Short News

Short News

Lebanon

• Context (AIR): Lebanon abolished the death penalty, becoming the first Arab nation replacing it with life imprisonment.
• Geographic Location: A West Asian parliamentary republic on the Mediterranean, bordering Syria and Israel (Capital: Beirut).
• Physical Features: Defined by the Lebanon Mountains range, featuring its highest peak, Qurnat as Sawda.
• Peacekeeping Presence: Houses the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), operating in southern regions since 1978.

Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve (ABR)

• Context (TH): Tamil Nadu issued eviction notices to households on Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve forest land following Supreme Court directives.
• Geographic Spread: Spans Southern Western Ghats across Tamil Nadu and Kerala, encompassing Kalakad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve and key wildlife sanctuaries.
• Ecosystem & Rivers: Features tropical montane forests, nurtures endemic fauna like Nilgiri tahr, and originates rivers including Thamirabarani and Karamana.
• Tribal & Global Status: Inhabited by indigenous Kani tribes, the reserve joined the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 2016.

Government e-Marketplace (GeM)

• Context (PIB): Launched in 2016 under Ministry of Commerce, GeM completed a decade transforming public procurement systems.
• Platform Reach: Represents the world's third-largest portal, exceeding ₹20 lakh crore in cumulative Gross Merchandise Value.
• Key Initiatives: Promotes social inclusion through Womaniya, provides collateral-free loans via GeM Sahay, and aids startups.
• Persisting Challenges: Encounters vendor payment delays, adoption disparities among states, localized monopolies, and rural vendor exclusion.

PM E-Drive Scheme

• Context (BL): Government extended electric two-wheeler subsidies under PM E-DRIVE until March 31, 2028.
• Framework & Scope: Managed by Ministry of Heavy Industries, it supports non-lead-acid advanced battery EVs, excluding four-wheeler passenger cars.
• Incentive Mechanism: Individual buyers receive Aadhaar-authenticated e-vouchers at dealerships for instant upfront discounts on eligible models.
• Scrapping & Infrastructure: Mandates MoRTH-approved scrapping certificates for e-trucks and funds 72,300 fast chargers via a ₹2,000 crore grant.

Southern African Customs Union (SACU)

• Context (PIB): India and SACU signed Terms of Reference to restart Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) negotiations.
• Union Overview: Established in 1910, the Windhoek-headquartered body is the world's oldest operating customs union.
• Core Mechanism: The five member nations apply a Common External Tariff (CET) and share collected duties.
• Strategic Value: Enhances India's mineral security, balances regional influence, and expands trade across a 75-million consumer market.

Bus Transport System Overhaul

• Context (DDN): A Parliamentary Standing Committee released its 392nd report outlining major reforms for India's bus transport network.
• Unified Permits & Grids: Replaces physical check-posts with an All-India Passenger Permit and creates integrated National Bus Digital Grids.
• Infrastructure & Terminals: Recommends establishing a National Bus Terminals Authority and reserving 25% road-budget funding for public transit.
• Fleet Modernization & Safety: Promotes electric bus transition, commercial vehicle leasing, and all-women peak-hour bus fleets with CCTV.

National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026

• Context (NOA): Parliament passed the National Co-operative Development Corporation (NCDC) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, modifying the 1962 parent legislation.
• Amended Scope & Scope Expansion: Expands the foodstuff definition to include processed foods and enables industrial goods coverage beyond rural locations.
• Direct Financing Mechanism: Authorizes National Co-operative Development Corporation (NCDC) to extend direct grants, loans, and equity investments to cooperative entities.
• Information Exchange Mandate: Empowers the Corporation to compile and share credit information with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and financial bodies.

India’s Cooperative Sector

• Network Scale: Boasts one of world's largest networks with over eight lakh cooperative societies engaging 30 crore members.
• Global Standing: Represents a massive socio-economic framework driving grassroots financial inclusion and rural community empowerment across India.
• PACS Modernization: Computerizing 80,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) to enable diversification into 25 distinct business activities.
• Sectoral Impact: Strengthens agricultural credit systems, rural livelihoods, and cooperative governance through targeted digital and operational transformations.
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Sanchar Mitra Scheme

• Context (PIB): Three Indian Sanchar Mitras were chosen as International Telecommunication Union's Generation Connect Youth Envoys for 2026–2030.
• Scheme Overview: Launched in 2025 by the Ministry of Communications, it engages technical students as digital ambassadors for literacy.
• Execution & Roles: Managed by field offices, volunteers drive local awareness regarding mobile security, citizen services, and fraud prevention.
• About ITU: Founded in 1865, the Geneva-based body is the oldest United Nations (UN) agency bridging digital divides.