Sovereign Green Bond | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
News Today Logo

Also in News

Posted 03 Aug 2024

8 min read

Sovereign Green Bond

Second sovereign green bond (SGrB) auction of current financial year (FY25) received low response as traders refused to pay greenium. 

  • Greenium refers to pricing benefits based on logic that investors are willing to pay extra/accept lower yields for sustainable impact. 

About SGrB:

  • Green bonds are used to finance or refinance eligible green projects, resulting in environmental benefits.
  • Union Budget 2022-23 announced SGrB for mobilising resources for green infrastructure.
  • Framework for the SGrBs was issued by the government in 2022. 
  • Tags :
  • Sovereign Green Bonds (SGrBs)
  • Greenium

Schistura Sonarengaensis

Recently a new species of loach fish has been found in Sonarenga, Nakama, and Chiabol caves of Meghalaya’s South Garo Hills district.

About Loach fish:

  • These are small elongated freshwater fishes of family Cobitidae and are native to central and southern Asia. 
  • Usually nocturnal fishes that inhabit both still and flowing waters.
  • Use their barbels(Sensory Organs) to comb the bottom for worms, larvae, and other food. 

About Schistura Sonarengaensis

  • Morphological Features: Prominent eyes & dull white or pale-beige body.
  • Distinction:  They are not blind like other cave species found in Jaintia and Khasi Hills. 
  • Tags :
  • Schistura sonarengaensis
  • Loach fish

World Trade Statistics 2023

The WTO issued “World Trade Statistics 2023”. 

Highlights of World Trade Statistics 2023 on Agriculture Export

  • The top 5 exporters were EU> US> Brazil> China> Canada. 
  • Collectively, the top ten exporters represented a 71.9% share of world exports in 2023.
  • India was the 8th largest exporter. 
    • India’s exports worth $51 billion constituted 2.24% of agriculture exports in 2023. 
  • Tags :
  • WTO
  • Agriculture Export

FASTag

New FASTag rules to link it with Vehicle registration and mobile number came into effect from August 1, 2024.

About FASTag:

  • Device that employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for making toll payments directly while the vehicle is in motion.
    • Technology uses radio waves to identify objects by reading information contained in wireless tag from a distance.
  • Flagship programme of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways & NHAI.

Benefits:

  • Operationalizes National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) program with nationwide interoperability.
  • Reduces congestion and cash handling at toll plazas.
  • Tags :
  • FASTag
  • RFID technology
  • NETC)

Surrogate Advertisement

Ministry of Health asked Sports Authority of India and BCCI to prevent surrogate advertisement of tobacco/alcohol by sportspersons.

Surrogate advertising

  •  It involves advertising a product that cannot be advertised openly due to legal restriction.
  • Advertisers create ads that help in building a brand, and without naming the actual product that is being indirectly advertised. For example, a Tobacco company selling stationary products. 
  •  These advertising came into India after the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and its rule banned direct liquor, tobacco and cigarette advertisement.
  • They are banned under the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022.
  • Tags :
  • Misleading Advertisements
  • Surrogate Advertising

MARITIME PARTNERSHIP EXERCISE (MPX)

Recently Indian Naval Ship Tabar participated in maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) between India and Russia.

  • Tags :
  • India-Russia
  • MARITIME PARTNERSHIP EXERCISE

Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)

GAIN, launched a report titled ‘The Case for Investment in Nutritious Foods Value Chains: An Opportunity for Gender Impact’. 

  • Report calls for nutrition investments in the agri-food sector which can reduce gender inequalities, increase productivity and enhance business resilience. 

About GAIN

  • Swiss-based Non-governmental Organization launched at the United Nations in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. 
  • Supports public-private partnerships to increase access to the missing nutrients in diets.
  • Tags :
  • United Nations
  • Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition
  • GAIN

Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4)

India selected Shubhanshu Shukla and Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair (Group Captains in the IAF) for Axiom-4 mission. 

  • They will train in U.S. and experience gained during the mission will be beneficial for human space programme. 

Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4)

  • It is the fourth private astronaut mission of NASA and a private US company Axiom Space. 
  • It is expected to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) for fourteen days.
  • Axiom Space has contracted SpaceX as a launch provider.
  • Tags :
  • ISRO
  • NASA
  • Axiom mission
  • Ax-4
Watch News Today