Central government debt to rise to Rs 185 lakh crore:
- The total debt of the central government is Rs.171.78 lakh crore. This is 58.2 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
- This includes borrowing from foreign countries and debt raised through domestic debt securities.
- This debt will rise to Rs 185 lakh crore by the end of FY 2024-25, which will be 56.8 percent of GDP.
- According to the 15th Finance Commission recommendations, state governments can borrow up to 4 percent of their gross state output.
- State governments are allowed to borrow more when capital expenditure increases.
- The central government provides special financial assistance to the state governments as per the requirement.
- Even if the funds are not allocated in the budget, the central government provides funds to the state governments to meet the situation.
- In 2015, the NITI Aayog recommended that 7 backward districts of Andhra Pradesh should be given Rs 300 crore each after the bifurcation of Andhra state.
- According to this, Rs. 1,750 crore has been provided to Andhra Pradesh so far.
65% reservation cancelled in Bihar:
- The Supreme Court has refused to grant an interim stay on the Patna High Court’s decision quashing the Bihar government’s order which increased the 50 per cent reservation for various communities in government jobs and educational institutions to 65 per cent.
- Caste census was conducted in Bihar last year.
- Based on that, the state government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced that the 50 percent reservation given to the lower castes, tribals and other backward communities in government jobs and educational institutions will be changed to 65 percent.
Tamil Nadu 69% Reservation:
- The seat reservation policy in Tamil Nadu dates back to the Justice Party rule.
- Tamil Nadu itself was in turmoil when the Champakam Dorairajan case came under threat to the reservation policy in which seats were reserved on the basis of caste, education and employment through the Communal G.O.
- Because of that, Nehru came forward and brought the First Amendment to the Constitution of India in 1951.
- Till 1971, Tamil Nadu’s total reservation was 41%.
- Following Annadurai’s death in 1969, when DMK’s Karunanidhi took over as Chief Minister, he set up the Sattanathan Commission to examine recommendations for improving the welfare of the backward classes.
- Later in 1990, based on the Madras High Court judgment, Karunanidhi separated the reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
- The 1% reservation given to STs took Tamil Nadu’s overall reservation to 69%.
- In 1992, the Supreme Court delivered its judgment in the case of Indra Sawhney and others and Union of India and others.
- The Supreme Court held that the total reservation under Article 16 (4) should not exceed 50 per cent.
- A committee led by the then Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha held talks with the Central Government and insisted that the Act of the Tamil Nadu Government should be brought under the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution so that no case could be filed against it in any court.
- It confirmed the 69% reservation for Tamil Nadu, the Act was also brought under the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.
Bagless Day:
- The Union Ministry of Education has issued guidelines for students from classes 6 to 8 to come to school without school bags.
- This practice was recommended in the National Education Policy, 2020 for 10 days throughout the year to make the students more happy and stress-free.
- This program is implemented with the aim of improving the ability of students to acquire knowledge through books and reduce the gap to implement it.
- Students can undergo various skills training like pottery making, gardening, metal work, electrical work.
The ‘Quad’ Statement:
- A joint statement issued at the Conference of Foreign Ministers of the Quad Federation said that no country should dominate other countries.
- The statement was issued as an indirect attack on China, which dominates the East and South China Seas.
- On behalf of India, Jaishankar participated in the Foreign Ministers’ Conference of the Quad Alliance, which includes 4 countries – India, USA, Japan and Australia – to be held in Tokyo, capital of Japan.
July 30: International Friendship Day
- International Friendship Day is celebrated on July 30 to mark the importance of friends and friendship in life.
July 30: World Day Against Human Trafficking
- The World Day Against Trafficking in Persons has been observed by the United Nations General Assembly on July 30 since 2013.
Important Facts:
- The Union Ministry of Education has launched a moral initiative to prevent student suicide. Accordingly, the students are being advised by the experts.
- The Ministry of Defence approved the purchase of modern guidance equipment for the Army from Bell Company, Chennai.
- Krishnaraja Sagar Dam has been built across the Cauvery River and Kabini Dam has been built across the Kabini River.
- Farmers will get answers to their doubts in agriculture through artificial intelligence application. Tamil Nadu government is going to develop a separate app for this with the help of Singapore University.
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin presented the Tamil Nadu Government Award to Sandhya Devi, a transgender woman from Kaniyakumari district who has been doing excellent social service.
- Incumbent President Nicolas Maduro wins 3rd term in Venezuela presidential election.
- Spain’s Rafael Nadal lost to Sofia’s Novak Djokovic in the men’s singles match.