Environment: A parliamentary panel expressed disappointment over plastic waste management. India's plastic waste surged from 16 to 41 lakh tonnes annually between 2015 and 2021.
Space: The Odysseus lunar lander by Intuitive Machines landed near the Moon's south pole, the first American soft landing on the Moon in over 50 years.
Energy: The Kochi Airport-BPCL green hydrogen plant became the first airport in the world with a green hydrogen facility.
Trade: India rejected data exclusivity demands in EFTA Free Trade Agreement negotiations to protect its generic drug industry.
A Public Accounts Committee report expressed disappointment with the government's progress on plastic waste management.
Scale of the problem: India's plastic waste generation surged from 16 lakh tonnes per year (2015) to 41 lakh tonnes (2021), more than doubling in six years.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): The Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016 introduced EPR, requiring producers, importers, and brand owners to collect and manage the plastic they put into circulation. Compliance has been poor.
Urban Local Body gap: ULBs (municipalities) are responsible for plastic waste collection but lack adequate infrastructure. GPS-tracked waste collection and mandatory online reporting have been recommended.
Globally binding treaty: India supported negotiations toward a global, legally binding plastic pollution treaty under UNEA (UN Environment Assembly) auspices.
Single-use plastic ban: India banned single-use plastics (SUPs) in July 2022 covering items like straws, cutlery, stirrers, and polystyrene. The ban does not cover all plastic packaging.
2. Intuitive Machines Odysseus: First Private Moon Landing
GS area: Science and Technology (Space)
The Intuitive Machines Nova-C lander Odysseus successfully touched down near the Malapert A crater at the lunar south pole on 22 February 2024 (the landing occurred on this date in some sources; the approach was complete by 17 February).
Achievement: First American spacecraft to land on the Moon since Apollo 17 in December 1972. First private sector lunar soft landing.
Mission: Carried six NASA science payloads under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) programme as well as commercial cargo.
Outcome: The lander touched down successfully but tipped over on its side due to a software issue with its laser ranging sensor. Communication was maintained. One of the NASA instruments (a radar experiment) was able to take measurements.
Significance for India: Both Chandrayaan-3 (India) and Odysseus (USA) targeted the lunar south pole, reflecting global strategic interest in water ice deposits.
3. Kochi Green Hydrogen Plant: World's First at an Airport
GS area: Economy (Energy, Green Hydrogen)
A green hydrogen production plant at Cochin International Airport (CIAL) was set up in partnership with BPCL (Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd), making it the first airport in the world with a green hydrogen facility.
Capacity: 1,000 kW (1 MW) power input for electrolysis.
Source: Solar power generated at the airport runs the electrolyser.
Product: Green hydrogen for refuelling hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and for airport operations.
CIAL's sustainability record: Cochin International Airport was already the world's first fully solar-powered airport (since 2015).
Policy context: National Green Hydrogen Mission (2023) targets 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen production by 2030 with an outlay of 19,744 crore rupees.
Static linkage: Economy (green hydrogen, BPCL, National Green Hydrogen Mission, renewable energy, aviation).
4. Data Exclusivity in FTA Negotiations: India's Position
GS area: International Relations, Economy (Trade, Intellectual Property)
India rejected data exclusivity demands made by EFTA (European Free Trade Association: Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) in Free Trade Agreement negotiations.
Data exclusivity: A protection for clinical trial data submitted to regulators for drug approvals. Under data exclusivity, the regulatory authority cannot rely on the originator's clinical trial data to approve a generic version for a fixed period (typically 5 to 12 years after the originator's approval), even if the patent has expired.
Impact on generics: India is the world's largest producer of generic medicines (by volume). Data exclusivity would delay generic drug launches even after patent expiry, keeping prices high.
India's pharmaceutical exports: India exports generic medicines to over 200 countries. The sector supplies approximately 20 per cent of the global generic medicine market.
India's position: Data exclusivity is distinct from patent protection and has no basis in the TRIPS Agreement. India does not grant data exclusivity in domestic law.
Static linkage: International Relations (FTA negotiations, EFTA, pharmaceutical trade), Economy (generic medicines, IP policy, TRIPS).
5. Kotravai Sculpture: Archaeological Discovery
GS area: History and Culture (South Indian History, Archaeology)
An eighth-century sculpture of the goddess Kotravai was discovered near Ulundurpet, Tamil Nadu.
Dimensions: Five feet tall, four feet wide; the goddess is depicted with eight hands.
Kotravai: The Tamil goddess of war and victory. She is associated with the Mullai (forest) landscape in the Sangam-era classification of landscapes (Tinai). She is also linked to fertility and agricultural prosperity.
Period: Pallava period (8th century CE). The Pallavas ruled from their capital Kanchipuram and are known for their Dravidian temple architecture (Mahabalipuram rock-cut temples, Kailasanatha temple).
Significance: Sculptural evidence of Kotravai worship in the Tamil country during the Pallava period.
Static linkage: History (Pallava dynasty, Tamil Sangam literature, Tinai classification), Art and Culture (South Indian sculpture).
6. Briefly noted
Baltic Sea Stone Age wall: Archaeologists discovered a nearly 1-km-long stone wall beneath the Baltic Sea off the German coast, formed over 10,000 years ago when the sea floor was dry land. The wall comprises 1,673 individual stones and is theorised to have been a hunting drive lane for reindeer herds. It is among the oldest large-scale human constructions found in Europe.
STAR Metric for ocean biodiversity: The IUCN released the STAR (Species Threat Abatement and Restoration) metric to quantify how much extinction risk reduction and habitat restoration efforts are achieving. The metric aligns with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets and helps investors and governments measure conservation outcomes.
Practice MCQs
Check yourself
With reference to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic waste in India, consider the following: 1. EPR was introduced through the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016. 2. Under EPR, producers must collect and manage the plastic they put into circulation. 3. EPR applies only to plastic packaging above 75 microns thickness. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Check yourself
India rejected "data exclusivity" in EFTA FTA negotiations primarily because:
Check yourself
Kotravai, the goddess depicted in the 8th-century Pallava-era sculpture found near Ulundurpet, is associated in Tamil literature with:
Check yourself
The Cochin International Airport was notable before its green hydrogen plant for:
Check yourself
The EFTA (European Free Trade Association) comprises which group of countries?