National Green Tribunal (NGT) has constituted a joint committee to inspect Mohan Meakin Private Limited, Kasauli-based plant, that had allegedly dumped effluents into a natural source (Kasauli Kund) as a result of which water got polluted.

• A joint committee comprising representative of the Central Pollution Control Board, Regional Officer, Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, Himachal Pradesh, the Member Secretary, HP State Pollution Control Board and District Magistrate, Solan has been constituted.

• The state government has withdrawn the transfer orders of Sanjay Kundu, Director General of Police, as Principal Secretary Ayush, thus reinstating him as the Director General of Police.
• Kundu was removed as Himachal DGP and shifted as Secretary, Ayush Department, following Himachal Pradesh High Court order over allegations of interference in an ongoing criminal probe and attempting to pressurise a businessman who claimed to have received a threat to his life from his partners.
• The transfer order has been withdrawn in compliance of the Supreme Court order, which set aside the Himachal Pradesh High Court order to remove him as DGP.

• State transport has become the first department in the country to adopt e-vehicles.
  • Along with this, 3,000 diesel buses of HRTC are being replaced with e-buses in a phased manner.
• Under the Rs 680 crore Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Start-up Scheme, 50 per cent subsidy for the purchase of e-taxis is being provided.
• The state government is also giving priority to exploit solar energy and a 32 MW capacity solar power project is being set up in Pekhubela of Una district.

• As per reports, Saudi Arabia and four other countries have accepted the invitation to join the BRICS club of nations that was extended during a summit last year.
  • Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates are now full members
  • Argentina has decided to not join BRICS
  • The last expansion of the BRICS occurred in 2010 when South Africa joined the group.
• Also, BRICS foreign ministers are developing a so-called BRICS partner country model to accommodate 17 nations who were not accepted as full members.
• The bloc is also devising a framework to allow members to use their local currencies for inter-BRICS trade.
• Russia will take over as chair of the bloc this year from South Africa.

• World Interfaith Harmony Week is an annual event observed during the first week of February, since the General Assembly designation in 2010.
• World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW), conceived to promote a culture peace and nonviolence, was first proposed by King Abdullah II of Jordan at the United Nations in 2010.
• This was adopted by the UN General Assembly (resolution A/RES/65/5), declaring the first week of February each year as World Interfaith Harmony week.
• The General Assembly pointed out that mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue constitute important dimensions of a culture of peace and established World Interfaith Harmony Week as a way to promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith.

• The Tamil Nadu government has released guidelines for the ‘Ungalai Thedi, Ungal Ooril’ scheme to improve the delivery of various services and expedite implementation of schemes.
• It is designed to enhance the efficiency and transparency of service delivery in the state.
• According to the guidelines, Collectors and senior district-level officials will spend 24 hours (9 a.m. to 9 a.m.) in one taluk on the fourth Wednesday of every month to review the functioning of various projects, inspect infrastructure and receive representations from the public.

• RBI Deputy Governor, at the SAARCFINANCE seminar, has remarked that although society harnesses the benefits of emerging technologies in the financial sector, regulators should pay careful attention to the underlying risks.
• Central banks should focus on responsible use, data security and privacy, legal compliance, and ethical questions when it comes to these technologies.

ABOUT SAARCFINANCE

• The 10^th SAARC Summit of the Head of the States of the SAARC Region which was held in Colombo on July 29, 1998 agreed, in principle, to establish a “Network of Central Bank Governors and Finance Secretaries of the SAARC Region (SAARCFINANCE)” with a view to opening dialogues on macroeconomic policies of the region and sharing mutual experiences and ideas.
• Accordingly, the SAARCFINANCE was established on September 9, 1998 as a regional network of the SAARC Central Bank Governors and Finance Secretaries.
• It is a permanent body, which got formal recognition of SAARC at the 11th SAARC Summit, held in Kathmandu, Nepal in January 2002.
• As per the decision of the Summit, Chairperson of SAARCFINANCE is invited to the sessions of the SAARC Council of Ministers to make a presentation on SAARCFINANCE activities.
• The Chair of the SAARCFINANCE moved to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) from Bangladesh Bank during the Asian Clearing Union (ACU) Meeting held in Dhaka on May 15, 2007.
• The SAARCFINANCE Group meets twice a year concurrently with the IMF/WB annual and spring meetings.

• Oil prices rose recently following a decision by OPEC+ to keep its oil output policy unchanged.

Global Crude Oil Benchmarks

• There are two global crude oil benchmarks for crude oil pricing–
  • Brent crude
    • Brent Crude is the benchmark used for the oil market in Europe, Africa, and Middle East, originating from oil fields in the North Sea.
    • Roughly two-thirds of all crude contracts around the world reference Brent Crude, making it the most widely used marker of all.
  • West Texas Intermediate (WTI)
    • WTI is the benchmark for the US oil market and is sourced from US oil fields.

ALSO DUBAI/OMAN

• This Middle Eastern crude is a useful reference for oil of a slightly lower grade than WTI or Brent.
• A “basket” product consisting of crude from Dubai, Oman or Abu Dhabi, it’s somewhat heavier and has higher sulfur content, putting it in the “sour” category.
• It is influential in the Asian market.

• Three Indian scientists are among the nine recipients of this year’s Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the UK for their pioneering work in the fields of chemical, physical, and life sciences.
• Professors Rahul R. Nair, Mehul Malik, Dr Tanmay Bharat, and others will be honoured and receive grants totaling 480,000 pounds.
• The 2024 Awards received 84 nominations from 40 academic and research institutions and this year’s laureates were selected by an independent jury of expert scientists across the UK.
• Now in its seventh year, the awards have been instituted by the Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences.

About Blavatnik Awards

• Considered the largest unrestricted prize ever created for early-career scientists, the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists were established in 2007 by the Blavatnik Family Foundation and are independently administered by the New York Academy of Sciences.
• The Blavatnik Awards seek to identify and honor exceptional young scientists and engineers 42 years of age and younger.
• Honorees are selected based on the quality, novelty, and impact of their research and their potential for further significant contributions to science.
• Blavatnik Awards honorees are recognized in three disciplinary categories-
  • Chemical Sciences
  • Physical Sciences & Engineering
  • Life Sciences

• Former Railway Board Chief Anil Kumar Lahoti has been appointed as the chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
• He has been appointed for a period of three years from the date of assumption of charge of the post or until he attains the age of 65 years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

ABOUT TRAI

• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was established with effect from 20th February 1997 by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997.
• TRAI’s mission is to create and nurture conditions for growth of telecommunications in the country in a manner and at a pace which will enable India to play a leading role in emerging global information society.
• Objective- to provide a fair and transparent policy environment which promotes a level playing field and facilitates fair competition
• TRAI consists of a chairperson and not more than two whole-time Members and not more than two part-time Members.
• Functions-
  • To regulate telecom services, including fixation/revision of tariffs for telecom services which were earlier vested in the Central Government.
  • Ensure quality of service and transparency in tariff
  • Advise the government on policy matters and licensing issues
• The recommendations of the TRAI are not binding upon the Central Government.

The TRAI Act was amended by an ordinance, effective from 24 January 2000, establishing a Telecommunications Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to take over the adjudicatory and disputes functions from TRAI