{"id":3412,"date":"2025-12-03T08:02:47","date_gmt":"2025-12-03T08:02:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/?p=3412"},"modified":"2025-12-04T07:39:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T07:39:11","slug":"current-affairs-03rd-december-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/2025\/12\/03\/current-affairs-03rd-december-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Current Affairs 03rd December 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>1. WHO backs use of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>GS II (Governance &amp; Social Justice)<\/strong>: Issues relating to health, nutrition and human resources; health sector schemes and policies; role of international organisations (WHO) in health governance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Context :<\/strong>First-ever global WHO guideline on GLP\u20111 use for obesity, released end\u2011November 2025.\u200b<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Comes amid rapid worldwide uptake of GLP\u20111 drugs and concern about high costs and unequal access.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>WHO: key evidence behind guideline<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Trials show GLP\u20111 drugs achieve clinically meaningful, sustained weight loss versus placebo or lifestyle alone.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Evidence demonstrates improvements in HbA1c, blood pressure, lipids and other cardiometabolic risk markers.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Some agents show reduced risk of major cardiovascular events in high\u2011risk patients with obesity or diabetes.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Behavioural programmes plus GLP\u20111 give slightly greater weight loss and metabolic benefits than drugs alone.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Main safety and long\u2011term data gaps<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Limited data beyond a few years on durability of weight loss and cardiometabolic benefits.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Uncertain effects of long\u2011term continuous exposure on pancreas, gallbladder, kidneys and thyroid.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Insufficient evidence on outcomes after stopping drugs, including weight regain and psychological effects.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Sparse data in specific groups: older adults, adolescents, pregnancy, severe mental illness, multiple comorbidities.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Real\u2011world safety signals (e.g., rare pancreatitis, bowel obstruction, suicidal ideation) need better quantification.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>How GLP\u20111 use could evolve (policy and practice)<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Countries may prioritize GLP\u20111s for adults with high BMI plus serious comorbidities, not for cosmetic weight loss.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Health systems will need obesity clinics, monitoring protocols and training for safe, long\u2011term GLP\u20111 use.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Governments could negotiate prices, encourage generic\/biosimilar production and use pooled procurement.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Insurers may cover GLP\u20111 only when combined with structured diet\u2011exercise programmes and follow\u2011up.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Stronger population policies (taxes on unhealthy foods, marketing curbs, urban design for activity) must run in parallel.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Equity lens: ensure availability in public sector and LMICs so benefits are not confined to wealthy populations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">2. Military presence in Lakshadweep to increase with new naval detachment<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>GS Paper II &amp; III :<\/strong>\u00a0India\u2019s security challenges and their management in border areas; role of armed forces in coastal and island security.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Context :<\/strong>Navy setting up a new naval detachment at Bitra Island, to be fully operational next year.\u200b<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>IAF expanding Agatti airstrip, planning a new air base at Minicoy and inducting cargo\/armed drones for Lakshadweep operations.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Strategic importance of Lakshadweep<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Western gateway: Island chain lies off Kerala coast, astride approaches from Persian Gulf and Red Sea to western coast of India.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Sea\u2011lane monitoring: Near the Nine\u2011Degree Channel, through which major West Asia\u2013East Asia and Europe\u2013Asia shipping traffic passes.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Anti\u2011piracy and maritime security: Ideal vantage for surveillance of Arabian Sea piracy, smuggling and hostile naval movement.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>New naval detachment at Bitra<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Location: Bitra is a tiny coral island in northern Lakshadweep, close to busy shipping routes in the Arabian Sea.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>What is being built: A naval detachment with infrastructure, weapon systems and personnel to extend sea\u2011air surveillance and response.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Indian Air Force expansion<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Agatti airstrip: Runway and facilities being expanded to handle larger aircraft and sustained military logistics.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>New air base at Minicoy: Government has cleared a new airport\/air base on Minicoy to project air power and support naval ops.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Future drones: IAF planning 500\u2011kg cargo drones from mainland to Lakshadweep, capable of logistics and potential weapon carriage.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Environmental concerns<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Lakshadweep is a fragile coral ecosystem; expansion risks reef damage, coastal erosion and stress on limited land and freshwater.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Navy has publicly said development will be \u201cmeasured\u201d to avoid upsetting the ecosystem, implying need for strict environmental safeguards.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Why India is doing this now<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Rising Chinese naval presence and \u201cextra\u2011regional\u201d interest in Indian Ocean sea\u2011lanes heighten India\u2019s security concerns.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Increased commercial shipping and renewed Arabian Sea piracy attempts demand stronger surveillance and quick\u2011reaction capability.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Upgraded Lakshadweep bases, airfields and drones together deepen India\u2019s ability to dominate the western Indian Ocean approaches.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">3. Uranium Contamination in Delhi<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>GS Paper 1 \u2013Geography<\/strong> : Groundwater resources, aquifer systems, water scarcity, water pollution trends in India.<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3413 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-03-133136-300x169.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"385\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-03-133136-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-03-133136.png 396w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 385px) 100vw, 385px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Context :<\/strong>New CGWB tests in Delhi show uranium levels rising in groundwater, with about 13\u201315% samples above safe limits.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>This raises health concerns for residents dependent on borewells and highlights gaps in urban groundwater management.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What is uranium contamination?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Presence of naturally radioactive metal uranium in groundwater above the permissible limit for drinking use.<\/li>\n<li>Safe limit: 30 micrograms per litre (\u00b5g\/L) or 0.03 milligrams per litre (mg\/L), as per WHO and BIS standards.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Causes of rising uranium in Delhi groundwater<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Overuse of phosphate fertilisers that contain trace uranium, which leaches down to aquifers over time.<\/li>\n<li>Industrial and urban effluents carrying uranium and other heavy metals into subsurface water.<\/li>\n<li>Natural leaching from uranium\u2011bearing rocks, intensified by deep and excessive groundwater extraction.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Health impacts<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Chronic ingestion can damage kidneys and impair renal function over time.<\/li>\n<li>Higher risk of kidney and urinary tract cancers with long\u2011term exposure.<\/li>\n<li>Uranium deposition in bone may affect bone strength and long\u2011term skeletal health.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Environmental implications<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Persistent contamination lowers aquifer quality and reduces usable freshwater reserves.<\/li>\n<li>Often co\u2011exists with nitrate and fluoride, creating multiple\u2011pollutant stress on groundwater systems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Policy and governance relevance<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Points to need for source control (fertiliser, industrial effluent) and strict groundwater regulation.<\/li>\n<li>Calls for expanded monitoring, public disclosure of water\u2011quality data and provision of safe alternative sources.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">4. Jal Jeevan mission projects<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>GS II:<\/strong>\u00a0Government policies and interventions in social sector; issues relating to health, drinking water and service delivery.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Context :<\/strong>Centre informed Parliament that nearly 17,000 complaints were received on JJM works across States\/UTs.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>About 84% of these complaints came from Uttar Pradesh, mainly on irregularities and poor\u2011quality work.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Institutional framework of JJM<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Nodal ministry: Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation.<\/li>\n<li>Implementation: States via State Water &amp; Sanitation Missions, DWSMs, and Gram Panchayats\/VWSCs.<\/li>\n<li>Funds: Shared between Centre and States; convergence with other rural schemes allowed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Background \u2013 key findings from reply<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Total complaints reported from 32 States\/UTs regarding JJM projects.<\/li>\n<li>Sources included media reports, suo\u2011motu cognizance, citizen grievances, vigilance inputs.<\/li>\n<li>Action initiated against officials, contractors and third\u2011party inspection agencies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Uttar Pradesh \u2013 highest complaints<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>UP accounted for roughly four\u2011fifths of total JJM complaints nationwide.<\/li>\n<li>Allegations centred on financial irregularities and sub\u2011standard construction of water works.<\/li>\n<li>State reported that enquiries were initiated in almost all registered complaints.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Action taken (overall and in UP)<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Disciplinary action against hundreds of departmental officials at various levels.<\/li>\n<li>Blacklisting\/penal action against many contractors and several third\u2011party inspection agencies.<\/li>\n<li>In UP, enquiries completed in most cases with departmental and contractual penalties imposed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Types of complaints<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Poor work quality: leaking pipelines, non\u2011functional taps, incomplete schemes.<\/li>\n<li>Financial irregularities: over\u2011billing, ghost assets, collusion in contracts.<\/li>\n<li>Service delivery issues: irregular water supply, low pressure, unsafe or contaminated water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Detailed situation in Uttar Pradesh<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Large state with massive JJM rollout, leading to high volume of contracts and worksites.<\/li>\n<li>Many complaints came through multiple channels \u2013 public representatives, citizens, vigilance.<\/li>\n<li>State claims most complaints have been probed; some found valid, others closed as not proved.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Situation in other States<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>After UP, Assam and Tripura reported the next highest number of complaints.<\/li>\n<li>Several other States\/UTs reported relatively small complaint numbers.<\/li>\n<li>Action included warnings, recovery of funds, termination of poor\u2011performing contractors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Why are complaints so high? <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Scale and speed: very rapid expansion of rural tap connections can overstretch supervision.<\/li>\n<li>Weak local capacity: technical and financial monitoring at district\/village level often inadequate.<\/li>\n<li>Incentive issues: pressure to show connection numbers may lead to compromised quality.<\/li>\n<li>Rising awareness: citizens increasingly report defects as expectations from JJM grow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What is Jal Jeevan Mission?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Flagship programme launched in 2019 to provide Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) to all rural households.<\/li>\n<li>Focus on \u201cHar Ghar Jal\u201d with adequate, regular, safe drinking water supply.<\/li>\n<li>Time\u2011bound mission with significant central funding and state participation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Why JJM matters ?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Addresses rural drinking\u2011water scarcity and women\u2019s drudgery in water collection.<\/li>\n<li>Critical for health, reducing water\u2011borne diseases and improving nutrition outcomes.<\/li>\n<li>Supports SDG\u20116 (clean water and sanitation) and overall rural development.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Key features of JJM<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Village\u2011level planning<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Each village prepares a Village Action Plan (VAP) covering water sources, supply systems and O&amp;M.<\/li>\n<li>Plans are integrated with district and state water\u2011supply strategies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Community participation<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Gram Panchayat\/ Village Water and Sanitation Committee (VWSC) leads planning and implementation.<\/li>\n<li>Users involved in selecting schemes, supervising works, and deciding user charges.<\/li>\n<li>Emphasis on community ownership for long\u2011term sustainability and O&amp;M.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Water\u2011quality monitoring<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Provision for village\u2011level testing kits and training of local women volunteers.<\/li>\n<li>Setting up and strengthening of district\/sub\u2011divisional water\u2011quality laboratories.<\/li>\n<li>Protocols for periodic surveillance, reporting contamination and taking corrective action.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Overall significance of the complaints<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>High complaint numbers indicate serious implementation gaps but also active grievance reporting.<\/li>\n<li>Effective follow\u2011up can improve accountability, enhance community trust and strengthen JJM outcomes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">5. A template for security cooperation in the Indian ocean<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>GS Paper-2 : International Relations:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Context :<\/strong>India hosted the 7th NSA-level CSC summit on November 20, 2025, in New Delhi, marking Seychelles&#8217; full membership.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Summit highlighted deepening regional ties amid evolving Indian Ocean threats like terrorism and trafficking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What is Colombo Security Conclave?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>CSC is a regional security forum of Indian Ocean littoral states focused on maritime cooperation and countering transnational threats.<\/li>\n<li>Members include India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, Bangladesh, and now Seychelles; operates via NSA-level meetings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Origin &amp; Evolution<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Originated in 2011 as Trilateral Maritime Security Dialogue among India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives for joint patrols and info-sharing.<\/li>\n<li>Paused post-2014 due to political transitions; revived in 2020 with expanded agenda on counter-terrorism and HADR.<\/li>\n<li>Evolved in 2022 with Mauritius joining; Bangladesh in 2024; Seychelles as full member in 2025, broadening to six states.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Why the 2025 Summit Important?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Comes at pivotal moment for India amid shifting Indo-Pacific dynamics, reinforcing CSC as key bilateral-multilateral bridge.<\/li>\n<li>Seychelles&#8217; accession signals deep commitment to expanding forum, countering fragmentation in regional security.<\/li>\n<li>Addresses urgent needs like maritime stability, vital for India&#8217;s SAGAR vision and neighborhood outreach.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Why is the Indian Ocean Security Architecture Fragmented?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Lacks singular institutional framework; multiple overlapping groups like IORA and QUAD create silos and minimal actor synergy.<\/li>\n<li>State-centric, exclusive approaches prioritize bilateral ties over inclusive regional mechanisms, hindering cohesive responses.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Why Maritime Security-Development for IOR Countries?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Security challenges like piracy and trafficking directly impact economic progress, livelihoods, and sea-borne trade globalization.<\/li>\n<li>Littoral states&#8217; development priorities intertwined with maritime domain stability, enabling sustainable blue economies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Key Outcomes of the 2025 CSC Summit<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Strengthened commitments to maritime safety, counter-terrorism, and anti-trafficking via enhanced info-sharing and joint exercises.<\/li>\n<li>Formalized Seychelles&#8217; full membership and explored Malaysia&#8217;s observer role, expanding group&#8217;s footprint.<\/li>\n<li>Endorsed NSA-level institutional structure for policy alignment and actionable cooperation pathways.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Major Challenges Ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Navigating China&#8217;s growing presence in IOR without alienating CSC members reliant on Beijing for development aid.<\/li>\n<li>Balancing agenda expansion on non-traditional threats like cyber while maintaining focus on core maritime issues.<\/li>\n<li>Building synergies with broader forums like BIMSTEC to avoid duplication and foster inclusive growth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Overall Significance<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Acts as &#8220;region&#8217;s 911&#8221; for rapid crisis response, institutionalizing cooperation on shared IOR threats.<\/li>\n<li>Bolsters India&#8217;s leadership in neighborhood security, promoting stability vital for 25% of global trade routes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">6. Privacy in a fishbowl society<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>GS\u2011II (Fundamental Rights, governance, vulnerable sections, women\u2019s safety) and GS\u2011III (science\u2011tech, cyber security).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Context :<\/strong>Debate on India\u2019s \u201cbig data\u2013AI\u201d future, new 2025 data\u2011protection rules and concern over non\u2011consensual intimate images (NCII).<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Articles warn that India risks becoming a \u201cfishbowl society\u201d with pervasive surveillance and weak social preparedness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Big data and \u201cfishbowl society\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Big data = massive, continuously collected digital traces (location, biometrics, browsing, CCTV, Aadhaar\u2011linked data).<\/li>\n<li>Fishbowl society = citizens live under constant visibility; everything can be observed, tracked, profiled in real time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>India\u2019s privacy framework<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Constitutional backing: Right to privacy recognised as a fundamental right (Puttaswamy judgment).<\/li>\n<li>Statutory layer: Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 and DPDP Rules, 2025 for digital personal data.<\/li>\n<li>Sectoral rules: RBI, TRAI, IRDAI, IT Rules, CERT\u2011In directions, etc., for specific industries and cyber incidents.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Privacy challenges in the age of AI<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>AI thrives on huge datasets; pushes constant data collection, profiling and predictive analytics.<\/li>\n<li>Opaque algorithms make it hard to know how decisions are taken or to challenge them.<\/li>\n<li>Facial recognition, voice recognition and gait analysis expand surveillance beyond traditional IDs.<\/li>\n<li>Data brokers and ad\u2011tech ecosystems can re\u2011identify \u201canonymised\u201d data and create detailed dossiers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Why NCII is a major issue in India<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Easy creation and circulation of intimate photos\/videos via smartphones and cheap data.<\/li>\n<li>Deepfakes make it possible to fabricate explicit content without the victim\u2019s participation.<\/li>\n<li>Social stigma, victim\u2011blaming and slow police response discourage reporting, especially for women.<\/li>\n<li>Once online, content spreads across platforms, causing repeated trauma and extortion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Government response \u2013 2025 NCII SOP<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>New Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued for swift removal of NCII from social media and websites.<\/li>\n<li>Lays down steps for prompt reporting, platform takedown and law\u2011enforcement coordination.<\/li>\n<li>Seeks to make \u201cfirst response\u201d victim\u2011centric: speed, confidentiality and minimal re\u2011victimisation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Major limitations highlighted<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SOP is administrative; rights and remedies still depend on scattered laws (IT Act, IPC\/BNS, DPDP).<\/li>\n<li>Focuses on takedown, but weaker on long\u2011term support like counselling, compensation, witness protection.<\/li>\n<li>Implementation gaps: low awareness in police, victims and platforms; uneven capacity across States.<\/li>\n<li>Does not fully address cross\u2011border hosting, encrypted apps and small porn\/mirror sites.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Larger problems \u2013 laws exist, society unprepared<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Legal framework is improving, but digital literacy about consent, privacy and NCII remains low.<\/li>\n<li>Families, schools and workplaces often react with moral judgment instead of support.<\/li>\n<li>Victims fear honour\u2011based violence or social ostracism, so they stay silent despite formal remedies.<\/li>\n<li>Power asymmetries (gender, caste, class) make misuse of private images a tool of control and harassment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">7. International IDEA &#8211; 30 years of supporting Democracy Worldwide<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Context :<\/strong>India will chair the governing Council of International IDEA for the coming year.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The CEC\u2019s role will involve steering the body\u2019s agenda on electoral integrity and democracy support.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Nature of International IDEA<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Intergovernmental organisation focused solely on supporting and deepening democracy worldwide.<\/li>\n<li>Established in 1995, with headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Membership and status<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Began with 14 founding states including India, Spain, Norway, Australia and South Africa.<\/li>\n<li>Now has around 35 member states; United States and Japan participate as observers.<\/li>\n<li>Holds observer status at the UN General Assembly since 2003.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Aims and objectives<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Promote sustainable democracy as a universal aspiration and enabler of development.<\/li>\n<li>Safeguard democratic norms such as rule of law, participation, inclusion and accountability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Key functions<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Knowledge and research<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Produces comparative studies on elections, political parties, constitutions and governance.<\/li>\n<li>Develops global indices and tools to assess quality of democracy and electoral processes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Capacity\u2011building support<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Trains Election Management Bodies, legislatures, parties and civil society actors.<\/li>\n<li>Helps countries design and implement reforms in electoral laws and democratic institutions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Advocacy and norm\u2011setting<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Promotes international standards on electoral integrity, political finance and inclusion.<\/li>\n<li>Contributes to global debates on democracy, digital technologies and disinformation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Dialogue and convening<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Organises forums and dialogues among policymakers, EMBs, academics and NGOs.<\/li>\n<li>Provides platforms for South\u2013South and triangular cooperation on democratic practices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Technical assistance<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Advises on constitution\u2011making, electoral system design and conflict\u2011sensitive transitions.<\/li>\n<li>Supports resilience of democracies facing backsliding, fragility or post\u2011conflict challenges.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Significance and India\u2019s role<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Only global intergovernmental body with democracy promotion as its exclusive mandate.<\/li>\n<li>Its model links research, training and advocacy to concrete institutional reforms.<\/li>\n<li>India\u2019s chairship showcases its experience in managing elections for over 90 crore voters and strengthens its soft\u2011power leadership on democratic governance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1. WHO backs use of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss GS II (Governance &amp; Social Justice): Issues relating<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3418,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-current-affairs"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/WHO_endorses_GLP-1_drugs_for_obesity_treatment_-_medical_thumbnail.jpg",2304,1728,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/WHO_endorses_GLP-1_drugs_for_obesity_treatment_-_medical_thumbnail-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/WHO_endorses_GLP-1_drugs_for_obesity_treatment_-_medical_thumbnail-300x225.jpg",300,225,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/WHO_endorses_GLP-1_drugs_for_obesity_treatment_-_medical_thumbnail-768x576.jpg",640,480,true],"large":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/WHO_endorses_GLP-1_drugs_for_obesity_treatment_-_medical_thumbnail-1024x768.jpg",640,480,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/WHO_endorses_GLP-1_drugs_for_obesity_treatment_-_medical_thumbnail-1536x1152.jpg",1536,1152,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/WHO_endorses_GLP-1_drugs_for_obesity_treatment_-_medical_thumbnail-2048x1536.jpg",2048,1536,true],"morenews-large":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/WHO_endorses_GLP-1_drugs_for_obesity_treatment_-_medical_thumbnail-825x575.jpg",825,575,true],"morenews-medium":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/WHO_endorses_GLP-1_drugs_for_obesity_treatment_-_medical_thumbnail-590x410.jpg",590,410,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"Nithin DTPoperator","author_link":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/author\/nithindtp\/"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/category\/daily-current-affairs\/\" rel=\"category tag\">DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS<\/a>","tag_info":"DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3412","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3412"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3412\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3414,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3412\/revisions\/3414"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3418"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3412"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3412"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}