22 May 2025

• Environment: International Day for Biological Diversity (22 May). India hosts 11 of the world's 17 Megadiverse countries' equivalent richness in several taxa.
• Polity: The 17th Finance Commission was constituted under Dr Arvind Panagariya, with terms of reference released by MoF.
• Economy: India's current account deficit narrowed to 0.5 per cent of GDP in Q4 FY25, aided by strong services exports.
• Health: ICMR released the India Hypertension Control Initiative data: 30 per cent of adults have hypertension but only 12 per cent have it controlled.
• Defence: India's Project UTTAM AESA radar for the Tejas Mk2 completed its first airborne test on a BAC 1-11 flying testbed.

GS area: Environment, Biodiversity, International Relations

The International Day for Biological Diversity is observed annually on 22 May under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

• CBD origin: Adopted at Rio Earth Summit, 1992. Entered force December 1993. Secretariat: Montreal, Canada.
• Three objectives of CBD: Conservation of biological diversity; sustainable use of its components; fair and equitable sharing of benefits from genetic resources (Access and Benefit Sharing, ABS).
• Nagoya Protocol (2010): Supplementary to CBD on ABS. India implemented it through the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023.
• Kunming-Montreal GBF: Global Biodiversity Framework adopted at COP15 (2022). Key target: protect 30 per cent of land and seas by 2030 (30x30 target).
• India's biodiversity: 4 biodiversity hotspots out of 36 globally (Western Ghats, Eastern Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Sundaland). Over 45,000 plant species and 91,000 animal species documented.

Static linkage: CBD, Nagoya Protocol, Global Biodiversity Framework, India's ecological profile.

GS area: Polity, Fiscal Federalism, Governance

The President constituted the 17th Finance Commission under Article 280 of the Constitution.

• Chairperson: Dr Arvind Panagariya (former NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman and Columbia University Professor).
• Mandate period: Recommendations cover 2026-31 (5-year period starting 1 April 2026).
• Article 280: Finance Commissions are constituted every 5 years. They recommend the distribution of tax revenues between Centre and states, and among states.
• Terms of Reference (key):
  • Vertical devolution: share of divisible pool going to states.
  • Horizontal distribution formula among states (population, area, income distance, efficiency).
  • Non-plan grants for local bodies.
  • Performance incentives for states meeting fiscal, health and education targets.
• 16th Finance Commission: Chaired by Dr TV Somanathan, submitted recommendations for 2021-26. Recommended 41 per cent vertical devolution.

Static linkage: Finance Commission, fiscal federalism, Centre-state relations, Article 280.

GS area: Health, Public Health, Governance

The India Hypertension Control Initiative (IHCI) released new data on the country's hypertension burden.

• Scale: About 220 million Indian adults have hypertension (blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg). 30 per cent of all Indian adults.
• Control rate: Only 12 per cent of hypertensive adults have their BP controlled to below 140/90 mmHg.
• IHCI (2017-present): Joint initiative of MoHFW, ICMR and WHO India. Targets hypertension management through PHCs and community health workers (ASHAs).
• Blood pressure medicines: India provides free antihypertensives at PHCs under the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme and Janaushadhi scheme.
• WHO target: 50 per cent of hypertensive adults to have controlled BP by 2025.
• Complication risk: Uncontrolled hypertension is the leading risk factor for stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and heart failure.

Static linkage: NHM, IHCI, non-communicable diseases, public health.

GS area: Defence Technology, Science and Technology

India's indigenously developed AESA radar for the Tejas Mk2 fighter completed a key airborne test.

• AESA: Active Electronically Scanned Array. Uses thousands of tiny transmit-receive modules (TRMs) for electronic beam steering. No moving parts. Advantages: faster switching, LPI (Low Probability of Intercept), simultaneous air-to-air and air-to-ground modes.
• Project UTTAM: Developed by DRDO's Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), Bangalore.
• Flying testbed: BAC 1-11, an older jet modified to mount and test new systems in flight.
• Tejas Mk2 timeline: Larger, twin-seat capable Tejas variant with more powerful F414 GE engine. First flight expected 2026. HAL is the platform developer.
• Significance: If successful, India becomes one of the few nations to indigenously develop an AESA radar. Previous Tejas Mk1A uses Israeli EL/M-2052 AESA radar.

Static linkage: Defence indigenisation, DRDO, LCA Tejas programme.

GS area: Economy, External Sector, Balance of Payments

India's current account deficit narrowed sharply in Q4 FY25.

• Current Account Deficit (CAD): 0.5 per cent of GDP in Q4 FY25, down from 1.2 per cent a year earlier.
• Drivers of improvement: Strong services exports (IT, BPO, financial services) exceeding $400 billion annually. High remittances (India is the world's largest remittance recipient, over $120 billion in FY25). Lower oil import bill due to Russia-discounted crude.
• Full year FY25: CAD expected around 1.1 per cent of GDP, within the safe threshold of 2-2.5 per cent.
• RBI concern: Capital account surplus must finance the CAD. FPI outflows in uncertain periods create vulnerability.
• Balance of Payments: If the current account and capital account surpluses together are positive, RBI's foreign exchange reserves increase. India's forex reserves are above $670 billion.

Static linkage: Balance of payments, external sector, India's economy.

• World Turtle Day (23 May): Olive Ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) nest at Rushikulya and Gahirmatha in Odisha. IUCN status: Vulnerable. Listed under Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act.
• ISRO PRISM-01 satellite: India's first dedicated mineral mapping satellite, based on the Resourcesat series, was launched from SDSC SHAR to map critical mineral deposits.
• Kanwar Yatra controversy: Supreme Court directed state governments that issued municipal circulars mandating shop-owners to display their identity near the pilgrimage route to reconsider such orders, as they violate constitutional equality provisions.