1. Four holy relics of Lord Buddha from Kapilvastu placed at Gandan Monastery in Mongolia
Tags: Popular International News
Four sacred relics of Lord Buddha were kept at the Gandan Monastery in Mongolia from Kapilvastu, India, to mark the Mongolian Buddha Purnima celebrated on June 14.
Four sacred Kapilavastu relics brought from India by a delegation led by Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju, and other relics from Mongolia will be displayed at Gandan for Buddhist devotees to visit till June 24.
Four holy relics from India were brought to Mongolia on 13 June.
A 25-member delegation led by Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju has arrived in Mongolia with the holy relics.
The main Buddha statue at Gandan Monastery was gifted to the people of Mongolia by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 and was installed in 2018.
The Kapilvastu relic is one of the 22 special relics housed in the National Museum of the Ministry of Culture.
What are the holy relics?
According to Buddhist belief, Buddha attained salvation at the age of 80 in Kushinagar (Uttar Pradesh).
The Mallas of Kushinagar performed his last rites as a universal king.
The relics from the funeral pyre were collected and divided into eight shares.
It was distributed among the Licchavis of Vaishali, Sakyas of Kapilavastu, Ajathsatrus of Magadha, Mallas of Kushinagar, Mallas of Pava, Bullies of Allakappa, Koliyas of Ramagrama and a Brahmana of Vethadipa.
Its purpose was to build stupas over the sacred relics.
The stupas over the bodily remains of Buddha (Sarrika Stupa) are the oldest surviving sacred places of Buddhism.
Ashoka (272-232 BCE), an ardent follower of Buddhism, is believed to have built seven stupas.
Kapilvastu Relics
The discovery of an inscribed coffin at the stupa site at Piprahwa (near Siddharthnagar in Uttar Pradesh) helped identify ancient Kapilavastu.
The inscription on top of the coffin mentions the relics of the Buddha and his community, the Shakyas.
Records from the Union Ministry of Culture show that this discovery was followed by several explorations.
The excavation of the stupa by the Archaeological Survey of India in 1971-77 led to the discovery of two other relic coffins containing 22 sacred bone remains, which are now under the supervision of the National Museum.
This was followed by the discovery of more than 40 terracotta ceilings which establish that Piprahwa was the ancient city of Kapilvastu.
2. 38th India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol in Andaman Sea and Straits of Malacca
Tags: International Relations International News
The 38th India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) is being conducted from June 13 to 24 2022 in the Andaman Sea and Straits of Malacca.
About India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol
It is the first post pandemic Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) between the two countries.
The navies of both the countries have been operating CORPAT along their International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) since 2002.
This has helped in building understanding and interoperability between the two navies.
It has facilitated measures to prevent and suppress illegal fishing, drug trafficking, maritime terrorism, armed robbery and piracy etc.
India and Indonesia have enjoyed particularly close ties, which include a broad spectrum of activities and interactions that have strengthened over the years.
This CORPAT contributes to the strong ties between the two countries in the Andaman Sea and the Straits of Malacca.
Aim of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol
Keeping the Indian Ocean Region safe for commercial shipping, international trade and conduct of legitimate maritime activities.
Other Exercises between India and Indonesia
Garuda Shakti - A joint military exercise
Samudra Shakti - A bilateral maritime exercise
3. Russia overtakes Saudi Arabia to become India's second largest oil supplier
Tags: Economics/Business International News
Russia has overtaken Saudi Arabia to become India's second largest oil supplier after Iraq.
Indian refiners bought about 25 million barrels of Russian oil in May, which is more than 16% of all Russian oil imports.
India is the world's third largest oil importer and consumer.
Iraq remained India's top oil supplier in May and Saudi Arabia is now the third largest supplier.
India has taken advantage of concessional prices to increase oil imports from Russia at a time when global energy prices are rising.
After the US and China, India is the world's third largest oil consumer, importing more than 85% of its oil.
Largest Oil Producer countries in the world
United States
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Canada
Iraq
China
United Arab Emirates
Brazil
Kuwait
Iran
4. Turkey's Erdogan warns Greece to demilitarise Aegean islands
Tags: International News
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on June 9 warned Greece to demilitarise islands in the Aegean Sea.
Turkey says Greece is increasing its military presence on the Aegean islands in violation of treaties.
Turkey argues that the islands were ceded to Greece on the condition that they remain demilitarized.
What is the dispute?
Greece and Turkey are allies of NATO, but the two countries have a history of disputes on many issues.
Some of the issues are mineral exploration in the eastern Mediterranean and rival claims in the Aegean Sea.
Greece says Turkey deliberately misinterpreted the treaties.
Turkey argues that this sea should be divided equally.
About Aegean Sea
It is located between Anatolia and the Balkan Peninsula and spans Turkey and Greece.
Nine of the 12 administrative regions of Greece are bordered by the sea.
It has a surface area of about 215,000 km2.
Its maximum length is about 700 km and width is 400 km.
The Aegean is divided into the Myrtoian Sea and the Thracian Sea.
It is a major cause of dispute between Turkey and Greece, affecting relations between the two countries since the 1970s.
5. Thailand Becomes the First Asian Country to Legalize Marijuana
Tags: International News
Thailand has become the first country in Asia to legalize the cultivation, sale and use of Marijuana.
Uruguay and Canada are, so far, the only two countries that have legalized recreational marijuana on a national basis.
Thailand's government has warned that those who smoke in public will be sentenced to 3 months in prison and a fine of 25,000 baht ($780).
What is Marijuana?
Marijuana also called weed, is a greenish-grey mixture of the dried flowers of Cannabis sativa.
The main psychoactive (mind-altering) chemical in marijuana, responsible for most of the intoxicating effects, is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
The chemical is found in resin produced by the leaves and buds primarily of the cannabis plant.
More than 500 other chemicals are also found in the plant, including more than 100 compounds that are chemically related to THC.
It is used for smoking, drinking, within food, or as an extract.
Some benefits of Marijuana
It works as a healer and has found mention in the Ayurveda.
It can be used to treat a number of diseases like multiple sclerosis, arthritis, epilepsy, insomnia, HIV/AIDS treatment, cancer.
It is a super-industrial carbon negative raw material.
It is being used to make bio-fuel, bio-plastics and even construction material in certain countries.
By legalizing and taxing marijuana, the government can generate huge amounts of revenue.
It has the potential to become a cash crop for poor marginal farmers.
Its consumption was never regarded as a more socially deviant behaviour than drinking.
Its consumption was never regarded as a more socially deviant behavior than drinking alcohol.
6. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hands over 12 High Speed Guard Boats to Vietnam
Tags: International News
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh handed over 12 high speed guard boats to Vietnam during his visit to Hong Ha Shipyard in Hai Phong on June 9, 2022.
The boats have been built under the Defence Line of Credit of US$ 100 million from the Government of India for Vietnam.
The initial five boats were built in India at Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Shipyard and the other seven at Hong Ha Shipyard.
The speed boat will be operated by the Vietnamese Border Guard Force.
This project is a vivid example of India's 'Make in India - Make for the World' mission.
The Defence Minister said, India would be very happy if close friends like Vietnam bring about a transformation in its defence industry through increased defence industry cooperation.
Rajnath Singh is on a three-day visit to Vietnam.
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7. Bajram Begaj has elected as the new President of Albania
Tags: Person in news International News
Bajram Begaj, who held the post of Chief of General Staff of the Albanian Armed Forces (AAF), has been elected as the new President of Albania country.
He is the 8th President of Albania and the third President by military rank.
Bajram Begaz will be sworn in as the new President on 25 July 2022 to replace the incumbent President 'Ilir Meta', who will remain in office till 22 July 2022.
About Albania
The Republic of Albania is a country located in northeastern Europe.
Albania is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the European Organisation for Security and Cooperation, the European Council, the World Trade Organisation, the Organisation of Islamic Conference, etc.
The national and ethnic symbol of the Albanian people is "eagle".
In 1967, Albania became the first atheist country in the world.
The capital of the country is "Tirana".
8. NHAI created World Records for laying 75 Km long Bituminous Concrete Road in record 5 days
Tags: International News
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and its contractors entered the Guinness World Records for laying 75 km long continuous bituminous concrete road in a record 5 days.
The work was carried out in a single lane on the NH-53 section between Amravati and Akola in West Vidarbha.
This section was constructed by private contractor Rajput Infracon.
Earlier also Rajput Infracon had created a world record by building a road between Sangli and Satara in 24 hours.
The NH-53 highway passes through the mineral rich region of India.
It connects major cities like Kolkata, Raipur, Nagpur, Akola, Dhule and Surat.
Earlier this record was held by the Public Works Authority of Qatar - Ashghal on February 27, 2019.
The road was part of the Al-Khor Expressway and took 10 days to complete.
9. U.K. PM Boris Johnson faces no-confidence vote
Tags: International News
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson won the trust vote on 6 June. The no-confidence motion was brought by MPs from his ruling Conservative Party. Johnson garnered the support of 59% of his lawmakers. He got 211 votes out of a total of 359 MPs.
What is a No-Confidence Motion?
In a parliamentary democracy, the government can be in power only if it has a majority in the directly elected house.
Article 75(3) of the Constitution of India specifies the rule that the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.
But there is no mention of a no-confidence motion in the Constitution.
Rule 198 of the Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha provides a mechanism for examining this collective responsibility.
According to this rule, any Lok Sabha MP who has the support of 50 colleagues can move a no-confidence motion against the Council of Ministers.
The MPs who supported the proposal highlight the shortcomings of the government.
The prime minister or minister then responds to the allegations made.
If the government loses the vote of confidence, it is expected to resign.
There is no procedure for bringing a no-confidence motion against the government in the Rajya Sabha.
Process of voting
Voting can be conducted by following mode-
By voice vote the legislators (MPs) respond orally.
By division vote voting is done using electronic gadgets, slips or in a ballot box.
By ballot vote just like how people vote during state or parliamentary elections.
10. Nirmala Sitharaman launched single nodal agency dashboard
Tags: International News
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the Single Nodal Agency Dashboard on 7th June during the iconic week celebrations of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav in New Delhi.
About Single Nodal Agency (SNA) dashboard
This Single Nodal Agency (SNA) dashboard will provide a platform to the Ministries/Departments to monitor the transfer of funds to the States and their utilisation.
SNA Dashboard is developed by the Public Financial Management System (PFMS).
This is a part of a major public financial management reform that was initiated in 2021 with regards to the manner in which funds for Centrally Sponsored Schemes are released, disbursed and monitored.
This revised process, now referred to as the SNA model, requires each state to identify and designate one SNA for each plan.
All funds for that state in a particular scheme will be deposited in this bank account, and all expenses will be borne by all other implementing agencies linked to this account.
The SNA model ensures that funds for centrally sponsored schemes are allocated to the states in a time bound manner and after fulfilling various conditions.
Significance of SNA Dashboard
It will bring greater efficiency in fund utilisation, tracking of funds, viability and timely release of funds to the states of Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
This will contribute to better cash management of the government.
