News in Shorts: 22 September 2025

Tropical Forests Forever Facility

Context: Brazil is set to become the first country to announce an investment in the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF).

About Tropical Forests Forever Facility

• It is a multilateral fund proposed to support conservation of endangered forests worldwide.
• Goal: To mobilize $125 billion through blended finance, combining Public Funding  such as Official Development Assistance (ODA) with Private Capital.
• Revenue Use: Resulting revenue pays tropical forest countries (TFCs) per hectare of standing forest, adjusted for deforestation or degradation.
• Support for Communities: At least 20% of payments allocated to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs); remaining funds support national forest policies.

Financial Mechanism

• Fund Structure: It operates through Tropical Forest Investment Fund (TFIF) which pools funds from:
  • Sponsors: High-income countries and philanthropies (20% of total), providing concessional finance.
  • Market Investors: Institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, and endowments (80% of total), investing through debt instruments.
• Fund Management: Funds managed via a Multilateral Development Bank (MDB), e.g., World Bank.
• Revenue Generation: Revenue arises from interest-rate differentials between investments and debt servicing, forming the basis for results-based payments to TFCs.
• Payment Adjustments: Payments adjusted annually for inflation and may be reduced due to market volatility.

Global Support 

• China indicated in July 2025 that it would make one of the initial contributions, marking a potential shift in climate finance responsibility from solely wealthy nations.
• Other countries showing interest include the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Norway, Singapore, and the UAE.

Industrial Park Rating System (IPRS) 3.0

Context: On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Make in India, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry launched Industrial Park Rating System (IPRS 3).

About Industrial Park Rating System

• Launched in : 2018 (IPRS 1.0)
• Objective: Evaluates and ranks industrial parks and  Special Economic (SEZs) nationwide.
• Four Assessment Pillars:
• • Internal infrastructure and utilities
  • External infrastructure and facilities
  • Business support services
  • Environmental and safety management
• Categorization: Parks and SEZs are grouped as Leaders, Challengers, and Aspirants.
• Developed by: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)  and Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
• Integration: Linked with state/UT industry-specific GIS systems for real-time, plot-level updates.
• IPRS 2.0 (2021): Introduced by DPIIT, enhancing the system using pilot findings and global best practices, including International Guidelines for Industrial Park and Eco-Industrial Park  frameworks.

Key Features

• GIS-Enabled: Uses geographic information system (GIS) technology to help investors identify preferred investment locations.
• Expansion of IILB: IPRS builds on the India Industrial Land Bank (IILB), covering over 4,500 industrial parks.

Purpose of IPRS 3.0

• To benchmark and assess industrial parks on infrastructure, competitiveness, sustainability, and investor-friendliness.
• To promote best practices and provide stakeholders with reliable data for informed decision-making.
• To strengthen Make in India by creating world-class industrial infrastructure and improving India’s global competitiveness.
• Expanded Parameters: Includes sustainability, green infrastructure, logistics connectivity, digitalization, skill linkages, and tenant feedback.

Logistics Data Bank

Context: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry launched Logistics Data Bank  2.0.

Logistics Data Bank (LDB)

• It is a next-generation digital platform designed to enhance logistics efficiency, improve supply chain visibility, and support India’s export competitiveness.
• Introduced in 2016 for real-time container tracking.
• Uses RFID technology and advanced tracking systems across ports, highways, and railways.
• Provides near real-time updates on container locations.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Commerce and Industry

Technical Capabilities

High-seas container tracking: Enables exporters to monitor containers after departure from Indian ports.

• Multi-modal shipment visibility: Tracks containers across road, rail, and sea using container numbers, truck/trailer IDs, and railway Freight Number Records (FNRs).
• Live container heatmap: Visualizes location-based distribution to identify bottlenecks and logistics imbalances.
• Integration with Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) APIs for seamless data access.

Institutional Setup

• Developed by NICDC Logistics Data Services (NLDSL).
• Supports MSMEs and exporters by enhancing credibility and coordination in global markets.

Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Context: Prime Minister congratulated Shri Mohanlal Ji for being conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest recognition in cinema.

About Dadasaheb Phalke Award

• Purpose: Instituted by the Government of India to honor Dadasaheb Phalke, director of India’s first full-length feature film, Raja Harishchandra (1913).
• Conferred annually by the Government of India for “Outstanding Contribution to the Growth and Development of Indian Cinema”
• Considered the highest honour in Indian film industry.
• First Recipient: Devika Rani, known as the “first lady of Indian cinema”.
• Award Components: ‘Swarna Kamal’ trophy, INR 10 lakh cash prize, certificate, silk roll, and shawl.
• Presentation: Conferred by the President of India.
• Most Recent Awardees
• • Mithun Chakraborty (2024)
  • Waheeda Rehman (2023)
  • Asha Parekh (2022)

About Mohanlal

• Profession: Actor, producer, and playback singer, primarily in Malayalam cinema.
• Career Span: Nearly five decades, with 360+ films.
• Notable Films: Kireedam, Bharatham, Vanaprastham, Drishyam, among others.
• Reputation: Widely known as “The Complete Actor” for his versatility.
• Awards:
  • Padma Shri (2001) and Padma Bhushan (2019)
  • 5 National Film Awards
  • Multiple Kerala State Film Awards
  • Recognition both in India and internationally
• International Recognition: Vanaprastham (1999) screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

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