Daily Prelims Notes 18 December 2023

December 18, 2023
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN

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Daily Prelims Notes

18 December 2023

Table Of Contents

1. An oil spill in an ignored wetland in Tamil Nadu

Subject :Environment

Section: Pollution

Context:

Cyclone Michaung brought heavy rainfall to the city which also turned its attention to the wetlands of the heavily industrialised Ennore-Manali region in the northern part of the city where oil had spilled over from the premises of a public sector refinery.

Details:

Oil spills polluted the Buckingham Canal and the Kosasthalaiyar River, both empties into the Bay of Bengal, at Ennore, Tamil Nadu.

Impact of oil spills on the environment:

Organisms such as plankton, plants, invertebrates, fish, birds, and mammals live in habitats that include water, sediments, beaches, wetlands, and forests.
Oil can kill surface-dwelling animals and birds by poisoning or suffocation, as well as affecting buoyancy and natural waterproofing.
Contaminated food supplies mean animals may become malnourished or poisoned over time.
Toxic chemicals remain in the ocean for years, often sinking down to the seafloor and poisoning the sediment.

NATIONAL OIL SPILL DISASTER CONTINGENCY PLAN (NOS-DCP):

The Plan came in 1993.
Indian Coast Guard has been designated as the Central Coordinating Authority for combating oil spills in Indian waters and undertaking oil spill prevention and control.
The objectives of the plan are:-
- to establish an effective system for the detection and reporting of spills;
- to establish adequate measures for preparedness for oil and chemical pollution;
- to establish appropriate response techniques to prevent, control, and combat oil and chemical pollution, and dispose-off recovered material in an environmentally sound manner; and
- to establish record-keeping procedures to facilitate recovery of costs.

Oil Zapper:

An oil zapper is used to remove the oil by using a bio-remediation method. Oilzapping is a method for cleaning up significant oil spills from a surface. This method involves releasing bacteria that consume hydrocarbon compounds found in waste hydrocarbon and crude oil.
It is a patented light brown powder made of four different bacteria to break down these hydrocarbons. The powder may be applied to both land and water.

Uses of Oilzapper:

Five distinct bacterial strains are immobilized and then released onto the oil spill in an oil zapper along with a carrier substance. An oil zapper can be used for the following purposes:
- To clear up shorelines after major oil spills.
- To clear out the hydrocarbon waste generated by oil refineries.
- To reduce the impact of harmful oil spills on the environment by converting the harmful compounds into simple carbon dioxide and water.

Ennore Creek:

It is a backwater located in Ennore, Chennai along the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal.
It is located in the zone comprising lagoons with salt marshes and backwaters, submerged under water during high tide and forming an arm of the sea with the opening to the Bay of Bengal at the creek.
Once a flourishing mangrove swamp, the creek has been degraded to patches in the fringes mainly due to human activities in the region.
The depth of the creek varies from 1 to 2 m and is shallow near the mouth.
The north–south trending channels of the creek connect it with the Pulicat Lake to the north and to the distributaries of the Kosasthalaiyar River in the south.

Kosasthalaiyar river:

It originates near Pallipattu in Thiruvallur district and drains into the Bay of Bengal.
Its northern tributaryNagari River originates in the Chitoor district of Andhra Pradesh and joins the main river in the backwaters of Poondi reservoir.
Its catchment area is spread over Vellore, Chitoor, North Arcot, Thiruvallur and Chennai districts.
It branches near Kesavaram Anicut and this tributary flows to the Chennai city as Cooum River, while the main river flows to the Poondi reservoir.
From Poondi reservoir it joins the sea at Ennore Creek.

Kamaraj Port in Ennore:

Earlier known as the Ennore Port, is the 12th major port of India.
It is located on the Coromandel Coast about 24 km north of Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
It is the only corporatized major port in India and is registered as a company.
The port was declared as a major port under the Indian Ports Act, 1908 in March 1999.

Source: The Hindu

2. Bhutan to have 1000-sq. km. green city along Assam border ‘connecting South Asia to Southeast Asia’

Subject :IR

Section: Places in news

Gelephu Smart city Project:

Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck announced plans for an “international city” on a 1,000+ sq. km. area bordering Assam, at the Changlimathang stadium in Thimpu.
This Economic Corridor aims to connect South Asia with Southeast Asia via India’s northeastern states and will enhance the connectivity.
Infrastructure Development: Includes India-Bhutan railway line to Gelephu, linking roadways, trading points, and connections to Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Singapore.

Project Details:

Focus on environmental standards, sustainability, zero-emission industries, a mindfulness city, and infrastructure development.
Gelephu project will have a distinct administrative region under different laws to attract international investment.
India has committed to improving roads, connecting border towns with railways, and supporting Bhutan’s development.

Impact on Bhutan:

This mega project is considered to be a ‘point of inflexion’ and ‘transformation’ for Bhutan and South Asia.
Anticipation among citizens for job creation and economic opportunities, especially for the youth.
It will mark Bhutan’s international presence.

Source: The Hindu

3. Kakrapar-4 nuclear reactor attains criticality

Subject :Science and Tech

Section: Nuclear technology

Context:

The fourth unit of the Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP-4) in Gujarat, with 700 MWe capacity, started a controlled fission chain reaction and thus became critical. Kakrapar is situated about 80 km from Surat.

Details:

NPCIL, part of India’s Department of Atomic Energy, indigenously built 700 MWe pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs), the largest of their kind in India.
These reactors use natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as coolant and moderator, similar to other indigenous PHWRs operated by NPCIL.
Unit-3 of KAPP started producing commercial electricity from August 30.
The reactors met Atomic Energy Regulatory Board conditions and achieved criticality, signifying safety and functionality.
- Criticality is the normal operating condition of a nuclear reactor, in which nuclear fuel sustains a fission chain reaction.
- A reactor achieves criticality (and is said to be critical) when each fission releases a sufficient number of neutrons to sustain an ongoing series of nuclear reactions.
Indian industries supplied equipment for the reactors, which boast advanced safety features like steel lining and a passive decay heat removal system.
NPCIL currently operates 23 nuclear reactors with 7,480 MWe capacity, with nine units under construction and plans for 10 more reactors in the pre-project phase, totalling 7,000 MWe.

India’s Three-Stage Nuclear Power Programme:

India’s three-stage nuclear power programme was formulated by Homi Bhabha in the 1950s to secure the country’s long term energy independence, through the use of uranium and thorium reserves found in the monazite sands of coastal regions of South India.

Stage 1- Pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR): The first stage involved using natural uranium to fuel PHWR to produce electricity and Plutonium-239 as a byproduct.
- Also the byproduct plutonium-293 would be used in the second stage.
Stage 2- Fast breeder reactor (FBR): The second stage involves using plutonium-239 to produce fuel, which would be used in Fast Breeder Reactors. Plutonium 239 undergoes fission to produce energy. Once a sufficient amount of plutonium-239 is built up, thorium will be used in the reactor, to produce Uranium-233. This uranium is crucial for the third stage.
Stage 3- Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR): The main purpose of stage-3 is to achieve a sustainable nuclear fuel cycle.
- The advance nuclear system would be used a combination of Uranium-233 and Thorium.
- Thorium absorbs the neutrons, which can more efficiently produce more Plutonium in Fast Breeder Reactor for a faster growth.
Thus, the ultimate objective of the above programme is to create capacity to use Thorium for sustainable production of nuclear energy and make India energy independent.

Source: The Hindu

4. Kraft process, a paper maker’s craft

Subject :Science and Tech

Section: MSC

It is a technique that accepts wood chips as input to produce cellulose fibres, which are then used to make paper and other materials used in everyday objects.
Paper is most commonly produced by the kraft process today.
Process:
- The process is chemical in nature. The chips are treated with water, sodium hydroxide, and sodium sulphide – the last two forming a highly alkaline mixture called white liquor – at a relatively high temperature.
- This breaks the bonds between lignin (an organic polymer and important constituent of cell walls), hemicellulose (cellulose-like fibres that are shorter), and cellulose.
- The steps are followed by those to obtain the wood pulp, wash off and recover the reaction chemicals, bleaching, and processing.
Advantage:
- Kraft-process paper has higher sulphidity (a measure of strength) than that produced by other processes.
Drawbacks:
- The process is not environmentally friendly. It requires a large volume of water; the process of removing lignin from the wood chips also discharges the lignin through water along with dissolved carbon, alcohol ions, and heavy metals.

Source: The Hindu

5. It’s time to banish fears around ‘Khesari Dal’ and relish the nutritious legume

Subject :Geography

Section: Eco geography

About Khesari Dal or Grass Pea (Lathyrus sativus):

The legume (Lathyrus sativus) is also known as khesari dal in Hindi, lang in Marathi and laag in Gujarati.
It is also known as cicerchia, blue sweet pea, chickling pea, chickling vetch, Indian pea, white pea and white vetch.
It resembles toor dal (pigeon pea).
It is commonly grown for human consumption and livestock feed in Asia and East Africa.
It is one of the cheapest legumes and grows easily in fallow fields, can be rotated with any crop and needs little to no investment.
It is also tolerant to drought, salinity and water logging and resistant to pests and biotic stress.
In terms of nutrition, grass pea has high levels of proteins, second only to soybean, and even has the compound L-homoarginine that is beneficial to heart health.

Why was it banned in India:

It has been infamous for causing lathyrism, an irreversible neurological disease that leads to paralysis of lower limbs.
Researchers identified the culprit as a chemical in the seed, ß-N-oxalyl-L-a, ß-diaminopropionic acid (ß-ODAP).
In 1961, India banned the sale and storage of grass peas under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, of 1954.
The ban was followed by all states except Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.
However, the government did not ban cultivation as farmers said it was used as animal feed.

New varieties:

FSSAI allowed incidental presence (2%) in other grains in 2021.
In 1966, the first variety with low ß-ODAP, Pusa 24, was released for cultivation.
In 1995, the government launched an All India Coordinated Research Project on MULLaRP (Mungbean, Urd-bean, Lentil, Lathyrus, Rajmash and Pea), under which the crops are promoted and high-yielding varieties are developed.

Source: Down To Earth

6. Anti-Nixon demonstration at ‘Boston Tea Party’

Subject :History

Section: World history

Context:

The “Boston tea party,” which triggered off the American Revolution 200 years ago and subsequently led to the country’s independence from England was reenacted on December 17,2023 at Boston Harbour and India was the only foreign country which was invited to participate in the bicentennial because of “our common colonial past (The East India Company held both countries in virtual thraldom then) and revolutionary heritage.”

About Boston Tea Party, 1773

The Boston Tea Party was an iconic event of the American history. In this incident entire shipment of tea belonging to the British East India Company were thrown into Boston Harbor by American patriots disguised as Native Indians.
It was a political protest against both: a tax on tea (taxation without representation) and the perceived monopoly of the East India Company.
Angry mobs and the Sons of Liberty forced ships carrying company’s tea to return to England without unloading.
In Massachusetts, however, the Royal Governor was determined to let the ships deposit their cargoes and appropriate duties to be honored.
On the night of December 16, 1773, Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty boarded these ships in the Boston harbor and threw the chests of tea overboard.
The British government reacted harshly to the incident of Boston Tea Party. The British government decided to punish Boston and the people of Massachusetts with a series of acts which came to be known as the Intolerable Acts or the Coercive Acts of 1774.

What was American Revolution

The American Revolution (1775-83) was also known as the United States War of Independence or American Revolutionary War.
This watershed event was an outcome of the repressive and tyrannous policies (like Mercantilism, excessive taxation, etc.) of Britain in its North American colonies mainly after the second half of 18th century.
Thirteen of Great Britain’s colonies (along the eastern seaboard of North America) rebelled in the American Revolutionary War, primarily over representation, local laws and tax issues.
These Thirteen colonies (New Hampshire, Massachusetts , Connecticut , Rhode Island, New York , New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland , Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia) came together to establish the United States of America, which was recognized internationally with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 03, 1783.

7. The stormy Red Sea, the complexities of global events

Subject : IR

Section: Places in news

Context

The Israel-Hamas war has opened a new front in the Red Sea, which will impact Asian economies.

Various Global Tensions

Escalation of Tensions: At the end of October, a bold terror attack by Hamas against Israel disrupted regional stability, drawing the Yemen-based Houthi militia into the conflict.
Red Sea’s Strategic Significance: The announcement of Houthi involvement brought the critical Red Sea into the heart of the conflict, posing a threat to the Suez Canal, a vital artery for nearly 15% of global trade.
Houthi Aggression at Sea: In mid-November, the Houthis raided a cargo vessel with reported Israeli links in the Red Sea, showcasing their military capabilities and escalating tensions.

Global Response

US Military Deployment: The United States has taken a leading role, deploying military assets to counter Houthi threats, including drones, missiles, and direct operations.
Multinational Task Force: In response to increasing incidents, the U.S. calls for a multinational task force in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a crucial passage connecting Yemen, Djibouti, and Eritrea.
Saudi Arabia’s Dilemma: Despite the on-going conflict with the Houthis in Yemen, Saudi Arabia urges restraint by the U.S., signaling a complex geopolitical landscape.
Saudi-Iran Détente: Surprisingly, talks between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi leadership have emerged following a Saudi-Iran detente brokered by China.
China’s Diplomatic Role: Arab response to the Gaza crisis indicates positive sentiments toward China, particularly due to its balanced stance compared to the unequivocal support given by the U.S. to Israel.

Global Impact on Asian Economies

Security Depletion in the Red Sea: The global ramifications of security deterioration in the Red Sea extend to Asian economies such as India, Japan, South Korea, and China.
Persian Gulf Dynamics: India, Japan, and South Korea navigate diplomatic channels in dealing with tensions in the Persian Gulf, each having specific interests and concerns.

Mobilizing Global Partners

US Call for Action: Reflecting on past multilateral efforts against piracy, the U.S. calls for partners to mobilize, recognizing the necessity of a collective response.
Stakeholders in West Asian Security: India, Japan, and South Korea, as net importers of oil and gas, emerge as stakeholders in West Asian security, underlining their strategic and kinetic interests.

Non-State Actors’ Growing Influence

Shifting Geopolitical Order: As the global geopolitical landscape evolves, the rise of non-state militant actors becomes a crucial factor, often aligned with state interests for short-term gains and long-term strategic victories.

8. The era of CRISPR therapeutics is here – what can we expect?

Subject :Science and Tech

Section: Biotechnology

Context:

The medical world is witnessing a significant breakthrough with the approval of CRISPR-based therapies for sickle-cell disease and β-thalassemia in the U.K. and the US.
These advancements hold the potential to transform the lives of millions suffering from these inherited blood disorders.

Historical Background of CRISPR Technology

Origins of CRISPR: Discovered in archaea in 1993, CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) elements were later found to form an antiviral defense system in bacteria with Cas (CRISPR-associated) proteins.
Nobel Prize-Winning Innovation: Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna’s work on CRISPR-Cas9 as a ‘molecular scissor’ earned them the 2020 Nobel Prize in chemistry.
Eukaryotic Genome Editing: Subsequent research demonstrated CRISPR-Cas9’s ability to edit eukaryotic genomes, paving the way for various applications in genetic therapies and agriculture.

CRISPR Applications in Medicine

CRISPR-Based Treatment for Blood Disorders: The MHRA in the U.K. and the FDA in the U.S. approved ‘Casgevy’ for treating sickle-cell disease and transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia.
Treatment Mechanism: Casgevy involves modifying a patient’s blood stem cells to correct the genetic defect causing sickling, then regrafting them to produce normal red blood cells.
Historical Context: This approval marks a full circle from Linus Carl Pauling’s description of sickle-cell disease as a molecular disorder 74 years ago.

Emerging CRISPR Technologies and Approaches

Base-Editing: This technique allows genome editing at the single nucleotide level.
Prime Editing: A newer method that uses a search-and-replace strategy for precise genome modifications.
Epigenetic Modifications: CRISPR systems are also being developed to target epigenetic effects.

Future Prospects and Challenges

Safety and Accuracy Concerns: Issues like off-target events, where CRISPR-Cas9 edits unintended parts of the genome, pose significant challenges.
Balancing Risks and Benefits: While the potential of these technologies is enormous, their risks must be weighed against both short- and long-term benefits.
Ongoing Research and Surveillance: Continuous scrutiny is essential to uncover potential side effects that are currently unknown.

9. Cyberthreats: Centre sets up secure email network for staff of critical departments

Subject :Science and Tech

Section: Awareness in IT

Context:

In response to rising cyberattacks, the Centre has established a secure e-mail system for 10,000 users across critical ministries and departments.
The National Informatics Centre (NIC) has designed this system, incorporating Zero Trust Authentication (ZTA).

About Zero Trust Authentication (ZTA)

ZTA is a security concept and framework that operates on the principle of “never trust, always verify.”
This approach to cybersecurity is a significant shift from traditional security models that operated under the assumption that everything inside an organization’s network should be trusted.
In contrast, Zero Trust assumes that trust is never granted implicitly but must be continually evaluated and authenticated, regardless of the user’s location or the network’s perimeter.

Key Principles of ZTA

Least Privilege Access: Users are granted only the minimum level of access needed to perform their job functions. This limits the potential damage in case of a security breach.
Strict User Verification: Every user, whether inside or outside the organization’s network, must be authenticated, authorized, and continuously validated for security configuration and posture before being granted access to applications and data.
Micro-segmentation: The network is divided into small zones to maintain separate access for separate parts of the network. If one segment is breached, the others remain secure.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): ZTA often requires multiple pieces of evidence to authenticate a user’s identity. This could include something the user knows (password), something the user has (security token), and something the user is (biometric verification).
Continuous Monitoring and Validation: The system continuously monitors and validates that the traffic and data are secure and that the user’s behaviour aligns with the expected patterns.

Benefits of Zero Trust Authentication

Enhanced Security Posture: By verifying every user and device, Zero Trust reduces the attack surface and mitigates the risk of internal threats.
Data Protection: Sensitive data is better protected through stringent access controls and encryption.
Compliance: Helps in meeting regulatory requirements by providing detailed logs and reports on user activities and data access.
Adaptability: Zero Trust is adaptable to a variety of IT environments, including cloud and hybrid systems.

Implementation of Zero Trust Authentication

Technology: Implementation of Zero Trust requires technologies like identity and access management (IAM), data encryption, endpoint security, and network segmentation tools.
User Education and Awareness: Training users on the importance of cybersecurity and the role they play in maintaining it is crucial.
Policy and Governance: Organizations need to establish comprehensive security policies that enforce Zero Trust principles, including how data is accessed and protected.

10. What led to the coup attempt in Sierra Leone?

Subject : IR

Section: Places in news

Context:

On November 26, unidentified gunmen attempted a coup in Sierra Leone, targeting military barracks, police stations, and correctional centers.

What is happening in Sierra Leone?

In August 2023, the Sierra Leone police arrested several individuals, including senior military officers, accused of planning violent attacks on government institutions.
The recent attacks aimed to free the arrested military officers and were declared an unsuccessful coup attempt by the government.
Political instability is a key factor, intensified by President Julius Maada Wonie Bio’s contested re-election and the opposition’s boycott of parliament.
Economic instability, marked by a high cost of living, severe poverty, and a 50.94% inflation rate in August, contributes to unrest.
President Bio’s economic policies worsened the crisis, leading to protests demanding his resignation in July and August 2022.
Police aggression, seen in incidents like the 2020 prison riot and the August 2022 protests, fuels resentment toward the government.

Measures to End Resentment

The state response includes an indefinite curfew, flight rescheduling, cash rewards for information on coup leaders, and ongoing security operations.
Sierra Leone is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and ECOWAS intervention may occur to maintain constitutional order.
ECOWAS has a history of intolerance toward unconstitutional takeovers and may impose sanctions on Sierra Leone if a coup attempt succeeds.

Some facts about Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa.
The country is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest.
The country’s capital, Freetown, was founded as a settlement for freed slaves in the late 18th century.
Temne and Mende are the largest ethnic group of Sierra Leone.
The country is rich in natural resources, especially diamond, gold, bauxite and aluminum.
Sierra Leone has one of the world’s largest deposits of rutile, a titanium ore used as paint pigment and welding rod coatings.

11. From Gupta to Mughal history of Krishna Janam Sthan

Subject :History

Section: Art and Culture

Context: The Allahabad High Court has ordered a survey of the Shai Idgah mosque

Some facts about the Krishna Janam Sthan:

The Krishna Janmasthan, the birthplace of Lord Krishna, has a rich history dating back 2,000 years.
The site, located in Mathura along the Yamuna river, gained significance during the Mauryan era.
The first Vaishnava temple was likely built in the 1st century CE, with a grander temple constructed during the reign of Chandragupta II around 400 CE.
Mahmud of Ghazni’s plundering raids in the 11th century impacted Buddhist and Jain centers but did not destroy Krishna worship.
The decline of temples during the Delhi Sultanate gave rise to a new form of Vaishnavism, propagated by saints like Nimbarka, Vallabha, and Chaitanya.
Under the early Mughals, religious activity in Braj flourished, and Akbar made land and revenue grants to various Vaishnavite sects.
In 1618, Raja Veer Singh Deo built a grand temple at the Katra site.
In 1650, the grand temple at Mathura, as described by French traveler Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, exhibited a unique octagonal shape and was constructed with red sandstone.
Venetian travelerNiccolao Manucci, visiting in the late 1650s, noted its impressive height, with a gilded pinnacle visible from Agra.
In 1660, Aurangzeb appointed Abdul Nabi Khan as the governor of Mathura, a figure disliked by the Hindu population.
Subsequently, in 1661-62, Khan constructed the Jama Masjid at the site where Sikandar Lodhi had previously destroyed a temple.
In 1666, Abdul Nabi Khan dismantled the protective railing erected by Dara Shikoh around the Keshavdev temple.
In 1669, Aurangzeb issued a royal farmaan ordering the destruction of all Hindu schools and temples, across the Mughal Empire.
The Kashi Vishwanath temple in Kashi was destroyed after the farmaan was issued.
In 1670, he specifically ordered the destruction of Mathura’s Keshavdev temple, and sponsored the construction of the Shahi Idgah in its place
In 1803, Mathura came under the control of the British East India Company.
In 1815, the Company auctioned 13.37 acres of land at the Katra Keshavdev site to Raja Patnimal, a wealthy banker from Varanasi.
The ownership of this land is currently subject to ongoing litigation, with the Hindu side claiming it included the Shahi Idgah mosque, while the Muslim side disputes this.
Despite Raja Patnimal’s desire to construct a temple on the site, financial constraints prevented its realization. Facing lawsuits related to the land, his descendants sold it in 1944 to industrialist Jugal Kishore Birla.
In 1951, the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust was established by Birla to facilitate the construction of a temple at the site.
Construction commenced in 1953 and was completed in 1983, shaping the temple’s current form, situated adjacent to the Shahi Idgah mosque.

12. Migrant vessel capsized off Libya

Subject : IR

Section: Places in news

Context: Over 60 drown in a migrant vessel off Libya while trying to reach Europe

More about the news:

A boat carrying 86 migrants capsized off the coast of Libya, resulting in the tragic death of over 60 people, including women and children.
The incident occurred near the town of Zuwara on Libya’s western coast, with strong waves causing the boat to capsize.
The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported the shipwreck, emphasizing the perilous nature of the central Mediterranean route, one of the world’s most dangerous migration paths.
Libya has become a major transit point for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East, and the central Mediterranean is a deadly route for those seeking entry into Europe.
The region has witnessed thousands of deaths, with over 2,250 fatalities reported on this route in the current year alone.

Some facts about International Organization for Migration (IOM)

IOM is an intergovernmental organization that provides services and advice concerning migration to governments and migrants, including refugees, internally displaced persons and migrant workers.
IOM was established in 1951 as Inter governmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM) to help resettle people displaced by World War II.
It was granted Permanent Observer status to the UN General Assembly in 1992.
Cooperation agreement between IOM and the UN was signed in 1996.
The World Migration Report is published every year by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) of the UN.
IOM works in four broad areas of migration management:
- Migration and development,
- Facilitating migration,
- Regulating migration and
- Forced migration.
It has175 member states, a further 8 states holding observer status and offices in over 100 countries.
India is a member of IOM.

Some facts about Libya:

Libya is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa.
It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad to the south, Niger to the southwest, Algeria to the west, and Tunisia to the northwest.
Tripoli is the capital of Libya.
Libya had the largest proven crude oil reserves in Africa