05^th December 2025

1. HIV in Infants: Recently, a clinical concern has emerged showing that some infants still acquire HIV despite their mothers testing negative during pregnancy, exposing overlooked gaps in testing practices, timing, and follow-up care.

• Key Highlights: Many women test negative early in pregnancy but may acquire HIV later, during a period when viral load is extremely high, increasing the risk of transmission.

• Shortly after acquiring HIV, standard tests may not detect the virus, causing a false negative despite high transmission potential.

• Typically, only one HIV test is performed early in pregnancy. Without repeated testing in late pregnancy and breastfeeding, new infections remain unnoticed.

• Infection may occur during pregnancy, delivery, or through breastfeeding when the mother becomes newly infected.

• Steps Needed to Close the Gap:

• For Pregnant Women: Repeat HIV tests during late pregnancy: Ensures detection of any new infection after the first test.

• Testing at delivery and during breastfeeding: Helps identify infections during high-risk periods.

• For Infants: Early virologic testing soon after birth: Detects infection at the earliest stage.

• Repeat follow-up testing as required: Monitors infants during breastfeeding and high-exposure windows.

2. Garuda Shakti: Recently, the 10th edition of Garuda Shakti, the Joint Special Forces Exercise between India and Indonesia, commenced at the Special Forces Training School in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.

• About Garuda Shakti: Participating Contingents: India: Troops from The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) and Indonesia: Personnel from the Indonesian Special Forces.

• Aim: Strengthen mutual understanding, operational cooperation, and interoperability between the two Special Forces.

• Improve coordination in counter-terrorism settings across semi-mountainous terrain.

• The joint exercise includes a wide spectrum of Special Forces training modules:

• Troop-level tactics, techniques, and procedures

• Unarmed combat techniques

• Combat shooting and sniping

• Heliborne operations

• Planning and execution of drone, counter-UAS, and loiter-munition strikes

• Exchange of expertise on weapons, equipment, and operational practices

• Garuda Shakti represents a major stride in bilateral defence cooperation, reinforcing strategic ties and enhancing the operational synergy between the Special Forces of India and Indonesia.

3. DHRUVA: Recently, The Department of Posts has released a draft amendment to the Post Office Act, 2023 to introduce the Digital Hub for Reference and Unique Virtual Address (DHRUVA).

• About DHRUVA: The framework has been under consultation for months; a key building block, DIGIPIN, was rolled out earlier in March.

• It allows email- or UPI-style labels (e.g., name@entity) to serve as a proxy for actual physical addresses.

• DIGIPIN: A 10-character alphanumeric code representing precise latitude-longitude coordinates.

• Designed to improve address accuracy, especially in rural areas, it covers roughly 14 sq. metres per code.

• The system has been open-sourced and can generate up to 228 billion unique DIGIPINs across India.

• DIGIPIN serves as the foundational layer for DHRUVA, enabling exact geo-location when text addresses fall short.

4. ISRO: Recently, an ISRO-backed study warned that the reported decline in farm fires in Punjab and Haryana may be misleading, with evidence suggesting an undercount caused by a shift in the timing of stubble-burning events.

• Key Findings: The Space Applications Centre (SAC) of ISRO analysed data from European geostationary satellites over 2020–2024.

• Findings reveal a gradual shift in peak stubble-burning activity from early afternoon to early evening in Punjab and Haryana.
• This temporal shift could make fires less detectable by commonly used polar-orbiting satellites, leading to an underestimation in official fire counts.
• The ISRO study used Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellites equipped with SEVIRI, operated by EUMETSAT.
• These satellites, positioned 36,000 km above the equator, provide continuous coverage across India.
• Their real-time imaging makes them more effective in capturing diurnal fire patterns, especially evening fires that polar satellites may miss.

5. Horn-Eyed Ghost Crab: Recently, researchers documented unusual predatory behaviour in the horn-eyed ghost crab at Rushikonda Beach, offering new insights into its adaptive responses within coastal ecosystems.

• About the Horn-Eyed Ghost Crab: Belongs to the genus Ocypode and known for its rapid movement and sand-coloured body.

• Why It’s Called “Ghost Crab”: Pale body blends perfectly with sandy beaches.

• Active during dawn and dusk, making it appear almost ghost-like as it moves swiftly across the shore.

• Ecological Importance: Considered a keystone species and an indicator of coastal health.

• Its presence and behaviour provide insights into shoreline ecosystem stability.

• Distribution in India: Six species of ghost crabs are recorded along the Indian coastline.

• Habitat & Global Distribution: Found mainly in intertidal zones. Distributed widely across the Indo-Pacific region (excluding the Red Sea):

  • From the East African coast to the Philippines

  • From Japan to the Great Barrier Reef

• Threats: Pollution affecting coastal habitats

• Changes in sediment distribution, impacting burrow stability

• Rising sea temperatures altering behaviour and distribution

• Shifted tidal patterns, prompting the species to explore new microhabitats for food and survival

6. Quantum Technologies: Recently, NITI Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub released a roadmap to position India as a global leader in quantum technologies.

• About Quantum Technology: Technologies are poised to transform sectors including healthcare, finance, materials, energy, logistics, national security, and advanced research.

• Nations investing early will define the future architecture of computing, communication, and sensing.

• India’s Strategic Moment: For India, quantum represents a chance to lead from the outset, not follow global standards set by others.

• Quantum will serve as a foundation for breakthroughs in AI, biotechnology, secure digital infrastructure, and advanced materials.

• Key Features: Provides a comprehensive assessment of India’s current strengths and gaps.

• Outlines priority interventions to accelerate: R&D and innovation, Commercialisation pathways, Ecosystem growth and Talent development

• Stresses collective ownership across policymakers, scientists, entrepreneurs, investors, and state governments.

7. India and Russia: Recently, India and Russia strengthened bilateral cooperation in fisheries, animal husbandry, and dairy sectors.

• Key Highlights: India–Russia ties, elevated to a Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership since 2000, continue to deepen through regular high-level engagements.

• The 23rd Annual Summit witnessed the visit of President Vladimir Putin to India on 4–5 December 2025.

• Focus on Expanding Trade in Fisheries, Animal & Dairy Products: Enhancing mutual trade in fisheries, meat, and dairy products

• Addressing market access challenges

• Accelerating listing approvals for export establishments

• India highlighted its USD 7.45 billion fisheries export performance in 2024–25, including USD 127 million to Russia.

• India sees export potential for shrimp, prawns, mackerel, sardines, tuna, crab, squid, cuttlefish, and more.

• Russia expressed readiness to import a diversified range of Indian products and showed interest in joint trout development projects, enabling future joint ventures.

8. Exercise Garuda: Recently, the 8th edition of Exercise Garuda, the bilateral air exercise between the Indian Air Force and the French Air and Space Force, concluded at Air Base 118 in Mont-de-Marsan, France.

• About Exercise Garuda: The exercise provided extensive exposure to realistic operational environments and joint air operations.

• IAF Assets Deployed: Su-30MKI fighter aircraft

• IL-78 air-to-air refueller

• C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft

• Key Operational Activities: Joint mission planning between IAF and FASF

• Execution of strike and escort missions

• Familiarisation with each other’s operational procedures

• Conduct of complex air operations designed to mirror real-world challenges

• The exercise significantly enhanced interoperability between the two air forces.

• Exercise Garuda 25 was one of the largest international air training engagements undertaken by the IAF in 2025.

• It reaffirmed the deep strategic partnership between India and France.

• The operational insights gained will further strengthen the IAF’s war-fighting capabilities and foster greater jointmanship with friendly foreign air forces.

9. Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage: Recently, India hosted the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage at the Red Fort in New Delhi, marking a significant moment for global cultural diplomacy and heritage preservation.

• Key Highlights: The session will focus on key responsibilities outlined under the UNESCO ICH Convention, including:

• Examining nominations submitted by Member States for inscription on UNESCO’s ICH Lists

• Reviewing the status of cultural elements already inscribed

• Providing international assistance for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage

• India’s Presence on the UNESCO ICH List: India currently has 15 inscribed elements on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

• Strategic Significance for India: Strengthens collaboration with UNESCO

• Enhances India’s global influence, cultural diplomacy, and soft power
• Offers a platform to showcase India’s diverse intangible heritage