1) Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS): An indigenously developed howitzer gun, ATAG, became part of the 21-gun salute during the Independence Day ceremony for the first time.
- The ATAGS is an indigenous 155 mm x 52 calibre howitzer gun developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) with its Pune-based facility Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) being the nodal agency.
2) Nagorno-Karabakh: The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians, but located within the boundaries of Azerbaijan.
- Years of clashes followed between Azerbaijan forces and Armenian separatists ended in 1994 when Russia brokered a ceasefire, by which time ethnic Armenians had taken control of the region.
- While the area remains in Azerbaijan, it is today governed by separatist Armenians who have declared it a republic called the “Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast”
3) Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant: It is located on the banks of the Dnieper river, just 200 kilometers from the conflicted Donbas region where Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces have been fighting.
- Zaporizhzhya is one of the four operating NPPs in the country and has been operating since 1984
- It is Europe’s largest NPP.
4) Dornier 228: it is a twin- turbodrop utility aircraft of the STOL (Short-Take off and Landing) variety.
- It is capable of day and night operations, short take-off and landing, and can land and take off from semi-prepared runways. It is made in India.
5) SMILE-75 initiative: The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India, has identified 75 Municipal Corporations to implement comprehensive rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of begging under “SMILE: Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise” named as “SMILE-75 Initiative”.
- It has allocated a total budget of Rs. 100 crore for the SMILE project for the coming years till 2025-26.
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