SC directed the poll panel to accept Aadhaar as the 12th document in Bihar Special intensive revision (SIR).

About Aadhaar

• 12-digit random number issued by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
• It contains Demographic (Name, Gender, Date of Birth, Address) & Biometric (Fingerprints, Iris scans and Facial Photograph) data.
• Section 7 of the Aadhaar Act 2016: Governments may require Aadhaar for beneficiaries to access benefits or subsidies under schemes funded by the Consolidated Fund of India or States
• AADHAAR Meta Data: As per Supreme court Aadhaar data cannot be stored beyond 6 months.
• Related SC Judgment: 
  • Puttaswamy Judgment (2018): SC upheld constitutional validity of Aadhaar for welfare schemes and government services.

President Urges Citizens to Make India Global Hub of Business and Knowledge during platinum jubilee celebrations of EEPC.

About EEPC

• Established: 1955 under Ministry of Commerce.
• Members: Mostly SMEs(60%).
• Head & Registered Office : Kolkata
• Activities: Trade fairs, buyer-seller meets, market research, export advisory, credit facilitation.
• Goal: Boost India’s global competitiveness and achieve higher engineering export targets.

Union Minister for Communication unveiled the UPI- (Universal Postal Union) UPU Integration project aimed at transforming cross-border remittances.

About the UPU

• Established in 1874.
  • It became a specialized agency of the UN in 1948.
• Headquarters: Berne.
• It is the second oldest international organization after the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) (1865).
• Members: 192 member countries, India is member.
• Function:  Primary forum for cooperation between postal sector players. It helps to ensure a truly universal network of up-to-date products and services.

Himachal Pradesh was declared the fifth State/UT to achieve full functional literacy, after Tripura, Mizoram, Goa and Ladakh under Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram also known as ULLAS. 

About ULLAS

• Background: As per the recommendations of the National Education Policy 2020.
• Scheme type: Centrally sponsored scheme called New India Literacy Program, popularly known as ULLAS. (Ministry of Education)
• Duration: Period of five years, from 2022- 2027.
• Aim: To empower all adults aged 15 years and above, who have not had the opportunity to educate themselves.
  • It allows one to acquire reading, writing and numeracy skills and critical life skills too.

A wildlife survey by the WWF-India captured the first photo of Pallas’s cat in Arunachal Pradesh.

About Pallas Cat (Otocolobus manul)

• Physical Features: 30-35 cm tall with a very dense fur coat.
• Habitat: Inhabits rocky steppes, montane grasslands, and shrublands across Central Asia, including Iran, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Russia, Pakistan and northern India. 
• Diet: Small prey including marmots, pikas, ground squirrels, voles, etc.
• Conservation Status
  • Least Concern on IUCN Red List.
  • Schedule 1 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Recently, the Supreme Court stayed projects in Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary which is a proposed tiger reserve as well.

About Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary

• Proclaimed a wildlife sanctuary in 1999 under The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Location: North Goa along the Western Ghats, bordering Karnataka and Maharashtra.
• Mahadei (Mondovi) River flows through the wildlife sanctuary.
• Fauna: Tigers, leopards, sloth bears, gaurs, sambar deer, etc.
• Flora: Moist deciduous vegetation and some evergreen species, e.g. the rare Ashoka tree with peculiar saffron coloured flowers.

Recently, Two-factor authentication (2FA) was mentioned in the news.

About Two-factor authentication (2FA) 

• It is an identity and access management security method that requires two forms of identification to access resources and data.
• Mechanism: Combines two of three factors i.e., something you know (password), something you have (phone, token), or something you are (biometrics).
• Examples: OTP codes, authenticator apps, security keys, fingerprint scans.
• Benefits: Reduces risk of account breaches, phishing, and identity theft even if passwords are compromised.

Scientists from INST, Mohali have introduced cholesterol-based nanomaterials as novel platforms for future quantum technologies and spintronic applications.

About Cholesterol 

• It is a waxy, fat-like lipid belonging to the steroid family, produced by the liver and also obtained from animal-based foods.
• Types: 

• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL, “bad” cholesterol) can build up in arteries;
• High-density lipoprotein (HDL, “good” cholesterol) helps remove excess LDL.
• Functions: Essential for hormone production, vitamin D synthesis and building cell membranes.
• Health Risks: High LDL increases risk of heart disease and stroke.