PRELIMS
Interpol Asian Committee
Why in News: India elected to Interpol Asian Committee at 25th Asian Regional Conference, Singapore.
- Representation led by CBI (Interpol’s National Central Bureau in India).
About the Committee
- Advises Asian Regional Conference on security priorities.
- Focus: organised crime, cybercrime, terrorism, human/drug trafficking.
- Promotes regional police cooperation & intelligence sharing.
Significance for India
- Strengthens leadership in transnational security.
- Platform to shape policy & operational strategies.
- Enhances collaboration, capacity building, joint action.
- Raises India’s profile in global policing forums.
Static Add-on
- Interpol HQ: Lyon, France.
- Established: 1923 (as ICPC, renamed Interpol in 1956).
- India: Member since 1949.
- Interpol Notices: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Black, Orange, Purple.
SPARSH
Why in News: SPARSH (System for Pension Administration – Raksha): world’s largest defence pension platform, covering 31.5 lakh pensioners (India & Nepal, 2025).
Key Features
- Discrepancy resolution: 5.60 lakh of 6.43 lakh cases (87%).
- Grievance redressal: reduced from 56 → 20 days.
- OROP-III (2024): ₹1,224.76 crore to 20.17 lakh pensioners in 15 days.
Significance
- Ensures timely, transparent, dignified pensions for ex-servicemen.
- Digital backbone strengthens governance and accountability.
Static Add-on
- Launch: 2021.
- Ministry: Defence.
- Nodal Agency: Defence Accounts Department (DAD).
- Coverage: Defence civilians, ex-servicemen & families.
- Linked Initiative: One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme.
Fishing Cat
Why in News: Recently spotted for the first time in Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (Rajasthan).
Scientific Info
- Scientific Name: Prionailurus viverrinus.
- Genus: Largest of the Prionailurus genus.
- Weight: 7–16 kg.
Habitat & Distribution
- Associated with wetlands, riverine habitats; also found in urban & montane forests (Sri Lanka).
- Distribution: India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, Cambodia, Thailand.
Physical Traits
- Olive-gray fur with black spots, white underbelly.
- Large head, muscular legs, deep chest.
- Short tail (half body length) used as a rudder while swimming.
- Rounded ears, large eyes, adapted for aquatic hunting.
Diet
- Mainly fish, also rodents & birds.
Conservation Status
- IUCN: Vulnerable.
- CITES: Appendix II.
Threats
- Habitat loss & fragmentation, human-wildlife conflict (poultry/livestock), bushmeat, illegal trade.
Significance
- Confirms RVTR’s biodiversity value → home to tigers, leopards, and small cats like Jungle Cat, Rusty-spotted Cat, Asiatic Wildcat, Caracal.
Ladakh Protests
Why in News: Violent protests in Leh (UT of Ladakh) demanding Statehood and inclusion under Sixth Schedule (tribal status).
- Ladakh UT formation: October 31, 2019 (after bifurcation of J&K).
- Administrative setup: Directly governed by LG; has two Autonomous Hill Development Councils – Leh (1995) & Kargil (2003).
- Sixth Schedule (Art. 244 & 275): Applies to tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura – provides Autonomous District Councils with legislative & administrative powers.
- Demographics: Over 84% population ST (reservation for STs in Ladakh increased from 45% → 84%).
- Languages: Bhoti & Purgi recently declared official languages.
- Strategic Location: Borders China (Aksai Chin) & Pakistan (Gilgit-Baltistan); home to Siachen Glacier and important for India’s defence.
- Environmental Significance: Cold desert ecosystem; high altitude biodiversity (snow leopard, black-necked crane, wild yak).
Super Typhoon Ragasa
Why in News: Super Typhoon Ragasa struck Hong Kong with wind speeds of 280 kmph, heavy rains, and storm surges, causing widespread devastation.
Casualties & Damage
- At least 14 deaths in Taiwan and 2 deaths in northern Philippines.
- Coastal waters rose more than 3 metres above reference level in Hong Kong.
- Over 2 million evacuated in southern China.
Cyclone Classification
- Cyclones (hurricanes/typhoons) classified by maximum sustained wind speed (Saffir–Simpson scale).
- Category 5 cyclone: sustained winds ≥252 kmph.
- Ragasa: Maximum sustained winds of 280 kmph → Category 5.
Clean vs Dirty Side of Cyclone
In the Northern Hemisphere:
- Right-hand side (relative to motion) → “Dirty side” → Most destructive winds due to combined effect of storm rotation + forward motion.
- Left-hand side → Cleaner side, relatively less intense.
- Hong Kong lay in the dirty side path of Ragasa.
Reasons for High Intensity
- Warmer Pacific Ocean temperatures (about +1.5°C over past century).
- Rising global temperatures → More intense, longer-lasting tropical cyclones.
- Strong background rotation of the storm system.
Scientific Observations
- Study in Climate and Atmospheric Science (2024): Tropical cyclones in Southeast Asia now forming closer to coasts, intensifying faster, and lasting longer.
- NOAA & WMO classify such storms by “maximum sustained wind speed over 1 minute”.
