International Tiger Day 2022 observed globally on 29 July
International Tiger Day is observed globally on 29th July every year. The day is celebrated to raise awareness among individuals, organisations, and governments about the importance of the conservation of tigers. This day aims to encourage all to take appropriate action to save the wild cats. As per World Wildlife Fund, approximately 95 per cent of the population of tigers has declined in the last 150 years.
International Tiger Day 2022: Theme
This year’s theme for International Tiger Day 2022 is “India launches Project Tiger to revive the tiger population”. They support initiatives that collaborate with regional people to safeguard tigers and also take strong action against poaching and illegal trade.
International Tiger Day 2022: Significance
The day seeks to protect and expand tiger habitats apart from preserving these species. International Tiger Day is observed by many international organisations, including the World Wide Fund for Nature, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and the Smithsonian Institution. The current wild cat population is 3,900, according to the WWF. India is home to nearly 70% of the world’s tiger population.
International Tiger Day: History
International Tiger Day was introduced in 2010 after it was discovered that 97 per cent of tigers had disappeared in the past century, with only about 3,000 remaining. Since tigers were on the verge of extinction, a number of countries signed an agreement at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia to prevent the situation from worsening. Tigers are found in only 13 countries of the world, while 70 per cent of its tigers are in India only.
Types and colour of Tiger:
Tigers are of different colours like White tigers, White tigers with black stripes, Brown tigers with black stripes, and Golden tigers and watching them walk can be a wonderful sight. So far, Bali Tiger, Caspian Tiger, Javan Tiger, and Tiger Hybrids are the species that are extinct.
In three years, India lost 329 tigers, 29 of which were killed by poachers: Govt
According to a government report, 329 tigers in India perished in the past three years as a result of poaching, natural disasters, and other factors. The poaching, electrocution, poisoning, and train accidents contributed to the deaths of up to 307 elephants over this time. 96 tigers perished in 2019, 106 in 2020, and 127 in 2021, according to data presented by Union Minister of State for Environment Ashwini Kumar Choubey.
KEY POINTS:
68 tiger fatalities were due to natural causes, five were due to unnatural causes, 29 were due to poaching, and 30 were due to “seizure.”
The deaths of 197 tigers in all are being investigated.
The data showed that the number of poaching instances decreased with time, going from 17 in 2019 to 4 in 2021.
125 people have died in “tiger attacks” over this time, including 61 in Maharashtra and 25 in Uttar Pradesh, according to the figures presented by the Minister.
About Government Report:
222 elephants have died from electrocution in the last three years. Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Assam, respectively, reported 41, 34, and 33 such deaths.
Train accidents have claimed the lives of 45 elephants. There were 12 and 11 of these fatalities in Odisha and West Bengal, respectively.
The data showed that during the period, 11 elephants died from poisoning, including nine in Assam, while 29 elephants perished as a result of poaching, including 12 in Meghalaya and seven in Odisha.
India Received Highest Annual FDI Inflows Of USD 84.8 billion In FY 21-22
India received the highest annual Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows of almost $85 billion in FY 21-22. India is rapidly emerging as a preferred country for FDI in the manufacturing sector. FDI Equity inflow in Manufacturing Sectors have increased by 76% in FY 2021-22 ($ 21.34 billion) compared to previous FY 2020-21.
What is FDI:
Foreign direct investment (FDI) is an investment made by a company or an individual in one country into business interests located in another country. FDI is an important driver of economic growth.
India’s Position In the World:
As per the UNCTAD World Investment Report (WIR) 2022, in its analysis of the global trends in FDI inflows, India has moved to 7th rank among the top 20 host economies for 2021. Even in this hard time, this is a good signal that the economy is doing very well and resilient from the global disturbances.
Highest FDI Contributors Country-wise:
Singapore (27.01%) > USA (17.94%) > Mauritius (15.98%) > Netherland (7.86%) > Switzerland (7.31%)
Top 5 States receiving the highest FDI Equity Inflow during FY 2021-22 :
Karnataka (37.55%),
Maharashtra (26.26%),
Delhi (13.93%),
Tamil Nadu (5.10%) and
Haryana (4.76%)
Top 5 sectors receiving the highest FDI Equity Inflow during FY 2021-22 :
Computer Software & Hardware (24.60%), Services Sector (Fin., Banking, Insurance, Non Fin/Business, Outsourcing, R&D, Courier, Tech. Testing and Analysis, Other) (12.13%), Automobile Industry (11.89%), Trading 7.72% and Construction (Infrastructure) Activities (5.52%).
Difference Between Gross And Net FDI :
It is to be noted that, there is a difference between Gross FDI and Net FDI. The FDI investors in India earn profit which they can take back to their home country or they can sell the investment as well in India and return to their home country. When this is subtracted from Gross FDI then we get Net FDI. Somewhere Gross FDI data is used and somewhere Net is used. In 2021-22, Net FDI was around $55 billion.
Anurag Thakur released books showcasing pictures of President Kovind his predecessors
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur has released three books showcasing some of the rarest photographs of outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind and his predecessors. The books were released during a function at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and their first copies were presented to President Ramnath Kovind in the presence of president-elect Droupadi Murmu, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
About the 3 books:
First Book: ‘Moods, Moments and Memories…’ has a collection of rarely seen images of the former presidents of India from 1950-2017.
Second Book: ‘The First Citizen’ has pictorial records of President Kovind’s term.
Third Book: ‘Interpreting Geometries – Flooring of Rashtrapati Bhavan’ documents and analyses the intricate play of geometry applied to evolve the unique flooring patterns in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Roshni Nadar retained as India’s richest woman for 2nd year in a row
HCL Technologies’ Chairperson, Roshni Nadar Malhotra has retained her position as the richest woman in India, for the second year in a row according to the third edition of ‘Kotak Private Banking Hurun – Leading Wealthy Women List’. The total net worth of Roshni Nadar stood at Rs 84,330 crore. Roshni Nadar was followed by Nykaa-owner Falguni Nayar, overtaking Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw of Biocon, with a total wealth of Rs 57,520 crore. Falguni Nayar is the world’s tenth richest self-made woman.
The report highlighted that 25 new faces have made it to the list. The other key highlights of the report include that the average wealth of women in 2021 went up to Rs 4,170 crore as against Rs 2,725 crore in the last edition of the list.
Here is the list of the top 5 richest women in India:
RankNameCompanyWealth/Net worth (INR)
1. Roshni Nadar Malhotra HCL 84, 330 crore
2. Falguni Nayar Nykaa 57,520 crore
3. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw Biocon 29,030 crore
4. Nilima Motaparti Divi’s Laboratories 28,180 crore
5. Radha Vembu Zoho 26, 260 crore
India’s first all women-run cooperative bank coming up in Rajasthan
The first all-women-run financial institution in the cooperative sector is coming soon in Rajasthan following a memorandum of understanding (MoU) has signed with the Telangana government’s Stree Nidhi Credit Cooperative Federation. The new body will promote women’s empowerment by supporting their enterprises.
The Rajasthan Mahila Nidhi will be set up on the lines of the Stree Nidhi of Telangana. The MoU was signed between Rajasthan Grameen Ajeevika Vikas Parishad’s (Rajeevika) Mission Director Manju Rajpal and Stree Nidhi Managing Director G. Vidya Sagar Reddy in the presence of Rural Development Minister Ramesh Chand Meena.
About the Mahila Nidhi:
Mahila Nidhi will strengthen the women’s self-help groups in the State by extending timely loan facilities for their enterprises. The institution will be operated entirely by women and will act as a complementary body to the formal banking system. It is also expected to bring down the number of loan applications pending in the banks.
iDEX-DIO of Ministry of Defence signs its 100th contract for innovation
iDEX inked its 100th contract with Pacify Medical Technologies Pvt Ltd in New Delhi. The initiative iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence), described as the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) centrepiece for technical innovation, was introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2018. The purpose of iDEX was to support start-ups by giving them a venue for co-creation and co-development in the fields of defence and aerospace technologies.
KEY POINTS:
The “Defence Innovation Organization” (DIO), which is a “not for profit” organisation in accordance with Section 8 of the Companies Act 2013, finances and oversees iDEX.
The two largest DPSUs in the defence sector, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) and Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL), are its founding members.
It is encouraged for defence start-ups and micro, small, and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs) to offer technology solutions to practical issues that the military occasionally presents as “challenges”.
Technology-viable innovations are taken into account for funding and acceptance of necessity (AoN) status, which opens the door to the military’s potentially lucrative procurement pipeline.
These high-tech development programmes typically receive single-digit or double-digit amounts under the “technology development” section of the defence budget.
The capital budget for 2022–23 has, however, allotted a sizeable Rs 1,365 crore for this year.
About iDEX:
iDEX inked its 100th contract with Pacify Medical Technologies Pvt Ltd in New Delhi.
iDEX is referred to as “an ecosystem to stimulate innovation and technology development in defence and aerospace by engaging innovators and entrepreneurs to deliver technologically sophisticated solutions for modernising the Indian military.”
Through well publicised initiatives like the Defence India Start-up Challenges (DISC) and Prime and Open Challenges, iDEX has aimed to fundamentally alter the defence acquisition eco-system in just over four years.
Through the iDEX Open Challenge, innovators, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs are encouraged to interact with the military and present their solutions.
Selected candidates are given the opportunity to present their ideas to the iDEX grand jury and become eligible for awards and investments.
iDEX Prime (Sprint) gives innovators the chance to design and develop specific military equipment, like boats for Special Forces, with the MoD covering half the development cost, up to a maximum of Rs 10 crore.
About DAC (Defense Acquisition Council):
Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) has previously given the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for trial and acquisition to 17 start-ups in 14 projects during the past four years.
Projects from the remaining DISC 1 & 2 and several from DISC 3 are almost finished, and the DAC may grant AoN by the conclusion of the current Financial Year.
Defence Minister Grant for Weapons:
The defence ministry approves plans for purchasing weapons worth Rs 28,732 billion.
Bullet-resistant Level BS VI protection jackets.
400,000 CQB carbines for close-quarters combat.
AoN granted for drone swarms and surveillance.
14 Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) having 60% Indian material for the coast guard.
Upgraded 1,250 KW marine gas turbine for destroyers of the Kolkata class.
US wins most Gold, India places 33rd at the 2022 World Athletics Championships
The World Athletics Championships were held in America for the first time. And in terms of medals, Team USA made the most of their time over the last 10 days. India came up at number 33 overall and fourth in Asia, just behind China, Japan, and Kazakhstan. More than three times as many as any other nation in the competition, and more than any other nation has ever won at a global championship, the United States finished the competition with a total of 33 medals. This includes 13 golds, the most of any nation.
Overall Medal Tally: Top 3 and India
RankCountryTotal Medals
1.United States-3
2.Ethiopia-10
3.Jamaica-10
33.India-1
KEY POINTS:
Algeria, Burkina Faso, Croatia, Greece, and South Korea have tied with India in 33rd position on the medal tally with 1 silver medal each.
Men’s 100-meter dash, men’s 200-meter dash, and men’s shot put all saw American athletes sweep the podium.
And Team USA’s domination at Oregon22 continued into the last day of competition.
Athing Mu won gold medals in the men’s and women’s 4×400-meter relays as well as the women’s 800-meter race on Sunday, giving the United States a total of four podium finishers.
With a combined total of 10 medals, Ethiopia, Jamaica, and Kenya each completed the global championships. With four gold medals, Ethiopia is in the lead, second only to China.
Athletes from 43 different nations will take home at least one medal in total.