Commonwealth Games
Syllabus: Miscellaneous
Context
- Gujarat’s largest city Ahmedabad has been recommended as the “proposed host” by the executive board of Commonwealth Sport.
- India last hosted the CWG in Delhi in 2010.
Commonwealth Games
- Started in 1930 (inaugural event in Hamilton, Canada) as the British Empire Games.
- It is a multi-sport international event, modeled on the Olympics, involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations and their associated territories.
- The Commonwealth of Nations, or simply the Commonwealth, is a voluntary association of 54 sovereign countries, most of which were former colonies of the British Empire.
- Commonwealth Games is the world’s second-largest multi-sport event from 71 nations and territories.
Sri Lankan PM’s State Visit to India
Syllabus: GS2/IR
Context
- The Sri Lankan Prime Minister is on a state visit to India.
India and Sri Lanka Relations
- Diplomatic Ties: Diplomatic relations established in 1948 after Sri Lanka’s independence.
- Trade Relations: India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA) in 2000 contributed significantly towards the expansion of trade between the two countries.
- Maritime Security and Defence Cooperation: In 2011, a decision was taken to establish the Colombo Security Conclave which aims to further promote maritime security in the Indian Ocean Regi
- India and Sri Lanka conduct a joint Military exercise named ‘Mitra Shakti’, Trilateral Maritime Exercise “Dosti”, and a Naval exercise named SLINEX.
- Multilateral Forum Collaboration: India and Sri Lanka are member nations of several regional and multilateral organizations such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and BIMSTEC.
Mass Surrender of Maoists
Syllabus: GS3/Internal Security
Context
- 210 Maoists surrendered in Dandakaranya region of Chhattisgarh, following a similar event in Maharashtra, as a part of a broader strategy by the Union and state governments to abandon violence and embrace rehabilitation.
Maoism, or Left-Wing Extremism (LWE)
- It was rooted in radical communist ideology, advocating armed struggle to overthrow the state and establish a classless society.
- Left-Wing Extremism in India traces its roots to the Naxalbari uprising of 1967 in West Bengal, inspired by Mao Zedong’s revolutionary tactics.
- The movement gained momentum through the formation of groups like the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) and later the CPI (Maoist), which rejected electoral politics and embraced violent revolution.
Reasons for Maoism, or Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in India
- Left-Wing Extremism: LWE has historically thrived in regions marked by poverty, illiteracy, and lack of basic service
Many tribal communities have faced:
- Land alienation due to mining and industrial projects;
- Displacement without adequate rehabilitation;
- Limited access to education, healthcare, and employment;
- Governance Deficit: Remote districts often suffer from weak administrative presence and poor delivery of public services.
This vacuum allowed Maoist groups to:
- Establish parallel governance structures;
- Exploit local grievances;
- Gain legitimacy among disenfranchised populations;
- Tribal Discontent: Tribal populations, especially in forested regions have long felt excluded from mainstream development.
Decline in Influence
- Red Corridor – Once widespread across the ‘Red Corridor’, Maoist influence has significantly declined due to sustained government action.
Government Strategy To Tackle LWE
- The National Policy and Action Plan (2015) to address LWE outlines a holistic approach:
- Enhancing security infrastructure and personnel;
- Promoting road connectivity and telecom access;
- Ensuring rights and entitlements of tribal communities;
- MHA has reaffirmed the government’s resolve to eliminate LWE by March 31, 2026, urging Maoists to abandon violence and join the mainstream.
Security Measures:
- Deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and specialized anti-Naxal units.
Development Initiatives:
- Road connectivity projects in remote tribal areas to improve access and mobility.
- Expansion of telecom networks, electricity, and banking services.
- Focus on education, healthcare, and livelihood programs to address socio-economic grievances.
- Transformation of ‘Red Zones’ into Growth Corridors through targeted investment.
- Seminars like ‘Bharat Manthan 2025 – Naxal Mukt Bharat’ aim to build consensus and share best practices across states.
SC Forms Panel on Transgender Persons
Syllabus: GS1/Social Issues
In News
- The Supreme Court set up a committee under former Justice Asha Menon to formulate an equal opportunity policy for transgender individuals.
Challenges Transgender Facing
- Institutional gaps in implementing the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 and Rules.
- Lack of data and representation in policymaking.
- Healthcare discrimination.
- Workplace barriers.
- Social stigma.
Steps Taken To Improve the Lives of Transgender Persons
- Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 – It is aimed at protecting the rights of transgender individuals and their welfare. The act prohibits discrimination against transgender people in areas like education, employment, healthcare, and public services.
- NALSA (2014): Recognized transgender persons as a third gender.
- National Portal for Transgender Persons: Enables online applications for identity certificates.
- SMILE scheme: It is aimed at rehabilitation and support for transgender persons, including livelihood and social security components.
Henley Passport Index
Syllabus: GS2/ Miscellaneous
In News
- India’s passport ranked 85th, granting visa-free access to 57 countries, a drop from 80th place in 2024. Singapore currently holds the top spot.
Henley Passport Index
- Mandate – It is a popular ranking of global passports that measures passport strength by the number of destinations that holders can visit without a prior visa.
- The index ranks countries based on statistics provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
- Published by – It started in 2006 Henley & Partners.
Key Highlights of Henley Passport Index 2025
- Globally, Singapore leads the 2025 list with visa-free access to 193 destinations, followed by South Korea (190) and Japan (189).
- The United States has slipped out of the top 10 for the first time in two decades, ranking 12th this year with access to 180 destinations
- India’s rank – 85th, granting visa-free access to 57 countries
SC Allows Sale of Green Fireworks in Delhi
Syllabus: GS3/Environment
In News
- The Supreme Court relaxed its earlier blanket ban and permitted the sale and use of green firecrackers in the Delhi–NCR region, subject to strict conditions.
- The court noted that blanket bans had led to smuggling and use of more harmful conventional fireworks, and cited its 2018 Arjun Gopal judgment, which introduced green firecrackers and showed reduced emissions.
Green firecrackers
- They are eco-friendly alternatives to traditional fireworks, developed to address air pollution concerns.
- They emit 30–35% less particulate matter and harmful gases like SO₂, NOx, and CO, and exclude toxic substances such as barium nitrate.
- They are developed and approved by CSIR labs (NEERI and CEERI).
- They comply with prescribed noise limits and are identifiable by green logos and QR codes.
WTI Founder Menon Becomes First Asian to Chair Key IUCN Panel
Syllabus: GS3/Environment
In News
- The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) elected Wildlife Trust of India’s (WTI) founder Vivek Menon as the new chair of the Species Survival Commission (SSC), making him the first Asian to hold the post.
Species Survival Commission (SSC)
- The IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) is a science-based network of more than 10,500 volunteer experts from almost every country of the world.
- It is one of the six expert commissions under the global body that advises the IUCN secretariat on matters concerning biodiversity and species conservation.
- The commission and its specialist groups play a key role in preparing the IUCN’s red list of threatened species.
Additional Information – International Union of Conservation of Nature
- Establishment – 1948.
- Set up in – Gland, Switzerland.
- Objective – To promote international cooperation and to provide scientific knowledge and tools to aid conservation action.
- IUCN Red List – It established the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 1964.
IUCN Red List
- It is a list compiled by the IUCN, which contains the world’s most comprehensive information on the conservation status of plants, animals, and fungus species.
● Species in the IUCN Red List – There are 143000 species on the Red List.
● India’s membership in IUCN – India became a member in 1969
● The IUCN classification – The IUCN classification of species is based on their extinction/conservation status.
They are as follows
- Extinct (EX)
- Extinct in the Wild (EW)
- Critically Endangered (CR)
- Endangered (EN), Vulnerable (VU)
- Near Threatened (NT)
- Least Concern (LC)
- Data Deficient (DD)
- Not Evaluated (NE)
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