Ebola Outbreak

Syllabus: GS2/Health

Context

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an international health emergency after an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo killed over 80 people.

Ebola virus disease (EVD)

It is formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever. It is a rare but severe, often fatal illness in humans.
First found in – Guinea in December 2013..
Transmission – The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population(Zoonotic nature).
Host – fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are natural Ebola virus hosts.
Symptoms – Fever, fatigue, muscle, pain, headache, sore throat.

vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, symptoms of impaired kidney and liver function.

Treatment – The Ervebo vaccine has been shown to be effective in protecting people from the species Zaire ebolavirus. Remdesivir was also tested as an Ebola treatment

Syllabus: GS3/ Science and Technology

Context

A joint mission of the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences named SMILE is being developed to study how Earth’s magnetic shield responds to solar storms and space weather events.

SMILE Mission

SMILE stands for Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer.
Launched by – is a joint ESA-China satellite mission launched on May 19, 2026.
Objective – Exploring the interface where solar winds collide with the outer boundary of Earth’s magnetosphere

Global Space Missions

Parker Solar Probe (NASA): Launched in 2018; sweeps directly inside the Sun’s coronal atmosphere (within 6.5 million km) using an advanced carbon-composite heat shield.
Solar Orbiter (ESA & NASA): Launched in 2020 to capture the first-ever close-up images of the Sun’s polar zones by shifting outside the traditional ecliptic plane.
PUNCH Mission (NASA): Targeted to track solar winds and coronal mass ejections passing from the corona directly into the broader heliosphere.

Syllabus: GS2/IR

Context

Prime Minister Modi lands for the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Norway after 43 years.

Key Highlights of the Meet

Green Strategic Partnership: India and Norway formally declared the upgrade of bilateral ties to a Green Strategic Partnership to ensure increased collaboration in sectors ranging from Clean Energy to Climate Resilience, Blue economy to green shipping.
Norway Joins Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI): Norway formally joined India’s IPOI framework (launched 2019), which promotes a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific.
Triangular Cooperation Agreement: India and Norway will jointly offer India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) (the Aadhaar-UPI-CoWIN stack) to countries of the Global South.
Diplomatic Outcomes: Norway reaffirmed support for India’s permanent seat in a reformed UN Security Council.
PM Modi awarded the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit by King Harald V, Norway’s highest civilian honour for foreign heads of government.

India – Norway Bilateral Ties

India and Norway established bilateral relations in 1947.
The India-Nordic Summit format allowed more regular and structured interactions at Prime Ministerial levels.
The first summit was held in 2018 at Stockholm.
Norway has been supporting India’s perusal to become a permanent member of a reformed UN Security Council.
Arctic/ Polar: India set up its first permanent research station ‘Himadri’ in the Arctic in 2008 at Svalbard, Norway.
The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) carries out multiple scientific expeditions to the Arctic every year.
India has also been an Observer State in the Arctic Council since 2013.
Space: ISRO uses Norway’s Svalbard ground station on commercial terms to receive data from IRS satellites.
KSAT is also setting up ISRO’s antenna in Svalbard.

Syllabus: GS2/IR

In News

The Indian Defence Minister’s visit to Seoul after the South Korean President’s visit to India highlights the growing strength and strategic importance of India–South Korea relations.

India-South Korea

Special Strategic Partnership: Upgraded in 2015; links India’s Act East Policy with South Korea’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
Defense Success: Shifted from buyer-seller to co-production via the K9-Vajra self-propelled artillery guns.
Supply Chain Resilience: Jointly working to de-risk supply chains and reduce economic over-reliance on China.
Climate Alignment: South Korea joined the India-led International Solar Alliance (ISA).

Challenges

Trade Imbalance: India’s widening trade deficit causes economic friction.
China Dilemma: India is structurally assertive against Beijing, while South Korea remains economically tied to China.

Syllabus: GS2/Polity & Governance

Context

The Central Information Commission (CIC) held that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does not fall within the ambit of a “public authority” under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.

Central Information Commission (CIC)

Established – in 2005 by the Central Government under the provisions of Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.
Objective – It hears appeals against public authorities who have not provided information satisfactorily to the public and also addresses major issues concerning the RTI Act.
Annual report – CIC submits an annual report to the Union government on the implementation of the provisions of RTI Act.

Composition of CIC

Head – The CIC is headed by the Chief Information Commissioner and not more than ten Information Commissioners.
Tenure – The Chief Information Commissioner holds office for five years or until he attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. He is not eligible for reappointment.
Appointment of the commissioner in CIC – The commissioners are appointed by the President on the recommendation of a selection committee.
Selection committee – It consists of the Prime Minister as Chairperson, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.

State Information Commission

The Right to Information Act of 2005 provides for the creation of a State Information Commission at the state level.
The State Information Commission is a high powered independent body which inter-alia looks into the complaints made to it and decides the appeals.
It entertains complaints and appeals pertaining to offices, financial institutions, public sector undertakings, etc under the concerned state government.
Composition – State Chief Information Commissioner and not more than ten State Information Commissioners appointed by the Governor.

Syllabus: GS3/Economy

Context

The government has shifted silver imports to the “restricted” category and imposed a 15% import duty to curb rising imports and protect domestic interests.

Silver

It is a relatively soft, lustrous precious metal.
It has highest electrical and thermal conductivity among all metals, critical for electronics, circuit boards, connectors, batteries, and automotive systems.
It is mainly found in ores like argentite and chlorargyrite (horn silver).
Mexico is the largest silver producer in the world.
India imports silver mainly from the United Arab Emirates, Britain and China.