1. Indian Coast Guard commissions its second ALH Mk III Squadron in Kochi
Indian Coast Guard chief VS Pathania on May 04, commissioned the second made in India ALH Mk III Squadron at Coast Guard Air Enclave (CGAE) in Kochi.
This is equipped with the indigenously developed Advanced Mark III (ALH Mark III) helicopters.
The second squadron of ALH Mk III choppers aims to boost the security of the western seaboard further and enhance India’s rescue capability.
The commissioning is a tremendous leap towards self-reliance in the field of search and rescue operations and long range maritime surveillance.
The indigenously developed ALH Mk-III helicopters are fitted with an array of state-of-the-art sensors that enhance the maritime prowess of the Coast Guard.
Four helicopters have been deployed in Kochi to cover the entire coast of Karnataka, Kerala and Lakshadweep.
The Squadron, led by Commandant Kunal Naik has nine officers and 35 men.
TLMC conference
The Coast Guard Headquarters-4 (Kerala and Mahe) at Fort Kochi organised the annual Technical and Logistics Management Committee Conference.
Coast Guard Commander (Western Seaboard) and senior officials are attending the conference.
Director General VS. Pathania inaugurated the conference and acknowledged the force's collective efforts to maintain a fleet of 256 ships and aircraft.
2. Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurates BSF's floating border outposts at Hingalganj in West Bengal
Tags: Latest National News
Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated BSF's floating border outposts at Hingalganj in West Bengal, where he arrived on a two-day visit.
He also flagged off a boat ambulance to provide medical aid in these inaccessible areas.
He will also participate in several programs including Foundation Stone Laying Program of Maitri Museum and Prahari Sammelan at BOP Haridaspur.
He will visit the India-Bangladesh border area of Teen Bigha, where he is scheduled to interact with BSF personnel on 6th May.
Floating BOP is a post that can be moved across rivers, streams and seas, which can be moved from one place to another.
3. President has no role to play in Perarivalan’s plea : Supreme Court
Tags: Latest National News
The Supreme Court has said that the Tamil Nadu Governor is bound to abide by the state cabinet's decision to release AG Perarivalan, who had spent more than 30 years in jail under life imprisonment for the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
The Supreme Court disagreed with the Central government’s suggestion that the court should wait till the President took a call on mercy plea.
The apex court, while rejecting the Governor's move to send the mercy petition to the President, said that if something is happening against the Constitution, then the eyes cannot be closed.
The pertinent question was whether the Governor had the authority to send mercy petitions to the President.
Under Article 161 of the Constitution, the Governor was bound by the aid and advice given by the Tamil Nadu Council of Ministers in September 2018.
The Governor had no prima facie power to transfer the mercy petition to the President.
Article 161 of the Constitution
Article 161 of the Constitution empowers the Governor to pardon or reduce the sentence of any prisoner.
The decision of the Governor will be subject to judicial review by the Constitutional Courts.
What is Pardon?
A pardon is a government/executive decision that allows a person to be absolved of an offence for an alleged offence or other legal offence as if the offender had never committed the crime.
Difference Between the Pardoning Powers of the President and the Governor
The powers of the Governor are limited to offences against the law relating to the matter to which the executive power of the State extends.
The governor cannot pardon the death sentence but the president can pardon the death sentence.
The Governor cannot grant pardon, reprieve, suspension, remission or commutation in respect to punishment or sentence by a court-martial. But the President can do so.
4. Governor has forwarded NEET exemption Bill to Union Home Ministry
Tags: Latest State News
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has sent a bill to the Union Home Ministry to abolish the NEET exam in the state. The Bill will be sent to Rashtrapati Bhavan by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the assent of the President.
However, even before this, a bill was passed in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly to free the state from the NEET examination.But it was returned by the Governor.
The state of Tamil Nadu is witnessing a tussle between the elected government and the state governor over the question of approving the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) Bill passed by the state assembly.
Position of Governor in Constitutional system of India
The Governor is appointed by the President, which means the central government.
Although Article 154(1) of the Constitution vests the executive power of the State in the Governor, he is required to exercise that power according to the Constitution.
The Governor can act only on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.
The Governor is only the constitutional head of the state and the executive power of the state is exercised by the Council of Ministers.
The options before the Governor in the matter of giving assent to a Bill
The assent of the Governor or the President is necessary for a bill to become a law.
Article 200 of the Constitution provides for four alternatives for a Governor when a Bill passed by the legislature-
The Governor can give his assent straightaway.
The Governor can withhold his assent.
He may also reserve it for the consideration of the President.
He may return the Bill to the legislature with the request that it may reconsider the Bill or any particular provision of the Bill.
However, if the legislature re-passes the bill without accepting any of the amendments suggested by the governor, he is constitutionally bound to assent to the bill.
5. The Reserve Bank of India has increased the cash reserve ratio (CRR) for banks
Tags: National Economy/Finance Latest Popular
%20for%20banks%20copy.jpg)
The Reserve Bank of India has increased the cash reserve ratio (CRR) for banks by 0.50 percent to 4.5 percent.
On May 4, 2022, in the meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India, Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikant Das announced an increase in the CRR.
In the meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), it was decided to increase the repo rate by 0.40 percent to 4.4 percent.
The new rates will be applicable from May 21.
What is Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)?
CRR refers to the bank deposits that banks need to keep with the central bank in cash.
What is the repo rate?
Repo rate is the rate at which the central bank of a country (RBI in India's case) lends money to commercial banks when they are short of funds. Here the central bank buys securities.
What will be the effect of the hike in repo rate?
The increase in the repo rate by the RBI will increase the EMI of other loans like home and car loans.
An increase in the repo rate can help bring down inflation. The Reserve Bank believes that due to the costlier interest rate, the inflation rate will be controlled.
The impact of increasing the repo rate will also affect the savings bank account and FD. Banks can increase the interest rate on your savings account and fixed deposits.
6. The 61st Annual Bodo Sahitya Sabha was organised in Tamulpur, western Assam
Tags: Latest State News
The 61st Annual Bodo Sahitya Sabha was organised in Tamulpur, western Assam, in which the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind participated.
President Ram Nath Kovind is the first President to address the Bodo Sahitya Sabha.
Bodo Sahitya Sabha is an organisation formed for the promotion of Bodo language and literature.
It was established on 16 November 1952 at Sasugaon in Kokrajhar district of Assam.
This organisation is playing a leading role in maintaining coordination among various ethnic groups of Northeast India.
About Bodo Tribe
The Bodos are native to the state of Assam in Northeast India and are an important tribe of India.
According to the 2011 Indian National Census, there are about 20 lakh Bodo tribes living in the country.
Bodos have the status of Scheduled Tribes under the Sixth Article of the Indian Constitution.
Bodo people living in the northeast of India, Nepal and Bangladesh speak the Bodo language.
Bodo language is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with special constitutional status.
7. India will be the official country of honour at Cannes Film Market
Tags: Latest Popular International News
India will take part as the official country of honour at the Cannes Film Festival to be held from May 17 to May 28.
This is the first time a country will take part in the 'Honour of Country' at the Cannes Film Festival.
The Cannes Film Festival, held annually in Cannes, France, is the 75th edition of Cannes.
India at Cannes Film Festival 2022-
India's Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur will participate in the festival and deliver the welcome address.
Actress Deepika Padukone will be seen as a jury in the main feature film competition at this year's Cannes Festival.
Renowned Indian author Satyajit Ray's "Pratidwandi" (1970) and Aravindan Govindan's "The Circus Tent" will be screened at the Cannes Classics strand of the festival.
In addition, the festival will also see a special screening of Indian filmmaker Shaunak Sen's Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner "All That Breathes".
8. Prime Minister to take part in second India-Nordic Summit in Denmark
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the 2nd India-Nordic Summit today along with the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Sweden and Norway.
The summit is being hosted by Denmark.
The India Nordic Summit will help expand India's multifaceted cooperation with the Nordic region.
It will focus on topics such as post-pandemic economic recovery, climate change, innovation and technology, renewable energy, evolving global security landscape and India-Nordic cooperation in the Arctic region.
Nordic countries are important partners in sustainability, renewable energy, digitization and innovation for India.
The main focus of the summit is how to take forward the agenda of bilateral engagement between India and the Nordic countries.
About India-Nordic Summit
Nordic countries include Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland.
India had earlier proposed the idea of the Nordic Summit, which was held in 2018 at Stockholm.
The second summit was scheduled to take place in June 2021, but was postponed amid fears of Covid.
The Nordic countries together have an economy of over $1.6 trillion.
The total bilateral trade between India and the Nordic states is worth $13 billion.
9. India logs 6.2 percent hike in death rate during 2020 : CRS data
Tags: Latest National News
The Central Government has released the Civil Registration System (CRS) Report 2020 on the basis of the Birth and Death Report.
As per the report, the number of registered births has come down from 2.48 crore in 2019 to 2.42 crore in the year 2020, showing a decrease of around 2.40 per cent.
The Civil Registration System’ for 2020 report said that in the case of registered deaths, the number has increased from 76.4 lakh in the year 2019 to 81.2 lakhs in 2020 showing an increase of 6.2 percent.
Of the total registered deaths, males accounted for 60.2 per cent and females 39.8 per cent.
Maharashtra, Bihar, Gujarat, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam, and Haryana have contributed significantly to the increased number of deaths registered from 2019 to 2020.
According to NITI Aayog, the number of births and deaths included in the report are actual numbers collected from around 3 lakh registration units across the country.
About Civil Registration System (CRS)
It is a universal, continuous, compulsory, and permanent recording of birth, death, and stillbirth.
Registration of births and deaths is done under the Birth and Death Registration Act (RBD), 1969.
Above mentioned figures include deaths due to COVID-19 and other reasons.
10. World Press Freedom Index : India slips to 150th position from 142nd
Tags: National Latest Popular International News
India’s ranking in the World Press Freedom Index has fallen down to 150th position from last year’s 142nd rank out of 180 countries.
Highlights of the 2022 report
Best performing countries
Norway– 1st
Denmark– 2nd
Sweden– 3rd
Estonia– 4th
Finland– 5th
Worst performerming countries
North Korea remained at the bottom of the list.
Russia is placed at 155th position, slipping from 150th last year.
According to the global media watchdog, China climbed two places to the 175th position, from 177th place last year.
Performance of India;s neighbourhood countries
Apart from India, the ranking of its neighbouring countries has also declined except Nepal.
While Pakistan is ranked 157th, Sri Lanka is at 146th, Bangladesh at 162nd and Myanmar at 176th.
About Press Freedom Index
It has been published by Reporters Without Borders every year since 2002.
This is based on the organisation's own assessment of countries' press freedom records in the last year.
The index ranks 180 countries and territories according to the level of freedom available to journalists.
The index is prepared on the basis of assessment of the level of pluralism, media freedom, media environment and self-censorship, legal framework, transparency as well as the quality of the existing infrastructure for news and information.
