India has been placed on the  strategic partner stream in the Pacific Islands Forum

About Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)

• Genesis: Founded in 1971, PIF is the region's top political and economic organisation.
• Vision: Resilient Pacific region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion and prosperity, that ensures all Pacific peoples can lead free, healthy and productive lives.
• Comprises 18 members: Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Naoero, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea etc.
• Secretariat: Fiji.

The India-CARICOM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) was held on the sidelines of 81st UNGA in New York.

About CARICOM

• It is an intergovernmental organisation consisting of 23 countries, comprising 15 Member States and 8 Associate Members. 
• Members: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago
• Associate Members: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, French Guiana, Martinique, and Turks and Caicos Islands 
• Purpose: To promote economic integration, cooperation, foreign policy coordination, and human and social development among members.
• Oldest Integration Movement: It is recognized as the oldest surviving integration movement in the developing world.

India has categorically rejected the unwarranted and factually incorrect references to India in Joint Communiqué of OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir.

About OIC

• Second largest organization after United Nations with membership of 57 states spread over four continents.
• It endeavors to safeguard and protect interests of Muslim world in spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of world.
• Established at a 1969 summit in Rabat (Morocco)
• UN members with Muslim majority can join organisation.
• All decision-making in forum requires a quorum defined by presence of two-thirds of the member states and complete consensus.

• If consensus cannot be reached, decisions shall be made by a two-thirds majority of members present and voting.

• Financed by member states proportionate to their national incomes.

Department of Telecommunications urges responsible use of telecom devices, warning that IMEI tampering threatens digital security.

About IMEI Number

• A unique 15-digit number used to identify a mobile device on a telecom network. 
• First eight digits constitute Type Allocation Code (TAC), which identifies device model or type.
• Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) oversees global allocation of TAC.
• Dual-SIM phone generally has two IMEI numbers, one for each SIM slot.

Legal Safeguards against IMEI Tampering

• Telecommunications Act, 2023: Provides stringent action against tampering with telecommunication identifiers, including IMEI number of mobile handsets and other telecommunication devices.

Arunachal Pradesh State Cabinet approves panel for survey of Siang mega dam. 

AboutSiang Upper Multipurpose Project 

• Location: Siang district (two sites) and Upper Siang district (one site), Arunachal Pradesh.
• River System: Siang River, which represents the Indian stretch of the Yarlung Tsangpo flowing down from Tibet

• The Siang River converges with the Dibang and Lohit rivers further downstream in Assam to form the Brahmaputra River.

• Purpose: Power Generation (11000 MW), Flood & Erosion Control etc. 
• Strategic Importance: Serves as a vital hydro-diplomatic response to China's mega-dam developments (including its proposed 60,000 MW project at Medog) on the upstream Yarlung Tsangpo near the border. 

Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited for procurement of 160 SAT-SAAW along with associated equipment for Indian Air Force.

• It is under Buy (Indian - Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category. 

About SAT-SAAW

• An air-to-ground precision-guided glide bomb which can be launched from platforms like Jaguar, Hawk and Su-30 MKI.
• It has the capability to neutralise enemy airfields from a long stand-off range. 
• Indigenously designed and developed by DRDO, the system will have an indigenous content of 60% along with indigenisation of sub-systems like Initial Measurement Unit, Long Impact Delay Fuse and Twin Store Carrier to further boost self-reliance in defence.

Indian Air Force (IAF) will host the second edition of Tarang Shakti-26 in Jodhpur.

AboutTarang Shakti-26 exercise

• It aims to expose all participants to planning and execution of multinational joint combat operations in a contemporary battle-space and derive tactically viable solutions. 
• Eight Foreign Countries- Australia, Bangladesh, France, Germany, Greece, Sri Lanka, UAE and USA- will participate with air assets.
• 32 nations will be attending as observers.

Mexico shuts Pacific ports as Hurricane Polo churns offshore 

About Hurricane Polo

• Location: Pacific Coast, Mexico.
• Category: Category 5 storm.

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale 

• Category 1 (119–153 km/h): Very dangerous winds; roof and siding damage, fallen trees and power outages for days.

• Category 2 (154–177 km/h): Extremely dangerous winds; major roof damage, uprooted trees and power loss for days to weeks.
• Category 3 (178–208 km/h): Major hurricane; severe roof damage, widespread uprooted trees and loss of electricity and water.
• Category 4 (209–251 km/h): Major hurricane; catastrophic structural damage, widespread fallen trees and weeks–months of outages.
• Category 5 (≥252 km/h): Major hurricane; extensive destruction and wall/roof collapse, with prolonged isolation and power loss.