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By admin: May 20, 2023

NIA arrests 3 under 'Operation Dhvast' against terrorist-gangster-narco nexus

Tags: National National News

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has recently arrested three people under 'Operation Dhvast' against the terrorist-gangster-drug-trafficker nexus.

An overview of the news

• Following its searches at 129 locations in eight states, the NIA has detained one person each from Moga (Punjab), Bhiwani (Haryana) and North-East district (Delhi).

• According to the NIA, the investigation of these cases pertains to conspiracies related to targeted killings, terror financing of pro-Khalistan organisations, extortion and other such criminal activities.

About National Investigation Agency (NIA)

• Its real name is National Investigation Agency, commonly known as National Investigation Agency. It was constituted under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008.

• Realizing the need for a central agency to investigate terrorism and some other criminal acts after the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack, the NIA was formed.

• It acts as the central counter-terrorism law enforcement agency.

• The cases are assigned to the NIA by the Central Government in accordance with Section VI of the NIA Act, 2008.

• It is headquartered in New Delhi and has branches in Hyderabad, Guwahati, Kochi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Kolkata, Raipur and Jammu.

• The founding director general of NIA was Radha Vinod Raju.

Centre promulgates ordinance to constitute National Capital Civil Services Authority

Tags: National National News

Centre on 19th May promulgated an ordinance to create a National Capital Civil Service Authority that will have the power to recommend the transfer and posting of all Group A officers serving in Delhi.

An overview of the news

• The Ordinance, 2023 is being seen as an attempt to nullify last week's judgment by a constitution bench of the Supreme Court, which had handed over the reins of "services" to the Delhi government.

• The court then underlined the importance of the mandate of the people in a democracy expressed through an elected government.

• With a view to constitute this Authority for transfer of 'Group-A' officers of 'DANICS' (Delhi, Andaman-Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Civil) Services) Cadre, the Central Government has issued thisOrdinance.

• The Authority will be headed by the Chief Minister of Delhi and will include the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary, Home.

• All matters to be decided by the Authority shall be decided by a majority of the members present and voting.

• The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has alleged that the Centre's ordinance on transfer of bureaucrats in Delhi is "unconstitutional" and a move to usurp the powers given to the Delhi government by the Supreme Court in service matters.

• This, effectively, means two bureaucrats, appointed by the Centre, could over-rule the elected CM.

Congress leader Siddaramaiah sworn in as CM of Karnataka and DK Shivakumar as Deputy CM

Tags: Person in news State News

Congress leader Siddaramaiah was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka for his second term and Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister.

An Overview of the News

• The swearing-in ceremony took place at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, administered by Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot.

• Several Congress MLAs including Dr G Parameshwara, KH Muniyappa, KJ George, MB Patil, Satish Jarkiholi, Priyank Kharge, Ramalinga Reddy and BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan took oath as ministers in the state cabinet.

• The ceremony was attended by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi and chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, as well as other political leaders.

• The Congress government in Karnataka is now officially established.

About Karnataka:

It is a state located in South West India and has coasts of the Arabian Sea.

Formation - 1 November 1956

Governor - Thawar Chand Gehlot

Capital - Bangalore

Rajya Sabha - 12 seats

Lok Sabha - 28 seats

India Achieves 47 % growth in Coal Production during last Nine Years

Tags: Economy/Finance National News

During the last nine years, India's total coal production has increased by 47 percent to 893.08 million tonnes (MT) and supply has reached 877.74 million tonnes, registering a growth of 45.37 percent.

An overview of the news

• In FY2023, the country has made a huge jump in the history of coal production with 893.08 MT.

• As per the action plan for 2023-24 of the Ministry of Coal, there is a target of 1012 million tonnes of coal production in the financial year 2023-24 by increasing overall production, efficiency, stability and adoption of new technologies.

• During the financial year 2022-23, the Ministry of Coal has signed agreements for a total of 23 coal mines with a cumulative peak rated capacity (PRC) of 33.224 MT per annum.

• It is expected that 25 coal blocks will be allotted for commercial mining during the financial year 2023-24.

Mission 'Coking Coal'

• Mission 'Coking Coal' has been launched by the government in August 2021 with a roadmap that will suggest ways to increase production and utilization of domestic coking coal in India by 2030.

• In this mission, mainly recommendations related to new exploration, increasing production, increasing washing capacity, auction of new coking coal mines have been made.

Objective of Mission 'Coking Coal'

• To increase coking coal production from 52 million tonnes (MT) in FY2022 to 140 MT in FY2030.

• To increase coking coal washing capacity from 23 MT in FY2022 to 61 MT in FY2023.

Use of Coking Coal

• It is mainly used in the manufacture of steel through the blast furnace route.

• Domestic coking coal generates very high ash content (mostly between 18%-49%) which is not suitable for direct use in blast furnaces.

• To reduce the ash percentage, the coking coal is washed and Indian prime and medium coking coal (<18% ash) is blended with imported coking coal (<9% ash) before use in the blast furnace.

Supreme Court gets two new judges

Tags: National National News

CJI DY Chandrachud administered the oath of office to Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and senior advocate Kalpathy Venkataraman Viswanathan as a judge of the Supreme Court on 19th May.

An overview of the news

• With this, the total strength of judges in the Supreme Court has gone up to the sanctioned strength of 34.

• However, the number of Supreme Court justices will remain at its highest level for only a short period as three judges are due to retire in June.

• Justice KM Joseph, Justice Ajay Rastogi and Justice V Ramasubramanian are set to complete their tenure next month during the summer vacation. 

• Summer vacation of the apex court will run from May 22 to July 2.

• Justice Vishwanathan, the newly appointed Supreme Court judge, will become the Chief Justice of India after the retirement of Justice JB Pardiwala on August 11, 2030, and will hold office till May 25, 2031.

• The warrant of appointment of Justice Mishra and Justice Vishwanathan as judges of the apex court was issued by the office of President Draupadi Murmu on May 18.

Appointment of Judges : Collegium System 

• 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.

PM Narendra Modi holds bilateral meeting with Japanese PM Fumio Kishida in Hiroshima

Tags: International Relations International News

On May 20, PM Modi held a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida ahead of the G-7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.

An Overview of the News

• Discussed enhancing India-Japan friendship in trade, economy, culture and Indo-Pacific cooperation.

• Emphasised efforts to synergize between the G-7 and G-20 Presidencies and the voices of the Global South.

• Prime Minister Modi unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Hiroshima as a symbol of friendship and peace.

• G-7 summit priorities include nuclear disarmament, economic resilience and security, regional issues, climate and energy, food and health, digitization and science and technology.

• Later, Prime Minister Modi had a productive meeting with President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol to strengthen bilateral friendship in key developmental areas.

About G-7

• It is an intergovernmental political forum.

• It consists of seven member states: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

• In addition to the seven member states, the European Union is also part of the G7 as a non-enumerated member.

Formation - 25 March 1973

First G6 Summit - 15 November 1975

Japan:

• It is also called Nihon or Nippon and is an archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean in East Asia.

• It is made up of four main islands Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu and Honshu is the largest island of Japan.

• Its highest mountain is Mount Fuji.

• It is the third largest economy in the world after the United States and China.

Capital - Tokyo

Currency - Yen

Prime Minister - Fumio Kishida

Supreme Court upholds Tamil Nadu law allowing jallikattu

Tags: National National News

The Supreme Court on May 18 upheld the validity of a Tamil Nadu law that allowed Jallikattu, a bull-fighting sport.

An overview of the news 

• The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutional validity of the amendment made by the Tamil Nadu government to the Central Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

About Supreme Court’s Judgement

• In a unanimous judgement, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice KM Joseph noted that the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2017, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Maharashtra Amendment) Act, 2017 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Amendment) Act, 2017 The Prevention of Cruelty to Persons (Karnataka Second Amendment) Act, 2017 was enacted by the respective state legislatures and received the assent of the President.

• The SC held that these rules by the states did not violate the Constitution and the Supreme Court's 2014 judgment banning Jallikattu.

About Jallikattu

• Jallikattu is a traditional sport especially popular in Tamil Nadu.

• In this sport, a wild bull is released into a crowd of people, and the participants try to catch the bull's hump and ride it for as long as possible or try to bring it under control.

• It is celebrated every year during the Tamil harvest festival, Pongal, in the month of January.

• The state government argues that instead of banning this age-old practice, it can be regulated and reformed.

Under "Clean Note Policy" RBI decided to withdraw Rs 2000 note from circulation

Tags: National Economy/Finance National News

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to withdraw Rs 2,000 denomination banknotes from circulation under the "Clean Note Policy".

An Overview of the News

• Rs 2,000 notes will continue to be legal tender.

• Individuals can deposit the Rs 2,000 banknotes into their bank accounts or exchange them for other denominations at any bank branch.

• From May 23, 2023, Rs 2,000 notes can be exchanged for other denominations up to a limit of Rs 20,000 at a time at any bank branch.

• RBI's 19 regional offices with issue departments will also provide the facility to exchange Rs 2,000 banknotes up to a limit of Rs 20,000 at a time from May 23.

• All banks to offer deposit and/or exchange services for Rs 2,000 notes by September 30, 2023.

Clean Note Policy:

• The clean note policy was introduced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 1999 to address the issue of soiled and mutilated notes.

• Banks are instructed not to give soiled, torn and mutilated notes to customers and instead deposit them with RBI.

• Stapling of currency notes/packets is prohibited as per the policy.

• The objective of the Clean Note Policy is to provide good quality currency notes and coins to the customers.

• Soiled and mutilated currency notes can be easily exchanged at teller counters under the RBI's note refund rules of 2009.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI):

Establishment -1 April 1935, Kolkata

Founder - British Raj

Headquarters - Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Governor - Shaktikanta Das

World Metrology Day - 20 May

Tags: Important Days

World Metrology Day is celebrated annually on 20 May to commemorate the signing of the Meter Convention on 20 May 1875.

An Overview of the News

• The theme for World Metrology Day 2023 is "Measurements supporting the global food system".

• The Meter Convention established a framework for international cooperation in the science of measurement and its applications in industry, commerce and society.

• The purpose of the Meter Convention isto ensure global uniformity in measurement.

• The World Metrology Day project is a joint effort of BIPM (International Bureau of Weights and Measures) and OIML (International Organization of Legal Metrology).

• The website provides resources for participants to locate and encourage countries and metrology organisations to join and participate in this year's event.

Department of Pharmaceuticals to organise International Conference on 'India Pharma and India Medical Devices'

Tags: Summits National News

Department of Pharmaceuticals, International Conference on 'India Pharma and India Medical Devices' will be organised on 26th May and the 8th edition of this conference will be inaugurated by Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers.

An Overview of the News

• The Department of Pharmaceuticals is partnering with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) for the event.

• The aim of the conference is to showcase India as a manufacturing hub for high quality medical products in the pharmaceutical and medical devices sector.

• During the conclave, Dr. Mandaviya will launch the National Medical Devices Policy-2023 and Export Promotion Council for Medical Devices.

• A new scheme called 'Medical Device Clusters for Common Facilities (AMD-CF)' will also be launched, focusing on strengthening or setting up of common infrastructure and testing facilities for medical devices.

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI):

• It is a non-governmental trade association and advocacy group based in India.

• Subhrakant, Managing Director of Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Limited has been appointed as the President of FICCI for 2022-2023.

• He took over from Sanjiv Mehta during the 95th Annual Convention held in New Delhi.

Formation - 1927

Founder - Ghanshyam Das Birla, Purushottamdas Thakurdas

Headquarters - New Delhi

Aditya Bhushan's book "Guts Amidst Bloodbath: The Anshuman Gaekwad Narrative" released

Tags: Books and Authors

Former Indian Test cricketer Anshuman Gaekwad released his semi-autobiographical book "Guts Amidst Bloodbath: The Anshuman Gaekwad Narrative" at the Cricket Club of India (CCI).

An Overview of the News

• The book launch event was attended by six former Indian cricket captains including Sachin Tendulkar, Gundapa Vishwanath, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Ravi Shastri and Kapil Dev.

• "Guts Amidst Bloodbath" is a book that tells the story of Anshuman Gaikwad, including insights from teammates, opponents, administrators, selectors, umpires, friends and family members.

• Gaikwad's association with Indian cricket spans over 50 years, excelling as a batsman, administrator, selector, coach, media personality and a compassionate man.

Cricket Club of India

Establishment - 1933

Affiliation - Board of Control for Cricket in India

Headquarters - Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai

President - Madhumati Lele

Other Books for 2023

• "War and Women" - Dr. MA Hasan.

• "Basu Chatterjee: And Middle-of-the-Road Cinema" - Anirudh Bhattacharjee

• "Gandhi: Politics and Sect" - Piyush Babele

• "Phoolange" - Lekhnath Chhetri, writer from Darjeeling

• "A Matter of the Heart: Education in India" - Anurag Behar

• "Bipin: The Man Behind the Uniform" - Rachna Biswat Rawat

• "As Good As My Word" - KM Chandrasekhar

• “Mundaka Upanishad: The Gateway to Eternity” – Dr. Karan Singh, Ex-MP 

• "Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origin of Empire" - Nandini Das

• Autobiography "Crosscourt" - Jaideep Mukherjee

World Bee Day - 20 May

Tags: Important Days

World Bee Day is held annually on 20 May to raise awareness and recognition of the important role that bees and other pollinators play in our ecosystem.

An Overview of the News

• Established by the United Nations, World Bee Day aims to emphasise the importance of bees in maintaining ecosystems and food production.

• The celebration encourages efforts to protect bees and their habitats and highlights the importance of pollinators in conserving biodiversity and ensuring global food security.

• The theme for World Bee Day 2023 is “Engaging in Pollinator-Friendly Agricultural Production,” promoting agricultural methods that prioritise the well-being of pollinators, especially bees.

History of World Bee Day:

• The United Nations established World Bee Day in 2017 to raise awareness of the important role played by bees and other pollinators in the ecosystem.

• May 20 was chosen as the date for World Bee Day to honour Slovenian beekeeping pioneer and expert Anton Jansa.

• The main goal of World Bee Day is to encourage global recognition, mobilisation and cooperation in protecting bees and preserving their important contribution to the environment and food production systems.

United Nations (UN):

• It is an intergovernmental organisation.

• The objectives of the United Nations include maintaining international peace and security and developing friendly relations between nations.

• It serves as a centre for harmonising the actions of the nations.

Establishment - 24 October 1945

Headquarters - New York

Secretary-General - Antonio Guterres

Deputy Secretary General - Amina J. Mohammed

General Assembly President - Csaba Kőrösi

Big win for Twitter, Google at US Supreme Court in internet liability cases

Tags: International News

Recently social media platforms Twitter and Google have registered a big victory in the US Supreme Court. The court ruled that Internet companies could not be held liable for content posted on their sites.

An overview of the news

• The judges delivered their ruling on two cases in which families of victims of a terrorist attack claimed that Google and Twitter should be held accountable for aiding and abetting ISIS, which resulted in the death of their loved ones.

• The decision has far-reaching implications for the tech industry, intellectual property rights and freedom of expression.

• In particular, these judgments highlight the evolving legal landscape surrounding online platforms and their role in shaping public discourse.