1. Finland and Sweden apply to join NATO
Tags: Latest International News
Finland and Sweden have officially applied to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) amid heightened concerns over Russia's attack on Ukraine.
Finland and Sweden have a non-aligned policy, but they have always been close to NATO. The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine prompted him to join NATO.
NATO membership process
First a country must formally apply for NATO membership.
The joining country must meet the criteria set out in NATO's 1995 "Study on Expansion". These criteria include a functioning democratic political system based on a market economy, the ability to make a military contribution to NATO, etc.
A country can join NATO only if all its 30 member countries support its membership.
A country can become a member of NATO after ratification of accession protocols, which may take 8 to 12 months.
At present, Turkey has not agreed to give NATO membership to Finland and Sweden.
About North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) -
NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance consisting of 30 member states belonging to Europe and North America (28 European states, the US and Canada).
NATO aims to guarantee the security of its members through political and military means.
According to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, an armed attack against any NATO member in Europe or North America shall be deemed an attack against all NATO members.
Article 5 has been invoked only once so far after the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the US.
The last country to join NATO was North Macedonia in 2020.
Headquarters- Brussels, Belgium
2. PM Modi to attend to third edition of Quad leaders' summit in Tokyo
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the Quad Leaders Summit in Tokyo on May 24 at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will attend the summit.
The summit in Tokyo is the fourth meeting of the Quad Leaders since the first virtual meeting in March last year.
During the visit, Modi will participate in business programs with Japanese business leaders.
He will also address and interact with the Indian community in Japan.
He will also hold a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden.
The two leaders will review the India-US Strategic Partnership and act on discussions held during the bilateral meeting of the Prime Minister of India with the US President last September.
Modi is also likely to hold bilateral talks with his Australian counterpart.
Purpose of the meeting
To review progress of Quad Initiatives and Working Groups, identify new areas of cooperation and provide strategic guidance and vision for future collaborations.
The meeting will provide an opportunity to both the leaders to take forward the mutual dialogue after the 14th India Japan Annual Summit held in New Delhi in March this year.
About Quad
This is known as the 'Quadrilateral Security Dialogue' (QSD).
It is an informal strategic forum comprising four nations - United States of America (USA), India, Australia and Japan.
It aims to work for a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.
The first meeting of the Quad was held in 2007 on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Quad Summit provides an opportunity for leaders to exchange views on the development of the Indo-Pacific region and current global issues of mutual interest.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the first to consider the formation of the Quad in 2007.
3. Second phase of wellness mother campaign begins
Tags: Latest National News
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla launched the second phase of Suposhit Maa Abhiyan in Kota to keep pregnant women of the Kota Bundi region well-nourished.
Under the campaign, a target has been set to nourish three thousand pregnant women, so that 2,000 women in Kota and 1 thousand in Bundi will get the benefit of the campaign.
Under this campaign, nutrition kits will be provided to pregnant women for 9 months.
In the year 2020, Suposhit Maa Abhiyan was started by identifying 1000 pregnant women with the goal of removing nutritional deficiency among women.
Nutrition kit has been prepared by Hans Foundation for the beneficiary women and health cards were also provided to the women for monitoring.
Other efforts currently being made
Nutrition campaign
Under POSHAN Abhiyaan (erstwhile National Nutrition Mission), all districts in 36 States/UTs have been covered in a phased manner.
It is an integrated multi-ministerial mission to ensure the achievement of malnutrition free India by the year 2022.
The main objective of POSHAN Abhiyaan is to reduce stunting in identified districts of India by improving access and quality of Anganwadi services. In addition, to ensure holistic development and adequate nutrition for pregnant women and post-delivery mothers and their children.
Goals of National Nutrition Mission 2022
To reduce low birth weight by 2% per annum from 2017 to 2022.
Reducing stunting to the level of 25% by the year 2022.
To reduce the level of anaemia existing in children below 5 years of age and women in the age group of 15-49 years by 3% annually from 2017 to 2022.
4. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurates India-UAE Economic Partnership Summit
Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and UAE Economy Minister Abdullah bin Touq Al Marie inaugurated the India-UAE Economic Partnership Summit in Mumbai on 13 May.
The two leaders also launched the India-UAE Start-up Bridge to boost the economy.
The summit was organised by Confederation of Indian Industry.
India and UAE have immense potential to work together and the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) will open a lot of doors to markets across the world.
Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)
The Comprehensive Trade Agreement between India and the United Arab Emirates will help generate employment opportunities and boost the growth of the domestic economy.
The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is expected to increase bilateral trade in goods to over US$100 billion and trade in services to over US$15 billion within five years.
The agreement paves the way for several sectors, especially labour intensive sectors such as textiles, gems and jewellery, pharmaceuticals and agriculture.
The agreement will open doors not only for Indian and UAE businesses but also for other countries as the UAE is a transit point for large parts of Africa, CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries and the Gulf region.
CIS countries include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, and Tajikistan.
Indian pharma products will get immediate access to the UAE market.
Bilateral trade will reach at least US$ 100 billion in the near future.
5. Skill India International Centre to be set up at Varanasi
Tags: Latest National News
NSDC International (NSDCI) and the Indian unit of DP World, Hindustan Ports Private Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop a Skill India International Centre at Varanasi to skill Indian youth for pursuing overseas employment opportunities in logistics, port operations.
The Skill India International Centre in Varanasi will provide skills as per international standards and will prepare candidates for global markets.
Skill India International Centres aims to provide high quality training to Indian youth.
The centres would host training facilities, providing skills as per the demand of international employers in countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Canada, Australia and other countries.
It will also have a wide network of partner organisations and foreign recruiters to facilitate the supply of skilled and certified workforce to other countries.
These partnering organisations will work with NSDCI for aggregating demand from overseas markets.
About NSDC International Limited (NSDCI)
This is a subsidiary of National Skill Development Corporation that is driving Skill India International Mission of making India the Skill Capital of the World.
Its vision is to transform India into a preferred partner country for sourcing skilled and certified workforce across the globe.
It provides global job opportunities for NRIs and global career mobility for NRIs.
About DP World
Hindustan Ports Pvt Ltd is part of DP World, a leading provider of smart end-to-end supply chain logistics to enable business flow across the globe.
Its comprehensive range of products and services covers every link of the integrated supply chain.
6. Supreme Court stays on sedition law
Tags: Latest National News
The Supreme Court suspended pending criminal trials and court proceedings under Section 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code and allowed the British-era law to be reconsidered.
The Supreme Court also restrained the Centre and the states from filing FRs, continuing investigations or taking punitive action under Section 124A.
About Sedition Law
Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code provides for the punishment of sedition.
The IPC was enacted in 1860, under the British Raj.
The then British government in India feared that religious preachers from the Indian subcontinent would wage war against the government.
The need for such a law was felt after the successful suppression of the Wahhabi movement by the British.
This section was used by the British to suppress activists in favour of national independence, including Tilak and Mahatma Gandhi, both of whom were found guilty and imprisoned.
Sedition as a cognizable offence
It was made a cognizable offence for the first time in history in India during the tenure of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1973.
A cognizable offence means arrest without a warrant.
Two High Courts of India found it unconstitutional after independence, as it violates freedom of speech and expression.
7. 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.
8. Pulitzer Prize 2022: India's Amit Dave, Danish Siddiqui get Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize 2022 in different fields of journalism, book, drama and music were announced on 9 May.
The award winners include Indian journalists Adnan Abidi, Sana Irshad Mattoo, Amit Dave along with The Washington Post.
The late Danish Siddiqui of Reuters photographer has been given this award posthumously.
He was assassinated during a conflict between the Taliban and the Afghan army.
List of winners
Public service - winner The Washington Post, January 6, 2021 for reporting the attack on Capitol Hill
Breaking news reporting - winner Miami Herald - for coverage of the collapse of seaside apartment towers in Florida
Investigative reporting - winner - Rebecca Woolington's Corey G. Johnson and Tampa Bay Times' Eli Murray for highlighting the highly toxic hazards inside a Florida battery recycling plant.
Explanatory reporting - winner - To the staff of Quanta magazine, especially Natalie Wolchower, for reporting on how the Inco Webb Space Telescope works.
Local reporting - winner - Madison Hopkins of the Better Government Association and Cecilia Reyes of the Chicago Tribune - for reporting on Chicago's unfinished building and fire safety
National reporting - winner - Employees of The New York Times
International reporting - winner - The New York Times Employees
Feature writing - winner - Jennifer Senior of The Atlantic
Feature photography - winner - Adnan Abidi, Sana Irshad Mattoo, Amit Dave and the late Danish Siddiqui of Reuters were honoured for photography during the Corona period in India.
Commentary - winner - Melinda Heineberger
Criticism - winner - Salamisha Tillet, The New York Times
Audio reporting - winner - Employees of Futuro Media and PRX
Novel - winner - The Netanyas, Writer- Joshua Cohen
About Pulitzer Prize
It was established in 1917.
It is administered by Columbia University and the Pulitzer Prize Board.
The award is named after Joseph Pulitzer.
He was a newspaper publisher who gave money in his will to Columbia University to launch a journalism school and establish the Prize.
Each winner receives a certificate and a US$15,000 cash prize.
A gold medal is awarded to the winner in the Public Service category.
9. 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.
10. Arvind Kejriwal announces startup policy for Delhi
Tags: Latest State News
The cabinet chaired by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal approved the proposal related to the Delhi Startup Policy-2021 of the Industries Department.
Under this policy, the Delhi government aims to encourage, facilitate and support 15,000 startups by 2030.
A Startup Policy Monitoring Committee will be constituted to oversee this policy, which will be headed by the Finance Minister of Delhi Government.
Through the Startup Policy-2021, the Delhi government will also provide loans and other facilities to the people starting their enterprise without guarantee.
Incentives under Start Up Policy
Reimbursement of up to 50% on lease rentals. This can be up to a maximum of Rs 5 lakh every year.
Reimbursement grants up to one lakh rupees (in India) and three lakh rupees (abroad) for making patents, trademarks, copyrights, industrial designs.
Reimbursement of cost of exhibition stall or rent once in a year up to Rs.5 lakh or up to Rs.5 lakh for 100 percent for women, disadvantaged class or persons with disabilities and 50 per cent for others.
30 thousand per month as monthly allowance for operation or employee for one year.
