World Kidney Day
- Observed annually on March 13.
- Theme for 2025: “Are Your Kidneys Healthy?”
- Climate change, extreme temperatures, air pollution, and many other factors can cause kidney damage even in healthy individuals.
- Often, kidney failure is detected at a late stage, necessitating dialysis treatment or organ transplantation.
- In Tamil Nadu, 18% of people are diabetic patients and 25% suffer from high blood pressure.
Defence, National Security and Terrorism
Rs. 2,906 Crore Contract with ‘BEL’
- An agreement to procure portable radars (Ashwini) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) was signed in the presence of the Defense Secretary.
- This radar has been designed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
- It has the capability to accurately monitor attacks from high-speed combat aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and helicopters.
Exercise Dharma Guardian
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- The 6th edition of Exercise Dharma Guardian, a bilateral military exercise between India and Japan, successfully concluded in Japan.
- It is an annual exercise conducted alternately in India and Japan.
- It is to enhancing combat readiness through counter-terrorism training in urban terrain and including United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO) and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) drills.
- Other India-Japan Multilateral Exercises
- Veer Guardian (air force),
- SHINYUU Maitri (air force),
- JIMEX (naval),
- Malabar (naval) (along with Australia and the US).
Global Organizations – Agreements
Agreements Between India and Mauritius
- Agreement between the Reserve Bank of India and Bank of Mauritius to encourage transactions in local currency.
- Loan agreement between the Government of Mauritius (borrower) and State Bank of India (lender).
- Agreement to strengthen cooperation between Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
- Agreement between Foreign Ministries as part of foreign training series.
- Agreement to strengthen cooperation between the National Centre for Good Governance of the Government of India and the Ministry of Public Service Administration Reform of Mauritius.
- Technical agreement for information sharing between the Indian Navy and the Government of Mauritius.
- Agreement to strengthen cooperation between the Indian National Ocean Information Service Center and the Mauritius Maritime Zone Administration and Research Department.
- Agreement between the Indian Enforcement Department and the Mauritius Financial Crimes Prevention Commission.
