DRDO handed over the Medium Range-Microwave Obscurant Chaff Rocket (MR-MOCR) to the Indian Navy. 

MR-MOCR

• Developed by:  DRDO’s Defence Laboratory in Jodhpur. 
• Purpose: Obscure radar signals reduce detection.
• Specification: 
  • Chaff is a passive electronic countermeasure consisting of electrically conducting fine fiber of resonant length to act as a microwave dipole.
• Working mechanism: 
  • The rocket, when fired, forms a microwave obscurant cloud in space, thus creating an effective shield against hostile threats having Radio Frequency seekers.

ANRF supported research on to production of hydrogen gas from a mixture of methanol and paraformaldehyde.

About ANRF

• Genesis: Established as a statutory body by the ANRF Act 2023.
  • The erstwhile Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) has been subsumed into ANRF.
• Apex Ministry: Ministry of Science and Technology
• Responsibilities: An apex body to provide high-level strategic direction of scientific research in the country as per recommendations of the National Education Policy.

NSIL (India) and  Space Machines(Australia) signed an agreement to launch Space Machines Company’s second Optimus spacecraft.

• New Space India Limited (NSIL) is under the Department of Space and the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• Second Optimus spacecraft, weighing 450 kg, the largest Australian-designed and built spacecraft to date.
  • The launch is scheduled for 2026 on ISRO's Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV).

About Space MAITRI (Mission for Australia-India's Technology, Research and Innovation) mission

• It aims to foster closer ties among commercial, institutional, and governmental space organizations from both countries in the space domain.

Recently the Ministry of Labour and Employment has taken note of media reports claiming that married women are not being allowed to work at Apple iPhone plant in India.

Equal Remuneration Act, 1976:

• It provides for equal remuneration to men and women workers for the same work or work of similar nature.
• It prohibits discrimination while recruiting men and women workers.
• The Central Government may, by notification, make rules for carrying out the provisions of this Act.

Climate impact is impacting Tanzania’s Lake Natron.

About Lake Natron

• It is the only significant and regular breeding site for the East-African population of Lesser Flamingo.
  • Over 75 per cent of the world population of this species migrates each year to Lake Natron to breed.
• It has a unique composition of warm waters and salt, caustic soda, and magnesite deposits resulting in pH as high as 10.5 
• It was added to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands List in 2001.
• Concern: agriculture, pollution, and climate change.

CEL is granted "Mini RATNA" status (Category-1).

• Eligibility for Mini Ratna (category 1): made profit in the last three years continuously, pre-tax profit is Rs.30 crores or more in at least one of the three years and have a positive net worth.

About CEL

• It is under the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science & Technology.
• Established in 1974, with an objective to commercially exploit indigenous technologies.
• It is a pioneer in the country in the field of Solar Photovoltaic (SPV).

The brief was released by the World Bank. 

Key highlights

• Remittance 
  • Remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) reached to $656 billion. 
  •  Top five recipient countries: India ($120 billion), followed by Mexico, China, Philippines, and Pakistan. 
• Migration
  • Top destinations Countries: US, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and UK. 
  • Largest origin countries: (18.7 million emigrants) followed by Ukraine, China, Mexico and  Venezuela. 
  • Largest migration corridor: Mexico to US

• SEBI has amended PIT regulations to give flexibility to insider traders for trading plans. 
  • Insider refers to any person (usually senior management and officials) in a company who has access to unpublished price-sensitive information (UPSI). 
  • Under PTI, insiders have a narrow window to carry out trades to avoid insider trading.
  • Insiders have to give a ‘trading plan’ specifying the share price, amount, and transaction date in advance.
  • It enables insiders to trade in securities in a compliant manner.