UniFocus IAS ( UNIFOCUS UNIVERSAL )

EPFO Launches “VISHWAS, 2026” for Amicable Settlement of Damages/Penalty/-Related Disputes Reflect Orbital to launch "Eärendil-1," an 18-meter-wide orbital mirror Vikram-I White Rabbit Technology NITI Aayog released a report on “ Investment Friendliness Index ”

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), under the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, has launched "VISHWAS, 2026", a one-time dispute resolution initiative to facilitate amicable settlement of disputes relating to levy of damages /penalty under Section 14B of the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 and Section 128 of the Code on Social Security, 2020. The Scheme has been notified vide G.S.R. 525(E) dated 29 June 2026 as part of the EPF Scheme, 2026 and has come into force with effect from 29 June 2026. It will remain operational for a period of six months from the date of notification. VISHWAS, 2026 has been introduced with the objective of promoting voluntary compliance, reducing litigation, and enabling speedy resolution of long-pending disputes relating to penalty/damages while safeguarding the interests of employees. The Scheme provides employers with an opportunity to settle eligible cases through a transpar...

 The U.S. FCC recently cleared Hawthorne-based startup Reflect Orbital to launch " Eärendil-1 ," an 18-meter-wide orbital mirror designed to reflect sunlight back to specific locations on Earth at night . The company aims to sell on-demand artificial twilight for solar farms, disaster relief, and round-the-clock construction. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ] How it Works The concept relies on large, ultra-lightweight deployable reflectors (made of materials like mylar) that fold up during launch and expand once in low Earth orbit. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ] Targeted Beams: By precisely angling the mirror, it can direct a beam of sunlight onto dark, predetermined coordinates. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ] Brightness: The beam is adjustable and at its maximum can appear brighter than the full Moon, casting up to 36,000 lux (daylight brightness) if fully concentrated, though commercial setups will likely aim for softer, moonlight-level illumination. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ] Control: The mirrors can be rotated out of position, ...

Vikram-I is a four-stage, expendable orbital small-lift launch vehicle developed by Skyroot Aerospace. Its first three stages are solid stages, while the fourth stage is a liquid stage. Skyroot Aerospace unveiled the Vikram-I launch vehicle in October 2023 at its MAX-Q headquarters in Hyderabad. The company stated that the rocket was developed to serve the growing global small satellite launch market. The vehicle's development followed the successful launch of the suborbital demonstrator Vikram-S in November 2022, which made Skyroot the first Indian private company to launch a rocket from the ISRO's launch facilities. In May 2022, Skyroot completed a full-duration static test of the Kalam-100 solid rocket stage, a component of Vikram-I. Additional qualification tests, including stage separation tests and avionics validation, were carried out through 2024 and 2025. In November 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the flight-ready configuration of Vikram-I during the inau...

It was developed at CERN to provide sub-nanosecond accuracy and picoseconds precision of synchronisation for the LHC accelerators chain. It was developped as an open-source hardware, with primary adoption by other research infrastructures with similar challenges in highly accurate synchronization of distributed electronic devices.  It was first developped in 2012. It is an ethernet based technology. Sub-nanosecond synchronization, deterministic data transfer, timestamping***, trigger distribution are its important features.  It has potential to be incorporated into different sectors including  telecommunications, financial markets, smart grids, space industry and quantum computing . ( *** Time stamping is the process of securely recording the exact date and time when a digital event—such as a file creation, data transaction, or signature—occurs . ) PIB CERN

During the 9th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog held in July 2024, the Hon'ble Prime Minister tasked NITI Aayog with preparing an Investment-Friendly Charter comprising key policies, programmes, and processes required to attract investments. Subsequently, the Union Budget 2025–26 announced the development of an Investment Friendliness Index to strengthen the spirit of competitive and cooperative federalism by promoting reforms and fostering a conducive investment ecosystem across States. NITI Aayog has released the report titled "Investment Friendliness Index (IFI)", which presents a structured and data-driven framework for assessing how effectively States and Union Territories create, enable, and sustain an environment conducive to investments. The Index evaluates key policy, institutional, regulatory, and infrastructure-related parameters that influence investment decisions and provides a comparative assessment of the investment ecosystem across States and Union ...

  India Achieves Major Milestone at Codex Commission with Adoption of Three Global Standards for Spices Supreme Court directs states & UTs to form policy for early release of elderly, terminally ill prisoners Cyclosporiasis outbreak in USA India's First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Train Set to Redefine Sustainable Rail Mobility with Capacity of Around 2,600 Passengers INDIAN NAVY SET TO COMMISSION THE LATEST ASW SHALLOW WATER CRAFT MALVAN

India achieved a significant milestone in international food standard-setting with the adoption of three Codex standards for large cardamom, coriander and vanilla at the Forty-Ninth Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC49), held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 6 to 10 July 2026. The Commission also accepted India's request to serve as Co-Chair of a newly constituted Electronic Working Group (EWG) on risk analysis for new food products, reflecting the country's growing leadership in the development of international food standards. The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), established jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), is the international body responsible for developing science-based food safety and quality standards to protect consumer health and ensure fair practices in the food trade. India plays a key role in Codex activities by hosting the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH), one of the fi...

Factual Background:  According to the Prison Statistics India Report, 2022 published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), as on 31st December, 2022, there were a total of 1,33,415 convicted prisoners in India. Out of this population, 27,690 convicts, constituting approximately 20.8%, were aged 50 years and above. While the report does not specifically disaggregate data for convicts beyond the age of 70 years, it is evident that a non-trivial proportion of the prison population comprises elderly individuals, many of whom are likely to be afflicted with age-related morbidities and chronic medical conditions. The NCRB data further reveals that a significant number of custodial deaths are attributable to illnesses, with medical causes emerging as one of the predominant factors leading to mortality within prisons. Aging-related complications also account for a substantial portion of such fatalities. These figures underscore the heightened vulnerability of elderly and termin...

Cyclosporiasis is a gastrointestinal illness caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora .  People can become infected by consuming food or water contaminated with the parasite.  This illness is not usually spread directly from person to person.  Case counts typically rise during spring and summer months, and CDC considers May 1-August 31 the annual cyclosporiasis season. Previous outbreaks have been linked to consuming contaminated fresh produce. Since May 1, 2026, CDC has received reports of 1,645 confirmed domestic cases of cyclosporiasis and is aware of more than 5,100 cases that require further analysis to confirm the illness as domestically acquired cyclosporiasis. This is substantially higher than the 249 cases reported nationally by this same time last year. Of the 1,645 case-patients with available information, 141 (9%) were hospitalized, and none have died.  Symptoms: Symptoms of cyclosporiasis typically begin about 1 week after exposure. Onset of sympt...

  Indian Railways is set to flag off India's first Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trainset, a train that generates its own electricity onboard using hydrogen, the cleanest fuel known. It produces near-zero emissions at the point of use. This milestone marks the latest chapter in the evolution of how Indian Railways has powered its trains, reflecting India's broader journey from coal and steam to cleaner, more sustainable sources of energy. Over the past 12 years, rapid electrification has significantly reduced dependence on imported diesel, paving the way for the next leap in clean rail mobility. Today, with over 99% of Broad Gauge routes electrified, Indian Railways is taking that journey a step further. Unlike conventional electric trains that draw power from overhead lines, the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trainset generates electricity onboard through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, with water vapour as its only by-product. In a sense, the train once again carries its own source...