Ukraine says it wants 'real peace, not appeasement' with Russia at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

About OSCE (Secretariat: Vienna)

• It is the world’s largest regional security organization. 
• Participating States: 57 from North America, Europe and Asia (India  is not a member).
  • All participating States have equal status and decisions are made by consensus.
• Mandate : It works for stability, peace and democracy for more than a billion people, through political dialogue about shared values and through practical work that makes a lasting difference.
• Governance structure:  Summits (highest decision-making body), Forum for Security Co-operation (Dealing with the politico-military dimension of security) etc.

The Department of Posts proposes DHRUVA as an initiative to create a digital addressing system thereby enabling “Address as a Service” (AaaS) in India.

About DHRUVA

• It stands for Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address.
•  It is an interoperable, standardised, and user-centric digital addressing system.
• Purpose: To replace textual addresses with UPI-like digital labels such as "name@entity", which act as proxies for physical addresses.
• How it Works: Users share an address label instead of typing full details, and firms can access the full address and coordinates instantly with user consent.
• Foundational Layer: DIGIPIN: geo-coded based on latitude-longitude.

Exercise GARUDA SHAKTI has commenced at the Special Forces Training School, Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.

Exercise GARUDA SHAKTI

• Type: Bilateral.
• Participating counties: India– Indonesia Joint Special Forces.
• Edition: The 10th edition.
• Aim: To strengthen mutual understanding, cooperation and interoperability between the Special Forces.

Mahad marks the birthplace of one of India’s first human rights movements initiated by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.

About Mahad Satyagraha

• Date & Place: Started on 20 March 1927 at Chavdar Tale, Mahad (Maharashtra).
• Objective: To secure the right of untouchables to access public drinking water, which was denied due to caste discrimination.
• Key associates of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar included Anandrao Chitre, Bapu Sahastrabuddhe, Sambhaji Gaikwad, Ramchandra More.
• Symbolic Act: Ambedkar and followers drank water from the public tank, asserting that essential resources like water cannot be monopolised by upper castes.
• Ideological Message: Water is a basic human right, not a caste privilege; aimed at breaking social exclusion rooted in untouchability.
• Manusmriti Dahan (Burning): On 25 December 1927, Ambedkar burned Manusmriti publicly, rejecting the caste system 
• Significance: It marked the first major civil rights movement of Dalits under Ambedkar.

Reserve Bank of India has tightened rules for foreign bank exposure to overseas branches such as LEF limits.

About Large Exposures Framework Limit

• LEF is a prudential regulation aimed at curbing concentration risk by limiting how much any single borrower  or group of related borrowers  can borrow from one bank, or how much exposure a bank can have to them.
  • A “large exposure” is defined as any exposure to a counterparty (or a group of connected counterparties) equal to or above 10% of the bank’s eligible capital base.

Recent changes by RBI 

• It has brought amendments to the Large Exposures Framework (LEF) and Intragroup Transactions and Exposures (ITE) and has clarified certain methodological norms for calculating large exposures and intragroup dealings.
• It also asked banks to frame strong policies for managing concentration risks related to single counterparties, interconnected groups, and specific sectors.

The Karthigai Deepam festival celebration recently began in Tamil Nadu.

About Karthigai Deepam Festival

• Three-day festival falling in month of Karttikai (November-December). 
• Coincides with full moon or pournami day. 
• It witnesses the lighting of clay oil lamps or agal vilaku to ward off evil spirits.
• Honours Lord Karthikeya or Lord Murugan.
• It finds references in Tamil Literature called Ahananuru, a collection of poems and among one of great books of Sangam literature. 
• Avaiyyar, renowned woman of Sangam age also mentions it in her poems.

Scientists chose Afar region for analysing plate tectonic theory. 

About the Afar region

• Covers northeastern part of Ethiopia where Red Sea meets the Gulf of Aden. 
• Three rift systems: Main Ethiopian, Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden Rift converge here forming a triple junction. 
• Afar depression or Danakil depression: Forms northern part and is largely a desert scrubland with shallow salty lakes and volcanoes. 
• Awash River valley: Forms the southern part. 
• Much of the region is below sea level  and is one of Earth’s hottest places. 
• Known for early hominid fossil finds including 'Lucy', an Australopithecus afarensis.

Tamil Nadu added five more products to its growing list of Geographical Indication (GI) registrations. 

Products Include

• Woraiyur cotton sari: Native to Tiruchi district. 
• Kavindapadi nattu sakkarai: A jaggery powder. 
• Namakkal makkal pathirangal: Soapstone cookware. 
• Thooyamalli rice variety: Meaning ‘pure jasmine’, is a traditional sambha-season rice variety grown over 135 - 140 days. 
• Ambasamudram choppu saman: Wooden toys.

About GI Tags

• Sign used on products with specific geographical origin and possessing qualities due to that origin.
• Regulated under Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act, 1999. 
• Provided for 10 years and can be renewed. 

The USA welcomed India’s decision to sign a $946 million sustainment package for MH-60R Seahawk helicopters. 

About Seahawk Helicopters

• Equipped with advanced weapons, sensors and avionics suite, it is a maritime variant of the Blackhawk helicopter.
  • Part of 24- aircraft Foreign Military Sale contract signed with US government. 
• Features: Designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), search and rescue (SAR), medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) and vertical replenishment (VERTREP).
• Significance: Enhance India’s blue-water capabilities.