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Monthly Archives: May 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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