Current Affairs

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully completed the flight tests of the Guided Pinaka Weapon System as part of the Provisional Staff Qualitative Requirements (PSQR) Validation Trials. According to a statement from the Defence Ministry, these flight tests were conducted across three phases at various field firing ranges.

During the trials, PSQR parameters such as range, accuracy, consistency, and rate of fire in salvo mode for multiple target engagements were thoroughly assessed through extensive testing of rockets. A total of twelve rockets from each production agency were tested using two in-service Pinaka launchers, which had been upgraded by the launcher production agencies.

Dominica has announced it will confer its highest national honor, the Dominica Award of Honour, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This award recognizes his support for Dominica during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the donation of 70,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in February 2021, and his contributions to strengthening ties between India and Dominica in healthcare, education, information technology, and sustainable development. The award will be presented by Dominica’s President Sylvanie Burton at the India-CARICOM Summit in Georgetown, Guyana, from November 19-21, 2024.

Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit expressed gratitude for Modi’s solidarity, particularly during the global health crisis, and acknowledged Modi’s role in promoting a shared vision of resilience and progress. Prime Minister Modi accepted the award offer, emphasizing India’s commitment to collaborating on global challenges like climate change and regional conflicts alongside Dominica and the Caribbean.

India has entered the top 10 countries globally in Patents, Trademarks, and Industrial Designs, as per the World Intellectual Property Indicators 2024 report. The report highlights India’s significant growth in intellectual property (IP) activity, showing progress in patent, trademark, and industrial design applications. India ranks sixth globally for patents, with 64,480 applications, more than half from residents.

• 4th in Trademarks (+6.1%) with 90% resident fillings.
• 6th in Patents (+15.7%), driven by 55.2% resident fillings.
• 10th in Industrial Designs (+36.4%), Moving up 1 spot.

The patent office granted 149.4% more patents in 2023 than the previous year, demonstrating a rapidly evolving IP ecosystem. Industrial design applications rose by 36.4%, driven by sectors like Textiles and Accessories, Tools and Machines, and Health and Cosmetics, which contributed to nearly half of all design filings.

On 12 November 2024, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the first flight test of its Long Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM) from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha, using a mobile launcher. The test met all primary mission objectives, with sub-systems performing as expected.

The missile’s performance was monitored by multiple range sensors, including radar, optical tracking, and telemetry systems. Equipped with advanced avionics and software, the LRLACM was developed by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment in Bengaluru, with support from other labs and Indian industries.

Justice Sanjiv Khanna was sworn in as the 51st Chief Justice of India (CJI) on November 11, 2024, in a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath. Key dignitaries, including Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other Union Cabinet members, attended the event. Justice Khanna, who joined the Supreme Court in 2019, has contributed to significant rulings, such as upholding the abrogation of Article 370 and overturning the electoral bonds scheme.

Beginning his career in 1983 under the Delhi Bar Council, Justice Khanna has expertise in constitutional law, taxation, arbitration, and environmental law. His judicial experience includes appointments at the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court, where he handled influential cases.

The ceremony highlighted respect for judicial continuity, with retired Chief Justices and legal figures in attendance. Justice Khanna succeeds former CJI DY Chandrachud, who reflected on his tenure in a heartfelt farewell. Justice Khanna will serve a six-month term, focusing on key national issues, as outlined by the government’s recent appointment notification under Article 124 of the Indian Constitution.

The third edition of the India-Australia joint military exercise, AUSTRAHIND, began on November 8 at the Foreign Training Node in Pune and will continue until November 21. This exercise aims to strengthen defense cooperation and interoperability between the Indian and Australian armed forces. Started in 2022 in Rajasthan, AUSTRAHIND has become an annual event, alternating between both countries.

This year, the focus is on enhancing joint capabilities for sub-conventional operations in semi-urban and semi-desert environments under a UN mandate. The exercise includes 140 Indian personnel, mainly from the DOGRA Regiment, and 120 Australian soldiers from the 13th Light Horse Regiment. It will be conducted in two phases: combat conditioning/tactical training and a validation phase, featuring counter-terrorism tactics, joint operations, search and destroy missions, and heli-borne operations.

India and Australia’s defense ties also include other exercises like AUSINDEX (maritime) and PITCHBLACK (air force) and regular policy dialogues. The start of AUSTRAHIND follows External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s recent visit to Australia, further strengthening their diplomatic and strategic relationship.

On November 8, 2024, Union Minister of Labour and Employment Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya announced the successful pilot of the new Centralised Pension Payments System (CPPS) under the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) 1995. Conducted on October 29-30, the pilot disbursed approximately Rs 11 crore to over 49,000 EPS pensioners across Jammu, Srinagar, and Karnal.

The CPPS enables pensioners to receive payments from any bank branch nationwide, eliminating the need for regional transfers and streamlining disbursements. Expected to fully launch by January 2025 as part of EPFO’s Centralised IT Enabled System (CITES 2.01), the CPPS will benefit over 78 lakh pensioners, enhancing the EPFO’s modernization and efficiency in pension services.

The second annual Indian Military Heritage Festival (IMHF) commenced in New Delhi on November 8, 2024. This two-day event aims to engage global and Indian think tanks, corporations, public and private sector organizations, non-profits, academicians, and research scholars focused on India’s national security, foreign policy, military history, and heritage.

The festival was inaugurated by Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan alongside three Service Chiefs. During the inauguration, Project ‘Shaurya Gatha’ was launched, an initiative by the Department of Military Affairs and the United Service Institution (USI) of India to conserve and promote India’s military heritage through education and tourism.

On November 7, 2024, President Droupadi Murmu visited the Indian Navy’s indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, marking her first time aboard Navy vessels at sea. After arriving at INS Hansa in Goa, she was greeted by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Vice Admiral Sanjay J Singh, with a ceremonial Guard of Honour in her honor. Aboard INS Vikrant, the President observed a series of naval demonstrations, including deck-based fighter operations, missile drills, submarine maneuvers, and a flypast involving over 30 aircraft.

India’s progress in reducing tuberculosis (TB) has gained global recognition, with a 17.7% drop in TB cases from 2015 to 2023. This decline is more than twice the global average of 8.3%, according to the World Health Organization’s Global Tuberculosis Report 2024.

India committed to achieving the United Nations’ “End TB” targets by 2025, five years before the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) deadline. This progress reflects the success of India’s National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme, which has led to an 80% decrease in TB cases and a 90% reduction in TB deaths since 2015.

The fifth Vietnam-India Bilateral Army Exercise (VINBAX) 2024 began on November 4, 2024, in Ambala, Haryana. The goal of VINBAX-2024 is to strengthen the joint military abilities of India and Vietnam.

This year’s exercise is special because, for the first time, it includes personnel from both the Army and Air Force of each country. The Indian Army has sent 47 personnel, including a Regiment of the Corps of Engineers and members from other units. VINBAX-2024 will end on November 23.