Indira Point

Geography

Context

The Environment Ministry is seeking approval for protection and development work at Indira Point.

Indira Point

Indira Point is India’s southernmost point of territory, located on Great Nicobar Island (Andaman and Nicobar Islands).
Formerly called Pygmalion Point, it was renamed in 1985.
It is strategically situated near the Six Degree Channel and Indonesia.
It is crucial for maritime security but experienced severe land subsidence during the 2004 Tsunami.

Geographic & Strategic

Location: Lies in the Nicobar district at 6°45′ N latitude and 93°49′ E longitude.
Proximity: It is located only about 145-163 km from Indonesia’s Rondo Island (Sumatra).
Mainland vs. Territory: It is the southernmost point of the Indian Union.
In contrast, Kanyakumari is the southernmost point of the Indian mainland.
Ecological Importance: Situated south of Galathea Bay, the region is a globally recognized nesting site for Leatherback Sea Turtles and houses the endemic Nicobar megapode.

Additional Information – The Great Nicobar Island (GNI) Project

It is conceived by NITI Aayog and launched in 2021.
It is a ₹72,000–₹81,000 crore mega-infrastructure initiative.

It is aimed at transforming India’s southernmost island into a major strategic and economic hub.
Significance – The project is a centerpiece of India’s Maritime Vision 2030 and Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.

Indiahandmade

Polity

Context

Indiahandmade is a dedicated digital marketplace that brings India’s handloom and handicraft traditions into the online economy.

Indiahandmade

It was launched in 2023
Objective – to strengthen the visibility of handmade products and open wider market opportunities for sellers.
Developed By: Digital India Corporation under the Ministry of Textiles.

Salient Features:

- Specialised Online Marketplace: It enables weavers and artisans to sell their handloom and handicraft products online.
- Direct Buyer Access: Artisans and weavers are directly connected with buyers, helping reduce intermediaries and support fair compensation.
- Digital Empowerment: Artisans and weavers are provided with digital tools and visibility to participate more effectively in online commerce.
- It offers a wide range of products, including apparel, home décor, furnishings, paintings, furniture, religious items, stationery, musical instruments, jewellery, bags and footwear.
It also highlights special product categories such as GI-tagged and ODOP products.

Vikram-1

Science and Technology

Context

Skyroot Aerospace has announced that Vikram-1, will carry six payloads during Mission Aagaman.

Vikram-1

Vikram-1 is a four-stage orbital launch vehicle developed by Skyroot Aerospace, an Indian space-tech start-up.
It is India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket.
Vikram-I can deploy up to 350 kg into low Earth orbit (LEO) and 260 kg into a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).
Mission Aagaman is the first orbital test flight of the Vikram-1 rocket, making it India’s first private orbital launch.
Developed by Skyroot Aerospace, it is scheduled to launch from Sriharikota between July 12 and August 4, 2026.

Oldest Quasars Found

Science & technology

Context

The Euclid space telescope has spotted the oldest quasars ever discovered, deepening a cosmic mystery that has been puzzling scientists.

About

A quasar (short for Quasi-Stellar Radio Source) is an extremely active and luminous type of Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN).
It is not a star, but the glowing, energetic core of a distant galaxy powered by a supermassive black hole

Additional Information – Quasars vs. Blazars

Both are sub-classes of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) powered by supermassive black holes, but they differ in how we observe them from Earth

Feature	Quasar	Blazar
Observation Angle	Observed at larger, tilted angles relative to the accretion disk.	A relativistic jet is pointed directly or almost end-on toward Earth.
Luminosity Variance	Changes steadily over longer periods.	Highly variable, changing significantly over very short timescales.
Visual Feature	Appears like a point-of-light star with visible thermal spectra.	Dominated by high-energy, faster-than-light particle jets.

INS Mahendragiri

Defence

Context

The Indian Navy is set to commission INS Mahendragiri (F38), the sixth indigenous stealth frigate under Project 17A, at Visakhapatnam.

About

It is named after the majestic Mahendragiri mountain range in the Eastern Ghats.
The stealth frigate was designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.
The frigate is equipped with an advanced suite of indigenous and state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, including surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missile systems, sophisticated electronic warfare capabilities, comprehensive anti-submarine warfare systems, and an integrated Combat Management System.

Additional Information – Project 17A (P-17A)

Objective: To build seven advanced stealth guided-missile frigates for the Indian Navy.
Key Manufacturers: The project is split between Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai (4 ships) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata (3 ships).
Design: Designed in-house by the Warship Design Bureau (WDB).
Indigenization: Approximately 75% of the content is indigenous, involving over 200 MSMEs, aligning with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India) initiative.

List of Seven Frigates

INS Nilgiri – Commissioned Jan 2025
INS Himgiri – Commissioned Aug 2025
INS Udaygiri – Commissioned Aug 2025
INS Taragiri – Commissioned April 2026
INS Dunagiri – Delivered March/April 2026
INS Vindhyagiri – Under sea trials/outfitting
INS Mahendragiri – Under construction/outfitting

India-Indonesia Relations

International Relations

News –

The Prime Minister of India undertook a State Visit to Indonesia from 6-8 July 2026.

Outcomes of the visit

Defence: Elevation of defence cooperation through cooperation on BrahMos Missile System, and Astra Air-to-Air Missile.
Culture: Inauguration of India-supported project towards restoration and conservation of UNESCO World Heritage Prambanan Temple Compounds by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Prambanan Temple Compounds, located in Yogyakarta on Indonesia’s Java Island, is the country’s largest Hindu temple complex dating 9th century AD, dedicated to Hindu Trinity – Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma.
Commemorate 2026–2027 as “Tagore–Dewantara Year of India–Indonesia Cultural and Educational Diplomacy” marking centenary of Rabindranath Tagore’s visit to Indonesia in 1927.
Setting up of Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore branch campus at Singhasari SEZ, Indonesia

India-Indonesia Relations

Background: 2024 marked 75 years of establishment of diplomatic relations. Signed Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2018.
Bilateral Trade: Indonesia is the second largest trading partner of India in the ASEAN region.
Defence: Participate in several exercises like

IND-INDO CORPAT,

Multilateral Naval Exercises – Komodo and Milan,
Bilateral Army Exercise – Garuda Shakti,
Bilateral Naval Exercise – Samudra Shakti,Ex Elang Shakti, Ex Super Garuda Shield 2025, etc.

Natural History Museum (NHM) at Mizoram : 21st Designated Repository

Environment

News –

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) notified the Natural History Museum (NHM) at Mizoram University, Aizawl, as India’s 21st Designated Repository.

Natural History Museum (NHM)

It is located in the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot.
It specialises in lesser-studied taxa (like pteridophytes and macrofungi), and documents rare endemic species from Northeast India.

Designated Repository

It is notified under Section 39 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002,
It is a scientific institution authorised to receive, preserve, and maintain biological specimens in safe custody.
MoEFCC notifies these repositories in consultation with the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA).

Kamarajar Port

Economy

News –

Kamarajar Port became the second Major Port of India, after Visakhapatnam Port, to offer a draft capability of 18 metres.

Kamarajar Port

It is a deep-water port with cargo carrying capacity of up to 1,70,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT).
Formerly Known as Ennore Port
Major Ports: There are 14 major ports (12 Operational) under administrative control of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

Additional Information – India has 14 major ports, out of which 12 are fully operational.

Western Coast (6 Operational Ports)

Deendayal Port (Kandla) Gujarat
Mumbai Port, Maharashtra
Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA/Nhava Sheva), Maharashtra
Mormugao Port, Goa
New Mangalore Port, Karnataka
Cochin Port, Kerala

Eastern Coast (6 Operational Ports)

Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (Kolkata/Haldia), West Bengal
Paradip Port, Odisha
Visakhapatnam Port, Andhra Pradesh
Kamarajar Port (Ennore), Tamil Nadu
Chennai Port, Tamil Nadu
V.O. Chidambaranar Port (Tuticorin), Tamil Nadu

Non-Operational / Under-Development (2 Ports)

Vadhvan Port: An upcoming mega satellite port located in Palghar, Maharashtra.
Galathea Bay Port: An international transshipment port being developed at Great Nicobar Island.

Akash Tarang

Science & Technology

Context

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved the procurement of Akash Tarang

Akash Tarang

It is an indigenous Anti-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Electronic Warfare System, designed to provide effective protection against hostile drones.
Akash Tarang neutralises drones by targeting their radio frequencies.
The platform works by detecting, tracking, and jamming the essential control signals of invading drones.
Akash Tarang functions as a key digital pillar in India’s broader “Sudarshan Chakra”.

Additional Information – Mission Sudarshan Chakra.

During Operation Sindoor, India faced drone and missile threats from Pakistan.
To strengthen national security, the Sudarshan Chakra missile shield—planned for 2035 under Make in India.
Mandate – It aims to integrate advanced defensive systems like Iron Dome, Iron Beam, Arrow, David’s Sling, along with existing S-400, Barak, and Akash systems, covering India’s borders and coastline.

Sudarshan Chakra

It is a multi-layered, home-grown air defence initiative.
It is named after Lord Krishna’s divine disc, designed to protect key sites from missiles, rockets, drones, and swarms.
It combines long-range systems like S-400 and Project Kusha, medium-range MRSAM/Barak-8, short-range Iron Dome, and future laser-based weapons like Iron Beam and DURGA-II for cost-effective drone and low-altitude threat interception.