India & Greece Hold First Bilateral Naval Exercise

Context: India and Greece held their first-ever joint naval exercise in the Mediterranean to strengthen defence cooperation.

Exercise Overview

• First bilateral maritime exercise between Indian Navy & Hellenic Navy.
• Location: Held 13–18 Sep 2025 in the Mediterranean Sea.
• Indian Navy represented by INS Trikand (Guided missile stealth frigate).
• Two phases: Harbour phase (Salamis Naval Base) & Sea phase.
• Significance
• • Milestone in India–Greece defence cooperation.
  • Reflects convergence on maritime security and freedom of navigation.
  • Opportunity for: Sharing best practices, Building interoperability & Strengthening professional rapport.

About INS Trikand

• It is a Talwar-class guided-missile frigate of the Indian Navy.
• It is the third and final ship of the second batch of Talwar-class frigates ordered by the Indian Navy.
• Built by: Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia.
• It is part of the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet and operates under the Western Naval Command headquartered at Mumbai.

About Greece

• Location: Southeastern Europe, southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula.
  • Possesses the longest Mediterranean coastline.
• Capital: Athens 
• Borders: Albania, North Macedonia & Bulgaria, Turkey.
• Known as the cradle of Western civilisation and birthplace of democracy.
• Home to 20 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, preserving ancient temples, theatres, and Byzantine monuments.
  • Ship’s crew of the Indian Navy, during a bilateral maritime exercise visited the Sacred Rock of Acropolis (UNESCO World Heritage site).

Gries Glacier

Context: Switzerland’s Gries Glacier has lost six metres in ice depth between September 2024 and September 2025, highlighting the accelerating impact of climate change.

About Gries Glacier

• The Gries Glacier is a 5.4 km-long glacier situated in the southern canton of Valais, Switzerland.
  • A glacier is a large, slow-moving mass of dense ice that forms on land over many years from compressed snow.
• It is located in the Lepontine Alps in the central Swiss Alps.
• It has been a key site for research under Glacier Monitoring Switzerland (GLAMOS).
• Retreat and Ice Loss: Between 2000 and 2023, the glacier retreated by 800 metres.
  • Its current average ice thickness stands at just 57 metres.
• Threats and Acceleration of Melt
  • Severe melting is linked to consecutive dry years (2022–2023) and a very warm summer in 2025.
  • Scientists warn that lower parts may vanish within five years, while higher sections around 3,000 m could last 40–50 years.

Global Trends of glacial loss

• The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)’s State of the Global Climate 2024 report highlights the largest three-year loss of glaciers on record from 2022-2024, with 450 billion tonnes of ice melting in 2024 alone
  • About 100 Swiss glaciers vanished between 2016 and 2022.
  • Yala glacier of Nepal is expected to vanish by the 2040s.

Maitri 2.0

Context: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) launched Maitri 2.0, the second edition of the Brazil–India Cross-Incubation Programme in Agritech, in New Delhi.

About Maitri 2.0

• Maitri 2.0 is a bilateral initiative aimed at fostering innovation-driven collaboration between Indian and Brazilian agritech ecosystems, strengthening the strategic agricultural partnership.
• Objective
• • Serve as a two-way learning platform for co-creation between innovators from both countries.
  • Promote resilient food systems and empower farmers.
  • Facilitate the exchange of best practices, co-incubation, and value-chain development in agriculture.
  • Encourage adoption of digital technologies and sustainable agricultural solutions.

About Maitri (First Edition)

• Maitri  was initially launched by ICAR and the Embassy of Brazil in 2019,  aimed at fostering innovation, collaboration, and knowledge exchange between Indian and Brazilian agritech startups.

National Ayurveda Day 2025

Context: The 10th National Ayurveda Day 2025 is being celebrated at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), Goa, highlighting Ayurveda’s health and ecological significance.

About National Ayurveda Day 2025

• National Ayurveda Day is observed annually to honour the legacy of Ayurveda, promote global awareness, and highlight its relevance in modern health and wellness systems.
  • Started in 2016, from 2025 onwards, Ayurveda Day will be observed every year on 23rd September.
    • 23rd September, coincides with the autumnal equinox, a day when day and night are nearly equal.
  • Previously, Ayurveda Day was celebrated on Dhanvantari Jayanti (Dhanteras).
• Venue : The 2025 celebration is hosted at AIIA Goa.
• 2025 Theme: “Ayurveda for People, Ayurveda for Planet”.

Key Highlights of the Celebration

• Awards and Recognition: The National Dhanwantari Ayurveda Awards 2025 will be conferred on distinguished contributors in the field of Ayurveda.
• Infrastructure Development: Several new facilities will be inaugurated at AIIA Goa Hospital.
  • Integrative Oncology Unit
  • Central Sterile Supply Department
  • Blood Storage Unit
  • Hospital Linen Processing Care Unit
• Cultural and Ecological Initiatives: Launch of Ran-Bhaji Utsav, showcasing traditional forest vegetables and their nutritional value.
  • MoUs to foster collaborations in Ayurveda education, research, and healthcare services.

Large Ships Granted Infrastructure Status

Context: The Ministry of Finance has granted infrastructure status to large ships, a move aimed at improving access to finance, boosting domestic shipbuilding, and advancing India’s maritime goals under the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.

• In 2001, the Rangarajan Commission had recommended for infrastructure status to be granted to ships.

Definition of large ships

• Commercial vessels ≥ 10,000 gross tonnage under Indian ownership and flag, or
• Commercial vessels ≥ 1,500 gross tonnage, built in India and under Indian ownership and flag.

Benefits of infrastructure status

• Access to low-cost infrastructure lending with enhanced limits.
• Eligibility for external commercial borrowings (ECB).
• Longer tenor funding from insurance companies and pension funds.
• Borrowing access from India Infrastructure Financing Company Ltd (IIFCL).

Current challenges

• Low Global Share: India contributes only 0.06% to global shipbuilding.
• High Foreign Expenditure: Annually, India spends USD 75 billion on leasing ships from foreign companies—almost equal to the national defence budget.

Government plans & investments

• ₹54 trillion investment planned till 2047 to strengthen indigenous shipping and shipbuilding.
• Launch of a Maritime Development Fund (MDF) with a corpus of ₹25,000 crore.
• Sagarmala Finance Corporation launched as a maritime NBFC to boost credit flow.
• Shipbuilding clusters to be developed with additional infrastructure, skilling, and technology.

Smog Eating Technology

Context: Delhi government announced a feasible study on titanium oxide-based photocatalytic coatings, popularly called “smog-eating” technology, to combat rising air pollution.

About Smog

• Formed from Smoke + Fog, a severe type of air pollution.
• Mixture of fog, dust, and pollutants like nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
• Impacts: 
• • Irritates eyes, causes burning and itching.
  • Damages lung tissue; leads to cardiac and respiratory disorders.
  • Harms plants and reduces crop productivity.

Types of Smog

• Sulfurous Smog (London Smog):
  • Occurs in cool, humid climates.
  • Formed from smoke, fog, and sulfur dioxide (SO₂).
• Photochemical Smog (Los Angeles Smog)
  • Forms when sunlight reacts with Nitrogen Oxides and VOCs, producing harmful ground-level ozone (“bad ozone”).
  • Called summer smog, most common in urban areas.

About Smog Eating Technology

• Mechanism: Technology that chemically breaks down harmful components of smog (NOx, hydrocarbons, particulate matter) using photocatalytic materials like titanium dioxide (TiO₂).
  • A photocatalyst is a material that absorbs light energy and uses it to accelerate or facilitate chemical reactions.
• Process:
  • When exposed to UV light, TiO₂ produces hydroxyl radicals and superoxides.
  • These oxidize nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons into less harmful compounds.
  • Applied to roads, pavements, tiles, paints, or facades, they “eat” smog directly from the urban environment.

Global Examples of Smog-Eating Applications

• Roads and Pavements: Netherlands (2013) pioneered photocatalytic pavements.
• Buildings and Tiles: Palazzo Italia (Milan Expo, 2015): Used TiO₂ cement.
• Roof Shingles:
  • Developed by Berkeley Lab using photocatalytic granules.
  • Converts nitrogen oxides into harmless chemicals washed away by rain.
  • Potential due to wide use of shingles in housing.
• Smog-Free Tower (Daan Roosegarde Project):
  • A 23-foot tower functioning like a vacuum cleaner for smog.
  • Cleans 30,000 cubic meters of air/hour using ionization.
  • Implemented in China, South Korea, Netherlands, Poland, Mexico

MAHARAJA AGRASEN

Context: On the occasion of Maharaja Agrasen’s birth anniversary, PM Narendra paid tribute, highlighting his role as a symbol of social justice, goodwill, and unity.

• Agrasen Jayanti is observed annually on the fourth day of the Hindu month of Ashwin (Shukla Paksha Pratipada – (Sept–Oct))

About Maharaja Agrasen

Dynasty & Origin

• A Vaish King of the Solar (Suryavanshi) Dynasty.
• Founder of Agroha (near present-day Hisar, Haryana).
• Founder of the Aggarwal community, historically linked with trade and business.
• The term Agrawal means “Children of Agrasen” or “People of Agroha.”

Lineage

• Son of King Vallabha Dev, descendant of Kush (Lord Rama’s son).
• Birth Year: 3082 BC
• Belonged to the lineage of Suryavanshi King Mandhata.
• Had 18 children, from whom the Agrawal gotras originated.
• Believed to have lived during the Dwapar Yuga, contemporaneous with Lord Krishna.

Vision & Reforms

• Known as a Karmyogi (man of action) who worked for collective prosperity.
• Introduced a unique rule of equality in Agroha:
  • Every new settler was given one brick and one rupee by each resident.
  • The bricks built a house; the money supported a livelihood or business.
  • This ensured egalitarianism and social equality.

Progressive principles

• Non-violence (discouraged animal sacrifices).
• Social justice and equality.
• Promotion of cooperative living and welfare.

Honours

• 1976: Postage stamp issued on his 5100th birth anniversary.
• 2017: Maharaja Agrasen Chair set up at Punjabi University, Patiala, for research.

Tripura Sundari Temple

Context: Recently ,the Prime Minister inaugurated the redeveloped 524-year-old Tripura Sundari Temple in Udaipur, Tripura, under the PRASHAD scheme..

About the Tripura Sundari Temple

• The Tripura Sundari Temple, also known as Matabari, is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, making it a highly revered pilgrimage site in Hinduism.
• Built By: The temple was established in 1501 by Maharaja Dhanya Manikya, the then ruler of the Tripura kingdom.
• Architectural Significance: The shrine is built in the Bengali Ek-Ratna style and uniquely situated on a hillock shaped like a tortoise’s hump, giving it the name Kurma Peetha.
• Deities Enshrined:
• • Goddess Tripura Sundari (5 feet tall, main deity).
  • Goddess Chandi, affectionately called Chhoto-Ma (2 feet tall, historically carried by kings during battles and hunts).

Cultural and Religious Importance

• Festivals and Rituals: The annual Diwali Mela at the temple attracts lakhs of devotees, boosting local economy and reinforcing the temple’s cultural vibrancy.
• Prasad with GI Tag: The temple’s famous sweet, Matabari Peda, has received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, enhancing its cultural and commercial value.
• Spiritual Legacy: Legends state that Maharaja Dhanya Manikya was divinely commanded by Aadishakti in a dream to construct this sacred temple.

About PRASHAD Scheme

• The PRASHAD Scheme (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive) focuses on the holistic development of pilgrimage sites across India to enrich the religious tourism experience.
• Aim: To provide a prioritized, planned, and sustainable approach to promoting domestic tourism through spiritual destinations.
• Launch: 2014–15 by the Government of India under the Ministry of Tourism.
• Funding: The Ministry of Tourism provides funding for infrastructure, amenities, and facilities at selected pilgrimage destinations, thereby enhancing the overall tourist experience.

India and Morocco Defence Cooperation

Context: India and Morocco signed an MoU on defence cooperation in Rabat (Capital of Morocco).

About the India–Morocco Defence MoU

• The MoU establishes a structured framework for deepening defence ties, enabling long-term and sustainable cooperation.
• Defence Collaboration: It covers joint military exercises, training, capacity building, and exchange of defence experts.
• Strategic Areas: The roadmap includes counter-terrorism, maritime security, cyber defence, military medicine, and peacekeeping operations.
• Industrial Cooperation: Both sides agreed to intensify cooperation in defence production, with Morocco highlighting industrial collaboration in defence, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals.
• Defence Infrastructure: To accelerate the implementation of these initiatives India announced the opening of a new Defence Wing at the Embassy of India in Rabat.

Significance of the MoU: It strengthens India–Morocco strategic ties, promoting defence industry collaboration, regional stability, and broader cooperation across key industrial and security domains.

About Morocco

• Morocco is a North African nation located in the Maghreb region, spanning 710,850 sq. km.
• Borders: It shares land borders with Algeria (east), Western Sahara (south), and enclaves of Spain such as Melilla.
  • Its coastline touches the Atlantic Ocean (west) and Mediterranean Sea (north).
• Geography: Morocco’s terrain is dominated by the Atlas Mountains in the centre and Rif Mountains in the north.
  • Jebel Toubkal (4,165 m) is the highest peak. The lowest point is Sebkha Tah at –55 m.
• Deserts: The Sahara Desert covers the southeast, contributing to land degradation from overgrazing and soil erosion.
• Rivers: The Moulouya River, originating in the Atlas Mountains, flows into the Mediterranean.

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