Parliament extended President’s Rule in Manipur by six months. 

About President’s Rule (Article 356)

• Imposed when the President believes the state government cannot function as per the Constitution (based on Governor’s report or otherwise).
• Effects: President can
  • Take over state government functions, powers exercisable by Governor or authority in the State other than the Legislature of the State (except High Court powers).
  • Declare that Parliament will exercise the powers of the State Legislature.
• Duration:
  • Can be revoked or varied by a subsequent Proclamation. 
  • Can last up to 3 years, but must be approved every 6 months by Parliament.
• Checks: The Constitution includes safeguards to prevent misuse.

The Lok Sabha passed a bill to provide Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservation in the Goa Legislative Assembly.

Reservation of Seats for Scheduled Tribes 

• Reservation for SCs/STs: Article 332 mandates seat reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the legislative assemblies of all states (except STs in Assam's autonomous districts).
• Special Provision for Assam: Seats shall be reserved for the autonomous districts in the Legislative Assembly.
• Proportional Representation: Reserved seats must reflect the proportion of SC/ST population in the state.

In Vanashakti v. Union of India, the Supreme Court struck down the Centre's exemption that allowed industrial sheds, schools, colleges, and hostels to bypass environmental clearance if they followed eco-friendly measures.

• The Court held that all large construction projects (over 20,000 sq. m) affect the environment and must follow clearance process under the EIA Notification, 2006.

About EIA Notification, 2006

• Prior Environmental Clearance (EC) is mandatory for construction projects ≥20,000 sq. m.
• Projects are classified into:
  • Category A: cleared by the Central Government.
  • Category B: cleared by State Environmental Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAAs).

Krill, a species crucial to marine food chains, is under increasing pressure due to fishing, climate change, and growing demand for its omega-3 oil used in fishmeal, pet food, and human supplements.

About Krill

• Species: Small, pelagic crustaceans found mainly in the Antarctic Ocean, North Atlantic, and North Pacific.
• Ecological Role: Keystone species in the Antarctic ecosystem, feeding on plankton and serving as the primary food source for whales, seals, squid, and seabirds.
• Behaviour: Travel in large swarms.
• A study found that krill removes 20 million tons of carbon from the atmosphere each year.

A joint census in Kerala and Tamil Nadu reports a population of 2,668 Nilgiri tahrs. 

About Nilgiri Tahrs

• Nilgiri tahr is the only mountain ungulate in southern India amongst the 12 species present in India. 
• State animal of Tamil Nadu.
• Endemic to the Western Ghats (Tamil Nadu & Kerala).
  • Eravikulam National Park holds their largest contiguous population.
• Conservation Status:
  • Listed as Endangered – IUCN Red List.
  • Protected under Schedule I – Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Conservation Efforts: Project Nilgiri Tahr (Tamil Nadu, 2023) and Nilgiri Tahr Day (7 October).
• Threats: Habitat loss due to plantations, infrastructure development and land-use change. 

Seeds of sea buckthorn and buckwheat grown in the cold desert of Ladakh are part of experiments on board the International Space Station flown by NASA’s Crew-11 mission. 

Sea Buckthorn

• Deciduous shrub/tree; pioneer species for soil improvement, wind & sand control, and soil & water conservation.
• Well adapted to live in cold areas of high altitude.
• High nutritional value: Rich in vitamins, carotenoids, polyphenols, fatty acids, phytosterols.
• Health Benefits: High medicinal & therapeutic potential due to its antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory properties.

India launched a new collaborative initiative with the support of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to strengthen Rice Fortification and Supply Chain Management in Nepal.

About UN WFP

• World’s largest humanitarian organization providing food aid to save lives and help people recover from conflict, disasters, and climate impacts.
• Headquarters: Rome, Italy.
• Genesis: Established in 1961 by joint efforts of UN General Assembly & Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
• Funding: Voluntary contributions from governments, corporates, and private donors.
• Recognition: Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020.

Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) granted AoN for  procurement proposals worth nearly ₹67,000 crore. 

• DAC, headed by Minister of Defence,  is the highest decision-making body in the Defence Ministry for deciding on new policies and capital acquisitions.

About the AoN

• AoN is the first step toward the procurement of military equipment under Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP), 2020.
• Key technologies granted AoN
  • Thermal Imager-based Driver Night Sights for BMP to improve night mobility and combat readiness.
  • Compact Autonomous Surface Craft for detecting and neutralising undersea threats.
  • Upgrade of Saksham/Spyder air defence systems for better integration with the Integrated Air Command and Control System.