NATIONAL:
1. 33% Reservation for Women in SC Bar Association (SCBA) Posts
Why in news: Supreme Court (SC) directed 33% reservation for women in SC Bar Association (SCBA) Posts
Key points:
• An order issued by a 2-Judge bench of the SC directed the implementation of reservation including the ensuing elections for 2024-25.
• It may increase the pool of women candidates to be appointed as judge in the SC.
• Only 11 out of 268 Judges ever appointed in SC, since independence, are Women.
• Justice Fathima Beevi was the first women judge to serve the SC in 1989.
• There were 35% women judges in subordinate courts while just 13% in High Courts (HCs). (India Justice Report, 2022)
• Only 15% of the practising lawyers are women.
2. India’s First Constitution Park in Pune
Why in news: The Indian Army and the Punit Balan Group joined inaugurated the nation's first Constitution Park in Pune
Key points:
• The park was inaugurated by General Office-Commander in Chief, Southern Command, Lt Gen Ajai Kumar Singh.
• The Constitution Park stands as a symbol of unity and commitment towards upholding the values enshrined in the Constitution.
INTERNATIONAL:
1. Nepal’s New Currency
Why in news: Nepal has decided to introduce a new currency note featuring Indian territories
Key points:
• Nepal cabinet has recently approved printing of new denominations of 100 of Nepalese currency featuring a map that includes Indian territories of Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani.
• Previously, in 2020, Nepal passed its second Constitution Amendment Bill which provided legal status to its claims over these territories.
• Kalapani is the largest territorial dispute between Nepal and India and is a tri-junction between India, Nepal and Tibet (China).
2. Panama’s Presidential Election
Why in news: Jose Raul Mulino Wins Panama’s Presidential Election
Key points:
• Jose Raul Mulino has emerged victorious in Panama's presidential election, securing nearly 35% of the counted votes with over 92% of the ballots tallied.
• Panama is a Central American country situated on the isthmus of Panama, connecting the North and South American continents.
• It is renowned for the Panama Canal, a vital 82-kilometer (51-mile) man-made waterway linking the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, facilitating global maritime trade.
ECONOMY:
1. MSMEs
Why in news: 45-day payment Rule creates hurdles for MSMEs
Key points:
• Finance Act 2023 amended the Income Tax (IT) Act to stipulate that any payments owed to MSMEs, not resolved within 45 days, will not qualify for tax deductions until the payment is made.
• It is applicable to transactions that involve the purchase of goods/ services from enterprises registered under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006.
• The amendment came into force w.e.f. April 01, 2024.
2. Government Securities
Why in news: Government of India has announced the buyback of Government Securities worth Rs 40,000 crore
Key points:
• Buyback of securities entails the government opting to retire a portion of its outstanding debt before its scheduled maturity date.
• Buybacks release liquidity into the banking system.
DEFENCE:
1. FWD-200B
Why in news: Bengaluru-based has company unveiled FWD-200B, India’s first indigenous bomber unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
Key points:
• FWD-200B is a medium-altitude, long-endurance UAV.
• It can carry a maximum take-off weight of 498 kg and has an
• Operational altitude of 9,000 ft above mean sea level.
• It comes with optical surveillance payloads and is integrated with missile-like weapons for precision air strikes.
2. C295 Transport Aircraft
Why in news: IAF takes delivery of second C295 transport aircraft
Key points:
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) received delivery of the second of the 56 C295 aircraft, which are set to replace its ageing Avro-748 fleet.
• In September 2021, India formalised the acquisition of 56 Airbus C295 aircraft to replace the legacy Avro fleet of the IAF at a cost of Rs 21,935 crore.
• Of the total 56 aircraft ordered by the Indian customer, 16 will be produced by Airbus in Seville, Spain.
• As part of an industrial partnership, the remaining 40 are going to be produced by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in the C295 Final Assembly Line in Vadodara in Western India
• The aircraft will be manufactured under India's first-ever 'Make in India' Aerospace programme in the private sector.
PERSONS/PLACES IN NEWS:
1. Sunita Williams:
Why in news: Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams, alongside colleague Butch Wilmore, is embarking on her third space mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
Key points:
• The launch is scheduled for 8:04 am IST, aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft atop an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral.
APPOINTED/ELECTED:
1. Rakesh Singh
Why in news: Paytm Money, a subsidiary of One97 Communications, has appointed Rakesh Singh as the new CEO following Varun Sridhar's resignation.
IMPORTANT DAY:
1. World Asthma Day 2024
Why in news: This year World Asthma Day is observed on May 7
Key points:
• World Asthma Day is organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma, (GINA) with World Health Organization collaborative organization founded in 1993.
• Every year on the first Tuesday of May, we celebrate World Asthma Day.
• The theme for World Asthma Day 2024--“Asthma Education Empowers”
• The first World Asthma Day was celebrated in 1998.
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