Notes:
Designed by British architects Lutyens and Baker, the old Parliament building served as the Imperial Legislative Council during British rule and later as the Constituent Assembly and Parliament of India.
The Chausath Yogini temple in Mitaoli, Madhya Pradesh, is believed to have inspired the old Indian Parliament’s circular, pillared structure. Built in the 14th century, this temple is dedicated to 64 powerful yoginis and features unique architectural elements, including a hypaethral design with no roof.

Notes:
The Indian Coast Guard conducted ‘Operation Sajag,’ a comprehensive drill along the west coast, aimed at enhancing coastal security.
‘Operation Sajag’ is conducted monthly to assess the effectiveness of coastal security measures and identify areas for improvement. It is focused on revalidating the coastal security mechanism while raising awareness among fishermen at sea.

Notes:
Indian government introduced the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty- eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, which proposes to reserve 33% of seats for women in the Lok Sabha (the lower house of India’s parliament) and state Legislative Assemblies.
This reservation will apply to seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) as well. These amendments were a result of recommendations made by the Balwantrai Mehta Committee in 1957 and the Asoka Mehta Committee in 1977, aiming to strengthen local self-governance and empower local bodies across rural and urban India.

Notes:
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is set to introduce a groundbreaking online platform called Bima Sugam, which aims to become the world’s largest online market for insurance products and services.
This platform will offer customers a user-friendly interface to explore and choose insurance schemes from various companies, covering life, health, and general insurance, including motor and travel insurance. It will streamline claim settlements, offering paperless processing based on policy numbers. IRDAI has allocated a budget of Rs 200 crore for Bima Sugam.

Notes:
UNESCO has officially added Karnataka’s Sacred Ensembles of Hoysalas to its prestigious World Heritage list.
These ancient temples, previously on UNESCO’s Tentative list since 2014, now gain global recognition for their exceptional cultural and historical significance. The Sacred Ensembles of Hoysalas include renowned temples in Belur, such as the Chennakesava Temple, and Halebid, featuring star-shaped architectural plans.