• The Delhi Tourism Department has launched its much awaited ‘haunted walks’, for which the Malcha Mahal was chosen as the first destination of the journey.
• The Malcha Mahal or Wilahat Mahal is a Tughlaq-era hunting lodge, built by Feroz Shah Tughlaq in the 14th century.
• It is situated deep inside a forest in Chanakyapuri, Delhi.

Other info

• Feroz Shah Tughlaq was Delhi Sultan from the Tughlaq dynasty and ruled from 1351 to 1388.
• He was also considered the father of the irrigation system in India by the British.

• The report ‘The Race to Net Zero: Accelerating Climate Action in Asia and the Pacific’ was recently released by UNESCAP.
• According to the report, most countries in the Asia-Pacific region are “insufficiently prepared” to face extreme weather events and natural disasters.

Major findings

• The Asia-Pacific region has experienced a faster rise in temperatures over the past 60 years than the global average.
• Natural and biological hazards in the Asia-Pacific region have contributed an estimated annual economic loss of $780 billion.
• 85% of Asia and the Pacific’s primary energy supply comes from fossil fuels, while 60% of the region’s energy-related CO2 emissions come from

Recommendations

• Control emissions in 3 key sectors- energy, transport, and international trade and investment.
• Building low-carbon industries
• Financing climate action through coherent policies

About Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)

• HQ-Bangkok, Thailand
• It was established as Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE) in 1947 in Shanghai. It changed its name to ESCAP in 1976.
• It supports inclusive, resilient and sustainable development in Asia-Pacific region by generating action-oriented knowledge, and by providing technical assistance and capacity-building services.
• 53 member states including India and 9 associate members.
• One of the five regional commissions of UN.

• Lithium reserves were discovered on Revant hill in Degana in Rajasthan’s Nagaur district during a survey conducted by the Geological Survey of India (GSI).
• It is believed that these reserves can meet 80% of the country’s demand.
• These reserves contain significantly more lithium than 5.9 million tonnes found in J&K earlier.
• India has discovered first lithium reserves in igneous rocks located in Marlagalla- Allapatna region of Karnataka’s Mandya district.

About Lithium

• Lithium, first of alkalis in periodic table, is a non-ferrous metal.
• It is used to make mobile-laptop, electric vehicle and other chargeable batteries.
• It is extracted from either brines or mined rocks.
• Due to tremendous demand for Lithium around world, it is also called White Gold.
  • According to World Bank, by year 2050, global demand for Lithium metal will increase by 500%.
• Distribution
  • 50% of global lithium resources are located in Bolivia (maximum), Chile, and Argentina, which forms Lithium Triangle in South America.
  • Australia is global leader in lithium production.

• Finance Minister chairs the 27th Meeting of Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC).

About FSDC

• A non-statutory apex council under the Ministry of Finance constituted by the Executive Order in 2010.
• The Raghuram Rajan committee (2008) on financial sector reforms first proposed the creation of FSDC.
• Chairman: Finance Minister
• Members: Minister of State, in charge of Department of Economic Affairs, Heads of all Financial Sector Regulators (RBI, SEBI, PFRDA, IRDAI, IBBI); Secretaries to various departments.
  • FSDC sub-committee is headed by the RBI Governor.
• Functions:
  • To strengthen and institutionalize the mechanism for maintaining financial stability, enhancing inter-regulatory coordination and promoting financial sector development.
  • To monitor macro-prudential supervision of the economy. It assesses the functioning of the large financial conglomerates.

The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has signed a MoU with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Ministry of Railways for the Project-SMART.

About Project-SMART

• It stands for Station Area Development along Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail(SMART).
• It is an initiative towards modernizing railway infrastructure in India, with the potential to transform the areas around the high-speed rail stations into bustling economic centers.
• The MoU was inked for four high-speed stations — Sabarmati, Surat in Gujarat, and Virar and Thane in Maharashtra, out of the 12 stations in the route.
  • Surat, Virar and Thane are green field projects while Sabarmati is a brown field development.
• The project — SMART to enhance accessibility and convenience of commuters and to promote economic activities in the vicinity of Mumbai – Ahmedabad High Speed Railway (MAHSR) stations.
• It would enhance institutional capacity of State Governments, Municipal Corporations and Urban Development Authorities.

• A MiG-21 fighter jet of IAF crashed near Rajasthan’s Suratgarh.

About MiG 21

• The MiG-21s are among the six fighter jets presently flown by
• The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21s are single engine, single-seater multi-role fighter/ground attack aircraft designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union/Russia.
• First inducted by India in 1963.
• Over the period, India has procured over 700 MiG-21 aircraft of different variants– Type-77, Type-96 and BIS.
  • The latest of them are the MiG-21 Bison.
• The aircraft in the past had proved their mettle in wars of 1965, 1971 and 1999 Kargil conflict.
• Accidents- As per available government data, close to 500 MiG-21s have crashed in the last 60 years, killing over 170 pilots with varying causes.
• Phasing out of MiGs
  • In September 2022, the No. 51 squadron based in Srinagar was number plated (meaning retired from service).
  • The three MiG-21 Bison squadrons are planned to be phased out by December 2025 and will be replaced by the indigenous LCA Tejas

• Recently, Saudi Arabia hosted a special meeting of the National Security Advisers (NSAs) of India, the US, and the UAE.
• The meeting focused on regional initiatives on infrastructure.
• A plan to connect Gulf countries via a railway network and connect to India via shipping lanes from “two ports” in the region is highlighted.
  • The idea for the initiative came up during talks held over the past 18 months by the I2U2.

About I2U2

• I2U2 is a new grouping formed by India, Israel, the UAE, and the US, also referred to as the West Asian Quad.
• The I2U2 Quad, works on connecting “South Asia to the Middle East to the United States in ways that advance economic technology and diplomacy”.
• Aim:
  • Expanding economic and political cooperation in the Middle East and Asia.
  • To foster support and cooperation in infrastructure, technology and maritime security.
• I2U2 was initially formed in October 2021 following the Abraham Accords.
  • Abraham Accords normalized relations between Israel and a number of Arab Gulf countries.
• The first virtual summit of I2U2 took place in 2022.
  • The summit focused heavily on the global food and energy crisis resulting from the conflict in Ukraine.

• Recently, Ecuador has committed to spending millions of dollars annually for 20 years to protect one of the world’s most precious ecosystems, after the Swiss bank Credit Suisse announced buying Ecuadorian bonds worth $1.6 billion in a debt-for-nature swap that cost the Swiss bank just $644 million.

About Galapagos Islands

• The Galapagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands, spread over almost 60,000 sq km , belonging to Ecuador.
• The archipelago is located in the Eastern Pacific around the Equator with island chain stretching in both northern and southern hemispheres.
• The archipelago is located on the Nazca Plate (a tectonic plate), which is moving east/southeast, diving under the South American Plate.
• Ecuador made a part of the Galapagos a wildlife sanctuary in 1935, and the sanctuary became the Galapagos National Park in 1959.
  • In 1978, the islands became UNESCO’s first World Heritage Site.
• It contains aquatic species such as manta rays and sharks which have been endangered by commercial fishing.
• It also hosts a wide array of aquatic wildlife, including marine iguanas, and waved albatrosses.
• Galápagos is home to the critically endangered — Galápagos penguin, Galápagos fur seal and Galápagos sea lion.
• Also, the giant tortoises found here – ‘Galápagos’ in old Spanish – give the islands its name.
• The British naturalist Charles Darwin made key observations in 1835 that shaped his ‘theory of evolution’.
  • He described the islands as a “world in itself”.

• Atal Pension Yojana (APY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) have recently completed 8 years.
• All three are Central Sector Schemes and under purview of Ministry of Finance.

About Atal Pension Yojana

• APY which replaced Swavalamban scheme, aims to covers exigencies in old age.
• It provides minimum guaranteed pension for people in unorganized sector to all bank account holders in age group of 18 to 40 years.
• It’s administered by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) under National Pension System (NPS).
• Guaranteed monthly pension of Rs 1,000 (minimum) and its multiple upto Rs 5,000 /month after attaining age of 60 years, depending on contribution.
• Subscriptions-5 crore individuals till date.

Both PMJJBY and PMSBY aim to provide affordable insurance and security to people.

About Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)

• 1 year life insurance scheme which is renewable every year.
• It offers Rs 2 Lakh life cover for death due to any reason with premium of Rs. 436/- per annum.
• Offered by Life Insurance Corporation(LIC).
• It is available to citizens, including NRIs aged of 18 to 50 years.
• Subject to annual renewal, benefits are available till age of 55
  • Entry to scheme is restricted at age of 50 years.
• Enrolments till date- 19 crore

About Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)

• 1 year accidental insurance scheme which is renewable every year.
• Offers protection against death or disability due to an accident.
  • 2 lakh for accidental death and permanent full disability.
  • 1 lakh for permanent partial disability.
• Offered through Public Sector General Insurance
• Available to citizens including NRIs, aged 18 to 70 years having a bank account.
• Premium payable- 20/- per annum per member.
• Enrolments till date- over 34.18 crore.

• Recently a controversy erupted regarding Saint Samarth Ramdas.

About Samarth Ramdas

• Samarth Ramdas (1608 – 1681), also known as Sant Ramdas or Ramdas Swami, was a Hindu saint, philosopher, poet, writer and spiritual master.
• He was a devotee of Lord Ram and Hanuman.
• He toured the entire Indian subcontinent for 12 years, during which he came across various spiritual teachers and diverse religious traditions.
• His paean to Lord Hanuman, Maruti Stotra, is still commonly recited by school children as well as wrestlers akhadas across Maharashtra.
• He built a temple of Rama and Maruti (Hanuman) and founded a math or monastery which exists to the present day.
• Swami Ramdas was an exponent of Bhakti Yoga or the path of devotion. According to him, total devotion to Rama brings about spiritual evolution.
• He was of the opinion that saints must not withdraw from society but instead actively engage towards social and moral transformation.
• He encouraged the participation of women in religious work and offered them positions of authority.
• He published two books based on his experiences, “Asmani Sultani” and “Para chakra niroopan.”
• Ramdas founded the Samarth sect to reintroduce spirituality into society. He established several matha.
• Ramdas died in 1681 at Sajjangad. For five days previously, he had ceased drinking food and water. This practice of fasting unto death is known as Prayopavesa.