Chabahar Port Amidst US-Iran Tensions | Central Vigilance Commission | Root Wilt Disease | Elevated Wildlife Corridor in Kaziranga |

Chabahar Port Amidst US-Iran Tensions

International

In News

• India has reaffirmed that it remains engaged with both the U.S. and Iran to continue operations at the strategic Chabahar port, countering reports that it plans to exit due to renewed U.S. sanctions.

Chabahar Port

• Location: It is a seaport in Chabahar located in southeastern Iran, on the Gulf of Oman.
• It consists of two separate ports named Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti.
• It is only about 170 kilometers west of the Pakistani port of Gwadar.
• Strategic location: India needs access to iron from Afghanistan’s Hajigak mine and other natural resources from the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, which is made possible by the Chabahar port.
• INSTC: The port is also part of International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multimodal transport project to connect the Indian Ocean to Northern Europe.

Central Vigilance Commission

Polity and Governance

In News

• Praveen Vashista was appointed as Vigilance Commissioner in the Central Vigilance Commission by the President of India.

Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)

• It is India’s apex statutory body entrusted with ensuring integrity, transparency, and accountability in public administration.
• It was established in 1964 following the recommendations of the Santhanam Committee on Prevention of Corruption.
• The Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003, provides for the appointment of a Central Vigilance Commissioner and two Vigilance Commissioners. The tenure of the Vigilance Commissioner is of four years or till the incumbent attains the age of 65 years.
• The Central Vigilance Commissioner and the Vigilance Commissioners are appointed by the President of India on the recommendations of a High-Powered Committee (HPC) consisting of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Home Affairs and the Leader of the Opposition in the House of the People (Lok Sabha).

Power and Functions

• The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) mandated under the CVC Act, 2003 to combat corruption and ensure integrity, transparency, and accountability in public administration.
• The Commission exercises superintendence over vigilance administrations of Central Government ministries, departments, and organizations.
• The Central Vigilance Commission acts as the apex vigilance institution by supervising and guiding anti-corruption inquiries, including cases referred by the Lokpal and whistleblower complaints under the PIDPI framework.
• It supervises the functioning of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in cases related to offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988
• It plays a key role in senior appointments by chairing committees that recommend appointments of senior officers in the Directorate of Enforcement and the CBI (SP level and above, excluding the CBI Director).

Root Wilt Disease

Economy

In News

• Coconut cultivation in peninsular India is facing a serious threat due to phytoplasma-induced Root Wilt Disease (RWD).

Root Wilt Disease (RWD)

• Root Wilt Disease of coconut is caused by phytoplasma, a cell wall–less bacterial pathogen, and is classified as a non-fatal but debilitating disease.
• It was first reported more than 150 years ago in Erattupetta, Kerala, and despite long-term research efforts, no definitive curative treatment has been developed so far.
• The disease is characterised by gradual yellowing and wilting of leaves, followed by a sharp decline in nut yield and eventual shedding of all nuts.
• Root Wilt Disease spreads through insect vectors, mainly sucking pests, and its transmission is further facilitated by wind movement and large, uninterrupted coconut plantations.

Additional Information – Coconut (Cocos nucifera)

• It is a major perennial horticultural plantation crop of India, predominantly grown in the humid tropics and coastal regions.
• It thrives in well-drained sandy loam soils, high humidity, and temperatures between 27–32°C. It requires plenty of sunlight.
• India is one of the leading producers of coconut globally. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka together contribute about 82–83% of India’s coconut production.

Elevated Wildlife Corridor in Kaziranga

Geography & Environment

Context

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate a 34.5-km elevated wildlife corridor in Assam’s Kaziranga.

Elevated Wildlife Corridor in Kaziranga

• Objective- This aims to enable safe animal movement, especially during annual floods.
• Also, this would improve connectivity between Guwahati, Kaziranga National Park, and Numaligarh.

Kaziranga National Park

• It is the largest undivided representative area of Brahmaputra valley floodplain grassland, where various stages of biotic succession in the grassland ecosystem are explicit.
• The Park is the abode of more than 70% of One Horned Rhinoceros in the world.
• It was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1950, and notified as Kaziranga National Park in 1974 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, of 1972.
• It  was declared a World Heritage Site back in 1985. It is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.