Observed every year on 20^th August (since 2004).

Aim: To raise awareness about renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro, biomass, etc.).

Observed every year on 20^th August.

• Aim : To commemorate Sir Ronald Ross’s discovery (1897) that female Anopheles mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans.
• Objective: To raise awareness about mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, chikungunya, Zika.

Observed every year on 20^th August.

• Occasion: Birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, the youngest Prime Minister of India.
• Meaning: Sadbhavna = goodwill, harmony, bonafide.
• Objective: To promote peace, communal harmony, and goodwill among people of India, regardless of religion, language, or region.

Current Context: Recently, two Indian aquanauts descended to 4,025 metres and 5,002 metres depth in the Atlantic Ocean, as part of an Indo-French collaboration using the French submersible Nautile. This milestone places India among the very few nations capable of exploring extreme ocean depths.

 SIGNIFICANCE

• First Time: India crossed the 4,000 metres depth mark
• Capability Boost: Strengthened India’s deep-sea research and technological expertise
• Global Standing: Enhanced India’s role in international marine exploration
• Knowledge Gain: Insights into deep-sea ecosystems and mineral resources

 INDO-FRENCH COLLABORATION

• Partner: IFREMER (French Marine Research Institute)
• Vessel Used: Nautile submersible from research ship L’Atalante
• Knowledge Transfer: Training Indian scientists in piloting, sampling, and submersible operations

 ABOUT MATSYA-6000 (INDIA’S INDIGENOUS SUBMERSIBLE)

• Design Depth: 6,000 metres
• Endurance: 12 hours
• Features: Titanium hull, lithium-polymer batteries, acoustic communication, emergency escape system

Trials: Wet trials in 2025, shallow water tests in 2026, deep-sea missions planned in 2027–28

Current Context: The Ministry of Education has launched free Artificial Intelligence (AI) courses on the SWAYAM Portal to equip students with skills in emerging technologies and meet the growing demand for AI expertise.

ABOUT SWAYAM PORTAL

• Full Form: Study Webs of Active–Learning for Young Aspiring Minds
• Launched By: Ministry of Education (2017)
• Purpose: To bridge the digital divide and provide quality online education free of cost
• Nature: India’s own MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) platform
• Courses Offered: From Class 9 to Post-Graduation level across Engineering, Science, Humanities, Management, Commerce, Language, and more

FEATURES

• Four-Quadrant Model:
  1. Video Lectures
  2. Downloadable Reading Material
  3. Self-Assessment Tests
  4. Online Discussion Forum
• Certification: Available with nominal fee + proctored exam
• Credit Transfer: Allowed under UGC Regulation 2016
• Interactive Content: Prepared by best teachers across the country

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