1. India-Chile 1st JWG meeting on Agriculture held.
Tags: International Relations
Why in the news?
- The 1st Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting on Agriculture was held between India and Chile on 12th March 2025 in virtualmode.
Important points:
- The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Ajeet Kumar Sahu, Joint Secretary (IC), Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfares and Mr. Gabriel Layseca, Director of the Department of International Affairs, Bureau of Agricultural Studies and Policies (ODEPA).
- These include the Digital Agriculture Mission, the Women-led Development initiatives such as the Lakhpati Didi Program and Krishi Sakhi, as well as efforts to empower farmers through Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).
- Both countries, with their rich experience in agriculture, have the potential to complement each other in boosting agricultural productivity, promoting rural development, and improving farmers' welfare.
- He further noted that this meeting marks a significant step toward deepening and strengthening the bilateral relations between India and Chile, setting the stage for even greater collaboration in the future.
- Both sides discussed key issues related to market access, cooperation in horticulture, capacity building in the areas of extension, and research collaboration among other issues.
2. India's WASH Innovations Lead Global Discourse at World Economic Forum 2025
Tags: International Relations
Why in the news:
- The India Pavilion at World Economic Forum 2025 in Davos hosted a global discussion titled “India’s WASH Innovation: Driving Global Impact in Climate and Water Sustainability.”
Important points:
- Shri C. R. Patil, Hon'ble Union Minister of Jal Shakti, delivered the keynote address, presenting India's journey in implementing the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
- These initiatives have been pivotal in improving sanitation coverage and providing safe drinking water to millions of rural households.
- In 2019, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji launched the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) only 17% of rural households had functional tap water connections.
- However, today, a staggering 79.66% of rural households under the Jal Jeevan Mission have access to safe drinking water.
- This transformation is not just about providing water but also about changing lives—rural India is now saving 55 million hours per day on fetching water, enabling increased workforce participation and productivity, especially from women.”
- The World Economic Forum provides a platform for the ministry to showcase India’s groundbreaking initiatives in WASH innovation and climate resilience, emphasizing efforts to promote equitable and inclusive access to WASH services.
- Key achievements, such as the elimination of open defecation, construction of over 95 million toilets under SBM, and widespread household tap water connections under JJM, have established India as a global leader in WASH initiatives.
- These achievements align with the broader goals of the World Economic Forum to foster collaborative solutions for climate action and water sustainability.
- Tackling the global water crisis, which threatens health, food security, economic growth, and biodiversity, requires collaborative action. India’s experience provides insightful lessons to inform and strengthen global WASH strategies.
- The session concluded with actionable insights and participant commitments, reaffirming India’s key role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6) and Climate Action (SDG 13).
3. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin launches massive New Glenn rocket on first test flight
Tags: International Relations
Why in the news?
- Blue Origin launched its massive new rocket on its first test flight January 16, 2025, sending up a prototype satellite to orbit thousands of miles above Earth.
Important points:
Blue Origin New Glenn rocket lifts off on its inaugural launch at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., on January 16, 2025.
Named after the first American to orbit Earth, the New Glenn rocket blasted off from Florida, soaring from the same pad used to launch NASA's Mariner and Pioneer spacecraft a half-century ago.
4. World Economic Forum recognition for HUL’s Assam plant
Tags: International Relations
Why in the news?
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has designated Hindustan Unilever Limited's (HUL) Doom Dooma site at Tinsukia, Assam, as an Advanced Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)End-to-End Value Chain Lighthouse.
What does this recognition mean?
- The factory is now part of the Global Lighthouse Network, a community of production sites that use cutting-edge technologies.
- The factory is India's only FMCG company with three factories to receive this recognition.
- The factory uses technologies like AI, automation, cloud computing, and IoT to improve its supply chain.
What are the benefits of this recognition?
- Reduced changeover times
Improved product availability
Higher labor productivity
Advancements in sustainable packaging and product quality
Rapid one-click changeovers between products
5. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah became Namibia’s first female president.
Tags: International Relations
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah became Namibia’s first female president.
Why in the news?
- Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has made history as Namibia’s first female president-elect securing 57% of the vote in the November 27, 2024, election.
Important points:
- Representing the ruling SWAPO party, which has governed Namibia since its independence in 1990, she defeated her closest rival, Panduleni Itula of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), who received 26% of the vote.
About Nandi-Ndaitwah:
- Born on October 29, 1952, in the northern village of Onamutai, Nandi-Ndaitwah is the ninth of thirteen children in her family.
- Her father was an Anglican priest, and her early life was marked by political activism.
- At just 14, she joined SWAPO during Namibia’s fight for independence from South African rule.
Education and early career:
- Nandi-Ndaitwah pursued higher education in Zambia, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom, earning advanced degrees in International Relations and Public Administration.
- After Namibia gained independence in 1990, she returned to play a key role in nation-building, holding several significant ministerial positions throughout her career.
Advocacy and leadership
- Nandi-Ndaitwah is a vocal advocate for women’s rights. She was instrumental in passing the Combating of Domestic Violence Act in 2002 and has consistently pushed for gender equality in a traditionally male-dominated political sphere.
About Namibia:
- Namibia, a country insouthwest Africa, is distinguished by the Namib Desert along its Atlantic Ocean coast.
- The country is home to diverse wildlife, including a significant cheetah population. The capital, Windhoek, and coastal town Swakopmund contain German colonial-era buildings such as Windhoek's Christuskirche, built in 1907.
- In the north, Etosha National Park’s salt pan draws game including rhinos and giraffes.
6. India re-elected to UN Peacebuilding Commission
Tags: International Relations
India re-elected to UN Peacebuilding Commission
Why in the news?
- India has been re-elected to the UN Peacebuilding Commission for 2025–2026.India’s current term on the Commission was expiring on December 31.
About UN Peacebuilding Commission:
- The Peacebuilding Commission isan intergovernmental advisory body that supports peace efforts in conflict-affected countries and is a key addition to the capacity of the International Community in the broad peace agenda, according to its website.
- The PBC is composed of 31 Member States, elected from the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the Economic and Social Council.
- The top financial contributing countries and the top troop-contributing countries to the United Nations system are also members.
- India is among the largest contributors of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping.
Functions of UN Peacebuilding Commission:
- The Commission is mandated to bring together all relevant actors to marshal resources and to advise on and propose integrated strategiesfor post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery.
- To focus attention on the reconstruction and institution-building efforts necessary for recovery from conflict and to support the development of integrated strategies in order to lay the foundation for sustainable development.
- It is also mandated to provide recommendations and information to improve the coordination of all relevant actors within and outside the United Nations, to develop best practices, to help to ensure predictable financing for early recovery activities and to extend the period of attention given by the international community to post-conflict recovery.
7. First trilateral power transaction from Nepal to Bangladesh
Tags: International Relations
First trilateral power transaction from Nepal to Bangladesh
Why in news?
- Union Minister for Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, Shri Manohar Lal, jointly inaugurated the power flow from Nepal to Bangladesh, alongwith Md. Fouzul Kabir Khan, Adviser, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Government of Bangladesh and Mr. Dipak Khadka, Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Government of Nepal through a virtual event
Key points:
- The Government of India had announced its decision to facilitate thefirst trilateral power transaction from Nepal to Bangladesh, through Indian grid with an export of upto 40 MW of powerduring the visit of the former Prime Minister of Nepal, Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ to India from 31 May to 3 June 2023.
- Subsequently, a tripartite power sales agreement betweenNTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam, Nepal Electricity Authority and Bangladesh Power Development Boardwas signed on 3 October 2024 in Kathmandu.
Significance:
- This historic occasion marks the first trilateral power transactionwhich has been carried out through the Indian grid.
- The start of this power flow from Nepal to Bangladesh through India is expected to boost sub-regional connectivity in the power sector.
8. Inauguration of first India-Bhutan Integrated Check Post in Assam
Tags: International Relations
Inauguration of first India-Bhutan Integrated Check Post in Assam
Why in news?
- The first Integrated Check Post (ICP) along the India-Bhutan border was inaugurated atDarranga in Assam with state-of-the-art facilities and strategic connectivity.
- Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya inaugurated the ICP in presence ofPrime Minister of Bhutan Dasho Tshering Tobgay.
Important point:
- Developed by the Land Ports Authority of India, it also features inspection spaces, plant quarantine systems and parking facilities to ensure efficient operations.
- The strategic location of Darranga is further boosted by its connectivity.
- On the Indian side, it is well-connected to National Highway 27 near Rangia, while on the Bhutanese side, robust customs infrastructure at Samdrup-Jongkhar ensures efficient trade.
9. Brazil became the second BRICS country, after India, to decide not to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative
Tags: International Relations
China’s Belt and Road Initiative:
Why in news:
- Brazil became the second BRICS country, after India, to decide not to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Brazil will cooperate with Chinese investors in alternative ways.
- The Brazilian government believes this decision will help avoid further complications in relations with the United States.
What is China’s Belt and Road Initiative:
- The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a Chinese-led infrastructure project that aims to improve connectivity, trade, and economic growth across Asia, Africa, and Europe:
- The BRI is also known as the One Belt One Road Initiative or the New Silk Road, a reference to the ancient Silk Road trade routes that connected China to the Mediterranean.
- China's President Xi Jinping announced the BRI in 2013, and the planned completion date is 2049.
How it's financed?
- The BRI is financed by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Silk Road Fund, China Investment Corporation, policy banks, and other sources.
- India’s concerns about China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI):
- Sovereignty:India is concerned about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, a region India claims as its own.
- Transparency:India has questioned the transparency and processes of the BRI.
- Financial viability:India is concerned about the financial viability of the BRI projects, and whether they will create debt traps for smaller countries.
- Environmental and social risks:India is concerned that the BRI projects may create environmental and social risks for the host countries.
- Growing Chinese influence:India perceives China's growing influence in the Indian Ocean region as a security threat.
10. India Approves Additional 251 MW Power Exports from Nepal
Tags: International Relations
India’s Designated Authority for Cross-Border Trade has approved an additional 251 MW of power exports from 12 Nepali hydropower projects.
An Overview of the News
This increases the total allowed power exports from Nepal to India from 690 MW (from 16 projects) to 941 MW (from 28 projects).
Growth in Power Exports
Nepal, already a net exporter of electricity and revenue generator, sold NPR 16.93 billion worth of electricity in the last fiscal year.
Power exports from Nepal to India, which began with 39 MW in October 2021, have surged more than 24 times in less than three years.
New Agreements and Market Access
Nepal has gained access to the Real-Time Market in addition to the Day Ahead Market of the Indian Energy Exchange.
Medium-term power sales agreements have been established with distribution companies in Haryana and Bihar.
India has included hydropower imports from Nepal in the Hydropower Purchase Obligation (HPO) for Indian buyers, incentivizing purchases.
Future Prospects
The Agreement for Long-Term Power between India and Nepal aims to sell up to 10,000 MW of Nepali power to India over the next decade, with around 1,000 MW already achieved this year.
Nepal is on track to become the leading hydropower exporter in South Asia.
A planned agreement for 40 MW power export to Bangladesh was postponed due to recent political developments.
About Nepal
The kingdom of Nepal was established by the Shah dynasty.
It is a landlocked country in South Asia.
Capital - Kathmandu
Currency - Nepalese Rupee
President - Ram Chandra Paudel
Vice President -Ram Sahaya Yadav
Prime Minister - KP Sharma Oli
Chief Justice - Bishowambhar Prasad Shrestha
