- Exercise VINBAX-2023: It was instituted in 2018 and the first edition was conducted at Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. It is an annual training event conducted alternatively in India and Vietnam. Last edition was conducted at Chandimandir Military Station in August 2022. This year’s Aim of the exercise is to foster collaborative partnership, promote inter- operability and share best practices. The exercise will be conducted as a Command Post Exercise cum Field Training Exercise with focus on deployment and employment of an Engineer Company and a Medical Team.
- Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs): An ETF is a collection of marketable securities that tracks an index, a commodity, bonds, or a basket of assets. In simple terms, ETFs are funds that track indexes such as CNX Nifty, or BSE Sensex, etc. An ETF can be structured to track anything from the price of an individual commodity to a large and diverse collection of securities. ETFs can even be structured to track specific investment strategies. ETF funds are somewhat similar to mutual funds in terms of their structure, regulation, and management. Additionally, just like mutual funds, they are a pooled investment vehicle that offers diversified investment into various asset classes like stocks, commodities, bonds, currencies, options, or a blend of these. Unlike mutual funds, ETFs can be purchased or sold on a stock exchange in the same way that regular stocks can. The traded price of an ETF changes throughout the day like any other stock, as it is bought and sold on the stock exchange. The trading value of an ETF is based on the net asset value of the underlying stocks that it represents. ETFs have higher daily liquidity and lower fees than mutual fund schemes, making them an attractive alternative for individual investors.
Progress of Ongoing COP28 Climate Meeting:
- Anticipation of Fossil Fuels’ Entry at COP28: There is a strong indication that fossil fuels, a longstanding omission in climate negotiations, are likely to be introduced at COP28.Sultan Al Jaber has extended an invitation to countries to submit their proposals on the phase-out of fossil fuels.
- Potential Mention of Fossil Fuel Phase-Down: COP28’s final decisions might include a mention of the need to phase down fossil fuels, marking a potentially radical departure as it has remained unmentioned for three decades.
- No Agreement on Global Stockate Report :This report will decide the way forward for climate change, especially on issues of climate equity and phasing out of fossil fuels.
- Positive Developments on Loss and Damage Fund: There has been some positive movement on the loss and damage fund which has been operationalised.
- Article 356: Article 356 of the Constitution of India is based on Section 93 of the Government of India Act, 1935.According to Article 356, President’s Rule can be imposed on any state of India on the grounds of the failure of the constitutional machinery. This is of two types: If the President receives a report from the state’s Governor or is otherwise convinced or satisfied that the state’s situation is such that the state government cannot carry on the governance according to theprovisions of the Constitution. Article 365: As per this Article, President’s Rule can be imposed if any state fails to comply with all directions given by the Union on matters it is empowered to.
