Daily Dose of News: 23rd July 2024

1.       Union Budget 2024-25 Presentation:

• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the Union Budget for 2024-25.
• This marks her seventh consecutive budget presentation.
• The monsoon session of Parliament commenced on July 22 with the tabling of the Economic Survey 2023-24.
• A total of 20 hours has been allocated for the budget debate.

2.      INS Brahmaputra Fire Incident:

• A major fire broke out on the Indian Naval Ship Brahmaputra at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on July 21.
• One sailor is missing following the incident, and the ship is resting on its side.
• The fire was detected during routine maintenance, and firefighting efforts were initiated by the ship’s duty staff and augmented by the Naval Dockyard's fire brigade.
• No casualties have been reported so far.

3.      Olympics Preparation Debate:

• The Lok Sabha discussed India's preparedness for the Paris Olympics, which begins this Friday.
• Opposition questioned the timing of the debate and raised issues related to harassment allegations against former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh by women wrestlers.
• Congress member Deepender Hooda highlighted the wrestlers' case, emphasizing the need for the government to support athletes.

4.      Women's Development:

• The Economic Survey noted a 218.8% increase in budgetary allocation for women’s welfare and empowerment schemes.
• It highlighted a transition from women's development to women-led development.
• However, it also acknowledged the "motherhood penalty" affecting female labor force participation rates.

5.      NEET-UG Physics Paper Issue:

• The Supreme Court directed IIT-Delhi to resolve an ambiguous question from the NEET-UG 2024 Physics paper within 24 hours.
• The resolution could impact the total marks of over four lakh candidates, including 44 students with perfect scores.

6.     Kamala Harris Endorsed by Nancy Pelosi:

• Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party's presidential nominee.
• This endorsement follows President Joe Biden stepping aside amid concerns over his ability to defeat Donald Trump.

7.      Hathras Gang-Rape Victim's Family:

• The Allahabad High Court was informed that the family of the 2020 Hathras gang-rape victim has not been relocated as ordered.
• The family continues to face security concerns in their daily movements.

8.     UNRWA Labelled as Terror Organisation by Israel:

• The Israeli parliament gave preliminary approval to a bill labeling the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) as a terrorist organization.
• The bill proposes severing ties with the agency, accusing it of collaborating with Hamas.

9.     Government Officials and RSS:

• Changes in the rules governing civil servants' conduct now allow associations with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
• This follows court cases in Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

10.  India as a Top Arms Exporter:

• The Economic Survey revealed that India is now among the top 25 arms exporting nations.
• Defence production has significantly increased from ₹74,054 crore in 2016-17 to ₹108,684 crore in 2022-23, boosting defense exports.