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Daily G.K. - Top Stories

12 Apr 2023

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Germany Expels Chad's Envoy in Retaliatory Move

  • Germany ordered Chad's ambassador to leave the country, responding to the central African nation's expulsion of the German ambassador.
  • Chad's government had given German Ambassador Gordon Kricke 48 hours to leave, citing his "discourteous attitude" and accusing him of failing to respect diplomatic customs. No further details about the reason for his removal were given.
  • Germany retaliated on Tuesday against what it called "the unfounded expulsion of our ambassador." Chad's ambassador in Berlin, Mariam Ali Moussa, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry and given 48 hours to leave Germany.

Tibet Ranks World's Least Free Country in Freedom House Index

  • Freedom House, a global watchdog of human freedoms around the world released its report titled "Freedom in the World 2023 Report. In the report, Freedom House ranked Tibet as the "World's least-free country" along with South Sudan and Syria.
  • The report was successively released for the third year after Freedom House reports in 2021 and 2022 ranked Tibet at the bottom of a community of nations. Freedom House in its report observed that both Chinese and Tibetans living in Tibet lacked basic rights. However, the Chinese authorities are rigorous in suppressing any signs of dissent among Tibetans.
  • Meanwhile, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in its Third Periodic Review report noted that numerous issues related to the human rights of the Tibetan people need serious and urgent attention from the international community.
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BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

India's First REITs & InvITs index with Six Securities

  • NSE Indices launched a new index that will track the overall performances of listed real estate investment trusts (REITs) and infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs).
  • The weights of securities in the index will be determined by their free-float market capitalisation, with the exposure to a particular REIT or InvIT being capped at 33 per cent. Also, the aggregate weight of the top-three securities is capped at 72 per cent.
  • At present, there are six securities in the index, with Embassy Office Parks Reit having the highest weightage at 33 per cent. Powergrid Infrastructure Investment has the second highest weight, at 20 per cent.
  • REITs are investment trusts (like mutual funds) that own and manage real estate properties generating regular income and capital appreciation on their investments. InvITs are similar to REITs except that they use the pooled money to own and run functional infrastructure assets like highways, roads, pipelines, warehouses and power plants.
  • The index, which has a base date of July 1, 2019 and a base value of 1,000, will be reviewed and rebalanced on a quarterly basis.

Citi, JICA Announce Co-finance Loan to IndusInd Bank for Agriculture Sector

  • Citi and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) announced a co-financing loan to IndusInd Bank to fund the farm sector.
  • This includes a $30 million loan by Citi and JPY 13 billion loan by JICA. This high-impact social finance offering that Citi arranged for IndusInd Bank is expected to improve financial access for farmers and catalyse capital investment in the agricultural sector in India.
  • This project will support the efforts of IndusInd Bank in strengthening its lending to the agricultural sector by leveraging its presence in rural areas. In this new collaborative agreement, Citi acted as the co-financing lender, arranger, coordinator, and facility agent.

Vikas Gupta New CEO of VLCC

  • Beauty and skincare brand VLCC, now controlled by Global investment firm Carlyle, appointed Vikas Gupta as CEO with immediate effect. The leadership change came after Carlyle, in December 2022 announced the acquisition of a majority stake in the home-grown firm.
  • Vikas Gupta succeeded Jayant Khosla.
  • Prior to this, Gupta was CEO of SuperStore, Nykaa's eB2B business. He has also worked with Walmart-owned e-commerce platform Flipkart as its Chief Customer and Marketing Officer between 2019-21.
  • He started his career with FMCG major HUL, where he spent 21 years in different roles.
  • Started in 1989 by Vandana Luthra and Mukesh Luthra as a beauty and weight management services centre, the VLCC group is among the first multi-outlet corporate operations in the Skincare, Beauty & Wellness Industry in India.
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SPORTS

Hockey India Planning to Revive HIL

  • The Hockey India League (HIL) is likely to be re-launched early next year (2024) as the national federation announced its exclusive commercial and marketing partner for the event.
  • HIL was stopped after the 2017 edition due to financial issues and Hockey India is now looking for new partners to revive the league.
  • Hockey India (HI) announced Big Bang Media Ventures Pvt Ltd as its exclusive commercial and marketing partner agency.

Nisha Dahia Wins Silver in Asian Wrestling Championships in Kazakhstan

  • India's Nisha Dahiya won silver at the Asian Wrestling Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan. This was the biggest-ever medal of her career in the women's 68 kg category.
  • Nisha reached the final but fell to Japan's Ami Ishii 10-0 and finished as a runner-up. Nisha had defeated China's Feng Zhou 7-6 in the semi-finals.
  • Another Indian wrestler, Priya Malik clinched a bronze in 76 kg category. She defeated Japan's Mizuki Nagashima in the repechage round.
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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Faleiro Resigns from Rajya Sabha, Quits Trinamool

  • Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha member Luizinho Faleiro resigned from the Upper House and the party as well.
  • Trinamool Congress's (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP and former Goa Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro has tendered his resignation from the Upper House of Parliament.
  • This came a day after the TMC lost its national party tag.
  • The seven-time MLA from Goa's Navelim seat, Faleiro was elected to the Rajya Sabha unopposed from Bengal ahead of the Goa Assembly elections last year (2022).
  • Former Goa CM Faleiro was reportedly asked by the TMC leadership to resign from the Rajya Sabha. Party supremo Mamata Banerjee was unhappy with him for refusing to contest the 2022 Goa elections from Fatorda against Goa Forward Party's Vijai Sardesai.

Ministry of Education Organise Young Authors' Conference on Occasion of SCO Summit 2022-23 (13)

  • India hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Young Authors' Conference in New Delhi on April 12-13.
  • The conference was part of the calendar of events drawn up by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, under the current Chairmanship of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
  • The Ministry of Education, GoI organised the Young Authors' Conference with National Book Trust, India, an autonomous organisation, under the Ministry of Education, as the Implementing Agency.
  • The theme of the Conference was 'Civilizational Dialogue amongst the SCO member nations – Perspectives from Young Scholars', with the sub-themes of History and Philosophy, Economy, Religion, Culture, Literature and Science and Medicine.
View Month Wise

DEFENCE

Indian Navy to Replace MiG-29K Fleet after 2035 Due to Quality Concerns

  • The Indian Navy inducted MiG-29K supersonic air dominance fighters in 2010 but will retire the entire fleet of around 41 jets from service by 2035 due to severe built quality issues with the jets, which frequently require periodic inspections at regular small intervals.
  • The MiG-29K has a design life of 6,000 hours and could have served the Indian Navy for another 10-15 years with a life extension program, but the Navy has no plans to extend the fleet's service life and that the entire fleet will be scrapped after retirement. The Indian Navy plans to replace the Mig-29K fleet with 45 Twin Engine Deck Based Fighters (TEDBF) a "5th generation minus" starting in 2035, but the Navy is unsure the fleet will last beyond 2030 due to airframe defects, discrepancies, and anomalies that will make flying dangerous as it ages.

IIT-Kanpur Partners with Defence PSU to Focus on Innovation

  • The Start-up Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) at IIT Kanpur entered into a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) agreement with Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited. Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited is one of the seven new Defence Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) that were created by converting the Ordnance Factory Board into fully government-owned enterprises. The agreement was signed in the presence of dignitaries from IIT Kanpur, SIIC, and Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AW&EIL) at the Ordnance Factory Kanpur.
  • The SIIC and AW&EIL joined hands with the aim of providing financial assistance to the start-up ecosystem and supporting the incubation of new technology and innovation-based startups at IIT Kanpur, in line with the CSR Policy of AW&EIL. The expected result of this partnership is the overall advancement and growth of the country, as the startups that emerge from this collaboration are expected to make a significant contribution to the economy and society as a whole. The partnership aims to establish a vibrant startup ecosystem that fosters ground-breaking research and development, generates employment opportunities, and positions India as a leading global innovator.
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PERSONS IN NEWS

Former IAS Officer, Naresh Gupta Passes Away

  • Naresh Gupta, former IAS officer, who earned the reputation of being a firm Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), died. He was 72. Gupta retired from service in 2010.
  • Hailing from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, Gupta held postgraduate degrees in Mathematics and Gandhian Thought. Belonging to the 1973 batch, he served Tamil Nadu in many positions such as Sivaganga's first Collector (1985-86), Secretary to Governor (Bhishma Narayan Singh) (1991-93), Home Secretary (2001-02) and Member Secretary of the State Planning Commission (2002-05). But it was his stint as CEO, for about eight years in two spells (1998-2000 and January 2005-July 2010), that made him a prominent figure. There were occasions when he had openly differed with the ruling party of the day with regard to the way elections or byelections were conducted. He regarded the 2009 Lok Sabha elections as the most challenging. After his retirement, he was appointed a member of the Central Administrative Tribunal.
View Month Wise

DAYS AND EVENTS

International Day of Human Space Flight

  • The International Day of Human Space Flight is observed annually on April 12 to commemorate the beginning of human space exploration and acknowledge the significant contribution of space science and technology in achieving the peaceful use of outer space. The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution on April 7, 2011, designating April 12 as the International Day of Human Space Flight. This day is dedicated to honouring the first human to orbit the Earth, a Russian cosmonaut, on April 12, 1961.
View Month Wise

GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES

Himachal Pradesh Launches Sanjeevani Project

  • The Himachal Pradesh government initiated a project named Sanjeevani to uplift the livelihood of small dairy farmers and livestock owners. The project aims to enhance the lives of farmers by providing them with convenient and high-quality livestock care services at their doorstep, utilizing telemedicine and technology. This will aid in reducing the turnaround time for services and potentially prevent outbreaks.
  • The Animal Husbandry Department of Himachal Pradesh collaborated with Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd. (BFIL), a subsidiary of IndusInd Bank, for the National Animal Disease Control Programme-Mobile Veterinary Van (NADCP-AHD-MVU) project. The collaboration aims to provide doorstep livestock care through a toll-free telephone number that will be operational soon. The project intends to ensure the timely delivery of quality treatment to livestock, saving farmers the additional expenses of travelling for availing veterinary services like artificial insemination, medicines, vaccination, surgery, and infertility testing.
View Month Wise

GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION

AP Govt. Teachers to Upgrade Skills through IIT Madras Courses

  • In a move to upgrade teaching skills in science disciplines, the Andhra Pradesh government school teachers could soon be able to pursue certificate courses offered by IIT Madras. In a review meeting in the Education department, Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy approved the proposal on teaching methods for effective implementation of subject teacher concepts over the next two years in mathematics, physics, and chemistry.
  • The Chief Minister emphasised the importance of monitoring student attendance in schools. This is because the state government is currently enacting initiatives like "Amma Vodi," "Vidya Devena," and "Vasathi Devena" to reduce the number of dropouts.

IISc Bangalore Wins Praj IISER Mimamsa 2023

  • The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore was awarded with the Praj-IISER Pune 'Mimamsa 2023' – the coveted National Level Science Competition.
  • This year, Mimamsa 2023 saw the participation of 1384 teams represented by more than 4800 students from around 450 colleges across the country. The highlight of this year was the participation of the 332 All Girls team, with a rise of 66 per cent as compared to last year (2022). Four teams that made it to finals were IISc Bangalore, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and IIT Madras.
  • IISc Bangalore was presented the winner's trophy by Dr. Pramod Chaudhari, Founder and Executive Chairman Praj Industries at the CV Raman Auditorium, IISER, Pune.

TOEFL to be Made Hour Shorter

  • The Educational Testing Service (ETS) announced several changes and modifications to the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
  • According to the revised regulations, the TOEFL iBT test has been shortened by an hour now. The test will now take less than two hours to complete, earlier it was for a duration of three hours.
  • To do so, the test will now have a new, more modern 'Writing for an Academic Discussion' task, which will replace the previous independent writing task. The reading section has also been shortened and all unscored test questions have also been removed.
  • One of the biggest changes being brought in is that the test takers will see now be able to see their official score release date upon completion of the test, in addition to receiving real-time notification of changes to their score status.
View Month Wise

TOURISM AND HOTEL INDUSTRY AWARENESS

Mumbai among 19 Cities with the Best Public Transport in the World

  • Berlin in Germany was named the city with the most exceptional public transport system globally, according to a survey conducted by Time Out, a London-based media outlet that specializes in the hospitality industry and identifies itself as a global brand committed to urban life. Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, came in second place. Mumbai, the top-ranked Indian city, secured the 19th spot in the rankings. Meanwhile, Mumbai boasts a grand suburban railway network that is a boon for the metropolitan region with a population of about 12.5 million. "81 per cent of locals say it's easy to cross Mumbai by public transport, and the system certainly keeps the metropolis moving, with millions using the city's buses, rickshaws, metro and taxis on a daily basis.
  • A survey conducted by Time Out, which polled 20,000 respondents across 50 cities worldwide to measure public opinion on their local transportation systems, revealed that Berlin has the most dependable, secure, and comfortable public transport network, with 97% of its residents commending the system. Among the top 10 cities ranked in the survey, five were in Asia, with Tokyo topping the list at number three. Berlin's U-Bahn, which includes nine easily accessible lines and a total of 175 stations, received particular praise from respondents for its efficiency.
  • List of world's top 10 cities with best public transit system are: Berlin, Prague, Tokyo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, Shanghai and Amsterdam.
View Month Wise

LAW AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Supreme Court Reprimands National Green Tribunal for Hearing Cases Beyond Territorial Jurisdiction

  • The Supreme Court came down heavily on the Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal for hearing cases pertaining to the western zone, even after the Apex Court had directed that the same would be heard by the Tribunal's Western Zone Bench at Pune.
  • The Bench of Justice B. R. Gavai and Justice Aravind Kumar observed that despite there being a specific mandamus by this court that all matters pertaining to the western zone would be heard by the Pune bench, the NGT Principal Bench was allegedly continuing to hear cases, in which it had taken suo motu cognisance.
  • Calling it a 'serious' issue, the Apex Court said that it has consistently held that tribunals were even subordinate to the High Courts, when it came to territorial jurisdiction.
  • The Tribunal had moved the Apex Court against the Bombay High Court, which quashed administrative notices by the Registrar General of NGT transferring cases from the western zone bench at Pune to special benches at the principal seat in the national capital.
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