Why in news?

• Ruling has come in the backdrop of petition seeking the right to wear hijabs or head scarves along with uniforms inside classrooms.
• According to the Court, wearing of hijab (head scarf) by Muslim women does not form a part of essential religious practices in Islamic faith and is not protected under right to freedom of religion under Article 25 of Constitution.
• Also, prescription of school uniform does not violate either right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1) (a) or right to privacy under Article 21.
• Further, restriction against wearing of hijab in educational institutions is only a reasonable restriction constitutionally permissible.
• What is the essential religious practice test?
• It was evolved by Supreme Court (SC) in ‘Shirur Mutt’ case (1954) to protect only such religious practices which were essential and integral to the religion.
• Court held that term “religion” will cover all rituals and practices integral” to a religion, and took upon itself the responsibility of determining essential and non-essential practices of a religion.
• This attempt to differentiate essential and non-essential practices was taken up in various judgments.

Why in news?

• Recently, Ukrainian police have accused Russian forces of launching phosphorous bomb attacks in the eastern regions of Lugansk & and Donetsk, collectively called the Donbas.
• International law prohibits the use of white phosphorus shells in heavily populated civilian areas but allows them in open spaces to be used as cover for troops.

About White Phosphorus Bombs

• White Phosphorus:
• It is a colourless, white or yellow, waxy solid. It does not occur naturally. It is manufactured using phosphate rocks.
• It is a highly combustible substance that reacts with oxygen in the air. It can catch fire at temperatures as low as 10 to 15 degrees above room temperature.
• Applications:
• Their primary aim is to create thick smoke that can hide military forces or mark targets.
• Other applications may include as a component in fertilisers, food additives and cleaning compounds. Initially, it was also used in pesticides and fireworks, but many countries have banned its use in several sectors.
• White phosphorus munitions can cause injuries in two main ways: burn injuries and vapour inhalation.
• The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which is an intergovernmental organisation and the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention, has not listed White Phosphorous in any of the three Schedules of Chemical Weapons.

About Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

• It is an international organization established by the Chemical Weapons Convention, 1997 to implement and enforce the terms of the non-proliferation treaty, which prohibits the use, stockpiling or transfer of chemical weapons by signatory states.
• By the 2001 Relationship Agreement between the OPCW and the United Nations, the OPCW reports on its inspections and other activities to the UN through the office of the Secretary-General.
• The organisation was awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize “for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons”.
• Chemical Weapons Convention prohibits:
• Developing, producing, acquiring, stockpiling, or retaining chemical weapons.
• The direct or indirect transfer of chemical weapons.
• Chemical weapons use or military preparation for use.
• Assisting, encouraging, or inducing other states to engage in CWC-prohibited activity.
• The use of riot control agents “as a method of warfare.”

Why in news?

• The country’s first Artificial Intelligence & Robotics Technology Park (ARTPARK)was launched in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• It is promoted by a not-for-profit foundation set up by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru, with a seed capital of  230 crore from the State and Central governments.
• ARTPARK (AI and Robotics Technology Park) along with AI Foundry is going to launch a $100 million venture fund to support AI and robotics innovations in India. The fund will be backed by the government, private companies, and VCs.
• The lab has technical teams working in collaboration with multiple labs at IISc. It will also work with other technical institutes and bodies, including the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, IIT Jodhpur, the University of Aalto in Finland, Indian Council of Medical Research and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

About the ARTPARK:

• ARTPARK intends to use futuristic technologies to connect the unconnected will work with a focus on creating a globally leading AritificiaI Intelligence and Robotics Innovation ecosystem in India.
• The ARTPARK has the objective of channelizing innovations to create a societal impact by executing ambitious mission-mode R&D projects in healthcare, education, mobility, infrastructure, agriculture, retail, and cyber-security aiming to solve problems unique to India.

Why in news?

• The Information Technology (IT) Minister of Karnataka, launched India’s first ever digital water databank ‘AQVERIUM’ in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• AQVERIUM is an initiative of the Bengaluru-headquartered Digital Startup – AquaKraft Digital Ventures Pvt Ltd, a newly formed subsidiary of AquaKraft Projects Private Limited , the flagship company of AquaKraft Group Ventures.
• The Digital water data bank contains a list of water data from all institutions and sources, which will help in the effective management of water & will help to tackle some common development challenges.
• The bank also provides insights and evidence from research and reliable information for tackling water pollution.
• AquaKraft Group Ventures is offering a unique social franchising model to create ‘water entrepreneurs’ with an objective to make India ‘Water Positive’ by 2030.
• It has been predicted that 60% of districts in India are likely to reach the critical level of groundwater depletion over the next 20 years.
• Availability of water per person has fallen from 4,000 cubic meters in 1950 to around 1,000 cubic meters in 2019.

Why in news?

• Mouling National Park is located in the Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, in Adi hills of the eastern Himalayas adjoining Siang River valley.
• It forms the eastern part of the Dihang-Dibang Biosphere Reserve.
• It was created in 1986.
• The name ‘Mouling’ has been derived from peak Mouling.
• Vegetation: Tropical wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, tending towards wet sub-tropical broad-leaved and temperate forest at the upper reaches.
• Fauna: Red Pandas, Deers, Hoolock Gibbons, Tigers, wild buffalo, panther, elephant, hog dear, barking deer, chestnut-breasted Hill Partridge, Greater spotted Eagle.
• Climate: Extremely humid, with high rainfall and no well-defined dry season.

Why in news?

• Mumbai has announced detailed plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, making it the first city in South Asia to set such a timeline.
• Plan lists changes across domains like Investments in housing, Electrifying public transport, Flood-resistant drainage, rooftop solar capacities etc.

About Net zero:

• It refers to a state in which the greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by removal out of the atmosphere.
• India has announced to reach net zero emissions by 2070.

Why in news?

• National Education Policy 2020 recommends that every State will be encouraged to strengthen existing or establish “Bal Bhavans’:

About National Bal Bhawan

• It is an autonomous body under, Ministry of Education, which aims at enhancing the creative potential of children by providing them various activities, opportunities and common platform to interact, experiment, create and perform.
• Since 1956, it has brought in children across gender, class, caste divides to nurture their curiosity and imagination.
• Works as a nodal agency for all affiliated Bal Bhavans.

Why in news?

• The festival of Phool Dei is celebrated in the Garhwal and Kumaon regions of Uttarakhand every year in the flowering season (March-April) to mark the onset of spring.
• It takes place on the first day of the Chaitra season as per the Hindu calendar.
• Children, particularly young girls, go into farms, forests and gardens to collect fresh flowers to offer to the local deities.
• The celebration is indirectly rooted in a sense of affection and protection towards nature, especially local flowers and trees.

Why in news?

• An extremely rare and critically endangered sawfish was caught in fishing nets in Karnataka.
• Sawfish have a long-flattened head and body and an elongated snout, much like that of the saw shark, that forms a long flat blade edged with strong teeth.
• Habitat: shallow water in subtropical and tropical regions of the world. They are bottom dwellers.
• Sawfishes are ovoviviparous fishes (that is, fertilized eggs grow within the body of female sawfishes, and the young are born alive).
• Conservation Status (as per IUCN):
• Large tooth sawfish: Critically Endangered
• Dwarf Saw Fish: Endangered
• Green Sawfish: Critically Endangered
• Smalltooth Sawfish: Critically Endangered
• Narrow Sawfish: Endangered

Why in news?

• The testing was carried out at Satish Dhawan Space Centre Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh).
• The successful test of the solid booster stage has given sufficient confidence to proceed with the first developmental (fight of SSW (SSLV-01). > ISRO usually declares a launch vehicle operational after two successful development flights.

About SSLV

• It is a three-stage all solid vehicle with the capability to launch up to 500 kg satellite mass into 500 km low earth orbit (LEO).
• It aims to cater to the emerging market for the launch of small satellites into LEDs.
• It Is the smallest vehicle at 110-ton mass at ISRO.
• Advantages of SSLV
• Reduced turnaround time (take only 72 hours to integrate, unlike the 70 days taken now).
• Cost-effective- cost will be only around Rs 30 crore
• Requires lesser infrastructure and manpower, as it can be assembled by a team of team of six experts within seven days.
• Unlike the PSLV and GSLV, the SSLV can be assembled both vertically and horizontally.
• Accommodate multiple satellites e.g., nano, micro, and small satellites.
• New Space India Limited, PSU under Department of Space will be the sole nodal agency responsible for providing end-to-end SSLV Launch services for customer satellites horn contractual, technical, programmatic, launch campaign etc.