NaBFID gets government nod to raise Rs. 20,000 crore via Zero-coupon bonds.

About NaBFID (HQ: Mumbai)

• Institution Profile: Specialized Development Finance Institution.
• Establishment: In 2021 through National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development Act, 2021.
• Ministry: Ministry of Finance
• Objectives: Bridges long-term infrastructure finance gaps, develops bond and derivatives markets, and supports sustainable economic growth.

About Zero Coupon Bonds

• These bonds differ from regular bonds in that they do not provide periodic interest payments. 
• Instead, investors earn returns from difference between the discounted purchase price and the final maturity value.

NSE has launched Ahimsa index on cruelty-free trading.

About NIFTY 500 Ahimsa Index

• Launched by National Stock Exchange (NSE), it is a thematic index for ethical, animal-cruelty-free investing.
• Developed with Ahimsagain Foundation using Ahimsa Investment Movement (AIM) framework to classify companies into green, orange, and red bands.
• Green band signifying companies that are fully compliant with its animal-cruelty-free criteria.
• Comprises companies belonging only in green band. It includes IT, automobiles, real estate, and healthcare etc. 
• Excluded Companies: Excludes orange/red band. E.g. Reliance Group companies (except Reliance Power), pharmaceutical companies using animal testing etc.

Recently, a tunnel collapse at Teesta Stage-VI Hydroelectric Project in Sikkim left several workers dead and trapped. 

• ADIT-3 tunnel at Samardung (Jholungey, Namchi) caved in after a landslide, reportedly linked to a methane gas explosion. 

About Teesta Stage-VI Hydroelectric Project

• Type & Location: A 500 MW (4x125 MW) run-of-river (RoR) cascade scheme located on the Teesta River in Sirwani village, South Sikkim.
• Implementing Agency: Executed by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Limited.
• Strategic Significance: Designed to generate 2,400 MUs (Million Units annually, the project will meet grid peaking demands, support grid balancing, and accelerate regional socio-economic development.

INS Malvan was commissioned into the Indian Navy.

About INS Malvan

• Vessel Class: It is the second Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft belonging to the Mahe class.
• Manufacturing: Built by the Cochin Shipyard.
• Indigenous Content: More than 80% indigenous equipment and technology.
• Armament and Equipment: Armed with RBU 6000 rockets, DRDO torpedoes, and features a German-Indian sonar suite.
• Strategic Role: Crucial role in safeguarding the country's coastal maritime security and undersea defenses.

Researchers have unveiled five new species of lichen-forming fungi belonging to genus Allographa from Western Ghats.

About Allographa

• Nature and Classification: It is a genus of script lichens, which are lichen-forming fungi that belong to family Graphidaceae and are characterized by their elongated fruiting bodies.
  • Lichen is a stable symbiotic association between a fungus and algae and/or cyanobacteria.
  • Like all fungi, lichen fungi require carbon as a food source; this is provided by their symbiotic algae and/or cyanobacteria, that are photosynthetic.
• Ecological Importance: Important indicator of forest health and environmental quality because of their sensitivity to pollution and habitat changes.
• Species Diversity: More than 200 known species.

Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) is holding its 53rd meeting in New Delhi amid an extremely poor southwest monsoon (June-September) catchment of the Cauvery river.

About Cauvery River

• Origin:Talakaveri area of the Brahmagiri range of the Western Ghats in Karnataka.
• Drains into: the Bay of Bengal.
• Basin States: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
• Major Tributaries: Harangi, Hemavati, Shimsha, Arkavati, Lakshmantirtha, Kabini, Suvarnavati, Bhavani, Noyil, and Amaravati.
• Major Waterfalls: Shivanasamudra Falls,Hogenakkal Falls.
• Major Dams: Krishnarajasagar in Karnataka, Mettur Dam in Tamil Nadu.

Proposed 1200MW Kalai-II hydroelectric project on Lohit river in Arunachal Pradesh has raised concerns over its impact on White-bellied Heron. 

About White-bellied Heron (Ardea insignis) 

• Other Names: Imperial Heron, Great White-bellied Heron.
• Range: Bhutan, Myanmar and North-east India.
• Characteristics: Unique foraging strategy due to their huge body size; hunt in shallow water and their dietary composition is only fish. 
• Habitat: Inhabit Himalayan river systems up to elevations of about 1,500 m above sea level. Uses tall trees for nesting.
• Conservation Status: Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List); Schedule I (Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972).

Lakadong Turmeric Mission Golden Spice has been launched to promote cultivation, value addition, and global marketing of Lakadong turmeric. 

About Mission Golden Spice

• Launched by: Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) under Unlock Economic Potential of India's Northeast (USP) initiative.
• Outlay: Rs.175.45 crore.
• Objective: Develop farm-to-global-market ecosystem for Lakadong turmeric.
  • Lakadong Turmeric: Geographical Indication tagged turmeric variety native to Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, renowned for its exceptionally high curcumin content (7–10%). 
• Targets: Expand cultivation from around 2,500 hectares to ~7500 hectares, double farmers' income, create 3,000+ women-led jobs, and build a ₹100-crore Lakadong turmeric economy by FY 2028–29.