1. Nobel Peace Prize 2025 Awarded to Maria Corina Machado
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL
- The Nobel Committee awarded the 2025 Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado for her non-violent fight against authoritarianism, promoting democracy and human rights.
- Her resistance, despite bans and threats, has inspired global movements, earning her the title “Iron Lady.”
- The award highlights Latin America’s democratic struggles, with implications for India’s support in multilateral forums.
- Presented in Oslo, it underscores women’s roles in peacebuilding, linking to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.
- Concepts: Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 21) on political participation; India’s foreign policy on democratic assistance.
- Boosts opposition in Venezuela, potentially easing migration pressures on India through diaspora connections.
- India’s Ministry of External Affairs congratulated Machado, reaffirming commitment to global democratic norms.
2. Expansion of e-NAM Platform with New Commodities
SUBJECT: NATIONAL/ECONOMY
- The National Agriculture Market added nine commodities, including turmeric and maize, integrating one thousand mandis digitally.
- Enhances farmer incomes by ten to fifteen percent through transparent bidding and pan-India trade.
- Supported by a two thousand crore rupee allocation under the Digital Agriculture Mission.
- Concepts: Article 48A directs agricultural advancement; links to Farmer Producer Organizations under Atmanirbhar Bharat.
- Reduces middlemen, with one crore fifty lakh farmers onboarded.
- Addresses the digital divide in rural areas through Kisan e-Mitra apps.
- Boosts agricultural gross domestic product to eighteen percent, targeting a one trillion dollar economy by 2030.
3. DRDO Launches Indian Radio Software Architecture (IRSA) 1.0
SUBJECT: DEFENCE
- The Defence Research and Development Organisation unveiled Indian Radio Software Architecture 1.0 for Software Defined Radios at a Tri-Services workshop, standardizing military communications.
- Enhances interoperability across Army, Navy, and Air Force with indigenous Software Defined Radio technology.
- Reduces foreign dependency by seventy percent, integrating artificial intelligence for secure waveforms.
- Concepts: Defence Procurement Procedure 2020 mandates seventy-five percent indigenous content; supports Atmanirbhar in Defence.
- Enables real-time data in joint operations, critical for Line of Actual Control and maritime domains.
- Developed in collaboration with Bharat Electronics Limited and startups under the Innovations for Defence Excellence scheme.
- Strengthens Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance capabilities, positioning India in the global Software Defined Radio market.
4. Mugger Crocodile Population Mapping Initiative
SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENT
- The Tamil Nadu Forest Department launched surveys to map mugger crocodiles in coastal wetlands, addressing rising human-wildlife conflicts.
- Covers five hundred kilometers of habitats like Pichavaram, using drones and camera traps.
- Aims to update conservation plans under Project Crocodile.
- Concepts: Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 protects muggers; integrates with Coastal Regulation Zone rules.
- Reports a population of over three hundred, threatened by habitat loss and pollution.
- Promotes eco-tourism pilots to reduce encroachments.
- Integrates with national Project Tiger for wetland restoration.
5. Tamil Nadu’s Role in India-Afghanistan Trade Ties
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL
- Tamil Nadu exporters target opportunities from the India-Afghanistan joint trade committee, focusing on textiles and spices via Chennai Port.
- Includes skill training for Afghan youth in Tamil Nadu’s Industrial Training Institutes.
- Aligns with the Chabahar route for Central Asian market access.
- Concepts: Article 51 promotes economic diplomacy; Tamil Nadu’s Export Policy 2021.
- Potential for a five hundred crore rupee bilateral trade boost for Tamil Nadu’s micro, small, and medium enterprises.
- Addresses security logistics through insurance schemes.
- Tamil Nadu’s Afghan student community supports cultural exchanges.
