Current Context : Recently, The Henley Passport Index has released its 2024 ranking of the most powerful passports in the world. London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners has released the list of the world's most powerful passports. 1st position holding country - Singapore, providing visa-free access to 195 countries. The second position is shared by five countries: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain, which provide visa-free access to 192 countries. India is ranked at 82nd spot along with Senegal and Tajikistan giving visa-free access to 58 countries. This ranking allows Indian passport holders to travel to....Read More

Current Context : World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF released National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC) 2023 report. RELEVANT DATA In World  : Childhood immunization coverage stalled in 2023, leaving 2.7 million children either unvaccinated or under-vaccinated. Over 50% of unvaccinated children live in the 31 conflict affected countries. IN INDIA: In 2023, 6 million children missed crucial Diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (called DPT) and measles vaccinations. India lacks human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in national programs despite cervical cancer being second-highest cancer in women (18% of female cancers). India accounted for 2 million zero-dose children. Zero-dose children are those that lack access....Read More

Current Context : Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora has released a report at the 27th meeting on the CITES-listed species traded as Rosewood. The report details CITES-listed rosewood species’ characteristics, ecosystem roles, regeneration rates, and threats. Such information will help CITES parties make informed non-detriment findings (NDFs). NDF is a mandatory scientific analysis under CITES to ensure that exporting a specified quantity of specimens of Appendix I and II -listed species will not affect their long-term survival in the wild. ABOUT ROSEWOOD It is also called as “palisander” encompasses a wide range of....Read More

Current Context : Recently, National and subnational progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) was released by NITI Aayog. SDG India Index 2023-24 measures and tracks national progress of all States and UTs on 113 indicators aligned to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s (MoSPI) National Indicator Framework (NIF). The composite score for India improved from 57 in 2018 to 66 in 2020-21 to further to 71 in 2023-24. SDG ACHIEVEMENTS INCLUDE: Over 4 crore houses under the PM Awas Yojana (PMAY), 11 crore Toilets & 2.23 lakh Community Sanitary Complexes in rural areas 10 crore LPG connections under....Read More

Current Context : Recently, Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released Global Liveability Index. The 2024 index, focused on towns around the world based on things like education, healthcare, culture the environment, stability, and infrastructure. This ranking evaluates 173 cities worldwide based on several factors, including stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. Relevant Facts Vienna ranked first. Copenhagen, Denmark, stays in second place, and Zurich, Switzerland ranked Viennaexcelled in most of these categories, showcasing its high quality of life. These cities are noted for their robust healthcare systems, excellent infrastructure, and rich cultural environments. Indian cities such as Delhi and Mumbai ranked around the 141....Read More

Current Context : On the occasion of 18th Statistics Day, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released Sustainable Development Goals – National Indicator Framework Progress Report, 2024. SDG-NIF report is released in consultation with concerned Ministries, UN Agencies, and other stakeholders. This annual report facilitates monitoring of the SDGs' progress at national level. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is centered around 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 associated targets. RELEVANT DATA The Number of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) provided bank credit linkage has increased from 18.32 lakh in 2015-16 to 44.15 lakh in 2023-24. Gross Value Added in agriculture....Read More

Current Context : Recently, Aid for Trade in Action report is released by World Trade Organization (WTO). This report supports the transition to clean energy, which highlights the Aid-for-Trade Initiative. ABOUT AID-FOR-TRADE INITIATIVE It is led by the WTO, grew out of the 2005 WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Conference. Aim: to help developing economies integrate into world trade by mobilizing additional development support to address supply side capacity and trade‑related infrastructure constraints in these economies. Objectiove : to mobilize financial resources to address the trade‑related constraints identified by developing economies and leastdeveloped countries.Read More

Current Context : International Monetary Fund (IMF) Dashboard released the AIPI Dashboard. Singapore has been placed at 1st position. India’s ranked 72 out of 174 ABOUT AIPI DASHBOARD It tracks the level of AI preparedness across 174 countries. Assessment of readiness of countries is bases on four key areas: Digital infrastructure, Human capital and Labour market policies, Innovation and economic integration and Regulation and Ethics. Categorization of Countries: Advanced Economy (AE), Emerging Market Economy (EM), and Low-Income Country (LIC). Singapore (0.80), Denmark (0.78), and the United States (0.77) are among the highest-rated AEs. India categorised as an EM with a....Read More

Current Context : Annual World Drug Report was released on World Drug Day (or International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking). Released By United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). RELEVANT DATA Rise in drug abuse: In 2022, the number of people using illicit drugs increased to 292 million. Mostly used drugs: Cannabis consumed by 228 million people , followed by opioids (60 million people), amphetamines (30 million people) , cocaine (23 million), and Affected regions: Triple Frontier area (Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay) and Golden Triangle (Laos Myanmar and Thailand). Legalisation of Cannabis: Cannabis was legalised across Canada,....Read More

Current Context : Recently, Ministry of Defence signed 350th contract under iDEX for miniaturised satellite. Contract is signed for the design and development of a ‘miniaturised satellite capable of carrying electro-optical, infrared, synthetic aperture radar and hyperspectral payloads up to 150 kgs’. ABOUT INNOVATIONS FOR DEFENCE EXCELLENCE (IDEX) Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Defence was signed with SpacePixxel Technologies Pvt Ltd. Established by the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) under the Department of Defence Production. Its objective is to create an ecosystem to foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace by....Read More