9 March 2025

• Polity: The Tahawwur Rana extradition case cleared a key hurdle as the US Supreme Court rejected Rana's plea to stop his extradition to India.
• Environment: Blue Ghost continued its lunar surface operations, with scientists monitoring data from 10 scientific payloads.
• Economy: Reciprocal tariff pressure from the US created uncertainty for Indian exporters; trade bodies issued statements.
• Health: Marburg Virus Disease outbreak declared contained in Tanzania after 42 days without new cases.
• Science: February 2025 was confirmed as India's hottest February in 124 years, intensifying heat stress projections.

GS area: International Relations, Polity (Extradition Law)

The US Supreme Court rejected Tahawwur Rana's plea to block his extradition to India, clearing the final legal hurdle for his transfer to face 2008 Mumbai attack charges.

• Tahawwur Rana: Pakistani-Canadian national accused of providing material support to the Lashkar-e-Taiba network that carried out the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.
• India-US Extradition Treaty: The bilateral extradition treaty governs the legal process.
• Extradition Act, 1962: India's domestic law governing extradition procedures and obligations.
• Dual criminality principle: The accused's act must be a crime in both countries for extradition to apply.
• Political offence exception: Extradition cannot be granted for political offences; Mumbai attacks do not qualify as political offences.
• India's extradition record: India has extradition treaties with 48 countries. The UK, US, Portugal and UAE are among the most active partners.

The Rana case follows the earlier Ajmal Kasab trial (Kasab was captured alive, tried in India and executed in 2012). Rana's extradition opens a fresh chapter in prosecuting Mumbai attack conspirators.

Static linkage: International relations (India-USA), governance (extradition law).

GS area: Health, International Relations

Tanzania declared the end of its second Marburg Virus Disease outbreak after 42 days passed without any new cases.

• First identification: 1967 in Marburg, Germany, after laboratory workers were infected with tissue from imported African green monkeys.
• Natural reservoir: Egyptian rousette bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus), an African fruit bat.
• Transmission: Contact with bodily fluids of infected animals or humans.
• Case fatality rate: Up to 88 per cent in some outbreaks, making it one of the most lethal known pathogens.
• Treatment: No approved vaccine or antiviral. Supportive care only.
• 42-day rule: WHO declares an Ebola or Marburg outbreak ended after twice the maximum incubation period (21 days) passes without new cases.
• Tanzania's first outbreak: 2023 (first ever Marburg outbreak in Tanzania).

Marburg belongs to the Filoviridae family, same as Ebola. Both cause haemorrhagic fever. Biosafety Level 4 pathogen.

Static linkage: Health (infectious diseases, international health governance).

GS area: Environment, Science and Technology

The India Meteorological Department confirmed that February 2025 was India's hottest February in 124 years of recorded data.

• Temperature anomaly: Monthly average temperature well above the 1901-2000 baseline.
• Historical context: 2024 was already the hottest year globally since records began in 1880.
• Wheat impact: Early heat stress in the wheat belt (Punjab, Haryana, MP) raised fears about the 2025 rabi harvest. The 2024-25 procurement target was set at 115 million tonnes.
• Heat deaths (2024): 733 people died of heatstroke across 17 states.
• Groundwater: 21 major Indian cities face groundwater depletion by 2030. 25 per cent of global groundwater extraction occurs in India.
• IMD role: India Meteorological Department under the Ministry of Earth Sciences provides seasonal forecasts and heatwave warnings.

Static linkage: Environment (climate change), geography (Indian agriculture).

GS area: International Relations, Security

The 12th edition of the India-Kyrgyzstan Joint Special Forces Exercise KHANJAR began on 10 March 2025 in Kyrgyzstan.

• Duration: March 10 to 23, 2025.
• Location: Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan.
• Participating units: Indian Parachute Regiment (Special Forces); Kyrgyz Scorpion Brigade.
• Focus: Counter-terrorism operations, jungle and high-altitude warfare, special forces tactics.
• Kyrgyzstan: A Central Asian country bordering China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO).
• India-Kyrgyzstan ties: The KHANJAR series began in 2011, reflecting India's engagement with Central Asian partners under the Connect Central Asia policy.

Static linkage: International relations (India-Central Asia), security.

GS area: Environment (Wildlife)

A smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) was sighted in an unexpected location, prompting discussion of its range and protection status.

• Scientific name: Lutrogale perspicillata.
• IUCN status: Vulnerable.
• Protection: Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (note: not Schedule I, unlike the Gangetic dolphin).
• Habitat: Freshwater wetlands, large rivers, estuaries and coastal areas.
• Distribution: South and Southeast Asia, including major Indian river systems.
• Distinguishing feature: Smooth, velvety coat; larger than common otter; social species living in family groups.
• Threats: Habitat loss, fishing net entanglement, hunting for pelts and traditional medicine.

Static linkage: Environment and ecology (wildlife, wetlands).

GS area: International Relations, Health

The AHAIC 2025 was held in Kigali, Rwanda from March 3 to 5, 2025, focused on health financing and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

• Organised by: Amref Health Africa, Rwanda Ministry of Health, WHO Africa Region and the Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC).
• Context: The conference was held as USAID funding cuts threatened African health programmes.
• Key agenda: Health financing reform, reduction of aid dependency, domestic revenue mobilisation for health.
• UHC target: SDG 3.8 calls for universal health coverage by 2030.
• Africa CDC: Established 2017 as the African Union's public health agency, modelled partly on the US CDC.

Static linkage: International relations, health governance.

• Madhav National Park: Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district park (area 354 sq km, established 1958) was being evaluated for tiger reintroduction following successful introduction in 2023.
• Satkosia Tiger Reserve, Odisha: A cautionary case. All 12 tigers had died or disappeared by the 2022 census despite a 2018 reintroduction from Kanha. The reserve has 1,136 sq km area.
• Vanuatu: PM Jotham Napat revoked the citizenship of fugitive Lalit Modi, granted under Vanuatu's Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme.