Current Context : Moldova has recently become a member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), as announced by the Ministry of External Affairs.

International Solar Alliance (ISA)

1. Established: Launched in 2015 by India and France during COP21 (Paris Agreement).
2. Objective: Promote solar energy adoption, mobilize funding for solar projects, and enhance energy access, security, and transition globally.
3. Membership: 104 member countries.
4. Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana, India.
5. Key Initiatives:
   1. Green Grids Initiative – One Sun, One World, One Grid (GGI-OSOWOG): Aims to create a global interconnected solar energy grid.
   2. Solar Applications for Agriculture: Supports solar-powered irrigation and farming solutions.

Current Context :Bilateral naval exercise SLINEX held between India and Sri Lanka.

Location: Visakhapatnam, under Eastern Naval Command.

Participating Units:

• India: INS Sumitra (Offshore Patrol Vessel) and Special Forces team.
• Sri Lanka: SLNS Sayura (Offshore Patrol Vessel) and Special Forces team.

Current Context : Jharkhand’s Birhor tribe have actively participated in a movement against child marriage in Giridih district, marking a significant cultural shift.

About Birhor Tribe

The Birhor tribe, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Jharkhand, has traditionally been a semi-nomadic, forest-dependent community.

• Location:Primarily found in Jharkhand, with populations also in Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and West Bengal.
• Language:Speak Birhor, a language belonging to the Munda group of the Austroasiatic language family, sharing similarities with Santali, Mundari, and Ho languages.
• Lifestyle:Historically semi-nomadic, engaging in hunting and gathering, particularly of monkeys. Some have transitioned to settled agriculture.
• Physical Characteristics:Typically of short stature, with long heads, wavy hair, and broad noses.
• Economic Activities:Traditionally rope-making from specific vines, sold in local markets.
• Social Structure:Divided into Uthlus (wandering) and Janghis (settled) groups.

Current Context : Cyclone Chido, a Category 4 tropical cyclone with wind speeds exceeding 220 km/h (136 mph), has caused significant devastation in the Indian Ocean region, particularly affecting the French overseas territory of Mayotte and parts of Mozambique.

General Information about Cyclones:

Formation: Cyclones are caused by atmospheric disturbances around a low-pressure area, characterized by rapid and often destructive air circulation.

Classification: Cyclones are categorized based on wind speeds:

• Category 1: 120-150 km/h
• Category 2: 150-180 km/h
• Category 3: 180-210 km/h
• Category 4: 210-250 km/h
• Category 5: Above 250 km/h

Cyclone Chido’s classification as a Category 4 storm underscores its severity and the extensive damage it has inflicted on the affected regions.

About Mayotte:

• Location:French overseas territory in the Indian Ocean, between Madagascar and Mozambique.
• Geography:Composed of two main islands, Grande-Terre and Petite-Terre.
• History:Colonized by France in 1843, voted to remain French in 1974.

Mozambique:

• Location:Southeastern Africa, bordered by the Indian Ocean, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Eswatini.
• Capital:
• Geography:Long Indian Ocean coastline (~2,700 km).
• Economy:Rich in natural resources, including arable land, water, and natural gas.

Current Context : Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, has launched the ‘CHARAK’ initiative—Community Health: A Responsive Action for Koylanchal—to provide free treatment for life-threatening diseases to economically weaker sections in the Singrauli region.

• Objective:To ensure access to quality healthcare while easing the financial and emotional burden on affected families.

Features of the CHARAK Initiative:

• Target Beneficiaries:Residents of Singrauli and Sonbhadra districts with an annual family income below ₹8 lakhs.
• Covered Diseases:Malignancy (cancer), tuberculosis (TB) and related complications, HIV/AIDS and related complications, organ transplants, neurological disorders, and connective tissue disorders.
• Treatment Facilities:Free treatment is provided at NCL’s dedicated hospital (Neheru Shatabdi Chikitsalaya) or at specialized empaneled hospitals across the country.

About Singrauli Coalfield:

• Location:Situated in the Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh, with a portion extending into Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh.
• Area:Covers approximately 2,200 square kilometers.
• Significance:Known as the energy capital of India, it houses extensive coal reserves and several thermal power plants.

Current Context : Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former professional footballer, was elected President of Georgia on  by a 300-member electoral college.

• He secured 224 out of 225 votes, with the opposition boycotting the election, alleging illegitimacy.

About Georgia

• Location: Georgia is a country in the South Caucasus region, situated at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia.
• It is bordered by Russia to the north, Azerbaijan to the southeast, Armenia and Turkey to the south, and the Black Sea to the west.
• Capital: Tbilisi.
• Area: Approximately 69,700 square kilometers.
• Population: Around 3.7 million people.
• Language: Georgian is the official language.

Celebrated annually on 19th December.

• Significance: Marks Goa’s liberation from Portuguese rule in 1961after an extended freedom movement and military operation.
• Historical Event: Indian Armed Forces conducted Operation Vijay, which ended 451 years of Portuguese colonial rule.

Current Context : India’s women’s hockey team clinched the Women’s Hockey Junior Asia Cup 2024 title, successfully defending their championship by defeating China in a thrilling final held in Muscat, Oman.

About Tournament :

• Dates:December 7–15, 2024
• Venue:Hockey Oman Stadium, Muscat, Oman
• Participating Teams:10 teams from the Asian continent
• Significance:This victory marks India’s second consecutive Women’s Hockey Junior Asia Cup title, underscoring their dominance in the region.
• The Women’s Hockey Junior Asia Cup has been held since 1992.
• With this win, India has secured the title twice, with previous victories in 2023 and 2024.

Current Context : The Jalvahak Scheme is an initiative by the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, launched on December 15, 2024, to promote cargo transportation via India’s inland waterways.

• Objective: To incentivize cargo movement through inland waterways, aiming for a modal shift of 800 million tonne-kilometers with an investment of ₹4 crores over three years.

Operational Routes:

• National Waterway 1 (NW-1):Kolkata – Patna – Varanasi – Patna – Kolkata stretch.
• National Waterway 2 (NW-2):Kolkata to Pandu in Guwahati via the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR).
• National Waterway 16 (NW-16):Barak River via IBPR.

Implementation Agencies:

• Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).
• Inland & Coastal Shipping Ltd (ICSL), a subsidiary of the Shipping Corporation of India.
• Validity Period:The scheme is initially valid for three years.
• Fixed-Day Scheduled Sailing Service: Introduced to ensure timely and reliable cargo delivery, with specific transit times set for each route.
• Significance : Aims to lower logistics costs by providing a cost-effective alternative to road and rail transport.

Inland Waterways in India:

National Waterways (NWs): India has 111 declared NWs under the National Waterways Act, 2016, facilitating inland water transport.

Key Waterways:

• NW-1:Haldia to Allahabad on the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River System.
• NW-2:Dhubri to Sadiya on the Brahmaputra River.
• NW-16:Barak River.

Regulatory Body: The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), established under the IWAI Act, 1985, is responsible for the regulation and development of NWs in India.

Current Context : UK has recently become the first European country to join the Indo-Pacific trade bloc Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

• Previously, in 2023, CPTPP parties and the UK signed the accession protocol to enable the UK to join the CPTPP.

About CPTPP

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a significant free trade agreement among countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Key points include:

• Formation: Originally signed by 11 countries in March 2018 in Santiago, Chile; entered into force on December 30, 2018.
• Members: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and the United Kingdom (joined in 2024 as the first European nation).

Significance:

• Economic Impact: Accounts for about 15% of global GDP, providing access to a market of over 500 million people.
• Trade Benefits: Eliminates or reduces tariffs on approximately 99% of goods traded among member countries, enhancing trade flows.