Topper's IAS

# Daily Current Affairs (04-12-2023)

1- Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2023 introduced in the Lok Sabha.

केंद्रीय विश्वविद्यालय (संशोधन) विधेयक, 2023 लोकसभा में पेश किया गया।

2-President Draupadi Murmu presented the National Awards for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities 2023 on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in New Delhi.

राष्ट्रपति द्रौपदी मुर्मू ने नई दिल्ली में अंतर्राष्ट्रीय विकलांग व्यक्ति दिवस के अवसर पर विकलांग व्यक्तियों के सशक्तिकरण के लिए राष्ट्रीय पुरस्कार 2023 प्रदान किए।

3- India has been re-elected to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council for the 2024-25 biennium with the highest tally.

भारत को 2024-25 द्विवार्षिक के लिए उच्चतम संख्या के साथ अंतर्राष्ट्रीय समुद्री संगठन (आईएमओ) परिषद के लिए फिर से चुना गया है।

4- Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), an insurance and investment corporation, has announced an important update in its.

बीमा और निवेश निगम भारतीय जीवन बीमा निगम (LIC) ने अपने में एक महत्वपूर्ण अपडेट की घोषणा की है।

5-FITEXPO India 2023, one of Asia's leading sports, fitness and wellness trade expos, began on December 1 at Biswa Bangla Fair Grounds.

एशिया के प्रमुख खेल, फिटनेस और वेलनेस व्यापार एक्सपो में से एक, FITEXPO इंडिया 2023, 1 दिसंबर को बिस्वा बांग्ला मेला मैदान में शुरू हुआ।

6- India has successfully slashed its GDP emission intensity by 33% between 2005 and 2019, exceeding its target 11 years ahead of schedule.

भारत ने 2005 और 2019 के बीच अपनी जीडीपी उत्सर्जन तीव्रता को 33% तक सफलतापूर्वक कम कर लिया है, जो निर्धारित समय से 11 साल पहले अपने लक्ष्य से अधिक है।

7- The President of the World Bank, Ajay Banga, has outlined a strategic initiative aimed at scaling up climate financing through securitization.

विश्व बैंक के अध्यक्ष अजय बंगा ने प्रतिभूतिकरण के माध्यम से जलवायु वित्तपोषण को बढ़ाने के उद्देश्य से एक रणनीतिक पहल की रूपरेखा तैयार की है।

8- The Ministry of Tourism launches the National Best Tourism Village and National Best Rural Homestays Competition 2024.

पर्यटन मंत्रालय ने राष्ट्रीय सर्वश्रेष्ठ पर्यटन गांव और राष्ट्रीय सर्वश्रेष्ठ ग्रामीण होमस्टे प्रतियोगिता 2024 शुरू की।

9- India Resumes Venezuelan Crude Oil Imports, Explores Direct Deals.

भारत ने वेनेज़ुएला से कच्चे तेल का आयात फिर से शुरू किया, प्रत्यक्ष सौदे की संभावना तलाशी।

10- Kanchan Devi Becomes First Woman Director General Of ICFRE.

कंचन देवी ICFRE की पहली महिला महानिदेशक बनीं।

# WISE AWARD, 2023

Safina Hussain, founder of ‘Educate Girls’ has been honored with this award.

It was delivered by Qatar Foundation at the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) summit.

It is one of the most prestigious awards in the field of education.
She is the second Indian to receive this award.

Its prize money is 5 lakh US dollars.

He worked to reconnect 14 lakh girls who had dropped out of education with education.

# Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)
# GS3/ Economy

Context:-

India’s manufacturing sector has performed better with Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rising to 56 in November against 55.5 in October.

About:-

PMI is an economic indicator derived from monthly surveys of private sector companies.

It provides insight into the health of a country’s manufacturing sector. It is widely used by businesses, analysts, and policymakers to gauge the economic activity and overall business conditions.

Released by: For India, PMI is released by S&P Global. (Earlier released by IHS Markit before it was merged with S&P Global)
Scale: The PMI is presented as an index number on a scale of 0 to 100. A PMI reading above 50 generally indicates expansion in the manufacturing sector, while a reading below 50 suggests contraction.

Types: Two types of PMI are there: Services PMI and Manufacturing PMI.

Survey Methodology:-

It is based on surveys conducted among purchasing managers in a representative sample of companies (For India approx 500 companies are surveyed).
Managers are asked about changes in production, employment, inventories, and new orders, among other factors.

Timelines:Released on a monthly basis, making it a timely indicator of economic conditions.

# International Maritime Organisation

Overview:-

Recently, India was re-elected to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council with the highest tally at elections held at its Assembly in London for the 2024-25 biennium.

About International Maritime Organisation:-
It is a specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for measures to improve the safety and security of international shipping and to prevent pollution from ships.

It is the global standard-setting authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping.

Its main role is to create a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is fair and effective, universally adopted and universally implemented.

Formation: It was established as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) in 1948, became a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1959 and was renamed International Maritime Organization in 1982.

Structure of the organisation:-

Assembly: It is the highest Governing Body of the IMO. It consists of all Member States, and it meets once every two years in regular sessions. The Assembly is responsible for approving the work program, voting the budget and electing the Council.

Council: It is the Executive Organ of the IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the Organization.

Committees: The five policy-making committees are responsible for the development, review, updating, and approval of the organization’s guidelines and regulations.

Funding: Funding for the organization comes from contributions by member states, as well as voluntary donations and commercial activities.

Members: It currently has 175 Member States.

Headquarters: London.

# What Is Voice over 5G (Vo5G)?

Overview:-

Reports indicate Reliance Jio, India’s largest mobile carrier, has been testing Voice over New Radio (VoNR) behind the scenes.

About Voice over 5G:-

It is also known as Voice over New Radio (VoNR).

This standard allows voice calls over 5G networks instead of the current standard that uses 4G.

In simple terms, Vo5G takes all the improvements of 5G – speed, capacity, responsiveness – and applies them squarely to voice.

It aims to have all that infrastructure and interoperability ready well in advance.

To use Vo5G, you need three things: a phone that supports Vo5G, a carrier that offers Vo5G, and a 5G signal in your area.

How is VoNR better than VoLTE?

VoNR brings clear advances over VoLTE.

With 5G’s substantially higher bandwidth and lower latency compared to 4G LTE.

Enhanced call quality: It utilizes more advanced audio codecs that provide superior clarity and fidelity based on 5G’s increased data capacity.

Faster connection times: It promises faster call connection times, ensuring a seamless and prompt user experience.

Improved reliability: Vo5G aims to eliminate the notorious call drop issues, particularly during transitions between 5G and 4G.

Lower packet loss contributes to better reliability, minimising the occurrence of voice cutouts during calls.

# ISLA MCNABB

2 year old Isla is a resident of Kentucky, America.

This girl became the youngest member of Mensa.

Guinness World Records has confirmed its membership in Mensa.

Mensa is the world's largest and oldest high IQ society.

For membership in Mensa, a score of 98% or higher is required on a standardized IQ test; Isla has scored 99%.

# GAJRAJ SURAKSHA

Indian Railways has taken this initiative.

It will save elephants from train accidents.

It is an AI based intrusion detection system.

It can give information about the presence of an elephant on the track 200 meters in advance.

According to a pilot project in Buxa Tiger Reserve it is 99.5% error free.

# Daily Current Affairs (03-12-2023)

1-PRESIDENT OF INDIA INAUGURATES PLATINUM JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS OF GOVERNMENT MEDICAL COLLEGE, NAGPUR.

भारत के राष्ट्रपति ने सरकारी मेडिकल कॉलेज, नागपुर के प्लेटिनम जयंती समारोह का उद्घाटन किया ।

2-UK Detects First Human Case Of H1N2 Pig Virus.

यूके ने H1N2 सुअर वायरस के पहले मानव मामले का पता लगाया ।

3-Abdullahi Mire wins the 2023 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award.

अब्दुल्लाही मायर ने 2023 यूएनएचसीआर नानसेन शरणार्थी पुरस्कार जीता ।

4-Researchers have discovered a new plant (Impatiens) species in which Tiger Reserve.

शोधकर्ताओं ने किस टाइगर रिजर्व में एक नए पौधे (इम्पेतिन्स) प्रजाति की खोज की है।

5-Uganda qualifies for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

युगांडा ने आईसीसी पुरुष टी20 विश्व कप 2024 के लिए क्वालीफाई किया।

6-Vidya Pillai Clinches 6-Red Snooker World Championship Title in Doha.

विद्या पिल्लई ने दोहा में 6-रेड स्नूकर विश्व चैम्पियनशिप का खिताब जीता।

7-PM Modi embarks on a two-day visit to UAE to attend the World Climate Action Summit.

विश्व जलवायु कार्रवाई शिखर सम्मेलन में भाग लेने के लिए पीएम मोदी संयुक्त अरब अमीरात की दो दिवसीय यात्रा पर रवाना हुए।

8-Union Home Minister Amit Shah approves reconstruction plan of over Rs 1658 cr for Joshimath.

केंद्रीय गृह मंत्री अमित शाह ने जोशीमठ के लिए 1658 करोड़ रुपये से अधिक की पुनर्निर्माण योजना को मंजूरी दी।

9-Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh inaugurates the 40th Coast Guard Commanders’ Conference in New Delhi.

रक्षा मंत्री राजनाथ सिंह ने नई दिल्ली में 40वें तटरक्षक कमांडरों के सम्मेलन का उद्घाटन किया।

10-Nitin Gadkari Inaugurates 'Classic Imperial' Luxury Cruise In Kerala.

नितिन गडकरी ने केरल में 'क्लासिक इंपीरियल' लक्जरी क्रूज का उद्घाटन किया।

# Iyothee Thass Pandithar

Overview:-

Recently, the Tamil Nadu government has installed a statue of Dalit rights and anti-caste activist Iyothee Thass Pandithar at Gandhi Mandapam in Chennai.

About Iyothee Thass Pandithar:-

He was born on 20 May 1845 in Madras presidency.

He was a prominent anti-caste activist and a practitioner of Siddha medicine.

Association with tribal people: In the 1870s, Iyothee Thass organized the Todas and other tribes of the Nilgiri Hills into a formidable force for the freedom movement.

In 1876, Thass established the Advaidananda Sabha and launched a magazine called Dravida Pandian in collaboration with Rev. John Rathina.

He established the “Dravida Mahajana Sabha '' in 1891 along with Rettamalai Srinivasan.

He established the Sakya Buddhist Society in Madras with branches all over South India.
The Sakya Buddhist Society was also known as the Indian Buddhist Association and was established in the year 1898.
To manage and coordinate the functioning of the society, he began a weekly magazine, Tamizhan in 1907.

# WORLD AIDS DAY,2023

This day is celebrated every year on 1 December.

Its purpose is to create awareness against infection.

The full name of AIDS is Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.

The cause of AIDS is HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus).

This event started on 1 December 1988 on the initiative of WHO.

This year’s theme is ‘Let Communities Lead’.

# Off Budget Borrowings
# GS3/Economy

News:-

The central government is worried about the increased level of Off-budget borrowings of states.

About:-

Off-budget borrowing also known as extra budget financing is used by the government to finance its expenditures while keeping the debt off from its annual statement. It is not counted in the calculation of the fiscal deficit.

Governments across the world use this to escape budget controls as the liability of the loan is not formally on the Centre.

Hence off-budget financing is not part of the calculation of the fiscal indicators despite fiscal implications.

How does the Centre raise off-budget borrowings?

The government can ask an implementing agency to raise the required funds from the market through loans or by issuing bonds.

Public sector undertakings are used to borrow the funds for the government. For instance, public sector oil marketing companies were asked to pay for subsidized gas cylinders for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries in the past.

Concerns:-

In India, the off-budget financing is excluded from the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, which intends to bring transparency and accountability to the monetary actions of the government.

FRBM Act sets a target for the Centre to establish fiscal discipline, strengthen fiscal prudence, and reduce its fiscal deficits.

The CAG’s report on the FRBM compliance for 2016-17 stated that the Central government has “increasingly resorted to off-budget financing” for revenue spending.