The Defence Minister recently launched SANJAY, an advanced Battlefield Surveillance System (BSS), to enhance the Indian Army’s surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.

About SANJAY System 

• It is jointly developed by the Indian Army & Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), in line with the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative.
• It creates a unified surveillance picture of the battlefield via the Army Data Network and Satellite Communication Network by processing the gathered information.
  • The system is designed to seamlessly integrate data from both ground and aerial battlefield sensors.

Recently, RBI released the annual report for the Ombudsman scheme for the period 2023-24.

• Annual report showed an increase of ~33% in complaints in FY24 as compared to FY23. 

About RB-IOS

• Launched in 2021, as part of Alternate Grievance Redress (AGR) Framework of RBI.
• Objective: One Nation One Ombudsman principle. 
• Integrates 3 previous ombudsman scheme of RBI:
  • Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006
  • Ombudsman Scheme for Non-Banking Financial Companies, 2018
  • Ombudsman Scheme for Digital Transactions, 2019
• Provides a single window for resolution of complaints against RBI regulated entities viz. Commercial banks, RRBs, Cooperative banks, NBFCs, Payment System Participants and Credit Information Companies.

A rare plant known as the corpse flower bloomed in Sydney, Australia for the first time in more than a decade.

About Corpse Flower (Amorphophallus titanium)

• It is known for infamous rotting smell when the plant is in bloom. 
• It is found in the wild in Indonesia (known as bunga bangkai).
• It has the largest flowering structure of any plant in world, rising up to 3 metres from the ground.
• The plant typically does not bloom more than once every few years & it lasts only about a day.
• It is listed as Endangered by the IUCN.

Recently, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), set up its 6th new regional office in Varanasi.

• Earlier, IWAI had five regional offices in Guwahati, Patna, Kochi, Bhubaneswar & Kolkata.

About IWAI

• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
• Origin: Statutory body established under the Inland Waterways Authority of India Act (IWAI), 1985.
• Objective: Development and regulation of inland waterways for shipping and navigation.
• Purpose: Undertakes projects for development & maintenance of IWT infrastructure on national waterways through grants received from Ministry of Shipping. 

International solar conference celebrates 125th anniversary of the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory.

About Kodaikanal Solar Observatory

• Genesis: Currently owned & operated by Indian Institute of Astrophysics, it was established in 1899. 
• Location: Kodaikanal, Palani range of hills (Tamil Nadu). 
  • Kodaikanal was chosen for its proximity to equator & its dust-free high-altitude location.
• Objective: It was set up to obtain more data on how the sun heats up Earth’s atmosphere and to understand monsoon patterns.

Hamara Samvidhan – Hamara Swabhiman Campaign organised to commemorate 75^th anniversary of Indian Constitution and India’s establishment as a Republic under the DISHA Scheme.

About DISHA scheme

• Launch: Launched in 2021 by Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice for a period of 5 years (2021-2026).
• Aim: To secure “Justice” to the people of India as enunciated in the Preamble & under Articles 39A, 14 and 21 of the India Constitution.
• Other: It widens the outreach of Tele-Law, Pro Bono Legal Services (Nyaya Bandhu) & Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness programmes both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Recently, researchers from Switzerland have developed a gene editing technique to help cure Stargardt disease.

About Stargardt Disease (Juvenile Macular Dystrophy)

• A rare inherited/ genetic eye disease that leads to vision loss in children & young adults.
  • Caused by changes in gene - ABCA4. This gene influences how your body uses Vitamin A.
• Occurs when fatty material (lipofuscin) builds up on the macula - the small part of the retina needed for sharp, central vision.
  • Usually occurs bilateral, involving both eyes.
• Treatment: There is no treatment available. 

Minister of Cooperation recently addressed the inaugural function of the International Year of Cooperatives 2025.

About International Year of Cooperatives 2025

• The UN General Assembly declared 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC2025) in 2024.
  • UN’s first IYCs was celebrated in 2012
• Theme: Cooperatives Build a Better World."
• Objective: To raise public awareness of the invaluable contributions of cooperative enterprises to poverty reduction, employment generation etc.