3rd February, 2025 Current Affairs

NATIONAL
National Mission on Cultural Mapping

• To preserve and promote India’s rich cultural heritage, the Ministry of Culture has established the National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM).  Implemented by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), the mission aims to document India’s cultural heritage and its potential to revitalize rural economics.
• This initiative aims to document the cultural heritage of 6.5 lakh villages of India. Currently, 4.5 lakh villages are live on the portal with their respective cultural portfolios.
• The MGMD portal captures a wide range of cultural elements, including oral traditions, beliefs, customs, historical significance, art forms, traditional food, prominent artists, fairs and festivals, traditional dress, ornaments and local landmarks.
• MCM is a significant step towards preserving India’s cultural heritage and empowering rural communities.  By documenting and promoting cultural assets, the mission aims to strengthen cultural identity and foster economic development.
• A set format has been adopted for identification and collection of data for different cultural domains, artist and traditional art forms on the MGMD portal.
• At present the primary objective of the Mission is to complete the database of 6.5 lakh villages in the country and upload their data on the MGMD Portal.  The other components of the Mission are Sanskriti Pratibha Khoj through Cultural Mapping, National Cultural Work Place and Outreach-Newsletter, magazine, booklets, advertisement, media and publicity, content designing etc.

India tops global digital well-being index, leads in online safety and parental support

• India has emerged as a global leader in digital well-being, ranking first in the global index with a score of 67 out of 100. This achievement is attributed to a strong foundation of parental trust and support for teenagers.

Key Highlights:

• Online Satisfaction: India tops the list in online satisfaction, with 58% of respondents expressing contentment with their digital experiences.
• Support Networks: The country boasts the strongest support networks for young people, with respondents having 9-12 sources of guidance.
• Parental Engagement: There has been a significant increase in parental engagement, with 70% of parents regularly monitoring their teens' online activities.

Concerns and Challenges:

• Online Threats: Indian Gen Z users reported the highest rates of online threats, including sextortion and grooming.
• Lack of Awareness: There is a significant lack of awareness regarding the legal implications of sharing explicit content involving minors.
• Misconceptions: A substantial percentage of respondents held misconceptions about the legality of sharing, viewing, and storing explicit content.

INTERNATIONAL
Denmark PM repeats that Greenland is not for sale

• Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen has made it clear that Greenland is not for sale, shutting down President Donald Trump's interest in acquiring the island. Trump had expressed his desire to make Greenland a part of the United States, even hinting at using military or economic power to persuade Denmark to hand it over.
• Fredriksen emphasized that Greenland is an integral part of Denmark's territory and will not be sold. She did, however, acknowledge the growing importance of the Arctic region in terms of security and defense, aligning with the US view on the matter.
• It's worth noting that Greenland has been a point of interest for the US due to its strategic location and natural resources. The US has a military base in Greenland, Pituffik Space Base, which plays a crucial role in space defense programs.
• The situation highlights the complex dynamics between Denmark, Greenland, and the US, with Greenland seeking greater autonomy and potentially even independence in the future.

WHO proposes budget cut after US exit, defends its work

• World Health Organization member states will discuss cutting part of its budget by $400 million in light of President Trump’s move to withdraw the United States, its biggest government funder.
• The budget cut will be discussed at the Feb. 3-11 Geneva meeting, during which member state representatives will discuss the agency’s funding and work for the 2026-2027 period.
• The executive board proposes cutting the base programmes section of the budget from a proposed $5.3 billion to $4.9 billion. That is part of the wider $7.5 billion budget for 2026-2027 that was originally proposed, including money for polio eradication and tackling emergencies.
• The $4.9 billion is roughly the same as the base programme budget for the previous period, 2024-2025.

Rubio tells Panama to end China’s influence of canal or face US action

• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday warned Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino that Washington will “take measures necessary” if Panama does not immediately take steps to end what President Donald Trump sees as China’s influence and control over the Panama Canal.
• Mulino, after the talks with the top U.S. diplomat in Panama City, signaled he would review agreements involving China and Chinese businesses, and announced further cooperation with the U.S. on migration, but reiterated that his country’s sovereignty over the world’s second busiest waterway is not up for discussion.
• Rubio delivered a message from Trump that China’s presence – through a Hong Kong-based company operating two ports near the canal’s entrances – was a threat to the waterway and a violation of the U.S.-Panama treaty

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ECONOMY

India’s manufacturing PMI reaches six-month high amid strong demand

• India’s manufacturing sector witnessed a strong start to 2025, rebounding from a period of moderated growth in December. With new orders rising at the fastest pace since last July, the sector benefitted from a sharp increase in exports, marking the steepest upturn in nearly 14 years, according to the HSBC India Manufacturing PMI for January.
• The survey highlighted a stronger expansion in output, supported by robust domestic and international demand.
• The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose from December’s 56.4 to 57.7 in January, indicating an expansion in the sector’s activity. The pace of growth was the highest since July and surpassed the long-term average. PMI values range between 0 and 100, with a reading above 50 indicating expansion compared to the previous month and below 50 indicating contraction.
• Manufacturers reported an increase in new orders, citing improved domestic demand and growth in international sales. Total new business expanded at the fastest rate in six months.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Nano Bubble Technology

• Nano bubble technology is a method of water treatment that uses tiny bubbles to improve water quality. The important ecological benefits are to remove contaminants, increase dissolved oxygen content, help in the removal of phytoplankton (algae), reduce biofilm, and ultimately improve the properties of water suitable for aquatic animals. The nano bubble technology can lead to a more homogeneous distribution due to the minuscule size and persistence of the bubbles in the water bodies. On the other hand, traditional systems may exhibit less uniformity in distribution, which can result in variable oxidation and disinfection performance across the water volume.
• The Management of National Parks and Sanctuaries, including those Protected Areas having aquatic animals, is done as per the Management Plan prepared under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. These include maintaining water level, water circulation and dilution, silt removal, aeration, establishing STP along the water bodies and aquatic weed removal through mechanical and manual methods.  The Central Zoo Authority, in fulfilment of the functions assigned, implemented the standard and norms, inclusive of proper hygiene and health of all captive animals in zoos including aquatic animals, as prescribed in the Recognition of Zoo Rules, 2009 notified by the Central Government under section 63 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Further, the Central Zoo Authority has issued guidelines to zoos time to time for proper hygiene and health of all captive animals in zoos.
• As nano bubble technology has been used in India for water treatment recently only on a pilot basis, the long-term impact of this technology on water quality and animal health can be known in due course of time.

ENVIRONMENT
India’s Progress in achieving Climate Goals

• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement does not subscribe to financial year wise reporting. India subscribes to its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), submitted in 2022, as per the Paris Agreement under the UNFCCC.
• As per India’s 4th Biennial Update Report (BUR-4) submitted to the UNFCCC on 30th December, 2024, between 2005 and 2020, India’s emission intensity of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reduced by 36% as against the NDC target of 45% to be achieved by 2030. Regarding status on achievement of target under NDC related to the share of non-fossil fuel-based sources, the share in India’s total installed electricity generation capacity is 47.10% in December 2024 as against the target of 50% to be achieved by 2030. As compared to the base year of 2005, India has reached 2.29 billion tonnes of additional carbon sink as against the target of 2.5 to 3.0 billion tonnes by 2030 through additional forest and tree cover.

• The Government of India amended the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 (52 of 2001) in the year 2022 to facilitate the development of carbon market in the country. Subsequently under the act, the Government has notified the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) vide notification S.O. 2825(E), dated 28th June 2023 and amendment notification S.O. 5369(E), dated 19th December 2023.
• The CCTS provides for two mechanisms namely, compliance mechanism and offset mechanism. In the compliance mechanism, the obligated entities are required to comply with the prescribed GHG emission intensity reduction norms in each compliance cycle of CCTS. The obligated entities which reduce their GHG emission intensity below the prescribed GHG emission intensity are eligible for issuance of Carbon Credit Certificates. ln the offset mechanism, the non-obligated entities can register their projects for GHG emission reduction or removal or avoidance for issuance of Carbon Credit Certificates.
• The Government of India has also developed a plan to smoothly shift energy-intensive sectors and Designated Consumers (DCs) from the Perform, Achieve, and Trade (PAT) Scheme to the compliance mechanism under the CCTS. This plan ensures continuity, consistency, and alignment with national climate goals while avoiding duplication of targets. To initiate the transition, the Government has identified nine energy-intensive sectors for inclusion under compliance mechanism of the CCTS, namely, Aluminium, Cement, Steel, Paper, Chlor-Alkali, Fertiliser, Refinery, Petrochemical, and Textile. Under the offset mechanism, ten sectors have been approved, which include energy, industries, waste handling & disposal, agriculture, forestry, transport, construction, fugitive emissions, solvent use and Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage.
• The Government has also notified the National Designated Authority for the Implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement (NDAIAPA), vide Gazette Notification, dated 30th May, 2022. The Authority has updated and finalized the list of 14 activities under Green House Gas (GHG) mitigation activities, alternate materials, and removal activities, which are eligible for trading of international carbon credits under bilateral/ cooperative approaches, under Article 6.2 and Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement.
• The Government collaborates with other countries in the field of Renewable Energy sector and mitigating the environment degradation through mechanisms such as Memorandums of Understanding, Letters of Intent, Joint Declarations of Intent, Energy Dialogues and Partnerships.
• The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), at its Sixth Session held in Nairobi, Kenya, on 1st March, 2024, unanimously adopted the resolution on sustainable lifestyles. The resolution based on the precepts of Mission LiFE was moved by India and co- sponsored by Sri Lanka and Bolivia and is a significant step forward in the globalisation of the concept of Mission LiFE or Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE).
• India hosted the 3rd Voice of Global South Summit on 17th August, 2024 with the overarching theme "An Empowered Global South for a Sustainable Future”. In the Environment Ministers’ Session, 18 countries and 1 bank from Global South participated. India emphasized the importance of encouraging sustainable consumption and production patterns, promoting sustainable lifestyles, reducing waste, and fostering a culture of conservation and respect for natural resources. The deliberations highlighted the call for climate justice and developing countries’ demand for climate finance, technology transfer and capacity building.
• Presently, India has cross border interconnections with Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. An Agreement between India and Bhutan concerning Cooperation in the field of Hydroelectric Power was signed on 28th July, 2006. India and Nepal signed an agreement on 04.01.2024 which will facilitate export of 10,000 MW of electricity from Nepal to India in the next 10 years.

Published date : 04 Feb 2025 11:12AM