Recently India launched Operation Sagar Bandhu to to assist Sri Lanka, struck by cyclone Ditwah 

About Cyclone Ditwah 

• It is a tropical cyclone that brought heavy rains to Sri Lanka and Southern India.
  • The name “Ditwah” was contributed by Yemen.
• World Meteorological Organisation uses the term 'Tropical Cyclone’ to when winds exceed ‘Gale Force’ (minimum 63 kph)
• Cyclones are atmospheric disturbances around a low-pressure area distinguished by swift and often destructive air circulation.
• The air circulates inward in an anticlockwise direction in the Northern hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern hemisphere.

Recently NISAR Satellite entered its final science operations phase after earlier phase of launch, deployment, commissioning.

About NISAR

• Orbit: It is an Earth observation satellite (EOS) being placed in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
  • It is placed in Sun-synchronous Polar Orbit (orbit in which satellites are in sync with sun i.e. they will pass over the same spot on Earth at the same local time).
• Collaboration: It's the 1st satellite jointly developed by ISRO and NASA.
• Launch vehicle: Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle F16 (GSLV-F16).
• Contains a dual frequency band (L band by NASA and S band by ISRO) Synthetic Aperture Radar(SAR).
  • SAR-uses motion of a radar antenna to create high-resolution images.

Recently the annual Asia Power Index,was released by Australia-based think tank Lowy Institute. 

About Asia Power Index 2025 

• The annual Asia Power Index measures resources and influence to assess the relative power of states in Asia.
  • It evaluates the power of 27 countries and territories across Asia across 8 measures, including Military Capability ,Economic Capability, Diplomatic and Cultural Influence
• India secured 3d ranking (improved) gaining the status of 'major power', though still far behind U.S.(1st ) and China.
  • This rise is attributed to its growing economic and military strengths boosted by recent Operation Sindoor.

Recently Indian Defense Ministry signed Letters of Offer and Acceptance  with the US for 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.

SEBI reclassified REITs as equity instruments to boost  participation by mutual funds and SIFs, while retaining Infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs) under hybrid category.

• Equity instruments, also known as shares, and capital shares in particular, give holders property rights to the company.
• A hybrid security blends the features of two financial instruments into one asset, usually combining aspects of debt and equity.

About Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) 

• Definition: It is a company that owns, operates, or finances income-generating real estate and sells shares to raise capital to do so.
• REITs are an alternative investment option for people who cannot afford to invest directly in real estate. 

SoLAR Phase II has been launched to expand climate-resilient solar irrigation systems across South Asia and East Africa.

About The Solar Irrigation for Agricultural Resilience in South Asia (SoLAR) Phase II

• Phase II Launch: November 2025. Phase 1 was during 2019-2024.
• Implemented by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
• A multi-country programme covering India, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Ethiopia.
• Objective: Ensures equitable, sustainable access to solar-powered agriculture for small and marginal farmers.

BARC India has appointed an independent agency to investigate allegations that one of its employees manipulated TRP ratings in exchange for bribes.

About Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India

• It is a Joint Industry Body founded by stakeholder bodies that represent Broadcasters, Advertisers, and Advertising and Media Agencies.
• BARC India owns and manages a transparent, accurate, and inclusive TV audience measurement system.
• BARC’s mandate is only to measure viewership after it occurs and not how or why viewers land on a channel.

A bright halo of red light has been spotted floating above a small Italian town due to a rare atmospheric phenomenon called ELVEs (Emission of Light and Very Low Frequency perturbations due to Electromagnetic pulse Sources).

About ELVEs 

• ELVEs are defined as rapidly expanding rings of light emission, up to about 300 km across, in the lower ionosphere, generated by the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) from lightning return strokes.
• Discovered by: Boeck. 
• They are more common over oceans and result from the heating of free electrons due to the electric field from the EMP.

The Italian Parliament approved a law that recognises femicide.

About Femicide

• Femicide (or feminicide, as it is referred to in some contexts) is defined as an intentional killing with a gender-related motivation.
• It is considered among the most severe manifestations of crimes targeting women. 
• A 2022 framework developed by several United Nations bodies divided femicides into three categories, based on the women’s relation to their attacker(s). These were intentional homicides or killings of women and girls perpetrated by,
  • Intimate partners
  • By other family members (blood relatives and relatives by marriage or adoption)
  • By other perpetrators

Nigeria is set to host the first Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus in West Africa.

• The first batch is expected to begin in 2026, focusing on engineering, technology, and research.
• This initiative marks a major step in India's global education outreach and is part of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which encourages Indian universities to expand internationally.
• The new campus will follow the IIT Madras–Zanzibar model.
  • The IIT Madras-Zanzibar campus started in 2023 with students from across Africa. 
  • The IIT Delhi- Abu Dhabi campus, which opened in 2024, offers courses that match local industry needs.