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NATIONAL AFFAIRS
DAC Approved Capital Acquisition Proposals to Enhance the Capabilities of Indian Army and Indian Coast Guard
On 29th July 2024, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), under the chairmanship of Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD), Government of India (GoI) has approved various capital acquisition proposals to enhance the capabilities of the Indian Army(IA) and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
i.The DAC has accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the procurement of the Advanced Land Navigation System (ALNS) for Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) for Indian Army and 22 Interceptor Boats for Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
ii.The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) under the chairmanship of Rajnath Singh has reviewed and approved the amendments to the deal for 31 MQ-9B, High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Vehicles (UAVs) from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) of the United States of America (USA).
- It has also approved the proposal regarding the scheduled refit of aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya later this year.
iii.The Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Stock Exchange (NSE) to facilitate capital market access to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
- It aims to provide MSMEs in the defence sector to raise productive capital for their growth plan in an efficient and transparent manner through ‘NSE Emerge’ platform of NSE.
Ministry of Defence (MoD):
Union Minister- Rajnath Singh(Lok Sabha constituency- Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh(UP))
Minister of State (MoS)- Sanjay Seth( Lok Sabha constituency- Ranchi, Jharkhand)
>> Read Full News
MoES Celebrated 18th Foundation Day: Released Important Publications for Public Utility and Benefit
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) celebrated its 18th Foundation Day on 27th July, 2024 at its headquarters in Prithvi Bhavan, New Delhi, marking nearly 20 years of significant contributions made by MoES across all earth system sciences such as: air(atmosphere), water (hydrosphere), land (lithosphere), solid earth(cryosphere), life (biosphere) and their interactions, shows its commitment towards scientific and technological progress.
History:
The Department of Ocean Development (DOD), was created in July 1981 as a part of the Cabinet Secretariat directly under the charge of the Prime Minister(PM) of India. It came into existence as a separate department in March 1982.
In February 2006, the government of Inida notified DOD as the Ministry of Ocean Development.
In July 2006, the Ministry of Ocean Development was reorganized as Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) through the Presidential notification.
Key People:
Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Government of India (GoI) (Chief Guest); M. Ravichandran, Secretary, MoES; Vishwajit Sahay, Additional Secretary, MoES and Finance Adviser; D. Senthil Pandian, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga, & Naturopathy, Unnani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homeopathy (AYUSH) were present during the event.
MoES Launched 4 Important Publications:
The MoES launched 4 important publications for public utility and benefit on the occasion of its 18th Foundation Day:
i.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) under the administrative control of MoES, released the “Standard Operation Procedure on “Cyclone Warning in India” and ‘Competency Framework for Monitoring and Forecasting High-impact Weather Events’.
- The documents will help stakeholders towards more efficient and timely disaster reduction efforts.
ii.Panaji (Goa)-based National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), an autonomous institute of MoES, has released a consolidated report on the 14th Indian Arctic Expedition (2023-24) which also includes India’s maiden winter Arctic Expedition(launched on 18th December, 2023).
- The report provides in-depth information on various scientific projects and field activities conducted under the Indian Arctic Expedition organised by NCPOR. The report will be available on official website of NCPOR.
iii.Kochi (Kerala)-based Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE), an attached office of MoES, has released a catalogue entitled “Taxonomy and Systematics of Anomuran Crabs ( Paguroidea, Chirostyloidea and Galatheoidea) from the Indian Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ)”.
- This effort will significantly contribute to enhance the capacity building on deep-sea taxonomy and is line with the marine biodiversity documentation and conservation efforts of the MoES.
iv.The 1st issues of the MoES Newsletter will be a quarterly publication, which highlights the news, events and updates from MoES, was also released.
- Apart from these publications, a popular science talk was organised by Dr. Estibaliz Gascon, senior scientist at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) entitled “Destination Earth Initiative in ECWF Revolutionizing km-scale Forecasting and Climate Models: Insights from the evaluation and diagnostics activities”.
- The event was presided by Vishwajit Sahay, Additional Secretary, MoES and Finance Advisor; D Senthil Pandian, Joint Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH.
About Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES):
Minister of State (MoS) Independent Charge (IC)- Dr. Jitendra Singh (Lok Sabha constituency- Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K))
iDEX & AFMS Signed MoU For Medical Innovations and Research Advancement
On July 30, 2024, The Innovations for Defence Excellence-Defence Innovation Organisation (iDEX-DIO), the flagship initiative of Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) for the launch of Medical Innovations and Research Advancement (MIRA).
Signatories: The MoU was signed by Anurag Bajpai, Additional Secretary (Defence Production) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), DIO and Lieutenant General Daljit Singh, Director General (DG)of AFMS in New Delhi, Delhi.
Note: The AFMS is an inter-services organisation under the MoD, covering the Indian Armed Forces. It came into existence in 1948.
Key Points:
i.The MoU aims to promote innovation and research in developing novel medical technologies and their integration into the Armed Forces.
ii.The initiative will be driven forward by the launch of the Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC) edition MIRA, addressing the critical medical challenges faced by the Armed Forces.
iii.It will promote cutting-edge developments in medical technologies by utilising the unique strengths and expertise of both organisations.
About iDEX:
i.It was established by the DIO under the Department of Defence Production (DDP), launched in 2018 with an objective to provide the platform of co-creation and co-development in the defence sector.
ii.It has launched 11 editions of DISC, and in March 2024, it also launched the Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI) scheme to promote innovations in critical and strategic defence technologies.
iii.It is the recipient of the esteemed Prime Minister (PM)’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration in Innovation Category in 2021.
About the Ministry of Defence (MoD):
Union Minister – Rajnath Singh (Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh(UP))
Minister of State (MoS) – Sanjay Seth (Lok Sabha Constituency – Ranchi, Jharkhand)
Union Minister Manohar Lal Inaugurates NFMS Control Centre at REC Limited
On July 25 2024, Union Minister Manohar Lal, Ministry of Power (MOP) and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) inaugurated the National Feeder Monitoring System (NFMS) Control Centre on REC Limited’s 55th Foundation Day at Gurugram, Haryana.
i.NFMS is a flagship initiative of the MoP, provides real-time access to complete information on power supply hours, outages, and overall health of about 2.5 lakh feeders (11 Kilovolts (KV) outgoing) across India.
ii.It will allow stakeholders to make informed and actionable decisions, increasing transparency, efficiency, and accountability in Distribution Companies (DISCOMS), ultimately enhancing the quality and reliability of power supply to end users.
- The project comprises the integration of master and transactional data with 87 DISCOMS.
iii.It would monitor and analyse real-time data from different sources and maintain the data sanctity in the NFMS portal.
iv.The Union Minister also planted tree saplings at REC Limited officeunder ‘EkPed Maa Ke Naam‘ campaign(#onePlant4Mother).
Note: REC Limited (formerly Rural Electrification Corporation Limited) is a Maharatna company headquartered at Gurugram, Haryana.
MSDE Expands Model Skill Loan Scheme; Raises Loan Limit To Rs 7.5 lakh
Union Minister of State(MoS) Jayant Chaudhary(Independent Charge/IC), Ministry of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship(MSDE) has launched an enhanced ‘Model Skill Loan Scheme’ for skill development courses with an increased maximum loan limit to Rs 7.5 lakh from Rs 1.5 lakh.
- It was announced in the Union Budget 2024-2025, the revised scheme aims to benefit 25,000 students annually.
i.Aim: To bridge that gap by ensuring that ambitious candidates receive the financial support they require to pursue their skill training.
ii.The new scheme includes Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), NBFC-Micro-Finance Institutions(MFIs), and Small Finance Banks (SFB) as eligible lenders, beyond just private, public, and foreign banks.
- It will be backed by guarantee against default up to 75% of the loan disbursed.
iii.Model Skill Loan Scheme builds upon the Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Skill Development (CGFSSD), launched in 2015 faced multiple challenges.
Note : As of March 2024, loans of Rs 115.75 crore had been given to 10,077 borrowers, indicating inadequate fund utilisation due to high course fees.
BANKING & FINANCE
GoI & ADB Signed Loan Agreement worth USD 200 million for Enhanced Urban Sanitation
The Government of India (GoI) has signed a USD 200 million loan agreement with Asian Development Bank (ADB) to enhance solid waste management and sanitation in 100 cities across 8 states in India.
- The loan agreement is part of the Swachh Bharat Mission(SBM) 2.0 – Comprehensive Municipal Waste Management in Indian Cities Program.
- This loan arrangement will support the objectives of Swacch Bharat (Clean India) Mission- Urban 2.0, is an initiative led by GoI which aims to make all Indian cities to be garbage free by 2026, by enhancing sanitation and solid waste management infrastructure including waste segregation, collection and disposal.
Key Signatories: The loan agreement was signed by Juhi Mukherjee, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs under Ministry of Finance (MoF), GoI and Mio Oka, Country Director for ADB – India Resident Mission.
Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0:
Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 is a Comprehensive Municipal Waste Management in Indian Cities Program will introduce globally recognised best practices, new and advanced technologies, and mainstream climate- and disaster-resilient approaches in municipal waste management.
- It will bolster the participation of women in sanitation and service delivery and promote private sector participation.
Key Points:
i.As per the agreement, the ADB will render its support to ugrade and establish solid waste processing and management facilities such as: biomethanation plants, composting plants, managed landfills, material recovery facilities, and plastic waste processing facilities.
- It will also provide support for the construction of community toilets and urinals and the purchase of sweeping equipments.
ii.The agreement includes various facilities and delivery of urban services such as: climate- and disaster-resilient, gender equality and social inclusion-responsive features.
iii.The programe will build urban local bodies’ capacity on waste management and sanitation, promote peer-to-peer learning, and will engage with the private sector.
- It will help to conduct annual reviews and updates of citywide solid waste and sanitation action plans.
- Under the program, training and awareness campaigns will be conducted for sanitation workers and communities to improve waste segregation and waste collection.
iv.ADB will provide an additional Technical Assistance (TA) grant of USD 3.15 million from its Urban Resilience Trust Fund, Republic of Korea e-Asia and Knowledge Partnership Fund, and the Sanitation Financing Partnership Trust Fund.
- This additional grant will support program implementation, capacity building of selected states on financial management and monitoring and evaluation and provide city-to-city partnerships.
About Asian Development Bank(ADB):
President- Masatsugu Asakawa (Japan)
Headquarters- Mandaluyong City, Manila, the Philippines
Members Nations- 68(49 members nations are from Asia-Pacific region)
Established-1966
RBI’s Digital Payments Index increases 12.6% Y-o-Y in March 2024
The Reserve Bank of India’s Digital Payments Index (RBI-DPI) increased to 445.5 at the end of March 2024, marking a 12.6% Year-on-Year (Y-o-Y) increase compared to March 2023 across all parameters. It was 418.77 in September 2023 and 395.57 in March 2023.
- RBI-DPI measures the adoption and extent of online transactions across India.
- The current showcases a continuous rise in digital payment adoption.
About RBI-DPI:
i.The RBI introduced the RBI-DPI in January 2021, with March 2018 as the base year, to estimate the digitization of payments across India.
ii.Index Parameters: The index is composed of five broad parameters:
- Payment Enablers (weight – 25%)
- Payment Infrastructure Demand-side factors (10%)
- Payment Infrastructure Supply-side factors (15%)
- Payment Performance (45%)
- Consumer Centricity (5%)
iii.Drivers of Growth: The increase in the RBI-DPI has been driven by significant advancements in payment performance and payment infrastructure across India.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Governor – Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors – Swaminathan Janakiraman, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
Establishment– 1st April 1935
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
SIDBI Partners C2treds & UGRO Capital to Facilitate Loans to MSME Sector
The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has entered into a co-lending partnership with C2treds, a strategic initiative by C2FO, the world’s on-demand working capital platform, and UGRO Capital, a data technology Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC), to facilitate loans to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector.
- These partnerships are established under the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) co-lending framework, designed to leverage the strengths of banks and NBFCs to boost priority sector lending.
- SIDBI has onboarded C2treds, an RBI-approved Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) platform by C2FO. This collaboration aims to improve liquidity for MSMEs at competitive interest rates.
Enhancing MSME Liquidity:
i.C2FO is the only fintech platform of scale in India offering both Early Pay (dynamic discounting) and TReDS functionalities.
- It supports nearly 2 million businesses worldwide with fast, flexible, and low-cost capital.
ii.C2treds is C2FO’s 1st national funding platform that expands working capital access to MSMEs.
iii.C2treds, operating under the TReDS allows MSMEs to get early liquidity within 24 hours through an online bidding process, utilizing a fully digital, end-to-end solution.
iv.SIDBI, as the apex institution for MSME promotion, ensures increased credit flow and supports the timely realisation of MSME receivables through TReDS platforms.
UGRO Capital’s Role:
i.UGRO Capital’s co-lending partnership with SIDBI will enhance credit reach to MSMEs swiftly and affordably.
ii.This collaboration aims to drive financial inclusion and support the growth of MSMEs across India.
iii.UGRO Capital has extended finance solutions to over 78,000 MSMEs in India.
About the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI):
SIDBI was set up under an Act of the Indian Parliament on 2nd April 1990 and is the Principal Financial Institution for the promotion, financing, and development of the MSME sector.
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD)– Manoj Mittal
Headquarters– Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
TPSSL Collaborated with BOI to Facilitate Financing for Solar Systems
On 26th July 2024, Tata Power Solar Systems Limited (TPSSL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL), announced that it has collaborated with Bank of India (BOI), Indian Public Sector Bank (PSB) to facilitate easy financing for rooftop solar installations and establishment of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations.
- This strategic partnership marks a significant milestone as TPSSL becomes the 1st solar company to collaborate with BOI for both solar and EV Charging Station financing which will help to bolster its leadership as green energy solutions provider.
Key Points:
i.For installations up to 3KW: Under Pradhan Mantri (PM) Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, residential customers can avail loan up to Rs 2 lakh at an annual interest rate of 7.10%, with margin money requirement of 5%.
- These loans are collateral-free with repayment tenure of up to 10 years.
ii.For installations from 3KW to 10KW: Eligible applicants can avail loans up to Rs 6 lakh with margin money requirement of 5%. Interest rate ranges from 8.3% to 10.25% per annum, and these are also collateral-free with tenure of up to 10 years.
iii.All UDYAM-registered MSME customers can avail a loan of up to Rs 30 crore at an interest of 9.35% per annum, with margin money requirement of 15%.
- These loans are collateral-free with higher repayment tenure of up to 120 months or 10 years.
- Beneficiaries can also avail the benefits of MSME-Green Investment and Financing for Transformation (MSE-GIFT Scheme) interest subventions under the loan offering.
Note: PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana was launched in February 2024, with the total budget outlay of Rs75, 021 crore , to provide free electricity of 300 units per month to 1 crore households in India through rooftop solar setups.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Rapido Becomes Unicorn with Fresh USD 120 million Funding from West Bridge
Bengaluru (Karnataka)-based Ride-haling startup, Rapido, has achieved the unicorn status after it raised a capital funding of USD 120 million (Rs 1,000 crore) in its latest Series E funding round led by its major investor WestBridge Capital (26% stake), which has invested money through 3 different investment vehicles.
- As per the company’s regulatory filings sourced from Registrar of Companies (RoC), WestBridge has invested the amount through the Setu Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) Trust, Konark Trust, and MMPL Trust.
- This makes Rapido the fourth startup in India to reach unicorn status in 2024 after Krutrim, Perfois and Porter.
Note: A unicorn is a term used to describe privately owned startups or companies whose valuation is over USD 1 billion.
Key Points:
i.The board members of Rapido has passed a special resolution to allot 10 equity shares, 95,479 Series E, and 95,489 Series E1 Compulsory Convertible Preferred Shares (CCPS) at an issue price of Rs 52,467 per share , with total worth of Rs 1,002 crore or USD 120 billion.
ii.In April 2022, Rapido raised USD 180 million in a Series D round led by foodtech major Swiggy and other existing investors such as: WestBridge and Nexus Venture Partners.
iii.In December 2023, Rapido has transitioned from a commission-driven aggregator model to a Software as a Service (SaaS) model for its auto driver partners, or Auto Captains, which offers a lifetime zero commission scheme.
Note: According to the Hurun institute’s 6th edition of “Global Unicorn Index 2024” report, India ranked at 3rd spot with 67 unicorns.
About Rapido:
It was established in 2015 by Aravind Sanka, Pavan Guntupalli, and SR Rishikesh. It is an aggregator platform that provides bike-taxi and auto services in more than 100 cities across India.
Headquarters- Bengaluru, Karnataka
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
KIIT Awarded UN ECOSOC Special Consultative Status
Bhubaneswar, Odisha-based Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Deemed to be University (DU) has been granted Special Consultative Status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC). This acknowledgment highlights KIIT’s dedication to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and UN’s Agenda 2030.
- This acknowledgement was made during the UN ECOSOC Management Segment Meeting held on July 23, 2024, at the UN Headquarters in New York, the United States of America (USA).
Key Points:
i.From 476 global applications, only 19 organizations, including KIIT DU, were selected for this honor.
ii.This status allows engagement with ECOSOC, its subsidiary bodies, UN human rights mechanisms, small arms processes, and special events by the General Assembly President.
Other Events:
KIIT signs MoU with UNV:
i.KIIT has signed a MoU with UN Volunteers (UNV), offering students opportunities to work with various UN agencies.
- With this, KIIT has become the first private university in South Asia to secure this UNV status for student internships.
ii.Under this, students from KIIT DU can serve as ‘National University UN Volunteers’ in numerous development initiatives within UN agencies.
iii.This engagement provides students with professional experience in international development, along with a stipend.
ACYPL Collaboration with KISS and KIIT:
i.The American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) has announced a collaboration with Bhubaneswar(Odisha) based Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) and KIIT.
- Aim: To enhance international relations and leadership opportunities for students of KIIT and KISS.
ii.ACYPL’s alumni network includes notable figures such as India’s Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, among others.
Note : KISS is a sister concern of KIIT, and has held UN ECOSOC Special Consultative Status since 2015.
About United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC):
President– Robert Bob Rae(Canada)
Headquarters– New York, the United States of America (USA)
Establishment– 1945
CSIR-IICT Scientist Dr. S. Sridhar Inducted as Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry, London
Hyderabad (Telangana)-based Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) chief scientist and engineer Dr. Sundergopal Sridhar has been inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) in London, the United Kingdom (UK).
- He is recognized for his exceptional work or research in the area of membrane technology.
About Dr. S. Sridhar:
i.Dr. S. Sridhar as a research scientist has an extensive career of 26 years, during which he developed and transferred various technologies to the chemical and allied industries which contributed significantly in the welfare of society.
ii.He had designed and installed more than 75 water purification plants based on nanofiltration, ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis technologies to purify groundwater, surface water, and flood water which benefitted 50 lakh people who are affected by fluorosis, thypoid, and other water-borne diseases across 10 states in India.
iii.His other notable innovations include: a affordable system to produce medical-grade ultrapure water which is used in the dialysis of over 2 lakh patients suffering from chronic kidney diseases.
iv.He made significant contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic, he designed a low-cost, multilayer washable masks, which were distributed to more than 6 lakhs individuals including, schoolchildren and frontline workers.
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
IRS Officers Prabodh Seth & Ramesh Narain Parbat Appointed as Members of CBDT
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Prabodh Seth and Ramesh Narain Parbat, Indian Revenue Service (IRS) Income Tax (IT) officers (1989 batch), as the new members of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
Prabodh Seth:
i.Prabodh Seth has been appointed as the Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (PCCIT), International Taxation in CBDT, Delhi replacing Sanjai Kumar Verma.
ii.He has worked in various positions in the Income Tax Department as Assistant Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, Additional Commissioner, Commissioner of Income Tax in Delhi.
Ramesh Narain Parbat:
i.Ramesh Narain Parbat has been appointed as the Director General of Income Tax (DGIT), Investigation in CBDT, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP) replacing Ravi Agrawal.
ii.Ravi Agrawal has been elevated as the Chairman of CBDT after the extended tenure of Nitin Gupta ended on June 30, 2024.
Note:
i.The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is an apex-policy making body of the Income Tax Department (ITD). It functions under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance (MoF).
ii.It consists of the Chairman and six members that deal with income tax and revenue, audit and judicial, and others.
iii.The Chairman and Members of CBDT are selected from IRS, a premier civil service of India, whose members constitute the top management of ITD.
About Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT):
Chairman – Ravi Agrawal
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Established – 1963
IMPORTANT DAYS
International Day of Friendship 2024 – July 30
The United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Friendship or World Friendship Day is annually observed across the globe on July 30 to honour the friendship.
- The day honours the enduring bonds of friendship with various activities, despite the different dates observed around the world.
- 2024 marks the 13th anniversary of International Friendship Day.
Background:
i.In 2011, During the 65th UN session, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/65/L.72 and proclaimed 30th July of every year as the International Day of Friendship.
ii.The first-ever International Friendship Day was observed in 2011.
Note: In India, Friendship Day is celebrated on First Sunday in the month of August.
About the United Nations (UN):
Secretary-General (SG) – António Guterres
Headquarters – New York City, United States of America (USA)
Established – 24th October 1945
>> Read Full News
World Ranger Day 2024 – July 31
World Ranger Day (WRD) is annually observed across the globe on 31 July to commemorate Rangers killed or injured in the line of duty and to celebrate the critical work of Rangers in protecting the world’s natural and cultural treasures.
- The 2024 theme of World Ranger Day is, “30 by 30.” The 2024 theme aligns with the global goal of the 2022 United Nations (UN) Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) 15th Conference of the Parties (COP 15) held in Montreal, Canada.
Background:
i.WRD is an initiative of the International Ranger Federation (IRF), promoted together with The Thin Green Line Foundation, the 1st charity solely dedicated to supporting rangers and their families.
ii.The 1st World Ranger Day was observed on 31 July 2007 on the 15th anniversary of the founding of the IRF.
About the International Ranger Federation (IRF):
President– Chris Galliers
Founded – 1992
>> Read Full News
STATE NEWS
UP Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna presented Rs 12,909.93cr Supplementary Budget for FY25
On July 30, 2024, the Finance Minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP) Suresh Kumar Khanna presented a supplementary budget of Rs 12,909.93 crore for the Financial Year 2024-25 (FY25), which is 1.66% of the original Budget (of Rs 7.36 lakh crore) presented in February 2024.
- Aim: To bolster key sectors such as industrial development, energy, and education.
- The supplementary budget includes an expenditure of Rs 4,227.94 crore on the revenue account and Rs 7,981.99 crore on the capital account.
Key Allocations:
i.Rs 7,500.18 crore allocated to drive growth and infrastructure improvements in the industrial sector.
ii.Rs 2,000 crore budgeted for the energy department to enhance the state’s energy resources and infrastructure.
iii.Rs 1,000 crore assigned for the transport department to purchase buses to improve public transportation.
iv.Rs 600 crore allocated for Amrit Yojana under the urban development department.
v.Rs 200 crore provided for short-term programs under Uttar Pradesh Skill Development Mission(UPSDM)
vi.Rs 100 crore will be utilized for the construction of rural stadiums and open gyms.
vii.Rs 28.40 crore proposed for labs in 284 government inter-colleges under the secondary education department.
- Rs 66.82 crore allocated for labs in 1,040 government secondary schools.
viii.Rs 74.90 crore assigned for various schemes of the culture department.
ix.Rs 53.15 crore budgeted for establishing Atal residential schools.
x.Rs 2.79 crore for maintenance of residential and non-residential buildings.
About Uttar Pradesh (UP) :
Chief Minister(CM) – Yogi Adityanath
Governor – Anandiben Patel
Capital – Lucknow
World Heritage Sites – Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri
AP Govt Renames 6 Student Welfare Schemes after Prominent Educational Pioneers
The Education Department of the Andhra Pradesh(AP) Government has renamed 6 student welfare schemes, previously named after former Chief Minister (CM) of AP, Yeduguri Sandinti (YS) Jagan Mohan Reddy, with the names of eminent personalities in the field of education, reflecting significant contributions to education.
- AP’s ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government has replaced these names with the name of notable personalities, including Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen (APJ) Abdul Kalam, and Dokka Seethamma.
Note: Nara Lokesh, Minister of Human Resources Development (HRD), endorsed these changes to remove politics from education and create a more conducive learning environment.
Renamed schemes:
i.Talliki Vandanam: The scheme formerly known as ‘Jagananna Amma Vodi’, offers financial aid to mothers for their children’s education.
- This program was launched in 2020 to encourage parents to send their children to school by depositing Rs 15,000 rupees of financial assistance in the bank account of student’s mother
ii.SarvepalliRadhakrishnan Vidya Mitra: The scheme formerly known as ‘Jagananna Vidya Kanuka’, provides education kits including school bags and books.
- This program was launched in 2021 to improve the learning outcomes of the students from government schools of Class I to X by providing them a kit.
iii. Dokka Seethamma Madhyahana Badi Bojanam: The scheme formerly known as ‘Jagananna Gorumudda’ , is a mid-day meal scheme for public school students.
- It is a welfare program launched in 2020 to improve the nutrition of students by providing quality nutritious food modifying the menu of mid day meal scheme.
iv.Mana Badi-Mana Bhavishyaktu: The scheme formerly known as ‘Mana Badi Nadu Nedu’ focuses on school renovation.
- This program was launched in 2019 to improve the learning outcomes and decrease the dropout rate in all schools.
v.Balika Raksha: The scheme formerly known as ‘Sweccha’, provides free sanitary napkins for female students.
- The state government has launched “Swechha” in 2021 to provide free sanitary napkins to adolescent girls studying in government educational institutions.
vi.Abdul Kalam Prathiba Puraskaram: The scheme formerly known as ‘Jagananna Animutyalu’ provide financial rewards to government school students who topped examination.
- As part of the Jagananna Animuthyalu awards, Rs. 1 lakh will be presented to the state-level topper l in the SSC examination followed by Rs. 75,000 to the second topper and 50,000 to the third topper respectively.
- While district-level toppers would get Rs. 50,000 for the first ranker, Rs. 30,000 for the second ranker, and Rs. 15,000 for the third ranker.
- On the other hand, Rs. 1 lakh will be awarded to 26 students for state-level group-wise toppers and at the constituency level, branch-wise toppers will be awarded Rs.15,000 each to 662 students.
About Andhra Pradesh(AP):
Chief Minister(CM)– N. Chandrababu Naidu
Governor– Syed Abdul Nazeer
Tiger Reserve – Nagarjuna Sagar Srisailam
Wildlife Sanctuaries– Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary, and Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary
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