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World’s First Green Rail Corridor • Kerala proposed 473km High-Speed Rail Corridor (Thiruvananthapuram–Kannur) to be the world’s first Green Rail Corridor, with its operational energy requirement proposed to be met entirely through captive solar power. • The proposal comes after the SilverLine semi-high-speed rail project was shelved/withdrawn • Unlike SilverLine, the new corridor is proposed to run largely on elevated viaducts, with only a short underground stretch in Thiruvananthapuram, thereby aiming to reduce land acquisition and environmental concerns. Crowdfunding • Crowdfunding means raising funds for a specific project by collecting small contributions from a large number of individuals, usually through web-based platforms or social networks. • It can enable startups, SMEs, and infrastructure projects to access capital from a broad investor base without relying entirely on traditional bank finance. 👇🏻👇🏻

Celler Abadal (Catalonia, Spain) became the first vineyard to receive the “Fire Wine” certification, recognising vineyards that help reduce wildfire risk through fire-resilient land management practices. • Catalonia (Spain) recently used vineyards as natural firebreaks to slow the spread of wildfires. • FireWine Certification is a Catalonia-based initiative that recognizes vineyards adopting wildfire-prevention practices. • Europe is experiencing its worst wildfire period since records began in 2006, with nearly 2.5 million acres scorched in the recent season. • Vineyards reduce wildfire spread because rows of vines and cleared soil between them contain less combustible vegetation. • Truffle cultivation and beekeeping (honey production) encourage management of forest undergrowth, thereby lowering wildfire fuel loads.

• Andhra Pradesh became the first state to operationalise PM-SETU by approving the Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) for the Visakhapatnam ITI Cluster under an industry-led model. • PM-SETU (Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs) is a ₹60,000-crore scheme aimed at upgrading 1,000 Government ITIs through an industry-led Hub-and-Spoke model to improve employability and create a future-ready skilled workforce.