• Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended introduction of CNAP supplementary service in Indian Telecommunication network.
   
• About CNAP
  • CNAP supplementary service that enables the called party to receive calling name information of the calling party.
    • Calling name (CNAM) of each telephone subscriber should be provided by the originating access service providers.
  • It aims to address incessant spam and Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC).
    • UCC means any commercial communication that is neither as per the consent nor as per registered preference(s) of recipient.

• Tri-Services Firing and Manoeuvre Exercise – Bharat Shakti – was demonstrated in Pokharan, Rajasthan.
   
• About Bharat Shakti
  • It will simulate realistic, synergised, multi-domain operations displaying integrated operational capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces to counter threats across land, air, sea, cyber, and space domains.
  • Key Equipment and Weapons Systems participating in the exercise include T-90 (IM) Tanks, Dhanush and Sarang Gun Systems, Akash Weapons System, etc.
  • It highlights the resilience, innovation, and strength of India's domestic defence capabilities on the global stage.

• According to a study, gravitational interaction between Earth and Mars results in cyclic changes in deep ocean currents that recur every 2.4 million years.
  • This 2.4-million-year pattern has been identified as Astronomical Grand Cycle (AGC).
• Mechanism behind AGC:
  • Gravity fields of the planets in solar system interfere with each other and this interaction, called a resonance, influences Earth’s path around the Sun.

Such interaction between Earth and Mars is associated with AGC while Earth’s interactions with Jupiter and Saturn are associated with Milankovitch cycles (which coincide with rise and fall of ice ages).

• Assam Cabinet has decided to de-notify prime rhino habitat PWS.
   
• About PWS
  • Location:  Suburbs of Guwahati, Assam. 
  • River:  on the southern bank of Brahmaputra River. 
  • Consists of Rajamayong Reserve Forest and Pobitora Reserve Forest.
  • Highest density of Greater One Horned Rhinoceros in the world.
    • Eight Rhinos were translocated from PWS into Manas National Park as part of Indian Rhinoceros Vision, 2020 (IRV).
  • Other Species: Wild Water Buffalo, Wild Boar, Leopard, Capped Langur, Porcupine, Pangolin, etc.
  • Important Bird Area as per Birdlife International.

• Recently, gene banks from multiple countries have deposited seeds to the GSV stockpile.
   
• About GSV
  • It is part of international system for conserving plant genetic diversity guided by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
  • Functions as safety depository for orthodox seeds, primarily of domesticated plants and their wild relatives which are important to food and agriculture.
  • Located in Svalbard (a Norwegian archipelago) half way between the Northern pole and mainland Norway.
  • Seeds are placed in the chambers inside frozen mountain and artificial cooling plants at a constant temperature of – 18 ⁰C.

• Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) inaugurated the first phase of ART-CI in Madhya Pradesh.
   
• About ART-CI
  • Aim: Advancing weather research for better understanding on processes governing monsoon convection and land-atmosphere interactions over core monsoon zone.
  • It is a first of its kind testbed facility spearheaded by the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
  • It has been established under Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services (ACROSS) umbrella scheme of MoES.
  • ART-CI will have remote-sensing and in-situ instruments providing continuous observations of convection, clouds, precipitation, soil moisture, radiation etc.

• Minister for Earth Sciences (MoES) announced that Samudrayaan mission is set to explore ocean bed by 2025-end. 
   
• Samudrayaan Mission
  • Aim: To develop a self-propelled manned submersible to carry 3 human beings to a water depth of 6000 meters in the ocean with scientific sensors and tools for deep ocean exploration. 
  • It is part of Deep Ocean Mission of MoES. 
  • For this, National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) Chennai has developed Matsya 6000. 
  • It has endurance of 12 hours of operational period and 96 hours for emergency.

• Prime Minister visited Sabarmati Ashram and inaugurated redeveloped Kochrab Ashram on 12^th March.
  • On 12^th March 1930, Gandhiji started Salt Satyagraha March or Dandi March from Sabarmati Ashram to the coastal town of Dandi.
  • At Dandi, Gandhiji broke the British government’s salt law by gathering natural salt on the sea shore. 
• Kochrab Ashram in Ahmedabad was the first Ashram established by Mahatma Gandhi after coming to India from South Africa in 1915.
  • Jivanlal Desai, a fellow lawyer, helped Gandhiji setup the Ashram. 

Cyprus (Capital: Nicosia)

• A Ship carrying 200 tonnes of aid for Gaza departed from Cyprus.
   
• Political Boundaries:
  • An island country in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea
  • Maritime neighbours: Turkey (North), Syria (East), and Lebanon (Southeast).
  • It is third largest island in Mediterranean Sea after Sicily and Sardinia.
     
• Geographical Features:
  • Mountain Range: Kyrenia and Troodos Mountains.
  • Major Rivers: Pedieos, Serakhis, Kouris, etc.