29 December 2023

• Maritime security: A drone attack hit the chemical tanker MV Chem Pluto in the Arabian Sea near Porbandar, Gujarat. The attack was attributed to Iran by the US.
• Bilateral: India and Italy signed a Migration and Mobility Agreement providing 12-month residency for Indian students in Italy and structured worker quotas.
• Space: Japan's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft was on course for a January 2024 landing attempt.
• Dual citizenship: India-Italy agreement renewed discussion of India's OCI scheme as its alternative to dual citizenship.

GS area: International Relations, Security

A drone struck the chemical tanker MV Chem Pluto in the Arabian Sea near Porbandar port in Gujarat:

• Vessel: A Japanese-operated, Liberia-flagged chemical tanker with Indian crew members on board.
• Attribution: The United States attributed the attack to Iran; some reports linked it to Houthi-aligned networks operating from Yemen.
• Location: Off the Gujarat coast, in India's maritime domain of interest.
• Indian Navy response: INS Mormugao, INS Kochi, and INS Kolkata were deployed to escort Indian-flagged vessels and monitor the situation. The Sagar Kavach coastal surveillance scheme was activated.
• India's maritime exposure: India's coastline is 7,516 km. The Exclusive Economic Zone covers about 2 million square kilometres. Sea routes carry 90 per cent of India's trade by volume and 70 per cent by value. Key coastal installations include nuclear plants at Tarapur and Kalpakkam.

Static linkage: Internal security, Indian Ocean, maritime law.

GS area: International Relations, Economy

The MV Chem Pluto attack was part of a broader pattern of attacks in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea:

• Houthi attacks: Yemen's Houthi rebels had launched over 12 attacks on merchant ships in four weeks, targeting vessels in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb strait.
• Supply chain impact: Many shipping companies diverted vessels around the Cape of Good Hope (southern Africa), adding 10-14 days and significant fuel costs to voyages.
• India's trade exposure: A substantial share of India-Europe trade passes through the Suez Canal-Red Sea route. Diversion increases costs for Indian exporters and importers.
• Operation Prosperity Guardian: The US-led multinational naval coalition was already operational. India chose to act independently rather than join the coalition.

Static linkage: International Relations, trade routes, maritime security.

GS area: International Relations, Economy

The Union Cabinet approved a Migration and Mobility Agreement with Italy:

• Terms: 12-month temporary residence for Indian students going to Italy. Structured worker quotas for Indian semi-skilled and skilled workers in Italian industries.
• Bilateral trade: India-Italy bilateral trade in 2022 stood at 15 billion euros, covering pharmaceuticals, machinery, luxury goods, and textiles.
• Irregular migration cooperation: Both sides committed to cooperation on preventing illegal migration and returning irregular migrants.
• Context: Italy has a growing labour shortage in agri-food, construction, and caregiving sectors where Indian workers have a track record.

Static linkage: India's foreign policy, diaspora, overseas employment.

GS area: Science and Technology, Health

A study on Huntington's disease identified a potential therapeutic target:

• Huntington's disease: A genetic neurodegenerative disorder caused by a mutation in the HTT gene. It causes the progressive destruction of neurons controlling movement, cognition, and emotional regulation.
• Inheritance: Autosomal dominant; one copy of the mutated gene is sufficient to cause the disease.
• Study finding: Overexpression of the Yod1 gene in fruit fly models showed potential in mitigating Huntington's disease symptoms. This identified Yod1 as a therapeutic target for further investigation.

Static linkage: Science and technology, genetic diseases.

GS area: Science and Technology

Japan's Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) was in transit toward a planned lunar landing in January 2024:

• Mission goal: Test precision landing technology capable of placing a spacecraft within 100 metres of its target. Conventional lunar landers aim for an area several kilometres wide.
• Why precision matters: Future missions to the lunar south pole (where Chandrayaan-3 and Artemis are headed) require landing near specific resource-rich craters.
• SLIM's outcome (follow-up context): SLIM successfully landed in January 2024 achieving its precision goal, though its solar panels initially pointed away from the sun.

Static linkage: Science and technology, space exploration.

GS area: International Relations

Reports indicated a surge in Indian nationals travelling to Nicaragua on tourist visas as a staging point for illegal entry into the United States through Mexico:

• Nicaragua geography: Central America's largest country. Borders Honduras to the north, Costa Rica to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Capital: Managua.
• Language: Spanish. Population approximately 6 million of mixed Mestizo, Indigenous, European, and African heritage.
• Migration route: Indian nationals who cannot obtain US visas legally have been attempting the "donkey journey," travelling through multiple countries to reach the US-Mexico border.

Static linkage: International Relations, migration, Latin America geography.

• Minimum Support Price for copra: MSP for copra was announced with the calculation at least 1.5 times the cost of production, as mandated under the Swaminathan Commission recommendation. Copra is the dried white flesh (kernel) of the coconut, used to extract coconut oil.
• Ammonia gas leak: A gas leak from a Coromandel International facility in Chennai involved ammonia (NH₃) that supplies to coastal industrial facilities via underwater pipeline. Ammonia causes severe respiratory burns at high concentrations. The incident highlighted industrial safety protocols near populated areas.