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 PMVVY  policy details

•  The holder must be 60 years or above; with no bar on the upper age limit
•  The minimum purchase price of the policy is Rs 1,50,000 and the maximum investment allowed is Rs 15,00,000
•  The interest rate for the year 2022-23 is 7.4%
•  The pension can be sought monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or yearly basis
•  The maturity tenure of the policy is 10 years
•  The deposit can be withdrawn either on maturity, pensioner’s death or surrender of the policy
•  Interest earned on the deposit money is taxable
•  75% of the deposit amount can be sought as a loan after 3 years of policy purchase
•  A beneficiary can exit the policy within 15 days if he/she is not happy with the policy terms.

 
Benefits of the policy

• PMVVY has a higher interest rate than the interest rates provided by banks for fixed deposits.
•  Provides a fixed source of income for up to 10 years for those aged 60 and above.
• The policyholder can get a loan up to a maximum of 75% of the purchase price after three years of the date of purchase.

LIC operated the PMVVY on behalf of the Finance Ministry and the account can be created by either visiting any LIC branch offices or through LIC’s official website. Documents required for the process include identity proof, age proof and passport-size photographs.

It enables an individual to use the Aadhaar number to access their Aadhaar-linked bank account and perform transactions including cash withdrawals, cash deposits, interbank fund transfers, etc. AePs was launched to enhance financial inclusion and subserve the RBI's goal of electronifying retail transactions.

The scheme enables Aadhar-linked interbank transactions -through centralized switching - using which an individual can go cashless in day-to-day retail payments. With 1.33 billion Aadhar cards generated till June 2022, AePS expands the scope of Aadhar by providing a banking mechanism through UIDAI.

Objectives of the scheme:

• To build Aadhaar-initiated financial transactions through a central switching and clearing agency.
• To expand the purpose of Aadhaar unique identification number (UID) to perform basic banking operations.
• To enable government financial disbursement in schemes like Social Security pension, NREGA, and Handicapped Old Age Pension by State or Central Government using Aadhaar UID.
• To build a safe and interoperable banking mechanism using Aadhar UID.

Services offered by AePS include cash withdrawal, cash deposit, mini statement, balance enquiry, Aadhaar to Aadhaar fund transfer, authentication, Bhim Aadhaar pay, ekyc, and tokenisation.

Using AePS:

• Go to any banking correspondent or AePS-enabled “micro ATMs"
• Provide bank details and Aadhaar UID.
• Enter the details of transactions.
• Provide biometrics details (IRIS, fingerprint or face authentication)
• After the completion of the transaction, collect the receipt.

Benefits of AePS:

• Provides access to the banking system through micro ATMs in places where physical banks do not operate
• Provides real-time settlement of financial transactions
• Provides a safe and secure system for financial transactions

The scheme aims to provide routine ANC services by Obstetrician-Gynaecologists, Radiologists and Physicians to pregnant women, especially for those in 2nd and 3rd trimesters in government health centres in urban and rural areas.
 
What does the scheme provide?

• The scheme provides medicines such as IFA and calcium supplements to all pregnant women at the PMSMA centre.
• The scheme identifies high-risk pregnancies based on obstetric/medical history and clinical conditions and provides required medical care, and mother and child protection cards.
• Provides diagnostic services including screening for conditions like Anaemia, Gestational Diabetes, and Hypertension.
• Provides counselling services and documentation to pregnant women.
• Under PMSMA, state governments provide nutritional supplements to women at health centres.
• Birth planning, complication readiness and identification of risk factors/comorbid conditions, are also part of the scheme.

 
Benefits of the scheme

• PMSMA provides access to ANC services on the 9th of every month to pregnant women.
• Helps in the timely detection of pregnancy-related risks.
• Provides birth preparedness counselling, promotes institutional delivery and Postpartum Family Planning ( PPFP ).

 
Engagement
 
Doctors working under private hospitals are encouraged to volunteer for the scheme by registering in the PMSMA Portal or using the ‘Volunteer Registration’ option on the PMSMA mobile app. Pregnant women can also find the nearest PMSA centres using the PMSMA app.
 
‘I Pledge For 9’Achievers Awards
 
PMSMA's ‘I Pledge For 9’Achievers Awards‘ was initiated to recognize the contribution of private sector doctors who volunteered for the PMSMA scheme.

 

Through better access to public hotspots, the government aims to increase employment for small and micro-entrepreneurs and provide low-cost internet to the underserved urban poor and rural households.
 
The scheme encourages local shops and establishments to provide Wi-Fi for last-mile internet delivery which does not require a licence or charge a registration fee.
 
 How can you access the PM-WANI internet?
 
To access public hotspots under PM-WANI scheme one needs to download a relevant App which shows the available networks. The user can then choose from a list of available connections and make a payment to use the network. The user can access the network till his/her balance is exhausted.
 
 PM-WANI ecosystem
 
 PM-WANI ecosystem consists of four parts: Public Data Office (PDO), Public Data Office Aggregator (PDOA), App Provider, and Central Registry.
 
PDO establishes the Wi-Fi Hotspots and provides internet access to users. PDOA provides authorisation and accounting services to PDOs. The app provider displays the available hotspots in the phone’s proximity. The central registry overseen by the Centre for Development of Telematics maintains details of App Providers, PDOs, and PDOAs.
 
According to the PM-WANI central registry, there are 136 PDO aggregators, 83 app providers, and 132,529 public Wi-Fi hotspots, as of November 2022.
 
Benefits of PM-WANI

• WANI Wi-Fi architecture can lead to enhanced internet penetration which could lead to an increase in gross domestic product.
• It can scale up internet access in rural areas, thereby narrowing the digital divide.
• Can generate jobs in small- and medium-scale sectors.
• Could provide affordable internet access to the mass underserved section of society and help boost digital India.

An essential part of correspondent banking, the Vostro accounts are the ones in which the bank holding the funds acts as a custodian for the account of a foreign counterpart.    

 

These accounts are used for the settlement of foreign exchanges or foreign trade.

 

For example, if a Russian company approaches an Indian bank to manage funds on its behalf, the account is deemed by the holding bank as a Vostro account of the company.

 

Understanding a Vostro Account
 

As per tax experts at Clear, in a Vostro account, the banks act in a fiduciary relationship, on a principal-agent relationship. Wherein the correspondent foreign bank is a financial intermediary in the transactions.

 

The foreign bank in the Vostro account acts as an agent that provides services such as executing wire transfers, performing a foreign exchange, enabling deposits, enabling withdrawals, and expediting international trade on behalf of the domestic bank.

 

As per the directives issued by the Reserve Bank of India, the Vostro account will get no interest. However, the account can use an overdraft service, if specifically sanctioned. 

 

Understanding Vostro Account in Rupee-trade scenario
 

The Reserve Bank of India introduced a mechanism for international trade settlements in rupees in July 2022 intending to improve foreign trade. 

 

The Rupee Vostro accounts will keep a foreign entity's holdings in the Indian bank, in rupees. 

 

So when an Indian importer makes a payment to a foreign trader in rupees, the amount will be credited to the Vostro account. Likewise, when an Indian exporter is to be paid for supplying goods or services, the amount would be deducted from the Vostro account and will be credited to the exporter's account.

 

Genetically-modified plants are developed to introduce a new trait to the plant which does not occur naturally. The DNA of the plant is modified using genetic engineering to produce the GM plant varieties which can be grown as food crops or non-food crops.

According to South Asia Biotechnology Centre (SABC), "GM mustard is likely to have beneficial effects on honey bee population based on their relatively enhanced foraging behaviour resulting in increasing honey production and income of beekeepers in mustard growing areas. In GM mustard, hybrid DMH-11 is fully fertile with pollen viability similar to the parental line Varuna and has fully developed nectaries. Around 50-60 per cent of the total production of honey in India is mustard honey, which makes the crop vital for the survival of the honey industry".

Mustard cultivation

Mustard is one of India's most important winter crops which is sown between mid-October and late November. The Indian mustard (B. juncea) is a member of the Brassicaceae family. Mustard is cultivated by around 6 million farmers in around 6.5-7 million hectares of land across the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh.

DMH-11 has been shown to deliver 30 per cent higher yields than existing varieties. The average yield of existing mustard varieties is around 1,000-1,200 kilograms per hectare, while the global average is over 2,000-2,200 kgs.

What is DMH-11?

Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 or DMH-11 is a genetically-modified variety of mustard. The DMH-11 has been developed using the genetic male sterility (GMS) technique especially 'barstar-barnase' system to make herbicide resistant.

Concerns

GM mustard has been a subject of intense political debate in the country with both pro- and anti-GM activists placing their claims and counterclaims vigorously. Environmental activists and the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, an affiliate of the RSS, have opposed the move and urged the government to not give final approval.

Worried that a genetically modified mustard crop would impact honey production in India, honey cultivators have opposed the GM mustard variety and asked the government not to approve it for commercial cultivation claiming that it may adversely affect the livelihood of lakhs of farmers.

The DMH-11 mustard variety is herbicide tolerant, allowing farmers to spray over the crops with weed killer without harming the crops. This has raised fears that farmers may resort to excessive use of toxic herbicides which can lead to weeds becoming resistant to them and the emergence of so-called superweeds. Critics are also concerned about herbicide residue on GM crops.

What is GEAC?

Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), established under the Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), is the apex body, notified under Rules 1989, of the Environment Protection Act 1986 for approval of activities involving large-scale use of hazardous microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production from the environmental safety angle. The GEAC is also responsible for the approval of proposals relating to release of genetically engineered organisms and products into the environment including experimental field trials (Biosafety Research Level trials-I and II also known as BRL I and BRL II).

The concept of 'One Nation, One Fertiliser' is about having one single brand name for urea and other fertilisers instead of several brand names of companies, which is in practice as of now.

This will help in the reduction of freight charges due to stopping of criss-cross movement of fertilisers, reducing the transit time, ensuring the availability of fertilisers throughout the year irrespective of brand preferences, and stopping the diversion of urea for industrial purposes.

Under the (ONOF) -- a scheme by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, all fertiliser bags, irrespective of their contents or the company that manufactures them, will carry a uniform brand name called “Bharat”. The brand name will be tagged with the name of the scheme under which the government grants subsidies to fertiliser manufacturers.

Therefore, a urea bag will bear the name Bharat Urea, or if it is a DAP (di-ammonium phosphate) bag it will be known as Bharat DAP. So far, as with any other products, fertiliser companies market products using their own brands. Being a mass-market product category, fertilisers have colourful brand names like “Kisan”, “Paras” that are also easily identifiable. The companies have been given time till December 12 to clear their old stock from the market.

Subsidised soil nutrients including urea, Muriate of Potash (MoP), di-ammonium phosphate (DAP), and NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) - will be marketed under the single brand "Bharat" across the country.

"Farmers are in "illusion and confused" about fertiliser brands and are not getting the quality soil nutrients because at one hand retailers are pushing certain brands for want of higher commission and on the other hand companies run advertisement campaigns of their products", PM Modi said.

The ONOF initiative will increase and ensure the availability of fertilisers, streamline the supply process without bottlenecks, bring uniformity in fertiliser supply, control unhealthy competition among companies, and reduce the fre Fertiliser ight subsidy burden. The PMBJP scheme will also strengthen the real-time monitoring of movement, availability, and sales of fertiliser in states.

Under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, Lok Adalat can make awards/decisions, which are deemed to be a decree of a civil court and is final and binding on all the parties concerned. If the parties are not satisfied with the award of the Lok Adalat, there is no provision for an appeal against such an award, however, the parties concerned can initiate litigation by approaching the court of the appropriate jurisdiction by filing a case.

The Lok Adalat system is not only quick, but it is also affordable, as there are no court fees involved. Dispute resolution in the Lok Adalat courts takes place by direct interaction of the Adalat members with the parties concerned. They are required to be manned by a retired or serving judicial officer and one more member, the qualifications for which are prescribed in the Legal Services Authorities Act.

Nature of cases to be referred to Lok Adalat

• Any case pending before any court
• Any dispute which has not been brought before any court and is likely to be filed before the court

Types of Lok Adalats

National Lok Adalat: It is held at regular intervals where on a single day Lok Adalats throughout the country are held, in all the courts rights from the Supreme Court till the Taluk levels, wherein cases in large numbers are disposed off

Permanent Lok Adalat: It is organised under Section 22-B of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. These are set up for the settling of disputes relating to public utility services. Their pecuniary jurisdiction is up to Rs 1 crore.

Mobile Lok Adalat: It is organised in the various parts of the country, which travel from one location to another in order to resolve disputes to facilitate the resolution of disputes through this mechanism

All Lok Adalats function under the aegis of NALSA, which is headed by its executive chairman, the second senior-most judge of the Supreme Court. The chief justice of India is a Patron-in-Chief of the NALSA.

Key features of draft Telecom Bill, 2022

• The draft Telecom Bill, 2022 provides an enabling framework for the Central Government to prescribe measures to ensure the protection of telecom users. Therefore, provisions related to unknown caller identity have been included in the Bill. Users also need protection from calls that they want to avoid. The Bill enables a legal framework for preventing harassment of users from unsolicited calls and messages.
• The Bill recognises the globally established principle of exclusive privilege of the Central Government in relation to telecommunication services, telecommunication network, telecommunication infrastructure and spectrum.
• The draft Telecom Bill proposes to give exemption to press messages that are intended to be published in India of correspondents accredited to the Central or state governments from being intercepted.
• The Bill has laid down statutory guidelines on assigning spectrum. It says that spectrum should primarily be given through auction. For specific functions related to government and public interest, like defence, transportation, and research, the bill proposes assignment through the administrative process.
• In another significant clause, the draft bill proposes to waive off fees and penalties of telecom and internet service providers. However, in case of the breach of terms and conditions of a license, registration, authorisation or assignment granted, the Centre should be able to impose penalties.
• According to the draft Telecom Bill, the exemption for press messages though won't be given in case of any public emergency or in the interest of public safety, sovereignty, integrity or security of India, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, or to prevent incitement to an offence.
• The Bill also proposes a refund of fees if an internet or telecom service provider offers to surrender the license. The last date for seeking comments on the draft legislation is October 20.
• The draft bill says that the Centre may "waive off in part or full any fee, including entry fees, license fees, registration fees or any other fees or charges, interest, additional charges or penalty" for any licence holder or registered entity under the telecom rules.
• The Bill provides for the right of appeal before the appellate authority. It also creates an enabling provision for the Central Government to set up an alternate dispute resolution mechanism such as arbitration, mediation or other processes of dispute resolution.

The Bill provides for a uniform and non-discriminatory regulatory framework governing:

(a) establishment of telecommunication infrastructure on public property; and
(b) enabling provisions in respect of the private property.
The draft Telecom Bill seeks to simplify the framework for mergers, demergers and acquisitions, or other forms of restructuring, by only requiring intimation to the licensing authority.
Under the Bill, the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) is sought to be expanded into the 'Telecommunication Development Fund' (TDF), by adding further objectives for underserved urban areas, R&D, skill development, etc.

Why do we need a logistics policy?

The need for a national policy was felt since the logistics cost in India is higher when compared to other developed economies in the world. Reduction in the logistics cost improves efficiency cutting across various sectors of the economy, while encouraging value addition and enterprise.

National Logistics Policy is a comprehensive effort to address the issue of high cost and inefficiency by laying down an interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral and multi-jurisdictional framework for the development of the entire logistics ecosystem.  As of now, India spends nearly 13 to 14 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product on logistics cost, while countries like Japan and Germany only spend 8-9 per cent of its GDP on the cost.

During the launch of the policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the policy is a culmination of hard work of over eight years and India should try to bring down the logistics cost per cent to single-digit as soon as possible. According to the 2018 World Bank Logistics Index, India is ranked 44th in the logistics cost. India is behind developed countries like the US and China, which were ranked at 14th and 26th position respectively.

Targets under the policy

National Logistics Policy will aim to prevent wastage of agro-products while also enabling quick last-mile delivery.

The government will also create a Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) under NLP, which will integrate seven ministries on one platform to provide logistics companies with information about cargo movement in the country. The government will also integrate 17 digital platforms from the seven ministries on ULIP.

ULIP will provide logistics companies, importers, and exporters data on their cargo movement across the country and will also help provide cargo movement clearances.

Sonam Wangchuk is an Indian engineer, innovator, and education reformist who hails from Ladakh. He is the founding director of the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SEMCOL), which was founded in 1988 by a group of students. Wangchu also inspired the character of "Phunsuk Wangdu" in the 2009 Bollywood film "3 Idiots."
 

He has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring the safety and protection of Ladakh as studies suggested the extinction of nearly two-third of glaciers in the Union Territory. Speaking to the media, he stressed that if carelessness continued and Ladakh refrained from being provided protection from the industries, the glaciers in the region would become extinct, thereby creating enormous problems due to water scarcity in India and its neighborhood.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi will visit India from January 24-January 26, 2023 on the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. El-Sisi will also be the chief guest at the 74th Republic Day celebrations, which will be held on January 26 at Kartavya Path in New Delhi. His visit also comes at a time when India and Egypt have completed 75 years of diplomatic relations.

 

President Sisi is the first Egyptian leader and the fifth from the Middle East and North Africa Region to attend the Republic Day celebrations in India.

Early Life and Education
Born in 1989, Paridhi Karan Adani pursued her early studies at Bombay Scottish School, Mahim, Mumbai. She then attended the University of Mumbai to pursue B Com in Finance and Accounting, according to her LinkedIn profile. Paridhi studied Bachelor of Laws-LLB from Government Law College, Mumbai. She has also done a few internships at various places including The Economic Times and CNBC TV-18.

Paridhi's brother, Rishabh Shroff, is a partner and co-private client at CAM. Her mother, Vandana Shroff, is also a partner at CAM.

Career
Paridhi Adani heads the Gujarat office of Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, based in Ahmedabad, where she currently works as a partner and is also a part of the Firm's General Corporate Practice group. Her work experience includes advising clients on renewable energy, urban infrastructure and logistics. Paridhi has also supported her clients with digitalisation and transition to cloud platforms and has been involved in various matters of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and collaborations in various sectors, says the profile.

Paridhi is also a member of the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa. An avid animal lover, Paridhi supports mental wellness and sustainability as a way of life. She also advocates for diversity and equality in workplace.

All you need to know about Ruchir Modi:

Early life
Aged 28, Ruchir Modi, is one of the children of Lalit Modi and Minal Sangrani. Ruchir has a younger sister named Aliya and also a step-sister from his mother's first marriage. Ruchir and Aliya lost their mother, Minal Sangrani, to cancer in 2018.

Ruchir pursued his studies in Mumbai and London. He also holds a bachelor's degree in Global Business Management from Regent University in London.

Career and lifestyle
Like his father, Lalit Modi, Ruchir is known to have a flamboyant lifestyle and is also a cricket enthusiast. The younger Modi also handles their family business and is the director of cigarette maker Godfrey Phillips India Ltd. Ruchir also heads other family-controlled firms such as KK Modi Group and Modi Enterprises. Ruchir is also the founder and CEO of Modi Ventures and has led several projects like Modicare (network marketing), ColorBar (Cosmetics), and Twenty-four Seven (convenience stores), according to his website.

Being a cricket enthusiast, Ruchir headed the Alwar unit of the Rajasthan Cricket Association from 2016 to 2020 and also stood for the elections for Rajasthan Cricket Association in 2017, but was defeated by CP Joshi.

Ruchir Modi is regularly seen flaunting his luxurious lifestyle on social media as he vacays at exotic destinations across the globe in private jets and yachts.

Early life
Anup Gupta is 38 years old. He pursued law and also holds a B Com degree. Anup Gupta has become a councillor for the first time.

Career
Before being elected as Chandigarh's mayor, Anup Gupta was previously the Deputy Mayor. He was elected from Ward 11 in 2021, which covers Sectors 18, 19, and 21 of the union territory. Anup is also considered a close aide of all top BJP leaders from Chandigarh including Sanjay Tandon, Arun Sood and MP Kirron Kher. Previously, Gupta also held the post of BJP Secretary. BJP's Kirron Kher, who is also Chandigarh's Member of Parliament, has a vote being an ex-officio member of the municipal corporation House, and voted for these polls too.

Chandigarh Mayor Elections 2023
The Chandigarh Mayor elections, 2023 were held on January 17 at the Assembly Hall of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, where the polling began at 11 am. A mayor in Chandigarh serves the post for a period of one year. To be elected as a mayor in Chandigarh, a candidate needs to get at least 19 votes. The elections for the position of Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor were also held later in the day.

Early life and education
R'Bonney Nola Gabriel was born on March 20, 1994 in Houston, Texas to a Filipino father Remigio Bonzon "R. Bon" Gabriel, and an American mother, Dana Walker. Her father was born in the Philippines and is originally from Manila, having immigrated to Washington state at the age of 25. Gabriel has three older brothers. She graduated from the University of North Texas, with a bachelor's degree in fashion design.

Work
R'Bonney Gabriel is a fashion designer, sewing instructor, and model. As a fashion designer, she creates eco-friendly clothing. She is also the CEO of her own sustainable clothing line, R’Bonney Nola.

Modelling career
Gabriel's first foray into pageantry was when she joined Miss Kemah USA 2020, where she was among the Top 5 finalists. She also competed at Miss Texas USA 2021 as Miss Harris County and was placed as the first-runner up to Victoria Hinojosa of McAllen. Gabriel then went ahead and won Miss Texas USA 2022. She went on to represent Texas at Miss USA 2022, wherein she was subsequently crowned as Miss USA 2022, thereby becoming the first Miss USA of Filipino descent.

At the Miss Universe 2022 pageant, R'Bonney Gabriel represented the United States as Miss USA 2022. Her victory as Miss Universe also made her the first representative from the United States to win Miss Universe since Olivia Culpo at Miss Universe 2012.

He had become a lieutenant when his uncle, Francisco Macías Nguema, was elected as the country's first president in 1968. Obiang held various positions in the government during his uncle Macías tenure including the post of governor of Bioko island.

On August 03, 1979, Obiang seized power from his uncle in a coup and formed a new government with him as the president. Macías was tried and sentenced to death for the genocide of the Bantu ethnic group in the same year.

Obiang has been the oil-rich African nation's second president for over four decades and is the longest-serving president in the world. His regime is said to be iron-fisted with almost absolute political control. Human rights organizations have condemned the arbitrary arrests of dissidents under his leadership.

Charges of election rigging have been levelled at Obiang by his political opponents in several elections in the past but he has won all his six terms with over 93% of the vote share.

His ruling Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE) and coalition won the 2022 election with a 95% vote share.

His son Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue has been the Vice-President of the country since 2016.

Early life
 
Anwar was born on 10 August 1947 in Penang, Malaya. His father was a politician who served United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party –the oldest national political party within Malaysia- and his mother was also a UMNO worker.
 
 He is an alumnus of the University of Malaya and has a master’s degree in literature from the National University of Malaysia. Anwar founded the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia in 1971 and became known as an Islamist youth leader.
 
Career

Anwar joined UMNO at the invitation of then-PM Mahathir Mohamad in 1982. He rapidly rose in ranks and served as the minister of various departments including culture, youth and sports in 1983, agriculture in 1984, education in 1986, and finance in 1991.
 
During his tenure as the minister of education, Anwar was elected as the President of UNESCO's General Conference. He was the president of the International Islamic University of Malaysia in 1998.
 
 As a finance minister, he is hailed for guiding Malaysia through the 1997 Asian financial crisis. He was selected as the Chairman of the Development Committee of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1998.
 
 Anwar served as Mahathir’s deputy prime minister from 1993 to 1998. He also served as an acting PM in 1997 when Mahathir was on two-month leave and was said to be the latter’s successor. But Anwar’s relations strained with Mahathir due to conflicts within the UMNO party and he was fired from the cabinet in September 1998.
 
 He was imprisoned in 1999 on charges of corruption and sodomy and served a jail term of six years. He was arrested on charges of sodomy again in 2008 and was acquitted of the charge in 2012 by the Malaysian High court.
 
 Anwar contested the November 2022 elections from the Alliance of Hope and secured 82 seats while the opponent National Alliance secured 73 seats, both falling short of the required 112-mark majority. He was appointed as the PM by monarch Al-Sultan Abdullah on November 24, 2022.

Munir, a graduate of the Officers' training school in Mangla started his military career in 1986.
 
He has served as the commander of the Northern Areas Force as a brigadier and has served as the chief of two Pakistani intelligence agencies, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), between October 2018 – June 2019 and the Military Intelligence (MI) between December 2016 –October 2018.
 
Munir was prematurely removed from the ISI director’s post at the asking of former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and was posted as Corps Commander Gujranwala, Punjab province. He was then posted at the army headquarters in Rawalpindi where he was in charge of overseeing supplies for all military units.
 
In September 2018, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and is the most senior ranking general after General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the outgoing army chief.
 
Munir is a holder of the Sword of Honour and was awarded Hilal-i-Imtiaz in 2018, the second highest civilian honour conferred to both civilians and military officials in Pakistan.
 
He is set to take charge as the 17th army chief of the nation on November 29, 2022, when the current chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa's six-year tenure is scheduled to terminate.
 
Munir’s appointment needs approval from Pakistan President Arif Alvi, who is the supreme commander of Pakistan’s armed forces. Alvi belongs to the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, headed by former PM Imran Khan.

World Lupus Day is observed each year on May 10 to raise awareness about Lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease that can cause damage to virtually any part of the body.

 

In an autoimmune disease, the immune system malfunctions. It cannot tell the difference between pathogens and healthy tissue and creates antibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue.

World Biodiversity Day or International Day for Biological Diversity is a United Nations-sanctioned International Day for the promotion of biodiversity-related issues. 

 

The day is celebrated and observed on May 22.

World Athletics Day is celebrated globally in May each year to raise awareness among children and young people about the importance of fitness and encourage them to play sports, especially athletics.

 

The day was first introduced in 1996 by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF)—now known as World Athletics—the international governing body for athletics.

World Athletics Day is celebrated globally in May each year to raise awareness among children and young people about the importance of fitness and encourage them to play sports, especially athletics.

How to check the live train running status using Indian Railways website?

How to check live train running status via MakeMyTrip on WhatsApp?

In the past few years, applying for a passport has become easier. The time taken for the completion of the process and time taken for the applicant to receive the passport has also reduced.

 

Passport is an important document required mostly for travelling abroad. It is issued by a country’s government and certifies the identity and nationality of the individual holding the passport. It contains details such as name, date of birth, address, photo, signature, and other details.

What are the documents required for applying for a passport in India?

Here is a step by step guide to apply for a passport online

In the past few years, India has seen a massive e-governance drive from both central and state governments. As part of the drive, e-challan is issued nowadays for traffic violations, which can be paid online. The government has digitised the entire process, which helps in saving time and paperwork. Moreover, people don’t have to stand in a queue.

How is the e-challan generated?

How to pay an e-challan online?

For most WhatsApp users, there are always few groups and contacts who constantly irritate by forwarding messages, which are of no use to most. These messages are also the reason for fake pandemic and hate-filled news.

 

To deal with such groups, WhatsApp users had the option of silencing the chats for a maximum of a year. But the recent updates brought by WhatsApp will give the users the liberty to mute the chats forever. Yes, you can mute the chats for ‘Always’!

How to change your broadband plan?

To change the broadband plan using Airtel Thanks app:

What will you need to file an Aadhaar complaint?

For filing complaints using the official website of UIDAI

How to check status of your complaint

Often people do not remember where they have parked their car. They have trouble remembering the location of the car, which results in wastage of time and energy. We have the right technology now to save us from such troubles.

 

Google Maps can help you find your parked car and also navigate to it. In the Google Maps app, you can pin your car’s location. You can ask Google Assistant to find your car or tap on the pin to start navigation. The users of iOS can also do the same using Apple Maps.

Here is how you can find your car

Save the parking location

Find your parked car’s location

Gmail is a free email service offered by Google. Gmail is one of the most popular email services with more than 1.5 billion users globally. Gmail first started in April 2004 in beta version and offered 1 gigabyte storage space. Now, it offers a storage space of 15 gigabytes. Gmail can be accessed through website, Mobile and third-party apps.

What are Gmail add-ons

How to install Gmail add-ons

How to uninstall add-ons

When users download a new application on their smartphone, they are most probably asked to share their location for the accuracy of the app. Whether it is the Uber app or UrbanCompany, the user needs to keep the location tracker enabled to make the mobile app function better.

 

What is location tracking technology?

 

Location tracker records the movements of people or items using GPS navigation technology.

 

Its main advantage is receiving swift help in case of emergency or tracking your loved ones in case they are lost. Not only people, but it can also be used to track your smartphone or the taxi near you.

 

According to Aadhaar Act, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) allows every citizen to keep a soft copy of their Aadhaar card which is as legitimate as the physical one. For validating the digital copy, it comes with a printed signature as proof.

 

Aadhaar is a 12-digit identity number based on biometrics and demographic data. It is commonly referred to as proof of residence and not citizenship.

 

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