9 October 2023

• Bharat NCX 2023 begins: India's second national cyber security exercise, organised by NSCS and Rashtriya Raksha University, opened on October 9.
• Israel-Gaza: the IDF launched airstrikes on Gaza in response to the October 7 attack; the humanitarian situation worsened.
• Nobel Economics: (announced October 9) Claudia Goldin of Harvard University won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for her research on women's labour market outcomes and gender pay gaps.
• Ken-Betwa Link Project: the first river interlinking project received final forest clearance after six years, allowing it to proceed.

GS area: Economy, Society

The Royal Swedish Academy announced Claudia Goldin as the sole recipient of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (officially the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel).

• Contribution: advanced understanding of women's labour market outcomes. Her research used 200 years of US historical data to show a U-shaped curve in female labour force participation: high in agricultural economies, falling in industrial economies (when women's work moved outside the home and female wages fell relative to men), then rising again as service economies expanded.
• Gender wage gap: Goldin showed that the persistent gap even among highly educated workers is mainly explained not by outright discrimination but by the premium placed on long work hours and continuous careers. Industries that reward continuous availability pay men far more even when qualifications are equal.
• Distinction: she is the first woman to hold a tenured chair in economics at Harvard. She is also only the third woman to receive the Economics Nobel since the prize was established in 1969.
• Born: New York, 1946. PhD, University of Chicago, 1972.
• The prize name: formally called the Sveriges Riksbank Prize, it was established in 1968 and first awarded in 1969. It is not one of the original five Nobel Prizes created by Alfred Nobel's will of 1895.

Static linkage: Economy, society, gender equity.

GS area: Internal Security, Science and Technology

The second edition of Bharat NCX (National Cyber Security Exercise) ran from October 9 to 20, 2023.

• Organiser: the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) and Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU). RRU is a central university specialising in police, security, and allied disciplines; established by the Rashtriya Raksha University Act, 2020.
• Format: hybrid exercise (in-person and virtual). Duration: 12 days.
• Objective: train senior management and technical personnel on cyber threats; test cyber incident response capabilities; showcase Indian cybersecurity startups and MSMEs.
• Key components: 200+ Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) conclave; training in intrusion detection, malware information sharing, vulnerability handling, penetration testing, network protocols, and digital forensics.
• Significance: as India's critical infrastructure digitalises, cyber attacks on power grids, banking, and communications are growing threats. The exercise builds a national response capability.

Static linkage: Internal security, science and technology.

GS area: Environment, Economy, Geography

The Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) received final forest clearance from the Ministry of Environment after a six-year wait.

• Objective: transfer surplus water from the Ken River in Madhya Pradesh to the water-deficit Betwa River in Uttar Pradesh to irrigate the drought-prone Bundelkhand region.
• Significance: KBLP is the first project to be implemented under India's National Perspective Plan for river interlinking, proposed in 1980.
• Key infrastructure: the Daudhan Dam on the Ken River; a 221 km link canal to the Betwa; tunnels and pumping stations.
• Energy: will generate 103 MW of hydroelectric power.
• Challenge: the Daudhan Dam is within the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. About 10 per cent of the reserve's area will be submerged. Forest clearance required compensatory afforestation elsewhere.
• Panna Tiger Reserve: home to tigers reintroduced after local extinction in 2009. Currently has around 70 tigers.
• Bundelkhand region: spans parts of MP and UP. Chronically water-stressed; often described as a "drought-belt."

Static linkage: Environment, geography, economy.

GS area: International Relations, World History

On October 9, Israeli forces launched retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza and announced a total blockade.

• Gaza blockade: Israel declared a complete siege of Gaza, halting supplies of food, water, fuel, and electricity. Gaza imports almost all its food and fuel.
• Gaza geography: a 365 sq km strip bordering Israel to the north and east, Egypt to the south at the Rafah crossing, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west.
• Rafah crossing: the only entry point to Gaza not controlled by Israel. Egypt controls its side.
• Palestinian population in Gaza: approximately 2.3 million people in one of the world's most densely populated territories.
• UN context: the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is the UN agency providing services to Palestinian refugees. Its operations fund education, healthcare, and food for millions in Gaza.
• India's stand: India called for de-escalation and protection of civilians while also condemning terrorism.

Static linkage: International relations, world history.

GS area: Economy, Polity

The 52nd GST Council meeting recommended several rate changes.

• Millet flour: nil GST if non-packaged/non-branded; 5 per cent if pre-packaged and the flour contains at least 70 per cent millet content by weight.
• Molasses: GST reduced from 28 per cent to 5 per cent. Molasses is a byproduct of sugar manufacture used in alcohol production and animal feed.
• Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA): excluded from GST (it falls under state excise).
• Foreign-going vessels: IGST exemption approved.
• GST Council: a constitutional body established under Article 279A (inserted by the 101st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2016). Jointly chaired by the Union Finance Minister. Each state has one vote; the Centre has one-third of votes; decisions need a three-fourths majority.
• GST structure: four main rates: 5, 12, 18, and 28 per cent. Essential items at 0 per cent. Sin and luxury goods at 28 per cent plus cess.

Static linkage: Economy, polity.

GS area: International Relations

India's External Affairs Minister attended the 23rd Council of Ministers meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

• IORA: multilateral forum founded in 1997 to promote regional trade and economic cooperation among Indian Ocean littoral states. HQ: Ebene, Mauritius.
• Members: 23 member states spanning Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Australia.
• India's role: India is a founding member. The Indian Ocean is central to India's strategic calculus: 90 per cent of India's trade by value transits through it.
• Themes at 2023 meeting: Blue Economy; disaster risk reduction; maritime security; tourism.
• Sri Lanka context: India's relationship with Sri Lanka was under scrutiny following India's debt relief support to Colombo during Sri Lanka's 2022 economic crisis.

Static linkage: International relations, Indian Ocean strategy.

• Dole pigs (Asiatic Wild Dog) and tigers coexist: a study from Manas National Park in Assam found a positive relationship between dhole (Cuon alpinus) habitat use and tiger habitat, influenced by prey availability. Dholes are Endangered under IUCN; only 1,000-2,000 adults survive globally.
• Emergency Procurement Phase 4: the Indian Army and Air Force completed Phase 4 of emergency procurement along the northern borders. The Air Force alone concluded 64 contracts covering weapon systems, drones, counter-drones, and surveillance equipment.