Daily Current Affairs and GK | 25 January 2023

Topic: Indian Polity

1. Supreme Court simplified procedure on passive euthanasia.

• To make the procedure of passive euthanasia simpler, the Supreme Court amended its 2018 order on passive euthanasia.
• SC has removed the condition that mandated a magistrate's approval for the withdrawal of life support to a terminally ill person.
• SC retained the condition of setting up two medical boards — one primary and other to examine the medical condition of the patient.
• Supreme Court bench headed by Justice KM Joseph has removed the rule that allowed the district collector to set up the review board.
• Now, both boards will be formed by the hospital. One nominee doctor of the district medical officer will be included in the review board.
• The SC said that the Medical Board will have to take a decision within 48 hours. The doctor in the panel should have at least five-years of experience.
• This order has been issued by a five-judge bench of Justices K M Joseph, Ajay Rastogi, Aniruddha Bose, Hrishikesh Roy and C T Ravikumar.
• As per the new order, the document will now be signed by the executor of the "living will" in the presence of two attested witnesses, and must be attested by a notary or a gazetted officer.
• A living will is a legal document that provides instructions for medical care, or for the termination of medical support, in certain circumstances.
• In 2018, Supreme Court in its order on passive euthanasia recognised the right to die with dignity as a fundamental right and an aspect of Article 21 (right to life).
• Euthanasia is the act of deliberately ending a person's life to relieve him from suffering.
• Passive euthanasia is a form of euthanasia in which medical treatment that will keep a dying patient alive for a time is withdrawn.

Topic: Sports

2. India becomes No. 1 ODI team in ICC Rankings by winning a series against New Zealand.

• India secured the top spot in the ICC men’s ODI ranking after defeating New Zealand by 3-0.
• The last match of the series was played at Holkar stadium in Indore. India defeated New Zealand by 90 runs in the final match of the series.
• In the Men's ODI Team Rankings, England and Australia are in second and third spots respectively.
• Earlier, India secured a comprehensive win in the second ODI in Raipur. India defeated New Zealand by 12 runs in the first ODI of the series. Both teams will play three Twenty20 matches.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

3. 10^th meeting of Group of Infrastructure Committee has been chaired by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

• On 24 January, Nitin Gadkari chaired the meeting to address existing inter-Ministerial issues concerning the implementation of various infrastructure projects.
• Shri Gadkari stated that an action plan has been launched to accelerate the progress of PM Gati Shakti Yojana.
• Several issues were included in the agenda of the deliberations to expedite the progress of the ongoing infrastructure projects.
• These included issues related to pending forest and environment clearances, facilitating work permits/approvals, ensuring land allotment/transfer and release of funds.
• Policy matters relating to environment/forest/wildlife clearances, railways and power were also discussed in the meeting.
• Environmental clearance and land policies of the Ministry of Railways and Road Transport and Highways and framing of comprehensive guidelines for environment and forest clearance were also discussed in detail.

Topic: State News/ Himachal Pradesh

4. Himachal Pradesh celebrated its 53rd Statehood Day on 25 January.

• Full Statehood Day has been celebrated at the state level in Hamirpur district, where Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu unfurled the national flag and took the salute of the grand parade.
• On 1 November 1956, Himachal Pradesh became a Union Territory of India.
• The Himachal Pradesh State Act was passed by the Parliament on 18 December 1970 and the new state came into existence on 25 January 1971.
• It was the 18^th state of India.
• Himachal Pradesh:
  • It is a North Indian state situated in the western Himalayas.
  • It shares a boundary with Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
  • State capitals are Shimla (summer) and Dharamshala (winter).
  • Great Himalayan National Park, Pin Valley National Park, Khirganga National Park are located in Himachal Pradesh.
  • Nati is the most famous dance of Himachal Pradesh.
  • Governor: R V Arlekar, Chief Minister: Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu
  • Lok Sabha seats: 4, Rajya Sabha seats: 3

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/ Nagaland

5. The third edition of the annual Orange Festival 2023 celebrated in Kohima.

• The annual Orange Festival 2023 was celebrated on 24 and 25 January in Rasoma village of Kohima district in Nagaland.
• The two-day festival has been organized in association with the Department of Horticulture, Agriculture, Rural Development, Land Resources and Kohima Smart City.
• The Orange Festival is celebrated to recognise and commemorate the hard work of orange growers while also providing them with market connections to sell their produce at a single hub.
• At present there are about 35,000 trees standing in the orange plantation in Rusoma village and the village is earning an income of more than Rs.40 lakhs annually.
• The two-day Orange Festival also included several stalls such as sale of handicrafts, organic vegetables and fruits, food items, sale of orange saplings, etc.
• Orange production in India:
  • In India, mandarin orange is most common citrus fruits grown in India. It occupies 40% of the total area under citrus fruit cultivation.
  • Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Orissa, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh are the orange producing states in India.
  • India ranks ninth among top orange producing countries contributing 3% to the world’s total orange production. Only 1.72% of the country’s production is exported.
  • Nagpur mandarin is one of the best mandarins in the world.
  • Nagpur santra (mandarin) is mainly grown in Satpura hills (Vidharba region) of Central India, hilly slopes of Darjeeling (West Bengal) and Coorg (Karnataka).
  • Orange is rich in vitamin C, A, B and phosphorus.

Topic: National News

6. The Union Petroleum Minister flagged off a low carbon cruise on the Mahabahu Brahmaputra in Guwahati.

• On 24 January, Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Housing & Urban Affairs, has inaugurated the trial run of Inland Cruise run on Methanol Blended Diesel (MD 15).
• The event was organized as part of the India Energy Week 2023 program to be held from February 6 to 8 in Bengaluru.
• The new project for the manufacture of 500 TPD of methanol is being implemented by Assam Petrochemical Limited (APL), Namrup, which currently produces about 100 TPD of methanol.
• The boat ride was done on a 50-seater motor launch marine vessel named 'SB Gangadhar'.
• The marine vessel is powered by two Ruston-built diesel engines (105 horse power each). The boat is powered by MD-15 (15 percent mixed HSD).
• Methanol is a low carbon hydrogen fuel produced from high ash coal, stubble, CO₂ from thermal power plants and natural gas.
• Methanol is a cost-effective alternative fuel as well.  
• This is the best solution keeping in view India's commitment towards COP-21.
• Coal-to-methanol plants are currently being built by BHEL (Hyderabad and Trichy), Thermax, and IIT Delhi utilising indigenous technology developed.
• Blending of 15% methanol in diesel-petrol can reduce the import of diesel-petrol/crude oil by at least 15%.
• In addition, it will bring down greenhouse emissions by 20% in terms of particulate matter, NO_x and SO_x, thereby improving urban air quality.
• India Energy Week:
  • IEW 2023 is the first major event under India's G-20 Presidency, which follows PM Narendra Modi's pledge at COP-26 to make India net-zero emissions by 2070.
  • India Energy Week is the only international energy event supported at the highest level by the Government of India, with the participation of all Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
  • It is organized under the aegis of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
  • It is also officially supported by the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI).

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

7. The first India Stack Developer Conference organized in New Delhi on 25 January.

• During the conference, ways and means to ensure wider adoption of India’s digital goods all over the world were discussed.
• Over 100 digital leaders from the Industry, Government, start-ups and academia attended the conference.
• India Stack is a multi-layer cluster of digital solutions like Aadhaar, UPI, Digi Locker, Co-Win, GeM, and GSTN.
• The conference provides a platform for the industry and developer community to explore ways to build a robust start-up ecosystem within India.
• Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that India Stack will be one of the focus areas at the World Government Summit 2023.
• World Government Summit 2023 will be held at Abu Dhabi in February 2023. It will be held under the theme of “Shaping Future Governments”.

Topic: Defence

8. The 2023 edition of the Indian Navy’s maritime exercise TROPEX has started in the Indian Ocean Region.

• Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX-23) is being carried out over a duration of 3 months from January – March 2023.
• TROPEX-23 is being carried out in different phases, both in harbour and at sea.
• Under this exercise, all surface combatants of the Indian Navy are put through operational deployments to validate the Navy’s Concept of Operations.
• TROPEX-23 provides a chance to evaluate the combat readiness of the Indian Navy’s combined Fleets for operation in a multi-threat environment.
• TROPEX-23 also makes operational-level interaction with the Indian Air Force, Indian Army, and Coast Guard easier.
• TROPEX:
  • It is conducted biennially. It is an operational-level exercise.
  • It involves the participation of units of the Indian Navy and assets belonging to the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Coast Guard.

Topic: Indian Economy

9. SEBI launched an information database on municipal bonds.

• To develop the bond market, market regulator SEBI has launched an information database on municipal bonds.
• SEBI organized an outreach programme on municipal bonds and municipal finance on 20-21 January.
• Representatives from different municipal corporations, stock exchanges, credit rating agencies, etc. have participated in the programme.
• This information database has been launched during this outreach programme. It contains information in the form of statistics and regulations, circulars, guidance note and also has FAQs issued by SEBI regarding municipal debt securities.
• The information database includes a repository of information about municipal bonds. The information database can be assessed by using a QR Code.
• SEBI launched a regulatory framework for the issue, listing and trading of municipal debt securities in 2015. It was reviewed in 2019.
• Municipal bond:
  • It is a debt instrument issued by municipal corporations to raise funds.
  • These bonds are issued to finance the development projects of the Municipal Corporation.
  • It is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
  • Since 2017, 10 municipal corporations raised Rs 2000 crore through municipal bonds.

Topic: State News/ Jammu and Kashmir

10. Jammu and Kashmir government launched a project to revolutionise the food processing sector.

• The "UT Level Food Processing Programme for Development of Clusters for Specific Products of J&K" has been launched with an outlay of Rs 879.75 crore.
• Rs 879.75 crore budget for this project comprises a grant-in-aid of Rs 293.25 crore (33.33 per cent) and a debt-equity of Rs 586.50 crore will be raised by entrepreneurs.
• The main aim of the project is to increase farmers’ income and support the food processing sector in the state. It will also minimise post-harvest losses.
• This project will focus on 17 districts in J&K by establishing processing and marketing infrastructure and providing growth and development opportunities to stakeholders.
• This comprehensive project has been designed to increase the competitiveness in seven identified products within five years in terms of cost, quality, branding, and sustainability.
• Around 7030 direct jobs will be created and 34 enterprises will be established with an expected revenue generation of Rs 1,436.04 crore every year.
• It is one of the approved 29 projects which have been recommended by the UT Level Apex Committee for holistic development of Agriculture and allied sectors in UT of J&K.

Topic: Important Days

11. National Voters’ Day 2023: 25 January

• Every year on 25 January, National Voters’ Day is observed.
• The main aim of this day is to increase voter enrollment and encourage the youth to take part in voting.
• Since 2011, National Voters’ Day is being celebrated across the country every year. It is celebrated to mark the foundation day of the Election Commission of India on 25 January 1950.
• This year, 13th National Voters’ Day is being celebrated.
• The theme of National Voters’ Day 2023 is ‘Nothing Like Voting, I Vote for Sure.’
• President Draupadi Murmu is the chief guest at the national function being organized by the Election Commission in New Delhi.
• NVD logo is designed to reflect the festivity and inclusivity of the election process.
• The Ashoka Chakra in the background represents the world's largest democracy, while the inked finger represents the participation of each and every voter in India.
• The tick mark in this logo is a symbol of informed decision making by the voter.
• The President has also conferred the National Awards for the year 2022 during the event in New Delhi.
• National Awards for Best Electoral Practices have been presented to state and district level officials for their outstanding performance in the conduct of elections during 2022.
• These include areas such as IT initiatives, security management, election management, accessible elections, electoral roll and contribution to voter awareness and outreach.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

12. ‘Ideal Train Profile’ has been introduced by Indian Railways.

• It has been launched to increase the capacity utilisation and revenue generation in reserved Mail Express trains by evaluating the demand pattern of each single train on a regular basis.
• Ideal Train Profile is basically a seat capacity optimization decision support. It is done as the number of ticket-class combinations can exceed 5,000 on a single train travel date.
• The pattern of demand for accomodation is not always on end-to-end basis, but differs in all trains based on various factors such as its origin-destination pairs, timings, class of accommodation, availability of alternate trains or means of transportation.
• This will help Zonal Railways to periodically review train quota to address changing demand mix due to holidays, seasonality etc.
• The pilot project has been launched on seven Zonal Railways - Eastern, Central, Northern, Southern, South Central, Western and West Central Railways.
• So far, the pilot project has been started in more than 200 trains in Indian Railways.
• It is expected that the utility will also help in increasing the availability of confirmed seats and increase the occupancy of the train by 5%.
• After an extensive effort of more than two years, the modules have been developed by an in-house team led by R Gopalakrishnan of the Center for Railway Information Systems.

Topic: State News/Chandigarh

13. North India’s largest floating Solar project of 2000kWp inaugurated at Water Works in Chandigarh.

• It has been inaugurated by the Governor of Punjab and Administrator Chandigarh, Banwari Lal Purohit on 23rd January 2023.
• In addition to this, he inaugurated a 500kWp floating Solar Project with Fountains at Dhanas Lake in Chandigarh.
• Total installation cost of the 2000kWp Floating Solar Power Plant at Water Works has been 11 crores 70 lakhs.
• CREST (Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science & Technology Promotion Society) has designed and executed these projects.
• The projects will generate a minimum of 35 Lac Units (kWh) of Solar Energy per year with 20% module efficiency.
• Mr. Purohit praised the efforts of CREST and the Forest & Wildlife Department for beautifying and developing the Dhanas Lake.

Topic: Indian Economy

14. India’s foreign trade data between April and November month of 2022-23 has been significantly revised.

• Total merchandise exports in the first eight months of 2022-23 are now kept at $298.3 billion.
• The total merchandise exports are nearly $12 billion higher than original monthly data.
• The imports in these eight months are now estimated at $493.5 billion. Imports are nearly $1.7 billion higher than initial numbers.
• The trade deficit between April and November month of 2022-23 is $10 billion lower.
• Sharpest revision has been seen in the import data for September 2022.
• Import data for September 2022 has been revised from an earlier estimate of $61.1 billion to the year’s highest number at $64.7 billion.
• September now holds the record of worst monthly trade deficit of $29.23 billion for India.
• According to earlier data, July 2022 was having the worst goods trade deficit on record. July’s deficit is now kept at $25.6 billion.
• The second and third highest monthly deficits in merchandise trade has been recorded in October and August 2022 at $27.4 billion and $26.8 billion, respectively.
• The sharpest revision in exports has been recorded for August and November at $3.1 billion and $2.8 billion, respectively.
• Trade deficit refers to the amount by which a country’s imports are higher than its exports during a given time period.