About Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) Scheme:

• It was approved and established in 2016 with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore, with contribution spread over the 14th and 15th Finance Commission cycle based on progress of implementation.
• Objective: To provide much-needed boost to the Indian startup ecosystem and enable access to domestic capital.
• The scheme does not directly invest in startups; instead, it provides capital to SEBI-registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), known as daughter funds, who in turn invest money in growing Indian startups through equity and equity-linked instruments. 
• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has been given the mandate of operating this fund through the selection of suitable daughter funds and overseeing the disbursal of committed capital.
• AIFs supported under FFS are required to invest at least 2 times the amount committed under FFS in startups.

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI):

• It was established under an Act of the Parliament in 1990.
• It is the Principal Financial Institution engaged in promotion, financing & development of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector and coordination of the functions of the various institutions engaged in similar activities.
• It helps MSMEs in acquiring the funds they require to grow the market, develop, and commercialize their technologies and innovative products. 
• SIDBI was made responsible for administering the Small Industries Development Fund and the National Equity Fund that were administered by IDBI before. 
• Besides focusing on the development of the MSME sector, SIDBI also promotes cleaner production and energy efficiency.

Startup India Mission marks nine years of growth and innovation

Q1) What is Startup India Scheme?

It is an initiative launched by the Indian Government in January 2016 to promote entrepreneurship and startups in India. The scheme is designed to create a favorable environment for startup businesses to grow and thrive in the country.

Source: DDN

About National Disaster Response Force:

• It was established under section 44 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• It is aimed at specialized response to natural and man-made disasters.
• Initially established in 2006 with 8 Battalions, the NDRF has now expanded to 16 Battalions, drawn from the CAPF, viz Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Sashastra Seema Bal and Assam Rifles.
• Role: It is a multi-skilled and highly specialist force capable of dealing with all types of natural and man-made disasters like Floods, Cyclone, Earthquakes, Landslides, Building-collapse, Trains and road accidents etc.
• The strategic deployment of NDRF resources, characterized by “proactive availability” and “pre-positioning” during imminent disaster situations, has proven instrumental in mitigating damages caused by natural calamities across the country. 
• It has been very active in responding to natural disaster under multi-lateral and bi-lateral agreement at International level.
  • The NDRF teams responded during triple disaster (Earthquake, Tsunami and Radiation Leakage) of Fukushima, Japan in 2011 and during Earthquake in Nepal in 2015.
• It functions under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and is headed by a Director General.

Q1:What is the main role of the National Disaster Response Force?

The prime task of NDRF is to provide specialized response during disasters. During normal situations, NDRF upgrades its skills by rigorous training, regular practice and mock drills.

Source: PIB

About World Economic Forum:

• It was established in 1971 as a not-for-profit foundation by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. It was originally known as the European Management Forum.
• It introduced the concept of stakeholder capitalism.
• It engages organizations and leaders through dialogue, debate and commitments for action in the service of building more future-ready, resilient, inclusive and sustainable economies and societies.
• Background:
  • Events in 1973, namely the collapse of the Bretton Woods fixed exchange rate mechanism and the Arab-Israeli War, saw the Annual Meeting expand its focus from management to economic and social issues.
  • Two years later, the organisation introduced a system of membership for ‘the 1,000 leading companies of the world’. 
  • In 1987, the European Management Forum formally became the World Economic Forum and sought to broaden its vision to include providing a platform for dialogue.
  • In 2015 it was formally recognised as an international organization.
• Funding: The WEF is largely funded by its partnering corporations. These are generally global enterprises with annual turnover greater than $5 billion. 
• Reports published by the World Economic Forum: Global Competitiveness Report, Global Information Technology Report, Global Gender Gap Report, Global Risks Report, Global Travel and Tourism Report, Global Enabling Trade Report.
• It has headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and offices in New York and San Francisco in the United States, in Beijing, China and in Tokyo, Japan.
• Davos meeting: Davos brings together some 3,000 participants (including paying members and selected invitees), among whom are investors, business leaders, political leaders, economists, celebrities and journalists, for up to five days to discuss global issues across 500 sessions. 

Q1: What is the main purpose of the World Economic Forum?

It is committed to improving the state of the world – is the international organization for public-private cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Source: IE

About Great Barrier Reef:

• It is a complex of coral reefs, shoals, and islets in the Pacific Ocean off the northeastern coast of Australia in the Coral Sea.
• It is the longest and largest reef complex in the world and isthe largest living structure on Earth.
• It has an area of some 350,000 sq.km. It makes up about 10 percent of the world's coral reef ecosystems.
• The reef, which is large enough to be visible from space, is made up of nearly 3,000 individual reefs. 
• These reefs are of two main types -platform reefs formed from radial growths, and wall reefs resulting from elongated growths, often in areas of strong water currents.
• There are also fringing reefs on sub-tidal rock of the main coastline or continental islands.
• It contains 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fishes, and 4,000 types of mollusks species. 
• It also holds great scientific interest as the habitat of species such as the dugong (‘sea cow’) and the large green turtle, which are threatened with extinction.
• Much of the Great Barrier Reef is a marine protected area, managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority of Australia.
• UNESCO declared the Great Barrier Reef a World Heritage Site in 1981.

About Great Barrier Reef:

• It is a complex of coral reefs, shoals, and islets in the Pacific Ocean off the northeastern coast of Australia in the Coral Sea.
• It is the longest and largest reef complex in the world and isthe largest living structure on Earth.
• It has an area of some 350,000 sq.km. It makes up about 10 percent of the world's coral reef ecosystems.
• The reef, which is large enough to be visible from space, is made up of nearly 3,000 individual reefs. 
• These reefs are of two main types -platform reefs formed from radial growths, and wall reefs resulting from elongated growths, often in areas of strong water currents.
• There are also fringing reefs on sub-tidal rock of the main coastline or continental islands.
• It contains 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fishes, and 4,000 types of mollusks species. 
• It also holds great scientific interest as the habitat of species such as the dugong (‘sea cow’) and the large green turtle, which are threatened with extinction.
• Much of the Great Barrier Reef is a marine protected area, managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority of Australia.
• UNESCO declared the Great Barrier Reef a World Heritage Site in 1981.

About World Employment and Social Outlook:

• It provides a detailed analysis of the state of global labour markets, highlighting key trends and challenges.
• It explores issues such as the slowdown in labour market recovery, the persistence of youth unemployment, and the widening global jobs gap.

Key highlights of the report

• In 2024, global employment grew in line with the labour force, keeping the unemployment rate steady at 5%. 
• Geopolitical tensions, the rising costs of climate change and unresolved debt issues are the challenges before the recovery and the reasons for putting labour markets under pressure.
• The labour force participation rates have dropped in low-income countries while increasing in high-income nations, mainly among older workers and women, the report pointed out. 
• The report urged member countries
  • To boost productivity, invest in skills training, education and infrastructure to support economic growth and job creation.
  • Expand social protection: provide better access to social security and safe working conditions to reduce inequality.
  • Use private funds effectively: low-income countries can harness remittances and diaspora funds to support local development.

Q1: Who released the World employment and Social Outlook Report?

The International Labour Organization (ILO) will publish its World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2025 (WESO Trends). This report provides a detailed analysis of the state of global labour markets, highlighting key trends and challenges.

Source: TH

About Krishna River:

• In terms of water inflows and river basins, Krishna is the fourth largest river after Ganga, Godavari, and Brahmaputra. 
• Course:
• It rises in western Maharashtra in the Western Ghats range near Mahabaleshwar, about 64 km from the Arabian Sea.
• It passes through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradeshand meets the Bay of Bengal at Hamasaladeevi in Andhra Pradesh, on the east coast.
• Total Length: 1300 km
• The Krishna River Basin extends over an area of about 258,948 sq. km, which is nearly 8 percent of the total geographical area of the country. 
• It is bounded by the Balaghat range on the north, by the Eastern Ghats on the south and the east, and by the Western Ghats on the west.
• Its principal tributaries joining from the right are the Ghatprabha, the Malprabha, and the Tungabhadra, whereas those joining from the left are the Bhima, the Musi, and the Munneru.

Q1: Where is the Prakasam Barrage?

Prakasam Barrage is a 1223.5 meter long modern regulator and Road Bridge built across the River Krishna and is located at the southern entrance of Vijayawada. The barrage was first built by Sir Arthur Cotton in 1855 and later reconstructed in the 1950s. This is one of the earliest major irrigation projects in Southern India. It was named after the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Tanguturi Prakasam. The scheme irrigates nearly one million hectares of land, converting the Krishna delta into a rich granary in Andhra Pradesh. This barrage also supplies water to Buckingham canal which was constructed as an inland navigation canal initially but later used as an irrigation water supply canal.

Source: TH

About Lake Naivasha:

• It is a shallow freshwater lake located in the southern Rift Valley in Kenya.
• It is considered to be of recent geological origin and is ringed by extinct or dormant volcanoes.
• It is fed by the perennial Malewa and Gilgil Rivers, which drain the Aberdare Mountains of central Kenya.
• Flora: Papyrus reeds (Cyperus papyrus) line much of the shoreline, with variable areas of submerged plants such as Potamogeton species, and floating rafts of the exotic water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes.
• Fauna: It is supporting a diverse community of waterbirds and many large mammals.
• In addition to the invaluable freshwater, it also supports large-scale and vital economic activities, mainly flower growing, fishing and geothermal power generation.
• It is designated as the Ramsar site.

What is Water hyacinth?

• The water hyacinth is native to South America and was reportedly introduced to Kenya in the 1980s 
• Usually, the presence of water hyacinth is linked to pollution. It is known to thrive in the presence of contaminants and grows quickly, and is considered the most invasive aquatic plant species in the world.
• It can prevent the penetration of sunlight and impact airflow, affecting the quality of aquatic life.

Q1: Why is Lake Naivasha famous?

Lake Naivasha is famous for its high populations of hippos and flamingos.

Source: TH