1. LEFT-WING EXTREMISM (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Internal Security)

Context: The Union home minister of India recently declared that India aims to eliminate Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) within the next two years.

Left-Wing Extremism (LWE)

• About: Left-wing extremists, known globally as Maoists and in India as Naxalites/Naxalism, have posed a significant threat to India since the 1960s.
• Origin of Naxalism: The term "Naxalism" is derived from Naxalbari, a village in West Bengal. In 1967, a peasant uprising occurred in Naxalbari, triggered by a land dispute with local landlords.
• Historical Roots: The roots of LWE in India can be traced back to the Telangana peasant rebellion, which occurred from 1946 to 1951. 
• However, the movement gained prominence in 1967 when peasants, landless laborers, and Adivasis (tribal people) raided a landlord's granaries in Naxalbari, West Bengal.

Maoism

• Maoism, created by Mao Tse Tung, represents a variant of communism.
• It serves as a doctrine aimed at seizing control of the State through a blend of armed insurgency, widespread mobilisation, and strategic partnerships.

Initiatives to fight LWE

• SAMADHAN doctrine: It is a strategy to frame short term and long-term policies to tackle LWE. It includes: S- Smart Leadership; A- Aggressive Strategy; M-Motivation and Training; A- Actionable Intelligence; D- Dashboard Based KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and KRAs (Key Result Areas); H- Harnessing Technology; A- Action plan for each Theatre; N- No access to Financing.
• National strategy to counter LWE was formed in 2015.
• Greyhounds: It was raised in 1989 as an elite anti-naxal force.
• Operation Green Hunt: Started in 2009-10 it aims for massive deployment of security forces was done in the naxal-affected areas.

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2. MONETARY POLICY COMMITTEE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: The Reserve Bank of India's monetary policy committee recently held the policy repo rate steady at 6.5% for the fourth consecutive meeting, while keeping its 2023-24 GDP growth and inflation forecasts unchanged.

Monetary Policy Committee

• About: It was established based on the recommendation of the Urjit Patel Committee.
• Set up: Under Section 45ZB of the RBI Act of 1934 by the Union government.
• Composition: It is a 6 member committee. There are in total three internal members and three external experts. The RBI Governor and Deputy Governor are also members of the MPC Committee.
• Objectives: To improve the repo rate, reverse repo rate, liquidity, etc.
• Instruments of Committee: Repo rate, Reverse Repo rate, Marginal Standing Facility (MSF), Bank Rate, Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR), Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR), Open Market Operations (OMOs)

Repo rate: The Repo Rate is the interest rate at which the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) loans money to commercial banks.

 

Reverse repo rate: Reverse repo is the inverse contract to the repo rate. The reverse repo rate is the rate at which the RBI borrows funds from the country's commercial banks.

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3. PROJECT VEER GATHA 3.0 (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Governance)

Context: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MoE) has now decided to launch Project Veer Gatha 3.0.

Project Veer Gatha 3.0

• About: This initiative is part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and is introduced in schools with the purpose of creating awareness about Gallantry Awards.
• Objective: The primary aim is to educate school students about the courageous deeds and sacrifices made by Gallantry Award recipients.
• Activities Held: Various projects are organized, with an interdisciplinary approach, allowing students to express themselves through mediums like poems, paintings, essays, videos, etc. 
• Awareness Programs: Awareness programs and sessions are conducted for schools all across the country, both virtually and face-to-face.
• National Recognition: The Ministry of Defence rewards the best project nationally on the upcoming Republic Day.
• Participant Increase: While the first two editions had 25 winners known as the "Super 25," the third edition, Veer Gatha Project 3.0, aims to select 100 winners, referred to as the "Super 100."
• Cash Prizes: Each winner in this initiative receives a cash prize of Rs. 10,000.

Gallantry Awards

• About: Gallantry Awards are a recognition of acts of courage and self-sacrifice performed by members of the Armed Forces, legally constituted forces, and civilians.
• Categories of Awards: Wartime Gallantry Awards and Peacetime Gallantry Awards.

oWartime Gallantry Awards: Param Vir Chakra (PVC), Mahavir Chakra (MVC), and Vir Chakra

oPeacetime Gallantry Awards: Ashok Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra

oOther Recognitions: Sena Medal, Nao Sena Medal, and Vayu Sena Medal.

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4. KALI TIGER RESERVE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Environment)

Context: Recent studies show that Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary is losing its distinctive grasses & and hornbills to erratic weather.

Kali Tiger Reserve

• About: Kali Tiger Reserve, previously named Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve.
• Location: Uttara Kannada is part of the Western Ghats.
• Composition of The Tiger Reserve: Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary and Anshi National Park.
• Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of 475.018 square kilometers, while Anshi National Park spans 339.866 square kilometers.
• River Flow: The Kali River, which serves as a crucial water source for Uttara Kannada, flows through the tiger reserve, giving it its name.
• Vegetation: The primary forest types in the reserve consist of moist deciduous and semi-evergreen forests.
• Flora: Eucalyptus, Tectona grandis, Grevillea robusta, T. bellerica, Adina cordifolia, Mitragyna parviflora, Acacia etc.
• Fauna: Malabar Giant Squirrel or Ratufa Indica, Barking Deer, Gaur, Indian Pangolin, tigers, flycatchers, woodpeckers, etc.

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5. GI TAG (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Government Policies)

Context: Recently, Churpi was granted the Geographical Indication tag, and in a similar vein, two other distinctive products from the state, Khaw Tai (Khamti rice) and Tangsa textile, have also secured GI certifications.

Yak Churpi

• Origin: Churpi is a dairy product crafted from the milk of the native Arunachali yak breed.
• Brokpas: This dairy product is produced by Brokpas, a group of tribal yak pastoralists. They follow a seasonal migration pattern, taking their yaks to high-altitude areas (10,000 ft and higher) during summers.
• Yak Habitat: The distinctive Arunachali yak breed is primarily found in the West Kameng and Tawang districts of the state.

Khaw Tai Rice

• About: The Khaw Tai rice variety is a sticky rice type grown in the Namsai region, primarily by traditional Khampti tribal farmers.
• Khautoum: When Khaw Tai rice is steamed, rolled, and wrapped in a leaf, it is known as khautoum. A related variation is the ball-shaped khautek, made by roasting sticky Khaw Tai rice mixed with molasses. 

Tangsa Tribe Textile Products

• The textile products crafted by the Tangsa tribe in Changlang district are renowned for their unique designs and vibrant colors.

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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6. INVASIVE SPECIES (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)

Context: A new study recently highlighted that over half of India's natural systems are threatened by invasive plant species.

Key Points

• The findings are a result of a national-level survey conducted in India, which noted that 158,000 plots in 358,000 square kilometres of wild area are invaded by alien species.
• The 11 high-concern invasive plant species that showed presence in 20 states of the country included Lantana camara, Prosopis juliflora and Chromolaena odorata.
• Project Tiger was envisaged to serve as a flagship to monitor the changing status of carnivores, herbivores, and their habitat. 
• Plant invasions alter habitats and reveal intricate ecological changes across biomes,” Qureshi said in a press statement issued by WII.
• Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in Western Ghats was one of the largest impacted hotspot areas due to invasion dominated by Lantana camara, Prosopis juliflora and Chromolaena odorata.

Invasive Species

• About: An invasive or alien species is a species introduced to a new environment that multiplies excessively and causes harm to its new surroundings.
• Modes: Invasive species can be introduced to an area through various means, including ship ballast water, accidental releases, and most commonly, human activities.
• Characteristics of Invasive Species
• Invasive species possess several key characteristics:
• Rapid Reproduction and Growth
• High Dispersal Ability
• Phenotypic Plasticity (the capacity to adapt physiologically to new conditions)
• Versatility in Surviving on Different Food Sources and in a Wide Range of Environmental Conditions.

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7. RUPAY CARD (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: Recently, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), inked a strategic partnership agreement with Al Etihad Payments (AEP) for the implementation of Domestic Card Scheme (DCS) in the UAE. The DCS solution provided by NIPL consists of a RuPay stack and value-added services like fraud monitoring services and analytics.

RuPay

• About: RuPay is an indigenous and highly secure card payment network that is widely accepted within India.
• Launched by: National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
• Card Propositions: RuPay cards offer three different propositions: debit, credit, and prepaid.

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)

• Establishment: In 2008, it operated as an umbrella organization.
• Founded by: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).
• It is collectively owned by a consortium of banks.
• Objective: The primary objective is to build strong and reliable payment and settlement systems.
• It operates under the provisions of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)

• It includes digital identity, digital payments, and digital data exchange layers - a combination of these three is the force behind the fintech revolution in India.
• A combination of these factors makes India the third largest fintech ecosystem in the world, with rapidly surfacing unicorns. India has witnessed an exponential growth of 367% in customers participating in digital transactions in the last five years

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8. SUTLEJ-YAMUNA LINK DISPUTE (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: Recently, the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue has regained prominence in Haryana and Punjab politics due to the Supreme Court's directive, mandating Punjab's government to resume the construction of the project.

Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Dispute

• About: This is a 214-kilometer-long canal planned to link the Sutlej River in Punjab with the Yamuna Canal in Haryana.
• Aim: To facilitate the equitable distribution of water resources between these two states.
• Origins of Dispute: The longstanding dispute surrounding the canal revolves around its purpose of transporting water from Punjab to Haryana. 
• Confluence of Rivers: In Punjab, the river Beas flows into the river Sutlej, adding to the complexity of water distribution in the region.
• Post-1966 Reorganization: The conflict regarding the sharing of river water emerged following the reorganization of Punjab in 1966, which led to the creation of the state of Haryana as a separate entity from Punjab.
• Punjab's Refusal: After this reorganization, Punjab declined to share the waters of the Ravi and Beas rivers with Haryana, triggering the ongoing dispute.

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9. ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci & Tech)

Context: The Union health ministry is preparing to introduce the second iteration of the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance, referred to as NAP 2.0. 

• This initiative aims to tackle the growing problem of disease-causing microorganisms becoming resistant to medications.

Antimicrobial Resistance

• About: It refers to the acquired resistance of microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites etc, to the effectiveness of antimicrobial drugs utilized for infection treatment.
• In this, microorganisms evolve over time, rendering them unresponsive to medications. This, in turn, complicates the treatment of infections, elevates the likelihood of disease transmission, and raises the potential for severe illness and mortality.
• Causes: Injudicious use of antibiotics, self-medication, industry pollution, untreated disposal of sewage water bodies, etc.

India’s Efforts Against AMR

• The National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (2017-21) highlighted the government's success in promoting hand hygiene and sanitation through initiatives like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Kayakalp, and Swachh Swasth Sarvatra.
• The 2017 National Health Policy provided clear directives on antibiotic usage, restricting over-the-counter access and curbing antibiotic use for livestock growth promotion.
• Red Line awareness campaign: Urging people not to use medicines marked with a red vertical line, including antibiotics, without a doctor’s prescription.

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10. ESCAP'S CLIMATE ACTION PRINCIPLES (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: A new report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has put forward 10 principles for action for policymakers, regulators and private finance for mobilising and deploying financing for key UN-mandated Sustainable Development Goals, particularly around climate action.

Important  Principles

• Developing new climate finance partnerships 
• Developing policy coherence and capacities across key government ministries
• Taking decisive regulatory action to shift capital in Asia and the Pacific towards the Net Zero transition
• Driving investment in the capacities of financial personnel
• Committing to Net Zero pledges for 2050 with credible transition pathways and including 2030 goals
• Increasing local-currency financing of energy transition projects as well as green technologies and other net-zero investments
• Expanding and accelerating concessional financing and risk-sharing by multilateral development banks, bilateral development financial institutions, and public development banks

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)

• About: It is the regional development arm of the United Nations for the Asia-Pacific region.
• Establishment: 1947 
• Headquarters: Bangkok, Thailand
• Members: 53 Member States and 9 Associate Members

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