1. Nirmala Sitharaman launches NSDL’s investor awareness programme for students
Tags: National News
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) investor awareness program 'Market Ka Eklavya' for students.
The program named 'Market Ka Eklavya' is an online investor awareness program for students in Hindi and other regional languages.
National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) has launched this new investor awareness program as part of its Silver Jubilee celebrations.
The objective of the 'Market Ka Eklavya' program is to introduce the basics of the securities market in online mode and to provide training on financial markets for the students.
About National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL)
This organisation works under the Ministry of Finance of India.
NSDL is India's first and one of the leading Central Securities Depositories in the world.
It has been instrumental in transforming the Indian securities market by facilitating the holding and transfer of securities in demat form.
Founded- 1996
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
MD & CEO- Padmaja Chunduru
NSDL is now one of the 6 payments banks established in India.
2. Rajasthan become the First 10 GW Solar State of India
Tags: National News
According to Mercom's India Solar Project Tracker, Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to cross 10 GW of cumulative solar installations on a massive scale.
The total installed power capacity of Rajasthan is 32.5 GW.
Renewable energy contributes 55% of the electricity capacity to the total installed power capacity of Rajasthan. While thermal energy contributes 43%, and nuclear power contributes the remaining 2%.
Solar is the major source in Rajasthan, accounting for about 36% of the electricity capacity mix and 64% of renewable energy.
Rajasthan's Solar Energy Policy 2019, aims to achieve the target of 30 GW of solar power by the financial year 2024-25.
As of December 2021, India's cumulative solar installed capacity is 55GW. Within 55GW, grid-connected utility-scale projects contribute 77%.
Mercom India
It is a subsidiary of US-based Mercom Capital Group. It is a clean energy research and communications firm specialising in the Indian cleantech markets.
3. Monkeypox virus case confirmed in U.K.
Tags: Latest International News
A case of monkeypox virus has been reported in Britain, a person who returned after travelling to Nigeria has been confirmed with monkeypox virus.
Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958.
According to the World Health Organisation, the first case of monkeypox was reported in humans in the year 1970.
What is monkeypox virus ?
Monkeypox is a disease caused by a virus that is transmitted mostly from rats and monkeys to humans.
The disease belongs to the orthopoxvirus genus, which includes variola virus, vaccinia virus, and cowpox virus.
Monkeypox is a zoonosis, meaning it is a disease that spreads from an infected animal to humans.
Symptoms of monkeypox
Dark red spots on the body.
Red rash on the skin.
flu symptoms.
symptoms of pneumonia.
Fever and headache.
Muscle pain.
To get cold
treatment
There is no cure available for this disease. But smallpox vaccines, antivirals and VIG can be used to prevent this disease.
4. India, Oman to hold meeting to boost economic ties
Tags: International Relations
The commerce and industry ministers of India and Oman will meet on May 11 to discuss ways to further boost economic ties between the two countries.
The 48-member delegation will include senior officials and business representatives from health, pharmaceuticals, mining, tourism, energy, shipping, telecommunications and real estate.
During the visit, senior officials from both sides will participate in the 10th session of the India-Oman Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) to be held on May 11.
The meeting will be co-chaired by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and his Omani counterpart.
The India-Oman Joint Business Council (JBC) meeting will be organised jointly by FICCI and Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry on May 12.
Bilateral trade between India and Oman
Bilateral trade between the two countries has grown by 82 percent to $9.94 billion in 2021-22.
Major items of Indian exports to Oman - mineral fuels, textiles, machinery, electrical items, chemicals, iron and steel, tea, coffee, spices, rice, meat products and seafood.
Major import items from Oman to India - urea, LNG, polypropylene, lubricating oil, dates and chromite ore.
Various Indian financial institutions and PSUs have a presence in Oman.
Military exercises
Army exercise between both countries : Al Najah
Air Force exercise between both countries : Eastern Bridge
Naval Exercise between both countries : Naseem Al Bahr
About Oman
It is a country in Western Asia.
It is located on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and extends to the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
Oman shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen
It shares maritime borders with Iran and Pakistan.
Capital - Muscat
currency - omani rial
president - Haitham bin Tariq Al Said
5. next census will be fully digital with 100 % accuracy; Birth and death register to be linked with census
Tags: Latest National News
Home Minister Amit Shah has said that the next census will be completely digital with 100 percent accuracy.
The birth and death register will be linked to the census.
With the electronic process and enumeration of people, the census will be updated automatically after every birth and death in the country.
Shah was inaugurating the new office building of the Directorate of Census Operations in Assam at Amingaon in Kamrup district on 9th May.
The digital census will shape the 'policies of the country for the next 25 years'.
The 2021 census was delayed due to the Covid pandemic and will be completed by 2024.
The new software will have multiple uses as it will be linked to registration of births and deaths.
As soon as someone is born, his/her details will be updated in the software.
Once that person turns 18, his name will be registered in the voter list from the census office itself.
Details like change of residence of people will also be updated through the software.
About Census
Census involves the process of collecting, compiling, analyzing, evaluating, publishing and disseminating statistical data about a population and its characteristics.
The decennial census is conducted by the Office of the Registrar General and the Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs.
It is conducted under the provisions of the Census Act, 1948.
Census is a union subject under Article 246 of the Constitution of India.
The first non-synchronous census in India was conducted in 1872 during the reign of Governor-General Lord Mayo.
The first synchronous census was taken under British rule in February 1881, by W C Plowden (Census Commissioner of India).
Since then, the census has been carried out uninterruptedly every ten years.
Census 2011 was the 15th National Census of the country since 1872.
This was the seventh census after independence.
6. PM-WANI based public WiFi scheme launched at 100 railway stations
Tags: Government Schemes National News
RailTel, a Mini Ratna PSU, has launched Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI) scheme across 100 railway stations in the country.
This public-friendly service was launched by RailTel chairman and managing director Puneet Chawla on 9 May.
To access this WiFi network, Android users can download the mobile app 'Wi-Dot' available on Google Play Store.
This app is developed in collaboration with C-DOT.
This method is in addition to the existing method of accessing WiFi at these stations through the conventional method of selecting RailWire Service Set Identifier (SSID).
RailTel's WiFi network is now spread across 6,102 railway stations across the country and has 17,792 WiFi hotspots.
About PM-WANI Scheme
PM-WANI is an ambitious program of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to connect all silo Wi-Fi networks for ease of use and increase broadband usage for the public.
The main objective of this scheme is to provide Wi-Fi facilities at all public places.
The government plans to extend PM-Vani-based reach of RailTel's public Wi-Fi services to all 6,102 railway stations in a phased manner by the end of June 2022.
Through this scheme now every citizen of the whole country can be connected to the internet.
It will also be easy to do business through this scheme.
7. Mascot, Logo, Jersey, Theme Song launched for Khelo India Youth Games-2022
Tags: National Sports News
Recently, the logo, song, jersey and mascot of Khelo India Youth Games-2022 were launched by the Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur in Panchkula, Haryana.
The mascot of Khelo India Youth Games-2022 will be in the form of a cow, which has been named 'Dhakad'.
About Khelo India Youth Games 2022
The fourth Khelo India Youth Games will be organised from June 4 to 13 at Tau Devilal Stadium in Panchkula, while some of its matches will also be held in Chandigarh.
For the first time, five traditional sports have been included in the fourth Khelo India Youth Games. These games include Gatka, Kalaripayattu, Thang-Ta, Malkhamb and Yoga.
Among them, Gatka, Kalaripayattu and Thang-Ta are traditional martial arts, while Mallakhamb and Yoga are fitness related sports.
This time the biggest ever contingent of 8500 players from across the country will participate in this event.
This time Khelo India Youth Games is being jointly organised by Haryana Government and Sports Authority of India (SAI), Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
This competition was started in 2018 in New Delhi under the name Khelo India School Games.
8. Presidential poll : Value of vote of MPs likely to go down to 700 from 708
Tags: Latest National News
The vote value of a Member of Parliament is likely to drop from 708 to 700 in the Presidential elections to be held in July due to the absence of the Legislative Assembly in Jammu and Kashmir.
The term of the current President Ram Nath Kovind is ending on July 24.
The value of an MP's vote in the presidential election is based on the number of members elected in the Legislative Assemblies of the States and Union Territories, including Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir.
The Electoral College for the election of the President consists of members of the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and the Legislative Assemblies of states and union territories, including Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir.
Before being bifurcated into the two union territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, the state of Jammu and Kashmir had 83 assembly seats.
The value of vote of a Member of Parliament
Since the 1997 presidential election the value of a Member of Parliament vote has been fixed at 708.
For the first presidential election in 1952, the value of a Member of Parliament's vote was 494.
This increased marginally to 496 in the 1957 presidential election, followed by 493 (1962), 576 (1967 and 1969).
Presidential elections were held in 1969 due to the death of President Zakir Hussain on 3 May 1969.
The value of an MP's vote in the 1974 presidential election was 723.
It was set to 702 for the presidential elections from 1977 to 1992.
Electing the President
The provisions for the election of the President are laid down in Article 54 of the Constitution of India.
This constitutional provision has been established by the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Election Act 1952.
The President of India has been recognized as the country's first citizen and head of state.
9. 'Asani' turns into severe cyclonic storm, Odisha and West Bengal on alert
Tags: Latest National News
Cyclone 'Asani' formed over the southeast Bay of Bengal intensified into a severe cyclonic storm on Sunday evening.
According to the India Meteorological Department, 'Asani' has turned into a 'severe' cyclonic storm, moving towards the east coast at a speed of 95-105 kmph.
Due to Asani, three states of West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha are expected to be affected where the Meteorological Department has been alerted.
Important facts
Asani means “wrath” in Sinhalese.
The list of names of cyclones was released in 2020 with 169 names, which included 13 names from 13 countries.
The cyclone that will form after Asani will be called Sitrang, and the name has been given by Thailand.
Ghurni, Probaho, Jhar and Murasu are the upcoming names of cyclones from India.
Other cyclonic storms’ names include Biparjoy (Bangladesh), Asif (Saudi Arabia), Diksam (Yemen) and Toofan (Iran) and Shakti (Sri Lanka).
Names from India that have been used already include Gati, Megh, Akash.
Other designations that have been used earlier included Ogni, Helen and Fani from Bangladesh; and Laila, Nargis and Bulbul from Pakistan.
There are six Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres (RSMCs) and five Regional Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres around the world, responsible for issuing advisories and naming cyclonic storms.
The naming of cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea began in September 2004.
10. Sudhanshu Dhulia, Jamshed Burjor Pardiwala take oath as Supreme Court judges
Tags: National Person in news
President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Gujarat High Court Judge Justice Jamshed Burjor Pardiwala as Supreme Court judges.
Justice Dhulia took oath first and then Justice Pardiwala took oath.
These judges would be 33 and 34, filling the number of sanctioned judicial posts of the court.
Justice Dhulia is the second judge to be elevated from the Uttarakhand High Court.
Justice Dhulia was elevated as a judge of the High Court of Uttarakhand in November 2008.
He later became the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court on January 10, 2021.
Justice Pardiwala will be the sixth member of the Parsi community to become a Supreme Court judge.
His father, Burjor Kawasji Pardiwala, had served as the Speaker of the Seventh Legislative Assembly of Gujarat apart from being a lawyer.
The President appointed the two judges on May 7 within days of the Supreme Court collegium's recommendation last week.
Along with Justices Dhulia and Pardiwala, the Ramana Collegium has appointed a total of 11 judges to the Supreme Court with effect from August 2021.
Of the 11 judges, Justice B.V. Nagarathna, is in line to be the first woman Chief Justice of India, albeit for 36 days, in 2027.
