3rd India Justice Report 2022: Karnataka tops among Large States in Delivery of Justicei.On April 4, 2023, the 3rd edition of India Justice Report i.e. ‘IJR 2022’ was released in which Karnataka has achieved the top rank in delivery of Justice among the 18 large and mid-sized States with populations over one crore.
ii.Karnataka is followed by Tamil Nadu (TN) in 2nd position and Telangana at 3rd.
iii.In this category Uttar Pradesh (UP) is at rank 18th which is the lowest.
iv.Among the category of Seven Small States with a population less than one crore was topped by Sikkim.
About Tata Trusts:
Chairman– Ratan N Tata
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
MoHUA forms 14-member panel to examine stalled Real Estate Projects; Headed by Amitabh KantThe Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has set up a 14-member committee to examine stalled real estate projects and recommend ways to complete them, and hand them over to homebuyers in a time-bound manner.
- It will be headed by Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 (Group of Twenty) Sherpa for 2023 and the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog.
- The committee will submit its report within six months from the date of its first meeting.
Key Points:
i.The committee comprises top central and state government officials, including the Secretary in the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, the Principal Secretary of the Housing and Urban Planning Department of Uttar Pradesh (UP), and the Chairperson of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI)- (Currently: Ravi Mital), among others.
ii.On April 12, 2022, the Central Advisory Council (CAC) formed under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA) in its third meeting decided to form a committee to look into the issue of legacy stalled projects.
- CAC is headed by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, MoHUA.
iii.As per real estate consultancy Anarock, around 500,000 homes worth Rs 4.48 lakh crore are stuck across seven micro markets in India.
- Among metro cities, the National Capital Region (NCR) and Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) together account for 77% of such projects.
GoI grants Geographical Indication Tags to 33 New Products; Raising the Total to 465The Government of India (GoI) has given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag to 33 new products from different states, including Bihar (1), Uttar Pradesh (10), Madhya Pradesh (1), Chhattisgarh (1), and Tamil Nadu (11), as well as the Union Territories (UT) of Ladakh (1) and Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) (8).
- The total number of GI Tags in India has risen to 465.
About GI Tag:
GI tags are issued by the Geographical Indication Registry under the Department of Industry Promotion and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- GI tags are issued as per the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act of 1999.
Note: The 1st GI Tag in India was facilitated to the Darjeeling Tea (Agricultural), West Bengal.
GoI Announces Plans to Add 250 GW of RE Capacity Over the Next 5 YearsThe Government of India (GoI) has announced a plan to install 250 gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy (RE) capacity over the next 5 years in order to meet its target of 500 GW of clean energy by 2030.
- The GoI has chosen to invite bids for 50 GW of RE capacity annually for the next 5 years, from Fiscal Year 2023-24 (FY24) to Fiscal Year 2027-28 (FY28).
The installation of wind power capacity of at least 10 GW annually will also be included in these annual bids of RE capacity connected to the ISTS (Inter-State Transmission System).
i.The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) finalized the plan during a meeting presided over by Union Minister R K Singh, MNRE.
- It complies with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s declaration at COP26 that 500 GW of installed power capacity from non-fossil fuel (renewable energy + nuclear) sources will be available by 2030.
ii.As of February 28, 2023, India had a total RE capacity of 168.96 GW, with roughly 82 GW in various stages of deployment and about 41 GW available for auction.
- This includes 64.38 GW of solar power, 51.79 GW of hydropower, 42.02 GW of wind power, and 10.77 GW of biopower.
MNRE’s Quarterly Bid Plan
i.The MNRE has also unveiled a quarterly plan of the bids for FY24, which includes bids for at least 15 GW of RE capacity in the first quarter (Q1: April–June 2023) and second quarter (Q2: July–September 2023) of the fiscal year.
- It also includes bids for at least 10 GW in the Q3 (October-December 2023) and Q4 (January-March 2024) of FY24.
ii.The additional capacity goes beyond the RE capacities that would be created through schemes like Rooftop solar and PM-KUSUM under MNRE.
Renewable Energy Implementing Agencies (REIAs)
i.The GoI has designated 3 companies as Renewable Energy Implementing Agencies (REIAs) for the purpose of inviting bids: Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd (SECI), NTPC Ltd, and NHPC Ltd. It has also been agreed to notify SJVN Ltd as a REIA.
- The intended bid capacity for FY24 will be distributed among the 4 REIAs.
ii.The REIAs would be allowed to issue bids for solar, wind, solar-wind hybrid, RTC RE power, and so on, with or without storage, based on their evaluation of the RE market or government mandates.
Rani’s Girls Hockey Turf: Rani Rampal becomes 1st Indian Woman Hockey Player to have a Stadium Named After her
The Modern Coach Factory (MCF) Stadium in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh(UP), has been renamed the ‘Rani’s Girls Hockey Turf’ in honour of former captain of the Indian women’s hockey team Rani Rampal.
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 2020 (now Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna) and Padma Shri awardee (2020) Rani Rampal became the 1st Indian woman hockey player to have a stadium named after her.
- She was the 1st woman hockey player to receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.
Rani Rampal has played over 250 international matches for India since making her senior debut in 2009.
- She was part of India’s 2017 Women’s Asian Cup title-winning team and led the Indian women’s hockey team to a historic 4th-placed finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Finland Becomes NATO’s 31st Ally On the Occasion of NATO’s 74th AnniversaryFinland became the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on April 4, 2023, when it presented its instrument of accession to the ‘North Atlantic Treaty’ (Washington Treaty) with the United States (US) at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
- The accession of Finland coincides with the 74th anniversary of the ‘Washington Treaty’, which established NATO, that was signed on April 4, 1949, and is commemorated by a flag-raising ceremony at NATO headquarters.
i.NATO is a political and military alliance of countries in Europe and North America.
- NATO was established on the Washington Treaty, also known as the North Atlantic Treaty.
About Republic of Finland:
President – Sauli Niinistö
Capital – Helsinki
Currency – Euro (EUR)
WHO Infertility Prevalence Estimates 1990-2021: Infertility Affects 1 in 6 Adults GloballyAccording to the World Health Organization (WHO) report, ‘Infertility prevalence estimates 1990-2021’ released on April 03, 2023, globally an estimated 1 out of every 6 adult people are affected by Infertility in their lifetimes.
- The report,the first of its kind in a decade, provides estimates of the global and regional prevalence of infertility by analyzing all relevant studies from 1990 to 2021
- As per the report, the Lifetime prevalence of infertility is estimated to be 17.5% and Period prevalence of infertility is estimated to be 12.6%.
What is Infertility?
As per WHO, Infertility is a disease of the male or female reproductive system defined by the failure to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse.
About World Health Organization (WHO):
Director General – Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarters -Geneva, Switzerland
Establishment – 7 April 1948
Global Energy Transition has made Progress but Falls Short of 1.5°C Pathway: IRENA WETO 2023 ReportThe “World Energy Transitions: Outlook (WETO) 2023: 1.5°C Pathway” released by International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Berlin(Germany), shows that the global energy transition is off-track, aggravated by the effects of global crises and calls for a fundamental change of course in the energy transition.
The report stated that the significant progress has been made in power sector where the renewables account for 40% of installed power generation and contributes to 83% of global power additions in 2022.
- Despite the progress, the global energy transition is still off-track and falls short of the 1.5 degrees Celsius(°C ) pathway.
- The report warns about the lack of progress and calls for the strategic shift in energy transition to sustain 1.5 degrees °C target.
About International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA):
IRENA is a lead global intergovernmental agency for energy transformation.
Director-General– Francesco La Camera
Membership– 167 countries and the EU.
Headquarters– Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates
UK Become 12th Member of CPTPP with 11 Asia and Pacific Nations
On March 31, 2023, the Accession Working Group (AWG) of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) agreed on the accession of the United Kingdom (UK) as the 12th member of CPTPP.
- With this UK became the first European nation and the first non-founding country to join CPTPP.
Background:
i.On 1 February 2021, the UK formally requested accession to the CPTPP and on 2 June 2021, the CPTPP Commission agreed to formally commence accession negotiations with the United Kingdom.
ii.On 31 March 2023, the Accession Working Group (AWG) and CPTPP Ministers met virtually to discuss the UK accession to the CPTPP and confirmed the membership of the UK.
What is CPTPP?
It is a free trade agreement (FTA) signed by 11 nations – Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam on 8 March 2018 in Santiago, Chile.
Together, the 11 members account for about 13% of the world’s income. Now the membership of UK will make the value of the CPTPP £11 trillion. UK will be the trade group’s second-biggest economy after Japan.
Note – The CPTPP accounted for 8% of UK exports in 2019.
Benefit for the UK:
i.Membership in the CPTPP would provide relaxation to the restrictions on trade between member countries and reduces tariffs on goods (i.e. a form of border tax).
ii.The Prime Minister of the UK, Rishi Sunak stated that through the membership, the UK will benefit the unparalleled access to markets from Europe to the south Pacific.
iii.Joining the group will also improve UK exports by cutting tariffs on goods such as cheese, cars, chocolate, machinery, gin and whisky.
Additional info:
i.With the membership, the UK will comply with the existing rules contained in the CPTPP.
ii.The CPTPP Members and the UK are now committed to further promoting free trade, open and competitive markets, the rules-based trading system and economic integration in the region and beyond.
iii.Under the membership, the UK has also provided market access offers of the highest standard on goods, services, investment, financial services, government procurement, state-owned enterprises and temporary entry for business persons.
iv.The CPTPP Parties also have confirmed or submitted, respectively, their market access commitments to the UK.
IDBI Bank Offers E-Bank Guarantee Service in Collaboration with NeSLIDBI Bank, in collaboration with National e-Governance Services Ltd. (NeSL), has developed an e-Bank Guarantee (e-BG) service that substitutes the paper-based Bank Guarantee (BG) issuance process with e-stamping and e-signature.
Key Points:
i.This move will bring in a dramatic change in the business ecosystem where BGs are utilized in large quantities, as the new initiative increases transparency and saves turnaround time from days to minutes.
ii.With this achievement, the bank has reached another milestone in its efforts to provide digital and user-friendly services to its customers.
i.An Electronic Bank Guarantee (e-BG) eliminates the need for physical documentation while issuing a BG.
ii.The digital steps involved in an e-BG include the application, preview and confirmation steps, paperless e-stamping, e-signing, hosting the final e-BG on the NeSL portal, and notifying the beneficiary of the final BG.
- NeSL’s Digital Document Execution (DDE) platform, provides e-Stamp and e-Sign functions.
iii.It decreases the time between BG issuance and delivery to the beneficiary from an industry average of 3-4 working days to a few minutes.
iv.The registration process for e-BG users is simple and one time on the NeSL portal.
- NeSL also provides Application Programming Interface (API) integration with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems for bulk e-BG users.
About National E-Governance Services Limited (NeSL):
NeSL is India’s first Information Utility and is registered with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) under the aegis of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC).
MD & CEO – Debajyoti Ray Chaudhuri
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Canara Bank introduces Premium Payroll Account for Salary Account Holders
Canara Bank has introduced a “Premium Payroll Package” for Salary account holders with competitive features. It has multiple features, including free term life insurance, instant overdraft, and free personal air accident insurance coverage.
- The Premium Payroll Package is designed to meet all Banking requirements of salaried class.
- The product comes with multiple features, including free Term Life Insurance, Insta over Draft, free Personal & Air Accident Insurance coverage, and Premium Cards are some of the unique features of the product apart from the other various features offered.
NBCC inks MoU to help in Construction of 1 lakh Housing Units in Zambia
NBCC (India) Limited (formerly known as National Buildings Construction Corporation) signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Scirocco Enterprises Ltd. of Zambia for the construction of 1 lakh low and medium-cost houses to mitigate an acute shortage of housing in Zambia.
NBCC is a the Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE) under the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India.
- The MoU was virtually signed by K P M Swamy, Director (Commercial) of NBCC (India) Ltd, and Maustafa Saadi, Chief Executive Officer(CEO), Scirocco Enterprises Ltd in the presence of P K Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of NBCC.
- The housing units are to be constructed by 2030. NBCC will provide its engineering services as Engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) Agency.
Mukesh Ambani regains Asia’s richest person spot; Bernard Arnault World’s Richest: Forbes 37th World Billionaire List 2023On April 4, 2023, Forbes released its 37th Annual World Billionaire List 2023 in which Mukesh Ambani regained his spot as Asia’s richest person. With a net worth of USD 83.4 billion, he was ranked at No. 9 on the world billionaire list.
2023 Ranking in India:
i.After becoming India’s richest person, Mukesh Ambani is followed by Gautam Adani at 2nd place with net worth of USD 47.2 billion. His world ranking is 24th.
ii.Shiv Nadar is the 3rd richest person in India with USD 25.6 billion. His world ranking is 55th.
- He is followed Cyrus Poonawalla at 4th with USD 22.6 billion
iii.Notably, among the newcomers is the youngest Indian billionaire, 36-year-old Nikhil Kamath, who co-founded discount brokerage Zerodha with his older sibling Nithin Kamath (also a newcomer). They are worth USD 1.1 billion and USD 2.7 billion, respectively.
2023 World Billionaire List:
- But their combined wealth dropped 10% to USD 675 billion, from USD 750 billion on the 2022 list.
iv.Americans have a greater presence on the Forbes 2023 list than individuals from any other country or territory, with 735 billionaires hailing from the US.
- China is in second place with 495 billionaires, followed by India with 169 billionaires, and Germany with 126 billionaires.
47th Oliver Award: Chennai-born Singaporean actress Anjana Vasan bags Award for supporting actress
On 2nd March 2023, Anjana Vasan, a Chennai-born Singaporean actress and singer-songwriter based out of London, United Kingdom (UK), won Best Supporting Actress in the Play at the 47th edition of Olivier Awards (2023) held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, UK.
- Anjana Vasan, 36 years old, is the 1st Singaporean to win the Olivier Award.
- She was recognised for her role as Stella Kowalski in the revival of Tennessee Williams’ play “A Streetcar Named Desire”.
Olivier Awards, Established in 1976 by the Society of West End Theatre (now known as the Society of London Theatre (SOLT)), celebrate the world-class status of London theatre. Oliver Awards are Britain’s most prestigious stage honours.
Click here for winners of Olivier Awards 2023
Skyroot Aerospace Test-Fired Dhawan-II Fully 3D-printed Cryogenic Rocket EngineOn April 4, 2023, Skyroot Aerospace, the Private space technology startup based in Hyderabad, Telangana successfully test-fired advanced fully 3D-printed ‘Dhawan-II’cryogenic engine for 200 seconds at Solar Industries propulsion test facility in Nagpur, Maharashtra, using Skyroot’s indigenously developed mobile cryogenic engine test pad.
Key Points:
i.The Dhawan-II engine was built upon the foundation laid by Skyroot’s first privately developed fully-cryogenic rocket engine, the 1.0 kN thrust Dhawan–I, which was successfully test fired in November 2021.
ii.The endurance test of ‘Dhawan-II’ demonstrated impressive performance results.
iii.The cryogenic engine series is named in honour of Satish Dhawan, an eminent Indian rocket scientist.
iv.The 3D printed Dhawan – II engine also uses a 3D printed torch igniter and a bellow-actuated cryo-injection valve with quick response time.
v.Skyroot’s cryogenic rocket engines utilise two high-performance propellants – Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) and Liquid Oxygen (LoX) – which require temperatures below minus 150 degrees Celsius for storage and operation.
- Skyroot Aerospace plans the next generation of cryogenic engine technology with LNG as fuel.
vi.The cryogenic propulsion program was intended to enhance the payload capacity of Vikram series of space launch vehicles.
Former CJ of Calcutta HC Thottathil Bhaskaran Nair Radhakrishnan Passed Away
On 3rd April 2023, Former Judge of Kerala High Court Thottathil Bhaskaran Nair Radhakrishnan, commonly called Thottathil B Radhakrishnan, passed away in Kochi, Kerala, at the age of 63.
He was born on 29th April 1959 in Kollam, Kerala.
He also served as the Chief Justice of High Courts of Chhattisgarh (2017-2018) Andhra Pradesh (2018-2019), Telangana (2019), and Calcutta (2019-2021).
About Justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan:
i. Thottathil B Radhakrishnan started his career as a lawyer in 1983 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala and was shifted to Kerala High Court (HC) in 1988.
ii. He practised in various fields of law but his primary focus was on Civil, Constitutional and Administrative Law.
iii. On 14th October 2004, he was sworn in as the permanent Judge of Kerala HC.
iv. He served as the President of the Kerala Judicial Academy, the Executive Chairman of the Kerala State Legal Services Authority, the Executive Chairman of the Lakshadweep State Legal Services Authority, the Chairman of the Law Reporting Council, Indian Law Reports (Kerala Series) and the President of the Rule Committee under Section 123 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
v. In May 2016, he was appointed as the Acting Chief Justice (CJ) of the Kerala HC and served in the position till August 2016.
vi. Again in February 2017, he was appointed as the Acting CJ of Kerala and held that post until he was sworn in as CJ of the Chattisgarh HC in March 2017.
vii.He was sworn in asCJ of the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for the States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in 2018. In January 2019 he swron in as CJ of HC of Telangana.
viii.He was appointed as CJ of HC of Calcutta in April 2019 and held the post until his retirement in April 2021.
National Maritime Day 2023- April 5National Maritime Day (NMD) or Merchant Navy Flag Day is annually observed across India on April 5 to raise awareness about the economy and global trade and to commemorate the sailing of the 1st Indian Steamship “S.S. Loyalty” of the Scindia Steam, Navigation Co. Ltd., in 1919, from Mumbai (Maharashtra) to London (United Kingdom).
- 5th April 2023 marks the observance of the 60th edition (diamond jubilee) of National Maritime Day.
The theme of National Maritime Day 2023 is “Amrit Kaal in Shipping” (Golden Era in Shipping).
Background:
i. National Maritime Day was initiated by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Government of India.
ii. The 1st ever National Maritime Day was observed on 5th April 1964.
Directorate General of Shipping:
Director General- Rajiv Jalota
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
About the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW):
Union Minister- Sarbananda Sonowal (Rajya Sabha Assam)
Minister of State- Shantanu Thakur (Constituency- Bangaon, West Bengal), Shripad Yesso Naik (Constituency- North Goa, Goa)
International Day of Conscience 2023 – 5th April The United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Conscience is annual observed across the world on 5th April to commemorate the importance of the human conscience. The day also promotes culture of peace with love and conscience in accordance with the culture and other appropriate circumstances or customs of their local, national and regional communities.
5th April 2023 marks the observance of the 4th International Day of Conscience.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) during its 73rd session on 25th July 2019 adopted the resolution A/RES/73/329 and proclaimed the 5th April of every year as the International Day of Conscience.
- The draft resolution titled “Promoting the Culture of Peace with Love and Conscience” was submitted by the Kingdom of Bahrain with proposal to mark the 5th April of every year as International Day of Conscience.
ii.The first ever International Day of Conscience was observed on 5th April 2020.
About United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO):
Director-General– Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters– Paris, France
Established in 1945
Assam CM Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma launches scheme to aid Higher Secondary and Degree Students in Buying Books
On the occasion of the commemoration of the 67th birth anniversary of Bodofa Upendranath Brahma, Assam Chief Minister (CM) Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated a scheme where 3.4 lakh students of Higher Secondary and Degree will be given Rs. 1,459 each for buying books. Also, 16,763 pupils will receive Rs 7,157 each to cover meal expenses.
- Every Post Graduate (PG) girl student will be entitled to Rs. 10,000 each annually, as well as special benefits including minority scholarships to the tune of Rs. 2000 and Rs. 4000 will be given to every girl student for pursuing Higher Secondary and Degree courses respectively.
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