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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – February 2022

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

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3^rdborder haat on Bangladesh-India border to be set-up at Kamalpur-Kumarghat

• The foundation stone for the third border haat at Kamalpur-Kumarghat on Tripura- Bangladesh border was laid jointly by the Chief Minister of Tripura Biplab Kumar Deb and Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi. High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami was also present on the occasion.
• Apart from enhancing trade relations between the two countries, the border haat will also strengthen friendly relationship between the two countries.
• Tripura CM said that eight border haats are proposed to be built on the border between Tripura and Bangladesh out of which two are already functional at Kamalasagar in Sepahijala district and Srinagar in South Tripura district. Two others are already approved.
• The border haat will start functioning at Kamalpur from this year. The consent for the fourth border haat at Raghna in Dharmanagar has been received on which work is expected to start from this year.
• Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said that with the improvement in trade relations between the two countries, both the countries will benefit and come closer.
• Border haats have become vibrant centres of trade, people to people connect and cultural exchange between border communities.
• The border haat is spread over 75 square metres and can accommodate 100 vendors on each side of the border.

 

216-feet ‘Statue of Equality’ of 11th-century Bhakti saint Ramanujacharya unveiled at Hyderabad

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated to the nation 216-feet tall ‘Statue of Equality in Hyderabad to commemorate the 11th-century Bhakti saint Ramanujacharya. The statue has been conceptualised by Chinna Jeeyar Swami of Sri Ramanujacharya Ashram.
• The inauguration of the statue is a part of the 12-day Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdi Samaroham, the ongoing 1000th birth anniversary celebrations of the Bhakti saint. A 3D presentation on the life and teachings of the saint will also be showcased during the event.
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• The statue is made of ‘panchaloha’, a combination of five metals- gold, silver, copper, brass, and zinc. It is among one of the tallest metallic statues in sitting positions in the world.
• The 216-feet tall ‘Statue of Equality statue is mounted on a 54-feet high base building, called ‘Bhadra Vedi’.
• The floors of the building are dedicated to a Vedic digital library and research centre, ancient Indian texts, a theatre, an educational gallery detailing works of Sri Ramanujacharya.

Divya Desams

• The monument will be surrounded by 108 `Divya Desams’ of Sri Vaishnavism tradition (model temples) like Tirumala, Srirangam, Kanchi, Ahobhilam, Bhadrinath, Muktinath, Ayodhya, Brindavan, Kumbhakonam and others. The idols of deities and structures were constructed in the shape at the existing temples. The idols were also painted.

BIOGRAPHY: Ramanujacharya

• Ramanuja or Ramanujacharya was an Indian philosopher, Hindu theologian, social reformer, and one of the most important exponents of the Sri Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism.
• His philosophical foundations for devotionalism were influential to the Bhakti movement.
• Ramanujacharya promoted the idea of equality in all aspects of life including faith, caste and creed.

 

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented Union Budget for 2022-23 in Parliament

1. Capital expenditure outlay hiked by 35.4%
2. Total expenditure in 2022-23 estimated at Rs. 39.45 lakh crore.
3. Total receipts other than borrowings in 2022-23 estimated at Rs. 22.84 lakh crore.
4. Fiscal deficit in current year: 6.9% of GDP (against 6.8% in Budget Estimates)
5. Fiscal deficit in 2022-23 estimated at 6.4% of GDP.
6. Direct Taxes: Provision to file an Updated Return on payment of additional tax. This will enable the assessee to declare income missed out earlier.
7. Direct Taxes: No change in income tax slabs.
8. Scheme for taxation of virtual digital assets: Any income from transfer of any virtual digital asset to be taxed at rate of 30%.
9. Gems and Jewellery: Customs duty on cut and polished diamonds and gemstones being reduced to 5%.

10.Customs duty of at least Rs 400 per Kg to be paid on imitation jewellery import.

11.Customs duty on umbrellas being raised to 20%. Exemption to parts of umbrellas being withdrawn.

12.Tariff measure to encourage blending of fuel: Unblended fuel to attract an additional differential excise duty of Rs 2/ litre from Oct 1, 2022.

13.National Highways Network to be expanded by 25000 Km in 2022-23.

14.Railways: One Station One Product concept to help local businesses & supply chains.

15.Ken Betwa project: 1400 crore outlay for implementation of the Ken – Betwa link project.

16. MSME: Emergency Credit Linked Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) to be extended up to March 2023.
17. Skill Development: Digital Ecosystem for Skilling and Livelihood (DESH-Stack e-portal) will be launched.
18. Startups will be promoted to facilitate ‘Drone Shakti’ and for Drone-As-AService (DrAAS)

19.Education: ‘One Class-One TV channel’ programme of PM eVIDYA to be expanded to 200 TV channels.

20. Health: An open platform for National Digital Health Ecosystem to be rolled out.
21. Har Ghar, Nal Se Jal: Rs. 60,000 crores allocated to cover 3.8 crore households in 2022-23
22. Housing for All: Rs. 48,000 crores allocated for completion of 80 lakh houses in 2022-23 under PM Awas Yojana.
23. NE: New scheme PM-DevINE (Development Initiative for North-East Region) launched for the North-East.
24. Vibrant Villages Programme for development of Border villages on the northern border.

25.Banking: Scheduled Commercial Banks to set up 75 Digital Banking Units (DBUs) in 75 districts.

26. Accelerated Corporate Exit: Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-PACE) to be established for speedy winding-up of companies.

27.AVGC Promotion Task Force: An animation, visual effects, gaming, and comic (AVGC) promotion task force to be set-up to realize the potential of this sector.

28. Defence: 68% of capital procurement budget earmarked for domestic industry in 2022-23, up from 58% in 2021-22.
29. Digital Rupee: Introduction of Digital Rupee by the Reserve Bank of India starting 2022-23.

30.States: In 2022-23, States will be allowed a fiscal deficit of 4% of GSDP, of which 0.5% will be tied to power sector reforms

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PR Sreejesh wins World Games Athlete of the Year 2021 Award

• Veteran Indian Hockey goalkeeper P R Sreejesh has won the prestigious World Games Athlete of the Year for his 2021 performances, becoming only the second Indian to receive the accolade.
• In 2020, Indian Women’s hockey captain Rani Rampal became the first Indian to win the honour for her 2019 show.
• Sreejesh beat competition from sport climber Alberto Gins Lopez of Spain and Italy’s wushu player Michele Giordano for the award.
• Sreejesh, a former captain of Indian Men’s Hockey Team and part of the Tokyo Olympics-bronze medal winning side, received around one lakh twenty seven thousand votes, whereas Lopez got around sixty seven thousand votes and Giordane accumulated over fifty two thousand votes.
• The 33-year-old was the only Indian nominated and was recommended by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).
• In the FIH Stars Awards in October, Sreejesh was named the goalkeeper of the year for 2021.
• Sreejesh has represented India in 244 senior international matches. At the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Sreejesh led the Indian hockey team to the quarterfinals of the tournament. He led the Indian team that won the silver medal at the 2016 Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy held at London

Gujarat’s Khijadia & UP’s Bakhira wildlife sanctuary declared as Ramsar sites

• India gets two more Ramsar sites; Gujarat’s Khijadia & UP’s Bakhira wildlife sanctuary declared as Ramsar sites, taking the total number of protected sites in the country to 49, covering an area of 10,93,636 hectares, the highest in South Asia.
• Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary in UP provides a safe wintering and staging ground for a large number of species of the Central Asian Flyway while Khijadia Wildlife Sanctuary is a coastal wetland with rich avifaunal diversity providing a safe habitat to endangered and vulnerable species.

World Wetlands Day is celebrated every year on 2 February

• This day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
• The Standing Committee of the Convention has approved the themes for World Wetlands Day as follows:
  • 2022: Wetlands action for people and nature, 
  • 2023: Wetland restoration
  • 2024: Wetlands and human wellbeing
• World Wetlands Day is observed every year on 2nd February all over the world. The idea is to raise global awareness about the vital role of wetlands for people and our planet. This day also marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2nd February, 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar.
• On this occasion, “National Wetland Decadal Change Atlas” prepared by the Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad was released highlighting the changes which have happened in Wetlands across the country in the past decade.

IISc Bengaluru Commissions one of India’s most powerful supercomputers ‘Param Pravega’

• The Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), Bengaluru, has installed and commissioned ‘Param Pravega’, one of the most powerful supercomputers in India.
• It is also the largest supercomputer commissioned in an Indian educational institution.
• Param Pravega has a total supercomputing capacity of 3.3 petaflops (1 petaflop equals a quadrillion, or 1015 operations per second).
• The supercomputer has been designed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
• It has been developed under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), a joint initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and implemented by C-DAC and IISc

JNU Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar named as new Chairman of UGC

• Govt of India has appointed JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University) Vice-Chancellor, M Jagadesh Kumar as the new Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC). University Grants Commission was founded in 1956.

Biography: M Jagadesh Kumar:

• Hailing from Mamidala village in Telangana’s Nalgonda district, 60-year-old Kumar holds a masters degree and a PhD from IIT-Madras. He also completed his post-doctoral research at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo, at Ontario, Canada.
• He was a professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT-Delhi before being appointed as the JNU vice-chancellor in January 2016. He continued teaching at IIT-Delhi while serving as the JNU VC.

4^th February observed as 2024 World Cancer Day: closing the care gap

• Cancer is one of the world’s leading causes of death, and its burden is growing. In 2021, the world crossed a sobering new threshold – an estimated 20 million people were diagnosed with cancer, and 10 million died. These numbers will continue to rise in the decades ahead. And yet all cancers can be treated, and many can be prevented or cured.
• Care for cancer, however, like so many other diseases, reflects the inequalities and inequities of our world. The clearest distinction is between high- and low-income countries, with comprehensive treatment reportedly available in more than 90% of high-income countries but less than 15% of low-income countries.
• Similarly, the survival of children diagnosed with cancer is more than 80% in high-income countries, and less than 30% in low- and middle-income countries. And breast cancer survival five years after diagnosis now exceeds 80% in most high-income countries, compared with 66% in India and just 40% in South Africa.
• A recent WHO survey found that cancer services are covered by a country’s largest, Govt health financing scheme in an estimated 37% of low- and middle-income countries, compared to at least 78% of high-income countries. This means that a cancer diagnosis has the potential to push families into poverty, particularly in lower-income countries, an effect that has been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

India’s Atal Tunnel is now the World’s Longest Highway Tunnel above 10,000 ft

• The 9.02 km Atal Tunnel at Rohtang has created a new record! Located at an altitude of more than 10000 ft, this tunnel connects Manali with Lahaul.
• It has been recognised as the world’s longest single tube highway at this height by the World Book of Records, London.

White Cheeked Macaque found in Arunachal Pradesh

• The scientists recently found white cheeked macaque in Arunachal Pradesh. The discovery adds a new species to the mammal list of India.
• The White Cheeked macaque was first discovered in southeastern Tibet.
• With the discovery of White Cheeked macaque, India’s total mammal count has increased to 438.

About White Cheeked Macaque

• These macaques are different from the other macaques mainly because of their white cheeks. Also, they have a longer tail, long and thick hairs in the neck area. It has not yet been included in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• The major threat to the species is hunting, habitat degradation, infrastructure development and consumption by the locals.

Other Macaques in India

• Apart from the white cheeked macaque, India has Arunachal macaque, Assamese macaque, Rhesus macaque.

Macaques

• The macaques are old world monkeys. There are 23 species of macaques in the world. They are mainly found in Asia, North Africa, Gibraltar. They mainly feed on leaves, seeds, flowers and tree bark. The pig tailed macaques in Malaysia eat rats. Also, there are crab eating macaques.

India ranked 46 in Democracy Index 2021: EIU Latest Report

• The Economic Intelligence Unit recently released the Democracy Index Report, 2021. The report described the state of democracy in 165 countries.
• The report was prepared based on five parameters. They were functioning of the Govt, electoral process and pluralism, political participation, civil liberties and political culture.
• Norway topped the index. The country scored 9.75. Following Norway, New Zealand was at the second position. Finland, Sweden and Iceland were at the third, fourth and fifth position respectively. Afghanistan scored the least with 0.32. Earlier North Korea was at the bottom most position.
• China was ranked at 148th position. Myanmar: 166, Nepal: 1010, Pakistan: 104, Bhutan: 81, Bangladesh: 75, Sri Lanka: 67
• Countries that showed improvement are Singapore, UAE, Uruguay, Guyana, Montenegro, Republic of Congo, India, Moldova, Qatar, Indonesia, Zambia.
• One – third of the world population is living under authoritarian rule. 6.4% is having full democracy. The current global democracy score is 5.28 out of 10.
• India ranked 46 in the index. The overall score of India was 6.91. The individual scores of the country are as follows:
• Political Culture: 5
• Electoral process and Pluralism: 8.67
• Civil liberties: 6.18
• Political participation: 7.22
• Functioning of Govt: 7.5

LIC to be India’s largest Initial Public Offering

• The Govt of India is planning to sell 5% of its share in Life Insurance Corporation (LIC). With this, the Govt is trying to raise Rs 65,000 crores.
• The IPO is to help Govt of India in achieving its target. In the fiscal year 2021-22, the Govt of India had set a divestment target of Rs 2.1 lakh crores. However, the target counldnt be achieved. For the fiscal year, 2022-23, the divestment target is Rs 78,000 crores.
• 10% of the shares are being reserved for eligible policy holders. These shares will carry discounted prices. The plan is to sell 316.25 million shares. This is 5% of the total equity base. The total equity base of LIC is 6.32 billion shares. The pricing of IPO, Initial Public Offering, has not yet been decided. 35% of the shares are to be reserved for retail investors. Discounts are to be provided to LIC employees.
• The most valuable firm right now is Reliance Industries. The market capitalization of Reliance is Rs 16.1 lakh crores.

Initial Public Offering (IPO)

• The IPO is providing the shares of private corporation to the public. The fund raised through IPO is used in further development of the business. It helps in publicity, fundraising, exit opportunity, etc. Also, it helps in the expansion of the company. The transparency in the process brings credibility.

Vice Admiral (retd) G Ashok Kumar appointed India’s first National Maritime Security Coordinator (NMSC)

• Following the 26/11 terrorist attack, India has been consistently trying to augment the nation’s maritime security. In regard to this, the Govt has appointed Vice Admiral (retd) G Ashok Kumar as the nation’s first national maritime security coordinator with the view of strengthening the country’s maritime security.
• This move has been made with the aim of ensuring cohesion among the various defense stakeholders of the nation with the primary aim of securing the country’s interest.
• Since the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, the Govt has authorized a plethora of security measures to ensure that a repeat of such attacks does not occur again.
• About Vice Admiral (retd) G Ashok Kumar served as the nation’s 35th Navy Vice Chief. He assumed this position in the year 2019 and served till July 2021.

Working of the National Maritime Security Coordinator (NMSC)

• The NMSC works in tandem with the National Security Council which is headed by Ajit Doval (NSA). The NMSC is tasked with coordinating with the Coast Guard, the Indian Navy, and various other security agencies who are involved in providing maritime and coastal security, in 13 Union Territories and coastal states of the country.

Nepal to be the first country to adopt India’s UPI system

• The first country to adopt India’s UPI system will be Nepal which will be critical in modernising the neighbouring country’s digital economy.
• To deliver the services in Nepal, NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), NPCI’s international arm, has partnered with Manam Infotech and Gateway Payments Service (GPS). In Nepal, GPS is the authorized payment system operator, and Manam Infotech will implement the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) there.
• According to NPCI, the collaboration will benefit Nepal’s greater digital public good by strengthening interoperable real-time person-to-merchant (P2M) and person-to-person (P2P) transactions in the neighbouring country. This collaboration will allow the citizens of Nepal’s last-mile consumers to benefit from an interoperable, open payment system that enables real-time financial transfers between merchant payments and bank accounts.
• It will open the way for real-time cross-border P2P transfers between Nepal and India in the future. UPI’s real-time payment system can help accelerate Nepal’s financial inclusion process while also expanding business opportunities.
• It will aid in the modernization of Nepal’s digital payment infrastructure and provide citizens with the convenience of digital payments.

About the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)

• The Reserve Bank of India’s specialized section, the National Payments Corporation of India which was founded in the year 2008 is managed by the Ministry of Finance of the Govt of India. It was established by the Reserve Bank of India to manage India’s retail payment and settlement systems.

About NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL)

• NPCI has established a separate business to market its product internationally. Countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East have approached NPCI to strengthen their payment infrastructure. NIPL wants closer cooperation with international partners in areas such as cross-border remittance, UPI implementation, and the use of indigenously produced technologies in digital payments.

Asia’s largest Bio-CNG plant in Indore

• Asia’s largest Bio-CNG plant will virtually be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Indore.
• Indore is considered as one of the cleanest cities India. With the inauguration of bio-CNG plant, it will set another high standard in cleanliness.
• The Bio-CNG plant will be operated using 100 per cent wet waste. It is estimated to produce 18,000 kg gas per day. As per estimates of Indore Municipal Corporation, amount of Bio-CNG will help in running around 400 buses in the city daily.
• The bio-CNG plant has a total capacity of 550 MT. It will produce CNG with 96 per cent pure methane gas.
• This ‘lighthouse plant’ has been set up under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, by Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) and Indo Enviro Integrated Solutions Limited (IEISL). From this, Indore Municipal Corporation will earn a revenue of Rs 2.5 crore per year.
• This plant will improve the calorific value as well as increase the effectiveness of Bio-CNG. It will help in purifying the air quality of densely-populated cities. It will further help in mitigating 1,30,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually.

Indore: Cleanest City of India

• Indore has emerged as the cleanest city in India, over the past few years. It ensures 100 per cent segregation of solid waste at source. It leads to less than 1 per cent impurities in wet waste. As per experts, quality of wet waste in Indore is one of the best across the world. This prompted the private partners to participate in PPP bid to set up the plant.

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India’s new Green Hydrogen Policy

• India’s new green hydrogen policy was unveiled, promising cheaper renewable energy, a 25-year fee waiver for inter-state power transmission for projects completed before June 2025, land in renewable energy parks, and mega manufacturing zones to help local industries move away from fossil fuels.
• The policy aims to boost green hydrogen and ammonia, also making it easier for green power producers to ‘bank’ their surplus renewable energy with an electrical distribution business for up to 30 days. It also proposes the construction of bunkers near ports for the storage of green ammonia for export.

Importance of Green Energy for India

• The race for green energy takes is very important as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis has pushed up energy prices around the world, particularly in India, which imports 85 percent of its oil and 53 percent of its natural gas.
• A transformation to large-scale hydrogen fuel use could assist India’s geopolitical influence as well as its energy security.
• India’s strategy is to use its vast landmass and low solar and wind tariffs to manufacture low-cost green hydrogen and ammonia for export.

Domestic boost caused by the policy

• Any new renewable energy facilities built to produce power for green hydrogen generation before July 2025 will receive 25 years of free power transmission under the new policy. This move is projected to make green hydrogen production more cost-effective for users of hydrogen and ammonia, such as the fertilizer, oil refining, and steel industries.
• A single portal will be created by the Govt for all green hydrogen production clearances, as well as facilities so that excessive energy production can be stored with discoms for up to 30 days and use it as needed. Energy plants that create green hydrogen/ammonia will be granted priority access to the grid.
• Under this policy, power distribution industries may also acquire renewable energy to supply green hydrogen manufacturers, but only at a reduced rate that includes only the wheeling costs, cost of procurement, and a small margin defined by the state commission.

About Green Hydrogen

• Green hydrogen is created by electrolysis of water, which is a technique for separating water into hydrogen and oxygen and can be done with renewable energy.

Assam to launch Project Arohan mentorship program

• Assam Govt is set to launch a four-year mentorship programme called Project Arohan. This project will be launched to provide guidance to students and boost their skills.
• For this project, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met Anita Rajan, CEO of Tata STRIVE, to sought their cooperation on this project.

Tata STRIVE

• Tata STRIVE is a skill development programme of Tata Trusts.
• It was launched with the aim of Tata STRIVE started working under the parent head of Tata Trusts in FY 2017-18. It was started working a result of strategy of ‘Simplification, synergy and scale’ of Tata Group.
• This move recognises close synergies between Tata STRIVE and broader community interventions of Tata Trusts. This initiative is skilling youth from underprivileged backgrounds by means of innovations in technology, methodology and pedagogy. Since 2014, 6.5 Lakh Individuals have experienced the advantage of Tata STRIVE.

 

International Mother Language Day 2022 observed on February 21

• The International Mother Language Day 2022 is being observed on February 21. The day is observed every year for promoting awareness on linguistic and cultural diversity.
• The day is raises awareness with the aim of promoting multilingualism, that is, the ability to speak multiple languages or using multiple languages.
• It is part of a broader initiative of promoting preservation and protection of all languages that are used by peoples across the world, as adopted by the UN General Assembly.
• The international mother language day was an initiative of Bangladesh. It was later approved at the 1999 UNESCO General Conference. Since then, it has been celebrated annually. First ever International Mother Language Day was observed in 2000. This day was first announced by UNESCO on November 17, 1999. In 2002, it was formally recognised by the United Nations General Assembly.

Indian Army’s Bent-Toed Gecko discovered in Meghalaya

• A team of researchers recently discovered a new species of bent-toed gecko or lizard, from Umroi Military station in Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya.
• The new species of Gecko or lizard belongs to the family of Cyrtodactylus exercitus (‘exercitus’ means army, in Latin).
• It has been named to honour the valour of Indian Army for their services to India.
• These new species was discovered as part of efforts of research team, to uncover herpetofaunal diversity of North East India.
• North East India has now become home to 16 species of bent-toed gecko.

Genus Cyrtodactylus

• The genus Cyrtodactylus is represented by about 320 species across the world. It is the third most speciose vertebrate genus worldwide. Members of the genus range from South Asia to Melanesia. There is high diversity of the species in south Asia.

About bent-toe gecko

• Bent-toe geckos are scientifically known as Cyrtodactylus. It is a diverse genus of Asian geckos. This genus has about 300 described species as of 2020. Thus, it is the largest of all gecko genera.

Statehood day of Arunachal Pradesh & Mizoram on February 20

• On February 20, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted people of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram on the occasion of statehood day both the states.
• Year 2022 marked the 36th State Foundation Day of Arunachal Pradesh. North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) was given a new name and a new identity as Arunachal Pradesh, 50 years ago.
• On February 20, 1987, Arunachal Pradesh became a full-fledged state and Mizoram was the 23rd state of India with 53rd Amendment Act of Indian Constitution, 1986.

Arunachal Pradesh

• Arunachal Pradesh is called as “Land of Dawn-Lit Mountains”. It is the erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region.
• It states border with states of Assam and Nagaland to the south.
• It has international borders with Bhutan, Myanmar and China.
• It is the largest among Seven Sister States of Northeast India by area.

About Mizoram

• It is one among the seven sister states of north-eastern India. Name of this state is derived from Mizo and Ram’ which means land in the Mizo language.
• It is the southernmost landlocked state among northeast region of India. The state share borders with three states namely Tripura, Manipur and Assam.
• It also shares a 722-kilometre border with Bangladesh and Myanmar.

 

Japan launched first Hydrogen Train

• Japan has launched its first hydrogen-powered train. This unveiling is seen as a step towards the country’s objective of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The hydrogen-fuelled train will be tested in the country in March.
• “Hybari” the two-car train costs over USD 35 million or 4 billion yen and can go up to 140 kilometers or 87 miles at a top speed of 100 kilometers per hour on a single hydrogen refuelling.
• In hydrogen-fuelled trains, Europe has been a pioneer. Germany launched the world’s first train in 2018 which was built by Alstom SA. Special fuelling stations and new regional trains are being developed by Deutsche Bahn AG and Siemens AG, and they will be tested in 2024.
• The Govt of Japan has plans to increase hydrogen usage to 20 million tonnes by 2050. Energy industries such as Kawasaki and Iwatani Heavy Industries are attempting to develop hydrogen supply chains in order to lower the cost of fuel.

 

National Digital University to be setup

• The Union Budget for 2022-23 looks to implement the National Education Policy (NEP). To help this the decision to establish a National Digital University was announced that will look to solve India’s seat scarcity problem in educational institutions. It will provide world-class quality education and promote online learning in several Indian languages.
• The digital university will provide access to high-quality higher education in several languages while also complying with the National Education Policy 2020.
• The digital university which has been proposed along with the increased education through television programmes will help in guiding the nation through a pioneering, modern, and practical blueprint.

 

Professor Neena Gupta conferred the Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians 2021

• Professor Neena Gupta, conferred the Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians 2021.

BIOGRAPHY: Neena Gupta

• Neena Gupta is a mathematician from Indian Statistical Institute in Kolkata.
• She conferred the award for her outstanding work in affine algebraic geometry and commutative algebra.

About Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians

• The Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians is a mathematics prize, that is awarded annually by “International Centre for Theoretical Physics” in Italy. It has been named after Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.
• The prize was founded in 2004 and first awarded in 2005.
• It is awarded to researcher from a developing country who are aged below 45 years and has conducted outstanding research in developing country.
• It is supported by Ministry of Science and Technology (India) as well as Norwegian Academy of Science & Letters through the Abel Fund, in cooperation of “International Mathematical Union”.
• The prize is funded by Department of Science and Technology (DST) in collaboration with International Centre for Theoretical Physics and International Mathematical Union.

BIOGRAPHY: Srinivasa Ramanujan

• Srinivasa Ramanujan was an Indian mathematician lived during the British Rule in India. He had almost no formal training in pure mathematics, but he made substantial contributions to mathematical analysis, infinite series, number theory, continued fractions, and solutions to mathematical problems, that were then considered unsolvable.

India ranks 43^rd in USCC International Intellectual Property Index

• According to an annual report which has been published by the US Chamber of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Center, India’s total IP score has risen from 38.4 percent to 38.6 percent, and the country is now ranked 43 out of 55 countries on the International Intellectual Property Index.
• The overall score of India has increased from 38.40 percent (19.20 out of 50) in the ninth edition of this report to 38.64 percent (19.32 out of 50) in the latest edition.
• The report of this year analyzed data of the last 10 years and revealed that the global IP environment has consistently improved over time, even in the last two years of turmoil due to the pandemic. The report also states that emerging economies are strengthening their IP regimes.
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The Top 5 Countries in the International Intellectual Property Index

• United States of America
• United Kingdom
• Germany
• Sweden
• France

About Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC)

• The USCC’s principal institution is the GIPC and handles all the issues which are related to creativity and innovation by advocating strong standards of intellectual property.
• The GIPC is working to promote creativity and innovation across the globe through intellectual property standards that save lives, create jobs, cultural prosperity, and advance global economy.

 

First Dugong Conservation Reserve of India to be setup in Palk Bay region

• Tamil Nadu Govt has begun work to set up the first Dugong Conservation Reserve of India in the Palk Bay region.
• Dugongs are endangered species and are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act’s, 1972 Schedule 1.
• Tamil Nadu’s Environment, Forests, and Climate Change Department accepted the concept note of Shekhar Kumar Niraj, the Chief Wildlife Warden, and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, for the Dugong Conservation Reserve’s creation.
• The size of the reserve will be spread over around 500 sq km and will be located in Palk Bay’s northern part from Adiramapattinam to Amapattinam.
• There are plans to build enhanced seagrass beds and an international conservation centre under the Climate Change Mission.

About Dugong

The dugong is a sirenian species found along the Indian coast. Dugongs are related to manatees and have a similar plump appearance to them, but they have a tail that looks like a dolphin’s fluke. Unlike manatees, which live in freshwater, dugongs are purely marine mammals. Dugongs are also known as Sea Cows. They graze, on seagrass, in shallow coastal waters of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans.

Population of Dugong in India

• The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) states that only 200-250 dugongs are left, of which 150 are found in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay. The dugong is on the verge of becoming extinct.
• The Dugong population of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is less than 100. In the Gulf of Mannar, there are only a few left. There are only a few sporadic records in the Gulf of Kutch.

About Palk bay

• Palk Bay, a semi-enclosed shallow water body is located between the southeast coast of India and Sri Lanka and has a maximum water depth of 13 m. It is said to be one of the Gulf of Mannar’s major sinks for sediments.

National Science Day 2022 observed on 28 February

• On 28 February, every year National Science Day is celebrated to recognize the contributions of scientists towards the nation’s development.
• On 28 February 1928, an important discovery in the field of spectroscopy was made by renowned Indian Physicist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman. Later, this discovery was named after him i.e. the Raman Effect. In 1930, CV Raman received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work.
• On February 28, 1987, the first National Science Day was observed in India.

BIOGRAPHY: CV Raman

• CV Raman was an Indian physicist and is known for his work in light scattering under the fields of physics. He and his student K. S. Krishnan, using a spectrograph developed by Raman, discovered that when light passes through a transparent medium, the frequency, and wavelength of the deflected light change. They named this phenomenon “modified scattering” and was later termed the Raman scattering or Raman effect.
• In 1930, CV Raman received the Nobel Prize in Physics for this discovery and was Asia’s first person to receive a Nobel Prize in science.

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