Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata) | RAKSHA’ Defence Diplomacy Document | Earth Observation Satellite EOS-05 | Status of the World’s Soil Resources 2026 | Pichavaram Mangrove Ecosystem | Syria | Belgium

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata)

Environment

News – 

• A rare sharp-tailed sandpiper was spotted near Najafgarh Jheel in Gurugram, Haryana.

About

• • It is a small-to-medium-sized migratory wader (shorebird) known for long-distance annual migrations between Arctic Siberia and Australasia.
  • Habitat: Shallow freshwater wetlands, coastal estuaries, flooded pastures, and saltmarshes.
  • Distribution: Breeds in the boggy tundra of northern Siberia during the short summer, wintering mainly in Australia, New Zealand, and Melanesia. It is a rare vagrant visitor to India and Western Europe.
  • Ecological role: Biological indicator for the health of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.
• IUCN: Vulnerable

RAKSHA’ Defence Diplomacy Document

Defence

News – 

• The Defence Minister unveiled ‘RAKSHA’, a strategic document outlining India’s 10-year roadmap for global defence partnerships.
• It marks a shift towards proactive global defence cooperation, aligning national security objectives with long-term partnerships, stability and mutual growth.

Key pillars of RAKSHA

• Strategic Partnerships: Deepening bilateral and multilateral security cooperation.
• Capacity Building: Enhancing joint military exercises, training programmes, and sharing best practices with friendly nations.
• Indigenous Exports: Promoting Make-in-India defence platforms to establish the nation as a reliable global defence manufacturing hub.
• Maritime security: Strengthening India’s role as a Net Security Provider and First Responder in the Indian Ocean Region.

Earth Observation Satellite EOS-05

Science & Technology

News –  

• The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched EOS-05 (formerly GISAT-1A) aboard the GSLV-F17 rocket.

EOS-05

• It is India’s first Earth observation imaging satellite to operate from Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO).
• It is designed to provide near real-time imaging of priority targets every 5 minutes and the whole Indian landmass every 30 minutes.
• Significance: Supports agricultural assessment, resource management, environmental monitoring for natural disasters, and continuous surveillance for national security.
• GEO is a circular geosynchronous orbit at ~36,000 km, where a satellite’s orbital period matches Earth’s rotation, enabling continuous surveillance over a fixed region.

Status of the World’s Soil Resources 2026

International

News – 

• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) published the Status of the World’s Soil Resources 2026 report
• Soil biodiversity refers to the variety of life belowground, ranging from genes and species to communities and soil ecosystems. 
• Major Organisms include bacteria, fungi, archaea, protozoa, nematodes, earthworms and arthropods.

Key Findings

• Loss of Soil Biodiversity: It ranks 4th among seven major threats to soil function, after soil erosion, loss of soil organic carbon and nutrient mismanagement.
• Major Threat – Habitat Loss: Intensive irrigation, heavy machinery, fertilisers and pesticides can significantly alter soil habitats and reduce soil biodiversity.
• Global Implementation Gap: Sustainable soil-management practices are deteriorating in 58% of regional and sub-regional assessments, while improving in only around 10%.

Pichavaram Mangrove Ecosystem

Environment

News –

• A recent study valued the Pichavaram mangrove ecosystem’s Total Economic Value (TEV) at ₹2,485.38 crore, highlighting its immense blue carbon stock.

Pichavaram Mangrove Forest

• Location – Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu

• • Uniqueness – It  is one of India’s largest mangroves, situated in a coastal estuary between the Vellar and Coleroon Rivers.
  • It encompasses the Killai backwaters and connects to the Bay of Bengal through a shallow littoral passage.
  • Dominant Species: Avicennia marina and Rhizophora.
  • Environmental Status: It is a Ramsar Site designated in 2022 and an Important Bird Area (IBA). 
  • Its South Indian mangrove region is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems.

• Protection: Categorized as CRZ-IA (Ecologically Sensitive Area), it receives the highest legal protection.

• • Ecological Significance: Acts as a bio-shield, protecting inland coastal communities from cyclones, tsunamis, and erosion, while supporting marine nurseries, fisheries, and coastal livelihoods.
• Key Threats: Microplastic infiltration, unregulated shrimp farming expansion, and land conversion.

Syria

International

News – 

• • A UN report confirmed that Syria was building a nuclear reactor in Deir el-Zour under former President Assad.
  • Location: East coast of Mediterranean Sea in southwestern Asia. 

• Capital: Damascus.

• • Borders: Turkey (north), Iraq (east), Jordan (south), Lebanon (west) and Israel (southwest).
  • Major Landforms: Syrian Coastal Mountains, Anti-Lebanon Mountains and the Syrian/Syro-Arabian Desert.
  • The Golan Heights: A major territorial and geopolitical issue involving Syria and Israel.
• Syria is a member of the UN and the League of Arab States (Arab League).

Belgium

International

News – 

• The Belgian Prime Minister arrived in New Delhi for a three-day official visit to India.

About

• Located in – Northwestern Europe, it is one of the smallest and most densely populated European countries.
• Capital: Brussels (also hosts NATO Headquarters)
• Borders: France (South), Germany (East), Luxembourg (Southeast) and the Netherlands (North).
• Founding member of the EU and NATO.
• Has a coastline along the North Sea, giving it strategic importance for European maritime trade.