Current Context: The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) has announced the establishment of its first overseas campus in Dubai, marking a significant step in the internationalization of Indian higher education.

About IIFT:

• Established in 1963 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
• Offers specialized programs in international business, trade policy, and economics.
• Currently operates from two main campuses in Delhi and Kolkata.

Significance:

• Aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasizes the internationalization of higher education.
• Aims to create global learning hubs and enhance India’s soft power in education.
• Facilitates cross-border academic collaborations and student exchange programs.

Internationalization of Higher Education in India:

• NEP 2020 envisions two approaches:
  • Indian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) establishing campuses abroad (e.g., IIT Madras in Tanzania).
  • Foreign HEIs setting up campuses in India (e.g., Deakin University in GIFT City, Gujarat).

Current Context: On 18 May 2025, the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) 101^st mission, PSLV-C61 carrying the EOS-09 satellite, failed due to a technical anomaly during the third stage of flight.

About:

• Launch Vehicle: Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C61).
• Payload: Earth Observation Satellite-09 (EOS-09), intended for sun-synchronous polar
• Launch Site: Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
• Mission Objective: To enhance India’s surveillance and remote sensing capabilities.
• Cause of Failure: A technical anomaly during the third stage of the PSLV rocket led to the mission’s failure.
• Historical Context: This marks the third failure of the PSLV in its operational history, with previous failures occurring in 1993 and 2017.

Current Context: New Caledonia, a French territory in the Pacific, has experienced renewed unrest following electoral roll changes and the collapse of political talks.

About:

• Location: Southwestern Pacific Ocean, east of Australia.
• Political Status: French collectivity under the 1998 Nouméa Accord, which promised increased autonomy and a path to potential independence.
• Recent Developments: Despite rejecting independence in referendums held in 2018, 2020, and 2021, pro-independence sentiments among the indigenous Kanak population remain strong.

Key Issues:

• Electoral roll changes have been perceived as undermining the political influence of the indigenous Kanak people.
• The collapse of political talks has led to increased tensions and unrest in the region.

Observed on 21 May.

Aim : to recognize the cultural and economic significance of tea worldwide.

• Established by: United Nations General Assembly in December 2019.
• First observed: 21 May 2020.
• Purpose: To raise awareness of the long history and the deep cultural and economic significance of tea around the world.

Observed on 21 May annually.

• Purpose: To spread awareness about the dangers of terrorism and to promote unity and peace among the people.
• Significance: Marks the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated on 21 May 1991 in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, by a suicide bomber from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Current Context: President Droupadi Murmu conferred the 58^th Jnanpith Award at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, on Sanskrit scholar Jagadguru Rambhadracharya and poet‑lyricist Gulzar.

About Jnanpith Award:

• Instituted: 1961 by the Bharatiya Jnanpith, a cultural trust founded by the Sahu Jain family.
• Purpose: India’s highest literary honour, recognising outstanding contributions by living authors.
• Eligibility: Writers in any of the 22 languages of the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution, plus English.
• Selection Process:
  • Language‑specific juries shortlist candidates.
  • Final awardees chosen by a central Selection Board.
  • No posthumous conferrals.

First Awarded: 1965 to G. Sankara Kurup for his Malayalam collection Odakkuzhal

58th Awardees:

• Jagadguru Rambhadracharya
  • Born 1950; lost his eyesight at two months but became a foremost Sanskrit scholar.
  • Authored four Sanskrit epics, including Geet Rāmāyaṇa and Daśāvatāra Carita.
  • Continues to serve literature and society through teaching and social work.
• Gulzar (Sampooran Singh Kalra)
  • Born 1934; acclaimed poet, lyricist, and film director in Hindi cinema.
  • Known for immortal lyrics like “Chaiyya Chaiyya” and deeply philosophical poetry.
  • Could not attend the ceremony; the President conveyed her wishes for his speedy recovery.

Current Context: The Indian Army’s Trishakti Corps conducted Exercise Teesta Prahar to validate joint combat operations across riverine, mountain, and mixed terrain environments in the Lower Himalayan region.

About Exercise Teesta Prahar:

• Corps: Trishakti Corps specializing in operations along the India–China border in Sikkim and north Bengal.
• Training Focus:
  • River crossing under fire.
  • Mountain warfare tactics in sub-zero conditions.
  • Coordination between infantry, artillery, and aviation assets.

Current Context: In Assam, the Indian Army and the National Disaster Response Force conducted Exercise Raahat, a large-scale humanitarian assistance and disaster relief simulation to improve joint response to floods and earthquakes.

About Exercise Raahat:

• Participants: Indian Army units (including medical teams) and National Disaster Response Force battalions.
• Scenario: Simulated flood-affected region requiring search, rescue, medical aid, and logistics support.
• Objective: Enhance interoperability between civil and military agencies in the Northeast, an area prone to annual monsoon flooding and seismic activity.

Current Context: Cambodia and China have launched their largest joint military exercise, Golden Dragon 2025, involving land, sea, and air operations at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base.

About Golden Dragon 2025:

• Inception: Annual bilateral drills since 2016 to deepen military cooperation and regional security.
• Theme: Counter-terrorism operations and humanitarian relief, underlining peace-building objectives.
• Venue: Ream Naval Base, Sihanoukville, Cambodia—recently expanded with Chinese naval docking facilities.
• Key Capabilities Demonstrated:
  • Reconnaissance and attack unmanned aerial vehicles.
  • Robotic medical support systems.
  • Quadrupedal robotic platforms (“robot dogs”) for security operations.
• Regional Significance: Coincides with U.S.-Philippines “Balikatan” exercises, reflecting strategic competition in Southeast Asia.
• Strategic Implications: Highlights China’s expanding naval access as part of its “String of Pearls” network of dual-use ports.

Current Context: India has successfully test-fired Bhargavastra, an indigenously developed anti-drone defence system, to counter small unmanned aerial threats.

About Bhargavastra:

• Developer: Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited.
• Type: Hard-kill, layered anti-drone system designed for protection against drone swarms.
• Layer One: Unguided micro-rockets with a lethal radius of twenty metres to neutralize mass drone attacks.
• Layer Two: Guided micro-missiles for precise destruction of individual drones.
• Detection Range: Radar can detect threats from six to ten kilometres; electro-optical sensors track drones up to two and a half kilometres.
• Adaptability: Operates effectively up to five thousand metres altitude.
• Modularity: Can integrate soft-kill options such as radio-frequency jamming and GPS spoofing.
• Command and Control: Network-enabled centre manages sensor data and weapon release for rapid response.