Current Affairs 08 January 2025

Content:

1. GDP growth projected to fall to four-year low at 6.4%
2. Rescue operations continue for nine trapped coal miners in Assam
3. Earthquake in Tibet kills 126, injures 188; tremors felt in India and Nepal
4. India, U.S. to jointly manufacture interoperable sonobuoys for Navy
5. Top court slams delay in appointing Information Commissioners
6. Maoist strongholds are shrinking, but deadly threats persist
7. Why is there a drop in school enrolments?
8. Why the location of China’s earthquake matters
9. Over 5,600 killed last year in Haiti gang violence, says UN

GDP growth projected to fall to four-year low at 6.4%

Context : GDP Growth Projections: India’s GDP is expected to grow at 6.4% in FY 2024-25, the lowest in four years, down from 8.2% in FY 2023-24 (National Statistics Office’s advance estimates).

Relevance : GS 3(Economic Development )

Economic Recovery: The economy grew by 6% in the first half of the current financial year, with a projected 6.8% growth in the second half to meet the 6.4% full-year estimate.

Sector Performance:

• Agriculture: Growth expected at 3.8%, up from 1.4% in FY 2023-24.
• Public Administration, Defence, and Other Services: Expected to grow by 9.1%, a rise from 7.8% in FY 2023-24.
• Manufacturing: Expected to slow down with a growth rate of 5.3%, down from 9.9% last year.
• Mining and Quarrying: Growth forecast at 2.9%, a decrease from 7.1% in the previous year.

Investment Concerns: Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF), an indicator of fresh investments, is projected to grow by just 6.4%, compared to 9% in 2023-24.

GDP Value: The real GDP for FY 2024-25 is estimated to reach ₹184.88 lakh crore, compared to ₹173.82 lakh crore in FY 2023-24.

Budget Implications: The revised growth projection indicates that reviving economic growth above 7% will be a key challenge for the 2025-26 Union Budget.

RBI and Finance Ministry Projections: The Reserve Bank of India reduced its growth forecast to 6.6% from 7.2%, while the Finance Ministry revised its range for GDP growth down to around 6.5%.

Rescue operations continue for nine trapped coal miners in Assam

Context:

• Nine coal miners trapped in a water-filled mine in Dima Hasao district, Assam, since 8 a.m. on January 8, 2025.
• The authorities were informed about the mishap around 2 p.m. on the same day.

Relevance : GS 3(Disaster Management)

Rescue Efforts:

• Deep divers from the Navy joined the rescue operations on January 9, 2025.
• The rescue is being led by the Navy team, equipped with deep-diving gear, as the mine contains tunnels requiring specialized equipment.
• Other agencies involved include the Army, Assam Rifles, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and local police.

Mine Conditions:

• The mine is about 20 feet in radius and 300 feet in depth.
• Water level inside the mine has risen to over 100 feet, hindering the rescue efforts.

Casualties and Arrests:

• Three bodies were reportedly seen from the surface, though not yet recovered.
• Punish Nunisa, an individual, was arrested under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
• Police investigation suggests the mine may have been operating illegally.

Historical Context:

• Mining mishaps in the Northeast, particularly Assam, are frequent.
• Recent incidents include:
  • January 2024: Fire in a coal mine in Nagaland’s Wokha district killed six workers.
  • May 2024: Mine collapse in Assam’s Tinsukia district killed three miners.
  • September 2022: Three miners killed by toxic gas in Tinsukia district.
  • December 2018: The Ksan coal mine disaster in Meghalaya resulted in 15 deaths.

Investigation and Government Response:

• Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the mine appeared to be illegal.
• Special Director-General of Police, Harmeet Singh, confirmed that more equipment will be needed for the rescue due to the mine’s tunnel system.
• The incident is being investigated by local authorities, with a focus on the legality of mining activities in the area.

Challenges in Rescue Operations:

• The mine is located in a remote jungle area, about 30 kilometers from the nearest police station in Umrangso.
• Immediate action has been hampered by the high water level, requiring careful and coordinated rescue strategies.

Earthquake in Tibet kills 126, injures 188; tremors felt in India and Nepal

Context:

• A powerful earthquake struck Tibet on January 9, 2025, killing at least 126 people and injuring 188 others.
• The earthquake hit Tingri County, Xigaze, located 80 km north of Mount Everest, near the border with Nepal.
• Tremors were felt in neighboring Nepal (Kathmandu) and parts of India (Bihar), causing widespread panic.

Relevance : GS 3(Disaster Management )

Magnitude and Impact:

• China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) measured the quake at 6.8 magnitude, while the U.S. Geological Survey reported it at 7.1 magnitude.
• The earthquake struck at around 9:00 a.m. local time.
• The mountainous and rural terrain of the area, with many houses built from dirt, exacerbated the destruction.

Casualties and Damage:

• 126 confirmed deaths and 188 injuries (28 in critical condition).
• Approximately 3,609 houses collapsed, with significant damage reported to buildings.
• The earthquake was the deadliest in China since 2014.

Geographical and Social Context:

• Tingri County, with a population of around 62,000, is less developed compared to urban centers like Lhasa.
• The area is surrounded by rugged, mountainous terrain, making rescue efforts challenging.

Rescue and Relief Efforts:

• Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for “all-out search and rescue efforts.”
• Rescue teams have been mobilized, and some injured individuals have been transferred to hospitals.
• Locals have been provided with blankets and supplies to endure the subzero temperatures in the aftermath of the quake.

Regional Impact:

• Tremors were felt in Kathmandu, Nepal, particularly near the Everest region and Lobuche.
• Some tremors were also experienced in Bihar, India, though no injuries have been reported there.
• Aftershocks followed the main tremor, complicating rescue and relief operations.

Condolences and International Reactions:

• The Dalai Lama expressed deep sadness over the tragedy.
• Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials have extended their condolences and called for swift action to assist those affected.

Historical Context:

• This earthquake is the most powerful recorded in the region within a 200 km b in the last five years.
• The December 2023 earthquake in Gansu, China, killed 148 people and displaced thousands, highlighting the region’s vulnerability to seismic activity.
• The 2014 earthquake in Yunnan province remains China’s deadliest earthquake in recent history, with over 600 fatalities.

Challenges in Recovery:

• The mountainous terrain and the rural setting of the affected areas pose significant challenges for timely and effective rescue operations.
• Damage to infrastructure and housing, coupled with harsh weather conditions, complicates recovery efforts

India, U.S. to jointly manufacture interoperable sonobuoys for Navy

Background:

• India and the United States have agreed to cooperate on the co-production of sonobuoys, sophisticated equipment used for undersea domain awareness (UDA), crucial for detecting submarines in deep oceans.

• This collaboration is part of broader defense cooperation, aiming to counter the growing presence of China’s naval forces in the Indian Ocean Region.

Relevance : GS 2(International Relations )

Key Developments:

• Co-Production Partnership: Ultra Maritime (U.S.) and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL, India) will jointly manufacture sonobuoys, which will meet U.S. Navy standards. The production will be split between the U.S. and India under the “Make in India” initiative.

• Technology Focus: The cooperation will enhance acoustic performance in the Indian Ocean environment, focusing on multi-static active solutions for wide-area submarine detection.

Strategic Significance:

• Interoperability: The sonobuoys co-produced will be interoperable across the U.S. Navy, Indian Navy, and allied forces (such as Australia and Japan), allowing seamless integration in regional defense operations.

• Focus on Undersea Domain Awareness (UDA): The move highlights the increasing importance of UDA in maritime security, particularly in response to China’s expanding naval presence in the region.

• Quad Collaboration: The collaboration strengthens ties within the Quad grouping (India, U.S., Australia, Japan), with shared military platforms like the P-8I maritime patrol aircraft and MH-60R helicopters.

Operational and Industrial Cooperation:

• Joint Production: BDL, in alignment with the Indian Navy’s operational needs, will set up production facilities in Visakhapatnam, India.

• Critical and Emerging Technologies: This partnership aligns with the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), launched in May 2022, focusing on advancing high-end defense technologies.

Global Context:

• Regional Security Concerns: The collaboration addresses security challenges in the Indian Ocean and surrounding regions, particularly as China expands its naval influence.
• U.S.-India Defense Ties: This is part of a series of initiatives aimed at enhancing defense ties between the two countries, with a focus on advanced technology and regional security.

Long-Term Implications:

• Strategic Advantage: The joint development of sonobuoys enhances both India’s and the U.S.’s ability to monitor maritime threats, particularly from submarine fleets.

• Industry Growth: The collaboration bolsters India’s defense manufacturing capabilities, contributing to the “Make in India” vision and strengthening domestic defense industry partnerships.

• Operational Readiness: The interoperability of sonobuoys with allied forces improves the effectiveness of joint naval operations, especially in areas like the Malabar naval exercise, where the Quad nations participate.

Top court slams delay in appointing Information Commissioners

Context:

• The Supreme Court has criticized the delay by both the Centre and States in appointing Information Commissioners, which hampers the effective functioning of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
• The court emphasized the importance of ensuring that these commissions are staffed to uphold citizens’ rights to access information under the RTI.

Relevance : GS 2(Polity )

Key Points:

• Vacancies and Pendency:
  • Central Information Commission (CIC): There are eight vacant posts for Information Commissioners, leading to a backlog of over 23,000 pending appeals from citizens seeking information from government departments.
  • State Information Commissions: Several state commissions have been defunct since 2020, with some ceasing to accept RTI petitions.

• Supreme Court’s Criticism:
  • Justice Surya Kant questioned the purpose of establishing transparency institutions if there are no personnel to enforce the law.
  • The court expressed concern about the dominance of retired bureaucrats being appointed to the posts, excluding people from diverse backgrounds.
• Legal Precedents and Court’s Orders:
  • Despite a February 2019 Supreme Court judgment urging appointments from various fields, there has been little progress in diversifying the pool of Information Commissioners.
  • The court had previously issued orders in 2023 and 2024 to ensure timely and transparent appointments, but these have largely been ignored.

• Government Response:
  • Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing petitioner-activist Anjali Bharadwaj, argued that the continued appointment of bureaucrats undermines the spirit of RTI and the law’s intent.
  • The Centre has been asked to file an affidavit within two weeks detailing a timeline for filling the vacancies.

Court’s Directives:

• The Department of Personnel and Training has been ordered to provide a timeline for completing the appointments process.
• States that had initiated the process without clear timelines are directed to:
  • Notify the list of applicants.
  • Publish the composition of the search committee within two weeks.
  • Complete the appointment process within eight weeks.
• Chief Secretaries are required to file compliance reports.

Implications:

• The court’s intervention is critical for ensuring that the RTI mechanism functions effectively and that citizens’ right to information is not hindered by administrative delays.
• The ruling reflects the ongoing concerns about the politicization of appointments and the need for greater transparency in the selection process for Information Commissioners.
• The government’s delayed response risks undermining public faith in transparency and accountability mechanisms set up under the RTI Act.

Maoist strongholds are shrinking, but deadly threats persist

Declining Large-Scale Attacks:

• Significant reduction in large-scale attacks, like the 2010 Dantewada attack (74 CRPF killed).
• Recent deadly attack in Bijapur (8 killed) marks a notable exception, with casualties exceeding those in the first week of 2024.

Relevance : GS 3(Internal Security )

Maoist Casualties:

• 296 Maoists killed in 2024, the third–highest number since 2000.
• 24 security personnel died in Maoist-related incidents in 2024, the second-lowest number since 2000.

Concentration in Bastar:

• The Bastar region remains the epicenter of Maoist activity in Chhattisgarh.
• Nearly 30% of left-wing extremism-related deaths between 2020-2025 occurred in Bijapur; additional fatalities concentrated in nearby districts (Narayanpur, Sukma, Dantewada).

Geographical Contraction of Maoist Influence:

• Maoist influence sharply reduced due to tribal communities distancing from insurgents.
• Decline reflected in the 2023 Chhattisgarh elections, with a significant drop in NOTA votes.

State-Specific Trends:

• In 2024, nearly 80% of left-wing extremism-related deaths occurred in Chhattisgarh.
• Other states (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal) saw a significant decline in Maoist activity and related fatalities.

Implications:

• Despite declining large-scale attacks, Maoists retain capacity for high-casualty incidents, especially in Bastar.
• Continued security efforts and addressing socio-political grievances are key to preventing further escalation.

Why is there a drop in school enrolments?

Drop in Enrolment:

• Total student enrolment dropped by over 1 crore from 26.3 crore (2018–19) to 24.8 crore in 2023-24.
• Decline attributed to changes in data collection methodology and elimination of duplicate enrolments.

Relevance : GS 2(Education )

Change in Methodology:

• From 2022-23, the Ministry of Education (MoE) started collecting individual student data, including Aadhaar numbers.
• Previous attempts at this data collection in 2016-17 were discontinued until restarted in 2022-23.
• New methodology suggests previous enrolment figures were overestimated by 5-6%.

Reasons for Decline:

• The sharp drop in enrolment likely due to correction of inflated enrolment numbers, including duplicate records and inflated figures.
• MoE has not provided clear explanations for the significant dip in enrolment or the reduction in government schools.

Decline in Schools:

• The number of schools covered under UDISE+ decreased by 87,012 from 2017-18 (15,58,903 schools) to 2023-24 (14,71,891 schools).
• Most of the reduction was in government-run schools, with a notable decrease in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.

Impact of School Closures:

• The decline in schools, especially in rural areas, leads to difficulties for students to seek re-admission, contributing to higher dropout rates.
• Distance and inconvenience during the re-admission process are key reasons why students drop out when schools close or merge.

Effect on Funding:

• The drop in enrolment raises questions about the effective utilization of funding, particularly under schemes like Samagra Shiksha, with ₹32,515 crore allocated in 2022-23 despite the enrolment decline.

State-Specific Trends:

• Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh faced the largest reductions in schools, with Jammu and Kashmir losing 4,509 schools.
• Such declines may lead to accessibility issues and higher dropout rates as students are unable to attend distant schools.

UDISe+ Data Caution:

• MoE has warned that the UDISE+ data for 2022-23 and 2023-24 is not directly comparable to previous years due to the changes in data collection methodology, yet key educational indicators like dropout and retention rates are still considered comparable.

Why the location of China’s earthquake matters

Earthquake Details:

• A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Tibetan China and Nepal on January 7, 2025.
• The epicentre was located 80 km north of Mt Everest, in Tingry county, Shigatse region, Tibet.
• The quake caused 95 deaths, 130 injuries, and widespread destruction in China; the impact on Nepal is still being assessed.
• Tremors were felt in Kathmandu, Thimphu, and Kolkata.

Relevance ; GS 3(Disaster Management)

Significance of Location:

• The epicentre lies in the Lhasa terrane, a fragment of the Earth’s crust.
• The Lhasa terrane is home to critical infrastructure, including China’s largest hydroelectric-power dam project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which flows into India as the Brahmaputra.
• Concerns over the dam’s impact on river flow, potential water shortages, and India’s interest in the river’s management.

Hydroelectric Dam Project:

• China’s project aims to generate 300 billion kWh annually.
• The dam is located in the Lhasa terrane, and concerns about its effect on the river’s flow have raised environmental and geopolitical issues with India.

Himalayan Tectonics:

• The quake’s cause is linked to the tectonic collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates, which created the Himalayan mountain range 50 million years ago.
• The Indian plate is still pushing into the Eurasian plate at 60 mm/year, generating significant tectonic stress and causing frequent earthquakes in the region.

Historical Earthquake Activity:

• Since 1950, over 21 significant earthquakes have occurred in the Lhasa terrane, with a magnitude of 6 or higher.
• The strongest in recent years was a magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Mainline in 2017.

Implications for Water and Environment:

• The Himalayan region, considered the “third pole” due to its vast water reserves, is sensitive to seismic activity.
• Earthquakes can alter river courses, destabilize glaciers, and increase flood risks.

Geological Concerns:

• Understanding past and current tectonic stress in the region is key for predicting future earthquakes and their potential impact on infrastructure and the environment.

Over 5,600 killed last year in Haiti gang violence, says UN

Gang Violence in Haiti (2024):

• Over 5,600 people were killed in gang violence, a sharp increase from the previous year (1,000 more deaths than in 2023).
• Thousands of individuals were injured or kidnapped, exacerbating the country’s crisis.

Relevance : GS 2(International Relations)

Geographical and Social Context:

• Violent gangs control most of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital.
• Haiti continues to struggle with political instability, further fueled by gang activities.

Notable Incident:

• In early December 2024, a massacre in Cite Soleil, orchestrated by the Wharf Jeremie gang, led to the deaths of 207 people, many of whom were older individuals accused of voodoo practices.
• Victims were allegedly dismembered and burned after being accused by the gang leader of poisoning his child.

Human Rights Violations:

• The UN rights office documented:
  • 315 lynchings of gang members or people linked to gangs, with some reportedly facilitated by Haitian police.
  • 281 cases of summary executions by specialized police units.

Impunity and Corruption:

• Widespread impunity for human rights abuses and corruption persist in Haiti.
• Calls have been made for holding police officers accountable for their involvement in human rights violations.

International Response:

• Despite a Kenyan-led police support mission, backed by the US and the UN, the violence continues unabated.
• The UN’s Volker Turk stressed the importance of restoring the rule of law in Haiti and providing logistical and financial support for international missions.

Urgency for Action:

• Restoring the rule of law and holding violators accountable must be a priority for Haiti, with calls for international support to combat impunity and violence.