SOFI 2024 Report Highlights Global Food Security and Nutrition Trends
Context: Recently, the “State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024” (SOFI 2024) report, published by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, and WHO, presents a critical analysis of global food security and nutrition trends. This year’s report emphasizes the urgent need for increased financing to end hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition in all its […]
Supreme Court to Hear Landmark “Right to be Forgotten” Case
Context: Last week, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case that will likely shape the contours of the “right to be forgotten” in India, similar to the “right to erasure” in European information privacy regulation. The Court must decide whether this right is fundamental in India and how it relates to other constitutional rights. […]
India’s Success in CITES Review of Agarwood
Context: India has successfully prevented the inclusion of Aquilaria malaccensis (agarwood) in the Review of Significant Trade (RST) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The CITES also notified a new export quota of highly valuable and aromatic resinous wood and oil of agarwood from India starting […]
Any Further Delay in Census is Perilous
Context: When the Central Government did not extend the June 30, 2024 deadline to freeze administrative boundaries for the Census, it raised hopes that the decennial Census operations, originally set to start in 2020 in preparation for Census 2021, might finally begin in October 2024. It typically takes about three months after the boundaries are established […]
About Defending Disability Reservations
Context: The recent controversy surrounding a civil servant, who allegedly misrepresented her disability and caste to gain benefits, has sparked a debate about the reservations provided to persons with disabilities (PwDs). The issue gained momentum when a former CEO of NITI Aayog tweeted that reservations for PwDs should be reconsidered. Relevance: GS2- GS4- Aptitude and Foundational Values for […]
21st Edition of Khaan Quest
Context: Recently, the Indian contingent participated in the 21st edition of Khaan Quest, a multinational peacekeeping exercise, being held from 27th July 2024 to 9th August 2024 in the Five Hills Training Area in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar. Relevance: GS III: Security Challenges 21st Edition of Khaan Quest:
World Hepatitis Day 2024
Context: World Hepatitis Day, observed on 28th July, raises awareness of viral hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver that causes severe liver disease and cancer. Relevance: GS II: Health Dimensions of the Article: World Hepatitis Day: Hepatitis: Types, Causes, and Symptoms Hepatitis refers to the inflammation of the liver, a vital organ responsible for detoxification, protein synthesis, and the production […]
How Educated Mothers Of Young Kids Can Be Asset for NIPUN
Introduction The new National Education Policy (NEP 2020) was launched on July 29, four years ago. One of its key recommendations is to ensure that by the time children reach Grade 3, they have acquired foundational literacy and numeracy skills. To this end, the Centre launched the National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with […]
Structural and Functional Issues of the NITI Aayog
Context: With representatives from ten States and Union Territories skipping the ninth Governing Council meeting of the NITI Aayog, chaired by the Indian Prime Minister, questions have arisen about the think tank’s role. Relevance: GS2- Mains Question: What was the rationale behind the creation of NITI Aayog? Examine the structural and functional issues plaguing its performance. […]
India and the Plastic Waste Problem
Context: India, like many large economies, grapples with a significant plastic waste issue. A 2020-21 report from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) indicates that the country generates four million tonnes of plastic waste annually. Unfortunately, only about 25% of this waste is recycled or treated, with the remainder ending up in landfills or being disposed of […]