Context: Recently, Canadian-Hungarian-British author David Szalay has won the 2025 Booker Prize for fiction for his novel “Flesh”.

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• The novel explores the life of István, a Hungarian immigrant, capturing his journey from adolescence to later adulthood through sparse yet deeply revealing storytelling.
• The judges described the book as one that reflects “the strangeness of living” and praised its minimalist style and emotional depth.
• The book stands out for portraying a working-class male protagonist, a group often overlooked in contemporary fiction.
• This year’s shortlist included Andrew Miller (The Land in Winter), Kiran Desai (The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny), Susan Choi (Flashlight), Katie Kitamura (Audition), and Ben Markovits (The Rest of Our Lives).

About the Booker Prize

• The Booker Prize is recognised as the world’s leading literary award for a single work of fiction.
• The prize was founded in the United Kingdom in 1969 and initially recognized writers from the Commonwealth nations.
• Each year, the award is given to the best sustained work of fiction written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland.
• The first-ever Booker Prize winner was P. H. Newby in 1969 for his novel “Something to Answer For”.
• The winner of the Booker Prize currently receives a cash award of £50,000, while each shortlisted author receives £2,500.

Rising Chronic Kidney Disease Cases in India

Context: Recently, a global study published in The Lancet revealed that India recorded the world’s second-highest number of chronic kidney disease (CKD) cases in 2023.

Key Findings of the Study

• The study, led by researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, analysed global trends in chronic kidney disease from 1990 to 2023 across 204 countries and territories.
• The study was conducted under the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 framework.
• The findings placed India second with 138 million CKD cases, following China, which had 152 million cases in 2023.
  • CKD was the ninth-leading cause of death globally, claiming nearly 15 lakh lives in 2023.
• The highest prevalence rates were observed in North Africa and the Middle East (18%), followed by South Asia (16%), and Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America (over 15%).
• The study noted that diabetes, hypertension, and obesity were the top three risk factors driving kidney disease and related health complications.

About Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

• Chronic kidney disease refers to the gradual and progressive loss of kidney function over time, reducing the kidneys’ ability to filter waste and excess fluids from the blood.
• In the early stages, CKD often shows few or no symptoms, and many individuals remain unaware of the disease until it reaches an advanced stage.
• As kidney function declines, harmful levels of fluid, electrolytes, and waste accumulate in the body, leading to complications such as high blood pressure, swelling, muscle cramps, and fatigue.
• In advanced stages, CKD can result in end-stage kidney failure, which is life-threatening without dialysis or a kidney transplant, severely impacting multiple organ systems and overall health.
  • CKD is a major contributor to heart disease and accounted for almost 12% of cardiovascular deaths around the world in 2023.

Integrity Matters Checklist

Context: Recently, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) introduced the Integrity Matters Checklist to guide companies and investors in aligning their climate disclosures with the United Nations’ standards for net-zero transition.

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• This checklist maps the recommendations of the UN High-Level Expert Group (HLEG) on Net Zero Commitments, as outlined in the Integrity Matters report, to the GRI Standards — the world’s most used sustainability reporting framework.
• The new tool provides a structured approach for organisations to disclose their climate targets, transition plans, and greenhouse gas reduction measures in line with science-based pathways.
• It also helps companies report how they are phasing out fossil fuel investments and integrating just transition principles into their business operations.
• The checklist operationalises the recommendations of the UN HLEG’s Integrity Matters report, first launched at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh.
• According to GRI, the checklist aligns with the new GRI 102: Climate Change 2025 Standard, ensuring comprehensive reporting of UN integrity principles through sustainability disclosures.

 About Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)

• The GRI is an international, independent nonprofit founded in 1997 that supports businesses, governments and other organisations to clearly communicate their impact on the world.
• The GRI standards are the most widely used standards for sustainability reporting, and they are applicable to governments, corporations, large organisations and small organisations.
• GRI is headquartered in Amsterdam. 

India Inaugurates First MWh-Scale Vanadium Flow Battery System

Context: Recently, the Union Ministry for Power inaugurated India’s first megawatt-hour-scale (MWh-scale) Vanadium Redox Flow Battery system at NTPC NETRA in Greater Noida. 

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• This 3 MWh battery installation represents a major step in advancing India’s capability for long-duration energy storage, supporting renewable energy integration and grid stability.
  • A vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) isa rechargeable battery that stores energy in liquid electrolytes using different oxidation states of vanadium ions.
• The VRFB system provides a sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries by using vanadium-based liquid electrolytes with advantages in safety, scalability, and lifespan.
• The project diversifies India’s energy storage base, reducing dependency on imported lithium and promoting indigenous manufacturing capabilities.
• The system was developed at NETRA, the R&D centre of NTPC, and signifies progress in indigenous clean energy technologies. 

Key Features of the Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) System

• Long-Duration Energy Storage: The VRFB system enables large-scale energy storage for several hours, making it ideal for balancing renewable energy supply and demand.
• High Safety Standards: The battery uses a non-flammable, water-based vanadium electrolyte, significantly reducing the risk of fire or thermal runaway compared to lithium-ion systems.
• Extended Lifespan: The system offers a long operational life of over 20 years with minimal degradation, as the electrolyte does not wear out during charge-discharge cycles.
• Sustainable and Recyclable Materials: The vanadium electrolyte can be reused indefinitely, promoting circular economy principles and reducing environmental impact.

Exercise Malabar 2025

Context: The United States is hosting the Malabar Exercise 2025 in Guam, a US territory in the western Pacific, from November 10 to 18.

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• The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri is participating in this multilateral Naval Exercise at Guam in the Northern Pacific.
  • INS Sahyadri is an indigenously designed and constructed Guided Missile Stealth Frigate representing India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision in defence manufacturing.
• The participation of INS Sahyadri reaffirms India’s commitment to enhancing coordination, interoperability, and regional security among Quad nations.
• The Harbour Phase of the exercise will include operational discussions, communication alignment, familiarisation visits, and sports interactions between participating navies.
• Following the Harbour Phase, participating ships and aircraft will proceed to the Sea Phase involving complex naval manoeuvres and fleet operations.
• The Sea Phase will feature drills in joint fleet operations, anti-submarine warfare, gunnery exercises, and coordinated flying operations.

About Exercise Malabar

• It was established as an annual bilateral training activity between India and the United States in 1992.
• The exercise was expanded into a trilateral format with Japan in 2015 and became quadrilateral with Australia’s inclusion in 2020.
• The exercise aims to improve joint maritime coordination, interoperability, and operational readiness in the Indo-Pacific region.