Union Cabinet Approves ₹5,000 Crore Equity Infusion into SIDBI

Context: Recently, the Union Cabinet approved an equity infusion of ₹5,000 crore into the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).

More on the News 

• The infusion will be provided by the Department of Financial Services in three tranches over three financial years.
• The decision aims to enhance SIDBI’s lending capacity to micro, small and medium enterprises.

Key Details of the Equity Infusion

• ₹3,000 crore will be infused in the financial year 2025–26 at a book value of ₹568.65 as on March 31, 2025.
• ₹1,000 crore will be infused in 2026–27 at the book value prevailing at the end of the previous financial year.
• ₹1,000 crore will be infused in 2027–28 at the book value prevailing at the end of the previous financial year.

Expected Impact on MSMEs

• The number of MSMEs receiving financial assistance is expected to rise from 76.26 lakh to 102 lakh by 2027–28.
• Around 25.74 lakh new MSME beneficiaries are expected to be added during this period.
• The expanded credit flow will support enterprise growth and improve access to formal finance.

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

• The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) is the principal financial institution responsible for the promotion, financing and development of the MSME sector in India.
• SIDBI was established on April 2, 1990, under the Small Industries Development Bank of India Act, 1989.
• The headquarters of SIDBI is located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2025

Context: Graca Machel from Mozambique has been selected for the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2025.

More on the News

• The decision was taken by an international jury chaired by former National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon.
• The award includes a cash prize of ₹1 crore along with a citation and a trophy.

Why Graca Machel was Chosen

• She was recognised for path-breaking work in education, health, nutrition, economic empowerment and humanitarian action under difficult conditions.
• She led a landmark United Nations study in the 1990s on the impact of armed conflict on children, which reshaped global humanitarian responses.
• She has founded and worked with institutions focused on women’s empowerment, child development, and social transformation.
• She is regarded as a distinguished African stateswoman whose life’s work centres on self-determination and the protection of vulnerable communities.
• She served as First Lady of Mozambique and later as First Lady of South Africa and is the widow of former leaders Samora Machel and Nelson Mandela.

The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development

• The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is an annual award established in 1986 by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.
• It is presented to individuals, organizations, or institutions that have made exceptional contributions to international peace, disarmament, and development.
• The recipients of the award are chosen by an international jury, comprising distinguished personalities from various fields.

Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI)

Context: Recently, Spain officially joined the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), marking a significant expansion of its engagement in the region and a major step forward in India–Spain relations.

More on the News

• Spain would upgrade its ties with India to a “strategic association,” the highest level of bilateral partnership.
• India now counts more than 25 partners who trust its leadership in the region. 
• As a key Atlantic naval power, Spain brings expertise that will strengthen India’s maritime operations in the strategically vital Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

About Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative

• The Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) was launched by India in November 2019 at the ASEAN-led East Asia Summit (EAS) in Bangkok, Thailand.
• The Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative aims to foster cooperation for a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific, strengthening maritime security, stability and development.
• It is an initiative of the Government of India and builds upon the “Security and Growth for All in the Region” (SAGAR) initiative announced by the Prime Minister of India in 2015. 
  Mission Sagar was India's initiative to SAGAR- Security and Growth for All in the Region. 
• • The IPOI has seven thematic areas covering security, development, and capacity building across security, safety, resource development, science and technology, resilient infrastructure, and marine ecology.
• • Seven pillars of IPOI: Maritime Security, Maritime Ecology, Maritime Resources, Capacity Building and Resource Sharing, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, Science, Technology and Academic Cooperation, and Trade Connectivity and Maritime Transport.

Lucknow Achieved 100% Scientific Processing of Solid Waste

Context: Recently, Lucknow became the first city in Uttar Pradesh to achieve 100% scientific processing of municipal solid waste. 

More on the News

• The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has addressed it through a multi-pronged strategy focused on scientific waste disposal, resource recovery, and sustainable urban development, enhancing both public health and environmental quality.
• Lucknow inaugurated its third fresh waste processing facility at Shivari Plant, which helped in becoming the first city in Uttar Pradesh to achieve 100% and, earning the distinction of a ‘zero fresh waste dump’ city.
• From 18.5 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste, around 12.86 lakh metric tonnes has been scientifically processed. 
• Over 25 acres of land at Shivari have been reclaimed and transformed into a fully functional waste treatment facility with windrow pads, internal roads, sheds, weighbridges, and a complete processing ecosystem.

Key Components of the 100% Processing Model

• Achieving this target requires an integrated system of collection, segregation, and diverse processing technologies: 

• Mechanised Segregation: Waste is split into organic (approx. 55%) and inorganic (approx. 45%) fractions using automated sorting plants.

• Organic Waste Processing:

• Composting & Vermicomposting: Converting biodegradable waste into nutrient-rich organic fertiliser.
• Biomethanation: Generating biogas and electricity from food and sewage waste.

• Inorganic Waste Processing:

• Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF): Non-recyclable inorganic waste is converted into fuel pellets for high-heat industries like cement and paper manufacturing.
• Recycling: Plastics, glass, and metals are recovered and sent back into the production cycle. High-capacity plants use thermal technologies (incineration, gasification, or pyrolysis) to convert residual waste into electricity and steam. 

• Waste-to-Energy (WtE): High-capacity plants use thermal technologies (incineration, gasification, or pyrolysis) to convert residual waste into electricity and steam. 

Tyler Prize

Context: Recently, American evolutionary biologist Toby Kiers has been awarded the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement.

More on the News: 

• She was recognised for her work by mapping the global distribution of mycorrhizal fungi in last year’s Underground Atlas.
• Ms Kiers and her team have shed light on below-ground biodiversity, providing crucial insights for conservation and the protection of vast carbon stores.

About the Tyler Prize

• The Tyler Prize is the world’s most prestigious annual environmental prize. Often referred to as the “green Nobel Prize”.
• It was the first prize of its kind to be awarded in the field of environmental science. 
• The prize honours those who make outstanding contributions to understanding, protecting, and solving critical environmental challenges.
• Recipients of the prize are awarded $250,000 USD and presented with a commemorative medallion at an illustrious ceremony to recognise their work. 
• The Tyler Prize is administered by The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.