7 December 2024

• Economy: Q2 FY25 GDP growth came in at 5.4 per cent, significantly below the RBI's 7 per cent projection, raising concerns about the Viksit Bharat 2047 trajectory.
• International: India awarded the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2024 to Michelle Bachelet, former Chilean President and UN Human Rights Commissioner.
• De-dollarisation: The RBI Governor clarified that India is not pursuing de-dollarisation despite BRICS currency discussions.
• Geography: Jammu and Kashmir announced four new tourism destinations with World Bank support.

GS area: Economy

India's GDP growth rate for the second quarter (July-September) of FY 2024-25 was 5.4 per cent, well below the RBI's projection of 7 per cent.

• Sectoral composition (FY25 estimate): Services sector contributes 54.72 per cent of GVA (Gross Value Added); Industry 27.62 per cent; Agriculture 17.66 per cent.
• Retail inflation: Reached 6.21 per cent in October 2024, breaching the upper tolerance band of the RBI's inflation target.
• RBI response: The Monetary Policy Committee retained the repo rate at 6.5 per cent but cut the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) by 50 basis points in two tranches to inject liquidity.
• Viksit Bharat 2047: India's stated goal of achieving developed-nation status by the centenary of Independence. Key targets include sustained 7 to 8 per cent annual growth, positioning India among the world's three largest economies, and net-zero emissions by 2070.
• Risk factors: Slowing manufacturing output, reduced foreign investment inflows, and external demand uncertainty.

Static linkage: Economy (GDP, monetary policy, RBI, Viksit Bharat).

GS area: International Relations, Awards

The Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2024 was awarded to Michelle Bachelet of Chile.

• Award details: Instituted in 1986 by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust. The prize carries 25 lakh rupees and a citation.
• Bachelet's record: Two-term President of Chile (2006-10 and 2014-18). Served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (2018-22). First woman to lead Chile.
• Past notable recipients: Mikhail Gorbachev (1987), UNICEF (1989), Jimmy Carter (1997), ISRO (2014), David Attenborough (2019).
• 2024 citation: For her work on human rights, gender equality and multilateralism.
• UPSC relevance: Peace prizes and their recipients are testable both as factual questions and as context for understanding international human rights institutions.

Static linkage: International relations (UN human rights system, multilateralism).

GS area: Economy, International Relations

The RBI Governor clarified India's position on de-dollarisation during BRICS-related discussions.

• What India is doing: Bilateral trade in local currencies (rupee-dirham, rupee-ruble agreements), increasing gold holdings in forex reserves, and promoting INR internationalisation.
• What India is not doing: Actively pushing to replace the US dollar in global trade or joining any BRICS currency initiative.
• BRICS currency discussions: At the 2024 BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia pushed for a BRICS-wide alternative payment system. India was cautious.
• Why the distinction matters: De-dollarisation would invite US financial sanctions and disrupt India's integration with global capital markets. India's foreign exchange reserves are mostly held in US dollar-denominated assets.
• INR internationalisation: The RBI allowed 22 countries to open vostro accounts in Indian rupees for trade settlement. This is rupee trade, not de-dollarisation.

Static linkage: Economy (international monetary system, forex reserves, BRICS).

GS area: Polity (Judiciary)

The Supreme Court's powers of case scheduling re-entered debate in December 2024.

• Master of Roster: The Chief Justice of India is the "master of the roster" and determines which bench hears which case. This power was affirmed by a five-judge Constitution Bench in the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association case.
• Governing rules: Supreme Court Rules, 2013. The Registry handles filing, scrutiny and listing.
• Case types by day: Mondays and Fridays are miscellaneous days for fresh matters and admission hearings. Tuesdays through Thursdays are non-miscellaneous days for cases already noticed.
• Controversy: The master-of-roster power has been criticised for concentrating influence in the CJI. In 2018, four senior judges held a press conference citing concerns about bench composition in sensitive cases.

Static linkage: Polity (Supreme Court, judicial administration).

GS area: Economy, Geography

The Jammu and Kashmir administration announced four new tourism destinations with World Bank support.

• Kokernag (Anantnag): Known as the "Botanical Garden of Kashmir," fed by freshwater springs and ancient gardens.
• Baradari (Reasi): A historic architectural site near the Chenab River.
• Bhadarwah (Doda): Called "Mini Kashmir" for its scenic meadows, forests and adventure tourism potential.
• Doodhpathri (Budgam): A pristine meadow valley watered by the Shaliganga River, surrounded by coniferous forests.
• Strategic context: Tourism diversification reduces J&K's dependence on a single cluster (Gulmarg-Pahalgam-Srinagar). World Bank support covers infrastructure, trail development and homestay promotion.

Static linkage: Geography (Jammu and Kashmir), economy (tourism).

GS area: Health, International Relations

An unidentified febrile illness killed about 143 people in Kwango province, DRC, in November 2024.

• Symptoms: Flu-like onset, headache, fever, rapid deterioration. Most deaths in children.
• Disease X context: WHO designated "Disease X" in 2018 as a placeholder for unknown pathogens that could cause a serious international epidemic. About 70 per cent of emerging diseases are zoonotic (animal origin). About 1.7 million unknown viruses in wildlife could potentially infect humans.
• DRC geography: Located in central sub-Saharan Africa, in the Congo Basin. Bordered by nine countries including Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Angola. The Congo River is Africa's second-longest (after the Nile) and has the world's second-largest tropical rainforest.
• India relevance: India's Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) monitors incoming cases. WHO's pandemic treaty negotiations are relevant context.

Static linkage: Health (zoonotic diseases, Disease X, WHO), geography (DRC, Congo Basin).

• PM e-Vidya: Launched in May 2020 under Atmanirbhar Bharat. Expanded from 12 to 200 DTH television channels. Includes DIKSHA platform (digital content), SWAYAM (10,000+ online courses) and 750 virtual science and maths labs. UNESCO recognised it in 2022.
• Laysan Albatross "Wisdom": The world's oldest known wild bird, a Laysan Albatross named Wisdom, was confirmed alive at 74 years on Midway Atoll. 99.7 per cent of the species nests in Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. IUCN status: Near Threatened.