13 May 2024

• Elections: Lok Sabha Phase 4 polling took place across 96 constituencies in 9 states and 1 UT. Voter turnout was recorded at 69.16 per cent.
• Environment: Research found that air pollution from the Indo-Gangetic Plain was causing oxidative stress to Sundarbans mangroves.
• Trade: The India-EFTA TEPA was analysed in detail, with focus on the binding investment clause and the 16-year negotiating history.
• Agriculture: Punjab Agricultural University developed a Trichoderma-based biocontrol agent to combat foot rot disease in Basmati rice.

GS area: Polity (Elections)

Phase 4 of the 18th Lok Sabha General Elections was held on 13 May 2024.

• Coverage: 96 constituencies across Andhra Pradesh (25), Telangana (17), Uttar Pradesh (13), Maharashtra (11), Madhya Pradesh (8), West Bengal (8), Bihar (5), Jharkhand (4), Odisha (4), and Jammu and Kashmir UT (1).
• Turnout: 69.16 per cent overall (69.58 per cent male, 68.76 per cent female). Phase 4 had among the highest turnout of all seven phases.
• Candidates: 1,717 candidates contested in Phase 4.
• ECI oversight: The Election Commission of India managed Phase 4 under the Model Code of Conduct, deployed central forces, and monitored VVPAT-linked EVMs.
• VVPAT: Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail. A device attached to EVMs that prints a paper slip showing the candidate voted for, visible through a transparent window for 7 seconds. It provides a paper trail for verification without disrupting the electronic process.

Static linkage: ECI, VVPAT, election phases, voter turnout.

GS area: Environment, Geography

Research published in May 2024 found that black carbon and other pollutants from the Indo-Gangetic Plain were causing oxidative stress in the mangroves of the Sundarbans.

• Sundarbans: The world's largest mangrove forest, straddling India (West Bengal) and Bangladesh. India's portion is approximately 40 per cent of the total; Bangladesh holds 60 per cent.
• UNESCO status: The Indian Sundarbans was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Bangladesh's Sundarbans received the same designation in 1997.
• Ramsar site: The Indian Sundarbans was designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in January 2019.
• Key species: Royal Bengal Tiger (Project Tiger, Sundarbans Tiger Reserve), estuarine crocodile, Gangetic dolphin (India's National Aquatic Animal), Irrawaddy dolphin, and Olive Ridley sea turtle are flagship species.
• Pollution source: Black carbon (soot) from coal burning, outdated diesel-engine boats, and industrial activity in the Indo-Gangetic Plain is carried by wind to the Sundarbans, where it settles on mangrove leaves and inhibits photosynthesis.
• Black carbon: A short-lived climate pollutant. It absorbs solar radiation both in the atmosphere and when deposited on ice or vegetation, warming locally and reducing plant productivity.

Static linkage: Mangrove ecosystems, Sundarbans, air pollution, biodiversity.

GS area: International Relations (Trade)

Analysis of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement signed on 10 March 2024 focused on the unprecedented nature of its investment commitment.

• Investment pledge: EFTA committed to facilitating USD 100 billion in foreign direct investment into India over 15 years as a binding obligation.
• 16-year negotiation: The TEPA took 16 years of negotiations across 21 formal rounds to conclude, reflecting the complexity of linking investment commitments to trade liberalisation.
• Re-balancing clause: If the investment commitment is not met, India can re-balance or suspend the duty concessions it extended. This conditional architecture is rare in trade agreements.
• Difference from an FTA: The TEPA is not a traditional FTA focused solely on tariffs. It integrates investment promotion, intellectual property protection, and trade facilitation within a single agreement.
• EFTA countries' relevance: Switzerland is a major pharmaceutical supplier to India. Norway is a key seafood exporter. Iceland has geothermal and fisheries expertise relevant to India's clean energy and blue economy goals.

Static linkage: Trade agreements, India's trade architecture, investment promotion.

GS area: Science and Technology (Agriculture)

Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana developed a biocontrol agent to combat foot rot disease in Basmati rice without using chemical fungicides.

• Foot rot disease: Caused by Fusarium fujikuroi (also called Bakanae disease). It kills seedlings in the early stage, reducing yields and affecting Basmati quality.
• Biocontrol agent: Trichoderma asperellum, a fungal species that naturally suppresses pathogenic fungi. PAU developed a commercial preparation that can be applied to seeds before planting.
• Significance: Reduces chemical fungicide use, protecting the soil microbiome and meeting export market standards for residue-free Basmati.
• Basmati's GI status: Basmati rice received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in India, protecting the name for long-grain aromatic rice grown in specific districts across Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, and western Uttar Pradesh.
• Export importance: India is the world's largest exporter of Basmati rice, primarily to the Middle East and EU. Residue standards in importing countries are strict.

Static linkage: Agricultural research, biocontrol, Basmati GI, PAU.

GS area: Environment, Geography

The ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR) documented the first mass bleaching event of sea anemones at Agatti Island, Lakshadweep.

• Sea anemones: Marine invertebrates in Phylum Cnidaria (the same phylum as corals and jellyfish). They share a symbiotic relationship with clownfish and, like corals, harbour photosynthetic zooxanthellae algae.
• Bleaching mechanism: Elevated sea surface temperatures cause zooxanthellae to produce harmful reactive oxygen molecules. The anemone expels them to survive, losing its colour and food source. Without zooxanthellae returning, anemones die.
• Location: Agatti Island lies approximately 459 km from Kochi in the Lakshadweep Union Territory, west of Kavaratti (the UT's capital).
• ICAR-NBFGR: The National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources is an ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) institute headquartered in Lucknow. It studies aquatic genetic resources and biodiversity.
• Indian Ocean warming: The Indian Ocean is warming faster than any other major ocean body. The 2024 warming event caused widespread bleaching across Indian Ocean coral systems.

Static linkage: Marine biodiversity, Lakshadweep, ICAR, climate change impact.

• Quantum sensing: The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, made progress on quantum sensors for detecting minute gravitational and magnetic field changes. Quantum sensors use the quantum properties of particles (superposition, entanglement) to measure physical quantities with extreme precision.
• Armoured Sailfin Catfish invasion: CSIR-CCMB (Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology), Hyderabad, found that the Armoured Sailfin Catfish (Pterygoplichthys spp.), a South American species introduced via the aquarium trade, had invaded 60 per cent of water bodies in the Eastern Ghats river system.
• Viral memory in worms: A Princeton University study found that C. elegans (roundworms) transmit learned avoidance behaviour against pathogenic bacteria across four generations through small RNA molecules (piRNAs), a form of transgenerational epigenetic memory.