Final Lap CA- MITs _ CLAT 2025 PDF

CURRRENT AFFAIRS – MITs : CLAT 2025 VIDHIGYA 1. Constitution of the Sixteenth Finance Commission The Government of India, in adherence to Article 280(1) of the Constitution, has established the Sixteenth...

CURRRENT AFFAIRS – MITs : CLAT 2025 VIDHIGYA 1. Constitution of the Sixteenth Finance Commission The Government of India, in adherence to Article 280(1) of the Constitution, has established the Sixteenth Finance Commission, appointing Dr. Arvind Panagariya, former Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog and Professor at Columbia University, as its Chairman. Specific terms of reference have been outlined, including the distribution of tax proceeds between the Union and States, principles governing grantsin-aid to States, and measures to bolster State funds for local bodies like Panchayats and Municipalities. The Commission has also been tasked with reviewing disaster management financing arrangements under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and making recommendations for improvements. The Commission has been requested to make its report available by 31st October, 2025. Finance Commission Article 280 of the constitution of India provides for a Finance Commission. It acts as a quasi-judicial body Constituted by the President of India every fifth year or at such earlier time as he considers necessary. The First Finance Commission was constituted by Presidential Order dated 22.11.1951 under the chairmanship of Shri K.C. Neogy on 6th April, 1952. The Constitution of India envisages the Finance commission as the “balancing wheel of fiscal federalism in India”. Composition and Qualification of Members Comprises Chairman and 4 members appointed by the PRESIDENT. Tenure: Hold office for such a period as specified by the President. Chairperson and members are eligible for reappointment. Chairman: Person having experience in public affair Members: 1) Judge of a high court or qualified to be appointed as one. 2) Specialized knowledge of finance and accounts of the government. 3) Wide experience in financial matters and in administration 4) Special knowledge of economics. 2. Places of Worship Act 1991 The Allahabad High Court's recent stance in the Gyanvapi case suggests that the Places of Worship Act, 1991 does not clarify “religious character of any place of worship” and can only be determined in a trial, based on documentary and oral evidence, on a case-to-case basis. The Places of Worship Act, 1991 bars the conversion of religious sites into places of worship for a different religion or sect. It also mandates preserving the religious identity of any place of worship as it stood on 15th August, 1947. The disputed site at Ayodhya was exempted from the Act. Due to this exemption, the trial in the Ayodhya case proceeded even after the enforcement of this law. The Gyanvapi case is a legal battle concerning the ownership and religious identity of Varanasi's Gyanvapi complex, housing both a mosque and a temple. Hindu plaintiffs argue that the entire area, including the mosque site, was originally a temple dedicated to Swayambhu Lord Adi Vishweshwar. They claim that this temple, once on the Gyanvapi plot, was demolished by Emperor Aurangzeb in 1669. Stay LAWgical with Vidhigya, Your Best Pal in CLAT Preps !! Karein Taiyyari Jeet ki Page 11 of 272 CURRRENT AFFAIRS – MITs : CLAT 2025 VIDHIGYA 3. Peace Pact with ULFA The pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) signed a tripartite peace deal with the Centre and the Assam government recently. Background: From the 19th century, Assam's rich culture faced challenges due to an influx of migrants drawn by its thriving tea, coal, and oil industries. This influx, compounded by Partition and then refugees from East Pakistan, heightened insecurity among the indigenous population. Resource competition sparked a six-year mass movement, culminating in the 1985 Assam Accord aiming to address the issue of foreigners in the state. Origin of ULFA: ULFA was formed in 1979, advocating for an independent Assam through armed struggle against the Indian state. Over a decade, ULFA recruited and trained members in Myanmar, China, and Pakistan, resorting to abductions and executions to establish a sovereign Assam. In 1990, the government's Operation Bajrang resulted in the capture of a large number of ULFA rebels. Terms of Pact ULFA to: Renounce violence and disband their organization. Join the democratic process. Surrender weapons and camps. Government to: Address ULFA's concerns regarding Assamese identity, culture, and land rights. A ₹1.5 lakh crore investment for Assam's holistic development. Assam Accord It was a tripartite accord signed between the Government of India, State Government of Assam and the leaders of the Assam Movement in 1985. The signing of the Accord led to the conclusion of a six-year agitation that was launched by the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) in 1979, demanding the identification and deportation of illegal immigrants from Assam. It sets a cut-off of midnight of 24th March 1971, for the detection of illegal foreigners in Assam. 4. Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) was adopted during the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP)-15 of CBD following a four year consultation and negotiation process. This historic Framework, which supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and builds on the Convention’s previous Strategic Plans, sets out an ambitious pathway to reach the global vision of a world living in harmony with nature by 2050. 30 by 30 Target: The declaration made a reference to the '30 by 30' target which is a key proposal being debated at the COP15, that would afford 30% of the Earth’s land and oceans protected status by 2030. Main Targets: The framework consists of four goals for 2050 and 23 targets for 2030. The four goals are: 1) Conserve and restore biodiversity. Stay LAWgical with Vidhigya, Your Best Pal in CLAT Preps !! Karein Taiyyari Jeet ki Page 12 of 272 CURRRENT AFFAIRS – MITs : CLAT 2025 VIDHIGYA 2) Ensure sustainable use of biodiversity. 3) Share benefits fairly and equitably. 4) Enable transformative change. Biodiversity Credits Biodiversity Credits or bio-credits are increasingly being pushed as a means for financing work on the various targets set under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). The KMGBF, established at the 15th Conference of Parties (CoP15) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), sets forth ambitious targets for biodiversity conservation, sustainable utilization, and equitable benefit sharing. UN Convention on Biodiversity CBD is a legally binding treaty to conserve biodiversity that has been in force since 1993 and has been ratified by 196 nations. It sets out guidelines for countries to protect biodiversity, ensure sustainable use, and promote fair and equitable benefit sharing. It aims at achieving a historic deal to halt and reverse biodiversity loss on par with the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. The CBD Secretariat is based in Montreal, Canada. The Parties (Countries) under CBD, meet at regular intervals and these meetings are called Conference of Parties (COP). India enacted Biological Diversity Act in 2002 for giving effect to the provisions of the CBD. 5. XPoSat Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched its first X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) to study X-ray polarization and its cosmic sources, like Black holes, Neutron stars, and Magnetars. The mission is propelled by the PSLV-C58 rocket in Low Earth Orbit. The satellite carries two main payloads, POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing). Entirely built by two Bengaluru-based institutes—ISRO’s UR Rao Satellite Centre and Raman Research Institute. XPoSat is only the world's second mission dedicated to X-ray polarization in the medium X-ray band. NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), launched in 2021, was the first such mission by a space agency. XPoSat will be India's third space-based observatory, following the recently launched solar mission Aditya-L1 and AstroSat, which was launched in 2015. AstroSat is the first dedicated Indian astronomy mission aimed at studying celestial sources in X-ray, optical and UV spectral bands simultaneously. 6. Wetland City Accreditation The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has recently submitted three nominations from India for the Wetland City Accreditation (WCA). Stay LAWgical with Vidhigya, Your Best Pal in CLAT Preps !! Karein Taiyyari Jeet ki Page 13 of 272 CURRRENT AFFAIRS – MITs : CLAT 2025 VIDHIGYA The WCA is a voluntary accreditation system established by the Ramsar Convention during the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP) 12, 2015 to recognize cities that have taken exceptional steps to safeguard their urban wetlands. The WCA is valid for 6 years. The nominated cities include Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), and Udaipur (Rajasthan). The ongoing Amrit Dharohar initiative by MoEF&CC aligns with WCA goals, promoting the conservation values of Ramsar Sites. 7. MeitY Launches ERNET India’s Web Portal Ministry of Electronics & IT has recently unveiled ERNET, India's new integrated web portal for educational institutes, offering domain registration, DNS (Domain Name System), and value-added services. The portal includes Website as a Service (WaaS) and Learning Management as a Service (LMaaS), allowing users to create customized websites and Learning Management Systems using various templates. The ERNET India is a not-for-profit scientific society under MeitY. It is the exclusive domain registrar for all the education & research institutes having ‘ac.in’, ‘edu.in’ & ‘res.in’ as domain name. 8. Lithium Deal with Argentina Ministry of Mines, Government of India through the state-owned Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL), has entered into a draft exploration and development agreement with Argentinan miner CAMYEN for possible acquisition and development of five-odd lithium blocks. The company has also entered into a non-disclosure agreement with Chilean miner ENAMI for “possible exploration, extraction, processing and commercialisation” of the mineral. Lithium is an alkali mineral, also called ‘white gold’. It is soft, silverywhite metal, the lightest metal of the periodic table. Major Properties: High Reactivity, Low Density, Excellent Electrochemical Properties. Lithium triangle made up of Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia—contain roughly half the world's known lithium. Months after lithium reserves were discovered in Jammu & Kashmir (Reasi), Rajasthan (Degana- Nagaur), and Karnataka (Mandya), it is now being reported that a reserve of the cosmic mineral has been discovered in Jharkhand as well. Lithium is a critical component of the energy transition and is used in electric vehicles, cellphones, and rechargeable batteries for laptops. EV carmakers prefer lithium-ion batteries because they're lightweight and can be quickly recharged. 9. India UAE Joint Exercise “Desert Cyclone” 2024 India and UAE will hold 'Desert Cyclone 2024' joint military exercise in Rajasthan from 2nd January to 15th January, 2024. The exercise aims to enhance interoperability by learning & sharing best practices in Urban Operations. It is also expected to not only strengthen the defense ties between India and the UAE but also contribute to the broader goal of fostering regional peace and security. Stay LAWgical with Vidhigya, Your Best Pal in CLAT Preps !! Karein Taiyyari Jeet ki Page 14 of 272 CURRRENT AFFAIRS – MITs : CLAT 2025 VIDHIGYA India has also been a regular participant at the biennial International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi. 10. Expansion of BRICS Recently, during the 15th BRICS summit held in Johannesburg, it was announced that the existing five-member BRICS grouping, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, had taken a significant step by inviting six new countries to join. These new invitees are Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from West Asia; Egypt and Ethiopia from Africa; and Argentina from Latin America. Argentina has formally withdrawn from the expansion of the BRICS bloc. New far-right president Javier Milei has followed through on an election promise to reverse the country's decision to join. History of BRICS The acronym "BRIC" was initially formulated in 2001 by economist Jim O'Neill, of GoldmanSachs, in a report named “Building Better Economic BRIC” on growth prospects for the economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. In 2006, leaders of the BRIC countries met on the margins of a G-8 (now called G-7) summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, and BRIC was formalized that year. Shortly afterward, in September 2006, the group was formalized as BRIC during the 1st BRIC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which met on the side lines of the General Debate of the UN Assembly in New York City. BRIC started as an informal grouping in 2006 on the margins of the G8 outreach summit. Originally the first four were grouped as "BRIC" before the induction of South Africa in 2010. South Africa was invited to join BRIC in December 2010, after which the group adopted the acronym BRICS. New Development Bank NDB is headquartered in Shanghai. At the Fourth BRICS Summit in New Delhi (2012) the possibility of setting up a new Development Bank was considered to mobilize resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in BRICS and other emerging economies, as well as in developing countries. During the Sixth BRICS Summit in Fortaleza (2014) the leaders signed the Agreement establishing the New Development Bank (NDB). Fortaleza Declaration stressed that the NDB will strengthen cooperation among BRICS and will supplement the efforts of multilateral and regional financial institutions for global development thus contributing to sustainable and balanced growth. All the Five countries contributed equally: 20 Billion Dollars Each First President of NDB: KV Kamath Present President: Marcos Prado Troyjo Membership Expanded: ▪ Bangladesh ▪ Uruguay ▪ UAE ▪ Egypt Stay LAWgical with Vidhigya, Your Best Pal in CLAT Preps !! Karein Taiyyari Jeet ki Page 15 of 272 CURRRENT AFFAIRS – MITs : CLAT 2025 VIDHIGYA Headquarters: Shanghai, China First Regional Office: Johannesburg (South Africa) Other regional offices: Sao Paulo (Brazil); Moscow (Russia); GIFT City (India: To be opened) Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs and India’s Governor for the New Development Bank (NDB) chaired the 7th Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of NDB (New Development Bank). Theme for the Annual Meeting was NDB: “Optimizing Development Impact”. 11. Socio-economic Caste Census SECC was conducted for the first time since 1931. Also conducted in 2011. SECC is meant to canvass every Indian family, both in rural and urban India, and ask about their: 1. Economic status, so as to allow Central and State authorities to come up with a range of indicators of deprivation, permutations, and combinations of which could be used by each authority to define a poor or deprived person. 2. It is also meant to ask every person their specific caste name to allow the government to re-evaluate which caste groups were economically worst off and which were better off. SECC has the potential to allow for a mapping of inequalities at a broader level. Difference between Census and SECC The Census provides a portrait of the Indian population, while the SECC is a tool to identify beneficiaries of state support. W.W.M. Yeatts, Census Commissioner for India for the 1941 Census, had pointed out that “the census is a large, immensely powerful, but blunt instrument unsuited for specialized inquiry.” 12. Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra Recently, the number of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PMKisan) scheme beneficiaries has declined by more than 20%, decreasing from a peak of 10.47 crore in April-July 2022 to 8.12 crore. The government's proactive measures, particularly the "saturation drive" initiated under the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, have added 34 lakh farmers back to the list of beneficiaries. It is a nationwide campaign to raise awareness through outreach activities to achieve saturation of schemes of Govt. of India across the country covering all Gram Panchayats, Nagar Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies. 13. Bilkis Bano Judgement Recently, the Supreme Court has nullified the Gujarat government’s decision to grant Remission to 11 convicts involved in the gangrape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of seven of her family members during the 2002 Riots in the state. During 2002 Gujarat riots, Bilkis Bano, a pregnant woman at the time, was subjected to a brutal gangrape, while seven members of her family, including her three-year-old daughter, were killed by a mob during the riots. Following extensive legal proceedings, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigated the case. In 2004, SC moved the trial from Gujarat to Mumbai after Bilkis faced death threats; directed the central government to appoint a special public prosecutor. In 2008, a Mumbai court convicted 11 individuals for their involvement in the gangrape and murder, marking a significant step towards justice for Bilkis Bano. Stay LAWgical with Vidhigya, Your Best Pal in CLAT Preps !! Karein Taiyyari Jeet ki Page 16 of 272 CURRRENT AFFAIRS – MITs : CLAT 2025 VIDHIGYA However, in August 2022, the Gujarat government granted remission to these 11 convicts, leading to their release. This decision sparked controversy and legal challenges due to concerns regarding the authority and jurisdiction responsible for granting such remissions. 14. UREA GOLD It is a non-organic slow-release fertilizer. It is generally prepared by coating preheated urea granules with molten sulfur. A coating forms a membrane that regulates nitrogen availability for plant growth. As per the study conducted by ICAR, the use of sulfur-coated Urea (SCU) leads to a reduction in urea consumption by 25%. This will help address a deficiency of Sulphur content in the soil. The decision to price Urea Gold on par with Neem Coated Urea demonstrates a concerted effort to encourage the adoption of environmentally friendly fertilizers without imposing an additional financial burden on farmers. Neem Coated Urea Neem Coated Urea (N) is the Neem oil-coated Urea specially developed only to be used as agricultural fertilizer. The coating of Neem slows the nitrification of urea thereby helping in increased absorption of nutrients in the soil as well as reduces groundwater pollution. 15. SVAMITVA Scheme Scheme Type: Central Sector Scheme Scheme Ministry: Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) Objective: 1. To establish clear ownership of property in rural areas, with issuance of legal ownership cards to the property-owners. 2. It uses drone technology for mapping land parcels. Significance of scheme: A. Facilitating monetization of properties, B. enabling bank loans and comprehensive village-level planning, C. mitigating disputes. 16. Geographical Indication (GI) Tag A GI tag is a name or sign used on certain products that correspond to a specific geographical location or origin. The GI tag ensures that only the authorized users or those residing in the geographical territory are allowed to use the popular product name. It also protects the product from being copied or imitated by others. A registered GI is valid for 10 years. GI registration is overseen by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Legal Framework and Obligations: The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 seeks to provide for the registration and better protection of geographical indications relating to goods in India. Stay LAWgical with Vidhigya, Your Best Pal in CLAT Preps !! Karein Taiyyari Jeet ki Page 17 of 272 CURRRENT AFFAIRS – MITs : CLAT 2025 VIDHIGYA It is governed and directed by the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). Furthermore, the significance of protecting industrial property and geographical indications as integral components of intellectual property is acknowledged and emphasized in Articles 1(2) and 10 of the Paris Convention. 17. Atal Setu Atal Setu is the longest bridge in India and also the longest sea bridge in the country. The bridge is about 21.8 km long six-lane bridge having about 16.5 km length over sea and about 5.5 km on the land. The bridge has been named after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The bridge originates from Sewri in Mumbai and ends at Nhava Sheva in Uran taluka in Raigad district. The project is financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), covering 80% of the total project cost, while the remaining portion is shared between the state and central governments. Earlier Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Bridge was the longest bridge in India, over the River Brahmaputra, in Assam. The 9.15 Km long river bridge. 18. Global Trade Research Initiative Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) released report titled 'India's FTA Negotiations with European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Countries’. India encounters challenges in negotiating Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Switzerland and other EFTA nations during final rounds of talks. These include Switzerland's decision to eliminate import duties on all industrial goods for all countries starting from January 1, 2024, limits FTA utility for India. Gold Trade Complications: Complexities surrounding inclusion of gold in FTA and its compliance with rules of origin conditions. Gold accounts for 80% of India's imports from Switzerland. India faced challenges in Agricultural Exports to Switzerland due to a complex web of tariffs, quality standards, and approval requirements. EFTA has shown no inclination to make agriculture tariffs zero on most basic agricultural produce. Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) plus protection requested by EFTA countries may come in conflict with India's domestic regulations of Intellectual Property Rights especially patents and copyrights. European Free Trade Association (EFTA): Established: 1960 Founding members: Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, UK. Iceland joined in 1970, Finland in 1986, Liechtenstein in 1991. Several countries left EFTA to join the EU (e.g., Denmark, UK in 1973; Portugal in 1986). Current members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland. Global Trade Network: EFTA has over 60 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), including with the EU. EFTA Council: Highest governing body, meets 8 times annually (ambassadorial level) and twice at ministerial level. EFTA Secretariat Stay LAWgical with Vidhigya, Your Best Pal in CLAT Preps !! Karein Taiyyari Jeet ki Page 18 of 272 CURRRENT AFFAIRS – MITs : CLAT 2025 VIDHIGYA ▪ Geneva HQ: Manages relations and FTAs. ▪ Brussels office: Handles EEA Agreement and EU collaboration. ▪ Luxembourg: Focuses on European statistical integration. 19. India Maldives Relations The visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Lakshadweep ignited controversy, further straining the already tense relations between India and the Maldives. Focal Point of India’s Neighborhood First Policy: Maldives’ proximity to the west coast of India and its situation at the hub of commercial sea lanes running through the Indian Ocean imbues it with significant strategic importance to India. India as a First Responder to the Maldives: India's swift response and immediate assistance during the 1988 coup attempt laid the foundation for the development of trust and enduring, friendly bilateral relations with the Maldives. The Indian Armed Forces acted promptly, executing Operation Cactus. Defense cooperation extends to the areas of Joint Exercises -“Ekuverin”, “Dosti”, “Ekatha” and “Operation Shield”. India is amongst the largest sources of visitors to the Maldives, which is heavily dependent on tourism to run its economy. Bilateral USD Currency Swap Agreement between RBI and Maldives Monetary Authority was signed on 22nd July 2019. In August 2021, Afcons, an Indian company, signed a contract for the largest-ever infrastructure project in Maldives which is the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP). The Hanimaadhoo International Airport Development project under an Indian credit line will add a brand-new terminal to cater to 1.3 million passengers a year. India and Maldives share ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and religious links steeped in antiquity. According to anthropologists, the origins of Dhivehi (the Maldivian language) harken back to Sanskrit and Pali. Operation Neer 2014: Under Operation Neer India supplied drinking water to Maldives to deal with the drinking water crisis. Operation Sanjeevani: India supplied 6.2 tonnes of essential medicines to Maldives, under Operation Sanjeevani as assistance in the fight against Covid-19. Recent Development: The government of President Mohamed Muizzu, who rode an “India Out” campaign to power, has asked India to withdraw military personnel stationed in the Maldives, and conveyed its intention to terminate a water survey pact (Hydrography Cooperation Agreement). The Muizzu establishment is considered close to China. 20. Global Risk Report World Economic Forum (WEF) has released the Global Risk Report 2024, highlighting some of the most severe risks we may face over the next decade, against a backdrop of rapid technological change, economic uncertainty, a warming planet and conflict. The WEF is a Swiss nonprofit foundation established in 1971, based in Geneva, Switzerland. Recognized by the Swiss authorities as the international institution for public-private cooperation. Mission: Committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas. Founder and Executive Chairman: Klaus Schwab. Some major reports published by WEF are: Stay LAWgical with Vidhigya, Your Best Pal in CLAT Preps !! Karein Taiyyari Jeet ki Page 19 of 272 CURRRENT AFFAIRS – MITs : CLAT 2025 VIDHIGYA 1. Energy Transition Index. 2. Global Competitiveness Report. 3. Global IT Report WEF along with INSEAD, and Cornell University publishes this report. 4. Global Gender Gap Report. 5. Global Travel and Tourism Report. 21. Green Fuels Alliance India (GFAI) initiative Denmark announces Green Fuels Alliance India (GFAI) initiative. It is part of Green Strategic Partnership (GSP) signed in 2020 between India and Denmark. Its primary objective is to promote sustainable energy growth in India by encouraging collaboration among businesses, government entities, research institutions, etc. from both countries. It is inspired by initiatives like India-Denmark Energy Partnership, and joint R&D efforts on Green Fuels, etc. Goals and significance 1. Strengthen collaboration in sustainable energy solutions. 2. Advance joint goals towards carbon neutrality. 3. Enables renewable energy production in India towards ambition to be global leader in green energy value chain. 4. Help in accelerating net zero emissions by 2070. Other similar partnership initiatives by India 1. U.S.-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership 2. Green / Clean Hydrogen India and Saudi Arabia 3. India-Australia Green Hydrogen Taskforce 4. Global Biofuels Alliance forged by Brazil, India, and United States 5. Quad's Climate Working Group for clean energy NOTE: Green fuels, also called green hydrocarbons, biofuels, are fuel produced from biomass sources through variety of biological and thermochemical processes. 22. Swachh Survekshan (SS) awards 2023 Swachh Survekshan (SS) awards 2023 conferred on Indore and Surat have jointly won the Cleanest Cities Award. Navi Mumbai secured the third cleanest city position. Winners in other categories include: For urban centres with less than 1 lakh population: Saswad in Maharashtra Best Performing State: Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Best Safaimitra Surakshit Sheher: Chandigarh Cleanest Ganga Towns: Varanasi and Prayagraj (UP) The winners are selected according to the SS 2023, conducted by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) under the Swachh Bharat Urban Mission 2.0, since 2016. Swachh Survekshan, conducted by the MoHUA since 2016, is the world’s largest urban sanitation and cleanliness survey. The 2023 round encompassed 4,416 urban local bodies, 61 cantonments, and 88 Ganga towns. Bottom Five States: Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Nagaland, and Tripura were ranked as the bottom five states in cleanliness. Stay LAWgical with Vidhigya, Your Best Pal in CLAT Preps !! Karein Taiyyari Jeet ki Page 20 of 272 CURRRENT AFFAIRS – MITs : CLAT 2025 VIDHIGYA Mhow Cantonment was declared the cleanest cantonment in the country. 23. Shimla Development Plan 2041 Recently, the Supreme Court has approved the Shimla Development Plan 2041 that is aimed at regulating construction activities in Himachal Pradesh’s capital city, terming it Sustainable. The draft Development Plan for the Shimla Planning Area 2041 was published in February 2022. The development plan has been prepared by the Town and Country Planning Department of Himachal Pradesh under the AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) sub-scheme of the Government of India. The initial approval for the plan was granted by the previous state government in February 2022. However, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) intervened and issued stay orders in May 2022, terming the plan illegal and in conflict with earlier orders passed in 2017. The NGT’s 2017 verdict had prohibited construction on buildings above two floors and the attic floor in the Shimla planning area. In January, 2024, the SC gave its approval to the Shimla Development Plan 2041, setting aside the previous orders of the NGT, stating that it was beyond the jurisdiction of the tribunal to direct the state government on how to formulate the development plan. National Green Tribunal (NGT) It is a specialized body set up under the National Green Tribunal Act (2010) for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources. With the establishment of the NGT, India became the third country in the world to set up a specialized environmental tribunal, only after Australia and New Zealand, and the first developing country to do so. NGT is mandated to make disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of filing the same. Laws covered under NGT 1. The Water Act 1974, 2. The Water Cess Act 1977, 3. The Forest Conservation Act 1980, 4. Air Act 1981 , 5. Environment Protection Act 1986, 6. Public Liability Insurance Act 1991 and 7. The Biological Diversity Act 2002. The NGT has five places of sittings, New Delhi is the Principal place of sitting and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai are the other four. The Tribunal is headed by the Chairperson who sits in the Principal Bench and has at least ten but not more than twenty judicial members and at least ten but not more than 20 expert members. Decisions of the Tribunal are binding. The Tribunal has powers to review its own decisions. If this fails, the decision can be challenged before the Supreme Court within ninety days. Stay LAWgical with Vidhigya, Your Best Pal in CLAT Preps !! Karein Taiyyari Jeet ki Page 21 of 272 CURRRENT AFFAIRS – MITs : CLAT 2025 VIDHIGYA 24. MPLADS It was launched by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) that allows MPs to propose, track, and oversee projects under MPLAD Scheme. About MPLADS Central Sector Scheme under MoSPI. MPLADS funds used for creation of durable community assets in areas of drinking water, primary education, etc. At least 15 percent of MPLADS entitlement allocated for areas inhabited by Scheduled Caste population and 7.5 percent for areas inhabited by ST population. Funds are non-lapsable i.e. if money is not utilized, it gets carried to next year. District authority must inspect at least 10% of all work under implementation every year. 25. Green Hydrogen World Economic Forum along with Bain & Company has released a report titled- Green Hydrogen: Enabling Measures Roadmap for Adoption in India, highlighting that Green Hydrogen production cost needs to be reduced to less than or equal to USD 2 per kg. Hydrogen is a key industrial fuel that has a variety of applications including the production of ammonia (a key fertilizer), steel, refineries and electricity. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. But pure, or the elemental hydrogen, is very scarce. It almost always exists in compounds like with oxygen to form water. Hydrogen is a great source of energy because of its high energy content per unit of weight, which is why it is used as rocket fuel. 26. Ugram The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has launched an indigenous assault rifle named 'Ugram', intended to meet the operational requirements of armed forces, paramilitary, and state police entities. It has been developed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), a unit of DRDO and Hyderabad-based private firm Dvipa Armour India Private Limited. The Ugram is intended to replace the aging INSAS rifle currently used by the Indian Armed Forces. 27. World Bank’s Global Economic Prospects Report Recently, the World Bank (WB) has released its Global Economic Prospects Report, which shows that the global economy may witness a poor performance by the end of 2024, the slowest half-decade of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth in 30 years. It was created in 1944, as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) along with the IMF. The IBRD later became the World Bank. The World Bank is one of the United Nations' specialized agencies. Stay LAWgical with Vidhigya, Your Best Pal in CLAT Preps !! Karein Taiyyari Jeet ki Page 22 of 272 CURRRENT AFFAIRS – MITs : CLAT 2025 VIDHIGYA World Bank Group IBRD is a global development cooperative, and it was founded as one of the Bretton Woods Institutions in 1944. IBRD is the largest development bank in the world, which IBRD was established to help the post-World War II reconstruction. After everything got back on track, IBRD changed its focus to other areas. ICSID IDA World International Development Association (IDA) was Bank Group founded in 1960 to help the poorest countries in the world and to complement IBRD. The main motive of IDA was to reduce poverty through interest-free loans. Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA): IFC MIGA MIGA was established in 1988. The objective of MIGA was to promote foreign direct investment in developing countries. Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency lowers poverty and enhances the quality of life. International Finance Corporation (IFC) (1956): The International Finance Corporation is the sister organization of the World Bank. IFC is majorly focused on the private sector in developing countries. It is the largest global development organization. International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) ICSID is an international organization that deals with the resolution of investment disputes. India is NOT a member of ICSID. Established in 1966. 28. Startup Rankings Launched in 2018, States' Startup Ranking Framework is an annual exercise that evaluates States and Union Territories (UTs) on their efforts to build an ecosystem conducive to startup growth under 7 reforms areas. India has 3rd largest startup ecosystem in world. The States' Startup Ranking Framework (SRF) is a periodic capacity building exercise created and released by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. Key findings 1) Startup Ranking 2022 Best performers (Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala). 2) Top performers (Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh). 3) Aspiring leaders (Bihar, Haryana). 4) Emerging startup ecosystems (Chattisgarh, Delhi) 29. India and Nepal India and Nepal recently signed a long-term agreement for the export of power. The agreement was inked during the 7th meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Commission, highlighting the strengthening ties between the two nations. Power Export Agreement: India and Nepal signed a bilateral agreement for the export of 10,000 MW of power in the next 10 years. Stay LAWgical with Vidhigya, Your Best Pal in CLAT Preps !! Karein Taiyyari Jeet ki Page 23 of 272