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Exercise Bharat Shakti 2024 Exercise Bharat Shakti was a large-scale military exercise conducted by the Indian Armed Forces on March 12, 2024, in Pokhran, Rajasthan. Here's a summary of the event: • Purpose: The exercise aimed to showcase the military prowess and operational capabilities of the Indian armed forces. • Focus: It specifically highlighted the effectiveness of indigenously manufactured defense equipment from all three branches: Army, Navy, and Air Force. • Demonstration: The 50-minute exercise involved: o Special forces: infiltration by para-military units like MARCOS (Navy) and GARUD (Air Force) o Airpower: deployment of attack helicopters and fighter jets o Land forces: showcasing tank maneuvers and artillery operations o Technology: integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in warfare simulations • Attendance: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other high-ranking military officials witnessed the exercise. Key Takeaways: • Self-reliance: The exercise served as a testament to India's strides towards achieving self-sufficiency (Aatmanirbharta) in defense manufacturing. • Military Might: It effectively demonstrated the coordinated response and firepower of the Indian Armed Forces in a simulated battlefield scenario.

India’s missile development program has come a long way since the early Agni series missiles. The Agni missile family, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has progressively increased in range and capabilities, from the Agni-I with a range of 700-1,250 km (434-777 miles) to the Agni-IV with a range of 3,500-4,000 km (2,174-2,485 miles). The Agni-5, with its range of over 5,000+ km (3,106 miles), represents a significant leap in India’s missile technology. The indigenous development of the Agni series missiles highlights India’s focus on self-reliance in its defense sector. How Does the Agni-5 Compare with Other Global ICBMs? The Agni-5 missile, with its range, payload capacity, and MIRV capability, is comparable to other advanced ICBMs deployed by global powers. For instance, Russia’s RS-28 Sarmat (Satan 2) ICBM, introduced in 2022, has a range of up to 18,000 km (11,200 miles) and can carry up to 10 MIRVs. While the exact specifications of the Agni-5’s MIRV capability remain classified, its successful test under Mission Divyastra demonstrates India’s technological advances and positions it among the elite group of nations with advanced ICBM capabilities.

Mission Divyastra The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on 11th March 2024, successfully conducted the first flight test of the indigenously developed Agni-5 missile equipped with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-Entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. Named Mission Divyastra, the test was carried out from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha, marking a major milestone in India’s strategic defense capabilities How Does the Agni-5 Missile Enhance India’s Defense Capabilities? The Agni-5 missile is an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with a range of over 5,000 km (3,107 miles), making it capable of reaching targets across Asia and into Europe. With a length of 17.5 m (57 ft), a diameter of 2 m (6.6 ft), and a launch weight of 50,000 kg (110,231 lbs), the Agni-5 can carry a 1,650 kg (3,638 lbs) nuclear warhead. The missile’s three-stage solid rocket propulsion system enables it to reach speeds of up to Mach 24 (29,635 km/h or 18,415 mph). The strategic importance of the Agni-5 missile’s MIRV technology lies in its ability to carry multiple warheads aimed at different targets, significantly increasing its deterrent value. This capability complicates enemy missile defense strategies, as a single Agni-5 missile can now destroy several targets simultaneously. What is MIRV Technology used in Mission Divyastra? MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle) technology allows a single missile to carry multiple nuclear warheads, each capable of being aimed at different targets. Developed initially in the early 1960s, MIRVs have revolutionized the concept of ballistic missile payloads by enabling several smaller warheads to replace a single larger one. Picture a missile as a delivery vehicle, much like a sophisticated courier service that can transport multiple packages to different destinations. Now, imagine each package contains a nuclear warhead capable of causing immense destruction. This is the essence of MIRV technology, which allows a single missile to carry and launch multiple nuclear warheads, each programmed to hit a separate target. In a MIRV-equipped missile, the warheads are housed in the missile’s “bus” or post-boost vehicle. After the main rocket motor pushes the bus into a suborbital ballistic flight path, the bus maneuvers using small on-board rocket motors and a computerized inertial guidance system. It then releases the warheads at different speeds and trajectories, allowing each to hit its designated target. Who are the Global Players in MIRV Technology? Currently, only a handful of countries have confirmed the deployment of MIRV missile systems, including the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom. These nations possess MIRV technology on their intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and/or submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). With the successful test of the Agni-5 missile under Mission Divyastra, India has now joined this exclusive club of nations with MIRV-capable missiles, marking a major milestone in its defense technology. What are the Implications of Mission Divyastra for India? India’s development and testing of MIRV-equipped missiles have both regional and global implications. The Agni-5’s MIRV capability significantly bolsters India’s strategic deterrence posture, particularly vis-à-vis China, which has a larger nuclear arsenal and more advanced missile forces. The successful test of the Agni-5 with MIRV technology under Mission Divyastra demonstrates India’s growing technological prowess and commitment to strengthening its defense capabilities. This achievement is aimed to shape India’s strategic position in the region and its role in global nuclear deterrence dynamics. How Has India’s Missile Technology Evolved Over the Years?

CAA - Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in its latest annual report for 2020-21, has said that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019 is a compassionate and ameliorative legislation and does not deprive any Indian of citizenship. The CAA, which aims to give citizenship to migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan, was notified on 12thDecember 2019, and came into force on 10thJanuary 2020. The legislation evoked widespread protests across the country. Associated Concerns with CAA Targeting a Particular Community: There are apprehensions that the CAA, followed by a country-wide compilation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), will benefit non-Muslims excluded from the proposed citizens’ register, while excluded Muslims will have to prove their citizenship. Issues in the North-East: It contradicts the Assam Accord of 1985, which states that illegal migrants, irrespective of religion, heading in from Bangladesh after 25th March, 1971, would be deported. There are an estimated 20 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants in Assam and they have inalienably altered the demography of the state, besides putting a severe strain on the state’s resources and economy. Against Fundamental Rights: Critics argue that it is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution (which guarantees the right to equality and is applicable to both the citizens and foreigners) and the principle of secularism enshrined in the preamble of the constitution. Discriminatory in Nature: India has several other refugees that include Tamils from Sri Lanka and Hindu Rohingya from Myanmar. They are not covered under the Act. Difficulty in Administration: It will be difficult for the government to differentiate between illegal migrants and those persecuted. Hampering Bilateral Ties: The Act throws light on the religious oppression that has happened and is happening in these three countries and thus may worsen our bilateral ties with them MHA Clarification Not Applicable on Indian Citizens: The CAA does not apply to Indian citizens. Therefore, it does not in any way take away or abridge the rights of any Indian citizen. Legal Process of Acquiring Indian Citizenship Remain Unchanged: Further, the present legal process of acquiring Indian citizenship by any foreigner of any category as provided in the Citizenship Act,1955 is very much operational and the CAA does not amend or alter this legal position in any manner whatsoever. Hence, legal migrants of any religion from any country will continue to get Indian citizenship once they fulfil the eligibility conditionsalready provided in the law for registration or naturalization.

Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) The Cabinet Committee on Security recently cleared the acquisition of over 200 BrahMos extended-range supersonic cruise missiles for deployment on its warships. What are Cabinet Committees? Cabinet Committees are extra-constitutional, meaning, they are not mentioned in the Indian Constitution.  They are partly designed to reduce the burden on the Union Cabinet by allowing smaller groups of ministers to make decisions on specific policy areas.  They are constituted or reconstituted when a new government takes over or the Cabinet undergoes a reshuffle. The Prime Minister constitutes the Standing Committees of the Cabinet and sets out the specific functions assigned to them. The composition of cabinet committees in India can range from three to eight members, which typically consist of only Cabinet Ministers. However, non-cabinet ministers may also be appointed as members. All cabinet committees are chaired by the prime minister or a senior cabinet minister and will have a number of cabinet ministers as members. However, if the Prime Minister is a committee member, he will be the head of the committee. There are a total of eight cabinet committees, which are listed below: Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs. Cabinet Committee on Investment and Growth. Cabinet Committee on Security. Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs. Cabinet Committee on Employment and Skill Development. Cabinet Committee on Accommodation. Appointments Committee of the Cabinet Presently, all committees except the Cabinet Committee on Accommodation and the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs are headed by the Prime Minister. About Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS): CCS is headed by the Prime Minister. The Committee discusses, debates, and is the apex body when it comes to the appointments of the officials in the national security bodies. It also makes all the important decisions on defence policy and expenditure and, generally, all matters of India’s security. Members: Prime Minister of India Union Minister of Defence Union Minister of Home Affairs Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Union Minister of External Affairs Functions: The CCS deals with all the issues related to the defence and security of India. The CCS deals with all issues related to the law and order of our country and national security. It discusses different initiatives to take to enhance the national security of India. It also deals with policy matters of foreign affairs which may have a bearing on internal or external security implications, including cases relating to agreements with other countries on security-related issues. The Committee discusses the political issues which can impact the security of our nation. It reviews the conditions and the manpower of the national security bodies and makes the required changes to increase national security. The CCS considers each case that involves a capital expenditure of more than Rs 1,000 crore in respect of the Department of Defence Production and Department of Defence Research and Development. It also deals with every issue related to atomic energy and also considers cases of an increase in the firmed-up cost estimates or revised cost estimates.

Credit Rating A credit rating is a quantified assessment of the creditworthiness of a borrower in general terms or with respect to a particular debt or financial obligation. A credit rating can be assigned to any entity that seeks to borrow money—an individual, corporation, state or provincial authority, or sovereign government. A rating agency is a company that assesses the financial strength of companies and government entities, especially their ability to meet principal and interest payments on their debts. Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s (S&P) are the big three international credit rating agencies controlling approximately 95% of global ratings business. In India, there are six credit rating agencies registered under Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) namely, CRISIL, ICRA, CARE, SMERA, Fitch India and Brickwork Ratings.