April’s gross GST taking power past ₹ 2.1 lakh crore in new record
Gross GST revenue collection posted a record of ₹2.1 lakh crore .
This collection is 12.4 % higher than the previous highest tally of ₹1.87 lakh crore .
This is because of strong momentum in the economy , Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has pointed out .
April’s GST revenue is usually the highest , as taxpayers meet the compliances before the end of the financial year .
SC rejects plea for allocating spectrum without allocation
The Supreme Court ( SC ) has declined a plea by government to allow administrative allocatoon by center .
The application by government said that spectrum was assigned not only for the use of commercial telecom services but also for discharge of sovereign and public interest functions .
In its previous judgement , SC has held that spectrum need to be allocated through auctions only.
Telangana CM has no role In a doctored video , says lawyer
Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy lawyers said in court that he had nothing to do with creating or posting doctored videos of Amit Shah .
Delhi Police sources said that they are close to identifying the creator of a deep fake video .
Notices has also been shared to give other Congress leaders who have shared the video .
In the doctored video Home Minister Amit Shah was heard saying that BJP will scrap quota for SCs / STs once it will come to power again.
Israel’s Likud among foreign parties to witness election
Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) has invited 18 political parties from 10 countries to witness Lok Sabha Polls .
Representatives of 18 political parties from 10 countries have arrived in India .
Among the Political parties invited are Likud Party of Israel , Liberal Party of Australia , Awami League of Bangladesh , Uganda’s National Resistance Party .One Political party each from Nepal , Russia , Vietnam , Sri Lanka and Mauritius has also been invited .
Israel’s Likud political parties are currently at the centre of global affairs because of ongoing Gaza war . Benjamin Netanyahu is a
EC brings out protocol on symbol loading units as mandated by top courts
The Election commission on Wednesday released new protocols for handling and storage of Symbol Loading Unit ( SLU ) , in compliance with the Supreme Court’s order of April 26 .
The top court issued directions to seal and store the SLUs in a container , and store them in a strong room along with EVMs for at least 45 days after the declaration of results .
The direction was regarding if a losing candidate needed to verify the EVMs .
The SLU uploads the name and Symbols of the candidate contesting a particular seat on VVPAT.
DGCA deregisters all 54 Go First Aircrafts
The DGCA on Wednesday deregistered all 54 Go First aircraft .
Earlier Delhi High Court had given direction to DGCA to deregiste 54 aircraft within 5 days .
Go First had filed for insolvency to National Company Law Tribual ( NCLT ) . NCLT barred lessors to take any action against Go First .
Lessors moved Delhi High Court agianst NCLT orders .
Delhi High court directed DGCA to deregister 54 flights owned by Go First .
HC has allowed lessors to inspect the plane and undertake it’s maintanence .
World
New York Police storm Columbia University again ; over 100 protesters held
Dramatic scene emerged from Columbia University , where Pro Palestine protesters had captured Hamilton hall .
The University called New York Police Department ( NYPD ) , NYPD gained entry to Hamilton Hall through window .
The police also cleared ‘ Gaza Solitary encampment ‘ the temporary encampment by protesters .
The police arrested around 109 people . It has put campus has been barricaded .
In Israel , Blinken asks Hamas to accept ‘ very strong ‘ deal
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Tel Aviv on Wednesday .
Here he met Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Yair Lapid .
He met Israeli hostages families . Mr Blinken said Hamas to accept a “ very strong “ ceasefire hostage offer as he vowed to put priority on families seeking to reunite the loved ones .
Freeing the hostages was “ at the hear of everything we do “ , Mr Blinken said .
“ There is a very strong proposal on the table right now . Hamas needs to say , and needs to get this done . “
Israeli PM Netanyahu in a recent statement said that the Rafah invasion will go on , even if an agreement with Hamas occurs or not .
Mr Blinken reiterated his stand against Rafah invasion .
Rafah currently holds around 1.5 million of 2.3 million Gaza population. There is fear that lots of civilians can suffer heavily if Israel invades Rafah . The UN , EU and US has warned Israel against any such move .
‘Australia has laws to deal with foreign interference’
The Australian News Channel ABC recently reported that Indian operatives were caught while they were trying to access “ classified information on Australia trade relationship “ . The report indicated the broad nature of Indian network that supplied members of Indian diaspora in Australia .
In response to a question on this report , US Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that Australia will uphold it’s democratic values in face of “ foreign interference “ .
Australia and India are close strategic partnership . The two countries have its own Free Trade Agreement as well but Australia and India .
But , the Khalistani issue is one of the key friction points between the two countries . The Khalistani Movement is active in Australia .
Pro Khalistani protests was reported in many Australian cities last year .
‘S Korea discussing participation in AUKUS tech pact’
South Korea’s defence minister on Monday said that his country was actively discussing partnership with the AUKUS countries in developing hypersonic weapons , drones and other advanced technologies .
South Korean Defense Minister , Shin Won Shik said this in a meeting with Australian counterpart in Melbourne .
AUKUS is a defence partnership between Australia , the US and the UK .
It was established in 2021 with two main goals in mind :
(1) Pillar One – It aims to provide Australia with a nuclear powered attack submarine .
(2) Pillar two – Focussed on developing advanced fighting capabilities ,such as Artificial intelligence , undersea drones and hypersonic missiles .
South Korea is trying to be part of “ Pillar two “ of AUKUS .
Japan , South Korea and New Zealand are among the three major countries that are expected to join AUKUS .
AUKUS is thought to be the US move to counter China in the Pacific .
In a first , UK sends asylum seeker to Rwanda
UK press ( The Sun ) has reported the first incident of a UK migrant being deported to Rwanda under a voluntary scheme.
The unnamed man was paid 3000 euros to leave , he took a commercial plane in UK to arrive at Kigali .
Recently US Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had vowed to forcibly deport illegal migrants to Rwanda . This is different from earlier plan under which illegal migrants were paid for voluntary taking flight for Rwanda . The UK government is trying to pass a law that will involve law enforcement agencies to forcible deport illegal migrants . The move has been criticised by opposition parties .
US expects accountability from India in Pannun case
Recently The Washington Post had published the name of the Indian officials who had passed the orders of killing of Pannun . The reporter had said that Ajit Dowal knew about this .
In response to a question over this US state department principal spokesperson Vedant Patel said that the US expected “ accountability “ from the Indian side and was regularly raising concerns over the Pannun issue with New Delhi on a regular basis .
China’s third aircraft carrier Fujian conducts first sea trial
China’s Fujian Aircraft carrier held its maiden sea trial on Wednesday .Fujian. is China’s third aircraft carrier .
India also has two aircraft carriers : INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant . And it is in the process of getting a third one .
Science
Plastic talks conclude in Ottawa with little progress
192 countries deliberated over a week in Ottawa , to formulate a binding agreement to “ end plastic pollution “ .
The programme comes under the United States Environmental Programme ,( UNEP ) .
But the activists and environmental groups has termed it “ disappointing “ .
This was the fourth round of talks since countries resolved in 2022 to eliminate plastic .
No concrete agreement on the elimination of plastic was taken .
Editorial
Sea also rises
India also collaborates with Indian Ocean countries on data warming
The editorial is about a recently published report by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology , Pune . The report is about the warming of the Indian Ocean .
The Indian Ocean has warmed 1.2 degree celsius . It is expected to warm between 1.7 -3.8 degree celsius between 2020 and 2100 .
The report says that warming will put Indian Ocean into “ near permanent heatwave state “ .
This will affect fisheries , coral life, and Kemp forest within sea .
The frequency of cyclones will increase manifold causing severe floods in coastal regions
The editorial suggests that India needed to form a data gathering centre with the countries that borders , Indian Ocean .
