- EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO CHOOSE END OF LIFE MEDICAL CARE
SUBJECT: SCIENCE
- Living Will: Legal document allowing individuals to specify healthcare preferences in case of terminal illness/incapacity.
- First Initiative: Kerala’s GMCH (Kollam) set up India’s first Living Will Information Counter to raise awareness.
- Procedure: Requires two healthcare attorneys & certification by a gazetted officer/notary.
- Two medical boards must confirm terminal illness before execution.
- Clarification: Not euthanasia(illegal in India).
- Helps reduce family burden in critical medical decisions.
- Significance: Promotes informed medical choices, patient rights & ethical healthcare practices
2. THE TEESTA DAM AND THE LONG SHADOW OF CLIMATE CHANGE
SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENT
- Event: Oct 2023,Glacial Lake Outburst Flood(GLOF) from South Lhonak Lake destroyed Teesta-3 dam in Sikkim, causing100+ deaths& impacting80,000+ people.
- Causes: Moraine failure due to glacier melting, worsened by global warming & black carbon (soot) deposits.
- Increase in glacial lakes by 10.8%(2011-2024) & surface area expansionby33.7%(CWC Report).
- Govt Decision:Rebuilding Teesta-3dam, citing commercial viability.
- Concerns: Located in an earthquake-prone &landslide-prone region.
- Possible repeat disaster due to unstable terrain.
- Lack of risk mitigation in hydropower projects.
3. MADRAS HC ASKS GOVT TO PRESERVE HARMONY ATOP RELIGIOUS HILL IN T.N
SUBJECT: STATES
- Issue: Controversy over renaming hill as ‘Sikkandar Hill’ by Muslims instead of ‘Sri Kandar Hill’ (Hindu name).
- Petition:Bharat Hindu Munnani sought permission for a protest procession.
- HC Verdict:
- No Disturbance:TN govt must ensure peace & communal harmony.
- Unity in Diversity: Historical cohabitation of Hindus, Muslims, and Jains at the site.
- Procession Denied:Could lead to communal tensions; petitioner refused alternative route.
- Govt’s Role:Protect religious sentiments, prevent conflicts.
4. RECIPROCAL TARIFFS BY U.S MAY NOT HURT INDIA MUCH, SAYS GTRI
SUBJECT: ECONOMY
- A trade policy where a country imposes tariffs on imports from a trading partner equivalent to the tariffs levied on its own exports by that partner.
- U.S. Reciprocal Tariffs & India’s Impact
- Minimal Impact on India: India and the U.S. have different export profiles.
- Example: U.S. imposing 50% tariffs on Indian pistachios won’t matter as India doesn’t export pistachios.
- 75% of U.S. exports to India face tariffs below 5%.
- High Tariffs on Indian Exports to U.S.: U.S. already imposes15-35% tariffsonlabour-intensive goods(textiles, footwear).
- India’s Likely Response
- Wait & Watch Approach: India may assess the U.S. decision in April 2025.
- Possible reciprocal measures like June 2019 trade retaliation.
- India-U.S. Trade Relations (Apr-Nov 2024-25)
- Total Trade:$82.52 billion.
- India’s Exports to U.S.:$52.89 billion.
- India’s Imports from U.S.:$29.63 billion.
- Trade Surplus for India:$23.26 billion
5. EXTREMOPHILE
SUBJECT: SCIENCE
- The Antarctic midge (Belgica antarctica)is Antarctica’s only native insect species and an extremophile that survives extreme winters.
- Survival Strategy: Undergoes quiescence in its first year–a temporary dormancy when conditions are extreme.
- Enters obligate diapause in its second year–a mandatory hibernation phase for survival.
- Can resume growth instantly when temperatures rise.
- Adaptations: Tolerates freezing temperatures by switching between active and dormant states.
- Efficiently exploits short warm periods for development.
- What are Extremophiles?
- Extremophiles are organisms that thrive in extreme environmental conditions that are hostile to most life forms.
- These include extreme temperatures, acidity, salinity, pressure, or radiation.
- They are primarily microorganisms(bacteria, archaea, fungi) but can also include certain insects, plants, and animals
