Defence/Security Issues/GSIII
MORMUGAO, INDIAN NAVY'S SECOND SHIP OF THE PROJECT 15B, SAILS FOR MAIDEN SEA TRIALS ON GOA LIBERATION DAY

What's the NEWS

• Mormugao, Indian Navy's second indigenous stealth destroyer of the P15B class, planned to be commissioned in mid 2022, proceeded on her maiden sea sortie
• 19^th December is perhaps the most befitting date for the ship to put to sea as today the nation celebrates 60 years of Goa's liberation from Portuguese rule.
• The Indian Navy played a pivotal role in the liberation and dedicating the ship's name to the maritime state of Goa

• Mormugao is being built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDSL) as part of the Project 15B destroyers.
• The ship incorporates several niche indigenous technologies and is a shining example of Atma Nirbhar Bharat.
• Mormugao will add significantly to the Indian Navy's combat capabilities.
• With the recent commissioning in November 2021 of INS Visakhapatnam and the fourth P75 submarine INS Vela, commencement of sea trials of Mormugao is testimony to the cutting-edge capabilities of MDSL

• India's indigenous Destroyer construction programme commenced in the late 1990s with the three Delhi class (P-15 class) warships and this was followed by three Kolkata class (P-15A) destroyers commissioned a decade later.
• Presently, under the P-15B (Visakhapatnam Class), a total of four warships are planned (Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal, Surat).
• The Destroyers come next only to an Aircraft Carrier (INS Vikramaditya) in terms of their reach and endurance.

• Four Guided missile Destroyers of Project 15B (P 15B) are under construction at M/s Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai. The contract for construction of these four ships was signed in 2011.
• These ships are amongst the most technologically advanced Guided Missile Destroyers of the world, with state-of-the-art weapon/sensor package, advanced stealth features and a high degree of automation.

• These ships are equipped with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and long-range Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAM).
• The ship has several indigenous weapons systems like medium range Surface-to-Air Missile (SAMs), indigenous torpedo tube launchers, anti-submarine indigenous rocket launchers and 76-mm super rapid gun mount.
• Destroyers like the P-15B class shall play an important role in the larger oceans of the Indo-Pacific, making the Indian Navy a potent force.

• Project 75: It is a programme by the Indian Navy that entails building six Scorpene-Class attack submarines. The programme has been undertaken with transfer of technology from French company Naval Group (formerly known as DCNS) at the Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL).

• The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions in collaboration with Ministry of External Affairs, Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Department of Personnel & Training, Department of Pensions and Pensioners' Welfare and Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Rural Development is celebrating Good Governance Week on 20-25^th December as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebration.
• The theme of Good Governance Week is "Prashasan Gaon Ki Aur"- a Nation-wide campaign for Redressal of Public Grievances and Improving Service Delivery will be held in all Districts, States, and Union Territories of India.
• The objective is to translate the vision of the Prime Minister for Next Generation Administrative Reforms during the Amrit Kaal period across all Districts and Tehsils of India.
• The progress of the Good Governance Week will be monitored on a portal www.pgportal.gov.in/ggw.
• Every District Collector will be presenting one successful good governance practice of the district and one successfully redressed Public Grievance case on the portal.
• On December 25^th, 2021, "Good Governance Day" would be celebrated.

• Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra conducted a flight demonstration of Controlled Aerial Delivery System of 500 kg capacity (CADS-500)
• ADRDE, Agra is an R&D laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the flight demonstration is part of a series of activities organised towards celebrating ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', commemorating 75 years of Independence.

• The CADS-500 is used for precise delivery of payload upto 500 kgs at predetermined location by making use of manoeuvrable capabilities of Ram Air Parachute (RAP).
• It uses Global Positioning System for the coordinates, altitude and heading sensors for the heading information during its flight.
• The CADS, with its onboard electronics unit, autonomously steers its flight path using waypoint navigation towards target location by operating controls.
• System performance was demonstrated at Drop Zone, Malpura from an altitude of 5000m.
• The system was para-dropped from AN32 aircraft and then steered to the predesignated landing point in autonomous mode.
• Eleven paratroopers of Indian Army and Indian Air Force chased the CADS-500 in air and landed simultaneously.

• The National Mission for Clean Ganga organized Ganga Utsav- A River Festival 2021 to celebrate not just the Ganga River but all rivers in the country.

• The Nadi Utsav witnessed festivities across the country, with more than 16 states and 41 districts organizing activities.
• The celebrations are being conducted with the support of various central and state level agencies and departments, district administrations, students from schools and colleges, volunteer organizations and volunteer groups
• Nadi Utsav 2021 commenced on 16^th December 2021 and will continue to be celebrated across the country till 23^rd December 2021.
• Nadi Utsav 2021 is a pan India celebration which is jointly organized by National Mission for Clean Ganga, Ministry of Jal Shakti and Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Tourism.
• NadiUtsavs are being organized to celebrate rivers such as River Brahmaputra, Indus, Narmada, Sabarmati, Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari, Cauvery, Ganga, Yamuna, amongst several others.
• The celebrations are being organized under the four chosen themes of Cleanliness, Patriotism, Nature and Ecology, Devotion and Spirituality.

• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested the new generation nuclear capable ballistic missile ‘Agni P' from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam island off the coast of Odisha
• Various telemetry, radar, electro-optical stations and down range ships positioned along the eastern coast tracked and monitored the missile trajectory and parameters.
• The missile followed text book trajectory meeting all mission objectives with high level of accuracy.

• The Agni P is a two-stage canisterised solid propellant ballistic missile with dual redundant navigation and guidance system.
• This second flight-test has proven the reliable performance of all the advanced technologies integrated into the system.

• Super typhoon Rai made landfall on the holiday island of Siargao,southern Philippines bringing winds of about 195km/h (120mph) and heavy rainfall.

• Typhoon Rai, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Odette, is currently a powerful tropical cyclone over the South China Sea which recently passed through the Philippines.
• Rai became the first Category 5 super typhoon since Nock-ten to form in the month of December and the third Category 5 super typhoon to form in South China Sea after Pamela of 1954 and Rammasun of 2014.
• The Philippines is used to powerful storms - it is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons a year. Super typhoon Goni left a trail of death and destruction in November 2020.
• It was the most powerful storm to hit the country since Typhoon Haiyan killed more than 6,000 people in 2013.

Prelims Factoids
PUNEET SAGAR ABHIYAN

What's the NEWS

• National Cadet Corps, NCC, and National Highways Authority of India, NHAI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to reuse plastic wastes collected by NCC Cadets during Puneet Sagar Abhiyan and other Swachhta activities.

• Plastic wastes collected is planned to be handed over to NHAI which can use in road construction across the country.
• A total of three lakh forty thousand cadets from 127 coastal area NCC Units are participating in the month-long activity.
• So far, cadets at different locations of these areas have collected plastic wastes amounting to almost six tons.
• The aim of Puneet Sagar Abhiyan is to propagate the message of the Importance of clean seashores and beaches amongst the local population.

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