Recently constituted 18^th Lok Sabha will have a Leader of Opposition (LoP), which remained vacant for the past 10 years.

About LoP

• Leader of the largest opposition party with not less than one-tenth seats of the total strength of the Lok Sabha is recognised as the LoP.
• Office of LoP is not mentioned in the Constitution.
• LoP in both the Houses of the Parliament were accorded Statutory recognition under Salaries and Allowances of Leader of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977 and are entitled to the salary, allowances and other facilities equivalent to that of a Cabinet Minister.

Ladakh has achieved full functional literacy under the ULLAS - Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram or New India Literacy Programme (NILP).

• Functional literacy means the ability to use literacy skills for personal and community’s functioning and development.

ULLAS-NILP

• Launched by Ministry of Education to cover all aspects of Education for All.
• Type: Centrally sponsored scheme.
• Tenure: From FY2022-23 to 2026-27.
• Beneficiaries: Cover non-literates of age group of 15 years and above. 
• Consists of five components: Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, Critical Life Skills, Basic Education, Vocational Skills, and Continuing Education. 
• Implemented through volunteerism through online mode.

Exercise HOPEX is a joint military exercise between Indian Air Force (IAF) and Egyptian Air Force.

• Aim - to promote bilateral and regional cooperation.
• IAF’s Rafale fighter jets, C-17 Globemaster and IL-78 tankers are participating in the exercise.
• Location – Egypt.

International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Russia’s Chief of Army chief and former defence minister on allegations of war crimes.

About ICC

• It is world’s first permanent and treaty based organization to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community.
• ​It tries individuals over four main areas - genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crime of aggression.
• Founding Treaty: Rome Statute.
• Headquarters: The Hague, Netherlands.
• Members: 124 countries are States Parties. (India is not a member)
• It is an independent international organization, and is not part of UN system.

RBI has released the data for India’s External Debt as at the end of March 2024.

Key Highlights (At end-March 2024 compared to end-March 2023)

• India’s external debt was placed at US$ 663.8 billion, an increase of US$ 39.7 billion over last year. 
• India’s external debt to GDP ratio declined to 18.7% from 19%.
• Share of long-term debt increased while that of short-term debt declined. 
• US Dollar denominated debt at 53.8% share remained the largest component of India’s external debt followed by Indian rupee, yen, SDR, and euro – denominated debt.

Biomass briquettes emerge as a fuel alternative for the power and electricity generation sector.

• Presently, biomass pellets are commonly used as a coal alternative

About Biomass briquettes:

• Composition: Compact blocks of organic materials like agricultural residues, forestry wastes, or waste biomass.
• Briquetting Process: Densification of biomass to improve its characteristics as a renewable energy resource.
• Significance:
  • Carbon-Neutral: Unlike fossil fuels, they releases no additional CO₂ when burned.
  • Help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Supply Chain Resilience: Uses locally available feedstock, reducing exposure to price volatility and geopolitical uncertainties.

Some experts have raised concerns about heating food at high temperatures and then packing it in plastic containers which can cause harmful chemicals such as Bisphenol A, Phthalates, and Styrene to leach into food.

• Bisphenol A (BPA): It is used in combination with other chemicals to manufacture certain plastics and resins.
  • Long-term exposure to BPA has been linked to increased risks of breast and prostate cancer, etc.
• Phthalates: It is used to make plastics more flexible and durable.
  • It can interfere with endocrine system and disturb hormone regulation in the body.
• Styrene: It is a colourless, flammable liquid, which has sweet odour and is highly volatile.
  • It is a suspected carcinogen, can cause nervous system issues like headaches and dizziness upon exposure.

Chang'e-6 probe from China has successfully brought back the first samples ever collected from the Moon's far side.

• Reaching the Moon's far side is challenging due to its remoteness and rugged landscape, featuring massive craters and limited flat areas.

About Chang'e-6

• China’s sixth mission to the Moon, and its second to the far side. 
  • In 2019, China became first country to land a probe (Yutu-2) on far side of the moon.
• Retrieved samples will help test theories about the formation of moon and understand the composition of centre of the Moon, etc.