10th August, 2022 Current Affairs

Archana Lakkavajula

NATIONAL
The Govt Tabled In Lok-Sabha: The Electricity Amendment Bill,2022

A Bill to amend the Electricity Act to allow non-discriminatory open access to distribution networks of power suppliers was introduced in LokSabha on Monday amid protests by the Opposition, which claimed that it seeks to take away certain rights of state governments. Introducing the Bill, power minister RK Singh urged LokSabha Speaker Om Birla to refer it to a parliamentary standing committee for wider consultations to address Opposition concerns.
The Bill is aimed at allowing privatisation of electricity on the lines of communication. As per the Central Govt, if the Bill is passed in both the Houses, customers will have the option to choose the supplier of electricity just like one can choose for telephone, mobile and internet services. The Bill seeks to amend section 42 of the Electricity Act to facilitate non-discriminatory open access to the distribution network of a distribution licensee.
Further, the bill seeks to amend section 14 of the Act to facilitate the use of distribution networks by all licensees under provisions of non-discriminatory open access with the objective of enabling competition, enhancing efficiency of distribution licensees for improving services and ensuring sustainability of the power sector. The bill also provides for inserting a new section 60A in the Act so as to enable management of power purchase and cross-subsidy in case of multiple distribution licensees in the same area of supply.

PM Modi to dedicate to nation 2nd Generation Ethanol Plant at Panipat in Haryana

Prime Minister NarendraModi will dedicate to the nation the 2nd Generation (2G) Ethanol Plant at Panipat in Haryana through video conferencing today. It is part of a long series of steps taken by the government over the years to boost production and usage of biofuels in the country. It is in line with the Prime Minister’s constant endeavour to transform the energy sector into being more affordable, accessible, efficient and sustainable.
The 2G Ethanol Plant has been built at an estimated cost of over nine hundred crore rupees by the Indian Oil Corporation Limited.
The project will turn a new chapter in India’s waste-to-wealth endeavours by utilising about two lakh tonnes of rice straw (parali) annually to generate around three crore litres of Ethanol per annum. The project will also contribute to a reduction of Greenhouse Gases equivalent to about three lakh tonnes of Carbon Dioxide equivalent emissions per annum.

JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar to be sworn-in as Bihar CM

JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar will be sworn-in as Chief Minister and RJD leader TejashwiYadav as Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar today.
The swearing-in ceremony will be held at Raj Bhavan in Patna. Governor PhaguChauhan will administer oath to Nitish Kumar at 2 pm. This time Nitish Kumar will take oath as Chief Minister of Bihar for the eighth time while TejaswiYadav as Deputy Chief Minister for the second time.

CSIR appoints NallathambyKalaiselvi its first woman director general

Senior electrochemical scientist, NallathambyKalaiselvi has become the first woman director general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. Her appointment is for a period of two years with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier. Kalaiselvi succeeds ShekharMande, who superannuated in April.
Kalaiselvi has risen through the ranks in CSIR and had broken the proverbial glass ceiling by becoming the first woman scientist to head the Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR-CECRI) in February 2019.

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INTERNATIONAL
ASEAN Has Celebrated Its 55th Anniversary In 2022

External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar has congratulated ASEAN Member States and the Secretary General on their 55th anniversary.
The ASEAN-India Centre (AIC) at Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), New Delhi, organised a panel discussion to celebrate the 55th Anniversary of ASEAN.
The theme of this year’s ASEAN Day is “Stronger Together” that invites and welcomes the forward-minded people of ASEAN to come in synchronization and work as a collective to face the challenges of 21st Century. ASEAN symbolizes the spirit of solidarity and peaceful, prosperous and socially responsible ASEAN Community.

Gustavo Petro sworn in as first leftist President of Colombia

Gustavo Petro has been sworn in as the first leftist president of Colombia. The 62-year-old is a former member of Colombia’s M-19 guerrilla group as well as a former senator and mayor of Bogota. He succeeds Ivan Duque.
Mr Petro is part of a growing group of leftist politicians and political outsiders who have been winning elections in Latin America since the pandemic broke out. A 2016 peace deal between Colombia’s Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia turned much of the focus of voters away from the violent conflicts playing out in rural areas.

ECONOMY
India's exports of agricultural, processed food products rise by 31% in 1st 3 months of current fiscal

The exports of agricultural and processed food products have risen by 31 per cent in the first three months of the current financial year. According to the provisional data released by the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics, the overall export of agricultural and processed food products increased to seven thousand 408 million US dollar in April-June this year from 5663 million US dollar over the same period of the last fiscal.
The export target for April-June this year was fixed at five thousand 890 million US dollar. Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, APEDA's various initiatives have helped the country in achieving 31 percent of the total export target in the first quarter of the current fiscal. APEDA has set an export target of 23.56 billion US dollar for agricultural and processed food products basket for this fiscal year.

Indian Bank received a Rs. 32 lakh fine from the RBI

In accordance with paragraph 3.2.6 of Reserve Bank of India (Frauds, classification and reporting), the Reserve Bank of India fined the Indian Bank a total of Rs. 32.00 lakh (Rupees Thirty Two Lakh only) for failing to submit a Flash Report for frauds involving amounts of at least Rs. 5.00 crore (Rupees Five Crore) to the RBI as required by Section 47A(1)(c) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
The Indian Bank has taken essential preventative and comprehensive measures to stop a repeat of this in the future.
A notification was sent to the bank in response to this, instructing it to provide justification for not facing a penalty for failing to follow RBI instructions.
This action is based on the regulatory compliance shortcomings and is not meant to rule on the legality of any deal or arrangement the bank has with its clients.

ENVIRONMENT
World Lion Day observed globally on 10th August

World Lion Day is observed globally on 10th August. The day aims to spread awareness of lions and the urgent need to strive toward their conservation. Lions are silently in danger of going extinct worldwide. Lions supposedly wandered amiably through Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East some three million years ago.
The purpose of World Lion Day, as previously indicated, is to increase public awareness of the significance of lion conservation. Lions are designated as a vulnerable species on the Red List of Threatened Species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). According to NewsOnAIR, there are currently between 30,000 and 100,000 lions left in the world. To ensure the safety of lions, it is crucial to increase public awareness of the threats they face, protect their natural habitat, and build more of these kinds of habitats.
Between 2015 and 2020, their population increased from 523 to 674. The much larger African lions are a distant relative of the Asiatic lions of India.
In 2013, the first World Lion Day was observed. Dereck and Beverly Joubert, from the Big Cat Initiative and National Geographic, founded it. Their objective was to safeguard lions in their natural environment. Additionally, they aimed to collaborate on safety measures with localities that are close to wild cats.

AWARDS
PuneethRajkumar to be conferred Karnataka Ratna posthumously

Karnataka Chief Minister, BasavarajBommai has announced that Kannada film star PuneethRajkumar, who died last year, will be conferred with the ‘Karnataka Ratna’ award posthumously. On November 1, which happens to be Kannada Rajyotsava, the state’s formation day. He will be the 10th recipient of the state’s highest civilian honour.
Considered the Kannada cinema’s reigning star, Puneeth, the youngest of five children of Kannada matinee idol Dr Rajkumar, died of a cardiac arrest on October 29 at the age of 46. Interestingly, Puneeth’s late father Rajkumar is among the first recipients of the Karnataka Ratna award in 1992, along with poet Kuvempu.

SPORTS
CWG 2022:NikhatZareen and Sharath Kamal India’s flagbearers at the closing ceremony

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) announced table tennis player AchantaSharath Kamal and Boxer NikhatZareen as the Flagbearers of India for the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games 2022 at Birmingham.
AchantaSharath Kamal won gold in Commonwealth Games 2022 at Birmingham by defeating Liam Pitchford in the finals and NikhatZareen also won gold by defeating McNaul in the finals of the boxing light flyweight event under the 50kg category at Commonwealth Games 2022.

Serena Williams announces her retirement from professional tennis

American legend Serena Williams, winner of 23 Grand Slam titles, has announced her retirement from professional tennis. While announing her retirement in an article for Vogue Magazine, the 40-year-old tennis star described her intention to finish her playing career as an evolution away from tennis. She explained that one of her biggest reasons for retirement is her intention to further expand her family.
Earlier this year, she was knocked out at Wimbledon in her first singles match. However, she has now set her eyes on the US Open in what could prove her farewell tournament.

Chess Olympiad 2026 to be hosted by Uzbekistan

According to a tweet from the International Chess Federation (FIDE), Uzbekistan will host the 2026 Chess Olympiad. In Chennai’s ongoing Chess Olympiad, their young team is now in the lead.
Teams from around the world compete in the Chess Olympiad, a biennial chess competition. The event is organised by FIDE, which also chooses the host nation. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, FIDE hosted an online chess tournament in 2020 and 2021 with a quick time limit that harmed competitors’ online ratings.

Aussie Swimmer Emma McKeon Has Won More Gold Than 56 Countries

28-year-old swimmer, Emma McKeon from Australia, has set a unique record of sorts at the Commonwealth Games 2022 as she bagged more medals than 56 nations/territories at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. She won one bronze, one silver, and six gold medals across various events in swimming at the Commonwealth Games.
Out of the 72 countries/territories that took part in the CWG 2022, only 16 won eight or more medals.
Emma Jennifer McKeon is a four-time world record holder, one current, and three former in the 4×100 metre freestyle relay. Her total career haul of 11 Olympic medals following the 2020 Olympic Games made her Australia’s most decorated Olympian and included one gold medal from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and four gold medals from the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

IMPORTANT DAYS
World Biofuel Day observed globally on 10 August

World Biofuel Day is commemorated on 10 August every year to raise awareness about the use of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels. During this day, the government and private organisations come together to spread awareness about the importance of non-fossil fuels as a different source of energy.
Bioethanol, biodiesel, and biogas are the three types of biofuels used in India. Bioethanol is made from sugar and starch-heavy crops and surplus agricultural waste and biomass. Biodiesel is produced from various types of vegetable oil and biomass wastes from agricultural farms and forests. Biogas is produced via anaerobic digestion of biomass wastes and animal wastes.
August 10 was chosen as World Biofuel Day since it was on this date in 1893 that German inventor Sir Rudolf Diesel successfully ran his diesel engine on peanut oil. This was a path-breaking discovery as it created a safer, renewable and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. In India, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoP&NG) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) started celebrating World Biofuel Day, 2015 onwards.

Published date : 10 Aug 2022 05:53PM