Reserve Bank of India revised the timings Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) and Marginal Standing Facility (MSF).

About SDF

• Under SDF, banks can place surplus deposits with RBI on an overnight basis. 
• It absorbs liquidity from commercial banks without collateral. 

About MSF

• MSF is a window for banks to borrow from RBI in emergency situation when inter-bank liquidity dries up completely.  
• Under it, banks borrow by pledging government securities.

PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan Dissemination Portal was launched recently.

• It provides open access to National and State-level data on student performance and serve as a key resource for States/UTs to design targeted plans to enhance learning outcomes. 

About PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development)

• Setup as a National Assessment Centre in 2023 in National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) as an independent constituent.
• Objective: Setting norms, standards, guidelines related to student assessment. 
• Focus Areas: Capacity Development, Achievement Survey, School Boards Equivalence, Holistic Progress Cards. 

It was an operation conducted by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for cracking down on illegal pharmaceutical drug trade. 

• Under it, NCB dismantled a transnational drug trafficking syndicate that smuggled controlled medicines across four continents. 
• The syndicate used encrypted digital platforms, drop shipping models, and cryptocurrency to smuggle the controlled substances. 
• The network showcases the growing convergence of digital platforms, cryptocurrency, and transnational logistics in modern illicit trade.

Five tigers found dead in Male Mahadeshwara (MM) Hills Wildlife sanctuary.

About MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary 

• Located in Southeast Karnataka.
• It forms connecting corridor between Biligiri Ranganatha Swamy Temple (BRT) Wildlife Sanctuary and the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Dominated by dry deciduous forests and Patches of Semi-evergreen, Shola forests at higher altitudes and scrub forests in fringe zones.
• Soligas and Lingayats are the dominant communities in the MM Hills.
• Species include Tiger, Elephant, Leopard, Wild dog (dhole), Sloth bear, etc.
• Important corridor in the Eastern Ghats–Western Ghats landscape.

Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has recommended to streamline the forest clearance process for major industry and infrastructure projects in or near forest land.

About FAC

• It is a statutory body under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. 
• Role: To examine and deliberate on proposals for non-forestry use of forest land, including mining, and give recommendation to the Government of India. 
• Its role is recommendatory in nature.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved over USD 120 million for new projects.

About Green Climate Fund

• It is the world’s largest climate fund.
• Mandated to support developing countries raise and realize their Nationally Determined Contributions ambitions towards low-emissions, climate-resilient pathways.
• Established at COP 16 of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Cancun, 2010.
  • It serves the Paris Agreement in accordance with Article 9.
• Governance:  Fund is governed by the GCF Board and it is accountable to and functions under the guidance of the COP, UNFCCC.
• Hq: Songdo, Incheon City, Republic of Korea.

The International Financial Services Authority (IFSCA) approved Framework for issuance and listing of transition bonds under the IFSCA (Listing) Regulations, 2024.

About Transition Bonds

• It is one of  the  sub categories  of the ‘green debt security’ (as per Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI’s) regulation)
  • Green Debt Security means a debt security issued for raising funds that are to be utilised for project(s) and/or asset(s) such as clean transportation, Sustainable waste management, etc. 
• Objective:
  • To help hard-to-abate sectors (steel, cement,) raise capital for progressive decarbonisation.
  • Mitigating Greenwashing: Enforced through transparency, disclosures, and third-party validation, ensuring investor confidence.

The National Statistics Office (NSO) has released the report on nutritional intake in India. 

• Report is based on the Household Consumption Expenditure Surveys of 2022-23 & 2023-24.

Key Findings of the Report

• Average per capita per day calorie intake (in 2022-23 and 2023-24)
  • Rural: 2233 Kcal and 2212 Kcal respectively. 
  • Urban: 2250 Kcal and 2240 Kcal respectively.
• Cereals continue to be the most important source of protein.
  • However, their contribution to protein intake dropped ~14% in rural and ~12% in urban India since 2009-10, offset by increased egg, fish, meat, milk, etc.
• Expenditure and Calorie intake: With an increase in the Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE), the average calorie intake also increases.
• Narrowing Gap: Calorie intake gap between the bottom 5% and top 5% (population ranked by per capita expenditure level) has significantly narrowed in 2023-24.