Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 10 March 2022

SSC CGL Current Affairs

Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 10 March 2022

::NATIONAL::

Siddaramaiah urges PM to give clearance for Mekedatu project

Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah wrote to Prime Minister (PM) NarendraModi ‘condemning the statement made by Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on the issue of the Mekedatu reservoir project.’
He also urged Modi to take necessary steps to ensure clearance for the Mekedatu project at the earliest.
In the letter, Siddaramaiah mentioned the remarks made by Shekhawat on February 5 which stated, “I hope and wish that both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will resolve it, like how Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh did it. The two states have now agreed to connect Ken and Betwa rivers in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.”
“Any issue can be resolved if talks are held. The Centre can only facilitate and help technically, and for that, both states have to come forward,” the minister said. The Congress leader said that these remarks have hurt the sentiments of the people of Karnataka who are patiently waiting for the central government to give environmental clearance for the project.
He said Shekhawat’s remarks are “politically motivated” to make inroads to Tamil Nadu and an attempt to mislead the people of Karnataka. He said that Karnataka has technical, moral, and legal rights to access excess water after releasing the rightful share of Tamil Nadu.
“About 60-70 TMC of excess water flows to Tamil Nadu every year from Cauvery basin in Karnataka, which otherwise, can be judiciously used to provide drinking water to Bengaluru and surrounding districts,” Siddaramaiah stated.
Further, he said that the Mekedatu reservoir will serve the best purpose in storing this excess water and also generate 400 MW of electricity and Tamil Nadu is using the Cauvery issue just for political masons.
Slamming the Centre over Mekedatu project, he said, “it is clear that your government at the Centre has failed to grant necessary clearances and the state government has failed to enlighten the urgency of the project.”

::INTERNATIONAL::

UK readies more missiles for Ukraine to resist Russians

Britain said it was preparing to send more portable missile systems to help Ukrainian forces destroy Russian tanks and aircraft, but denied it was escalating the conflict.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the UK had so far delivered 3,615 Next Generation Light Anti-tank Weapons (NLAWs) "and continue(s) to deliver more".
"We will shortly be starting the delivery of a small consignment of anti-tank Javelin missiles as well," he told parliament.
Wallace added that "in response to Ukrainian requests, the government has taken the decision to explore the donation of Starstreak high-velocity man-portable anti-air missiles".
Like NLAWs, the British Starstreak missiles are a mobile system designed to be fired by troops in the field, targeting helicopters and planes.
"We believe that this system will remain within the definition of defensive weapons but will allow the Ukrainian force to better defend the skies," the minister said.
"I want to assure the House (of Commons) that everything we do is bound by the decisions to supply defensive systems and are calibrated not to escalate to a strategic level."
Prior to Russia's invasion on February 24, Britain had sent a contingent of military trainers to instruct Ukrainian forces on using the anti-tank weapons.
It has sent 800 troops to Estonia to shore up NATO's eastern flank, and has another 1,000 on standby if the the humanitarian crisis worsens in Ukraine's neighbours.
But like other NATO allies, Britain has rebuffed Ukraine's demands to impose a no-fly zone, fearful of the risk of all-out war with nuclear-armed Russia.

::ECONOMY::

Union Cabinet approves creation of a new company for land monetization

The Union Cabinet on approved the creation of a new company to hold and monetise surplus land assets and buildings of government departments and PSUs that are being privatised or shut down.
The special purpose vehicle (SPV), called the National Land Monetisation Corporation (NLMC), will be set up as a wholly state-owned company with an initial authorised share capital of Rs 5,000 crore and paid-up share capital of Rs 150 crore, said an official statement.
“NLMC will undertake monetisation of surplus land and building assets of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and other government agencies. With monetisation of non-core assets, the government will be able to generate substantial revenues by monetising unused and under-used assets, it said.
“At present, CPSEs hold considerable surplus, unused and underused non-core assets in the nature of land and buildings. For CPSEs undergoing strategic disinvestment or closure, monetisation of these surplus land and non-core assets is important to unlock their value. NLMC will support and undertake monetisation of these assets,” the statement said.
This will also enable productive utilisation of these under-utilised assets to trigger private sector investments, new economic activities, boost the local economy and generate financial resources for economic and social infrastructure. NLMC will take over the surplus assets from government departments and PSUs. It will own, hold, manage and monetise the surplus land and building assets.
The statement, however, did not detail the modalities of transferring the surplus land and buildings to NLMC.
NLMC will hire professionals from the private sector just as in the case of similar specialised government companies like the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and Invest India, the statement said.
The new company, which will be set up under the administrative jurisdiction of the Finance Ministry, will be a lean organisation with minimal full-time staff, hired directly from the market on a contract basis.

::SPORTS::

Memorial for Warne to be held at the MCG on March 30

A state memorial service will be held for Australia cricket great Shane Warne at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the evening of March 30, the premier of his home state Victoria said on Wednesday. Warne, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers of all time, died aged 52 while on holiday in Thailand. Local authorities said Warne died of a suspected heart attack and congenital disease.
His body remains in Bangkok awaiting a flight back to Melbourne, where he will be buried at a private family funeral ahead of the state service.
A state memorial service will be held for Australia cricket great Shane Warne at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the evening of March 30, the premier of his home state Victoria said on Wednesday. Warne, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers of all time, died aged 52 while on holiday in Thailand. Local authorities said Warne died of a suspected heart attack and congenital disease.