NEWS:Modi’s China visit after 7 years Xi Jinping Putin meetings amid Ukraine war SCO summit and trade tensions
GS-2 international relation
- Prime Minister Modi arrived in Tianjin, China on Saturday for his first visit since 2018.
- He will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other leaders.
- Modi’s meeting with Xi occurs amid improved India-China ties and the U.S.-China tariff war.
- Ukrainian President Zelenskyy urged Modi to send a message to Russia at the SCO summit for a ceasefire.
- The SCO summit addresses global trade turbulence due to U.S. import tariffs.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a regional intergovernmental organisation established in 2001 in Shanghai, China. It focuses on political, economic, and security cooperation in Eurasia.
Members
Currently, the SCO has 9 member states:
- China,Russia,India,Pakistan,Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan,Uzbekistan,Iran (joined in 2023)
Observers & Dialogue Partners
- Observers: Afghanistan, Belarus, Mongolia
- Dialogue Partners: Turkey, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, and others
Objectives of SCO
- Strengthen mutual trust and neighborly relations
- Promote regional peace, security, and stability
- Combat terrorism, extremism, separatism, and drug trafficking
- Enhance economic cooperation, connectivity, and energy collaboration
- Encourage cultural, educational, and humanitarian exchanges
Key Bodies of SCO
- Heads of State Council (HSC): Highest decision-making body
- Heads of Government Council (HGC): Focuses on economic cooperation
- Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS): Based in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, deals with terrorism and security issues
NEWS:Tribal Affairs Ministry to launch Aadi Vaani AI-powered translation app for Adivasi languages enhancing communication and preserving cultural heritage
GS-2 polity and governance
Launch & Purpose: Recently released in beta by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs under the Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh initiative, Adi Vaani aims to empower tribal communities by bridging linguistic gaps and preserving endangered languages.
Supported Languages (Phase 1): Initially includes Santali, Bhili, Mundari, and Gondi, with Kui and Garo planned for future integration.
Technical Collaboration: Developed through a consortium involving IIT Delhi, IIIT Hyderabad, IIIT Naya Raipur, BITS Pilani, and various Tribal Research Institutes across central and eastern India.
Platform Availability: Accessible via Google Play Store (Android) and a web platform, with an iOS version in development.
Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh (Tribal Pride Year) initiative was launched by the Government of India in November 2021, marking the 75th year of Independence (Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav), to celebrate and honor the contributions, culture, and heritage of tribal communities in India.
🔹 Key Features of Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh
- Launch Date:
- Announced on 15 November 2021, the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, the iconic tribal freedom fighter from Jharkhand.
- This day was also declared as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas.
- Objectives:
- Recognize the role of tribal leaders and freedom fighters in the Independence movement.
- Highlight tribal culture, traditions, crafts, and knowledge systems.
- Mainstream tribal development in line with Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas.
- Integrate tribal youth in education, digital literacy, and skill development initiatives.
- Major Components:
- Educational Inclusion: Bilingual/tribal language textbooks, e-learning, and scholarships.
- Cultural Promotion: Preservation of tribal art, music, dance, and folklore.
- Infrastructure & Welfare: Schemes for livelihood, healthcare, education, and digital inclusion in tribal regions.
- Technology for Tribals: Initiatives like Aadi Vaani (AI-powered tribal language translation app).
- Museum Projects: Development of 10 tribal freedom fighter museums across states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, etc
NEWS:Sundarbans microbes exhibit plastic-degrading capabilities alongside antibiotic resistance raising concerns about horizontal gene transfer and environmental AMR spread
GS-3 environment ,science and technology
- Research indicates microbes in the Sundarbans mangrove forest possess plastic-degrading enzymes (PDEs) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) [i].
- The study, published in FEMS Microbiology Letters, analyzed water samples from the Mooriganga estuary in 2020-21 [i].
- Metagenomic sequencing revealed 838 hits for PDEs capable of acting on 17 different plastic polymers [i].
- A significant portion of enzymes targeted synthetic plastics (73%), with PEG being the most abundant [i].
- The study found a strong association between PDEs, ARGs, and metal resistance genes (MRGs), suggesting shared selective pressures [i].
- Monsoon season saw a higher abundance of PDEs due to increased freshwater flow [i].
- Plastic-Degrading Enzymes (PDEs) are biocatalysts (enzymes produced by microbes, fungi, or engineered organisms) that can break down synthetic plastics like PET, PE, PU, and PS into smaller, biodegradable molecules.
- They offer an eco-friendly alternative to conventional plastic disposal methods (landfilling, burning, chemical recycling).
🔹 Examples of PDEs
- PETase
- Discovered in Ideonella sakaiensis (2016, Japan).
- Breaks down Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) into terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG).
- MHETase
- Works with PETase to complete PET degradation.
- Laccases & Peroxidases (fungal enzymes)
- Break down polyurethane (PU) and polyethylene (PE).
- Cutinases
- Effective against polyesters.
- Engineered/Artificial Enzymes
- Recent studies use protein engineering & AI to improve enzyme efficiency and stability at industrial scale.
NEWS: Orangutans’ metabolic flexibility during Borneo fruit scarcity offers insights into human metabolic diseases linked to energy-dense diets
GS-3 science and technology
- Researchers studied wild orangutan diets in Borneo forests over several years.
- Orangutans burn stored body fat for brain glucose when fruit is scarce.
- They rebuild fat reserves when energy-rich foods are abundant.
- This protein prioritization and metabolic flexibility aids famine survival.
- Findings suggest human access to energy-dense, protein-poor food may explain rising metabolic diseases.
Orangutans
🔹 General Facts
- Orangutans are great apes found in the rainforests of Southeast Asia.
- The name means “person of the forest” in Malay/Indonesian.
- They are the largest arboreal mammals (tree-dwelling).
🔹 Species
- Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) – Borneo island
- Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) – Sumatra island
- Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) – Northern Sumatra (discovered in 2017, rarest great ape with <800 individuals)
IUCN Status
- All three species → Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List).
🔹 Threats
- Deforestation due to palm oil plantations, logging, mining.
- Poaching & illegal wildlife trade (infants captured as pets).
- Forest fragmentation → limits gene flow.
- Climate change → habitat loss.
🔹 Conservation Measures
- Protected under CITES Appendix I.
- National parks in Indonesia & Malaysia (e.g., Gunung Leuser NP, Tanjung Puting NP).
- NGOs like Orangutan Foundation International, BOS Foundation.
- Ecotourism & palm oil certification schemes (RSPO).
🔹 India & Orangutans
- Orangutans are not native to India.
- But India, as a party to CITES and Convention on Biological Diversity, supports global conservation efforts.
- Conservation relevance for India: lessons in human–wildlife conflict management, habitat preservation, and international cooperation.
MOCK QUESTION
“India’s membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) provides both opportunities and challenges in advancing its strategic and economic interests in Eurasia.” Critically examine.
