10 April 2025

• International Relations: India revoked the 2020 transshipment facility that allowed Bangladesh to route exports through Indian ports to Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar.
• Environment: Marine plastic pollution data showed over 80 per cent of marine debris is plastic. India lacks a standalone marine litter policy.
• Wildlife: Nilgiri Tahr population and Project Nilgiri Tahr (2022-2027) entered the conservation spotlight.
• Agriculture: The Modernisation of Command Area Development and Water Management sub-scheme received Rs 1,600 crore outlay for 2025-26.

GS area: International Relations

India withdrew the transshipment facility it had extended to Bangladesh in 2020, which had allowed Bangladeshi goods to move through Indian ports and airports to third countries.

• Scope of the facility: Bangladesh could route exports via Kolkata port and Delhi airport to Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar.
• Primary beneficiary: Bangladesh's readymade garments sector, which earned 50 billion dollars in 2024.
• Reasons for withdrawal: Domestic industry pressure from Indian textile producers who compete with Bangladeshi garments. Logistical burden on Indian ports. Strategic concerns about Bangladesh's proximity to China.
• The strategic concern: Bangladesh reportedly invited Chinese investments near the Siliguri Corridor, including in Lalmonirhat. The Siliguri Corridor is the narrow land strip connecting India's northeast to the mainland, sometimes called the Chicken's Neck.
• Bilateral context: This withdrawal marks a cooling in India-Bangladesh ties following political changes in Bangladesh in August 2024.

Static linkage: India's neighbourhood policy, trade agreements, the Siliguri Corridor (GS-2 IR, Geography).

GS area: Environment and Ecology

Marine plastic pollution data surfaced prominently in April 2025 as negotiations on the Global Plastics Treaty continued.

• Scale: Over 80 per cent of marine debris is plastic.
• Animal mortality: 650,000 marine mammals die yearly from plastic entanglement. One million marine animals die annually from plastic ingestion or entanglement, per WWF estimates.
• Future trajectory: Oceans may contain more plastic than fish by weight by 2050 if current trends continue.
• India's gap: India lacks a standalone marine litter policy. The Plastic Waste Management Rules (2016, amended multiple times to 2024) address land-based plastic but do not specifically govern marine disposal.
• Global governance: MARPOL Annex V (1983) covers ship-generated waste. UNCLOS (1994) provides the overarching framework for ocean governance. The UNEP Clean Seas Campaign (2017) is a voluntary commitment platform.

Static linkage: Environmental law, oceans, plastic pollution (GS-3 Environment).

GS area: Environment and Ecology

The Nilgiri Tahr re-entered conservation news in April 2025.

• Classification: Endangered (IUCN). Schedule I protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• Endemic range: Restricted to the southern Western Ghats, specifically in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• Elevation: Found at 1,200 to 2,600 metres.
• Population: Approximately 1,229 in Tamil Nadu and 827 in Kerala.
• Key habitats: Eravikulam National Park in Kerala and Mukurthi and Grass Hills National Parks in Tamil Nadu.
• Project Nilgiri Tahr: Running from 2022 to 2027. Aims at scientific population surveys and potential reintroduction into historic habitats.
• State animal: It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.

Static linkage: Biodiversity, conservation programmes, Western Ghats (GS-3 Environment).

GS area: Environment and Ecology

Reintroduction plans for the one-horned rhinoceros drew attention in April 2025 as Project Rhinoceros targets new habitats.

• Scientific name: Rhinoceros unicornis.
• IUCN status: Vulnerable.
• Largest population: Kaziranga National Park in Assam holds approximately 2,613 rhinos as of the 2022 census. Kaziranga holds about two-thirds of the world's total.
• Highest density: Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam has 107 rhinos in just 16 sq km, the highest density globally.
• Proposed reintroduction sites: Dibru-Saikhowa, D'Ering Memorial (both Assam), Valmiki Tiger Reserve (Bihar), Dudhwa, Pilibhit, Katarniaghat (Uttar Pradesh), and Surai Range (Uttarakhand).

Static linkage: Wildlife conservation, national parks (GS-3 Environment).

GS area: Economy, Agriculture

The Modernisation of Command Area Development and Water Management (M-CADWM) scheme received attention as part of PMKSY implementation.

• Parent scheme: A sub-scheme under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayei Yojana (PMKSY).
• Outlay: Rs 1,600 crore for 2025-26.
• Innovation: Underground pressurised piped irrigation up to one-hectare farms, replacing open channel irrigation.
• Technology: SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems and IoT devices for real-time water accounting.
• Asset transfer: Completed infrastructure is transferred to Water User Societies (farmer groups) for ongoing management.

Static linkage: Agriculture, irrigation policy (GS-3 Economy).

GS area: International Relations, Geography

The Taiwan Strait was in news as the People's Liberation Army conducted large-scale military drills around the strait in April 2025.

• Location: Separates Taiwan from China's Fujian Province.
• Connectivity: Links the South China Sea to the south with the East China Sea to the north.
• Width: Approximately 130 to 180 km at its narrowest.
• Strategic importance: One of the world's busiest sea lanes for global trade. Also the central flashpoint in US-China-Taiwan tensions.
• PLA drill: The Shandong aircraft carrier conducted drills described as the largest in the strait.

Static linkage: International relations, geopolitics, geography (GS-2 IR).

• Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2022-23: Covers 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats with 435 unique indicators across nine SDG-aligned thematic areas. Gujarat topped with 346 front-runner panchayats. No panchayat achieved "Achiever" status (90+ score) in this reporting period.
• Accommodative monetary policy stance: Adopted by the RBI when growth slows, inflation is controlled, and sectors need demand support. Tools include repo rate cuts, Open Market Operations, and CRR adjustments. The RBI's April 2025 rate cut to 6 per cent represented a switch to accommodative stance.