Eastern Maritime Corridor

• Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC) is the proposed marine corridor between India and Russia connecting Chennai and Vladivostok ports.
• EMC is estimated to reduce the time required to transport cargo between Indian and Russian Ports of Far-East Region by up to 16 days.
• A large container ship which travels at the normal cruising speed of will be able to cover this distance in 10 to 12 days approximately.
• It is a part of India’s maritime programme and its flagship programme Sagarmala.
• Sagarmala was launched with the objective to boost India’s logistics sector performance, by unlocking the full potential of India’s coastline and waterways.

Orphan Diseases

Recent report shows that India have far fewer people with orphan diseases

• Orphan diseases are neglected diseases that includes Fabry's disease, alveolar echinococcosis and even some common conditions such as endometrial cancer and diabetes in preschool children.
• Orphan diseases are used as a synonym for rare diseases, although some rare diseases respond to drugs that are not orphans.
• Orphan disease are very rare which make them difficult to diagnose.
• Rare disease is a prevalence rate of one case in a population of 10,000 people.
• The rare diseases prevailing in India include cystic fibrosis, haemophilia, lysosomal storage disorders, sickle-cell anaemia, etc.
• Leprosy is now considered a rare disease in India.
• The cost of treatment for Orphan Diseases are very expensive.
• Orphan drugs are either drugs that are used to treat rare diseases or drugs that are too costly to develop.

Voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT)

Recently election commission of india mandates the counting of all VVPAT slips in 5 randomly selected polling stations per Assembly constituency or segment in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha election

• VVPAT is a machine that is attached to the ballot unit (BU) Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) that provides feedback to voters using a ballot less voting system.
• It is also called as verifiable paper record (VPR).
• When a vote is cast, a slip is printed containing the serial number, name and symbol of the candidate and remains exposed through a transparent window for 7 seconds.
• Thereafter, this printed slip automatically gets cut and falls in the sealed drop box of the VVPAT.
• VVPAT runs on a power pack Battery.
• It was used for the first time in all 21 polling stations of the Noksen Assembly constituency of Nagaland in 2013.
• The 2019 Lok Sabha elections became the first general election to have 100% of EVMs being attached to VVPATs.

International Legal Framework for Space Ventures

• The 5 United Nations treaties is generally thought to form the bedrock of international space law, starting with the Outer Space Treaty of 1967.
• The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 is often called the magna carta of international space law.
• The 5 UN treaties are:
  1. The Outer Space Treaty
  2. The Rescue Agreement
  3. The Liability Convention
  4. The Registration Convention
  5. The Moon Agreement

The Outer Space Treaty

• It is often hailed as the magna carta of space law.
• It binds its signatories to use outer space only for peaceful purposes in accordance with international law.
• Came into effect on October 10, 1967.
• It prohibits the weaponisation of space
• No country can claim sovereignty over the moon or any other bodies in space and must carry out space ventures openly.
• Countries are to be responsible for their activities in space, being liable for damage caused by any objects launched into space from their territory.
• Countries must help astronauts who are in distress, and space installations and vehicles of one nation are to be open to other nations on a reciprocal basis.

The Rescue Agreement

• The Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space (ARRA).
• Came into effect on December 3, 1968.
• It deals with the obligation of nations towards astronauts, particularly in distress and emergency situations, and return of space objects.
• It includes rescue, assistance and return of astronauts
• Cost of rescue and operations is as covered in:
  • The UNCLOS (United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea), 1982 and
  • The Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law Respecting Assistance and Salvage at Sea (Salvage Convention) of 1989.

The Liability Convention

• The Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects.
• Came into effect on September 1, 1972.
• A nation launching an object into space will be liable to compensate any damages incurred on the earth’s surface or to aircraft.
• It will also be liable for any damage caused in outer space owing to its fault.
• A process to seek settlements of claims for damage is also outlined.
• There is no provision for damage caused by a rocket crashing back down to earth.

The Registration Convention

• The Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space
• Came into effect on September 15, 1976
• It is a treaty requiring nations to register details about every object launched into space in a registry maintained by it and furnish them to the U.N.

The Moon Agreement

• The Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies.
• Came into effect on July 11, 1984.
• It provides that the moon and other celestial bodies should be used only for peaceful purposes reaffirming a key element of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967.
• It also notes that their environments should not be disrupted and the UN should be informed of the location and aim of any station established on such a body.
• The agreement provides that the moon and its natural resources are the common heritage of mankind.
• It indicates that an international regime to regulate exploitation of such resources should also be put in place.

New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG)

• New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance was set up under the Article 9 of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.
• It aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty.
• It will make the finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development.
• The NCQG is to be set up around the following elements:
  • Ad hoc work programme,
  • Submissions by Parties and non-Party stakeholders,
  • High-level ministerial dialogues and
  • Stock-takes and guidance by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA).