DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: March 6, 2023

Lokayukta given free hand in corruption case against BJP MLA's son

Tags: State News

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the government has given a free hand to the Lokayukta to deal with the corruption case against Prashant Madal, son of Channagiri BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa, and the law will take its own course.

An overview of the news

• The Lokayukta has seized over Rs 8 crore in cash from the residence and office of Channagiri BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa.

• Virupakshappa also served as the chairman of Karnataka Soap and Detergent Limited (KS&DL), a public sector undertaking (PSU).

• Apart from cash, documents of huge investment in land, gold and silver have also been found from the MLA's house.

• The amount was recovered after searches were conducted at Prashant's father's residence after he was caught taking a bribe of Rs 41 lakh in his office.

• The state government has re-established the Lokayukta (the anti-corruption bureau that handled such cases during the previous Congress government) to crack down on corruption.

What is the Lokayukta?

• As per section 63 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, every state shall establish a body to be known as the Lokayukta for the state.

• The central law Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 mandates the appointment of a Lokayukta in each state.

• It inquires into allegations of corruption and maladministration against public servants.

• It works for speedy redressal of public grievances.

Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013

• It provided for the establishment of Lokpal for the Union and Lokayukta for States.

• The Chairperson of the Lokpal should be either a former Chief Justice of India or a former Judge of the Supreme Court or a person of eminence of eminence.

• Half of the eight maximum members should be judicial members and at least 50 percent of the members should be from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Minorities and Women categories.

• When the 2013 Act was passed, Lokayuktas were already functioning in some states including Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

• After the Act and the intervention of the Supreme Court, most of the states have now established Lokayuktas.

Writer Vinod Kumar Shukla wins 2023 PEN/Nabokov Lifetime Achievement Award

Tags: Awards

Chhattisgarh's senior writer and eminent Hindi litterateur Vinod Kumar Shukla was awarded the prestigious PEN/Nabokov Award for 2023 for achievement in international literature at a function organized by PEN America in New York.

An overview of the news

• Shukla, a Hindi story writer, novelist and poet, is the first Indian-Asian origin writer to be conferred with this highest honour.

• He was born in 1937 in Rajnandgaon, Madhya Pradesh, presently Chhattisgarh.

• In this award, he was given an amount of 50 thousand dollars (about 41 lakh rupees).

• Vinod Kumar Shukla's major novels include 'Naukar ki Kameez', 'Khilega to Dekhenge', 'deewar me aek khidki rahti thil', 'haree ghaas kee chhappar vaalee jhopadee aur bauna pahaad', 'yaasi raasa ta, ek maun sthaan'.

PEN/Nabokov Lifetime Achievement Award

• This honor is given to those litterateurs who make a mark in international literature, who look at traditions, modernity, present and history with a new perspective in their works.

• The award is presented biennially by PEN America to writers, primarily novelists.

• The award is funded by the Vladimir Nabokov Foundation, established by the American opera singer and translator Dmitri Nabokov.

Globally, just 1 in 4 children covered by social protection: UN report

Tags: Reports

According to the United Nations (UN) report, only 26.4 percent of children aged 0-15 yearsare protected by social protection, the remaining 73.6 percent have to live in poverty, exclusion and multidimensional deprivation.

Key findings of the report

• 2.4 billion children in the world need adequate social protection.

• About 1.77 billion children aged 0-18 years do not have access to household cash benefits, a fundamental pillar of the social protection system.

• One billion children live in multidimensional poverty without access to education, health, housing, nutrition, sanitation or clean water.

• Children with disabilities or children living with a family member with disabilities are more vulnerable to poverty.

• Social protection policies are powerful tools for reducing poverty for children and their families.

• Social protection can also protect children from other greater risks such as child labor and forced labor.

India in the report

• The report states that 31 states in India have implemented the national 'PM Cares for Children' scheme.

• So far only 4,302 children have received assistance from the scheme.

INS Trikand participates in International Maritime Exercise / Cutlass Express 23

Tags: Defence

INS Trikand is participating in the International Maritime Exercise/ Cutlass Express 2023 (IMX/CE-23) being held in the Gulf region from 26 February to 16 March 2023.

An overview of the news

• The exercise is being conducted with more than 50 countries and international maritime agencies with the common objective of enhancing maritime security and securing sea lanes in the region for maritime commerce.

• IMX/CE-23 is one of the largest multinational maritime exercises in the world. 

• This is the Indian Navy’s maiden IMX participation.

• It also marks the second occasion where an Indian Naval ship is participating in an exercise conducted by the CMF. 

• Earlier, in November 2022, INS Trikand had participated in the CMF led Operation Sea Sword 2.

• Participation in exercises such as Sea Sword 2 and IMX/CE-23 enables the Indian Navy to strengthen ties with maritime partners in the IOR and enhance interoperability and collective maritime capability.

• It also enables the Navy to make a constructive contribution to regional stability and security.

INS Trikand

• It is a state-of-the-art Guided Missile Stealth Frigate.

• It is part of the Western Fleet which functions under the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, based at Mumbai.

• It is the third and last ship of the second batch of Talwar-class frigates ordered by the Indian Navy.

• It was built by the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia.

• It was inducted into the Indian Navy on 29 June 2013.

Parshottam Rupala inaugurates Camel Product Processing Utilisation & Training Wing in Bikaner

Tags: State News

Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala inaugurated the ‘Camel Product Processing Utilisation & Training Wing’ on 5 March at theICAR center, Bikaner.

An overview of the news

• ICAR – Bikaner is a Premier Research Centre and an autonomous organization under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

• Considering the importance of camel in the socio-economic development of arid and semi-arid regions, the Government of India established a Project Directorate on Camel on 5 July 1984 at Bikaner under the aegis of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

• Upgraded to National Research Center on Camel (NRCC) on 20th September, 1995.

• Product Processing Utilization and Training Wing has been inaugurated to explore the immense opportunities in the camel product processing sector.

UN inks first ‘High Seas Treaty’ in a bid to protect ocean bodies of the world

Tags: Environment International News

For the first time in history, the United Nations signed the 'High Seas Treaty' to protect the world's oceans located outside national boundaries.

An overview of the news

• The treaty is the result of nearly a decade of negotiations on environmental concerns.

• The treaty was agreed upon on 4 March after 38 hours of negotiations at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

• The last international agreement on ocean conservation was signed 40 years ago in 1982.

What is the UN High Seas Treaty?

• The treaty will create a new body to manage the conservation of marine life and establish marine protected areas in the high seas.

• The treaty brings 30 percent of the world's oceans into a protected area, spends more on marine conservation, and sets new rules for ocean mining.

• The treaty aims to protect against potential impacts such as deep-sea mining.

• The treaty would put restrictions on how much fish could be caught in the high seas.

What are High Seas?

• International water bodies that cross the boundaries of nations are considered high seas.

• They cover about two-thirds of the world's oceans.

• These are water bodies where all countries have the right to fish, sail and conduct research.

• But so far only about 1% of this water – known as the high seas – has been protected.

• These are also important areas for exploration of valuable minerals, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas reserves.

Vulnerable marine species

• According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), about 10% of marine species are at risk of extinction.

• In addition, 41% of threatened species are affected by climate change.

• Shellfish, sharks and whales are under particular pressure due to their use as seafood and medicines.

First Naval Commanders' Conference in the year 2023

Tags: Defence

The first Naval Commanders' Conference for the year 2023 began on 6 March 2023.

An overview of the news

• For the first time, the conference is being organized on board India's first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant.

• The conference serves as a platform for Naval Commanders to discuss important security issues at the military-strategic level as well as an institutional platform to interact with senior government officials.

• This year the first phase of the Commanders' Conference is being held at sea.

• Defense Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the Naval Commanders onboard INS Vikrant on the opening day.

Significance of the conference

• The conference has its own importance and relevance because of the current geo-strategic situation.

• In line with India's growing maritime interests, there has been a significant uptick in naval operations over the years.

• The Commanders are also deliberating on the Navy's preparedness to address challenges to maritime interests.

• The Indian Navy is focused on establishing itself as a force that is battle-ready, credible, cohesive and adaptable to future requirements.

• It works tirelessly and hard to ensure the maritime security of the country.

President of India confers Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman 2023

Tags: Awards National News

The “Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman 2023”, organized by the Ministry of Jal Shakti to honour the women champions of rural water and sanitation sector, was graced by the President Droupadi Murmu. 

An overview of the news

• The President launched the Jal Shakti Abhiyan - Catch the Rain 2023 campaign in New Delhi.

About Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman

• The Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman is to highlight and acknowledge the leadership and contribution of women at the grassroots level in the journey of creating a 'Swachh Sujal Bharat'.

• Women who have made significant contributions in ODF Plus Model Villages, Har Ghar Jal Villages, Water Conservation etc. under the National Flagship Mission were felicitated.

• This year's event was organized by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti to honor women champions of the rural water and sanitation sector.

About Catch the Rain campaign

• It is a mass movement campaign that encourages all stakeholders to build Rain Water Harvesting Structures (RWHS).

• Tag Line: Catch the rain where it falls, when it falls.

• The campaign is implemented by the National Water Mission (NWM) under Ministry of Jal Shakti.

• The campaign is run across the country in both rural and urban areas.