Steel Procurement Policy
Revised Domestically Manufactured Iron & Steel Products Policy-2025 for providing preference to Domestically Manufactured Iron & Steel Products in Government procurement is published
- Objective – Promotes the use of domestically manufactured iron and steel products in government procurement to support local industries.
- Key Features – Mandates the “Melt & Pour” condition, ensuring steel is melted and solidified in India; bans global tenders for contracts below ₹200 crore.
- Reciprocal Clause – Bars suppliers from countries that restrict Indian firms from participating in their tenders.
- Aims to curb rising steel imports, boost self-reliance, and protect domestic manufacturers.
Heard and McDonald Island
US President announced reciprocal 10% tariffs for several US trade partners, including Heard and McDonald Island
- Location: Remote Australian external territory in the Southern Indian Ocean, north of Antarctica.
- Features active volcanoes, including Mawson Peak on Heard Island, and is largely covered by glaciers.
- Home to unique ecosystems with seals, penguins, and seabirds; designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
- Uninhabited and primarily used for scientific research and conservation efforts.
National Polio Surveillance Project
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has indicated the potential for adapting the National Polio Surveillance Project (NPSP) to monitor emerging infectious diseases
- Initiated in the 1990s by the Government of India and WHO to eradicate polio through rigorous surveillance and immunization.
- India was declared polio-free in 2014, with the last wild polio case reported in 2011.
- The infrastructure is now repurposed for monitoring other diseases and supporting public health initiatives.
Katchatheevu Island
The Tamil Nadu assembly has unanimously adopted a special resolution urging the Union government to retrieve the uninhabited island of Katchatheevu.
- A small island in the Palk Strait, ceded to Sri Lanka under the 1974 Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime Agreement.
- Lies northeast of Rameswaram in the Indian coast
- Volcanic origin
- Controversy – Tamil Nadu fishermen face arrests and conflicts near the island, leading to demands for its retrieval.
INS Tarkash
INS Tarkash has successfully intercepted and seized over 2500 kg of narcotics in the Western Indian Ocean.
- A Talwar-class stealth frigate of the Indian Navy, commissioned in 2012 and equipped with advanced weaponry.
- Actively supports maritime security operations and multinational task forces like Combined Task Force (CTF) 150.
- Features BrahMos missiles, advanced radar systems, and a helicopter for surveillance and combat missions.