The International Police Organisation (Interpol)
05-09-2024
06:30 PM

Overview:
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chief recently announced that Interpol had issued a record 100 Red Notices last year, the highest ever, on India's request.
About Interpol:
- The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), commonly known as Interpol, is an international organization facilitating international police cooperation against cross-border terrorism, trafficking, and other crime.
- It is the world's largest international police organization, representing 195 member countries.
- It is headquartered in Lyon, France.
- Official Languages: Arabic, English, French, and Spanish.
- Status: It is ‘not’ a unit or part of a united nation system. It is an independent international organization.
- It is often the first point of contact for many countries pursuing an international investigation. It does not actively investigate crimes.
- Governance:
- The General Assembly, consisting of one delegate from each member country, is Interpol’s supreme decision-making body.
- Interpol’s day-to-day operation is managed by a General Secretariat under the direction of a Secretary General, who is appointed for a five-year term by the General Assembly.
- An Executive Committee of 13 members, each representing a different region of the world, is appointed by the General Assembly at its annual meeting.
- The Executive Committee oversees the implementation of decisions made by the General Assembly and supervises the work of the secretary general.
- National Central Bureau (NCB):
- It has an NCB in each member country, which is the central point of contact for both the general secretariat and the other NCBs around the world.
- Each NCB is run by police officials of that country and usually sits in the government ministry responsible for policing. (Union Home Ministry in India.)
- The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) represents Interpol in India as the country's NCB.

Types of Notices issued by Interpol:
- It issues 8 types of notices (7 of which are colour-coded) which are in the form of alerts/requests allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information.
- Red Notice: To seek the location and arrest of a person wanted by a judicial jurisdiction or an international tribunal with a view to his/her extradition. It is the "closest instrument to an international arrest warrant”.
- Blue Notice: To locate, identify, or obtain information on a person of interest in a criminal investigation.
- Green Notice: To warn about a person's criminal activities if that person is considered to be a possible threat to public safety.
- Yellow Notice: To locate a missing person or to identify a person unable to identify himself/herself.
- Black Notice: To seek information on unidentified bodies.
- Orange Notice: To warn of an event, a person, an object, or a process representing an imminent threat and danger to persons or property.
- Purple Notice: To provide information on modus operandi, procedures, objects, devices, or hiding places used by criminals.
- Interpol-UNSC Special Notice: To inform Interpol's members that an individual or an entity is subject to UN sanctions.
Q1: What is the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)?
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the premier investigative agency of India. The agency was established in 1963 by the Indian government as a result of the recommendation of the Santhanam Committee. CBI is not a statutory body. It derives its power to investigate from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946. It operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (which in turn operated under PMO). However, for investigation of offenses under the Prevention of Corruption Act, CBI vests superintendence to the Central Vigilance Commission.
Source: Interpol issued highest ever 100 Red Notices last year on India's request: CBI
What is Vertical Fiscal Imbalance (VFI)?
05-09-2024
06:30 PM

Overview:
There is the problem of Vertical Fiscal Imbalance (VFI) in Indian fiscal federalism, where expenditure decentralization overwhelms the revenue-raising powers of the States.
About Vertical Fiscal Imbalance (VFI):
- It is defined as the share of sub-national governments’ own spending not financed through their own revenues.
- A VFI describes a situation in which revenues do not match expenditures for different levels of government.
- In other words, VFI is the fiscal gap in the sub-national governments due to improper decentralization of public revenue and expenditure.
- This asymmetry in revenue and expenditure decentralization is called Vertical Fiscal Asymmetry (VFA).
- It is a structural issue that can be resolved if revenue and expenditure responsibilities can be reassigned.
- It can be corrected through the financial transfers from the Union to the state governments.
- What's the Difference Between Horizontal and Vertical Fiscal Imbalance?
- The simple difference between horizontal and vertical fiscal imbalances lies in who they affect.
- With a horizontal fiscal imbalance, revenues and spending are mismatched for different regions of the country.
- In a VFI, revenue and spending are not balanced for different government levels.

Q1: What is fiscal federalism?
Fiscal Federalism refers to the financial relationships and arrangements between different levels of government in a federal system, such as the central (or federal) government, state (or regional) governments, and local governments. The primary focus is on how powers, responsibilities, and resources are divided among these different levels of government, particularly in terms of taxation and expenditure.
What is Valley Fever?
26-08-2023
11:10 AM

Overview:
Valley fever, a fungal disease endemic to the western United States, is seeing a significant rise in cases across California, prompting concerns among health officials and researchers.
About Valley Fever:
- Valley Fever, also called coccidioidomycosis, is an infection caused by the fungus Coccidioides.
- The fungus lives in soil in some areas, including the southwestern United States and south-central Washington, as well as in parts of Mexico as well as Central and South America.
- Transmission:
- People and animals can get Valley Fever by breathing in spores, generally from dust or disturbed soil, in areas where the fungus is found.
- Most people who breathe in spores do not get sick, but some people develop mild or severe forms of the disease.
- Valley fever does not generally spread from person to person or from animals to people, with rare exceptions due to organ transplantation or wound contact.
- Symptoms:
- Most of the time, Valley fever doesn’t cause symptoms or symptoms go away on their own.
- Rarely, you can have ongoing lung issues or serious illness.
- Only about 1% of those who are symptomatic go on to develop severe disease. Serious complications include:
- Pneumonia.
- Fluid or pus in your lungs (pleural effusion or empyema).
- Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
- Ruptured pockets of fluid or air in your lungs (hydropneumothorax).
- Disease spreads outside of your lungs (disseminated coccidioidomycosis). When coccidioidomycosis spreads to your brain, you can develop coccidioidal meningitis, a life-threatening condition.
- Treatment: Mild cases of valley fever usually resolve on their own. In more-severe cases, doctors treat the infection with antifungal medications.

Q1: What are Fungi?
Fungi, along with Animalia (animals), Plantae (plants), Protista, Archaea/Archaebacteria, and Bacteria or Eubacteria, form the six ‘kingdoms’ of biology. Fungi includes the yeasts, rusts, smuts, mildews, molds, and mushrooms. They are eukaryotic organisms, i.e., their cells contain membrane-bound organelles and clearly defined nuclei. Fungi usually reproduce both sexually and asexually. Fungi are either terrestrial or aquatic, the latter living in freshwater or marine environments. They are found in all temperate and tropical regions of the world where there is sufficient moisture to enable them to grow.
Source: California drought boosts dangerous airborne fungus, valley fever to peak
Carrhotus Piperus
26-08-2023
11:10 AM

Overview:
Recently, a new species of spider Carrhotus piperus, has been identified in the lower Palani Hills of Tamil Nadu.
About Carrhotus Piperus:
- It is a new jumping spider species which was found on pepper (Piper nigrum) plants, about two metres above the ground.
- The specific epithet, ‘piperus’, is derived from the plant’s generic name, reflecting the spider’s distinctive habitat.
- This discovery again highlights the region’s rich biodiversity and brings the number of known Carrhotus species in India to 10, and to 37 globally.
- Feature: The spider is distinguishable from its closely-related species by its unique prolateral protrusion and beak-shaped embolus, setting it apart from other members of its genus.
Key facts about Palani Hills
- It is an eastward extension of the Western Ghats, in southwestern Tamil Nadu state, southern India.
- The range is a continuation of the Anaimalai Hills in Kerala state. In the south the hills terminate abruptly in steep slopes.

Q1: Where is Western Ghats?
It is a mountain range (in a stretch of 1,600 Km) parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world.
Source: New spider species discovered in Tamil Nadu’s Palani Hills
What is the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC)?
26-08-2023
11:10 AM

Overview:
China is hosting the ninth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit, a diplomatic event aimed at strengthening ties with African nations.
About Forum on China-Africa Cooperation:
- It was established in 2000 to formalise the strategic partnership between China and African nations.
- A summit is conducted every three years, with the host alternating between China and an African member.
- Member countries: The FOCAC counts 53 African nations as its members – the entire continent except Eswatini, which has diplomatic ties with Taiwan against Beijing’s “One China” Policy.
- The African Union Commission, the continental bloc tasked with ensuring cooperation and economic integration across its member countries, is also a member.
- The theme this year is “Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future.”
- The current summit is expected to address state governance, industrialisation, agricultural upgradation, and improved cooperation over China’s infrastructure financing via the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Q1: What is China’s Belt and Road Initiative?
It is also known as One Belt, One Road which envisages the construction of a maze of road, rail and port projects through a number of countries.It aims to strengthen Beijing’s economic leadership through a vast program of infrastructure building throughout China’s neighbouring regions.
Source: Explained: Significance of the China-hosted FOCAC summit, with 53 African countries in attendance
National Test House
05-09-2024
06:30 PM

Overview:
Recently, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between National Test House (NTH), and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) to promote energy efficiency across India.
About National Test House:
- It is a premier institution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
- It has been serving the nation since 1912.
- It is India's largest multi-location multidisciplinary industrial central government's testing laboratory dealing with almost all sorts of testing, calibration and quality evaluation related to industry, commerce, trade etc. as per international and national standards.
- It offers technical consultancy, testing, calibration, and quality evaluation across various sectors, adhering to both national and international standards.
- It is the pioneering governmental entity in India for drone certification.
- Its branches are established at Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Ghaziabad, Jaipur, Guwahati, and Varanasi.
Key facts about Bureau of Energy Efficiency
- It was established in 2002 under the provisions of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
- Objective: The primary objective of BEE is to reduce energy intensity in the Indian economy.
- Function
- It coordinates with designated consumers, designated agencies and other organizations; recognizes, identifies and utilizes the existing resources and infrastructure, in performing the functions assigned to it under the Energy Conservation Act.
- The EC Act provides for regulatory and promotional functions which are assigned to the organisation.
- Regulatory functions
- Develop minimum energy performance standards for equipment and appliances under Standards and Labelling
- Develop minimum energy performance standards for Commercial Buildings
- Develop Energy Consumption Norms for Designated Consumers
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Power

Q1) What is Renewable energy?
It is energy derived from natural sources that are replenished at a higher rate than they are consumed. Sunlight and wind, for example, are such sources that are constantly being replenished. Renewable energy sources are plentiful and all around us.