Date-11th March 2025

● India-Mauritius relation
● Q-Commerce
● SIPRI arms transfer report 2020-24
● Svalbard Global Seed Vault
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Contents
Topics of the day

GS Paper II
● India-Mauritius relation
GS Paper III
● Indian Economy-Q-Commerce
● Security-SIPRI arms transfer report 2020-24
Prelims
● Svalbard Global Seed Vault
1. India-Mauritius relation
Syllabus-
● GS Paper II-International
Relations
● Prelims

Source -The Indian Express(Pg 15)

1. India-Mauritius relation
Mauritius

● A small island nation in the Indian Ocean.

● It is considered part of East Africa, often
grouped with other Indian Ocean islands like
Seychelles, Comoros, and Madagascar.
● Capital: Port Louis
● Follows Parliamentary Democracy with
President as ceremonial head of the State like
India.
● Tourism is key driver of the economy.
● Mauritius is considered a tax haven due to its
low corporate tax rates.
1. India-Mauritius relation
Mauritius-India connection

● Mauritius was once a French colony, before being

taken over by the British.
● Under the nearly century-long French rule (in the
1700s), Indians were first brought to Mauritius from the
Puducherry region to work as artisans and masons.
● Under British rule, about half a million Indian
indentured workers came to Mauritius between 1834
and the early 1900s.
● About two-thirds of these workers settled in Mauritius.
● Today about 70% of 1.2 million Mauritius population
is of Indian origin.
● Gandhi ji while travelling back to India from South Africa
in 1901 halted in Mauritius and talked to Indian Current news?
indentured workers about their rights. ● Prime Minister Narendra Modi will
● Thus, as tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, the National Day visit Mauritius for National Day
of Mauritius is celebrated on March 12, the date of the celebrations.
Mahatma’s Dandi march.
1. India-Mauritius relation
Strategic significance of Mauritius

● Mauritius is strategically placed in the western Indian

Ocean, making it vital for India’s security and trade
interests.
● India does not want stronger China’s presence in the
region.
● Thus India entered into a strategic infrastructure
development project aiming at development of
Agalega Island.
Agalega Island
● Agaléga includes two outer islands of Mauritius
located in the Indian Ocean, about 1,000 kilometers
north of Mauritius island.
● In 2015, India signed an agreement with Mauritius for
development of Agalega Islands.
Agalega project
● Includes the construction of a jetty, rebuilding, and
extension of the runway, and building an airport
terminal on Agalega Island.
1. India-Mauritius relation
Significance of the project ‘String of pearls’

1. Strengthen India's Presence in Indian Ocean

● It will facilitate both air and surface maritime patrols in
the south-west Indian Ocean.
2. In line with SAGAR(Security And Growth for All in Region)
mission of India.
3. Blue economics
● Extraction of marine resources in sustainable manner.
4. Counter ‘string of pearls’ notional threat arising from
China’s BRI
● India’s Agalega project can be considered as part of
‘Necklace of diamond’
‘Necklace of diamond’ strategy to nullify ‘string of pearls’.
5. Protection to foreign trade
● 95% of India’s trade by volume and 68% of trade by value
comes via the Indian Ocean.
● The project will help India to have a checkpost in the
Indian ocean.
6. Compensate for India’s withdrawal from Maldives
1. India-Mauritius relation

Prelims Practice Question

Q1. Match the following Pairs:
Island Location
1. Agalega Seychelles
2. Assumption Mauritius
3. Feydhoo Finolhu Maldives
Options
a. 1 and 2 only
b. 2 and 3 only
c. 1 and 3 only Hints
d. 3 only ● Agalega island is located in
Mauritius.
● Assumption Island is located in
Seychelles.
● Feydhoo Finolhu is located in
the Maldives.
Q.Discuss the significance of India-Mauritius relations in the context of historical ties,
economic cooperation, and strategic partnership. (150 words)

Hints
● Start with geographical and historical background of Mauritius.
● Eg-island nation in the Indian Ocean. 70% of 1.2 million Mauritius population is of Indian origin due to
migration of indentured workers.
● Give a transition line- like The relationship is built on shared heritage, economic collaboration, and
geopolitical alignment.
Historical Ties
● Mahatma Gandhi-highly revered- 12th March is National Day.
Cultural ties
● Hindi and Bhojpuri are widely spoken, and festivals like Diwali are national holidays.
Economic Cooperation
● India is the largest trading partner of Mauritius, with bilateral trade exceeding $1 billion.
● Mauritius is a major source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India due to its tax-friendly policies.
Strategic Partnership
● Agalega project
● Mauritius is part of India’s Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) vision and Indian Ocean
Rim Association (IORA),
As both nations deepen their partnership, Mauritius continues to be a gateway for India’s outreach in Africa
and the Indian Ocean region.
2. Q-Commerce
Syllabus-
● GS Paper III-Indian
Economy
● Prelims

Source -The Hindu(Pg 10)

2. Q-Commerce
Quick Commerce (Q-Commerce)

● Quick commerce is a subset of e-commerce that enables

rapid deliveries (typically within 10 to 20 minutes).
● It gained popularity during COVID-19 lockdowns and has
since evolved, particularly in urban India.
● The model relies on dark stores and distribution centers to
facilitate speedy deliveries.
How Quick Commerce Works?
1. Dark stores (warehouses exclusively for online orders)
ensure faster order fulfillment without in-person shopping.
2. Uses customer data from mobile apps to:
a. Create a feedback loop.
b. Personalized shopping experiences.
3. Optimize inventory based on demand patterns.
● Example: Stocking products based on seasonal demand or
demographic trends.
Examples of Q-Commerce- Blinkit, Zepto,Swiggy Instamart,Rapido
Auto etc
2. Q-Commerce
Prelims Practice Question
Issues of Q-Commerce Q2. Evaluate the following
statements-
1. Competition Concerns
1. Q-Commerce (Quick
● Quick commerce platforms benefit from venture capital and
Commerce) refers to the
foreign investments. Thus they give deep discounts and
rapid delivery of goods,
keep predatory pricing.
typically within 10–30
● It makes difficult to compete with them.
minutes, leveraging
● After eliminating competitors, prices are increased to
hyperlocal fulfillment
recover losses. centers.
● All-India Consumer Products Distribution Federation 2. Dark Stores are physical
(AICPDF) filed a complaint with Competition Commission of retail outlets that remain
India (CCI) against Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart. open 24/7 to customers and
2. Data privacy concerns also function as fulfillment
● Platforms allegedly use customer data (location, device type, centers for online orders.
purchase behavior) for differential pricing. Which of the above statements
3. Impact on traditional retailers is/are correct?
● Small retailers and distributors are struggling to compete. a. 1 only
● Potential for millions of local shops to shut down or b. 2 only
experience heavy losses. c. Both
d. None
3. SIPRI arms transfer report 2020-24

Syllabus-
● GS Paper III-Security
● Prelims

Source -The HIndu(Pg 8)

3. SIPRI arms transfer report 2020-24
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute(SIPRI)

● SIPRI is an independent international institute

dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms
control.
● It was established in 1966 in Stockholm (Sweden).
Current news?
● SIPRI has released report of arms trade worldwide for
2020-24.
Key findings-
● Ukraine became the largest arms importer due to the
ongoing war with Russia.
● Ukraine’s import has increased 100 times in 2020-24
wrt 2015-19.
● China dropped out of the top 10 global arms importers
for the first time since 1990-94 indicating strong
domestic manufacturing.
● Imports in Europe increased significantly due to the
Russia-Ukraine war.
3. SIPRI arms transfer report 2020-24

Key findings regarding India’s import of defence items

● India was the second-largest arms importer
globally for 2020-24.
● But India's arms imports decreased by 39%
compared to 2015-19.
● Russia remained the top arms supplier to India,
accounting for 36% of imports (down from 55% in
2015-19).
● France emerged as a key arms supplier to India,
contributing 28% of its total arms imports.
● India's major arms deals with France include
fighter jets (Rafale) and submarines.
● The U.S. also increased arms exports to India.
3. SIPRI arms transfer report 2020-24

Prelims Practice Question

Q3.Evaluate the following statements based on the recent SIPRI
report on global arms trade for 2020–2024:
1. Ukraine became the largest arms importer due to the ongoing
war with Russia, with its imports increasing nearly 100 times
compared to 2015–2019.
2. India was the second-largest arms importer globally for
2020–2024, but its arms imports increased by 39% compared
to 2015–2019.
3. China dropped out of the top 10 global arms importers for the
first time since 1990–1994, indicating strong domestic
manufacturing capabilities.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a. 1,2 only
b. 2,3 only
c. 1,3 only
d. 1,2,3 all
4. Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Syllabus-
● Prelims

Source -AIR
4. Svalbard Global Seed Vault
Svalbard Global Seed Vault
● Svalbard is part of Norway. Svalbard
● Svalbard has largest backup facility for the world’s crop
diversity known as Svalbard Global Seed Vault.
● The Seed Vault objective is to safeguard as much of the
world’s unique crop genetic material as possible.
● It offers free-of-charge, long-term storage of seed
duplicates from international, national and regional gene
banks and institutions.
● The ownership of the seeds remains with the
depositing party.
● The facility serves a humanitarian purpose.
● The seed vault is also known as doomsday seed vault as
it preserves important seeds that can be used to revive
plant diversity even if the entire biodiversity is damaged.
● It is part of the international system for conserving
plant genetic diversity started by FAO.
Current news?
● Recently, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault received more
than 14,000 new seed samples. Svalbard Global Seed Vault
4. Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Prelims Practice Question

Q4.What is the primary purpose of the
Svalbard Global Seed Vault?
a. To store and preserve rare animal
species
b. To safeguard plant genetic diversity by
storing seeds from around the world
c. To serve as a research center for
genetically modified crops
d. To provide immediate food supplies in
case of global famine
Answers of previous day questions
Prelims Practice Question
Q1. Evaluate the following statements regarding
Prelims Practice Question
the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
Q2.Evaluate the following statements
(JCPOA):
regarding currency design in India:
1. The JCPOA was signed in 2015 between
1. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has the
Iran and the P5+1 countries (China, France,
sole authority to decide the design,
Russia, the United Kingdom, the United
security features, and denominations of
States, and Germany).
Indian currency notes.
2. Under the JCPOA, Iran agreed to limit its
2. The Mahatma Gandhi series of
nuclear program in exchange for the lifting
banknotes was first introduced in 1996
of economic sanctions.
and later replaced by the Mahatma
3. The United States officially joined the
Gandhi (New) series in 2016.
JCPOA in 2020 under President Donald
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Trump’s administration.
a. Only 1
4. The International Atomic Energy Agency
b. Only 2
(IAEA) is responsible for monitoring Iran’s
c. Both 1 and 2
compliance with the JCPOA.
d. Neither 1 nor 2
How many of the above statements are correct?
a. Only one
b. Only two
c. Only three
d. All four
Answers of previous day questions

Q3. Consider the following statements about Prelims Practice Question

Gangetic Dolphins: Q4. Consider the following statements
1. The Gangetic dolphin is a freshwater regarding Tiger Reserves in India:
species found primarily in the Ganges, 1. The state government, in consultation
Brahmaputra, and their tributaries. with forest officials and conservation
2. It is blind and relies on echolocation to experts, proposes an area for
navigate and find food. declaring it a tiger reserve.
3. The Gangetic dolphin is classified as Least 2. The National Tiger Conservation
Concern by the IUCN. Authority (NTCA) has the power to
Which of the above statements is/are incorrect? directly declare an area as a tiger
a. 1 only reserve without state government
b. 2 only approval.
c. 1,3 only Which of above statements are correct?
d. 3 only a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both
d. None