Daily Current Affairs - JSS Training Institute

October

13 OCTOBER

Vande Bharat Express

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently flagged off Vande Bharat Express from Una in Himachal Pradesh to New Delhi.

About:

This is the fourth Vande Bharat train to be introduced in the country.
The introduction of the train will help boost tourism in the region and provide a comfortable and faster mode of travel.
The coaches of this train are indigenously manufactured at the Chennai Rail coach factory.
Vande Bharat Express has been tested at 180 kmph and can run upto maximum speed of 160 kmph on passenger service.
All Coaches are equipped with automatic doors; GPS based audio-visual passenger information system, onboard hotspot, wi-fi for entertainment purposes, and very comfortable seating.

World Sloth Bear Day

The first World Sloth Bear Day was observed on October 12.

About:

It aims to spread awareness about protection and conservation of sloth bears.
A proposal for observing the World Sloth Bear Day was mooted by Wildlife SOS India, an organisation involved in sloth bear conservation and protection for over two decades and the IUCN-Species Survival Commission sloth bear expert team accepted the proposal and declared the day to be celebrated worldwide.

Sloth bears ( Melursus ursinus):

Sloth bears are endemic to the Indian sub-continent with small populations in Nepal and Srilanka and 90% of the species population is found in India.
They are classified as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List.
They are identified by their very distinct long, shaggy dark brown or black fur, distinct white V-shaped chest patch and four-inch long ivory-coloured curved claws used for digging out termites and ants from rock-hard mounds. Listed under Schedule I of the (Wildlife Protection) Act of India, 1972 the species has the same level of protection as tigers, rhinos and elephants.
They are found in all parts of the country except Jammu and Kashmir and north-eastern States.

Inflation

According to the data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), retail inflation accelerated to a five-month high of 7.41% in September, 2022 from 7% in August, 2022 as food inflation surged sharply to 8.41% last month — the steepest level in 22 months.

About:

September’s retail inflation was the highest since April, when price rise quickened to an almost eight-year high of 7.79%.
This is the ninth month in a row that inflation has exceeded the 6% upper tolerance threshold mandated for the RBI and would require it to send an explanation to the government on its inability to achieve the price stability target.
Rural inflation picked up further steam, from 7.15% in August, to touch 7.56% in September, while urban consumers also experienced a resurgence in price rise at 7.27%, from 6.72% a month earlier.
Inflation in cereals quickened to 11.5%, with rural India facing almost 12% price gains, up sharply from 9.6% in August and almost doubling from July’s 6.9% pace.
Vegetables’ inflation almost virtually doubled over two months, from 10.9% in July to 18.1% in September, with urban consumers facing a sharper 20.1% rise.

Committee of Parliament on Official Language

The 11th volume of the Report of the Official Language Committee headed by Union Home Minister was submitted to the President of India.

About:

The Committee of Parliament on Official Language was set up in 1976 under Section 4 of The Official Languages Act, 1963.
Section 4 of the Act says “there shall be constituted a Committee on Official language, on a resolution to that effect being moved in either House of Parliament with the previous sanction of the President and passed by both Houses”.
Under the provisions of the 1963 Act, the panel submits its report to the President, who “shall [then] cause the report to be laid before each House of Parliament, and sent to all the State Governments”.
The Committee is chaired by the Union Home Minister, and has, in accordance with the provisions of the 1963 Act, 30 members — 20 MPs from Lok Sabha and 10 MPs from Rajya Sabha.
The mandate of the Committee is to review the progress made in the use of Hindi for official purposes, and to make recommendations to increase the use of Hindi in official communications.
The first Report of the Committee was submitted in 1987.

The International Police Organisation (Interpol)

The Interpol has recently rejected India’s request to issue a Red Corner Notice against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

About:

Mandate: It is an international organization facilitating international police cooperation against cross-border terrorism, trafficking, and other crime.
Governance: All decisions regarding the activities of INTERPOL are made by the General Assembly which is it’s supreme governing body which meets annually.
Status: It is ‘NOT’ a unit or part of united nation system. It is an independent international organization.
National Central Bureau (NCB):
- It has a National Central Bureau (NCB) in each member country, which is the central point of contact for both the general secretariat and the other NCBs around the world.
- Each NCB is run by police officials of that country, and usually sits in the government ministry responsible for policing. (Union Home Ministry in India.)
- Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) represents Interpol in India as the country’s national central bureau.
HQ: Lyon in France.
Founded in: 1923.

Types of Notices:

It issues 8 type of notices (7 of which are colour-coded) which are in the form of alert/requests allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information.
Red Notice
- To seek the location and arrest of a person wanted by a judicial jurisdiction or an international tribunal with a view to his/her extradition.
- It is the “closest instrument to an international arrest warrant”.
Blue Notice
- To locate, identify or obtain information on a person of interest in a criminal investigation.
Green Notice
- To warn about a person’s criminal activities if that person is considered to be a possible threat to public safety.
Yellow Notice
- To locate a missing person or to identify a person unable to identify himself/herself.
Black Notice
- To seek information on unidentified bodies.
Orange Notice
- To warn of an event, a person, an object or a process representing an imminent threat and danger to persons or property.
Purple Notice
- To provide information on modus operandi, procedures, objects, devices or hiding places used by criminals.
Interpol-UNSC Special Notice
- To inform Interpol’s members that an individual or an entity is subject to UN sanctions.

Armed Forces Battle Casualties Welfare Fund (AFBCWF)

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to launch website enabling citizens to contribute for Armed Forces Battle Casualties Welfare Fund.

About:

It is a Tri service fund, utilised for grant of immediate financial assistance of ex-gratia, to the Next of Kin and dependents of Battle Casualties.
It has been set up under Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (ESW), Ministry of Defence.
The fund has been created under the Charitable Endowments Act, 1890.
Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan to be the ‘Goodwill Ambassador’.

Suposhit Bharat initiative

According to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, more than 15 crore activities were conducted on various themes across the country during the 5th Rashtriya Poshan Maah from 1st to 30th of September contributing to the Prime Minister’s vision for a Suposhit Bharat.

About:

Through the Suposhit Bharat initiative, the government intend to conceptualize, develop, pilot and scale up food-based nutrition interventions through food services at institutional food services’ level, and street foods, school & college canteens.
This will therapeutically address malnutrition and non-communicable diseases in the general population.
POSHAN Abhiyaan is a multi-ministerial convergence mission with the vision to ensure attainment of malnutrition free India.
POSHAN Abhiyaan provides a platform to converge the activities of various stakeholders towards attaining the goal of ‘Suposhit Bharat’.

Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022

The Union Cabinet has approved the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022.

About:

It seeks to amend the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002.
The Bill will incorporate the provisions of the 97th Constitutional Amendment.
The amendments have been introduced to improve governance, reform the electoral process, strengthen monitoring mechanisms and enhance transparency and accountability.
The Bill also seeks to improve the composition of board and ensure financial discipline, besides enabling the raising of funds in the multi-state cooperative societies.
It has included provisions relating to representation of women and Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe members on the board of multi-state cooperative societies.
It has provisions for setting up of Cooperative Election Authority, Cooperative Information Officer and Cooperative Ombudsman.
There will also be a provision for issuing non-voting shares in multi-state co-operative societies to help them raise funds.

Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002

The Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002 was enacted with a view to facilitating democratic functioning and autonomous working of multi-state co-operative societies in line with the established co-operative principles.
India has more than 1,500 multi-State co-operative societies serving as an important tool to promote economic and social betterment of their members based on the principles of self-help and mutual aid.

Jayaprakash Narayan

Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled a 15-foot statue of Jayaprakash Narayan or JP on his 120th birth anniversary on October 11, at his birthplace, Sitab Diara village in Bihar’s Saran district.

About:

He was born on October 11, 1902, in Bihar’s Sitab Diara.
He quit college to join the non-cooperation movement, before going to study at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was influenced by the ideas of Karl Marx.
He returned to India in 1929 and joined the freedom struggle and the Indian National Congress, upon the invitation of Jawaharlal Nehru and drawn by a speech by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
He is one of the founding members of the Congress Socialist Party (CSP).
He is credited for galvanising popular opinion against Indira Gandhi government, through his call for Sampoorna Kranti (Total Revolution). It led to the formation of the first non-Congress government (Janata Party government, 1977) in the country.
In 1999, he was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in recognition of his social service.
Other awards include the Magsaysay award for Public Service in 1965.

12 OCTOBER

Israel and Lebanon agreement

Israel has reached a US-brokered agreement with Lebanon to settle their long-disputed maritime border, hailing a ‘historic achievement’ that potentially unlocks significant offshore gas production for both countries.

About:

It resolves a territorial dispute in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, in an area that Lebanon wants to explore for natural gas.
All of the Karish field would fall under Israeli control, while another potential gas field, Qana, would be divided but its exploitation would be under Lebanon’s control.
It also sets a border between the maritime waters of Lebanon and Israel for the first time.
The agreement does not touch on the shared land border between Israel and Lebanon, which is still disputed, but where both countries are committed to a ceasefire.
This border is also called the Blue Line, a boundary that was drawn up by the UN after Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000.

Collegium System

During Justice Chandrachud’s two-year tenure, the collegium he will head will potentially make as many as 18 recommendations for appointment of judges to the Supreme Court. It will be an unusual collegium: instead of five members, it will have six.

About:

The collegium system of appointing judges evolved through three significant verdicts of the Supreme Court, known as the First, Second, and Third Judges Cases.
The Constitution of India does not mention the collegium system; however, these three cases established that the collegium headed by the Chief Justice of India will have primacy in the appointment of judges to the higher judiciary.
The Supreme Court collegium is headed by the CJI and comprises four other senior-most judges of the court.
This collegium makes recommendations to the government for appointment of judges to the SC and of Chief Justices of High Courts, and the transfers of HC judges.
A separate three-member collegium, headed by the CJI and comprising the two senior-most judges of the SC makes recommendations for appointment of judges to HCs.

What are the Judges Cases?

First Judges Case (1982)

SC held that “consultation” of judges does not mean concurrence
Hence, it gave the primacy in appointment of judges to the Executive.

Second Judges Case (1993)

Court reversed its earlier ruling by changing the meaning of “consultation” to concurrence.
With this, the advice tendered by CJI became binding. However, the CJI would have to take into account the views of two of his senior most colleagues.

Third Judges Case (1998)

Court gave primacy to the opinion of CJI in the matter of appointment of Judges.
However, Chief Justice must consult four seniormost judges of SC.
Opinion of all members of the collegium should be in writing.
Even if two judges in the collegium give an adverse opinion of a person for appointment as the SC judge, the CJI should not send the recommendation to the government.

What is a 5+1 collegium?

Given the order of seniority, a potential CJI will enter the Chandrachud collegium only in May 2023. However, Justice Khanna will be the sixth member of the collegium from November 9, 2022 itself.
This happened earlier in 2007 — when then CJI K G Balakrishnan took the top office, the collegium he headed did not have a potential CJI candidate. Justice S H Kapadia, who was next in line to be CJI, was invited to the collegium as the sixth member.

Justice D.Y. Chandrachud

Chief Justice of India UU Lalit recommends Justice D Y Chandrachud as next Chief Justice of India.

About:

Chief Justice Lalit’s recommendation to the government would start the process for appointment of Justice Chandrachud as the 50th Chief Justice of India.
If the government approval comes through, Justice Chandrachud would be the first second-generation CJI. His father, Justice Y.V. Chandrachud, was the 16th CJI and one of the longest serving.
Chief Justice Lalit is scheduled to retire on November 8 at the end of a 74-day tenure as top judge.
Justice Chandrachud is expected to be sworn in and assume charge as Chief Justice of India from November 9.
He has a tenure of two years as Chief Justice until his retirement on November 11, 2024.

Judicial career

Justice Chandrachud was appointed judge of the Supreme Court on May 13, 2016.
He was before that the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court from October 31, 2013.
Justice Chandrachud began his career as a judge in the Bombay High Court on March 29, 2000 until his appointment as the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court.

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

Union Minister Smriti Irani recently released an operations manual of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.

About:

The Central government recently announced the inclusion of skilling of girls in non-traditional livelihood (NTL) options in Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme.
The scheme will now also focus on increasing the enrolment of girls in secondary education, particularly in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) subjects.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministries of Women and Child Development, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Minority Affairs.
It emphasises convergence between Ministries and Departments to ensure adolescents complete their education, build skills, and enter the workforce in a diverse range of professions, including in STEM fields.
A national committee headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development will be the apex committee to review the implementation of the scheme at regular intervals with State governments and Union Territory administrations.

Right to Information (RTI) Act

According to a report by Satark Nagrik Sangathan, backlog of RTI appeals or complaints is increasing in commissions every year.

About:

Nearly 3.15 lakh complaints and appeals are pending with 26 information commissions across India.
The number of appeals and complaints pending in 2019, from data obtained from 26 information commissions was 2,18,347.
In 2020, the number climbed up to 2,33,384 with data obtained from 23 information commissions, in 2021 the number was 2,86,325 with data from 26 commissions and in 2022, it was 3,14,323.
The highest number of pending cases was in Maharashtra at 99,722, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 44,482, Karnataka at 30,358, the Central Information Commission at 26,724 and Bihar at 21,346.
The report says two information commissions—Jharkhand and Tripura—out of 29 across the country have been completely defunct for 29 months and 15 months respectively.
Manipur, Telangana, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh are without chiefs at the moment.
Only 5% of the all positions in commissions are being occupied by women.
Also, several information commissions, including the Central Information Commission, are working at reduced capacity with less than the stipulated number of members being in office.
Under RTI law, information commissions are the final appellate authority and are mandated to safeguard and facilitate people’s right to information.

India’s growth forecast

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently trimmed its FY23 growth forecast for India by 60 basis points from its July projection of 7.4 per cent to 6.8 per cent, its steepest cut for any major economy barring the US.

About:

IMF’s move follows the World Bank slashing its FY23 growth projection for India to 6.5 per cent recently from 7.5 per cent predicted earlier.
India is projected to grow at 6.8% in the current fiscal year, following 8.7% growth in fiscal year that ended March 31 as per figures released in the IMF’s October 2022 World Economic Outlook.
Growth rate for this year for India has been revised downward by 0.6 percentage points relative to the IMF’s June 2022 forecast, following a weaker output in the second quarter, and subdued external demand.
The forecast for the next fiscal year remains unaltered at 6.1%.
The IMF has projected 6.9% consumer price inflation this year and 5.1% next year.
For the world as a whole, growth will slow down from 6.0% in 2021 to 3.2% in 2022 and 2.7% in 2023.

Reports Published by IMF:

Global Financial Stability Report
Fiscal Monitor
World Economic Outlook
Regional Economic Outlook
Managing Director’s Global Policy Agenda

National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG)

53rd Capacity Building programme in Field Administration for Civil Servants of Bangladesh inaugurated at National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) at Mussoorie.

About:

The National Centre for Good Governance was set up in 2014 by the Government of India as an apex institution in the country.
Its head office is at New Delhi and registered office at Mussoorie.
It focuses on good governance, policy reforms, training and capacity building, and to also work as a think tank.
It has taken up capacity building of civil servants of several foreign countries in partnership with Ministry of External Affairs.
It has imparted training to civil servants of 15 countries such as Bangladesh, Kenya, Tanzania, Tunisia, Seychelles, Gambia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Laos, Vietnam, Bhutan, Myanmar and Cambodia.

History:

The NCGG traces its origin to the National Institute of Administrative Research (NIAR).
NIAR was set up in 1995 by the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA).
NIAR was subsequently rechristened with an expanded mandate, as NCGG, which was inaugurated in 2014.

6th meeting of India-Norway Joint Working Group on Higher Education

India recently hosted the 6th meeting of the India-Norway Joint Working Group on Higher Education in New Delhi.

About:

The Joint Working Group was established to monitor and oversee the implementation of the MoU on Cooperation in the field of Higher Education signed between India and Norway on 25th April, 2022.
The two sides reviewed the progress made under the Indo-Norwegian Cooperation Programme developed under the ambit of the previous India-Norway MoU signed in 2014.
They deliberated upon overall higher education policy and priorities, student/faculty mobility and cooperation in the field of skill development.

India’s relations with Central Europe (CE):

India’s relations with countries in Central Europe (CE) remained on a steady upward track characterised by warmth and progress in 2021-22, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Rooted in cultural ties, relations with Central European countries have been free from any major irritants.
India has received support from these countries at various multilateral fora.
Regional groups within CE like the Visegrad Group (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) and the Nordic group (Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland) also provide platforms for plurilateral exchanges with India.

11 OCTOBER

Kurds

Nationwide protests in Iran over the death of a young Iranian Kurdish woman in the custody of Iran’s morality police.

About:

The Kurds are members of a large, predominantly Muslim ethnic group.
They speak a language related to Farsi and live mostly in a mountainous region straddling the borders of Armenia, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey.
Treaty of Sèvres: After World War I, Western powers promised Kurds their own homeland in the agreement known as the Treaty of Sèvres.
Treaty of Lausanne: But later the Treaty of Lausanne, ratified in 1924, divided the Kurds among the new nations of the Middle East.
Today, there are more than 30 million Kurds living across the region, with about half of them in Turkey.
Iraq is the only country in the region to have established an autonomous Kurdish region, known as Iraqi Kurdistan. Its parliament was founded in 1992.

Automatic Exchange Of Information (AEOI)

India has received the fourth set of Swiss bank account details of its nationals and organisations as part of an annual information exchange, under which Switzerland has shared particulars of nearly 34 lakh financial accounts with 101 countries.

About:

This is the fourth tranche of information that India has received from Switzerland since the two countries entered into an Automatic Exchange Of Information (AEOI) agreement in January 2018.
The first such exchange with India took place in 2019.

Automatic Exchange Of Information (AEOI):

AEOI 2022 exchange exercise aims to bring in transparency and restrict money laundering.
Some countries which have been added to the Swiss AEOI list for the first time are Turkey, Peru and Nigeria.
The guidelines and parameters for the AEOI are set by the Paris-based international body, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The annual exercise of AEOI exchange, such as the current Swiss bonanza of banking details, is strictly meant for “tax only” purposes and in India, kept in the custody of and for action by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
Under the OECD’s guidelines, no details of the quantum of funds or the names of account holders are to be publicised.
In 2014, the OECD developed the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) which allows every country to obtain data from Financial Institutions (FIs) and “automatically” exchange it with countries with which AEOI agreements are in order every year.
Under the OECD umbrella of AEOI, India presently shares bulk financial and banking information with 78 countries and receives the same from 107 countries.

Space Economy

The Indian space economy is set to reach $13 billion by 2025, according to a joint report prepared by EY and the Indian Space Association (ISpA).

About:

According to the report, the space-launch segment would grow at a CAGR of 13%, spurred by growing private participation, latest technology adoption and low cost of launch services.
The satellite services and application segment would form the largest share of the space economy accounting for 36% of the ecosystem by 2025.
On the country’s satellite-manufacturing opportunity, EY and ISpA said that in 2020, it was $2.1 billion. This would reach $3.2 billion by the year 2025.

Indian Space Association (ISpA)

Indian Space Association (ISpA), established in December 2020, is the premier industry association of space and satellite companies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ISpA on October 11, 2021.

The industry association will act as an independent and “single-window” agency for enabling the opening up of the space sector to start-ups and the private sector, according to the government agenda.

Mental Health

On World Mental Health Day, The Lancet released a new report calling for radical action to end stigma and discrimination in mental health.

About:

The report was the result of the labours of the new Lancet Commission on Ending Stigma and Discrimination in Mental Health.
According to the report, 90% of people living with mental health conditions feel negatively impacted by stigma and discrimination.
Further, 80% said stigma and discrimination can be worse than the condition itself.
Additionally, 90% of those surveyed felt that media could play a major role in reducing stigma.
As per the commission, stigma can “cause social exclusion and disempowerment of people with mental health conditions leading to discrimination and human rights violations, including problems in accessing healthcare, challenges in securing employment, and increased likelihood of health complications leading to early death”.

Nobel Prize in Economics 2022

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Economics to Ben S. Bernanke, Douglas W. Diamond and Philip H. Dybvig.

About:

Ben S. Bernanke, Douglas W. Diamond and Philip H. Dybvig won the 2022 Nobel Prize in Economics for research on banks and financial crises.
According to Nobel committee, the three laureates have significantly improved our understanding of the role of banks in the economy, particularly during financial crises, and an important finding in their research is why avoiding bank collapses is vital.

Douglas W Diamond and Philip H Dybvi

Both Diamond and Dybvig worked together to develop theoretical models explaining why banks exist, how their role in society makes them vulnerable to rumours about their impending collapse, and how society can lessen this vulnerability.
These insights form the foundation of modern bank regulation.

Ben S. Bernanke

Former Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke analysed the Great Depression of the 1930s, the worst economic crisis in modern history. Among other things, he showed how bank runs were a decisive factor in the crisis becoming so deep and prolonged.
Using historical sources and statistical methods, Bernanke’s analysis showed which factors were important in the drop in gross domestic product.

Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences

The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences is awarded in memory of Alfred Nobel.
While Alfred Nobel did not mention the economics prize in his will, the Sveriges Riksbank established the award in 1968 and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences was given the task of selecting the Laureates in Economic Sciences, starting in 1969.

Conference on B20 Indonesia Global Dialogue

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) recently hosted Conference on B20 Indonesia Global Dialogue in partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi.

About:

The aim is to align the perspectives of Indian industry with the policy recommendations of B20 Indonesia.
This conference would set tone for the deliberations to ensure that the Indian perspectives are well represented in the policy recommendation of B20 Indonesia.

Business 20 (B20):

Business 20 (B20), formed in 2010, is the official G20 dialogue forum with the global business community.
B20 aims to deliver concrete actionable policy recommendations on the priorities by each rotating presidency to spur economic growth and development.

Football for Schools project

FIFA in partnership with All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the support of the Union government launched the Football for Schools project in the country, which is aimed at broad-basing the game across India.

About:

Football for Schools is an ambitious programme run by FIFA, in collaboration with UNESCO, which aims to contribute to the education, development and empowerment of around 700 million children.
According to Union Government, “Football for Schools” movement espouses the spirit of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and promotes sports-integrated learning.
Football for Schools is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developing India as a sporting superpower as well as ensuring a Fit India.
The government will take the Football for Schools programme to all 700+ districts in India.
Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti will be the nodal agency on behalf of the ministry of education to take this initiative forward.

10 OCTOBER

North Eastern Council (NEC)

The Plenary meeting of North Eastern Council concluded recently.

About:

NEC is not a constitutional body, but a statutory organization established in 1971 under the North Eastern Council Act, 1971.

Functions:

To function as Apex Regional Planning Body for the North Eastern Region.
Implementing various projects through the State and Central agencies.

Composition:

It comprises Governors and Chief Ministers of all the 8 North-Eastern States and three members nominated by the President.

Administration:

In June 2018, Union cabinet approved the nomination of the Home Minister as the ex-officio chairman and Minister for DoNER (Development of North-East Region) as the council’s vice chairman.

National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC)

4th NICDC Investors’ Roundtable Conference to be held in Mumbai on October 10.

About:

The 4th NICDC Investors’ Roundtable Conference organized by Maharashtra Industrial Township Limited (MITL).
The Investors Roundtable Conference has previously been hosted in Delhi, Kochi, and Ahmedabad.
The 4th edition of the conference will showcase the development of upcoming greenfield industrial cities across India, which have been planned by National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Limited.
Currently, four such greenfield smart industrial cities are being developed in Maharashtra in the districts of Aurangabad, Raigad, Satara and Nagpur.

National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC):

National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) is a Special Purpose Vehicle aiming to develop new industrial cities as “Smart Cities” and converging next generation technologies across infrastructure sectors.
The programme is aimed at providing impetus to planned urbanization in India with manufacturing as the key driver.

Manesar Anti-terror 2022

India is currently hosting the multilateral anti-terror exercise ‘Manesar Anti-terror 2022’ scheduled from October 8 to 13.

About:

It is under the framework of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS).
It is stage 2 of the exercise and the Stage-1 of the Exercise was conducted from July 27 to August 1 by the National Counter Terrorist Forces of SCO Member Countries in their respective territories.
The exercise is aimed at exchanging expertise, best practices and build synergy between the Counter Terrorism Forces of the SCO RATS Member Countries to enhance capabilities for conducting Anti-Terrorist operations and countering other security threats collectively.

Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS):

Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) one of the permanent organ of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and has its headquarters in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The objective of SCO RATS is to facilitate cooperation and coordination against Terrorism, Extremism and Separatism.
India assumed the chairmanship of the Council of SCO RATS in Oct 2021.
Joint Anti-Terror Exercise (JATE) is an annual Counter Terrorist Exercise held within the framework of the SCO RATS.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO):

The SCO is an eight-member economic and security bloc that India and Pakistan joined as full-time members back in 2017.
The founding members of this group include China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)

A revised action plan to fight the serious challenge of air pollution in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) has come into force after a sudden dip in air quality in the capital and its neighbouring areas.

About:

The GRAP is a step-by-step plan to counter Delhi-NCR’s deteriorating air quality.
It was formulated by the Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control Authority (EPCA) jointly with the Delhi government in 2017.
However, it is an emergency response mechanism and is only enforced when air pollution reaches a certain threshold.
Moreover, the plan is incremental and adaptable, which means the preventive measures will be updated and escalated according to changes in the AQI.

Categories:

It has been prepared for implementation under different Air Quality Index (AQI) categories namely, Moderate & Poor, Very Poor, Severe, Severe+ and Emergency as per National Air Quality Index.
- ‘Moderate’ to ‘poor’ categoryincludes measures like stringent enforcement of PUC checks, prevention of waste burning and regulating polluting industries.
- The ‘very poor’ categoryincludes measures like shutting down of diesel generator sets and enhancing parking fees.
- The ‘severe’ and ‘severe plus’ categories include stringent measures like shutting down hot mix plants and stone crushers, intensifying public transport, stopping entry of trucks into Delhi, stopping construction activity and even implementing the odd-even scheme.

Direct tax

According to Union Finance Ministry, India’s net direct tax collections till October 8 in the financial year 2022-23 have risen to ₹7.45 lakh crore, more than half of the Budget targets.

About:

It is an increase of 16.3% over the tax inflows during the corresponding period a year ago.
Based on provisional data, net personal income tax collections grew 17.35%, rising faster than corporate income tax collections that were up 16.29% net of refunds.
Securities Transaction Tax (STT) collections combined with personal income tax receipts, grew at a more moderate 16.25%.
Underlining that direct tax collections continue to register a steady growth, the Ministry said tax refunds had jumped 81% over the preceding year to touch ₹1.53 lakh crore.
Net direct tax collections had crossed ₹7 lakh crore by September 17, 2022 and were 23.3% higher at the time, so there appears to have been a moderation in tax inflows in the intervening three weeks.
Gross revenues from direct taxes were at ₹8,36,225 crore on September 17, reflecting a 30.2% growth.

Aatmanirbhar in defence production

India ranks fourth among 12 Indo-Pacific nations in self-reliant arms production capabilities, according to a study released this month by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

About:

The 12 countries in the study were selected because they have the highest military spending in the region — Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
The study, which measures self-reliance until 2020, is based on three indicators of self-reliance in each country:
- Arms procurement
- Arms industry
- Uncrewed maritime vehicles

China

China was the world’s fifth largest arms importer in 2016-20.
Its self-reliance policies, and its high economic growth in that period meant that the Chinese arms industry now increasingly fulfills the requirements of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Its high volume of imports in absolute terms accounts for only 8 per cent of total procurement for the period, the lowest share for any of the 12 governments.

India

India is ranked as the second largest importer of arms for its armed forces in 2016-20. India is highly dependent on imports of complete foreign major arms, including many produced under licence or as components for its domestic production.
Of India’s total volume of procurement in 2016–20, 84 per cent was of foreign origin. Domestic arms companies provide only 16 per cent of its total procurement.
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Indian Ordnance Factories, Bharat Electronics, Mazagaon Docks and Cochin Shipyard are among the major Indian arms servicing companies. Ashok Leyland, one of the largest suppliers of trucks to the Indian Army, is the only company ranked in the top 50 in the Indo-Pacific.
India has seven Uncrewed Maritime Vessel projects ongoing. In the private sector, Larsen & Toubro has been

Sharad Purnima

Sharad Purnima being celebrated in country on October 9.

About:

This religious festival is celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu lunar month of Ashvin.
It is also known as the Arogya Parv or Health Festival. It is also known as Kaumudi, or Kojagari Purnima.
The full-moon night is celebrated differently in different cultural regions of the country.
On this auspicious day, many divine pairs like Radha Krishna, Shiva Parvati, and Lakshmi Narayan are worshipped along with the moon and are offered flowers and kheer (a sweet dish made of rice and milk).
Deities in temples are usually dressed in white, signifying the brightness of the moon.
It is also observed as a harvest festival in many states across the country.

08 OCTOBER

Rosetta Stone

Many Egypt historians are demanding the U.K to return the 2,000-year-old Rosetta Stone.

About:

The Rosetta Stone is a large stone slab with inscriptions on it and is believed to be a piece of a bigger rock.
It has inscriptions in three scripts, all of which convey a decree or public message.
The decree is inscribed three times, in hieroglyphs (suitable for a priestly decree), Demotic (the cursive Egyptian script used for daily purposes, meaning ‘language of the people’), and Ancient Greek (the language of the administration – the rulers of Egypt at this point were Greco-Macedonian after Alexander the Great’s conquest).
This is similar to how in Ancient India, King Ashoka ordered stambhas or edicts that had messages of Buddha’s teachings and news about victory in a war inscribed. These were then placed throughout the kingdom for the public to see.
Its discovery that helped develop the specific field of ancient Egypt studies, Egyptology.
According to the British Museum, the engraving was done during the reign of King Ptolemy V who ruled from 204–181 BC.
This stone was ‘rediscovered’ in the time of French king Napoleon Bonaparte, who launched a campaign in Egypt from 1798 to 1801.
On Napoleon’s defeat later at the hands of the British, the Treaty of Alexandria (1801) led to its transfer and it has been at the British Museum since then.

National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS)

The usage of the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) is 50% or less in many states even after the Union government’s order making it mandatory to record attendance of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

About:

National Mobile Monitoring Software (NMMS) App was launched by the Minister of Rural Development on May, 21 2021.
This app is aimed at bringing more transparency and ensure proper monitoring of the schemes.
The NMMS App permits taking real time attendance of workers at Mahatma Gandhi NREGA worksites along with geo-tagged photograph.
The app helps in increasing citizen oversight of the programme.
The National Mobile Monitoring App is applicable for the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA workers for all the States/ Union Territories.

Kerch bridge

The road-and-rail bridge linking Russia and the Crimean peninsula was damaged in a powerful blast recently, hitting a crucial supply route for Russian forces in Ukraine.

About:

The 19-km (12-mile) Crimea Bridge over the Kerch Strait is the only direct link between the transport network of Russia and the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
The bridge is crucial for the supply of fuel, food and other products to Crimea, where the port of Sevastopol is the historic home base of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

Kerch Strait

The Kerch Strait is a crucial part of the regional grain trade connecting the Azov sea with the Black Sea.

Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti

This year Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti is being celebrated on October 9.

About:

Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti celebrated every year on the full moon day of the month of Ashwin. This day is also popularly known as Pargat Diwas.
It is observed as the birth anniversary of sage poet Maharishi Valmiki.
He is considered as the first poet in the Sanskrit language.
He is credited with writing the Ramayana.
One of the famous temples dedicated to sage Maharishi Valmiki, is in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai.

Election Symbol

The Election Commission has barred both the groups led by former Maharastra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and State Chief Minster Eknath Shinde from using the party name Shiv Sena in the upcoming Andheri East Bye-elections and till the final determination of the dispute in the matter.

About:

As per the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, the Election Commission allots symbols for anyone contesting in polls.
A person contesting on behalf of a recognised political party will inherit the party’s symbol.
An independent candidate or someone contesting on behalf of an unrecognised political party has to approach the Commission and get a symbol allotted from the list of ‘free’ symbols available.
- A candidate will have to provide three symbols from the free list at the time of submission of nomination papers, one of which will be allocated to him/her.
- Any choice other than from the EC’s list will be summarily rejected.
In the case of a recognised political party, the Commission allows it to ‘reserve’ a symbol.
- For example, if a political party recognised in a particular State wishes to contest in elections in another State, it can ‘reserve’ the symbol being used by it.
- The Commission will oblige, provided the symbol is not being used by anyone else.
Two or more recognised political parties can have the same symbol provided they are not contenders in the same State or Union Territory.
- Both Federal Party of Manipur and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) use ‘Rising Sun’ as their symbol.
- But if one of the parties wish to open their account in the other State, it will have to contest on a different symbol.

Losing the symbol?

The ECI may also derecognise a political party if it has not polled at least 6 % of votes or won two seats in the State elections. In case of a national party, it should have polled minimum 6 % votes and 2 MLAs in at least four States.
Until 1997, unrecognised parties would lose their symbols. Later, the EC modified its order to allow them to retain its symbol.

Party split:

In case a recognised political party splits, the Commission decides which faction can use the symbol.
The Commission may also choose to freeze the symbol and ask both factions to contest in fresh symbols.

Eid Milad-un-Nabi

Eid Milad-un-Nabi, the birthday of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad, is being celebrated with religious fervour in various parts of the country.

About:

This day marks the birth anniversary of the Prophet.
According to legends, the Prophet was born on the twelfth day of Rabee-ul-Awwal in Mecca in 570 CE. Rabee-ul-Awwal is the third month of the Islamic lunar calendar.

Celebrations:

“Milaad Mehfils”and “Seerat Conferences” will be held highlighting the life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad.
On this day, hymns are sung in praise of the Prophet and it is also commonly believed that listening to those will make one receive worldly and heavenly rewards.
Several countries celebrate the day by taking out large processions in the street and by decorating their homes.

Modhera

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be declaring Modhera in Gujarat as a 24 x 7 solar-powered village on October 9.

About:

Modhera will be India’s first village to become a net renewable energy generator.
It will be the first modern village to have a solar-based ultra-modern electric vehicle charging station.
It is India’s first grid-connected megawatt-hours (MWh) scale battery energy storage system.
People in Modhera would be saving 60% to 100 % on electricity bills.
The heritage lighting and 3-D projection at the Sun Temple would operate on solar energy.
The 3-D projection will inform visitors about the history of Modhera.

Modhera Sun Temple

The Modhera Sun Temple was made by King Bhima I of the Chalukya dynasty in the early 11th century.
It is a temple made to honour the Sun God in Modhera village of Mehsana district on the bank of River Pushpavati.
The temple is designed in such a way that during every equinox, the first ray of the rising sun would fall on a diamond placed on the head of the Sun God. This would also light up the shrine with a golden glow.
The Sabha Mandap stands on 52 pillars, signifying the 52 weeks in a year. There are carvings of the sun on the walls to show its unity with air, water, earth and space.
In 2014, Modhera Sun Temple entered the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
It enjoys the same significance as other two well-known sun-temples in Kashmir (Martand) and Orissa (Konark).
The Gujarat Tourism hosts a three-day dance festival every year, known as the Uttarardha Mahotsav, at the temple every January after Makar Sankranti festival.

Mahakaleshwar Temple

PM Modi to inaugurate first phase of Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Extension project.

About

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, shrines which are said to be the most sacred abodes of Shiva.
It is located in the ancient city of Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The temple is situated on the side of the holy river Shipra.
The temple’s Mahakal Lingam is believed to be Swayambhu (self-manifested) and unlike any other jyotirlingas in the country, the idol of Mahakaleshwar faces south.
Mahakal temple complex expansion project was planned in the year 2017. This expansion project are being conducted in two phases. The second Phase will be completed in 2023-24.

12 Jyotirlingas in India

The jyotirlinga shrines are places where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light. A Jyotirlinga is a shrine where Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam.
12 Jyotirlingas In India are Somnath( Gujarat), Nageshwar (Gujarat), Bhimashankar (Maharashtra), Trimbakeshwar (Maharashtra), Grishneshwar (Maharashtra), Vaidyanath (Jharkhand), Mahakaleshwar (Madhya Pradesh), Omkareshwar (Madhya Pradesh), Kashi Vishwanath(Uttar Pradesh), Kedarnath (Uttarakhand), Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu), Mallikarjuna (Andhra Pradesh).

07 OCTOBER

National Lok Adalat

National Lok Adalat will be held on 12 November across the country to dispose off pending cases through settlement.

About:

What is it? Lok Adalat is one of the alternative dispute redressal mechanisms, it is a forum where disputes/cases pending in the court of law or at pre-litigation stage are settled/ compromised amicably.
Who conducts? National Legal Services Authority of India (NALSA) along with other Legal Services Institutions conducts Lok Adalats.
Status: Lok Adalats have been given statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
Appeal:
- The award (decision) made by the Lok Adalats is deemed to be a decree of a civil court and is final and binding on all parties and no appeal against such an award lies before any court of law.
- If the parties are not satisfied with the award of the Lok Adalat though there is no provision for an appeal against such an award, but they are free to initiate litigation by approaching the court of appropriate jurisdiction by filing a case by following the required procedure, in exercise of their right to litigate.
Fees: There is no court fee payable when a matter is filed in a Lok Adalat.
Nature of Cases to be Referred to Lok Adalat
1. Any case pending before any court.
2. Any dispute which has not been brought before any court and is likely to be filed before the court.

Provided that any matter relating to an offence not compoundable under the law shall not be settled in Lok Adalat.

Nobel Prize in Literature 2022

The 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded to the French author Annie Ernaux.

About:

Ernaux, was honoured “for the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory”.
Her more than 20 books, many of which have been school texts in France for decades, offer one of the most subtle, insightful windows into the social life of modern France.
Personal experiences are the source for all of Ms. Ernaux’s work and she is the pioneer of France’s “autofiction” genre, which gives narrative form to real-life experience.

UNHRC adopts resolution against Sri Lanka’s rights record

India abstained on a draft resolution in the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka which was adopted.

About:

The draft resolution on ‘Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka’ was adopted at the 51st Session of Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The significant feature in the resolution is its call to investigate the on-going economic crisis and prosecute those responsible.
The resolutions on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka were previously moved in Geneva in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, and in 2021. Sri Lanka had expressed opposition to the resolution as a violation of its sovereignty other than in 2015 when they co-sponsored the resolution.

UN Human Rights Council

What is it? It is an inter-governmental body within the UN system.
Location: It meets at the UN Office at Geneva.
Establishment: It was founded in 2006. It replaced the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR).
Functions:
- It investigates allegations of breaches of human rights in UN member states.
- It addresses important human rights issues such as freedom of expression, women’s rights, LGBT rights, and the rights of racial and ethnic minorities.
- The UNHRC works closely with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
Membership:

The Council is made of 47 Member States, which are elected by UN General Assembly through direct and secret ballot. The Council’s Membership is based on equitable geographical distribution.
Members of the Council serve for a period of three years and are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two consecutive terms.
In June 2018, the United States announced its withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) terming it “hypocritical and self-serving”.

No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels (NOPEC) bill

NOPEC bill, the U.S. legislation that could open members of oil producing group OPEC+ to antitrust lawsuits has emerged as a possible tool to tackle high fuel prices.

About:

NOPEC bill, which passed a Senate committee 17-4 on May 5, is intended to protect U.S. consumers and businesses from engineered oil spikes.
The bipartisan NOPEC bill would tweak U.S. antitrust law to revoke the sovereign immunity that has protected OPEC+ members and their national oil companies from lawsuits.
If signed into law, the S. attorney general would gain the option to sue the oil cartel or its members, such as Saudi Arabia, in federal court.
It is unclear exactly how a federal court could enforce judicial antitrust decisions against a foreign nation.

Competition Commission of India

Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurates Competition Commission of India’s Regional Office (West) in Mumbai.

About:

Status: A statutory body established under the provisions of The Competition Act, 2002.
Established in: 2003.
Composition: A Chairperson and 6 Members appointed by the Central Government.
Headquarters: New Delhi.
Preceding agency: Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission.
Mandate: To implement provisions of The Competition Act, 2002 which –

prohibits anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominant position by enterprises
regulates mergers and acquisition (M&A) which can have an adverse effect on competition within India. Thus, deals beyond a certain threshold are required to get clearance from CCI.

International Solar Alliance’s Fifth Assembly

International Solar Alliance’s Fifth Assembly to be held in New Delhi from 17th to 20th October, 2022

About:

The Assembly is the apex decision-making body of ISA, in which each Member Country is represented. This body makes decisions concerning the implementation of the ISA’s Framework Agreement and coordinated actions to be taken to achieve its objective.
India holds the office of the President of the ISA Assembly. Ministers, missions and delegates from 109 Member and Signatory Countries are set to participate in this meeting.

International Solar Alliance (ISA)

It is an international organisation with 109 member and signatory countries.
It works with governments to improve energy access and security worldwide and promote solar power as a sustainable way to transition to a carbon-neutral future.
ISA’s mission is to unlock US$ 1 trillion of investments in solar by 2030 while reducing the cost of the technology and its financing.
With the signing and ratification of the ISA Framework Agreement by 15 countries in 2017, ISA became the first international intergovernmental organization to be headquartered in India.

Vyommitra

ISRO’s humanoid Vyommitra’s skills get a lift-off with digital grey matter.

About:

‘Vyommitra’, is a humanoid designed and developed by the ISRO to fly aboard unmanned test missions ahead of the Gaganyaan human space-flight mission, is undergoing pre-flight ground tests.
ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU) has successfully integrated it with a computer ‘brain’ which enables it to ‘read’ control panels aboard the unmanned test flights and communicate with the ISRO ground stations.
The AI-enabled robot, which can withstand vibrations and shock during the flight, has been designed to resemble a human with facial expressions and speech and sight capabilities. It is a half-humanoid lacking lower limbs.

One District One Product scheme (ODOP)

PM Modi calls for giving boost to One District One Product scheme & further develop Aspirational Districts.

About:

ODOP was launched by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, to help districts reach their full potential, foster economic and socio-cultural growth, and create employment opportunities, especially, in rural areas.
This initiative is carried out with the ‘Districts as Exports Hub’ initiative by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Department of Commerce.
There may be more than one cluster of ODOP products in one district. The States would identify the food product for a district, keeping in perspective the focus of the scheme on perishables.
The ODOP product could be a perishable Agri produce, cereal-based product, or a food product widely produced in a district and their allied sectors.
The ODOP launch date is January 24, 2018, by the Uttar Pradesh Government, and due to its success, was later adopted by the Central Government.

Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP)

Launched by the Hon’ble PM in January 2018, it aims to quickly and effectively transform 112 most under-developed districts across the country.
The ranking is based on the incremental progress made across 49 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) under 5 broad socio-economic themes – Health & Nutrition, Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion & Skill Development and Infrastructure.

06 OCTOBER

herSTART’ Platform

President Draupadi Murmu launches ‘herSTART’ – a start-up platform of Gujarat University for women entrepreneurs

About:

herSTART’ is the initiative of Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council aims at supporting women-led startups.
The platform has been launched with the aim that it will not only boost innovation and start-up efforts of women entrepreneurs but also help them connect with government as well as private enterprises.
Through this platform, free resources and training modules free will be provided to aspiring women entrepreneurs. It will build a digital community and also a digital publication to spread their success stories.

The Tamil Movie Ponniyin Selvan-1 puts focus on the Cholas

About:

The Chola kingdom stretched across present-day Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. During the period of the Cholas’ rise and fall (around 9th to 12th century AD), other powerful dynasties of the region would also come and go, such as the Rashtrakutas of the Deccan who defeated the Cholas, and the Chalukyas of the Andhra Pradesh region whom the Cholas frequently battled.
The dynasty was founded by the king Vijaylaya, described as a “feudatory” of the Pallavas by historian Satish Chandra in the book ‘The History of Medieval Era’.

Society under the Cholas

One of the biggest achievements of the Chola dynasty was its naval power, allowing them to go as far as Malaysia and the Sumatra islands of Indonesia in their conquests.
While the extent of this domination is disputed, the Cholas had strong ties with merchant groups and this allowed them to undertake impressive naval expeditions.
Succession wars were natural which is set in the time after the Rashtrakutas defeated the Cholas.
Another feature is how the practice of building grand temples. The grand Brihadeeswara temple of Thanjavur, built by the Cholas, was the largest building in India in that period.

eChhawani Portal

Government has approved the extension of Online Building Plan Approval System (OBPAS) under eChhawani portal to five more Cantonment Boards, namely Agra, Ranikhet, Babina, Jammu and Cannanore.

About:

eChhawani is a citizen-centric project of the Directorate General of Defence Estates, Ministry of Defence.
Under this initiative, Cantonment Boards provide online citizen services to more than 20 lakh residents across 62 Cantonments in the country.
The unified portal provides access to civic services along with all relevant information in a simple, easy to understand and effective manner.
As a step towards facilitating ease of living, over 2.18 lakh property taxpayers living in cantonment areas would be able to apply online for mutation in the property tax register under the eChhawani portal (echhawani.gov.in).

Garba Dance

PM expresses happiness on Garba attaining popularity among National Games participants

About:

Garba is a dance form native to the Indian state of Gujarat, performed in October to honour the Hindu Deity of Divinity, Goddess Durga
It is a joyful style of dance, based on a circular pattern and characterized by a sweeping action from side to side.
Garba performances often include singing and a musical accompaniment traditionally provided by dhol (double-headed drum) and the similar but smaller dholak; hand clapping; and assorted metallic idiophones, such as cymbals.
Garba dances celebrate fertility, honour womanhood, and pay respect to any of an array of mother goddesses.
In Gujarat the dances customarily mark a girl’s first menstrual cycle and, later, her imminent marriage. Garba dancing also takes place during the nine-day Navratri festival.

Scheduled Tribe status

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Pahari community in Jammu and Kashmir.

About:

He said that Justice GD Sharma Commission has recommended reservation for Paharis, Gujjars and Bakerwals and after completion of the administrative process, these communities will get reservation benefits.

Who are Paharis?

The Pahari community is a linguistic group mainly residing in the Pir Panjal valley. They constitute of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs and make up around 10-11 per cent of the population in Jammu and Kashmir.
Their mother tongue, Pahari, is an offshoot of Pothwari language with varying dialects and their own unique culture. They usually reside in rural areas and are majorly involved in agricultural and cattle activities.

Criteria for inclusion in ST List

The criteria presently followed for specification of a community as a Scheduled Tribe are : (i) indications of primitive traits, (ii) distinctive culture, (iii) geographical isolation, (iv) shyness of contact with the community at large, and (v) backwardness. However, these criteria are not spelt out in the Constitution.

Article 342

Article 342 prescribes the procedure to be followed in the matter of specification of Scheduled Tribes.

Under Clause (1) of Article 342, the President may, with respect to any State or Union Territory, and where it is a State, after consultation with the Governor thereof, notify tribes or tribal communities or parts of these as Scheduled Tribes. This confers on the tribe, or part of it, a Constitutional status invoking the safeguards provided for in the Constitution, to these communities in their respective states/UTs.
Clause (2) of the Article 342 empowers the Parliament to pass a law to include in or exclude from the List of Scheduled Tribes, any tribe or tribal community or parts of these.
The List of Scheduled Tribes is State/UT specific and a community declared as a Scheduled Tribe in a state need not be so in another state/UT.

04 OCTOBER

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY)

The disbursal of small business loans under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) logged a record 30 per cent growth in the first half of the current fiscal ended September compared to the same period last year.

About:

It is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, launched on 8th April, 2015.
It is a Financial Inclusion (FI) programme in the country based on three pillars – Banking the Unbanked, Securing the Unsecured and Funding the Unfunded.

Types of loans:

Shishu – Covering loans up to Rs 50,000;
Kishor – Covering loans above Rs 50,000 and up to Rs 5 lakh;
Tarun – Covering loans above Rs 5 lakh and up to Rs 10 lakh.

Eligibility:

Any Indian Citizen who has a business plan for a non-farm sector income generating activities such as manufacturing, processing, trading or service sector.
They can avail from all Public Sector Banks, Regional Rural Banks and Cooperative Banks, Private Sector Banks, Foreign Banks, Micro Finance Institutions (MFI) and Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFC) up to Rs 10 lakhs Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency Ltd. (MUDRA) loans under PMMY.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin)

According to the government data, 69% houses under PMAY in rural India are owned by women.

About:

Over 69% of houses constructed under the Prime Minister’s special housing scheme are either wholly or jointly owned by women in rural areas.
As on September 29, 2022, a total of two crore houses had been constructed out of the 2.46 crore houses that were sanctioned.
The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) was launched by the Prime Minister in 2016 with the aim of constructing 2.95 crore houses.
Beneficiaries are identified using parameters from Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data and verified by Gram Sabhas.
Concerned Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development.

Nobel Prize in Physiology, 2022

Swedish scientist Svante Pääbo has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology for the year 2022 “for his discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution”.

About:

He has spearheaded the development of new techniques that allowed researchers to compare the genome of modern humans and that of other hominins — the Neanderthals and Denisovans.
He spent decades trying to extract DNA from 40,000-year-old bones, culminating in the unveiling of the Neanderthal genome in 2010.
The research helped establish that modern humans and Neanderthals share a common ancestor that lived some 600,000 years ago. Paabo and his team also found genetic evidence that, during periods of coexistence, modern humans and Neanderthals had children together.
His seminal research gave rise to an entirely new scientific discipline; paleogenomics.
His research led to the understanding that archaic gene sequences from our extinct relatives influence the physiology of present-day humans.
- One such example is the Denisovan version of the gene EPAS1, which confers an advantage for survival at high altitude and is common among present-day Tibetans.
- Other examples are Neanderthal genes that affect our immune response to different types of infections.

India – Ethiopia relations

The 4th Round of Foreign Office Consultations between India and Ethiopia were held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia recently.

About:

During the consultation, both sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, including political engagements, trade and economic matters, development partnership projects and cooperation in higher education.
They also agreed to work to expand engagement in fields such as defence, Science and Technology, education, agriculture and allied sectors and civil aviation.
India and Ethiopia have also agreed to continue high-level political exchanges and regular meetings of the joint institutional mechanisms to keep the relationship vibrant and mutually beneficial.
The next round of Consultations will be held in New Delhi.

India’s merchandise export

India’s merchandise export grew by over 15 % from April to September, 2022.

About:

India’s merchandise export has grown by over 15 per cent to 229 billion US dollar from April to September this year in comparison to the same period last year.
The country has achieved merchandise export of over 32 billion dollars in September this year with a decrease of 3.52 per cent in comparison to the same month last year.
The export of non-petroleum and non-gems and jewellery from April to September this year was over 158 billion dollars, an increase of 5.53 per cent over the same period last year.

Chennai port to Maduravoyal elevated corridor project

The proposed elevated stretch will be developed in four sections and will start inside the Chennai Port and end after the Maduravoyal interchange.

About:

According to the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, the project developed at an estimated cost of ₹5,800 crore will be completed by December 2024.
It will serve as a dedicated freight corridor for Chennai bound port traffic and increase the handling capacity of Chennai Port by 48% and subsequently reduce the waiting time at the port by six hours.
The project nearly doubles Chennai port’s container handling capacity to 2.64 million TEUs.
In July, 2022, tenders were called for the construction of a double tier four-lane elevated corridor on Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) mode under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.

Bharatmala Pariyojana

It is a new umbrella programme started in 2017 under the ultimate administrative control of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), Government of India, and will be implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
This will be done by development of Economic Corridors, Inter Corridors and Feeder Routes, National Corridor Efficiency Improvement, Border and International connectivity roads, Coastal and Port connectivity roads and Green-field expressways.

Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC):

It is a type of Public funding Model.
In such types of models, full freedom to plan, design and construction is given to the private contractor and core requirements are specified in schedules.
Payments by the Government are linked to specified stages of construction.
The Contract Price is subject to adjustment on account of variation in the cost and change in scope ordered by employer.

Shyamji Krishna Varma

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute to Shyamji Krishna Varma on his birth anniversary, October 4.

About:

Shyamji Krishna Varma (1857 – 1930) was an Indian freedom fighter, lawyer and journalist.
Indian Home Rule Society (IHRS):It was an Indian organisation founded in London in 1905 that sought to promote the cause of self-rule in British India. The organisation was founded by Shyamji Krishna Varma, with support from Bhikaji Cama, Dadabhai Naoroji and S.R. Rana.
India House:He founded India House in London. It was a student residence that existed between 1905 and 1910 which was opened to promote nationalist views among Indian students in Britain.
Indian Sociologist:He founded Indian Sociologist in London. The monthly Indian Sociologist became an outlet for nationalist ideas.

3 OCTOBER

Windfall tax

The government recently cut the windfall tax on domestically-produced crude oil to Rs 8,000 per tonne from Rs 10,500, and halved the levy on export of diesel to Rs 5 per litre.

About:

The taxes were introduced on July 1, as the Centre felt that elevated crude prices were allowing oil companies to make windfall profits, and that the exchequer must get a share of such gains.
The reduction in tax rates follows the easing of crude oil prices in international markets.

Windfall tax

A windfall tax is a tax levied by governments against certain industries when economic conditions allow those industries to experience above-average profits.
The idea is to target firms that were lucky enough to benefit from something they were not responsible for – in other words, a windfall.
In other words, windfall tax is imposed on companies that have seen their profits extraordinarily not because of any clever investment decision or an increase in efficiency or innovation, but simply because of favourable market conditions.

Tri-services Missile Command

The central government is considering setting up of a tri-services missile/rocket command on the lines of the space and the cyber command as the first steps towards military theatre commands.

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The proposed missile command will be responsible for deployment of missile and rocket regiments against any hostile adversary and will be manned by commanders of the three services in rotation.
This means that conventional missiles like BrahMos and Akash as well as Pinaka rockets will be placed under one command for rapid deployment against any adversary.
The proposal to set up a missile command has been moved in the aftermath of the May 2020 East Ladakh stand-off with the PLA and the use of rockets and missiles in the Ukraine theatre by the Red Army.
The missile command will be on similar lines as the tri-services cyber command and the space command as the future wars will hardly have any contact between troops unless used for capturing enemy territory.

urchasing Managers’ Index

The Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, compiled by S&P Global, fell to 55.1 in September from 56.2 in August 2022.

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It was the 15th straight month the figure was above the 50-mark separating growth from contraction.
The survey pointed out that Indian businesses become more confident in the outlook as inflation worries were tamed.
The overall level of positive sentiment seen in September was the best in over seven-and-a-half years, according to the survey.

Purchasing Managers’ Index

Purchasing Managers’ Index or PMI is an economic indicator, which is derived after monthly surveys of different companies.
The index shows trends in both the manufacturing and services sector.
The index helps in determining whether the market conditions, as seen by purchasing managers, is expanding, contracting or staying the same.
It is used to provide information regarding the current and future business conditions.
PMI is one of the closely watched indicators of business activity and helps in predicting the economic health of a country.
There are two types of PMI — Manufacturing PMI and Services PMI. A combined index is also made using both manufacturing PMI and services PMI.
A PMI number greater than 50 indicates expansion in business activity. A number less than 50 shows contraction. The rate of expansion is also judged by the difference from the mid-point (50) and also by previous month’s data.

Tap water connections

Around 62% of rural households in India have fully functional tap water connections within their premises, according to a survey commissioned by the Union Ministry of Water Resources to assess the functioning of the government’s marquee Jal Jeevan Mission.

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Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, and Puducherry reported more than 80% of households with fully functional connections, while fewer than half the households in Rajasthan, Kerala, Manipur, Tripura, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Sikkim had such connections.
A fully functional tap water connection is defined as a household getting at least 55 litres per capita per day of potable water all through the year.
Close to three-fourths of households received water all seven days a week and 8% just once a week.
On an average, households got water for three hours every day, and 80% reported that their daily requirements of water were being met by the tap connections.
The report mentions a concerning problem of chlorine contamination. Though 93% of the samples were reportedly free of bacteriological contamination, “most of the anganwadi centres and schools, had higher than the permissible range of residual chlorine and indicated inappropriate local dosing.

Matadata Junction program

Election Commission to launch Matadata Junction on All India Radio.

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It is a year-long voter awareness program.
The Matadata Junction program will be broadcast in 23 languages across the country.
The weekly program covers all aspects of the Voter ecosystem and shall be broadcast every Friday on the All India Radio network.
Each Program will be based on a particular Theme on the Electoral process.
All the 52 Themes are aimed at encouraging all eligible citizens and especially the young and first time voters to vote and make an informed decision during the elections.
The program includes a Citizen’s Corner where any citizen can ask a query or suggest any aspects of the voting.

YUVA (Young, Upcoming and Versatile Authors) 2.0 scheme

Prime Minister’s Scheme for Mentoring Young Authors – YUVA 2.0 was launched recently.

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It is a Prime Minister’s scheme for mentoring young authors, and a programme to train young and budding authors below the age of 30 to promote reading, writing, and book culture in the country, and project India and Indian writings globally.
The ministry of education (MoE) launched the YUVA 2.0 scheme in view of the significant impact of the first edition of the YUVA.
The first edition witnessed a large-scale participation from young authors in 22 different Indian languages including English.
It is in tune with the Prime Minister’s vision to encourage the youth to understand and appreciate India’s democracy.
It will help to develop a stream of writers who can write on a spectrum of subjects to promote the Indian heritage, culture, and knowledge system.
The National Book Trust, India, as the implementing agency under MoE will ensure the phase-wise execution of the scheme under well-defined stages of mentorship.
The young authors will be trained by eminent authors and mentors from 1st March to 31st August 2023.

UAE’s visa rules

The United Arab Emirates (UAE’s) advanced visa system is set to come into effect on October 3, 2022.

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Under UAE’s new immigration laws, the five-year green visa will allow foreigners to sponsor themselves without any help from UAE nationals or their employers. Freelancers, skilled workers, and investors are eligible for this visa.
Now, green visa holders can sponsor their family members themselves.
If the permit for a green visa holder expires, they will be given a period of up to six months to renew it.
A 10-year expanded residency is also offered under the golden visa. Investors, entrepreneurs, and individuals with exceptional talents are eligible for a golden visa.
According to the new immigration laws, golden visa holders will also enjoy the benefit of 100% ownership of their business.
Tourist visas will allow the visitors to stay in UAE for 60 days, as per new rules.
A five-year multi-entry tourist visa will allow visitors to stay in the UAE for up to 90 days in a row.
And the job exploration visa will also allow professionals to seek employment opportunities in the UAE without a sponsor or host.

Arctic Ice

According to a study published in the ‘Science’, the journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science there is a changing chemistry of the western region of the Arctic Ocean after discovering acidity levels increasing three to four times faster than ocean waters elsewhere.

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The team of researchers identified a strong correlation between the accelerated rate of melting ice and the rate of ocean acidification.
Scientists have predicted that by 2050, Arctic sea ice in this region will no longer survive the increasingly warm summers.
As a result, the ocean’s chemistry will grow more acidic, creating life-threatening problems for the diverse population of sea creatures, plants and other living things that depend on a healthy ocean. Crabs, for example, live in a crusty shell built from the calcium carbonate prevalent in ocean water.
Seawater is normally alkaline, with a pH value of around 8.1.
The researchers point to sea-ice melt as the key mechanism to explain this rapid pH decrease, because it changes surface water in three primary ways.
- First, the water under the sea ice, which had a deficit of carbon dioxide, now is exposed to the atmospheric carbon dioxide and can take it up freely.
- The seawater mixed with meltwater is light and can’t mix easily into deeper waters, which means the carbon dioxide is concentrated at the surface.
- The meltwater dilutes the carbonate ion concentration in the seawater, weakening its ability to neutralise the carbon dioxide into bicarbonate and rapidly decreasing ocean pH.

1 OCTOBER

Professors of practice

The higher education regulator University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued new guidelines under which higher education institutes can create a new teaching position called Professor of Practice to hire experts from various sectors, in line with provisions that already exist in the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).

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No formal educational qualification such as a PhD is needed to apply for a position.
To be eligible for appointment, an individual will have to be a “distinguished expert” who has “made remarkable contributions in their professions”, and has at least 15 years of service or experience.
The idea is to bring practical experience into classroom teaching.
It is open to the institutions themselves to decide the sector from which they want to rope in professionals.
A professor of practice can be anyone with a background in a diverse range of areas from technology, science, social sciences, media, literature, armed forces, law, fine arts, etc.
However, the position is not open for those in the teaching profession — either serving or retired.
Currently, under the UGC’s minimum qualifications for appointment of teachers and other academic staff, an individual needs a PhD to be recruited as a professor or associate professor, and also needs to have cleared the National Eligibility Test (NET).
It can be either a full-time or a part-time engagement for at least four years. Initially, the hiring will be for one year. Based on performance, extensions may be given.
The remuneration will be decided at the level of the institutes and the experts being hired.

Tokenised card transaction

Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s New Credit & Debit Card Tokenisation Rules will be applicable from 1 October.

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Tokenisation here refers to replacement of actual credit and debit card details with an alternate code called the “token”.
A token is a 16-digit number unique for a combination of card, token requestor and merchant.
By tokenising the card with a merchant, the actual card details of the customer are replaced with token credentials, which can be used only for the merchant for which the token has been created.
Tokenisation can be performed only by the authorised card network and recovery of original Primary Account Number (PAN) should be feasible for the authorised card network only.
Adequate safeguards have to be put in place to ensure that PAN cannot be found out from the token and vice versa, by anyone except the card network.
A tokenised card transaction is considered safer as the actual card details are not shared with the merchant during transaction processing.

5 G

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently launched 5G services in India at the India Mobile Congress in Delhi.

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5G is the next generation of mobile communication networks, which is supposed to offer much faster speeds and wider use cases than 4G.
It is believed that the rollout of 5G will accelerate the adoption of cloud gaming, AR/VR technology, Internet of Things, etc. 5G also has several enterprise use cases.
It enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices.
5G wireless technology is meant to deliver higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, ultra-low latency, more reliability, massive network capacity, increased availability, and a more uniform user experience to more users.
In 5G the latency will be ten times less than in 4G, being able to perform remote actions in real time.

G20 Sherpa

India recently participates at 3rd G20 Sherpa meeting in Indonesia.

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A Sherpa is a personal representative of the leader of a member country at an international Summit meeting such as the G8, G20, the Nuclear Security Summit etc.
The Sherpa engages in planning, negotiation and implementation tasks through the Summit.
They coordinate the agenda, seek consensus at the highest political levels, and participate in a series of pre-Summit consultations to help negotiate their leaders’ positions.
Sherpas are career diplomats or senior government officials appointed by the leaders of their countries.
The term is derived from the Nepalese Sherpa people, who serve as guides for mountaineers in the Himalayas.
There is only one Sherpa per Summit for each member country; he/she is assisted by several sous Sherpas.

National Pension System Diwas

Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority, PFRDA will observe 1st of October as the National Pension System Diwas (NPS Diwas).

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It aims to promote pension and retirement planning among the citizens. PFRDA is organising this campaign under ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
The pension regulator aims to encourage every citizen, whether working professionals or self-employed professionals, to plan towards creating a pension corpus to ensure a financially sound future after retirement.
NPS subscribers will enjoy the benefits of tax deduction on contribution, power of compounding and reap the benefits of regular income after retirement.

Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act

The central government has extended for another six months the application of the disturbed area under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, AFSPA in 12 districts of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

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The AFSPA will be extended for six months in nine districts — Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, Peren, and Zunheboto — and 16 police stations areas in four other districts — Kohima, Mokokchung, Longleng, and Wokha of Nagaland.
It has been extended in certain parts of five other districts of the two northeastern states to facilitate the armed forces to continue the anti-insurgency operations.

AFSPA:

It is a law which gives armed forces (Army, the Air Force and Central paramilitary forces) the special powers and immunity to maintain public order in “disturbed areas”.
When is it applied?It can be applied only after an area has been declared “disturbed” under section 2 of the act.
What is a Disturbed area? An area can be considered to be disturbed due to differences or disputes among different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities.
Who declares an area as disturbed? Section (3) of AFSPA empowers the governor of the state/Union territory to issue an official notification declaring the state or a region within as a “disturbed area”, after which the centre can decide whether to send in armed forces.
The ‘special powers’ of armed forces under Section 4 are:
- ‘Power to use force, including open fire’ at an individual if he violates laws which prohibit (a) the assembly of five or more persons; or (b) carrying of weapons.
- ‘power to arrest’ without a warrant; (Under section 5 the Armed Forces have to hand over the arrested person to the nearest Police Station “with the least possible delay”.
- ‘power to seize and search’ without any warrant any premise.
These armed forces are immune from prosecution unless Union Government provides sanction to the prosecuting agencies.

Black Cocaine

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) recently arrested a Bolivian woman from Mumbai airport for allegedly carrying black cocaine.

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“Black cocaine” is a rare drug, is a mixture of regular cocaine and other chemicals of administrated quantity.
In a bid to ensure that sniffer dogs used at airports do not detect cocaine, it is being used by drug peddlers coming to India from South American countries.
It neutralises the smell of cocaine so that it can pass through checkpoints easily.
Black cocaine is a mixture of regular cocaine base with various substances to camouflage typical appearance (e.g. charcoal), to interfere with colour-based drug tests (cobalt salts form deep red complexes in solution), to make the mixture undetectable by drug-sniffing dogs as activated carbon may sufficiently absorb trace odours.
The pure cocaine base is then recovered from the mixture by extraction using common organic solvents such as methylene chloride or acetone.
A second process is required to convert the cocaine base into powdered cocaine hydrochloride.

Annexation of Four Ukrainian Regions by Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently announced that Russia is annexing four regions of Ukraine.

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The four regions being annexed are Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine.
The separatist Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine have been backed by Moscow since declaring independence in 2014, weeks after the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.
The southern Kherson region and part of the neighboring Zaporizhzhia were captured by Russia soon after Putin sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Together with Crimea that Russia annexed in 2014, Russia now claims 20% of Ukrainian territory.
The four territories create a crucial land corridor between Russia and the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Moscow in 2014.

September

30 SEPTEMEBR

ABORTION RIGHTS OF SINGLE WOMEN

In a historic judgment, the Supreme Court declared that single women with pregnancies between 20 and 24 weeks are entitled to access the same safe and legal abortion care as married women.

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The judgment came in an appeal by a person who wanted to terminate her pregnancy before her term completed 24 weeks.
The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971 prohibits unmarried women who are between 20 and 24 weeks’ pregnant to abort with the help of registered doctors.
The Supreme Court held that the rights of reproductive autonomy, dignity and privacy give an unmarried woman the right of choice as to whether or not to bear a child on a similar footing as that of a married woman.

50 ICONIC INDIAN TEXTILES

UNESCO released a list of 50 exclusive and iconic heritage textile crafts of the country.

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Toda embroidery and Sungadi from Tamil Nadu, Himroo from Hyderabad, and Bandha tie and dye from Sambalpur in Odisha were some of the textiles that made the cut.
Some of the iconic handcrafted textiles documented from north India are Khes from Panipat, Chamba rumals from Himachal Pradesh, Thigma or wool tie and dye from Ladakh, and Awadh Jamdani from Varanasi.
From the south, Ilkal and Lambadi or Banjara embroidery from Karnataka, Sikalnayakanpet Kalamkari from Thanjavur have been included.
Kunbi weaves from Goa, Mashru weaves and Patola from Gujarat, Himroo from Maharashtra and Garad-Koirial from West Bengal also find a place among the 50 iconic textiles.

DENTITY OF MINORS SEEKING ABORTION

Registered medical doctors are exempt from disclosing to the police the identity of minors who have come in for abortion, the Supreme Court directed in a judgment.

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A registered medical practitioner (RMP) is obliged under Section 19(1) of the POCSO Act to report to the police when a minor approaches him or her for an abortion.
In many cases minors and their guardians opt to go to an unqualified doctor for abortion rather than risk being involved in criminal proceedings following a report under Section 19(1) of the POCSO Act.
If there is an insistence on the disclosure of the name of the minor in the report under Section 19(1) of POCSO, minors may be less likely to seek out RMPs for safe termination of their pregnancies under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act.
The court said it was necessary to harmonise the provisions of the MTP and POCSO laws to enable minors to approach an RMP for abortion without the fear of getting exposed.
It would also protect the statutory obligation of the RMP to report the offence under the POCSO Act and the rights of privacy and reproductive autonomy of the minor under Article 21 of the Constitution.

PACIFIC ISLAND NATIONS

The United States announced $810 million in new funding for Pacific islands at a summit with President Joe Biden amid inroads by China in the strategic but sparsely populated region.

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The White House said $600 million will be in the form of a 10-year package to clean up and develop dirty waters to support the tuna industry, while the United States will also expand climate and development aid and its diplomatic presence.
Biden will also address the first-ever Washington summit of Pacific Island nations, including 12 heads of state or government, in hopes of using a personal touch to reconnect with a region that has been tied closely to the United States since the Second World War.
With the U.S. until now often seen as taking the region for granted, China has asserted itself strongly in recent years through investment, police training and, most controversially, a security pact with the Solomon Islands.
The Biden administration also announced that the United States would recognise Cook Islands and Niue, a self-governing territory whose foreign and defence policies and currency are linked to New Zealand. The step will allow the United States to increase its diplomatic footprint in the Cook Island and Niue, which have fewer than 20,000 inhabitants.

GLOBAL INNOVATION INDEX 2022

India has climbed to the 40th rank in the Global Innovation Index of World Intellectual Property Organization. This is a huge leap of 41 places in 7 years.

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The World Intellectual Property Organization yesterday released the Global Innovation Index 2022 in which Switzerland has emerged as the world’s most innovative economy for the 12th consecutive year.
Switzerland leads globally in innovation outputs, and specifically in patents by origin, software spending, high-tech manufacturing, production, and export complexity. The second position was secured by the US followed by Sweden, the UK, and the Netherlands.

SIX AIRBAG RULES FOR PASSENGER CARS

The government has deferred a proposal to make six airbags mandatory in cars by one year to 1st of October 2023.

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The decision has been taken considering the global supply chain constraints being faced by the auto industry and its impact on the macroeconomic scenario.
The government had earlier planned to make six airbags mandatory in eight-seater vehicles for enhanced safety of occupants from October 1, 2022.

29 SEPTEMBER

POTASH FERTILIZER

In a significant step towards ensuring long-term fertiliser availability for the farming community, India’s fertiliser companies- Coromandel International, Chambal Fertilizers and Indian Potash Limited signed an MoU with Canpotex, Canada on 27th September 2022.

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Potash, which is source of Potassium, is used both for direct application as MOP as well as in combination with ‘N’ & ‘P’ nutrients in NPK fertilizers.
India meets 100% of its Potash requirement through imports. The country imports approximately 40 LMT MOP annually.
Canpotex is a joint venture between leading fertiliser players, Mosaic and Nutrien, and markets Potash being produced at Saskatchewan region in Canada.
It is amongst the largest suppliers of Potash globally, exporting around 130 LMT of product annually to more than 40 countries and has been one of the suppliers to India.

MAHAKALESHWAR CORRIDOR

Prime Minister Modi is to inaugurate the Mahakaleshwar Corridor, constructed in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain at a cost of Rs 350 crore, on October 11.

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Mahakal Maharaj Mandir Parisar Vistar Yojna is a plan for the expansion, beautification, and decongestion of the Mahakaleshwar temple and its adjoining area in Ujjain district.
Under the plan, the Mahakaleshwar temple premises of around 2.82 hectares is being increased to 47 hectares, which will be developed in two phases by the Ujjain district administration. This will include the 17 hectares of Rudrasagar lake.
The project is expected to increase annual footfall in the city from the current 1.50 crore to nearly three crore.

Mahakaleshwar Temple

Mahakaleshwar, which means the ‘Lord of time’, refers to Lord Shiva. As per Hindu mythology, the temple was constructed by Lord Brahma and is presently located alongside the holy river Kshipra.
Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Ujjain is one of the 12 jyotirlingas considered the most sacred abodes of Shiva.
The temple’s Mahakal Lingam is believed to be Swayambhu (self-manifested) and unlike any other jyotirlingas in the country, the idol of Mahakaleshwar faces south.

CLEAN INDIA 2.0 PROGRAM

The Department of Youth Affairs of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (Government of India) will launch a month-long nationwide Clean India 2.0 from 1st -31st October, 2022 after the successful campaign of last year.

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The programme is being organised in all the villages across the country through the network of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), affiliated Youth Clubs & National Service Scheme Affiliated Institutions.
This month-long nationwide programme will be launched to collect waste material mainly single-use plastic and create awareness among people.
One crore kilogram of waste material including plastic and e-waste will be collected and disposed off with the support and voluntary participation of citizens.
Hotspots for waste collection will be Tourist Places, Educational Institutes, Bus Stand/Railway Stations and the vicinity, National Highways, Historical and heritage buildings, religious places & surroundings, Hospitals and Water Resource etc.

INDIA – NETHERLANDS RELATIONS

India and the Netherlands have signed a joint statement to formalize the bilateral Fast-Track Mechanism between the two countries.

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The Joint statement aims to facilitate a platform for the Dutch companies operating in India, for faster resolution of investment cases.
It is expected that the mechanism will strengthen and assist bilateral efforts to increase mutual investment activities, and also support and develop business cooperation between companies in both countries.
Commerce and Industry Ministry said, the Netherlands is the fourth largest foreign direct investor in India. The cumulative flow of FDI from the Netherlands to India reached around 42.3 billion US dollars between April 2000 and June 2022.

R VENKATARAMANI

Senior advocate R Venkataramani has been appointed as the new Attorney General of India.

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The Ministry of Law and Justice in a notification said, the President has appointed Mr Venkataramani as the new Attorney General for a period of three years.
His appointment comes just days after senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi declined the government’s offer to become the next AG.
Mr Rohtagi had earlier served the post for three years and stepped down in June 2017. Mr Venugopal succeeded him and was appointed for a three-year term.
Since 2020, Mr. Venugopal had been given two one-year extensions at his requests. However, in June, Mr. Venugopal requested the Law Ministry not to extend his tenure beyond three months because of his advanced age.

INDIA COOLING ACTION PLAN

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has said that India is the first country with a cooling action plan based on energy efficiency and thermal comfort. He stated this while addressing the Ministerial Roundtable for Green Economy at the World Green Economy Summit at the World Trade Center in Dubai.

The India Cooling Action seeks to:

reduce cooling demand across sectors by 20% to 25% by 2037-38,
reduce refrigerant demand by 25% to 30% by 2037-38,
Reduce cooling energy requirements by 25% to 40% by 2037-38,
recognize “cooling and related areas” as a thrust area of research under national S&T Programme,
training and certification of 100,000 servicing sector technicians by 2022-23, synergizing with Skill India Mission.

The following benefits would accrue to the society over and above the environmental benefits:

Thermal comfort for all – provision for cooling for EWS and LIG housing,
Sustainable cooling – low GHG emissions related to cooling,
Doubling Farmers Income – better cold chain infrastructure – better value of produce to farmers, less wastage of produce,
Robust R&D on alternative cooling technologies – to provide push to innovation in cooling sector.

REDEVELOPMENT OF RAILWAY STATIONS

The Union Cabinet approved the Indian Railways’ ₹10,000 crore proposal for the redevelopment of three major stations — New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).

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With the redevelopment, expected to be completed in 2.5 to 3.5 years, passengers will be able to enjoy facilities such as food court, waiting lounge, playing area for children, place to shop local products, proper illumination and lifts/escalators/travelators, among other facilities.
The stations, which will make use of green building techniques with solar energy, water conservation/recycling and improved tree cover, will be integrated with other modes of transportation such as metro and bus.
The government would be funding the redevelopment project so as to not put any extra monetary burden on passengers. Overall, the government is currently working on redevelopment of 199 stations, of which tenders have been issued for redevelopment of 47 stations.

KUSHIYARA RIVER

The Union Cabinet chaired has given its ex-post facto approval for a MoU between the Government of India and Bangladesh on withdrawal of upto 153 cusecs of water each by India and Bangladesh from common border river Kushiyara.

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The Kushiyara River is a distributary river in Bangladesh and Assam, India.
It forms on the India-Bangladesh border as a branch of the Barak River, when the Barak separates into the Kushiyara and Surma.
The waters that eventually form the Kushiyara originate in the uplands of the state of Assam and pick up tributaries from Nagaland and Manipur.

28 SEPTEMBER

CONVERGENCE PORTAL BETWEEN AIF, PMFME SCHEME & PMKSY

Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) jointly launched a Convergence Portal between Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY).

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This launch will prove to be very important for the Food Processing Enterprises of the country.
The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is implementing the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) – a medium to long-term debt financing facility started on 08 July 2020 for the creation of post-harvest management infrastructure and building of community farming assets. Benefits under the scheme include 3% interest subvention and credit guarantee support.
Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) launched a centrally sponsored PPMFME scheme on June 29th, 2020 as a part of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan” to enhance the competitiveness of individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment & promote the formalization of this sector.
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojna is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries envisaged as a comprehensive package that will result in the creation of modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet.

HURRICANE IAN

Hurricane Ian has made landfall in western Cuba as a category three storm, bringing wind speeds of up to 205 kilometres per hour.

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A hurricane is a type of storm called a tropical cyclone, which forms over tropical or subtropical waters.
A tropical cyclone is a rotating low-pressure weather system that has organized thunderstorms but no fronts (a boundary separating two air masses of different densities).
Tropical cyclones with maximum sustained surface winds of less than 39 miles per hour (mph) are called tropical depressions. Those with maximum sustained winds of 39 mph or higher are called tropical storms.
When a storm’s maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph, it is called a hurricane.
Hurricanes originate in the Atlantic basin, which includes the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico, the eastern North Pacific Ocean, and, less frequently, the central North Pacific Ocean.
“Hurricane Season” begins on June 1 and ends on November 30, although hurricanes can, and have, occurred outside of this time frame.

POPULAR FRONT OF INDIA (PFI)

The Central Government has declared Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates and affiliates as an unlawful association with immediate effect for a period of five years.

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Union Home Ministry said the PFI and its associates and affiliates including Rehab India Foundation, Campus Front of India, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organization, National Women’s Front, and Rehab Foundation, Kerala have been involved in the violent terrorist activities with an intent to create a reign of terror in the country.
If there is no immediate curb of unlawful activities of the PFI and related fronts, they will use this opportunity to continue its subversive activities thereby disturbing public order and undermining the constitutional setup of the country.
Recently, the National Investigation Agency, Enforcement Directorate, and State Police carried out a joint operation at premises linked to PFI in several states. Several PFI leaders and functionaries were arrested in the raids.

BHAGAT SINGH AIRPORT

PM Narendra Modi on Sunday announced the decision to rename Chandigarh airport after Shaheed Bhagat Singh. The decision has been taken just days before the iconic freedom fighter’s birth anniversary, which falls on September 28.

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The decision has been taken just days before the iconic freedom fighter’s birth anniversary, which falls on September 28. Born on September 28, 1907, in pre-partition Punjab’s Banga, Bhagat Singh was a charismatic revolutionary freedom fighter.
The massacre of Jallianwala Bagh deeply impacted Bhagat Singh. At a young age, he decided to dedicate his life to the country.
He joined the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. Bhagat Singh was also part of the Young Revolutionary Movement and supported the violent overthrow of the British Government in India.
Bhagat Singh and his associates threw low-grade explosives in the Central Legislative Assembly. The intention behind the bombings was not to injure anyone but to get arrested so that they take their cause for India’s freedom to the public.
Bhagat Singh was executed by British Empire on March 23, 1931, along with his friends Rajguru and Sukhdev.

VERY SHORT RANGE AIR DEFENCE SYSTEM MISSILES

Defence Research and Development Organization has conducted two successful test flights of Very Short Range Air Defence System missiles.

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The test flight was conducted at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha.
The Very Short Range Air Defence System is a Man Portable Air Defence System, designed and developed by DRDO in collaboration with Indian industry partners.
The missile is designed to neutralize low-altitude aerial threats at short ranges. The design of the missile including the launcher has been highly optimized to ensure easy portability.

RAM SETU

The teaser of Akshay Kumar’s new movie, Ram Setu, was released on September 26, once again generating buzz around the chain of shoals off the southeast coast of India that many believe is the bridge to Lanka mentioned in the Ramayana.

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The Ram Setu, also knows as Adam’s Bridge, is a 48-km chain of limestone shoals between Rameswaram on India’s southeast coast and Mannar Island near Sri Lanka’s northwest coast.
The structure has significance in both Hindu and Muslim mythology – while Hindus believe this is the bridge (setu) built by Lord Ram and his army to cross to Lanka and fight Ravan, as per Islamic legend, Adam used this bridge to reach Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka, where he stood on one foot for 1,000 years in repentance.
Scientists believe Ram Setu is a natural structure formed due to tectonic movements and sand getting trapped in corals.
The Sethusamudram Shipping Canal project aims to create a shipping route between India and Sri Lanka by building an 83-km-long deep water channel, which would also reduce travel time between the eastern and western coasts of India, as ships would no longer have to circle Sri Lanka to travel between the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.
The Sethusamudram project has been opposed on environmental grounds , with some claiming that it will harm marine life, and that dredging of the line of shoals will make India’s coast more vulnerable to tsunamis.

CARL-GUSTAF M4 WEAPON SYSTEM

Swedish defence major SAAB announced plans to manufacture its Carl-Gustaf M4 weapon system in India.

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The manufacturing would be done by a new fully SAAB-owned subsidiary, Saab FFV India Pvt. Ltd. This is the first time, SAAB will be setting up a manufacturing facility for this outside Sweden.
The technology will be transferred to India. The first product will roll out in 2024.
The Army has been using the iconic Carl-Gustaf since 1976 and currently operates the Mk2 and Mk3 versions.

LIVE STREAMING OF SUPREME COURT

In a first, three separate Constitution Bench proceedings in the Supreme Court were simultaneously beamed live through YouTube.

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Statistics show that more than eight lakh viewers watched the proceedings before the three Constitution Benches.
Live-streaming has become a reality nearly four years after the court’s Swapnil Tripathi judgment of 2018. The judgment had upheld the plea for live-streaming of its proceedings.
The court had said live-streaming would “virtually” expand the court beyond the four walls of the courtroom. “Live-streaming of court proceedings has the potential of throwing up an option to the public to witness live court proceedings,” the court

BORDER SECURITY

Since the standoff with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh in May 2020, the Army has deployed its entire range of medium-range artillery guns and long-range rockets in the region to augment its long range fire power as part of the reorientation towards the northern borders.

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The Army is now in the process of procuring another 100 K9-Vajra howitzers, which has already been approved by the Defence Ministry.
The Regiment of Artillery is also in the process of inducting loitering mutations, while it is also looking at procuring tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). Pinaka Multi-Rocket Launch System (MRLS) has been operationalised.
The Army plans to convert all its artillery regiments to medium range by converting it to 155 mm standard. The process of completing the mediumisation process is likely to be achieved sometime around 2040.

27 SEPTEMBER

“ONE WEEK ONE LAB” CAMPAIGN

Union Minister of Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, who is also the Vice President of CSIR, announces “One Week One Lab” campaign.

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Objective of this campaign is to showcase the technological breakthroughs and innovations in each of the 37 CSIR laboratories/institutes spread across the country.
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), was established by the Government of India in 1942 as an autonomous body that has emerged as the largest research and development organisation in India.

FUND OF FUNDS FOR STARTUPS (FFS)

Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), launched under Startup India initiative in 2016 by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has committed Rs. 7,385 crore to 88 Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) as of 24th September 2022.

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These AIFs in turn have invested Rs. 11,206 crore in 720 startups. FFS has been playing a monumental role in mobilizing domestic capital in Indian startup ecosystem.
FFS was announced with a corpus of Rs. 10,000 crore. The corpus is to be built up over 14th and 15th Finance Commission Cycles (FY 2016-2020 and FY 2021-2025) through budgetary support by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India.
Under FFS, support is extended to SEBI registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), which in turn invest in startups.
Furthermore, Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) which is responsible for operationalising the Scheme has undertaken a series of reforms recently to expedite the drawdowns to enable AIFs assisted under FFS to avail accelerated drawdowns.

FOREIGN TRADE POLICY

The Union Commerce Ministry announced the extension of the existing foreign trade policy by six months.

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The reason behind the development is currency volatility and global uncertainty. The ministry said, the geo-political situation is not suitable for long-term foreign trade policy.
Earlier, the government had extended the due date for the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20 to September 30, 2022. Currently, fears of a recession in major economies like the US and Europe have escalated a panic among investors.
Foreign Trade Policy provides a framework for increasing exports of goods and services as well as generation of employment and increasing value addition in the country. It focuses to support both the manufacturing and services sectors, with a special emphasis on improving the ease of doing business.
Earlier this month, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal held a meeting that focused on export target setting, the new Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) (2022-27), and the strategies and measures to take forward domestic manufacturing and exports.

AVGAS 100 LL

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas launched AVGAS 100 LL.

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The launch event hosted by Indian Oil at Hindan Airforce Station witnessed participation by senior officials from Indian Airforce, senior officials from MoPNG and MoCA and officials from Flying Training Organizations (FTOs).
At present AVGAS 100 LL is completely imported product. The domestic production of AVGAS 100 LL produced by Indian Oil at its Gujarat Refinery will make flying training more affordable in India.
This product which fuels the aircraft operated by FTOs and Defense forces, is being imported for decades by India. Indian Oil’s R&D, Refineries and Marketing teams have achieved this feat of indigenous production and have offered price advantage to the industry.
AV GAS 100 LL produced by IndianOil’s flagship refinery at Vadodara has been tested and certified by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the statutory body of the Government of India to regulate civil aviation in India.
It is a higher-octane Aviation fuel meeting the product specifications with superior performance quality standards, as compared to imported grades.

JALDOOT APP

Union Minister of Rural Development, Shri Giriraj Singh will launch the JALDOOT App.

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Ministry of Rural Development has developed “JALDOOT App” that will be used across the country to capture the water level of selected wells in a village.
The Jaldoot app will enable Gram Rojgar Sahayak (GRS) to measure the water level of selected wells twice a year (pre-monsoon and post-monsoon).
In every village, adequate number of measurement locations (2-3) shall need to be selected. These will be representative of the ground water level in that village.
The app will facilitate panchayats with robust data, which can be further used for better planning of works.
The ground water data could be utilised as part of the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) and Mahatma Gandhi NREGA planning exercises. Further, the data can also be used for different kinds of research and other purposes.

ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR INDIA

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi has declined the government’s offer to be Attorney General (A-G) for India. The term of the incumbent A-G, K K Venugopal, ends on September 30. He is 91 years old, and on his third extension.

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The Constitution of India places the post of the A-G on a special footing. The A-G is the Government of India’s first law officer, and has the right of audience in all courts of the country.
Article 76(2) of the Constitution says “it shall be the duty of the Attorney-General to give advice to the Government of India upon such legal matters, and to perform such other duties of a legal character, as may from time to time be referred or assigned to him by the President”.
The A-G is also supposed to “discharge the functions conferred on him by or under this Constitution or any other law for the time being in force”.
Under Article 88, the “Attorney-General of India shall have the right to speak in, and otherwise to take part in the proceedings of, either House, any joint sitting of the Houses, and any committee of Parliament of which he may be named a member”.
However, he “shall not by virtue of this article be entitled to vote” in the House.
Under Article 76(1), the A-G is appointed by the President from among persons who are “qualified to be appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court”. Article 76(4) says “the Attorney-General shall hold office during the pleasure of the President, and shall receive such remuneration as the President may determine.”

26 SEPTEMBER

NATIONAL SERVICE SCHEME (NSS) AWARDS

President Droupadi Murmu conferred the National Service Scheme (NSS) Awards for the year 2020-21 at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports said in a statement.

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A total of forty-two awards were given today. Two universities, ten NSS units, their programme officers, and 30 NSS volunteers received the awards.
The Department of Youth Affairs of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports confers every year the National Service Scheme Award. Awards are conferred to recognise and reward outstanding contributions towards voluntary community service with a view to further promoting NSS in the country.
At present, NSS has about 40 lakh volunteers on its rolls spread over the country.

SymphoNE

Union Minister Shri G. Kishan Reddy launches Virtual Conference ‘SymphoNE’ to boost Tourism Sector in North East India.

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SymphoNE is the start of a series of dialogues on North Eastern Region’s Development Conference comprised of a broad range of Policy Thinkers, Stakeholders & Influencers with the aim to boost Tourism Sector in North Eastern Region.
The Virtual Conference ‘SymphoNE’ being organized on 24th & 27th September 2022 by Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region on the occasion of World Tourism Day.
This two day conference will aim to create a roadmap to showcase the unexplored beauty of North East India & boost the tourism Sector in North Eastern Region.
SymphoNE aims to develop one-stop solution to eliminate all obstacles that are being faced by the tourists, and the tour operators while carrying out the operations for the visitors.

BA.2.75

BA.2.75 emerges as major sublineage in Maharashtra.More mutations seen in BA.2.75 has raised concerns about possible reduction in sensitivity to antibodies — monoclonal antibodies and from vaccination or natural infection.

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Since the first case of SARS-CoV-2 in March 2020, India has witnessed three pandemic waves. Delta (B.1.617.2) and its sublineages caused the second wave, and Omicron (B.1.1.529) and its sublineages (BA.1 and BA.2) are driving the third wave.
After the waning of the third wave, India saw a surge in COVID-19 cases from May 2022. On sequencing, these variants were characterised as BA.2 by Pangolin.
However, the predominance of BA.2 after the waning of the third COVID wave was unexplainable. Subsequently, the Indian isolates of BA.2 were further classified into sub-lineages BA.2.74, BA.2.75 and BA.2.76.
Since their designation, these new sub-lineages have already spread to over 40 countries.
They have acquired additional mutations in their spike protein compared to BA.2. These added mutations, over and above those of the parental BA.2 variant, have raised concerns about their impact on viral pathogenicity, transmissibility, and immune evasion properties of the new variants.

COFFEE-RING EFFECT

Researchers have given new insights on the ‘coffee-ring effect’.

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For about two decades now, the ‘coffee ring effect’ has been known as when a drop of spilt coffee dries up, the outermost edge of the dried drop is a little darker than the centre, forming a darker ‘ring’.
This is caused by the outward drift of suspended coffee particles from the centre, causing a denser, darkened rim.
Now, researchers from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, have shown that after reaching the rim, as the drop dries, some of the particles undergo an inward drift too.
This research has applications in agriculture, forensic science and even disease diagnosis. The present work has been published in the journal, Soft Matter.

MAJOR NON-NATO (MNNA) ALLY

U.S. President Joe Biden has terminated the designation of Afghanistan as a major non-NATO ally, more than a year after the Taliban captured power in Kabul.

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In 2012, the United States named Afghanistan a major non-NATO (MNNA) ally, which cleared the way for the two countries to maintain a defence and economic relationship.
The designation gave several facilities and concessions to Afghanistan in terms of defence and security-related assistance and equipment.
The change in Afghanistan’s status follows Biden’s withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country last year, ending nearly 20 years of war.

OPERATION MEGH CHAKRA

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at 59 locations across 20 States and one Union Territory, as part of a pan-India drive against the circulation and sharing of child sexual abuse material.

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The operation code-named “Megh Chakra” was carried out following the inputs received from the Interpol’s Singapore special unit based on the information received from the authorities in New Zealand.
Last November, the agency had launched a similar exercise code-named “Operation Carbon”, searching the premises of suspects in 13 States and one Union Territory.
The previous operation was conducted at 76 locations. The persons named in the FIRs were booked under the relevant provisions of the IPC and the Information Technology Act, for allegedly being part of the syndicates that uploaded, circulated, sold and viewed such material.
The CBI had later decided to send requests to several countries for sharing and gathering information under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs) on those involved in the racket.

DefExpo 2022

The forthcoming DefExpo 2022, scheduled to be held in Gandhinagar from October 18 to 22, will host the second edition of the India-Africa Defence Dialogue with invites extended to 53 African countries.

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A separate Indian Ocean Region plus (IOR+) conclave with participation of approximately 40 countries is also on the anvil, the Defence Ministry said.
The Expo, earlier scheduled to be held in March, was postponed due to “logistical challenges” the Ministry had said.
For DefExpo 2022, Indian companies, Indian subsidiaries of foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers, Division of company registered in India, exhibitor having joint venture with an Indian company will be considered as Indian participants.
The theme of DefExpo 2022 is ‘Path to Pride’ and the aim is to showcase the might of the domestic defence industry, which is now powering ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ resolve of the Government and the nation at large.

24 SEPTEMBER

DAWOODI BOHRA

The Supreme Court (SC) said it will examine whether the excommunication of the Dawoodi Bohra community’s members can be continued.

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The Dawoodi Bohras are members of the Muslim community’s Shia sect.
Their leader is known as the Al-Dai-Al-Mutlaq. For over 400 years, the leader has been based out of India, including the current and the 53rd leader, His Holiness Dr Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin.
Around 1 million members of the community are spread across the world.
The leader of the community is recognised by the members as having the right to excommunicate its members. In practice, being excommunicated includes not being allowed to access a mosque belonging to the community or a burial dedicated to the community.

Bombay Prevention of Excommunication Act, 1949

It was enacted to stop the practice of excommunication prevalent in certain communities, as it led to the deprivation of legitimate rights and privileges of its members and in “keeping with the spirit of changing times and in public interest”.
The 51st leader of the community challenged the constitutional validity of the act in 1962, stating it violated fundamental rights guaranteed in Constitution under Article 25 and Article 26.
The SC held in 1962 held that the power to excommunicate is is an essential part of the community. It’s objective is to enforce discipline and preserve the denomination, not to punish.

CARBON DATING

A district court in Varanasi allowed a petition seeking carbon dating of the structure inside the Gyanvapi mosque that the Hindu side has claimed is a ‘Shivling’.

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Carbon dating is a widely-used method applied to establish the age of organic material, things that were once living. Living things have carbon in them in various forms. The dating method makes use of the fact that a particular isotope of carbon called C-14, with an atomic mass of 14, is radioactive, and decays at a rate that is well known.
Carbon-14 is radioactive and reduces to one-half of itself in about 5,730 years. This is what is known as its ‘half-life’.
Because plants and animals get their carbon from the atmosphere, they too acquire carbon-12 and carbon-14 isotopes in roughly the same proportion as is available in the atmosphere.
So, after a plant or animal dies, the ratio of carbon-12 to carbon-14 in the body, or its remains, begins to change. This change can be measured and can be used to deduce the approximate time when the organism died.

BANKING SYSTEM LIQUIDITY

For the first time since May 2019, the banking system liquidity situation turned into a deficit mode of Rs 21,873.4 crore on September 20, 2022.

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Liquidity in the banking system refers to readily available cash that banks need to meet short-term business and financial needs.
On a given day, if the banking system is a net borrower from the RBI under Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), the system liquidity can be said to be in deficit and if the banking system is a net lender to the RBI, the system liquidity can be said to be in surplus.
The LAF refers to the RBI’s operations through which it injects or absorbs liquidity into or from the banking system.

What has triggered this deficit?

Economists say that there are various factors over the last few months that have led to the current situation. If an improvement in demand for credit has led to the same, the recent advance tax outflow, which is a quarterly phenomenon, has further aggravated the situation.
Besides, there is the continuous intervention of the RBI to stem the fall in the rupee against the US dollar.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CONSCIOUSNESS

Union Minister of Ayush inaugurated the international conference on Consciousness with the theme, “Exploring Consciousness- From Non- Locality to Non- Duality: The Man- Machine Debate” at NIMHANS, Bengaluru.

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The conference is organized by India Foundation and NIMHANS and supported by Ministry of Ayush.
The conference will bring together some of the most eminent researchers and inventors in the areas of physics, biology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, cybernetics, quantum computing and allied fields as well as scholars and spiritual teachers of the major Indic Spiritual and psychological disciplines and doctrines.

Ayurswasthya Yojana

The Minister also inaugurated the Centre of Excellence project in the Department of Integrative Medicine, NIMHANS, Bengaluru as part of “AYURSWASTHYA YOJANA”, a flagship programme under Ministry of Ayush.
The Centre of Excellence (CoE) will strengthen competencies of Ayush professionals in Education technology, Research & innovation and others.
Main objectives of the CoE project at NIMHANS is to conduct clinical trials in four neuro-psychiatric disorders to establish efficacy, safety and proposed mechanism of Integrated Yoga and Ayurveda treatment approaches.

PUNEET SAGAR ABHIYAN

National Cadet Corps (NCC) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has signed a MOU in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi.

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MoU was signed to tackle the issue of plastic pollution and achieve the universal goal of clean water bodies through Puneet Sagar Abhiyan and Tide Turners Plastic Challenge programme.
It is aimed to synergise efforts toward engaging youth for promoting clean water bodies.
The NCC had launched Puneet Sagar Abhiyan on 1st December last year. The aim of the campaign is to clean sea shores from plastic and other waste material and create awareness about the importance of cleanliness.
Since the launch of Puneet Sagar Abhiyan, over 100 tonnes of plastic waste have been collected from nearly 1,900 locations by more than 12 lakh NCC cadets, alumni and volunteers.

ALIVA PROGRAMME TO COUNTER CHILD MARRIAGE

With the aim of eradicating child marriage, Nayagarh, a tiny Odisha district, has adopted a unique initiative by scrupulously recording information on all adolescent girls in the district.

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From birth registration date to Aadhaar number, from family details to skill training, information of 48,642 adolescent girls can be found in registers named Aliva.
Nayagarh, with a population of 9,62,789, has a skewed sex ratio at 855. Child marriages the district are still considered a part of their social life.
Observing that child marriages are solemnised in the age group of 14-19 and dropouts among girls’ students continued to be high, the district administration launched the Aliva programme in January this year.
Anganwadi workers had been asked to identify every adolescent girl in their jurisdiction and keep tabs on them. There are 1,584 registers available in 1,584 Anganwadi centres of the district.

CHILD MORTALITY

In a significant milestone, India has achieved landmark achievement in further reduction of child mortality rates.

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As per the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2020 released on 22nd September 2022 by Registrar General of India (RGI), the country has been witnessing a progressive reduction in IMR, U5MR and NMR since 2014 towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets by 2030.
Under 5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) for the country has shown significant decline of 3 points (Annual Decline Rate: 8.6%) from 2019 (32 per 1000 live births in 2020 against 35 per 1000 live births in 2019). It varies from 36 in rural areas to 21 in urban areas.
Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has also registered 2-point decline to 28 per 1000 live births in 2020 from 30 per 1000 live births in 2019 (Annual Decline Rate: 6.7%). The Rural-Urban difference has narrowed to 12 points (Urban 19, Rural-31).
Neonatal Mortality Rate has also declined by 2 points from 22 per 1000 live births in 2019 to 20 per 1000 live births in 2020 (Annual Decline Rate: 9.1%). It ranges from 12 in urban areas to 23 in rural areas.

23 SEPTEMBER

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CONSCIOUSNESS

About:

The conference is organized by India Foundation and NIMHANS and supported by Ministry of Ayush.
The conference will bring together some of the most eminent researchers and inventors in the areas of physics, biology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, cybernetics, quantum computing and allied fields as well as scholars and spiritual teachers of the major Indic Spiritual and psychological disciplines and doctrines.

Ayurswasthya Yojana

The Minister also inaugurated the Centre of Excellence project in the Department of Integrative Medicine, NIMHANS, Bengaluru as part of “AYURSWASTHYA YOJANA”, a flagship programme under Ministry of Ayush.
The Centre of Excellence (CoE) will strengthen competencies of Ayush professionals in Education technology, Research & innovation and others.
Main objectives of the CoE project at NIMHANS is to conduct clinical trials in four neuro-psychiatric disorders to establish efficacy, safety and proposed mechanism of Integrated Yoga and Ayurveda treatment approaches.

PUNEET SAGAR ABHIYAN

National Cadet Corps (NCC) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has signed a MOU in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi.

About:

MoU was signed to tackle the issue of plastic pollution and achieve the universal goal of clean water bodies through Puneet Sagar Abhiyan and Tide Turners Plastic Challenge programme.
It is aimed to synergise efforts toward engaging youth for promoting clean water bodies.
The NCC had launched Puneet Sagar Abhiyan on 1st December last year. The aim of the campaign is to clean sea shores from plastic and other waste material and create awareness about the importance of cleanliness.
Since the launch of Puneet Sagar Abhiyan, over 100 tonnes of plastic waste have been collected from nearly 1,900 locations by more than 12 lakh NCC cadets, alumni and volunteers.

INDIAN OLYMPIC ASSOCIATION (IOA)

The Supreme Court appointed former apex court judge Justice L Nageswara Rao for amending constitution of Indian Olympic Association and preparing electoral college.

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A bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud said the ex-top court judge would ensure a fair and development-oriented approach for the future of the Olympics in the country.
The apex court asked Justice Rao to prepare a road map for amending the constitution and holding elections by 15th December 2022.
The Apex Court also gave its permission to Rajeev Mehta, who is currently the secretary general of IOA, and Adille Sumariwalla, vice president of IOA, to participate in the forthcoming meeting with the International Olympic Committee scheduled to be held on27th
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on 8th September issued a final warning to IOA to resolve its governance issues and hold elections by December, failing which the world sports body will ban India.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is the body responsible for selecting athletes to represent India at the Olympic Games, Asian Games and other international athletic meets.

I2U2 GROUP

India-Israel-UAE-USA, I2U2 Sherpas met on the sidelines of UN General Assembly in New York on 20th of this month. The group agreed to continue to work closely in line with the outcome of the Leaders’ Summit in July this year.

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The I2U2 Group is a grouping of India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.
The group held its inaugural summit on July 14, 2022, in which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan participated.
As an outcome of the summit, the leaders announced that the UAE will invest $2 billion “to develop a series of integrated food parks across India.”
The group also agreed to proceed with “a hybrid renewable energy project in India’s Gujarat State consisting of 300 megawatts (MW) of wind and solar capacity complemented by a battery energy storage system.”
The group’s first joint statement, released on July 14, 2022, states that the countries aim to cooperate on “joint investments and new initiatives in water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security.”

LOK MANTHAN PROGRAMME IN GUWAHATI

Vice President, Jagdeep Dhankhar, inaugurated the third edition of the Lok Manthan programme in Guwahati.

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The theme of this year’s biennale is Lokparampara (Lok traditions) – and how lok traditions have kept our cultural consciousness intact and strengthened our feeling of National Selfhood.
Lokmanthan is an event where artists, intellectuals, and academicians are drawn from different parts of the country converge and brainstorm on the questions that haunt the society.
Besides, the three-day event will have discussions, seminars, cultural events and exhibitions which showcase the rich diversity of the nation.

HARYANA SIKH GURDWARAS (MANAGEMENT ACT), 2014

The Supreme Court upheld the validity of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management Act), 2014.

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The verdict has cleared the way for the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) to control all gurdwaras in the state.
The gurdwaras covered by the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 are spread over Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Union Territory of Chandigarh, and are administered by Amritsar-based Shiromani Gurdwara Management Prabandhak Committee (SGPC).
Until the Haryana Act came into force, the gurdwaras in Haryana were governed by the provisions of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925.
The Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management Act) was brought in based on a nearly two-decade old demand by a section of the Sikh community in Haryana to have a separate committee to manage gurdwaras in the state instead of SGPC.
Upholding the validity of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management Act), 2014, the Supreme Court said that since the affairs of the Sikh minority in the state are to be managed by the Sikhs alone, it cannot be said to be violative of any of the fundamental rights conferred under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution.

DRAFT INDIAN TELECOMMUNICATION BILL, 2022

In a bid to do away with British-era laws governing the telecom sector, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued the draft Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022.

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Through the Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022, the Centre aims to consolidate and amend the existing laws governing the provision, development, expansion and operation of telecommunication services, telecom networks and infrastructure, in addition to assignment of spectrum.
The draft Bill consolidates three separate acts that govern the telecommunications sector — Indian Telegraph Act 1885, Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act 1933, and The Telegraph Wires, (Unlawful Protection) Act 1950.
One of the key changes is inclusion of new-age over-the-top communication services like WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram in the definition of telecommunication services.
As per the draft law, providers of telecommunication services will be covered under the licensing regime, and will be subjected to similar rules as other telecom operators.

BRAHMOS MISSILES

Ministry of Defence signed a contract with M/s BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited BAPL for acquisition of additional dual-role capable Surface to Surface BrahMos missiles at an overall approximate cost of 1700 Crore rupees under Buy-Indian Category.

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Induction of these dual-role capable Missiles is going to significantly enhance the operational capability of Indian Navy fleet assets.
BAPL is a Joint Venture between India and Russia making a crucial contribution to augment the new generation of Surface-to-Surface Missiles with enhanced range and dual role capability for land as well as anti-ship attacks.
This contract is going to give further boost to indigenous production of critical weapon system and ammunition with active participation of indigenous industry.

22 SEPTEMBER

AMBEDKAR CIRCUIT

Union Tourism and Culture announced a special tourist train to cover the “Ambedkar Circuit”.

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The modalities — such as the date of journey, ticket price, number of passengers —are still in the works.
The government had first proposed the Ambedkar Circuit, or Panchteerth, in 2016.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the Panchteerth would include Janma Bhoomi, Ambedkar’s birthplace in Madhya Pradesh’s Mhow; Shiksha Bhoomi, the place in London where he stayed while studying in the UK; Deeksha Bhoomi in Nagpur where he embraced Buddhism; Mahaparinirvan Bhoomi or the place of his demise in Delhi; and Chaitya Bhoomi, the place of his cremation, in Mumbai.
The idea is to attract tourists beyond the Dalit community, who mostly visit these places as a pilgrimage. The journey will include meals, ground transportation, and entry to the sites.

Focus on tourism circuits

The government had identified 15 tourist circuits under the Swadesh Darshan scheme in 2014-15.
In terms of train collaboration, the Ramayana, Buddhist, and North East Circuits are already active, while Ambedkar will be fourth.

LIVE STREAMING OF SUPREME COURT PROCEEDINGS

From September 27 onward, all proceedings of Supreme Court Constitution Benches will be live-streamed, a full court meeting of the top court has decided.

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A full court meeting is attended by all judges of the court. The meeting, presided over by Chief Justice of India (CJI) U U Lalit, was held on September 20, at which the decision was taken unanimously.
Senior Advocate Indira Jaising had written to the judges of the court earlier this month seeking live streaming of proceedings in matters of public and constitutional importance.
Back in the ‘Swapnil Tripathi’ judgment, in September 2018, the Supreme Court had ruled that live telecast of court proceedings was part of the right to access justice under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Several of the country’s High Courts already live-stream their proceedings through their YouTube channels. Last month, the Supreme Court live-streamed its proceedings for the first time.

DEATH PENALTY

The Supreme Court on September 19 referred to a larger Bench issues relating to procedural norms for imposing the death sentence. The intervention is seen as a major step in plugging gaps in the way in which trial courts award the death sentence.

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Section 235 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) requires a judge to hear the accused after conviction on the question of sentence, and then pass sentence on him according to law.
In 1980, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of capital punishment in ‘Bachan Singh v State of Punjab’ on the condition that the punishment will be awarded in the “rarest of the rare” cases.
Crucially, the ruling also stressed that a separate sentencing hearing would be held, where a judge would be persuaded on why the death sentence need not be awarded.
This position was reiterated in several subsequent rulings of the court, including in ‘Mithu v State of Punjab’, a 1982 ruling by a five-judge Bench that struck down mandatory death sentence as it falls foul of the right of an accused to be heard before sentencing.
However, there are conflicting rulings on when that separate hearing is supposed to take place.
At least three smaller Bench rulings have held that while a separate sentencing hearing is inviolable, they can be allowed on the same day as the conviction.

PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS (PCA) ACT, 1960

Last week, a doctor in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur allegedly tied a dog to his car and dragged it across the city.

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The doctor faces charges under Section 428 (mischief by killing or maiming animal) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 11 (treating animals cruelly) of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960.
If convicted under the PCA Act and found to be a first-time offender, he can be punished with a fine of Rs 10 to Rs 50. If it is found that this is not his first such crime within the past three years, the maximum punishment would be a fine between Rs 25 and Rs 100, a jail term of three months, or both.
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 defines cruelty to animals –– including acts of overburdening or overworking it, not providing the animal food, water and shelter, mutilating or killing an animal, etc.
The Act has been criticised for being ‘speciesist’ (the assumption that humans are a superior species deserving more rights), for its quantum of punishment being negligible, for not defining ‘cruelty’ adequately, and for slapping a flat punishment without any gradation of crimes.

PLI SCHEME TO BOOST MANUFACTURING OF HIGH EFFICIENCY SOLAR PV MODULES

The Union Cabinet has approved the second tranche of Production Linked Incentive(PLI) Scheme on ‘National programme on High Efficiency Solar PV Modules’ for achieving manufacturing capacity of Giga Watt scale in High Efficiency Solar PV Modules.

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The national programme on High Efficiency Solar PV Modules aims to build an ecosystem for manufacturing of high efficiency solar PV modules in India reducing import dependence in the area of Renewable Energy.
It will strengthen the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative and generate employment.
The Tranche-2 scheme of High Efficiency Solar PV Modules has been approved with an outlay of 19,500 crore rupees for achieving manufacturing capacity of Giga Watt scale.
The aim is to build an ecosystem for manufacturing of high efficiency solar PV modules.
About 65 thousand Mega Watt per annum manufacturing capacity of fully and partially integrated solar PV modules will be installed.

SPARSH

The Defence Accounts Department signed a MoU with Bank of Baroda and HDFC Bank, to onboard them as Service Centres under the System for Pension Administration (Raksha) (SPARSH) initiative, across more than 14,000 branches throughout India.

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SPARSH is a web-based system for processing the pension claims and crediting the pension directly into the bank accounts of defence pensioners without any external intermediary.
It has been designed to give Defence Pensioners a transparent view of their pension account, through an online portal which captures and maintains a complete history of events and entitlements of the pensioner – right from the date of commencement of pension to the date of cessation of pension due to the last eligible beneficiary.
This system is administered by the Defence Accounts Department through the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions), Prayagraj and caters to all the three Services and allied organization.
The system on roll-out is initially catering to the new retirees and subsequently is being extended to cover the existing defence pensioners.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the National Conference of Environment Ministers in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat on 23rd September, 2022 via video conferencing.

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Taking forward the spirit of cooperative federalism, Conference is being convened to create further synergy amongst the Central and State Governments in formulating better policies on environmental issues.
The two day Conference being organised on 23rd and 24th September will have six thematic sessions with topics focusing on
- LiFE- Lifestyle for Environment;
- Combating Climate Change (Updating State Action Plans on Climate Change for Mitigation of Emissions and Adaptation to Climate Impacts) ;
- PARIVESH (Single Window System for Integrated Green Clearances) ;
- Forestry Management ;
- Prevention and Control of Pollution; Wildlife Management ;
- Plastics and Waste Management.

21 SEPTEMBER

SOLAR ENERGY CORPORATION OF INDIA LIMITED (SECI)

The 11th Foundation Day Celebration of Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) was held.

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Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd. (SECI) is a company of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, established to facilitate the implementation of the National Solar Mission (NSM).
It is the only Central Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) dedicated to the solar energy sector.
The company’s mandate has been broadened to cover the entire renewable energy domain and the company will be renamed to Renewable Energy Corporation of India (RECI).
The SECI was registered as Section 25 und\er the Companies Act, 1956 (now Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013) in 2011.

DIGITAL LENDING

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor flagged concerns related to digital lending.

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This included a spate of complaints regarding usurious interest rates, unethical recovery practices and data privacy issues and emphasised the need for the fintech industry to focus on governance, business conduct, regulatory compliance and risk mitigation to ensure that customers were protected even as their needs were served.
He said robust internal product and service assurance frameworks, together with fair and transparent governance, would go a long way to safeguard the interests of customers and ensure long-term sustainability of the fintech entities themselves.
India’s digital lending market has grown quickly and facilitated $2.2 billion in digital loans in 2021-22, with startups attracting foreign backers and giving traditional banks a run for their money in the credit business.

SOUTHWEST MONSOON

The southwest monsoon rainfall, 7% more than normal, has started to withdraw.

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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the system had begun retreating from parts of southwest Rajasthan and Kutch.
The “normal” or average date of withdrawal from southwest Rajasthan was September 17.
The withdrawal of the monsoon was based on meteorological conditions such as an anti-cyclonic circulation (dry air that is the opposite of a cyclone), the absence of rain in the past five days and the water vapour imagery indicating dry weather conditions over the region.
The monsoon withdrawal is a long-drawn process and extends into mid-October, though the IMD considers September 30 to be the final day of the season over India. The rain after that is categorised as “post-monsoon” rainfall.
The September rainfall so far has been 11% more than usual, following a trend in recent years that is seeing excess rainfall in a month that marks the waning of the monsoon. Most of the rain, however, has been in the southern peninsula and central India, which have seen 29% and 33% more rain than what is usual for these regions in September.

KURMI COMMUNITY

People belonging to the Kurmi community blocked railway tracks in various parts of Eastern India demanding their inclusion on the list of Scheduled Tribes (ST) and the inclusion of the Kurmali language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

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The protests lead to the cancellation, short termination and diversion of several trains in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha.
The agitation comes a week after the Cabinet approved the inclusion of several communities in Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh in the list of Scheduled Tribes.
The renewed stir by the Kurmis comes at a time when six communities in Assam — Adivasi, Chutia, Koch-Rajbongshi, Matak, Moran and Tai-Ahom — too have threatened to launch an agitation over the “inordinate delay” in their inclusion in the ST list.
Currently, in Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand, the Kurmi community is classified under the Other Backward Classes group with the Odisha government also recognising the community under the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes.
State governments in Jharkhand and West Bengal have repeatedly recommended the inclusion of this community in the ST list, with the latest demand coming from the West Bengal government in January 2021.

COMMUNITY OF LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN STATES (CELAC)

External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar participated in the India-CELAC Quartet Meeting held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

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The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) is a regional bloc of Latin American and Caribbean states thought out in February, 2010, at the Rio Group–Caribbean Community Unity Summit and created on December 3, 2011, in Caracas, Venezuela, with the signature of The Declaration of Caracas.
It consists of 32 sovereign countries in the Americas.
Due to the focus of the organization on Latin American and Caribbean countries, other countries and territories in the Americas, Canada and the United States, as well as the overseas territories in the Americas of France, the Netherlands, Denmark and the United Kingdom are not included.

20 SEPTEMBER

NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE TOURISM MINISTERS

Development of tourism infrastructure and sustainable tourism will be the focus of a national conference of tourism ministers from various states and Union Territories that is being held in Himachal Pradesh’s Dharamshala.

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The conference is being organised by the Ministry of Tourism from September 18-20 to discuss issues related to development of tourism in the country, officials said.
The conference in Dharamshala will be attended by central ministers, tourism ministers from various states and UTs, governors, administrators and seniors officials of the central government, state governments and heads of tourism and hospitality associations.

INDIA-SAUDI ARABIA STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal visited Saudi Arabia from 18th to 19th September 2022 to attend the Ministerial meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council.

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The Strategic Partnership Council was instituted in October, 2019 during the visit of the Prime Minister of India to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and has two main pillars i.e. Political, Security, Social and Cultural Committee and the Committee on Economy and Investments.

The notable outcomes of the Ministerial Meeting are:

Streamlining efforts to realize the announcement made by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, during his visit to India in February 2019, of investments worth USD 100 Billion in India.
Endorsement of the 41 areas of cooperation identified by the technical teams under the 4 broad domains of Agriculture & Food Security; Energy; Technology & IT; and Industry & Infrastructure.
Agreement to undertake implementation of the priority projects in a time bound manner. Priority areas of cooperation include:

Collaboration in digital fintech sector through operationalization of UPI and Rupay Card in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Re-affirmation of continued cooperation in joint projects including the West coast refinery, LNG infrastructure investment and development of strategic petroleum storage facilities in India

BOGIBEEL REGION

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), Sarbananda Sonowal launched multiple projects for the development of the Bogibeel region near Dibrugarh in Assam.

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The Two floating jetties at Bogibeel in Dibrugarh district and Guijan in Tinsukia district will be constructed as state-of-art terminals using the most advanced & updated technology.
Both the jetties are being constructed by IWAI over the National Waterways – 2 (NW-2), popularly known as River Brahmaputra.
He also inaugurated Bogibeel Riverfront Passenger Jetty which has been developed by the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) as part of Riverfront Development near the Bogibeel bridge.
The Bogibeel Bridge is a combined road and rail bridge over the Brahmaputra River in the northeastern Indian state of Assam between Dhemaji district and Dibrugarh district.

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF MILLETS (IYOM) 2023

FAO side event on International Year of Millets (IYOM) 2023 was held during the Ninth Session of the Governing Body (GB-9) of the International Treaty (Food and Agricultural Organisation) being hosted by the Government of India in New Delhi.

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The side event on IYOM-2023 focussed on celebrating Millets’ farmers.
To bring back millets and create domestic, and global demand and to provide nutritional food to the people, the Government of India decided to mark the National Year of Millets in 2018.
In 2021, India proposed to United Nations for declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYOM).
The proposal of India got support from 72 countries and United Nation’s General Assembly (UNGA) declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets.

TYPHOON NANMADOL

Typhoon Nanmadol, one of the biggest storms to hit Japan in years, killed at least two people and brought ferocious winds and record rainfall to the west of the country, causing transport disruptions and forcing manufacturers to suspend operations.

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Nanmadol made landfall near Kagoshima city late on Sunday before battering the western island of Kyushu and roaring onto the main island of Honshu on Monday morning.
A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere.
This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for almost one-third of the world’s annual tropical cyclones.

NUMALIGARH REFINERY

The Numaligarh Refinery Limited has planned to invest over 35 thousand crore rupees in the next five years. This amount will be invested in completing five ongoing projects including India- Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline.

About:

The Numaligarh Refinery is located at Morangi, Golaghat district, Assam.
Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) is a Category-I Mini Ratna PSU of Government of India.
It is a group company of Oil India Limited (earlier subsidiary of BPCL) and the present shareholding pattern of NRL is OIL-80.16%, Govt. of Assam (GoA)-15.47% and Engineers India Ltd (EIL) – 4.37%.
In 2019, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved plans to increase the refinery’s capacity to 9 million metric tonnes per year.

Government e-Marketplace (GeM)

Government e-Marketplace (GeM) surpassed milestone of One Lakh Crore rupees of procurement value in last fiscal.

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The GeM Seller Samvad has been held in Mumbai wherein numerous beneficiaries spoke about how their business has grown overwhelmingly with the help of the online portal.
The Government e Marketplace is an online platform for public procurement in India. The initiative was launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
GeM has facilitated over one crore transactions valued at over 3.02 Lakh Crore Rupees. Notably, the portal had surpassed the milestone of One Lakh Crore rupees of procurement value in the last fiscal.
The portal has 62 thousand registered government buyers and 50.90 lakh sellers, from large conglomerates to MSMEs and women Self Help groups. Currently, GeM has about 300 service categories and over ten thousand product categories.

NATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION COUNCIL (NAAC)

The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), which carries out quality checks or assessments of Indian Higher-level Educational Institutions (HEIs), courted controversy recently over the rating of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda and allegations of bribery in the process.

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The NAAC, an autonomous body under the University Grants Commission (UGC), assesses and certifies HEIs with gradings as part of accreditation.
Through a multi-layered process, a higher education institution learns whether it meets the standards of quality set by the evaluator in terms of curriculum, faculty, infrastructure, research, and other parameters. The ratings of institutions range from A++ to C. If an institution is graded D, it means it is not accredited.

How many institutions in India are accredited?

There are 1,043 universities and 42,343 colleges listed on the portal of the All India Survey on Higher Education.
As per the latest data from June 21, there were 406 universities and 8,686 colleges that were NAAC-accredited.
Among the states, Maharashtra accounts for the highest number of accredited colleges at 1,869 – more than twice as many as Karnataka’s 914, the second highest. Tamil Nadu has the most accredited universities at 43.

19 SEPTEMBER

DIRECT TAX COLLECTIONS

India’s net direct tax collections have crossed ₹7 lakh crore so far this year, 23.33% more than the corresponding period last year, signalling a post-pandemic rebound in the economy, the Finance Ministry said.

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Net direct tax collections as on Saturday stood at ₹7,00,669 crore, compared with ₹5,68,147 crore as of September 17, 2021, with corporate taxes constituting little over a half of the kitty at ₹3,68,484 crore.
The personal income tax and the securities transaction tax (STT) have yielded ₹3.3 lakh crore.
Advance tax collections stood at ₹2,95,308 crore, 17% higher than the corresponding period of 2021-22, with corporate tax contributing a little over ₹2.29 lakh crore and personal income tax bringing in the rest of the ₹66,176 crore.
The Ministry said there had been a “remarkable increase in the speed of processing of income tax returns filed during the current financial year” with almost 93% of the duly verified ITRs having been processed till September 17.

LUMPY SKIN DISEASE (LSD) VIRUS

The lumpy skin disease (LSD) virus that has killed at least 50,000 cattle in India this year may be structurally different from the version of the virus prevalent in India in 2019, raising questions on whether the new vaccine being developed for safeguarding cattle may be adequately protective.

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Scientists at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) and the State Disease Diagnostic Centre, Jaipur, analysed five animals with symptoms of the disease and compared genomes of the virus extracted from them.
Six genomes (there were multiple genomes from a single animal) showed that it had “little similarity to global genomes” when compared with genetic sequences from earlier outbreaks of the disease.
The analysis of the genomes revealed 177 unique variants, none of which were found in four genome sequences from India belonging to the 2019 outbreak of the disease deposited in GenBank, a popular database.
This is significant as Lumpi-ProVacInd, a vaccine developed by the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s (ICAR) National Research Centre on Equines is based on LSD virus samples from cattle in Ranchi afflicted in the 2019 outbreak.

NAGA PEACE TALKS

The extremist National Socialist Council of Nagalim or the Isak-Muivah faction of the NSCN has agreed to resume peace talks with the Centre based on the Framework Agreement signed on August 3, 2015.

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The Nagaland Peace Accord is a peace treaty, signed, on 3 August 2015, between the Government of India, and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), to end the insurgency in the state of Nagaland in Northeast India.
The decision follows a meeting between the 11 representatives of the NSCN(I-M) and the 22-member Core Committee on Naga Political Issue comprising MPs and MLAs of Nagaland at Chumoukedima near the State’s commercial hub, Dimapur.
There are reports that a Central team has been working on a new set of “formulation papers” for packaging a set of offers, along with the old, to facilitate the final peace deal soon.

FAZILKA

The harvest of kinnows, the citrus fruit, a hybrid between king (Citrus nobilis) and willowleaf (Citrus deliciosa) mandarins, is likely to witness a drop of about 50% due to many issues, including the early summer that hit Punjab in March.

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Fazilka in Punjab is known for the best-quality kinnow.
The fruit is grown on about 2.5 lakh acres in the district. Trees and orchards on about 50,000 acres have been estimated as destroyed in the district alone. The trees and orchards have dried up in this area. The reason is polluted canal water. Groundwater cannot be used for kinnow.
Canal water is polluted with chemicals from factories.

DISTRICT DISABILITY REHABILITATION CENTRES (DDRCs)

District Disability Rehabilitation centres (DDRCs) were inaugurated by Dr. Virendra Kumar Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment.

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District Disability Rehabilitation centres (DDRC) spread across the country are providing effective rehabilitation services to the persons with disabilities for last two decades.
These centres are run jointly by District Management Team headed by DM/Collector and a reputed NGO (Usually Indian Red Cross Society).
To upscale their services, a MODEL DDRC has been conceptualised by the Department of Empowerment of Persons With Disability in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Government of India.
Nine such model DDRCs, namely- Badaun, Pilibhit, Barielly, Balaghat, Golaghat, Ahmedabad, Amravati , Kullu and Rampur have been upgraded to MODEL DDRC level in the first phase and these 09 model DDRCs were virtually inaugurated by Dr. Virendra Kumar, Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India.

STATE LEVEL INSTITUTION ON LINES OF NITI AAYOG

A state level institution on the lines of NITI Aayog will be established in Maharashtra.

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It will help to bring drastic changes in sectors like agriculture, health, education, employment, environment etc. in the state.
Chief executive officer of NITI Aayog and other experts made a presentation on how Maharashtra will be assisted by the Aayog for bringing about changes in various sectors.
Maharashtra government is planning to achieve target one trillion dollar economy by 2030, but with more hard work it can be achieved by 2027.
‘Asset monetization’ is important factor tabled by the NITI Aayog and the new constructed Samruddhi Mahamarg in the state is the best example of asset monetization.

77th SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in New York to participate in the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

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The theme of the 77th UNGA is ‘A Watershed Moment: Transformative Solutions to Interlocking Challenges’.
In keeping with India’s strong commitment to reformed multilateralism, the Minister will host a Ministerial meeting of the G4 – India, Brazil, Japan, and Germany – as well as participate at the High Level Meeting of the L-69 Group on ‘Reinvigorating Multilateralism and Achieving Comprehensive Reform of the UN Security Council’.
The L-69 Group consists of developing countries from Asia, Africa, Latin America, Caribbean and Small Island Developing States, focused on reforms of the UN Security Council.

INDIA-SRI LANKA TRADE

India has emerged as the largest bilateral lender for Sri Lanka, overtaking China. India has provided a total of 968 million US dollars in loans to the island nation in four months of 2022.

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In the past five years from 2017-2021, China has been the largest bilateral lender to Sri Lanka.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been the largest multilateral lender in the past five years and disbursed funds amounting to 610 million dollars in 2021.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj had said that India had provided nearly 4 billion dollars in food and financial assistance to Sri Lanka. On August 22, India handed over 21,000 tonnes of fertilizer to crisis-ridden Sri Lanka.
India has been at forefront of extending economic assistance to Sri Lanka as per their requirements and is one of the countries that have provided the maximum amount of assistance in time of need. Since the beginning of 2022, Sri Lanka has experienced an escalating economic crisis and the government has defaulted on its foreign loans.
Sri Lanka is battling a severe economic crisis with food and fuel scarcity affecting a large number of the people in the island nation.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur has said that Indian companies have spent more than one trillion rupees in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) till March 2022.

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He said, the areas of investment is poverty alleviation, healthcare, education and the environment among other. Mr Thakur said this while giving away the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award India 2022 in New Delhi.
On April 1, 2014, India became the first country to legally mandate corporate social responsibility.
The rules in Section 135 of India’s Companies Act make it mandatory for companies of a certain turnover and profitability to spend 2% of their average net profit for the past three years on CSR.

17 SEPTEMBER

HOW DID CHEETAHS GO EXTINCT IN INDIA?

Over 70 years after it went extinct in India, the cheetah returned to the country on September 17, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday.

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The cheetah has an ancient history in the country, with a Neolithic cave painting of a ‘slender spotted feline being hunted’ having been found at Chaturbunj Nala in Mandasur, Madhya Pradesh.
The name ‘cheetah’ is believed to have originated from Sanskrit word chitrak, which means ‘the spotted one’.
In India, the cheetah population used to be fairly widespread. The animal was found from Jaipur and Lucknow in the north to Mysore in the south, and from Kathiawar in the west to Deogarh in the east.
The cheetah is believed to have disappeared from the Indian landscape in 1947 when Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo of Koriya princely state hunted down and shot the last three recorded Asiatic cheetahs in India. The cheetah was officially declared extinct by the Indian government in 1952.
While over-hunting was a major contributing factor for the cheetah’s extinction, the decimation of its relatively narrow prey base species and the loss of its grassland-forest habitat also played a role.

INDIA-SRI LANKA FTA

Sri Lanka will revive its Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India and upgrade it to a “a comprehensive economic and technological partnership”, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said, signalling Colombo’s willingness to revisit a stalled pact.

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The current Indo-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA) came into effect in 2000 and several rounds of bilateral discussions later, Colombo and New Delhi are yet to reach an agreement on its upgraded version.
Wickremesinghe, as Prime Minister between 2015 and 2019, attempted to sign an upgraded trade pact with India, but was unsuccessful.

BIOFUEL

As part of efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking to fly an AN-32 transport aircraft modified to operate on 10% blended biodiesel for 200 flight hours in the next six months.

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The aircraft took flight on biodiesel blended with aviation turbine fuel (ATF) for the first time in December 2018.
A second aircraft, a Dornier, was now undergoing ground tests after it had been cleared by the original manufacturer of the engine, Honeywell, for use of 50% biofuel.
The global aviation industry is one of the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases that cause global warming. The fuel consumption of the IAF for 2021-22 was 6.2 lakh kilo litres, which contributed 15 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide.
On the civil aviation front, an official from aircraft manufacturer Airbus said it had plans to offer 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) compatibility on its commercial aircraft latest by 2030.

KEDARNATH TEMPLE

A Mumbai-based businessman will fund the facelift of Kedarnath temple’s sanctum sanctorum, which will now be gold-plated. Currently the sanctum sanctorum of one of the famous Char Dham temples is covered with 230 kilograms of silver.

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Kedarnath Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. The temple is located on the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini river, in the state of Uttarakhand.
The temple is one of the four major sites in India’s Chota Char Dham pilgrimage of Northern Himalayas and is the first of the Panch Kedar pilgrimage sites.

SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with leaders of SCO nations participated in the 22nd SCO Summit at Samarkand in Uzbekistan.

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Besides leaders of SCO member states, observer states, Secretary General of the SCO, Executive Director of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), President of Turkmenistan and other invited guests attended the meet.
India has been working closely with Uzbekistan towards the success of their Chairship.
On the side-lines of the SCO Summit, Prime Minister Modi held informal meetings with a number of leaders on matters of mutual interest. He also took part in bilateral meetings held after the summit with Russia, Uzbekistan and Iran.
The SCO Summit 2022 was first held in Shanghai in June 2002. There are eight members, out of which six are founding members. The last two countries – India and Pakistan – joined as full members in 2017.
Member countries are: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan.

SAMARKAND

Samarkand hosted the 22nd Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization for its member states and Council of Heads.

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Samarkand is located in the Zarefshan River valley in the Southeastern region of Uzbekistan.
Samarkand is the country’s cultural capital and has always been an intrinsic part of the world culture for more than two and a half millennia.
In central Asia, it is one of the oldest cities to be inhabited. Inhabitation in Samarkand started almost in 1500 BC.
Samarkand is a central point for trade due to its easy route access to China and the Mediterranean areas.
The name Samarkand is derived from the Sogdian civilisation, where Samar means stone or rock and Khand means fort. Thus, Samarkand means a town or fort of rock or stone. The city of Samarkand is a storehouse of natural resources spanning Central Asia.
Since ancient times, Samarkand has been famous for its craft production with a castle and robust defence. Like the entire region of Uzbekistan, the official language of Samarkand is Uzbek. However, the second official language is Russian.

INTERNATIONAL TREATY ON PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

India is going to host 9th session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture from 19th to 24th of this month.

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The Treaty is a legally binding comprehensive agreement adopted in November 2001 at Rome during the 31st session of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, which entered into force in June 2004.
During the event an extensive deliberation on how to preserve, conserve and maintain the germplasm, biodiversity, and food and agriculture will be held. Deliberation will also be held on how to exchange and share the tolerant germplasm through a multilateral system.
The event will also witness a discussion on farmers’ and breeders’ rights.
Representatives of nearly 262 countries are expected to participate in this seven-day-long event.

INSPIRE AWARDS

Union Science and Technology Minister Dr Jitendra Singh presented INSPIRE awards to 60 Start-Ups and financial support to over 53 thousand students.

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The award is instituted by the Department of Science and Technology and these innovators will be extended complete incubation support for their entrepreneurship journey.
During the year 2020-21, while the country was battling with the severe impact of COVID-19, the annual INSPIRE Awards – MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge) competition attracted an unprecedented 6.53 Lakh ideas and innovations from all States.
The scheme aims to help build a critical human resource pool for strengthening, expanding the science and technology system and increase the research & development base.

16 SEPTEMBER

ROGER FEDERER

Roger Federer, one of the greatest tennis player of all time, has decided to bid farewell to professional tennis after the conclusion of the Laver Cup 2022 next week.

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Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player.
He was ranked world No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 310 weeks, including a record 237 consecutive weeks.
He has won 103 ATP singles titles, the second most of all time, including 20 Grand Slam singles titles, a record eight men’s singles Wimbledon titles, an Open Era record-tying five men’s singles US Open titles, and a record six year-end championships.
Federer has played in an era where he dominated men’s tennis along with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic as the Big Three, collectively considered by some to be the three most successful male tennis players of all time.

VINESH PHOGAT

Vinesh Phogat has become the first Indian woman wrestler to win two medals at the World Championships after clinching a bronze in 53 kilogram category in Belgrade, Serbia.

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The Commonwealth Games 2022 gold medalist defeated reigning European champion Emma Malmgren of Sweden.
This is her second bronze medal at the Championships. She had previously earned a podium position in the 2019 edition of the tournament at Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
Vinesh Phogat is an Indian wrestler. She became the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold in both Commonwealth and Asian Games.
Phogat became the first Indian athlete to be nominated for Laureus World Sports Awards in 2019. Vinesh is the cousin of wrestlers Geetha and Babita. Both her cousins have won gold in 55 kg category in Commonwealth Games.

ASSAM TRIBALS PEACE AGREEMENT

A tripartite peace agreement was signed between Centre, Assam Government and eight tribal groups of Assam in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.

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The agreement was signed to end decade old crisis of tribal groups and tea garden workers in Assam.
The tribal groups which have signed the agreement include, Birsa Commando Force, Adivasi People’s Army, All Adivasi National Liberation Army, Adivasi Cobra Military of Assam and Santhal Tiger Force.
The agreement will prove to be another milestone in the direction of making North East region extremism free by 2025.
Shah said, several agreements have been signed to ensure peace and development in the North Eastern region in the last three years. He said, NLFT agreement in 2019, BRU-REANG and Bodo accord in 2020, Karbi Anglong agreement in 2021 and Assam-Meghalaya inter-state boundary agreement this year has resolved around 65 per cent of border disputes.

DAMODARAN COMMITTEE

The government has constituted an expert committee to examine and suggest appropriate measures to address regulatory and other issues to enable scaling up investments by venture capital and private equity investment.

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Finance Ministry said the six-member panel will be headed by former SEBI chairman M Damodaran. The committee will suggest measures to further accelerates investment into start-ups and sunrise sectors.
In her Budget speech 2022-23, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed to set up an expert committee to examine and suggest appropriate measures to scale venture capital and private equity investments in India.

BORDER SECURITY FORCE (BSF)

BSF’s first female camel riding squad is ready to be deployed along the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

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The squad will participate for the first time in the BSF Raising Day Parade on 1ST December. This Squad will be the first of its kind in the world.
The Border Security Force (BSF) is India’s border guarding organisation on its border with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) of India, and was raised in the wake of the 1965 war on 1 December 1965.
It comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

PRADHAN MANTRI AWAS YOJANA (GRAMIN)

Pulling up the States for the delay in completion of the NDA government’s flagship rural household scheme — Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) — the Union Ministry of Rural Development has come up with a set of penalties that the State governments will have to bear for any further delay.

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Opposition-ruled West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, along with BJP-ruled Assam, are the leading four States who are far behind their targets.
This is the first time, since the scheme started in April 2016 with a target of constructing 2.95 crore houses, that the Union Government has introduced a penalty clause.
The initial deadline for the scheme was March 2022, which owing to the COVID-19 pandemic was extended by another two years till March 2024.
Under the scheme, the government has set itself a target of 2.95 crore houses. This number was deduced from the Socio-Economic Caste Survey, 2011. As per the statistics available with the Union Ministry of Rural Development, till August 2022, 2.02 crore houses have been constructed.

15 SEPTEMBER

INDIA-BHUTAN RELATIONS

Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck held a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi.

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India and Bhutan share a unique and time-tested bilateral relationship, characterized by utmost trust, goodwill, and mutual understanding.
The special relationship has been sustained by a tradition of regular high-level visits and dialogues between the two countries.
India is Bhutan’s largest trading partner. In 2018, total bilateral trade between the two countries stood at over 9000 crore rupees.

URBAN WASTEWATER SCENARIO IN INDIA

India launches joint whitepaper on ‘Urban Wastewater Scenario in India’ with Denmark at World Water Congress and Exhibition 2022 in Copenhagen.

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India has launched a joint whitepaper on ‘Urban Wastewater Scenario in India’ with Denmark at World Water Congress and Exhibition 2022 in Copenhagen.
Shekhawat said that India has committed investments of more than 140 Billion dollars by 2024 in the water sector. The minister informed, with the help of community-centric approach, at least 10 percent of the funds are contributed by community in every program ensuring community ownership and participation.
The whitepaper aims at holistically capturing the current status of wastewater treatment in India and potential pathways for future treatment structures, co-creation, and collaborations.
This whitepaper is a result of the Indo-Danish Bilateral Green Strategic Partnership, which is focused on green hydrogen, renewable energy, and wastewater management.

INDO-PACIFIC TRILATERAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar said India and France have agreed to work towards the establishment of Indo-Pacific trilateral development cooperation.

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Indo-Pacific trilateral development cooperation would facilitate development projects, especially in the framework of the International Solar Alliance.
The Indo-Pacific trilateral would also provide a platform for Indian innovations and startups to demonstrate their relevance to the requirements of other societies.
International Solar Alliance now has formed projects in three countries which shows the impact that India and France make together in Bhutan, Papua New Guinea and Senegal.
The Minister added that India and France are launching a scheme for the exchange of young professionals in the age group of 18 to 35 years as a follow-up to the migration and mobility partnerships.

FIFA UNDER 17 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 2022

The Union Cabinet has approved the Signing of Guarantees for hosting Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Under 17 Women’s World Cup 2022 in India.

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FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022 is scheduled to be held in India between 11th and 30th October 2022.
The seventh edition of the biennial youth tournament will be the first-ever FIFA women’s competition to be hosted by India.
The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup is the world championship for female players under or upto the age of 17, organized by FIFA. The event started in 2008 and is traditionally held in even-numbered years.
The 6th edition of the event was held in Uruguay from 13th November to 1st December, 2018. Spain is the current champion of FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup.
FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2022 will be the 7th edition of the tournament in which 16 teams, including India, will participate.

M VISVESVARAYA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted all engineers on the occasion of Engineers Day.

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Every year India celebrates National Engineer’s day on September 15 to recognise and honour the achievements of the great engineer Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya.
Along with India, Visvesvaraya’s great works are also celebrated in Sri Lanka and Tanzania on September 15 as Engineer’s day.
Popularly known as Sir MV, he undertook several complex projects and delivered remarkable infrastructural results during his engineering career.
He patented and installed an irrigation system with water floodgates at the Khadakvasla reservoir near Pune to raise the food supply level and storage to the highest levels known as ‘block system’ in 1903.
The irrigation system was later installed at Gwalior’s Tigra Dam and Mysuru’s Krishnaraja Sagara (KRS) dam, the latter of which created one of the largest reservoirs in Asia at the time.

SCHEDULED TRIBES

The Union Cabinet approved the inclusion of tribes of five states in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category.

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Among the states whose tribes have been included in the list are Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh.
The Hattee community of Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district was granted the status of ST in the latest decision by the Cabinet.
The Cabinet approved the proposal of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for the inclusion of ‘Gonds’ along with its five sub-castes in the Bhadohi (earlier Sant Ravidas Nagar) District of the State of Uttar Pradesh in the Scheduled Tribes list of Uttar Pradesh.
It also approved the proposal of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for the inclusion of ‘Narikoravan along with the Kurivikkaran’ community in respect of the State of Tamil Nadu through the introduction of a Bill in Parliament to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950.
The Cabinet also approved the proposal for the inclusion of the ‘Betta-Kuruba’ community as a synonym of ‘Kadu Kuruba’ in respect of the State of Karnataka through the introduction of a Bill in Parliament to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950.
As many as 12 caste communities of Chhattisgarh were included in the Scheduled Tribes.

BLO E-PATRIKA

The Election Commission of India released a new digital publication ‘BLO e-Patrika’ at an interactive session held with BLOs spread across the States in India. This event was a first-of-its-kind direct interaction by the Commission with the BLOs across the country.

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BLOs are the direct link of the Commission with the people. BLOs are the primary source of information for every voter across the length and breadth of the country.
The intent behind introducing BLO E-Patrika is to ensure a cascading information model for a better informed and motivated Booth Level Officer.
The themes of the bimonthly e-Patrika will include subjects like EVM-VVPAT training, IT applications, Special Summary Revision, Minimum SVEEP Activities at polling booths, Postal Ballot facility, accessible elections, Electoral Literacy Clubs, unique voter awareness initiatives and National Voters’ Day.

14 SEPTEMBER

JIMEX 2022

The sixth edition of Japan India Maritime Exercise 2022 (JIMEX 22) hosted by Indian Navy commenced in the Bay of Bengal on 11 September 2022.

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The Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) ships are being led by R Adm Hirata Toshiyuki, Commander Escort Flotilla Four, and Indian Naval ships by R Adm Sanjay Bhalla, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet.
JIMEX 22 involves two Phases; exercises at sea and a harbour phase at Visakhapatnam.
This edition marks the 10th anniversary of JIMEX, which began in Japan in 2012.
It also coincides with the 70th anniversary of establishing of diplomatic relations between India and Japan.
JIMEX 22 seeks to consolidate the high degree of interoperability that exists between maritime forces of the two countries, through complex exercises in the surface, sub-surface and air domains.

EXERCISES KAKADU

INS Satpura and a P8 I Maritime Patrol Aircraft of the Indian Navy reached Darwin in Australia on 12 September 2022, for participation in the multinational Exercise Kakadu – 2022, hosted by the Royal Australian Navy.

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The two week-long Exercise, both in harbour and sea, involves ships and maritime aircraft from 14 navies. During the harbour phase of the exercise, the ship’s crew will engage in operational planning interactions and sports activities with participating Navies.

DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDERS ASSOCIATION (DIPA)

The Minister for Communications, Electronics & Information Technology and Railways, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw will be the Chief Guest at Digital Infrastructure Providers Association (DIPA) Annual Flagship Event 2022.

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The Minister of State for Communications, Shri Devusinh Chauhan will be the Guest of Honour.
DIPA, an apex industry body of digital infrastructure providers is all set to host its Annual Flagship Event with new theme for this year, “Gati Shakti vision for 5G & Beyond”.
The event is said to be the biggest event of Telecom industry of year 2022.
The event’s theme is “Gati Shakti vision for 5G & Beyond”, is fully in line with PM Modi’s Gati Shakti National Master Plan which has helped country’s telecom infrastructure to be more stable.
DIPA acknowledges Department of Telecommunications (DoT) as the supporting partner of DIPA’s Annual Flagship Event 2022.

NATIONAL LISTS OF ESSENTIAL MEDICINES (NLEM) 2022

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, launched National Lists of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2022.

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384 drugs have been included in this list with addition of 34 drugs, while 26 from the previous list have been dropped. The medicines have been categorized into 27 therapeutic categories.
The following criteria are followed for inclusion in NLEM:

be useful in diseases which is a public health problem in India
be licensed/ approved Drugs Controller General (India) (DCGI)
have proven efficacy and safety profile based on scientific evidence
be comparatively cost effective
be aligned with the current treatment guidelines
recommended under National Health Programs of India. (e.g. Ivermectin part of Accelerated Plan for Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis 2018).
when more than one medicine are available from the same therapeutic class, one prototype/ medically best suited medicine of that class to be included.
price of total treatment is considered and not the unit price of a medicine
fixed dose combinations are usually not included
vaccines as and when are included in Universal Immunization Program (e.g. Rotavirus vaccine).

HINDI DIWAS

Hindi Diwas is being celebrated across the country on September 14.

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It was on this day in 1949 that the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi written in Devanagari script as the official language of the country.
Today, Hindi is one of the widely spoken languages in the world and the first language of more than 520 million people.

CRISPR

Over the last 3 years, the gene-editing technology with near unlimited potential has produced flawless results in clinical trials. India has approved a 5-year project to develop CRISPR to cure sickle cell anaemia.

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CRISPR is short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, which is a reference to the clustered and repetitive sequences of DNA found in bacteria, whose natural mechanism to fight some viral diseases is replicated in this gene-editing tool.
Its mechanism is often compared to the ‘cut-copy-paste’, or ‘find-replace’ functionalities in common computer programmes.
A bad stretch in the DNA sequence, which is the cause of disease or disorder, is located, cut, and removed — and then replaced with a ‘correct’ sequence. And the tools used to achieve this are not mechanical, but biochemical — specific protein and RNA molecules.
The technology replicates a natural defence mechanism in some bacteria that uses a similar method to protect itself from virus attacks.

ARATTUPUZHA VELAYUDHA PANICKER

The recently-released Malayalam film Pathonpatham Noottandu (‘Nineteenth Century’), directed by Vinayan, has earned both critical acclaim and audience approval.

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It is based on the life of Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker, a social reformer from the Ezhava community in Kerala who lived in the 19th century.
Born into a well-off family of merchants in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, Panicker was one of the most influential figures in the reformation movement in the state.
He challenged the domination of upper castes or ‘Savarnas’ and brought about changes in the lives of both men and women.
The social reform movement in Kerala in the 19th century led to the large-scale subversion of the existing caste hierarchy and social order in the state.
Panicker is credited with building two temples dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, in which members of all castes and religions were allowed entry.
In 1858, he led the Achippudava Samaram strike at Kayamkulam in Alappuzha. This strike aimed to earn women belonging to oppressed groups the right to wear a lower garment that extended beyond the knees.
In 1859, this was extended into the Ethappu Samaram, the struggle for the right to wear an upper body cloth by women belonging to backward castes.

INSTANT LOAN APPS

The arrest of a Chinese national by the Chandigarh Police for allegedly blackmailing and extorting money from people through instant loan mobile applications has raised several concerns.

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The racket of luring people to take instant loans via mobile apps and then extorting money from them gained momentum during the Covid-19 pandemic.
These mobile applications provide small amounts in instant loans at a higher interest rate, ranging from 15 per cent to 20 per cent. These applications do not follow the strict procedures followed by banks before giving out loans, such as customer verification.
A person who installs the application and wants a loan has to fill out an online form.
To get the loan, the mobile user has to allow the application to access the contacts, photos, videos and all other digital content of the mobile phone.
Many mobile applications provide the loan amount after deducting the interest from the principal amount. Some of the applications even recover the interest on a daily or weekly basis.

13 SEPTEMBER

ADOPTION RULES

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has written to State governments, asking them to immediately implement the revised adoption rules requiring adoption orders to be passed by District Magistrates (DMs) instead of courts with effect from September 1.

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The instructions come despite concerns raised over jurisdiction of DMs in civil matters such as inheritance and succession, as well as delays likely to be caused in cases where the court has already passed orders since September 1 or is likely to pass them shortly after having spent several months on the proceedings.
There are concerns that the Centre has also not yet notified Adoption Regulations, 2022 detailing the process to be followed by the DMs.
Parliament passed the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2021 last year in order to amend the Juvenile Justice Act (JJ Act), 2015.
These authorise District Magistrates and Additional District Magistrates to issue adoption orders under Section 61 of the JJ Act by striking out the word “court”.
This was done in order to ensure speedy disposal of cases and enhance accountability.
The amendments to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules, 2016, were notified on September 1 and require all adoption cases to be transferred to the DM with immediate effect.

RAKTDAAN AMRIT MAHOTSAV

The Union Health Ministry is planning to launch a nationwide, mega voluntary blood donation drive, called the Raktdaan Amrit Mahotsav, on September 17, with an aim to collect one lakh units of blood.

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The drive hopes to create a database of donors who can be called upon at times of emergency.
The Ministry has sent a letter to all the States and the Union Territories, stating that the drive would continue till October 1, the National Voluntary Blood Donation Day (NVBDD).
Registrations for blood donation can be done on the Aarogya Setu portal under Raktdaan Amrit Mahotsav which calls people to donate blood and be a part of Prime Minister’s mission for humanity.
A live dashboard will be operationalised on the e-RaktKosh web portal for tracking the number of blood units donated/collected in each State and Union Territory.

BACHELOR OF DENTAL SURGERY (BDS)

For the first time in 74 years, the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) curriculum is all set for an overhaul.

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The decision by the Dental Council of India, which falls under the Union Health Ministry, is aimed at bringing the undergraduate course on a par with global standards, while making it more job-oriented and up to date.
At present the BDS is a five-year course, which comprises four-year academics and one year of internship.
The proposed credit-based curriculum will be a five-and-a-half-year course, which consists of four-and-a-half years of academics and one year of rotational internship.
The exam pattern will shift from yearly to semester system where the student has the option to pick from the 50 to 60 elective subjects offered alongside.

PORNOGRAPHY

The Supreme Court did not entertain a plea advocating a link between watching Internet porn and sex crimes, including child abuse.

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It said child sex abuse was a crime by itself. Investigation into individual cases by the police would reveal whether or not viewing of pornography had triggered the crime. That aspect would be part of evidence of each individual case.
“Seeking a judicial declaration from the Supreme Court that porn on the Internet has led to child sex crimes would be equal to giving a go-ahead to online surveillance,” it said.
The selling and distribution of pornographic material is illegal in India under section 292 of IPC.
Child pornography is illegal and strictly prohibited across the country under section 67B of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
however, viewing sexually explicit material in private spaces is not illegal. The Supreme Court had also orally remarked back in July 2015 that it cannot stop an adult from exercising his fundamental right to personal liberty to watch porn within the privacy of his room.

JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS

The Supreme Court Collegium led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) U.U. Lalit has recommended eight names for appointment to the Bombay High Court. Six of them are judicial officers and two are advocates.

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If the government agrees with the Collegium, the judicial strength in the Bombay High Court will rise to 68 out of a total sanctioned strength of 94 judges.
The Indian Judicial collegium system, where existing judges appoint judges to the nation’s constitutional courts, has its genesis in, and continued basis resting on, three of its own judgments made by Supreme Court judges which are collectively known as the Three Judges Cases.
Following are the three cases:
- P. Gupta v. Union of India – 1981 (also known as the Judges’ Transfer case)
- Supreme Court Advocates-on Record Association vs Union of India – 1993
- In re Special Reference 1 of 1998

RETAIL INFLATION

India’s retail inflation resurged to 7% in August from 6.71% in July, fuelled by a 7.62% uptick in food prices paid by consumers, even as industrial output growth in July dropped to the lowest level since April at just 2.4%, with output levels dropping 2.75% month on month.

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This is the eighth successive month that retail inflation has stayed above the central bank’s upper tolerance threshold of 6% inflation for the economy, and constitutes a setback to households’ spending power among the poorer sections.
Rural inflation that was at 6.8% in July, saw a sharper rise than urban inflation in August, rising to 7.15%. Urban consumers’ inflation rate moved up from 6.49% in July to 6.72%.
The uptick in inflation was largely driven by “a broad-based rise across the food segment”, with a higher inflation in cereals, pulses, milk, fruits, vegetables and prepared meals and snacks.

G7’s PRICE CAP ON RUSSIAN OIL

The Group of Seven countries is working to cap the price of Russian oil in an attempt to limit Moscow’s ability to fund its invasion of Ukraine, a plan analysts say could work in the long term but might boost oil prices in coming months.

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The G7 wealthy nations – the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada – and the EU are hammering out details of the plan. The G7 wants to enlist other countries, including India and China, which have been snapping up heavily-discounted oil from Russia since its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine
Russia has managed to maintain its revenues through those increased crude sales to India and China. But even if India and China don’t join, a cap could help force down prices for Asia and other consumers.

12 SEPTEMBER

INDIA ISSUES GUIDELINES TO STUDENTS WISH TO STUDY MEDICINE IN CHINA

Embassy of India in China said that prospective Indian students who wish to seek admission for undergraduate clinical medicine programme in China are required to obtain a license to practice medicine in China before they appear for the Foreign Medical Graduates Exam (FMGE) in India.

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The Indian Embassy said that such prospective Indian students are also required to clear the NEET-UG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Under Graduate) exam, which is the entry examination for undergraduate medical education in India, as a prerequisite to pursue medical education abroad.
Only such students – after completing their degree program – can appear in FMGE which is required to pursue clinical medical practice in India.
The advisory was issued in response to several queries from prospective Indian students and their parents with respect to seeking admission to undergraduate clinical medicine programme in China.
More than twenty thousand Indian students mostly enrolled in medical courses in different Chinese universities are waiting to return to China for more than two and half years due to COVID-related restrictions and a ban on direct flights to and from India.
China has now started giving visas but due to non-availability of direct flights, it is very costly affair to travel to China through transit route.

VINOBA BHAVE

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Vinoba Bhave on his birth anniversary.

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Vinayak Narahari also known as Vinoba Bhave (1895 – 1982) was an Indian advocate of nonviolence and human rights. Often called Acharya, he is best known for the Bhoodan Movement.
He is considered a National Teacher of India and the spiritual successor of Mahatma Gandhi.
He was an eminent philosopher. The Gita has also been translated into Marathi language by him with the title Geetai (meaning ‘Mother Gīta’ in Marathi).

WORLD’S PARLIAMENT OF RELIGIONS, 1893

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled Swami Vivekananda’s iconic speech at Chicago in 1893. Mr Modi said, his address gave the world a glimpse of India’s culture and ethos.

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There have been several meetings referred to as a Parliament of the World’s Religions, the first being the World’s Parliament of Religions of 1893, which was an attempt to create a global dialogue of faiths.
Swami Vivekananda represented India and Hinduism at the Parliament of the World’s Religions (1893).
This was the first World’s Parliament of Religions, and it was held from 11 to 27 September 1893. Delegates from all over the world joined this Parliament.

NATIONAL DEFENSE MSME CONCLAVE

Defense Conclave and Exhibition is being organized for the first time in Rajasthan.

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The two-day National Defense MSME Conclave and Exhibition began in Kota, Rajasthan.
Defense equipment including T-90 and BMP-2 tanks, artillery guns, various types of sniper and machine guns and military bridges are being displayed in the exhibition.
Youth innovating in the defense sector, start-ups and MSMEs are also displaying their products.
More than 50 companies, start-ups and MSMEs working in the defense sector are participating in the event.
The conclave was formally inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

CENTRE-STATES DASHBOARD TO SHARE THE BEST TECHNOLOGY PRACTICES

Union Minister of Science & Technology announced setting up of a Dashboard to share the best technology practices among the Centre and the States.

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This high level mechanism will be developed by the Department of Science and Technology to monitor and coordinate the follow up action of the conclave.
This was informed by him while presiding over the concluding session of the two-day “Centre-State Science Conclave” at Science City in Ahmedabad.

F-16 FIGHTER JET

During official meetings with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu in Delhi last week, India raised “strong objections” to the U.S. plan for Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Pakistan at an estimated $450 million for hardware, software and spares for the F-16 fighter jet programme.

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The Indian side cited concerns about the technology and support being made available for the F-16s which Pakistan claims are needed for “counter-terrorism operations”.
The government conveyed that it believed they would be used for operations against India.
Lu told officials that the FMS package was a maintenance deal for F-16s, some of which are 40 years old and part of the U.S.’s global policy of maintaining its defence sales for their entire life cycle.
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF).

INDIRA GANDHI URBAN EMPLOYMENT GUARANTEE SCHEME

The Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme has rolled out in Rajasthan with the objective of providing economic support to the poor and needy families living in the cities through work to be provided on demand for 100 days in a year.

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The Congress government has touted it as the country’s biggest scheme to give guaranteed jobs to the people residing in cities, on the lines of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for villagers started by the UPA government at the Centre in 2006.
Those in the age group of 18 to 60 years residing within the limits of urban local bodies are eligible to demand and get employment in the identified segments.
There is no income limit, though the poor and destitute people, especially those who lost their livelihood during the pandemic, will be given preference.
More than 3.5 lakh people across the State have got themselves registered under the scheme so far and job cards have been issued to 2.25 lakh of them.

IZUIM

In a rapid counter-offensive, Ukraine seized the town of Izium in what is being seen as a major setback for Russia in the Kharkiv region.

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Izuim had fallen to the Russians on April 1, and has been recaptured over six months later.
Izium is considered the gateway to Donbas region, a Russian-speaking area whose complete capture has been Russia’s key war aim since the beginning of the conflict. It is considered a passage to the Black Sea, and thus referred to as the Izium passage by the Russians.
With this, Ukraine is back in control of two key logistics centres. Kupiansk was the major railway station supplying Izium formations.

CITIZENSHIP (AMENDMENT) ACT

A three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) U U Lalit will hear the challenge to the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

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The Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 seeks to grant citizenship to a class of migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan.
The Act was passed on December 12, 2019 and was notified on January 10, 2020.
While the government claimed the amendment was sympathetic and inclusionary, critics said it was unconstitutional and anti-Muslim. The law provoked widespread protests in the country.
The law, an amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1955, was challenged before the Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Constitution.
The challenge rests primarily on the grounds that the law violates Article 14 of the Constitution that guarantees that no person shall be denied the right to equality before law or the equal protection of law in the territory of India.

10 SEPTEMBER

EXERCISE PARVAT PRAHAR

Army chief General Manoj Pande visited the Ladakh sector to review Exercise Parvat Prahar. The exercise saw the deployment of all new major inductions of the Army.

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The exercise, which was held in the Ladakh plateau at an altitude of 14,000 feet, used newly inducted all-terrain vehicles transported by Chinook heavy lift helicopters and K9-Vajra howitzers, among others.
The exercise comes as India and China are undertaking disengagement from Patrolling Point-15 in eastern Ladakh, as announced on September 8. Gen. Pande is scheduled to visit Siachen on Sunday.
Simultaneously on the western front, Exercise Gagan Strike culminated with a fire power display of attack helicopters supporting deep operations by Strike Corps. Western Army Commander Lt. Gen. Nav K. Khanduri, who witnessed the culmination, lauded the professional readiness of combat forces for contingencies on the western front, the Western Command said on Twitter.

ADOPTION RULES

There is confusion over the implementation of new adoption rules that require transfer of adoption petitions from courts to District Magistrates, and parents, adoption agencies and activists are worried that this could lead to further delays in a long and arduous procedure.

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Parliament passed the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2021, in July last year, which empowers DMs to give adoption orders.
Ironically, the intent of the amendment was to prevent court-related delays during adoptions because of a large number of pending cases.
The amendments came into effect from September 1.

EURASIAN H5N1

A bottlenose dolphin found dead in a Florida canal in the spring tested positive for a highly virulent strain of bird flu, scientists said.A bottlenose dolphin found dead in a Florida canal in the spring tested positive for a highly virulent strain of bird flu, scientists said.

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This version of the virus, which has spread widely among North American and European birds, has affected an unusually broad array of species.
But these findings represent the first two documented cases in cetaceans, a group of marine mammals that includes dolphins, porpoises and whales.
This strain of bird flu is known as Eurasian H5N1.
While experts emphasise that the risk to humans remains low, the spread of the virus to new species poses potential risks to wildlife and provides the virus with new chances to mutate and adapt to mammalian hosts.
Besides birds, the virus has earlier turned up in foxes, bobcats, skunks, and seals.

GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL (GCC)

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Secretary General of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on the mechanism of consultations between India and the GCC.

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The External Affairs Minister is on a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia from 10-12 September. This is his first trip to the Kingdom as India’s External Affairs Minister.
The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a regional, intergovernmental, political, and economic union comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The council’s main headquarters is located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The Charter of the GCC was signed on 25 May 1981, formally establishing the institution.

CYBORG COCKROACHES

An international team of researchers led by Japan’s scientific institution, RIKEN’s Cluster for Pioneering Research (CPR), have devised a system that can create cyborg cockroaches, that are part insect and part machine.

About:

They claim that these insects, whose movements are controlled by tiny integrated circuits, will be able to conduct surveillance in procedures like urban search and rescue, environmental monitoring and inspection of areas dangerous to humans.
The researchers claim that by equipping the cockroaches with small wireless control modules, handlers will be able to control the insect’s legs remotely for long periods of time.
The team used Madagascar cockroaches, which are not only the largest species of cockroaches, reaching an estimated 6 cm, but are also known for making hissing sounds when disturbed, which they make by expelling air from the openings on their back.

NEERAJ CHOPRA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Neeraj Chopra for scripting history yet again by becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Diamond League Trophy.

About:

Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian to win the Dimond Trophy, the prestigious title in the finale of the Diamond League series in men’s javelin.
The 24-year-old, the Olympic champion from Tokyo, threw 88.44m to finish on the top step of the podium.
Neeraj finished ahead of Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch and Germany’s Julian Webber to script history.
Neeraj has won the Olympic Gold in 2021, the Asian Games Gold in 2018, the Commonwealth Games Gold in 2018, the World Athletics Championships silver in 2022.

PRIVATE SECTOR IN RAILWAYS

Indian railways for the first time has floated a tender to invite private players to build high-speed wheel plant under the Make in India initiative.

About:

Under this move, the Railway will procure 80,000 wheels per year with a total cost of 6,00 crore rupees and manufacturing will take place in the country only.
Manufacturing is expected to start within next 18 months and once India achieves high standard of manufacturing of wheels, it will eye at exporting wheels mostly to European countries.
Trial and testing of Vande Bharat train have been completed and manufacturing is expected to start from October this year. This train can attain its speed from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in just 52 seconds, three seconds less than bullet train’s pickup speed.

EXPORT POLICY OF BROKEN RICE

Government of India has said export policy of broken rice has been amended to ensure adequate domestic availability.

About:

This has been done in order to ensure adequate availability of broken rice for consumption by domestic poultry industry and for other animal feedstock and to produce ethanol for successful implementation of EBP (Ethanol Blending Programme).
About 50-60 Lakh Metric Tonnes of broken rice is produced annually in India which is mainly used as poultry feed and feed for other animals.
It is also used as a feedstock by the grain-based distilleries for producing ethanol which is supplied to Oil Marketing Companies for blending with petrol.

09 SEPTEMBER

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX (HDI)

India ranks 132 out of 191 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI) 2021, after registering a decline in its score over two consecutive years for the first time in three decades.

About:

The drop is in line with the global trend since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic during which 90% of the countries have fallen backward in human development.
The Index is part of the Human Development Report 2021-2022 released by the United Nations Development Programme.
The HDI measures average achievement of a country in three basic dimensions of human development — a long and healthy life, education and a decent standard of living.
It is calculated using four indicators — life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, expected years of schooling, and the Gross National Income (GNI) per capita.
India’s HDI score of 0.633 places it in the medium human development category, lower than its value of 0.645 in 2018, indicating a reversal in progress.
Like global trends, in India’s case, the drop in HDI from 0.645 in 2018 to 0.633 in 2021 can be attributed to falling life expectancy at birth — 70.7 years to 67.2 years.
India’s expected years of schooling stand at 11.9 years, and the mean years of schooling are at 6.7 years. The GNI per capita level is $6,590.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated gender inequality, which increased 6.7% globally.

SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL

The Supreme Court has said the problem of storing spent nuclear fuel from the Kudankulam nuclear power plant has to be “worked out”, possibly with the help of experts from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and officials at the highest level in the Tamil Nadu government.

About:

The Supreme Court asked Tamil Nadu government to come clear on the time schedule for the completion of public hearings by the State regarding the construction of an Away From Reactor (AFR) facility at the Kudankulam plant.
The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL) had sought an extension till July 2026 for the construction of the AFR facility. In 2018, the court had given the Corporation time till April 30, 2022.
The AFR repository was supposed to be built in five years’ time, but this has not been done. In 2013, the Supreme Court had granted five years’ time to the NPCIL, till July 2018. In 2018, the court gave an extension till 2022 and said this was the final extension of time to create the AFR storage. Now, they are again asking for an extension.

Do you know?

Spent nuclear fuel, occasionally called used nuclear fuel, is nuclear fuel that has been irradiated in a nuclear reactor (usually at a nuclear power plant).
It is no longer useful in sustaining a nuclear reaction in an ordinary thermal reactor and depending on its point along the nuclear fuel cycle, it may have considerably different isotopic constituents.

KARTAVYA PATH

Rajpath, which was a “symbol of slavery”, has been erased forever, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while inaugurating the redeveloped two-kilometre stretch from India Gate to Rashtrapati Bhavan that was renamed Kartavya Path.

About:

Modi also unveiled a statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose under the canopy at India Gate that during British rule had a statue of King George V.
Modi said: “Kingsway, that is, Rajpath, the symbol of slavery, has become a matter of history from today and has been erased forever. Today, a new history has been created in the form of Kartavya Path”
The iconic stretch had been closed to the public since January 2021 for redevelopment works as part of the larger Central Vista revamp. The ₹477-crore project is the first of the Central Vista works to be completed and opened to the public.

INDIA-CHINA BORDER STANDOFF

India and China announced that their Armies have begun to disengage from Patrolling Point-15 in the Gogra-Hotsprings area of eastern Ladakh, marking a step forward towards ending the stand-off ongoing since May 2020.

About:

The move comes ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan next week, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to participate.
On September 08, 2022, according to the consensus reached in the 16th round of India China Corps Commander Level Meeting, the Indian and Chinese troops in the area of Gogra-Hotsprings (PP-15) have begun to disengage in a coordinated and planned way.
The consensus was reached at the Corps Commander level and the ground commanders on both sides had worked out the modalities which were now being implemented.
The 16th round of talks was held on July 17 at the Chushul border personnel meeting point on the Indian side.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II

Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s longest-serving monarch, has passed away after reigning for 70 years.

About:

The Queen came to the throne in 1952 and witnessed enormous social change.
Queen Elizabeth II’s tenure as head of state spanned post-war austerity, the transition from empire to Commonwealth, the end of the Cold War and the UK’s entry into – and withdrawal from – the European Union.
Her reign spanned 15 Prime Ministers starting with Winston Churchill and including Ms Truss. She held weekly audiences with her Prime Minister throughout her reign.
The Queen was born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, in Mayfair, London, on 21 April 1926.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II and served as the consort of the British monarch from her accession as queen on 6 February 1952 until his death in 2021.

OPERATION LONDON BRIDGE

Queen Elizabeth II’s death kicked off Operation London Bridge, a detailed plan, put in place in the 1960s, which meticulously lists the procedures that roll out moments after her death and culminate with her funeral 10 days later.

About:

Operation London Bridge (also known by its code phrase London Bridge is Down) is the name of a funeral plan for Queen Elizabeth II.
The plan includes the announcement of her death, the period of official mourning, and the details of her state funeral. The plan was first created in the 1960s and revised many times in the years before her death in 2022.
As well as Operation London Bridge, there is an additional plan called Operation Unicorn, which details what would happen if the Queen were to die in Scotland.
Running concurrently with Operation London Bridge is Operation Spring Tide, which addresses the accession of King Charles III to the throne and his first trip to the countries of the UK.

UNIFORM CIVIL CODE (UCC)

The expert committee formed by the Uttarakhand government to examine ways for the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has launched a website, seeking public opinion on the plan.

About:

Headed by retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai (who is also the head of the Delimitation Commission), the committee has sought suggestions and recommendations from residents.
The Committee will also prepare a report on implementing a UCC in Uttarakhand.
Article 44 of the Constitution, lays down that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for the citizens throughout the territory of India. The code would be applicable to all religious communities in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption.

JOB POLICY FOR TRANSGENDERS

The Supreme Court gave the government three months to take the lead and devise a policy framework to open up avenues of employment for transgender persons, particularly in the civil aviation industry.

About:

The order was a fallout of a petition filed by Shanavi Ponnusamy, a transgender person from Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu, whose dream of flying high as an airline cabin crew member never took off.
The court said the petitioner’s case raised wider issues about the formulation of government policy to ensure the guarantee of non-discrimination against transgender people.
The Supreme Court observed that the government has to comply with the enabling provisions of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act of 2019 in “letter and spirit”.
The court detailed specific provisions of the Act which mandated that no person or establishment, whether government or private, should discriminate against a transgender person in matters of employment, including recruitment or promotion or in any other related areas.
The court ordered the Department of Personnel and Training and the Social Justice Ministry to collaborate with the National Council for Transgender Persons, a body constituted under the Act, to consult stakeholders and prepare a “considered” policy for the community’s welfare and rights in the next three months.

EWS QUOTA

A Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India U.U. Lalit finalised three cardinal issues for examining whether the 103rd Constitutional Amendment, which provides 10% quota to economically weaker sections (EWS) of society in government jobs and educational institutions, violates the Basic Structure of the Constitution.

About:

The court will examine
- whether the amendment breaches the Basic Structure by permitting the state to make special provisions, including reservation, based on economic criteria;
- whether it violates the Basic Structure by allowing the state to make special provisions in relation to admissions to private unaided institutions, and
- lastly, whether the Basic Structure is trampled upon by the constitutional amendment by excluding SEBC/OBC/SC/ST communities from the scope of the EWS quota.
Chief Justice Lalit said the three questions of law would form the foundation of the court’s examination and lawyers could expand on them while arguing.

08 SEPTEMBER

DEADLINE FOR FIXING POLLUTION CONTROL DEVICES

The Union Environment Ministry has for the third time extended the deadline by which coal plants must install pollution-control technologies to reduce emissions, drawing criticism from environment and clean-energy activists.

About:

The Ministry first specified emission norms for the control of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and mercury (Hg) from coal-fired power plants.
However, non-compliance and limited progress by the plants led to a new extension following the recent notification pushing it to 2025.
According to the latest notification, power plants within a 10-km radius of the NCR and in the vicinity of cities with a population of more than one million have until December 31, 2024, to meet the deadline.
For power plants within a 10-km radius of “critically polluted” areas (as designated by the Environment Ministry), the deadline has been extended to December 31, 2025. Finally, for all other power plants across the country, the deadline stands at December 31, 2026.

INDIA-BANGLADESH CONNECTIVITY PROJECTS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister (of Bangladesh) Sheikh Hasina reviewed connectivity projects involving railway tracks and rolling stock.

About:

These include the conversion to dual gauge the Tongi-Akhaura line, supply of rolling stock, Kaunia-Lalmonirhat-Mogalhat-New Gitaldaha link and Hili-Birampur upgradation of track.
Similar works are also on on the Benapole-Jashore and Burimari-Changrabandha lines.
These multiple rail track projects will create a smooth flow of goods and people within Bangladesh overcoming infrastructure bottlenecks.
India and Bangladesh have been in talks for the construction of an Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Sirajganj in the north-west of capital Dhaka and help in movement of bulk items.
The leaders “agreed to expeditiously implement” projects to connect the power grids of both sides through the proposed high capacity 765 kV transmission line from Katihar in Bihar to Bornagar in Assam through Parbatipur in Bangladesh.
In a separate event, Ms. Hasina awarded the Mujib scholarships to 200 descendants of the Indian soldiers who were martyred or injured in the 1971 war.

GANGA TECHNICAL COMMITTEE

India and Bangladesh welcomed the establishment of a joint technical committee to study the use of Ganga waters in Bangladesh, a joint statement issued on the third day of the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said.

About:

The Ganga technical committee is one of the several initiatives, including several major connectivity and energy initiatives, that the two sides have announced.
The leaders welcomed the formation of a joint technical committee to conduct a study for optimum utilisation of water received by Bangladesh under the provisions of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, 1996.
The Ganga Water Sharing Treaty is a 30-year agreement which is expected to be reviewed or renewed in 2026.
The Indian side also raised the “urgent” irrigation-related requirements in Tripura which can be addressed with the waters of the Feni, and urged Bangladesh for “early signing of the interim water sharing agreement” on the river.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN RUPEE

The Finance Ministry was scheduled to meet with stakeholders including banks and the Ministries of External Affairs and Commerce to discuss ways to promote international trade in rupee instead of the United States dollar.

The background:

On July 11 this year, the RBI issued a circular saying it had decided “to put in place an additional arrangement for invoicing, payment, and settlement of exports/ imports in INR”.
The idea, the RBI said, was to “promote growth of global trade with emphasis on exports from India and to support the increasing interest of global trading community in INR”.
While the move to allow trade settlements between India and other countries in rupees was seen to primarily benefit trading with Russia, it was also expected to help check dollar outflow and slow the depreciation of the rupee to a “very limited extent”.

Way it would work

To settle trade transactions with any country, banks in India would open Vostro accounts of correspondent bank/s of the partner country for trading. Indian importers can pay for their imports in INR into these accounts.
These earnings from imports can then be used to pay Indian exporters in INR.
A Vostro account is an account that a correspondent bank holds on behalf of another bank — for example, HSBC Vostro account is held by SBI in India.

SOLAR-POWERED DRONES

China’s first fully solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle has successfully completed its maiden test flight with all onboard systems functioning optimally.

About:

With a wingspan of 164-ft, the drone is a large machine powered entirely by solar panels.
The high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) UAV can stay airborne for long durations.
Named the Qimingxing-50, or Morning Star-50, this drone flies above 20-km altitude where there is stable airflow with no clouds.
This helps these drones to make the maximum use of solar equipment to stay functional for extended durations.
The fact that the drone can operate in near-space – 20 km to 100 km above the Earth’s surface – makes it capable of carrying out satellite-like functions.

07 SEPTEMBER

KARTAVYA PATH

Delhi’s iconic Rajpath – stretching from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate – is all set to be renamed Kartavya Path (Path of Duty), with Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the revamped Central Vista Avenue on Thursday September 8.

About:

The avenue is part of the larger Central Vista project, where a new triangular Parliament Building, along with the Central Secretariat and several other Government offices are being rebuilt.
Called Kingsway during British rule, it was built as a ceremonial boulevard by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, the architects of New Delhi, in around 1920.
Running from Rashtrapati Bhavan on Raisina Hill through Vijay Chowk and India Gate, the avenue is lined on both sides by huge lawns, canals and rows of trees.
Following the independence of India, the road was given its Hindi name of ‘Rajpath’ in place of its English designation. This represented a mere translation than a renaming since ‘Rajpath’ in Hindi broadly means king’s way.
The construction work for the Central Vista Redevelopment Project started in February 2021, with the new Parliament building and redevelopment of central vista avenue as its first phase.

NATIONAL CENTRE FOR DISEASE CONTROL (NCDC)

Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya virtually laid the foundation stone for National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) branches in 6 States namely Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh.

About:

The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is an institute under the Indian Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Currently, NCDC has eight branches in States with focus on one or few diseases, these will be repurposed and new branches are being added with the mandate for integrated disease surveillance activities, dealing with Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR), multi-sectoral and entomological investigations etc.

CLIMATE REPARATION

Facing the worst flooding disaster in its history, Pakistan has begun demanding reparations, or compensation, from the rich countries that are mainly responsible for causing climate change.

About:

The demand for compensation for loss and damage from climate disasters is an extension of the universally acknowledged “Polluter Pays” principle that makes the polluter liable for paying not just for the cost of remedial action, but also for compensating the victims of environmental damage caused by their actions.
In the climate change framework, the burden of responsibility falls on those rich countries that have contributed most of the greenhouse gas emissions since 1850, generally considered to be the beginning of the industrial age.
Historical responsibility is important because carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for hundreds of years, and it is the cumulative accumulation of this carbon dioxide that causes global warming. A country like India, currently the third largest emitter, accounts for only 3% of historical emissions. China, which is the world’s biggest emitter for over 15 years now, has contributed about 11% to total emissions since 1850.
The Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM) for Loss and Damages, set up in 2013, was the first formal acknowledgment of the need to compensate developing countries struck by climate disasters.

INDIA-BANGLADESH TRADE

Following a meeting with the visiting Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India and Bangladesh will soon commence negotiations on a Bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

About:

In 2021-22, Bangladesh has emerged as the largest trade partner for India in South Asia and the fourth largest destination for Indian exports worldwide. Exports to Bangladesh grew more than 66 per cent from $9.69 billion in FY 2020-21 to $16.15 billion in FY 2021-22.
India is Bangladesh’s second biggest trade partner, and its largest export market in Asia. Despite Covid-19 related disruptions, bilateral trade grew at an unprecedented rate of almost 44 per cent from $10.78 billion in 2020-21 to $18.13 billion in 2021-22.
India’s main exports to Bangladesh are raw cotton, non-retail pure cotton yarn, and electricity, and its main imports from the country are pure vegetable oils, non-knit men’s suits, and textile scraps.

NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR SCHEDULED CASTES (NCSC)

National Commission for Scheduled Castes, Vice-Chairman Arun Haldar directed bankers to meet the targets set by the Central Government in implementing programmes for the welfare of SCs.

About:

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes is an Indian constitutional body under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India.
It has been established with a view to provide safeguards against the exploitation of Scheduled Castes to promote and protect their social, educational, economic and cultural interests, special provisions were made in the Constitution.
Article 338 of the Indian constitution deals with National Commission for Scheduled Castes.
The first Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was set up in August 1978.
Consequent upon the Constitution (Eighty-Ninth Amendment) Act, 2003 the erstwhile National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has been replaced by
- National Commission for Scheduled Castes and
- National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.

SEAT BELTS

Union minister Nitin Gadkari said that from now on wearing seat belts would be mandatory for all passengers in a car, including those on rear seats, and flouting the rule will attract penalty.

About:

The announcement was made only two days after former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry died in a car accident near Mumbai, and police probe later revealed that he was not wearing a seat belt.
The Union minister said that a fine already is in place for those not wearing the seat belt while on the front seats. However, the new rule will impose a penalty on for not fastening the belt even if passengers are sitting on the rear (backside) seats in a vehicle.
In February 2022, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways proposed that all the front-facing seats, including the rear-middle seat, must have a Y-shaped seat belt.

06 SEPTEMBER

PREVENTIVE DETENTIONS

Preventive detentions in 2021 saw a rise by over 23.7% compared with the year before, with over 1.1 lakh people being placed under preventive detention, according to statistics released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

About:

Of these, 483 were detentions under the National Security Act, of which almost half (241) were either in custody or still detained as of 2021-end.
Over 24,500 people placed under preventive detention were either in custody or still detained as of 2021-end — the highest since 2017 when the NCRB started recording this data.
The number of persons placed under detention has been increasing since 2017 — to over 98,700 in 2018 and over 1.06 lakh in 2019 — before dipping to 89,405 in 2020.
According to Section 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the police are empowered to make preventive arrests if they believe they must do so to prevent the commission of “any cognisable offence”. This detention can be extended beyond 24 hours if required “under any other provisions of this Code or of any other law”.

SEAT BELTS

While details of the tragic circumstances in which former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry lost his life are yet to be officially stated, it appears passengers in the back seat of the Mercedes were not wearing seatbelts.

About:

Seat belts came into existence in the late 1800s. Invented by George Cayley, an English aviation innovator, the original purpose behind their creation was to ensure that pilots were kept inside their gliders.
It was not until February 10, 1885 that the first patented seat belt came into existence.
Created by Edward J Claghorn, it was meant to keep tourists safe in New York City taxis. Ever since, seat belts have gradually made their way into our daily lives and have rightfully become our first line of defence while on the move on roads across the world.

The 3-point seat belt

The seat belt as we know it now came into existence in 1959 after Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin invented the V-type three-point seat belt at the behest of Volvo.
Up until then, seat belts were two-point lap belts — as we now see in aeroplanes.

Required by the law

Rule 138(3) of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, makes it mandatory for the rear passengers too to wear seat-belts.
Further, non-wearing of seat-belts by the driver or passengers has been made punishable with a fine of one thousand rupees according to Section 194B(1) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (as amended by the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019.

MOHENJODARO

The recent spell of heavy rains and floods that ravaged large parts of Pakistan’s Sindh province has also taken a heavy toll on the archaeological site of Mohenjodaro.

About:

In fact, the calamity has pushed the archeological site – situated on the bank of the Indus river – to the “brink of extinction”.
Mohenjo-daro, a group of mounds and ruins, is a 5000-year-old archaeological site located about 80-km off the city of Sukkur. It comprises the remnants of one of two main centres of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation, the other one being Harappa.
Mohenjo-daro, which means ‘mound of the dead’, was one of the oldest cities of the world.
Known to be a model planned city of the ancient civilisation, the houses here had bathrooms, toilets and drainage system. Though in ruins, the walls and brick pavements in the streets are still in a preserved condition.
The ruins of the city remained undocumented for around 3,700 years, until 1920, when archaeologist RD Banerji visited the site. Its excavation started in 1921 and continued in phases till 1964-65. The site went to Pakistan during Partition.

Other Indus Valley sites

The Indus Valley Civilisation spanned much of what is now Pakistan and the northern states of India (Gujarat, Haryana and Rajasthan), even extending towards the Iranian border.
Its major urban centres included Harappa and Mohenjo-daro in Pakistan, and Lothal, Kalibangan, Dholavira and Rakhigarhi in India.

PUPIL-TEACHER RATIO

The country has witnessed substantial reduction in pupil-teacher ratio over the last one decade.

About:

According to Ministry of Education, in Primary Schools, the pupil teacher ratio which was at 43 in 2010-11 has come down to 26.3 in 2020- 21.
While in Upper Primary schools, the pupil-teacher ratio has reduced from 33 in 2010-11 to 18.9 in 2020-21.
The Pupil Teacher Ratio at different levels of education show availability of adequate number of teachers for teaching children enrolled at different grade.
The increase in number of teachers in schools is contributing to focused delivery of education.

CREATIVE MINDS OF TOMORROW

The information and Broadcasting Ministry has invited entries for 75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow.

About:

The segment is an annual platform at the International Film Festival of India to identify, encourage and nurture young creative talents from across various aspects of filmmaking. The entries will be open till 23rd of this month.
The initiative was launched last year, as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
It was conceptualised by Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur to provide a platform and connect young talent with the masters of industry from the media and entertainment sector.
The initiative is also an another step in the direction of making India a content and post-production hub for the world, by identifying, nurturing and up-skilling young talent.
The 75 creative minds will be shortlisted and selected on the basis of their submissions by an eminent jury, under the aegis of the National Film Development Corporation.
This program identifies young budding film makers and provides them a platform to interact and learn from national as well as international film makers during the period of IFFI, Goa.

CONVERSION THERAPIES

The National Medical Commission (NMC), the apex regulatory body of medical professionals in India, has written to all State Medical Councils, banning conversion therapy and calling it a “professional misconduct”.

About:

The NMC was following a Madras High Court directive to issue an official notification listing conversion therapy as a wrong, under the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquettes and Ethics) Regulations, 2002.
Conversion or reparative therapy is an intervention aimed at changing the sexual orientation or gender identity of an individual with the use of either psychiatric treatment, drugs, exorcism and even violence, with the aim being to make the individual a heterosexual.
The conversion therapy umbrella also includes efforts to change the core identity of youth whose gender identity is incongruent with their sex anatomy.
Often, the therapy is offered by quacks with little expertise in dealing with the issue.

UGC RESEARCH SCHEMES

The University Grant Commission (UGC) launched new research fellowship and research grants schemes on the occasion of Teachers Day.

About:

They are Savitribai Jyotirao Phule Fellowship for Single Girl Child, Dr Radhakrishnan UGC Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Superannuated Faculty Members Fellowship, Research Grant for In-Service Faculty Members and Dr D S Kothari Research Grant for Newly Recruited Faculty Members.
UGC has been giving research grants from time to time in different kinds of fellowship to enable the research ecosystem in the Universities across the country.

University Grants Commission (UGC)

UGC is a statutory body set up by the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education in accordance to the UGC Act 1956 and is charged with maintenance of standards of higher education in India.
It provides recognition to universities in India, and disbursements of funds to such recognized universities and colleges.
The headquarters are in New Delhi.

5 SEPTEMBER

ROAD ACCIDENTS

Former Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry was killed in a road accident on the National Highway in Maharashtra’s Palghar district. The tragedy has once again spotlighted the high numbers of fatalities that Indian roads witness every year.

About:

According to data collected by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), there are around 1.5 lakh deaths on India’s roads every year, of which one third are accounted for by National Highways.
According to the data, in the past five years, while road accidents dipped from 4,45,730 in 2017 to 4,03,116 in 2021, deaths in these accidents increased from 1,50,093 to 1,55,622 in the same period.
A similar trend is seen on the National Highways. While the number of accidents on National Highways in 2017 stood at 1,30,942, as many as 50,859 people died in them.
In 2021, while the number of National Highway accidents dipped to 1,22,204, the number of deaths increased to 53,615.
According to the data, barring the pandemic year of 2020, which saw long periods of lockdowns, the data on accidents and deaths have been consistently hovering around 4.4 lakh and 1.5 lakh respectively through the period between 2017 and 2021.

RAMON MAGSAYSAY AWARD

Former Kerala Health Minister and Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] central committee member K.K. Shailaja, MLA, has declined the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation’s offer to consider her for the international honour in 2022.

About:

The foundation wanted to honour her for the public service and community leadership during the Nipah outbreak and COVID-19 pandemic in Kerala. However, Ms. Shailaja felt she could not accept the offer extended to her as an individual since the effort was collective.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award, widely considered to be Asia’s equivalent to the Nobel Prize, recognises outstanding leadership and communitarian contributions in Asia.
The prize was established in April 1957 by the trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund based in New York City with the concurrence of the Philippine government.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award is presented in formal ceremonies in Manila, Philippines on August 31st, the birth anniversary of the much-esteemed Philippine President whose ideals inspired the Award’s creation in 1957.
From 1958 to 2008, the Award was given in six categories annually: (1) Government Service, (2) Public Service, (3) Community Leadership, (4) Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts, (5) Peace and International Understanding and (6) Emergent Leadership.
Starting in 2009, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is no longer being given in fixed Award categories, except for Emergent Leadership.

Indian winners on the list

Prominent Indians who have won the award include Vinoba Bhave in 1958, Mother Teresa in 1962, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay in 1966, Satyajit Ray in 1967, Mahasweta Devi in 1997.
In recent years, Arvind Kejriwal (2006), Anshu Gupta of Goonj (2015), human rights activist Bezwada Wilson (2016), and journalist Ravish Kumar (2019) have won the award.

SAVAJ

Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the mascot and the anthem for the 36th National Games at Trans Stadia in Ahmedabad.

About:

The mascot is named as Savaj which means cub in Gujarati. The anthem is based on the theme of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
The National Games will be organised between 29th of this month to 12th of next month at six cities in the state namely Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Bhavnagar.
The event also witnessed the closing of 11th Khel Mahakumbh. Winners of Khel Mahakumbh were given away prizes at the hands of Mr. Shah.

GASTECH MILAN-2022

Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri will lead an official and business delegation to Milan, Italy from to attend the Gastech Milan-2022.

About:

Gastech, the World’s largest gathering focussed on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as an abated bridge fuel will bring together leading Ministers and CEOs to discuss the evolving energy landscape, assess post-pandemic economic recovery and navigate a route to a just energy transition.

INS SATPURA

INS Satpura visited Suva, Fiji from 01 – 03 September 2022 as part of its Operational Deployment in the Pacific Ocean.

About:

The ship’s visit is aimed at further strengthening the friendship and cooperation between the two nations.
Built at Mazagaon Docks Ltd, Mumbai, and commissioned on 20 August 2011, INS Satpura derives her name from the majestic Satpura mountain range in central India.
A frontline warship of the Eastern Fleet based at Visakhapatnam, INS Satpura is currently on one of the longest deployments by the Indian Navy in the 75th year of India’s Independence.
Fiji is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean.

CYRUS MISTRY

Cyrus P. Mistry, industrialist and former chairman of Tata Sons, was killed in a road accident about 150 km from Mumbai when the car he was travelling in hit a road divider.

About:

Cyrus Pallonji Mistry (1968 – 2022) was an Indian-born Irish businessman. He was the former chairperson of the Tata Group, an Indian business conglomerate, from 2012 to 2016.
He was the sixth chairman of the group, and only the second (after Nowroji Saklatwala) not to bear the surname Tata.
In October 2016, the board of Tata Group’s holding company, Tata Sons, voted to remove Mistry from the post of chairman. Former chairman Ratan Tata then returned as interim chairman, and Natarajan Chandrasekaran was named as the new chairman a few months later.
He owned an 18.4% stake in Tata Sons, through his company, Cyrus Investments Pvt. Ltd.

3 SEPTEMBER

BAIL PROVISIONS

Chief Justice of India, U.U. Lalit, in its order on activist Teesta Setalvad on September 2, made an oral observation that under Section 437 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), a woman is entitled to favourable treatment.

About:

He was referring to a provision that says being a woman is a possible ground for granting bail, even when otherwise it cannot be considered.
Section 437 of the CrPC deals with bail in case of non-bailable offences.
It says a person shall not be released on bail if there is reasonable ground to believe that he has committed an offence punishable with death or life imprisonment; or, if he has been previously been convicted for an offence punishable with death, life imprisonment, or for a term of seven years or more; or been convicted on two or more occasions on other offences with a term between three and seven years.
However, it also contains exceptions in a proviso that says the court may grant bail even in these cases, “if such person is under the age of 16 or is a woman or is sick or infirm”.
There are several provisions in criminal law that give special consideration to women.
For instance, when a police officer requires the attendance of any person who he believes is acquainted with a case under investigation, the person has to appear before the officer (Section 160).
However, no woman shall be required to do so at any place other than the place in which she resides.

NANO UREA

Nano urea, a product developed by the Indian Farmers and Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) and heavily advertised by the Central government as a panacea to reduce farmer dependence on packaged urea, is yet to be fully tested despite having been fast-tracked for commercial application.

About:

Normally, three seasons of independent assessment by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is required for approving a new fertilizer, but in the case of nano urea this was reduced to two.
Nano urea is a patented and indigenously made liquid that contains nanoparticles of urea, the most crucial chemical fertilizer for farmers in India. A single half-litre bottle of the liquid can compensate for a 45 kg sack of urea that farmers traditionally rely on, it is claimed.

INFLATABLE AERODYNAMIC DECELERATOR (IAD)

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully demonstrated a new technology with Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (IAD).

About:

Designed and developed by ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), IAD is a game-changer with multiple applications for future missions including to Mars and Venus.
The IAD was successfully test flown in a ‘Rohini’ sounding rocket from Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station.
Rohini sounding rockets are routinely used for flight demonstration of new technologies being developed by ISRO as well as by scientists from India and abroad.
The IAD was initially folded and kept inside the payload bay of the rocket. At around 84 km altitude, the IAD was inflated and it descended through the atmosphere with the payload part of a sounding rocket.
The IAD has systematically reduced the velocity of the payload through aerodynamic drag and followed the predicted trajectory.

NATIONAL LEGAL SERVICES AUTHORITY OF INDIA (NALSA)

Senior Judge of Supreme Court of India Justice DY Chandrachud has been nominated as the Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority of India (NALSA).

About:

Justice DY Chandrachud was appointed Judge of the Supreme Court of India on 13th May 2016. Earlier, he served as Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court.
National Legal Services Authority of India (NALSA) was formed in 1995 under the authority of the Legal Services Authorities Act 1987.
Its purpose is to provide free legal services to eligible candidates (defined in Sec. 12 of the Act), and to organize Lok Adalats for speedy resolution of cases.
The Chief Justice of India is patron-in-chief of NALSA while the second senior-most Judge of the Supreme Court of India is the Executive-Chairman.
There is a provision for similar mechanism at state and district level also headed by Chief Justice of High Courts and Chief Judges of District courts respectively.
It was formed in 1995.
It is headquartered in New Delhi.

DARK SPACE RESERVE

In a unique and first-of-its-kind initiative, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has undertaken to set up India’s first-ever Night Sky Sanctuary in Ladakh. It will be completed within the next three months.

About:

The proposed Dark Sky Reserve will be located at Hanle in Ladakh as a part of Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary. It will boost Astro tourism in India and will be one of the world’s highest-located sites for optical, infrared, and gamma-ray telescopes.
A tripartite MoU was signed recently among the UT administration, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council LAHDC Leh and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, IIA, for launching the Dark Space Reserve.

INDIAN ECONOMY

India is set to become the third largest economy in the world by 2029.

About:

A State Bank of India report said India will surpass Germany in 2027 and most likely Japan by 2029 at the current rate of growth.
The report said that the country has undergone a large structural shift since 2014 and is now the 5th largest economy overtaking the United Kingdom.
The path taken by India since 2014 reveals the country is likely to get the tag of 3rd largest economy in 2029, a movement of 7 places upwards since 2014 when India was ranked 10th, it said. The report is authored by Soumya Kanti Ghosh, group chief economic adviser, SBI.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, the International Monetary Fund’s own forecasts show India overtaking the UK in dollar terms on an annual basis this year. This has put India, the Asian powerhouse, just behind the US, China, Japan and Germany.

2 SEPTEMBER 2022

SUPER TYPHOON ‘HINNAMNOR’

The strongest tropical storm of 2022, dubbed Super Typhoon ‘Hinnamnor’, has been barrelling across the western Pacific Ocean and is presently hurtling back towards the islands of Japan and South Korea, packing wind speeds of upto 241 kilometres per hour.

About:

As of September 1, 2022, the category 5 typhoon — the highest classification on the scale — was about 230 km away from Japan’s Okinawa prefecture.
one of the factors contributing to the Super Typhoon rapidly intensifying and expanding is the fact that it has started absorbing other local meteorological systems. Warm tropical waters and other pre-existing meteorological disturbances have also led to the system’s escalation.

UIGHURS / UYGHURS

The Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council (HRC) accused China of serious human rights violations that may amount to “crimes against humanity” in a report examining a crackdown on Uighurs / Uyghurs and other ethnic groups.

About:

Human rights groups have accused China of sweeping a million or more people from the minority groups into detention camps, where many have said they were tortured, sexually assaulted, and forced to abandon their language and religion.
There are about 12 million Uyghurs, mostly Muslim, living in Xinjiang, which is officially known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).
The Uyghurs speak their own language, which is similar to Turkish, and see themselves as culturally and ethnically close to Central Asian nations. They make up less than half of the Xinjiang population.
Recent decades have seen a mass migration of Han Chinese (China’s ethnic majority) into Xinjiang, allegedly orchestrated by the state to dilute the minority population there.
China has also been accused of targeting Muslim religious figures and banning religious practices in the region, as well as destroying mosques and tombs.

CERVAVAC

India’s first indigenously developed vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, CERVAVAC, will likely cost ₹200-400 a shot and be commercially available later this year, Adar Poonawalla, CEO, Serum Institute of India (SII), said.

About:

CERVAVAC, developed by SII, was approved by the Drug Controller General of India in July.
CERVAVAC is a quadrivalent vaccine, meaning it is effective against at least four variants of cancer-causing Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), and resulted from a partnership of DBT’s Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that supported Serum’s development efforts.
Annually, about 1.25 lakh women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and over 75,000 die from the disease in India. Close to 83% of invasive cervical cancers in India and and 70% of cases worldwide are attributed to HPV-types 16 or 18.
HPV transmission is influenced by sexual activity and age. Almost 75% of all sexually active adults are likely to be infected with at least one HPV type. A vast majority of the infections resolve itself.

UGC PROPOSES CLUSTERING OF COLLEGES

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has finalised guidelines for transforming colleges and universities into multidisciplinary institutions and has prescribed three different approaches which include “clustering” of establishments located in proximity to each other.

About:

The UGC will make public its “Guidelines for transforming higher educational institutions into multidisciplinary institutions”.
These aim to help State governments and universities frame appropriate rules and policies. Promoting multidisciplinary institutions was a key recommendation of the National Education Policy, 2020.
The UGC has suggested academic collaboration between institutions through “clusters” of higher education institutions (HEIs) in order to promote multidisciplinary education and research in online and offline modes.
The cluster system will help single-stream institutions with poor enrolment due to lack of employment-oriented, innovative multidisciplinary courses and lack of financial resources and help such centres improve their grades in National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) accreditation.

CRIME MULTI AGENCY CENTRE (Cri-MAC)

At least seven States and one Union Territory have given the cold shoulder to the Centre’s online platform meant to share information and coordinate action among law enforcement agencies on serious criminal incidents, including human trafficking, data show.

About:

The Crime Multi Agency Centre (Cri-MAC) was launched in 2020 by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to share information on crime and criminals 24×7 with various law enforcement agencies and ensure a seamless flow of information among them.
The application run by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) aims to help in early detection and prevention of crime incidents across the country.

VOSTOK-2022

An Indian Army contingent comprising troops from 7/8 Gorkha Rifles is participating in the multilateral strategic and command exercise ‘Vostok-2022’ which commenced at the training grounds of the eastern military district in Russia.

About:

The exercise also includes participation by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
The exercise is aimed at interaction and coordination amongst other participating military contingents and observers. The exercise is scheduled to be held from Sept. 01 to 07.
Russia has stated that Vostok-2022 will be conducted in two phases.
Participating contingents include observers from the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and other partner states.

IRON ORE MINING IN KARNATAKA

On August 26, 2022, the Supreme Court raised the ceiling limit of iron ore mining for Ballari (from 28 MMT to 35 MMT), Chitradurga and Tumakuru districts (from 7 MMT to 15 MMT collectively) in Karnataka, saying that the conservation of ecology and environment must go hand in hand with the spirit of economic development.

About:

Earlier, on May 20, 2022, the apex court had relaxed the ban on sale outside the State and export of already excavated iron ore from mines in these three districts. Ten years after it clamped down on production and sale of iron ore in Karnataka, the Court has relaxed its own orders.

Background

In 2012, the SC banned export of iron ore pellets from Karnataka with an aim to prevent environmental degradation.
Following the ban, the Supreme Court directed the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) to draw up a reclamation and rehabilitation plan to reverse the environmental damage caused by illegal mining.
Taking cognisance of the course correction by the government, it relaxed its 2011 order since the situation had now “changed for the better”.

1 SEPTEMBER 2022

PERESTROIKA AND GLASNOST

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, has died at the age 91.

About:

But throughout his obituaries, two specific words will likely be repeated: glasnost and perestroika. Those two transliterations of Russian words were synonymous with his campaign for reforming Soviet society through policies, and the latter was the title of his 1982 book Perestroika: New Thinking for Our Country and the World.
Shortly after Gorbachev became the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1985, he ramped up talk about glasnost—meaning “openness,” particularly openness of information—and perestroika, meaning a “restructuring,” specifically of the Communist economy and political system.
The terms went hand-in-hand because, together, the reforms they described would make the Soviet Union more democratic and incorporate some features of capitalism to revitalize the economy.

ONCOLYTIC VIRUSES (OVs)

A new study published in the journal Cancer Cell suggests that the body’s immune capacity against cancer — to recognise and destroy cancer cells — can be boosted by using oncolytic viruses.

About:

Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are viruses that selectively target and kill cancer cells while sparing normal ones. The study notes that these viruses also enhance the immune system’s ability to recognise and terminate cancer cells.
Although long theorised, the research into oncolytic virotherapy picked up only in the 1960s. Of late, there have been several trials looking at different viruses for cancer treatment.
The latest study focused on the virus known as myxoma and it found that T-cells infected with myxoma virus can lead to a type of cancer cell death not previously observed.

PORT WINE STAIN

The most distinguishing feature of Mikhail Gorbachev, former Soviet leader’s appearance was a large, deep red blemish on his almost bald forehead.

About:

What Gorbachev had was a birthmark that is called a ‘port wine stain’, a name that derives from the way it looks. It was easy to imagine the mark as being a bit of deep red or purple liquid spilt on the former leader’s head.
People who have the mark are usually born with it, most often on the face or arms. On more than six out of 10 occasions, port wine stains appear on the head or neck.
The stain is for life, even though it may sometimes become thicker, darken, or develop a bumpy or ridged texture as the person grows older.
A port wine stain is caused by an abnormal development of blood vessels, sometimes called a capillary malformation, due to a mutation early in the pregnancy when the baby is developing in the womb.
Port wine stains are not the same as a similar birthmark that is known as ‘strawberry hemangiomas’. This is a non-cancerous tumour that is formed under the skin due to the clumping of blood vessels, and appears as a somewhat raised, dark red patch.

ARTEMIS (LUNAR GODDESS)

Artemis I will send a rocket without a crew on a monthlong journey around the Moon.

About:

The programme aims to increase women’s participation in space exploration. In addition, the Artemis I mission will carry two mannequins designed to study the effects of radiation on women’s bodies so that NASA can learn how to protect female astronauts better.
The Greeks and Romans associated Artemis with the Moon, and she has also become a modern-day feminist icon.
Artemis was a major deity in ancient Greece, worshiped at least as early as the beginning of the first millennium B.C., or even earlier.
She was a daughter of Zeus, the chief god of the Olympians, who ruled the world from the summit of Mount Olympus. She was also the twin sister of Apollo, god of the Sun and oracles.
Her independence and strength have long inspired women in a wide range of activities.
As the goddess of animals and the wilderness, Artemis has also inspired environmental conservancy programs, in which the goddess is viewed as an example of a woman exercising her power by caring for the planet.

HUBBALI-DHARWAD

The Karnataka High Court has allowed Ganesh festival celebrations to go on at the grounds of the Hubbali-Dharwad Idgah, saying that unlike in the case of the Bengaluru Idgah, there is no dispute about the title. The Anjuman-e-Islam has challenged the order in the Supreme Court.

About:

The Idgah, one of three in Hubbali, is said to have been traditionally used by local Muslims to offer Ramzan and Bakrid prayers.
The land was acquired by the Hubbali Municipality in the early years of the 20th century.
Hubbali and Dharwad are twin cities in the Indian state of Karnataka.
Hubbali-Dharwad form the second-largest municipality of Karnataka in terms of area, after capital Bangalore and second largest city after Bangalore. Hubbali–Dharwad makes up for the second largest urban agglomeration in the state after Bangalore.
The cities have a single municipal corporation called Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC).

BHANG

While granting bail to a man arrested on June 1 for possessing 29 kg of bhang and 400 g of ganja, Karnataka High Court recently observed that nowhere in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act is bhang referred to as a prohibited drink or prohibited drug.

About:

The single judge Bench relied on two earlier judgments, Madhukar vs the State of Maharashtra, 2002 and Arjun Singh vs State of Haryana, 2004, where the courts had ruled that bhang is not ganja, and is therefore not covered under the NDPS Act.
Bhang is the edible preparation made from the leaves of the cannabis plant, often incorporated into drinks such as thandai and lassi, along with various foods.
Bhang has been consumed in the Indian subcontinent for centuries, and is frequently consumed during the festivals of Holi and Mahashivratri.

CHINOOK HELICOPTERS

The US Army has grounded its fleet of CH-47 Chinook helicopters after finding the helicopter to be at risk of engine fires. The Indian Air Force (IAF) also operates a fleet of Chinook Helicopters.

About:

The US Army operates around 400 Chinook helicopters which are medium-lift, multi-role helicopters manufactured by Boeing who perform a variety of tasks in support of Army operations.
The Chinook fleet has been grounded by the US Army as it is suspected that some engine fires broke out on an unspecified number of helicopters.

What implications does this development have for IAF?

The IAF operates a fleet of 15 Chinook helicopters and it has not grounded them as it awaits more word on the US development.
The Chinooks were inducted into the IAF in 2019 in a ceremony at Chandigarh. One Helicopter Unit of Chinooks is based in Chandigarh while the other is based at Mohanbari airbase in Assam.

August

30 AUGUST

UN HIGH SEAS TREATY

Negotiations involving 168 countries, including the European Union, to agree on a UN treaty for protecting oceans failed on August 27.

What is the proposed UN High Seas treaty?

Also referred to as the ‘Paris Agreement for the Ocean’, the treaty to deal with Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction has been under discussion for several years.
The proposed treaty concerns the ocean existing beyond the Exclusive Economic Zones that lie from the coast of a country to about 200 nautical miles or 370 km into the sea, till where it has special rights for exploration. Waters beyond that are known as open seas or high seas.
The treaty was to be negotiated under the United Nations Convention on Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982 which governs the rights of countries regarding marine resources.
As there is no treaty for conserving the health of vast swathes of the earth’s oceans, a UN resolution in 2017 had decided to rectify this while setting 2022 as the deadline.

STANDALONE 5G ARCHITECTURE

India’s largest telecom company Reliance Jio announced the launch of its 5G services in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai by Diwali this year, with an aim to expand and cover the entire country by December 2023.

About:

The company said it will launch its 5G services on a “standalone” 5G architecture, against the “non-standalone” approach that other operators are betting on.
5G networks are deployed mainly on two modes: standalone and non-standalone.
In the standalone mode, which Jio has chosen, the 5G network operates with dedicated equipment, and runs parallel to the existing 4G network, while in the non-standalone mode, the 5G network is supported by the 4G core infrastructure.
The standalone mode provides access to full 5G capabilities and new network functionalities such as slicing that provides greater flexibility to operators to efficiently use their spectrum holdings.
Non-standalone networks are generally considered to be a stepping stone, and global precedent suggests operators that have launched non-standalone 5G networks eventually transition to standalone networks. The non-standalone mode, however, lets operators maximise the utilisation of their existing network infrastructure with relatively lower investment.

NETHERLANDS

President Droupadi Murmu discussed the various aspects of bilateral relation between India and the Netherlands with Queen Máxima of the Netherlands.

About:

During the discussion, the two leaders discussed the universal financial inclusion initiatives. Queen Máxima appreciated the progress made in India in this direction in the last few years.
President Droupadi Murmu noted that the ‘Strategic Partnership on Water’ launched during the India-Netherlands virtual Summit in last year and other dimensions of bilateral relations have witnessed improvement in recent years. Queen Máxima is on a three day visit to India.
The Netherlands is a country located in Northwestern Europe with overseas territories in the Caribbean.
It is the largest of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The Netherlands borders Germany to the east, Belgium to the south, with a North Sea coastline to the north and west. It shares maritime borders with the United Kingdom, Germany and Belgium in the North Sea.

INTERNATIONAL DRIVING PERMIT (IDP)

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued a notification on 26 August 2022 for greater facilitation of citizens in the issue of International Driving Permit (IDP) across the country.

About:

India, being a signatory to Convention on International Road Traffic of 1949 (Geneva Convention), is required to issue IDP as provided under this Convention, for the acceptance of the same on reciprocal basis with other countries.
Currently, the format, size, pattern, colour etc. of the IDP being issued was differing across States in India. Due to this, many citizens were facing difficulties with their respective IDP in foreign countries.
Now, through this amendment, the format, size, colour etc. for IDP has been standardized for issuance across India, and in adherence to the Geneva Convention.
A comparison of vehicle categories across various Conventions and Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 has also been added for facilitation of regulatory authorities. Helpline numbers and email have also been provided.

Source : PIB

DEVELOPMENT OF ENTERPRISES AND SERVICES HUB (DESH)

A Workshop on Development of Enterprises and Services Hub (DESH) Bill, 2022 was organized by Department of Commerce. The workshop was organised in partnership with Export Promotion Council for EOUs and SEZs (EPCES).

About:

The government plans to facilitate easier financing norms to activities pertaining to the manufacturing and services hubs envisaged under the proposed revamped law for Special Economic Zones (SEZs), also known as Development (Enterprise and Services) Hub Bill, 2022.
This will be done by giving them infrastructure status, at par with sectors such as road, rail waterways, airports, to improve access to finance and enable long-term borrowing from lenders at easier terms.

FLOODS IN PAKISTAN

Extending “heartfelt condolences” to victims of the floods in Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was saddened by the crisis, in a rare outreach to the neighbouring country on a day Pakistan’s Finance Minister said he could consider reopening trade routes with India.

About:

While Europe, China and some other regions of the world are experiencing a severe drought, Pakistan is facing one of the worst floods in its recent history.
Reports say about 110 of the 150 districts in the country are affected by the flooding. Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Sunday that over 1,000 people were confirmed dead in the floods so far.
The flooding, the result of an unusually wet monsoon season in Pakistan this year, started in July, but has worsened over the last couple of weeks.
The same southwest monsoon that brings the bulk of India’s annual rainfall causes rain in Pakistan as well.
The monsoon season in Pakistan, however, is a little shorter than in India. That is because the rain-bearing monsoon winds take time to travel northward from India into Pakistan.

CRIMES IN INDIA

Violent crimes such as rape, kidnapping, atrocities against children, and robberies registered across India increased in 2021, after the pandemic-related restrictions led to a decline in these severe offences in 2020.

About:

Murders, which did not come down even in 2020, continued to increase in 2021 too, according to data from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)’s 2021 report.
The number of registered rape cases increased from 28,046 in 2020 to 31,677 in 2021, closer to the 2019 figure of 32,032. Cases related to kidnapping and abduction fell to 84,805 in 2020 from 1,05,036 cases in 2019, but again rose to 1,01,707 in 2021.
On the other hand, murder cases continued their consistent increase with 29,272 cases in 2021, up from 29,193 in 2020 and 28,915 in 2019.
However, the number of overall registered cognisable crimes decreased from 66 lakh in 2020 to 60.9 lakh in 2021, a 7.6% fall.
The crime rate (crimes per 1 lakh people) also decreased from 487.8 in 2020 to 445.9 in 2021.
The decline in overall crimes in 2021 can be attributed to a sharp decrease in cases registered under ‘disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant (Section 188 of the IPC).

29 AUGUST

CYBER THREAT TO MOBILE BANKING

The lack of adequate cybersecurity and the dearth of talent in banking could potentially lead to a further rise in cyberattacks on user devices.

About:

According to a 2020 Statista survey across 25 States in India, two-third respondents said they had a smartphone.
Of these, half said they sent and received money digitally, and about 31% said they had a mobile app for banking. Nearly 14% said they used their mobile phones for banking-related purposes.
Global cybersecurity firm Kaspersky warns of an increase in cyberattacks on Android and iOS devices in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.
One mobile banking trojan, called Anubis, has been targeting Android users since 2017. Roaming Mantis is another prolific malware targeting mobile banking users.
There is push from regulators to make payment platforms interoperable at a time when the demand for technical experts is a serious concern in the banking industry.

POSITIVE INDIGENISATION LIST (PIL)

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved the third Positive Indigenisation List (PIL) of 780 strategically important line replacement units (LRU), sub-systems and components, with a timeline beyond which they will only be procured from the domestic industry.

About:

This is different from the three PILs announced for the armed forces.
This was done in line with the effort to promote self-reliance in defence manufacturing, and minimising imports by the defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs).
This list is in continuation to the two PILs of LRUs, sub-systems, assemblies, sub-assemblies and components that were published in December 2021 and March 2022.
These lists contain 2,500 items which are already indigenised and 458 (351+107) items which will be indigenised within the given timelines.
Out of the 458 items, 167 items (163 from the first PIL, and four from the second PIL) have been indigenised, so far.
The Ministry explained that indigenisation of these items will be taken up through different routes under the ‘Make’ category of procurement procedure.

WILLIAM RUTO

William Ruto won the Presidential elections in Kenya earlier this month in an extremely close fight, even as the chaos continued and parties broke into fights at the election centre amid allegations of irregularities.

About Kenya:

Kenya is a country in Eastern Africa. Kenya’s capital and largest city is Nairobi, while its oldest, currently second largest city, and first capital is the coastal city of Mombasa.
Kenya is bordered by South Sudan to the northwest, Ethiopia to the north, Somalia to the east, Uganda to the west, Tanzania to the south, and the Indian Ocean to the southeast.
Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro.

SUBRAMANIAM BALAJI VS TAMIL NADU JUDGMENT (2013)

The Supreme Court referred to a three-judge Bench a series of petitions seeking a judicial direction that political parties who make “wild” promises of largesse should also reveal in their poll manifestos where they will get the money to pay for them.

About:

The 2013 Balaji judgment states that election manifesto promises do not amount to ‘corrupt practice’ under Section 123 of the Representation of People Act.
This revisit by the Supreme Court on its earlier judgment is unique as the court is exploring whether judicial parameters can be set on a purely political act of promising freebies.
In its order, the court foresees that “freebies may create a situation wherein the State government cannot provide basic amenities due to lack of funds and the State is pushed towards imminent bankruptcy”.
The court said it wants a transparent debate before the three-judge Bench on whether an “enforceable” judicial order can stop political parties from promising and distributing ‘irrational freebies’.
The case is unique as the Supreme Court is exploring whether judicial parameters can be set on a purely political act of promising freebies.

KUTCH BRANCH CANAL (KBC)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 357.18-kilometer-long Kutch Branch Canal (KBC) that stretched from the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Dam in Narmada district 750 kilometres away, to the last of the villages of Gujarat’s Mandvi taluka, Mod Kuba.

About:

Built at the cost of Rs 6493 crore, Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL) officials acclaim KBC as the “longest branch canal in the world”.
The project began around 2008 and passes over Dudhai village which was the epicentre of the 2001 earthquake.
While the construction of the branch canal was completed in May, about 1200 km of a total of 5000 km network of minor canals for laying the distribution network is yet to be completed.

FULL COURT MEETING

Within hours of taking over, the new Chief Justice of India U U Lalit called a meeting of the ‘full court’ where the judges discussed how to deal with issues relating to listing and backlog of cases.

About:

A full court meeting literally means one which is attended by all the judges of the court.
When is it held? There are no written rules dealing with this.
As per convention, full-court meetings are called by the Chief Justice of India to discuss issues of importance to the judiciary. The senior designations of practising advocates in the Supreme Court and high courts are also decided during the full court meetings.
As a full court meeting is convened at the discretion of the Chief Justice of India, it does not follow any particular calendar.

27 AUGUST

SECTION 9A IN THE REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT, 1951

Uncertainty looms large over Hemant Soren’s continuation as Jharkhand Chief Minister as he is likely to be disqualified by the Governor as Member of the Legislative Assembly; the Governor has received the Election Commission of India’s opinion on the question.

About:

The case against him has its roots in a mining lease that he gave himself as a Minister for Mines in 2021. The BJP complained to the Governor on February 11, 2022, that this act was in violation of Section 9(A) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
On August 25, the ECI wrote to the Governor that Mr. Soren could be disqualified under Section 9(A). The awarding of a mining lease to himself was a brazen act of self-service, misuse of office and breach of people’s trust.

Section 9A in The Representation of the People Act, 1951

Section 9A in The Representation of the People Act, 1951 deals with Disqualification for Government contracts, etc.
It says that “A person shall be disqualified if, and for so long as, there subsists a contract entered into by him in the course of his trade or business with the appropriate Government for the supply of goods to, or for the execution of any works undertaken by, that Government.”

CBI CONVICTION RATE

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recorded a conviction rate of 67.56% in 2021, compared to 69.83% in 2020, according to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) annual report.

About:

The CBI registered 680 regular cases and 67 preliminary enquiries last year, while it had registered 589 regular cases and 87 preliminary enquiries in 2020.
Last year, court judgments were received in 360 cases, which included 202 convictions, 82 acquittals and 15 of discharge from allegations. In 61 matters, cases were disposed of on other reasons. At the end of the year, a total of 10,232 cases were pending in various courts.
In 2021, investigations were pending in 982 cases, whereas the figure stood at 1,117 the previous year. The probe was finalised in 798 regular cases and 86 preliminary inquiries last year.
Of the total cases instituted last year, 457 pertained to various charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act. They involved 549 public servants, of whom 221 were gazetted officers.
As per the report, 102 cases were registered for demand of bribe by public servants for showing favour and 40 for possession of disproportionate assets. Of the 747 cases, — 133 were taken up on court directions and 37 on references from State governments and Union Territories.
The CBI said that in 2021-end, 177 cases were pending for grant of sanction for prosecution under Prevention of Corruption Act.

VISHNUGAD PIPALKOTI HYDRO ELECTRIC PROJECT (VPHEP)

An independent panel of the World Bank is considering a plea by residents of Haat village, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand to investigate environmental damage from the under-construction Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydro Electric Project (VPHEP) in the district.

About:

The 444-MW VPHEP is being built by the Tehri Hydropower Development Corporation (THDC), a partially State-owned enterprise. The project is primarily funded by the World Bank and was sanctioned in 2011. It is proposed to be completed in June 2023.
About 40% of the funds for the $792 million project (₹64,000 crore approx.) has already been disbursed.
Residents in their complaint have said muck dumping from the dam threatens the local Lakshmi Narayan Temple, which is deemed to be of historical and cultural importance by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

TANZANIA

India and Tanzania plan to form a task force to prepare a five year ‘future road map’ for enhancing defence cooperation between the nations and to hold the next Joint Defence Cooperation meeting in Tanzania soon.

About:

This was agreed at the bilateral meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Tanzanian Minister of Defence.
Tanzania is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region.
It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to the south; Zambia to the southwest; and Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west.
Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, is in northeastern Tanzania.
Three of Africa’s Great Lakes are partly within Tanzania. To the north and west lie Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake, and Lake Tanganyika, the continent’s deepest lake, known for its unique species of fish. To the south lies Lake Malawi.

ZORAWAR’ LIGHT TANK

With the experience of deploying armour at an altitude of 15,000 ft. to outmanoeuvre the movement of Chinese forces during the stand-off in eastern Ladakh, the Indian Army is prioritising the procurement of the indigenous Indian light tank named ‘Zorawar’, for deployment in the mountains.

About:

In addition to the light tank, the Army will induct niche technologies such as loitering munitions, anti-drone capabilities and next generation Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.
The recent experiences along the northern borders have shown that armour equipment profile is one of the most prominent factors in defining the operational capability of land forces.

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HOMOEOPATHY, NARELA

Union Minister of Ayush Shri Sarbananda Sonowal visited the National Institute of Homoeopathy (NIH) at Narela, Delhi.

About:

NIH, Narela is a satellite Institute of the National Institute of Homoeopathy, Kolkata and will be the first of its kind to be established in Northern India.
The foundation stone for the National Institute of Homoeopathy at Narela Delhi was laid in 2018. This Institute will produce high quality professionals in various streams of Homoeopathy.

CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA (CJI)

Justice Uday Umesh Lalit has been sworn-in as Chief Justice of India.

About:

President Draupadi Murmu will administer him oath as the 49th Chief Justice of India at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Justice UU Lalit will be in office for 74 days, a tenure shorter than average.
Justice Lalit was involved in some landmark judgements in past and will also handle some major cases in his tenure as Chief Justice. In past, he was involved in the landmark judgement in the Triple Talaq case.
He practised in the Bombay High Court till 1985 and moved to Delhi in 1986.

26 AUGUST 2022

KRISHNAMURTHY V SUBRAMANIAN

Former chief economic adviser (CEA) Krishnamurthy V Subramanian will take over as the next executive director (ED) for India at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from November 1. He will replace economist Surjit Bhalla.

About:

According to an order by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, Subramanian’s term will continue for a period of three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Bhalla was appointed in 2019 after then ED for India and former RBI deputy governor Subir Gokarn died in July that year.
After completing a three-year tenure as the CEA in December 2021, Subramanian returned to ISB Hyderabad where he is serving as a professor.
A PhD in financial economics from the Booth School of Business, University of Chicago, and an alumnus of IIM Calcutta as well as IIT Kanpur, Subramanian is an expert in banking, corporate governance and economic policy.

ARTH GANGA

Asok Kumar, the Director General of the National Mission for Clean Ganga, spoke about the Arth Ganga model during his virtual keynote address to the Stockholm World Water Week 2022.

About:

PM Modi first introduced the concept during the first National Ganga Council meeting in Kanpur in 2019, where he urged for a shift from Namami Gange, the Union Government’s flagship project to clean the Ganga, to the model of Arth Ganga.
The latter focuses on the sustainable development of the Ganga and its surrounding areas, by focusing on economic activities related to the river.
At its core, the Arth Ganga model seeks to use economics to bridge people with the river.
Do You Know? Since 1991, the Stockholm International Water Institute has been organising the World Water Week every year to address global water concerns.

LEGAL METROLOGY (PACKAGED COMMODITIES) RULES 2011

The central government has amended the legal metrology (packaged commodities) rules 2011 for ease of doing business and reducing the compliance burden for the garment or hosiery sold in loose or open.

About:

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said that the amendment exempts the garment or hosiery industry selling in loose or open from 6 declarations required under the legal metrology (packaged commodities) rules, 2011.
The notification issued is for ease of doing business by reducing compliance burden to industries without compromising the interest of consumers by declaring the information relevant to consumers.

EXPORT POLICY FOR MESLIN FLOUR

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the proposal for amendment of policy of exemption for Wheat or Meslin Flour (HS Code 1101) from export restrictions/ ban.

About:

Impact: The approval will now allow to put a restriction on the export of Wheat Flour which will ensure a curb on rising prices of wheat flour and ensure food security of the most vulnerable sections of the society.
Implementation: Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) shall issue a notification to this effe

BATTERY WASTE MANAGEMENT RULES, 2022

Union Ministry of Environment published the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022 on 24th August, 2022 to ensure environmentally sound management of waste batteries.

About:

New rules will replace Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001.
The rules cover all types of batteries, viz. Electric Vehicle batteries, portable batteries, automotive batteries and industrial batteries.
The rules function based on the concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) where the producers (including importers) of batteries are responsible for collection and recycling of waste batteries and use of recovered materials from wastes into new batteries.
The rules will enable setting up a mechanism and centralized online portal for exchange of EPR certificates between producers and recyclers/refurbishers to fulfil the obligations of producers.
The rules promote setting up of new industries and entrepreneurship in collection and recycling/refurbishment of waste batteries.
Prescribing the use of certain amount of recycled materials in making of new batteries will reduce the dependency on new raw materials and save natural resources.
On the principle of Polluter Pays Principle, environmental compensation will be imposed for non-fulfilment of Extended Producer Responsibility targets, responsibilities and obligations set out in the rules.
The funds collected under environmental compensation shall be utilised in collection and refurbishing or recycling of uncollected and non-recycled waste batteries.

CSA6 GENE

A newly identified gene can hold the key to prevent fungal infection Candidiasis that often affects intensive-care unit (ICU) patients, cancer patients and patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy.

About:

The gene called CSA6 has been identified in Candida albicans a fungal species infamous for causing high rates of morbidity and mortality under certain immuno-compromised conditions such as AIDS or during cancer treatment.
The fungal species residing in mucosal linings of the gastrointestinal and urogenital tract of healthy individuals turns into a pathogen under immuno-compromised conditions breaching the host defense causing superficial as well as life-threatening systemic infection.

25 AUGUST

WIND ENERGY

Annual installation of new wind power projects in India will peak by 2024 and likely decline thereafter, according to a report released by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and MEC+, a consulting firm that specialises in renewable energy.

About:

As part of its transition away from fossil fuels, India has committed to sourcing half its electricity in 2030 from non-fossil fuel sources and installing 60 gigawatt (GW, or 1000 MW) of wind power by 2022.
So far, only 40 GW of wind power capacity has been established.
Wind industry installations have been slowing down in India since 2017. Only 1.45 GW of wind projects were installed in 2021 with many delayed due to the second wave of COVID-19 and supply chain-related disruptions.
To compensate, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) granted a blanket timeline extension for seven-and-a-half months after the scheduled commissioning date (SCD) for projects with power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed before June 2021, which pushed the SCD of 0.7 GW projects to 2022.

NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY ACT (NFSA)

The Supreme Court (SC) has directed the Centre to increase coverage under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) so that “more and more needy persons and citizens get the benefit” under the 2013 law which entitles rural and urban poor to subsidised foodgrains under the Targeted Public Distribution System.

About:

The coverage under the NFSA is still decided by the population figures of the 2011 census.
The SC ordered the Union government to re-determine the NFSA coverage in the States and Union Territories after considering the population increase between 2011 and 2021 so that benefits were not restricted to beneficiaries identified back in 2011.
“The right to food is a fundamental right available under Article 21 of the Constitution,” the Supreme Court noted.

e-Shram portal

In the order, the court directed the States which were not able to register unorganised workers, including migrant labourers, in the e-Shram portal to do so within six weeks.
The Union Labour Ministry has developed a National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW) portal and the e-Shram portal for registration of labourers spread over 400 occupations including in constructions, agriculture, fishing, and dairy, those self-employed and even ASHA and anganwadi workers.

SCO DEFENCE MINISTERS MEETING

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh travelled to Tashkent (capital of Uzbekistan) on a three-day visit to attend a defence ministerial conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

About:

The SCO defence ministerial meeting is taking place around three weeks ahead of the annual summit of the SCO scheduled for September 15-16 in Samarkand.
The SCO is an influential economic and security bloc and has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations.
India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.
The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
India has shown a keen interest in deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.

COMPETITION (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2022

The Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was recently introduced in Lok Sabha. It seeks to amend the Competition Act, 2002.

The Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2022, inter alia, provides for the following, namely:

changes in certain definitions like “enterprise”, “relevant product market”, “Group”, “Control”, etc., to provide clarity;
broadening the scope of anti-competitive agreements and inclusion of a party facilitating an anti-competitive horizontal agreement under such agreements;
provisions for reduction of time-limit for approval of combinations from two hundred and ten days to one hundred and fifty days and forming a prima facie opinion by the Commission within twenty days for expeditious approval of combinations;
provisions for “value of transaction” as another criteria for notifying combinations to the Commission;
limitation period of three years for filing information on anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominant position before the Commission;
appointment of the Director General by the Commission with the prior approval of the Central Government;

ANGUL

Researchers have urged policymakers to switch to green energy and economy in Odisha’s Angul – one of India’s largest coal producing districts – before power grade coal reserves are exhausted.

About:

Angul currently accounts for 12% of India’s and 56% of Odisha’s coal production.
The coal production in Angul is expected to increase nearly by three times in the next 10 years, reaching over 300 million metric tonnes (MMT) by 2033.
The sector has given direct employment to 1,68,000 — nearly 69% of them are informal.

PREVENTION OF MONEY LAUNDERING ACT (PMLA)

The Supreme Court will hear in open court a review of its judgment upholding key provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

What was the Supreme Court ruling on PMLA?

In Vijay Madanlal Choudhary & Ors v Union of India, a judgment delivered on July 27, the Supreme Court upheld the key provisions of the PMLA.
The SC accepted the government’s arguments on virtually every aspect that was challenged by the petitioners: from reversing the presumption of innocence while granting bail to passing the amendments as a Money Bill under the Finance Act to defining the contours of the powers of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

How is a judgment reviewed?

A ruling by the Supreme Court is final and binding. However, Article 137 of the Constitution grants the SC the power to review its judgments or orders.
A review petition must be filed within 30 days of pronouncement of the judgment.

MOONLIGHTING

Food delivery start-up Swiggy recently announced an “industry-first” policy of allowing its employees to take up gigs or projects outside of their regular employment at the company, during the hours away from work. Swiggy calls these new norms the “moonlighting” policy.

About:

Moonlighting is the act of working at an extra job beyond regular working hours, usually without the knowledge of the employer. Since the side job was mostly at nighttime or on weekends, it was referred to as moonlighting.
The term gained popularity when workers in the US started seeking a second job beyond their regular 9-to-5 work for additional income.
Moonlighting as an issue has been controversial, and seemingly commenting on the new Swiggy policy, Wipro chairman Rishad Premji tweeted on August 22, “There is a lot of chatter about people moonlighting in the tech industry. This is cheating – plain and simple.

24 AUGUST

BrahMos

A Court of Inquiry (Col) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) into the accidental firing of a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in March 2022, which landed in Pakistan, found that deviation from standard operating procedures (SOP) by three officers led to the incident. Services of the officers have been terminated with immediate effect, the IAF said.

About:

The missile landed 124 km inside Pakistan, following which the IAF ordered a CoI headed by an Air Vice-Marshal, a two-star officer, to investigate the incident.
A day after the incident, the Pakistan military said the supersonic surface-to-surface missile flying at three times the speed of sound at 40,000 feet ended up 124 km inside Pakistan, damaging some civilian property.
BrahMos is a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia-based NPO Mashinostroyeniya and the missile derives its name from the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers.

VIZHINJAM INTERNATIONAL TRANSHIPMENT DEEPWATER MULTIPURPOSE SEAPORT

The ongoing protests against the construction of the Adani Group’s Vizhinjam International Transhipment Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport in Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram intensified on August 22, with fisherfolk laying siege to the port from the sea and land.

About:

The biggest demand of the protesters is that the construction of the Rs 7,525-crore deepwater port and container transhipment terminal at Vizhinjam on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram should be stopped.
The government has conceded all demands except providing a kerosene subsidy, and halting the construction of the port.

INVESTMENT RULES

The Finance Ministry on Monday released the Foreign Exchange Management (Overseas Investment) Rules, 2022 subsuming extant regulations for Overseas Investments and Acquisition and Transfer of Immovable Property Outside India Regulations, 2015.

About:

With an eye on wilful defaulters, the new rules stipulate that any Indian resident who has an account appearing as a non-performing asset; or is classified as a wilful defaulter by any bank; or is under investigation by a financial service regulator or by investigative agencies in India, will have to seek an no objection certificate before making any overseas financial commitment.
Any resident in India acquiring equity capital in a foreign entity or overseas direct investment (ODI), will have to submit an Annual Performance Report (APR) for each foreign entity, every year by December 31.
No such reporting shall be required where a person resident in India is holding less than 10% of the equity capital without control in the foreign entity and there is no other financial commitment other than equity capital or a foreign entity is under liquidation.

JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE

The James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s latest and most powerful telescope, has captured new images of our solar system’s largest planet, Jupiter, presenting it in a never before seen light.

About:

The photographs published have captured a new view of the planet, presenting in detail its massive storms, colourful auroras, faint rings and two small moons — Amalthea and Adrastea.
Jupiter’s famous Great Red Spot, a storm so big that it could swallow Earth, appeared bright white in the image, since it was reflecting a lot of sunlight, the space agency stated.
NASA’s $10 billion James Webb Telescope was developed with the assistance of the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.
It was launched to space on December 25, 2021 and is currently observing from Lagrange point 2, approximately 1.5 million km beyond Earth’s orbit around the Sun. The telescope released its first image on July 11 2022.

BENAMI LAW

The Supreme Court declared as “unconstitutional and manifestly arbitrary” the amendments introduced to the Benami law in 2016, which apply retrospectively and can send a person to prison for three years even as it empowers the Centre to confiscate “any property” subject to a benami transaction.

About:

In a decision much awaited by businesses, a three-judge Bench, led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, declared as unconstitutional Sections 3(2) and 5 introduced through the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016. The 2016 law amended the original Benami Act of 1988, expanding it to 72 Sections from a mere nine.
Section 3(2) mandates three years of imprisonment for those who had entered into benami transactions between September 5, 1988 and October 25, 2016. That is, a person can be sent behind bars for a benami transaction entered into 28 years before the Section even came into existence.
Justice Ramana, who wrote the 96-page judgment, held that the provision violated Article 20(1) of the Constitution. Article 20(1) mandates that no person should be convicted of an offence, which was not in force “at the time of the commission of the act charged as an offence”.
Section 5 of the 2016 Amendment Act said that “any property, which is subject matter of benami transaction, shall be liable to be confiscated by the Central Government”. The court held that this provision cannot be applied retrospectively.

CHINESE SPACE STATION TIANGONG

Tensions between India and China since May 2020 is worrying Indian astrophysicists involved in an ambitious project to install an Indian-made spectroscope aboard the developing Chinese space station Tiangong.

About:

Scientists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, were among nine groups selected from 42 applicants in 2019 as part of a UN-led initiative that invites research teams from all over the world to compete for an opportunity to design payloads that will be shuttled to Tiangong aboard rockets of the Chinese Manned Space Agency.
The project, called Spectrographic Investigation of Nebular Gas (SING), also involves collaboration with the Institute of Astronomy, Russian Academy of Sciences, and has been designed and developed by research students at the IIA. The plan is to have it ready by the year-end so that it can be launched in the summer of 2023.
Though the plan is on schedule, scientists at the IIA are now consulting with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the External Affairs Ministry whether they are in the clear to go ahead with the project.

VERTICAL LAUNCH SHORT RANGE SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILE (VL-SRSAM)

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy successfully flight-tested the indigenously developed Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.

About:

The VL-SRSAM, a ship-borne weapon system, is meant for neutralising various aerial threats at close ranges, including sea-skimming targets, and was last test-fired in June.
The flight test was carried out from an Indian naval ship against a high-speed unmanned aerial target for demonstration of vertical launch capability. The missiles, equipped with indigenous Radio Frequency (RF) seeker, intercepted the target with high accuracy.
During the test launch, flight path and vehicle performance parameters were monitored using flight data captured by various range instruments, the statement said.

LAW ON DIGITAL COMPETITION

To tackle unfair and predatory practices in the digital market space, the parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance in the first week of September will submit a report on how the competition law needs to evolve for the digital market.

About:

The majority of the tech companies which were invited to a meeting on this issue, however, expressed reservations about the necessity of any additional framework or law.
The European Union has recently passed the Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act; there are several Bills pending in the British Parliament and the U.S. Congress associated with digital markets.

FUTURE READY COMMERCE

Union Minister for Commerce and Industry released the Booklets and Documents on Future Ready Commerce at a function in New Delhi.

About:

It comprised of fourteen volume Restructuring Dossier of ‘Department of Commerce which has been created to facilitate transition.
The restructuring programme for Department of Commerce has been undertaken with the key objective to equip the ecosystem to achieve two trillion dollar export target by 2030. Under it a dedicated Trade Promotion Body will also be set up to drive overall promotion strategy.
He said, the 14 volumes defines the role of each section within the department and lays down the expected outcomes and key performance indicators.
The restructuring exercise rests on five major objectives including to increase India’s share in global trade, assume leadership position in multilateral organisations like WTO and democratisation of trade.

23 AUGUST

TOMATO FLU

A new infection dubbed tomato flu, or tomato fever, has been detected in India mostly among children younger than five, according to a report in the Lancet Respiratory Journal.

About:

The “non-life-threatening” virus was first identified in Kollam district of Kerala on May 6.
The primary symptoms of tomato flu are similar to those of chikungunya, which include high fever, rashes, and intense pain in the joints. As with other viral infections, further symptoms include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, dehydration, swelling of joints, body aches, and common influenza-like symptoms, which are similar to those manifested in dengue.
As tomato flu is similar to chikungunya and dengue as well as hand, foot, and mouth disease, the treatment is also similar — isolation, rest, plenty of fluids, and hot water sponge for the relief of irritation and rashes.
Supportive therapy of paracetamol for fever and body ache and other symptomatic treatments may be required. Young children are also prone to this infection through the use of nappies, touching unclean surfaces, and putting things directly into the mouth.
The ‘tomato flu’ is caused by Coxsackie virus A 16. It belongs to Enterovirus family.

KERALA SAVARI

Kerala has soft launched ‘Kerala Savari’, to ensure decent service to passengers along with fair remuneration to auto-taxi workers.

About:

It is operated by the Motor Workers Welfare Board under the aegis of the Labour Department.
Kerala Savari only charges an 8% service charge in addition to the rate set by the government.
Of the 8% service charge, 6% will go to the technical partner, and the remaining 2% will go to the implementation of this scheme and for providing promotional incentives to passengers and drivers.
Kerala Savari is a safe and reliable online service for women, children, and senior citizens.
A police clearance certificate is mandatory for drivers joining the scheme apart from the required proper training.

NEW DELHI EXCISE POLICY 2021-22

The New Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, which sought to ensure optimum revenue for the State government and confront the sale of spurious or bootlegged liquor ran widespread allegations of “procedural lapses”.

About:

This has forced the government to scrap it with effect from August 1, 2022
Under the new policy, the number of liquor vends in Delhi would have increased from around 630 to 850 — all privately owned and operated. One person could hold more than one liquor retail licence and the “heavily regulated” excise regime was to be eased for business.
The revamped excise policy ran into controversy as private liquor vends were opening up across the capital. Many of these vends were sealed by the MCD for various violations related to non-conforming areas where certain businesses such as liquor retail are not allowed.

ALL INDIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION (AIFF)

The Supreme Court terminated the mandate of its Committee of Administrators (CoA) to manage the affairs of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to overcome suspension of the Indian football body by FIFA.

About:

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is the governing body of football in India under jurisdiction of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.
Formed in 1935 founded at Darbhanga, the federation was one of the founding members of the Asian Football Confederation, the overseer of football in Asia.
The federation is also responsible for managing the India national football team, as well as the women’s team and the various youth national sides.
The federation is currently based in Delhi.

RASHTRIYA PURUSKAR PORTAL

The Union Government has launched Rashtriya Puruskar Portal to bring together all the awards of the various Ministries, Departments and agencies of the government under one platform. This has been done to ensure transparency and public partnership.

About:

Home Ministry in a statement said that this common portal facilitates every citizen or organization to nominate individuals or organizations for various awards instituted by the government. It informed that the nominations or recommendations for the Padma Awards are open till 15th of next month, while nominations or recommendations for Jeevan Raksha Padak will be invited till 30th of next month.

GREEN ENERGY PROJECTS

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) signed an MoU with Mahatma Phule Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Technology Ltd. (MAHAPREIT), a wholly owned subsidiary of MPBCDC (49% owned by Govt. of India and 51% owned by Govt. of Maharashtra).

About:

In accordance with the MoU, IREDA will offer financing facilities to MAHAPREIT for the Renewable Energy projects to be implemented for state utilities, local bodies and the infrastructure of Renewable Energy Parks.
Under this collaboration, IREDA will also undertake Techno-Financial due diligence of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency & Conservation projects for MAHAPREIT.
IREDA established a specialised Business Development and Consultancy division two years ago to meet the growing demand in the RE sector. This is the ninth MoU inked by IREDA in the last two years to provide consultation services for the sustainable development of the country.
SJVN, NHPC, TANGEDCO, NEEPCO, BVFCL, THDCIL, GSL, and CIPET have signed MoUs with IREDA to enhance their techno-financial expertise for green energy projects and IREDA has already started work on most of the MoUs.
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) is formed in 1987 as a statutory and autonomous organisation under Government of India and administratively controlled by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIAD ON ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS (IOAA)

India secured the third rank in medal tally at the 15th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA).

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India held the third position jointly with Singapore with students winning three gold and two silver medals.
The 15th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) 2022 was held in Kutaisi, Georgia, from 14 to 21 August, 2022.

22 AUGUST

CLOUDBURSTS

Over 20 people have been killed in destruction caused by cloudbursts and flash floods in different parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand over the last three days.

About:

A cloudburst is a localised but intense rainfall activity. Short spells of very heavy rainfall over a small geographical area can cause widespread destruction, especially in hilly regions where this phenomenon is the most common.
Not all instances of very heavy rainfall, however, are cloudbursts. A cloudburst has a very specific definition: Rainfall of 10 cm or more in an hour over a roughly 10 km x 10-km area is classified as a cloudburst event. By this definition, 5 cm of rainfall in a half- hour period over the same area would also be categorized as a cloudburst.

FOREVER CHEMICALS

A recent study published in Environment Science and Technology has found that rainwater from many places across the globe is contaminated with “per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances,” (PFAs), which are called “forever chemicals” because of their tendency to stick around in the atmosphere, rainwater and soil for long periods of time.

About:

PFAs are man-made chemicals used to make non-stick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain-resistant fabrics, cosmetics, firefighting forms and many other products that resist grease, water and oil.
PFAs can migrate to the soil, water and air during their production and use. Since most PFAs do not break down, they remain in the environment for long periods of time. Some of these PFAs can build up in people and animals if they are repeatedly exposed to the chemicals.
Variety of health risks are attributed to PFA exposure including decreased fertility, developmental effects in children, interference with body hormones, increased cholesterol levels and increased risk of some cancers.

NATIONAL AUTOMATED FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM (NAFIS)

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) on August 17, at the two-day National Securities Strategies (NSS) Conference 2022 held in New Delhi.

About:

It is conceptualized and managed by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) at the Central Fingerprint Bureau (CFPB) in New Delhi.
NAFIS project is a country-wide searchable database of crime- and criminal-related fingerprints.
The web-based application functions as a central information repository by consolidating fingerprint data from all states and Union Territories.
According to a 2020 report by the NCRB, it enables law enforcement agencies to upload, trace, and retrieve data from the database in real time on a 24×7 basis.
In April 2022, Madhya Pradesh became the first state in the country to identify a deceased person through NAFIS.

UPI SERVICES

Government of India has clarified that there is no plan to levy any charges for UPI services.

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In a series of tweets, Finance Ministry said, UPI is a digital public good with immense convenience for the public and productivity gains for the economy. The clarification came amid some reports that there may be possibility of UPI transactions charge.
The Ministry said, the concerns of the service providers for cost recovery have to be met through other means.
It said, the government had provided financial support for the Digital Payment ecosystem last year and has announced the same, this year as well to encourage further adoption of Digital Payments and promotion of payment platforms that are economical and user-friendly.

PARAGUAY

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Asuncion, Paraguay. The Minister also visited the historic Casa de la Independencia, from where Paraguay’s Independence movement started more than two centuries ago.

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Paraguay is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest.
It is a founding member of Mercosur, the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Lima Group.
Asunción is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay.

FACIAL RECOGNITION

Right to Information (RTI) responses received by the Internet Freedom Foundation reveal that the Delhi Police treats matches of above 80% similarity generated by its facial recognition technology (FRT) system as positive results.

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Facial recognition is an algorithm-based technology which creates a digital map of the face by identifying and mapping an individual’s facial features, which it then matches against the database to which it has access.
It can be used for two purposes: firstly, 1:1 verification of identity wherein the facial map is obtained for the purpose of matching it against the person’s photograph on a database to authenticate their identity. For example, 1:1 verification is used to unlock phones. However, increasingly it is being used to provide access to any benefits or government schemes.
Secondly, there is the 1:n identification of identity wherein the facial map is obtained from a photograph or video and then matched against the entire database to identify the person in the photograph or video. Law enforcement agencies such as the Delhi Police usually procure FRT for 1:n identification.
The use of FRT presents two issues: issues related to misidentification due to inaccuracy of the technology and issues related to mass surveillance due to misuse of the technology.

NON-FUNGIBLE TOKENS (NFTs)

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) also took a hit as a result of the crypto fallout.

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NFTs are digital assets whose ownership is verified through transaction records stored on blockchains. Art work, digital avatars and accessorised monkeys are some of the most commonly traded NFTs.
OpenSea is said to be one of the largest NFT marketplaces in existence. Earlier this year, the platform was valued at over $13 billion after raising around $300 million in venture capital.
By August 2022, based on Ethereum blockchain data, OpenSea was used by two million traders who transacted at least once on the network.

HOMOSEXUALITY

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the country will repeal a colonial-era law criminalising gay sex, though he maintained that the government will continue to “uphold” marriage as between a man and a woman.

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Inherited from the British colonial era, Section 377A of Singapore’s penal code penalises sex between men with up to two years in jail.
Gay rights campaigners have long said the law runs afoul of the affluent city-state’s increasingly modern and vibrant culture, and had mounted two unsuccessful legal challenges.
However, the repeal of the Section 377A stops short of full marriage equality.

20 AUGUST

CAROTAR RULES

Exemptions specified in a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with regard to the country of origin would prevail in case of a conflict between the revenue department and an importer, the Finance Ministry has said.

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The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs said customs field officers should be sensitive to applying CAROTAR and maintain consistency with the provisions of relevant trade agreement or its Rules of Origin.
Customs (Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements) or CAROTAR Rules, came into effect from September 21, 2020.
It empowers officers to seek further information from an importer, consistent with the trade agreement, in case the officer has reasons to believe that the country-of-origin criteria have not been met. Where the importer fails to provide the requisite information, the officer can make further verification consistent with the trade agreement.

DRAFT UTTAR PRADESH SOLAR ENERGY POLICY-2022

The Uttar Pradesh government unveiled the draft of its Solar Energy Policy-2022, which suggests that the State would be targeting generation of 16,000 Mega Watt of renewable power by 2026-27.

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The policy was released by the Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA).
The government has proposed to meet the ambitious 16,000 MW target by generating 4,000 MW from solar rooftop projects, 2,000 MW from distributed solar generation and the rest (10,000 MW) from utility/grid scale solar projects and solar parks.
Under the proposed policy, the government would develop 20 solar cities covering 10 lakh households with rooftop installations. The draft also proposes rooftop solar installations in government buildings and in 21,000 unelectrified primary schools.

MAJOR ISHWAR LAL SINGH

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid glowing tributes to Indian National Army (INA) veteran Major Ishwar Lal Singh at a memorial service held in New Delhi.

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Major Ishwar Lall Singh, a 92-year-old Singaporean veteran of the Indian National Army served under the leadership of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. He passed away on the 5th of August.

AK-203 ASSAULT RIFLES

The production of the AK-203 assault rifles by the Indo-Russian joint venture at Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, is set to begin by year-end and the manufacturing equipment required for it will be dispatched from Russia shortly, according to a senior official of Kalashnikov, the Russian company which manufactures the rifles.

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The production was originally scheduled to begin early this year. As per the contract, over 6.1 lakh AK-203 assault rifles costing over ₹5,000 crore will be manufactured by a Joint Venture, Indo-Russian Rifles Private Ltd (IRRPL), at Korwa, Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.
IRRPL was set up jointly between erstwhile OFB [now Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL) and Munitions India Limited (MIL)] of India and Rosoboronexport (RoE) and concern Kalashnikov of Russia.
As per contractual terms, first 70,000 AK-203 rifles will be produced in India with a phased increase in the extent of localisation from 5% to 70%. The remaining rifles will be produced with 100% localisation.

OCEAN DIVERSITY PACT

A delegation from India and other member countries of the United Nations are in New York to deliberate on a one-of-its-kind agreement to conserve marine biodiversity in the high seas, namely the oceans that extend beyond countries’ territorial waters.

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The agreement follows a resolution by the UN General Assembly in May and is expected to be the final in a series set in motion since 2018 to draft an international legally binding instrument under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The high seas comprise nearly 45% of the Earth’s surface.
A key aspect of the agreement is deciding on the rights of companies that undertake exploration for biological resources in the high seas.
Last June, the Union Cabinet approved a ‘Blue Economy’ policy for India, a nearly ₹4,000-crore programme spread over five years. This among other things will develop a manned submersible vessel as well as work on “bio-prospecting of deep-sea flora and fauna including microbes”.

LORD CURZON

The 119-year-old Curzon Gate in Bardhaman in West Bengal is at the centre of a political row after the Trinamool Congress (TMC)-run Bardhaman municipality has decided to erect a statue of Bardhaman’s Maharaja Bijay Chand Mahatab and his wife Radharani in front of the city’s prominent landmark.

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Of all the Viceroys of India, Curzon is possibly the most criticised — he is the man who partitioned Bengal in 1905, and triggered a wave of Bengali nationalism that contributed to the wider Indian national movement.
He was also one of the more openly imperialist of viceroys, and a man who saw Britain’s rule over India as critical to the survival of empire. In 1900, Curzon famously stated, “We could lose all our [white settlement] dominions and still survive, but if we lost India, our sun would sink to its setting.”
He served as Under-Secretary of State for India (1891-1892), and for Foreign Affairs (1895-1898), before being appointed Viceroy of India in 1899.
Curzon created a separate Muslim majority province of the North-West Frontier Province, sent a British expedition to Tibet, established a separate police service, and established the Archaological Survey of India, in order to study and protect historical monuments.

INDIA-SOUTHEAST ASIA HISTORICAL LINKS

As part of his visit to Thailand for the ninth India-Thailand joint commission meeting, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited the Devasthan in Bangkok.

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The Devasthan is the Royal Brahmin Office of the Thai Royal Court and is the official centre of Hinduism in Thailand.
India and the Southeast Asia region share a long history of cultural and commercial relations.
The classical Sanskrit and Pali texts from India carry references of the region using various names such as Kathakosha, Suvarnabhumi (the land of god) or Suvarnadvipa (the golden island), indicating that this was a region that attracted Indian merchants.
In more recent times, European and Indian scholars have referred to Southeast Asia as ‘Farther India’, ‘Greater India’, or ‘Hinduised or Indianised states’.
The Ramayana — known in Thailand as Ramakriti (the glory of Rama) or Ramakien (the account of Rama) — has provided an outlet of cultural expression in Thailand for both the elite and the common man. Episodes from the epic are painted on the walls of Buddhist temples and enacted in dramas and ballets.

19 AUGUST

HUMAN-TO-ANIMAL TRANSMISSION OF MONKEYPOX

The first case of human-to-animal transmission of monkeypox has been reported in a dog, according to research published in the medical journal The Lancet on August 10.

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Following the news, the United States public health agency, the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, has updated its prevention recommendations on infected persons having pets at home.
The infected dog showed symptoms such as lesions on the skin, specifically “mucocutaneous lesions, including abdomen pustules and a thin anal ulceration”.
It is unclear right now if dogs can further spread the disease to other dogs or humans.

WEST NILE VIRUS

The New York City Health Department announced that the West Nile virus had been detected in two people, one in Brooklyn and another in Queens, as well as in a “record number” of infected mosquitoes throughout the city.

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West Nile Virus (WNV) can cause neurological disease and death in people. WNV is commonly found in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, North America and West Asia.
WNV is maintained in nature in a cycle involving transmission between birds and mosquitoes. Humans, horses and other mammals can be infected.
West Nile Virus (WNV) is a member of the flavivirus genus and belongs to the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of the family Flaviviridae.

MUDHOL HOUNDS

Mudhol hounds, a breed of hunting dogs native to north Karnataka, could be inducted into the Special Protection Group (SPG), the elite force protecting the Prime Minister of India.

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The dogs already serve with the Indian armed forces and some paramilitary forces and could become the first indigenous breed to be part of the SPG.
The Mudhol hounds are believed to have been bred first by Raja Malojirao Ghorpade of the erstwhile Deccan kingdom of Mudhol.
Known for their hunting and guarding skills, the characteristically lanky Mudhol hounds get their name from the erstwhile kingdom of Mudhol (in present-day Bagalkot), whose rulers first began to breed them. The dogs are fast runners, with excellent stamina and agility, and have a sharp vision and a keen sense of smell.

TASMANIAN TIGER

Scientists in the US and Australia have embarked on a $15-million project to resurrect the thylacine or Tasmanian Tiger, a marsupial that went extinct in the 1930s, using gene-editing technology.

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The ambitious project aims to reintroduce the animal to its native place Tasmania to revive the region’s lost ecological balance.
Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus), the only animal in the Thylacinidae family to survive in modern times, was a marsupial mammal that raises young ones in a pouch.
Even though the species earned its nickname Tasmanian Tiger because of the stripes along its back, it was a slow-paced carnivorous that usually hunted alone or in pairs at night.
The sharply clawed animal had a dog-like head and ate kangaroos, other marsupials, small rodents, and birds.
Once widespread in the grass and woodlands of continental Australia extending north to New Guinea and south to Tasmania, the animal’s fate changed after the European Colonisation of Australia.
The animals were reported to have eaten poultry of farmers, and were killed following official authorisation.

MEGALODON

Using fossil evidence to create a three-dimensional model, researchers have found new evidence about the life of one of the biggest predatory animals of all time — the Megalodon.

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According to the new study published in the journal Science Advances, the Megalodon could “completely ingest, and in as few as five bites,” a prey as big as the killer whale.
According to the study, the Megalodon was bigger than a school bus at around 50 feet from nose to tail. In comparison, the great white sharks of the present can grow to a maximum length of around 15 feet.
Using their digital model, the researchers have suggested that the giant transoceanic predator would have weighed around 70 tonnes — or as much as 10 elephants.
Megalodons roamed the oceans an estimated 23 million to 2.6 million years ago.

EMPLOYEES’ STATE INSURANCE

The Employees’ State Insurance, ESI will work to expand its services in all 744 districts of the country by December this year.

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Announcing this at the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation’s Chintan Shivir at Surajkund in Haryana, Labour and Employment Minister Bhupender Yadav said, this expansion will take into consideration the increased beneficiary base, post implementation of Social Security Code.
Yadav said, Centers of Excellence for Occupational Health will be set up to promote indigenous research on occupational diseases in India.
He informed that Employees’ State Insurance will explore developing Health Facilities and Medical Colleges in Aspirational districts of the country.

‘AQUA BAZAR’ APP

National Fisheries Development Board (NPFB) conducted its 9th governing body meeting in New Delhi. The governing body meeting was chaired by Minister of Fisheries Parshottam Rupala.

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On this occasion, he also launched an online marketplace feature – ‘Aqua Bazar’ app.
The app will help the fish farmers and stakeholders to source the inputs such as fish seed, feed and medicines and services required for fish culture. It will connect various stakeholders involved in aquaculture sector.
He said, for the first time under the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, government has taken up promotion of startups by the entrepreneurs to achieve the targeted fish production.

18 AUGUST

HAYABUSA-2 PROBE

How did the Earth, believed to have been covered in bubbling oceans of magma billions of years ago, transform into the ‘blue planet’ and become covered in water?

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In an article published in the journal Nature Astronomy on August 15, scientists from Japan suggest that water and organic materials might have been brought to our planet from the outer edges of the solar system.
The scientists made the hypothesis after analysing samples from the asteroid Ryugu, collected by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Hayabusa-2 probe, which had brought 5.4 grams of rocks and dust from the asteroid to Earth in December 2020.
The Hayabusa-2 mission was launched in December 2014 when the spacecraft was sent on a six-year voyage to study the asteroid Ryugu.

DEVELOPED COUNTRY

In his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Indians to embrace the “Panch Pran” — five vows — by 2047 when the country celebrates 100 years of independence. The first vow, he said, is for India to become a developed country in the next 25 years.

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NTPC is steadily lowering its carbon footprint by reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the installation of renewable energy projects in its existing stations as well as putting up green field RE projects.
The Company has planned 262 MW floating solar on over 1300 acres of its reservoir area by installing over 9,50,000 PV modules at its various stations out of which 242 Mega Watt has been commissioned.
This includes the country’s largest floating solar of 100 MW at Ramagundam in Telangana, 92 MW at Kayamkulam in Kerala, and 25 MW each at Simhadri, Andhra Pradesh, and Kawas in Gujarat.

KAWAS SOLAR PV PROJECT

NTPC Limited, India’s largest integrated energy company achieved 69454 MW of group installed and commercial capacity with the commissioning of 56 MW Kawas Solar PV Project at NTPC Kawas, Gujarat on 15.08.2022.

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NTPC is steadily lowering its carbon footprint by reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the installation of renewable energy projects in its existing stations as well as putting up green field RE projects.
The Company has planned 262 MW floating solar on over 1300 acres of its reservoir area by installing over 9,50,000 PV modules at its various stations out of which 242 Mega Watt has been commissioned.
This includes the country’s largest floating solar of 100 MW at Ramagundam in Telangana, 92 MW at Kayamkulam in Kerala, and 25 MW each at Simhadri, Andhra Pradesh, and Kawas in Gujarat.

DELHI-DEHRADUN EXPRESSWAY PROJECT

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways informed through a series of tweets that the last 20km stretch passes through eco-sensitive zone of Raja Ji National Park where Asia’s longest elevated wildlife corridor (12km) is being constructed that includes 340m Daat Kali tunnel.

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He said sustainable development is the motto of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Government.
The Minister said the tunnel intends to protect the surrounding wildlife. Once completed, the expressway would reduce travel time between Dehradun-Delhi from 6 hrs to 2.30 hours & Delhi-Haridwar from 5 hours to 2 hours.

NATIONAL ACTION FOR MECHANISED SANITATION ECOSYSTEM (NAMASTE)

Namaste is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) as a joint initiative of the MoSJE and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

NAMASTE aims to achieve the following outcomes:

Zero fatalities in sanitation work in India
All sanitation work is performed by skilled workers
No sanitation workers come in direct contact with human faecal matter
Sanitation workers are collectivized into SHGs and are empowered to run sanitation enterprises
All Sewer and Septic tank sanitation workers (SSWs) have access to alternative livelihoods
Strengthened supervisory and monitoring systems at national, state and ULB levels to ensure enforcement and monitoring of safe sanitation work
Increased awareness amongst sanitation services seekers (individuals and institutions) to seek services from registered and skilled sanitation workers

COAL SECTOR

Union Minister of Coal and Mines said that in the near future more than 107 coal blocks will be made available for auction by the Ministry of Coal.

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He was addressing a function in which the Ministry of Coal has executed agreements with the successful bidders for 16 coal mines under sale of coal of 13th tranche, 14th tranche and second attempt of 12th tranche.
The Minister said that during the last four months Coal India Ltd has set new record by producing around 207 million ton coal. Ministry of coal is targeting production of 900 million ton this financial year and the target of CIL comes to 700 million ton.

INTEREST SUBVENTION ON SHORT TERM AGRICULTURE LOANS

The Union Cabinet has approved to restore Interest Subvention on short term agriculture loans to 1.5% for all financial institutions.

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Thus, Interest Subvention of 1.5% will be provided to lending institutions (Public Sector Banks, Private Sector Bank, Small Finance Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Cooperative Banks and Computerized PACS directly ceded with commercial banks) for the financial year 2022-23 to 2024-25 for lending short term agri-loans upto Rs 3 lakh to the farmers.
This increase in Interest Subvention support requires additional budgetary provisions of Rs 34,856 crore for the period of 2022-23 to 2024-25 under the scheme.
Increase in Interest Subvention will ensure sustainability of credit flow in the agriculture sector as well as ensure financial health and viability of the lending institutions especially Regional Rural Banks & Cooperative Banks, ensuring adequate agriculture credit in rural economy.

INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT FORUM (ITF)

Union Cabinet has approved signing of Contract between the Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), India and France to support the International Transport Forum (ITF) activities on the Indian Transport Sector.

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The Contract was signed on 6th July, 2022.
The activities to be carried out under this Contract will lead to:
- New scientific results;
- New policy insights;
- Capacity building through increase scientific interaction; and
- Identification of technology options for decarbonization of transport sector in India.

TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE DIGITAL LIBRARY (TKDL)

The Cabinet has approved the “Widening access of the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) database to users, besides patent offices”.

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The opening up of the TKDL is also envisaged to inculcate thought and knowledge leadership through Bharatiya Gnana Parampara, under the New Education Policy 2020.
The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) is a prior art database of Indian traditional knowledge established in 2001, jointly by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy (ISM&H, now Ministry of AYUSH).
The TKDL is a first of its kind globally and has been serving as an exemplary model to other nations. The TKDL currently contains information from existing literature related to ISM such as Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Yoga.
The information is documented in a digitized format in five international languages which are English, German, French, Japanese and Spanish.

17 AUGUST 2022

CORNEAS BIOENGINEERED FROM PIG COLLAGEN

For the first time, researchers in Sweden have been able to create a successful alternative — bioengineered cornea implants made of collagen derived from pig skin.

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The implant was used to successfully restore the vision of 20 people in India and Iran, most of whom were blind due to keratoconus, a disease that leads to thinning of the cornea. The findings were published in the journal Nature Biotechnology on August 11.
Researchers claim that there is a severe shortage of corneas, with only one available for 70 patients.
As a substitute for human corneas, the researchers utilised medical-grade collagen derived from pig skin, a byproduct of the food industry that is already used in medical devices for glaucoma surgery.
This is not only cheaper and easier to access than donated corneas, but requires a less invasive procedure and can be stored for a significantly longer period — up to two years, the study notes

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS

India has contributed four lakh US dollars to four Voluntary Trust Funds as part of its commitment to global promotion and protection of human rights and support for United Nations Human Rights.

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India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Geneva in a tweet said that the contribution reflects India’s commitment in this regard.
The four Trust Funds to which contribution has been made include the Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture, the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation, the Voluntary Fund for financial and technical assistance for the implementation of Universal Periodic Review, and the Voluntary Technical Assistance Trust Fund to support the participation of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDs) in the work of the council.

ONDIVEERAN

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L Murugan has expressed his gratitude to Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for authorizing a commemorative postal stamp for freedom fighter Ondiveeran. The stamp will be released on 20th August in Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu.

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Ondiveeran Pagadai (or Ondi Veeran) (died 20 August 1771) was an Indian commander-in-chief who fought against the British East India Company in Tamil Nadu.
Ondiveeran came from the Arunthathiyar community and is viewed by them as a hero.

NAVROZ

On August 16, 2022, Navroz or the Parsi New Year is being celebrated.

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It is the most widely celebrated festival of the Parsi community.
This is seen as a harbinger of peace and prosperity. In Mumbai and its suburbs, which host a considerable population of Parsi community, the festival is celebrated with grand lunch and dinner with the best and finest variety of Parsi cuisine.
Parisis see this festival as the great occasion to get together, eat and mingle.
On this day, the Parsis visit the Agyaris or the fire temples to offer prayers. They feed the poor on this day, as the new year has to start on a good note. President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar have greeted the people on the occasion.

SPACE KIDZ INDIA

Space Kidz India unfurled the Indian flag about 30 kilometres above the planet on Independence Day.

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The flag was sent to an altitude of 1 lakh 6 thousand feet above the planet on a balloon that unfurled it.
The event was part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav slogan and under the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to celebrate the historic anniversary.
Space Kidz India is an organization creating ‘young scientists for the country and spreading awareness among children for a borderless world.’
The organization recently launched a satellite into Low Earth Orbit. AzadiSAT was developed by 750 girl students from across India to mark the 75 years of Independence.

REGISTRIES OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

National Health Authority has announced performance-based fund allocation to State and Union Territories for strengthening the registries of healthcare professionals and health facilities.

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This performance-based fund allocation will help in structured implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.
CEO of National Health Authority Dr RS Sharma said, the benefits of digital health services can be further extended to masses with the enthusiastic support from the States and UTs in registering more healthcare professionals and health facilities.
He said, States and UTs support will help in building national-level registries of healthcare professionals and health facilities. Five hundred crore rupees had been demarcated for setting up of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission’s offices at State and UTs by the financial year 2025-26.

16 AUGUST 2022

PANCH PRAN

On the country’s 76th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said corruption and nepotism are two main challenges that are not confined to politics alone and asked people to have ‘nafrat’ (hatred) for these evils and focus on ‘Panch Pran’ (five resolves) to ensure a developed India in the next 25 years.

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He spelled out “Panch Pran” (five resolves) to fulfil freedom fighters’ dreams for the country at India’s independence centenary by 2047.
He said we should focus on the five pledges — a resolve of developed India; removing any trace of the colonial mindset; taking pride in our legacy; our strength of unity; and fulfilling the duties of citizens with honesty, which should be done by the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers as well.

ZAPORIZHZHIA NUCLEAR PLANT

Howitzers started shelling on the Ukrainian town of Nikopol from the side of Russia-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.

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Experts have repeatedly raised an alarm over the plant being in an active combat zone. The International Atomic Energy Agency has underlined that the current situation poses a grave risk of a nuclear catastrophe.
Located in southern Ukraine on the banks of Kakhovka reservoir on the Dnipro river, Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant is Europe’s largest, and 10th biggest in the world. Before the war started, it produced half of Ukraine’s power with a total capacity of 5,700 MW. The plant has six reactors with a capacity of 950 MW each.
Geographically, the plant is located 200-km from Russia-annexed Crimea, and 500-odd km from Ukraine’s capital Kyiv.

NICARAGUA

Earlier this month Nicaragua shuttered seven radio stations belonging to the Catholic Church and launched an investigation into the bishop of Matagalpa, Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, accusing him of inciting violent actors “to carry out acts of hate against the population.”

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Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the northwest, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest.
Managua is the country’s capital and largest city.
As of 2015, it was estimated to be the second largest city in Central America.

NATIONAL FLAG

The National Flag, which is flying high across India as the nation celebrates 75 years of freedom, was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on July 22, 1947.

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According to the official record of the proceedings of the Constituent Assembly, Dr Rajendra Prasad, who was in the Chair, announced that the first item on the agenda was “a Motion by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru about the Flag”.
Thereafter, Nehru rose to move the following Resolution: Resolved that the National Flag of India shall be horizontal tricolour of deep Saffron (Kesari), white and dark green in equal proportion.
In the centre of the white band, there shall be a Wheel in navy blue to represent the Charkha. The design of the Wheel shall be that of the Wheel (Chakra) which appears on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Asoka.
The ratio of the width to the length of the Flag shall ordinarily be 2:3.

WOMEN FREEDOM FIGHTERS

In his ninth Independence Day address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to women freedom fighters for showing the world the true meaning of India’s “nari shakti”.

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Rani Laxmibai: The queen of the princely state of Jhansi, Rani Laxmibai is known for her role in the First War of India’s Independence in 1857.
Jhalkari Bai: A soldier in Rani Laxmibai’s women’s army, Durga Dal, she rose to become one of the queen’s most trusted advisers.
Durga Bhabhi: A member of the Naujawan Bharat Sabha, she helped Bhagat Singh escape in disguise from Lahore after the 1928 killing of British police officer John P Saunders.
Rani Gaidinliu: Born in 1915 in present-day Manipur, Rani Gaidinliu was a Naga spiritual and political leader who fought the British. She joined the Heraka religious movement which later became a movement to drive out the British.

DigiYatra

The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), run by GMR, announced the soft launch of the Centre’s DigiYatra initiative, rolling out the beta version of its app for Android platforms.

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DigiYatra , the passenger processing system based on facial recognition technology, has been piloted at the Delhi airport and has had the required infrastructure set up at the airport’s Terminal 3.
DigiYatra envisages that travellers pass through various checkpoints at the airport through paperless and contactless processing, using facial features to establish their identity, which would be linked to the boarding pass.

ADVANCED TOWED ARTILLERY GUN SYSTEM (ATAGS)

In a first, an indigenously developed howitzer gun, ATAG, became part of the 21-gun salute during the Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort.

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Developed by the DRDO, the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) was used alongside the traditional British-origin ’25 Pounders’ artillery guns.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also referred to the gun while speaking about the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative of the Centre during his Independence Day speech.
The ATAGS is an indigenous 155 mm x 52 calibre howitzer gun developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) with its Pune-based facility Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) being the nodal agency.
The ATAGS project was started in 2013 by DRDO to replace older guns in service in the Indian Army with a modern 155 mm artillery gun.
Howitzers is an umbrella term for a category of long-range artillery guns.

PARTITION HORRORS REMEMBRANCE DAY

India commemorated August 14, as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.

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The commemoration was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this date last year. This date also marks Pakistan’s independence day.
The Partition is acknowledged as one of the most violent and abrupt displacements in the recent history of the world.
Estimates of the numbers of those killed vary; according to the official document, it could be between 500,000 to over a million, but “the generally accepted figure stands at around 500,000”.

15 AUGUST 2022

SALINE WATER LANTERN

Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh unveiled India’s first Saline Water Lantern which uses the sea water to power the specially designed LED lamps.

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The Minister visited the SAGAR ANVESHIKA, a Coastal Research Vessel, operated and used by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai to review the progress of the implementation of the Deep Ocean Mission of India.
The saline Water Lantern will bring “Ease of Living” to the fishing community living along the 7500 Kilometres long coastal line of India. Saline water-powered Roshini LED lamps will also boost and supplement Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s UJALA scheme.
Jitendra Singh hoisted tricolour on board the ship and extended the campaign of ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’, to ‘Har Jahaj Tiranga’.

RAMSAR SITES

India has added 11 more wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites to make total 75 Ramsar sites covering an area of 13 lakh 26 thousand 677 Hectare in the country in the 75th year of Independence.

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Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change said, the 11 new sites include, four in Tamil Nadu, three in Odisha, two in Jammu and Kashmir and one each in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
India is one of the Contracting Parties to Ramsar Convention, signed in Ramsar, Iran in 1971.
India signed it on 1st February 1982. During 1982 to 2013, a total of 26 sites were added to the list of Ramsar sites, however, during 2014 to 2022, the country has added 49 new wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites.
Tamil Nadu has maximum number of Ramsar sites which is 14, followed by Uttar Pradesh which has 10 numbers of Ramsar sites.

PRIMARY AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES (PACS)

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah has said that the government will bring model by-laws to govern all Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) in the country.

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He said, the sick and defunct PACS should be revived or taken for liquidation.
Mr Shah was addressing a national conference on rural cooperative banks organised by the Ministry of Cooperation and the National Federation of State Cooperative Banks (NAFSCOB) at Vignan Bhavan in New Delhi.
Describing the PACS as pillars of the cooperative movement, Mr Shah called for strengthening of the PACS by diversifying them into various other activities.
Mr Shah stressed the need to establish more than 2 lakh new PACS across the country to achieve the target of providing agri-finance worth 10 lakh crore rupees through cooperatives.

SOCIAL MEDIA

There is a widening divide among internet companies on setting up a self-regulatory body – to address complaints by social media users – as an alternative to the Centre’s Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC).

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Social Media Companies have opposed an industry proposal to create such a body.
They have flagged concerns over the potential inability to legally challenge any final content moderation decisions of a self-governing body, in addition to the difference in the moderation policies of different platforms.

What is the proposal by the tech firms?

Social media companies, along with industry body Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), are currently chalking up the contours of a self-regulatory mechanism.
This is in response to the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY)’s proposal to set up “government-appointed committees” to address complaints raised by users about social media companies’ content-moderation decisions.

DROUGHT IN ENGLAND

The government formally declared parts of England to be in drought as the country faces a period of prolonged hot and dry weather.

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Where has a drought been declared? Devon and Cornwall; Solent and South Downs; Kent and South London; Herts and North London; East Anglia; Thames; Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire; and East Midlands.
What happens when a drought is declared?
- All water companies are required to have a drought plan in place setting out what restrictions they may put in place on their customers in the event of a drought.
- Water companies will implement these plans, which will include temporary water use restrictions such as hosepipe bans to reduce the demand for water.
- They can also apply for drought orders and permits which legally allow more flexibility in managing water resources including abstracting more water from rivers, reservoirs or aquifers.

13 AUGUST 2022

ORIGIN OF CONTINENTS

A new Curtin University study has found the most robust evidence yet showing that Earth’s continents were formed by giant meteorite impacts.

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The paper, ‘Giant impacts and the origin and evolution of continents’, was published in Nature on August 10.
By examining tiny crystals of the mineral zircon in rocks from the Pilbara Craton in Western Australia, which represents Earth’s best-preserved remnant of ancient crust, experts found evidence of these giant meteorite impacts.
These impacts were prevalent during the first billion years or so of the planet’s history.

WORLD ELEPHANT DAY

World Elephant Day is an international annual event on August 12, dedicated to the preservation and protection of the world’s elephants.

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It was conceived in 2011 by Canadian filmmakers Patricia Sims and Michael Clark of Canazwest Pictures, and Sivaporn Dardarananda, Secretary-General of the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation in Thailand.
It was officially founded, supported and launched by Patricia Sims and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation on August 12, 2012.
There are three species of elephants — African Forest, African Savanna (bush), and Asian. The animals can be differentiated by their ears and trunks. African elephants are larger. Their ears are also larger and shaped like Africa.

WORLD SANSKRIT DIWAS

On the auspicious occasion of Shraavana Poornima occurs the World Sanskrit Diwas.

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This year it falls on August 12, 2022.
The mother of all languages, Sanskrit, is one of the oldest languages in the world.
It seems to be the first spoken language in ancient India.

AYUSH GRID PROJECT

An MoU was signed between Ministry of Ayush and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for providing technical support to Ministry of Ayush for digitalisation of Ayush Sector under the Ayush Grid project for a period of 3 years.

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The Ayush Grid project was initiated by the Ministry in 2018 for creating a comprehensive IT backbone for the entire sector.
Digitalization of the entire Ayush Sector will lead to its transformation in fields of health care delivery at all levels, including research, education, various health programmes and drug regulations.

BASMATI CROP SURVEY

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Ministry of Commerce and Industry has commenced Basmati crop survey to estimate acreage, assess crop health and expected yield of aromatic and long grain rice during 2022-2023 kharif crop season using climate-based yield modelling.

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The survey is being executed under the Basmati Export Development Foundation (BEDF), which is an arm of APEDA. The final survey report is to be finalized by December this year.
India has exported Basmati to the tune of close to USD 12 billion in the last three years.
Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Kuwait, United Kingdom, Qatar and Oman have a share of close to 80 per cent in total shipments of aromatic long grained rice from India in 2021-22.

NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANISATION (NATO)

It was recently reported that India held its first political dialogue with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in Brussels on December 12, 2019.

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Attended by senior officials, including from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Defence, the idea was to ensure the dialogue was primarily political in character, and to avoid making any commitment on military or other bilateral cooperation.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, or NATO, is a political and military alliance of 28 European countries and two countries in North America (United States and Canada).
It was set up in 1949 by the US, Canada, and several western European nations to ensure their collective security against the Soviet Union. It was the US’s first peacetime military alliance outside the western hemisphere.
Thirty countries are currently members of NATO, which is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. The headquarters of the Allied Command Operations is near Mons, also in Belgium.

12 AUGUST 2022

COMMON CHARGER FOR ALL DEVICES

A common charger for your iPhone, your Android tablet and your Windows 11 laptop? That’s not quite possible yet, but this is what the future could look like.

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The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs has written to industry and other concerned stakeholders, inviting them to brainstorm a plan for having one cable for charging all your devices.
The ministry’s move comes in the backdrop of the concept of LiFE — Lifestyle for the Environment — announced by the Prime Minister at the UN Climate Change Conference (CoP 26) held in Glasgow in November 2021.
Due to the incompatibility of charging ports between old and new devices, consumers are forced to buy a separate charger and cable every time they purchase a new gadget. Not only do consumers face inconvenience, this also adds to avoidable e-consumption.

OPEN NETWORK FOR DIGITAL COMMERCE (ONDC)

US firm Microsoft has become the first big tech company to join the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), a Government of India backed project.

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ONDC is an initiative aimed at promoting open networks for all aspects of exchange of goods and services over digital or electronic networks.
ONDC is to be based on open-sourced methodology, using open specifications and open network protocols independent of any specific platform.
It is being developed as a counter to the current duopoly in the Indian e-commerce market which is largely dictated by Amazon and Walmart-owned Flipkart.

LANGYA

Almost three years after the novel coronavirus was detected in China, a new zoonotic virus has been discovered in the country’s two eastern provinces with 35 infections identified so far. This new type of Henipavirus is also being called Langya Henipavirus or the LayV.

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The newly discovered virus is a “phylogenetically distinct Henipavirus”. Henipaviruses are classified as biosafety level 4 (BSL4) pathogens. They can cause severe illness in animals and humans, and as of now there are no licensed drugs or vaccines meant for humans.
The types of Henipaviruses that had been identified prior to this included Hendra, Nipah, Cedar, Mojiang and the Ghanaian bat virus. Langya, meanwhile, is known to cause fever.
Langya’s genome organization is “identical to that of other Henipaviruses”, and that it is closely related to the “Mojiang Henipavirus, which was discovered in southern China”.

MAR-A-LAGO

On August 9, 2022, the former United States President, Donald Trump announced that his “beautiful home, Mar-a-Lago” was “under siege, raided and occupied by a large group of FBI agents”.

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American media reported the FBI searches were in connection with an investigation into whether he had taken classified White House records to the estate.
During his four-year tenure as United States President, Donald Trump’s sprawling private club in Florida, Mar-a-Lago, was often described as the “winter White House”.
Trump spent all or part of 142 days of his presidency at the resort, which he visited 32 times.
And after he reluctantly exited Washington DC in January 2021, Mar-a-Lago was where Trump set up base.

PALESTINIAN ISLAMIC JIHAD

The past week has witnessed a fresh round of violence between Israel and Gaza, and the most serious intensification of conflict since the 11-day crisis in May 2021.

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Rockets fired from the Gaza Strip reached Jerusalem for the first time since the 2021 crisis. These rockets had been fired in retaliation for the killing of Khaled Mansour, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander for southern Gaza.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad is a militant faction, like Hamas, but is smaller in size. Like Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad has been designated a terrorist organization by the US, Israel, and the EU.
the Palestinian Islamic Jihad was founded in 1982 by Fathi Abd al-Aziz al-Shikaki, a physician from Rafah, Gaza. Although it had its origins in the network of the Muslim Botherhood, it has over the years developed into a distinct organisation.

CORBEVAX
The Centre has said that the option of heterologous precaution dose with Corbevax will be available to all people above 18 years of age.
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- Corbevax will be available as precaution dose after the completion of six months from the date of administration of the second dose of either Covaxin or Covishield vaccines for a population above 18 years.
- Corbevax is a protein subunit COVID-19 vaccine developed by Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas and Dynavax technologies based in Emeryville, California.
- It is licensed to Indian biopharmaceutical firm Biological E. Limited (BioE) for development and production.

11 AUGUST 2022

CENTRE RELEASES ₹1.16 LAKH CRORES TO STATES

The Centre released over ₹1.16 lakh crore to the States, equivalent to two monthly instalments of tax devolution, to help front-load State governments’ capital spending abilities in this financial year.

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Coming soon after the expiry of the assured Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation to States from this July, economists expect the move to give the States twice the monthly share of net proceeds of Union taxes and duties for August to bolster their cash flows and nudge them into planning and executing capital expenditure (capex) outlays.
The development assumes significance as some Chief Ministers raised concerns about their dwindling resources and sought more funds from the Centre through extension of the GST compensation period and a higher share in the divisible pool of taxes, at NITI Aayog’s Governing Council meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 7.
As against a “normal monthly devolution” of ₹58,332.86 crore, the Finance Ministry said ₹1,16,665.75 crore had been released “in line with the commitment of the Government of India to strengthen the hands of States to accelerate their capital and developmental expenditure”.

TRANSGENDER PILOTS

In a big win for aspiring pilot Adam Harry and the entire transgender community, the aviation safety regulator has for the first time framed new medical guidelines that allow transgender persons who have completed gender transition therapy or surgery to be declared fit to fly.

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An ongoing hormone therapy will also not be a ground for disqualification.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued guidelines for aeromedical evaluation of transgender persons for obtaining medical clearance for all categories of pilot’s licence — private pilot’s licence, student pilot licence and commercial pilot licence.
These say that candidates who have completed their hormone therapy and gender affirmation surgery more than five years ago will be declared medically fit provided they clear screening for mental health in accordance with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.
If transgender applicants have completed the treatment within the past five years, they will have to undergo a psychological and psychiatric evaluation apart from providing a detailed report from their treating endocrinologist as well as a report from the surgeon, if there has been a surgery within the past year.

INFLATION REDUCTION ACT (IRA) 2022

On August 7, 2022, the U.S. Senate approved a bill titled the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) 2022.

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The IRA has a special focus on climate, healthcare, and tax provisions to address inflation.
The Bill marks the largest American investment aimed toward making the U.S. a leader in clean energy. It provides a tax deduction to low and middle-income households to go electric and seeks to lower the energy bills of U.S. households.
For disadvantaged low-income communities and tribal communities, the Bill provides funding to benefit from zero-emission technologies. It also imposes a fee on methane leaks from oil and gas drilling.
However, climate advocates criticise the bill for coupling the development of renewable energy, which is the cause of global warming, with land leasing for oil and gas drilling.

ASIAN REGIONAL FORUM

The Election Commission of India will be hosting a virtual meet of the ‘Asian Regional Forum’ on the theme “Making our Elections Inclusive, Accessible and Participative” at Nirvachan Sadan on August 11, 2022.

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This Regional Forum meet is precursor to the “Global Summit for Democracy” to be hosted by the National Electoral Institute of Mexico in the coming month.
As part of this ‘Global Summit for Democracy’, five Regional Forums namely Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and countries of the Arab States have been created. India is hosting the Asian Regional Forum meet of the EMBs.
The meet will have participation from Election Management Bodies (EMBs) of Mexico, Mauritius, Philippines, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Maldives and Representatives from International IDEA, Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) and International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).
As part of this ‘Global Summit for Democracy’, five Regional Forums namely Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and countries of the Arab States have been created. India is hosting the Asian Regional Forum meet of the EMBs.

FARE CAP ON AIR TICKETS

Center has decided to remove the fare cap on air tickets from 31st of August 2022.

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The cap on airfares was imposed by the Civil Aviation Ministry in May, 2020.
Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said, the decision has been taken after a careful analysis of daily demand and prices of air turbine fuel. He said, stabilisation has set in and the government is certain that the sector is poised for growth in domestic traffic in the near future.

PMAY-URBAN

Union Cabinet has approved continuation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) – Housing for All Mission up to 31st December 2024.

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Financial assistance is being provided for the completion of already sanctioned over 122 lakh houses till 31st March 2022.
The scheme is one of the major flagship programmes being implemented by Central Government to provide all-weather pucca houses to all eligible beneficiaries in the urban areas of the country through States, Union Territories, and Central Nodal Agencies.
The continuation of the scheme based on the request of States and UTs upto 31st December 2024 will help in completion of already sanctioned houses under Beneficiary Led Construction, Affordable Housing in Partnership, and In-situ Slum Redevelopment verticals.
Central Assistance approved since 2015 is two lakh three thousand crore rupees against 20 thousand crore rupees in 2004-2014.

10 AUGUST 2022

QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT

On this day 80 years ago — on August 9, 1942 — the people of India launched the decisive final phase of the struggle for independence. It was a mass upsurge against colonial rule on a scale not seen earlier, and it sent out the unmistakable message that the sun was about to set on the British Empire in India.

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Mahatma Gandhi, who had told the Raj to “Quit India” on the previous day (August 8) was already in jail along with the entire Congress leadership, so when August 9 dawned, the people were on their own — out on the street, driven by the Mahatma’s call of “Do or Die”.
This truly people-led movement was eventually crushed violently by the British, but by then it was clear that nothing short of their final departure was acceptable to India’s masses.
Reasons: While factors leading to such a movement had been building up, matters came to a head with the failure of the Cripps Mission. The failure of the Cripps Mission made Gandhi realise that freedom would come only if Indians fought tooth and nail for it.

Gandhi’s address: Do or Die

On August 8, 1942, Gandhi addressed the people in the Gowalia Tank maidan in Bombay (Mumbai).
“The mantra is: ‘Do or Die’. We shall either free India or die trying; we shall not live to see the perpetuation of our slavery,” Gandhi said.
Aruna Asaf Ali hoisted the Tricolour on the ground.
The Quit India movement had been officially announced

DINOSAUR FOOTPRINTS IN CHINA

Scientists have discovered over 4,300 dinosaur footprints in Hebei province of Zhangjiakou in northern China. This is the largest number of footprint fossils found in one spot in the country.

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The largest number of dinosaur footprint fossils located in northern China, these cover an area of 9,000 square metres. According to news reports, the footprints show four different dinosaur species, one of which might be undiscovered.
The footprints belong to herbivores and carnivores dinosaurs; while the former could reach lengths of nearly 15 metres, the latter was four to five metres. Scientists believe the area may have attracted dinosaurs due to the availability of water and trees at the time.

How did the dinosaur footprints become fossils?

Preserved footprints, also known as ichnites, are trace fossils that have survived millions of years. These are found in earthen materials that were soft enough to form the foot impression and hard enough to retain it.
Over time, the material dried, hardened, and was covered with layers of sediment, helping the impression become fossilised. In numerous instances, soil erosion is now bringing them to the surface.

AGM-88 HARM

United States Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Colin Kahl confirmed on August 8, 2022 that Washington has supplied some “anti-radiation missiles” to Ukraine, which could be fired from some Ukrainian Air Force aircraft.

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The statement, kind of, confirms Russian allegations that an American anti-radar missile, AGM-88 HARM, which is part of NATO’s inventory, has been used in the theatre of conflict.
The acronym ‘HARM’ in the AGM-88 HARM air-to-surface missile stands for High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile.
It is a tactical weapon fired from fighter aircraft, and has the capability to detect and home into radiation emitted by hostile radar stations that have surface-to-air detection capabilities.
The missile was originally developed by the Dallas-headquartered Texas Instruments, but is now produced by the major American defence contractor Raytheon Corporation.

RAMSAR SITES

India has added 10 more Ramsar sites, or wetlands that are of international importance, taking the number of such sites to 64, Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav said.

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The 10 new sites — six in Tamil Nadu and one each in Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha — encompass an area of 1,51,842.41 hectares, bringing India’s total wetland area to 1.2 million hectares.
The sites are Koothankulam Bird Sanctuary, Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve, Vembannur Wetland Complex, Vellode Bird Sanctuary, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary and Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary, all in Tamil Nadu, Satkosia Gorge in Odisha, Nanda Lake in Goa, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary in Karnataka, and Sirpur Wetland in Madhya Pradesh.
Until 2012, India had 26 Ramsar sites, with the last decade witnessing a meteoric rise. On July 26, Mr. Yadav announced that India had added five Ramsar sites.
Ramsar wetlands now comprise around 10% of the total wetland area in the country.
Being designated one, however, doesn’t necessarily invite extra international funds but that States —and the Centre — must ensure that these tracts of land are conserved and spared from man-made encroachment. Acquiring this label also helps with a locale’s tourism potential and its international visibility.

MONSOON SESSION OF PARLIAMENT

Both the House of Parliament adjourned Sine Die, four days ahead of the schedule.

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The Monsoon Session of Parliament, which commenced on 18th of last month, was scheduled to end on the 12th of this month.
Rajya Sabha conducted business for 38 hours while it lost 47 hours due to disruptions during the session. the Question Hour could not be taken up on seven days. Only five Bills were considered and passed. the House took up a short duration discussion on the rising prices of essential items in the country.
In the Lok Sabha, six bills were introduced and seven bills were passed during the session. 16 sittings were held and the House conducted business for more than 44 hours. The House also held two short duration discussions on the price rise and steps to promote sports in the country.

EXERCISE VAJRA PRAHAR 2022

The 13th Edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise “Ex Vajra Prahar 2022” commenced at the Special Forces Training School at Bakloh of Himachal Pradesh.

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The Vajra Prahar series of joint exercise aims to share best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics as also to improve inter-operability between the Special Forces of both the Nations.
This annual exercise is hosted alternatively between India and the United States. The 12th edition was conducted at Joint Base Lewis Mcchord, Washington (USA) in October last year.

MUHARRAM

The Ashoora-e-Muharram was observed with due reverence and solemnity in various parts of the country.

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The day marks the martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Hazrat Imam Hussain, and his companions, who laid down their lives for upholding truth, righteousness and justice in Karbala.
Tazia processions were taken out to mark the occasion which were buried later in the evening at designated places.
Majlis or religious meetings were also organized where religious scholars highlighted various aspects of Karbala incident.

9 AUGUST 2022

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal on August 7 declared a six-point “guarantee” for tribals in Gujarat’s Chhota Udepur district, including the “strict implementation” of The Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA Act).Q

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The PESA Act was enacted in 1996 “to provide for the extension of the provisions of Part IX of the Constitution relating to the Panchayats to the Scheduled Areas”.
Under the PESA Act, Scheduled Areas are those referred to in Article 244(1), which says that the provisions of the Fifth Schedule shall apply to the Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in states other than Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. The Fifth Schedule provides for a range of special provisions for these areas.
The PESA Act was enacted to ensure self-governance through Gram Sabhas (village assemblies) for people living in the Scheduled Areas.
It recognises the right of tribal communities, who are residents of the Scheduled Areas, to govern themselves through their own systems of self-government, and also acknowledges their traditional rights over natural resources.

FAOs Food Price Index (FPI)

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla believes “inflation is going to drop rapidly” and prices of commodities used in the manufacture of electric vehicles “trending down in six months”.

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What he’s projecting is already happening in food. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Food Price Index (FPI) averaged 140.9 points in July, 8.6% down from its previous month’s level and marking the steepest monthly drop since October 2008.
The FPI – a trade-weighted average of international prices of key food commodities over a base period value, taken at 100 for 2014-16 – hit an all-time-high of 159.7 points in March, the month that followed the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
The latest index reading is the lowest since the 135.6 points of January, before the still-ongoing war.

HEAVY RAINFALL

With heavy to very heavy rain lashing most of the catchment areas of the Godavari and Krishna basins in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the water level in the main course of the two rivers in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh is on the rise.

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The Central Water Commission (CWC), based on a forecast by the India Meteorological Department, has indicated that water flow in the Godavari at Kanthanapally, the point after the Indravathi joins the main river course, could be about 6.25 lakh cusecs.
The Indravathi, which contributes most to the Godavari after the Pranahitha, is in spate in Chhattisgarh, with the river flowing above the warning level of 539.5 metres at Jagdalpur and is forecast to cross the danger level of 540.8 metres.
Authorities of the Water Resources Department (WRD) lifted all the 70 gates of the Prakasam Barrage and released 70,000 cusecs of water into the sea. This is the second time this season that the gates have been lifted. Nearly 82,161 cusecs of flood waters is reaching the barrage from the upper catchment areas.
With contribution from the Manjira, Kaddam, Peddavagu and Pranahitha, the water flow at Polavaram is forecast to be over 6.55 lakh cusecs.

HINDU MINORITY AND GUARDIANSHIP ACT (HMGA), 1956

A mother and father should have equal rights as guardians of their children and the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act (HMGA), 1956 should be amended as it discriminates against women, a parliamentary panel has recommended in its report.

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The said Act does not provide for joint guardianship nor does it recognise the mother as the guardian of the minor legitimate child unless the father is deceased or is found unfit.
The Act gives preference to father over mother, it goes against the right to equality and right against discrimination envisaged under Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution.
The committee feels that there is an urgent need to amend the HMGA and accord equal treatment to both mother and father as natural guardians.
Section 6 of the HMGA lays down that in the case of a Hindu minor boy and a Hindu minor unmarried girl, the father is the natural guardian and ‘after’ him the mother. Section 7 of the same Act provides that the natural guardianship of an adopted son, who is a minor, passes on adoption to the adopted father and ‘after’ him to the adoptive mother.

HINDU MINORITY AND GUARDIANSHIP ACT (HMGA), 1956

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The said Act does not provide for joint guardianship nor does it recognise the mother as the guardian of the minor legitimate child unless the father is deceased or is found unfit.
The Act gives preference to father over mother, it goes against the right to equality and right against discrimination envisaged under Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution.
The committee feels that there is an urgent need to amend the HMGA and accord equal treatment to both mother and father as natural guardians.
Section 6 of the HMGA lays down that in the case of a Hindu minor boy and a Hindu minor unmarried girl, the father is the natural guardian and ‘after’ him the mother. Section 7 of the same Act provides that the natural guardianship of an adopted son, who is a minor, passes on adoption to the adopted father and ‘after’ him to the adoptive mother.

INTERNATIONAL MOBILE EQUIPMENT IDENTITY (IMEI)

With rising cases of mobile phone snatching in the national capital, the Delhi Police is now planning to close ranks with internet service providers and the department of telecommunications to block stolen or robbed phones.

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This will be done by using the device’s International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number.
The International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI is a unique number that is used to identify a device on a mobile network. It has 15 digits, and is like your phone’s unique identity.
When you use the internet or place a call through your cellular service provider, then this number is used to verify the identity of your device.
If you have a dual SIM phone, then you will have two IMEI numbers, one for each slot.

ELECTRICITY (AMENDMENT) BILL 2022

The Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2022 was introduced in Parliament amid protests and later sent to the standing committee for further deliberation. Many power engineers protested the Bill across the country, in states like Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Rajasthan, and others.

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In this Bill, Section 42 of the Electricity Act will be amended to allow ‘non-discriminatory open access’ to the distribution network, allowing private companies to supply electricity provided they get a license.
Section 14 of the Electricity Act has also been proposed to be amended, allowing private companies to use distribution networks built by public sector electricity companies, enabling competition and enhancing the efficiency of power supply across the country.
Under the Bill, consumers will be able to choose from multiple electricity providers, essentially like how they choose currently between telecom providers like Airtel, Vodafone, etc..

8 AUGUST 2022

FPI ADVISORY COMMITTEE (FAC)

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has constituted an expert group of Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) to boost overseas flows into the country.

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The FPI Advisory Committee (FAC) will be chaired by former Chief Economic Adviser KV Subramanian and consists of 14 other members representing foreign banks, stock exchanges depositories and RBI.
The FAC has been tasked with advising on issues related to investments and operations of FPIs in the financial markets, including measures to facilitate ease of doing business by FPIs in India.
The committee will review investment avenues available for FPIs and to advise on the feasibility of new investment avenues. It will also suggest measures required to encourage FPI participation in the bond market.

ONE DISTRICT – ONE PRODUCT (ODOP)

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has unveiled the digital version of the One District-One Product (ODOP) gift catalogue during the Export Promotion Councils and Industry Associations meeting at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi.

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On the occasion, Mr Goyal highlighted the ways in which the ODOP gift catalogue is a step towards realizing the potential of all districts in the country and will give global recognition to the country’s diverse indigenous products.
He urged all the line ministries, Industry Association, and Export Promotion Councils to utilize products from the catalogue for encouragement to designs and branding.
The Minister said that utilizing products from the catalogue will promote a brand image for local products in the international market.
The ODOP gift catalogue includes a wide range of products like Fragrances and Oils, Indian Spirits, Home Decor products, Fabrics, and Silks and Shawls.

PARVAZ

The innovative Market Linkage scheme- PARVAZ possesses tremendous potential for uplifting the economic conditions of the farmers across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

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The scheme was launched by the Government with an aim to create market linkage support for the shipment of Agriculture and Horticulture perishables being harvested in Jammu and Kashmir through Air Cargo.
Under the scheme, 25 per cent subsidy on freight charges is given for carrying perishable fruits harvested in Jammu and Kashmir for shipment through Air Cargo. The subsidy is provided to farmers through DBT mode.
Jammu & Kashmir Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation (JKHPMC), the implementing agency of the scheme is regularly creating awareness among the farmers about the significance of this scheme so that ample number of them can take benefit from it.

US NAVY SHIP (USNS) CHARLES DREW

In a first, a U.S. Navy Ship, Charles Drew, arrived in India for carrying out repairs and allied services at Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) Shipyard at Kattupalli, Chennai, adding a new dimension to the fast expanding Indo-U.S. strategic partnership.

About:

This is the first ever repair of a U.S. Navy ship in India. The U.S. Navy had awarded a contract to L&T’s Shipyard at Kattupalli for undertaking maintenance of the ship. The USNS Charles Drew will be at the Kattupalli shipyard for a period of 11 days and undergo repairs in various areas.
The event signifies the capabilities of Indian shipyards in the global ship repairing market.
At the India-U.S. 2+2 in April, both sides agreed to explore the possibilities of utilising Indian shipyards for the repair and maintenance of ships of the U.S. Maritime Sealift Command to support mid-voyage repair of U.S. Naval ships.

SSLV-D1-EOS 02

The Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman S Somanath has said that the maiden launch of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle, SSLV failed to place the satellites in the intended orbit due to sensor anomaly.

About:

SSLV-D1-EOS 02 launched from Sriharikota launch pad had placed the satellites into 356kmX76 kms elliptical orbit instead of 356 km circular orbit. Due to which the two satellites remained unstable and are no longer usable.
The ISRO Chairman has said the launch vehicle took off majestically at the intended time from the launch pad in Sriharikota. Its propulsion stages, overall hardware, aerodynamic design and new generation electronics, the separation system used for the first time performed very well.
However after reaching an altitude of 356 kms there was a failure of logic to identify sensor failure and go for the salvage motion. Hence the launch vehicle developed an anomaly.
The ISRO Chairman has said that a team of experts will go deeper to find out the reason for this isolation. He emphasised that after a small correction and revalidation, SSLV-D2 will be launched very soon.

MY HANDLOOM MY PRIDE CHALLENGE

On the occasion of the ‘National Handloom Day’ (August 7) Prime Minister Narenda Modi urged all youngsters associated with the world of startups to take part in my handloom my pride challenge.

About:

Mr Modi said it is an excellent opportunity to ideate and innovate for weavers.
On the occasion, an insurance scheme for weavers has come into force in Telangana. About 80 thousand weavers in the state will be benefited by the Insurance scheme.

ISLAMIC STATE (ISIS) IN INDIA

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested an accused for being allegedly involved in the activities of the Islamic State (ISIS) module case, after conducting searches at Batla House in New Delhi.

About:

He has been arrested for his involvement in collection of funds for ISIS from sympathisers in India as well as abroad. He was sending these funds to Syria and other places in form of crypto currency in order to further the activities of ISIS.
The Islamic State announced its establishment of a new branch in India (Wilayat-al Hind) after Indian security forces in Kashmir killed a group member in May 2019.
The Islamic State started its jihadist propaganda in India in 2020 during the pandemic crisis publishing its magazine Voice of Hind or Sawt al-Hind to encourage Indian Muslims to wage jihad and carry out attacks in the country.

6 AUGUST 2022

CARBON MARKETS

The creation of a domestic carbon market is one of the most significant provisions of the proposed amendment The Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022.

About:

Carbon markets allow the trade of carbon credits with the overall objective of bringing down emissions. These markets create incentives to reduce emissions or improve energy efficiency.
For example, an industrial unit which outperforms the emission standards stands to gain credits. Another unit which is struggling to attain the prescribed standards can buy these credits and show compliance to these standards. The unit that did better on the standards earns money by selling credits, while the buying unit is able to fulfill its operating obligations.
Under the Kyoto Protocol, the predecessor to the Paris Agreement, carbon markets have worked at the international level as well.
Domestic or regional carbon markets are already functioning in several places, most notably in Europe, where an emission trading scheme (ETS) works on similar principles.
A similar scheme for incentivising energy efficiency has been running in India for over a decade now. This BEE scheme, called PAT, (or perform, achieve and trade) allows units to earn efficiency certificates if they outperform the prescribed efficiency standards. The laggards can buy these certificates to continue operating.

‘BADHE CHALO’ MOVEMENT

With the objective of connecting with the youth of the nation, and to instil a deeper sense of patriotism among them, the Ministry of Culture, has decided to create a youth centric activation for greater outreach of Amrit Mahotsav named ‘Badhe Chalo’.

About:

It is designed to involve the youth of the country encouraging them to come forward and imbibe the true spirit of our democracy and celebrate 75 years of India’s independence with youthful fervour.
Through this mass movement or ‘Jan Bhagidari’ initiative, the Ministry of Culture also intends to amplify and support the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ movement.
This movement has been initiated by the Honourable Prime Minister and Home Minister and it calls upon every Indian to hoist a Tiranga in their homes between August 13th– 15th, 2022.
To connect and to bring the youth and people together from across the country on one platform, Badhe Chalo will feature Flash Dances, where dancers will perform on a specially created ‘Youth Anthem’.
Badhe Chalo is being held across 10 cities every day from 5th August to 11th August, 2022. These events will culminate with a Grand Finale on 12th August, 2022at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi.

AYUSHMAN BHARAT – HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTRES (AB- HWC)

Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya has said that the target of setting up 1.50 lakh Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centres ( AB- HWC) will become functional by December this year.

About:

Replying to a debate over a private member legislation namely the Right to Health Bill 2021 in the Rajya Sabha yesterday, Dr Mandaviya said that out of the total target of setting up 1.50 lakh such Centres, one lakh 22 thousand are now functional.
He said, at these Health and Wellness Centres, screening of 13 non-communicable diseases will conducted in addition to three types of cancers including breast and oral cancer.

PARTITION HORRORS REMEMBRANCE DAY

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked all Universities and Colleges to observe August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.

About:

They have been asked to organize programmes and seminars to commemorate the sufferings and sacrifices of millions of Indians during the partition in 1947.
Prime Minister Modi had last year announced that August 14 will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in memory of the struggles and sacrifices of people, saying the pain of partition can never be forgotten.
Mr Modi had said that millions of our sisters and brothers were displaced and many lost their lives due to mindless hate and violence

THE ENERGY CONSERVATION (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2022

The Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was introduced in Lok Sabha on August 3, 2022.

About:

The Bill seeks to amend the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. The Act promotes energy efficiency and conservation. It provides for the regulation of energy consumption by equipment, appliances, buildings, and industries.
Obligation to use non-fossil sources of energy: The Act empowers the central government to specify energy consumption standards. The Bill adds that the government may require the designated consumers to meet a minimum share of energy consumption from non-fossil sources.
Carbon trading: The Bill empowers the central government to specify a carbon credit trading scheme. Carbon credit implies a tradeable permit to produce a specified amount of carbon emissions.
Energy conservation code for buildings: The Bill provides for an ‘energy conservation and sustainable building code’. This new code will provide norms for energy efficiency and conservation, use of renewable energy, and other requirements for green buildings.
Applicability to residential buildings: Under the Bill, the new energy conservation and sustainable building code will also apply to the office and residential buildings meeting the above criteria. The Bill also empowers the state governments to lower the load thresholds.
Standards for vehicles and vessels: Under the Act, the energy consumption standards may be specified for equipment and appliances which consume, generate, transmit, or supply energy. The Bill expands the scope to include vehicles (as defined under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988), and vessels (includes ships and boats).

5 AUGUST 2022

MINERALS SECURITY PARTNERSHIP (MSP)

As part of a global ‘China-plus-one’ strategy adopted post the Covid-19 pandemic that caused massive supply-chain disruptions, a group of western nations are cooperating to develop alternatives to China to ensure key industrial supplies.

About:

A new US-led partnership initiative of 11 nations aims to bolster critical mineral supply chains. India is not part of this arrangement — called the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) — but New Delhi is working through diplomatic channels to fetch an entry.
The US and 10 partners — Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea (South Korea), Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the European Commission — have come together to form the MSP. The new grouping is aimed at catalysing investment from governments and the private sector to develop strategic opportunities.
The new grouping could focus on the supply chains of minerals such as Cobalt, Nickel, Lithium, and also the 17 ‘rare earth’ minerals.

What are rare earth elements?

The 17 rare earth elements (REE) include the 15 Lanthanides (atomic numbers 57 — which is Lanthanum — to 71 in the periodic table) plus Scandium (atomic number 21) and Yttrium (39). REEs are classified as light RE elements (LREE) and heavy RE elements (HREE).

EARTH’S SHORTEST DAY

On June 29, the Earth completed one full spin — a day — in 1.59 milliseconds less than its routine 24 hours. It was the shortest day recorded since the 1960s, when scientists first began to use the precise atomic clocks to measure the Earth’s rotational speed.

About:

It’s been happening fairly often these days — in recent years, the Earth has been spinning ever so slightly faster. On July 26, the day ended 1.50 milliseconds earlier, with the Earth almost breaking the record it set on June 29.
And in the year 2020, when all that the world could think about was the coronavirus, the Earth clocked 28 of its shortest recorded days, the website timeanddate.com reported. July 19 was the shortest of these short days of 2020 — ending 1.47 milliseconds sooner.

AzaadiSAT

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch its smallest commercial rocket to unfurl Tricolour in space.

About:

The launch will take place from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
ISRO chairman S Somanath has called the new satellite a “game changer” that will drive India’s dreams of breaking into the lucrative and booming small satellite launch market.
On August 15, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an announcement that the Tricolour will be unfurled in space during India’s 75th year of Independence.
To mark country’s celebrations of ‘Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, the SSLV will have a co-passenger satellite called ‘AzaadiSAT’ comprising 75 payloads built by 750 young girl students from 75 rural government schools across India.
This project was specially conceptualised for the 75th Independence Day year celebrations to encourage scientific temper and create opportunities for young girls to choose space research as their career.

LASER-GUIDED ANTI-TANK GUIDED MISSILES ATGM

The indigenously developed Laser-Guided Anti-Tank Guided Missiles ATGM were successfully test-fired from Main Battle Tank MBT Arjun by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Army at KK Ranges with support of Armoured Corps Centre and School Ahmednagar in Maharashtra.

About:

The missiles hit with precision and successfully destroyed the targets at two different ranges. Telemetry systems have recorded the satisfactory flight performance of the missiles.
The all-indigenous Laser Guided ATGM employs a tandem High Explosive Anti-Tank HEAT warhead to defeat Explosive Reactive Armour ERA protected armoured vehicles.
The ATGM has been developed with multi-platform launch capability and is currently undergoing technical evaluation trials from 120 mm rifled gun of MBT Arjun.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has complimented DRDO and Indian Army for successful performance of the Laser Guided ATGMs.

SHRIMAD RAJCHANDRA MISSION

Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various projects of the Shrimad Rajchandra Mission worth more than 300 crore rupees at Dharampur in Gujarat.

About:

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said, the initiatives by the Shrimad Rajchandra Mission in the field of rural healthcare have strengthened the Vision of a ‘Healthy India’.
The modern healthcare facilities started by the Mission will benefit the rural, poor, and tribal people of South Gujarat.
On the occasion, Mr Modi also recalled the spiritual association of Mahatma Gandhi with Rajchandra Ji.
Shrimad Rajchandra (1867 – 1901) was a Jain poet, mystic, philosopher, scholar and reformer. He wrote much philosophical poetry including Atma Siddhi. He is best known for his teachings on Jainism and his spiritual guidance to Mahatma Gandhi.

PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION (PDP) BILL

The government has withdrawn the Personal Data Protection Bill from Parliament as it considers a “comprehensive legal framework” to regulate the online space, including bringing separate laws on data privacy, the overall Internet ecosystem, cybersecurity, telecom regulations, and harnessing non-personal data to boost innovation in the country.

About:

The government has taken this step after nearly four years of the Bill being in the works. It had gone through multiple iterations, including a review by a Joint Committee of Parliament (JCP), and faced major pushback from a range of stakeholders including big tech companies such as Facebook and Google, and privacy and civil society activists.
The tech companies had, in particular, questioned a proposed provision in the Bill called data localisation, under which it would have been mandatory for companies to store a copy of certain sensitive personal data within India, and the export of undefined “critical” personal data from the country would be prohibited.
The activists had criticised, in particular, a provision that allowed the central government and its agencies blanket exemptions from adhering to any and all provisions of the Bill.
The delays in the Bill had been criticised by several stakeholders, who had pointed out that it was a matter of grave concern that India, one of the world’s largest Internet markets, did not have a basic framework to protect people’s privacy.

4 AUGUST 2022

PRICES FOR SUGARCANE HARVEST

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), at its meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane for sugar season 2022-23 (October – September) at ₹305 per quintal.

About:

The amount is for sugarcane with a basic sugar recovery rate of 10.25%. The Centre has also announced a premium of ₹3.05 per quintal for each 0.1% increase in recovery of sugar over and above 10.25% and reduction in FRP by ₹3.05 per quintal for every 0.1% decrease in recovery.
The FRP for last season was ₹290 per quintal with a basic recovery rate of 10%.
While the Centre claimed the increase will protect the interest of sugarcane farmers, the farmers’ organisations said the FRP is too low when compared to the increase in input cost and the increase of 0.25% in recovery rate is a blow to them.
The Centre has also decided that there shall not be any deduction in case of sugar mills where recovery is below 9.5%.

INDIA’S CLIMATE PLEDGES

India ratified pledges made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Glasgow in November 2021 to accelerate the country’s reliance on renewable energy to power the economy and be effectively free from use of fossil fuels by 2070. However, the approved pledges were fewer than those Mr. Modi committed to.

About:

The Union Cabinet approved an update to India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
Modi had laid out five commitments, or Panchamrit, as the government references it, namely:
- India will increase its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW (gigawatt) by 2030;
- will meet 50% of its energy requirements from “renewable energy” by 2030;
- will reduce the total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes from now till 2030;
- will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by more than 45%; and
- will achieve the target of “net zero” by the year 2070, when there will be no net carbon dioxide emitted from energy sources.
A press statement, following the Cabinet approval, only mentions two of these promises, namely that
- India is committed to reduce emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% by 2030, from the 2005 level and
- achieving 50% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.

UNSC MEET ON COUNTERTERRORISM

In a first, India will host diplomats and officials from all 15 countries of the United Nations Security Council, including China, Russia and the U.S., for a special meeting on terrorism, in Delhi and Mumbai in October.

About:

The meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), which India is chairing for 2022 as a member of the UNSC, will focus particularly on challenges such as terrorism financing, cyberthreats and the use of drones.
New Delhi is expected to highlight cross-border threats from Pakistan and Afghanistan at the meeting, which will come two months before India completes its tenure as an elected member of the UNSC (2021-22).
In addition, India has been pushing for the UN members to adopt a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (first proposed in 1996), which is likely to be raised during the meeting.
While terror financing is now recognised and dealt with through mechanisms such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), it was necessary to build templates and “codes of conduct” for newer threats, including financing through cryptocurrency and the use of drones for terror attacks.

CENTRAL VIGILANCE COMMISSIONER (CVC)

Vigilance Commissioner Suresh N. Patel was sworn in as the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) by President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

About:

Patel was officiating as the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) since June this year after Sanjay Kothari, former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, completed his term.
With these appointments, the Central Vigilance Commission is in its full strength now.
The Commission is headed by a central vigilance commissioner and it can have two Vigilance Commissioners.
Mr Patel, former managing director and chief executive officer of Andhra Bank, was in April 2020 appointed as the vigilance commissioner. Mr Patel’s elevation was approved by a selection panel headed by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition (LoP).

FREEBIES

The Supreme Court said Parliament may not be able to effectively debate the issue of doing away with “irrational freebies” offered to voters during elections, saying the “reality” is that not a single political party wants to take away freebies.

About:

The court suggested setting up a specialised body composed of persons who can “dispassionately” examine the problem.
The observations from a Bench led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana came even as the Centre said these freebies were paving the way for an “economic disaster” besides “distorting the informed decision of voters”.
The Centre, represented by Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, said it “substantially and in principle” supported doing away with the practice of promising freebies to voters.
The court directed the parties to make “suggestions for the composition of a body”.
It proposed that this body could examine ways to resolve the issue of freebies and file a report before the Centre or the Election Commission of India (ECI). The court said once the parties come up with suggestions on the composition of such a body in a week, it would pass orders.

TRADE DEFICIT

India’s trade deficit has widened to a record $31.02 billion in July thanks to contracting merchandise exports and a rise in imports. This is a three-times increase from the $10.63 billion trade deficit reported in July last year.

What is trade deficit?

Trade deficit or negative balance of trade (BOT) is the gap between exports and imports. When money spent on imports exceeds that spent on exports in a country, trade deficit occurs.
It can be calculated for different goods and services and also for international transactions. The opposite of trade deficit is trade surplus.

What causes it?

There are multiple factors that can be responsible.
One of them is some goods not being produced domestically. In that case, they have to be imported. This leads to an imbalance in their trade. A weak currency can also be a cause as it makes trade expensive.

Is it bad for a country’s economy?

If trade deficit increases, a country’s GDP decreases. A higher trade deficit can decrease the local currency’s value.
More imports than exports, according to economists, impact the jobs market and lead to an increase in unemployment. If more mobiles are imported and less produced locally, then there will be less local jobs in that sector.

E-INVOICE

In a step to ensure better flow of data on taxpayers to the authorities and higher compliance, the turnover threshold for e-invoicing has been halved to Rs 10 crore effective October 1 this year under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.

What is the decision on the threshold for e-invoice?

Businesses with annual turnover of Rs 10 crore or more will have to generate e-invoices for business-to-business (B2B) transactions from October 1 this year. The existing threshold for this is Rs 20 crore.
Pursuant to the GST Council’s decision to introduce e-invoicing in a phased manner, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) on August 1 notified lowering the e-invoice threshold to Rs 10 crore.
The GST Council approved the standard of e-invoice in its 37th meeting held on September 20, 2019. E-invoicing for B2B transactions was made mandatory for companies with turnover of over Rs 500 crore from October 1, 2020, which was then extended to those with turnover of over Rs 100 crore effective January 1, 2021.

HEAVY RAINFALL IN KERALA

After experiencing poor rainfall in June and July, almost three-fourth of Kerala is experiencing heavy showers in August, with several areas on the brink of flooding.

Why is Kerala witnessing heavy rains?

Kerala is presently under the influence of at least three rainfall triggering weather conditions.
There are strong Westerly winds flowing-in from the Arabian Sea, and bringing moisture over Kerala.
Another major cause for an increase in rainfall is the presence of an east-west shear zone located 10 degrees north over the southern peninsula.
This vertical zone — that can prevail either in the lower, middle or upper atmospheric levels — allows active winds of high speeds to interact. This zone also allows monsoon winds to remain active, thus causing intense rainfall over the area under its influence.
The IMD further stated that the presence of a north-south trough running between Chhattisgarh and Comorin areas, which is located closer to south Kerala is causing widespread rainfall.

3 AUGUST 2022

STREET DOGS

The number of dogs on India’s streets declined from 1.71 crore in 2012 to 1.53 crore in 2019, according to figures tabled in Lok Sabha by Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister.

About:

The Minister cited these figures from the Livestock Censuses of these two years.
There was a decline of 18 lakh dogs on the streets across the country, marking a 10% reduction, between 2012 and 2019.
The Union Territory of Lakshadweep had not a single dog on the streets, in either of the two Livestock Censuses.

LAWN BOWLS

In the Commonwealth Games, in a major first for India, the women’s fours lawn bowls team of Nayanmoni Saikia, Pinki, Lovely Choubey and Rupa Rani Tirkey, scripted history as they won a gold medal by defeating South Africa 17-10 in the finals. This is India’s first medal in the sport.

About:

Bowls, also known as lawn bowls or lawn bowling, is a sport in which the objective is to roll biased balls so that they stop close to a smaller ball called a “jack” or “kitty”.
It is played on a bowling green, which may be flat (for “flat-green bowls”) or convex or uneven (for “crown green bowls”).

PINGALI VENKAYYA

Sri Pingali Venkayya will always be remembered for his immense contribution to design of National Flag, says Andhra Pradesh Governor.

About:

Pingali Venkayya (1876 – 1963) was an Indian freedom fighter.
He was a staunch follower of Mahatma Gandhi and the designer of the flag on which the Indian national flag was based.
He designed the National Flag and presented it to Mahatma Gandhi during the latter’s visit to Vijayawada city on 1 April 1921.

KHULNA-MONGLA RAILWAY LINE

Bangladesh Railway Minister Md. Nurul Islam Sujan has said that the Khulna-Mongla railway line will become operational by the end of this year.

About:

The Mongla-Khulna railway line is funded by the government of India Line of Credit (LOC).
The Khulna-Mongla railway project is part of the first Line of Credit extended by India to Bangladesh in 2010.
The project is scheduled to be over by the end of this year.
According to the IRCON International Ltd, a total 31 bridges and 108 culverts have been built for the train link. The Rupsha bridge was completed on 25 June this year.

AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI

Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a CIA drone strike in Afghanistan over the weekend, US officials said.

About:

The killing of Zawahiri is considered the biggest blow to the militant group since its founder Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011.
Zawahiri, an Egyptian who had a 25 million dollar bounty on his head, helped coordinate the 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in the US in 2001. One of the US officials said the CIA carried out a drone strike in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday.
US President Joe Biden addressed the nation from the White House on the operation. The drone attack is the first known US strike inside Afghanistan since US troops and diplomats left the country in August 2021.
In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that a strike took place and strongly condemned it, calling it a violation of international principles.

RESERVATION IN LOCAL JOBS

The Supreme Court quashed the Jharkhand government’s 2016 decision to grant 100% reservation to local people of 13 Scheduled Areas in public jobs and upheld a High Court decision that had termed the government decision “discriminatory and impermissible”.

About:

The top court said “the citizens have equal rights, and the total exclusion of others by creating an opportunity for one class is unconstitutional and ultra vires Articles 14, 16(2), 16(3) and 35(ai) of the Constitution of India.”

LIST OF OUTCOMES: OFFICIAL VISIT OF PRESIDENT OF MALDIVES TO INDIA

The President of Maldives, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, is on an Official Visit to India at the invitation of the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.

Ground-breaking/Review of Projects

Pouring of first concrete of the Greater Male Connectivity Project- an USD 500 Mn India funded project- marking the commencement of permanent works
Review of the progress on the construction of 4,000 social housing units in Hulhumale being funded under Exim Bank of India Buyer’s credit finance of USD 227 Mn
Overview of India Maldives development cooperation including Addu roads and reclamation, water and sanitation in 34 islands and Friday Mosque restoration projects

Agreements/MoUs Exchanged

MoU on Capacity Building & Training of Members of Local Councils & Women Development Committee of Maldives between NIRDPR, India and Local Government Authority, Maldives
MoU on Collaboration in potential fishing zone forecast capacity building and data sharing and marine scientific research between INCOIS, India and Ministry of Fisheries, Maldives
MoU for Cooperation in the area of Cyber Security between CERT-India and NCIT, Maldives
MoU for cooperation in the field of disaster management between NDMA, India and NDMA, Maldives
Agreement between EXIM Bank, India and Ministry of Finance, Maldives for USD 41 Mn Buyer’s Credit Financing of Police Infrastructure in Maldives

Announcements

Extension of USD 100 Mn new Line of Credit to finance infrastructure projects in Maldives
Approval for award of EPC contract for the USD 128 Mn Hanimadhoo Airport Development project under Line of Credit
Approval of DPR and commencement of tendering process of the USD 324 Mn Gulhifahlu Port development project under Line of Credit
Approval of Feasibility Report and financial closure for the USD 30 Mn Cancer Hospital project under Line of Credit
USD 119 Mn Buyer’s Credit financing by Exim Bank of India for additional 2,000 social housing units in Hulhumale

WILD LIFE (PROTECTION) AMENDMENT BILL, 2021

The Lok Sabha passed the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021.

About:

The Bill amends the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. The Act regulates the protection of wild animals, birds and plants.
The Bill seeks to increase the species protected under the law, and implement the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Currently, the Act has six schedules for specially protected plants (one), specially protected animals (four), and vermin species (one). The Bill reduces the total number of schedules to four.
The Bills empowers the central government to regulate or prohibit the import, trade, possession or proliferation of invasive alien species.

2 AUGUST 2022

CREATION OF DISTRICTS

The West Bengal cabinet has approved the creation of seven new districts in the state. This will take the number of districts in West Bengal to 30 from the existing 23.

List of districts

A new Sundarban district will be carved out of South 24-Parganas district;
two new districts will be created out of North 24-Parganas district — Ichhamati in Bongaon subdivision and a yet unnamed district in Basirhat;
Ranaghat, a city and municipality in Nadia district, will become the fourth new district;
a new district of Bishnupur will be carved out of the existing Bankura district; and
two new districts of Baharampur and Jangipur will be created out of Murshidabad district.

Do you know?

States keep creating new districts from time to time as smaller units would make governance easier and would benefit the people by bringing the government and the administration closer to them.
This power of creating or scrapping districts, or changing their boundaries lies with the state governments, who can pass a law in the Assembly or simply issue an order and notify it in the gazette. The Centre does not have a say in the matter.

V.K. PAUL TASKFORCE ON MONKEYPOX

In the wake of the detection of monkeypox cases in India, the Union government has constituted a task force to monitor and provide guidance on the expansion of diagnostic facilities and to explore vaccination against the infection in the country.

About:

The team will be headed by V.K. Paul, member (Health), NITI Aayog. India has reported six confirmed cases of monkeypox so far — four in Kerala and two in Delhi.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 18,000 cases have been reported from 78 countries.
Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the same family of viruses that causes smallpox.
The disease is endemic in regions like West and Central Africa, but lately, cases have been reported from non-endemic countries too, according to WHO.

THE INDIAN ANTARCTIC BILL

The Rajya Sabha passed the Indian Antarctic Bill.

About:

The Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022 seeks to allow the application of Indian laws to the country’s research stations in Antarctica.
It also aims to provide national measures to protect the Antarctic environment and associated ecosystems.
The Bill will also give effect to the Antarctic Treaty, the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.

THE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION AND THEIR DELIVERY SYSTEMS (PROHIBITION OF UNLAWFUL ACTIVITIES) AMENDMENT BILL

The Rajya Sabha passed the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill.

About:

The first Bill will amend the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005.
The amendment seeks to prevent financing of prohibited activities related to nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.
The Bill also proposes to empower the Central government to freeze, seize or attach funds or financial assets or economic resources for preventing financing of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) and to prohibit making available funds or resources for such activities.

GATI SHAKTI UNIVERSITY BILL

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to convert the National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI), a deemed-to-be university, into the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, an autonomous Central university.

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The Bill seeks to expand the scope of the university from beyond just the Railways to cover the entire transport sector and support growth and modernisation in the field.
The new university, once the Bill clears both Houses of Parliament, will be funded and administered by the Ministry of Railways.
The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2022 seeks to amend the Central Universities Act, 2009, inter alia, to provide for the establishment of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya as a body corporate under the said Act.
The establishment of the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya would address the need for talent in the strategically important and expanding transportation sector and meet the demand for trained talent to fuel the growth and expansion of the sector.

IAF FIGHTER SQUADRONS

In a tragic accident, a MIG-21 trainer jet of the IAF crashed in Rajasthan killing both the pilots onboard.

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The MIG-21 was inducted into the IAF in the early 1960s. Currently, there are four MIG-21 squadrons in service. IAF officials have stated that there is technical life still left in them.
The IAF has an authorised strength of 42 fighter squadrons. As time passes, the drawdown is increasing as the total technical life is completed.
However, the rate of new inductions is not matching the drawdown, depleting the overall number of fighter squadrons.
In addition to the indigenous aircraft coming up, the IAF is confident that increasing the low availability rates of Su-30 and other fighters in service will offset some of the shortfall in the interim.

ALPHAFOLD

DeepMind, a company owned by Google, announced this week that it had predicted the three-dimensional structures of more than 200 million proteins using AlphaFold.

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AlphaFold is an AI-based protein structure prediction tool. It used processes based on “training, learning, retraining and relearning” to predict the structures of the entire 214 million unique protein sequences deposited in the Universal Protein Resource (UniProt) database.
The Indian community of structural biology needs to take advantage of the AlphaFold database and learn how to use the structures to design better vaccines and drugs.

INDIA – MALDIVES TIES

Maldives President Ibrahim ‘Ibu’ Solih arrived in Delhi for a bilateral visit, amid rows within his government over ties with India, the Yoga Day attack, and a bitter row with Maldivian Speaker, former President and party colleague Mohammad Nasheed.

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During his four-day visit, Mr. Solih will is expected to focus on enhancing trade and connectivity between the two countries.
He will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bilateral talks, discuss strategic ties, and the status of infrastructure agreements between them, and sign a number of MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding).
The infrastructure projects include the Greater Male Connectivity Project of bridges connecting the capital city to neighbouring islands, to be built by Indian company Afcon with the help of a $400-million Line of Credit and a $100-million grant from India, along with other projects under India’s $1.4-billion assistance announced during Mr. Solih’s last visit to India in December 2018.

1 AUGUST 2022

BLASPHEMY AND HATE SPEECH

While Mohammad Zubair of Alt News was arrested for tweeting a still picture from a movie that had some religious context attached to it.

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The legality of Section 295(A) was affirmed by a five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court. The court said that the punishment under Section 295(A) deals with aggravated form of blasphemy which is committed with the malicious aim of offending any religious sensibilities.
Insulting a religion may be disputed but should not be legally outlawed. The reason for this is because hate speech laws are predicated on the critical distinction between criticising religion and encouraging prejudice towards individuals because of their faith.
Blasphemy laws which prohibit religious criticism in general are incompatible with the principles of a democratic society.

HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES

In recent months, automakers Maruti Suzuki, Toyota and Honda have launched hybrid electric vehicles in India, offering car buyers more choices in the nascent electric vehicle market.

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A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) uses an ICE (a petrol/diesel engine) and one or more electric motors to run. It is powered by the electric motor alone, which uses energy stored in batteries, by the ICE, or both
The efficiency of HEVs will be determined by their ability to recover as much energy as possible while braking, with a higher degree of energy recovery lowering fuel consumption. A regenerative braking system (RBS) while enhancing fuel economy also helps in energy optimisation resulting in minimum energy wastage.
The HEVs can be categorised into micro, mild and full hybrid vehicles, based on the degree of hybridisation. The hybrid variants of the Maruti Suzuki’s Grand Vitara and the Toyota’s Urban Cruiser Hyryder can be classified as full and mild hybrids.

AL NAJAH-IV

India and Oman will carry out a 13-day military exercise with a focus on counter-terror cooperation.

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The fourth edition of India-Oman joint military exercise ‘AL NAJAH-IV’ between contingents of Indian Army and the Royal Army of Oman is scheduled to take place at the Foreign Training Node of Mahajan Field Firing Ranges from August 1 to 13.
A 60-member team from the Royal Army of Oman has arrived at the site. The Indian Army will be represented by troops from the 18 Mechanised Infantry Battalion.
The previous edition of the exercise was organised in Muscat in March 2019.

HELICOPTERS

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) has received the Letter of Intent from the Services for the manufacture of 12 light utility helicopters (LUHs), which have been designed and developed indigenously.

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At the same time, nine light combat helicopters (LCH) have been manufactured against the sanction of 15 limited series production (LSP) variants and are in the process of being handed over to the Services. The Army is in negotiations for acquiring 11 more Apache AH-64E attack helicopters from the U.S.
Last November, the Defence Acquisition Council approved the procurement of an initial lot of 12 LUHs, six each for the Army and the Air Force.
In June, the Army raised its first LCH squadron in Bengaluru which will move to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Eastern Command once complete next year.
As of now, the Army is looking at acquiring around 111 LUHs and 95 LCHs. Army sources had said that seven LCH units are planned for a combat role in the mountains, each with 10 helicopters. The IAF is scheduled to raise its first LCH squadron in the next few months.
The Cabinet Committee on Security earlier gave sanction for the procurement of 39 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters from the U.S. Following this, the IAF inducted 22 Apaches procured under a deal signed in September 2015.

CoWin

After the success of CoWin as a platform for the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination, the Union government is looking to repurpose the technology for more healthcare requirements.

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Right now, work is on to adapt the app for the universal immunisation programme (UIP).
For mothers and babies, it will bring the ease of discovery of vaccination centres or camps and reminders for subsequent vaccinations for preventable diseases.
The addition of digitally verifiable certificates for routine immunisation will be the first of its kind globally, and it is a great way to start building longitudinal health records for a child right from its birth.
In addition to immunisation, the platform will be considered for the use-cases of blood donation and organ donation in the months to come.

ORUNODOI SCHEME

Some 22 lakh beneficiaries of the Orunodoi scheme in Assam will get ₹18 extra for August to buy a National Flag or two.

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The Assam government has been transferring ₹1,000 as monetary benefit to the bank accounts of economically weak women on the 10th of every month under the Orunodoi scheme.
The extra amount would enable each beneficiary to either buy a larger National Flag priced at ₹18 or two smaller ones of ₹9 each.

Ex VINBAX 2022

The 3rd Edition of Vietnam-India Bilateral Army Exercise “Ex VINBAX 2022” began at Chandimandir. It will continue till 20th August.

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The exercise is a sequel to a previously conducted bilateral exercise in Vietnam in 2019 and a major milestone in strengthening the bilateral relations between India and Vietnam.
India and Vietnam share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and defence cooperation is a key pillar of this partnership. Vietnam is an important partner in India’s Act East policy and the Indo-Pacific vision.
The theme of Ex VINBAX – 2022 is the employment and deployment of an Engineer Company and a Medical Team as part of the United Nations Contingent for Peace Keeping Operations.

CHABAHAR DAY CONFERENCE

Union Shipping Minister Sarbanand Sonowal inaugurated the Chabahar Day conference in Mumbai.

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Dignitaries from Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan were present on the occasion.
In May 2016, India and Iran signed a bilateral agreement in which India would refurbish one of the berths at Shahid Beheshti port, and reconstruct a 600 meter long container handling facility at the port.
In October 2017, India’s first shipment of wheat to Afghanistan was sent through the Chabahar Port.

Chabahar Port

Chabahar Port is a seaport in Chabahar located in southeastern Iran, on the Gulf of Oman.
It serves as Iran’s only oceanic port, and consists of two separate ports named Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti, each of which has five berths.
The Chabahar port is a key pillar of India’s Indo-Pacific vision to connect with Eurasia with Indian Ocean Region. The port will also be part of the International North South Transport Corridor network connecting India.
Iran has given special incentives to increase trade cooperation activities between India and Iran through Chabahar port.

July

30 JULY 2022

ROAD ACCIDENTS

According to figures tabled in Lok Sabha, the number of road

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