NATIONAL:
1. Supriyo v. Union of India 2023
Why in news – A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has rejected the plea for same-sex marriage.
Key Points –
• The petitioners argued that LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) couples should be granted the same rights as any heterosexual couples.
• 5 judges - CJI D Y Chandrachud, Sanjay Kishan Kaul, SR Bhat, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha.
• Same-sex marriage judgment by 3:2 –
(a) No legal recognition to same-sex marriages.
(b) No constitutional or fundamental right to civil unions
(c) Centre's high-powered committee to examine concerns of same sex couples
(d) No right for queer couples to jointly adopt kids
• 2 judges (Minority Judgment) recognized that queer couples can form “civil unions”.
• 3 judges (Majority Judgment) – The issue lies exclusively in the legislature's domain.
2. Vizhinjam Port
Why in news – Kerala CM flagged in the 1st-ever cargo ship at the under-construction Vizhinjam international seaport project.
Key Points –
• Location - near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• India’s first deepwater transshipment port.
• Being built by Adani Ports and SEZ Private Limited.
• Being built on a design, build, finance, operate, and transfer (DBFOT) model.
• Natural depth - >18 meters (crucial to get large vessels and mother ships).
Need of Container Transshipment Port –
• India lacks a landside mega-port and terminal infrastructure to deal with ultra-large container ships.
• India’s transshipment cargo is handled at ports outside India, mainly Colombo, Singapore, and Klang.
3. House Ethics Committee
Why in news – Speaker Om Birla referred BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s complaint against Mahua Moitra to the House Ethics Committee.
Key Points –
• Dubey has accused Moitra of accepting money from a businessman to ask questions in Parliament.
About the Committee (4 March 1997) –
• It is a bipartisan committee. All Committee staff are nonpartisan.
• It consists of 10 Members, 5 members from the two national political parties.
• The Chair comes from whichever party is in the majority party in the House.
• The Speaker appoints members of the committee for one year.
• It has 3 main functions –
(a) Advice and Education
(b) Investigations
(c) Reviewing financial disclosure.
ECONOMY:
1. Infrastructure Spending
Why in news – India set to double infrastructure spending to Rs 143 lakh crore by 2030.
Key Points –
• It was unveiled by CRISIL (rating agency) during the India Infrastructure Conclave 2023 in New Delhi.
• Infrastructure Spending between 2017 and 2023 - Rs 67 lakh crore.
• Focus of the conclave - "Building and financing sustainable infrastructure".
• Nitin Gadkari launched the CRISIL Infrastructure Yearbook 2023. It introduced a unique national index, the CRISIL InfraInvex.
SCIENCE – TECH:
1. “Spynet” Spyware
Why in news – Cybersecurity company F-Secure has published a report on a harmful Android app Spynet.
Key Points –
• The app spreads by smishing technique (SMS phishing) and then goes on to steal users’ personal data.
• It is not listed on the Google Play Store.
• It can access call logs, SMS, internal storage, and camera logs, and it can even record voice calls.
2. ISRO Goals
Why in news – PM Narendra Modi announced two new targets for space agency ISRO.
Key Points –
• It includes –
(a) Setting up an Indian space station by 2035.
(b) Taking the first Indian to the Moon by 2040.
• He also called on the scientists to work towards a Venus Orbiter Mission and a Mars Lander Mission.
ENVIRONMENT:
1. Climate Negotiations
Why in news – India sets up an inter-ministerial group for global climate negotiations strategy.
Key Points –
• It will hold discussions on 5 issues - mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, climate finance and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
• It comprises members from M/o Environment, Forests and Climate Change, M/o Power, M/o New and Renewable Energy, and Department of Economic Affairs.
• Article 6 –
(a) It allows countries to voluntarily cooperate with each other to achieve the emission-reduction targets.
(b) Countries will be able to transfer the carbon credits earned from the reduction of GHG emissions to help one or more countries meet climate targets.
Value Addition –
• Loss and Damage Fund was created at COP27 in Egypt's Sharm El Sheikh 2022.
• Aim of the fund - to offer financial support to countries highly vulnerable to severe impacts of climate change.
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES:
1. 3rd Global Maritime India Summit 2023
Why in news – PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the 3rd edition of Global Maritime India Summit 2023 in Mumbai.
Key Points –
• He unveiled ‘Amrit Kaal Vision 2047’, a blueprint for the Indian maritime blue economy.
• Government’s vision - ‘Ports for Prosperity and Ports for Progress’ (to bring transformational changes).
• India is in second place in the field of ship recycling.
• The government aims to make the major ports in India carbon-neutral via a net-zero strategy for the sector.
Value Addition -
• Keywords –
(a) Blue Economy for Green Planet.
(b) India has a combination of Development, Demography, Democracy and Demand.
• Lothal Dockyard (5000 year-old) - Cradle of Shipping and a world heritage.
BIHAR:
1. President Droupadi Murmu in Bihar
Why in news – President Droupadi Murmu launched the 4th Agriculture Road Map (2023-2028) of Bihar in Patna.
Key Points –
• She is on a three-day visit to Bihar.
• She will grace the –
(a) 1st convocation of Mahatma Gandhi Central University at Motihari.
(b) 1st convocation of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna.
(c) 3rd convocation of Central University of South Bihar, Gaya.
Features of 4th Agriculture Roadmap:
• 5 year plan to promote agriculture taking into account the geographical and soil related virtues of different regions.
• Provisions –
(a) To ensure low cost farming and increase productivity in crops like paddy, wheat, makhana etc.
(b) To establish small storage facilities at the Panchayat level (protect farmers from distress selling).
(c) Cold storage facilities for green vegetable growing areas.
(d) Incentive plans for coarse grain like millets low rain fed and dry areas. e.g., Gaya, Magadh region.
(e) Several centres of excellence will be established e.g., Millets (Gaya), betel, tea and honey.
POINTERS:
• How many crore rupees fine has RBI imposed on PayTm Payments Bank for violating norms - Rs 5.39 crore.
• Which country's Olympic Committee has been suspended by the IOC after it incorporated sports bodies from four territories annexed from Ukraine - Russia.
• Recently, Typhoon Koinu hit which country - Hong Kong.
• Recently cashew of which State/Union Territory has been awarded Geographical Indication tag - Goa.
• Namo Shetkari Maha samman Nidhi Yojana is the financial assistance scheme for farmers of which state – Maharashtra.
• Which technology institute has recently developed new high throughput quantum supported green hydrogen production technology - Green Keplerate Team from Banaras Hindu University.
• Recently, in which state did Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurate the Samau Shaheed Memorial and Library - Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• Who has been elected as the newly elected Prime Minister of New Zealand - Christopher Luxon.
• Who has been recently appointed as Finance Director in IREDA - Bijay Kumar Mohanty.
• Recently, which State has launched the fourth edition of 'Mission Shakti' - Uttar Pradesh.
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