Highlights
- Energy: India achieved 217.62 GW of non-fossil fuel power capacity, on track for the 500 GW target by 2030.
- Polity: Party whips: Three types. A three-line whip binds the vote and violation can trigger anti-defection proceedings.
- History: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's 128th birth anniversary (Parakram Diwas).
- Space: Mission SCOT, India's first commercial space-situational awareness satellite, was launched via SpaceX.
- Environment: Dhanauri Wetland in Gautam Buddha Nagar (UP) hosts 150 Sarus Cranes and 50,000 waterfowl.
1. India's Renewable Energy Capacity
GS area: Environment, Economy (Energy)
India's non-fossil fuel power capacity crossed 217.62 GW in January 2025.
- Target: 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, per India's updated NDC.
- 2024 additions: 24.5 GW solar, 3.4 GW wind, 4.59 GW rooftop solar, 1.48 GW off-grid solar.
- Off-grid solar growth: 182% year-on-year increase.
- Net-zero target: 2070.
- Key schemes:
- PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (rooftop solar for households).
- Green Energy Corridor (interstate transmission for renewable energy).
- FAME scheme (electric vehicles).
- International Solar Alliance (ISA): India-France initiative headquartered in Gurugram.
- National Green Hydrogen Mission: Target 5 MMT green hydrogen by 2030.
Static linkage: Energy policy, climate change commitments (Environment and Economy, GS Paper 3).
2. Party Whips in Parliament
GS area: Polity (Parliament)
Party whips are officials who maintain party discipline in legislative bodies.
- Constitutional status: The whip system is not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution. It derives from convention and the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection).
- Three types of whips:
- One-line whip: Informational. Members may be absent.
- Two-line whip: Attendance requested. Members should be present but may vote freely.
- Three-line whip: Binding. Members must be present and vote with the party.
- Anti-defection link: Violating a three-line whip constitutes defying the party direction in the House and can trigger disqualification under the Tenth Schedule.
- Chief Whip: Designated by the party leader to issue whips and coordinate floor management.
Static linkage: Parliament, Tenth Schedule (Polity, GS Paper 2).
3. Mission SCOT
GS area: Science and Technology (Space)
Digantara, an Indian startup, launched the Mission SCOT commercial space-situational awareness satellite.
- Full form: SCOT stands for the commercial name of the Space Situational Awareness mission.
- Launch vehicle: SpaceX Transporter-12 rideshare mission.
- Orbit: Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).
- Capability: Can track space debris and objects as small as 5 cm in diameter.
- Significance: Space debris tracking is increasingly important as the number of satellites in orbit grows rapidly. India's first commercial SSA satellite demonstrates the maturation of India's private space ecosystem under IN-SPACe.
Static linkage: Space technology, private space sector (Science and Technology, GS Paper 3).
4. India's Antivenom Gap
GS area: Science and Technology (Health)
India's status as the world's "snakebite capital" received attention.
- Deaths: Over 58,000 annually from snakebite in India, the highest of any country.
- Big Four venomous snakes: Indian Cobra (Naja naja), Common Krait (Bungarus caeruleus), Russell's Viper (Daboia russelii), and Saw-scaled Viper (Echis carinatus). These four species are responsible for most snakebite deaths.
- Antivenom production: Horses are immunised with snake venom. Antibodies produced in the horse's blood are extracted and purified to make antivenom.
- Challenge: India's polyvalent antivenom is effective only against the Big Four. Antivenom for many regionally important species is not available.
Static linkage: Public health, biotechnology (Science and Technology, GS Paper 3).
5. Dhanauri Wetland
GS area: Environment (Biodiversity, Geography)
Dhanauri Wetland in Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh supports exceptional bird diversity.
- Location: Gautam Buddha Nagar district, UP, within the Yamuna River basin ecosystem.
- Biodiversity:
- 217 bird species recorded.
- 150 Sarus Cranes, the world's tallest flying bird species.
- 50,000 waterfowl during the November-March migration season.
- Important Bird Area (IBA): Designated by BirdLife International.
- Sarus Crane: State bird of Uttar Pradesh. IUCN Vulnerable. Protected under Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Static linkage: Wetlands, biodiversity (Environment, GS Paper 3).
6. Briefly noted
- Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS): SAE International defines 6 automation levels (0 to 5). Only Levels 0 to 2 are currently deployed in India. Level 2 includes features like Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Departure Alert. Full self-driving (Level 5) requires no human intervention.
- LID-568 Black Hole: A low-mass supermassive black hole discovered existing 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang. It feeds at 40 times the Eddington limit (the theoretical maximum accretion rate), challenging existing models of early black hole formation.
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