Bihar successfully concludes Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls.

About SIR

• It is a House-to-House verification to be done to ensure enrolment of all eligible Citizens.
• Rationale: Under article 324, Election Commission of India is empowered to register all eligible voters in the electoral roll.
• Legal Provisions: Article 326 of the Constitution, Representation of the People Act, 1950.
• Significance: To ensure the integrity of the Electoral Roll (ER) for the conduct of free & fair elections.

India has been re-elected to Part II of the Council of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

About International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

• Establishment: Created in 1944 (Chicago Convention) as a specialized UN agency;  
• Members: Total 193 States and India is a founding Member.
• Functions:
  • Coordinates global standards for safety, security, efficiency, and sustainability in air transport.
  • Enables global air mobility network, promoting trade, cultural exchange, tourism, socio-economic growth.

Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) Scheme has been extended till March 2026.

About RoDTEP Scheme

• Launched:  January 2021 by Ministry of Commerce and Industry
• Objective: To reimburse taxes, duties, and levies at central, state, and local levels that are not refunded under any other mechanism. 
  • Reduces hidden costs and make Indian exports more competitive in global markets.
• Scope: Covers taxes incurred during manufacture and distribution of exported products.

RBI would continue to use the overnight weighted average call rate (WACR) as the operating target for monetary policy.

About WACR

• It is the average interest rate at which banks lend and borrow money from each other overnight, just for one day.
• Significance: 
  • It reflects the short-term cost of money in the banking system.
  • It helps the RBI monitor how easy or difficult it is for banks to get funds.
    • If WACR goes up, it means money is becoming costlier; if it goes down, it means money is easier to get.

IISc scientists have developed a siphon-powered thermal desalination system that converts seawater into clean drinking water.

• The new system uses a composite siphon made of a fabric wick and a grooved metal surface. 
  • The fabric draws salty water from a reservoir while gravity ensures a continuous flow, flushing away salt before it can crystallize. 
  • The water then spreads as a thin film over a heated metal surface, evaporates, and condenses on a cooler surface placed just two millimeters away.
• Built using low-cost materials like aluminum and fabric, the system can run entirely on solar power or waste heat.
• Features: faster, cheaper, and more efficient.

Centre invokes Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with Singapore over singer’s death.

About Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT)

• Nodal Authority: Ministry of Home Affairs.
• It is an agreement providing procedures for cross-border legal assistance in criminal investigations, evidence collection, prosecution, and extradition.
• India provides mutual legal assistance in criminal matters through Bilateral Treaties/Agreements, Multilateral Treaties/Agreements or International Conventions or on the basis of assurance of reciprocity.
• India has MLAT with Russia, USA, France, UAE, Afghanistan, Turkey

Immunologicals rolled out India’s first glycoprotein E(gE) deleted DIVA marker vaccine (Raksha-IBR) against infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR).

• Raksha-IBR will address infertility, abortions and reduced milk productivity linked to the IBR disease in animals.

About IBR

• It is a disease characterized by acute inflammation of the upper respiratory tract.
• Caused by: bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1).

Amendments of 2024 to the International Health Regulations (IHR) have entered into force. 

About IHR

• These are a legally binding instrument of the World Health Organization (WHO) for 196 countries.
• Aim: To prevent, protect against, control, and provide public health response to the international spread of diseases, while avoiding unnecessary interference with international traffic and trade.
• Origin: Dated back to the 19th century, when quarantine measures were introduced due to trade-related disease spread.