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Context: The United Kingdom on Thursday (October 3) said it would cede sovereignty of the strategically important Chagos Islands to Mauritius, calling it a “historic political agreement”. The UK has long controlled Chagos and the Diego Garcia military base located there, jointly operating it with the United States. Sovereignty Transfer: On October 3, 2024, the UK agreed to cede sovereignty of…

Context: The Union Cabinet approved classical language status to Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Pali, and Prakrit.  India has had six classical languages till now: Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Sanskrit, and Odia. Tamil was the first language to be given classical status in 2004 followed by Sanskrit in 2005. With the new additions, 11 languages in India have Classical Language…

Context: Prominent climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has been detained on the Delhi border as he led a group of protestors to petition the government for inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth schedule. Historical background of fifth Schedule and Sixth schedule: Pre-British Era: Tribal populations had autonomy and were not fully subjugated by earlier Muslim rulers. Tribes maintained control over their…

Context: Traditionally, playing the dhak, a large drum integral to the celebration of Durga Puja in Eastern India, was an exclusively male activity. However, in recent years, women have begun breaking this gender norm by taking up the dhak as a profession and asserting their place in this art form. This shift is particularly significant because the beats of the dhak are central to Durga Puja, a…

Context: TEAM of researchers from the Bengaluru-based National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has found that the Indian elephant migrated from the north to the south over many millennia and lost their genetic diversity progressively with each southward migration. Key facts about Asian elephant: The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is the largest…

Context: The Government of India, while presenting the Union Budget for FY 2024-25, inter alia, made announcements on the expansion of India’s nuclear energy sector, proposing partnerships with the private sector for research and developing Bharat Small Reactors (BSR), Bharat Small Modular Reactors (BSMR) as well as newer nuclear energy technologies. India’s three Stage nuclear programme 1st…

Context: The economic survey has highlighted various challenges in India’s land reform process, in this context let us understand the various issues around land reforms and ways to address those issues. Land reforms in India: Land reform refers to an institutional measure directed towards altering the existing pattern of ownership, tenancy, leasing, and management of land.  The 4 Components of…

Initiative Overview: India has officially joined the Minerals Security Finance Network (MSFN), a US-led effort to secure critical mineral supply chains. MSFN Origins: The MSFN is an extension of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), initiated by the US in 2022. India became a member of the MSP in June 2023. Collaborating Nations: The pact involves 14 countries and the European Union,…

Context: 25th September marked 108th birth anniversary of Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay. In this context, let us understand the philosophy of Integral humanism given by him. Integral Humanism: Background: The doctrine of Integral Humanism was born from Upadhyaya’s desire to have “uniquely Indian” ideas guide the journey of the newly independent nation, as opposed to the many Western ‘isms’ like…

Context: The Bombay High Court struck down as unconstitutional a key provision of the amended Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2021 which empowered the government to identify “fake news” on social media platforms through a “Fact Check Unit” (FCU). There is an option of an appeal before the Supreme Court, given that similar issues are pending before the Delhi and Madras HCs too. The law in…

Context: On Bhagat Singh’s birth anniversary (September 28th) it is essential to revisit his revolutionary ideas on various subjects, including communalism, inequality, religion, faith, and the right to protest. His words are still very much relevant in the present context, reminding us of the ongoing struggles against oppression and injustice. Introduction: Bhagat Singh He was a revolutionary,…

Context: India described the inclusion of a detailed paragraph on Security Council reform in a U.N. summit document as a “good beginning.” New Delhi expressed its anticipation for the initiation of text-based negotiations within a fixed timeframe to address reforms of the 15-member body. Key takeaways from the news article: Historic moment: September 22, 2024: World leaders unanimously adopted…

Context: Tuvalu is a group of 9 atolls located in Pacific Ocean. Climate change and rising sea level rise means that the islands are facing a risk of submergence. Tuvalu Islands Tuvalu is an island nation located in the Central Pacific Ocean with a total area of only 26 sq km. Funafuti is the capital of Tuvalu. The island country has a population of about 11,000 people. Since the islands is…

Context: After the success of the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) and Chandrayaan lunar missions, India now aims to explore Venus with its proposed Venus Orbiter Mission (Shukrayaan).  Venus Orbiter Mission: The Union Cabinet has approved India’s first mission to Venus which ISRO aims to launch in March 2028. This is the country’s second interplanetary mission after the Mars Orbiter Mission…

Context: The Jharkhand High Court has directed the state government to identify illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the Santhal Parganas region after a PIL raised concerns about demographic changes due to ‘Bangladeshi infiltration.’ The petition noted a significant demographic shift in six districts, with the tribal population decreasing from 44.67% in 1951 to 28.11% in 2011, while the minority…

Context: A seven-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court in the State of Punjab vs Davinder Singh judgement  has held that sub-classification of SC and ST categories is permissible. Also, States have power to create these sub-classifications. Earlier, the Supreme Court in E. V. Chinnaiah vs State of Andhra Pradesh (2004) had ruled that sub-classification was not permissible in the SC…

Context: Cambodia has launched $1.7 bn Funan Techo Canal mega connectivity project. About Funan Techo Canal Project The Funan-Techo Canal Project aims to connect Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh with the coastal town of Kep located on the Gulf of Thailand by a 180 km canal.  As per the plans, the canal will be 100 metres wide and 5.4 metres deep allowing for two shipping lanes. Currently,…