Senegal’s President Bassirou Faye Elected ECOWAS Chairman
Context: Senegal’s President Bassirou Faye has been elected as the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
- He succeeds Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio.
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About the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
- It is a regional intergovernmental political and economic organisation established in 1975 through the Treaty of Lagos.
- Headquarters: Abuja, Nigeria.
- Objective: To promote economic integration, regional peace, security and political cooperation among West African countries.
- Members: 12 member states after the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Pickaxe Mountain
Context: US President Donald Trump recently warned that American forces could target Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain amid escalating tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme.
About Pickaxe Mountain
- Pickaxe Mountain, also known as Kūh-e Kolang Gaz Lā, is a heavily fortified, deeply buried underground facility in Iran that has emerged as a major geopolitical flashpoint.
- Location: It is located in Isfahan province, approximately 220 km south of Tehran.
- The facility lies around 1.5–2 km south of Iran’s major nuclear enrichment complex at Natanz.
- Geography: The site is situated within the Zagros Mountains and is excavated deep into solid granite bedrock.
- The mountain peak rises to approximately 1,600 metres above sea level.
- The facility is reportedly buried 100 metres or more underground, providing substantial protection against conventional attacks.
- Strategic Significance
- Extreme Fortification: The facility’s deep underground location and surrounding rock cover make it significantly more resilient to airstrikes and conventional bunker-busting weapons.
- Suspected Nuclear Role: Iran maintains that the facility is intended for centrifuge assembly and production, while Western intelligence agencies suspect it could potentially support undeclared uranium enrichment or storage of sensitive nuclear materials.
- IAEA Oversight: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has not been granted full access to the facility, raising concerns regarding transparency and nuclear non-proliferation.
- Geopolitical Flashpoint: Its proximity to the Natanz nuclear complex and its suspected strategic importance have made Pickaxe Mountain a potential target in the escalating US-Iran confrontation.
NITI Aayog CEO Appointed
Context: The Centre has appointed 1989-batch IAS officer Anurag Jain as the new NITI Aayog CEO for an overall tenure of two years or until further orders.
About NITI Aayog
- The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) is India’s premier public policy think tank, which promotes economic development, innovation and cooperative and competitive federalism.
- Establishment: NITI Aayog was established on January 1, 2015, through a Union Cabinet resolution, replacing the erstwhile Planning Commission and shifting from centralised planning towards a more participatory policy-making approach.
- Structure and Composition
- Chairperson: The Prime Minister of India serves as the Chairperson of NITI Aayog.
- Vice-Chairperson: The Vice-Chairperson is appointed by the Prime Minister and provides strategic leadership to the institution.
- Currently, Ashok Kumar Lahiri is the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog
- CEO: The CEO heads the administration and oversees the implementation of NITI Aayog’s programmes and policy initiatives.
- Governing Council: It comprises the Chief Ministers of all States and Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories, providing a platform for Centre-State cooperation.
- Other Members: The institution includes full-time members, part-time members and ex-officio Union Ministers.
- Appointment of CEO and Tenure
- Appointment: The CEO of NITI Aayog is appointed by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) and holds the rank equivalent to a Secretary to the Government of India.
- ACC is the apex executive body of the Government of India responsible for appointing senior officials to top-level positions within the central government, public sector undertakings, and regulatory bodies
- Tenure: The CEO generally serves for a fixed tenure, which may be extended by the government.
- Anurag Jain, a 1989-batch Madhya Pradesh-cadre IAS officer and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary, has been appointed as CEO for an overall period of two years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
- Key Reports and Indices
- SDG India Index: It evaluates the performance of States and Union Territories on various indicators related to the Sustainable Development Goals.
- India Innovation Index: It assesses and ranks States and Union Territories based on their innovation capabilities and ecosystems.
- National Multidimensional Poverty Index: It measures poverty through multiple dimensions, including health, education and standard of living.
- Composite Water Management Index: It evaluates States and Union Territories on water resource management and conservation.
Polymer / Plastic Notes
Context: The RBI is set to conduct a fresh trial of polymer banknotes, nearly 15 years after an earlier field trial was discontinued due to technical issues.
About Polymer / Plastic Notes
- Plastic or polymer banknotes are currency notes made from a durable polymer substrate instead of traditional cotton-based paper.
- First introduced by Australia in 1988, polymer notes are now used in more than 50 countries, including the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia.
- Key Features of Plastic Notes
- High Durability: Polymer notes can last approximately two to six times longer than conventional paper notes, depending on denomination and usage.
- Security Features: They can incorporate advanced security features and are considered more difficult to counterfeit than conventional paper-based currency.
- Recyclability: Polymer notes and production waste can be granulated and recycled into useful plastic products after their currency life.
- Environmental Profile: Their longer lifespan reduces the frequency of manufacturing, transportation and destruction of replacement notes.
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Benefits of Replacing Paper Notes with Plastic Notes
- Reduced Replacement: Greater durability means fewer notes need to be produced and destroyed, reducing currency waste.
- Cost Savings: Although polymer notes have a higher initial production cost, their longer circulation life can reduce printing, distribution and replacement expenses over time.
- Environmental Benefits: A longer currency life can reduce resource consumption and waste generation, while polymer material can be recycled after use.
- Lower Counterfeiting: Polymer substrates allow sophisticated security features and may help reduce the circulation of counterfeit currency.
Samudra Pradakshina
Context: Recently, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off ‘Samudra Pradakshina’.
About the Expedition
- Samudra Pradakshina is India’s first-ever Tri-Service all-women global circumnavigation sailing expedition, undertaken aboard the Indian Army Sailing Vessel (IASV) Triveni by nine women officers from the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.
- Duration and Distance: Completed a 314-day voyage covering nearly 25,500 nautical miles across four oceans.
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Expedition’s Global Circumnavigation Milestones
- Global Circumnavigation: Fulfilled all internationally recognised requirements for a global circumnavigation by:
- Longitudinal Crossing: Crossed all meridians of longitude.
- Equatorial Crossing: Crossed the Equator twice.
- International Date Line: Crossed the International Date Line.
- Three Great Capes: Rounded all three iconic capes: Cape Leeuwin (Australia), Cape Horn (South America), Cape of Good Hope (South Africa)
23 Jul 2026
