Telangana Government releases comprehensive guidelines for Phase-I of Musi Riverfront Development Project.

About Musi River

• Origin:Ananthagiri hills, Rangareddy district (Telangana).
• It is one of the major tributaries of Krishna River and flows into the Osmansagar and Himayatsagar reservoirs.
• It consists of 2 rivulets - Esi and Musa which then converge into Musi River.
• Importance: Major water sources for Hyderabad.

DRDO and the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully conducted the maiden flight trial of the Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation (TARA) weapon in Odisha.

About TARA

• It is India’s first indigenous glide weapon system that converts unguided warheads into precision-guided weapons. 
• Developed by: the Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad, along with other DRDO laboratories.
• Advantage: Its stand-off capability allows pilots to release bombs from outside hostile air defence coverage.

• Once deployed, the bombs glide at high subsonic speeds (>650 km/h), with a range of more than 80 km, making interception difficult.

• Other glide bomb in India: Gaurav (Long Range Glide Bomb - LRGB), SAAW (Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon), etc.

Huntington's patients seek rare disease status for the disease.

About Huntington’s Disease

• Nature: Huntington's Disease is a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder causing gradual breakdown of brain nerve cells.
• Affects: Movement, behaviour, cognition and personality.
• Cause: Caused by genetic mutation inherited from a parent.
• Types: 
  • Adult-Onset: Most common form, usually appears between 30–50 years.
  • Juvenile: Rare form occurring in children/adolescents.
• Major Symptoms: Uncontrolled movements, Cognitive decline, Behavioural and psychiatric problems and Progressive loss of motor functions.

RBI has revised the capital adequacy norms for commercial banks, small finance banks and payments banks.

• RBI has now allowed banks to include quarterly profits earned in Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital for the computation of the CRAR.

About CRAR 

• Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR): Also known as the Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR), it is the primary metric used by the RBI to ensure a bank can absorb a reasonable amount of loss before it becomes insolvent.
• Formula: CRAR = (Tier 1 Capital + Tier 2 Capital)/ (Risk Weighted Assets).
  • Tier I capital is a bank’s highest quality capital because it is fully available to cover losses. 
    • E.g. CET1 Capital which includes common shares, stock surpluses, and retained earnings.
  • Tier II capital (certain reserves and subordinated debt) has a lower loss absorption capacity than Tier I capital.

Indian Commerce Secretary is on visit to Switzerland to advance the implementation of the India–EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA).

About European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 

• EFTA is an intergovernmental organisation established in 1960 through the Stockholm Convention.
• Objective: Promotion of free trade and economic integration between its members.
• Members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
  • Initial Founding members: Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
• India is the EFTA's fifth-largest trading partner after the European Union, the United States, Britain and China.
• Among EFTA, Switzerland is the largest trading partner of India, followed by Norway.

UN-Habitat launched the Catalogue of Solutions 2026-2029.

• The Catalogue directly supports the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan 2026-2029, adopted in 2025, which prioritises adequate housing, land, and basic services for all.

About UN-Habitat

• Genesis: In 1977, Habitat I provided the foundations of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (or UN-Habitat).
• Mandate (by the UN General Assembly): to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities.
• Headquarter: Nairobi, Kenya
• Important documents: 

• Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements (Habitat I), 
• Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements (Habitat II), 
• The New Urban Agenda ( Habitat III) in Quito, Ecuador.

Supreme Court directed that at least one special court be established to deal with 10 to 15 trials in cases probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

About National Investigation Agency (NIA)

• Establishment: Under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008, which was enacted in the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
• Objective: To investigate and prosecute offences (mentioned in schedule) that threatens India's sovereignty, security, and integrity, friendly relations with foreign States, matters relating to international treaties etc
• Headquarters: New Delhi with 2 Zonal offices at Guwahati & Jammu.
• Headed by:Director-General (DG), who is a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer.

Centre forms Expert Panel to assess Litchi Stink Bug damage in Bihar.

• Panel will be headed by the Director of the National Research Centre on Litchi, Muzaffarpur. 
• India is the world’s second-largest producer of litchi after China.

About Litchi (Litchi chinensis)

• It is a Juicy subtropical fruit known for sweet translucent edible flesh (aril). Botanically it belongs to the Sapindaceae family. 
• Agro climatic requirement: Moist subtropical climate, low elevation (up to 800 m), deep well-drained loamy soil rich in organic matter with pH 5.0-7.0.
• Major Producing States: Bihar (largest), West Bengal, Assam, Punjab, Jharkhand, Tripura etc.