In News:

• Recently, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) released the first National Highways Green Cover Index (NH-GCI), a scientific framework to assess and monitor vegetation cover along India’s national highways.
• The index has been developed in collaboration with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), a centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• The initiative represents a significant step toward environmentally sustainable highway development, enabling data-driven monitoring of plantations and greenery along highway corridors.

About the NH-GCI

• The National Highways Green Cover Index is a satellite-based assessment tool that measures the extent of vegetation along the Right of Way (RoW) of national highways.
• Objective: To provide a scientific and quantitative evaluation of green cover along the national highway network using advanced space-based technologies.
• Coverage:
  • The first assessment covers around 30,000 km of National Highways across 24 states for the period July–December 2024.
  • The index evaluates vegetation present along the left and right sides of highways as well as the median, wherever plantation is feasible.
• Methodology: The NH-GCI uses advanced remote-sensing techniques to estimate vegetation density and distribution.
  • Satellite Data: High-resolution satellite sensors are used to detect chlorophyll content in vegetation.
  • NDVI Analysis: The assessment relies on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) derived from satellite imagery. NDVI measures vegetation health and density based on the reflection of light from plant chlorophyll.
  • Segment-wise Assessment: Analysis is carried out for every 1-km segment of national highways, allowing precise monitoring of green cover across the network.

Through this methodology, the index provides consistent and objective measurements of vegetation along highway corridors.

In News:

• Recently, the Forest Survey of India (FSI) discontinued the AI-based Anavaran Deforestation Alert System, which had been issuing fortnightly alerts to states on forest cover loss.
• The portal has not been updated since November 2025, and state forest departments reportedly stopped receiving alerts thereafter. The system had been functioning as a pilot project, and its continuation is currently under review.
• The halt of the alert system has raised concerns among forest officials and environmental experts as it was considered an important near-real-time monitoring tool for detecting deforestation and guiding field inspections.

About the Anavaran Portal

• The Anavaran Deforestation Alert System was launched in January 2024 to strengthen forest monitoring in India through advanced geospatial technology and artificial intelligence. It aimed to provide location-specific alerts on forest cover loss every 15 days, enabling state forest departments to conduct targeted ground verification and enforcement actions.
• During its operational period from January 2024 to October 2025, the system generated 12,351 deforestation alerts, averaging about 561 alerts per month, which increased to over 1,000 alerts per month during the peak deforestation season between November and March.
• The alerts helped authorities detect potential activities such as illegal logging, encroachment, and land-use change in forest areas, enabling quicker administrative responses.

Technology Used in the System

The Anavaran system relied on advanced remote sensing and data-processing tools to monitor forest cover changes.

• Google Earth Engine (GEE): The portal was developed on the cloud-based geospatial platform Google Earth Engine, which enables large-scale processing of satellite imagery.
• Sentinel-2 Satellite Data: High-resolution optical images from the Sentinel-2 satellites were used to detect vegetation loss and land-cover changes.
• Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR): Radar data from Sentinel-1 satellites was integrated to monitor forests even during cloudy and monsoon conditions, when optical satellite imagery becomes less effective.

Through machine-learning algorithms, the system analysed these datasets to identify potential forest cover changes and automatically generate alerts for authorities.

Forest Survey of India (FSI)

The Forest Survey of India is the premier national organization responsible for monitoring forest resources in the country. It functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

• Established: 1 June 1981
• Predecessor: Pre-investment Survey of Forest Resources (PISFR), a project initiated in 1965 with support from the FAO and UNDP.
• Mandate: Assessment and monitoring of forest resources, research, training, and technical support to states.
• Key Publication: The India State of Forest Report (ISFR), published biennially since 1987, which assesses forest and tree resources using remote sensing data and the National Forest Inventory (NFI).

According to the latest ISFR assessment, India’s forest and tree cover stands at about 8,27,357 sq km (25.17% of the geographical area).

In News:

The European Space Agency (ESA) recently lost communication with the Coronagraph spacecraft, one of the two satellites of the Proba?3 Mission, following an anomaly that triggered a power failure and pushed the spacecraft into a protective “survival mode.” The incident occurred after the spacecraft experienced an unexpected drop in solar power, temporarily halting operations and causing the loss of telemetry signals. Engineers are attempting to re-establish contact and recover the satellite.

About the Proba-3 Mission

• Proba-3 is an advanced solar-observation mission launched in December 2024 by ESA aboard PSLV?C59 developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation.
• It is considered the world’s first precision formation-flying mission, designed to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona, with unprecedented clarity.

Objective

The primary objective of the mission is to create an artificial solar eclipse in space. By blocking the Sun’s bright disk, scientists can directly observe the faint corona for extended durations—something that is otherwise possible only for a few minutes during natural total solar eclipses.

Key Features of the Mission

1. Twin-Spacecraft Configuration: The mission consists of two independent satellites working in coordination:

• Occulter spacecraft – carries a disk that blocks sunlight.
• Coronagraph spacecraft – carries the telescope and camera to observe the corona.

2. Precision Formation Flying: The two satellites maintain a distance of about 150 metres with millimetre-level accuracy, effectively functioning as a single large virtual instrument in space.

3. Artificial Eclipse Mechanism: The Occulter blocks the Sun’s bright disk and casts a precise shadow onto the Coronagraph’s optical instrument, replicating the conditions of a total solar eclipse in space.

4. Autonomous Coordination: The satellites rely on laser sensors, cameras, and cold-gas thrusters to autonomously adjust their relative positions without continuous ground control intervention.

5. Continuous Solar Observations: Before the anomaly occurred, the mission had successfully completed over 60 orbital cycles, producing hours of uninterrupted solar observations—far longer than ground-based eclipse observations.

In News:

An Indian Armed Forces contingent has arrived in Seychelles to participate in the 11th edition of the Joint Military Exercise Lamitiye-2026. The exercise reflects the growing strategic and defence cooperation between India and Seychelles, particularly in the context of maritime security and stability in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

About Seychelles

• Seychelles is an archipelago of about 115 islands located in the western Indian Ocean. Due to its strategic location along major sea lanes, the country plays an important role in regional maritime security, anti-piracy operations, and surveillance in the Indian Ocean.

About Exercise Lamitiye

Exercise Lamitiye is a biennial joint military training exercise conducted between India and Seychelles since 2001.

• The term “Lamitiye” means “Friendship” in the Creole language, symbolising the close bilateral relationship between the two nations.
• Host Country: Seychelles
• Participants: Armed Forces of India and Seychelles

The exercise focuses on strengthening operational coordination, tactical capabilities, and defence collaboration.

Objectives of the Exercise

The primary aims of Exercise Lamitiye include:

• Enhancing interoperability and coordination between Indian and Seychellois forces.
• Improving joint operational capabilities during peacekeeping missions.
• Strengthening preparedness to handle sub-conventional threats in semi-urban environments.
• Promoting defence cooperation and mutual understanding between the two countries.

Key Features

• Tri-Service Participation: Involves personnel from the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, highlighting integrated joint operations.
• Tactical Training Activities: Includes field exercises, combat discussions, demonstrations, and case studies.
• Focus on Semi-Urban Warfare: Troops train to respond to sub-conventional threats in semi-urban and coastal environments.
• Technology Demonstration: Provides opportunities to showcase modern military equipment and emerging defence technologies.
• Validation Phase: The exercise concludes with a two-day validation drill to test the operational readiness of participating forces.
• Capacity Building: Facilitates exchange of best practices, tactical skills, and operational experiences.

In News:

Recent reports indicate that Iran struck a radar associated with the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system used by the United States and Israel in West Asia. The incident highlights the strategic importance of advanced missile defence systems in regions experiencing heightened geopolitical tensions.

About the THAAD System

THAAD is an advanced ballistic missile defence system developed by the United States to intercept and destroy short-, medium-, and limited intermediate-range ballistic missiles. It forms a critical component of the U.S. layered missile defence architecture.

The system is designed to neutralise incoming ballistic missiles during the terminal phase of their trajectory, which is the final stage of a missile’s flight before it reaches its target.

Key Features

• High-Altitude Interception
  • THAAD can intercept ballistic missiles at ranges of around 150–200 km.
  • It is capable of destroying targets both inside and outside the Earth’s atmosphere, providing a high-altitude defensive shield.
• Terminal Phase Defence: The system targets missiles during their terminal descent, when the warhead approaches the target area.
• Hit-to-Kill Technology
  • THAAD interceptor missiles rely on kinetic energy to destroy targets through direct impact, rather than using explosive warheads.
  • This improves accuracy and reduces the risk of collateral damage.
• Integrated Radar and Command System: The system uses powerful radar and command-and-control networks to detect, track, and engage incoming missile threats.

Global Deployment

Several countries have adopted THAAD as part of their missile defence strategies.

• The United Arab Emirates became the first foreign buyer in 2011.
• Saudi Arabia later procured the system to strengthen its air and missile defence capabilities.

These deployments reflect increasing concerns in the region regarding ballistic missile threats.

India’s Missile Defence Choice

While evaluating missile defence options, India chose the S-400 Triumf from Russia instead of acquiring the THAAD system from the United States.

The S-400 provides multi-layered air defence capabilities, including interception of aircraft, drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles at longer ranges.