Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and WIPO signed a Letter of Intent towards building joint innovation programs in global south.

• AIM is Government of India’s flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in country and was setup in 2016 under NITI Aayog.

About WIPO (HQ: Geneva, Switzerland)

• Established in 1967, it is the United Nations (UN) agency aims to encourage creative activity, to promote protection of intellectual property throughout the world.
• It currently has 193 member states (India is a member).
• All member states of UN are entitled, though not obliged, to become members of specialized agencies.

Indian sovereign green bonds hardly received any Greenium from private investor’s accodrding to Economic Survey 2023-24.

• Green bonds are debt instruments that fund specific projects/activities categorised as 'green' under national or international green taxonomies

About Greenium

• It refers to pricing benefits based on the logic that investors are willing to pay extra or accept lower yields in exchange for sustainable impact (United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)). 
• It is the additional cost of choosing a clean technology over one that emits more greenhouse gases. 

India’s growing reputation as the preferred destination for GCCs by multinational corporations has significantly boosted services exports.

About GCCs 

• Also known as Global In-house Centers or Captive Centers, 
• These are established by Multinational Corporations worldwide to make use of global talent, resources, and expertise. 
• They provide a range of services such as research and development, IT services, business process outsourcing etc.
• GCCs provide access to specialized talent, cutting-edge technology, etc. empowering businesses to compete globally.

GCF approves several projects in developing countries including a project in India (Financing Mitigation and Adaptation Projects (FMAP)). 

About FMAP 

• It is an initiative of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). 
• It will extend loan to MSMEs, for projects such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy storage and e-mobility.

About Green Climate Fund

• It is the world’s largest dedicated climate fund. 
  • Established under the Cancún Agreements in 2010.
• Mandate is to foster a paradigm shift towards low emission, climate-resilient development pathways in developing countries. 
• Operating entity of the financial mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

India will apply for licences from International Seabed Authority (ISA) to explore deep-sea minerals in Clarion-clipperton Zone of Pacific Ocean for Critical Minerals. 

About Clarion-clipperton Zone

• It is a region spanning 5,000 kilometers across the central Pacific Ocean, at depths of 4,000 - 5,500 meters.
• It is a vast area between Hawaii and Mexico, rich in polymetallic nodules.
  • Polymetallic nodules are a potential mineral resource for copper, nickel, cobalt, iron, manganese, and rare earth elements.
  • These minerals are essential for electric vehicles and solar panels, including manganese, nickel, copper, and cobalt.

NASA’s Curiosity rover discovers yellowish-green crystals of pure (elemental) sulfur on Mars.

• Curiosity’s mission (2011) was launched to study where and when the planet’s ancient terrain could have provided the nutrients needed for microbial life.

About Discovery: 

• Sulfur is a key ingredient for life and is one of the six building blocks, along with carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and phosphorus. 
  • Presence of Sulfur on Mars suggests possibilities of life-bearing conditions. 
• It’s one of several discoveries Curiosity has made while driving within Gediz Vallis channel. 
  • Gediz Vallis channel is near Mount Sharp, the base of which the rover has been ascending since 2014. 

Coal India Limited got its first critical-mineral asset, a graphite block in Madhya Pradesh.

About Graphite

• Graphite is crystalline allotropes of carbon. Other carbon allotropes include Diamond and Fullerene.
• Natural graphite available in three forms- amorphous, flake, and crystalline vein graphite.
• Properties:  It is non-metal but has many properties of metals.
  • Good conductor of electricity.
  • High natural strength and stiffness.
  • Corrosion-resistant against most common acids (e.g. hydrochloric acid).
  • High natural lubricity and one of the lightest of all reinforcing agents.
• Applications: As anode material in lithium-ion battery; lubricants; pencil, source material for graphene, etc.

Scientists have uncovered a new strain of lactic acid bacterium that could be a promising probiotic for food and pharmaceutical industry.

About Probiotic

• Probiotics are live microorganisms (bacteria and yeasts) that are intended to have health benefits when consumed or applied to body.
  • Lactobacillus acidophilus (probiotic bacteria) naturally occurs in human gut and other parts of body. It helps digestive system to break down sugars like lactose into lactic acid.
• They can be found in yogurt and other fermented foods, dietary supplements, and beauty products.
• Benefits: Improving intestinal tract health; Help body to maintain healthy community of microorganisms;  stimulate systemic immune response etc.