- ISRO DOCKS TWO SATELLITES, PUTS INDIA IN ELITE LEAGUE
SUBJECT: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- SpaDeX Mission
- Mission: Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX).
- Satellites Involved: SDX01 (Chaser)andSDX02 (Target).
- Launched byPSLV-C60on December 30, 2024.
- Achievement: Successful docking of two satellites in orbit, making India the fourth country(after the U.S., Russia, and China) to demonstrate this technology.
- Post-Docking: Electrical power transfer between the satellites to be demonstrated. Satellites will undock and continue individual operations for up to two years.
- Technological Milestone: Demonstrates orbital rendezvous and docking, a complex maneuver requiring precise coordination.
- Marks a critical step towards advanced space missions like long duration flights,space station assembly, and inter-satellite power transfer.
2. PM APPROVES CONSTITUTION OF EIGHTH PAY COMMISSION
SUBJECT: NATIONAL
- Definition: A Pay Commission is a body set up by the Government of India to review and recommend changes in the salary structure of central government employees and pensioners.
- Objective: Address pay disparities.
- Enhance the living standards of government employees.
- Align pay scales with inflation and economic changes
- History and Evolution
- First Pay Commission(1946): Established under the chairmanship of Srinivasa Varadachariar.
- Subsequent Pay Commissions: Established every10 years on average.
- Review salary structures for civilian employees, defense personnel, and pensioners.
3. GREAT ANNIVERSARIES OF PEACE INITIATIVES, A ROLE FOR INDIA
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL
- 80 years since the first nuclear weapon test(1945, Manhattan Project).
- 70 years of the Russell-Einstein Manifesto(1955), advocating global disarmament and peace.
- Historical Context: 1945: First nuclear bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
- 1955: Issuance of the manifesto by Einstein, Russell, and Rotblat on the dangers of weapons of mass destruction.
- India’s Contribution: Long-standing advocate of global disarmament.
- Leadership under Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Rajiv Gandhi.
- 1988 Action Plan: Proposal for a Nuclear-Weapons-Free and Non Violent World.
- Current Global Scenario: Rising geopolitical tensions heighten the threat of nuclear conflict.
- India’s No First Use (NFU) Policy as a nuclear power positions it to lead peace initiatives.
4. IMPACT OF RUPEE WEAKENING
SUBJECT: ECONOMY
- The Indian rupee has faced significant devaluation against the dollar.
- Key causes include capital outflows, high import costs, and RBI’s policy stance.
- Exchange Rate Regimes
- Fixed Exchange Rate: Currency value fixed by the central bank using forex reserves.
- Floating Exchange Rate: Currency value determined by market demand supply.
- India’s Policy: Managed float, where RBI intervenes to reduce volatility.
- Factors Driving Rupee Depreciation
- External Factors:
- Capital Outflows: Higher U.S. interest rates make Indian investments less attractive.
- Global Commodity Prices: Surge in oil and other imports increases import costs.
- Domestic Factors: Current Account Deficit (CAD):Persistent deficit due to high imports and limited export growth.
- Export Challenges: Weak performance despite rupee depreciation.
5. JALLIKATTU
SUBJECT: STATES
- Definition: Jallikattu is a traditional bull-taming sport practiced in Tamil Nadu, particularly during the Pongal festival.
- Purpose: Celebrates Tamil culture and tradition.
- Showcases the bravery of participants who attempt to tame bulls.
- Preserves native breeds of bulls like Kangayam, Pulikulam, and Bargur.
- Supreme Court Verdicts
- 2009: Ban on Animal Sports: • Supreme Court banned bull-related sports under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, citing animal cruelty concerns.
- 2014: Supreme Court Strikes Down Tamil Nadu Regulation:
- The court banned Jallikattu in the Animal Welfare Board of India v. A. Nagaraja case.
- Declared that Jallikattu violated the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
- Recognized animals’ rights under Article 21 (Right to Life).
- 2016: Tamil Nadu Ordinance:
- Tamil Nadu passed an ordinance to allow Jallikattu by amending the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
- Faced opposition from animal rights groups like PETA and AWBI.
- 2017: Protests and Legislation:
- Massive protests in Tamil Nadu against the ban, citing cultural and identity concerns.
- Led to the Tamil Nadu government passing the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2017to legalize Jallikattu.
- 2018: Supreme Court Review:
- The case was referred to a Constitution Bench to examine:
- The balance between cultural rights (Article 29)and animal rights (Article 21).
- Whether the Tamil Nadu amendment violated central laws or constitutional provisions.
