* The Union Cabinet has approved the ratification of amendments to the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) as contained in the Eleventh Additional Protocol to the Constitution signed during the 27th Congress of the Universal Postal Union held at Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire) from 9-27 August, 2021.

 

* The approval enables the Department of Posts, Government of India to have the “Instrument of Ratification” signed by the Hon’ble President of India and have the same deposited with the Director General of the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union.

* This would fulfil the obligations arising from Article 25 and 30 of the UPU Constitution which provides for ratification of the amendments to the Constitution adopted by a Congress as soon as possible by the member countries.

* The Universal Postal Union (UPU) established by the Treaty of Bern of 1874, is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system. The UPU's headquarters are located in Bern, Switzerland.

Gold Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are simple investment products that combine the flexibility of stock investment and the simplicity of gold investments.

Gold ETF, which aims to track the domestic physical gold price, are passive investment instruments that are based on gold prices and invest in gold bullion. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

Gold ETFs are units representing physical gold which may be in paper or dematerialised form.

One gold ETF unit is equivalent to one gram of gold and is backed by exceptionally pure physical gold. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Source : Indianexpress

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), a legally binding treaty to conserve biodiversity, has been in force since 1993. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

* The conservation of biological diversity.

* The sustainable use of the components of biological diversity.

* The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.

The CBD Secretariat is based in Montreal, Canada and it operates under the United Nations Environment Program. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

A supplementary agreement to the Convention known as the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety was adopted in 2000..

Source : Hindustan Times

* Union Cabinet has approved the signing of an Audio Visual C0-Production Treaty, between India and Australia with a view to promote co-production of films.

 

* Such agreements are Umbrella Agreements under which private, government agencies enter into contracts to produce films together.

* The proposed agreement will boost ties with Australia, lead to exchange of art and culture, showcase the soft power of our country and lead to generation of employment.

* India has so far signed 15 Audio Visual Co-production Treaties with foreign countries. Australia has emerged as a preferred destination for shooting of Indian films. India is fast emerging as a major content hub for film makers looking for new projects. India has abundance of exotic locations, talent pool, relatively cheaper cost of production and post production, making India a favoured destination of foreign film makers.

So both statements are correct

Source : Thehindu

Union Cabinet has approved continuation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) - Housing for All Mission up to 31st December 2024.

 

Financial assistance is being provided for the completion of already sanctioned over 122 lakh houses till 31st March 2022.

The scheme is one of the major flagship programmes being implemented by Central Government to provide all-weather pucca houses to all eligible beneficiaries in the urban areas of the country through States, Union Territories, and Central Nodal Agencies.

The continuation of the scheme based on the request of States and UTs upto 31st December 2024 will help in completion of already sanctioned houses under Beneficiary Led Construction, Affordable Housing in Partnership, and In-situ Slum Redevelopment verticals.

Central Assistance approved since 2015 is two lakh three thousand crore rupees against 20 thousand crore rupees in 2004-2014.

Source : News on Air

Supreme Court’s senior-most judge Justice "UU Lalit" was on Wednesday(10th August 2022) appointed as the 49th Chief Justice of India. He will succeed incumbent CJI NV Ramana, who demits office on August 26.

 

“In exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution of India, the President of India is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, Judge of the Supreme Court as the Chief Justice of India with effect from 27th August, 2022," according to an official notification.

 

Justice Lalit, a renowned senior advocate, has become the second CJI to be directly elevated to the Supreme Court Bench from the Bar. Prior to this, Justice SM Sikri, who was the 13th CJI of India appointed in January 1971, was the first lawyer to be elevated directly to the SC bench in March 1964.

 

Lalit was designated as a senior advocate by the top court in April 2004. In January 1986, he shifted his practice to Delhi. He was appointed a special public prosecutor for the CBI to conduct the trial in the 2G spectrum allocation case.

 

David McCullough, best-selling author and renowned historian who won Pulitzer Prizes for his biographies of presidents John Adams and Harry Truman, has died at the age of 89.. 

 

McCullough died on Sunday(7th Aug 2022) at his home in Hingham, Massachusetts, surrounded by his five children, according to a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/DavidMcCulloughBooks maintained by his publisher, Simon and Schuster.

 

McCullough was known for writing several deeply researched and popular works about important American figures and points in history such as the building of the Brooklyn Bridge and the first flight by the Wright Brothers.

 

McCullough won a Pulitzer Prize in 1993 for "Truman," a biography about the 33rd president of the United States and another Prize in 2002 for "John Adams," a biography about the 2nd US president.

 

McCullough also earned National Book Awards for the "The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal" and "Mornings on Horseback."

 

In 2016, McCullough was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award.

A zoonotic virus Langya has been reported in China, with 35 people infected so far. The new type of Henipavirus has been found in China's Shandong and Henan provinces.

 

* The virus was likely transmitted from animals to human, The Guardian said in a report, quoting scientists in Taiwan. The country's health ministry is now monitoring the spread. A correspondence about the new virus by scientists from China, Singapore and Australia has been published in New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

 

* Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang said that 26 of the 35 affected patients developed symptoms like fever, fatigue, cough, loss of appetite, muscle pain, nausea, headache and vomiting. They also showed a decrease in white blood cells, low platelet count, liver failure and kidney failure.

 

* The test results of 25 wild animal species suggest that the shrew (a small insectivorous mammal resembling a mouse) might be a natural reservoir of the Langya henipavirus, as the virus was found in 27 per cent of the shrew subjects, the CDC official said.

 

* There have been no deaths from "LayV", as the virus is called by scientists. Professor Wang Linfa of the Duke-NUS Medical School, a co-author of the NEJM paper, told Global Times that the LayV cases had "not been fatal or very serious" so far and that there was "no need for panic".

 

* Henipavirus is a category of zoonotic RNA viruses that also includes Hendra virus and Nipah virus. Hendra is believed to have originated in Australia and affects horses and humans, while Nipah has caused disease outbreaks in several countries, including India. Both the viruses are associated with high fatality rates..

Source : NDTV

Prime Minister "Narendra Modi" on 10th August 2022 launched a second generation (2G) ethanol plant built at an estimated cost of Rs 900 crore in Haryana's Panipat.

Speaking via video conferencing, the PM dedicated it to the nation and said the plant will aid in increasing the nation's production and use of biofuels and also help in lowering pollution levels in Delhi and Haryana.

 

"2G Ethanol Plant in Panipat will help boost production and usage of biofuels in the country and it will also help in reducing pollution in the Haryana & Delhi".

 

The construction of new biofuel plants will create jobs and new opportunities, and will answer the country's pollution problems as well.

 

"Facilities for transportation of cut-out stubble are being made, new bio-fuel plants are being set up, this will provide employment and give rise to new opportunities. All villagers, farmers will be benefitted. This will also reduce challenges of pollution in the country"..

Source : Money Control

Microsoft has become the first global Big Tech company to join the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), an Indian government initiative for developing a first-of-its-kind open network for digital commerce. The world’s second-largest technology firm intends to introduce social e-commerce via its app in the Indian market later this year.

 

ONDC is expected to open to the public in Bengaluru over the next fortnight as it enters into the next phase of the pilot for further fine-tuning before rollouts in other cities, according to a source in the know. 

 

ONDC already has a large number of merchants from the city on the platform. While announcing its ONDC onboarding efforts, Microsoft sa­id it plans to launch a shopping app for Ind­ian consumers, along with their social circle, harnessing the open network to discover the best pricing among retailers and sellers.

 

* “The Indian e-commerce industry has tremendous growth potential in the next decade. Initiatives like ONDC can be a game-changer amid this boom. Their UPI-like network for digital commerce is a win-win for both buyers and sellers, as it will en­able them to connect without dependency on any e-commerce solution. 

 

* The network first began its pilot on 29th April 2022 in De­lhi, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Bho­pal and Shillong and is in the process of adding more cities before a nationwide launch.

 

* Platforms that have already integrated with ONDC include Paytm, Digiit, eSamudaay, Go Frugal, Growth Falcons, Seller App, Dunzo and Loadshare. And those in advanced stages of development with the network are Kotak, Phonepe, Snapdeal, Sonata, Ushop, Zoho EKart, Ship Rocket, and Bizom, among others.

 

* Those that have shown interest include HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, IDBI Bank, India Post, ITC store, Marico India, Nivea India, Samsung India Electronics, SBI Bank, Delhivery, and Airtel..

Source : Business Standard