PM Modi attends 19th East Asia Summit

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the 19th East Asia Summit (EAS) on October 11 in Vientiane, Lao PDR.
•  The Summit was attended by heads of State/government and High Representatives of the EAS participating countries, the Secretary-General of ASEAN and Timor-Leste as Observer. The President of the European Council and the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) attended the Open Session.
•  In his address, PM Modi He underlined that India’s participation in East Asia Summit was an important pillar of its Act East Policy. 
•  He called for the restoration of peace and stability in Eurasia and West Asia, noting that conflicts in different parts of the world are having the most negative impact on the countries of the Global South.
•  Noting that a free, open, inclusive, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific was important for peace and development in the region, he spoke of the similarity and common approach between India’s Indo-Pacific Ocean’s Initiative and ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific

East Asia Summit

 The East Asia Summit (EAS) is the Indo-Pacific’s premier forum for strategic dialogue. It is the only leader-led forum at which all key partners meet to discuss political, security and economic challenges facing the Indo-Pacific, and has an important role to play in advancing closer regional cooperation.

• Established in 2005, EAS allows the principal players in the Indo-Pacific region to discuss issues of common interest and concern, in an open and transparent manner, at the highest level.
•  Since its inception, it has played a significant role in the strategic, geopolitical and economic evolution of East Asia.
•  It is also an important platform for furthering practical cooperation in the Indo-Pacific by building upon the convergence between ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and Indo-Pacific Ocean’s Initiative (IPOI). 
• There are six priority areas of regional cooperation within the framework of the EAS. These are
• i) Environment and Energy
• ii) Education
• iii) Finance
• iv) Global Health Issues and Pandemic Diseases
• v) Natural Disaster Management
• vi) ASEAN Connectivity. 
•  India, being a founding member of the East Asia Summit, is committed to strengthening the East Asia Summit and making it more effective for dealing with contemporary challenges. India endorses regional collaboration in all six priority areas.
•  Following the adoption of the Manila Plan of Action in 2017, maritime cooperation has been identified as an important area of cooperation under the EAS.
•  The EAS calendar culminates in the annual Leaders’ Summit, which is usually held alongside ASEAN Leaders’ meetings in the fourth quarter of every year. In addition to the Leaders’ Summit, meetings of EAS Foreign Ministers and Economic Ministers are held annually. 

Members of East Asia Summit

• • The EAS has 18 members — the ten ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) along with Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States. 
•  ASEAN leads the forum, and the chair position rotates between ASEAN Member States annually. 
•  According to estimates, EAS members represent 54 per cent of the world’s population and account for 62 per cent of global GDP.

Genesis of East Asia Summit

•  The concept of an East Asia Grouping was first promoted in 1991 by the then Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad. 
•  The final report of the East Asian Study Group in 2002, established by the ASEAN+3 countries (China, Japan and South Korea), recommended EAS as an ASEAN-led development limited to the ASEAN+3 countries. 
•  However, the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) held in Vientiane in July  2005 welcomed the participation of ASEAN, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India and New Zealand, in the first EAS. 
•  The US and the Russian Federation were formally included as members of the EAS at the 6th East Asia Summit held in Bali, Indonesia in November 2011

Key Highlights of the 19th East Asia Summit

• ASEAN’s Central Role: India emphasised ASEAN’s crucial role in the Indo-Pacific regional framework, aligning with its Indo-Pacific Vision and Quad cooperation.
• Act East Policy: India highlighted its participation in the East Asia Summit (EAS) as a fundamental component of its Act East Policy.
• Development Over Expansionism: A development-oriented approach was advocated, contrasting with expansionist strategies in the region.
• Support for Nalanda University: India expressed gratitude for support in reviving Nalanda University and invited EAS countries to a Heads of Higher Education Conclave there.
• Global Security Challenges: India highlighted terrorism, cyber threats, and maritime challenges as significant global security issues, calling for collective action to address these threats.
• Acknowledgment: India thanked the Prime Minister of Laos for hosting the summit and expressed full support for Malaysia as the new ASEAN Chair.

Hunter Drones Cleared : CCS Clears 31 MQ9B for $ 3.1 Billion

 The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has officially approved the acquisition of 31 MQ-9B High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) drones for the Indian armed forces.

• These UAVs, acquired from General Atomics of the United States, will be distributed across India’s three military branches, with 15 allocated to the Indian Navy, and 8 each to the Indian Army and Air Force.
• The approval marks a significant step in enhancing India’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities across both maritime and land borders

Strategic Necessity for the Indian Navy

• For the Indian Navy, these drones represent a much-needed strategic upgrade. Currently, the P-8I Poseidon aircraft is used for long-range maritime surveillance in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). However, operating the P-8I for extended missions is an expensive affair.
• The MQ-9Bs, with their ability to stay airborne for extended durations, provide a more cost-effective alternative for surveillance deep into the IOR, where Chinese naval activity has been increasing.
• The endurance of these UAVs will allow the Navy to keep a tighter watch on critical chokepoints such as the Malacca, Sunda, and Lombok Straits, vital maritime routes through which submarines and other vessels from the South China Sea enter the IOR.
•  The MQ-9Bs, equipped with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors and advanced ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) and SIGINT (Signals Intelligence) pods, will provide real-time situational awareness, making them a critical asset in monitoring movements and potential threats along these volatile borders

Boost for Indian Navy’s Anti-Submarine Warfare

• Perhaps the most significant advantage of the MQ-9B drones will be felt by the Indian Navy. The endurance and range of these UAVs make them ideal for long-duration missions in the IOR, where China has been increasingly deploying submarines and surface vessels

Tactical Advantage on Both Borders

• For India’s western border with Pakistan, the MQ-9Bs will provide real-time monitoring and high-definition imagery, giving Indian forces a significant advantage in detecting infiltrators.

Future Implications

• The acquisition of these drones comes at a crucial time as India continues to modernize its defense capabilities in response to emerging threats from both its western and northern neighbors.
• The MQ-9Bs will serve as a force multiplier, allowing the Indian armed forces to operate with enhanced situational awareness and precision across diverse and challenging operational environments.

India’s Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarines (SSNs): A Long-Awaited Project Finally Cleared 

• In a significant move to bolster its maritime capabilities, the Indian government has approved a ₹40,000 crore project to construct the country’s first two nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs).
• This long-stalled project, crucial to India’s defense, received clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), marking a decisive step forward for the Indian Navy, which has long required SSNs for operations in the Indian Ocean Region and beyond .

Why SSNs Are Essential

• Unlike SSBNs, which carry nuclear missiles as part of a country’s nuclear triad, SSNs are designed to hunt and neutralize enemy ships and submarines. They are stealthy, fast, and capable of remaining submerged for extended periods without needing to surface for air, thanks to their nuclear propulsion.
• Given India’s expansive maritime domain, particularly in the Indian Ocean, SSNs are vital for safeguarding sea lines of communication, deterring enemy naval activities, and projecting power far from Indian shores

Nuclear Attack Submarines (SSNs)

• Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarines (SSNs) are advanced maritime vessels that are powered by nuclear reactors and are primarily used for offensive operations. 
• They are one of the two main types of nuclear submarines, the other being Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBNs). 

SSNs

• Stealth: SSNs can remain submerged for extended periods, unlike conventional submarines that need to surface to recharge their batteries. 
• Weapons: SSNs are equipped with a variety of tactical weapons, including torpedoes, anti-ship cruise missiles, and land-attack cruise missiles. 
• Endurance: SSNs can operate underwater almost indefinitely, limited only by the crew’s food supplies. 
• First SSN: The first nuclear-powered submarine was the USS Nautilus (SSN-571), which was commissioned in 1954. 
• India has one nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, the INS Arihant, which was commissioned in 2016, and India plans to commission its second, INS Arighat, in 2024.
• India has made progress in nuclear submarine technology through the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) program.
• India’s Arihant-class submarines are ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) that are part of the country’s nuclear deterrent. 

Indigenous Construction of Two Nuclear Attack Submarines (SSNs)

• Project: Building of two indigenous SSNs (Nuclear Attack Submarines).
• Significance:
• Provides the Navy with unlimited endurance (limited only by crew endurance).
• Follows the success of India’s SSBN program (Nuclear-powered Ballistic Missile Submarines), with INS Arihant (2016) and INS Arighaat (2023) already in service.
• Critical for enhancing India’s naval capabilities.
• Past Context: India previously leased two SSNs from Russia.

India meets WHO international standards for vaccine regulations

• The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), along with the National Regulatory Authority of India (NRA) and affiliated institutions, has been found to meet the World Health Organization (WHO) published indicators for a functional vaccine regulatory system.
•  India’s vaccine regulatory system was benchmarked in the year 2017 against Global benchmarking tool version V which is now revised to GBT VI with raised bars and stringency in benchmarking criteria.
•  Safety, efficacy, and quality are three basic parameters of assessment of vaccines. WHO has established global standards and benchmarks for assurance of vaccine quality through the development of tools and guidelines, benchmarking of the NRA and prequalification programme of vaccines.
• The WHO NRA re-benchmarking was aimed to assess and document the status of the India regulatory system in the area of vaccine regulation, re-benchmark the status of the India vaccine regulatory system against the WHO NRA Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) and measuring the maturity of the system.
• India has been declared ‘functional’ against all the core regulatory functions of the WHO Global Benchmarking Tool Version VI.
•  India’s vaccine regulatory system was benchmarked in the year 2017 against Global benchmarking tool (GBT) version V which is now revised to GBT VI with raised bars and stringency in benchmarking criteria.
• India, as a large vaccine producing country, is currently supplying several vaccines to the UN agencies (UNICEF, WHO and PAHO)”. “National Regulatory Authority of India meets the standards of the WHO NRA indicators (WHO Global benchmarking Tool) on functional regulatory system for vaccineS.
•  India is a major vaccine producer that has 36 major vaccine manufacturing facilities. These vaccines are used for the national and international market (150 countries), which makes India a major vaccine supplier across the globe.
• The WHO Prequalification Programme (PQP) is aimed at facilitating access to vaccines that meet unified standards of quality, safety and efficacy as well as programme needs. It is also prerequisite for manufacturers to supply to countries through United Nations procuring agencies. A functional NRA is a criterion for WHO prequalification of vaccines..

 Delhi Government pushes for cloud seeding ahead of post-Diwali air crisis

 Cloud seeding is a method of artificially inducing rain which involves releasing chemicals into the atmosphere to promote condensation of moisture particles, leading to rainfall

 How It Works?

• Seeding Materials: Common materials include silver iodide, potassium iodide, dry ice, or liquid propane.
• Delivery Method: Seeds can be dispersed using aircraft or ground-based sprayers.
• Condensation Process: The introduced particles encourage the condensation of smaller water droplets into larger ones until they become heavy enough to fall as rain.

Examples

• India: In Solapur, Maharashtra, cloud seeding reportedly increased rainfall by about 18%.
• UAE: The technique has been employed to enhance rainfall in arid regions.
• China: During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, cloud seeding was used to improve air quality .

Role of Rainfall in cleaning air

• Absorption: As raindrops fall, they absorb pollutants like particulate matter (PM), sulphur oxides (SOx), and nitrogen oxides (NOx).
• Chemical Reactions: When raindrops encounter pollutants, they can undergo chemical reactions that transform these harmful substances into less harmful compounds. 
• For example, sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides can react with water and other atmospheric components to form sulfuric and nitric acids.
• Washout: The raindrops, now laden with pollutants or their transformed products, wash these substances to the ground. This process is known as “washout.”
• Scrubbing: As raindrops fall through the atmosphere, they can also scrub the air of pollutants by physically colliding with and removing them. This process is called “scrubbing.”

PM GatiShakti National Master Plan completes 3 years of transforming India''s Infrastructure landscape

• PM GatiShakti has successfully laid the groundwork for seamless, multi-modal connectivity and accelerated economic growth. The PM GatiShakti has redefined how India plans and executes large-scale infrastructure projects. By harnessing geospatial data from 44 Central Ministries and 36 States/UTs, the platform has significantly improved inter-ministerial coordination and streamlined project execution.
• PM Gati Shakti incorporates the infrastructure schemes of various Ministries and State Governments such as Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land ports, and UDAN. PM Gati Shakti incorporates the infrastructure schemes of various Ministries and State Governments such as Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land ports, and UDAN.

 Key Achievements:

• On boarding Whole of the Government on the Single platform
• PM GatiShakti has integrated 44 Central Ministries and 36 States/UTs with more than 1600 data layers, making it a crucial tool for planning and executing infrastructure projects.
• To date, over 200 big-ticket infrastructure projects have been evaluated by the Networking Planning Group (NPG) from the perspective of the principles of the PM GatiShakti viz. integrated planning & development of multimodal infrastructure, last-mile connectivity to economic and social nodes, intermodal connectivity, enhance logistics efficiency and synchronised implementation of projects.
• Social Sector Impact: Extending the PM GatiShakti to the Social Sector Ministries, the focus is on increasing the usage of the PM GatiShakti for social development, identifying social gaps (schools, hospitals, anganwadis) using, and developing applications and planning tools for capturing data. This has enabled better infrastructure planning in essential areas such as primary healthcare, education, postal services, and tribal development, ensuring that even remote and underserved areas are part of India’s infrastructure growth story.
• PM GatiShakti State Master Plans (SMPs): All 36 States/UTs have developed the PM GatiShakti State Master Plan (SMP) portals, aligned with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan platform to synchronise infrastructure assets and enhance regional development. This unified approach has helped States streamline their capital investment for accelerating infrastructure development. Over 533 projects have been mapped by States/UTs on the PM GatiShakti portal.
• EXIM and Trade Facilitation: Aligned with the National Logistics Policy (NLP), the PM GatiShakti has been instrumental in addressing critical infrastructure gaps, reducing logistics costs, and improving India’s logistics performance. According to the World Bank''s ''Logistics Performance Index Report (2023) India’s rank (38) has improved by six places from 44 in 2018.
• Regional Workshops and Stakeholder Engagement: Following the spirit of cooperative federalism, over the last three years, five regional workshops have been conducted, covering all 36 States/UTs to facilitate knowledge sharing, best practices, and project demonstration by Central and States Governments. These engagements have played a key role in strengthening local adoption and ownership of the GatiShakti framework.
• Driving Sustainable, Data-Driven Development: The PM GatiShakti’s data-driven approach is powered by GIS-based tools and a real-time monitoring system that enables faster and more informed decision-making. The platform ensures that projects are aligned with national priorities and completed on time, minimising delays and reducing cost overruns. This integration is key to meeting India’s Net Zero by 2070 commitments, as the platform promotes the use of green infrastructure and sustainable logistics solutions.
• Training and Capacity Building: As the PM GatiShakti is a new initiative with an advanced GIS platform, DPIIT has undertaken the task to train officials for build their capacities. The PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (PMGS NMP) has seen significant progress in capacity building through the institution of courses and workshops. A course on the PM GatiShakti, available on the iGoT platform, has already been completed by over 20,000 officials. Additionally, all Central Training Institutes (CTIs) have integrated a course module on the PM GatiShakti into their regular officers'' training curriculum. The resource persons and master trainers from DPIIT and BISAG-N conduct regular sessions on the PM GatiShakti across various CTIs and ATIs, including institutions like Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA), and Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSIFS). There have also been approximately 150 interactive training sessions on the PM GatiShakti with Ministries/Departments, and States/UTs, engaging over 1,000 officials.
• Extending PMGS to the Districts: As India moves forward, the PM GatiShakti is expected to continuously evolve to keep playing a pivotal role in expanding multi-modal infrastructure, developing Smart Cities, and enhancing the country’s industrial capabilities through Industrial Corridors and Mega Investment Regions. Building upon the vision of the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan and the significant usage demonstrated by Central Ministries/Departments as well as States/UTs, a PM GatiShakti District Master Plan (PMGS DMP) portal is being developed with technical support of BISAG-N (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics) for collaborative planning at the District level by State/District authorities. The NMP platform’s emphasis on cross-sectoral cooperation and emerging technologies such as AI and IoT will further revolutionise infrastructure management and planning.
• Taking PMGS to international level and for promoting the use of  PM GatiShakti and Geospatial technology in the integrated planning of infrastructure, diplomatic engagements are underway with countries in the neighbourhood and other developing countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Senegal and Gambia.
• The government is also considering providing access to non-government users for the data (non-sensitive and shareable) relevant to the planning of the infrastructure and developmental activities by the sector. Such access to the data shall be provided in the most secure manner.
•  As India celebrates three years of the PM Gati Shakti, the initiative continues to fulfil its promise of creating a modern, interconnected infrastructure network that is key to India''s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.

What Are TAURUS MISSILES and what can they do ?

• Equipped with stealth technology that makes them less visible to detection, the missiles have a range of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles), which would help Ukraine to put pressure on Russia in the Black Sea and elsewhere.
• The German- and Swedish-made missiles would be able to reach targets deep in Russia from Ukrainian soil. (Taurus is shorthand for Target Adaptive Unitary and dispenser Robotic Ubiquity System.) In Latin, taurus means “bull.
• This missile was developed in the mid-1990s as a joint effort between the German company LFK (now MBDA Deutschland) and the Swedish company Saab Bofors Dynamics. 
• It is capable of precision strikes on stationary and semi-stationary targets.
• Features:
• Weighing in at 1,400 kg and measuring approximately 5.1 meters in length, this versatile missile can be deployed from a variety of platforms.
• Powered by turbofan engine, the missile achieves subsonic speeds with impressive fuel efficiency.
• It features a dual-stage warhead known as MEPHISTO, which is specifically designed to penetrate hardened bunkers and underground facilities before detonation. 
• It flies at an altitude of only 35 meters, which makes it almost impossible for radar systems to detect.
• Range: 500 km
• The missile’s guidance system merges GPS, INS (Inertial Navigation System), and TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching) technologies, guaranteeing unerring precision even in GPS-denied environments.
• Its low radar cross-section and advanced defense mechanisms protect it against interception and neutralization attempts.