The Supreme Court (SC)  urged a balance between railway infrastructure development and the right to shelter people accused of illegally living on railway land.

About Right to Shelter

• It is a fundamental right, which springs from the right to residence under Article 19 (1) (e) and the right to life under Article 21.
• It was affirmed by SC in U.P. AvasEvamVikasParishad vs. Friends Coop. Housing Society Ltd. (1996)

Supreme Court will examine the issue of the 'right to be forgotten' concerning digital privacy.

Right to be Forgotten:

• It is also known as the 'right to erasure' and deals with individual rights to have control of the use of personal data by organisations.
• In Justice K.S. Puttaswamy case (2017), the SC favoured the recognition of this right. 
• Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 does not mention the ‘right to be forgotten’.
• Europe’s GDPR law covers the right to be forgotten.

Rajya Sabha Chairman expressed concern over the misuse of Rule 267, which allows the suspension of rules to discuss urgent matters. 

Rule 267

• This rule is meant for exceptional circumstances and has been invoked only six times in 36 years (last invoked in 2016).
• It is considered to be similar to the adjournment motion in Lok Sabha that allows for the scheduled business to be set aside to discuss matters of urgent public importance.

300 artificial reefs were deployed off the coast of Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu). 

About Artificial Reefs

• These are technology interventions used to rehabilitate or improve natural habitats, increase productivity and manage aquatic resources including habitat enhancement.
• Department of Fisheries is promoting it under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana for rejuvenating coastal fisheries

Advantages

• Reduce wave damage on coasts, help the regeneration of marine ecosystems and acts as a carbon sink.
• Enhance recreational fisheries, and eco-tourism, creating suitable areas for diving and reducing conflicts.
• Restricts bottom trawling in the near shore areas.

A study found that rock varnish in Ladakh, containing magnetofossils, could help identify habitable environments in space. 

• Magnetofossils are fossil remains of magnetic particles produced by MTB. 

About MTB

• MTB are widespread, motile, diverse prokaryotes. 
• They biomineralize a unique organelle called the magnetosome (consists of magnetic iron mineral).
• These bacteria bacteria can orientate themselves within Earth's geomagnetic field. 

Scientists discovered 'dark' oxygen 13,100-feet deep in the Pacific Ocean.

About Dark oxygen

• According to the study, it is generated by metallic nodules present on the seafloor.
• These natural metal formations appear to catalyze the splitting of seawater (H2O) into hydrogen and oxygen.
• Previously, it was believed that most of the oxygen came from marine plants performing photosynthesis, a process which is dependent on sunlight.
• Discovery challenges existing paradigms about oxygen production in Earth’s most inaccessible marine environments.

Some Small holder farmers of Nagaland are  replacing plastics with compostable bioplastic bags made from Cassava starch.

Bioplastics 

• Biobased polymers produced from renewable resources including carbohydrates, vegetable oils, etc. in the presence of microorganisms.
• Degradable by microbes (such as fungi, bacteria, and yeasts), leading to the production of CO2, water, and biomass. 
• Alternative to plastic with similar physical properties to synthetic plastics and have a low carbon footprint.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in a review revised framework for domestic money transfer

• The framework for Domestic Money Transfer (DMT) was introduced in 2011.
• The framework is revised by RBI  under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
• Review was done as there has been significant increase in the availability of banking outlets, developments in payment systems for funds transfers, etc.
• Revised framework shall come into effect from November 01, 2024.

Bolivia became a full member of MERCOSUR.

About MERCOSUR

• It is Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR for its Spanish initials) in latin america.
• It was established by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay in 1991, and subsequently joined by Venezuela and Bolivia.
  • Venezuela has been suspended since December 1, 2016.
• Objective: facilitating the free movement of goods, services, capital and people among the four member countries.
• India has a Preferential Trade Agreement with MERCOSUR.

Sangameshwar Temple is submerged due to flooding in Krishna river.

• Sangameswara temple in Nandyal district (Andhra Pradesh) submerges annually in the backwaters of the Srisailam dam. 

Sangameshwar Temple 

• The Nagara-style temple is dedicated to the Lord Shiva. 
• It was built by the Chalukya dynasty on the confluence of rivers Krishna and Tungabhadra along with five other tributaries (hence the name Sangameswara) 

Other Sangameshwar Temples in India

• Sri Ketaki Sangameshwara Swamy temple, Telangana
• Sangameshwar temple, Bhavani, Tamil Nadu
• Sangameshwar temple, Karnataka ( part of a Group of monuments at Pattadakal which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site).