News In Short-8-05-2025

India’s Past Military Operations Against Pakistan

Syllabus :GS 2/IR

In News

• Operation Sindoor marks a shift in India’s approach to naming military actions, moving from traditional displays of power to a more emotional tribute.
  • Unlike earlier operations with conventional or mythological names like Riddle, Meghdoot, and Bandar, this name reflects a more human-centric narrative.

Operation Riddle (1965 Indo-Pak War)

• It was the Indian military’s response to the offensive launched by Pakistan under the code names of Operation Gibraltar and Grand Slam in 1965.
• As Pakistan violated the Line of Control (LoC) and entered Jammu and Kashmir, India launched this operation, targeting Lahore and Kasur on September 6, 1965.
  • The operation had a crippling effect on the Pakistan military.

Operation Ablaze (1965 Indo-Pak War)

• It was India’s pre-emptive military mobilisation in April 1965, launched in response to escalating tensions with Pakistan, especially in the Rann of Kutch.
• Though it didn’t lead to immediate combat, it showcased India’s readiness and set the stage for the later conflict.
• Along with Operation Riddle, these actions successfully countered Pakistan’s offensives and culminated in the Tashkent Agreement, brokered by the Soviet Union.

Operation Cactus Lily (1971 Indo-Pak War)

• It is also known as The Meghna Heli Bridge or the Crossing of the Meghna.
• It was an air assault operation conducted in December 1971 during the Bangladesh Liberation War.
• It was conducted by the Indian Army and Indian Air Force to cross the Meghna River, bypass a Pakistani stronghold at Ashuganj/Bhairab Bazar and reach Dhaka.

Operations Trident and Python (1971 Indo-Pak War)

• Both were offensive operations launched by the Indian Navy on Pakistan’s port city of Karachi during the Indo-Pak War of 1971. 
• Operation Trident saw the first use of anti-ship missiles in combat in the region.
• The operation was conducted on the night of December 4-5, 1971 and inflicted heavy damage on Pakistani vessels and facilities.
  •  Pakistan lost and Bangladesh was created.

Operation Meghdoot (Siachen conflict)

• It was launched in April 1984 and it  was India’s preemptive military action to counter Pakistan’s growing presence and claims in the Siachen region. 
• With intelligence of an impending Pakistani move, India deployed troops and supplies to key heights on the glacier using the IAF and helicopters.
  • By the time Pakistan responded, Indian forces had secured vital peaks and passes, giving India a significant tactical advantage in the region.

Operation Vijay (1999 Kargil conflict)

• It was the codename for the Indian military operation launched in May 1999 to reclaim areas occupied by Pakistani forces during the Kargil War.
  • The operation successfully forced Pakistani troops to withdraw and recapture critical positions, leading to India’s victory.

Operation Safed Sagar (1999 Kargil conflict)

• Operation Safed Sagar was the codename for the Indian Air Force’s role in the 1999 Kargil War. 
• It involved a series of airstrikes to flush out Pakistani troops from Indian positions in the Kargil sector along the Line of Control.
  •  This was the first large-scale use of air power in the region since the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War.
  • India successfully regained all strategic heights in Kargil.

Unnamed operation (2016 surgical strikes)

• It was conducted by Indian special forces in response to the Uri attack, and was not given any specific name other than surgical strikes.
  • It targeted terrorist launch pads across the LoC in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
  • It marked a shift toward proactive counter-terror operations.

Operation Bandar (2019 Balakot air strikes)

• It was India’s response to the February 2019 Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel.
  • Under this operation, the Indian Air Force conducted air strikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Balakot, Pakistan, marking the first cross-LoC air strike since 1971. 
  • The operation led to brief aerial skirmishes between India and Pakistan.

Source :IE

Quad concludes Indo-Pacific Logistics Network simulation 

Syllabus :GS 2/IR

In News

• The Quad countries held a Tabletop Exercise at the Asia-Pacific Centre for Security Studies in Honolulu, Hawaii to advance the launch of the Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network (IPLN).

Indo-Pacific Logistics Network (IPLN)

• IPLN is an initiative that enables Quad partners to leverage shared logistics capabilities in the Indo-Pacific to support civilian response to natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently across the region.
• It reflects the Quad’s commitment to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific and highlights the value of strengthening practical cooperation to address regional challenges.

Quad

• It comprises India, Japan, Australia, and the United States and it was initially formed after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami to coordinate disaster relief.
• It was formalised in 2007 by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe 
• The group struggled early on due to internal divisions and perceptions of it being an anti-China bloc.
  • It dissolved but was revived in 2017 in response to China’s growing regional influence, with an expanded focus beyond maritime security.
• The Quad held its first virtual summit in March 2021, followed by its first in-person meeting in Washington, D.C.

Objectives 

• The Quad’s main objectives include ensuring maritime security, tackling climate change, fostering regional investment, and promoting technological innovation.
• It aims to work for a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

Source :Air 

Kartarpur Corridor

Syllabus: GS2/IR

Context

• Kartarpur Corridor, the only open surface link from India to Pakistan, was closed after Operation Sindoor.

Agreement to operate the Kartarpur Corridor

• The agreement was signed in 2019 and was operationalised for the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus.
• It provides for visa-free travel of Indian pilgrims, as well as Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders, from India on a daily basis, throughout the year, however, all pilgrims are required to return the same day.

What is the Kartarpur Corridor?

• It serves as a visa-free border crossing and religious corridor, linking the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Pakistan to Gurdwara Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab.
• The Indian part of the corridor involves a 4.1-km-long, four-lane highway from Dera Baba Nanak to the international border.
• Pakistani Sikhs cannot visit Dera Baba Nanak in India without first obtaining an Indian visa.

Source: TH

Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences revives two rare Ayurvedic manuscripts

Syllabus: GS2/Health

Context

• The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) has revived two rare and significant Ayurvedic manuscripts—Dravyaratnākara Nighaṇṭu and Dravyanamākara Nighaṇṭu.

About

• The manuscripts were critically edited and translated by renowned manuscriptologist, Dr. Sadanand D. Kamat.
  • These are expected to serve as invaluable resources for students, researchers, academicians, and Ayurveda practitioners.
• Dravyaratnākara Nighaṇṭu: Authored by Mudgala Paṇḍita in 1480 AD, it consists of eighteen chapters offering in-depth knowledge on drug synonyms, therapeutic actions, and medicinal properties.
  • It draws from classical Nighaṇṭus like Dhanvantari and Raja Nighaṇṭu while documenting numerous novel medicinal substances from plant, mineral, and animal origins. 
• Dravyanamākara Nighaṇṭu: Attributed to Bhisma Vaidya, this work serves as a standalone appendix to the Dhanvantari Nighaṇṭu, focusing exclusively on homonyms of drug and plant names.
  • It compasses 182 verses and two colophon verses.

The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS)

• It is an autonomous body of the Department of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. 
• Functions: Its functions include formulating research strategies, conducting research programs, supporting research institutions, and facilitating knowledge exchange.

Source: PIB

Gut Microbiota

Syllabus: GS3/ S&T, GS2/ Health

In News

• A recent study highlights how climate change-induced food insecurity may disrupt human gut microbiota, with wide-ranging health consequences.

Key Highlight

• Impact on Food Yield and Quality: Elevated CO₂ concentrations reduce essential nutrients such as iron, zinc, protein, and potassium in major crops like wheat, maize, and rice.
• Food Insecurity and Poor Diets: In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where dietary diversity is already limited, climate-induced food scarcity exacerbates undernourishment, reducing the diversity of gut microbes and increasing vulnerability to infections and chronic diseases.
• Heatwaves and Enteric Infections: Higher ambient temperatures are associated with foodborne and waterborne illnesses. These not only cause immediate gastrointestinal distress but also alter long-term microbial compositions in the gut.

Who is Most at Risk?

• Indigenous Communities: These groups, often reliant on local food systems, tend to have more diverse gut microbiota. However, their dependence on natural ecosystems makes them disproportionately vulnerable to climate-induced changes.
• Urban Poor in LMICs: Exposure to high pollution, poor sanitation, and low diet quality creates a compounded risk of gut dysbiosis.

What is Gut Microbiota and Why Does It Matter?

• The human gut houses over 100 trillion microbes, including bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses. This vast microbial ecosystem—referred to as the gut microbiota—plays a pivotal role in the human biological system. 
• Disruptions in the microbial balance (known as dysbiosis) and can lead to various health issues. 

Source: TH

Ultrasound-Activated Piezoelectric Nanostickers

Syllabus: GS3/ Science and Technology

Context

• Researchers have developed ultrasound-activated piezoelectric nanostickers to boost stem cell regeneration, offering a promising non-invasive treatment to Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

What is Piezoelectricity?

• Piezoelectric Effect is the ability of certain materials to generate an electric charge in response to applied mechanical stress.
• History: Piezoelectricity was discovered in 1880 by Pierre and Paul-Jacques Curie, who found that when they compressed certain types of crystals including quartz, tourmaline, and Rochelle salt, along certain axes, a voltage was produced on the surface of the crystal.

 Piezoelectric Principle 

• Principle: The piezoelectric effect arises from certain materials with asymmetric crystal structures. 
  • Under mechanical stress, this asymmetry causes a shift in electric charge distribution, producing a small electric current.
• Some materials also exhibit the inverse piezoelectric effect, where applying an electric current leads to mechanical deformation.

What are Piezoelectric Nanostickers?

• Piezoelectric nanostickers are tiny, hybrid materials made of barium titanate and reduced graphene oxide (BTO/rGO) that attach to the surface of neural stem cells. 
• When stimulated by ultrasound, they generate electrical signals that accelerate the cells’ growth and transformation into neurons.

Other Applications of piezoelectric materials

• Both direct and inverse piezoelectric materials are used in pressure sensors, accelerometers, and acoustic devices – where their ability to convert mechanical signals into electrical signals is crucial. 
• The material is also used in devices such as microphones, phonograph pickups, and wave filters in telephone-communications systems.

What is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)? – TBI is caused by an external mechanical force leading to brain dysfunction, commonly resulting from a blow or jolt to the head.  – It can cause symptoms ranging from mild headaches to severe cognitive impairment or death.  – Long-term treatment is hindered by the brain’s inability to regenerate lost neurons effectively.

Source: NATURE

IMDEX Asia 2025

Syllabus: GS3/Defence

Context

• Indian Naval Ship INS Kiltan arrived in Singapore to participate in IMDEX Asia 2025 at the Changi Exhibition Centre.

About

• It is Asia Pacific’s premier naval and maritime defence exhibition, held in Singapore and was established in 1997. 
• It is a biennial event that brings together naval leaders, maritime defence companies, and technology innovators from around the world.
• The 2025 edition features over 230 exhibitors from 25 countries and welcomes more than 12,000 attendees from 70 nations.

Source: PIB

World Red Cross Day

Syllabus: Miscellaneous

Context

• World Red Cross Day — also known as Red Crescent Day — is observed every year on 8 May, a tradition that began in 1948.

About

• The day marks the birth anniversary of Henry Dunant (1828–1910), the founder of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and the first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
• Dunant was profoundly influenced by the horrors he witnessed at the Battle of Solferino in 1859 between France and Austria, where he assisted 40,000 wounded alongside local residents.
• Founded in 1863, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has grown into the largest humanitarian network in the world — present in 191 countries and supported by more than 16 million volunteers.
• The theme for this year is “Keeping Humanity Alive “ – a call to celebrate those who give their time, and sometimes their lives, to ease the suffering of others and protect their inherent human dignity. 

Source: AIR

UN Vesak Day

Syllabus :Miscellaneous

In News

• During the UN Day of Vesak 2025 celebrations in Vietnam, an MoU was signed between the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) and the National Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) to deepen cooperation and promote shared Buddhist values of compassion, wisdom, and peace. 

UN Vesak Day

• It is observed on the full moon in May and it is the most sacred day for Buddhists.
• It was on the Day of Vesak two and a half millennia ago, in the year 623 B.C., that the Buddha was born.
  • It was also on the Day of Vesak that the Buddha attained enlightenment
  • It was on the Day of Vesak that the Buddha in his eightieth year passed away.
• It was recognized by the UN General Assembly in 1999.
• It is celebrated annually at UN Headquarters and offices worldwide

Importance 

•  The day reflects the Buddha’s teachings of compassion, peace, and service to humanity. 
• It honors Buddhism’s enduring contributions to global spirituality. 

Source :PIB