National News

1.Supreme Court declares Muslim woman entitled to maintenance from husband after divorce

The Supreme Court said that a Muslim woman is entitled to maintenance from her husband under Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih dismissed a plea in the case, in which the man had filed a plea against the direction to grant interim maintenance to his divorced wife under Section 125 CrPC.
The bench also ruled that if the woman is divorced during the pendency of the application, she can resort to the (Protection of Rights on Marriage) 2019 Act. The bench said that the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act 1986 will not prevail over secular law.
The bench said that the remedy under the 2019 Act is in addition to the remedy under Section 125 CrPC. The apex court clarified that the law for seeking maintenance will be valid for all women, not just married women. The bench said that maintenance is not a charity but a right of married women.
The apex court dismissed the plea of Mohammed Abdul Samad, who had challenged the order of the Telangana High Court which refused to interfere with the maintenance order of the family court.

2.Provision of imprisonment up to 10 years on breaking up

According to the new Indian Justice Code (BNS), the inclusion of "Section 69" is about a person making false promises to his partner, maybe about marriage or job and other things, for which he can be sentenced to jail and also have to pay a fine.
Section 69 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) is all about “having sexual intercourse by using deceitful means, etc.”
Section 69 states: “Whoever by deceit or by promising to marry a woman has sexual intercourse with her without intent to cause, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.”
The BNS, along with the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), came into effect on July 1, replacing the IPC, Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and Evidence Act, respectively.
In addition, the BNS has introduced an age-based classification for rape victims, distinguishing between minors under 18, 16 and 12 years of age as per the IPC and POCSO. It prescribes different sentencing options for these cases.

3. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to lead Indian delegation to 10th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in St Petersburg

The 10th BRICS Parliamentary Forum will be held on 11-12 July 2024 at the Tauride Palace in St Petersburg as part of Russia's BRICS chairmanship. The theme of the forum is 'The role of parliaments in strengthening multilateralism for equitable global development and security'.
The delegation of the Parliament Chambers of Russia will be led by Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko and State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will lead the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the 10th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in St Petersburg, Russia. The Indian delegation includes Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Rajya Sabha member Shambhu Sharan Patel, Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh and Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Modi.
In addition to the BRICS countries, which include five new members (Saudi Arab, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates) from January, Speakers and Members of Parliament from other invited countries, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, will participate in the BRICS Parliamentary Forum meetings along with InterParliamentary Union Chairperson Tulia Aksen.

4. Sixth East Asia Summit on Maritime Security Cooperation, 2024 held in Mumbai

The Sixth East Asia Summit (EAS) Conference on Maritime Security Cooperation was held in Mumbai on 04-05 July, 2024. The Conference was organized by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India in partnership with the Governments of Australia and Indonesia.
The ASEAN-India Centre (AIC) at Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) and the National Maritime Foundation (NMF) collaborated as Knowledge Partners for the Conference.
The participants discussed a variety of topics including the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), regional maritime domain awareness, countering illegal maritime activity, anti-piracy and IUU fishing, maritime connectivity, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) and search and rescue (SAR).
The EAS was established in 2005 as an initiative led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The idea of the East Asia grouping was first proposed in 1991 by then Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. The first summit was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 14 December 2005.
The EAS comprises 18 members: 10 ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) and eight dialogue partners (Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States).

5.UU Lalit to head the Committee on Appointment of VC in Bengal

The Supreme Court has appointed the former Chief Justice of India Uday Umesh Lalit as the chairman of the search and selection committee for the appointment of vice-chancellor in all the state-run universities of West Bengal.
A division bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice K V Viswanathan passed this order on 9 July 2024.
The two-judge bench passed the order on a special leave petition filed by the West Bengal government under Article 138 of the constitution.
The two-judge division bench observed that both the office of the governor of West Bengal and the state government have agreed to form the search and selection committee. The bench ordered the constitution of a six-member committee within two weeks.

Recent Committees

To review and suggest reform in the examination process (restructuring NTA) – Chaired by Dr. K. Radhakrishnan
RBI set up a committee to Mitigate Payment Fraud; chaired by AP Hota
SEBI sets up committee to review ownership, economic structure of clearing corporations; chaired by Usha Thorat
Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints Committee – Justice Hima Kohli
Equestrian Federation Of India’s Ad-Hoc Administrative Committee – chaired by Justice Najmi Waziri

6. Punjab gets its first Plant Clinic & Soil Testing Laboratory in Moga

In Punjab, the first plant clinic and soil testing laboratory of the state has been established in Moga, with a grant from the NITI Aayog.
The clinic will provide free soil testing and plant disease diagnosis services to farmers.
Moga district is among the aspirational districts of the country and this clinic equipped with modern equipment is a part of development by NITI Aayog in the area.
The clinic has been set up with a total cost of Rs. 1 crore 25 lakh.
The latest machine here can analyze soil samples and provide detailed reports on nutrient content, pH levels, and other parameters.

About Punjab

Capital – Chandigarh
Chief Minister – Bhagwant Mann
Governor – Banwarilal Purohi

International News

7. Ukraine's Yaroslava Mahuchikh sets new world record in women's high jump

Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh broke the world record for women's high jump at the Diamond League meet in Paris, clearing 2.10m, surpassing the previous record set in 1987. Just three weeks before the Paris Games, reigning world champion Mahuchikh set a new best of 2.10m.
This record is 1cm higher than the previous record set by Bulgaria's Stefka Kostadinova in Rome in 1987, one of track and field's longest-standing records.
This record-setting achievement of Mahuchikh, who fled to escape Russian bombing in her native Dnieper in February 2022, will see her return to the French capital as one of the stars selected for the Games.
The 22-year-old won world gold in Budapest last year, while taking silver in Eugene, losing to Australian Eleanor Patterson on countback, the same result she achieved in Doha in 2019.
Because of the war, the Ukrainian had to make a six-day car journey to Belgrade in 2022, where she also won the world indoor high jump title to add to the two world silvers and Olympic bronze she had already achieved.
This season, Mahuchikh also won a world indoor silver medal in Glasgow in March.

State News

8. Rajasthan to become first state to adopt 'Road Safety Action Plan' for 10 years

Rajasthan will soon become the first state in the country to adopt an action plan for road safety for the next 10 years. The action plan will be accompanied by a government policy, which will aim to reduce road accidents in the state by 50% by 2030.
Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa said on July 8 that the policy will create awareness about road safety provisions among the general public and bring about a change in behavior to comply with road safety rules.
The action plan being prepared by the Road Safety Cell of the Transport Department is part of the 100-day blueprint of the BJP government.
The action plan will be implemented in three phases. The first phase will be from 2025 to 2027, the second from 2027 to 2030 and the third from 2030 to 2033. Emphasis will be on various aspects of speed limit, safe distance, traffic signals, use of road barriers, pedestrian safety, use of seatbelts, helmets and vehicle insurance.
The Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety, 2015 was signed in Brazil. India is a signatory to this declaration. The United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution “Improving global road safety” with the ambitious goal of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
The global plan aligns with the Stockholm Declaration by emphasising the importance of a holistic approach to road safety.

9. Tata Asset Management launches India's first 'Tourism Index Mutual Fund'

Tata Asset Management Company on July 8 launched the country's first tourism index fund, which comprises a collection of companies that are part of the Nifty 500. Tata Nifty India Tourism Index Fund will track the Nifty India Tourism Index.
The scheme opened for public subscription on July 08, 2024 and will close on July 19, 2024. The scheme will reopen for continued sale and repurchase on July 29, 2024.
The minimum investment amount during the NFO period is Rs 5,000 and can be increased in multiples of Rs 1. There is no entry load for investing in this NFO. If you redeem the units on or before 15 days of allotment, an exit load of 0.25% of the applicable net asset value (NAV) will be applicable.
This open-ended index fund will provide exposure to India's fastestgrowing companies from the travel, tourism and hospitality businesses. According to Tata AMC, the companies that make up the index are leaders in their respective segments. They have benefited from rising disposable income levels, changing tastes of the Indian consumer and sustained high discretionary spending.
The fund has assigned a 32% weightage to the hotels and resorts sector. This is followed by airlines (19%), restaurants (19%), tours, travel-related services (16%), airports and airport services (10%) and luggage (3%).
The investment objective of the scheme is to provide returns that replicate the performance of the Nifty India Tourism Index (a total return index or TRI, which monitors capital appreciation as well as any dividend or interest income).
The Tata Nifty India Tourism Index Fund currently comprises 17 stocks. In terms of stock weighting, InterGlobe Aviation, the operator of the country's largest airline IndiGo, has the highest weighting of 20.31 per cent.
It is followed by Indian Hotels (19.26 per cent), which operates the Taj Group, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (13.31 per cent), GMR Airports Infrastructure (10.57 per cent), which operates the Delhi, Hyderabad and Goa airports, and Jubilant FoodWorks (9.54 per cent), which holds the Domino's and Dunkin' Donuts brands.

10. 'Mitra Van' scheme to be started in 35 border districts of Uttar Pradesh

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has announced a major initiative to set up 'Mitra Van' in 35 districts of other states, union territories and states bordering Nepal. The Tree Plantation Public Campaign-2024, starting from July 20, is set to run a massive tree plantation drive in the border districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Under the Tree Plantation Public Campaign 2024, along with 'Mitra Van' in each district, special forests like 'Shakti Van', 'Yuva Van' and 'Bal Van' will also be set up. The Uttar Pradesh Forest Department is the nodal agency for the implementation of the Mitra Van Yojana under the Tree Plantation Jan Abhiyan-2024.
The Forest Department will also obtain the opinion of representatives of neighboring states, union territories and Nepal on the species of trees to be planted and ensure the availability of plant species in the forest division.
The Forest Department has set a target of planting 35 crore saplings in the identified 35 districts, the work of which is to be completed by July 20, 2024. Uttar Pradesh shares its borders with 8 states, one Union Territory (UT), Delhi and an international border with Nepal.

Sports

11. Adani Group announced as Principal Sponsor for Indian Team at 2024 Paris Olympics

Gautam Adani, the chairman of the Adani Group, has announced that the conglomerate will be sponsoring the Indian team travelling to Paris for the 2024 Olympics Games.
With the Indian contingent in the last leg of its preparations for the 2024 Olympics, the Adani Group has pledged its whole-hearted support to the champions of the nation through a campaign with the theme #DeshkaGeetAtOlympics.
The campaign centres around the athletes, who have spent hours and years in training to win and hear the national anthem after the victory.
The social media campaign has been launched even as the Indian sportspersons continue to put in the hard yards before flying out to Paris for the Olympic Games set to be held from July 26 to August 11.
Since 2016, the Adani Group has supported more than 28 athletes in sports like boxing, wrestling, tennis, javelin throw, shooting, running, shotput, brisk walking, archery, and more.

Ranks and Reports News

12. Delhi has the highest number of deaths due to air pollution according to Lancet's first multi-city study

Recently, Lancet has published the first multi-city study to examine the relationship between shortterm air pollution (PM2.5) exposure and mortality in 10 major cities of India between 2008 and 2019.
The study has shown that more than 33,000 deaths (about 7.2% of total mortality) are caused by air pollution every year in the 10 cities examined.
Air pollution is highest in Delhi, where 11.5% (12,000 deaths) of annual deaths are caused by air pollution. It is followed by Varanasi, Kolkata and Pune.
Shimla has become the city with the lowest mortality rate due to air pollution, with only 59 deaths (3.7% of total deaths) every year.
The study said that in 10 cities - Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Shimla and Varanasi - about 33,000 deaths per year are caused by air pollution above the WHO guideline of 15 micrograms per cubic metre.
PM2.5 concentrations consistently exceeded the World Health Organisation's safe limit (15 μg/m³) on 99.8% of the days analysed. Every 10 μg/m³ increase in PM2.5 concentrations increased mortality by 1.42% in the ten cities.
According to the study, PM2.5, tiny pollutants that can penetrate deep into the lungs and the bloodstream, are a component of air pollution. Air pollution consists of various elements such as particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, lead, ammonia, carbon dioxide, methane, volatile organic compounds and nitrogen dioxide.
The study was carried out by researchers from academic institutions in India (Sustainable Futures Collaborative, Ashoka University, Centre for Chronic Disease Control), Sweden (Karolinska Institute) and USA (Harvard University, Boston University).

Important day

13. 10 July – National Fish Farmer’s Day

● National Fish Farmer’s Day is celebrated on 10th July every year to recognize and appreciate the invaluable contributions of fish farmers, aquaculture industry professionals and other stakeholders towards ensuring a sustainable and thriving fisheries sector.

● It is celebrated to honour and commemorate the contribution of Professor Dr. Hiralal Chaudhury and his colleague Dr. K. H. Alikunhi, in the Indian fisheries sector who had guided induced breeding and reproduction in Indian Major Carps by Hypophysation technique, on this day in 1957, which eventually lead to a revolution in Inland Aquaculture.

14. 11 July – World Population Day

World Population Day or International Population Day is observed every year on July 11.
Objective – To raise awareness about global population issues and educate people about family planning, gender equality, and reproductive health.
Theme 2024 – Leave no one behind, count everyone
This day was established by the United Nations in 1989 and commemorates the “Day of Five Billion” when the world’s population crossed the 5 billion mark.
The history of the World Population Day goes back to 1980s. It was on July 11, 1987, when the world population reached approximately five billion. This day brought global focus to issues related to sustainable development, resource management, and the dynamics of population expansion.
In 1989, the UNDP Governing Council established the Day to be observed annually on July 11. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted Resolution 45/216 in December 1990, formally establishing the annual observance of the Day.
The first World Population Day was celebrated on July 11, 1990, with participation from over 90 countries.

Appointment News

15. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan appointed as Principal Advisor for National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme

Professor Dr. Soumya Swaminathan has been appointed as the Principal Advisor in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme. Prof. Swaminathan will provide technical advice on the overall strategy to achieve the goals of the programme.
Will suggest policy guidelines and suggest course corrections required for optimal results and advise on research strategy. She will also assist in the formation of expert groups comprising top talents globally.
Prof. Swaminathan is the former Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization and has also previously served as the Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
According to the India TB Report released by the Centre, India contributes 25% of the world's TB patients and more than 2.5 million new cases of TB were reported in India in 2024.
World Tuberculosis Day is celebrated on March 24. It is celebrated in the year 1882 to commemorate the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes TB, by Dr. Robert Koch.
TB or Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) which affects the lungs the most. National Tuberculosis Eradication Program
The 'Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program' was named 'National Tuberculosis Eradication Program' (NTEP). RNTCP has released the 'National Strategic Plan' for 'Tuberculosis Year 2017- 2025' for TB control and elimination in India by the year 2025.
Currently, the 'World Health Organization' has set a target to make the world free of TB by the year 2030. The 'National TB Program' was started by the Government of India in the year 1962 as a district TB model center associated with BCG vaccination and TB treatment.

Schemes and committees News

16. Duty hours of loco pilots monitored, and rest provided after trips: Railway Minister

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday that there had been a lot of theatrics by the Opposition parties to demotivate train loco pilots.
"Duty hours of loco pilots are carefully monitored, and rest is provided meticulously after trips. The average duty hours are less than eight hours in June. Only under exigencies, the trip duration exceeds prescribed hours," Mr. Vaishnaw said on X.
Mr. Vaishnaw's clarifications come following Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi's interaction with loco pilots, weeks after the Kanchenjunga Express train accident in West Bengal claimed lives of at least 10 persons.
Mr. Gandhi stated earlier on X that many loco pilots had complained about long working hours and double duty.
According to an RTI reply, between July 7, 2021 and June 17, 2024, 131 train accidents took place, of which 92 were derailments.
Safety concerns have been raised after major train accidents such as those involving the Kanchenjunga Express, and the Balasore train accident last year, which claimed over 290 lives.
According to an RTI reply, between July 7, 2021 and June 17, 2024, 131 train accidents took place, of which 92 were derailments. "In these derailments, 64 were passenger-carrying trains and 28 were goods trains," the reply to the RTI plea filed by Maharashtra-based activist Ajoy Bose stated.
Mr. Vaishnaw said loco pilots operated train locomotives from loco cabs. "Before 2014, cabs were in bad shape. Now, cabs have been improved with ergonomic seats and more than 7,000 loco cabs are air-conditioned."
He said that off-duty resting facilities of loco pilots had been improved. The Minister said a major drive for recruitment was completed and 34,000 running staff had been recruited.

17 Ground handlers at airports will now have to obtain safety clearance from the DGCA

Ground handling service providers at airports that perform activities such as boarding passengers, loading cargo, marshaling air-craft on the apron, and check-in services will now be required to obtain a sa- fety clearance from the Di- rectorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), accord- ing to the new regulations framed by it.
The DGCA has published a new set of rules, also known as Civil Aviation Requirement, prescribing the framework for safe operations by service providers after a consultation process with various stakeholders.
Service providers will now have to obtain a safety clearance from the DGCA within six months.
Ground handling agencies will also have to develop, implement and maintain a training programme for its personnel and ensure they complete initial and on-the-job training following which they must each be issued a certificate of competency.
Recurrent training will also have to be conducted within a period of three years.
These agencies will have to maintain training records and make them available for review by the DGCA.
Calling for some relaxation in the timeline for implementation, Celebi Aviation's India CEO Murali Ramachandran welcomed the move.
Ground handling safety events can cause injuries and deaths, and result in operational delays as well as damage to aircraft and equipment.
According to the International Air Transport Association, which represents over 300 airlines globally, as many as 40% of ground damage incidents involve cargo loaders, passenger stairs and passenger boarding bridges.

Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 11th July 2024