5070 Manthan2.0NOVEMBER-2023 WEEK-3 (Topic1-10) V171120231

MANTHAN 2.
O
NOVEMBER 2023 : WEEK-3
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Manthan 2.O | November 2023 : Week-3
Contents
1. What is APEC, the forum? ................................................................................................................................................ 3
2. Moody’s lowers US credit rating outlook to ‘negative’ ...................................................................................... 5
3. China’s ICBC, hit by ransomware ................................................................................................................................. 9
4. Why will Saturn’s rings briefly ‘disappear’ from view in 2025? ................................................................ 12
5. A plan to join the Red Sea with Mediterranean — an alternative to the Suez Canal........................ 15
6. Why adultery was struck off IPC, and why a House panel wants to make is a crime again.......... 19
7. 60% increase in overall tiger population, but habitat & biodiversity loss threatening
Southeast Asian big cats ................................................................................................................................................ 22
8. Loss and Damage Funding for Climate Damages............................................................................................... 25
9. India holds ‘2+2’ Ministerial dialogue with the US ........................................................................................... 28
10. UK’s Rwanda immigration plan ................................................................................................................................. 31
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1. What is APEC, the forum?
 The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) grouping is meeting in San Francisco in the
United States for the Leaders‘ which will conclude with the Economic Leaders‘ Retreat.
 US President Joe Biden and China‘s President Xi Jinping will have their first in-person meeting in a
year on the sidelines of the APEC summit.
 India is not a member; however, India‘s Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, is
attending the forum.
 Biden and Xi will meet amid the tensions and prolonged low in US-China relations, with issues of trade
being among the major sticking points.
 Among the other leaders in San Francisco this week are Japan‘s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida,
Canada‘s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Indonesia‘s President Joko Widodo. President
Vladimir Putin of Russia has not attended any major international summits since he invaded
Ukraine in February 2022, and he will be represented by Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk,
who is not under US sanctions.
What is APEC and when was it founded?
 APEC is a regional economic forum that was established in 1989.
 Its stated aim was to ―leverage the growing interdependence of the Asia-Pacific and create greater
prosperity for the people of the region through regional economic integration‖.
 Notably, many East Asian countries had recorded increasing growth rates in the ‗80s and the
decade preceding the formation of the forum.
 The 21 members of APEC are termed ―economies‖ (rather than countries or member states)
because trade and economic issues are the focus of the grouping.
 In a reflection of the idea, Taiwan and Hong Kong attend APEC meetings as distinct entities, even
though China says they are parts of China and not independent entities.
 The APEC economies are Australia, Brunei, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong (as
part of China), the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Chinese
Taipei (Taiwan), China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru,
and Chile – as located geographically around the Pacific Ocean.
What role has it played over the years?
 The grouping has always championed free trade, the lowering of trade tariffs, and economic
liberalisation.
 According to the US State Department, ―During its first five years of operation, APEC established its
core objectives.
 In the 1991 Seoul Declaration, APEC member economies proclaimed the creation of a liberalized
free trade area around the Pacific Rim as the principle objective of the organization.‖
 ―The dynamic growth attributable to APEC initiatives contributed significantly to the
development of a growing middle class in the developing Asia-Pacific region.
 APEC economies‘ 2.9 billion citizens make up roughly 60 percent of global GDP. As of 2018, they
represented 48 percent of global trade.‖
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 India has expressed interest in joining APEC, and made a formal request in 1991 – the year in which the
Union government ushered in economic reforms for liberalisation and globalisation. In 2016, then Union
Minister for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman told Parliament that the request to join was
based on India‘s geographical location, the potential size of the economy, and degree of trade interaction
with the Asia-Pacific.
 The response noted that APEC has had an informal moratorium on expanding membership for many
years now.
 This is despite the fact that the US-India Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean
Region issued in 2015 states that ―The United States welcomes India‘s interest in joining the Asia
Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, as the Indian economy is a dynamic part of the Asian economy.‖
What‘s of note in this year‘s APEC summit?
 The Biden-Xi meeting is the highlight – even though it is unlikely to lead to a significant
immediate change in US-China relations as they stand. However, the two powers have been
engaging in high-level official interactions in recent months, which have included a visit by
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to the US this year.
 US Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken have visited
China.
 According to the AP, Biden is hoping to highlight progress on the new Indo-Pacific Economic
Framework (IPEF), which started last year after former US President Donald Trump withdrew
from the more popular Trans-Pacific Partnership.
 Today, 14 members are part of the IPEF.
 Apart from Fiji and India, the rest are all APEC members.
Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)
 The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) is an economic initiative launched
by U.S. President Joe Biden on May 23, 2022.
 The framework launched with fourteen participating founding member nations in the Indo-
Pacific region with an open invitation for other countries to join.
 Summit-level meeting on the launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, 23 May 2022
 Analysts have compared it to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which the United States
withdrew from in 2017.
 However, the initiative is intended to be a precursor for later negotiations, as it does not include a
uniform lowering of tariffs.
 Biden described the initiative as ―writing the new rules for the 21st century economy‖, stating that
the agreement would make the participant‘s economies ―grow faster and fairer‖.
 Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo argued that the framework constituted ―the most
significant international economic engagement that the United States has ever had in this region‖.
 However, the pact has been described as being ―hollow‖, ―meaningless‖ or ―useless‖ by some
commentators, including US industry groups, due to its lack of tangible policy actions such as
lowering tariffs.
 In November 2023, the Biden administration halted plans for the IPEF‘s trade component due to
opposition from Congressional democrats.
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QUESTIONS
Fill in the Blank:
1. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) grouping is meeting in _________ in the United
States for the Leaders‘ which will conclude with the Economic Leaders‘ Retreat.
2. India‘s present Union Minister for Commerce and Industry is _________.
3. In the 1991 _________ Declaration, APEC member economies proclaimed the creation of a
liberalized free trade area around the Pacific Rim as the principle objective of the organization.‖
4. _________ is a regional economic forum that was established in 1989.
5. _________ is best known as the center of the U.S. automotive industry.
6. The Present President of World Bank is _________.
7. The present US Federal Reserve chair is _________.
8. Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), was withdrawn by the USA in _________.
9. The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) is an economic initiative launched by
U.S. President _________ on May 23, 2022.
10. The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) is launched with _________
participating founding member nations in the Indo-Pacific region.
2. Moody’s lowers US credit rating outlook

to ‘negative’
 Credit rating firm Moody‘s Investors Service lowered its outlook on the US credit rating to
―negative‖ from ―stable‖.
 While the move does not automatically mean the firm will downgrade America‘s creditworthiness,
it increases the chances.
 Even the prospect of a downgrade could exacerbate fiscal concerns for the US — it could make it more
costly for investors to borrow money, and make it more expensive for the government to pay off its
debts.
Why Moody has‘s changed the US credit outlook?
 There are three main reasons for this: the threat posed by rising interest rates; a mounting debt burden;
and a polarised Congress that has been failing to agree on ways to tackle America‘s budget deficit.
 ―In the context of higher interest rates, without effective fiscal policy measures to reduce government
spending or increase revenues, Moody‘s expects that the US‘ fiscal deficits will remain very large,
significantly weakening debt affordability,‖ Moody‘s said in a statement. ―Continued political
polarisation within US Congress raises the risk that successive governments will not be able to reach
consensus on a fiscal plan to slow the decline in debt affordability.‖
 ―Any type of significant policy response that we might be able to see to this declining fiscal strength
probably wouldn‘t happen until 2025 because of the reality of the political calendar next year‖.
 Notably, the firm‘s decision has come at a time when the federal government is on the brink of a
shutdown next week if Republicans and Democrats in Congress can‘t agree on a spending plan.
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How has the Biden administration reacted?
 The White House has blamed the Republican Party for the move. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a
statement said, ―Moody‘s decision to change the US outlook is yet another consequence of
Congressional Republican extremism and dysfunction‖.
 Meanwhile, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo criticised Moody‘s, saying the administration
has ―demonstrated its commitment to fiscal sustainability, including through the more than $1 trillion in
deficit reduction included in the June debt limit deal as well as President Biden‘s budget proposals that
would reduce the deficit by nearly $2.5 trillion over the next decade.‖
How has the Republican Party responded?
 Republican US House Speaker Mike Johnson said Moody‘s decision underscored the failure of what he
called President Biden‘s ―reckless spending agenda.‖
 ―Our $33.6 trillion debt is unsustainable and poses a danger to our national security and economy,‖ he
said in a statement. ―We will fight to get our finances in order.‖
Have other rating firms also changed their outlook?
 Yes, they have. In August this year, another credit rating firm, Fitch, downgraded its US long-term
rating to AA+ from its top mark of AAA. The move came two months after the country narrowly
avoided defaulting on its debt.
 In 2011, Standard & Poor‘s made a similar move following an 11th-hour showdown over raising the debt
ceiling.
What do these ratings mean?
 Credit ratings agencies rate on a scale the financials and business models of companies, as well as
economic management by sovereign governments, after analysing official and other data and interacting
with government officials, business leaders, and economists.
 These agencies then rate instruments such as bonds, debentures, commercial papers, deposits, and other
debt offerings of companies or governments to help investors make informed decisions.
 From a company‘s or a government‘s perspective, a better rating helps raise funds at a cheaper rate.
 The agencies do this on a continuous basis, either upgrading or downgrading the instrument based on
performance, prospects, or events likely to have an impact on the balance sheet of a company or on the
fiscal position of a government or a sub-sovereign entity.
Moody‘s Investors Service
 Moody‘s Investors Service, often referred to as Moody‘s, is the bond credit rating business of
Moody‘s Corporation, representing the company‘s traditional line of business and its historical
name.
 Moody‘s Investors Service provides international financial research on bonds issued by
commercial and government entities.
 Moody‘s, along with Standard & Poor‘s and Fitch Group, is considered one of the Big Three
credit rating agencies. It is also included in the Fortune 500 list of 2021.
 The company ranks the creditworthiness of borrowers using a standardized ratings scale which
measures expected investor loss in the event of default.
 Moody‘s Investors Service rates debt securities in several bond market segments.
 These include government, municipal and corporate bonds; managed investments such as money
market funds and fixed-income funds; financial institutions including banks and non-bank finance
companies; and asset classes in structured finance.
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 In Moody‘s Investors Service‘s ratings system, securities are assigned a rating from Aaa to C, with
Aaa being the highest quality and C the lowest quality.
 Moody‘s was founded by John Moody in 1909, to produce manuals of statistics related to stocks and
bonds and bond ratings.
 In 1975, the company was identified as a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization
(NRSRO) by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
 Following several decades of ownership by Dun & Bradstreet, Moody‘s Investors Service became a
separate company in 2000. Moody‘s Corporation was established as a holding company.
Standard & Poor‘s
 Standard & Poor‘s (S&P) refers to S&P Global, a business intelligence company that provides
research and analysis. It‘s best known for its credit ratings, including S&P bond ratings.
 The names ―Standard‖ and ―Poor‖ come from two financial companies that merged in 1941.
 In 2016, the company‘s name became ―S&P Global.‖1 S&P Global specializes in providing credit
ratings for bonds, countries, and other investments, but that‘s just one of the many financial
market services it offers.
 The company uses its vast access to data to provide customized analysis and establish market
indexes.
 The S&P Global credit rating is a credit score that describes the general creditworthiness of a
company, city, or country that issues debt.
 S&P uses the score to rate how likely a company is to meet its financial obligations.
 The ratings are for informational purposes only and are opinions—they aren‘t investment
recommendations, nor do they predict the probability of default.
 S&P also rates the creditworthiness of individual bonds. There are several different types of bonds, all of
which vary in their ratios of risk to return.
 You can use S&P bond ratings to help you decide whether to buy a bond. They will also give you a
sense of how a country‘s economy is doing, which can help you with other investments like forex trades
or foreign stocks.
 S&P analysts create ratings via information they get from the company itself, as well as reliable
economic, industry, and financial information. Analysts also meet with the company‘s management
team.
 Using these resources, the analysts assess the company‘s financial condition, operating performance,
and policies. Most importantly, they form an opinion about the company‘s risk-management strategies.
 In the beginning, Standard & Poor‘s charged a subscription fee for access to its credit reports. In 1968, it
changed its revenue structure and started charging the companies it was rating, instead of the investors
using the ratings.
 In a 2002 congressional hearing, S&P said that it had changed its revenue structure to address rising
costs and increased demand for credit ratings, though that hasn‘t stopped critics from speculating about
the ability of S&P to evaluate its paying customers adequately.
Fitch Ratings
 Fitch Ratings Inc. is an American credit rating agency and is one of the ―Big Three credit rating
agencies‖, the other two being Moody‘s and Standard & Poor‘s.
 It is one of the three nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (NRSRO) designated by
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 1975.
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 Fitch Ratings is dual headquartered in New York and London.
 Hearst owns 100 percent of the company following its acquisition of an additional 20 percent for
$2.8 billion on April 12, 2018.
 Hearst had owned 80 percent of the company after increasing its ownership stake by 30 percent on
December 12, 2014, in a transaction valued at $1.965 billion. Hearst‘s previous equity interest was
50 percent following expansions on an original acquisition in 2006.
 Hearst had jointly owned Fitch with FIMALAC SA, which held 20 percent of the company until
the 2018 transaction.
 Fitch Ratings and Fitch Solutions are part of the Fitch Group.
 The firm was founded by John Knowles Fitch on December 24, 1914, in New York City as the
Fitch Publishing Company. In 1989, the company was acquired by a group including Robert Van
Kampen.
 In 1997, Fitch was acquired by FIMALAC and was merged with London-based IBCA Limited, a
FIMALAC subsidiary.
 In 2000, Fitch acquired both Chicago-based Duff & Phelps Credit Rating Co. (April) and
Thomson Financial BankWatch (December).
 Fitch Ratings is the third largest NRSRO rating agency, covering a more limited share of the market
than S&P and Moody‘s, though it has grown with acquisitions and frequently positions itself as a ―tie-
breaker‖ when the other two agencies have ratings similar, but not equal, in scale.
 In September 2011, Fitch Group announced the sale of Algorithmics (risk analytics software) to IBM for
$387 million.
 The deal closed on October 21, 2011.
 In June 2022, Fitch Group acquired GeoQuant, a AI-driven data and technology company.
QUESTIONS
Fill in the Blank:
1. Credit rating firm _________ Investors Service lowered its outlook on the US credit rating to
_________ from ―stable‖.
2. Moody‘s was founded by _________ in _________, to produce manuals of statistics related to
stocks and bonds and bond ratings.
3. In August this year, another credit rating firm, Fitch, downgraded its US long-term rating to
_________ from its top mark of AAA.
4. In Moody‘s Investors Service‘s ratings system, securities are assigned a rating from _________,
with _________ being the highest quality and C the lowest quality.
5. Moody‘s Investors Service rates debt securities in several _________ market segments.
6. The names ―Standard‖ and ―Poor‖ come from two financial companies that merged in _________.
7. _________ (S&P) refers to S&P Global, a business intelligence company that provides research and
analysis.
8. Fitch Ratings is dual headquartered in New York and _________.
9. Fitch Ratings Inc. is an _________ credit rating agency.
10. In June 2022, Fitch Group acquired _________, a AI-driven data and technology company.
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3. China’s ICBC, hit by ransomware
 The US arm of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) was hit by a ransomware
attack that minimally disrupted trades in the US Treasury market.
 The company, said that it was investigating the attack that disrupted some of its systems, and making
progress toward recovering from it. Immediately after discovering the hack, ICBC ―isolated impacted
systems to contain the incident.
What is ICBC?
 ICBC, a Chinese state-owned commercial bank, is China‘s — and the world‘s — largest lender in
terms of assets (over $ 6 trillion), and one of the most profitable companies in the world, according
to Forbes.
 It is also the 3rd largest bank in the world (behind JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America) by
market capitalization, at $ 194.57 billion.
What are ransomware attacks?
 Ransomware is a type of malicious software (commonly referred to as malware) that either blocks
access to, or threatens to publish sensitive data until the victim pays a ransom fee to the attacker.
 It is a type of a cyber attack that has become increasingly popular among bad actors in recent
years.
What do we know about this attack?
 ICBC has not made public the specifics of the attack, nor the attacker behind it.
 All that is known for sure is that the company is in touch with law enforcement agencies in the United
States, as well as in China.
 However, a ransomware called Lockbit 3.0 was behind the attack.
What is Lockbit 3.0?
 LockBit 3.0 was created by Lockbit, a group which effectively sells its malware bad actors on the
dark web.
 Lockbit 3.0 is the most popular strain of ransomware, accounting for around 28 per cent of all
known attacks from July 2022 to June 2023.
 ―LockBit actors have executed over 1,400 attacks against victims in the United States and around
the world, issuing over $100 million in ransom demands,‖.
 The group previously claimed responsibility for ransomware attacks on Boeing last month. It is
said to have Russian origins, though this has never been confirmed.
Why is this attack such a big deal?
 ―We don‘t often see a bank this large get hit with this disruptive ransomware attack,‖ Allan Liska, a
ransomware expert at the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
 Successful cyberattacks on banks are rare since the financial industry is extremely well protected, with
serious investment in cybersecurity and segmented operations to discourage theft.
 Thus, this particular attack is somewhat unprecedented, even though it is the latest in a string of
ransomware attacks in the recent past.
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 Given the salience of ICBC in the global financial system, such an attack could have had huge
consequences.
What has the impact of this attack been?
 US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, however, suggested this attack only minimally disrupted the US
Treasury market. ―We‘ve not seen an impact on the Treasury market,‖.
 While some market participants did say that trades going through ICBC were not settled due to the
attack and thus affected market liquidity, ICBC said it had successfully cleared Treasury trades executed
and repurchase agreements (repo) financing trades done.
How have authorities responded to a spate of ransomware attacks?
 Authorities around the world have struggled to curb a rash of these attacks, which hit hundreds of
companies in nearly every industry each year.
 US officials said they were working on curtailing the funding routes of ransomware gangs by
improving information-sharing on such criminals across a 40-country alliance.
 The latest attack shows just how a vulnerable system are, and is likely to spur questions on market
participants‘ cyber security protocols.
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
 JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an American multinational financial services firm headquartered in
New York City and incorporated in Delaware.
 It is the largest bank in the United States and the world‘s largest bank by market capitalization as
of 2023.
 As the largest of Big Four banks, the firm is considered systemically important by the Financial
Stability Board.
 Its size and scale have often led to enhanced regulatory oversight as well as the maintenance of an
internal ―Fortress Balance Sheet‖ of capital reserves.
 The firm‘s early history can be traced to 1799, with the founding of what became the Chase
Manhattan Company.
 In 1871, J.P. Morgan & Co. was founded by J. P. Morgan who launched the House of Morgan on
23 Wall Street as a national purveyor of commercial, investment, and private banking services.
 The present company was formed after the two predecessor firms merged in 2000, creating a
diversified holding entity.
 It is a major provider of investment banking services, through corporate advisory, mergers and
acquisitions, sales and trading, and public offerings.
 Their private banking franchise and asset management division are among the world‘s largest in terms
of total assets.
 Its retail banking and credit card offerings are provided via the Chase brand in the U.S. and United
Kingdom.
 With US $3.9 trillion in total assets, JPMorgan Chase is the fifth-largest bank in the world by assets. The
firm operates the largest investment bank in the world by revenue.
 It occupies 24th place on the Fortune 500 list of the largest U.S. corporations by revenue.
 It produces institutional research on financial markets, economics, geopolitics, and personal finance
across its business lines.
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 The company‘s balance sheet, geographic footprint, and thought leadership have yielded a substantial
market share in banking and a high level of brand loyalty. Alternatively, it receives routine criticism for
its risk management, broad financing activities, and large-scale legal settlements.
Bank of America
 The Bank of America Corporation is an American multinational investment bank and financial
services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in Charlotte,
North Carolina, with investment banking and auxiliary headquarters in Manhattan. The bank
was founded in San Francisco, California.
 It is the second-largest banking institution in the United States, after JPMorgan Chase, and the
second-largest bank in the world by market capitalization.
 Bank of America is one of the Big Four banking institutions of the United States.
 It serves approximately 10.73% of all American bank deposits, in direct competition with
JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo.
 Its primary financial services revolve around commercial banking, wealth management, and
investment banking.
 One branch of its history stretches back to the U.S.-based Bank of Italy, founded by Amadeo
Pietro Giannini in 1904, which provided various banking options to Italian immigrants who faced
service discrimination.
 Originally headquartered in San Francisco, California, Giannini acquired Banca d‘America e
d‘Italia (Bank of America and Italy) in 1922.
 The passage of landmark federal banking legislation facilitated a rapid growth in the 1950s, quickly
establishing a prominent market share.
 After suffering a significant loss after the 1998 Russian bond default, BankAmerica, as it was then
known, was acquired by the Charlotte-based NationsBank for US$62 billion.
 Following what was then the largest bank acquisition in history, the Bank of America Corporation was
founded.
 Through a series of mergers and acquisitions, it built upon its commercial banking business by
establishing Merrill Lynch for wealth management and Bank of America Merrill Lynch for investment
banking in 2008 and 2009, respectively (since renamed BofA Securities).
 The bank‘s large market share, business activities, and economic impact has led to numerous lawsuits
and investigations regarding both mortgages and financial disclosures dating back to the 2008 financial
crisis.
 Its corporate practices of servicing the middle class and wider banking community have yielded a
substantial market share since the early 20th century.
 Bank of America was ranked #25 on the 2020 Fortune 500 rankings of the largest US corporations by
total revenue.
 Likewise, Bank of America was also ranked #6 on the 2023 Global 2000 rankings done by Forbes.
 Bank of America was named the ―World‘s Best Bank‖ by the Euromoney Institutional Investor in its
2018 Awards for Excellence.
QUESTIONS
Fill in the Blank:
1. The US arm of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of _________ (ICBC) was hit by a ransomware
attack that minimally disrupted trades in the US Treasury market.
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2. _________ is a type of malicious software (commonly referred to as malware) that either blocks
access to, or threatens to publish sensitive data until the victim pays a ransom fee to the attacker.
3. _________ is the most popular strain of ransomware, accounting for around _________ per cent of
all known attacks from July 2022 to June 2023.
4. _________ was created by Lockbit, a group which effectively sells its malware bad actors on the
dark web.
5. With US $3.9 trillion in total assets, JPMorgan Chase is the _________ largest bank in the world by
assets.
6. _________ is the largest bank in the United States and the world‘s largest bank by market
capitalization as of 2023.
7. JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an American multinational financial services firm headquartered in
_________ and incorporated in Delaware.
8. _________ is the second-largest banking institution in the United States, after _________, and the
second-largest bank in the world by market capitalization.
9. The Bank of America Corporation is an American multinational investment bank and financial
services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in Charlotte,
North Carolina, with investment banking and auxiliary headquarters in _________.
10. _________ was named the ―World‘s Best Bank‖ by the Euromoney Institutional Investor in its 2018
Awards for Excellence.
4. Why will Saturn’s rings briefly

‘disappear’ from view in 2025?
 One of the most spectacular sights in the Solar System is the majestic ringed planet Saturn, which
is clearly visible in the evening sky through a telescope.
 In 2025, however, Saturn‘s rings will seemingly disappear from view.
 It isn‘t as if the planet will lose them forever.
 The rings will just be invisible from Earth and will reappear soon thereafter.
 The reason for this temporary disappearance has to do with Saturn‘s tilt and an optical illusion.
Why will Saturn‘s rings be invisible from Earth?
 Like Earth‘s axis of rotation, which is tilted by 23.5 degrees, Saturn‘s axis of rotation has a 26.7
degree tilt — its enormous ring system is also tilted to the plane of Saturn‘s orbit.
 As a result, when Saturn revolves around the Sun, it seems to nod up and down when viewed from
Earth and the view of its rings also keeps changing.
 Saturn takes 29.5 years to complete an orbit around the Sun and every 13 to 15 years, the edge of
its rings aligns directly with Earth.
 As the rings are very thin — in most places, just tens of metres thick — at this position, ―they
reflect very little light, and are very difficult to see, making them essentially invisible,‖.
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 Imagine seeing a piece of paper, which is parallel to the ground and at eye-level, from the opposite
end of Mumbai‘s Wankhede Stadium.
 That‘s what‘s going to happen in March 2025 — Saturn‘s rings will not be visible from Earth
because they will be perfectly aligned with our line of sight.
 The rings will gradually return to view as the planet will continue to revolve around the Sun.
Will Saturn‘s rings actually disappear in the future?
 Yes, they might. According to a 2018 report by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA), Saturn would probably lose its rings completely in the next 300 million years, or even sooner
than that.
 It will probably happen because the rings are being pulled into the planet by its gravity as a dusty rain of
ice particles under the influence of Saturn‘s magnetic field, said the report.
 ―We estimate that this ‗ring rain‘ drains an amount of water products that could fill an Olympic-sized
swimming pool from Saturn‘s rings in half an hour,‖.
 Saturn, which is four billion years old, got the rings much later in its life since the rings aren‘t older than
100 million years.
 ―We are lucky to be around to see Saturn‘s ring system, which appears to be in the middle of its lifetime.
 However, if rings are temporary, perhaps we just missed out on seeing giant ring systems of Jupiter,
Uranus and Neptune, which have only thin ringlets.
Saturn
 Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It
is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine-and-a-half times that of Earth.
 It has only one-eighth the average density of Earth, but is over 95 times more massive.
 Saturn‘s interior is thought to be composed of a rocky core, surrounded by a deep layer of
metallic hydrogen, an intermediate layer of liquid hydrogen and liquid helium, and finally, a
gaseous outer layer.
 Saturn has a pale yellow hue due to ammonia crystals in its upper atmosphere. An electrical
current within the metallic hydrogen layer is thought to give rise to Saturn‘s planetary magnetic
field, which is weaker than Earth‘s, but which has a magnetic moment 580 times that of Earth due
to Saturn‘s larger size. Saturn‘s magnetic field strength is around one-twentieth of Jupiter‘s.
 The outer atmosphere is generally bland and lacking in contrast, although long-lived features can
appear. Wind speeds on Saturn can reach 1,800 kilometres per hour (1,100 miles per hour).
 The planet has a prominent ring system, which is composed mainly of ice particles, with a smaller
amount of rocky debris and dust.
 At least 146 moons are known to orbit the planet, of which 63 are officially named; this does not
include the hundreds of moonlets in its rings.
 Titan, Saturn‘s largest moon and the second largest in the Solar System, is larger (while less
massive) than the planet Mercury and is the only moon in the Solar System to have a substantial
atmosphere.
Planetary Rings
 Saturn is probably best known for the system of planetary rings that makes it visually unique.
 The rings extend from 6,630 to 120,700 kilometers (4,120 to 75,000 mi) outward from Saturn‘s
equator and average approximately 20 meters (66 ft) in thickness.
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 They are composed predominantly of water ice, with trace amounts of tholin impurities and a
peppered coating of approximately 7% amorphous carbon.
 The particles that make up the rings range in size from specks of dust up to 10 m.
 While the other gas giants also have ring systems, Saturn‘s is the largest and most visible.
 There are two main hypotheses regarding the origin of the rings.
 One hypothesis is that the rings are remnants of a destroyed moon of Saturn, for which a research
team at MIT has proposed the name ―Chrysalis‖.
 The second hypothesis is that the rings are left over from the original nebular material from which
Saturn was formed.
 Some ice in the E ring comes from the moon Enceladus‘s geysers.
 The water abundance of the rings varies radially, with the outermost ring A being the most pure
in ice water. This abundance variance may be explained by meteor bombardment.
 Beyond the main rings, at a distance of 12 million km from the planet is the sparse Phoebe ring. It
is tilted at an angle of 27° to the other rings and, like Phoebe, orbits in retrograde fashion.
 Some of the moons of Saturn, including Pandora and Prometheus, act as shepherd moons to
confine the rings and prevent them from spreading out.
 Pan and Atlas cause weak, linear density waves in Saturn‘s rings that have yielded more reliable
calculations of their masses.
 In September 2023, astronomers reported studies suggesting that the rings of Saturn may have
resulted from the collision of two moons ―a few hundred million years ago‖.
Spaceflight missions
Pioneer 11 flyby
 Pioneer 11 made the first flyby of Saturn in September 1979, when it passed within 20,000 km of
the planet‘s cloud tops.
 Images were taken of the planet and a few of its moons, although their resolution was too low to
discern surface detail.
 The spacecraft also studied Saturn‘s rings, revealing the thin F-ring and the fact that dark gaps in the
rings are bright when viewed at a high phase angle (towards the Sun), meaning that they contain fine
light-scattering material. In addition, Pioneer 11 measured the temperature of Titan.
Voyager flybys
 In November 1980, the Voyager 1 probe visited the Saturn system.
 It sent back the first high-resolution images of the planet, its rings and satellites. Surface features
of various moons were seen for the first time.
 Voyager 1 performed a close flyby of Titan, increasing knowledge of the atmosphere of the moon.
 It proved that Titan‘s atmosphere is impenetrable at visible wavelengths; therefore no surface details
were seen.
 The flyby changed the spacecraft‘s trajectory out of the plane of the Solar System.
Cassini–Huygens spacecraft
 The Cassini–Huygens space probe entered orbit around Saturn on 1 July 2004.
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 In June 2004, it conducted a close flyby of Phoebe, sending back high-resolution images and data.
Cassini‘s flyby of Saturn‘s largest moon, Titan, captured radar images of large lakes and their
coastlines with numerous islands and mountains.
 The orbiter completed two Titan flybys before releasing the Huygens probe on 25 December 2004.
Huygens descended onto the surface of Titan on 14 January 2005.
 Starting in early 2005, scientists used Cassini to track lightning on Saturn. The power of the lightning is
approximately 1,000 times that of lightning on Earth.
 In 2006, NASA reported that Cassini had found evidence of liquid water reservoirs no more than tens of
meters below the surface that erupt in geysers on Saturn‘s moon Enceladus.
 These jets of icy particles are emitted into orbit around Saturn from vents in the moon‘s South Polar
Region.
QUESTIONS
Fill in the Blank:
1. In _________, however, Saturn‘s rings will seemingly disappear from view.
2. Saturn takes _________ to complete an orbit around the Sun and every 13 to 15 years, the edge of its
rings aligns directly with Earth.
3. One hypothesis is that the rings are remnants of a destroyed moon of Saturn, for which a research
team at MIT has proposed the name _________.
4. At present, there are _________ planets in our Solar system.
5. The Saturn rings extend from 6,630 to 120,700 kilometers (4,120 to 75,000 mi) outward from
Saturn‘s equator and average approximately _________ in thickness.
6. _________ made the first flyby of Saturn in September 1979.
7. The reason for this temporary disappearance of Saturn ring has to do with Saturn‘s tilt and an
_________.
8. In November 1980, the _________ probe visited the Saturn system.
9. The _________ space probe entered orbit around Saturn on 1 July 2004.
10. Starting in early 2005, scientists used Cassini to track lightning on Saturn. The power of the
lightning is approximately _________ times that of lightning on Earth.
5. A plan to join the Red Sea with

Mediterranean — an alternative to the
Suez Canal
What Ben Gurion Canal Project?
 The Ben Gurion Canal Project is a theoretical proposal to cut a canal through Israel‘s Negev
Desert, creating an alternative route to the Suez Canal. Envisioned in the 1960s, it aimed to
challenge Egypt‘s monopoly on the shortest trade route between Europe and Asia.
Page 15
 However, the project faces immense challenges, including logistical complexities, high costs, a
longer route, and security concerns in a region marked by ongoing military threats.
What is the Suez Canal?
 It is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt (completed in 1869), connecting the Mediterranean
Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The 193 km long
canal is a key trade route between Europe and Asia.
 The idea is to cut a canal through the Israeli-controlled Negev Desert from the tip of the Gulf of
Aqaba — the eastern arm of the Red Sea that juts into Israel‘s southern tip and south-western
Jordan — to the Eastern Mediterranean coast, thus creating an alternative to the Egyptian-
controlled Suez Canal that starts from the western arm of the Red Sea and passes to the
southeastern Mediterranean through the northern Sinai peninsula.
Mediterranean Sea
 The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the
Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Southern Europe
and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant in West Asia.
 The Mediterranean has played a central role in the history of Western civilization. Geological
evidence indicates that around 5.9 million years ago the Mediterranean was cut off from the
Atlantic and was partly or completely desiccated over a period of some 600,000 years during the
Messinian salinity crisis before being refilled by the Zanclean flood about 5.3 million years ago.
 The Mediterranean Sea covers an area of about 2,500,000 km2 representing 0.7% of the global
ocean surface, but its connection to the Atlantic via the Strait of Gibraltar—the narrow strait that
connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates the Iberian Peninsula in
Europe from Morocco in Africa—is only 14 km (9 mi) wide.
 The Mediterranean Sea encompasses a vast number of islands, some of them of volcanic origin. The two
largest islands, in both area and population, are Sicily and Sardinia.
 The Mediterranean Sea has an average depth of 1,500 m (4,900 ft) and the deepest recorded point is
5,109 m in the Calypso Deep in the Ionian Sea.
 It lies between latitudes 30° and 46° N and longitudes 6° W and 36° E. Its west–east length, from the
Strait of Gibraltar to the Gulf of Alexandretta, on the southeastern coast of Turkey, is about 4,000
kilometres (2,500 mi). The north–south length varies greatly between different shorelines and whether
only straight routes are considered.
 Also including longitudinal changes, the shortest shipping route between the multinational Gulf of
Trieste and the Libyan coastline of the Gulf of Sidra is about 1,900 kilometres (1,200 mi).
 The water temperatures are mild in winter and warm in summer and give name to the Mediterranean
climate type due to the majority of precipitation falling in the cooler months.
 Its southern and eastern coastlines are lined with hot deserts not far inland, but the immediate coastline
on all sides of the Mediterranean tends to have strong maritime moderation.
 The sea was an important route for merchants and travellers of ancient times, facilitating trade and
cultural exchange between the peoples of the region.
 The history of the Mediterranean region is crucial to understanding the origins and development of
many modern societies.
 The Roman Empire maintained nautical hegemony over the sea for centuries and is the only state to
have ever controlled all of its coast.
Page 16
 The countries surrounding the Mediterranean and its marginal seas in clockwise order are Spain, France,
Monaco, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Turkey,
Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco; Malta and Cyprus are
island countries in the sea. In addition, Gibraltar, an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, is located
on the coast of the Mediterranean.
 The drainage basin encompasses a large number of other countries, the Nile being the longest river
ending in the Mediterranean Sea.
Negev Desert
 The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel.
 The region‘s largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba (pop. 211,251), in the north.
 At its southern end is the Gulf of Aqaba and the resort city and port of Eilat.
 It contains several development towns, including Dimona, Arad, and Mitzpe Ramon, as well as a
number of small Bedouin towns, including Rahat, Tel Sheva, and Lakiya.
 There are also several kibbutzim, including Revivim and Sde Boker; the latter became the home
of Israel‘s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, after his retirement from politics.
 Although historically part of a separate region (known during the Roman period as Arabia Petraea), the
Negev was added to the proposed area of Mandatory Palestine, of which large parts later became Israel,
on 10 July 1922, having been conceded by British representative St John Philby ―in Trans-Jordan‘s
name‖.
 Despite this, the region remained exclusively Arab until 1946; in response to the British Morrison–
Grady Plan which would have allotted the area to an Arab state, the Jewish Agency enacted the 11
points in the Negev plan to begin Jewish settlement in the area.
 A year later, the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine allotted a larger part of the area to the
Jewish State which became Israel.
 The desert is home to the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, whose faculties include the Jacob
Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research and the Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies,
both located on the Midreshet Ben-Gurion campus adjacent to Sde Boker.
 In October 2012, global travel guide publisher Lonely Planet rated the Negev second on a list of the
world‘s top ten regional travel destinations for 2013, noting its current transformation through
development.
David Ben Gurion
 David Ben-Gurion was the primary national founder of the State of Israel as well as the state‘s
first prime minister.
 Born in Płońsk, then part of Congress Poland, to Polish Jewish parents, he immigrated to the
Palestine region of the Ottoman Empire in 1906.
 Adopting the name of Ben-Gurion in 1909, he rose to become the preeminent leader of the Jewish
community in British-ruled Mandatory Palestine from 1935 until the establishment of the State of
Israel in 1948, which he led until 1963 with a short break in 1954–55.
 Ben-Gurion‘s interest for Zionism developed early in his life, leading him to become a major
Zionist leader and executive head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946.
Page 17
 As head of the Jewish Agency from 1935, and later president of the Jewish Agency Executive, he was
the de facto leader of the Jewish community in Palestine, and largely led the movement for an
independent Jewish state in Mandatory Palestine.
 On 14 May 1948, he formally proclaimed the establishment of Israel, and was the first to sign the Israeli
Declaration of Independence, which he had helped to write.
 Under Ben-Gurion‘s leadership, the 1948 Arab–Israeli War saw the uniting of the various Jewish
militias into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and the expulsion and flight of a majority of the Palestinian
Arab population. Subsequently, he became known as ―Israel‘s founding father‖.
 Following the war, Ben-Gurion served as Israel‘s first prime minister and minister of defence.
 As prime minister, he helped build state institutions, presiding over national projects aimed at the
development of the country.
 He also oversaw the absorption of Jewish immigrants.
 A major part of his foreign policy was improving relations with West Germany through a reparations
agreement in compensation for Nazi confiscation of Jewish property during the Holocaust.
 In 1954, he resigned as prime minister and minister of defence but remained a member of the Knesset.
 He returned as minister of defence in 1955 after the Lavon Affair and the resignation of Pinhas Lavon.
 Later that year he became prime minister again, following the 1955 elections. He led Israel‘s reprisal
operations to Arab guerrilla attacks, and its invasion of Egypt along with Britain and France during the
Suez Crisis in 1956.
 He stepped down from office in 1963, and retired from political life in 1970.
 He then moved to his modest ―hut‖ in Sde Boker, a kibbutz in the Negev desert, where he lived until his
death.
 Posthumously, Ben-Gurion was named one of Time magazine‘s 100 Most Important People of the 20th
century.
QUESTIONS
Fill in the Blank:
1. The _________ Canal Project is a theoretical proposal to cut a canal through Israel‘s _________
Desert, creating an alternative route to the Suez Canal.
2. The Currency of Israel is _________.
3. The _________ being the longest river ending in the Mediterranean Sea.
4. The Present Prime Minister of Israel is _________.
5. The Mediterranean Sea covers an area of about 2,500,000 km2 representing 0.7% of the global ocean
surface, but its connection to the Atlantic via the _________.
6. The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the _________ Ocean.
7. David Ben-Gurion was the primary national founder of the State of Israel as well as the state‘s
_________ prime minister.
8. Ben-Gurion‘s interest for _________ developed early in his life, leading him to become a major
_________ leader.
9. The _________ is a desert and semidesert region of _________ Israel.
10. At its southern end of Negev Desert is the _________ and the resort city and port of Eilat.
Page 18
6. Why adultery was struck off IPC, and why
a House panel wants to make is a crime
again
 The Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs has suggested that adultery should be re-
instituted as a crime in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, the proposed law to replace the
Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860.
 The Parliamentary Committee adopted reports on the three Bills meant to replace the IPC, The
Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973, and The Indian Evidence Act, 1872.
 The panel headed by BJP Rajya Sabha member Brij Lal, which examined the Bills after they were
introduced in Parliament suggested more than 50 changes and flagged several errors in them.
What is the legal position on adultery now?
 Until 2018, the IPC contained Section 497, which defined adultery as a criminal offence that
attracted up to five years in prison, or a fine, or both. However, only men could be punished under
Section 497, not women.
The section read:
 ―Whoever has sexual intercourse with a person who is and whom he knows or has reason to believe to
be the wife of another man, without the consent or connivance of that man, such sexual intercourse not
amounting to the offence of rape, is guilty of the offence of adultery… In such case the wife shall not be
punishable as an abettor.‖
 This was contrary to both the common understanding and the dictionary definition of adultery, which is
simply voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person, man or woman, and someone other than
that person‘s current spouse or partner.
 In Joseph Shine vs Union Of India (September 27, 2018), a five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court led
by then Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra, and comprising current CJI D Y Chandrachud, and
Justices A M Khanwilkar, R F Nariman, and Indu Malhotra, unanimously struck down Section 497 of
the IPC on grounds that included discrimination.
And what has the House Committee recommended?
 The 350-page report on the BNS, 2023, which was adopted by the Committee on November 10,
said that adultery should be reinstated as a criminal offence, but it should be made gender-neutral
— that is, both men and women should be punished for it.
 The Committee recommended: ―…This section only penalised the married man, and reduced the
married woman to be a property of her husband… The Committee is of the view that the institution of
marriage is considered sacred in Indian society and there is a need to safeguard its sanctity.‖
 In essence, the report has argued that Section 497 was struck down on grounds of discrimination, and
making it gender-neutral would address this deficiency.
So what is the problem with this?
 The discriminatory nature of Section 497, and its ―manifest arbitrariness‖ in punishing only men
for adultery, was just one of the grounds on which the court had struck down the provision. The
judgment went much farther.
Page 19
 Section 497 was violative of Articles 14, 15, and 21 of the Constitution (which protect the
fundamental rights to equality, non-discrimination, and life respectively) the Bench ruled.
 The court underlined the autonomy of women as a facet of human dignity. Writing for himself
and Justice Khanwilkar, CJI Misra declared that the husband is neither master of his wife, nor
does he have legal sovereignty over her — and that ―any system treating a woman with indignity
… invites the wrath of the Constitution‖.
 Also, adultery ―does not fit into the concept of crime‖, the court ruled. ―We may repeat at the cost of
repetition that if it is treated as a crime, there would be immense intrusion into the extreme privacy of
the matrimonial sphere. It is better to be left as a ground for divorce,‖ the CJI said.
 The judgment cautioned that ―For any other purpose as the Parliament has perceived or may, at any
time, perceive, to treat it as a criminal offence will offend the two facets of Article 21 of the
Constitution, namely, dignity of husband and wife, as the case may be, and the privacy attached to a
relationship between the two.‖
 Justice Malhotra, the only woman judge on the Bench, observed that Section 497 was ―replete
with anomalies‖ — for instance, an adulterous relationship would not be an offence if the married
woman had her husband‘s consent. Also, a wife could not prosecute her husband or his lover, even
if they committed this offence.
 Justice Nariman pointed out that ―ancient notions‖ of the man being the seducer and the woman
being the victim, no longer applied.
 Justice Chandrachud, who disagreed with the judgment of his father, former CJI Y V
Chandrachud‘s 1985 ruling in Sowmithri Vishnu vs. Union of India, which upheld adultery as a
crime, described Section 497 as a relic of Victorian morality that ―proceeds on the notion that the
woman is but a chattel; the property of her husband‖.
 The court also struck down Section 198(2) of the CrPC to the extent that it applies to the offence
of adultery under Section 497.
 Section 198(2) CrPC says that in certain cases, courts can take cognizance of a matter only if
approached by an aggrieved party and, in cases of adultery, only the husband shall be deemed as
―aggrieved‖.
Can the Supreme Court‘s decision in this case be undone?
 A ruling of the SC is the law of the land.
 Parliament cannot simply pass a law that contradicts a ruling of the top court. However, it can pass a law
that removes the basis of the court‘s judgment. Such a law can be both retrospective and prospective.
 In Madras Bar Association vs. Union of India (2021), an SC Bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao,
Hemant Gupta, and S Ravindra Bhat said: ―The test for determining the validity of a validating
legislation is that the judgment pointing out the defect would not have been passed, if the altered
position as sought to be brought in by the validating statute existed before the Court at the time of
rendering its judgment.
 In other words, the defect pointed out should have been cured such that the basis of the judgment
pointing out the defect is removed.‖
 ‗Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita‘ (BNS) Bill 2023 seeks to replace the country‘s colonial-era Indian
Penal Code (IPC), proposing a number of changes in the existing provisions.
 The proposed changes including provisions related to defamation, offence against women and
attempt to commit suicide.
 The BNS Bill contains 356 provisions as compared to 511 sections in the IPC.
Page 20
 With respect to IPC, section 124-A deals with offence of sedition, prescribing sentence of life
imprisonment or imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added.
 Meanwhile, the BNS Bill‘s provision 150 under the chapter pertaining to offences against the State
covers acts endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.
 The section says, ―Whoever, purposely or knowingly, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or
by visible representation, or by electronic communication or by use of financial mean, or otherwise,
excites or attempts to excite, secession or armed rebellion or subversive activities, or encourages
feelings of separatist activities or endangers sovereignty or unity and integrity of India; or indulges in or
commits any such act shall be punished with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment which may
extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine.‖
Murder
 The offence of murder covered under section 302 of the IPC, is covered under provision 101 of the
BNS Bill.
 The punishment, life term or death sentence, remains unchanged. Provision 101 (2) of the BNS Bill
says, ―when a group of five or more persons acting in concert commits murder on the ground of
race, caste or community, sex, place of birth, language, personal belief or any other ground each
member of such group shall be punished with death or with imprisonment for life or
imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.‖
Snatching
 Another change is a new provision on ―snatching‖ under section 302 of the BNS Bill.
 It says, ―Theft is ‗snatching‘ if, in order to commit theft, the offender suddenly or quickly or
forcibly seizes or secures or grabs or takes away from any person or from his possession any
moveable property.‖ It proposes imprisonment of up to three years, and liability to fine for
whoever commits snatching.
Terrorism
 In a first, the BNS Bill defines terrorism, which was not done in the IPC.
 Provision 111 of the BNS Bill mentions, ―A person is said to have committed a terrorist act if he
commits any act in India or in any foreign country with the intention to threaten the unity,
integrity and security of India, to intimidate the general public or a segment thereof, or to disturb
public order by doing an act.‖
Defamation
 IPC directs a punishment of simple imprisonment of up to two years, or with fine, or with both for
the offence of defamation.
 The BNS Bill adds community service to the punishment, proposing a simple imprisonment of up
to two years, or with fine, or with both or with community service.
Suicide
 From a sentence of up to one year or with fine or both under section 309 of IPC, section 224 of the
BNS Bill covers suicide proposing, ―whoever attempts to commit suicide with the intent to compel
or restrain any public servant from discharging his official duty shall be punished with simple
imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine or with both or with
community service.‖
Page 21
QUESTIONS
Fill in the Blank:
1. The Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs has suggested that adultery should be re-instituted as
a crime in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, the proposed law to replace the _________.
2. The Present Chief Justice of India is _________.
3. The court also struck down Section 198(2) of the CrPC to the extent that it applies to the offence of
adultery under _________.
4. With respect to IPC, section _________ deals with offence of sedition.
5. The BNS Bill contains _________ provisions as compared to 511 sections in the IPC.
6. Another change is a new provision on ―snatching‖ under _________ of the BNS Bill.
7. The offence of murder covered under section _________ of the IPC, is covered under provision
_________ of the BNS Bill.
8. In a first, the BNS Bill defines _________, which was not done in the IPC.
9. From a sentence of up to one year or with fine or both under _________ of IPC, section 224 of the
BNS Bill covers suicide.
10. IPC directs a punishment of simple imprisonment of up to _________ years, or with fine, or with
both for the offence of defamation.
7. 60% increase in overall tiger population,

but habitat & biodiversity loss
threatening Southeast Asian big cats
 Countries have submitted tiger population numbers from 2010-2022 to the Global Tiger Recovery
Program (GTRP) and United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
(CITES) under GTRP 2.0 which aims to pave the way for tiger conservation from 2023-2034.
 The St Petersburg Declaration in 2010 saw 13 tiger range countries commit to reversing the
decline of the species population and double their numbers by 2022.
What is the Status of Tiger Conservation in World?
 The wild tiger status is good in South Asia and Russia, but the picture in Southeast Asia is grim,
posing challenges to the global tiger population recovery.
 There has been an overall increase in the tiger population by 60%, taking the number to 5,870.
 However, countries like Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Lao-PDR and Vietnam showed a decline
in tiger populations, making the situation ―grim‖ in the Tiger Range Countries (TRCs) of
Southeast Asia.
 The success of countries in South Asia like Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal including China
and Russia in North East Asia is attributed to effective measures taken for habitat conservation
and protection.
 India‘s wild tiger population is 3,167 in 2022. Nepal has tripled the tiger population.
Page 22
What is Global Tiger Recovery Program 2.0 (2023-34)?
 Global Tiger Recovery Programme (GTRP) 2.0 was released at Thimphu on 29 July International
Tiger Day 2023 by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Royal Govt of Bhutan.
 GTRP was launched by the World Bank in 2010 under the Global Tiger Initiative (GTI) to double
wild tiger populations by 2022, with commitments from Tiger Range Countries (TRCs).
 The Global Tiger Forum (GTF) became the implementing arm for the tiger agenda.
 GTRP 2.0 has been firmed up by tiger range countries through the intergovernmental platform of
the Global Tiger Forum along with collaborators like the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF).
 GTRP 2.0 emphasizes on strengthening tiger governance, enhancing resources and protection, while
addressing contemporary challenges like Human-Wildlife Conflict.
 The new version has retained several ongoing archetypal actions along with new ones for a
differentiated approach to save the endangered wild tigers.
What are Threads to the Tiger Population in the World?
 Prey and Tiger Poaching: The situation is said to be challenging in the region due to widespread prey
and tiger poaching combined with other lacunae such as inadequate patrolling, poor wildlife monitoring,
forest loss for commercial needs, proximity to wildlife trade hubs and rapid infrastructure development
resulting in fragmentation.
 Low Investment in Wildlife Conservation: Poor monitoring and low investment in wildlife
conservation are other reasons for the drop in tiger populations.
 Habitat Loss and Fragmentation: Habitat loss and fragmentation, along with depleting biodiversity
due to anthropogenic reasons among others, is another concern raised threatening the tiger conservation.
 The report observed that loss of forest is a major factors across its ranges, with rapid decline in
Southeast Asia.
 Degradation of Tiger Habitat: The tiger habitat has seen degradation due to deforestation,
infrastructure development and illegal logging. The report emphasised the need for prey population
augmentation in some patches.
What is the Suggestions Given by the Report?
 Need of Genetically Viable Tiger Population: The report stated that, ―For a demographically and
genetically viable tiger population, steps need to be taken to reverse the current trend of habitat
loss, prey depletion and tiger poaching.‖
 If steps on tiger stressors are not taken, a majority of the tiger population in Southeast Asia and
small populations in parts of South Asia would be lost.
 Address Human-environmental Stress in Tiger Landscapes: The Tiger Conservation Landscapes
(TCL) need to be seen from the perspective of an ongoing human-environmental stress continuum.
 There are ongoing agro-pastoral as well as other human-induced modifications in several TCLs. Such
stressors impact the availability of welfare factors for major wild herbivores and thereby affect the
relative abundance of major carnivores, including the tiger.
 Need a Robust Policy Action: The grim situation demands a robust policy framework supported by
political will, long-term availability of resources from the population has increased by 60%, reaching
5,870 individuals.
 However, the report also highlights the challenges and threats faced by the tigers, especially in Southeast
Asia, where the situation is grim.
Page 23
What is Initiatives Taken for Tiger Conservation?
St. Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation:

 This resolution was adopted In November 2010, by the leaders of 13 tiger range countries (TRCs)
assembled at an International Tiger Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
 13 TRCs are: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.
 The resolution‘s implementation mechanism is called the Global Tiger Recovery Program whose
overarching goal was to double the number of wild tigers from about 3,200 to more than 7,000 by 2022.
Global Tiger Forum:

 The GTF is the only intergovernmental international body established with members from willing
countries to embark on a global campaign to protect the Tiger. It is located in New Delhi, India.
 It was formed on recommendations from an international symposium on Tiger Conservation at
New Delhi, India.
 Out of the 13 tiger range countries, seven are currently members of GTF: Bangladesh, Bhutan,
Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Vietnam besides non-tiger range country U.K.
Global Tiger Initiative (GTI):

 GTI was launched in 2008 by founding partners the World Bank, Global Environment Facility
(GEF), Smithsonian Institution, Save the Tiger Fund, and International Tiger Coalition
(representing more than 40 non-government organizations).
 The GTI is led by the 13 tiger range countries.
 It is a global alliance of governments, international organizations, civil society, the conservation
and scientific community, and the private sector committed to working together toward a common
agenda to save wild tigers from extinction.
 The GTI Secretariat, based at the World Bank, assists the 13 tiger range countries to carry out their
conservation strategies and drive the global tiger conservation agenda, through planning, coordination,
and continuous communication.
Tigers in India
 There are 3,682 tigers now in India, up from 2,967 in 2018 — a rise of almost 24% in four years.
 The numbers are also up from the 3,167 tigers announced by PM Narendra Modi in Mysuru on
April 9 at a programme to commemorate 50 years of Project Tiger, a conservation effort
applauded across the world.
 The revised figures follow detailed analyses of census data collected during the fifth cycle of
estimation conducted in 2022.
 With this, India is now home to approximately 75% of the world‘s tiger population.
 The latest tiger numbers are mentioned in the ―Status of Tigers: Co-Predators & Prey in India-
2022‖ report released at Uttarakhand‘s Corbett Tiger Reserve by Union minister of state for
environment, forest and climate change Ashwini Kumar Choubey on the occasion of International
Tiger Day.
 Among the 53 tiger reserves in India, Corbett is the leader with 260 big cats. Among the states, Madhya
Pradesh retained the No. 1 spot. Its tiger population has jumped from 526 to 785 (49%).
 Madhya Pradesh, the state that boasts the most tigers (785) in India, has widened its gap with second-
placed Karnataka, which had two less in the 2018 census.
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 Now, with a small leap of 7.4%, Karnataka has 563 tigers. Uttarakhand stands third with 26.7%
growth - 560 big cats now, up from 442 in 2018. Maharashtra has 444 big cats, up from 312 in
2018, a rise of 29%. The count in Tamil Nadu, Assam and Kerala stood at 306, 227 and 213,
respectively. Uttar Pradesh, too, saw a rise of 32 tigers with 205 in 2022, up from 173 in 2018, and
is placed at No. 8.
 The maximum increase in tiger numbers was in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand - 259,
132 and 118, respectively.
QUESTIONS
Fill in the Blank:
1. Global Tiger Recovery Programme (GTRP) 2.0 was released at _________.
2. GTI was launched in _________ by founding partners the _________.
3. The GTI Secretariat is based at the _________.
4. The latest tiger numbers are mentioned in the ―Status of Tigers: Co-Predators & Prey in India-2022‖
report released at Uttarakhand‘s _________.
5. India is now home to approximately _________ of the world‘s tiger population.
6. Countries have submitted tiger population numbers from 2010-2022 to the _________ and United
Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) under GTRP 2.0 which
aims to pave the way for tiger conservation from 2023-2034.
7. _________ is the state that boasts the most tigers (785) in India.
8. International Tiger Day is observed on _________.
9. The GTI is led by the _________ tiger range countries.
10. There are _________ tigers now in India, up from 2,967 in 2018 — a rise of almost 24% in four
years.
8. Loss and Damage Funding for Climate

Damages
 At the recently concluded COP27 summit, delegates from the United Nations agreed to create a
‗Loss and Damages‘ fund which will compensate the most vulnerable countries for their losses due
to climate-related disasters.
2022 United Nations Climate Change Conferenc
 The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the
UNFCCC, more commonly referred to as COP27, was the 27th United Nations Climate Change
conference, held from 6 November until 20 November 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
 It took place under the presidency of Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry, with
more than 92 heads of state and an estimated 35000 representatives, or delegates, of 190 countries
attending. It was the fifth climate summit held in Africa, and the first since 2016.
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 The conference has been held annually (except 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) since the first UN
climate agreement in 1992. It is used by governments to agree on policies to limit global temperature
rises and adapt to impacts associated with climate change.
 The conference led to the first loss and damage fund being created.
Outcomes of COP 27
 At the conference, a loss and damage fund was agreed for the first time, which was considered a
significant achievement.
 The loss and damage fund is an agreement to provide funding to countries that are most
vulnerable and affected by climate change.
 This was a very significant breakthrough that helps developing countries that experience the
worst impacts.
 A commitment to phase out fossil fuels was not made.
 Countries had failed to move away from fossil fuels. Although they have focused on ―low emission
energy‖, this still continues to be a source of greenhouse gas emissions.
What is ‗Loss and Damage‘ Funding?
 ‗Loss and Damage‘ refers to impacts of climate change that cannot be avoided either by mitigation
(cutting greenhouse gas emissions) or adaptation (modifying practices to buffer against climate
change impacts).
 They also include not only economic damage to property but also loss of livelihoods, and the
destruction of biodiversity and sites that have cultural importance.
 This broadens the scope for affected nations to claim compensation.
How have the Concept of Loss and Damage Evolved?
 Since the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was formed in the early
1990s, loss and damage due to climate change have been debated.
 The Least Developed Countries Group has long aimed to establish accountability and
compensation for loss and destruction.
 However, historically blamed for the climate catastrophe, rich countries have overlooked the concerns of
vulnerable countries.
 Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damages (WIM) was founded in 2013 without funding
after extensive pressure from developing countries.
 However, during the 2021 COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, a 3-year task force was established to
consider a funding arrangement for loss and damage.
 So far, Canada, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, Scotland and the Belgian province of Wallonia have
all expressed interest in loss and damage funding.
What are the Concerns regarding the Establishment of the Fund?
 As far as future COP negotiations are concerned, it only commits to creating a fund and leaves it
up to discussion how it will be set up and, most importantly, who will contribute to it.
 While there have been nominal commitments by certain countries to donate to such a fund, the
estimated L&D is already over USD 500 billion.
 During negotiations in COP27, the European Union pressed hard for China, the Arab states and
―large, developing countries‖ (probably even India) to contribute on the grounds that they were
large emitters.
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 There is no agreement yet on what counts as ―loss and damage‖ caused by climate change - which could
include infrastructure damage, property damage, and cultural assets whose value is hard to quantify.
 Climate funding so far has focused mostly on cutting carbon dioxide emissions in an effort to curb
global warming, while about a third of it has gone toward projects to help communities adapt to future
impacts.
What are India‘s Related Initiatives?
National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC):

 It was established in 2015 to meet the cost of adaptation to climate change for the State and Union
Territories of India that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.
National Clean Energy Fund:

 The Fund was created to promote clean energy, and funded through an initial carbon tax on the
use of coal by industries.
 It is governed by an Inter-Ministerial Group with the Finance Secretary as the Chairman.
 Its mandate is to fund research and development of innovative clean energy technology in the
fossil and non-fossil fuel-based sectors.
National Adaptation Fund:

 The fund was established in 2014 with a corpus of Rs. 100 crores with the aim of bridging the gap
between the need and the available funds.
 The fund is operated under the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change
(MoEF&CC).
2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference
 The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the
UNFCCC, more commonly referred to as COP28, will be the 28th United Nations Climate Change
conference, held from 30 November until 12 December 2023, at the Expo City, Dubai.
 The conference has been held annually since the first UN climate agreement in 1992.
 The COP conferences are intended for governments to agree on policies to limit global temperature rises
and adapt to impacts associated with climate change.
Global Stocktake
 In September 2023, in advance of the opening of COP28, the United Nations published the first
two-year assessment of global progress in slowing down climate change, called the ―global
stocktake‖.
 This type of overview was established during COP26 in Glasgow and is scheduled to be repeated
every five years.
 According to the report for reach carbon neutrality, a phase-out of unabated fossil fuels is needed
(before it the United Nations avoided to say it).
Among the main findings of the report
 The Paris agreement and the resulting climate action significantly helped in reducing emissions. In
2011 the projected warming by 2100 was 3.7–4.8°C. After COP27 it was 2.4–2.6°C and in the best
case, if all pledges are accomplished, 1.7–2.1°C.
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 As of September 2023 the world is not on track to reach the targets of the Paris agreement. For
having a more than 50% chance of limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C and more than 67% chance
of limiting it to 2°C, global emissions must peak by the year of 2025.
 Trillions of dollars are needed for limiting warming to 1.5°C. Financial flows need to significantly
change.
 More effective international cooperation and collaboration are crucial for reaching the targets of
the Paris agreement.
QUESTIONS
Fill in the Blank:
1. National _________ Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) was established in 2015 to meet the cost of
adaptation to climate change for the State and Union Territories of India.
2. The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC,
more commonly referred to as COP27, was held in _________.
3. Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damages (WIM) was founded in _________ without
funding after extensive pressure from developing countries.
4. National Clean Energy Fund was created to promote clean energy, and funded through an initial
carbon tax on the use of _________ by industries.
5. The National Adaptation Fund was established in 2014 with a corpus of _________ crores with the
aim of bridging the gap between the need and the available funds.
6. The first UN climate agreement was held in _________.
7. The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC,
more commonly referred to as COP28, will be the 28th United Nations Climate Change conference,
held from 30 November until 12 December 2023, at the _________.
8. As of September 2023 the world is not on track to reach the targets of the Paris agreement. For
having a more than 50% chance of limiting temperature rise to _________ and more than 67%
chance of limiting it to 2°C, global emissions must peak by the year of 2025.
9. In September 2023, in advance of the opening of COP28, the United Nations published the first two-
year assessment of global progress in slowing down climate change, called the _________.
10. In 2011 the projected warming by 2100 was 3.7–4.8°C. After COP27 it was 2.4–2.6°C and in the
best case, if all pledges are accomplished, _________.
9. India holds ‘2+2’ Ministerial dialogue

with the US
 Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met their
counterparts from the US government, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State
Antony Blinken respectively, for the fifth 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held in New Delhi.
 The 2+2 meetings have been held annually with the US leaders since 2018.
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What are 2+2 meetings and what is the rationale behind them?
 The 2+2 meetings signify the participation of two high-level representatives, Ministers holding
Foreign and Defence portfolios, from each of the two countries who aim to enhance the scope of
dialogue between them.
 Having such a mechanism enables the partners to better understand and appreciate each other‘s strategic
concerns and sensitivities taking into account political factors on both sides, in order to build a stronger,
more integrated strategic relationship in a rapidly changing global environment.
Who are India‘s 2+2 partners?
 The US is India‘s oldest and most important 2+2 talks partner.
 The first 2+2 dialogue between the two countries was held during the Trump Administration,
when then Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and then Secretary of Defence James Mattis met
the late Sushma Swaraj and then Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi in
September 2018.
 It was also seen as a replacement for the Strategic and Commercial Dialogue, held between the
foreign and commerce ministers of the two countries during the previous Obama administration.
 The launch of the dialogue was seen as a ―reflection of the shared commitment‖ by India and the
US to provide ―a positive, forward-looking vision for the India-US strategic partnership and to
promote synergy in their diplomatic and security efforts‖.
 Additionally, India has held 2+2 meetings with ministers from Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom
and Russia.
 Notably, in this year‘s meeting, Antony Blinken reiterated the significance of India‘s relations with
some of these countries that are also important US allies.
 ―We are promoting a free and open, prosperous, secure and resilient Indo-Pacific, including by
strengthening our partnership through the QUAD with Japan and Australia,‖ he said.
 QUAD or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is an informal security forum, and these four countries
comprise its membership.
 The talks with Japan via this platform began in 2019, with the aim that it would ―further enhance the
strategic depth of bilateral security and defence cooperation,‖ according to a joint press release from
back then.
 In 2021, at the inaugural edition of the talks with Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said,
―Both Russia and India have a similar worldview of a more polycentric, more multipolar, more equitable
world order. We advocate similar or identical positions on the most important political and military
issues.‖ He also said that the 2+2 would turn into an ―efficient dialogue platform to talk about a wide
range of regional and international topics a little further deepening our traditional, mutual
understanding.‖
 The same year, 2+2 dialogue with Australia also began. In October 2023, the first such meeting with the
UK took place.
Defence and strategic agreements under 2+2
 Over the years, the strategic bilateral relationship with its partners, including the dialogues held in the
2+2 format, has produced tangible and far-reaching results for India.
 India and the US have signed a troika of ―foundational pacts‖ for deep military cooperation,
beginning with the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016, followed
by the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) after the first 2+2
dialogue in 2018, and then the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) in 2020.
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 The strengthening of the mechanisms of cooperation between the two militaries is of significance in the
context of an increasingly aggressive China, which threatens a large number of countries in its
neighbourhood and beyond, and which has been challenging several established norms and aspects of
international relations.
 The establishment of the mechanism with Japan, which is also wary of China‘s role, is another example
of this.
 However, India also talks to Russia through 2+2 dialogues, keeping in mind its security and energy
interests and the countries‘ historical depth of relations.
Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA)
 LEMOA stands for Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), a tweaked India-
specific version of the Logistics Support Agreement (LSA), which the U.S. has with several
countries it has close military to military cooperation.
 It is also one of the three foundational agreements — as referred to by the U.S.
What are the foundational agreements?
 The three agreements — Logistics Support Agreement (LSA), Communications Interoperability
and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) and Basic Exchange and Cooperation
Agreement for Geo-spatial Cooperation (BECA) are referred to as the foundational agreements
which the U.S. signs with countries with which it has close military ties.
What are the foundational agreements for?
 They are meant to build basic ground work and promote interoperability between militaries by creating
common standards and systems. They also guide sale and transfer of high-end technologies.
What does signing LEMOA mean?
 LEMOA gives access, to both countries, to designated military facilities on either side for the purpose of
refuelling and replenishment. India and the U.S. already hold large number of joint exercises during
which payments are done each time, which is a long and tedious process.
 Under the new agreement, a mechanism will be instituted for book-keeping and payments and officials,
who will act as nodal points of contact, will be designated on both sides.
What areas does the agreement cover?
 The agreement will primarily cover four areas — port calls, joint exercises, training and Humanitarian
Assistance and Disaster Relief. Any other requirement has to be agreed upon by both sides on a case-by-
case basis.
Will this mean stationing of U.S. troops in India?
 No, this is not a basing agreement. There will be no basing of the U.S. troops or assets on Indian soil.
 This is purely a logistical agreement. India can access the string of U.S. facilities across the globe for
logistical support and the U.S., which operates in a big way in Asia-Pacific, will benefit from Indian
facilities.
Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA)
 COMCASA stands for Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement and is one of the
four foundational agreements that the U.S. signs with allies and close partners to facilitate
interoperability between militaries and sale of high end technology.
Page 30
 COMCASA is an India-specific version of the Communication and Information on Security
Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA). It comes into force immediately, and is valid for a period
10 years.
 COMCASA allows India to procure transfer specialised equipment for encrypted communications
for US origin military platforms like the C-17, C-130 and P-8Is. Currently, these platforms use
commercially available communication systems.
 Specific additional provisions have been incorporated in the text to safeguard our security and national
interests.
 This will also enable greater communications interoperability between the militaries of India and the
US. Data acquired through such systems cannot be disclosed or transferred to any person or entity
without India‘s consent.
 Both countries will implement this agreement in a manner that is consistent with the national security
interests of the other.
 India had signed the General Security Of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) in 2002 and the
Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016. The last one remaining is the Basic
Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-spatial Cooperation (BECA).
QUESTIONS
Fill in the Blank:
1. The 2+2 meetings signify the participation of two high-level representatives, Ministers holding
_________ and _________ portfolios, from each of the two countries who aim to enhance the scope
of dialogue between them.
2. QUAD or the Quadrilateral Security _________ is an informal security forum, and four countries
comprise its membership.
3. The largest trading partner of India in 2022-23 was_________.
4. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met their
counterparts from the US government, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State
Antony Blinken respectively, for the fifth 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held in _________.
5. The _________ is India‘s oldest and most important 2+2 talks partner.
6. LEMOA stands for Logistics _________ Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA).
7. India had signed the General Security Of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) in
_________.
8. India had signed the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in _________.
9. COMCASA allows _________ to procure transfer specialised equipment for encrypted
communications for US origin military platforms like the _________, C-130 and P-8Is.
10. COMCASA is an India-specific version of the _________.
10. UK’s Rwanda immigration plan

 The United Kingdom‘s Supreme Court has ruled that a controversial government plan to send
asylum seekers to Rwanda is ―unlawful‖ in a big blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his
government‘s hardline immigration policy.
Page 31
 Britain signed a deal with Rwanda last April under which some migrants who arrive in the UK
across the English Channel on boats were to be sent to the East African country where their
asylum claims would be processed.
 The judgement backed a London Court of Appeals decision on June 29 that the policy is unlawful
under Britain‘s Human Rights Act, which incorporates the European Convention on Human
Rights (ECHR) into British law. The first deportation flight to Rwanda was blocked by a last-
minute injunction from the ECHR on June 14.
 Sunak sacked Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who zealously backed the stalled Rwanda Plan.
 Braverman criticised Sunak over his handling of the case. She had called for the UK to leave the ECHR
if the Rwanda plan was blocked.
What did the UK Supreme Court rule on the Rwanda plan?
 The court concluded that the UK is party to various conventions, including the refugee
convention, which would dictate that the Rwanda plan is unlawful, owing to the potential of
human rights abuses in Rwanda or the refugees‘ home countries.
 ―There are substantial grounds for believing that asylum seekers would face a real risk of ill-
treatment by reason of refoulement to their country of origin if they were removed to Rwanda,‖
the judges wrote in the verdict.
 The UN refugee convention stands against refoulement – returning refugees to countries where
they might be in danger.
 The court said that Rwanda was not safe for refugees and that people could only be sent to countries that
follow the non-refoulement rule.
 The UN refugee agency has produced evidence of Rwanda breaching the rule in a deal with Israel.
 The judgement does, however, affirm that Rwanda entered the agreement with the UK in good faith and
has given assurances to safeguard those sent to the country.
 President of the Supreme Court Robert Reed said that the judgement should not be seen as a political
stance and is based purely on UK law, owing to principles such as the ECHR as well.
 The UK was the first nation to ratify the ECHR in March 1951, two years before it came into effect to
ensure governments protect human rights and security.
 In 1998, UK‘s Human Rights Act also enshrined ECHR into law, enabling English courts to enforce
rights guaranteed by the convention.
 The verdict is likely to trigger sharp reactions from some of the ruling Conservative party leaders.
What‘s the Rwanda plan?
 The Rwanda plan was announced in April 2022 by then Prime Minister Boris Johnson to dissuade
asylum seekers from journeying to the UK for about 32 km (20 km) across the English Channel
with ―dangerous‖ methods such as inflatable boats.
 Under the scheme, those who have arrived in Britain without documents since January 1, 2022,
would have been deported to Rwanda, about 6,400 km (4,000 miles) away, where their claims
would be assessed. Sending each asylum seeker there would cost on average 169,000 pounds
($210,208), the UK government has said.
 The scheme had faced legal challenges since it was announced.
 Tightening controls on refugees, a new Illegal Migration Act passed in July entailed that anyone
arriving by small boat would have their asylum claims made inadmissible and would be
disqualified from using modern slavery laws to challenge government decisions to remove them in
the courts.
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 The law also gives ministers the discretion to ignore ECHR injunctions. However, most provisions
of the act have not been implemented so far.
Why has Sunak pursued the hardline migration policy?
 Sunak and his Conservative party have pushed the flagship policy on immigration highlighting the
growing number of people arriving in Britain using boats.
 But this year, 27,000 people have arrived on small boats compared to 45,775 people last year.
 Britain currently spends over 3 billion pounds (approximately $4 bn) a year to manage asylum
applications. A major chunk of this cost is spent to house migrants while their claims are processed.
 ―Stopping the boats‖ was one of Sunak‘s top five pledges after he became prime minister in October last
year.
 According to government figures in August, the backlog of asylum applications waiting for an initial
decision hit a record high of more than 134,000, or 175,457 once dependents were included. Sunak had
promised in December 2022 to clear this by the end of the year.
What have been the reactions to the court verdict?
 The ruling has been welcomed by politicians and civil society groups, while Sunak has pledged to
continue his efforts in handling refugees. Legally, the UK would not be allowed to proceed with the
plan.
 Sunak expressed his disappointment, adding that the government will consider next steps.
 ―This was not the outcome we wanted, but we have spent the last few months planning for all
eventualities and we remain completely committed to stopping the boats,‖ he said.
 Some Conservative leaders have called for a more aggressive immigration policy while others said that a
fresh look needed to be taken.
 Human rights groups, however, have been pushing back on narratives that such measures are a viable
solution.
 Amnesty International UK has asked the government to now abandon the Rwanda plan and repeal the
Illegal Migration Act.
United Kingdom
 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United
Kingdom (UK) or Britain is an island country in Northwestern Europe, off the north-western
coast of the continental mainland.
 It comprises four countries – England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
 It includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland, and most of
the smaller islands within the British Isles.
 Northern Ireland shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland; otherwise, the United
Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel, the Celtic Sea
and the Irish Sea.
 The total area of the United Kingdom is 93,628 square miles (242,495 km2), with an estimated
2022 population of nearly 67 million people.
 The United Kingdom has evolved from a series of annexations, unions and separations of
constituent countries over several hundred years.
 The Treaty of Union between the Kingdom of England (which included Wales) and the Kingdom
of Scotland in 1707 resulted in their unification to become the Kingdom of Great Britain.
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 Its union in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland.
 Most of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland, which formally adopted its name in 1927.
 The nearby Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey are not part of the UK, being Crown Dependencies, but
the British government is responsible for their defence and international representation.
 The UK became the first industrialised country and was the world‘s foremost power for the majority of
the 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly during the ―Pax Britannica‖ between 1815 and 1914.
 The British Empire, at its height in the 1920s, encompassed almost a quarter of the world‘s
landmass and population, and was the largest empire in history; however, its involvement in the
First World War and the Second World War damaged Britain‘s economic power and a global
wave of decolonisation led to the independence of most British colonies.
 British influence can be observed in the legal and political systems of many of its former colonies,
and the UK‘s culture remains globally influential, particularly in literature, music and sport.
 The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy.
 The capital and largest city of the United Kingdom (as well as the capital of England) is London. The
cities of Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Belfast are respectively the national capitals of Scotland, Wales, and
Northern Ireland. Other major cities include Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, and Leeds.
 The UK consists of three distinct legal jurisdictions: England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern
Ireland. This is due to these areas retaining their existing legal systems even after joining the UK.
 Since 1998, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland also have their own devolved governments and
legislatures, each with varying powers.
 The UK has the world‘s sixth-largest economy by nominal gross domestic product (GDP), and the ninth-
largest by purchasing power parity.
 It is a recognised nuclear state and is ranked fourth globally in military expenditure.
 The UK has been a permanent member of the UN Security Council since its first session in 1946.
 It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the Council of Europe, the G7, the OECD, NATO, the
Five Eyes, AUKUS and the CPTPP.
Rwanda
 Rwanda officially the Republic of Rwanda,is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of
Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge.
 Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi,
and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
 It is highly elevated, giving it the soubriquet ―land of a thousand hills‖, with its geography
dominated by mountains in the west and savanna to the southeast, with numerous lakes
throughout the country.
 The climate is temperate to subtropical, with two rainy seasons and two dry seasons each year.
 It is the most densely populated mainland African country; among countries larger than 10,000
km2, it is the fifth most densely populated country in the world. Its capital and largest city is
Kigali.
 Hunter-gatherers settled the territory in the Stone and Iron Ages, followed later by Bantu peoples.
 The population coalesced first into clans, and then, into kingdoms.
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 In the 15th century, one kingdom, under King Gihanga, managed to incorporate several of its close
neighbor territories establishing the Kingdom of Rwanda.
 The Kingdom of Rwanda dominated from the mid-eighteenth century, with the Tutsi kings
conquering others militarily, centralising power, and enacting unifying policies.
 In 1897, Germany colonized Rwanda as part of German East Africa, followed by Belgium, which
took control in 1916 during World War I.
 Both European nations ruled through the Rwandan king and perpetuated a pro-Tutsi policy.
 The Hutu population revolted in 1959.
 They massacred numerous Tutsi and ultimately established an independent, Hutu-dominated republic in
1962 led by President Grégoire Kayibanda.
 A 1973 military coup overthrew Kayibanda and brought Juvénal Habyarimana to power, who retained
the pro-Hutu policy.
 The Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) launched a civil war in 1990. Habyarimana was
assassinated in April 1994.
 Social tensions erupted in the Rwandan genocide that spanned one hundred days. The RPF ended the
genocide with a military victory in July 1994.
 Rwanda has been governed as de facto one-party state by the RPF since 1994 with former commander
Paul Kagame as President since 2000.
 The country has been governed by a series of centralized authoritarian governments since precolonial
times.
 Although Rwanda has low levels of corruption compared with neighbouring countries, it ranks among
the lowest in international measurements of government transparency, civil liberties and quality of life.
 The population is young and predominantly rural; Rwanda has one of the youngest populations in the
world.
 Rwandans are drawn from just one cultural and linguistic group, the Banyarwanda.
 However, within this group there are three subgroups: the Hutu, Tutsi and Twa.
 The Twa are a forest-dwelling pygmy people and are often considered descendants of Rwanda‘s earliest
inhabitants.
 Christianity is the largest religion in the country; the principal and national language is Kinyarwanda,
spoken by native Rwandans, with English, French and Swahili serving as additional official foreign
languages.
 Rwanda‘s economy is based mostly on subsistence agriculture.
 Coffee and tea are the major cash crops in Rwanda to export.
 Tourism is a fast-growing sector and is now the country‘s leading foreign exchange earner.
 The country is a member of the African Union, the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations,
COMESA, OIF and the East African Community.
QUESTIONS
Fill in the Blank:
1. The Rwanda plan was announced in April 2022 by then Prime Minister _________ to dissuade
asylum seekers from journeying to the UK for about 32km (20 km) across the _________ with
―dangerous‖ methods such as inflatable boats.
Page 35
2. Rishi Sunak and his _________ party have pushed the flagship policy on immigration highlighting
the growing number of people arriving in Britain using boats.
3. The United Kingdom‘s Supreme Court has ruled that a controversial government plan to send
asylum seekers to _________ is ―unlawful‖ in a big blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his
government‘s hardline _________ policy.
4. The UK comprises four countries – England, Scotland, Wales, and _________.
5. The _________ between the Kingdom of England (which included Wales) and the Kingdom of
Scotland in _________ resulted in their unification to become the Kingdom of Great Britain.
6. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United
Kingdom (UK) or Britain is an island country in _________ Europe.
7. _________ and tea are the major cash crops in Rwanda to export.
8. The _________ are a forest-dwelling pygmy people and are often considered descendants of
Rwanda‘s earliest inhabitants.
9. Rwanda‘s economy is based mostly on _________.
10. Rwanda officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the _________ of Central
Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge.
Page 36

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MANTHAN 2.

2. Moody’s lowers US credit rating outlook to ‘negative’ ...................................................................................... 5

3. China’s ICBC, hit by ransomware ................................................................................................................................. 9

8. Loss and Damage Funding for Climate Damages............................................................................................... 25

9. India holds ‘2+2’ Ministerial dialogue with the US ........................................................................................... 28

10. UK’s Rwanda immigration plan ................................................................................................................................. 31

2. Moody’s lowers US credit rating outlook

4. Why will Saturn’s rings briefly

5. A plan to join the Red Sea with

7. 60% increase in overall tiger population,

St. Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation:

Global Tiger Forum:

Global Tiger Initiative (GTI):

8. Loss and Damage Funding for Climate

National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC):

National Clean Energy Fund:

National Adaptation Fund:

9. India holds ‘2+2’ Ministerial dialogue

10. UK’s Rwanda immigration plan

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