1. Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021

The Supreme Court recently clarified that age restrictions under the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, will not apply to couples who had frozen embryos and begun the surrogacy process before the Act came into effect on January 25, 2022.

About the Act:
The Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, governs surrogacy in India and bans commercial surrogacy to prevent the exploitation of women. It allows only altruistic surrogacy, where the surrogate mother receives no monetary reward other than medical and insurance coverage.
The Act mandates registration of surrogacy clinics and bars medical professionals from engaging in commercial surrogacy practices. Abortion during surrogacy is prohibited without written consent from the surrogate and the attending medical team.
The intended couple must be Indian citizens, married for at least five years, and have no living child. The woman must be aged 23–50 years and the man 26–55 years.
The surrogate must be a married woman aged 25–35 years with at least one biological child of her own and cannot use her gametes or act as a surrogate more than once.
A child born through surrogacy is considered the biological child of the intended couple.

2. AIM-120 AMRAAM Missile

Pakistan may soon receive the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) from the United States following a rare earths trade deal.

About AIM-120 AMRAAM:
Developed in the US during the late 1970s–80s, the AMRAAM is a radar-guided, beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile that became operational in 1991.
Used by 35+ countries, including the US, UK, Japan, and Australia, it equips fighter jets like F-15, F-16, F-35, Typhoon, and Gripen.
It has a solid-fuel rocket motor, speeds over Mach 4, and features fire-and-forget capability with onboard radar guidance.
Its range exceeds 160 km, and a two-way data link enables mid-course updates for higher accuracy.

3. International Solar Alliance (ISA)

Chaired by India, the International Solar Alliance (ISA) will soon convene its assembly to review progress in promoting affordable solar energy globally.

About ISA:
Launched by India and France at COP21 (2015, Paris), ISA is the first treaty-based intergovernmental organization headquartered in India (Gurugram).
Its goal is to scale up solar energy by mobilizing USD 1,000 billion investments by 2030, ensuring clean energy access for 1 billion people, and installing 1,000 GW of capacity.
ISA collaborates with MDBs, DFIs, and private partners to support low-cost solar solutions, especially in LDCs and SIDS.
Over 100 countries are signatories, with 90+ ratified members.
The ISA Assembly, its top decision-making body, meets annually to decide key policies and elect leadership.

4. Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR)

A major data leak was averted after the Indian government fixed an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) flaw in its income tax e-filing portal.

About IDOR:
IDOR is a web security vulnerability where an application exposes internal identifiers like database keys or file paths without proper access control.
Attackers can exploit this to access unauthorized data by manipulating input values.
It typically occurs when systems validate authentication but fail to enforce authorization for specific resources, allowing users to view or modify data belonging to others.

5. Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR)

The Madras High Court has ordered strict action against illegal resorts and lodges operating within the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in Tamil Nadu.

About STR:
Located in Erode District, STR lies at the junction of the Eastern and Western Ghats and forms part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
It is contiguous with Mudumalai, Bandipur, and BRT reserves, together hosting over 280 tigers—the world’s largest tiger population.
The area features mixed deciduous and semi-evergreen forests, and rivers like Bhavani, Moyar, and Noyyal flow through it.
It supports tribal communities such as the Irula and Kurumba, and wildlife including elephants, gaur, leopards, and sloth bears.

6. Coco Islands

Myanmar has assured India that no Chinese military presence exists on the Coco Islands in the Bay of Bengal.

About Coco Islands:
The islands, part of Myanmar’s Yangon Region, lie about 55 km north of India’s Andaman & Nicobar Islands and share the same geological formation.
Historically, they were under British Burma’s control since 1882 and once served as a food source for the Andaman penal colony.
They hold strategic significance due to their proximity to India’s eastern naval zone.

7. IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025

At the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025, India launched its National Red List Roadmap and Vision 2025–2030.

About the Congress:
Held every four years, it is the largest global gathering for conservation and climate action.
The 2025 theme is “Powering Transformative Conservation.”
It consists of:

• Forum: Platform for sharing conservation science and innovations.

• Exhibition: Showcases efforts by members, partners, and academia.

• Members’ Assembly: IUCN’s top decision-making body that votes on policy and strategy.

About IUCN:
Founded in 1948, the International Union for Conservation of Nature is a global network of governments and civil organizations dedicated to biodiversity and sustainable development.

8. SAKSHAM System

The Indian Army has begun inducting SAKSHAM (Situational Awareness for Kinetic Soft and Hard Kill Assets Management) — an indigenous Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) Grid.

About SAKSHAM:
Developed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), it operates through the Army Data Network (ADN) to ensure comprehensive airspace security up to 10,000 ft.
It provides real-time drone detection, tracking, and neutralization, and integrates AI-driven analytics with command systems for a unified Recognized UAS Picture (RUASP).
The system links with the Akashteer System to enhance situational awareness and coordinate soft- and hard-kill responses against aerial threats.

9. AgriEnIcs Programme

The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has announced technology transfers under the AgriEnIcs Programme to boost digital agriculture.

About AgriEnIcs:
It is a national initiative focused on research, development, and commercialization of AI, IoT, and sensor-based technologies in agriculture and environment management.
Implemented by C-DAC, Kolkata, it connects research institutions, industries, and government agencies to promote precision agriculture and sustainability.

About C-DAC:
Established in 1988, the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing is India’s premier R&D body under MeitY, known for developing India’s first supercomputer, PARAM 8000 (1991).

10. DRAVYA Portal

The DRAVYA (Digitized Retrieval Application for Versatile Yardstick of AYUSH Substances) portal has been launched to document 100 key Ayurvedic ingredients in its first phase.

About DRAVYA:
Developed by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), it serves as a comprehensive AI-ready database of Ayurvedic ingredients, covering both classical texts and modern research.
It features QR code integration, enabling standardized information display in medicinal plant gardens and repositories.
The platform supports Ayush Grid integration and provides detailed profiles on pharmacology, botany, chemistry, and safety of substances.