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Finance Ministry recently announced that States may be able to tap about Rs.2.04 lakh crore as additional borrowings over and above their net borrowing limits for the year. The Centre had allowed 22 States to raise additional borrowings of almost Rs.61,000 crore this year on top of their net borrowing ceilings of 3% of Gross State Domestic Product. The extra borrowing ceiling was granted to States who met their pension liabilities by making required contributions to

United Earth Amazonia prize

The United Earth Amazonia prize is a "Green Nobel" prize that recognizes environmental work in the Amazon rainforest. The prize highlights projects that help preserve and protect the rainforest and its biodiversity. The prize was instituted by Marcus Nobel, a Swedish-American businessman based in Portland, Oregon. The prize was inaugurated last year without any monetary reward, but it is set to expand its scope in 2024.

World Intellectual Property Indicators 2023 (WIPI)

According to the report of WIPI, 2023 global patent applications has been increased. In 2022, applicants based in China filed around 1.58 million patent applications, followed by the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Germany. The WIPI report also includes India as a star performer and secured the 40th position out of 132 countries.

INSUQUICK

Drug firm USV and bio-tech company Biogenomics have launched INSUQUICK, India's 1st biosimilar Insulin Aspart recently. InsuQuick is a rapid-acting insulin that helps control blood sugar levels and treats diabetes mellitus in children over 2 years old. It is a 'Make in India' product.

Blue dragons (Glaucus atlanticus)

The blue dragon (Glaucus atlanticus) is a small, shell-less, blue sea slug that floats upside down in the open ocean. It is also known as the blue sea dragon, blue angel, sea swallow, and blue ocean slug. They are found in tropical and subtropical waters throughout the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Blue dragons are mobile prey feeders, meaning they prey on organisms that move on their own. Conservation Status IUCN – Endangered.

Bhoomi Rashi Portal

Aim – It is a single point platform for online processing of land acquisition notifications to accelerate highway infrastructure development projects in India. Ministry - Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link project

The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) is a 272-kilometer railway track that will connect the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India. The project was declared a "National Project" in 2002 due to its importance in providing seamless connectivity to Kashmir. Chenab Rail Bridge, world’s highest railway bridge, over the Chenab river in Reasi district, Jammu & Kashmir is also a part of this project.

Ennore Creek

The Ennore Creek is a backwater located in Thiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu. As an arm of the Kosathalaiyar River, the Creek meets the Bay of Bengal at Mugathwara Kuppam, while the northern channel of the creek connects to the Pulicat Lake. This creek has been demarcated as Coastal Regulation Zone IV (Water Body) in the coastal zone management plan by the Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management Authority. Undertaking any reclamation, bunding, construction or altering the w

Valmiki reserve

Valmiki Tiger Reserve lies in the West Champaran district of Bihar. It forms the eastern most limit of the Himalayan Terai forests in India, and is the only tiger reserve of Bihar. It is situated in the Gangetic plains and the forest has combination of bhabar and terai tracts. Rivers Gandak, Pandai, Manor, Harha, Masan and Bhapsa flow through various parts of the reserve.

Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya

The Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya, located in Teen Murti Marg, New Delhi, is a part of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. The digital museum was a tribute to every Prime Minister of India since Independence, and a narrative record of how each one has contributed to the development of our nation. It was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on April 14, 2022.

MAITRI – II Station in Antarctica

India aims to set up a new research station in Antarctica near the Maitri station in the eastern part of the icy continent by 2029. The existing Indian research station, Maitri is very old, is imperative to build a new research station. Dakshin Gangotri, India's 1st research station in Antarctica, was commissioned in 1983 had to be abandoned in 1989 after being submerged in snow.

Black Tigers

Black tigers are a rare color variant of the Bengal tiger. They are not a separate species or subspecies of tiger. Their all-black color is due to pseudo-melanism, a condition that causes thick stripes that make the tawny background barely visible. Black tigers are only found in India's Similipal Tiger Reserve which also has the highest rate of black tiger sightings in the world. Similipal Tiger Reserve It is a national park and tiger reserve located in the M

“Paat-Mitro”

The Ministry of Textiles launched “Paat-Mitro”, a mobile application, developed by Jute Corporation of India Limited (JCI) during ‘Jute Symposium’ recently. The app is to support jute farmers and provides information about agronomy and Minimum Support Prices, as well as the latest agricultural practices. It also includes information about jute category standards and Jute-ICARE (Jute- Improved Cultivation and Advanced Retting Exercise).