A U.S. submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship, IRIS Dena, off the coast of Sri Lanka, bringing the West Asian conflict closer to the Indian subcontinent. The attack resulted in 83 deaths, with 32 sailors rescued by the Sri Lankan Navy. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike, calling it the "first sinking of an enemy ship" by torpedo since WWII. The Iranian frigate was returning from the International Fleet Review 2026 in Visakhapatnam. Sri Lanka expressed deep concern over the escalating hostilities, urging restraint from all parties involved.
A U.S. submarine attacked and sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena near Sri Lanka, marking a significant escalation in the West Asian conflict.
The incident resulted in 83 fatalities, with the Sri Lankan Navy conducting rescue operations for 32 sailors.
The U.S. Defense Secretary confirmed the attack, stating it was the first torpedo sinking of an enemy ship since World War II.
Exam Points
The Iranian frigate sunk was IRIS Dena, a Moudge Class Frigate commissioned in June 2021.
The incident occurred about 40 nautical miles off Galle, Sri Lanka.
The ship was returning from the International Fleet Review 2026 held in Visakhapatnam.
Nuclear facilities worldwide face unprecedented threats, exemplified by Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia plant and targeted strikes on Iranian sites by the U.S. and Israel. Such attacks, including those on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, risk releasing long-lived isotopes like caesium-137, causing acute radiation sickness and contaminating land for decades. The article highlights that military force fails to achieve strategic resolution and can accelerate clandestine nuclear activities, emphasizing diplomacy and verification frameworks as the safest path to stability. Military action risks refugee exodus, asymmetric retaliation, and nuclear disaster.
Nuclear facilities globally are under unprecedented threat, with examples including Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia plant and Iranian sites.
Targeted strikes on nuclear facilities, such as those enriching uranium, risk catastrophic environmental and humanitarian consequences, including widespread radioactive contamination.
Military actions against nuclear sites are counterproductive, potentially leading to accelerated clandestine operations and undermining diplomatic efforts.
Exam Points
Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was captured by Russian forces in 2022.
The U.S. launched targeted strikes against Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan in 2025.
Damaged reactor cores or spent fuel pools could release caesium-137.
Climate change's severe impacts are pushing for a renegotiation of fundamental international law principles, including permanent sovereignty over natural resources (PSNR), statehood, and maritime zones. The urgency to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C demands phasing out fossil fuels, requiring developed nations to provide finance and technology to developing countries. Sea-level rise threatens the statehood of small island nations and unsettles maritime baselines, necessitating new legal frameworks for climate refugees and a reinterpretation of UNCLOS rules. States must prioritize these renegotiations to address climate-induced risks effectively.
Climate change is compelling a re-evaluation of core international law principles like permanent sovereignty over natural resources and the criteria for statehood.
The global imperative to restrict temperature rise necessitates a phase-out of fossil fuels, with developed countries expected to support developing nations with finance and technology.
Sea-level rise poses an existential threat to small island states' statehood and complicates the definition of maritime zones, requiring new legal interpretations.
Exam Points
The 1933 Montevideo Convention established four criteria for statehood.
The 1951 Refugee Convention defines a refugee based on persecution, not climate displacement.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) governs maritime zones.
India is projected to have nearly 15 million children aged 5-9 and over 26 million aged 10-19 who are overweight or obese by 2025, ranking second globally after China. The World Obesity Atlas 2026 report highlights that the world is set to miss the 2025 global target to halve the rise in childhood obesity. Key risk factors in India include low physical activity levels, sub-optimal breastfeeding, and high consumption of sugary drinks, leading to projections of substantial increases in associated diseases like hypertension and hyperglycemia by 2040. Governments are urged to implement strong prevention and management efforts.
India is projected to have the second-highest number of overweight or obese children globally by 2025, following China.
The World Obesity Federation warns that global targets to reduce childhood obesity are being missed, with India being no exception.
Significant risk factors contributing to childhood obesity in India include inadequate physical activity, sub-optimal breastfeeding, and high intake of sugary beverages.
Exam Points
India is projected to have nearly 15 million children aged 5-9 and over 26 million aged 10-19 overweight or obese by 2025.
The World Obesity Atlas 2026 report was released on World Obesity Day (March 4).
China leads with 62 million children with high BMI and 33 million with obesity, followed by India.
The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England, has returned a 16th-century bronze statue of Saint Thirumangai Alvar to the Government of India. The handover, following detailed provenance research and liaison with Indian authorities, took place at the High Commission of India in London. The statue belongs to the Sundararaja Perumal Temple in Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu. The museum acquired the statue in 1967, which was later identified as having been replaced by a modern replica in the temple in 2020. This act is seen as restoring cultural continuity.
The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford has repatriated a 16th-century bronze statue of Saint Thirumangai Alvar to India.
The statue originally belongs to the Sundararaja Perumal Temple in Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu.
The return follows extensive provenance research, which linked the museum's acquisition to a 1957 photograph of the original statue in the temple.
Exam Points
The statue is a 16th-century bronze of Saint Thirumangai Alvar.
It was returned by the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England.
The statue belongs to the Sundararaja Perumal Temple in Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu.
The escalating conflict in West Asia is severely impacting India's oil and gas imports, with around 200 international crude oil and product tankers, including Indian-flagged vessels, stranded in the Persian Gulf due to a stoppage of ship movement across the Strait of Hormuz. Qatar has halted LNG production, disrupting supplies to India, which relies on long-term contracts for 40% of its annual natural gas needs. This situation threatens to erode CNG's price advantage and could lead to a shift towards EVs, despite India having a 'reasonably comfortable position' with crude oil reserves.
The ongoing West Asia conflict is causing significant disruptions to India's oil and gas imports, leading to numerous tankers being stranded.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy transit point, has experienced a total stoppage of ship movement, affecting supply chains.
Qatar's halt in LNG production directly impacts India, which depends heavily on Qatari long-term contracts for its natural gas needs.
Exam Points
Around 200 international crude oil and product tankers are stranded in the Persian Gulf.
India imports its LPG needs from Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
India depends on long-term LNG contracts with Qatar for 40% of its annual natural gas needs.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) announced they have total control of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy waterway, amidst the fifth day of the West Asia war. This claim follows new Israeli air strikes on the Iranian capital and missile/drone barrages across the region. Energy prices have surged, and major shipping firms have suspended transit through the strait, with reports of ships being attacked. The Omani navy rescued crew members from a Malta-flagged container ship struck by missiles while transiting the Strait, underscoring the heightened risks in the region.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards claim full control over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy transit.
The announcement comes amidst escalating hostilities in West Asia, including Israeli strikes on Iran and regional missile attacks.
The conflict has led to a surge in energy prices and disruptions in global shipping, with major firms suspending transit through the Strait.
Exam Points
Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) made the claim.
The Strait of Hormuz is a key waterway for global energy transit.
The Omani navy rescued crew from a Malta-flagged container ship.
Tamil Nadu's Legislative Assembly strength of 234 seats was determined by the Delimitation Commission after the 1961 Census. Under Article 170 of the Constitution and Section 8(b) of the Delimitation Commission Act, 1962, Assembly seats must be an integral multiple of Lok Sabha seats. Despite an initial reduction of Madras' (Tamil Nadu's) Lok Sabha seats from 41 to 39, the Commission uniquely increased its Assembly multiple from five to six, preventing a contraction in representation and ensuring legislative balance. This calculated departure by the Commission has shaped the state's political landscape for decades.
Tamil Nadu's Legislative Assembly strength of 234 seats was established by the Delimitation Commission following the 1961 Census.
The Delimitation Commission Act, 1962, mandates that Assembly seats be an integral multiple of the Lok Sabha seats allotted to a state.
Madras' Lok Sabha seats were reduced from 41 to 39, but the Commission made a "calculated departure" by increasing the Assembly multiple from 5 to 6.
Exam Points
Tamil Nadu's Assembly has 234 seats.
The Delimitation Commission undertook the redistribution after the 1961 Census.
Article 170 of the Constitution and Section 8(b) of the Delimitation Commission Act, 1962, govern seat allocation.
Nepal is holding a landmark general election, called two years early due to youth-led protests against corruption and misgovernance. Voters will elect 275 members to the House of Representatives through a mixed electoral system (First-Past-The-Post and Proportional Representation). Analysts anticipate a hung parliament, continuing a cycle of coalition governments. Key political forces include the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Maoist Centre, and new entrants like the Rastriya Swatantra Party, which is gaining traction among youth and those fatigued by traditional politics. The election's outcome is crucial for addressing systemic issues and implementing reforms.
Nepal's general election was called ahead of schedule following youth-led protests demanding accountability and economic reform.
The election employs a mixed electoral system, combining First-Past-The-Post and Proportional Representation for electing 275 members to the House of Representatives.
A hung parliament is widely anticipated, likely leading to continued coalition-building among political parties.
Exam Points
Nepal's House of Representatives has 275 members (165 FPTP, 110 PR).
A simple majority requires 138 seats to form a government.
The Sainte-Laguë method is used to distribute PR seats.
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