Prelims Oriented
Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)
Context: Nearly 17,036 complaints received over irregularities and poor work quality in Jal Jeevan Mission projects; Uttar Pradesh reported 84% with 14,264 complaints, highest among 32 States/UTs.
Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)
- Overview of the Mission
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- Launched on August 15, 2019, to ensure universal drinking water access in rural India.
- Aims to provide Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) to every rural home by 2024.
- Follows a community-led approach, integrating Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) for behavioural change.
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- Core Components of JJM
- Infrastructure Creation
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- Development of in-village piped water supply systems enabling household tap connectivity.
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- Community Participation
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- Ensures bottom-up planning, including community roles in implementation and Operations & Maintenance (O&M).
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- Women’s Empowerment
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- Women participate actively in planning, decision-making, monitoring and O&M, ensuring inclusive governance.
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- Focus on Public Institutions
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- Ensures tap water supply in schools, anganwadi centres, and tribal hostels, supporting future generations.
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- Skill and Employment Generation
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- Builds local capacities by training rural people to construct and maintain water infrastructure.
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- Greywater Management
- Promotes reuse and recycling of wastewater to sustain local water sources.
- Source Sustainability
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- Encourages groundwater recharge and water conservation to secure long-term availability.
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- Water Quality Assurance
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- Focuses on safe drinking water to reduce water-borne diseases across rural regions.
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- Funding Pattern
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- Centre–State sharing: 50:50 for most States.
- Special category States (Himalayan & North-Eastern): 90:10 funding ratio.
- Union Territories: 100% funding by the Central Government.
- Major Achievements Under JJM
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- Over 12 crore rural households have gained piped water access since 2019, rising from 3.23 crore (Economic Survey 2024–25).
- States with 100% coverage: Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Telangana, Mizoram.
- UTs with 100% coverage: Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu, Puducherry.
PM Internship Scheme
Context: PM Internship Scheme’s pilot project exceeded 1.25 lakh target but found few takers; only 20% of 1.65 lakh offers accepted, with 20% quitting prematurely.
More in News:
- PMIS announced in Union Budget 2024 aiming to provide internship opportunities to one crore youth in India’s top 500 companies over five years period nationwide.
- Government initially budgeted ₹840 crore for pilot project, revised down to ₹380 crore in FY 2024-25; pilot project has utilized ₹73.72 crore so far till November 26.
Overview of the Scheme
- The scheme aims to offer internship opportunities to tackle rising youth unemployment.
- It proposes internships for 1 crore young individuals over the next five years.
- Interns will receive a monthly stipend of ₹4,500 from the government.
- Participating companies will add ₹500 per month under their CSR obligations.
- The internship duration will be one year, supporting sustained skill development.
- A one-time enrollment grant of ₹6,000 will be provided to each beneficiary.
- Interns will also receive insurance coverage under PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and PM Suraksha Bima Yojana.
Eligibility Criteria
- Age requirement: Candidates must be 21–24 years old.
- Educational qualification: Minimum Class 10th pass; however, graduates from IITs, IIMs, and those with professional degrees like CA are excluded.
- Employment status: Applicants must not be engaged in full-time employment.
- Income limit: Annual family income must be below ₹8 lakh.
- Exclusion: Families with government employees are not eligible.
Key Benefits of the Scheme
- Provides hands-on experience in a real-world work environment to enhance employability.
- Offers financial assistance through monthly stipends and a one-time grant.
- Strengthens youth participation in the labour market through structured practical exposure.
- Insurance benefits ensure social security protection during the internship period.
GLP-1 Drugs
Background
- The WHO released global guidelines on December 1 regarding GLP-1 weight-loss drugs.
- These glucagon-like peptide-1 therapies are widely used for obesity treatment in adults.
- WHO emphasised equitable access as a core principle in adopting such therapies.
- Obesity poses major health and economic risks, with projected global costs reaching $3 trillion annually by 2030.
Key WHO Recommendations
- GLP-1 therapies may be used conditionally for long-term obesity treatment in adults, excluding pregnant women.
- The drugs must be accompanied by intensive behavioural interventions involving diet and physical activity.
- WHO acknowledges strong evidence on weight reduction and metabolic benefits using GLP-1 therapies.
- Conditional guidance reflects limited long-term data, concerns over safety, and high costs restricting access.
Rationale for Guidelines
- Obesity is a chronic, complex disease driving noncommunicable conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, and certain cancers.
- The new drug class has transformed obesity care by offering significant weight loss and broader metabolic improvements.
Concerns and Access Issues
- High drug costs place therapies beyond reach for many populations, including India.
- Experts stress the need for insurance coverage, generic development, and wider affordability.
- WHO underscores that medication alone cannot address obesity; diet and exercise remain essential.
UNESCO Executive Board
Context
- India has been re-elected to the UNESCO Executive Board for the 2025–29 term.
- The win reflects global confidence in India’s leadership in multilateral decision-making.
What is the UNESCO Executive Board?
- One of three constitutional organs of UNESCO, responsible for supervising programme implementation and offering strategic guidance.
- Established: Following UNESCO’s creation in 1945; Board operational since 1946.
- Headquarters: Paris, France.
Composition and Membership
- Comprises 58 Member States, each elected by the General Conference for four-year terms.
- Members are elected through regional groupings to ensure balanced global representation.
Mandate and Key Functions
- Reviews UNESCO’s programme of work and budget prepared by the Director-General.
- Prepares recommendations for the General Conference agenda.
- Makes proposals on admission of new Member States.
- Provides advice on appointment of the Director-General.
- Oversees execution of programmes approved by the General Conference.
- May convene international conferences in education, science, culture and knowledge-sharing fields.
Significance of India’s Re-Election
- Reinforces India’s image as a supporter of inclusive and human-centric global development.
- Strengthens India’s role in shaping UNESCO priorities such as:
- Education transformation and digital inclusion
- Safeguarding cultural heritage
- Climate and science cooperation
- Media literacy and ethical AI use
- Enhances India’s influence in multilateral governance and soft-power diplomacy.
Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)
Context
- India hosted the international conference “50 Years of BWC: Strengthening Biosecurity for the Global South” in New Delhi.
- The event marked 50 years since the BWC entered into force.
What is the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)?
- The BWC is the first multilateral disarmament treaty prohibiting an entire class of weapons of mass destruction.
- It bans the development, production, stockpiling, acquisition, transfer and use of biological and toxin weapons.
Establishment
- Opened for signature: 10 April 1972 (London, Moscow, Washington).
- Entered into force: 26 March 1975.
- India is a founding State Party and among 189 signatories committed to full compliance.
Key Features of the BWC
- Core Prohibitions (Articles I–III)
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- States cannot develop, produce, stockpile or employ biological or toxin weapons.
- Obligation to destroy any existing stockpiles.
- No Verification Mechanism
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- Major limitation: the BWC lacks a formal inspection or verification system.
- Historical violations include Soviet Union and Iraq.
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- Review Conferences
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- Held every five years to update norms and address advances in biotechnology.
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- International Cooperation (Article X)
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- Encourages peaceful use of biological sciences and capacity building for developing countries.
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- Enforcement
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- Relies mainly on political mechanisms; the formal complaints procedure (Article VI) is rarely used.
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- Global Norm
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- No state today publicly admits to possessing biological weapons, reflecting strong normative acceptance of the ban.
Significance
- The BWC remains the core global barrier against bioweapons.
- Rapid growth in AI, synthetic biology, gene editing and gain-of-function research creates new risks requiring stronger oversight.
- The Global South faces higher vulnerability due to weak infrastructure, heavy disease burdens, and limited biosafety systems, making BWC reforms vital.
Paraná Valles
Context
- Scientists have mapped 16 major ancient river drainage systems on Mars for the first time, including the Paraná Valles.
What is Paraná Valles?
- Paraná Valles is a major ancient fluvial drainage system on Mars shaped by networks of valleys, streams and sedimentary channels.
- It is seen as a strong geological indicator that Mars once had rainfall and sustained surface runoff.
Location
- Located in the southern hemisphere of Mars.
- Lies within Margaritifer Terra, a region rich in valley networks and past water-related landforms.
- Forms a large-scale watershed, comparable to Earth’s major river basins.
Formation
- Formed by flowing liquid water during Mars’ early warm and wetter climate.
- Created through rainfall-fed runoff, erosion and prolonged sediment transport.
- Water flowed through interconnected valleys, lakes and channels, draining into larger canyon systems or possibly an ancient Martian Ocean.
Key Features
- Displays dendritic (tree-like) valley patterns similar to terrestrial rivers.
- Contains streams, lakes, canyons and sediment deposits, confirming long-term fluvial activity.
- Represents a large drainage basin exceeding 100,000 sq km, meeting criteria for major river systems.
- Shows clear evidence of erosion, nutrient transport and water–rock interaction.
Significance
- One of the best-preserved Martian hydrological landscapes.
- Considered a high-potential site for biosignature exploration, as large drainage systems can transport nutrients required for microbial life.
Helps reconstruct Mars’ ancient climate, supporting theories of rainfall and stable surface water bodies.
