27 November 2024

• Environment: The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a Global Plastics Treaty concluded in Busan, South Korea without a final agreement.
• Dairy: India produces 239.3 million tonnes of milk annually, leading globally with a 24 per cent share. Per capita availability is 459 grams per day.
• IP: WIPO member states adopted the Riyadh Design Law Treaty, standardising industrial design registration procedures globally.
• Women: 140 women are killed daily in domestic settings worldwide. 51,100 women and girls were killed by intimate partners or family in 2023.

GS area: Environment, International Relations

The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) for a Global Plastics Treaty failed to reach agreement in Busan, South Korea.

• Mandate: UN Environment Assembly Resolution 5/14 (2022) directed negotiation of a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution by 2024.
• Key division: Oil-producing countries and some plastic-producing nations pushed for a narrow treaty focused on waste management and recycling. Environmental advocates and many developing nations pushed for binding caps on plastic production.
• Microplastics: Primary microplastics are manufactured for commercial use (cosmetics, industrial pellets, synthetic fibres). Secondary microplastics form from the breakdown of larger plastic items. Both accumulate in soil, water and living tissue.
• Health impact: Linked to oxidative stress, inflammation and DNA damage in multiple studies.
• Outcome: Talks will resume in 2025 with a target of a legally binding instrument.
• India's position: India supported a comprehensive treaty while protecting domestic plastic industries.

Static linkage: Plastic pollution, international environmental law, UNEP.

GS area: Agriculture, Economy

India leads global milk production and the specific figures are classic prelims material.

• Milk production 2023-24: 239.3 million tonnes, a 3.78 per cent increase over the previous year.
• Global share: 24 per cent. India is the world's largest milk producer.
• Per capita availability: 459 grams per day. The global average is 323 grams.
• Top producing states:
  • Uttar Pradesh: 16.21 per cent of national production.
  • Rajasthan: 14.51 per cent.
  • Madhya Pradesh: 8.91 per cent.
• Egg production: 142.77 billion units. Andhra Pradesh leads with 17.85 per cent of national egg production.

Static linkage: Agriculture, animal husbandry, India's economic statistics.

GS area: Society, History

The Siddi community, descendants of East African Bantu peoples, drew attention for their cultural preservation.

• Origin: Descendants of East Africans brought to India as soldiers, servants and enslaved persons by Arab and Portuguese traders from the 7th century onward.
• First group: Arrived in India in 628 CE via Arab merchants, according to historical records.
• Geographic distribution: Karnataka, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
• Cultural instruments: Dammam, Duf and Gumte (percussion instruments with African origins).
• Legal status: Siddi communities in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have been accorded Scheduled Tribe status.
• Conservation angle: The Siddis of Gujarat's Gir forest area have historically coexisted with Asiatic lions.

Static linkage: Indian society, tribal communities, history of migration.

GS area: Economy, Governance

WIPO member states adopted the Riyadh Design Law Treaty to harmonise industrial design registration.

• Purpose: Standardises industrial design registration procedures across member countries.
• Key features: Simplified application processes. Relaxed timelines. Allows filing multiple designs in a single application.
• Industrial design: The ornamental or aesthetic aspect of a product. Covers shape, configuration, pattern and colour. Protects the visual features that make a product attractive.
• India's IP context: India's industrial design applications grew 36.4 per cent in 2023 (WIPO data). Standardised procedures reduce the cost of seeking protection internationally.

Static linkage: Intellectual property, WIPO, international trade.

GS area: Society, International Relations

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (25 November) generated statistical focus.

• Annual toll (2023): 51,100 women and girls killed by intimate partners or family members. That is approximately 140 per day.
• Proportion: 60 per cent of female homicides occur within the home or family context.
• Male victims: Men constitute 80 per cent of global homicide victims, but mostly in public settings (conflict, crime). The risk profiles are structurally different.
• India's response: Nayi Chetna 3.0 campaign (25 November to 23 December 2024). Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005. One Stop Centres (Sakhi centres) for survivors.

Static linkage: Women's rights, social justice, gender statistics.

• Sukpak (Siberian Demoiselle Crane): A tagged crane that set a new migratory record, flying 3,676 kilometres to Khichan village in Rajasthan. Previous record was 2,800 kilometres. Khichan is India's first Demoiselle crane conservation reserve, hosting about 20,000 cranes annually.
• Peatlands: UNEP Global Peatland Hotspot Atlas 2024 identified 488 million hectares of peatlands globally. Twelve per cent are highly degraded. Peatlands store more carbon than all forests combined. They currently emit 1,941 Mt CO2 equivalent annually from degradation.
• PAN 2.0: Fully online, paperless PAN card system. Free updates for name, date of birth and address. Enhanced dynamic QR code with real-time data. Mandatory PAN Data Vault for entities using PAN data.