Microsoft – CrowdStrike Outage caused worldwide IT disruption

• Outage was caused by a logic error in a sensor configuration update for Microsoft Windows systems which led to a system crash, affecting critical sectors like healthcare and banking.
• Later, an assessment by the RBI showed that 10 banks and NBFCs in India had minor disruptions due to this global outage.

Impact of IT outages on critical services

• Economic disruption: Freezing of financial markets, shutdown of businesses reliant on cloud services, etc.
  • e.g., In 2021, major outage in National Stock Exchange outage halted trading for nearly 4 hours.
• Healthcare: Disruption of telemedicine services, inaccessible digital health records, etc.
  • e.g., 2017 Wannacry Ransomware attack on Hospitals in UK led to cancellation of ~19000 appointments
• Government and security: e.g., 2020 cybersecurity breach at Kundankulam Nuclear Power Plant of NPCIL.
• Others: Communication breakdown, energy sector disruptions due to failure of smart grids, etc.

Vulnerability of digital infrastructure in India

• Import dependence: Heavy reliance on imported hardware and software create supply chain vulnerabilities and security risks.
• Large digital footprint with low digital literacy: Only 38% of households in India are digitally literate. (Central Board For Workers Education)
• Limited redundancy: Lack of adequate backup and redundancy measures, making systems more vulnerable to single points of failure.
• Others: State-sponsored cyber-attacks, lack of robust cybersecurity protocols, etc. 

Recently, State Government of Maharashtra introduced Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024 aimed at curbing the increasing of Naxalism in urban areas.

Key Provisions of the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024

• Targets a wide range of actions by suspects including encouraging or preaching disobedience of the law. 
• Allows declaring organizations unlawful and gives power to District Magistrates or police commissioners to grant permission for prosecution.
  • Currently, an organization can also be declared as unlawful under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 1967. 
  • However, prosecution under UAPA requires approval from Central or State Governments.

Urban Naxalism

• Naxalism [also called Left-Wing Extremism (LWE)] refers to an extremist ideology which doesn't believe in democracy and democratic processes and seeks to overthrow the State through violent means.
  • In India, it originated from the 1967 uprising in Naxalbari (West Bengal). 
• Although there is no standard definition of Urban Naxalism, it generally refers to the presence of, and activities carried out by, Naxalites, or the CPI (Maoist), in urban areas.
  • Naxalite activities in urban areas include maintaining safe houses for leaders and cadres, providing logistics support to under-ground squads; mobilising and recruiting youth, students and workers from industry and other bodies, etc.
• Although Union Ministry of Home Affairs does not use the phrase ‘Urban Naxal’, Government of India’s National Policy and Action Plan addresses LWE in all its manifestations, including the urban activities.

Indian Navy certified a new explosive named ‘SEBEX 2’.

• Developed by Economic Explosives Limited (EEL), a subsidiary of Solar Industries, under Make in India initiative, SEBEX 2 is a cutting-edge explosive formulation and is among the most potent non-nuclear explosives globally.
• New formulation of SEBEX 2 was tested under the Defence Export Promotion Scheme (DEPS) of the Navy.
• According to reports, Indian Navy has also certified SITBEX 1 (Thermobaric explosive) and SIMEX 4.

About SEBEX 2, SITBEX 1, and SIMEX 4

• SEBEX 2 is based on high-melting explosives (HMX) and offers approximately 2.01 times the lethality of standard TNT.
  • Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is an explosive used in military shells, bombs, and grenades, in industrial uses, and in underwater blasting.
  • Conventional explosives like DENTEX/TORPEX, which are generally used in conventional warheads, aerial bombs and various other types of ammunition, have TNT equivalence of 1.25-1.30.
• SITBEX 1 (Thermobaric explosive) generates extended blast duration with intense heat, is suited to target enemy bunkers, tunnels, and other fortified positions.
  • Thermobaric explosive compositions are fuel rich formulations capable to create sustained high temperature and longer duration overpressure as compared to conventional high explosives.
• SIMEX 4 is a munition which is safer than standard explosives when it comes to storage, transportation and handling and is more likely to accidentally go off.

India successfully test-fires first indigenous anti-radiation missile ‘Rudram-1’.

About Rudram-1

• Air-to-Surface missile developed by DRDO for Indian Air Force (IAF).
• Features:
  • Launch platform: Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets.
  • It has Inertial Navigation Systems (INS)-GPS navigation and Passive Homing Head for final attack, allowing it to accurately hit radiation-emitting targets. 
  • Range: Height ranging from 500 meters to 15 km, and can hit radiation-emitting targets within 250 km
• Significance: Allows IAF to conduct Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) operations deep within enemy territory, neutralizing critical air defense installations.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) unveils prototype of the country’s indigenous light Zorawar tank.

About Zorawar Tank 

• Jointly developed jointly by the DRDO and private sector firm L&T.
• Named after the legendary General Zorawar Singh who led multiple successful victories in Tibet.
• Key Features: 
  • Equipped with advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), integration of tactical surveillance drones, etc.
  • Designed for rapid deployment and manoeuvrability in mountainous regions, providing the same firepower as regular tanks but with enhanced mobility and situational awareness.
  • Tanks are amphibious, making them versatile for operations in riverine regions.

• Nomadic Elephant: Joint Military Exercise between armies of India and Mongolia will be conducted in Meghalaya.
• Exercise MAITREE: Joint military Exercise between India-Thailand was conducted in Thailand.
• RIMPAC Exercise: The opening ceremony for the 29th edition of the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise was held in Hawaii (USA).
  • It is world's largest international multilateral maritime exercise (India also takes part in it) 
  • It aims to build relationships, enhance interoperability, contribute to the peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”
• Exercise Freedom Edge: South Korea, US and Japan began their first trilateral multi-domain exercise, Freedom Edge. It took place in South Korea’s southern island of Jeju.
• Exercise Pitch Black: Indian Air Force Contingent reached Australia to participate in Exercise Pitch Black.
  • Held every two years, it is a multinational exercise.
• Exercise Sagar Kavach - 01/24: It is a coastal security exercise held along Andhra Pradesh coast. 
  • Assets of Indian Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Police, fisheries, customs and other security agencies were engaged in it.