Daily Current Affairs and News Analysis 30-04-2025

Expansion of the Network: UNESCO has added 16 new Global Geoparks from 11 countries.

Global Reach: The new geoparks are in China, North Korea (its first), Ecuador, Indonesia, Italy, Norway, South Korea, Saudi Arabia (its debut), Spain, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam, expanding the network’s geographic presence.

Definition of a Geopark: UNESCO Global Geoparks are areas with internationally significant geological heritage, managed for protection, education, and sustainable development, including geological, ecological, archaeological, historical, and cultural elements.

Total Number of Geoparks: The network now encompasses 229 geoparks across 50 countries.

Importance of Geotourism: Geoparks promote sustainable local economic development, primarily through geotourism, which is dependent on visibility.

Criteria for Designation: Areas are designated as UNESCO Global Geoparks based on geological heritage of international value, effective management, visibility, and networking.

Revalidation Process: UNESCO Global Geoparks are re-evaluated every four years to ensure they meet the criteria. Failure to meet standards can result in a “yellow card” (requiring improvements) or a “red card” (loss of status).

India’s Status: As of April 30, 2025, India has no UNESCO Global Geoparks.

FAO-Led Initiative: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) spearheads the Accelerating Innovative Monitoring

Focus on Monitoring and Reporting: AIM4NatuRe’s primary goal is to enhance countries’ ability to monitor and report on ecosystem restoration efforts. This is crucial for tracking progress and achieving restoration targets.

Global Scope and Targets: The initiative aims to support global efforts to restore at least 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030, aligning with the Global Biodiversity Framework’s Target 2. This highlights AIM4NatuRe’s contribution to international conservation goals.

Funding and Timeline: Funded by the United Kingdom (GBP 7 million, US$ 9 million total), the program runs from 2025 to 2028. This financial commitment and duration demonstrate the initiative’s resources and timeframe.

Technological and Data-Driven Approach: AIM4NatuRe will use cutting-edge technology, standardized data frameworks, and capacity development. This modern approach is key for efficient and effective monitoring.

Holistic Ecosystem Approach: The initiative covers various ecosystems, including forests, wetlands, grasslands, marine ecosystems, and agricultural landscapes. This comprehensive scope is essential for holistic nature restoration.

Support for Indigenous Peoples: AIM4NatuRe will support Indigenous Peoples in monitoring biocentric nature restoration. This inclusive approach acknowledges and integrates indigenous knowledge.

Framework and Guidance: The initiative will develop the Framework for Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring (FERM) and practical guidance. This ensures accessibility of data for informed decision-making.

India on ‘Priority Watch List’: India has been placed on the ‘priority watch’ list in the latest Special 301 Report by the USTR.

Purpose of the Report: The Special 301 Report, issued annually since 1989, identifies countries the US deems as having insufficient protection of intellectual property rights (IPRs).

Issued by: The United States Trade Representative (USTR) is the entity responsible for the report.

Categorization: Countries are categorized as “priority foreign country,” “priority watch country,” or “watch list country” based on the severity of IPR concerns.

Priority Watch Implications: Being on the

Potential Actions: Designation as a “priority foreign country” can lead to investigations and potential sanctions.

Criticisms of the Report: The report is criticized for being arbitrary, lacking empirical evidence, and potentially biased towards US industry concerns.

Strategic Partnership: India and Egypt are bolstering their ties established in 2023 through strategic cooperation, particularly in skill development.

Skill Development Collaboration: Discussions focused on strengthening vocational education and training (TVET) and creating a globally competitive workforce. Both nations are looking for ways to build a future-ready workforce through joint certification, exchange programs, and digital skilling initiatives.

Key Geographic Importance: Egypt’s location in Northeast Africa, including control of the Suez Canal, makes it geopolitically crucial.

Suez Canal’s Significance: The Suez Canal is a vital global trade route and essential for India, with approximately 12% of India’s global trade passing through it.

Areas of Cooperation: Potential areas of collaboration include joint certification programs, faculty and student exchanges, digital skilling and entrepreneurship initiatives, and the establishment of Centres of Excellence in sectors like IT, agriculture, tourism, and green skills.

India’s Skill Initiatives: India shared its “Skill Capital of the World” vision through the Skill India Mission, its TVET alignment with global standards, and the establishment of Skill India International Centres.

Egypt’s TVET System: Egypt shared insights into its TVET system, including the EU-supported TVET Egypt Reform Programme and the establishment of Sector Skill Councils.

• Impervious Surfaces: Concrete and asphalt absorb and release heat.
• Lack of Vegetation: Limited green spaces reduce natural cooling through evapotranspiration.
• Anthropogenic Heat: Vehicle emissions, industrial processes, and air conditioning add heat.
• Air Pollution: Particulate matter absorbs solar radiation.
• Urban Morphology: Dense buildings and narrow streets trap heat.

• Increased Energy Demand: Higher cooling needs lead to increased energy consumption and carbon emissions.
• Deterioration of Air Quality: Increased ground-level ozone formation worsens smog.
• Heat-Related Health Risks: Higher risks of heat stroke, dehydration, and cardiovascular stress.
• Strain on Water Resources: Increased evaporation and water demand.
• Biodiversity Loss: Harm to vegetation and wildlife due to excessive heat.

• Los Angeles Cool Roof Initiative: Uses reflective roofing materials.
• Dubai’s Smart Cooling Systems: Centralized chilled water distribution.
• Paris’ Cool Streets Initiative: Converts streets to pedestrian zones and adds green spaces.

• Marginalization of vulnerable communities is still prevalent.
• Health disparities and malnutrition persist.
• Water stress and energy poverty affect poor communities disproportionately.
• Mental health challenges arise from poverty and inequality.
• Gender disparities remain significant, with a vast difference in paid employment.
• Environmental degradation is fueled by unsustainable practices driven by poverty.

• Strengthen social welfare schemes.
• Enhance women’s access to education, healthcare, and financial independence.
• Improve energy and water access in rural areas.
• Scale up mental health support programs.
• Ensure transparency and accountability in welfare schemes.

Acquisition of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s Papers: The National Archives of India (NAI) has added the private papers of former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to its collection. This is significant as it enriches the repository with valuable historical insights.

Role and Function: The NAI is the primary custodian of non-current government records in India, operating under the Ministry of Culture. Its purpose is to preserve records of enduring value for administrators and scholars.

Scale and Significance: The NAI is the largest archival repository in South Asia, holding over 34 crore pages of public records. This includes a wide range of documents such as files, maps, and manuscripts, providing a comprehensive resource for researchers.

Historical Background: Established in 1891 in Kolkata, it was later moved to New Delhi and its current building completed in 1926. Understanding its history provides context to its current role.

Digital Access and Initiatives: The NAI offers online access to archival records through the “Abhilekh PATAL” portal, including over 2.7 million files. This is critical in the age of digitalization to enable wider accessibility of resources.

Legal Framework and Governance: The NAI implements the Public Records Act, 1993, and the Public Record Rules, 1997. This ensures the proper management and accessibility of government records.

The Core Issue: Balancing the rapid growth of AI, which has significant economic potential in India, with the environmental impact of its energy-intensive infrastructure, particularly data centers.

Why It Matters:

• Economic Benefits: AI is projected to generate massive economic value in India, contributing significantly to GDP and boosting various sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, and finance.
• Environmental Costs: AI’s reliance on data centers, and their high energy and water consumption, leads to increased carbon emissions, e-waste generation, and strain on resources.

Key Challenges:

• India’s significant dependence on fossil fuels for electricity generation, limiting the use of renewables for AI.
• Challenges with grid infrastructure, including reliability issues and transmission losses.
• The high energy demands of AI technologies, potentially increasing costs.
• The lack of comprehensive policies that integrates AI and renewable energy.

Solutions & India’s Approach:

• Integrating Renewables: Utilizing abundant solar and wind resources to power AI infrastructure.
• Green Backup Power: Shifting from diesel generators to green backup solutions like hydrogen fuel cells.
• AI-Powered Smart Grids: Using AI to optimize electricity distribution and promote energy-efficient hardware and cooling technologies.
• Policy and Incentives: Developing integrated policies that encourage the adoption of renewable energy in AI.
• Government support: Funding pilot projects, supporting startups in green technology integration.

Key Finding: An international team, including scientists from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), has mapped dynamic plasma currents within the Sun’s Near-Surface Shear Layer (NSSL). These currents correlate with the Sun’s 11-year magnetic activity cycle (sunspot cycle).

NSSL Overview: The NSSL is a crucial region just beneath the Sun’s visible surface, extending approximately 35,000 km deep. It’s where the Sun’s rotation speed changes rapidly with radius, creating rotational shear.

Flow Patterns: The study revealed that surface plasma flows converge towards sunspot latitudes, then reverse direction midway in the NSSL, flowing outwards to create circulation cells.

Influencing Factors: These flows are influenced by the Sun’s rotation and the Coriolis force.

Helioseismology: Scientists used helioseismology, analyzing sound waves within the Sun, along with data from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and the Global Oscillations Network Group (GONG).

Significance: Understanding NSSL helps in understanding solar magnetic fields, solar cycles, and space weather events, like solar flares, which can affect Earth’s satellites and infrastructure.

Further Research: The research suggests the Sun’s larger-scale flows are driven by deeper forces within the Sun’s interior which remains unknown.

Muziris Port: An ancient port on Kerala’s Malabar Coast (near Kodungallur, Thrissur), flourished from 3rd century BCE to 4th century CE.

Significance: A crucial hub along the historic spice route, facilitating trade between the Roman, Greek, Persian, and Arab worlds.

Trade: Exported spices (black pepper, cinnamon), pearls, ivory, and precious stones; imported gold, wine, and olive oil.

Cultural Importance: A cosmopolitan center with early presence of Christianity (St. Thomas), Judaism, Islam (Cheraman Juma Masjid), and Jainism.

Decline: Likely declined due to a flood in 1341 CE that altered the Periyar River’s course, leading to port silting and the rise of Kochi.

Muziris Heritage Project: Launched in 2009 by Kerala Tourism to preserve the 3,000-year-old heritage across 150 sq km, including museums, restored monuments, and excavations.

Contemporary Ports: Other important ports during the same period include Tamralipti, Bharukaccha, Arikamedu, and Poompuhar.

Why in News: India is promoting arbitration as a quicker alternative to its overloaded courts to resolve disputes, especially with its growing global economic stature and increasing commercial transactions.

Key Points:

• Arbitration offers a faster and more efficient dispute resolution mechanism than overburdened courts, particularly for complex commercial cases.
• India’s rising FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) and economic growth have amplified the need for effective dispute resolution methods like arbitration.
• Legislative support, including amendments to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act of 1996, aims to streamline arbitration processes and reduce court involvement.
• International recognition and enforceability of arbitration awards boost India’s appeal as an arbitration hub.
• Arbitration provides confidentiality, critical for protecting sensitive business information.
• Challenges include judicial influence leading to lengthy proceedings, limited diversity in the arbitrator pool, lack of specialized arbitrator training, and low global visibility of Indian arbitrators.

Why:

• Court backlogs and delays make arbitration an attractive option for time-sensitive commercial disputes.
• Arbitration provides the speed and confidentiality needed for international business disputes.
• Supportive legislation and global recognition enhances the credibility of the arbitration process.
• To enhance India’s Arbitration ecosystem, India requires a robust arbitrator accreditation framework, a National Arbitration Awareness Mission, Judicial reforms to limit interference, and Leveraged Diplomatic Resources to strengthen its arbitration ecosystem.

US Pressure and Indian Response: The US is urging India to lower import duties on alfalfa seed, prompting India to consider restricting the import of genetically modified (GM) alfalfa.

What is Alfalfa: It’s also known as Lucerne, it is a high nutritional value, perennial flowering legume native to South-Central Asia, and cultivated globally.

Agricultural Significance: Primarily used as a high-protein fodder crop for livestock (cattle, sheep, goats, horses), it supports dairy and meat industries. It can be harvested multiple times a year.

Environmental Benefits: Alfalfa fixes nitrogen in the soil, improving fertility and reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. It also aids in sustainable agriculture by reducing soil erosion.

Growing Conditions: Thrives in well-drained loamy soils with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH. It needs moderate irrigation and is drought-tolerant when established.

Human Consumption: Young alfalfa sprouts are used in salads and are known for their antioxidant, cholesterol-lowering, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Recent Case: A six-year-old girl in Kerala, India, died of rabies despite receiving preventive vaccination after a dog bite. This highlights the seriousness of the disease even with preventative measures.

What is Rabies?: Rabies is a deadly viral disease (caused by an RNA virus) that attacks the nervous system and is transmitted through the saliva of infected animals. It is 100% fatal once clinical symptoms appear.

Transmission: Primarily spread through bites from infected animals, especially dogs (responsible for up to 99% of human cases). It can also spread if infected saliva enters open wounds or mucous membranes.

Symptoms: Initial symptoms include fever and pain at the wound site, followed by progressive inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Clinically, it manifests as “Furious rabies” (hyperactivity, hallucinations) or “Paralytic rabies” (paralysis, coma).

Incubation Period: The incubation period varies from one week to a year, typically 2-3 months.

Prevention: Rabies is a vaccine-preventable disease. Vaccinating dogs is the most cost-effective way to prevent human cases by stopping transmission at its source.

Treatment: Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is critical after exposure and includes wound care, human rabies immune globulin (HRIG), and a series of rabies vaccines. PEP is nearly 100% effective if administered promptly.

Government considering restrictions: India is planning to restrict the entry of genetically modified (GM) alfalfa seed.

Why: Regulation of GM organisms: The Indian government has the authority to regulate GM organisms under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. This is likely the legal basis for the proposed restrictions.

US pressure: The US is urging India to lower import duties on alfalfa. This suggests trade-related concerns and potential diplomatic pressure influencing the situation.

Alfalfa’s importance: Alfalfa (lucerne) is a highly nutritious forage crop used as animal feed and consumed by humans.

Nutritional value: It’s rich in vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, and antioxidants.

Agricultural significance: As a legume, alfalfa fixes nitrogen in the soil, benefiting soil health.

US as a major producer: The US is the world’s largest alfalfa producer.

Novel Catalyst Development: Researchers at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, have developed a new heterostructure catalyst for more efficient green hydrogen production.

Heterostructure Composition: The catalyst combines Copper Tungsten Oxide (CuWO₄) and Copper Oxide (CuO), forming a p-n heterojunction.

Built-In Electric Field (BIEF) Effect: The heterostructure exploits the BIEF effect. The BIEF is created by asymmetric electronic environment which is crucial for modulating proton adsorption and desorption.

Mechanism of Enhanced Efficiency: The gradient in Gibbs Free Energy (∆G) across the CuO/CuWO₄ interface enhances hydrogen adsorption at CuO and desorption at CuWO₄, improving Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER).

Negative Cooperativity: The catalyst exhibits “negative cooperativity,” where increased proton binding at one site reduces affinity at others, promoting proton desorption.

Green Hydrogen Definition: Green hydrogen is produced through electrolysis of water using renewable energy sources, without emitting greenhouse gases.

Significance: This research provides insights into catalyst design for green hydrogen production, potentially leading to more sustainable and efficient production methods.

WAM! National Finale at WAVES 2025: Finalists from 11 Indian cities, selected through regional contests, will compete in the WAM! national finale at WAVES 2025. This finale takes place May 1-4, 2025, in Mumbai.

What is WAM!? WAM! (WAVES Anime & Manga Contest) is India’s first national initiative dedicated to discovering and promoting original Indian IPs (Intellectual Properties) in anime, manga, webtoons, and cosplay.

What is WAVES 2025? WAVES 2025 is a summit focused on India’s AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality) sector, with the theme “Create in India, Create for the World.” It aims to establish India as a global creative hub.

Organizers: WAM! is organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in collaboration with the Media & Entertainment Association of India (MEAI).

Create in India Challenges (CIC): WAVES features the CIC, with over 1 lakh registrations, including 1,100 international participants, showing global interest.

Crunchyroll Sponsorship & Creator Development Grant: Crunchyroll, a global anime brand, is the title sponsor and is providing a Creator Development Grant for WAM! 2025 winners, supporting them in developing original IPs.

Crunchyroll’s Support to Team India: Crunchyroll will support Team India, the WAM! 2025 Finale winners, at Anime Japan 2026 in Tokyo.

Significant Health Risk: A study links daily phthalate exposure to a substantial number of heart disease deaths (3.5 lakh or 13% of heart disease deaths in 2018 among those aged 55-65).

What are Phthalates?: They are chemical compounds primarily used to make plastics more flexible, durable, or easier to mold. They are most commonly used in polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Ubiquitous Use: Found in numerous products including vinyl flooring, adhesives, personal care items, plastic packaging, medical equipment and some children’s toys.

Migration and Exposure: Phthalates are not chemically bound to plastic, so they can leach out, leading to human and environmental exposure.

Health Impacts: Phthalates are endocrine disruptors, potentially causing changes to fertility, early puberty, low birth weight, obesity, diabetes, immune system issues, cardiovascular problems, and neurological/behavioral issues.

Critical Shortage of Agentic AI Professionals in India: Demand is outpacing supply significantly. The current talent pool of under 100,000 professionals is insufficient to meet the projected need of 200,000 by 2026.

Soaring Salaries and Intense Competition: The talent crunch is driving up salaries for agentic AI experts, with those having 2-5 years experience commanding an average salary of Rs 25 lakh per annum, significantly more than regular developers.

Agentic AI Defined: These AI systems autonomously plan, decide, and act to achieve goals, functioning independently and exhibiting initiative. Key features include autonomy, proactivity, planning & reasoning, memory and learning, and interaction.

Driving Forces: The surge in demand is fueled by a shift towards sophisticated AI agents capable of solving complex business problems and automating tasks, along with substantial investments in agentic capabilities across sectors.

Industry Growth and Applications: The market for AI agents is projected to reach $47.1 billion by 2030 (from $5.1 billion in 2024). High-growth sectors include autonomous vehicles, smart manufacturing, and healthcare, indicating significant potential.

Key Players and Demand Drivers: GCCs, IT firms, startups, and big tech companies are actively hiring agentic AI professionals.

Role Emergence: New roles, such as agentic AI architect and AI agent engineer, are emerging, highlighting the specialization within the field.