Context: 

• The National Institute of Standards and Technology(NIST) of the US has started the Post Quantum Cryptography(PQC) Standardisation Project.

About the Project:

• The project would allow companies to have the proper encryption algorithms in place throughout the organization to defend against the quantum computer attacks. 
• The PQC standardization project is working to standardize the quantum-safe algorithms. 
• The idea behind this project is to prepare organizations for quantum cryptography before it becomes a real threat. 

What is a quantum-safe algorithm?

• A quantum-safe algorithm is resistant to attacks from both classical computers, which are the types of computers used today, and quantum computers. 
• This allows private information stored on devices or in transit in organizations to be the most secure possible, as even a quantum computer will not be able to break a quantum-safe algorithm within hours or days.

Post-quantum cryptography 

• Post-quantum cryptography refers to cryptographic algorithms (usually public-key algorithms) that are thought to be secure against an attack by a quantum computer. 

Quantum cryptography:

• Quantum cryptography uses the principles of quantum mechanics to send secure messages, and unlike mathematical encryption, is truly unhackable.

News Source: The Hindu 

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context:

• July 30, 2023 marks the 201st birth anniversary of Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab to sit on the throne of Awadh. 

About Wajid Ali Shah:

• Mirza Wajid Ali Shah (July 1822 – 1 September 1887) was the eleventh and last King of Awadh, holding the position for 9 years, from 13 February 1847 to 11 February 1856.
• His kingdom was annexed by the East India Company on 11 February 1856 and the Nawab was exiled to Garden Reach in Metiabruz, a suburb of Kolkata, where he lived out the rest of his life on a generous pension. 

Contributions to music:

• He was not only a patron of music, dance, drama, and poetry but was also a gifted composer. 
• He is said to have composed many new ragas and named them Jogi, Juhi, Shah-Pasand, etc.
• The light classical form, thumri was created by Wajid Ali Shah.

Contributions to dance: 

• He introduced Kathak, a major form of classical Indian dance as a court dance after the decline of Mughals for recreation activity. 

Contributions to Hindustani Theatre: 

• The king introduced the Jogia Jashan, a magnificent event featuring Rahas (dance-dramas), poetry, lyrical compositions, and Kathak performances paving the way for the growth of Hindustani theater.

Contribution to literature:

• The famous poet Mirza Ghalib received the patronage of Wajid Ali Shah.
• Wajid Ali Shah was himself a poet of considerable merit. 
• He had equal command over Persian and Urdu and wrote several books in both languages. His notable work is Sawat-ul-Qalub.

News Source : Indian Express 

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context:

• The Central African Republic voted in a referendum on a new constitution that would allow President Faustin-Archange Touadera to seek a third term in a country.

About Central African Republic:

• The Central African Republic or CAR is located in Central Africa in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres of the Earth.
• CAR is a landlocked nation that is bordered by Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, and Cameroon.
• Capital: Bangui

Image Credits: BBC

News Source: The Hindu

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context:

Recently, Indian military aircraft visited Australia’s Cocos (Keeling) Islands to enhance strategic reach and interoperability with Australia.

About Cocos Islands:

• Cocos Islands, is an  external territory of Australia located in the Indian Ocean, approximately 3,000 km north-west of Perth in western Australia.
• It comprises two coral atolls made up of 27 smaller islands.

Strategic Significance:

• Logistics Support: Cocos can be an important base for refueling and Operational Turnaround for the Indian military.
• Maritime Domain Awareness: India’s presence in the Cocos Islands allows it to improve its maritime domain awareness. 
• Geopolitical Location: They are located close to Indonesia and strategic maritime choke points.
• Enhancing India-Australia Cooperation: Cocos Islands had been a point of cooperation between the space agencies of the two countries for India’s Gaganyaan human space flight mission.

News Source: The Hindu

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context:

Project Tiger and Project Elephant have been merged into a new division called the ‘Project Tiger and Elephant Division’ under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Reason for Merger:

• Rationalizing of Funding: The unification of Project Tiger and Project Elephant has been done to rationalize funding.
• Amalgamation to Strengthen Conservation:The amalgamation will bolster the conservation of both the animals, as they often share the same landscapes in the country.

Project Tiger:

• Project Tiger was launched by the then PM Indira Gandhi on April 1, 1973 from  Jim Corbett National Park, Uttrakhand.
• It not only focused on the conservation of the tiger but also ensured the preservation of their natural habitat as tigers are at the top of the food chain. 
• Protection Status of Tiger:
  • Schedule I: Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
  • Endangered: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List
  • Appendix I: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

Project Elephant:

• Project Elephant was launched by the Government of India in the year 1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with following objectives:
  • To protect elephants, their habitat & corridors
  • To address issues of man-animal conflict
  • Welfare of captive elephants
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change provides financial and technical support to major elephant range states in the country through the project.

News Source: The Indian Express

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context: 

As per a recent report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Asia is the most disaster prone region in the world. In 2022, Asia faced 81 weather, climate, and water-related disasters.

About the ‘State of the Climate in Asia 2022’ Report:

• It Is a collaborative effort involving National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in the region, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and other specialized agencies of the United Nations.
• It Provides a comprehensive summary of the state of the climate, extreme events, and their socio-economic impacts in the Asia region for the year 2022.
• The 2022 report is the third in the series of the report.

Image Source: DTE

Key Takeaways from the Report:

• Disaster Impact in Asia (2021 vs. 2022):

• Rising temperatures in Asia: The mean temperature over Asia in 2022 was about 0.72 degrees Celsius above the 1991–2020 average and 1.68 degrees Celsius above the 1961–1990 average.
• Increased occurrence of extreme weather events: The rise in temperatures has led to more frequent and severe extreme weather events across Asia, including droughts, floods, and heatwaves. For example,
  • Yangtze River Basin: Worst drought in the last six decades, economic losses of about $7.6 billion.
  • Pakistan: Received 60% of normal total monsoon rainfall in three weeks, leading to urban, landslides, and glacial lake outburst floods. 
  • India: Heavy rainfalls triggered landslides and river overflows, resulting in over 2,000 deaths and affecting 1.3 million people.
• Severe Impacts on Agriculture: The agriculture sector in Asia has been particularly impacted by climate-related disasters, with more than 25% of damage and losses associated with floods, droughts, and tropical storms.
• Economic Losses due to Floods: Economic losses due to disasters relating to floods in Pakistan, China, and India exceeded the average for the 2002–2021 period.
  • Pakistan incurred a loss of over $ 15 billion, followed by China, over $ 5 billion, and India, over $ 4.2 billion.
• Heatwaves becoming more common: India, Pakistan, China, Hong Kong, and Japan experienced abnormally warm conditions in the pre-monsoon season, with record-high temperatures in 2022.
• Glaciers Melting: Climate change has exacerbated glacier melting in the High Mountain Asia region. 
  • Four glaciers in the region have recorded significant mass losses since the mid-1990s. 
• Sea surface warming: Sea surface temperatures in the north-western Arabian Sea, the Philippine Sea, and the seas east of Japan have warmed at rates exceeding 0.5 degrees Celsius per decade since the 1980s, about three times faster than the global average.

Reasons for Disasters :

• Climate Change: The increasing frequency and severity of weather-related disasters in Asia can be attributed to climate change. Global warming and climate variability are contributing to extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall, floods, and droughts.
• El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO): The continuing La Niña from 2020 to 2022 significantly influenced precipitation in parts of Asia. La Niña is associated with above-normal rainfall during the summer monsoon season over South Asia, including India and Pakistan. 
• Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD): The IOD is a major mode of climate variability over the Indian Ocean. 
  • In 2022, a negative IOD phase developed, leading to above-normal sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and enhanced convection in the southeastern part of the Indian Ocean and below-normal SSTs in the western part. 
• Asian Monsoon: The Asian summer monsoon is a crucial monsoon system driving seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation in South and East Asia. 
  • In 2022, the East Asia summer monsoon was weaker than normal, resulting in reduced rainfall over the Korean Peninsula. 
• Vulnerability: Asia’s large population, coupled with rapid urbanization and infrastructure development in vulnerable areas, has increased exposure and vulnerability to climate-related hazards.
• Deforestation and Land Use Changes: Deforestation and land use changes can alter local weather patterns, leading to changes in precipitation and contributing to both floods and droughts.
• Poor Land Management: Improper land management practices, such as improper irrigation and soil degradation, can exacerbate drought conditions and agricultural losses.
• Lack of Preparedness and Early Warning Systems: Inadequate disaster preparedness and early warning systems can hinder effective response and evacuation efforts during extreme weather events.

Way Forward:

• Strengthening Impact-Based Forecasting (IBF): Impact-based forecasting (IBF) involves forecasting “what the weather will do” instead of “what the weather will be.
• Integrating Socioeconomic Layers with Hazard Data: Adding socioeconomic layers such as age, gender, income level and exposed assets such as infrastructure to hazard layers such as weather observations, makes it possible to identify potential exposure and vulnerability in advance.
• Anticipatory Action for Disaster Preparedness: Anticipatory action is an adaptation method which takes IBF to the next level by systematically linking early warnings to early actions carried out before a disaster occurs.
• Enhancing Food System Resilience: This includes climate-informed food and land use systems planning, early warnings in advance of weather extremes to advise of potential damage to crops, food shocks, and global transport and trade disruptions.
• Investing in climate services: However, while 77% of WMO Members in Asia provide climate services for agriculture, only 47% reported providing climate projections and tailored products.
  • There is therefore a need for greater investment in climate and weather services, especially to achieve  Early Warning for All. 
• Collaborate with WMO Members and relevant organizations to develop comprehensive and accessible early warning systems.

News Source: The Indian Express

DOWNLOAD PDF

Context: External affairs ministry has announced that India extended 308 lines of credit to partner countries amounting to $32.02 billion over the years as part of its development assistance program. Under India’s ‘Neighbourhood First policy, grant assistance projects have also been initiated in collaboration with nations such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan.

Neighbourhood First Policy: India Extends 308 Lines Of Credit Worth Over $32 Billion

• Breakdown of the credit: 
  • About $17.06 billion to Asian countries 
  • $12.15 billion to African countries 
  • $2.81 billion to other countries
• Mechanism: Development assistance (concessional LOCs) is extended under the Indian Development and Economic Assistance Scheme (IDEAS) through the Exim Bank of India.
  • EXIM Bank was established in 1982 as a specialized financial institution to finance, facilitate, and promote India’s international trade.
• Nature of Projects: About 600 projects including infrastructure, power, connectivity, agriculture, education, and health 
• Neighbourhood First Policy: The Line of Credit are concentrated primarily in India’s neighborhood in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan.
  • Prominent examples– Parliament building in Afghanistan, Supreme Court Building in Maldives, etc. 
  • Bangladesh has received the largest concessional credit given by India to any single country. 
• Global South: India provides capacity-building assistance under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) to partners in the global South.
  • Africa: The previous Pan Africa e-Network Project, has been replaced by e-VidyaBharati and e-AarogyaBharati Network Project, for tele-education and tele-medicine services.
• International Collaboration: India also works with international organizations (UNDP, ASEAN, etc.) to finance joint projects and capacity building programmes. 

What is ITEC? 

• ITEC or Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme is a bilateral assistance programme, established in 1964, to meet the needs of developing countries, through technological cooperation.
• ITEC is administered by the Ministry of External Affairs.
• India recently announced the Sagar Amrut scholarship for Pacific Island Countries under ITEC. 

What is Line of Credit? 

• Definition: A line of credit (LOC) is a borrowing limit that can be used whenever needed. As money is repaid, it can be borrowed again in the case of an open line of credit.
• Examples: 
  • Recently, India extended a $250 million line of credit for Kenya to modernize farming. 
  • Reconstruction of Sri Lankan Railways after the civil war has been done primarily through Indian LOCs

Source: Economic Times

DOWNLOAD PDF