MH-60R squadron
The Indian Navy commissioned its first MH-60R squadron in 2024, at INS Garuda in Kochi.
India has signed Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOAs) worth Rs 7,995 crore with the US for five-year sustainment support of the Indian Navy’s MH-60R multi-role helicopters.
The Italian Parliament has passed a landmark law that criminalizes femicide, making life imprisonment mandatory for the gender-motivated killing of women.
Durand Line
The Durand Line was drawn between British India and Afghanistan by Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, then Foreign Secretary, and Emir Abdur Rahman Khan of Afghanistan.
It runs 2,600 km.
It passes from Karakoram range and the Registan desert.
Project 17A
It is India’s programme to build seven Nilgiri-class stealth frigates as an upgraded successor to the Shivalik class.
Of the seven frigates, four (Nilgiri, Udaygiri, Taragiri, Mahendragiri) are being built by MDL, and three (Himgiri, Dunagiri, Vindhyagiri) by GRSE.
About 75% of the Nilgiri-class systems are indigenously sourced.
They carry advanced sensors such as multi-mission radar, the Shakti Electronic Warfare Suite, airborne early-warning radar, surface-surveillance radar, and Humsa-NG sonar.
The Indian Navy received Taragiri (Yard 12653), the fourth Nilgiri-class (Project 17A) frigate and the third P17A ship built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL).
23rd Law Commission
The Union government has constituted the 23rd Law Commission for a three-year term from September 1, 2024, to August 31, 2027, with Justice (Retd.) Dinesh Maheshwari as Chairperson.
Commission includes a full-time chairperson, four full-time members, the Secretaries of Legal Affairs and Legislative Departments as ex-officio members, and up to five part-time members.
Its mandate covers reviewing and repealing obsolete laws, simplifying legal language and procedures, and aligning legislation with current economic needs.
23rd Law Commission’s Views Regarding One Nation One Election Bills.
The Chief Minister of Assam introduced the Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025 in the Assam Legislative Assembly, aiming to criminalize polygamy across the state, with severe punishments for those violating the law.
In India, polygamy was widely practiced in the past, especially among men, but the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 formally prohibited it.
The National Family Health Survey(NFHS-5) (2019-2021) reveals that in Assam, 1.8% of Hindu women and 3.6% of Muslim women experience polygamy, with an overall prevalence rate of 2.4%.
Meghalaya reports the highest polygamy rate in India at 6.1%.
Nationally, polygamy rates are 2.1% among Christians, 1.9% among Muslims, 1.3% among Hindus and Buddhists, 0.5% among Sikhs, and 2.5% among other religions or castes.
Coal in India
Coal remains essential to energy security—contributing 55% to India’s energy mix and fueling over 74% of electricity generation.
The coal sector generates over Rs 70,000 crore annually for central and state governments through royalties, GST, and levies.
Coking coal is essential for steel production, forming about 42% of steel costs, while coal also fuels cement kilns, making it crucial for construction and infrastructure.
The government is promoting coal gasification.
Anthracite Found primarily in Jammu and Kashmir.
Bituminous Found predominantly in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh.
Coal Reserves in India: India holds the 5th-largest coal reserves and is the 2nd-largest consumer globally.
The top 3 states—Odisha, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh—together account for about 69% of the country’s total coal reserves.
Sagar Bandhu
India has initiated Operation Sagar Bandhu to deliver humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka after Cyclone Ditwah triggered massive floods and landslides.
Cyclone Ditwah is a tropical storm that rapidly formed over the southwest Bay of Bengal.
Name Ditwah was givien by Yemen.
The mission aligns with India’s Neighbourhood First policy and Vision MAHASAGAR.
Sujalam Bharat Summit 2025
Ministry of Jal Shakti will host the Vision for Sujalam Bharat Summit 2025 in New Delhi.
Objective: To accelerate water sustainability in India by promoting evidence-based policy making, sectoral reforms, and cooperative federalism in water governance.
6 critical thematic areas:-
Rejuvenation of Rivers and Springs
Greywater Management
Technology-driven Water Management
Water Conservation
Sustainable Drinking Water Supply
Community Engagement
India’s Nuclear Energy
As of 2025, India’s current power capacity stands at 8.18 GW, with an ambitious target of 100 GW by 2047.
Currently, India operates more than 20 nuclear reactors, all managed by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL).
The Nuclear Energy Mission was launched in the Union Budget 2025-26 which is focused on research and development (R&D) of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
India aims to develop at least five indigenously designed and operational SMRs by 2033.
Antarctica Day
India celebrated Antarctica Day (1st December) while also marking 25 years of the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa .
NCPOR: It was established in 1998 under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), NCPOR is India’s nodal agency for coordinating the Indian Antarctic Programme and maintaining the Maitri (1989) and Bharati (2011) research stations.
NCPOR has established India’s permanent research stations: Dakshin Gangotri, Maitri, Bharati (Antarctica) and Himadri (Arctic), along with the Himalayan research station Himansh.
