Tuti Island, Sudan

Context: Two years of war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) devastated the Tuti Island, Sudan.

About Tuti Island

• It is a historic crescent-shaped island and one of the Khartoum city’s oldest settlements.
• Location: Tuti Island is located at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile River in Khartoum, Sudan
• Formation:  The island is formed by silt deposition and relies mainly  on fishing and agricuQlture for its economy.
• Inhabitants: The Tuti people trace their roots to the Mahas who settled there in the 15th century
• Neighbouring Town: It is surrounded by the “Three Towns”,
  • Khartoum (the capital of Sudan), Omdurman (the largest city in Sudan), and Khartoum North (also known as Bahri, a large industrial center).

Operation Chakra V

Context: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested four individuals under Operation Chakra V.

About Operation Chakra V

• Operation Chakra V is a major crackdown by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) targeting cybercrime networks, particularly ‘Digital Arrest’ fraud.

What is the ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam?

• Digital arrest refers to a deceptive tactic used by cybercriminals, who falsely claim to have the authority to arrest an individual through digital means, often over the phone or via online communication.
• The term has no legal basis in India or elsewhere, as genuine law enforcement does not conduct arrests through digital means or demand payments over calls.

Mantis Shrimp

Context: The mantis shrimp is a marine crustacean found in tropical and subtropical water.

About the Mantis Shrimp

• Mantis shrimp are not true shrimp but a type of stomatopod: a relative of crabs and lobsters. 
  • Shrimp belong to the order Decapoda, while mantis shrimp belong to the order Stomatopoda. 
• They have trinocular vision in each eye and can detect polarized light and a wide spectrum, from deep ultraviolet to far-red. 
  • Remarkably, their visual systems have inspired research into cancer detection and neural imaging.
• Efficient Predators: The mantis shrimp is among the ocean’s most efficient predators.
• Habitat and Lifestyle: Mantis shrimp live in warm, shallow waters in the Indian and Pacific oceans. 
• Cognitive and Sensory Abilities: Mantis shrimp are highly intelligent and exhibit complex social behaviour, including territorial disputes, mating rituals, and long-term pair bonding.
• IUCN Red List Status:  “Least Concern”

India’s Retail Inflation Slips to Over 5-year Low

Context: Retail inflation dipped marginally to a nearly five-year low of 3.34% in March due to a decline in prices of  food items.

What is retail inflation? 

• Retail inflation, also known as Consumer Price Inflation (CPI), refers to the rate at which the prices of goods and services that consumers purchase for personal use increase over time. 

Causes of decline in Retail Inflation

• Sharp decline in food prices: Especially vegetables, pulses, and cereals due to seasonal corrections and better harvests.
• Recent RBI rate cuts: The recent repo rate cuts by the RBI helped ease borrowing costs, supporting price stability and further lowering inflation.

About Consumer Price Index (CPI)

• It is a key economic indicator that measures the average change in prices paid by consumers for a basket of goods and services over time.
• Purpose: Tracks inflation or deflation at the retail/consumer level.
• Published by: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI.
• Frequency: Monthly.
• Base Year: 2012

Impacts of Inflation

• Benefits for Debtors: High inflation benefits borrowers (debtors) because they repay their loans with money that is worth less in real terms. 
• Currency Devaluation: Inflation erodes the purchasing power of a currency. 
  • As inflation rises, the value of the currency decreases, which can lead to depreciation against foreign currencies. 
  • Countries with high inflation often experience a weakening of their currency in the global market.

Q-Shield by QNu Labs

Context: On the occasion of World Quantum Day, QNu Labs, launched Q-Shield, the world’s first unique quantum-safe platform.

• QNu Labs is  a DST-supported startup under the National Quantum Mission.

About Q-Shield Platform

• Q-Shield is designed to empower enterprises to protect their critical infrastructure using quantum-safe cryptographic solutions.
• It offers flexible cryptography management across various environments including cloud, on-premises, and hybrid systems.

Key Services Offered by Q-Shield

• Qosmos: Provides secure key generation using quantum technologies.
• QConnect:  Ensures secure data connectivity over networks.
• QVerse: Facilitates protected collaboration between users and systems.

Strategic Importance and Impact

• The launch strengthens India’s leadership in quantum technology, aligning with national objectives under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
• QNu Labs, incubated at IIT Madras Research Park in 2016, is pioneering the quantum cybersecurity space with indigenous innovations.

World Quantum Day 

• It is an annual celebration promoting public awareness and understanding of quantum science and technology around the world on 14 April.
• It is an Initiative of scientists around the World, the first World Quantum day  was celebrated on April 14, 2022.
• Quantum Year: 2025 is being celebrated as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology to mark100 years of quantum mechanics.

Exercise DUSTLIK-VI

Context: The 6th edition of the India-Uzbekistan Joint Military Exercise DUSTLIK-VI began on April 16, 2025, at the Foreign Training Node in Aundh, Pune.

About Exercise DUSTLIK

• Exercise DUSTLIK is a bilateral annual military training exercise between India and Uzbekistan, held alternately in both countries.
• Origin and Purpose: Initiated in 2019, the exercise fosters defence cooperation, mutual trust, and interoperability.

Significance of the Exercise

• DUSTLIK is pivotal in counterterrorism readiness and sub-conventional operations.
• It strengthens ties between the two friendly nations and facilitates sharing of best practices and tactical expertise.

Key Highlights of DUSTLIK-VI (2025)

• Theme: Joint multi-domain sub-conventional operations in semi-urban scenarios, especially anti-terrorist response involving territory capture.

DOWNLOAD PDF