Assam Current Affairs & GK – April 2022

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – April 2022

( Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for the month of April 2022)

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 ‘Varuna’ Naval Exercise conducted by India and France

  • The 20th edition of the bilateral naval exercise that is named ‘Varuna’ is being conducted by India and France in the Arabian Sea from 30th March till 3rd April 2022.
  • In this exercise, various units of the two navies which include submarines, ships, fighter aircraft, maritime patrol aircraft, and helicopters are participating.
  • This exercise is conducted so that the participating units can sharpen and enhance their operational skills in the maritime sector. The participating units also look to improve their inter-operability so that they can undertake various maritime security operations. The units also demonstrate their commitment, as an integrated force, to the promotion of the region’s security, peace, and stability.
  • In 1993, this bilateral naval exercises between the Navies of the two were countries were first initiated. In 2001, the name of the exercise was christened ‘Varuna’ and it has become an important part of the bilateral strategic relationship between India and France.

 

India’s First Steel Slag Road at Surat

  • Surat, Gujarat is the first Indian city to get a road built from processed steel slag (industrial waste). This road has been developed as a joint-venture project by the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), NITI Aayog, Union Steel Ministry, and ArcelorMittal-Nippon Steel (AM/NS), at Hazira, a suburb of Surat.
  • This steels road’s construction cost is 30 percent cheaper than the roads that are built using natural aggregates. Also, this road’s thickness is 30 percent lesser than the normal ones. As steel slag is used to construct this road its durability is much longer.
  • This project has been implemented under the Waste to Wealth and Clean India Campaign initiative.

 

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Falguni Nayar and Radha Vembu in Hurun Richest Self-Made Women list 2022

  • Three Indian women Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw of Biocon, Falguni Nayar of Nykaa, and Radha Vembu of Zoho have been featured in the latest Hurun Richest Self-Made Women in the World 2022 (Hurun list of women self-made billionaires).
  • Wu Yajun, a Beijing-based property developer has topped this list. Her estimated worth is USD 17 billion. She cofounded Longfor in 1993 with her ex-husband Cai Kui. In 2021, Longfor reported revenues of USD 34.6 billion.

 

Indians on this list

  • CEO and Founder of Nykaa, Falguni Nayar with 7.6 billion dollars has been placed in the top 10 richest list. She overtook billionaire Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw to become India’s richest self-made woman. She was also featured in first place in Hurun’s list of Top 10 New Faces.
  • Among the biggest risers, Radha Vembu is first in India, and second across the world. Vembu is India’s second-richest self-made woman billionaire with USD 3.9bn. Vembu is Zoho’s product manager, a company she founded along with her brother. On the Hurun list, she has been placed on the 25th rank.
  • Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, founder and executive chairperson of Biocon Biologics and Biocon Limited, has been placed 26th on the list with a wealth of USD 3.8 bn. From last year she dropped down two places.

 

Arunachal Pradesh inked pack with WWF India to develop State Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

  • To develop the State Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (SBSAP) a pact has been inked by Arunachal Pradesh with WWF India. The SBSAP will be aligning with the Pakke Declaration and the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.
  • Through a participatory approach and multi-stakeholder consultations, the SBSAP will be developed.
  • This pact will be showcasing Arunachal Pradesh’s participatory conservation initiatives and will be looking to develop an action plan that will be inclusive in nature and will be looking to secure nature’s contribution to people.
  • The plan will also be reflecting the people as well as the state’s aspirations toward sustainable development.

 

About Pakke Declaration

  • In 2021, the “Pakke Tiger Reserve 2047 Declaration on Climate Change Resilient and Responsive Arunachal Pradesh” was adopted by the state Govt and aims to promote development that is climate-resilient in the state.
  • This declaration also focuses on multi-sectoral approaches for climate-resilient development and low emission which are based on five themes which are Health and Well-being for all; Environment, Forest, and Climate Change; Livelihoods, and opportunities; Sustainable and Adaptive living; and Evidence generation, and collaborative action.

 

 

HDFC Limited to merge with HDFC Bank

  • HDFC’s board of directors has approved the merger of HDFC Bank, India’s largest private sector bank with HDFC (Housing Development Finance Corporation), India’s largest housing finance firm
  • The deal will be building the housing loan portfolio of the bank and will also be enhancing its existing customer base.
  • Under the agreement that has been proposed, public shareholders will be 100 percent owning HDFC Bank, and HDFC Limited’s existing shareholders will own 41 percent stake in HDFC Bank.
  • The proposed agreement will be creating a large net worth as well as a balance sheet that would allow a greater credit flow into the economy. Also, underwriting of larger ticket loans such as infrastructure loans will be enabled due to this agreement.
  • After merging, the total assets of HDFC Bank and HDFC Ltd will be more than Rs 25 lakh crore. The turnover of HDFC is Rs 35,681.74 crore while for HDFC Bank it is Rs 1.16 lakh crore.

 

Composer Ricky Kej and Indian-American singer-songwriter Falu: Winners at the Grammy Awards 2022

  • At the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, two Indian musicians were among the winners. Falu, an Indian-American singer-songwriter won her maiden Grammy in the category of Best Children’s Music Album. Composer Ricky Kej also won his second Grammy as he and Stewart Copeland won the award in the category of Best New Age Album.
  • Falguni Shah or Falu won the award for her album A Colorful World in the category of Best Children’s Music Album. Falu is a New York-based musician and has collaborated with AR Rahman for the movie Slumdog Millionaire.
  • In 2015, Ricky Kej had won his first Grammy Award and this win was his second. He won the award with Stewart Copeland for the album Divine Tides. He won the award in the Best New Age Album category.
  • Jon Batiste won the Best Album of The Year award. The award for the Best New Artist as well as for Best Pop Vocal Album was won by Olivia Rodrigo and Doja Cat won the award for Best Pop Duo/ Group.

 

India’s export in 2021-2022 touch a record high of USD 418 billion

  • In 2021-22 fiscal, the merchandise exports of India grew to touch a record high of USD 418 billion. This was due to higher exports of products including engineering goods, petroleum products, jewellery, etc. In 2020-21, the merchandise exports of India were worth USD 292 billion.
  • During 2021-22, the goods trade (imports and exports) of the country crossed USD 1 trillion.
  • India’s imports also touched USD 610 billion a record of its own.
  • In March 2022, the outbound shipments of the country also touched a record high of USD 40.38 billion. In March 2021, the exports of India stood at USD 35.26 billion.
  • During the period of April 2021 to March 2022 the Agriculture exports crossed USD 48 billion.
  • The sectors that played a key role in the increase of merchandise exports include engineering, petroleum products, jewellery, gems, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals.

Top export destinations

  • The US, Bangladesh, the UAE, Singapore, the Netherlands, the UK, Hong Kong, Germany, and Belgium were the top export destinations for the products.

 

India’s Agriculture Exports in 2021-22 touched USD 50 billion

  • For FY 2021-22, the exports of agricultural products, including plantation and marine products of India have touched a record USD 50 billion. This is a 20 per cent increase from last year.
  • The export of marine products which stands at USD 7.71 billion has benefitted farmers of West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
  • The export of Spices has touched USD 4 billion.
  • For the first time, coffee exports crossed USD 1 billion and have helped in enhancing the income of coffee growers in Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
  • This growth in export has been achieved due to a surge in shipments of marine products, rice, buffalo meat, sugar, wheat, and raw cotton.
  • This growth has been achieved despite facing logistical challenges like container shortages, high freight rates, etc.
  • This increase in the growth of agriculture export will also enhance the income of the farmers of the country.
  • The highest ever exports have been achieved by
  • rice (USD 9.65 billion)
  • wheat (USD 2.19 billion)
  • sugar (USD 4.6 billion)
  • other cereals (USD 1.08 billion).

 

Tripura and Manipur among Top 3 smaller states performers in NITI AAYOG’S STATE ENERGY & CLIMATE INDEX

  • The State Energy and Climate Index (SECI) has been launched by NITI Aayog. It is a first-of-its-kind index that aims to track the efforts made in the energy and climate sector by the states and UTs of India.
  • This index’s parameters have been devised while keeping in mind the country’s goals regarding clean energy transition and climate change.
  • This index has ranked the states and the UTs of India based on the efforts they have put towards improving energy consumption, energy access, safeguarding the environment, and energy efficiency.
  • This index has also helped to move toward the agenda of the accessible, affordable, clean, and efficient energy transition at the State level.
  • Six parameters have been used by this index that are:
  • Access Affordability and Reliability of Energy
  • Discoms’ (Power distribution companies) Performance
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Clean Energy Initiatives
  • New Initiatives
  • Environmental Sustainability

 

  • The States and the UTs have been categorized into three groups i.e. Achievers, Front Runners, and Aspirants.

Top 3 performers among the larger states

  1. Gujarat
  2. Kerala
  3. Punjab


Top 3 performers among the smaller states

  1. Goa
  2. Tripura
  3. Manipur

 

QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022

  • Recently the QS World University Rankings 2022 by subject has been released. The rankings have been announced for subjects including engineering and technology, humanities and arts, natural sciences, medicine and life sciences, and management and social sciences.
  • Global higher education think-tank QS Quacquarelli Symonds released this report.
  • To rank the universities five components were considered
  1. employer reputation,
  2. academic reputation,
  3. h-index,
  4. research citations per paper,
  5. international research network (by broad-faculty area).

World Rankings in ARTS AND HUMANITIES

  1. University of Oxford
  2. University of Cambridge
  3. Harvard University
  4. University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
  5. Stanford University

World Rankings in ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

  1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  2. University of Cambridge
  3. University of Oxford
  4. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU)
  5. Stanford University

World Rankings in LIFE SCIENCES AND MEDICINE

  1. Harvard University
  2. University of Oxford
  3. Johns Hopkins University
  4. University of Cambridge
  5. Stanford University

World Rankings in NATURAL SCIENCES

  1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
  2. Harvard University
  3. University of Cambridge
  4. University of Oxford
  5. Stanford University

World Rankings in SOCIAL SCIENCES AND MANAGEMENT

  1. Harvard University
  2. University of Oxford
  3. The London School of Political Science and Economics
  4. University of Cambridge
  5. Stanford University

 

Indian Universities in the list

  • In India, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has topped the list.
  • IIT Delhi’s four academic programmes have also featured among the top 100 in the rankings.
  • Under Arts and Humanities category, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the University of Delhi (DU) have secured 101-150 and 151-200 slabs respectively in the History subject.
  • Under Life Sciences category, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has secured a 204 ranking for the subject of medicine followed by Delhi University (330) and Manipal Academy of Higher Education (375).
  • Under Natural Sciences category, for Chemistry IISc Bangalore has been ranked 81 followed by IIT Bombay (112) and IIT Delhi (151-200 slab).
  • For mathematics, IIT Bombay has been placed among the top 200 with a rank of 117. Next on the list are IIT Delhi (128), IIT Kanpur (132), IISc Bangalore (142) and IIT Madras (148).
  • Under Engineering and Technology, IIT Delhi (65) and IIT Bombay (67) have been placed among the top 100 ranks in Computer Science subject. Also, IIT Kanpur (109), IIT Kharagpur (109), IIT Madras (114), and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore (144) have also been placed on this list. Among the top 251-300, IIT Roorkee has been placed. Among the top 301-350, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) has been placed and among 351-400 IIT Guwahati and DU have been placed.

 

Dipika Pallikal won mixed doubles and women’s doubles in World Doubles Squash Championships

  • Dipika Pallikal won the mixed doubles and women’s doubles championships at the World Doubles Squash Championships teaming up with Saurav Ghosal and Joshna Chinappa respectively.
  • This is the first time India has won the gold medal in this tournament.
  • Teaming up with Saurav Ghosal, Dipika first clinched the mixed doubles title with an 11-6, 11-8 win over Alison Waters and Adrian Waller of England.
  • Dipika teamed up with Joshna Chinappa to win the women’s doubles final with an 11-9, 4-11, 11-8 win over Sarah Jane Perry and Alison Waters who were representing England.
  • In 2014 and 2016 India won two silver medals in this tournament. In 2016, Dipika and Saurav had lost the mixed doubles final. In 2014, Saurav and Ritwik Bhattacharya had lost the men’s doubles final.

 

Nilamani Phookan conferred with Jnanpith award

  • Assam Chief Minister, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma presented the country’s highest literary award, the 56th Jnanpith for the year 2021 to one of the most celebrated poets of Assam, Nilamani Phookan.
  • Nilmani Phookan is the third person to win the Jnanpith Award from Assam after Mamoni Roisom Goswami and Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya. The Award carried a Citation, a shawl, and Rs. 11 lakh.

BIOGRAPHY: Nilmani Phookan

  • The octogenarian was awarded the Padma Shri in 1990 and received the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship in 2002.
  • He was selected as an ‘Emeritus Fellow’ for a period of two years by the Cultural Department, Govt. of India in 1998.
  • Assam Sahitya Sabha also conferred ‘Sahityacharya’ honour to him.
  • The notable works of Phukan are ‘Xurjya Henu Naami Aahe Ei Nodiyedi’, ‘Kabita’ and ‘Gulapi Jamur Lagna’.

 

Waterways Conclave 2022 at Dibrugarh

  • The Waterways Conclave 2022 was organized by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) on 11th and 12th April 2022 in Dibrugarh.
  • The aim of this conclave was to focus on harnessing the potential of the international and domestic waterway ecosystem in the country’s North-eastern region.
  • The industry partner of this conclave was the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).
  • The conclave was launched by Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and AYUSH.
  • The conclave was attended by various stakeholders in the sector of the waterway ecosystem like Senior Govt Officials, Policy Planners, Sector Experts, Domestic and International Investors, Infrastructure players, Cruise Tourism industry, Vessel Owners and Operators, Representatives of Major Ports, Cargo Passengers, and representatives from the Govts of Maritime States in India.
  • The aim of this conclave is to fast-track the Multimodal projects for the development of the country’s Northeast region so that business opportunities, economic activities, and employment generation can be enhanced.
  • Gauhati University (GU) and the IWAI signed an MoU on the research and development as well as investment and consultancy in inland waterways.
  • Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL), Dibrugarh and IWAI also signed an MoU for cargo transportation via inland water transport.

 

Discovery of Megalithic Stone Jars in Assam’s Dima Hasao district

  • In the Dima Hasao district of Assam, a number of megalithic stone jars have been discovered. This discovery has highlighted the possible links, that date back to the second millennium BC, between Southeast Asia and the Northeast region of India.
  • Three distinct shaped jars have been documented in the paper, ‘An archaeological survey of the Assam stone jar sites.’
  • In a site named Nuchubunglo, 546 jars were discovered making it the largest such site across the planet.
  • The study that has been published in Asian Archaeology has called for more research so as to understand this cultural relationship between Laos and Assam and Indonesia.
  • Indonesia and Laos are the only two other sites from where such similar jars have been discovered.
  • The jars that were discovered in Assam were first sighted in the year 1929 by John Henry Hutton and James Philip Mills, British civil servants. The presence of the jars was recorded by them to have been found in six different sites in Kobak, Dima Hasao: Derebore (now Hojai Dobongling), Molongpa (now Melangpeuram), Kartong, Bolasan (now Nuchubunglo), and Ndunglo. In 2016 and 2020 more such sites have been discovered.

 

 

ADB loan to Nagaland for Urban Infrastructure Projects

  • The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Govt of India have signed a USD 2 million Project Readiness Financing (PRF) Loan for strengthening the institutional capacity, designing urban infrastructures that are climate-resilient, and improving the mobilization of municipal resources in Nagaland’s 16 district headquarter towns (DHTs).
  • The loan has been signed by Additional Secretary Rajat Kumar Mishra of the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission, Takeo Konishi.
  • The PRF loan will help in the facilitation of various key preparatory activities to ensure projects that are aimed to improve urban infrastructure and other services to boost the economic potential of Nagaland.
  • The loan will ensure the state’s project readiness by undertaking feasibility studies, preparing the implementation of detailed engineering designs for selected subprojects and an urban sector strategy, and capacity building of various state-level agencies for the purpose of project implementation, anchoring reforms, and resource mobilization.

 

Hyderabad and Mumbai recognised as the ‘2021 Tree City of the World’ by Food and Agriculture Organisation

  • The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UN-FAO) along with Arbor Day Foundation has recognized Hyderabad and Mumbai jointly as the ‘2021 Tree City of the World.’
  • The recognition has been won by the two Indian cities due to their commitment to maintaining and growing greenery and urban trees so as to build resilient, healthy, and happy cities.
  • This is the first time Mumbai has made it to the list. Hyderabad has been featured on this list for the second consecutive year.

 

Lieutenant General Manoj Pande appointed India’s New Chief of Army Staff

  • Lieutenant General Manoj Pande will be replacing General Manoj Mukund Naravane as the 29th chief of the Indian Army. He will be taking charge of this post from 1st May 2022.
  • On 1st February he replaced Lieutenant General CP Mohanty as the vice army chief.

BIOGRAPHY: Lieutenant General Pande

  • He is an alumnus of the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun and the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla. In 1982, he was commissioned into the Bombay Sappers after passing out from the IMA.
  • Lt General Pande held prestigious command and staff assignments in counter-insurgency and conventional operations in all types of terrain during his 39-year military career. In the Western theatre, he has commanded an engineer brigade. He has also commanded an infantry brigade along the Line of Control (LoC), in the Ladakh sector and a corps in the North-east region of the country.
  • Before taking over as the army’s vice-chief, he has also served as the Eastern Army Commander. From June 2020 to May 2021, he served as the Andaman and Nicobar Command’s commander-in-chief. After General Narvane retires, he will be the senior-most officer of the Army.
  • He has been conferred with the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Param Vishisht Seva Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal, two times with the GOC-in-C Commendation, and the Chief of Army Staff Commendation.

World Bank Report on Extreme Poverty in India dropped to 10.2% in pre-Covid year of 2019

  • According to a working paper of the World Bank, extreme poverty in India has dropped from 22.5 percent in 2011 to 10.2 percent in the pre-Covid year of 2019. Also, the pace of poverty reduction in rural India has been more than in urban areas of the country.
  • In the urban and rural areas poverty level declined by 7.9 percent and 14.7 percent respectively during the period 2011 to 2019.
  • In 2019, the poverty level stood at 11.6 percent in rural areas and 6.3 percent in urban areas.
  • Extreme poverty measured based on the number of people living on less than USD 1.90 (around Rs 145) per day has been used to measure extreme poverty.

 

World’s Highest Tunnel at Shinku La Pass

  • The world’s highest tunnel will be constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at Shinku La Pass at 16,580 feet. This tunnel will be connecting Himachal Pradesh to Ladakh.
  • The construction of this tunnel by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will begin by July 2022 and will be completed by 2025.
  • This tunnel will be connecting Ladakh’s Zanskar Valley to Himachal Pradesh. The tunnel’s south portal will be at Shinku La. The tunnel’s north portal will be at Lakhang.
  • This tunnel will help in boosting the economy of the Zanskar Valley as the travel time between Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh will be reduced after this tunnel is opened.

 

National Civil Services Day observed on 21st April

  • On the 21st of April every year, National Civil Services Day is observed to acknowledge the work of all the officers across the country who are engaged in various public service departments.
  • This day also acts as a reminder to the civil servants to run the administration of the nation with the dedication to serving the citizens.
  • This date was chosen to commemorate the day when Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Independent India’s first Home Minister, in 1947 addressed the probationers of Administrative Services Officers at Delhi’s Metcalf House in Delhi.
  • Civil servants were referred to as the ‘steel frame of India’ by him as they act as the supporting pillars of the country’s administrative system. Father of Indian Civil Service title has been given to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
  • On 21 April 2006, the first such function was held in New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan and since then this day has been celebrated as National Civil Service Day.

 

India’s first commercial-Green Hydrogen Pilot Plant commissioned at Jorhat

  • Oil India Limited (OIL) has commissioned India’s first commercial-grade green hydrogen production plant at Jorhat, Assam.
  • To produce hydrogen, this plant will be using renewable energy from Oil India’s 500kW solar plant pump station.
  • The produced hydrogen will be blended with natural gas to run hydrogen buses in the state of Assam.
  • This newly commissioned pilot project has a daily production capacity of 10kg, which will be increased to 30kg per day.
  • Green hydrogen has the potential of replacing fossil fuels.
  • Green Hydrogen is being produced in the plant from the electricity that is generated by the existing 500kW Solar plant utilizing a 100 kW Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) Electrolyser array. This is the first time AEM technology is being used in India. This plant is a big step toward the country’s target of achieving energy independence.

 

Ajay Kumar Sood is the new Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to Govt of India

  • Ajay Kumar Sood, an eminent physicist has been appointed as the central Govt’s principal scientific advisor (PSA). He will be succeeding renowned biologist K Vijay Raghavan.
  • He is a member of the Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council to the Prime Minister.
  • He is known for his work on graphene. Also, he is a physics professor at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
  • The PSA’s office has the aim of providing objective and pragmatic advice to the cabinet as well as the prime minister on matters that are related to the fields of technology, science, and innovation with a special focus on the application of technology and science in economic and social sectors and critical infrastructure in cooperation with the various Govt departments, industries, and institutions.

 

 

 

 

NIXI World-Class Data Centre to be setup in Tripura

  • A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been inked between the Govt of Tripura and the NIXI-CSC Data Services Centre to establish an international standard Data Centre in the state.
  • To set up this proposed data centre, CSE e-governance services Ltd and the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) have floated a joint venture.
  • The international standard Data Centre will be located at Indranagar, the headquarters of Tripura’s IT Bhavan.
  • Rs 150 crore will be invested by the joint venture company while the state Govt will only be providing the space for setting up the Data Centre.
  • The MoU was signed by AK Bhattacharjee, in-charge director of the IT department on behalf of Tripura and CEO Anil Jain, NIXI-CSC Data Services Centre.

 

Suman Bery appointed as Vice-chairperson of NITI Aayog

  • The central Govt appointed economist Suman Bery as the vice-chairman of NITI Aayog after Rajiv Kumar resigned from the post on 22nd April 2022.

BIOGRAPHY: Suman Bery

  • Suman Bery was the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) director-general for a period of 10 years from 2001 to 2011.
  • He was also a senior visiting fellow at the Centre for Policy Research, Delhi.
  • He is a Global Fellow in the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars’ Asia programme in Washington, DC. Also, he is a non-resident Fellow of Bruegel which is a Brussels based economic policy research institution.
  • He had earlier served as a member of India’s Statistical Commission, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, and Reserve Bank of India’s Technical Advisory Committee on Monetary Policy.
  • From 2012 to mid-2016 he served as the Chief Economist of Shell International and also advised the management and the board of Royal Dutch Shell on global political and economic developments.
  • Prior to joining NCAER, he was with the World Bank, Washington DC, having joined through the Young Professionals’ Program. At World Bank, he worked on country policy and strategy, and financial sector development notably in the Caribbean and Latin America. His country experience included Argentina, Brazil, Peru, and Chile.
  • Between 1992 to 1994 he was also appointed as a Special Consultant to the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India

 

 

 

National Panchayati Raj Day observed on 24th of April

  • On the 24th of April annually, National Panchayat Raj Day is celebrated. In 2010 this day was first celebrated.
  • In India there are over six lakh villages, with over 750 districts and six thousand blocks that are all governed by the Panchayati Raj system.
  • Panchayati Raj Institution is one of India’s oldest governing bodies. A panchayat is a five-member assembly that works for the improvement of local communities and settles disputes at a lower level.

History of this day

  • On this day in 1992, the Indian constitution’s 73rd amendment was enacted. As a result of this amendment, the powers of the grassroots were decentralized and the Panchayati Raj was founded. Hence, this day is commemorated by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj as the National Panchayati Raj Day.
  • It was necessary to have governing bodies for the country’s rural areas. Hence, in 1957, a committee under the chairmanship of Balwantrai Mehta was established. This committee suggested bringing changes to the central power system and thus the Panchayati raj came into existence. In 1959, the first state to implement this system was Rajasthan.

 

World Malaria Day observed on April 25

  • Annually on the 25th of April World Malaria Day is observed across the world to highlight the need for sustained political commitment and continued investment so as to prevent and control malaria across the world.
  • The World Health Organization has continuously highlighted the need for and also called for innovations and investments to bring in new vector control approaches, antimalarial medicines, diagnostics, and other tools that will help in fighting against malaria.
  • The theme for this year’s world malaria day is “Harness innovation to reduce the malaria disease burden and save lives.”
  • In 2007, WHO got the idea of observing this day came from Africa Malaria Day, which is observed by the African Govt since 2001. At the WHO-sponsored World Health Assembly’s 60th session it was proposed to change the Africa Malaria day to World Malaria Day. This was done with the aim of generating greater awareness regarding the fight against malaria.

Malaria

  • The day is significant as despite being a treatable disease, Malaria continues to impact the livelihoods of people all over the world.
  • According to the WHO, in the year 2020 around 241 million new cases of malaria and 6,27,000 fatalities due to malaria in 85 nations were witnessed.
  • In the African region, more than two-thirds of the reported fatalities were among children who were below the age of 5.

Meghalaya Enterprise Architecture (MeghEA) Project won UN Award – World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum Prizes 2022

  • The Govt of Meghalaya’s Planning Department’s initiative of the “e-Proposal System”, has won the UN Award – World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum Prizes 2022. The “e-Proposal System” is a part of Meghalaya Enterprise Architecture (MeghEA), which eliminates 75 per cent physical work of files in all Govt departments in the state.

About MeghEA Project

  • The Meghalaya Enterprise Architecture Project (MeghEA) was launched with the aim of improving governance and service delivery for the people of the state using the power of various digital technologies.
  • Enterprise Architecture (EA) is the process by which various organisations standardise and organise their Information Technology related infrastructure to achieve various business objectives.
  • This initiative of the state Govt of Meghalaya is spread across six different pillars that are Human Resources, Governance, Primary Sector, Entrepreneurship, Environment, and Infrastructure.
  • Through this initiative Meghalaya will be made into a high-income state by 2030.
  • MeghEA is supporting the digital Govt goals that are:
  • A planned transformation initiative of the state Govt which demands efficient coordination among policies, strategies, services, processes, and organizational capacity.
  • All information and communications technology (ICT) initiatives will be coordinated under one umbrella to provide a better holistic perspective.
  • Implementation of ICT enabled state Govt process with the aim of providing multi-channel service delivery.
  • Ensuring that the systems and applications of the state Govt provide users with all relevant information.
  • Crafting an ecosystem to boost the digital economy by leveraging ICT for growth and employment.

 


India 3rd top military spender: SIPRI Report on World Military Expenditure

  • A report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on World Military Expenditure stated that India was the world’s third-highest military spender behind the US and China.
  • The global defence expenditure in 2021 reached an all-time high and stood at USD 2.1 trillion despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • In 2021, the US has accounted for 38 percent of the world’s military spending. China accounts for around 14 percent and the UK has moved up two ranks as it spent USD 68.4 billion.
  • Top five military spenders account for 62 percent of the world’s global military expenditure. The five countries are:
  • The United States
  • China
  • India
  • The United Kingdom
  • Russia

Military spending of India

  • Military spending of India stood at USD 76.6 billion in 2021, which is a 0.9 percent increase from 2020 and a 33 percent increase from 2012.
  • India is facing ongoing border tensions and disputes with Pakistan and China that occasionally cause armed conflicts. Hence, India is constantly modernizing its armed forces and is increasing its self-reliance in the production of armaments.


Jammu’s Palli village is India’s First ‘Carbon-neutral Panchayat’

  • Palli village located in the Samba district of Jammu has become India’s first panchayat to become carbon neutral, fully solar energy powered, and all its records have been digitized which will help in receiving all benefits of Central schemes easily.
  • Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the 500 KW solar plant at this carbon-neutral panchayat. With this inauguration Palli has become the country’s first panchayat to become carbon-neutral.
  • Palli will now be looked at as a model panchayat, and this will motivate the other panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir, and India to become carbon-neutral.
  • In Palli in a total area of 6,408 square metres 1,500 solar panels have been set up. These solar panels will be providing clean electricity to 340 houses that are located in the panchayat.
  • The central Govt has been pushing for major technology-related measures, modes of payments, and e-swaraj with the aim of making Panchayats of the country more powerful.

Carbon Neutrality

  • This refers to achieving zero carbon dioxide emissions. This can be achieved by balancing carbon dioxide emissions with their removal or through the elimination of emissions.
  • The term “net-zero” is used to describe a comprehensive commitment to climate action and decarbonization. Net-zero emissions can be achieved only when an organization’s greenhouse gas (CO2-e) emissions are balanced by their removal.


Odisha’s oldest fortified settlement at Asurgarh

  • An advanced radiocarbon dating technique that has been conducted on the Asurgarh fort settlement in the Kalahandi district of Odisha has placed this settlement in the ninth century BC or the Iron Age. This makes the settlement 2,500-2,600 years older than Odisha’s oldest fortified settlement, the Sisupalgarh fort.
  • Archaeologists have used the Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon technique to establish that this settlement spanned over three cultural phases beginning from the ninth century BC to the third or fourth century AD. This settlement was earlier believed to be from the Mauryan period.
  • The Sisupalgarh fort dates back to the fifth to sixth century BC.
  • Asurgarh fort consists of exterior fortification and the main fort. The main fortification is spread over an area of 12 hectares.
  • Human settlements in Asurgarh began around the ninth century BC, but the iron tools found in this site are believed to have been developed between the fourth century BC to the second century AD which coincides with the Mauryan period.
  • This site’s cultural period has been divided into three phases that are:
  • Iron Age (9th century BC – 4th century BC)
  • Early Historic Period (2nd century BC – 1st century AD)
  • Late Period (2nd century AD – 3rd -4th century AD).
  • 417 antiquities have been excavated from this site so far including beads of coral, carnelian, lapis lazuli, jasper, glass, shell, garnet, milky quartz, agate, kaolin, terracotta, and soft stone. The people of that period were good with iron technology and its uses. The iron materials that have been found at the Asurgarh site have not yet rusted as they have high ‘Fe’ content.
  • The first excavation on this site was done by N K Sahu in 1973 on behalf of the Postgraduate Department of History, Sambalpur University. Later in 1973, this site was declared protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.

 


Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav – North East Festival

  • The week-long Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav – North East Festival began on 28th April 2022 and it will be showcasing the potential of the Northeast region.
  • This week-long festival will be held across the 8 states of the northeast region in their own significant and special manner.
  • This festival’s coordinating body is the Ministry of DoNER.
  • This festival is being leveraged to discuss the various fundamental aspects of the development of India’s Northeast region. This festival will be celebrating aspiration, hope, and vision for a prosperous and developed North East Region.
  • Starting from the 29th of April, every day will be celebrated under a different theme across the 8 different states. Cultural programs will also be held that will celebrate the uniqueness of this region and will also be highlighting its potential.

Themes of the festival

  • Shillong: Investment Potential and future energy needs of North East (29th April)
  • Itanagar: Welfare of Tribals and Border Management (30th April)
  • Gangtok: The Smart City Revolution in the North East (30th April)
  • Agartala: Role of women in the development of North East (1st May)
  • Aizawl: Eco-Tourism in North East (2nd May)
  • Dimapur: Agri Horti and organic products potential of North East (2nd May)
  • Sports Potential of the North East region will be celebrated as a parallel to Sports week.
  • Imphal: The culmination would be celebrated (3rd May)

 

Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) program launched

  • The launch of the Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) program was announced by the Govt of India with the aim of creating Microprocessors for the country’s and the world’s future and to achieve industry-grade commercial silicon and design for the next generation of microprocessors by the month of December 2023.
  • RISC-V is an open and free ISA that will enable a new era of processor innovation through collaboration. This initiative is in line with the Govt’s ambition toward Atmanirbhar Bharat.
  • DIR-V will be witnessing partnerships between academia, start-ups, and multinationals with the aim of making India not a talent hub of RISC-V as well as a supplier of RISC-V SoC (System on Chips) to the world for mobile devices, servers, IoT, automotive, microcontrollers, etc.
  • Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship unveiled the blueprint for the roadmap of implementation and design of the DIR-V Program with the VEGA Processor by C-DAC and the SHAKTI Processor by IIT Madras.
  • Ministry of Electronics and IT has plans to join the RISC-V International as a premier board member to contribute, collaborate, and advocate India’s expertise with other global leaders of RISC-V.
  • IIT Madras’s director, Professor V. Kamakoti will be the Chief Architect and the program manager will be S. Krishnakumar Rao of the DIR-V Program.

 

Maharashtra Gene Bank is first-of-its-kind project in India

  • Recently, Maharashtra Cabinet approved the ‘Maharashtra Gene Bank’, a first-of-its-kind project in India.
  • Objective of the Maharashtra Gene Bank Project is to conserve genetic resources in Maharashtra including marine diversity, seeds of local crops, and animal diversity.
  • The ‘Maharashtra Gene Bank Project’ will work on seven themes:
  1. Marine biodiversity
  2. Local crop/seed varieties
  3. Indigenous cattle breeds
  4. Freshwater biodiversity
  5. Grassland, scrubland, and animal grazing land biodiversity
  6. Conservation and management plans for areas under forest right
  7. Rejuvenation of forest areas.
  • In the next five years, an amount of ₹172.39 crores will be spent on these seven focus areas.
  • Indigenous knowledge resources will be tapped. The species and the knowledge of local communities will be well documented.
  • Genetic and molecular samples will be preserved and their breeders will be supported.
  • To preserve crop biodiversity, the Govt will encourage genome carriers who conserve seeds of local crop varieties and create seed banks.

About National Gene Bank of India

  • The Indian National Gene Bank has been established by the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) to conserve the national heritage of germplasm collections in the form of seeds, vegetative propagules, tissue/cell cultures, embryos, gametes, etc. National Gene Bank can preserve about one million germplasm in the form of seeds.

About National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR)

  • National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) was established in 1976 as the nodal agency at the National level for the Management of plant genetic resources (PGR) for food and agriculture, and to carry out related research and human resource development.

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