International North-South Transport Corridor(INSTC): INSTC was first proposed in 2000 to improve connectivity between Russia, Central Asian states, and India.
Route: It is a 7,200-km-long multi-modal connectivity project to establish transport networks (ship, rail, and road route). It will be used for moving freight between India, Russia, Iran, Europe, and Central Asia. It will cut costs and time in moving cargo.
Members: It includes 13 countries namely India, Iran, Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Oman, Syria, and Ukraine.
The objective of the corridor is to increase trade connectivity between major cities such as Mumbai, Moscow, Tehran, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Astrakhan, Bandar Anzali and etc.
Submarine Vagir: Indian Navy is set to commission the fifth Kalvari class submarine Vagir.The submarines are being built in India by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai, under collaboration with M/s Naval Group, France.
It is named after the Sand Fish, a deadly deep-sea predator of the Indian Ocean.
It is a part of the six Kalvari-class submarines being built in India.The submarine is designed to operate in all theatres of operation, showcasing interoperability with other components of a Naval Task Force.
It can launch attacks with both torpedoes and tube launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on surface.
Exercise Cyclone-I: The first ever joint exercise between the special forces of the Indian Army and the Egyptian Army named “Exercise Cyclone-I” is in progress at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. Exercise “Cyclone – I” is the first exercise of its kind bringing the special forces of both the nations on a common platform.
The exercise aims to bolster defence co-operation between the two nations and focus on sharing professional skills and interoperability of Special Forces in desert terrain while undertaking counter terrorism, reconnaissance, raids and other special operations.
New Plateau Type Discovered:A new plateau type discovered in Maharashtra could prove to be a repository of information to study climate change effects on species survival.
A rare low-altitude basalt plateau housing 76 species of plants and shrubs from 24 different families was discovered in the Thane region in the Western Ghats.Plateaus are classified as a type of rock outcrop and provide a unique and challenging environment for species to adapt.
These outcrops have seasonal water availability, limited soil, and nutrients, making them ideal laboratories to study the effects of climate change on species survival.
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