News In Short-29-04-2025

Tiexian Reef (Sandy Cay Reef)

Syllabus: GS1/ Geography

Context

• The South China Sea dispute has intensified as China and the Philippines assert claims over Tiexian Reef (Sandy Cay Reef).

About

• Location: it is a part of the Spratly Islands chain in the South China Sea.
  • It lies close to Thitu Island (Pag-asa), which is under Philippine control.
• China refers to Tiexian Reef as part of Nansha Islands and Philippines refers to it as Sandy Cay.
• The reef is partially submerged at high tide and consists of sandbars that occasionally rise above sea level.
• Strategic Importance: Control of the reef allows for increased military and surveillance capability in the region.

Source: TH

Supreme Court Says ‘Sharia Court’ Have No Legal Recognition

Syllabus :GS 2/Governance 

In News

• The Supreme Court ruled that Sharia Courts or Courts of Kazi have no legal recognition in India and their decisions are not binding. 

Sharia courts

• They  are informal Islamic forums led by a Qazi that interpret Shariat (Islamic law based on the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed) to provide guidance on personal matters like marriage, divorce, inheritance, and maintenance. 
• They serve mainly as arbitration centers, especially for the economically disadvantaged.
• However, their decisions are not legally binding or enforceable, and any party dissatisfied with their ruling can seek recourse in regular courts.

Supreme Court’s Recent ruling 

• The Court  cited  the 2014 Vishwa Lochan Madan case and clarified that any decisions from such bodies are valid only if voluntarily accepted by the concerned parties and not in conflict with existing laws.
• It granted  maintenance to a Muslim woman  whose husband had sought divorce through a Sharia court.

Source :TH

SMILE Scheme

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

Context

• As per the Union Social Justice Ministry, the SMILE scheme has identified fewer than 10,000 people engaged in begging.

About

• Scheme Name: Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE).
• Launch Year: 2022.
• Implementing Ministry: Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
  • One of its components was the sub-scheme to identify, profile, and rehabilitate individuals engaged in the act of begging with their consent. 
  • The other component of the scheme is for the empowerment of transgender persons.
• Objectives: Make religious, tourist, and historical urban spaces “beggary-free”.
  • Rehabilitate at least 8,000 individuals over FY 2023–24 to FY 2025–26.
• Implementation Phases: Phase 1: Began in 30 cities (e.g., Ayodhya, Amritsar, New Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow).
  • Phase 2: Expanded to 50 more cities in the second year.
• Key Data (as of December 31, 2024): Identified Individuals Engaged in Begging: 9,958 persons across 81 major cities/towns.
  • Rehabilitated Individuals: 970 persons (including 352 children).
  • 2011 Census Data: 3.72 lakh beggars recorded nationwide.
  • Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011: 6.62 lakh rural households reliant on begging or alms.

Source: TH

Geotagging of LAC

Syllabus :GS 3/GS2/Science and Tech /IR

In News

• India is geotagging patrolling points and landmarks along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh .

Geotagging

• It  is a process of adding geographical identification to various media like photography.
  • It helps organize and share content by location .
• It has applications in areas like disaster management, agriculture, and urban planning. 

Latest Developments 

• Geotagging of LAC will clearly demarcate the boundary with China, improve patrolling efficiency, and avoid clashes.
• This effort follows an October 2023 agreement between Indian and Chinese negotiators leading to troop disengagement and resolution of issues stemming from the 2020 standoff.
• Measures now include limited patrolling (twice a month), pre-shared patrol plans, avoidance of physical contact, and structured interactions between military officers of both sides
  • Enhanced surveillance through drones, cameras, and helicopter sorties, along with continued infrastructure development, supports these efforts. 

Source: IE

Revive Our Ocean Initiatives

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment

Context

• A new global initiative, ‘Revive Our Ocean,’ has been launched to scale up effective, community-led marine protected areas (MPAs) through local action.

About

• Objective: To remove key barriers that prevent coastal communities from managing and conserving their marine spaces.
• Approach: It inspires, enables, and equips communities to lead marine conservation.
  • Create a Revive Our Ocean Collective to connect local leaders and successful community-led marine protection models.
  • It launched a microfinance program to provide loans and grants for community-driven marine protection projects.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

• Ocean areas are reserved for long-term conservation of marine ecosystems, governed by national authorities, local governments, NGOs, or through community co-management.
• Current Status: Over 16,000 MPAs established globally, covering about 8% of the world’s oceans.
  • However only 3% of oceans are under full protection.
• Global Target: The 30X30 target of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) aims to protect 30 percent of the oceans by 2030.

Examples of Community-led MPAs

• In the Philippines, RARE’s Fish Forever program has helped over 2,000 communities set up no-fishing zones.
• Medes Island, Spain: A no-fishing zone of 1 sq. km has generated €16 million annually from diving tourism, 25 times the income from fishing.
• Isle of Arran, Scotland: Creation of a no-fishing zone led to a doubling of seabed life and spillover benefits to nearby waters.

Source: DTE

Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR)

Syllabus: GS3/Environment

Context

• The Odisha government notified the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), the world’s only home to wild melanistic tigers, as a national park.

About

• It is the 107th national park and the second in the state, after Bhitarkanika.
• Proposed in 1980, the intention to declare Similipal as a National Park remained pending for over four decades.

About Similipal

• Similipal, located in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, is home to 40 royal Bengal tigers, shelter to 25% of Odisha’s elephant population and 104 orchid species, many endemic to the region. 
  • It is a haven for over 360 species of birds, and diverse mammals like leopards, sambar, and mugger crocodiles.
• The forests of Similipal are a mix of sal trees, moist deciduous, and semi-evergreen types.
• The tigers of Similipal possess higher-than-normal levels of melanin, giving them coats that are more black with yellow stripes.
  • The pseudo-melanistic tiger is a colour variant of the Bengal tiger. 
  • Its strange coat is a result of a mutation in a particular gene. 

Source: IE

Spiders Engineer Webs to Combat City Noise: Study

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment and Ecology

Context

• A new study published in Current Biology by researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln reveals how funnel-weaving spiders (Agelenopsis pennsylvanica) adapt their webs to cope with urban noise pollution.

Key Findings

• Urban spiders build webs that dampen a broad range of vibratory frequencies (300–1,000 Hz) to reduce sensory overload.
• Rural spiders design webs that amplify biologically relevant long-distance vibrations (350–600 Hz), enhancing prey detection.
• Spiders don’t have ears, they use web vibrations to detect prey. The web acts as a sensory extension.

Implications for Urban Wildlife

• Spiders demonstrate behavioral plasticity—adapting web-building in response to environmental stressors like noise.
• Raises questions about how urbanisation alters animal behavior and evolutionary pathways.

Source: TH

Military Expenditure Report By SIPRI

Syllabus :GS 3/Defence 

In News

• According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India’s military spending in 2024 reached $86.1 billion  nearly nine times Pakistan’s $10.2 billion . 

SIPRI Military Expenditure Database 

• It provides consistent military spending data for countries from 1949 to 2024, updated annually.
• It includes figures in local currency, constant and current US dollars, and as shares of GDP, government expenditure, and per capita, mostly aligned to calendar years. 

Key Findings of recent report 

• Global military spending reached a record $2,718 billion in 2024.
  • The global military burden rose to 2.5% of GDP. 
• Europe was the biggest driver, increasing spending by 17% due to the war in Ukraine.
• The top five military spenders (U.S., China, Russia, Germany, and India) accounted for 60% of global defence expenditure. 

• China spent $314 billion, dominating Asia’s military spending, while Russia’s expenditure surged 38% to $149 billion amid the ongoing Ukraine war.
• Ukraine spent $64.7 billion, representing 34% of its GDP — the highest military burden globally. 

Source :TH

Padma Awards

Syllabus: Miscellaneous

Context

• The President of India presented Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri Awards for the year 2025 at the Civil Investiture Ceremony-I held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

About

• Padma Awards: One of the highest civilian awards of the country instituted in 1954, are conferred in three categories: 
  • Padma Vibhushan: Second-highest civilian award in India.
  • Padma Bhushan: Third-highest civilian award.
  • Padma Shri: Fourth-highest civilian award.
• They are awarded annually in various disciplines and fields of activities, including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service.
• They are announced every year on Republic Day (January 26).
• Open to all persons, regardless of race, occupation, position, or gender.
• Can be awarded posthumously.
• Selection Process:
  • Recommendations are made by state governments, central ministries, previous awardees, and the public.
  • Managed by the Padma Awards Committee, constituted by the Prime Minister annually.
  • Committee recommendations are submitted to the Prime Minister and President for approval.

Source: PIB