• The International Astronomical Union (IAU) working group for Planetary System Nomenclature has approved the name ‘Statio Shiv Shakti’ for the landing site of Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander
• This decision follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on August 26, 2023, where he declared that the landing site would be named ‘Shiva Shakti’.
• The name originates from Indian mythology, symbolizing the masculine (Shiva) and feminine (Shakti) duality of nature.
• Planetary nomenclature is crucial for uniquely identifying features on planetary surfaces.
• The Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature is maintained by the Astrogeology Science Centre of the US Geological Survey on behalf of the IAU.

PREVIOUS NAMES OF CHANDRAYAAN SITES

• Tiranga Point: The PM previously named the Chandrayaan-2 crash site ‘Tiranga Point’
• Jawahar Point: President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam proposed ‘Jawahar Point’ for the Chandrayaan-1 impact probe landing location

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL UNION (IAU):

• The IAU was founded on July 28, 1919, during the Constitutive Assembly held in Brussels, Belgium.
• Its creation was prompted by the need for international collaboration in astronomy, especially after the devastation caused by World War I.
• It aims for promoting and safeguarding astronomy in all its aspects through international cooperation.
• IAU is now headquartered in Paris, France.
• IAU membership spans 92 countries. Out of those countries, 85 are National Members.
• India is represented by the Astronomical Society of India (ASI).

• Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, a renowned Indian table tennis player, has made history by becoming the first Indian to win the men’s singles title at a WTT Feeder Series event in Beirut, Lebanon.
• Sathiyan, ranked 103rd in the world, defeated fellow Indian and world No. 74 Manav Vikas Thakkar in the final with a score of 3-1 (6-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-4).
• In an all-Indian mixed double final, the pairing of Diya Chitale and Manush Shah emerged triumphant against Manav Thakkar and Archana Kamath.

• The Finance Department is positive about the sliding growth rate beyond the 8% which is the NSO estimate that generally implies continued economic growth in the future, and higher analyst reports as well. Notwithstanding the high retail inflation within the target region of 2%-6%, core inflation has been showing indications of recovery.

• For the first time in the Lok Sabha election’s history, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has allowed senior persons 85 years of age and more and people with disabilities to use the “vote-from-home”
• The ‘vote-from-home’ facility is solely reserved for the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) and senior citizens aged 85 and above.
• This decision would allow more than 85 lakh senior citizens and 4 lakh persons with disabilities to cast their votes by postal ballots.

HISTORY

• The facility was previously attempted during Assembly elections in select areas, allowing PwD, senior citizens and those affected by Covid-19 to vote from home.
• In the past 11 Assembly elections, the scheme has helped almost 3.30 lakh persons with disabilities and electors above 80 years.
• In the Karnataka Assembly Elections last year, nearly one lakh PwD and older electors, out of the total 18 lakhs, had used the house balloting postal poll approach.

HOW CAN THE FACILITY BE AVAILED?

• Key to the system is Form 12D, that’s a letter informing the Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) that the person might not be in a position to go to the polling station to vote.
• The form can be downloaded online from the ECI website or accumulated from the office of the representative district officer of a parliamentary constituency.
• Distribution of Form 12D has already started out in Tamil Nadu districts, as the State heads to the national polls on April 19.
• The form has to be filled and submitted within 5 days of notification of the polling date.

• The Allahabad High Court’s Lucknow bench has declared the UP Board of Madarsa Education Act of 2004 as
• The court ruled that the act violated the principle of secularism, as well as several articles of the Constitution, including articles 14, 21, and 21-A. Additionally, the court found that the act also contravened section 22 of the University Grants Commission Act of 1956.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE JUDGMENT

• A court in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has directed the state government to provide regular school education to students enrolled in
• The court wants these students to be accommodated in primary, high school, and intermediate education boards of the state.
• The ruling came in response to a plea filed by a lawyer who had challenged the constitutionality of a law passed by the state government.
• The law allowed madrasas to provide education in Arabic, Urdu, Persian, Islamic studies, Tibb Logic, philosophy and other branches of learning without recognition by the state’s education boards.
• The court found the law to be unconstitutional as it violated the principle of secularism, which is a part of the basic structure of the Constitution, as well as articles 14, 15, and 21-A. The ruling will affect 16,513 madarsas in the state, of which 560 receive grants from the government. The court has asked the state government to create additional seats in regular schools for these students and establish new schools if necessary.
• The state government is yet to decide whether to comply with the verdict or challenge it in the Supreme court. A survey conducted by the state in 2022 found an additional 8,449 madarsas in the state to be running without recognition.
• Recently, a special investigative team recommended that the government close them down as their source of funds could not be established.

AGAINST THE SECULARISM

• To be recognized by the board, a madarsa must be established as a Muslim minority institution where every student studies Islam in every class to be promoted.
• Modern subjects are either not taught or are optional, and students are only permitted to choose one of the optional subjects.

ARTICLE 21, 21-A

• The court has found that the syllabus of class 10 and 12 in madarsas is inconsistent with the Right to Education of the Constitution. This is because students have limited options to study modern subjects such as maths and science.
• They are required to study compulsory subjects such as theology, Urdu, English, and Hindi. The court has noted that students up to class 10 cannot choose to study science, math, and social science
• The English taught to class 12 students is of the level of NCERT books of class 10, while the optional science subject taught to class 12 students is of the level of classes 8, 9, and 10. In state boards, science is divided among physics, chemistry, and biology.
• The court has concluded that the education under the Madarsa Act is not equivalent to the education being imparted to the students of other regular educational institutions recognized by the state primary and high school and intermediate boards.
• Hence, the education being imparted in madarsas is neither of ‘quality’ nor ‘universal’ in nature.

NOT WITH NORMS OF UGC ACT

• The law in question was found to be in conflict with the UGC Act. The court noted that previous rulings had established that higher education is a domain reserved for the Centre, and that states lack the authority to create laws in this field.
• However, the Act granted the board the right to prescribe textbooks and other instructional material even for courses like ‘alim,’ undergraduate, ‘kamil,’ post-graduate, ‘fazil,’ junior research, and other courses.

• The principal bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in New Delhi has initiated action on the Netravati Waterfront Promenade Development Project in Mangalore.

KEY POINTS

• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has acknowledged the importance of the environmental and social issues related to the project and has taken action by forming a committee to investigate and provide a thorough report.
• The concerns raised by the local chapter of the National Environmental Conservation Foundation (NECF) regarding the impact of the project on the community have been taken into consideration.
• The project has been criticised for its potential negative effects on the environment and the livelihoods of the local population.

ABOUT

• The Netravati Riverfront Project is a remarkable urban development project which to a great extent is not solely focused on developing the ecological and the recreational aspects of the river but on enhancing the entire surrounding.
• The implementation of this project mostly involves the execution of different components including beautification of the river banks, construction of pedestrian and cycling trails, establishment of recreational centres, expense on improvement of leisure infrastructure to boost tourism and water activities.

NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL

• It has been established under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010.
• It is mandated to make disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of the filing of the same.
• New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai shall be the other four places of sitting of the Tribunal.

• The Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo, and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, co-chaired the first Nuclear Energy Summit held in

ABOUT THE SUMMIT

• This Summit is an initiative in collaboration with the IAEA’s ‘Atoms4Netzero’ programme.
• Atoms4NetZero is an IAEA initiative that supports efforts by Member States to harness the power of nuclear energy in the transition to net zero.
• Launched during COP27, this initiative provides decision makers with data-driven energy scenario modelling.
• It is part of the multilateral approach to

NUCLEAR ENERGY

• Nuclear energy is a form of energy released from the nucleus, the core of atoms, made up of protons and neutrons.
• This source of energy can be produced in two ways: fission – when nuclei of atoms split into several parts – or fusion – when nuclei fuse together.
• There are currently 440 nuclear reactors worldwide, accounting for a quarter of low-carbon energy.
• 60 reactors are under construction, with 110 in the planning stage, particularly in
• China aims to increase nuclear energy’s share to 10% by 2035 and 18% by 2060.

INDIA’S NUCLEAR OUTLOOK:

• India’s first commercial Nuclear Power Plant in Pahalgarh, Tarapur offers reliable energy at 2/kWh lower than solar power tariffs.
• Despite its versatile nature, nuclear power contributes only 1.6% of the total renewable energy mix in India.
• India’s nuclear plants offer reliable energy at competitive prices compared to coal and solar.
• Challenges include stigma, regulation, and project overruns, limiting adoption.
• Recent liberalization efforts, including private investments and capacity expansion plans, signal a positive future for India’s nuclear industry.
• $26 billion in private investments, the aim of a phase-wise tripling of nuclear capacity from 7,480 MW to 22,480 MW by 2031-2032 all mark a positive future for the industry.
• The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) represents a significant advancement in India’s nuclear capabilities.

• Usha Mehta was born on March 25, 1920, in Mumbai, India.
• Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience, Usha Mehta became actively involved in the Indian independence movement from a young age.
• One of Usha Mehta’s most notable contributions to the freedom struggle was her involvement in the radio broadcasting network known as the “Secret Congress Radio.”
• She was conferred the Padma Vibhushan, one of India’s highest civilian honours in 1998.

THE SECRET CONGRESS RADIO

• On August 8, 1942, the historic Quit India Resolution was passed during the All India Congress Committee meeting in
• In this response, the idea of an underground radio station, known by various names such as the Freedom Radio, the Ghost Radio, or the Congress Radio, was conceived to counter the British-controlled AIR.
• Usha Mehta, a 22 Year old master’s student at Wilson College, became the voice of the Congress Radio.
• The radio was an expensive endeavour, but funds were procured through various means, including contributions from Mehta’s colleague, Babubhai Khakhar.
• Radio engineering expert Nariman Abarbad Printer constructed the Congress Radio transmission set.
• Their first broadcast was on 14 August 1942.
• Welcome line in her voice: “This is the Congress Radio calling on 42.34 from somewhere in India.”
• In the beginning, they were broadcasting twice a day, in Hindi and English. But they reduced it to just once in the evening between 30 and 8.30 pm.
• On 12th November 1942, the police raided the radio while Vande Mataram was being played and arrested Mehta and others.

• World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is celebrated on March 24 annually to spread awareness around the deadly disease.

ABOUT WORLD TB DAY

• It is celebrated to raise awareness around the disease, increase efforts to eradicate the disease, and mobilise support for those affected by TB.
• March 24, 1882 is considered a significant date in the battle against tuberculosis as it is on this day that Dr Robert Koch discovered the bacteria that causes TB.
• This groundbreaking announcement led to better understanding, diagnosis, and eventual treatment of the disease.
• It was not before the year 1982, on the centenary of Koch’s discovery that the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD) proposed observing March 24 as World TB Day to raise awareness about TB and its global impact.
• The first World TB Day was officially observed in 1983, and since then, it has become an annual event.
• Theme of World Tuberculosis day 2024: “Yes! We can end TB”.

ABOUT NIKSHAY POSHAN YOJNA (NPY)

• The NPY was launched in 2018 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• It aims to support every Tuberculosis (TB) Patient by providing a Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of Rs 500 per month for nutritional needs.

• Sultan Al Jaber was recognized with the ‘CERAWeek Leadership Award for Building Global Consensus towards a Sustainable Energy Future’ for his role in bringing Parties together to deliver the UAE Consensus.
• Al Jaber was presented the award by Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman of S&P Global and CERAWeek conference chair.
• The UAE Consensus delivered a series of firsts focused on keeping 5°C within reach. The commitment from all Parties to transition away from fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner; targets to expand renewable energy with a goal to triple global capacity, and the objective to double energy efficiency by 2030.
• In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Al Jaber said “Last year… I delivered a clear call to action for oil and gas to step up. In fact, I said, ‘Houston, we have a problem’. Today, I am pleased to say that in Dubai at COP28 this industry proved that they are essential to the solution.”
• During COP28 the Presidency launched the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC), in his address Al Jaber welcomed the “good news” that the China National Petroleum Corporation, which represents 3.8 percent of global oil production, will soon join the OGDC, increasing the ratio of oil production represented to 44 percent.
• Al Jaber stressed the need to leverage finance and new technologies, highlighting that the roadmap of the UAE Consensus must be met with “smart policies to commercialize clean technologies” and coupled with financing to meet the huge opportunity that the energy transition presents for businesses and the climate.