1. International Police Organisation (Interpol)
- Overview: Recently, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chief revealed that Interpol issued a record 100 Red Notices last year, marking the highest number on India’s request.
- About Interpol: The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) is a global entity that facilitates international police collaboration against crimes like cross-border terrorism and trafficking. With 195 member countries, it is the largest police organization worldwide. Interpol is headquartered in Lyon, France, and operates in four official languages: Arabic, English, French, and Spanish. Importantly, Interpol is an independent organization and not part of the United Nations system. It functions as the first contact point for many nations engaged in international investigations, though it does not conduct criminal investigations itself.
- Governance: Interpol’s supreme decision-making body is the General Assembly, which includes one delegate from each member country. Day-to-day operations are overseen by the General Secretariat, led by a Secretary General appointed for a five-year term. The Executive Committee, comprised of 13 members from different regions, supervises the Secretary General’s work and ensures that decisions by the General Assembly are implemented.
- National Central Bureau (NCB): Each member country has an NCB, which serves as the link between Interpol’s General Secretariat and other NCBs worldwide. In India, the CBI serves as the NCB, operating under the Union Home Ministry.
- Types of Notices Issued by Interpol: Interpol issues eight types of notices, including seven color-coded ones:
- Red Notice: To locate and arrest individuals for extradition.
- Blue Notice: To identify or gather information on persons of interest.
- Green Notice: To warn about criminal activities of potential threats.
- Yellow Notice: To find missing persons or identify individuals unable to identify themselves.
- Black Notice: To gather information on unidentified bodies.
- Orange Notice: To warn about potential threats, such as objects or processes posing danger.
- Purple Notice: To share information on criminal methods or tools.
- Interpol-UNSC Special Notice: Issued for individuals or entities subject to UN sanctions.
2. Public Accounts Committee (PAC)
- Overview: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is set to review the performance of regulatory bodies established by acts of Parliament, including the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
- About PAC: The PAC is a parliamentary committee tasked with auditing the revenue and expenditure of the Indian government. It serves as a check on government spending, focusing on reviewing the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (C&AG) audit reports after they are presented in Parliament.
- Functions: The PAC’s primary role is to ensure that government spending aligns with parliamentary grants and is used appropriately. The committee examines cases of financial mismanagement, unnecessary expenditures, and losses. It also scrutinizes whether funds were legally available and used according to proper authority.
- Membership: The PAC consists of 22 members—15 from Lok Sabha and 7 from Rajya Sabha—elected annually based on proportional representation. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha appoints the committee’s chairperson, typically a member of the opposition. Ministers are not eligible to serve on the committee.
3. Valley Fever
- Overview: Valley Fever, a fungal disease endemic to the western U.S., has seen a rise in cases in California, raising concerns among health officials.
- About Valley Fever: Also known as coccidioidomycosis, Valley Fever is caused by the fungus Coccidioides, which lives in the soil of certain regions, including the southwestern U.S., parts of Mexico, and Central and South America.
- Transmission: People and animals contract the disease by inhaling fungal spores, usually from dust or disturbed soil. Though most people exposed do not get sick, some develop mild to severe symptoms. Valley Fever is not typically contagious between people or animals.
- Symptoms: In most cases, symptoms are mild or non-existent. However, some may develop severe lung problems or complications such as pneumonia, lung effusion, acute respiratory distress, or even coccidioidal meningitis, a life-threatening condition.
- Treatment: While mild cases resolve on their own, severe cases require treatment with antifungal medications.
4. Vertical Fiscal Imbalance (VFI)
- Overview: India faces a Vertical Fiscal Imbalance (VFI) within its fiscal federalism, where state expenditures surpass their revenue-raising capabilities.
- About VFI: VFI refers to the disparity between the revenue collected by different levels of government and their spending responsibilities. In India, this fiscal gap occurs due to imbalanced decentralization of revenue and expenditure powers, termed Vertical Fiscal Asymmetry (VFA). Addressing VFI requires realignment of revenue and expenditure assignments or financial transfers from the Union to state governments.
- Horizontal vs. Vertical Imbalance: While horizontal fiscal imbalances involve regional revenue and spending disparities, vertical imbalances occur between different levels of government.
5. Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC)
- Overview: China is hosting the 9th FOCAC Summit, focused on strengthening diplomatic and economic ties with African nations.
- About FOCAC: Established in 2000, FOCAC formalizes the strategic partnership between China and African nations, holding summits every three years, alternately hosted by China and an African country. It includes 53 African member nations and the African Union Commission.
- Theme: This year’s summit centers around “Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future.” The discussions are expected to focus on state governance, industrialization, agriculture, and infrastructure financing under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
6. SAMRIDH Scheme
- Overview: The Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) recently launched the second cohort of its SAMRIDH scheme to accelerate startup development.
- About SAMRIDH Scheme: Launched in August 2021, the SAMRIDH (Startup Accelerators of MeitY for Product Innovation, Development, and Growth) Scheme supports 300 software startups over four years, with an investment of ₹99 crore. The scheme helps startups scale through customer connections, investor access, and international market expansion.
- Eligibility: To qualify, accelerators must be not-for-profit entities registered in India and have at least three years of experience supporting startups.