Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) releases trends in world military expenditure, 2024.

Key highlights

• Global military spending rose to $2718 billion in 2024, a 9.4% increase which is steepest since the Cold War.
• Total military expenditure accounted for 2.5% of global gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024.
• Top five spenders: USA, China, Russia, Germany, and India (60% of total).
• Europe saw a 17% rise, driven by the Ukraine war; Germany up 28%, Poland up 31%.
• Middle East spending rose 15%; Israel up 65%, Lebanon up 58%.
• India spent $86.1 billion in 2024 which is 2.3% of its GDP.

India Post unveils 'Gyan Post' to boost education access across the country. 

About Gyan Post 

• It is a postal service that enables affordable delivery of books and study material through post offices across the country bridging the educational gap. 
• It covers only non-commercial, educational material with real time tracking. 
• Publications of a business or commercial nature, or containing advertisements are excluded. 
• Each book to carry the name of the printer/publisher as per prescribed conditions. 
• Concessional Pricing:
  • ₹20 for packages up to 300 grams. 
  • ₹100 for packages up to 5 kilograms. 

President of india presents padma awards 2025 at the civil investiture ceremony-I.

About Padma Awards

• Among the highest civilian honours in India.
• Announced annually on the eve of Republic Day.
• Three categories:
  • Padma Vibhushan: For exceptional and distinguished service
  • Padma Bhushan: For distinguished service of a higher order
  • Padma Shri: For distinguished service
• Recognizes achievements in all fields where an element of public service is involved.
• History and Suspension: Instituted in 1954; not awarded during 1978–79 and 1993–97.
• Selection Process:
  • Recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee, constituted by the Prime Minister every year.
  • Public nominations allowed, including self-nominations.
• Not a title: Cannot be used as a prefix or suffix to the awardee’s name.

India is preparing the ground for restricting the import of genetically modified (GM) versions of Alfalfa from USA.

About Alfalfa

• Family: It is a perennial flowering plant in legume family Fabaceae.
• Nutritional Value: High in protein, calcium, vitamins (A, D), and minerals
• Climate: Grows best in temperate climates with good sunlight
• Production: More than half of alfalfa is produced in United States, Russia, and Argentina.
• Nitrogen Fixation: Improves soil fertility due to symbiotic bacteria in its root nodules.
• Origin: Native crop to arid and semi-arid regions, and is considered to have originated from present-day Iran and Turkey.

Geographical Indication (GI) certificates awarded to Banarasi Shehnai and Banarasi Tabla.

About Banarasi Shehnai

• It is an Indian wind instrument similar to the oboe in tone and has seven holes on its staff in place of keys.
• Its music is associated with the temple music of the country
• It is considered auspicious to play the Shehnai on occasion of most Indian weddings.
• It gained global recognition through the legendary Ustad Bismillah Khan.

About Banarasi Tabla

• Benares tabla gharana was developed a little over 200 years ago by the legendary Pandit Ram Sahai .
• Banaras Gharana is recognized as one of the six principal tabla gharanas in Indian classical music.
• Noted tabla player Padma Vibhushan Pandit Kishan Maharaj belonged to the Banaras gharana of Hindustani classical music.

ISRO has shortlisted 7 microgravity research experiments for the Axiom-4 mission (Ax-4).

• Microgravity is a condition in which people or objects appear to be weightless.

About Axiom-4 Mission

• It is a private spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS) operated by Axiom Space.
  • Axiom Space is a privately funded, American company focused on developing space infrastructure.
• Axiom Mission 4 crew will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to ISS from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in 2025.
• Once docked, private astronauts plan to spend up to 14 days aboard an orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission comprised of science, outreach, and commercial activities.
• It will send Shubhanshu Shukla to ISS making him first Indian to reach station and second to go into space after Rakesh Sharma.

Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying awarded the first ever Aqua Insurance to beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY). 

• PM-MKSSY, a sub-scheme under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana offers a comprehensive aquaculture insurance.
• Mobile application, VyAS-NAV, for the digital based data collection was also launched for 5^th Marine Fisheries Census. 

About Aqua Insurance

• Objective: Financial support to small and marginalized fisheries’ farmers. 
• Beneficiaries: Registered aquafarmers, firms, companies, societies, cooperatives, Fish Farmer Producer Organizations (FFPOs), etc. 
• Premium: Capped at ₹1 lakh per farmer for 1800 m³.
• Inclusivity: SC, ST, and women eligible for additional 10% incentive.
• Duration: Insurance covers one crop cycle. 

Ministry of External Affairs clarified that LTVs for Hindu Pakistani nationals remain valid despite visa suspension.

About LTVs

• It permits the visa holder to stay in India for more than 180 days.
• Some cases where it is issued:
  • Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan nationals with valid travel documents seeking permanent settlement in India including citizenship. 
  • Extension to Pakistan nationals who could not renew the Pakistani passport. 
  • Persons from minority communities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan entering on or before 31st December, 2014, with/without travel documents. 
  • Foreign nationals who claim to be refugees. 

Following protests in Sindh, Pakistan suspended its canals project that includes Cholistan Canal meant for irrigating Cholistan Desert. 

About Cholistan Desert (Rohi)

• Location: Western part of Thar desert, Pakistan.
• Background: Once watered by Hakra river which changed its course around 600 B.C. making the area inhospitable.
• Historical Significance: Home to an Indus Valley culture based on agriculture, housed various medieval forts aiming to protect and enable the desert caravan routes. 
  • Derawar fort is the best surviving example of this series of historic forts.