Daily Current Affairs | April 14 2025

1) India's Laser Directed Energy Weapon

• For the first time, India has showcased its capability to shoot down fixed-wing aircraft, missiles and swarm drones using a 30-kilowatt laser-based weapon system.

• India has joined the list of selected countries, including the US, China, and Russia, that have shown such a capability.

• Centre for High Energy Systems & Sciences CHESS, Hyderabad under DRDO conducted a successful field demonstration of the Land version of Vehicle mounted Laser Directed Weapon DEW MK-II(A) at Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.

About DEW Mk-II(A)

• It is a vehicle mounted weapons system that uses directed energy to neutralise aerial threats such as drones, missiles, and sensors.

• Targets are tracked using radar or an inbuilt Electro-Optic (EO) system.

• It fires a 30-kilowatt laser capable of targeting fixed-wing UAVs and swarming drones.

Benefits

• Strategic Advantage - It places India alongside the US, China, and Russia in possessing advanced laser-DEW capabilities.

• Destruction of Enemy Assets - The laser beam travels at the speed of light, slicing through the target’s surface, disabling or destroying it through structural failure.

• Precision Strike - Ideal for neutralising threats without large-scale destruction.

• Force Multiplier for Armed Forces - It enhances India’s counter-drone and missile defence capacity in a cost-effective and sustainable way.

• Cost-Effective - The firing cost is only a few litres of petrol, significantly lower than missile defence systems.

• Atmanirbhar Bharat - Reinforces India’s path towards Self Reliance in defense tech.

2) STELLAR Model by CEA

• An indigenously developed Integrated Generation, Transmission and Storage Expansion Planning Model with Demand Response – a vital Resource Adequacy Tool, has been launched by Central Electricity Authority (CEA).

• It is called State of art totally Indigenously developed Resource adequacy model (STELLAR).

• Purpose - To assist the states in carrying out a comprehensive Resource Adequacy plan in line with the resource adequacy guidelines issued by the Ministry of Power in June 2023.

About STELLAR

• Developed by CEA in collaboration with The Lantau Group (TLG) and supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

• It simulates real-time power system operations with load flow, ramp rates, and unit constraints.

• It allows integrated planning through models generation, transmission, storage expansion, and demand-side response till FY 2034-35.

Benefits

• Zero Load Shedding: Assures uninterrupted electricity supply with right-sized capacity.

• Cost-Efficient Power System: Enables least-cost planning while incorporating storage and renewable integration.

• Strategic Storage Planning: Helps determine ideal storage size and placement, vital for renewable energy growth.

• Policy-Technology Synergy: Supports the 2023 Resource Adequacy Guidelines, aligning state planning with national goals.

• Atmanirbhar Bharat in Energy Tech: Represents India’s capability in developing high-end energy simulation tools indigenously.

3) Traditional Seed Conservation

• At a time when extreme weather events are threatening food production, we are sidelining the very varieties that can withstand droughts, floods, and replenish depleted soils.

• These are traditional seed varieties which have been the backbone for food security and a key component of the country’s rich cultural heritage.

• Hybrid varieties are now being preferred over them which are more dependent on chemical fertilisers & water and are more vulnerable to climate shocks.

Traditional Seeds

• These are indigenous, heirloom, or desi seeds, are native crop varieties that have been naturally cultivated, saved, and exchanged by farmers.

• These seeds have adapted to local soil, climate, and pests over centuries.

• They are naturally resistant to droughts, floods, and diseases.

• These require minimal chemical fertilisers, pesticides, or irrigation.

Benefits

• Low Input Dependency - Require minimal chemical fertilisers, pesticides, or irrigation. For example Desi cotton uses 70% less water than Bt cotton.

• Preserves Bio-diversity - Preserve genetic wealth essential for food security. For example Kerala’s Pokkali rice tolerates saline water.

• Can Tolerate Climate Shocks - These can sustain production amid erratic weather, pests, and disease. For example Bhut Jolokia chili (Assam) thrives in high humidity.

• Reduces Burden on Farmers - It frees farmers from annual seed purchases and dependency. Currently, 80% of India’s cotton farmers rely on expensive GM seeds.

• Sustainable Agriculture - It supports ecological balance and enrich soil fertility naturally.

• Nutritional Security - Richer in micronutrients, fiber, and antioxidants than hybrid varieties. For example Finger millet (Ragi) has 3x more calcium than milk.

Challenges to Traditional Varieties

• Market Bias - Currently procurement and MSP are heavily biased in favour of hybrid varieties. Only 6% of India’s rice procurement is traditional varieties.

• Little Policy Support - Most of state subsidies and R&D investment goes towards HYV seeds.

• Lack of Storage Infrastructure - There is shortage of infrastructure to store and share native varieties. There are just 40 functional seed banks in India.

4) First Automated Bat Monitoring System

• Scientists from Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), Bengaluru, have developed India’s first automated bat monitoring system called BatEchoMon.

• It is an autonomous, AI-powered acoustic monitoring system that detects, analyses, classifies bat echolocation calls in real-time.

• Objective - To simplify and accelerate bat data processing, enabling deeper research into bat ecology and biodiversity with minimal manual intervention.

Benefits

• Conservation - Helps monitor bat populations and understand habitat-specific behaviours.

• Urban Planning - Useful in cities, forest edges, and peri-urban regions to track insectivorous bats.

• Research Access - Reduces data analysis time drastically and makes bat studies more accessible across India.

• Low Cost Innovation - 1/3 of conventional detectors.

5) SARAS Mk-II

• Saras Mk2 is a 19-seater, multipurpose civilian aircraft designed to improve regional air travel across India with minimal airport infrastructure.

• It is developed by CSIR–National Aerospace Laboratories under Ministry of Science & Technology with manufacturing support from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

• Objectives - Promote indigenous civilian aircraft manufacturing, reduce import dependence, Atmanirbhar Bharat and support UDAN Scheme.