Content :

1. India’s Strategic Focus on West Africa
2. ₹2.4 Lakh Crore Collected at Toll Plazas Since Inception
3. Is the caste Census a useful exercise
4. India Backs UN Resolution Calling for Israel’s Exit
5. After Anomaly Alert, ISRO Sets PROBA-3 Launch for Today

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India’s Strategic Focus on West Africa

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Background

• Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit to Nigeria marks the first by an Indian PM in 17 years.

• Visit comes at a crucial time to strengthen India-West Africa bilateral relations.

Relevance: GS 2 (International Relations)

Warm Welcome:

• Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu conferred India’s PM with Nigeria’s second-highest national award.

• Highlights the strengthening diplomatic and cultural ties.

Economic and Strategic Partnership:

• Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and democracy, critical for West Africa and African Union engagements.

• Stronger ties bring economic and geopolitical advantages for India.

Defence Cooperation:

• Visit follows the Indian defence delegation’s trip to Lagos.

• Emphasizes India’s growing role as a defence supplier to Africa.

Development Assistance:

• India offers concessional loans and capacity-building programs to Nigeria, strengthening development cooperation.

China’s Influence:

• Despite significant Chinese investments in Nigerian infrastructure, India remains a strategic partner.

Trade Dynamics:

• Recent decline in India-Nigeria trade due to India’s increased oil imports from Russia.

• Both nations continue cooperation in other sectors.

Global South Leadership:

• India and Nigeria, as leaders in the Global South, can drive collective progress for developing countries.

Future Prospects:

• Sustained efforts needed to transform the goodwill generated by the visit into tangible outcomes.

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₹2.4 Lakh Crore Collected at Toll Plazas Since Inception

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Context : India’s highways collected ₹2.4 lakh crore, huge contributions from FASTag tolling.

Relevance: GS 3 (Infrastructure, Economic Development)

Benefits of FASTag System

Convenience

• Automatic Payments: Enables seamless toll payment without stopping at plazas, reducing cash dependency.

• Prepaid Accounts: Easy online recharge options make toll management hassle-free.

Time-Saving

• Reduced Wait Times: Vehicles equipped with FASTags pass toll plazas faster, minimizing delays.

 Transparency and Accountability

• Digital Records: Provides clear, tamper-proof records of toll transactions, enhancing accountability.

Challenges

Technical Issues

• Connectivity Problems: Disruptions between toll plazas and banks affect transaction reliability.

• Faulty Tags: Poor-quality tags lead to failed payments.

• Multiple Tags: Confusion arises when vehicles have more than one FASTag.

User Awareness

• Lack of Awareness: Limited understanding of FASTag usage reduces adoption in some regions.

Operational Challenges

• Queue Management: Long queues persist at plazas during peak hours or festive seasons despite FASTag adoption.

Way Forward

• Improving infrastructure .

•  Awareness campaigns .

• Streamlining operational processes .

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Is the caste Census a useful exercise?

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Context : Various political parties and organisation are demanding caste census .

Relevance: GS-2 (Governance)

Historical Efforts:First caste Census: 1871-72.

• Last comprehensive Census: 1931, identifying over 4,000 castes with regional variations.

• 2011 attempt faced challenges due to classification complexities.

Benefits

Policy Formulation:

• Provides precise data for targeted welfare schemes.

• Helps in evidence-based planning for socio-economic upliftment.

Equitable Resource Allocation:

• Aids in fair distribution of government jobs, education, and other benefits.

• Ensures marginalized groups receive adequate representation.

Socio-Economic Analysis:

• Highlights disparities among communities.

• Helps address structural inequalities.

Better Governance:

• Strengthens the design of affirmative action policies.

• Improves monitoring of social justice initiatives.

Challenges

• Caste Mobility:

• Upward: Claims for higher status over time.

• Downward: Strategic claims for benefits post-independence.

• Misclassification: Similar-sounding castes and surnames leading to confusion.

• Sensitive Nature: Social discomfort in discussing caste impacts data accuracy.

• Proportional Representation Issues: Difficulty in implementing reservations at the individual caste level.

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India Backs UN Resolution Calling for Israel’s Exit

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Context:

India voted in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution urging Israel’s withdrawal from Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, occupied since 1967.

Relevance: GS 2 (International Relations)

• Resolution Title: “Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine.”

• India’s Vote: Voted in favor alongside 156 other nations.

• Opposition: 8 member states, including the U.S., voted against.

Resolution Goals:

• Israel’s withdrawal from occupied territories, including East Jerusalem.

• Support for a two-state solution based on pre-1967 borders.

• Rejection of any demographic or territorial changes in Gaza Strip.

• Call for an immediate cessation of all acts of violence.

Significance:

• Reflects India’s consistent support for Palestinian self-determination.

• Reinforces India’s stance for a peaceful resolution in West Asia.

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After Anomaly Alert, ISRO Sets PROBA-3 Launch for Today

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Background:

• ISRO had initially scheduled the PROBA-3 mission for 4:08 p.m. on December 4, 2024.

• An anomaly in the spacecraft’s propulsion system led to the rescheduling of the launch to the following day.

Relevance: GS 3 ( Space)

Mission Details:

• PSLV-C59 rocket (44.5 meters) to carry the European Space Agency’s (ESA) PROBA-3 satellites.

• Mission aims to place 550-kg PROBA-3 satellites into a highly elliptical orbit.

• 61st flight of PSLV, 26th using the PSLV-XL configuration.

Mission Objective:

• Study the Sun’s corona using two satellites in formation that block the solar disk, enabling detailed observation.

Significance:

• Collaborative mission between NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) and the ESA, supported by ISRO’s expertise