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Daily Archives: May 17, 2025

News In Short-17-05-2025

Context

  • President Droupadi Murmu conferred the 58th Jnanpith Award on Sanskrit scholar Jagadguru Rambhadracharya and Urdu poet and lyricist Gulzar.

    • About Jnanpith Award (also spelled Gyanpeeth Award)

  • It is India’s highest literary honor, instituted in 1961 by the Bharatiya Jnanpith.
  • Bharatiya Jnanpith is a literary and research organization founded by Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain and Smt. Rama Jain.
  • It is awarded for the work in 22 languages recognized by the Constitution of India and, from 2013, in the English language.
  • Once a language receives the award, it becomes ineligible for the next 3 years.

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    SC Bans Retrospective Environment Permits

    Context

  • The Supreme Court invalidated retrospective environmental clearances, emphasizing that development cannot compromise environmental protection.

    • Retrospective environmental clearances

  • These are approvals granted to industrial or infrastructure projects after the commencement of operations or construction, bypassing the legal requirement of prior environmental assessment.
  • The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification of 2006, under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, mandates prior EC before commencing any project that may affect the environment.

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    Hybrid & Proxy Warfare

    Context

  • Recently, the Union Defence Minister emphasized that India’s fight against terrorism is now part of its National Defence Doctrine, reinforcing its commitment to eliminating hybrid and proxy threats.

    • Understanding Proxy Warfare: Indirect Conflict Through Third Parties

  • Proxy warfare involves state or non-state actors supporting armed groups or insurgencies to achieve strategic objectives without direct involvement. 
  • India has consistently faced cross-border terrorism, with Pakistan-backed groups engaging in proxy conflicts.

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    Gene Editing Therapy Used to Cure a Rare Disease

    In News

  • In a historic medical breakthrough, scientists in the United States have, for the first time, successfully used a personalized CRISPR-based gene-editing therapy to treat a rare genetic disorder Carbamoyl Phosphate Synthetase 1 (CPS1) deficiency in an infant.

    • Applications of Gene Editing Therapy

  • Medicine: Treating genetic disorders like Sickle Cell Anaemia, Beta-Thalassemia, CPS-1 Deficiency.
  • Engineering immune cells (CAR-T therapy) to target cancer
  • Agriculture: Developing disease-resistant, high-yield crops
  • Veterinary Science: Enhancing livestock traits

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    Nearly 300 million people faced acute hunger in 2024: Report

    Context

  • The Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2025 provides consensus-based analysis on acute food insecurity, acute malnutrition and population displacement in countries/territories identified as having food crises in 2024. 

    • UN & Partner Recommendations

  • Evidence-driven, impact-focused interventions.
  • Invest in local food systems and integrated nutrition services to build long-term resilience.
  • Scale proven solutions, pool resources, and center affected communities in responses.

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    US Remittance Tax Plan Raises Concerns

    Context

  • A U.S. bill proposes a 5% excise tax on any remittances that originate in the US to any other country.

    • India’s Remittances: Key Facts

  • India’s remittances have more than doubled from $55.6 billion in 2010-11 to $118.7 billion in 2023-24.
  • Remittances from the U.S. and U.K. nearly doubled to 40% of total inward remittances in FY24, up from 26% in FY17. 
  • The U.S. became the top source of remittances in FY21, contributing 23.4% followed by the UAE contributing 19.2%.
  • Half of the remittances went to Maharashtra, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. Other states like Haryana, Gujarat, and Punjab had smaller shares (below 5%).

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    Sagarmatha Sambaad

    In News

  • Union Minister for Environment addressed the 1st Sagarmatha Sambaad in Nepal, presenting a five-point global action plan to protect fragile mountain ecosystems, with a focus on the Himalayas.

    • Five-Point Global Action Plan Proposed by India

  • Enhanced Scientific Cooperation: Strengthening research collaboration, and monitoring cryospheric changes, hydrological cycles, and biodiversity.
  • Building Climate Resilience: Investing in climate adaptation measures, early warning systems for disasters like Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), and climate-resilient infrastructure in mountain areas.
  • Empowerering Mountain Communities: Ensuring that the welfare, needs and aspirations of local communities are at the heart of policy-making and their benefit from green livelihoods and sustainable tourism. Their traditional knowledge is an invaluable resource.
  • Providing Green Finance: Making available adequate and predictable climate finance as per the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement for mountain Nations to implement adaptation and mitigation strategies effectively.

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    A Fund Crunch in the US: A Scientific Opportunity for India

    Context

  • The United States, long hailed as the epicentre of scientific innovation and research, is currently witnessing a systematic erosion of its knowledge economy.

    • Crisis in the the USA

  • Funding Freezes: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other US agencies have halted or cut funding for several international collaborative projects.
  • Institutional Uncertainty: Universities are facing layoffs and lab shutdowns; tenure-track positions are being reduced.
  • Migration of Scientists: Early-career researchers and even senior scientists are leaving the US for Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

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    संक्षिप्त समाचार 17-05-2025

    संदर्भ 

  • राष्ट्रपति द्रौपदी मुर्मू ने संस्कृत विद्वान जगद्गुरु रामभद्राचार्य और उर्दू कवि एवं गीतकार गुलज़ार को 58वें ज्ञानपीठ पुरस्कार से सम्मानित किया।

    • ज्ञानपीठ पुरस्कार (जिसे ज्ञानपीठ पुरस्कार भी कहा जाता है) के बारे में

  • यह भारत का सर्वोच्च साहित्यिक सम्मान है, जिसकी स्थापना 1961 में भारतीय ज्ञानपीठ द्वारा की गई थी।
    भारतीय ज्ञानपीठ एक साहित्यिक और शोध संगठन है जिसकी स्थापना साहू शांति प्रसाद जैन और श्रीमती रमा जैन ने की थी।
  • यह भारत के संविधान द्वारा मान्यता प्राप्त 22 भाषाओं और 2013 से अंग्रेजी भाषा में कार्य के लिए दिया जाता है।
    एक बार जब कोई भाषा पुरस्कार प्राप्त कर लेती है, तो वह आगामी 3 वर्षों के लिए अयोग्य हो जाती है।

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