DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: Aug. 1, 2023

India to host 5th World Coffee Summit in Bengaluru for the first time

Tags: Summits

India is all set to host the 5th World Coffee Conference (WCC) for the first time from 25-28 September 2023 in Bengaluru, Karnataka. During the event, tennis player Rohan Bopanna will serve as the brand ambassador.

An Overview of the News

• The theme of the World Coffee Summit 2023 is "Sustainability through circular economy and regenerative agriculture".

• The conference will bring together growers, farmers, roasters, exporters, policy makers and researchers from over 80 countries to discuss important topics related to the global coffee sector.

About International Coffee Organization (ICO)

• The International Coffee Organization (ICO), established in 1963 under the auspices of the United Nations following the ratification of the first International Coffee Agreement in 1962, is the organising body behind the World Coffee Conference.

• ICO is headquartered in the UK, and currently has 75 member countries and top-level experts working towards building a circular coffee economy, promoting regenerative agriculture, promoting sustainability through consumption and increasing access to finance. work in

• The World Coffee Conference is a high-level event held every four to five years, previously held in the United Kingdom (2001), Brazil (2005), Guatemala (2010) and Ethiopia (2016).

• Its main goal is to facilitate discussion on important issues affecting the global coffee industry.

PM Modi launches 'Urea Gold', a sulphur-coated fertiliser for advanced farming

Tags: Environment place in news

Prime Minister Modi launched a new type of urea called "Urea Gold" during his visit to Rajasthan.

An Overview of the News

• Urea Gold is coated with sulphur, which can enhance soil quality and reduce farmers' expenditure.

• Urea Gold, also known as Sulphur Coated Urea (SCU), is a new variety of urea that requires less field application and improves crop quality.

• The launch aims to address soil fertility issues and lower input costs for farmers, making Urea Gold a more economic and qualitatively better option than the existing neem-coated urea.

• Sulphur coated urea releases nitrogen slowly, and adding humic acid extends its shelf life as a fertiliser.

• According to a report, using 15 kg of Urea Gold provides benefits equivalent to 20 kg of conventional urea, making it a more efficient and cost-effective option for farmers.

Union Minister launches Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Industry Alliance in Chennai

Tags: Summits

Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav launched the Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Industry Coalition (RECEIC) during the 4th G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) and Environment and Climate Ministers' Meeting in Chennai.

An Overview of the News

• The official launch included the signing of the Basic Charter and the unveiling of the alliance's logo.

• The minister acknowledged the commitment of the 39 founding members of RECEIC to join this alliance.

• The alliance, envisioned by India's G20 Presidency, is envisaged to be industry-driven and self-reliant even beyond India's G20 Presidency.

• RECEIC's mission is to foster company-to-company collaboration and build advanced capabilities across diverse sectors and value chains, and to bring together the global experiences of alliance members to enhance resource efficiency and accelerate the circular economy transition.

• RECEIC is structured around three guiding pillars: partnerships for impact, technology collaboration and finance for scale.

• The Alliance aims to contribute to progress on key global goals and priorities set by the G20 and other international fora.

• RECEIC will act as a comprehensive platform that will enable industries to address information gaps and coordination challenges among G20 members.

• The objective of the meeting was to formulate an action plan and direct collaborative efforts towards developing effective strategies and initiatives for a sustainable future and combating climate change.

Parliament passed the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023

Tags: Latest Popular

The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was recently passed by the Parliament after approval from the Lok Sabha. It is a historic moment as the Cinematograph Act is being amended after a gap of 40 years, with the last significant changes being made in 1984.

An Overview of the News

• The primary objective of the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill is to combat film piracy in a big way, as it is causing an estimated loss of Rs 20,000 crore to the film industry.

• The government wants to protect and promote the growth of the film industry, in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who sees India as a global content hub.

Measures to Curb Piracy

• The bill introduces strict penalties for piracy-related offences to deter unauthorized recording, exhibition, and transmission of films, including online piracy.

• Offenders will face a minimum imprisonment of 3 months and a fine of Rs. 3 lakhs, with the possibility of extended imprisonment up to 3 years and a fine of up to 5% of the audited gross production cost.

Empowerment of Film Industry

• The bill eliminates the need to renew a film's licence every 10 years, making the licence valid for a lifetime.

• This move streamlines the licensing process and reduces bureaucratic hurdles for filmmakers.

Improved Film Certification Process

• Age-Based Certification: The bill introduces age-based categories for film certification, dividing the existing UA category into three age groups: seven years (UA 7+), thirteen years (UA 13+), and sixteen years (UA 16+).

• These age markers are meant for parental guidance to help determine suitable content for children.

Alignment with Supreme Court Judgements

• The bill aligns the law with relevant Supreme Court judgments and other legislations, providing a consistent legal framework for the film industry.

Perpetual Validity of Certificates

• Certificates issued by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) will now be valid perpetually, removing the previous 10-year restriction.

TV Broadcast and Recertification

• Only films under the Unrestricted Public Exhibition category can be shown on television.

• Films intended for television broadcast will require recertification of edited versions.

Muslim Women's Rights Day - 1 August

Tags: Important Days

Muslim Women's Rights Day is observed annually on 1 August to mark the second anniversary of the enactment of the law against triple talaq.

An Overview of the News

• A law against triple talaq was introduced by the central government of India on August 1, 2019, making the practice a criminal offence.

• The legislation is a part of the Protection of Rights on Marriage Act 2019, which outlaws instant triple talaq and protects the marriage rights of Muslim women.

• By celebrating Muslim Women's Rights Day, the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs highlights the importance of protecting the rights of Muslim women and promotes awareness about the impact of the law.

History of Muslim Women's Rights Day

• The Supreme Court in August 2017 declared the practice of triple talaq, a form of divorce based on the husband saying talaq three times in succession, as 'unconstitutional'.

• In response to the Supreme Court ruling and the triple talaq cases in India, the government introduced the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill in Parliament in December 2017.

• The bill was initially passed by the Lok Sabha, but faced opposition in the Rajya Sabha, due to which it stalled.

• The bill was reintroduced and successfully passed by both the Houses of Parliament in July 2019.

• The bill got assent from President Ram Nath Kovind and officially became a law.

• The law outlaws instant triple talaq, punishes three years' imprisonment for violations, and imposes a fine on the violator.

• Muslim Women's Rights Day is observed on 1 August to mark the passage of the Triple Talaq Bill in Parliament on 1 August 2019.

• The cases of 'Shah Bano Begum and others v. Mohd. Ahmed Khan' and 'Shayra Bano v. Union of India and others' laid the foundation for this move.

• Shayra Banu in her writ petition sought the Supreme Court to declare the practices of Talaq-e-bidat, polygamy and nikah-halala as unconstitutional.

G20 Empower Summit begins in Gandhinagar

Tags: Summits

On 1 August, the G20 Empower Summit under India's G20 Presidency began in Gandhinagar.

An Overview of the News

• Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani will inaugurate the summit.

• The theme of the two-day conference is "Women-led development: ensuring sustainable, inclusive and equitable global economic growth".

• In the inaugural session, Smriti Irani will launch the G20 Empower Digital Inclusion platform, which aims to bridge the gender digital divide by providing digital skills and knowledge to women.

• Several other key outcomes under the G20 Empower agenda will also be unveiled, including the adoption of the Best Practices Playbook and the G20 Empower Communicate.

• The summit will host various sessions, each focusing on different aspects of women empowerment.

• It will see the participation of a large number of delegates including global experts, policy makers and stakeholders from G20 countries, invited countries and international organisations.

• The G20 Alliance for the Empowerment and Advancement of Women's Economic Progress is a private sector-led initiative under the Sherpa Track of the G20.

About the G20

• It is an international forum of the world's leading economies established in 1999.

• Its primary objective is to promote international financial stability and sustainable economic growth.

• The G20 serves as a forum to discuss and coordinate policies related to a wide range of economic and financial issues such as trade, investment, employment, energy and climate change.

World Breastfeeding Week 2023: Advocating for maternity rights and breastfeeding at the workplace!

Tags: Important Days

World Breastfeeding Week is observed annually from 1st August to 7th August to promote regular breastfeeding for infants, as it plays an important role in their healthy development.

An Overview of the News

• Breast milk is considered the best food for newborns because of its many benefits, including the presence of antibodies that help protect babies from various common childhood diseases.

• Despite its importance, current data from the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that less than half of infants under 6 months of age are exclusively breastfed.

• The WBW campaign is strongly supported by WHO, UNICEF, the Ministry of Health and civil society partners, which aims to improve child health and survival through breastfeeding.

• In 2018, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution endorsing World Breastfeeding Week as an important health promotion strategy, recognizing its importance in maternal and child health.

Theme of World Breastfeeding Week 2023:

• The theme for this year's World Breastfeeding Week is "Let's make breastfeeding and work, work!" The focus is on advocating for essential maternity rights that support breastfeeding, including a minimum of 18 weeks of maternity leave, ideally extended over 6 months, and workplace accommodations to facilitate breastfeeding beyond this period.

History of World Breastfeeding Week

• It was established in 1992 under the initiative of the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA).

• This annual week-long event is held in honour of the 1990 Innocence Proclamation.

• The Innocenti Declaration resulted from a policymakers' meeting on the topic "Breastfeeding in the 1990s: A Global Initiative".

• The meeting was co-sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (AID) and the Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA).

• The event took place from 30 July to 1 August 1990 at the Spedale degli Innocenti in Florence, Italy.

• The primary objective of World Breastfeeding Week is to raise awareness of the importance of breastfeeding for the health and well-being of babies and mothers around the world.

Indian women's hockey team won the Torneo del Centenario 2023 title

Tags: Sports News

The Indian women's hockey team emerged victorious by defeating hosts Spain 3-0 in the Torneo del Centenario 2023 tournament at Terrassa, Barcelona on 30 July.

An Overview of the News

• Vandana Katariya (22'), Monika (48'), and Udita (58') were the scorers as India remained unbeaten in the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation International Tournament 2023.

• The tournament started with a 1–1 draw against England followed by a 2–2 stalemate against Spain.

• A hat-trick from A Lalremsiami saw India top the standings with a 3-0 win over England.

• India secured the top spot with eight points from four matches, while both Spain and England finished with four points each.

• The Indian women's hockey team will compete in the Asian Games 2023 to be held in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China from 23 September to 8 October.

About Spain

• It is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Europe and consists of 17 autonomous regions, each with its own geography and culture.

• The capital of Spain is Madrid, home to the Royal Palace and the Prado Museum.

• Segovia, a city in Spain, has a mediaeval palace called the Alcázar and an intact Roman aqueduct.

• Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia in Spain, is known for its modernist landmarks designed by Antoni Gaudí. The Sagrada Familia Church is one of the most famous examples.

• Prime Minister - Pedro Sánchez

• King - Felipe VI of Spain