• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the budget on February 1, 2022. This general budget will be for the financial year 2022-23. The special thing is that this will be the fourth consecutive time, when she will give a budget speech.

• Interestingly, he also holds the record for giving the longest speech in the country. He gave a two-hour 42-minute long speech while presenting the budget for the financial year 2020-21. During this, Sitharaman broke the record of her own two hours and 17 minutes long speech set in July 2019.

• There is also another record in her name regarding the budget that she is the second woman to present the budget in the country. Before Sitharaman, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi has also presented the country's budget (in 1970-71).

• In the year 2019, Sitharaman did away with the traditional budget suitcase/briefcase. He instead used a traditional 'Bahi-Khata' with the national emblem to carry speeches and other documents. Let us know some such interesting aspects related to the budget of the country, which you may know:

• Where the record of giving the longest budget speech is in the name of Nirmala Sitharaman. At the same time, the shortest budget speech was that of the then Finance Minister Hirubhai Muljibhai Patel. In 1977, he gave a budget speech of only 800 words.

• By the way, the record of giving the most budget speeches is in the name of former PM Morarji Desai. He presented the budget for the maximum 10 times between 1962-69 while being the Finance Minister. It is followed by P Chidambaram (nine), Pranab Mukherjee (eight), Yashwant Sinha (eight) and Manmohan Singh (six).

• The budget was presented for the first time in the country on 7 April 1860. It was presented to the British Empress by James Wilson, a Scottish economist and leader associated with the East India Company, while the first budget of independent India was presented on 26 November 1947. It was introduced by the then Finance Minister RK Shanmukham Chetty.

• The maximum number of words in the budget speech so far were in the budget speech given in the year 1991. Manmohan Singh then read out the budget speech of 18,650 words. It is followed by the late Arun Jaitley, whose budget speech in 2018 had 18,604 words.

• Even though the budget is presented in the morning now, it used to be presented in the evening. In fact, till the year 1999, the budget speech was presented at 5 pm on the last working day of February. But Yashwant Sinha changed it to 11 am in 1999.

• Till 1955, the budget was presented only in English, but the Congress government started presenting it in both English and Hindi. Earlier it was presented in hardcopy mode, but after the coming of the Kovid-19 epidemic, the budget for the year 2021-22 was presented paperless. The budget for 2022 will also be paperless.

• Till 2017 the Railway Budget and the General Budget were presented separately. But in 2017, the Railway Budget was merged with the General Budget and now only one budget is presented.

• Till the year 1950, the printing of the budget was done in Rashtrapati Bhavan. After its leak, the printing started happening in the press at Minto Road, New Delhi. Then in the year 1980, it started being printed in the government press within the Ministry of Finance. Before the budget, there was also a halwa ceremony, but this time due to Corona, sweets were distributed among the officers and employees associated with the budget.

source - public power

Recently, President Shri Ram Nath Kovind addressed the members of both the Houses of Parliament. It is noteworthy that the budget session is going to start from February 1, 2022, which is also the first parliamentary session of the year, so the President has addressed this joint session under his legislative powers.

Constitution Of India, Article 87

According to the provision given in Article 87 of the Constitution, the President under legislative powers addresses both the Houses of Parliament twice - after every new election and on the first session of Parliament every year. Under this, the government's further policies, priorities and plans are mentioned in the President's special address.

It mentions two conditions under which the President shall specifically address both the Houses of Parliament.

• In the first session of each general election and in the first session of the financial year.

• at the beginning of the first session of each year.

The President has to inform the Parliament about the reasons for convening the session.

Such an address is called a 'special address' and is also an annual feature.

Thus no further action is taken until the President addresses both the Houses of Parliament simultaneously.

About Joint Session:

It is necessary for both the Houses of Parliament to gather together for this address.

However at the beginning of the first session of the year if the Lok Sabha is not in existence or it is dissolved, the Rajya Sabha still meets and the Rajya Sabha can hold its session without the President's Address.

In the case of the first session after each general election to the Lok Sabha, the President addresses both the Houses of Parliament simultaneously after the oath of the members and the election of the Speaker.

Subject of President's address:

The President's address is a statement of the policy of the government, so the draft of the address is prepared by the government.

This address reviews the various activities and achievements of the government during the previous year and sets out the policies, projects and programs that the government intends to pursue in relation to important national and international issues.

Discussion on Address by Motion of Thanks:

This address of the President is similar to 'Speech of the King of Britain', it is discussed in both the houses, it is called 'Motion of Thanks'.

Constitutional Provisions:

According to Article 87(2) of the Constitution, provision has been made under the Rules of Procedure of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to discuss matters specified in the President's Address.

The discussion on matters referred to in the President's Address under Rule 15 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Rajya Sabha begins with a motion of thanks moved by one member and agreed to by another member.

The members who move and agree to the Motion of Thanks are selected by the Prime Minister and notice of such a motion is received through the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

Process:

It provides an opportunity to the members of Parliament to raise issues of discussion and debate and to criticize the government and administration for errors and deficiencies.

Usually three days' time is given for discussion on the Motion of Thanks.

If any amendment is put forward and accepted, the Motion of Thanks in the amended form is adopted.

The amendment may refer to matters contained in the addressee as well as those matters which, in the opinion of the member, have failed to refer to the addressee.

After the debate, the motion is put up for division.

Importance of vote of thanks:

The Motion of Thanks should be passed in the House. Otherwise it amounts to defeat of the government. The Lok Sabha can move a motion of lack of confidence in the government in the following manner:

• By rejecting the money bill.

• By passing a motion of condemnation or an adjournment motion.

• By defeating the government on the essential issue.

• Passing cut motion.

Before the Union Budget 2022-23, the government has presented the Economic Survey report in the Parliament. It said that the Economic Survey for the last year 2020-2021 used to tell the outlook, while this Economic Survey is of central sentiment. The government in its survey has in many cases described the situation as complex, citing the Kovid-19 pandemic, though has patted itself on the issue of forests and environment, Sustainable Development Goals and climate change.

This time a part of the Economic Survey report which gives a critical understanding on the functioning of the government was not produced. However, let's look at some of the selected points of the report that the government has enumerated:

The Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Economic Survey 2021-22 in the Parliament on 31st January. He informed that India's score on NITI Aayog's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) India Index and Dashboard has increased from 57 in 2018-19 and 60 in 2019-20 to 66 in 2020-21, which is the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). shows his progress towards doing so.

India's progress towards Sustainable Development Goals

The review made the following observations regarding the performance of States and Union Territories on NITI Aayog SDG India Index, 2021 –

The number of front runner (65-99 scorers) states and union territories increased to 22 in the year 2020-21 from 10 in 2019-20.

Kerala and Chandigarh were the leading states and union territories.

64 Districts Front Runners and 39 Districts Performers in Northeast India (Northeast Region District SDG Index 2021-22)

environmental conditions

In the Economic Survey, on the issue of balancing the rapid economic growth with conservation, ecological security and environmental sustainability, the government has enumerated:

land forest

The Survey states that India's forest cover has grown significantly over the past decade and ranks third globally in the average annual net gain of forest cover between 2010 and 2020. At the same time, India's forest cover increased by more than 3 percent from 2011 to 2021. This was mainly due to the increase in very dense forests, which increased by 20 percent during this period.

Plastic waste management and single use plastic

The Survey reiterates the Prime Minister's announcement that by the year 2022, India will phase out single-use plastics. Recognizing the need for the global community to act on this matter, India passed a resolution at the United Nations Environment Assembly in 2019 to tackle pollution from single-use plastic products.

The Domestic Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021 were notified, which aims to phase out single-use plastics. Draft Regulation on Extended Producer Responsibility for Plastic Packaging was also notified. This step has been taken to strengthen the circular economy of plastic packaging waste, encourage development of new alternatives to plastic and sustainable packaging.

water

Ground water resource management and assessment indicate that States/UTs need to carefully manage their groundwater resources including recharge, check over-exploitation of groundwater resources. The Survey mentions that the assessments have revealed over-exploitation of groundwater resources in the North-Western and Southern parts of India.

The review noted that the live storage of the reservoir is at its peak during the monsoon months and lowest during the summer months. Hence there is a need for careful planning and coordination of storage, release and use of reservoirs.

Highlighting the number of sewage infrastructure projects being built under the Namami Gange Mission since its inception, the Economic Survey highlights the improvement in compliance with the Highly Polluting Industries (GPIs) located along the banks of the Ganga and its tributaries, which was released in 2017. From 39 percent in 2020 to 81 percent in 2020. Waste discharge has also come down. It decreased from 349.13 MLD in 2017 to 280.20 MLD in 2020.

Wind

The Government had launched the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) to achieve the target of 20-30% reduction in particulate matter concentration across the country by 2024. The survey mentions that this program is being implemented in 132 cities. The Survey also states that many other steps are also being taken in the country to control and reduce air pollution from various sources, including vehicular emissions, dust and waste caused by burning. includes monitoring of pollution and ambient air quality

Climate change

India announced its first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement in 2015 to reduce emissions and announced ambitious targets to be achieved by 2030 in 2021. The review underscores the need to introduce One-Word-Movement: Life, which means a lifestyle for the environment, that calls for careful and purposeful use in place of reckless and destructive consumption.

It has been mentioned in the review that India has adopted international standards regarding climate.

British scientist Dr Alvin Helden discovered a new species of leaf hopper, which he named Phlogis kibalensis. The discovery was made during field work by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) students in the rainforests of Kibale National Park in western Uganda.

New species with a distinctive metallic luster, embossed body. Most leaf hoppers have, in general, distinctively shaped male reproductive organs. It is partly leaf-shaped—belonging to a group or lineage called Phlogis. Before this new discovery, the last record of a leaf hopper of this rare lineage was in 1969 in the Central African Republic.

Leaf hoppers are closely related to cicadas, but are much smaller, males of the newly discovered Phlogis kibalensis species being just 6.5 mm long. Leafhoppers mainly drink plant sap, which is sucked directly from the phloem. It is preyed upon by invertebrates, including spiders, beetles and parasitic wasps, as well as birds.

Dr. Helden, a researcher in the Applied Ecology Research Group at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said the discovery of this new species is a lifetime achievement. Especially when it is completely different from the closest relatives who are more than 50 years old. As soon as I saw it, I thought it was something special.

The researcher said that the leaf hoppers of this genus are very widespread, they are very unusual in appearance and will rarely be found any more in the future. In fact they are so amazing and rare that their biology is almost completely unknown. We know almost nothing about the new species Phlogis kibalensis. We learned about the plants it eats and the role it plays in the local ecosystem.

He told that they are trying a lot to find out not only about this species, but also about many other species. of which many species are still waiting to be discovered. It is incredibly sad to think that some species will go extinct before we even know about their existence.

There are some amazing places in Uganda, like Kibale National Park, where wildlife will come alive. But outside national parks, rainforests are being cleared in tropical areas, which is devastating. Rare species can live anywhere, but cutting down trees means they will become extinct before the species is discovered.

Dr. Helden has been leading research with students at Kibale National Park, close to Uganda's border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, since 2015. As part of the work, he is documenting the insects found within the park. Their drawings are being prepared, including kibale butterflies, hawks and tortoises, insects and moths.

Dr. Helden of Ruskin University further said that I have been photographing insects and moths in Kibale National Park for many years and now we have started adding them to the photographic field guide.

Source - Down to Earth

The Ministry of Electronics and IT has launched “Federated Digital Identities”. Its purpose is to link multiple identity cards of Indian citizens. For example digital IDs like Aadhaar, Passport and PAN are interlinked and stored under a new unique ID.

The Ministry of Electronics and IT has launched “Federated Digital Identities”. Its purpose is to link multiple identity cards of Indian citizens. For example digital IDs like Aadhaar, Passport and PAN are interlinked and stored under a new unique ID.

Federated Digital Identities

The state and central identities of citizens will now be stored under this new “Federated Digital Identities”. Citizens can avail their third party services through this ID. This will eliminate the need for repeated verification process.

Requirement

Aadhaar only reveals who such a person is. However, it is necessary to ascertain the other identities of the citizens. This includes students, farmers, entrepreneurs, teachers, pharmacists, doctors, pensioners, vehicle owners and others. This identification is of utmost importance for policy making and for weighing capabilities. The main objective of “Federated Digital Identities” is to reduce the number of identities of a citizen.

How does "Federated Digital Identities" work?

It combines electronic registries and allows easy paperless data verification. When a person is registered under the Public Distribution Scheme, he is identified with his Aadhaar. Aadhar linking ID happens when a person gets PAN. PAN is the linking ID when the same person opens the mutual fund. With this, the person is linked with PDS, Aadhar, PAN and mutual funds. Now a new number has been created for all four of the same number.

Part of IndEA 2.0

The proposal for federated digital identities is a part of the India Enterprise Architecture 2.0 of the ministry. IndEA was launched in 2017. Its objective is to establish unity in diversity in e-governance. It aims to provide governance with optimum utilization of ICT infrastructure. Version 2.0 enables public and private companies to build and design IT architectures across borders. This edition focuses on the Domain Architecture Pattern and the State Architecture Pattern.

The state and central identities of citizens will now be stored under this new “Federated Digital Identities”. Citizens can avail their third party services through this ID. This will eliminate the need for repeated verification process.

The Chinese government recently imposed import restrictions on Lithuania. This means that Chinese companies will not have to import goods or raw materials from Lithuania. Earlier in 2021, Lithuania recognized Taiwan as an independent state and opened Taiwan's office in the country. According to China, Taiwan is an integral part of it. On this, the European Union has filed a case against China in the World Trade Organization.

Chinese action

Earlier, China had also banned the import of alcohol from Australia and the import of salmon fish from Norway. When India gave refuge to the Dalai Lama, China waged a war against India.

How will this affect global supply chains?

The total Lithuania imports to China are only about 350 million USD. China is at the forefront of trade with Lithuania. German and French companies are sending their exports to China via Lithuania. These companies have now been affected in a big way. Thus, China is exerting influence on EU trade by blocking Lithuania.

Why is the EU getting into this issue?

The Chinese have only blocked Lithuania. However, it is affecting Germany and France. German automotive suppliers have been largely affected. They send their exports through Lithuania. Also, Lithuania is a member of the European Union. The European Union handles and leads the trade issues of all 27 of its members.

America's stand on the issue

The US is supporting the European Union on this issue. Earlier, the US imposed sanctions on China for goods produced in the territory of Uighur Muslims. This minority Muslim population is forced to work as cheap laborers in China.

What did Lithuania do to anger China?

Lithuania changed the name of a Taiwanese office to the language of Taiwan. Earlier this name was in the Chinese language Taipei.

Recently mass protests began in Canada. These protests have been mainly started by Canadian truck drivers. Due to these protests, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau along with his family has been taken to a safe place.

Why did the protests start?

In fact, the Canadian government has made the Kovid-19 vaccine mandatory for truck drivers for cross-border movement. Now truck drivers must present proof of vaccination when entering Canada.

Angered by this decision of the government, hundreds of truck drivers left for the capital Ottawa with their trucks. Canadian truck drivers are considering it against their independence. Many people of the country and abroad are also being given support to these protesters. This movement of truck drivers has been named Freedom Convoy. However, riots are also being encouraged by the protesters at many places.

Rafael Nadal won his 21st Grand Slam title. He defeated Daniil Medvedev in the final of the Australian Open to win the Grand Slam. With this, Nadal has become the first player to win 21 Grand Slam titles. Roger Federer of Switzerland and Novak Djokovic of Serbia have won 20 Grand Slams. Novak was not allowed to play the Australian Open. The Australian government deported him because he has not yet received a vaccine for COVID-19.

Asteroid named after Nadal

In 2003, the 128036 asteroid in the main asteroid belt was named after him. This asteroid is now called the Rafael Nadal asteroid. This asteroid was named by the International Astronomical Union.

Achievements

Nadal is ranked fifth in the ATP rankings. He was number one for 209 weeks. Nadal has won 62 ATP singles titles. This includes 13 French Open titles. In addition, he has won Olympic gold medals, five Davis Cup titles. The Davis Cup tournament is organized by the International Tennis Federation. He has won 81 matches in a row on clay. This is the world's longest single Surface win. He was the first person to win on all three different surfaces like mud, grass and hard surface. He is the youngest player to win a Grand Slam. He won his first Grand Slam at the age of 24.

big three

Usually top-level tennis players Roger Federer, Noval Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are called the Big Three. Nadal is the only left-hander in the Big Three.