CURRENT AFFAIR

COMPILATIONS –
DEC SECOND WEEK

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Introduction
Hello Everyone,
Every year more than 50 percent of the Prelims Paper is based on Current Affairs. It become
important for us to have very good command on Current Affairs. Hundreds of publications are
available in market. Aspirants are always confused how to prepare Current Affairs and most of
the times they end up choosing wrong publications. We will not let you fall in this trouble. Three
important courses are running simultaneously on our website for Current Affairs from Monday
to Friday- Daily Quiz section, Daily Current Affairs section and Daily News Section.
Daily Quiz will help you do the best preparation to handle any question in UPSC Prelims
Exam, Daily News section contains best opinion based Articles important for your Mains
Exam and Daily Current Affairs section will give you best Current Affairs which is relevant
for you Exam from all important sources (PIB+ all government websites, The Hindu+ 10
different newspaper, etc. ). Nothing will be missed. This document is related to Current
Affairs section.
You might find it bulky but don’t worry. It contains lot of images to simplify your
understanding.
Hope you enjoy reading.
Thanks,
Abhishek Agarwal
Founder, GoalTide IAS Prelims Academy

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Table of Contents
CA1. India and Nicaragua signed an agreement to implement Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) ................ 3
CA2. OpenAI has introduced Sora ........................................................................................................... 4
CA3. ICIMOD launches air quality dashboard to track and forecast pollution across Indo-Gangetic
plain......................................................................................................................................................... 4
CA4. Moisture is a silent force that amplifies global warming................................................................ 5
CA5. Study confirms massive elephant die-off in Botswana was caused by toxic algal bloom .............. 5
CA6. Svalbard Global Seed Vault. ............................................................................................................ 7
CA7. 2030 Global Strategy for Resilient Drylands (GSRD). ...................................................................... 9
CA8. Sacred groves in India ................................................................................................................... 12
CA9. SRI LANKA–INDIA EXERCISE - 24 (SLINEX-24) ............................................................................... 14
CA10. National Mission on Cultural Mapping ....................................................................................... 14
CA11. How Goa was liberated? ............................................................................................................. 15
CA12. “Twisting Layers” in Solid State: Conversion of waste heat to electricity................................... 15
CA13. Fermented bamboo shoot of Tripura possesses anti-obesity property ..................................... 16
CA14. Status of Steel sector in India ..................................................................................................... 17
CA15. Asia Pacific Deaf Games 2024 ..................................................................................................... 18
CA16. National Panchayat Awards 2024 ............................................................................................... 19
CA17. Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) .................................................................. 20
CA18. Skill Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE) ................................................. 21
CA19. National Energy Conservation Day ............................................................................................. 22

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CA1. India and Nicaragua signed an agreement to implement Quick

Impact Projects (QIPs)
News:

India and Nicaragua signed an umbrella agreement to implement Quick Impact Projects (QIPs).

(QIPs are designed to address local needs and improve socio-economic infrastructure).

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) aims to deliver tangible benefits to local communities in
Nicaragua by focusing on key areas such as physical infrastructure—roads and community centers—
as well as social infrastructure, including education, healthcare, and sanitation.

The Government of India will provide grant assistance for each QIP under this framework, ensuring
immediate and visible improvements for the people of Nicaragua.

This initiative underscores India’s active role in supporting global development through
partnerships tailored to the needs of local communities.

The relations between India and Nicaragua have remained warm and cooperative since the
establishment of diplomatic ties in March 1983.

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CA2. OpenAI has introduced Sora

News:

Just be aware about terms. No much technical learnings required.

Microsoft-backed artificial intelligence company OpenAI has announced the rollout of its video
generation model Sora, which is designed to take text, image, and video inputs and generate a new
video as an output.

What is new in OpenAI’s Sora?

OpenAI stated that premium subscribers can generate videos in 1080p resolution, up to 20 seconds
long, and in widescreen, vertical, or square aspect ratios. Sora accepts text, images, and videos as
input prompts, enabling users to extend, remix, and blend content or generate entirely new
creations from text.

CA3. ICIMOD launches air quality dashboard to track and forecast

pollution across Indo-Gangetic plain
News:

Millions of people in the Indo-Gangetic plain and Himalayan foothills face persistent exposure to
hazardous air, with recent levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) reported as high as 20 times the
World Health Organization’s (WHO) daily recommended limit.

To address this public health crisis, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
(ICIMOD) has unveiled an Air Quality Dashboard, a public platform offering real-time and forecasted
data on air pollution.

Between November 1-21, 2024, the dashboard recorded daily PM2.5 concentrations peaking at 300
µg/m³ in certain areas — 20 times higher than the WHO guideline of 15 µg/m³. These levels pose
severe health risks, underscoring the urgency of regional cooperation to tackle transboundary
pollution.

As per the ICIMOD, Transboundary pollution remains a significant challenge in the Indo-Gangetic
plain and Himalayan foothills, affecting millions across South Asia.

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CA4. Moisture is a silent force that amplifies global warming.

News:

CA5. Study confirms massive elephant die-off in Botswana was caused

by toxic algal bloom
News:

Some four years after the mysterious death of nearly 400 African elephants in Botswana’s Okavango
Delta, remote sensing and spatial analysis suggest that the massive die-off was a result of drinking
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from stagnant water holes (pans) where toxic algae populations had exploded due to climate
change.

Until now, there was no evidence to support the widely debated idea that poisoning was the cause
of these deaths in May-June of 2020.

The climate crisis is increasing the intensity and severity of harmful algal blooms. After drinking the
affected water pans, elephants of all ages were spotted walking in circles before collapsing and dying.

Harmful effects of algae boom?

a. Climate change will lead to higher air temperatures which can have a corresponding effect on
raising water temperatures.
b. Higher water temperatures combined with increased stormwater runoff of nutrients can
result in conditions favorable for algal blooms.
c. Consequently, with a changing climate, harmful algal blooms can occur more often, in more
fresh or marine waterbodies, and can be more intense.
d. An increase in harmful algal blooms (HABs) can affect the quality of source water and
increase the need for drinking water treatment.
e. Harmful algal blooms may pose a threat to public health through diminishing source water
quality or through affecting individuals with respiratory conditions.
f. Harmful algal blooms sometimes create toxins that can kill fish and other animals.
g. Even if algal blooms are not toxic, they can hurt aquatic life by blocking out sunlight and
clogging fish gills.
h. Harmful algal blooms can also create “dead zones,” areas in water with little or no oxygen
where aquatic life cannot survive.
i. Accordingly, an increase in harmful algal bloom occurrences can adversely affect the
effectiveness of ecosystem protection efforts.

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CA6. Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

News:

It is a facility located on a remote island in the Arctic Ocean and it houses the world's largest
collection of seeds.

How it was established?

Few more things:

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What is the importance of seeds thar are safeguarded?

The seeds that are safeguarded in Svalbard are of value for food and agriculture, and of importance
for research, plant breeding and education, in accordance with international laws; including the
International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

The seeds that are secured in the Seed Vault include crop varieties, farmers’ land races, breeding
material and wild plants that are related to and could be gene donors to new varieties of crops. To
date, Seed Vault holdings include more than 5,000 plant species.

The largest numbers of accessions stored in the Seed Vault are varieties of rice, wheat and barley
crops; more than 150,000 samples of Wheat and rice and close to 80,000 samples of Barley.

Now, with respect to India:

India joined the global initiative in securing crop genetic diversity by depositing 25 ICAR accessions
of pigeon pea in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault (SGSV) on April 9, 2014.

Where is India's seed vault?

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At Chang La in the Himalayas, at a height of 17,300 feet, there is a storage facility with over 5,000
seed accessions. One accession consists of a set of seeds of one species collected from different
locations or different populations.

Who maintains the vault?

The vault is a joint venture of the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (which comes under
the Indian Council of Agricultural Research) and the Defence Institute of High-Altitude Research
(under Defence Research and Development Organisation).

CA7. 2030 Global Strategy for Resilient Drylands (GSRD).

Aiming to transform agriculture in some of the world’s most arid regions, Consultative Group of
International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), a global leader in agricultural research, has launched its
2030 Global Strategy for Resilient Drylands (GSRD).

The strategy was unveiled at the 16th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention to
Combat Desertification (COP16) in Riyadh.

Five priority areas of the strategy:

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Why GSRD matters?

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Some good points related to dryland with respect to India:

The farmers of these regions used their indigenous knowledge and techniques to cope with
confined water availability. These methods and techniques included contour ploughing, terracing,
mulching, and water harvesting structures like tanks and ponds.

The regions of India that are classified as dryland agricultural areas geographically are the rain
shadow areas of the Deccan in Maharashtra, the Deccan Plateau of Andhra Pradesh, the highlands of
Tamil Nadu, the central highlands of Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh, the plateau region
of central India, and the alluvial plains of the Ganga Yamuna River basin.

In India, dryland covers about 68 percent of the total cultivated land which influences nearly 44
percent of the total food grain production.

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Characteristics of dryland agriculture in India:

CA8. Sacred groves in India

Sacred groves is important this year.

What is the definition?

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Sacred groves are considered to be symbols of the primitive practice of nature worship and
support nature conservation to a great extent.

These groves are, in general, maintained by rural communities. No governments have been
involved in their maintenance so far.

Sacred groves bear different names based on their location.

The total area occupied by sacred groves is an estimated 33,000 hectares. This is 0.01 per cent of
India’s total area. Maharashtra has the highest number of groves, with nearly 3,000 documented.

Why sacred groves are important?

In order to meet India’s climate commitment of net zero by 2070, forest conservation is important.
But besides government-owned forests, there is a need to protect sacred groves as these can help
mitigate climate change by acting as carbon sinks.

If properly managed, climate change can be halted, and people’s close link with nature nurtured.
There is often a sense of alienation when communities are relocated to boost conservation.

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CA9. SRI LANKA–INDIA EXERCISE - 24 (SLINEX-24)

News:

The bilateral naval exercise SLINEX 2024 (Sri Lanka–India Exercise) will be conducted from 17 to 20
Dec 24 at Visakhapatnam under the aegis of the Eastern Naval Command.

The exercise will be held in two phases - the Harbour Phase from 17 to 18 December and the Sea
Phase from 19 to 20 December.

Initiated in 2005, SLINEX is a significant series of bilateral naval exercises that have strengthened
maritime cooperation between India and Sri Lanka over the years.

Participating Units:

From India: Indian Naval Ship INS Sumitra, a Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel of the Eastern Fleet, along
with a Special Forces team.

The 2024 edition aims to further reinforce the strong maritime ties between India and Sri Lanka
while promoting a safe, secure, and rules-based maritime environment.

CA10. National Mission on Cultural Mapping

News:

National Mission on Cultural Mapping has been set up by Ministry of Culture, Government of India
with an aim to identify and document India’s cultural heritage and its creative potential to regenerate
and revitalize rural economies, thereby making Village India self-reliant.

At present, NMCM is undergoing with its component MGMD and the state-wise details are
available at Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar Web Portal which is an open access portal.

Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) is a component of NMCM.

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The above-mentioned objectives will be carried out with the help of three interlinked
programmes.

Currently, the data of 4.5 lakh villages have been uploaded on the MGMD Web Portal. See few
examples mapped under this:

CA11. How Goa was liberated?

News:

After Britain and France left India, it was expected that Portugal would leave too. But Portugal
refused. Emphasizing that it had been in Goa for centuries, Portugal said that the Goan Catholics
would not be safe if it left.

In 1955, India even imposed an economic blockade on Goa.

In 1961, the Indian army invaded the state (‘Operation Vijay’) after the Portuguese fired at Indian
fishing boats, killing one fisherman.

After 36 hours of air, sea and land strikes by the army, General Manuel Antonio Vassalo e Silva,
governor general of Goa, signed the "instrument of surrender", handing over Goan territory to India.

Nehru was the Prime Minister.

CA12. “Twisting Layers” in Solid State: Conversion of waste heat to

electricity
News:

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Researchers have developed a new material with potential for highly efficient conversion of waste
heat to energy by introducing twisted layers in ferecrystals, a distinctive class of misfit layered
compounds (MLCs)

An example of 2D natural superlattice structured materials.

The concept of "Twisting Layers" in solid-state physics refers to a novel approach to enhancing
thermoelectric materials, which can convert waste heat into electricity. This breakthrough is
significant because thermoelectric materials have the potential to improve energy efficiency in
various applications by harvesting otherwise lost heat energy.

This twisting can create unique electronic and phononic properties, including:

1. Enhanced Electron Transport: The twist creates electronic band structures that favor high
electrical conductivity.
2. Reduced Thermal Conductivity: The misalignment disrupts the flow of heat-carrying phonons,
reducing thermal conductivity without compromising electrical conductivity.

CA13. Fermented bamboo shoot of Tripura possesses anti-obesity

property
News:

Extract from a traditional fermented bamboo shoot variety of Tripura, popularly called called ‘Melye-
amiley’ has anti-obesity effects and offers a solution to weight management and metabolic health,
according to a new study.

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It reduces lipid accumulation and increases fatty acid β-oxidation.

The techniques of fermentation have been as old as human civilization that have passed through
generations, mainly used to preserve food, enhance nutritional quality and also to enhance taste
and flavour.

CA14. Status of Steel sector in India

Steel is a de-regulated sector where prices of steel are determined by market dynamics and fluctuate
depending on its availability. The Government acts as a facilitator, by creating a conducive policy
environment for the development of steel sector in the country.

QCO for steel:

In order to enable consumption of quality steel by the end users, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
formulated standards for different grade of steel.

a. Ministry of Steel accordingly issued steel Quality Control Order (QCO) which mandates that
only quality steel conforming to the relevant BIS standards notified under QCO are allowed
and sub-standard steel products are not allowed.
b. This ensures that only quality steel is made available to the end users & the public at large.
c. The QCO is applicable to both the domestic steel producers as well as on the steel
imported into the country.
d. The QCO is a measure to ensure availability of quality steel to the end users, not to control
steel imports.
e. However, some steel grades, which are not covered by BIS standards, can be imported with a
No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Ministry of Steel.

As a result of different measures, India’s steel sector following outcomes have been achieved: -
India’s steel sector has become the second largest producer of steel in the world from 2018.

Progress made by steel sector from 2014-15 to 2023-24: -

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The average CO2 emission intensity of the Indian steel industry has reduced from around 3.1 tonne
of CO2 per tonne of crude steel in 2005 to around 2.54 tonne of CO2 in 2023-24.

CA15. Asia Pacific Deaf Games 2024

News:

Asia Pacific Deaf Games is a deaf multi-sport event established in 1984 which is held every 4 years
in the Asia Pacific region.

It is the successor to the "Far Eastern Deaf Football Championship" which was held in Taipei in
1983. The inaugural game was held in 1984 in Hong Kong.

Indi started participating from fourth games:

Asia Pacific Deaf Games 2024 was held in: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

About ASIA PACIFIC DEAF SPORTS CONFEDERATION (APDSC):

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The ASIA PACIFIC DEAF SPORTS CONFEDERATION (APDSC) is the highest sports body responsible
for the affairs of the deaf sport in the Asia Pacific region.

Iran topped in 2024.

One more thing, have India ever hosted games? NO.

CA16. National Panchayat Awards 2024

News:

Why National Awards?

In 2022, the awards were revamped to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) through a focused approach called Localization of SDGs (LSDGs). This overhaul
introduced a multi-level pyramid structure for the awards, incorporating evaluations at the Block,
District, State/UT, and National levels.

Under this updated framework, Panchayats were ranked and recognized based on their
performance across 9 thematic areas of sustainable development:

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The National Panchayat Awards are usually celebrated on April 24th every year, in conjunction with
National Panchayati Raj Day. This day commemorates the enactment of the 73rd Constitutional
Amendment Act, 1992, which came into effect in 1993 and granted Panchayats constitutional status
as institutions of local self-governance.

(The first National Panchayati Raj Day was celebrated in 2010.)

1.94 lakh Gram Panchayats participated in the competition this year, with 42% of the 42 award-
winning Panchayats led by women.

The National Panchayat Awards 2024 incorporate several innovative features, including:

1. Multi-level Structure: The competition is conducted in a multi-level structure, with evaluation

at the Block, District, State/UT, and National Levels.
2. Transparent and Inclusive Evaluation: The awards recognize Panchayats’ performance in 9
thematic areas aligned with the Localization of SDGs, driving sustainable development at the
grassroots level.
3. Encouraging Best Practices: The awards aim to promote best practices, foster a spirit of
competition, and motivate Panchayats to excel in delivering quality governance and services to
rural communities.

CA17. Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS)

News:

The Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) seeks to facilitate opportunities for minority communities in
education, skilling, and employment to ensure their inclusive development in the national fabric.

MoMA has designed an integrated scheme, called the Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM
VIKAS), combining five (5) existing schemes of MoMA viz. Seekho aur Kamao, USTTAD, Hamari
Dharohar, Nai Roshni and Nai Manzil.

PM VIKAS is aligned to the 15th Finance Commission cycle period up to 2025-26 and is a Central
sector (CS) scheme under the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

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CA18. Skill Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE)

News:

Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE) project is a World Bank Assisted-
Government of India project with the objective of improving the relevance and efficiency of skills
training provided through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and apprenticeships.

The financial agreement was signed between Government of India and International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) on 19th December.

It is an outcome focused scheme marking shift in government's implementation strategy in

vocational education and training from inputs to results.

It is aimed at institutional reforms and improving quality & market relevance of skill development
training programs in long term vocational education training.

It shall incentivize ITIs to improve overall performance including apprenticeship by involving SMEs,
business association and industry clusters. The project aims to develop a robust mechanism for
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delivering quality skill development training by strengthening institutions such as State Directorate of
training & Employment, CSTARI, NIMI, NSTIs, ITIs etc.

It is a Central Sector Scheme (CSS) with a budget outlay of INR 2200 Crore (US $ 318 million)
covering the following 4 result areas:

1. Improved performance of ITI.

2. Increased Capacities of State Governments to support ITIs and Apprenticeship Training
3. Improved Teaching and Learning.
4. Improved and Broadened Apprenticeship Training.

CA19. National Energy Conservation Day

News:

National Energy Conservation Day (14 December) serves as a reminder of the vital role energy plays
in our lives and the urgency of conserving it. Introduced in 1991, this day is championed by the
Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the Ministry of Power, symbolizing the nation's
commitment to energy efficiency and conservation.

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National Energy Conservation Awards:

National Energy Conservation Awards (NECA), an initiative by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)
under the Ministry of Power.

Instituted in 1991, alongside the declaration of National Energy Conservation Day, these awards
honor the exceptional efforts of industrial units, institutions, and establishments that have
significantly reduced energy consumption while maintaining or enhancing their operational
efficiency.

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