30th June 2025

Explanation - Ratle run-of-the-river (RoR) project is being constructed on the Chenab river in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir. The Indus Water treaty was signed in 1960 by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then Pakistan President Ayub Khan. The six rivers of the Indus basin originate in Tibet and flow across the Himalayan ranges to end in the Arabian Sea south of Karachi. The three western rivers (Jhelum, Chenab and Indus) were allocated to Pakistan while India was given control over the three eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas and Sutlej). While India could use the western rivers for consumption purpose, restrictions were placed on building of storage systems. The treaty states that aside of certain specific cases, no storage and irrigation systems can be built by India on the western rivers. It was brokered by the World Bank. The Treaty also provides arbitration mechanism to solve disputes amicably. A Permanent Indus Commission was set up as a bilateral commission to implement and manage the Treaty. The Commission solves disputes arising over water sharing. 

Explanation - SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation. It is a Eurasian political, economic and military organisation aiming to maintain peace, security and stability in the region. It was created in 2001. The HQ is located in Beijing, China. Prior to the creation of SCO in 2001, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan were members of the Shanghai Five (1996). Following the accession of Uzbekistan to the organisation in 2001, the Shanghai Five was renamed the SCO. The SCO Charter was signed in 2002, and entered into force in 2003. The SCO's official languages are Russian and Chinese. India and Pakistan became members in 2017. 

Explanation - The SCO was founded in June 2001, built on the 'Shanghai Five' grouping of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz Republic) and Tajikistan, which had come together in the post-Soviet era in 1996, in order to work on regional security, reduction of border troops, and terrorism. A particular goal all these years has been "conflict resolution", given its early successes between China and Russia, and then within the Central Asian Republics. The 1996 meeting of the Shanghai Five, for example, resulted in an 'Agreement on Confidence-Building in the Military Field Along the Border Areas' between China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which led to an agreement on the mutual reduction of military forces on their common borders in 1997. Subsequently, it helped push the Central Asian countries to resolve some of their boundary disputes as well. In 2001, the Shanghai Five inducted Uzbekistan into the group and named it the SCO, outlining its principles in a charter that promoted what was called the "Shanghai spirit" of cooperation. 

The SCO describes its main goals, part of its Charter that was adopted in St. Petersburg in 2002, as 

• strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states; 

• promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade, economy, research and technology and culture, as well as in education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, and other areas; 

• making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region; and moving towards the establishment of a democratic, fair and rational new international political and economic order. 

Explanation - Primary pollutants originate directly from emission sources such as vehicle exhaust, coal-fired power plants, and biomass burning. In contrast, secondary pollutants are formed when primary pollutants react with each other or with atmospheric elements like water vapour and sunlight. These reactions lead to the formation of complex particles like ammonium sulphate and ammonium nitrate, which can be equally or more harmful. 

Explanation - The Government has been celebrating the Statistics Day, to popularise the use of Statistics in everyday life and sensitise public on how Statistics helps shaping and framing policies for the welfare of people. It is celebrated every year on the birth anniversary of Prof. P C Mahalanobis, on 29th June, in recognition of his invaluable contribution in establishing the National Statistical System