Prelims – Current events of International Importance.
Mains (GS I) – International Relations | Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
Why in News?
India and Italy have decided to expand cooperation jointly in implementing the ambitious India-Middle-East-Europe-Economic Corridor (IMEEC).
It is an initiative to enhance India's maritime security and facilitate quicker transportation of goods between Europe and Asia.
Launched on - G20 Summit in Delhi in September 2023.
Aim - To integrate India, Europe, and the Middle-East through UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and the European Union.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed countries - India, United States, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union.
Corridors
East corridor - Connects India to the Gulf and
Northern corridor - Connects the Gulf to Europe.
Ports to be Linked
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India |
Mundra (Gujarat), Kandla (Gujarat), and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (Navi Mumbai). |
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Middle East |
Fujairah, Jebel Ali, and Abu Dhabi in the UAE, along with Dammam and Ras Al Khair ports in Saudi Arabia. |
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A railway line will connect Fujairah port (UAE) to Haifa port (Israel) through Saudi Arabia (Ghuwaifat and Haradh) and Jordan. |
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Israel
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Haifa port. |
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Europe |
Piraeus port in Greece, Messina in Southern Italy, and Marseille in France. |
The main elements of the Framework include development and management of a logistics platform, including a digital ecosystem, and provision of supply chain services to handle all types of general cargo, bulk, containers and liquid bulk in order to enable IMEEC.
Advantages - The corridor intends to enhance connectivity, increase efficiency, reduce costs, secure regional supply chains, increase trade accessibility, generate jobs and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Significance for India
Strengthening Maritime Security and also acts as a strategic countermeasure to China's Belt and Road Initiative.
IMEEC will contribute to regional stability and peace by aligning with the European Nations’ Global Gateway program.
A stabilized trade corridor under the IMEEC framework will streamline logistics and ensure the continuous, dependable flow of products, renewable energy, and information.
The corridor will also drive a significant increase in trade demand and supply across the region, reducing transaction costs and creating new job opportunities.
IMEEC offers a vital platform for cultural and political exchange.
It extends into the energy and technology sectors, incorporating initiatives such as integrated electricity grids, clean hydrogen pipelines, and secure high-speed data connectivity.
Reference
The Indian Express | IMEEC initiative
Prelims – History of India and Current events of national importance.
Mains (GS I) – Indian Heritage and Culture.
Why in News?
Prime Minister Recently recalled Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair, who fought a battle against a senior official of the Raj who had sued Sir Sankaran for holding him responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
He is a nationalist and jurist and a firm opponent of British colonialism.
Born in - 1857 in an aristocratic family in Malabar’s Palakkad district.
Graduated from - Presidency College in Madras and got a degree in law.
Hired by - Sir Horatio Shepherd who later became Chief Justice of Madras High Court.
Contributions - Led the Indian National Congress Session in Amraoti in 1897.
Sankaran Nair was designated as the public prosecutor in 1899 and later ascended to the position of judge at the Madras High Court in 1908.
In 1912, he was honored with a knighthood by the British Crown.
By 1915, he became a member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council, focusing on educational reforms.
In 1919, he played an important role in the expansion of provisions in the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms.
Montagu-Chelmsford reforms introduced a system of dyarchy in the provinces and increased participation of Indians in the administration.
However, in 1919, he chose to resign in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Nair believed in India’s right to self-government.
Acted as the chairman of the All-India Committee, which engaged with the Simon Commission in 1928–29, albeit with limited success.
Held the position of councillor to the Secretary of State for India from 1920 to 1921.
In 1922, Nair published Gandhi and Anarchy, a book in which he spelt out his critique of Gandhi’s methods of non-violence, civil disobedience, and non-cooperation.
He also accused Michael O’Dwyer, who was Lieutenant Governor of Punjab at the time of the massacre, of following policies that led to the deaths.
Nair passed away in 1934 at the age of 77.
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Jallianwallah Bagh Massacre |
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Rowlatt Act |
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Reference
The Indian Express | Sir Sankaran Nair
Prelims – General Science.
Mains (GS II & III) - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources| Science and Technology Developments.
Why in News?
Researchers at the Thiruvananthapuram-based Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) have developed and tested cost-effective, rt-LAMP assay for early diagnosis of TB.
It is a novel molecular test with high sensitivity and specificity for early diagnosis of Tuberculosis (TB).
It was able to detect TB DNA even when only 10 copy numbers were present per microlitre in a sample.
Researchers used fluorescent dye Syto 16 (commonly used in laboratories for analyzing cells and various biological samples), which does not hinder the reaction, effectively addressing the persistent problem of false negatives observed in previous LAMP tests.
Unlike RT-PCRs that require 3 different temperature settings to complete a test, the rt-LAMP test works at a single temperature.
6 primers used for amplification compared with two in the case RT-PCRs, the rate of amplification is high.
Results of positive samples can be obtained in 10-20 minutes.
Approval Status - It has been licensed to the industry for production.
It has received approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
It is currently being validated by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
The WHO Health Technology Access Pool program is currently evaluating the technology.
Reference
The Hindu | real-time LAMP (rt-LAMP) assay
Prelims – Current events of national and international importance.
Mains (GS I) – Distribution of key natural resources across the world.
Why in news?
Recently, China has suspended the export of key rare earth metals and magnets as a part of China’s retaliation for US tariff increase.
Rare Earth Elements (REEs) – They are a set of 17 silvery-white soft heavy metals.
It is also called rare earth oxides.
The 17 rare earth elements are,
Scandium and yttrium are not part of the lanthanide family, but they are included because they occur in the same mineral deposits as the lanthanides and have similar chemical properties.
All Rare earth elements are considered metals.
Properties – Malleable with high melting and boiling points.
They exhibit both strong magnetic and luminescent properties due to their unique electronic structure.
Significance – Rare earth metals are vital in advanced electronics, defence and medical equipment’s and renewable energy.
They are critical in green technologies, to support net zero carbon emissions goals.
Resource distribution – China has the largest reserves and production, followed by countries like Brazil, Vietnam, and Russia.
China account for 90% of global production and it also controls refining technologies related to rare earth elements.
Suspension on export – The Chinese government ordered restrictions on the export of key rare earth metals, which are refined entirely in China, as well as rare earth magnets.
Key heavy rare earth metals which that are covered under restriction are samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium and yttrium.
Retaliation on US – This suspension was in response to reciprocal tariffs imposed by US which led to trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
It is primarily aimed to prevent supplies from reaching certain companies, including American military contractors.
New regulatory system – The metals, and special magnets made with them, can now be shipped out of China only with special export licenses.
The licensing regime for other countries is yet to set up by China which, effectively halts shipments.
Impact of Rare earth element export suspension –It is likely to trigger a global supply crunch especially affecting major REE-consuming countries like the US, Japan, Vietnam, and Germany.
It could affect the production of Electric vehicles, defence equipment and advanced electronics.
India has limited impact due to relatively low domestic consumption but it still relies heavily on China for Rare Earth metals with 65% of imports are from China.
References
Prelims – Current events of national and international importance| General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change.
Mains (GS III) – Conservation
Why in news?
Recently, Tamil Nadu Forest Department has conducted survey to map the population of mugger crocodiles in the state.
The mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) is a medium-sized broad-snouted crocodile, also known marsh crocodile.
Scientific name – Crocodylus palustris
Distribution – India (15 states), Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Iran.
Habitat – They are primarily found in freshwater habitats like rivers, lakes and marshes.
Appearance – The Mugger crocodile has the broadest snout among living crocodiles and it has a powerful tail and webbed feet.
Key populations – Middle Ganga, Chambal River, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu's Cauvery delta
Diet – Muggers primarily eats fish, crabs, insects, small fish.
Adults consume amphibians, reptiles (snakes, turtles), birds, monkeys, deer, buffalo.
Characteristics – Crocodiles eat minimally during winters, it is only during their breeding season in summers they become opportunistic predators and use all available resources as food.
Threats – Habitat destruction, fishing equipment entanglement, illegal poaching for skin and meat and the use of body parts in medicine and human conflict.
Conservation
IUCN – Vulnerable
Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 – Schedule I
CITES – Appendix I.
Tamil Nadu to set up Crocodile Conservation Centre at Anaikarai near Kollidam River.
Survey by Tamil Nadu Government
The Tamil Nadu Forest Department is conducting a study on mugger crocodiles in the Cauvery delta.
To identify critical crocodile habitats in Tamil Nadu.
To understand the crocodile-human conflict and propose long-term strategies for habitat conservation.
Preliminary study has revealed that Tamil Nadu is home to a significant population of mugger crocodiles along Kollidam River.
References
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One Liners 17-04-2025 |
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Geography |
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Increased Activity at Mount Spurr A recent surge of Mount Spurr over 50 earthquakes in a single week, monitored by the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), signals magma movement beneath the surface.
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Economy |
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RBI Maintains Accommodative Stance Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to continue its accommodative stance in the latest Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting. This aims to bolster economic recovery amidst easing inflation and weak growth indicators.
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Agriculture |
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Punjab Bans Hybrid Paddy Seeds Recently, Punjab government has prohibited the sale of hybrid paddy seeds in anticipation of the 2025 Kharif season. This decision comes after rice millers expressed their unwillingness to process hybrid rice due to concerns over milling efficiency and grain quality.
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Environment |
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Lichens Thrive Under Stimulated Martian Conditions Recent groundbreaking research has demonstrated the remarkable resilience of certain lichen species to harsh Martian environments, challenging prior assumptions about the possibility of life on Mars.
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Rare Golden Tiger Sighted in Kaziranga Recently, a rare golden tiger, also known as a golden tabby tiger, has been recently observed and photographed in Kaziranga National Park, located in Assam. This remarkable sighting highlights the unique biodiversity of the region.
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Bat Echolocation Monitoring (BatEchoMon) Recently, India's first automated bat monitoring system, BatEchoMon, utilizes real-time acoustic analysis for bat species detection and classification.
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Security |
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GPS Spoofing Targets IAF Aid Mission Recently, Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft involved in delivering aid to earthquake-stricken Myanmar under Operation Brahma reportedly encountered GPS spoofing attacks, highlighting significant airspace cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
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Science |
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Recognition by International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Recently, IDF has officially acknowledged Type 5 diabetes as a distinct condition at the World Diabetes Congress in Bangkok.
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Maharashtra Partners with ROSATOM for Thorium SMR Recently, Maharashtra has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Russia’s ROSATOM to collaboratively develop a thorium-based Small Modular Reactor (SMR). This marks a pioneering step for an Indian state in the nuclear energy sector.
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Mirror Science Explained by IIT Physicist Recently, an IIT Kanpur physicist elucidated the science behind mirrors using electron behavior and quantum mechanics, aligning with the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025.
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