Daily Current Affairs|1 August 2026

Key Details

• The 314-day voyage covered about 25,500 nautical miles across four oceans.

• The crew rounded the three major capes — Cape Leeuwin, Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope — and crossed the Equator twice and the International Date Line.

• The mission was designed to demonstrate tri-service coordination, endurance and women's participation in challenging military-adventure expeditions.

Key Details

• P&I insurance protects shipowners against third-party liabilities such as crew and cargo claims, pollution damage and wreck-removal costs.

• The product, designed by New India Assurance, offers cover of up to USD 1.5 billion.

• The wider aim is to build domestic marine-insurance capacity and reduce dependence on overseas insurers for large shipping risks.

Key Points

• The sites are spread across Leh, Sham, Nubra, Zanskar, and Kargil, and include a mix of ancient rock art, forts, and religious structures.

• Petroglyph complexes (ancient rock carvings) at Sharnos, Domkhar, Lehdo, Alchi, Murgi, and Mangmore are included to preserve cultural traditions.

• Fortifications like Tingmosgang Fort, Sumoor Fort, and Dechen Tsomo Khar Fort represent historic defense structures.

• Buddhist heritage includes the Maitreya Buddha Rock Carving at Shey, Saspol caves, Stongday Gonpa, and sculptures like Rigsum Gonbo and Chamba Karpo.

• A historic rock inscription at Yourbaltak in Kargil is also part of the list.

Key details

• The entire green energy generated from the 900 MW project will be procured by GUVNL, the state power utility of Gujarat.

• NIRL was specifically established to acquire and manage the green energy assets of NLC India Ltd, focusing on non-conventional power generation and expanding renewable energy in domestic and international markets.

• NIRL is a subsidiary of NLC India Ltd, a Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Coal. It was established in 2023 and is headquartered in Chennai.

• NLC India, formerly known as Neyveli Lignite Corporation, is diversifying into renewable energy through its subsidiary.

Key Details

• India is currently one of the 13 observer countries in the Arctic Council, which means it has no decision-making power and cannot fund or direct research.

• Full membership would give India a voice in Arctic governance, which is becoming strategically important due to melting ice, new shipping routes, and mineral wealth.

• The panel also suggests a quadrilateral agreement with other Asian observers like Japan, South Korea, and Singapore to strengthen regional cooperation.

• This signals a shift in India's Arctic Policy from purely scientific research to include geopolitics, strategy, and mineral extraction, especially critical minerals and components for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

• To support this, India may explore access to Russian Arctic research stations, such as the Chersky station in Siberia, which is key for studying permafrost, biology, and atmospheric physics.