Celebrated on 01^st  January every year.

• Purpose: Promotes peace, unity, and the idea of Earth as one global family.
• Origins: Emerged from the United Nations Millennium celebration, “One Day in Peace.”
• Significance: Encourages global harmony, shared responsibility, and addressing common challenges.

Current Context : On Christmas Eve 2024, President Joe Biden signed a law officially designating the bald eagle as the national bird of the United States.

About  Bald Eagle

Historical Context:

• Featured on the Great Seal of the US since 1782, symbolizing strength, courage, and freedom.
• Benjamin Franklin opposed the bald eagle, calling it a “bird of bad moral character.”
• Congress recognized its symbolic value and indigenous status in North America.

Conservation Status:

• Protected under the National Emblem Act of 1940, banning hunting or selling bald eagles.
• Once near extinction, the bald eagle’s population has significantly recovered since 2009.

Current Context :  Rwanda has officially declared the end of its first Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) outbreak as of December 20, 2024, followed a 42-day monitoring period with no new cases reported.

• The outbreak, was started on September 27, 2024, with 66 confirmed cases and 15 fatalities, mainly among health workers.

About Marburg Virus Disease

• Cause: Caused by the Marburg virus, transmitted from fruit bats to humans.
• Transmission: Through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, contaminated surfaces, or materials.
• Fatality Rate: High, averaging around 50%.
• Symptoms: Includes fever, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Current Context : President Droupadi Murmu presented the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2024 on December 26, 2024, to 17 exceptional children from across India.

• The awards honor remarkable achievements in seven categories: Art and Culture, Bravery, Innovation, Science and Technology, Social Service, Sports, and Environment.
• Awardees include 7 boys and 10 girls from 14 states and union territories.

Notable Awardees and Their Achievements

Art and Culture

• Keya Hatkar (14 years): An author and disability advocate excelling in art and culture.
• Ayaan Sajad (12 years): A Sufi singer from Kashmir contributing to Kashmiri music.
• Vyas Om Jignesh (17 years): A cerebral palsy-affected Sanskrit scholar who memorized over 5,000 slokas.

Bravery

• Saurav Kumar (9 years): Saved three girls from drowning.
• Loanna Thapa (17 years): Rescued 36 residents from a fire.

Innovation

• Sindhoora Raja (15 years): Developed self-stabilizing devices for Parkinson’s patients.
• Risheek Kumar (17 years): Founded Kashmir’s first cybersecurity firm.

Sports

• Hembati Nag: A judo player from a Naxal-affected area who won silver at the Khelo India National Games.
• Anish Sarkar: Youngest FIDE-ranked chess player at the age of three.

Current Context : China has approved the construction of the world’s largest dam and world’s biggest infra project in Medog region of Tibet

• Location: Medog region, Tibet; on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River (Brahmaputra).
• Capacity: Over three times larger than the Three Gorges Dam (current world’s largest).
• Purpose: Supports carbon neutrality goals, boosts industries, and creates jobs in Tibet.

India-China Water Mechanism:

• Expert Level Mechanism (ELM): Established in 2006 for trans-border river issues.
• Hydrological Data Sharing: China provides flood season data on Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers.
• India’s Response: Building a hydropower dam on Brahmaputra in Arunachal Pradesh.

Current Context : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has paid tributes to Brigadier General Amitabh Jha of India, who was serving with the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) at Golan Heights.

About United Nations Disengagement Observer Force:

• Established: 31 May 1974 by UN Security Council Resolution 350 after the disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria.
• Objective : Maintain ceasefire, supervise the demilitarized buffer zone, and monitor restrictions on troops and equipment in the Golan Heights.
• Renewal: Mandate extended every six months, currently valid until June 2025.
• India’s Role: One of the top three troop and police contributors.
• Headquarters: Camp Faouar, Golan Heights.

About Golan Heights

• Location: Overlooks the upper Jordan River valley; Syrian territory occupied by Israel since 1967.
• Borders: Jordan River and Sea of Galilee (west), Mount Hermon (north), Wadi Al-Ruqqād (east), Yarmūk River (south).
• Significance: Strategic military importance and a focal point of Israel-Syria conflict.

Current Context : Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions launched ‘Viksit Panchayat Karmayogi’ Initiative on Good Governance Day.

• Objective: Enhance capacity and competence of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) for effective governance and participatory planning.
• Part of the ‘Prashasan Gaon Ki Aur’ campaign, focusing on decentralized and grassroots-level governance.
• Pilot States: Odisha, Assam, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh.
• Features: Integration of e-learning platforms, AI-powered chatbots, and mobile apps for training.

Imp. Fact : Good Governance Day is celebrated on 25th December to commemorate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Current Context : According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Yemen is the most affected country globally by cholera.

About Cholera

• Cause:Acute diarrheal disease caused by Vibrio cholerae
• Transmission:Consuming contaminated food or water.
• Symptoms:Severe watery diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration; mild or asymptomatic in most cases.
• Treatment:Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) for mild cases; IV fluids and antibiotics for severe cases.
• Prevention:Access to safe water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), and Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV).

Cholera in Yemen

• Most Affected Country:Yemen faces the largest outbreak globally, with over 2.5 million suspected cases since 2016.
• Factors:Conflict, poor healthcare, lack of clean water, and food insecurity.

General Studies Paper -1

Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the interstate Ken-Betwa river linking project.

Ken-Betwa River Linking Project

• In 2021, a memorandum of agreement was signed among the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the governments of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to implement the Ken-Betwa Link Project.
• Project:
  • Transferring water from the Ken river to the Betwa river, both tributaries of the Yamuna.
  • The Ken-Betwa Link Canal will be 221 km in length, including a 2-km tunnel.
  • It has two phases. Phase-I will involve building the Daudhan Dam complex and its subsidiary units.
  • Phase-II will involve three components — Lower Orr Dam, Bina Complex Project and Kotha Barrage.
  • It is the project under the National Perspective Plan for interlinking rivers

Regions to be Benefited:

• The project lies in Bundelkhand, which spreads across 13 districts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
• The project will be of immense benefit to the water-starved region.
• Completion: It is proposed to be implemented in eight years.

Significance of River Linking Projects

• Reduction of Water Scarcity: It helps transfer surplus water from water-rich regions to water-deficient areas, addressing water scarcity issues.
• Improved Water Availability for Agriculture: Increased water availability in dry regions to enhance agricultural productivity.
• Mitigation of Floods: Interlinking rivers help distribute excess water during periods of heavy rainfall, reducing the risk of floods in specific regions.
• Increased Hydropower Potential: The construction of reservoirs and canals for interlinking projects create opportunities for hydropower generation.
• Job Creation: The construction and maintenance of interlinking infrastructure create job opportunities, contributing to economic development.
• Conflict Resolution: River interlinking projects potentially reduce inter-state disputes over water resources by providing a more equitable distribution of water.

Concerns with the River Linking Projects

• Ecosystem Disruption: Altering natural river courses and diverting water can disrupt ecosystems, leading to habitat loss, changes in biodiversity, and potential extinction of species.
• Displacement of Communities: The construction of dams, reservoirs, and canals for river interlinking result in the displacement of communities, leading to social and economic hardships for affected populations.
• Inter-State Disputes: River interlinking projects often involve multiple states, and disagreements arise over water sharing, leading to inter-state disputes.
• Financial Viability: The construction of large-scale infrastructure for river interlinking projects can be economically challenging, with costs often exceeding initial estimates.
• Seismic Risks: Areas prone to earthquakes face increased risks due to the construction of large dams and other infrastructure.
• Maintenance Issues: Neglecting maintenance can lead to system failures and adverse consequences.
• Community Resistance: Local communities and environmental activists often oppose river interlinking projects due to concerns about their impact on the environment, livelihoods, and cultural heritage.

Conclusion

• Addressing the concerns requires comprehensive planning, environmental impact assessments, community engagement, and transparent decision-making processes.
• Sustainable water management practices, incorporating modern technologies and adaptive strategies, are essential to mitigate the potential negative consequences of river interlinking projects.

Current Context : Prime Minister Modi distributed over 50 lakh (5 million) property cards to owners in more than 46,000 villages across 200 districts in 10 states and 2 Union Territories.

About Scheme 

• Launch Date: April 24, 2020, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• Objective: Provide ‘Record of Rights’ to rural households using drone technology for property surveys.
• Coverage: Targeting 6.62 lakh villages in India by 2025.
• Technology Used : Advanced drone surveying for accurate property mapping.
• Full Saturation Achieved: Tripura, Goa, Uttarakhand, Haryana.