Second sovereign green bond (SGrB) auction of current financial year (FY25) received low response as traders refused to pay greenium. 

• Greenium refers to pricing benefits based on logic that investors are willing to pay extra/accept lower yields for sustainable impact. 

About SGrB:

• Green bonds are used to finance or refinance eligible green projects, resulting in environmental benefits.
• Union Budget 2022-23 announced SGrB for mobilising resources for green infrastructure.
• Framework for the SGrBs was issued by the government in 2022. 

Recently a new species of loach fish has been found in Sonarenga, Nakama, and Chiabol caves of Meghalaya’s South Garo Hills district.

About Loach fish:

• These are small elongated freshwater fishes of family Cobitidae and are native to central and southern Asia. 
• Usually nocturnal fishes that inhabit both still and flowing waters.
• Use their barbels(Sensory Organs) to comb the bottom for worms, larvae, and other food. 

About Schistura Sonarengaensis

• Morphological Features: Prominent eyes & dull white or pale-beige body.
• Distinction:  They are not blind like other cave species found in Jaintia and Khasi Hills. 

The WTO issued “World Trade Statistics 2023”. 

Highlights of World Trade Statistics 2023 on Agriculture Export

• The top 5 exporters were EU> US> Brazil> China> Canada. 
• Collectively, the top ten exporters represented a 71.9% share of world exports in 2023.
• India was the 8th largest exporter. 
  • India’s exports worth $51 billion constituted 2.24% of agriculture exports in 2023. 

New FASTag rules to link it with Vehicle registration and mobile number came into effect from August 1, 2024.

About FASTag:

• Device that employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for making toll payments directly while the vehicle is in motion.
  • Technology uses radio waves to identify objects by reading information contained in wireless tag from a distance.
• Flagship programme of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways & NHAI.

Benefits:

• Operationalizes National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) program with nationwide interoperability.
• Reduces congestion and cash handling at toll plazas.

Ministry of Health asked Sports Authority of India and BCCI to prevent surrogate advertisement of tobacco/alcohol by sportspersons.

Surrogate advertising

•  It involves advertising a product that cannot be advertised openly due to legal restriction.
• Advertisers create ads that help in building a brand, and without naming the actual product that is being indirectly advertised. For example, a Tobacco company selling stationary products. 
•  These advertising came into India after the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and its rule banned direct liquor, tobacco and cigarette advertisement.
• They are banned under the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022.

Recently Indian Naval Ship Tabar participated in maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) between India and Russia.

GAIN, launched a report titled ‘The Case for Investment in Nutritious Foods Value Chains: An Opportunity for Gender Impact’. 

• Report calls for nutrition investments in the agri-food sector which can reduce gender inequalities, increase productivity and enhance business resilience. 

About GAIN

• Swiss-based Non-governmental Organization launched at the United Nations in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. 
• Supports public-private partnerships to increase access to the missing nutrients in diets.

India selected Shubhanshu Shukla and Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair (Group Captains in the IAF) for Axiom-4 mission. 

• They will train in U.S. and experience gained during the mission will be beneficial for human space programme. 

Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4)

• It is the fourth private astronaut mission of NASA and a private US company Axiom Space. 
• It is expected to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) for fourteen days.
• Axiom Space has contracted SpaceX as a launch provider.