Context: In a boost for the country's surveillance capabilities to monitor activities of both military warships and merchant shipping in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the 'Sindhu Netra' satellite developed by a team of young scientists from Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was successfully deployed in space.

About Sindhu Netra Satellite

• Launched by: The satellite was launched using the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) PSLV-C51 which took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
• Developed by: Students of Bengaluru based PES University under a contract by  Research Centre Imarat, which is a part of the DRDO.
• Purpose: The satellite is capable of automatically identifying the warships and merchant ships in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• Significance: The satellite enhances India’s surveillance capabilities on land borders with China and Pakistan.
• It will be useful to identify suspicious movements of sea-faring vessels close to India’s maritime borders.
• Furthermore, It will also be helpful in carrying out surveillance in areas such as the South China Sea or the pirate-infested areas near the Gulf of Aden and the African coast.