1) Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND) Scheme: a Central Sector Scheme BIND by ministry of Information and Broadcasting (2025-26)
- It will financially support Prasar Bharati in the expansion and upgradation of its broadcasting infrastructure, content development, and civil works and widen the reach in Left Wing Extremism, border, and strategic areas. This will also provide high-quality content
- The BIND scheme will increase coverage of AIR FM transmitters in the country to 66 percent by geographical area, up from current 59 per cent, and 80 per cent by population, up from present 68 percent coverage.
2) Sodium tetrafluoroborate (NaBF4): Scientists from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST) Mohali, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have introduced a new electrolyte called (NaBF4) which can help make electrochemical ammonia synthesis more efficient and will be useful for industries producing green energy or hydrogen.
- It is a salt that forms colourless or white water-soluble rhombic crystals and is soluble in water but less soluble in organic solvents.
- NaBF4 not only acts as an N2 carrier in the medium but also works as a full-fledged “co-catalyst” along with active material transition metal-doped nanocarbon (MnN4) to deliver high-yield of ammonia (NH3) at absolutely ambient experimental conditions
3) National Single Window System: NSWS is a digital platform to guide you in identifying and applying for approvals according to business requirements. The portal hosts applications for approvals from 26 Central Departments and 19 State Governments.
- NSWS is providing a single interface to apply for all G2B clearances from various Ministries and Departments as well as eliminating duplication of work by auto-populating form fields across different approvals based on single investor profile.
- The platform is built to serve as an advisory tool and is an epitome of the ‘Whole of Government’ approach.
4) Eat Right Station: it is certification is awarded by FSSAI (under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare) to railway stations that set benchmarks in providing safe and wholesome food to passengers. It has 240 parameters concerning food storage and hygiene, based on which the certification is accredited.
- They are also rated on a scale of one to five–five being the highest level of compliance with the standards and regulations in place. India has so far 34‘Eat Right’ certified stations
5) Kala-azar: There has been a 98.7 per cent decline in cases of Kala-azar from 2007 to 2022 in India
- India is committed to eliminating Kalaa-Azar from the country by 2023
- Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), or kala-azar, is the most severe form of leishmaniasis and, is associated with high fatality. It is also a neglected tropical disease (NTD)
- Spread: Caused by protozoan parasites of the Leishmania genus (transmitted through the bite of Sand flies), migrates to internal organs like liver, spleen (hence “visceral”), and bone marrow. It is considered the second deadliest parasitic killer in the world after Malaria
- Kala-azar is endemic to Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal
- It is endemic to four states Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal
- It is a treatable disease with anti-leishmanial medicines
