International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)

 International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)

In the Union Budget for 2025-26, the government announced the establishment of the second National Gene Bank, which will house a million germplasm lines to ensure future food and nutritional security.
A gene bank is a storage facility for genetic material, such as seeds, pollen, or tissue samples, to safeguard them from extinction.

About the First National Gene Bank:

• The First National Gene Bank was established in 1996 by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research - National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBPGR) in New Delhi.
• The bank consists of 12 regional stations across the country, dedicated to collecting and storing vital crop germplasms.
• These germplasms are the genetic resources of plants or animals, used for research, conservation, and crop breeding.

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Japan (Capital: Tokyo)
Japan's space agency successfully launched the navigation satellite Michibiki 6 using its new H3 rocket. Michibiki 6 will be the fifth satellite in Japan’s regional navigation system, known as the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS).

Political Features:

• Land Boundaries: Japan is an island nation with no land borders. Its land area consists almost entirely of four main islands:
  • Hokkaido (largest)
  • Honshu
  • Shikoku
  • Kyushu
• Maritime Boundaries:
  • Pacific Ocean to the east
  • Sea of Okhotsk to the north
  • Sea of Japan (East Sea) to the west
  • East China Sea to the southwest

Geographical Features:

• Climate: Japan’s climate ranges from subarctic in the north to humid subtropical in the south.
• Highest Peak: Mount Fuji, an iconic stratovolcano, standing at 3,776 meters.
• Major Rivers:
  • Shinano River (longest)
  • Tone River
  • Kiso River
• Japan is located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, making it prone to frequent seismic activity.

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