‘Jal-Thal-Raksha 2025’

The Indian Army in collaboration with the Indian Coast Guard and Marine Police conducted a large-scale military exercise ‘Jal-Thal-Raksha 2025’ at Bet Dwarka in Gujarat. The aim of the exercise was to strengthen island security, prevent illegal encroachment and enhance coordination among various security agencies. The drill was inspected by several government agencies, testing the preparedness to deal with potential security threats.

Participants

11 Ahmedabad and 31 Jamnagar units of the Indian Army.

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Marine Police.

Devbhoomi Dwarka District Administration, Forest Department, Maritime Board, Gujarat Energy Department, and NSG.

Key Activities and Significance

Joint security exercise involving hovercraft landing and protection of critical infrastructure.

Exercise response to land-based threats and possible scenarios of terrorist attacks.

Strengthens coordination among various departments during times of crisis.

Strengthens India’s coastal defence capabilities.

Improves inter-service coordination for emergency response.

Enhances preparedness for the security of critical maritime areas.

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What is the SWAYATT initiative?

Start-ups, Women and Youth Advantage through e-Transactions (SWAYATT) Initiative

It was launched in the year 2019 in order to enhance market access of women entrepreneurs, youth, startups, micro and small enterprises (MSEs) and self-help groups (SHGs). (SWAYATT) initiative celebrated its sixth anniversary.

It focuses on promoting seller inclusion through training, registration and capacity building to leverage GeM in order to gain market access and growth.

Achievements:

There has been a significant increase in women-led enterprises and startups, from 6,300 women-led MSEs and 3,400 startups at the time of its launch to 1,77,786 MSEs.

Women-led businesses now account for 8% of GeM's seller base.

It has received orders worth Rs 35,950 crore from startups.

It aims to onboard 1 lakh DPIIT-registered startups along with doubling the number of women entrepreneurs and increasing their procurement share (currently 3.78%).

MoU signed between GeM and FICCI Mahila Sangathan (FICCI-FLO) to train and onboard over 9,500 women entrepreneurs, ensure direct market linkages and promote inclusive growth.

"Startup Runway" and "Womaniya" storefronts have been incorporated to ensure wider visibility of startups, women entrepreneurs and youth among government buyers.

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What is Government e-Marketplace (GeM)?

GeM is a public procurement portal for procurement of goods and services by Central and State Governments, Public Sector Undertakings and allied entities.

It serves as the national procurement portal of India.

It was set up in 2016 under the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D) of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry with technical support from National e-Governance Division (MeitY).

It is a paperless, cashless and system-driven platform that minimizes human intervention in public procurement.

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WASP-121b (Tylos) Exoplanet

It is a giant gaseous exoplanet discovered in 2016 orbiting the yellowish-white F-type star WASP-121.

It is 1.87 times the size of Jupiter and 1.18 times the mass.

It is an ultra-hot Jupiter (a gaseous body that orbits very close to its host star) with an orbital period of 30 Earth hours.

Astronomers have used the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) to 3D map the atmosphere of WASP-121b (Tylos), an exoplanet located 900 light-years away, revealing its complex weather patterns and chemical composition.

Conclusion:

• WASP-121b has extreme temperature contrasts due to tidal locking, with one hemisphere being extremely hot and the other extremely cold, driving a dynamic atmospheric pattern.
• Powerful jet streams and high-speed winds create distinctive atmospheric flows.
• Its atmosphere consists of iron, sodium, hydrogen and titanium, with 3 distinct layers: iron-rich winds at the base, strong sodium-rich jet streams in the middle and hydrogen-rich winds at the top, shaping its unique climate.

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