Network Planning Group (NPG)- PM GatiShakti

Context: The 95th meeting of the Network Planning Group (NPG) under PM GatiShakti was convened to evaluate infrastructure projects and  enhance multimodal connectivity and logistics efficiency.

• The NPG evaluated five projects to assess their conformity to the PM GatiShakti principles of integrated multimodal infrastructure, last-mile connectivity to economic and social nodes and intermodal coordination.

Key Projects Discussed

• Ahmedabad Metro Rail Project Phase-2A:
  • Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affair (MoHUA)
  • Project: Metro connectivity to extend the Ahmedabad Metro by 6.032 km to provide direct connectivity to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport from Koteshwar Metro Station
• 8-lane access-controlled Highways of NH 248S for Connectivity to Proposed Vadhavan port in Maharashtra:
  • Ministry: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) 
• Construction of Four Lane Elevated Road in Jodhpur city portion from Mahamandir to Akhaliya Chouraha.
  • Ministry: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH)
• MMLP Hyderabad
  • Ministry: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) 
  • Project: To develop a Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) at Parkibanda village in Manoharabad Mandal, Medak district, Telangana.
• MMLP Patna
  • Ministry: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) 
  • Project: To  develop a 106.19 acres Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) at Jaitiya village, located in Patna district, Bihar.

Offshore Security Coordination Committee

Context: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) chaired the 137th meeting of the Offshore Security Coordination Committee (OSCC) in New Delhi recently.

• Aim: The meeting aimed to review the preparedness & effectiveness of the security of India’s offshore installations and enhance joint response mechanisms

The Offshore Security Coordination Committee (OSCC)

• The OSCC was constituted in 1978 to ensure the effective functioning of offshore security arrangements. 
• Chairman: The Director General Indian Coast Guard is the Chairman of the OSCC
• Composition: The Committee has representatives from  organisations including,
  • Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, Intelligence Bureau,ONGC
• The committee is responsible for framing policies and providing guidance and resolution to Offshore Defence Area related issues.

About Indian Coast Guard

• Established: The Indian Coast Guard was formally inaugurated on 19 Aug 1978 with a fleet strength of seven ships for surveillance in the Indian waters and the Exclusive Economic Zone.
• Motto: “Vayam Rakshamah” – We Protect.
• Role: The Indian Coast Guard is responsible to protect,
  • Ocean and offshore wealth including oil, fish and minerals. 
  • To assist mariners in distress and safeguard life and property at sea. 
  • To enforce maritime laws with respect to sea, poaching, smuggling and narcotics.
  • To preserve marine environment and ecology and protect rare species.
  • To collect scientific data and back-up the navy during war.
• Award: The Tatrakshak Medal (TM) is awarded to personnel of the Coast Guard for acts of conspicuous devotion to duty as well as for a Gallantry act.

Mettur Dam

Context: The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu opened the gates of Stanley Reservoir in Mettur for irrigation on the customary date of June 12.

About Mettur Dam

• Location: Located in Mettur in Salem District, Tamil Nadu on Kaveri River where it enters the plains.  
• Construction: Built between 1925–1934 under the supervision of Irish engineer Vincent Hart.  
• Reservoir: Creates the Stanley Reservoir with a capacity of 93.4 billion cubic feet (2.64 km³).  
• Features: It is a masonry gravity dam.
  • Gravity Dam: Gravity dams are made of concrete or stone masonry and rely on their weight to resist the force of water.
• Significance: Largest dam in Tamil Nadu and one of the largest in India, vital for irrigation, drinking water, and hydroelectric power.  
• Funding: Financed by taxes from the Madras Presidency, initiated by Sir C.P. Ramaswamy Iyer.
• Kaveri Conflict: Tamil Nadu and Karnataka dispute water sharing, especially during lean seasons. Karnataka’s upstream dams (e.g., Kabini) reduce inflows to Mettur.

Unearthing Of Early Harappan Settlement In Gujarat

Context: Archaeologists from Kerala University excavated a 5,300-year-old Early Harappan settlement near Lakhapar village, Kachchh (Gujarat).

Key Findings From The Excavation

• Structural Evidence: Remains of walls made of local sandstone and shale indicate planned urban settlement.
• Rare Pottery: Pottery from both Early and Classical Harappan phases, dating back to around 3300 BC are found. 
  • Extremely rare Pre-Prabhas Ware, previously known from only three sites across Gujarat is also found which suggests a unique cultural group within Harappan civilization.
    • Pre-Prabhas Ware is an early ceramic tradition from Saurashtra, Gujarat during the Early Harappan period.
    • They were first unearthed in the 1956-57 excavation at Prabhas Patan (Somnath).
• Burial Site: A human skeleton buried with Pre-Prabhas pottery.
  • This is the first known burial to include this rare ware.
• Beads & Tools: Carnelian, agate, copper objects, and Rohri chert blades (indicating trade with Sindh).
• Animal Remains: Evidence of cattle, sheep, goats, fish, and shells suggest that inhabitants relied on both animal husbandry and aquatic resources.
• Links to Juna Khatiya Necropolis: The Lakhapar site is located just 1.5 km from the previously excavated Early Harappan burial ground at Juna Khatiya (197 graves). 
  • The site provides crucial habitation context, helping bridge the gap between settlement patterns and mortuary practices of the Early Harappan phase.

Eurasian Otter

Context: Recently, Eurasian Otter, thought to be extinct in the Valley, was spotted in the Lidder River in Srigufwara, south Kashmir.

Eurasian Otter  

• The eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is one of the three otter species found in India, alongside the Smooth-coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) and the Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus).
• Habitat: Clean freshwater environments with ample fish, including rivers, lakes, and marshes. 
• Characteristics: It is elusive, solitary and nocturnal.
• Distribution: Primarily found in Europe and parts of Asia, its presence in India is rare, mainly confined to the Himalayan foothills, parts of Northeast India, and scattered sightings in the Western Ghats.
• Protection Status:
  • Eurasian Otter: CITES Appendix I; WPA Schedule II; IUCN Status “Near Threatened”
  • Smooth Coated Otter: CITES Appendix I; WPA Schedule I; IUCN:  Vulnerable.
  • Asian small-clawed otter: CITES Appendix I; WPA Schedule I; IUCN:  Vulnerable.

About Lidder River

• Situated in the Kashmir Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, India. 
  • Pahalgham is located on its bank
• Originates from the Kolahoi Glacier and feeds the Jhelum River.

Exercise Khaan Quest

Context: Indian Army contingent arrives in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia for Exercise Khaan Quest.

About Exercise Khaan Quest

• The exercise initially began as a bilateral event between the USA and the Mongolian Armed Forces in 2003 and became a multinational exercise from 2006 onwards.
• The current year (2025) will be the 22nd iteration.
• Hosted by: Mongolia
• Focus: 
• • Increasing interoperability and military readiness in peace support operations under Chapter VII of United Nations Charter. 
  • The exercise will focus on high degree of physical fitness, joint planning and joint tactical drills.

DOWNLOAD PDF