25.04.25

Keel Laying of 4th NGOPV (Yard 3040): Ceremony held at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE), Kolkata, on April 24, 2025. Marks a major step in its construction.

Contract for 11 NGOPVs: Signed on March 30, 2023, for indigenous design and development. Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) is the Lead Shipyard (7 vessels), GRSE the Follow Shipyard (4 vessels).

NGOPV Capabilities: Approximately 3000 tonnes. Designed for coastal defence & surveillance, search & rescue, protection of offshore assets, and anti-piracy missions. Enhances maritime domain awareness and low-intensity maritime conflict capabilities.

“Aatmanirbhar Bharat” and “Make in India”: Project aligns with national initiatives promoting self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

Above-Normal Monsoon Forecast: IMD forecasts above-normal monsoon for 2025 (105% of LPA), potentially boosting agricultural output.

Regional Variations: Uneven distribution predicted; below-normal rainfall in some regions (J&K, Ladakh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Northeast), normal to above normal in core monsoon zone (MP, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, UP, WB)

Monsoon Impact on Food Prices: Good monsoons generally lower prices, but specific crop issues can still cause price hikes. Supply chain disruptions during heavy rains raise transportation costs.

Monsoon Failure & Imports: Deficient rainfall increases import dependence (pulses, edible oils), fueling inflation.

Other Inflation Factors:

• Supply shocks (hoarding).
• Global commodity prices (edible oils, pulses).
• Monetary policy (higher interest rates).
• Government policies (MSPs, export restrictions).
• Supply chain weaknesses (storage, transport).

Steps to Control Inflation:

• Improve supply chain management.
• Promote Agri-Tech.
• Encourage agricultural diversification.
• Reform food subsidy systems.
• Climate-smart practices.

National Zero Measles-Rubella Elimination Campaign 2025-26 Launched: Aims for 100% immunization coverage with two M-R vaccine doses for all eligible children. This is crucial because measles and rubella are highly infectious and can cause serious complications and death, especially in vulnerable populations.

Goal: Eliminate Measles and Rubella in India by 2026. This is significant due to the diseases’ high infection rate and potential for severe lifelong complications.

Progress: 332 districts reported zero measles cases and 487 districts reported zero rubella cases (January-March 2025). Demonstrates advancement towards M-R elimination.

“ACT NOW” Policy: Focuses on eliminating M-R similar to the success achieved with Polio and Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus. The policy aims to accelerate efforts and ensure no child is left behind in the vaccination drive.

Current Vaccination Coverage: India’s MR vaccination coverage is at 93.7% (first dose) and 92.2% (second dose) (2024-25 HMIS data). High coverage is vital for achieving herd immunity and preventing outbreaks.

IEC Materials Released: Multi-language materials (posters, radio jingles, film) to raise awareness and promote community participation. These materials are intended to address vaccine hesitancy.

Call for Jan Bhagidari: Encourages inclusive participation of community leaders to spread awareness. Public support can significantly improve vaccination rates.

Universal Immunization Programme (UIP): Provides free M-R vaccines to children at 9-12 months and 16-24 months. UIP acts as a large program for vaccines across India for children and pregnant women.

Measles and Rubella Champion Award: India received international recognition for its efforts in preventing Measles and Rubella. The award recognizes India’s exceptional efforts.

Decline in Cases: India has seen a 73% decline in Measles cases and a 17% reduction in Rubella cases in 2024 compared to 2023. Demonstrates the effectiveness of current strategies.

World Malaria Day 2025 Theme: “Malaria Ends With Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite.” (Observed annually on April 25th)

Global Malaria Burden: Remains a major health challenge, affecting 263 million people and killing over 600,000 annually. Africa bears 94-95% of the burden.

India’s Progress: Significant decline in malaria cases and deaths between 2015 and 2023. India exited WHO’s High Burden to High Impact (HBHI) list, aiming for malaria-free status by 2030.

Treatment & Prevention: Advanced drugs like chloroquine and artemisinin. Tools like insecticide-treated nets (ITNs). Vaccines: RTS,S/AS01 (Mosquirix) and R21/Matrix-M approved. Chemoprophylaxis and Preventive Chemotherapy.

Global Initiatives: WHO Global Malaria Program and Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030 (aims to reduce malaria cases and deaths by at least 90% by 2030, eliminate malaria in ≥35 countries by 2030 ).E-2025 initiative (WHO has identified 25 countries, with the potential to eradicate malaria by 2025). Genetically Modified Mosquitoes to Fight Against Malaria.

National Initiatives: National Framework for Malaria Elimination 2016-2030, National Vector-Borne Disease Control Programme, MERA-India, HBHI Initiative, National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP).

Historical Context: Malaria significantly impacted human migration, European colonization, and the slave trade. Understanding malaria transmission enabled colonial expansion in Africa.

Event: Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft experienced GPS spoofing while delivering aid to Myanmar under “Operation Brahma” after an earthquake in late March 2025.

GPS Spoofing Defined: A cyberattack that uses false GPS signals to mislead an aircraft’s navigation systems. It can overpower weak satellite signals, causing receivers to display incorrect location data.

Risk Factors: GPS spoofing can lead to hijacking, misdirection of aircraft, disruption of military operations, and potential friendly fire incidents.

IAF Response: The IAF acknowledged the potential for degraded GPS availability, as indicated by a “Notice to Airmen” (NOTAM) issued by Mandalay International Airport. They asserted that their crews are trained to handle such situations and that all missions were completed safely and as planned.

Extent: Reportedly, a majority of the six military transport aircraft deployed experienced GPS spoofing. Five landed in Yangon and Nay-Pyi-Daw on March 29-30, and one went to Mandalay on April 1.

Mitigation Measures: Potential countermeasures include using multi-constellation systems, advanced signal processing, and anti-spoofing devices.