28 May 2024

• Geopolitics: India and Iran signed the 10-year Chabahar Port agreement. IPGL (India Ports Global Limited) will manage the Shahid Beheshti terminal.
• IP/Biopiracy: Analysis of the WIPO GR Treaty's implications for India's traditional knowledge, including the turmeric and neem precedents.
• Urban safety: A fire at a hospital in Delhi's Vivek Vihar neighbourhood killed 7 newborns. Serious lapses in fire safety compliance were identified.
• Volcanic eruption: Mount Ibu in Indonesia's Halmahera island erupted, sending an ash column 5 km high.

GS area: International Relations (Maritime, Connectivity)

India and Iran signed a 10-year agreement for India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) to operate and develop the Shahid Beheshti terminal at Chabahar Port, Iran.

• Signed by: Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, and Iranian officials. The signing took place in Tehran.
• Duration: 10-year agreement. Previous arrangements were annual. The long-term deal provides investment security.
• Investment commitment: IPGL committed approximately USD 120 million for equipment and infrastructure improvements at the Shahid Beheshti terminal.
• Chabahar Port location: In Sistan-Baluchestan province, Iran, on the Gulf of Oman (a part of the Arabian Sea). It is Iran's only oceanic port directly on the open sea.
• Strategic significance:
  • Provides India access to Afghanistan and Central Asia bypassing Pakistan (India-Pakistan land route is effectively closed).
  • Connects to the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multimodal network of 7,200 km linking India to Russia and Europe via Iran.
  • Reduces shipping time to Central Asia by 40 per cent compared to routes via Pakistan.
• Afghanistan link: A railway from Chabahar to Zahedan (Iran-Afghan border) was partially constructed; the route ultimately could connect to Central Asian railways.
• Timing and Iran-US tensions: The deal came days after Iranian President Raisi's death (19 May) and amid ongoing US sanctions on Iran. US sanctions on Iran technically exempt Chabahar, but secondary sanctions risks remain. The State Department previously granted a waiver for Chabahar development.
• INSTC: The International North-South Transport Corridor. Signed in 2000 by India, Iran, and Russia. 13 member countries. Multimodal: ship, rail, road. Connects Mumbai to Helsinki through Iran and Russia.

Static linkage: India-Iran relations, INSTC, port connectivity, US sanctions.

GS area: International Relations (IP), Science and Technology

The WIPO Treaty on IP, Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge (adopted 24 May 2024) provoked substantial analysis regarding India's biopiracy history and the TKDL's role.

• Turmeric patent (1995): The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted a patent to two Indian-origin researchers at the University of Mississippi Medical Center for "Use of Turmeric in Wound Healing." India challenged the patent through CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) using documented evidence of traditional use in ancient texts (Rigveda, Ayurveda). The patent was revoked in 1997, one of the first successful biopiracy challenges.
• Neem patent (1994): The European Patent Office granted a patent to W.R. Grace (US company) for a method of controlling fungi on plants using neem oil. India and the European Parliament challenged the patent; it was revoked in 2000.
• Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL): India built TKDL to prevent future biopiracy. It contains 900,000+ documented formulations in 34 sub-categories, covering Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and Yoga in 5 languages. TKDL is shared with the USPTO, EPO, DPMA (Germany), Intellectual Property Australia, and others under access agreements.
• TKDL success rate: TKDL submissions have a near-100% success rate in getting biopiracy applications rejected or withdrawn. By 2024, over 300 patent applications have been dropped following TKDL prior-art citations.
• WIPO GR Treaty's new mechanism: With the treaty, patent applicants globally must now disclose the country of origin of genetic resources. If India's turmeric or neem were used in a patent application today, mandatory disclosure would allow India to be notified and challenge the application before a patent is granted.
• Nagoya Protocol comparison: The Nagoya Protocol (under CBD) covers access and benefit sharing (ABS) for biological resources in commercial use. The WIPO GR Treaty addresses the patent filing stage, when IP is sought.

Static linkage: WIPO, biopiracy, TKDL, CBD, Nagoya Protocol.

GS area: Governance (Urban Safety, Healthcare)

A fire at a hospital in Vivek Vihar, East Delhi, on 25 May 2024 killed 7 newborns. The death toll and investigation details received extensive coverage from 28 May.

• Cause: Oxygen cylinders in a section of the hospital exploded, triggering the fire. The ward had overcrowded conditions with electric short circuits also identified.
• National Building Code (NBC) 2016: BIS-published code mandating fire safety in buildings. Healthcare facilities are Category A1 (highest occupancy and risk). Requirements: two-hour fire-rated construction, automatic sprinkler systems, emergency exits, fire alarm systems.
• Clinical Establishment Act, 2010: The central act for registering and regulating clinical establishments. Section 12 mandates compliance with minimum standards, including fire safety. States that have adopted the Act can revoke registrations of non-compliant establishments. Delhi is a non-adopting state, limiting enforcement.
• National Medical Commission: For hospital standards; separately, the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) under the Quality Council of India accredits hospitals voluntarily.
• Political accountability: Delhi's dual governance structure (Delhi government vs Lieutenant Governor vs centre for certain functions) complicated the question of fire safety enforcement responsibility.
• Legal action: FIR under Section 304 IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). Hospital management arrested.

Static linkage: Urban governance, healthcare regulation, fire safety.

GS area: Geography (Volcanology)

Mount Ibu on Halmahera island, Indonesia, erupted on 28 May 2024, sending an ash column approximately 5 km high.

• Mount Ibu: Ibu is a highly active stratovolcano located on the west coast of Halmahera island, North Maluku province, Indonesia. It is among Indonesia's most frequently active volcanoes.
• Halmahera: The largest island in North Maluku province and the largest non-continental island wholly within Indonesia's territory. Located in the Maluku (Moluccas) island group, east of Sulawesi.
• Ring of Fire: Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire (also called the Circum-Pacific Belt), a horseshoe-shaped zone of volcanic and seismic activity encircling the Pacific Ocean. Approximately 75 per cent of the world's volcanoes and 90 per cent of earthquakes occur in this zone.
• Indonesia's volcanic record: Indonesia has 127 active volcanoes, the highest of any country. Most significant historical eruptions: Krakatoa (1883), Tambora (1815, the deadliest), Merapi (ongoing).
• Ash aviation hazard: High-altitude volcanic ash (above 10,000 ft) can cause engine failure in jet aircraft by fusing in engine turbines. ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) coordinates volcanic ash advisories.
• VAAC: Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres, organised by WMO and ICAO, issue alerts for aviation. Indonesia is in the Darwin VAAC (Australia) and Singapore VAAC zone.

Static linkage: Ring of Fire, volcanology, Indonesia, ICAO.

GS area: Economy (International Trade)

Analysis showed India ran a trade deficit with 9 of its top 10 trading partners in FY2023-24.

• Largest trading partners (FY2024): China remains India's largest trading partner (total trade $118.4 billion, mostly imports). US is the largest export destination.
• Trade deficit with China: India imports electronics, chemicals, machinery, and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from China. The trade deficit with China was approximately $85 billion in FY2024.
• API dependence: India manufactures the majority of the world's generic medicines but depends on China for 70 per cent of bulk drug APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients), creating a strategic vulnerability.
• Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for APIs: Ministry of Chemicals launched PLI for APIs in 2020 to reduce China dependence. 41 products identified for domestic production.
• India's total trade: India's total merchandise exports in FY2024 were approximately $437 billion; imports approximately $678 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of approximately $241 billion.

Static linkage: International trade, trade deficit, API supply chain, PLI scheme.

• Zimbabwe's ZiG currency: Zimbabwe officially launched the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency backed by gold and foreign currency reserves. Zimbabwe had previously abandoned the Zimbabwean dollar after hyperinflation made it worthless (2008-9 peak hyperinflation: 79 billion per cent). The ZiG replaced the RTGS dollar. Currency backed by a commodity (gold) as reserve is distinct from the gold standard, as ZiG's exchange rate is managed.
• Ireland/Norway/Spain Palestine recognitions effective: The formal recognitions (announced 22 May) took effect on 28 May. These recognitions have symbolic and diplomatic weight but no immediate change to conditions on the ground.
• ICJ Rafah provisional measures: The International Court of Justice ordered Israel to halt its military offensive in Rafah (May 24 order). ICJ provisional measures are binding under international law but enforcement depends on political will and UN Security Council action.