1. India and Germany ink agreement for cooperation in agro-ecology
Tags: International Relations Latest
India and Germany agreed to sign a Joint Declaration on Agro-Ecology and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in the Agriculture Sector.
A declaration in this regard was signed by India's Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Germany's Economic Cooperation and Development Minister Svenja Schulz in a virtual meeting.
Through this MoU, both the countries have agreed to promote joint research, knowledge sharing and innovation between academic institutions and agricultural people including farmers.
Under this agreement, Germany will provide coordinated support to India for this initiative by supporting the agro-ecosystem transformation process through the Technical Cooperation Project.
Under this initiative, Germany's Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development intends to provide 300 million euros by the year 2025 to provide financial and technical support to the projects.
About Germany
Germany is a country located in the continent of Europe.
Capital - Berlin
President- Frank Walter Steinmeier
Currency - euro
Chancellor- Olaf Schultz
2. No one can be forced to get vaccinated: SC
Tags: National News
The Supreme Court said that no person can be compelled to vaccinate against COVID-19, but it also said that "so long as there is a danger of spreading the disease, the rights of the people can be restricted in the wider public interest.
Right not to get vaccinated
The bench upheld a person's right to physical integrity and personal autonomy in the light of vaccines and other public health measures.
Physical integrity is protected under Article 21 (right to life) of the Constitution and no person can be forced to vaccinate.
The court struck a balance between the individual's right to bodily integrity and denial of treatment with the government's concern for public health.
Vaccine Hesitancy
People's reluctance to receive safe and recommended available vaccines is known as 'vaccine hesitancy'.
There are five main reasons for vaccine hesitation-
Confidence
Complacency
Convenience (or constraints)
Risk calculation
Collective responsibility
What was challenged in the petition?
Dr Jacob Pulial, a former member of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI), had filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the mandatory requirement of the vaccine.
The petition has also sought to make public the clinical data of vaccination.
The petition said that the Centre says that getting the vaccine is voluntary, but the states have made it mandatory.
Instructions to the central government
The Supreme Court directed the Central Government to make public the reports received from the public and doctors regarding the incidence of side effects of vaccines without compromising on the confidentiality of personal data.
3. The debate on the national language
Tags: Popular National News
A remark by a Hindi actor to the effect that Hindi is the national language of India has recently sparked controversy over the language's status under the Constitution.
What is the status of Hindi in the constitution?
Under Article 343 of the Constitution, the official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script.
The international form of Indian numerals will be used for official purposes.
Constituent Assembly debate
The Constituent Assembly was divided on this question.
The supporters of Hindi were insisting that English is the language of slavery and it should be abolished at the earliest.
The opponents were against the abolition of English as they feared that Hindi might dominate in areas where Hindi is not spoken.
There was a demand to make Sanskrit the official language, while some argued in favour of 'Hindustani'.
It was decided that the Constitution would talk only of 'Official Language'.
English will continue to be used for a period of 15 years.
The Constitution states that after 15 years, Parliament may by law decide on the use of English and as Devanagari for specified purposes.
What is the Eighth Schedule?
The Eighth Schedule lists the languages of the country.
Initially, there were 14 languages in the schedule, but now there are 22 languages.
There is no description of the type of languages to be included in the Eighth Schedule.
The Official Languages Act, 1963 was passed in anticipation of the end of the 15-year period during which the Constitution originally permitted the use of English for official purposes.
The three language formula
Since the 1960s, the Centre's education policy documents talk of teaching three languages - Hindi, English and a regional language in Hindi-speaking states, and Hindi, English and an official regional language in other states.
In practice, only a few states teach both their major language and Hindi in addition to English.
In states where Hindi is the official language, third language is rarely taught as a compulsory subject.
Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed the three-language formula and has stuck to teaching Tamil and English.
4. PM Modi, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz co-chair sixth edition of IGC in Berlin
Tags: Summits International News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz co-chaired the 6th edition of the India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations-IGC in Berlin.
The two leaders highlighted key aspects of bilateral relations as well as shared perspectives on regional and global issues.
PM Modi emphasised that the India-Germany partnership can serve as an example of success in a complex world.
He also invited German participation in India's Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
It was the prime minister's first IGC with Chancellor Scholz and also the first government-to-government consultation of the new German government, which took office in December last year.
The biennial IGC is a unique dialogue format with the participation of several ministers from both sides.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi held bilateral discussions with the German Chancellor.
The two leaders reviewed the full range of bilateral relations between India and Germany, including promoting trade as well as cultural ties.
5. India, Germany signs joint declaration of Intent on Forest Landscape Restoration
Tags: National International Relations
India and Germany have signed a Joint Declaration of Intent on Forest Landscape Restoration.
The joint declaration was signed between Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav and Germany's Minister of Environment and Nature Conservation Steffi Lemke.
The Joint Declaration will provide a platform to further enhance partnership and support in areas such as climate protection and conservation of biodiversity.
This will also help in strengthening Indo-German cooperation.
The joint declaration will enable the two countries to successfully partner with each other and expand bilateral cooperation in the areas of forest landscape restoration, environment and climate change.
About Forest Landscape Restoration
It is an ongoing process of regaining ecological functionality and enhancing human well-being in deforestation or degraded forest landscapes.
It is much more than just planting trees – it is restoring entire landscapes to meet current and future needs and for many benefits and land uses over time.
This manifests through various processes such as: new plantations, managed natural regeneration, agroforestry, or better land management to accommodate the land use mosaic, including agriculture, protected wildlife reserves, managed plantations, riverside plantings, etc.
6. India, Germany signs joint declaration of Intent on Forest Landscape Restoration
Tags: National International Relations
India and Germany have signed a Joint Declaration of Intent on Forest Landscape Restoration.
The joint declaration was signed between Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav and Germany's Minister of Environment and Nature Conservation Steffi Lemke.
The Joint Declaration will provide a platform to further enhance partnership and support in areas such as climate protection and conservation of biodiversity.
This will also help in strengthening Indo-German cooperation.
The joint declaration will enable the two countries to successfully partner with each other and expand bilateral cooperation in the areas of forest landscape restoration, environment and climate change.
About Forest Landscape Restoration
It is an ongoing process of regaining ecological functionality and enhancing human well-being in deforestation or degraded forest landscapes.
It is much more than just planting trees – it is restoring entire landscapes to meet current and future needs and for many benefits and land uses over time.
This manifests through various processes such as: new plantations, managed natural regeneration, agroforestry, or better land management to accommodate the land use mosaic, including agriculture, protected wildlife reserves, managed plantations, riverside plantings, etc.
7. India, Germany sign agreement on green hydrogen TaskForce
Tags: National International Relations Popular
India and Germany agreed to form a task force on green hydrogen. Both the countries have signed a joint declaration in this regard.
The Joint Declaration was signed by the Union Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy RK Singh and Germany's Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Change Robert Habeck in a virtual way.
India has emerged as a global leader in energy transformation. India is at the forefront of the growth of renewable energy capacity in the world.
India has a transparent bidding system, an open market, an accelerated dispute resolution system, and is globally regarded as one of the most attractive destinations for investment in Renewable Energy (RE).
India has launched the National Green Hydrogen Mission with the goal of making the country a global hub for green hydrogen production and export.
Trading in Green Hydrogen and/or its derivatives such as Green Ammonia/Green Methanol will form the cornerstone of the cooperation.
Institutional cooperation in joint research, lighthouse projects, innovation clusters and hydrogen hubs will catalyze synergistic efforts of the two countries.
Capacity of India in renewable energy sector
India currently ranks fourth in renewable energy capacity globally.
India will add 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.
Presently the renewable energy capacity in India is 136 GW, which is 36% of the total energy capacity in India.
Solar and wind energy are the main sources of renewable energy.
Other alternatives such as biomass energy, methanol-based blending and hydrogen are considered the fuel of the future.
8. India, Germany sign agreement on green hydrogen TaskForce
Tags: National International Relations Popular
India and Germany agreed to form a task force on green hydrogen. Both the countries have signed a joint declaration in this regard.
The Joint Declaration was signed by the Union Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy RK Singh and Germany's Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Change Robert Habeck in a virtual way.
India has emerged as a global leader in energy transformation. India is at the forefront of the growth of renewable energy capacity in the world.
India has a transparent bidding system, an open market, an accelerated dispute resolution system, and is globally regarded as one of the most attractive destinations for investment in Renewable Energy (RE).
India has launched the National Green Hydrogen Mission with the goal of making the country a global hub for green hydrogen production and export.
Trading in Green Hydrogen and/or its derivatives such as Green Ammonia/Green Methanol will form the cornerstone of the cooperation.
Institutional cooperation in joint research, lighthouse projects, innovation clusters and hydrogen hubs will catalyze synergistic efforts of the two countries.
Capacity of India in renewable energy sector
India currently ranks fourth in renewable energy capacity globally.
India will add 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.
Presently the renewable energy capacity in India is 136 GW, which is 36% of the total energy capacity in India.
Solar and wind energy are the main sources of renewable energy.
Other alternatives such as biomass energy, methanol-based blending and hydrogen are considered the fuel of the future.
9. GeM reaches all-time high of over Rs 15,000 crore for Financial Year 2021-22
Tags: National Economy/Finance
The purchase orders by the Defence Ministry through the Government e-Market (GeM) portal have reached an all-time high of Rs 15,047.98 crore for the financial year 2021-22.
This is a jump of over 250 per cent as compared to the previous financial year.
Government e-Market (GeM) portal
GeM is an acronym for One Stop Government e-Market Place hosted by DGS&D where common user goods and services can be procured.
GeM is a dynamic, self-sustaining and user-friendly portal for procurement by government officials.
Public procurement is a very important part of government activity and reform of public procurement is one of the top priorities of the present government.
The Government e-Marketplace originated in January 2016 based on the recommendations of two Groups of Secretaries.
Apart from reforms in DGS&D, they recommended setting up of a dedicated e-market for various goods and services bought or sold by the Government/PSUs.
Subsequently, the Finance Minister in his budget speech for the financial year 2016-17 announced the setting up of a technology driven platform to facilitate procurement of goods and services by various ministries and agencies of the government.
DGS&D with technical support from the National e-Governance Division (Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology) has developed a GeM portal for procurement of both products and services.
The portal was launched on 9 August 2016 by the Minister of Commerce and Industry.
10. Election Commission inaugurates integrated election complex
Tags: National News
The Chief Election Commissioner of India inaugurated the Integrated Election Complex in Delhi recently.
About Integrated Election Complex
It has been constructed for storage and management of EVMs and VVPATs of NCT Delhi.
It has been built by the Chief Electoral Officer, Delhi and Delhi Tourism.
This is a milestone for the Election Commission of India.
The complex has been conceptualised with all state-of-the-art facilities and administrative security protocols for storage, security and movement of EVMs.
It has comprehensive facilities for first level verification of EVMs and VVPATs as per the guidelines of the Election Commission.
Electronic Voting Machine (EVM)
EVMs have been used in all elections since 2004.
EVMs cannot be tampered.
It provides accurate and timely results establishing their reliability as they were first put into use on pilot basis 4 decades back.
The VVPAT audit trail initiated since the 2019 General Elections has further established the credibility of EVMs and no mismatch has been found in the counting of votes cast in the EVMs and VVPAT slips.
