Neurotechnology is the emerging frontier which will expand our ability to understand and even influence how the human brain works in the future.

About Neurotechnology

• It  uses tools to interact directly with the brain, allowing systems to record, monitor, or influence neural activity.
• Brain Computer Interface (BCIs): It is a key neurotechnology that converts brain signals into digital commands.
  • Functions: BCIs allow users to control devices like computers, wheelchairs, or robotic arms using their thoughts.
  • Applications: BCIs aid paralysis treatment, diagnose brain disorders, and help treat depression and Parkinson’s.Example: Neuralink

The CBI is actively engaging with Interpol to expedite the issuance of Blue Notices against the accused to prevent their movement to other jurisdictions.

About Blue Notice

• Purpose: Issued by Interpol to obtain additional information on a person’s identity, location, or activities.

Other Important Notices

• Red Notice: Seeks the location and arrest of wanted persons for prosecution or to serve a sentence.
• Yellow Notice: Helps locate missing persons, especially minors, or identify individuals unable to identify themselves.
• Orange Notice: Warns member countries about serious and imminent threats posed by dangerous persons, weapons, explosives, or hazardous materials.
• Green Notice: to provide warning about a person’s criminal activities, where the person is considered to be a possible threat to public safety.

Apex Council meeting of the Bharat 6G Mission reviewed progress of the Bharat 6G Alliance and shaped a roadmap to position India as a global 6G leader by 2030.

About Bharat 6G alliance

• It is a national collaborative platform uniting government, industry, academia, and startups.
• Aim: To enable India to become a leading global supplier of IP, products and solutions of affordable 5G and 6G and other future telecom solutions.

About 6G

• It will use higher radio frequencies than 5G, letting it handle vast data at once with almost no delay.
• 6G aims to send and receive information in just one microsecond, that’s 1,000 times faster than the response time of 5G.

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) dismantled a Mephedrone manufacturing facility in Maharashtra under Operation Hinterland Brew.

About Mephedrone

• It is a New Psychoactive Substance (NPS) - a drug designed to produce effects similar to those of established illicit drugs.
• It displays similar effects to MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) ecstasy. 
• Regarded an empathogen-stimulant drug, which means it speeds up the messages travelling between the brain and body. 
• Mephedrone consumption has been associated with undesirable effects and fatal intoxications.

Study finds nearly 62,000 African penguins died of starvation between 2004-11.

About Penguins

• Groups of seabirds belonging to Spheniscidae family. 
• Consists of 17 to 19 species of birds found primarily in Southern Hemisphere. 
  • Includes blue penguins of Australia and New Zealand, emperor penguins of Antarctica, African penguins, etc. 
• Characteristics: Despite being birds, they have flippers instead of wings and cannot fly. 
  • They waddle on land, walking upright under right snow conditions and are expert swimmers. 
  • Have black body with white belly helping them camouflage in water while searching for meals, mainly small shrimp, fish, crabs, and squid.

Asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) called for extension in pass-through tax status to alternative investment funds (AIFs) investing in security receipts (SRs) for tax relief. 

About Pass-through status

• It takes away the obligation to pay corporation tax by an entity. While the income generated at the hands of its investor is taxed. 
  • An entity usually pays tax twice: Income tax for Income generated by shareholders and Corporation tax at corporate level. 
• It prevents double taxation. 
• The 2014 Union Budget granted pass-through status to Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). 

UN Environment Programme (UNEP) released the 7^th edition of GEO: A Future We Choose report. 

Key Highlights

• Key Concerns
  • Greenhouse gas emissions increased by 1.5% annually since 1990. 
  • Globally, Nine million deaths attributed annually to some form of pollution. 
  • Land degradation at current rates, would cause losing fertile and productive land the size of Colombia or Ethiopia annually. 
• Key Recommendations
  • Tapping into Indigenous Knowledge and Local Knowledge. 
  • Annual investment of about US$8 trillion till 2050 for net-zero emissions. 
  • Whole-of-society and whole-of-government approaches including shifting from GDP to indicators tracking human and natural capital. 

20th Conference of Parties (CoP20) to (CITES) concluded in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Key Highlights of the CoP

• 77 species were added to CITES appendices including oceanic whitetip shark, whale shark, etc. in Appendix I. 
• India successfully opposed European Union’s proposal to list guggul in Appendix II, arguing for comprehensive population assessments first.

About CITES

• International agreement ensuring international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
• Although legally binding, it does not take the place of national laws.
• Lists species in three appendices based on their degree of protection. 
• Enforcement: July 01, 1975. 
• Parties: 185 (Including India).