Daily Current Affairs and GK | 4 May 2024

Topic: National News

1. GST Appellate Tribunal will be headed by Sanjaya Kumar Mishra.

• Retired Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra is appointed as president of the Goods & Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT).
• The tribunal aims to help businesses in resolving various disputes efficiently.
• The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment based on the recommendation of the SCSC (Search-cum-Selection Committee).
• He has been appointed for four years with a salary of ₹2.50 lakh per month.
• He will remain in office for four years or till attaining the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.
• In 2023, the Central government issued a notification to set up 31 GSTAT benches with one Principal Bench in Delhi.
• GST Tribunals handle disputes related to GST, providing a timely and efficient resolution mechanism.
• It plays a crucial role in ensuring fairness, accountability, and the rule of law in tax administration.

Topic: National News

2. India's first constitution park has been inaugurated in Pune.

• The Indian Army and Punit Balan Group have jointly developed the Constitution Park.
• The park has been inaugurated by GOC-in-C, Southern Command, Lt Gen Ajai Kumar Singh.
• The inauguration ceremony was attended by Punit Balan, President of Punit Balan Group.
• This Constitution Park is a tribute to the founding leaders of the Constitution.
• This park is a symbol of unity and commitment towards values in the Constitution of India.
• Indian Constitution:
  • The Constituent Assembly of India developed the Constitution by taking provisions from other nations' constitutions.
  • The Constituent Assembly prepared it in about 2 years and 11 months.
  • It is the lengthiest written constitution in the world with approximately 1,45,000 words.
  • It was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26th November 1949 and came into force on 26th January 1950.

Topic: Space and IT

3. A historic mission launched by China to retrieve samples from the far side of the Moon.

• On May 3, an unmanned spacecraft launched by China on a nearly two-month mission to retrieve rocks and soil from the far side of the moon, the first country to undertake such an ambitious endeavour.
• The Long March-5, China's largest rocket, launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Center on southern Hainan Island with the more than 8-metric-ton Chang'e-6 probe.
• Chang'e-6 will land in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon, after which it will acquire and return samples.
• The launch marks another milestone in China's lunar and space exploration program.
• In 2018, China's Chang'e-4 was the first unmanned moon landing.
• In 2020, Chang'e-5 for the first time obtained lunar samples in 44 years.
• This sample allowed Chinese scientists to uncover new details about the Moon, including more accurate dating of the time of volcanic activity on the Moon, as well as a new mineral.
• Now, Chang'e-6 could make China the first country to obtain samples from the "hidden" side of the Moon.

(Source: DD News)

Topic: Sports

4. The official anthem of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024, 'Out of This World' released.

• The release of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Official Anthem, Out of this World announced by The International Cricket Council (ICC)
• It has been prepared by the Grammy award-winning artist Sean Paul and Soca superstar Kes.
• With just 30 days left for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 to begin, the release of the anthem sets the stage for what will be the biggest cricket carnival spectacle ever.
• The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 will be held in which 20 international teams will play 55 matches from June 1-29 in West Indies and USA.
• The anthem, produced by Michael "Tano" Montano, was launched with a music video.
• It includes eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, cricket stars Chris Gayle, Ali Khan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and other Caribbean celebrities.

Topic: Summits/Conference/ Meetings

5. On 3 May, the 7th India-Indonesia Joint Defence Cooperation Committee meeting held in New Delhi.

• The meeting was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and Secretary General of the Indonesian Defence Ministry, Air Marshal Donny Ermawan Taufanto.
• From 2 to 4 May, the Secretary-General is on a visit to India.
• During the meeting, both sides expressed satisfaction at the expanding scope of defense cooperation between the two countries.
• Both countries also reviewed the progress made on various bilateral defense cooperation initiatives deliberated in meetings of Working Groups on Defence Cooperation and Defence Industries Cooperation.
• Additionally, he also held discussions with other Indian defense industry partners, such as Bharat Forge, Mahindra Defense, and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited.
• They also discussed ways to enhance defense industrial capabilities through cooperation in research and joint production.
• India and Indonesia have a comprehensive strategic partnership and have reached a common vision of the Indo-Pacific.
• Apart from this, Indonesia is an important partner in India's Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific region.

(Source: DD News)

Topic: Reports and Indices/Rankings

6. In the World Press Freedom Index, India ranked 159th below Pakistan among 180 countries.

• Reporters Without Borders (RSF, short for Reporters sans frontières in French), an international non-profit organization, has released the latest annual World Press Freedom Index.
• India is ranked 159th in the list of 180 countries, while in the 2023 list, it was ranked 161st.
• However, Pakistan is ranked 152nd, seven places above India, which was ranked 150th in 2023.
• Norway, Denmark, and Sweden ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respectively in the World Press Freedom Index.
• The World Press Freedom Index is based on five indicators including the Political indicator, Economic indicator, Legislative indicator, Social indicator and the Security indicator.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

7. India and the Netherlands organised 12th round of foreign office consultations (FOC).

• 12th round of FOC was held in The Hague. India and The Hague agreed to strengthen bilateral ties.
• They agreed to focus on new and emerging technologies like semiconductors and green hydrogen.
• Pavan Kapoor, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs led the Indian delegation.
• Both sides deliberated on the way forward in priority sectors of Water, Agriculture & Health (WAH agenda).
• The last such consultation meeting was held in New Delhi in December 2022.
• During his visit, Kapoor also visited the Peace Palace.
• The Peace Palace is an international law administrative building in The Hague, the Netherlands.
• The G20 Summit was attended by Prime Minister Mark Rutte in New Delhi in September 2023.

Topic: Banking System

8. ICICI Bank achieves market capitalisation of Rs 8.14 trillion.

• Its shares reached an all-time high of Rs 1,163 apiece. Its shares increased by over 5%.
• It has become one of the top five companies by market value.
• ICICI Bank has become the second bank to cross this milestone. HDFC Bank is the first bank.
• The position of Reliance Industries as the most-valued Indian company continues. Its market capitalisation is RS 19.8 trillion.
• It is followed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) with market capitalisation of Rs 14 trillion.
• Among banks, HDFC Bank comes at first with a market cap of Rs 11.6 trillion.
• It is followed by SBI with market value of Rs 7.4 trillion.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

9. India’s fossil fuel capacity has grown by 2.44% in FY24.

• India’s fossil fuel-based power generation capacity has increased by 2.44% to 243.22 GW in FY24 from 237.27 GW in March 2023.
• Non-fossil fuel-based capacity has increased by 10.79%. It has increased from 172.01 GW in 2022-23 to 190.57 gigawatt (GW) in 2023-24.
• The nuclear power capacity has risen to 8.18 GW from 6.78 GW in the last fiscal year.
• India's total power generation capacity increased by 6.22% to 441.97 GW over 416.06 GW.
• The coal-based capacity increased by 3% to 210.97 GW from 205.24 GW in the last financial year.
• The renewable energy sources capacity increased to 143.64 GW.
• The fossil fuel-based capacity includes power generation through coal, lignite, gas and diesel. The non-fossil fuel includes power generated from solar, wind and hydropower.

Topic: Indian Polity

10. 33% of seats have been reserved for women in the bar association committee by the Supreme Court.

• One-third of the seats in the executive committee of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) have been reserved for women.
• As per the new rule, a minimum of 3 out of 9 positions in the Executive Committee and 2 of 6 Senior Executive Member posts will be reserved for women.
• A bench of Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan passed the order for granting reservations to women lawyers.
• The SC said that at least one post of office-bearer shall be reserved for women exclusively by turn and on a rotation basis.
• For 2024-25, the post of treasurer of the executive committee will be reserved for women.

Topic: Important Days

11. World Press Freedom Day 2024: 3 May

• Every year on 3rd May, World Press Freedom Day is celebrated
• It is celebrated to recognize the contribution of the media personnel in upholding the values of fair journalism.
• The day aims to create awareness regarding the importance of freedom of the press, which is part of Right to freedom of expression under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948.
• The day also marks the anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration.
• UNESCO and Chile are hosting the 31st World Press Freedom Day conference from 2 to 4 May, 2024 in Santiago.
• The theme of the conference is “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis.”

Topic: Science and Technology

12. The first India-made chips will be introduced by Micron to global markets by early 2025.

• The first India-made semiconductor chips will be produced from Micron Technology's packaging unit in Sanand, Gujarat, in the first half of 2025.
• Most of the chips made at Sanand will be exported, potentially making the facility a major player in the global semiconductor market.
• The chips will be used for data centers, smartphones, notebooks and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
• However, the specific allocation of chips will be determined closer to the final production stage based on factors such as demand dynamics, pricing considerations and customer requirements.
• Micron is also keeping an eye out for new business prospects in developing industries, including government contracts exclusive to the Indian market and electric two-wheelers.
• As Micron continues to bring its semiconductor supply chain to India, major suppliers such as Simmtech have begun setting up operations in Gujarat.
• Under the government's $10 billion financial incentive scheme for semiconductor manufacturing and assembly, Micron is setting up an assembly, testing, monitoring and packaging (ATMP) plant in India.

Topic: International News

13. India and Nigeria agreed to enhance cooperation in energy and Local currency settlement.

• India and Nigeria have identified areas like crude oil, natural gas, pharmaceuticals, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), local currency settlement system, and power sector to enhance cooperation.
• They also agreed on the early conclusion of the Local Currency Settlement System Agreement.
• A seven-member delegation from India discussed issues related to cooperation during its recent visit to Nigeria.
• In this discussion, the Indian delegation was led by Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Amardeep Singh Bhatia.
• Indian delegation consisted of officials from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), EXIM Bank of India and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
• Nigeria is the second largest trading partner of India in the Africa region.
• India and Nigeria's bilateral trade has declined from $11.8 billion in 2022-23 to $7.89 billion in 2023-24.
• Around 135 Indian companies are actively working in Nigeria with an investment of $27 billion.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

14. Purnima Devi Barman received the 'Green Oscar' Whitley Gold Award 2024.

• Purnima Devi Barman, a wildlife biologist from Assam, has received the Whitley Gold Award 2024.
• She received the award for her conservation efforts of the endangered Greater Adjutant Stork and its wetland habitat. Stork is locally as “Hargila” in Assamese.
• She wants to double the global population to 5,000 by 2030 by working across the stork's range in India and Cambodia.
• Apart from her, six other grassroots conservationists – from Guyana, Papua New Guinea, Bhutan, Cameroon, Nepal and Brazil have also received this award.
• Whitley Gold Award:
  • It is given by the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN).
  • It supports grassroots conservation leaders from around the world.
  • The award is presented at a Royal Geographical Society awards ceremony in London. It is also known as the ‘Green Oscar’.