Prelims Focus 26th April 2025
SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES)
In News: The Indian government has announced that Pakistan nationals will not be accepted to tour to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES).
- It was launched in 1992 and it was determined that positive classes of dignitaries from SAARC nations need to be entitled to a Special Travel record that might exempt them from visas within the area.
- The Visa Stickers are issued through the respective Member states to the entitled categories of that specific country.
- The validity of the Visa Sticker is commonly for 12 months. The implementation is reviewed frequently by the Immigration government of SAAR Member states.
- The SAARC visa stickers were to ensure that their travel isn’t always confined to any particular cities and could keep them from the hassles like police reporting and filling of more bureaucracy on access in any of the 8 SAARC nations.
Tax Collected at Source (TCS)
In News: Luxury items priced above ₹10 lakh, which includes handbags, watches, and sportswear are now issued to a 1% Tax Collected at Source (TCS) .
- It is an advance tax amassed at the time of transactions, including the sale of products or foreign remittances.
- It is noted in section 206C of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
- Under Budget 2025, TCS on goods income could be phased out, but it will still follow to foreign remittances.
- If the remittance exceeds a threshold, the remitter needs to pay the development tax to the bank facilitating the transaction.
- This isn’t always an additional tax however can be adjusted against the tax liability while filing the return.
- If the tax legal responsibility exceeds the TCS, the taxpayer have to pay the stability;
- if it’s much less, they’re eligible for a reimbursement. The threshold for TCS on remittances has been raised from ₹7 lakh to ₹10 lakh.
Measles-Rubella
In News: The National Zero Measles-Rubella Elimination Campaign 2025–26 was launched on 24 April 2025 by Union Health Minister J P Nadda during World Immunization Week (24–30 April). The campaign aims to eliminate measles and rubella in India by 2026, following earlier missed deadlines (2015, 2020, 2023).
- Measles and rubella are highly contagious viral diseases causing severe complications, including death, blindness, and birth defects (rubella in pregnant women).
- India’s renewed push for elimination by 2026 follows missed deadlines in 2015, 2020, and 2023, driven by persistent gaps in vaccination coverage and recurring outbreaks.
Campaign Launch and Strategy
- Goal: Achieve zero endemic transmission by 2026 through 95%+ vaccination coverage in every district.
- Vaccination Schedule: Two free doses under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP)-first at 9–12 months, second at 16–24 months.
- Current Coverage: 93.7% for the first dose and 92.2% for the second (2024–25 data), nearing the critical 95% herd immunity threshold.
Helium abundance in the Sun
In News: Researchers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have achieved a groundbreaking milestone by directly measuring the helium abundance in the Sun’s photosphere for the first time, overcoming a long-standing challenge in solar physics.
- Traditionally, estimates relied on indirect methods like helioseismology or extrapolations from hotter stars due to helium’s lack of observable spectral lines in the photosphere.
- By analyzing high-resolution solar spectra of magnesium and carbon atomic and molecular lines (Mg I, C I, MgH, CH, and C₂), the team determined the helium-to-hydrogen ratio to be approximately 0.1, aligning with previous indirect estimates.
- This breakthrough not only validates existing solar models but also enhances our understanding of solar opacity and energy transport, paving the way for more accurate studies of stellar compositions and evolution.
- The IIA’s innovative approach sets a new benchmark for measuring helium in Sun-like stars, marking a significant leap in astrophysical research.
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