BrainBuzz Academy

In 2023, Thailand and Malaysia introduced visa-free entry for Indian nationals, aiming to attract more tourists and compensate for declining Chinese tourist inflows post-pandemic. The initiative has proven successful, prompting both nations to extend the facility. Airlines responded by significantly increasing flights and seat capacity between India and these countries. In the October-December 2024 quarter, flights between India and Thailand rose by 35.5% year-on-year (YoY), while seat capacity increased by 31.4%. Similarly, India-Malaysia flights grew by 20.5% YoY, with a 19.3% increase in seat capacity. The upward trend is set to continue, with projections for the January-March 2025 quarter showing a 48.3% increase in India-Thailand flights and a 36.8% rise for India-Malaysia.
The initiative has also catalyzed new flight routes and partnerships, such as IndiGo’s Chennai-Penang service and Air India Express's Bangkok and Phuket routes. Additionally, visa-free entry encourages Indian travelers to use Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur as aviation hubs for further international travel, enhancing connectivity. Official DGCA data supports this trend, with passenger traffic on India-Thailand and India-Malaysia routes rising 21.8% and 35.3% YoY, respectively, in the April-June 2024 quarter. This collaboration highlights how strategic policy measures like visa waivers can boost tourism and aviation sectors, creating win-win outcomes for all stakeholders.
Visa-Free Countries for Indian Passport Holders
As of January 2025, Indian passport holders can travel visa-free to several countries across various regions. Here's a categorized list:
Asia:
Bhutan
Nepal
Maldives (up to 90 days)
Macau (up to 30 days)
Kazakhstan (up to 14 days)
Thailand (visa exemption until May 10, 2024)
Malaysia (visa exemption until December 31, 2024)
Africa:
Mauritius (up to 90 days)
Senegal (up to 90 days)
Rwanda (visa on arrival for 30 days)
Gambia (up to 90 days)
Caribbean:
Barbados (up to 90 days)
Dominica (up to 6 months)
Grenada (up to 3 months)
Haiti (up to 3 months)
Jamaica
Saint Kitts and Nevis (up to 3 months)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (up to 1 month)
Trinidad and Tobago (up to 90 days)
Oceania:
Fiji (up to 4 months)
Micronesia (up to 30 days)
Vanuatu (up to 30 days)
Middle East:
Qatar (visa waiver for 30 days)

On December 25, China approved the construction of the world’s largest hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo (or Zangbo) river in Tibet. Once completed, this 60,000 MW project will generate three times the electricity produced by the current largest hydro project, the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in central China.
The Yarlung Tsangpo flows from Tibet into Arunachal Pradesh, where it is known as the Siang. Further downstream in Assam, it merges with tributaries like the Dibang and Lohit, becoming the Brahmaputra. It then flows into Bangladesh before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.
A project of this magnitude on the Yarlung Tsangpo has the potential to impact millions of people, their livelihoods, and the ecological balance in the regions it traverses.
“This is not just another project. It involves creating a massive reservoir in a challenging and sensitive region. It is risky, dangerous, and, in my view, highly irresponsible,” commented Ashok Kantha, a former Indian Ambassador to China.
On January 3rd, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal remarked: “As a lower riparian state with well-established rights to the river’s waters, we have consistently shared our concerns with the Chinese side regarding such mega projects. We have emphasized the need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries to ensure the interests of the Brahmaputra’s lower riparian states are safeguarded.”
What is the Yarlung Tsangpo Project?
Dr. Y. Nithiyanandam, Head of the Geospatial Research Programme at the Takshashila Institution in Bengaluru, explained that the proposed dam’s location is identified in China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025). It is planned near the “Great Bend”, where the river makes a dramatic U-turn in Medog county before entering Arunachal Pradesh.
Recent developments, such as fund allocations, the construction of smaller dams along the river, and upstream land-use changes, indicate the project is moving into advanced planning stages, with visible construction likely to follow soon, Dr. Nithiyanandam highlighted.

Why Does China Pursue This Mega Project?
China claims the dam will aid in transitioning to renewable energy sources and help achieve net carbon neutrality by 2060. The Yarlung Tsangpo’s steep gradient and high flow rate make it ideal for hydroelectric power generation, according to Dr. Nithiyanandam.
China has previously constructed massive dams, such as the Three Gorges Dam, which have had significant environmental and social impacts. For instance, the dam’s reservoir weight is believed to have caused changes in gravity anomaly maps. The dam’s operations have displaced over a million people and caused severe ecological disruptions, he mentioned in a July 2023 article for Takshashila.
What Are the Concerns for India?
The dam could alter water flow from China to India, the lower riparian state. The bulk of the Brahmaputra’s water originates in Tibet, noted Kantha.
Additionally, large dams often lead to unintended consequences. The flow of silt, crucial for agriculture, may be disrupted, and changes in river flow could harm local biodiversity.
This region is both ecologically fragile and earthquake-prone. Kantha recalled a 2004 landslide in the Tibetan Himalayas that created the glacial Parechu Lake. When the lake burst in 2005, coordinated efforts between China and India mitigated the resulting flood’s impact.
“Even if unintentional, such incidents can have serious consequences. Building a large dam in an earthquake-prone area like this raises significant risks,” Kantha observed.
Mechanisms for Coordination Between India and China
India and China have an umbrella Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on transboundary rivers, along with separate MoUs on the Brahmaputra and Sutlej.
The Sutlej MoU, established after the Parechu incident, has not been renewed due to China’s refusal to share year-round data. The Brahmaputra MoU, renewed every five years, expired in 2023, and renewal discussions are ongoing.
The umbrella MoU, signed in 2013, remains inactive. An Expert Level Mechanism, established in 2006 for annual meetings, has faced interruptions.
While both countries adhere to key principles of the 1997 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses, neither is a signatory.
What Options Does India Have?
“The broader issue is the lack of a comprehensive understanding or agreement,” Kantha noted. “China is reluctant to commit to binding agreements or acknowledge downstream concerns.”
China often asserts that its projects are run-of-the-river dams that do not involve significant water storage. Kantha argued that India must challenge such claims, especially when they dismiss the potential impacts on downstream regions.
“It’s crucial for India to raise this issue more forcefully, ensuring it becomes a significant point in bilateral engagements. If China continues to ignore our concerns, it will strain relations further,” he emphasized.
Kantha concluded that water issues should take center stage in India’s dialogue with China, as the stakes are high for millions dependent on these rivers.

World Braille Day, observed annually on January 4, commemorates the birthday of Louis Braille, the inventor of the Braille system, a revolutionary tactile reading and writing system for people who are visually impaired or blind. The day highlights the importance of Braille as a means of communication, literacy, and accessibility, ensuring equal opportunities and rights for visually impaired individuals worldwide.
Who Was Louis Braille?
Born on January 4, 1809, in Coupvray, France, Louis Braille lost his eyesight at the age of three due to an accident.
Despite his disability, he excelled academically and went on to develop the Braille system at the age of 15.
His system of raised dots enabled blind individuals to read and write independently, empowering them with education and communication tools.
World Braille Day 2025 Theme
Every January 4th, World Braille Day is celebrated to honour Louis Braille’s legacy and contribution and to spread awareness of its importance as a tactile system of reading and writing for the blind or visually impaired.
The theme for 2025 World Braille Day is Celebrating Accessibility and Inclusion for the Visually Impaired.
History of World Braille Day:
World Braille Day is an international event observed every January 4th to spread awareness of Braille and the significance of the independence of individuals. The United Nations recognised the day for the first time in 2019.
The event aims to raise awareness about the importance of Braille in promoting human rights for visually impaired individuals. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) chose the date for the event through a proclamation in November 2018.
Facts About Louis Braille:
Louis Braille was not born blind.
He lost his sight at the age of three after he stabbed himself in the eye while playing with tools at his father’s shop.
By the age of 5, he was completely blind.
At the age of 10, Louis attended the Royal Institution for Blind Youth in Paris, one of the first blind schools in the world.
At the age of 15, Louis invented the system of Braille using raised dots.
At age 20, he published the first Braille book titled Method of Writing Words, Music, and Plain Songs by Means of Dots for Use by the Blind and Arranged for Them.
He passed away on January 6, 1852.
Two years after he died, Braille was finally introduced at the Royal Institution.
Louis Braille was also a musician, proficient in playing the organ and cello.
Importance of Braille:
Braille is more than just a tactile script. It is a tool for empowerment, inclusion and dignity for visually impaired individuals.
The invention of Braille has opened up new opportunities for blind or visually impaired individuals. It enables them to read books, thus helping them to become literate as well as independent and increase their chances of employment.
Here’s a smart trick to remember the key points about World Braille Day using the acronym "BRAILLE":
B - Birthday of Louis Braille celebrated on January 4th
R - Revolutionary System: Braille system empowers visually impaired individuals with reading and writing skills
A - Accessibility: 2025 Theme – Celebrating Accessibility and Inclusion
I - Independence: Braille enables literacy and independence for visually impaired individuals
L - Legacy: Recognized globally to honor Louis Braille's legacy
L - Louis Braille: Born in 1809, developed the system at age 15
E - Established by the UN: Official recognition of World Braille Day began in 2019

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) in Competitive Exams:
1. When is World Braille Day observed?
A. January 3
B. January 4
C. February 4
D. December 4
Answer: B. January 4
2. What is the theme for World Braille Day 2025?
A. Empowering the Visually Impaired
B. Braille: A Tool for Literacy
C. Celebrating Accessibility and Inclusion for the Visually Impaired
D. Honoring Louis Braille’s Legacy
Answer: C. Celebrating Accessibility and Inclusion for the Visually Impaired
3. In which year was World Braille Day officially recognized by the United Nations?
A. 2015
B. 2018
C. 2019
D. 2020
Answer: C. 2019
4. What does Braille primarily enable for visually impaired individuals?
A. Increased mobility
B. Literacy and independence
C. Access to technology
D. Better communication with sighted individuals
Answer: B. Literacy and independence