In News:

• India and the United States have commenced the fourth edition of their major tri-service military exercise ‘Tiger Triumph’ in the Bay of Bengal, beginning April 1, 2025.
• The two-week-long drill focuses on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and crisis response, marking a significant step in the growing strategic defence partnership between the two nations.

Key Objectives:

• Enhance interoperability between the Indian and U.S. armed forces for joint HADR operations.
• Formulate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for establishing a Combined Coordination Centre (CCC) for joint response during natural disasters and contingency operations.
• Conduct massive maritime and amphibious operations off the coast of Kakinada, following a harbour phase at Visakhapatnam.

Participating Forces and Assets:

India:

• Indian Navy:
  • Ships: INS Jalashwa, INS Gharial, INS Mumbai, and INS Shakti
  • Aircraft: P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft
  • Support: Integral helicopters and landing crafts
• Indian Army:
  • Troops from 91 Infantry Brigade
  • 12 Mechanised Infantry Battalion
• Indian Air Force (IAF):
  • Aircraft: C-130J ‘Super Hercules’
  • Helicopters: Mi-17
  • Rapid Action Medical Team (RAMT)

United States:

• U.S. Navy:
  • USS Comstock (amphibious warship)
  • USS Ralph Johnson (guided-missile destroyer)
• U.S. Marine Corps:
  • Marine division troops onboard naval vessels
  • Medical personnel to collaborate with Indian RAMT

Additional Activities:

• Establishment of a Joint Command and Control Centre at the Kakinada naval enclave by the Indian Army and U.S. Marines.
• Setting up of a Joint Medical Camp for humanitarian aid by IAF, Indian RAMT, and U.S. Navy medical teams.
• Training exchanges, sports events, and social interactions between personnel to foster mutual understanding and cooperation.

Strategic Significance:

Exercise Tiger Triumph is part of the broader India-U.S. defence cooperation, which includes:

• Army exercises:YudhAbhyas, Vajra Prahar
• Naval drills:Malabar Exercise (with Australia and Japan)

The growing frequency and complexity of such joint drills underline the strategic convergence between India and the U.S. in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in strengthening maritime security and disaster response mechanisms.

In News:

• Ranchi, Jharkhand, is poised to become the first district in the state to launch a comprehensive campaign for the screening and management of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), now redefined as Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).
• The initiative will be carried out under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD).
• The campaign will begin on April 19, marking World Liver Day, and aims to raise awareness and strengthen early detection and treatment of liver disorders in the population.

About NAFLD/MASLD:

• NAFLD refers to fat accumulation in the liver not caused by alcohol consumption.
• It includes two types:
  • Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver (NAFL) – mild form.
  • Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) – severe form, can progress to cirrhosis, liver failure, or cancer.
• It is increasingly prevalent in individuals with obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome.
• NAFLD is asymptomatic in early stages but can elevate the risk of cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and diabetes-related complications.
• Affects all age groups, including children.

Key Features of the Ranchi NAFLD Initiative:

• Two-phase Screening Drive:
  • Phase 1 (April–June): Focus on 30,000 high-risk individuals—those with obesity, diabetes, or hypertension.
  • Phase 2 (July–November): Screening expanded to all adults over 18 years in the district.
• Technical Support: Provided by the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), New Delhi.
• Mobile Screening Vans:
  • Each van costs approx. ?1 crore.
  • Equipped with FibroScan, an advanced, non-invasive liver diagnostic tool.
  • Services provided free of cost in both urban and rural areas.
• Capacity Building:
  • 30–40 district-level officers to be trained as master trainers.
  • Frontline healthcare workers will be trained to conduct screenings and data collection.
• Health System Strengthening:
  • Referral mechanisms to ensure patients receive specialised care.
  • Data tracking system to maintain records until integration with the national NCD portal.

Public Health Significance:

• As per the district's civil surgeon, 50% of OPD cases are liver-related.
• On average, 25 patients/day are diagnosed with liver disease; five require hospitalisation.
• Early detection through such initiatives can help prevent disease progression and mortality.

Treatment & Prevention of NAFLD:

• No specific drug currently exists for NAFLD.
• Weight loss remains the primary treatment—shown to reduce liver fat, inflammation, and fibrosis.
• Management of comorbidities like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes is also recommended.

In News:

A team of physicists in the United States has developed a novel method for remotely detecting radioactive substances using carbon dioxide (CO?) lasers. This advancement offers significant implications for national security, nuclear safety, and emergency response, where safe, long-distance detection is essential.

About CO? Lasers:

• Inventor: Prof. C.K.N. Patel, an Indian-American physicist.
• Laser Type: Four-level molecular gas laser.
• Active Medium: A gas mixture of CO?, nitrogen (N?), and helium (He).
• Wavelengths: 9.6 µm and 10.6 µm (Infrared region).
• Power Output: Can reach up to 10 kW, delivering continuous or pulsed beams.
• Mechanism: Operates through transitions between vibrational energy states of CO? molecules, facilitated by energy transfer from excited N? molecules.

Structure and Vibrational Modes of CO? Molecule:

• Composed of one carbon atom flanked by two oxygen atoms.
• Exhibits three vibrational modes:
  1. Symmetric Stretching – oxygen atoms move in tandem.
  2. Bending Mode – atoms move perpendicular to the axis.
  3. Asymmetric Stretching – oxygen and carbon atoms move in opposite directions.

Detection Principle: Avalanche Breakdown and Plasma Formation

• Radioactive decay emits charged particles (e.g., alpha particles) that ionize air, forming plasma.
• Seed electrons in this plasma gain energy via the CO? laser and initiate avalanche breakdown, causing further ionization.
• This chain reaction forms microplasmas, which produce optical backscatter detectable through sensors.

Key Experimental Insights:

• Laser Used: Long-wave infrared CO? laser at 9.2 µm, ideal for minimizing unwanted ionization.
• Alpha particle detection: Achieved from 10 meters, a tenfold improvement over previous techniques.
• Gamma ray detection (e.g., from Cs-137): Potential detection range of up to 100 meters, scalable with improved laser optics.
• Fluorescence imaging: Employed to analyze plasma dynamics and map seed electron distributions.
• Mathematical modeling: Successfully predicted backscatter based on plasma characteristics, validating the method.

Advantages of the Technique:

• Enhanced sensitivity to weak radioactive sources.
• Long-range detection without direct contact.
• Reduced risk for personnel during radiation monitoring.
• Scalability: Theoretically extendable to ~1 km with high-energy lasers and larger optics.

Challenges Ahead:

• Extended range detection requires larger optical systems and higher laser power.
• Signal degradation due to atmospheric interference and background noise at longer distances.
• Trade-off between detection range and signal clarity remains a critical engineering hurdle.

The use of CO? lasers for radioactive detection marks a significant leap in remote sensing technologies. While currently limited to tens or hundreds of meters, future developments may push detection ranges further, making it a valuable tool in defense, nuclear safety, and disaster management.

In News:

The Lok Sabha recently approved a bill to establish the Tribhuvan Sahkari University in Anand, Gujarat, named in honour of TribhuvandasKishibhai Patel, a seminal figure in India’s cooperative movement and a founding architect behind Amul.

Who was Tribhuvandas Patel?

• Born in 1903 in a farming family in Gujarat, Tribhuvandas Patel was an Indian freedom fighter, lawyer, and social reformer.
• A dedicated follower of Mahatma Gandhi, he actively participated in the civil disobedience movement, anti-untouchability campaigns, and rural development initiatives.
• He was first arrested during the Salt Satyagraha in 1930 at Nasik and later in Visapur, where he resolved to commit his life to public service.
• Between 1948 and 1983, he served as the President of Harijan Sevak Sangh, an organisation founded by Gandhi to uplift marginalized communities.

Role in India's Cooperative Movement

• In 1946, with encouragement from Morarji Desai and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Tribhuvandas spearheaded the formation of the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Ltd. (KDCMPUL) to counter exploitative practices by private dairies such as Polson Dairy.
• His strategy began with organizing village-level milk cooperatives, where membership was inclusive, cutting across caste, class, and religion.
• Recognizing the need for professional management, he brought in Dr. VergheseKurien, who later led India’s White Revolution.

Institution Building and Legacy

Tribhuvandas Patel played a pivotal role in laying the foundations of several key institutions that transformed India’s dairy sector:

• Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF)
• National Dairy Development Board (NDDB)
• Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA)

His lifelong efforts significantly empowered rural milk producers and contributed to India’s emergence as a dairy powerhouse.

Recognitions and Awards

• Ramon Magsaysay Award (1963) for Community Leadership
• Padma Bhushan (1964) from the Government of India for his services to society

In News:

• The 6th BIMSTEC Summit is scheduled for April 4, 2025, in Bangkok, Thailand, under the theme "Prosperous, Resilient, and Open BIMSTEC."
• It aims to deepen cooperation among member states on trade, security, connectivity, and sustainable development, while endorsing the long-term roadmap titled Bangkok Vision 2030.

About BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation)

• Established: 6 June 1997 (via Bangkok Declaration)
• Initial Name: BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand Economic Cooperation)
• Evolution:
  • Renamed BIMST-EC in 1997 with Myanmar’s inclusion
  • Full members as of 2004: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand
• Headquarters: Dhaka, Bangladesh (Operational since 2014)
• Chairmanship: Rotational, alphabetical order
• Structure: Guided by the BIMSTEC Charter (adopted in 2022)

Objectives and Strategic Focus

• Foster economic and technical cooperation among littoral states of the Bay of Bengal
• Promote collaboration in trade, energy, transport, security, technology, and environmental protection
• Enhance regional connectivity through infrastructure, digital links, and maritime transport
• Address shared challenges like terrorism, poverty, natural disasters, and climate change
• Strengthen people-to-people exchanges and institutional frameworks

Highlights of the 6th Summit

• Follows the 5th Summit held virtually in Colombo (2022)
• Preceded by:
  • Senior Officials’ Meeting (April 2, 2025)
  • Foreign/External Affairs Ministers’ Meeting (April 3, 2025)

Key Agendas and Agreements:

• 6th BIMSTEC Summit Declaration – outlining vision and action points
• Bangkok Vision 2030 – strategic roadmap for future cooperation
• Agreement on Maritime Transport Cooperation – enhancing cargo and passenger movement across Bay of Bengal
• MoUs with:
  • Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
  • United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
• Rules of Procedure for BIMSTEC Mechanisms – to operationalize the 2022 Charter
• Report of the Eminent Persons Group – outlines BIMSTEC's future direction; implementation has begun

Sectoral Priorities

• Reforms in 2021 streamlined BIMSTEC’s focus to seven core sectors:
  • Trade, Investment and Development
  • Environment and Climate Change
  • Security and Counter-Terrorism
  • Agriculture and Food Security
  • Connectivity
  • People-to-People Contact
  • Science, Technology and Innovation
• Emerging Focus Areas: Blue Economy and Disaster Risk Management

Significance

• Geostrategic Bridge: Connects South Asia and Southeast Asia, supplementing SAARC and ASEAN efforts
• Reinforces BIMSTEC’s role as the sole regional platform in the Bay of Bengal
• Strengthens institutional architecture for regional peace, prosperity, and resilience