Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 14th June 2024

National News

1.“Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story” to Open Mumbai Film Festival 

• National Geographic’s documentary, Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story, will kick off the screenings at the 18th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) in 
• MIFF is scheduled to be held from 15th June 2024 to 21st June 2024 in Mumbai. 
• The opening film will be screened simultaneously in Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Pune on 15th June. 
• The film will also be screened during the Red-Carpet event in Delhi on 17th June, Chennai on 18th June, Kolkata on 19th June, and Pune on 20th June. 
• Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story (English – 78 mins) directed by Charlie Hamilton James is a heartwarming story about a man who forms an unlikely friendship with a wild otter while living in a remote Shetland Islands. 
• This captivating documentary explores the enchanting shores of Scotland’s Shetland Islands through a heartwarming journey of an orphaned otter named Molly. 

About 18th MIFF 

• MIFF, recognized as the oldest and largest film festival for non-feature films in South Asia, marks its 18th year of celebrating the art of documentary, short fiction, and animation films. 
• Initiated in 1990 and now organized under the aegis of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, MIFF has evolved into an international event drawing cine-enthusiasts from across the globe. 
• This year’s celebration will also be a special one because there are more than 38 countries participating, with 1018 entries and multiple parallel screenings being held in Delhi, Kolkata, Pune and Chennai, covering the entire canvass of the country. 

2. PM Modi to participate in G7 outreach Summit at Apulia, Italy 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the G7 Outreach Summit in Apulia, Italy. 
• India has been invited as an outreach country. On the sidelines of his visit, Modi is also expected to hold bilateral meetings and discussions with the leaders of the G7, the outreach countries, and international organizations. 
• The G7 consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 
• During the discussions at the outreach session, the focus would be on artificial intelligence, energy, Africa, and the Mediterranean. 
• This will be India’s 11th participation in the G7 Summit and Prime Minister Modi’s fifth consecutive participation at the summit. 
• Besides India, Italy, as part of the G7 presidency, has also invited Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Kenya, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tunisia, Turkey, the UAE, and some international organisations, including the United Nations. 

3. Science is now too vast to be administered by one Minister 

• The portfolios of many of the newly swornin Ministers of the 18th Lok Sabha signal no significant changes from what they held in the previous regime. The Bharatiya Janata Party continues to retain the ‘major’ portfolios, from Home to Telecommunications, with the rest distributed among its coalition allies. 
• The 18th Lok Sabha also includes five Ministers of State with independent charge. One of them is Jitendra Singh, whose portfolio spans the Departments of Space (DoS) and Atomic Energy (DAE), the Ministries of Earth Sciences (MoES), Science and Technology (MST), and Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. Each of these ministries or departments by itself is a handful these days. 
• The DoS is grappling with the entry of private sector players in the national space programme as well as managing the development of the maiden human space flight mission and new launch vehicles. 
• The MoES is involved in missions to explore the seabed for mineral resources — an enterprise just beginning to feature in multilateral fora — as well as climate adaptation and mitigation. 
• The MST overseas India’s three foremost research departments at a time when the world is eager to test artificial intelligence, build quantum computers, develop and deploy multi-omics approaches in sectors from agriculture to medicine, and invent advanced energy storage solutions. 
• The DAE has announced plans to rapidly advance nuclear power, which includes starting phase two of its reactors programme and commissioning one facility every year. Just the sheer amount of technical divergence in the offing here, and their evolving interactions with society at large, merits more than a shared Minister of State. 
• The fields these bodies oversee also suffer many persistent problems. To pick a few: the timelines of fellowship and grant disbursals for young researchers are often farcical; facilities that can support interdisciplinary research are largely localised and inimical to collaboration; cuttingedge research is hamstrung by vacillating regulations; intellectual property rights protection is less than airtight, and translational research is bare and restricted to some sectors. 
• Importantly, the gross domestic expenditure on research and development as a fraction of GDP has been declining since 2008-09. While demands for more money should be preceded by capacity building that can productively absorb these funds, the growth of that capacity has been in fits and starts. 
• Among other things, India sorely needs a separate Minister, ideally of Cabinet rank, for each of its major nodal research bodies to escape their long-standing rut, and have their needs met and problems solved in meaningful fashion during the bumpy rule of a coalition government. 

4. IGNCA Signs MoU with Sansad TV 

• Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) and Sansad TV signed an agreement to make Indian art and culture more accessible to the people. 
• Under this initiative, programmes produced by IGNCA will be telecast on Sansad TV. 
• The MoU was signed by Member Secretary Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi on behalf of IGNCA and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Rajat Punhani on behalf of Sansad TV. 

Recent MoU 

• Cisco and Tata Communications partner to launch Webex Calling in India 
• AIIMS New Delhi signed MoU with University of Bolton Institute of Medicine 
• Mahindra & Mahindra sign MoU with MSDE for ‘Drone Didi’ Pilot Project 
• NHPC Limited to collaborate with Ocean Sun for implementation of Floating Solar Energy Technology 
• Mines Ministry inks MoU with Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation for knowledge support on critical minerals 

International News 

5. Armenia to leave Russia-led security bloc 

• Armenia will leave a Russia-led security bloc, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed for the first time, accusing members of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation of having planned a war against his country with Azerbaijan. 
• The CSTO, headquartered in Moscow, also includes Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Belarus. 
• Ties between Russia and Armenia, host to various Russian military facilities, have become increasingly rancorous since Azerbaijan retook its breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh in September last year by force despite the presence there of Russian peacekeepers. 
• The CSTO did not intervene and Azerbaijan’s military action prompted a mass exodus of the region’s more than 100,000 ethnic Armenian population to Armenia. 

About Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) 

• Founded- 15 May 1992 
• The Collective Security Treaty Organization is an intergovernmental military alliance in Eurasia. 
• Member Country – Armenia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan 

5. Turkiye to buy F-16 warplanes from U.S. 

• Turkiye and the United States have signed a contract for the sale of F-16 warplanes after Washington greenlighted the $23 billion deal following months of negotiations, Turkish Defence Ministry sources said on Thursday. 
• “The contract was signed and delegations from both sides are negotiating the details,” the Ministry sources said. Under the deal, Turkiye will get 40 new F-16s and upgrades to 79 of the jets in its existing fleet. 
• The State Department last week hailed “a major step forward” in Turkey's purchase of new F-16 fighter jets calling them “the most advanced F-16 ever made available only to closest Allies and partners' '. 
• “Just the latest example of the United States enduring commitment to its security partnership with Turkiye,” it said in a social media post. The United States did not green light the transaction until Turkiye’s instruments of ratification of Sweden’s membership had arrived in Washington. 

6. Kathmandu to host International Tourism Fair 

• Kathmandu, Nepal will host an international tourism fair aimed at promoting global tourism, sustainable development, and cultural exchange. 
• The event beginning 15 June will feature tourism entrepreneurs from 16 countries. 
• Countries participating in the fair include Nepal, India, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, the Maldives, the USA, the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, China, Thailand, Dubai, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Bhutan. 
• The fair will showcase over 150 stalls from various countries, fostering international cooperation and sustainable tourism initiatives. 

About Nepal 

• Capital- Kathmandu 
• Currency- Nepalese rupee 
• President– Ram Chandra Paudel 
• Prime minister– Pushpa Kamal Dahal 

7. India and UAE launch ‘Local Currency Settlement System’ 

• The launch of the Local Currency Settlement System, or LCSS, comes as part of a new reshaping of economic ties between India and the UAE. In a landmark move during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit last year, India and the UAE laid the groundwork for a Local Currency Settlement System. 
• During the PM’s visit, the Reserve Bank of India and the Central Bank of the UAE signed a Memorandum of Understanding to this effect. 
• This LCSS system will allow exporters and importers to invoice and pay for goods and services in their respective domestic currencies—the Indian rupee and the UAE dirham. The move reduces dependence on intermediary currencies such as the US dollar, thereby cutting transaction costs and settlement times. 
• At a high-profile event held at Taj Dubai last week, the Indian Trade and Professional Council, National Payments Corporation of India and the Reserve Bank of India came together to discuss the farreaching implications of this system. 
• This could bring significant savings and efficiency for industries such as gold, gems and jewellery that are key traded commodities between India and the UAE. The signed MoU also includes plans to connect domestic debit and credit card networks. 
• In addition, the UAE is set to deploy the RuPay stack in the form of a domestic card scheme called JAYWAN, with customer roll-out scheduled to begin in July 2024 and additional features planned for October 2024. 
• As of March 31, 2024, trade between India and the UAE stood at around $84 billion. With the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement signed in 2022, the two countries are moving towards achieving the non-oil trade target of $100 billion by 2030. 
• The UAE is India's second largest trading partner and largest export destination, while India is the UAE's third largest trading partner and second largest export destination. 

State News 

8. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister inaugurates 'PM Shri Tourism Air Service' from Bhopal 

• Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav inaugurated 'PM Shri Tourism Air Service' from Raja Bhoj International Airport in the state capital Bhopal on June 13, 2024. The BJP government led by Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav in Madhya Pradesh has completed 180 days of its term. 
• Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav inaugurated the ticket booking counter of the new service and also provided boarding passes to the passengers. On this occasion, the Chief Minister said that the launch of the air service will make it easier for any common man to travel. 
• Under the PM Shri Tourism Air Service, eight cities of the state, Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Rewa, Ujjain, Gwalior, Singrauli and Khajuraho are being connected by air service. In MP, the government has already started air ambulance service which is free for Ayushman card holders. Till now people used to travel only by rail and road, apart from this, now this third route has also opened. 
• Madhya Pradesh is the only state in the country which is providing all three types of transport facilities. Religious tourism is going to increase in the state due to this facility and common people will also get facility through air taxi. 
• Flyola website has been developed for the facility of online ticket booking, which was launched by the Chief Minister in a meeting held in the ministry on Tuesday, 11 June. 
• Earlier, Tourism and Culture Department Principal Secretary Shiv Shekhar Shukla said, "The PM Shri Paryatan Air Service, operated by Madhya Pradesh Tourism in partnership with M/s Jet Serve Aviation Pvt Ltd under PPP mode, will connect eight cities of the state. 
• The air service will use two aircraft, each having six passenger seats. Booking counters are being set up at the airports of Indore, Bhopal and Jabalpur for reservations. 

9. Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu declares Amaravati as capital 

• Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said Amaravati will be the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh and the previous government's plan of three capitals for the coastal state will be scrapped. 
• As the first chief minister of the divided Andhra Pradesh between 2014 and 2019, he had mooted the idea of making Amaravati the capital city. However, Naidu's idea suffered a setback in 2019 when the TDP was voted out of power and the YSRCP led by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy won a landslide victory. 
• Reddy presented the new theory of three capitals, with Visakhapatnam as the administrative capital, Amaravati as the legislative capital and Kurnool as the judicial capital. 
• Amaravati is located on the right bank of the Krishna river in Guntur district. Historically, the ancient city of Amaravati was the capital of the Satavahana dynasty. Amaravati means the place of immortals. Amaravati was chosen as the new capital due to its strategic location between Vijayawada and Guntur. 
• In 2015, Naidu laid the foundation stone for the Amaravati capital. In 2019, he laid the foundation stone for a permanent secretariat in the Amaravati area. 
• From June 2, 2024, Hyderabad will no longer be the joint capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh as the bifurcation of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh entered the 10th year. 
• Farmers who gave 34,000 acres of land for the Amaravati capital are fighting a battle in the Supreme Court against the creation of three capitals. 
• The NDA won 164 seats in the 175- member state assembly, with the TDP winning 135, Jana Sena 21 and the BJP eight. The Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party was reduced to 11 seats. The TDP is also the second-largest constituent of the NDA at the Centre with 16 Lok Sabha seats. 

10. Assam government launches 'Mukhyamantri Nijut Moina Yojana' to promote girl education and eliminate child marriage 

• The Assam government has announced a new scheme Mukhyamantri Nijut Moina (MMNM) to promote girl education and eliminate child marriage in the state. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced it on June 12, 2024 after the Assam government cabinet approved the scheme. 
• The Mukhyamantri Nijut Moina Yojana aims to empower the girls of the state by promoting education with financial incentives and assistance from the state government. An empowered girl will also help reduce the incidence of child marriage in the state. 
• Around 10 lakh girl students of the state will benefit from this scheme. Girl students enrolled in higher secondary education will get Rs 1000 per month from the government. 
• For girls, girl students enrolled in three-year or four-year degree graduation course will get Rs 1200 per month. Girl students enrolled in post graduation or B.Ed degree will get Rs 2500 per month. 
• According to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, daughters of ministers and members of Assam Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are not eligible for this scheme. 
• Beneficiaries of the state government scheme who excelled in Higher Secondary (HS) exams and received scooters will not be eligible for this monetary benefit. 
• Girl students of private colleges and universities are also not eligible. However, girl students of venture colleges will be eligible. 
• Girl students who do not attend regularly or are involved in undesirable activities like ragging will also be excluded from this scheme. 
• The scheme will cost the state government Rs 1500 crore over the next five years. The state government has allocated Rs 300 crore for the first year. 

Appointment News

11. FICCI appoints Jyoti Vij as new DG 

• The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has appointed Jyoti Vij as its Director General. 
• Vij is currently the additional director general at FICCI. She will take charge of the FICCI secretariat with immediate effect. 
• She graduated from Shri Ram College of Commerce in 1988 and later received her master’s in business economics from the University of Delhi in 1990. 
• In 1993, she joined the industry body and has served it in various capacities. 

Recent Appointment 

• Chairperson of Telecom Industry Association – Abhijit Kishore 
• Vice Chairperson of Telecom Industry Association – Rahul Vatts 
• Secretary of CCI – Inder Pal Singh Bindra (replace Anupama Anand) 
• DG of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) – Kamal Kishore Soan 
• Director in Department of Rural Development – Raj Priy Singh 
• Vice-Chancellor of IIFT – Rakesh Mohan Joshi 

12. Sanjeet Kharel Sworn in as Pro-Tem Speaker of Sikkim Legislative Assembly 

• In Sikkim, Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered the oath of office to Sanjeet Kharel as Pro-Tem Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly at Raj Bhawan in Gangtok. 
• As Pro-Tem Speaker, Kharel will preside over the inaugural session of the 11th Sikkim State Legislative Assembly, including the oath-taking of newly elected members. 
• He represents the Namthang Rateypani constituency. 

About Sikkim 

• Capital – Gangtok 
• Chief Minister – Prem Singh Tamang (2nd time) 
• Governor – Lakshman Prasad Acharya 

13. Prem Prabhakar appointed MD and CEO of SBICAP Ventures Limited 

• Prem Prabhakar has been appointed as MD and CEO of SBICAP Ventures Limited.
• In his new role, Prabhakar will be responsible for overseeing the strategic direction, operational efficiency and overall growth of the company. 
• He will lead the executive team, manage investor relations, and drive initiatives that align with SVL’s commitment to creating long-term value for its investors and supporting the communities in which it operates. 
• Prabhakar brings over 24 years of extensive experience in the banking sector. Prior to this appointment, he served as General Manager at the State Bank of India (SBI). 
• His notable assignments include serving as Deputy General Manager (B & O) managing retail business and operations, Chief Dealer (Forex) at SBI Global Markets, Mumbai, and Chief Dealer at SBI New York. 

14. Former IPS officer Ajit Doval appointed National Security Adviser for the third time 

• Former IPS officer Ajit Doval has been appointed National Security Adviser for the third time. The order of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet said Doval's appointment is coterminous with the term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi or until further orders, whichever is earlier. 
• His third term came into effect from June 10. During his tenure, Doval will be accorded the rank of a Cabinet minister in the table of precedence, according to the order, and the terms of his appointment will be notified separately. 
• Doval, a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer who retired in 2005 as the head of India's domestic spy agency, the Intelligence Bureau, was Modi's first choice to advise him on security when he first took office in May 2014. 
• Doval, a 1968 batch Kerala cadre officer, was the first police officer to be awarded the second-highest peacetime gallantry award for his role in Operation Black Thunder-2, launched in 1988 to flush out militants from the Golden Temple. 
• The National Security Council (NSC) in India is the executive agency responsible for advising the Prime Minister's Office on issues of national security and strategic interest. The NSC was set up in 1998 by the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Brajesh Mishra served as the country's first National Security Adviser (NSA). 

PK Mishra - Principal Secretary 

• Meanwhile, the Appointments Committee also approved the appointment of retired IAS officer PK Mishra as the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. His appointment will co-terminus with the tenure of the Prime Minister or until further orders, whichever is earlier. 
• Mishra was working with Modi when he was the Chief Minister in Gujarat and was in the PMO since Modi assumed power in 2014. 

Defence News

16. Army launches integrated generator monitoring, control system ‘Vidyut Rakshak’ 

• The Vice Chief of the Indian Army, Upendra Dwivedi has launched Vidyut Rakshak, a new Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled integrated generator tracking, protection, and control system. 
• This was developed by Maj Rajprasad R S and was recently displayed during “Exercise Bharat Shakti,”, which is a big step forward in the Indian Army’s “Year of Tech Absorption.” 
• The system aims to save manpower and signifies the Army’s commitment to leveraging technology for transformative change. Vidyut Rakshak was showcased during Aero India 2023 and has already been inducted into the Indian Army. 
• Vidyut Rakshak wants to improve the performance of engines used by the Indian Army by adding cutting-edge IoT technology to them. This method works with all army generators, no matter what kind, make, model, or age they are. 
• Some of the most important features are watching generator parameters in real-time, finding faults before they happen, and automating control operations so that less work has to be done by hand. 

Awards News

17. India awarded hosting rights for 2025 FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 

• The Executive Board of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has named India as the host nation for the first 24-team FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup to be held in December 2025. This tournament, which will feature 24 teams for the first time, will be the 14th edition of the Junior Hockey World Cup. 
• FIH President Tayyab Ikram expressed excitement for the expanded event format. Hockey India President Dr Dilip Tirkey expressed gratitude for the opportunity. 
• The most recent edition of the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2023. India lost 4-1 to eventual champions Germany in the semifinals and finished fourth after losing 3-1 to Spain in the thirdplace playoff. 
• This will be the fourth time India will host the Junior Hockey World Cup. The 2013 edition was held in New Delhi, while Lucknow and Bhubaneswar hosted in 2016 and 2021 respectively. 
• India has won the men's Junior World Cup twice, in 2001 in Australia and on home soil in 2016. Germany, with seven victories, is the most successful team in the history of the competition that began in 1979. 

MotoGP 2025 in Noida city 

• The Uttar Pradesh government has revealed plans to organise MotoGP India in 2025. The MotoGP will be held at the Buddh International Circuit in Noida city from 2025 to 2029. 
• Also, it has announced a collaboration with Spain's Dorna Sports and Indian partner Fairstreet Sports. The event was earlier scheduled to be held in 2024 but was postponed due to weather conditions and will now be held in March 2025. 
• The FIM (Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme) consolidated the rules for the motorcycle competition for the first time in 1949. 
• The event will take place from September 22 to 24 at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. It has previously hosted the Indian Grand Prix from 2011 to 2013. 

18. Ms. Shilpi Agarwal tops International Digital Teacher Olympiad 2024 

• Ms. Shilpi Agarwal, a teacher at City Montessori School, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, topped the recently concluded International Digital Teacher Olympiad by securing Rank 1. The Olympiad was organised by upEducators, India's fastest growing ed tech company, for skill development of teachers. 
• The first edition of this international event was attended by 3,300 teachers from 2,663 schools across 20 countries who showcased their advanced digital teaching skills. 
• The top performers received prizes worth Rs 10 lakh, which included cash awards and exam vouchers from Google and Microsoft. 
• The other winners include Mr Vijay Kumar M, teacher from GHSS Somandargudi in Kallakurichi, who secured Rank 2. Rank 3 was shared by Ms Neethu William from New Indian Model School, Dubai and Ms Sonali Kumar from 21K School, Kolkata. 
• The Olympiad was conducted in two levels. In the first level, all participants took part in a 40- minute assessment quiz on an online platform where they were assessed on their understanding of digital pedagogy, adaptive learning techniques, integration of digital tools, digital content creation, education technology trends, data privacy and online security, and innovative teaching practices. 
• In the second round, all selected participants submitted a lesson plan and a five-minute video explaining the lesson plan that required integration of digital tools to enhance student learning. 

Sports News

19. India’s Gulveer Singh clinches Silver Medal in Men’s 5000 Metre Race at Portland Track 

• In athletics, India’s Gulveer Singh has clinched the silver medal in the Men’s 5000-metre race at the Portland Track Festival High-Performance Meet in Portland, US. 
• The Asian Games bronze medallist also became the fastest Indian in the men’s 5000-metre race. 
• Gulveer clocked the national record timing of 13 minutes 18.92 seconds to surpass the previous record of 13 minutes 19.30 seconds, set by Avinash Sable last year. 
• Dylan Jacobs of USA bagged the gold, while his compatriot Eric Van Der Els won the bronze medal. 
• With this achievement, Gulveer now holds the national records in both the 10,000-metre and 5,000-metre races. 

20. Shruti Vora becomes first Indian Rider to Win 3-Star Grand Prix event 

• In Equestrian, Shruti Vora scripts history as she becomes the first Indian rider to win a three-star Grand Prix event. 
• Shruti along with her astride Magnanimous, scored 67.761 points in the CDI-3 event in FEI Dressage World Cup held in Lipica, Slovenia. 
• She finished ahead of Moldova’s Tatiana Antonenco, who scored 66.552 points. 
• Veteran rider Shruti Vora has also represented India in Dressage World Championship 2022 and in the Asian Games of 2010 and 2014. 

Important day 

21. 14 June – World Blood Donor Day 

• World Blood Donor Day is observed every year on 14 June. 
• Objective – To raise awareness about the importance of blood donation and to urge more people to donate blood. 
• Theme 2024 – 20 years of celebrating giving: thank you blood donors. 
• Richard Lower, a biologist, successfully and safely transfused blood between two dogs in 1940. This significant event contributed to the acceptance of blood donation and transfusion as routine medical practices by laying the groundwork for contemporary blood transfusion techniques. 

Who can donate blood? 

• A person aged between 18-65 years can donate blood, as per WHO. 
• Apart from this, as observed in India, a haemoglobin level of not less than 12.0 g/dl for females and not less than 13.0 g/dl for males is a threshold to donate blood. 
• People having haemoglobin below the threshold level are not allowed to donate. 
• The WHO also states that “You cannot donate if you have a cold, flu, sore throat, cold sore, stomach bug or any other infection. 
• If you have recently had a tattoo or body piercing you cannot donate for 6 months from the date of the procedure.” 

Ranks & Reports News

22. TDP MP Dr Chandrasekhar Pemmasani is the richest minister in PM Modi 3.0 cabinet 

• According to an analysis by election watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), 28 ministers in the 72-member Union Council of Ministers led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi have declared criminal cases against themselves. 
• Nineteen ministers have declared serious criminal cases including those related to attempt to murder, kidnapping and crime against women, the ADR analysis said. 
• Two ministers in Modi 3.0 have declared cases related to attempt to murder against themselves, the ADR said. They are Shantanu Thakur and Sukanta Majumdar, both from West Bengal. 
• Out of the 71 ministers analysed, 70 (99 per cent) are crorepatis. The average wealth of the 71 ministers analysed is ₹107.94 crore. 
• Six ministers have declared assets worth more than ₹100 crore, the ADR report said. 
• Also, among the 8,360 candidates contesting the 2024 general elections, Chandrasekhar Pemmasani of the Telugu Desam Party is the richest candidate to win the Lok Sabha elections. He won from Guntur constituency in Andhra Pradesh. 
• The 48-year-old politician, who is the founder and CEO of UWorld, an online learning platform, has been an active leader in the TDP NRI cell and has organised party events during his time in the US. 
• Chandrasekhar Pemmasani won the Ernst & Young Award as a young entrepreneur in the US in 2020. 

Key Ministers 

• Dr. Chandrasekhar Pemmasani, TDP, ₹5705 crore+ 
• Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, BJP, ₹425 crore+ 
• HD Kumaraswamy, JD(S), ₹217 crore+ 
• Ashwini Vaishnav, BJP, ₹144 crore+ 
• Rao Indrajit Singh, BJP, ₹121 crore+ 
• Piyush Goyal, BJP, ₹110 crore+ 

23. India is the world's second-largest emitter of nitrous oxide, according to the Global Carbon Project 

• India is the world's second-largest source of nitrous oxide (N2O), according to a study conducted by the Global Carbon Project, a network of climate scientists. Nitrous oxide is the third most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide and methane and is 273 times more potent than CO2 over 100 years. 
• Planet-warming nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions increased by 40 per cent between 1980 and 2020, with China being the biggest emitter, followed by India and the US, according to a new report. 
• The top five country emitters were China (16.7%), India (10.9%), the United States (5.7%), Brazil (5.3%) and Russia (4.6%). 74 per cent of nitrous oxide emissions over the past decade came from the use of nitrogen fertilisers and animal manure in agriculture. 
• Increases in greenhouse gases have already raised the Earth's average surface temperature by 1.15 degrees Celsius compared to the 1850-1900 average. Anthropogenic nitrous oxide emissions contribute about 0.1 degrees to this warming. 
• The study says the concentration of atmospheric N2O will reach 336 parts per billion in 2022, about 25% higher than levels seen before the industrial era. In comparison, the concentration of carbon dioxide – the leading greenhouse gas after water vapor – was 417 parts per million in 2022.
• "For net-zero emissions pathways consistent with the Paris Agreement (stabilizing global temperatures below 2°C above preindustrial levels), anthropogenic N2O emissions must be reduced by at least 20% relative to 2019 levels by 2050." 
• Once emitted, N2O remains in the atmosphere longer than the average human lifetime (117 years), and hence has a longlasting effect on climate and ozone. 
• In addition to N2O emissions, the inefficient use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and animal manure also leads to pollution of groundwater, drinking water, and inland and coastal waters. 
• The growing demand for meat and dairy products has also contributed to the rise in emissions through increased manure production, which also causes N2O emissions.