Debt swaps: Debt swaps are financial agreements where a country exchanges its existing debt for new obligations, typically linked to funding specific development projects or goals.

Types of Swaps:

✅Bilateral Swaps: Involves the writing off of official bilateral debt.
✅Commercial Debt Swaps: Targets debt held by private creditors

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NARROW BAND INTERNET OF THINGS (NB-IOT) :
NB-IoT technology is a low power wide area technology that may be used almost everywhere.
✅ Will allow many devices to connect to IoT, allowing development of new applications.
✅ Designed for applications that send tiny quantities of data across great distances.
✅ Secure and dependable since it runs on licensed spectrum, offering assured service quality.
✅ Integrates into cellular systems ensuring easy deployment. Links devices to existing mobile networks more easily, effectively.
✅ Securely and reliably handles tiny quantities of very occasional two-way communication.
✅ Optimised for low power consumption.
✅ Extended long-range coverage and deep penetration both indoors and underground.

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Waves Of Globalization

globalization 1.0

✅Era: Pre-World War I, marked by significant reductions in trade costs.
✅ Characteristics: Minimal government involvement and lack of global governance.

GLOBALIZATION 2.0

✅Era: Post-World War II, characterized by increased goods trade and supportive domestic policies.
✅ Governance: Introduction of rule-based international governance with institutions like the UN, IMF, World Bank, GATT/WTO, and International Labor Organization.
✅ Economic Role: Markets drove efficiency, while governments focused on justice.

GLOBALIZATION 3.0

✅ Manufacturing: Integration of high-tech and low wages transformed manufacturing.
✅ Supply Chains: Development of global supply chains as factories expanded across borders.

GLOBALIZATION 4.0

✅ Competition: Intensifies for service-oriented professionals due to deeper market integration.
✅ Technology: AI, IoT, big data, and cyber-physical systems revolutionize the service sector.
✅ Work Dynamics: Remote work, driven by faster data connections, changes migration patterns and work habits.

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Water Pollution

✅ As per NITI Aayog, overall, 70 percent of the freshwater sources in the country were found to be contaminated
and India ranks 120 out of 122 countries in terms of water quality.

Causes of Water Pollution :

✅ Water pollutants come from either point sources or dispersed sources. A point source is a pipe or channel, such as those used for discharge from an industrial facility or a city sewerage system.
✅A dispersed (or nonpoint) source is a very broad unconfined area from which a variety of pollutants enter the water body, such as the runoff from an agricultural area.
🔸 Domestic Sewage
🔸 Solid waste
🔸 Toxic waste

✅Impacts of Water Pollution: Destruction of biodiversity. Water pollution depletes aquatic ecosystems and triggers unbridled proliferation of phytoplankton in lakes — eutrophication. Contamination of the food chain

Initiatives to Control Water Pollution:

National Measures:
✅ Legal Measures: Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act of 1974 and the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986. Preparation of action plan for sewage management and restoration of water quality in aquatic resources by State Governments
✅ Financial assistance for installation of Common Effluent Treatment Plants for cluster of Small Scale Industrial units
✅ Issuance of directions for implementation of Zero Liquid Discharge
✅ Implementation of National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) and National Wetland Conservation Programme (NWCP)for conservation and management of identified lakes and wetlands

International efforts:
✅ The Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) is a unique international legal instrument which aims to ensure the sustainable use of transboundary water resources
✅ The Protocol on Water and Health, jointly serviced by UNECE and WHO-Europe, is a unique legally binding instrument aiming to protect human health by better water management and by reducing water-related diseases.
✅SDG-6: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.

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The Hon’ble Supreme Court observed in Union of India v/s Association for Democratic Reforms, “One-sided information, disinformation, misinformation and non-information, all equally create an uninformed citizenry which makes democracy a farce.

Green Politics : Green politics are a set of political ideologies and social movements which places a high importance on ecological and environmental goals, and on achieving these goals through broad-based, grassroots, participatory democracy.

🔆E-Upahaar Portal:

✅It is an auction portal of the President's Secretariat (office of the President of India), Rashtrapati Bhavan for auctioning of gift items presented to Hon'ble President and former Presidents of India.

✅The portal was launched by the President of India, on July 25, 2024,

✅It is conceptualized, designed, developed and hosted by National Informatics Centre (NIC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

✅The aim of this initiative is not only to increase citizen engagement but also to support noble causes. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to help children in need.

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Case Study of Prasanth Bhushan: Issue of not abiding by the procedure in P. Bhushan
Case:- None of these were followed in Prashant Bhushan Case.
First issue petition was put by advocate Mr Maheshwari against Prasant Bhushan asking for exemption from the consent of AG and SC. The learned Judge said it was placed before them on the administrative side and now they are taking suo moto action.
Second Issue:- Rule 10 of the Rules to Regulate Proceedings of Contempt of Supreme court, 1975 expressly provides that the Court may direct the Attorney-General or Solicitor-General to appear and assist the court. However, SC failed to hear from AG and took his assistance throughout the hearing.

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Classical Realism : A theoretical perspective which offers an explanation of International Relations based upon assumptions concerning human nature. Classical realists adopt a pessimistic view of human behaviour and the primordial forces that shape us. Classical realism gained in popularity during the post-Second World War era, but has been eclipsed by the emergence of Structural (Neo) Realism.

Neighborhood First Policy : India’s ‘Neighbourhood First policy’ guides its approach towards the management of relations with countries in its immediate neighbourhood, that is, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The Neighbourhood First policy, inter alia, is aimed at enhancing physical, digital and people to people connectivity across the region, as well as augmenting trade and commerce.

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🔆Indra Sawhney vs. Union of India 1992

✅The case addressed the validity and extent of reservations for backward classes in government jobs and services.
✅The Court upheld 27% reservation for backward classes, set a 50% cap on total reservations, and ruled that promotions cannot be reserved.
✅Affirmed the limits on reservations and the importance of maintaining administrative efficiency.

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