- A FINGER ON THE CARBON BUTTON
SUBJECT: SCIENCE
- Carbon Intensity: Amount of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP.
- Reflects how carbon-efficient an economy is.
- Importance: Tracking carbon intensity helps gauge progress in reducing emissions while growing economically.
- Central to India’s climate goals(Panchamrit announcements, net-zero by 2070).
- Policy Link: Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)under the Paris Agreement.
- Transition to cleaner energy and sustainable industrial practices.
2. BLUE GHOST MOON LANDING PART OG U.S. PLAN TO DOMINATE SPACE
SUBJECT: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- A private U.S. company’s lunar lander (Blue Ghost) lands on the Moon, raising questions about U.S. space policy.
- Issue: Commercialization of Space: Private players increasingly active in lunar exploration.
- Potential for Dominance: Concerns over unilateral resource exploitation and militarization.
- Legal/Policy Frameworks: Outer Space Treaty, 1967: No nation can claim sovereignty on celestial bodies.
- Artemis Accords: U.S.-led initiative; not universally accepted, raising debate on space governance.
3. BELGIUM DEFENCE GAINT TIES UP WITH INDIAN FIRM TO MANUFACTURE TANK TURRETS
SUBJECT: BILATERAL
- JV announced to develop and manufacture light tank turrets in India.
- Significance:
- Make in India in defence: Technology transfer, local manufacturing, potential exports.
- Partnerships with DRDO and private players (L&T, etc.).
- Defence Industrial Corridors(Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu).
- Strategic Partnerships fostering self-reliance in defence (Aatmanirbhar Bharat).
4. HOW THE WALLACE LINE EXPLAINS THE DIFFERNECE IN SPECIES ACROSS CONTINENTS
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL
- Alfred Russel Wallace’s 19th-century observation of a faunal boundary between Asia and Australia (near Indonesia).
- What is the Wallace Line? ○ An imaginary line demarcating distinct flora and fauna on either side.
- Reflects biogeographical separation due to tectonic and evolutionary history.
- Significance in Ecology: Demonstrates how geographic barriers influence speciation and biodiversity distribution.
- Helps in understanding endemic species and conservation priorities in the region.
5. ISSUES AROUND DELIMITATION
SUBJECT: POLITY
- Delimitation is the process of redrawing boundaries of electoral constituencies based on population changes.
- Constitutional Provisions: Article 82 & 170–Parliament enacts a Delimitation Commission post each census.
- Currently, a freeze on seat redistribution exists until 2026.
- Concerns: Population-based representation might disadvantage states with successful population control.
- Balancing federal fairness and demographic realities.
- Significance: Impacts parliamentary and state assembly representation.
- Key to electoral reforms and ensuring equitable representation
