CIVIL SERVICE INFO

The Geopolitics of Tech: Analyzing the Shift in US-China Chip Trade          AI GENRATED IMAGE  Context In a significant shift in the ongoing US-China "Tech War," the U.S. administration (referenced as President Trump in the text) announced on December 8 that Chinese firms will be permitted to import Nvidia’s H200 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), subject to a 25% revenue surcharge paid to the U.S. government. This moves away from a strict ban toward a conditional trade model. Technological & Strategic Significance (GS-3) The H200 chips are critical infrastructure for Artificial Intelligence (AI) development, particularly for training Large Language Models (LLMs). While they are one generation behind Nvidia’s cutting-edge "Blackwell" architecture, they remain powerful tools. Previously, the U.S., alongside allies like Japan and the Netherlands, restricted these exports due to "dual-use" concerns—fearing China would utilize advanced compu...

India-Russia Bilateral Agreements and Cooperation New Agreements and Summit Outcomes ___________________ India and Russia have signed new agreements that link India’s vast pool of semi-skilled and skilled workers with Russia’s growing demand for labor, while simultaneously deepening cooperation in nuclear energy, the Arctic, and tourism. These decisions were announced during the recent India-Russia summit in New Delhi attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin. Focus on Labour Mobility ___________________ The core of the summit’s people‑centric agenda was a labour mobility agreement that allows temporary employment of citizens of one country in the territory of the other, with a special focus on semi‑skilled and skilled Indian workers needed in Russia. Russian authorities are reported to require around 5,00,000 such workers in coming years, creating a structured pathway for Indian job‑seekers in sectors like construction, services and infrastructur...

Main Idea The global system for controlling nuclear weapons is under pressure, especially after President Donald Trump's actions. These decisions might affect how countries trust each other about not using nuclear weapons and could change the rules that kept nuclear wars from happening for the last 80 years. Key Points The total number of nuclear weapons worldwide is much lower than it was during the Cold War, but the biggest nuclear powers (U.S., Russia, China, France, the U.K.) still keep them as a part of their security systems.Trump announced that the U.S. will start developing newer types of nuclear weapons, and he encouraged other countries like Russia and China to do the same.This decision could lead to a new competition where countries race to make more advanced nuclear arms, making the world less safe.Nuclear Tests and TreatiesThere used to be international agreements against testing nuclear bombs (like the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, CTBT), but now there is doubt about...