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Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996

A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court recently heard arguments on whether courts can modify an arbitral award under Sections 34 and 37 of the Arbitration Act, 1996.

About Arbitration and Conciliation Act:

It established a sound framework for alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in India.
The act updated and codified the laws about arbitration, mediation, and conciliation.
It is vital for businesses and individuals alike; it allows them to have an easier, less adversarial, and less costly mode of dispute resolution as compared to those conducted outside traditional courts.

Features of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act:

Two-tiered system: It offers arbitration and conciliation and thus differences in modes of conflict resolution.
Flexibility: Parties can choose their rules of procedure and arbitrators for flexibility and convenience.
Confidentiality: Confidentiality in the proceedings is required; it is important in cases of business disputes regarding issues that cannot easily be revealed.
Finality and Enforceability: Arbitration awards become binding and enforceable by courts, so parties must adhere to them.
Judicial Support and Limited Intervention: Courts could intervene under certain cases, which include the appointment of arbitrators or the enforcement of the award.
Global Applicability: In regard to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law, it is globally compatible, and therefore this act helps in international arbitration.

Major Provisions of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act:

Arbitration Agreement: An arbitration agreement refers to a written undertaking between parties to have their disputes arbitrarily determined, thereby paving the way for arbitration proceedings to be given the go-ahead.
Appointment of Arbitrators: The appointment of arbitrators is at the discretion of the parties, but courts take action if the parties cannot agree on the appointment. The provision would promote self-regulation while providing judicial support when needed.
Interim Measures by Courts: Gives courts the authority to issue interim relief before arbitration starts. This will prevent cases where parties may lose their assets before the case is settled.
Arbitral Proceedings: Provides that parties can agree on procedures or adopt institutional rules, which promotes procedural autonomy.
Forms and Contents of Arbitral Award: Requires awards to be in writing, dated, signed by arbitrators, and reasons given, unless parties agree otherwise. The award pronounced becomes binding.
Setting Aside an Arbitral Award: Goes on to detail when the court shall set aside the award. The basis includes either the party's incapacity or an invalid agreement.
Appeals: Gives limited grounds on appeal so that awards are substantially final and enforceable and sets a limit to risk-prolonged litigation.

Amendments to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act:

Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act, 2015:
Introduced timelines for the institution of arbitral proceedings so that it is completed within 12 months.
Judicial interference has been curtailed to an extent to bring finality to arbitration.
Cost control regulations have been enhanced to make ADR cost-effective.

NAKSHA Programme

The Union Minister of Rural Development and Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare is inaugurating the NAKSHA Programme at Raisen, Madhya Pradesh.

About NAKSHA Programme:

The National Geospatial Knowledge-based Land Survey of Urban Habitations (NAKSHA) programme aims to create and update land records in urban areas to ensure accurate and reliable documentation of land ownership.
This initiative will empower citizens, improve ease of living, enhance urban planning, and reduce land-related disputes.
This IT-based system for property record administration will foster transparency, efficiency and support sustainable development.
The Survey of India is the technical partner for NAKSHA programme, which is responsible for conducting aerial surveys and providing orthorectified imagery, through third party vendors, to State and Union Territory governments.
The end-to-end web-GIS platform will be developed by the Madhya Pradesh State Electronic Development Corporation (MPSEDC) and storage facilities will be provided by the National Informatics Centre Services Inc. (NICSI).
States and Union Territory governments are scheduled to conduct field surveys and ground truthing using the orthorectified imagery, ultimately leading to the final publication of urban and semi-urban land records.

Kalyana Chalukyas

Three Kannada inscriptions from the Kalyana Chalukya era were noticed for the first time in Kankal village in the Pudur mandal of Vikarabad district.

About Kalyana Chalukyas:

The Chalukyas ruled over the Deccan plateau between the 6th and 12th centuries.
During that period, they ruled as three closely related but individual dynasties - ehe Chalukyas of Badami, the Chalukyas of Kalyani (Western Chalukyas) and the Chalukyas of Vengi (Eastern Chalukyas).

Kalyana Chalukyas:

Primarily a Kannadiga dynasty, they were known after their capital city, Kalyani. It is present in the modern-day Bidar district of Karnataka.
The empire was established by Tailapa II when the Western Chalukya was a feudatory of the Rashtrakuta Empire and Tailapa II governed Tardavadi in the Bijapur district of Karnataka.
In the 300 years long rule in the western Deccan and southern part of the Indian peninsula, Chalukya of Kalyani expanded and reached the zenith of power during the rule of Vikramaditya VI (1076-1126 CE).
It is considered the most successful period of the later Chalukya rulers in Karnataka’s history, and many scholars refer to this period as the ‘Chalukya Vikrama era’.
Vikramaditya VI was not only controlling feudatories in the northern region, such as Kadamba Jayakesi II of Goa, Silhara Bhoja and the Yadava King, but also, he won several battles against the Chola dynasty.

Decline:

After Vikramaditya VI’s death, the consistent confrontation with the Chola dynasty exploited both empires and gave opportunities to their subordinates to rebel.
After 1126, the Western Chalukya empire started declining, and by the time of Jagadhekamalla II, everything was falling apart.

Administration, Art, and Architecture:

The Western Chalukya administration was mainly hereditary, where the king passed his powers to the male heir and brother in the absence of a male heir.
The whole kingdom was divided and managed by feudatories such as the Hoysala and the Kakatiya.
While the Chalukya Dynasty maintained a great army of infantries, cavalries, elephant units, etc, the Western Chalukyas followed the trend and achieved a great extent of power.
They were primarily Hindus but also acknowledged and tolerant of Buddhism and Jainism.
They contributed greatly to the development of Kannada and Telugu literature.

Prime Minister’s Yoga Award

Recently, the Ministry of Ayush announces the opening of nominations for the prestigious Prime Minister’s Yoga Awards for the 2025 edition of the International Day of Yoga (IDY2025).

About Prime Minister’s Yoga Award:

It recognizes individuals and organizations that have made significant and sustained contributions to the promotion and development of Yoga, both nationally and internationally.
It was established to honor the profound impact of Yoga on society and aim to celebrate exemplary contributions to the field, reinforcing Yoga's role in disease prevention, health promotion, and the management of lifestyle-related disorders.
The awards will be conferred in the National Individual, National Organization, International Individual, and International Organization categories, with each winner receiving a Trophy, Certificate, and a Cash Award of Rs. 25 lakh.
Eligibility: Individuals applying must be 40 years or older and should have at least 20 years of dedicated service in Yoga promotion.
Entities can apply directly or be nominated by a prominent Yoga organization. Each applicant/nominee can apply for only one category (National or International) per year.
Selection committee: A Screening Committee constituted by the Ministry of Ayush will review all applications and recommend a maximum of 50 names per award category to the Evaluation Jury.
The Jury, comprising eminent personalities from various fields, will be the apex decision-making body.

Navika Sagar Parikrama II.

The Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini entered Port Stanley on 18 Feb 25 thus completing the third and most challenging phase of Navika Sagar Parikrama II.

About Navika Sagar Parikrama II.:

It underscores the Indian Navy’s commitment to gender empowerment and maritime excellence.
It is crewed by two women officers-Lieutenant Commander Dilna K and Lieutenant Commander Roopa A.
It aims to promote ocean sailing, self-reliance, and India’s rich maritime heritage.
The historic expedition was flagged off from Goa by the chief of the Naval Staff on October 2, 2024.
Navika Sagar Parikrama II covering more than 21,600 nautical miles (approx 40,000 km) will unfold in five legs with stop overs at four ports for replenishment and maintenance, as required. The broad contour of voyage will be as follows: -
Goa to Fremantle, Australia
Fremantle to Lyttleton, New Zealand
Lyttleton to Port Stanley, Falkland
Port Stanley to Cape Town, S. Africa
Cape Town to Goa

About INSV Tarini:

It is a 56-foot sailing vessel built by M/s Aquarius Shipyard Ltd.
The vessel has clocked more than 66,000 nautical miles (1,22,223 km) and participated in first edition of Navika Sagar Parikrama in 2017.
The boat is equipped with advanced navigation, safety and communication equipment.

OPEC+

Recently, the Brazil’s government approved the country’s entry into OPEC+, the alliance of major oil-exporting nations.

About OPEC+:

It is a group of 22 oil-exporting countries which meets regularly to decide how much crude oil to sell on the world market.
These nations aim to work together on adjusting crude oil production to bring stability to the oil market.
Origin: These nations came to an accord towards the end of 2016 “to institutionalize a framework for cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC producing countries on a regular and sustainable basis.”
At the core of this group are the 12 members of OPEC (the Organization of the Oil Exporting Countries), which are mainly Middle Eastern and African countries.
Members:It comprises 12 OPEC countries plus Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Russia, Mexico, Malaysia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Oman.

What is OPEC?

It is a permanent intergovernmental organization of oil-exporting countries.
It was established in 1960 by the five founding members Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.
Currently, it has 12 members, including Algeria, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Libya, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates.
Angola withdrew its membership effective 1 January 2024.
Headquarters: Vienna, Austria.

Qatar

India and Qatar recently elevated their ties to a strategic partnership and agreed to double bilateral trade to almost $30 billion by 2030.

About Qatar:

It is a small nation located on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula.
It shares a sole land border with Saudi Arabia to the south and is surrounded by the Persian Gulf on all other sides.
The Gulf of Bahrain separates Qatar from the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The country spans an area of approximately 11,571 sq.km.
Doha is the capital and the largest city of Qatar.

Landscape:

The landscape of Qatar is primarily flat and barren desert.
Sand dunes dominate the southern part of the country, especially in the area known as the Khor al Adaid, or the "Inland Sea".
To the north and west, the terrain turns slightly rockier and features low-rising limestone formations.
Qatar has wadis, which are valleys that remain dry except during the rainy season when they can briefly turn into rivers.

Ethnic Groups:

Qatar was originally settled by Bedouin nomads from the central part of the Arabian Peninsula.
Qatari citizens, however, constitute only a small portion—roughly one-ninth—of the total population today.
Economic growth beginning in the 1970s created an economy dependent on foreign workers—mostly from Pakistan, India, and Iran—who now outnumber Qatari nationals.
Few Qataris still retain a nomadic lifestyle.

Javelin Anti-Tank Guided Missile

India and the US recently announced plans to pursue new procurements and co-production arrangements for Javelin anti-tank guided missiles, to meet the defense requirements of India.

About Javelin Anti-Tank Guided Missile:

It is a man-portable, fire-and-forget, anti-tank guided missile.
It has been developed jointly by American defence majors, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.
It was designed to defeat heavily armored vehicles such as main battle tanks and lighter-skinned military vehicles.
The weapon also has capability against other target types like fortifications, bunkers, and helicopters.

Features:

It has an effective range of 2.5 km.
It is a fire-and-forget missile with lock-on before launch and automatic self-guidance.
It uses automatic infrared guidance that allows the user to seek cover immediately after launch.
The Javelin's HEAT warhead is capable of defeating modern tanks by attacking them from above where their armor is thinnest, and is also useful against fortifications in a direct attack flight.

Gravehawk System

Ukraine has reportedly acquired a new weapon system to defend against the barrage of missiles unleashed by Russia: the Gravehawk hybrid surface-to-air missile system.

About Gravehawk System:

It is a short-range surface-to-air missile system developed by the United Kingdom.
It is designed to address short-range threats, particularly those posed by fast-moving airborne objects.
It is mounted on an all-terrain vehicle chassis, allowing for rapid deployment and mobility on the ground.
It is equipped with infrared-guided missiles, including the AIM-132 ASRAAM and the Wympel R-73.
The missiles can reach speeds of up to Mach 2.5 and engage targets at a range of approximately 12 miles, making them effective against drones, cruise missiles, and low-flying aircraft.
One of the system's key advantages is its passive infrared guidance, which eliminates the need for radar emissions that could expose its location to enemy forces.
The containerized launch system also incorporates electro-optical and infrared targeting cameras, allowing remote operation so that operators can fire missiles from a safe distance.

International Classification of Diseases

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released the 2025 edition of the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision (ICD-11).

About International Classification of Diseases:

It is a flagship World Health Organization product that serves as the basis for identifying health trends and statistics at country level and worldwide.
ICD is at the foundation of WHO's Fourteenth General Programme of Work efforts to accelerate progress towards health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), addressing inequalities and achieving relevant national health targets.
Uses: It serves a broad range of uses globally and provides critical knowledge on the extent, causes and consequences of human disease and death worldwide via data that is reported and coded with the ICD.
Clinical terms coded with ICD are the main basis for health recording and statistics on disease in primary, secondary and tertiary care, as well as on cause of death certificates.
In India, the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI) is an agency under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that serves as the WHO Collaboration Centre for ICD-related activities.

Mount Etna

Mount Etna, Europe’s tallest and most active volcano, has erupted once again, sending lava flows and thick clouds of ash into the sky.

About Mount Etna:

Also known by its Latin name ‘Aetna,’ Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano situated in the Metropolitan City of Catania on the eastern coast of the Italian island of Sicily.
It is located above the convergent plate boundary between the African and Eurasian Plates, and is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
It is one of Europe’s tallest active volcanoes and Italy’s highest peak, located south of the Alps.
Etna covers an area of 1,190 sq km with a basal circumference of 140 km.
Due to its recent volcanic activities and closeness to densely populated areas, the United Nations designated Mount Etna as a Decade Volcano.
It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), in collaboration with AgroStar and Kay Bee Exports, successfully completed India's first-ever commercial trial shipments of premium Sangola and Bhagwa pomegranates, respectively, to Australia via sea.

About Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA):

APEDA was established by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act passed by the Parliament in 1985.
The Authority replaced the Processed Food Export Promotion Council (PFEPC).
It works under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Objective: To develop and promote the export of scheduled products.
The products specified under the APEDA ACT are called scheduled products, and exporters of such scheduled products are required to register under APEDA.
It provides financial assistance, information, and guidelines for the development of scheduled products.
Headquarters: New Delhi

Functions:

Setting the standards and specifications for the scheduled products.
Registration of exporters of the scheduled products on payment of required fees.
Improving packaging and marketing of the Scheduled products.
Carrying out an inspection of products to ensure the quality of such products.
Training in various aspects of the industries connected with the scheduled products.
Development of industries relating to the scheduled products and undertaking surveys, feasibility studies, etc
Collection of statistics from the owners of factories or establishments and publication of such statistics.

Sovereign Green Bonds (SGBs)

Like several emerging markets, India also turned to sovereign green bonds to help fund its transition to a low-carbon economy, but investor demand remains weak.

About Sovereign Green Bonds (SGBs):

SGBs are debt securities issued by a national government to fund projects that have positive environmental benefits.
The proceeds from these bonds are exclusively allocated to green initiatives, which can include renewable energy projects, sustainable agriculture, waste management, and more.
Essentially, these bonds are a way for governments to raise capital while promoting environmental sustainability.

Sovereign Green Bonds in India:

The Union Budget 2022-23 announced the issue of SGBs. The framework for the SGBs was issued by the government on November 9, 2022.

What does the framework entail?

The government’s framework is based on the International Capital Market Association’s (ICMA) listed principles for issuing green bonds, which has four components:
Use of proceeds, project evaluation and selection, management of proceeds, and reporting.
The government said the bonds’ proceeds will be used for green projects that:
Encourage energy efficiency
Reduce carbon emissions and greenhouse gases
Promote climate resilience and/or adaptation
Improve natural ecosystems and biodiversity, especially in accordance with the principles of sustainable development goals
The framework listed investments in solar, wind, biomass, and hydro energy projects, and urban mass transportation projects such as metro rail, green buildings, pollution prevention and control projects.
The government excluded projects such as fossil fuels, nuclear power generation, and direct waste incineration.
The eligible expenditure is limited to government spending that occurred not more than 12 months prior to issuance.
The proceeds should be allocated to projects within 24 months of issuing the bonds.
If an eligible green project is postponed or cancelled, it will be replaced by another eligible green project.

Project Waterworth

Recently, Meta announced its most ambitious subsea cable endeavour ever – Project Waterworth.

About Project Waterworth:

It stretches over 50,000 km long cable which connects India, US, Brazil, South Africa and other “key regions”.
Its cable will reach depths of up to 7,000 meters in deep waters.
The project is using AI to enhance subsea cable infrastructure to improve global connectivity.
It focuses on enhancing cable deployment and maintenance, ensuring reliable and efficient internet access worldwide.
It uses enhanced burial techniques in high-risk fault areas, such as shallow waters near the coast, to avoid damage from ship anchors and other hazards.

What will Project Waterworth do?

Project Waterworth, by leveraging advanced machine learning models, aims to predict and mitigate potential disruptions, enhancing the resilience of subsea networks.
The initiative will bring industry-leading connectivity to the US, India, Brazil, South Africa, and other key regions.
This will facilitate greater economic cooperation, digital inclusion, and open opportunities for technological development in these regions.
It would provide "industry-leading connectivity" to five major continents and help support its AI projects.