- The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) constituted a high-powered committee chaired by the Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai for the Union Territory of Ladakh.
- Union Jal Shakti minister has recently convened a meeting of the Punjab Chief Minister and the Haryana Chief Minister to resolve the issue. However, the meeting over the issue remained inconclusive.
- The Jain community has been protesting over demands related to two holy sites — Sammed Shikhar on Parasnath hill in Jharkhand and Shatrunjaya hill in Palitana of Gujarat.
- MoD, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship exchanged MoUs with various stakeholders to facilitate continued education and awarding appropriate skill certificates to Agniveers. Under MoU with the National Institute of Open Schooling and Indira Gandhi National Open University, suitable Class 12 certificates and Bachelor’s degrees will be awarded to Agniveers
- A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday unanimously and rightly ruled out any additional curbs on free speech by ministers. It said, like other citizens, they are guaranteed the right to freedom of expression under Article 19(1) (a), governed by the reasonable restrictions laid out in Article 19(2), and those are enough.
6. The Union Cabinet approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission, which is aimed at making India the global hub for the production of green hydrogen.
What is Green Hydrogen?
- Green hydrogen is hydrogen gas produced through the electrolysis of water.
- It is an energy-intensive process for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen— using renewable power to achieve this.
- The current cost of green hydrogen in India is ₹300 to ₹400 per kg.
7. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the “Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND)” scheme to upgrade Prasar Bharati to expand the public service broadcasting infrastructure across the country.
8. Black carbon aerosols have indirectly affected the mass gain of the Tibetan Plateau glaciers by changing long-range water vapor transport from the South Asian monsoon region, a study has found.
What are Black Carbon Aerosols?
- Black Carbon (BC) aerosol, often called soot, is the dominant form of light-absorbing particulate matter in the atmosphere.
- They are emitted by incomplete combustion processes, both human (e.g., diesel engines) and natural (e.g., wildfire).
- Its ability to absorb visible and infrared radiation means BC can heat the atmosphere and darken surfaces, specifically snow and ice.