Startup Sarvam AI launches Bulbul v2 Text-to-Speech Model. 

About Bulbul v2

• It supports 11 Indian languages.
• The voices generated by the model are designed to sound natural and authentic, without sounding robotic or rehearsed.
• It allows users to fine-tune the voice characteristics by adjusting pitch, pace, and loudness.

The External Affairs Minister attended the Europe Day celebration in New Delhi that marked the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration.

About Schuman Declaration

• Proposed the creation of European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), where members would pool their coal and steel production.
  • Presented in 1950 by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman.
• This marked the first step in the development of supranational European institutions that later evolved into the European Union.

Global Methane Tracker 2025 has been released by the International Energy Agency (IEA). 

Key findings

• Methane (greenhouse gas) is responsible for around 30 % of the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution.
• The three main sources of methane include agriculture, energy and waste sectors. 
• The energy sector including oil, natural gas, coal bioenergy accounts for more than 35 per cent of methane emissions from human activity.
• Methane emissions could be cut by 50 per cent by effectively utilising methane in mines, or by deploying flaring or oxidation technologies.
  • Gas flaring is the burning of the natural gas associated with oil extraction.

India has raised concerns over the efficacy of IMF programs such as Extended Fund Facility (EFF), Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) to Pakistan.

Extended Fund Facility (EFF) 

• Objective: To provide assistance to countries experiencing serious payment imbalances because of structural impediments or inherently weak balance-of-payments position.
• Eligibility: All member countries facing actual or potential external financing needs. 

Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF)

• Objective: Strengthen macroeconomic resilience and sustainability 
• Eligibility: low-income and vulnerable middle-income countries

Other Key Lending facilities of IMF: Extended Credit Facility, Rapid Credit Facility, etc.

Army's Air Defence units deployed a range of advanced weaponry to counter Pakistani drone attacks including L-70 anti aircraft guns, Zu-23mm systems and Schilka Systems.

About Schilka systems

• It is a self-propelled, radar-guided anti-aircraft weapon system mounted on a tracked chassis.
• This Russian origin mobile air defense fire control system is designed to defend exposed ground forces and armed vehicles against air attacks.
• It uses 3rd generation electro-optical system, phased array 3D tracking radar and an accurate navigation system that generates a 360 degrees full coverage against any air attack day or night. 
• It uses solid state, hydraulic controlled turret with anti-aircraft guns and short-range air defense missiles.

FaceAge, a deep learning algorithm, described in The Lancet Digital Health can help doctors make informed decisions about treatment plans, especially for cancer patients.

• Deep learning algorithms are a modern approach to machine learning that uses artificial neural networks, specifically multi-layer neural networks, to learn from large volumes of unstructured data without human intervention. 

About FaceAge 

• Database: It is trained on tens of thousands of photographs.
• Method: Uses a patient's selfies to determine their biological age.
• It can be used as a biomarker in cancer care to quantify a patient's biological age and help a doctor make decisions about treatments.

India participated in the 20th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) held in New York, reaffirming its commitment to the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017–2030.

About United Nations Forum on Forests

• Established by: UN Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) Resolution 2000/35 in October 2000.
• Main Objective: To promote the management, conservation, and sustainable development of all types of forests and reinforce long-term political commitment.
• Membership: Includes all UN member states and specialized agencies.

Recent expert committee report on Vembanad Lake Rejuvenation Project, highlighted that Vembanad lake’s surface area has shrunk by 27% between 1917 and 1990.

About Vembanad Lake

• It is largest brackish, humid tropical wetland ecosystem on the southwest coast of India in Kerala.
• Supports the third largest waterfowl population in India during the winter months.
• It forms part of the Vembanad-Kol wetland system, a Ramsar site, and contributes 30% of Kerala’s surface water resources.
• Pathiramanal Island is a picturesque island in Vembanad Lake, also known as Midnight Sands.