NewsBytes

A new report by an NGO has revealed the presence of hazardous hormone-disrupting chemicals in garments sold across India, including innerwear, as well as on surface water of five rivers near textile hubs. The study by Toxics Link published in the report titled "Toxic Threads: Assessing Nonylphenol in Indian Textiles and the Environment" found nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) -- a group of endocrine-disrupting chemicals -- in 15 out of 40 textile products examined. These garments were sourced from popular retail shops and online platforms in 10 major textile hubs across the country, according to the report released on Monday. Ten of the NPE-contaminated items were innerwear, with one female hosiery product recording the highest concentration of 957 milligram/kg. Sixty per cent of baby and children's garments tested also contained NPEs, according to the report.

The Supreme Court clarified that its interim direction to Centre to not release Short Service Commission women Army officers from service till the next hearing on August 6 will be applicable to all the officers who have challenged the denial of permanent commission in the apex court, high courts and the armed forces tribunal. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh also said that no adjournment of hearing will be allowed in the matter. While posting all the matters together for final hearing, the bench had earlier said it will hear Army matters first on August 6 and 7, followed by Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard matters in sequence. The Centre moved the top court for clarification on its order of May 9 in which it restrained the government from releasing from service till August 6 the 69 officers who challenged the denial of permanent commission before the apex court.

Lithuania is asking the International Court of Justice to rule that Belarus breached its international obligations by allegedly organising the smuggling of migrants to its territory and award it compensation. The Foreign Ministry in Vilnius said Lithuania filed its case to the court in The Hague on Monday. It revolves around alleged breaches by Belarus of its obligations under the United Nations' Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air. The number of migrants arriving at the borders of European Union member countries from Belarus increased sharply last year, and European authorities have accused Belarus of helping migrants to get across. In December, the EU gave a green light to Poland and other countries on its eastern flank to temporarily suspend asylum rights when they believe that Belarus and Russia are “weaponising” migrants to destabilise the bloc. Lithuania said evidence it has collected confirms the direct involvement of Belarus in organising migrant flows, including an increase in flights from the Middle East and elsewhere by Belarusian state-owned enterprises.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has begun sharing non-personal, anonymised data from the Aadhaar dashboard on the open government data platform, data.gov.in, an official release said. The move aims to promote transparency, research, and data-driven policy-making. The datasets, released by Chief Data Officer (CDO) and Deputy Director General of UIDAI, include aggregated insights on Aadhaar enrolment, updates, and authentication patterns, categorised by geography, age-group and other relevant parameters, the release said, announcing that UIDAI has started sharing non-personal Aadhaar dashboard data in the interest of transparency and research. According to the Aadhaar-issuing body, the initiative opens new avenues for evidence-based policy-making and technological innovation, furthering UIDAI's commitment to transparency, public good, and secure data governance.