Prime Minister calls to replicate the Centre’s PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) platform in states.

About PRAGATI (2015)

• It is a three-tier system (Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Union Government Secretaries, and Chief Secretaries of the States)
• Objectives:
  • Expedite Project Implementation: With the aid of technology to ensure real-time monitoring. E.g. It leverages video conferencing, real-time data, drone feeds, etc.
  • Collaborative Approach: Removing administrative silos through the involvement of various government agencies.
  • E-transparency and e-accountability: With effective grievance redressal.

Recently, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) notified the operational guidelines for 2 major shipbuilding initiatives- SBFAS and the Shipbuilding Development Scheme (SbDS)

About SBFAS

• Objective: Provides financial assistance ranging from 15% to 25% per vessel, depending on the vessel category such as small, large or specialised vessels.
  • Also, it provides for Establishment of a National Shipbuilding Mission to ensure coordinated planning and execution of shipbuilding initiatives.
• Introduces Shipbreaking Credit, under it, owners scrapping vessels at Indian yards will receive a credit of 40% of the scrap value, supporting a circular economy.

About SbDS

• Objective: long-term capacity and capability creation.
• It provides for the development of greenfield shipbuilding clusters, expansion and modernisation of existing brownfield shipyards, and the establishment of an India Ship Technology Centre under the Indian Maritime University. 

Prime Minister recently highlighted Narasapuram lace craft as a symbol of women’s empowerment and economic progress. 

About Narasapuram Lace craft 

• Found in and around Narasapur/Narsapur (West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh)
• Origin:  Taught by Christian missionaries to the local women in 19^th Century. 
  • Also known as crochet craft, it employs fine cotton threads and crochet needles to produce products like as bedspreads, mobile cover etc.
  • Patterns: Intricate floral, geometric, and paisley patterns inspired by nature and traditional motifs.
• It has received the GI Tag and ‘One District One Product’ award. 
• ~60% of the artisans involved in it are women.

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.

China Sets World Record with High-Speed Maglev Train Achieving 700 kmph in two Seconds.

Magnetic Levitation Technology 

• Principle: Uses electromagnetic forces to levitate vehicles above the track, eliminating wheel–rail contact.
• Propulsion: Movement achieved through controlled magnetic fields rather than conventional engines.
• Advantages:  
  • Energy Efficiency: Reduced mechanical resistance lowers energy loss and maintenance needs.
  • Smooth & Silent Operation: Absence of physical contact minimizes noise and vibration.

The 11th Conference of the States Parties (COSP-11) to the UN Convention against Corruption concluded with the adoption of Doha Declaration 2025. 

• Declaration calls on States to leverage digital technologies, including AI, to strengthen international law enforcement cooperation in cross-border corruption, etc.
• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) acts as the secretariat of the Conference. 

UN Convention against Corruption

• It is the only legally binding universal anti-corruption instrument.
• Adopted in 2003 by the UN General Assembly, New York and enforced in 2005
• Objective: To prevent and combat corruption, promote integrity and accountability, facilitate international cooperation, and recover assets obtained through corruption
• Signatories and Parties: 140 Signatories and 192 Parties (as of September 2025)
  • India is a Party to the Convention