In News:

India has formally identified 27 locations in Arunachal Pradesh on the official Survey of India map, responding to China's repeated attempts to assign alternative names to places in the State.

Background

• China has issued alternative names for locations in Arunachal Pradesh in 2017, 2021 and 2023, while referring to the State as “Zangnan” (South Tibet). Such renaming attempts are aimed at reinforcing China's territorial claims and creating an alternative geographical narrative.
• India's formal identification of these locations is therefore an assertion of its territorial claims and administrative authority over Arunachal Pradesh.

Important Locations Identified

• The locations include strategically and historically significant areas such as Long Ju, an India-China border flashpoint in 1959, and Thag La, where fighting began during the 1962 India-China War.
• Several important high-altitude passes—including Bisa, Dzo La, Riza La, Pukur La and Thag La—are also included. Jairampur in Changlang district is significant for connectivity towards eastern Arunachal Pradesh and the Myanmar border.
• The list also includes sites of historical and cultural significance such as Jaswant Garh, associated with Jaswant Singh Rawat, the Sher-e-Thapa Memorial, and Sambho Sarovar, a high-altitude lake.

Strategic Significance of Arunachal Pradesh

• Arunachal Pradesh shares international borders with China (Tibet Autonomous Region), Bhutan and Myanmar, while Assam and Nagaland lie to its south.
• Its strategic importance extends beyond territorial considerations. The State forms part of the upper catchment of important Brahmaputra tributaries, including the Subansiri, Kameng and Lohit. Its high-altitude passes, including Thag La and Bum La, also have considerable military significance.
• Tawang adds another geopolitical dimension because of its association with Tibetan Buddhism and the 6th Dalai Lama.

McMahon Line

India considers the McMahon Line, established through the 1914 Simla Convention, as the basis of its boundary with China in this sector. China rejects the McMahon Line and disputes India's territorial claim over Arunachal Pradesh.

In News:

The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) completed 10 years of operations on 9 August 2026, marking a decade of technology-driven transformation in India's public procurement system.

About GeM

• The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) is a unified, end-to-end digital platform designed to make government procurement paperless, cashless, contactless, transparent and competitive. It digitises the entire procurement cycle—from seller registration and product listing to bidding, contract award, order fulfilment and payment.
• GeM serves Central and State Ministries and Departments, PSUs, autonomous bodies, local bodies, Panchayats and cooperatives, creating a common digital marketplace for public procurement.
• Transparency and Efficient Procurement
• GeM provides multiple procurement mechanisms, including direct purchase, comparison, electronic bidding and reverse auctions. Digital records, automated workflows and real-time monitoring reduce discretion and improve accountability.
• Its data-driven tools, such as the GeM Availability Report, Past Transaction Summary, Last Purchase Price and price-trend analytics, help government buyers make more informed and cost-effective purchasing decisions.
• The platform is also being integrated with systems such as the Central Public Procurement Portal (CPPP), Indian Railway Electronic Procurement System (IREPS) and Defence Public Procurement Portal (DPPP).

Scale and Inclusiveness

• GeM has connected more than 1.37 lakh government buyer organisations with nearly 25 lakh sellers and service providers, facilitating cumulative procurement exceeding ?20 lakh crore.
• It currently covers more than 10,660 product categories and 350 service categories.
• A major contribution of GeM has been expanding access to government procurement for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), women entrepreneurs, SC/ST enterprises and startups. In 2025–26, more than 11 lakh registered MSEs executed over 51 lakh orders worth more than ?2.36 lakh crore.
• Similarly, more than 2.1 lakh women-led MSEs secured procurement exceeding ?28,000 crore.

Promoting Digital and Inclusive Governance

• GeM supports broader initiatives such as Digital India, Make in India, Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Vocal for Local and Ease of Doing Business.

• Initiatives such as SWAYATT, Womaniya, SARAS Collection and Startup Runway 2.0 facilitate the participation of startups, women entrepreneurs, rural SHGs and other smaller enterprises in public procurement.
• GeM Sahay further supports eligible proprietorship sellers by providing instant, collateral-free and paperless working-capital loans, helping them execute government orders.

In News:

Recently, the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways inaugurated the E-Samudra platform, a comprehensive digital initiative aimed at transforming India's maritime governance.

About E-Samudra

E-Samudra is an initiative of the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) designed to create a unified digital ecosystem for India's maritime sector.

The platform brings services for seafarers, shipping companies, ports and other maritime stakeholders under a single digital window, replacing fragmented and largely physical administrative processes with integrated digital workflows.

Key Features

The platform seeks to streamline shipping and seafarer-related operations through:

• End-to-end digital workflows for maritime services.
• Online payments for relevant services.
• Real-time tracking of applications and processes.
• Digital issuance of certificates, reducing dependence on physical documentation.
• Automated administrative processes and improved compliance monitoring.
• A transition towards Digital-First and Faceless Governance in maritime administration.

Significance

E-Samudra is expected to make maritime governance more transparent, efficient, accessible and stakeholder-centric. By bringing multiple services onto a common digital platform, it can reduce administrative delays and improve ease of compliance for maritime stakeholders.

It is also part of the broader effort to strengthen the safety, security and welfare of India's seafarers, while modernising the country's maritime administration through technology.

In News:

A Cessna C172 trainer aircraft carrying two people suffered damage after veering off the runway at Baramati airfield, Maharashtra. The incident is being investigated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

About Cessna C172

• The Cessna C172, also known as the Cessna 172 Skyhawk, is a four-seat, single-engine, fixed-wing aircraft manufactured by Cessna, an American general aviation aircraft manufacturer now part of Textron Aviation.
• Introduced in 1956, more than 44,000 Cessna 172 aircraft have been produced, making it one of the most widely produced aircraft in aviation history. It is primarily used for pilot training and private aviation and remains in production.

Key Features

• The C172 has a high-wing design, which provides good visibility for trainee pilots. Its design emphasisesstability, predictable handling and relatively simple controls, making it particularly suitable for flight training.
• It prioritises stability over speed, with a maximum cruise speed of around 124 knots. Its maximum range is approximately 640 nautical miles (nm).

Significance for Pilot Training

The aircraft is widely used for basic flight training, allowing student pilots to develop skills in take-off, landing, aircraft control, manoeuvring and safety procedures before progressing to more advanced aircraft.

In News:

The Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) has emerged over the last decade as one of the world's largest digital public grievance redressal platforms, strengthening citizen participation and accountability in governance.

About CPGRAMS

CPGRAMS is the Government of India's flagship digital grievance redressal platform. It provides a common digital interface through which citizens can lodge grievances relating to government services and track their resolution.

It was developed and is monitored by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

Key Features

• 24×7 Accessibility: Citizens can submit grievances at any time through a single digital platform.
• One Nation–One Portal: The system connects Central Ministries, Departments, State Governments and Union Territories, creating an integrated grievance-redressal ecosystem.
• Language Inclusivity: Grievances can be submitted in 22 Scheduled Languages, in addition to English.
• Grievance Tracking: Every complaint receives a unique registration ID, allowing citizens to track its status.
• Time-Bound Redressal: Grievances are to be resolved promptly and within a maximum period of 21 days.
• Appeal Mechanism: If a citizen is dissatisfied with the resolution, an appeal facility is available.

Feedback and Appeal

After a grievance is closed, the complainant can provide feedback on the quality of the resolution. If the rating is ‘Poor’, the option to file an appeal is enabled.

The appeal status can also be tracked using the grievance registration number, strengthening accountability in the redressal process.