Vessel and container traffic increased via Chabahar Port and INSTC in FY24, as per Economic Survey 2024-25.

About INSTC

• 7,200-km Multi-modal transportation route linking Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf to Caspian Sea via Iran and onward to northern Europe via St. Petersburg in Russia.
• Established in 2000 in St. Petersburg, by Iran, Russia and India to enhance trade and transport connectivity among countries along its route.
• Currently, there are 13 Members of INSTC (India, Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus, Oman and Syria).
• Bulgaria has joined as an Observer State. 

DRDO has successfully conducted three successive flight-trials of VSHORADS from Chandipur off the coast of Odisha. 

About Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS)

• It is a man-portable air defence system and developed indigenously by Research Center Imarat, Hyderabad in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories. 
• It is propelled by a dual thrust solid motor and meant for neutralizing low altitude aerial threats at short ranges. 
• Its portability and rapid deployment capabilities make it a crucial asset for strengthening India's air defence.

Samudrayaan project (under Deep Ocean Mission) has received Rs 600cr in Union Budget 2025-26.

About Samudrayaan Project 

• Ministry: Ministry of Earth Sciences
• Aim: To develop a self-propelled manned submersible to carry 3 human beings to a water depth of 6000 meters for deep ocean exploration. 
  • To have an endurance of 12 hours of operational period and 96 hours in case of emergency.
• Period: 2020-2021 to 2025-2026
• Significance: 
  • Exploration: For biodiversity assessment, mineral resources like manganese, cobalt, copper, nickel, and other deep-sea deposits. Thus, contributing to Blue Economy.
  • Research: Understanding chemosynthetic biodiversity in hydrothermal vents and methane seeps.

NGT has sought a response from Centre on two invasive fish species being used as biological agents for controlling mosquitoes.

• Both are Least Concern (IUCN).
• Both tolerate brackish water, high salinities and temperatures.

About Gambusia Affinis (Western mosquitofish)

• Range: Mississippi River basin from central Indiana and Illinois, south to Gulf of Mexico.
• Characteristics: 
  • Found in freshwater; Survive in very low oxygen saturations.
  • Viviparous and breeds throughout summer.
  • Do not lay eggs, but rather give birth to live young.
• It was among the 100 world's "worst invasive alien species" by IUCN.

About Poecilia reticulata (Guppy, Millionfish and Rainbow fish) 

• Range: Northern South America and Caribbean islands.
• Characteristics: Found in Shallow edges of pools and streams.

Finance Minister has introduced Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme in Union Budget 2025-26.

About Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme

• Aim: To provide digital form of Indian language books for schools and higher education to help students understand their subjects better.
• It is aligned with National Education Policy, 2020, wherein students across schools and universities will get textbooks, learning materials in digital formats. 
• It also complements ASMITA (Augmenting Study Materials in Indian Languages through Translation and Academic Writing) initiative. 
  • It was launched by Ministry of Education and UGC in 2024 to develop 22,000 books in 22 Indian languages in next five years.

Union Budget 2025-26 announced setting up of second National Gene Bank, comprising a million germplasm lines for future food and nutritional security.

• A gene bank is a repository of genetic material, such as seeds, pollen or tissue samples to protect them from potential extinction.

About First National Gene Bank

• First National Gene Bank was set up in 1996 by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBPGR) in New Delhi.
• This bank comprises 12 regional stations across the country for collection and storage of vital crop germplasms. 
  • These germplasms are the genetic constituents of plants or animals that are used in research, conservation and crop breeding.

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (UNESCO-IOC) signs MoU to establish Ocean Coordination Mechanism for Wider Caribbean Region

About OCM:

• Aim: Securing a sustainable future for the Wider Caribbean region’s marine ecosystems.
• Funding: Will receive funding from Global Environment Facility (GEF).
• Functions: 
  • Promoting regional cooperation among Signatories for  sustainable use of marine resources.
  • sustainable development of Blue economy and effective use of limited resources for marine and coastal development. 
• It comprises an Executive group of the International Organization and a Steering Group of Countries.