Daily Current Affairs and GK | 4 July 2023

Topic: Indian Polity

1. Parliamentary Standing Committee seeks views on Uniform Civil Code from all stakeholders.

• The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice held a meeting under the chairmanship of Sushil Modi on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Seventeen members participated in the Meeting.
• At present, the personal laws of various communities are governed by their religious scriptures.
• The Uniform Civil Code provides uniformity in the laws of marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption etc. for all religious communities.
• The Central government may introduce a bill on implementing the UCC during the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament.
• What is Uniform Civil Code?
  • Uniform Civil Code refers to having a common set of laws governing personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, etc. for all citizens irrespective of their religion.
  • Article 44 of the Indian constitution states that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for its citizens
  • Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs have their own different personal laws.
  • Uniform Civil Code main aim is to protect vulnerable sections including women and religious minorities.
  • At present, Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 governs marriage and divorce among Hindus. The Hindu Succession Act 1956 regulates inheritance issues.
  • The Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937 regulates matters related to marriage, divorce, inheritance, and maintenance among Muslims.
  • The Indian Succession Act 1925 governs the personal laws of Christians, Parsi and Jews.
  • UCC is being opposed by some people because they argue that UCC could undermine the cultural fabric of the country and will restrict religious freedom.

Topic: Indian Economy

2. Tamil Nadu has regained first place in electronic exports in India.

• Exports from Tamil Nadu increased at 1.6% in FY2020-21 and at 1.8% in FY2021-22.
• The exports jumped 5.3% in FY2022-23. The exports from Tamil Nadu have surpassed the exports from the states like Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
• Exports from Tamil Nadu are valued at USD 5.37 billion in FY2022-23.
• The setting up of major manufacturing facilities by Tata Electronics and the Union government’s production-linked incentives for electronic manufacturing are the main factors behind the rise in exports.
• Tamil Nadu has regained first place nearly after a decade. It has jumped from 4th place in FY22 to first place in FY23.

Topic: Art and Culture

3. Jharkhand’s agriculture minister Badal Patralekh inaugurated Shravani Mela in Deoghar on 03 July 2023.

• The minister inaugurated the fair by offering prayers on the occasion of ‘Ashadha Purnima’ at Baba Baidyanathdham temple in Deoghar, Jharkhand.
• The arrangements have been made by the state government for Kanwariyas to perform the Jal Abhishek puja of Baba Baidyanath.
• Shravani Mela is a two-month long fair. It is being organised from the 3rd of July to the 7th of September.
• Baba Baidyanathdham Temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in the country.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

4. eSARAS mobile App has been launched by Deendayal Antyodaya Yojna- National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).

• Shailesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India launched the eSARAS mobile App.
• He also inaugurated eSARAS Fulfillment Centre, which is located at the Ministry’s Janakpuri office in New Delhi.
• The Foundation for Development of Rural Value Chains (FDRVC) will manage the eSARAS fulfillment centre.
• FDRVC is a Not for Profit Company constituted jointly by Ministry of Rural Development and Tata Trust.
• eSARAS is an e-commerce mobile app. It will be used as a platform for marketing of the products made by women of self-help groups.
• It is an initiative conceptualized by the DAY-NRLM, Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD).

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

5. India virtually hosted the 23rd Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization on 4 July.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 23rd Summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State.
• All SCO member states China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan were invited to participate in the summit.
• Iran, Belarus and Mongolia were invited as observers. As per SCO tradition, Turkmenistan was also invited as the guest chair.
• The heads of two SCO bodies, the Secretariat and the SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure - the Rats, also participated in the summit.
• The theme of India’s Chairmanship of SCO-SECURE is derived from the acronym given by the Prime Minister at the 2018 SCO Qingadao Summit.
• ‘Secure’ means Security, Economic development, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environmental protection.
• India has established new pillars of cooperation under its chairmanship by prioritizing startups and innovation, traditional medicine, digital inclusion, youth empowerment, and shared Buddhist heritage.
• India has chaired a total of 134 meetings and events, including 15 ministerial meetings.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

6. Michael Rosen won the 2023 PEN Pinter Prize.

• The prestigious PEN Pinter Prize 2023 has been awarded to children’s writer and performance poet Michael Rosen.
• In more than 140 books, he has adopted an approach to writing for children that reflects their everyday world.
• He served as Children's Laureate from 2007 to 2009 and is known for making poetry accessible to children through his work and performances.
• Some of Rosen’s most well-known books include You Can’t Catch Me (1982), You Wait Till I Am Older Than You (1996), Rover (2007), Fantastic Mr. Dahl (2012, on Roald Dahl’s writing life).
• Some famous PEN Pinter Prizes winners include Hanif Kureishi (2010), Salman Rushdie (2014), Lemn Sissay (2019), and Malorie Blackman (2022).
• PEN Pinter Prize:
  • It was established in 2009.
  • It is given in the memory of Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter.
  • It is an annual award given for outstanding literary work written in English.
  • This award is given to a writer from the UK, Ireland, and the Commonwealth whose work shows a fearless exposition of truth about contemporary life.

Topic: National News

7. PM Modi inaugurated the Sai Hira Global Convention Centre in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh through video conferencing.

• The Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust has constructed Sai Hira Global Convention Centre at Prasanthi Nilayam in Puttaparthi.
• Prasanthi Nilayam is the main ashram of Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
• The convention centre is donated by philanthropist Shri Ryuko Hira.
• It is a testament to the vision of promoting cultural exchange, spirituality, and global harmony.
• Shri Ryuko Hira was conferred with the Padma Shri award in 2022 for his contribution to the trade and industry.
• Ryuko Hira is an investor and philanthropist. He is the president of HMI Hotel Group and Ora Group of companies in Japan. He was born in India. 

Topic: MoUs/ Agreements

8. National Anti-Doping Agency, India (NADA India) has signed MoU with South Asia Regional Anti-Doping Organization (SARADO).

• The aim of the MoU is to increase regional cooperation in anti-doping in sports.
• The MoU was signed at the NADA India – SARADO Cooperation Meet in New Delhi.
• It was signed in the presence of Shri Anurag Singh Thakur Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Information & Broadcasting.
• Shri Thakur said that India’s increasing contributions to the World Anti-Doping Agency and UNESCO International Convention Against Doping in Sport reflect India’s willingness to be involved in furthering the anti-doping movement globally.
• SARADO includes anti-doping organisations from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
• UNESCO International Convention Against Doping in Sport was adopted in Paris on 19 October 2005. It entered into force on 1 February 2007.
• NADA:
  • It was formed in 2005 under Societies Registration Act 1860.
  • It is responsible for promoting, coordinating, and monitoring the doping control program in India.
  • The main objective of NADA is to implement anti-doping rules in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s code.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

9. Government launched a scheme for pregnant minor rape victims.

• A scheme for providing shelter, food and legal aid to pregnant minor victims of sexual assault, who have no family support, has been launched by Union Minister Smriti Irani.
• Women and Child Development Ministry has approved the proposal for “critical care and support for accessing justice to rape/gang rape survivors and minor girls who get pregnant”.
• It has been launched with an outlay of Rs 74.10 crore and becomes applicable across the country very soon.
• The government will also provide medical infrastructural support, apart from financial support to victims.
• Under this scheme, minor girls who have been abandoned by their families due to forced pregnancy, either due to rape or gang rape or due to any other reason will get support.
• NCRB reported 51, 863 cases under the POCSO Act in 2021. Out of total cases, 33,348 cases were reported under sections 3 and 5 of the Act.
• The government has set up 415 POCSO fast-track court for accelerating access to justice for minor victims of rape.

Topic: Banking System

10. Indian Bank unveiled new services under Project WAVE.

• Indian Bank launched new services under its digital transformation initiative — Project WAVE.
• Indian Bank in collaboration with National E-Governance Services Ltd introduced an electronic bank guarantee (e-BG) service to ease traditional paper-based processes.
• It will help in reducing the turn-around time of the bank guarantee issuance, and delivery to the beneficiary.
• This facility will replace the physical stamp paper and physical signatures of customers with digital stamping and e-signing.
• Indian Bank has launched a facility to avail pre-approved business loans.
• The newly launched digital vehicle loan product of Indian Bank will help customers to buy their dream vehicle with hassle-free loan processes.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

11. Startup-20 Summit under India's G-20 Presidency began in Gurugram, Haryana on 3 July.

• Two-day Startup-20 Summit is being hosted by the Startup-20 Engagement Group.
• Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Prakash has said that education and awareness play an important role in the development of a culturally sensitive startup ecosystem.
• The Startup-20 Engagement Group strives to create a conducive business environment in the G20 countries and support such talents from diverse backgrounds to commercialize, scale up and innovate.
• G-20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said that the total investment in start-ups in India has increased by 19 times.
• The startup movement was launched in 2016 and since then the number of startups has grown from one hundred to one lakh.
• There is no dearth of funding for good startups with strong business models and startups should not only look at India as a market but also look at the world.
• Startup 20 Communique was issued during the summit, urging G-20 leaders to increase combined investment in the global startup ecosystem to US$1 trillion by 2030.
• 600 stakeholders from different countries are participating in the summit. 200 international delegates from 16 G20 countries and 6 invited countries are participating in the summit.
• The Startup20 summit symbolizes India's commitment to fostering an enabling environment for startups and strengthening its position as a global leader in innovation and entrepreneurship.
• It serves as an important milestone towards unleashing the potential of startups to drive economic growth, job creation, and social progress.

Topic: Important Days

12. International Plastic Bag Free Day 2023: 3 July

• International Plastic Bag Free Day is observed every year on 3rd July.
• The main goal of this day is to raise awareness about the harmful effects of plastic.
• Items made from single-use plastics are also polluting rivers and oceans.
• On 3 July 2008, it was first observed by Rezero, a member of Zero Waste Europe (ZWE).
• In 2002, Bangladesh became the first nation to ban plastics.
• A plastic bag takes 1,000 years to disintegrate in a landfill.
• India has imposed a ban on single-use plastics from 1 July, 2022.
• Nearly 300 million tons of plastic are produced by humans each year. Only 10-13% of plastic items get recycled.
• Single-use plastics are non-recyclable plastic products that cannot be used after the single-use.

Topic: International News

13. UAE-India Economic Summit held in Abu Dhabi.

• The UAE-India Economic Summit was held on 3 July at the ADGM Auditorium in Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi.
• It has been organized under the theme: "Fostering Synergies – Uniting the Falcon and Tiger Economies".
• It has been jointly hosted by SBI Capital Markets Limited (SBICAPS) and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM).
• It has brought industry leaders from India and the UAE and marked the official opening of the SBICAPS ADGM Branch Office.
• During the summit, many topics such as startups, green energy, capital markets, and stressed asset resolution have been discussed.
• The conference featured a series of panel discussions addressing key topics in the new economy.
• The sustainability and green energy panel discussed on financing options for sustainable projects, climate-conscious investments, regulatory aspects of sustainable finance, and the impact of carbon trading.
• The capital markets panel discussed various facets of capital markets and investment opportunities.
• A panel also discussed on the stressed asset resolution.
• The UAE-India Economic Summit has not only strengthened ties between both countries but also open the way for investments and prosperity for both countries.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National Appointments

14. Tushar Mehta has been reappointed as Solicitor General of India for three years.

• Tushar Mehta has been reappointed as the Solicitor General of India along with the six additional solicitor generals in the Supreme Court.
• The decision has been taken by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC).
• Tushar Mehta was appointed as Solicitor General for the first time in October 2018.
• The six additional solicitor generals who got extensions are Vikramjeet Banerjee, KM Nataraj, Balbir Singh, Suryaprakash V Raju, N Venkatraman and Aishwarya Bhati.
• ACC has also approved the reappointment of ASG Chetan Sharma for the Delhi high court.
• Solicitor General of India (SGI):
  • He is subordinate to the Attorney General for India.
  • The duties of the Solicitor General are mentioned in Law Officers (Conditions of Service) Rules, 1987.
  • The Solicitor General of India (SGI) is the second-highest law officer in India.
  • Chander Kishan Daphtary is the first Solicitor General of India from 1950 to 1963.