Butterflies in Kaziranga

1. Species diversity: Kaziranga is home to 446 butterfly species, making it the second-most diverse butterfly hub in India.
2. Newly recorded species: 18 new species, including Burmese Threering, Glassy Cerulean, and Peacock Oakblue, have been documented.
3. Butterfly conservation: The first-ever Butterfly Conservation Meet-2024 highlighted the importance of butterfly conservation and raised awareness of Kaziranga’s butterfly diversity.

Kaziranga National Park:

1. Location:
• Situated in Golaghat and Nagaon districts of Assam.
2. UNESCO World Heritage Site:
• Declared a national park in 1974 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, housing two-thirds of the world’s one-horned rhinoceros’ population.
3. Biodiversity:
• Hosts a variety of fauna, including royal Bengal tigers, leopards, capped langurs, and migratory birds.
• Known for its tall elephant grass, water lilies, and wet alluvial grasslands.
4. Flora and Fauna:
• Famous for elephant grasses, rattan cane, and aquatic plants like water hyacinths.
• Important species include Bengal florican and western hoolock gibbon, India’s only ape species.
5. Ecological importance:
• Largest undisturbed area in the Brahmaputra Valley floodplains, offering critical habitats for diverse wildlife.

Battle of Walong

• Location: Walong, Arunachal Pradesh, near the McMahon Line, was a key battleground in the 1962 Sino-Indian War.
• Indian Forces: The 11th Infantry Brigade, comprising the 4th Sikh, 6th Kumaon, and 3rd Battalion of 3 Gorkha Rifles, defended Walong with about 800 men.
• Chinese Offensive: On October 21, 1962, over 4,000 Chinese troops attacked. Despite limited resources, Indian forces resisted for 27 days.
• Tactics: Indian troops used the terrain to set up ambushes and defensive positions, slowing the Chinese advance.
• Outcome: Indian forces withdrew on November 16, 1962, after inflicting heavy casualties and delaying the Chinese significantly.
• Significance: The Indian defense forced China to divert additional troops from Tawang, demonstrating India’s bravery and resilience in its only counterattack of the war.

Drugs Technical Advisory Board

Recent Recommendations by DTAB:

• Inclusion of antibiotics as “New Drugs”:
  All antibiotics would fall under the category of “new drugs,” requiring manufacturing, marketing, and sale to be more strictly documented and regulated.
• Union government control:
  Manufacturing and marketing approvals for antibiotics would need clearance from the Union government, rather than state authorities.
• Prescription mandatory:
  Antibiotics would only be available with a valid prescription, curbing over-the-counter purchases and indiscriminate use.
• Labeling changes:
  A blue strip or box would be added to antibiotic packaging to distinguish antimicrobial products, improving public awareness.
• Focus on AMR:
  This move is part of efforts to address rising antimicrobial resistance in India, where common infections like UTIs, pneumonia, and typhoid are becoming resistant to standard treatments.

Significance:

• Curbing Antimicrobial Resistance: Reducing misuse of antibiotics will help slow the rise of drug-resistant infections.
• Centralized Regulation: Bringing antibiotics under central control ensures uniform regulation across the country.
• Public Health Protection: Mandatory prescriptions and labeling aim to safeguard public health by preventing self-medication and misuse.

Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB):

• Role: It is the highest statutory body for advising on technical drug-related matters in India.
• Established under: The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
• Part of: Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).
• Nodal ministry: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Functions: Advises the central and state governments on technical matters related to the administration of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and performs other assigned functions under the Act.

Five Eye Alliance

1. Members: The alliance includes five English-speaking countries — Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
2. Purpose: It is a multilateral intelligence-sharing network, primarily focused on surveillance and signals intelligence (SIGINT).
3. Classified information: Intelligence shared is marked as ‘Secret—AUS/CAN/NZ/UK/US Eyes Only,’ giving the alliance its name.
4. Background:
• Evolved during World War II to counter the Soviet threat during the Cold War.
• The U.S. and U.K. collaborated after breaking German and Japanese codes.
5. Formation:
• In 1946, the BRUSA Agreement (now UKUSA Agreement) formalized the intelligence-sharing partnership between the U.S. and U.K.
• Initially focused on signals intelligence like radio and satellite communications.
6. Expansion:
• Canada joined in 1948, followed by Australia and New Zealand in 1956, making it a five-nation alliance.
7. Scope: The alliance covers six key areas, including traffic analysis, cryptanalysis, decryption, and acquisition of communication-related information.
8. Significance: The Five Eyes Alliance is one of the most extensive intelligence-sharing networks in the world, key in modern global surveillance and intelligence operations.

Global Hunger Index (GHI), 2024

India’s Status in GHI 2024 (Crisp Points):

• Rank: India ranks 105th out of 127 countries with a score of 27.3.
• Child wasting: India has the highest global rate of child wasting at 18.7%.
• Stunting: 35.5% of children under five are stunted.
• Undernourishment: 13.7% of India’s population is undernourished.
• Child mortality: 2.9% of children die before their fifth birthday.
• Comparison: India lags behind South Asian neighbors like Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, which fall into the moderate hunger category.

Methodology used:

• Indicators: GHI uses four indicators – undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting, and child mortality.
• Data sources: Data is sourced from UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, and FAO, ensuring comparability across countries.
• Child wasting: The GHI uses survey estimates vetted for inclusion in the Joint Malnutrition Estimates and WHO Global Database.

Limitations of the report:

• Data discrepancies: The Ministry of Women and Child Development raised concerns about GHI not using data from the Poshan Tracker, which shows lower child wasting rates (7.2% vs. GHI’s 18.7%).
• Survey-based estimates: Reliance on survey data might not fully reflect real-time data from government tracking systems.
• National representation: The GHI’s methodology may not capture regional variations and improvements in India’s nutrition programs.

Way Ahead:

• Improved data collection: India should integrate real-time data from systems like Poshan Tracker to improve hunger and nutrition estimates.
• Focus on maternal health: Address the intergenerational transfer of undernutrition by improving maternal health and nutrition.
• Agricultural investments: Increase focus on sustainable agriculture and nutritious crop production like millets to improve dietary diversity.
• Social safety nets: Strengthen access to Public Distribution Systems (PDS) and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) for better coverage of vulnerable populations.

India’s performance in the Global Hunger Index highlights serious challenges, especially in child malnutrition. By improving data transparency, maternal health, and investing in sustainable food systems, India can enhance its hunger and nutrition outcomes, aligning better with global targets like Zero Hunger by 2030.

India Canada diplomatic row explained

India has ordered the expulsion of six Canadian diplomats, including Acting High Commissioner Stewart Wheeler. It also announced the withdrawal of its own High Commissioner and other diplomats from Canada, citing security concerns.

This comes after Canada identified these Indian diplomats as “persons of interest” in an ongoing investigation into the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023.

India-Canada Relation

• Background
• Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1947.
• Bilateral relation was elevated to a strategic partnership during PM Modi’s visit to Canada in 2015.
• Commercial relations
• Bilateral Trade Relation -India was Canada’s 10th largest trading partner.
• India’s total exports to Canada added up to US$ 4.10 billion in 2022-23, up from US$ 3.76 billion in 2021-22.
• India’s imports from Canada added up to US$ 4.05 billion in 2022-23, up from US$ 3.13 billion in 2021-22.
• CEPA/EPTA negotiations
• In March 2022, the two countries had agreed to re-launch the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations.
• Both the countries also decided to have an interim agreement or Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA) that could bring commercial gains to both.
• Trade talks were paused in September 2023 following the diplomatic row over the killing of Nijjar.
• Nuclear Cooperation
• Canadian aid to India in the nuclear field begun in 1956. However, this relationship deteriorated in 1974 after India conducted Smiling Buddha nuclear test.
• Canada was among the first countries to participate in India's nuclear power program.
• CIRUS, the first research reactor to be built in India, was built with the help of Canada.
• Later, in June 2010, the nuclear cooperation was restored when a Nuclear Cooperation Agreement (NCA) with Canada was signed.
• People-to-People
• Canada hosts one of the largest Indian diasporas in the world, numbering 1.6 million (PIOs and NRIs) which account for more than 4% of its total population.
• In the field of politics, in particular, the present House of Commons (total strength of 338) has 22 Members of Parliament of Indian-origin.

Challenges in India-Canada relations

• Separatist Khalistani groups
• Canada has been providing a safe haven for separatist Khalistani groups, which New Delhi sees as the Liberal Party’s pandering to these groups for votes.
• Diaspora Sikhs are well represented in the Trudeau government. Some of them are politically supported by pro-Khalistan groups.
• Jagmeet ‘Jimmy’ Dhaliwal, whose New Democratic Party supports Trudeau’s minority government in Parliament, is viewed with suspicion by the Indian establishment.
• Last year, New Delhi objected to Canada permitting a Khalistani secessionist referendum in the Sikh diaspora.
• Canada is slow to act against anti-India elements on its soil
• Concerns that Canada is slow to act against anti-India elements on its soil have been a constant irritant in the relationship.
• A massive controversy had erupted, in June 2023, over a social media video of a parade float depicting late PM Indira Gandhi's assassination in Canada.
• A female figure was shown in a blood-stained white saree, with the hands up, as turbaned men pointed guns at her.
• The parade seemed to celebrate the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
• The parade was allegedly organised by pro-Khalistani supporters days before the 39th anniversary of ‘Operation Bluestar’ (celebrated on June 6).
• Other irritants include
• Attacks on Indian-origin people;
• Canadian comments over India’s farmer protests and India’s cancellation of diplomatic talks in response.

India-Canada Diplomatic row: Background

• Death of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief
• Hardeep Singh Nijjar, wanted by the Indian government, was killed in a targeted shooting in June 2023.
• In 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) declared a Rs 10 lakh reward on Nijjar.
• This was after he was accused of conspiring to kill a Hindu priest in Punjab's Jalandhar.
• Nijjar was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey.
• Issue raised on the sidelines of G20 Summit
• On the sidelines the G20 Summit in Delhi on September 10, Canadian PM and PM Modi had discussed Khalistani extremism.
• He also raised the issue of foreign interference in this murder and asked India for cooperation in the investigation.
• On the other hand, during the meeting, PM Modi had expressed his deep concerns to Canadian PM about the ongoing anti-India activities being carried out by extremist elements in Canada.
• PM Trudeau raises the issue in the parliament of Canada
• On September 18, 2023, Trudeau told parliament that Canada was actively pursuing credible allegations, linking Indian government agents to Nijjar's killing.
• India dismissed Trudeau's assertion as absurd.
• Each country expelled a diplomat in tit-for-tat moves, with Canada throwing out India's top intelligence officer in the country while India expelled his Canadian counterpart.

Recent Diplomatic Escalation

• India’s Response and Diplomatic Withdrawal
• India stated it was withdrawing its diplomats due to safety concerns, accusing the Trudeau government of not ensuring their security.
• By the evening of October 14, India’s MEA summoned Canadian diplomats and informed them of the decision to expel six of their diplomats.
• These developments followed Ottawa naming India’s High Commissioner to Canada and a few other diplomats as 'persons of interest' in the investigation into Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar's murder.
• Long-standing Tensions in India-Canada Relations
• India has been critical of Trudeau’s stance on various issues, including his support for the farmers’ protests in India and his perceived leniency towards Khalistani separatist movements.
• India accused Canada of sheltering extremists and disregarding extradition requests for individuals involved in organized crime and terrorism against India.
• Canada’s Position and Evidence
• The Acting High Commissioner of Canada claimed that Canada had presented credible evidence linking Indian agents to Nijjar’s murder and urged India to cooperate in the investigation.

Allegations by Canadian Police Against Indian Government

• The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) accused Indian government agents of collaborating with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to spread terror in Canada.

o Lawrence Bishnoi, a gangster from Punjab currently imprisoned in India, is suspected by the Mumbai police to be involved in the recent killing of former MLA Baba Siddiqui.

• Bishnoi’s criminal network is reportedly active in Canada, and Canadian authorities allege that the Indian government has used this network for targeting dissidents.

Italy-Albania Migration Pact

1. Migration pact signed: Italy’s far-right Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, and Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama, signed a pact in November 2022 to manage asylum claims of migrants.
2. Asylum processing in Albania: Under the agreement, migrants intercepted at sea are sent to Albania, where their asylum claims are processed.
3. Screening criteria: Only men from “safe” countries such as Bangladesh and Egypt are sent to Albania; vulnerable individuals, including women, children, and men with illnesses or signs of torture, are taken to Italy.
4. Places in news:
1. Schëngjin: Port where intercepted migrants arrive in Albania.
2. Gjadër: Location of the former Albanian air force site used to hold migrants while processing their asylum claims.
3. Lampedusa: Southern Italian Island where vulnerable migrants are taken after screening.

Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO):

• Location: Built 700 meters underground in China’s Guangdong province.
• Purpose: Designed to detect neutrinos emitted by nearby nuclear power plants, the sun, and Earth’s mantle.
• Detector: Features a 600 metric ton spherical detector with thousands of light-detecting tubes.
• Timeline: Expected to start operations in late 2025.
• Collaboration: Scientists from France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and the U.S. are involved.
• Global impact: Aims to surpass similar projects in the U.S. and Europe in neutrino research.

Neutrinos:

• Fundamental particle: Neutrinos are elementary particles produced in high-energy processes like nuclear reactions in stars.
• Hard to detect: Neutrinos rarely interact with matter due to their lack of electrical charge.
• Origins: Produced by stars, supernovae, and on Earth in nuclear reactors and accelerators.
• Key in physics: Studying neutrinos helps understand processes in the sun, the universe’s formation, and Earth’s interior.
• Future applications: Could revolutionize astronomy and medical imaging; potential for long-distance communication via neutrinos.

Indian Neutrino Observatory (INO):

• Proposal: Conceived in 2005 to study neutrinos using a detector under Tamil Nadu’s Bodi West Hills.
• Budget: Initially funded at Rs 1,500 crore by the Indian government.
• Approval: Received environment ministry clearance in 2018.
• Challenges: Faces opposition due to environmental concerns, including its location in a tiger corridor and potential impact on local ecology.
• Status: Construction is stalled due to opposition from environmentalists and local government, with no significant progress to date.

Korean Peninsula

1. Japanese occupation: Korea was under Japanese control from 1910 to 1945.
2. Post-WWII division: After Japan’s defeat, Korea was split along the 38th parallel. The USSR controlled the North, and the USA controlled the South.
3. Korean war: In 1950, North Korea, backed by the USSR, invaded South Korea. The war ended with an armistice in 1953, creating the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) but no formal peace treaty was signed.
4. Nuclear development: North Korea has pursued nuclear weapons, leading to international sanctions.

Present status:

• Military build-up: North Korea has ramped up its nuclear program, conducting multiple missile tests, and fortifying its borders.
• Diplomatic stalemate: Despite previous peace talks, North Korea declared South Korea as its “primary foe” in 2024, ending hopes for reunification.
• Nuclear tests: North Korea has withdrawn from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and has tested nuclear weapons multiple times.

International Implications

• Global conflicts:Rising tensions in the Korean Peninsula coincide with other global conflicts, such as Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine.
• Major power involvement:Key stakeholders in the Korean Peninsula, including the U.S., China, and Russia, are involved in a broader strategic competition.
• Conflict possibilities:While a major conflict may be avoided due to alliances and nuclear deterrence, incidents or skirmishes are possible.
• Complex alliances:North Korea’s ties with China and Russia and South Korea’s alignment with the U.S. add complexity to ongoing global conflicts.

India’s stand:

• Neutral position: India opposes North Korean nuclear tests but has maintained a neutral stance on sanctions.
• Diplomatic relations: India maintains diplomatic ties with both Koreas. It played a significant role in the 1953 ceasefire and helped negotiate peace.
• Strategic partnerships: India has a special strategic partnership with South Korea, playing a role in South Korea’s Southern Policy and India’s Act East Policy. India also has diplomatic relations with North Korea.

Way ahead:

• Diplomatic engagement: Resume dialogue to reduce military tensions and avoid further escalation.
• International cooperation: Leverage diplomatic ties with major players like China, Russia, and the US to mediate peace.
• Denuclearization talks: Revive international talks on North Korea’s denuclearization.

North and South Korea remain in a delicate and volatile situation, with military tensions rising. A sustained diplomatic effort is crucial for reducing hostility and avoiding a potential conflict, while India can play a supportive role in maintaining regional stability.

Minimum Support Prices

• Recent revision in MSP for Rabi crops: Wheat, Rapeseed & Mustard, Lentil (Masur), Barley, Gram, and Safflower.

Minimum Support Price:

• Definition: MSP is the guaranteed price paid to farmers for their produce when purchased by the government, ensuring they receive a minimum income.
• Determination: MSP is recommended by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) based on factors like cost of production, demand and supply, and market trends.
• Approval process: The final decision on MSP is made by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister.
• Crops under MSP: MSP is announced for 22 crops, including 14 Kharif, 6 Rabi, and 2 commercial crops. Fair Remunerative Price (FRP) is set for sugarcane.
• Types of Production Costs:
  CACP uses three cost projections:

• A2: Paid-out costs for inputs like seeds, labor, and fertilizers.
• A2+FL: Includes unpaid family labor.
• C2: Comprehensive cost including rent and capital interest, used as a benchmark reference.

• Budget 2018-19:
  The MSP is set at 1.5 times the All-India weighted average cost of production, ensuring farmers receive fair returns for their produce.

World Energy Outlook 2024