• It is the directly elected legislative body of the European Union (EU).
• It is one of the EU's main institutions and represents the citizens of the EU member states.
• The Parliament is headquartered in Strasbourg, France, but its work is conducted in three locations: Strasbourg, Brussels (Belgium), and Luxembourg.
• Primary Functions:
  • Negotiating EU laws with member state governments.
  • Approving the EU budget.
  • Voting on international agreements and enlargements.
  • Approving or rejecting the appointment of the European Commission president and commissioners.
• Composition, Term and Leadership:
  • The EP comprises 720 members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who are elected by EU citizens every five years.
  • MEPs then elect their president for a term of two and a half years.
• Candidacy:
  • All candidates must be EU citizens.
  • Voters may choose from individual candidates or delegates from political parties.
  • Once elected, politicians from each nation join the European groups based on their political orientations.
• Restrictions for elected individuals: Elected MEPs cannot hold functions in national governments or other political bodies such as the EU Commission, the Court of Justice, or the Court of Auditors.
• Voting from abroad:
  • EU citizens can vote either in their country of origin or from abroad.
  • Voting from abroad is permitted in most member states except Czechia, Ireland, Malta, and Slovakia.
  • In Bulgaria and Italy, this right applies only to those living within the EU.
• Voting process:
  • Some member states use closed lists, while others allow voters to select individual candidates in a preferential system.
  • Electors abroad can vote at their national embassies, via mail, or electronically.

About Direct Seeded Rice (DSR):

• It is a modern rice cultivation technique where rice seeds are directly sown into the field, replacing the traditional method of transplanting seedlings from a nursery.
  • It is an efficient, and sustainable method of rice cultivation that offers significant benefits for farmers, the environment, and the economy.
• About Herbicide-Tolerant Basmati Rice: ICAR commercialised non-genetically modified (non-GM) Ht basmati rice.  These varieties allow direct application of the herbicide Imazethapyr due to a mutated ALS gene.
• Scientific debate: Research indicates that hand weeding at specific intervals (20 and 40 days after sowing) in DSR is more effective and yield-enhancing than the use of Imazethapyr.
  • ICAR’s research favours eco-friendly hand weeding over repeated herbicide applications for weed control and higher seed yield.
• Weed diversity and risks: Imazethapyr targets specific broadleaf weeds (BLW), not all weed types.
  • Herbicide-resistant weeds may evolve, threatening rice production and food security.
  • Similar challenges were seen with Bt-Cotton and pink bollworm resistance.
• Historical context: In the North Western Plains (e.g., Punjab, Haryana), DSR has been long used for growing Basmati rice.
  • Green Revolution promoted water-intensive transplanted rice, causing ecological issues.
• Innovations in DSR: From 2014 to 2017, innovations in DSR at IARI Karnal led to the adoption of TAR-VATTAR technology, which uses climatic factors and effective herbicides like Pendimethalin to reduce costs and save water.
• Recent adoption and impact: During COVID-19, the labour shortage saw a spike in DSR adoption in Punjab, proving its viability.
  • The Haryana government conserved water (e.g., 31,500 crore litres saved in 2022) by adopting DSR on a large scale.