https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/election-officials-from-20-countries-witnessing-ls-polls-ec-119051200771_1.html

IIDEM is an advanced resource centre of learning, research, training and extension for participatory democracy and election management.
The Institute has been developed in collaboration with the Government of India, United Nations, the Commonwealth and inter-governmental organisations like Sweden based International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA).

Roles and functions:
The Institute will be a national and international hub for exchange of good practices in election management.
It works for enhancing voter education, and developing human resource for efficient conduct of free and fair elections in India. Along with this it is also set to develop mutually beneficial partnership with other countries.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/atlas-of-human-body-whats-in-it-and-why-5724266/

Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has launched MANAV : Human Atlas Initiative, towards improving knowledge on human physiology.
It is a project funded by DBT.
It aims at creating a database network of all tissues in the human body from the available scientific literature.
It is a project that involves scientific skill development for annotation, science outreach along with handling big data.
The programme will involve gaining better biological insights through physiological and molecular mapping, develop disease models through predictive computing and have a wholistic analysis and finally drug discovery.
The project can be signed up by students who are in their final year graduation and above. Students from the fields of biochemistry, biotechnology, microbiology, botany, zoology, bioinformatics, health sciences, systems biologists, pharmacologists and data sciences can associate with this project.
Even participants having a science background but not necessarily involved in active scientific research can be part of this network.

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/election-commission-sunil-arora-ashok-lavasa-letter-clean-chit-to-modi-model-code-of-conduct-5736504/

Section 10 (Disposal of business by Election Commission) of The Election Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners and Transaction of Business) Act, 1991, lays down that “all business of the Election Commission shall, as far as possible, be transacted unanimously”.

What happens if any of the Election Commissioners dissent:

1.If some difference of opinion persists even after oral deliberations and discussions, such dissent is recorded in the file. All opinions carry equal weight, which means the CEC can be overruled by the two ECs.
2. In normal practice, while communicating the decision of the Commission in executive matters, the majority view is conveyed to the parties concerned. The dissent remains recorded in the file.
3. In case dissent is to be recorded in a case of judicative nature, the dissenting member may like to record a separate opinion/order.

https://scroll.in/article/923876/the-silent-army-how-ec-accountants-try-to-track-poll-expenses-with-rate-lists-and-shadow-registers

The 255th Report of the Law Commission on electoral reforms argued that unregulated or under-regulated election financing could lead to “lobbying and capture, where a sort of quid pro quo transpires between big donors and political parties/candidates”.
The Election Commission imposes limits on campaign expenditure incurred by a candidate, not by political parties.
Expenditure by a Lok Sabha candidate is capped between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 70 lakh, depending on the state she is fighting from.
In Assembly elections, the ceiling is between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 28 lakh. This includes money spent by a political party or a supporter towards the candidate’s campaign.
However, expenses incurred either by a party or the leader of a party for propagating the party’s programme are not covered.
Candidates must mandatorily file a true account of election expenses with the EC. An incorrect account, or expenditure beyond the ceiling can attract disqualification for up to three years under Section 10A of The Representation of the People Act, 1951.

2012 UPSC Prelims Question
Seabuckthorn is a medicinal plant found in the Himalayan region. Our country holds tremendous potential in respect of Seabuckthorn fruit production and diverse varieties which have health-promoting properties and can play a crucial role in preventing soil erosion and help nitrogen fixation in cold and desert areas.
This is the most important environmental benefit of the Sea Buckthorn.
Seabuckthorn fruit grows in the cold deserts of Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, Lahaul-Spiti in Himachal Pradesh and some parts of Arunachal Pradesh.
Please note that as of now, it has not been established that Seabuckthorn oil is a “Rich” source of Biodiesel.
Its a shrub, therefore it’s timber cannot be used.