Karnataka operationalised a grievance redressal mechanism for gig workers and Telangana becomes fifth state to adopt gig workers legislation, following Karnataka, Rajasthan, Bihar and Jharkhand.

About Gig workers

• Definition: The Code on Social Security, 2020, defines a gig worker as a person who works outside a traditional employer-employee relationship.
• Types: Platform and Non platform-based workers.
  • Platform workers are those whose work is based on online apps or digital platforms. E.g., Ola, Zomato, Urban Company, etc.
  • Non-platform gig workers are generally casual wage workers and own account workers in the conventional sectors, working part-time or full time.

India was retained on Special 301 Report Priority Watch List indicating concerns over intellectual property rights (IPR) protection and enforcement.

About Special 301 Report

• Released by:Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), under Trade Act 1974.
• The report identifies countries that are considered by the US as not providing adequate and effective protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) or fair and equitable market access to IP rights holders from the US.
• Not legally binding but used as pressure tool in trade negotiations.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has published standards for medical assistive technologies like Elbow crutches, Walking sticks, Multi-legged walking sticks, etc.as a part of the NLEAP (National List of Essential Assistive Products) initiative.

About BIS

• National Standards Body of India under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act 2016.
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Regional Offices: Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Delhi
• Core Functions
  • Standards Formulation: Develops standards across 17 sectors, e.g., Agriculture, Electronics, Environment, Health
  • Product Certification: BIS Standard Mark (ISI mark) ensures conformity to Indian Standards.
  • Hallmarking:  Ensures purity of Gold (since 2000) and Silver (since 2005)
  • Laboratory Services: 8 BIS labs + NABL accredited labs for testing product conformity & certification

Mahendragiri, the sixth ship of Nilgiri-class (Project 17A) and fourth ship of the class built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDSL), was delivered to the Indian Navy.

• Other P17A ships are Dunagiri, Taragiri, Udaygiri, Himgiri, Nilgiri. 

About Project 17A

• Project 17A frigates are versatile multi-mission platforms, designed by the Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and overseen by the Warship Overseeing Team (Mumbai).
• P17A ships are fitted with an advanced weapon and sensor suite as compared to the P17 (Shivalik-class) and include anti-surface, anti-air, and anti-submarine warfare systems. 
• These ships are configured with Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion plants, comprising a diesel engine and a gas turbine.

Forecasts of a potential “super” El Niño in late 2026 have raised concerns over intensified heatwaves, droughts, floods, and extreme weather events.

About Super El Nino

• An exceptionally strong El Niño event in which sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific rise by more than 2°C above normal for a sustained period.
• El Nino is a warm phase of ENSO (El Niño–Southern Oscillation) marked by abnormal warming of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, often weakening the Indian monsoon.

Chief Justice of India declares Sikkim to be the first paperless state judiciary in the country.

• A fully paperless judiciary is a system in which all legal processes are done electronically rather than through physical paper, using measures such as digital files, e-filing, online hearings, digital case tracking etc.
• Such digital transformation of courts is being undertaken under e-Courts Mission Mode Project. 

e-Court Mission Mode Project

• Pan-India initiative to computerise and digitise the judiciary for delivering efficient and accessible justice services. 
• Launch: Launched in 2007 under the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP).
• Implementing Authority: Department of Justice under the guidance of the e-Committee of the Supreme Court of India.

A recent study by Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis highlights that India’s critical mineral imports remain heavily concentrated in a few countries. 

Highlights of report

• Key Mineral Suppliers of India:
  • Cobalt: Finland 
  • Copper: Tanzania, Japan 
  • Lithium: Ireland, Chile, China
  • Graphite: China 
  • Nickel: Australia, Belgium 

• Import Dependence: India is 100% import-dependent for lithium, cobalt, and nickel.
• Chile has emerged as India’s largest critical mineral supplier (FY19–FY25), mainly due to copper ore and lithium-linked imports.
• China’s Dominance: In global graphite production, cobalt processing, and battery supply chains, creating strategic vulnerabilities.