🇮🇳🇯🇵 1. India & Japan Launch 'JA-MATA' Coast Guard Exercise off Chennai
India and Japan have commenced the ‘JA-MATA’ bilateral Coast Guard exercise in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Chennai.
🔹 "JA-MATA" stands for Japan–India Maritime Training Activity.
🔹 The drill focuses on maritime security, anti-piracy ops, search and rescue, pollution control, and strengthening interoperability between both nations' coast guards.
🔹 Historical Context: India and Japan signed a Memorandum on Defence Cooperation in 2015 and have held joint naval exercises such as JIMEX. This new coast guard drill reflects growing synergy in Indo-Pacific maritime stability.
🇹🇹💸 2. Trinidad & Tobago Becomes First Caribbean Nation to Adopt India’s UPI
In a major fintech milestone, Trinidad and Tobago has become the first Caribbean nation to enable India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system.
🔹 This follows similar UPI adoptions in countries like France, UAE, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Singapore.
🔹 With this move, Indian tourists and diaspora in the region can make real-time, cross-border payments seamlessly.
🔹 Context: UPI, launched by NPCI in 2016, now processes over 12 billion monthly transactions and is at the heart of India’s digital payments revolution.
🌍🏥 3. WHO Launches '3 by 5' Health Initiative
The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a bold initiative called ‘3 by 35’, aiming to ensure that 3 billion people benefit from universal health coverage, protection from emergencies, and better health & well-being by 2035.
🔹 The program will focus on digital health equity, climate-resilient healthcare, and pandemic preparedness.
🔹 Background: This new vision builds on WHO’s earlier goals like the ‘3 by 5’ HIV treatment target (2003), showcasing a continued effort toward global health transformation.
🌄📊 4. Mizoram’s Hnahthial District Tops NITI Aayog's SDG Index 2023–24 for Northeast
The newly created Hnahthial District of Mizoram has topped the NITI Aayog’s North Eastern Region (NER) SDG Index 2023–24.
🔹 It scored highest in sectors such as clean energy, education, health access, sanitation, and gender equality.
🔹 Context: The NER SDG Index, launched in collaboration with UNDP, monitors progress across the 8 NE states against the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the UN.
🔹 Hnahthial district was carved out in 2019, making its rapid development a standout achievement.
🤖🦟 5. Andhra Pradesh Deploys AI-Based SMoSS to Tackle Mosquito Menace
To combat rising mosquito-borne diseases, Andhra Pradesh has deployed the Smart Mosquito Surveillance System (SMoSS) powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
🔹 SMoSS uses smart traps, real-time data analytics, and AI to monitor mosquito density and predict outbreaks.
🔹 It helps authorities optimize fogging and preventive actions while minimizing chemical use.
🔹 Context: India faces 1.5–2 million cases of dengue and malaria annually. Integrating AI into public health is a step toward smart governance and urban hygiene innovation.
🛰️📡 6. Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Communicates with Earth via Ham Radio
Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, aboard the Axiom-4 space mission, recently contacted school students on Earth using ham radio communication.
🔹 This outreach was part of the ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) program, which promotes STEM education.
🔹 Fun Fact: Ham radio was also used by Sunita Williams and Kalpana Chawla for Earth communication during their missions.
🔹 Shukla, selected under India's Gaganyaan human spaceflight program, is training with international space agencies and expected to be a key figure in India’s space ambitions by 2026.
