Kendu leaves
Tribal women of Kalahandi, Odisha successfully protested the Forest Department’s denial of Gram Sabha-issued transit permits for kendu leaf transportation.
- Used primarily for making beedis (Indian hand-rolled cigarettes).
- Economic Importance: Odisha is the third-largest producer of Kendu leaves in India, providing employment to tribal communities.
- Processing & Trade: Odisha is unique in processing Kendu leaves before sale, unlike other states that sell them raw.
- Government Regulation: The trade is nationalized in Odisha, ensuring fair wages for collectors and preventing exploitation.
- Medicinal Uses: The leaves contain flavones and triterpenes, which have antimicrobial and antihyperglycemic properties
Bhargavastra
India has successfully test-fired an indigenously developed anti drone system, Bhargavastra.
- India’s 1st micro-missile-based counter-drone system, designed to neutralize drone swarms.
- Technology: It features unguided micro-rockets with a 20-meter blast radius and guided micro-missiles for precision targeting.
- Deployment: The system can launch 64 micro-missiles simultaneously, making it highly effective against aerial threats.
- Military Significance: Developed by Solar Defence and Aerospace Ltd (SDAL), it fills a crucial gap in India’s air defense.
Akashteer
Akashteer played a pivotal role in neutralising drone and missile threats during recent border skirmishes with Pakistan.
- India’s AI-driven air defense system, designed to detect, track, and neutralize aerial threats autonomously.
- Technology: It integrates radar systems, sensors, and encrypted communications for real-time battlefield awareness.
- Military Role: Used in Operation Sindoor, it successfully intercepted Pakistani drones and missiles, preventing airspace violations.
- Strategic Advantage: Akashteer is fully autonomous, reducing reliance on human monitoring and improving response time.
- Experts call it a “seismic shift in warfare strategy”, making India one of the few nations with integrated AI-driven air defense
2D Metals
A team of scientists from China has reported a way to produce 2D sheets of bismuth, gallium, indium, tin, and lead.
- Ultra-thin layers of metal atoms, confined to move in two dimensions, exhibiting unique quantum properties.
- Quantum Effects: These metals show nonlinear Hall effects, strong field effects, and topological insulating properties.
- Applications: Used in quantum computing, flexible electronics, optoelectronics, and medical diagnostics.
- Future Potential: Could revolutionize next-gen sensors, transistors, and energy-efficient computing systems
UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee
Indian officials briefed the monitoring team of the UNSC’s 1267 Sanctions Committee on the activities of The Resistance Front (TRF).
- Oversees sanctions against terrorist organizations, including Al-Qaeda and ISIS.
- Sanctions Measures: Includes asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes on designated individuals and entities.
- India’s Engagement: India is pushing for The Resistance Front (TRF), linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, to be designated as a global terrorist entity.
- Global Impact: The committee plays a critical role in counter-terrorism, working with FATF and financial institutions to curb terrorism financing