Founder of "Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party" Professor "Bhim Singh" passed away in Jammu on Tuesday(May 31st 2022), after being unwell for about a month. He was 81.

 

The former legislator hailed from Udhampur district’s Bhugterian village. He has left behind his wife Jai Mala and son Ankit Love, who lives in London.

 

Singh breathed his last at GMC Hospital here.

 

Expressing his condolences, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Prof Bhim Singh Ji will be remembered as a grassroots leader who devoted his life for the welfare of Jammu and Kashmir. He was very well-read and scholarly. I will always recall my interactions with him. Saddened by his demise. Condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti.”

 

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said he was deeply saddened to learn about the passing away of Singh..

Source : The Wire

Union Minister for Communications attended the opening ceremony of World Summit of Information Society (WSIS) 2022, being organized by International Telecommunications Unions(ITU) at its headquarter in Geneva, Switzerland from 30th May to 3rd June, 2022.

 

The participation comes with India contesting the re-election to the ITU Council, for the term 2023-2026. India has been a member of ITU, since 1869 and has been continuously participating, actively in the works, and activities of the Union.

The World Summit on the Information Society Forum 2022 represents the world's largest annual gathering of the ICT for development community.

The WSIS Forum 2022 started from 15 March onwards in a virtual format with the final week being held physically with enhanced remote participation from 30 May to 3 June 2022 at the ITU Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

Theme for this year is ICTs for Well-Being, Inclusion and Resilience : World Summit of Information Society (WSIS) Cooperation for Accelerating Progress on the SDGs.

The WSIS Forum is co-organized by ITU, UNESCO, UNDP and UNCTAD, in close collaboration with all WSIS Action Line Facilitators/Co-Facilitators.

Source : PIB

A new report from the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) says that foreign terrorist organisations continue to enjoy safe haven under the Taliban regime.

 

It adds that the terrorist groups are not likely to launch major attacks outside Afghanistan before 2023. Two India-focussed terrorist groups, Jaish-i-Mohammed (JiM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), are reported to have training camps in Afghanistan.

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) constitutes the largest component of foreign terrorist fighters in Afghanistan, with their numbers estimated at 3,000-4,000.

Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of UNSC

 

The monitoring team assists the UNSC sanctions committee. India is currently the chair of the sanctions committee, which comprises all the 15 UNSC members.

Its report, circulated among committee members, informs the formulation of UN strategy in Afghanistan.

This report — the 13th overall — is the first since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. The UN team could not visit Afghanistan for evidence-gathering. This is the first of its reports not informed by official Afghan briefings. Instead, the team relied on consultations with UN member states, international and regional organisations, private sector financial institutions, and the work of bodies such as the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

Source : The Hindu

Fiscal deficit improved to 6.71% of the FY22 GDP over the revised budget estimate of 6.9% mainly on account of higher tax realisation.

 

Unveiling the revenue-expenditure data of the Union government, the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) said that the fiscal deficit in absolute terms was ₹15,86,537 crore (provisional).

Tax receipts during the fiscal were at ₹18.2 lakh crore as against the revised estimates (RE) of ₹17.65 lakh crore, the data showed.

Total expenditure too was higher at ₹37.94 lakh crore against the RE of ₹37.7 lakh crore presented to Parliament on February 1, 2021. The CGA further said the revenue deficit at the end of the fiscal was 4.37% for fiscal year 2021-22.

The fiscal deficit of the Centre was contained marginally below the FY22 revised estimate, benefitting from the higher tax and non-tax revenue receipts and lower capital spending, which absorbed the deficit in non-debt capital receipts and higher revenue expenditure.

Source : The Hindu

NTPC Ltd, India’s largest integrated energy producer has issued renewed Biodiversity Policy 2022 to establish a comprehensive vision and guiding principle for conservation, restoration, and enhancement of biodiversity.

 

  * This Biodiversity Policy is an integral part of NTPC’s Environmental Policy.

  * NTPC was the first PSU to issue Biodiversity Policy in 2018. In the same year, NTPC became a member of the India Business & Biodiversity Initiative (IBBI).

  * The power major aims to mainstream the concept of biodiversity across NTPC’s value chain.

  * The company will further strengthen its current efforts to achieve a ’no net loss’ of biodiversity at all of its currently operating sites.

  * NTPC has also signed a five-year agreement with Andhra Pradesh Forest Department for conservation of Olive Ridley Turtles in the coastline of Andhra Pradesh.

Source : PIB

India scaled its highest ever exports tally at US$ 44.4 Bn in Textiles and Apparel (T&A) including Handicrafts in FY 2021-22, indicating a substantial increase of 41% and 26% over corresponding figures in FY 2020-21 and FY 2019-20, respectively.

USA was the top export destination accounting for 27% share, followed by EU (18%), Bangladesh (12%) and UAE (6%).

In terms of product categories, the export of cotton Textiles was US$ 17.2 Bn with 39% share registering a growth of 54% and 67% during 2021-22 over FY 2020-21 and FY 2019-20, respectively.

Export of Ready-Made Garments was US$ 16 Bn with 36% share showing a growth of 31% and 3% during 2021-22 over FY 2020-21 and FY 2019-20, respectively.

Man-made textiles export was US$ 6.3 Bn with 14% share which shows a growth of 51% and 18% during 2021-22 over FY 2020-21 and FY 2019-20, respectively.

Export of Handicrafts was US$ 2.1 Bn with 5% share reporting a growth of 22% and 16% during 2021-22 over FY 2020-21 and FY 2019-20 respectively..

Source : Business Standard

Senior scientist "Rajesh Gera" has been appointed as the Director General, National Informatics Centre (NIC), a Personnel Ministry order issued on 31st May 2022 said. Gera is currently Deputy Director General in the NIC.

 

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved appointment of Gera, Scientist 'G', to the post of Director General, NIC, it said.

 

The NIC, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology  (MeitY), was established in 1976 with the objective to provide technology-driven solutions to central and state governments.

 

The ACC has approved re-employment of Kipgen, a Central Secretariat Service (CSS) officer, as Secretary, PESB, post retirement (on 31.05.2022) for a periodof one year i.e., up to 31.05.2023, the order said.

 

The central deputation tenure of Lav Agarwal , Joint Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare has been extended for a period up to 28.08.2023 or until further orders, the Personnel Ministry said.

 

Agarwal is a 1996 batch IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre..

Source : India Times

Gujarat's Climate Change Department has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to join the worldwide ‘Save Soil’ initiative. Sadhguru, the Founder and Spiritual Leader of Isha Outreach, and Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Ahmedabad. Jaggi Sadguru has set out on a 100-day motorcycle tour to raise awareness about the soil regeneration campaign throughout the world.

The 30,000-kilometer journey through Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East is an attempt to raise awareness among policymakers on the importance of soil. Shri Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev was in Gujarat as part of this tour to sign an MOU on ‘Save Soil.’

 

 

* Gujarat has become the first state in the country to join this worldwide soil protection campaign.

 

* The Isha Foundation has started the ‘Save Soil’ campaign to raise awareness about the global loss of soil fertility. Because soil quality has a significant impact on human and other organisms’ health, this movement can help address the soil issue by bringing people from all over the world together.

 

* Furthermore, good soil is required for the survival of life on Earth. Several micronutrients in the soil are critical for the establishment and development of agricultural crops.

 

* In this regard, during the time of Shri Narendra Modi as Gujarat’s Chief Minister in 2006-07, Gujarat launched a foresight effort called “Soil Health Card” to protect the health and condition of the state’s soil. In the state, there are 115 soil health laboratories that measure nutrient levels in the soil. The ‘Soil Health Card’ plan has now been deployed across the country, thanks to the Prime Minister’s directive..

* The government release said that, according to one estimate, about 24% of the world’s soil has become desert-like and the United Nations has warned that if corrective measures are not taken to save the soil, the situation could worsen by 2050.

Source : Times Of India

Former State Bank of India (SBI) executive Natarajan Sundar has been appointed MD & CEO of the National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL) with effect from May 30th. Another former SBI employee, Karnam Sekar, who also headed Indian Overseas Bank(IOB) till June 30, 2020, has been appointed non-executive chairman of the bad bank. Sundar retired on April 30th as deputy managing director and chief credit officer at the bank, after having worked there for over 37 years.

 

“After his name was recommended for the position by NARCL board, the fit and proper approval was granted by the sectoral regulator, RBI on May 24, 2022. The previous incumbent, Mr. Padmakumar Nair, who was on a secondment basis from SBI has since been repatriated to the parent bank,” SBI said in a statement on Tuesday.

 

Malvika Sinha, who retired as executive director of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), also joined the NARCL board as an independent director last week. In addition to the three new appointees, the board has five nominee directors from shareholder banks and another independent director is expected to join the board shortly. “With this the Board will have its full complement of 9 directors,” SBI said..

Source : Financial Express

* The Inspector General BSF-Regional Commander BGB level Border Coordination Conference between India and Bangladesh begins in Sylhet, Bangladesh.

 

* BSF delegation led by IG BSF Sumit Sharan along with four other members.

 

* The Bangladesh delegation of BGB is led by Brigadier General Tanvir Gani Chowdhury.

 

* Focus area : Issues related to border management and security; illegal entry; smuggling of drugs and other items; trafficking of women and children.

Source : News On Air