Central government’s fiscal deficit increased 67 per cent to Rs 2 lakh crore owing to slow growth in revenue receipt and a 23% growth in expenditure. The Centre’s fiscal deficit has reached 12.3% of the budget target in the first two months of the current financial year, according to data released by the Comptroller General of Auditors (CGA).  Last year during the same time, the fiscal deficit was Rs 1.2 lakh crore.

The full-year budget target for the fiscal deficit is Rs 16.61 lakh crore, which is 6.4% of the GDP. The net revenue collection of the centre in the first two months has been Rs 3.7 lakh crore, which is 16.2% of the budget target of Rs 22 lakh crore. The Centre’s revenue receipts include net tax revenue, dividends from PSU banks, RBI and CPSEs.

The Centre’s gross tax collection during the April-May 2022 period surged by 29% to Rs 4 lakh crore compared to Rs 3.12 lakh crore in the same period last year. The net tax collection (gross tax minus states share) during the period was Rs 3.1 lakh crore, registering a growth of 30%. Total expenditure during the period also increased 23 per cent year-on-year to Rs 5.85 lakh crore.

The World Bank's board on june 30  approved the creation of a fund meant to finance investments in strengthening the fight against pandemics.

The fund will support prevention, preparedness and response (PPR), with a focus on low- and middle-income countries, the bank said in a statement.

"The devastating human, economic, and social cost of Covid-19 has highlighted the urgent need for coordinated action to build stronger health systems and mobilize additional resources," it said.

The World Bank added that the fund, which it aims to open later this year, was developed under the leadership of the United States, Italy and Indonesia as part of their G20 presidencies, and with broad support from the G20.

It will be used in a number of areas, including disease surveillance, with more than $1 billion in commitments already announced.

"The World Bank is the largest provider of financing for PPR with active operations in over 100 developing countries to strengthen their health systems," World Bank President David Malpass said in the statement.

The so-called financial intermediary fund (FIF) will provide financing to "complement the work of existing institutions in supporting low- and middle-income countries and regions to prepare for the next pandemic," the World Bank said.

The World Health Organization is a stakeholder in the project and will provide technical expertise, its president Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

US President Joe Biden said more than 1 million Americans and millions of people around the world have lost their lives to Covid-19, underscoring the importance of boosting investment in pandemic preparedness.

In a separate statement earlier in the day, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called the fund "a major achievement that will help low- and middle-income countries be better prepared for the next pandemic."

The government has hiked gold import duty to 15 per cent from 10.75 per cent to check the current account deficit (CAD) and rising import of the yellow metal.

The duty changes came into effect on June 30.

Earlier, the basic customs duty on gold was 7.5 per cent, now it will be 12.5 per cent.

Along with the agriculture infrastructure development cess (AIDC) of 2.5 per cent, the effective gold customs duty will be 15 per cent.

There has been a sudden surge in imports of gold. In the month of May, a total of 107 tonnes of gold was imported and in June also the imports have been significant.

The surge in gold imports is putting pressure on the current account deficit, the finance ministry said.

A day after the qualification cycle ended, the Athletics Federation of India announced a 22-member team for the World Championships in Oregon, USA. There are 17 men, including a six-member 4x400m team and five women.

Tokyo 2020 champion Neeraj Chopra will spearhead India's team and the best bet to win a medal at the Worlds, though other throwers will pose a stiff challenge.

In current form, long jumper M Sreeshankar harbours a chance along too.

According to chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair, the first batch of athletes who have got their visa, will leave on july 2 , while another batch will leave on july 4. The last batch will leave around July 5.

The team:Men: Avinash Sable (3000m Steeplechase), MP Jabir (400m Hurdles), M Sreeshankar and Muhammed Anees Yahiya (Long Jump), Abdulla Aboobacker, Praveen Chithravel and Eldhose Paul (Triple Jump), Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Shot Put), Neeraj Chopra and Rohit Yadav (Javelin Throw), Sandeep Kumar (20km Race Walking),  Amoj Jacob*, Noah Nirmal Tom, Muhammed Ajmal, Naganathan Pandi, Rajesh Ramesh and Muhammed Anas Yahiya (4x400m).

Women: S Dhanalakhsmi (200m), Aishwarya Kailash Mishra (400m), Parul Chaudhary (3000m Steeplechase), Annu Rani

(Javelin Throw) and Priyanka Goswami (20km Walk)

Note: Amoj Jacob has been selected subject to fitness. Arokia Rajiv will replace him in the relay squad.

Skipper Rohit Sharma, who has been ruled out of the rescheduled Test match against England after testing positive for COVID-19, will be available to lead the side in the white-ball series as he was named in squads for T20Is and ODIs by the BCCI on june 30.

The three-match T20 series will begin on July 7 in Southampton.

Five players, including Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah and Shreyas Iyer will join the team from the second game in Edgbaston on July 9.

One notable omission in the T20 squad is Mohammed Shami, who hasn't been picked in the shortest format since last T20 World Cup as he isn't scheme of things for the Australia World Cup.

Shami, the oldest player in the current setup, Shikhar Dhawan (37) and Mohammed Siraj are part of the ODI squad which will be played from 15 to 20th of July.

The players who will return home after first T20I are Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Tripathi to name a few.

It is understood these players are not first choice going into the T20 World Cup.

India's squad for 1st T20I: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaekwad, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik

India's squad for 2nd and 3rd T20I: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik

India's squad for 3 ODIs: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, J Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Mohd Shami, Mohd Siraj, Arshdeep Singh.

Q1. To check the current account deficit (CAD) and rising import of the yellow metal,  the government has hiked gold import duty from 10.75 per to

1. 1 per cent
2. 17 per cent
3. 20 per cent
4. 2 per cent
5. None of These

Q2. Owing to slow growth in revenue receipt and a 23% growth in expenditure , the Central government’s fiscal deficit  has increased 67 per cent in Apr-May 2022  to

1.  Rs 1 lakh crore
2. Rs 2 lakh crore                      
3. Rs 3 lakh crore
4. Rs 4 lakh crore
5. None of These

Q3.  Who is the chief minister  of Maharashtra ?

1.  Sushil Kumar Shinde
2.  Sant Eknath
3.  Eknath Khadse
4.  Eknath Shinde
5.  None of These

Q4. Name the country whose  parliament has voted to dissolve itself and send the nation to the polls in November for the fifth time in less than four years?

1.   Italy
2.  Spain
3.  Israel
4. Japan
5. None of These

Q5. In a bid to regulate fuel prices in the domestic market, the government has  raised excise duty from 1 July 2022 on export of

1.  Petrol, Diesel and Natural Gas
2.  Natural Gas , Crude Oil and Aviation Turbine Fuel
3.  Petrol, Diesel and Aviation Turbine Fuel
4.  Crude Oil , Coal and Aviation Turbine Fuel
5.  None of These

Answers

1------------ 1per cent

2-----------Rs 2 lakh crore      

3------------ Eknath Shinde

4------------- Israel

5-------3  Petrol, Diesel and Aviation Turbine Fuel

Senior journalist Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of the popular fact-checking website Alt News, was arrested on  june 27 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. He was produced before a magistrate, who remanded him in police custody for a day.

Zubair had recently posted a video of former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma making derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad. The clip had a snowballing effect, triggering a major global controversy and resulting in Nupur’s suspension.

But the case against Zubair that led to his arrest on june 28  was about a tweet way back in 2018. He was charged with offences under Sections 153 (wanton provocation with intent to cause riot), 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) of the Indian Penal Code. Zubair was arrested after he was called for questioning, Deputy Commissioner of the cyber cell K P S Malhotra said.

After an earlier probe against Zubair, the police had said in its report that a tweet by him was not objectionable. But subsequent tweets were questionable and derogatory, it alleged. “After having sufficient evidence on record, he was arrested in the present case,” the Delhi Police said in a statement.

“In June 2022, when the Delhi Police was alerted by a Twitter handle that Zubair had earlier made an objectionable tweet and his followers/social media entities had amplified and created a series of debates/hate-mongering in the tread, he was examined and his role was found objectionable,” it added.

During questioning, Zubair’s conduct was “found questionable, which warranted his custodial interrogation... Accordingly, he has been arrested,” the police said.

Putting it in perspective, Pratik Sinha, co-founder of Alt News, tweeted: “Zubair was called today by special cell, Delhi for investigation in a 2020 case for which he already had protection against arrest from High Court.

The arrest drew widespread condemnation with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeting, “Every person exposing BJP’s hate, bigotry and lies is a threat to them. Arresting one voice of truth will only give rise to a thousand more. Truth ALWAYS triumphs over tyranny.

The Editors Guild of India and the Press Club of India on june 28  described the arrest of Alt News co-founder Muhammad Zubair on charges of hurting religious sentiments as "extremely disturbing" and demanded his immediate release.

Both the media bodies pointed out that the action against Zubair came on a day when India joined G7 and four other countries to protect free speech, "online and offline".

Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Jaipur of Rajasthan have come out with flying colours in the latest district-wise ranking of school education released by the central government on june 27 . These are the only districts in the country to have secured a place in the second-highest “Utkarsh” category in the 2019-20 index.

The Department of School Education and Literacy, under the Ministry of Education, released the Performance Grading Index for Districts (PGI-D) for 2018-19 and 2019-20, which assesses the performance of the school education system at the district level by creating an index for comprehensive analysis.

Districts scoring more than 90 per cent are categorised as “Daksh”. “Utkarsh” is the second-highest-ranking scoring 81 to 90 per cent, followed by “Ati Uttam” (71 to 80 per cent), “Uttam” (61 to 70 per cent), Prachesta-1 (51 to 60 per cent), Prachesta-2 (41 to 50 per cent), Prachesta-3 (31 to 40 per cent), Akanshi-1 (21 to 30 per cent) and Akanshi-2 (11 to 2p per cent).

According to the grading index, no district could make it into the highest “Daksh” grade. The three Rajasthan districts are the first to become “Utkarsh” in the ranking system introduced recently.

Among the southern states, only three districts of Karnataka – Chitradurga, Belagavi and Dharwad – got the “Ati Uttam” score.

In Kerala, all the districts barring Idukki are in the "Ati Uttam'' category.

Only two districts in Tamil Nadu – Dharmapuri and Villupuram – have got the “Ati Uttam” category.

The number of districts in the third-highest “Ati Uttam” category has almost doubled from 49 in 2018-19 to 86 in 2019-20. A marginal rise was seen in the fourth-highest “Uttam” category with 276 districts compared to 267 in the earlier edition.

The other rankings include “Pracheshta 1-2 and 3” following Akanshi -1 and Akanshi-2.

The only district in the lowest Akanshi-2 category is Shi Yomi of Arunachal Pradesh.

The Performance Grading Index (PGI) for 2019-20 covers 733 districts against 725 in 2018-19.

Apart from the overall performance, the districts are also judged on sub-categories like outcomes, effective classroom transactions, infrastructure, school safety and child protection, digital learning and governance processes.

The performance index claimed that eight districts have improved their PGI score by more than 20 per cent from 2018-19 and 14 districts bettered by 10 per cent. More than 400 districts made less than 10 per cent improvement.

The objective of PGI-D is to help the districts to prioritise areas for intervention in school education and thus improve to reach the highest grade.