1. SOLAR ENERGY IN INDIA (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)

Context: A report by international energy analytics agency Ember recently revealed that in 2023, India surpassed Japan to claim the position of the world's third-largest producer of solar power.

Key findings 

• India's Ranking: India ranks fifth globally in installed power capacity, with a capacity of 73 gigawatts (GW), encompassing both renewable and non-renewable sources.
• Japan's Installed Power Capacity: Japan holds the third position globally in installed power capacity, with 83 GW, according to data compiled by Ember.
• Solar Power Contribution in India: Solar power constitutes 18% of India's total installed electricity capacity of 442 GW as of May 2024, but it contributes only 6.66% to the actual power produced, as per Niti Ayog data.
• China's Dominance in Solar Power Production: China stands as the leading producer of solar power globally, generating 584 billion units (BU) in 2024, surpassing the combined production of the United States, Japan, Germany, and India.
• Growth of Solar Generation: Global solar generation experienced exponential growth, surpassing six times its 2015 levels by 2023. India, in particular, saw a 17-fold increase in solar generation during the same period.

o The share of solar generation in India's electricity mix surged from 0.5% in 2015 to 5.8% in 2023.

India’s Status in Solar Power

• Solar Capacity: Installed solar energy capacity increased by 30 times in the last 9 years, reaching 81.81 GW as of Mar 2024.
• Solar Potential: India's solar energy potential is estimated to be 748 GWp according to the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE).
• Vision 2030: A Renewable Revolution: India's vision for 2030 emphasizes renewable energy dominance and green growth to combat climate change and facilitate energy transition.
• Net Zero Carbon by 2070: Aiming for long-term sustainability, India aspires to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070, demonstrating its commitment to environmental stewardship.

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2. SOLEMNIZED MARRIAGE (Syllabus GS Paper 1 – Indian Society)

Context: Recently, the Supreme Court ruled that despite possessing an official marriage certificate, a Hindu couple before the Court had "never acquired the status of husband and wife," highlighting various issues on marriage registration and solemnization, emphasizing their necessity.

Solemnized Marriage

• Definition: Solemnizing a marriage refers to conducting an official marriage ceremony with appropriate rituals.
• Legal Framework in India: Marriage in India is primarily governed by personal laws and the Special Marriage Act, 1954 (SMA).
• Personal Laws: In India personal laws are based on religious practices, with each religion having its own marriage requirements.
• Validity: A marriage is considered valid when it meets the requirements prescribed by the respective personal laws or the SMA.
• Examples:
• Hindu: Rituals such as kanyadaan, panigrahana and saptapadi, or other local customs solemnize a Hindu marriage. 
• Muslims: A valid marriage requires the consent of both parties, in writing, and in the presence of witnesses.
• Christians: A ceremony in the Church based on local customs is regarded as a valid marriage.

Registered Marriages

• Definition: It refer to the legal validation of a marriage through official registration after it has been solemnized.
• Legal Framework: Marriages under laws like the Special Marriage Act (SMA) are recognized as valid without religious rituals, often performed in a registrar's office.

o Section 8 of the Hindu Marriage Act grants authority to states for registering marriages performed according to Section 7 requirements, ensuring legal recognition.

• Validity under Personal Laws: Marriages governed by personal laws, such as the Hindu Marriage Act (HMA), require the performance of religious rituals for validation.
• Solemnization Requirements: Marriages without any rituals are deemed valid only under the Special Marriage Act (SMA).

What if a marriage is not registered?

• Constitutional Framework: Entry 5 of the Concurrent List in the Constitution’s Seventh Schedule deals with marriage and divorce, and Entry 30 deals with vital statistics including registration of births and deaths.
• Legal Implications: Both these subjects jointly or separately deal with the registration of marriages, emphasizing its legal significance.

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3. SHINKUN LA TUNNEL  (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Infrastructure)

Context:  The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is preparing to commence the construction of the Shinkun La Tunnel.

Shinkun La Tunnel 

• About: It is an upcoming motorable passage situated beneath the 16,580 feet high Shinku-La pass.
• Location: Positioned on the Nimu-Padam-Darcha Road link, it connects Himachal’s Lahaul Valley and Ladakh’s Zanskar Valley.
• Length: 4.25 Km
• Part of: Project Yojak
• Connectivity: This tunnel will offer all-weather road access to Ladakh, serving as the shortest route to its border regions.
• Authority: The Border Roads Organization (BRO) 
• Strategic Significance: Expected to optimize transportation of heavy machinery to key strategic locations like Kargil, Siachen, and the Line of Control (LOC), potentially reducing travel distances by about 100 km.
• Security: Traffic movement within the tunnel will be shielded from long-range artillery or missile threats from neighboring countries, enhancing security.

Border Roads Organisation (BRO)

• About: It is a road construction executive force in India that provides support to Indian Armed Forces formed on 7 May 1960.
• Motto: Guided by the motto "Shramena Sarvam Sadhyam".
• Nodal Agency: Ministry of Defence.

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4. NON-MARKET ECONOMIES (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: Vietnam has been pushing the USA to quickly change its “non-market economy” classification to “market economy”, in a bid to avoid high taxes imposed by the US on the goods imported from the Southeastern country.

Non-Market Economies

• About: Non-market economies are countries where the government plays a significant role in economic activity, often influencing prices and production decisions.
• Factors: 

o Convertibility of currency.

o Wage determination through free bargaining.

o Permission for foreign investment like joint ventures.

o Ownership of means of production by the state.

o State control over resource allocation, prices, and output decisions.

o Consideration of factors like human rights may also play a role.

• Anti-Dumping Duties Imposition: The non-market economy label enables the imposition of "anti-dumping" duties by the US on goods imported from designated countries.
• Dumping in International Trade: Dumping occurs when a country's export prices are deliberately set below domestic prices, potentially harming industries in the importing country.
• Purpose: Anti-dumping duties aim to compensate for the difference between the export price of imported goods and their normal value.
• Determining Anti-Dumping Duties: The level of anti-dumping duties is determined by comparing the product's value in a third country, often a market economy like Bangladesh, rather than considering the costs provided by the company from the non-market economy like Vietnam.

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5. WORLD MIGRATION REPORT (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: India, recently noted as the origin of the largest number of international migrants, nearly 18 million, maintains significant diasporas in the UAE, US, and Saudi Arabia, while also leading as the top recipient of remittances as per World Migration Report, 2024.

Key Findings of World Migration Report, 2024

• Released by: The International Organization for Migration (IOM).
• Leading Remittance: According to the World Migration Report 2024, India, Mexico, and China were the top three recipients of remittances in 2022.
• India's Remittances: India led in 2022 remittances, surpassing USD 111 billion, with substantial contributions from Southern Asia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Gulf States.
• Challenges Faced by Migrant Workers: Migrant workers encounter challenges such as financial exploitation and workplace mistreatment, particularly in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States.
• Top Migrant Origin: India emerged as the top migrant origin, receiving $111 billion in 2022, with Mexico ($61 billion) and China ($51 billion) following suit. Migration corridors data was analyzed, highlighting the Indian diaspora's presence in the UAE, US, and Saudi Arabia.

Remittance 

• About: It is comprised of worker’s remittances, compensation of employees, and migrants’ transfers as documented in the IMF Balance of Payments.
• Worker's Remittances: These are current transfers made by migrants who are regarded as residents in the source country.
• Significance for Low and Middle-Income Countries: Remittances serve as a crucial source of household income in low and middle-income nations.

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6. CLOUD SEEDING (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco/Sci and Tech)

Context: The Supreme Court recently informed the Uttarakhand government that rain gods or cloud-seeding would not extinguish the forest fires responsible for five deaths in the state.

Cloud Seeding

• About: It is a weather modification technique that improves a cloud’s ability to produce rain or snow by introducing tiny ice nuclei into certain types of subfreezing clouds.
• Cloud Seeding Methods
• Static Cloud Seeding: It involves the dispersion of a chemical, like silver iodide, into clouds. This substance acts as a crystal around which moisture can condense, enhancing the efficiency of rain clouds in releasing water.
• Dynamic Cloud Seeding: It focuses on amplifying vertical air currents, promoting increased water passage through clouds, resulting in more rainfall. This method employs up to 100 times more ice crystals compared to the static approach [source: Cotton].
• Hygroscopic Cloud Seeding: It utilizes salts dispersed through flares or explosives in the lower sections of clouds. These salts grow in size as they merge with water. 
• Process of Cloud Seeding: 

o Weather forecasters monitor atmospheric conditions and identify suitable clouds for seeding based on precipitation patterns. 

o This technique can increase rainfall by up to 30-35% in clear conditions and 10-15%  in more humid conditions.

Benefits of Cloud Seeding

• Create more winter snowfall and lead to more mountain snowpack
• Enhance the natural water supply to communities

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7. PRODUCTION-LINKED INCENTIVES (Syllabus: GS Paper 3– Economy)

Context: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology recently solicited input from stakeholders to develop a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for electronics-component manufacturing, aiming to address India's competitive disadvantages compared to other nations.

Production-Linked Incentives

• About: It is a form of performance-linked incentive to give companies incentives on incremental sales from products manufactured in domestic units.
• Total outlay: INR 1.97 Lakh Crores. 
• Aim:

o Boosting the manufacturing sector and to reduce import.

o To create national manufacturing champions.

o To create 60 lakh new jobs, and an additional production of 30 lakh crore during next 5 years.

• The purpose:

o To attract investments in key sectors and cutting-edge technology.

o Ensure efficiency and bring economies of size and scale in the manufacturing sector.

o Make Indian companies and manufacturers globally competitive.

• Key sectors: Schemes across 14 key sectors, like telecommunication, white goods, textiles, manufacturing of medical devices, automobiles, speciality steel, food products, high-efficiency solar PV modules, advanced chemistry cell battery, drones, and pharma etc.

  Production Linked Incentive Scheme 

• About: It is a next version of PLI for IT Hardware for Enhancing India’s Manufacturing Capabilities and Enhancing Exports.
• Objective: Broadening and deepening of the manufacturing ecosystem by encouraging the localisation of components and sub-assemblies and allowing for a longer duration to develop the supply chain within the country.

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8. REVISED NATIONAL FOREST POLICY (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: India recently presented its updated National Forest Policy at the 19th United Nations Forum on Forests convened in New York, United States.

Revised National Forest Policy

• Integrated Approach: India advocates for an integrated approach to forest fire prevention and management.
• Technology Adoption for Fire Monitoring: India shares its experience with technology adoption, including remote sensing for near-real-time fire monitoring.

o The utilization of online portals for forest fire reporting is highlighted.

• Ecosystem-Based Restoration: India emphasizes ecosystem-based approaches for post-fire restoration.
• Global Standards for Forest Certification: India suggests creating universally accepted global standards for forest certification.

o There's a need to evaluate current certification programs against these universal standards.

• Operationalization of Global Fire Management Hub

o India proposes operationalizing the Global Fire Management Hub by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and FAO.

o The hub aims to create a platform for sharing knowledge and experience in mitigating forest fires internationally.

o National Forest Policy 1988: To uphold environmental stability and maintain ecological balance, including atmospheric equilibrium, crucial for the survival of all life forms, including humans, animals, and plants.

UN Forum on Forests

• About: It advocates for the management, conservation, and sustainable development of various forest ecosystems worldwide.
• Establishment: 2000 by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
• Headquarters: New York
• Objective: UNFF serves as a key platform within the UN system for addressing forest-related issues.
• Membership: Member States of the United Nations and specialized agencies, fostering global collaboration and cooperation in forest management.
• India's Role: India holds a significant position in the UNFF as a founding member.

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9. 55 CANCRIE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: Scientists recently reported the discovery of a thick atmosphere surrounding a, exo-planet (55 Cancrie E) twice the size of Earth in a nearby solar system.

 55 Cancrie - Discovery in a Nearby Solar System

• About: It is classified as a "super Earth" due to its size, being larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune, is an exo-planet orbiting a Sun-like host star 55 Cancri A. .
• Thick Atmosphere Detected: Scientists report the detection of a thick atmosphere around a planet twice the size of Earth in a neighboring solar system.
• Composition of the Atmosphere: The atmosphere of 55 Cancrie consists primarily of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, although precise quantities remain unclear.

o This differs from Earth's atmosphere, which primarily comprises nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and other gases.

• Firm Evidence of an Atmosphere: According to astronomer Ian Crossfield, the discovery represents strong evidence of the presence of an atmosphere around 55 Cancrie.
• Boiling Temperatures and Life Possibility: Despite its atmospheric presence, the extreme temperatures on 55 Cancrie, which can soar as high as 2,300°C, make it highly unlikely to support life as we know it.

Related News

• Recently another planet has been discovered which is being called Kh2-18b.
• Kh2-18b
• About: It is an exoplanet that has astronomers excited about the possibility of life.
• Ocean-Covered Super-Earth: This planet is much bigger than Earth, with a radius about 2.6 times larger, and it's believed to be covered in a vast ocean.
• Biosignature Hunt: Scientists are particularly interested in finding a specific gas called dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in K2-18b's atmosphere.
• A Potential Sign of Life: The interesting thing about DMS is that on Earth, it's mainly produced by living organisms, like marine phytoplankton. So, finding DMS on K2-18b could be a strong sign that life exists there.

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10. INDIA-NEPAL BORDER DISPUTE (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: Nepal recently decided to incorporate a map on its Rs 100 currency note, depicting specific areas administered by India in Uttarakhand as part of its territory.

India-Nepal Border Dispute

• About: The territorial dispute is about a 372-sq-km area that includes Limpiadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani at the India-Nepal-China trijunction in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district. 
• Nepal has claimed for long that these areas belong to it both historically and evidently.
• Kalapani Dispute:
• Sovereignty Claims: Both India and Nepal lay claim to the Kalapani area, situated strategically at the trijunction of India-Nepal-China.
• Border Dispute: India administers the region, while Nepal contests this control, advocating for a different border delineation based on river geography.
• Lipulekh Pass Dispute:
• Geopolitical Significance: Lipulekh Pass, adjacent to the trijunction, is pivotal for trade and pilgrimage, notably facilitating the route to Kailash Mansarovar.
• Territorial Claims: Nepal asserts ownership of the pass, contrasting India's stance, which aligns it with the Indian state of Uttarakhand.

Historical Context

• Treaty of Sugauli (1814-16): Nepal lost territory to the East India Company, including areas east of the Kali River, as per Article 5 of the treaty.
• Historical Mapping Perspectives

o Early British Maps (1819-1856): British Surveyor General maps showed the Kali River originating in Limpiadhura, indicating Nepal's historical jurisdiction.

• Final British Map (1947): The last British map before Indian independence reaffirmed the original position of the Kali River originating in Limpiadhura, supporting Nepal's historical claim.

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