1) ‘Nagastra’: It is India’s first indigenous loitering munition which can strike enemy targets with precision. It has an indigenous content of more than 75 per cent.
- It has been designed and developed by Economics Explosives Ltd (EEL), a 100 per cent subsidiary of Solar Industries Nagpur, in association with Z-Motion, Bangalore.
- It can neutralize hostile threats with GPS-enabled precision strikes with an accuracy of 2 m.
- The Nagastra can loiter around in the air and strike when the target reaches the spot.
- It hits in a kamikaze mode (suicidal attack), destroying the target and itself.
2) International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD): It is an international financial institution and a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to eradicating poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries.
- IFAD is the only multilateral development institution that focuses exclusively on transforming rural economies and food systems. It is a member of the United Nations Development Group
- It was established as an international financial institution in 1977 through United Nations General Assembly Resolution. Headquarters: Rome, Italy.
- Membership: Currently, IFAD has 177 Member States, including India.
- The highest decision-making body is the Governing Council which meets every three years.
3) Logistics Performance Index (LPI): released by World Bank, it measures the ease of establishing reliable supply chain connections and structural factors that make it possible, such as the quality of logistics services, trade and transport-related infrastructure, as well as border controls.
- The LPI 2023, for the first time, measures the speed of trade with indicators derived from big datasets tracking shipments.
- Singapore and Finland are the highest-ranked LPI countries.
- India is ranked 38 out of 139 countries, climbing six places from the previous index, mostly due to modernisation and digitalisation.
4) India-Japan Intellectual Dialogue: In the third India-Japan Intellectual Dialogue in Agartala, policymakers focused to bring the troika of Bangladesh, India and Japan closer.
- Matarbari Deep Sea Port: The development of the Matarbari Deep Sea Port in Bangladesh, with Japanese assistance, is expected to be a game changer for the region.
- Japan has been investing in infrastructure projects in the region, such as the Guwahati water supply project and the Northeast Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project.
5) Track 1.5 Dialogue: The initiative, called the Track 1.5 Dialogue, was launched by Thailand. India was a participant in the first session that was held in Bangkok in March. In Delhi, it will be held at the Indian Council of World Affairs, an autonomous think tank funded by the Ministry of External Affairs
- The theme for the session is “peace and reconciliation” and humanitarian assistance, with efforts to find a way to implement the ASEAN Five Point Consensus (5PC) on Myanmar.
- The five points are: immediate end to violence; dialogue among all parties; the appointment of a special envoy; humanitarian assistance by ASEAN; and the special envoy’s visit to Myanmar to meet with all parties.
- Track 1 Diplomacy or Official Diplomacy is an instrument of foreign policy for the establishment and development of contacts between the governments.
- Track 2 diplomacy brings together unofficial representatives (like influential citizens) on both sides, with no government participation.
- Track 1.5 dialogues are conversations that include a mix of government officials—who participate in an unofficial capacity—and non-governmental experts (third party), all sitting around the same table.
