1. Law Minister Kiren Rijiju released the first edition of the Dogri version of the Constitution of India
Tags: National
Union Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju released the first edition of the Dogri version of the Indian Constitution at the University of Jammu on 8 April.
An Overviews of the News
- The constitution was originally written in English and Hindi, but has been translated into many other languages in the past. Translation of the Constitution in Dogri was a long-standing demand of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
- The Dogri version of the constitution will enable people speaking this language to understand the fundamental rights and duties of citizens, the functioning of the government and the role of various institutions in the country.
- Releasing the Dogri version of the Constitution is an important step to promote awareness and understanding of the Constitution among the people of Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country where Dogri is spoken.
About Dogri language
- It is a language spoken primarily in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as parts of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Delhi.
- It is one of the 22 official languages recognized by the Indian Constitution and also an official language of the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
- In 2003, Dogri was recognized as the national language of India in the Indian Constitution.
- Dogri derives from Sanskrit, the ancient language of the Vedas (1500–1200 BCE), and is thus part of the larger Indo-European language family.
- The language has a rich literary tradition with prominent writers and poets including Padma Sachdev, Lalit Magotra and Ved Rahi.
- There are several dialects of Dogri, including Bhadravathi, Chamiyali, Pogli, and Kishtwari, each with its own unique characteristics.
About Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir was a state of India until August 2019, which was bifurcated as two union territories namely Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on 31 August 2019.
Capital- Srinagar (May-October), Jammu (November-April)
Lieutenant Governor - Manoj Sinha
Legislative Council - 36 seats
Legislative Assembly - 89 seats
Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, Justice - Koteshwar Singh
2. Aam Aadmi Party got the status of national party
Tags: National News
The Election Commission of India has granted national party status to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on 10 April 2023.
An Overview of the News:
- Along with this, the Election Commission of India has withdrawn the status of being a national party from many political parties. While many political parties were given the status of state level party.
National party status back:
- The Election Commission has withdrawn the national party status of Sharad Pawar's party NCP, CPI and Trinamool Congress (TMC).
- In Uttar Pradesh, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has also been withdrawn as a state party.
Recognition received as a state level party:
- Revolutionary Socialist Party (West Bengal).
- Voice of the People's Party (Meghalaya).
- Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (Nagaland).
- Tipra Motha Party (Tripura).
- BRS (Andhra Pradesh).
Right now there are only six national parties in the country:
- Indian National Congress (INC)
- Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M)
- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
- Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
- National People's Party (NPP)
- Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
Conditions to be recognized as a National Party:
- According to the Handbook of Political Parties and Election Symbols, 2019 of the Election Commission of India, a political party is considered a national party if:
- It is 'recognised' as a state party in four or more states; Or
- Get 6% of the total valid votes from 4 different states in the Lok Sabha or State Legislative Assemblies elections and additionally win 4 Lok Sabha seats. Or
- If it has won at least 2% of the total seats in the Lok Sabha from at least 3 states.
Conditions for recognition as a State Party:
- A party is recognized as a state party in a state if:
- It polls 6% of the valid votes polled in the state in the general election to the respective state legislative assembly and also it wins 2 seats in the same state legislative assembly.
- If it gets 6% of the total valid votes in the state in the general election to the Lok Sabha and also it wins 1 seat in the Lok Sabha from the same state.
- If it wins 3% of the seats in the Legislative Assembly or 3 seats in the Legislative Assembly (whichever is higher) in the general election to the Legislative Assembly of the concerned State.
- If it wins 1 seat in the Lok Sabha for every 25 seats allotted to the State or any part thereof in the general election to the Lok Sabha from the State concerned.
- If it secures 8% of the total valid votes polled in the State in a general election to the Lok Sabha for the State or State Legislative Assembly.
Aam Aadmi Party:
- Currently Aam Aadmi Party has government in two states:
- Union Territory and National Capital Delhi in February 2020 as well.
- The party formed the government with absolute majority in the 2022 assembly elections in Punjab.
- In the same year, the Aam Aadmi Party made its mayor for the first time in the Delhi MCD.
3. 4-day visit of Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Emin Zhaparova to India
Tags: International Relations
Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Emin Zhaparova arrived in India on 9 April 2023 on a four-day visit, the first official visit to the Eastern European country since the Russian aggression began in February 2022.
An overview of the news
- According to the information given by the Ministry, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emin Zhaparova will be on an official visit to India from 9 to 12 April.
- Jhaparova held talks with Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). In which the two sides are expected to discuss bilateral relations, exchange views on the current situation in Ukraine and global issues of mutual interest.
- In India, Jhaparova will also meet Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi and Deputy National Security Advisor Vikram Misri.
- In the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India has urged both sides to find a peaceful solution to the disputes.
Ukraine:
- Capital: Kyiv
- President: Volodymyr Zelensky
- Currency: Ukrainian hryvnia
4. PM Modi launches Big Cat Alliance for conservation of seven cats
Tags: National News
On April 9, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA) in Karnataka.
An Overview of the News
- IBCA focuses on the conservation of seven species of big cats, including tigers, lions, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, snow leopards, and clouded leopards.
- The alliance seeks to bring together countries, conservationists and experts from around the world to collaborate on conservation efforts for these seven big cat species.
- The purpose of the alliance is to facilitate collaboration between governments, NGOs and the private sector to create sustainable solutions for conservation.
- The introduction of the IBCA is an important step towards the conservation of these magnificent animals, as their populations face unprecedented threats from habitat loss, poaching and human-animal conflicts.
About Karnataka
- It is a state in southwest India and is bordered by Maharashtra to the north, Goa to the northwest, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the southwest.
- The state has a varied landscape, with the Arabian Sea to its west and the Western Ghats to its east.
- Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, is known as the "Silicon Valley of India" and is a major centre of technology and innovation.
- Hampi, located in northern Karnataka, was once the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Destinations in Karnataka include the hill station of Coorg, the beach town of Gokarna and the historic city of Bijapur.
- Kannada is the official language of Karnataka, although English and Hindi are also widely spoken.
Chief Minister - Basavaraj Bommai
Governor - Thawar Chand Gehlot
Official Animal - Indian Elephant
Official Bird - Indian Roller
Official Dance - Yakshagana
Official Song - Jaya Bharat Jananiya Tanujate
5. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's visit to Uganda and Mozambique
Tags: International Relations
The Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is on a visit of two African countries Uganda and Mozambique from April 10 to 15, 2023.
An overview of the news:
- According to the Union Ministry of External Affairs, the External Affairs Minister will be on a visit to Uganda from 10 to 12 April. During this he will hold delegation level talks with Ugandan Foreign Minister General JJ Odongo.
S Jaishankar is also expected to meet prominent leaders of the country Uganda and other ministers.
- He is also likely to meet the country's leadership and other ministers.
- The External Affairs Minister will inaugurate the transit campus of the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) to be set up in collaboration with India.
- This will be the first campus of this university outside India. Jaishankar will also address a group of Ugandan businessmen and industrialists.
- During this, MoU is also expected to be signed between India and Uganda for setting up the first campus of NFSU outside India.
Mozambique Visit:
- The External Affairs Minister will visit Mozambique from 13 to 15 April. This will be the first visit by an External Affairs Minister of India to Mozambique.
- The fifth meeting of the India-Mozambique Joint Commission will be chaired by the Foreign Ministers of both the countries.
- During the visit, various types of assistance will be announced from the Indian side to both these countries. There will also be talk on defense cooperation with these two countries.
- In March 2023, India conducted military exercises with nine countries in Africa, as well as a separate meeting with the military chiefs of African countries.
- In March 2023, Cyclone Freddy caused havoc in Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar.
Uganda:
- Capital: Kampala
- President: Yoweri Museveni
- Prime Minister: Robinhood Nabanza
- Currency: Uganda Shilling
Mozambique:
- Capital: Maputo
- President: Philippe Nyusi
- Prime Minister: Carlos Agostinho do Rosário
- Currency: Mozambican metical (MZN)
6. Walkthrough for C-20 Working Group on Integrated Holistic Health organized by AIIA
Tags: National
On April 8, 2023, the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) under the Ministry of AYUSH organized a walkthrough for the 'C20 Working Group on Integrated Holistic Health'.
An overview of the news:
- The event was attended by a large gathering of over 400 delegates and the institute showcased how an integrated approach can be effectively implemented in the field of health care.
C-20:
- The C-20 is one of the eight official working groups of the G-20 Forum.
- The 19 countries in the C-20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.
- C-20 India 2023 is one of the official engagement groups of G-20 which provides a platform for civil society organizations (CSOs) in the world to articulate people's aspirations for world leaders in G-20.
- The walkthrough, organized by the institute, took the delegates to the hospital and highlighted how an integrated approach in healthcare can be effectively implemented for the betterment of humanity.
- AIIA has also signed an MoU with Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University for cooperation and coordination in the field of research and education in the field of Ayurveda.
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (AVV):
- AVV is a multi-campus, multi-disciplinary research academic university, hereinafter referred to as Amrita.
On this occasion, AIIA launched the Millet Calendar by Dr. Anita Bhatia, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women.
7. Joint Military Exercise ‘Ex KAVACH’ concludes at Andaman and Nicobar Command
Tags: Defence National News
The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) conducted a large-scale joint military exercise 'X Kavach' involving assets of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.
An overview of the news
Commencing on 23 February 2023, the exercise concluded on 7 April 2023.
The exercise was aimed at fine-tuning joint combat capabilities and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and enhancing interoperability and operational synergy between the armies.
Army's 'Shatrujit Brigade', Armed Forces Special Operations Division (AFSOD), Navy's Special Forces and ANC's amphibious troops carried out an exercise at a remote island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The exercise featured multi-domain exercises involving amphibious landings, airborne operations, heliborne operations and rapid entry of special forces off the coast.
'X Kavach' showcased the capabilities and preparedness of the Armed Forces to safeguard India's maritime interests and ensure the security of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
8. President of India takes a historic sortie in a Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter aircraft
Tags: Defence National News
The President of India, Droupadi Murmu took a historic sortie in a Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter aircraft at the Tezpur Air Force Station in Assam on April 8, 2023.
An overview of the news
The President, who is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, flew for about 30 minutes.
The aircraft was flown by Group Captain Naveen Kumar, Commanding Officer of 106 Squadron.
The aircraft flew at an altitude of about two kilometers above sea level and at a speed of about 800 kilometers per hour.
The President's flight in the Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter aircraft is a part of his efforts to engage with the armed forces as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces.
Country's second President to fly in fighter jet
President Draupadi Murmu is the second President of the country to fly in Sukhoi MKI 30 fighter jet and the fourth President of the country to fly in a fighter aircraft.
Earlier, former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Pratibha Patil and Ramnath Kovind have flown in Indian Air Force fighter aircraft.
Before President Draupadi Murmu, country's first woman President Pratibha Patil flew in Sukhoi in 2009.
Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter aircraft
It is a two-seat multirole fighter aircraft.
It is developed by Russian company Sukhoi and manufactured under license by India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
Range – 3000 Km
9. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to attend the Spring Annual Meetings of IMF- World Bank
Tags: Economy/Finance International News
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is on a visit to the USA to attend the Spring Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - World Bank.
An overview of the news
Finance ministers and central bankers from around the world will participate in the meeting.
The meeting is scheduled to take place from April 9 at the IMF headquarters in Washington DC.
On the sidelines of the Spring Annual Meetings, Sitharaman will hold bilateral talks with her respective counterparts from G20 countries and heads of other delegations.
Sitharaman and Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das will jointly chair the 2nd G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, FMCBG meeting on April 12.
About 350 delegates from G20 members, 13 invited countries and various international and regional organizations will participate in the meeting.
They will engage in multilateral discussions centered around a broad spectrum of global issues.
Agenda of the meeting
The focus will be on addressing food and energy insecurity, managing global debt vulnerabilities, strengthening multilateral development banks, mobilizing finance for climate action, and accelerating progress on international tax and financial sector issues.
About the Meeting
Spring Meetings will be held on April 14 - 16, 2023 at Washington, D.C.
The World Bank Group (WBG) plays a key role in the global effort to end extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity.
Towards achieving these goals the organization is organizing this meeting.
This meeting is the primary opportunity to raise awareness and participation on these topics and to advance the agenda on key issues.
10. Govt approves Kirit Parikh panel recommendations on natural gas pricing
Tags: Economy/Finance National News
The government on April 7 fixed natural gas price at $7.92 per MMBTU (million British thermal units) for the rest of April under the new pricing formula suggested by the Kirit Parekh Committee.
An overview of the news
However, the final rates for consumers have been capped at $6.5 per MMBTU.
The Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) of the oil ministry said in the order that the price of natural gas for April 8 to April 30 would be $7.92 per million British thermal units.
This price has been fixed on the basis of 10 per cent of the average cost of imported crude oil.
The Union Cabinet, while changing the pricing formula, capped the rates for consumers at $6.5 per MMBTU. This limit will be applicable for two years till March 31, 2025.
“The price for gas produced by ONGC/OIL from their old fields shall be subject to a ceiling of $6.5 per MMBTU,” the order said.
The government has approved a floor price of $4 per MMBTU for the next two years to cover the cost of gas production for state-owned firms ONGC Ltd and OIL Ltd.
The new rates will bring down the prices of CNG and compressed natural gas (CNG) transported through pipelines and used in various industries including auto fuel and petrochemicals and fertilizer sector, by up to 10 per cent.
