The Presidents of India & Singapore jointly unveiled a logo to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

India-Singapore Relations

• Diplomatic Relations: India was one of the first countries to recognize Singapore’s independence & establish diplomatic relations in 1965. 
  • Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement was signed in 2005. In 2015 relations were upgraded to a Strategic Partnership which further elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024.
• Trade: Singapore is India’s 6^th largest trade partner (2023-24) with a share of 3.2 % of India’s overall trade. It is India’s largest trade partner in ASEAN (India is net importer).
• Multilateral Cooperation: Both are members of forums like East Asia Summit, Commonwealth, IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association), and IONS (Indian Ocean Naval Symposium).
• Defence Cooperation: India and Singapore hosts’ military exercises i.e. Exercise Agni Warrior (Army) & SIMBEX (Navy). 
• Indian Diaspora: Indian origin people constitute 9% of Singapore’s population.
  • Tamil is one of the four official languages of Singapore.

Nigeria has been admitted as "partner country" of BRICS grouping.

• It is the 9th BRICS partner country, joining Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.

About BRICS

• Total members: 10 
  • Informal grouping formed by Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2009, with South Africa added in 2010.
  • Other Full Members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, Indonesia.
• Three pillars of Cooperation: Political and Security; Economic and financial; Cultural and people to people exchanges.
• Represents ~40% of global population and an estimated 37.3% of global GDP.
• India hosted 4^th (2012), 8th (2016) and 13th (2021) BRICS Summit.

The United States President Signed an Executive Order to End Birthright Citizenship.

• However, A federal judge has temporarily blocked this executive order that sought to curtail birthright citizenship in the United States regardless of parents' immigration status.

About Birthright Citizenship in the US

• Definition: Birthright citizenship is a provision under the 14th Amendment (1868) of the US constitution that grants automatic citizenship to anyone born on US soil.
• Historical Context: Upheld by the US Supreme Court in United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898), even for children of non-citizen parents.

Implications for India with End of U.S. Birthright Citizenship

• H-1B Visa Holders: Children born to Indian professionals on H-1B visas, or those awaiting Green Cards (allows a person to live and work in US permanently), will no longer qualify for automatic citizenship.
• Temporary Visa Holders: Indian students (one of the largest groups of international students) and families on temporary visas will face difficulties securing citizenship for their US-born children.
• Impact on Immigration: The policy would discourage Indian professionals, students, etc, from migrating to the US, pushing them toward immigration-friendly countries like Canada and Australia.
• Curb “birth tourism”: A practice of women travelling to the US specifically to give birth, so their children can claim citizenship. 

China has approved the construction of the world's largest dam and world’s biggest infra project in Medog region of Tibet.

• The dam is over three times the capacity of the Three Gorges Dam (currently the world’s largest, in central China). 

Project Overview 

• Location: Lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River (Tibetan name for Brahmaputra) at a huge gorge in the Himalayan reaches where river makes a huge U-turn to flow into Arunachal Pradesh. 
• Stated Purpose: To support China’s carbon neutrality goals, boost industries, and create jobs in Tibet. 

Concerns Associated with the Dam Construction

• Engineering Challenges: Tibetan plateau, regarded as the roof of the world, frequently experiences earthquakes as it is located over the tectonic plates.
• Environmental Impact: Potential disruption to local ecology and downstream water flow. Risk of altering the river’s course, affecting agriculture and biodiversity. 
• Geopolitical Risks: India and Bangladesh fear China’s ability to control water flow—concerns about the dam’s use to release excess water during conflicts, causing floods. 

China and India have established Expert Level Mechanism (ELM) in 2006 to address trans-border river issues under which China provides India with hydrological data on Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers during flood seasons. India is also building its hydropower dam on the Brahmaputra in Arunachal Pradesh.

The Pangsau Pass International Festival, a three-day event celebrating border trade and cultural exchange, concluded recently in Arunachal Pradesh. 

About Pangsau Pass

• Location: Situated at 3,727 feet (1,136 m) on the Patkai Hills along the India-Myanmar border.
• Origin of Name: Named after the nearest Burmese village, Pangsau.
• Historical Significance: Believed to be the route of the 13th-century Ahom invasion of Assam by the Shan tribe.
• Connectivity: The historic Stilwell Road (Ledo Road) passes through Nampong and the Pangsau Pass into Myanmar.

Recent ceasefire terms between Israel and Hamas also stipulate Israel’s withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor. 

About Philadelphi Corridor

• Corridor was originally established under the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty.
• It is a narrow strip of land along the Gaza-Egypt border, ~14 km long and 100 meters wide.
• It serves as a critical border area between the southern Gaza Strip and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
• It runs from the Mediterranean to Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel and was designated as a demilitarised border zone after the withdrawal of Israeli settlements and troops from Gaza in 2005.

Recently, there has been a proposal to change name of Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America”.

About Gulf of Mexico

• Boundaries: United States (North), Mexico (West and South), Cuba (South-east).
• It connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the Straits of Florida and to the Caribbean Sea via the Yucatán Channel.
• Draining Rivers: Mississippi River, Rio Grande
• Control and Ownership: Shared by U.S., Mexico, and Cuba
• Significance: Large continental shelf, oil and natural gas extraction, fisheries etc. 
• Vulnerability: Prone to hurricanes and twisters due to warm waters and atmospheric conditions 

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatened to reimpose U.S. control over the Panama Canal. 

About Panama Canal 

• It is an 82-km (51-mile) artificial waterway that connects Pacific & Atlantic Oceans through Panama.
• The canal transports ships through Gatun Lake. 
• Significance:
  • It is one of the two most strategic artificial waterways in the world, the other being the Suez Canal.
  • It shortens the journey of ships between east and west coasts of U.S.  by 8,000 miles (around 22 days).