20th June, 2024

1. In a bid to kick-start the nation’s offshore mineral auctions, the Centre has introduced the Offshore Areas (Existence of Mineral Resources) Rules, 2024.
2. The Post Office Act 2023 has replaced the Indian Post Office Act, 1898.
3. In the 75th year of its establishment, the Supreme Court of India is organizing a Special Lok Adalat from July 29 to August 3, 2024.
4. Thailand has legalized same-sex marriage, making it the first country in Southeast Asia, and third in Asia (after Taiwan and Nepal)to do so.
5. The government monetized assets worth ₹1.56 lakh crore under the National Monetization Pipeline (NMP) in 2023-24, lower than the target of ₹1.8 lakh crore.
6. According to the State of Global Air (SoGA) 2024 report, air pollution has accounted for 8.1 million deaths worldwide in 2021.
7. Recently the 9th Kroll’s Celebrity Brand Valuation Report 2023 report: Brands, Business, Bollywood report was released by the Kroll.
8. Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan released India’s first Joint Doctrine for Cyberspace Operations during the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) meeting in New Delhi.
9. Finland-based technology company Wärtsilä group has launched the world’s first large-scale 100% hydrogen-ready engine power plant. This innovative plant is designed to enable net-zero power systems of the future.
10. Sankara Eye Foundation, India has inaugurated the country’s pioneering Innovation Lab, for eye care.
11. World Sickle Cell Day is an annual observance held on June 19 to raise awareness about sickle cell disease (SCD).
12. National Reading Day is annually observed across India on 19 June to mark the death anniversary of Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker (PN Panicker).
13. Eminent children’s filmmaker Vinod Ganatra has become the first Indian to be conferred with South Africa’s prestigious ‘Nelson Mandela Lifetime Achievement Award’ for his outstanding contribution to children’s cinema.
14. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (MoPPGP), Government of India and Public Service Commission (PSC), Office of the President, the Republic of the Gambia signed extension of the existing MoU.
15. Seven-term parliamentarian and leader of the Bhartiya Janata Party Mr. Bhartruhari Mahtab was appointed pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
16. The kafala system is a system of labor sponsorship that defines the relationship between foreign workers and their local employers in the Middle Eastern countries.

National News

1. Centre introduced Offshore Areas (Existence of Mineral Resources) Rules, 2024
   • What: In a bid to kick-start the nation’s offshore mineral auctions, the Centre has introduced the Offshore Areas (Existence of Mineral Resources) Rules, 2024.
   • These rules govern the development and regulation of mineral resources in India’s maritime zones.
   • Tell me more:
     • Offshore Mining: This involves extracting mineral deposits from deep seabeds beyond 200 meters.
     • Objective: Offshore mining aims to enhance mineral availability and decrease import reliance. However, challenges such as limited private involvement, demand for skilled labor, and high capital requirements persist.
     • Legal Framework: The rules are introduced under the authority of the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002.
     • Applicability: They apply to all minerals except
       • On mineral oils and hydrocarbons
       • On minerals specified in Part B of the First Schedule to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957
     • Stages Covered: The rules outline stages of exploration, feasibility studies, economic assessments, and classification of mineral resources and reserves.
     • In initial round, Ministry of Mines will be auctioning 10 Offshore mine sites.
   • About the new rules:
   • The rules defines exploration for any mineral deposit in 4 stages:
     • reconnaissance survey (G4), preliminary exploration (G3), general exploration (G2), and detailed exploration (G1).
     • As per the new regulations, a minimum of G2 is mandatory to grant mining leases and G4 is required for obtaining composite licenses.
     • These standards aim to provide a clear and structured approach to evaluate the presence and potential of mineral resources before extraction.
   • The new rules categorizes Feasibility studies for offshore mineral resources into 3 stages:
     • The geological study (F3) involves to document exploration activities and to assess mineral resources with a preliminary economic exploration.
     • The pre-feasibility study (F2) assesses the potential techno-economic and social environment viability of the deposit, which further helps to identify preferred production and beneficial methods, and also includes a preliminary analysis.
     • The feasibility study (F1) provides a comprehensive evaluation which confirms the technical, economic, and financial viability of mineral deposit.
   • The new rules classified the economic viability of offshore mineral resources into 3 stages:
     • intrinsically economic (E3), potentially economic (E2) and economic (E1).
     • These 3 stages emphasis on technical and environmental assessments.
       • For intrinsically economic (E3), resources are identified based on geological studies and show inherent economic interest. It is also required to assess their economic feasibility through pre-feasibility or feasibility studies.
       • For potential economic (E2), resources are identified through pre-feasibility or feasibility studies but, do not justify extraction.
       • Economic resources covered under economic (E1), have been thoroughly examined through pre-feasibility or feasibility studies and assure profit under present conditions.
         Source: Business Standard
2. The Post Office Act 2023 comes into effect
   • What: The Post Office Act 2023, has replaced the Indian Post Office Act, 1898.
   • Tell me more:
     • The new act simplifies the legislative framework for citizen-centric services, banking, and government scheme benefits.
   • Provisions of the Post Office Act, 2023
     • The Director General of Postal Services (DGPS) will be appointed to head India Post.
     • DGPS will have powers to regulate matters such as charges for services, supply, and sale of postage stamps.
     • Powers to intercept postal articles:
       • The government can intercept an article transmitted through India Post on specified grounds.
         • Grounds include security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, emergency, or public safety.
       • Exemptions from liability: Post office will not incur any liability with regard to its services, except such liability as may be prescribed with regard to a service provided by the Post Office.
       • There are no penal provisions prescribed in the Act.
     • Importance of the Act
       • It creates a simple legislative framework for delivery of citizen centric services, banking services and benefits of Government schemes at the last mile.
       • It enhances the ease of doing business and ease of living.
     • According to the Act, the Government will not have any exclusive privilege over conveying letters.
       • This means that the government will no longer have a monopoly in this regard
     • The Act provides immunity to post office employees from any liability related to the loss, mis-delivery, delay or damage to a postal article. Except, they have acted fraudulently or willfully caused loss, delay or mis-delivery of service.
       • However, the Government may prescribe liability with regard to services by India Post under the rules. vi.
     • The Act removes penal provisions for various offences such as: theft, misappropriation, or destruction of postal articles by an officer of the Post Office. In case, if any person refuses to pay required charges referred in sub section (1) of the Act, such amount shall be recoverable as arrears of land revenue.
       Source: PIB

3. SC to organize Special Lok Adalat on the 75th year of its establishment for dispute settlement
   • What: In the 75th year of its establishment, the Supreme Court of India is organizing a Special Lok Adalat from July 29 to August 3, 2024.
   • The purpose of this Lok Adalat is to facilitate amicable settlements of suitable pending cases.
   • Lok Adalats play a crucial role in our judicial system by promoting alternative dispute resolution and expediting resolution through amicable settlements.
     Source: Supreme Court

International News

1. Thailand to become third Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage
   • What: Thailand has legalized same-sex marriage, making it the first country in Southeast Asia, and third in Asia (after Taiwan and Nepal)to do so.
     Source: Indian Express

Banking and Economy

1. Govt monetises ₹1.56 lakh crore assets in FY24, falls short of ₹1.8 lakh crore target
   • What: The government monetized assets worth ₹1.56 lakh crore under the National Monetization Pipeline (NMP) in 2023-24, lower than the target of ₹1.8 lakh crore.
     • The NMP is a government initiative in India aimed at generating revenue by leasing or selling the central government’s brownfield infrastructure assets.
     • These assets include roads, railways, power plants, and other existing public infrastructure.
     • The goal of the NMP is to unlock the value of these assets to fund new infrastructure projects and boost economic growth.
   • Tell me more:
     • Under the NMP, the central government expects to earn ₹6 lakh crore by monetizing its existing infrastructure assets over four years, from FY22 to FY25.
     • The total target for the first two years 2021-22, and 2022-23, under the NMP, was around ₹2.5 lakh crore, against which about ₹2.30 lakh crore was achieved.
     • “During the financial year 2023-24, against the target of ₹1.8 lakh crore, which is the highest among all the four years, the achievement has been around ₹1.56 lakh crore.
       • Further, this achievement in 2023-24, is around 159 percent of 2021-22.
     • Ministry-wise asset monetization data (FY24):
       • Ministries of road transport, and highways- ₹40,314 crore in FY24
       • Ministry of Coal – ₹56,794 crore,
       • Ministry of Power – ₹14,690 crore
       • Ministry of Mines – ₹4,090 crores
       • Ministry of Petroleum, and Natural Gas- Rs 9,587 crore
       • Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs- Rs 6,480 crore
       • Ministry of Shipping- Rs 7,627 crore
         • All these ministries achieved 70 percent of their monetization targets.
           Source: Hindu Business Line

Report and Indices

1. Air pollution killed 8.1 million globally, 2.1mn in India in 2021: State of Global Air Report
   • What: According to the State of Global Air (SoGA) 2024 report, air pollution has accounted for 8.1 million deaths worldwide in 2021.
     • China and India account for more than half of the global burden at 2.3 and 2.1 million deaths respectively.
     • Both countries accounts for 55% of the global burden.
   • Report released by: US-based research organisation Health Effects Institute (HEI), and UNICEF
     • The report is released annually
   • Tell me more:
     • As per the report, Air pollution is the second leading risk factor for death, surpassed only by high blood pressure.
     • Air pollution accounts for nearly 464 deaths of children under five in India and 2,000 young lives daily worldwide,
     • The report states that 489,000 deaths globally were attributable to ozone exposure in 2021 — of these deaths nearly 50% or 237,000 deaths took place in India.
       • India also reported the highest number of pollution-linked deaths in children under the age of five in 2021 with at least 169,400 deaths attributed to air pollution.
       • Children under five years old are particularly vulnerable
     • Exposure to air pollution was linked to over 700,000 child deaths in this age group in 2021, with 500,000 of these attributed to household air pollution from indoor cooking with polluting fuels, primarily in Africa and Asia.
     • The majority of these deaths—7.8 million people—are associated with PM2.5 air pollution, which affects multiple organ systems and increases the risks of noncommunicable diseases in adults, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

2. Kroll’s Celebrity Brand Valuation Report 2023
   • What: Recently the 9th Kroll’s Celebrity Brand Valuation Report 2023 report: Brands, Business, Bollywood report was released by the Kroll.
   • Tell me more:

• Virat Kohli’s wealth has increased by USD 51 million (Mn) comparison to last year.
• Bollywood Actor Ranveer Singh, who topped the 2022 list, dropped to the 2nd position.
• Note: Brand value of Virat Kohli and Ranveer Singh have surpassed the USD 200 million mark for the 1st time.
• Also, Katrina Kaif featured in the list of India’s most valued celebrity brands for the first time in the last five years with a valuation of $27.1 million.
• The overall brand value of the top 25 celebrities in 2023 is estimated at $1.9 billion, an increase of 15.5 per cent from last year.
• “The cumulative number of product brand endorsements by the top 20 celebrities increased to 484 in 2023, reflecting an increase of 14.2 per cent from 424 product brands in 2022.
• The report also noted the rising trends of celebrities turning active investors in various start-ups as well as launching their own ventures or labels
  Source: Business Line

Defence News

1. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) released India’s first Joint Doctrine for Cyberspace Operations
   • What: Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan released India’s first Joint Doctrine for Cyberspace Operations during the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) meeting in New Delhi.
   • This publication provides conceptual guidance to commanders of armed forces, staff
     and practitioners in planning and conducting Cyberspace Operations.
     • It will also promote Jointness and Integration of three services (Army, Navy and
       Air Force).
     • Cyberspace has emerged as crucial domain in modern warfare, in addition to traditional domains of Land, Sea, and Air.
   • Tell me more:
     • Cyberspace warfare
       • Cyber-attacks can disable official websites and networks, disrupt or disable essential services, steal or alter classified data, cripple financial systems etc.
       • Cyber warfare ecosystem includes Cyber terrorism, Cyber Fraud, Cyber Spying, Cyber stalking
         Source: PIB

Science and Technology

1. Wärtsilä Launches World’s First Large-Scale 100% Hydrogen-Ready Engine Power Plant
   • What: Finland-based technology company Wärtsilä group has launched the world’s first large-scale 100% hydrogen-ready engine power plant. This innovative plant is designed to enable net-zero power systems of the future.
   • The 100% hydrogen-ready engine is expected to be available for orders in 2025, and available for delivery from 2026.
     Source: Economic Times
2. Sankara Eye Foundation, Unveils First-of-its Kind Innovation Lab for Eye Care in India
   • What: Sankara Eye Foundation, India has inaugurated the country’s pioneering Innovation Lab, for eye care.
     • This lab is dedicated to advancing research, development, and training in eye care. Its mission is to provide equitable access to high-quality eye care across India, including its remotest villages
   • Tell me more:
     • Financially Supported by: Gopalaswamy Doraiswamy Naidu Charities.
     • Located in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu,
       Source: First India

Important Days

1. June 19: World Sickle Cell Day
   • What: World Sickle Cell Day is an annual observance held on June 19 to raise awareness about sickle cell disease (SCD).
   • This year’s theme is: “Hope Through Progress: Advancing Sickle Cell Care Globally”.
     Source: Sickel Society
   
   

2. June 19: National Reading Day 
   • What: National Reading Day is annually observed across India on 19 June to mark the death anniversary of Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker (PN Panicker).
   • He was a renowned teacher and educationist from Kerala, who is widely regarded as the Father of the Library and Literacy Movement in Kerala.

• Background:
  • On 19 June 1996, the Government of Kerala and the PN Panicker Foundation started this Day as “Vaayanadinam” or Reading Day in Kerala (state observance) to mark the 1st annual remembrance day of PN Panicker.
    Source: NDTV

Awards

1. Filmmaker Vinod Ganatra Honoured with Nelson Mandela Lifetime Achievement Award
   • What: Eminent children’s filmmaker Vinod Ganatra has become the first Indian to be conferred with South Africa’s prestigious ‘Nelson Mandela Lifetime Achievement Award’ for his outstanding contribution to children’s cinema.
   • The award was presented to him at the 7th Nelson Mandela Children’s Film Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa
   • Tell me more (Career highlights)
     • Globally renowned filmmaker and editor from Gujarat, based in Mumbai
     • His first TV program, ‘Baingan Raja,’ won the ‘Janakinath Gaur Award’ from Doordarshan
     • His Gujarati film ‘Harun Arun,’ made on the India-Pakistan border, received the ‘Liv Ullmann Peace Prize’ at the 26th Chicago International Children’s Film Festival
       • The only Indian to have won the prestigious ‘Liv Ullmann Peace Prize’
     • Recipient of 36 national and international awards
     • Awarded the ‘Dadasheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award’ by the Association of Film and Video Editors
     • Served as a jury member for over 100 national, regional, and international film festivals worldwide
     • He served as an Honorary Secretary, a Vice President, and a President of the Indian Documentary Producer Association (IDPA).
       Source: Midday

Memorandum of Understanding

1. Extension of MoU on ‘Refurbishing Personnel Administration and Governance Reforms’
   • What: The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (MoPPGP), Government of India and Public Service Commission (PSC), Office of the President, the Republic of the Gambia signed extension of the existing MoU.
   • The name of the MoU: ‘Refurbishing Personnel Administration and Governance Reforms’
   • Tell me more:
     • Applicable from: 8th July, 2024
     • Validity: 2024-2029 (5 years)
       • The existing MoU was signed on 8th July 2021 for a period of 3 years.
   • About the MoU:
     • The main objective of the MoU is to strengthen and promote bilateral cooperation between India and Gambia in Personnel Administration and Governance Reforms.
     • It includes sharing of their best practices focused primarily on administrative reforms, good governance webinars, research publications, capacity building programs etc.
     • The areas of cooperation covered under the MoU are:
       • Improving the Performance Management System in Government, Implementation of contributory Pension Scheme and E-recruitment in Government. i
       • Under this MoU, a Joint Working Group on Public Administration and Governance Reforms will be established to create a roadmap for the bilateral collaboration.
         Source: PIB

Appointments

1. B Mahtab appointed pro-tem Speaker of Lok Sabha
   • What: Seven-term parliamentarian and leader of the Bhartiya Janata Party Mr. Bhartruhari Mahtab was appointed pro-tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
   • He is a Member of Parliament from the Cuttack Constituency seat.
   • He was appointed as pro-tem Speaker by President Droupadi Murmu under Article 95(1) of the Constitution to perform the duties of the Lok Sabha presiding officer till the election of the Speaker.
     Source: ZeeBiz

Miscellaneous

1. Kafala System
   • The kafala system is a system of labor sponsorship that defines the relationship between foreign workers and their local employers in the Middle Eastern countries.
   • The kafala system requires each worker to have a sponsor or Kafeel. This sponsor controls the worker’s legal status, visa, and contract terms.
   • The system emerged in the 1950s to provide temporary and rotating laborers in the period of economic boom.
   • The system is often criticized for being oppressive and exploitative of unskilled migrant workers, especially women.

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