10th April, 2024 Current Affairs

NATIONAL
Ten Newly-Elected Rajya Sabha Members Take Oath

• Ten newly-elected Rajya Sabha members today took oath. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar administered the oath to them at the Parliament House in New Delhi. These include Mayankbhai Jaydevbhai Nayak of BJP, Milind Murli Deora of Shiv Sena Shinde , Renuka Chowdhury of Congress, Ramji Lal Suman of Samajwadi Party and Sagarika Ghose of TMC.
• The Rajya Sabha or the Upper House of Parliament is modelled after the House of Lords in the United Kingdom.
•  Composition of the house: Article 80 of the Constitution have provisions for members of the Rajya Sabha. Currently, it has 245 members, including 233 elected members and 12 nominated.
• As per the constitutional limit, the Upper House strength cannot exceed 250. The number of Rajya Sabha members a state can send depends on its population. Hence, the number of elected seat changes as states are merged, bifurcated or new ones are created.
• Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha are nominated by the President of India in the field of art, literature, science and social service. The Vice-President is the ex-officio chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. The Deputy Chairman, who is elected from amongst the house's members, takes care of the day-to-day matters of the house in the absence of the Chairman.
•  Tenure of members: Every Rajya Sabha MP has a tenure of six years and elections to one-third seats are held every two years. According to Section 154 of the Representation of the People Act 1951, a member has chosen to fill a casual vacancy will serve for the remainder of his predecessor's term of office.
• Permanent house: The Rajya Sabha meets in continuous sessions, and unlike the Lok Sabha, is not subjected to dissolution. However, the Rajya Sabha, like the Lok Sabha can be prorogued by the President 1/2Process of election: Rajya Sabha members are elected indirectly by the people, that is, by the MLAs. Members of a state's Legislative Assembly vote in the Rajya Sabha elections in proportional representation with the single transferable vote (STV) system. Each MLA’s vote is counted only once. To win a Rajya Sabha seat, a candidate should get a required number of votes. That number is found out using the below formula. Required vote = Total number of votes / (Number of Rajya Sabha seats + 1 ) + 1.

INTERNATIONAL
Simon Harris Becomes Ireland’s Youngest Prime Minister

• Simon Harris, aged 37, has been elected as Ireland’s youngest-ever prime minister, succeeding Leo Varadkar who resigned last month. Harris, a former health and higher education minister, secured the nomination with a vote of 88-69 in parliament, garnering support from independent lawmakers, as well as his coalition partners Fianna Fail and the Green Party.
• Harris’s rise within the Fine Gael party has been rapid. Joining its youth branch at 16, he became a county councillor at 22 and entered parliament at 24, earning him the nickname “Baby of the Dail.”

Zimbabwe Introduces ZiG: A New Gold-Backed Currency

• Zimbabwe, aiming to stabilize its economy amid years of turmoil, has introduced a new gold-backed currency named ZiG, short for "Zimbabwe Gold." This decision comes amidst hyperinflation and a volatile financial environment.
• Led by central bank governor John Mushayavanhu, the ZiG currency will adopt a market-determined exchange rate, replacing the depreciating RTGS dollar. The issuance of new notes, ranging from denominations of 1 to 200, is intended to instill confidence in the local currency. Furthermore, the introduction of coins seeks to address the shortage of US coins, which has prompted unconventional methods of providing change.
• Despite the launch of ZiG, the US dollar remains the preferred currency for transactions, reflecting entrenched preferences among Zimbabweans. Skepticism lingers due to past unsuccessful attempts at currency stabilization, notably the bond note, which collapsed amidst government overspending.

ECONOMY
China Surpasses India as Largest Importer of Russian Crude

• China has surpassed India to become the leading importer of Russian crude oil through maritime routes, with China importing 1.82 million barrels per day (bpd) in March compared to India’s 1.36 million bpd. This shift is attributed to India's reduced imports due to sanctions and escalating prices.
• In March, China's seaborne imports of Russian crude reached 1.82 million bpd, surpassing India's 1.36 million bpd. This development signifies a notable change, with China emerging as the largest purchaser of Russian crude via maritime channels.
• India's primary import from Russia remains Urals sour-grade oil. However, India has diversified its sources by increasing imports from Iraq and decreasing imports from Saudi Arabia in March.
• India's heightened reliance on Russian crude is driven by geopolitical tensions, particularly following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Prior to this conflict, Russia contributed only a small fraction to India's overall crude oil imports.

Also Read: Science & Technology: Weekly Current Affairs Bitbank (February 19 to 25, 2024): What type of missile is the SAMAR air defence system?

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) Launches India’s First Privately-Built Sub-Metre Resolution Surveillance Satellite

• Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), in partnership with Satellogic, has successfully launched TSAT-1A, India’s first privately-built sub-metre resolution earth observation satellite. This achievement marks a significant milestone in India’s space endeavors, ushering in a new era of enhanced surveillance capabilities for the nation.
• TSAT-1A was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on April 7, thanks to the collaboration between TASL and Satellogic. Assembled at TASL’s Vemagal facility in Karnataka, TSAT-1A offers high-resolution optical satellite imagery coupled with multispectral and hyperspectral capabilities.
• TASL aims to bolster its presence in the space sector by focusing on satellite assembly, integration, and testing, along with data processing and the establishment of satellite control centers. The company also envisions collaboration with ISRO for future launches, demonstrating TASL’s dedication to advancing India’s space exploration initiatives.

ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 Mission Awarded the Prestigious John L. “Jack” Swigert, Jr. Award for Space Exploration

• The US-based Space Foundation has honored the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s Chandrayaan-3 mission team with the 2024 John L. “Jack” Swigert, Jr. Award for Space Exploration. This esteemed accolade is bestowed upon outstanding achievements in space exploration and discovery by a space agency, company, or consortium.
• India's Chandrayaan-3 mission, launched by ISRO on July 14, 2023, marked a monumental milestone for the nation. Comprising a lander named Vikram and a rover named Pragyan, the mission successfully touched down at the uncharted south pole of the moon on August 23, 2023. This historic feat established India as the pioneer in lunar module landings at the moon's southern pole.
• The John L. “Jack” Swigert, Jr. Award for Space Exploration, initiated by the Space Foundation in 2004, commemorates the legacy of John L. “Jack” Swigert, Jr., a member of NASA's Apollo 13 mission to the moon. Despite the mission's abortive outcome due to a spacecraft oxygen tank leak, Swigert's resourcefulness and problem-solving acumen played a pivotal role in ensuring the crew's safe return to Earth.

AWARDS
Aleksei Navalny and Yulia Navalnaya Honoured with Freedom Prize

• The late Russian dissident Aleksei Navalny and his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, will receive the Freedom Prize of the Media from a leading German forum, the Ludwig Erhard Summit. The award is presented annually to public figures who have made significant contributions to freedom of expression, dialogue, and democracy.
• The Freedom Prize has been awarded to other prominent figures, including Russian politician Garry Kasparov in 2023 and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the past.
• Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, widely recognized for his role in the dissolution of the Soviet Union and democratic reforms, has also been a recipient of the award.

Published date : 10 Apr 2024 05:56PM