Union Minister said that KMTTP will be Operational by 2027.

• Jointly identified by India and Myanmar, it offers multi-modal transportation of cargo from Eastern Ports of India to Myanmar and to India’s North-Eastern Region (NER) through Myanmar. 

About KMTTP

• Framework Agreement: Signed in 2008.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of External Affairs. 
• Project Development Consultant (PDC): Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). 
• Transit Components
  • Waterway Component: On Kaladan River from Sittwe Port (Rakhine, Myanmar) to Paletwa in Myanmar.
  • Road Component: From Paletwa to Zorinpui on India-Myanmar border in Mizoram. 

Significance of KMTTP for India

• End Geographic Isolation of NER: Region is connected with rest of India through the "Chicken's Neck” (narrow corridor of just 21 km) and is surrounded by International borders.
• Aligns with India’s Act East Policy (AEP): Announced in 2014, focuses on India’s connectivity with the neighbourhood. 
• Logistics Cost and Time: Cost and time for transportation of goods from Kolkata to Aizwal would drop by more than 50%.
• Develop NER as a business hub: Boost trade, establish export-oriented industries, particularly in sectors like manufacturing and agro-processing. 

The withdrawal was announced, citing the agency’s support for woke and divisive causes and anti-Israel bias.

• This marks the third US exit from UNESCO and the second under the current leadership.
• Additionally, the US also took steps to withdraw from other UN bodies and agencies, such as the WHO, and significantly reduced funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine.

Impact of US withdrawal

• Budgetary Impact: The US contributes nearly 8% of UNESCO’s total budget.
• Geopolitical Impact: The withdrawal may create space for increased influence by other powers, particularly China.
• Impact on Multilateralism: Exiting a UN body may weaken trust in multilateral institutions and signal a retreat from global cooperation.

About UNESCO

• It is a specialized agency of the United Nations. 
• Purpose: To contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among the nations through education, science and culture.
• Its Headquarters in Paris serves as the Organization's main building.
• It has 194 Members and 12 Associate Members.
• Key Reports and Initiatives: 
  • Global Education Monitoring Report
  • World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development
  • UNESCO World Heritage Sites
  • Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme

India has reiterated its commitment to ensuring justice for crimes committed against UN peacekeepers at the meeting of the Group of Friends (GOF).

About GOF

• It is Indian-led initiative and seeks to facilitate the promotion of accountability for all acts of violence against UN peacekeepers.
• Launched in 2022.
• The Group is a driving force of United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and plays a vital role in UNAOC’s strategic planning and implementation process.

India reaffirms commitment to ‘Pact for Future’ at UN dialogue.

About ‘Pact for Future’

• It was adopted at Summit of the Future in 2024.
• Pact for the Future includes
  • Global Digital Compact (It is the first comprehensive global framework for digital cooperation) and  
  • Declaration on Future Generations.
• Feature: It makes clear commitments and achieves concrete deliverables on a range of issues, with strong attention to human rights, gender and sustainable development.  
• It formulates various commitments in the areas of
  • Sustainable development and financing for development,
  • International peace and security, 
  • Science, technology, and innovation and digital cooperation,
  • Youth and future generations and 
  • Transforming global governance.

International Criminal Court welcomed Ukraine as 125th State Party to the Rome Statue. 

About the ICC

• It is the first international permanent court to investigate and prosecute individuals accused of serious international crimes: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.
• Established under the Rome Statute (adopted in 1998 entered into force in 2002).
• India is not party to the Rome Statute.
• Hq: The Hague, Netherlands.

Iran was recently threatened of snapback sanctions by E3 countries amidst the derailed U.S.-Iran nuclear talks.

• Snapback sanctions (under 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)) - are provisions that allow reimposition of sanctions against Iran if it violates its nuclear commitments.

About E3 countries 

• About: E3 is an informal foreign and security cooperation arrangement between the UK, Germany and France.
• Origin: The E3 met for the first time after the US attacked Iraq in 2003 to identify a trilateral strategy towards Iraq, and manage nuclear risks coming from Iran.

19th edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI) has been released by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).

About Global Peace Index (GPI)

• It included 163 independent state and territories. 
• It uses 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators across three domains: 
  • Level of Societal Safety and Security.
  • Extent of Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict.
  • Degree of Militarisation.
• Key Findings:
  • India’s rank is 115^th. 
  • Russia (163 Rank) is the least peaceful country.

• Average level of global peacefulness deteriorated.
• South Asia, the second least peaceful region globally, experienced the largest regional decline in peacefulness.
• Ranking: Iceland has been placed at first place.

Red Sea cargo ships face new attacks as Houthis (Yemen) claim to have sunk vessel.

Red Sea

• Red Sea marginal sea in the north-west of the Indian Ocean.
• It is connected to the Gulf of Aden via Strait of Bab El Mandeb and to the Mediterranean sea via Suez Canal.
• Bordering Nations: Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea(West), Israel & Jordan(North East) via the gulf of Aqaba and Saudi Arabia & Yemen(East).
• Northern Split: Red Sea in its northern part splits into two parts, the Gulf of Suez (Northwest) and Gulf of Aqaba (Northeast).
• It contains one of the world’s most saline seawater.
  • The Red Sea receives very little precipitation in any form, and no water enters the Red Sea from rivers.

France announces an agreement to give New Caledonia more autonomy.

• The agreement would create the “State of New Caledonia” within the French Republic, that would give the semiautonomous Pacific territory more freedoms but stops short of granting it independence.

New Caledonia

• Location: French overseas territory in the Pacific Ocean.
• History: During the 1840s, Islanders were kidnapped by European traders as slaves or for forced labour in sugarcane plantations, later in 1853 annexed by France.
• Present Demand: Deep divisions between its indigenous Kanak population and Europeans, over its independence.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have committed to a permanent ceasefire in eastern Congo.

About M23 rebels

• M23, or March 23 Movement primarily consists of ethnic Tutsis is a major armed group fighting Congolese forces  in  mineral-rich eastern DRC. 
• It is named after date in 2009 of the signing of an accord between CNDP, a Tutsi-led rebel group, and the Congolese government to end a revolt led by the Tutsi people.
• CNDP members formed the M23 movement in 2012 to protest the failed implementation of the 2009 accord, for protecting minorities and distributing resources evenly.

India’s ranking in Henley Passport Index jumps from 85 (2024) to 77 (2025).

• Indian citizens can now travel to 59 destinations without needing to secure a visa beforehand.

About Henley Passport Index 

• It is the original, authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. 
• It is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
• Singapore holds the top spot in the Index.