After a dip during the pandemic, the Centre's advertising expenditure is back on the rise, hitting Rs 407 crore in 2022-2023.

According to a written reply tabled by Information & Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur in the Rajya Sabha, the government, through the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC), spent Rs 155 crore on electronic media, Rs 220 crore on print and Rs 32 crore on outdoor publicity in FY2023.

The Central Bureau of Communication which operates under the Information & Broadcasting Ministry undertakes campaigns to generate awareness on various government policies, programmes and schemes through print, television and digital media.

The latest number represents a return to growth for ad spending by the central government after a decline in the past three years. 

In a surprise move, the government on  Aug 3  imposed restrictions on imports of laptops, all-in-one personal computers and tablets. Imports of multiple laptops, computers and tablets would be allowed only against a valid licence. A notification on this regard was issued by the Director General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce.

While the aim of the move is to promote local manufacturing, commerce ministry official also cited security reasons for the same. India imported $5.3 billion worth of computers, tablet, etc in 2022-23, down from $7.4 billion in the previous year. Research firm Counterpoint estimates India’s laptop and personal computer market to be worth $8 billion annually, with two third of those imported.

S&P Global, a research and analytics firm, expects India to grow 6.7% per year in next eight years -- FY24 to FY31 – taking the size of GDP to $6.7 trillion from $3.4 trillion in FY23.  It said the per capita GDP will rise to about $4,500.

It expects private sector to increase investments given healthy corporate balance sheets.

As per S&P, growth contribution from productivity will be higher than in the previous periods due to the creation of physical and digital infrastructure in conjunction with efficiency-enhancing reforms. India is likely to see further efficiency gains from reforms such as the introduction of goods and services tax.

Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley has said it is overweight on India as the country is ‘arguably at the start of a long wave boom at the same time as China may be ending one’. Morgan Stanley sees positive demographic trends in India with GDP per capita only US$2.5k per capita (vs. US$12.7k for China), household debt/GDP of just 19% (vs. 48% for China) and only 2% of Indian households having life insurance.

Left-handed batter Tamim Iqbal has decided to step down as Bangladesh ODI captain after a recurring back injury ruled him out of the upcoming Asia Cup.

The continental ODI tournament will be held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka from August 31 to September 2.

The 34-year-old, who had announced his shock retirement from ODIs during the home series against Afghanistan before withdrawing his decision, will be eyeing the rubber against visiting New Zealand to get back into reckoning for the World Cup in India.

Tamim had withdrawn his decision to retire the last time after an intervention from Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina but said this time he has informed her.

Former India batsman Manoj Tiwary  has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, drawing the curtains on a very unique career.

Tiwary, who played 12 ODIs and three T20Is between 2008 and 2015, ventured into politics even while he remained an active cricketer, and became a minister of state for sports and youth affairs in West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's state cabinet.

But during the 2022-23 domestic season, the 37-year-old returned to play for Bengal and guided the team to the final where they went down to Saurashtra at the Eden Gardens.

It was also Tiwary's last first-class game.

The right-handed batsman made 287 runs from 12 one-dayers that includes a hundred against West Indies at Chennai in December 2011.

Q1. Name the senior Congress leader who has been  granted anticipatory bail by a  Delhi Court  in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots ?

1. Motilal Vora
2. Digvijaya Singh
3. Kamal Nath
4. Jagdish Tytler
5. None of These

Q2. The Supreme Court  has stayed the conviction which was awarded by a trial court in Gujarat to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his alleged remarks against the surname of

1. Shah
2. Godse
3. Modi
4. Savarkar
5. None of These

Q3. India and Latin America Carribean (LAC) have registered an impressive growth in bilateral trade in  financial year 2022-23 and has  touched around

1. USD  25 billion
2. USD 50 billion
3. USD 70 billion
4. USD 95 billion
5. None of These

Q4. Name the country which will be hosting a meeting that will seek ways to find a way to end the conflict in Ukraine ?

1. Saudi Arabia
2. India
3. China
4. Turkey
5. None of These

Q5. Name the  research and analytics firm which  expects India to grow 6.7% per year in next eight years -- FY24 to FY31 – taking the size of GDP to $6.7 trillion from $3.4 trillion in FY23 ?

1. S&P Global
2. ICRA Limited
3. Moody's
4. Fitch Ratings
5. None of These

Answers

1--------------------4  Jagdish Tytler

2--------------------3     Modi

3---------------------2   USD 50 billion

4--------------------1  Saudi Arabia

5--------------------1   S&P Global

Paramilitary forces on Aug 3  conducted a flag march in Nuh after a curfew was imposed in the district following the clashes between the group in the state.

Meanwhile, six deaths have been confirmed in the violence in the Nuh district of Haryana.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that a total of 116 people have been arrested in connection with the violence in Nuh that claimed the lives of six people including two Home Guards.

As the conditions in Haryana’s Nuh, Faridabad and Palwal districts and in three sub-divisions of Gurugram remain critical and tense, the state government announced that mobile internet services will remain suspended in these districts till August 5.

    Seventeen people were injured in clashes as the Army and RAF personnel fired teargas shells at Kangvai and Phougakchao area in Bishnupur district on Aug 3.

The district magistrates of Imphal East and Imphal West also withdrew curfew relaxations earlier announced, imposing the restrictions during the day as a precautionary measure, on top of the night curfew throughout the Imphal valley.

Hours before the clashes, a planned mass burial of Kuki-Zomi people killed in Manipur's ethnic violence was stalled after the state's High Court ordered the status quo to be maintained at the proposed burial site in Churachandpur district.

The ITLF, an apex tribal body, also said it was postponing the burial of 35 people at the site in Haolai Khopi village of Churachandpur district, on the border with Bishnupur.