Archive

1. India’s tunnelling boom is driven by highways, strategic border roads, metros, rail corridors, bullet train plans, and all weather connectivity, strengthening mobility, security, and regional growth.

2. Atal Tunnel, 9.02 km under Pir Panjal, bypasses Rohtang Pass, enables year round Manali Lahaul Spiti travel, cuts distance 46 km, saving 4 to 5 hours.

1. International Day of Forests is observed on March 21 to celebrate all forest types, highlight benefits like oxygen, food, medicine, and livelihoods, and mobilize protection actions worldwide annually for awareness.

2. United Nations designated March 21 as International Day of Forests in 2012, and each year a theme is selected by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests to guide outreach and engagement.

1. Namami Gange began in June 2014 as an integrated mission for pollution abatement, conservation, and rejuvenation of National River Ganga.

2. The programme originally had ₹20,000 crore outlay up to March 2021, later extended to March 2026 with ₹22,500 crore.

1. Carbon Market Buildout: India is developing a regulated carbon pricing ecosystem, combining a rate-based emissions trading system with voluntary crediting to support decarbonisation and climate-aligned growth.

2. Rate-Based ETS Concept: In a rate-based ETS, entities face benchmark emissions-intensity limits rather than absolute caps, allowing flexibility for growth while still rewarding improved efficiency and competitiveness.

1. Somnath Swabhiman Parv (8–11 January 2026) marks 1,000 years since Mahmud of Ghazni’s first recorded assault on Somnath Temple in January 1026 at Prabhas Patan, Gujarat, Saurashtra, on western coastline.

2. Somnath is revered as the first among twelve Jyotirlingas, positioned at the start of India’s sacred spiritual geography, and remains a living symbol of civilisational continuity beside the Arabian Sea.

“We must adopt the mantra of ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recharge, and Recycle’ to secure the nation’s water future”

~Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi

1. Total annual groundwater recharge increased by 15 billion cubic meters in 2024, while annual extraction declined by 3 billion cubic meters compared with 2017.

2. Dynamic groundwater assessment 2024 estimates total annual recharge at 446.90 BCM, extractable resources at 406.19 BCM, and annual extraction at 245.64 BCM for planning.

Key Takeaways

Indian Railways has electrified about 99.2% of its network by November 2025, making it one of the world’s most extensively electrified rail systems.

Key Takeaways

Semiconductor chip design is the main value driver, contributing up to 50% of value addition, 20–50% of Bill of Materials cost (BOM), and 30–35% of global semiconductor sales via the fabless segment.
MeitY’s Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme under the Semicon India Programme aims to build a self-reliant, globally competitive chip design ecosystem.

Key Takeaways

India targets 5 MMT of Green Hydrogen production annually by 2030.

A port-based Green Hydrogen pilot has been commissioned at V.O. Chidambaranar Port, and Deendayal Port Authority, Kandla has commissioned a megawatt-scale, indigenous Green Hydrogen Facility

Key Takeaways

According to a NITI Aayog report (August 2024), India ranks firstglobally in the production of rice bran oil, castor seed, safflower, sesame, and niger.
National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)aims to strengthen the country’s oilseed ecosystem and achieve Atmanirbharta in edible oil production.