INS Aravali

Context: The Indian Navy is commissioning INS Aravali at Gurugram to strengthen its information and communication infrastructure and enhance India’s Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) framework.

About INS Aravali

• Introduction: INS Aravali is a naval support base named after the Aravali mountain range, symbolising resilience and continuity.
• Motto: Guided by ‘सामुद्रिकसुरक्षायाः सहयोगं’  meaning Maritime Security through Collaboration.
• Objective: To strengthen information and communication centres, crucial to the Navy’s Command, Control, and Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) framework.
  • MDA refers to monitoring and assessing all maritime activities that affect security, safety, and economic interests in India’s vast maritime zone.
• Features:
  • Maritime information infrastructure: INS Aravali will enable advanced communication and surveillance capabilities, ensuring seamless integration with MDA centres and strengthening India’s coastal and oceanic monitoring systems.
  • Collaboration: it will  work seamlessly with naval units, MDA centres, and allied stakeholders to safeguard national interests.

Significance: INS Aravali significantly enhances India’s maritime security architecture by improving surveillance, communication, and domain awareness, ensuring protection of national interests in the Indian Ocean region.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Context: The World Health Organization estimates that around 1% of children globally are on the autism spectrum, up from 0.62% in 2012.

What is Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD)?

• ASD is a neurological and developmental condition where individuals display atypical patterns of communication, behavior, and social interaction.
• The term spectrum reflects the wide range of possible manifestations. 
  • Some people with ASD may have good conversation skills while others may be nonverbal.
  • Some may be acutely sensitive to sounds, touch, or other triggers. 
  • Some may have restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. 
  • Some may need help with daily living, while others require little or no support.
• Diagnosis: Autism is diagnosed through behavioral observations and caregiver interviews since there are no objective tools like blood tests or brain scans.
• Treatment and Support: There is no cure for autism, but early interventions such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, structured education plans, and social skills training can significantly improve developmental outcomes.

Murikooti Pacha

Context: Researchers at the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden & Research Institute (JNTBGRI), Kerala, have developed a multifunctional wound-healing pad from the Murikooti pacha.

About the Red Ivy Plant

• Local Name: Murikooti pacha.
• Botanical Family: Acanthaceae.
• Habitat: Grows abundantly across tropical regions, including India.
• Traditional Use: Used by practitioners for healing cuts and wounds.
• Scientific Breakthrough: First time acteoside has been linked to the red ivy plant.

About Acteoside

• Nature: A natural pharmacologically active molecule with known therapeutic potential.
• Efficacy: Effective even at very low concentration (0.2%).
• Novelty: Identified and isolated from the red ivy plant by scientists.

Features of the Multi-Layered Wound Pad

• Electro-Spun Nanofiber Layer: 
• • Made of biodegradable, non-toxic FDA-approved polymers.
  • Facilitates optimal gas exchange, preventing microbial growth and aiding faster healing.
• Drug Incorporation: Contains acteoside and antibiotic neomycin sulfate.
• Super Absorbent Layer: Sponge made from sodium alginate to absorb wound exudate (secretions).
• Activated Carbon Layer: Absorbs and prevents foul odours from old wounds.
• Combined Effect: Accelerates wound recovery while maintaining hygiene.

Significance and Applications

• First of its kind in India: No multifunctional wound pad currently available domestically.
• Cost-Effective: Materials are affordable, enabling large-scale production.
• Medical Relevance: Suitable for broader healthcare use, potentially reducing treatment costs.

Samudra Pradakshina

Context: Raksha Mantri virtually flagged-off ‘Samudra Pradakshina’, the world’s first Tri-service all-women circumnavigation sailing expedition, from Mumbai on September 11, 2025.

About ‘Samudra Pradakshina’

• The expedition involves 10 women officers from the Army, Navy, and Air Force sailing on the indigenous Indian Army Sailing Vessel (IASV) Triveni.
• Route: The voyage will cover 26,000 nautical miles over nine months, crossing the Equator twice, rounding the Capes Leeuwin, Horn, and Good Hope, before returning to Mumbai in May 2026.
• Objectives
• • To demonstrate Nari Shakti, Armed Forces jointness, and maritime endurance.
  • To advance Aatmanirbhar Bharat through the indigenous yacht IASV Triveni.
  • To foster military diplomacy via port calls at Fremantle, Lyttelton, Port Stanley, and Cape Town.
  • To conduct scientific research with the National Institute of Oceanography on micro-plastics and marine biodiversity.

Significance

• Marks the first-ever Tri-service all-women circumnavigation expedition globally.
• Showcases India’s defence innovation through an indigenously-built Class A yacht.
• Provides an ultimate test of seamanship by sailing through the Southern Ocean and Drake Passage.

IIM Ahmedabad, Dubai

Context: Recently, H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, inaugurated the first-ever overseas campus of IIM Ahmedabad in Dubai.

About IIM Ahmedabad, Dubai Campus

• The Dubai campus marks India’s premier business school, IIM Ahmedabad’s first international extension, aimed at globalizing Indian management education.
• Vision: The campus embodies the ethos “Indian in spirit, global in outlook,” showcasing India’s academic excellence on an international platform.
• Objectives
  • To provide world-class management education and foster knowledge exchange.
  • To strengthen India-UAE collaboration in higher education, research, and innovation.
  • To serve as a launchpad for joint research in emerging areas and capacity building.
• Other Initiatives: 
  • Integration with Indian higher education institutions and CBSE schools in the UAE.
  • Implementation of Atal Tinkering Labs in 12 CBSE schools to promote STEM education and entrepreneurship.

Significance: The campus strengthens India-UAE educational ties, promotes global talent mobility, and fosters innovation, research, and cultural exchange between the two nations.

SAJEX 2025

Context: Recently, India launched SAJEX 2025 in Jeddah, to strengthen jewellery trade ties with Saudi Arabia and expand access to GCC markets.

About SAJEX 2025

• The Saudi Arabia Jewellery Exposition (SAJEX) 2025 is organized by GJEPC in collaboration with the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and India’s Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

Objectives

• To deepen India–Saudi trade ties and strengthen India’s role in GCC jewellery markets.
• To facilitate business opportunities through exhibitions, networking, and knowledge-sharing.
• To position Saudi Arabia as a regional hub in the global jewellery value chain.

About the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council of India (GJEPC)

• Introduction: The GJEPC is India’s premier body promoting gem and jewellery exports, operating under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
• Establishment: It was established in 1966 and is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Role and Achievements
• • Facilitates global trade promotion for Indian jewellers.
  • India exported $32 billion worth of gems and jewellery in 2024–25.
  • India processes over 1 billion diamonds annually, commanding 65% of global value and 92% of global volume.
  • FDI inflows in the sector rose 315% in FY 2024–25, contributing to India’s $50 billion total FDI.

Reunion Island

Context: The ships of the Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron (1TS)  (INS Tir, ICGS Sarathi, and INS Shardul) made port calls at La Réunion (France) and Port Louis (Mauritius) as part of their Long Range Training Deployment.

About Réunion Island

• Location: A small island in the Indian Ocean, about 700 km east of Madagascar and 175 km southwest of Mauritius.
• Status: It is a French overseas department and region.
  • This means it is politically part of France and, by extension, part of the European Union.
  • Official currency: Euro (€).
  • Official language: French; Creole also widely spoken.
• Geographical Features: Volcanic origin, It has one of the world’s most active volcanoes, Piton de la Fournaise.
  • Rugged mountains, tropical climate, coral reefs, and biodiversity-rich ecosystems.
• Strategic Significance
  • Positioned in the southwestern Indian Ocean, close to key maritime trade routes (near the Mozambique Channel).

About Indian Navy’s First Training Squadron (1TS)

• INS Tir: First dedicated Indian Navy cadet training ship, designed by the Navy and built by Mazagon Dock Ltd., Mumbai.
  • Equipped with: Decca collision avoidance plot and a SATNAV (Satellite Navigation) system.
• Indian Coast Guard ship Sarathi: Third indigenously built offshore patrol vessel (OPV) by Goa Shipyard Ltd.
• INS Shardul: Lead ship of its amphibious warfare class, and is based at Kochi
  • It has conducted cadet training, Indian Ocean surveillance, and humanitarian missions, including relief to Madagascar in 2020, the largest relief load by an Indian warship

DOWNLOAD PDF