Prelims Exam

 

International Organisation / Defence

1.Global Military Expenditure on the Rise (2023)

Context:

• A recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) analyzes global military spending.

Global Military Expenditure:

• Reached a record high of $2443 billion in 2023 (6.8% increase).
• Increased in all regions for the first time since 2009.
• Accounts for 2.3% of global GDP.

Top Spenders (2023):

1. United States
2. China
3. Russia
4. India ($83.6 billion)
5. Saudi Arabia

India’s Military Spending:

• Increased by 4.2% from 2022 and 44% from 2014.
• Driven by personnel and operational costs (80% of budget).
• Reflects focus on strengthening armed forces amid regional tensions.

About SIPRI:

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• Founded in 1966 by the Swedish parliament.
• Conducts research on international peace and security.
• Funded by government grants, private donations, and project funding.
• Publishes the SIPRI Yearbook on global military expenditure and arms transfers.
• Maintains a database of military spending data accessible on its website.
• Located in Stockholm, Sweden, with global influence.

 

 

Environment

2.NABARD Steps Up for Green Financing

In News:

• National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) launched its Climate Strategy 2030 to address India’s green financing needs.

What is Green Financing?

• Financing activities promoting environmentally friendly practices and sustainable development.
• Aims to increase funding for renewable energy, clean technologies, and resource conservation from public, private, and non-profit sectors.
• Key aspects include managing environmental risks, maximizing both financial returns and environmental benefits, and ensuring accountability.

Importance of Green Financing:

• Regulatory changes, harmonized public incentives, and increased green investments from diverse sectors are crucial for its promotion.
• Aligning public funding with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and boosting clean technologies are essential.
• Green financing supports sustainable natural resource management and climate-smart blue economies.
• Green bonds, financing instruments for green projects, play a significant role.

Green Financing Scenario in India:

• India received only $49 billion in green financing in 2019-20, far short of the actual need.
• The country requires an estimated $170 billion annually to reach a cumulative total of $2.5 trillion by 2030, highlighting the critical shortfall in current inflows.

NABARD’s Climate Strategy 2030:

• This strategy focuses on four key pillars:
  • Accelerating green lending across various sectors.
  • Playing a broader market-making role.
  • Implementing internal green transformation within NABARD.
  • Strategic resource mobilization.

About NABARD:

• Apex regulatory agency for Regional Rural Banks and Cooperative Banks under the Ministry of Finance.
• Established in 1982 based on the recommendations of the B.Sivaraman Committee.
• Replaced the Agricultural Credit Department (ACD), Rural Planning and Credit Cell (RPCC), and Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation (ARDC) of the Reserve Bank of India.
• Promotes agriculture and rural development through financial and non-financial interventions, innovations, technology, and institutional development.

 

3.Golden Trevally: A Fish with Golden Potential

In News

• ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi has developed seed production technology for Golden Trevally.

About Golden Trevally (Gnathanodon speciosus)

• Also known as the golden kingfish, it is a high-value marine fish.
• Physical Characteristics:
  • Silver-grey fish with a yellow belly.
  • Scattered black patches and yellow fins.
  • Black tail.
  • Juveniles are more golden with black bands, making them popular in aquariums.
• Distribution:Indo-West Pacific region.
  • Found in reef areas of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, Karnataka, and Gujarat.
• Importance:
  • Promising marine aquaculture species due to:
    • Rapid growth rate
    • High meat quality
    • Market demand for consumption and ornamental purposes.
  • IUCN Red List Status:Least Concern.

 

Geography

4.Expanding Glacial Lakes in the Himalayas: A Satellite-Based Study

 

Key Facts and Figures:

• 27% of glacial lakesin the Himalayas are expanding (based on satellite monitoring).
• Third Pole:Refers to the Himalayas due to extensive glaciers and snow cover, sensitive to climate change.
• Glacial lakes:Formed by melting glaciers, crucial freshwater sources in the Himalayas.
  • Categories: Moraine-dammed (most common), Ice-dammed, Erosion, Others.
• Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs):Risks associated with expanding lakes.
  • Caused by dam failures (avalanches, extreme weather) leading to sudden floods.
• ISRO study (1984-2023):Analyzed changes in glacial lakes using satellite imagery.
  • 676 out of 2,431 lakes(>10 hectares) have expanded significantly.
  • 130 lakes in India:65 (Indus), 7 (Ganga), 58 (Brahmaputra) river basins.
  • Expansion rate:601 lakes (>2x), 10 lakes (1.5-2x), 65 lakes (1.5x).

Importance of the Study:

• Satellite remote sensing:Effective tool for monitoring glacial lakes due to wide coverage.
• Understanding glacier retreat:Helps assess GLOF risks and climate change impacts.
• Glacial lake dynamics:Crucial for environmental impact assessment and GLOF risk management.
• Climate change adaptation:Informs strategies for glacial environments.

 

 

 

Defence

5.INSV Tarini Creates History

Context:

• INSV Tarini, with two women officers onboard, returned to Goa after a successful “historic transoceanic expedition.”

A Milestone Achieved:

• First-ever transoceanic sailing by Indian women in a double-handed mode (INSV Tarini & Indian Naval Sailing Association – INSA).
• Training for a future circumnavigation of the globe (Sagar Parikrama – IV expedition) on INSV Tarini.
• Scheduled for September 2024.

Significance:

• Showcases India’s growing importance in global maritime activities.
• Promotes gender equality on the high seas.

 

 

Science and Technology

6.Understanding Psychoanalysis

Context:

• Recent passing of Sudhir Kakar, a prominent Indian psychoanalyst.

Psychoanalysis Explained:

• Founded by Sigmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist.
• Theory & Therapy for mental health.
• Focuses on unconscious mind’s influence on thoughts & behaviors.
• Unconscious conflicts (rooted in childhood) shape personality.

 

 

Social Issues

7.Law on Abortion in India

Context: Supreme Court allowed a 14-year-old sexual assault victim to terminate her 30-week pregnancy.

Abortion Law in India:

• Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971:Regulates abortion in India.
  • Historical Background:
    • Shantilal Shah Committee (1960s) – Deliberated legalizing abortion.
    • MTP Act passed in 1971 to reduce maternal mortality from unsafe abortions.
    • Exception to Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 312 & 313.
  • Key Provisions:
    • Up to 20 weeks: Termination allowed with one doctor’s advice.
    • 20-24 weeks: Termination for special categories (rape, incest, vulnerable women) with two doctors’ approval.
    • After 24 weeks: Medical board decides termination based on fetal abnormality.
  • IPC and Abortion:
    • Section 312 (IPC): Punishment for causing miscarriage (except to save woman’s life).
    • Section 313 (IPC): Punishment for causing miscarriage without woman’s consent.

Amendments to MTP Act (2021):

• Increased gestational limit to 24 weeks for special categories.
• Confidentiality clause for women seeking abortion.
• Extended MTP services to unmarried women for contraceptive failure.

Current Scenario and Challenges:

• Cases of women seeking late-stage abortions suggest a legislative gap.
• Supreme Court rulings:
  • All women (married/unmarried) have equal access to abortion up to 24 weeks (MTP Act).
  • Allowed 14-year-old rape victim to terminate 30-week pregnancy (considering her well-being).

Conclusion:

• Recent court rulings highlight the complexities of abortion, especially for minors and assault victims.
• The MTP Act, despite being pro-choice, might have gaps.
• Ongoing discussions and potential revisions are needed to ensure women’s rights are protected.