The Supreme Court in Maniyar Iliyaz @ Shaik Riyaz v. P. Ayyappan & Ors. held that the right to walk on safe, demarcated footpaths is a Fundamental Right under Part III of the Constitution.

About the Judgement

• The Court held that the Right to Walk flows from,
  • Article 19(1)(d): Freedom of Movement: Right to move freely throughout India.
  • Article 21: Right to life and personal liberty: Guarantees protection of life and personal liberty, ensuring a life with dignity, safety.
• It is also linked to:
  • Article 19(1)(a): Freedom of Speech and Expression
  • Article 19(1)(b): Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and without arms
  • Article 19(1)(c): Freedom to form Associations, unions, co-operative societies.

China’s Tianwen-2 spacecraft nears Earth’s Quasi-Moon 469219 Kamo'oalewa (2016 HO3)

• The Mission aims to land and return samples to Earth in 2027.

About Quasi Moon

• A quasi-moon is not a true moon gravitationally bound to Earth. 
• Instead, it orbits the Sun while remaining in a stable orbital resonance with Earth, making it appear to accompany Earth over long period.
• It appears to loop around Earth when viewed from our planet. 
• Earth hosts at least seven known quasi-moons.
• Significance: Study can improve understanding of celestial dynamics, planetary defence, and future asteroid exploration missions.

The Delhi High Court upheld the Centre's temporary Telegram ban under Section 69A to prevent the NEET exam paper leaks.

About Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000

• Empowerment: Authorizes the Central Government to block public access to online information through any computer resource.
• It was inserted through the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008.
• Grounds: Exercised in the interest of India's sovereignty, integrity, defense, security, public order, and friendly relations with foreign states.
• Procedure: Blocking orders must be written, recording specific reasons, conforming to the statutory IT Rules, 2009.
• Penalty: Intermediaries failing to comply with directions face up to seven years' imprisonment and fines.
• In the Shreya Singhal (2015) judgment, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of Section 69A.

Vivek Aggarwal has been elected as the first Indian Vice President of the Financial Action Task Force.

About FATF

• Genesis: Intergovernmental organisation established in 1989 during the G7 Summit in Paris. 
• Secretariat:  Paris (France)
• Functions: It is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog. It sets international standards that aim to prevent these illegal activities and the societal harm caused.
• Members: 40 (India became a member in 2010)
• FATF classification of high-risk jurisdictions:
  • High-Risk Jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action (Black List): Serious strategic deficiencies to counter money laundering, terrorist financing, and financing of proliferation.
  • Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring (Grey List): Actively working with FATF to address strategic deficiencies.

PM disbursed incentives worth Rs.2,400 crore under PM-VBRY. 

About PM-VBRY

• Aim: Came into effect on 1 August 2025 with the aim to incentivise creation of more than 3.5 crore jobs over a two-year period. 
• Ministry: Ministry of Labour & Employment
  • Implemented through Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), a statutory body under Employees' Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions Act of 1952.
• Features: Employment-linked incentive scheme to encourage both workers’ and employers’ participation in formal economy. 
• Incentive:
  • Upto ₹15,000 for first time employees. 
  • Employers generating additional employment are eligible for incentives of up to ₹3,000 per month per additional employee. 

Indian President held that country would eradicate sickle cell anaemia well before the target of 2047. 

About Sickle Cell Anaemia

• Most severe form of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). 
• SCD is a genetic disorder affecting haemoglobin, molecule in red blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen.
• It causes red blood cells to become rigid and sickle-shaped, leading to blockages in blood flow and subsequent pain and organ damage. 
• Interventions:National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Program executed as part of National Health Mission (NHM), aims to eliminate sickle cell genetic transmission by 2047. 
  • Programme Targets screening approximately 7.0 crore people over 2023-24 to 2025-26. (already achieved). 

Union Home Minister launched the Abhigyan App. 

About Abhigyan App

• Developed by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). 
• It enables field police personnel to search National Fingerprint Database from any location using certified fingerprint scanner to identify a suspect through fingerprint matching.
• App links to National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS). 
  • NAFIS implemented by NCRB stores fingerprint scans of accused, convicts, and those in prisons on a centralised platform.

Astronomers at Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) traced the cosmic origin of a FXT designated as EP241107a.

• Study of X-ray flash linked to collapse of a massive star or merger of two neutron stars could help better understand the physics of these extreme events.

About Fast X-ray Transients (FXTs)

• Meaning:Energetic, non-repeating flashes of X-rays associated with violent processes in universe. 
  • They are a new class of transient sources in sky, first discovered about a decade ago. 
  • They appear as sudden bursts of low energy X-rays, lasting from few minutes to several hours. 
  • Their origin remains unclear due to their brief duration making them challenging to study. 

World Bank approved a $1.5 billion financing package for India under its DPF operation to boost growth and jobs. 

About DPF

• Objective: Rapidly disbursing financing to help a borrower address actual or anticipated development financing requirements. 
  • Supports borrowers in achieving poverty reduction, climate-friendly sustainable and inclusive growth through program of policy and institutional actions.
  • DPF can be extended as loans, credits/grants, or guarantees.
• Funds are made available based on:
  • Maintenance of adequate macroeconomic policy framework. 
  • Satisfactory implementation of overall reform program. 
  • Completion of a set of critical policy and institutional actions. 
  • Alignment with the Goals of Paris Agreement.