2 December 2024

• Economy: UPI's October 2024 data consolidated India's lead in global real-time payments. The INC-5 plastics summit failure put India's "no production caps" stance in focus.
• Environment: The Aravalli Green Wall Project and the Atmanirbhar Clean Plant Programme represent government investment in green corridors and disease-free horticulture.
• Art and culture: The Ajmer Sharif Dargah controversy raised questions about the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 and its constitutional standing.
• Health: India's HIV prevalence of 0.20 per cent reflects sustained progress, with 97 per cent viral suppression among those on ART.

GS area: International Relations, Polity

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on 3 December 2024, citing "anti-state forces." The National Assembly overturned the declaration within hours by a majority vote. This was the first martial law declaration in South Korea since 1980.

• Constitutional provision: Under South Korea's constitution, the National Assembly can lift martial law by a majority of its members. It did so within six hours.
• Context: Yoon cited opposition-party obstruction of the budget and government policy as justification. Critics called it an unconstitutional power grab.
• Geopolitical setting: South Korea shares a 250-km Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) with North Korea along the 38th parallel. The DMZ was established after the Korean War armistice in 1953. South Korea also has maritime borders with the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan.
• India angle: South Korea is a major electronics and automobile trade partner. Korean investments include manufacturing plants in India under bilateral ties.
• Significance: The swift parliamentary reversal was cited as evidence of South Korean democratic resilience. Yoon faced impeachment proceedings in the days that followed.

Static linkage: International Relations (Korean Peninsula, East Asia).

GS area: Economy, Environment, Science and Technology

Green steel was in focus as India and global economies sought to decarbonise heavy industry.

• Definition: Steel produced using renewable energy sources, significantly reducing carbon emissions.
• Methods: Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF) using scrap; green hydrogen-based direct reduction of iron ore; direct electrolysis.
• Emission reduction: Up to 75 per cent in some production methods compared to conventional blast-furnace routes.
• India angle: Ferrous scrap from dismantled ships (ship recycling) serves as a circular-economy input for EAF. India is among the world's largest ship-recycling nations.
• SteelZero initiative: A global coalition targeting zero-emission steel by 2050.
• Relevance: Steel production accounts for about 7 to 8 per cent of global CO2 emissions. India is the world's second-largest steel producer.

Static linkage: Economy (industry, manufacturing), environment (decarbonisation).

GS area: Governance, Social Justice

The Supreme Court took up the issue of mass deletion of MGNREGA job cards, asking states to explain the process.

• Legal basis: Schedule II, Paragraph 23 of the MGNREGA Act, 2005 governs job card deletion.
• Authority: State Governments and Programme Officers at the block level.
• Grounds for deletion: Permanent migration, duplicate cards, fake applicants, reclassification of area as urban, and worker disinterest.
• Procedure required: Verification of facts; workers must get an opportunity to present their case before two witnesses; documentation in the MGNREGA Management Information System; reporting to Gram Sabha.
• The concern: Mass deletions without following procedure have denied eligible rural households their legal entitlement to 100 days of wage employment.
• MGNREGA basics: The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 guarantees at least 100 days of unskilled wage employment per year to rural households. The Centre bears the full cost of unskilled labour.

Static linkage: Government schemes (MGNREGA), governance.

GS area: Governance, Science and Technology

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) added packaged drinking water and mineral water to its list of high-risk foods.

• Legal basis: Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
• Other high-risk categories: Dairy products, meat and poultry, fish and seafood, eggs, fortified foods, and specialised nutrition products.
• Purpose of classification: Enhanced safety through rigorous testing, streamlined compliance, and elimination of redundant dual certification with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
• FSSAI: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is a statutory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It was established under the FSS Act, 2006.
• Prelims hook: FSSAI operates under the Ministry of Health, not the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

Static linkage: Governance (food safety regulators), science and technology.

GS area: Science and Technology, Environment

Nano bubble technology was deployed at the National Zoological Park, New Delhi, for chemical-free water treatment.

• Size: Nano bubbles measure 70 to 120 nanometres. That is about 2,500 times smaller than a grain of salt.
• Properties: Negatively charged and neutrally buoyant. They remain suspended in water for months.
• Applications: Algae removal, wastewater treatment, oxygen transfer in water bodies, and organic material removal without chemical inputs.
• Zoo application: Used to improve water quality in animal enclosures, reducing algae and improving dissolved oxygen.
• Significance: Chemical-free purification is especially relevant for wildlife habitats and drinking water treatment in ecologically sensitive areas.

Static linkage: Science and technology (nanotechnology, water treatment).

GS area: Science and Technology, Education

SheSTEM 2024 was organised jointly by the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) under NITI Aayog and the Embassy of Sweden.

• Theme: Battery Technology and Energy Storage (BEST) systems.
• Objective: Inspire young women and promote STEM careers, with a focus on sustainability innovations.
• Atal Innovation Mission: AIM is the Government of India's flagship initiative to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. It operates under NITI Aayog and runs Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) in schools and Atal Incubation Centres (AICs) in institutions.
• Prelims hook: AIM operates under NITI Aayog, not the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Static linkage: Government schemes (AIM, NITI Aayog), science and technology.

• Phlegraean Fields (Campi Flegrei), Italy: The supervolcano system near Naples emits 4,000 to 5,000 tonnes of CO2 daily from a 13-km-wide caldera formed by collapsed craters. A supervolcano is defined by an eruption ejecting more than 1,000 cubic kilometres of material.
• Notifiable diseases: State governments hold the power to declare notifiable diseases under public health legislation. Cholera, tuberculosis, AIDS and dengue are already notifiable. Snakebite was proposed for inclusion. Notifiable status improves outbreak surveillance and enables faster targeted interventions.