Tokenization of Assets

RBI is planning for tokenization of assets and Government bonds under its wholesale Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot project.

Tokenization is process of issuing a digital representation of an asset using Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) or Blockchain.
These assets can include tangible assets like real estate, financial assets like equities or bonds, and intangible assets like intellectual property, identity, etc.
Benefits: Increased liquidity, enhanced settlement processes, etc.

Great Indian Bustard (GIB)

GIB has not been spotted at Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh for years.

About GIB
- Range: Endemic to Indian Sub-continent, found in central India, western India and eastern Pakistan.
- Major population is confined mostly to Rajasthan and Gujarat.
- Habitat: Arid and semi-arid grasslands, open country with thorn scrub, tall grass interspersed with cultivation.
- IUCN Status: Critically Endangered.
- Listed in Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and in Appendix I of CITES.
- Included in Species Recovery Programme.

A new proposed railway line passing through Bandipur National Park has evoked protests over its ecological impact.

About Bandipur National Park
- Located in Karnataka.
- Part of Western Ghats Mountains Biogeography Zone and Nilgiri Biosphere reserve.
- Shares boundary with 3 other National park namely Nagarahole National Park, Wayanad National Park and Mudumalai National park.
- Forest Type: Scrub type to moist deciduous
- Fauna: Tigers, Indian Elephants, Leopard, Dhole, Sambar, etc.
- Major Rivers: Kabini River, Moyar, and Nugu River etc.

During the winter months, American alligators go into a state of brumation, a type of hibernation.
- Hibernation is a period of inactivity that allows animals to survive when food is scarce and the weather is harsh.

About Brumation:
- Period of dormancy exhibited by reptiles and amphibians in colder months.
  - Reptiles are ectothermic (their body temperature is dependent on their environment), hence require brumation.
- In it, reptiles may retreat to underground burrows or other sheltered areas.
- Other types of hibernation:
  - Diapause: Dormancy of insects
  - Aestivation: Summer dormancy in invertebrates and fish
  - Torpor: Short-term physiological state of decreased activity

National Aerospace Laboratories in Bengaluru successfully completed first test of a solar-powered “pseudo satellite”.
Pseudo satellites or HAPS are unmanned air vehicles that can fly at altitudes of 18-20 km from the ground and can hold fixed positions.
- These could be airplanes, airships, balloons, etc.
Two types of HAPS
- Lighter-than-air (LTA) HAPS that rely on buoyancy to lift off and stay afloat.
- Heavier than air (HTA) HAPS with a more conventional take-off method
Applications: Search and rescue missions, disaster relief, surveillance of border areas, etc.

A new niche technological solution for Open Radio Access Network (ORAN) base stations has been developed by IIITB COMET Foundation (COMET).
- COMET is a hub under the National Mission for Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems (NM-ICPS).

About ORAN:
- Key part of a mobile network system that uses cellular radio connections to link individual devices to other parts of a network.
- It comprises antennae, which transmits and receives signals to and from our smartphones or other compatible devices.
- It uses radio waves.
- Enable operators to mix and match components from different vendors.
- Also, it is cost-effective, secure, and energy efficient.

Ministry of Health and family welfare has launched first phase of the Bi-annual Nationwide Mass drug Administration (MDA) campaign to eliminate the Lymphatic Filariasis (LF).
- MDA is part of India’s commitment to end LF by 2027.

About Lymphatic Filariasis (LF)
- One of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD).
- Impairs the lymphatic system and can lead to the abnormal enlargement of body parts.
- Caused by: Microscopic parasite nematodes (roundworms) of the family Filarioidea
- Transmission: Person-to-Person through Mosquitoes
- Symptoms: Mostly asymptomatic, showing no signs of infection.

Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India launched “Science for Women-A Technology & Innovation (SWATI)” Portal.
- It aims to create a single online portal representing Indian Women and Girls in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine).
Objectives: Scale up efforts to exponentially include every Indian woman in science and enable reliable long-term research on equality, diversity, and inclusivity.
Developed, hosted and maintained by National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi.

Dr. M S Swaminathan (1925 - 2023)
- Dr. Swaminathan has been conferred with Bharat Ratna.

Key contributions
- Architect of India’s Green Revolution during 1960s.
- Along with Norman Borlaug, developed high-yielding verities of wheat.
- Promoted knowledge, skill, and technological empowerment of women in agriculture.
- As head of National Commission on Farmers (2004-06), recommended Minimum Support Price for farmers based on Comprehensive cost of Production.
- Rewards and recognitions: First World Food Prize Laureate (1987), S.S. Bhatnagar Award (1961), etc.