Yala Glacier
Syllabus: GS1/ Geography, GS3/ Environment
Context
- Glaciologists and local communities mourned the loss of Nepal’s Yala glacier, believed to be the first Nepalese glacier to be declared “dead”.
About
- Location: It is situated in Langtang National Park, in Nepal’s Himalayan region.
- Altitude: It lies at an elevation of about 5,000 meters above sea level.
- Type: It is a small plateau glacier often used as a training site for glaciological studies and mountaineering.
- Size: It has shrunk by 66% and retreated 784 meters since the 1970s. It is expected to vanish completely by 2040.
Glaciers Lost Earlier
- Lemthang Glacier, Bhutan: Vanished after a glacial lake outburst flood in 2017.
- OK Glacier in Iceland (2019): First glacier in the world to be declared “dead.”
- Pizol Glacier, Switzerland (2019): The glacier had lost more than 80% of its volume since 2006.
- Ayoloco Glacier, Mexico, 2021
- Basòdino Glacier, Switzerland, 2021.
Source: HT
Most Favoured Nation
Syllabus: GS3/Economy
Context
- The United States President signed an executive order to lower the prices of prescription drugs describing the move as the “most favored nation’s policy.
Most Favoured Status (MFN)
- Aim: The MFN principle was designed to prevent countries from giving different treatment to one partner over the other.
- Each member treats all the other members equally as “most-favoured” trading partners.
- If a country improves the benefits that it gives to one trading partner, it has to give the same “best” treatment to all the other World Trade Organization (WTO) members so that they all remain “most-favoured”.
- Principle: It seeks to replace the frictions and distortions of power-based (bilateral) policies with the guarantees of a rules-based framework where trading rights do not depend on the individual participants’ economic or political clout.
- Countries outside the WTO: Countries such as Russia, Iran, North Korea, Syria and Belarus are not a part of WTO & WTO members can impose whatever trade measures they wish without flouting global trading rules.
- Exceptions: There can be exceptions to allow for preferential treatment of developing countries, regional free trade areas and customs unions.
Removal of MFN status
- There is no formal procedure for suspending MFN treatment, it does formally allow the members to increase import tariffs or impose quotas on goods, or even ban them.
- In 2019 India suspended Pakistan’s MFN status following Pakistan’s terror attack on Pulwama in Jammu & Kashmir.
What does losing MFN status mean?
- Revoking MFN status sends a strong signal that the member countries do not consider the losing country an economic partner.
- Members can increase import tariffs or impose quotas on goods, or even ban them, and to restrict services out of the country.
| World Trade Organization (WTO) – The WTO is the successor of the erstwhile GATT, and is the world’s largest intergovernmental trading body established in 1995. – It has over 160 member nations, and represents 98% of the world’s trade. – Its stated goal is to open trade for the benefit of all. |
Source: IE
Quantum Key Distribution Technology
Syllabus: GS3/Science and Technology
Context
- The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), under Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Synergy Quantum India Private Limited.
About
- Objective: The MoU aims to formalize cooperation between C-DOT and Synergy Quantum in the development of Drone-based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) systems.
- Partnership Structure: A blend of public sector R&D strength (C-DOT) and private sector innovation (Synergy Quantum).
- Strategic Alignment: Supports India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) mission, specifically in the emerging quantum communication and secure telecom domain.
- Deployment Focus: Emphasis on drone-based platforms, enabling flexible and rapid deployment for secure communications, especially in critical or remote environments.
Significance
- Quantum-Safe Communications: Classical encryption methods are at risk from quantum computing, which could break traditional cryptographic schemes.
- QKD offers a future-proof method of secure key exchange, using principles of quantum mechanics to ensure tamper-proof communication.
- Strategic Use-Cases: Applicable to defence, emergency response, critical infrastructure, and government communications — areas where data security is paramount.
- Drones as QKD platforms offer mobility, speed of deployment, and line-of-sight communication advantages.
- Global Relevance: Countries like China, the US, and the EU are investing heavily in quantum communication technologies.
- This move positions India to join the ranks of leading nations in quantum R&D, with a potential focus on exporting indigenous solutions.
Source: PIB
PM Unveils India’s New Security Doctrine
Syllabus: GS3/ Internal Security
Context
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a new anti-terror doctrine, redefining India’s national security approach.
- He emphasized that while India is peace-loving, it would now follow a path of “peace through strength.”
India’s New Doctrines
- Decisive retaliation on India’s terms: India will take strict action at every place from where the roots of terrorism emerge.
- No tolerance for nuclear blackmail: The doctrine dismisses the long-standing strategy of Pakistan’s “nuclear shield” as a deterrent against Indian action.
- India signaled that it can and will respond even under the shadow of nuclear threats, relying on precision weaponry and credible deterrence.
- No distinction between terrorists and their sponsors: India will not differentiate between the government sponsoring terrorism and the masterminds of terrorism.
Source: IE
National Defence Fund (NDF)
Syllabus: GS3/ Defence
In News
- The Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Co-operative (CAMPCO) Ltd. has contributed ₹5 crore to the National Defence Fund (NDF).
About National Defence Fund (NDF)
- Established: 1962
- Objective: To utilize voluntary donations for the welfare of armed forces personnel and their families.
- Administration: The fund is managed by an Executive Committee, with the Prime Minister as the Chairperson. Other members include the Defence Minister, the Home Minister, and the Finance Minister, who also serves as the Treasurer.
- Funding: The NDF relies entirely on voluntary contributions from the public and receives no budgetary support from the government.
- Tax Exemption: All contributions made to the NDF are exempt from Income Tax under Section 80(G) of the Income Tax Act.
Source: TH
BrahMos
Syllabus: GS3/Defence
Context
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurated a BrahMos Integration & Testing Facility in Lucknow, boosting India’s missile production capability.
About BrahMos Missile
- Joint Venture: Between DRDO (India) and NPO Mashinostroyeniya (Russia).
- Name Origin: Blend of Brahmaputra (India) and Moskva (Russia) rivers.
- First Test: The first successful test of the missile was conducted on June 12, 2001.
- Induction Timeline: Navy (2005), Army (2007) and IAF (2017).
- Capability: It’s a ‘fire and forget’ missile — land, sea, or air — any time, any weather. And nearly impossible to intercept.
- The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was likely used for the first time in a combat situation during Operation Sindoor.
- Speed: Current: Mach 2.8 (Supersonic)
- Future: Mach 5+ (Hypersonic in development)
- Range: Originally capped at 290 km (MTCR limit)
- Now extended to 400 km
- Under development: 600+ km
- Stages: BrahMos is a two-stage missile with a solid propellant booster engine.
- Its first stage brings the missile to supersonic speed and then gets separated.
- The liquid ramjet or the second stage then takes the missile closer to three times the speed of sound in the cruise phase.
- Export Potential: The Philippines is the first nation to sign an agreement with India to import BrahMos. However, other countries, including Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, UAE, Chile, and South Africa, have also shown interest in acquiring the missile.
| Do you Know? – The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) is a voluntary multilateral grouping that aims to limit the spread of missile technologies that may be used for chemical, biological and nuclear attacks. – To achieve its objectives, the MTCR restricts the transfer of missiles and certain technologies to non-MTCR members. India became a member in 2016. |
Source: IE
Cross River Gorilla, Tapanuli Orangutan among 25 most endangered primates: Report
Syllabus: GS3/Species in News
Context
- The Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) and the Tapanuli Orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) are among the 25 most endangered primates in the world.
About
- The 2023-2025 list of the world’s 25 most endangered primates has six species from Africa, four from Madagascar, nine from Asia, and six from the Neotropics (South America).
Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli)
- Cross River gorillas is a subspecies of the western lowland gorilla.
- They tend to have redder or greyer fur than eastern gorillas.
- It is the rarest subspecies of gorilla, with only a few hundred individuals remaining in highly fragmented forest patches.
- Region: Border region of Cameroon and Nigeria in Central Africa.
- Threats:
- Poaching.
- Habitat fragmentation due to agriculture and infrastructure.
- Limited genetic diversity due to small population size.
- IUCN Status: Critically Endangered.
Tapanuli Orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis)
- It is the most endangered species of great ape; only discovered as a distinct species in 2017.
- Region: North Sumatra, Indonesia
- Threats:
- Habitat destruction from hydropower development and agriculture.
- Small and isolated population.
- IUCN Status: Critically Endangered.
Source: DTE
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