1. Javelin Missile & Excalibur Projectile: What India Is Buying

The U.S. State Department has cleared a potential $92.8 million sale of Javelin missiles and Excalibur artillery projectiles to India—marking a significant step in strengthening India-U.S. defence ties.

Javelin Missile: A Modern Anti-Tank Powerhouse

The Javelin is a U.S.-made, shoulder-launched, anti-tank guided missile jointly developed by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. Introduced in 1996, it was crafted to destroy heavily armoured targets, including main battle tanks, fortified bunkers, and even low-flying helicopters.

Key Features:

• Effective range: 2.5 km (up to 4 km in newer variants)

• Weight: 5.11 kg

• “Fire-and-forget” guidance, enabling operators to relocate immediately after launch

• Soft-launch capability makes it safe to use in confined spaces

• Imaging infrared seeker for autonomous homing

• Direct-attack and top-attack modes

• Tandem HEAT warhead designed to penetrate explosive reactive armor

• Excalibur Projectile: Precision Artillery for Modern Battlefields

• Excalibur is a GPS-guided, long-range artillery shell co-developed by the U.S. Army’s ARL and ARDEC. India already deploys it with the M-777 howitzer.

Key Capabilities:

• Precision strike within two metres of the target

• Extends reach of artillery:

• 39-calibre guns → up to 40 km

• 52-calibre guns → up to 50 km

• 58-calibre guns → up to 70 km

• Effective even in complex, rugged terrains

• Minimises collateral damage due to its accuracy

Source : As trade row eases, U.S. approves sale of missiles to India

2. West Seti Hydropower Project: Nepal Extends Support to Indian Developers

Nepal has extended the survey licence for the West Seti Hydropower Project led by NHPC, while also facilitating SJVN’s direct agreement for another project—signalling deeper India-Nepal energy cooperation.

About the Project

• The West Seti Hydropower Project is a 750 MW storage-based hydroelectric project planned on the Seti River, a tributary of the Karnali.

• Unlike ordinary run-of-river systems, this project will store monsoon water in a long reservoir—allowing year-round electricity generation.

Major Components:

• A 195-metre-high concrete-faced rockfill dam
• 25 km-long reservoir submerging river valleys and forests
• Powerhouse and transmission infrastructure

• Estimated annual output: 3,636 GWh

Development Model: Public–Private Partnership led by NHPC

Power Sharing: Nepal gets 21.9% free electricity, remainder exported to India.

Source : Nepal facilitates help for hydropower projects by Indian companies

3. Guru Tegh Bahadur: The Ninth Sikh Guru Remembered

• As Delhi prepares to commemorate the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur, security around the Red Fort has been intensified following a recent car blast.

Who Was Guru Tegh Bahadur?

• Born in 1621 as Tyag Mal, he was the youngest son of Guru Hargobind—the sixth Sikh Guru. Renamed "Tegh Bahadur" (Brave of the Sword) for his valour in battle, he became the ninth Sikh Guru in 1664.

Key Contributions:

• Founded Anandpur Sahib, today a major Sikh spiritual centre

• Composed over 100 hymns in the Guru Granth Sahib

• Defended Kashmiri Pandits and others against forced conversions

• Stood for religious freedom at a time of persecution

• Martyrdom & Legacy

• In 1675, he was executed in Delhi on Aurangzeb’s orders for refusing to convert.

Key memorials include:

• Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib (execution site)

• Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib (cremation site)

• His martyrdom is honoured every year on 24 November as Shaheedi Divas.

Source : Security tightened in Red Fort for Guru Tegh Bahadur event

4. Colombo Security Conclave (CSC): A Pillar of Regional Cooperation

New Delhi recently hosted the 7th NSA-level meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave, a growing regional security platform.

About CSC

The grouping includes India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, and Seychelles. Originally a 2011 trilateral maritime initiative among India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka, it was revitalised and expanded after 2020.

Areas of Cooperation:

• Maritime security

• Counter-terrorism and deradicalisation

• Combating trafficking & organised crime

• Cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection

• Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief

• Permanent Secretariat: Colombo.

Source : 7th Colombo Security Conclave NSAs Meeting Begins in New Delhi

5. Kuno National Park: Home to India’s First Cheetah Births

Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh has welcomed five new cheetah cubs—the first litter born to an India-born female, Mukhi, marking a milestone for Project Cheetah.

About the Park

• Located in Sheopur district, near the Vindhyan hills

• Established as a sanctuary in 1981; upgraded to a national park in 2018

• Originally identified for relocating Asiatic lions

• Area: 750 sq km, divided by the Kuno River

• Ecosystem: dry deciduous forests, grasslands, riverine patches

Flora & Fauna

• Common species include leopards, sloth bears, wolves, hyenas, jackals, dholes, and over 120 bird species.

Cheetah Reintroduction

• 8 cheetahs from Namibia (2022)

• 12 from South Africa (2023)

• Now, natural breeding marks a significant ecological success.

Source : First India-born cheetah gives birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh

6. Global Methane Status Report 2025: India Emerges as a Hotspot

The latest methane assessment by UNEP and the CCAC warns that agricultural burning is accelerating India’s contribution to global methane emissions.

Key Insights:

• Methane levels have doubled since pre-industrial times

• Rising emissions may cause 24,000 extra deaths and 2.5 Mt of crop losses annually by 2030

• India is the third-largest methane emitter

• Agriculture contributes 12% of global agricultural methane emissions

• Implementing NDCs and methane plans could cut emissions by 8% by 2030

• G20+ nations hold 72% of global mitigation potential

About Methane

• A colourless, odourless, flammable gas
• Main component of natural gas
• Also called “marsh gas”

• Responsible for nearly one-third of current global warming

Source : Crop-residue burning turning India into global methane hotspot, UN report warns

7. Protidricerus albocapitatus: A New Owlfly Found After 134 Years

Scientists in Kerala have identified a new owlfly species, Protidricerus albocapitatus, in the Nedumkayam forest—adding to India’s growing list of insect discoveries.

Highlights:

• Belongs to the family Myrmeleontidae, order Neuroptera

• Kerala now hosts 5 owlfly species; India has 37

• Distinctive white tufted head and clubbed antennae

Owlflies: Fascinating Predators

• Nocturnal aerial predators

• Perch on grass near lateritic soils

• Emit a musky chemical to deter threats

• Females lay eggs on twig tips with a protective shield

Source : New owlfly species discovered from Kerala after 134 years

8. Acanthosis Nigricans: A Warning Sign for Diabetes

Acanthosis Nigricans—marked by dark, velvety skin patches—is increasingly recognised as an early indicator of insulin resistance, prediabetes, or diabetes.

Symptoms & Appearance:

• Thickened, dark skin in folds: neck, armpits, groin, under breasts, elbows

• Gradual development over months

• Possible itching or odour

• Fast progression if linked to insulin resistance

Causes:

• Obesity

• Insulin resistance

• Metabolic syndrome

• Diabetes

• Rarely, internal malignancies

Treatment Depends on the Root Cause

• Managing diabetes/hormonal disorders

• Prescription skin-lightening creams

• Laser therapy or dermabrasion for thickness

Source : Acanthosis Nigricans: a skin change that may be pointing towards diabetes

9. Meerut Bugle Earns GI Tag

The iconic Meerut Bugle—an instrument deeply rooted in India’s military tradition—has secured a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

About the Bugle:

• Brass wind instrument used for military drills, parades, ceremonies

• Meerut’s bugle-making tradition dates to the late 19th century

How It’s Made:

• Crafted manually from brass sheet

• Shaped using a die, hammered, polished

• Fitted with a mouthpiece

Variants:

• Copper bugle (highest demand)

• Gold-finish bugle

• Silver-finish bugle

Source : Meerut bugle, commonly used in military parades, earns GI tag

10. SARAL SIMS: Simplifying Steel Import Registration

The Ministry of Steel has launched SARAL SIMS, a streamlined facility under the Steel Import Monitoring System to help small importers and export-linked units.

Key Features:

• Applies to items under Chapters 72, 73, 86 of ITC (HS), 2022

• Single annual declaration for intended imports

• One SARAL SIMS number usable for multiple consignments

• Annual return due by April 30

Eligibility:

Small imports:

• Up to 10 tonnes per consignment

• Annual limit: 500 tonnes (2025–26), 1000 tonnes (from 2026–27)

Export-linked imports:

• For AA, SEZ, EOU routes—no quantity limit

• The initiative significantly reduces procedural hurdles for smaller players in the steel trade.

Source : Ministry of Steel Introduces ‘SARAL SIMS’ to Make Steel Import Registration Easier for Small Importers and Export-Linked Imports