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NATIONAL AFFAIRS
India and Saint Kitts & Nevis Signed MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Sports
On August 5 2024, the Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) of the Government of India(GoI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Denzil Llewellyn Douglas, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saint Kitts and Nevis(SKN) in New Delhi(Delhi) to enhance cooperation in various sport matters.
- The MoU was signed during Denzil Douglas’s official visit to India from August 4th to 9th, 2024.
Aim: To improve both countries’ sporting capacities by promoting a collaborative approach to sports development, sharing expertise, and mutual growth among athletic disciplines.
Key areas of Cooperation:
The key areas of cooperation under this MoU are
i.Training and Competition: Providing training and competitive opportunities for athletes and athletic teams from both countries.
ii.Technical Assistance and Coach Training: Facilitating training and technical support for coaches to enhance their skills and effectiveness.
iii.Exchange Programmes: Conducting exchanges and visits for sports leaders, administrators, experts, technicians, and support personnel.
iv.Youth and Junior Exchange: Promoting exchanges in various sports such as wrestling, kabaddi, badminton, shooting and athletics.
v.Programmes for sports sciences: Executing training, exchange, and attachment programmes for sports science personnel, as well as providing other development assistance in this field.
vi.Coach Education and Curriculum Development: Provides training and exchange opportunities in coach education, curriculum development, sports management, and infrastructure development and management.
vii.Technology and Infrastructure Development: Exchanging knowledge and resources about sports infrastructure, technology, and research development.
viii.Sports research and Development: Collaboration in the area of sports research and development including training and anti-doping programmes.
ix.Physical Education and Fitness: Collaboration between the universities or physical education centres of the two countries in the areas of fitness development and physical education.
About the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (SKN):
SKN(also known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis) is a dual-island country situated between the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. It consists of the two islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, both located in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands chain of the Lesser Antilles.
Prime Minister (PM) – Terrance Micheal Drew
Capital – Basseterre
Currency – East Caribbean Dollar (XCD)
MoHFW issues SOPs for Transporting Human Organs through Various Modes of Travel
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has introduced Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the seamless transportation of human organs via air, road, rail, and waterways.
Aim:
The primary goal is to expedite the transport of live organs between hospitals or cities, addressing the critical need for timely delivery due to the organ’s limited shelf life and the complexity of coordinating multiple agencies.
Background:
i.This initiative, developed in collaboration with National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog and consultation with the Ministries of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of Defence(MoD).
ii.It should be noted that India ranks 3rd globally in organ transplants and 2nd in corneal transplants. In 2023, it recorded over 1,000 deceased organ donations for the first time, with annual transplants rising from 4,990 in 2013 to 17,168 in 2023.
Key Points:
i.The SOPs provide guidelines for transporting organs when donors and recipients are in different locations, including priority measures for air travel, such as special arrangements for medical personnel and “green corridors” for ambulances.
ii.Airlines can request priority take-off and landing, as well as assistance with the organ’s transport from aircraft to ambulance.
iii.For road and metro transport, green corridors will be established to ensure unobstructed passage and expedited delivery, with designated nodal officers handling coordination and security.
iv.SOPs cover all modes of transport, including metro transit and shipping, ensuring the organ box must be kept upright and vertical at a 90-degree angle during transport, with a “handle with care” label attached.
Govt Declares Adichunchanagiri in Karnataka & Choolannuar in Kerala as Peacock Sanctuary
Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), announced that the central government has declared the Choolannuar in Kerala and Adichunchanagiri in Karnataka as Peacock Sanctuaries.
- Breeding and conservation centers have been established by the MoEF&CC to protect Peacocks, the National Bird of India, since 1963.
About Peacock:
Peacock or Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) is a familiar and universally known large pheasant (any large, colourful, and long-tailed bird of the family Phasianidae).
- In 1963, the peafowl was declared the national bird of India because of its rich religious and legendary involvement in Indian traditions.
- It is fully protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection) Act, 1972.
About Choolannuar Peacock Sanctuary:
i.The Choolanur Peacock Sanctuary was established on 14 March 1996 as “Chulannur Peafowl Sanctuary”.
ii.The first Peacock Sanctuary of India, is located about 30 km from Palakkad town and is unique in Kerala.
iii.It is locally known as Mayiladumpara and in 2008, the Government of Kerala renamed the sanctuary as “Chulannur Peafowl Sanctuary, dedicated to the memory of K.K. Neelakantan”
- Kavassery Kailasam Neelakantan (K.K. Neelakantan) (Induchoodan) was an Indian ornithologist.
iv.It spreads over approximately 500 hectares of reserve forest in Peringottukurisi Panchayat in Palakkad district and Malesamangalam in Thrissur district.
About Adichunchanagiri Peacock Sanctuary:
i.The Adichunchanagiri Peacock Sanctuary in Karnataka was established in 1981 and caters to a large peafowl (members of the pheasant family) population.
ii.The sanctuary is located in Mandya district’s Nagamangala Taluk, Karnataka and is about 115 kilometers (km) west of Bengaluru.
iii.The area of the sanctuary is about 88.4 hectares(ha) with boundaries and it serves as a popular adventure activity for trekking and mountain climbing with picturesque views.
iv.The Adichunchanagiri and the adjacent hills and hill ranges within a radius of 1 km are the stronghold of the peafowl.
v.This sanctuary is close to the Chunchanagiri Temple, a renowned pilgrimage site.
Other Peacock sanctuary in India:
The peacock sanctuary located in Bankapur(Karnataka) .It is engaged in the conservation and breeding of peacocks.
About Kerala:
Chief Minister (CM)- Pinarayi Vijayan
Governor– Arif Mohammed Khan
Capital– Thiruvananthapuram
Wildlife Sanctuaries– Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, and Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary
Airports– Calicut International Airport (also known as Karipur Airport), and Kannur International Airport
BANKING & FINANCE
LIC launched 4 Term Insurance Products for Youth
On August 5, 2024, the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) launched four new products for the youth of India, including LIC’s Yuva Term/Digi Term, and LIC’s Yuva Credit Life/Digi Credit Life, which are available offline and online for sale from August 6, 2024.
About LIC’s Yuva Term/Digi Term:
LIC’s Yuva Term plan is available offline. This Plan can be purchased offline through licensed agents, corporate agents, brokers and insurance marketing firms. while the LIC’s Digi Term plan is available online through LIC’s website. The benefits payable on death are guaranteed.
- These Non-Par, Non-Linked, Life, Individual, Pure Risk Plans are designed for young individuals seeking early term insurance, offering the flexibility to purchase either offline or online.
i.The minimum entry age is 18 years, and the maximum is 45 years, with the maturity age ranging from 33 to 75 years.
ii.The sum assured ranges from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 5 crore, with higher amounts considered case-by-case.
iii.There are lower premium rates for women.
iv.The death benefit for regular and limited premiums is 7 times the annualized premium, 105% of total premiums paid, or the absolute amount assured, while for single premium payments, it is 125% of the single premium or the absolute amount assured.
About LIC’s Yuva Credit Life/Digi Credit Life:
LIC has introduced products to cover loan liabilities through term insurance: LIC’s Yuva Credit Life, available offline through intermediaries, and LIC’s Digi Credit Life, available only online through LIC’s website. .
- These are Non-Par, Non-Linked, Life, Individual, Pure Risk Plans where the death benefit decreases over the policy term.
i.The minimum entry age is 18 years, and the maximum is 45 years, with the maturity age ranging from 23 to 75 years.
ii.The sum assured ranges from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 5 crore.
iii.These plans offer a high sum assured rebate, lower premium rates for women, and a choice of loan interest rate at policy inception.
iv.In the event of the insured’s death during the policy term, the sum assured on death is payable, provided the policy is in force and the claim is admissible.
About Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC):
Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Siddhartha Mohanty
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment– 1956
SEBI Directs MFs to Value AT-1 Bonds Based on Yield-to-Call
On 5th August 2024, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has directed Mutual Funds (MFs) to value their investment in the Additional Tier-1 (AT-1) bonds issued by banks on Yield-to-Call (YTC) basis.
- This direction was issued by SEBI through a circular in exercise of its powers given under Section 11 (1) of the SEBI Act, 1992 read with the provisions of Regulation 25(19), 47 read with Regulation 77 of SEBI (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 1996 to protect the interests of investors in securities and to promote the development of, and to regulate the securities market.
Key points:
i.This direction came after National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) submitted the ‘Report On valuation methodology of AT-1 bonds’ to Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance (MoF), which recommended that AT-1 bonds should be valued based on YTC in order to align with market practices and Ind AS( Indian Accounting Standard) 113 principles.
ii.This recommendation applies only to the valuation of AT-1 bonds, not to other purposes.
iii.For all other purposes, the deemed maturity of perpetual bonds will still follow the guidelines in the Master Circular(MC).
iv.While the valuation has now been changed to YTC, AT-1 bonds will still be of 100-year maturity.
- Mutual funds face challenges on their Net Asset Value(NAV) when it comes to valuing 100-year bonds, especially when it comes to extrapolating valuations on days that these securities were not traded.
- The 100-year valuation kicked in from April 1, 2023.
Note: Previously, AT-1 bonds were valued according to the call options on the papers, which were largely 5 years to 10 years.
Important Terms:
i.AT-1Bonds: These bonds are also known as perpetual debt instruments which are issued by banks to raise money and to build up their core equity capital.
- This debt instrument comes with no maturity date which means that the issuer i.e. bank does not pay the principal amount back to investors but makes periodic interest payments throughout the life of the bond.
ii.Yield-to-Call (YTC): It is the expected return that a bond holder or investor will get, if the bond is held until the call date, which will occur sometime before the bond reaches maturity.
About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
SEBI was originally established as non-statutory body in April 1988. Later, SEBI was accorded the status of statutory body through SEBI Act, 1992 on 30th January, 1992.
Chairman- Madhabi Puri Buch
Headquarter- Mumbai, Maharashtra
SBI Approved Rs 25,000 Crore Fundraising Plan via Issue of Tier-1 and Tier-2 Bonds
On 3rd August 2024, the Central Board of India’s largest Public Sector Bank (PSB), State Bank of India (SBI)- Mumbai(Maharashtra) has approved a proposal for fundraising of up to Rs 25,000 crore through the issue of Tier-1 and Tier-2 bonds in the current fiscal year 2024-25( FY25).
i.The funds will be raised in Indian Rupee (INR) or United States Dollar (USD) and the bonds will be Basel-III compliant, which is subject to approval of Government of India (GoI), wherever is required.
ii.The announcement was made by SBI along with its Q1 (April-June) results for FY25.
- SBI reported a standalone net profit of Rs 17,035 crore, up by 0.9% over Rs 16,884.29 crore reported in the Q1 (April-June) results for FY24.
J&K Bank Launched “Kisan Ka Samman” to Empower the Farmers of J&K
On 1st August 2024, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Bank launched a program titled ”Kisan Ka Samman” to empower the farmers of J&K who exhibited exceptional financial discipline and promptness in their dealings with bank. The program will run till 30th September, 2024.
- The program was launched by Baldev Prakash, Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), J&K Bank along with Sudhir Gupta, Executive Director(ED), J&K Bank and other senior officers in Srinagar, J&K.
i.The program will identify those farmers who have consistently renewed their Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) and showed financial discipline.
ii.An Identified Farmers will be honoured with a ‘Certificate of Appreciation (CoA)’ at various branches, clusters and zonal levels.
- Also, they will be offered additional loan products under the bank’s “Kisan Dost” scheme to help them to enhance their agriculture infrastructure.
iii.Under the program, awareness will be spread about Prompt Repayment Incentive (PRI) under KCC. It offers interest subvention of 3% to such eligible farmers and encourage others to avail the benefits of the scheme provided by the government.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
BHEL Receives First Ever Order of Methanol Firing Demonstration in Gas Turbine at Kayamkulam CCPP
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Power generation equipment manufacturer has received the first ever order to demonstrate methanol firing in a Gas Turbine at the 350 MegaWatt (MW) Kayamkulam Combined Cycle Power Plant (CCPP) of NTPC Limited(Formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation) in Kerala.
i.This first-of-its-kind project in India would pave the way for reviving unutilized gas turbine sets in India which are inoperative due to unavailability of natural gas and naphtha.
ii.BHEL’s Hyderabad (Telangana)-based units will provide key equipment for the project, including tanks, fire protection and detection systems, piping, and erection and commissioning, as well as technical support.
iii.BHEL set up the Kayamkulam CCPP on a turnkey basis in 1998-99, which consisted of two 115 MW gas turbines and one 120 MW steam turbine.
Demonstration Phases:
i.The demonstration is planned in two phases where in the first phase of 12 months duration, it is planned at 30-40% load of the machine. BHEL has secured the order for the first phase.
ii.Following the successful demonstration of the first phase, a demonstration at 100% load is proposed for the second phase.
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera Assumed Charge as DG of Assam Rifles
On 1st August 2024, Lieutenant (Lt.) General (Gen) Vikas Lakhera officially assumed charge as the 22nd Director General(DG) of the Assam Rifles, India’s oldest paramilitary force often known as the “Sentinels of the North-East”.
- He succeeded Lt. Gen. Pradeep Chandran Nair, Who retired from the service on 31st July 2024. He served as 21st DG of Assam Rifles since 2021.
- Prior to this appointment, Vikas Lakhera served as the Additional Director General (ADG) of Military Operations, handling information warfare.
About Lieutenant General Vikas Lakhera:
i.Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera was commissioned into the 4th Battalion of the Sikh Light Infantry (LI) of the Indian Army in 1990. He subsequently commanded the Unit in Lower Assam under the Red Horn Division.
ii.He also held various command and staff appointments, including:
- Division Officer and Training, Advising, and Counseling (TAC) at the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, Maharashtra.
- Military Advisor (MA) to the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), at Eastern Command Headquarters, Kolkata, West Bengal.
- Commanded 15 Infantry Brigade at Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan.
iii.In 2022, he took charge as Inspector General (IG) of the Assam Rifles (North) at Kohima, Nagaland, and in January 2024, he was promoted to the post of Lieutenant General.
iv.He held positions as DG of Military Operations and the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) (Army).
v.He has been awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), Sena Medal (SM), a Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Commendation Card, and 2 GOC-in-C Commendation Cards.
About the Assam Rifles:
Assam Rifles was established in 1835 as the “Cachar Levy.” It is fondly called ‘Friends of the North East People’.
Director-General (DG)– Lt Gen Vikas Lakhera
Headquarters– Shillong, Meghalaya
Former India Wicket Keeper Dinesh Karthik Appointed as SA20 League Ambassador
Krishnakumar Dinesh Karthik, an Indian commentator and former India wicket keeper has been appointed as the league ambassador of South Africa’s premier T20 cricket League (SA20 League) ahead of the 2025 edition of the tournament. He became the first Indian player to be associated with the South African tournament.
- He has signed to join Paarl Royals as an overseas player ahead of the 2025 season, becoming the first Indian player to feature in the SA20.
i.Karthik will join his former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Delhi Daredevils teammate AB de Villiers as one of the league’s ambassadors.
ii.Karthik has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in June 2024.
iii.He played for India in 26 Tests, 94 One Day International (ODI), and 60 T20Is. He was also a part of the Indian team that won the 2007 T20 World Cup South Africa.
SA20 League:
i.SA20 League, also known as Betway SA20 for sponsorship reasons, is organised by Cricket South Africa (CSA) and first contested in 2023. The 3rd season is set to be held from 9th January to 8th February 2025.
ii.The tournament features six franchises: MI Cape Town, Joburg Super Kings (JSK), Durban SuperGiants (DSG), Paarl Royals, Pretoria Capitals, and Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC). The teams are owned by owners of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises.
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
Carlyle Group Sells 12.8% Stake in PNB Housing Finance for Rs 2,578 Crore
The United States of America (USA)-based global investment firm Carlyle Group Inc. through its affiliate Quality Investment Holdings PCC, sold a 3,32,60,000 shares, amounting to 12.8% stake in the PNB Housing Finance Limited, a subsidiary of Punjab National Bank (PNB), for Rs 2,578.09 crore through open market transactions.
- The shares were disposed of in the price range of Rs 775.02-775.25 apiece.
Details of the transaction:
i.The sale was facilitated by Motilal Oswal Investment Advisors Limited and IIFL Securities Limited (formerly India Infoline Limited). They acted as the book-running brokers for the transaction.
- This stake sale would activate a 90-day lock-in period for any further share sales by Carlyle Group.
ii.Following the stake sale, Carlyle group’s stakeholding in PNB Housing Finance has declined to 19.88% from 32.68%.
Note: As of 30 June 2024, Carlyle Group via its affiliate Quality Investment Holdings PCC held a 32.68% stake in PNB Housing Finance.
Points to note:
i.The Singapore government and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) picked up stakes from PNB Housing Finance. Government of Singapore bought 61.6 lakh shares for Rs 478 crore.
ii.Aditya Birla Sun Life MF (ABSLMF), DSP Blackrock MF, HSBC MF, and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company have acquired 1.46 crore shares or 5.62% stake in PNB Housing Finance.
- The shares were bought at an average price of Rs 775 per piece, taking the combined transaction value to Rs 1,131.78 crore.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
IAF Granted Clearance to DRDO, BDL for Production of Astra Mark-1 Missiles
Indian Air Force (IAF) has granted clearance to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Hyderabad (Telangana)-based Indian Public Sector Unit (PSU) Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for the production of 200 Astra Mark–1(Mk-1) Air-to-Air Missiles(AAM).
- This production clearance was given during a visit by the IAF Deputy Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit to DRDO’s Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) in Hyderabad, Telangana.
Background:
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) under the chairmanship of Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD) had granted the approval of project worth Rs 2,900 crore in 2022-23.
- But, the production clearance for that project has been given now after the completion of all tests and developments.
About Astra Mk-1 missile:
i.Astra Mk-1 is an indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range (BVR), AAM system. It is a part of Astra program, which aims to improve the aerial combat capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces.
- It is a predecessor of Astra Mark-2 missile which has already been successfully inducted into both IAF and IN.
ii.It has strike range from 80 to 110 kilometer (km)and 20 km altitude. It has maximum speed of Mach 4.5.
iii.It was developed by the DRDO and manufactured by BDL.
- While, DRDL has been identified as nodal lab for this project.
iv.It will be integrated on Russian-origin Su-30 and indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas fighter aircraft.
v.It is designed to engage and destroy highly manoeuvring supersonic aircraft.
Note: Under the Astra programme, the DRDO and the IAF plans to test Astra Mark -2 at around 130 kilometers (kms) and also aim to test and develop Astra with a strike capability of 300 kms.
About Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL):
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD)- Commodore A Madhavrao (Retired)
Headquarter– Hyderabad, Telangana
Established- 1970
About Indian Air Force (IAF):
Chief of the Air Staff (CoAS)- Vivek Ram Chaudhari
Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi
Established- 8th October, 1932
China’s SSST Launches First 18 Satellites for its Megaconstellation from TSLC
On 5th August 2024, Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST), a Chinese state-owned enterprise, launched the first batch of 18 Satellites for the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) communications megaconstellation named “Qianfan (“Thousand Sails Constellation”), formerly known as G60 Project.
- The satellites were launched from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre (TSLC) in the Northern Province of Shanxi, China.
Key Points:
i.This launch is a part of SSST’s ‘G60 Project’ which was initiated in 2023 with the goal of deploying 1296 LEO satellites by 2030.
ii.The plan includes launching 108 satellites in 2024 and 648 satellites by the end of 2025, aiming for global network coverage by 2027.
- Additional launches in 2024 will include 5 batches of 18 satellites each.
iii.SSST secured 6.7 billion yuan (approximately USD 943 million) for this project. It partnered with the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IAMCAS) to establish Shanghai Gesi Aerospace Technology (Genesat) in 2022, responsible for building satellite manufacturing facilities.
- The first satellite for the G60 constellation was produced in December 2023 in Shanghai’s Songjiang District.
iv.It should be noted that LEO satellites, which orbit at altitudes of 300km to 2,000km, are cost-effective and offer more efficient transmission compared to higher orbit satellites.
About China:
Capital– Beijing
Currency– Chinese Yuan
President– Xi Jinping
OBITUARY
Padma Bhushan Awardee & Renowned Social Worker Shobhana Ranade Passed Away
Padma Bhushan Awardee Shobhana Sitaram Ranade, a renowned Gandhian activist and social worker passed away at the age of 99 in Pune, Maharashtra. She was born on 26th October 1924 in Pune.
- In 2011, The Government of India (GoI) honoured Shobhana with the Padma Bhushan award for her contributions in the field of social work.
About Shobhana Ranade:
i.Shobhana Ranade began her journey of service after meeting Mahatma Gandhi at the Aga Khan Palace in Pune, where she was influenced by his principles.
- She devoted her life to the service of the underprivileged, especially women and children.
ii.She also held various positions which includes the President of the All India Women’s Conference, (AIWC) New Delhi, Delhi; President of the All India Women’s Literacy Eradication Committee; Secretary of the Gandhi National Memorial Society(GNMS),Pune; President of the All India Women’s Council and Bhoodan Gram Dan Mandal (Maharashtra).
Notable works:
i.Ranade co-founded the first child welfare institutions at Maitreyi Ashram and Shishu Niketan (Assam), with the goal of fostering disadvantaged youngsters.
ii.She also started a program through the Adim Jati Seva Sangh to teach them spinning on the charkha in order to empower Naga women.
iii.She contributed to the establishment of the GNMS and a training institute at the Aga Khan Palace, Pune and also started the Balgram and Bal Sadan child welfare projects in Saswad, Pune.
iv.In 1998, the Kasturba Mahila Khadi Gramodyog Vidyalaya was founded under her leadership to provide vocational training to destitute women.
v.She was also involved in the Ganga Bachao Abhiyan (Save Ganga Movement), an initiative aimed at saving the Ganga River from pollution.
Awards:
i.Shobhana has received numerous awards for her works which includes the National Award (1983) for Child Welfare Services ; Jamnalal Bajaj Award (2011) for Development and Welfare of Women and Children.
ii.She was also honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)Ladies Organization (FLO),Pune in 2017.
IMPORTANT DAYS
Hiroshima Day 2024 – August 6
Hiroshima Day is annually observed across the globe on 6th August to commemorate the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in Japan by the United States of America in 1945.
- 6th August 2024 marks the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
Background:
i.During the World War II (WWII – 1939-1945), the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Boeing-29 (B29) Superfortress ‘Enola Gay’ dropped the first atomic bomb, nicknamed ‘Little Boy’, over the Japanese city of Hiroshima on 6th August 1945.
iii.Hiroshima’s 1st Peace Festival was held on 6 August 1947, 2 years after the bombing, and the Hiroshima Peace Festival Association organised the Peace Festival to promote lasting peace.
About Japan:
Prime Minister (PM)- Fumio Kishida
Capital– Tokyo
Currency– Japanese Yen
>> Read Full News
STATE NEWS
CJI DY Chandrachud Launched e-DHCR Portal for Reporting Judgments of Delhi High Court
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dr. Dhananjaya Yeshwant (DY) Chandrachud launched the e-DHCR portal, a new platform dedicated to reportable judgments from the Delhi High Court.
- The CJI also inaugurated the Shaurya Foundation Trust Café and Sagar Express in the High Court, managed by individuals with neurodiversity.
Objective: The portal aims to democratise access to legal knowledge by making landmark judgments and precedents available online for free to anyone.
About e-DHCR portal:
i.This portal is a new user-friendly official platform for reporting the judgments of the Delhi High Court and contains over 2,000 judgments, rendered by the Delhi High Court from 2007 to May 2024.
ii.The portal is designed as a tool for case management. It is also a powerful platform for the digital publication of judgments of public importance.
Features:
i.The portal featured an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered search algorithm for improved search accuracy and personalised recommendations.
ii.It offers multiple search options including filters, highlighting of searched words, voice search, and graphs.
iii.It also features screen readers, high-contrast options, and keyboard navigation to promote inclusivity.
iv.It will contain reported judgments of the Delhi High Court since 1968 in Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) format along with key issues and findings.
v.Translations of the judicial records are available in Hindi and English using the Supreme Court Vidhik Anuvaad Software (SUVAS).
Benefits:
i.This portal improves the efficiency and accuracy of legal information retrieval.
ii.It encourages the legal community to embrace technological advancements.
iii.It promotes accessibility and sustainability and reduces reliance on paper systems.
iv.This initiative is expected to benefit young lawyers, law students, and anyone interested in law who may not have access to expensive legal research software.
About Delhi:
Chief Minister (CM)- Arvind Kejriwal
Governor– Vinai Kumar Saxena
Wildlife Sanctuary– Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary
Zoological Park– National Zoological Park
Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren Launches ‘Upasthiti Portal’ To Ensure Healthcare Attendance
On 5th August 2024, Hemant Soren, the Chief Minister (CM) of Jharkhand, launched ‘Upasthiti (attendance) Portal’, to ensure daily attendance of doctors, para-medical staff and other employees under the health department.
- The cross-verification of biometric attendance by health department staff will be done through this portal.
About Jharkhand:
Chief Minister (CM) – Hemant Soren
Governor – Santosh Gangwar
Capital – Ranchi
Wildlife Sanctuaries – Parasnath Wildlife Sanctuary, Topchanchi Wildlife Sanctuary
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