1. Mary Elizabeth Truss to be the new Prime Minister of United Kingdom
Tags: Person in news International News
Mary Elizabeth Truss or Liz Truss has been chosen as the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK) by her Conservative party on 5 September 2022. She is the third women Prime minister of the UK after Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May. She will be the 56th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
The ruling conservative party also known as Tories voted to elect their leader after the current Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation in July after months of scandal.
Liz Truss who was serving as the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs since 2021 defeated Rishi Sunak by getting 57% of the valid votes cast. She got 81,326 votes while Sunak got 60,399.
Rishi Sunak, former finance minister in the Boris Johnson government, is a person of Indian origin and married to the daughter of Infosys founder N. R. Narayana Murthy.
Boris Johnson will travel to Scotland to meet Queen Elizabeth on 6 September to officially tender his resignation. Truss will follow him and be asked to form a government by the monarch Queen Elizabeth II.
Truss will become the Conservatives' fourth prime minister since a 2015 election.
Truss takes over as the country faces a cost of living crisis, industrial unrest, a recession and war in Europe, where Britain has been a leading backer of Ukraine.
2. Centre Grants ‘in-Principle’ Approval of three Bulk Drug Parks to Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh
Tags: National National News
The Pharmaceutical Department under Ministry of Chemical & Fertilizershas given 'in-principle' approval to the proposals of three states- Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh under the scheme of "Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks".
Objective of Bulk Drug Parks
Reducing the cost of manufacturing bulk drugs by creating world class common infrastructure supported by the central government.
To enhance the competitiveness of the domestic bulk pharmaceutical industry.
Bulk Drug Parks Scheme
The scheme was notified in the 2020 with a financial outlay of Rs 3,000 crore.
The Department of Pharmaceuticals is implementing so many schemes to make the country self-reliant in API and Drug Intermediates.
One of the major initiatives under this is also the scheme of Bulk Drug Park.
The bulk drug parks to be developed under this scheme will provide common infrastructure facilities at one place.
This will create a strong ecosystem for bulk drug manufacturing in the country and will also bring down the manufacturing cost significantly.
Under this scheme, financial assistance will be provided to three states for setting up bulk drug parks.
The Indian pharmaceutical industry is the third largest in the world by size.
Financial Assistance to States for Bulk Drug Parks
The financial assistance for the proposed bulk drug parks in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh will be 70 per cent of the project cost of common infrastructure.
The financial assistance to Himachal Pradesh being a hill state would be 90 percent of the total project cost.
The maximum assistance under the scheme for a bulk drug park would be limited to Rs 1,000 crore.
Bulk Drugs Park to be constructed on 1402.44 acres of land in Tehsil Haroli of Una district in Himachal Pradesh
Bulk Drugs Parks to be constructed on 2015.02 acres of land in Jambusar Tehsil of Bharuch district of Gujarat
Bulk Drugs Parks will be constructed on 2000.45 acres of land in KP Puram and Kodhaha of Thondagi mandal of East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.
Other Initiatives of Pharmaceutical Department
Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Domestic Manufacturing of KSM/Drug Intermediates (DI) and API
3. UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee will hold special meeting in India focused on new and emerging technologies
Tags: Summits International News
The United Nations has announced that the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee will hold a special meeting in India on 29 October 2022.
The theme of the Conference is: Increasing threat posed by the misuse of new and emerging technologies.
The Special meeting will focus on three areas where there is an increasing threat of abuse by the Terrorist namely
(a) the Internet and social media,
(b) terrorism financing,
(c) unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
UN Security Council :
It is one of the 6 Principal organs of the United Nations. The Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
It consists of 15 members. Five members, the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom are permanent members with veto power.
The Remaining 10 members are elected by the General Assembly for two years. They do not have veto power.
4. 30th Southern Zonal Council meet
Tags: National National News
Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the 30th Southern Zonal Council meeting of South Indian States and Union Territories in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on 3 September.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The objective of the meeting was to promote regional cooperation between the states on issues of common national importance.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, chief ministers of other southern states - Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana - and the lieutenant governors of the southern union territories of Puducherry, Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands attended the meeting.
During the meeting, 26 issues were discussed, nine were resolved, 17 were put up for further consideration, of which nine were related to the reorganisation of Andhra Pradesh.
The Union Home Minister called upon the southern states to find an amicable solution to end all issues, especially those related to river water sharing.
The Home Minister said that the Ministry of Home Affairs is trying to check the drug menace by emphasising the need for regular NCORD (Narco Coordination Centre) meetings between the states.
Since 2015, Rs 4,206 crore has been approved for the Fisheries Infrastructure Development Fund scheme in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
About Zonal Councils :
In 1956 first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru give the idea of creation of Zonal Councils.
There are five Zonal Councils in India which were established in 1957 under Section 15-22 of the States Reorganization Act, 1956.
A Standing Committee is constituted by each Zonal Council consisting of the Chief Secretaries of their respective Zonal Councils of the Member States.
These Standing Committees meet from time to time to resolve the issues.
Chairman - The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these Councils
Vice-chairman - Chief Minister of the host state
5. 64th Ramon Magsaysay award 2022 announced
Tags: Awards International News
The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF), Manila, Philippines has announced the winners of the 64th Ramon Magsaysay award 2022 on 31 August 2022.
It is given to Individuals and organisation for providing solutions to some of the most challenging problems of human development in Asia or the world.
The award which is considered to be equivalent to the ‘Asian Nobel Prize’ will be given to Tadashi Hattori, Gary Bencheghib, Sotheara Chhim, and Bernadette J. Madrid on 30 November 2022.
Awardee of 2022
Sotheara Chhim
He is from Cambodia. He has been honoured for his role as an Psychiatrist and mental health advocate who has played a key role in providing treatment of thousands of traumatized survivors of the Khmer Rouge's brutal rule and other patients in his country
Tadashi Hattori
He is from Japan. He is an ophthalmologist and humanitarian who has been honoured for his commitment in providing free eye surgeries in Vietnam.
Bernadette J.Madrid
She is a paediatrician from the Philippines. She has been honoured for her work as championing the Filipino child’s right to protection by creating safe spaces for abused children nationwide.
Gary Bencheghib
He is from France. He has been honoured for his work in eradicating marine plastic pollution in Bali, Indonesia.
Ramon Magsaysay Award
- The Ramon Magsaysay Award was founded in 1957 in memory of the Philippines President Ramon Magsaysay who died in a plane crash in 1957.
- The award was established by the American philanthropist Rockfellers Brothers fund.
- The first award was given on 31 August 1958 and Vinoba Bhave of India was amongst the first five awardee.
- It was till 2008 given in 6 categories annually. They were Community Leadership,Public Service, Government Service, Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts,Peace and International Understanding,Emergent Leadership.
- Starting in 2009, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is no longer being given in fixed Award categories, except for Emergent Leadership.
6. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla unveils first statue of Swami Vivekananda in Mexico
Tags: International News
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on 3 September unveiled a statue of Swami Vivekananda at University of State of Hidalgo in Mexico.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- This is the first statue of Swami Vivekananda in Latin America.
Birla said that the teachings and personality of Swami Vivekananda have inspired people not only in India but across the world.
This statue will be a source of inspiration to the youth to strive and bring change that will take their country to new heights.
Today, people across the world are embracing his ideals and taking a pledge to follow them for the betterment of their lives and society.
Om Birla is leading the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Mexico.
Om Birla on 2 September also unveiled a statue of freedom fighter Dr Pandurang Khankhoje at Chapingo University in Mexico.
Earlier, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha had inaugurated the Indo-Mexico Friendship Garden in the Mexican Parliament Complex.
About Swami Vivekananda :
Born - January 12, 1863
Childhood Name - Narendranath Dutt
He is best known for his speech at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in the year 1893.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose called him "the architect of modern India".
He introduced the world to the Indian philosophy of Vedanta and Yoga.
Mexico :
Mexico is a country in southern North America.
It is the third largest country in Latin America after Brazil and Argentina.
President - Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Capital - Mexico City
Currency - Mexican peso
Official Language - Spanish
7. Crime Multi Agency Centre (Cri-MAC)
Tags: National National News
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At least seven states and one union territory have not uploaded a single alert on the Crime Multi Agency Centre (Cri-MAC) portal since its launch in March 2020.
Important facts
West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Sikkim and the Union Territories of Dadra, Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu have not uploaded a single alert on the platform.
Delhi, Assam and Haryana uploaded the highest number of alerts on the portal.
About Crime Multi Agency Centre (Cri-MAC)
Launched - 2020 by the Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA)
Objective - To share information on crime and criminals 24×7 with various law enforcement agencies and ensure seamless flow of information between them.
Implementation - The application is implemented by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
Significance of the portal
It facilitates dissemination of information on important crimes including human trafficking across the country on a real time basis and enables inter-state coordination.
It helps in the detection, identification of victims of trafficking as well as in crime prevention and investigation.
8. Special maternity leave in case of infant death
Tags: National National News
All women employees of the Central Government will get 60 days special maternity leave in case of immediate death of a newborn baby or birth of a stillborn child.
Important facts
According to the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, this decision has been taken keeping in mind the mental agony of death of the child before birth or soon after birth.
The ministry said that such cases have far-reaching effects on the life of the mother.
If the child dies immediately after birth or within 28 days, the mother will be eligible for special maternity leave.
This special leave will be given to the mother even if the baby dies in the womb after 28 weeks or so.
Special Maternity Leave will be given to only those women employees of the Central Government who have less than two surviving children and the delivery takes place in an authorized hospital.
9. GMR Group to sell its entire 40% stake in Philippines' Cebu airport
Tags: Economy/Finance International News
The New Delhi based Multinational GMR Group, on 2 September 2022, has said that it will divest its entire 40 per cent stake in Cebu international airport in Philippines for a payment of Rs 1,330 crore.
However the GMR will continue to provide consultancy service to the Airport till 2026 and will earn revenue for it.
According to GMR, the company will now focus on high growth opportunities. It will now use the capital to invest in the Kualanamu International Airport at Medan, Indonesia. The Kualanamu International Airport is being developed and operated by GMR Airports International.
Mactan Cebu International Airport
It is the second largest Airport of the Philippines after the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Manila.
In 2014, GMR Infrastructure in partnership with Megawide Construction Corporation of Philippines won the bid to operate and develop the Mactan Cebu International Airport.
Both the Megawide Construction Company and GMR are selling their stake to Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. of Philippines.
Currency of Philippines: Philippine pesos
GMR Airports International
GMR Airports International is a subsidiary of GMR Infrastructure Ltd
GMR Group operates the IGI Delhi International Airport, Rajiv Gandhi Hyderabad International Airport and Bidar Airport in (Karnataka).
It is building a Greenfield airport at Mopa in North Goa and an International Greenfield Airport at Bhogapuram, Vizianagaram, and Andhra Pradesh.
It is the only Indian company to develop and operate foreign International airport. It is developing airports in Indonesia, Greece.
The GMR group was founded by Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao. It is in the business of Infrastructure, Energy, transportation etc.
10. United States announces hosting first-ever US-Pacific Island Country Summit
Tags: Summits International News
The United States has announced to host the US-Pacific Island Country Summit for the first time in the last week of this month amid China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- This summit will be held in Washington from 28 to 29 September.
US President Joe Biden will host the summit.
The summit will showcase the United States' deep and enduring partnership with Pacific island countries and the Pacific region that is based on shared history, values, and people-to-people ties.
The conference was announced a week after the US accused Beijing of expanding its nuclear arsenal.
The US has claimed that the process of building an excessive nuclear arsenal by China could harm the stability of the Indo-Pacific region.
The White House has invited 12 Pacific Island countries, including the Solomon Islands, which signed a security pact with China in April 2022.
About Indo-Pacific :
It covers half of the world's population and more than 60 percent of the global GDP.
It is a geopolitical region that spans two regions of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
Extending from the west coast of the United States of America to the west coast of India, the Indo-Pacific is a regional structure of 24 countries.
It includes the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, western and central Pacific Ocean.
