“If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”
Roald Dahl
“आपके विचार अच्छे हों, तो वे आपके चेहरे से सूरज की किरणों की तरह चमकेंगे और आप हमेशा खूबसूरत दिखेंगी।”
रोआल्ड डाह्ल
Tuesday, December 27, 2022
Quote of the Day December 27, 2022
Wage crisis: Editorial on Global Wage Report 2022
The International Labour Organization has come out with the latest Global Wage Report 2022. Over the past two years, labour markets have witnessed significant changes globally. These changes have been triggered by a slow economic recovery from the pandemic, high and persistent inflation rates, and new uncertainties brought about by the war in Ukraine. Global growth rates slowed down in 2022 and are expected to do so in 2023. The International Monetary Fund had predicted a global growth rate of 3.6% in April 2022, which was revised downwards to 3.2% in July 2022. In October 2022, the IMF’s prediction for economic growth in 2023 was in the range of 2% to 2.7%. Inflation was expected as an outcome of the pandemic; the policymakers’ response to it was presumed to be the loosening of money supply and reduction in interest rates. However, central banks across the world tightened money supply and hiked interest rates in an effort to control high inflation rates. In 2022, the global average inflation rate is expected to be 8.8%, falling to 6.5% in 2023 and to 4.1% in 2024. Weak recovery and high inflation have led to a slow adjustment in nominal wages and rapid rise in prices. Hence real earnings, particularly among low-income households, have fallen sharply.
Globally, real monthly wages fell by 0.9% during the first six months of 2022. For the G20 countries, which account for 60% of the world’s wage-earners, real wages fell by 2.2% in the half year of 2022. The labour market has in some economies been characterised by greater wage inequality. On the other hand, almost all nations, particularly India, have witnessed a large informalisation of the labour market which implies greater uncertainty in job security and earnings. From the policy perspective, there is a need to switch from average targeting to focussed targeting of income support schemes. Since high inflation has raised housing, food and transport prices, lower income households require special attention, with more than average adjustments required in their nominal wages. Central banks have to realise the need to ensure that cheap and assured credit lines are available for the small and medium sectors of the economy while tightening money supply and hiking interest rates. The economic scars of Covid will not go away in a hurry. Interventions must be suitably designed to ensure that the scars do not leave lasting marks on the economy.
Source: The Telegraph, 26/12/22
Wednesday, December 21, 2022
Quote of the Day December 21, 2022
“If I feel depressed, I go to work. Work is always an antidote to depression.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
“यदि मैं उदास महसूस करती हूं तो मैं काम पर चली जाती हूं। काम में व्यस्तता उदासी का उत्तम प्रतिकार है।”
एलेनोर रूजवेल्ट
Current Affairs- December 19, 2022
INDIA
- Indian Railways received 800 proposals from startups to solve 11 problems under the ‘Startups for Railways’ initiative.
- Railways to roll out Vande Metro train by 2023 for middle class and poor
- Bird Flu outbreak in Kerala’s Kottayam; several thousand ducks culled in the state
- Aviation regulator DGCA introduces new features on its e-governance platform- eGCA
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate India Energy Week 2023 in Karnataka in February 2023.
- Sela Pass tunnel is being built by BRO, to provide all-weather connectivity to China border in Arunachal Pradesh.
- Telangana to disburse ₹7600 crore to farmers under ‘Rythu Bandhu’ scheme
- Government plans to put on sale six mineral blocks in the states of Odisha and Rajasthan
ECONOMY
- Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) will spend ₹7,930 crore under PLI scheme for specialty steel
- Net direct tax revenue rises 20%, gross revenue rises 26% to ₹13.63 lakh crore in 2022-23
- CCPA issues notices to Flipkart, Meesho for sale of acid on their platforms
WORLD
- North Korea fired two medium-range ballistic missiles: Seoul
- UN nature deal proposed calls to protect at least 30 percent of the planet by 2030
- European Union (EU) reaches deal on major carbon market reform
SPORTS
- Argentina becomes FIFA World Cup champion; beats defending Champion France 4-2 in penalties
- FIFA World Cup 2022: Lionel Messi wins Golden Ball for best player; Mbappe wins Golden Boot
Current Affairs-December 20, 2022
INDIA
- Indian Navy’s sailboat INSV Tarini will participate in Cape to Rio Race 2023- expedition to Cape Town, South Africa.
- Bhutan enters into an agreement with PTC India Ltd, for purchase of power from Indian power market during winter.
- Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog calls for ‘ATL Marathon 2022-23’-innovation challenge under AIM’s Atal Tinkering Labs program.
- National Test House to set up EV battery testing facilities in Mumbai and Kolkata; transformer testing facility at Jaipur.
- Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot announces 12 gas cylinders a year at Rs 500 each for poor families.
- India Jumps 8 Spots in Global Download Speeds Index from 113th in October to 105th in November.
ECONOMY
- Domestic Air Passenger Traffic Rises 11% in Nov- latest data from aviation regulator DGCA.
- Government to refund GST if purchase of incomplete house is called off.
- Wipro signs agreement to buy Kerala Food Brand Nirapara.
WORLD
- UAE launches a biometric service at the Abu Dhabi airport under which no passport or ticket will be required; passengers’ face will be their boarding pass.
- US Capitol riot panel recommends criminal charges against Donald Trump
- Fiji’s election ended with two rival leaders failing to win a majority; two leaders need the backing of a minor party to secure power.
- IMF approves program for Ukraine to maintain economic stability
SPORTS
- Lionel Messi creates record as the professional football player with the most appearances in FIFA World Cup.
- Martyn Pawelski of Poland beat top seed Sasikumar Mukund to clinch USD 15,000 ITF men’s tennis tournament in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
Current Affairs-December 21, 2022
INDIA
- Indians can enjoy visa-free travel to 22 countries, according to Arton Capital Passport Index.
- Parliamentary Standing Committee flags victimisation of SC/ST employees of PSUs
- Nominated Rajya Sabha member P.T. Usha joins Vice-Chairman’s panel; first nominated member to be on the panel in the history of the Rajya Sabha.
- The fifth Scorpene-class submarine, Vagir, was delivered to the Navy by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders; scheduled to be commissioned into service in January.
- Sethrichem Sangtam was awarded the first Rohini Nayyar prize for outstanding contribution to rural development.
- Bill seeking to amend the law on multi-State cooperative societies was referred to a joint committee of Parliament.
ECONOMY
- Share buybacks through stock exchanges to be phased out under new SEBI rules
- CIBIL, SIDBI, Online PSB loans launch MSME rankings – model uses machine learning to predict the probability of MSME becoming a NPA
- Puducherry, Lakshadweep and Goa emerged as best-performing states on the Social Progress Index (SPI)
- Fitch Ratings affirmed India’s long-term foreign currency issuer default rating at ‘BBB-‘ with a stable outlook.
WORLD
- Nepal blacklists 16 Indian pharma companies, including Baba Ramdev’s Pharmacy
- Taliban authorities ordered a nationwide ban on university education for girls
- Elon Musk will step down as the Twitter CEO; to quit after finding a replacement.
- NASA’S Mars rover Perseverance to start dropping samples of rock on surface of Mars
SPORTS
- Reigning World champion Nikhat Zareen and World Championships bronze medallist Simranjit Kaur win on the opening day of National women’s boxing in Bhopal.
- Indian men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty reached a career-best world No. 5
You are a Buddha
Zen says Buddhahood is not somewhere far away. You are just sitting on top of it. You are it!... It has already happened. Nothing has to be achieved, nothing has to be practised. Only one thing: you have to become a little more alert about who you are.
A man came to a Zen master and asked, 'I would like to become a Buddha.' The master hit him hard. The man was puzzled. He went out and asked an old disciple, 'What kind of man is this? I asked such a simple question and he got so angry. H ..
However, the man asked, 'But what is the message?' The disciple replied, 'The message is simple. If a Buddha comes and asks how to become a Buddha, what else is there to do? You can hit him and make him aware that you are it. What nonsense are you talking!'
IIT-Bombay, Delhi and JNU most sustainable institutes in India: QS World University Rankings
IIT-Bombay emerged as the best educational institutions in India in the first of it’s kind QS World University Rankings: Sustainability released on Wednesday. With a total of 15 Indian universities getting a place in the list, the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) featured in the 281-300 rank range, followed by IIT-Delhi (321-340 rank) and Jawaharlal Nehru University at the third rank (361-380).
In order to assess how universities are taking action to set the world’s most pressing environmental and social issues, QS World University Rankings: Sustainability ranking has been started this year.
As of this year, experts took view of over 1300 higher education institutions meeting particular eligibility requirements, out of which 700 institutions made it to the final ranking list.
Fourth rank has been saved by the University of Delhi which marks in the 381-400 rank range and the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) took on the fifth spot (451-500).
However, not just these but many other Indian universities like the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR), Aligarh Muslim University, Jadavpur University, Indian Institute of Science, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP), Banaras Hindu University, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG) and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) also featured in the list.
Meanwhile globally, the University of California, Berkeley (from the US) has taken the lead in the sustainability frame as it has achieved top scores in both the Environmental Impact and Social Impact categories, each providing 50 per cent of the all-around score. It is followed by two Canadian institutions, the University of Toronto securing the second place and the University of British Columbia making it to third spot.
Source: The statesman, 27/10/22
Regress report: Editorial on ever-increasing rape cases in India
Almost ten years on after the Delhi rape case, 4,28,278 cases of crimes against women were registered in 2021, almost double when compared to the 2,44,270 reported cases in 2012.
The gang rape of a woman in a Delhi bus on December 16, 2012 is seen, for many reasons, as a watershed moment in the discourse of crimes against women and relevant deterrence. A decade is perhaps an adequate time to take stock of the situation. A year after the horror, the rape law was amended — the definition of sexual assault was expanded, the quantum of punishment for rape increased, the unscientific ‘two-finger test’ discontinued, and filing police complaints made less bureaucratic — at least on paper. Almost ten years on, 4,28,278 cases of crimes against women were registered in 2021, according to the National Crime Records Bureau, almost double when compared to the 2,44,270 reported cases in 2012. These are just official figures. The ground reality could be far worse because sexual crimes often go unreported owing to shame, ostracisation, fear of perpetrators, and an expensive, long-drawn-out and often fruitless legal process. After 2012, a dedicated corpus called the Nirbhaya Fund was established, partly to get rape victims easy access to justice — 30% of this fund remains unutilised; in Maharashtra, the money was used to provide security to legislators. The conviction rate of rape cases stood at a poor 28.6% in 2021. This can be attributed to institutional warts: poor investigation, procedural flaws that weaken prosecution and so on. Combined with institutional failures is the attendant social regression: rapists being asked to marry their victims by quasi-judicial authorities is not unheard of; these days, there seems to be tacit political support for certain instances of transgression — Bilkis Bano’s tryst for justice is a case in point. The popular endorsement for instant retribution — the death penalty remains in place in India — is an outcome of larger failures.
NCRB data also throw up a more potent source of threat — the home — but the law remains non-committal. Even though 32% of all crimes against women were committed by their husbands, there is a dogged refusal to address, even recognise, marital rape. The regression on women’s safety is also evolving. India saw a 45% increase in rapes of Dalit women and girls between 2015 and 2020, many of these were punishments for ‘violating’ caste lines. An NGO working to provide legal aid to rape survivors has noted that the nature of the crime itself has changed — the rise in gang-rapes bears evidence of the transformation. Things have certainly changed in 10 years — but for the worse.
Source: The Telegraph, 21/12/22
Monday, December 19, 2022
Quote of the Day December 19, 2022
“The first recipe of happiness - avoid too lengthy meditations on the past.”
Andre Maurois
“खुशी का पहला उपाय - पिछली बातों पर बहुत अधिक विचार करने से बचें।”
एन्ड्रे माऊराउस
Current Affairs- December 18, 2022
INDIA
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates and lays foundation stones for projects worth over Rs 6,800 crore in Meghalaya and Tripura.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurates ICMR-NARFBR (National Animal Resource Facility for Biomedical Research) at Genome Valley, Hyderabad
Union Minister for Science & Technology Jitendra Singh launches CSIR (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research) “One Week, One Lab” countrywide campaign
Deadline for public comments on draft ‘Digital personal data protection bill’ till January 2
Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) to organise a nationwide campaign during the Good Governance week (December 19-25)
ECONOMY
World Trade Organization (WTO) Council defers decision on TRIPS waiver extension
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council keeps tax rate same, but defers key reforms
Government said that sufficient food grains stocks are available under Central Pool to meet the country’s requirements.
WORLD
IMF approves deal with Egypt for USD 3 billion support package to support its economy
Indian-origin Leo Varadkar returns for a second term as Ireland’s Prime Minister
Seven children, thirteen women among 24 dead in Malaysia landslip
Azerbaijan agrees to supply European Union with electricity via a subsea cable
Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday inaugurated Germany’s first liquefied natural gas terminal
International Migrants Day is being celebrated on December 18
SPORTS
Croatia beat Morocco 2-1 in the World Cup third-place playoff
India defeats Bangladesh by 120 runs in the final of the third T20 World Cup for the Blind
Indian Women’s Hockey Team beat Spain 1-0 to lift FIH Nations Cup in Valencia
Current Affairs- December 19, 2022
INDIA
- Indian Railways received 800 proposals from startups to solve 11 problems under the ‘Startups for Railways’ initiative.
- Railways to roll out Vande Metro train by 2023 for middle class and poor
- Bird Flu outbreak in Kerala’s Kottayam; several thousand ducks culled in the state
- Aviation regulator DGCA introduces new features on its e-governance platform- eGCA
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate India Energy Week 2023 in Karnataka in February 2023.
- Sela Pass tunnel is being built by BRO, to provide all-weather connectivity to China border in Arunachal Pradesh.
- Telangana to disburse ₹7600 crore to farmers under ‘Rythu Bandhu’ scheme
- Government plans to put on sale six mineral blocks in the states of Odisha and Rajasthan
ECONOMY
- Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) will spend ₹7,930 crore under PLI scheme for specialty steel
- Net direct tax revenue rises 20%, gross revenue rises 26% to ₹13.63 lakh crore in 2022-23
- CCPA issues notices to Flipkart, Meesho for sale of acid on their platforms
WORLD
- North Korea fired two medium-range ballistic missiles: Seoul
- UN nature deal proposed calls to protect at least 30 percent of the planet by 2030
- European Union (EU) reaches deal on major carbon market reform
SPORTS
- Argentina becomes FIFA World Cup champion; beats defending Champion France 4-2 in penalties
- FIFA World Cup 2022: Lionel Messi wins Golden Ball for best player; Mbappe wins Golden Boot
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)