Current Context : Prime Minister recently gifted a Delhi-Delaware silver train model to US President Joe Biden and a pashmina shawl to First Lady Jill Biden during his three-day US visit for the Quad Summit.

ABOUT PASHMINA SHAWL

• Origin: Originate from Kashmirand are crafted from fine Ladakhi Cashmere wool.
• Material: The word “Pashmina” comes from the Persian “Pashm,” meaning “soft gold” or “soft wool.” The wool is sourced from the undercoat of the Changthangi (Pashmina) goat, native to the Himalayanregions of Ladakh, Nepal, and Tibet.
• Characteristics: These goats develop a soft undercoat during harsh winters, which is collected to make the shawls.
• Geographical Indication (GI): Kashmir’s Pashmina has earned a GI tagfor its unique traditional crafting methods

Traditional Craftsmanship:

• Wool is hand-spun using traditional wheels and woven on handloomsor wooden looms.
• Designs include floral motifsand paisley patterns, reflecting Kashmiri cultural heritage.
• Natural dyesfrom local plants and minerals are used for coloring.

Crafting Process: The intricate weaving process can take weeks or months, depending on the complexity of the design.

Current Context : Recently, a diesel fuel spill from a ship that sank spreads to the Greenland fjord.

ABOUT FJORD

• A fjord is a long, narrow, and deep body of water that extends inland, typically set within a U-shaped valley flanked by steep rock walls.
• Mainly found in regions such as Norway, Greenland, Chile, New Zealand, Canada, and Alaska.

Formation Process:

• Fjords are formed by glaciers over several ice ages. As glaciers moved, they eroded both the ice and the underlying land.
• The melting glacier water carved deep valleys, often making fjords deeper than the seas that feed them.
• At the fjord’s mouth, glaciers left behind sediment, forming shallower areas, leading to rapid water currents and saltwater rapids.

Features:

• Some fjords contain coral reefs and rocky islands known as skerries.
• Epishelf lakes can also form in certain fjords, where freshwater from melted glaciers becomes trapped under floating ice shelves, creating distinct freshwater layers above the saltwater.

Current Context : President Droupadi Murmu Inaugurates the 16th Assembly of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) in New Delhi

ABOUT ASIAN ORGANIZATION OF SUPREME AUDIT INSTITUTIONS (ASOSAI)

• It is a regional group under the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI).
• Established in 1979 with 11 members.
• Aim : Promoting cooperation among audit institutions in Asia.
• It plays a central role in promoting collaboration, sharing experiences, knowledge, exchange, and capacity building in the field of public audit amongst its members.
• The first ASOSAI Assembly and Governing Board meeting was held in New Delhi in May 1979.

Current Context : AAP leader Atishi Marlena took oath as Delhi new Chief Minister.

• Atishi will be 3^rd woman Chief Minister of the Union Territory after Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dikshit.
• She will be the 17th female chief minister of the country.
• Atishi Marlena was born on June 8, 1981, into a scholarly family in Delhi.

IN ADDITION :

• Five Cabinet Ministers — Gopal Rai, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Kailash Gahlot, Imran Hussain, and first-time MLA Mukesh Ahlawat — were also sworn-in by Lieutenant-General V.K. Saxena.

Current Context : Sri Lanka’s new president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has appointed Harini Amarasuriya as the new prime minister.

• Amarasuriya is a college professor and first-time lawmaker.
• Amarasuriya is the third woman prime minister of Sri Lanka, following the world’s first woman prime minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 1960, and her daughter Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

Celebrated annually on September 26^th.

• Aim : to raise awareness of the connection between human health and the environment.
• The day is organized by the International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH), a global organization that represents environmental health professionals in over 100 countries.

Current Context : The Union Cabinet has given the green light for the development of India’s Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), marking a significant milestone in the country’s space exploration ambitions.

• Objective: Supports India’s space ambitions, including establishing the Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035 and a crewed lunar landing by
• Payload Capacity: Capable of carrying up to 30 tonnes to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), three times the capacity of the current LVM3​.
• Reusability: Features a reusable first stage and modular green propulsion systems, lowering costs and enhancing sustainability.
• Development Timeline & Budget: The project will take eight years to complete with three test flights (D1, D2, D3) and a budget of ₹8,240 crore​

Current Context : The Indian Air Force has completed Exercise Eastern Bridge-7 with the Royal Air Force of Oman in Masirah, Oman.

• The IAF deployed MiG-29s, Jaguars, and C-17 Globemaster aircraft, while RAFO contributed F-16s and Hawks for the exercise.
• Aim : to improve strategic coordination and tactical capabilities, with a focus on complex air operations, air-to-air combat, and air-to-ground missions.

OTHER JOINT EXERCISES BETWEEN INDIA AND OMAN

• Exercise Naseem Al-Bahr: A biennial naval exercise aimed at strengthening maritime cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman.
• Al Najah: A bilateral army exercise focused on counter-terrorism, strengthening ground operational coordination and tactical skills.​

Current Context : Recently, Indian contingent won Gold in both open and women’s category at the 45th International Chess Federation (FIDE) Olympiad.

• Organised in: Budapest, Hungary.
• 44th Chess Olympiad took place for the first time in India (Chennai) in 2022.
• Open section Trophy is the HamiltonRussell Cup.
• Women’s section Trophy is the Vera Menchik Cup.

ABOUT FIDE

• It is the governing body for global chess competitions.
• It regulates all international chess competitions.
• Constituted as a non-governmental institution, it was recognized by International Olympic Committee as a Global Sporting Organization  in 1999.

Current Context : Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participated in the sixth Quad Leaders’ Summit in Wilmington (US).

Key Announcements in the Summit:

• Health Security:Launch of the ‘Quad Cancer Moonshot’ initiative to fight cervical cancer, especially in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Infrastructure Development:Introduction of the ‘Quad Ports of the Future Partnership’ to promote sustainable port infrastructure.
• Technology Cooperation:A ‘Semiconductor Supply Chains Contingency Network Memorandum of Cooperation’ was signed to strengthen the Quad’s semiconductor supply chain resilience.
• Climate and Clean Energy:Quad’s collective effort to improve energy efficiency, including initiatives to deploy affordable high-efficiency cooling systems.
• Space Collaboration:India announced a space-based web portal for Mauritius, focusing on open science and monitoring climate impacts and extreme weather events.
• Maritime Security:
  • Launch of ‘MAITRI’ (Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific) to enhance maritime domain awareness.
  • Announcement of the ‘Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission’ for 2025 to improve maritime interoperability and safety.

About Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad):

• Members:Australia, India, Japan, and the US.
• Purpose:To ensure an open, stable, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific region.
• Meetings:Annual Quad Leaders’ Summits and Foreign Ministers’ Meetings.
• Upcoming Host:India will host the Quad Leaders’ Summit in 2025.