Recently CCI has taken cognizance of Indigo flight disruption to investigate the potential abuse of market dominance.

About CCI

• Type: Statutory body established under Competition Act, 2002.
  •  It was subsequently amended by the Competition (Amendment) Act, 2007.
• Ministry – Minister of Corporate Affairs(MCA)
• Composition - Chairperson and not less than 2 and more than 6 Members to be appointed by the Central Government
• Role – 
  • Prohibits anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position by enterprises and 
  • Regulates combinations (acquisition, acquiring of control and M&A), which causes or likely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition within India.
  • Give opinion on competition issues on a reference received from a statutory authority established under any law 
  • Protect the interests of consumers and ensure freedom of trade in the markets of India.

Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill 2025 has been passed by Karnataka Assembly.

About Hate Speech

• The bill defines hate speech as expressions in public view intended to cause injury, disharmony, enmity, hatred or ill-will against a person, group or community, on grounds including religion, race, caste, gender, sexual orientation, language or tribe.
• Constitutional Provisions:
  • Article 19(1)(a) grants freedom of speech, but Article 19(2) allows "reasonable restrictions" for public order, national security, decency, defamation, and incitement to offenses.

The process for the disposal of washery rejects has been simplified by the Coal Controller’s Organisation (CCO) to improve efficiency and ease of compliance.

Coal Controller’s Organisation

• Ministry: Subordinate office under the Ministry of Coal.
• Objective: Ensure transparency, efficiency, and consumer protection in the coal sector.
• Mandate: Regulates coal quality, grading, and sampling under Colliery Control Rules
• Functions: Collects coal production statistics; monitors dispatch and supply.
• Regulatory Role: Oversees mine opening, closure (gives approval on Mining Plan and Mine Closure Plan under MMDR Act 1957,), and washery-reject disposal.

Researchers have uncovered a missing link in autophagy, offering potential therapeutic insights for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and cancer.

Autophagy

• Autophagy is a natural cellular process where cells remove and recycle damaged or dysfunctional components to maintain health and homeostasis.
• It clears out toxic proteins and supports cellular repair, energy balance, and survival under stress.
• Autophagy is linked to protection against neurodegenerative diseases and cancer and is studied for therapeutic potential. 
• Yoshinori Ohsumi was awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries of the mechanisms of autophagy.

Recently, CAQM reviewed Municipal Solid Waste Management across Delhi and NCR States.

About CAQM

•  Origin: It is a statutory body under the CAQM in NCR and Adjoining Areas, Act 2021.
  • Replaced the Environment Pollution Prevention and Control Authority (EPCA).
• Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
• Jurisdiction:  National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas (Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh).
• Powers:  It has binding powers to restrict polluting activities, order compensation, investigate, issue directions, prepare guidelines, etc.

Government of India is planning to operationalising at least five indigenously designed SMRs under Nuclear Energy Mission by 2033.

Key Features of SMRs 

• Power: up to 300 MW (e) per unit, which is about one-third of traditional nuclear power reactors.
• Modular:  components can be factory-assembled and transported as a unit to a location for installation.
• Portability & Scalability due to modular design and small size. 

Significance: 

• Can help target achievement of100 GW by 2047 (nuclear energy) from current 8.78 GW.

Issues: 

• Higher Cost per kilowatt-hour of the electricity.

A recent study by Indian scientists has revealed the importance of sponge-associated microbes in tackling metal pollution.

• Sponges: Sponges are simple, aquatic invertebrates with porous bodies that filter water to obtain food and oxygen, playing important ecological roles in aquatic ecosystems. E.g. Bath Sponge (Euspongia), delicate Venus Flower Basket (Euplectella), etc.

Key Findings

• Freshwater sponges were found to host diverse microbial communities, capable of resisting heavy metals.
  • These sponges accumulate arsenic, lead, and cadmium at high levels.
• They can act as bio-indicators and support bioremediation of polluted freshwater ecosystems.

India has imposed Anti-Dumping Duty on some Steel imports from China.

About Anti-Dumping Duty

• Anti-dumping duty is a trade remedy that a country imposes when imports are sold below their normal value in international markets.
  • If a company exports a product at a price lower than the price it normally charges on its own home market, it is said to be “dumping” the product.
• Such duties are allowed under the WTO agreements to protect domestic industries from dumping.