Government is set to allow up to 35% bio-bitumen mixing, to save ₹10,000 crore of foreign exchange outflows.

About Bitumen

• A black substance produced through distillation of crude oil.
• It is known for its adhesive properties. 
• Applications: Paving roads, water proofing etc. 

About Bio-bitumen                             

• It is a form of bitumen manufactured from organic elements. E.g. Bio-char, bio-oil, etc. 
• It can be used as an addition to bitumen or to reduce the quantity of bitumen in the binder mixture.
• Benefits: Reduced imports, address the issue of stubble burning, boosting Bio-economy etc.

Indian Railways is rolling out tenders for equipping 10,000 locomotives with Kavach 4.0

• It is the latest version of the indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system.

About KAVACH

• It is an electronic system of Safety Integrity Level - 4 standards with probability of error being 1 in 10,000 years.
• It is developed by Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in collaboration with Indian industry.
• Key features:
  • Centralised live monitoring of train movements
  • Prevention of Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD),
  • Automatic braking for prevention of overspeeding

IIT Indore has developed footwear for military personnel based on TENG technology. 

About TENG Technology

• It converts the mechanical energy generated from walking and converts it into electrical energy using the triboelectric effect, which is then stored in a device embedded in the system.
  • The triboelectric effect refers to a charge of electricity generated by friction.
• It is considered as a portable and renewable energy source.
• The stored energy can power small electronic devices , wearable devices, IoT (Internet of Things) devices, medical devices etc.

It is an annual military exercise between India and Sri Lanka.

• Mitra Shakti” aims to improve the operational proficiency of both armies by facilitating the exchange of skills, experiences, and best practices. 

Central Government notified Tantalum as a Critical and Strategic Mineral under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.

About Tantalum 

• Tantalum is a rare metal with the atomic number 73
• It’s grey, heavy, very hard, and corrosion-resistant. 
• Characteristics: 
  • When pure, tantalum is ductile (can be stretched, pulled, or drawn into a thin wire).
  • Extremely high melting point. 
• Uses: Making capacitors in electronic devices, surgical equipment & implants, components for chemical plants, nuclear power plants, aeroplanes and missiles etc. 

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned the  weed-killing pesticide Dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, also known as DCPA or Dacthal.

About DCPA

• It is used on crops such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage and onions. 
• Fetuses exposed to it could suffer from low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased I.Q., and impaired motor skills later in life.

It is designed to create a comprehensive system for managing and sharing data, facilitating the easy dissemination of official statistics across the country.

• Aim: To provide timely and valuable data inputs for policymakers, researchers, and the general public.
• Launched by: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) 
• It comprises two modules:
  • Data Catalogue Module: It enables searching within datasets and tables, downloading relevant data, and enhancing its value and reusability.
  • Macro Indicators Module: It provides time series data on key macro indicators, featuring tools for filtering and visualising data.

WHO has warned against superbug hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp).

 About hvKp

• It is a type of drug-resistant bacteria that can cause rapidly progressing, deadly infections, even in people with healthy immune systems.
• It can be found in the environment (soil and water) as well as in the upper throat and gastrointestinal tract of various animals and humans.
• It causes pneumonia, urinary tract infections, bloodstream infections, and the nervous-system infection meningitis.

Debt for Development Swaps: An Approach Framework paper has been released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

About Debt Swaps

• These are agreements between a government and one or more of its creditors to replace sovereign debt with one or more liabilities that include a spending commitment towards a specific development goal. 
  • Development goals include nature conservation, climate action, education, nutrition, support for refugees, etc.
• Criteria that need to be considered in determining the appropriateness of swaps include country’s initial debt situation, net financial benefits etc. 
• Classified into two categories, namely, bilateral (official bilateral debt is written-off) and commercial debt swaps (target debt held by private creditors).

First comprehensive survey held  in 50 years regarding Lake Turkana

• The research project is  led by UNESCO and World Food Programme (WFP) reveals high fish potential in the lake.

About Lake Turkana

• It is located in northwestern Kenya and south-western Ethiopia.
• It is Africa’s 4th largest lake  and the largest permanent desert and alkaline lake in the world.
• Over 90% of inflow comes from the Omo River (located in Ethiopia).
• The Lake Turkana National Parks site was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997.
• Threats: hydro-electric dams  and irrigation.