Adwa Victory Monument

Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid a wreath at the Adwa Victory Monument in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 

About Adwa Victory Monument

• The memorial commemorates the Battle of Adwa on March 1, 1896, where Ethiopian forces decisively defeated the invading Italian army.
• Location: Located in the Piasa (Piassa) district of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 
• This victory was the climax of the First Italo-Ethiopian War and forced Italy to sign the Treaty of Addis Ababa. 
• Preserved Sovereignty: It ensured Ethiopia remained independent during Europe’s colonial “Scramble for Africa”.
• Global Inspiration: The victory became a symbol of anti-colonial resistance and a source of pride for Pan-African movements worldwide.

India and Argentina Strengthen Agricultural Ties with New Work Plan

Context: India and Argentina have signed a Work Plan for 2025-27 in New Delhi to significantly enhance their cooperation in agricultural research and technology.

Signed Between

• Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), Argentina.

Objectives of the India-Argentina Work Plan

• To boost bilateral agricultural research and technology exchange between India and Argentina through a structured partnership between ICAR and INTA.
• Promote Sustainable Farming Practices: Collaborate on natural resource management and sustainable agronomy, with a focus on:
  • Zero tillage
  • Micro-irrigation and fertigation
• Enhance Agricultural Mechanization: Deepen cooperation in agricultural mechanization, specifically including:
  • Cotton harvesting machinery
  • Drones
• Exchange Vital Resources and Knowledge:
• • Facilitate germplasm exchange (seeds/planting material).
  • Conduct expert engagements.
  • Provide training in cutting-edge agricultural technologies.
• Strengthen Key Value Chains: Deepen cooperation specifically in the oilseeds and pulses value chains to improve productivity and market efficiency.
• Ensure Effective Implementation: Establish a framework for annual monitoring and review to guarantee the collaboration delivers concrete progress and results.

Annatto

Context: CSIR−Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru  has developed annatto-based natural colour formulations.

About Annatto

• Annatto is a natural food colourant derived from plant sources, widely valued for its safety, stability, and suitability as an alternative to synthetic dyes in food products.
• Extracted From: Annatto colour is extracted from the seeds of the annatto plant (Bixa orellana).

About Annatto Plant (Bixa orellana)

• Annatto (Bixa orellana) is a tropical shrub or small tree valued for its seeds, which yield a natural red-orange pigment.
  • It is also used in traditional medicine due to carotenoids like bixin and norbixin.
• Native To: Tropical regions of Central and South America.
  • It is now extensively cultivated across tropical countries such as India, Kenya, and Mexico.
• Cultivation Conditions: The plant thrives in warm, sunny, frost-free climates with well-drained soils, shows moderate drought tolerance, requires relatively low water, and is usually planted during the monsoon season.
• Key Features
  • It bears large leaves, white or pink flowers, and spiky, heart-shaped capsules that turn red on maturity.
  • The seeds are coated with a reddish waxy aril rich in natural pigments.
• Food and Dairy Applications: CSIR–CFTRI has developed water-soluble, oil-soluble, propylene glycol–based, sugar-based, and acid-soluble formulations suitable for diverse food products including candies, traditional sweets, fast foods, and dairy items.
  • It is widely used as a colouring agent in butter, cheese, bakery creams, biscuit fillings, icing creams, and sweets.
• Industrial and Nutritional Applications: Under the CSIR Mission Mode project “Bioresource Conservation & Prospection (CSIR-BioCap)”, work is underway to develop Vitamin-E enriched annatto oil for food and cosmetic use.

Exercise Desert Cyclone

Context: Recently, India has deployed a 45-member Indian Army contingent to Abu Dhabi for the second edition of the India–UAE Joint Military Exercise Desert Cyclone-II.

About Exercise Desert Cyclone

• Desert Cyclone is a bilateral joint military exercise between the Indian Army and the UAE Land Forces aimed at enhancing interoperability, tactical coordination, and defence cooperation.
• First Edition: The first edition of DESERT CYCLONE was held in 2024 at Mahajan in Rajasthan establishing a foundation for joint training between the two armies.
• Focus of Desert Cyclone-II
• • Joint training in urban warfare scenarios, including sub-conventional operations under a United Nations mandate, with emphasis on mechanised infantry tactics.
  • Integration of advanced capabilities such as heliborne operations, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), counter-UAS measures, and comprehensive joint mission planning.
• Significance: The exercise strengthens India–UAE military ties, improves operational readiness, and reinforces their strategic partnership in promoting regional peace, security, and stability.

RESPOND Basket 2025

Context: ISRO released RESPOND Basket 2025 during ISRO-Academia Day at the ISRO Headquarters in Bengaluru to invite mission-oriented research proposals aligned with India’s future space programme.

About RESPOND BASKET 2025

• RESPOND Basket 2025 is a curated set of high-priority research problem statements identified by ISRO/Department of Space (DOS) Centres to address immediate and upcoming mission-driven R&D requirements through academia-led research.
• Objectives
  • To leverage academic expertise for solving complex technological challenges relevant to ISRO’s current and future missions.
  • To promote collaborative research between ISRO and universities, autonomous R&D institutions, and research laboratories.
  • To generate innovative methodologies, advanced technologies, and skilled human resources for India’s space ecosystem.
  • To ensure mission readiness by focusing on novelty, feasibility, and practical applicability of academic research.
• Components
  • Mission-specific research problem statements with technical descriptions enabling faculty and scientists to develop focused proposals.
  • Eligibility framework for Principal Investigators and co-investigators from recognized academic and R&D institutions, with defined age and affiliation criteria.
  • Structured evaluation mechanism by ISRO/DOS experts based on innovation, methodology, investigator expertise, project duration, and budget.
• Submission Process: Proposals must be submitted through the I-GRAS (Integrated Grant Management and Research Support) portal by 31 January 2026, following ISRO’s sponsored research guidelines.
• Significance: RESPOND Basket 2025 strengthens ISRO–academia partnerships and integrates academic innovation into national space missions.

MH-60R Seahawk

Context: The Indian Navy has commissioned its second MH-60R Seahawk helicopter squadron, Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS 335) , at INS Hansa, Goa, fully operationalising the Seahawk fleet.

About MH-60R Seahawk

• Introduction: The MH-60R Seahawk is a US-origin, multi-role maritime helicopter developed by Sikorsky (Lockheed Martin) for advanced naval warfare, surveillance, and fleet support missions.
• Key Features
  • Performance: All-weather, ship-borne helicopter with long endurance, extended operational range, and high mission reliability under Indian Reference Atmosphere conditions.
  • Sensors & Systems: Multi-mode radar, dipping sonar, sonobuoys, electronic support measures, infrared sensors, secure datalinks, and integrated mission management systems.
  • Armament & Attachments: Capable of carrying lightweight torpedoes, air-to-surface missiles, rockets, and onboard guns.
• Applications
• • Conducts anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, maritime surveillance, and sea-denial operations in blue-water environments.
  • Supports search and rescue (SAR), medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), and vertical replenishment (VERTREP) missions.
  • Counters asymmetric threats such as piracy, maritime terrorism, smuggling, drone threats, and infiltration using civilian vessels.

India–US Deals on MH-60R Seahawk

• 2020: Contract signed for 24 MH-60R helicopters under Foreign Military Sales (FMS).
• 2024–2025: Agreements for five-year sustainment support covering spares, training, maintenance, and repair facilities in India.

Significance

• The MH-60R induction significantly strengthens India’s maritime deterrence, surveillance reach, and response capability against conventional and asymmetric naval threats.

India as the World’s Largest AI Market

Context: Bank of America (BofA) has identified India as the world’s largest and most active market for large language model (LLM) adoption.

Key Findings on India as AI Market

Global Leadership in AI Usage: India leads globally in monthly and daily active users of major AI applications such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, reflecting mass-scale adoption.

Drivers of Rapid Adoption

• Scale: India has the world’s second-largest online population, with around 700–750 million mobile internet users.
• Affordability: Low-cost data plans allow users to consume 20–30 GB per month for nearly $2, significantly lowering access barriers.
• Demographics: Over 60% of internet users are under 35 years, largely English-speaking and early adopters of new technologies.
• Role of Telecom Sector: Telecom operators such as Jio and Bharti Airtel are accelerating adoption by bundling complimentary subscriptions to premium AI services, creating benefits for users, AI firms, and telcos.
• Impact on Users and Inclusion: Low-cost access to advanced AI tools is improving productivity and learning outcomes while multilingual AI models are bridging language barriers and democratising digital access.
• Future Potential: Agentic AI: BofA highlights India as an ideal real-world testing ground for agentic AI before global deployment.
  • Agentic AI refers to advanced artificial intelligence systems that can independently reason, plan, and execute tasks with minimal human intervention in real-world environments.

Global Partnerships: The report suggests global AI firms may collaborate with Indian companies for fulfilment services, mirroring AI-driven partnerships seen in advanced economies.

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