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- Why in News?
- The Central Government has identified 100 Aspirational Agriculture Districts (AADs) to be developed under the Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY), covering 29 states and Union Territories.
- Key Provisions:-
- The selection of these districts is based on three key parameters — low agricultural productivity, low crop intensity, and limited access to credit. To ensure effective execution, 100 Central Nodal Officers (CNOs) have been appointed to monitor progress, supported by committees at the district, state, and national levels.
- Modelled on NITI Aayog’s Aspirational District Programme, PMDDKY seeks to accelerate growth in agriculture through saturation-based convergence of 36 central schemes across 11 ministries over six years, starting from FY 2025–26. Each district will form a Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana Samiti, chaired by the District Collector, to prepare a comprehensive District Agriculture and Allied Activities Plan. Progress will be evaluated through 117 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) ensuring targeted, measurable, and sustainable agricultural transformation.
- Why in News?
- Poland is set to become a member of the NATO Pipeline System (NPS), strengthening its role in the alliance’s energy security and logistical infrastructure.
- Key Provisions:-
- The NATO Pipeline System, established during the Cold War, was designed to ensure a reliable and coordinated fuel supply for NATO forces across Europe. Today, it continues to play a crucial role in supporting military operations and joint exercises by maintaining an efficient network for the storage and distribution of petroleum products.
- Spanning 12 NATO member countries, the system interconnects fuel depots, military and civilian airbases, refineries, pumping stations, and rail or truck loading terminals. Poland’s inclusion will expand the network’s reach in Eastern Europe, enhancing operational readiness, resilience, and interoperability among member states. The move also reflects NATO’s broader effort to modernize its energy logistics framework in response to evolving geopolitical and defense challenges.
- Why in News?
- NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has revealed new findings suggesting that Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus could harbor conditions suitable for life.
- Key Provisions:-
- The spacecraft detected complex organic molecules within the water-rich plumes ejected from Enceladus’s subsurface ocean, strengthening the hypothesis that the moon may possess the essential ingredients for biological activity beneath its icy crust.
- The Cassini mission, a collaborative effort between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI), was designed to conduct an in-depth study of Saturn, its rings, moons, and magnetosphere. It also carried the Huygens probe, which successfully landed on Titan, Saturn’s largest moon.
- Enceladus, which is tidally locked to Saturn, reflects nearly all sunlight that strikes its surface, making it the most reflective object in the solar system. Cassini’s discoveries continue to fuel scientific interest in Enceladus as one of the most promising sites for extraterrestrial life in our solar system.