SNIPPETS 08 MAY 2026

International Labour Organisation (ILO): Established: 1919 under the Treaty of Versailles+ Objective: Promote labour rights, decent work and social justice+ Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland+ Members: 187 member states (India is a founding member) + Other key information: Tripartite structure involving governments, employers and workers+ Tea plantation workers in West Bengal invoked Article 24 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Constitution, alleging labour rights violations and poor working conditions in tea gardens

NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) Satellite: Nature: First joint Earth observation satellite mission between ISRO and NASA+ Launch Vehicle: GSLV-F16 (GSLV Mk-II)+ Orbit: Sun-synchronous polar orbit+ Mission Life: 5 years+ Dual Bands: First satellite to use both L-band and S-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) from a single platform Unique Feature+ NASA’s NISAR satellite observations revealed rapid land subsidence in Mexico City due to excessive groundwater extraction.

Hantavirus: Zoonotic viruses carried by rodents (rats and mice) that can cause severe disease in humans+ Transmission: People usually get infected through contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings or saliva+ It causes 2 types of syndromes: Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome (HCPS): A rapidly progressive condition affecting the lungs and heart+ Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS)+ There is no specific cure available.