WHY IN NEWS?

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) & Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have published “OECD-FAO Outlook report 2021-2030” recently making interesting reading insofar as major crops are concerned. The latest report covers pulses and a few other non-major crops under ‘other products’ category.

ABOUT:

• India is central to any projection in global pulses because it is by far world’s largest producer, processor, importer and consumer of the protein-rich legume.
• However, this year report on pulses betrays a broad and superficial view on pulses.

Key Findings of report

• As per report, global pulses supply will increase by 22 million tonnes (mt) of which half of supply expected to come from Asia, particularly India by 2030.
• Additional 6.6 mt will be produced as a result of introduction of high-yielding hybrid seeds, supported mechanisation, minimum support price regime and procurement system.
• World pulses trade has grown to 17 mt (from 13 mt) in the last ten years and is estimated to reach only 19 mt by 2030 because of India’s efforts to become self-sufficient in pulses.

Pulses import by India is expected to reach a steady rate of 2030 and expected to reach 5 mt

WHY IN NEWS?

• Union Minister Piyush Goyalhas been appointed as the Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha. His appointment is effective from July 06, 2021. He will succeed Thawar Chand Gahlot, who has taken charge as the Governor of Karnataka.
• Goyal, a two-time Rajya Sabha MP, is currently the deputy leader of the NDA as well as the Union Minister in the Cabinet.
• He is serving as the Union Minister of Textiles, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. The Leader of the House is responsible for organizing government meetings and business in the House.

WHY IN NEWS?

Bhutan has become first country to adopt Unified Payment Interface (UPI) standards of India for its quick response (QR) code.

About:

• Bhutan after Singapore has become the second country to have BHIM-UPI acceptance at merchant locations.
• International wing of the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) called NPCI International Payments Ltd. (NIPL) announced partnership with Royal Monetary Authority (RMA) of Bhutan to implement BHIM UPI QR-based payments in Bhutan.
• Bhutan will also become the only country to issue & accept RuPay cards and accept BHIM-UPI.

Significance of the move

BHIM-UPI is a significant achievement of India in area of fintech. During covid-19 induced lockdown, BHIM-UPI became an effective mechanism of payment. In 2020-21, it processed 22 billion financial transactions of worth rupee 41 lakh crore. In the line, this partnership among NPCI and RMA, is going to benefit 200,000 tourists from India who travel to Bhutan every year.

WHY IN NEWS?

Nepal has inked a USD 1.3 billion deal with Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) of India to develop a 679-megawatt hydropower project in eastern Nepal.

About:

• This will be the second mega venture in Nepal, undertaken by India.
• It is the single largest foreign investment project.
• It is based on 2017 cost estimates.
• To develop the project, a memorandum of understanding was signed by Chief Executive Officer of Investment Board of Nepal Sushil Bhatta and Chairman & Managing Director of SJVN Nand Lal Sharma in Kathmandu.
• This hydropower project will be developed under build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) model.

WHY IN NEWS ?

State-run NTPC Ltd is to set up India’s largest solar park at Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.

About:

• This solar park will have the capacity of 4.75 gigawatt (GW).
• It will be set up in Rann of Kutch in Gujarat from where NTPC will also generate green hydrogen on commercial scale.
• NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd got the go-ahead from ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) for this project under “ultra-mega renewable energy power parks (UMREPP) scheme”.
• NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd has also signed pact with Union territory of Ladakh to set up green hydrogen mobility project in region.

WHY IN NEWS?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to virtually inaugurate a newly-built five-star hotel on the top of redeveloped Gandhinagar railway station on July 16, 2021.

About Hotel Project

• Luxury hotel atop the railway station is having 318 rooms. It will be operated by a private entity. Hotel is spread across 7,400 square meters. It was built at a cost of Rs 790 crore.
• The hotel will be used to host national and international guests attending seminars and conferences at Mahatma Mandir, which is a convention centre located opposite to the property.
• 5-star hotel building has been over railway tracks and is one of the tallest buildings in Gandhinagar. It has the height of 76.99 metres with three towers of 9-11-11 floors. Building has been arranged in triquetra shape symbolizing ‘Trinity form’.

WHY IN NEWS?

India is all set to sending a 228-strong contingent to Tokyo Olympics, including 119 athletes

About:

• Of 119 athletes, 67 are male and 52 female participants.
• 119 athletes from 22 states will represent 130 crore Indians in 18 sport disciplines.
• India is fighting for 85 medal events.
• It will be largest ever contingent of athletes from India at Olympics.
• The first contingent for Tokyo will leave on July 17 comprising of 90 athletes and officials.

2020 Summer Olympics

This international multi-sports event, branded as Tokyo 2020, is scheduled to be held from July 23 to August 8, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Earlier, it was scheduled to take place in 2020 but event was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, event is going to be held largely behind closed doors. No spectators have been permitted under state of emergency. This event retains Tokyo 2020 name even though it has been rescheduled for 2021, for marketing & branding purposes.

WHY IN NEWS?

Key findings of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021 report

• The FAO report has quoted a study done in 63 low- and middle-income countries covering a population of 3.5 billion on changes in the income of people. It has extrapolated its impact on choice of diets.

Key findings

• Dip in people’s affordability of healthy food: There is a significant dip in people’s affordability for healthy food due to a loss in income. The pandemic led to an additional 141 million people being unable to afford a healthy diet in the countries studied.
• Loss of income & rise in food prices: The primary reason for a dip in affordability is the loss of income. But food price rise has made the situation more acute. By the end of 2020, global consumer food prices were the highest in six years. In the first four months of 2021, they continued to rise.
• Healthy diet costs more: Cost of a healthy diet was 60% more than a diet that just meets “requirements for essential nutrients” and almost five times as much as a diet that just meets “the minimum dietary energy needs through a starchy staple”.
• Lack of access to adequate and healthy food: In 2020, some 2.37 billion people couldn’t access adequate food, an increase of 320 million people in comparison to the 2019 figure. More people in 2020 were unable to afford a healthy diet in comparison to 2019.

WHY IN NEWS?

A list of new Union Cabinet ministers issued in Tamil Nadu has triggered a debate in political circles, by referring to ‘Kongu Nadu’, the informal name for a region in the western part of the state.

Kongu Nadu

• ‘Kongu Nadu’ is neither a place with a PIN code nor a name given formally to any region. It is a commonly used name for part of western Tamil Nadu.
• In Tamil literature, it was referred to as one of the five regions of ancient Tamil Nadu. There were mentions of ‘Kongu Nadu’ in Sangam literature as a separate territory.
• In the present state of Tamil Nadu, the term is informally used to refer to a region that includes the districts of Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Karur, Namakkal and Salem, as well as Oddanchatram and Vedasandur in Dindgul district, and Pappireddipatti in Dharmapuri district.
• The name derives from Kongu Vellala Gounder, an OBC community with a significant presence in these districts.
• Unlike Telangana or Uttarakhand, there has never been a demand or discussions about a separate Kongu Nadu in the modern political history of Tamil Nadu.

WHY IN NEWS?

• The European Championship final pits England and Italy against each other. Italy won 3-2 on penalties. Italy, one of the most decorated teams in the world, has ended a few years of trophy drought.
• England, on the other hand, we’re in uncharted territory. They haven’t even reached a final since 1966. Italy has already reached the final twice in recent years — in 2000 and 2012 — whereas England hasn’t got close until now. Italy’s Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma named player of UEFA EURO 2020.