Exit of the United States from International Organisations

Why in News?

Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending U.S. support for 66 international organisations, agencies, and commissions, most of them linked to the United Nations system.

What is the background of the issue?

• Approach of the U.S – The Trump administration has adopted an “America First” approach that prioritises national sovereignty and transactional engagement over multilateralism.
• Reason for the exit – According to the U.S. State Department, these organisations were found to be:
  • Redundant or mismanaged
  • Wasteful and poorly run
  • Captured by interests contrary to U.S. priorities
  • A threat to U.S. sovereignty, freedoms, and economic prosperity
• Many targeted institutions focus on climate change, labour standards, population health, and diversity-related initiatives, which the administration has labelled as “woke” agendas.

What are the major international organisations affected?

• United Nations–related withdrawals – The U.S. has either exited or suspended support from several UN bodies, including:
  • World Health Organization (WHO)
  • UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)
  • UN Human Rights Council
  • UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
  • UN Population Fund (UNFPA)
• This represents a sharp break from earlier bipartisan U.S. support for UN institutions.
• UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – The UNFCCC is the foundational treaty underlying the Paris Climate Agreement.

• President Trump, who has repeatedly dismissed climate change as a hoax, had earlier withdrawn from the Paris Agreement as well.
• Implications:
  • Undermines global climate governance
  • Weakens collective action to curb greenhouse gas emissions
  • Provides other nations with justification to delay commitments
• Experts argue that meaningful progress on climate change is difficult without cooperation from the U.S., one of the world’s largest emitters and economies.

• Exit from other multilateral platforms – Other organisations from which the U.S. is departing include:
  • International Solar Alliance (India–France initiative)
  • Carbon Free Energy Compact
  • United Nations University
  • International Tropical Timber Organization
  • International Cotton Advisory Committee
  • International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies
  • International Lead and Zinc Study Group
  • Pan-American Institute for Geography and History
• Additional reviews of U.S. participation in international bodies are ongoing.

What are the impacts on global governance?

• Weakening of multilateral institutions – The U.S. has shifted to an à-la-carte approach, selectively funding only those agencies aligned with its strategic interests.
• This has:
  • Forced the UN to implement staffing and programme cuts
  • Reduced the effectiveness of global coordination mechanisms
  • Increased financial stress on humanitarian and development agencies
• Impact on global development and humanitarian work – Cuts in USAID funding have led to the closure of several NGO and UN-linked projects worldwide.
• Suspension of funding to UNFPA threatens access to sexual and reproductive health services in developing countries.
• Strategic reorientation – Despite the exits, U.S. officials maintain that they seek to expand American influence in select global standard-setting bodies where competition with China is intense, such as:
  • International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
  • International Maritime Organization (IMO)
  • International Labour Organization (ILO)
• This reflects a selective multilateralism aimed at geopolitical competition rather than global cooperation.
• Geopolitical and strategic implications – The withdrawals coincide with assertive U.S. actions, including threats against adversaries and unconventional foreign policy postures.
• Allies are unsettled by the erosion of predictable U.S. leadership.
• China and other powers may gain greater influence in vacated multilateral spaces.

What lies ahead?

• The U.S. exit from numerous international organisations under the Trump administration represents a fundamental shift in global governance, from cooperative multilateralism to transactional and interest-based engagement.
• While intended to safeguard sovereignty and reduce costs, the move risks:
  • Weakening global institutions
  • Undermining collective responses to transnational challenges like climate change, health, and humanitarian crises
  • Creating leadership vacuums that may be filled by rival powers
• For countries like India, this evolving landscape presents both challenges and opportunities to strengthen leadership in multilateral platforms and advocate for a more inclusive and balanced global order.

Reference

The Hindu| US withdrawal from International Institution

Biomaterials – Challenges and Opportunities

Why in News?

As countries look to shift to cleaner processes to manufacture consumer products, be it plastics or textiles, biomaterials will become the new frontier of materials engineering.

What are biomaterials?

• Biomaterials – The materials derived wholly or partly from biological sources, or engineered using biological processes, that are designed to replace or interact with conventional materials.
• Applications – They are increasingly used across sectors such as packaging, textiles, construction, and healthcare.
• Common examples include –
  • Bioplastics made from plant sugars or starch,
  • Bio-based fibres used in textiles, and
  • Medical biomaterials such as biodegradable sutures and tissue supports.
• Categories – Biomaterials can be broadly categorised into 3 types -
  • Drop-in biomaterials – It is chemically identical to petroleum-based materials and can be used in existing manufacturing systems (such as bio-PET);
  • Drop-out biomaterials – It is chemically different and require new processing or end-of-life systems (such as polylactic acid or PLA); and
  • Novel biomaterials – It offer new properties not found in conventional materials, such as self-healing materials, bioactive implants, and advanced composites.

Why does India need biomaterials?

• Green Growth Pathway – For India, biomaterials address multiple goals, including environmental sustainability, industrial growth, revenue generation, and supporting farmer livelihoods through a single pathway.
• Import reduction – Indigenous biomaterials biomanufacturing can reduce India’s heavy dependence on fossil-based imports for plastics, chemicals, and materials.
• Farm Income Diversification – It would also enable diversified value for agricultural feedstocks and residues, offering farmers new income streams beyond food markets.
• Global Competitiveness – As global regulations and consumer preferences shift toward low-carbon and circular products, biomaterials position the Indian industry to remain competitive in export markets.
• Policy Alignment – Biomaterials also support domestic policy goals around waste reduction, such as the ban on single-use plastics and climate action goals.

Where does India stand today?

• Strategic Growth Opportunity – India’s biomaterials sector, spanning bioplastics, biopolymers, and bio‑derived materials, is rapidly emerging as a strategic industrial and sustainability opportunity.
• Market value – With the bioplastics market alone valued at around $500 million in 2024 and forecast to grow strongly through the decade.
• Major PLA investment – Balrampur Chini Mills planned Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) plants investment in Uttar Pradesh is one of the biggest investments in India.
• Domestic innovation & startups – Like Phool.co, converting temple flower waste into biomaterials and Praj Industries, who have their own demonstration-level bioplastics plant in progress.

What are other countries doing?

• EU – It has moved to a single, binding Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (PPWR) that recognises that compostable packaging has demonstrable environmental benefits for specific applications.
• UAE – It is positioning itself as a major manufacturing base via large-scale PLA investment.
  • For Example,Emirates Biotech is building a PLA plant using Sulzer technology, with two phases of 80,000 tonnes per year, the plant is expected to start in 2028, once complete, will be the world’s largest PLA facility.
• U.S. – It is leading in a number of transformative technologies, securing it as a leader in biomaterials.
• A push for biomaterials comes through its federal purchasing power through the USDA’s BioPreferred program.

What are the issues need to be addressed?

• Feedstock competition – If feedstocks also do not scale with increased demand, there could be feedstock competition with food sources.
• Water stress & Soil degradation – Aggressive agricultural practices could lead to water stress and soil deterioration.
• Weak infrastructure – Further, weak waste-management and composting infrastructure could undermine environmental benefits.
• Fragmented policy coordination – Lack of alignment across agriculture, environment, and industry policies may slow adoption.
• Risk of import dependence – Failure to act quickly could leave India dependent on imports as other countries advance faster.
• Technology dependence – Although India has a rich agricultural base, in some sectors, there is foreign dependence for the technologies required for the transformation of feedstocks into market-ready final products.

What lies ahead?

• India’s advantage – India has an advantage in building a biomaterials industry, leveraging agricultural diversity and industrial potential.
• Scaling biomanufacturing infrastructure – Policy actions should focus on expanding fermentation and polymerisation capacity to meet industrial demand.
• Enhancing feedstock productivity – Emerging technologies can improve yields of sugarcane, maize, and agricultural residues for sustainable feedstock supply.
• Invest in R&D – Investing in research, innovation, and standards are crucial to develop both drop-in substitutes and novel biomaterials.
• Regulatory clarity – Clear definitions, labelling norms, and end-of-life pathways (recycling/composting) are essential to build consumer and industry confidence.
• De-risking early investments – Government procurement, time-bound incentives under frameworks, and support for pilot plants and shared facilities can reduce risk for investments.

Reference

The Hindu | Biomaterials

Siberian High

Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Geography

Why in News?

The Siberian High has recently drawn attention due to its strong winter activity, influencing cold weather conditions across parts of Asia, including India.

• Siberian High – It is an intense, robust system of cold, dry air and high atmospheric pressure that controls winter weather across Eurasia.
• Location – Centered near Lake Baikal in Siberia, it's also known as the Asiatic High or Siberian anticyclone.
• Intensity – It is the strongest semi-permanent high-pressure system in the Northern Hemisphere, with pressure often exceeding 1040 millibars.
• Vertical Extent - It is a shallow system, rarely persisting above altitudes of 3,000 meters (10,000 feet).
• Nature of Air – It is extremely cold and dry air.
• Formation – Radiative Cooling - The high forms due to intense cooling of the Earth's surface over the vast Asian landmass.
• During the long winter nights, heat escapes into space, causing the air near the surface to become dense, heavy, and cold.
• Winter Peak - It reaches its maximum strength in midwinter (January/February) and drives the northeast monsoon in East and South Asia.
• Summer Dissipation- In the summer months, the system is replaced by the Asiatic Low, which brings the summer monsoon.
• Climatic Drivers of Variability - Arctic Oscillation (AO) – Arctic Oscillation (AO) / North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)
  • Negative AO → stronger Siberian High.
  • Positive AO → weaker high.
• ENSO (El Niño–Southern Oscillation)
  • El Niño years may weaken the Siberian High; La Niña can strengthen it (not always consistent).
• Eurasian Snow Cover - Greater autumn snow cover → stronger winter Siberian High.
• Climate Change - Arctic amplification may reduce temperature gradients, potentially weakening the Siberian High, though episodic extreme cold events may persist.
• Impact on India – Siberian High drives cold northerly winds towards India.
• It is a key reason for cool winters in North India.
• The Himalayas generally block the most extreme cold associated with the Siberian High.
• During La Niña conditions, the Siberian High can overcome the Himalayan barrier and move southward.

Reference

The Hindu | Siberian High

India, the world’s largest rice producer

Why in News?

India has overtaken China to become the world’s largest rice producer, as announced by the Minister of Agriculture & Farmers welfare.

• Paddy (rice) is a staple crop for much of the world’s population.
• The cycle of growing rice is about 190 days, and the harvest seasons last for at least 30 days.
• Cropping seasons – Rice is majorly a kharif crop, it also grown in different seasons in different parts based on rainfall, temperature, water availability, soil types, and other climatic conditions.
  • Kharif (Monsoon/Wet Season: July–December) – Rice is the primary Kharif crop in India and is grown mainly under rainfed conditions.
  • Rabi (Dry Season: January–June) – Rice is grown in many states during the rabi season, where assured irrigation is available.
  • Zaid Season (Summer: March–June) -Paddy is also cultivated along with other summer crops on assured irrigated land, before the monsoon begins.
• Growing Conditions– Paddy crop is best suited to regions which have high humidity, prolonged sunshine and an assured supply of water.
  • Temperature – 20–35°C, and the maximum temperature that the crop can tolerate is 40-42° C.
  • Rainfall – 100–200 cm annually (or assured irrigation)
  • Soil – Sandy to clay, pH from 3 to 10, organic matter
  • content from 1 to 50% and salt content from 0 to 1 % with high water-retention capacity.
  • Humidity – High humidity favours healthy crop growth.
• Global Production –
  • Highest Producer – India beats China with a total output of 150.18 million tonnes.
  • Highest Exporter – India.
  • Highest Importer – Philippines, followed by Vietnam as the 2^nd-largest importer.

The top 3 rice-producing countries in the world are India (~150 MT), China (~145 MT), and Bangladesh.

• Role of High-yield variety seeds - High-Yielding Variety Seeds (HYV seeds) are seeds of better quality than normal quality seeds.
• Boost crop production with higher output per hectare compared to traditional varieties.
• Enhanced climate resilience in some varieties.
• Has more potential against insects and diseases, and intends to enhance farmers’ income.

References

1. The Indian Express | India, the world’s largest rice producer
2. The Economic Times | India, the world’s largest rice producer
   
    

PANKHUDI Portal

Why in News?

The Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) recently launched the PANKHUDI portal.

• It is an integrated platform aimed at strengthening corporate partnerships, voluntary contributions and stakeholder engagement for the welfare and empowerment of women and children.

Key Features

• Centralized Platform- Single-window digital platform to facilitate participation from individuals, NRIs, NGOs, CSR contributors, corporate and government agencies in women and child development initiatives.
• Thematic Focus - Covers important thematic areas such as nutrition, health, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), child welfare and protection, rehabilitation, and women’s safety and empowerment.
• Mission Integration - Supports and strengthens the implementation and monitoring of flagship missions, including Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0, Mission Vatsalya, and Mission Shakti.
• Registration & Tracking - Contributors can register, identify initiatives, submit proposals and track status through clearly defined digital workflows.
• Non-Cash Contributions - All contributions accepted through the portal are processed via non-cash, transparent and traceable modes to ensure accountability.
• Significance - Streamlines Corporate Social Responsibility and voluntary participation in women and child development programmes through a technology-enabled framework.
• Promotes transparency, accountability and real-time tracking of contributions and project outcomes, bridging gaps between public and private efforts for social development.

Reference

News on Air | PANKHUDI portal

Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary

Why in News?

Recently, the Kerala government renamed Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary in recognition of its exceptional butterfly diversity.

• About – Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary is officially declared as Kerala's first butterfly sanctuary.
• Declared in – 1984.
• Declared Under - The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• The sanctuary serves as a habitat for migrating butterflies in the Western Ghats.
• Location – Situated in Kannur district, north Kerala.
• River – The Cheenkannipuzha River, originating from the Brahmagiri ranges, flows through the sanctuary.
• Vegetation – The sanctuary is composed of evergreen and semi-evergreen forests. 
• Fauna – The sanctuary hosts a vast number of butterfly species, including Common Albatross and Danaine species.

• The sanctuary is also a habitat of the Schedule I Slender Loris.

Slender Loris is a small, nocturnal primate native to southern India and Sri Lanka, known for its large eyes and slow, stealthy movement.

• Other species – Spotted Butterfly, Buddha Mayuri, Rosy, Thalir Neeli, Okila Butterfly, and Malabar Rose were also recorded.
• Ecological Significance – It supports exceptional butterfly diversity and mass migrations, playing a crucial role in sustaining pollination and forest ecosystem balance.
• Wildlife corridors– The sanctuary shares boundaries with Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka), Kottiyoor Wildlife Sanctuary, and the North Wayanad forest division.

Reference

The Hindu | Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary  

Newly discovered Slender Arm Frogs

Why in News?

Recently, scientists from the University of Delhi have discovered two new slender-armed frogs from the remote mountain habitats of Arunachal Pradesh.

• The slender arm frog is a small-sized frog that tends to have more slender forelimbs.

• Biogeographical barrier - All other known members of the same genus occur south of the Brahmaputra River.
• Ecological Significance – Highlights the exceptional amphibian diversity of the Himalaya biodiversity hotspot.

References

1. The New Indian Express | Two new frog species discovered.
2. The Hindu | Two new slender-armed frog species identified