Sovereign Green Bonds Latest News

Like several emerging markets, India also turned to sovereign green bonds to help fund its transition to a low-carbon economy, but investor demand remains weak.

About Sovereign Green Bonds 

• SGBs are debt securities issued by a national government to fund projects that have positive environmental benefits. 
• The proceeds from these bonds are exclusively allocated to green initiatives, which can include renewable energy projects, sustainable agriculture, waste management, and more. 
• Essentially, these bonds are a way for governments to raise capital while promoting environmental sustainability.

Sovereign Green Bonds in India

• The Union Budget 2022-23 announced the issue of SGrBs.
• The framework for the SGrBs was issued by the government on November 9, 2022.
• What does the framework entail?
  • The government’s framework is based on the International Capital Market Association’s (ICMA) listed principles for issuing green bonds, which has four components:
    • Use of proceeds, project evaluation and selection, management of proceeds, and reporting.
  • The government said the bonds’ proceeds will be used for green projects that:
    • Encourage energy efficiency
    • Reduce carbon emissions and greenhouse gases
    • Promote climate resilience and/or adaptation
    • Improve natural ecosystems and biodiversity, especially in accordance with the principles of sustainable development goals
  • The framework listed investments in solar, wind, biomass, and hydro energy projects, and urban mass transportation projects such as metro rail, green buildings, pollution prevention and control projects. 
  • The government excluded projects such as fossil fuels, nuclear power generation, and direct waste incineration.
  • The eligible expenditure is limited to government spending that occurred not more than 12 months prior to issuance.
  • The proceeds should be allocated to projects within 24 months of issuing the bonds.
  • If an eligible green project is postponed or cancelled, it will be replaced by another eligible green project.

How will Green Projects be Evaluated and Reported?

• The Ministry of Finance has constituted a Green Finance Working Committee composed of relevant ministries and chaired by the chief economic adviser.
• The ministries will submit their projects to the committee, which will meet at least twice a year to evaluate the proposals.
• Once the projects are evaluated, the final list will be given to the budget division of the finance ministry.
• The division will then issue the bonds through the RBI and use the proceeds to finance the selected projects.
• The government will release an annual report on the selection of green projects, the funds deployed, and their impact on the greening of the economy.
• It will also maintain a Green Register with details of the green bond issuance, the proceeds generated, allocations made, and information about the eligible projects.

Sovereign Green Bonds FAQs

Q1. What are green bonds issued by the RBI?

Ans. Green Bonds issued by the RBI are a type of sovereign bond aimed at raising funds for environmentally sustainable projects. 

Q2. What is the maturity period of sovereign green bonds?

Ans. The maturity period of sovereign green bonds typically ranges from 5 to 10 years, depending on the specific terms of the bond issuance.

Q3. What is a bond?

Ans. A bond is a debt security issued by an entity (such as a government, corporation, or municipality) to raise funds.

Source: IE

NAKSHA Programme Latest News

The Union Minister of Rural Development and Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare is inaugurating the NAKSHA Programme at Raisen, Madhya Pradesh.

About NAKSHA Programme

• The National Geospatial Knowledge-based Land Survey of Urban Habitations (NAKSHA) programme aims to create and update land records in urban areas to ensure accurate and reliable documentation of land ownership.
• This initiative will empower citizens, improve ease of living, enhance urban planning, and reduce land-related disputes.The IT-based system for property record administration will foster transparency, efficiency and support sustainable development.
• The Survey of India is the technical partner for NAKSHA programme which is responsible for conducting aerial surveys and providing orthorectified imagery, through third party vendors, to state and Union Territory governments.
• The end-to-end web-GIS platform will be developed by the Madhya Pradesh State Electronic Development Corporation (MPSEDC) and storage facilities will be provided by the National Informatics Centre Services Inc. (NICSI).
• States and Union Territory governments are scheduled to conduct field surveys and ground truthing using the orthorectified imagery, ultimately leading to the final publication of urban and semi-urban land records.

NAKSHA Programme FAQs

Q1: What is geospatial?

Ans: Geospatial technology is a term used to describe the range of modern tools contributing to the geographic mapping and analysis of the Earth and human societies.

Q2: What does Survey of India do?

Ans: The Survey of India acts as adviser to the Government of India on all survey matters, viz Geodesy, Photogrammetry, Mapping and Map Reproduction.

Q3: Where is the headquarters of Survey of India situated?

Ans: Dehradun, Uttarakhand

Source: PIB

Sowparnika River Latest News

Environmentalists have raised alarm over an alarming increase in pollution in the Sowparnika River, which flows beside the Kollur Mookambika Temple. 

About Sowparnika River 

• The Sowparnika River is a west-flowing river in Karnataka.
• The river is surrounded by lush green forests of the Western Ghats.
• Course: Originating from the Kodachadri Hills in the Western Ghats, it flows through the Byndoor taluk, passing near the renowned Mookambika Temple in Kollur, before merging with the Arabian Sea.
• The Souparnika River is deeply associated with Hindu mythology.
  • Legend has it that Garuda (the divine bird and vehicle of Lord Vishnu) performed penance on the riverbanks, which is how it got its name "Souparnika" (named after "Suparna," another name for Garuda). 
• A unique feature of the Souparnika River is observed near Maravanthe Beach, where the river runs parallel to the Arabian Sea, separated by a narrow stretch of land. 
  • This rare geographical phenomenon offers a picturesque landscape, making it a popular spot for tourists and photographers.

Sowparnika River FAQs

Q1. Where is the Sowparnika river?

Ans. The Sowparnika River, also known as the Souparnika River, is a significant waterway in the Udupi district of Karnataka, India. 

Q2. Where is Maravanthe Beach located?

Ans. Maravanthe Beach is located in the Udupi district of Karnataka, India, approximately 55 kilometers from Udupi city.

Q3. Which are the tributaries of Sowparnika River?

Ans. The Souparnika River is joined by several tributaries, including the Varahi, Kedaka, Chakra, and Kubja rivers, which converge to form the Panchagangavalli River before merging into the Arabian Sea.

Source: TOI

Project Waterworth Latest News

Recently, Meta announced its most ambitious subsea cable endeavour ever – Project Waterworth.

About Project Waterworth

• It stretches over 50,000 km long cable which connects India, US, Brazil, South Africa and other “key regions”.
• Its cable will reach depths of up to 7,000 meters in deep waters.
• The project is using AI to enhance subsea cable infrastructure to improve global connectivity.
• It focuses on enhancing cable deployment and maintenance, ensuring reliable and efficient internet access worldwide.
• It uses enhanced burial techniques in high-risk fault areas, such as shallow waters near the coast, to avoid damage from ship anchors and other hazards.

What will Project Waterworth Do?

• Project Waterworth, by leveraging advanced machine learning models, aims to predict and mitigate potential disruptions, enhancing the resilience of subsea networks.
• The initiative will bring industry-leading connectivity to the US, India, Brazil, South Africa, and other key regions.
• This will facilitate greater economic cooperation, digital inclusion, and open opportunities for technological development in the said regions. 
• It would provide "industry-leading connectivity" to five major continents and help support its AI projects.

Project Waterworth FAQs

Q1: What is Artificial intelligence?

Ans: It is a field of science concerned with building computers and machines that can reason, learn, and act in such a way that would normally require human intelligence or that involves data whose scale exceeds what humans can analyze

Q2: What is meant by digital inclusion?

Ans: Itis defined as “equitable, meaningful, and safe access to use, lead, and design of digital technologies, services, and associated opportunities for everyone, everywhere”.

Source: IE

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Latest News

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), in collaboration with AgroStar and Kay Bee Exports, successfully completed India's first-ever commercial trial shipments of premium Sangola and Bhagwa pomegranates, respectively, to Australia via sea.

About Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority

• APEDA was established by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act passed by the Parliament in December, 1985.
• The Authority replaced the Processed Food Export Promotion Council (PFEPC).
• It works under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Objective: To develop and promote the export of scheduled products.
• The products specified under the APEDA ACT are called scheduled products, and exporters of such scheduled products are required to register under APEDA.
  • Examples of scheduled products: Fruits, Vegetable, Meat, Poultry Products. Dairy Products, Confectionery, Biscuits, Bakery Products, Honey, Jaggery, etc.
• It provides financial assistance, information, and guidelines for the development of scheduled products.
• APEDA also functions as the Secretariat to the National Accreditation Board (NAB) for the implementation of accreditation of the Certification Bodies under National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) for Organic exports.
• Headquarters: New Delhi

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Functions

• Setting the standards and specifications for the scheduled products.
• Registration of exporters of the scheduled products on payment of required fees.
• Improving packaging and marketing of the Scheduled products.
• Carrying out an inspection of products to ensure the quality of such products.
• Training in various aspects of the industries connected with the scheduled products.
• Development of industries relating to the scheduled products and undertaking surveys, feasibility studies, etc
• Collection of statistics from the owners of factories or establishments and publication of such statistics.

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority FAQs

Q1. Where is the headquarter of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority?

Ans. New Delhi

Q2. Which ministry is APEDA under?

Ans. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) operates under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Q3. What is the purpose of APEDA?

Ans. Its primary purpose is to promote the export and development of agricultural and processed food products from India.

Source: TRIBUNEIND

Exercise Dharma Guardian Latest News

The Exercise Dharma Guardian, between India and Japan is scheduled at Mount Fuji, Japan from February 25 to March 9, the Indian Army.

About Exercise Dharma Guardian

• It is a joint military exercise between India and Japan.
• It is an annual exercise and conducted alternatively in India and Japan.
• It aims to enhance interoperability between the two forces while undertaking joint urban warfare and counter-terrorism operations under UN mandate.
• It will focus on a high degree of physical fitness, joint planning and joint tactical drills.
• Drills to be rehearsed during the exercise include advanced special forces skills and various other tactics, techniques and procedures as per the current operational paradigm.
• It will culminate with a 48-hour-long validation to rehearse the tactical drills for counterterrorism operations in desert and semi-desert terrain.
• In addition to tactical manoeuvres, it will foster stronger cultural and professional ties between the participating contingents.
• Military drills often include social and cultural exchanges that promote deeper understanding of each other's traditions, values, and operational approaches which helps in building a foundation of mutual respect, which is crucial for effective collaboration in real-world scenarios.
• Significance: The exercise will enable the two sides to share their best practices in tactics, techniques and procedures of conducting tactical operations.

Exercise Dharma Guardian FAQs

Q1: Which two countries are involved in the Dharma Guardian exercise?

Ans: India and Japan

Q2: What is the definition of terrorism?

Ans: Although the term is not subject to a universally agreed definition, terrorism can be broadly understood as a method of coercion that utilizes or threatens to utilize violence in order to spread fear and thereby attain political or ideological goals.

Source: DD NEWS

Javelin Anti-Tank Guided Missile Latest News

India and the US recently announced plans to pursue new procurements and co-production arrangements for Javelin anti-tank guided missiles, to meet the defense requirements of India.

About Javelin Anti-Tank Guided Missile

• It is a man-portable, fire-and-forget, anti-tank guided missile. 
• It is developed and produced jointly by American defence majors Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.
• It was designed to defeat heavily armored vehicles such as main battle tanks and lighter-skinned military vehicles.
• The weapon also has capability against other target types like fortifications, bunkers, and helicopters.

Javelin Anti-Tank Guided Missile Features

• It has an effective range of 2.5 km.
• It is a fire-and-forget missile with lock-on before launch and automatic self-guidance. 
• It uses automatic infrared guidance that allows the user to seek cover immediately after launch.
• The Javelin's HEAT warhead is capable of defeating modern tanks by attacking them from above where their armor is thinnest (see top-attack), and is also useful against fortifications in a direct attack flight. 

Javelin Anti-Tank Guided Missile FAQs

Q1. Who produces the Javelin missile?

Ans. The Javelin missile is developed and produced by the Javelin Joint Venture (JJV), a collaboration between Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies.

Q2. Does India have javelin missiles?

Ans. India does not currently possess Javelin anti-tank missiles.

Q3. What is infrared guidance?

Ans. Infrared guidance is a passive missile guidance system that utilizes the infrared radiation emitted by a target to track and engage it.

Source: TWEEK

Earthquake Swarm Latest News

A state of emergency has been declared on Greece’s Santorini and the nearby islands of Ios, Amorgos, and Anafi after a swarm of undersea earthquakes this month.

About Earthquake Swarm

• It occurs when multiple seismic events of comparable intensity strike a small area in relatively quick succession.
• It involves a series of many (sometimes thousands) low-intensity earthquakes without a discernible main shock that can occur over weeks in active geothermal areas.
• When seismic energy piles up inside the Earth and is released in small amounts from certain points, such a series of earthquakes can occur.

What Causes Swarm Sequences?

• Fluid movement
  • In volcanic environments, this can be fluid released from deeper magma or circulating within active geothermal areas (in volcanic areas such as the Taupō Volcanic Zone).
  • The earthquakes triggered by fluids occur as fault slip on the cracks and faults through which the water is moving.
• Active volcanism
  • Magma movement can also act as the ‘driving mechanism’ for swarms, creating the earthquakes as magma-filled cracks push their way through the Earth’s crust.
  • In such a case the earthquakes commonly occur near the crack tip (ahead of the magma where the crack is starting to open), or off to the side of the crack.
• Slow-slip events
  • A slow-slip event is essentially an earthquake in slow-motion, and typically involves centimetres to tens of centimetres of movement along a fault, over weeks to years.
  • We commonly see slow slip events at the Hikurangi subduction zone, usually at least one or two per year. 

Earthquake Swarm FAQs

Q1: What is the difference between earthquake aftershocks and swarms?

Ans: Aftershocks become less frequent with time, although they can continue for days, weeks, months, or even years for a very large mainshock. A swarm, on the other hand, is a sequence of mostly small earthquakes with no identifiable mainshock.

Q2: Where do most earthquakes occur?

Ans: It occurs along the rim of the Pacific Ocean

Q3: What is an earthquake?

Ans: An earthquake is a violent and abrupt shaking of the ground, caused by movement between tectonic plates along a fault line in the earth's crust.

Source: TH

Ovoid Cells Latest News

Researchers have discovered a new type of neuron that plays a fundamental role in recognition memory and named “ovoid cells.”

About Ovoid Cells

• These cells, named for the distinct egg-like shape of their cell bodies, are present in relatively small numbers within the hippocampus of humans, mice, and other animals.
• These are highly specialized neurons which get activated each time when we encounter something new.
• It triggers a process that stores those objects in memory and allows us to recognize them months potentially even years later.
• They are quite distinct from other neurons at a cellular and functional level, and in terms of their neural circuitry.
• Significance: This discovery provides key insights into how memories form and could aid in the treatment of brain conditions related to object recognition, such as Alzheimer's disease, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and epilepsy.

What are Neurons?

• It is also known as a nerve cell, is a specialized cell in the nervous system that is responsible for transmitting information through electrical and chemical signals.
• Neurons are the basic building blocks of the nervous system and play a crucial role in processing and transmitting information within the body.

Ovoid Cells FAQs

Q1: What is Alzheimer's Disease?

Ans: It is a brain condition that causes a progressive decline in memory, thinking, learning, and organizing skills.

Q2: What is the main function of the hippocampus?

Ans: Its largest job is to hold short-term memories and transfer them to long-term storage in our brains. 

Q3: Where is the location of the hippocampus?

Ans: It is located in the inner (medial) region of the temporal lobe

Source: DD News

Parambikulam Tiger Reserve Latest News

A faunal survey by the Forest Department at the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve has added 15 new species to the protected area’s checklist.

About Parambikulam Tiger Reserve

• It is a protected area located in the Palakkad and Thrissur districts of Kerala.
• It was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2009 under Project Tiger.
• It covers an area of 391 sq.km.
• Rivers: The Parambikulam, Sholayar, and Thekkady rivers flow through the reserve, supporting its rich biodiversity.
• It is home to the four different tribes of Kadar, Malasar, Muduvar, and Mala Malasar which are settled in six different colonies inside the protected reserve.
• Flora: 
  • The habitat comprises predominantly mixed deciduous, evergreen, and semi-evergreen forests.
  • Other unique habitats like montane and marshy grasslands, locally known as 'vayals', are also found. 
  • Teak plantations and deep freshwater ecosystems created by three dams further add to the diversity.
• Fauna:
  • It hosts one of the densest gaur populations and is home to 49 species of mammals, including Bengal tigers, Asian elephants, Indian leopards, spotted deer, and the more uncommon lion-tailed macaques and Nilgiri marten. 
  • Tomopterna parambikulamana (Parambikulam Frog) and one species of sucker fish, Garro surendranathanii, are endemic to the reserve.

Parambikulam Tiger Reserve FAQs

Q1. Which river flows through Parambikulam Tiger Reserve?

Ans. The Parambikulam, Sholayar, and Thekkady rivers flow through the reserv.

Q2. Which animal is protected in Parambikulam? 

Ans. The Parambikulam Tiger Reserve is primarily known for protecting the Royal Bengal Tiger, along with other endangered and threatened species.

Q3. Where is Parambikulam Tiger Reserve located?

Ans. It is a protected area located in the Palakkad and Thrissur districts of Kerala.

Source TH