Daily Current Affairs and GK | 12 July 2024

Topic: Indian Polity

1. Muslim women are also entitled to seek alimony: Supreme Court.

• Supreme Court ruled that divorced Muslim women can seek maintenance from their husbands under Section 125 of the CrPC.
• Supreme Court said that any discrimination against Muslim women in matters of alimony would be regressive and against gender justice, and equality.
• The SC bench rejected the argument that the provisions of Section 125 of CrPC do not apply on the issue covered by the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986.
• The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, the new law that has replaced the CrPC, has retained the older provision on alimony under Section 144.
• The court also said that Section 125 of the CrPC is a more beneficial provision for a Muslim divorced woman as compared to the provisions of the 1986 Act.
• This judgement came in a Muslim man’s petition, questioning a Telangana high court direction to pay ₹10,000 as interim maintenance to his former wife.
• In 1985, the Supreme Court in its judgment in the Shah Bano case had said that Section 125 of the CrPC is a secular section, which applies to all women.
• After this, in 1986, the then Rajiv Gandhi government overturned this judgment by passing the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act in the Parliament.

Topic: Indian Economy

2. The LRS norms for investment via GIFT IFSC have been eased by RBI.

• Under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), the scope of remittances to International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) has been expanded by RBI.
• As per the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019, the RBI permitted authorised individuals to facilitate remittances for the purpose of obtaining financial services or products within IFSCs.
• Through a foreign currency account (FCA), the RBI has also permitted current or capital account transactions overseas (except foreign IFSCs).
• Resident individuals can open an FCA at GIFT IFSC for these purposes.
• This will enable resident Indians to open a fixed deposit in dollars in a bank account at GIFT IFSC.
• With the FCA account, residents can now make investments outside of India, subject to the LRS limit of $250,000 per year.
• Remittances under LRS to IFSCs were permitted for the purpose of investing in IFSCs in securities (except those issued by entities outside IFSC).
• Remittances under LRS to IFSCs could earlier be made for payment of fees for education to foreign universities or foreign institutions in IFSCs for pursuing certain courses.
• Insurance and bank fixed deposits in foreign currency, which were earlier not allowed, are now permitted for resident Indians.
• Indian citizens are now able to open FCAs in GIFT City for a variety of purposes, including school loans, travel, gift-giving, and overseas property purchases.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

3. New species of dogfish shark Squalus hima has been discovered from India.

• Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India have discovered the species from Sakthikulangara fishing harbour in Kerala along the Arabian Sea.
• Squalus is a genus of dogfish sharks in the family Squalidae.
• They are commonly known as spurdogs. They are characterized by smooth dorsal fin spines.
• The new species differs from other species by the number of precaudal vertebrae, total vertebrae, teeth count, trunk & head heights, fin structure and fin colour.
• The new species has been generally misidentified with S. mitsukurii and S. lalannei.
• Dogfish sharks are commercially important taxa due to the trade for their fins, liver oil and meat.
• Species from the genera Centrophorus and Squalus are used for their high squalene-containing liver oil. Centrophorus is a genus of squaliform sharks.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

4. Nagaland has been declared as the best state in Horticulture in the Agriculture Leadership Awards 2024.

• The award was granted to Nagaland in recognition of its exceptional work in implementing innovative policies and strategies for the development of horticulture.
• At the 15th Agriculture Leadership Conclave, Salhoutuonuo Kruse, the Minister for Women Resource Development & Horticulture of Nagaland, received the award.
• 15th Agriculture Leadership Conclave was held in New Delhi.
• Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari, and Union Minister Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan were present for the event.
• Nagaland has successfully obtained G.I registration for three horticultural crops.
• These crops are Naga Mircha, Naga Tree Tomato and Naga Sweet Cucumber.
• The annual awards were started in 2008. They honour the leadership and exceptional contributions made by people and groups to the advancement of Indian agriculture and bringing about rural prosperity.
• The purpose of the awards is to honour those who have made significant contributions to rural, social, livestock, and agricultural development.

Topic: Defence

5. Seven new defence projects handed over to the private sector by DRDO.

• An important step towards strengthening India's defense capabilities was taken by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) by awarding seven new projects to private sector companies.
• The move, taken under the Technology Development Fund Scheme, aims to boost industries in the defence and aerospace sector, with a special focus on supporting MSMEs and startups.
• The approved projects include the following:

Topic: State News/ Bihar

6. Bihar appointed its first transgender sub-inspector.

• Giving a major boost to the transgender community, for the first time in Bihar, a transgender person, Manvi Madhu Kashyap, has been appointed as a sub-inspector of police.
• Several states have taken steps to protect the rights of transgender persons and ensure their representation in government jobs.
• In June, Tripura’s social welfare department directed all district magistrates to set up transgender protection cells with the aim of redressing grievances and enhancing the welfare of the community.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

7. A 10% reservation will now be granted to former Agniveers in three central security forces.

• These forces are: Railway Protection Forces, Border Security Forces, and Central Industrial Security Force.
• The Union Home Ministry declared in 2023 that there will be a reservation for ex-Agniveers in the central security forces.
• The launch date of the Agnipath scheme was June 14, 2022.
• This scheme allows for the recruitment of youth in the age range of 17.5 to 21 years for four years.
• The scheme has a provision to retain 25 percent of them for 15 more years in the Indian Armed Forces. 
• Later in 2022, the government raised the upper age limit to 23 years.

Topic: State News/ Madhya Pradesh

8. Madhya Pradesh cabinet approved purchasing a Challenger 3500 Jet Plane for VVIP transport.

• The plane will replace the B-200GT VT MPQ, which crashed in May 2021.
• Madhya Pradesh cabinet also approved the Rs 23.87 crore NEVA project under Digital India.
• This project is with 60% of funding from the Centre, to digitize the state assembly.
• National E-Vidhan Application (NEVA) is approved to make the state assembly paperless.
• It has an estimated cost of Rs 23.87 crore under the Centre's Digital India programme.
• All state assemblies will go paperless and come on a single platform under the central programme.
• The Centre will bear 60% of the project cost. The state will bear the rest.

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

9. India’s population will start shrinking in 38 years: UN Report.

• According to the United Nations (UN) World Population Prospects report, India's population is likely to reach 1.70 billion by 2062.
• Currently, India is the most populous country in the world. India’s population will hit its peak after 38 years.
• India's population will start declining between January and July 2062.
• In 2063, India’s population will decline by about 115,000. In 2064, this number would increase to 437,000 and 793,000 in 2065.
• At present, India is the most populous country in the world, with 1.451 billion people. It is followed by China at 1.419 billion and the United States at 345 million.
• By 2054, India and China would retain their positions, but Pakistan would overtake the United States to become the third most populous country.
• The total population would start declining in 2083, at around 10.2 billion. Currently, the global population is around 8.16 billion.
• Between 2024 and 2054, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger, and Somalia will record the highest jump in their populations.

Topic: State News/Rajasthan

10. Rajasthan Finance Minister Diya Kumari presented the budget for FY25.

• The state budget with an outlay of Rs 4.95 lakh crore for FY25 has been presented by Rajasthan Finance Minister Diya Kumari.
• The government has estimated a revenue receipt at Rs 2.64 lakh crore, revenue expenditure at Rs 2.90 lakh crore and revenue deficit at Rs 25,258 crore.
• The fiscal deficit is estimated to be 3.93 per cent of the GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product).
• The government has allocated Rs 27,000 crore for the health sector and Rs 15,000 crore for providing tap water to 25 lakh rural houses.
• The government will build bio/pink toilet complexes for women in public places in all urban areas of the state.
• The state government will fill four lakh vacancies in the next five years.
• Model Solar Village will be constructed in every district and all government offices to be connected to solar energy.
• Under the Lakhpati Didi Scheme, 15 lakh women will be brought into the category of Lakhpati Didi.
• Nine greenfield expressways of more than 2,750 kilometres will be constructed in the state.
• 500 roadway buses and 300 electric buses will be purchased by the state government.
• Rs 100 crore has been allocated for a corridor at Khatu Shyam temple.

Topic: Banking System

11. Four public sector banks paid a dividend of Rs 6,481 crore to the government.

• On July 10, four public sector banks, including Canara Bank and Indian Bank, presented dividend cheques worth Rs 6,481 crore to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the financial year 2023-24.
• Finance Minister received a dividend cheque of Rs 2,514.22 crore for the financial year 2023-24 Bank of Baroda.
• Similarly, Canara Bank handed over a dividend cheque of Rs 1,838.15 crore.
• Chennai-based Indian Bank handed over a dividend cheque of Rs 1,193.45 crore for 2023-24. Bank of India also paid a dividend of Rs 935.44 crore.
• Besides, Mumbai-based financial institution Exim Bank presented a dividend cheque of Rs 252 crore for 2023-24.
• Dividends are a percentage of a company's earnings that are paid to its shareholders as a share of the profits.

Topic: Important Days

12. International Malala Day 2024: 12 July

• Every year on July 12, International Malala Day is observed on the birthday of Malala Yousafzai.
• In 2013, The United Nations (UN) designated July 12 as Malala Day to honour the young woman who advocated for women's education.
• Malala Yousafzai became an international symbol of the fight for girls' education.
• In 2012, she was shot for opposing Taliban restrictions on female education in Pakistan.
• In December 2014, she became the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate at the age of 17.
• In 2015, an asteroid was named (316201 Malala) in honour of Yousufzai.

Topic: International News

13. Narendra Modi became the first Prime Minister to visit Austria in the last 41 years.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Austria for the first time.
• Both countries are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year.
• PM Narendra Modi was hosted by Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer for a private engagement.
• They discussed bilateral cooperation in infrastructure, renewable energy, high technology areas, start-up sectors, media and entertainment.
• They also agreed to push for Quicker India-European Union Free Trade Deal.
• Both leaders emphasized that India and the EU have the largest and most vibrant free-market space in the world.
• Indira Gandhi was the last Indian Prime Minister to visit Austria in 1983.

Topic: National Appointments

14. Lt Gen Shankar Narayan assumed charge as the new Commandant of Army Hospital (R&R) Delhi.

• Lt Gen Shankar Narayan has been appointment as the Commandant of Army Hospital (R & R), Delhi, the apex hospital of the Armed Forces Medical Services, on July 10, 2024.
• He has vast experience in patient care, clinical services, and postgraduate teaching.
• His vision includes leveraging the hospital's capabilities to provide cutting-edge patient care in a modern environment.
• He is focused on high-quality training and cutting-edge research.

(Source: PIB)