Daily Prelims 16th November 2023

1) Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT): India has reportedly requested evidence from US under MLAT in connection with an attack on Indian consulate in San Francisco.  

• MLAT is a bilateral treaty/Agreement that provides a mechanism for seeking assistance from other contracting States in civil and criminal matter.  
• Criminal Matters: Assistance is sought for prevention, investigation and prosecution of crime. Ministry of Home Affairs is nodal Ministry  
• Civil and Commercial Matters: Assistance is sought for service of all kinds of judicial processes, including summons etc. Ministry of Law and Justice is nodal Ministry. 

2) National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO): As per NOTTO data, 80% of organ recipients in India between 1995 and 2021 were men.  

• NOTTO is set up under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.  
• It is the apex centre for procurement and distribution of Organs and Tissues and registry of Organs and Tissues Donation and Transplantation in the country.  
• Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act 2011 has established two divisions:  
• National Human Organ and Tissue Removal and Storage Network  
• National Biomaterial Centre (National Tissue Bank) 

3) Mars solar conjunction: Mars solar conjunction impacted the NASA robotic probes on planet Mars.  

• During this phenomenon, the Sun comes between Earth and Mars.  
• Occured this year-11th November to 25th November.  
• It happens once every two years.  
• Impact: Solar conjunction can cause the sun’s corona to eject ionized gas, interfering with radio signals used to communicate with Mars spacecraft 

4) Golden Passport: Few Indian businessmen got a golden passport.  

• It is a facility offered by certain countries where foreigners can get citizenship through significant investments.  
• Benefits- greatly facilitate business operations, Visafree travel, tax benefits, market penetration, etc. 
• Reported to be misused for money laundering, tax evasion, etc. 

Places in News: 

1) Tuvalu (Capital: Funafuti): 

• Australia inked an agreement with Tuvalu to offer residency to its citizens displaced by climate change.  
• Political features:  
• It is a nation of nine coral islands and is not landlocked.  
• Bordering nations: Kiribati and Nauru, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, Tokelau and Fiji, Samoa, Wallis and Futuna, and Tonga.  
• Bordering water bodies: Located midway between Hawaii and Australia in South Pacific Ocean.  
• It is believed to be first nation to face climate change-induced complete submersion.  
• Geographical Features:  
• Archipelago is volcanic in origin and includes both atolls and reef islands.  
• Largest atoll: Funafuti