Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its latest State of the Economy report highlighted utility of proposed Composite Leading Indicator for Gross Value Added (GVA)- Manufacturing for India.

About Composite Leading Indicator for GVA 

• Frequency: Quarterly
• Objectives: To anticipate shifts in the sector’s business cycle and strengthen short-term economic assessment.
• Indicators: Set of variables capturing domestic demand, inflation dynamics, survey-based sentiments, industrial credit flows, uncertainty metrics, and global macroeconomic trends.

Recently, the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution supporting the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents (Accra Convention), 2025.

• Negotiable Cargo Documents (NCDs) are documents (both in paper and digital format) that represent goods in transit, and confer rights over goods to the holder which are transferrable.

About Accra Convention, 2025 

• Objective: Establishes a uniform legal framework for NCDs and extends benefits of negotiable documents beyond maritime transport to multimodal transport (train, truck, plane, or ship).
  • It allows cargo to be sold, rerouted, or used as collateral for financing while it is mid-journey.
• Legal Effect:  NCDs have the same legal effect as physical delivery of goods.
• Significance: facilitates trade finance, digitalisation of global trade, etc.

Recently, Delhi High Court passed an interim injunction order protecting the personality rights of a famous actor.

About Personality Rights

• Personality rights refer to the right of an individual to control the unauthorized use of their personal attributes like Name, Image, voice, Likeness and Distinctive expressions or traits. These rights include both commercial and non-commercial aspects.
  • Personality rights are not expressly mentioned in any statute in India.
• Components of Personality Rights: Right to publicity (protected under Trademarks Act, 1999 and Copyright Act, 1957) and Right to privacy (provided under Article 21 of the Constitution and K.S. Puttaswamy Case, 2017).

India and France signed an agreement to jointly produce the Direct Firing Sight Navigation System in India, which includes

• SIGMA 30N Navigation System, enabling autonomous artillery engagement without GPS, and 
• CM3-MR Direct Firing Sight, designed to enhance artillery and anti-drone accuracy.

Key Features of Direct Firing Sight Navigation System

• Autonomy: Functions independently of GPS, ensuring operational reliability in heavily jammed electronic warfare environments.
• Versatility: Integrates seamlessly with diverse hardware, from heavy artillery and radars to mobile air defense systems.
• Direct-Fire: Utilizes advanced thermal and optical sights for immediateengagement of visible targets, including drones.

Recently, Election Commission released Annual Report of contributions received by the trust and donations given to political parties for the FY 2024-25,

About Electoral Trusts

• Electoral Trusts Scheme, 2013 provides for establishing Electoral Trusts (registered under the Companies Act). 
• They receive donations from individuals, companies, etc. and distribute them to registered political parties.
• Objective: They aim to enhance transparency and accountability in political funding.
• Mandate: By law, trusts must distribute 95% of total contributions received within a financial year to registered political parties.
• Regulation: They are required to report to the Election Commission contributions from individuals and companies, and are governed by the Income Tax Act 1961.
• Disclosure: Donors and amounts must be mandatorily reported, ensuring traceability.

Researchers have identified a critical molecular mechanism involving the enzyme SIRT6 that regulates brain aging and neurodegeneration. 

About SIRT6 Enzyme

• SIRT6 or Sirtuin 6 enzyme is a longevity-linked enzyme that acts as an active metabolic switch and gatekeeper for tryptophan metabolism.
  • Tryptophan is an essential amino acid used in producing cellular energy or generating neurotransmitters like serotonin and melatonin, which regulate mood, sleep, and neural stability.
• Function:
  • When SIRT6 activity is intact, tryptophan is properly distributed between pathways that generate energy and those that produce serotonin and melatonin.
  • When SIRT6 activity declines, during aging, it disturbs the tryptophan metabolism and generates byproducts that are toxic to nerve cells.

The Supreme Court held that forest lands cannot be used for non-forestry purposes, including agriculture, as per the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

About the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980

• Objective: Conservation of forests and regulation of forest land use for non-forest purposes.
• Coverage: Reserved forests, protected forests, and government-recorded forest land.
• Approval Requirement:  State Government or other authority requires prior approval from the Central Government is required for the reservation or diversion of forest land.
• Advisory Committee: Provides for the establishment of an Advisory Committee by the Central Government to advise on granting approval for the use of forest land and on other matters related to forest conservation.