Chungthang dam (Teesta 3 HEP), the biggest hydropower project in the state.
• The Himalayan region is part of a seismically active zone.
• The dam is part of the 1,200 megawatts (MW) Teesta Stage III Hydro Electric Project. The dam breach in the Himalayan state has raised serious concerns about a deluge in the downstream areas.

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5. LAB GROWN DIAMOND (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Industry executives have recently noted that lab-grown diamonds are gaining increased popularity and acceptance among

Lab-Grown Diamonds (LGDs)

• About: Lab-grown diamonds are diamonds created using specialized technology that replicates the natural processes responsible for the formation of natural diamonds.
• India is the largest producer of lab-grown diamonds through CVD technology and contributes to nearly 25% of global LGD production through CVD technology.
• Diamond Simulants: Materials like Moissanite, Cubic Zirconia (CZ), White Sapphire, and YAG are diamond simulants, attempting to mimic the appearance of diamonds. 
• Identification Difficulty: Distinguishing between lab-grown diamonds (LDGs) and natural diamonds is a complex task that often requires advanced equipment.
• Industrial Uses: LDGs find extensive use in industrial applications, especially in machinery and tools.

India's Diamond Industry

• India is the world's largest cutting and polishing center for diamonds. It accounts for over 90% of polished diamond manufacturing globally.
• India contributes 19% of the total diamond exports in the world. (2019).
• Over 75% of the world's polished diamonds, gems, and jewelry are exported by India.

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6. BASOHLI PASHMINA (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: Recently, Basohli Pashmina, a more than 100-year-old traditional craft from Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, has got the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

Basohli Pashmina

• Pashmina Characteristics: Renowned for its extraordinary softness, fineness, and lightweight nature, Pashmina offers excellent insulation and durability.
• Variety of Pashmina Products: Pashmina encompasses a range of items, including shawls tailored for both men and women, mufflers, blankets, and baskets.
• Pashmina Origin: Pashmina specifically refers to a superior type of cashmere spun from the downy undercoat of the Changthangi, a breed of mountain goats (Capra hircus) dwelling on the Changthang Plateau in Tibet and portions of Ladakh.
• Changpa: The Changpa, a nomadic group inhabiting the Changthang plateau in Tibet, are traditional producers of pashmina wool in the Ladakh region.

GI Tag

• About: It is a symbol used on items that come from a particular geographical area and have qualities or a reputation linked to that place of origin.
• Nodal Ministry: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Tenure: 10 Years
• Regulated By: Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act, 1999.
• India’s First GI Product: Darjeeling Tea (2004-05)

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7. HIRAKUD RESERVIOR (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: Recently, elevated levels of cancer-causing heavy metals like lead and chromium were detected in eight wetlands in Odisha, including the Hirakud reservoir.

Key Points

• Heavy metal pollutants that commonly accumulate in wetlands as a result of human activity include lead, chromium, cadmium, copper, mercury, nickel, zinc, manganese and arsenic. 
• The heavy metals can also enter the environment indirectly through the food chain.
• Selected 8 wetlands: Chandaneswar, Chilika, Daringbadi, and Koraput as well as constructed ones like Bhadrak, Hirakud, Talcher, and Titlagarh.
• The researchers  calculated the ecological risk posed by heavy metal accumulation. The ecological risk index measures the potential ecological risk (RI) factor of all metals tested together.
• The highest RI was found in Hirakud, followed by Talcher, Bhadrak, Titlagarh, Chilika, Chandaneswar, Koraput and Daringbadi.

Hirakud Reservoir

• Location: Sambalpur town in the state of Odisha
• River: Mahanadi. 
• Background: Commencing operations in 1957, it represents one of the earliest significant multipurpose river valley projects initiated following India's independence.
• It is built across the Mahanadi River by a combination of earth and modern dams with a total length of almost 26 kilometers.
• It thereby moderates the impact of floods in the Mahanadi Delta.
• It was designated a Ramsar site in 2021

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8. UNCTOC (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: Recently, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs participated in the two-day UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime Ministerial Conference at Palermo in Italy.

United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime (UNCTOC)

• Adopted by the UN General Assembly: 15 November 2000, by resolution 55/25.
• Entry into force: 29 September 2003.
• Signatories: 147.
• India has been a member of UNTOC and a signatory to its protocols since the year 2011.
• Parties: 191.
• Complemented by three Protocols:

o The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children.

o The Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air.

o The Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components, and Ammunition.

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9. PM UJJWALA SCHEME (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Government Scheme)

Context: Recently, the government made a significant move by raising the cooking gas subsidy for economically disadvantaged households participating in the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).

• This decision is set to have a positive impact on the 9.6 crore households currently enrolled in the targeted subsidy program.

PM Ujjwala Yojana

• Launched: May 2016.
• Ministry: Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
• Objective: To make clean cooking fuel such as LPG available to the rural and deprived households that were otherwise using traditional cooking fuels such as firewood, coal, cow-dung cakes, etc.
• Target: LPG connections to 5 crore women members of BPL households.
• Expansion: The scheme was expanded in April 2018.
• Beneficiaries: Women beneficiaries from 7 more categories- SC/ST, PMAY, AAY, Most backward classes, tea garden, forest dwellers, and Islands.

LPG Subsidy

• The Government of India provides gas subsidies as a type of financial assistance to beneficiaries. In an effort to help Indian households cope with inflation, this subsidy is provided on LPG cylinders.
• Beneficiaries receive the subsidy amount in their bank accounts.

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10. KRISHNA WATER DISPUTE (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: Recently, the Union Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister of India, granted approval for the issuance of additional Terms of Reference (ToR) to the existing Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II of the ISRWD Act to address disputes between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Inter-State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act, 1956

• About: The IWRD Act, 1956's objective is to address water disputes related to the utilization, control, and allocation of interstate rivers or river valleys.
• Article 262 of the Indian Constitution: It  grants a role to the Central government in settling conflicts over inter-state rivers that may arise between state or regional governments.
• Applicability to UTs: The IWRD Act, 1956 applies exclusively to Indian states and does not extend to union territories.
• Participation in Tribunal Adjudication: Only the concerned state governments have the right to participate in tribunal adjudication, and non-government entities are not allowed to take part in the process.

Krishna Water Dispute

• Geographic Route: The 1,400-km long Krishna River originates in Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra, and flows eastward, ultimately emptying into the Bay of Bengal. 
• Background Dispute: The origins of the Telangana-Andhra Pradesh water dispute can be traced back to the reorganization of states in India in 1956 when Andhra Pradesh was formed.
• Bachawat Tribunal's Involvement: This tribunal allocated 811 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of water to Andhra Pradesh when it was a unified state.
• Water Allocation: The Tribunal recommended a specific allocation, suggesting that the Krishna River water should be shared in the ratio of 512 tmcft for Andhra Pradesh and 299 tmcft for Telangana.

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