19.04.25

• India is officially designated as the headquarters and secretariat of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA).
• The IBCA is a treaty-based intergovernmental organization, launched by India in April 2023 on the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger.
• It focuses on the conservation of seven big cats: tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar, and cheetah.
• The IBCA became a global legal entity after ratification by India, Liberia, Eswatini, Somalia, and Nicaragua. India joined in September 2023.
• Membership is open to all UN member states, including range and non-range countries interested in big cat conservation.
• The IBCA’s governance structure includes an Assembly of Members, a Standing Committee, and the Secretariat in India.
• India will provide Rs 150 crore in budgetary support to the IBCA over five years (2023-24 to 2028-29) for infrastructure, corpus, and recurring expenses.
• The agreement covers visas, privileges, and immunities for the IBCA secretariat and personnel.
• The cabinet approved the establishment of the IBCA headquarters and budgetary support in February 2024.
• The IBCA headquarters agreement was signed on March 28. P Kumaran, Secretary (East), MEA, and S P Yadav, Director General, IBCA, signed the agreement.

Why it’s in the news:

• This formal designation reinforces India’s leadership role in global big cat conservation.
• The financial commitment demonstrates India’s dedication to the IBCA’s objectives.
• The agreement’s provisions will facilitate the IBCA’s operations and effectiveness as an international organization.

• Rare Auction: A 23.24-carat Golconda Blue diamond, with roots in India’s royal history, is set to be auctioned publicly for the first time at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction in Geneva on May 14.

• Exceptional Rarity and Quality: The diamond is a rich blue, indicating high purity and saturation, making it one of the finest blue diamonds globally. Its Golconda origin, historic royal connections, and modern setting by Paris designer JAR enhance its value.

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• Historical Significance: The diamond originated from the Golconda mines in Telangana, India, known for producing iconic diamonds like the Koh-i-Noor. It was previously owned by Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar II of Indore and the Maharaja of Baroda.

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• Royal Pedigree: It was formerly set in jewelry created by French houses Chaumet and Mauboussin, and it was featured in a portrait of Maharani Sanyogita Devi, representing the convergence of Indian luxury and Western modernity.

• Estimated Value: Christie’s has estimated the pre-sale value to be between $35 million and $50 million (approximately INR 300–430 crore), reflecting its rarity, historical importance, and beauty.

• Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity: The auction provides a rare opportunity for collectors, historians, and jewel enthusiasts to acquire a piece of history. It is anticipated to be one of the most fiercely traded colored diamonds.

• Alzheimer’s Progression Link: Recent research from UT Health San Antonio suggests that the activation of “jumping genes” (transposons) may play a significant role in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

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• What are Jumping Genes? Also known as transposons, these are mobile genetic elements that can move within the genome. They make up almost 50% of the human genome. Most are inactive, but some can “jump,” leading to genomic instability.

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• LINE-1 Retrotransposons: A common type, these replicate through RNA and use reverse transcriptase to integrate into DNA. Their activity is normally controlled, but these controls can weaken in aging or diseased brains.

• Mechanism of Damage: When activated, transposons can insert into essential genes, disrupting DNA and causing cellular damage, particularly in vulnerable neurons.

• Fruit Fly Experiments: Blocking transposon activity in fruit flies mimicking Alzheimer’s symptoms using an HIV drug (3TC) improved neural function. 3TC is a reverse transcriptase inhibitor, preventing retrotransposon copying.

• Human Clinical Trial: While 3TC didn’t directly improve memory in human patients, it reduced neurofilament light (NfL), a marker of neurodegeneration, suggesting neuronal protection.

• New Alzheimer’s Hypothesis: Alzheimer’s may be caused by genomic instability from jumping genes, not just protein aggregation (amyloid or tau).

• Barbara McClintock Discovery: Jumping genes were discovered by Barbara McClintock, who won the Nobel Prize in 1983 for her work.

• Impact on Evolution: Jumping genes contribute to genetic diversity, genome reorganization, and can sometimes trigger diseases by disrupting normal gene function.

• Study Recommendation: Roll back the 2015 mandate requiring all Indian coal-fired plants to install Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) systems.
• Current Mandate: In 2015, the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC) mandated FGD installation in all 537 coal-fired plants to reduce sulphur dioxide (SO₂) emissions, with penalties for non-compliance.
• High Costs: FGD installation costs ₹1.2 crore per MW, creating a financial burden for India’s large coal capacity.
• Low Sulphur Content: 92% of Indian coal has low sulphur content (0.3%-0.5%), making FGD less crucial.
• Minimal Acid Rain Threat: Studies indicate acid rain is not a significant issue in India, reducing the need for widespread SO₂ control.
• Climate Impact Concerns: FGD processes are energy-intensive, increasing CO₂ emissions and potentially worsening climate change due to the removal of SO₂’s temporary cooling effect.
• Poor Compliance: Despite extended deadlines, only 8% of plants have installed FGD, with many still lacking orders.
• Alternative Approach: The study suggests focusing on particulate matter (PM) pollution using electrostatic precipitators (ESP), which are more cost-effective and can significantly reduce PM.
• Selective FGD Implementation: FGD systems should be applied only to plants using imported or high-sulphur coal.
• Environmental Concerns: FGD increases power and freshwater consumption, leading to additional CO2 emissions, counteracting its benefits.

• Record Exports to US: India’s exports to the US reached a record USD 86.51 billion, driven by front-loading shipments ahead of anticipated tariff hikes. In March alone, exports to the US jumped 35% year-on-year, exceeding $10 billion.
• Surge in Imports from China: Imports from China increased to USD 113.45 billion, indicating a growing reliance and a widening trade deficit. Overall trade deficit reached $94.26 billion, with imports growing 7% to $915.19 billion. Trade deficit with China specifically hit $99.2 billion, reflecting structural dependencies.
• Flat Goods Exports, Growth in Services: Goods exports remained flat at $437.42 billion in FY25, while services exports grew by 12.45% to $383.51 billion, resulting in a healthy services trade surplus.
• Sectoral Export Growth: Electronics exports surged by 32% to USD 38 billion, boosted by smartphone shipments. Coffee exports increased by 40% to $1.8 billion due to global supply disruptions in Brazil.
• Export Share Increase: India’s export share in the US and UK markets rose by 13.73% and 14.31% respectively.
• Engineering Goods Concerns: While engineering goods exports recorded 6.74% growth in FY25, exports declined nearly 4% year-on-year in March. Additional US duties on iron, steel, and auto components could lead to a $4-5 billion drop in engineering shipments to the US.
• WTO Warning: The WTO anticipates a 0.2% decline in world merchandise trade volume in 2025 due to global uncertainty.

• Recent Tragedy: A family of three died by suicide, jumping from a bridge into the Tapi River near Kamrej, Surat district.
• Motive: The father, Vipul, was reportedly in debt (Rs 8 lakh) due to losses in share trading and aimed to prevent creditors from pursuing his family.
• Discovery: A passerby noticed an abandoned bike and footwear on the bridge and alerted the police.
• Search and Recovery: Police initiated a search, recovering the bodies the following morning. An accidental death complaint was filed.
• River’s Significance: The Tapi River (also Tapti) is a major river in central India.
• East-to-West Flow: It’s one of the few major Indian rivers flowing west, along with the Narmada and Mahi.
• Geographic Reach: It traverses Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat.
• Origin and Course: Rises in the Gawilgarh Hills (Madhya Pradesh), flows west between the Satpura Range, across the Jalgaon plateau (Maharashtra), through Surat (Gujarat), and into the Gulf of Khambhat (Arabian Sea).
• Length and Drainage: Approximately 700 km long, draining 65,145 sq km.
• Basin Features: Located in the Deccan plateau, bounded by the Satpura and Ajanta Ranges. Primarily agricultural land.
• Relation to Narmada: Flows roughly parallel to the Narmada River, separated by the Satpura Range, forming a natural barrier between northern and peninsular India.
• Major Tributaries: Purna, Girna, and Panjhra (flowing from the south in Maharashtra).
• Ukai Dam: A significant hydroelectric project on the Tapi River.
• Galteshwar Mahadev Temple: The family visited this temple on the banks of Tapi before the incident.

• Article 142 empowers the Supreme Court to deliver “complete justice” in pending cases, even if it means filling legislative gaps or overriding laws temporarily.
• Vice-President’s criticism: Jagdeep Dhankhar called Article 142 a “nuclear missile against democratic forces” after its use in the Tamil Nadu Governor case, where SC intervened regarding pending bills.
• Supporters argue Article 142 is a necessary tool to protect constitutional values and rights, acting as a check on executive overreach, especially when Governors delay assent to bills.
• Critics highlight subjectivity: The lack of a clear definition of “complete justice” raises concerns about judicial overreach and separation of powers.
• Court’s Self-Imposed Limits: The Supreme Court has historically exercised self-restraint when using Article 142, but the debate continues regarding its scope.

• Tamil Nadu Governor Case: The Supreme Court’s intervention involved setting time limits for Governors to act on bills, sparking debate about the balance of power.

• Arguments in Context Those against Article 142 over-reach need to consider whether Governors appointed to non-ruling party states are acting independently of the Central government.

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• Detection of Potential Biosignature Gases: Researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have detected dimethyl sulphide (DMS) and dimethyl disulphide (DMDS) in the atmosphere of exoplanet K2-18b.
• Significance of DMS and DMDS: On Earth, these gases are primarily produced by biological processes, making their detection a potential indicator of extraterrestrial life.
• K2-18b Details: This “super-Earth” exoplanet, located 120 light-years away, is about nine times as heavy as Earth and resides within its star’s habitable zone where liquid water could exist.
• Previous K2-18b Discoveries: Earlier observations from the Hubble Telescope and JWST had already indicated the presence of water vapor, methane, and carbon dioxide.
• Cautionary Note: Scientists emphasize that the detection of these gases does not definitively prove the existence of life on K2-18b. Abiotic processes or unknown chemistry might be responsible for their presence.
• Habitable Zone: K2-18b’s location within the habitable zone, where liquid water can exist, makes it a compelling target in the search for extraterrestrial life.
• Statistical Argument for Life: The vast number of planets in the universe increases the statistical probability of life existing elsewhere, even if the origin of life is rare. The Drake equation is used to consider the probability of intelligent, communicative extraterrestrial life, even if uncertain.
• Ongoing Search: The presence of these gases makes K2-18b an interesting subject for further scientific investigation in the field of astrobiology.

• China is set to unveil the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, poised to become the world’s highest bridge.
• Located in Zhenfeng County, Guizhou Province, China. Guizhou is already known for many impressive structures.
• It will be 625 meters (2,051 feet) above the Beipan River, surpassing the Millau Viaduct in France and taller than the Eiffel Tower.
• A steel truss suspension bridge with a total length of 2,890 metres (9,482 feet) and truss weight of 22,000 tons.
• Construction began on 18 January 2022 and took approximately 3.5 years.
• The estimated cost is around £216 million (Rs 2,200 crore).
• It will form part of the Shantou–Kunming Expressway.
• Travel time across the canyon will be reduced from one hour to two minutes.

• Report Release: The India Justice Report (IJR) 2025 is released, assessing states’ justice delivery capacity and performance.

• Overall Rankings: Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana top the large/mid-sized states; Sikkim leads among small states. Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha show the most improvement.

• Women in Police: Women hold only 8% of officer posts and under 1,000 senior IPS roles; 90% are in constabulary. 78% of police stations have Women Help Desks. No state/UT meets reserved quotas for women in police. Bihar has the highest share of women in state police.

• Judicial Gaps: Approximately 21,000 judges (15 per million vs. recommended 50). High Court vacancies at 33%, district courts at 21%. Gujarat has highest vacancies in High Court Judges and staff.

• Legal Aid Spending: Meagre Rs 6 per capita spent on legal aid annually.

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• Judiciary Spending: Overall judiciary spending is Rs 182 per person yearly; no state allocates over 1% of its budget.

• Paralegal Volunteers (PLVs): PLV numbers dropped 38% over 5 years, with only 3 per lakh population.

• Police Force: Faces manpower gaps (28% officer shortfall), low presence (120 per lakh vs. global norm 222), one cop for every 831 people. Per capita spending is highest among justice pillars (Rs 1,275).

• Prison Overcrowding: Prisons are 131% over capacity, with staff shortages (officers 28%, correctional 44%, medical 43%). Doctor-inmate ratio is 1:775. Under-trials are 76% of prisoners. UP has the most overcrowded prisons and more than half of High Court Judges missing. 91% of Delhi’s prison population consisted of under-trials.

• Prisoner Rehabilitation: Only 6% of inmates receive education, 2% vocational training (2022).

• Tamil Nadu: Tops in prison management but rank in policing fell from 3 to 13 and continues to fare poorly in legal aid.

• CCTV and Women Help Desks: About 17% of police stations in the country do not have a single CCTV. Nearly three in 10 police stations do not have women help desks.

• Annual Spend on a Prisoner: Andhra Pradesh records the highest annual spend on a prisoner at ₹2,67,673.

• Civil police personnel availability: One civil police personnel is available for 831 people.