1. Cabinet approves MoU on Judicial Cooperation with Maldives
Tags: International News National News
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of judicial cooperation between India and the Judicial Service Commission of the Republic of Maldives.
Important facts
It will provide a platform to tap the benefits of Information Technology for court digitization.
It can be a potential growth area for the IT companies and start-ups in both the countries.
With the signing of this agreement on cooperation in the field of law and justice, better relations between the two countries will gain further impetus.
This will not only enable the exchange of knowledge and technology in judicial and other legal areas between the two countries but will also advance the objectives of the “Neighbourhood First” policy.
In recent years, the close relations between India and Maldives have deepened multidimensionally.
About Maldives
It is also called Maldive Islands, an independent island country in the north-central Indian Ocean.
It extends more than 510 miles (820 km) from north to south and 80 miles (130 km) from east to west.
Basis of economy - fisheries, tourism
Industries - handicraft or cottage including the making of coir (coconut-husk fibre) and coir products, fish canning, and boatbuilding.
Capital - Male
President - Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Official Language - Dhivehi (Maldivian)
Official Religion - Islam
Currency - Rufiyaa
2. Govt formulates NAMASTE scheme for cleaning of sewers, septic tank
Tags: National Government Schemes
Government has formulated a National Action Plan for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem- NAMASTE scheme for cleaning of sewers and septic tanks.
What is the NAMASTE Scheme?
The scheme is a joint venture of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
The Ministry has prepared a list of essential safety machinery and main equipment to be used by Safai Mitras.
This step has been taken by the government to end the practice of manual scavenging in India.
Manual scavenging is the practice of removing human feces by hand from a sewer or septic tank.
Aims of the scheme
Achieving zero mortality in sanitation works in India.
Preventing any sanitation worker from coming in direct contact with human faecal matter
Ensuring all sewer and septic tank sanitation workers have access to alternative livelihoods
3. The 17th Indian Industry (CII) - Exim Bank Conclave on India-Africa growth partnership
Tags: National News
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The 17th CII - Exim Bank Conclave on India-Africa growth partnership was held on 19th- 20th July 2022 in New Delhi.
Important facts
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal addressed the conclave.
He called for the expansion, diversification and partnership of India-Africa economic ties to include emerging sectors such as solar energy, start-ups and digital infrastructure.
India Exim Bank’s study titled “Building a Resilient Africa: Enhanced Role of India” was presented during the conclave.
Four major focus areas for the India-Africa partnership
Four major focus areas for the India-Africa partnership are-
Solar power
Military exchanges in the reference of the security of the Indian Ocean
Physical and digital infrastructure, health care, pharma and vaccines
Start-up ecosystem
India-Africa partnership
Trade between India and African countries has been balanced with exports of around $40 billion and imports of $49 billion.
Africa is India's fourth largest trading partner.
Merchandise trade between both countries grew by 34 percent from USD 67 billion in 2019-20 to USD 89 billion in 2021-22.
India has given 27 less-developed countries from Africa the benefit of duty free tariff preference.
With both countries receiving significant amounts of sunlight, solar energy could be an area of engagement between Africa and India.
Military exchanges in the Indian Ocean, defence trade, manufacturing in the defence sector can lead to greater engagement between Africa and India.
India stands ready to help African countries in the areas of physical and digital infrastructure, be it information technology, setting up new infrastructure projects, helping with healthcare and manufacturing of vaccines.
About the Conclave
It was launched in the year 2005 with the support of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India.
The Conclave has been instrumental in encouraging Indian companies to establish and grow their footprints in Africa.
The upcoming edition will focus on large scale trade and industry, exports, investments, exchange of knowledge and expertise between India and Africa.
4. 2, 877 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations sanctioned under Phase-2 of FAME India scheme
Tags: Economy/Finance National News
The Ministry of Heavy Industries has approved 2,877 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in 68 cities across 25 States/UTs under Phase II of FAME India.
Important facts
In addition, 1576 charging stations have also been sanctioned on 9 expressways and 16 highways under the second phase of the FAME India scheme.
Under Phase-I of FAME India Scheme, 479 charging stations have been installed as on 1 July, 2022.
One thousand crore rupees have been allocated for the development of charging infrastructure for a period of five years with effect from April 1, 2019, under the second phase of the FAME-India scheme.
FAME India Scheme
To improve the infrastructure required for the large-scale use of electric vehicles, the Government formulated a Scheme namely FAME India (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles) in 2015.
Under this scheme, by the year 2022, 60-70 lakh hybrid and electric vehicles are targeted to be put on the roads across the country.
This will reduce the consumption of about 950 crore litres of petrol and diesel, which will also save Rs 62 thousand crores spent on this.
The main objective of this scheme is to reduce pollution and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Phase-II of FAME India Scheme is being implemented for a period of 3 years from April 1, 2019.
The Phase-I of this Scheme was launched for a period of 2 years from 1st April 2015, which was extended from time to time and the last extension was allowed up to 31st March 2019.
Initiatives taken by the Government
The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs amended the Model Building Byelaws 2016 to establish charging stations and infrastructure in private and commercial buildings.
The Ministry of Power has issued a notification regarding the infrastructure standard allowing private charging in residences and offices.
From 11 June, 2021 the demand incentive under Phase II of FAME India Scheme has been increased.
In addition, on June 25, 2021, the second phase of the FAME India scheme was extended for a period of 2 years till March 31, 2024.
The government on 12 May 2021 approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for manufacturing of Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) in the country.
Electric Vehicles are covered under Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Automobile and Auto Components.
GST on electric vehicles has been reduced from 12% upto 5%.
What are Electric Vehicles?
Electric Vehicles are vehicles that are partially or fully powered on electric power.
They have low running costs and are also very environmentally friendly as they use little or no fossil fuels (petrol or diesel).
These vehicles can solve the problems of increasing pollution, global warming, depleting natural resources etc.
5. U.K. records its highest-ever temperature
Tags: International News
Britain broke its record for the highest temperature ever recorded, with a temperature of 39.1 °C (102.4 °F) on 19 July.
Important facts
The United Kingdom had earlier recorded the highest temperature in 2019 at 38.7 C (101.7 F).
This new record has been set in Charleswood, England.
For the past week, the highest temperature has been recorded in the whole of Europe due to the scorching heat.
"Extreme" heat warnings were issued for London in the south and Manchester and Leeds in the north on 19 July.
The "extreme" warning means there is danger to human life.
Effects of Extreme Heat
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), extreme heat can exacerbate respiratory diseases, heart conditions and kidney diseases.
Its immediate effects on the human body include dehydration and potentially fatal heat stroke.
It can also have serious impacts on agriculture and forests.
Due to this the plants wither and dry up and the disease spreads among the plants.
It causes forest fires which lead to reduction in forest cover and death of living beings.
Highest Temperature ever on Earth
California’s Death Valley registered a temperature of 54.4 degrees Celsius or 129.9 degrees Fahrenheit on August 16, 2020.
Once verified, this could be the highest ever recorded temperature on Earth.
Temperature is specified as preliminary, not final as it requires verification.
Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California.
6. In 2021, over 1.6 lakh Indians renounced citizenship
Tags: Popular National News
According to data from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) over 1.6 lakh Indians renounced their citizenship in 2021, highest in the past five years.
Important facts
According to statistics, more than 78,000 Indians left Indian citizenship to take US citizenship, which is the highest among all other countries.
362 Indians living in China also acquired Chinese citizenship.
The number of Indians who gave up their citizenship in 2021 is 1,63,370.
Over 9.24 lakh persons gave up their Indian citizenship in the seven-year period between 2015 and 2021.
The number of Indians who renounced citizenship in the years 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 stood at 1,33,049, 1,34,561, 1,44,017 and 85,248 respectively.
Top 10 countries where Indians renounced their citizenship in 2021
United States (78,284 in 2021 and 30,828 in 2020)
Australia (23,533 in 2021 and 13,518 in 2020)
Canada (21,597 in 2021 and 17,093 in 2020)
United Kingdom (14,637 in 2021 and 6,489 in 2020)
Italy (5,986 in 2021 and 2,312 in 2020)
New Zealand (2,643 in 2021 and 2,116 in 2020)
Singapore (2,516 in 2021 and 2,289 in 2020)
Germany (2,381 in 2021 and 2,152 in 2020)
The Netherlands (2,187 in 2021 and 1,213 in 2020)
Sweden (1,841 in 2021 and 1,046 in 2020)
What is Citizenship?
Citizenship refers to the relationship between the individual and the state.
Citizenship is listed in the 'Union List' under the Constitution and is within the jurisdiction of Parliament.
The details of the various categories of persons eligible for citizenship in the Constitution are given in Part 2 (Articles 5 to 11).
The Citizenship Act of 1955 specifies five methods of obtaining citizenship, which include birth, descent, registration, naturalization and incorporation of territory.
Methods of relinquishing citizenship in India
An Indian citizen, who is of full age and capacity, may renounce the citizenship of India at will.
If a person takes citizenship of another country, then his Indian citizenship automatically ends because the Indian Constitution provides for single citizenship.
If a citizen violates the Constitution, has obtained citizenship by fraudulent means, engages in illegal trade or communication with the enemy during war, has been residing outside India continuously for 7 years, then the Government of India can terminate his citizenship.
If a citizen has been imprisoned in any country for two years during the five years of the citizenship obtained through registration or naturalization, then his citizenship can also be terminated.
7. Ghana declares first outbreak of deadly Marburg virus
Tags: National News
Ghana has officially confirmed two cases of Marburg virus, a highly contagious disease similar to Ebola.
What is Marburg Virus Disease?
According to the World Health Organization, Marburg is a highly contagious viral disease that leads to hemorrhagic fever, with a mortality rate of up to 88%.
Marburg is as deadly as Ebola and no suitable drug or vaccine has yet been discovered to treat and prevent the disease.
Outbreaks of this disease have been reported in many African countries in the past, including Kenya, Congo, Angola, South Africa, and Uganda.
These outbreaks have also resulted in a large number of deaths, most of which have occurred in southern and eastern Africa.
Symptoms of Disease
High fever, severe headache, muscle pain, abdominal pain, and cramping.
Nausea and vomiting may also begin on the third day after infection.
Transmission
Human infection initially results from prolonged exposure to mines or caves inhabited by Rousettus bat colonies.
Once a human has been infected with Marburg virus, it can be spread to others through direct contact with their blood, secretions or other bodily fluids.
Another route of transmission may be through sexual contact.
This virus is secreted in our body fluids such as saliva, sweat, nasal secretions and semen.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA),
Antigen detection tests,
Serum neutralization tests,
Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay,
Virus isolation by cell culture.
There is no specific treatment for Marburg virus disease yet.
8. Varanasi to be first ‘Cultural and Tourism Capital’ of SCO
Tags: National News
Varanasi, the holy city that showcases India's culture and traditions for centuries, will be declared as the first "Cultural and Tourism Capital" of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Important facts
Varanasi will become the "Cultural and Tourism Capital" of the SCO for 2022-23 under the eight-member organization's new initiative to promote people-to-people contact and tourism among member states.
Each year the city of cultural heritage of a member country that takes over the presidency of the organization will be given this title to highlight its prominence.
The new initiative will come into force after the Samarkand summit after which India will assume the presidency and host the next Heads of State Summit.
What is Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)?
It is a permanent intergovernmental international organization.
It was founded in 2001.
The SCO Charter was signed in 2002, and came into force in 2003.
It is a Eurasian political, economic and military organization.
Its aim is to maintain peace, security and stability in the region.
China, Russia and four Central Asian states – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan – were founding members of the SCO.
Official Languages - Russian and Chinese
Chairmanship - On the basis of rotation for a year by Member States
9. Consultative Committee of Ministry of Civil Aviation discusses ‘DIGI YATRA’ project
Tags: National News
The Consultative Committee meeting of the Ministry of Civil Aviation was held in New Delhi on 18 July. The topic for discussion was ‘DIGI YATRA’.
About ‘DIGI YATRA’
The project is envisioned to achieve contactless, seamless processing of passengers at airports based on Face Recognition System (FRT).
The basic idea of this project is that any passenger can pass through various checkpoints without any paperwork or contact.
For this, his facial features will be used, which will establish his identity, which will be directly linked to his boarding pass.
Privacy issues have been taken care of in this system.
It provides a decentralized mobile wallet based identity management platform which is also affordable and also addresses the privacy/data security issues in the implementation of Digi Yatra.
Objectives of DIGI YATRA
Providing a simple and easy experience to all air travellers.
Achieve better throughput through existing infrastructure using “Digital Framework”.
Result in lower cost operations.
Digitizing the existing manual process and bringing in better efficiency
First Phase of DIGI YATRA
In the first phase, Digi Yatra will be launched in August 2022 at two airports in Varanasi and Bengaluru.
It is proposed to start at five airports of Pune, Vijayawada, Kolkata, Delhi and Hyderabad by March next year.
AAI will identify the airports where Digi Yatra will be implemented in a phased manner.
10. NITI Aayog & WFP launched Initiative to promote millets in Asia & Africa
Tags: National News
On July 19, 2022, NITI Aayog and the World Food Program (WFP), India launched an initiative 'Mapping and Exchange of Good Practices' to mainstream millet in Asia and Africa.
Important facts
NITI Aayog and WFP will prepare a set of good practices for increasing the production and consumption of millets in India and abroad.
The Government of India has proposed to the United Nations to declare the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYoM).
It aims to generate domestic and global demand for millets.
International Year of Millets
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted India's resolution and declared 2023 as the International Year of millets in March 2021.
India's proposal received the support of 72 countries.
In 2021, NITI Aayog signed a letter of intent with the United Nations World Food Program (WFP).
The partnership focuses on mainstreaming millets and helping India take a global lead in promoting its health benefits.
The objective of this partnership is to build resilient livelihoods for smallholder farmers and to build adaptability to climate change and changing food systems.
Why is millet called a superfood?
India is the 5th largest exporter of Millets globally.
Millets are one of the oldest food items in the country.
Known as a superfood, Millets can address issues related to nutritional security, food system security and farmers' welfare.
These are a rich source of protein, fibre, minerals, iron, calcium and have a low glycemic index.
They are known for their nutrient rich content and certain characteristics like drought tolerance, photo-insensitivity, resilience to climate change etc.
They can be cultivated with less water and less cost.
It can also grow well in dry areas or on land with low fertility.
What are Millets?
They include jowar (sorghum), ragi (finger millet), korra (foxtail millet), arke (kodo millet), sama (little millet), bajra (pearl millet), chena/barr (proso millet) and sanwa (barnyard millet).
