News In Shorts

A dedicated body, the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS), will be constituted for the security of vessels and port facilities.

About Bureau of Port Security (BoPS)

• It shall be constituted as a statutory body under the provisions of Section 13 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025.
  • It is being modelled on the lines of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).
• Objective: It shall be responsible for regulatory and oversight functions relating to the security of ships and port facilities. 
• Key Functions: It shall also ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information, with a special focus on cyber security. 
• It will function under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

Recently President undertook a sortie onboard the Indian Navy’s indigenous submarine INS Vaghsheer.

About INS Vaghsheer 

• It is last of the six Project 75 Scorpene (P75) submarines (Kalvari class)
  • Kalvari class submarines are Conventional submarines equipped with diesel-electric propulsion systems.
  • Other five submarines of this class are Kalvari, Khanderi, Karanj, Vela, and Vagir
• It has been constructed by the Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai in collaboration with Naval Group, France.
• It is named after the sand fish, a deep sea predator of the Indian Ocean.

DRDO successfully conducts maiden flight test of Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR).

• The rocket was tested for its maximum range of 120 kms. 

About Pinaka Weapon System

• It is a Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) system used for: long-range artillery bombardment and softening enemy positions before close combat.
• It has been designed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) in association with the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL).
  • The project was developed with support from the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) and the Research Centre Imarat (RCI).

Recently Indian Defense Ministry signed Letters of Offer and Acceptance  with the US for maintenance and  sustained support of MH 60R helicopters, which the Indian Navy operates

• As part of this agreement facilities for maintenance and support will also be set up in India boosting Atmanirbhar Bharat.

About MH- 60R

• It is a state-of-the-art naval helicopter used by the US Navy and allies.
• Manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corporation, It is an all-weather helicopter designed to support multiple missions with state of the art avionics and sensors
• Capabilities – anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare , maritime surveillance, rescue operations etc.

According to reports, India plans to procure additional Heron MK-II drones from Israel with discussions underway for local manufacturing.

About Heron Mark II

• Manufacturer: Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
• Category: Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance roles.
• Endurance: Can reach an altitude of 35,000 feet, speed of 150 knots and remain in the air for 45 consecutive hours
• Capabilities: Equipped with advanced sensors, communication intelligence packages and satellite communication support which enables long range, beyond line of sight missions.

CERT-In has issued advisory warning Indian users about the WhatsApp Account takeover campaign (GhostPairing).

About Ghost Pairing

• What It Is: A new cyber scam that allows hackers to take over a WhatsApp account without needing a password or SIM card.
• How It Works: The attack exploits WhatsApp’s device-linking feature by tricking users into approving a fake but authentic-looking pairing code.
  • Victims receive deceptive messages like “Hi, check this photo,” which initiates the account compromise.
• Account Hijacking: Once linked, the attacker’s device gains full access as a hidden trusted device.