About Emi Koussi Volcano:

• It is a large shield volcano located in the central Sahara in the north of the Republic of Chad.
• It lies at the southeast end of the Tibesti Mountains.
• It is not only the highest mountain in Chad but also the highest in the Sahara.
• Nested within the main caldera is a smaller crater that contains white salts of a dry lake at its lowest point.
• Emi Koussi is extinct, and it is not known when it last erupted.

What is a Maar?

• A maar is a broad, low-relief volcanic crater caused by an explosion which occurs when groundwater comes into contact with hot lava or magma.
• A maar characteristically fills with water to form a relatively shallow crater lake.

About Great Cormorant:

• It is a large waterbird and a member of the cormorant family of seabirds.
• Scientific Name: Phalacrocorax carbo
• Habitat and Distribution:
  • They are probably the most widespread member of the cormorant family with a range that includes North America, Europe, Africa, China, India, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and
  • Well adapted to aquatic environments, they live in the shallow waters along marine shorelines but may inhabit lakes and rivers.
• Features:
  • It is the largest member of the cormorant family.
  • Males are typically larger and heavier than females.
  • They have dark, glossy plumage, very long necks, long, hooked bills and webbed feet.
  • Their powerful bills are greyish with white patches around its base.
  • They employ their powerful webbed feet for efficient swimming and diving to catch a variety of prey, including fish, crabs, and, in some areas, frogs or ducklings.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Least Concern

About International Mobile Equipment Identity Number:

• It is a unique 15-digit number that identifies a mobile device on a telecom network.
• The first eight digits of an IMEI form the Type Allocation Code (TAC), which identifies the device model or type.
• Allocation of IMEI numbers: The Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) oversees the global allocation of TAC.
  • GSMA allocate TACs to manufacturers and brand owners. Manufacturers then assign unique IMEIs to individual devices.
• A dual-SIM phone generally has two IMEI numbers, one for each SIM slot.
• Identification: Users can dial *#06#on their mobile device to display its IMEI number.
• India's IMEI Ecosystem:
  • Manufacturers: They must register the IMEI numbers of all applicable telecom devices manufactured in India with the Government before their first sale, testing, research or other use. 
  • Registration is carried out through the Device Setu–Indian Counterfeited Device Restriction (ICDR) portal.
  • Importers: They must register IMEI numbers on Indian Counterfeited Device Restriction (ICDR) portal with the Central Government before importing applicable telecom equipment into India.
  • Resellers and retailers: They also must ensure that telecom devices offered for sale have valid and untampered IMEI numbers.
  • Brand owners: They must ensure that devices sold under their brands comply with applicable IMEI registration and cybersecurity requirements.
• India’s legal framework to protect the telecommunication ecosystem:
  • The Telecommunications Act, 2023: It provides stringent action against tampering with telecommunication identifiers, including the IMEI number of mobile handsets and other telecommunication devices.
    • Section 42(3)(c)prohibits tampering with telecommunication 
    • Section 42(3)(e)prohibits obtaining Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs) or telecommunication identifiers through fraud, cheating or impersonation.
    • Violations may attract imprisonment for up to three years, a fine of up to ₹50 lakh, or both. Such offences are cognizable and non-bailable under Section 42(7) of the Act.
    • Under Section 42(6), persons who abet or promote the commission of such offences are also liable to the same punishment.

About National Single Window System:

• It serves as a digital platform that guides investors in identifying and applying for the approvals required for their businesses.
• It was launched in
• It is implemented by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
• It integrates approvals offered by Central Ministries, State Governments, and regulatory authorities on a common digital platform.   
• Key Functionalities of NSWS:
  • Know Your Approvals: It is the Know Your Approvals (KYA) module, a tool that identifies the approvals applicable to a business based on its proposed activities.
  • The portal hosts applications for approvals from 32 Central Ministries/ Departments and 34 State Governments and Union Territories.
  • Common Registration Form: It captures information through a single interface and enables reuse of information across applications.
  • Access to State Single Window Systems: It offers seamless access through a dedicated State Registration Form, ensuring integration with State-level approval mechanisms.
  • Applicant Dashboard: It includes an applicant dashboard for submitting applications, monitoring their status, and responding to departmental queries.
  • A centralized Document Repository enables one-time upload and reuse of documents across multiple approvals, reducing duplication of submissions.
  • E-Communication Module: It facilitates online exchange of queries and clarifications between applicants and the concerned Ministries and State Governments.
• Significance:
  • It simplifies the approval process by enabling one-time submission of information and documents.
  • It helps reduce compliance and approval timelines.
  • It also enhances transparency through real-time application tracking and online communication with regulatory authorities.
  • NSWS minimizes duplication of information across departments and improves coordination among government agencies through an integrated digital ecosystem.

About Oxyserphus narendrani:

• It is a new species of parasitic wasp discovered in Dibru-Saikhowa National Park Assam.
• The members of the Oxyserphus genus are incredibly rare in insect collections globally and are typically only found in high-altitude areas.

Key Facts about Dibru-Saikhowa National Park

• Location: It is located in the Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts of Assam.
  • It was originally created to help conserve the habitat of the rare white-winged wood duck.
• Rivers: The Park is bounded by the Brahmaputra and Lohit Rivers in the north and Dibru River in the south.
• Vegetation: It mainly consists of moist mixed semi-evergreen forests, moist mixed deciduous forests, canebrakes and grasslands. It is the largest salix swamp forest in north-eastern India.
• Climate: It has a tropical monsoon climate with a hot and wet summer and cool and usually dry winter. 
• Flora: It mainly consists of Hollong, Nahor, Simul, Sissoo, Khair, and Jamun are commonly found.
• Fauna: Asian Elephant, Wild Water Buffalo, Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Fishing Cat, Jungle Cat, Hog Deer, Sambar Deer, and Barking Deer are commonly found.

About Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026:

• It is the multinational air exercise to be conducted in Jodhpur.
• Participating Countries: Eight friendly foreign countries such as Australia, Bangladesh, France, Germany, Greece, Sri Lanka, UAE and USA will participate with air assets, while 32 nations will be attending as observers. 
• Aim: It is aimed at enhancing interoperability among participating air forces, while providing a platform for exchanging operational experience and showcasing India’s air combat capabilities.
• The exercise will see the participation of advanced combat aircraft, including the U.S. Air Force’s F-35, the French Rafale, the UAE’s F-16 and a Bangladeshi C-130J.
  • The IAF will field a range of its frontline platforms, including the Rafale, Mirage-2000, Jaguar, Tejas, MiG-29 and Su-30MKI.

About Lord Howe Island:

• It is a crescent-shaped, volcanic island.
• Discovered By: It was discovered in 1788 and named for Admiral Lord Howe by Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball of the British navy.
• Flora and Fauna:
  • About 47% of the island's vascular plants are endemic, including the famous Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana).
  • It has endemic species like the Lord Howe Island Phasmid which is considered the world’s largest stick insect, and the flightless Lord Howe Woodhen (Gallirallis sylvestris).
  • It hosts the world’s largest known population of sable shearwaters.
• The Lord Howe Island Group is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that boasts countless unique plants and animals, many of which are endemic to the region.

Context

• India’s expanding network of Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) and Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) reflects its efforts to deepen economic integration, attract investment and expand international market access.
• Recent agreements with the UAE, Israel, Uzbekistan, UK, EFTA, Oman and New Zealand demonstrate this growing engagement.
• Their importance, however, extends beyond tariffs and investment protection to commercial dispute resolution and arbitration.
• For international investors, the attractiveness of an economy depends not only on market opportunities but also on what happens when commercial relationships break down.
• India can therefore use its treaty framework to strengthen its domestic arbitration ecosystem and establish itself as a credible international arbitration jurisdiction.

The Opportunity Beyond Market Access

• The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 provides the statutory foundation for domestic arbitration, international commercial arbitration and enforcement of foreign awards.
• The challenge is to connect this framework more effectively with India's international treaty policy.
• India’s recent FTAs have generally omitted Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS), reflecting concerns about regulatory autonomy and potential claims against the State.
• However, substantial foreign investment occurs through contracts between investors and Indian government agencies.
• In such cases, commercial arbitration can provide an alternative to ordinary court litigation.
• Future FTAs could clarify that the absence of ISDS is supported by the availability of effective commercial arbitration remedies in India.
• Such clarity would reassure investors while preserving India’s reservations concerning international investment arbitration.

Distinguishing ISDS from Commercial Arbitration

• India’s BITs increasingly distinguish treaty-based investment arbitration from contractual commercial arbitration.
• The India-Uzbekistan BIT, for example, excludes disputes arising solely from contractual breaches from ISDS.
• Greater clarity is required regarding local-remedy requirements. Some BITs require investors to approach domestic courts or administrative bodies before initiating international arbitration.
• Commercial arbitration seated in India should potentially be recognised as another legitimate mechanism for addressing investment-related contractual disputes.
• Future BITs could therefore clarify that pursuing a dispute through Indian commercial arbitration may satisfy applicable local-remedy requirements.
• This would better integrate domestic arbitration into India’s investment-protection architecture while avoiding unnecessary procedural uncertainty.

Third-Party Funding: A Need for Nuance

• Third-party funding allows external financiers to bear arbitration costs in return for an agreed financial interest in the outcome.
• India’s reservations about such funding in ISDS are understandable because investment disputes involve sovereign decisions and may affect regulatory policymaking.
• However, these concerns do not necessarily apply to ordinary commercial disputes.
• Restrictions on third-party funding in ISDS should therefore not automatically imply its prohibition in domestic commercial arbitration.
• India could develop a comprehensive regulatory framework covering disclosure, conflicts of interest, transparency and procedural fairness.
• A clear distinction between ISDS funding and commercial arbitration funding would help create a more mature arbitration ecosystem.

The Evaluation Parameters of Investors

• Investors evaluate economies on more than taxation, tariffs and market access. They also consider whether disputes can be resolved predictably and efficiently.
• A strong investment environment requires three interconnected elements:
  • Prevention of disputes through clear treaties and contracts.
  • Efficient arbitration proceedings that resolve disputes fairly and promptly.
  • Predictable judicial enforcement of arbitral awards.
  • India does not need to transform every BIT or FTA into an arbitration agreement.
• Instead, treaties should complement domestic reforms and clearly establish the relationship between ISDS, courts and commercial arbitration.

India as a Global Arbitration Hub

• India’s ambition to become a global arbitration hub requires consistency between treaty policy, legislation, judicial practice and institutional capacity.
• A credible arbitration ecosystem can reduce commercial uncertainty, strengthen investor confidence and facilitate long-term contracts.
• At the same time, appropriate safeguards are necessary to protect legitimate governmental regulation and prevent excessive claims against the State.
• The objective should therefore be a balanced system that protects commercial interests without compromising regulatory autonomy.

Conclusion

• India’s growing BIT and FTA network provides an opportunity to integrate trade, investment protection and dispute resolution more effectively.
• The absence of ISDS in some agreements need not create a legal vacuum if commercial arbitration in India is made credible, accessible and predictable.
• Future treaties should distinguish investment disputes from contractual disputes, clarify the relationship between local remedies and Indian-seated arbitration, and separate restrictions on ISDS funding from the potential use of third-party funding in commercial arbitration.