NATIONAL NEWS

Delhi Launches First 'Water ATM'

• Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal recently inaugurated the city's first 'Water ATM', which aims to provide clean water to areas lacking piped water supply.

• The 'Water ATM' initiative aims to reduce dependence on water tankers and ensure that underprivileged sections of society have access to the same quality of reverse osmosis (RO) water as more affluent areas.

• The Delhi government, through the Delhi Jal Board, plans to tackle water scarcity by setting up 500 RO plants with integrated 'water ATM machines' in areas facing water supply issues.

• Each of the 500 RO plants will have a capacity of 30,000 litres and will be strategically located depending on the availability of tubewells.
• The government will provide the necessary land, and the cost of ₹10 lakh per plant will be borne by the Delhi Jal Board.
• Beneficiaries of this initiative will receive RFID cards from DJB, which will give them access to a daily free water quota of 20 litres.
• Usage beyond this limit will attract a charge of 8 paise per litre.
• The initiative is led by Delhi's Water Minister, Saurabh Bhardwaj and aims to ensure free and safe access to clean drinking water for residents of areas facing water scarcity.

Odisha CM Approves Mission Shakti Scooter Scheme

• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved the Mission Shakti Scooter Scheme, a scheme designed to provide interest subsidy to beneficiaries on bank loans up to Rs 1,00,000 to buy scooters.

• The initiative targets Mission Shakti federation leaders and community support staff, providing affordable access to two-wheelers.

• This is expected to increase their efficiency, effectiveness and reach within the community.

• The scheme aims to benefit about 75,000 community support staff members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and about 1,25,000 federation leaders associated with SHGs.

• For the next five years, the state government has allocated a budget of Rs 528.55 crore to implement the Mission Shakti scooter scheme while ensuring wider reach.
• The goal is to empower a large number of Community Support Staff and Executive Committee (EC) members across the state.

National Nursing and Midwifery Commission, Bill

• The Union government introduced the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha.

• The Bill seeks to provide for regulation and maintenance of standards of education and services by nursing and midwifery professionals.

• The Bill was introduced by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya.

• The Minister also introduced The National Dental Commission Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha.

• The Bill is intended to regulate the profession of dentistry in the country.

• It also aimed at providing quality and affordable dental education.

• The two Bills were introduced amid continuous protests by opposition parties over the Manipur violence issue.

‘Semicon India 2023’ in Gandhinagar

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate ‘Semicon India 2023’ in Gandhinagar.

• Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will inaugurate a special exhibition for the public.

• The exhibition will inform about the manufacturing process of semiconductors and the progress made in this field.

• The exhibition will remain open till the 30th of July.

• The national-level event will showcase the latest technology related to semiconductors.

• Leading companies involved in the semiconductor sector will participate in Semicon India 2023.
• Students of engineering and other disciplines can learn about semiconductor manufacturing at the exhibition.
• They will get a great opportunity to get specialized knowledge useful for a career in this field.

Roadmap to Achieve the Target of $250 Billion in Textiles Production

• Union Minister for Textiles, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal discussed the roadmap to achieve the target of $250 billion in textiles production and $100 billion in exports by 2030.

• The Narendra Modi government is targeting $250 billion in textiles production and exports of $100 billion by 2030.

• This roadmap for achieving this production and export target was discussed by Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Textiles, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Commerce and Industry, at the Chintan Shivir organized by the Ministry of Textiles.

• The Chintan Shivir was organised by the Ministry of Textiles to brainstorm on various issues relating to the sector.

• India presently ranks behind China as the world’s second-largest manufacturer of textiles and garments.
• The textile and apparel industry represents over 4% of India’s total GDP and more than 14% of the country’s export earnings yearly, making it India’s largest manufacturing sector.
• In FY 2022, India’s annual textile exports stood at $44.4 billion with an increase of 41% compared to the previous year.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

2nd Quad Partner to Sign Semiconductor Pact with India

• Japan has become the second Quad partner after the United States (US) to sign an agreement with India for the joint development of the semiconductor ecosystem.

• The aim is to bolster the resilience of the global supply chain, particularly in the crucial semiconductor industry.

• India is to sign agreements with institutions like Georgia Tech University and has already signed one with Caldwell University to build talent for advanced packaging.

• In July 2023, US-based Micron Technologies announced its plans to set up a $2.75-billion chip packaging (assembly, testing, marking, packaging) unit in the country.

• The first made-in-India chip under the project will be rolled out by December 2024, and annual production worth $1 billion is expected once the plant is fully operational.

• Japan has expressed keen interest to invest Yen five trillion, or around Rs 2.95 trillion, in India across various sectors, which includes steel, exploring new technologies and decarbonization pathways.

BANKING

BoI Plans Share Sale to Meet SEBI’s Minimum Public Holding Norms

• State-owned Bank of India (BoI) is exploring the possibility of share sale to investors over the next one year to meet the minimum public holding requirement of 25%.

• Currently, the Government of India (GoI) holds an 81.41% stake in the Mumbai-based bank.

• Public sector banks have time till August 2024 for meeting the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) requirement.

• Post share-sale, depending on the quantum, the holding of the Government of India would come down below 75%.

DEFENCE

India Hands Over Missile Corvette Indian Naval Ship Kirpan

• On completing 32 years of illustrious service to the nation, Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kirpan has been decommissioned from the Indian Navy and Handed Over to Vietnam People’s Navy (VPN) at Cam Ranh, Vietnam.

• The Decommissioning and Handing Over Ceremony of INS Kirpan to VPN was presided over by Adm R. Hari Kumar, Chief of Naval Staff, Indian Navy and Rear Adm Pham Manh Hung, Deputy Commander-in-Chief and Chief of Staff, VPN.

• INS Kirpan is an indigenously-built in-service missile Corvette.

• It is a Khukri class missile corvette commissioned into the Navy on January 12, 1991.

• It has a displacing capacity of close to 1,400 tonnes.
• It is capable of a speed of more than 25 knots.
• It performs a wide variety of roles, including coastal and offshore patrol, coastal security, surface warfare, anti-piracy, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operation.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

European Satellite Being Made to Crash Intentionally on Earth

• The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Aeolus wind satellite, after exceeding its planned life in orbit, is making its way back to Earth.

• The satellite, which has been orbiting our planet for nearly 5 years, is currently falling at a rate of around 1 km per day, with its descent accelerating.

• Aeolus was initially designed as a research mission to demonstrate novel technology.

• However, it proved so successful that it provided data to Europe’s leading meteorology centres for most of its life in orbit, significantly improving global weather forecasts.

• Now, gravity, Earth’s atmosphere, and solar activity are dragging Aeolus down from its operational altitude of 320 km.
• Aeolus is a satellite mission launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) to study Earth’s winds and their influence on the planet’s climate and weather patterns.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Malayalam Translation of 'Krishna - The 7th Sense'

• Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan released the Malayalam translation of the book ‘Krishna - The 7th Sense’ written by Debasish Chatterjee, Director, IIM-Kozhikode.

• ‘Krishna - The 7th Sense’ is Professor Chatterjee's award-winning debut novel.

• The novel explores themes of love, passion, pain, acceptance, affection, trust, and satisfaction, combining both ancient and contemporary elements.

• The event was significant as it marked the release of the Malayalam version of the novel, making it accessible to a wider audience in Kerala.

• During the event, the Hon'ble Governor also unveiled the latest edition of Chatterjee's book "Karma Sutra - Leadership and Wisdom in Uncertain Times", a flagship book in the IIMK-Penguin series for budding managers.

• Debasish Chatterjee is a globally acclaimed management guru and an accomplished educationist, with 18 books to his credit in the non-fiction category.

OBITUTARY

Former Australian and New South Wales wicketkeeper Brian Taber

• Former Australia and New South Wales wicketkeeper Brian Taber passed away at the age of 83.
• He represented Australia in 16 Tests from 1966 to 1970, making his debut against South Africa in Johannesburg.
• During his debut match, he achieved an impressive feat of seven catches and one stumping.
• In recognition of his significant contribution to cricket, Brian Tabor has been elected to the Cricket NSW Hall of Fame in 2021.
• Known for his affable personality, he was regarded as one of the best men in Australian cricket, earning him a reputation as a ‘wonderful team man’, as described by former Test captain Brian Booth.
• In 2014, a book detailing Tabor's life was published, highlighting his remarkable journey and achievements in the world of cricket.