Supreme Court highlighted adherence to the principle of Just Deserts as the primary responsibility of the courts. 

About the Principle of Just Deserts

• It refers to a philosophy within criminal justice emphasizing the idea of proportionality in punishment, asserting that individuals should receive consequences commensurate with the crimes committed.
• Retribution acts as the primary philosophical foundation for this with the idea that offenders morally deserve punishment for their wrongful acts. 
• It acts as a response to perceived leniency in the justice system, advocating for standardized penalties and accountability. 

Supreme Court dismisses OCI request for state bar council membership.

About OCI scheme

• Introduced in  2005, by amending the Citizenship Act, 1955
  • OCI is not to be misconstrued as 'dual citizenship'. OCI does not confer political rights to vote.
• Benefits for OCI Cardholders 
  • Lifelong multiple-entry visa to visit India.
  • Equality with NRIs in certain financial, economic and educational matters except for acquisition of agricultural or plantation land.
  • Prior special permission is required for certain activities such as research activities, etc. 
• Eligibility:
  • All Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) who were citizens of India on 26th January, 1950 or thereafter.
  • Eligible to become a citizen of India on 26th January, 1950 or belonged to a territory that became part of India after 15th August, 1947; etc.
  • Exceptions: No person, who or either of whose parents or grandparents had been a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or such other country as the government may specify.

Lok Sabha Speaker has constituted Parliamentary Friendship Groups with more than 60 countries.

About Parliamentary Friendship Groups

• It aims to deepen dialogue and exchanges with legislatures across continents and to complement traditional diplomacy with sustained parliamentary interaction.
• It will allow lawmakers to speak directly to their counterparts abroad, share legislative experience, and build trust through regular engagement and exchange best practices.

• It will also facilitate conversations on trade, technology, social policy, culture, and global challenges that democracies face today.

The Government has reduced duty benefits available to exporters under the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme by 50 %.

About RoDTEP Scheme:

• Launched in 2021 by amending the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20.
• Objective: It provides refunds of taxes, duties and levies incurred during the manufacturing and distribution of exported goods that are not reimbursed under any other central, state or local mechanism.
• Administered by the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) mandated the display of chicory content in front of the coffee pack.

About Chicory

• It is a blue-flowered perennial plant of the family Asteraceae.
• Addition to Coffee: Its root can be roasted and grounded to impart additional colour, and bitterness to coffee, caffeine-free serves as a substitute for coffee, Contains inulin which is a natural sweetener and a probiotic. 
• FSAAI regulations (2011) mandate not less than 51% coffee content in coffee-chicory mixture. 

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) deploys Mobile Quality Control Vans equipped with various technologies to monitor National Highways. 

Key Technologies

• Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity meter: Sends sound waves through concrete, revealing hidden cracks, voids and inconsistencies.
• Asphalt density gauges: Allow for fast, on-site testing to ensure proper asphalt compaction and pavement longevity.
  • Asphalt is a mixture of aggregates, binder (bitumen) and filler, used for constructing and maintaining roads. 
• Light-Weight Deflectometer: To estimate density of compacted soil and granular sub-base to ensure stable base for long-lasting highways.
• Reflectometers: Assesses the visibility of road signs and markings, ensuring they remain clearly readable for motorists. 

Prime Minister lauds milestone of 30 lakh households adopting rooftop solar under PM Surya Ghar scheme.

It is the world’s largest domestic rooftop solar initiative. 

About PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (2024)

• Objective: Installing Rooftop Solar (RTS) & providing free electricity for up to 300 monthly units for 1 Crore households.
• Ministry: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
• Duration: Till FY 2026-27
• Subsidy: Up to 40% to households; based on household's average monthly electricity consumption and corresponding suitable rooftop solar plant capacity.

Recently, Study finds Land-use change and elevation are jointly influencing the Functional Diversity of spiders in the north-western Indian Himalayas. 

About Functional Diversity

• Meaning: It is defined as the subset of biodiversity that encompasses the range and values of organismal traits within an ecosystem, which influence its functioning, dynamics, stability, productivity, and nutrient balance.
  • E.g., A forest with high functional diversity contains birds with different roles: one species might crack hard seeds, another eats insects from tree bark, and a third disperses fruit seeds.
• Significance: High functional diversity enhances resilience through redundancy, allowing compensation if species are lost.