Global Study on Homicide Report, 2023

The Global Study on Homicide Report, 2023 was recently released by the UNODC which indicate that 300 of the murders recorded in India in 2019-21 were due to water-related conflict.

• The Global Study on Homicide report, 2023 is an effort to reveal and delve into the facts behind the violence, to try and identify notable trends and to inform policies and solutions.
• The report is released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
• The global estimate for intentional homicides in 2021 is approximately 458,000 victims, averaging 52 individuals per hour.
• Key findings – The African continent recorded the highest number of intentional homicides, with an estimated 176,000 victims, followed by the Americas with over 154,000 victims.
• Asia reported 109,000 intentional homicides, while Europe had 17,000 and Oceania 1,000.
• The North and South America faced a higher risk of intentional killings than any other region, with an estimated rate of 15.0 homicide victims per 100,000 population.
• It surpassed the rates of Africa (12.7), Oceania (2.9), Asia (2.3) and Europe (2.2).
• India – Violent deaths caused by disputes over property or land accounted for some 16% of all interpersonal murders between 2019 and 2021.
• India has recorded steady decline in the annual number of homicides over the past decade.
• In general, land conflicts in India are spread among activities such as infrastructure, forestry and land use, and can involve conflicts over both common and private land.
• 0.5% or 300 of the murders recorded in India in 2019-21 were due to water-related conflict.
• The intersections between poverty, social exclusion and mental illness are key to understanding the pathways to violent crime, including homicide.

Operation Prosperity Guardian

The operation Prosperity Guardian was recently announced by the USA to defend Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks.

• The Operation Prosperity Guardian aims to enhance naval protection force operating in the southern Red Sea.
• The operation attempts to ward off mounting attacks from Yemen’s rebel Houthis on merchant shipping.
• Yemen is located close to the narrow Bab el-Mandeb strait, which leads into the Red Sea.
• The operation is led by the United States of America (USA).
• Other participants in the operation includes Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain.
• Egypt and Saudi Arabia notably absent from Operation Prosperity Guardian as more shipping companies forgo route.

Remittance Recipient Countries in 2023

The migration and development brief was recently released by the World Bank which indicate that India is the highest remittance recipient country in 2023.

• Remittances are the transfer of funds between parties as a bill, an invoice, or even a gift.
• It refers more broadly to the funds migrants send to their relatives in their home country while working and living abroad.
• They are primarily money that migrants send home to support their families.
• According to the World Bank’s latest migration and development brief, India is the highest remittance recipient country in 2023.
• The United States continues to be the largest source of remittances.
• The top 5 remittance recipients in 2023 are:
  1. India (USD 125 billion)
  2. Mexico (USD 67 billion)
  3. China (USD 50 billion)
  4. Philippines (USD 40 billion)
  5. Egypt (USD 24 billion)
• As of September 2023, non-resident Indian deposits in India amounted to USD 143 billion, registering an increase of over $10 billion in one year.
• India has implemented savings programmes to attract foreign currency deposits from their non-resident citizens.
• Such deposits are usually repatriable, yield higher interest rates than comparable international interest rates (e.g. US treasuries or term deposits in a US bank) and are tax exempt.

Medium Range Anti-Ship Missile (MRASHM)

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has recently decided to procure the Medium Range Anti-Ship Missile (MRASHM) to boost the offensive capabilities of the Indian Navy.

• Medium Range Anti-Ship Missile (MRASHM) is an indigenously developed lightweight Surface-to- Surface Missile.
• It was jointly developed by Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI).
• It will serve as a primary offensive weapon on board Indian Naval Ships.
• It is designed to strike a wide range of targets, including warships, merchant vessels, and coastal fortifications.
• MRSAM can hit multiple targets at a range of 70 kilometres.
• It will be installed on 24 present and future warships, including 6 Next Generation Missile Vessels (NGMV) that are scheduled to enter service within the next decade.
• It will be also installed in 3 destroyers of the Delhi class and 4 missile corvettes of the Kora class.

Yogmaya Temple

• Yogmaya Temple is an ancient Hindu temple built by a noble named “Lala Sidhu Mal” in the court of Mughal Emperor Akbar II.
• The temple is located in Mehrauli, Delhi.
• The Yogmaya temple is dedicated to Goddess Yogmaya, sister of Lord Krishna.
• Yogmaya means divine illusion and she is worshipped by many as the mother of all beings.
• Apart from Yogmaya, the temple also has other deities such as Lord Ram, Shiva, Ganesha and other popular Hindu gods and goddesses.
• The Yogmaya temple is believed to be one of the few temples in Delhi belonging to the Mahabharata period, constructed by the Pandavas after the war ended.
• The temple has managed to hold its own for 5,000 years, despite attempted damage and destruction by Ghazni, a Persian ruler belonging to 970 A.D.
• During the Mughal era, Aurangzeb tried to convert this temple into a mosque but could not do it.
• The Jogmaya Temple is one of the 5 surviving temples of the Mahabharata period and is the only temple belonging to the pre-sultanate period, which is still in use.
• Janmashtami is celebrated as the birthday of Yogmaya and the rituals are the same as those for Lord Krishna.
• Phoolwalon ki Sair is a festival, celebrated for 7 days by the temple.
• It is a national integration secular festival celebrated jointly by the Hindu and the Muslim community.
• This had been stopped during the British rule as part of their “Divide and rule” policy.
• It was later revived by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1961 and has been held every year since.