1. NSA Doval meet counterparts from Central Asian countries in Delhi
Tags: Summits National News
NSA Ajit Doval welcomes dignitaries to the first India-Central Asia meeting of the National Security Advisers/Secretaries of Security Councils on 6 December in New Delhi.
Important facts
This was the first time that the NSAs of the Central Asian countries were in the national capital Delhi for a security meeting amid the humanitarian and security situation arising in Afghanistan.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually hosted the first India-Central Asia Summit on 27 January, which was attended by the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
During the Summit, Prime Minister Modi and the Central Asian Leaders discussed the next steps in taking India-Central Asia relations to new heights.
The leaders had agreed to institutionalise the Summit mechanism by deciding to hold it every two years.
They also agreed on regular meetings of Foreign Ministers, Trade Ministers, Culture Ministers and Security Council Secretaries to prepare a plan of action for the summits.
An India-Central Asia Secretariat will be set up in New Delhi to support the new mechanism.
The leaders discussed far-reaching proposals for cooperation in trade and connectivity, development cooperation, defense and security, cultural and people-to-people contacts.
These include the Round Table on Energy and Connectivity, the Joint Working Group at Senior Official Level on Afghanistan and the use of Chabahar Port, the display of Buddhist exhibitions in Central Asian countries and joint counter-terrorism exercises.
They also agreed on annual 100-member youth delegations from Central Asian countries to India and special courses for Central Asian diplomats.
2. ESIC can invest up to 15 per cent surplus funds in equity through ETFs
Tags: place in news National Economy/Finance
The Government of India has allowed Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) to invest up to 15 per cent of its surplus funds into equity through exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
The decision was taken at an ESIC meeting chaired by the Union labour minister Bhupender Yadav at the corporation's headquarters in New Delhi on 4 December 2022.
A labour ministry statement said that the decision to invest surplus funds into equity was taken due to the low returns on debt instruments and the need to diversify the corporation's portfolio. The initial investment shall start at 5% and increase up to 15% gradually, after review of two quarters. The investment will be confined in Exchange Traded Funds i.e., Nifty50 and Sensex. It will be managed by Fund Managers of AMCs.
New hospital in Agartala and in Idukki
ESIC approved the proposals for setting up a new 100 bedded ESIC Hospital at Shyamlibazar, Agartala, Tripura and 100 bedded ESIC Hospital at Idukki, Kerala.
Nirman se Shakti initiative
The Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav said that the ‘Nirman Se Shakti’ initiative has been started to strengthen and modernize the infrastructure of hospitals and dispensaries in a phased manner.
WHAT IS ESIC
The Employees State Insurance (ESI) Scheme is one of the largest social security schemes in the world which comes under the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) under the Union Labour and Employment Ministry.
The ESIC was set up in 1952 under the ESI act 1948.
It provides medical benefits to the insured employees and their dependents under the scheme. There is no limit on the medical expense.
Who are eligible?
It is applicable on factories employing 10 or more workers.
It is applicable on shops, establishments, insurance, Non-Banking Financial Companies etc employing 20 or more persons.
Wage Limit
It provides medical insurance facility to workers earning up to Rs.21, 000/- per month (Rs.25, 000/- per month in the case of Persons with Disability).
Contribution
The insured employee has to contribute 1% of his monthly wages per month to the scheme and the employer is required to contribute 3% of the employee’s wages to the Scheme.
3. NDDB, Amul to provide technical support to enhance milk production in Sri Lanka
Tags: National National News
According to the Sri Lankan President's office statement released on 5 December 2022 , India will provide technical support to Sri Lanka to enhance its dairy industry and milk output. India is the largest producer of Milk in the world and National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) played a crucial role in it.
The Sri Lankan government is being assisted by the officials of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets milk under the Amul brand. They will provide necessary technical support for the production of milk in Sri Lanka.
India’s success in increasing the production of milk and dairy products is result of a cooperative dairy model pioneered by NDDB and its marketing done by the GCMMF which is also a cooperative .
National Dairy Development Board(NDDB)
It was set up in 1966 as a society under the Societies Act 1860. The first chairman of NDDB was Verghese Kurien . Kurien is also called as the father of White Revolution in India .
It comes under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
Headquarters: Anand, Gujarat
It launched operation flood in India which has made India,largest producer of milk in the world.
Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF)
It is the largest food marketing organization in the country.
It was set up in 1973 and is the owner of the Amul brand.
4. NDDB, Amul to provide technical support to enhance milk production in Sri Lanka
Tags: National National News
According to the Sri Lankan President's office statement released on 5 December 2022 , India will provide technical support to Sri Lanka to enhance its dairy industry and milk output. India is the largest producer of Milk in the world and National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) played a crucial role in it.
The Sri Lankan government is being assisted by the officials of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets milk under the Amul brand. They will provide necessary technical support for the production of milk in Sri Lanka.
India’s success in increasing the production of milk and dairy products is result of a cooperative dairy model pioneered by NDDB and its marketing done by the GCMMF which is also a cooperative .
National Dairy Development Board(NDDB)
It was set up in 1966 as a society under the Societies Act 1860. The first chairman of NDDB was Verghese Kurien . Kurien is also called as the father of White Revolution in India .
It comes under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
Headquarters: Anand, Gujarat
It launched operation flood in India which has made India,largest producer of milk in the world.
Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF)
It is the largest food marketing organization in the country.
It was set up in 1973 and is the owner of the Amul brand.
5. G7 price cap on Russian oil comes into force, Indian not to be affected: Hardeep Singh Puri
Tags: Economy/Finance International News
The Group of 7 countries (G7) price cap of $60 per barrel on the Russian seaborne oil came into effect on 5 December 2022. Seaborne oil means petroleum crude oil which is transported through tankers. It doesn't include Russian oils transported through pipelines. Russia however has refused to accept the decision of the G7 countries.
The G7( The United States of America, Canada, France, Germany, Italy ,United Kingdom and Japan) attempt to target Russian oil supplies is seen as an attempt by the western countries to limit the Russian ability to finance its war on Ukraine .
Russia which is the world’s second largest exporter of petroleum oil in the world after Saudi Arabia attacked Ukraine on 24 February as it accused Ukraine of genocide in the Eastern part of Ukraine . Western countries are supporting Ukraine and in an effort to cripple the Russian war effort, have imposed a series of sanctions on Russia.
Oil Price Cap
The G7 countries, Australia and the European Union have agreed to impose a $60 per barrel price cap on Russian crude oil transported through sea.
The G7 agreement allows Russian oil to be shipped to third-party countries using G7 and EU tankers, insurance companies and banks, only if the cargo is bought at or below the $60 per barrel cap.
However Industry players and a U.S. official said in October that Russia can access enough tankers to ship most of its oil beyond the reach of the cap, underscoring the limits of the most ambitious plan yet to curb Russia's wartime revenue.
Impact on India
The Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri has said that the decision of the G7 countries will not impact India.
He said that ‘Russia is not our top supplier of oil; our traditional top suppliers are Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE”. In 2021-22, India imported 53 percent of its oil from these countries. In 2022-23, between April and September, 52 percent of India’s crude oil imports came from these countries,”
He said that if Russia refuses to sell crude oil at the capped price or cuts down production, it will affect the global supply chain. It will put pressure on producing countries to meet the energy demand, resulting in a spike in crude prices.
6. Air Pollution second largest cause of death & disability in Bangladesh: World Bank
Tags: Reports International News
According to a World Bank report released on 4 December, 2022, air pollution is the second largest cause of death and disability in Bangladesh and costs about 3.9 to 4.00 percent of the country’s GDP.
Important facts
According to report air pollution caused the death of between 78,000 to 88,000 thousand people in Bangladesh in 2019.
Bangladesh was ranked as the most polluted country in the world, and Dhaka as the second most polluted city each year between 2018 and 2021.
The report found that major construction sites and traffic in Dhaka have the highest levels of pollution.
In these places, particulate matter (PM2.5), which is considered the most dangerous to health, exceeds WHO air quality guidelines (AQG) by an average of 150 percent, which is equivalent to smoking about 1.7 cigarettes per day.
The second highest concentration of PM2.5 levels is found near brick kilns in Greater Dhaka, which is 136 percent above the WHO AQG – equivalent to smoking 1.6 cigarettes per day.
In Bangladesh, Dhaka is the most polluted division while Sylhet is the least polluted.
The western regions (Khulna and Rajshahi) are more polluted than the eastern ones (Sylhet and Chattogram).
Exposure to high levels of air pollution increases the risk of difficulties in breathing, cough, respiratory tract infections, depression, and other health conditions.
The World Bank report said children under five, the elderly and people with diabetes, heart or respiratory disease are most vulnerable.
7. Only CNG and Electric autos to ply in Delhi NCR from 1 January 2027; Air Quality Panel
Tags: Environment National
The Central government’s air quality panel has directed Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana to register only CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) and electric autos from 1 January 2027 and to completely phase out the diesel autos in the National Capital Region by the end of 2026.
The Commission for Air Quality Management has said that only CNG and e-autos will ply in the NCR from January 1, 2027.
The NCR covers Delhi, 14 districts of Haryana, eight districts of Uttar Pradesh and two districts of Rajasthan.
Delhi had launched a programme in 1998 to convert its fleet of diesel auto rickshaws into CNG ones. No diesel-run auto is registered in Delhi at present.
In 1998, Delhi introduced a campaign to transfer its fleet of diesel auto rickshaws to CNG vehicles. At the moment, no diesel-powered vehicle is registered in Delhi. In October of last year, the Delhi Transport Department launched a program for the enrollment of 4,261 e-autos.
Delhi National Capital Region (Delhi NCR)
The Delhi National Capital Region was set up in 1985 under the National Capital Region Planning Board Act 1985 by the Central government.
Delhi NCR was set up to deal with uncontrolled migration of people to Delhi. It aims to develop surrounding areas of Delhi so that people’s migration to Delhi can be controlled.
Delhi NCR includes Delhi (all 11 districts), areas of Uttar Pradesh (8 districts), Haryana (14 districts) and Rajasthan (2 districts).
Region | Name of Districts | Areas in sq. Km |
Haryana | Faridabad, Gurugram, Nuh, Rohtak, Sonepat, Rewari, Jhajjhar, Gurugram, Panipat, Palwal, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Mahendragarh, Jind and Karnal (fourteen districts). | 25,327 |
Uttar Pradesh | Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulandshahr, Baghpat, Hapur, Shamli and Muzaffarnagar (Eight districts). | 14,826 |
Rajasthan | Alwar and Bharatpur (two districts). | 13,447 |
Delhi | Whole of NCT Delhi. | 1,483 |
55,083 sq. kms. |
8. Jindal Shadeed Group to set up a $3 billion green steel plant in Oman
Tags: Economy/Finance International News
The Jindal Shadeed Group has announced that it will invest more than $3 billion to set up a green steel plant in a special economic zone in the southern port city of Duqm, Oman. The hydrogen-ready steel project will have a capacity to produce 5 million tonnes of steel a year. The proposed new green steel plant will use natural gas for the production of steel.
Jindal Shadeed Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of Naveen Jindal’s Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) Company. It also has a 2 million tonnes steel per annum steel plant at Sohar in Oman.
What is Green Steel?
Green steel is the manufacturing of steel without the use carbon intensive fossil fuels. The steel is produced by using low-carbon energy sources such as hydrogen, natural gas, coal gasification, or electricity instead of the traditional carbon-intensive manufacturing route of coal-fired plants.
Why the need for Green steel?
Steel is one of the most used metals in the modern Industrial sectors. It is used to make household items, cars, defence equipment etc. The Steel Industry is one of the major contributors to global warming. Around 75 per cent of steel globally is made in coal-fired blast furnaces, which releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere contributing to global warming.
To reduce the carbon emission the government is encouraging the steel companies to use hydrogen or low carbon energy sources for production of steel.
Green Steel and India
The iron ore and steel industry globally accounts for around 8 percent of total CO2 emissions on an annual basis, whereas in India, it contributes 12 percent to the total CO2 emissions.
India has committed itself to achieve net zero carbon emission by 2070 and if India has to achieve that target then the Indian steel industry needs to reduce its emissions to net-zero by 2070.
Anil Agarwal-owned Vedanta company has signed an agreement with IIT-Bombay to develop technology for producing green steel using hydrogen.
Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL) plans to develop its Odisha plant into the largest and greenest facility in the world. The company claims to be the first steelmaker in the world to build coal gasification to produce steel using clean coal technologies.
9. Millets- Smart Nutritious Food Conclave held in New Delhi
Tags: Summits National News
To promote the export of millets, a one-day 'Millets-Smart Nutritive Food' conclave was organised by the government on 5th December in New Delhi.
Important facts
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal was the chief guest of the conclave.
It was organised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry through its apex agricultural export promotion body, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
Its purpose is to promote the export of millets.
This is the first conclave to be held in the pre-launch program of the International Year of Millets - 2023 (IYOM - 2023).
In the Conclave, Farmer Producer Organisations, startups, exporters, producers of millets based value added products participated.
In the conclave, exhibition and B2B meetings were also organized to showcase Indian millets and millet based products.
Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel was the guest of honour at the conclave.
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) announced on March 5, 2021 that 2023 will be observed as the International Year of Millets (IYOM).
The government is currently organising IYOM-2023 at domestic and international level to popularise Indian millets and its value added products across the world and make it a mass movement.
10. Dr Jitendra Singh led the Indian delegation at the Abu Dhabi Space Debate
Tags: International Relations International News
Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space, led the Indian delegation to the Abu Dhabi Space Debate, which began in the United Arab Emirates on 5 December. He addressed the inaugural session along with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Important facts
In this two-day international meeting, Dr. Jitendra Singh participated in the Ministerial level meeting on 'Role of Foreign Policy in Enabling Space Diplomacy and International Cooperation'.
He also discussed ways to strengthen bilateral space cooperation with Sarah Al Amiri, UAE Minister of State for Advanced Technology and Chairperson of the UAE Space Agency.
During the conversation, Dr. Singh also discussed the joint startup venture between India and UAE on cutting edge and emerging space technology.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the UAE Space Agency (UAESA) signed an MoU in 2016 regarding cooperation in the exploration and uses of outer space for peaceful purposes.
UAE's first nanosatellite- 'Nayif-1' was launched by PSLV from Sriharikota to collect environmental space data.
UAE's achievements in the space sector
The UAE is an emerging space power and has made rapid progress in the last 25 years of its space journey.
In July 2020, the UAE sent its Mars mission into space named 'Hope Probe', which entered Mars orbit in February 2021.
The UAE is the first Arab country and the sixth country in the world to achieve this feat.
UAE is planning to launch Rasheed Rover or Emirates Lunar Mission soon.
In September 2019, Hanzala Al Mansoori from the United Arab Emirates became the first astronaut to go into space when he went to the International Space Station (ISS) for eight days via a Russian spacecraft from Kazakhstan.
This year, another astronaut from the United Arab Emirates was selected to travel to the ISS aboard NASA's crew rotation flight, SpaceX Crew-6, for a period of six months.
About UAE
Capital : Abu Dhabi
Currency: Emirati Dirham
President : Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
