Bangladesh welcomes participation of China in Teesta River Comprehensive Management & Restoration Project.

About Teesta River

• Origin: Originates as Chhombo Chhu from a glacial lake Khangchung Chho in Sikkim.
  • The glacial lake lies at the snout of the Teesta Khangse glacier descending from Pauhunri peak.
• It flows through Sikkim & West Bengal, and then enters Bangladesh, merging with Jamuna River (Brahmaputra).
• Tributaries:
  • Left-bank Tributaries: Lachung Chhu, Rangpo Chhu, Chakung Chhu etc. 
  • Right-bank Tributaries: Rangeet River (largest tributary).
• Teesta Treaty: In 2011, a draft agreement was proposed where India would get 42.5% and Bangladesh 37.5% of Teesta’s water during the dry season.
  • Implementation was halted due to objections from West Bengal.

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the 4-lane access-controlled Patna–Arrah–Sasaram corridor under the Hybrid Annuity Model.

About Hybrid Annuity Model 

• HAM is a public-private partnership (PPP) model used in infrastructure projects, primarily in road construction.
• Funding: 40% of project cost funded by government during construction & private concessionaire funds remaining 60%.
  • HAM enables private developers to recover costs through structured government annuity payments over time.
• Benefits over Other Models: Balanced risk-sharing, assured returns for private players etc.

Union Government has announced the establishment of second National Gene Bank (NGB) to conserve 10 lakh crop germplasm, ensuring future food and nutritional security.

• The first NGB was established in 1996 at the ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) in New Delhi.

About Gene Banks

• Gene banks are biorepositories that store genetic material of plants, animals, and microorganisms to preserve biodiversity and ensure long-term food security.
• Types of Gene Banks: Seed Banks (Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Norway), Field Gene Banks (live plants conserved in natural conditions), Cryo-preservation Banks (preserve tissues, embryos, and cells), Pollen and DNA Banks, etc.
• Other Gene Banks in India
  • Animal Gene Bank:  ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), Haryana.
  • Microbial Gene Bank: ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms (NBAIM), Uttar Pradesh.

14th Edition of Exercise INDRA is taking place in Chennai from March 28, 2025 to April 02, 2025.

About Exercise INDRA

• It is a bilateral naval exercise between India and Russia, taking place since 2003.
• The exercise will be conducted in two phases - Harbour phase (at Chennai), and Sea phase in Bay of Bengal.
• Participation: Russian Federation Naval Ships Pechanga, Rezkiy, and Aldar Tsydenzhapov and Indian Naval Ships Rana, Kuthar, and Maritime patrol aircraft P8l.

Lok Sabha passed Carriage of Goods By Sea Bill,2024 

• Objective of the bill: To simplify the language of the provision for the ease of understanding.

About the Bill

• It replaced the Indian Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 1925.
• It establishes the responsibilities, liabilities, rights, and immunities in case of goods carried from a port in India to another port in India or any other port in the world.
• It is in conformance with the International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law relating to Bills of Lading of August 1924 (Hague Rules) and subsequent amendments to it.

Indian Bond Yields Drop Sharply in FY25 Amid Foreign Inflows & Policy Shifts.

• Definition: A bond is a loan made by an investor to a borrower for a set period of time in return for regular interest payments.

About bond yield

• Definition: A bond is a contract between the borrower (the issuer) and the lender (the investor).

Relationship Between Bond Price and Yield

• When bond prices rise, yields fall, and when prices fall, yields rise. 
• If market interest rates rise, new bonds offer higher yields, making existing bonds with lower yields less attractive. 
  • This causes existing bond prices to drop, which in turn raises their yields.

Government of India Supporting Photonic Chip Research for Next-Gen Computing.

About photonic chip

• Concept: A photonic chip is similar to an electronic chip but uses light (photons) instead of electricity (electrons). 
• Components: Instead of resistors and transistors, PICs have optical components like waveguides, lasers, and polarizers.
• Significance: 
  • Transmit data at ultra-high speed, high bandwidth, and good energy efficiency. 
  • They generate minimal heat, are immune to electromagnetic interference, etc.
  • These chips are better suited for new applications such as 6G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum computing, data centers, etc.

Recently, Indian Army has successfully tested a First Person View (FPV) drone developed indigenously by Major Cephas Chetan in collaboration with Chandigarh-based Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory.

About First Person View (FPV) Drones

• Key features
  • Precision strike capability: Can target enemy bunkers, vehicles, and smaller systems effectively.
  • Pilot-controlled trigger: Activation is done only via radio controller, minimizing premature detonation risks.
  • Real-time payload monitoring: Operators receive live payload status via FPV Goggles for better accuracy.
• Strategic importance
  • Indigenous defence technology: It will reduce reliance on foreign suppliers.
  • Cost-effective weaponry: Provides a low-cost precision strike alternative for battlefield operations.