Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 30th July 2024

 

National News 

Government Setting Up 7 PM MITRA Parks With World Class Infrastructure 

• The Government has approved setting up of 7 PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks in Greenfield/Brownfield sites (including a Greenfield project in Virudhanagar Tamil Nadu) with world class infrastructure including plug and play facility with an outlay of Rs. 4,445 cr for a period of seven years upto 2027-28. 
• Each park when completed will generate 1 lakh direct and 2 lakh indirect employments. 
• In order to implement the PM MITRA Scheme in Virudhnagar, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) i.e. ‘PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel Park, Tamil Nadu Limited’ has been incorporated with Government of Tamil Nadu holding 51% stake in the SPV and remaining 49% being held by the Government of India. 

India assumes chair of Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre 

• India has assumed the chairmanship of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center for 2024-25 at the meeting of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center held in Bangkok, Thailand. 
• India took over the chairmanship from China, which was the chairman of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center for 2023-24. 

About Asian Disaster Preparedness Center 

• Founded – 1986 
• Founding members: China, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand. 
• Headquarters: Bangkok, Thailand 
• ADPC is an autonomous International Organization for cooperation in and implementation of disaster risk reduction and building climate resilience in Asia and the Pacific region. 
• It promotes regional cooperation in implementing disaster risk reduction and building climate resilience in Asia and the Pacific region. 

Bhupender Yadav launches Ideas4LiFE portal for inviting ideas related to products and services 

• Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav has launched Ideas4LiFE for inviting ideas related to products and services, that induce behavioral changes related to environment-friendly lifestyles in the presence of Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh at IIT Delhi. 
• The portal ‘Ideas4Life.nic.in’ will allow participants to submit their ideas and innovations online. 
• This initiative aims to encourage and motivate students, faculty and research scholars to contribute their innovative ideas to the global initiative of Mission LiFE. 
• This is a remarkable opportunity for inspired minds to participate in global movement dedicated to environmental sustainability. 

International News 

EAM Jaishankar unveils commemorative postage stamp of Ram Lalla in Laos 

• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, during his three-day visit to visit to Laos, unveiled a commemorative postage stamp showcasing the Ram Lalla idol from Ayodhya. 
• The set of stamps is the first dedicated to Lord Ram.
• Two stamps were launched, one representing Lord Buddha from Luang Prabang, the ancient capital of Laos, while the other is an image of the Ram Lalla statue from Ayodhya. 
• Buddhism has connected India and Laos for centuries. In Laos, the Ramayana (known as Ramakien or the Story of Phra Lak Phra Ram) holds significant cultural value and is performed during important events. 
• The stamp set’s theme is “Celebrating the shared cultural heritage of Lao PDR and India.” 

S Jaishankar unveils bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Tokyo 

• A bust of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled in Tokyo’s Edogawa ward by external affairs minister S Jaishankar. 
• Edogawa ward includes the Nishi-Kasai district, which is home to some 3,000 Indians. The area is also known as “Little India”. 
• Edogawa ward and its mayor Takeshi Saito decided to build a relationship with India by having a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at a park that will be named after him. 

Maduro declared winner of disputed Venezuela election

•  Nicolas Maduro was declared the win- ner of Venezuela's presidential election on Sunday but the opposition and key regional neigh bours immediately reject- ed the official results.
• The opposition coalition itself claimed victory, after an election campaign taint- ed by accusations of politi- cal intimidation and fears of fraud, and following predictions by pollsters that Mr. Maduro would lose but was unlikely to concede after more than a decade in power. 
• He won re-election with 51.2% of votes, while oppo- sition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia received 44.2%, according to the electoral council (CNE), which in its majority is loyal to the President. 
• "I can say, before the people of Venezuela and the world, I am Nicolas Madu ro Moros, the re-elected President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela," Mr. Maduro said. But the opposition coalition insisted it had gar- nered 70% of the vote, re- jecting the CNE figures. 
• "We want to say to all of say Venezuela and the world that Venezuela has a new president-elect and it is (candidate) Edmundo Gon- zalez Urrutia," Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado told journalists. 
• Mr. Gonzalez, a 74-year-old former diplomat, said "our fight continues, and we will not rest until the will of the Venezuel a people is reflected," while un- derlining there was no call for protests. Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves de nounced the CNE result as "fraudulent," while Chile's President called it "hard to believe. Peru announced it re- called its Ambassador over the results. 
• U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed "serious concerns" that the result did not reflect the will of Venezuelans. Venezuela's allies, in- cluding China, Russia, Cu- ba, Nicaragua, Honduras and Bolivia, however, con- gratulated Mr. Maduro. 

Quad calls for end to violence in Ukraine, Gaza, and Myanmar 

• The group Quadrilateral of Australia, India, Japan, and the U.S. intends to expand the Indo-Pacific Partner ship for Maritime for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) into the Indian Ocean Region, the Foreign Ministers of the four member countries announced in Tokyo on Monday Addressing a meeting. 
• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said the four Quad countries are democ racies that are working as a stabilising fac tor". The Ministers also called for immediate cessa tion of violence in Ukraine, Gaza, and Myanmar. 
• We co continue to work with the Pacific Islands Fo rum Fisheries Agency to enhance regional maritime domain awareness in the Pacific through satellite da ta, training and capacity building. In line with such efforts, we intend to geo- graphically expand the In do-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Aware ness (IPMDA) to the Indian Ocean region," the Minis ters said in a joint statement.
•  The IPMDA is aimed at ensuring safety and securi ty of the critical sea lanes. In an interview with The Hindu in October 2023, former Indian Navy chief Admiral Hari Kumar had described the IPMDA as a "comprehensive system for monitoring and secur ing maritime activities in the Indo-Pacific", 
• Indicating growing con cern about China's mari time activities in the South China Sea, the meeting em phasised "the importance of maintaining and upholding freedom of navi gation and overflight, oth er lawful uses of sea, and unimpeded commerce consistent with international law". 
• Apart from Mr. Jaishan kar, the meeting was at tended by Australian Fo reign Minister Penny Wong, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko, who was the host of the event. 
• Mr. Jaishankar described the Quad as an action-oriented platform that is aimed at "practical out comes", saying, "...Our HADR [Humanitarian As sistance and Disaster Re lief conversations are re flected in understandings and SOPs between our Navies." 
• He referred to the IPM DA initiative as a system that will link the informa tion fusion centres and en able real-time coordination to deal with maritime chal lenges. Indicating a global agenda of the Quad club, the Foreign Ministers said they have" "great interest in ensuring peace and stabil ity in the Middle East", The joint statement con demned the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israeli tar gets by Hamas but also said that "large-scale loss of ci vilian lives and the human itarian crisis in Gaza is unacceptable". 
• The Foreign Ministers said there is an "urgent need" to "significantly increase deliveries of life-saving hu- manitarian assistance throughout Gaza", and highlighted "the crucial need to prevent regional escalation". 
• "We urge all parties to comply with international law, including internation- al humanitarian law, as applicable. We welcome UNSC Resolution 5/RES/2735 (2024), and strongly urge all parties concerned to work immediately and steadily toward the release of all hostages and an immediate ceasefire," they said. 
• They also expressed their "deepest concern" for the ongoing war in Ukraine. The joint statement underscored the importance of "sovereignty and territorial integrity" for the UK and sought "a comprehensive, just, and last- ing peace in line with international law, consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter". 
• The consensus on the territorial integrity of Ukraine indicates the larger discussion over the matter as Prime Minister Naren dra Modi is expected to visit Ukraine next month. Answering a question at a press conference after the meeting, Mr. Jaishankar hinted at possibilities of "more contacts' ' between India and Ukraine but did not confirm Mr. Modi's visit. "Things (should) move from the battlefield into the conference table, that is our endeavour," he said. 
• The meeting also took up the violence in Myanmar, which has pitted dozens of ethnic armed or ganisations against the forces of the military junta.We remain deeply concerned by the worsening political, security and humanitarian situation in Myanmar, including in Rakhine...
• We again call for the immediate cessation of violence; the release of all those unjustly detained; safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance," the joint staternent said. 

Appointment 

Manoj Mittal assumes charge as CMD of SIDBI 

• Manoj Mittal has been appointed as the new Chairman and Managing Director of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). 
• Prior to this appointment, Mittal was Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer at government-owned non-banking finance company IFCI. 
• Mittal has replaced S Ramann, who had joined SIDBI in April 2021 for a three-year period. 
• Financial Services Institution Bureau (FSIB) had, in April this year, recommended the name of Manoj Mittal as CMD of SIDBI. 
• Manoj Mittal joined IFCI in June 2021 after serving SIDBI as its Deputy Managing Director between February 2016 and January 2021. 

About Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) 

• Founded – 2 April 1990 
• Jurisdiction – Ministry of Finance 
• Headquarters – Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 
• Chairman & MD – Manoj Mittal (replace Siva S Ramann) 

Nine new governors appointed by President 

• President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Governors for Rajasthan, Telangana, Maharashtra, Punjab, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Assam, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. 
• There are Governor of Jharkhand – Santosh Kumar Gangwar
•  Governor of Chhattisgarh – Ramen Deka 
• Governor of Rajasthan – Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde 
• Governor of Telangana – Jishnu Dev Varma 
• Governor of Punjab – Gulab Chand Kataria 
• Governor of Maharashtra – CP Radhakrishnan 
• Governor of Sikkim – OP Mathur 
• Governor of Meghalaya – C H Vijayshankar 
• Governor of Assam – Lakshman Prasad Acharya (also additional charge of Manipur) 
• Lt Governor of Puducherry – K. Kailashnathan 

About State Governors 

• Article 153 of the constitution provides for a state governor for each state of India. The state governor is the head of the state executive branch. 
• The governors are appointed by the President of India on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister. 
• The Governor can be transferred from one state to another by the President. 

Awards 

CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology scientist Dr. S. Sridhar Inducted as a Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry, London 

• Sundergopal Sridhar, a Chemical Engineer and Chief Scientist at CSIR Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, has been admitted as a Fellow of the prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), London, UK. 
• During his 26 years as a research scientist, Dr. Sridhar has developed and transferred several technologies for chemical & allied industries, besides contributing immensely to societal welfare. 
• Sridhar has published 181 research papers in reputed international journals with an h-index of 53. He is ranked among the Top 2% of Scientists worldwide by Stanford University, USA, and Elsevier Science Publishers in 2021, 2022 & 2023. He has 15 patents, 4 Books, and 50 Book Chapters to his credit. 
• Sridhar is a recipient of 70 Prestigious Science Awards, including CSIR Young Scientist Award 2007, Scopus Young Scientist Award 2011, NASI Reliance Industries Platinum Jubilee Award 2013, VNMM award from IIT-Roorkee 2015, five CIPET national awards from 2016-20, Nina Saxena Excellence in Technology Award from IIT-Kharagpur in 2017, three HPCL NGIC Awards for 2019-21, seven IIChE awards, and ASSOCHAM Award 2023. 

Defence 

India Army off to Mongolia to take part in 21st EX- KHAAN QUEST 2024 

• A contingent of the Indian Army has departed for Mongolia to participate in the multinational military exercise KHAAN QUEST. 
• The 21st multinational KHAAN QUEST exercise will be held in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 27 July to 9 August 2024. 
• This year, the Indian Army contingent consists of 40 personnel from the Madras Battalion and personnel from other Arms and Services. Three female personnel – one officer and two soldiers are also part of the Indian contingent. 
• Khaan QUEST is an annual multinational military exercise co-sponsored by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and hosted annually by the Mongolian Armed Forces to promote regional peace and security in the region.
•  When the military exercise started in 2003, it was a bilateral military exercise between the United States of American armed forces and the Mongolian defence forces. 
• The multinational military exercise brings together the armed forces of various countries around the world to share their best practices in Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for conducting joint operations. 

INS Tabar reaches Saint Petersburg for Russian Navy Day celebrations 

• Indian Navy’s frontline frigate, INS Tabar arrived at Saint Petersburg to participate in the 328th Russian Navy Day celebration. 
• The ship, part of the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet which is based at Mumbai under the Western Naval Command, was given a “warm welcome” by the Russian Federation Navy (RuFN). 
• Around 200 ships and boats of various classes are involved in the Naval Parade being held in St. Petersburg.

 About INS Tabar

• INS Tabar, is a stealth frigate built for the Indian Navy in Russia.
• The ship is commanded by Captain MR Harish and has a complement of 280 personnel. 
• It is equipped with a versatile range of weapons and sensors and is among the earliest stealth frigates of the Indian Navy. 
• Earlier this month, the Indian Naval Ship visited Casablanca in Morocco on a three-day visit. 

Ranks and report news 

Project Tiger will displace 5.5 lakh tribals: report 

• Project Tiger will displace at least 5.5 lakh Scheduled Tribes and other forest dwellers, a report released by a New Delhi-based rights group on Global Tig- er Day on Monday said. 
• The number of people displaced from 50 tiger re- serves before 2021 was 2,54,794, which worked out to about 5,000 per protected area. 
• The average number of people to be displaced from six tiger reserves since 2021 is 48,333, a 967% increase in displace- ment over the pre-2021 pe- riod, the report titled "In- dia's Tiger Reserves: Tribals Get Out, Tourists Welcome" said.
•  According to the report by the Rights and Risks Analysis Group, some 1,60,000 people out of about 2,90,000 people to be displaced in the post-2021 period would be from the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan, followed by 72,772 people from the Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, and 45,000 from the Ranipur Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh. The report also high- lighted forced evictions through massive human rights violations. 

Sports 

Jiya Rai becomes World’s Youngest & Fastest Female Para Swimmer to Swim Solo Across English Channel 

• Para swimmer Jiya Rai has become the world’s youngest and fastest female para swimmer to swim solo across the English Channel successfully. 
• The 16-year-old covered the 34 km stretch, from Abbots Cliff in England to Pointe de la Courte-Dune in France, in 17 hours and 25 minutes. 
• She is an international open water para swimmer with a world record in open water swimming. 
• Jiya Rai is a recipient of many international and national awards including the prestigious Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMB) – 2022 the highest award for citizens below 18 years of Age. 

Important Days 

29 July – International Tiger Day 

• International Tiger Day 2024, also called as the Global Tiger Day 2024, is observed every year on July 29. 
• Objective – To raise awareness about the magnificent but endangered animal.
• The day was first established in 2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit. The summit was conducted to draw the world’s attention towards the drastic decline in tiger populations. 
• This summit brought together governments from tiger-range countries, conservation organizations, and experts to discuss measures to halt the alarming decline in tiger numbers. 

Obituary

Former Indonesia Vice President Hamzah Haz Dies 

• Hamzah Haz, the vice-president of Indonesia from 2001 to 2004, has died at the age of 84. 
• Serving under President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Hamzah was also a key figure in the Development Planning Party (PPP). 
• He previously held roles as minister for investment, coordinating minister for people’s welfare, and deputy speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives. 
• A former teacher and journalist, he was a contender in the 2004 presidential elections. Hamzah’s leadership significantly influenced PPP’s policies and direction over the years.

 Agreement news

 Defence Acquisition Council approves amendment to MQ-9B UAV deal with U.S. 

• The Defence Acquisition. Council (DAC), chaired by Minister Rajnath Singh, on reviewed and approved amendments to the deal for procuring 31 MQ-9B High Altitude Long Endu- rance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) from General Atomics of the LS,, defence sources said. 
• The DAC also gave appro val to a proposal regarding the scheduled refit of air craft carrier INS Vikramad Itya later this year, sources said.
•  Amendments proved are within the scope of the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) that was granted for the MQ-9B They are related to the indigenous content and related aspects," a de fence source said. 
• Official sources said the US. has completed the process from its end with the letter of offer and ac ceptance to India delivered early on March and it's now for India to complete the procedure before the deal can be signed. In the final step, the deal has to be approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security, before it can be inked. 
• With the Quad leaders summit scheduled to be hosted by India in Decem ber, the MQ-9B deal and the GE-414 jet engine deal are expected to be con cluded during the visit of the U.S. President to India. 
•  India is looking to pro cure 31 MQ-98 UAVs 15 Sea Guardians for the in dian Navy and 16 Sky Guar dians (eight each for the indian Army and Air Force) at an estimated cost of $3.99 billion. 
• As part of the deal, General Atomics is scheduled to establish a Global Maintenance, Re pair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in India which would count towards offset obligations. 
• The DAC also accorded AoN, the first step of the procurement process, for procurement of Advanced Land Navigation System (ALNS) for Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVO of the Army and 22 Intercep tor Boats for the Coast Guard. The ALNS Mill offers compatibility with defence series maps resulting in ve ry high accuracy in naviga tional applications for AFVs. This equipment will be procured from Bharat Electronics Limited. 
•  The second AoN is for procurement of 22 Inter ceptor Boats for the Coast Guard with latest state-of- art system capable of quick interception and shallow water operation in territo rial waters, the Ministry said. "These boats will be used for coastal surveil lance and p a t r ollin g , s e a r c h & r e s c u e o p e r a tio n s , in clu din g m e dic al e v a c u a tio n , " it added