Assets of Rs 1 lakh crore seized, Rs 71 crore disposed of by taxmen: Govt

TheCentres direct and wings have seized immovable property valued at over Rs 1 lakh crore, but disposed of assets to the tune of Rs 71 crore, the government told theRajya Sabha.

According to the data shared by him, the ED has also secured confiscation of proceeds of crime of Rs 15,600 crore.The minister also said that assets of Rs 15,114 crore have been restituted to Public Sector Banks.

Belgium to become second EU country to recognize Buddhism

Belgiumis expected to officially recognize after the federal government approves a draft law on Friday, opening the door to federal funding, official delegates and school classes.

TheBelgian Buddhist Unionhad requested recognition in March 2006. The union estimates the number of Buddhists in Belgium at 150,000. The only other EU country where Buddhism is recognized is Austria.

There are currently six worship Services officially recognized in Belgium: theRoman Catholic, the Orthodox, theIsraelite, the Anglican, the Protestant Evangelical and the Islamic, recognized in 1974.

Buddhism would be recognized as “a non-denominational philosophical organization” alongside organized Secularism, recognized since 2002. It would receive federal funding of up to 1.2 million euros.

Taraqqiati Scheme: Computerization and Digitization of Wakf Records

The Ministry implements Qaumi Waqf Board Taraqqiati Scheme (QWBTS) under which financial assistance to State Waqf Boards (SWBs) towards computerization and digitization of Waqf records.

Under the scheme the Ministry also supports the SWBs for deployment of manpower viz. Assistant Programmer, Survey Assistant, Accountant and Legal Assistant, setting up of Video Conferencing Facility, Centralized Computing Facility (CCF) & Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Solution for better administration of SWBs.

A dedicated online portal called WAMSI (Waqf Assets Management System of India) has been developed by this Ministry for computerization & digitization of records of waqf properties and Geographic Information System (GIS) Mapping of waqf properties to prevent encroachment under Qaumi Waqf Board Taraqqiati Scheme (QWBTS).

Joint study on India-Bangladesh trade pact to be finalised soon: Commerce Ministry

India and Bangladesh will soon finalise a joint study on the prospects of entering into a bilateral , which aims at further strengthening economic ties between the countries, the commerce ministry said.

Both sides held extensive discussions on a variety of issues including the development of RAILWAY Infrastructure, port infrastructure, joint study on Comprehensive Economic PARTNERSHIP Agreement (CEPA), Border Haats, regional connectivity through multi-modal transportation, harmonisation of standards, mutual recognition agreement.

CEPA is a kind of comprehensive free trade pact under which two trading partners significantly reduce or eliminate customs duties on the maximum number of goods traded between them. They also liberalise norms to facilitate Services“>Trade in Services and boost investments.

Major exports from India to Bangladesh include Cotton, Cereals, fuel, vehicle parts and machinery and mechanical appliances.

Swiss: First Airline to Use Solar Fuel

Lufthansa and Swiss have started strategic cooperation with the manufacturer Synhelion for market launch.

Technology has been developed for producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from sources by Synhelion, a spinoff from the Swiss Institute of Technology in Switzerland.

Under this deal, the Lufthansa Group and Swiss will help in developing the commercial fuel production facilities in Spain that have been planned by Synhelion.

Montreux Convention

This convention was signed to address the long-running Straits Question of who should manage the strategically important route between the Black and Mediterranean Seas.

During wars, this pact gives Turkey the right to regulate the naval warship transits and blocking of the strait for warships of the countries in conflict.

The Montreux Convention Regarding the Straits Regime, or simply the Montreux Convention, is an international treaty that governs Turkeys Bosporus and Dardanelles Straits.

Military warships are restricted in terms of tonnage, number, and weaponry, with specific rules that govern their duration of stay and mode of entry.

Convention on Cluster Munitions

The Convention on Cluster Munitions is a humanitarian imperative-driven legal instrument which prohibits all use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions. In addition, it establishes a framework for cooperation and assistance to ensure adequate assistance to survivors and their communities, clearance of contaminated areas, risk reduction https://exam.pscnotes.com/Education“>Education and destruction of stockpiles.

The cluster convention ejects explosive bombs that are designed to kill personnel, destroy vehicles and critical like power lines, disperse chemical/biological weapons, etc.

123 states have joined the Convention, with 110 states that have ratified it, and 13 states have signed the Convention but not yet ratified it. (As of 10thFebruary 2022).

Russia and Ukraine are not signatories to this convention.

WHOs pandemic treaty to prevent future global health disasters

Members of the World https://exam.pscnotes.com/Health“>Health Organisation (WHO) held the first round of negotiations towards the pandemic treaty on February 24, 2022.

In December 2021, the World Health Assembly agreed to start a global process to draft the pandemic treaty. The need for an updated set of rules was felt after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the shortcomings of global health systems. The Health Assembly adopted a decision titled The World Together at its second special session since it was founded in 1948.

Under the decision, the health organisation established an intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) to draft and negotiate the contents of the pandemic treaty in compliance with Article 19 of the WHO Constitution.

More than 437 million COVID-19 cases have been globally reported so far, and more than 5.9 million people have lost their lives. In India, over 34 million cases have been reported so far. Death toll stands at over five lakh.

YUVA SANGAM Portal Launches

The Yuva Sangam registration portal launched at IGNCA New Delhi today. The Yuva Sangam is an initiative of Hon’ble Prime Minister to build close ties between the youth of North East Region and rest of India under the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. Over 20000 youth will travel across India and gain a unique opportunity of cross cultural https://exam.pscnotes.com/Learning“>Learning. The portal launched in the gracious presence Minister of Education Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of DoNER, Culture and Tourism Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Minister of Law Shri Kiren Rijiju and Minister of I&B and Sports & Youth Affairs Shri Anurag Thakur among other esteemed dignitaries.

On this occasion Minister of DoNER, Culture and Tourism Shri G. Kishan Reddy, said that Yuva Sangam, program will work to connect the youth of my Northeast with the whole country. The program is an opportunity for the youth of NE to see India.

Coal Ministry Targets 1017 million ton Production in 2023-24

The target of all India coal production has beenfixed at 1017 Million Ton (MT) for the financial year 2023-24.steps taken by the Government to increase domestic coal production by engaging Mining Developers cum Operators (MDOs)

(i) Coal India Limited (CIL) has identified 15 projects with total project rated capacity of 168.58 MTY for implementation through MDO mode. Out of these 15 projects, Letter of Award (LoA) has already been issued to nine projects having total capacity of 126.74 MTY.

(ii) NLC India Limited (NLCIL) is implementing two MDO projects with 29MTY.

This information was given by Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi today in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.