Goa Affairs
Revival of industries pushes Goas GST collections to 73 per cent year-on-year
Driven by a strong resurgence in tourism andrevivalin manufacturing activity, the gross goods and Services tax (GST) revenue collection in Goa continues to remain positive, with December registering a73%jump inyear-on-yearcollections. The Growth, which is a 14% increase over November, is also significantly higher than the 13% growth seen at the national level.
According to the Union finance ministry, Rs 592 crore was collected as central GST, state GST, integrated GST and cess in December as against Rs 518 crore in November. In December 2020, the total GST mop-up in Goa stood at Rs 342 crore.
Nationally, the gross GST revenue stood at Rs 1,29,780 crore, of which CGST is Rs 22,578 crore, SGST is Rs 28,658 crore, IGST is Rs 69,155 crore and cess is Rs 9,389 crore.
The state governments annual GST collections has shown a steady increase every financial year, growing from Rs 3,651.8 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 4,689 crore in 2020-21. Till July, Goas GST revenue stood at Rs 1,346.6 crore.
National and International Affairs
Bina (MP)-Panki (UP) Multiproduct Pipeline Project
The Bina (MP)-Panki (UP) Multiproduct Pipeline Project was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi.
Highlights:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 356-kilometer Bina Refinery (Madhya Pradesh)-POL Terminal at Panki (Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh) Multiproduct pipeline project.
It has a capacity of 45 million metric tonnes per annum, which cost Rs 1524 crore Rs. 1227 crores in UP and Rs. 297 crores in MP.
The project was completed and commissioned one month ahead of schedule, in December 2021 (3 years after PNGRB approval), and on budget.
It will allow for the safe and efficient evacuation of products from the Bina Refinery, as well as increased product availability in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Central Uttar Pradesh, Northern Bihar, and Southern Uttarakhand.
Sahitya Akademi Award 2021
The announced its prestigious “Sahitya Akademi Awards, Yuva Puraskar, and Bal Sahitya Puraskar” for 2021 in various languages on 30 December.
The award is given to authors of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 24 major Indian languages and 22 languages listed in the Indian Constitution’s Eighth Schedule.
In 1954, the award was established. In 20 Indian languages, the Sahitya Akademy Award 2021 was presented.
In English, it went to Namita Gokhale for her novel ‘Things to Leave Behind.’
India Semiconductor Mission
On December 29, 2021, Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the India Semiconductor Mission.
Highlights:
Interested companies will be able to apply for the scheme beginning January 1, 2022, if they want to take advantage of the Rs 76,000-crore incentives set aside by the central government for developing semiconductors and demonstrating India’s manufacturing ecosystem.
In order to receive applications for the scheme, a portal has been created.
The India Semiconductor Mission is a government-led initiative to develop semiconductors in India (ISM)
Digital India Corporation’s ISM is a specialized and self-contained business division.
Worlds Longest Metro Line in Shanghai
In China’s Shanghai Province, the world’s longest metro line was inaugurated on 31 December.
Highlights:
Shanghai maintains its position as the world’s largest metro Network with this inauguration. Line 14 and Phase One of Line 18 are the two new metro lines that the city has opened.
The total length of Shanghai’s metro network has now reached 831 kilometers. It maintains its position as the world’s longest network.
With the addition of two new lines, Shanghai now has a total of five fully automatic metro lines with a total operating length of 167 kilometers.
New Space Launch by Iran
On December 30, 2021, Iran launched a rocket into space with a satellite carrier carrying three devices.
Highlights:
It’s unclear when this launch took place or what devices the carrier launched into space.
However, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry identified the rocket as “Simorgh, or Phoenix,” which launched the three devices into space at a distance of 470 kilometers.
The status of the objects is unknown, implying that the rocket failed to place its payload into the proper orbit.
The Iranian Space Agency (ISA) is the country’s space agency. In 2009, the country achieved orbital launch capability.