7^th NSA-Level Meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave

Context: Recently, India hosted the 7^th NSA-Level Meeting of the Colombo Security Conclave in New Delhi.

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• The meeting was hosted by India’s National Security Adviser and attended by NSA-level representatives from Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, while Seychelles participated as an Observer and Malaysia joined as a Guest for the first time.
• Member States discussed ways to deepen cooperation through training and capacity building and welcomed the decision of Seychelles to join the Conclave as a full member.

Colombo Security Conclave

• The Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) is a regional security grouping for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) that brings together six member nations (India, Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Seychelles) to discuss and cooperate on common safety and security concerns.
• The first Secretary General appointed by India presented a detailed review of decisions taken at the 6^th meeting and highlighted progress across the five pillars of cooperation, which include:
• Countering terrorism and radicalisation
• Maritime safety and security
• Combating trafficking and transnational organised crime
• Cybersecurity and protection of critical infrastructure and technology
• Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, including training and capacity building
• CSC was originally formed as a trilateral maritime security group in 2011 by India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.
• After a standstill, it was revived and rebranded as the Colombo Security Conclave in 2020.
• A permanent secretariat was established in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with founding documents signed in August 2024 to formalise cooperation.

INS Mahe Commissioned into the Indian Navy

Context: Recently, the Indian Navy commissioned INS Mahe, the first of the Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai.

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• The Indian Navy commissioned INS Mahe during a ceremony hosted by the Western Naval Command and presided over by the Chief of the Army Staff.
• The ship was designed and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited as the lead vessel of an eight-ship class that supports India’s pursuit of self-reliance in naval shipbuilding.
• The vessel is named after the historic coastal town of Mahe and carries symbols such as the Urumi sword, the Cheetah mascot and the motto “Silent Hunters,” reflecting agility, strength and stealth.

Key Features of INS Mahe

• INS Mahe is specifically designed for anti-submarine operations in shallow and coastal waters and forms the first line of defence in the littorals.
• The ship is equipped with advanced sensors, communication systems and weapons that enable it to detect, track and neutralise underwater threats with high precision.
• The vessel has over 80 percent indigenous content and integrates technologies and systems developed by Indian defence industries and micro, small and medium enterprises.
• The Mahe-class combines stealth, speed and endurance, allowing sustained operations in restricted waters while supporting larger naval platforms in joint missions.

US Approves Sale of Javelin Missiles and Excalibur Artillery to India

Context: The US approved the sale of Javelin Missile System, Excalibur Projectiles and related equipment worth $92.8 million to India.

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• The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced that the sale includes the Javelin Missile System worth $45.7 million and Excalibur tactical projectiles worth $47.1 million to support India’s defence preparedness.
• Under the agreement, the US will provide 100 shoulder-launched FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), which have a 4-km range, along with 25 command launch units.
• The US will also supply up to 216 M982A1 Excalibur projectiles with related equipment such as fire control systems, propellant charges, technical support and repair services. India already uses the Excalibur artillery ammunition in its M-777 Howitzer guns.

Significance of the Move

• The approval strengthens India–US defence cooperation at a time when both countries are seeking deeper strategic alignment in the Indo-Pacific.
• The sale enhances India’s operational capability by improving its anti-tank warfare and long-range precision strike capacity.
• The move supports India’s gradual diversification of defence procurement away from overdependence on Russia.

IBSA Leaders’ Meeting

Context: Recently, the Prime Minister participated in the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Leaders' Meeting held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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• The meeting was hosted by the President of South Africa on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, and attended by the President of Brazil and the Prime Minister of India.
• Prime Minister of India called for united action against terrorism, opposed double standards and proposed institutionalising an NSA-level dialogue among the three countries.
• He also suggested creating an IBSA Fund for Climate-Resilient Agriculture and forming a Digital Innovation Alliance to share digital public infrastructure, to be launched at the AI Impact Summit in India next year.

About IBSA

• The IBSA Dialogue Forum is a trilateral grouping of India, Brazil, and South Africa created to promote South-South cooperation among three major emerging democracies.
• The forum was formalised on 6 June 2003 through the Brasilia Declaration, which highlighted the members’ democratic values, developing-nation status, and global influence.
• IBSA aims to build a new international architecture, present a unified voice on global issues, and strengthen cooperation across diverse sectors.
• The grouping focuses on addressing shared challenges such as social inequality and leveraging their industrial capacities for mutual development.

World Fisheries Day 2025

Context: India celebrated World Fisheries Day on 21st November to raise awareness about sustainable fisheries, livelihoods, and aquatic ecosystems.

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• In India, the theme for 2025 is “India’s Blue Transformation: Strengthening Value Addition in Seafood Exports”, which underscores India’s growing leadership in sustainable fisheries and its expanding share in value-added seafood exports.
• The observance is being hosted by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), reflecting India’s institutional focus on advancing value addition and global competitiveness in the fisheries sector.
• India ranks second in overall fish production after China, contributing about 8% of the global fish output.
• World Fisheries Day is celebrated annually on November 21 because it was on this date in 1997 that the World Forum of Fish Harvesters & Fish Workers was established in New Delhi, India.

Significance of the Day

• World Fisheries Day reinforces the need for sustainable management of marine and inland fisheries to ensure long-term food and nutritional security for a growing global population.
• The day highlights the contribution of fisheries and aquaculture to livelihoods, especially small-scale fishers, and supports global efforts to safeguard their rights, incomes and working conditions.
• It promotes global cooperation on reducing overfishing, preventing illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and encouraging responsible aquaculture practices in the context of climate change.

World Toilet Summit (WTS) 2025

Context: Recently, the World Toilet Organisation (WTO) and Sulabh International jointly hosted the World Toilet Summit (WTS) 2025 in New Delhi, India.

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• The World Toilet Summit (WTS) is an annual event organised by the World Toilet Organisation (WTO) to address the global sanitation crisis.
• The summit aims to break the taboo surrounding toilets and sanitation, promote better hygiene practices, and foster innovation in sanitation solutions. 
• The summit brings together policymakers, experts, development partners, NGOs, and changemakers to discuss and find solutions for sanitation challenges. 
• This marked the 25th anniversary of the World Toilet Summit and coincided with the United Nations-designated World Toilet Day on November 19.
• World Toilet Organisation was founded on 19 November 2001 and the inaugural World Toilet Summit was held on the same day, the first global summit of its kind.
• The World Toilet Day 2025 theme: “Sanitation: Collective Responsibility for Dignity and Planet”.

Significance of the Summit

• It aims to raise awareness and inspire action to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6): clean water and sanitation for all by 2030.
• The summit aimed to create a roadmap for a sustainable sanitation future, culminating in "The Delhi Declaration".