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African swine fever:
Reference News:-
After African Swine Fever (ASF) cases were reported in a breeding farm in Sepahijala district, the
Tripura government has decided to go in for mass culling of infected pigs at the farm.
About African Swine Fever (ASF):
 ASF is a highly contagious and
fatal animal disease that infects
domestic and wild pigs, typically
resulting in an acute form of
hemorrhagic fever.
 It was first detected in Africa in
the 1920s.
 The mortality is close to 100 per
cent, and since the fever has no
cure, the only way to stop it
spreading is by culling the animals.
 As of now, there is no approved
vaccine, which is also a reason why
animals are culled to prevent the
spread of infection.
India Post Payments Bank launches ‘Fincluvation’
Reference News:-
India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), a 100%
government-owned entity under the
Department of Posts (DoP) announced the
launch of Fincluvation– a joint initiative to
collaborate with the Fintech Startup
community to co-create and innovate
solutions for financial inclusion.
 Startups are encouraged to develop solutions aligned with any of the following tracks-
o Creditization – Develop Innovative & Inclusive credit products aligned with the use
cases of target customers and take them to their doorsteps through the Postal network.
o Digitization – Bring convenience through the convergence of traditional services with
Digital Payment Technologies such as making the traditional Money Order service an
Interoperable Banking service.
o Any Market-led solutions that can help solve any other problem relevant to IPPB
and/or DoP in serving the target customers

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The intersection of technology with financial services coupled with traditional distribution networks
is opening up a new set of business opportunities.
About India Post Payments Bank
 Established under the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communication
 Set up with the vision to build the most accessible, affordable, and trusted bank for the
common man in India.
 The fundamental mandate of IPPB is to remove barriers for the unbanked and under-banked
and reach the last mile by leveraging a network comprising 160,000 post offices (145,000 in
rural areas) and 400,000 postal employees.
India’s operational research stations at the South Pole
Reference News:-
One of India’s research stations in Antarctica,
Maitri, which has been operational for over
35 years, needs urgent upgradation, work
towards which is being done by the National
Centre for Polar and Ocean Research
(NCPOR).
 India has two operational research stations at the South Pole — Maitri and Bharati.
 Dakshin Gangotri, the first station built before 1985, is now operating as a base transit
camp mainly for supplying goods.
 Built during 1988-1989 to operate for a period of ten years, Maitri is an important station
that allows scientists to collect geological, meteorological and geophysical data. This data
is useful in understanding and drawing timely inferences about climate change and other
scientific areas.
India and Oceans:
India is among the few nations to have dedicated ocean missions.
 Two years ago, India announced a Rs 4,000-crore Deep Ocean Mission to be spearheaded by
the MoES.
 India has also announced projects that will contribute to the Blue Economy, envisioned over
the next decade.
Note:
 The US, UK, France, Chile, Belgium, Australia, and Germany are among the leading nations
with multiple research stations at the South Pole.
 With the United Nations has declared 2021–2030 as the Decade of Ocean Science for
Sustainable Development, there are a number of initiatives, including improving coastal
livelihoods, protecting sea and ocean, ocean literacy, and restoring coral reefs, aimed at
increasing the resourcefulness of the oceans.

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G20 Countries
Reference News:-
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and her counterparts from the mostly western bloc recently
walked out of a G20 finance boffins session as Russian officials began to speak.
 This was a boycott — to protest Moscow’s war on Ukraine.
 However, these countries were not joined by officials from at least ten other nations,
including Indonesia, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia.
What’s the issue?
These countries have continued to resist Russian aggression and war crimes.
 They said, Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine is a grave threat to the global economy.
 They demanded that Russia should not be participating or included in these meetings.
What is the G20?
The G20 is an annual meeting of leaders from the countries with the largest and fastest-growing
economies.
 Its members account for 85% of the world’s GDP, and two-thirds of its population.
 The G20 Summit is formally known as the “Summit on Financial Markets and the World
Economy”.
Establishment:
After the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997-1998, it was acknowledged that the participation of major
emerging market countries is needed on discussions on the international financial system, and G7
finance ministers agreed to establish the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors
meeting in 1999.
Presidency:
 The group has no permanent staff of its own, so every year in December, a G20 country from
a rotating region takes on the presidency.
 That country is then responsible for organising the next summit, as well as smaller meetings
for the coming year.
 They can also choose to invite non-member countries along as guests.
 The first G20 meeting took place in Berlin in 1999, after a financial crisis in East Asia
affected many countries around the world.
Full membership of the G20:
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada,
China, France, Germany, India,
Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia,
Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South
Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the
United States and the European Union.

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Its relevance in changing times:
 As globalization progresses and various issues become more intricately intertwined, the
recent G20 summits have focused not only on macroeconomy and trade, but also on a wide
range of global issues which have an immense impact on the global economy, such as
development, climate change and energy, health, counter-terrorism, as well as migration and
refugees.
 The G20 has sought to realize an inclusive and sustainable world through its contributions
towards resolving these global issues.
Regulatory framework for special purpose
acquisition companies (SPACs):
Reference News:-
The government is reportedly considering a regulatory framework for special purpose acquisition
companies (SPACs).
What are SPACs?
 An SPAC, or a blank-cheque company, is an entity specifically set up with the objective of
acquiring a firm in a particular sector.
 An SPAC aims to raise money in an initial public offering (IPO) without any operations or
revenues.
 The money that is raised from the public is kept in an escrow account, which can be
accessed while making the acquisition.
 If the acquisition is not made within two years of the IPO, the SPAC is delisted and the
money is returned to the investors.
Why are they attractive?
While SPACs are essentially shell companies, a key factor that makes them attractive to investors
are the people who sponsor them.
Globally, prominent names have participated in SPACs.
Associated concerns:
 In March last year, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued an investor
alert on SPACs, cautioning investors “not to make investment decisions related to SPACs
based solely on celebrity involvement”.
 There may be lesser returns for retail investors post-merger.
 Certain clauses could potentially prevent investors from getting their monies back.
Where does India stand?
Of the 1,145 IPOs by blank-cheque companies since 2009, 248 happened in 2020, 613 in 2021, and
58 in 2022 so far.
 The gross proceeds raised by SPACs amounted to over $83 billion in 2020 and $162 billion
in 2021. The number for 2022 has crossed $10 billion already.

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Human Animal Conflict:
Reference News:-
Standing Committee on Science,
Technology, Environment and Climate
Change headed by Rajya Sabha member
Jairam Ramesh has submitted its report.
 The report analyses the Wildlife
(Protection) Amendment Bill,
2021 tabled in the Lok Sabha in
December 2021.
Significance:
While Standing Committee reports on Bills usually stick to criticism of text of the Bill, this report
devoted space to the question of Human Animal conflict— a subject not mentioned in the proposed
amendments — as it was “a complex issue as serious as hunting” and needed “legislative backing.”
Key recommendations to reduce human – animal conflict:
 The report recommends an HAC Advisory Committee to be headed by the Chief Wild Life
Warden, who can consult the committee to act appropriately.
 Such a committee with few members and in-depth technical knowledge for evolving effective
site-specific plans/ mitigation strategies including recommendations on changing cropping
patterns and for taking critical decisions at short notice, empowered under the law is
necessary.
WWF and UNEP report on Human-wildlife conflict:
A report titled, A future for all – the need for human-wildlife coexistence, was released by the
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in July
2021.
Highlights of the Report:
1. Conflict between humans and animals is one of the main threats to the long-term survival of
some of the world’s most iconic species.
2. Globally, conflict-related killing affects more than 75 per cent of the world’s wild cat species.
It also affects polar bears and Mediterranean monk seals as well as large herbivores such as
elephants.
3. Global wildlife populations have fallen an average of 68 per cent since 1970.
Indian scenario:
1. Over 500 elephants were killed between 2014-2015 and 2018-2019, mostly due to human-
elephant conflict.
2. During the same period, 2,361 people were killed as a result of conflict with elephants.

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3. India will be most-affected by human-wildlife conflict because it had the world’s second-
largest human population as well as large populations of tigers, Asian elephants, one-horned
rhinos, Asiatic lions and other species.
What needs to be done?
Completely eradicating human-wildlife conflict is not possible. But well-planned, integrated
approaches to managing it can reduce conflicts and lead to a form of coexistence between people
and animals.
Sonitpur Model:
1. In Sonitpur district in Assam, destruction of forests had forced elephants to raid crops, in turn
causing deaths of both, elephants and humans.
2. In response, WWF India had developed the ‘Sonitpur Model’ during 2003-2004 by which
community members were connected with the state forest department.
3. They were given training on how to work with them to drive elephants away from crop fields
safely.
4. WWF India had also developed a low-cost, single strand, non-lethal electric fence to ease the
guarding of crops from elephants.
5. Afterwards, crop losses dropped to zero for four years running. Human and elephant deaths
also reduced significantly.
Advisory for management of Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) approved by Standing
Committee of National Board of Wildlife (SC-NBWL):
1. Empower gram panchayats in dealing with the problematic wild animals as per the
WildLife (Protection) Act, 1972.
2. Utilise add-on coverage under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna for crop
compensation against crop damage due to HWC.
3. Augment fodder and water sources within the forest areas.
4. Other measures: The advisory prescribes inter-departmental committees at local/state level,
adoption of early warning systems, creation of barriers, dedicated circle wise Control Rooms
with toll free hotline numbers which could be operated on 24X7 basis.
NASA-ISRO NISAR Mission:
Reference News:-
Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) is working with the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) of the United States of America to
jointly realise a satellite mission
named ‘NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture
Radar (NISAR)’ for scientific studies of
Earth.

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 The NISAR mission is scheduled for launch in 2023.
About NISAR:
 It is optimised for studying hazards and global environmental change and can help manage
natural resources better and provide information to scientists to better understand the effects
and pace of climate change.
 It will scan the globe every 12 days over the course of its three-year mission of imaging the
Earth’s land, ice sheets and sea ice to give an “unprecedented” view of the planet.
 It will detect movements of the planet’s surface as small as 0.4 inches over areas about half
the size of a tennis court.
 NASA will provide one of the radars for the satellite, a high-rate communication subsystem
for science data, GPS receivers and a payload data subsystem.
 ISRO will provide the spacecraft bus, the second type of radar (called the S-band radar), the
launch vehicle and associated launch services.
 NISAR will be equipped with the largest reflector antenna ever launched by NASA and its
primary goals include tracking subtle changes in the Earth’s surface, spotting warning signs
of imminent volcanic eruptions, helping to monitor groundwater supplies and tracking the
rate at which ice sheets are melting.
Synthetic aperture radar:
The name NISAR is short for NASA-ISRO-SAR. SAR here refers to the synthetic aperture
radar that NASA will use to measure changes in the surface of the Earth.
 Essentially, SAR refers to a technique for producing high-resolution images. Because of the
precision, the radar can penetrate clouds and darkness, which means that it can collect data
day and night in any weather.