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According to the Snow Update Report 2024 of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Snow Persistence was significantly lower than the normal in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) this year.

• About Snow persistence (SP): It  is the fraction of time that snow remains on the ground for a defined period. 

Key Findings of the ICIMOD Report

• Comparison with Historical Records: The report analysed data on snow persistence from 2003 to 2024  and compared the persistence of seasonal snow in November 2023-April 2024 with historical records.
• Below-average Snow Cover: The Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra basins saw reduced snow cover from November 2023 to April 2024, marking decreases of 23%, 17%, and 15% respectively compared to averages from 2003-2023.
• Dramatic fall in the Helmand and Amu Darya River basin:  Originating from the Hindu Kush Himalaya region, the Helmand River basin, which flows into southwestern Afghanistan and eastern Iran, witnessed a notable 31.8% decrease in snow persistence.
  • The Amu Darya river basin, one of Central Asia’s longest rivers, experienced its lowest snow persistence with a significant 28.2% decrease below normal levels.
• Consistent trend: Snow cover in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) has shown a consistent trend of decreasing amounts and duration in 2024. Example- 13 out of the last 22 years have recorded below-average seasonal snow persistence in the region.
• Regional Trends in Snow Persistence: There is a trend of decreasing below-average snow persistence from east to west across the HKH region.
  • The most dramatic declines are in the west, where its contribution to water supply is the highest.
• Snow Trends and Implications for Water Security: This below-average snow accumulation on the ground poses a significant risk to early summer water availability this year.

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Way Forward

• Need for Proactiveness: There is a need for the proactiveness of the Stakeholders in addressing these challenges to mitigate potential water shortages, update plans to accommodate water stress, and to notify communities of the risks.
• Immediate activation of Drought management strategies by governments: It is crucial for safeguarding water resources and supporting affected communities during periods of reduced precipitation.
• Water Management:  Promoting rainwater collection for irrigation and other activities could enhance water management practices.
• Collaborative Efforts: There is a need for collaboration among countries sharing transboundary rivers to update their water management laws to ensure long-term resilience to climate change.

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Indirect evidence of normal regular and dark matter in the ring of an old galaxy named JWST-ER1g has been observed by the James Webb Space Telescope, as reported in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The Dark Universe 

• The universe: It  is made up of three components: normal or visible matter (5%), dark matter (27%), and dark energy (68%).
• Need to understand the Dark Universe: To fully understand the general theory of relativity, we need to figure out what dark matter and dark energy are.
• Dark Matter: 
  • Dark matter takes up space and holds mass like normal matter, but it doesn’t reflect, absorb, or radiate light (not detected yet)
  • Discovered: A Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky in the 1930s coined the term while studying the Coma galaxy cluster, but it was in the 1970s that the existence of Dark Matter was confirmed by U.S. astronomer Vera Rubinby by studying how individual galaxies rotated.
    • Her team found that individual galaxies may contain invisible mass made of dark matter.
  • Present Knowledge: Dark matter exists in a vast, web-like structure that winds through the whole universe, like  a gravitational scaffold that attracts most of the cosmos’ normal matter is the popular perception in the scientific community today. 
    • It is determined that dark matter isn’t composed of known particles of matter and the search for what makes up dark matter continues.
• Dark Energy: 
  • Dark energy may compose roughly 68% of the universe.
  • Establishing the existence of Dark Energy is important to explain why the universe is expanding at an accelerated pace than it did before.
  • A form of repulsive gravitational effect: Dark Energy is thought to be a mysterious form of gravity-defying energy which blew out from the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago.
    • It  creates a sort of negative pressure that stretches the fabric of spacetime and allows celestial objects like stars and galaxies to drift apart in contrast to the Newtonian idea of gravity, as an attractive force
  • Present knowledge: In places with lots of visible  matter, gravity has more of an effect than dark energy. But when space is empty of matter, dark energy dominates.

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Indirect Evidences of Dark Universe

• Observation through simulations: A study published  in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society by U.S. researchers,  reported being able to explain the observed behaviour of real galaxies and the motions of their stars and gases in simulations that assumed the galaxies contain dark matter.
• Exclusion Area: Scientists have also found a certain mass range where there is no presence of Dark Matter particles. The research was published as the first results of the Broadband Search for Dark Photon Dark Matter (BREAD) experiment. 
• 3D map of Universe: The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) in Arizona, in the U.S., is attempting to make the largest 3D map of the universe.
  • This mountain-top telescope is fit with 5,000 small robots that help it look 11 billion years into the past with greater precision than before. 
  • Till now data from DESI has agreed at a basic level with the ΛCDM model of the universe (our best mathematical model to explain the Big Bang and the universe today)  ‘CDM’ is short for ‘cold dark matter’.
• Changing nature: Some studies have found that dark energy might be changing with time, which is at odds with assumptions of the ΛCDM model.
  • Λ (lambda) is the cosmological constant: it represents the energy density of space and is closely associated with dark energy. It appears in equations of the general theory of relativity. 

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Recently, a start-up Ingenious Research Solutions Pvt Ltd. created an AI tool called ‘Divya Drishti,‘ with support from the Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics (CAIR), a DRDO laboratory located in Bangalore.

About Divya Drishti

‘Divya Drishti’ is an AI tool that combines facial recognition with immutable physiological parameters like gait and skeleton, forming a strong biometric authentication system.

• Biometric Authentication: By integrating facial recognition with gait analysis, the tool employs a dual approach that reduces the likelihood of false positives and identity fraud, thereby ensuring more precise identification.
• Applications: The AI tool finds application in diverse sectors such as Defence, Law Enforcement, Corporate environments, and Public Infrastructure.
• Supported by: The development supported by the Technology Development Fund (TDF) showcases DRDO’s dedication to fostering start-ups in the defence and aerospace sectors, in line with the vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat.’

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Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR)

• About: It is a premier laboratory of DRDO involved in Research and Development in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Command and Control, Information and Communication Security.
• Role: CAIR plays a pivotal role in shaping national technology policy discussions, emphasising the significance of safeguarding national security and achieving self-reliance.

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Water frost has been detected on the towering Tharsis volcanoes atop the massive Olympus Mons volcano near Mars’s equator for the first time. 

Ephemeral Frost Discovered on Mars’ Olympus Mons: 150,000 Tonnes of Water Cycles Daily

• The Frost was first spotted by the European Space Agency’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) NOMAD instrument  atop the Olympus Mons volcano.
• The Mars Express orbiter also confirmed the unexpected presence of frost across multiple volcanoes in the Tharsis region.
• Findings: 
  • The frost patches: They are incredibly thin, about the width of a human hair, and cover vast areas within the volcanoes’ summit calderas. 
  • The amount represents a staggering 150,000 tonnes of water swapping between the surface and atmosphere each day during Mars’ cold seasons, equivalent to 60 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
  • Ephemeral Nature: The frost is present for just a few hours around sunrise before evaporating in the daylight. Its existence hints at “exceptional processes” creating a frost-friendly microclimate inside the deep volcanic calderas.
• Significance: It helps to understand how and where this ephemeral frost forms. It could reveal insights into Mars’ atmospheric dynamics and where liquid water may exist, aiding future robotic and human exploration.

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About Olympus Mons

• Mars’ Olympus Mons is the largest volcano in the solar system.
• Location: It is found in the Tharsis Montes region near the Martian equator. 
  • The volcanoes in Tharsis Montes region are so large that they tower above the seasonal Martian dust storms.
• Size: Olympus Mons is the tallest of all the volcanoes found in the region towering 16 miles (25 kilometers) above the surrounding plains and stretching across 374 miles (601 km) approximately the size of the USA state of Arizona.
  • Earth Comparison:It rises three times higher than Earth’s highest mountain, Mount Everest, whose peak is 5.5 miles (8.8 km) above sea level. 
    • Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, is the tallest volcano on Earth, rising  6.3 miles (10 km) above the sea floor (but its peak is only 2.6 miles above sea level). 
• Volume: Olympus Mons volume  is about a hundred times that of Mauna Loa, and the entire Hawaiian island chain (from Kauai to Hawaii) could fit inside it.
•  Formation: A plume of rising magma might have moved beneath the stationary crust as opposed to the Hawaiian islands on earth, which was built from volcanoes that erupted as the Earth’s crust drifted  over a hotspot with each eruption creating  a small island in a different spot.
• Why are the mountains so tall?
  • Unmoving plates: Mars has very limited plate movement and both the hot spot and the crust remains unmoving, which results in a pile up of lava  in a single spot. Therefore, large volcanoes such as Olympus Mons form instead of a chain of volcanic islands like on earth.
  • Extended lifetime: Martian Volcanoes remained active continuously for million of years resulting in a sort of a steady plume of magma accumulating in one location on the surface of Mars.
• Volcano Type: It is a shield volcano ie. It does not violently spews molten material, and  are created by lava slowly flowing down their sides. 
  • Olympus Mon as a result has a low, squat appearance, with an average slope of only 5 percent.
• Structure: 
• • Calderas: Six collapsed craters, known as calderas, stack on top of one another to create a 53 miles depression at the summit. 
  • Outer edge: A cliff, or escarpment, surrounds the outer edge of the volcano, reaching as high as 6 miles (10 km) above the surrounding area. (The cliff alone is about as tall as Mauna Loa.) 
  • Base: A wide depression surrounds the base of the volcano as its immense weight presses into the crust.

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Hyderabad-based Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has created a novel tool 

Key Highlights On Bayesian Convolutional Neural Network

• The novel tool is Bayesian Convolutional Neural Network (BCNN).
• Objective: The tool forecasts the onset of El Niño and La Niña phases of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
  • It predicts these climate patterns up to 15 months in advance.
  • According to the bulletin issued on June 5, it is highly likely (70-90% probability) that La Niña conditions will develop from July to September and persist until February 2025.

About Bayesian Convolutional Neural Network (BCNN)

• It is a variant of the Convolutional Neural Network. 
  • It uses advanced technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI), deep learning, and machine learning (ML).
• It forecasts the onset of El Niño and La Niña phases of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
  • It can predict these climate patterns up to 15 months in advance.

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Functionality of the Model

• Objective: BCNN aims to enhance forecasts related to El Niño and La Niña phases of the ENSO.
• The model’s predictive capabilities leverage the connection between these phases and gradual oceanic changes, coupled with atmospheric interactions.

Operational Details

• The model calculates predictions based on the Niño3.4 index value.
• This index averages sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the central equatorial Pacific region, spanning from 5°N to 5°S and 170°W to 120°W.

Significance

• Early Warning System: Provides early forecasts by analyzing oceanic variations and their atmospheric effects, offering valuable lead time for preparedness and planning.
• Advancement in ENSO:  The Bayesian Convolutional Neural Network represents a significant advancement in ENSO prediction technology.
  • It aids in better understanding and preparation for climate variability linked to ocean-atmosphere interactions.

What is ENSO?

• ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) involves fluctuations in the temperature of waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, alongside changes in the overlying atmosphere.
• Phases of ENSO
  • ENSO operates in irregular cycles lasting 2-7 years and manifests in three main phases: warm (El Niño), cool (La Niña), and neutral.
    • Neutral Phase: During the neutral phase, the eastern Pacific near South America is cooler due to prevailing east-to-west winds displacing warmer waters towards Indonesia.
    • El Niño Phase
      • In El Niño, weakened wind systems reduce the displacement of warm waters.
        • Consequently, the eastern Pacific becomes warmer than usual.
    • La Niña Phase
      • Conversely, in La Niña, strengthened wind systems intensify the displacement of warm waters towards Indonesia. 
        • It leads to cooler-than-normal conditions in the eastern Pacific.
• Impact on India – Monsoon Effects
  • El Niño: Often results in a weak monsoon and heightened heat waves across India.
  • La Niña: Typically brings about a robust monsoon season in the region.

These phases of ENSO significantly influence global atmospheric circulation, thereby affecting weather patterns worldwide, including in India.

Comparison between Existing Models (Statistical & Dynamic) and BCNN Model

Challenges in Developing BCNN

• Limited Data: Weather forecasting models rely on historical data for training. While land-based data is plentiful, data for oceans is scarce, especially for long periods.
  • This scarcity of oceanic data especially impacts El Niño/La Niña prediction.
• Scarcity in Oceanic Data: Global oceanic temperature records have only been reliably accessible since 1871.
  • This results in fewer than 150 monthly samples available for training deep learning models like BCNN for El Niño and La Niña predictions.
    • It limits the training dataset for such predictions.

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Overcoming Data Challenges

• Incorporation of Historical Runs
  • Use of CMIP Data:
    • INCOIS addressed the data scarcity by integrating historical runs (1850-2014) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phases 5 and 6 (CMIP5 and CMIP6).
    • This augmentation of the training dataset enriched the model’s capability to forecast ENSO phases.

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Recently, India successfully concluded hosting of the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM-46)  in Kochi, Kerala.

• India expressed serious concerns about unregulated tourism in Antarctica, an issue it has been raising since 2007.

About Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM)

• About: The Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) is an annual decision-making mechanism established under the Antarctic Treaty. 
• ATCM-46 Theme: ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ meaning ‘One Earth, One family, One future’. 
• Hosted by: The Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, through the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa, with support from the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat headquartered in Argentina.
• Event reaffirmed: The event witnessed the reaffirmation of the Antarctic Treaty (1959) and the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (the Madrid Protocol, 1991) by the Parties.

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Highlights of the  Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting

• Areas designated as Protected: At the Kochi meeting, additional areas of Antarctica were designated as ‘protected’.
• Prescribing Standard Biosecurity Guidelines for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI): The meeting underlined prescribing standard biosecurity guidelines for HPAI to eliminate and mitigate the risk to humans, as well as spreading the disease in Antarctica through human activities.
• All Inclusive Governance: India pushed for ‘all inclusive’ governance, marking the first-ever introduction and initiation of drafting a tourism framework for Antarctica. Establishment of Maitri-II research station:  India announced plans to replace its 35-year-old Maitri research base with a new facility, Maitri-II.India will now start the draft of  the architectural and environmental plans for Maitri-II and submit them to the union government. Once finalised, the environmental report will be presented to the Committee on Environmental Protection for clearance. India aims to have Maitri-II operational by the early 2030s.
• Concerns about Antarctica Tourism: Recently, the continent has experienced an exponential increase in visitors and outside researchers, primarily facilitated by private tour operators from select countries. 
  • Estimates indicate that Antarctica saw 100,000 visitors in 2023.
  • For the first time, India introduced a dedicated working group focused on Antarctic tourism to address these concerns.
• Consensus for Tourism Framework: The ‘All Antarctica Treaty Parties’ in attendance in Kochi agreed upon the need for having a framework for tourism. 
  • Significant process on resolution and annex: In Kochi, significant progress was made on a resolution and an annex, which will address the environmental liability of activities in Antarctica. 
  • Challenges in Developing an Antarctic Tourism Framework:  However, developing such a framework is a complex and lengthy process that requires consensus from over 50 parties, making it impossible to finalise within a few days of the treaty meeting.
  • Future Deliberations: Further deliberations on the tourism framework are anticipated at the next ATCM in Italy in 2025. 
  • Implementation of Stringent Regulations for Antarctic Tourism: Once a consensus is reached, stringent regulations governing tourism activities in Antarctica will be implemented.
• Saudi Arabia’s Entry: At the recently concluded ATCM-46 in Kochi, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia became the newest member of the Antarctic Treaty Parties. 
• Key Discussions:  The meeting featured discussions on various critical issues, including sea ice changes, the protection of emperor penguins, enhancing environmental impact assessments (EIA) of major activities, and developing an international framework for environmental monitoring in Antarctica.

India’s Stance at the ATCM-46 meeting

• Inclusive Approach: India advocated for an ‘all inclusive’ approach to preserve Antarctica and its resources.
• Broader Participation: It underscored the need to open the ‘Antarctic Treaty’ to more nations and  advocated for shared responsibilities in governance, research, and the development of laws and policies.
• Geopolitics-Free Governance:  Stressed that geopolitics from the mainland must not be a deterrent when it came to the issue of governance of Antarctica.
• Against Exclusivity:  Urged the Consultative Parties to avoid treating the treaty as an ‘exclusive club’ of select nations.
• Support for New Members:  India reminded the Consultative Parties (those with authority to vote and take decisions) at Kochi that the treaty cannot remain as an ‘exclusive club’ of select nations. Example- Canada and Belarus have been working towards becoming Consultative Parties in the Treaty but they are yet to succeed.

Overview of Antarctica

• Size: It is the world’s fifth largest continent spanning 14 million sq km area.
• Ice Coverage: Nearly 98% of Antarctica is covered in thick ice sheets
• Freshwater Reserves: Holds about 75% of the Earth’s freshwater.
• Environment: Notable for its unique wildlife and pristine conditions.
• Climate: Located near the South Pole, characterised by extreme cold, dryness, and windy conditions.

Major issues faced by Antarctica

• Adverse effects due to Global Warming: Under the Global Warming Scenario, the three poles of the Earth i.e the North Pole, South Pole, and Himalayas are experiencing the maximum brunt.
• Fastened rates of permafrost thawing at the Poles:  Permafrost is the rock and soil layers frozen beneath the active ice sheet. 
  • Decomposition of Organic Matter: Rising temperatures have accelerated the thawing of this permafrost, which in turn exposes and causes the organic matter, like plants, to decompose.
  • Greenhouse Gas Emissions: This decomposition further releases carbon dioxide and methane, contributing to global climate change.
  • Antarctic Protection: More geographical areas designated as ‘protected’ due to unsafe conditions from thawing permafrost.
  • Management Plans: In this year’s meeting, 17 revised and new management plans for the Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPA) were adopted.
• Risk of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI): The newest scientific findings point out that the air and atmosphere over Antarctica were polluted and carried the potential risk of HPAI due to growing tourism and increased human presence. This is affecting the indigenous living creatures. 

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Recently, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has proposed a Solid Waste Management (SWM) Cess of ₹100 per month for each household. 

Solid Waste Management Cess

Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) levy user fees or SWM cess as per the provisions of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. 

• According to these guidelines, ULBs must collect user fees/cess for SWM services provisions provided. While there is no specified rate, ULBs typically charge about ₹30-50 per month as SWM cess, which is collected along with property tax. 

About Solid Waste Management

• Waste Management: This process reduces or eliminates the negative impact on the environment and human health.
  • Effective waste management for a municipality involves several processes, including monitoring, collection, transport, processing, recycling, and disposal.
• Components of Solid Waste Management: SWM services broadly consists of four components: collection, transportation, processing and disposal. 
  • ULBs typically package collection and transportation together, and processing and disposal together.
  • Collection and transportation are resource and labour-intensive and consumes up to 85-90% of the SWM budget, whereas only about 10-15% is spent on processing and disposal of waste.
• Data on Solid Waste Generation: Solid waste generated in Indian cities consists of about 55-60% wet biodegradable material and 40-45% non-biodegradable material. 
  • The portion of recyclable material in the dry waste is minimal, only about 1-2%, with the rest being mostly non-recyclable and non-biodegradable waste. 
  • Although 55% of the wet waste can be converted into organic compost or biogas, the yield is as low as 10-12%, making both composting and biogas generation from solid waste financially unviable.

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Components of Solid Waste

• Construction and Demolition Waste: Wastes generated from the construction of new buildings, renovation, and demolition activities.
• Plastic Waste: Includes items such as polythene bags and plastic bottles.
• Biomedical Waste: Wastes produced during diagnosis, treatment, and immunisation, including human and animal anatomical waste, treatment apparatus like needles and syringes, and cytotoxic drugs.
• Hazardous Waste: Wastes that pose an immediate danger to individuals or the environment upon exposure.
• E-Waste: Includes discarded items such as computer monitors, motherboards, cathode ray tubes (CRTs), printed circuit boards (PCBs), mobile phones and chargers, compact discs, and headphones.

Methods of Solid Waste Management

• Landfill: It involves burying the waste in vacant locations around the cities.
• Incineration: It involves high-temperature oxidation (burning/thermal treatment) of primarily organic compounds that produce thermal energy, CO2 and water.
• Pyrolysis:  Solid is converted into a liquid state and the liquid is converted into gas. Products can then be used for the production of energy.
• Gasification: The material to be treated is directly converted into SynGas (synthetic gas) which has hydrogen and carbon dioxide as its components.
• Bioremediation: It is the use of living organisms, primarily microorganisms, to degrade environmental contaminants into less toxic forms.
  • These techniques are more economical than traditional methods and pollutants can be treated on-site, thus reducing exposure risks for personnel.
• Phytoremediation: It’s a plant-based sustainable, cost-efficient, and environment-friendly technology. It uses plants to get rid of contaminants from the environment.
• Vermiculture: Also known as Earthworm farming. Earthworms are added to the compost. These worms break the solid waste and along with the earthworms’ excreta, the compost becomes rich in nutrients.

Solid Waste Management Rules 2016

• Source segregation of waste: Rules have mandated the source segregation of waste to channelise the waste to wealth by recovery, reuse and recycling.
• Waste generator: It will have the responsibility of segregating the waste into wet, dry and Hazardous.
• Waste processing facilities: They will have to be set up by all local bodies having 1 million or more population within two years.
• Waste Management Fees: The new rules empower local bodies across India to determine user fees. Municipal authorities will impose user fees for the collection, disposal, and processing of waste from bulk generators. 
  • According to the rules, waste generators must pay a “User Fee” to the waste collector and may face a “Spot Fine” for littering and failing to segregate waste, with the amounts being set by the local bodies.
• Integration: The integration of rag pickers, waste pickers and kabadiwalas from the informal sector to the formal sector by the state government.
• Development: Developers of Special Economic Zone, industrial estate, and industrial park to earmark at least 5 % of the total area of the plot for recovery and recycling facility.
• Segregation: Mandatory Segregation of biodegradable, non-biodegradable and domestic hazardous waste.
• Prohibition: Burning of Solid Waste has been prohibited.
• Collect Back scheme for packaging waste: Brand owners who sell or market their products in non-biodegradable packaging material, should put in place a system to collect back the packaging waste generated due to their production.
• Star Rating Protocol for Garbage Free Cities: It will encourage  the cities with a spirit of healthy competition to improve their overall cleanliness and allow multiple cities to be awarded the same star rating.
  • The major focus in the ratings is on waste storage and litter bins.
• Online database: launched to capture the progress of states and cities on their SBM components, thereby enhancing the robustness and transparency of Mission monitoring.

Operational and Revenue Challenges of Solid Waste Management in India

• Unsustainable Funding: Operational revenue from waste processing facilities covers only about 35-40% of operational expenses, with the rest subsidised by the ULB.
• Funding Mechanism: Most wet waste processing facilities operate on either tipping fees, paid by the government to the plant operator to meet the operational deficits, or funds allocated from the municipality’s general expenditure.
• Budget Strain on ULBs: Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) face significant financial challenges in providing sustainable Solid Waste Management (SWM) services. Large cities like Bangalore spend a substantial portion of their budget on SWM (around 15%), yet revenue from these services is minimal. 
• Revenue Disparity: Smaller cities allocate even more of their budget to SWM but face similar revenue constraints. To bridge this gap, ULBs often levy SWM cess on waste generators to cover costs, ensuring essential waste management services can continue effectively despite financial pressures.
• Challenges in Urban Solid Waste Management: ULBs face other challenges associated with SWM services, such as extra work of clearing open points and drains, preventing open littering, seasonal changes in waste generation, and sweeping operations
• Operating Challenges: Operating waste processing plants is more challenging due to a lack of financial viability, insufficient segregation at source, and a limited market for finished products.
  • Additionally, the disposal of non-compostable and non-recyclable dry waste, such as single-use plastic, textile waste and inert materials, is expensive since the material needs to be shipped to cement factories or waste-to-energy projects located about 400-500 km from cities.

Strategies to Reduce Operational Expenditure

• Segregation of waste at source: Encouraging and enforcing segregation of waste at the point of generation can increase the efficiency of composting operations by up to 20% and improve recycling rates for dry waste. 
  • This reduces the overall waste that needs to be transported and processed.
• Reducing single-use plastic: Single-use plastics are non-recyclable and bulky, increasing transportation costs for disposal. Initiatives to reduce the use of single-use plastics can lower operational expenses associated with waste management.
• Decentralised composting initiatives: Residents in urban areas often oppose large-scale composting facilities due to odour and leachate issues. 
  • Cities in Tamil Nadu and Kerala have successfully implemented Micro Composting Centers (MCCs) at the ward level, processing wet waste locally and reducing transportation costs.
• Information, Education, and Awareness (IEC) campaigns: Investing in IEC programs to educate the public about proper waste disposal and the environmental impact of littering can reduce the manpower and resources currently allocated to sweeping roads and clearing drains.
• Encouraging bulk waste generators: Large institutions and businesses can be incentivized to manage their own waste through on-site processing facilities.
  • This approach not only reduces the burden on ULBs but also promotes cleaner and more sustainable waste management practices.

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The Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary is set to become the second home for cheetahs in India, following Kuno National Park. 

• The decision on when to bring the cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa will be made after the monsoon season, due to  the susceptibility of animals to infections. 

About Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary

• Geographical Position
  • It is Situated in Madhya Pradesh. 
  • This Sanctuary shares border with  the state of Rajasthan
  • It was designated as a wildlife sanctuary in 1974.
• Dam: The Gandhi Sagar dam was built in 1960.
  • It is the  third largest in India, and is located within the sanctuary.
• River: The Chambal River runs through this sanctuary. 
• Flora
  • Includes Khair, Salai, Kardhai, Dhawda, Tendu, and Palash
    • It features a savanna ecosystem with open grasslands and dry deciduous trees and shrubs. 
      • These features make Gandhi Sagar the best location in India for cheetahs.
• Fauna
  • Chinkara, Nilgai, Spotted Deer, Striped Hyena, Jackal, and crocodiles

Challenges for Cheetahs in Gandhi Sagar

• Food shortage:  The biggest challenge is the lack of sufficient prey for cheetahs. 
  • It  increases competition among Leopards, sloth bears, striped hyenas and other predators in the sanctuary.  
• Human activities:  Unlike Kuno, Gandhi Sagar has highways and human settlements close by. 
  • This can disturb the cheetahs and also make them vulnerable to accidents or attacks.

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About Cheetah 

• Scientific name: Acinonyx jubatus
• Native to Africa and central Iran
• Fastest land animal, capable of speeds between 80 to 128 km/h
• Threats: Faces habitat loss, human conflict, poaching, and high disease susceptibility
• Protection Status: Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List
• Re-introduction in India
  • Declared extinct in India in 1952
  • If reintroduced, India would likely be the only country in Asia with all major big cats (lions, tigers, leopards, and cheetahs) in the wild
• Subspecies
  • Acinonyx jubatus jubatus (African Cheetah)
  • Acinonyx jubatus venaticus (Asiatic Cheetah)

African Cheetah

• Physical Characteristics
  • Slightly brownish and golden skin, thicker than Asiatic Cheetahs.
  • More prominent spots and facial lines.
• Habitat
  • Found all over the African continent.
• IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable

Asiatic Cheetah

• Physical Characteristics
  • Slightly smaller than African Cheetahs.
  • Pale yellowish fawn-colored skin with more fur under the body, especially the belly.
• Habitat
  • Found only in Iran, with the country claiming there are only 12 left.
• Protection Status
  • Declared extinct in India in 1952.
  • IUCN Red List Status :  Critically Endangered

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India’s foreign policy is at an interesting juncture. As per experts, a coalition government in India for the first time in 10 years, may not prove to be a roadblock in meeting the foreign policy challenges India faces.

• Continuation of Policies: With no change at the top at the Ministry of External Affairs, a broad continuity is indicated. However, there will be some calibration and re-setting of the agenda for specific regions, depending on the changing global situation and Indian strategic imperatives.
• Guest at G7 Summit: India has been a guest country in 50th Group of Seven (G7) Summit, reflecting its rising global stature and the recognition of its role as a major economic and geopolitical actor. 

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Relations With the Neighbourhood

• Neighborhood First- Invitation in Swearing-in-Ceremony: The neighbourhood continues to be priority number one. Top South Asian leaders attended the oath ceremony, reflecting the government’s commitment to Neighbourhood First policy.
  • Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, and Seychelles attended the swearing-in of the new government. However, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Myanmar were not invited. 
  • The visit of Maldives President, who rode to power on an “India Out” plank, was especially significant. 
• Change Observed: Unlike earlier, there was no substantive bilateral meeting with any neighbourhood leader.
  • Earlier in the 2014 swearing-in ceremony, India had invited the leaders of SAARC countries, including the Prime Minister of Pakistan. 
• Significance: India’s great strengths lie in its culture, people, and geography. If India aims to emerge as a leading world power, it must use the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy or the ‘Act East’ policy. 
• Actions Required: Diplomacy can pay long-lasting dividends only when it is supported by its national culture and interests. India has turned several of its weaknesses into strengths in the last few years. Deeper engagement with sub-national states is yet to see much progress. 
  • India will have to be nimble in its diplomacy and be unilaterally generous without insisting on reciprocity. 
  • Several neighbours look forward to a restrained and sensitive Indian Foreign Policies.

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Relations With the Western Countries

• Strong Ties: The present government’s engagement with the West has been more transactional than several previous governments. It has also developed strong strategic ties with the US, Europe, Japan, and Australia.
• India-US Partnership: It will certainly witness a new phase of the relationship. India needs higher foreign investments and technology from the US. 
  • India’s ambition is to become self-reliant in the semiconductor industry. A deepening partnership with the US means higher American investment in the technology areas.
  • The alleged plot to assassinate Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has been a major sore point with the West, which views India as a democratic, rule-of-law-abiding partner. 
    • The visit of the US National Security Advisor will test the strength of Indo-US diplomatic ties, and perhaps indicate a path to unlocking this issue.
• Ties With European Countries: Economic and political ties with European countries such as France and Germany have improved, and the UK has been keen to conclude a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India. 
  • India and the EU too are keen to conclude an FTA to the mutual benefit of their economies.
• Concerning Ties with Canada: Canada accused India of having a hand in the murder of another Khalistani separatist and political relations are likely to remain strained at least until the Canadian elections of 2025. 
  • However, economic ties and student flows to Canada have not been impacted.
• Expectations: 
  • Western Countries: The West would like India to be less thin-skinned about criticism and comments, and be ready to engage and do business with them. 
  • India: The ideal scenario would be to secure Indian interests and benefit from Western capital and technology. The Indian PM’s engagements at the G7 in Italy might signal steps in this direction.

Relations With Russia

• Ukraine Episode: India’s ties with Russia are being tested by the war in Ukraine. India has dependency on Russia’s defence items and technology and the availability of cheaper oil.
  • Russia is India’s new source of energy. Projects like INSTC or Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor hold immense potential for transforming the partnership with Russia.
  • Russia has not collapsed under Western sanctions, and it is now widely seen as having the upper hand in the war.
• Next Action: Besides India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico and UAE were among countries participating at the Peace Conference on Peace for Ukraine but did not sign a final communique. 
  • India is expected to emphasise on dialogue and diplomacy. 

Relations With Latin American Countries

• This region is significant for India in order to achieve its global ambitions such as pursuing permanent membership of the UNSC, the NSG and at various other negotiations like climate change, terrorism, trade, etc.

Relations With Africa

• Realizing the importance of this region, India enabled the joining of the African Union in the G20. India is one the largest contributors to UN Peacekeeping Operations in Africa. India also extends grants and aid for the development of African Nations.

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High Stakes in Middle East

• Consistent & Progressive Relations: In the last 10 years, India built ties with countries and leaders in the region, from Saudi Arabia to Israel, UAE to Iran, Qatar to Egypt. 
  • India will continue to work to ensure security and political balances in the Middle East and elsewhere. 
• Scope: Energy security, investments, and the 9-million-strong Indian diaspora in the region have been the major stakes for India.
• Significance: The Middle East remained the mainstay of India’s foreign policy, offering both economic gains and geostrategic dividends. 
  • Today, the Red Sea attacks and blocking of the Suez Canal are heavily impacting India’s trade. Undoubtedly, peace in the Middle East is crucial for India’s trade and connectivity. 

Relations with Various Grouping

• The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), I2U2, International North South Transit Corridor (INSTC): These are all thought to be game changers, but the Israel-Hamas conflict has introduced uncertainty.
  • The IMEC is a viable alternative to avoid the Bab El-Mandeb strait, which is a major chokepoint for maritime traffic and India will ensure speedy development of the IMEC corridor. 
• Push for Indo-Pacific Cooperation: The Indo-Pacific partnership will continue to flourish. India’s IPOI (Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative) will gain greater attention and gas expectations for several new activities. Today, more than 12 countries are partners in the IPOI. 
  • If India’s vision of the Indo-Pacific to succeed, the IPOI must gain some credible momentum. India will continue actively participating in the IPEF and US-led Indo-Pacific programmes keeping the ASEAN centrality intact. 
• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): Renewed partnership with ASEAN, India’s land and maritime neighbour, and also Japan, Korea and Australia will garner long-lasting strength in the strategic leadership. 
  • India has to deeply watch and act on the broader geopolitical developments, including US–China rivalry. 
• Act East Policy (AEP): The year 2024 demarcates the tenth anniversary year of the AEP. 
  • The AEP, which replaced the Look East Policy (LEP) in 2014, has laid the foundations for India’s engagements with the East. 
  • For its next phase, a new AEP agenda must come in the initial months of the Indian PM’s third term. 
  • The Act East policy seeks to strengthen India’s economic and strategic ties with countries in Southeast Asia and East Asia. 
• Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC): BIMSTEC is going to observe a higher pace, the Charter is already in place. Members are interested in deepening the relationship. 
  • The sixth BIMSTEC Summit is going to take place in Bangkok in September 2024. The BIMSTEC is likely to induct three new members (Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore). 
• Others:
  • South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC): The SAARC requires gradual reactivation provided India-Pakistan relations become normal. 
  • BRICS or IBSA: Dealing with the Global South, India continues to drive developing countries interests through the BRICS or IBSA. 
    • It would be of great achievement if India ensured entry into the UN Security Council as a permanent member. 

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Trade and Economic Partnerships

• Free trade Agreement (FTA): FTAs are important for India to raise exports, attract FDI, and secure valuable technologies. India will continue with new FTAs and would like to conclude the one with the UK, the EU, Bangladesh, among others. 

• • Besides, a review of FTAs such as with ASEAN is likely to be concluded. 
  • India is becoming increasingly integrated with neighbouring countries and regions. Bilateral partnerships with Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Mauritius, Oman, Tanzania, Singapore, etc. will continue to thrive. 
  • India might opt for more bilateral strategic partnerships and services-led FTA such as with the Philippines. 
  • The bilateral FTAs with Middle East Countries such as the India-UAE CEPA, and initiatives like I2U2 or the IMEC are going to play a larger role in securing India’s strategic interests on the Western front. 
  • Now countries are more interested in trade agreements in the areas of digital economy and e-commerce. 
• Russia, and China are the countries with which India does not have any FTA, whereas India heavily depends on them for security and economic reasons. 

Collaboration with Private Sector

• To Ensure Multiple Objectives: India’s foreign office will have to collaborate with India’s thriving private sector while ensuring India’s strategic and economic objectives. 
• Arenas: More and more public-private partnerships are likely to unfold in the coming days in the areas of physical and digital connectivity, space and under-sea explorations, science and technology cooperation, etc. 
  • This is an opportunity for the newly formed government that should not miss. 

Importance of India’s Foreign Relations

• To Achieve the Target: While ‘Vishwa Bandhu’ (India) is aiming for Viksit Bhart in the next 25 years, deepening global partnership would help achieve the US$ 5 trillion economy which will further strengthen the foundations for 2047. 
• For Better Global Governance: In a multipolar world, India’s strategic autonomy with a network of strategic partnerships will be central in the path towards better global governance. India needs the world, and the world needs India.
• To Play Significant Roles: As the fastest-growing major economy and the fifth-largest GDP globally, India’s priority is rapid economic development. The growth in capacity and capability is coupled with a willingness to play her due role in regional and global affairs. 
  • India is known for its rules-based institutions globally and continues to play a larger role in the global arena. 
• To Focus on Contemporary Issues: India’s leadership on global issues in this uncertain situation has been welcomed by all partners. However, specifics such as climate change, reforms of multilateral organisations, energy and food security, taming inflation, etc. need careful handling. 

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Conclusion

The Indian PM’s third term may be termed as “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas Sabka Vishwas Sabka Samman”. To achieve the best of the potential, India needs to focus on the governance reforms in MEA-aided organisations, strengthening state capacity, new and reformed knowledge centers, and setting up centres of excellence on the maritime front.

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