Daily Current Affairs for Judiciary, APO & JLO Exams
1) India & Bhutan Agree To Work Together In Field Of Environment And Climate Change
India and Bhutan have agreed to work together in the areas of climate change, air quality, forest, wildlife management, and capacity building in the field of environment and climate change. A delegation from Bhutan, headed by Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Gem Tshering met Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh in New Delhi. Both leaders discussed issues related to air quality, climate change, forests, natural resources, wildlife, and renewable energy. Mr. Singh thanked the Bhutanese Minister for joining the International Big Cat Alliance, a global initiative of India. He stated that both countries share the same geography, ecosystem, as well as common values of democracy. He further stated that climate change is a common concern for both countries. Mr. Tshering informed that Bhutan is already a carbon-negative country and obtains its major share of energy from hydropower.
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2) South Korea, NATO Sign Agreement on Military Airworthiness Certification
South Korea and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) signed an agreement on a mutual recognition process for military airworthiness certification, NATO’s first such deal with an Asian country. Korea’s Defence Acquisition Programme Administration and NATO’s Aviation Committee inked the agreement, a key measure of a plane’s suitability for safe flight, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington. Under the deal signed, NATO will recognise the Seoul government’s airworthiness certification for South Korean-made planes. While South Korea has signed agreements with the United States, Spain, France, and Poland, the new deal with NATO is expected to shorten the time required for mutual recognition with other NATO members. President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed hope that the mutual recognition process would help increase defence industry cooperation between South Korea and NATO members.
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3) Agriculture Leadership Awards 2024: Nagaland Adjudged Best in Horticulture
Nagaland has been adjudged as the best state in horticulture. A Nagaland government official said that the prestigious Agriculture Leadership Awards 2024 adjudged the state as best in horticulture for its outstanding work in introducing innovative programmes and policies for horticulture development, which have positively touched the lives of many farmers and rural people. Nagaland’s Minister for Women Resource Development and Horticulture, Salhoutuonuo Kruse received the award at the 15th Agriculture Leadership Conclave held in New Delhi. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, and Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan were present on the occasion. The annual awards were instituted in 2008 for recognising excellence and leadership roles played by individuals and organisations towards the development of agriculture and bringing about rural prosperity. Nagaland has achieved GI (Geographical Indication) registration of three horticultural crops — Naga Mircha, Naga Tree Tomato, and Naga Sweet Cucumber. According to the officials, the Department of Horticulture has also mobilised the formation of 13 Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) and so far an area of 6800 hectares was brought under organic certification.
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4) Manusmriti To Be Included In Delhi University’s Law Curriculum
The ancient Sanskrit text, Manusmriti will be introduced at Delhi University by its Faculty of Law. The discussions for which are currently underway. As per reports, Manusmriti is in plans to be introduced for the undergraduate programs under the paper called Jurisprudence (Legal Method). The university’s academic council for academic matters will review the documents of the revised syllabus for the same. If it is given a green signal by the council, it will likely be implemented for the August session. The Manubhasya of Medhatithi by G N Jha is a commentary on the Manusmriti written by Medhatithi. It explains and interprets the Manusmriti, helping readers understand its teachings and context better. In the undergraduate course for Bachelor of Laws (LLB), under Unit V – Analytical Positivism, students might be recommended to read this text. This would help them explore ancient legal perspectives and understand how laws were perceived and applied in ancient India.
What Is Manusmriti? One of the numerous legal texts and constitutions among the numerous Dharmaśāstras of Hinduism is the Manusmṛiti. This text is also referred to as the Mānava-Dharmaśāstra or the Laws of Manu. Because the text is written in verse, the term “Manusmriti” was only recently coined and is relatively modern.
5) Puma India Inks Partnership with Indian Olympic Association
Sports brand Puma India announced its partnership with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as their Official Footwear Partner for the Indian contingent to the Paris Olympics. Alongside the partnership announcement, PUMA has launched a large-scale outdoor campaign titled “See the Game Like We Do”. This campaign aims to leverage the partnership and build excitement around the Indian Olympic team. This partnership ensures that Indian athletes will have access to high-quality gear, potentially enhancing their performance at the Olympics.
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6) Ben Stokes Achieves Milestone Of Taking 200 Test Wickets
In Cricket, England all-rounder and skipper Ben Stokes has reached the milestone of taking 200 Test wickets. He is only the third player in the history of the game to achieve the double of 200 wickets and 6000 runs. Stokes reached this milestone by dismissing Kirk McKenzie in the second innings of the first Test match against West Indies at the Lord’s. The other two players who share the unique record are Sir Garfield Sobers of the West Indies and Jacques Kallis of South Africa. Sobers was the first player to reach the milestone, taking 235 wickets and scoring 8032 runs. While Kallis achieved 13289 runs and 292 wickets in his iconic career. The England captain also claimed the wicket of Mikyle Louis, taking his tally to 201 wickets. Earlier, he had scored four runs in England’s first innings of 371 all out, taking his tally to 6320.
7) Aparna Vastarey, Voice Behind Bengaluru Metro Announcements, Dies at 57
Popular Kannada actress and voice behind Namma Metro’s announcements Aparna Vastarey, 57, passed away. She was reportedly suffering from lung cancer. In a remarkable feat, she set a record by presenting shows for eight hours straight as part of the Deepawali celebrations in 1998. Her versatility as an entertainer extended to acting, with notable performances in television serials like Moodala Mane and Mukta. Aparna also participated in the first season of the Kannada TV reality show Bigg Boss in 2013, showcasing her dynamic personality to a broader audience. Aparna was born in Chikamagalur’s Kadur taluk but mostly grew up in Bengaluru. Aparna’s film debut came in 1984 with the legendary director Puttanna Kanagal’s ‘Masanada Hoovu’, where she starred alongside renowned actors Ambareesh and Jayanthi. This role marked the beginning of a diverse acting career that spanned decades. In 2014, Aparna lent her voice to the Bengaluru Metro, providing recorded announcements for passengers. This contribution further highlighted her significant impact on public life in Karnataka.
8) Scientists Discover New Micro-Continent Between Greenland & Canada
The microcontinent was discovered by the researchers from University of Derby and Uppsala University. The findings were published in Gondwana Research. Dr. Christian Schiffer from Uppsala University spearheaded the research. Dr. Jordan Phethean and Doctoral Researcher Luke Longley from the University of Derby also participated in the research. The microcontinent had a crustal thickness of 19 to 24 kilometres. Furthermore, two narrow bands of continental crusts that are thinner surround the landmass. As per the research, the landmass in question dates back to the Paleogene period which was 33 to 61 million years ago. During this time, an unusually thick continental crust formed in the ocean that later evolved into this microcontinent.
How Did It Form And About Its Evolution? For those who may not know, the surface of the earth is made of large rock slabs called tectonic plates. It is these plates that are responsible for the movement of the continents, volcanic activities and even earthquakes. One of the tectonic plate boundaries is situated between Canada and Greenland. This is what forms the Davis Strait. Between 49 and 58 million years ago, the orientation of the seafloor changed. This shift resulted in a rifting-off that led to the creation of this microcontinent. The researchers reconstructed the movements of the tectonic plates over 30 million years ago to study the evolution of this microcontinent. Their research will have important implications for the study of microcontinents around the world.
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9) Ex-Agniveers to Get 10% Reservation, Age Relaxations in CISF, BSF, RPF
Several central armed forces, including the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Border Security Force (BSF), and Railway Protection Force (RPF), will reserve 10 per cent of constable posts for former Agniveer soldiers. The government introduced the Agnipath recruitment scheme in June 2022. Per the new system, the armed forces recruit between 17-and-a-half and 21-year-old soldiers for four years. They later retain 25 per cent of these soldiers for extended service. The remaining retire with a substantial severance amount. Several Opposition parties, including the Congress, have attacked the scheme, questioning what will happen to the 75 per cent of Agniveers who are not retained after their four-year tenure.
Ex-Agniveers to get relaxation in CISF recruitment. CISF Director General Nina Singh said that in line with the Union home ministry’s decision, the CISF is also preparing for this recruitment process. She announced that 10 per cent of jobs will be reserved for ex-Agniveers in all future constable appointments. Ex-Agniveers will receive exemptions in physical tests and age relaxations. In the first year, the age relaxation will be five years, and in subsequent years, it will be three years.
BSF relaxes norms for ex-Agniveers. BSF Director General Nitin Agrawal said that 10 per cent of total vacancies will be reserved for Agniveers. There will also be age relaxations, with the first batch receiving five years of age relaxation and subsequent batches receiving three years.
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10) India Races to Build Power Plants in Region Claimed by China
India plans to spend $1 billion to expedite the construction of 12 hydropower stations in the northeastern Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh, a move that could raise tensions with China that lays claims to the region. The federal finance ministry under Nirmala Sitharaman recently approved up to 7.5 billion rupees ($89.85 million) in financial assistance to each hydropower project in the northeastern region, the sources said. Under the scheme, about 90 billion rupees will likely be allotted for the 12 hydropower projects in Arunachal Pradesh, said the sources, who have direct knowledge of the matter. The scheme is likely to support northeastern states and help them finance equity holdings in the projects they host. Having state governments on board generally helps in expediting regulatory clearances, local rehabilitation, and negotiation on sharing electricity with the host state.
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This is all for today’s blog on Daily Current Affairs for Judiciary, APO & JLO Exams.
