Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 13th July 2024

National News 

1. Central government announces country's first scientific deep drilling mission of 6 km depth in Koyna

 

• The Borehole Geophysics Research Laboratory (BGRL) in Maharashtra, a specialized institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, has been authorized to execute India's only scientific deep-drilling program. 
• Under BGRL, the project aims to drill the earth's crust to a depth of 6 km and conduct scientific observations and analysis to help expand the understanding of reservoir-triggered earthquakes in active fault zones in the KoynaWarna region of Maharashtra. 
• Earthquakes have been frequent and recurring in the region since the closure of the Shivaji Sagar Lake or Koyna Dam in 1962. BGRL's pilot borehole to a depth of 3 km in Koyna has been completed and the Ministry of Earth Sciences is committed to completing the task of reaching a depth of 6 km. 
• Powerful earthquakes, measuring more than 7.5 on the Richter scale, occur at the boundaries of tectonic plates. This is why scientific deep drilling is an indispensable tool for advancement in Earth science. 
• Countries such as the U.S., Russia, and Germany conducted such scientific projects in the 1990s. Recently, in 2023, there were reports of China launching its own deep-drilling mission. 
• Modelling experiments have shown that the expected temperature at 6 km may be 110-130°C. Therefore, drilling equipment, downhole data acquisition systems and sensors for long-term placement at depth need to be designed accordingly. 

2. Central government declares 25 June as 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ 

• Union Minister Amit Shah announced that 25 June has been declared as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas. A notification related to this has been issued. 25 June 2024 was the 49th anniversary of the declaration of National Emergency in India.
•  Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency on 25 June 1975, which lasted till 21 March 1977. 
• Under which special provisions of the Constitution were used to suspend civil liberties, make mass arrests and curtail freedom of the press, among other measures. 
• 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas' on 25 June pays tribute to all those who fought against the gross abuse of power during the period of emergency and recommits the people of India to not support such gross abuse of power in any manner in future. 
• The provisions of emergency are mentioned in Articles 352 to 360 under Part XVIII of the Constitution. Emergency provisions in the Indian Constitution are inspired by the Weimar Constitution of Germany. 
• Article 352 empowers the President to declare a state of emergency if he is satisfied that the security of the country or any part of it is threatened by war, external aggression (external emergency) or armed rebellion (internal emergency). 
• It gives the executive wide powers to suspend fundamental rights (except Articles 20 and 21).
• The proclamation of emergency can be revoked by the President at any time by a subsequent proclamation. Such a proclamation does not require parliamentary approval. 

3. After 18 years, HC Bench to hear appeals in 7/11 blasts case 

• Eighteen years after the 7/ 11 serial train blasts case, the Bombay High Court on Friday set up a special Bench to hear the appeals filed by convicts and also the confirmation of death sentences handed down. 
• On July 11, 2006, seven blasts occurred at different locations in seven suburban trains of Western Rail- way, killing more than 180 people and injuring several others.
• As per a notice issued by the Registrar of the High Court, a special Division Bench comprising Justices Anil Kilor and Shyam Chandak will take up the case from July 15 onwards. 
• The move comes shortly after one of the convicts, Ehtesham Siddique, who was sentenced to death, filed an application seeking early hearing of the matter. 

State News 

4. Rajasthan government will launch 'Mukhyamantri Mangala Pashu Bima Yojana' 

• During the budget announcement, Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari announced the Chief Minister Mangala Pashu Bima Yojana in the House. Under this scheme, insurance of Rs 5 lakh each will be done for milch cows and buffaloes. 
• Apart from this, sheep and goats will also be insured. Under this, 21 lakh beneficiaries will be insured by the Bhajanlal government of Rajasthan by spending Rs 400 crore under the scheme. 
• Animal Husbandry Minister Joraram Kumawat informed in the Assembly that at present there is a recruitment process of 900 Pashu Mitras and work will also be done to recruit new Pashu Mitras. 
• The Deputy Chief Minister has also emphasized on the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Agro processing policies are proposed to be brought in 2024 to encourage investment in the agricultural sector, as well as special initiatives will be taken for Shri Ann by setting up Shri Ann Promotion Agency under this policy. The previous Gehlot government launched the Mukhyamantri Kamdhenu Pashu Bima Yojana from Gulabpura in Bhilwara district, under which free insurance of Rs 40,000 per family was announced for two milch animals per family. 

5. Centre amends rules to broaden the administrative role of J&K L-G 

• The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Fri- day widened the ambit of the administrative role of the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir by amending the Transaction of Business Rules. 
• The amendment gives the L-G more say in matters per- taining to police, public or der, All India Service (AIS) which require prior con currence of the Finance Department and also their transfers and postings. 
• Any proposal regarding appointment of Advocate General, Law Officers and proposals regarding grant or refusal of prosecution sanction or filing of appeal shall be placed before the L-G first. 
• On August 5, 2019, the special status granted to J&K under Article 370 of the Constitution was revoked and the former State was divided into two Union The amendments give the L-G of Jammu and Kashmir more say in matters pertaining to police and public order. 
• PI Territories: J&K and Ladakh, the latter without an assembly, J&K has been un der Central rule since June 2018. The government has said that Statehood will be restored after Assembly elections are held. 
• The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has or- dered the Election Com mission to conduct elec tions to J&K Assembly before September 30, 2024. On Friday, the MHA notified the amended Rules under Section 55 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 which inserted new Sections de fining the L-G's role. "No proposal which requires previous concur rence of the Finance De partment with regard to "Police', 'Public Order', 'All India Service' and 'Anti Corruption Bureau' to exer cise the discretion of the Lieutenant Governor under the Act shall be con- so curred or rejected unless it L-G. has been placed before the Lieutenant Governor through the Chief Secre tary," the notification said. 
• It added another provi- sion which said, "Depart- ment of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs shall submit the proposal for ap pointment of Advocate General and other Law Officers to assist the Advo cate-General in the court proceedings, for approval of the Lieutenant Governor through the Chief Secre tary and the Chief Minis ter. 
• "It said that any proposal regarding grant or refusal of prosecution sanction or filing of appeal shall be placed before the Lieute nant Governor through the Chief Secretary by the De partment of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. All matters connected with Prisons, Directorate of Prosecution and Forensic Science Laboratory are al.

6. NABARD launches ‘Integrated Tribal Development Programme’ in Kerala 

• The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) on 8 July 2024 launched the Integrated Tribal Development Programme in Kulathupuzha Gram Panchayat. Environment organisation Thanal will be the implementing agency of the project, which aims to transform the livelihoods of tribal families over the next five years. 
• It is based on the ‘Wadi’ model of tribal development, developed with support from national and international development agencies. Projects under the programme are funded through the Tribal Development Fund. 
• The project was inaugurated by NABARD Chief General Manager Baiju N. Kurup and the five-year initiative aims at sustainable livelihoods and agricultural promotion of 413 families living in eight settlements.
• The programme focuses on promoting diverse agricultural crops such as chilli, betel nut, coconut, ginger, Thai ginger, turmeric and banana, as well as initiatives in goat rearing, poultry, beekeeping, fish farming and fodder production. 
• It includes various components including water resource development, leadership training, awareness generation, sanitation and cleanliness initiatives, marketing and branding training and skill development workshops. Additionally, the establishment of a tribal Farmer Producer Company (FPO) is also planned to economically empower the community. 
• Earlier, Thanal and NABARD had partnered to implement animal husbandry and skill development programmes in five villages of Ranni taluk, Pathanamthitta. This initiative supported the sustainable development of around 429 families by providing continuous guidance and support throughout the programme. 
• NABARD is the main regulatory body in the country's rural banking system. It was established in 1982 as a central regulatory body for agricultural financing and rural section. The Government of India established NABARD under the framework of the National Institute of Agriculture and Rural Development Act 1981. 

Defence News

7. Indian Air Force participated in multinational exercise 'Pitch Black' held in Australia 

• A contingent of the Indian Air Force (IAF) arrived at the Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, Australia to participate in the biennial, multinational exercise Pitch Black. The exercise, focused on night flying, will run from July 12 to August 2. 
• The IAF had previously participated in the 2018 and 2022 editions of the exercise. In the largest edition in its 43-year history, the exercise will see the participation of 20 countries, over one hundred and forty aircraft and 4 thousand 4 hundred military personnel from various air forces. 
• The IAF contingent comprises more than one hundred and fifty skilled air warriors including pilots, engineers, technicians and specialists who will operate Su-30 MKI multirole fighter aircraft along with C-17 Globemaster and IL-78 air-to-air refueling aircraft in combat roles. 
• The exercise will focus on large force employment warfare with the aim of strengthening international cooperation and facilitate experience building with the operations of F-35, F-22, F-18, F-15, Gripen and Typhoon fighter aircraft along with IAF Su-30 MKI. 

India – Australia 

• Joint military exercise Austrahind23 with the participation of India was held in Perth, Australia from 22 November to 06 December 2023. 
• The Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) was signed during a virtual summit in June 2020 to enhance defence cooperation. The two countries held a 2+2 ministerial dialogue in September 2021. 
• Last year Australia hosted the "Malabar" exercise with the participation of India, Japan and the US. Australia has invited India to join the Talisman Saber exercise in 2023. 

Sports News

8. England captain Ben Stokes becomes third all-rounder in the world to take 200 wickets and score 6000 runs in Test cricket 

• In cricket, England all-rounder and captain Ben Stokes has set the record of taking 200 Test wickets. He is only the third player in the history of the game to achieve the double of 200 wickets and 6000 runs. 
• Stokes set the record by dismissing Kirk McKenzie in the second innings of the first Test match against West Indies at Lord's. 
• The other two players to share this unique record are Sir Garfield Sobers of West Indies and Jacques Kallis of South Africa. Sobers was the first player to achieve this feat, taking 235 wickets and scoring 8032 runs. 
• While Kallis scored 13289 runs and 292 wickets in his iconic career. England's Ben Stokes achieved this feat in his 103rd Test match with 6320 runs and 200 wickets. He joined another elite list with 10000 runs and 300 wickets in international cricket. 
• The list includes Carl Hooper, Sanath Jayasuriya, Jacques Kallis, Shahid Afridi, Shakib Al Hasan. Stock made his debut in December 2013. Stokes has also taken four wickets eight times and five wickets four times. 

Science and Technology News 

9. NASA announces launch of alienhunting telescope 'Habitable Worlds Observatory' by 2040 

• NASA has announced to build the alien-hunting telescope 'Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO)' and launch the telescope around the year 2040. This telescope will search for "a variety of biosignatures" provided by living organisms. 
• NASA Chief Scientist Dr. Jesse Christiansen believes that HWO will "find a signal in the atmosphere of a planet in the habitable zone of a star like our Sun within our lifetime." 
• Berkeley astronomer Dr. Courtney Dressing, who is the co-leader of HWO's Science Architecture Review Team (START), proposed providing HWO with the ability to ensure that it has the ability to detect "a variety of biosignatures." 
• Biogenic gases produced by living organisms, surface biosignatures, aerosols, airborne pollutants and artificial technosignatures "may be detectable with HWO," Dr. Dressing said. Scientists working on the project have identified about 25 Earth-like planets near sun-like stars as potential candidates. 
• HWO's telescope is being considered a "super Hubble" telescope that will directly image Earth-sized planets orbiting other stars. The observatory will also have a mirror similar to James Webb as well as ultra-precise optics that will help thoroughly examine the atmospheres of these worlds and look for signs of life. 
• The space agency's exoplanet team includes astronomers, physicists, engineers and scientists who held a meeting in New Orleans last January to check out the equipment needed for this work. 

10. 'India-U.S. tech partnership will grow to hundreds of millions of dollars' 

• India and the United States are expected to dramatically ramp up funding and resources to hundreds of millions of dollars for a bi- lateral agreement around critical and emerging technologies in the coming years, a top U.S. official said after a June meeting between key political and industry leaders where there was a focus on reducing tech regulations, simplifying government processes between the two nations, and responsible development of artificial intelligence (AI). 
• National Security Advis- er Ajit Doval and his U.S. counterpart, Jake Sullivan, chaired the second meeting of the bilateral Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) at the end of June in Delhi with a Sethuraman Panchanathan focus on areas including Al, quantum computing, semiconductors, and wire- less telecommunication, which have collectively been given a few million dollars of funding for re- search and scaling technologies so far. 
• The initiative was launched in January 2023 to strengthen the U.S.-In- dia strategic partnership and drive technology and defence cooperation and was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden in May 2022. Sethuraman Panchanathan, the Director of the National Science Founda tion (NSF), an independent agency of the U.S. government with a $10-billion budget, helped lead the ¡CET bilateral meeting in Delhi and said that the U.S.-India dynamic would grow dramatically based on common principles, values, simple processes, and good ideas as the foundation.
• "I understand the desire to have tens of millions of dollars, hundreds of mil lions of dollars, supported in the future that is a natu- ral expectation and our U.S.-India growth in tech is on that trajectory it's head- ing towards that, but that is based on for established partnership between enti- ties that share common constructs of working to- gether," Mr. Panchanathan told The Hindu. 
• "People always like money up front, right? Nothing wrong with that. I am a firm believer that resourc- es follow good ideas and good partnerships. So as things scale, resources will definitely be brought to the table on both sides," he said. However, Mr. Panchanathan added that the key challenges remain for the two governments and tech industry players primarily around "processes, procedures, regulations, all of these things can be made simpler on both sides. 
• We can have more productive, more seamless interac- tions. So that we're ena- bling much more of a stronger partnership from industry to industry. That was what was discussed during iCET". 

Ranks and Reports News 

11. 800-year-old remains of Chimu civilization discovered in Peru 

• In Peru, 800-year-old remains of the Chimu civilization, a pre-Inca society, have been found. The remains of eleven individuals were found buried with necklaces, earrings and bracelets, making them likely to be from wealthy families. 
• According to lead archaeologist Cynthia Cueva, they were likely members of the Chimú's ruling class, as evidenced by the jewelry found near them. However, she did not reveal the material used to make these ornaments. At other sites, Chimú-era jewelry is often made of bronze and gold. 
• Cueva further explained and said that the remains were "disturbed", possibly indicating a violent death. In addition, these remains were found in an area that does not have the characteristics of being a cemetery. 
• The ancient capital of the Chimú civilization was Chan Chan, where these remains were found. The city was known for its elaborate mudbrick architecture, once being one of the largest adobe cities in the world. 
• It is believed that the Chimú people were defeated and conquered by the Incas in the late 1400s, before the Incas fell to the Spaniards in 1532. 
• The Chimu civilization flourished in the arid coastal plains of northern Peru, located between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Scientists estimate that they lived from about 800 AD to 1400 AD and were famous for their ornate art, which included ceramics, textiles and metalwork. 
• Long-distance trade networks along the Pacific coast were also established by them, in addition they also used highly productive terraced agriculture. 

12. India shows good progress on SDGS: NITI Aayog report 

• NITI Aayog on Friday re- leased its fourth evaluation report of India's progress on the 16 sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015 by all Unit- ed Nations member countries, giving India a score of 71 out of 100, as compared to 57 in 2018."SDGs are directly linked to people's welfare, well-being and quality of life." B.V.R. Subrahma nyam, NITI Aayog's CEO, told presspersons at the re- port's launch.Health conditions have improved, he said, thanks to better public health and insurance coverage. 
• Education was helped by high teacher-student ratios but teacher quality needed targeted interventions, Mr. Subrahmanyam added. Income and gender in equality were the SDGs which have seen a drop in the score. The report noted a slight drop from 0.75 last year to 0.73 in the ratio of women's earnings com pared to men. The report's release comes ahead of the High.

Schemes and Committees News

13. 16th Finance Commission constitutes five-member Advisory Council headed by Poonam Gupta

• The Sixteenth Finance Commission headed by Arvind Panagariya constituted a five-member Advisory Council with the aim of expanding the scope of the Commission's work. The panel will be headed by Poonam Gupta, who currently serves as the Director General of the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER). 
• The Council will achieve this by seeking best national and international practices on matters related to fiscal transfers and enhancing the quality, reach and enforcement of the Commission's recommendations. 
• Additionally, the panel will assist in monitoring or evaluating studies commissioned by the Finance Commission and preparing research papers or research studies. These efforts are aimed at deepening the Commission's understanding of the issues within its Terms of Reference (TOR), thereby enabling more informed and effective decision-making. 
• 16th Finance Commission The Sixteenth Finance Commission was constituted in December 2023 under the chairmanship of Arvind Panagariya, former Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog. The primary function of the Commission is to determine the revenue sharing between the Central Government and the State Government for a period of five years. 

Appointment News 

14. Lt Gen Shankar Narayan – Commandant of Army Hospital (R&R) 

• Lt Gen Shankar Narayan, NM, VSM, assumed charge as Commandant of Army Hospital (Research & Referral), widely recognised as the premier hospital of the Indian Armed Forces. 
• Lt Gen Narayan’s journey in military medicine began with his enrolment at the prestigious Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, where he was part of the 1982 (‘U’) batch. 
• Post-doctoral sub-specialisation from the renowned All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, equips him with advanced skills in neonatal care. Specialised training at the world-renowned King’s College Hospital, London, adds a vital dimension to his paediatric expertise. 

Banking and finance News

15. RBI launches Financial Inclusion Index, 2023-24 

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said, "The value of the index for March 2024 is 64.2, as against 60.1 in March 2023. All sub-indices have witnessed an increase." It added that the improvement in the FIIndex is mainly due to the usage dimension, which reflects the deepening of financial inclusion. 
• This index reflects the increase in all the key parameters of financial inclusion. The index assigns a single value between 0 to 100, where 0 represents complete financial exclusion and 100 indicates complete financial inclusion. 
• According to the RBI, a unique feature of the index is the quality parameter that captures the quality aspect of financial inclusion as reflected by inequities and gaps in financial literacy, consumer protection, and services. 
• The FI-Index comprises three broad parameters – access (35%), usage (45%), and quality (20%) – each of these comprising various dimensions, calculated based on a number of indicators. 
• In August 2021, the central bank said the FI-Index has been conceptualised as a comprehensive index covering details of the banking, investment, insurance, postal, as well as pension sector, in consultation with the government and relevant sector regulators. The index is responsive to ease of access, availability and usage of services, and quality of services. 
• The FI-Index is constructed without any ‘base year’ and thus reflects the cumulative efforts of all stakeholders over the years towards financial inclusion. The annual FI-Index for the period ended March 2021 was 53.9, while it was 43.4 for the period ended March 2017. The FI-Index is published annually in July every year. 

16. Net tax receipts up 19.5%, corporate tax share at 36.6%

 

• Growth in India's net direct tax collections slowed slightly to 19.54% by July 11, relative to a 21% rise recorded by June 17, with re- venues hitting 25.74 lakh crore, the Income Tax de partment said on Friday. 
• Personal income tax (PIT) receipts constituted 60.2% of the net collec tions at 13.46 lakh crore, rising 21.4% year-on-year, while corporate taxes yielded 36.6% of net reve nues at 12.1 lakh crore, reflecting a 12.5% growth. With stock market trad-ing volumes rising, receipts from the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) soared to 16,634 crore, 2.3 times the receipts at the same time last year. 
• Combined with STT receipts, net PTT collections were up 24.1%, almost twice the growth recorded in net corporate taxes.By July II, the I-T department had issued 270,902 crore as refunds to taxpayers. 
• By July 11, the Income Tax department had is sued 170,902 crore as re- funds to taxpayers, 62.5% higher than a year ago. Corporate taxpayers received 77.7% of these re funds, while personal tax payers got about 15,826 crore back. Prior to refunds, gross tax collections stood at a little over 16.45 lakh crore, marking a 23.2% growth. 
• Of this, corporate tax re ceipts were up 20.4% while PIT and STT revenues were up 25.3%. In 2023-24, net direct tax revenues had risen 17.7% to 19.58 lakh crore, with PIT's share rising to 53.3% from 50.06% in the previous year.