31 January 2024

• Economy: India's GDP growth for FY24 was projected at 7.3 per cent. India ranked as the 5th largest economy at $3.7 trillion, targeting $10 trillion by 2035.
• Heritage: India submitted the Maratha Military Landscapes as its nomination for UNESCO World Heritage Site status for 2024-25.
• Environment: a Laughing Gull was sighted for the first time in India at Kasaragod, Kerala, adding to the country's avifauna.
• Technology: solid-state battery technology (targeting electric vehicles) was advanced by Toyota, aiming for commercial launch in 2027-28.

GS area: Economy (GDP, development data)

India's gross domestic product growth for FY24 (2023-24) was projected at 7.3 per cent by the NSO's first advance estimate. India ranked as the world's fifth-largest economy with a GDP of approximately $3.7 trillion.

• Historical growth: FY23 recorded 7.2 per cent growth. India had grown at 9.1 per cent in FY22 (post-pandemic rebound).
• Ranking: USA (1st), China (2nd), Germany (3rd), Japan (4th), India (5th). India overtook UK in 2022 and France in 2023.
• Target: the government aims to become a $10 trillion economy by 2035, requiring sustained growth of 7.5-8 per cent per year.
• Inequality: India's Gini coefficient stands at approximately 0.402 (NFHS-5, 2019-21). The Global Hunger Index 2023 ranked India 111th out of 125 countries. Growth is strong but uneven.
• Drivers of FY24 growth: capital expenditure by the Centre (infrastructure push), services sector resilience, and strong manufacturing in electronics and pharmaceuticals.

Static linkage: macroeconomics, GDP, development indicators.

GS area: History, Culture (World Heritage Sites)

India submitted the Maratha Military Landscapes as its nomination for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List for the 2024-25 cycle.

• What is nominated: a serial site comprising 13 forts conceived under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's military vision around 1670 CE. The forts represent a distinctive tradition of hill and coastal fort construction.
• Key forts in the nomination: Raigad (Maharashtra, capital of the Maratha Empire), Shivneri (birthplace of Shivaji), Sindhudurg (island fort, Arabian Sea), Pratapgad, Rajgad, and others.
• Military significance: Shivaji built a chain of strategically positioned hill and coastal forts to control the Sahyadri (Western Ghats) and the Konkan coast against Mughal expansion and Bijapur Sultanate incursions.
• UNESCO process: inscription requires passing ICOMOS review, then a decision by the World Heritage Committee. India already has 42 inscribed sites.
• Architectural style: dry-stone masonry, bastions adapted to the hillside contour, and well systems for water supply during sieges.

Static linkage: cultural heritage, Maratha Empire, UNESCO.

GS area: Science and Technology

E Ink (electronic ink) display technology was covered in technology literacy content alongside solid-state battery developments.

• Principle: E Ink displays use microcapsules filled with white pigment particles (with positive charge) and black pigment particles (with negative charge) suspended in a clear fluid. An electric field moves particles to the visible surface to create text or images.
• History: developed at the MIT Media Lab in the late 1990s. Commercialised by E Ink Corporation (founded 1997).
• Advantages: no backlight required; extremely low power consumption (no power needed to hold an image, only to change it); readable in direct sunlight.
• Uses: e-readers (Kindle, Kobo), electronic shelf labels in retail, e-paper signs, and wearable displays.
• Limitation: slow refresh rate makes it unsuitable for video.

Static linkage: science and technology, display technology.

GS area: Science and Technology (energy storage, EVs)

Toyota and other manufacturers advanced solid-state battery technology in 2024, with Toyota targeting commercial deployment in 2027-28.

• How they differ: conventional lithium-ion batteries use liquid electrolyte. Solid-state batteries use a solid electrolyte (ceramic, glass, or sulphide).
• Advantages: higher energy density (nearly double the range on same battery weight), faster charging, no flammable liquid (safety), longer cycle life.
• Challenge: solid electrolytes crack under repeated charge-discharge stress; manufacturing at scale remains difficult and expensive.
• India's interest: ISRO uses solid-state batteries in some satellite applications. Maruti-Toyota EV partnerships could benefit from this technology.
• Timeline: Toyota had targeted 2027-28 commercial launch. BMW, Solid Power, and QuantumScape are other significant players.

Static linkage: energy storage, electric vehicles, technology.

GS area: Biodiversity, Environment

A Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) was sighted at Kasaragod, Kerala, marking the first confirmed record of the species in India.

• Laughing Gull: a medium-sized gull native to the Atlantic coasts of North America and the Caribbean. Its call resembles human laughter.
• IUCN status: Least Concern.
• Why significant: vagrant bird sightings at the extreme edge of species' ranges indicate long-distance dispersal events, possibly assisted by unusual weather patterns. Such records add to India's species list.
• India's bird diversity: India has over 1,340 bird species, making it one of the world's most bird-diverse countries. Kerala's backwaters and coastline are important for wader and seabird observations.
• Kasaragod: a northern coastal district of Kerala, the northernmost district of the state, bordering Karnataka.

Static linkage: biodiversity, environmental science, birds.

• Default bail (follow-up): the Supreme Court reiterated that once default bail accrues under Section 167(2) CrPC, the right becomes vested and cannot be extinguished by filing a charge sheet the next day if the accused has already applied.
• Maratha Military Landscapes distinction: these forts are not inscribed as just monuments but as a cultural landscape, recognising the integrated relationship between the fort system and the terrain-based military strategy.