Railway Ministry includes Udupi station under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme for redevelopment.

• The Udupi station under the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. (KRCL) network was included in the Railway Ministry’s Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) for redevelopment.
• Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) is an ongoing Indian Railways mission launched in February 2023 by the Ministry of Railways to redevelop 1,309 stations nationwide.
• The scheme aims to transform railway stations into modern, well-equipped hubs with improved passenger amenities, better traffic circulation, inter-modal integration, and enhanced signage.
• It is based on Master Planning for the long termand the implementation of the elements of the Master Plan as per the needs and patronage of the station.
• The scheme shall cater for the introduction of new amenities as well as the upgradation and replacement of existing amenities.
• The ultimate goal is to transform these stations into vibrant city centres over the long term.

Key Features:

• Modern passenger amenities: This includes providing clean and hygienic waiting areas, restrooms, Special amenities for the disabled, and food and beverage outlets.
• Improved traffic circulation: This includes creating separate entry and exit points for passengers and vehicles, widening roads and footpaths, and providing adequate parking facilities.
• Inter-modal integration: This includes providing seamless connectivity between railway stations and other modes of transport, such as buses, taxis, and auto-rickshaws.
• Upgraded signage: This includes providing clear and visible signage in multiple languages to guide passengers.
• Sustainability: This includes using energy-efficient lighting and appliances.

Eco-friendliness:

• Rainwater harvesting systems and green spaces
• Ballastless tracks, which reduce noise and vibration
• Roof plazas, where available, provide additional space for commercial activities and passenger amenities.

SC: Article 30 on minority institutes not intended to ghettoise communities.

• The Supreme Court attempted to strike a balance by remarking that the intent of Article 30 of the Constitution was not to ghettoise minorities by insisting they had the upper hand in administration of the institution.
• Article 30 is one of the many provisions that ensure the preservation of minority rights.
• Article 30 of the Indian Constitution states the right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions.
• It says: “All minorities, whether based on religion or language, shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.”

Features:

• It consists of provisions that safeguard various rights of the minority community in the country, keeping in mind the principle of equality as well.
• Article 30 (1) says that all minorities, whether based on religion or language, shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.
• The right is provided by this clause on two types of minorities, namely, religious and linguistic minorities.
• Article 30 (1A) deals with the fixation of the amount for the acquisition of property of any educational institution established by minority groups.
• Article 30 (2) states that the government should not discriminate against any educational institution on the ground that it is under the management of a minority, whether based on religion or language, while giving aid.

Concept of Minorities:

• The Constitution of India uses the word minority but does not define it.
• Article 29 of the Indian Constitution uses the word ‘minorities’ in its marginal heading, but it speaks about "any section of the citizens inhabiting the territory of India or any part of the country should have the right to protect their language or script or culture, which is different and varied.
• It also says that citizens should be allowed to take admission in any educational institution which is maintained by the State or getting help from State funds whether they vary in religion, race, caste, language, or any of them.
• Article 30 of the Constitution of India talks only about religious and linguistic minorities.

Religious Minority:

• The basic ground for a community to be nominated as a religious minority is the numerical strength of the community.
• Section 2, clause (c) of the National Commission of Minorities Act, declares six communities as minority communities. They are Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains and Zoroastrians (Parsis)

Linguistic Minorities:

• Class or group of people whose mother language or mother tongue is different from that of the majority groups is known as the linguistic minorities.
• Article 350-A of the Indian Constitution imposes an obligation on the states to try to provide enough facilities for instruction in the mother language at the primary level of education to children belonging to the linguistic minority community.

Govt’s ZED scheme for MSMEs hits 1 lakh certification milestone.

• Zero Defect Zero Effect (ZED) scheme by the MSME Ministry has achieved the 1 lakh certification milestone.
• Launched in October 2016 and revamped in April 2022, the ZED scheme offers certification for environmentally conscious manufacturing under three certification levels (gold, silver, and bronze) classified according to 20 performance-based parameters such as quality management, timely delivery, process control, waste management, etc.
• The major objectives of the ZED Scheme are:
• To create proper awareness in MSMEs about ZED manufacturing and motivate them for the assessment of their enterprise for a ZED rating.
• To drive manufacturing with the adoption of Zero-Defect production processes without impacting the environment (Zero Effect).
• To encourage MSMEs to constantly upgrade their quality standards in products and processes.
• To support the “Make in India” campaign.
• Currently, the scheme is applicable for manufacturing MSMEs only.
• MSME Sustainable (ZED) Certification can be attained in three levels after registering and taking the ZED Pledge:
• Certification Level 1: BRONZE
• Certification Level 2: SILVER
• Certification Level 3: GOLD

What are thylakoid membranes?

• Researchers at the University of Liège, Belgium have identified thylakoid microstructures in fossil cells that are 1.75 billion years old.
• Thylakoids are little pouches located in the chloroplasts of plants.
• They store chlorophyll, the substance in plants that reacts to sunlight and triggers photosynthesis.
• These membranes are dense, mostly galactolipid, protein-containing bilayers in which photosynthesis occurs in photosynthetic organisms.
• They are found in ancient, light-sensitive bacteria called cyanobacteria.
• The cyanobacteria multiplied in the oceans billions of years ago, and are believed to be responsible for the vast stores of oxygen that are found in the atmosphere and thus, a precursor to life.
• It is now believed that thylakoid membranes in cyanobacteria were what made them capable of using sunlight to create energy and release oxygen.

Key facts about Cyanobacteria

• These are also called blue-green algae, microscopic organisms found naturally in all types of water.
• These single-celled organisms live in fresh, brackish and marine water.
• These organisms use sunlight to make their own food.
• In warm, nutrient-rich (high in phosphorus and nitrogen) environments, cyanobacteria can multiply quickly, creating blooms that spread across the water’s surface.
• Cyanobacteria blooms can form in warm, slow-moving waters that are rich in nutrients from sources such as fertiliser runoff or septic tank overflows.
• It needs nutrients to survive. The blooms can form at any time, but most often form in late summer or early fall.

Fly your name to the Moon aboard NASA’s first robotic lunar rover.

• NASA has invited people to send their names to the surface of the Moon aboard the agency’s first robotic lunar rover VIPER – short for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover.
• The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER will get a close-up view of the location and concentration of ice and other resources at the Moon''s South Pole.
• It is NASA''s first mobile robotic mission to the Moon.
• It will directly analyse ice on the surface and subsurface of the Moon at varying depths and temperature conditions within four main soil environments.
• The data VIPER transmits back to Earth will be used to create resource maps, helping scientists determine the location and concentration of ice on the Moon and the forms it’s in, such as ice crystals or molecules chemically bound to other materials.
• It navigates across the rugged terrain of the lunar South Pole and gathers valuable data that will help us better understand the history of the Moon and the environment where NASA is planning to send Artemis astronauts.
• Mission duration:100 Earth days, covering 3 cycles of lunar day and night.
• It will land at the South Pole of the Moon in late 2024.