Pump and Dump scheme
Recently SEBI imposed a fine on some individuals for allegedly operating a ‘pump and dump’ scheme.
- A manipulation activity involving artificially inflating a stock’s price through false and misleading information/recommendations.
- Purpose – To sell stock at an inflated price.
- Prevalent in micro-cap and small-cap sectors due to limited public information and lower trading volumes.
- Regulation – Under SEBI’s guidelines, it is completely banned.
Clearing Corporation
SEBI has formed a committee under Usha Thorat to review ownership and economic structure of clearing corporations.
- An entity which handles the activity of clearing and settlement of trades in securities or other instruments that are traded on stock exchanges.
- CCs along with stock exchanges and depositories constitute Market Infrastructure Institutions.
- Regulated under – Securities Contracts (Regulation) (Stock Exchanges and Clearing Corporations (SECC)) Regulations, 2018
Arun 3 Hydro project
Prime Minister of Nepal completed the last blast of Head Race Tunel of Arun-3 Hydro Electric Project in Nepal.
- 900 MW run-of-the-river hydropower project on Arun River in Eastern Nepal.
- Run-of-the-river – Hydroelectric system that harvest energy from flowing water to generate electricity in absence of a large dam and reservoir.
Bioremediation
Recently, researchers found that marine fungus Parengyodontium album can break down the plastic polyethylene after being exposed to UV radiation.
- Process of reduction & elimination of contaminants present in the natural environment like soil, water through the application of microorganisms.
- Various plastic degrading bacteria and fungi that can be used for bioremediation of plastics.
- Advantages – Minimal disruption of ecosystem, permanent elimination of contaminants, cheap operation costs etc.
QS World University Ranking
QS World University Rankings (WUR), 2025 released
- Released by – Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a leading network of experts in education sector.
- Based on 9 Performance indicators – Academic Reputation, Employer Reputation, Faculty Student Ratio, Citations per Faculty, International Faculty Ratio, International Student Ratio, International Research Network, Employment Outcomes, and Sustainability.
- Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) ranked at 118.