19 November 2024

• Conservation: India notified its 56th tiger reserve: Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla in Chhattisgarh, with an area of 2,829 square kilometres.
• International: India released a second tranche of 2.5 million dollars to UNRWA for Palestinian refugee support.
• Governance: The Grievance Redressal Assessment and Index 2023 showed 85 of 89 central ministries improved their scores.
• Society: India's neighbourhood policy and the Gujral Doctrine frame India's non-reciprocal approach to smaller neighbours.

GS area: Environment, Government Schemes

India notified Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh, the 56th tiger reserve under Project Tiger.

• Area: 2,829.38 square kilometres. The third largest tiger reserve in India.
• Breakdown: Core (critical tiger habitat): 2,049.2 square kilometres. Buffer zone: 780.15 square kilometres.
• Location: Chhattisgarh, in the Sarguja and Korea districts.
• Biodiversity: Tigers, leopards, wolves, sloth bears and 753 species in total.
• Chhattisgarh tiger reserves: Now four in total.
• Project Tiger: Launched 1973. India's tiger population rose from approximately 1,800 in 1973 to over 3,100 in the 2023 census. India is home to more than 75 per cent of the world's wild tigers.
• National Tiger Conservation Authority: Statutory body under the Wildlife Protection Act Amendment 2006. Oversees tiger reserves.

Static linkage: Project Tiger, biodiversity, wildlife conservation.

GS area: International Relations

India released the second tranche of its annual contribution to UNRWA.

• UNRWA: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Established in 1949 by the UN General Assembly.
• Beneficiaries: Over 5 million Palestinian refugees, including descendants. Operations cover Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
• India's contribution: 5 million dollars annually. The second tranche of 2.5 million dollars was released in November 2024.
• Context: Several Western countries suspended UNRWA funding after allegations that some employees were involved in the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack. India maintained its contribution.
• Gaza conflict: Israel's military operations in Gaza following the 7 October 2023 attack created a humanitarian crisis that UNRWA is the primary international responder to.

Static linkage: International organisations, India-Palestine relations, humanitarian law.

GS area: International Relations

India's approach to its neighbourhood was examined through the lens of established doctrines.

• Gujral Doctrine: Articulated by Prime Minister I.K. Gujral in the 1990s. Core principle: India should give more than it takes from smaller neighbours without expecting reciprocity. Promotes non-interference, non-reciprocity and goodwill.
• Act East Policy: Launched by PM Modi in 2014. Connects India with Southeast Asia for trade, investment, culture and security. Extends the Look East Policy of 1991.
• BBIN: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal sub-regional connectivity initiative.
• SAARC: South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. Stalled since 2016 due to India-Pakistan tensions.
• BIMSTEC: Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation. An alternative to SAARC.
• Challenge: China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) competes with India's influence in the neighbourhood, particularly in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

Static linkage: India's foreign policy, neighbourhood diplomacy, regional organisations.

GS area: Governance

The Grievance Redressal Assessment and Index (GRAI) for 2023 showed improved performance across central ministries.

• Data source: CPGRAMS (Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System) for January to December 2023.
• Assessment: 89 central ministries and departments.
• Result: 85 of 89 ministries improved their scores compared to 2022.
• Growth: 57 per cent showed incremental score improvement of up to 25 per cent.
• Top performers: Department of Agriculture (Group A), CAG office (Group B), Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (Group C).
• CPGRAMS: An online platform for citizens to file, track and resolve grievances against central government departments.

Static linkage: Governance, e-governance, citizen services.

GS area: Science and Technology

The Department of Biotechnology and BRIC (Biotech Research and Innovation Centre) launched the "One Day One Genome" initiative.

• Launch date: 9 November 2024.
• Objective: Sequence one unique bacterial genome from India's biodiversity every day and make it publicly available.
• Focus: Environmental, agricultural and human health applications of microbial diversity.
• BRIC: Biotech Research and Innovation Council. Under the Department of Biotechnology.
• Significance: Microbes in Indian soil, water and extreme environments may carry novel enzymes, antibiotics and biotechnological compounds.

Static linkage: Biotechnology, genomics, science policy.

• African Penguin: Scientific name Spheniscus demersus. Listed as Endangered. Under 10,000 breeding pairs remain. At risk of wild extinction by 2035. Primary threats: food scarcity from overfishing, oil spills and climate change altering prey distribution.
• World Anti-Doping Agency: Established 1999. Headquarters in Montreal, Canada. Founded by the International Olympic Committee. Administers the World Anti-Doping Code.
• Bharat National Cyber Security Exercise 2024: Organised by the National Security Council Secretariat and Rashtriya Raksha University. Featured live-fire cyber simulations and a CISO conclave. Launched 18 November 2024.