Prelims Focus 25th September 2026

25/09/2026

20 1 minute read

Satellite Smart Anti Airfield Weapons

In News: The Ministry of Defence signed a ₹810.79 crore contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for 160 SAT-SAAW systems.

What is SAT-SAAW?

Type: An air-to-ground, precision-guided glide bomb designed to destroy enemy airfield infrastructure.
Developer: Indigenously designed and developed by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat (RCI).
Targets: High-value, reinforced installations including runways, radar stations, bunkers, and aircraft hangars.

Key Technical Features

Weight & Class: A lightweight, 125-kg class weapon. Its light weight allows a single fighter jet to carry multiple units.
Standoff Range: Operates up to 100 kilometres. This allows launch aircraft to strike safely while remaining outside the range of hostile close-in air defenses.
Guidance System: Utilizes an onboard Inertial Navigation System (INS) integrated with multi-GNSS satellite navigation (GPS/NavIC). It achieves a high accuracy rate with a Circular Error Probable (CEP) under 7 meters.
Launch Platforms: Successfully integrated and tested on the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, SEPECAT Jaguar, and Hawk-i aircraft.

DDU-GKY 2.0

In News: The Ministry of Rural Development announced the rollout of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana 2.0 (DDU-GKY 2.0) training batches starting in October 2026, aiming to train 70,000 rural youth across participating states and union territories.

Key Features of DDU-GKY 2.0

Structured Curriculum: Retains the 576-hour minimum training duration, divided into 396 hours of domain-specific training and 180 hours of mandatory non-domain training (English communication, life skills, digital literacy, and entrepreneurship).
Extended Placement Duration: Increases the minimum placement requirement from three months to six months of continuous or non-continuous employment, including wage, self-employment, and gig work.
Enhanced Support: Raises annual funding support for Migration Support Centres (MSCs) from ₹10 lakh to ₹30 lakh per centre to help workers adjust in destination locations.
Digital Integration: Uses end-to-end digital platforms, face-authenticated attendance, real-time dashboards, and integration with the Skill India Digital Hub.