APTI PLUS Academy For Civil Services

Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) Key Features Provides an assured pension of 50% of the average basic pay of the last 12 months before retirement (requires minimum 25 years of service). Spouse benefit: After the pensioner’s death, the spouse gets 60% of the pension. Minimum guaranteed pension: ₹10,000 per month after 10 years of service. Government contribution: 8.5% of basic pay + DA to a pool corpus. Offers a lump sum payment of 1/10th of last basic + DA for every completed 6 months of service. Employees dismissed from service are not eligible for assured payout. UPS vs NPS UPS is optional, whereas NPS is mandatory for employees who joined service after January 1, 2004. Under UPS, employee and employer each contribute 10% of basic pay + DA. Under NPS, employee contributes 10%, employer 14%, but the final pension is market-linked (no assured amount). UPS offers an assured monthly payout, while NPS depends on the accumulated corpus. UPS allows employees to switch back to NPS once before retirement or VRS, but not vice versa. Why Adoption Is Low Many employees still prefer the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), which required no employee contribution and gave 50% of the last drawn basic + DA as pension. Skepticism about UPS benefits compared to OPS. Government is trying to spread awareness — deadline to opt is September 30, 2025, but only about 40,000 of 23.94 lakh eligible employees have chosen UPS so far.

Master the Waqf Amendment Act 2025 and other reforms – it’s more than law, it’s a game-changer for Polity (GS Paper-II). Stay ahead with updated key judgments and boost your exam preparation.

India's Top Merchandise Export Destinations

16 September – World Ozone Day (International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer) 🔹 Origin: Commemorates the signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987. 🔹 2025 Theme: “From Science to Global Action.”

Supreme Court’s Interim Order on Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 Context The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, passed in April, was challenged by nearly 65 petitions. Petitioners included leaders like Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM), Mahua Moitra (TMC), Manoj Jha (RJD), YSRCP, CPI, etc. They argued the law violated Article 26 (right to manage religious affairs). Supreme Court’s Key Directions (Stay Orders) 1. District Collector’s Powers (Section 3C) Stayed: Provision that removed Waqf status of a property as soon as inquiry begins. Stayed: Collector’s power to directly alter revenue/Waqf records. Directed: Waqf status continues during inquiry; no dispossession but no third-party rights until Tribunal decides. 2. Non-Muslim Representation Cap imposed: Central Waqf Council (22 members) → Max 4 non-Muslims State Waqf Boards (11 members) → Max 3 non-Muslims 3. Five-Year Practice of Islam Rule Stayed: Mandatory proof of practising Islam for 5 years to create Waqf. Condition: Stay remains till government frames rules for verification mechanism. What Was NOT Stayed 1. Abolition of ‘Waqf by Use’ The concept allowing land used for religious purposes over time to be deemed Waqf is abolished. Court saw no prima facie reason to stay this. 2. Applicability of Limitation Act Claims for encroachment must now be filed within a fixed period. Court upheld this as removing earlier discrimination. Significance Interim relief ensures Waqf properties retain protection during legal proceedings. Maintains status quo while balancing community rights with state powers. Final decision pending after detailed hearings.

Erra Matti Dibbalu (Red Sand Dunes) Now shines on the UNESCO Tentative List of World Natural Heritage Sites! 🌍👏 A breathtaking natural wonder from India, finally receiving the global recognition it deserves.

🌿✨ Green Milestone for India! India’s first bamboo-based ethanol plant is now inaugurated in Golaghat, Assam! ⚗️🌱 Transforming bamboo into clean fuel, this landmark step marks a giant leap towards renewable energy and sustainability. 🌍💚

History has been created! 🥊 Jaismine Lamboria wins India’s first-ever Gold Medal at the World Boxing Championships 2025. A proud moment for the nation as she raises the tricolour high on the global stage. 🌍🏆

International Day of Democracy (UN) on 15th September Declared by the UN General Assembly in 2007. Purpose: to promote democracy, human rights, and the rule of law worldwide. Date chosen to mark the adoption of the Universal Declaration on Democracy (1997) by the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The theme for International Day of Democracy 2025 is “Ensuring effective governance of AI at all levels.”

America's Complex Relationship with Arms

Harappan Script – Challenges in Decipherment Introduction The Harappan script (c. 3300–1300 BCE) remains one of the world’s most enduring enigmas. Over 3,500 inscribed seals have been discovered, but the language remains undeciphered even after 100+ years of research. Competing claims link it to Sanskrit (Indo-Aryan), Proto-Dravidian, or even argue it is not a language at all. Key Challenges No Multilingual Inscriptions Unlike the Rosetta Stone (used to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs), no bilingual or multilingual inscriptions have been found. Harappans had trade with Mesopotamia, but no parallel texts exist. Unknown Language Andrew Robinson’s classification: Harappan script = “unknown script writing an unknown language” → most difficult to decipher. Lack of reference points makes phonetic/semantic decoding nearly impossible. Limited Material Around 3,500 seals with average 5 symbols each (longest inscription = 26 signs). Short inscriptions hinder understanding of syntax or grammar. Civilisation Still Partly Unknown Limited archaeological data compared to Mesopotamia and Egypt → less context to interpret inscriptions. Major Attempts & Hypotheses S. R. Rao (1982): Identified 62 signs; argued Harappan language was early Sanskrit → linked to Vedic civilisation. Asko Parpola (1994): Identified 425 signs; supported Proto-Dravidian hypothesis. Proposed rebus principle (symbols represent sounds/words, e.g., "fish" = "star" in Old Tamil). Found correlations with Old Tamil planet names. Brahui Evidence: Existence of Brahui (Dravidian language in Balochistan) supports Dravidian link. Alternative View – Not a Script Farmer, Sproat & Witzel (2004): Claimed symbols are non-linguistic, used for religious/political purposes (like tokens or hallmarks). Supported by short length of inscriptions and absence of longer texts. Peggy Mohan: Compared signs to dhobi marks or commercial hallmarks — functional but not language.