Daily Current Affairs - 23-07-2021

42 virology research and diagnostic laboratories will be set up by the Central government. This will be set up under a central scheme during the period of 2021-22 to 2025-26. This project will cost Rs324 crore.

Highlights

 

Target of this scheme

Initially, this scheme’s target was to establish three-tier network of 160 laboratories which were divided into 30 state-level lab, 10 regional level labs  and 120 medical college labs.

Later, the target was reduced to 125 viral research & diagnostic laboratories which were divided into 25 state level laboratories, 10 regional laboratories and 90 medical college level laboratories. A network of 124 VRDLs has been established as on 31st March 2021.

The government has decided that it might not sell 10% stake in Life Insurance Corp. of India through an initial public offering but instead choosing instead to sell 5 or 6% which will be followed by a second public offering.

Highlights

 

Zomato’s IPO

Zomato’s ₹9,375 crore IPO showed that the public market can absorb large share of sales. The IPO of Zomato was subscribed for about 40 times. With stocks reporting such record gains many firms across the country are planning to go public.

 

Disinvestment target of the government

The Budget of 2021-22 has set Rs 1.75 trillion target for disinvestment. Rs 1 trillion could be targeted by selling government stakes in various financial institutions and state-run banks which includes the LIC. The rest will be targeted through disinvestment of government’s shares in various public sector firms such as Air India, Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd, etc.

New listing norms of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)

Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (Sebi) new listing norms states, from the date of listing, the companies having a size of over Rs 1 trillion would be required to achieve minimum 10% public shareholding in two years and at least 25% within five years.

 

WHO on 23rd July launched its first Regional Status Report on Drowning Prevention in the South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions. This report said that nearly two-thirds of all global deaths due to drowning occur in the Asia Pacific region.

Highlights

 

Conclusion

Through, strong leadership, coordination and ongoing planning, evaluation and monitoring can drowning in the Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions be reduced.

On Friday, Santanu Sen, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP, was suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the rest of the Monsoon Session for being unruly a day after he snatched papers from newly appointed information technology minister Ashwani Vaishnaw while he was reading out a statement regarding the Pegasus snooping scandal.

Key Points

 

Under which law was Santanu Sen suspended?

The government sought the suspension of the TMC MP under Rule 256 (2). This rule says that any lawmaker who has disregarded the authority of the Chair or has abused the rules of the Council through  disruptions can be suspended from the House for the remainder of the parliamentary session if the Rajya Sabha chairman agrees to it. Once this motion has been moved, there can be no adjournment or debate allowed on it.

A study conducted by Danone India, a French packaged foods and beverages company, along with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), has gauged the standard of psychological and physical, social relationships, and environment among more than 2,700 adults in India. It came up with the report that 46.2% Indians report a poor quality of life.

Indicators of the survey

 

Finding of the report

 

Effect of the pandemic on this score

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the view on how people perceive their own physical well-being. The pandemic has given them increased focus on their respective wellbeing and health and has prompted people to seek a more balanced lifestyle. Hence, around 40% of the people who were surveyed agreed to have become more conscious regarding their nutrition and health in the past year.

 

 

Essential Defence Services Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 22nd July.

Key Points regarding the bill

 

 

What jurisdiction does this bill allow to the government?

This will allow the government to declare the services mentioned in the bill as essential defence services. It also prohibits strike and lockouts in any essential defence services of the country.

 

Why does the government feel the need to introduce this bill?

The government has claimed that this bill is being introduced with the primary aim of improving the service, accountability and efficiency of these factories.  Also, that by going on strikes doesn’t disrupt the defence services of the nation.

 

Who will be affected?

This bill will directly affect around 70,000 employees who are currently employed in the 41 ordnance factories across the nation. These employees are unhappy with the government’s decision to corporatize the OFBs, fearing that their service and retirement conditions will be affected. The government has given them assurance that it will not be affected even after the OFBs are corporatized.

 

When will the bill come into effect?

If this bill is passed it will come into effect from 30th June 2021.

With the players across the globe taking the knee the Olympic rule has always banned such demonstrations at the Games and this has been a hot topic debated for decades.

Key Points

 

About Tokyo 2020

Tokyo 2020 Olympics is being hosted at Tokyo, Japan. It starts on 23rd July, 2021 and will commence on 8th August.

 

 

In United Nation’s Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific’s (UNESCAP) latest Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation India has scored 90.32%.

India’s performance in the survey

 

About the survey

This survey is conducted by UNESCAP every two years. The current survey for the year 2021 includes an assessment of 58 trade facilitation measures which has been covered by the Trade Facilitation Agreement of WTO. This Survey finds out whether or not the trade facilitation measures have the desired impact and also helps in drawing comparison amongst the countries.

 

On 22nd July, 2021, young wrestlers from India Priya and Tannu became the latest world champions at the Cadet World Championship.

Highlights

 

About Cadet World Championship

The Cadet World Championship is an annual event for Freestyle, Greco-Roman, and Women wrestlers. The best in the world who are aged 16 and 17 years compete in this tournament. This year the tournament is being hosted in Budapest, Hungary. The next tournament will be held in Rome, Italy in the year 2022.

 

 

In the Lok Sabha, on Friday, one member from JD (U) three members from BJP will move Private Members’ Bills on population control in the house.

Highlights

Conclusion

Recently, Population control bill is making the news, as the different parties do not share similar viewpoint regarding the passing and creation of this bill.

An analysis of the data on the Lok Sabha members show that 168 out of the present 540 MPs have more than two children.

On July 23rd, National Broadcasting Day is observed across the country annually.

About this day

 

About Prasar Bharati and All India Radio

Prasar Bharati is India’s largest public broadcasting agency and was established by an Act of Parliament and accords to the Doordarshan Television Network, which was previously under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Presently, All India Radio’s service comprises of 414 stations located acrossthe country and it reaches to around 92% of the country’s area and about 99.19% of the total population of the nation. AIR broadcasts in 23 languages and 146 dialects and in terms of broadcasted languages, the spectrum of socio-economic and cultural diversity it serves it is one of the largest broadcasting organisations in the world.

On 22nd July, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 2021 of the United Kingdom which is led by the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier has joined the Indian Navy for maritime exercises in the Bay of Bengal for three day duration.

Key Points

About the Carrier Strike Group (CSG)

India Navy’s participation

Indian Navy has deployed INS Ranvir, INS Satpura, INS Kavaratti, INS Jyoti, INS Kulish as well as a submarine.  For the PASSEX, India has also deployed P8I aircraft which are capable of Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance missions and also Anti-submarine warfare.

With forest fires raging in the Russia and USA and severe floods devastating parts of Western Europe, on July 22 and 23, 2021, energy and environment ministers from the Group of 20 countries are holding talks at Naples in Italy.

Key Points

 

Other global events scheduled to take place in 2021

2021 is a crucial year for climate and ecological transition, with a number of global events scheduled to take place in the upcoming months. They are the UNFCCC COP26, CBD COP 15 and UNCCD COP 15, the United Nations Food Systems Summit, the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and the United Nations Ocean Conference.

The discussion topics will include accelerating the ecological transition, combating climate change, opportunities for sustainable and inclusive recovery enabled by innovative technological solutions of the energy sector, making financial flows consistent with the Paris Agreement objectives and building resilient, smart and sustainable cities.

 

Details of any child orphaned due to COVID-19 can be shared with the government via a web portal and the child will have a claim to benefits under the PM CARES scheme. www.pmcaresforchildren.in is the website through which details can be uploaded.

Highlights

 

According to official data, between 1st April, 2021 and 28 May, 2021 a total of 645 children were orphaned due to COVID-19. According to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, from the date 1st April, 2020 to 5th June, 2021, 3621 children were orphaned due to COVID-19 and at least 26,176 had lost a single parent because of this COVID-19 pandemic.