6 July 2024, The Indian EXPRESS
Manufacturing in defence hits record high at Rupees 1.27 lakh cr
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GS3-Infrastructure: Manufacturing
- India’s indigenous defence production rose to a record high value of Rs 1.27 lakh crore in 2023-24, the Defence Ministry said Friday, attributing the 16.7% growth against the previous fiscal to government policies and self-reliance initiatives.
- Congratulating the industry, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the Government was committed to creating a more conducive regime for developing India as a leading global defence manufacturing hub.
2 Gaganyaan astronauts to go to ISS aboard the axion-4 mission
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GS3-Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology; Indigenization of Technology and Developing New Technology
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has shortlisted two of its four trained Gaganyaan astronauts for a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in collaboration with United States’ NASA later this year, according to officials in the know of the matter.
- Only one of the shortlisted astronauts will go on the mission which is supposed to take place “no earlier than October 2024,” according to the information available on NASA website.
- The mission will take place “no earlier than October 2024,” according to the information available on NASA website.
How Agniveer compensation differs from a regular soldier’s
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GS3-Various Security Forces and Agencies and their Mandate
- Earlier this week, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged that the family of Agniveer Ajay Kumar, who was killed in a landmine blast in January, did not receive financial assistance from the government.
- After Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told Parliament that an Agniveer who is killed in the line of duty receives a compensation of Rs 1 crore, Rahul posted on social media accusing him of lying to the House.
Aphelion
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GS1-Salient features of World’s Physical Geography.
- Earth reaches aphelion every July. This year it did so on Friday.
- That Earth has an aphelion is a result of its orbit being elliptical, rather than circular.
- According to Kirby Runyon, a geologist at the Planetary Science Institute, all planets in the solar system travel in elongated circles around the Sun, rather than perfect ones.
- This is most likely true for worlds around other stars, too.
Balance of payment
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GS3-Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development
- Last week, data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) showed that India’s current account registered a surplus during the fourth quarter (Jan-Mar) of the 2023-24 financial year.
- This was the first time in 11 quarters that India had witnessed a surplus.
- Movements in the current account are closely monitored as they not only impact the exchange rate of the rupee and India’s sovereign ratings, but also because they point to the overall health of the economy.
The Dubey Doctrine
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GS2-Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
- Ambassador Muchkund Dubey, who died last week, was a polymath excelling in the worlds of diplomacy and scholarship, poetry and public policy, social development and global justice.
- In the story of independent India’s diplomacy, Dubey holds a special place for driving the nation’s quest for a just world order.
Not an open and shut case
Page no- 13
GS2-Indian Constitution—Historical Underpinnings, Evolution, Features, Amendments, Significant Provisions and Basic Structure
- There has been a seismic shift in criminal law in India. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS) has replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, has come in the stead of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 replaces the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.
- The three new statutes impact offences that are committed on and after July 1. The BNS, via a saving and repeal clause, specifically provides that it will not affect anything done or suffered under the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
- This column will address only changes made by the BNS. Subsequent columns will explore the changes made to criminal procedure and evidence law.
How the US, EU tariff wars on China are fuelling a global container shortage
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GS2-Effect of Policies and Politics of Developed and Developing Countries on India’s interests
- As European Union’s 37.6 per cent tariffs on imports of Chinese Electric Vehicles (EVs) kick in from Friday, barely a month before US tariffs are slated to come into effect, India exporters as well as traders globally are hit by unprecedented container shortages.
- At a review meeting in the Commerce Ministry last month, exporters brought up concerns of a sudden shortage of containers, pointing at structural weakness that has been hurting Indian goods exports since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Retails, apparel dominate informal enterprises, employ most workers
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GS3-Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development and Employment
- Retail trade, manufacturing of wearing apparel, and community, social and personal services were the top activity categories in the informal sector and employed the highest number of workers among the informal enterprises, the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Enterprises (ASUSE) for 2021-22 and 2022-23 released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on Friday showed.
Crisil: Veg & non-veg thali prices rise in June
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GS3-Inclusive Growth and issues arising from it
- The cost of representative home-cooked vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis increased by 6 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively, on a month-on-month basis in June 2024, CRISIL MI&A Research said.
- The cost of the veg thali rose on-month mainly due to a rise in vegetable prices, with prices of potato, onion and tomato rising 9 per cent, 15 per cent and 29 per cent, respectively, due to lower arrivals, it said.
- The cost of the non-veg thali also rose due to elevated vegetable prices, but an estimated one per cent on-month increase in the cost of broiler, which accounts for 50 per cent of the non-veg thali cost, arrested further increase.
