According to the last census, the one-horned rhinos of Assam’s Manas National Park, have an age structure pyramid, indicating higher life expectancy but need translocation support.
Key findings of the 14th Assam rhino estimation
The rhino census was carried out in all three ranges: Bhuyanpara, Bansbari and Panbari comprising 71 estimation blocks.
The current rhino population in the park was estimated at 40.
The park’s rhinos have a male-female sex ratio of 1:1.
The number of calves born in the wild reflects the availability of welfare factors to foster rhinos in Manas National Park.
Methodology: Rhino census was carried out by ‘Total count or Direct count method’. Total count method is preferred, when a single species is targeted to be counted in specific area. This method assumes detection probability as one, meaning that every animal has a 100% chance of being seen during counting period.
Limitations of this method: Undercounting as the assumption of a detection probability of 1 is unrealistic.
Total count requires high visibility to observe the animals from far off, which is not possible in case of “shy, cryptic animals”. The level of precision cannot be measured in total counts either.
Reasons for translocation: The one-horned rhinos of western Assam’s Manas National Park, bordering Bhutan, have an age structure pyramid, indicating higher life expectancy and significant growth in the population.
The Indian side of the park does not have a wider representation of calves and sub-adults to sustain the population structure unless it is supplemented through conservation translocations.
National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment 2021 Report
Recently, the Minister of State of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions released the second edition of the National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) 2021.
Key Findings
Amongst all the States and UTs, Kerala had the highest overall compliance score.
Among Union Territories, Jammu & Kashmir ranked the highest with an overall compliance of nearly 90%.
Among the North-East and Hill States, Meghalaya and Nagaland are the leading State Portals with an overall compliance of more than 90% across all assessment parameters.
Among the Remaining States, Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh had a compliance of more than 85%.
Among the focussed Central Ministries, Home Affairs, Rural Development, Education, and Environment, Forest & Climate Change are the leading Ministry Portals with an overall compliance of more than 80% across all assessment parameters.
Ministry Portal of Home Affairs had the highest overall compliance score.
The Central Public Procurement Portal, Digital Police Portal, and Bhavishya Portal are the leading Ministry Services Portals with an overall compliance of more than 85% across all assessment parameters.
About National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA)
National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) is a biennial study that assesses States, Union Territories (UTs), and focuses on Central Ministries on the effectiveness of e-Governance service delivery.
Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) had constituted the National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) in 2019 as part of its mandate to boost the e-government endeavours and drive digital government excellence.
It helps the respective governments improve their delivery of citizen centric services and shares best practices across the country for all States, UTs and Central Ministries to emulate.
The assessment covered 56 mandatory services for each States & UTs and 27 services for the focus Central Ministries.
It covers services across seven sectors – Finance, Labour & Employment, Education, Local Governance & Utility Services, Social Welfare, Environment and Tourism sectors.
World Day Against Child Labour 2022
World Day Against Child Labour is observed on June 12, every year to raise awareness regarding detrimental consequences of the Child Labour.
The theme for 2022 is “Universal Social Protection to End Child Labour”. It calls for investments into social safety nets and programs to protect children from being forced into child labour.
The day was first launched in 2002 with the aim of raising awareness and activism to prevent child labour. The day is held every year in a bid to foster movement against child labour worldwide.
The day focuses on providing dignity to the life of children affected by child labour and ensuring support for their education, medical services and other needs.
India’s first COVID-19 vaccine Anocovax launched for animals
The Ministry of Agriculture has launched the country’s first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine “Anocovax” for animals. It was developed by Haryana-based ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines (NRC).
About Anocovax Vaccine
Anocovax is an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Delta (COVID-19) vaccine for animals.
This vaccine is effective and capable of neutralising both Delta and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2.
The vaccine contains inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (Delta) antigen with Alhydrogel as an adjuvant.
This vaccine is safe for dogs, lions, leopards, mice and rabbits.
India’s first display manufacturing plant to be set up in Telangana
The Telangana government signed an MoU with Karnataka-based Elest for the proposed fabrication unit with an investment worth Rs 24,000 crore. It will be set up under the India Semiconductor Mission Programme of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.
Elest was incorporated specifically for the purpose of manufacturing next generation displays for smartphones, tablet computers, and laptops. It would set up the display fabrication unit with technology inputs from and in technological association with most advanced and finest research centres worldwide.
The government is confident that the setting up of the Gen6 AMOLED Display manufacturing facility will generate a global interest and ensure future technology growth in our country.
India’s life expectancy rose to 69.7
India’s life expectancy at birth has reached up to 69.7 during 2015-2019, data from the sample registration system (SRS) shows. The data released by the demographic survey.
Key Findings
Data suggests that high under-five mortality and infant mortality could be one of the reasons that India finds it difficult to increase life expectancy at birth.
Gap between life expectancy at birth and life expectancy at one year or five year is largest in states like Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, where there is highest infant mortality rate (IMR).
Madhya Pradesh has the highest IMR of 43. Uttar Pradesh has second highest IMR of 38, and the life expectancy on completion of first year, increased the highest by 3.4 years.
Gaps between life expectancy at birth and at year one can also be witnessed in states like Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Assam, Gujarat, and Odisha.
India has added 20 years to its life expectancy at birth from 49.7 in 1970-75 to 69.7 in 2015-2019.
Among states, Odisha has seen the highest rise from 45.7 to 69.8, followed by Tamil Nadu, where it has increased from 49.6 to 72.6.
Uttar Pradesh, having had the lowest life expectancy at birth of just 43 years in 1970-75 has increased to 65.6 in 2015-2019 – albeit ranking the second lowest life expectancy after Chhattisgarh’s 65.3.
The data shows a considerable divide in life expectancy at birth across states and between urban and rural areas.
Urban women in Himachal Pradesh had the highest life expectancy at birth of 82.3 years while at the other end, rural men in Chhattisgarh had the lowest, just 62.8 years, a gap of 15.8 years.
In Assam, the gap in life expectancy between rural and urban areas is nearly eight years, followed by Himachal Pradesh with a five-year gap.
Bihar and Jharkhand remained the only states where male life expectancy was higher than for women in both urban and rural areas.
Kerala is the only state where the rural life expectancy at birth was higher than urban for both women and men.
Haryana won Khelo India Youth Games 2021
Haryana won the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2021 title with 52 gold medals which was held at Panchkula, Haryana. This was Haryana’s second KIYG title.
Haryana won the inaugural title in 2018 but finished second to Maharashtra in the next two seasons. This was the fourth edition of the Khelo India Youth Games.
Key Points
Haryana topped the medal tally with a total of 137 medals with 52 gold, 39 silver and 46 bronze medals.
Maharashtra finished second with a total of 125 medals, including 45 gold, 40 silver and 40 bronze medals.
Karnataka with 22 gold, 17 silver and 28 bronze medals finished third with 67 medals.
Australia – India Water Security Initiative (AIWASI)
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the Government of Australia have signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) on Technical Cooperation for Australia –India water Security initiative (AIWASI).
Key points
MoU will enable both sides to learn about technological advancements gained by two nations in key areas of urban water security.
It would strengthen institutional capacities at all levels for urban water management; improve accessibility, affordability & quality of water and sanitation services.
It will promote a circular economy of water & water secure cities.
Encourage climate resilient water management practices.
Enhance community participation in water management and improve social inclusion through initiatives for accessible infrastructure. This project will help towards realisation of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat.
About Australia-India Water Security Initiative(AIWASI)
AIWASI is a project Under South Asia Water Security Initiative (SAWASI) of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australia.
It aims to work towards the Water Sensitive City vision which is based on holistic management of the integrated water cycle.
This project is also a ‘living laboratory’ with multiple educational, social and environmental benefits like water literacy of students and the community, creation of green spaces etc.
Government has launched the Rashtriya Puruskar Portal
The Union Government has launched the ‘Rashtriya Puruskar Portal’ to invite nominations for various awards, in order to bring all the Awards of different Ministries or Departments or Agencies under one digital platform.
It aims to facilitate citizens to nominate individuals and organizations for various awards instituted by the Government of India.
This portal will help in ensuring transparency and public partnership (Jan Bhagidari).
Nominations/recommendations for the following Awards are open:
Padma Awards- Nomination open till 15/09/2022
Sardar Patel National Unity Award- Nomination open till 31/07/2022
Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award- Nomination open till 16/06/2022
Jeevan Raksha Padak series of Awards- Nomination open till 30/09/2022
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Telecom Skill Excellence Award- Nomination open till 16/06/2022.
Thailand becomes the first country in Asia to legalise Marijuana
Thailand becomes the first Asian country to legalize the growing of marijuana which is also known as Cannabis.
It has legalized Marijuana with the aim of boosting its agriculture and tourism sectors. The government plans to give away a million plants as cash crop to encourage farmers to take up its cultivation.
Under decriminalization, it is no longer a crime to grow and trade marijuana and hemp products, or use parts of the plant to treat illnesses. But the recreational use of the drug remains illegal.
Thailand, which has a tradition of using cannabis to relieve pain and fatigue, legalised medicinal marijuana in 2018.
Amandeep Singh Gill appointed as UN Chief’s envoy on technology
Amandeep Singh Gill has been appointed as UN Chief’s envoy on technology by the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The UN described him as a “thought leader on digital technology” who has a solid understanding of how to leverage the digital transformation responsibly and inclusively for progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Previously, Amandeep Singh Gill was India’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva from 2016 to 2018.
Currently, he is the chief executive officer of the International Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence Research Collaborative (I-DAIR) project at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva.
He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1992 and served in various capacities in disarmament and strategic technologies and international security affairs, with postings in Tehran and Colombo. He was also a visiting scholar at Stanford University.
The Reserve Bank of India decided to increase the Policy Repo Rate by 50 basis points to 4.9 per cent
Recently, Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to increase the Policy Repo Rate by 50 basis points to 4.9 per cent.
Key points:
MPC members voted unanimously to hike rates and to continue the withdrawal of the accommodative stance. According to MPC, inflation is likely to remain above the 6 per cent mark for the first three quarters of the current financial year.
In May 2022, RBI increased the repo rate or short-term lending rate by 40 basis points, to check spiraling inflation.
The standing deposit facility (SDF rate) also stands adjusted to 4.65% and the marginal standing facility (MSF rate) and bank rate to 5.15%.
The MPC has retained India’s GDP growth forecast for FY23 at 7.2 percent, with risks evenly balanced.
According to the provisional estimates released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) on May 31, 2022, India’s real gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2021-22 was 8.7 per cent.
Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated National Museum of Customs and GST in Goa
Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman has inaugurated the National Museum of Customs and GST “Dharohar” in Goa. It was inaugurated as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Iconic week of the Ministry of Finance.
Key Highlights
The Finance Minister removed the golden sand from single rock art installed at the centuries-old heritage building in which the museum is housed.
The two-storey ‘Blue building’, which was earlier known as Alfandega, during the period of Portuguese rule in Goa, has been standing on the banks of the Mandovi River in Panaji for more than 400 years.
Dharohar is one of its kind museums in the country that showcases not only the artifacts seized by Indian Customs but also depicts various aspects of work performed by the Customs Department.
GST Gallery is a brand new addition to the Dharohar Museum. A first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, this GST Gallery takes one through the long and arduous journey of GST spanning two decades.
AR Rahman appointed ambassador of Indo-UK culture platform
AR Rahman has been appointed as ambassador of The Season of Culture. The initiative was launched to celebrate India’s 75th anniversary. It was officially launched by Britain’s Deputy High Commissioner to India Jan Thomson and Director (India) of the British Council Barbara Wickham.
The Season of Culture aims to strengthen India-UK collaboration in the areas of arts, English and education.
People in both nations will get the opportunity to see unique and exciting creative work by UK and Indian artists.
Ministry of Power has notified Green Open Access Rules, 2022
Recently, the Ministry of Power has notified Green Open Access Rules, 2022 to further accelerate our ambitious renewable energy programmes in India.
Key points:
The notified Rules enable simplified procedure for the open access to green power.
It aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and green energy for all.
These rules are notified for promoting generation, purchase and consumption of green energy including the energy from Waste-to-Energy plants.
According to the rules, green open access is available to any customer, and the open-access transaction maximum for green energy has been dropped from 1 MW (megawatt) to 100 kW in order to allow small users to acquire renewable energy through open access.
It will enable faster approval of Green OA, Uniform Banking, Voluntary purchase of RE power by commercial & industrial consumers, Applicability of OA charges etc.
Transparency in the approval process of the open access application. Approval to be granted in 15 days or else it will be deemed to have been approved subject to fulfilment of technical requirements. It will be through a national portal.
Discom Consumers can demand for supply of Green power to them.
The Baikho festival is celebrated in the state of Assam. This festival is celebrated by Rabha tribes of India. This festival is celebrated annually.
It is celebrated to bring in auspicious harvest season and to fill it with abundant crops and good health.
This is a celebration of a good harvest. However, people from other communities also harmonise in the celebrations.
During this festival, various rituals are carried out for warding off evil spirits, for bringing good will to the community and sparking ample rains.
In the afternoon, people dress in traditional attire and dance to the drum beats. In the evening, they set alight a tall structure made from bundles of bamboo. After the sun sets, priests offer prayers to the God of harvest. After the prayers priests run over hot coals, which are left simmering by the fire.
This act is meant to honour the harvest deity. Later, women wash the feet of priests and serve them food. In another unique customs, Rabha Tribes smear their faces with rice flour and pour rice beer for others.
Asia University Rankings 2022
Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2022 was released by the Times Higher Education (THE). India is the third most-represented country behind Japan and mainland China with 71 institutions. 17 Indian universities topped the list under top 200.
In comparison to the positions achieved in 2021, all the Indian institutes that were placed in the top-100 have slipped down. Among the top 200, there are 17 Indian universities in this year’s rankings whereas in 2021 there were 18.
Among the list of these 17 universities, 14 universities were ranked in the 2021 edition. Positive note is that 8 universities have upgraded themselves.
Ranks of the Indian Universities
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore- 42
JSS Academy- 65 Indian Institute of Technology Ropar- 68
Indian Institute of Technology Indore- 78
Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar- 120
Alagappa University- 122
Thapar Institute – 127
Saveetha University- 131
Mahatma Gandhi University- 139
Delhi Technological University- 149
Banaras Hindu University- 153
Institute of Chemical Technology- 158
Jamia Millia Islamia- 160
Jawaharlal Nehru University- 167
International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad- 174 Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology- 177
Panjab University- 197
Japan is the most-represented nation on this list, with 118 institutions making it this year, up from 116 in 2021. The top two universities on this list are from China. They are Tsinghua and Peking universities holding the first and second places, respectively.
Rafael Nadal wins 2022 French Open
Rafael Nadal won the 2022 French Open in men’s singles. He beat Norwegian Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in the final held at Paris’ Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Ruud was leading the second set 3-1 but Nadal came back from the deficit to take a 6-3 win in that set, lowering his Norwegian opponent’s guard on the clay court.
With this victory, Nadal claimed his 14th championship at Roland Garros and 22nd Grand Slam title overall.
State of India’s Environment Report 2022
The State of India’s Environment Report 2022 was recently released by the Center for Science and Environment (CSE). The report is an annual compendium of environment-development data and is derived from public sources.
India has slipped three spots to rank 120 on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) adopted as a part of the 2030 agenda by 192 United Nations member states in 2015. In 2021 India ranked 117 among 192 nations.
India’s rank dropped primarily because of major challenges in 11 SDGs including zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, gender equality and sustainable cities and communities.
The overall Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) score of India was 66 out of 100.
State-wise rankings
According to the report, Jharkhand and Bihar are the least prepared to meet the SDGs by the target year 2030.
Kerala topped, with Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh in second position. Karnataka, Goa, Uttarakhand, and Andhra Pradesh tied for third place.
Union Territory Rankings
According to the report, Chandigarh topped among the Union Territories, followed by Delhi, Puducherry, and Lakshadweep in second place, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands in the third position.
Environment Performance Index 2022
Recently, the World Economic Forum has released the Environment Performance Index (EPI) 2022. India has been ranked at 180th position, bottom of the 2022 Index. The index measured the environmental performance of all the 180 countries.
India scored 18.9 and has been ranked last. India has also scored low on rule of law, control of corruption and government effectiveness, according to EPI. India was ranked 168th in EPI-2020, with a score of 27.6.
Denmark has been ranked 1st with EPI score of 77.90 followed by United Kingdom with a score of 77.70. Finland is ranked 3rd, followed by Malta and Sweden.
About Environment Performance Index (EPI)
The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is an international ranking system of countries based on their environmental health.
It was developed to evaluate environmental sustainability relative to the paths of other countries.
It is a biennial index and was first published in 2002 as Environmental Sustainability Index by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and the Columbia University Center for International Earth Science Information Network.
It was designed to supplement the environmental targets set forth in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
PM Narendra Modi launches new series of coins with Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav design
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a special series of coins that are also ‘visually impaired friendly’.
The coins of Re 1, Rs 2, 5, 10 and 20 denominations will have the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) design celebrating 75 years of independence. They are not commemorative coins and will be part of circulation.
These new series of coins will remind people of the goal of amrit kal and motivate people to work towards the development of the country.
World Oceans Day
World Oceans Day is celebrated annually on 8 June. The day is celebrated to remind people the importance of the oceans and the major role they play in everyday life.
The day is also observed to make raise public awareness of the ocean and its resources in order to promote global ocean and resource sustainability. “World Oceans Day” was officially recognised by the United Nations in 2008.
The theme for World Oceans Day 2022 is “Revitalization: collective action for the ocean”
The idea of celebrating World Ocean Day was first proposed in 1992 by Canada’s International Centre for Ocean Development (ICOD) and the Ocean Institute of Canada (OIC) at the Earth Summit – UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
NHAI creates Guinness World Record by constructing 75 kms lane on NH-53
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has created a Guinness World Record for constructing the longest bituminous lane of 75 kms in 105 hours and 33 minutes on the National Highway-53 between Amravati and Akola Districts in Maharashtra.
The lane was laid in 105 hours and 33 minutes. The work on the 75 km single lane concrete road in Maharashtra started on June 3, 2022, and was completed on June 7, 2022 (under 5 days), breaking Qatar’s record.
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari congratulated the team workers. He said, the Amravati to Akola section which is a part of NH-53 in Maharashtra is an important east-east corridor that connects the major cities such as Raipur, Kolkata, Surat, and Nagpur. Once completed, the national highway will play a major role in easing the movement of traffic and freight on this route.
The previous Guinness World Record for the longest continuously laid bituminous was for building the 25.275 kms of road that was achieved in Doha, Qatar in February 2019. The task was completed in 10 days.
India and Vietnam signed “Joint Vision Statement on Defence Partnership towards 2030”
India and Vietnam have signed the ‘Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030’, which will significantly enhance the scope and scale of existing defence cooperation.
Both the countries inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Mutual Logistics Support and also agreed on the early finalisation of the $500 million Defence Line of Credit extended to Vietnam.
India will gift two simulators and a monetary grant towards the setting up of Language and IT Lab at the Air Force Officers Training School for capacity building of the Vietnamese Armed Forces.
India and Vietnam “share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership since 2016 and defence cooperation is a key pillar of this partnership.” It is an important partner in India’s Act East policy and the Indo-Pacific vision” and the two countries “share a rich history of civilisational and cultural linkages spanning over 2,000 years.”
Avani Lekhara wins gold in Para Shooting World Cup 2022
Avani Lekhara won the medal gold at the Para Shooting World Cup with a world record score of 250.6 in women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event in Chateauroux, France.
She broke her own world record of 249.6 to secure her a spot at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Emilia Babska bagged the silver medal with a total of 247.6, while the bronze went to Anna Normann of Sweden after she shot 225.6.
Sriharsha Devaraddi Ramakrishna has won a gold medal with a world record score of 253.1 in mixed 10m air rifle SH2 at the ongoing Chateauroux Para Shooting World Cup. With this he has secured a spot at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Union Health Minister releases FSSAI’s 4th State Food Safety Index
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya released the 4th State Food Safety Index on the occasion of World Food Safety Day. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) compiled the report to assess states’ performance across five food safety categories.
Key Points
Tamil Nadu topped the State Food Safety Index followed by Gujarat and Maharashtra.
In the category of small states, Goa has been ranked first followed by Manipur and Sikkim.
Among UTs, Jammu & Kashmir has been ranked first, followed by Delhi and Chandigarh.
About Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 with the aim to promote and protect public health by means of various regulations and supervisions of food safety.
It is a statutory body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
It is headed by a non-executive chairperson, appointed by the Central Government, either holding or has held the position of not below the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.
Rajesh Bhusan is the current chairperson for FSSAI and Shri Arun Singhal is the current chief executive officer for FSSAI.
About State Food Safety Index
The index was developed by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) in 2018-19 to measure the performance of states on five significant parameters of Food Safety.
The parameters include Human Resources and Institutional Data, Compliance, Food Testing facility, Training & Capacity Building and Consumer Empowerment.
The Index is a dynamic quantitative and qualitative benchmarking model that provides an objective framework for evaluating food safety across all States/UTs.
Ramkrishna Mukkavilli becomes the first Indian to be recognised as Global SDG Pioneer by UNGC
Ramkrishna Mukkavilli has become the first Indian to be recognised as the Global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Pioneer for water stewardship by the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). This is for the first time that an Indian has been recognised for the position.
He has been recognized for his work in building water security with nature-based water solutions across India and 27 countries.
The United Nations Global Compact has named 10 new SDG Pioneers, who are corporate leaders who are excelling in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by implementing the UN Global Compact Ten Principles on human rights, environment, labour, and anti-corruption.
Ramkrishna Mukkavilli is the founder and the Managing Director of Maithri Aquatech, a Make-in-India company. The company’s unique solution- Meghdoot, is based on an alternative water concept which is known as Atmospheric Water Generation that taps into a vast, renewable water resource- AIR, which contains six times as much fresh water as all the rivers on the planet combined.
World’s First ‘Right To Repair’ Law For Digital Electronics Passed by New York Legislature
The New York State Legislature in the United States has passed the world’s first ‘Right to Repair’ law For Digital Electronics.
The “right to repair” bill enacted by requiring digital electronics makers to make parts, tools, information, and software available to customers and independent repair businesses.
After government pressure to safeguard customers’ rights to repair and refurbish their purchased products, the “Fair Repair Act” was enacted.
The “Fair Repair Act” comes after federal pressure to enforce consumers’ rights to repair and refurbish their purchased goods.
This bill will not include motor vehicles, home appliances, medical devices, public safety communications equipment like police radios, agricultural equipment, and off-road equipment.
As per the survey, 59 percent of independent repair firms claimed they could have to close their doors, according to a recent poll.
China releases world’s most detailed map of the moon
Recently, China releasesworld’s most detailed map of the moon, which is expected to make a great contribution to the scientific research, exploration, and landing site selection on the moon.
It is the most detailed to date, registering even finer details of the lunar surface than mapped by the US in 2020.
Key Points
The Institute of Geochemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has led the project, along with other organisations such as Chinese Academy of Geological Science, China University of Geosciences and Shandong University.
The most detailed map of the moon was published by Science Bulletin on May 30, 2022.
The new comprehensive geological map of the moon released by China is to a scale of 1:2,500,000. It is the most detailed moon map to date.
The moon map includes the 12,341 impact craters, 17 rock types, 81 impact basins, and 14 types of structures.
The new significant details of moon map have provided abundant information about the geology of the moon and its evolution.
Himachal Pradesh becomes the first Indian state to approve a policy for drones
The ‘Himachal Pradesh Drone Policy 2022’ was approved by the chief minister Jai Ram Thakur.
It mainly focuses on creating drone-enabled technology, creation of manpower through the establishment of training schools, startup and innovation schemes.
The policy aims to propagate the use of drone-enabled technology in different sectors such as defence, transport, health, agriculture etc.
The policy envisions creating a holistic drone ecosystem built upon the foundation of Governance and Reforms Using Drones (GARUD).
With this new drone policy, Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country to formally acknowledge the public use of drones.
The Himachal Pradesh government has already designated ITI Shahpur for training personnel to use drones for successful implementation of drone policy in the state.
The Department of Information Technology has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indian drone companies such as Skye Air and TechEagle to deliver medical and agri commodities within the state.
NHAI creates Guinness World Record by constructing 75 kms lane on NH-53
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has created a Guinness World Record for constructing the longest bituminous lane of 75 kms in 105 hours and 33 minutes on the National Highway-53 between Amravati and Akola Districts in Maharashtra.
The lane was laid in 105 hours and 33 minutes. The work on the 75 km single lane concrete road in Maharashtra started on June 3, 2022, and was completed on June 7, 2022 (under 5 days), breaking Qatar’s record.
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari congratulated the team workers. He said, the Amravati to Akola section which is a part of NH-53 in Maharashtra is an important east-east corridor that connects the major cities such as Raipur, Kolkata, Surat, and Nagpur. Once completed, the national highway will play a major role in easing the movement of traffic and freight on this route.
The previous Guinness World Record for the longest continuously laid bituminous was for building the 25.275 kms of road that was achieved in Doha, Qatar in February 2019. The task was completed in 10 days.
India and Vietnam signed “Joint Vision Statement on Defence Partnership towards 2030”
India and Vietnam have signed the ‘Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030’, which will significantly enhance the scope and scale of existing defence cooperation.
Both the countries inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Mutual Logistics Support and also agreed on the early finalisation of the $500 million Defence Line of Credit extended to Vietnam.
India will gift two simulators and a monetary grant towards the setting up of Language and IT Lab at the Air Force Officers Training School for capacity building of the Vietnamese Armed Forces.
India and Vietnam “share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership since 2016 and defence cooperation is a key pillar of this partnership.” It is an important partner in India’s Act East policy and the Indo-Pacific vision” and the two countries “share a rich history of civilisational and cultural linkages spanning over 2,000 years.”
Avani Lekhara wins gold in Para Shooting World Cup 2022
Avani Lekhara won the medal gold at the Para Shooting World Cup with a world record score of 250.6 in women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1 event in Chateauroux, France.
She broke her own world record of 249.6 to secure her a spot at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Emilia Babska bagged the silver medal with a total of 247.6, while the bronze went to Anna Normann of Sweden after she shot 225.6.
Sriharsha Devaraddi Ramakrishna has won a gold medal with a world record score of 253.1 in mixed 10m air rifle SH2 at the ongoing Chateauroux Para Shooting World Cup. With this he has secured a spot at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
Union Health Minister releases FSSAI’s 4th State Food Safety Index
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya released the 4th State Food Safety Index on the occasion of World Food Safety Day. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) compiled the report to assess states’ performance across five food safety categories.
Key Points
Tamil Nadu topped the State Food Safety Index followed by Gujarat and Maharashtra.
In the category of small states, Goa has been ranked first followed by Manipur and Sikkim.
Among UTs, Jammu & Kashmir has been ranked first, followed by Delhi and Chandigarh.
About Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 with the aim to promote and protect public health by means of various regulations and supervisions of food safety.
It is a statutory body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
It is headed by a non-executive chairperson, appointed by the Central Government, either holding or has held the position of not below the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.
Rajesh Bhusan is the current chairperson for FSSAI and Shri Arun Singhal is the current chief executive officer for FSSAI.
About State Food Safety Index
The index was developed by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) in 2018-19 to measure the performance of states on five significant parameters of Food Safety.
The parameters include Human Resources and Institutional Data, Compliance, Food Testing facility, Training & Capacity Building and Consumer Empowerment.
The Index is a dynamic quantitative and qualitative benchmarking model that provides an objective framework for evaluating food safety across all States/UTs.
Q1. A new set of model schools which are proposed to be set up by the Union Education Ministry are
Indian Schools
PM Model schools
PM Shri schools
Atmanirbhar schools
PM Shri schools
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced that the Education Ministry is in the process of establishing ‘PM Shri schools’ as the laboratory of NEP 2020. The schools will be fully equipped to prepare students for the future.
Q2. Which Indian state has recently launched faceless ‘Road Transport Offices’ (RTO)?
Punjab
Telangana
Kerala
Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra government has decided to make six Road Transport Office’ (RTO) services online. People, who need a permanent driving licence or verification for an international driving licence will need to go to the RTO. Maharashtra’s transport department provides 80 online services and now six more services have been included.
Q3. What is the new rate of interest ratified by the Govt for the ‘employees’ provident fund (EPF) deposits for 2021-22’?
7 %
1 %
5 %
5 %
8.1%
The Government has approved 8.1 per cent rate of interest on employees’ provident fund (EPF) deposits for the year 2021-22, from 8.5 per cent provided in the previous year. This EPF rate of interest is the lowest since 1977-78, when it stood at 8 per cent. The interest rate on EPF deposits was decided by the Central Board of Trustees (CBT) and was ratified by the finance ministry in 2021.
Q4. Which country has recently voted to join the European Union’s Defence policy?
Ukraine
Switzerland
Sicily
Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is set to join the European Union’s defence policy after it held a referendum for the decision. Denmark is the only EU member that is not part of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).
Denmark govt has succeeded in abolishing an exemption secured in a 1993 referendum on the Maastricht Treaty. Sweden and Finland also placed historic bids to join NATO, which will be taken up at the upcoming summit.
Q5. Recently, which country launched its manned mission to its Tiangong Space station?
North Korea
South Korea
Japan
China
China
China successfully launched its third manned mission to its new space station, sending three astronauts to continue construction work for six months. China’s Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced that the Shenzhou-14 spacecraft was launched by a Long March 2F rocket.
Q6. The ‘National Tribal Research Institute’ was inaugurated in
Nagaland
Tripura
Assam
New Delhi
New Delhi
Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the National Tribal Research Institute in New Delhi as part of the celebrations of the Azadi Ka Amrit festival.
The National Tribal Research Institute (NTRI) will provide the tribal communities with necessary resources. NTRI will also provide policy inputs to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and State Welfare Departments for programs and studies that support the socio-economic aspects of the tribes.
Q7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently launched the ‘Jan Samarth Portal’, what is it?
It is a portal to link small farmers with banks/ financial institutions for granting credit
It is digital portal linking government credit schemes, to connect beneficiaries to lenders
A portal to self-service PAN Card, Aadhar and other govt documents in DigiLocker
It is an front-end to access Govt DigiLocker facilities
It is a one-stop digital portal linking government credit schemes, to connect beneficiaries to lenders.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the national portal for credit-linked government schemes named ‘Jan Samarth Portal’. It provides people with the right government benefits through simple and easy digital processes.
Q8. ‘Agni-4’ missile is a
Inter-continental Ballistic Missile
Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile
Anti-Tank Missile
Anti Submarine Missile
Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile
India successfully tested the Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile Agni-4. The successful training launch was carried out from APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.
Agni-4 is an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile with a range of around 4,000 km. It was developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and can carry a 1,000-kg payload and can go as high as 900 km.
Q9. Which country has launched the global initiative ‘Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) Movement’?
India
France
UAE
Germany
India
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a global initiative Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) Movement, on the occasion of World Environment Day through video conferencing. The idea of LiFE was originally introduced by the Prime Minister during the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties COP-26 in Glasgow.
Q10. Which organisation/institution decided the repo rate in India?
Union Ministry of Finance
SEBI
RBI
SBI
RBI
Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to hike the Policy Repo Rate by 50 basis points to 4.9 per cent in its June 2022 meeting. The MPC members voted unanimously to hike rates and to continue the withdrawal of the accommodative stance. RBI’s MPC last month raised the repo rate by 40 basis points.
Q11. Who won the US Scripps National Spelling Bee 2022 competition?
Vikram Raju
Harini Logan
Zaila Avant-garde
Rohan Raja
Harini Logan
As Indian American Harini Logan wins Spelling Bee 2022. Spelling bee is a competition in which the contestants are asked to spell different words varying in degrees of difficulty. In the US Scripps National Spelling Bee competition held on June 2, 14 year old Harini Logan has clinched the winner’s title. This is her fourth time at the bee, she told the media. This year, a total of 234 participants or spellers from across the US and around the globe, came together to compete for the chance to be the Scripps National Spelling Bee champion.
Q12. Recently, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted an India-sponsored resolution on multilingualism to use _____ languages in its communications.
Bangla and Hindi
Hindi and Urdu
Bangla, Hindi, and Tamil
Bangla, Hindi, and Urdu
Bangla, Hindi, and Urdu
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), on June 10, adopted an India-sponsored resolution on multilingualism which mentions the Hindi language. For the first time in history, the internal communication and dissemination of messages in the assembly will also take place in the Hindi language.
Q13. As per the recent NeSDA report, which state ranked the highest in national e-governance service delivery assessment (NeSDA)?
Assam
Uttar Pradesh
Tamil Nadu
Kerala
Kerala
According to the National e-governance service delivery assessment (NeSDA) report, Kerala had the highest overall compliance score amongst all states.
Jammu and Kashmir, assessed for the first time, ranked the highest among Union Territories. Meghalaya and Nagaland are the leading state portals among the northeast and hilly states. The overall score of Tamil Nadu increased the most in 2021 compared to 2019.
Q14. The Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme is associated with which Union Ministry/Department?
Prime Ministers Office (PMO)
Ministry of Electronics and IT
Ministry of Science and Technology
Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the enhancement of funding under Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme to 50 crore rupees per project from 10 crore rupees.
In Union Budget 2022-23, 25 per cent of defence R&D budget was earmarked for private industry, start-ups and academia. The TDF scheme supports indigenous development of products and technologies by MSMEs and start-ups.
Q15. NASA to launch planned mission ‘DAVINCI’ for an orbiter and atmospheric probe to which planet?
Mercury
Venus
Mars
Jupiter
Venus
DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) is a planned mission for an orbiter and atmospheric probe to the planet Venus. Together with the VERITAS mission, which will also study Venus, it was selected by NASA on 2 June 2021 to be part of their Discovery Program.
The World Environment Day 2022 is observed every year on June 5. It is celebrated every year to raise awareness about the conservation of the environment as well as to encourage people worldwide to take positive environmental actions in order to help in creating a better future.
The theme for World Environment Day 2022 is “Only One Earth”. It focuses on living sustainably in harmony with nature. This year Sweden is the host country.
Background
The 1972 United Nations Conference on the Environment in Stockholm was the first world conference. It was the first world conference with environment as its major agenda. It declared “right to live in a healthy environment” as “basic human right”. With this, the idea of World Environment Day was formalized. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was created as a result of this conference.
World’s largest plant discovered in Australia
Scientists recently discovered the World’s Largest Plant growing underwater in Western Australia. Living in the shallow waters off the coast of Western Australia, the marine flowering plant known as Posidonia australis.
A group of researchers from Flinders University and The University of Western Australia have found that the plant is 4,500 years old. It is believe that the plant is large as 200 square kilometers (77sq miles),
It is a sea-grass which is measured to be 180 km in length. The scientists used genetic testing to identify the sprawling mass to be a single plant. It has double the number of chromosomes than other similar plants, and managed to survive the volatile atmosphere of the Shark Bay.
SC directed protected forest, national park and wildlife sanctuary across India should have a mandatory eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of minimum 1 km
The Supreme Court of India recently directed that every protected forest, national park and wildlife sanctuary across the country should have a mandatory eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of a minimum one km starting from their demarcated boundaries.
Directions by the Court
In case any national park or protected forest already has a buffer zone extending beyond one km, that would prevail.
Mining within the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries shall not be permitted.
In case the question of the extent of buffer zone was pending a statutory decision, then the court’s direction to maintain the one-km safety zone would be applicable until a final decision is arrived at under the law.
About Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ)
Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) or Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFAs) are areas notified by the MoEFCC around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
The purpose of declaring ESZs around national parks, forests and sanctuaries is to create some kind of a “shock absorber” for the protected areas.
These zones would act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to those involving lesser protection.
An Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) could go up to 10 kilometres around a protected area as provided in the Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 2002.
To minimize the impact of urbanization and other developmental activities, the areas adjacent to protected areas have been declared as Eco-Sensitive Zones.
Activities like industries causing pollution Commercial mining, establishment of major hydroelectric projects (HEP), saw mills, commercial use of wood, Tourism, production of hazardous substances and discharge of effluents or any solid waste are all prohibited.
Activities like agricultural or horticultural practices, organic farming, rainwater harvesting, use of renewable energy sources, adoption of green technology etc are permitted.
Turkey changes its official name to Turkiye
The United Nations has changed the Republic of Turkey’s country name at the organisation from “Turkey” to “Türkiye”, following a request from Ankara for the change.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric had been received from the Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu addressed to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, requesting the use of “Türkiye” instead of “Turkey” for all affairs.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said that “Türkiye is the best representation and expression of the Turkish people’s culture, civilization, and values.”
The government of Turkey has started re-branding campaign. It will start featuring “Made in Türkiye” on all exported products.
Blue Duke declared as the state Butterfly of Sikkim
The Chief Minister of Sikkim, Prem Singh Tamang has declared Blue Duke as the state butterfly on the occasion of World Environment Day at Saramsa Garden near Ranipool during the event organized by the Forest department.
Blue Duke edged past Krishna Peacock, which was to be announced as State Butterfly of Sikkim. The two butterflies, among the 720-odd butterfly species, had been shortlisted for the State Butterfly nominations.
According to the Forest department, an online voting was conducted between April and September to select the State Butterfly. Among the 4036 votes, 57% of the votes went in favour of Blue Duke while 43% voted for Krishna Peacock.
About Blue Duke
Blue Duke is a native butterfly species of Sikkim which was discovered in the state in 1858.
It is also called Bassarona durga durga, which is unique to Sikkim and Eastern Himalayas
It is found at an altitude below 1,500 metres in the Himalayas and is commonly found in places like Pakyong, Passingdong and Hee-Gyathang in Dzongu, Lingee in South Sikkim and Yangsum in West Sikkim and closer to the State capital in places like Tadong and Ranka.
Blue Duke falls in Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and is a protected species in the Himalayas.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches “Lifestyle for Environment Movement”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches a global initiative “Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) Movement”, on the occasion of World Environment Day today through video conferencing.
The idea of LiFE was introduced by the Prime Minister during the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties COP-26 in Glasgow last year.
Mission LiFE borrows from the past, operates in the present and focuses on the future.
The idea promotes an environment conscious lifestyle that focuses on mindful and deliberate utilisation instead of mindless and destructive consumption.
The launch will initiate the “LiFE Global Call for Papers” inviting ideas and suggestions from academics, universities and research institutions etc to influence and persuade individuals, communities and organisations across the world to adopt an environment-conscious lifestyle.
eSanjeevani integrated with Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
The National Health Authority (NHA) announced the successful integration of eSanjeevani with Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
Significance of the integration of eSanjeevani with Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)
The integration will help existing users of eSanjeevani to create their Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA).
This is one such example where the 22 crore ABHA holders can link and store their health records created via eSanjeevani in the health lockers of their choice.
The users would also be able to share their health records with doctors on eSanjeevani leading to better clinical decision making and ensuring the continuum of care.
ABHA beneficiaries will now be able to access medical facilities from the comforts of their houses through the eSanjeevani platform that provides telemedicine services.
About eSanjeevani
eSanjeevani is a telemedicine service of the telemedicine service of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
eSanjeevani service is available in two variants:
eSanjeevani Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centre (AB-HWC): It is a Doctor-to-Doctor telemedicine service under Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres scheme of the Government of India, to provide general and specialised health services in rural areas and isolated communities.
eSanjeevani OPD: It is serving patients across the country by connecting them directly to doctors from the comforts of their homes.
Both eSanjeevani AB-HWC and eSanjeevani OPD have been integrated with the ABDM platform and has now joined other 40 digital health applications that have completed their ABDM integration.
Arunachal Pradesh Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan pact signed with WWF India
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.
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.
FACTFILE – Pakke Declaration
In 2021, the “Pakke Tiger Reserve 2047 Declaration on Climate Change Resilient and Responsive Arunachal Pradesh” was adopted by the state government 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.
ADB Loan to Nagaland for Urban Infrastructure Projects
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government 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.
The cities and towns of Nagaland are facing challenges related to climate change, poor connectivity, and lack of basic amenities.
The state’s major transport routes are also affected due to landslides during the monsoon season. The urban roads of the state are in poor condition as they do not have a proper stormwater drainage system.
A lot of the cities of the state also face acute water shortages and have inadequate sewerage management systems.
The loan will help in designing sanitation, water supply, urban roads, and solid waste management infrastructures having climate-resilient features and improved access to the state’s vulnerable and poor.
OIL commissioned Jorhat Green Hydrogen Pilot Plant
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 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.
NIXI-CSC and Tripura signed MOU to set up International Standard Data Centre
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been inked between the government 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.
Rs 150 crore will be invested by the joint venture company while the state government will only be providing the space for setting up the Data Centre.
In the next one or two months, the NIXI-CSC Data Services Centre will kick start the Data Centre while it will take a year to raise the Data Centre’s standards to a world-class level.
This collaboration will enable the state government to host all of its data in the proposed Data Centre, while the state will also be provided with data free of cost. The company will be charging for data exchange to other private players and governments other than Tripura.
Meghalaya Enterprise Architecture (MeghEA) Project won UN Award
The government 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 government departments in the state.
FACTFILE – MeghEA Project
The Meghalaya Enterprise Architecture Project (MeghEA) was launched in 2021 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.
The MeghEA initiative is spread across 6 pillars i.e. Governance, Human Resources, Entrepreneurship, Primary Sector, Infrastructure and Environment, and envision to make Meghalaya a high income state by 2030.
The project aims to improve service delivery and governance for the people using power of Digital technologies.
MeghEA is supporting the digital government goals that are:
A planned transformation initiative of the state government 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 government process with the aim of providing multi-channel service delivery.
Ensuring that the systems and applications of the state government provide users with all relevant information.
Crafting an ecosystem to boost the digital economy by leveraging ICT for growth and employment.
The week-long Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav – North East Festival began on 28th April 2022 till 4th May 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 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.
Cultural programs will also be held that will celebrate the uniqueness of this region and will also be highlighting its potential.
The valedictory session of this festival would be celebrated on 4th May at Guwahati.
Themes of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav – North East 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)
Open Neobank become India’s 100th Unicorn Start-up
Open, a Bengaluru-based neobank platform has become the 100th unicorn start-up in India.
The start-up has raised fresh funds that increased its valuation to USD 1 billion. The new investment round to raise funds was led by IIFL, a Mumbai-based investment firm along with the existing investors, Temasek, Tiger Global, and 3one4 Capital. USD 50 million was raised in the latest round.
Temasek, Google, SoftBank, and Visa have invested USD 100 million in this neobank start-up Open.
FACTFILE – Open Neobank
The start-up was founded in the year 2017 by Anish Achuthan, his wife Mabel Chacko, and his brother Ajeesh Achuthan. Deena Jacob is the fourth founding member of this organization. In the month of May 2018, USD 2 million was raised by this start-up.
CEO- Anish Achutan, Chief Operating Officer- Mabel Chacko, Chief Technology Officer- Ajeesh Achutan and Chief Financial Officer- Deena Jacob
FACTFILE – Neobanks
Neobanks are digital banks having zero branches. Instead, such organizations have their presence online. Neobank organizations target the tech-savvy customers. Neobanks basically are fintech firms providing mobile-first and digital services like debit cards, payments, lending, money transfers, etc. The services of the neobanks can be accessed via an app.
FACTFILE – Unicorns
A Unicorn is a start-up company that is privately held and has been valued at more than USD 1 billion. This term was made popular by venture capitalist Aileen Lee who is the founder of Cowboy Ventures.
Rajasthan became the first state to surpass 10 GW solar capacity
Rajasthan became the first state in the country to surpass 10 GW of cumulative large-scale solar installations, as per the Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker.
Rajasthan has a total of 32.5 GW of installed power capacity.
Renewable energy contributes to 55% of Rajasthan’s total installed power capacity. Whereas thermal energy contributes 43%, and nuclear energy contributes the remaining 2%.
Solar is the predominant source in Rajasthan, which accounts for around 36% of the power capacity mix and 64% of renewables.
Rajasthan has over 16 GW of solar projects under development.
Some of the favorable conditions for the generation of solar power in Rajasthan are:
Rajasthan enjoys the highest solar irradiation levels in India.
Availability of land to commission solar projects.
Minimal power curtailment issues.
FACTFILE – Rajasthan’s Solar Energy Policy 2019
Rajasthan’s Solar Energy Policy 2019, which aims to achieve a target of 30 GW of solar power by the FY 2024-25.
Of this, utility or grid-scale solar parks have a major share, which will account for 24 GW.
Installed solar capacity of India
As of December 2021, the cumulative solar installed capacity of India is 55GW. Within the 55GW, grid-connected utility-scale projects contribute 77%.
Cynthia Rosenzweig awarded 2022 World Food Prize
Cynthia Rosenzweig, NASA’s head of the Climate Impacts Group and a senior research scientist at Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) received the 2022 World Food Prize from the World Food Prize Foundation. She received USD 250,000 along with a commemorative sculpture and a diploma.
She received the award for her research that helped understand the relationship between food systems and climate and the forecast of how both will be changing in the future.
FACTFILE – World Food Prize
The World Food Prize is an award that is given with the aim of recognizing the achievements of individuals from across the world who have helped in advancing the development of humans by improving the quantity, quality, or availability of food across the world.
The award was conceived by Norman Borlaug, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
This prize was established in 1986 and the first prize was given in the year 1987 to S. Swaminathan.
This prize has been awarded annually since to recognize contributions in all those fields that involve world food supply like:
Aquaculture
animal science
water conservation
soil science
health
nutrition
seed science
plant science
crop protection
plant pathology
food safety
food technology
research
policy
emergency relief
infrastructure
hunger
poverty alleviation
India’s first Regional Rapid Transit System Train set handed to NCRTC
The first trainset of India’s first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) was recently handed over to National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC). These trains are 100% indigenous. This is in line with the government’s Make in India program and Aatmanirbhar Bharat’s ambition.
The trainset was designed at Alstom’s Hyderabad engineering center and manufactured in Alstom’s factory in Savli (Gujarat). The propulsion systems and electricals are manufactured in Maneja (Gujarat).
FACTFILE – Delhi–Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS)
It is an 82.15 km long semi-high speed rail corridor connecting Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut. The corridor is under construction.
It is one of the three rapid rail corridors planned under Phase I of the Regional Rapid Transport System (RRTS) project of the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC).
The Delhi-Meerut RRTS will be the first in India to adopt the European Train Control System (ETCS) hybrid Level 2 signaling system.
The RRTS corridors will operate the fastest trains in India with a design speed of 180 kmph.
FACTFILE – National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC)
National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) is a joint venture company of the Government of India and the States of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh (UP).
It is mandated for implementing the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project across the National Capital Region (NCR) of India.
World Bank Report on World Governance Indicators (WGI)
The Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) project reports governance indicators for over 200 countries for the following six dimensions of governance:
Voice and Accountability
Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism
Government Effectiveness
Regulatory Quality
Rule of Law
Control of Corruption
These aggregate indicators are based on over 30 individual data sources produced by a variety of survey institutes, think tanks, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations, and private sector firms such as Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Project and Freedom House, etc.
Concern of the Indian government
According to the government, World Governance Indicators (WGI) is based on impressions from the Western press or small surveys of NGOs and a handful of academics, many of them do not even have an India expert.
Due to the negative commentary on India by these institutes there will be a drop in WGI scores.
This could downgrade India’s Sovereign Ratings.
The government reached out to sovereign rating agencies. On October 5, 2021, Moody’s Investors Service raised the outlook on India’s sovereign rating to ‘stable’ from ‘negative’.
B.V. Doshi conferred with the Royal Gold Medal 2022
Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi has been conferred with the prestigious Royal Gold Medal 2022, which is one of the world’s highest honours in the field of architecture.
Simon Allford who is the president of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) presented this award to B.V. Doshi at his residence in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
This award is presented to recognize a lifetime’s work of an individual that had a significant impact on advancing the field of architecture. Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom personally approves this prestigious medal.
BIOGRAPHY – B.V. Doshi
· B.V. Doshi became the first Indian to be conferred with the Pritzker Architecture Prize when he was awarded it in 2018.
· After receiving the Royal Gold Medal, he became the first Indian and very few from across the globe to have received both prizes.
· He was conferred the Padma Bhushan by the Indian central government in the year 2020. It is the country’s third-highest civilian award.
· B.V. Doshi has worked on 100 projects that include educational facilities, cultural buildings, housing developments, etc. Some of his important projects include:
Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
Ahmedabad School of Architecture
Aranya Low-Cost Housing
Indian Institute of Management, Udaipur
Tagore Hall and Memorial Theatre, Ahmedabad
NIFT Delhi
National Technology Day celebrated on May 11
Every year, May 11th is celebrated in India as National Technology Day, to mark the anniversary of the Pokhran nuclear tests (Pokhran-II) conducted in May 1998.
Pokhran-II nuclear tests were a series of five nuclear tests conducted under the administration of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam at the Indian Army’s Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan’s Thar desert from 11th to 13th May 1998.
Pokhran-II nuclear tests was code named Operation Shakti.
The first nuclear tests were conducted by India in 1974. It was code-named, Smiling Buddha.
Theme for this year’s National Technology Day is Integrated Approach in Science & Technology for Sustainable Future.
Tomato Flu Outbreak in Kerala
Kerala has been struck by another viral disease known as the Tomato Flu. It is a rare viral disease due to which blisters shaped like tomatoes are formed. As of 11th May 2022, around 80 children of the state who are under the age of five have already been affected.
All the 80 cases in Kerala have been detected from the Kollam district. Due to this outbreak, the neighbouring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have increased their border surveillance.
This disease has no specific treatment for Tomato Flu. This disease is also highly contagious.
FACTFILE – Tomato Flu
This is a flu that causes red blisters and rashes on the body of the infected child. They are mostly generally red in colour and hence it is known as Tomato Fever or Tomato Flu. The main symptoms of this disease include:
Large blisters that are red in colour and are tomato sized
Body ache
High fever
Swelling of joints.
Nausea
Abdominal cramps
Fatigue
Vomiting
Discolouration of knees, hands, and buttocks.
Rajiv Kumar elected New Chief Election Commissioner of India
From May 15th, 2022, Rajiv Kumar, the current Election Commissioner (EC), will take over as the next Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). This announcement was made by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice.
Since September 1st, 2020 Rajiv Kumar is serving as the Election Commissioner (EC).
Sushil Chandra is the incumbent Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) who will demit his office on May 14th, 2022.
FACTFILE – Election Commission of India (ECI)
According to Article 324 (2) of the constitution, the Election Commission of India (ECI) shall consist of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other election commissioners, if any, as the President may from time to time fix.
Currently, ECI consists of the CEC and two Election Commissioners (ECs).
The salary of the CEC is the same as the salary of a Judge of the Supreme Court of India.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) can be removed from office only in a manner and on grounds similar to a Judge of the Supreme Court of India.
Czech Republic to replace Russia on the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in a secret ballot voting elected the Czech Republic to replace Russia on the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
157 countries voted in favor of the Czech Republic in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and there were 23 abstentions.
The Czech Republic retains the UNHRC seat till 31 December 2023.
Russia was suspended from UNHRC by a vote in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for its human rights violations in Ukraine. Still Russia can participate in the UNHRC sessions as it has observer status.
FACTFILE – United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a UN organization that aims to protect human rights.
It was established by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2006.
It replaced the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR).
The headquarters of UNHRC is in Geneva in Switzerland.
The UNHRC has 47 members elected for three-year terms and the seats are divided on a regional group basis.
No member can occupy the UNHRC seat for more than two consecutive terms.
The UNHRC seats are divided into the following regional groups: 13 for Africa, 13 for Asia, 6 for Eastern Europe, 8 for Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC), and 7 for the Western European and Others Group (WEOG).
Niti Aayog launced National Data & Analytics Platform
NITI Aayog launched the National Data & Analytics Platform (NDAP) for open public use. In August 2021, a beta version of the platform was released, which provided access to only a few users for testing and feedback.
National Data & Analytics Platform (NDAP) aims to make public government data accessible, interoperable, and available on a user-friendly platform. The platform contains data from different government agencies. It provides tools for analytics and visualization of the data.
It has 203 datasets from 46 central government ministries and agencies which were selected based on use cases and expert advice. These datasets are interoperable with each other. The datasets will be regularly updated to ensure that it remains relevant.
The datasets will be available in multiple languages. Users can follow any particular dataset they’re interested in. When there is an update in the dataset followed by the users, they will notification. The platform can be easily accessed by visually-impaired users as it will have audio and video tutorials in Hindi and English.
The NDAP makes the datasets interoperable with each other, which will enable easy cross-sectoral analysis. It will also democratize the use of public government data, by ensuring its availability till the last mile. It will promote data-driven policy-making and evidence-based decision-making.
Manik Saha became Tripura’s New Chief Minister
Manik Saha has taken oath as the new Chief Minister of Tripura on 15th May 2022. He was elected as the new Chief Minister of the state after former CM Biplab Kumar Deb resigned.
The Governor of the state Satyadeo Narain Arya had administered the oath of secrecy to Manik Saha at a ceremony that was held at Raj Bhawan.
Manik Saha is the BJP State unit president of Tripura as well as the only Rajya Sabha MP from the state.
India wins Thomas Cup for the first time
India created history by winning the Thomas Cup title for the first time. Thomas cup 2022 was held in Bangkok, Thailand.India defeated defending champions Indonesia in the Thomas cup finals by 3-0.
India’s Lakshya Sen won the first match against Anthony Sinsuka Ginting. In the second match, Satwik and Chirag defeated the Indonesian pair of Ahsan and Sukamuljo. In the third match, K. Srikanth defeated Jonathan Christie in straight. In this tournament, Srikanth played won all the six matches played by him.
Badminton Association of India (BAI) President announced prize money of Rs 1 crore for the Thomas Cup-winning team. Prize money of Rs 20 lakh will be given to the support staff.
FACTFILE – Thomas Cup
It is an international badminton competition among men’s teams of various countries of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
Since 1982, Thomas cup championships are held every two years. Before that, they were conducted once every three years. The first Thomas cup tournament was conducted in 1948–1949.
Indonesia is the most successful team, as it won the Thomas cup 14 times. China comes second with 10 titles. Malaysia is ranked third with 5 titles.
Only six countries have won the Thomas cup title. India is the sixth country to win the Thomas Cup.
Bangladesh offered India the use of the Chittagong Port
Bangladesh Prime Minister offered India the use of the Chittagong Port. Access to Bangladesh’s Chittagong Port will benefit India’s northeastern states like Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Mizoram.
Chittagong Port, Bangladesh’s principal seaport is built on the Karnafuli River. It is the busiest port along the coastline of the Bay of Bengal. It is also used for transshipment by India, Nepal, and Bhutan.
In March 2021, the Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh inaugurated the Maitri Setu Bridge. It was built over the Feni River and reduced the distance between Tripura and the Chittagong port in Bangladesh.
Road infrastructure in Meghalaya’s Dawki, Assam’s Sutarkandi, and Tripura’s Akhaura linking Bangladesh is also being improved.
Mizoram is planning to build bridges across the Khawthlangtuipui river for faster access to the Chittagong port.
Historical Prospective
Before India’s independence, the northeastern part of India had access to Chittagong Port via the Brahmaputra and Barak River systems. After partition in 1947, India’s Northeast lost access to the sea. The Chittagong Port had gone to East Pakistan and India lost a major trade route. However, India continued to use the ports of East Pakistan until the 1965 war with Pakistan. After that, the northeast had to depend on a narrow strip in West Bengal for goods and passenger transportation.The revival of pre-Partition trade routes would improve the trade for the Northeast region and generate revenue for Bangladesh.
Novak Djokovic and Iga Świątek won Italian Open 2022 singles
Novak Djokovic and Iga Świątek won Italian Open 2022 Men’s singles and Women’s singles respectively. The 2022 Italian Open was concluded recently on 15th May 2022.
Men’s doubles winners are Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić (Croatia) and Women’s doubles: Veronika Kudermetova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia).
The Prize money in Italian Open 2022 is €6,008,725 for men and USD 2,527,250 for women.
FACTFILE – Italian Open 2022
The Italian Open is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It is held in Rome, Italy.
Italian Open 2022 was the 79th edition of the Italian Open. It was classified as an Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour Masters 1000 event on the 2022 ATP Tour and a non-mandatory event on the 2022 Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour. It was held from 2 May 2022 – 15 May 2022.
Rafael Nadal (Spain) won the Italian Open men’s singles title a record 10 times.
First Incredible India International Cruise Conference (IIICC) organised
Recently, the first Incredible India International Cruise Conference (IIICC), a two-day event jointly organized by the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Strategies for developing India as a cruise hub, port infrastructure, and the potential of river cruise tourism in India were some of the issues focused on at the conference.
Some of the MoUs signed are
Mumbai Port signed MoUs with Angriya Sea Eagle Ltd and Waterways Leisure Tourism P. Ltd for homeporting their cruise ships in Mumbai and Chennai respectively for the upcoming cruising season.
Mumbai Port and Training Ship Rahaman signed MoU for being an existing service provider in the field of Maritime Training for Cruise Vessels.
Mumbai Port and The Apollo Group USA signed MoU for being an existing service providers to cruise operators in the country.
Chennai Port and Waterways Leisure Tourism P. Ltd. Signed MoU for home porting their cruise ship in Chennai for the upcoming cruising season.
A MoU was signed between the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and Adventure Resorts and Cruises for the Development of Long Cruise on Backwaters of Kerala.
Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) signed MoUs with JM Baxi River Cruise and Antara Luxury River Cruises for River Cruise between Varanasi and Bogibeel via Kolkata under the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route.
Mayiladumparai is the oldest Iron Age site currently found in India. Radiocarbon dating Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (C14-carbon dating) method of excavations from the Mayiladumparai site confirmed that it is the oldest Iron Age site currently found in India.
After excavations at the Mayiladumparai site, it is now confirmed that iron was used in Tamil Nadu state as early as 2172 BCE or 4,200 years ago.
Mayiladumparai site is located in the Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu. It is habitation-cum-burial site.
The Mayiladumparai site was first excavated in 2003 by K Rajan of the Thanjavur-based Tamil University. In 2021, excavations were resumed by Tamil Nadu’s Department of Archaeology.
Iron Age in Tamil Nadu has been identified as early as 2172 BCE or 4,200 years ago. The late Neolithic phase (the last part of the Stone Age) is identified before 2200 BCE.
World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) Report
According to the World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report that was released by the United Nations, the global economy this year is expected to grow by only 3.1 per cent. The earlier prediction in January was 4.0 per cent but the rate was slashed mainly due to the war in Ukraine. This report has been published by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) of the UN.
The forecast has revealed that the Ukraine conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic have increased commodity and food prices, thus increasing the inflationary pressures. Global inflation this year is set to reach 6.7 per cent. The high inflation rate in the developing and least developed countries is reducing the real income of the households.
Higher food and energy prices are mostly affecting the developing economies that import a lot of commodities, especially the African countries.
The growth prospects downgrade is affecting all countries across the world including major economies like the United States, the European Union, China, etc as well as other major economies.
Due to this war between Russia and Ukraine, energy prices have increased drastically. The European Union faced a blunt of this effect as around a quarter of Europe’s energy consumption is in the form of natural gas and oil imports from Russia.
This report has highlighted that India is still the world’s fastest-growing major economy across the globe. In 2022, India has been projected to grow by 6.4 per cent. This is slower than 2021’s 8.8 per cent.
‘India International Centre for Buddhist Culture & Heritage’ to be setup in Lumbini, Nepal
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba recently laid the foundation stone for the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage in Lumbini, Nepal.
The construction of the center is undertaken by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) on a plot allocated by the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT), under an agreement between the IBC and the LDT signed in March 2022. Ministry of Culture, Government of India is providing financial support to the center.
The center will be a world-class facility and pilgrims from all over the world can have the essence of the spiritual aspects of Buddhism at this center. The center will also be Nepal’s first ‘Net Zero Emission’ building.
International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) was formed in 2013 and has its headquarters in New Delhi, India. IBC serves as a common platform for Buddhists all over the world. IBC aims to preserve and promote Buddhist values and teachings.
FACTFILE – Lumbini
Lumbini is the birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha).
This Buddhist pilgrimage site is declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997.
The Indian emperor Ashoka visited Lumbini and erected a commemorative pillar.
Sweden and Finland request to join NATO
Finland and Sweden submitted their application to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Although Finland and Sweden have a non-alignment policy, they were always close to NATO. The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine prompted them to join NATO and seek its safety net.
FACTFILE – North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance consisting of 30 ember states belonging to Europe and North America (28 European states, USA, and Canada). NATO takes all decisions by consensus. The last country to join NATO was North Macedonia in 2020.
NATO headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium.
NATO aims to guarantee the security of its members through political and military means.
According to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, an armed attack against any NATO member in Europe or North America will be considered an attack against all NATO members. Article 5 is invoked only once, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the USA.
India Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program
India President Ram Nath Kovind highlighted India’s assistance to Jamaica in capacity building and skill development through various courses under the India Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme.
India Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme is India’s bilateral assistance program that focuses on addressing the needs of developing countries.
Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) administers ITEC.
Around USD 2 billion has been spent by the Indian government under the program till now.
Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) played a crucial role in facilitating ITEC assistance.
Earlier, India was the world’s largest recipient of aid, but since the 2000s India emerged as a net donor of foreign aid.
Along with the Special Commonwealth Assistance for Africa Programme, ITEC covers around 158 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Caribbean nations. 70% of the grants under ITEC go to South Asian countries. African countries are the major beneficiaries of Lines of credit (LoC).
Nanjarayan Tank declared 17th Bird Sanctuary of Tamil Nadu
The Nanjarayan Tank, a bio-diversity hotspot, has just been announced as the 17th bird sanctuary of Tamil Nadu.
The Nanjarayan Tank also known as Sarkar Periyapalayam Reservoir, is located on the outskirts of Tirupur city near Koolipalayam, about 60 kilometres from Coimbatore.
It was built by King Nanjarayan as a source for irrigation.
The undisturbed mudflats in the middle of the lake ensure a thriving ecosystem and also attract many birds. Pelicans, painted storks, coots, etc can be found here. It is also a haven for migratory birds. In 2010, four bar-headed geese, one of the world’s highest-flying birds from Europe were spotted in the tank. A flock of 14 ruddy shelducks that breed in parts of Europe and Central Asia was spotted in 2020.
State of Inequality in India Report
Bibek Debroy, Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) recently released the “State of Inequality in India” Report, which was written by the Institute for Competitiveness.
The report puts forward a comprehensive analysis of inequality in the country. It collates data on inequities across various sectors such as health, education, and the labor market, which makes people more vulnerable to poverty and leads to multidimensional poverty.
The report is an attempt to stock-take measures introduced by the government. It also contributes to the policy debates, formulation of strategies, and preparing a roadmap for social progress.
Highlights of the report
Using income data from PLFS 2019-20, the report showed that a salary of Rs 25,000 per month is amongst the top 10% of total incomes earned in India.
There is a significant improvement in the infrastructural capacity of the health sector. However, nutritional deprivation remains a big concern.
High out-of-pocket expenditure also directly affects inequality.
Cognitive development from the foundational years of a child is a long-term corrective measure for inequality.
The government’s focus on providing access to sanitation and safe drinking water ensured dignified life for many. According to NFHS-5 (2019-21), 96% of households have access to safe drinking water.
Cotton Council of India set up
Cotton Council of India has been recently set up by the Union government. The objective of the council is to resolve the issues related to cotton & yarn pricing and bring substantial improvements in the sector.
Suresh Bhai Kotak is appointed as the chairman of the Cotton Council of India.
In 2021-22, the Cotton textile exports, including raw cotton were USD15.29 billion. The cotton prices increased by more than 100% during the last one and half years.
More than 60% of cotton and cotton yarn are exported to countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam, which are competitors for India in the textiles sector.
BioRRAP: National Portal for Biotech Researchers and Start-ups
Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (IC) Ministry of Science and Technology, has launched a “Single National Portal for Biotech researchers and start-ups”, named Biological Research Regulatory Approval Portal (BioRRAP) will be catering to the needs of all those seeking regulatory approval for biological development and research in India.
The portal will help to strengthen the interdepartmental synergies and will also bring transparency, accountability, and efficacy to the functioning of various agencies that are regulating the various aspects of biological research and also issuing permissions.
This portal is in line with the government’s “ease of start-ups” and “ease of doing science and scientific research.”
This portal is only for research-related activities and cannot be used for the purpose of product development.
FACTFILE – Indian biotechnology industry
Over 2,700 biotech start-ups and more than 2,500 biotech companies are currently working in India. By the year 2025, India will become a Global Bio-manufacturing Hub and will also be featured among the top five countries across the globe in this field.
The Indian biotechnology industry, which stood at US$ 63 billion in 2019, is expected to reach US$ 150 billion by 2025, with a CAGR of 16.4%.
By 2025, the contribution of the Indian biotechnology industry to the global biotechnology market is expected to grow to 19%
International Day for Biological Diversity observed on 22nd May
On the 22nd of May, the International Day for Biological Diversity is observed annually across the globe. This day is observed to generate awareness about the biodiversity issues that are overwhelming the world.
Biodiversity is the foundation of the planet’s ecosystem services and this is tied to the well-being of humans as well as other species. The world is filled with a variety of plants, animals, fungi, as well as microbes such as bacteria, hence, each of these species works in tandem to preserve the balance of the ecosystem and support life.
In the year 2000, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) designated 22nd May as the International Day for Biological Diversity.
After the United Nations conducted the “Earth Conference” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the year 1992, special emphasis was given to conserving and protecting the environment. Following that conference, on 29th December, Biodiversity Day was observed till the year 2000.
Centre of Excellence for Hyperloop Technology setup in IIT Madras
The Ministry of Railways will collaborate with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras to develop an indigenous Hyperloop system. The ministry will also help to set up a Centre of Excellence for Hyperloop Technologies at IIT Madras.
The Centre will be built by IIT Madras through its existing Centre of Railway Research (CRR). This project is a significant step towards the ‘Make in India’ and the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives.
For this project, IIT Madras will receive Rs 8.34 crore in funding from the Indian Railways. Along with the financial support, the Indian Railways will also help in the manufacturing, and formulation of safety standards. Also, access to electrical testing facilities of the railways will be provided.
IIT Madras will be responsible to deliver design documentation for pod, tube, and track for the hyperloop system.
FACTFILE – Hyperloop
Hyperloop is a new type of transport technology that uses magnetic levitation in low-pressure tubes or tunnels to transport people and goods. In 2020, the US-based company “Virgin Hyperloop” tested the Hyperloop system with passengers for the first time.
There are two major differences between hyperloop and standard rail. One is passengers sit in pods that travel via tubes or tunnels in which most of the air is removed to reduce friction. The second difference is that instead of using wheels, the pods will float on air skis or use magnetic levitation.
Hyperloop is faster and less expensive to construct than regular high-speed rail. The energy requirement is also less.
Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF)
Joe Biden, the President of the United States unveiled a discussion on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). This discussion has been held with a dozen initial partner countries that also include India. The countries represent 40 percent of the world’s GDP.
The IPEF framework discussion was launched with the vision of an open, free, resilient, and secure Indo-Pacific region where economic growth is inclusive and sustainable.
The IPEF is also looking to strengthen economic partnerships among the countries with the aim of boosting resilience, sustainability, economic growth, inclusiveness, competitiveness, and fairness in the Indo-Pacific region.
On 23rd May 2022, India and the United States signed an Investment Incentive Agreement (IIA). This agreement was signed to make a path for strengthening and promoting Development Finance Corporation’s (DFC) investments in India in various key sectors.
India’s FDI Inflow in Fiscal year 2021-22
India’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow in the Financial Year 2021-22 reached an all-time high of USD 83.57 billion, despite the Russia-Ukraine war and Covid-19 pandemic.
India’s foreign investment inflows increased 20-fold since the financial year 2003-04 when it was mere USD 4.3 billion. Post Covid-19 pandemic, FDI inflow increased by 23%. In the financial year 2020-21, the FDI inflow stood at USD 1.60 billion.
In FY 2021-22, the “computer software and hardware” sector with a share of 25% remained the top sector, followed by the services sector and automobile sector. FDI inflow in the manufacturing sectors increased by 76% in 2021-211 as compared to 2020-21.
In FY 2021-22, Singapore with a share of 27% is the top investor country of FDI equity inflow. Singapore is followed by the U.S. (18%) and Mauritius (16%).
Karnataka is the top recipient state with a 38% share of the total FDI Equity inflow, followed by Maharashtra (26%) and Delhi (14%).
World Economic Forum 2022- Key Facts
The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland scheduled from May 22nd to 26th The theme for WEF annual Meeting 2022 is ‘working Together, restoring Trust’. This year’s WEF meeting will be the first global in-person leadership event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Around 2,500 world leaders from business, politics, and civil society took part in the meeting. The meeting provides the leaders from all over the world an opportunity to take stock of the world’s situation and shape policies for the future.
From India Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas will attend the event on Energy Outlook: Overcoming the Crisis. YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, CM of Andhra Pradesh, will attend the event on Future-proofing Health Systems. Aaditya Thackeray, Tourism Minister of Maharashtra will attend Forum Initiative Briefing – Global Plastic Action Partnership event, and Embracing Climate Adaptation Action event. KT Rama Rao, Information Technology Minister of Telangana will attend the event on AI on the Street: Managing Trust in the Public Square.
The focus areas of the WEF meeting are
Pandemic recovery
Tackling climate change
Building a better future for work
Accelerating stakeholder capitalism
Harnessing the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
India Bangladesh Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) Exercise
The fourth edition of the two-day India-Bangladesh Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) exercises began on 22ndst May in the Bay of Bengal. The exercise aims to strengthen mutual understanding and enhance the interoperability between the navies of India and Bangladesh in countering maritime threats.
For the exercise, the Indian Navy deputed two indigenous warships (INS Kora and INS Sumedha). INS Kora is a guided-missile corvette and INS Sumedha is an offshore patrol vessel (OPV). Bangladesh Navy deputed BNS Ali Haider and BNS Abu Ubaidah.
Maritime patrol aircraft of navies of both countries will also undertake joint patrols along the international maritime boundary line (IMBL).
India ranked 54th in WEF Travel and Tourism Development Index
In the WEF Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021, India has been ranked at 54th In 2019, India had ranked at 46th position. India topped within the South Asia region.
In the 2021 index, the top place has been grabbed by Japan, followed by the United States, Spain, France, and Germany respectively.
Top 10 countries are
Japan (5.2)
United States (5.2)
Spain (5.2)
France (5.1)
Germany (5.1)
Switzerland (5.0)
Australia (5.0)
United Kingdom (5.0)
Singapore (5.0)
Italy (4.9)
FACTFILE – Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021
Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021 of the World Economic Forum comprises 117 countries. This index has shown that despite various positive trends, the tourism and travel industry is still facing hurdles and are yet to recover properly. 117 countries have been assessed by this index and it has identified certain key factors for enabling resilient and sustainable growth of tourism and travel economies.
India and US signed Investment Incentive Agreement
On 23rd May 2022, India and the USA signed the Investment Incentive Agreement (IIA) in Tokyo. The agreement was signed by India’s foreign secretary and CEO of the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). The investment Incentive Agreement (IIA) is a legal requirement for DFC to continue providing investment support to India.
The agreement will help in increasing the investment support from USA’s development finance institutions in various sectors. The investment support is given in the form of debt, equity investment, investment guaranty, reinsurance, grants, etc.
FACTFILE – US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)
US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is the successor agency of the erstwhile Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), established after the enactment of the Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development (BUILD) Act of 2018.
DFC provided investment support worth USD 5.8 billion since 1974.
DFC provided investment support in various sectors such as healthcare, renewable energy, financial inclusion, etc.
DFC is also involved in funding the vaccine manufacturing capabilities under the vaccine partnership of Quad.
The third edition of the Bongosagar Naval exercise commenced at Port Mongla, Bangladesh on the 24th of May 2022 between the navies of India and Bangladesh.
The harbour phase of this naval exercise was held from 24th to 25th May 2022. This will be followed by the sea phase which is scheduled to be held in the Northern Bay of Bengal from 26th to 27th May 2022.
This exercise is aimed to develop a high level of interoperability as well as joint operational skills through conducting various maritime operations and exercises between both navies.
During the exercise, the Navies from both countries will be discussing various operational procedures, conducting joint drills, and exchanging best practices. Apart from this, there will be discussions on tactical level planning regarding the conduct of the exercises at sea.
The sea phase of this Naval exercise will facilitate the participation of the ships from both the navies in intensive weapon firing drills, surface warfare drills, coordinated air operations in a tactical scenario, and seamanship evolutions.
India joins First Movers Coalition
India joined a global public-private partnership initiative called the First Movers Coalition. The First Movers Coalition initiative was launched by President of the USA Joe Biden and the World Economic Forum (WEF) at COP26. It was joined by 50 new corporate members with a collective market capitalization of USD 8.5 trillion.
The First Movers Coalition aims to decarbonize the most carbon-intensive sectors such as the heavy industry and long-distance transport sectors, which are responsible for 30% of global emissions.
It is expected that emissions from these sectors will increase to around 50% by mid-century unless urgent actions are taken on clean technology innovation. The targeted sectors of the First Movers Coalition include aluminum, aviation, chemicals, concrete, shipping, steel, and trucking.
Apart from India, Denmark, Italy, Japan, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, and the UK joined the First Movers Coalition as government partners. India, Japan, and Sweden also joined the steering board of the First Movers Coalition.
FACTFILE – First Movers Coalition
The First Movers Coalition is a global initiative harnessing the purchasing power of companies to decarbonize seven “hard to abate” industrial sectors that currently account for 30% of global emissions: Aluminum, Aviation, Chemicals, Concrete, Shipping, Steel, and Trucking; along with innovative Carbon Removal technologies.
The First Movers Coalition’s unique approach assembles ambitious corporate purchasing pledges across the heavy industry and long-distance transport sectors responsible for a third of global emissions. For these sectors to decarbonize at the speed needed to keep the planet on a 1.5-degree pathway, they require low-carbon technologies that are not yet competitive with current carbon-intensive solutions but must reach commercial scale by 2030 to achieve net-zero emissions globally by 2050.
The 50+ companies who make up the Coalition seek to send a powerful market signal to commercialize zero-carbon technologies.
Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022
The biggest drone festival Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022 is being celebrated at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on 27th and 28th May 2022. The Prime Minister will also be interacting with Kisan drone pilots and with start-ups in the drone exhibition centre and will be witnessing the open-air drone demonstrations.
Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), i.e. an aircraft without any human pilot, passenger or crew on board. These UAVs are making the lives of security, farmers, and defence personnel easier.
More than 1,600 delegates comprising foreign diplomats, government officials, central armed police forces, armed forces, private companies, PSUs, drone start-ups etc. will be participating.
Captain Abhilasha Barak appointed Army’s First Woman Combat Pilot
Captain Abhilasha Barak of Haryana has become the Indian Army’s first woman combat aviator. On 25th May 2022, she successfully completed her Combat Army Aviation Course which was of six months to join the Army Aviation Corps as a helicopter pilot. Captain Barak has been designated to the 2072 Army Aviation Squadron’s second flight which operates the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH).
Till now, women were only given the posts of ground duty and traffic control in the Aviation Department, but Captain Barak will be taking over the responsibility of being the first woman pilot.
FACTFILE – Army Aviation Corps
The Army Aviation Corps was established on 1st November 1986 and it is the component of the Indian Army. The corps was inducted immediately into ‘Operation Pawan’ (operation of the Indian Peace Keeping Force to take control of Jaffna from the LTTE) and this played a crucial role in testing the newly formed corps.
The Army Aviation Corps carries out the primary operations of evacuating injured troops during operations or during health emergencies from the high-altitude areas. The Aviation Corps are also deployed for reconnaissance, observation, combat search and rescue, casualty evacuation, and dropping essential supplies.
National Achievement Survey 2021 released by Union Education Ministry
The National Achievement Survey 2021 report was released by the Union Ministry of Education. National Achievement Survey (NAS) is a national-level assessment survey conducted to evaluate the progress and learning achievement of school students. It provides a system-level reflection on the effectiveness of school education and is useful to chalk out new educational policies.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) developed the Assessment Framework to assess the competencies attained by the students vis-a-vis learning outcomes.
National Achievement Survey 2021 – Highlights
NAS has registered a dip in performances across subjects and grades at the national level as compared to the last achievement survey conducted in 2017.
Punjab was the best performer in India across all grades and subjects.Punjab has the highest mean score for subjects across Classes 3, 5, 8, and 10.
WMO released State of Global Climate Report 2021
The State of the Global Climate Report 2021 has been released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). According to the report, four key climate change indicators which are sea-level rise, greenhouse gas concentrations, ocean acidification, and ocean heat set new records in 2021. The report shows that human activities are causing planetary level changes in the ocean, land, and the atmosphere, with long-lasting and harmful effects on ecosystems and sustainable development.
Due to extreme weather, the world has witnessed hundreds of billions of dollars worth of economic losses. It has also wreaked a heavy toll on the lives of humans and their well-being and triggered shocks for water and food displacement and security that have accentuated in the year 2022.
The past seven years are the warmest seven years that have been recorded. In 2021, the average global temperature was around 1.11 (± 0.13) °C above the pre-industrial level.
State of Global Climate Report 2021 – Highlight
Greenhouse gas concentrations: In 2020, the concentrations of greenhouse gases reached a new global high as carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration reached 413.2 parts per million (ppm) globally which is 149 percent of the pre-industrial level.
Global Annual Mean Temperature: In 2021, this was around 1.11 ±0.13 °C above the pre-industrial average of the 1850s and the 1900s. This was less warm compared to some recent years due to the cooling La Niña conditions at the beginning and end of the year. On record, the seven warmest years are from 2015 to 2021.
Ocean Heat: In 2021, the upper 2000m depth of oceans continued to warm up. It is expected to rise in the future, a change that is irreversible. The rates of ocean warming have increased in the past two decades.
Ocean acidification: 23 percent of the annual emissions of anthropogenic CO2 are absorbed by the oceans. This reacts with seawater which leads to ocean acidification. This is threatening the ecosystem, organisms, tourism, food security, and coastal protection.
Global Mean Sea Level: In 2021, it reached a new record high after it increased from 2013 to 2021 at an average of 4.5 mm per year. This is mainly attributed to the accelerated loss of ice sheets and ice mass.
Food security: Due to economic shocks, extreme weather events, and the COVID-19 pandemic the food security of the globe worsened.
Displacement: Due to hydrometeorological hazards, internal displacement has increased.
Ecosystems: A lot of the world’s ecosystems such as water towers, mountain ecosystems, etc, are degrading at an unmatched rate. The increase in temperature is increasing the risk of irreversible coastal and marine ecosystem loss.
Q1. ‘Global Collaboration Village’ is the new initiative of which organisation?
World Bank
Asian Development Bank
UNEP
World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is building a “Global Collaboration Village” as the virtual future of public-private cooperation. The initiative is being launched in collaboration with Accenture and Microsoft.
Q2. Both Bandhan Express and Maitree Express have resumed services recently, these trains run between?
India and Bangladesh
India and Nepal
India and Bhutan
India and Myanmar
India and Bangladesh
Bandhan Express, which runs between India and Bangladesh, recently resumed service after two years, which was earlier stopped due to the Covid pandemic. Bandhan Express between Kolkata and Khulna runs two days a week.
Maitree Express also resumed services after a long gap of more than two years. Maitree Express connects Kolkata with Dhaka running five days a week. /bg_collapse]
Q3. ‘Param Ananta’ Super Computer was recently unveiled in which institution?
IIT Guwahati
IIT Gandhinagar
NIT Warangal
IIT Mumbai
IIT Gandhinagar
The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) and the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar have jointly unveiled a new supercomputer called Param Ananta. It was launched in phase two of the central government’s National Supercomputing Mission (NSM). The supercomputer is capable of offering peak performance of 838 teraflops. With this, India has 15 supercomputers disclosed to the public, with a combined performance capability of 24 petaflops.
Q4. As per the UN World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report, projected GDP Growth rate of India in FY22 in
8.3 %
7.7 %
7.1 %
6.4 %
6.4%
UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs released its World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report. India is projected to grow by 6.4 per cent in 2022, slower than the last year’s 8.8 per cent but still remains the fastest-growing major economy. For the fiscal year 2023, India’s growth is projected to be 6 per cent.
Q5. ‘World Environment Day 2022’ is observed on
June 5
June 9
June 10
June 1
June 5
The World Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5, to raise awareness about degrading environmental conditions and environment protection.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the nodal agency that organises and supports events across the world. Sweden is the host of the event this year and the theme is ‘Only One Earth’.
Q6.Which state is the top sugar producer of India in 2021-22?
Tamil Nadu
Karnataka
Uttar Pradesh
Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra has overtaken Uttar Pradesh (UP) to regain its position as India’s top sugar producer, in the year 2021-22, after five-year gap. The state’s output for the 2021-22 crushing year-October-September- stood at 138 lakh tonnes.Maharashtra is followed by Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.
Q7. Which institution prepared the ‘State of Inequality in India Report’ released by EAC-PM?
Institute for Competitiveness
Indian Statistical Institute – Kolkata
NITI Aayog
Amnesty International
Institute for Competitiveness
The State of Inequality in India Report has been prepared by the Institute for Competitiveness with information on inequities across sectors of health, education, household characteristics and the labour market. While earnings have risen over the years, the benefits of that growth have largely remained concentrated and this has marginalised the poor further.
Q8. Recently which state has recognised Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights inside a National Park?
Assam
Rajasthan
West Bengal
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh
With this, Chhattisgarh is the second state after Odisha to have recognised Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights inside a National Park. The state government approved the CFR claims of Gudiyapadar and Nagalsar villages in Kanger Ghati National Park in the state. The rights empower forest dwellers in decision-making and forest governance with access to funds available under various government programs.
Q9. The 4th Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan was organised in
Islamabad, Pakistan
Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Tehran, Iran
Taskent, Uzbekistan
Dushanbe, Tajikistan
The National Security Advisors of Tajikistan, India, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan and China meet in Dushanbe, Tajikistan for the 4th Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan on May 26, 2022.
Q10.In which state, Indian Posts delivered mail using a drone for the first time?
Nagaland
Gujarat
Arunachal Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Gujarat
The Department of Posts delivered mail using a drone as part of a pilot project in Gujarat’s Kutch district, for the first time. The project covered a distance of 46 km in 25 minutes, from Bhuj taluk to Bhachau taluk of Kutch district by the postal department. The pilot project studied the cost of delivery by drones and geographical location between the two centres.
Q11. ‘World No Tobacco Day 2022’ is observed on
May 15
May 31
June 03
June 01
May 31
World No Tobacco Day is observed on May 31 every year to create awareness of the dangers of smoking, tobacco companies and their business practices.
This year’s theme for World No Tobacco Day 2022 is ‘Tobacco: A Threat to our Environment.’ As per the United Nations, consumption of tobacco kills more than 8 million people every year.
Q12. The campaign launched to ensure complete Covid-19 vaccination is
Har Ghar Dastak campaign 2.0
Pradhan Mantri Tikakaran Campaign
Garib Kalyan Vaccine Campaign 2.0
Atmanirbhar Vaccine campaign 2.0
Har Ghar Dastak campaign 2.0
The Har Ghar Dastak campaign 2.0 was organised across the country to ensure complete Covid-19 vaccination of all eligible beneficiaries, with special focus on 12-14 age group and precaution dose for those above 60. The two-month long door-to-door campaign will run between June 1 and July 31. The first Har Ghar Dastak campaign was conducted in November 2021. As many as 193.6 crore doses have been administered across the country, so far.
Q13. Which Indian state has recently launched e-stamping facility and completely abolished physical stamp papers?
Kerala
Karnataka
Maharashtra
Punjab
Punjab
Punjab government has recently launched e-stamping facility after abolishing physical stamp papers of all denominations. The move aims to bring efficiency and is expected to save Rs 35 crore annually. Stamp papers of any denomination can be obtained only through e-stamp from stamp vendor or from banks authorised by the state government. The facility has been started with the assistance of National e-Governance Services Limited.
Q14. Who won the French Open 2022 Men’s single title?
Novak Djokovic
Roger Federer
Rafael Nadal
Daniil Medvedev
Rafael Nadal
Ace Tennis player Rafael Nadal won the final match to beat Casper Ruud and claim his 14th French Open Men’s single title. With this victory, Nadal claimed his 14th championship at Roland Garros and 22nd Grand Slam title overall. He is two titles ahead of rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
Q15. Fiscal deficit recorded in India for 2021-22 is ____ percentage of GDP.
7.8%
7.2%
6.7%
6.3%
6.7%
The Controller General of Accounts (CGA) released the fiscal deficit for 2021-22, which improved to 6.7% of the GDP over the revised budget estimate of 6.9 per cent. The fiscal deficit in absolute terms was Rs 15,86,537 crore. The tax receipts during the fiscal stood at Rs 18.2 trillion as against the revised estimates (RE) of Rs 17.65 trillion.
India’s first Liquid Mirror Telescope sets up in Uttarakhand
India’s first liquid-mirror telescope- International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) has been established on the campus of the Devasthal Observatory of the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) in Nainital.
About the International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT)
The International Liquid Mirror Telescope facility is the result of collaborative work between astronomers from Canada, Belgium and India.
It will keep a close watch on the skies to identify transient or variable objects such as asteroids, space debris, supernovae, and gravitational lenses.
Unlike the conventional telescopes that can be steered to track specific stellar source objects, the ILMT will be stationary.
It will basically carry out observations and imaging at the zenith, that is, of the overhead sky.
It is the only liquid-mirror telescope operational anywhere in the world.
Caste-based census to be held in Bihar
The government of Bihar is set to conduct a caste-based census in the state. The decision was taken at an all-party meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
The exercise would be called Jaati Aadharit Ganana and the state government will publish the data related to the census through advertisements in newspapers. The aim of this exercise is to carry out developmental work for people who are deprived.
This census will be conducted for people belonging to every caste and religion. This exercise will be helpful in developmental work for people of the state who are deprived.
ISRO inaugurated new spacecraft manufacturing facility
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman S Somanath inaugurated ANANTH Technologies’ spacecraft manufacturing unit at Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) Aerospace Park.
About the Ananth Technologies Private Limited
The new state-of-the-art spacecraft manufacturing facility can conduct assembly integration and testing of four large spacecraft simultaneously.
The 15,000 sqm facility is capable of conducting the assembly, integration and testing of four large spacecraft at the same time, with four separate units present within the facility.
It is a first of its kind facility in India and that Ananth Technologies has contributed to the manufacturing of 89 satellites and 69 launch vehicles built/launched by ISRO since its establishment in 1992.
A new species of dragonfly ‘Platygomphus benritarum’ discovered in Assam
A new species of dragonfly ‘Platygomphus benritarum’ discovered in Assam and has been named after Monisha Behal, a founder member of Northeast Network (NEN) and Rita Banerji, founder of Green Hub for their pioneering work in the northeast.
Initially, two researchers, Shantanu Joshi and Anuja Mital, found the species near the banks of the Brahmaputra in Assam’s Tezpur district in 2020. The species were seen resting on a huge tree which lies 5-6 metres away from the Brahmaputra’s banks.
An article on the discovery has been published in the International Journal of Odonatology, produced by the World Dragonfly Association.
Meghalaya’s ‘e-Proposal System’ wins UN Award
The Meghalaya government’s key initiative of the “e-Proposal System”, wins the coveted UN Award – World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum Prizes 2022 at Geneva in Switzerland. The “e-Proposal System”, part of Meghalaya Enterprise Architecture (MeghEA), which eliminates 75 per cent physical work of files in all government departments in the state.
Secretary General of ITU, Houlin Zhao presented the winner award to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in the WSIS Forum Prizes 2022.
Meghalaya Enterprise Architecture (MeghEA) is the only project from India to win the winner award this year.
About Meghalaya Enterprise Architecture (MeghEA) Project
Meghalaya Enterprise Architecture (MeghEA) Project is being implemented by the Planning Department of the Meghalaya government with the aim of improving governance and service delivery for the people of the state using the power of various digital technologies.
It has several components such as government to citizen or business services, government to employee services, and government to government services.
The e-proposal system, a part of the government-to-government component, enables faster processing and tracking of schemes. The system transforms the entire administrative approvals and sanctions of citizen’s schemes.
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched the scheme “SHRESHTA”
Union Minister of social Justice and empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar has launched the Scheme “SHRESHTA”-Scheme for residential education for students in High school in Targeted Areas.
The Scheme for Residential Education for Students in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA) has been formulated with the objective to provide quality education and opportunities for even the poorest.
About the SHRESHTA Scheme
This Scheme will provide for high quality education for meritorious but poor SC students in CBSE-affiliated reputed residential schools across the country.
The students, belonging to Scheduled Castes, studying in class 8th and 10th in the current academicyear are eligible for availing the benefits of scheme are selected through a transparent mechanism through a National Entrance Test for SHRESHTA (NETS), which is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission in class 9th and 11th.
Students belonging to marginalized income groups within the SC community, whose parental annual income is upto Rs.2.5 Lakh are eligible.
Successful candidates, after following the e-counselling process, are given admission in the school of their choice anywhere in the Country for their academic persuasion.
The Department shall bear the total cost of the school fee and hostel charges till completion of their academic upto class 12th. Thereafter the students of the scheme may avail benefits of other schemes of the Department for their higher education.
Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh inaugurates Kangra Valley Summer Festival-2022
Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh inaugurates Kangra Valley Summer Festival-2022 at Dharamshala. The Kangra Valley Summer Festival-2022 is being organized from 2nd June to 9th June, 2022 with four cultural evenings.
The festival is organised to familiarize tourists arriving in the state during summers with the culture and traditions of Himachal Pradesh.This year the festival is organised after the gap of 10 years.
