{"id":3742,"date":"2025-12-29T09:17:29","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T09:17:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/?p=3742"},"modified":"2025-12-29T12:10:25","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T12:10:25","slug":"current-affairs-29th-december-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/2025\/12\/29\/current-affairs-29th-december-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Current Affairs 29th December 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">1. Russia likely placing new hypersonic missiles<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>GS Paper II \u2013 International Relations<\/p>\n<p>GS Paper III \u2013 Security &amp; Defence<\/p>\n<p><strong>Context <\/strong>:Russia likely deploying <strong>nuclear-capable Oreshnik<\/strong> missiles in Belarus (near Krichev airbase), per satellite imagery and US researchers. First reported Dec 2025 amid Ukraine war tensions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Key features<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM)<\/li>\n<li>Speed: Mach 10+ (up to Mach 11)<\/li>\n<li>Range: up to 5,500 km<\/li>\n<li>Nuclear-capable, MIRV with 6 warheads (each with submunitions)<\/li>\n<li>Maneuverable reentry vehicles<\/li>\n<li>Road-mobile launcher<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Why hard to intercept<\/strong> High speed + maneuverability + MIRV deployment Overwhelms current defenses Kinetic energy alone causes massive damage (even inert warheads)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hypersonic ballistic missile vs traditional ballistic missile<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Aspect<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Traditional Ballistic Missile<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Oreshnik (Hypersonic Ballistic Missile)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Trajectory<\/td>\n<td>Predictable parabolic arc<\/td>\n<td>High-speed, maneuverable reentry<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Speed<\/td>\n<td>Mach 5\u201320 (reentry)<\/td>\n<td>Mach 10+ sustained, highly maneuverable<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Maneuverability<\/td>\n<td>Limited (mostly fixed path)<\/td>\n<td>High (evades interceptors)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Interception difficulty<\/td>\n<td>Moderate (mid-course possible)<\/td>\n<td>Extremely high (terminal phase unpredictable)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Payload<\/td>\n<td>Single or basic MIRV<\/td>\n<td>Advanced MIRV with submunitions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Primary threat<\/td>\n<td>Speed + range<\/td>\n<td>Speed + evasion + kinetic impact<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Strategic significance<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Extends Russia&#8217;s reach deeper into Europe<\/li>\n<li>Deters NATO aid to Ukraine (long-range weapons)<\/li>\n<li>First nuclear assets outside Russia since Cold War<\/li>\n<li>Counters US hypersonic deployments in Europe<\/li>\n<li>Boosts Belarus security (political reassurance)<\/li>\n<li>Signals reliance on nuclear threats amid New START expiry<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">2. A grand vision and the great Indian research defict<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>GS paper III- Economy and scienc\u00a0 and technology<\/p>\n<p><strong>Context :<\/strong> India has grand technological and economic vision but suffers from a massive, chronic R&amp;D deficit that threatens its global power status.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why R&amp;D matters for a country<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Drives next-generation technology and economic growth<\/li>\n<li>Creates high-value jobs and intellectual property<\/li>\n<li>Ensures national security (defence, semiconductors, AI)<\/li>\n<li>Reduces dependence on foreign technology<\/li>\n<li>Builds global competitiveness and sovereign innovation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>India\u2019s R&amp;D deficit explained through numbers<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Only 0.6\u20130.7% of GDP spent on R&amp;D (slipping as GDP grows)<\/li>\n<li>China: ~2.4% | USA: ~3.5% | Israel: &gt;5.4%<\/li>\n<li>India has 17.5% of world population but only 3% of global research output<\/li>\n<li>Patents per million residents: India ranks 44th globally<\/li>\n<li>India\u2019s total R&amp;D spending &lt; Huawei\u2019s single-company spending (\u20b923,400 crore vs Huawei\u2019s \u20b91.6 lakh crore)<\/li>\n<li>Private sector contributes only 36.4% (global norm: 65\u201370%)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Structural problems behind R&amp;D deficit<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Government remains main funder; private sector risk-averse and short-term focused<\/li>\n<li>Bureaucratic delays in project approval and staggered fund release<\/li>\n<li>Weak academia-industry linkage; research stays theoretical<\/li>\n<li>Universities focus on teaching, not research excellence<\/li>\n<li>Brain drain: talented researchers move abroad for better facilities &amp; pay<\/li>\n<li>Scattered efforts instead of concentrated missions in AI, quantum, semiconductors<\/li>\n<li>Low patent commercialization culture and slow technology transfer<\/li>\n<li>No strong incentives for private firms to invest in frontier R&amp;D<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The way forward<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Raise R&amp;D spending to at least 2% of GDP in next 5\u20137 years<\/li>\n<li>Give big tax incentives to private sector to reach 50% of total R&amp;D spend<\/li>\n<li>Reform universities: make them research centres with strong PhD funding<\/li>\n<li>Create mandatory industry-academia chairs and joint research centres<\/li>\n<li>Launch long-term, uninterrupted funding for national missions (semiconductors, AI, quantum)<\/li>\n<li>Simplify patent filing and offer financial rewards for commercialised patents<\/li>\n<li>Reduce bureaucratic delays in project approval and fund release<\/li>\n<li>Build world-class research infrastructure and competitive faculty salaries<\/li>\n<li>Reverse brain drain through attractive career paths in India<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">3. Linked civilization, a modern stratagic partnership<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>GS Paper II: International Relations<\/p>\n<p><strong>Context :<\/strong> India-Iran relations transcend modern diplomacy, rooted in ancient civilizational links, now evolving into a strategic partnership for energy, connectivity, security, and regional stability.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Civilizational foundations of India-Iran relations<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Shared Indo-Iranian linguistic and cultural roots from ancient Aryan migrations<\/li>\n<li>Common mythological and religious heritage (Avesta and Rigveda)<\/li>\n<li>Centuries of Persian cultural influence on India (language, art, poetry, architecture)<\/li>\n<li>Enduring Indo-Persian literary tradition (e.g., Mirza Abdul-Qadir Bedil)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Why this relationship matters today<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Provides India strategic access to Central Asia and Europe via INSTC and Chabahar Port<\/li>\n<li>Ensures energy security for India\u2019s growing economy<\/li>\n<li>Counters extremism and terrorism in West and South Asia<\/li>\n<li>Strengthens multipolar axis for regional stability<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Key pillars of modern India-Iran partnership<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Energy cooperation: Iran\u2019s hydrocarbon reserves meet India\u2019s oil\/gas needs<\/li>\n<li>Connectivity: Chabahar Port and INSTC corridor (shorter, cheaper than Suez)<\/li>\n<li>Trade and economic ties: Diversification beyond oil, using local currencies<\/li>\n<li>Knowledge and technology: Collaboration in AI, nanotechnology, medical sciences<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Security and strategic cooperation<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Joint fight against extremism and terrorism in West\/South Asia<\/li>\n<li>Intelligence sharing and maritime security in Persian Gulf<\/li>\n<li>Countering third-party pressures through strategic prudence<\/li>\n<li>Mutual interest in stable West Asia<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Challenges in India-Iran relations<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Third-party sanctions and geopolitical pressures (e.g., US sanctions on Iran)<\/li>\n<li>Regional rivalries and instability in West Asia<\/li>\n<li>Delays in Chabahar project implementation<\/li>\n<li>Volatility in energy trade due to global politics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The way forward \u2013 future-oriented cooperation<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Strengthen flexible financial mechanisms (local currency trade)<\/li>\n<li>Expand INSTC and Chabahar for multimodal connectivity<\/li>\n<li>Deepen tech and innovation collaboration (AI, quantum, biotech)<\/li>\n<li>Build resilient, independent partnership guided by shared legacy<\/li>\n<li>Transform historical goodwill into bold strategic alliance for 21st century<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">4. What are rare earth elements<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>GS paper I-Geography<\/p>\n<p><strong>Context :<\/strong>In news due to their role in EVs, wind turbines, defence, and a looming \u201cmineral cold war\u201d as big powers race to secure supplies.\u200b\u200b<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Rare earths are chemically similar metals used in magnets, lasers, catalysts, batteries, and optical fibres.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Why they are important<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Enable high\u2011performance permanent magnets used in EV motors, wind turbines, hard drives, and missiles.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Provide luminescent and catalytic functions in LEDs, displays, fibre\u2011optic amplifiers, and catalytic converters.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Misconceptions about \u201crare earth\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Misconception: they are geologically scarce; actually quite abundant but rarely found in rich, mineable concentrations.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Name \u201crare earth\u201d is historical; difficulty is economic and technological, not absolute scarcity.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Why rare earths have unique properties<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Unique properties arise from partially filled 4f electron shells that are shielded from the environment.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>These 4f electrons give strongly localized magnetic moments and sharp optical emission lines.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Magnetic properties<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Some rare earth ions (Nd, Dy, Sm) have many unpaired 4f electrons giving very large magnetic moments.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Strong spin\u2013orbit coupling and crystal\u2011field anisotropy make their magnets hard to demagnetize.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Two requirements of a good magnet<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>High remanence: magnet should store large magnetic energy per unit volume.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>High coercivity: magnet should resist demagnetization at working temperatures.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Optical properties<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Many rare earth ions act as phosphors, emitting precise colours when excited by UV or electrons.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Sharp emission lines make them ideal for red phosphors in displays and dopants in lasers and fibre\u2011optic amplifiers.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Rare earth vs oil: why processing matters more<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Oil: once extracted, refinery steps are standard and interchangeable globally.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Rare earths: value lies in complex separation and refining chains; each ore needs customised circuits and thousands of solvent\u2011extraction stages.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Rare earth mining: environmental &amp; technical issues<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ores contain very low REE percentages, so huge volumes of rock and water must be processed.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Deposits often contain radioactive thorium\/uranium and toxic fluorides, creating long\u2011lived hazardous tailings.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The \u201cmidstream menace\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Midstream (concentration, separation, refining) generates most waste, emissions, and technical bottlenecks.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Failures or pollution here, as seen at Bayan Obo and Malaysian refineries, cause major local health and ecological crises.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Why separation is so hard<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>All rare earth ions largely share the same +3 charge and very similar ionic radii and chemistry.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Solvent\u2011extraction only slightly prefers one ion over another, requiring hundreds\u2013thousands of repeated stages.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Why rare earths are geopolitically sensitive<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>China controls about 70% of mining and nearly 85\u201390% of processing capacity, creating strategic dependence.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>US, EU, and others are scrambling to diversify supply, turning REEs into a tool of strategic leverage and trade conflicts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">5. Venezuela\u2019s resource curse<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>GS Paper II: International Relations<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0CONTEXT<\/strong>:U.S. naval actions and tighter enforcement of oil sanctions, including seizures of Venezuelan tankers, which further strain its already fragile, oil\u2011dependent economy.\u200b<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is \u201cresource curse\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Resource<\/strong>\u00a0curse describes countries with abundant natural resources but weak growth, institutions and diversification due to over\u2011reliance on commodity rents.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>It leads to volatility, corruption, Dutch disease, conflict risks and neglect of human capital and non\u2011resource sectors.\u200b<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3743 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-29-144517-273x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"273\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-29-144517-273x300.png 273w, https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-29-144517.png 299w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 273px) 100vw, 273px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Venezuela\u2019s resource wealth<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Venezuela has the world\u2019s largest proven crude oil reserves, around 303 billion barrels, mainly in the Orinoco Belt.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Yet oil today contributes a small and volatile output as production has collapsed, even though petroleum still provides most export and fiscal revenue.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Structural reasons for economic decline<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Long\u2011term dependence on oil made Venezuela a rentier state, with the state distributing oil rents instead of building a productive, tax\u2011based economy.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Weak institutions, centralised state control and politicisation of PDVSA encouraged corruption, under\u2011investment and macroeconomic mismanagement.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Nature of oil reserves: extra\u2011heavy crude<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Much of Venezuela\u2019s oil is extra\u2011heavy, sour crude, technically difficult and expensive to extract and refine.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>This requires foreign capital, technology and stable contracts, which sanctions and policy uncertainty have discouraged.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Collapse of state oil company (PDVSA)<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>PDVSA shifted from a technically driven company to a politicised arm of the state, losing managerial autonomy and professional staff.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Revenue diversion to social spending without reinvestment led to decaying infrastructure, leakages and falling operational capacity.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Decline in oil production<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Crude output fell from about 3.2 million barrels per day in 2000 to roughly 735,000 barrels per day in 2023.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Ageing fields, lack of maintenance, brain drain and limited access to finance and technology under sanctions drove this steep decline.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Boom to bust: historical context<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>From the 1950s to early 1980s, high oil revenues gave Venezuela one of Latin America\u2019s highest living standards.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>The 1980s oil price collapse, followed by later boom\u2011bust cycles, exposed structural weaknesses and triggered recurring crises and social unrest.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Role of sanctions<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>U.S. and allied sanctions restricted PDVSA\u2019s access to capital markets, equipment, diluents and key export markets.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Recent stricter enforcement via tanker seizures threatens remaining export channels, intensifying fiscal stress and foreign\u2011exchange shortages.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Why sanctions are not full explanation<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Production and governance problems pre\u2011dated major sanctions, with mismanagement and under\u2011investment visible since the 2000s.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Many oil\u2011rich states under sanctions have avoided such deep collapse when domestic institutions and macroeconomic management were stronger.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Failure to diversify the economy<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Non\u2011oil sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing remained underdeveloped as oil revenues appreciated the currency and crowded out other exports.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Import dependence for food and manufactured goods made the economy highly vulnerable when oil earnings and foreign exchange shrank.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Collapse in global oil exports<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>With falling output and sanctions, Venezuela\u2019s crude exports and OPEC market share have dropped sharply since the mid\u20112000s.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Shadow fleets and discounted sales have replaced formal markets, yielding lower net revenue per barrel and greater leakages.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Rising debt despite resource wealth<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The state borrowed heavily against future oil income, increasing external and domestic public debt during boom years.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>When prices and production fell, debt service crowded out social and capital spending, while default shut Venezuela out of normal financing.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Venezuela as a classic resource\u2011curse case<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Abundant oil, weak institutions, macro\u2011populism and over\u2011reliance on a single commodity embody the classic resource\u2011curse pattern.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>The combination of extra\u2011heavy crude, politicised state oil company and sanctions magnified the usual risks into a full\u2011blown humanitarian and economic crisis.\u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Lessons for developing countries<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Build\u00a0<strong>strong<\/strong>\u00a0fiscal rules, sovereign wealth funds and transparent institutions to smooth commodity cycles and curb rent\u2011seeking.\u200b<\/li>\n<li>Diversify exports, invest in human capital and maintain professional, autonomous management of national resource companies instead of using them as cash\u2011cows.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">6. Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC)<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>CONTEXT : <\/strong>The Union Health Minister recently reviewed IPC\u2019s work and praised its role in strengthening drug standards and pharmacovigilance, supporting Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>He also announced that the 10th edition of the Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP 2026) will be released in January 2026.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Nature and status of IPC<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>IPC is an autonomous national body that publishes the Indian Pharmacopoeia, the official compendium of drug standards under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.<\/li>\n<li>It has been operational since 1 January 2009 as a fully government\u2011funded institution under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.<\/li>\n<li>The Commission is headquartered in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Objectives<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>To safeguard human and animal health by framing authoritative, scientifically sound standards for the identity, purity, strength and quality of medicines.<\/li>\n<li>To contribute to Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat by promoting self\u2011reliance in regulatory standards and aligning them with global benchmarks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Main functions<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Regularly prepares and updates the Indian Pharmacopoeia, covering APIs, excipients, dosage forms, medical devices and herbal products.<\/li>\n<li>Publishes the National Formulary of India to guide rational, evidence\u2011based prescribing by healthcare professionals.<\/li>\n<li>Serves as the National Coordination Centre for the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI), monitoring and analysing adverse drug reactions.<\/li>\n<li>Develops, certifies and supplies Indian Pharmacopoeia Reference Substances for use in quality\u2011control laboratories.<\/li>\n<li>Works with major international pharmacopoeias (USP, BP, Ph. Eur., JP, ChP) and WHO to harmonise standards.<\/li>\n<li>Organises training, research and awareness programmes on pharmacopoeial, quality\u2011control and regulatory issues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Importance<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Helps ensure uniform quality, safety and efficacy of medicines manufactured and sold across India.<\/li>\n<li>International recognition of the Indian Pharmacopoeia in 19 countries enhances India\u2019s credibility as the \u201cpharmacy of the world\u201d.<\/li>\n<li>Strengthens India\u2019s position and reliability in global pharmaceutical supply chains by providing robust, internationally accepted standards.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>7. Where is Somaliland? Israel recognizes it as an independent nation amid row<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Subject: MAPPING<\/p>\n<p><strong>Context :<\/strong>Israel has become the first country to formally recognise Somaliland as an independent sovereign state in 2025.<img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3744 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-29-144600-300x169.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"474\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-29-144600-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-29-144600-768x434.png 768w, https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-29-144600.png 875w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The move has drawn strong objections from Somalia, the African Union, and several key regional actors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Basic profile<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Somaliland is a self\u2011declared independent entity in the Horn of Africa that broke away from Somalia in 1991.<\/li>\n<li>It has its own government, currency, security forces and institutions but has long lacked broad international recognition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Location and neighbours<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Situated in the Horn of Africa along the Gulf of Aden, largely overlapping the former British Somaliland territory.<\/li>\n<li>Shares borders with Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia (including Puntland), and the Gulf of Aden coastline.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Historical background<img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3745 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-29-144638-300x194.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"315\" height=\"204\" srcset=\"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-29-144638-300x194.png 300w, https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-29-144638.png 617w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 315px) 100vw, 315px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Became a British protectorate in 1888, known as British Somaliland.<\/li>\n<li>Gained independence in 1960 and voluntarily united with Italian Somaliland to create the Somali Republic.<\/li>\n<li>Declared independence in 1991 after civil war and collapse of Siad Barre\u2019s regime, arguing the 1960 union had failed.<\/li>\n<li>A 2001 referendum saw more than 97% of voters endorse the region\u2019s independence claim.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Current political status<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Operates as a de facto state with comparatively higher stability and peace than much of Somalia.<\/li>\n<li>Not recognised by the UN, African Union, or most states; Somalia still treats it as part of its sovereign territory.<\/li>\n<li>Runs its own political institutions, conducts elections, issues the Somaliland shilling, and manages internal security.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Significance of Israel\u2019s recognition<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Israel\u2019s step is the first formal bilateral recognition of Somaliland\u2019s sovereignty by any country.<\/li>\n<li>This could encourage other states to consider recognition but may also heighten tensions and instability in the wider region.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1. Russia likely placing new hypersonic missiles GS Paper II \u2013 International Relations GS Paper III \u2013 Security<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3753,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3742","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\/a_Russia_likely_placin.png",1024,1024,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/a_Russia_likely_placin-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/a_Russia_likely_placin-300x300.png",300,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/a_Russia_likely_placin-768x768.png",640,640,true],"large":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/a_Russia_likely_placin.png",640,640,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/a_Russia_likely_placin.png",1024,1024,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/a_Russia_likely_placin.png",1024,1024,false],"morenews-large":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/a_Russia_likely_placin-825x575.png",825,575,true],"morenews-medium":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/a_Russia_likely_placin-590x410.png",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\/3742","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=3742"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3742\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3746,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3742\/revisions\/3746"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3753"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/studentportal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}