News in Shorts: 27 August 2025

Aarambh Scheme

Context: Recently, the Delhi Cantonment Board launched Aarambh, a child welfare initiative, under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence.

About Aarambh Scheme

• Aarambh is a learning and support centre initiative aimed at ensuring inclusive development and welfare of children of construction labourers in the Cantonment area.
• Launched by : Delhi Cantonment Board
• Aim: The primary aim of Aarambh is to bridge the gap in access to education and healthcare for children of migrant construction workers, ensuring their holistic growth.
• Focus Areas
• • Access to Education: Aarambh seeks to enrol children of construction labourers in local schools while providing them free access to quality education and stable classroom support.
  • Health and Medical Facilities: The initiative provides regular health check-ups and ensures access to medical services through collaborations with local health units.
  • Holistic Development: The programme ensures a nurturing environment through nutrition, counselling support, and life skills training, fostering the all-round development of the children.
  • Essential Facilities: Children enrolled receive uniforms, shoes, bags, bottles, tiffins, books, stationery, lunch, transport facilities, and periodical health check-ups to remove barriers in attending school.
• Beneficiaries and Expansion: At present, 32 children are benefiting from Aarambh.
  • Efforts are underway to extend the scheme to cover all such children in Delhi Cantonment.

List of Outcomes: Visit of Prime Minister of Fiji

Context: Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka paid an official visit to India from 24–26 August 2025, marking his first visit in the current role.

List of Outcomes

Defence & Security

• Creation of Defence Attaché post in High Commission of India, Fiji.
• Port call by an Indian Naval Ship to Fiji in 2025
• Gifting of ambulances to Fiji’s military forces.
• Establishment of a Cyber Security Training Cell (CSTC) in Fiji.

Health Care

• MoU for Super-Specialty Hospital in Fiji – design, construction, operation and maintenance.
• Agreement between HLL Lifecare Ltd. and Fiji for supply of medicines under Janaushadhi scheme.
• Specialized medical treatment in India under Heal in India programme.
• 2nd Jaipur Foot Camp in Fiji.

Trade & Commerce

• MoU between CII and Fiji Commerce & Employers Federation (FCEF).
• MoU between NABARD and Fiji Development Bank.
• Market access for Indian Ghee in Fiji.
• Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) – Indian grant assistance.
• MoU on Standardisation cooperation between BIS (India) and DNTMS (Fiji).

Agriculture & Rural Development

• Supply of Mobile Soil Testing Laboratories to Fiji’s Ministry of Sugar Industry.
• Supply of Agricultural drones to Sugar Research Institute of Fiji.
• Deputation of ITEC Expert to Fiji Sugar Corporation and training for sugar sector staff.

Energy & Climate 

• Fiji joins the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI)

Education & Capacity Building

• MoU between NIELIT (India) and Pacific Polytech (Fiji) for IT training.
• Training for Fijian Pundits in India.
• Deputation of Hindi-Sanskrit teacher to University of Fiji.
• Deputation of Cricket Coach from India to Cricket Fiji.

Culture & People-to-People Ties

• Visit of Parliamentary Delegation and of Great Council of Chiefs’ Delegation from Fiji to India in 2026
• Handing over of Lease Deed of Indian Chancery Building in Suva by the Fijian side
• India-Fiji Joint Statement: Partnership in the spirit of Veilomani Dosti.

Project Aarohan

Context: NHAI Launches ‘Project Aarohan‘ to Support Education for Children of Toll Plaza Employees.

About Project Aarohan

• Objective: Support the education of children of toll plaza employees from weaker socio-economic backgrounds.
• Aim:  To remove financial barriers, bridge socio-economic divides and provide equal access to quality education for students from economically weaker sections.
• Collaboration: National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and  Vertis Infrastructure Trust.
• Implemented by: SMEC Trust’s Bharat Cares.
• Fund allocation: ₹1 crore for Phase I (July 2025–March 2026).
• Target group: Students from EWS, SC, ST, OBC, minorities, girls, first-generation learners.
• Beneficiaries:
• • 500 students (Class 11 to graduation) – ₹12,000 annual scholarship.
  • 50 students (postgraduate/higher studies) – ₹50,000 scholarship.
• Support model: 
  • Financial aid + mentorship
  • Skill-building workshops
  • Career guidance (higher education, jobs, entrepreneurship).
• Application process: Online portal.

Early Detection of Parkinson’s Disease

Context: Researchers at Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, under Department of Science and Technology (DST), developed a nanotechnology-based biosensor using gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) to detect Parkinson’s disease (PD) at an early stage.

About Parkinson’s Disease

• It is a neurodegenerative movement disorder that progresses relentlessly. 
• It gradually impairs a person’s ability to function until they ultimately become immobile and often develop dementia. 
• Diagnosed usually after substantial neurodegeneration, limiting treatment options.

About Gold Nanoclusters

• These are Ultra-small aggregates of gold atoms 
• Size: Typically less than 2 nm in size, containing a few to a few hundred atoms.

Significance of the development

• Enables early detection of Parkinson’s before symptoms appear.
• Reduces healthcare costs, improves treatment outcomes and quality of life.
• Potential extension to other protein misfolding diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s).
• Designed to be label-free, low-cost, and adaptable for clinical/point-of-care testing.

Typhoon Kajiki

Context: Vietnam has initiated mass evacuations, shut airports, and cancelled flights as Typhoon Kajiki, packing winds up to 166 km/h, approaches its central coast.

About Typhoon Kajiki

• Introduction: Typhoon Kajiki is a powerful tropical cyclone formed in the West Pacific Ocean, which made landfall in Vietnam in August 2025.
• Location: Approaching central Vietnam with landfall expected between Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces.
  • The storm was 150 km off the central coast on August 25, 2025.
• Impacted Region: Over 500,000 people evacuated across coastal provinces.
  • Two airports in Thanh Hoa and Quang Binh provinces shut down; Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet cancelled dozens of flights.
  • Kajiki skirted China’s Hainan Island earlier, forcing shutdown of businesses and public transport in Sanya City.
• Features
  • Wind speeds up to 166 km/h (103 mph).
  • Heavy rainfall, floods, mudslides, and storm surges expected.

About Typhoons

• A typhoon is a tropical cyclone formed over the West Pacific Ocean, powered by heat and moisture from warm sea surfaces.
• Formation
  • Temperature: Typhoons originate over warm ocean waters (>26°C).
  • Energy source: Latent heat released from water vapour condensation.
  • Feature: They are rotating low-pressure systems with strong winds and heavy rainfall.
• Regional Naming of Tropical Cyclones
  • Hurricane: Atlantic & East Pacific.
  • Typhoon: West Pacific.
  • Cyclone: Indian Ocean & Australia.
• Key Features
• • Large spiralling storm with an eye (calm centre).
  • Generates storm surges, floods, and landslides, leading to large-scale destruction.
  • Different from synoptic cyclones, which depend on weather fronts.

INDIA- KUWAIT FOC Meet

Context: The 7th round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and Kuwait was held in New Delhi.

•  The 6th FOC was held in Kuwait on 24 July 2024.

Outcomes 

• Reaffirmed commitment to implement the roadmap drawn during PM Modi’s 2024 visit to Kuwait (when ties were elevated to Strategic Partnership).
• Decision to convene Joint Working Groups (JWGs) under the Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) at the earliest.
• The next round of the FOC will be held in Kuwait.

India–Kuwait Relations

• Diplomatic Ties: India among first countries to recognise Kuwait after its independence (1961).
• Strategic Partnership: Relations elevated to Strategic Partnership level during PM Modi’s visit, Dec 2024.
• Economic Ties: Bilateral trade stands at USD 10.2 billion (FY 2024–25).
• Energy Cooperation: Kuwait is a significant energy partner for India
  • 6th Largest Crude Oil supplier
• Diaspora Linkages: Over 1 million Indians live in Kuwait, strengthening people-to-people bonds

About Kuwait

• Situated in the Arabian Peninsula, northwest corner of the Persian Gulf.
• Borders: Iraq (north & west), Saudi Arabia (south & west), Iran (east).
• Geographical Features:
• • Topography: Predominantly desert; notable Al-Jahrāʾ oasis near Kuwait Bay.
  • Climate: Hyper-arid desert climate with extreme variations.
  • Holds ~6% of global proven oil reserves.

Super Garuda Shield 2025

Context: Indonesia and the United States have launched the Super Garuda Shield 2025 military exercise in Jakarta.

About Super Garuda Shield

• Origin and Evolution: The exercise began in 2009 as a bilateral U.S.-Indonesia drill and was expanded in 2022 to include other allies.
• Participants in 2025: Over 6,500 troops from the U.S., Indonesia, Australia, Japan, Singapore, UK, France, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Brazil, and South Korea.
• Objective: To strengthen interoperability, improve rapid response capabilities, and enhance regional military ties in an unstable security landscape.
• Duration and Activities: The 11-day drill includes joint manoeuvres, coordination exercises, and will conclude with a combined live-fire drill on September 4.

U.S. Strategic Interests

• Indo-Pacific Command View: The expanded participation symbolizes sovereignty protection through partnership and deterrence of coercive actions.
• U.S. Defence Strategy: The U.S. has been reinforcing a network of alliances to reassure allies facing Chinese pressure in the South China Sea.

Significance

• The Super Garuda Shield 2025 highlights evolving Indo-Pacific military cooperation, Indonesia’s balancing act between the U.S. and China, and the wider contest for influence in the region.

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