Recently a US submarine torpedoed Iranian warship IRIS Dena near Sri Lanka in International Waters, questioning implementation of maritime law.

About Legal Framework concerning International Maritime Law

• UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea): Governs maritime conduct mainly during peacetime but does not regulate naval warfare during armed conflicts.
• UN Charter Provisions
  • Article 2(4): Prohibits use of force between states.
  • Article 51: Allows use of force in self-defence after an armed attack.
• UN Security Council Authorisation: Military action may also occur with UNSC approval under Chapter VII.

Recently Tribes Art Fest 2026, was organized in Delhi for preservation and commercialization of India;s various tribal arts.

Key Tribal Arts Displayed

• Warli Painting (Maharashtra)
• It has a GI tag and uses geometric shapes and rice paste on mud walls
• Themes: Nature, farming, rituals (Tarpa dance)
• Rabha & Tamang Masks (Assam, Bengal, Himalayan region)
  • Used in ritual dances and folk theatre
  • Made from wood, bamboo, clay, gourds
  • Themes: Deities, spirits, mythological beings
• Gond Painting (Madhya Pradesh)
  • It is GI-tagged and known for intricate dots and line patterns.
  • Themes:  Animals, folklore, ecology
• Bhil Painting (Central India)
  • Characterised by thousands of dots (pointillism style)
  • Themes: Nature, deities, daily life

Researchers discovered 9 new species at Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary.

About Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location:  Megamalai, Theni district, Tamil Nadu.
  • Situated near Tamil Nadu–Kerala border, acts as a buffer zone for Periyar Tiger Reserve.
  • Also, an Eco- sensitive Zone
  • Share boundaries with: Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Sanctuary (TN) and Periyar Tiger Reserve (Kerala).
  • Part of: Srivilliputhur Megamalai Tiger Reserve (SMTR)
• Rivers: Vaigai, Suruliyaru, Shanmuganathi.
• Fauna: Elephants, tigers, leopards, Nilgiri tahr, sambar deer, Nilgiri langur, lion-tailed macaque, common langur, sloth bear, lying squirrel, etc.

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research- National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL) has developed a Dimethyl Ether (DME) production process technology.

• DME can be considered as a ‘Second Generation fuel/bio-fuel’ and used as a sustainable alternative to LPG.

About Dimethyl Ether (DME)

• Nature: Colourless gas, slight ethereal odour, liquefies under pressure
• Properties: Inert, non-corrosive, non-carcinogenic, low toxicity, does not form peroxides by prolonged exposure to air
• Applications: Fuel, aerosol propellant, solvent, and refrigerant. 
• Advantages as a fuel: Clean burning with minimal SOx, NOx, soot, particulate matter; comparable calorific value and thermal efficiency to traditional fuels; can be blended with LPG (up to 20%); can be produced from Indian coal, methanol, or captured CO₂, etc.

15th Century Odisha rulers’ inscriptions were found in Guntur Temple of Gajapti ruler.

About Suryavamsi Gajapati Dynasty (Odisha)

• Succeeded: Eastern Ganga dynasty (weakened by mid-14th century political instability).
  • Rulers of this dynasty claimed descent from Suryavamsa (Solar dynasty) of Lord Rama for legitimacy.
  • The Title Gajapati (“Lord of Elephants”) was earned due to the large elephant corps in their army.
• Founder: Kapilendradeva (1435–1467 CE), overthrew the last Ganga king Bhanu Deva IV.
• Prominent Rulers: Purusottamadeva, Prataprudradeva, etc.
• Capital:  Cuttack (Abhinava Varanasi Kataka)
• Ministerial Council: Amatyas – Ministers; Sandhivigrahi – War & Peace; Sena-narendra – Army Chief; Rautaraya – Army Captain; Pariksha – Treasury Secretary; others for seals, temple accounts, etc.

Sahitya Akademi announced its annual Sahitya Akademi Awards. 

• Sahitya Akademi Awards are presented to most outstanding books of literary merit in 24 Indian languages recognised by it.
  • Established: 1954; First awarded- 1955
  • The author must be of Indian nationality. 

About Sahitya Akademi 

• Sahitya Akademi is India’s National Academy of Letters that promotes literary activities across 24 Indian languages (22 Scheduled Languages and English and Rajasthani).
• Nature: Autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture
• Established: 1954 (registered as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.)

West Asia conflict is causing volatile crude oil prices, reflected in international crude oil benchmarks.

Crude Oil Benchmarks

• They are reference prices used to value crude oil, helping in pricing physical oil trades, hedging (risk management) and price discovery in global markets.
  • Actual oil price = Benchmark price ± differential (based on quality, location, transport).
• Major Global Oil Benchmarks
  • Brent crude oil
    • Origin: North Sea oil fields
    • Most widely used global benchmark
    • Used for: Europe, Africa, Middle East exports; Seaborne oil trade pricing.
  • West Texas Intermediate
    • Benchmark for North America and inland benchmark (pipeline-based)
  • Dubai/Oman crude benchmark
    • Used mainly for Middle East exports to Asian markets

Indian Naval warships escort Indian-flagged merchant vessels Shivalik, Nanda Devi, and Jag Laadki from the Gulf of Oman.

About Operation Sankalp

• Launched: 19 June 2019
• Objective: Ensure safe passage of Indian-flag vessels and protect India’s maritime trade and energy supply lines
• Area of Operation: Strait of Hormuz, Persian Gulf region
• Strategic importance: ~20% of global oil trade passes through Strait of Hormuz and critical for India’s energy security.