27 May 2025

• Polity: Jawaharlal Nehru's death anniversary (27 May 1964). His contributions include establishing IITs, AIIMS, the NAL and ISRO's precursor bodies.
• Defence: India's drone warfare programme: Tapas, Switch UAV and Archer-NG drones deployed during Operation Sindoor.
• Environment: India's coal bed methane (CBM) extraction reached 2.5 million standard cubic metres per day, making it Asia's largest CBM producer.
• Economy: India's Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) crossed 100 crore API calls, integrating 35 systems across 10 ministries.
• International: India and the ASEAN signed an MoU on digital trade facilitation under the ASEAN-India FTA review framework.

GS area: Modern Indian History, Science and Technology, Governance

Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889-27 May 1964) served as India's first Prime Minister from 1947 to 1964.

• Political legacy: Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) co-founder with Nasser and Tito; Panchsheel principles (1954); Parliamentary democracy; secular constitution.
• Economic model: Mixed economy with planned development. Five-Year Plans. PSUs in commanding heights. Second Five-Year Plan (Mahalanobis model): emphasis on heavy industry.
• Scientific institutions established under Nehru: IITs (1951 onwards); AIIMS (1956); Atomic Energy Commission (1948) and BARC (1954); CSIR networks; National Aeronautical Laboratory (NAL); Indian Statistical Institute expansion.
• Children's Day: 14 November (Nehru's birthday) is observed as Children's Day in India.
• Criticism: Handling of Kashmir accession, 1962 Sino-Indian war and economic pace.

Static linkage: Modern Indian history, constitution, planned economy, NAM.

GS area: Defence Technology, National Security

India's drone capabilities demonstrated in Operation Sindoor represent a significant advance in warfare.

• Tapas-BH-201 (DRDO): Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV. Wingspan 20 metres. Endurance: 24+ hours. Operational altitude: 28,000 ft. Primarily for maritime surveillance and ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance).
• Switch UAV (IDEAFORGE): Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) tactical drone. Used by Army for frontline reconnaissance. Made in India.
• Archer-NG: Loitering munition. Released from an aircraft or ground launcher. Loiters over a target area before diving to strike. Effective against radar and air defence systems.
• Drone regulatory body: Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) regulates civilian drones under the Drone Rules, 2021.
• Operation Sindoor drone role: Loitering munitions were used to neutralise Pakistani radar stations and air defence assets in the first wave of strikes before manned aircraft operated.

Static linkage: Defence technology, DRDO, unmanned systems, indigenisation.

GS area: Energy, Economy, Science and Technology

India became Asia's largest producer of Coal Bed Methane (CBM), extracting 2.5 million standard cubic metres per day.

• CBM definition: Natural gas (primarily methane) trapped in coal seams. Released during mining or extracted by drilling wells and reducing water pressure.
• India's CBM blocks: Jharia, Raniganj (Damodar Valley, Bengal), Wardha Valley (Maharashtra), Sohagpur (MP), Bokaro (Jharkhand). Spread across Gondwana coal basins.
• Resource estimate: India holds an estimated 2,600 BCM (billion cubic metres) of CBM resources, among the largest globally.
• Regulatory body: Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas under the CBM policy (notified 1997, revised multiple times).
• Environmental consideration: CBM extraction reduces methane venting from coal mines, which would otherwise be a potent greenhouse gas emission.
• Key producer: Essar Oil and ONGC operate major CBM fields.

Static linkage: Natural gas, energy security, Gondwana coal basins, greenhouse gases.

GS area: Governance, Economy, Infrastructure

India's ULIP crossed 100 crore API calls, signalling growing adoption by the logistics sector.

• ULIP: Launched under PM Gati Shakti NMP in 2022. Integrates 35 logistics-related digital systems across 10 Central ministries (railways, highways, ports, customs, aviation) on a single platform.
• Purpose: Enables real-time data sharing; reduces transaction costs; improves cargo tracking; cuts document fraud.
• API-based architecture: Third-party logistics companies and freight aggregators can query ULIP through standardised APIs to access information on cargo movement, permits, e-way bills and port status.
• Impact target: Reduce India's logistics cost from 14-18 per cent of GDP to 8-10 per cent (global benchmark).
• Link to NLP: National Logistics Policy (2022) aims to make India a top-25 country on the Logistics Performance Index by 2030.

Static linkage: Logistics, digital infrastructure, NLP, PM Gati Shakti.

GS area: International Relations, Trade, Economy

India and ASEAN signed a digital trade facilitation MoU under the ASEAN-India FTA review framework.

• ASEAN: 10 members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam. Established 1967. Secretariat: Jakarta, Indonesia.
• ASEAN-India FTA (AITIGA): In Goods (signed 2009, in force 2010); in Services (2012); in Investment (2014). Under ongoing review.
• Digital trade elements of MoU: Mutual recognition of digital signatures; paperless trade documentation; electronic invoicing standards; data flow principles.
• India-ASEAN trade: Approximately $130 billion annually. India's trade deficit with ASEAN is about $43 billion (mainly imports from Vietnam and Indonesia).
• Strategic context: India aims to deepen ASEAN integration under its Act East Policy, and the digital trade MoU supports India's vision for a rules-based digital economy.

Static linkage: ASEAN, Act East Policy, FTA, digital trade, trade agreements.

• National Nematology Day: India observes this to highlight plant nematode damage reducing crop yields. Sugar beet cyst nematode (Heterodera schachtii) is the most economically damaging species globally.
• Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM): India is a Consultative Party (since 1983). India operates two research stations: Maitri (established 1989) and Bharati (established 2012). Maitri is in the Schirmacher Oasis; Bharati is in the Larsemann Hills.
• India's rare earth mineral production: India is the world's fifth largest producer. Monazite sands on Kerala and Tamil Nadu coasts are the main source. Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) controls all monazite processing.