Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) launched a Nationwide Digital Application for Profiling Waste Pickers under the NAMASTE Scheme.

About National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) Scheme

• Launched:  In 2023-24 as a Central Sector Scheme.
• Objective: To formalize and rehabilitate the persons engaged in hazardous cleaning of sewer and septic tanks.
• Jointly implemented: By the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
  • National Safai Karamcharis Finance & Development Corporation (NSKFDC) is the implementing agency for sewer and septic tank workers (SSWs). 
• Its mandate was expanded in June 2024 to include Waste Pickers.

On the occasion of World Environment Day, Prime Minister highlighted the importance of reforesting the Aravalli range under the Aravalli Green Wall project.

• He also said that the plantation activities in Aravalli range and beyond will be geo-tagged and monitored on the Meri LiFE Portal.

About Aravalli Green Wall Project

• It is part of Environment Ministry's vision to create green corridors across the country to combat land degradation and desertification.
• Project aimed at creating a continuous green belt (5 km buffer area) across the 700-km stretch of Aravalli range. 
  • Aravalli range is one of the oldest on the planet, spanning Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi.
• Objectives: To prevent eastward expansion of Thar Desert; Carbon sequestration; Contribute to India's commitments to UNCCD, CBD and UNFCCC, etc.

Recently, a Chinese national was charged with conspiracy and smuggling a potent plant pathogen - Fusarium graminearum - into the US raising concerns of agro-terrorism.

• Agroterrorism means deliberate use of biological agents to destroy agriculture.

About Fusarium graminearum

• It is an ascomyceteous fungus that causes Fusarium head blight (FHB) in cereal crops, including wheat, barley, rice, and oats.
• It leads not only to yield and quality losses but also contaminate grains by producing mycotoxins that are hazardous to livestock and humans.

Global framework against bioterrorism

• Biological Weapons Convention (entered into force in 1975);
• Australia Group: Informal group to coordinate national export control laws to minimize the risk of proliferation of chemical and biological weapons.

Election Commission of India has introduced a streamlined, technology-driven system to generate Index Cards and statistical reports, replacing the older manual, time-consuming methods.

About Index Cards

• Description: It is a non-statutory, post-election statistical reporting format developed by ECI as a suo moto initiative.
• Objective: To make constituency-level election data easily accessible to stakeholders such as researchers, academia, journalists, policymakers, and the general public.
• It shares detailed election data - like candidates, voters, votes, party and candidate vote shares, gender voting patterns, and regional differences.
• Significance: enhances transparency and supports in-depth electoral research, contributing to informed democratic discourse.

Tamil Nadu notified Greater Flamingo Sanctuary at Dhanushkodi to preserve a critical stopover point along the Central Asian Flyway for thousands of migratory wetland birds.

About Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus):

• IUCN Status: Least Concern
• Distribution: Africa, western Asia (India), and southern Europe.
• Habitat: Breeds in shallow wetlands that are either saline or alkaline.
• Features: This species has a great dispersal capacity outside of the breeding season, but it is highly philopatric (to return to or remain near a particular site or area).
• The Kachchh Desert Wildlife Sanctuary in the Great Rann of Kachchh (GRK) in Gujarat State, is a unique Protected Area, that supports South Asia’s only breeding ground of Greater Flamingos, internationally renowned as the “Flamingo City”

U.S. hits ICC judges with sanctions over investigation into Israel

About ICC

• Origin: Established under Rome Statute 2002
• Headquarters: The Hague, the Netherlands.
• Jurisdiction: Genocide, War crimes, Crimes against humanity and Crime of aggression, Prosecutes Individuals and not State or groups.
• Members: India is not its member.

ICA organized the 3rd edition of its International Conference on “Arbitrating Indo-UK Commercial Disputes” during the London International Disputes Week (LIDW) 2025.

About Indian Council of Arbitration

• Overview: The ICA is India’s premier arbitration institution, established in 1965. 
• Status: It operates as a non-profit registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860,.
• Headquarters: New Delhi and 10 branches across India.
• Objective: To promote quick, affordable, and amicable settlement of commercial disputes.
• Features:
  • ICA mainly ensures cost-effective and efficient arbitration. It follows its own rules for the entire process.
  • It specializes in maritime arbitration and offers education and training in alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

Dassault Aviation partners with Tata Advanced Systems for Rafale fighter fuselage production in India.

• India is set to become the first nation other than France where the Rafael fuselage will be manufactured.
• The fuselage: It is the central body structure of an aircraft that serves as the main housing unit.

About Rafale Aircraft: 

• Characteristics: It is a Twin-jet, 4.5 generation fighter aircraft.
• The distinguishing capabilities of ‘4.5 Generation’ fighters include:
  • low-observability to radar
  • ability to supercruise (fly at supersonic speed without using afterburners)
  • extreme manoeuvrability at all speeds.
• The Indian Air Force already operates 36 Rafales & the Indian Navy will induct 26 Rafale Marine jets by 2030.

The Environment Ministry launched the National Plastic Waste Reporting Portal on the eve of World Environment Day 2025.

About National Plastic Waste Reporting Portal

• Comprehensive Waste Tracking: The portal captures the complete plastic waste management ecosystem from waste pickers to waste processing to disposal.
• Nationwide Data Access: The data on plastic waste management for all Urban Local Bodies and District Panchayats from across the country will become available for better planning and waste management.