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By admin: May 22, 2023

Supreme Court appointed Sapre Committee submits report on Adani-Hindenburg issue

Tags: committee National News

The Supreme Court on May 19 made public the report of the court-appointed expert panel in the Hindenburg-Adani row case.

An overview of the news

• American short-selling firm Hindenburg issued a report on January 24, 2023, calling Adani Group companies overvalued and alleging manipulation of accounts.

• However, Hindenburg's allegations were rejected by the Adani Group.

• But the opposition created a ruckus about this issue and when the matter reached the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court had constituted a special committee to investigate.

Highlights of the report

• The report states that the Adani group has disclosed all beneficial owners.

• There is no allegation that SEBI is rejecting the declaration of beneficial owners of Adani.

• Adani's retail stake has increased after the Hindenburg report.

• The report clearly states that prima facie no violation of existing rules or laws has been found.

About Sapre Committee

• Constituted - By Supreme court on 2nd March 2023

• Chairman - Former Supreme Court judge Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre (Retd).

• Members of the Committee - O P Bhatt, Justice J P Devadhar (Retd), Nandan Nilekani, K V Kamath and Somasekhar Sundaresan

• Purpose of the Committee -  To investigate any violations of securties law by the Adani Group in the wake of the Hindenburg report.

• Supreme Court made public the report - On 19 May

India to host 44th ISO COPOLCO Plenary

Tags: National Summits National News

India will host the 44th edition of the annual ISO COPOLCO Plenary from May 23-26, 2023, by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

An overview of the news

• The event to be held in New Delhi will be inaugurated by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.

• COPOLCO President Sadie Denton, ISO Secretary General Sergio Mujica and other high ISO officials will also attend the event.

• Organized by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the grand event will include interactive sessions and workshops on relevant topics, apart from various activities aimed at enhancing consumer engagement in the standardization process.

• It will also feature a distinguished presence of leaders from government and business sectors, as well as an international delegation of eminent global stakeholders.

About ISO COPOLCO

• ISO COPOLCO, known as the Committee on Consumer Policy, is a vital committee under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). 

• It is responsible for advocating consumer interests in the standardization process and ensuring that standards are developed with consumers‘ needs in mind.

• It provides a forum for the exchange of information and experience on consumer involvement in ISO's international standardization work.

• COPOLCO's membership consists of 128 ISO member countries, represented by representatives of these countries' national standards bodies and consumer organizations.

Themes of the Plenary

• 'Challenges and Good Practices for Consumer Engagement', 'Empowering Consumers for a Sustainable Future' and 'Consumer Protection and Legal Framework'.

International Standards Organisation (ISO)

• It is an international body with 168 member countries.

• It plays a crucial role in developing standards that impact a wide range of business and social sectors worldwide.

Uttar Pradesh surpasses Maharashtra in sugar production this season

Tags: State News

Uttar Pradesh has overtaken Maharashtra in sugar production in the current season, with 118 sugar mills operating in UP during the period as compared to 210 mills in the western state.

An overview of the news

• According to UP's Sugarcane Development and Sugar Mills Minister Lakshmi Narayan Chowdhary, the total sugar produced by Uttar Pradesh in the sugar season 2022-2023 is 107.29 lakh tonnes, while the total sugar produced by Maharashtra is 105.30 lakh tonnes.

• The area under sugarcane cultivation in Uttar Pradesh is 28.53 lakh hectares (highest in India) as compared to 14.87 lakh hectares in Maharashtra.

• The sugarcane crushing season runs from October to June.

•  Total cane crushed by sugar mills in UP in the 2022-2023 season was 1,084.57 lakh tonnes, whereas it was 1,053 lakh tonnes in Maharashtra.

• In Uttar Pradesh, 19.84 lakh tonnes of sugar was converted into ethanol, while in Maharashtra it was 15.70 lakh tonnes.

• The number of sugar mills established in UP is 157 as compared to 246 sugar mills established in Maharashtra.

• There are 210 sugar mills operating in Maharashtra as compared to 118 in Uttar Pradesh.

• UP farmers' earnings from all other crops is almost equal to the amount they get in their bank account by selling just sugarcane.

EPFO adds 1.39 crore members during financial year 2022-23

Tags: National Economy/Finance National News

The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has added 1.39 crore members during the financial year 2022-23. 

An overview of the news

• Provisional payroll data of EPFO highlights that it added over 13 lakh members in March 2023.

• According to the Ministry of Labor and Employment, out of the 13.40 lakh members added during March, over seven lakh new members have come under the EPFO ambit for the first time.

• Among newly joined members, the highest enrollment is in the age group of 18 to 21 years with 2.35 lakh members, followed by about two lakh members in the age group of 22 to 25 years.

•   The data also highlights that more than 10 lakh members rejoined the EPFO. These members changed their jobs and rejoined the establishments covered under EPFO.

About EPFO

• Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is a statutory organisation  set up under the Union  ministry of Labour and Employment was set up in 1951 by an Ordinance issued by the President. 

• Later Parliament passed the Employees' Provident Funds Scheme, act 1952.  

• It is the country’s largest social security organisation.

• EPFO assists the Central Board of Trustees in the administration of a provident fund scheme, pension scheme and an insurance scheme for the registered establishments in India. 

PM Modi conferred with highest civilian honours by Fiji, Papua New Guinea

Tags: Awards International News

Prime MinisterNarendra Modi was conferred with the highest honor by Fiji and Papua New Guinea on 21 May.

An overview of the news

• PM Modi was honored with the island nation's highest civilian award during his visit to Papua New Guinea to attend the 3rd India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) summit.

• PM Modi was awarded "The Companion of the Order of Fiji" by his Fijian counterpart Sitweni Rabuka for his global leadership, a rare honor for a non-Fijian.

• Papua New Guinea conferred its highest civilian honour, Grand Companion of the Order of Loghu (GCL) on PM Modi for his efforts towards unity of the Pacific island nation.

Republic of Fiji 

• It is an archipelago consisting of around 300 islands in the South Pacific Ocean.

• Capital: Suva 

• Currency: Fijian Dollar 

• Prime Minister: Sitiveni Rabuka

Papua New Guinea

• Prime Minister: James Marape

• Capital: Port Moresby

• Currency: kina (K)

Young long jumper Shaili Singh finishes third in Japan in her first senior outdoor competition

Tags: Sports Sports News

In her first major senior outdoor international event, long jumper Shaili Singh won a bronze at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix in Yokohama on 21st May. 

An overview of the news

• She finished third in the women's long jump with a creditable effort of 6.65m.

• Shelly's first round jump of 6.65 m was the best ever at a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold level event, although it was 11 cm below her personal best.

• Her attempt also saw a wind speed of +2.1 m/s, which is above the permissible limit of +2.0 m/s.

• Maryse Luzolo of Germany took the gold with a jump of 6.79m, while Brooke Buschkuel of Australia was second with an effort of 6.77m.

• Shelly won the silver medal in the 2021 World Under-20 Athletics Championships with a jump of 6.59 meters.

• In April, Shelly had a jump of 6.76 meters, the second highest long jump after Anju Bobby George, who had won the gold medal at the Indian Grand Prix.

• In February, she finished fifth at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Nur-Sultan with a jump of 6.27m.

Italian Open: Daniil Medvedev defeats Rune, wins maiden clay court title

Tags: Sports Sports News

In the Italian Open final, world number three tennis star Daniil Medvedev defeated Holger Roon on 21 May to win his first claycourt title.

An overview of the news

• In the men's singles final, the Russian player defeated the 20-year-old Danish player 7-5, 7-5.

• This is Medvedev's fifth title of 2023 and the win has lifted him above Novak Djokovic to the second spot in the world rankings.

• He won his 20th career title. He will also be seeded second in the French Open, which begins on 28th of this month at Roland Garros.

• Hugo Nieves and Jan Zielinski have captured the men's doubles title in Rome. The Monegasque-Polish pair won their first ATP Masters 1000 title by defeating Robin Haase and Bottic van de Zandschulp 7-5, 6-1 in the men's doubles final.

• The Australian-Belgian pair of Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens defeated top-seeded Americans Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula 6-4 6-4 to become the women's doubles champions.

• Earlier, Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina won her fourth WTA title with a win in the women's singles final.

About Italian Open

• The Italian Open has a rich history dating back to its inception in 1930.

• It is one of the most prestigious events on the tennis calendar.  

• It consists of five main draw events: Men's Singles, Women's Singles, Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles, and Mixed Doubles. 

• The tournament is held at the Foro Italico sports complex in Rome. 

• The Italian Open hosts both ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) and WTA (Women's Tennis Association) tournaments simultaneously. 

Maharashtra becomes the first state in the country to approve Good Governance Regulations

Tags: State News

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde approved the first Good Governance Regulations in the country.

An Overview of the News

• The purpose of the rules is to enhance accountability, accessibility, dynamism and transparency in state administration.

• A separate cell will be set up to address the effects of climate change.

• The rules also include expanding the scope of 'Aaple Sarkar Seva Kendra' for end-to-end online services to citizens within the prescribed time limit.

• Citizens' complaints will be redressed at a speedy pace.

• The chief minister's direction to develop the rules was given in September last year.

• The rules were drawn up in consultation with ministerial officials, experts and NGOs.

• 161 department-wise indices have been prepared to evaluate the performance of good governance.

About Maharashtra

It is a state located in the western part of India and covers a significant part of the Deccan Plateau.

Chief Minister - Eknath Shinde

Governor - Ramesh Bais

Official Animal - Indian giant squirrel

Official Bird - Yellow-footed Green Pigeon

Official Dance - Lavani

Third meeting of G-20, Tourism Working Group begins in Srinagar

Tags: National Summits National News

The third meeting of the G-20, Tourism Working Group began on 22 May in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.

An Overview of the News

• The meeting focused on five key priority areas: Green Tourism, Digitization, Skilling, MSME and Destination Management.

• The priorities aim to grow the tourism sector and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

• The objective of the meeting is to strengthen economic growth, preserve cultural heritage and promote sustainable development.

• This is the third meeting of the Tourism Working Group after the previous meetings in Gujarat and West Bengal.

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.

5000 year old tree from Chile recognized as the oldest tree in the world

Tags: International News

A giant tree in southern Chile, known as the "Great Grandfather" and this tree, a Patagonian cypress, located in the Alerce Costero National Park is the oldest tree in the world.

news overview

• The trunk of the tree has a diameter of four metres (13 ft) and it is 28 metres tall.

• It is over 5,000 years old, surpassing the oldest tree currently known as the Methuselah, which is 4,850 years old.

• It is located in a forest in the southern Los Ríos region, 800 kilometres (500 mi) south of the capital Santiago.

• This tree belongs to the species Fitzroya cupressoides, which is also known as Patagonian cypress.

• Fitzroya cupressoides is the largest tree species in South America.

About Chile

• It is a long, narrow country located on the western edge of South America.

• Santiago is the capital of Chile and is located in a valley surrounded by the Santiago Andes and Chilean Coast Range mountains.

• The city's central square is called the Plaza de Armas and has palm-lined streets.

• The Plaza de Armas houses the Neoclassical Cathedral and the National History Museum.

• There is a huge park in Santiago called Parque Metropolitano.

President - Gabriel Boric

Amy Pope became the first woman Director-General of the United Nations Migration Agency

Tags: Person in news International News

Amy Pope of the United States has been selected as the first female Director-General of the United Nations Migration Agency.

An Overview of the News

• She will head the Geneva-based International Organization for Migration (IOM).

• Pope is currently serving as deputy to Director General Antonio Vitorino.

• Her five-year term as director general will begin on October 1, replacing Vitorino.

International Organization for Migration (IOM)

• It is an agency of the United Nations and provides services and advice related to migration.

• The agency provides assistance to governments and expatriates.

• It caters to the needs of diverse groups including internally displaced persons, refugees and migrant workers.

Formation - 6 December 1951

Headquarters - Geneva, Switzerland

Membership (2023) - 175 member states and 8 observer states

Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav inaugurated CoE-SLM at ICFRE in Dehradun

Tags: State News

Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav inaugurated the Center of Excellence on Sustainable Land Management (CoE-SLM) at the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) in Dehradun on 20 May 2023.

An Overview of the News

• The CoE-SLM was announced by the Prime Minister of India during the 14th Conference of Parties (COP-14) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in September 2019.

• CoE-SLM aims to promote South-South cooperation and address issues of land degradation through sustainable land management practices.

• Specific activities of the CoE-SLM include setting LDN targets, developing drought risk and early warning systems, mainstreaming gender considerations, promoting good governance of land rights and entitlements, and addressing the effects of land degradation on greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss. involves assessing.

• Bhupendra Yadav released two publications during the inauguration: "Technical Paper on the Pathway to Achieving LDN in India" and "Compendium of Sustainable Land Management Practices."

Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE)

• It is an autonomous organisation.

• It operates under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India.

• ICFRE conducts research, training and education in forestry and related disciplines.

Establishment - 1986

Parent Organization - Ministry of Environment and Forests (India)

Meri LiFE, Mera Swachh Shahar' mega campaign launched by Union Minister Hardeep S Puri

Tags: Environment National National News

Union Minister Hardeep S Puri launched the campaign 'Meri LiFE, Mera Swachh Shahar' in New Delhi.

An Overview of the News

• The campaign promotes the Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (RRR) concept of waste management.

• This campaign will strengthen the resolve of the citizens under SBM-U 2.0 and also promote the purpose of Mission Life.

• RRR centres or one-stop collection centres were set up across the country on May 20.

• The centres will accept unused or used plastic items, clothing, shoes, books and toys.

• Citizens can donate used clothes, shoes, books, toys and plastic at RRR centres.

• The collected items will be recycled for reuse or turned into new products.

• The campaign will culminate with the resolution of LiFE on 5 June.

Mission LiFE:

• The mission was launched by the Prime Minister on October 20, 2022 at Kevadia, Gujarat.

• It aims to bring about behaviour change in individuals through simple, actionable steps.

• It aims to discourage mindless and wasteful consumption patterns and promote conscious and planned usage.

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the nodal ministry responsible for national level coordination and implementation of Mission LiFE.

Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0)

• It was launched on 1 October 2021 to achieve the vision of 'Garbage Free Cities'.

• It aims to achieve safe sanitation in urban areas.

• SBM-U 2.0 focuses on making all cities 'garbage free' and ensuring proper grey and black water management.

• The mission emphasises source segregation of solid waste, 3R principles (reduce, reuse, recycle), scientific processing of municipal solid waste, and remediation of heritage dumpsites.

International Day for Biological Diversity - 22 May

Tags: Important Days

The International Day for Biological Diversity is observed on 22 May and aims to increase understanding of Earth's diverse ecosystems and encourage conservation.

An Overview of the News

• Emphasises the importance of biodiversity and the need to protect and regenerate it.

• The theme for the International Day for Biological Diversity 2023 is: "Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity".

• The United Nations designated 22 May as the International Day for Biodiversity (IDB) to promote understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.

Importance of International Day for Biological Diversity:

• Demonstrates the important role of biodiversity in sustaining life on earth.

• Encompasses plants, animals, microorganisms and ecosystems.

• Provides essential services such as pollination, nutrient recycling, water purification and climate regulation.

• Have cultural, aesthetic and economic value, support livelihoods and contribute to sustainable progress.

Important Days and Themes 2023

March 3rd, 2023 - World Wildlife day - Theme:   “Partnerships for wildlife conservation”

March 22nd, 2023 - World Water Day - Theme: “Accelerating the change to solve the water and sanitation crisis.”

February 2nd, 2023 - World Wetlands Day - Theme: “It's Time for Wetlands Restoration”