Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS)
Syllabus: GS3/ Economy
In News
- India’s chairmanship of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) offers a strategic opportunity to India to strengthen the global diamond governance.
Conflict Diamonds
- ‘Conflict diamonds’, also known as blood diamonds, are the rough diamonds mined and used by rebel movements or their allies to finance armed conflicts aimed at undermining legitimate governments.
- The term was introduced in the 1990s when international attention turned to the role of diamonds in financing violence in African countries like Angola, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Liberia, etc.
- These diamonds entered the global market through informal and illegal trade networks, making it difficult to trace their origin.
Kimberley Process
- The Kimberley Process is a multilateral, voluntary certification mechanism aimed at preventing the trade of conflict diamonds.
- It represents over 99% of global rough diamond trade.
- Every shipment of rough diamonds between participating countries must carry a Kimberley Process Certificate. The certificate guarantees that the diamonds are conflict-free.
- Trade with non-participants is prohibited.
India’s Diamond Industry
- India is the world’s largest cutting and polishing hub.
- It is a major importer of rough diamonds & top exporter of cut and polished diamonds ($13.3 billion in 2024–25).
- It is the second-largest diamond market after the United States.
- Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) is the nodal agency for implementing Kimberley Process Certificate. It works under the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Way Ahead
- India is reconsidering the definition of conflict diamonds, as it does not include diamonds linked to child labour, environmental harm, and human rights violations.
- The focus is also on strengthening transparency and traceability of rough diamonds across the global supply chain.
Source: IE
RBI Conducts OMO Purchase to Inject Liquidity Amid Rupee Pressure
Syllabus: GS3/ Economy
Context
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) conducted Open Market Operation (OMO) purchase auctions of Government Securities (G-Secs) worth ₹50,000 crore to inject liquidity into the banking system.
What are Open Market Operations (OMO)?
- Open Market Operations are monetary policy tools used by the RBI to regulate liquidity in the banking system.
- Under OMOs, the RBI buys or sells Government Securities (G-Secs) in the open market.
- OMO Purchase: RBI buys government bonds from banks. This injects liquidity into the banking system.
- OMO Sale: RBI sells government bonds to banks. This absorbs excess liquidity from the market.
What is Government Security (G-Sec)?
- It is a tradable instrument issued by the Central Government or the State Governments. Such securities are;
- Short term (usually called treasury bills, with original maturities of less than one year) or
- Long term (usually called Government bonds or dated securities with an original maturity of one year or more).
- In India, the Central Government issues both treasury bills and bonds or dated securities while the State Governments issue only bonds or dated securities, which are called the State Development Loans (SDLs).
- G-Secs carry practically no risk of default and, hence, are called risk-free gilt-edged instruments.
Source: RBI
War of Attrition
Syllabus: GS3/Defence
Context
- As tensions between US, Israel and Iran continue, experts warn that this is becoming a war of attrition.
About
- The war of attrition is a military strategy where a warring side seeks to exhaust its opponent’s resources, personnel, and morale until the capacity to fight collapses.
- The strategy involves a large amount of equipment, soldiers, and supplies to maintain sustained pressure on the enemy.
- The term attrition originates from the Latin word attritionem, meaning “a rubbing against”.
- In other words, the term attrition means rubbing or wearing something away.
- A major war of attrition was fought in West Asia between Egypt and Israel from 1969 to 1970 over control of the Sinai Peninsula, a large desert area between the two countries.
Source: IE
Darknet
Syllabus: GS3/Cyber Security; Internal Security
In News
- The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has busted the ‘Team Kalki’ darknet drug network operating nationwide since January 2025.
Darknet
- The darknet is a part of the internet that is intentionally hidden and cannot be accessed through standard web browsers or search engines.
- It requires specialized software (TOR), configurations, or authorization to access.
- Users remain anonymous, and their identities and locations are concealed through encryption. The darknet is a subset of the deep web.
- It is used for narcotics sale, exchange of pornographic content and other illegal activities.
Source :TH
White Phosphorous
Syllabus: GS3/ S&T
In News
- Human Rights Watch have now accused Israel of “unlawfully” using white phosphorus in Lebanon.
About White Phosphorous
- White phosphorus (WP) is a highly reactive chemical substance used mainly in military applications for smoke screens, illumination, and incendiary effects.
- It is a translucent yellowish-white waxy solid & glows faintly in the dark due to slow oxidation when exposed to oxygen.
- It is stored under water or inert environments to prevent ignition.
- White phosphorus is extremely toxic and hazardous as it causes deep chemical burns when it comes into contact with skin.
- It is not explicitly banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention but prohibited under International Humanitarian Law.
Source: TH
Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD)
Syllabus: GS3/Defence
Context
- Iran has reportedly struck a key radar associated with the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defence system used by the United States and Israel in West Asia.
About THAAD
- THAAD is an advanced missile defence system developed by the United States to counter short-medium-and limited intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
- THAAD can engage ballistic missile threats at ranges of around 150–200 km.
- It intercepts missiles during the terminal phase of their flight, both inside and outside the Earth’s atmosphere, providing a high-altitude defensive shield.
- The system uses “hit-to-kill” technology, in which interceptor missiles destroy targets through direct kinetic impact rather than explosive warheads, improving precision and reducing collateral damage.
- The United Arab Emirates became the first foreign buyer in 2011, followed later by Saudi Arabia.
Do You Know?
- India has opted for the S-400 Triumf air defence system from Russia instead of acquiring THAAD from the United States.
Source: TH
Exercise LAMITIYE-2026
Syllabus: GS3/Defence
Context
- An Indian Armed Forces contingent has arrived at Seychelles to participate in the Eleventh edition of Joint Military Exercise LAMITIYE-2026.
- Seychelles is an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, comprising about 115 islands.
About
- ‘LAMITIYE’ meaning ‘Friendship’ in the Creole language is a biennial training event and has been conducted in Seychelles since 2001.
- The exercise will enhance synergy in the domains of sub-conventional operations in a semi-urban environment and cooperation and interoperability between both sides during peacekeeping operations.
Source: AIR
FSI’s ‘Anavaran’ Deforestation Alert System Halted
Syllabus: GS3/ Environment
Context
- The Forest Survey of India (FSI) has reportedly halted the fortnightly alerts generated by its AI-based Anavaran–Deforestation Alert System, which monitored forest cover loss in near-real time.
What is the Anavaran–Deforestation Alert System?
- Anavaran is an AI-enabled deforestation monitoring platform developed by the Forest Survey of India.
- It uses satellite imagery and machine learning algorithms to detect forest cover loss and send alerts to state forest departments every 15 days.
- The system was operational from 2024 as a pilot project to strengthen real-time forest monitoring.
- The Anavaran alert system is based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, and uses
- Sentinel‑2 optical imagery (10–20 m spatial resolution).
- Sentinel‑1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for monitoring during cloud cover or monsoon.
Forest Survey of India (FSI)
- The Forest Survey of India (FSI) is the nodal national organisation responsible for assessing and monitoring India’s forest resources.
- It operates under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
- Established in 1981, and headquartered in Dehradun, it succeeded the “Preinvestment Survey of Forest Resources” (PISFR).
- It assesses and monitors forest and tree resources of the country and publishes the results in thebiennial India State of Forest Report.
Source: IE
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