India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

India & the United Kingdom signed the Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
🧵🧵
How will this benefit India and Indians?

- 99% of Indian exports to the UK will enjoy zero-duty access
- FTA covers nearly 100% of trade value.
- 75,000 Indian workers exempted from UK social security payments for 3 years. - Farmers get access to the UK's $37.5B agri market and premium buyers.
- New export markets for jackfruit, millets & organic herbs.
- Sensitive sectors (Dairy, apples & edible oils) stay protected with no tariff cuts.
- No safeguard duties for Indian businesses.

Generation Beta
🧵🧵

Generation Beta refers to the group of children born between the years 2025 and 2039. It is said that children in this generation will be faster than those in Generation Z (Gen Z) and Generation Alpha.

Generation Z, often referred to as Gen Z, includes individuals born roughly between the mid- to late-1990s and the early 2010s, who have grown up with the Internet, social media and smart phones. While Generation Alpha consists of those born between 2010 and 2025.

UPPSC Prelims 2024 Current Affairs topics

POLITY

Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan (PM JUGA)
Removal of the Vice-President of India
Digital Agriculture Mission
Classical Language status
Ayushman Vaya Vandana
PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme
NPS Vatsalya Scheme
Mission Mausam

🧵 Removal of the Vice-President of India
The Opposition gave notice for a motion of no-confidence against Rajya Sabha chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar on Dec 10, the first such action in India’s parliamentary history

Since the VP and Rajya Sabha chairperson must be the same individual

Electronic Voting Machine (EVM)

Election Commission of India has expressed concern on the apprehensions raised by political parties over the functioning of EVM.🧵

How EVM works?
Can EVM be Hacked?
Who manufactures EVM?
In which countries is EVM banned? EVM replaced the old-fashioned paper ballots.

EVM is a combination of two units:
the Control Unit (CU) and the Balloting Unit (BU), connected by a cable like a pair of BFFs.

When a voter enters the booth, they press the button next to their preferred candidate's name.

What is microRNA and how was it discovered?

The Nobel Prize for Medicine this year has been awarded to scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their discovery of microRNA.

microRNA are tiny molecules which play a crucial role in how genes function.

MicroRNA help cells control their protein production.

The proteins that cells produce play vital roles in almost all biological processes of living organisms. In human bodies, for example, the protein haemoglobin transports oxygen, insulin aids in the absorption of carbohydrates from the blood, etc.

Thus, anything that affects protein production can have an impact on human health.

MicroRNA functions by attaching to another type of molecule known as messenger RNA (mRNA).

microRNA regulates gene expression primarily by binding to messenger RNA (mRNA) in the cell cytoplasm.

Instead of being translated into a protein right away, the designated mRNA will be either destroyed and its components recycled, or kept and translated later.

Israel attacks Lebanon to fight Hezbollah

What are Lebanese govt and army position?
Why are the Lebanese govt and the army are not intervening in the Israel-Hezbollah war?

Israel has intensified its military operations in Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah positions in response to rocket attacks launched from Lebanese territory.

Since September 30, 2024, Israel has killed around 250 Hezbollah fighters and has suffered casualties among its own troops.

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, operates primarily from southern Lebanon and has been involved in ongoing hostilities with Israel, particularly since the escalation of violence following the Gaza war that began in October 2023 . Lebanon's political landscape is highly fragmented, characterized by sectarian divisions among various religious groups.

This division has historically weakened the central government's authority and its ability to act decisively in conflicts involving Hezbollah, which operates independently of the state.

The Lebanese government is currently a caretaker administration, lacking the legitimacy and authority to effectively manage the crisis.

Since 2022, there has been no consensus on a presidential candidate, further complicating governance.

The many layers of Israel’s air defence system.

Beyond the Iron Dome

In the recent attack on Israel, Iran was able to break the security of Iron Dome.

But was it really able to penetrate Israel's air defense system?

Parts of Israel air defence system
Iron Beam
Iron Dome
Arrow System
David’s Sling (or Stunner)
Patriot PAC-2 and PAC-3 1. Iron Dome

Purpose:
Primarily defends against short-range threats, such as rockets fired from Gaza by Hamas.

Functionality:
Uses radar to detect incoming projectiles.
Calculates the trajectory to determine if the rocket will hit a populated area.

Only intercepts rockets deemed a threat, minimizing costs and maximizing efficiency.

Success Rate:
Highly effective, with reported interception rates around 90%.

Advantages and drawbacks of One Nation, One Election
Government's arguments in favor of holding simultaneous elections.
🧵

One Nation, One Election Committee(Ramnath Kovind Committee) submitted its report to President Droupadi Murmu.
The comprehensive 21-volume, 18,626-page report contains 11 chapters plus Annexures. The idea of simultaneous elections, or “One Nation, One Election”, was first formally proposed by the Election Commission of India in its 1983 report.

The commission suggested that conducting simultaneous Lok Sabha (parliamentary) and state legislative assembly elections could reduce the frequency and associated costs of elections.

The Law Commission of India also examined the issue and submitted several reports suggesting measures to synchronise the terms of the state legislatures with those of the Lok Sabha.

In 2017, the Niti Aayog released a paper titled ‘Election Time Table’, discussing the feasibility of simultaneous elections. It suggested a practical roadmap for implementing the concept.

From the first elections in 1952 until 1967, elections were held simultaneously across the country.

But since the Lok Sabha and Assemblies can be dissolved before their tenures end, over time the state and national elections became misaligned.

The FinMin and RBI Governor cautioned the banks of structural liquidity issues.

Loans are increasing, while deposits are not up to the mark.

What are people doing with their money without depositing it in banks?

What is the credit-deposit ratio? Why does it matter?🧵 In Indian banks, the deposits grew at 11.7℅, while credit(loans) grew at 15℅.

That means people or corporations borrow more but deposit less money in banks.

Basically, the banks lend money which was deposited by the public.

If bank doesn't have money, it borrows from RBI.
If the situation continues, the RBI will also suffer from a liquidity crunch.

The cabinet approved ₹2,817 crore for the Digital Agriculture Mission.

It was a part of the first 100 days of Modi 3.0

The Mission will be rolled out across the country over the next 2 years.

What is the Digital Agriculture Mission?🧵
The Mission was planned to launch in FY 2021-2022.
Due to COVID-19, the mission was delayed and got its address in the FY 2023 and FY 2024 budget speeches.

Digital Agri Mission:
It aims to create a Digital Public Infrastructure(DPI) in the farm sector.
It is similar to Aadhar, DigiLocker, e-signature service, UPI, and e-health records.
DPI in the farm sector provides new digital services like crop info, crop estimation, market trends, farm inputs, insurance, credit, etc.,

Components of the mission:
AgriStack
Krishi Decision Support System(DSS)
Soil Profile Maps

SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft is going to give a lift to Sunita Williams, who is stuck in space.
🧵

The astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore were stuck in space for 2 months.
They initially went to space to test the Boeing Starliner spacecraft.

However, due to the helium leaks and propulsion system issues in the Boeing spacecraft, the return of the astronauts was indefinitely put on hold.

Now, they had stayed in the International Space Station(ISS) and were doing research and experiments.

NASA has decided to use SpaceX's Dragon instead of the faulty Boeing Starliner spacecraft for the safe return of the space-stuck astronauts.

Their return is scheduled for February 2025. How does SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft help?

SpaceX is not going to launch a separate spacecraft to pick up the space-stuck astronauts.

Crew-9 Mission is a regular mission to replace astronauts in the ISS. The mission will replace the current crew in ISS with new crew members, ensuring a continuous human presence.

The astronauts in the Crew-9 mission will spend approximately six months on the ISS, conducting various scientific experiments.

Then along with two other astronauts, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore will be returning to Earth in February 2025.

Why Bangladesh is not in position to bargain with India?

Muhammad Yunus and BNP is trying to extradite Sheikh Hasina. But they will not be able to do this. Why?
First try to understand the electricity trade of of India-Bangladesh.

Power exports accounted for 9.3% of India's total exports to Bangladesh in 2023-24.

And the total electricity exports to Bangladesh is in control of Adani Power.
Adani Power exported $1-billion electricity power to Bangladesh in 2023-24.
There is a place in Jharkhand: Godda

This place has such power that Bangladesh trembles with fear.

Because the electricity power plant of Adani which account for India's $1-billion electricity power export to the Bangladesh, is situated in Godda.

Godda power plant is the only SEZ in the world which has been declared as SEZ for just one power plant. This gives long term tax exemption. The plant was declared a Special Economic Zone in 2019 and uses 100% imported coal.

Adani Power has a 25-year contract with the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is a British citizen
🧵
He made this statement by sharing a document on X platform, saying that it is Rahul Gandhi's "annual return filed with the British government".

It raised concerns of legitimacy of a parliamentary post being held by a person having dual citizenship.

Why does it even matter?
Can a foreigner take Indian citizenship?
What are the conditions to acquire Indian citizenship?
Why does it even matter?
It matters, because India does not allow dual citizenship, and taking up the citizenship of another country automatically results in the cancellation of Indian citizenship.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, there are four ways in which Indian citizenship can be acquired by
Birth
Descent
Registration
Naturalization

The provisions are listed under Citizenship Act, 1955.

Bye Bye FASTag
🧵
India is set to go for a transportation revolution.
Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the replacement of FASTag with Satellite based toll collection system.

How can a satellite be used in toll collection?

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is preparing to implement a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based toll collection system on some selected national highways.

The pilot studies have already been conducted in Karnataka and Haryana. This innovative approach is set to replace the traditional toll plazas, promising a smoother, more efficient, and transparent toll collection process.

How can a satellite be used in toll collection?
The new satellite system serves as virtual toll booths that communicate with satellites to track vehicle locations.
Vehicles will be charged based on the distance traveled rather than fixed toll points.

How actually does this satellite toll system work?
A device called On-Board Unit (OBU), will be installed in vehicles, which is similar to the current FASTag but with more advanced capabilities.
The OBU continuously tracks the vehicle's location using GNSS and GAGAN(GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation)
Based on the tracked latitude and longitude of the vehicle and digital highway maps, the system calculates the distance traveled on toll roads.

What is OpenAI’s secret project Strawberry.
Strawberry, a AI which can conduct research and plan ahead.
🧵 OpenAI may be working to improved AI models with deep research and planning capabilities.

Six months ago, a secret OpenAI project Q* (Q-Star) was in news.
Q-Star was the most ambitious plan of Sam Altman. The aim of the Q-Star was to make such type of AI which will be capable of training itself in a new way.
So that AI would have planning, logical reasoning, and capabilities similar to that of a human brain.

New crimes in Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita(BNS).

1. BNS Clause 69 penalises sexual intercourse through the employment of “deceitful means”.

Whoever, by deceitful means or by making promise to marry to a woman without any intention of fulfilling the same, has sexual intercourse with her… shall be punished with imprisonment” of upto 10 years, and also be liable for a fine.

“Deceitful means” includes the false promise of employment or promotion, inducement, or marrying after suppressing identity. Lynching is crime under BNS
The BNS Clause 103, for the first time also recognises murder on the ground of race, caste, or community as a separate offence.

In 2018, the Supreme Court directed the Centre to consider a separate law for lynching.

BNS includes the offences such as organised crime and terror.

Kerala Assembly is demanding to change the name of Kerala to Keralam.

But, Why?
🧵🧵

On June 24, Kerala Assembly passed a resolution and requested the Centre to rename the Kerala as “Keralam’’ in the Constitution.

This is the second time that such resolution has been passed by the Kerala assembly.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said we are requesting the Union Government to take immediate steps under Article 3 of the Constitution to change the name of the Kerala to Keralam. Kerala is the English word for the Malyali Keralam.

The earliest mention of the word Ketalaputra [Keralaputra] can be found in Emperor ’s Rock Edict II of the emperor Ashoka(257 BCE).

Keralaputra means son of Kerala in Sanskrit.

Keralaputra refers to the dynasty of the Cheras, one of the three main kingdoms of southern India.

In Kannada, the word ‘keram’ is for ‘cheram’, which is used to refer to the coastal land between Gokarna (in Karnataka) and Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu).

Bail in money laundering cases.
What is the ‘twin test’ under Prevention of Money Laundering Act(PMLA)?

The Trial court granted bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal but the Delhi High Court stayed the order.
Arvind Kejriwal is in jail on charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED challenged the order of trial court on the ground that the court had failed to apply the ‘twin test’ for granting bail under PMLA. Twin test - Section 45 of PMLA.

Section 45 of the PMLA deals with bail.

Section 45 first states that no court can grant bail for offences under this law, and then mention a few exceptions.
The Section 45 itself shows that bail is not the rule but the exception under PMLA.

These two conditions, which have to be fulfilled to grant the bail:
(i) that there are “reasonable grounds for believing that the accused is not guilty of such offence”; and
(ii) that “he is not likely to commit any offence while on bail”.

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) developed a new tool called the Bayesian Convolutional Neural Network (BCNN) for forecasting El Niño and La Niña conditions.

What is El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)?
What is Bayesian Convolutional Neural Network (BCNN) launched by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS)?

BCNN uses AI, deep learning, and machine learning to predict El Niño and La Niña, phases of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon, with greater accuracy. INCOIS has created Bayesian Convolutional Neural Network(BCNN) that can forecast El Nino and La Nina events up to 15 months in advance.

BCNN improves ENSO phase forecasts using cutting-edge technology such as AI, deep learning, and machine learning (ML).

🧵🧵
President Droupadi Murmu appointed Bhartruhari Mahtab as the Protem Speaker of the Lok Sabha under Article 95(1) of the Constitution.
Bhartruhari Mahtab is a seven-time Member of Parliament from Cuttack.

What is a protem Speaker?
How is the pro-tem Speaker chosen?
What is the need of protem Speaker?

Bhartruhari Mahtab will perform the duties of the Speaker until the election of a new Speaker.
He switched from the BJD to the BJP before the elections. The President also appointed five other members under Article 99 of the Indian Constitution to assist the Protem Speaker in administering oaths to newly elected MPs of 18th LS.

Earlier there were murmur that senior Congress leader Kodikunnil Suresh could be the pro tem speaker!

Apple Intelligence, the new AI for iPhones, iPads, and Macs
🧵🧵

What is Apple Intelligence?
What can Apple Intelligence do?
What about security?

Apple Intelligence is a new system that integrates AI features across Apple devices like iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
It will understands user behaviour and comes up with appropriate responses.
It is like ChatGPT but with more contextual awareness — it knows the user’s likes and dislikes, online preferences etc. What about security?

Apple Intelligence is backed by Private Cloud Compute.

Apple Intelligence has Contextual awareness.
Which means Siri will be aware of all your activity, and that brings to the question of privacy and security.