·       It was established in 1966 by the Swedish Parliament.

·       Vision and Mission – SIPRI envisions a world where sources of insecurity are understood and conflicts are prevented or resolved, aiming to sustain peace through its research and policy recommendations.

·       Funding – SIPRI receives a significant portion of its funding from an annual grant from the Swedish Government. It also seeks financial support from other organizations to support its research activities.

·       Organizational Structure – SIPRI is governed by a Governing Board and led by a Director and Deputy Director. It has a research staff collegium, support staff, and hosts guest researchers and interns from around the world.

·       International Reach and Collaboration – Located in Stockholm, SIPRI serves as a hub for international cooperation among researchers.

·       It collaborates with other research centres, intergovernmental organizations like the UN and EU, and hosts delegations and visiting researchers.

·       Research and Communication – SIPRI’s research covers a wide range of global security issues and is disseminated through various channels including publications, seminars, conferences, and a monthly newsletter. It aims to influence policy decisions and promote transparency in global security affairs.

·       Statutes – SIPRI operates under guiding principles set out in its statutes, adopted by the Swedish Government, which define its objectives and operational framework.

Key findings of the SIPRI Report

·       Nuclear-Armed Nations and Modernization – Nine countries continue to modernize their nuclear arsenals: US, Russia, UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel.

·       Several of these nations deployed new nuclear-capable weapon systems in 2023.

·       India and Pakistan – India had 172 “stored” nuclear warheads as of January 2023 which is more than Pakistan, that possessed 170 nuclear warheads in the same period.

·       Both countries expanded their nuclear arsenals slightly in 2023 and they continued developing new types of nuclear delivery systems.

·       Operational Alert Status – Approximately 2,100 deployed nuclear warheads were on high operational alert on ballistic missiles.

·       The majority of these were held by Russia and the US.

·       China is reported to have placed some warheads on high operational alert for the first time.

·       Russia and US Dominance – Russia and the US collectively possess nearly 90% of all nuclear weapons worldwide.

·       Russia increased its deployed warheads by approximately 36 compared to January 2023.

·       China’s Nuclear Arsenal – China’s nuclear stockpile remains significantly smaller than those of Russia and the US, reflecting its strategic approach.

·       The DAC is the highest decision-making body of the defence Ministry on procurement.

·       Objective: To ensure expeditious procurement of the approved requirements of the armed forces.

·       Formation: It was formed after the Group of Minister’s recommendations on ‘Reforming the National Security System’, in 2001, post-Kargil War (1999).

Composition:

·       The defence minister is the chairman of DAC.

·       Its members include the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Functions:

·       Give in-principle approval of a 15 years Long Term Integrated Perspective Plan (LTIPP) for defence forces.

·       Accord of acceptance of necessity to acquisition proposals.

·       Categorization of the acquisition proposalsrelating to ‘Buy’, ‘Buy & Make’, and ‘Make’.

·       Look into issuesrelating to single vendor clearance.

·       Take decisions regarding ‘offset’ provisionsin respect of acquisition proposals above Rs 300 crore.

·       Take decisions regarding the Transfer of Technologyunder the ‘Buy & Make’ category of acquisition proposals.

·       Field trial evaluation.

·       It reviews progress made each year on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) since their adoption by the 193 UN Member States in 2015.

·       It is annually published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).

Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)

·       The UN SDSN works under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General to mobilize the world’s universities, think tanks, and national laboratories for action on the SDGs and the Paris Agreement; empower societies through free online education; and translate scientific evidence and ideas into solutions and accountability.

·       Established in 2012 by the former UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, and world-renowned economist and professor, Jeffrey Sachs, the SDSN promotes integrated approaches to implement the SDGs and the Paris Agreement, through education, research, policy analysis, and global cooperation.

·       Published on the eve of the UN Summit of the Future, the SDR 2024 recommends a set of key reforms to the UN system to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

·       Theme: The SDGs and the UN Summit of the Future

·       This year’s edition also presents a new index of countries’ support for UN-based multilateralism and discusses long-term pathways to attain sustainable food and land systems.

·       This year, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark top the rankings.

·       Globally, only 16% of the SDG targets are on track to be achieved by 2030, with the remaining 84% showing limited progress or its reversal.

·       The pace of progress varies widely across country groups. Nordic countries continue to lead on SDG achievement, with BRICS demonstrating strong progress and poor and vulnerable nations lagging far behind.

·       Sustainable development remains a long-term investment challenge. Reforming the Global Financial Architecture is more urgent than ever.

·       SDG targets related to food and land systems are particularly off-track. The SDR presents new FABLE (Food, Agriculture, Biodiversity, Land, and Energy) pathways to support sustainable food and land systems.

·       The scheme will be a central sector scheme (100% financed by Central Government) with a total outlay of Rs 2254.3 crores.

·       The scheme will run from 2024-25 to 2028-29.

Components under the scheme:

·       Establishment of campuses of National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) in India.

·       Establishment of Central Forensic Science Laboratories in India.

·       Enhancement of existing infrastructure of Delhi Campus of NFSU.

Rationale behind the NFIES Scheme

·       New Criminal laws mandates forensic investigation for offences involving punishment of 7 years or more, which is expected to create a significant increase in the workload of forensic science laboratories. Thus, the scheme will create the required infrastructure to address this increased demand for forensic science professionals and laboratories.

·       Currently, there is a significant shortage of trained forensic science laboratories in India. The scheme is expected to increase the number of trained forensic professionals in India.

·       Establishment of additional off-campuses of National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) and new Central Forensic Science Laboratories would address shortage of trained manpower.

·       Aims to establish an effective and efficient criminal justice system, based on scientific and timely forensic examination of evidence.