Time: 45 min Date: 09-06-2023

Atlantic declaration
Syllabus: GS 2/International Relations
In News
US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak agreed on an “Atlantic
declaration.
About Atlantic Declaration
● The Atlantic Declaration and accompanying Action Plan form the basis of a new
type of innovative partnership across the full spectrum of economic,
technological, commercial, and trade relations.
○ It is the "first of its kind" in covering the broad spectrum of the two
countries.
● It will constitute a new economic security framework covering ever-closer
cooperation on critical and emerging technologies and stronger protective
toolkits.
● It will support the United States and the United Kingdom in efforts to harness
the energy transition and technological breakthroughs to drive broadly shared
growth, create good jobs, and leave no community behind.
● It will explore ways to deepen trade and investment relationships.
● Other focused areas: Partnering on an inclusive and responsible digital
transformation,
○ Building the clean energy economy of the future, and
○ Further strengthening our alliance across defense, health security, and
space.
Objectives
● Both countries announced a new strategic pact as their leaders rededicated the
“special relationship” to counter Russia, China, and economic instability.
● It aims to boost industry ties on defense and renewable energy, in the face
of growing competition from China.
 ● It will allow them to explore increased cooperation in other areas for mutual
economic benefit.
Status of a partnership between both countries
● The U.S.-UK bilateral investment relationship is the largest in the world, with
over $1.5 trillion in stock supporting more than 2.7 million jobs in both countries
● Over the last century, the essential partnership between the United States and the
United Kingdom has enabled them to lead together on issues of global
importance.
○ Since the signing of the Atlantic Charter in 1941, They have worked
together to shape an open and rules-based international order based on
their enduring support for shared values.
○ In the New Atlantic Charter signed in 2021, they underscored and
refreshed this vision
Challenges
● They face new challenges to international stability – from authoritarian states
such as Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC)
● Disruptive technologies;
● Non-state actors; and
● Transnational challenges like climate change.
Steps
● They are committed to continuing to strengthen NATO’s ability to deter further
attempts to undermine Alliance security, in support of NATO’s new Strategic
Concept.
● They have taken significant steps to implement AUKUS, including announcing
their plans to support Australia acquiring conventionally armed,
nuclear-powered submarines.
Future Outlook
● They must keep pace with changes in the world around them and adapt alliances
to them.
● The global economy is undergoing one of the greatest transformations since the
Industrial Revolution. Breakthroughs in innovation offer enormous potential if
they can harness them to work for, not against
● The transition to the clean energy economies of the future is an opportunity to
improve jobs and livelihoods and deepen the resilience of our economies.
Source:FE
 India and Serbia
Syllabus: GS2/International Relations
In News
President Droupadi Murmu visited Serbia and reviewed the bilateral relations.
Outcomes of the Visit
● Both the leaders agreed to set a target for bilateral trade from the present 320
million euros to one billion euros by the end of the decade.
● Serbian President promised simplification of the issue of Visa to Indians and
hoped that direct flights between the two countries will begin soon.
● A high-powered business delegation consisting of members from three Indian
Chambers of Commerce and Industry, The Associated Chambers of Commerce
and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), The Federation of Indian Chambers of
Commerce & Industry (FICCI), and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) also
held talks with a business delegation from Serbia.
Geographical Location of Serbia
● Serbia is a landlocked country situated at the crossroads of Central and
Southeast Europe, covering the far southern edges of the Pannonian Plain and
the central Balkans.
● Serbia shares its borders with eight other European countries: Kosovo,
Macedonia, and Montenegro to the south, Bosnia and Croatia to the west,
Hungary to the north, and Romania and Bulgaria to the east.
● The capital of Serbia is Belgrade, which is also the largest city in Serbia.
● The most significant mountains in Serbia are Kopaonik, Tara, Zlatibor, Stara
Planina and Golija. The highest peak in Serbia is Djeravica on Prokletije (2,656
m).
● Rivers: The Danube flows 588 km through Serbia or as a border river (with
Croatia in the northwest and Romania in the southeast).
○ Other chief rivers in Serbia are tributaries of the Danube including the
Sava (flowing from the west), Tisa (flowing from the north), Drina
(flowing from the south, forming a natural border with Bosnia and
Herzegovina), and Morava. Only the Morava flows nearly entirely
through Serbia.
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
● Former Yugoslavia is the territory that was up to 1991 known as The Socialist
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). Specifically, the six republics that made
up the federation - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro,
Serbia (including the regions of Kosovo and Vojvodina) and Slovenia.
● On 25 June 1991, the declarations of independence of Slovenia and Croatia
effectively ended SFRY’s existence.
● By April 1992, the further declarations of independence by two other republics,
Macedonia, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina, left only Serbia and
Montenegro within the Federation.
● These two remaining republics declared the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
(FRY) on 27 April 1992.
● In 2003, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was reconstituted and re-named as a
State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. This union effectively ended following
Montenegro's formal declaration of independence on 3 June 2006 and Serbia's
on 5 June 2006.
India Serbia Relations
● India and Yugoslavia traditionally enjoyed deep friendship as co-founders of
the Non-Aligned Movement. The deep bond of friendship continued in
subsequent decades resulting in close and friendly ties between India and Serbia.
● A Protocol on Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and
Yugoslavia was signed in June 1995.
● Agreements: Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA)
[2003] - BIPPA would stand terminated in 2020 and New Bilateral Investment
Treaty (BIT) is under negotiation.
○ Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC) [2006]
○ Trade Agreement (MFN status) [2006]
○ Tourism Agreement [2004]
○ MOU on Agricultural Cooperation [2009]
○ MOU on Cooperation in Science and Technology [2004]
○ MOU on IT & Electronics [October 2016]
● Training: The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme
was extended to Serbia in 2008 and since then 160 Serbian ITEC trainees have
undergone training in India.
 ○ Serbian military officers are also availing UN Peacekeeping training
courses in India.
● Visas: Serbia unilaterally abolished visas for 30 days’ stay in a year for Indian
nationals holding ordinary passports w.e.f. 2nd September 2017. Number of
Indian tourists visiting Serbia have increased substantially since then.
● Economic & Commercial Relations: Bilateral trade at US$ 198.5 m in 2017
registered an increase of 39% as compared to 2016 with Indian exports worth US$
187.6 m and imports US$ 10.9 m.
○ Bilateral trade increased further by 8.2% in 2018 to reach US$ 214.8 million
with Indian exports of US$ 202.6 million.
● Joint Economic Committee: The India-Serbia JEC was established under the
Agreement on Trade & Economic Cooperation signed in 2006.
● Cultural Relations: There is also a lot of interest in Serbia on Indian leaders like
Mahatma Gandhi, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and Rabindranath Tagore. Tagore visited
Serbia in 1926 and gave two lectures in Belgrade University.
○ Serbia has two streets named after Mahatma Gandhi and Pt. Jawaharlal
Nehru with the busts of the two leaders.
○ Serbia co-sponsored India’s Resolutions at the UN for declaring October 2
as International Day of NonViolence and June 21 as International Day of
Yoga.
Source: AIR

Cyclone’s effect on Monsoon Onset

Syllabus: GS1/Geography
In News
Biparjoy, a very severe cyclonic storm that has developed in the Arabian Sea, is likely
to affect the progress of the monsoon season.
What is Monsoon?
● A monsoon is a seasonal change in the direction of the prevailing, or strongest,
winds of a region. Monsoons cause wet and dry seasons throughout much of the
tropics.
● Monsoons always blow from cold to warm regions. The summer monsoon and
the winter monsoon determine the climate for most of India and Southeast Asia.
Factors Affecting the Monsoon
● Mascarene High: The southwest monsoon derives its name from winds which
blow from a south-westerly direction in the Indian subcontinent. These come
 from a powerhouse located more than 4,000 kilometres from India known as the
Mascarene High. This high-pressure region is located between 25°S-35°S and
40°E-90°E near the Mascarene Islands in the southern Indian Ocean.
○ A stronger high pressure will produce stronger winds or monsoon
current. If there is a delay in the formation of Mascarene High, there is
also the possibility of a delay in the onset of monsoon in India.
● Coriolis Force: Coriolis Force is a pseudo force which exists only because of the
Earth’s rotational effect. Rotational motion observed in a tropical cyclone is also
due to this force.
○ Hence, these monsoon winds get deflected eastwards and now they blow
from south-west to the north-east direction. They split into two
branches—the Arabian Sea branch and the Bay of Bengal branch.
● Differential Heating: A mechanism is needed to attract the monsoon winds from
the Arabian Sea or the Bay of Bengal. Winds flow from high pressure to low
pressure areas.
○ The Himalayan range plays a vital role in summer heating by restricting
the intrusion of cold air from the north and allowing heating to occur.
○ It is during this season that the land of India, particularly Rajasthan and
surrounding areas (Gujarat and also Pakistan) heat up extensively.
○ The seas surrounding the country also see a temperature rise. As a result
of the differential heating rates and capacities of air over the sea and the
land, we observe a gradient between air pressure over the sea and that
over India (especially Rajasthan).
○ The air pressure over India is lower than that over the southern part of the
Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. This acts as an attractor mechanism
for the monsoon winds.
● El Nino Southern Oscillation: El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) refers to the
oscillatory mode of the sea surface temperatures near the equatorial Pacific
Ocean in which a warming (El Nino or cooling (La Nina) or neutrality is
observed.
○ Due to its mostly unpredictable nature, ENSO has been a big challenge for
forecasters for a long time. Even trusted models have failed many times.
○ ENSO has been a driver of global weather (particularly in countries
surrounding the Pacific Ocean) as it affects atmospheric circulation.
● Indian Ocean Dipole: In 1999, N H Saji of Japan’s University of Aizu and others
discovered an ENSO-like phenomenon in the Indian Ocean which they named
the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD).
 ○ Like ENSO, IOD also has three phases—positive, negative and neutral.
During the positive phase of IOD, sea surface temperatures are warmer in
the western Indian Ocean (which gives a boost to monsoon winds) as
compared to the eastern Indian Ocean—hence a dipole nature.
○ The reverse happens during IOD negative and no gradient is observed
during the IOD neutral period.
○ It has been observed that during the period of positive IOD, the Indian
summer monsoon rainfall is considerably good as compared to the
negative IOD period. Despite 1994 and 2006 being El Nino years, India did
not witness drough as IOD was significantly positive.

What are Cyclones?

● The word Cyclone is derived from the Greek word Cyclos meaning the coils of a
snake. It was coined by Henry Peddington because the tropical storms in the
Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea appear like coiled serpents of the sea.
● Cyclones are caused by atmospheric disturbances around a low-pressure area
distinguished by swift and often destructive air circulation. The air circulates
inward in an anticlockwise direction in the Northern hemisphere and
clockwise in the Southern hemisphere.
● Cyclones are classified as: (i) extra tropical cyclones (also called temperate
cyclones); and (ii) tropical cyclones.
 ● Worldwide terminology: Cyclones are given many names in different regions of
the world – They are known as typhoons in the China Sea and Pacific Ocean;
hurricanes in the West Indian islands in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean;
tornados in the Guinea lands of West Africa and southern USA.; willy-willies in
north-western Australia and tropical cyclones in the Indian Ocean.
How Does the Formation of Cyclones Effect Monsoon?
Some cyclones in the North Indian Ocean have had both positive and negative impacts
on the onset of the monsoon.
● The development of the cyclone has delayed the onset of the Southwest
Monsoon, which usually begins in June and ends in September.
● The powerful weather system in the Arabian Sea may spoil the advancement of
the monsoon deep inland. Under their influence, the monsoon stream may reach
coastal parts but will struggle to penetrate beyond the Western Ghats.
● When the circulation of winds around the cyclones is in the anticlockwise
direction, the location of the cyclone is critical as far as the cyclone’s impact on
the transition of the monsoon trough is concerned (The monsoon trough is a
low-pressure region that is a characteristic feature of the monsoons.).
○ For example, if a cyclone lies further north in the Bay of Bengal, the
back-winds blowing from the southwest to the northeast can pull the
monsoon trough forward, and assist in the monsoon’s onset.
● Earlier this year, the Bay of Bengal had Cyclone Mocha develop in the first half of
May and intensify briefly into a ‘super cyclonic storm’, before weakening
rapidly upon landfall.
○ Mocha dissipated and the back-winds helped the monsoon set in on time
over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
● Cyclone Biparjoy is not interacting much with the monsoon trough at this time.
However, its late birth as well as the late onset of the monsoon are both closely
related to typhoons in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
○ Westerly winds, which pull the monsoon towards the Indian mainland,
are weak now. All the moisture is rotating around the cyclone.
○ Winds have been blowing strongly towards the northeast over the Bay, a
key reason why the monsoon trough has been struggling to reach Kerala.
 ● Cyclonic storms in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea have been intensifying
rapidly and retaining their intensity for a longer duration due to climate change.
Source: TH

El Niño
Syllabus: GS 1/Geography

News

● The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United

States announced that El Niño is back in the Pacific Ocean after seven years.

About

● El Niño in Spanish means “little boy.”

● It is a climate pattern that develops along the equatorial Pacific Ocean after
intervals of a few years ranging between 2 and 7 years.
● In this, water on the surface of the ocean sees an unusual warming in a band
straddling the equator in the central and east-central pacific — broadly
extending from the International Date line and 120°W longitude, i.e., off the
Pacific coast of South America.

How does El Niño happen?

● When the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is in its neutral phase, the trade
winds blow west along the equator and take the warm water from South
America towards Asia.
● However, during an event of El Niño, these trade winds weaken (or may even
reverse) — and instead of blowing from the east (South America) to the west
(Indonesia), they could turn into westerlies.
● As the winds blow from the west to east, they cause masses of warm water to
move into the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, and reach the coast of
western America.

Impact of El Nino conditions

● El Niño can affect weather significantly. The warmer waters cause the Pacific jet
stream to move south of its neutral position
 ● Globally, El Niño has been associated with severe heatwaves, floods, and
droughts in the past.
● Climate change can exacerbate or mitigate certain impacts related to El Niño. It
could lead to new records for temperatures, particularly in areas that already
experience above-average temperatures

India and El Niño

● Over the last hundred years, there have been 18 drought years in India. Of
these, 13 years were associated with El Niño. Thus, there seems to be a
correlation between an El Niño event and a year of poor rainfall in India.
● Between 1900 and 1950, there were 7 El Niño years but during the 1951-2021
period, there were 15 El Niño years. Thus, the frequency of El Niño events has
been increasing over time.
● The 2023 event is the fifth since 2000 — which means they develop every 4-5
years on average.

Government steps to mitigate the impact of El Niño:

● Mission Amrit Sarovar

● National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA)
● Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)

Source:IE

FACTS IN NEWS

National Exit Test (NExT)

Syllabus :GS 2/Education
In News
Union Health Ministry announced that the National Exit Test (NExT) will be held in
2024.
About National Exit Test (NExT
● It will replace the final-year MBBS examination and the National
Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Postgraduate (NEET-PG), acting as the test for
registration for doctors and admission to medical postgraduate courses.
● The combined NExT exam will also serve as the mandatory licentiate
examination for undergraduate medical students to practice modern medicine in
India.
Objectives
● The importance of the NExt lies in the fact that it will be the same for everyone
whether trained in India or any part of the world and hence it will solve the
problem of foreign medical graduates (FMGs) and mutual recognition,
Source:TH

HIMALAYAN BROWN BEARS

Syllabus: GS-3/Environment

News

A Himalayan brown bear was captured by the Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife
Department at Rajwara in the North Kashmir district of Handwara, days after it was
found wrecking graveyards, reportedly in search of human cadavers to eat.

● One explanation for the bears’ weird behaviour is the insufficient food in their
habitats. Due to the remote terrains they occupied, the Himalayan brown bear
was a rare sight for the last two decades

About HIMALAYAN BROWN BEAR

● Scientific Name: Ursus arctos isabellinus.

● Diet: The normal food of brown bears is insects, small crustaceans, alpine bulbs,
roots of plants, shoots of young grasses, domestic goats, sheep and voles. Their
sense of smell is acutely developed and believed to be their principal means of
finding food.
● Behaviour: They are nocturnal.
● Features: The Himalayan brown bear is the largest mammal found in Kashmir,
with adult individuals weighing 250 kilograms or more.
● Habitat: They inhabit altitudes ranging from 2,000 to 2,500 metres,
predominantly above the tree line.
● Distribution:Brown bears are distributed worldwide. The northern mountains of
India and Pakistan are home to the species’ Himalayan variant.

o In India, brown bears are present in 23 protected areas (PA) in the Union
Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and the states of Himachal Pradesh and
Uttarakhand.
 ● Population: Their Global number of Brown Bear is estimated to be less than 1,000
and possibly half that in India (Only an estimated 500 brown bears left in India).
● Threats: Habitat destruction due to various anthropogenic pressures such as
habitat encroachment, tourism, and grazing pressure.
○ According to a study carried out in the western Himalayas by scientists of
Zoological Survey of India in 2020, there will be a decline of about 73 per
cent of the bear’s habitat by 2050.
● IUCN Red List status of Himalayan Brown bear: Critically Endangered.

Image Courtesy : DTE

NEW EEL DISCOVERED

Syllabus: GS-3/Environment

News

The scientists of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have discovered a new species of
eel from Palur canal in Odisha’s Ganjam district.
Eels

● Eels are elongated ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes, which
consists of eight suborders and about 800 species.
● Eels live both in salt and fresh water, and some species are catadromous.

New Species of Eels

● Scientific Name: The new species has been named Pisodonophis kalinga after
the name of ancient Odisha.
● Common Name: The scientists have proposed kalinga snake eel as the common
name of the new species.
● Family: It belongs to the family Ophichthidae and order Anguilliformes.
● Features: It has a snake-like appearance and varies in length from 560
millimetres to 7 metres.

o The dorsal side of the body of new species is dark olive-brown, ventrally
pale white and both the colors meet at the lateral side.

● Distribution: The species was found in the Chilika lagoon, Asia’s biggest
brackish water lagoon, and the adjoining Palur canal, where water flow is
completely tide dependent.

o The Palur canal connects Chilika with River Rushikulya.

Source:DTE

WOLF-DOG HYBRIDISATION / INDIAN WOLF

Syllabus: GS-3/Environment

News

● Researchers have found the first evidence of wolf-dog hybridisation in the

country.
○ The findings claimed that wolf (Canis lupus)-dog (Canis lupus familiaris)
hybridisation may lead to immense reduction of certain adaptations in
wolves eventually causing a drop in wolf populations.

Indian wolf
 ● Scientific name: Canis lupus pallipes.
● Distribution: It is a subspecies of gray wolf that ranges from Southwest Asia to
the Indian subcontinent.
● Features: It is intermediate in size between the Himalayan wolf and the Arabian
wolf, and lacks the former's luxuriant winter coat due to it living in warmer
conditions. It has shorter fur with little to no underfur.
● Behaviour: The Indian wolf travels in smaller packs and is less vocal than other
variants of the gray wolf.
● IUCN Status: Endangered
● Mahuadanr Wolf Sanctuary in the state of Jharkhand is only wolf sanctuary in
the country.

Source:DTE