UAE Exit from OPEC and OPEC+ | Geophagy | India Becomes 5th Largest Military Spender in 2025: SIPRI

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Syllabus: GS2/ Regional Groupings

Context

The United Arab Emirates announced its withdrawal from OPEC and OPEC+ (effective May 1, 2026).

Reason

UAE blamed fellow Arab states for not doing enough to protect it from numerous Iranian attacks during the war and decided to exit the grouping.

OPEC+

Brief: It is a coalition of oil-producing countries that includes members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and several non-OPEC nations. A partnership between OPEC and 10 non-OPEC oil-producing countries.
OPEC Established: 1960 by Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.
Headquarters: Vienna, Austria.
Members:
- Founding Members: Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela.
- Additional Members: Algeria, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Libya, Nigeria, UAE.
- Non-OPEC members of OPEC+: Russia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Malaysia, Oman, South Sudan, and Sudan.
Significance of OPEC+: Controls around 40% of global oil supply.

Syllabus: GS3/Environment

News

Barbary macaques in Gibraltar have been found to eat soil (geophagy) more often than other populations.

Geophagy

It is the widespread behavior of eating soil, clay, or earth substances like chalk or kaolin.
It is observed across many animal groups and also among some human populations, especially in tropical regions.
It is found in many cultures worldwide but especially common in parts of Africa, among pregnant women, children, and rural populations.
It may be linked to health or nutritional needs, such as relieving nausea, but its exact causes are not well understood.

Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus)

It is a unique primate found in Africa north of the Sahara and is the only wild monkey in Europe.
Once widespread across North Africa and parts of Southern Europe, it now survives mainly in small forest areas in Algeria and Morocco, with an introduced population in Gibraltar.
The species is listed on Appendix I of CITES and The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species classifies it as Endangered .

Syllabus: GS3/Defence

Context

India emerged as the world’s fifth-largest military spender in 2025, with defence expenditure reaching $92.1 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Key Highlights (India)

Defence spending rose by 8.9% year-on-year, driven by operational and procurement needs amid India–Pakistan tensions (May 2025).
India remains the 2nd largest arms importer, accounting for 8.2% of global imports. However, arms imports declined by 4% between 2016–20 and 2021–25.
Strategic Shift: India has gradually diversified its arms imports away from Russia towards Western suppliers such as France, Israel, and the United States; Russia’s share declined from 70% (2011–15) to 51% (2016–20) and further to 40% in 2021–25.

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s (SIPRI)

It is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament.
It was established in 1966 in Stockholm (Sweden).