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The Union Home Ministry and the Assam government signed a memorandum of settlement with the pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).
Home Minister Amit Shah said the “tripartite settlement is significant for Assam’s peace”, and the government had achieved success in eliminating all the violent groups in the State.
It is a golden day for Assam’s future. Assam and the northeast have endured violence for decades. ULFA cadres have agreed to surrender arms and ammunition, vacate their camps and have decided to join the mainstream and engage in the peaceful democratic process established by law and maintain the integrity of the country.
Since 1979, all those who were killed were the country’s citizens,” the Home Minister said, adding that the total number of such cadres stood at 700.
Mr. Shah said a time-bound programme would be made by the Home Ministry to fulfil the demands of the ULFA and a committee would also be formed for its monitoring.
Editorial
A call for disability inclusion that must be heeded (Page no. 8)
(GS Paper 2, Social Justice)
It is almost a month since the International Day for Persons with Disabilities (December 3) passed. Yet, we must pause and consider the importance of novel and innovative solutions that enhance two important outcomes for the people affected, i.e., activities of daily life and quality of life.
By calling for “transformative solutions that will lead to inclusive development, leaving no one behind”, the United Nations has shifted the focus back on innovations that reduce disability.
In the important medical field of “neuropsychiatry” that straddles the brain-mind interface, there have been several treatment innovations with the potential to enhance outcomes — and the focus of this article.
Neuropsychiatric disorders are, by definition, disabling and present themselves across the lifespan. These range from autism, Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and intellectual disability in childhood (317 million), and to mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, eating disorder, addictions, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder through adolescence and adult life (167 million adolescents and 970 million people, globally), traumatic brain injury, spinal injury, epilepsy and headache across the lifespan, stroke, neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s dementia and Parkinson’s disease that appear in old age (276 million neurologically affected individuals in all).
News
Indian Navy unveils new epaulettes for admirals (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 3, Defence)
Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement during the Navy Day celebrations in Sindhudurg on December 4, the Navy unveiled the new design of epaulettes for admirals, with the octagon in the new design drawn from the naval ensign and inspired by rajmudra of Chhatrapati Shivaji.
The Navy said the new design is a “true reflection of our rich maritime heritage” and reiterates the “resolve to do away with Ghulami ki Maansikta”.
The Navy is also set to rename some of the ranks now in British nomenclature to reflect an Indian connection.
“Adoption of the new design reaffirms our commitment to the two pillars of Panch Pran - Virasat Par Garv & Ghulami ki Mansikta se Mukti,” the Navy said on social media platform ‘X’. “Bharatiya Nausena embracing Bharatiyata in letter and spirit.”
The new epaulettes have the golden Navy button top, followed by an octagon, an Indian sword and a telescope crossed, followed by stars indicating the ranks.
Kerala seeks clarity from SC on powers of Governor (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 2, Judiciary)
Kerala has moved the Supreme Court for guidelines on the circumstances under which the Governor may reserve Bills presented to him for the consideration of the President, withhold his assent or return it to the Assembly. The State recently made the plea by an amendment to its writ petition.
The State wants the court to interpret the phrase “as soon as possible” in the first proviso to Article 200 of the Constitution on the timeline for the disposal of the Bills presented to the Governor.
Article 200 prescribes that the Governor may exercise the option of sending the Bills to the President, withhold the assent or return it to the Assembly as soon as possible.
Kerala pointed out that Governor Arif Mohammed Khan sat on eight Bills that were passed by the State legislature even up to three years.
Later, the Governor sent seven of the eight Bills for the consideration of the President without examining each one of them and giving reasons for reserving them. The Governor resorted to this step after the court issued notice on November 20, it said.
ISRO all set to launch XPoSat, 10 other payloads on Jan. 1 (Page no. 12)
(GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), following a landmark 2023, will ring in the New Year with the launch of the PSLV-C58 X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) mission on January 1.
The PSLV will launch XPoSat along with 10 more payloads and the rocket is scheduled to lift off at 9.10 a.m. from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
ISRO’s PSLV-C58 Mission is to launch XPoSAT Satellite into an eastward low inclination orbit. After injection of XPoSAT, the PS4 stage will be re-started twice to reduce the orbit into a 350 km circular orbit to maintain in 3-axis stabilised mode for Orbital Platform experiments.
The PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 experiment will be executed meeting the objective of 10 identified payloads, supplied by ISRO and IN-SPACe,” the ISRO says on the upcoming mission.
World
Javier Milei writes to BRICS leaders, rejects invite for Argentina to join the grouping (Page no. 13)
(GS Paper 2, International Organisation)
Argentine President Javier Milei has sent letters to BRICS leaders to formalise his decision to reject an invitation to join the grouping of major emerging economies, the presidency said.
The bloc — made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — in August announced it was admitting six new members in a bid to counter the Western-led global order.
The membership of Argentina, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates was due to take effect from January 1, 2024.
The letters signed by Mr. Milei and published by several media houses said Argentina's membership was "not considered appropriate at this time."
The libertarian outsider Mr. Milei took office this month after his resounding defeat of Argentina's traditional political parties, and he had vowed on the campaign trail not to join BRICS.
Business
India closing in on lithium deal with Argentina, tapping Australia, Chile (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
The Mines Ministry, through the state-owned Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL), has entered into a draft exploration and development agreement with Argentinan miner CAMYEN for possible acquisition and development of five-odd lithium blocks.
The company has also entered into a non-disclosure agreement with Chilean miner ENAMI for ‘possible exploration, extraction, processing and commecialisation’ of the mineral and appointed consultancy major PwC for identification of investable projects in Australia.
Incidentally, Latin American nations, primarily Chile and Argentina, account for 30–35% of the world’s supplies. Chile, with 11% of the world’s lithium reserves, supplies 26% of the requirements; while Argentina with nearly a fifth of the global reserves supplies about 6%-odd. Australia is among the other large producers globally.
Talks are in ‘advanced stages’ for acquisition of lithium blocks in Argentina. The reported cost of the acquisition in Argentina could run into a ‘couple of hundred crore’ and the proposal would be put up for Cabinet approval.