2 July 2024, The Hindu
June’s gross GST revenue growth slows to a three-year low; no official statement
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GS 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development and employment
- Growth in India’s gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections slowed to a three-year low in June, with revenues rising about 7.74% to about ₹1.74 lakh crore from ₹1,61,497 crore collected in the year-earlier period, according to numbers shared informally by officials.
- The Finance Ministry, which generally releases monthly GST revenue collections on the first of every subsequent month, including details about trends on State-wise collections and revenues collected from domestic transactions and imports, had not officially issued any statement on June’s indirect tax receipts till the time of going to press on Monday.
Govt. undecided on deadline to fix boundaries for Census
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GS 1: Society: population and associated issues,
- The deadline to freeze administrative boundaries of districts, tehsils, towns, municipal bodies among others ended on June 30, 2024. It had not been extended till July 1, Monday.
- A senior government official told The Hindu that a “decision is yet to be taken and discussions are being held” on the issue.
Over 20 FIRs registered in city under new criminal law
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GS 2: mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of vulnerable sections.
- The Delhi police registered over 20 FIRs under various sections, including those pertaining to attempt to murder, theft, and encroachment of public space, under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on Monday.
- Three new criminal laws — BNS, Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam — came into effect on Monday, replacing the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Indian Evidence Act, 1872.
Glossing over unemployment, its high electoral price
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GS 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development and employment
- The Indian economy requires 25 million-plus jobs to be generated over the next five years in order to employ all those who are presently unemployed in this nation.
- The Narendra Modi government has claimed that the Indian economy, judged by GDP, grew at an impressively rapid pace of 8% last year.
- But even if that claim is true, it has not created an adequate number of appropriate jobs going by the current unemployment in India.
A tool to ensure complete voter anonymity
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Prelims syllabus: Current events of national and international importance.
- The Janata Dal (United) candidate from Sitamarhi Lok Sabha seat, Devesh Chandra Thakur, was in the news for ‘breaching’ the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) no longer in force and rekindling interest in a dormant writ petition (W.P.).
- Mr. Thakur was in a spot for saying, “Those (from Muslim and Yadav communities) who want to come can come, have tea and snacks, but don’t expect any help” and thus explicitly suggesting that the two sections should not expect him to help in the redressal of their grievances as they had not supported him in the elections.
Will the Hosur airport become a reality?
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GS 3: Indian Economy - Infrastructure – Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced in the legislative assembly plans for setting up an international airport on 2,000 acres of land, with the capacity to handle three crore passengers annually, in the industrial town of Hosur, which is 40 kms away from Bengaluru.
- While the airport has been a long standing demand of the industrialists in the area, one of the hurdles is that the concession agreement signed between the Centre and the Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), the operator of Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru, does not allow for new or existing airports (except for Mysore and Hassan airports) within an aerial distance of 150 kms before 2033.
What is on the agenda for the 16th Finance Commission?
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GS 2: Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.
- The 16th Finance Commission (FC) has begun its work, established under Article 280 of the Indian Constitution, primarily focusing on the devolution of the consolidated fund.
- Since the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments, local bodies have gained significant recognition within the federal system.
- These amendments introduced sub-clauses 280(3)(bb) and (c), which mandate the FC to recommend measures to augment State consolidated funds for supporting panchayats and municipalities.
How cinema is captured and presented through the IMAX format
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GS 3: Science and Technology- Recent developments and their applications and effects in everyday life
- Cinema has always been a home to spectacle.
- Most theatrically released cinematic works, especially till the development of digital photography, employed the use of 35 mm film stock to capture the stunning vistas and cinematic protagonists.
- For the bulk of its history, almost all movies were shot using this 35mm film.
- Most modern cinematic productions have since replaced the 35mm film stock with a digital sensor.
- But film purists argue that film stock provides for superior resolution.
Field evaluation trials of submarine bids under Project-75I complete
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GS 3: General awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nanotechnology, bio-technology
- The Navy’s mega-submarine deal under Project-75I, estimated at over ₹43,000 crore, has crossed a major milestone in the process with the Field Evaluation Trials (FET) — to check the compliance of the bids received — now complete.
- There are two contenders in the fray: Germany’s TKMS (Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems) and Navantia of Spain.
- While an Indian Navy team visited TKMS shipyard in March for FET, the evaluation of Navantia’s offer was conducted last week, officials confirmed.
Why are scientists looking for the Higgs boson’s best friend?
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GS 3: Science and Technology- Recent developments and their applications and effects in everyday life
- Scientists at the world’s largest physics experiment have reported the most precise measurement yet of the most massive subatomic particle we know.
- The finding sounds esoteric but it wouldn’t be an understatement to say it has implications for the whole universe.
- The Greek philosopher Empedocles surmised 2,400 years ago that matter could be broken up into smaller and smaller pieces until we’re left with air, earth, fire, and water.
- Since the early 20th century, physicists have broken up matter into smaller and smaller pieces to find many different subatomic particles instead — as many as to fill a zoo.
