- The United States, long hailed as the epicentre of scientific innovation and research, is currently witnessing a systematic erosion of its knowledge economy.
- 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. Read More
Home / Daily Current Affairs / 17-05-2025
Daily Current Affairs – 17 May, 2025
PDF - 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.
- 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. Read More
Sagarmatha Sambaad
In News
Five-Point Global Action Plan Proposed by India
- A U.S. bill proposes a 5% excise tax on any remittances that originate in the US to any other country.
- 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%). Read More
US Remittance Tax Plan Raises Concerns
Context
India’s Remittances: Key Facts
- 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.
- 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. Read More
Nearly 300 million people faced acute hunger in 2024: Report
Context
UN & Partner Recommendations
- 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.
- 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 Read More
Gene Editing Therapy Used to Cure a Rare Disease
In News
Applications of Gene Editing Therapy
- 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.
- 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. Read More
Hybrid & Proxy Warfare
Context
Understanding Proxy Warfare: Indirect Conflict Through Third Parties
- The Supreme Court invalidated retrospective environmental clearances, emphasizing that development cannot compromise environmental protection.
- 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. Read More
SC Bans Retrospective Environment Permits
Context
Retrospective environmental clearances
- President Droupadi Murmu conferred the 58th Jnanpith Award on Sanskrit scholar Jagadguru Rambhadracharya and Urdu poet and lyricist Gulzar.
- 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. Read More
