• The IPCC is about to meet in Switzerland to finalise the last report of its sixth assessment cycle.
• The Synthesis Report is supposed to be a relatively non-technical summary of the previous reports, aimed largely at policymakers around the world.
• This report is meant to address a wide range of policy-relevant scientific questions related to climate change, but, like all IPCC reports, in a non-prescriptive manner.

• The IPCC is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.
• The IPCC was set up in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
• Its main activity is to prepare Assessment Reports, special reports, and methodology reports assessing the state of knowledge of climate change.
• The IPCC does not itself engage in scientific research.
• Instead, it asks scientists from around the world to go through all the relevant scientific literature related to climate change and draw up the logical conclusions.

• The IPCC’s Assessment Reports (ARs), produced every few years, are the most comprehensive and widely accepted scientific evaluations of the state of the Earth’s climate.
• They form the basis for government policies to tackle climate change, and provide the scientific foundation for the international climate change negotiations.
• Six Assessment Reports have been published so far. The sixth report (AR6) came in three parts.

• As part of the sixth assessment cycle, the IPCC published 3 comprehensive reports —
• One on scientific evidence for climate change, the other on impacts and vulnerabilities, and the third exploring mitigation options available.
• Besides these, special reports on the feasibility of keeping global temperature rise within the 1.5 degree Celsius limit, and the connections between land, ocean and cryosphere, were also released.
• Together, these form the most comprehensive understanding of the earth’s climate system, the changes it is undergoing, the repercussions of these changes.
• It also gives the idea about the actions that should to be taken to avoid the worst impacts.

• Climate impacts have already begun to hurt population groups.
•     This year’s February in India was the hottest ever, and unusually hot weather continues to prevail      in many parts of the country.
•     The situation is similar in several other parts of the world, with extreme weather events becoming      the norm.
•     The year 2023 is predicted to be among the warmest ever.
• However, it is in terms of climate action that countries have been found wanting despite repeated predictions of an impending catastrophe.
•     The current level of actions is not even commensurate to the effort required to meet the 2 degree      Celsius target.
• There is disagreement even on something as basic as a commitment to phase out fossil fuels, one of the main contributors to global warming.

• In a submission to the Finance Ministry, MeitY is likely to emphasise the need to devise a plan on how the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) can get domestic banks to offer loans to these start-ups.
• The MeitY is expected to recommend exploring the option of start-ups being allowed to transfer money from their SVB accounts to Indian banks without facing any taxation issues under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
• It also urged the Finance Ministry to allow overseas branches of Indian banks to accept deposits from these startups.

Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) came into force by an act of Parliament. It was enacted on 29 December 1999. This new Act is in consonance with the frameworks of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). It also paved the way for the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 which came into effect from July 1, 2005.

• The California-based SVB, a cornerstone of the US technology and startup industries, recently failed, making it the biggest bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis. 
• SVB worked with companies that traditional banks normally avoid due to the perceived danger of failure, and it lent to start-ups when it was difficult to find other sources of funding.
• A large number of Indian start-ups, especially in the SaaS (software as a service) sector that services US clients, had accounts at the bank.
• SVB had also been an important lender to several Indian start-ups when the sector in India was starting to take shape around 2010-11.
• Among its most notable fundings was an investment of a total of $1.7 million in One97 Communications, the parent company of Paytm.
• Deposits up to $250,000 are insured by the Federal government and anything above this is likely to be released in a phased manner.
• Many founders said that not being able to take out more than $250,000 from their accounts will hit them hard, as they used their SVB deposits for payroll and other operational functions and could lead to layoffs.
• Amid a funding winter, where availability of funds for start-ups is dwindling, this could also prove to be a major roadblock, especially to young businesses.

• It is the lightest, smallest and tailless multi-role supersonic fighter aircraft in its class.
• This aircraft is designed to carry a range of air-to-air, air-to-surface, precisionguided, weapons.
• It has the air-to-air refuelling capability.
• The maximum payload capacity of Tejas is 4000 kg.
• Speed — Mach 1.8.

• It is indigenously designed and developed by the Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (CVRDE), Chennai of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• It was designed with a unique innovative patented ‘Frequency Spanning Technique’ which enables it to negotiate different operating engine speeds.
• The lightweight high-speed, lubrication-free PTO shaft transmits higher power between the aircraft engine gearbox and Aircraft Mounted Accessory Gear Box while accommodating misalignments that arise in the drive line.

• It was the 13th edition of Exercise Bold Kurukshetra, a bilateral military exercise between India and the Singapore army.
• For the first time in the exercise series, both armies participated in a command post Exercise, which involved Battalion and Brigade level planning elements and computer wargaming.
• Hosted by the Indian Army, the exercise involved soldiers from the 42nd Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment and an Armoured Brigade of the Indian Army
• It involved an understanding of mechanised warfare in emerging threats and evolving technologies, developing inter-operability through a computer simulation-based Wargame using joint operational and tactical procedures controlled through a joint command post.
• First conducted in 2005, this exercise underscores the strong and long-standing bilateral defence relationship between both countries and enhances cooperation between the two armies.
• Both defence establishments also interact regularly through high-level visits, policy dialogues, courses and other professional exchanges.