International Geopolitics and Organization Expansion

BRICS Membership Changes (January 2024)

• Expanded Membership: The BRICS bloc officially inducted five new permanent members, increasing the total count from five to ten nations.
• New Members Added:
  • Saudi Arabia
  • United Arab Emirates (UAE)
  • Iran
  • Egypt
  • Ethiopia
• Significance of Expansion:
  • The expansion dramatically increases the collective global GDP share and population representation of the bloc.
  • Enhances focus on de-dollarization efforts, particularly through increased trade settlement in local currencies among member states.
  • Iran’s inclusion strengthens the bloc’s strategic position in energy supply routes.

Economic Policy and Digital Infrastructure

Key RBI Monetary Policy Decisions

• Repo Rate: Maintained the benchmark repo rate at 6.5% for the sixth consecutive review (as of [Date Placeholder]).
• Stance: Continued with the "withdrawal of accommodation" stance, signaling vigilance against persistent inflationary pressures.
• Inflation Target (CPI): Projected retail inflation (CPI) for the fiscal year to remain above the mandated 4% target, necessitating prolonged caution.

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Framework

India's DPI model, highlighted in recent international forums, rests on three key foundational layers:

DPI Layer	Purpose	Core Technology Examples
Identity Layer	Provides universal, verifiable digital identity.	Aadhaar
Payment Layer	Enables real-time, interoperable financial transactions.	Unified Payments Interface (UPI)
Data Exchange Layer	Facilitates secure sharing of user data with consent.	Account Aggregator (AA) framework

Scientific Achievements

Lunar South Pole Mission

• Mission: Successfully achieved a soft landing on the south pole of the Moon, making [Country Name Placeholder] the first nation to achieve this specific feat.
• Rover Findings: The deployed rover conducted in-situ elemental analysis, confirming the presence of several key elements near the landing site, including Sulfur (S), Aluminum (Al), Iron (Fe), and Calcium (Ca).
• Thermal Probe Results: The mission’s payload utilized a ChaSTE (Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment) probe to measure the temperature profile of the lunar topsoil near the polar region.

Environmental and Climate Change

Key Outcomes of COP [Number Placeholder]

• Loss and Damage Fund: The conference successfully operationalized the 'Loss and Damage Fund' aimed at assisting vulnerable nations grappling with the irreversible impacts of climate change.
• Fund Structure: The World Bank was provisionally chosen to host the fund for an initial four-year period.
• Fossil Fuels Language: For the first time, the final global stocktake agreement included language specifically calling for a "transition away" from fossil fuels in energy systems, moving beyond previously used phrasing like "phase-down."