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NATIONAL AFFAIRS
ICAR Launches ‘One Scientist One Product’, to Enhance Target-Oriented Research in Agriculture & Animal Husbandry
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) launched a target-oriented research plan named ‘One Scientist-One Product’, aimed at enhancing research in agriculture and animal husbandry. All the 5,521 ICAR scientists have been registered under this plan.
- The plan was inaugurated by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare & Rural Development on the occasion of 96th foundation day and technology day of ICAR.
- This plan will run for the next 5 years and each scientist will focus on a unique product to maximise productivity and avoid duplication.
- ICAR is also working to develop 100 new seed varieties and 100 farm technologies in 100 days as part of the Centre’s 100-day action plan.
Note: ICAR is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), Government of India (GoI).
Scientist Involvement and Monitoring:
i.Each of the 5,521 scientists is assigned with a product target, which could be a seed variety, technology, research paper, or concept.
ii.Progress will be monitored quarterly at the institute level and biannually at the headquarters by researchers.
iii.Priority for this year: Seed hubs for high-yielding oilseeds and pulses varieties.
- The plan includes expanding oilseeds hubs to 174 districts and creating model village hubs for pulse seeds in 130 districts.
Release of Seed Varieties:
i.ICAR released a total of 323 varieties of 56 crops, including cereals, oilseeds, forage crops, and sugarcane during 2023-24.
- These varieties include 27 bio-fortified varieties and 289 climate-resilient varieties for the various biotic and abiotic stresses.
ii.From 2014-15 to 2023-24, 2,593 high-yielding varieties were released, including 2,177 (83% of total) climate-resilient varieties, and 150 bio-fortified crop varieties.
iii.About 16 Million hectares (Mha) are under bio-fortified crop varieties for 2023-24.
iv.India, the world’s 2nd-largest rice producer after China, is addressing climate challenges with new paddy varieties resistant to drought and lodging.
About the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR):
ICAR, formerly known as Imperial Council of Agricultural Research was established on 16 July 1929 as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 in pursuance of the report of the Royal Commission on Agriculture.
Director-General– Himanshu Pathak
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
MoD Notifies 5th Positive Indigenisation List of 346 Items for DPSUs
The Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence (MoD), has notified the 5th Positive Indigenisation List (PIL) comprising 346 items, to boost Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in defence manufacturing and reducing imports by the Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).
- These items, including Line Replacement Units (LRUs), Systems, Sub-systems, Assemblies, Spares, Components and raw material related to the defence platforms, have an import substitution value of Rs 1,048 crore.
Srijan Portal:
i.These items will only be procured from the Indian industry post-indigenisation, promoting domestic manufacturing as listed on the Srijan portal.
ii.The Srijan Portal was launched by the MoD in 2020. On this portal, DPSUs and Service Headquarters (SHQs) offer defence items for indigenisation.
Background:
i.Previously, 4 PILs comprising 4,666 items were notified by the DDP for DPSUs, of these, 2,972 items, valued at Rs 3,400 crore, have been indigenised.
ii.The 5 PILs for DPSUs complement 5 lists of 509 items notified by the Department of Military Affairs (DMA).
iii.Till June 2024, over 36,000 defence items have been offered for indigenisation by DPSUs and SHQs.
- More than 12,300 items have been indigenised, and DPSUs have placed orders worth Rs 7,572 crore on domestic vendors.
Note: The first PIL of 101 items was promulgated by the MoD in August 2020.
Indigenisation Efforts:
i.The DPSUs will indigenise items mentioned in the 5th PIL through various routes including through ‘Make’ procedures or in-house development.
ii.It involves industry, including Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), academia, and research institutions.
iii.It aims to boost economic growth, and investment in defence, and reduce import dependence.
DPSUs Involved:
i.9 DPSUs are involved in this initiative, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), BEML Limited, India Optel Limited (IOL), Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE) and Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL).
ii.These have initiated the process for issuing Expressions Of Interest(EOI)/Requests For Proposals(RFP) via respective websites and the Srijan Portal Dashboard.
About the Ministry of Defence (MoD):
Union Minister– Rajnath Singh (Constituency: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP))
Minister of State (MoS)- Sanjay Seth (Constituency: Ranchi, Jharkhand)
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
India sees 163% Growth in Electronic Waste Generation from 2010-2022: UNCTAD Report
The United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released the ‘2024 Digital Economy Report: Shaping an Environmentally Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Future’. According to the report, A record 62 million tonnes(Mt) of e-waste was produced in 2022, up 82% from 2010. Around 0.668 mt of e-waste generated in India in 2022.
- It highlights India’s 163% growth in electronic waste from Screens, Computers, and Small IT and Telecommunication Equipment (SCSIT) from 2010 to 2022, doubling its global share from 3.1% to 6.4%.
- However, India is recognized for efforts to minimize the impact of product packaging and waste, and for advancing sustainable transportation and delivery.
- Developing countries in Asia generated most of such waste in 2022, with China contributing almost half of it.
Global Scenario:
i.Annual smartphone shipments more than doubled since 2010, reaching 1.2 billion in 2023.
ii.IoT (Internet of Things) devices are expected to increase 2.5 times from 2023 to 39 billion by 2029.
iii.Business e-commerce sales in 43 countries grew nearly 60% from 2016 to 2022, totaling USD 27 trillion.
iv.Digital waste, especially from screens and small IT (Information Technology) equipment, grew 30% from 2010 to 2022, reaching 10.5 million tons, outpacing collection rates.
v.Significant digitalization waste in developing countries is managed informally, posing environmental and health risks due to hazardous materials like heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants.
About UNCTAD:
Secretary-General – Rebeca Grynspan
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
Founded – 1964
BANKING & FINANCE
BBVA and IFC Launch World’s First Biodiversity Bond to Combat Biodiversity Loss
On July 12, 2024, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria(BBVA) Colombia and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) launched the world’s first biodiversity bond which will amount to USD70 million, aiming to combat biodiversity loss. In this regard, the initial tranche of USD15 million was issued by BBVA Colombia.
- BBVA Colombia is the issuing bank, while IFC acts as the structurer and investor, also providing advisory support.
- The bond proceeds will fund projects targeting reforestation, forest regeneration, mangrove conservation, climate-smart agriculture, and wildlife habitat restoration.
Key Points
i.IFC will assist BBVA Colombia in setting eligibility criteria and reporting indicators for biodiversity projects and enhancing technical capabilities.
ii.In 2023, BBVA Colombia financed over 214.8 billion Colombian pesos in biodiversity-related areas, including land use, ecotourism, smart agriculture, and marine habitat conservation.
- It also issued a USD50 million blue bond, with IFC as structurer and investor, to finance freshwater and coastal ecosystem conservation.
iii.Climate change impacts biodiversity and communities, potentially creating up to 10 million refugees in Colombia by 2050.
Note: Colombia is the world’s most biodiverse country per square kilometer. It is home to 14 percent of known plant species in the world.
About International Finance Corporation (IFC):
It is a part of the World Bank Group.
Managing Director(MD)– Makhtar Diop
Headquarters– Washington, D.C., United States of America (USA)
Establishment– 1956
GoI Releases 1st Tranche of USD 2.5 Million to UNRWA for Palestine Refugees
On 16 July 2024, the Government of India (GoI) released the 1st tranche of USD 2.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), one of the largest United Nations (UN) programs. This payment is part of India’s annual contribution of USD 5 million for 2024-25.
- India has contributed USD 35 million till 2023-24, to UNRWA’s core programs, including education, healthcare, relief, and social services provided to Palestinian Refugees.
- During the UNRWA Pledging Conference 2024 held in July 2024 in New York, the United States of America (USA), India committed to providing medicines based on UNRWA’s specific request.
Note: The UNRWA was established as a subsidiary organ of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on 8 December 1949 and became operational on 1 May 1950.
Axis Bank Completed Migration of Citibank Customers to its Platform
On 15 July 2024, Axis Bank officially completed Citibank’s credit card portfolio migration to its banking platform. This transition includes all credit card relationships and the existing Citibank credit cards will be mapped to new Axis Bank products.
- As part of the transition, Axis Bank has proactively moved all pre-registered payees and changed the Indian Financial System Code (IFSC), where possible and updated mobile numbers.
- The Personal Identification Number (PIN), card number, expiry date, Card Verification Value (CVV), controls, limits, etc in transactions remain the same.
- The payment channel will change from Citibank to Axis Bank and the customers will need to use the Axis Mobile app for digital banking services.
- The Customer Service and Support (CSS) will now be through Axis Bank Phone Banking and alerts and payment authentication will be branded with Axis Bank.
- For existing e-NACH mandates for card repayment, Axis Bank will present 3 days before the due date.
Note: Axis Bank acquired Citibank India’s consumer businesses for Rs 11,603 crore in March 2023, adding 2.4 million Citi customers and Rs 39,900 crore in deposits via this acquisition.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
IMF Raised India’s GDP Growth Forecast for FY25 to 7%; Maintains 2024 Global Growth Forecast at 3.2% warns of Inflation Risk
On 16th July 2024, The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released ‘World Economic Outlook (WEO) Update, July 2024: The Global Economy in a Sticky Spot’. The report has increased India’s GDP(Gross Domestic Product) growth by 20 basis points(bps), from 6.8% (in April 2024 ) to 7% for FY25(2024-25).
Global Scenario:
i.As per the report, the global growth is projected to be in line with April 2024 WEO forecast at 3.2% in 2024 but it has marginally increased the global growth rate by 10 bps to 3.3% in 2025.
ii.The report cited that growth in India and China will account for almost 50% of global growth in 2024. Also, growth in major advanced economies is becoming more aligned as output gaps are closing.
About International Monetary Fund(IMF):
Managing Director(MD)- Kristalina Georgieva
Member nations–190
Headquarters- Washington D.C., United States of America(U.S.A.)
Established in-1944
>> Read Full News
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Indian Scientists Prahlad Chandra Agrawal & Anil Bhardwaj received COSPAR 2024 Awards:45th COSPAR Scientific Assembly
Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) announced the winners of 2024 COSPAR Awards during the 45th COSPAR Scientific Assembly which is being held in Busan, South Korea from 13th to 21st July 2024.
- Two Indian Scientists Prahlad Chandra Agrawal and Anil Bhardwaj were among the winners of the 2024 COSPAR Awards.
- Prahlad Chandra Agrawal was honoured with the COSPAR Harrie Massey Award and Anil Bhardwaj was honoured with the Vikram Sarabhai Medal, a joint award of COSPAR and the Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO).
COSPAR Awards:
i.COSPAR annually presents a number of medals and awards, some jointly with other institutions or space agencies. The award recognise outstanding contribution to space research and scientists working in any of the fields covered by COSPAR.
ii.The International Astronomical Union (IAU) honours the COSPAR award recipients with the attribution of minor planets designated by the IAU Working Group on Small Bodies Nomenclature.
Click here for the complete list of 2024 winners
Prahlad Chandra Agrawal:
i.Prahlad Chandra Agrawal was a Senior Professor (Retired), Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research(TIFR), under the Department of Atomic Energy(DAE), Government of India.
- The award includes a medal, a citation, and the naming of a minor planet (20064) Prahladagrawal in his honour by IAU.
ii.He is well-known for his contributions to X-ray astronomy. He was also the Principal Investigator (2001-11) of the India’s first Multiwavelength Astronomy Satellite (AstroSat) launched in 2015.
iii.He was a member of the Lunar Task Force set up by ISRO to prepare the Project Report of India’s first Moon mission (Chandrayan-1).
COSPAR Harrie Massey Award:
i.Harrie Massey Award honours the memory of Sir Harrie Stewart Wilson Massey, FRS, an Australian mathematical physicist.
ii.The award recognise the outstanding contributions to the development of space research in which a leadership role is of particular importance.
Anil Bhardwaj
i.Anil Bhardwaj is the Director of Physical Research Laboratory(PRL) in Ahmedabad, Gujarat (since 2017).
ii.His areas of expertise are planetary space sciences and solar system exploration.
iii.He has played a key role in all of ISRO’s recent scientific missions, including Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan, and the Aditya-L1 missions.
iv.This is the 2nd time Vikram Sarabhai Medal has been awarded to a scientist from ISRO. Previously, (Late) Prof. U. R. Rao was decorated with this medal in 1996.
Vikram Sarabhai Medal:
i.Vikram Sarabhai Medal honours Vikram Sarabhai, an Indian physicist and astronomer.
ii.The award recognise the outstanding space science research in developing countries.
About the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR):
COSPAR is the world’s first scientific body dedicated to promoting global cooperation in space research.
President – Pascale Ehrenfreund
Headquarters – Paris, France
Established – 1958
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
Roberta Metsola Re-elected as President of European Parliament; 1st Woman to win 2nd Term 
On July 16, 2024, Roberta Metsola (aged 45) of European People’s Party (EPP), was re-elected as President of the European Parliament for another two and a half years, until 2027.
- With this, she became the first woman to win a second term as the President of the European Parliament, the directly elected legislative body of the European Union(EU).
Note: Receiving 562 out of 699 votes, She secured an absolute majority in the first round of voting and defeated her opponent, Irene Montero, who garnered only 61 votes.
There have been 30 presidents since the Parliament was created in 1952, 17 of whom have served since the first parliamentary election in 1979.
About Roberta Metsola:
i.Roberta Metsola was first elected as a member of the European Parliament (MEP) in 2013, becoming one of Malta’s first female MEPs. She was re-elected as MEP in 2014 and 2019.
ii.In Novermber 2020, She became the first Maltese to become the First Vice-President of the European Parliament.
iii.She served as a acting President following the death of President David Sassoli on January 11, 2022, and was then elected as President on January 18, 2022, for the second half of the 9th legislative term.
- She was the third woman to take charge as the President of the European Parliament, after Simone Veil (1979-1982) and Nicole Fontaine (1999-2002).
iv.She has also served as the EPP Group’s Coordinator in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs (2017-2020) and was the Parliament’s rapporteur on the European Border and Coastguard Regulation in 2019.
v.She co-authored a report on protecting journalists in the EU from Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.
- She is a lawyer with expertise in European law and politics.
About European Union (EU):
EU legislation doesn’t have a permanent, single-person president. Its work is led by the country holding the Council presidency, which rotates every 6 months.
Presidency (July to December 2024)– Hungary
European Council President – Charles Michel (till December 2024)
European Commission President – Ursula von der Leyen
Headquarters– Brussels, Belgium
SPORTS
UEFA Euro 2024: Spain wins 4th Euro Championship title after beating England
Spain won the 17th edition of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) European Football Championship, commonly referred to as ‘UEFA Euro 2024 or Euro Cup’ by defeating England (2-1) in the finals held at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany.
- UEFA Euro 2024 hosted by Germany was held from 14th June to 14th July 2024.
- Spain won the Euro Cup for the record 4th time. Spain previously won the title in 1964, 2008 and 2012.
Note:
Germany’s Thomas Müller; France’s Olivier Giroud; Switzerland’s Xherdan Shaqiri; and Germany’s Toni Kroos announced their retirement from International Football.
>> Read Full News
Copa America 2024: Argentina Beats Colombia to Win the Title for the 16th Time
Argentina won the title of the 48th edition of the Copa America (Copa America 2024) by defeating Colombia in the finals held at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida, the United States of America (USA).
- Copa America 2024 hosted by the USA was held from 20th June to 14th July 2024.
- This marks Argentina’s 16th title of Copa America. with this, Argentina became the tournament’s most successful team, followed by Uruguay (15) and Brazil (9).
- Copa America 2024 is the quadrennial international men’s soccer championship organised by the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL: Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol)
India Beat Pakistan to Win World Championship of Legends 2024
Indian Champions team led by Yuvraj Singh won the inaugural edition of the World Championship Of Legends (2024) by defeating the Younis Khan-led Pakistan Champions team by five wickets during the finals held in Birmingham, England.
- The World Championship of Legends 2024, hosted by England was held from 3rd July to 13th July 2024 at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham and Northampton Stadium.
About World Championship of Legends:
i.The World Championship of Legends (also known as EaseMyTrip World Championship of Legends) is a T20 tournament played by retired international cricketers.
ii.The tournament is approved by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
iii.The tournament witnessed the participation of Six teams: England, Australia, India, Pakistan, South Africa and West Indies.
Points to note:
i. Pakistan Champions, opted to bat first after winning the toss and scored a total of 156 for 6 in 20 overs.
ii.India finished at 159 for 5 in 19.1 overs. Ambati Rayudu scored 50 off 30 balls while Gurkeerat Singh Mann scored 34 off 22 balls gaining the maximum runs for India.
iii.Indian bowler Anureet Singh secured three wickets with support from Vinay Kumar, Pawan Negi and Irfan Pathan (one wicket each) against Pakistan.
v.Ambati Rayudu was awarded the Player of the Match, while Yusuf Pathan was named the Player of the Series.
Key Highlights:
Player of the Match(Finals)– Ambati Rayudu (India)
Player of the Tournament– Yusuf Pathan (India)
Most runs– Shoaib Malik(Pakistan) – 245
Most wickets– Nathan Coulter-Nile (Australia) – 9
Most sixes– Daniel Christian(Australia) – 2
England Fast Bowler James Michael Anderson Retires from International Cricket
On 12 July 2024, James Michael Anderson (Jimmy Anderson), England Fast Bowler, retired from International Cricket after England’s Test match against the West Indies at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, England.
- He became the only seam bowler ever to take 700 wickets in Test Cricket.
i.He becomes the second-highest test match player (188 test matches) after Sachin Tendulkar (200 test matches) of India.
ii.He becomes the third-highest test wicket-taker in the world after Muttiah Muralithran of Sri Lanka (800 wickets in 113 matches) and Shane Warne of Australia (708 wickets in 145 matches).
iii.During his 21-year test career, Anderson bowled 40037 legitimate bowls in test matches. In the all-time list, he is fourth after Muthiah Muralidaran (44039), Anil Kumble (40850), and Shane Warne (40705).
iv.He made his international cricket debut against Australia in a One Day International (ODI) during the 2002-03 series in Adelaide, Australia.
Saudi Arabia To Host First Olympic Esports Games in 2025
The National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Saudi Arabia and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) signed a 12-year deal to host the First Olympic Esports Games 2025 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
i.It follows the IOC’s decision to establish the Olympic Esports Games, a proposal to be presented at the upcoming IOC Session on the eve of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
ii.This partnership is in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to transform the nation’s social and economic landscape.
iii.Saudi Arabia has hosted over 100 international sporting events, resulting in a significant rise in sports participation nationwide since 2018.
- Riyadh is already hosting the Esports World Cup in July and August 2024, with 2,500 players competing for USD 60 million in prize money.
Note: Saudi Arabia will also host the 2027 Asian Cup in Men’s football, the 2029 Asian Winter Games and the multi-sport 2034 Asian Games in Riyadh.
OBITUARY
Subhash Dandekar, Chairman Emeritus of Camlin, Passed Away
Subhash Dandekar, Chairman Emeritus of Kokuyo Camlin Limited(formerly known as Camlin Limited), a renowned Indian stationery and art supplies company, passed away at the age of 86 in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
About Subhash Dandekar:
i.Subhash Dandekar took over Camlin Ltd in 1960 and spearheaded the its diversification into art materials. He expanded its product range from stationery to include office supplies and professional artist tools.
ii.Under his leadership the company was rebranded as Camlin and officially became Camlin Limited in 1988.
iii.He served as an Executive Chairman of the Camlin till 31st May 2002 and thereafter became the Chairman Emeritus
iv.He also served as the President of the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce and Industries, apex institution of Maharashtra’s trade and industrial sector, from 1990 to 1992.
Awards:
i.Subhash Dandekar has received many awards which includes Sahyadri Navratna Puraskar (2005), Game Changers of Maharashtra award.
ii.He has been honoured the Lifetime Achievement Award (2018) by the Colours Society for his contribution in the industrial base of India.
About Camlin:
Camlin was originally founded by Digambar Parashuram Dandekar, father of Subhash Dandekar in 1931 as Dandekar & Co.
In 2011, Japan based Kokuyo Co., Ltd. acquired a 50% stake in Camlin, and the joint venture was renamed Kokuyo Camlin Limited in January 2012.
IMPORTANT DAYS
Day of International Criminal Justice 2024 – July 17
Day of International Criminal Justice is annually observed across the globe on 17 July by the International Criminal Court (ICC), to mark the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute in 1998, the founding treaty of the ICC.
- 17th July 2024 marks the 26th anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute.
Background:
i.The treaty of the Rome Statute of the ICC (Rome Statute) was adopted on 17 July 1998 by the UN Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries (UNDCP) held in Rome, Italy.
ii.This treaty, the legal basis for establishing the ICC was adopted by 120 States. It entered into force on 1 July 2002, on which the Court became operational.
iii.At the first Review Conference of the Rome Statute held in Kampala, Uganda in 2010, the States Parties of the ICC decided to commemorate 17 July as the Day of International Criminal Justice.
About the International Criminal Court (ICC):
President– Judge Tomoko Akane (Japan)
Headquarters– The Hague, The Netherlands
>> Read Full News
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