India-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) celebrated its 2nd anniversary.

• The agreement signed in 2024 offers binding commitment of $100 bn investment and 1 million direct jobs in the next 15 years.

About EFTA

• It is the intergovernmental organisation of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. 
• Established in 1960 through the Stockholm Convention
  • Initial Founding members: Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom 
• Objective: Promotion of free trade and economic integration between its members.

Supplementary demand for grants for 2025-26, tabled in Parliament.

About Supplementary Demand for Grants

• Under Article 115, it is caused to be laid by the President of India before both the Houses of the Parliament.
• It shows the estimated amount of further expenditure necessary in respect of a financial year over and above the expenditure authorized in the Budget for that year.
• It may be token, technical, or substantive/cash. 

Global Positioning System (GPS) jamming and GPS spoofing are being allegedly used in the US-Iran war.

• These are two deliberate types of cyberattacks on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signals to disrupt or trick the navigation systems of vehicles.

About GPS Jamming

• It involves the use of a device called a jammer to disrupts and blocks authentic GNSS signals.
• It overpowers weaker signals with ‘noise’ on the same frequency. 

About GPS Spoofing 

• It refers to the practice of manipulating or tricking a GPS receiver by broadcasting false GPS signals.
• It misleads the GPS receiver into believing it is located somewhere it is not, resulting in the device providing inaccurate location data.

India supplied 5,000 metric tonnes of Diesel to Bangladesh through Friendship Pipeline.

About India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline

• Inaugurated: In 2023.
• Overview: It is the first cross border energy pipeline between India and Bangladesh with a capacity to transport 1 Million Metric Ton Per Annum (MMTPA) of High-Speed Diesel (HSD) to Bangladesh.
• Length: It is a 131-kilometre cross-border pipeline. 
• Connects: Siliguri Marketing Terminal in India with the Parbatipur depot in northern Bangladesh.

Recently new initiatives developed by NDSA were launched. 

• NETRA (NDSA Engine for Tracking and Review using AI), an AI-enabled platform for quick access to Dam safety related information.
  • It is also integrated with DHARMA, the national repository of dam safety data.
• Rashtriya Bandh Suraksha Darpan by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing was launched 
  • It is a visualisation and interpretation platform for potential dam break scenarios for risk assessment.

About NDSA

• Statutory body under Dam Safety Act, 2021.
• Ministry: Ministry of Jal Shakti 
• Functions 
  • oversee safety and maintenance of specified dams across the country.
  • Resolving issues between the State Dam Safety Organisations
  • Maintaining a National level database of dams  etc.

National Investment and Infrastructure Fund has raised $750 million for its Second Private Market Fund.

About National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF, 2015)

• It is a fund manager that invests in infrastructure and related sectors in India.
• It is a collaborative investment platform for international and Indian investors with a mandate to invest equity capital in domestic infrastructure.
• It is India’s first-ever sovereign wealth fund.
• Managed by: National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL).