4 October 2024

• Disaster: Bihar floods intensified as rivers fed by Himalayan catchments in Nepal breached embankments. The Kosi, Gandak, and Bagmati systems were highlighted.
• International Relations: The Iran-Israel escalation continued with mutual missile strikes. India has 9 million nationals in the Gulf region.
• Governance: Five new languages including Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali were granted classical language status under revised 2024 criteria.
• Schemes: The PM Internship Scheme was formally announced. The Oilseed Mission received a renewed push with a 69.7 million tonne output target by 2030-31.

GS area: Geography, Disaster Management

Bihar's recurring flood crisis intensified in October 2024 as rivers swollen by heavy rainfall in Nepal breached embankments across the state.

• Geographic vulnerability: Bihar sits on the northern plains directly below the Himalayan arc. Rivers flowing down from Nepal carry massive sediment loads, raise riverbeds over time, and overtop or breach embankments during heavy monsoon years.
• Key rivers: The Kosi (known as the "Sorrow of Bihar"), the Gandak, and the Bagmati are the three primary flood carriers. All originate in Nepal and are fed by glacial and monsoon sources.
• Kosi disaster history: A 2008 avulsion of the Kosi shifted its channel 100 kilometres eastward and displaced 3.3 million people in one of India's worst flood events.
• Transboundary dimension: Sustainable flood control requires coordinated dam and embankment management with Nepal. India-Nepal joint projects on the Kosi and Gandak exist but progress has been slow.
• Governance lessons cited: Cities like Surat (Flood Early Warning System) and Chennai (enhanced drainage after 2015 floods) are held up as adaptive models.

Static linkage: Indian rivers, disaster management, Bihar geography (Geography and Environment).

GS area: Polity, Culture

The Centre granted classical language status to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali. This brings the total count of classical languages in India to eleven.

• Previous six: Tamil (2004), Sanskrit (2005), Telugu (2008), Kannada (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014).
• Revised criteria (2024): The revised criteria dropped the earlier requirement of an "original literary tradition not influenced by another language." The new criteria are: recorded history of at least 1,500 to 2,000 years, a body of ancient literature, and the language may have distinct or even discontinuous classical and modern forms.
• Significance for Pali and Prakrit: These are ancient Indian languages predating many modern languages. Pali was the language of the Theravada Buddhist canon. Prakrit was used in Jain scriptures and Ashokan edicts. Their inclusion is both a scholarly recognition and a cultural statement.
• Institutional benefits: A classical language designation carries access to central government grants, fellowships, and chairs at universities for research.

Static linkage: Indian languages and their recognition, linguistic diversity (Polity and Culture).

GS area: International Relations

Iran and Israel conducted mutual missile strikes in October 2024, deepening the West Asian crisis that began with the Gaza conflict in October 2023.

• India's economic exposure: India imports over 80 per cent of its crude oil requirements. A significant portion transits through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Any disruption to West Asian oil supply directly raises India's import bill and pressures the rupee.
• India's diaspora: Approximately 9 million Indian nationals live and work in the Gulf countries. Remittances from this community are a critical source of foreign exchange.
• IMEEC corridor: The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, announced at the G20 summit in 2023, passes through Israel. Continued conflict threatens the corridor's prospects.
• India's stance: India has consistently called for diplomatic resolution, expressed concern for civilian casualties, and urged both sides to de-escalate. India abstained on several UN Security Council resolutions related to the conflict.

Static linkage: India-West Asia relations, energy security (International Relations).

GS area: Economy (Agriculture)

The Centre outlined an Oilseed Mission targeting 69.7 million tonnes of oilseed production by 2030-31.

• Financial outlay: 10,103 crore rupees.
• Seed infrastructure: 65 seed hubs planned across key oilseed-producing states.
• Strategic context: India is the world's largest importer of vegetable oils, spending roughly 1.5 lakh crore rupees annually on imports of palm, soya, and sunflower oils. The mission aims to reduce this dependence.
• Target crops: Mustard, groundnut, soybean, sunflower, and sesame are the primary focus crops.

Static linkage: Agricultural self-sufficiency, import substitution in edible oils (Economy).

GS area: International Relations (Geography)

The United Kingdom and Mauritius announced an agreement on the sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago, a group of islands in the central Indian Ocean approximately 1,600 kilometres south of India.

• Historical background: Britain separated the Chagos Islands from Mauritius before granting Mauritius independence in 1968. The UK then leased the largest island, Diego Garcia, to the United States for a major military base.
• The deal: The UK agreed to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius. In return, Mauritius agreed to a 99-year lease for the Diego Garcia base.
• Legal proceedings: The International Court of Justice in 2019 ruled that the UK's separation of Chagos from Mauritius was unlawful. The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted for decolonisation. The deal follows years of diplomatic pressure.
• India's interest: The Indian Ocean is India's strategic neighbourhood. The outcome of the Chagos settlement affects the balance between American, British, and Indian influence in the ocean.

Static linkage: Decolonisation, Indian Ocean geopolitics (International Relations, Geography).

GS area: Environment (Wildlife)

The 2024 Odisha leopard census reported a population of 696 leopards, up from 568 in 2022. That is a 22 per cent increase in two years.

• Key habitat: Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district recorded the highest leopard density.
• Conservation significance: Leopards are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List globally. In India, they are in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which affords the highest degree of protection.
• Method: Camera trap surveys across forest divisions.

Static linkage: Wildlife conservation, Schedule I species, Protected Areas (Environment).

• USCIRF Annual Report on India: The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom flagged concerns about the Citizenship Amendment Act and anti-conversion laws in its annual assessment of religious freedom conditions in India. India regularly contests USCIRF's mandate and findings.
• PM E-DRIVE scheme details: The scheme allocates 4,391 crore rupees specifically for 14,028 electric buses. It also carves out 500 crore rupees for electric ambulances. All purchases are facilitated through Aadhaar-authenticated e-vouchers.