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- Why in News?
- Several new initiatives have been unveiled by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to enhance India’s infrastructure planning and development ecosystem, marking four years of the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (NMP).
- Key Provisions:-
- The PM GatiShakti Public platform has been opened to the private sector, providing access to geospatial data and analytics developed by BISAG-N and powered by NGDR. The PM GatiShakti–Offshore initiative offers an integrated digital framework for managing offshore projects such as wind farms and marine resources, supporting India’s Blue Economy. The District Master Plan (DMP) for 112 Aspirational Districts promotes data-driven regional development across sectors like health, education, and logistics. The LEAPS 2025 programme will recognize excellence in logistics performance, aligning with the National Logistics Policy (2022) and promoting sustainability and green logistics. Additionally, the NMP Dashboard wil monitor progress across the seven engines of growth—railways, roads, ports, waterways, airports, mass transport, and logistics infrastructure.
- Why in News?
- The latest global assessment has classified the Tiger (Panthera tigris) as “Critically Depleted,” highlighting severe historical and ongoing pressures such as habitat loss, prey decline, poaching, and local extinctions.
- Key Provisions:-
- The tiger population is estimated at 2,608–3,905 mature individuals, showing a decreasing trend. Tigers are extinct in 9 of 24 assessed regions and remain threatened wherever they survive. Despite this, their conservation legacy and recovery potential are rated high and medium, respectively. The IUCN Green Status of Species, launched in 2012 and integrated into the Red List in 2020, measures species recovery and conservation impact through categories like Largely Depleted and Fully Recovered. A fully recovered species occupies its entire historical range, is viable across it, and fulfills its ecological role, earning a “Green Score” (0–100%). India, home to 75% of the world’s wild tigers, remains central to their survival, with tigers protected under the IUCN Red List, CITES Appendix I, and Schedule I of India’s Wildlife Protection Act.
- Why in News?
- According to recent reports, Pakistan has proposed that the United States develop and operate the Port of Pasni, positioning it as a strategic gateway for U.S. access to Pakistan’s critical minerals.
- Key Provisions:-
- The Pasni Port, located in Gwadar district of Balochistan province along the Arabian Sea, holds significant geopolitical and economic importance.
- Situated about 70 miles from the China-operated Gwadar Port and 178 miles from Iran’s Chabahar Port, Pasni occupies a crucial point along regional maritime routes. Its proximity to these major ports enhances its potential as a trade and logistics hub connecting South Asia, West Asia, and Central Asia. The move is seen as part of Pakistan’s broader strategy to diversify foreign partnerships and balance regional influences, while offering the U.S. a potential foothold in the strategically vital Arabian Sea corridor dominated by Chinese and Iranian port operations.