19th August, 2024 Current Affairs

NATIONAL
Six New Parliamentary Committees For 2024-25

• The Lok Sabha speaker on August 17, named the constituents of the six new Parliamentary Committees including the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which examines government expenditure. Ganesh Singh, BJP MP from Satna, Madhya Pradesh has been appointed as the chairperson of the Committee on Welfare of Other Backward Classes.

Six New Parliamentary Committees for 2024-25

• Public Account committee
• Committee on Public Undertakings
• Committee on Estimates
• Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
• Committee on Welfare of Other Backward Classes
• Joint committee on Office of Profit

Union Cabinet Approves Major Airport Projects in West Bengal and Bihar

• The Union Cabinet has greenlit significant airport infrastructure projects in West Bengal and Bihar, with a total investment of approximately ₹2,962 crore. These developments are set to enhance air travel facilities and address growing passenger demand in these regions.
• The Cabinet has approved the construction of a second airport at the Indian Air Force (IAF) base in Bihta, Patna, with an estimated cost of ₹1,413 crore.
• In West Bengal, a new terminal building will be constructed at Bagdogra airport at a cost of ₹1,549 crore. This expansion addresses the airport’s near-full capacity due to its proximity to popular tourist destinations in Sikkim.
• These projects, approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are part of ongoing efforts to boost regional air travel infrastructure.

Also Read: Union Budget 2024-25: Practice Top Quiz Questions Here!

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INTERNATIONAL
Government Initiates Anti-Dumping Investigation into Steel Imports from Vietnam

• India has initiated an anti-dumping investigation into the import of hot rolled flat products from Vietnam following complaints that these products are being sold at significantly low prices, negatively impacting the domestic steel industry. The move, driven by requests from leading Indian steelmakers such as JSW Steel and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India), seeks to address the adverse effects of cheap imports on the domestic market, particularly under the India-Asean free trade agreement.
• Indian steelmakers have been increasingly alarmed by the influx of low-priced steel imports from China, rerouted through Vietnam, which have been undermining domestic steel prices. The Indian Steel Association (ISA), representing major steel producers, has petitioned the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) for an investigation into these imports.
• According to a CRISIL report, India became a net importer of steel in fiscal 2024, with a trade deficit of 1.1 million tonnes, marking a shift from its status as a net exporter since 2017. Vietnam, alongside China, South Korea, and Japan, has emerged as a significant exporter to India, with exports rising by 130% year-on-year. This trend has led to the highest levels of finished steel imports in five years during April-May 2024.

ECONOMY
Government Reduces Crude Oil Tax, Eliminates Diesel and ATF Levies

• India has reduced the windfall tax on petroleum crude oil to Rs 2,100 per metric tonne, effective August 17, down from Rs 4,600 per tonne. This adjustment follows a previous reduction of 34.2 percent to Rs 4,600 on July 31. The government has also eliminated the windfall tax on the export of diesel and aviation turbine fuel (ATF).
• Recent economic data from China indicates a slowdown, with new home prices dropping at the fastest rate in nine years, industrial output decreasing, and unemployment rising. This has led to concerns about reduced demand from China, the world’s largest oil importer, and refineries in China reducing crude processing rates due to weak fuel demand.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Know about Enviro Loo

• Enviro Loo was designed to address the need for a safe, dignified, and hygienic alternative to ventilated pit latrines.
• The solution does not require water, electricity, or harmful chemicals to operate.
• The system is entirely odorless.
• More than 115,000 Enviro Loo toilets have been installed globally including 60,000 in South Africa.
• Because the Enviro Loo is an entirely off-grid system that runs without the need for water, power, or hazardous chemicals, it is a disruptive sanitation technology that recovers more, uses less, and pollutes the environment zero times. Waste goes through the ceramic toilet bowl and into the container.
• Solid waste stays on the drying plate, while liquid waste drains to the bottom of the container. An organic starting pack is added, exposing the waste to a constant air flow. Air is brought into the container through the input pipes and extracted through the extraction device at the top. The solid waste on the drying plate gets dehydrated when air passes through the system.
• The waste is dehydrated and broken down by the extreme heat, extended retention times, and oxygen-rich air, resulting in an innocuous, dry, stable substance. The garbage has now been reduced to about five percent of its initial amount. Because the negative pressure inside the container keeps odors from escaping through the air inlet pipes or toilet bowl, the system is completely odorless. The extractor unit, powered by wind, is used to release the stench.

Published date : 19 Aug 2024 05:18PM