IITM Global to Become World’s First Multinational IIT
- Union External Affairs Minister launched IITM Global, Position IIT Madras as the world’s first multinational IIT.
- Marks a major step in internationalising Indian higher education and innovation.
Hydrogen-powered train in India
- Background: For the first time in India, the manufacturing of a hydrogen-powered train has reached its final stages.
- This hydrogen train is planned to be operated on a trial run between Jind and Sonipat in the state of Haryana.
Payment Regulatory Board
- The first meeting of the Payment Regulatory board was held in Mumbai under the chairmanship of RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra
- The Payments Regulatory Board (PRB) is the statutory body through which the Reserve Bank of India exercises regulatory and supervisory powers over payment and settlement systems in India.
World’s Second National Environmental Standard Laboratory (NESL)
- India has inaugurated the world’s second National Environmental Standard Laboratory (NESL).
- Also inaugurated the world’s fifth National Primary Standard Facility for Solar Cell Calibration.
- Location at CSIR–National Physical Laboratory (NPL), New Delhi.
- Only the UK and India currently have such national-level facilities.
- An apex national facility for Testing, Calibration, Certification of air pollution monitoring equipment under Indian climatic and environmental condition.
Aim:
- To establish India-specific standards for air pollution monitoring instruments.
- To support effective implementation of pollution control policies such as National Clean Air Programme.
National Clean Air Programme (NCAP):
- This programme was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in January 2019.
- It aims to reduce the levels of PM10 and PM2.5 particles by 20% by 2024-25, using 2017 as the base year.
- This target has been revised to reducing PM10 levels by 40% or achieving national standards (60 µg/m³) by 2025-26.
India’s first urban night safari
- Lucknow is set to introduce India’s first urban night safari and Aims to blend wildlife conservation with city-based eco-tourism.
- Located at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Kukrail Forest Area, along the Kukrail River
Objectives
- Promote urban eco-tourism.
- Strengthen wildlife conservation awareness among urban residents.
- Allow families and students to observe nocturnal animal behaviour without travelling to distant forests.
- Integrate conservation, education, and recreation through a sustainable urban model.
