Mahe into the Navys almshouse

♦ Cochin Shipyard Limited delivered 'Mahe', the first of the eight ASW SWCs (Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft) to the Indian Navy on 23 October 2025.

♦ Mahe, the 78m-long warship, is the largest Indian Naval warship propelled by a Diesel Engine-Waterjet combination.

♦ It has been designed for underwater surveillance, search and rescue operations, and Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO).

♦ The warship is capable of undertaking ASW operations in coastal waters, along with advanced mine-laying capabilities.

♦ Warship Mahe has been designed and constructed as per the Classification Rules of Det Norske Veritas (DNV).

Defence ship Magadala enters the water

♦ The sixth vessel, named as INS Magdala, in the series of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts (ASW SWC) was launched at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), Kochi.

♦ This ship is indigenously designed and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited.

♦ Delivery of the first ship is planned end Oct 2025.

♦ ASW SWCs will augment underwater domain awareness, Anti-Submarine Warfare and Mine Laying capabilities. 

The effect of the sun on the sedge

♦ Chandrayaan-2 has made the first-ever observation of the effects of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) from the Sun on the Moon’s exosphere.

♦ The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced this on 18 Octobr 2025.

♦ The observation was made using the Chandra’s Atmospheric Composition Explorer-2 (CHACE-2) instrument onboard the orbiter.

♦ During a rare solar event on May 10, 2024, a series of CMEs impacted the Moon, leading to a significant increase in the total pressure of the dayside lunar exosphere — the extremely thin atmosphere surrounding the Moon.

♦ Launched on July 22, 2019, from Sriharikota using the GSLV-MkIII-M1 rocket, Chandrayaan-2 carried eight experiment payloads.

♦ On August 20, 2019, Chandrayaan-2 was successfully inserted into the elliptical orbit around the Moon.

Torpedo Cum Missile Barge LSAM 25

♦ The Indian Navy inducted its 11th Ammunition Cum Torpedo Cum Missile Barge LSAM 25 (Yard 135) at an induction ceremony held at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai on 17 October 2025.

♦ The contract for the construction and delivery of eleven ACTCM Barges was signed with Suryadipta Projects Pvt Ltd, Thane, on March 5, 2021. 

♦ The MSME shipyard indigenously designed the barges in collaboration with an Indian ship design firm, with successful model testing conducted at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory in Visakhapatnam to ensure seaworthiness.

♦ Ten such barges have already been delivered to the Navy, and the shipyard has also secured a new contract to construct four sullage barges, underlining the Navy’s continued focus on supporting MSMEs and indigenous shipbuilding.

♦ The induction of LSAM 25 will enhance the Navy’s logistical capabilities by enabling efficient transportation, embarkation, and disembarkation of ammunition and other critical supplies to naval platforms, both alongside jetties and at outer harbours.

Mission Drishti

♦ Space-tech startup GalaxEye said, it will launch the world's first multi-sensor Earth observation (EO) satellite 'Mission Drishti' in the first quarter of next year (2026), marking the beginning of setting up a constellation of satellites over the next four years.

♦ Weighing 160 kg, Mission Drishti is India's largest privately built satellite and also the highest-resolution satellite developed in the country, the Bengaluru-based company said in a statement.

♦ It plans to launch 8-10 satellites by 2029.

♦ The satellite uses GalaxEye's proprietary SyncFused Opto-SAR technology, which combines both Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and multispectral sensors on a single platform.

♦ It will allow for continuous all-weather, high-resolution imagery with global coverage.

Indian Radio Software Architecture (IRSA)

♦ The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) and the Tri-Services, has formally released the Indian Radio Software Architecture (IRSA) Standard 1.0 – a major milestone toward achieving self-reliance and interoperability in India’s military communication systems.

♦ The standard was unveiled during a National Workshop on IRSA, held at DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi.

♦ IRSA 1.0 is a comprehensive software architecture standard for Software Defined Radios (SDRs) that defines uniform interfaces, APIs, execution environments, and waveform portability mechanisms.

♦ The framework aims to ensure waveform portability, interoperability, certification, and conformance across SDR platforms used by the Indian Armed Forces.

INS Androth

♦ The Indian Navy commissioned INS Androth, the second vessel in its series of Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), at a ceremonial event held at the Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam on 6 October 2025.

♦ This was built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.

♦ Measuring 77 metres in length and displacing about 1,500 tonnes, INS Androth is specially designed for anti-submarine operations in coastal and shallow waters.

♦ The ship is equipped with advanced weapons, sensors, and communication systems, enabling it to detect, track, and neutralise sub-surface threats with precision. 

♦ INS Androth derives its name from Androth Island, the northernmost island of the Lakshadweep group, known for its historical and strategic maritime significance.

♦ The construction of INS Androth marks another success for GRSE, which is building eight ASW-SWC vessels for the Indian Navy.

♦ The first of the series, INS Arnala, was commissioned on June 18, 2025.

10th National Level Pollution Response Exercise

♦ The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) successfully conducted the 10th National Level Pollution Response Exercise (NATPOLREX-X) along with the 27th National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOSDCP) and Preparedness Meeting off the coast of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on October 5-6.

♦ The large-scale biennial exercise reaffirmed India’s commitment to safeguarding its marine environment and strengthening inter-agency coordination for effective oil spill management.

♦ The event saw participation from 40 foreign observers representing 32 countries and over 105 national delegates from central ministries, coastal states, ports, oil handling agencies, and maritime organizations.

♦ It was held under the overall supervision of Director General Paramesh Sivamani, Chairperson, NOSDCP, and Director General, Indian Coast Guard, who reviewed the operational readiness and inter-agency synergy during the drills.

♦ NATPOLREX-X was the first-ever shoreline clean-up drill conducted at Chennai’s Marina Beach, led by the Greater Chennai Corporation, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, State Disaster Management Authority, Police, and other local agencies.

♦ The exercise simulated a large-scale oil spill scenario and demonstrated an integrated multi-agency response to mitigate its environmental impact.

Massive war games between India and Britain

♦ The bilateral Exercise KONKAN-2025 between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy commenced off the western coast of India on 5 October 2025.

♦ The exercise reaffirms the shared commitment of both nations to ensuring secure, open, and free seas and exemplifies the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership outlined in the India-UK Vision 2035.

♦ The exercise will be conducted in two phases from 5 to 12 October 2025.

♦ The harbour phase will feature professional interactions between naval personnel, cross-deck visits, sports fixtures, and cultural exchanges.

♦ The sea phase will involve complex maritime operational drills focusing on anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare, flying operations, and other seamanship evolutions. 

♦ The participation of the UK Carrier Strike Group (UK CSG-25), led by HMS Prince of Wales, and including assets from Norway and Japan, adds further significance to this year’s edition.

♦ The Indian Navy represented by the carrier battle group of the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, along with other surface, sub-surface, and air combatants.

NIELIT Digital University (NDU)

♦ Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the NIELIT Digital University (NDU) on 2 October 2025.

♦ This platform aimed at democratizing access to high-quality digital education in emerging technologies.

♦ The platform, inaugurated at a national event in New Delhi, is designed to offer industry-aligned programmes in key areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Data Science, Semiconductors, and allied fields.

♦ With flexible digital learning modes and virtual labs, the initiative seeks to equip youth across the country with future-ready skills.

♦ The event also witnessed the exchange of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between NIELIT and leading industry players including Microsoft, Zscaler, the Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy (CCRYN), Dixon Technologies, and Future Crime.