First indigenous Automated Bio Medical Waste Treatment Plant

Context: Recently, Union Minister launched  India’s first  indigenous Automated Biomedical Waste Treatment Rig, named Sṛjanam, at AIIMS New Delhi.

About Sṛjanam Rig

• It is an automated bio medical waste treatment plant. 
• It is the first of its kind in the country.
• Developed by: CSIR National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) in Thiruvananthapuram developed this innovative rig.
• It showcases India’s progress in advanced waste management technology.
• Special Features of Sṛjanam
  • Sṛjanam disinfects biomedical waste such as blood, urine, sputum, and laboratory disposables.
  • It does this without using expensive and energy-heavy incinerators.
  • Odor Control and Capacity:
    • The rig removes bad odors and adds a pleasant smell to the treated waste.
    • It can process up to 400 kg of waste per day.
    • In the initial phase, it can handle 10 kg of degradable medical waste per day.

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Chandrayaan-3’s Shiv Shakti landing point

Context: Scientists from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, conducted a morphological and topographic analysis of the Chandrayaan-3 landing site

About Chandrayaan-3 Landing Site

• Chandrayaan-3 Landing Site is 3.7 billion years old.
  • This age coincides with the time when primitive microbial life first emerged on Earth.
  • It was mapped by Indian scientists using high-resolution remote sensing data.
• Significance of the Study
  • Lunar History Insights: Reveals how meteor impacts and debris shaped the Moon’s surface.
• Historic Landing
  • On August 23, 2023, Chandrayaan-3, with Vikram lander and Pragyan rover, landed near the Moon’s South Pole.
  • India became the fourth country to make a soft landing on the Moon, after the USSR (Russia), US, and China.

Key Findings of ISRO’s Study on Chandrayaan-3 Landing Site

• Terrain and Crater Analysis
  • The landing site is located in an area with low-relief smooth plains.
  • The surrounding region also includes:
    • High-relief rugged terrain
    • High-relief smooth plains
• Geological Influences on the Area
  • The area was mainly formed by ejecta from secondary craters, including:
    • Manzinus crater (96 km diameter, ~3.9 billion years old)
    • Boguslawsky crater (95 km diameter, ~4 billion years old)
    • Schomberger crater (86 km diameter, ~3.7 billion years old)
• Impact of Space Weathering
  • The region is affected by micro-meteorite bombardments and extreme temperature changes.
  • This caused the rock fragments to break down into regolith (lunar soil) over time.
• Rock and Crater Distribution
  • The Pragyan rover found several rock fragments larger than 1 cm.
  • The largest rock samples were found near:
    • A fresh crater (14 km south of the landing site)
    • Another crater (1.8 km in diameter) 8 km west of the landing site.

Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2024

Context: India has ranked 96th out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2024.

About Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)

• CPI is an annual report published by Transparency International. 
• It is the most widely used global corruption ranking in the world. 
• The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories based on their perceived levels of public sector corruption. 
• The scale ranges from zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

India’s CPI Performance Over the Years

• 2024: Rank 96, Score 38
• 2023: Rank 93, Score 39
• India’s declining score and rank reflect ongoing challenges in tackling corruption, despite efforts like the Right to Information Act and anti-corruption laws.

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Global Findings

• Top Performers: Denmark topped the list as the least corrupt nation, followed by Finland and Singapore.
• Global Average Stagnant: The global average score remains at 43, with over two-thirds of countries scoring below 50.
• Worst Performers: Countries like Somalia, South Sudan, and Syria rank at the bottom due to weak governance and conflict.
• Corruption and Climate: The 2024 report highlights how corruption undermines climate action, with funds often misused or stolen.

Transparency International

• Transparency International is a global non-governmental organization (NGO) founded in 1993.
• Transparency International works to combat corruption and promote transparency, accountability, and integrity in governments, businesses, and civil society. 
• It is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, and operates in over 100 countries through its national chapters.

Panama withdraws from Belt and Road Initiative

Context: Panama has officially announced its withdrawal from China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), marking a significant geopolitical realignment.

US Influence and Panama’s Decision

• The recent decision by Panama to withdraw from the BRI follows a visit by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the country.
  • This visit is widely seen as a catalyst for Panama’s decision to step back from the BRI.
• The US has been increasingly vocal about its concerns regarding China’s growing influence in Latin America. 

Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

• The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a global infrastructure development strategy launched by China in 2013. 
• It aims to enhance connectivity and economic cooperation across Asia, Europe, and Africa by investing in infrastructure projects like roads, railways, ports, and energy networks.

Key Components of BRI

• Silk Road Economic Belt: A land-based network linking China to Europe through Central Asia.
• 21st Century Maritime Silk Road: A sea route connecting China to Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe.

New HS code GI-recognised rice varieties

Context: India has amended the Customs Tariff Act to introduce a new HS (Harmonised System) code for exporting Geographical Indication (GI)-recognised rice that will allow the export of these special rice varieties without requiring special notifications from the Finance Ministry.

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What is HS?

• HS (Harmonized System) is a global product classification system.
• It is called the “universal economic language” for goods.
• Developed by: World Customs Organization (WCO).
  • This is the first time in the world that an HS code is introduced for GI rice.
  • The HS codes are 1006-30-11 for parboiled rice and 1006-30-91 for white rice.
• Classification Structure
  • Uses six-digit codes to classify different products and commodities.
  • Countries can add extra digits to the six-digit code for more specific classifications.
• Governed by:  The “International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System.”
• Managed by:  The HS Committee, which includes member countries.
• HS is updated every 5–6 years.
• Widespread Adoption
  • Used for about 98% of international trade.
  • Covers over 5,000 commodity groups.
  • Implemented by more than 200 countries worldwide.
• Benefits of HS
• • Provides a common coding system for organizing and tracking products in global trade.
  • Used by governments, international organizations, and private companies for taxes, trade policies, and more.
  • Lowers international trade costs and supports economic research.

Impact on Rice Exports

• Facilitating Exports During Ban
  • The new HS code will help export GI-tagged rice even if the government imposes a ban on general rice exports.
• Ease of Export Process
  • The amendment allows the export of GI-tagged rice without needing special permission from the Finance Ministry.

Exercise Cyclone 2025

Context: The 3rd edition of the Joint Special Forces Exercise CYCLONE has commenced at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan, India.

About Exercise Cyclone 2025

• Exercise CYCLONE is an annual military exercise conducted alternatively in India and Egypt.
• History of Exercise Cyclone: The first edition was conducted in India in 2023.
  • The previous edition (2024) was held in Egypt in January 2024.
• Objective of Exercise Cyclone 2025:
  • The goal of the exercise is to enhance coordination and interoperability between the Indian and Egyptian armies.
  • The training will include real-world scenarios and tactical drills to improve combat readiness.
  • Both armies will train together in desert conditions to develop joint operational capabilities.
• Motto of Exercise Cyclone 2025: The motto for Exercise Cyclone 2025 is “Together we train, together we excel.”
• Key Focus Areas:
  • The exercise will involve special forces from both countries.
  • Training will focus on:
    • Counter-terrorism operations
    • High-intensity combat tactics
    • Survival techniques in extreme conditions

Republic of Estonia

Context: The Indian Prime Minister met with the President of the Republic of Estonia on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit in Paris. 

• This was the first meeting between the two leaders.
• India-Estonia Partnership: The two leaders noted the importance of the India-Estonia partnership in the context of the India-EU strategic partnership.
  • They welcomed the initiation of ministerial exchanges in the India-Nordic-Baltic format.

About The Republic of Estonia

• Location: Estonia is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe.
• Capital City: Tallinn
• Neighbours: It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Russia
• Language: Eesti Vabariik or the Estonian language
• Political nature: It is a democratic unitary parliamentary republic, administratively subdivided into 15 maakond (counties)
• Legislature: Riigikogu
• Membership: Estonia is a member of the Eurozone and NATO

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‘IRIS’ (Indigenous RISCV Controller for Space Applications) Chip

Context: The ‘IRIS’ (Indigenous RISCV Controller for Space Applications) chip has been developed from the ‘SHAKTI’ processor baseline.

• IRIS is the third SHAKTI chip to have been developed after RIMO in 2018 and MOUSHIK in 2020.

About the IRIS’ Chip

• It is an Atmanirbhar aerospace quality SHAKTI-based semiconductor chip. 
• Developed By:The chip is developed by Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
  • Idea: The ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU) in Thiruvananthapuram proposed the idea of a 64bit RISC-V-based Controller
  • Designed: IIT Madras defined the specifications and design of the semiconductor chip
• Application: It can be used in diverse domains from Internet of Things and compute systems for strategic needs. 
• Need: It was part of the effort of ISRO to indigenise semiconductors used for its applications, Command and Control Systems and other critical functions 
• Importance: The Chip is end to end developed in India marking a milestone in “Make in India” efforts in semiconductor design and fabrication.

About The SHAKTI Microprocessor Project

• The project aims to promote indigenous development of microprocessor-based products adopting RISC-V technology, an open-source Instruction Set Architecture (ISA), for designing custom processors.
• Led By: The Centre for Digital Intelligence and Secure Hardware Architecture in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Madras. 
• Supported By: It is backed by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under its ‘Digital India RISC-V’ initiative.

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