World

Context Recently, North Korea announced that over 1.4 million people had volunteered to join the military, while it destroyed infrastructure along the border in response to South Korean drone operations and propaganda. Current Issues in the Korean Peninsula: Destruction of Infrastructure: North Korea has destroyed roads and railways near the …

Context: India and Canada have had a longstanding relationship marked by economic and cultural ties. However, the recent assassination of a Khalistani separatist in Canada has triggered a significant diplomatic dispute. Historical Ties: Colonial Connections: Both countries were part of the British Empire, forming early links between them. Freedom Struggle: …

Context (IE): Recent outbreak of the Marburg virus has been reported in Rwanda. Overview of Marburg Virus Marburg hemorrhagic fever is a rare but highly dangerous disease, impacting both humans and nonhuman primates. The virus responsible for the disease is the Marburg virus, which belongs to the family of RNA …

Context In October 2024, the Indian Prime Minister is attending the ASEAN and East Asia Summits in Vientiane, Laos, which marks the 10th anniversary of India’s “Act East Policy.” This engagement highlights ASEAN’s critical role in India’s foreign policy. Significance of ASEAN in India’s Foreign Policy Countering Chinese Influence: India …

Context (DTE): The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) published the State of Global Water Resources Report, highlighting that 2023 marked the driest year for global rivers. Contributing Factors Increased Water Demand: The report pointed out that growing agricultural and industrial demand placed added pressure on river systems, worsening the already low …

Context (TH|IE): The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton for their pioneering contributions and inventions that have laid the foundation for machine learning through artificial neural networks. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) An ANN is a computational framework that emulates the workings of the …

Context: China recently restricted the export of antimony citing ‘national security’ concerns. Antimony Overview: Antimony is a semi-metal, silvery white in color, brittle, and crystalline. It is not a good conductor of heat or electricity and has a low vaporization temperature. Though not abundant, it is found in trace amounts …

Context The Gulf region has played a crucial role in ensuring India’s energy security, which is vital for the country’s industrial growth, power, and transportation sectors. Energy Production and Consumption in India Global Standing: India is the world’s third-largest energy consumer after China and the United States. Energy Consumption: According …

Context: The World Bank has elevated Russia from an ‘upper-middle income’ to a ‘high-income’ country, a classification it last held in 2014. Russia’s Economic Resilience Global Rankings: Russia is 72nd in per-capita GNI and 53rd in purchasing power parity worldwide. GDP Growth: In 2023, Russia saw a 3.6% increase in …

Relevancy for Mains: Implications of the Russia-North Korea security pact on the stability of the world, etc. The security pact reached between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang, in which both countries promised mutual assistance “in the event of aggression”, has echoes from the …

❖  A new study has revealed the fate of methane released from the September 2022 explosions that damaged the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea. Nord Stream Pipeline Description: The Nord Stream network comprises offshore pipelines (Nord Stream 1 and 2) that supply natural gas to northern Europe. These …

❖: Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent Pyongyang visit culminated in a landmark pact between Russia and North Korea. Historical context of Russia-North Korea relations After WWII, the Soviet Union sought to establish a communist regime in Korea, offering significant military assistance to North Korean founder Kim Il Sung during the …

GS 3 : Test Flights of Private Rockets in India- Need and Significance. Agnibaan: Taking Flight in India’s Space Industry Agnikul Cosmos, an Indian space startup, successfully completed the first test flight of their two-stage, 14-tonne launch vehicle named Agnibaan. This marked the fifth attempt by Agnikul to test the …

UN Peacekeeping: The United Nations Peacekeeping (UNPKO) is a crucial instrument deployed by the UN to assist countries ravaged by conflict in transitioning towards lasting peace. Established in 1948, UN Peacekeeping has evolved significantly, with over 70 missions undertaken and over two million personnel deployed Role of Peacekeeping Operations Peacekeeping …

GS Paper II (Governance, Constitution, Social Justice and International Relations): India’s foreign policy: India’s role in the Antarctic Treaty System and its strategic interests in the region. International relations and security: Challenges of environmental protection in Antarctica and the role of international cooperation. GS Paper III (Science and Technology): India’s …

Introduction The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) is a strategic economic initiative launched by the United States in May 2022. It aims to strengthen economic ties among member countries in the Indo-Pacific region, fostering resilience, sustainability, and shared prosperity. This framework holds significance for regional economies, including India, offering …

  Concept: The UNHRC is a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) responsible for promoting and protecting human rights worldwide. It was established in 2006, replacing the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR), with the aim of addressing the shortcomings of its predecessor and enhancing the …

India nominates 12 forts of Marathas for UNESCO World Heritage List India has formally nominated the “Maratha Military Landscapes” for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List for 2024-25. This proposal includes a network of twelve forts in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu that demonstrate the Maratha rulers’ strategic military prowess. …

  The United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, also known as the Genocide Convention, is a landmark agreement – On December 9, 1948, the UN General Assembly adopted the Genocide Convention, the first human rights treaty, in response to the horrific atrocities of …

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said the northeast monsoon is likely to withdraw from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Thursday. Nippy weather may set in, especially over the interior parts of the State, where the minimum temperature is likely to drop by two or three degrees Celsius. On Wednesday, …