14 February 2025

• India-US: PM Modi visited Washington DC. New 10-year Major Defence Partnership and Mission 500 (doubling bilateral trade to 500 billion dollars by 2030) announced.
• Panchayati Raj: Devolution index data published. Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu lead; 12 states below national average.
• Environment: Climate Risk Index 2025 ranks India sixth globally for 1993-2022. Over 80,000 deaths and 180 billion dollars in losses.
• Science: Matsya 6000, India's deep-sea submersible for the Samudrayaan Mission, in focus.

GS area: International Relations

PM Modi's visit to Washington resulted in significant agreements:

• COMPACT: Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce and Technology. The framework covers defence co-production, the trade target and collaboration on AI, semiconductors and quantum technology.
• Mission 500: A bilateral trade target of 500 billion US dollars by 2030. India's current bilateral trade with the US is approximately 200 billion dollars.
• 10-Year Major Defence Partnership: Replaces earlier frameworks. Covers joint production of advanced platforms.
• Defence sales approved: Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stryker armoured vehicles and six P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft.
• TRUST Initiative: Technology for Resilient, Unilateral, Shared Technology. Covers AI, semiconductors and quantum computing.
• Nuclear collaboration: Amendments to the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLNDA) planned to enable broader US-India civil nuclear commerce.
• Maritime: India to lead a Combined Maritime Forces task force in the Indian Ocean Region.
• Energy: US-India nuclear cooperation framework expanded.

Static linkage: International relations (India-US), economy (trade), science and technology.

GS area: Polity (local government)

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj published the devolution index for 2021-22:

• Overall devolution: Increased from 39.9 per cent in 2013-14 to 43.9 per cent in 2021-22.
• Top performers: Karnataka (72.23), Kerala (70.59) and Tamil Nadu (68.38).
• 12 states and UTs scored below the national average in panchayat empowerment.
• Financial devolution: Improved from 32.05 per cent to 37.04 per cent.
• Functional devolution: Declined from 35.34 per cent to 29.18 per cent. States are giving more money to panchayats but fewer administrative functions.

Constitutional basis:

• 73rd Amendment Act 1992: Inserted Part IX (Articles 243 to 243O) and the Eleventh Schedule covering 29 subjects that may be devolved to Panchayats. The State Finance Commission mechanism ensures financial devolution.
• State Finance Commissions (SFCs): Each state must constitute an SFC every five years to review panchayat finances.

Static linkage: Polity (local government, Panchayati Raj).

GS area: Science and Technology (ocean, space)

Matsya 6000 is India's manned deep-sea submersible under development:

• Timeline: Expected to be operational by 2026.
• Depth capability: 6,000 metres, operable for 12 to 16 hours.
• Design: A 2.1-metre titanium sphere 80 millimetres thick carrying three crew members.
• Developer: National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai.
• Mission: Samudrayaan Mission. Part of the Deep Ocean Mission with a budget of 4,077 crore rupees.
• Exclusive club: Only five nations possess manned deep-sea submersibles: USA, Russia, China, Japan and France. India will be the sixth.

The deep ocean carries potential for polymetallic nodule mining, hydrothermal vent research and strategic seabed surveying.

Static linkage: Science and technology (ocean technology).

GS area: Environment (climate change)

Published annually by Germanwatch since 2006:

• India's ranking (1993-2022 period): Sixth globally.
• India's ranking in 2022 alone: 49th (a better year relative to the 30-year average).
• Losses from climate disasters (1993-2022): Over 80,000 deaths and 180 billion US dollars in economic losses in India.
• Most affected countries (overall): Dominica, China and Honduras.
• Primary disaster types globally: Storms (35%), heatwaves (30%) and floods (27%).

The Climate Risk Index measures the exposure and vulnerability of countries to extreme weather events. It is not a future projection tool but a retrospective impact index. India's high long-term ranking reflects its large population, geographic exposure (cyclones, floods, droughts) and limited adaptive capacity in vulnerable regions.

Static linkage: Environment (climate change, disaster management).

GS area: Polity (parliamentary oversight)

The PAC is one of Parliament's most important financial watchdog committees:

• Established: 1921, under the Government of India Act 1919 (Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms).
• Composition: 22 members (15 from Lok Sabha and 7 from Rajya Sabha).
• Tenure: One year. No minister can be a member.
• Chairperson: By convention, a member from the principal opposition party leads the PAC.
• Function: Examines government expenditure against the purposes for which funds were voted by Parliament and scrutinises the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports.

The CAG is the constitutional authority (Article 148) responsible for auditing all government accounts. The PAC acts on CAG findings to hold the executive accountable to Parliament.

Static linkage: Polity (parliamentary committees, accountability).

GS area: Social Justice, Government schemes

The Midday Meal controversy from Maharashtra triggered a broader look at PM-POSHAN Shakti Nirman:

• Issue: Maharashtra withdrew 50 crore rupees allocated for eggs and millet in midday meals.
• Nutritional impact: Each egg provides 6 grams of protein. Children's daily protein requirement is 12 to 20 grams.
• National Food Security Act 2013: Entitles students in government schools to cooked meals under the midday meal programme.
• PM-POSHAN: Covers over 11 crore students across approximately 11 lakh schools.
• 16 states currently provide eggs under the programme. The Egg controversy is a proxy for the broader debate on fortification versus exclusion.
• Nutrition indicators from NFHS-5: 36 per cent of children under 5 are stunted; 35 per cent are underweight in India.

Static linkage: Social justice (nutrition, public health).

• H5N1 bird flu: Detected at Birsa Agricultural University in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Transmission routes: contaminated poultry, direct contact and airborne particles. Antiviral treatment: Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and Zanamivir. H5N1 has pandemic potential if it mutates for human-to-human transmission.
• Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii: Ninth eruption since December 2024. Located on Hawaii's Big Island. A shield volcano with effusive lava flows. The Halemaʻumaʻu Crater is its summit caldera. Other volcanoes on the Big Island: Mauna Loa (largest by volume globally) and Mauna Kea (tallest mountain from base to summit).
• India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEEC): Launched at the G20 Summit in September 2023. Connects India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and Europe. Targets 600 billion dollars in infrastructure investment by 2027. Bypasses the Suez Canal and offers an alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative.