1. India and Sweden Host Industry Transition Dialogue In Stockholm
Tags: International Relations International News
India and Sweden hosted the Industry Transition Dialogue on 2 June in Stockholm as a part of their joint initiative, Leadership for Industry Transition (LeadIT).
The LeadIT initiative focuses on areas that are major stakeholders in global climate action and require specific interventions.
This high level dialogue has made a significant contribution to the United Nations Conference 'Stockholm+50'.
Stockholm +50 is a World Environment Assembly held on 2 and 3 June to commemorate the first United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in 1972.
It sets the agenda for COP27.
Japan and South Africa are the latest members of the initiative.
At present, the total number of LeadIT members is 37, including countries and companies.
Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav addressed the event.
He said it is a time to celebrate 50 years of collaborative action, as well as a time to introspect on what we have achieved so far and what remains to be achieved.
During the event, India chaired the Round Table Talks on priorities for implementation for 2022-23.
Countries and companies share their initiatives, success stories and plans for the future.
About Sweden
Capital - Stockholm
National Day - 6 June
Parliament - Called ‘riksdag’
Members of parliament - 349 in a single chamber
Head of state - King Carl XVI Gustaf; heir to the throne is Crown Princess Victoria
Total area - 528,447 sq km (fifth largest country in Europe)
Highest mountain - Kebnekaise (2,099 m)
Biggest lake - Vänern (5,650 sq km)
Currency - Swedish krona
2. Gun Control Legislation in Canada
Tags: International News
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has unveiled new legislation that would impose "some of the most stringent gun control measures" in decades, including a "freeze" on the country's handgun buying and selling.
This law will limit the capacity of magazines as well as ban toys that look like guns.
Under this new law, only sports shooters, Olympic athletes and security guards will be exempted from the handgun freeze.
In this law, the person who already has a gun will be allowed to keep it.
After the increasing incidents of shooting, the Canadian government has prepared this new plan to control gun culture.
About Canada
Canada is the second largest country in the world in terms of total area.
It's only land bordering country is the United States, with which it shares the world's longest land border.
Capital - Ottawa
Prime Minister- Justin Trudeau
Currency- Canadian Dollar
3. Union Cabinet allows procurement by Cooperatives through Government e-Marketplace
Tags: National Economy/Finance
The Union Cabinet on June 1 approved a proposal allowing cooperatives to sell products on the Government-e-Marketplace (GeM) platform.
Currently , registration of cooperative societies as buyers was not included in the existing mandate of Government e-Marketplace (GeM).
The Ministry of Cooperative will decide on the valid list of cooperatives to be included on GeM.
GeM will provide a dedicated onboarding process for cooperatives.
Significance of the move
This move will help 8.54 lakh registered cooperative societies like Amul and IFFCO and their 27 crore members, as they will get products from GeM portal at competitive rates.
Micro and medium small scale industries will get buyers and it will boost the prospects of Vocal for Local and Self-reliant India.
With the opening of the GeM portal, Self Help Groups, MSMEs and small businesses have benefited greatly.
About Government-e-Marketplace (GeM) platform
Launch - 9 August 2016
Purpose - to bring transparency and efficiency in the government buying process
Nodal Ministry - Ministry of Commerce and Industry
GeM works on inclusion, transparency and efficiency
Who registered on GeM - Artisans, weavers, SHGs, startups, women entrepreneurs & MSMEs are registered on GeM
The portal is open for - all government buyers, Central and State Ministries, departments, public sector enterprises, autonomous institutions, local bodies, etc
Private buyers cannot buy on the platform but private people can sell products to government bodies by the portal.
4. Elon Musk tops list of highest-paid CEOs
Tags: International News
According to the Fortune 500 report, in the year 2021, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk were in first place in terms of highest salary.
In the year 2021, Elon Musk has received $23.5 billion (Rs 1.82 lakh crore) as salary. This also includes encashing stock options issued in 2018, which had a deadline of 2021.
After Musk, the list of the 10 highest-paid Fortune 500 CEOs of 2021 features all tech and biotech CEOs, including the heads of Apple, Netflix and Microsoft.
Apple's Tim Cook was the second highest-paid CEO, who received $ 77.05 million (about six thousand crore rupees) as salary in 2021.
Nvidia co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang came third on the list with $507 million.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who was at number seven in this list, has received $ 3094 million in the year 2021 as salary.
Top 10 Highest Paid CEOs
Elon Musk (Tesla) - $23.5 billion
Tim Cook (Apple) - $770.5 million
Jensen Huang (NVIDIA) - $561 million
Reed Hastings (Netflix) - $453.5 million
Leonard Schlieffer Regeneron (Pharmaceuticals) - $452.9 million
Marc Benioff (Salesforce) – $439.4 million
Satya Nadella (Microsoft) – $309.4 million
Robert A. Kotik (Activision Blizzard) - $296.7 million
Hawk E. Tan (Broadcom) - $288 million
Saffra A. Katz (Oracle) - $239.5 million
5. 3rd Global Organic Expo 2022
The 3rd Global Organic Expo was held from 26-28 May, 2022 at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi.
The theme of the third edition of 'Global Organic Expo 2022' is "Profitability for Humanity".
The event has been organised by the Society of Health, Environment, Safety and Sustainability Professionals (ShesPro) in association with ICONEX Events.
Organic companies from more than 10 countries of the world participated in the Global Organic Expo-2022.
Objective of Global Organic Expo
Reducing costs and achieving sustainable productivity through capacity development of certified organic products and organic production systems.
Organic products focus on building market linkages between producers and marketers with the ultimate aim of increasing income without any chemical inputs.
The Global Organic Expo is an opportunity to locate new customers and interact face-to-face with existing customers, suppliers and partners.
Important facts
Former Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling was the guest of honour for the event. He was awarded the 'True Father of Organic State of Sikkim' during the program.
Pawan Chamling's government had passed a resolution in the state assembly on 24 February 2003 to make Sikkim an organic farming state.
After 12 years, on January 18, 2016, Sikkim became the first 100% organic state in the world.
6. India-Bangladesh Rail Link
Tags: National International News
Passenger train services between India and Bangladesh resumed, Bandhan Express departed from Kolkata for Khulna and Maitree Express started from Dhaka to Kolkata.
The Bandhan Express was resumed rail link between Kolkata and the industrial hub of Khulna.
Khulna is the third-largest city of Bangladesh.
In 1965, the Barisal Express was introduced on this route, which was stopped due to the Indo-Pakistani War.
The government of India along with the Bangladesh government restarted that with Bandhan express in 2017.
Bandhan Express was the second train to be flagged off after the introduction of Maitree Express between Kolkata and Dhaka Cantonment in April 2008.
It covers the distance between Kolkata and Khulna via Petrapole and Benapole border route to meet the demands of the people of both the countries.
Other works towards strengthening the rail link
In August 2021, the two sides started regular movement of freight trains between Haldibari in India and Chilahati in Bangladesh.
The Haldibari-Chilahati rail link between India and erstwhile East Pakistan was also operational till 1965 which was closed due to war.
It was part of the broad gauge main road from Kolkata to Siliguri at the time of partition.
At least 20 freight trains per month are planned to cross the border on this link by both sides.
7. India-Bangladesh Rail Link
Tags: National International News
Passenger train services between India and Bangladesh resumed, Bandhan Express departed from Kolkata for Khulna and Maitree Express started from Dhaka to Kolkata.
The Bandhan Express was resumed rail link between Kolkata and the industrial hub of Khulna.
Khulna is the third-largest city of Bangladesh.
In 1965, the Barisal Express was introduced on this route, which was stopped due to the Indo-Pakistani War.
The government of India along with the Bangladesh government restarted that with Bandhan express in 2017.
Bandhan Express was the second train to be flagged off after the introduction of Maitree Express between Kolkata and Dhaka Cantonment in April 2008.
It covers the distance between Kolkata and Khulna via Petrapole and Benapole border route to meet the demands of the people of both the countries.
Other works towards strengthening the rail link
In August 2021, the two sides started regular movement of freight trains between Haldibari in India and Chilahati in Bangladesh.
The Haldibari-Chilahati rail link between India and erstwhile East Pakistan was also operational till 1965 which was closed due to war.
It was part of the broad gauge main road from Kolkata to Siliguri at the time of partition.
At least 20 freight trains per month are planned to cross the border on this link by both sides.
8. India, China reviews situation along LAC during 24th WMCC meeting
Tags: International Relations Defence
The 24th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held on 31 May.
The Indian delegation was led by the Additional Secretary, (East Asia), Ministry of External Affairs and the Chinese delegation was led by the Director General, Department of Borders and Oceans, Ministry of External Affairs.
Both sides reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of Indo-China border areas.
Since the last meeting of the WMCC in November 2021, both sides have held the 14th and 15th meeting of Senior Commanders in January and March 2022 respectively.
Both sides exchanged views on the current situation along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh.
They agreed to continue discussions through diplomatic and military channels to resolve the remaining issues along the LAC.
They agreed to hold the 16th Round of Senior Commanders' Meeting to achieve the objective of complete elimination of all friction points along the LAC in the Western Sector.
About WMCC
It was established in 2012 as an institutional mechanism for consultation and coordination for the management of India-China border areas.
The aim was to exchange views on strengthening communication and cooperation between border security personnel from both sides.
It is headed by joint secretary-level officials from both the countries.
The mechanism was first suggested by Wen Jiabao in 2010.
9. National Education Ministers’ Conference
Tags: National News
The National Education Ministers' Conference is being organized for two days (June 1 and June 2, 2022) in Gujarat with focus on implementation of the new National Education Policy (NEP).
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan along with other Union Ministers and Education Ministers of States and Union Territories will participate in the conference.
The conference is expected to deliberate on strengthening the education ecosystem in the country.
The conference will focus on implementation of National Education Policy 2020, skills in schools and digital initiatives like National Digital Education Architecture, National Educational Technology Forum etc.
National Education Policy 2020
It was brought in 2020.
Its aim is to make India a global knowledge superpower.
The two earlier education policies were brought in 1968 and 1986.
The cabinet also approved renaming the Ministry of Human Resource Development as the Ministry of Education.
This includes elementary and university education in urban and rural India.
10. India-Pakistan 118th bilateral meeting on Indus Water Treaty
Tags: International Relations
A five-member delegation from Pakistan reached India via the Wagah border to attend the 118th bilateral meeting on the Indus Waters Treaty, in New Delhi on May 30.
India is building 10 hydroelectric plant projects to reduce excess water in Pakistan.
Both the countries will discuss the issue of advance flood information and the annual report of the Permanent Commission for Indus Waters (PCIW).
The 1,000 MW Pakal Dul, 48 MW lower Kalnai and 624 MW Kiru hydroelectric projects on west-flowing rivers being built by India under the Indus Water Treaty will also be discussed during the meeting.
What is the Indus Water Treaty?
It is a water-sharing treaty between India and Pakistan.
It was signed by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistani President Ayub Khan in 1960.
As per the treaty all the waters of three rivers- Ravi,Sutlej and Beas ( Eastern Rivers) were allocated to India for exclusive use.
Whereas, the waters of the western rivers – Indus, Jhelum and Chenab – were allocated to Pakistan except for specified domestic, non-consumable and agricultural uses allowed for India.
India has been given the right to generate hydroelectricity through Run of the River (ROR) projects on the western rivers.
About Indus River System
The Indus River System is one of the largest river basins in the world.
It includes five rivers namely Indus River, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.
The basin is mainly shared by India and Pakistan, with China and Afghanistan sharing a small portion of it.
Indus River
It flows in a north-west direction from its source (Glaciers of Kailash Range – in Tibet near Lake Manasarovar) till the Nanga Parbat Range.
length - about 2,900 km.
Jhelum River
Originates - in spring at Verinag in the south-eastern part of the Kashmir Valley.
Chenab River
Originates - from near the BaraLacha Pass in the Lahaul-Spiti part of the Zaskar Range
Ravi River
Origin - in Kullu hills near the Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh.
Beas River
Originates - near Rohtang Pass, at a height of 4,062 m above sea level, on the southern end of the Pir Panjal Range
Satluj River
Originates - from the Manasarovar-Rakas Lakes in western Tibet.
