24 March 2024

• Polity: The Supreme Court agreed to hear petitions challenging the CAA Rules 2024. The Model Code of Conduct remained in full force as elections approached.
• International: The ISIS-Khorasan attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue in Moscow on 22 March killed at least 143 people, the deadliest terror attack in Russia in two decades.
• Environment: Pre-Holi advisories highlighted the health risks of synthetic colours. The Gulaal Gota craft tradition from Jaipur drew national media attention as a natural alternative.
• Science: Discussion of the newly confirmed Shiva-Shakti landing site name for Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander continued, following the IAU's approval.

GS area: International Relations, Internal security

The 22 March attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow killed over 143 people. ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) claimed responsibility. The geographical and organisational context:

• Khorasan: a historical region that encompasses parts of present-day Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. The Persian term means "where the sun arrives from" (the eastern territories of the Abbasid caliphate).
• ISIS-Khorasan: emerged in eastern Afghanistan in late 2014. It is the Afghanistan-Pakistan affiliate of the Islamic State. Distinct from and in competition with the Taliban, which governs Afghanistan.
• Threat profile: ISIS-K has conducted attacks across Central Asia and South Asia. It claimed the 2021 Kabul airport attack and multiple bombings in Pakistan.

Static linkage: International relations (terrorism), internal security.

GS area: Science and Technology (space)

The International Astronomical Union approved the name "Statio Shiv Shakti" for the landing site of Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander on the lunar south pole.

Key points:

• IAU naming conventions: no political, military or living persons' names. The chosen name Shiv Shakti represents the masculine (Shiva) and feminine (Shakti) duality in Indian philosophy, a symbolism rather than a religious figure. IAU guidelines were therefore complied with.
• Significance of south pole landing: Chandrayaan-3 was the first mission to successfully land near the lunar south pole (23.5°S, 14 August 2023). The south pole is scientifically important because permanently shadowed craters may contain water ice.
• Earlier landing sites: Statio Tranquillitatis (Apollo 11), Statio Cogitum (Luna 9). The "Statio" prefix follows IAU convention for manned and unmanned landing sites.

Static linkage: Science and technology (ISRO, Moon missions).

GS area: Polity (citizenship, judiciary)

The Supreme Court agreed to hear petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the CAA Rules 2024, listed for hearing from 19 March 2024. The Court declined to stay the rules pending hearing. Key constitutional issues raised:

• Article 14: equality before law. Is the exclusion of Muslim minorities from three countries based on a reasonable classification with an intelligible differentia?
• Article 15(1): prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. The CAA specifically uses religion as a classification criterion.
• Basic Structure: the petitioners argue that religion-based citizenship criteria may violate the secular character of the Constitution, which is part of the Basic Structure doctrine.

The government's defence: the Act addresses persecution, not ordinary migration. The selected communities have no recourse to citizenship in their countries of origin because those countries are Islamic republics.

Static linkage: Polity (citizenship, fundamental rights, judiciary).

GS area: Art and Culture

Holi, the festival of colours, falls on the full moon of the Hindu month of Phalguna (Phalguna Purnima). In 2024, Holi was observed on 25 March. The Gulaal Gota tradition:

• Origin: Jaipur, approximately 400 years old.
• Craft: small balls made of lac (natural resin from the lac insect Kerria lacca) filled with natural coloured powder.
• Artisans: Muslim artisans called Manihaars.
• Lac sourcing: from Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, where lac insects are cultivated on host trees.
• India and lac: the world's largest producer of shellac (processed lac), accounting for approximately 70 per cent of global production.

Static linkage: Art and culture (traditional crafts, textiles and products).

• UN General Assembly AI resolution: the UN General Assembly adopted its first-ever resolution on safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems. Backed by over 120 member states. The resolution was non-binding and called on states to develop human-rights-respecting AI and to refrain from deploying systems that violate human rights. India voted in favour.
• World Tuberculosis Day (24 March): observed annually. Theme for 2024: "Yes! We can end TB!" India accounts for roughly 27 per cent of the world's TB burden. National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination targets ending TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global SDG target. India's Nikshay Poshan Yojana provides Rs 500 per month as nutritional support to TB patients.