Daily Current Affairs and News Analysis 03-02-2025

Successful Flight Trials: The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted three consecutive flight trials of the Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) from Chandipur, Odisha. These tests targeted high-speed, low-altitude aerial threats, including drones.

Man-Portable System: VSHORADS is a Man Portable Air Defence system, meaning it can be easily carried and operated by individuals or small teams.

Key Features: It features short-range, lightweight, surface-to-air missiles with a maximum range of 8 kilometers and the ability to engage targets up to 4.5 km altitude. The missiles are designed to destroy aircraft and helicopters.

Technological Advancements: The missile incorporates miniaturized Reaction Control System (RCS) and integrated avionics for precise control and steering, as successfully proven during the tests. The RCS uses thrusters to provide thrust in any direction.

Indigenous Development: VSHORADS was indigenously designed and developed by the Research Center Imarat, in collaboration with other DRDO labs and production partners.

Multi-Service Capability: The system is designed to meet the air defense needs of all three branches of the Indian Armed Forces: Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Target Destruction: During the tests, the missiles accurately intercepted and destroyed targets, demonstrating their capability to neutralize drones and other aerial threats.

Operational Readiness: The flight tests were conducted in final deployment configuration, with field operators demonstrating weapon readiness, target acquisition, and missile firing capabilities.

SwaRail: The SuperApp – The Ministry of Railways launched “SwaRail,” a one-stop solution integrating various railway services into a single application.

Purpose: Streamlines access to railway services, eliminating the need for multiple apps. Reduces device storage consumption and app clutter.

Services Offered: Includes reserved and unreserved ticket bookings, platform ticket booking, parcel and freight enquiries, train and PNR status, food ordering, and Rail Madad for complaint management.

User Experience Focus: Aims for a seamless and clean user interface (UI) to enhance user experience. Single Sign-On is a feature.

Development & Beta Testing: Developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS). Currently in beta testing on Google Play Store and Apple App Store, with a full public launch planned after evaluation of user feedback.

Unique Features: Unified platform for various services, single sign-on, all-in-one access to booking and scheduling, and integrated information from different sources.

Onboarding: Users

Feedback & Improvement: The Ministry of Railways encourages user feedback during the beta phase for app improvement and development.

Login Options: Offers various login methods, including m-PIN and biometric authentication for easier access. Guest logins via OTP are also available.

Iran unveiled two new missiles: the Etemad and Ghadr-380.

The Etemad is a ballistic missile with a 1,700 km range and a precision-guided warhead. This is significant because ballistic missiles can carry conventional warheads.

The Ghadr-380 is an anti-warship cruise missile with anti-jamming capabilities. The anti-jamming feature aims to counter enemy attempts to disrupt its guidance system.

Ballistic missiles travel on an arched trajectory at high speeds due to gravity, potentially reaching several times the speed of sound.

Cruise missiles fly at lower altitudes in a straighter line and can be launched from various platforms. This makes them harder to detect.

Iran’s missile advancements are notable, especially considering its development of the hypersonic Fattah missile, capable of speeds up to Mach 15. This highlights Iran’s growing military capabilities.

Emergence in North America: A henipavirus related to Nipah, similar to Camp Hill virus, has been detected in North America, sparking outbreak concerns.

Deadly Nature: Henipaviruses, like Hendra and Nipah, are associated with high case fatality rates (up to 70% for Hendra; 40-75% for Nipah).

Zoonotic Origin: These viruses are zoonotic, originating from fruit bats (flying foxes) and capable of infecting various mammals, including humans.

Severe Symptoms: Infection often leads to severe respiratory illness and encephalitis, progressing to confusion, seizures, and coma.

Immune System Evasion: The viruses encode proteins that block the innate immune response, allowing viral replication and disease progression.

Transmission Routes: Transmission occurs through direct contact with infected animals, consumption of contaminated food/water, and, in some cases, human-to-human transmission.

Limited Treatment: There is currently no vaccine or antiviral drug available; treatment is symptomatic.

Scheme Overview: The Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan Yojana is a government scheme designed to provide old-age protection and social security to unorganized workers in India.

Target Beneficiaries: Focuses on unorganized workers with monthly incomes below ₹15,000 who are not members of EPFO/ESIC/NPS (government-funded pension schemes). This includes workers like street vendors, agricultural workers, construction workers, and those in various other industries.

Implementation: It is a Central Sector Scheme administered by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, implemented through the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and CSC eGovernance Services India Limited. LIC acts as the Pension Fund Manager and handles pension payouts.

Contribution: It is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme. Subscribers and the Central Government contribute on a 50:50 basis, with age-specific contributions.

Family Pension: If a subscriber dies while receiving a pension, their spouse receives 50% of the pension as a family pension. If a beneficiary dies before age 60 after making regular contributions, their spouse can continue the scheme.

Exit Options: Subscribers can opt out of the scheme. If they exit before 10 years, their contribution with interest is returned. Exiting after 10 years but before 60 also results in the return of their contributions plus accumulated interest.

Location and Significance: Deepor Beel is a perennial freshwater lake on the outskirts of Guwahati, Assam, a former channel of the Brahmaputra River. It serves as the only major stormwater storage basin for the city.

Ecological Importance: It’s a Ramsar site (recognized in 2002) and an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (2004), being the only Ramsar site in Assam. It’s a staging site for migratory birds, supporting large concentrations, especially in winter. Globally threatened species like the Spot-billed Pelican, Lesser Adjutant Stork, and Baer’s Pochard are found there.

Biodiversity and Livelihoods: The lake supports about 50 fish species and provides livelihoods for approximately 1,200 households in 12 villages nearby. The nearby Rani and Garbhanga hills, habitat of Asiatic elephants, are part of its ecosystem. The Beel drains into the Brahmaputra river, located about 5 km away.

Birding Festival Results: The 3rd annual Deepor Beel Winter Birding Festival 2025, showed an increase in both migratory and residential bird populations compared to 2024. The survey documented 17,623 birds across 161 species, with 48% being winter migrants. Five new species were recorded for the first time.

Recovery and Conservation: The bird count recovery in 2025 indicates the positive impact of restoring natural water flow. Areas outside the protected zone, managed by local communities, showed high bird diversity, highlighting the importance of community-driven conservation.

• The event featured exhibitions, competitions, and the launch of publications.
• An MoU was signed with Amazon to support women entrepreneurs in Gonda district.
• Tamil Nadu has the maximum number of Ramsar Sites (20 sites) followed by Uttar Pradesh (10 sites).