{"id":79585,"date":"2026-07-18T18:07:32","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T12:37:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=79585"},"modified":"2026-07-18T18:12:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T12:42:33","slug":"news-in-short-18-07-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/18-07-2026\/news-in-short-18-07-2026","title":{"rendered":"News In Short 18-07-2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Falkland Islands<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/Geography; GS2\/IR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Argentina&#8217;s post-match celebration after defeating England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final sparked controversy after players displayed a banner claiming the Falkland Islands as Argentine territory.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The banner revived a nearly 200-year-old sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Falkland Islands<\/strong>, known as <strong>Islas Malvinas<\/strong> in Argentina, have remained disputed since Britain reasserted control over the islands in <strong>1833<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Argentina claims it inherited the sovereignty of these islands from <strong>Spain<\/strong> upon gaining independence in <strong>1816<\/strong>, and therefore regards Britain\u2019s occupation as illegal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In 1982, the two countries fought a 74-day war that resulted in 649 Argentine casualties and 255 British deaths.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In <strong>2013<\/strong>, an overwhelming majority of the islanders voted to remain a <strong>British Overseas Territory<\/strong>, a result Argentina does not recognise.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"bfccd8\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"976\" height=\"549\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-182.png\" alt=\"falkland islands\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-79587\" style=\"--dominant-color: #bfccd8; width:536px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-182.png 976w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-182-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-182-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 976px) 100vw, 976px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-sports\/argentina-falklands-banner-fifa-world-cup-controversy-10789467\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Manasbal Lake<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/Places in News<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Manasbal Lake<\/strong> is on the path of ecological recovery with the <strong>return of migratory birds.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is the country&#8217;s <strong>deepest freshwater lake<\/strong> in <strong>central Kashmir\u2019s<\/strong> Ganderbal district.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The name Manasbal is said to be a <strong>derivative of Lake Manasarovar.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Mughal garden, called the<strong> Jaroka built by Nur Jahan overlooks the lake.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The<strong> Mansbal lake was home to more than 46 species<\/strong> of birds belonging to 23 families, including Mallard, White Headed Duck, Eurasian Hoopoe, Eurasian Collared Dove, Lesser Pied Kingfisher, Golden Eagle, Grey Backed Shrike, Tickell\u2019s Thrush etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is classified as a warm<strong> monomictic lake <\/strong>and circulates once in a year for a short time.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A warm monomictic lake is a waterbody<strong> that never freezes,<\/strong> remaining thermally stratified for most of the year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>An outlet channel connects the lake with the Jhelum River. <\/strong>The outflow of water is regulated artificially.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: TH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/ Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>China formally launched the <strong>World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO)<\/strong> in Shanghai, at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About WAICO<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is an <strong>intergovernmental body for AI cooperation<\/strong>, capacity building, and shared governance standards among developing nations, headquartered permanently in Shanghai.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It&#8217;s the first standing institution of its kind aimed squarely at the Global South.\u00a0 It has<strong> representatives from 29 countries.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>China will provide 5,000 AI training opportunities and establish joint AI cooperation centres with ASEAN, African Union, BRICS, SCO, League of Arab States, and CELAC.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It will promote <strong>open-source AI models, technology sharing, and collaborative AI development.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The nations aligning with WAICO&#8217;s framework won&#8217;t need AI regulations compatible with the EU AI Act, OECD AI Principles, or G7 Hiroshima Process.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ibtimes.sg\/xi-unveils-waico-china-builds-29-nation-ai-alliance-shape-global-rules-provide-affordable-models-89952\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why it matters?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The platform will strengthen China\u2019s influence in global AI governance with the Global South.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It&#8217;s the first real institutional rival to Western-led AI governance (OECD, EU AI Act, G7 Hiroshima Process) built specifically around Global South membership.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: India Today<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Investment Friendliness Index (IFI)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>NITI Aayog has released the report titled <strong>&#8220;Investment Friendliness Index (IFI)&#8221;.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It presents a <strong>structured and data-driven framework<\/strong> for assessing how effectively States and Union Territories <strong>create, enable, and sustain an environment conducive to investments.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It\u00a0 <strong>evaluates investment attractiveness across the following eight pillars: <\/strong>Infrastructure, Business climate, Resources, Government policy, Regulatory Ease, Institutional Environment, Financial Health; and Environmental Resilience.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The framework comprises 84 indicators, <\/strong>incorporating both secondary data and perception-based measures derived from a primary survey of investors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>State Categorisation: <\/strong>States and Union Territories have been classified into <strong>four performance categories:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Top Performers (scores above 50).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Frontrunners (45\u201350).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Emerging Performers (\u226540 \u2013 &lt;45).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aspiring States (below 40).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e1d9e4\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"654\" height=\"298\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-181.png\" alt=\"IFI\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-79586\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e1d9e4; width:580px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-181.png 654w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-181-300x137.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 654px) 100vw, 654px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Among the Large States, Gujarat <\/strong>secured the first rank, followed by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, which are also the top three performers in the overall Index.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>In the Hilly and North-Eastern States category, Uttarakhand <\/strong>emerged as the highest-ranked State, followed by Assam and Himachal Pradesh.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Among the City States and Union Territories, Goa <\/strong>secured the top position, followed by Delhi and Chandigarh.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/gujarat\/gujarat-tops-niti-aayogs-first-investment-friendliness-index-2026-among-major-states\/article71237350.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>National Commission for Minorities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/ Polity&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Union government appointed <strong>Harjit Singh Grewal<\/strong> as the Chairperson of the <strong>National Commission for Minorities (NCM).<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>National Commission for Minorities (NCM)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Union Government set up the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) under the<strong> National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The first Statutory National Commission was set up in <strong>1993.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Initially five religious communities, viz., <strong>Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Zoroastrians (Parsis)<\/strong> were notified as minority communities by the Union Government.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>In 2014, Jains<\/strong> were also notified as another minority community.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>As per Section 3(2) of the NCM Act 1992,<\/strong> the Commission consists of: A Chairperson, a Vice- Chairperson, and Five Members.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Total of 7 persons <\/strong>to be nominated by the Central Government from amongst persons of eminence, ability and integrity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Each Member holds office for a <strong>period of three years<\/strong> from the date of assumption of office.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Objective: <\/strong>The organisation is set-up to safeguard and protect the interests of minorities as provided in the Constitution of India and laws enacted by the Parliament and the State Legislatures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Functions of NCM<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Making recommendations <\/strong>for the effective implementation of safeguards for the protection of the interests of minorities by the Central Government or the State Governments;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Looking into specific complaints <\/strong>regarding deprivation of rights and safeguards of minorities and taking up such matters with the appropriate authorities;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Getting studies<\/strong> to be undertaken into the problems arising out of any <strong>discrimination against minorities<\/strong> and recommending measures for their removal;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Making periodical or special reports<\/strong> to the Central Government or any matter pertaining to minorities and in particular the difficulties confronted by them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/harjit-singh-grewal-appointed-national-commission-for-minorities-chief\/article71234707.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>ICMR i-DRONE Initiative<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Health&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recently, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) under its <strong>i-DRONE initiative <\/strong>has successfully demonstrated the use of drone-assisted transport of TB sputum samples to improve access to tuberculosis diagnosis in remote areas.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>i-DRONE initiative<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>ICMR\u2019s Drone Response and Outreach for North East (i-DRONE) was launched in 2021.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It aimed to evaluate the use of drones to deliver vaccines and medical supplies to remote areas of Manipur and Nagaland.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The i-DRONE project developed a hub and spoke drone network to connect 60 sub-centres, 11 primary health centres and four TB units in Telangana to transport sputum samples for TB diagnosis.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Outcomes<\/strong>:\u00a0 The median time to diagnosis was reduced from 15 days to 5 days.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Average out of pocket expenditure (OOPE) dropped from \u20b99,451 to about \u20b991 with a large number of patients having zero travel costs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Source :<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2285227&amp;reg=48&amp;lang=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PIB<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>India Becomes 3rd Country With Private Launch Capability<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Science and Technology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Skyroot Aerospace&#8217;s<strong> Vikram-1 Test Flight-1<\/strong> has successfully reached orbit, officially establishing India as only the third country in the world with private orbital launch capability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is Vikram-1?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Vikram-1 under <strong>Mission Aagaman<\/strong>, is a<strong> four-stage orbital launch vehicle<\/strong> developed by Skyroot Aerospace, an Indian space-tech start-up.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>first three stages are solid-fuelled<\/strong>, providing robust initial thrust, while a <strong>hypergolic liquid upper stage<\/strong> allows for precise orbital manoeuvres.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is built with an <strong>all-carbon composite structure,<\/strong> reliable solid-fuel boosters and a 3D-printed liquid engine.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is India&#8217;s first privately developed <strong>orbital-class rocket<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vikram-I can deploy up to <strong>350 kg into low Earth orbit (LEO)<\/strong> and <strong>260 kg<\/strong> into a <strong>sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Payloads deployed on Vikram-1<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Payloads celebrating creativity and India\u2019s scientific heritage:\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cosmic Bloom<\/strong>, developed by Cosmos Diamonds, featuring a diamond jewellery creation mounted on an aluminium base plate.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Microart: <\/strong>An 18K gold rocket holding micro-sculptures of Sir C.V. Raman, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, and Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam \u2014 each smaller than a grain of rice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Technology Demonstration Payloads:\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Robotic Arms by Cosmoserve<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>SOLARAS by Grahaa Space<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>SCOPE by Skyroot Aerospace<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>One international payload \u2014 uD3PP and mD3RN \u2014 developed by Dcubed GmbH, Germany.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2286011&amp;reg=48&amp;lang=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>PIB<\/strong><\/a><strong>, <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indiatoday.in\/science\/story\/vikram-1-rocket-launch-live-updates-skyroot-aerospace-sriharikota-india-private-orbital-class-rocket-2950084-2026-07-17\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>White Rabbit Technology Based Network Demonstration<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Science &amp; Technology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Union Minister Pralhad Joshi inaugurated the <strong>White Rabbit Technology-based Indian Standard Time (IST) Distribution Demonstration Network<\/strong> at the<strong> <\/strong>Regional Reference Standards Laboratory (RRSL), Jakkur, Bengaluru, under the <strong>&#8220;One Nation, One Time&#8221; <\/strong>initiative.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is the &#8220;One Nation, One Time&#8221; Initiative?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The One Nation, One Time initiative aims to establish a<strong> single, accurate, secure, and indigenous source of Indian Standard Time (IST)<\/strong> for all sectors across the country.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It seeks to provide <strong>uniform and traceable time synchronization<\/strong> to critical infrastructure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It reduces India&#8217;s dependence on foreign <strong>Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) <\/strong>such as GPS for time dissemination.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is White Rabbit Technology?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>White Rabbit (WR) is an <strong>Ethernet-based precision time synchronization technology<\/strong> that combines:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Precision Time Protocol<\/strong> (PTP &#8211; IEEE 1588) for clock synchronization.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Synchronous Ethernet<\/strong> (SyncE) for frequency synchronization.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Optical fiber communication<\/strong> for ultra-low latency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Key Features:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Synchronization accuracy<\/strong> of less than <strong>one nanosecond (sub-nanosecond precision).<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>High reliability<\/strong> over long-distance <strong>fibre-optic networks.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Open-source technology<\/strong> originally developed at CERN for particle physics experiments and now adapted for industrial and national timing applications.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How Does the Indian IST Distribution Network Work?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>National Physical Laboratory (NPL)<\/strong> maintains India&#8217;s official atomic clocks and generates the official Indian Standard Time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>IST is transmitted through a secure <strong>White Rabbit fibre-optic network.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Time reaches regional laboratories and critical institutions with extremely high precision.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Banks, stock exchanges, telecom operators, power grids, defence systems, and data centres synchronize their clocks with the official IST.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2285508&amp;reg=48&amp;lang=2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>PIB<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>ASW Shallow Water Craft Malvan<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Defence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Indian Navy is set to commission Malvan, the second of the Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Built by <strong>Cochin Shipyard Limited<\/strong> in Kochi, Malvan has more than <strong>80 per cent<\/strong> indigenous content, reflecting India\u2019s growing self-reliance in warship design, construction and systems integration under the <strong>Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Mahe-class ASW Shallow Water Craft <\/strong>are designed to operate effectively in coastal and shallow waters, enhancing the Navy\u2019s anti-submarine warfare capabilities.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Mahe-class ASW-SWC vessels are being inducted to replace the ageing <strong>Abhay-class corvettes<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Features: <\/strong>It has a twin-shaft diesel propulsion generating over 6 MW of power and this gives it a top speed of <strong>25 knots,<\/strong> a range of <strong>1,800 nautical miles<\/strong> at 14 knots, and an endurance of 14 days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"5180b3\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-183-1024x540.png\" alt=\"asw shallow water craft malvan\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-79588\" style=\"--dominant-color: #5180b3; width:477px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-183-1024x540.png 1024w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-183-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-183-768x405.png 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-183.png 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2285439&amp;reg=48&amp;lang=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>PIB<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Argentina&#8217;s post-match celebration after defeating England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final sparked controversy after players displayed a banner claiming the Falkland Islands as Argentine territory. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> About <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The banner revived a nearly 200-year-old sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The Falkland Islands, known as Islas Malvinas in Argentina, have remained disputed since Britain reasserted control over the islands in 1833.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/18-07-2026\/news-in-short-18-07-2026 \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-79585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79585"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79585\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79596,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79585\/revisions\/79596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79585"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79585"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}