The Supreme Court upheld that political parties cannot be treated as “workplaces” excluding them from POSH act. 

About  POSH Act 2013

• Judicial precedent: Based on Vishaka judgement 1997
• Scope: Applies to all workplaces: government, private sector, NGOs, educational institutions, hospitals, sports facilities, etc.
  • Covers domestic workers as well
• Internal Complaints committee(ICC): Mandatory in every workplace with 10 or more employees.
  • At least 50% of members and presiding officer shall be a women
• Local complaints committee(LCC): In each district to deal with complaints in workplace with less than 10 employees
• Complaint: To be made within a period of 3 months from the date of incident to ICC or LCC which are to complete inquiry within 90 days.

Recently the Bank of England proposed to restrict stablecoin ownership in the country citing various risks.

About Stablecoins

• These are a type of cryptocurrency whose value is pegged to another asset, such as a fiat currency or gold, to maintain a stable price.
• There are primarily three types of stablecoins: fiat-collateralized, crypto-collateralized, and non-collateralized (algorithmic).
• Advantages:  Stable prices, cheap and fast cross border transactions, etc.
• Disadvantages:  Risk of mass withdrawal of holdings simultaneously, fail the test of elasticity (cannot expand quickly to provide additional liquidity in case of high demand), risk of money laundering, etc. 

Indian Patent Office (IPO) has revoked the patent on Novartis’cardiac drug Vymada Section 3(d) of the Patents Act.

About  Section 3(d) of the Patents Act

• Aims to prevent "evergreening," i.e., extending drug patents through minor modifications without substantial therapeutic improvement.

Significance

• Ensure Affordable Access, supports India’s role as “pharmacy of the world”
• Aligns with Doha Declaration on TRIPS & Public Health (2001).
• Encourage Genuine Innovation.
• Balance innovation incentives with affordability.

Indian Navy’s latest indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel (DSV) INS Nistar is participating in   Pacific Reach 2025 exercise in Singapore.

About Pacific Reach

• It is a biennial, multilateral exercise.
• The exercise is split into two main phases:
  • Harbour Phase: Includes subject matter expert exchanges (SMEE), medical symposium, cross-deck visits, and detailed discussions on submarine rescue systems. 
  • Sea Phase: Involves intervention and rescue operations at sea with participating assets.

The Supreme Court stated that Aadhaar can be used by voters, as Section 23(4) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 allows it.

About Section 23 (4) of RPA

• The electoral registration officer may require a person to provide their Aadhaar number under the Aadhaar Act, 2016, for verifying identity purposes during electoral registration. 
• This requirement applies to new applicants as well as to individuals already on the electoral roll, primarily for authenticating entries and to detect duplicate registrations within the same or different constituencies.

The Union Ministry of Environment ordered a probe into allegations that the villagers’ consent for relocation from the core areas of STR fraudulently obtained. 

About Simlipal Tiger Reserve

• Location: Mayurbhanj district of Odisha
• Designation: Declared a Tiger Reserve in 1956 and included under Project Tiger in 1973.
  • Recognised as part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO in 2009.
• Waterfalls: Joranda and Barehipani
• Rivers: Burhabalanga, Palpala Bandan, Salandi, Kahairi and Deo.
• Tribes Found: Kolha, Santhala, Bhumija, Bhatudi, Gondas, Khadia, Mankadia and Sahara.

The PM inaugurated the Sex Sorted Semen facility established under the “Rashtriya Gokul Mission” scheme in Bihar.

• Semen-Sex Sorting is a technology that increases the likelihood of birth of female calves with about 90% accuracy.

About Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM)

• Launch: 2014 
• Ministry: Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
• Type: Central Sector Scheme
• Objectives: 
  • Development and conservation of indigenous bovine breeds
  • Genetic upgradation of bovine population
  • Enhancement of milk production and productivity of bovines. 
• Implemented by: Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying

A study highlighted that the EACOP could generate 34 million tons of carbon.

About EACOP

• It is a 1443 km long pipeline that connects the Tilenga and Kingfisher oilfields in western Uganda with the port of Tanga in eastern Tanzania.
• Concerns: 
  • Carbon emissions
  • Impact on biodiversity in protected areas including Murchison Falls National Park (Oldest and largest National park of Uganda), 
  • Displacement of tribals, etc.