News for the Day (25th July, 2024)
Current Affairs
Current Affairs
FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (FTA)
Why in the News?
India and the United Kingdom (UK) reaffirmed their commitment to conclude a mutually beneficial free trade agreement (FTA). The two sides launched the UK-India Technology Security Initiative, described by the UK as a 'landmark' agreement.
About U.K.-India Technology Security Initiative
- It builds on past telecom agreements between the United Kingdom and India.
- Aim: To address emerging security challenges and capitalize on new investment opportunities.
- The agreement was spearheaded by the National Security Advisors of the U.K. and India.
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Note: National Security Advisor of UK: Tim Borrow National security advisor of India: Ajit Doval |
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy
About FTA
- It is a pact between two or more nations to reduce barriers to imports and exports among them.
- Under a free trade policy, goods and services can be bought and sold across international borders with little or no government tariffs, quotas, subsidies, or prohibitions to inhibit their exchange.
- The concept of free trade is the opposite of trade protectionism or economic isolationism.
- It can be categorized as Preferential Trade Agreement, Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), and Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
India and FTAs
- After India opted out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in November 2019, India’s FTAs were paused.
- In May 2021, India resumed talks with the European Union, which had stalled in 2013.
- But now the bilateral free trade agreements of India are being negotiated with the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada.
- Important Trade Agreements of India
- Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA)
- South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA)
- Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA)
- South Asia Preferential Trading Agreement (SAPTA)
UTAH
Why in the News?
Salt Lake City in Utah state of the United States of America (USA) will host the Winter Olympics and Paralympics Games in 2034. It was elected by International Olympic Committee (IOC) during the 142nd IOC Session in Paris. The city hosted the Winter Olympics for the first time in 2002.
About Utah
- Location: Western United States
- Capital: Salt Lake City
- Borders: Idaho (north), Wyoming (northeast), Colorado (east), New Mexico (southeast, at the Four Corners), Arizona (south), and Nevada (west)
- Statehood: Became the 45th state on 4th January 1896
- Nickname: The Beehive State
- National Parks: Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion
- Major Cities: Salt Lake City, West Valley City, Provo, and Ogden.
- Festivals: Sundance Film Festival, a premier independent film festival held annually in Park City.
Location Map of Utah
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Note: Great Salt Lake is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere.
Great Salt Lake |
International Olympic Committee (IOC)
- Founded: June 23, 1894, in Paris, France.
- Founder: Pierre de Coubertin.
- Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland.
- About: It is a is a non-governmental international organisation.
- Objectives
- To ensure the regular holding of the Olympic Games and foster Olympism and the Olympic movement.
- The Committee decides the rules and regulations of the Olympic Games.
- It also decides when and where the next Olympics event will be held.
RIVER SEINE
Why in the News?
The Paris Olympics opening ceremony will be held on the River Seine. The opening ceremony will feature thousands of athletes and performers parading along a 6-km stretch of the river.
About
- Location: Northern France
- Source: Source Seine
- Mouth: English Channel (French: la Manche)
- River system: Seine basin
- It is the second-longest river in France as first is the Loire.
Map of Seine River
WORLD DROWNING PREVENTION DAY 2024
It is annually observed on 25th July to raise awareness and accelerate action on global drowning prevention. The theme for the day 2024 is Anyone can drown, no one should while the slogan chosen by World Health Organization (WHO) for the day is Seconds can save a life.
World Health Organization
- Founded: 1948
- Headquarter: Geneva, Switzerland
- About: It is an inter-governmental organization and works in collaboration with its member states usually through the Ministries of Health.
- Objectives
- To act as the directing and coordinating authority on international health work.
- To establish and maintain effective collaboration with the United Nations, specialized agencies, governmental health administrations, professional groups and such other organizations as may be deemed appropriate.
- To provide assistance to the Governments, upon request, in strengthening health services.
- To promote cooperation among scientific and professional groups which contribute to the advancement of health.
World Health Organization (WHO)
General Knowledge
UNLAWFUL ACTIVITIES PREVENTION ACT (UAPA)
- Enacted:1967
- Objective: To deal with secessionist movements and anti-national activities.
- It empowers the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to investigate and prosecute cases under UAPA across the country.
- About
- It allows for the detention of suspects without charge or trial for up to 6 months.
- It provides for the death penalty and life imprisonment as the highest punishments for terrorist acts.
- Famous Cases
- Elgar Parishad Case, 2017
- Bhima Koregaon Case, 2018
- Delhi Riots, 2020
- Yasin Malik, 2022
About National Investigation Agency (NIA)
- Established: 2009
- The agency was formed after the Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008 under National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act, 2008.
- It operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Authority
- To take over investigations of terrorism-related cases from state police forces and other agencies.
- Conduct investigations across state boundaries without needing prior permission from state governments.
- The State government can refer cases related to scheduled offences to the Central government for NIA investigation under Section 6 of the NIA Act 2008.
- There is a special cell to deal with LWE (Left Wing Extremism) cases related to terror financing.
- Scheduled Offences
- Explosive Substances Act
- Atomic Energy Act
- Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act
- Anti-Hijacking Act
- Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation Act
- SAARC Convention (Suppression of Terrorism) Act
- Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Maritime Navigation and Fixed Platforms on Continental Shelf Act
- Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act
- Any other relevant offences under the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act and the Information Technology Act.
- Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act
NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL (NGT)
- Establishment: 18th October 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010
- Chairman: Justice Prakash Shrivastava
- It has the authority to hear cases relating to environmental protection, enforce environmental laws, and provide relief and compensation for damages.
- India became the third country globally, after Australia and New Zealand and the first developing country to establish a specialized environmental tribunal.
- Five places of sittings are in New Delhi, Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai
- Jurisdiction: Seven laws
- The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
- The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977
- The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
- The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
- The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
- The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991
- The Biological Diversity Act, 2002
CHRISTOPHER THOMAS (C. T.) KURIEN
- C.T. Kurien was an Indian professor of economics based in Bangalore, Karnataka.
- He died on 23 July 2024, at the age of 93.
- He served as a professor at the Delhi School of Economics and later as the Director of the Centre for Development Studies (CDS) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
- He made significant contributions to development economics, particularly in the context of Kerala's unique development model.
- Works: He authored 15 books on various aspects of economics.
- Notable Works
- Poverty, Planning and Social Transformation (1978)
- Growth and Justice (1992)
- Wealth and Illfare (2012)
- Our five-year plans (1966)
- What is Growth?
C. T. Kurien, Indian Economist
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP (PPP)
- It is a collaboration where the strengths of both the public and private sectors are combined to deliver a project or service that benefits the public.
- A private entity is chosen based on open competitive bidding and receives performance-linked payments.
- Types
- Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT)
- Build-Own-Operate (BOO)
- Build-Operate-Lease-Transfer (BOLT)
- Design-Build-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT)
- Lease-Develop-Operate (LDO)
- Operate-Maintain-Transfer (OMT)
- Examples
- Atal Distribution Transformation Yojana (ADITYA)
- Tejas Express
- ESeva
COLOMBIA
- It is officially known as the Republic of Colombia, located in South America.
- It is the only country in South America whose coastlines touch both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
- It is part of the Ring of Fire, a region of the world known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
- The Andes Mountains cover about 25% of Colombia's total territory.
- It has the world’s 2nd-highest biodiversity level.
- It is one of the world's 17th megadiverse countries.
- Borders
- The Caribbean Sea in the North.
- Venezuela in the East.
- Brazil in the South-East.
- Ecuador and Peru in the South.
- The Pacific Ocean in the West.
- Panama in the North-West.
India-Colombia Relations
- India and Colombia agreed on diplomatic ties in 1959.
- It is India’s commercial point of entry into Latin America.
- The two countries opened embassies in the 1970s in New Delhi and Bogota.
- India’s oil company had invested US$425 million dollars in oil production in Colombia in 2006.
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COLOMBIA
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Location of Colombia