1. Supreme Court orders setting up of 25 special courts for check bounce cases
Tags: National News
In the wake of pending check bounce cases, the Supreme Court has given a green signal to a pilot study in which special courts, headed by retired judicial officers, will be set up to deal exclusively with cases.
The pilot study will be conducted for a period of 1 year from September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2023.
25 special courts will be set up in five districts each of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, where a maximum number of check bounce cases are pending.
After evaluating the performance of one year, these courts will be expanded across the country.
Special courts set up for pilot studies shall follow the same procedure in respect of trial as mandated by the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.
These special courts will deal with these cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act.
There are 44 lakh cases of check bounce pending in the whole country, out of which maximum cases are pending in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India came into existence on 28 January 1950.
The Supreme Court of India was constituted in accordance with Chapter IV of Part V of the Constitution of India. The fourth chapter of the Indian Constitution is "Union Judiciary".
The Chief Justice of India is the head of the Supreme Court, which has a maximum of 34 judges.
Major Articles related to Supreme Court
Article 124 - Constitution and establishment of the Supreme Court of India
Article 129 - Supreme Court to be court of record
Article 132, 133, 134 - Appellate jurisdiction of Supreme Court is empowered
Article 135 - The power of the Federal Court is given to the Supreme Court
Article 138 - Regarding extension of jurisdiction of Supreme Court
Chief Justice of Supreme Court - Justice Nathalapati Venkata Ramana (48th)
2. World's highest meteorological station installed on Mount Everest
Tags: Popular International News
The world's highest meteorological station has been established on Mount Everest to study various weather phenomena.
According to Nepal's Department of Water and Meteorology, this meteorological station has been established at 8,830 metres just below the summit point of the mountain range (maximum height 8848.86 m).
The centre was facing difficulty in setting up the summit point due to the snow.
The solar-powered weather station will measure short- and long-distance radiation, along with changes in temperature, wind speed and direction, wind pressure and snow height.
Important point -
Nepal's Hydrology and Meteorological Department and National Geographic signed a Memorandum of Understanding to operate all five automated weather stations set up by NetGeo to provide real-time information about mountain conditions.
Under this agreement, the National Geographic team will operate these centres till 2025. After which the technology will be transferred to the Government of Nepal in the year 2026.
The NetGeo team, led by Baker Perry, a climate scientist at the US's Appalachian State University, included climbers and scientists, many of whom climbed the world's highest peak while setting up the weather station.
According to Chinese media reports, Mount Everest in Beijing has eight stations from 5,200 metres to 8,800 metres, with four stations over 7,000 metres at 7,028 metres, 7,790 metres, 8,300 metres and 8,800 metres.
About Mount Everest -
Mount Everest is the highest peak of the Greater Himalaya mountain range located on the border of Nepal and China (Tibet) in Asia.
Mount Everest is called Devagiri in Sanskrit, Chomolungma in Tibetan, Chu-mu-long-ma-feng in Chinese and Sagarmatha in Nepali.
On 29 May 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tensingh Norgay Sherpa, an Indian citizen of Nepalese origin, climbed Mount Everest for the first time.
Junko Tabei (Japan) is the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, as well as the first woman to climb the highest peaks on each of the 7 continents.
Bachendri Pal is the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest in 1984.
Santosh Yadav is the first Indian woman to climb Everest twice in a row.
Kami Rita Sherpa, a 52-year-old mountaineer from Nepal, has completed the most number of climbs on the world's highest mountain peak, Mount Everest. She has managed to climb Mount Everest 25 times.
3. Labor Party leader Albanese elected Prime Minister of Australia
Tags: Person in news International News
Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese has been elected the new Prime Minister of Australia.
Albanese, 59, will be the 31st Prime Minister of Australia.
The country's incumbent Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his team's failure to deal with several issues such as climate and Kovid-19, besides women's rights, political integrity and natural disasters led to their defeat in the election.
In Australia, voting was held for 151 seats in the Lower Chamber, in which 76 seats are needed to form a government.
The Labor Party, which won 71 seats with a vote count of 67 percent, was declared the winner. The Liberal National Coalition got only 52 seats.
Other facts
Australia has two houses, the Upper House (Senate) and the Lower House.
Here the tenure of the upper house is 6 years and that of the lower house is of three years, that is, elections are held after every three years.
Voting in Australia always takes place on Saturdays.
Voting is compulsory here, and those who do not vote have to pay a fine of up to $14.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe, in Tokyo, taking oath as the caretaker Prime Minister of Australia's elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Albanese. Biden and Japan's Prime Minister Fumiya Kishida may attend the Quad summit.
About Australia -
Australia is the only place that is considered to be a continent, a nation and an island at the same time.
It is the smallest continent in the world and also the largest island in the world.
Capital- Canberra
Prime Minister- Anthony Albanese
Currency- Australian Dollar
4. 8th BRICS Environment Ministers Meeting
Tags: Summits International News
The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupendra Yadav participated in the 8th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting on 20 May.
The meeting was held virtually under the chairmanship of the People's Republic of China.
Ministers and representatives of Brazil, Russia and South Africa also participated in the meeting.
The theme of the meeting - 'Foster High-Quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development'.
The Joint Statement of the 8th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting was also accepted in the meeting after extensive deliberations among the BRICS countries.
About BRICS
The full form of BRICS is Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill coined the term BRIC (without South Africa) in 2001.
He claimed that by 2050, the four BRIC economies would dominate the global economy by 2050.
South Africa was included in the list in 2010.
The presidency of the Forum is rotated annually among the members.
BRICS accounts for about 40% of the world’s population.
It accounts for 30% of the world's GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
5. National Mission for Clean Ganga approves 11 projects worth Rs 660 crore
Tags: National Government Schemes
The Executive Committee of the National Mission for Clean Ganga has recently approved 11 projects with an estimated cost of about Rs.660 crore.
This decision was taken in the 42nd meeting of the Executive Committee chaired by Director General G Ashok Kumar.
Apart from this two projects of River Front Development in Badrinath were also given approval.
Two major septage management projects in Uttarakhand and West Bengal were also approved in the meeting.
National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG)
It was registered on 12 August 12, 2011 as a society under the Societies Registration Act 1860.
It serves as the implementing arm of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA), which was constituted under the provisions of the Environment Protection Act (EPA), 1986.
It was established to address pollution challenges in the Ganga river.
The operational area of the project covers the Ganga basin and all the states through which the river flows, including Delhi.
The objective is to reduce pollution and ensure rejuvenation of the Ganga river.
6. EPFO adds 15.32 lakh net subscribers in March
Tags: National News
As per provisional payroll data, Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has added 15.32 lakh new subscribers in the month of March 2022.
This is almost 20 per cent more than the 12.85 lakh subscribers enrolled in February this year.
Age-wise comparison of payroll data revealed that highest net enrollment in March 2022 was recorded by youth in the age group of 22-25 years.
Age-wise payroll data indicates that most first-time job seekers are joining the organised sector workforce in large numbers.
Establishments comprising Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Haryana and Delhi lead the way by adding around 10.14 lakh net customers during March, accounting for 66.18 per cent of the total net payroll growth across all age groups.
The share of female enrollment is 22.70 per cent of the total net subscriber base during March 2022.
There is a positive trend in the participation of women in the organised workforce since October 2021.
About Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)
It is one of the largest social security organisations in the world in terms of customers and the volume of financial transactions made.
It is a statutory body established by the Government of India.
It came into existence with the Employees' Provident Fund Ordinance on November 15, 1951.
Headquarters - New Delhi
It was replaced by the Employees' Provident Fund Act, 1952.
Founded - 4th March 1952
Owned By - Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India
It aims to meet the emerging needs of comprehensive social security in a transparent, contactless, faceless and paperless manner.
7. NASSCOM to launch portal to promote digitization of small and medium enterprises
Tags: National News
The Electronics and IT, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship ministry has announced that NASSCOM will launch a portal to promote digitization of small and medium enterprises.
The portal will bring SMEs and Startups on a single platform to encourage SMEs to adopt digitally and build capacity.
About NASSCOM
It is a not-for-profit industry association and is the apex body for the IT BPM industry in India.
It has made unprecedented contributions to India's GDP, exports, employment, infrastructure and global visibility.
In India, it provides maximum employment in the private sector.
It was established in 1988 and since then, has been making continuous efforts to support the IT BPM industry.
It is dedicated to expanding India's role in the global IT ecosystem by creating a conducive business environment.
8. FDI inflow hits all-time high of USD 83.57 billion in 2021-22
Tags: National Economy/Finance
India recorded the highest annual foreign direct investment of $83.57 billion in FY 2021-22.
In FY 2020-21, the FDI inflows were $81.97 billion. FDI equity inflows in manufacturing rose 76% in FY22.
The FDI inflows registered a growth of 85 per cent in the last financial year. India has received over US$ 301 billion in the last four financial years.
According to data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the country's FDI inflows have increased 20-fold since the financial year 2003-04, when FDI inflows were only US$4.3 billion.
As against FDI inflows of $141.10 billion in the pre-COVID period from February 2018 to February 2020, FDI from March 2020 to March 2022 grew by almost 22% to $171.84 billion.
India is fast emerging as a preferred country for foreign investment in the manufacturing sector.
Liberal and transparent policy for FDI and several other measures have resulted in record FDI inflows.
Topmost investor
Singapore was the largest investor in India in the last financial year.
It accounted for 27% in FDI, followed by the US at 18% and Mauritius at 16%.
Computer software and hardware emerged as the top recipient sector of FDI with an around 25% share.
It is followed by the services and automobile sectors with a share of 12%.
Top FDI recipient state
Karnataka was the top recipient state with 38% share in the total FDI equity inflows during 2021-22.
Maharashtra (26%) and Delhi (14%) were second and third.
S. No. | Financial Year | Amount of FDI inflows (in USD billion) |
1. | 2018-19 | 62.00 |
2. | 2019-20 | 74.39 |
3. | 2020-21 | 81.97 |
4. | 2021-22 | 83.57 |
9. BRO conducts final break through blast of Nechiphu Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh
Tags: National News
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) conducted the final "Break Through Blast" on May 20, 2022 to mark the successful completion of the Nechiphu Tunnel excavation work in Arunachal Pradesh.
BRO Director General Lt Gen Rajeev Choudhary operated it from New Delhi virtually.
The foundation stone of the project was laid by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on October 12, 2020.
About Nechiphu Tunnel
It is a 500 metre long “D-shaped, Single Tube Double Lane Tunnel”.
It is situated on the Balipara-Chariduar-Tawang (BCT) Road in West Kameng District.
The tunnel will accommodate two-way traffic and will be equipped with modern lighting and security features.
The tunnel has been conceived to eliminate the extreme foggy conditions around the Nichifu Pass, which have hindered normal traffic and military convoys for several decades.
Nichifu Tunnel Project as well as BRO's Vartak Project has also completed the excavation work on another strategic tunnel "Sela Tunnel Project" on the same road on January 22, 2022.
About Border Roads Organisation (BRO)
It is a road construction executive force of India.
It is a part of the Indian Armed Forces.
It develops and maintains the road network in India's border areas and friendly neighbouring countries.
Founder - Jawaharlal Nehru
Founded - 7 May 1960
Headquarters - New Delhi
Purpose - To provide infrastructure to the Armed Forces of India and the Allied Nations
10. Amritsar-Jamnagar Greenfield corridor to be completed by September 2023
Tags: National News
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that the target is to complete the Amritsar-Jamnagar Greenfield Corridor by September next year.
The Amritsar-Jamnagar Greenfield Corridor is one of the most important greenfield corridors being developed by the National Highways Authority of India.
Gadkari said that the Bikaner to Jodhpur section of 277 kilometres is targeted to be completed by the end of this year.
About Amritsar-Jamnagar Greenfield Corridor
It is being developed at a total capital cost of Rs 26,000 crore.
This corridor will connect the economic towns of Amritsar, Bhatinda, Sangaria, Bikaner, Sanchore, Samakhiyali and Jamnagar across the four states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
It will connect the northern industrial and agricultural centres of the country with major ports of western India such as Jamnagar and Kandla.
This will significantly reduce fuel, transit time and logistics costs and help it to stay in the competitive global export market for a longer period of time.
