TITBITS:
1. After a series of free trade
agreements (FTAs) that have proved more beneficial to partner countries, India
is adopting a more cautious negotiating strategy, temporarily pausing talks for
trade pacts with smaller countries such as Oman and Peru.
2. Russia's TOP diplomat has
said that his country believes that India, Brazil and African countries should
be represented in the UN Security Council on a permanent basis to ensure the
representativeness of the global majority.
3. India's ambitious goal of
installing 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 may drive the country's
annual solar equipment imports to around $30 billion due to heavy reliance on
Chinese goods, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) has said.
4. The All-India Rural
Financial Inclusion Survey for 2021-22 found that 57% of rural households in
the country - including households in semi-urban centres with a population of
less than 50,000 - were "agricultural". This was significantly higher
than the 48% reported in the previous survey of 2016-17.
5.NATIONAL
COMMISSION FOR WOMEN :
·
Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar has been appointed the ninth
Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW). The appointment
was made under Section 3 of the National Commission for Women Act, 1990.
6.FOREVER
CHEMICALS :
·
A recent study has found toxic ‘Forever
Chemicals’ in drinking water worldwide. These chemicals, known as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), were
detected in both tap and bottled water in major cities across the UK and China.
Researchers from the University of Birmingham and Hainan University published
their findings in ACS ES&T Water.