1. India elected to UNESCO panel on Intangible Cultural Heritage
Tags: National News
India has been selected in the 'Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO's 2003 Agreement for the Protection Standards of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)' for the period 2022-2026.
Important facts
India has previously been a member of the ICH committee twice, from 2006 to 2010 and from 2014 to 2018.
India is included in two prestigious committees of UNESCO. Among these are the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2022–2026) and World Heritage (2021–2025) committees.
This will be another opportunity for India to re-establish the values of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'."
According to the Union Ministry of Culture, four seats were vacant in the Asia-Pacific grouping and six countries - India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand - had submitted their candidatures.
According to the statement, India got 110 votes out of 155 countries.
The Intergovernmental Committee on the 2003 Agreement has 24 members.
India's 'Intangible Cultural Heritage' recognized by UNESCO
(1) Tradition of Vedic chanting (3) Ramlila, traditional performance of Ramayana (3) Kutiyattam, Sanskrit theatre (4) Ramman, religious festivals and rituals of the Garhwal Himalayas, India (5) Mudiyettu, ritual theatre and dance drama of Kerala (6) Kalbelia Folk Songs and Dances of Rajasthan (7) Chhau Dance (8) Buddhist Chanting of Ladakh: Recitation of Sacred Buddhist Scriptures in the Ladakh Region of the Himalayas, Jammu and Kashmir, India (9) Sankirtana, Traditional Singing, Nagade of Manipur and dance (10) Brass and copper utensils made by Thathers of Punjab (11) Yoga (12) Navroz, (13) Kumbh Mela (14) Durga Puja, Kolkata.
UNESCO was established in the year 1945 to develop the "intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind" in the form of lasting peacekeeping.
UNESCO officially recognizes sites of cultural and natural importance as World Heritage.
India has a total of 40 Tangible Heritage Heritage Sites (31 Cultural, 8 Natural and 1 Mixed) and 14 Intangible Cultural Heritages recognized by UNESCO.
Abstract culture
Intangible culture is the wealth of a community, nation, etc., which continues to prosper over the centuries, overwhelming the subconscious of that community or nation.
Intangible culture is available in the form of heritage to the present generation by assimilating the characteristics of its contemporary generations over time.
2. Hariyali Mahotsav - 2022
Tags: National News
“Hariyali Mahotsav 2022” was organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on July 8, 2022 at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi in the spirit of “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”.
Important facts
It was organised with the aim of raising awareness on the importance of trees in sustaining the lives of the present generations as well as in securing the lives of the generations to come.
This festival was celebrated as an effective tool to generate enthusiasm among the public towards forest conservation and plantation.
Hariyali Mahotsav
Hariyali Mahotsav is an effective means of generating enthusiasm among the public for the conservation of forests and plantation.
Hariyali Mahotsav 2020 was organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in Delhi in collaboration with the State Government, Police and Schools to carry out a tree plantation drive on the occasion.
To mark the event, tree plantation drives were organised across India. In the tree plantation drive, 75 police stations across India, 75 city forests, 75 schools in Delhi/NCR and 75 plantation sites across India joined in honouring 75 years of Indian Independence.
The event complements the government-led initiatives and policies for environmental protection.
Major Fairs/Festivals of 2022
Festival | Venue |
40th Hunar Haat Festival | Mumbai |
Sarhul Mahotsav 2022 | Jharkhand |
35th Surajkund International Crafts Mela | Haryana (Partner Nation - Uzbekistan) |
National Youth Parliament Festival 2022 | New Delhi |
Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate | New Delhi |
Medaram Jatara Festival 2022 | Telangana |
Hearth Mahotsav 2022 | Jammu and Kashmir |
Maru Mahotsav 2022 | Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) |
Kanchoth Mahotsav 2022 | Jammu and Kashmir |
18th Kachai Lemon Festival | Kanchi, Manipur |
3. Akasa Air Airlines gets Air Operator Certificate
Tags: Popular National News
The country's newest airline Akasa Air has received the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on 7 July to start its commercial operations.
Important facts
The AOC Certificate signifies the airline's operational readiness to satisfactorily meet all regulatory and compliance requirements.
Under the supervision of DGCA, the airline concluded the process with a number of flights proving to be successfully operated.
The airline, backed by stock market investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, took delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in India on June 21.
Akasa Air is the first airline in India whose end-to-end AOC process was conducted using the government's progressive EGCA digital platform.
It will commence commercial operations at the end in July 2022.
By the end of the financial year 2022-23, the airline will have 18 aircraft and after that, 12-14 aircraft will be added per year.
Last November, Akasa Air announced the order for 72 '737 MAX' aircraft from Boeing.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
It is a statutory body and formed under the Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
It investigates aviation accidents and enforces all regulations related to aviation.
It registers and provides certificates to civil aircrafts.
It is attached to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India.
It coordinates all regulatory functions with the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
4. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shot dead in Nara
Tags: International News
Former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated in Nara (Western Japan) on 8 July while campaigning for the upcoming election.
Important facts
The assailant shot Abe from behind with a shotgun with two bullets in the chest.
The 67-year-old world leader was taken to hospital in critical condition but could not be saved.
The incident happened around 11.30 am (8 am Indian time).
He was delivering an election speech on the street outside a railway station in the context of elections to the Upper House of Japan's parliament.
Abe was shot in the left side of his chest as the attacker fired multiple shots.
Tetsuya Yamagami, a 41-year-old man from the city of Nara, has been arrested on suspicion of shooting Abe with intent to kill.
Who was Shinzo Abe?
Early life
Abe was born in Tokyo on 21 September 1954, he was the son of Shintaro Abe, who served as Japan's foreign minister.
He got a bachelor's degree in political science from Seiki University in Tokyo in 1977.
He then went to the U.S. to study public policy at the University of Southern California.
In 1979 he began working at Kobe Steel as the firm was expanding its presence abroad.
He left the company in 1982 to join the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
Political career
He was first elected as a Liberal Democratic Party legislator representing the southwestern prefecture of Yamaguchi in 1993.
Abe is seen as a conservative who was a member of the party's Mori faction, once led by his father, who died in 1991.
In 2005 Abe was appointed chief cabinet secretary under Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
In the same year, he was elected head of the LDP, preparing him to take over as prime minister.
On September 26, 2006, Abe became Prime Minister of Japan for the first time, taking a tough stance on North Korea and implementing economic reforms.
After the electoral defeat in 2007 saw the LDP lose control of the legislature for the first time in 52 years, Abe resigned as prime minister.
In 2012 he was elected LDP president and became Prime Minister for the second time.
In 2013 seeking to boost growth, Abe launched his “Abenomics” policies featuring easy lending and structural reforms.
During 2014-2020 he was re-elected LDP leader and he served two additional terms as Prime Minister.
On August 28, 2020 he announced he will step down as Prime Minister due to health reasons.
Abe became Japan's longest-serving prime minister.
Abe served as prime minister for eight years between 2012 and 2020, and before that from 2006 to 2007.
On July 8, 2022, Abe was shot and seriously injured during an election campaign in the city of Nara, and later died.
Japan
Present Prime Minister - Fumio Kishida
Japan's Capital - Tokyo
Japan's Currency - Yen
5. Vivo India transferred Rs 62,476 crore to China to avoid taxes
Tags: Economy/Finance National News
According to a statement issued by the Enforcement Directorate, Rs 62,476 crore has been "illegally" transferred to China by smartphone maker Vivo to evade payment of taxes in India between 2017 and 2021.
Important facts
18 companies that were incorporated fraudulently helped the smartphone maker Vivo to transfer 50 percent of the turnover outside India to mainly China.
Under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 119 bank accounts of entities with a gross balance of Rs 465 crore have been seized so far.
While transferring money to China, Vivo India has shown losses in most of its associate firms.
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has filed a police complaint against Vivo's subsidiary Grand Prospect International Communication Pvt Ltd (GPICPL), its directors, shareholders, certifying professionals etc.
Prevention of Money Laundering Act
It was enacted in 2002 and came into force in 2005.
The objective of the Act is to prevent money laundering, that is, the process of converting black money into white.
The Act empowers government officials to confiscate property acquired through illegal sources and money laundering.
Under the Act the burden of proof lies with the accused, who has to prove that the suspect property has not been obtained through unfair means.
Enforcement Directorate
It is a specialised financial investigation agency under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
It is a law enforcement and economic intelligence agency responsible for enforcing economic laws and fighting economic crime in India.
Its name was changed to Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 1957.
Its headquarters is in New Delhi and has many regional offices all over the country.
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) - Sanjay Kumar Mishra
6. Centre to promote dragon fruit cultivation in 50,000 hectares
Tags: Popular National News
Following in the footsteps of the Gujarat and Haryana governments, the Center has decided to promote the cultivation of dragon fruit, which is known as "super fruit" for its health benefits.
The centre is planning to expand dragon fruit cultivation in India considering nutritional values, cost-effectiveness and global demand.
Currently, this exotic fruit is being cultivated in India in 3,000 hectares, which is planned to be increased to 50,000 hectares in five years.
About dragon fruit (Kamalam)
Dragon fruit originated in Central and South America and has also spread to Asian countries.
It is the fruit of a species of wild cactus indigenous to South and Central America.
It is also called pitaya or pitahaya.
It belongs to the cacti family.
The fruit is fleshy with tiny black seeds.
The inner part of the fruit is consumed while the outer part is discarded.
The plant grows nearly five to six feet in height during which time it requires support.
Cultivation of Dragon fruit
Dragon fruit is also cultivated in Thailand, Taiwan, China, Australia, Israel, and Sri Lanka apart from its native Latin America.
It was introduced to India in the 1990s, and is grown in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
It is grown in all types of soil and does not require much water.
At present, Mizoram is at the forefront in the states cultivating this fruit.
The export of the fruit has made a huge contribution to Vietnam’s GDP.
All the states of India except the cold regions are suitable for dragon fruit plants.
Nutritional benefit
It is considered beneficial for diabetic patients, is low in calories and is rich in nutrients like iron, calcium, potassium and zinc.
It is rich in Vitamin C and is believed to be helpful in improving the platelet count during infectious diseases.
Farmers benefit
It doesn’t need much water and can be cultivated on dry land.
It gives maximum production from non-productive, less fertile areas.
This is beneficial for a lot of farmers.
7. Boris Johnson resigns as Prime Minister of Britain
Tags: International News
Boris Johnson resigned as Prime Minister of Britain on 7 July. He also announced his resignation as leader of the Conservative Party.
Earlier, more than 50 of Johnson's ministers and aides had resigned leaving his side.
It has become clear that the Conservative Party will have a new leader and Britain will have a new Prime Minister.
Johnson, 58, will remain in charge of 10 Downing Street (British Prime Minister’s residence) until the process of electing a new leader is completed at a Conservative Party convention.
The country's new Finance Minister Nadeem Jahavi had demanded Johnson's resignation.
Johnson had appointed him as the new finance minister, 36 hours after which he demanded his resignation.
Reason of resignation
Defeats of Conservative Party in by-elections for two parliamentary districts, Wakefield, and Tiverton.
The defeat was especially significant because it overturned the Conservative Party’s 24,000 majority in the district, the biggest ever majority to be overturned in a by-election.
On June 24, the co-chairman of the party resigned.
The elections for both the seats were due to the resignations of Conservative Party MPs facing sex scandals.
One of them had quit after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage boy, and the other was caught watching porn in Parliament.
The Pincher scandal - party colleague Chris Pincher had to resign as Deputy Chief Whip last week over allegations of sexual misconduct.
8. S Jaishankar attends G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting in Bali
Tags: International News
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Bali, Indonesia on July 7 and participated in the G20 Foreign ministers’ meeting.
Important facts
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia is organising this meeting within the framework of the Indonesia G20 Presidency.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and discussed pending issues related to bilateral ties, including the status of the border dispute in eastern Ladakh.
The meeting focused on pending issues related to bilateral relations, including the situation on the border.
Other issues including students and flights were also discussed between the two.
Jaishankar reiterated the need to restore peace and stability in the border areas.
It is noteworthy that since May 5, 2020, the armed forces of India and China have maintained tense relations along the border in eastern Ladakh.
India and China have so far held several rounds of talks at the military and diplomatic level to resolve the Eastern Ladakh dispute.
In this regard, the two ministers reaffirmed that military and diplomatic officials from both sides should maintain regular contact and look forward to the next round of senior commanders' meeting at the earliest.
The two Ministers also exchanged their perspectives on other regional and global developments.
About G-20
It is an informal group of 19 countries and the European Union.
The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are its representatives.
The G-20 group is the world's largest advanced and emerging economies.
It represents about two-thirds of the world’s population, 85% of global gross domestic product, 80% of global investment and over 75% of global trade.
Member countries - Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union.
It has no permanent secretariat or headquarters.
Italy will chair the G-20 in 2021, Indonesia will assume the role in 2022 and India will chair it in 2023.
9. 6th Deputy NSA level meeting of Colombo Security Conclave held in Kochi
Tags: International News
The 6th Deputy National Security Advisor-level meeting of the Colombo Security Conference is being held in Kochi, Kerala.
The seven-member Indian delegation is led by Deputy National Security Advisor Vikram Misri.
Apart from India, delegations from Maldives, Sri Lanka and Mauritius are participating in the meeting.
Representatives of Bangladesh and Seychelles are also attending the meeting as observers.
The delegates called for cooperation among member states on issues such as maritime defense and security, counter-terrorism, countering radicalization, smuggling and organized crime, as well as protecting critical infrastructure.
Colombo Security Conclave (CSC)
It started in 2011 as a trilateral maritime cooperation mechanism between India, Maldives and Sri Lanka.
The Secretariat of CSC is located in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The membership of the group was extended with the inclusion of Mauritius in March 2022.
So far five meetings of the CSC have been held at the level of National Security Advisor and Deputy National Security Advisor.
Since 2011, the mandate of the CSC mechanism has been enhanced to cover other issues of mutual interest.
Five pillars for cooperation
Maritime Safety and Security
Countering Terrorism and Radicalization
Combating trafficking and organized crime
Cyber Security
Protection of critical infrastructure, technology, humanitarian aid and disaster relief
10. PT Usha, Ilaiyaraaja, V Vijayendra Prasad, and Veerendra Heggade nominated to Rajya Sabha
Tags: Popular National News
Music maestro Ilaiyaraaja, sports icon PT Usha, screenwriter V Vijayendra Prasad and philanthropist and spiritual leader Virendra Hegde were nominated to the Rajya Sabha on 6 July.
The nominations were made after the term of Rajya Sabha of Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi of BJP and RCP Singh of JD(U) ended.
Ilaiyaraja
Ilaiyaraja is from Tamil Nadu.
In a career spanning nearly five decades, Ilaiyaraaja has composed songs in several Indian languages and won several awards.
He has won national awards five times. In 2010, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan and in 2018 the Padma Vibhushan.
PT Usha
Usha, born in Kozhikode in Kerala, is India’s best known track and field athlete.
She also runs the Usha School of Athletics for training young athletes in the sport.
He has won 11 medals at the Asian Games, including four golds at the 1986 Seoul Games.
She has been awarded the Arjuna Award and Padma Shri in the past.
V Vijayendra Prasad
He is from Telangana.
He is Telugu cinema’s leading screenwriter.
He has been associated with the creative world for many decades.
His works showcase India’s glorious culture and have made a mark globally.
Sivaji Ganesan (1982-86), Vyjayantimala Bali (1993-99) and S Ramaswamy (1999-2005) are the other Tamil film personalities who have served as nominated members of the Rajya Sabha.
Veerendra Heggade
He is from Karnataka.
He has been the ‘Dharmadhikari’ (custodian) of the Dharmasthala temple in Karnataka from the age of 20.
He established the Institute of Rural Development and Self-Employment Training to provide awareness about self-employment opportunities and to train rural youth.
He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in the year 2015.
Nomination of Rajya Sabha members by the President
Of the 245 members of the Rajya Sabha, 12 are nominated by the President on the recommendation of the government.
They are nominated under Article 80(3) of the Constitution.
As per Article 80(3) they should have special knowledge or practical experience in matters like literature, science, art and social service.
A nominated member is allowed to join a political party within the first six months of taking membership.
