CURRENT AFFAIRS

 

 Defense

Israel has successfully tested an airborne high power laser that can shoot down drones mid-air.

The trial, which is planned for later this year, will test the system’s ability to shoot down incoming rockets and mortar fire at close range.

The ground based laser system is being developed by the Rafael weapons manufacture.

This will supplement the Iron Dome or Israel’s other air defence system.

PM: Naftali Bennett

Capital: Jerusalem

The maiden Indian Navy and EU Naval Force exercise was held in the Gulf of Aden.

A total of 5 warships from four navies participated in the 2 day exercise.

It aims to enhance and hone their war fighting skills to promote peace, security, and stability in the maritime domain.

INS Trikand, from India participated in the exercise.

Italy’s ITS Carabinere, the Spanish Navy’s ERPS Navarra, and FS Tonnerre and FS Surcouf of France Participated.

  

National Affairs

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) constituted a committee to probe complaints of post poll violence in West Bengal.

The committee will be headed by NHRC member Rajeev Jain.

Atif Rasheed, Rajulben L Desai, Pradip Panja and Raju Mukherjee are other members.

The committee has been entrusted with examining complaints received by NHRC or those that may receive.

NHRC chairman: Justice Arun Mishra.

Financial market regulator SEBI has reconstituted its Takeover Panel.

The panel looks into the applications seeking exemption from the mandatory open ofer that an acquier needs to make to monitory shareholders.

N Venkatram MD and CEO, Deloitte India as the new member of the Panel.

The panel is chaired by N K Sodhi, the former chief justice of the high courts of Karnataka and Kerala.

Other members: Darius Khambata, Thomas Mathew T.

SEBI Hq: Mumbai

Chairman: Ajay Tyagi

 Banking and Finance

The UTCTAD has released the World Investment Report 2021.

As per the report, India becomes the 5 th-largest recipient of FDI inflows in 2020.

It receives a total $ 64 billion as FDI an increase of 27% from USD 51 billion in 2019.

The US with 156 billion was the top destination for FDI in 2020 followed by China & Hong Kog.

Countries with the largest FDI outflows China, Luxembourg, and Japan.

The Finance Ministry has now allowed all Housing Finance Companies with asset sizes of over rs 100 cr to use SARFAESI law to recover dues.

Till now, HFCs with assets over Rs 500 cr and notified by FinMin, were allowed to use SARFAESI law to recover dues.

The top 10 HFCs account for 70-80% of the assets of the finance industry.

 

 National & International Appointments

Maya Sudan has become the first woman from Jammu and Kashmir to become a fighter pilot.

She was inducted as a fighter pilot during the combined graduation parade ceremony in Hyderabad.

She is the 12 th woman fighter pilot in the IAF.

24 yrs old Mawya originally belongs to Lamberi village on the Line of Control.

She will now undergo rigorous fighter training for over a year to become ‘fully operational as a fighter pilot.’