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- The Indian Navy recently took part in the Sea Dragon 2025 exercise.
- About Exercise Sea Dragon:
- Sea Dragon is an annual multinational anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercise designed to enhance maritime security and foster cooperation among allied nations in the Indo-Pacific region. The event is hosted by the United States Navy’s 7th Fleet at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. It primarily focuses on detecting, tracking, and countering submarine threats, a critical skill in light of increasing regional tensions.
- The exercise is highly technical, combining both theoretical and hands-on ASW training. Participating nations deploy maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft (MPRA) equipped with sophisticated sensors and sonobuoys, specifically designed for submarine detection. The drill includes mock exercises, tactical discussions, and live detection scenarios, providing crews with the opportunity to refine their skills in locating and neutralizing submarines in real-world environments.
- Initially a bilateral exercise between the US and Australia in 2019, Sea Dragon has since grown to include more key allies, with India joining the drill in 2021.
- Sea Dragon 2025:
- This year’s exercise aimed to enhance ASW tactics, interoperability, and multinational coordination across the Indo-Pacific. Key components of the exercise included:
- Mobile ASW target drills using the MK-30 'SLED.'
- A live ASWEX exercise, where participants tracked a US Navy submarine.
- A competitive phase, where aircrews were evaluated on their ASW effectiveness.
- The exercise saw the participation of Australia, Japan, South Korea, and the United States, with India taking part for the fourth consecutive year.
- India was ranked 118th in the recently published World Happiness Report 2025.
- About the World Happiness Index:
- The World Happiness Index is an annual report compiled by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, in collaboration with Gallup and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The rankings are based on individuals' self-assessed life evaluations, reflecting their perceptions of happiness and life satisfaction.
- For the World Happiness Index 2025, countries were ranked based on self-reported life evaluations, averaged over the period from 2022 to 2024, along with responses to the Cantril ladder question in the Gallup World Poll. Respondents are asked to envision a ladder where the best possible life for them would be rated as a 10, and the worst as a 0. They then rate their current lives on this scale.
- The study takes into account six key factors to explain happiness: social support, GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption. Additionally, the report also explores whether the respondents expressed positive or negative emotions when reflecting on their country.
- Highlights of the World Happiness Index 2025:
- Finland remains the happiest country in the world for the eighth consecutive year, with other Nordic countries—Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden—continuing to dominate the top four positions.
- The United Kingdom holds the 23rd position, the United States is ranked 24th, and China is in 68th place among the 147 countries this year.
- While Western countries, especially in Europe, dominate the top rankings, Costa Rica and Mexico made significant strides, entering the top 10 for the first time, ranking 6th and 10th, respectively.
- Afghanistan is once again ranked as the unhappiest country, sitting at 147th, a slight drop from its 143rd position last year.
- The State of Palestine ranked 108th (up from 103rd in 2024), and Ukraine stood at 111th (previously 105th in 2024).
- India holds the 118th spot out of 147 countries.
- Among India's neighboring countries, Sri Lanka is ranked 133rd, Bangladesh at 134th, Pakistan at 109th, Nepal at 92nd, and China at 68th.
- The Rajasthan High Court recently directed a response from the Chief Secretary, Divisional Commissioner of Bharatpur, Principal Revenue Secretary, District Collector of Karauli, and the SP of Karauli regarding an alleged encroachment on the floodplain of the Gambhiri River, which provides water to the Ghana Bird Sanctuary.
- About the Gambhir River:
- The Gambhir River, also known as the Utangan River, is an important watercourse in Rajasthan. It is a seasonal river, flowing primarily during the monsoon season. The Gambhir River Basin lies in the northeastern part of Rajasthan and is surrounded by the Banganga River Basin to the north, the Banas River Basin to the southwest, and the Chambal and Parbati basins to the southeast, with Uttar Pradesh forming part of the northeastern boundary.
- Course: The river originates in the Aravalli Hills near Hindaun and travels through several districts before merging with the Yamuna River in Uttar Pradesh. The river flows from south to north, forming a natural boundary between Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Its total length is approximately 288 kilometers. Though ephemeral in nature, the river becomes perennial after its confluence with the Parbati River, located outside the Dhoulpur District.
- The Gambhir River is a vital water source for the Keoladeo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its bird sanctuary. Key tributaries of the Gambhir River include the Sesa, Kher, and Parbati rivers.