Category: Defence and Security

Context:

• Recently, Iran has destroyed a key Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) radar system used by the US to detect and intercept ballistic missiles in the Middle East.

About THAAD Missile System:

• • Full Form: THAAD stands for Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system.
  • Nature: It is one of the most advanced missile defence platforms.
  • Development: It is developed by the United States to counter ballistic missile threats.

• Hit-to-Kill Technology: Unlike traditional systems that use explosive warheads, THAAD interceptors destroy targets through direct collision, relying solely on kinetic energy.

• • Dual Atmosphere Capability: It is the only U.S. system capable of intercepting missiles both inside (endo-atmospheric) and outside (exo-atmospheric) the Earth’s atmosphere.

• Range: Its range is approximately 150–200 kilometres.

• • Altitude: It can go up to 150 kilometres.

• High Speed: The interceptor can travel at speeds exceeding Mach 8.

• Mobility: The system is truck-mounted and can be rapidly deployed worldwide via air, sea, or land. 

• Core Components: A typical THAAD battery is operated by approximately 90–95 personnel and consists of:

• • • Interceptors: Eight missiles per launcher; up to 48-72 per battery.

• Launchers: Six to nine truck-mounted launch vehicles.

• • AN/TPY-2 Radar: A powerful X-band radar used for early detection and tracking of threats at ranges up to 1,000–3,000 km.
  • Fire Control & Communications: Coordinates targeting and integrates with other defense systems like Patriot PAC-3 and Aegis.
• Comparison with S-400: While THAAD focuses purely on ballistic missiles using kinetic energy, the Russian S-400 Triumf is more versatile, capable of engaging aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles using various explosive warheads.

Source:

• • • • • The Hindu

Category: International Organisations

Context:

• Minister of State for Women and Child Development will visit New York, to participate in the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW-70).

About Commission on the Status of Women (CSW):

• • Nature: It is a functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

• Establishment: It was established by ECOSOC resolution of 21 June 1946.

• • Objective: It is the principal global intergovernmental body dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.
  • Association with UN: It is part of the United Nations, and works to promote women’s political, economic, civil, social, and educational rights. 
  • Mandate: It is instrumental in promoting women’s and girls’ rights, documenting the reality of their lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

• Expansion of mandate: In 1996, ECOSOC expanded the Commission’s mandate. It was decided that it should take a leading role in monitoring and in mainstreaming a gender perspective in UN activities.

• Major Contributions: The CSW was pivotal in drafting the Beijing Declaration (1995) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW, 1979). 

• • Member States: Forty-five Member States of the United Nations serve as members of the Commission at any one time.

• Election of member states: Member States are elected for a period of four years by the Economic and Social Council on the basis of equitable geographical distribution.

• India’s Role: India was elected to the CSW for the 2021–2025 term.

Source:

• • • • • PIB

Category: Science and Technology

Context:

• Ministry of Information and Broadcasting recently asked the Broadcast Audience Research Council to suspend publication of Television Rating Points for 4 weeks.

About Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC):

• • Nature: It is a joint industry company founded by stakeholder bodies that represent Broadcasters, Advertisers and Advertising & Advertising Agencies.

• Mandate: It owns and manages a transparent, accurate, and inclusive TV audience measurement system.

• • Establishment: It was founded in 2010 based on recommendations from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and guidelines from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB).

• Legal Status: It is registered as a not-for-profit company under the Companies Act, 2013.

• • Primary objective: It aims to provide an accurate, reliable, and timely “currency” (Television Rating Points – TRP) for advertisers and broadcasters to trade on.
  • Uniqueness: It is the sole body which can measure and publish television audience data in the country.
  • Headquarters: It is based in Mumbai, India.

• Ownership Structure: A unique collaboration between three key industry stakeholders:

• Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBDF): 60% stake.

• Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA): 20% stake.

• Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI): 20% stake.

• Technology: It uses Audio Watermarking technology to identify channels through inaudible codes embedded in the content.
• BAR-O-Meters: These “People Meters” are installed in approximately 55,000+ panel homes (scaling to 65,000) to record what is being watched minute-by-minute.
• Reporting: Data is released weekly, typically every Thursday.

Source:

• • • • • The Hindu

Category: Environment and Ecology

Context:

• Recently, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan urged the inclusion of the striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) in Appendix I and II of the Convention of Migratory Species (CMS).

About Striped Hyena:

• • Family: It is one of four species belonging to the family Hyaenidae. Other three are the Spotted Hyena, the Brown Hyena and the Aardwolf.

• Appearance: It is a bit smaller than the spotted hyenas and has stripes all over their bodies. 

• • Habitat: It inhabits savannas, grasslands, semi-deserts, open woodlands, and mountainous regions.
  • Distribution: It is mainly found in South Asia (India, Nepal, Afghanistan), North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Western Asia, and Central Asia.

• Territorial boundaries: They are territorial creatures and scent-mark their territorial boundaries as a warning to their rivals.

• • Diet: Striped hyenas are primarily scavengers in terms of their food pattern.
  • Dominant females: Adult Striped hyena females are dominant over males and aggressive toward other females.
  • Solitary: The striped hyena is generally considered solitary, but has some social organization.
  • Movements: It exhibits diverse movement patterns including long-distance dispersal events and seasonal or nomadic movements in response to prey availability and environmental conditions.

• Conservation Status:

• IUCN: Near Threatened.

• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I.

Source:

• • • • • Down To Earth

Category: Government Schemes

Context:

• Recently, the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) celebrated the seven-year journey of its flagship initiative, SWAYATT.

About SWAYATT Initiative:

• Full form: SWAYATT stands for Startups, Women and Youth Advantage through e-Transactions.

• Launch: It was launched in February 2019.

• Objective: It was conceptualised with a clear objective of invigorating participation of women-led enterprises and youth in public procurement.

• • Significance: It democratizes government procurement by enabling startups, women entrepreneurs, youth, last-mile sellers to directly participate in the public procurement ecosystem through Government e-Marketplace.
  • Key pillars: The initiative “democratises” government procurement by addressing three critical pillars of business growth:
    • Access to Markets: Providing direct linkages between small, local sellers and government buyers, eliminating intermediaries.

• Access to Finance: Assisting emerging enterprises in overcoming financial hurdles through integrated digital payment systems.

• Access to Value-Addition: Enhancing the quality and competitiveness of products through dedicated training and capacity building.

• Dedicated Storefronts: It includes “Womaniya” (for women-led enterprises) and “Startup Runway” to increase visibility for these specific categories among lakhs of government buyers.
• Social Inclusion: It specifically targets Micro & Small Enterprises (MSEs), Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and entrepreneurs from backward sections.
• Training & Onboarding: GeM conducts workshops and provides toolkits to help first-time sellers navigate the registration and bidding processes
• Women-led Enterprises: Cumulative order value from women entrepreneurs reached ₹83,323 crore by FY 2025–26. Further, women now constitute 8% of the total seller base on GeM.
• MoU with FICCI-FLO: In February 2025, GeM signed a memorandum with the FICCI Ladies Organisation to train and onboard 9,500+ women entrepreneurs directly.
• Future Targets: GeM aims to onboard 1 lakh DPIIT-registered startups and double the share of women entrepreneurs in national procurement from the current 3.78%.

Source:

• • • • • PIB