Turkmenistan and Afghanistan resumed work on TAPI Gas-Pipeline Project.

About TAPI Gas Pipeline Project (Peace Pipeline) 

• Aim: To export up to 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually through a proposed 1,814-kilometer pipeline from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.
  • Gas extracted from Galkynysh gas field in southeast Turkmenistan.
• Financing: Asian Development Bank which is also acting as transaction adviser for development.
• Impact: Reduced greenhouse gas emissions resulting from substitution of heavy fossil and solid fuels by cleaner natural gas. 

Centre approved transfer of 256 acres of salt pan land in Mumbai to Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt Ltd.

About Salt Pan Lands

• They comprise parcels of low-lying lands where seawater flows in at certain times, and leaves behind salt and other minerals. 
• This ecosystem is instrumental in protecting the city from flooding.
• They are spread across Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Gujarat, and Karnataka.
• According to Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules 2017, salt-pan land is deleted from wetland definition.
• They are protected under Coastal Regulation Zone rules.

The President of India  presented the National Florence Nightingale Awards for the year 2024.

About National Florence Nightingale Award

• This award is given as a mark of recognition for the meritorious services rendered by the nurses and nursing professionals to the society.
• It was instituted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 1973.
• Each award consists of a Certificate of Merit, Cash Award of Rs.1,00,000/- and a medal.

Florence Nightingale was a British nurse, statistician, and social reformer who was the foundational philosopher of modern nursing.

Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) in collaboration with Bhashini have launched Saarthi reference app to make e-commerce inclusive.

• Bhashini (2022) under National Language Technology Mission, aims to provide technology translation services in 22 scheduled Indian languages.

About Saarthi app:

• It aims to assist businesses in building buyer apps with multilingual features.
• It initially supports Hindi, English, Marathi, Bangla and Tamil, with plans to scale up to all 22 languages.
• Features: real-time translation, transliteration, and voice recognition

It was launched by Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

• It will aid in achieving $1 trillion merchandise and $1 trillion services export target by 2030.

About Trade Connect e-Platform

• It is a single window initiative aimed at facilitating international trade by Indian exporters, especially MSMEs by providing real-time access to trade-related information.
• Developed in collaboration with Ministry of MSME, EXIM Bank, Department of Financial Service, and Ministry of External Affairs.
• It simplifies complexities of international trade, including - Product and Country guides for comprehensive market insights, Trade Agreements and Tariff explorer to unlock benefits of Free Trade Agreements etc.

Researchers have discovered a sacred grove- a Myristica swamp forest in Kumbral (Maharashtra), which is protected by the local community.

• Dominated by Myristica magnifica, an endangered species native to Karnataka and Kerala.
• Sacred groves are preserved natural areas with spiritual and ecological values due to local taboos and sanctions

About Myristica swamp forest 

• Tree-covered wetlands found within the evergreen forests in the Western Ghats, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Meghalaya.
• These forests of the Western Ghats are considered one of the primaeval ecosystems.
• Significance: Provides ecosystem services like groundwater recharge, carbon sequestration, natural barrier against flood, etc.

State government of Nagaland has approved the implementation of ILP in Chumoukedima, Niuland, and Dimapur districts.

About Inner Line Permit (ILP)

• It’s an official travel document issued by government that allows Indian citizens to travel into protected areas for a limited period.
• ILP system aims to regulate movement near India's international borders.
• ILP is officially used to protect tribal cultures in north-eastern India.
• Genesis: Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulations of 1873. 
• There are different types of ILPs: One for tourists and others for long-term stays (often for employment purposes).
• States under ILP: Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur.

Mikania micrantha weed is rapidly spreading BTR and threatening its biodiversity.

About  Bhadra Tiger Reserve

• Location: Western Ghats of Karnataka, spreading over Chikmagalur and Shimoga districts. 
• Corridor: Bhadra Tiger Reserve, Kudremukh National Park and Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary are part of same landscape.
• Drained by: River Bhadra (Tungabhadra River tributary).
• In 1998, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary was included in Project Tiger Network.
• Forest types: Tropical Moist Mixed Deciduous; Tropical Dry Deciduous;, Semi-Evergreen Forest.
• Fauna: Tiger, Leopard, ungulates like Gaur, Sambar and Barking Deer, etc.

About Mikania micrantha

• Perennial climber, originally from tropical America. 
• It is a major invasive in several parts of south-east Asia and Pacific islands.