22 December 2024

• History: 22 December is celebrated as National Mathematics Day, marking the birth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan (born 22 December 1887).
• Environment: China's National People's Congress formally approved construction of the world's largest hydropower dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo (upper Brahmaputra) in Tibet.
• Defence: The 18th edition of Surya Kiran, the India-Nepal joint exercise, was underway at Saljhandi, Nepal.
• Economy: NITI Aayog's S.A.F.E. Accommodation report was gaining policy traction in manufacturing clusters.

GS area: Science and Technology, Modern Indian History

India observes National Mathematics Day on 22 December each year to mark the birth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan.

• Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887-1920): Born in Erode, Tamil Nadu. A self-taught mathematical genius who made extraordinary contributions to number theory, infinite series, continued fractions and mock theta functions.
• Hardy-Ramanujan number: 1729. It is the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two distinct ways (1729 = 1³ + 12³ = 9³ + 10³). The story is associated with a visit by G.H. Hardy to the hospitalised Ramanujan.
• Cambridge collaboration: Ramanujan was invited to Trinity College, Cambridge by G.H. Hardy in 1914. He became the first Indian to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1918.
• National Mathematics Day: Declared by PM Manmohan Singh in 2012 during the 125th birth anniversary celebrations.
• Ramanujan Prize: The International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS-TIFR), Bengaluru, administers an annual Ramanujan Prize for young mathematicians from developing countries.

Static linkage: Science and technology (mathematics), modern Indian history.

GS area: International Relations, Geography, Environment

China's National People's Congress approved the construction of the world's largest hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo (the upper Brahmaputra) in the Great Bend area of Tibet.

• Project specifications: Estimated cost: 137 billion US dollars. Planned capacity: 60,000 MW (more than the Three Gorges Dam's 22,500 MW). Located in the Great Bend where the river drops steeply before entering Arunachal Pradesh.
• Brahmaputra river system:
  • Tibet: Called Yarlung Tsangpo.
  • Arunachal Pradesh: Called Siang/Dihang as it enters India.
  • Assam: Called Brahmaputra.
  • Bangladesh: Called Jamuna before joining the Meghna.
• Tributaries: Left bank (entering Brahmaputra from north): Dibang, Lohit, Burhi Dihing, Dhansiri. Right bank: Subansiri, Manas, Teesta, Kameng.
• India's concerns:
  • China controls the upstream flow. A dam can be used to withhold or release water strategically.
  • Flash floods caused by deliberate or accidental releases could devastate downstream communities in Assam.
  • The dam could alter the river's sediment load, affecting delta formation in Bangladesh.
  • No water-sharing treaty exists between India and China for the Brahmaputra (unlike the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan).
• Siang Upper Multipurpose Project: India is developing an 11,000-MW project on the Siang in Arunachal Pradesh partly as a strategic counterweight. Cost: 1.13 lakh crore rupees. NHPC and NEEPCO jointly execute.

Static linkage: International relations (India-China, water diplomacy), geography (Brahmaputra), environment.

GS area: Defence, International Relations

The 18th edition of Surya Kiran, the India-Nepal joint military exercise, was held at Saljhandi, Rupandehi district, Nepal.

• Focus areas: Jungle warfare, counter-terrorism operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR).
• Significance: Surya Kiran is held alternately in India and Nepal. It is one of the largest bilateral military exercises India conducts with its neighbours.
• India-Nepal Army relations: The India-Nepal Army has a unique bond. The Chief of Army Staff of each country holds an honorary rank in the other's army. Nepal's Gorkha soldiers serve in the Indian Army under the 1947 Tripartite Agreement (India-UK-Nepal).
• 2024 context: India-Nepal relations include the Arun III hydropower project (900 MW, under SJVN Ltd) and the Raxaul-Kathmandu rail link under planning.

Static linkage: Defence (India-Nepal relations, military exercises), geography.

GS area: Geography, Environment

The China dam controversy brought renewed attention to the Brahmaputra's ecological role.

• Length: Approximately 2,900 km total (700 km in Tibet, 913 km in India, 337 km in Bangladesh).
• Source: Chemayungdung Glacier in the Himalayas near Mount Kailash.
• Altitude drop at Great Bend: The river drops about 2,400 metres in the 150-km Great Bend stretch in Tibet before entering Arunachal Pradesh. This is where China's dam is planned.
• Ecological role: The Brahmaputra basin has one of the highest freshwater fish diversities in Asia. It is home to the endangered Ganges River Dolphin in its lower reaches (Assam section).
• Flood significance: The Brahmaputra floods annually, recharging the Majuli Island wetlands (the world's largest river island, recognised by UNESCO for cultural landscape).
• Sediment: Carries among the highest sediment loads in the world. This sediment is critical for the Bengal Delta's agriculture.

Static linkage: Geography (Brahmaputra, Assam, Bengal Delta), environment.

GS area: Economy, Governance

A proposal for a National Commission for Minimum Living Wages for Farm Labourers was discussed by the NITI Aayog.

• Context: Agricultural labourers are the most economically vulnerable workforce category. Many states pay below even the state-mandated minimum agricultural wage.
• Current framework: Minimum wages for agriculture are set by state governments under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 (now subsumed under the Code on Wages, 2019, though not yet implemented).
• Code on Wages, 2019: Subsumes four labour laws including the Minimum Wages Act. Introduces a statutory national floor wage for all workers, including agricultural labourers, for the first time.
• Problem: The national floor wage (last set at 178 rupees per day) is not legally binding on states.

Static linkage: Economy (labour laws, agricultural wages), governance.

GS area: Economy, Agriculture

A proposal to extend mandatory crop insurance to all small and marginal farmers (up to 2 acres) on a Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) model gained traction.

• PM-JAY model: Universal health insurance for the bottom 40 per cent. The proposed crop insurance model would similarly cover all small farmers automatically.
• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): The existing scheme launched in 2016. Farmer premium: 2 per cent for Kharif, 1.5 per cent for Rabi, 5 per cent for commercial/horticultural crops. The Centre and states share the rest.
• Problem with PMFBY: Low enrolment among non-loanee farmers. Complex claim settlement processes.
• Proposed reform: Mandatory enrolment for small and marginal farmers with a flat government-funded premium, similar to how PM-JAY provides automatic health cover.

Static linkage: Agriculture (PMFBY, crop insurance, farmer welfare).

• Telecommunications Interception Rules 2024: New rules notified under the Telecommunications Act, 2023 (which replaced the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885). Lawful interception of messages requires authorisation from Union or State Home Secretaries. Data must be retained for six months.
• Conduct of Election Rules 1961 amended: New rules restrict public access to CCTV footage from polling booths. Candidates and their agents retain access. The change was made to protect voter privacy and address concerns about booth-level voter data exposure.