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

Context: Over the past year, the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) has prioritized reviewing State OBC lists with the aim of reassessing the inclusion of communities that may have experienced advancements over time as a result of receiving benefits.

National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC)

• Establishment: The NCBC was initially constituted by the Central Government through the National Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993.
• Constitutional Status Granted: The NCBC gained constitutional status via “The Constitution (One Hundred and Second Amendment) Act, 2018”, which introduced Article 338B.

o This amendment also added Article 342A and Clause 26C to Article 366.

• Composition: The Commission is comprised of a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, and three other Members, all holding the rank and pay equivalent to that of Secretary to the Government of India.
• Appointment: The President appoints the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and other Members of the Commission through a warrant under his hand and seal.

Functions

• To examine and monitor all matters relevant to the SEBC's safeguards, as well as to assess the effectiveness of such safeguards.
• To look into particular issues regarding the SEBC's loss of rights and protections. Reports on how such protections are operating are to be given to the President.
• To take part in, provide advice on, and assess the socioeconomic growth of the educationally and socially disadvantaged classes. Etc.

Key Facts

• Ram Singh Vs Union of India 2015: The Supreme Court mandated OBC communities to be identified based on their “contemporaneous” conditions. “
• NCBC repeatedly asks States to justify continued inclusions in their OBC lists, it faces a singular hurdle that of absent data on current socio-economic conditions of OBCs and is pressing on States like West Bengal and Karnataka to produce this information.
• Karnataka government has clarified to the NCBC that it is considering Muslims under Category II-B as a backward class based on several State Commission reports classifying them.

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2. ARTIFICIAL GENERAL INTELLIGENCE (Syllabus GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Recently, the CEO of OpenAI reiterated his dedication to investing billions in Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) development. However, amidst his fervor, skepticism looms within the global tech community.

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)

• About: AGI refers to a machine or software that can perform any intellectual task that a human can do. 

o This includes reasoning, common sense, abstract thinking, background knowledge, transfer learning, the ability to differentiate between cause and effect, etc.

• Aim: To emulate human cognitive abilities such that it allows it to do unfamiliar tasks, learn from new experiences, and apply its knowledge in new ways.
• Origin: The idea of AGI first emerged in the 20th century with a paper written by Alan Turing, widely considered to be the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence.

How is AGI different from AI we already use?

• Scope: Narrow AI is task-specific, excelling in predefined tasks like image recognition or language translation, while AGI aims for generalized intelligence without task limitations.
• Evolution of AI: AI development has continually strived to enhance capabilities, culminating in AGI as the ultimate goal.
• Global Interest and Impact: Innovations like ChatGPT, with its human-like text responses, have captured widespread attention, signaling the potential of AI.
• AGI's emergence marks a watershed moment, captivating global interest as the ultimate manifestation of artificial intelligence.

How can AGI help humanity?

• Healthcare: AGI can integrate and analyze vast healthcare datasets, revolutionizing diagnostics, treatment planning, and personalized medicine.
• Finance and Business: AGI has the potential to automate various processes in finance and business, improving decision-making and providing accurate real-time analytics and market predictions.
• Education: AGI could transform adaptive learning systems to cater to the unique needs of students, potentially democratizing access to personalized education globally.

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3. CHANG’E-6 (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: China launched the Chang'e-6 lunar probe atop the Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province.

Chang’e-6

• Launched by: China's National Space Administration spearheads the Chang'e 6 mission.
• Carried by: The mission is propelled into space by the Long March-5 Y8 rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan.
• Components: The mission comprises an orbiter, a lander, an ascender, and a re-entry module.
• Objective: Chang'e 6 aims to collect and return samples from the far side of the moon back to Earth.
• Mission Operations
• Sample Collection and Return: The ascender collects lunar dust and rocks, transporting them to the lunar orbiter for transfer to the re-entry module, which will bring them back to Earth.

o This is the first endeavor of its kind in the history of human lunar exploration.

• International Collaborations: Scientific instruments from France, Italy, and the European Space Agency/Sweden, along with a Pakistani payload, contribute to the mission's scientific objectives.
• Significance: This mission marks the first attempt in human lunar exploration history to collect and return samples from the moon's surface.
• Chang'e 4: Landed in the Von Karman crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin in 2019, making history with the Yutu-2 rover's successful soft landing on the moon's far side.
• Chang'e 5: Its descender and lander touched down on Mons Rumker, a vast volcanic plain on the moon.

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4. EQUITY OF FPI (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: Recently, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) implemented measures to enhance non-resident Indian (NRI) and overseas citizens of India (OCI) access to Indian equity assets through the foreign portfolio investment (FPI) route.

About Non-Resident Indians (NRI)

• Definition: An NRI is a person who resides outside India while holding citizenship of India.
• Classification Criteria: NRIs include individuals residing outside India for employment, business, or any vocation.
• Eligibility: An individual automatically acquires the status of an NRI, if he has resided in India for less than 182 days.
• Legal Recognition: Indian law recognizes NRIs as citizens living outside the country's borders. They maintain legal ties to India while residing elsewhere.
• Voting Rights. NRIs have limited voting rights. They can vote in Indian elections only if they are physically present in their respective constituencies during the voting period.
• Significance: NRIs play a significant role in India's diaspora and contribute to various sectors such as economy, culture, and society.

Overseas Citizen of India

• Introduction of OCI Card: The Government of India introduced the OCI card in 2005.
• Purpose: The OCI card allows foreign citizens of Indian origin to live and work in India indefinitely.
• Eligibility Criteria: A person of Indian origin who is a foreign national can register as an OCI cardholder under Section 7A of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
• Rights and privileges: The ability to travel to India without a visa, work and study in India, own property (except for certain agricultural and plantation properties), and participate in financial transactions.
• Restrictions: They are not eligible for certain rights available to Indian citizens, such as voting rights, holding constitutional positions, or government employment.

foreign portfolio Investment (FPI)

• Definition: FPI involves investors purchasing and holding various foreign financial assets outside their home country's borders.
• Investment Instruments: Foreign portfolio investors can choose from a variety of financial instruments including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, derivatives, and fixed deposits.
• Objective: To inject funds into foreign stock markets with the expectation of generating rapid returns on investment.

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5. GOLDENE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: For the first time, researchers have created a free-standing sheet of gold that is only one atom thick.

Goldene

• About: It stands out as the first free-standing 2D metal, distinct from previous gold sheets integrated with other materials.

oCreating ‘goldene’, a one-atom thick material, posed significant challenges for scientists at Sweden’s Linkoping University.

• Evolution of 2D Materials: Since the discovery of graphene in 2004, scientists have identified numerous 2D materials with unique properties.
• Synthesis Method: Researchers used a sandwich structure of silicon and titanium carbide, with gold deposition and subsequent etching to create goldene.
• Synthesis Technique: The etching process utilized Murakami’s reagent, a chemical technique inspired by traditional Japanese sword-making.
• Features: Goldene sheets are estimated to be around 100 nanometres thick, significantly thinner than commercially available gold leaf.

Applications

• Electronics Industry: Scientists view goldene as more than just a scientific curiosity; it's seen as a potential game-changer for the electronics industry due to its unique properties.
• Economic Viability: Goldene offers economic advantages over thicker gold due to its efficiency in catalytic functions, requiring fewer gold atoms for the same purpose.
• Metallic Objects: The technique used to create goldene could potentially be applied to other metallic objects, expanding its utility beyond gold.
• Special Properties: Goldene's unique structure, with each gold atom having only six neighboring atoms, hints at special properties that could be harnessed for various applications, such as carbon dioxide conversion, hydrogen generation, and water purification.

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6. CATATUMBO LIGHTNING (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: "Scientists unravel the mystery behind Catatumbo lightning, attributing its occurrence to a convergence of unique environmental factors."

Catatumbo Lightning

• About: It is a mesmerizing natural phenomenon that occurs over the Catatumbo River in Venezuela, where lightning strikes almost continuously.
• Location: This phenomenon primarily happens at the mouth of the Catatumbo River, where it meets Lake Maracaibo, the largest lake in Venezuela.
• Factors: A convergence of several factors gives rise to the unique conditions required for Catatumbo lightning.
• Weather Conditions: Warm, moist air from the Caribbean Sea collides with cooler air descending from the Andes mountains, creating a perfect storm.
• Formation of Cumulonimbus Clouds: This collision forces the warmer air to rise rapidly, cooling and condensing to form towering cumulonimbus clouds.
• Generation of Electrical Charges: Strong winds and temperature differentials generate electrical charges within these clouds, leading to a buildup of static electricity.
• Lightning Discharge: When the electrical potential within the clouds becomes too great, it discharges in the form of lightning.
• Frequency and Duration: Catatumbo lightning is distinguished by its frequency and duration, occurring for up to 160 nights in a year, with an average of 28 lightning strikes per minute at its peak.

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7. BLUE CORNER NOTICE (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – International Intitutions)

Context: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to issue a Blue Corner notice against a person who fled abroad after allegations of sexual abuse.

Blue Corner Notice

• About: It is a part of Interpol’s elaborate system of colour-coded notices.
• According to Interpol, enable countries to “share alerts and requests for information [on wanted persons/crimes] worldwide”. This sharing of critical crime-related information is crucial for tackling internationally spread out criminal activities.
• There are seven types of notices

o Red Notice: To seek the location and arrest of persons wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence

o Yellow Notice: To help locate missing persons, often minors, or to help identify persons who are unable to identify themselves.

o Blue Notice: To collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a criminal investigation.

o Black Notice: To seek information on unidentified bodies.

o Green Notice: To provide warning about a person’s criminal activities, where the person is considered to be a possible threat to public safety.

o Orange Notice: To warn of an event, a person, an object or a process representing a serious and imminent threat to public safety.

o Purple Notice: To seek or provide information on modus operandi, objects, devices and concealment methods used by criminals.

International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol)

• Network of nations: A network comprising 192 member nations and headquartered in Lyon, France.
• Objective: To enable police around the world to work together to make the world a safer place.
• Working mechanism: The Interpol basically connects police across the world even if these individual member nations do not have diplomatic relations. 

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8. CONFIDENTIAL IPO FILING (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: Several companies have opted for confidential pre-filing of initial public offering (IPO) papers, the latest being Swiggy.

Confidential IPO Filing

• About: It is an optional mechanism enabled by Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) in 2022, by making amendments to the Issue of Capital and Disclosure Regulations (ICDR).
• Confidential Nature: Unlike the traditional route, pre-filings of PDRHP are kept confidential from the public.
• This confidentiality allows companies to strategize and plan without immediate market scrutiny.
• Timing Determination: The Company retains the discretion to decide when to make the DRHP public, including determining the timing of the issue.

Have Indian firms taken this route?

• Tata Play was the first Indian firm to undertake confidential IPO filings in December 2022.
• Oravel Stays, the parent company of Oyo, and Swiggy are among the notable Indian firms that have followed this approach.
• Global Practice: US, the UK and Canada have a practice where prior to filing, the offer documents can be submitted for preliminary review by regulatory authorities.

Advantages

• Protecting Sensitive Data: Business filings contain sensitive information such as financial data and trade secrets.
• Confidential filings prevent competitors from accessing strategic plans and market strategies.
• Safeguarding Issuers’ Interests: Confidential filing protects issuers in case they decide to cancel their IPO plans.
• Enhanced Due Diligence: Pre-filing confidential IPO papers enable due diligence discussions with regulatory authorities.
• Compliance Preparation: Confidential filing provides time to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

Disadvantages

• This can disrupt investor expectations. 
• The process of pre-filing confidential IPO papers, with PDRHP (pre-filed DRHP), UDRHP 1 (updated DRHP), UDRHP 2, etc., can be more complex and time-consuming compared to the traditional route. 
• This can result in higher IPO expenses, including legal and advisory fees.

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

Context: Evidence from archaeological sites in the medieval English city of Winchester shows that English red squirrels once served as an important host for Mycobacterium leprae strains that caused leprosy in people according to a study.

Leprosy

• About: It is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. 
• Known as: Hansen’s disease
• Affects: Skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract and the eyes. Leprosy is known to occur at all ages ranging from early childhood to old age. 
• Transmitted: Via droplets, from the nose and mouth, during close and frequent contact with untreated cases.
• Symptoms: Discolored patches of skin, Growths (nodules) on the skin, Thick, stiff or dry skin, Painless ulcers on the soles of feet.
• Treatment: Hansen’s disease is treated with a combination of antibiotics.

• World Leprosy Day: It is observed on the last Sunday of January each year.
• National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP): It is a centrally sponsored Health Scheme under the National Health Mission of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Vision: “Leprosy-free India”.

Key Points of Study

• The study reveals that the medieval strain of M. leprae found in squirrels shares closer genetic ties with medieval human strains from Winchester than with modern squirrel strains in England.
• This genetic connection suggests that during the Middle Ages, M. leprae circulated between humans and animals in a manner previously undocumented.
• These findings challenge prior notions and suggest that M. leprae circulates in a wider array of wild animals than previously thought.
• The discovery hints at the potential contribution of zoonotic infections to the ongoing epidemic of leprosy, expanding our understanding of its transmission dynamics.

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10. SAHYADRI TIGER RESERVE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Eco and Env)

Context: The Maharashtra forest department is gearing up for translocation of a few tigers from the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Chandrapur to Sahyadri, the lone tiger reserve in the state’s western region.

Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR)

• Located: STR straddles Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli and Ratnagiri districts in western Maharashtra. 
• Area:  1,165 sq km.
• Notified by: In 2010 by amalgamating the Chandoli national park and Koyna wildlife sanctuary.
• Habitat: The habitat of Sahyadri is composed of woodlands, grasslands and plateau, the latter locally referred to as “Sadaa”, which are lateritic in nature with considerable habitat value.
• Significance: The STR is one of only five tiger reserves in the country — Kaval in Telangana, Kamlang in Arunachal Pradesh, Dampa in Mizoram and Satkosia in Odisha being the other four with zero tigers within the reserve and the translocation is part of a long-term plan to revive the population of the big cats in the northern Western Ghats forests.

Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve

• Location: Situated in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra.
• Origin of Name: Derived from the God "Tadoba" or "Taru," revered by local tribes in the Tadoba and Andhari regions. "Andhari" denotes the Andhari River flowing through the forest.
• Total Area: Encompasses 625.4 sq. KM, comprising Tadoba National Park (116.55 sq. KM) and Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary (508.85 sq. KM).
• Corridor Connections: Connected through corridors to Nagzira-Navegaon and Pench Tiger Reserves within the State.
• Habitat: Biogeographically located in the Central plateau province of the Deccan peninsula, featuring tropical dry deciduous forests and a distinctive Central Indian faunal assemblage.

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