NATIONAL:
1. PM-PRANAM Scheme
Why in news – The Cabinet approved the ‘PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness Generation, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother – Earth’ (PM-PRANAM).
Key Points –
• Aim - to incentivize states to promote alternative fertilizers and reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers.
• Announced in Union Budget 2023-24.
• Mechanism – States adopting alternative fertilizers would be incentivized with the subsidy that is saved by reducing the use of chemical fertilizers.
• No separate budget. Financed by the savings of existing fertilizer subsidies. 50% of subsidy savings would be passed on to the state that saves the money as a grant.
• Subsidy burden is around Rs 2.25 lakh crore in 2022-2023.
Value Addition –
• Package for urea subsidy for the 3 three years (2022-23 to 2024-25) - Rs 3,68,676.7 crore.
• To set up and revive 6 urea production units to reduce import dependency and make India self-sufficient by 2025- 26.
INTERNATIONAL:
1. UN "Children and Armed Conflict" List
Why in news – UN Secretary-General has taken India off a report on children and armed conflict after 12 years.
Key Points –
• Officially report name - "Secretary-General's Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict." It is published by the UN Secretary-General.
• This is the first time since 2010 that India has not been named in the report alongside Nigeria, Pakistan and the Philippines.
• Measures adopted by India in J&K –
(a) training security forces on child protection.
(b) prohibition of lethal weapons on children including pellet guns.
(c) children are detained as a last resort and for the shortest time.
(d) full implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012.
RANKS & INDICES:
1. Energy Transition Index (ETI) 2023
Why in news – The report was released by the World Economic Forum.
Key Points –
• Report name - Fostering Effective Energy Transition 2023.
• India’s rank – 67th. (2021 – 87th. jumped 20 places)
• India - Only major economy with energy transition momentum accelerating across all dimensions.
• Top 5 – Sweden (1s), Denmark (2nd), Norway (3rd), Finland (4th) and Switzerland (5th).
• The ‘transition momentum’ was evaluated for the first time.
Value Addition –
• India’s rank in renewable energy –
(a) Renewable Energy Installed Capacity (including Large Hydro) - 4th
(b) Wind Power capacity – 4th
(c) Solar Power capacity – 4th
• Installed Non-fossil fuel sources (as on 31.10.2022) - 172.72 GW (target - 500 GW by 2030).
(a) Renewable Energy (RE) - 119.09 GW.
(b) Large Hydro - 46.85 GW.
(c) Nuclear Power capacity - 6.78 GW.
SCIENCE – TECH:
1. Mixed Reality (MR) Program
Why in news – Meta launched a new Mixed Reality Program in India with a grant of $250,000 (approximately Rs 2,05,07,050).
Key Points –
• 5 Indian developers and startups would get a financial grant.
• Aim –
(a) to support Indian startups and developers to build apps and experiences on the company’s Presence Platform.
(b) foster innovation and nurture an ecosystem of extended reality technologies.
• Presence Platform - It is a range of machine perception and AI capabilities for the Meta Quest Platform and the company’s dream of the Metaverse.
2. Euclid Space Telescope
Why in news - The new Euclid space telescope was launched on July 1, 2023.
Key Points –
• It would play a key role in defining dark matter.
About Dark Matter –
• It seems to hold everything together in the universe like glue.
• It has never been detected, only speculated.
• Scientists estimate that up to 85% of the matter in the universe could be made of what’s called dark matter.
• Hints –
(a) Discovery of Stephan’s Quintet in 2022, a group of five galaxies, never seen before.
(b) Galaxy seems to be rotating much faster than it should. There is an “invisible matter” responsible for the speed at which our galaxy rotates.
(c) Stars have been observed to travel at higher-than-estimated speeds, especially at the edges of galaxies.
• Unable to see or detect – Because it does not interact with electromagnetic forces — things like visible light, X-ray or radio waves.
• CERN’s Large Hadron Collider can help detect dark matter.
AWARDS & HONOURS:
1. "Great Immigrants" List
Why in news - Ajay Banga has been recognised on the Carnegie Corporation of New York's annual "Great Immigrants" list.
Key Points –
• Reason - for his contributions and efforts in enriching America and its democracy.
• Great Immigrant list - A group of “remarkable" Americans (all naturalized citizens) "who have enriched and strengthened the USA through their contributions and actions".
• Ajay Banga is the President of the World Bank.
• Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish immigrant who contributed enormously to USA and inspired others to do the same.
IMPORTANT DAYS:
1. 17th Statistics Day
Why in news – It is celebrated on June 29, 2023.
Key Points –
• Theme: Alignment of State Indicator Framework with National Indicator Framework for Monitoring Sustainable Development Goals.
• It marks the birth anniversary of late Prof Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis.
• He made valuable contribution in the field of Economics, Planning and Statistics.
• Called Father of Indian Statistics and the ‘Plan Man’ of India.
Value Addition –
• 2nd 5-year plan (1956-61) is called the P.C. Mahalanobis model. He was Chief Statistician of India.
• He devised a statistical method called “Fractile Graphical Analysis” to compare socio-economic conditions of varied groups.
• In 1933 he started ‘Sankhya: The Indian Journal of Statistics’.
• He founded the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Kolkata on December 17, 1931,
• MoSPI gives P. C. Mahalanobis National Award for outstanding work in statistics.
POINTERS:
• India will host which mega multilateral air exercise to bring together forces from 12 nations - Tarang Shakti.
• Which state has launched “one tap one tree” campaign for expansion of green cover along with provision of potable tap water in rural areas simultaneously - Uttar Pradesh.
• Which ministry has launched an android-based mobile app “Report Fish Disease” - Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairying.
• Which bank has become the first public sector bank in India to allow UPI payments to merchants through RuPay credit cards - Canara Bank.
• Who has organised 'Anusandhaan Chintan Shivir' to encourage Defence R&D in Industry & Academia – DRDO.
• Which country has approved renewed Air Services Agreement with India at the 5th Joint Bilateral Cooperation Commission meeting – Philippines.
• Who has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of Punjab - Anurag Verma.
• How many states have been given financial incentives by the central government to speed up the reforms in the water sector - 12 states.
• Which day is celebrated all over the world on 30 June 2023 - World Asteroid Day.
• UN body International Telecom Union has accepted inputs of which country on the 6G technology framework, indicating the country's crucial role in the development of next-generation high-speed technology – India.