Heron MK II drones

Context: Recently, India has signed an agreement to procure more Heron MK II drones from Israel following their effective deployment during Operation Sindoor to strengthen surveillance and intelligence capabilities.

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• Heron MK II drones are already in service with the Indian Army and Air Force and will now also be inducted into the Indian Navy.
• The defence ministry issued a Request for Proposal in September for acquiring 87 Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drones with an emphasis on an indigenous programme that permits foreign collaboration.
• The Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) aims to support the Make in India initiative through collaboration with local partners such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Elcom Systems Private Limited (Elcom).
• The company intends to manufacture an Indian version of the Heron MK II in India with a high level of indigenous content.

Key Features of Heron MK II

• The Heron MK II is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) that can reach an altitude of 35,000 feet and maintain flight for 45 hours.
• The UAV has a wide and strong body structure that allows quick and simple maintenance without increasing the overall weight.
• The platform supports diverse payloads and strategic missions across air and naval domains.
• The UAV enables new configurations that include long-range observation sensors and radars.

SIPRI: Global Arms Revenue Rises Sharply

Context: The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has reported a significant rise in global arms revenues in 2024, driven by wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

Key Highlights of the SIPRI Report

• The revenues of the world’s 100 largest arms-producing companies reached a record 679 billion dollars in 2024 as per SIPRI’s latest assessment.
• The global increase of 5.9 percent was driven mainly by companies based in the United States and Europe, while Asia and Oceania recorded a decline due to disruptions in the Chinese defence industry.
• United States companies accounted for 334 billion dollars in revenue and 30 out of the 39 firms registered growth.
• European companies excluding Russia secured 151 billion dollars in revenue with 23 of the 26 companies recording an increase.
• Middle Eastern companies expanded their share with nine firms entering the top 100.
• Israeli defence companies recorded a sharp rise in revenues amid the ongoing war on Gaza and continued foreign demand.

About Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

• The SIPRI is an independent international institute established in 1966 to conduct research on conflict, armaments, arms control, and disarmament.
• It is a leading global think tank known for providing reliable data, analysis, and policy recommendations.
• SIPRI is headquartered in Solna, Sweden.

PSLV-N1

Context: India to launch its first privately-built Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), named PSLV-N1, in early 2026, marking a major step in commercialising space transportation.

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• The launch will carry the Earth observation satellite EOS-10 for Oceanographic studies along with the Indo-Mauritius joint satellite (IMJS) and Leap-2 Satellite from Indian NGE as co-passengers.
• The mission was earlier planned for early 2025, but was delayed because the satellite was not ready.
• The PSLV-N1 will be the first PSLV rocket built by a private consortium under ISRO’s commercialisation plan that started in 2022.
• Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) are manufacturing the rocket under a consortium model.
• The rocket is owned by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL). 
• NSIL is the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and a wholly owned Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the administrative control of the Department of Space (DoS), Government of India

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)

• PSLV is an expendable medium-lift launch vehicle designed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). 
• It is known as the "workhorse" of ISRO due to its high reliability and versatility in launching various satellites into different orbits, especially Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbits (SSPOs).

Galaxy Alaknanda

Context: Indian astronomers from the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCRA–TIFR), Pune, have discovered a massive spiral galaxy, named Alaknanda.

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• Indian researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope identified a fully formed spiral galaxy named Alaknanda, dating back 12 billion years.
  • JWST is the largest and one of the most powerful space observatories ever launched, designed primarily to conduct infrared astronomy and peer back in time to the early universe.
• The galaxy resembles the Milky Way even though it existed when the Universe was just 1.5 billion years old.
• The discovery challenges existing theories that early galaxies were small, irregular and chaotic.

Key findings of the Discovery

• The researchers spotted a spiral galaxy with a well-defined disc and symmetrical arms, which contradicts expectations that early galaxies lacked ordered structures.
• The galaxy spans nearly 30,000 light-years, making it about one-third the size of the Milky Way and far more organised than other galaxies from the same period.
• The astronomers found that the galaxy contains nearly 10 billion solar masses of stars, which indicates extremely fast stellar assembly within a few hundred million years.
• The rate of star formation in the early galaxy is around 20 to 30 times higher than the current rate in the Milky Way.
• The identification was made by analysing data from the James Webb Space Telescope, which has revealed increasingly complex structures in the early Universe.
• The galaxy appears as it existed 12 billion years ago because its light has taken that long to reach Earth.
• The researchers plan follow-up observations using JWST or the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in Chile to understand the formation of its spiral arms.

MPC cuts Repo Rate

Context: The Monetary Policy Committee reduced the policy repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.25 percent in December 2025.

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• The Committee maintained a neutral policy stance and only one member supported a shift to an accommodative stance, which shows broad agreement on the present policy direction.
• The Monetary Policy Committee also lowered the Standing Deposit Facility rate to 5.00 percent and the Marginal Standing Facility rate and Bank Rate to 5.50 percent.
• The Committee noted a generalised decline in both headline inflation and core inflation which allowed a downward revision in the FY2026 CPI inflation forecast to 2.0 percent.
• The Committee revised the inflation estimate for the third quarter of FY2026 to 0.6 percent and the estimate for the fourth quarter to 2.9 percent which indicates stable price conditions.
• The Committee reduced the inflation estimate for the first quarter of FY2027 to 3.9 percent and placed the estimate for the second quarter at 4.0 percent which shows expected normalisation.
• The Committee lowered the FY2026 CPI inflation forecast and raised the GDP growth projection, signalling improved macroeconomic conditions.

Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)

• The MPC in India is a statutory body established under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
• Specifically, Section 45ZB of the Act empowers the Central Government to constitute this six-member committee, which determines the policy interest rate needed to achieve the inflation target set by the Government of India. 
• Under Section 45ZA, the Central Government, in consultation with the RBI, determines the inflation target in terms of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), once in five years.
• The MPC comprises six members, of whom three are from the RBI and three are appointed by the Central Government. 
• The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India acts as the ex-officio Chairperson of the committee

Hornbill Festival 2025

Context: The 26^th edition of the Hornbill Festival is going on at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama, near Kohima, Nagaland.

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• This festival is also known as the “Festival of Festivals,” celebrated 10 days (December 1-10, 2025).
• It is organised by the State Tourism and Art & Culture Departments, Hornbill Festival showcasing a mélange of cultural displays like folklore, music, crafts, and cuisine under one roof.
• It was started with Nagaland’s Statehood Day, as a tourism initiative that has evolved into one of the world’s most iconic cultural festivals.
  • Nagaland Statehood Day marks December 1, 1963, when the State of Nagaland Act, 1962, came into effect, making Nagaland the 16th state of the Indian Union.
• Six countries, Austria, France, Ireland, Malta, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, are partner countries for the festival, aimed at reinforcing regional cooperation.
  • Arunachal Pradesh is the state partner.
  • Hornbills are colourful tropical birds found in Africa, Asia, and Melanesia.
  • Of the 62 hornbill species found worldwide, nine can be seen in India.
  • Great Hornbill (Buceros Bicornis) is the state bird of Kerala and Arunachal Pradesh.

INS Aridaman

Context: On National Navy Day, the Navy Chief announced that the nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine INS Aridaman will be commissioned soon.

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• INS Aridaman (S4) will be the third submarine of the Arihant class, serving as an undetectable launch platform for nuclear-armed missiles.
  • Following its commissioning, a fourth Ship Submersible Ballistic Nuclear (SSBN), codenamed S4*, is expected to join the fleet in 2027.
• It is a nuclear submarine that uses a nuclear reactor for propulsion, providing unlimited range and endurance.
• This submarine is bigger and more advanced than INS Arihant (S2), which served as a technology demonstrator under the Advanced Technology Vessel program.
• India is among a select group of countries having nuclear-powered submarines after the US, Russia, the UK, France, and China.
• India’s first nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine:
  • INS Arihant (S2) and INS Arighaat (S3):
    • INS Arihant (S2) was commissioned in August 2016 and serves as the cornerstone of India’s Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) programme.
    • INS Arighaat (S3) was commissioned in August 2024 and represents a refined and more capable version of Arihant.
    • Arihant’s first successful deterrence patrol in 2018 marked the completion of India’s nuclear triad, giving the country a credible sea-based nuclear deterrent.

National Navy Day

• The day is celebrated on the 4^th of December every year to recognise the achievements and role of the Indian Navy.
• It was on this day in 1971, during Operation Trident, that the Indian Navy sank four Pakistani vessels, including Pakistani Navy ships (PNS) Khaibar. 

World’s First Mobile Floating Artificial Island

Context: According to the report, China is building the world’s first mobile floating artificial island.

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•  Its official name is the Deep-Sea All-Weather Resident Floating Research Facility, also called a “far-sea floating mobile island.”
• The project cites GJB 1060.1-1991 - a Chinese military standard for nuclear blast protection for dual-use intentions.
• It is built for all-weather, long-term residency, the platform safeguards critical areas such as emergency power, communication, and navigation.
• This 78,000-tonne semi-submersible facility is designed for deep-sea research and is expected to enter service in 2028.
• Its mobility allows it to move across the sea while maintaining continuous scientific operations, including deep-sea monitoring and equipment testing.

Features of the Island

• It can accommodate up to 238 people for about four months without needing external supplies.
• The island measures 138 metres in length and 85 metres in width.
• It can sail at a speed of 15 knots.
• It has a twin-hull structure built for stability in rough seas.
• It is designed to survive a nuclear explosion and strong typhoons.
  • The platform’snuclear-resistant structure uses a “sandwich” panel made from metamaterials. 
  • Under blast conditions powerful enough to flatten buildings, the metamaterial reduced structural movement by 58.53 per cent and peak stresses by 14.25 per cent - keeping the hull intact.