4th-July.pdf

Topics To be covered 1. 26/11 accused Rana can be extradited: U.S. attorney 2. Return Indians stuck in Ukraine warzone: Jaishankar to Lavrov 3. Till Russia do us part? NATO at 75, an enduring alliance 4. Factory accidents, a pointer to rusty inspection reform 5. Gujarat HC rejects State govt.’s...

Topics To be covered 1. 26/11 accused Rana can be extradited: U.S. attorney 2. Return Indians stuck in Ukraine warzone: Jaishankar to Lavrov 3. Till Russia do us part? NATO at 75, an enduring alliance 4. Factory accidents, a pointer to rusty inspection reform 5. Gujarat HC rejects State govt.’s probe report in Vadodara boat tragedy Prelims Bytes 1. Smart Cities Mission period extended till March 2025 for completion of projects 2. Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train expected to begin operations in Gujarat by 2027 end 3. No Indian industry presence in Board of National Research Foundation 4. Air pollution spikes may raise death rates in cities with cleaner air: says study 5. India to host UNESCO World Heritage Committee session 6. UFO Day rekindles the conspiracy theory that refuses to die 7. Hurricane Beryl kills seven as it churns towards Jamaica Page 1 : Internal Security GS Paper II Pakistan-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana, wanted in India for his role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, is extraditable under the plain provisions of the U.S.-India extradition treaty, a U.S. attorney has told a court. 166 deaths and 239 injuries Rana faces charges for his role in the Mumbai attacks and is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Page 11 : International Relations GS Paper II Expressing “strong concern” about Indian nationals recruited for the war with Ukraine, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar called upon Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Astana to ensure their return to India soon. 27th February Page 9 : International Relations GS Paper II The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation came into being on April 4, 1949. NATO began life as the ‘Atlantic Alliance’ in 1949 with 12 states including the U.S. and Canada, as well as the U.K., France, Belgium among others in Europe as its founding members with the aim to deter Soviet Union expansion under Stalin (NATO today has 31 members). 27th February ❖ Hungary approves Sweden’s NATO membership ❖ While Finland became the 31st member of the NATO in April last year, Sweden’s bid had been held up. ❖ Turkiye only ratified it last month. Sweden Members ❖ Belgium ❖ Spain ❖ Canada ❖ Czechia ❖ Denmark ❖ Hungary ❖ France ❖ Poland ❖ Iceland ❖ Bulgaria ❖ Italy ❖ Estonia ❖ Luxembourg ❖ Latvia ❖ Netherlands ❖ Lithuania ❖ Norway ❖ Romania ❖ Portugal ❖ Slovakia ❖ United ❖ Slovenia Kingdom ❖ Albania ❖ United States ❖ Croatia ❖ Greece ❖ Montenegr ❖ Türkiye o ❖ Germany ❖ North Macedonia Hungarian Parliament representatives are seen voting on the ratification of Sweden's NATO membership. Attila Kisbenedek/AFP/Getty Images NATO ❖With Sweden’s accession, NATO will count 32 countries among its members. ❖Last year, Finland became the 31st NATO member, adding some 1,300 kilometers (830 miles) to the alliance’s frontier with Russia. ❖As NATO states, Finland and Sweden will enjoy the protection granted under Article 5 of the treaty that established the alliance – which states that an attack on one member is considered an attack against all. Page 6 : Economy GS Paper III Explosion of a reactor in a chemical factory in the Dombivli Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) area in May 2024 fatal industrial accidents were frequent in 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2023. The Maharashtra government is guilty of not relocating 156 chemical factories in the Dombivli MIDC area even after “deciding” in 2022 to relocate them to Patalganga. boiler in the chemical factory was not registered under the Indian Boiler Regulations, 1950. Poor inspection Directorate General Factory Advice Service & Labour Institutes report, 2022). The poor inspection rates could also be due to a shortage of personnel among other reasons. Page 3 : Polity GS Paper II The Gujarat High Court rejected an inquiry report submitted by the State government into a boat tragedy in Vadodara in January this year and ordered a fresh probe. Page 10 : Economy GS Paper III The Centre has extended the Smart Cities Mission (SCM) under the Union Urban Development Ministry till March 31, 2025. Under the SCM, launched in June 2015, 100 cities were chosen through a competition to be developed as smart cities. Page 3 : Economy GS Paper III The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train, is expected to begin operations in Gujarat by 2027 end and will later be extended to Maharashtra, according to the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL). Trial runs are expected to start in 2026 between Surat and Bilimora (a 50-km stretch). Since the project is in a more advanced stage in Gujarat, it is prudent to start commercial operations here first and then expand services to Maharashtra as construction work gets completed there,” Page 10 : Science GS Paper III The Executive and Governing Boards of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) — a high-level body conceived to give strategic direction to scientific research in India — has no representation from Indian industry, ANRF Act, passed in August 2023 Page 12 : Environment GS Paper I A spike in air pollution in Indian cities that have cleaner air may raise death rates higher than in cities that have higher pollution loads. Page 10 : Culture GS Paper I 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which is being hosted by India from July 21-31, will be held in New Delhi. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) The World Heritage Committee comprises representatives from 21 State Parties to the World Heritage Convention (1972) elected by the General Assembly of UNESCO. The current members of the committee, after elections in the 24th General Assembly of UNESCO in November 2023, are Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, India, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Türkiye, Ukraine, Vietnam, and Zambia. Page 18 : Science GS Paper III The day has its roots in the so-called Roswell Incident on July 2, 1947. On that date, something crashed at a ranch in New Mexico. There were reports the U.S. military had recovered a “flying disc”. Page 14 : Environment GS Paper I Hurricane Beryl Mains Questions Q1. Discuss the challenges faced by the Smart Cities Mission in India. Suggest measures to address these challenges and ensure the mission's effectiveness in promoting sustainable urban development. (150words ,10 marks ) Q2. The expansion and strengthening of NATO and a stronger US-Europe strategic partnership works well for India. What is your opinion about this statement? Give reasons and examples to support your answer. (250words ,15 marks )