Current Context: On 15 August 2025, marking India’s 79th Independence Day, the Indian Tricolour was hoisted for the first time at the Space Needle in Seattle (USA), symbolizing deepening India–US relations and diaspora recognition.

ABOUT THE HISTORIC EVENT

• Occasion: India’s 79th Independence Day
• Venue: 605-feet-tall Space Needle, Seattle
• Event Hosted By: Consulate General of India in Seattle
• Key Participants:
  • Consul General Prakash Gupta
  • Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell
  • Senior Seattle officials
  • Indian-American community

SIGNIFICANCE OF SPACE NEEDLE

• Constructed for the 1962 World Fair
• Icon of Seattle’s innovation and global outlook
• Illuminated in saffron, white, and green for the event

Observed on 19 August

Aim : To  honor the humanitarian workers who risk or sacrifice their lives while helping people in crisis, highlighting the spirit of global solidarity.

• Background: Declared by the UN General Assembly in 2008 to commemorate those killed in the 2003 Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad, including UN envoy Sérgio Vieira de Mello.
• Inauguration: First observed in 2009.
• Theme 2025: “Strengthening Global Solidarity and Empowering Local Communities”.

Observed every year on 19 August

Aim : To celebrate the art, science, and history of photography, connecting people worldwide through visual narratives.

• Origins: Marks 19 August 1839, when the French government made the daguerreotype process (early photography) publicly available as a “free gift to the world.”
• Recognition: Introduced in 1988 by Indian photographer P. Sharma; first celebrated internationally in 1991with support from the Royal Photographic Society and the Photographic Society of America.

Current Context: The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) has opened nominations for the National Gopal Ratna Award 2025 under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission.

 ABOUT THE AWARD

• Launched in: 2021
• Sector: Livestock and Dairy (highest national honour in this sector)
• Objective: Encourage excellence among farmers, dairy cooperatives, milk producer companies (MPCs), farmer producer organisations (FPOs), and Artificial Insemination Technicians (AITs) with a focus on indigenous cattle and buffalo breeds

Award Categories

1. Best Dairy Farmer (rearing indigenous breeds)
2. Best Dairy Cooperative / MPC / FPO
3. Best Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT)

• Special Awards: For North Eastern Region (NER) and Himalayan States
• Prize Structure: Certificate of Merit, Memento, and Monetary Prize (in first two categories)

Current Context: The National Health Authority (NHA) and Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) signed an MoU to launch e-Sushrut@Clinic, a cloud-based Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) for outpatient clinics.

 ABOUT e-Sushrut@Clinic

• Developer: C-DAC (lighter version of its flagship e-Sushrut HMIS)
• Purpose: To expand the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) ecosystem
• Target: Small and medium healthcare providers, sub-centres, and clinics

 Key Features

• Cloud-based, low-cost solution for OPD management, pharmacy, and nursing
• Easy onboarding via Health Facility Registry (HFR) and Health Professionals Registry (HPR)
• Enables digitization of patient records, prescriptions, billing, and telemedicine
• Integrated with ABDM utilities like AIIMS Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) for free hypertension and diabetes care

Current Context: Indian Naval Ships INS Rana (Guided Missile Destroyer) and INS Jyoti (Fleet Tanker) are participating in the 12th edition of Sri Lanka–India Naval Exercise (SLINEX-25) in Colombo.

ABOUT SLINEX

• Launched in: 2005
• Type: Bilateral naval exercise between India and Sri Lanka
• Aim:
  • Enhance interoperability between the two navies
  • Strengthen maritime cooperation
  • Exchange best practices in naval operations
• Significance:
  • Reinforces India’s Neighbourhood First Policy
  • Supports the vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions)

Current Context: Prime Minister announced the Mission Sudarshan Chakra to strengthen national defence and critical infrastructure protection by 2035.

ABOUT THE MISSION

• Objective: Comprehensive national security initiative to protect critical civil and defence assets.
• Technology & Weapons: Cutting-edge systems for neutralising enemy attacks and enabling counterstrikes.
• Design: Enhance rapid, precise, and powerful defence responses.
• Strategic Goal: Reinforce India’s strategic autonomy by 2035.

Current Context: The President of South Africa announced the launch of the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments (GOCWI)as part of the G20 Presidential Legacy Initiative.

ABOUT GOCWI

• Launched by: Global Water Partnership (GWP).
• Purpose: High-level platform to sustain political and financial momentum for water investments.
• GWP’s Global Transformation Agenda:
  • Aim: Mobilise 15 billion USD for water security by 2030.
  • Focus: Equitable, sustainable, and efficient management of water resources.
• Role of GOCWI: Forms a core pillar in the Global Transformation Agenda on Water Investments.

Current Context: India rejected the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s (PCA) award concerning the Indus Waters Treaty interpretation.

ABOUT PCA

• Nature: Treaty-based intergovernmental organisation facilitating arbitration and dispute resolution between states.
• Established: 1899 at the First Hague Peace Conference by the Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes.
• Members: 125 contracting parties (including India).
• Headquarters: Peace Palace, The Hague, Netherlands.

Current Context: Prime Minister announced the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, aiming to generate over 3.5 crore jobs in two years.

ABOUT THE SCHEME

• Part A – Support to First-Time Employees
  • Target: First-time employees registered with EPFO.
  • Incentive: One-month EPF wage up to ₹15,000, given in two instalments.
    • 1st instalment: After 6 months of service.
    • 2nd instalment: After 12 months of service + completion of financial literacy programme.
  • Eligibility: Employees earning up to ₹1 lakh per month.
  • Savings Incentive: Portion of incentive to be deposited in a savings account for a fixed term.
  • Payment Mechanism: DBT mode through Aadhar Bridge Payment System (ABPS).
• Part B – Incentives for Employers
  • Eligibility: Employers hiring new employees with salaries up to ₹1 lakh.
  • Incentive: Up to ₹3,000 per month, for 2 years, per sustained new employment.
  • Special Provision: For manufacturing sector, incentives extend to 3rd and 4th year.
  • Payment Mechanism: Incentives directly into PAN-linked accounts.