Highlights of German Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius visit to India; TKMS MDL sign pact for bid IN’s Rs 43,000cr P75I Projecti.The Federal Minister of Defence of Germany, Boris Pistorius was on a 4-day official visit to India from June 5-8, 2023 for facilitating bilateral defence cooperation and exploring avenues for strategic partnership.
ii.Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and India’s Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence hold talks to enhance bilateral defence cooperation, particularly industrial partnership.
iii.The issue of global supply chain disruptions was also discussed and the Indian side asked the German side to diversify their supply chains to stable and open countries.
iv.German defence major Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and state-run Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Indian Navy’s (IN) P-75 India (P75I) Submarine Project.
About Germany:
Capital– Berlin
Currency– Euro
President– Frank-Walter Steinmeiera

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PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the first-ever National Training Conclave for Civil ServantsOn 11th June 2023, Narendra Modi, Prime Minister (PM) of India inaugurated the first-ever National Training Conclave aimed at strengthening the training infrastructure for Civil Servants across India at an event held at the International Exhibition and Convention Centre, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, Delhi.

• The Conclave was being hosted by the Capacity Building Commission (CBC) and is organised under the authority of the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB) – ‘Mission Karmayogi.’.
• The training modules nurture potential of officilas as well as instil the whole of government approach and spirit of Jan Bhagidari (people’s participation).

Highlights:
i. The Integrated Government Online Training (iGOT) Karmayogi platform has brought about a level playing field as it provides opportunities to everyone for training.

• Karmayogi Mission seeks to improve the orientation, mindset and approach of the government personnel

ii. Over 1500 representatives from various training institutes, including Central, State, Regional and Zonal Training Institutes, and Research institutes attended the conclave.
iii. Civil Servants from the Central government departments, State governments, and local governments, as well as experts from the private sector took part in the deliberations.
iv. This diverse gathering will foster the exchange of ideas, identify the challenges being faced and opportunities available, and generate actionable solutions and comprehensive strategies for capacity building,
v. The Conclave will have eight-panel discussions, each focusing on key concerns related to Civil Services training institutes such as faculty development, training impact assessment, and content digitisation.

Unemployment Rate fell to 7.7% in May: CMIE Report
Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy Pvt.Ltd.(CMIE) has recently released the data about the current unemployment rate in India for May 2023.According to its statistics, Unemployment rate decreased to 7.7% due to a decline in the labour participation at 441.9 million.

• In May 2023, the unemployment rate in India for individuals aged 15 years and above declined to 7.7%, marking a decrease from 8.5% in April 2023.Meanwhile labour participation rate fell by 1.1 % point to 39.6% in May when compared to April 2023.T
• The decline in labor participation was notably higher in rural India compared to urban India. Moreover, the urban labor market observed a decrease in both the employed and unemployed populations.

About  Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy Pvt. Ltd.
Established: 1976
Managing Director: Mahesh Vyas
Headquarters: Mumbai,Maharashtra

President Droupadi Murmu visit to Suriname & Serbia – 4th to 9th June 2023 President of India, Droupadi Murmu, paid a visit to Suriname and Serbia from 4th to 9th June 2023. She visited Paramaribo, Suriname at the invitation of Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of the Republic of Suriname and Serbia at the invitation of Aleksandar Vučić, President of Serbia.

• This mark’s her first state visit after assuming office in July 2022 and this also marks President Droupadi Murmu’s first visit to Europe.
• President Murmu’s visit to Serbia is the first-ever visit by an Indian President to Serbia.

i.During her visit, Suriname President honoured President Murmu with the “Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star” the highest civilian honour of Suriname.
ii.During the President’s visit, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) and Work Plan were signed between India and Suriname in the field of Health, Agriculture ad capacity building.
iii.She also addressed the India-Serbia Business Forum during her visit to Serbia.  President Droupadi Murmu and President Aleksandar Vucic agreed to set a target for bilateral trade from the present 320 million euros to one billion euros by the end of the decade.
About Serbia: 
Prime Minister– Ana Brnabić
Capital– Belgrade
Currency– Serbian Dinar

Highlights of the 2nd Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy of FY24The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) 6-members Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) met on 6th, 7th and 8th June 2023 and released its second bi-monthly monetary policy statement for FY24 (Financial year 2023-2024).
Key Points:
i.The MPC has decided to keep the policy rates under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) unchanged (maintains status quo) with the stance remain focused on the withdrawal of accommodation.
ii.Growth: India’s real gross domestic product (GDP) growth for FY24 was projected at 6.5% with 8 percent in Q1, 6.5 percent in Q2, 6 percent in Q3, and 5.7 percent in Q4.
iii.Inflation: Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation was projected at 5.1 percent in FY24, with 4.6 percent in Q1, 5.2 percent in Q2, 5.4 percent in Q3, and 5.2 percent in Q4.
-Key Development Regulations
i.RBI introduced a comprehensive regulatory framework under which all REs including cooperative lenders could be able to execute ‘compromise settlements/one-time settlements (OTS) and technical write-offs’, to resolve non-performing assets (NPA) and streamline instructions for regulated entities.
ii.RBI has extended the phase-in time for achievement of the Priority Sector Lending (PSL) Targets for Primary (Urban) Cooperative Banks (UCBs) by two years, i.e. from March 31, 2024 to March 31, 2026.
iii.To increase the scope of e-RUPI vouchers,  RBI proposed to expand the scope and reach of e-RUPI vouchers by permitting non-bank Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) issuers to issue e-RUPI vouchers and enabling issuance of e-RUPI vouchers on behalf of individuals.
iv.RBI decided to allow issuance of RuPay Prepaid Forex (Foreign Exchange) cards by banks in India for use at ATMs, PoS machines and online merchants overseas to expand payment options for Indians travelling abroad.
About the Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors– Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment– 1st April 1935

SBM Bank India Launches World Elite Metal Debit Card for the Uber-affluent Indian On June 9, 2023, SBM Bank (India) Limited (SBM Bank India) launched SBM World Elite Metal Debit Card, Powered by Mastercard, for exclusive, on-invitation access to the world of luxury for the Uber-affluent Indian.

• This is an International Debit Card and can be used for international transactions.
• It is valid for a period of 5 years from the date of issue of the card.
• It is designed and being offered exclusively to SBM Private customers and will target growing segment of affluent Indians with a global outlook.

Key Points:
i.Each card comes with the assured concierge network from Mastercard, exclusive privileges across 500 luxury hotels, resorts and Michelin-star restaurants globally, including Taj Epicure.
ii.It also provides unlimited complimentary airport lounge access globally.
iii.This debit card can be used for cash withdrawals at any ATM (Automated Teller Machine), any number of times, at no extra cost.
iv.The cardholders can access the finest health advisors, and coordinators, a network of more than 50,000 of the world’s leading medical experts, and VIP (Very Important Person) access to 46 premium golf clubs and golf programs across 12 countries.
About SBM Bank (India) Limited (SBM Bank India):
It is the first bank to receive a universal banking license from the Reserve Bank of India to set up and operate as a Scheduled Commercial Bank under Wholly Owned Subsidiary (WOS) mode offering banking services in India.
MD & CEO– Sidharth Rath
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

World Bank approves $148M loan to West Bengal for Enhanced Rural Irrigation PracticesOn June 9th, 2023, The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a USD 148 million loan to support West Bengal, India, in improving irrigation practices in rural areas. The loan will help the region harness(utilize) the surface and groundwater resources more effectively for agricultural purposes.

• West Bengal aims to increase farmers’ incomes through production of a range of pulses, fruits, and vegetables which requires water for irrigation.
• The West Bengal Accelerated Development of Minor Irrigation Project – Phase II will support the state’s Department of Water Resources Investigation and Development and water-user associations (WUAs) to plan and operate new irrigation structures such as check dams, small-scale storage structures, creek rehabilitation, tube wells, and pump dug wells.
• The irrigation practices will allow for crop diversification to boost the yield of high-value crops including the production of 17,000 tons of oilseed and at least 10,000 tons of fish each year.

During Phase I, the Project created 2,277 WUAs and reached 125,000 beneficiaries.
The $148 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a maturity of 11.5 years with a grace period of four years.
Note:West Bengal is one of the largest food-producing states in India—producing nearly 15% of the nation’s rice—and the second largest fish-producing state.
About the World Bank:
Established: 1944
Presidents: Ajay Banga(14th President)
Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States

ADB to Fund USD 130 Million Loan for Horticulture in Himachal PradeshOn 8th June 2023, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and The Government of India signed a USD 130 million loan for the Himachal Pradesh Subtropical Horticulture, Irrigation, and Value Addition Project to increase agricultural productivity, improve access to irrigation and promote horticulture agribusinesses to raise farmers’ income in Himachal Pradesh, India.

• This agreement is based on the outcome of ADB’s project readiness facility which demonstrated the subtropical horticulture production over 200 hectares and prepared the draft water user association (WUA) act and the draft state horticulture development strategy.

Signatories:
Mr. Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, for the Government of India signed the Himachal Pradesh Subtropical Horticulture, Irrigation, and Value Addition Project with Takeo Konishi, Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission.
Benefits of the project:
i.This project will help the farmers to increase the income and resilience to the effects of climate change of at least 15,000 farm households across 7 districts of the state namely Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, Sirmour, Solan, and Una.
ii.This project will improve on-farm irrigation and water management in about 6,000 hectares of farmland by rehabilitating or building new irrigation schemes strengthening the capacity of water user association (WUA).
iii.This project will create cluster-wide community horticulture production and marketing associations (CHPMAs), as well as district-wide CHPMA cooperative societies, for farmers to access subtropical horticulture markets.
iv.The Farmer producer company (FPC) will manage CHPMAs in handling business plan development, agribusiness promotion, and designing value-addition facilities such as sorting and packaging facilities, and storage and collection centres.
About Asian Development Bank:
President – Masatsugu Asakawa
Headquarters – Manila, Philippines
Established – 1966

UAE emerges as fourth largest investor in India in FY23
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become India’s fourth largest investor in the fiscal year 2022-23 following the successful implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries in May 1, 2022.

• In 2023, UAE’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to India has risen to USD 3.35 Billion which is more than tripled from USD 1.03 Billion in 2021 to 22.
• The UAE was the fourth largest investor in India in 2022-23 compared to the seventh in 2021-22.
• Singapore was the largest investor in India with USD 17.2 billion investment in FY23, followed by Mauritius (USD 6.1 billion) and the US (USD 6 billion).

NOTE: UAE’s investments in India are mainly in sectors like services, sea transport, power and construction activities.

ACC appointed Amit Agrawal as new CEO of UIADI & Subodh Kumar Singh as Director-General of NTA

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) as part of a bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre appointed Senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers namely Amit Agrawal as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIADI) and Subodh Kumar Singh as the Director-General (DG) of the National Testing Agency (NTA).

• Amit Agrawal succeeds Saurabh Garg, whose two year term has ended and was also appointed as Secretary, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• Subodh Kumar Singh will be replacing Vineet Joshi, who was appointed as the DG of NTA in 2018 and in 2022, he was re-appointed as the Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
• Along with the new position as the CEO of UIADI in the rank, Amit Agrawal will also serve as the additional secretary of MeitY.

About Amit Agrawal:
i. Agrawal, 1993 batch IAS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre, is currently serving as the Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
ii. Prior to the Additional Secretary, he served as the Finance Secretary and Commercial Tax Secretary to the State Government of Chhattisgarh.
iii. He also served as the State Technical Education & Manpower Planning Secretary in Chhattisgarh.
iv. He was also theAdviser and Director in the Office of Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council.
v. He also served as the Joint Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Finance, Department of Financial Services.
About Subodh Kumar Singh:
i. Subodh Kumar Singh, 1997 batch IAS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre was initially the Joint Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution, and has been given in-situ upgradation to the level of Additional Secretary.
ii. Currently he is the Additional secretary in the Department of Food and Public Distribution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
iii. He was also serving as the Joint Secretary in the Civil Supplies Department.
About Unique Identification Authority of India (UIADI):
Founded in– 28 January 2009
CEO– Amit Agrawal
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
About National Testing Agency (NTA):
Founded in– 2017
Director General– Subodh Kumar Singh
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi

Nitin Agarwal appointed as the New DG of BSFAppointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed Nitin Agarwal, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 1989 Batch Kerala cadre, was appointed as the new Director General (DG) of the Border Security Force (BSF) from the date of joining the post and up to 31st July 2026, his date of superannuation, or till further orders whichever is earlier”.

• Nitin Agarwal will succeed Sujoy Lal Thaosen, who has been holding the additional charge of BSF since December 2022.
• Nitin Agarwal is currently serving as the Additional DG(ADG) (Operations), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) headquarters in Delhi.

Note: 
Sujoy Lal Thaosen, DG of CRPF, was given an additional charge as DG of BSF following the retirement of Pankaj Kumar Singh incumbent DG of BSF.
About Nitin Agarwal:
i.Nitin Agarwal was promoted as ADG in CRPF in 2014 while he was serving in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
ii.He has previously served in the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), formerly known as the Special Service Bureau, a border guarding force of India deployed along Nepal and Bhutan.
iii.He has also served at various capacities in his cadre state of Kerala.
Kerala cadre (1989-batch) Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Nitin Agarwal was appointed as the new Director General (DG) of the Border Security Force (BSF) with pay at Level-16 of the Pay Matrix.

• The order came from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the Ministry Of Home Affairs(MHA) proposal of appointing Nitin Agarwal as the new Director General of the BSF.

His previous positions:
IG Training at ITBP, IG Sashastra Seema Bal, and ADG-Police with Kerala Police.He also served as an Assistant Engineer at the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers.
Border Security Force (BSF):
The Border Security Force is the country’s premier security agency primarily tasked to guard the 4,096-km-long international border borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Note:

• The post of BSF chief has been vacant for more than five months after Pankaj Kumar Singh retired on December 31, 2022.
• CRPF DG Sujoy Lal Thaosen has been holding the additional charge of BSF for the last five months.

Novak Djokovic won his 23rd Grand Slam title at French Open 2023 Novak Djokovic, Serbian professional tennis player, won his 23rd Grand Slam title (Men’s singles category) in the French Open 2023 also known as 2023 Roland-Garros, held at Court Philippe-Chatrier in Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France.

• Novak Djokovic defeated Casper Ruud of Norway in the final of the French Open 2023 in straight sets 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-5 to win his 3rd Roland-Garros (French Open) title.
• Novak Djokovic, the winner of Men’s Single at the French Open, received the “La Coupe des Mousquetaires(Musketeers’ cup)” trophy. 

World’s No.1, Iga Świątek(22 years old), a Polish tennis player won the Women’s Singles title at the French Open 2023 by defeating Karolína Muchová, the Czech tennis player.

• This marks her 3rd French Open title(2020, 2022, 2023) and 4th Grand Slam title. She also became the youngest to win 4 major titles since Serena Williams in 2002.

About French Open 2023: 
i.French Open 2023, the 127th edition of the French Open, was held from 22nd May to 11th June 2023.
ii.The 2023 French Open, the 2nd Grand Slam tennis tournament of 2023, was played on outdoor clay courts.

Australia won 2nd ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 by defeating India The Australia men’s cricket team captained by Pat Cummins defeated Indian men’s cricket team captained by Rohit Sharma by 209 runs in the finals to win the 2nd edition of International Cricket Council (ICC) World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23.

• The finals of the ICC WTC 2021-2023 was held at The Oval, London, the United Kingdom.
• Australia batter Travis Head was adjudged the Player of the Match (Finals) for scoring 163 runs off 174 balls in 1st innings.
• The 1st edition ICC World Test Championship was won by New Zealand by defeating India by eight wickets.

About ICC World Test Championship:
i.The ICC World Test Championship is a two-year tournament with 9 teams competing for two spots in the WTC Final.
ii.Teams were ranked based on percentage of WTC points won in eligible Test matches. Each team played six WTC series – three at home and three away.Each test match has 12 points for a win, 4 for a draw, and 6 for a tie.
BEST PERFORMANCES in ICC WTC 2021-23:
Most runs: Joe Root (England)1915 runs in 22 matches.
Most wickets: Nathan Lyon (Australia) 83 wickets in 19 matches.
About International Cricket Council (ICC):
Chairman– Greg Barclay
Headquarters- Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Long jumper Murali Sreeshankar finishes third in prestigious Diamond League Meet in Paris

On 9th,June,2023 the 24-year-old Indian long jumper and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Murali Sreeshankar secured third place at the Paris Diamond League 2023 achieving a best jump of 8.09m in his 3rd attempt.

• This was Sreeshankar’s second appearance in the Diamond League.
• With this bronze medal, he became the third Indian after  Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and discus thrower Vikas Gowda to finish on the podium in the Diamond League.
• The top two spots were claimed by Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou (8.13m) and Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer (8.11m).
• The Diamond League Final will be held in Eugene, USA, on September 16 and 17 of 2023.

His previous achievements:

• Murali Sreeshankar came into the Paris leg of the Diamond League after winning three consecutive gold medals.
• In May 2023, Sreeshankar won a World Athletics Continental Tour bronze label event in Kallithea, Greece  with his season-best jump of 8.18m and made the cut for the upcoming Asian Games in China.
• He also won the Indian Grand Prix in March with a 7.94m jump. He also topped the podium at the MVA High-Performance athletics meet in the USA with an 8.29m wind-assisted effort.

Note: India’s national record in men’s long jump belongs to Jeswin Aldrin, who hit 8.42m earlier this year.

Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s ex-Prime Minister and Media Magnet Passed Away at 86 On 12th June 2023, Silvio Berlusconi, former Italian Prime Minister and the billionaire media magnet passed away at the age of 86 in Milan, Italy. He was born on 29th September, 1936 in Milan, Italy.

• He was the three-time Prime Minister (PM) of Italy serving during the period of 1994-1995, 2001-2006 and 2008-2011.
• He was the longest-serving post-war PM of Italy, and the third longest-serving since the Unification of Italy, after Benito Mussolini and Giovanni Giolitti.

About Silvio Berlusconi:
i. In 1961, he started his career in real estate, and his construction company Edilnord built residential districts on the outskirts of Milan (Italy).
ii. In 1978, he launched an internal cable TV station, called Telemilano, it became Italy’s first national private TV network and later it grew into Mediaset, Italy’s largest commercial broadcaster.

• To sustain his channels he started importing American shows such as “Dallas,” “Baywatch” and “The Smurfs”.

iii. In 1994, he established his own political party, Forza Italia (Go Italy), which won legislative elections, and he became the PM for the first time.
iv. In 1996, he went on trial for the first time on corruption charges and was sentenced to 16 months in prison for false accounting, but released on appeal.
v. In 2001, he started his second term as PM and served for 5 years, and in 2008, after a new electoral win, he returned as PM until 2011.
vi. In 2011, he was forced to resign at the height of the Eurozone debt crisis, after he lost his parliamentary majority.
vii. In 2013, he was voted out of parliament by the Italian Senate, following his conviction for tax fraud in a case pertaining to Hollywood movie deals done by Mediaset.
viii. In 2019, he won a seat in the European Parliament, becoming the assembly’s oldest Member of the European Parliament (MEP) at the age of 82.
Awards:
In 2009, Silvio Berlusconi was awarded the Member 1st Class of the Order of Abdulaziz al Saud, a Saudi Arabian order of merit by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
About Italy:
President– Sergio Mattarella
Prime Minister– Giorgia Meloni
Currency– The euro

World Day Against Child Labour 2023 – June 12 The United Nations (UN)’s World Day Against Child Labour is annually observed on 12th June across the world to raise awareness about the need to focus attention of child labour and the action and efforts needed to end child labour and the goal behind observing the day is to encourage the growing movement against child labour.

• The theme of World Day Against Child Labour 2023 is “Social Justice for All. End Child Labour!“
• The year 2023 marks the 21st year of observance of the World Day Against Child Labour

Background:
i. The World Day Against Child Labour was launched by the International Labour Organization (ILO), an UN agency in 2002 to focus attention on the global extent of child labour and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it.

• The day was launched to highlight the conditions of children engaged in child labour and what can be done to help them.
• ‘Abolition of Child Labour’ was one of the main objective for ILO, which was founded in 1919.

ii. The first-ever World Day Against Child Labour was observed on 12th June 2002.
About International Labour Organization (ILO):
Founded in– 1919
Director-General– Gilbert F. Houngbo
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland

International Archives Day 2023 – June 9 International Archives Day is annually celebrated on June 9th across the world to raise awareness of the importance of archives, promote their protection and free access to archives, and to make people understand why it is essential to support archives and the profession.

• The observance aims to remind the essential role of archives in supporting administrative accountability and transparency, protecting the rights of individuals and organisations, and forming part of the cultural heritage of society.
• The day was inaugurated by the International Council on Archives (ICA) to commemorate the foundation of the Council in 1948.

What is ICA?
i. It is an international Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) dedicated to the effective management of archival records and preservation of the world’s archival heritage.
ii. It comprises approximately 1400 members in 199 countries and territories. The ICA closely collaborates with the Council of Europe, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and many other influential NGOs such as the International Committee of the Blue Shield.

• 2023 marked the 75th anniversary of ICA.

Background:
i. In 2004, during the International congress in Vienna (Austria), over 2000 participants from 116 countries were meeting at the 15th session of International Congress on Archives adopted a resolution requesting that the United Nations (UN) designates a specific day to mark the importance and value of archives.
ii. Later, it was decided that June 9th would be celebrated as International Archives Day at the 2007 ICA Annual General Meeting.
iii. The date, June 9, was chosen to commemorate the date ICA was set up in 1948 at a meeting of archivists in Paris (France) under the aegis of UNESCO in.

• The first-ever International Archive Day was celebrated on 9th June 2008.

International Archives Week:
In 2019, the ICA expanded the International Archive Day event to an entire week to promote the value and importance of archives and archivists along with the worldwide Organisations.
2023 marked the 5th International Archive Week (5-9 June 2023).
Mandate:
The objectives of the International Archives Day and International Archives Week, are:

• To raise public awareness of the importance of records and archives;
• To raise awareness among senior decision-makers of the benefits of records management for good governance and development;
• To improve the public, private and public sectors’ understanding of the necessity of long-term archival preservation and access;
• To showcase the unique, extraordinary, and rare documents preserved in archival institutions; and
• To advance the image of records and archives to enhance their visibility globally.

India on International Archives Day:
On International Archives Day, India’s National Archives of India (NAI) has organised an exhibition showcasing India’s linguistic diversity. For archival heritage, NAI executes Preventive, Curative, Restorative and Storage conservation.

LA Zoo to partner with  Bihar Govt & WTI for gharial conservation in GandakLos Angeles(LA) Zoo (California, the United States of America-USA) is set to partner with the Government of Bihar and the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) for the conservation of Gharial (gavia), a fish-eating crocodile in the Gandak River in West Champaran district, Bihar.

• The partnership aims to strengthen the conservation efforts of the reptiles and release hatchlings back to the river safely.
•  Gharials are critically endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Species.

Background:
i.A high-level meeting between WTI, LA Zoo and Bihar was organised to discuss the emerging challenges and solutions for Gharial conservation.
ii.During the meeting, the progress, achievements and challenges of the conservation of Gharial in Gandak River were also discussed.
iii.The meeting also deliberated the collaborative work between Bihar’s environment and forest department and WTI for the recovery of the wild population of Gharials.
iv.During the meeting, the LA Zoo agreed to strengthen the ongoing conservation effort through ‘ex-situ’ incubation and further release of the hatchlings back to the river safely.
Gharial Conservation Project:
i.The Gharial Conservation Project was launched by the Bihar government in association with WTI in 2014, to revive the breeding of the reptiles in Gandak River (Bihar).
ii.According to the recent survey conducted between the Gandak barrage and Rewa ghat, following the launch of this project the number of Gharial in the 284 km stretch of Gandak river has increased from 30 in 2014 to 217 in 2023.
iii.A total of 37 adult Gharials (including five males), 50 sub-adults, 49 juveniles and 81 yearlings were observed.
iv.The Gandak River has become the second successful breeding site for Gharials in India after the Chambal Sanctuary area. 
About Bihar:
Chief Minister– Nithish Kumar
Governor– Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
Capital– Patna

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah Launches Government’s Flagship Scheme Shakti

Karnataka Chief Minister(CM) Siddaramaiah launched the free travel scheme under ‘Shakti Yojana‘ for women and transgenders in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Authorities will paste ‘Free travel for women’ stickers on the windscreens of the city, ordinary and express buses by the state’s four Road Transport Corporations Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation(KSRTC), Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation(BMTC), North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation(NWKRTC) and Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation(KKRTC).
The scheme also reserves 50% of bus seats for male passengers.
The smart cards for free travel will be issued within the next three months.
To avail of the scheme, beneficiaries can apply for a smart card through the Sevasindhu portal