IPCC Report:

GS Paper 3: Topics Covered:  Conservation related issues.   Context: The second part of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report was released recently. This second part of the report is about climate change impacts, risks and vulnerabilities, and adaptation options. The first part of the report was released in August last year. That one was centred …

Russia-Ukraine crisis may worsen global chip shortage:

GS Paper 3: Topics Covered: Developments in Science and Technology.   Context: Russia and Ukraine are important centres of the global semiconductor supply chain, providing rare metals like palladium, and gases like neon, that are needed in the production of the silicon wafers present in almost all modern devices and equipment. Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine …

Artemis Program:

GS Paper 3: Topics Covered: Awareness in space.   Context: NASA’s first crewed landing of the Artemis program on the moon is expected to take place in 2026. Meanwhile, NASA will launch Artemis 1 in May 2022. Reasons for the delay: NASA said it needed time to develop and test the human landing system and …

CAATSA waiver:

GS Paper 2: Topics Covered: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.   Context: With tensions escalating between Russia and the West over the Ukraine crisis, India, which has major defence cooperation with Moscow and also with Kyiv, faces uncertainty over timely deliveries in the near future …

What constitutes a war crime?

GS Paper 2: Topics Covered: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.   Context: An International Criminal Court prosecutor has launched an investigation on the “situation in Ukraine” following Russia’s invasion. There is a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity …