Daily Current Affairs and GK | 1 and 2 September 2024

Topic: Corporate and Company

1. SJVN, NHPC, RailTel and Solar Energy Corporation of India granted Navratna status by the Government of India.

• On August 30, Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Limited, NHPC Limited, RailTel Corporation of India Limited, and Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited were granted 'Navratna' status by the Narendra Modi government.
• RailTel Corporation of India has become the 22nd 'Navratna', followed by Solar Energy Corporation of India 23rd, NHPC 24th, and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam 25th 'Navratna' in India.
• Shimla-based SJVN is a listed company with the following shareholding pattern: 55% stake held by the government of India, 26.85% by the government of Himachal Pradesh, and the remaining 18.15% by the public.
• NHPC, a Faridabad based company, is under the Ministry of Power.
• It is India's largest hydropower development organization, capable of undertaking a range of activities from conceptualization of hydropower projects to their commissioning.
• RailTel is a Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) under the Ministry of Railways.
• Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) is a nodal agency of the Central Government for auction of renewable energy projects.
• Navratna status:
  • The Government of India grants Navratna status to top-ranked public sector undertakings (PSUs).
  • This status allows organisations to make large investments of up to Rs 1,000 crore without approval from the Centre.
  • These companies have the freedom to invest up to 30% of their total assets within a year, provided it is less than ₹1,000 crore.
  • They can also form joint ventures, tie-ups, and set up subsidiaries abroad.
  • For a company to be granted Navratna status, it must already have Miniratna Category I status and be listed under Schedule A of CPSEs.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

2. 50 teachers from schools across India selected for the National Teacher Award 2024 by the Department of School Education and Literacy.

• The National Teacher Awards will be presented on 5 September 2024.
• They have been selected by the Department of School Education & Literacy through a rigorous, transparent, and online three-stage selection process, i.e., district, state, and national level.
• The 50 selected teachers are from 28 states, 3 union territories, and 6 organisations.
• Out of the 50 selected teachers, 34 are men, 16 women, 2 Divyangs, and 1 working with CWSN.
• Apart from this, 16 teachers from the Higher Education Department and 16 teachers from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship will also be honored.
• This award will be given to 82 teachers in a ceremony organized at Vigyan Bhavan on 5 September 2024.
• The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, organises a national level function every year on 5th September, i.e., Teachers' Day.
• The National Teacher Awards honour outstanding teachers who, through dedication and excellence, have significantly enhanced the quality of education and have made a positive impact on the lives of their students.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

3. PM Modi addressed the National Conference of District Judiciary.

• The National Conference of District Judiciary was held on the occasion of 75 years of the Supreme Court.
• Issues like ease of justice and speed of justice, human resources, and other issues related to the justice system were discussed during the conference.
• A session on judicial wellness was also organized at this conference.
• The prime minister said that Rs 800 crore was spent on judicial Infrastructure in the Last 10 years.
• In the last ten years, 7,500 new court halls in District Court have been built.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi also flagged off three Vande Bharat trains on three routes: Meerut-Lucknow, Madurai-Bangalore, and Chennai.
• The Supreme Court came into existence on 26 January 1950. On 28 January 1950, the Supreme Court was inaugurated.
• The inauguration was held in the Chamber of Princes in the old Parliament building where the Federal Court of India sat for 12 years from 1937 to 1950.
• The Supreme Court moved into a new building in 1958. The building is shaped to represent the image of scales of justice.

Topic: State News/Uttar Pradesh

4. UP government proposed a new digital media policy.

• The Uttar Pradesh government’s new digital media policy provides cash rewards to influencers for publishing and popularizing the policies and programs of the state government.
• For anti-national posts, it has proposed punishment, ranging from a three-year jail term to a life term.
• The main objective of the Digital Media Policy 2024 is to spread awareness among the people about the programs and achievements of the government and their benefits.
• Under this policy, a cash reward of up to Rs eight lakh per month for social media influencers would be provided.
• The content providers have been divided into four categories on the basis of their subscribers and followers on different social media platforms.