Goa Affairs
Goa Shipyard Ltd inks Rs 6,200 crore deal with defence ministry
Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) has bagged a Rs 6,200 crore contract to build seven Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPV) for theIndian Navy. The contract is part of a Rs 9,781 crore order for 11NGOPVsthat theministry of defencefinalised.
Deliveries of the NGOPVs will start in September 2026, and once inducted into the INDIAN NAVY, the warships will be used for anti-piracy operations, search and rescue, maritime patrolling, and surveillance.
National and International Affairs
Indias First Cloned Desi Gir Female Calf
The National Research Institute (NDRI) in Karnal, Haryana, has produced the countrys first cloned female calf of the desi breed Gir, named Ganga. The NDRI had initiated a project to clone indigenous cow breeds such as Gir and Sahiwal to increase milk production.
Gir, Sahiwal, Tharparkar, and Red-Sindhi are indigenous cattle breeds in India that play a pivotal role in milk production and the Growth of the Indian dairy Industry. Among these, Gir is well-known for its Tolerance to conditions of Stress and resistance to various tropical diseases.
The government released theforeign Trade Policy(FTP) 2023 with the aim of boosting India’s exports to $2 trillion by 2030.
Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal unveiled the policy, which will come into effect on April 1, 2023. We have to meet our exports targets going forward, Piyush Goyal said in a briefing Friday. We will achieve $2 trillion in exports by 2030, but we should ensure merchandise exports dont fall behind Services exports.
The new policy moves away from incentives to a remission and entitlement-based regime. Unlike previous policies that were announced for five years, the FTP 2023 has no end date and will be updated as needed.
The new policy designates four new Towns of Export Excellence (TEE) Faridabad, Moradabad, Mirzapur, and Varanasi in addition to the existing 39 TEEs.
E-Commerce exports, which are estimated to grow to $200-300 billion by 2030, will now benefit from the FTP. The value limit for exports through courier service is being raised from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh per consignment. Additionally, the new policy aims to make the Indian rupee a global currency and permit international trade settlement in the domestic currency.
The Maharashtra Cow Service Commission Bill was introduced by the Maharashtras Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil in the state assembly. It was announced by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the state budget.
The Maharashtra Cow Service Commission will be a 25-member body comprising members from the Animal Husbandry and other governmental departments. It will also have members from various universities and NGOs.
The commission will be responsible for safeguarding indigenous cows, bulls, bullocks, and calves. It will promote rearing and breeding of indigenous cows and will also handle the registrations and overall supervision of cow shelters. It will also suggest measures to strengthen financial institutions working in this sector and undertake the development of pastures and good quality fodder for Livestock.
Global Passport Index 2023: India positioned at 144, Massive Fall in Mobility Score
It shows the mobility scores of various countries across the world. While India witnessed a major drip in its ranking as it decreased from a past score of 71 to the current 70.
Indias mobility score decline is seen as the largest economic drop at the global level. This happened due to the global coronavirus pandemic. The score stood at 73 in the year 2022 as it managed to handle the post-pandemic wave when mobility increased.
However, as of March 2023, the score comes to 70. This fall appears to be on the list as the mobility record increased. After the pandemic, the world and national economies re-opened. Indias ranking significantly declined by 6 places this year and the nation is positioned at 144th in 2023 as compared to 138 in 2022.
According to the survey, the ranking allotted was analysed based on the new ‘timeshift’ feature of the Passport Index. This was recently added to provide an instant, expansive view of the passports of many nations over consecutive years. With this, Indias decline from its pre-pandemic high is visible.
The Index displays a decline in the scores of other large Asian economies for instance Vietnam, Indonesia, China, and Thailand. This signifies the extent to which the listed countries have not capitalised on the global rise in mobility that has been highlighted in the annual report.