Prime Minister inaugurated the World’s highest railway arch bridge (Chenab Bridge) over Chenab River and the Anji Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge over Anji River, tributary of Chenab. 

• Chenab or Chandrabhaga is the largest tributary of Indus, formed by two streams, the Chandra and the Bhaga, which join at Tandi near Keylong in Himachal Pradesh. 

About Chenab Rail Bridge

• Height and Length: 359 metres above Chenab and 1,315-metre-long.
• Key Features: Steel Arch Bridge engineered to withstand seismic and wind conditions. 
  • Enhance connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar.  
• Both the Anji and Chenab Bridge are the part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project.

Union Minority Affairs Minister launched UMEED Central Portal for real-time uploading, verification, and monitoring of Waqf properties. 

• Waqf refers to any movable or immovable property for any purpose recognised by Muslim Law as pious, religious or charitable. 

About UMEED Portal

• Legislation: Under Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) Act, 1995 .
• Key Features: Creation of a digital inventory with geo-tagging of all Waqf properties, Online grievance redressal, GIS mapping etc.
• Significance: Enabling greater transparency, accountability, participation of Waqf assets to healthcare, livelihood generation, social welfare, etc. 

The two inscriptions along with the 800-year-old Shiva temple of the later Pandya period was unearthed in Melur, Tamil Nadu. 

About the Inscriptions

• Dated: 1217-1218 CE, during the reign of Maravarman Sundara Pandya I.
  • Maravarman Sundar Pandya I ascended the throne in 1216 CE and invaded the Chola kingdom. 
  • He took the titles of Kaliyugaraman and Adisayapandiyadevan and Sonadugondan (the conqueror of the Chola country). 
• Key Findings
  • The inscription is the Sale deed of a waterbody called Nagankudi, which was sold for 64 kasu (coins).
  • It identifies the name of the Temple as Thennavanisvaram. 
    • Thennavan was the title used by the Pandyas.
  • It reveals Attur, as  the ancient name of Udampatti. 

Recently, a report highlighted the need to invest $15.8 billion annually (approximately 0.5% of annual global defence budgets) to achieve the 30x30 target of protecting 30% of global oceans by 2030. 

About 30x30 Target

• The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) has 4 goals for 2050 and 23 action-oriented global targets for urgent action till 2030. 
  • KMGBF was adopted during the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). 
• Target 3 aims at conserving 30% of Land, Waters and Seas by 2030.

The PM of Canada has  invited the Indian PM to the upcoming G7 Summit to be held in Kananaskis, Canada.

About G-7

• Genesis: Founded in 1975 in response to the oil crisis.
• Informal Grouping: Of seven countries that consists of the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
  • Became G8 in 1998 with the inclusion of Russia, reverted to G7 in 2014 after Russia’s suspension (Crimea annexation).
  • The European Union also participates in its summits.
• Aim: To discuss on foreign policy, security, international economic policy etc.
• Together the member countries represent 40% of global GDP and 10% of the world’s population.

UNESCO and MeitY Host the 5th Stakeholder Consultation on AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) in India.

About AI RAM Initiative:

• It is a comprehensive framework to assess country’s AI ecosystem readiness by UNESCO and IndiaAI Mission, MeitY.
• The AI RAM acts as a diagnostic tool to support governments in strengthening regulatory and institutional capacity in AI.
• It aims to develop an India-specific AI policy report that offers actionable recommendations for the ethical and responsible adoption of AI across sectors.

Government is to inaugurate the NeVA for the Puducherry Legislative Assembly.

• Nagaland was the 1st Legislative Assembly to implement NeVA.

About NeVA

• Ministry: Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA). 
• Aim: Digitize and streamline legislative processes across all 37 State/UT Legislatures through a unified platform, embodying the vision of ‘One Nation – One Application’.
  • Deployed on NIC Cloud, MeghRaj that helps the Chair of the House to conduct the proceedings of the House smoothly in a paperless manner. 
• Funding: Adopts a centrally sponsored funding model, ensuring equitable support across states and UTs.

Kerala state public health lab has developed molecular tests to identify deadly amoeba.

About Amoeba

• Single-celled eukaryotic organism that belongs to the group of organisms known as protozoa.
• Habitat: Found in freshwater environments,saltwater, soil, and even man-made water systems.
• Structure and Movement: Characterized by its irregular shape and ability to move and capture food using pseudopodia, which are temporary extensions of its cytoplasm.
• Nutrition: Heterotrophic organism, Feed on bacteria, algae, plant cells, and microscopic protozoa.
• Reproduction: Asexually through a process known as binary fission. 
  • The nucleus divides by mitosis, followed by the division of the cytoplasm (cytokinesis).
  • This results in two genetically identical daughter amoebas.

The 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum was held in Brasilia, Brazil recently.

• India was entrusted with hosting 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum next year.

About BRICS Parliamentary Forum:

• Objective: Serves as a platform for legislative collaboration among the parliaments of BRICS countries.
• 1st BRICS Parliamentary Forum in 2015 was held during Russia’s Chairship in Moscow.

About BRICS:

• Genesis: British economist Jim O' Neill in 2001 coined the acronym 'BRICs' representing the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
  • BRICS was formed in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2010.
• Members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.