• Election Commission has notified Postal ballotsfor essential services workers.

• Postal ballots or vote by post allow eligible voters to exercise their franchise when they are unable to cast their votes in person.
• Eligible voters for Postal ballots are: 
  • Service voters  (memebr of armed forces, Armed Police Force of a State, government employees, etc.) 
  • Absentee voters (senior citizens, person with disability, etc.)
  • Electors on election duty or under  preventive detention.
• Paper used in Postal Ballot is different from the one used in the EVM. 

• COP Presidencies’ Troika announced to cut emissions in line with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

• It is aligned with Nationally-Determined Contributions (NDCs) under Paris Agreement by early 2025.

• UAE, Azerbaijan, and Brazil are the members of triokia who are the Presidencies of COP28, COP29 and COP30 respectively.
• Troika will focus on Catalyzing the mobilization and provision of technical and financial resources to further stimulate ambition in NDCs.

• 4th edition of the SCO Startup Forum was organized in New Delhi. 
•  The initiative focused on broadening:  
  • startup interactions among the SCO Member States, 
  • fostering an environment conducive to innovation, 
  • promoting job creation, and inspiring young talent to develop innovative solutions.
• The creation of a Special Working Group for Startups and Innovation (SWG) at the Summit of SCO Heads of State in Samarkand (Uzbekistan), in September 2022, was a key step in the development of the SCO Startup Forum. 
  • The SWG is permanently chaired by India.
  • It is created with the vision of promoting collaboration among SCO Member States and accelerating regional economic.

• Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) approved the setting up of Bima Sugam.
• About Bima Sugam
  • It is formed under Section 8 of Companies Act, 2013 as a not-for-profit company.
  • It is an insurance e-market with open standards and an interoperable platform.
  • Act as a one-stop solution for all Insurance stakeholders vis-a-vis customers, insurers, intermediaries, or insurance intermediaries.
  • Available free of cost to consumers.
  • Enables insurance companies to validate and authenticate data from multiple touchpoints in real time.
  • It aims to achieve the vision of “Insurance for all by 2047”.

• Earth Hour” is set to be observed on March 23 from 8.30pm to 9.30pm (IST).
• Earth Hour
  • Earth Hour was famously started as a lights-out event in Sydney, Australia in 2007.
  • It is a global event observed annually on the last Saturday of March. 
  • It is organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
  • It is symbolic to raise awareness about climate change and promote energy conservation.
  • Beyond the hour, Earth Hour inspires people to take further action for a sustainable future.

• SC struck down notification exempting green clearance for extraction of ordinary earth for linear projects like laying of roads and pipelines.
• Exemption notification was issued by Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change in 2020.
• About Judgement
  • Exemption was termed “Completely Unguided” and Extraction of earth in an indiscriminate manner is wholly arbitrary and violative of Article 14 of Constitution.
  • Notification was non-compliant with Environmental Protection Rules.
  • SC observed that “linear projects” have not been defined and thus making it vague and exploitative.
  • Now, projects shall require prior EC from concerned regulatory authority.

• A black panther was recently spotted in Munnar (Kerala).
• About Black Panther
  • Black panthers are not a distinct species, but ‘melanistic’ members of the genus Panthera (lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars and snow leopards).
    • Genetic mutation is the cause of such melanin.
  • In practice, the term black panther only really applies to leopards and jaguars, as fully black individuals don’t occur in the other species.
  • IUCN red list: 
    • Panthera pardus (vulnerable)
    • Panthera onca (Not threatened)

• European Space Agency's astrometry satellite Gaiahave discovered the earliest building blocks of Milky Way, named them Shiva and Shakti.
• Shiva and Shakti appear to be the remnants of two galaxies that merged between 12 and 13 billion years ago to form Milky way.
  • Shakti stars orbit a little further from Milky Way’s centre and in more circular orbits than Shiva stars.
• By studying these, scientists can gain insights into Milky Way's formation process.

Sher Singh Shah(1912-1991)

• About Sher Singh Shah
  • He was a freedom  fighter born in Rudraprayag district of Uttrakhand.
  • His father’s name is Padam Singh Shah, and his mother's name is Devki Devi.
• Contribution
  • He seceretly spreading awareness about the freedom struggle.
  • He took an oath in the Lalita Mai temple in Nala, declaring that he would serve his country for his entire life.
  • He led Quit India  Movement(1942) from Kedar Ghati(Uttrakhand)
  • He fought against the British regime at Kasaragod and Barmwadi 
• Awards: Government of India honoured him with a Copper Plate in 1972.
•  Values: Courage,Patriotism,Perseverance etc.