• A report, titled The High Cost of Cheap Water, was released by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) on the occasion of World Food Day(October 16).

MAJOR FINDINGS

• The mounting global water crisis threatens $58 trillion in economic value, food security and sustainability.
  • It is the first ever annual estimate of economic value of water and freshwater ecosystems.
  • It is equivalent to 60 per cent of global gross domestic product.
• The world has lost a third of its remaining wetlands since 1970, while freshwater wildlife populations have, on average, dropped by 83 per cent.
• Unsustainable agricultural practices were among the primary threats to rivers and floodplains.
  • Other threats include- climate change, water pollution and flow modification & fragmentation by dams etc.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Countries must support nature-positive food production and maintain free-flowing rivers for agricultural productivity.
• The world must also apply sustainable land use practices to facilitate natural water retention.
• We must adopt diets that reduce demand for products that strain freshwater.

ABOUT WORLD WIDE FUND FOR NATURE (WWF)

• The WWF is an international non-governmental organization dedicated for the conservation and preservation of nature and natural species.
• It is the largest conservation organization in the world.
• It was founded on 29th April 1961 in Switzerland as the World Wildlife Fund.
• Presently, it is active in more than 100 countries around the world.
• HQ- Gland, Switzerland
• It works around six major areas- food, climate, freshwater, wildlife, forests, and oceans.

• Chief Justice of India referred the challenge to the validity of the electoral bonds scheme, which facilitates anonymous donations to political parties, to a Constitution Bench of five judges.
• The petitioners’ are urging to focus primarily on two issues concerning the electoral bonds scheme, that is, the legalisation of anonymous donations to political parties and the violation of citizens’ right to information about the funding of political parties, promoting corruption.
• The two issues concern violation of Articles 19, 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
• The electoral bonds scheme was passed as a Money Bill, circumventing the Rajya Sabha.

ABOUT ELECTORAL BONDS

• It is a bearer instrument, like a promissory note that can be bought by any Indian citizen or company incorporated in India.
• These can be bought individually or jointly with other individuals.
• It is payable to the bearer on demand and interest-free.
• Electoral Bonds can be purchased digitally or through cheques.
• The electoral bonds are available for purchase for 10 days at the beginning of every quarter.
• State Bank of India (SBI) branches can issue the bonds in denominations of Rs 1,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 1 lakh, Rs 10 lakh, and Rs 1 crore.
• The citizen or corporate can then donate the same to any eligible political party of his/her choice.
  • Only the political parties registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and have secured not less than 1% of the votes polled in the last general election to the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly, are eligible to receive electoral bonds.
  • The political parties can encash such bonds within 15 days of receiving them.
• If a party hasn’t enchased any bonds within 15 days, SBI deposits these into the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.
• Anonymous cash donations have been capped at Rs 2,000.

• Chief Minister revealed that 11 new eco-tourism sites had been identified as part of initiatives to promote eco-tourism on a large scale.
• The identified 11 eco-tourism sites are Swaar, Saurabh Van Vihar, Neugal Park and Bir-Billing in Palampur forest division, Kasol, Kheer Ganga and Sumarupa in Parvati forest division, Sojha in Seraj, Narkanda in Kotgarh and Shogi camping site besides Potter Hill camping site under Shimla forest division.
• Each of these eco-tourism sites would be developed in an area of one hectare and a reserve price had been fixed for developing these sites through outsourcing.

• Justice Siddharth Mridul was recently appointed as the chief justice of Manipur High Court three months after the Supreme Court Collegium recommendation.

• World Trauma Day, observed every year on October 17^th, is dedicated to raising awareness about trauma, its causes, symptoms, and prevention.
• Trauma encompasses emotional responses to accidents, injuries, physical violence, rape, natural disasters, or any incident affecting an individual both physically and mentally.

• India and the UK discussed the possibilities for collaboration in trade, investment, defence, critical technologies and civil aviation during their maiden 2+2 foreign affairs and defence dialogue in New Delhi.
• The two sides discussed Indo-Pacific and trade at ‘2+2’ Foreign and Defence Dialogue.
• They also discussed ideas regarding counterterrorism, HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) and maritime security.
• India has a 2+2 dialogue, either at the level of senior officials or ministers, with close strategic partners such as the US, Japan, Australia and Russia.

• The Union government has recently revoked the suspension order of International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) director.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR POPULATION SCIENCES (IIPS)

• The International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, formerly known as the Demographic Training and Research Centre (DTRC) till 1970, was established in July 1956 under the joint sponsorship of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, the Government of India and the United Nations.
• Objective- to train persons from India and other countries in demography and related fields.
• It serves as a regional centre for Training and Research in Population Studies for the ESCAP region.
• It was declared as a ‘Deemed to be University’ on August 14, 1985, under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956.
• IIPS is the nodal agency, responsible for providing coordination and technical guidance for the National Family Health Survey.
• It is an autonomous organization of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• There are seven Academic Departments in the Institute.

• The occurrence of tilapia parvovirus (TiPV) affecting farm-bred tilapia, a freshwater fish species, and causing a huge mortality rate has been reported for the first time in India at ponds in Walajah in Ranipet district of Tamil Nadu.
• The TiPV was first reported in China in 2019 and Thailand in 2021. India is the third country to report the occurrence of TiPV.

ABOUT TILAPIA PARVOVIRUS

• Tilapia parvovirus (TiPV) is a single-stranded DNA virus.
• This virus was localized in the gills, heart, brain, liver, pancreas, spleen, intestine, kidney, eyes, and muscles of tilapia.
• Currently no vaccine is available against TiPV.

ABOUT TILAPIA FISH

• Tilapia is a freshwater fish species.
• It is called Jilabi in Tamil.
• Mozambique tilapia was introduced to Indian freshwater bodies in the 1950s.
• Nile tilapia introduced in the 1970s is a little bigger and is cultured on a large-scale.
• It is capable of surviving in low-oxygen levels in water and has turned invasive across the country.
• In India, tilapia farming is being carried out in different parts of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, and is sold in domestic markets as whole fish

• Hamas’s attacks in Israel on October 7 and Israel’s response in the Gaza Strip have been war crimes met with more apparent war crimes.
• There are two laws associated with wars.

JUS AD BELLUM

• Defines the legitimate reasons a state may engage in war.
• It finds its source in United Nations Charter of 1945.
• Article 2 prohibits members from use of force against territorial integrity or political independence of any State.
• Article 51 of provides inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs.

JUS IN BELLO

• Known as international humanitarian law (IHL) and provides rules to be followed during armed conflict.
• It finds its sources in Hague Conventions (1899 and 1907) and 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols (1977).
• Its purpose is to save lives and reduce suffering.
• Both governmental forces and non-state armed groups need to respect IHL.
• Breach of law may lead to prosecution for War crime.
• In 1998 under Rome Statute an international criminal court, was established for repressing inter alia war crimes.
• IHL has four basic principles that seek to minimize the impact of war on civilians and non-combatants :–
  • Humanity refers generally to restraint in and limiting war’s impact on human security and health.
  • Distinction refers to the obligation to differentiate between civilians and civilian objects as well as combatants and military objects.
  • Proportionality provides that even where attacks target military objectives, they cannot cause civilian harm that is “excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated.”
  • Military necessity recognizes that a legitimate military objective is to weaken the capacity of opposing parties and win a battle or war, though this objective must be exercised in accordance with IHL principles intended to minimize harm.

• PM Modi recently visited Jageshwar temple and Parvati Kund in

 ABOUT JAGESHWAR TEMPLE

• Jageshwar is a Hindu pilgrimage town in the district Almora (Kumaun region Uttarakhand), known for its group of 125 ancient temples dating from the 7th to the 14th century (primarily constructed and restored by the Katyuri dynasty kings).
• Jageshwar temple is located near river Jata Ganga.
• These temples are dedicated to various deities, with many honouring Lord Shiva.
• According to the Skandha Purana and Linga Purana, the worship of Lord Shiva originated in Jageshwar, making it a significant religious site.
• Also , the area was a hub for Lakulisha Shaivism, a revivalist sect that reveres Lord Shiva.
• It also hosts religious festivals like the Jageshwar Monsoon Festival and Maha Shivratri Mela.
• The temples showcase a mix of North Indian Nagara and South/Central Indian architectural styles.

ABOUT PARVATI KUND

• Parvati Kund in Pithoragarh is one of India’s most revered shrines.
• At an elevation of about 5,338 feet the Hindu pilgrimage site draws the faithful every year.
• The site has great spiritual significance and is believed to be the site where Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati meditated.