1 BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers meeting in Delhi
The BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ meeting was held in New Delhi on 11 July. This meeting will last for two days. Foreign Ministers of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan are participating in it. Thailand’s Foreign Minister Maris Sangiaampongsa and Bhutan’s Foreign Minister D.N. Dhungyel have reached Delhi to join BIMSTEC. Security, telecommunications, trade and mutual cooperation will be discussed in this meeting. The full name of BIMSTEC is Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation. It is a regional organization of countries adjoining the Bay of Bengal. Seven countries are included in it and Pakistan has been kept out of it. It was formed in 1997 under the Bangkok Declaration. Initially there were four countries in it and it was called BIST-EC i.e. Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation Organization. After the inclusion of Myanmar on 22 December 1997, its name became BIMST-EC. In 2004, Bhutan and Nepal were included in it and its name became BIMSTEC.
2 Bangladesh became the 5th full member country of Colombo Security Conclave
The 8th Deputy National Security Advisor (DNSA) level meeting of the Colombo Security Conference (CSC) was hosted virtually by Mauritius on July 10, 2024. India, Mauritius, Maldives and Sri Lanka welcomed Bangladesh as the 5th member of the CSC . The Colombo Security Conference is a regional security grouping. It was formed in 2011 as a trilateral Indian Ocean maritime security grouping with India, Sri Lanka and Maldives as its members. Initially the Colombo Security Conference was started by 3 members but in 2021 the Colombo Security Conference expanded both its membership and its scope. Mauritius was included as the fourth member. Currently the Colombo Security Conference consists of 5 members and 1 observer country.
A contingent of 3 Indian Air Force personnel reached Australia to participate in the biennial multinational exercise Pitch Black
A contingent of the Indian Air Force arrived in Australia to participate in the biennial multinational exercise Pitch Black . This exercise, focused on night flying, will continue till August 2. More than one hundred forty aircraft and four thousand four hundred air force personnel from the air forces of 20 countries will participate in this exercise. The Indian contingent includes more than one hundred fifty skilled air force personnel including pilots, engineers, technicians and specialists. Apart from the Indian Air Force’s C-17 Globemaster and IL-78 air refueling aircraft, Sukhoi-30 MKI multirole fighter aircraft have been included in the exercise.
4 Nagaland selected as the best state for the prestigious Agriculture Leadership Award in Horticulture-2024
Nagaland has been selected as the best state for the prestigious Agriculture Leadership Award 2024 in Horticulture. The award was given to the state for its outstanding work in initiating innovative programmes and policies for horticulture development, which has positively impacted the lives of a large number of farmers and rural people. Nagaland’s Women Resource Development and Horticulture Minister Salhautuonuo Krus received the award at the 15th Agriculture Leadership Conclave in New Delhi. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan were also present on the occasion.
5 IRS officers got permission to change their name and gender
The Finance Ministry of the Government of India has approved a gender change for an officer of the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) . After this decision, Miss M. Anusuya will be known as Mr. M. Anukaathir Surya in future. According to the order of the Finance Ministry, IRS officer M Anusuya had filed a petition with the government for change of gender. She wanted to change from female to male. She is posted as Joint Commissioner in the regional bench of Central Excise, Customs and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) in Hyderabad . She is a 2013 batch IRS officer. This case has come up nearly 10 years after the Supreme Court’s decision in the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) case, in which the third gender was recognized. In this decision, the Supreme Court recognized the third gender and said that gender identity is a personal choice. On April 15, 2014, the Supreme Court said in its historic decision that sexual orientation means a person’s permanent physical, romantic and emotional attraction. There is no reason why transgender people should be denied fundamental rights, including the right to life and liberty with dignity, privacy, personal liberty, education, and right against violence and exploitation.
6 Population of state bird Sarus crane increased in UP
On July 10, the Forest Department of Uttar Pradesh has released the latest update. It states that according to the data of the 2024 summer census, the total population of the state bird, Sarus, has increased to 19,918 in the state . There has been an increase of 396 Sarus birds this year as compared to last year. The summer census was conducted by the Forest Department with the help of 10,000 citizens in the state. Over time, the population of Sarus birds has increased steadily in the state. In 2021, 17,329 Sarus were counted in the state, which increased to 19,188 in 2022, 19,522 in 2023 and 19,918 in 2024. For the first time in 10 years, six Sarus birds were counted in the Mau Forest Division of the state. The highest number of Sarus birds, 3289, was seen in the Etawah Forest Division. After Etawah Forest Division, the highest number of Sarus birds have been seen in Mainpuri Forest Division (2,945). The birds are counted in the forest area of Uttar Pradesh and not on private land where these birds are often found. Sarus bird was declared the state bird of Uttar Pradesh in 2014. It is the tallest bird in the world that can fly. They nest in wetland areas. This bird is included in Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
7 Indian-origin MP in Britain took oath with her hand on Bhagavad Gita
On July 10, Indian-origin MP Shivani Raja took oath as MP in the British Parliament by placing her hand on the Bhagavad Gita . She has won the Leicester East seat from Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party. Leicester East is considered a stronghold of the Labour Party. Shivani has given victory to the Conservative Party here after 37 years. Shivani is one of the youngest MPs in Britain and is currently 27 years old. Shivani’s parents went to London from Gujarat in the 1970s.
8 Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda unveiled Sugam Model Initiative for Family Planning
Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda unveiled the Sugam Model initiative for family planning in New Delhi on the occasion of World Population Day . The Sugam Model is designed for healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies for the well-being of mother and child . In a virtual meeting with Health and Family Welfare departments of various states, Shri Nadda highlighted that the day is an opportunity to introspect on the past, present and future of family planning in India. He said that the upcoming strategies should be implemented with the data from the National Family Health Survey and special attention should be given to states with high population rates.
9 The first cargo ship San Fernando arrived at Vizhinjam port in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
The first cargo ship San Fernando arrived at Vizhinjam port in Thiruvananthapuram , Kerala . The arrival of this ship at the port will give a boost to important economic development initiatives in the state and will fulfill a long-standing demand. ‘San Fernando’, which sailed from Xiamen port in China, was welcomed with a water salute. The arrival of the ship marks the beginning of trial operations at the port. The cargo ship San Fernando arrived at Vizhinjam port carrying more than a thousand containers. The arrival of the San Fernando ship at Vizhinjam port is part of trial operations and the port is expected to be officially operational in September-October this year. Vizhinjam port is the country’s first semi-automatic port, which has been constructed by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited, a company of the Adani Group. An agreement was signed between the Kerala government and Adani Ports Company regarding this project, after which the project was given to Adani Ports on 5 December 2015. A total investment of Rs 8,867 crore was made for the construction of this port, of which Rs 5,595 crore was given by the Kerala government and Rs 818 crore was allocated by the central government. The Vizhinjam port has been constructed on the basis of private-public partnership.
10 Chardham pilgrims can now create their Ayushman Bharat Health Account- Aabha on e-Health Dham Portal
Chardham pilgrims can now create their Ayushman Bharat Health Account- Aabha on the e-Swasthya Dham portal . The Health and Family Welfare Department of the Uttarakhand government has launched the e-Swasthya Dham portal. This portal will help in monitoring the health parameters of pilgrims traveling to Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath simultaneously. The Union Health Ministry said in a release that the e-Swasthya Dham portal provides many benefits to pilgrims including Aabha. Pilgrims can easily create their 14-digit Aabha account on the portal. So far, more than 65 crore Aabha accounts have been created. Aabha has many benefits, including collection and management of health records of citizens.
11 World Population Day 2024
World Population Day is celebrated every year on 11 July across the world . This day is celebrated to focus on the impact of population growth on the environment and development. World Population Day was established in 1989 under the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). On July 11, 1987, the United Nations officially declared the world population to be more than five billion. On this, Dr. K.C. Zakaria, a senior demographer of the World Bank, suggested celebrating this day every year. In such a situation, the United Nations Development Program decided to celebrate July 11 as World Population Day. World Population Day was first celebrated on July 11, 1990. Later, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution in December 1990 to declare July 11 as World Population Day. In April 2023, India surpassed China to become the most populous country in the world. It is followed by China, the United States, and Indonesia. Vatican City is the world’s least populous country, with a projected population of 526 in 2024.