Agni-P Missile Test

Context: Recently, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted the test of the Agni-P missile from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast.

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• The missile was launched from a rail-based mobile launcher designed to move freely on the national railway network.
• India has now joined a select group of nations with the capability to launch ballistic missiles from rail-based platforms.
• The Agni-P test follows recent successful launches of the Agni-V and other short-range nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, marking a significant step in India’s missile development programme.

Key Highlights of the Agni-P Missile

• This missile is a new generation nuclear-capable ballistic missile developed as an upgrade to the Agni-I system.
• This missile has an operational range of 1,000 km to 2,000 km and can carry high explosive, thermobaric or nuclear warheads.
• This missile uses a two-stage solid-fuel propulsion system with advanced navigation technologies, including ring laser gyro-based INS and micro-INS with optional GPS and NaVIC support.
• This missile is canisterised, which makes transportation, storage and launch preparation quicker and more secure.
• This missile demonstrated high accuracy in previous tests, which strengthens India’s credible deterrence posture.

Significance of Rail-Based Launchers / Mobile launch platforms 

• This capability enhances second strike potential, which is crucial for India’s nuclear doctrine of no first use.
• This system ensures survivability by reducing dependence on fixed silos. Silos are increasingly vulnerable to both nuclear and conventional strikes due to improvements in missile accuracy.
• This rail-based mobility allows the missile system to move across India’s 70,000 km railway network, providing broad deployment flexibility.

Assam Urban Sector Development Project

Context: Recently, the Government of India and the Asian Development Bank have signed a $125 million loan to upgrade urban services and strengthen climate resilience in Assam.

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• The loan agreement was signed between the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and the Asian Development Bank.
• The project aims to benefit 360,000 residents of Assam through improved urban services.
• The initiative will focus on continuous metered water supply, stormwater management, urban governance reforms, and social inclusion.

Key Features of the Project 

• This project will construct six water treatment plants with a combined capacity of 72 million litres per day and will lay 800 km of distribution pipelines across Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Dhubri, Goalpara, Golaghat, and Nalbari.
• This project will introduce a real-time monitoring system to maintain non-revenue water below 20 per cent in the covered towns.
• This project will upgrade stormwater management in Guwahati’s Bahini Basin through flood diversion channels, improved drainage systems, and a nature-based retention pond.
• This project will establish the Assam State Institute for Urban Development in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati to strengthen urban planning and capacity building.
• This project will deploy a GIS-based property tax database, digital water billing systems, and a volumetric tariff structure to improve the financial sustainability of urban services.

Tropical Forests Forever Facility

Context: Recently, Brazil committed $1 billion to the Tropical Forests Forever Facility to conserve endangered forests ahead of COP30 in Belem, Brazil.

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• The announcement was made by the President of Brazil at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
• The commitment confirms Brazil as the first country to contribute to the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF).
• The fund is expected to be a major deliverable at COP30, which Brazil will host in November 2025 in Belem, Amazonia.
• President Lula urged all partner nations to make ambitious contributions so that the TFFF can become operational during COP30.

Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF)

• TFFF is a Brazil-led proposal that seeks to compensate countries for preserving tropical forests, with 20% of funds reserved for Indigenous peoples.
• This facility is designed as a multilateral funding mechanism for the conservation of endangered tropical forests.
• This facility aims to mobilise $125 billion through a mix of sovereign, philanthropic and private sector contributions.
• This fund will operate like an endowment, paying countries annual stipends based on the standing extent of their tropical forests.

World Food India 2025

Context: The Prime Minister inaugurated the fourth edition of World Food India 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

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• The event was organized by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries to position India as the food basket of the world.
• The summit is being held with high-level participation from global regulators, policymakers, startups, and industry leaders.
• On Day 1 and Day 2, Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth over ₹1 lakh crore were signed by companies and stakeholders.
• The Ministry of Food Processing Industries alone witnessed MoUs worth more than ₹25,000 crore signed by twenty-one companies.
• The event included over twenty-five knowledge sessions covering food processing and allied sectors with a strong focus on sustainability, technology, and investment

Key Highlights of the Summit

• This event saw participation from partner and focus states, including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Jharkhand, and Bihar.
• This summit featured global participation from countries such as New Zealand, Vietnam, Japan, and Russia.
• This Ministry of Food Processing Industries hosted thirteen thematic sessions that included discussions on pet food, nutraceuticals, speciality foods, alcoholic beverages, and plant-based foods.
• This edition emphasised five focus pillars of World Food India 2025, which aimed at strengthening India’s food processing ecosystem.

2^nd WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine

Context: Recently, the Ministry of Ayush and the WHO signed an agreement to co-host the 2nd Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in New Delhi in December 2025.

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• The signing of the agreement took place during the 2nd Summit Planning Group Meeting, which was convened to review progress and activities.
• The theme of the Summit is “Restoring balance for people and planet: The science and practice of well-being”.
• The Summit will take place in New Delhi from 17 to 19 December 2025.
• The Global Summit will serve as an important international platform bringing together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to advance the role of traditional medicine in global health and sustainable development.

Global Summit on Traditional Medicine

• It aims to integrate evidence-based traditional medicine with modern science to improve global health and promote sustainable development.
• WHO convened the first Traditional Medicine Global Summit on 17 and 18 August 2023 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.

MiG-21 Fighter Jet

Context: The Indian Air Force decommissioned the iconic MiG-21 jets after six decades of service.

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• The MiG-21 jets of Number 23 Squadron “Panthers” were formally decommissioned at the Chandigarh Air Force Station on 26 September 2025. 
• Defence Minister described the MiG-21 as a mighty machine, a national pride, and proof of deep India-Russia ties.
• The ceremony included a water cannon salute, a skydiving display by Akash Ganga, a flypast in Badal and Panther formations, and an aerial salute.

MiG-21 Fighter Jet

• This was India’s first supersonic fighter and interceptor aircraft, inducted into the Indian Air Force in 1963.
• This aircraft was designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau of the erstwhile Soviet Union.
• This fighter became the backbone of IAF combat strength for over six decades, with more than 870 aircraft procured.
• This aircraft formed the core of India’s air operations in the 1965 and 1971 wars, the 1999 Kargil conflict, and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes.
• This aircraft was given a final farewell on 26 September 2025 at Chandigarh Air Force Station with a ceremonial flypast and water cannon salute.
• This retirement of MiG-21 jets reduced IAF’s fighter squadron strength to 29 against the sanctioned 42, intensifying the need for new inductions.