Polity 

SC overrules 1967 verdict on AMU’s minority tag - The Hindu/ SC's test of a 'minority institution' - Indian Express 

A seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court on Friday laid down in a 4-3 majority verdict a “holistic and realistic” test to determine the “minority character” of an educational institution, but left the factual determination on AMU to a smaller Bench. However, the ruling essentially cleared the decks for AMU to secure its minority institution status.

Supreme Court Test for Minority Character of Institutions

Establishment

Administration

Origin and Purpose: The court will investigate the origin of the institution, including who conceptualized it and for what purpose. Evidence may include letters, community correspondence, and other documents linking its creation to the minority community. Purpose: The institution should primarily serve the minority community, though this need not be its only purpose. Courts may examine speeches or documents discussing the necessity of the institution for the community. Implementation: Factors include who funded, acquired land, and managed the institution’s establishment. Case Context: Petitioners argued that AMU was established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan to address Muslim educational needs, while the Centre argued its aim was to promote Western Arts and Sciences, with contributions from diverse supporters.

Community Involvement: Administration need not be by the minority community, but the setup should support minority interests. If administration fails to affirm minority interests, the purpose of serving the community could be questioned. Historical Control: For pre-Constitution institutions like AMU, courts assess administrative control as of January 26, 1950. AMU Case Details: Petitioners contended that Muslims held administrative control until 1950. The Centre argued that government controls under Sections 13 and 14 of the AMU Act limited this control, and that amendments in 1951 aligned AMU with constitutional provisions by removing compulsory religious education and all-Muslim representation.

World Affairs 

India should join China-led RCEP, says NITI Aayog’s CEO - The Hindu 

In a departure from the government’s stated position, the top official from the Niti Aayog recently said India should be part of the China-backed Regional Economic partnership (RCEP) trade bloc.

Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

• About: A proposed agreement among ASEAN member states and their Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partners & encompasses trade in goods, services, intellectual property, and other areas.
• ASEAN Members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos, Vietnam.
• FTA Partners: China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand.
• Negotiations initiated: November 2012
• Agreement entered into force: 1 January 2022
• Objective: 
  • Establish an integrated market across 16 countries.
  • Facilitate easier availability of products and services within the region.
• Areas of Focus: 
  • Trade in goods and services
  • Investment
  • Intellectual property
  • Dispute settlement
  • E-commerce
  • Small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
  • Economic cooperation

India and CARICOM Bolster Ties in Second Joint Commission Meeting - The Hindu 

India and CARICOM held their second Joint Commission meeting, an important event that reviewed and charted the future of their multifaceted relationship.

CARICOM (Caribbean Community)

• About: Oldest integration movement in the developing world, established in 1973 by the Treaty of Chaguaramas.
• Purpose: 
  • Promoting economic integration and cooperation among members.
  • Ensuring equitable sharing of integration benefits.
  • Coordinating foreign policy.
• 15 Member Countries: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago.
• Associate Members: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands.
• Observers: Aruba, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela.
• Structure: 
  • Chairmanship rotates every six months among Heads of Member Countries.
  • Secretariat based in Georgetown, Guyana, headed by a Secretary General.
• Judicial Body: Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) established in 2007, serving as the final court of appeal and resolving trade disputes.

Environment 

How climate change is bringing back the idea of airships - Indian Express

Of late, a few companies are attempting to control the buoyancy of airships — a longstanding challenge that has prevented their use for cargo transportation.

Airships

• About: Lighter-than-air, vertical-lift vehicles using buoyant gases for flight.
• Three types: non-rigid (blimps), semi-rigid, and rigid.
• Structure:
  • Typically filled with helium or hydrogen.
  • Composed of three parts: a hull, gondola, and propulsion system.
• History: First aircraft to achieve controlled powered flight; initially considered the future of travel in the early 20th century.
• Working Principle:
  • Lifted by gases less dense than atmospheric air, similar to helium balloons.
  • Early airships used hydrogen (flammable), while modern ones use non-combustible helium.

• Uses: Advertising platforms, aerial observation for scientific and military purposes, and tourism.
• Advantages: 
  • Less polluting than airplanes due to lack of fossil fuel use for lift.
  • Capable of accessing areas unreachable by ships or trucks.

 

Black-footed ferret - Indian Express 

• About: Belongs to the weasel family; the only ferret native to North America & is known for being alert, agile, and curious with strong senses of smell, sight, and hearing.
• Distribution: Found across interior North America, from southern Canada to northern Mexico.
• Habitat: Prefers short or middle grass prairies and rolling hills & uses abandoned prairie dog burrows for shelter and hunting.
• Behavior: Nocturnal with peak activity at dusk 7 reduces winter activity, sometimes staying underground for up to a week.
• Diet: Carnivorous, primarily preying on prairie dogs, and occasionally mice, ground squirrels, or other small animals.
• Reproduction: Exhibits delayed implantation, where egg development begins only under suitable conditions.
• IUCN: Endangered
• CITES: Appendix I
• Threats: Habitat loss and disease

Science and Technology 

Keep the bran on millets to retain health benefits: study - The Hindu 

Removing the brain from millets -- dehusking -- could squander away the benefits of eating them, say the authors who studied five small Indian millets: foxtail, little, kodo, barnyard, and proso.

Bran

Millets

• About: Small-seeded grasses grown globally as cereal crops for fodder and human consumption.
• Features: Preferred for productivity and short growth cycle in dry, high-temperature climates (drought-resistant).
• Nutritional Profile: 
  • Richer in minerals, vitamins, dietary fiber, and amino acids compared to rice and wheat.
  • Contains high levels of calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and beneficial phytochemicals like phenolic compounds.
• Health Benefits: Offers multiple health benefits: antiaging, anticarcinogenic, anti-atherosclerogenic, antibacterial, and antioxidant effects.
• Comparison with Wheat: Contains iron and zinc without gluten, avoiding the gastrointestinal and autoimmune issues associated with wheat.

 

Allulose - The Hindu 

South Korea has become a top testing ground for the sweetener allulose, a potential rival to sugar substitutes like stevia that is finding favour among both local food influencers and big domestic food companies, which are ramping up production.

Allulose/ D-allulose/ D-psicose

• About: Naturally found in foods like wheat, raisins, figs, and molasses & commercially produced from beet sugar or corn using specific enzymes.

• Usage:
  • Available as a sugar substitute for reducing sugar intake, suitable for people with diabetes.
  • Has 70% of the sweetness of sugar with almost no calories.
• Side Effects: High doses may cause nausea, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal symptoms.

 

C-DOT, IIT-Roorkee tie-up to develop millimeter wave transceiver for 5G rural connectivity - The Hindu 

Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the telecom research and development (R&D) centre of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), recently said they have signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee (IIT-Roorkee) for the development of a “millimeter wave transceiver for 5G rural connectivity”.

Agrivoltaic farming focuses on simultaneous use of land for  agriculture & solar energy - PIB 

The Seventh Session of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) culminated recently. A visit to a farm site at Najafgarh was organized on the concluding day.