Daily Current Affairs for State Exams 1 June 2023

दैनिक करंट अफेयर्स 1 जून 2023

Important News: International

India decides to host SCO Summit in virtual format on July 4

Why in news: The decision not to hold the SCO Summit in person but in the virtual format was not taken due to any reasons connected to the schedules of leaders of SCO member states

1. India has already invited the leaders of all SCO states – China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – to attend the 22^nd summit of SCO.
2. Iran, Belarus and Mongolia have been invited as observer states. In keeping with SCO tradition, Turkmenistan was invited as the guest of the chair.
3. The theme of the summit is “Towards a SECURE SCO”. The SECURE acronym stands for security, economy and trade, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and environment.
4. Heads of two SCO bodies – the secretariat and SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) - will also attend the summit, along with the heads of six international and regional organisations, including the UN, Asean and Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
5. India has set up new pillars of cooperation under its chairmanship, including startups and innovation, traditional medicine, digital inclusion, youth empowerment, and shared Buddhist heritage. It has also worked to foster people-to-people ties that celebrate the historical bonds between the member states.

 (SOURCE – THE HINDU)

Draft Resolution on the Impact of Chemicals, Waste and Pollution on Human Health

Why in news: The primary focus of the resolution is to address the impact of chemicals, waste, and pollution on human health. This resolution emphasizes the urgency of implementing measures to mitigate the adverse effects caused by these factors.

1. The member nations of the World Health Organization (WHO) have recognized the pressing need to address the detrimental effects of chemicals, waste, and pollution on human health.
2. During the 76th World Health Assembly, a resolution was accepted, highlighting the importance of tackling this global issue.
3. The World Health Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme have been urged to collaborate and update the State of the Science of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals report. Originally published in 2012, this report serves as a crucial foundation for understanding the potential health risks associated with these chemicals.
4. The resolution identifies several chemicals of concern, including cadmium, lead, mercury, highly hazardous pesticides, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. These substances have been linked to adverse health outcomes and pose significant risks to individuals and communities.
5. To ensure effective implementation of the resolution, progress reports are required to be submitted in 2027 and 2029. These reports will provide an assessment of the measures taken and their impact on mitigating the adverse effects of chemicals, waste, and pollution on human health.

 (SOURCE – INDIAN EXPRESS)

UAE Withdraws from United States Led Maritime Coalition

Why in news: CMF’s main focus areas are counter-narcotics, counter-smuggling, suppressing piracy, encouraging regional cooperation, engaging with regional and other partners to strengthen relevant capabilities in order to improve overall security and stability.

1. The Bahrain-headquartered Combined Marine Forces (CMF) was established in 2001, initially as a partnership between 12 nations. It is active in crucial but troubled Gulf waters where tankers have been seized and attacked in recent months.
2. It is a multinational maritime partnership, which exists to uphold the Rules-Based International Order (RBIO) by countering illicit non-state actors on the high seas and promoting security, stability, and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters, which encompass some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.
3. CMF has 34 member nations: Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom, United States, and Yemen.
4. India is not a member of CMF. At the India-US 2+2 dialogue held in April (2022), India had announced that it would join the CMF as an Associate Partner.
5. CMF is Commanded by a U.S. Navy Vice Admiral.

 (SOURCE – LIVEMINT)

Important News: National

India's GDP growth hits 7.2 per cent for fiscal year 2022-23

Why in news: The unexpected upside in the GDP numbers is a result of a better-than-expected performance in the last quarter of the fiscal, powered by services, exports, and agriculture.

1. The Indian economy grew at 7.2% in the fiscal year 2022-23, positively surprising most analysts and exceeding the government’s own projection of 7% GDP growth.
2. However, a lack of momentum in manufacturing – it shows an annual growth of just 1.3% – continues to be a cause of concern. Services, on the other hand, have grown at 9.5%. Trade, hotels, transport, communication and broadcasting services, which has the largest employment share within services has shown an annual growth of 14% in 2022-23.
3. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) means the monetary measurement of the total market value of all the finished goods and services that nations manufacture within their borders and sell over a given time period. GDP acts as an indicator of a nation’s economic health.
4. While calculating GDP, all private and public consumption, government outlays, investments, additions to private inventories, paid-in building expenses, and the foreign balance of trade are taken into account.

 (SOURCE –NEWS ON AIR)

MeitY launches pilot for electronics repair services outsourcing industry

Why in news: The government  launched a pilot program for the electronics repair services outsourcing (ESRO) industry. The program will start in Bengaluru and run for three months on a trial basis.

1. Through the ERSO scheme, India hopes to capture 20% of the global repair service market - currently valued at $100 billion - in five years. At present, India's revenue from repair services is about $350 million.
2. IT ministry would launch a pilot of this project aimed at capturing 20% of the global electronics repair industry by relaxing customs and e-waste rules and allowing companies to repair consumer electronics and telecom equipment brought in from other regions.
3. Five companies, namely Flex, Lenovo, CTDI, R-Logic, and Aforeserve have volunteered for the pilot. Post the pilot a detailed assessment will be carried out and modifications will be made in the process and policy as necessary.
4. India’s e-waste policy will be modified to enable repair companies to domestically recycle 5% of imported goods by weight on a trial basis.
5. The repaired goods will not be permitted to be sold in the domestic market.

(SOURCE – HINDUSTAN TIMES)

Important News: State

Grain Storage Plan

Why in news: The Union Cabinet approved the constitution and empowerment of an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) for facilitation of the “world’s largest grain storage plan in cooperative sector” by convergence of various schemes of the Ministries of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Food Processing Industries.

1. India, known for its agricultural prowess, is launching a major plan to revolutionise its food grain storage capacity. Which will allocate 1 trillion rupees to increase 70 million tonnes of storage capacity in the cooperative sector.
2. The current grain storage capacity in India is 145 million tonnes. Recognizing the need for expansion, the government plans to increase the capacity by an additional 70 million tonnes to reach 215 million tonnes within the next five years.
3. One of the distinctive features of this scheme is its implementation within the cooperative sector. This means that cooperatives will have the opportunity to set up decentralized storage facilities across the country. By leveraging the power of cooperatives, the burden on the Food Corporation of India (FCI) will be reduced, thereby ensuring smooth operation and better efficiency in storage and distribution of foodgrains.
4. To ensure seamless and effective execution, the Ministry of Cooperation will launch a pilot project in ten selected districts of states and Union Territories. This strategic approach will provide valuable insights into regional needs, enabling the integration of local needs into the nationwide implementation of the program.
5. A comprehensive strategy has been laid down with the objective of transforming Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) into thriving and prosperous business enterprises. These PACS will play an important role in strengthening India's food security, reducing wastage and improving farmers' income.

 (SOURCE – PIB)

Cabinet approves CITIIS 2.0 for integrated waste management and climate oriented reform

Why in news: The programme, aims to support competitively selected projects promoting circular economy with a focus on integrated waste management at the city level, climate-oriented reform actions at the state level, and institutional strengthening and knowledge dissemination at the national level.

1. The government approved the second phase of the City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain (CITIIS) project, a programme under the ambit of the Smart Cities Mission, which aims to promote integrated waste management and climate-oriented reform actions.
2. It would span over a period of four years from 2023-2027 and has been conceived and would be implemented in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD), Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the European Union (EU), and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).
3. The CITIIS 2.0 has three major components which are financial and technical support for developing projects focused on building climate resilience, adaptation and mitigation in up to 18 smart cities, support to all states and Union Territories on a demand basis and interventions at all centre, state and city levels to further climate governance in urban India through institutional strengthening, knowledge dissemination and capacity building.
4. The first phase of CITIIS had a total outlay of Rs 933 crore. It was launched in July 2018 with projects in 12 cities namely Agartala, Amaravati, Amritsar, Bhubaneshwar, Chennai, Dehradun, Hubbali-Dharwad, Kochi, Puducherry, Surat, Ujjain and Visakhapatnam.

 (SOURCE – INDIAN EXPRESS)

Important News: Schemes

Tele-Law Program

Why in news:  The Tele-Law programe under the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice achieved a new milestone with 40 Lakh beneficiaries across the country having been empowered with pre-litigation advice.

1. Tele-Law: Reaching the Unreached is an e-interface mechanism to seek legal advice and consultation at a pre-litigation stage. It connects needy and marginalised in need of legal aid with the Panel Lawyers via video conferencing/telephonic facilities available at Common Service Centres (CSCs) situated at the Panchayat level.
2. Launched in 2017, the Tele-Law service is now directly accessible through the Tele-Law Mobile App (available on Android & 10S).
3. Legal advice is made available to everyone under Tele-Law service. Advice is free of Cost to those who are eligible for free legal aid under Section 12 of LSA Act, 1987.
   • Women
   • Children
   • Persons belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe
   • Victims of Trafficking
   • Mentally ill and differently-abled people
   • Victims of natural disaster/ethnic violence
   • Workers in unorganized sector/industrial workers
   • Undertrials
   • People of low-income group
   • For all others, a nominal fee of Rs. 30/- is charged for each consultation.
4. A Panel Lawyer is a practicing advocate selected by the Department of Justice and CSC-eGovernance Services or registered on the Panel of State /District Legal Services Authority.

 (SOURCE – TIMES OF INDIA)