Current Affairs

18^th July 2023

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

1) Cabinet approves changes to Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill 2023

On 12th July 2023, the union cabinet approved amendments to the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023.The amendments were made to decriminalise minor offences by amending 183 provisions in 42 Acts which administered by 19 ministers with the aim to promote ease of business and living.

·         It amends 42 laws, across multiple sectors, in agriculture, environment and media and publication.

·         This  includes the Indian Post Office Act, 1898, the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991, and the Information Technology Act, 2000.

Backdrop:
i.The Jan Vishwas Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in December 2022.It was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (Chair: Mr. P.P. Chaudhary), which submitted its report on March 17, 2023.

·         The Bill removes certain offences.  These include all offences under the Indian Post Office Act, 1898.

·         The Bill increases the fines and penalties for various offences in the specified Acts.The fines and penalties will be increased by 10% of the minimum amount every three years.

·         The Bill omits all offences under the Indian Post Office Act, 1898.

ii.The committee prepared a report after it has held detailed discussions with all the 19 ministries or departments along with the legislative department and department of legal affairs.
Acts in which amendments proposed:
i.The Acts which are being amended include The Drugs and Cosmetics Act(1940), Public Debt Act(1944), Pharmacy Act(1948), Cinematograph Act(1952), Copyright Act(1957), Patents Act(1970), Environment Protection Act(1986) and Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
ii.The other laws include Trade Marks Act(1999), Railways Act(1989), Information Technology Act(2000), Prevention of Money-laundering Act(2002), Food Safety and Standards Act(2006), Legal Metrology Act(2009),and Factoring Regulation Act, 2011.
iii.These amending 42 laws are governed by various Union ministries, including finance, food production and distribution, financial services, agriculture, commerce, environment, road transport and highways, posts, electronics and Information Technology.
Outcome of the amendment:
In addition to seeking the decriminalisation of minor offences, the bill proposes the rationalisation of monetary penalties based on the extent of the offence, thus consolidating trust-based government.

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2) SCES Replaced by SCoS to Review Surveys for NSO

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s (MoSPI) Standing Committee on Economic Statistics (SCES), tasked with examining economic indicators, will be replaced by a Standing Committee on Statistics(SCoS), to review the framework and results of surveys conducted for the National Statistical Office(NSO).
New Standing Committee on Statistics(SCoS):
 The new Standing Committee on Statistics (SCoS) will have a more extensive mandate. Unlike the SCES, the SCoS will not only focus on economic indicators but will also review the framework and outcomes of all surveys conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO).
i.Pronab Sen, India’s first chief statistician and the former chairman of the National Statistical Commission (NSC), has been named the chairman of the SCoS.
ii.SCoS has 10 official members, and four non-official members who are eminent academics.
iii.The panel can have up to 16 members, as per the order issued by MoSPI.
Key points:
i.The SCoS identifies data gaps that need to be filled by official statistics with an appropriate strategy to plug those gaps.
ii.It has also been mandated to use administrative statistics to improve data outcomes and the NSC will authorize the approval of publication of the results.
Note: The SCoS has been set up due to data quality issues on household surveys on consumption expenditure and employment conducted by SCES were junked.
Standing Committee on Economic Statistics (SCES)
The SCES was set up in 2019 and primarily concerned with examining economic data related to specific sectors and surveys.

·         This was limited to datasets like the Periodic Labour Force Survey, the Annual Survey of Industries, the Index of Industrial Production and the Economic Census.

·         The SCES was also chaired by Pronab Sen. It had 28 members, including 10 non-official members.

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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

3) Overview of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2-day visit to France; Horizon 2047 Adopted

i.Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a 2-day official visit to France from 13th to 14th July 2023 at the invitation of H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Macron, President of France. Notably, the year 2023 marks the 25th anniversary of the India – France Strategic Partnership.
ii.This visit was an opportunity to chart the course of the partnership for the future across diverse sectors such as strategic, cultural, scientific, academic and economic cooperation.
iii.The diplomatic relations between the two countries was established in 1947, and the upgrading of the partnership to the strategic level was made in 1998, by India’s PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and France’s President Jacques Chirac which was one of the first for India with any country.
iv.To mark the 25th anniversary of the Indo-French partnership, both countries agree to adopt a roadmap to set the course for the bilateral relationship up to 2047, which will celebrate the centenary of India’s independence, the centenary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries and 50 years of the strategic partnership.
v.PM Narendra Modi gifted a ‘sandalwood sitar’ to French President Emmanuel Macron. This unique replica of a musical instrument is an art of sandalwood carving that has been practised in Southern India for centuries.
About France:
President– Emmanuel Macron
Prime Minister– Élisabeth Borne
Capital– Paris
Currency– Euro

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4) Adani Group Commissioned India’s First Transnational Power Project to Bangladesh

On 15th July 2023, Adani Group commenced the full load power supply to Bangladesh from the Adani group’s Ultra Super-Critical Thermal Power Plant (USCTPP) in Godda, Jharkhand. This is India’s first commissioned transnational power project where 100% of the generated power is supplied to another nation.

·         Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani called on Bangladesh Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, Bangladesh on full load commencement and handover of the 1600 MW USCTPP.

·         The Godda USCTPP, marks the entry of Adani Group’s into transnational power projects. Adani Power Jharkhand Ltd. (APJL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Power Ltd, will supply 100% of the generated electricity from the plant to another nation.

Background:
i. On 6 April 2023, the first unit of 800 MW capacity of the Godda plant began commercial operations. The second unit, also of 800 MW capacity followed on June 26 2023.
ii. On July 12, 2023, APJL had successfully completed the dependable capacity test for the Godda plant, a mandatory requirement under the power purchase agreement (PPA) signed with the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).
iii. Under PPA with BPDB, executed in November 2017 for a period of 25 years, APJL will supply 1,496 MW from the Godda USCTPP via a 400 kilovolt (kV) dedicated transmission system connected to the Bangladesh grid.
Key Features:
i. The USCTPP’s commissioned in a record time of 42 months, including the establishment of a 105 kilometre (Km)-long 400 kV Double Circuit Transmission Line, the construction of a private railway line, and the implementation of an extensive water pipeline from the Ganges.
ii. With USCTPP, the electricity supplied from Godda will replace costly power generated in Bangladesh using liquid fuel.
iii. In addition, the Godda plant will supply uninterrupted and reliable electricity at a competitive tariff.
iv. The plant is expected to generate 7,200 million units of electricity per year, which will help to meet Bangladesh’s growing demand for electricity.
v. In India, the Godda power plant is the to have started operations with 100%flue gas desulphurization (FGD), selective catalytic re-converter (SCR) and zero water discharge for minimizing emissions, aligning with the norms set by the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) of the Government of India (GOI).
About Adani Group:
Established in- 1988
Chairman – Gautam Adani
MD- Rajesh Adani
Headquarters- Ahmedabad, Gujarat

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BANKING & FINANCE

5) EIB commits € 1 billion loan to support India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission 

European Investment Bank(EIB) is set to support India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission with a substantial loan of up to EURO 1 billion to boost green hydrogen and renewable energy projects in India.

·         The EIB aims to boost India’s renewable energy ambitions by supporting renewable energy generation, energy storage technologies, power transmission and distribution infrastructure.

·         EIB Vice-President Kris Peeters is set to confirm EIB’s interest to support NGHM during his visit to India to attend G20(Group of Twenty) Infrastructure Investors Dialogue (IID), which takes place during the 3rd meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.

Key Highlights: 
i.The investments align with the European Green Deal, the EU Global Gateway strategy, and India’s own agenda on climate change, renewable energy, connectivity, and sustainable finance.
ii.The EIB’s support to this mission demonstrates its commitment to facilitating private and public investment in India, improving access to finance for entrepreneurs, and addressing the challenges posed by climate change.
India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission:
i.It aims to boost green hydrogen production and ecosystem.
ii.The government has set a target to build capabilities for producing at least 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen per annum by 2030.
About European Investment Bank(EIB):
The EIB is the lending institution of the European Union(EU).
EIB is one of the biggest multilateral financial institution in the world and one of the largest providers of climate finance.
President- Werner Hoyer
Headquarters– Luxembourg city, Luxembourg
Established- 1958

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6) PNB Partners with Amul to Support Finance Dealership Network

On 1st July 2023, Punjab National Bank (PNB) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMFL), known as  “AMUL” to offer financial services to Federation’s supply network pan India under the Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency Ltd (MUDRA) scheme.
The MoU was signed at PNB’s corporate office Dwarka, New Delhi, Delhi in the presence of Jayen Mehta, Managing Director(MD), GCMMFL, M. Paramasivam, Executive Director, PNB and other senior officials of PNB and Amul.

·         Under this MoU, PNB will finance Amul’s retailers, wholesale dealers/area milk distributors and exclusive Amul preferred outlets-milk parlours through small ticket financing under MUDRA.

·         PNB will integrate with various digital channels like QR codes, POS (point of sale), UPI (Unified Payment Interface), etc., supply chain finance and EMI (Equated Monthly Instalment) collection digitally, and providing working capital limits.

·         This partnership aims to support 11 lakh retailers, wholesale dealers and others.

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SPORTS

7) Tennis – Overview of 136th Edition of “The Wimbledon Championships 2023 

The 136th edition of The Wimbledon Championships (Wimbledon) 2023 took place from 26th June to 16th July 2023, the  Gentlemen’s Singles was won by Carlos Alcaraz of Spain defeating Novak Djokovic of Serbia at the centre court, All England lawn tennis and croquet club, Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom.
About Wimbledon:

·         Wimbledon was established in 1877 and organised by the All England Lawn Tennis and Crouquet Club (AELTC)& International Tennis Federation.

·         The 2023 Championships is the 129th staging of the Ladies’ Singles Championship event, the 55th in the Open Era and the 3rd Grand Slam tournament of the year.

·         It is one of the 4 Grand Slam tennis tournaments (others being Australian Open, French Open and the United States(US) open)that takes place in Grass Outdoor Courts and every player must follow the dress-code of whites.

About Wimbledon:
Chairman- Debbie Jevans
Founded- 1877
Court- Grass Outdoor

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8) Asian Athletics Championships, Bangkok, Thailand: India finish 3rd with 27 medals

The 25th edition of the Asian Athletics Championships held in  Supachalasai National Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand from July 12th to July 16th 2023, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Asian Athletics Association.

·         Following the cancellation of the 2021 edition in Hangzhou, China due to COVID-19, the Asian Athletics Championships returned after a four-year hiatus.

45 events were scheduled. 2019 marked the last occurrence of the event which was held in Doha, Qatar.
About 25th Asian Athletic Championship:
2023 Mascot:
Thailand has chosen Hindu god “Hanuman” as the official mascot of 25th Asian Athletics Championships Hanuman is one of the key characters of the Indian epic “Ramayana”.
Logo:
The logo of 25th Asian Athletics Championship symbolizes the participation of athletes, their skills, teamwork, display of athleticism, dedication, and sportsmanship.
President – Dahlan Al-Hamad
Headquarters – Bangkok, Thailand
Established in – 1973

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9) 64th IMO at Chiba Japan: India Finished 9th with 2 Gold, 2 Silver & 2 Bronze

India finished at the 9th position securing two gold, silver and bronze medals in the competition out of 112 countries at the 64th International Math Olympiad (IMO) 2023 held at Chiba, Japan from July 2-13, 2023. China is ranked 1st followed by the United States of America (USA) at 2nd and South Korea at 3rd.

·         This is the fourth time India secured a position in the top 10 (India finished 7th in 1998 and in 2001, and 9th in 2002).

Winners:

·         Gold medalists: Atul Shatavart Nadig(Bengaluru,Karnataka) and Arjun Gupta(New Delhi, Delhi)

·         Silver medalists: Ananda Bhaduri(Guwahati, Assam) and Siddharth Choppara(Pune, Maharastra)

·         Bronze medalists: Adhitya Mangudy Venkata Ganesh(Pune, Maharastra) and Archit Manas(Hyderabad).

Note: Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education(HBCSE) – Tata Institute of Fundamental Research(TIFR) is the nodal Centre for training and selecting the students for the International Olympiads (in physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy and mathematical).

·         The final team is selected through various stages of the National Olympiad Examination conducted by Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education(HBCSE)

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10) Football: England won the Men’s 2023 UEFA European U21 Championship title defeating Spain

England Football team won the Men’s 2023 UEFA(Union of European Football Associations) European Under 21 (U21) Championship title(1-0) defeating Spain in the finals held at Batumi Arena, Georgia. This mark’s England’s 3rd UEFA European U21 Championship title after 1982 and 1984.

·         This also marks the 9th finals of Spain, more than any other country. Italy stands 2nd with 7.

UEFA’s Technical Observer panel has named England forward Anthony Gordon as the Player of the Tournament.

·         Curtis Jones, the goal scorer of the finals was named official Under-21 EURO final Player of the Match.

·         2023 UEFA European U21 Championship, the 24th edition of the UEFA European U21 Championship.

·         The tournament was co-hosted by Romania and Georgia from 21st June to 8th July 2023. Romania hosted the opening match, while Georgia hosted the final.

This is a biennial international youth football championship organised by UEFA for the men’s U21 national teams of Europe. Slovakia has been selected as host nation of the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

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OBITUARY

11) Eminent Mathematician Mangala Narlikar Passed Away

On 17th July 2023, renowned Indian mathematician and educationalist Mangala Narlikar, passed away at the age of 80 in Pune, Maharashtra. She was born on 17th May 1943 in Bombay Province, British India (now in Pune, Maharashtra).

·         She is the spouse of  Prof Jayant V. Narlikar, Indian cosmologist & astrophysicist, the founder director of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune(Maharashtra).

i. In 1980, she obtained her PhD in Analytic Number Theory from Mumbai University (MU)
ii. Dr Mangala Narlikar carried out research in pure mathematics and her core fields of interest were real and complex analysis, analytic geometry, number theory, algebra and topology.
iii. She also worked for Balbharti, the Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production & Curriculum Research Centre(MSBTPCRC), a government organization responsible for developing and publishing textbooks for schools in Maharashtra. Later in 2013 she was made ‘Chairman’ of Balbharti.
iv. Initially, she has worked at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai(Maharashtra) and later joined as a lecturer at Bombay University and Pune universities.
Books Written:
Mangala Narlikar has written several books for school students on mathematics in English, Hindi and Marathi in simple terms. Some of them are

1.      “Dosti Ganitashi!” is a book written in Marathi.

2.      “A Cosmic Adventure” is a Marathi book co-authored by Jayant Narlikar.

3.      “Fun and Fundamentals of Mathematics” is an English book co-authored by Jayant Narlikar.

4.      “Ganit Gappa (Part 1 & 2)” is a Marathi book  written by the author.

5.      “Pahilele Desh Bhetleli Manas” is a Marathi book  by the author.

6.      “Nabhat Hasare Tare” is a Marathi book co-authored by Ajeet Kembhavi and Jayant Narlikar.

Additional Info:
Jayant Narlikar (spouse of Mangala Narlikar) along with Sir Fred Hoyle developed the conformal gravity theory, called ‘Hoyle–Narlikar’.

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BOOKS & AUTHORS

12) Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav Released MSSRF’s Pictorial Book on Mangrove

On 14th July 2023, Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, released the pictorial book titled ‘Biodiversity and Importance of Mangrove Ecosystem’ authored by scientists from the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), in Chennai, Tamil Nadu(TN).

·         It provides a comprehensive overview of the mangrove ecosystem in India and is available in English, Tamil and Telugu.

·         It contains simple descriptions to explain mangrove species across India, medicinal uses of mangroves and several wildlife creatures that thrive in the ecosystem.

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IMPORTANT DAYS

13) Day of International Criminal Justice 2023 – July 17

Day of International Criminal Justice is annually observed across the globe by International Criminal Court (ICC) on 17th July to commemorate the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute(1998), the founding treaty of the ICC.

·         The day also recognise the efforts taken by the organisations working towards bringing justice to international criminal acts like crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes and crimes of aggression.

·         The observance is also known as World Day for International Justice or International Justice Day.

17th July 2023 marked the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statue that founded the ICC.
Background:
i. On 17th July 1998, the treaty of the Rome Statute of the ICC was signed and adopted by 120 nations.
ii. The Rome statue laid the foundation for the establishment of the ICC on 1st July 2002 (the date the Court became operational).
iii. The date of 17 July was adopted as the Day of International Criminal Justice by the Assembly of the States Parties during the Review Conference of the Rome Statute held in Kampala (Uganda) in June 2010.
iv. The first-ever Day of International Criminal Justice was observed on 17th July 2011.
About International Criminal Court (ICC):
President– Piotr Hofmański
Headquarters– The Hague, the Netherlands

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STATE NEWS

14) Former J&K Chief Secretary B R Sharma appointed as State Election Commissioner of J&K

On 14th July 2023, Retired IAS officer and former Chief Secretary of J&K Braj Raj Sharma(B R Sharma) was appointed as the State Election Commissioner (SEC) of J&K with effect from the date he assumes charge till he attains the age of 65. B R Sharma succeeds K K Sharma whose tenure as SEC of J&K completed on 1st February 2023.
Note: The appointment was made by Lieutenant Governor  Manoj Sinha in exercise of the powers conferred by proviso to sub-section (3) of section 36 of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989.

·         BR Sharma, a 1984-batch IAS officer of the Jammu and Kashmir cadre, served as the CS of J&K from 2015 to 2017.

·         He has also served as the Chairman of  Staff Selection Commission(SSC) from 2019 to 2020. He has also served as the Chief of J&K Public Service Commission (PSC) from 2020 to 2022.

·         He has also served as Secretary, Department of Border Management, Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) and other significant roles.

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