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By admin: Feb. 4, 2023

Collegium System: Supreme Court

Tags: National National News

5 New Judges to be appointed Soon in the Supreme Court according to the Government of India. 

An overview of the news

• The Supreme Court collegium led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on December 13, 2022 recommended the names of five judges for appointment as apex court judges and three for elevation as Chief Justices (CJ) of High Courts (HC).

• The five judges recommended to the government for appointment as Supreme Court judges are Rajasthan High Court Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal; Patna High Court Chief Justice Sanjay Karol; Manipur High Court Chief Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar; Patna High Court judge Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah; and Allahabad High Court judge Justice Manoj Misra.

• Once the five take oath as judges of the Supreme Court, its working strength will go up to 32.

• The sanctioned strength of the top court is 34, including the Chief Justice of India. Its present working strength is 27.

 Collegium System in India

• The collegium system in India refers to the process of appointment and transfer of judges in the higher judiciary, which includes the Supreme Court and the High Courts.

• Under this system, a collegium of the Chief Justice of India and four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court recommend appointments and transfers to the President of India, who has the power to make the appointments.

• The system was established by a 1993 judgement of the Supreme Court and has been the subject of controversy and criticism.

• Some have criticized it for lack of transparency and accountability, while others have defended it as necessary to ensure the independence of the judiciary.

National Judicial Appointments Commission

• The National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) was a proposed body in India that was intended to replace the existing collegium system for the appointment and transfer of judges to the higher judiciary.

• The NJAC Act was passed by the Indian Parliament in 2014, but it was later struck down by the Supreme Court of India in 2015 on the grounds that it violated the basic structure of the Indian Constitution.

• The court held that the NJAC Act sought to undermine the independence of the judiciary and the basic feature of separation of powers between the executive and the judiciary.

• As a result, the collegium system was restored and continues to be used for the appointment of judges to the higher judiciary in India.

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur Launches Khelo India Winter Games Mascot, Theme Song

Tags: Sports Sports News

In Jammu and Kashmir, the Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur along with the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha on 4 February launched the Mascot, Theme Song and Jersey for the 3rd edition of Khelo India Winter Games at Raj Bhawan, Jammu. 

An overview of the news

• The Khelo India Winter Games is a part of the Khelo India campaign, a vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to encourage youth towards sports and make India an emerging soft sports power on the global stage.

• The third edition of Khelo India Winter Games is scheduled to be held from February 10 to 14 and is supported by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

• It is being organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council as well as the Winter Games Association of Jammu and Kashmir.

• About one thousand 500 athletes from all over the country will participate in these games.

• Snowshoe race, ice skating, ice hockey, skiing, Nordic ski, snowboarding, ski mountaineering and ice stock are the main attractions during the 5-day mega event.

• There will be nine sporting events in the Winter Games.

• The first edition of the Khelo India Winter Games took place in 2020 and hosts Jammu and Kashmir have topped both the editions of the Games so far.

PM Modi emerges as world’s most popular leader, with approval rating of 78%

Tags: Reports International News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been rated as the world's most popular leader with an approval rating of 78 per cent, according to a survey by US-based consulting firm 'Morning Consult'.

An overview of the news

• According to the rating, PM Modi's rating is ahead of other leaders including US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

• The poll surveyed 22 global leaders for the ratings.

• Of the 22 leaders surveyed by the research firm, Prime Minister Narendra Modi topped with 78 per cent.

• Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is in second place with a 68 percent approval rating, and Swiss President Alain Berset is third with a 62 percent approval rating.

• US President Joe Biden and Canada's Justin Trudeau received an approval rating of 40 percent and ranked seventh and ninth, respectively.

• UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ranked 13th on the list with a 30 percent approval rating.

• PM Modi's approval rating had reached an all-time high of 84 percent on May 2, 2020.

Morning Consult

• US based Morning Consult's "Global Leader Approval" survey is based on data collected from January 26-31 this year.

• Surveys are weighted in each country by age, gender, region, and in some countries by official government sources and education.

The first meeting of the G-20 Energy Transition Working Group under the chairmanship of India will be held in Bengaluru from 5 to 7 February. An overview of the news Representatives of G-20 countries and guest countries will be part of the working gr

Tags: Summits National News

The first meeting of the G-20 Energy Transition Working Group under the chairmanship of India will be held in Bengaluru from 5 to 7 February.

An overview of the news

• Representatives of G-20 countries and guest countries will be part of the working group.

• In addition, representatives of major international organizations such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the United National Development Program, the International Energy Agency, the Clean Energy Ministerial, and the International Solar Alliance will participate in the meeting.

• The delegates will visit the Infosys Green Building Campus in Bengaluru and the Mega Solar Park in Pavagada as evidence of efforts to mitigate climate change.

Topics of discussion

• Technology gaps in energy transition, 

• Low-cost financing for energy transition, 

• Energy security and diversified supply chain, 

• Industrial carbon transition 

• Fuel for the future 

• A roadmap for doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency by 2030, 

• An action plan for enhancing and promoting bio-energy cooperation,  

• Recommendations on global best practices for supporting affordable, and inclusive energy transitions

Planned Energy Transition Ministerial Meeting (ETMM)

• To set the agenda and identify action areas, the ETWG will hold three working group meetings in Gandhinagar (April), Mumbai (May), and Goa (July).

Government approves conversion of Rs 16,133 crore interest dues of Vodafone Idea into equity

Tags: Economy/Finance National News

The government has approved the conversion of debt-ridden Vodafone Idea's interest dues of over Rs 16,133 crore into equity.

An overview of the news

• The government said Aditya Birla Group, one of the promoters, has committed to bring in additional funds.

• With this conversion, the government is expected to become the largest shareholder in the loss-making telecom company with 33.14 per cent stake.

• Vodafone Idea will issue equity shares at a face value of Rs 10 each to the government.

• This relief for the company comes as part of the reform package announced by the government in September 2021.

Merger of Vodafone and Idea

• Kumar Mangalam Birla's telecom company Idea Cellular agreed to merge with Vodafone in March 2017.

• According to the latest data published by telecom regulator TRAI, the company has 243 million mobile subscribers, with a market share of 21.33 per cent.

• It is the only telecom operator that is yet to place purchase orders for equipment for 5G services and is struggling to clear dues to its vendors.

Largest mobile subscriber companies in India

• Reliance Jio is a leading wireless telecom company with more than 411 million customers across India.

• Bharti Airtel (21.5 crore), Vodafone Idea (12.2 crore) are in second and third place respectively.

Vodafone Idea 

• It is a joint venture of Vodafone (United Kingdom) and Aditya Birla Group.

• It has the third largest mobile telecommunication network in India. 

• Headquarters: Gandhinagar, Gujarat 

• Corporate Headquarters: Mumbai 

• Chairman: Ravinder Takkar

• Chief Executive Officer: Akshay Moondra  

PM Modi to launch key green energy initiatives at India Energy Week

Tags: Environment National News

Key energy initiatives will be unveiled by PM Modi during India Energy Week which will be held in Bengaluru from February 6 to 8.

An overview of the news

• It will witness the participation of over 600 exhibitors from across the globe, over 34 ministers and several CEOs from top energy companies.

• He will dedicate the HAL helicopter factory at Tumakuru to the nation and also lay the foundation stone for various development initiatives.

• China, America, Russia, Brazil and many other countries will participate in this important event.

• This is the first time that India is hosting such an event with a record number of CEOs from top energy companies.

• According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), India will account for 25 percent of global energy demand by 2040.

Blending of ethanol in fuel

• An important initiative to be launched during the India Energy Week will be to increase blending of ethanol in the fuel.

• PM Modi is expected to launch the E20 initiative at the upcoming event.

• Under the E20 programme, India aims to increase the percentage of blending of ethanol in fuel to 20 per cent by 2025, as against the earlier target of 2030.

• In the initial phase, the program will cover 13 states and 100 petrol pumps.

• India has saved Rs 40 lakh crore on fuel by blending 10% ethanol and farmers have got economic benefits for producing ethanol.

• This initiative has environmental and economic benefits.

• Ethanol blending will play an important role in reducing fuel imports and help the country move towards clean energy.

India Energy Week 2023

• It is expected to feature more than 30 energy Ministers, 50 CEOs and 10000+ delegates. 

• This will provide a unique opportunity to showcase India as an engine of global economic growth and a driver of global consumption.

• It will provide an unprecedented opportunity for regional, international leaders and CEOs to come together for strategic policy making and technical knowledge sharing.

• During the 19 strategic conference sessions, a wide spectrum of issues covering the entire energy sector will be discussed.

• It covers themes such as Energy Security, pathways for decarbonization, Resilient Energy Supply Chains, Emerging Fuels such as Biofuel and Hydrogen, Investments in Upstream and Midstream Sector etc.

Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya chairs CEO Conclave at PLASTINDIA 2023

Tags: National Summits

Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya chaired the CEO Conclave at PlastIndia 2023 in New Delhi.

An overview of the news

• The conference was attended by more than 90 CEOs from the plastics industry both from India and abroad.

• Exhibitors from more than 45 countries of the world as well as more than 2,00,000 trade visitors from around the world participated in it.

• This conclave is a step where all the stakeholders are encouraged to understand the nature of India and invest in India's growth story.

• The conclave will create opportunities to showcase India's capabilities and help facilitate the growth of the Indian plastics industry.

About PLASTINDIA 2023

• It refers to a series of exhibitions under the PlastIndia Foundation, the 11th International Plastics Exhibition and Conclave being organized from February 1 to 5, 2023 at ITPO Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

• The exhibition will provide employment generation opportunities, facilitate the growth of the Indian plastics industry and make India a hub for sourcing plastics for global needs.

• It will promote India as a global source of processed plastics, raw materials, machinery and products for use in all aspects of human existence.

LG Manoj Sinha inaugurates SARAS Aajeevika Mela 2023 in Jammu

Tags: Festivals State News

Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on 4 February inaugurated the SARAS Aajeevika Mela 2023 at Aquaplex Crown at Bagh-e-Bahu, Jammu. 

An overview of the news

• Women self-help groups from around 25 states and union territories across the country are participating in the fair.

• The 11-day fair is the first of its kind in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

• This mega event will provide a platform to rural SHG women to sell and promote their self-made products and build marketing tie-ups with various sales platforms.

• 75 stalls and 10 food courts have been set up at the exhibition venue to display crafts, handicrafts, handlooms and delicacies.

• Self Help Groups will display handicrafts, handlooms and natural food items from different rural areas across the country.

• It is a national level fair which showcases unique and famous indigenous products from different states and union territories.

SARAS Aajeevika Mela

• It is an initiative of the Deen Dayal Dayal Upadhyaya Yojana of the Union Ministry of Rural Development.

• It aims to provide an opportunity to rural women self-help groups to showcase their skills, sell products and make direct contact with bulk buyers.

• This fair serves as an integrated approach for women empowerment. This has been linked with the Atmanirbhar Bharat approach.