Polity 

Special Bench to hear Places of Worship Act case—The Hindu

A Special Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna is scheduled to hear the challenge to the Places of Worship Act, 1991, on December 12, even as multiple legal actions instituted by Hindu plaintiffs in local courts across states like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan question the character of several mosques and even the Ajmer dargah.

The new Oilfields Bill, concerns it raises about states' rights—Indian Express

To encourage domestic production of petroleum and other mineral oils, along with private investment in these sectors to reduce import dependence, the Rajya Sabha recently passed the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill, 2024.

Economy 

How RBI is leveraging AI to crack down on ‘mule bank accounts’ - Indian Express 

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said recently that it has created an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered model that could reduce digital fraud by helping banks deal with the increasing problem of “mule” bank accounts. 

Environment 

Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans): The Hindu 

• Distribution: Found across the Indian subcontinent, more specifically, in the Central and Southern parts of India, in West Pakistan and in Sri Lanka.
• Habitat: Typically found in dry, open habitats such as scrub forests, grasslands, and rocky outcroppings.
• Threat: Loss of its genetic diversity due to subsequent hybridisation, increased level of urbanization, and agricultural practices.
• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
• Wild Life Protection Act 1972: Schedule IV
• Convention on International Trade in Species (CITES): Appendix I

Science and Technology 

Preventing malaria using genetically modified parasites—The Hindu

Two vaccines against malaria have been rolled out in some countries in Africa. Besides vaccines, scientists have been using genetically altered mosquitoes to stop the spread of malaria. One is the release of radiation-sterilised male mosquitoes to prevent eggs from hatching. Another is engineering mosquitoes that slow the growth of malaria-causing parasites in the gut thereby preventing transmission of malaria to humans. The other method is using genetically modified mosquitoes that can spread resistance to malaria-causing parasites by thriving and mating with wild mosquitoes.