1. India has suspended tourist visas issued to Chinese nationals
Tags: International News
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) India has suspended tourist visas issued to Chinese nationals.
India has been raising with China the problems of about 22,000 Indian students registered in Chinese universities, these students are unable to go there and take classes.
China has not yet allowed these students to come to the country.
In the year 2020, due to the Kovid-19 epidemic, these students had to leave their studies midway and return to India.
In a circular issued on April 20 about India, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said, Tourist visas issued to citizens of China are no longer valid.
Nationals of Bhutan, India, Maldives and Nepal, passengers with a residence permit issued by India, passengers with visa or an e-visa issued by India, passengers with an overseas citizen of India (OCI) card or booklet, passengers with a persons of Indian origin (PIO) card and passengers with a diplomatic passport can enter into india.
Tourist visas with a validity of ten years are no longer valid.
What is Tourist visa
A tourist visa is an official document or stamp authorising a person to enter a foreign country for the purpose of leisure and tourism.
It may also be called “travel visas”, “visitor visas”, or “temporary stay visas”.
This allows the holder to stay in the host country for a short period of time. This can range from several months to several days.
During the stay, holders of tourist visas are not allowed to work or engage in non-tourist activities.
2. Indian diaspora to register as Overseas Voters
Tags: National News
Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra has urged members of the overseas Indian community to register as overseas voters.
He also informed the NRI community that the extension of Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) facility for overseas voters is being considered.
The government is considering the matter after the Election Commission had written to the Law Ministry in 2020 to allow NRIs to vote through postal ballots.
A delegation led by Chandra visited South Africa and Mauritius.
During the visit, talks were held with the Election Commission of South Africa and Mauritius as well as with the NRI community in both the countries.
South Africa has made great strides in democracy and will host the next general assembly of the Association of World Election Bodies (AWEB) in October 2022.
India has a very intense and active engagement with AWEB.
Both India and South Africa are founding members of this organisation.
Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS)
It enables voters to cast their vote on a postal ballot received electronically from their preferred location.
Voters can avail this service from anywhere outside their designated constituency.
It was developed to facilitate service voters
ETPBS is developed and managed by Election Commission of India.
3. UK to issue Open General Export Licence (OGEL) to India
Tags: Economics/Business International News
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In a statement, the British High Commission said the UK will issue an Open General Export Licence (OGEL) to India to cut the delivery period for defence purchases.
The British Prime Minister arrived in India on a two-day visit in the backdrop of the Russo-Ukraine War.
The UK is creating an Open General Export Licence (OGEL) for India to reduce bureaucracy and reduce delivery times for defence procurement.
It will partner with India in the maritime domain along with new fighter jet technology to detect and respond to threats.
What is Open General Export Licence (OGEL)?
It is a type of licence that is used for the export licence that is issued by the government for domestic suppliers.
The goods exported to India are classified into three types.
They are prohibited items, restricted items and freely importable items.
These classifications are made on the basis of the nature and use of the products.
OEGL's application process and grant will be looked after by the Department of Defence Production.
The primary objective of OEGL is to boost India's defence exports.
Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Poland and Mexico are allowed under the OGELs.
4. Suman Bery appointed NITI Aayog vice-chairman
Tags: Person in news National News
After the resignation of Rajiv Kumar, the Government of India appointed Suman K Berry as the vice- Chairman of NITI Aayog.
Bery will take charge from May 1, 2022.
Kumar will be relieved on 30 March 2022.
Noted economist Kumar took over as the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog in August 2017.
Berry previously served as the Director General (Chief Executive) of the National Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi.
He has also been a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, the Statistical Commission and the Technical Advisory Committee of the Reserve Bank of India on Monetary Policy.
Berry has also served as Director General of the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) from 2001 to 2011.
about NITI Aayog
It is the premier policy think tank of the Government of India, it provides directional and policy inputs.
It designs strategic and long-term policies.
It also provides relevant technical advice to the Centre, States, and Union Territories.
The Governing Council of NITI Aayog is chaired by the Prime Minister and includes the Chief Ministers of all the States and Union Territories and the Lieutenant Governors of other Union Territories.
It was constituted on January 1, 2015.
NITI stands for National Institution for Transforming India.
The Government of India constituted the NITI Aayog to replace the Planning Commission, which was set up in 1950.
This step was taken to better meet the needs and aspirations of the people.
5. Global sanctions on Russia may help spur Indian exports: EEPC
Tags: Russia-Ukraine Economics/Business International News
According to Engineering Exports Promotion Council (EEPC) India The Russo-Ukraine war has posed risks to economies and trade globally, but sanctions imposed by several developed countries on Russia could bring opportunities for Indian engineering exporters in the global market.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict is currently the most sensitive issue plaguing the global economy, while the sudden rise in COVID cases in China is also a major concern on the global supply chain.
Inflationary pressures in the US and real estate volatility in China will have an impact on business growth.
Rising steel prices and some financial issues are also expected to act as a hindrance to exports in the coming months.
india’s engineering exports
India's engineering exports registered 19.7% growth in March 2022 by climbing up to $11.13 billion from $ 9.29 billion in March 2021.
Exports during April-March stood at $112.10 billion, registering 46.12% growth over the previous year.
In financial year 22, the share of engineering in total merchandise exports was 26.7%.
Out of 34 engineering product panels, 32 showed positive growth during 2021-22 as compared to 2020-21.
India’s engineering exports surpassed the target of $107.34 billion for Financial year 2021-22 set by the Government of India.
Among the top 25 major markets for Indian engineering goods, exports to the US jumped 61 per cent to $2.02 billion in March from $1.26 billion in the same month last year.
Engineering exports to UAE surged 78.9% in March, 2022 to US$ 553 million.
The top 25 countries such as the US, UAE, China, Germany, Italy and Singapore account for about 75% of the total engineering exports from the country.
Italy, UAE and Belgium were the top three importers of Indian Iron and Steel during 2021-22.
The US was the largest importer of Indian 'industrial machinery' during 2021-22 in the global imports of India's product group.
South Africa, Mexico and Nigeria were the top three importers of automobiles from India during 2021-22.
6. Niti Aayog, Unicef India sign pact on sustainable development goals
Tags: National News
NITI Aayog and UNICEF India signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), its focus is on children.
Reiterating mutual commitment to make children's rights effective in India, SOI seeks to formalise the framework of cooperation for the preparation of the first report on the theme 'Status of Children in India: Status and Trends in Multidimensional Child Development'.
The objective is to analyse the current status of children in the background of important SDGs related to children, to establish recent trends.
This effort will contribute to meet India's commitments on the 2030 Agenda.
It will provide a set of policy recommendations for concrete action in the context of 'no child is left behind' and to accelerate progress towards the SDGs to achieve holistic development of children.
This child-centric SDG initiative is based on an effort to monitor progress through the SDG India Index and Dashboard.
About Unicef India
*UNICEF India works to promote and protect the rights of children across the country.
*The partnership of UNICEF with India began in 1949.
*The first office was established in New Delhi in 1952.
*The Ministry of Women and Child Development is a nodal agency in India.
7. FATF Ministerial Meeting in Washington D.C.
Tags: Economics/Business International News
Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman attended the FATF Ministerial Meeting in Washington D C on April 21, 2022.
The meeting was held simultaneously with the 2022 Spring Meeting of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The meeting focused on providing direction to the ministers, by supporting the strategic priorities of the FATF for the year 2022-24.
This meeting focussed on the following points –
* to ensure suitable funding for the delivery of the strategic priorities which.
*FATF systems of Mutual Evaluations
*Enhancing International Beneficial Ownership Transparency,
*Increasing Capabilities to more effectively recover Criminal assets,
*Leveraging Digital Transformation
India extended support on these strategic priorities and reiterated India’s commitment to provide resources and support to FATF.
FATF Ministers will meet again in 2024.
About FATF
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is the global money laundering and terrorist financing protector.
This inter-governmental body sets international standards which aim to prevent these types of illegal activities and the harm they cause to society.
It works to produce the necessary political will to bring about national legislative and regulatory reforms in these areas.
With more than 200 countries and jurisdictions it is committed to implementing them.
It was established in July 1989 by the G-7 Summit in Paris.
the FATF expanded its mandate In October 2001 to incorporate efforts for combat terrorist financing as well as money laundering.
It added efforts to counter the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in April 2012.
8. National Apprenticeship Mela-2022 organised at more than 700 locations across the country
Tags: National News
National Apprenticeship Mela-2022 is being organised across the country in more than 700 locations on 21 april.
Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched the Apprenticeship Mela at an event in New Delhi.
He said the initiative will empower the youth of the nation.
He stated that people will be job creators through this Apprenticeship programme. It will boost the confidence level of a person.
Skill India, in association with the Directorate General of Training, is organising the day-long Apprenticeship Mela across the country.
The aim of the initiative is to support the hiring of more than one lakh apprentices and assist employers in tapping the right talent and developing it further with training and providing practical skill sets.
The event is witnessing participation from more than four thousand organisations across the country, operating in more than 30 sectors such as Power, Retail, Telecom, IT/ITeS, Electronics, and Automotive.
In addition, the aspiring youth will have the opportunity to engage and select from more than 500 trades including Welder, Electrician, Housekeeper, Beautician, and Mechanic.
National Policy of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015.
9. The Indian Navy launched the sixth and last submarine of the Kalvari class submarines under Project-75
Tags: Science and Technology National News
The sixth and last of the French Scorpène-class submarines, Vagsheer, was launched at the Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.
The 'Vagsheer' submarine was commissioned by Mrs. Veena Ajay Kumar, wife of Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar, in keeping with the naval traditions of a woman's launch or naming.
This Scorpene class submarine will undergo sea trials for about 1 year, after which it will be inducted into the Indian Navy after successful completion.
INS Vagshir is named after a deadly predatory fish found in the depths of the Indian Ocean.
These submarines have been built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in collaboration with France Naval Group in Mumbai.
The first 'Vagshir' submarine was commissioned in the Indian Navy in December 1974 and was decommissioned in April 1997.
The new Vagshir submarine is the latest incarnation of its older version.
The other five submarines to come from the Kalvari class
–INS Kalvari -It was launched on 27 October 2015 and commissioned on 14 December 2017.
–INS Khanderi –It was launched on 12 January 2017 and commissioned on 28 September 2019
–INS Karanj – It was launched on 31 January 2018 and commissioned on 10 March 2021.
–INS Vela - It was launched on May 6, 2019 and commissioned on November 25, 2021.
–INS Vagir – It was launched on November 12, 2020 and sea trials have started from February 2022.
Features of Scorpene class submarines
–The Scorpene class submarines are ensured with enhanced features such as advanced acoustic silencing technology, low radiative noise level, hydro-dynamically optimised shape and the ability to strike the enemy with precision weapons.
–These Scorpene-class submarines can attack the enemy with both torpedoes and tube-launched anti-ship missiles, both underwater or on the surface.
–Scorpene submarines can perform a variety of missions, such as anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance, etc.
Project 75-India
—Project 75 intends to build six diesel-electric attack submarines of the Kalvari class that are based on the Scorpene-class, which are being built at MDL (Mazagon Dock Limited).
—Project 75 (I), approved in 2007, is part of the Indian Navy’s 30 year Plan for indigenous submarine construction.
10. Russia test-fires ‘world’s most powerful' nuclear-capable missile
Tags: Science and Technology International News
Nearly two months after invading Ukraine, Russia tested the Sarmat missile, a new nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile.
The test was conducted in Palestek, in the southwestern part of Russia.
After the test, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that this missile will make Russia's enemies stop and think.
The Sarmat missile is a new nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile.
It was test-launched for the first time from Plesetsk in northwest Russia and hit targets in the Kamchatka peninsula, nearly 6,000 km (3,700 miles) away.
The missile weighs more than 200 tonnes and can transport more than ten warheads.
As per Russian media, Sarmat is a three-stage, liquid-fueled missile with a range of 18,000 km.
The missile is 35.3 metres long and 3 metres in diameter.
The long-range missile has been in the works since the 2000s.
Russia's nuclear forces will start taking delivery of the new missile "in the autumn of this year" once testing is complete.
It is among Russia's next-generation missiles that Putin has called "invincible," and which also include the Kinzhal and Avangard hypersonic missiles.
It has the highest tactical and technical characteristics and is capable of overcoming all modern means of anti-missile defence.
The missile can hit any target on Earth.
