ECI has decided to verify antecedents of founding members at registration stage itself for associations seeking registration as Political Party under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951.

Section 29A of RPA 1951

• Parties must apply to the Election Commission within 30 days of formation.
• Applications are made as per ECI guidelines under Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 29A.
• Mandatory pledge: Association or body shall bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as established by law, and to the principles of socialism, secularism, and democracy, and would uphold the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India.
• Decision of the Election Commission regarding registration is final.

Coal India Limited and National Scheduled Tribe Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC) signed MoU aimed at empowering tribal students enrolled in Eklavya Model Residential Schools. 

About NSTFDC

• Set up in 2001 under the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India.
• Objective: To work for socio-economic and educational upliftment of STs, to provide better self-employment avenues so that they can become economically independent and self-reliant. 
• It also provides grants for conducting training and skill development programs for tribal youth.

UKIIFB marked its first anniversary by launching a report.

• Recommendations report include 
  • Aligning the Indian procurement process with globally recognised frameworks.
  • India will also need to address operational risks for projects and the perception of unpredictability and opacity in construction.

About UKIIFB

• It is a collaborative initiative led jointly by NITI Aayog and the City of London.
• It is aimed at unlocking infrastructure investment and leveraging the City of London's expertise in structuring and phasing major infrastructure projects.
  • The partnership seeks to secure long-term investment for vital infrastructure sectors in India. 

Recently, European Union's approved 102 additional Indian fishery establishments to export seafood to EU member nations.

Significance of the Expansion

• Expected to increase India's seafood exports to the EU by 20%.
• Reflects growing international confidence in India’s food safety and quality assurance systems.
• It is expected to specifically benefits exports of aquaculture shrimps and Cephalopods, which include squid, cuttlefish, and octopus.

Ministry of Power Initiates Stakeholder Survey to Build India Energy Stack (IES)

• The survey aims to gather insights on organizational profile, readiness to participate in the IES ecosystem.

About IES

• It is conceptualized by the Ministry of Power as a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for the power sector.
• Aim: To enable a connected, intelligent, and interoperable energy ecosystem.
  • It will define open standards and interoperability frameworks.
• Utility Intelligence Platform will be developed to unlock data from various systems to drive innovation and efficiency.

Unchecked tourism, luxury houseboats, and decades of encroachment are threatening the Vembanad lLake.

About Vembanad Lake

• It is India's longest lake, its largest tropical wetland ecosystem.
• It is largest Ramsar site spanning multiple districts in Kerala.
• Fed by 10 rivers, it includes the Thanneermukkom salt water barrier, India's largest mud regulator, vital for agriculture.
• It's a prime backwater tourism hub, famous for kettuvallams and the Nehru Trophy Boat Race.

A study of fossil leaves from Nagaland revealed how Antarctica shaped the Indian Monsoons.This was done through CLAMP Method.

About CLAMP (Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program): 

• CLAMP uses fossil leaves as “climate fingerprints” to decode how Earth’s climate looked in the past. 
• It is used to reconstruct past climates (temperature, rainfall, humidity) by studying the shape, size, and margins of fossilized leaves.
• It helps in paleoclimate studies, especially where other climate records (like ice cores or sediments) are missing.
• Useful in predicting future climate responses by comparing past warming/cooling events with present trends.

Nobel laureate Michael Kremer found PAL software used in Andhra Pradesh’s government schools led to a doubling of learning rates among those who used it.

About PAL

• It means a learning approach that adapts to the individual needs of a learner. 
• It helps them learn according to their own learning levels, preferences, and style. 
• It mainly necessitates a change away from traditional one-size-fits-all teaching approaches and towards a more flexible and adaptive paradigm.