- INDIA REFUSES TO ENDORSE UKRAINE MEET STATEMENT
- Ukraine Peace Summithosted by Switzerland —“Joint Communique on a Peace Framework”released in Burgenstock
- A two-day summit in Switzerland dedicated to forging a path forward to end the war in Ukraine concluded with key powers spurning a joint communique agreed to by more than 80 other countries and international organizations.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin was not invited, with Swiss officials saying Russia could join a future conference on the “road map” to peace.
- India, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates did not agree to sign the joint statement
- All of them have important trading relationships with Russia as members of the BRICS economic group
- Brazilmaintained an observer status, and Chinadeclined the invitation to participate.
2. PRERNA STHAL
Prerna Sthalon the Parliament House premises accommodates15 statues of freedom fighters and icons of Indian historyrelocated from various parts of the compound.
3. SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT (SWM) CESS
- The Solid Waste Management (SWM) Cessis a fee levied by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to cover the costs associated with the collection, transportation, processing, and disposal of solid waste. This fee is mandated by the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, and is typically collected along with property tax. Rationale Behind SWM Cess
- Legal Mandate: According to the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)are required to collect user fees or cess for the provision of SWM services.
- Cost Recovery: The cess helps ULBs recover a portion of the costs incurred in providing SWM services.
- Typically, ULBs charge about ₹30-50 per month, but there is a move to revise these rates to better reflect the actual costs. Revenue and Expenditure
- Large Cities: Large cities like Bangalore spend about 15% of their budget on SWM (₹1,643 crore out of ₹11,163 crore), while revenue from SWM services is negligible (₹20 lakh per year).
- Smaller Cities: Smaller cities spend up to 50% of their budget on SWM but also generate negligible revenue. Proposed Solutions
- Segregation at Source: Encouraging segregation of waste at the source can significantly reduce the costs associated with collection and processing.
- Reducing Single-Use Plastic: Reducing the use of single-use plastics can lower the volume of non-recyclable waste.
- Decentralized Composting: Promoting decentralized composting initiatives can reduce the burden on central processing facilities.
- Information, Education, and Awareness (IEC): Educating the public to prevent open littering and encouraging responsible waste disposal practices.
- Bulk Waste Generators: Asking bulk waste generators to process their own waste can reduce the load on municipal services.
4. INDIA READY TO HOST ITS FIRST MULTINATIONAL AIR EXERCISE TARANG SHAKTI IN AUGUST
- The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to host its first multinational air exercise,Tarang Shakti-2024, in August 2024
- This exercise is expected to see participation from 10 countries, with additional countries acting as observers
- aims to: Interoperabilityamong the participating air forces.
- Operational Readiness and learn from the best practices.
- Strengthening strategic partnershipswith friendly foreign countries.
- Showcasing Technology
- Background – Red Flag Exercise Experience:The IAF recently participated in the Red Flag exercisehosted by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) from June 4 to 14, 2024, at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska.
- This experience has enriched the IAF’s operational capabilities and preparedness for hosting Tarang Shakti-2024.
- Deferred Schedule:Now scheduled to be held in two phases in August and September 2024. Phases of the Exercise
- First Phase: Location:Southern India
- Duration:First two weeks of August 2024
- Second Phase:
- Location:Western Sector
- Duration:End of August to mid-September 2024 Some countries will participate in both phases, while others will join only one of the two phases. Participating Countries The exercise will see contingents from the following countries:
- Australia • France • Germany • Japan • Spain • United Arab Emirates (UAE) • United Kingdom (UK) • United States (US)
- Germany will deploy fighter jets and an A-400M transport aircraft, which is also a contender for the IAF’s open tender for medium transport aircraft
5. CENTRE TO CRACK DOWN ON LATE COMING IN OFFICES
- Technology Used to Tackle Attendance Issues in Government Offices Aadhaar-Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS)
- Overview: AEBAS is a technology-driven initiative aimed at ensuring punctuality and regular attendance of government employees. It leverages Aadhaar to authenticate employees’ attendance.
- Functionality: Biometric Authenticationusing biometric devices that capture fingerprints or iris scans, linked to their Aadhaar numbers.
- Real-Time Monitoringsystem can monitor the respective departments and ministries from the BAS portal to identify defaulters and ensure compliance. Face-Based Authentication
- Introduction by UIDAI: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has introduced face-based authentication applications compatible with Android and Apple phones.
- This technology is an extension of the biometric system, offering an alternative method for attendance marking.
- Features: Faster Authentication:Face authentication provides a quicker way to verify an employee’s identity.
- Live Location Detection:The system can detect the live location of the employee, ensuring they are marking attendance from the designated office premises.
- Geo-Tagging:The technology includes geo-tagging features to record the exact location where the attendance is marked.
- Accessibility:Special arrangements are made for employees with disabilities to ensure they can easily access and use the biometric devices. Disciplinary Actions:
- Casual Leave (CL) Deduction:Half-a-day’s CL is debited for each day of late attendance. Late attendance up to an hour on not more than two occasions in a month may be condoned for justifiable reasons.
- Earned Leave Deduction:If no CL is available, Earned Leave may be debited.
- Misconduct:Habitual late attendance or early leaving is treated as misconduct under the CCS (Conduct) Rules, 1964, and may attract disciplinary action.
ONE LINER
- Author Yuma Vasuki selected for Bala Puraskar Award 2024 by Sahitya Akademi
- Young writer Lokesh Raguraman selected for Sahitya Akademi’s Yuva Puraskar award
