16 January 2025

• Economy: Startup India completed nine years. India now has 1.59 lakh recognised startups and has created 16.6 lakh jobs.
• Defence: INS Nilgiri, INS Surat, and INS Vaghsheer were commissioned simultaneously, the first time India commissioned a destroyer, frigate, and submarine together.
• Space: India's SpaDeX satellites completed docking on 16 January 2025, making India the fourth nation to achieve in-orbit docking.
• Technology: US AI export rule created three tiers of countries for chip export controls, placing India in Tier 2.
• Security: Three Indian nuclear entities including BARC and IGCAR were removed from the US Entity List.

GS area: Economy (Industry, Entrepreneurship)

Startup India was launched on 16 January 2016 by the Prime Minister. It completed nine years on 16 January 2025.

• Recognised startups: 1,59,000 as of January 2025.
• Jobs created: 16.6 lakh.
• Women-led or co-led: 73,151 startups have at least one woman director.
• Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS): Rs 10,000 crore corpus through SIDBI to invest in SEBI-registered AIFs (Alternative Investment Funds) that finance startups.
• Tax benefit: Eligible startups get income tax exemption for three consecutive financial years within the first ten years.
• Key sub-schemes:
  • Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS): Provides early-stage funding.
  • Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS): Collateral-free credit guarantee.
  • NIDHI (National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations): Student-led entrepreneurship.

Static linkage: Entrepreneurship, MSME ecosystem (Economy, GS Paper 3).

GS area: Defence

Three warships were commissioned on 16 January 2025, a first in Indian naval history.

• INS Nilgiri: Project 17A multi-mission stealth frigate. First of seven ships in the class. Built at MDL (Mumbai).
• INS Surat: Project 15B guided-missile destroyer. Fourth and final ship of the class. India's first AI-enabled warship. Built at MDL.
• INS Vaghsheer: Project 75 Scorpene-class submarine. Sixth and final of the class. Built at MDL.
• Significance: Simultaneous commissioning of three platforms in different categories demonstrates the scaling up of India's naval shipbuilding capability.
• Indigenous content: All three were built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.

Static linkage: Indian Navy, Make in India in defence (GS Paper 3).

GS area: Science and Technology (Space)

ISRO's Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) completed docking on 16 January 2025.

• Satellites: SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), 220 kg each.
• Docking process: The Chaser approached the Target from 15 metres, held at 3 metres, and then completed docking.
• Milestone: India became the fourth nation to demonstrate in-orbit docking capability, after the USA (Gemini mission, 1966), Russia, and China.
• Relevance: Docking is essential for space stations, crewed lunar missions, fuel refilling, and on-orbit servicing of satellites.
• Gaganyaan connection: India's crewed mission programme will require reliable docking capability for the proposed Bharatiya Antariksha Station.

Static linkage: Space technology, ISRO (Science and Technology, GS Paper 3).

GS area: International Relations, Science and Technology

The USA introduced the "Framework for Artificial Intelligence Diffusion," a tiered export control on advanced AI chips.

• Three tiers:
  • Tier 1: 18 closest US allies (UK, Japan, South Korea, Australia, etc.) with no caps.
  • Tier 2: Most other countries including India. Cap of 50,000 advanced AI chips through 2027.
  • Tier 3: Russia, China, North Korea, and similar adversarial states. Near-total prohibition.
• India in Tier 2: Authorised for civilian and military (excluding nuclear) AI chip imports.
• Administered by: Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) under the US Department of Commerce.
• India's concern: The 50,000-chip cap may constrain India's data centre and AI capacity building ambitions.

Static linkage: India-USA relations, technology geopolitics (International Relations, GS Paper 2).

GS area: International Relations, Science and Technology

Three Indian nuclear entities were removed from the US Entity List in January 2025.

• Removed entities: Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), and Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IRE).
• What is the Entity List: A US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) list of foreign entities subject to strict licensing requirements for US technology exports. Listing reflects national security or foreign policy concerns.
• Significance of removal: These three entities were listed because of India's nuclear programme (India is not a signatory to the NPT). Their removal signals improved US-India civil nuclear cooperation and the deepening of the strategic partnership.

Static linkage: India-USA relations, nuclear policy (International Relations, GS Paper 2).

• Lobia (cowpea) in space: ISRO's CROPS module on POEM-4 confirmed the first seed germination in microgravity by an Indian mission. Results were formally announced this week. Cowpea sprouted on Day 4 and produced leaves on Day 5.
• NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS): SpaceX Falcon 9 launched Blue Ghost (Firefly Aerospace, USA with 10 NASA instruments) and Resilience (ispace-Europe) in one mission, targeting Mare Frigoris on the Moon.