VISION

1)  Justice Uday Umesh Lalit takes oath as 49th Chief Justice of India

•Justice Uday Umesh Lalit took oath as the 49th Chief Justice of India. Newly elected President of India Smt Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union ministers were present at the ceremony. Justice Lalit’s predecessor, Justice NV Ramana, was also present at the oath-taking ceremony.

2)  Army Speeds Up Procurement Of Zorawar For LAC

•With the experience of deploying armour at an altitude of 15,000 ft. to out-manoeuvre the movement of Chinese forces during the stand-off in eastern Ladakh, the Indian Army is prioritising the procurement of the indigenous Indian light tank, aptly named ‘Zorawar’, for deployment in the mountains. In addition, the armoured corps and mechanised forces are inducting swarm drones as well as counter drone systems as part of the overall modernisation process, official sources said.

3)  Indian Navy’s AK-630 gun gets first made in India ammunition

•Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India in the defence sector received a major boost as the Indian Navy received the first-ever completely made-in-India 30mm ammunition. The ammunition will be used in AK-630 guns, which is fitted on warships. This is a major achievement for the country that private industry has developed fully indigenous ammunition. It has been done in 12 months, and all components are indigenous.

4)  GoI carries out the “One Nation One Fertilizer” program

•One Nation One Fertilizer: The government issued an order requiring all businesses to market their goods under the brand name “Bharat” in order to standardize fertiliser brands across the nation. According to the One Nation One Fertilizer order, irrespective of the company that manufactures it, whether in the public or private sector, all fertiliser bags, whether containing urea, di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), muriate of ootash (MOP), or NPK, will sport the brand name “Bharat Urea,” “Bharat DAP,” “Bharat MOP,” and “Bharat NPK.”

5)  Nagaland gets its 2nd railway station in 119 years

•North-east state, Nagaland got its second railway station after a gap of more than 119 years with the commissioning of a new facility at Shokhuvi. Dimapur Railway Station, in the heart of the commercial hub of the state, was inaugurated in 1903. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio flagged off the Donyi Polo Express from Shokhuvi Railway Station during the day.

•The Donyi Polo Express ran daily between Guwahati in Assam and Naharlagun in Arunachal Pradesh. The train service has now been extended till Shokhuvi, a few kilometres from Dimapur. Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh will be directly connected by train service with the extension of Donyi Polo Express till Shokhuvi Railway Station.

•Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) General Manager Anshul Gupta said it is a proud moment for the Indian Railways and NFR which is working to connect all the capitals of the northeastern states with railways in a time-bound manner. The foundation stone for the 90-km-long broad gauge route from Dhansiri in Assam to Zubza in the Kohima district of Nagaland was laid in 2016, and work is underway. The deadline was extended from 2020 to 2024.

6)  South Korea breaks its own record for the world’s lowest fertility rate

•South Korea has once again shattered its own record for the world’s lowest fertility rate. South Korean women were estimated, based on 2021 data, to have an average of just 0.81 children over their lifetimes, down from 0.84 a year earlier. The number of newborns declined in 2021 to 260,600, which equates to about 0.5% of the population.

•According to the United Nations’ global population projections and World Bank’s data, the report further stated that Korea is the world’s fastest-ageing nation among economies with a per capita GDP of at least $30,000. By 2100, its population will fall by 53% to 24 million, up from a 43% decline forecast in 2019. Bank of Korea Governor Rhee Chang-Yong, who took office earlier this year, warned in April that the nation’s economy is on the verge of secular stagnation as the population ages and productivity slows.

•In fact, Korea is behind all OECD (The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) member countries in fertility rates at 0.8 babies per woman. The report reveals that a reducing workforce is one of the major factors impacting its growth rate. The working-age population maxed out at 37.3 million in 2020 and is now expected to drop by almost half by 2070, according to Statistics Korea.

7)  Achieving 2070 Net-Zero Target Could Boost India’s GDP

•Achieving net zero emissions by 2070 could boost India’s economy by as much as 4.7 per cent above the projected baseline growth in GDP terms by 2036 worth a total of $371 billion, illustrates modelling and research commissioned by the High-level Policy Commission on Getting Asia to Net Zero.  it could boost GDP by 7.3 per cent ($470 billion) and create almost 20 million additional jobs by 2032.

8)  Google announced a programme for 100,000 developers in India

•IT giants, Google has unveiled a programme to upskill 100,000 Indian developers and researchers in cyber security. The campaign will be part of the company’s Cyber Security Roadshow, which will cover multiple cities across India and offer tools, tutorials, and mentorship on security practices for building consumer apps, as well as enterprise programmes.

•The upskilling programme will cover two major programme areas, Android and Google Cloud, and will be aimed at upskilling 100,000 lakh engineers in India. The Google Cloud upskilling programme will focus on commercial developers and security administrators, while the Android upskilling programme will serve developers creating apps for consumer use. Google’s move comes as industry players have called attention to the need for better upskilling requirements among developers in the country.

9)  Taurus Sainik Aramgrah Inaugurated by Indian Army and DMRC

•The Taurus Sainik Aramgrah was inaugurated by Lt Gen Nav K Khanduri, AVSM, VSM, GOC-in-C, Western Command at Delhi Cantt. The Taurus Sainik Aramgrah is the first of its kind project which is constructed by the collaboration of the Indian Army and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). The event was also facilitated by the officials of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

10)  FIFA Council remove ban on Indian football

•The Bureau of the FIFA Council has decided to lift the suspension that was imposed on the All India Football Federation (AIFF) due to undue third-party influence. The decision was taken after FIFA received confirmation that the mandate of the committee of administrators that was set up to assume the powers of the AIFF Executive Committee had been terminated and that the AIFF administration had regained full control of the AIFF’s daily affairs.

•Notably: FIFA and the AFC will continue to monitor the situation and will support the AIFF in organising its elections in a timely manner.

📰 Centre picks 75 tribal districts for TB intervention project

PIB Compilation July 2022 PDF: LEARN FINITE Monthly PIB Compilation 

1)  International Dog Day 2022 celebrates on 26th August

•International Dog Day is celebrated annually on August 26 to promote the adoption of dogs instead of buying them from pet shops. The day was founded by Animal Welfare Advocate and Pet Lifestyle expert Collen Paige. The aim of promoting this day is to raise awareness about adopting these animals who are currently in rescue centres. on this day promote dog ownership of all breeds, pure and mixed. Embrace National Dog Day as an opportunity for all dogs to live a safe, happy and abuse-free life.

2)  INS Vikrant To Be Commissioned On Sept. 2

•The first indigenous carrier which has been constructed by Cochin Shipyard Ltd, will soon be commissioned as INS Vikrant on September 2. The warship will play the role of ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The aircraft landing trials on board INS Vikrant will begin in November and will be completed by mid-2023. INS Vikrant will be commissioned in Cochin in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the vice chief said, adding the equipment for the aircraft carrier has been manufactured in 18 states and union territories.

3)  J&K Govt announce Village Defense Guards Program, 2022

•Village Defence Guards Scheme 2022 (VDGS-2022), is a programme with a defence component that was only recently introduced for the state of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). The Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav has already started a number of initiatives, and this programme was also introduced at that time with the primary objective of enhancing security in Jammu’s border regions.

4)  Karnataka govt and Isha Foundation inked an MoU to promote agriculture

•According to its founder Jaggi Vasudev (Sadhguru), the Isha Foundation will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Karnataka government to enhance soil health, as part of its “Save Soil” campaign. In addition to other ministers, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will be visiting the Palace Grounds on Sunday to sign an MoU on “Save Soil.”

5)  All 23 AIIMS to be named after Local Heroes, Monuments, Geographical Identities

•The government of India has approved a proposal to give specific names to all the AIIMS, based on regional heroes, freedom fighters, historical events or monuments of the area, or their distinct geographical identity. The majority of the 23 All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has submitted a list of names. All the AIIMS are known by its generic name and distinguished only by their location.

•A senior official at the Health Ministry confirmed that the institutes will be named after freedom fighters, regional heroes, historical events, notable monuments of the area, or their distinct geographical identity. Under the latest proposal, all AIIMS institutes — fully functional, partially operational or under construction — are to be renamed.

6)  Royal Enfield tie-up with UNESCO to promote cultural heritage of India

•Royal Enfield has partnered with UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) to promote and safeguard the ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of India, beginning with the Himalayas. The programme is curated as an experiential and creative showcase of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) practices in the Western Himalayas and the North Eastern region.

•This includes an exhibition, panel discussions, film screenings, performances and lecture demonstrations. The four-day programme will see eminent artists, designers, chefs, mixologists, musicians, actors, photographers and luminaries of the social development sector such as Adil Hussain, Peter D’Ascoli, Sonam Dubal, Rita Banerji, Mallika Virdi and Tsewang Namgail, Yangdup Lama, Nilza Wangmo and Anumitra Ghosh.

7)  India’s 1st 3D Printed Post Office to soon come up in Karnataka

•India’s first 3D-printed post office is slated to come up in Bengaluru, Karnataka and will cost around one-fourth of the amount spent on a traditional building. The new post office building in Cambridge Layout in Halasuru, Bengaluru will be built using 3D printing and is likely to be completed within the next month. The Post Office building is being constructed by Larsen & Toubro, which is the only company currently in India utilising 3D printing technology for construction.

•3D printing can significantly reduce the cost and expedite construction which would otherwise take months to complete. 3D printing of the new post office which will be a three-storied building has been given clearance by the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and IIT-Madras.

8)  DRDO Successfully Tests Pinaka Extended Range Rocket In Pokharan

•The Pinaka extended range rocket trials developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) were carried out in firing ranges of Pokhran, Rajasthan. Multiple successful Pinaka extended range rocket trials firings were conducted in Pokhran. The Pinaka extended range is developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization, DRDO, and is produced by a private sector firm. The trials were conducted in the presence of Army officials and DRDO officials. The 15 feet long missile of Advance Navigation and Control System destroyed the target as per the standard.

9)  S. Jaishankar embarks On A 3-Nation Visit To South American Continent

•Looking forward to augmenting relationships with all nations of the Latin American Region, External Affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar has embarked on a three-nation visit. During the Minister’s meeting with top leaderships of these three countries as well as his counterpart, focus will be on food and energy security, defence and security, space, IT, and aerospace. This is the minister’s first visit to the South American Region when he travels to Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina starting August 22-27. The minister, accompanied by senior officials, will have bilateral engagements with his counterparts and will also call on the top leadership in all the three countries.

10)  Indian scientist Samir V Kamat appointed as DRDO Chairman

•According to a Personnel Ministry order, Distinguished scientist Samir V Kamat was appointed as Secretary of the Department of Defence Research and Development and Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Kamat, who is Director General, Naval Systems & Materials, at the DRDO will succeed G Satheesh Reddy who has been named as scientific adviser to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

11)  GoI named former CEA K Subramanian as Executive Director for India at IMF

•Former Chief Economic Adviser, KV Subramanian was appointed as the Executive Director for India at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). His term will begin from November and will continue for a period of three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier, by curtailing the tenure of eminent economist Surjit S Bhalla as ED (India), IMF up to 31 October 2022.

•Bhalla was appointed as the Executive Director for India on the board of the IMF in 2019. He succeeded former RBI deputy governor Subir Gokarn, who died in the US on 30 July after a brief illness.

12)  RBI Report: Bank credit rise expedites 14.2% in the June 2022 quarter

•The Bank credit growth increased from 6% in the quarter that ended in June 2021 to 14.2% in the quarter that concluded in June 2022 as per the data released by the Reserve Bank of India. The Bank credit has increased by 10.8% in the three months that ended in March 2022. The last five quarters have seen a consistent 9.5 to 10.2% annual growth in aggregate deposits.

13)  Fourth Edition of India’s Clean Air Summit Begins in Bangalore

•The fourth edition of India’s Clean Air Summit (ICAS) took place in Bangalore with global experts. With the help of India’s Clean Air Summit, global experts are set to discuss an integrated approach to resolving air pollution and increasing climate change. India’s Clean Air Summit will continue till 26th August 2022. The Centre for Air Pollution Studies (CAPS) and the Centre for Study of Science, Technology, and Policy (CSTEP), think-tanks have organized the summit.

14)  IDFC named Mahendra Shah as MD & CEO effective from October 1

•The IDFC Ltd board has approved the appointment of Mahendra N Shah as managing director-designate of the company with effect from October 1, 2022, till September 30, 2023, subject to the approval of the shareholders. The term of Sunil Kakar as managing director & CEO of the company will end on 30 September 2022. Mahendra N Shah was the group company secretary & group chief compliance officer of IDFC First Bank and has been the group head of governance, compliance & secretarial and senior advisor of taxation at IDFC for more than a decade.

•Prior to joining IDFC in 2001, Shah has also worked with International Paper Limited for a period of six years as Director of Finance and Company Secretary, where he was in charge of the finance function and regulatory compliances.

📰 ‘Freebies’, a judicial lead and a multi-layered issue

1)  Transgenders will be covered under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY

•According to the government of India, transgenders will be brought under the ambit of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). The National Health Authority (NHA) under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide inclusive and composite health package for transgenders under Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY.

2)  India’s first-of-its-kind naval shooting range inaugurated at INS Karna

•A first-of-its-kind, Composite Indoor Shooting Range (CISR) was inaugurated by Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta at INS Karna. The CISR is a state-of-the-art, self-contained, 25 m, six-lane, live firing range for all primary and secondary weapons in the Navy. With advanced target systems and associated control software, this range would enable personnel to hone their firing skills, enabling them to challenge and take on adversaries in demanding scenarios.

3)  Union Minister Anurag Thakur launched ‘Azadi Quest’ online games

•Union Minister Anurag Thakur has launched “Azadi Quest”, a series of online educational games based on India’s freedom struggle, developed in collaboration with Zynga India. These games are an effort to tap into the huge market of online gamers and to educate them through games. Various arms of the government of India have collected information about unsung freedom fighters from the corners of the country. “Azadi Quest” is an effort to make the learning of this knowledge engaging and interactive.

4)  Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi govt to set up country’s first night safari in Lucknow

•The cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath approved the proposal of the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department to start the country’s first night safari in the capital Lucknow. Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh said that on the lines of Singapore’s world’s first night safari, this night safari in Lucknow will be developed on 350 acres in the Kukrail forest area spread over an area of 2027.46 hectares and a zoological park will be built in 150 acres.

5)  20th Edition of BioAsia 2023 scheduled in February 24-26

•The 20th edition of BioAsia 2023 will be hosted by the Government of Telangana, the premier event of BioAsia 2023 for the life sciences and health tech, on February 24-26, 2023. BioAsia 2023‘s logo and theme, “Advancing for ONE: Shaping the next generation of humanised healthcare,” have been unveiled by Minister for Industries and Commerce KT Rama Rao.

6)  Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga elected as interim PM of Mali

•In Mali, the military has appointed Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga as interim Prime Minister after the country’s civilian PM Choguel Kokalla Maiga was admitted to hospital. Before this appointment, Colonel Maiga was working as a Government Spokesman and Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation.

•Choguel Kokalla was named premier after the military took power in August 2020. In recent months, Maiga had come under criticism from many of his former allies for following the Junta’s line. Military Junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita had himself appointed transitional president after the May 2021 coup.

7)  Bangladeshi Fahmida Azim won the Pulitzer Prize 2022

•Bangladesh-born Fahmida Azim working for the Insider online magazine of the US has been selected for the Pulitzer Prize 2022. She will be awarded under the category of Illustrated Reporting and Commentary. She is among the four journalists including Anthony Del Col, Josh Adams and Walt Hickey of Insider being published from New York, selected for their work on the Chinese oppression of the Uyghurs. The work ‘I escaped a Chinese internment Camp’ has illustrations by Fahmida Azim.

•The citation for the award said that they have been selected for the prize for using graphic reportage and the comics medium to tell a powerful yet intimate story of the Chinese oppression of the Uyghurs, making the issue accessible to a wider public.

8)  World’s first fleet of hydrogen passenger trains by Germany

•The world’s first fleet of hydrogen-powered passenger trains was launched by Germany. The first fleet of hydrogen-powered passenger trains has replaced 15 diesel trains that were previously operated on nonelectrified tracks in Lower Saxony, Germany. The engine of the trains is powered by electricity generated using hydrogen fuel cells.

•The use of hydrogen is a clean alternative to fossil fuels as per the German government’s announcement. The state governor Stephan Weil said that Lower Saxony has invested a total of 93 million euros for the first fleet of hydrogen-powered passenger train projects. This invitation is an excellent example and effort to make the economy of Germany greener.

9)  State’s Revenue Growth To Slide To 9% Despite Rise In GST collections

•States’ revenue growth will slide to 7-9 per cent in FY23 even as handsome GST collections will help in the accretion, a report said. The revenue growth had galloped 25 per cent in FY22 courtesy a lower base in the pandemic-affected FY21, the report by rating agency Crisil, which analysed 17 states accounting for 90 per cent of the aggregate GSDP(Gross State Domestic Product).

10)  For The First Time, India TO Take Over The G20 Presidency By December 2022

•The Union cabinet approved the setting up of a G20 Secretariat and related structures that will implement policy decisions and be responsible for arrangements for India’s forthcoming presidency of the group in 2023. India will hold the presidency of the G20 from December 1, 2022, to November 30, 2023, culminating with the G20 Summit in India next year. The G20 Secretariat will handle work related to knowledge, content, technical, media, security and logistical aspects of India’s presidency of the inter-governmental forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union (EU).

11)  RBI To Launch Digital Rupee Soon

•The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will very likely introduce its digital rupee, the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), in this fiscal year itself. Talks of a digital rupee in the country have been swirling since Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced it during her Budget 2022 speech back in February. At the time, she had said that the digital rupee would be launched in 2022-2023.

12)  ICRA expects Indian GDP to grow by 12-13% in Q1-FY23

•Rating agency ICRA (Investment and Credit Rating Agency of India Limited) predicted that the Indian economy will grow 12–13% in the first quarter (Q1) of the new fiscal year, i.e. FY23. ICRA gave this rating citing the second-highest reading of the business activity index in 13 months in April. However, ICRA has kept its annual GDP prediction at 7.2% for this fiscal year, citing concerns over inflation and the ensuing tightening of RBI policy.

13)  M Venkaiah Naidu launched a book titled “A New India: Selected Writings 2014-19”

•Former Vice President, M Venkaiah Naidu has released a book titled “A New India: Selected Writings 2014-19”, a compilation of selected articles of former Union Minister and Padma Vibhushan Arun Jaitley on his death anniversary. The event was also attended by Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who also released the book along with Naidu. The book has been published by Juggernaut.

📰 Heading the G20 and New Delhi’s choices