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The Assam government launched the Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyaan (MMUA) to empower rural women entrepreneurs.
About Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan
The scheme is designed to foster the development of rural women who are part of self-help groups, transforming them into “rural micro-entrepreneurs” with a target annual income of Rs 1 lakh per member.
To qualify for the grant, women from the general and other backward caste (OBC) categories must have no more than three children.
However, specific exemptions are made for women from the Moran, Muttock, and tea-tribe communities, who can apply with four or fewer children.
For women belonging to Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC) categories, the eligibility criteria dictate that they should have no more than four children.
If beneficiaries have daughters, they must be enrolled in school. For girls not attending school, a signed commitment for future enrollment is necessary.
Beneficiaries need to ensure that the trees planted under the government’s tree plantation campaign, Amrit Brikshya Andolan, are thriving.
Assam Baibhav Award
Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi will be honored with Assam’s highest civilian award ‘Assam Baibhav’. The decision to confer this year’s award upon Ranjan Gogoi reflects the state government’s acknowledgment of his exceptional service and achievements.
This marks the third year of the Assam Baibhav awards, with the inaugural award presented to business magnate Ratan Tata in the first year, followed by journalist Tapan Saikia in the second year.
About ‘Assam Baibhav’ Awards
It is one of the highest civilian awards given by the state of Assam. As an award, Gogoi will be given a citation, certificate, medal and a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh.
Ranjan Gogoi held the office of the 46th Chief Justice of India.
During his tenure, the Supreme Court had given a historic verdict on the decade-old Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case.
Assam Saurav Award 2023:
This award will be given to four personalities.
Mainly among these Hima Das – Athletics
Dr. Kishan Chand Nauriyal: Art and Culture
Elvis Ali Hazarika: Swimming and
Nadiram Deuri: Tiwa Dance
This award will include a citation, certificate, medal and a cash prize of Rs 4 lakh.
Assam Gaurav Award 2023:
This year 17 personalities will be given the ‘Assam Gaurav’ award.
Ranjit Gogoi (Folk and Bihu dance exponent)
Parvati Barua (animal protection activities)
Debojit Chiangmai (sound engineer)
Drono Bhuyan (Oja Pali)
Neelam Dutta (Organic Farming)
Anupam Deka (industrialist)
Soumyadeep Dutta (Wildlife Conservation)
Basant Chiring Phukan (Mushroom Cultivation)
Manendra Deka (Handicraft)
Meenakshi Chetia (Social Service)
Pakhila Lekhtepi (Karbi Lok)
Tenzing Bodosa (Elephant Friendly Tea Garden)
Nirmal De (mat)
Jessin Kumbang Pao (weaving)
Mary Hassa (social services)
Upendra Rabha (black rice cultivation) and
Rahul Gupta (Hydroponic Farming).
Assam Gaurav Award winners will be given a citation, certificate, medal and a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh.
Indian Army launched Operation Sarvashakti
The Indian Army has launched Operation Sarvashakti in the Rajouri-Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir, deploying forces on both sides of the Pir Panjal range to target terrorists who have carried out a series of attacks on troops in the area.
About Operation Sarvashakti
Recent years have witnessed three major terrorist attacks in the area, resulting in the loss of 20 soldiers.
Operation Sarvashakti is an initiative of the Indian army to neutralise terrorist threats in Pir Panjal range.
As part of the operation at least three brigades of additional troops are being deployed in the sector from various reserve and strike corps formations in order to increase the density of troops.
It is similar to Operation Sarpvinash.
In 2003, Indian forces launched Operation Sarpvinash to flush out terrorists who had infiltrated from across the border and set up camps in the thick forests south of the Pir Panjal range, especially in the Hilkaka area in Poonch.
The operation flushed out terrorists and brought peace to the area that lasted until 2017-18, even as terrorist incidents continued to take place in the valley.
The deposits raised under the framework are covered by the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).
Swachh Survekshan Awards 2023
Surat and Indore have been jointly recognized as the cleanest cities in India at the Union Urban Affairs Ministry’s annual Clean City Awards 2023. Indore achieved the top rank for the seventh consecutive time.
President Smt. Droupadi Murmu conferred the Swachh Survekshan awards 2023 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
The theme for the year 2023 was -“Waste to Wealth”.
The theme for the Cleanliness Survey 2024 is “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.”
The President launched the Swachh Survekshan 2023 dashboard, emphasizing the importance of everyone’s contribution to and participation in the survey.
Key Points
In the category of cities with a population of less than 1 lakh, Sasvad, Patan and Lonavala secured the top three spots.
Mhow Cantonment Board in Madhya Pradesh was adjudged the Cleanest Cantonment Board.
Varanasi and Prayagraj won the top two awards amongst the Cleanest Ganga Towns.
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh won the top three awards for Best Performing State.
Chandigarh walked away with the award for the Best Safaimitra Surakshit Sheher, acknowledging initiatives that prioritize the safety, dignity, and well-being of sanitation workers.
About Swachh Survekshan Awards
It was launched in 2016, as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission initiated by the Government of India to promote cleanliness and sanitation in urban areas.
The annual survey ranks cities based on various sanitation parameters like door-to-door waste collection, waste treatment, public toilet management, citizen participation, and innovation in sanitation practices.
Winning cities and states receive recognition and financial incentives, aiming to motivate them to maintain and improve their sanitation standards.
NHAI Introduces ‘One Vehicle, One FASTag’ Initiative
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has launched the ‘One Vehicle, One FASTag’ initiative that aims to discourage user behavior of using single FASTag for multiple vehicles or linking multiple FASTags to a particular vehicle.
About the ‘One Vehicle, One FASTag’ initiative:
The initiative aims to enhance the efficiency of the Electronic Toll Collection system and provide seamless movement at the Toll Plazas.
The new arrangement Of ‘One Vehicle, One FASTag’ has also been introduced to discourage user behaviour of using single FASTag for multiple vehicles or linking multiple FASTags to a particular vehicle.
The initiative encourages FASTag users to complete ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC) process of their latest FASTag by updating KYC as per RBI guidelines.
FASTags with valid balance but with incomplete KYC will get deactivated/blacklisted by banks post 31st January 2024.
NHAI has taken this initiative after the recent reports of multiple FASTags being issued for a particular vehicle and FASTags being issued without KYC in violation of RBI’s mandate.
The ‘One Vehicle, One FASTag’ initiative will help to make toll operations more efficient and ensure seamless & comfortable journeys for the National Highway users.
About FASTag
FASTag is a device that uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to enable toll payments while the vehicle is in motion.
It is essentially an RFID passive tag on the vehicle’s windscreen linked to a customer’s prepaid or savings/current account.
It allows customers to drive through toll plazas without stopping for toll payments.
The toll fee is deducted from the customer’s linked account.
It is also vehicle specific and once it is affixed to a vehicle, it cannot be transferred to another vehicle.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)State’s Startup Ranking 2022
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) released the State’s Startup Ranking Framework 2022 report. Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu emerged as the best-performing states in the Startup Ranking for 2022.
Categories and Participation
A total of 33 states and union territories actively participated in the evaluation, categorized under five distinct groups – best performers, top performers, leaders, aspiring leaders, and emerging startup ecosystems. The rankings serve as a testament to the varied and evolving nature of the startup ecosystem in different regions of the country.
About State’s Startup Ranking Framework 2022 report
Category A States (Population more than 1 crore)
Best performing states: Gujarat, Karnataka and Kerala
Top performing states: Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, Orissa and Maharashtra
Leading states: Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Andhra Pradesh
States with Ambitious Leadership: Bihar and Haryana
States developing emerging startup ecosystems: Chhattisgarh, Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir
Category B States (Population less than 1 crore)
Best performer: Himachal Pradesh
Top Performer: Arunachal Pradesh Meghalaya
Leader: Goa, Manipur and Tripura
Aspiring leader: Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Nagaland
Emerging Ecosystems: Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu, Ladakh Mizoram, Puducherry and Sikkim
MeitY Secretary Launches India’s First Graphene Centre and IoT CoE in Kerala
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Secretary S Krishnan inaugurated the India Innovation Centre for Graphene (IICG) and a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Intelligent Internet of Things (IIoT) Sensors in Kerala.
About India Innovation Centre for Graphene (IICG): India’s first Graphene Center
Digital University Kerala (DUK) (formerly IIITMK) and Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (CMET)-Thrissur are the technical partners for setting up these centers at Makers Village Kochi.
The complete full-fledged facility for R&D, incubation, innovation, skilling, capacity building, testing & certification shall be established at these centers by the experts of these agencies.
The creation of a complete eco-system for start-ups in the area of IoT Sensors and Graphene & 2D Materials are the main objectives for setting up these centers in the country.
The complete solution with material to product/system development shall be provided at these centers in the respective areas.
Indian Army Develops Encrypted Mobile Ecosystem “SAMBHAV”
Indian Army develops end-to-end encrypted mobile ecosystem SAMBHAV (Secure Army Mobile Bharat Version). SAMBHAV’ has been developed in collaboration with leading national centers of excellence from academia and industry.
About SAMBHAV (Secure Army Mobile Bharat Version)
SAMBHAV is an end-to-end secure mobile ecosystem developed by the Indian Army.
It operates on 5G technology and aims to provide secure communication and instant connectivity.
It aims to address the information security challenges faced by the Indian Army.
Command Cyber Operations Support Wings enhance cyber capabilities at operational and tactical levels.
SAMBHAV addresses the vulnerability of mobile networks to eavesdropping, offering end-to-end security.
Command Cyber Operations Support Wing (CCOSW)
The Command Cyber Operations Support Wing (CCOSW) is being established which increases cyber security capability.
The CCOSWs are specialized units of the Indian Army that assist formations in carrying out mandated cyber security functions.
According to a report, six CCOSWs are being established for all commands. Additionally, specialized training will be provided to personnel involved in this initiative.
The Assam Government revived the traditional buffalo fight (Moh-Juj) after nine years.
About Moh Juj: A Traditional Buffalo Fight in Assam
The riverside town of Ahatguri has hosted buffalo fight tournaments as part of Magh Bihu since 1972. But these large-scale events were stopped after the 2014 prohibition.
In May 2022 there was a major development – a Supreme Court bench upheld amendments to animal cruelty legislation by certain states.
This allowed the resumption of specific bull-taming sports and related rural events.
Following this, in October 2022, the Assam Government assured the Gauhati High Court that it would formulate standard operating procedures (SOPs) to regulate traditional practices like buffalo fights.
Subsequently, in December 2023, the Assam cabinet formally approved the revival of buffalo fights under strict rules and protocols.
This nod from the state government paved the way for restarting this cultural event in a regulated manner after years of prohibition.
Seven products from Odisha Geographical Indication (GI) Tag
Recently, seven products from Odisha, ranging from the Similipal Kai chutney made with red weaver ants to the embroidered Kapdaganda shawl, have bagged the coveted Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
About Lanjia Saura Painting
Lanjia Saurpa Painting is one of the oldest tribal art forms.
It is also known as Idital. The artworks are famous for their beauty, aesthetics, ritualistic association and iconography.
It belongs to the Lanjia Saura community, a PVTG largely residing in the Rayagada district.
These paintings are in the form of exterior murals painted on the mud walls of homes.
About Kapdaganda Shawl
It is woven and embroidered by the women of the Dongria Kondh tribe, a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) in the Niyamgiri hills in Odisha’s Rayagada and Kalahandi districts.
The shawl reflects the rich tribal heritage of the Dongria Kondhs.
The shawl is worn by both men and women and the Dongrias gift it to their family members as a token of love and affection.
Koraput Kala Jeera Rice
Famous for its aroma, taste, texture and nutritional value.
As the rice grains resemble cumin seeds, it is also called Kala Jeera.
Its consumption helps in increasing haemoglobin levels and improves metabolism in the body.
Nayagarh Kanteimundi Brinjal
It is known for its prickly thorns on the stems and the whole plant. The green and round fruits contain more seeds as compared to other genotypes.
It is famous for its unique taste and relatively short quick cooking time.
The plants are resistant to major insects and can be grown with minimal pesticide.
Odisha Khajuri Guda (Jaggery)
It is a natural sweetener extracted from date palm trees and has its origin in the Gajapati district.
Traditionally, the jaggery is prepared in a trapezoidal form called ‘Patali Gur’ and is organic by nature.
It is dark brown and has a unique taste.
Dhenkanal Magji
It is a type of sweet made from cheese from buffalo milk, with distinct characteristics in terms of appearance, taste, flavour, shape, and size.
It also has unique nutritional values that distinguish it from other cheese-brd sweets.
SBI Green Rupee Term Deposit (SGRTD) Scheme
Recently, the State Bank of India (SBI) launched the SBI Green Rupee Term Deposit (SGRTD) to mobilize funds to support environment friendly initiatives and projects.
About SBI Green Rupee Term Deposit (SGRTD) Scheme
The SGRTD is a deposit scheme that aims to raise funds for environmentally-friendly initiatives and projects.
The scheme is open to NRIs, non-individuals, and resident individuals.
It offers investors the flexibility to choose from three distinct tenors: 1,111 days, 1,777 days, and 2,222 days.
Pre-mature withdrawals are allowed under the scheme.
Loan/ overdraft facility will be available against the deposit.
Senior Citizens/ Staff/ Staff Senior Citizens are eligible for an additional interest rate over the applicable rate for the public.
The benefit of additional interest shall not be available to NRI Senior Citizens/NRI Staff.
About Green Deposit
A Green deposit is an interest-bearing deposit, received by the regulated entities (RE) for a fixed period, the proceeds of which are earmarked for being allocated towards green finance.
The deposits raised under the framework are covered by the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).
IUCN Assessment of the Himalayan Wolf
The Himalayan Wolf has been assessed for the first time on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and categorised as ‘Vulnerable’.
About Himalayan Wolf
The Himalayan Wolf (Canis lupus chanco), a prominent lupine predator found across the Himalayas.
The Himalayan wolf resides on the Tibetan Plateau in China, particularly in Gansu, Qinghai, Tibet, and western Sichuan provinces.
It is a subspecies of the gray wolf found in the Himalayan region, spanning areas such as Nepal, India, and the Tibetan Plateau.
Himalayan wolf has now been categorised as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List
Reason for the declining population of Himalayan Wolf
Hybridization Threats: Increasing populations of feral dogs in regions like Ladakh and Spiti pose a threat of hybridization.
Illegal Hunting: The Himalayan Wolf is hunted illegally for its fur and body parts, contributing to its declining numbers.
Conflict with Livestock: Livestock depredation conflicts are significant, exacerbated by habitat modification and depletion of wild prey.
Habitat Destruction: The IUCN Red List Assessment has highlighted an ongoing reduction in the area, extent, and quality of habitat for Himalayan wolves.
Measures should be taken to enhance the protection of Himalayan wolves
Securing and restoring healthy wild prey populations and landscapes and setting aside wildlife habitat refuges.
Enhancing livestock guarding methods, including predator-proof corral pens, sustainable herding practices, and holistic management practices.
Management of feral dog populations.
Trans-boundary efforts in conservation of the species in range countries through research and monitoring.
Pench Tiger Reserve Becomes India’s first Dark Sky Park
The Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Maharashtra has been marked as India’s first Dark Sky Park and the fifth Dark Sky Park in Asia for protecting the night sky and preventing light pollution. The certification was given by the International Dark-Sky Association, a global dark-sky movement to promote astronomy.
About India’s First Dark Sky Park:
Dark Sky Place certification focuses on lighting policy, dark sky-friendly retrofits, outreach and education, and monitoring the night sky.
The reserve’s certification recognizes its commitment to protecting the night sky, reducing light pollution, and creating an ideal environment for astronomy enthusiasts and stargazers.
This designation positions PTR as a sanctuary where tourists can witness celestial spectacles, shielded from the intrusion of artificial light pollution.
About Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR)
The Reserve is named after the Pench River, which flows from north to south through the Reserve.
It is located in the southern reaches of the Satpura hills in the Seoni and Chhindwara districts in Madhya Pradesh and continues in Nagpur district in Maharashtra as a separate Sanctuary.
The reserve is famous for large herds of Chital, Sambar, Nilgai, Gaur (Indian Bison), and wild boar.
It was declared a sanctuary in 1965, raised to the status of national park in 1975.
The Rural Development Ministry and State Bank of India signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to help rural Self-Help Groups (SHGs)
The Ministry of Rural Development and State Bank of India signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate Enterprise Financing for rural Self-Help Group (SHG) women.
Key Points
State Bank of India introduced Svyam Siddha, a financial product tailored for SHG women entrepreneurs, offering loans up to Rs 5 lakhs.
This initiative is uniquely designed to alleviate the challenges associated with extensive documentation requirements for bank loan applications and reduce the Turn Around Time (TAT).
The requirement of burdensome documents like quotations and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) has been dispensed with, allowing an easy application process where a simple loan application with KYC details can be submitted at local SBI bank branches.
DAY-NRLM will facilitate the loan application process and oversee loan repayment through its dedicated field cadre.
A training toolkit package was also launched to promote access to formal finance by SHG women entrepreneurs, marking a significant milestone in DAY-NRLM’s commitment to empowering communities and advancing financial inclusion at the grassroots level.
The toolkit covers crucial topics like fundamentals of banking, concepts on financial statements, working capital calculation etc. The key modules of this toolkit have been converted into animated videos for self-capacity building of entrepreneurs. This will facilitate access to formal finance for its SHGs women entrepreneurs.
‘Sinomicrurus Gorei’ a new species of coral snake was discovered in Mizoram
Researchers from Mizoram University’s zoology department have discovered a new species of coral snake in the state. It has been named Sinomicrurus gorei after British India doctor Gore.
This newly discovered coral snake species is locally recognised as “Rul Thi Hna” due to its striking resemblance to Thi Hna, a traditional amber necklace in the Mizo culture.
It has unique patterns and different scales, hemipenis, DNA, and skull.
In Mizoram, Sinomicrurus macclellandi is primarily found in hilly or elevated areas, while Sinomicrurus gorei is found in both low-lying and hilly areas.
Green Fuels Alliance India
Green Fuels Alliance India (GFAI) is an alliance between Denmark and India to boost collaborative efforts in the sustainable energy solutions sector.
The initiative is part of the Green Strategic Partnership signed in 2020 between India and Denmark.
Key Points
This strategic alliance, led by the Danish Embassy and the Consulate General of Denmark in India, aims to boost collaborative efforts in the sustainable energy solutions sector and advance the joint global goal towards carbon neutrality.
The initiative aims to advance the green fuels sector, including green hydrogen, through innovation and partnerships.
It promotes sustainable energy growth in India by establishing an ecosystem that encourages collaboration among businesses, government entities, research institutions, and financial stakeholders.
The alliance is significant in its potential contribution to global decarbonization efforts.
The 14th Chandubi Festival was recently held near the Chandubi Lake in Assam’s Kamrup district from January 1 to January 5.
AboutChandubi festival
It is an annual five-day celebration that takes place at Chandubi Lake in Assam’s Kamrup district.
Chandubi Lake is a natural lake that was formed due to massive landslides during the 1897 Assam earthquake, blocking the flow of the Chandubi River.
The festival’s main goal is to encourage eco-tourism and protect the lake, which has been losing water.
Preserving the lake and helping the tribes like Rabhas, Garos, Gorkhas, and tea tribes are reasons for holding the festival.
The festival is deeply rooted in the cultural fabric of the region, celebrating the diversity, customs, and traditions of the local communities.
It represents the confluence of various indigenous tribes and communities, each contributing their unique rituals, arts, crafts, and cultural practices.
The festival features a rich tapestry of cultural performances including traditional dances like Bihu, Sattriya, and tribal dances, showcasing the vibrant folk culture of Assam.
National Sports Awards 2023
The national sports awards are given annually to recognize and reward excellence in sports, highlight extraordinary performance at the national and international competitive events, encourage sportsmanship and promote nation-building by creating a sense of national pride and unity in a country as diverse as India.
The awards are administered by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India.
The six categories of the National Sports Awards are:
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award:
It is considered India’s highest sporting honour, the Khel Ratna was established in 1991-92.
The award is named after the Indian hockey legend, Major Dhyan Chand.
The award is given for outstanding performances in sports spanning over a period of four years and the Khel Ratna winners receive a medallion, certificate and a cash prize.
Legendary sports figures like MC Mary Kom, S. MirabaiChanu, PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, Vijender Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli amongst others have received this highest sporting honour in the past.
In 2023, Chirag Shetty and Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy (badminton) were awarded with Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
Arjuna Award
It is awarded for consistent good performance over a period of four years. The winners of the Arjuna Award receive a statuette of Arjuna, a certificate and a cash prize.
Dronacharya Award: It was instituted in 1985, is India’s highest sports honour for coaches. It is awarded to individuals for producing medal winners at prestigious international events. Awardees receive a bronze statue of Dronacharya, a certificate and a cash prize.
Ganesh Prabhakaran (mallakhamb), Mahavir Saini (para athletics), Lalit Kumar (wrestling), RB Ramesh (chess), Shivendra Singh (hockey) were awarded with Dronacharya Award for Outstanding Coaches in Sports and Games 2023.
Major Dhyan Chand Award: This award represents India’s highest honour for lifetime achievements in sports. Presented for good performance and contributing towards the promotion of sports in an individual capacity since 2002, the winners get a Dhyan Chand statuette, a certificate and a cash prize.
Manjusha Kanwar (badminton), Vineet Kumar Sharma (hockey), Kavitha Selvaraj (kabaddi) were awarded with Dhyan Chand Lifetime Award 2023
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy (MAKA): It was instituted in 1956–1957. It is given to an institution or university for top performance in inter-university tournaments over the last one year.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2023: Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar (winner), Lovely Professional University, Punjab (1st runners-up), Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra (2nd runners-up).
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar:
Instituted in 2009.
Awarded to organisations or corporates (both private and public) and individuals for playing a role in the area of sports promotion and development over the last three years.
In 2023, JAIN (Deemed-to-be-University), Odisha Mining Corporation Limited won this award.
DRDO conducts successful flight-test of New Generation Akash missile
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful flight-test of the New Generation AKASH (AKASH-NG) missile from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
The flight-test was conducted against a high-speed unmanned aerial target at very low altitude.
During the flight-test, the target was successfully intercepted by the weapon system and destroyed. It has validated the functioning of the complete weapon system consisting of the missile with indigenously developed Radio Frequency Seeker, Launcher, Multi-Function Radar and Command, Control & Communication system.
About AKASH (AKASH-NG) missile
It is a new generation state-of-the-art surface-to-air missile (SAM) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) to destroy high manoeuvring low radar cross section agile aerial threats.
It has been indigenously designed and developed by the DRDO and produced by defence public sector units along with other industries.
Multiple advanced versions of the missile are under development by the team.
Global Risks Report 2024
The World Economic Forum recently released the Global Risks Report 2024.
Key Highlights of the Report
Various global events in 2023, including lethal conflicts, Extreme Weather Conditions, and societal discontent, have contributed to a predominantly negative outlook.
Misinformation and disinformation are listed as the most severe risks over the next two years, highlighting how rapid advances in technology also are creating new problems or making existing ones worse.
A persistent cost-of-living crisis may lead to uncertainties in the global economic stability.
Inflation and economic downturn have emerged noteworthy top risks.
The risk of interstate armed conflict is the immediate concern. The ongoing conflicts, coupled with underlying geopolitical tensions pose the risk of conflict contagion.
In the absence of secure livelihood options, individuals may be prone to crime, militarization, or radicalization.
The countries with a history of conflict or vulnerability to climate change may face growing isolation from investment, technologies and job opportunities. There is continued dominance of environmental risks in the World.
Extreme weather events, critical shifts in Earth systems, biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse, natural resource shortages, and pollution emerge as severe risks over the next decade.
Global Risks Report 2024: Key Recommendation
To mitigate the risks of AI-enabled misinformation campaigns, the report suggests: Increasing societal resilience through renewed focus on critical thinking, media literacy, and civic responsibility education Governments collaborating with tech firms to promote information integrity while respecting digital rights Fostering international cooperation for early identification and containment of misinformation campaigns
Policymakers need to balance measures to control inflation with targeted relief for vulnerable groups to maintain social cohesion, as per the WEF.
Urgent climate mitigation and adaptation efforts are essential to prevent catastrophic outcomes, the WEF stresses. Similarly, reversing nature loss through conservation and restoration initiatives is vital for our collective future.
The collective actions of individual citizens, companies and countries may seem insignificant on their own, but at critical mass they can move the needle on global risk reduction.
ANUBHAV Awards Scheme 2024
The Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare launched Anubhav Portal in 2015, for sharing experiences of retiring/retired Central Government employees while working with the Government. It is envisaged that this culture of leaving notes by retirees will become the foundation stone of good governance and administrative reforms in future.
AboutANUBHAV Awards Scheme 2024
The scheme aims to create a database of significant suggestions and work experiences.
It channels the human resource of retiring employees for nation building and also enables Ministries/ Departments to take crucial steps while considering useful and replicable suggestions.
To participate in the scheme, retiring Central Government employees/pensioners are required to submit their Anubhav write ups, 8 months prior to retirement and up to 1 year after their retirement.
Thereafter, the write-ups will be published after assessment by concerned Ministries/Departments. The published write-ups will be shortlisted for Anubhav Awards and Jury Certificates.
The last date for submission under ANUBHAV Awards Scheme 2024 is 31.3.2024.
To encourage broader participation in the Anubhav Awards Scheme, 2024, the DOPPW has undertaken an Outreach Campaign to reach out to every pensioner to submit his ANUBHAV experience.
As of now, 54 ANUBHAV Awards have been conferred since the inception of the scheme.
Ujjain Unveils India’s First Hygienic Food Street ‘Prasadam’
Union Minister of Health, Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya and Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav jointly inaugurated the country’s first Healthy and Hygienic Food Street (Prasadam) at Neelkanth Van, Mahakal Lok, Ujjain.
Key Points
It is in line with the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’.
The initiative aims to connect people in every corner of the country with pure and safe local and traditional food.
The ‘Prasadam’ initiative aims to enhance Ujjain’s tourism attraction and preserve its culinary heritage while also playing a role in promoting economic development.
The newly launched food street is designed to provide various facilities including a kids’ play area, drinking water facility, CCTV surveillance, parking, public conveniences and seating spaces.
In addition to enhancing Ujjain’s tourism appeal and preserving its culinary traditions, “Prasadam” will also contribute to economic growth and community engagement.
Indian Navy gets first India-made long endurance Drishti 10 Starliner drone
The Indian Navy has recently received its first indigenous medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drone, the Drishti 10 Starliner unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
About Drishti 10 Starliner unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
It is developed by Adani Defence and Aerospace with technology transfer from Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems.
It is India’s first indigenous medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drone. 70% of the drone is made using indigenous components.
With an endurance of 36 hours and the ability to carry a payload of 450 kg, the drone is well-equipped for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.
It is a variant of Elbit Systems’ Hermes 900 Starliner drones.
Divyakriti Singh Becomes 1st Indian Woman Arjuna Awardee for Equestrian Sports
Divyakriti Singh has been conferred with the prestigious Arjuna Award for Equestrian Sports, making her the first woman from Rajasthan to achieve this honour.
Divyakriti Singh’s remarkable journey in the equestrian world reached new heights with the Arjuna Award, recognizing her outstanding contribution to the sport.
She underwent three years of training in Germany at the Hof Kasselman dressage yard in Hagen. She secured an Individual Silver and two Bronze medals at the International Dressage Competition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Current Affairs 2023 Yearbook – Important Current Affairs & GK (Important for APSC & other exams)
Current Affairs 2023 Yearbook comprehensively covers all the important events/topics of Current affairs of Assam, North-East, India and the World, important for competitive exams point of view.
The Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam have witnessed a sharp rise in the population of rhinos and tigers. he authorities of the national park expect the tiger population will rise to more than 60 from 48 as per the 2021 census.
The park’s Rhino population has also increased. Under the Indian Rhino Vision 2020 (IRV 2020), the Assam Govt decided to reintroduce rhinos in Manas National Park in 2005, and the first rhino was translocated to the park in 2006, from the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) near Kaziranga National Park.
About Manas National Park
Manas National Park is a national park that has been given the status of UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, an elephant reserve, a Project Tiger reserve, and a biosphere reserve.
It is located in the Himalayan foothills of Assam and is contiguous with Bhutan’s Royal Manas National Park.
Assam extended Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act,1958 (AFSPA) for six months
The Assam Govt has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) in the state for six more months.
DoNER Ministry celebrates‘Nari Shakti of the North East’
The Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (MDoNER), as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, is celebrating a week-long campaign called ‘Nari Shakti of the North East,’ to recognize the exceptional achievements of women and girls in North East India ahead of International Women’s Day 2022.
The campaign was launched by Minister of Development of the North Eastern Region, G. Kishan Reddy.
The North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Society (NERCRMS), Shillong and Changlang Community Resource Management Society (CCRMS), in collaboration with the District Administration and with support from the North Eastern Council and Ministry of DoNER, successfully conducted an awareness campaign on female hygiene and care products across District Changlang, Arunachal Pradesh.
It was conducted under the convergence of the Chief Minister’s flagship initiative, which promotes girls’ hygiene and health, with awareness in waste management. Under CCRMS and NERCRMSS, low-cost biodegradable and re-usable sanitary napkins are being produced by self-help groups with the focus being on girls and rural women.
As per the ‘Annual 2021 India Solar Market Update’ of Mercom India Research, India installed a record 10 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity in the calendar year 2021, a 212 percent increase year on year (y-o-y). Only 3.2 GW of solar capacity installations were made by India in 2020.
India’s cumulative solar installed capacity was at around 49 GW at the end of December 2021.
India added a total of 10 GW of solar power, the highest in a single year. In 2021, solar accounted for 62% of new power capacity additions, the largest power capacity shares ever.
Large-scale solar projects accounted for 83 percent of installations during the year, with a 230 percent y-o-y increase.
In 2021, rooftop installations increased by 138 percent y-o-y.
As of December 2021, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh were the top three states in terms of cumulative large-scale solar capacity, accounting for 50% of the country’s installations.
Rajasthan led capacity addition in 2021, with 4.5 GW of solar capacity installed.
Indian and Sri Lankan Navy bilateral maritime exercise SLINEX 2022
From March 7 to 10, the ninth edition of the Indian and Sri Lankan Navy bilateral maritime exercise SLINEX (Sri Lanka–India Naval Exercise) will be held at Visakhapatnam.
In two phases this exercise will be conducted with the Harbour Phase taking place at Visakhapatnam on March 7 and 8, and the Sea Phase taking place in the Bay of Bengal on March 9 and 10.
In October 2020, the previous edition of SLINEX was conducted in Trincomalee.
The aim of SLINEX is to increase mutual understanding, interoperability, and the exchange of best procedures and practices for multi-faceted maritime operations between the two navies.
India’s set to export record 7 million tonnes of wheat
This financial year, India is set to export around 7 million tonnes of wheat. This would be one of the highest exports of wheat by India.
India is the world’s second biggest producer of wheat, accounting for 13.53% of global production. But it only accounts for 1% of global wheat exports.
Annually India produces around 108 million tonnes of wheat. However, majority of the production goes for domestic consumption.
India exported a record 6.5 million tonnes in the financial year 2012-13. By the end of February 2022, India already exported 6.6 million tonnes of wheat.
Rajasthan announced Camel Protection and Development Policy
The state Govt of Rajasthan in its budget 2022-23 has announced a Camel Protection and Development Policy.
According to the state Govt figures, in Rajasthan there are less than two lakh camels left. Since 2012, the number of camels has reduced by 1.5 lakh in India. Around 2.5 lakh camels were left when in 2019 it was last counted.
The state animal of Rajasthan is the Camel and their number is decreasing continuously. In 2014, the Govt of Rajasthan had declared the camel as the state animal.
Nearly 85 per cent of India’s camels are found in Rajasthan which is followed by Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
According to the 2019 animal census, the number of camels in Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, and Nagaland dropped to zero, although these states had 45, 03, 07, and 92 camels, respectively, in 2012.
As the camel population is continuously declining, the Govt of Rajasthan has announced this policy. For this policy, a budget of Rs 10 crore has also been proposed. The amount will be used for protecting, rearing and developing the animals.
International Women’s Day on 8th March
On March 8th Women’s Day is celebrated annually across the globe. This day is dedicated to women and talks about their achievements and the journey they have taken to better their lives.
This day is celebrated with the aim to focus on gender equality and spread the message that without the inclusion of half of the planet’s population no vision can be fulfilled.
The Theme for International Women’s Day 2022 ‘Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow’ is the theme for International Women’s Day (IWD) 2022.
‘#BreakTheBias’ is the IWD 2022 campaign theme. Its aim is to encourage a gender-equal world free of stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination.
In 1977 the United Nations first officially recognized International Women’s Day. However, one of the earliest calls for women’s rights dates back to 1848, when Americans Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott organized the first women’s rights convention in the United States at an anti-slavery convention.
On February 13, National Women’s Day is held in India to commemorate Sarojini Naidu’s birth anniversary. She was a pioneer in women’s rights advocacy. Sarojini Naidu was called the Nightingale of India and was a poet as well as political leader.
PARAM Ganga supercomputer installed at IIT Roorkee
PARAM Ganga is the ‘Made in India’ Petascale supercomputer installed at IIT Roorkee under National Supercomputing Mission (NSM).
About PARAM GANGA
PARAM GANGA has a supercomputing capacity of 1.66 PFLOPS (Peta Floating-Point Operations per Second). It was designed and commissioned by C-DAC under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM).
The crucial components required to build PARAM GANGA are manufactured and assembled in India along with an indigenous software stack developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
PARAM Ganga will provide greater computational power to Indian scientists and will give a boost to research and development activities across various disciplines.
About National Supercomputing Mission (NSM)
National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeiTY) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
It is being implemented by the C-DAC and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. It is the responsibility of C-DAC to design, develop and commission the supercomputing system. The goal of the mission is to develop the indigenous supercomputing ecosystem of India.
The four major pillars of the mission are:
A) Infrastructure
B) Applications
C) Research and development (R&D)
D) Human Resource Development (HRD).
About supercomputers
Supercomputers are the fastest and high-performance systems that are primarily used for scientific and industrial purposes requiring high-speed computations.
Supercomputer’s performance is measured in floating-point operations per second. Petascale computing refers to the computing systems that are capable of calculating at least 1015 floating-point operations per second.
Mission Indradhanush: Odisha Tops highest coverage of complete immunization
Odisha topped the list at the national level in full immunization coverage, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5, with 90.5 percent coverage.
Odisha’s twenty districts were above 90 percent in full immunization, while the remaining 10 districts were less than 90 percent.
As per the composite index assessment Ganjam, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jharsuguda, Koraput, Keonjhar, Malkangiri, Khurda, Sambalpur, Mayurbhanj, and Sundargarh districts were selected for inclusion under Intensified Mission Indradhanush.
Preventive doses against 12 different kinds of diseases are included in full immunization. The disease includes tuberculosis, polio, diphtheria, jaundice, tetanus, whooping cough, brain fever, HIV, measles, pneumonia, diarrhoea, rubella, Japanese fever, and others.
About Mission Indradhanush
The Govt of India’s Mission Indradhanush is a healthcare initiative. It was first launched on December 25, 2014. This scheme seeks to achieve 90 percent full immunization coverage in India and also sustain it by the year 2022.
Vaccination is being provided against Whooping Cough, Diphtheria, Polio, Tetanus, severe form of Childhood Tuberculosis, Measles, and Hepatitis B and pneumonia &meningitis caused by Haemophilus influenza type B and also against Japanese Encephalitis and Rotavirus Diarrhea in selected states and districts of the nation.
About Intensified Mission Indradhanush
PM Narendra Modi launched the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) in October 2017 to further intensify the immunization programme. The Govt hopes to reach every kid under the age of two, as well as all pregnant women who have been left out of the routine immunization programme. The goal of the special drive was to boost immunization coverage in a few districts and cities, with the goal of reaching 90 percent coverage by December 2018 instead of 2020.
About Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0
Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0 was launched in December 2019 to ensure reaching the unreached with all available vaccines and to speed coverage of children and pregnant women in the specified blocks as well as districts from 2019 December to 2020 March.
It also aims that by 2030, the Sustainable Development Goal of reducing avoidable child deaths will be achieved. Because of the difficult-to-reach and tribal populations, it seeks to immunize 272 districts in 27 states and 652 blocks in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Youth Affairs, and Ministry of Urban Development have joined to guarantee that vaccine benefits reach the last mile.
Intensified Mission Indradhanush 3.0 scheme was implemented to cover children and pregnant women who missed routine immunization due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Intensified Mission Indradhanush 4.0 was launched recently by the Ministry of Health. It will ensure that unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children, as well as pregnant women, receive Routine Immunization (RI) services. Children up to the age of two will be covered under this drive.
India’s First Women-owned Industrial Park opened in Hyderabad
Commemorating the International Women’s Day 2022, India’s first 100 percent women-owned industrial park was opened in Hyderabad, Telangana. Telangana Industries Minister KT Rama Rao inaugurated this park.
With 25 women-owned and operated Green Projects, this industrial park has begun its operations.
The FLO Industrial Park is named after the FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO), which is promoting it in association with the Telangana Govt. The FLO Industrial Park, covers 50 acres and cost Rs 250 crore to build.
Indian Govt to setup National Land Monetization Corporation
The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi has approved the setting up National Land Monetization Corporation (NLMC).
NLMC was first proposed in the Union Budget 2021-22 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. NLMC will now be set up as a wholly-owned Govt of India company.
NLMC will be under the administrative jurisdiction of the Department of Public Enterprise, Ministry of Finance. NLMC’s initial authorized share capital will be ₹5000 crores and paid-up share capital is ₹150 crore.
NLMC will support and undertake monetization of excess land and buildings of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and other Govt institutions. NLMC will also provide technical advice to the Govt in the implementation of the asset monetization program. CPSEs may transfer their non-core assets to NLMC to manage and monetize them.
Need for monetization
Many Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) have surplus assets like land and buildings, which are not put into productive use. Monetization of such non-core assets with help in unlocking their value.
Through monetization, these un-used & under-used assets can be productively used to attract investments from the private sector and generate new employment opportunities.
Monetization of these assets will also generate substantial revenues to the Govt, which can be used for creating economic and social infrastructure.
Monetization by National Land Monetization Corporation (NLMC) will speed up the strategic disinvestment process of CPSEs.
India tops medals tally at ISSF World Cup 2022
The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup 2022 was held in Cairo, Egypt from 26th February to 8th March 2022.
With a total of seven medals, the Indian team took first place in the medals tally, with four gold, two silver, and one bronze.
Norway, won six medals which include three gold, one silver, and two bronze, and came second on the medals tally. With three golds, France came third.
India’s performance
The first gold medal was won by Saurabh Chaudhary. He defeated Germany’s Michael Schwald with a score of 16-6 in the Men’s 10m Air Pistol gold medal match.
Anish Bhanwala and Rhythm Sangwan won the gold medal in the 25m rapid fire pistol mixed team match against Thailand.
Indian trio of Anish Bhanwala, Gurpreet Singh, and Bhavesh Shekhawat won the silver medal in the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol team competition after losing to Germany.
In the women’s 10m air pistol team event Nivetha Paramanantham, Esha Singh, and Ruchira Vinerkar clinched the gold medal.
In the women’s 25m pistol team event Esha Singh, Rahi Sarnobat, and Rhythm Sangwan won the gold for India. They defeated the team from Singapore in the gold match.
In the women’s 10m air pistol individual event Esha Singh clinched the Silver medal.
In the 50m rifle 3 positions mixed team event Akhil Sheoran and Shriyanka Sadangi won the bronze medal.
Katalin Novák elected Hungary’s First Female President
Katalin Novák, a close ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has been elected as Hungary’s first female president by the Hungarian parliament.
She won 137 votes to 51 in the parliament, which is dominated by Orban’s right-wing Fidesz party, defeating opponent Peter Rona, an economist.
Novák will be succeeding Janos Ader, a co-founder of Orban’s ruling Fidesz party who has served as prime minister since 2012.
Novák has been the face of Govt initiatives which include encouraging young families to have more children, as well as giving significant tax breaks.
Gujarat top position in 2nd edition of Export Preparedness Index 2021 by NITI Aayog
NITI Aayog, in partnership with the Institute of Competitiveness, released the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2021.
About the Report
The Export Preparedness Index is a data-driven endeavour to identify the fundamental areas critical for subnational export promotion.
Primary Goals-
To instil competition among all Indian states (‘Coastal’, ‘Landlocked’, ‘Himalayan’, and ‘UTs/City-States’)
To bring about favourable export-promotion policies,
Ease the regulatory framework to prompt subnational export promotion,
Create the necessary infrastructure for exports
Assist in identifying strategic recommendations for improving export competitiveness.
4 Pillars
Policy: A comprehensive trade policy provides a strategic direction for exports and imports.
Business Ecosystem:An efficient business ecosystem can help attract investments and create an enabling infrastructure for businesses to grow.
Export Ecosystem:This pillar aims to assess the business environment, which is specific to exports.
Export Performance:This is the only output-based pillar and examines the reach of export footprints of states and union territories.
Top Performers
Gujarat has retained the top position at the NITI Aayog’s second edition of the Export Preparedness Index 2021 followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as among the states who are the top 10 performers.
Among union territories, Delhi has topped the index followed by Goa, Jammu, Kashmir, Chandigarh, and Puducherry while Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Tripura, Sikkim, and Manipur were at the top five spots among the Himalayan states.
India on verge of achieving SDG Target of Maternal Mortality Ratio
In a significant achievement, Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of India has declined by 10 points as per the Special Bulletin on MMR released by the Registrar General of India.
The ratio has declined from 113 in 2016-18 to 103 in 2017-19 (8.8 % decline).
The country has been witnessing a progressive reduction in MMR from 130 in 2014-2016, 122 in 2015-17, 113 in 2016-18, and to 103 in 2017-19.
With this persistent decline, India is on the verge of achieving National Health Policy (NHP) target of 100/lakh live births by 2020 and certainly on track to achieve the SDG target of 70/ lakh live births by 2030.
States that achieved SDG Targets
The number of states which have achieved the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target has now risen from 5 to 7 viz. Kerala (30), Maharashtra (38), Telangana (56), Tamil Nadu (58), Andhra Pradesh (58), Jharkhand (61), and Gujarat (70).
There are now nine (9) States that have achieved the target of MMR set by the NHP which include the above 7 and the States of Karnataka (83) and Haryana (96).
States with MMR between 100-150
Five states [Uttarakhand (101), West Bengal (109), Punjab (114), Bihar (130), Odisha (136) and Rajasthan (141)] have MMR in between 100-150.
States with MMR above 150
4 states namely, Chhattisgarh (160), Madhya Pradesh (163), Uttar Pradesh (167) and Assam (205) have MMR above 150.
Debasish Panda appointed as the new Chief of IRDAI
Debasish Panda has been appointed as the new chairperson of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) for a three-year term.
About IRDAI
The IRDAI is a regulatory body that falls under the ambit of the Ministry of Finance. This organization is responsible for licencing and regulating the insurance and reinsurance sectors in India. It was constituted under the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act of 1999.
The agency’s headquarters have been in Hyderabad since 2001 when it relocated from Delhi. The chairman, as well as five full-time and four part-time members selected by the Indian Govt, constitute the IRDAI.
Mukhyamantri Chaa Srami Kalyan Prakalpa scheme
Tripura Govt has announced a special scheme ‘Mukhyamantri Chaa Srami Kalyan Prakalpa’ for tea workers.
It is introduced as a step towards bringing the 7000 tea garden workers of Tripura under the social security net.
This special scheme would ensure housing, rations, and financial support to the tea garden workers.
India’s equity market in Top 5 in terms of market capitalization
For the first time, India’s equity market reached the world’s fifth position in terms of market capitalization.
At present India is ranked 5th, after the U.S., China, Japan, and Hong Kong. At the start of 2022, India was ranked 7th. Later, India climbed two positions despite a 7.4% drop in its market capitalization. Now, India’s total market capitalization is $3.21 trillion.
Market capitalization (market cap) is the total market value of a publicly-traded company’s outstanding shares of stock. Market cap is calculated by multiplying the total company’s outstanding shares by the current market price of one share
Sikkim announced ‘Bahini’ scheme
The Govt of Sikkim is set to announce the Bahini scheme in its annual Budget later this month.
About the Bahini scheme
The Bahini scheme aims to provide secondary and senior secondary school-going girls with 100% access to free and safe sanitary pads. Under the Bahini scheme, Vending machines will be installed in 210 secondary and senior secondary Govt schools of Sikkim to provide free sanitary pads.
The scheme will cover 18,665 adolescent girls studying in Govt schools in Sikkim.
This is the first time in India that a state decided to cover all girls studying in Class 9-12. Under the scheme, incinerators will also be installed at the schools to dispose of pads.
Anganwadi and ASHA workers will also be involved in the Bahini Scheme.
Aims of the Bahini scheme
The main aim of the Bahini scheme is to curb the dropout of adolescent girls from schools. According to an international NGO WaterAid India, 23% of adolescent girls drop out of school due to a lack of proper sanitation facilities and sanitary napkins. The scheme also raises awareness about menstrual hygiene among school-going adolescent girls.
Assam launched Unique Land Parcel Identification Number
Union minister of rural development and Panchayati raj, Giriraj Singh launched Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) in Assam.
About ULIPN
Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULIPN) project was launched in Assam on a pilot basis.
Under this project, every land parcel in Assam will have a 14-digit alphanumeric geospatial unique identification number (UIN). Thus, ULPIN will act as an “adhaar for land”.
About Mission Basundhara
‘Mission Basundhara’ is a mission launched by the Govt of Assam to streamline and make land revenue services accessible to all, thereby promoting ease of doing business environment in the land management ecosystem of Assam. ‘Mission Basundhara’ aims to reduce the pendency in the updation of the land records.
The three components of ‘Mission Basundhara’ are:
Purification of the land records in the state in a mission mode.
Conducting Polygon survey of yet to be surveyed 672 non-cadastral villages.
Conducting a Re-survey of 18789 cadastral villages using the hybrid methodology.
About DILRMP
ULPIN project is part of the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP).
DILRMP was launched in 2008 by the Govt of India. It was earlier known as the National Land Record Modernization Programme (NLRMP). The objective of DILRMP is to digitize and modernize the land records and to develop a centralized land record management system in India.
The three important components of DILRMP are:
Computerization of the land records.
Conducting a survey or resurvey of the land.
Computerization of the land registration.
The ultimate aim of the DILRMP is to move towards the conclusive titling system with title guarantee by replacing the present presumptive title system in India.
Karnataka launched India’s first-ever Digital Water Data Bank
Karnataka’s IT Minister, C N Ashwath Narayan launched India’s first-ever digital water data bank, AQVERIUM.
The Digital water data bank is a list of water data sourced from various institutions.
It provides reliable information and insights regarding the various aspects of water.
It helps in making evidence-based policies and decisions to achieve a water-secure world.
This data will help tackle some common development challenges and water pollution. It also helps in improving service delivery, sustaining water resources, & building resilience.
About AQVERIUM
AQVERIUM is India’s first-ever digital water data bank. It is an initiative of AquaKraft Ventures, a company that has expertise in sustainable initiatives to provide drinking water and sanitation to all.
AQVERIUM intends to train around one million youth in water, sanitation, hydro-geological sciences, and data sciences. It is a unique innovation combining sustainable technologies along with IT, skill development, and entrepreneurship.
A unique social franchising model is also offered by the company. The objective is to create ‘water entrepreneurs’ and make India ‘Water Positive’ by 2030.
Achieving water security is crucial for India to become a USD 5 trillion economy. At present, the Indian water market is highly unorganized and there is a need for a comprehensive 360-degrees approach towards water management.
Nagaland India’s first state Assembly to implement National e-Vidhan Application
Nagaland became India’s first State Assembly to implement the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) programme to become paperless.
About National e-Vidhan Application
NeVA is a type of work-flow system that was deployed on NIC Cloud, MeghRaj which helps to conduct the proceedings of the House smoothly by the Chair of the House and also to conduct Legislative Business of the House in a manner which is paperless.
NeVA is a member-centric and device neutral application that was created to equip the members to smartly handle various House Business by putting entire information regarding the contact details of members, list of business, rules of procedure, bulletins, notices, starred or unstarred questions, and answers, bills, committee reports, papers laid, etc. in their handheld devices such as tablets and equip all Departments and Legislatures to handle it efficiently.
Through the use of NeVA the process of sending out a request or notice for the data collection is completely eliminated.
Each Member of the House has a secure page where they can submit questions and other notices.
mNeVA is a user-friendly mobile version of NeVA that is accessible on both Android and iOS. mNeVA has made information about how legislatures conduct business available to the public which can be accessed any time and from any location.
Aim of NeVA
NeVA aims to bring the country’s legislatures together, in one platform thus creating a massive depository of data without having the complexity faced due to having multiple applications.
Surajkund Crafts Mela being held in Surajkund, Haryana
From the 19th March 2022, the annual Surajkund International Crafts Mela is being held in Surajkund, Haryana for celebrating Indian cultural heritage and folk traditions.
This Mela attracts more than a million visitors including thousands of overseas visitors. The aim of this festival is to promote the vast culture and talent of the nation’s indigenous artisans.
This Mela is the largest crafts fair in the world, showcasing the rich diversity of India’s handlooms, handicrafts, and cultural fabric.
This Mela is an international artisan fair that is one-of-a-kind and provides a platform for artists from across the globe to demonstrate their creativity and culture.
Haryana’s Tourism Department hosts this Mela at Surajkund annually, and it attracts travellers of all ages.
The partner nation of this year’s Mela is Uzbekistan.
The theme state of the Surajkund Mela 2022 is Jammu &Kashmir, presenting its rich legacy and distinct culture via handicrafts and art forms and is the theme state of the Surajkund Mela 2022. Hundreds of artists from Jammu and Kashmiri will perform various indigenous performances to enchant the audience, ranging from exquisite crafts to traditional dances.
World Water Day observed on 22nd March
On 22nd March, World Water Day is observed annually. This day is observed to raise awareness regarding the importance of water and its conservation.
This day focuses to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) of the United Nations. SDG 6 looks to ensure sanitation and safe water for all across the globe by 2030.
This day acts as a reminder for us to take precautionary steps to tackle water crisis across the globe.
The theme of World Water Day 2022
“Groundwater, making the invisible visible” is the theme for this year’s World Water Day. The programs that have been organized for this day will focus on groundwater importance.
Many organizations, as well as individuals, are being called upon to create awareness regarding this resource which is continuously depleting.
In 1992, during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro, the idea to observe this day was first put forward. The UN General Assembly, in 1992, adopted a resolution declaring 22nd March as World Day for Water. The observation of this day began in 1993.
Rooftop Solar Programme Phase- II
The Rooftop Solar Programme Phase-II is being implemented by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The guidelines for this were issued in August 2019. Through Central Financial Assistance (CFA), 4000 MW rooftop solar (RTS) capacity addition has been targeted under this programme in the residential sector.
For RTS projects till 3 kW capacity and till 20% for the RTS system capacities with more than 3 kW till 10 kW for individual households, the CFA up to 40% of the benchmark cost is provided.
For Residential Welfare Associations and Group Housing Societies, the CFA has been limited to 20% for the RTS plants for power supply to the common facilities with a maximum capacity of 500 kW.
Additionally, around 10 per cent of the rooftop solar cost are provided as incentives to the distribution utilities depending upon capacity addition above baseline.
For the residential sector, the ministry has allocated a capacity of 3162 MW so far. A total of 1252 MW capacity out of the allocated capacity has been reported to have been installed as of 28th February 2022. Under this programme, Rs 1,132.74 crore of Central financial assistance has been distributed to various electricity distribution corporations.
Dennis Parnell Sullivan won Abel Prize for 2022
The winner of the Abel Prize 2022 is Dennis Parnell Sullivan, an American mathematician. This award also includes prize money which amounts to 7 Million NOK (Norwegian Krone).
He received this award for his contributions to topology, especially its geometric, algebraic, and dynamical aspects.
Topology is a field of mathematics that considers two things of different forms to be equivalent only if they can be deformed into each other. Topology is a new field of mathematics as it was born at the end of the 19th century. Topology is important in maths and various other fields like data science, economics, and physics.
About Abel Prize
The King of Norway presents the Abel Prize and it is given annually to an individual who has done a remarkable job in the mathematics field.
This prize has been named after Niels Henrik Abel who was a famous Norwegian mathematician. This award took inspiration from the famous Nobel Prize.
Nobel Prize doesn’t have a section for mathematics, though some mathematicians have won this prestigious prize in other fields.
The Fields Medal is an annual award that is also considered to be the ‘Mathematics Nobel’ but it is only awarded to those individuals who are below the age of 40.
The Abel Prize was first awarded in 2003 to Jean-Pierre Serre, a French mathematician, for his contribution to algebraic geometry, topology, and number theory.
In 2007, S. R. Srinivasa Varadhan, who is an Indian-American citizen had won the Abel Prize for his contribution in probability theory and for creating a unified large deviation theory.
India’s exports crossed the USD 400 billion for the first time
India’s exports crossed the USD 400 billion mark in a fiscal year. This is the first time India’s export has reached such heights.
This milestone has been achieved due to good performance by various sectors such as engineering, petroleum products, jewellery and gems, and chemicals.
Exports increased by 37 percent to USD 400.8 billion in 2021-22 until March 21, compared to USD 292 billion in 2020-21. Earlier, a record of USD 330.07 billion in 2018-19 was reached by outbound shipments.
During this period imports amounted to USD 589 billion, which leaves a USD 189 billion trade deficit. The country had a target of USD 400 billion for merchandise export set for FY2022 which was was achieved with 10 days remaining in the fiscal. There’s a chance that the total export for this fiscal might cross USD 410 billion.
Increase in the export of other types of goods. Several goods such as motor vehicles, auto components, buffalo meat, cereal preparations, carpets, rice, and processed fruits saw an increase in their overall exports volumes despite commodity price decline.
Engineering goods contributed the most. It grew at a nearly 50 percent rate and is expected to touch USD110 billion by FY2022’s end. By 42.8 percent the export of electronics goods rose. By 57.3 percent the jewellery and gems exports rose.
Due to a steady increase in the prices of crude oil, petroleum products exports rose by 147.6 percent.
Along with this inorganic and organic chemicals, meat, readymade garments, dairy products, and marine products saw an increase in exports.
Reserve Bank Innovation Hub in Bengaluru inaugurated
The Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) has been inaugurated by Shaktikanta Das, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in Bengaluru.
RBIH has been set up as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the RBI with Rs 100 crore as an initial capital contribution.
Gopalakrishnan is selected as the Chairman.
This initiative of the RBI puts it among a select few global central banks that are trying to bring about change in the mode of engagement while trying to bring about innovations in this sector.
The aim of the RBIH is to create an ecosystem that will focus on the promotion of access to various financial products and services for the low-income group population across the nation.
The RBIH also has the objective of bringing world-class innovation to the country’s financial sector along with working towards the theme of financial inclusion.
The Hub will also be looking to mentor and identify various start-ups. It will also collaborate with Govt Departments, Ministries to identify and resolve challenges in different domains.
Indian Antarctic Bill 2022 approved
A Draft legislation has been approved by India’s Union Cabinet to provide a regulatory framework for research activities of India in Antarctica and also to protect the continent’s environment. The Ministry of Earth Sciences has piloted the Indian Antarctica Bill.
This bill is expected to help fulfill the nation’s obligations under the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources of 1982, the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, and 1998s Treaty of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic.
India’s Antarctic program began in the year 1981 and since then 40 scientific expeditions have been completed. India has also built three bases on the continent.
India’s base stations in Antarctica
As of now, India has two fully functioning base stations in Antarctica named Maitri which was established in 1988, and Bharati which was established in 2012. Another one named Dakshin Gangotri was established in 1983 but it is not functional currently.
PV Sindhu won Swiss Open 2022
P V Sindhu won the Swiss Open 2022 defeating Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand in the finals of the Swiss Open Super 300 badminton tournament held in Basel, Switzerland.
This is her second title this season as she had earlier in January won the Syed Modi India International.
She is the second Indian woman to win this tournament, following Saina Nehwal who had earlier won in 2011 and 2012.
PV Sindhu is a two times Olympics medal winner having won the silver in the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
This is her second finals appearance in the Swiss Open, having been defeated by Carolina Marin in 2021.
Oscar Awards 2022 – Winners full list
The Oscars 2022 or the 94th Academy Awards ceremony which is presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
All Winners
Best Picture: CODA
Best Actress: Jessica Chastain for the movie The Eyes Of Tammy Faye
Best Director was won by Jane Campion for The Power Of The Dog.
Best Actor: Will Smith for the movie King Richard
Best Supporting Actress went to Ariana DeBose for the movie West Side Story.
Best Supporting Actor: Troy Kotsur for the movie CODA
Best Original Screenplay: Bellfast
Best Adapted Screenplay: CODA
Best International Feature Film: Drive My Car (Country-Japan)
Best Documentary Feature: Summer Of Soul
Best Animated Feature Film: Encanto
Best Animated Short: The Windshield Wiper
Best Original Score: Dune
Best Live Action Short: The Long Goodbye
Best Cinematography: Dune
The Queen of Basketball received the award for Best Documentary (Short)
Best Original Song: No Time To Die (Movie- No Time To Die)
Best Production Design: Dune
Best Costume Design: Cruella
Best Sound: Dune
Best Makeup and Hair went to the movie The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Best Visual Effects: Dune
Best Film Editing: Dune
Stockholm Water Prize 2022 to Professor Wilfried Brutsaert
The Stockholm Water Prize 2022 has been awarded by The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) to Professor Wilfried Brutsaert for his innovative work in evaluating environmental evaporation.
This prize is widely considered to be the Nobel Prize for Water.
Professor Brutsaert was awarded this prize as he has developed methods for quantifying evaporation and the role it plays in the Earth’s energy balance that allows for accurate estimations of how precipitation can evolve.
This method is of utmost importance to the exposed local communities across the world as they will be needing to predict daily water levels as well as water levels available in the future.
About Stockholm International Water Institute
SIWI is a not-for-profit, independent organization that aims to strengthen freshwater governance regionally, globally, locally, and nationally.
This organization was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. Torgny Holmgren is the current Executive Director.
This organization performs research, provides advisory services, and builds institutional capacity in five areas of transboundary water management, water governance, the water-energy-food nexus, water and climate change, and water economics.
Pradhan Mantri Sangrahalaya to be setup in Delhi
The Museum of Prime Ministers or the Pradhan Mantri Sangrahalaya is being built at Teen Murti Estate in Delhi.
This Museum will be covering the life of all of India’s 14 Prime Ministers who have taken up this role so far. Their contribution will also be showcased. The works and collection of Jawaharlal Nehru will however be staying in the Nehru Memorial Museum, which was also his residence at one point in time.
In this museum, speeches, rare photographs, newspapers, video clips, interviews, and original writings will be displayed. There will also be displays of personal belongings like caps, pens, letters, etc as well as interactive digital displays in this museum. Virtual reality and digital displays will be focused upon. This museum has been designed to accommodate all future PMs as well.
Gilbert F. Houngbo appointed ILO’s New Director-General
Gilbert F. Houngbo has recently been elected as the International Labour Organization’s 11th Director-General. He is the former Prime Minister of Togo and will be taking office in October 2022.
He will be the first African to have been elected to this post.
Since 2017, he is serving as the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Every 10 years, the ILO elects a new Director-General. The votes for this post are cast by the governing body of ILO which comprises representatives of workers, Govts, and employers.
National Education Society for Tribal Students established under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs
National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) is an autonomous organization that was established under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA).
NESTS started its journey four years back with the aim of providing high-quality education to all the tribal students across the country in their own specific environment.
It has also approved the building of 391 new schools. 140 schools are currently under construction and a total of 123 schools have started to function
NESTS and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs have set up targets to complete the construction of a total of 452 new schools and the pending 67 schools under its old scheme by the year 2025.
The constructed schools will be having state of the art facilities which will be in line with the Navodya Vidyalaya.
3rdborder 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.
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
Capital expenditure outlay hiked by 35.4%
Total expenditure in 2022-23 estimated at Rs. 39.45 lakh crore.
Total receipts other than borrowings in 2022-23 estimated at Rs. 22.84 lakh crore.
Fiscal deficit in current year: 6.9% of GDP (against 6.8% in Budget Estimates)
Fiscal deficit in 2022-23 estimated at 6.4% of GDP.
Direct Taxes: Provision to file an Updated Return on payment of additional tax. This will enable the assessee to declare income missed out earlier.
Direct Taxes: No change in income tax slabs.
Scheme for taxation of virtual digital assets: Any income from transfer of any virtual digital asset to be taxed at rate of 30%.
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.
MSME: Emergency Credit Linked Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) to be extended up to March 2023.
Skill Development: Digital Ecosystem for Skilling and Livelihood (DESH-Stack e-portal) will be launched.
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.
Health: An open platform for National Digital Health Ecosystem to be rolled out.
Har Ghar, Nal Se Jal: Rs. 60,000 crores allocated to cover 3.8 crore households in 2022-23
Housing for All: Rs. 48,000 crores allocated for completion of 80 lakh houses in 2022-23 under PM Awas Yojana.
NE: New scheme PM-DevINE (Development Initiative for North-East Region) launched for the North-East.
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.
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.
Defence: 68% of capital procurement budget earmarked for domestic industry in 2022-23, up from 58% in 2021-22.
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
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
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.
4th 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.
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 43rd 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.
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.
Assam govt signs MoU with IIM Bangalore for training young professionals
The government of Assam has signed an MoU with the Indian Institute of Management (Bangalore) for a training programme for young professionals.
and facilitators to support government administration.
The Chief Minister’s Young Professional Programme (CMYPP) aims at bringing transformative changes in health, education, women, and child development in the state.
Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Samir Kumar Sinha singed the MoU on behalf of the Government of Assam and Director IIM Bangalore Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan signed the understanding on behalf of IIM Bangalore to develop a cadre of committed and competent leaders.
Indo-US joint training exercise ‘YUDH ABHYAS 22’
The 18th edition of Indo – US joint training exercise “YUDH ABHYAS 22” is scheduled to be conducted in Uttarakhand this month. The previous edition of the exercise was conducted at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska (USA) in October 2021.
Exercise Yudh Abhyas is conducted annually between India and USA with the aim of exchanging best practices, Tactics, Techniques and Procedures between the Armies of the two nations.
Key Points
US Army soldiers of 2nd Brigade of the 11th Airborne Division and Indian Army soldiers from the ASSAM Regiment will be participating in the exercise.
The joint exercise will also focus on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.
The training schedule focuses on employment of an integrated battle group under Chapter VII of the UN Mandate and the schedule will include all operations related to peace keeping & peace enforcement.
Troops from both nations will practice launching of swift & coordinated relief efforts in the wake of any natural calamity.
The scope of the Field Training Exercise includes validation of integrated battle groups, force multipliers, establishment and functioning of surveillance grids, validation of operational logistics, mountain warfare skills, casualty evacuation and combat medical aid in adverse terrain and climatic conditions.
The exercise will involve exchanges and practices on a wide spectrum of combat skills including combat engineering, employment of UAS/Counter UAS techniques and information operations.
The exercise will facilitate both Armies to share their wide experiences, skills and enhance their techniques through information exchange.
Supreme Court agree to hear plea against first amendment of constitution
The Supreme Court of India agreed to examine a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) challenging changes made to the right to freedom of speech and expression by the first amendment act 1951.
About First Amendment to the Constitution
First Amendment to the Constitution amended Articles 15, 19, 85, 87, 174, 176, 341, 342, 372 and 376.
Provided for the saving of laws providing for the acquisition of estates, etc.
Added the ninth schedule to protect anti-zamindari laws from judicial review. After Article 31, Articles 31A and 31B were inserted.
Added three more grounds for restrictions on freedom of speech and expression: public order, friendly relations with foreign states, and incitement to an offense. Also, it made the restrictions ‘reasonable’ and thus, justiciable in nature.
Provided that state trading and nationalization of any trade or business by the state is not to be invalid on the ground of violation of the right to trade or business.
Arguments against this Amendment
The petitioner, Section 3(1) of the amending Act substituted original Clause (2) of Article 19 with a new Clause (2), which contained two objectionable insertions.
Original Clause (2) of Article 19 was dealing with reasonable restrictions on the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a).
New Clause (2), contained “two objectionable insertions” allowing restrictions also “in the interest of public order” and “in relation to incitement to an offence”.
The amendment neglects national security by dropping the expression ‘tends to overthrow the State’ which raises grave concern in the context of the dangers posed to the concept of the secular democratic republic by radicalism, terrorism and religious fundamentalism.
These two Insertions Protect Sections:
124A: Sedition
Section 153A: Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.
295A: Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs)
505: Statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code from the vice of unconstitutionality.
The plea urged the court to declare Section 3 (1)(a) and 3 (2) of the First Amendment “beyond the amending power of Parliament” and void since the “same damage the basic or essential features of the Constitution and destroy its basic structure”.
G-20 Summit 2022
The 17th G20 Summit began in Bali, Indonesia with the theme of ‘Recover Together, Recover Stronger’. Leaders from the world’s major economies attended the summit.
Key Points
The two-day Bali Summit comprises three working sessions at the leaders’ level, in which PM Modi will be participating.
The summit focuses on global economic recovery, global health architecture, digital transformation, sustainable energy transition and climate change etc.
The world is currently struggling with many important challenges including environmental challenges, lack of progress in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), uneven post-pandemic economic recovery, debt vulnerabilities especially in the countries of the global south, ongoing conflict in Europe etc.
G20 leaders will discuss these challenges and underscore the importance of closer multilateral cooperation to help overcome these challenges.
They promised to take coordinated action to address food security challenges and recognised the importance of digital transformation in reaching the sustainable development goals.
They encouraged international collaboration to further develop digital skills and digital literacy.
They expressed their continuous commitment to promoting a healthy and sustainable recovery which builds towards achieving and sustaining universal health coverage.
The 2022 summit is especially important for India since it will be taking over the G20 presidency from Indonesia from December 1, 2022.
19th ASEAN-India Summit
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar led the Indian delegation, including the External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Jaishankar, at the 19th ASEAN-India Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The Vice President of India stated that India-ASEAN relationship forms the central pillar of India’s ACT-EAST policy. He reiterated India’s support to ASEAN centrality in the Indo-Pacific.
He said that India and Cambodia share rich traditions and culture while having centuries-old civilization connect. He further added that today Cambodia is an important interlocutor and partner in our ‘Act East’ policy and the ASEAN.
Key Points
At the summit, ASEAN and India adopted a joint statement announcing the elevation of the existing Strategic Partnership to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Both sides reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, maritime safety and security, freedom of navigation and overflight in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Joint Statement also reiterated the commitment to enhance India-ASEAN cooperation in various areas such as maritime activities, counter-terrorism, transnational crimes, cyber security, digital economy, regional connectivity, smart agriculture, environment, science & technology, tourism, among other areas.
The Joint Statement also proposes expediting the review of ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) to make it more user-friendly, simple, and trade-facilitative.
About Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on August 8, 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand.
It is a regional grouping to promote economic growth, peace, security, social progress and cultural development.
Its member states are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
India is hosting the two-day conclave to mark the 30th anniversary of its relations with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The year 2022 has been designated as the ‘ASEAN-India Friendship Year’. This year also marks the tenth anniversary of India’s strategic cooperation with ASEAN.
India and ASEAN
ASEAN and India share land and maritime borders, and there is a lot of scope for enhancing connectivity through land, air and sea.
India and several other countries, including the US, China, Japan and Australia, are its dialogue partners.
India provides financial assistance to the ASEAN nations through various mechanisms like ASEAN-India Cooperation Fund, ASEAN-India S&T Development Fund and ASEAN-India Green Fund.
India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway is an ongoing effort to enhance road connectivity between Northeast India and Southeast Asia.
Renowned mathematician and great scholar Padma Shri Awardee Shri RL Kashyap passed away. RL Kashyap translated around twenty-five thousand Sanskrit mantras into English language. He wrote more than 250 research papers.
Kashyap has made many important contributions to the field of Veda.
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2021 by the central government for his considerable service in the field of studying the Vedas.
Kashyap received many international awards for his immense contributions to the fields of science and technology.
Kashyap worked as a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computers for three decades at Purdue University in America.
Cabinet approved the scheme “Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE)
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently approved the Prime Minister’s development initiative for the North East region (PM-DevINE).
PM-DevINE was announced in the Union Budget 2022-23 to address development gaps in the North Eastern Region (NER).
Key Points
The PM-DevINE is a 100% Central Government funded plan and will be administered by the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER).
The PM-DevINE will be operational for the remaining four years of the 15th Finance Commission, from 2022-23 to 2025-26 and will have an outlay of Rs 6,600 crore.
PM-DevINE will be implemented by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), through the North Eastern Council or central ministries and agencies.
The PM-DevINE will lead to the creation of infrastructure, support industries, social development projects, and create livelihood activities for youth and women.
PMDevINE will provide support to infrastructure and social development projects which may be larger in size and will also provide an end–to-end development solution instead of isolated projects.
India’s first Slender Loris Sanctuary will be established in Tamil Nadu
The Tamil Nadu government has notified the country’s first Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary in Karur and Dindigul districts.
Key Points
The Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary will be covering 11,806 hectares in the Karur and Dindigul districts of the State.
The Kadavur slender loris sanctuary is to cover Vedasandur, Dindigul East and Natham taluks in Dindigul district and Kadavur taluk in Karur district.
The government notified ‘Kadavur slender loris sanctuary’ under Section 26 (A)(1)(b) of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The species is considered endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
About Slender Loris
The slender lorises are a genus of loris native to India and Sri Lanka.
The genus comprises two species, the red slender loris found in Sri Lanka and the gray slender loris from Sri Lanka and India.
They are small nocturnal mammals that are arboreal in nature as they spend most of their life on trees, travelling along the tops of branches with slow and precise movements.
The species acts as a biological predator of pests in agricultural crops and benefits farmers.
The survival of the species depends on its habitat improvement, conservation efforts and mitigation of threats.
Prime Minister declared Modhera as India’s first solar-powered village
The Prime Minister declared Modhera, a village in the Mehsana district of Gujarat as India’s first solar-powered village.
Key Points
The Modhera village has a ground-mounted solar power plant, and over 1,300 rooftop solar systems with 1kW capacity have been installed on houses to generate electricity.
Modhera was well known for the Sun temple, now it will also be known as a solar-powered village.
The people in the village wouldn’t pay for electricity, rather they could start selling it and earn from energy produced by the solar panel by selling it to the government grid.
It will generate employment at the village level, and ultimately improve the standard of living.
The project will enhance the sustainable implementation of various welfare projects in the area. The people of the area will be able to save 60-100% of their electricity bills.
Jharkhand record country’s highest percentage of child marriage
According to the latest demographic sample survey by the Union Home Ministry, Jharkhand has recorded the highest percentage of underage girls getting married.
The Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report contains estimates of various demographic, fertility and mortality indicators based on the data collected through one of the largest demographic surveys in the world covering about 8.4 million sample population.
Key Points
According to the survey brought out by the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, the percentage of girls getting married before attaining majority is as high as 5.8 in Jharkhand.
As per the survey, the percentage of females who got effectively married before reaching 18 years of age is 1.9 at the national level and varies from 0.0 in Kerala to 5.8 in Jharkhand.
In Jharkhand, child marriages accounted for 7.3% of marriages in rural areas and three per cent in urban areas.
Jharkhand and West Bengal are the only two States in the country where more than half of the women are married before attaining the age of 21 years.
In West Bengal 54.9 percent of girls are married before attaining the age of 21 years, while in Jharkhand is 54.6 percent as against the national average of 29.5 per cent.
Goa will host the 37th edition of the National Games in October 2023
The Indian Olympic Association has confirmed that Goa will host the 37th edition of the National Games in October next year.
The Goa state government has conveyed to the IOA its in-principle approval to host the next edition of the National Games.
Goa was set to host the 36th edition of the National Games but the IOA had to shift the venue to Gujrat, who agreed to conduct the event in a short span of time.
The Goa delegation may receive the IOA flag at the Closing Ceremony of the 36th National Games on 12th October 2022 in Surat, Gujarat.
The 35th National Games of India were held in Kerala in 2015.
Prime Minister will inaugurate sixth edition of India Mobile Congress
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will launch 5G services in the country and will also inaugurate the 6th Edition of India Mobile Congress 2022 (IMC-2022). The IMC 2022 is scheduled to be held from 1st to 4th October with the theme of “New digital Universe”.
Key Points
The cumulative economic impact of 5G on India is estimated to reach USD 450 billion by 2035.
The 5G technology will provide seamless coverage, high data rate, low latency, and highly reliable communications.
The 5G service is expected to unleash new economic opportunities and societal benefits, serving as a transformational force for Indian society.
The 5G to be launched by the Prime Minister in select cities will progressively cover the entire country over the next couple of years.
Srishti Bakshi wins ‘Changemaker’ award at the UN SDG Action Awards
Srishti Bakshi, a women’s rights activist from India, was honoured with the ‘Changemaker’ award at the UN SDG Action Awards held at a ceremony in Bonn, Germany.
The activist has traveled 3,800km around the country in less than a year to raise awareness on gender-based violence and inequality. She was awarded for “confronting gender-based violence and advocating for safe access to public spaces.”
The other award winners are ‘SUPvivors say NO MORE’ in the Mobilise category, ‘The Masungi Story’ in the Inspire category honouring youth rewriting the future of forgotten watersheds at Masungi Geosreserve in the Philippines and ‘CyprusInno in the Connect category’.
Asha Parekh will be honoured with 52nd Dadasaheb Phalke award
Veteran actress Asha Parekh has been declared the recipient of the 2020 Dadasaheb Phalke award. The award will be presented at the National Film Award ceremony in New Delhi.
The jury for the selection of 52nd Dadasaheb Phalke award consisted of five members from the film industry.
Ms Asha Parekh is a renowned film actress, director and producer and an accomplished Indian classical dancer. She was conferred the Padma Shri in 1992.
About the Dadasaheb Phalke Award
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India’s largest laurel in cinema.
The award was first presented in 1969 by the Indian Government to honor Dadasaheb Phalke’s contribution to Indian film.
It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Dadasaheb Phalke award winners are given in the form of a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of ₹1,000,000.
The first recipient of the award was actress Devika Rani, who was honoured at the 17th National Film Awards.
SC-ST hub conclave organized by Ministry of MSME in Gujarat
The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has organized a national SC-ST hub conclave in Gujarat to spread awareness about the National SC-ST Hub (NSSH) Scheme and other Schemes of the Ministry.
Key Points
More than 300 SC-ST entrepreneurs participated in the event. The conclave provided a platform for aspiring and existing SC-ST entrepreneurs to interact with CPSEs, lending institutions, GeM, RSETI, TRIFED etc.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Solanki said more SC-ST entrepreneurs from Gujarat State should take benefits available under the NSSH Scheme.
He also urged the bankers present in the audience to prioritize credit support to the SC-ST entrepreneurs so that they may not face any difficulty in augmenting their business capacities.
He stressed upon Prime Minister’s vision of becoming job providers instead of job seekers and emphasized the participation of SC-ST entrepreneurs in strengthening the Indian Economy.
About NSSH scheme
The ministry of MSME launched the National Scheduled Caste Scheduled Tribe Hub (NSSH) scheme to promote an inclusive economy and entrepreneurship among SC/ST communities.
It has been set up to provide professional support to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Entrepreneurs to fulfil the obligations under the Central Government Public Procurement Policy for Micro and Small Enterprises Order 2012.
The hub leverages the Stand Up India programme.
The President of India presented the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2022
The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, presented the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2022 at a function held in New Delhi.
Key Points
Indore has been adjudged India’s cleanest city for the sixth time in a row,
Surat and Navi Mumbai were named as the 2nd and 3rd cleanest cities respectively.
Madhya Pradesh secured the first position, followed by Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra in the category of best performing states in ‘Swachh Survekshan Awards 2022’.
Haryana was in the second position while Tamil Nadu was third.
Among smaller states and Union territories, Andaman and Nicobar secured the first position followed by Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu and Sikkim.
Telangana won the first prize under the large states category under the Swachh Survekshan Grameen (SSG) 2022 which looks into the sanitation status of rural areas.
In the category of cities having population fewer than one lakh, Maharashtra’s Panchgani was ranked number one, followed by Chhattisgarh’s Patan (NP) and Maharashtra’s Karhad.
Haridwar was adjudged the cleanest Ganga town in the category of more than 1 lakh population, followed by Varanasi and Rishikesh.
Bijnor was ranked the first among Ganga towns with fewer than one lakh population. followed by Kannauj and Garhmukhteshwar respectively.
In to the survey, Maharashtra’s Deolali was adjudged the country’s cleanest Cantonment Board.
