Daily Current Affairs and GK | 4 and 5 June 2023

Topic: Indian Polity

1. Law Commission of India recommended the retention of sedition law.

• The Law Commission of India suggested retaining the 153-year-old colonial law on sedition.
• It has suggested some amendments to Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code to bring more clarity on the interpretation, understanding, and usage of the provision.
• Law Commission in its report submitted to the government raised concern about the misuse of Section 124A.
• It suggested that model guidelines should be issued by the central government to curb misuse.
• The Commission said sedition being a “colonial legacy” is not a valid ground for its repeal.
• Law Commission headed by Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi said that Section 124A should be amended to align it with the Supreme Court’s 1962 verdict in the Kedar Nath Case.
• In Kedar Nath Case, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the provision by restricting the law to those who incite violence.
• At present, Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with sedition, has a punishment of a life sentence along with a fine or imprisonment which may extend up to three years along with a fine.
• The law commission has recommended enhancing the punishment to “seven years”.
• The Commission said that Section 124A has its importance in combating anti-national and secessionist elements.
• The sedition law provisions were stayed by the Supreme Court on May 11, 2022. It had restrained the Central government and state government from arresting people under this law.

Topic: Personality in News

2. Aamir Raza Husain passed away recently.

• He was a noted theatre actor and director.
• He was known for his large outdoor stage productions like "The Fifty Day War" and "The Legend of Ram".
• The Fifty Day War is based on the Kargil War.
• The government honoured Amir Raza Husain with the Padma Shri for his contribution to theatre.
• He has acted in super hit movies ‘Baahubali’ and ‘RRR’. He will also be seen in the movie ‘Adipurush’.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National News

3. Centre has put a ban on 14 fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) medicines used to treat common ailments.

• These medicines were found to lack therapeutic relevance.
• The banned medicines are used for cough, fever and infections. They are sold over the counter.
• An expert committee was formed to examine the efficacy of these FDCs. The ban follows the recommendations of this committee.
• The banned FDCs come under 344 fixed-dose combinations, which were prohibited for sale by the Union Health Ministry in 2016. 
• Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) defines FDCs as products containing one or more active ingredients used for a particular indication(s).
• Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO):
  • It is headquartered in New Delhi. It has six zonal offices.
  • Its functions include regulatory control over the import of drugs and over the approval of new drugs and clinical trials.

Topic: State News/Maharashtra

4. First carbon-neutral village in India is being developed in Thane district’s Bhiwandi Taluka.

• Kapil Patil, Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, said this recently.
• He said 121 tribal villages are being developed as model villages.
• He addressed a press conference under BJP's Maha Jansampark Abhiyan.
• While addressing the press conference, he said one lakh 75 thousand farmers are taking the benefit of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Yojana in Bhiwandi Lok Sabha Constituency.
• In April 2022, Palli village (in Jammu's Samba district) became India’s first carbon-neutral panchayat.

Topic: International News

5. President Draupadi Murmu will participate in the celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indians in Suriname.

• On 4 June, President Draupadi Murmu arrived Paramaribo on a three-day to Suriname.
• She was given a guard of honor at the Johan Adolf Pengal International Airport in Suriname.
• Smt. Murmu has gone there on the invitation of President Chandrika Prasad Santokhi.
• The President is accompanied by an official delegation including Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti and Member of Parliament Smt. Rama Devi.
• The visit assumes historical significance as the President was the chief guest at the 150th anniversary celebrations of the arrival of Indians in Suriname, celebrated on June 5.
• The event commemorates the arrival of the first Indian indentured labourers in Suriname on June 5, 1873, by the ship SS Lalla Rookh.
• About 34,000 Indians arrived in Suriname in 64 ships between 1873 and 1916.
• India-Suriname relations are warm and friendly and gain special significance because of a large Indian diaspora, who have preserved the customs and traditions from India despite the passage of time.
• Suriname:
  • It is located in the northeastern part of South America.
  • It shares boundaries with the Atlantic Ocean, French Guiana, Guyana and Brazil.
  • It is the smallest sovereign state in South America.
  • Paramaribo is the capital, and the Surinamese dollar is the currency of Suriname.
  • Chan Santokhi is the current President of Suriname.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: Sports

6. 3rd Khelo India University Games concluded on 3 June.

• The closing ceremony was organized in the campus of Banaras Hindu University.
• Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur, Union Minister Nishith Pramanik and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attended the closing ceremony.
• Mr. Thakur said that the Khelo India campaign launched on the initiative of the Prime Minister has proved to be a platform for the selection of talented players across the country.
• With this, infrastructural facilities in the field of sports will increase in the country and at the same time talented players will also be encouraged.
• Punjab University, Chandigarh becomes the overall champion in the third edition of Khelo India University Games.
• Punjab University secured 69 medals with 26 gold, 17 silver and 26 bronze medals.
• Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar stood second with 24 gold, 27 silver, and 17 bronze medals.
• Last time’s champions, Karnataka's Jain University secured the third position with 16 gold, 10 silver and 6 bronze medals.
• 131 universities participated in these games which lasted for twelve days, and eleven new records were set.
• The Games were organized at nine venues in Lucknow, Varanasi, Gorakhpur and Gautam Buddha Nagar.
• Shooting competitions were organized in Delhi.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: Important Days

7. World Environment Day: 05 June

• World Environment Day is observed every year on 05 June.
• In 1972, United Nations adopted 5 June as World Environment Day at Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.
• In 1973, the first World Environment Day was celebrated. Its theme was "Only One Earth".
• The year 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of World Environment Day.
• The host for World Environment Day 2023 is Côte d’Ivoire, in partnership with the Netherlands.
• This year, the theme for World Environment Day is solutions to plastic pollution. BeatPlasticPollution is the campaign theme of this year.
• Beat Plastic Pollution was also the theme for the 45th World Environment Day, which was hosted by India.
• Every year, more than 400 million tonnes of plastic is manufactured globally. 50% of it is single-use plastic. 
• Microplastics are tiny plastic particles up to 5mm in diameter.

Topic: Sports

8. Indian sprinter Amlan Borgohain has won two gold medals at the Flanders Cup 2023 athletics meet in Merksem, Belgium.

• Amlan Borgohain has won one gold medal each in the men’s 100 and 200-meter races at the Flanders Cup 2023 athletics meet.
• Flanders Cup 2023 athletics meet is also known as the International Antwerp Athletics Gala.
• In the 100 meter race, Borgohain clocked 10.70 seconds. He emerged as the fastest man of the meet.
• He holds the 100-meter national record of 10.25 seconds.
• In the 200 meter race, Borgohain clocked 20.96 seconds to emerge winner.
• In the women's 100m hurdles, Sapna Kumari finished behind Amber Vanden Bosch of Belgium.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Committees/ Commissions/Taskforces

9. Government formed a 3-member panel to probe Manipur violence.

• A three-member commission of Inquiry has been formed under the chairmanship of Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court Ajai Lamba.
• It will investigate the recent violence in Manipur triggered by the demand for reservations for Meities.
• It would probe the causes and spread of the violence and riots targeting members of different communities.
• Himanshu Shekhar Das and Aloka Prabhakar will be the other members of this committee.
• The Manipur government recommended to form the Commission of Inquiry and it has been accepted by the MHA.
• It will submit its report within six months from the date of its first sitting. It could also submit interim reports to the union government.
• The investigation of the committee will include the sequence of events leading to, and all the facts relating to violence, the steps taken by the administration to prevent violence, etc.

Topic: International News

10. Joe Biden signed a bill to suspend the US debt ceiling.

• President Joe Biden signed a bill that will increase the debt ceiling of US.
• The new law will suspend the debt limit until 2025 after the next presidential election and restricts government spending.
• The bill has been passed by the US Senate by a vote of 63 against 36.
• The US Department of Revenue had warned that if this bill is not passed in time, the country will face a cash crunch to pay its bills.
• US debt is currently around $31.4 trillion. The raised debt limit will ensure that the government can borrow to pay debts already incurred.
• Joe Biden said we are cutting spending and reducing the deficit at the same time.
• After this, the danger of the federal government being a defaulter has been averted.

Topic: Defence

11. Arctic military exercise has been conducted by NATO.

• NATO countries conducted Arctic military exercises to defend their newest member, Finland.
• Finland hosted its first joint NATO exercise in its arctic region since becoming the 31st member of the Western Alliance in April 2023.
• The exercise was conducted from May 27 to June 2.
• The addition of Finland doubled the length of NATO's border with Russia.
• About 1,000 allied troops from Norway, the UK, the US and Sweden and 6,500 Finnish troops took part in this exercise.
• Sweden is also hoping to become a member of NATO at summit in Vilnius in July 2023.

Topic: National News

12. Draft Bima Vahaks guidelines issued by IRDAI.

• On June 1, Insurance Regulator IRDAI came out with draft guidelines for 'Bima Vahaks (BV)', which seeks to set up a dedicated distribution channel at the level of gram panchayats.
• Corporate Bima Vahaks and Individual Bima Vahaks have been proposed in the guidelines for the distribution channel.
• Corporate Bima Vahaks would be legal persons that will be appointed by an insurer and registered in compliance with the relevant laws.
• Any person appointed by an insurer or by a Corporate Bima Vahak could be an Individual Bima Vahak.
• The BVs, both corporate and individual, will be authorised to undertake activities such as the collection of proposal information and KYC documents and coordinate claims-related services.
• Every insurer shall be responsible for ensuring KYC and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) compliance in respect of policies obtained through Individual Bima Vahaks and Corporate Bima Vahaks.
• Till June 22, IRDAI has invited comments of stakeholders on the draft.
• As per the draft, every insurer will have to provide optional mode for payment of premium by prospects or policyholders.
• In addition, Bima Vahaks should be encouraged to adopt electronic payment processes facilitated by insurers to enable direct remittance of premiums.

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

13. Global unemployment will reach pre-pandemic level in 2023: ILO

• International Labour Organisation (ILO) released 11th edition of ILO Monitor on the World of Work.
• As per the report, Global unemployment is likely to fall below the pre-pandemic levels to 5.3% or 191 million in 2023.
• The ILO report urged for global financial support for job creation and social protection at this time.
• The report also recommended policies such as wider social security to ensure recovery and reconstruction.
• The report stressed on the critical importance of creating fiscal space for social investments in low-income countries.
• In 2023, low-income countries in the Arab and African regions will not recover to the pre-Covid levels of unemployment.
• In North Africa, the unemployment rate will remain at 11.2 per cent in 2023. The unemployment rate will remain at 6.3 per cent for Sub-Saharan Africa and 9.3 per cent for the Arab states.
• Unemployment in Central and Western Asia will remain at 7.8 per cent in 2023 as compared to 9.2 per cent in 2019.
• Low-income countries are facing high levels of debt and rising costs of borrowing. It has obstructed their effort of promoting decent and productive employment.
• Investment in people through jobs and social protection will help in reducing the gap between rich and poor nations and people.

Topic: Indian Economy

14. FDI equity inflows declined by 22% to $46 billion in FY23.  

• Total FDI inflows have fallen by 16% to $70.97 billion in FY23.  
• During March 2023 quarter, the overseas inflows have fallen by 40.55% to $9.28 billion. 
• According to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) data, the decline in FDI in India is brought by lower inflows in computer hardware and software, and the automobile industry. 
• The FDI inflows were recorded at $58.77 billion during FY22. 
• Total FDI inflows include equity inflows, re-invested earnings and other capital.  
• As per the data, Singapore was the top investor with $17.2 billion in FDI during FY23.
• Singapore was followed by Mauritius ($6.13 billion), the US ($6 billion), and the UAE ($3.35 billion). 
• The sector that attracted the highest inflows of $9.4 billion during FY23 is computer software and hardware.  
• However, FDI inflows to these sectors have declined as compared to $14.5 billion in FY22. 
• Similarly, FDI in the automobile industry, construction (infrastructure) activities and metallurgical industries has also declined. 
• Sectors like services, trading, telecommunications, pharma and chemicals have recorded growth in FDI.  
• Maharashtra received the highest FDI inflows of $14.8 billion during FY23.  
• FDI inflows in Karnataka declined to $10.42 billion in FY23 as against $22 billion in FY22. FDI in Gujarat and Rajasthan has increased.