10 February 2025

• Left Wing Extremism: Security forces eliminated 31 Naxalites in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh. Government targets Naxal-free India by March 31, 2026.
• BIMSTEC: First BIMSTEC Youth Summit inaugurated in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• International: ICC issued warrants in an active conflict; jurisdiction and member-state obligations in focus.
• Social justice: National Commission for Safai Karamcharis extended until March 2028. Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary designated as India's second cheetah habitat.

GS area: Internal Security

Security forces eliminated 31 Naxalites in an encounter in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh. The government's stated goal is a Naxal-free India by March 31, 2026. Key data on the declining footprint of Left Wing Extremism:

• Violent incidents: Fell from 1,136 in 2013 to 594 in 2023. A reduction of about 48 per cent.
• Deaths: Declined from 397 in 2013 to 138 in 2023. A reduction of about 65 per cent.
• Geographic shrinkage: Maoist violence is now confined to 25 districts, down from 76 districts in 2013.
• Infrastructure built in affected areas: 5,148 kilometres of roads, 48 ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes) and 68 Skill Development Centres.
• Central allocation: 3,450 crore rupees as Special Central Assistance for the 25 most-affected LWE districts.

The Naxal movement traces its origins to the Naxalbari uprising of 1967 in West Bengal. The CPI (Maoist), formed in 2004 by the merger of the People's War Group and the Maoist Communist Centre, is designated a banned terrorist organisation under the UAPA.

Static linkage: Internal security (Polity and Governance).

GS area: International Relations

The first BIMSTEC Youth Summit was inaugurated in Gandhinagar, Gujarat:

• Theme: "Youth as bridge for intra-BIMSTEC exchange."
• Organised by: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.
• BIMSTEC members (7): Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
• Secretary-General of BIMSTEC: Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey (an Indian diplomat).
• Headquarters: Dhaka, Bangladesh. (BIMSTEC Secretariat was established in 2014.)

BIMSTEC stands for Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation. It was established in 1997 and links South Asian and Southeast Asian nations through the Bay of Bengal. India and China are both not members together: China is excluded, while India is a founding member.

Static linkage: International Relations (multilateral groupings).

GS area: International Relations, Polity

The ICC issued warrants against leaders of a party to an active conflict, bringing the court's jurisdiction back into debate:

• Established: 2002 under the Rome Statute.
• Headquarters: The Hague, Netherlands.
• Members: 125 countries. Notable non-members: United States, China, Russia, India and Israel.
• Jurisdiction covers four crimes: Genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression.
• Limitations: The court can only act when national courts are unable or unwilling to prosecute. It has no enforcement arm and depends on member states to arrest accused persons.

India has not ratified the Rome Statute. The primary concern cited is the potential for politically motivated prosecutions.

Static linkage: International organisations and agreements.

GS area: Social Justice, Governance

The NCSK was extended until March 31, 2028. Key facts:

• Founded: 1994.
• Ministry: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• Act: The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act 2013 is the primary legal instrument protecting Safai Karamcharis.
• Supreme Court directive: Compensation of 30 lakh rupees per family in cases of sewer death (death while cleaning manholes without protective equipment).
• Role of NCSK: A statutory advisory body. It investigates cases of discrimination and non-implementation of the 2013 Act.

Manual scavenging remains constitutionally prohibited under Article 17 (abolition of untouchability) and the 2013 Act. The NCSK monitors compliance and makes recommendations to Parliament and state legislatures.

Static linkage: Social justice (Polity and Governance).

GS area: Environment (biodiversity)

Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in northwestern Madhya Pradesh was designated as India's second cheetah habitat after Kuno National Park:

• Area: 368 square kilometres.
• Location: Mandsaur and Neemuch districts of Madhya Pradesh.
• Plan: 6 to 8 cheetahs from South Africa expected to be relocated before summer 2025.
• Status: Also listed as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA).
• Context: India's cheetah reintroduction began at Kuno National Park in September 2022 with 8 Namibian cheetahs.

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) was declared extinct in India in 1952. It is the only large carnivore to have been extirpated from the subcontinent in modern times. The African cheetah being introduced is a distinct subspecies from the now-extinct Asiatic cheetah.

Static linkage: Biodiversity and conservation (environment and ecology).

GS area: Science and Technology

The SRY gene (Sex-determining Region Y) acts as the master switch on the Y chromosome that triggers male development in mammals:

• Location: Short arm of the Y chromosome.
• Function: Activates a cascade of gene expression that leads to testis formation and male hormone production.
• Rare cases: Biological females carrying the SRY gene (XX males) and biological males without SRY (XY females) have been documented in research studies from Italy and the US.

This topic is relevant to prelims because the biological basis of sex differences appears in ethics and society questions related to gender identity and related legislation.

Static linkage: Science and Technology (genetics).

• Chandrayaan-3 landing site age: The Shiv Shakti Point on the Moon's south polar region is estimated at 3.7 billion years old. Nearby crater Boguslawsky is estimated at 4 billion years and Manzinus at 3.9 billion years.
• Cook Islands geography: Located in Polynesia in the South Pacific. Capital is Avarua on Rarotonga. Self-governing in free association with New Zealand. All Cook Islanders hold New Zealand citizenship.
• Namibia: Sam Nujoma, founding father of Namibia, died at age 95. Namibia borders South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Angola and the Atlantic Ocean. Contains the Namib Desert (west) and the Kalahari (east).