Ministry of Education releases All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-2022
The Ministry of Education, Government of India releases All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-2022. The Ministry has been conducting AISHE since 2011, covering all Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in the country registered with AISHE collecting detailed information on different parameters such as student enrollment, teachers, infrastructural information, etc.
Key findings of the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-22
Total enrollment in higher education increased from approximately 4.14 crore in the previous session to nearly 4.33 crore in 2021-22, marking an increase of around 19 lakh students.
Female enrollment increased from 2.01 crore in 2020-21 to 2.07 crore in 2021-22. The increase in female enrollment from 2014-15 (1.57 crore) to 2021-22 (2.07 crore) accounts for around 50 lakh students.
In 2021-22, 57.2 lakh students were enrolled in the science stream, with female students outnumbering male students (29.8 lakh versus 27.4 lakh).
Female Ph.D. enrollment doubled from 0.48 lakh in 2014-15 to 0.99 lakh in 2021-22. The annual increase in female Ph.D. enrollment for the period 2014-15 to 2021-22 is 10.4%.
The enrollment of Scheduled Tribe (ST) students increased from 16.41 lakh in 2014-15 to 27.1 lakh in 2021-22, marking a 65.2% increase.
Total student enrollment in North East States increased from 9.36 lakh in 2014-15 to 12.02 lakh in 2021-22. Female enrollment in North East States (6.07 lakh) surpassed male enrollment (5.95 lakh) in 2021-22.
OBC student enrollment increased by 45% in 2021-22 (1.63 crore) compared to 2014-15 (1.13 crore). Minority student enrollment increased from 21.8 lakh in 2014-15 to 30.1 lakh in 2021-22, with female minority enrollment witnessing a 42.3% increase
The total number of Universities / University level institutions registered is 1,168, Colleges 45,473 and Standalone Institutions 12,002.
In all, 341 Universities/University level institutions have been established since 2014-15. 17 Universities (of which 14 are State Public Universities) and 4,470 Colleges are exclusively for women.
About All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE):
The All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) is an annual statistical exercise conducted by the Ministry of Education (formerly known as the Ministry of Human Resource Development) in India.
It has been published since 2011 with the objective to portray the status of higher education in the country.
The survey covers all institutions providing higher education in the country.
Data is being collected on multiple parameters, such as teachers, student enrollment , programmes, examination results, education finance and infrastructure.
Indicators of educational development such as institution density, gross enrollment ratio, student-teacher ratio, gender parity index, per student expenditure will also be calculated from the data collected through AISHE.
Laughing Gull Spotted for the First Time in India
The laughing gull, a migratory bird originating from North America, has been observed for the first time in the country at the Chittari estuary in Kasaragod district of Kerala.
About Laughing gull
The laughing gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) is a species of bird belonging to the family Laridae.
It is a medium-sized gull with a distinctive appearance characterized by its black head, black legs, long drooping bill white body, and long wings.
The bird is known for its unique laughter-like calls which resemble human laughter.
These birds are most commonly found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America, as well as the Caribbean and parts of Central America.
They are known for their adaptability and opportunistic feeding habits.They eat mainly fish, shellfish, crabs, molluscs, insects, bird eggs, and young birds.
E-Ink displays
An E-ink display is a screen that aims to replicate the experience of reading and writing on paper. They are used in e-readers like the Amazon Kindle.
About E Ink displays
The technology was originally developed in the 1990s at MIT and is now owned by E Ink Corporation.
The screens work by manipulating microcapsules filled with positively and negatively charged particles, creating text and images without the need for backlighting.
This makes them ideal for prolonged reading, as they reflect light like paper and consume minimal power.
They are being used at bus stop displays, walking direction signs, and some restaurants’ menu boards.
Pros and Cons
Advantages: E Ink displays excel in low power consumption, making them suitable for devices requiring extended battery life. They also minimize eye strain due to their paper-like visual experience, matte surface, and outdoor readability.
Disadvantages: E Ink displays have slower refresh rates compared to LCD and OLED screens, rendering them unsuitable for video or animation. They also have limitations regarding color and resolution and remain relatively expensive for larger sizes.
The PM inaugurates the Diamond Jubilee celebration of the Supreme Court of India
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Diamond Jubilee celebration of the Supreme Court of India at the Supreme Court auditorium in Delhi. He also launched citizen-centric information and technology initiatives that include Digital Supreme Court Reports (Digi SCR), Digital Courts 2.0 and a new website of the Supreme Court.
About the Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the apex judicial body under the Constitution of India.
Article 124 of the Constitution states that “There shall be a Supreme Court of India.”
The Supreme Court came into existence on January 26, 1950, with the coming into force of the Constitution.
The Supreme Court has original, appellate, and advisory jurisdiction.
It serves both as the final court of appeals and the final interpreter of the Constitution.
Its exclusive original jurisdiction extends to any dispute between the Government of India and one or more States or between the Government of India and any State or States on one side and one or more States on the other, or between two or more States, if and insofar as the dispute involves any question (whether of law or fact)on which the existence or extent of a legal right depends.
Article 32 of the Constitution gives extensive original jurisdiction to the Supreme Court for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights.
Status Report of Snow Leopards in India
The Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change released the report on the Status of Snow Leopards in India during the National Board for Wildlife meeting held in New Delhi.
The report was released as part of the Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) Program, which is the first-ever scientific exercise that reports Snow leopard population of 718 individuals in India.
About Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) Program
The SPAI systematically covered over 70% of the potential snow leopard habitat across the trans-Himalayan region, including UTs of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, and states such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is the National Coordinator for this exercise that was carried out with the support of all snow leopard range states and two conservation partners, the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysuru and WWF-India.
The assessment was conducted from 2019 to 2023 using a meticulous two-step framework, including evaluating snow leopard spatial distribution and estimating snow leopard abundance using camera traps.
The first step involved evaluating Snow leopard spatial distribution, through an occupancy-based sampling approach in the potential distribution range. In the second step, Snow leopard abundance was estimated using camera traps in each identified stratified region.
Recommendations of the SPAI Program
The report emphasises the need for establishing a dedicated Snow Leopard Cell at WII under the MoEFCC to focus on long-term population monitoring.
Consistent monitoring through periodic population estimation is proposed to ensure the long-term survival of snow leopards and to identify challenges, address threats, and formulate effective conservation strategies.
India Nominates ‘Maratha Military Landscapes’ for UNESCO World Heritage List 2024-25
The “Maratha Military Landscapes of India” will be India’s nomination for recognition as the UNESCO World Heritage List for the year 2024-25.
This nomination comprises 12 components, each holding a unique place in history and culture. The twelve component parts of this nomination are, Salher fort, Shivneri fort, Lohgad, Khanderi fort, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala Fort, Vijay durg, Sindhudurg in Maharashtra and Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu. These components, distributed across diverse geographical and physiographic regions, showcase the strategic military powers of the Maratha rule.
About Maratha Military Landscapes
The Maratha Military Landscapes of India, which developed between the 17th and 19th centuries, represent an extraordinary fortification and military system envisioned by the Maratha rulers. This extraordinary network of forts, varying in hierarchies, scales and typological features, is a result of integrating the landscape, terrain and physiographic characteristics distinctive to the Sahyadri mountain ranges, the Konkan Coast, Deccan Plateau and the Eastern Ghats in the Indian Peninsula.
There are more than 390 forts in Maharashtra out of which only 12 forts are selected under the Maratha Military Landscapes of India, of these eight forts are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.
These are Shivneri fort, Lohgad, Raigad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala fort, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg and Gingee fort whereas Salher fort, Rajgad, Khanderi fort and Pratapgarh are protected by the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Maharashtra.
In the Maratha Military Landscapes of India Salher fort, Shivneri fort, Lohgad, Raigad, Rajgad and Gingee fort are hill forts, Pratapgad is hill-forest fort, Panhala is hill-plateau fort, Vijaydurg is coastal fort whereas Khanderi fort, Suvarnadurg and Sindhudurg are island forts.
Maratha Military Ideology
The origins of Maratha Military ideology can be traced back to the 17th century during the reign of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (circa 1670 CE).
This enduring legacy continued through subsequent rules, including the Peshwa rule until 1818 CE.
Nomination and Criteria
There are two categories of nomination- cultural and natural criteria, the Maratha Military landscapes is nominated in the category of cultural criteria.
There are six criteria (i to vi) for cultural sites and four criteria (vii to x) for natural sites for inclusion in the World Heritage List.
The Maratha Military Landscapes of India is nominated under criterion (iii): To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization that in living or which has disappeared,
criterion (iv): to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble, or landscape that illustrates significant stage(s) in human history and
Criterion (vi): To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance.
India’s UNESCO Heritage
At present in India there are 42 World Heritage sites, out of which 34 are cultural sites, seven are natural sites whereas one is mixed site.
In Maharashtra there are six World Heritage Sites, five cultural and one natural these are, Ajanta Caves (1983), Ellora Caves (1983), Elephanta Caves (1987), Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004), Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai (2018) and western Ghats of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala is serial property in natural category (2012).
The Maratha Military Landscapes of India included in the Tentative List of World Heritage sites in 2021 is the sixth cultural property nominated for inclusion in the World Heritage List from Maharashtra.
India-Saudi Arabia Joint Military Exercise ‘SADA TANSEEQ’
The inaugural edition of India-Saudi Arabia Joint Military Exercise ‘SADA TANSEEQ’ commenced at Mahajan, Rajasthan. The Exercise is conducted from 29th January to 10th February 2024.
Participation and Representation:
The Saudi Arabian contingent comprising 45 personnel is being represented by Royal Saudi Land Forces.
The Indian Army contingent also comprising 45 personnel is being represented by a Battalion from the Brigade of the Guards (Mechanised Infantry).
Objectives
Aim of the Exercise is to train troops of both sides for Joint Operations in Semi Desert terrain under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.
About Exercise Sada Tanseeq
The Exercise will enable both the sides to share their best practices in the tactics, techniques and procedures of conducting operations in sub-conventional domain.
It will facilitate developing interoperability, bonhomie and camaraderie between troops from both the sides.
The Exercise will involve Establishment of Mobile Vehicle Check Post, Cordon & Search Operation, House Intervention Drill, Reflex Shooting, Slithering and Sniper Firing.
The Exercise will provide an opportunity to both the contingents to strengthen their bond.
It will act as a platform to achieve shared security objectives, enhance the level of defence cooperation and foster bilateral relations between the two friendly nations.
Amit Shah unvelis book ‘Assam’s Braveheart Lachit Barphukan’
Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently launched a book titled ‘Assam’s Braveheart Lachit Barphukan‘.
The book was released at the Srimanta Sankardev International Auditorium in Guwahati in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The book, authored by Arup Kumar Dutta, delves into the life of the legendary 17th-century Ahom warrior Lachit Barphukan.
The book highlights Lachit Barphukan’s significant role in defending Assam against the Mughal army, chronicling historical events and the enduring influence of Barphukan’s legacy.
The book has been published in English language by the state government and translated into 24 scheduled Indian languages.
India-Egypt Joint Special Forces Exercise CYCLONE
The 2nd edition of Exercise CYCLONE, a joint special forces drill between India and Egypt, is taking place in Anshas, Egypt, from January 22 to February 1, 2024. The exercise is designed to develop bilateral military cooperation and strengthen bond between two armies through conduct of discussions and rehearsal of tactical military drills.
About Exercise Cyclone
The Indian contingent is being represented by troops from The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) and an Egyptian contingent comprising 25 personnel is being represented by Egyptian Commando Squadron and Egyptian Airborne Platoon.
Aim of the Exercise is to acquaint both the sides with each other’s operating procedures in the backdrop of Special Operations in desert/ semi desert terrain under Chapter VII of United Nations Charter.
The Exercise will involve planning and execution of special operations in sub conventional domain and conducted in three phases.
While the first phase will include Military Exhibitions and Tactical Interactions, second phase will focus on training on Improvised Explosive Device (IED), counter IED and Combat First Aid. The third and final phase will encompass Joint Tactical Exercise based on Fighting in Built-up Area and Hostage Rescue Scenarios.
The Exercise will provide an opportunity to both the contingents to strengthen their bond and share best practices. It will also act as a platform to achieve shared security objectives and foster bilateral relations between two friendly nations.
The first edition of the exercise was conducted last year in India.
Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana
The PM announced Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana, a pioneering government initiative aimed at installing rooftop solar power systems in one crore households across the nation.
About Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana
This scheme is a new attempt to help reach the target of 40 GW rooftop solar capacity.
It will involve installing solar power systems at rooftops for residential consumers.
The scheme would help not only reduce electricity bills of the poor and middle class, but also push India’s goal of becoming self-reliant in the energy sector.
Current Solar Capacity in India
According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, solar power installed capacity in India has reached around 73.31 GW as of December 2023.
Meanwhile, rooftop solar installed capacity is around 11.08 GW as of December 2023. Overall, solar power has a major share in the country’s current renewable energy capacity, which stands at around 180 GW.
High performing states In terms of total solar capacity, Rajasthan is at the top with 18.7 GW. Gujarat is at the second position with 10.5 GW.
When it comes to rooftop solar capacity, Gujarat tops the list with 2.8 GW, followed by Maharashtra by 1.7 GW.
Previous schemes to promote rooftop solar system
In 2014, the government launched the Rooftop Solar Programme. This had aimed to achieve a cumulative installed capacity of 40,000 megawatts (MW) or 40 gigawatts (GW) by 2022.
‘Hamara Samvidhan, Hamara Samman campaign’
The Vice-President of India had inaugurated ‘Hamara Samvidhan, Hamara Samman’ to commemorate the 75th Year of India as a Republic. The campaign, led by the Ministry of Law and Justice, aims to reaffirm commitment to the Constitution, celebrating shared values.
This nationwide initiative envisage to instill a sense of pride and responsibility to uphold the ideals outlined in the constitutional framework. It will also give opportunity to every citizen to participate in various ways, empower them to contribute in a meaningful way in our democratic journey.
Some of the themes to be covered during the Campaign include:-
Sabko Nyay Har Ghar Nyaya – Connecting the villagers and spreading awareness of legal services. The citizens would also get the opportunity to showcase their talents and to test their knowledge on the Constitution.
Vidhi Jagriti Abhiyan – Involving the students to carry the message Panch Pran in the villages adopted by the Law colleges, under the Pro Bono Club scheme.
Nyaya Setu – Expanding the legal services till the last mile. The event also released the achievement booklet of the Scheme on Access to Justice ‘Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice’ (DISHA).
Partnership with IGNOU – To allow Paralegals to acquire certifications in diverse field of laws to increase their employability. Partnership with Bhashini – To break the barriers of language in accessibility to justice.
The 9th India International Science Festival (IISF)
The 9th edition of India International Science Festival, (IISF-2023) held from 17 to 20 January at Faridabad, Haryana.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India is organizing the 9th edition of IISF and its autonomous organization National Innovation Foundation-India is the coordination and implementation body of IISF 2023.
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) institutes Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB) – Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) located in Faridabad (Haryana) is the host institute of the grand event
Objectives
The aim of this science festival is to celebrate the achievements of India in the frontier areas of science and technology.
The festival also aims to acknowledge the achievements of science enthusiasts and inculcate scientific temper among young students and spread the same among the Indian citizens.
Theme
The central theme of IISF 2023 is “Science and Technology Public Outreach in Amrit Kaal”.
This time, 22 countries are also participating at IISF 2023. These include Argentine Republic, Republic of Armenia, Commonwealth of Australia, Kingdom of Cambodia, French Republic, Federal Republic of Germany, Republic of Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Kenya, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Republic of Namibia, Republic of the Philippines, Republic of Rwanda, Republic of Singapore, Republic of South Africa, Kingdom of Thailand, United Kingdom, United States of America (USA), Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and Republic of Zimbabwe.
19th NAM Summit held in Uganda
The 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit was held in Kampala, Uganda. Uganda has taken over as chair from Azerbaijan, to run until 2027.
Theme: ‘Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence.’
Key discussions
Israel-Hamas war: The leaders of NAM countries have denounced Israel’s offensive in Gaza and demanded an immediate ceasefire during the summit.
India’s “Vishwa Mitra” initiative: India emphasized its role as a friend to the world, or “Vishwa Mitra” to global solidarity and cooperation in his address.
A call for multipolar world
About Non-Aligned Movement
The NAM was established in 1961 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, through the initiative of five leaders of newly independent countries: Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia, Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, Jawaharlal Nehru of India, Sukarno of Indonesia, and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana.
It was formed during the Cold War as an organisation of States that did not seek to formally align themselves with either the United States or the Soviet Union but sought to remain independent or neutral.
Currently it has 120 Member States, 17 Observer Countries and 10 Observer organizations.
NAM does not have a permanent secretariat or a formal founding charter, act, or treaty.
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.
Aditya-L1 successfully placed in a Halo Orbit around L1 Point
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has achieved a significant milestone by placing the Aditya-L1 spacecraft in a halo orbit around the Lagrangian point (L1).
AboutAditya-L1
Aditya-L1 is the first Indian space mission to observe the Sun, was launched in September 2023, using a PSLV-C57 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
Aditya-L1 is in a periodic halo orbit around L1, approximately 1.5 million km from Earth.
The satellite carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost layer of the Sun (corona) using electromagnetic and particle detectors.
With a mission life of five years, Aditya-L1 aims to study the sun’s photosphere, chromosphere, and corona, along with in-situ studies of particles and fields at L1.
Lagrange Point
Lagrange Points are positions in space where a small object can maintain its position relative to two larger bodies due to the gravitational balance.
Spacecraft leverage these points to minimize fuel consumption and allow spacecraft to maintain their position efficiently.
Ministry of Education launches PRERANA program
The Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India has launched ‘Prerana: An Experiential Learning program’, aiming to offer a meaningful, unique, and inspiring experience to all participants, thereby empowering them with leadership qualities.
About PRERANA program
Prerana is a week-long residential program for selected students of Class IX to XII.
It is an experiential and inspirational learning program for students with the best-in-class technology where heritage meets innovation.
A batch of 20 selected students (10 boys and 10 girls) will attend the program, every week from various parts of the country.
It will run from a Vernacular School, established in 1888, in one of the oldest living cities of India, Vadnagar, district Mehsana, Gujarat.
The curriculum of Prerana School prepared by IIT Gandhi Nagar is rooted in nine value based themes: Swabhiman and Vinay, Shaurya and Sahas, Parishram and Samarpan, Karuna and Sewa, Vividhta and Ekta, Satyanishtha and Shuchita, Navachar and Jigyasa, Shraddha aur Vishwas, and Swatantrata and Kartavya.
The program based on the above themes will inspire the youth and foster respect for Bharat’s unity in diversity, embodying the spirit of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” and will contribute by making the youth of today, a flame holder for Viksit Bharat.
The day-wise program schedule will feature yoga, mindfulness, and meditation sessions, followed by experiential learning, thematic sessions, and hands-on interesting learning activities.
Rejupave Technology
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has utilised road construction technology i.e. Rejupave technology to construct parts of the world’s highest Sela Road Tunnel and the LGG-Damteng-Yangste (LDY) road near the China border in Arunachal Pradesh.
About the Rejupave Technology
It is developed by CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI).
Rejupave asphalt modifier is a bio-oil-based product that lowers the heating requirement of bituminous mixes besides preserving the bituminous mix’s temperature during transit.
It is beneficial in constructing high-altitude bituminous roads at low and sub-zero temperature conditions.
It brings down the temperature of bituminous mixes by 30 to 40 degrees Celsius with negligible heat loss in the bituminous mix during transit.
Raghuram Iyer’s extensive experience in sports management and administration, particularly his previous roles as CEO of Indian Premier League teams Rajasthan Royals and Rising Pune Supergiants, has been recognized as making him an ideal candidate for this position.
India will host the 46th Session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee
This will be the first instance for India to chair the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and host its 46th session in New Delhi from July 21 to 31, 2024.
About the World Heritage Committee:
It is a committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The Committee is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund, and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties.
It examines reports on the state of conservation of inscribed properties and asks States Parties to take action when properties are not being properly managed.
It also decides on the inscription or deletion of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Structure:
The World Heritage Committee is composed of representatives from 21 member states, elected by the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention.
According to the World Heritage Convention, a Committee member’s term of office is for six years.
World’s First Functional Semiconductor Made From Graphene
Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology have successfully developed the world’s first functional semiconductor composed of graphene.
About Graphene
Graphene is a one-atom-thick layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. It is the building-block of Graphite.
It is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity.
It is almost perfectly transparent, as it absorbs only 2% of light.
It is impermeable to gases, even those as light as hydrogen and helium.
It can be used to enhance the strength of other materials.
It is a great material for making heat-spreading solutions, such as heat sinks or heat dissipation films.
This could be useful in both microelectronics and in larger applications, for example, thermal foils for mobile devices.
It also has an extremely high surface-area-to-volume ratio.
This makes graphene a very promising material for use in batteries and supercapacitors.
Graphene may enable batteries and supercapacitors (and even fuel cells) that can store more energy and charge faster, too.
India Signs Bilateral Hajj Agreement 2024
The Indian government has recently signed a Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024 with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), marking a significant development in the facilitation of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
A total quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims from India has been finalised for Haj 2024 with 1,40,020 seats being reserved for pilgrims to proceed through Hajj Committee of India and 35,005 pilgrims would be permitted to proceed through Haj Group Operators.
Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to the sacred city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims.
It takes place during Dhu’al-Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic calendar, and is performed over five to six days.
The pilgrims wear simple white garments (Ihram) to symbolize equality and purity.
The first meeting of the Inland Waterways Development Council held in Kolkata
The first meeting of the Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) concluded on January 8, 2024 in Kolkata to strengthen the inland water transport system in the country. It was organized by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the nodal agency for inland waterways under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India.
Key Points
The agenda of the first IWDC meeting had sessions centered around fairway development, enhancing cargo and passenger transport in IWT, potential of river cruise tourism to boost economic activity, sustainability practices in terms of non-fossil fuel-based vessel operations among others.
One of the key highlights of the meeting was the launch of Harit Nauka- Guidelines for Green Transition of Inland Vessels and River Cruise Tourism Roadmap, 2047.
The agenda also includes promoting eco-friendly vessels for passenger transportation, exploring economic advantages in river cruise tourism, and advocating for sustainable practices in inland waterways development.
The River Cruise Tourism Roadmap 2047 focuses on four vital pillars, including Infrastructure, Integration, Accessibility, and Policy for promoting river cruise tourism.
As a part of the roadmap, over 30 possible routes and tourist circuits along inland waterways have been identified for further development.
MoPSW stressed upon the importance of State-level institutional structure and rules in ensuring that the planning and development of the state’s inland waterway ecosystem accounts for its unique characteristics and requirements.
Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, also known as Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Day is an annual event celebrated every year on 9th January to honor the Indian diaspora and the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the country’s development.
About Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas or NRI Day is celebrated to commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India on 9 January 1915.
It was first celebrated in 2003. It was an annual event earlier, but in 2015, the government revised its format to celebrate PBD once every two years.
It has become a platform to connect the Indian diaspora with their roots and encourage their continued engagement with India’s progress.
It is held in different cities, to showcase the diversity and progress of different regions of India.
Till date, 17 conventions have been held. The last Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was celebrated in the Indore of Madhya Pradesh in 2023 with the theme “Diaspora: Reliable Partners for India’s Progress in Amrit Kaal.”
Q1. India’s first Girls’ Military School inaugurated in
Vrindaban
Bhopal
Guwahati
Shillong
Vrindaban
India’s first Girls’ Military School inaugurated in Vrindavan, Mathura. The Samvid Gurukulam Girls Military School, located within the Vatsalya Gram campus and established by Sadhvi Ritambhara, aims to provide education and training to female students.
This initiative marks a significant step in extending military education traditionally reserved for male students in India to female students as well.
Q2. Vijay Raghavan Committee, recently seen in news is related to
To provide free electricity to 1 lakh households.
To make provisions for rural panchayats.
To review the functioning of the Defence Research and Development Organisation
Frame guidelines to tackle the sensitive and far-reaching problems of cybercrimes
To review the functioning of the Defence Research and Development Organisation
Q3. Exercise Cyclone was held between the Indian special forces and which of the following countries?
Myanmar
Sri Lanka
Egypt
Indonesia
Egypt
The 2nd edition of Exercise CYCLONE, a joint special forces drill between India and Egypt, is taking place in Anshas, Egypt.
Indian Army contingent, consisting of 25 personnel from The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) with the Egyptian contingent represented by the Egyptian Commando Squadron and Egyptian Airborne Platoon.
The exercise focuses on enhancing bilateral military cooperation and understanding operating procedures in desert terrain under UN Charter Chapter VII. It involves three phases, including Military Exhibitions, IED training, and Joint Tactical Exercises, fostering stronger ties between the two friendly nations.
Q4.The ‘Operation Sarvashakti’, recently seen in news is related to
Operation by the IAF to evacuate Indian citizens from Ukraine.
An initiative of the Indian army to neutralise terrorist threats in Pir Panjal range
Operation by the Indian Navy to evacuate Indian citizens and foreign nationals from Sudan during the 2023 Sudan conflict.
Repatriate Indian citizens from overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic
An initiative of the Indian army to neutralise terrorist threats in Pir Panjal range
Q5. ‘Hatti community has been granted Scheduled Tribe status by which state government recently?
Madhya Pradesh
Haryana
Manipur
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
The Hattis are a close-knit community that got their name from their tradition of selling homegrown vegetables, crops, meat, wool, etc. at small markets called ‘haat’ in towns. They follow a Rigid Caste System.
The Hattis are governed by a traditional council called Khumbli, which like the Khaps of Haryana, decide community matters.
The Khumbli’s power has remained unchallenged despite the establishment of the Panchayati Raj System.
Q6. What is the name of India’s first indigenously developed Hepatitis A vaccine?
Havisure
Rotavac
Comvac
Indirab
Havisure
Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL), has launched India’s first domestically developed Hepatitis A vaccine, named ‘Havisure.’
It is a two-dose vaccine.The first dose given to those above 12 months of age and the second dose is administered at least six months later.
The vaccine is advised for routine immunization in children and individuals at risk due to exposure or travel to regions with high hepatitis A prevalence.
Individuals with occupational infection risks and those suffering from chronic liver diseases can also receive Hepatitis A vaccination.
Q7. Which among the following institutions has been selected for the Subhash Chandra Bose Disaster Management Award-2024 in the ‘Institutional Category’?
Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (GIDM)
60 Parachute Field Hospital, Uttar Pradesh
Disaster Mitigation & Management Centre, Uttarakhand
Lunglei Fire Station (LFS), Mizoram
60 Parachute Field Hospital, Uttar Pradesh
60 Parachute Field Hospitals of Uttar Pradesh have been selected for the Subhash Chandra Bose Disaster Management Award for the year 2024 for their excellent work in the field of disaster management.
Under this award, the winning organization in the institutional category is awarded a cash prize of Rs 51 lakh and a certificate. In case of an individual, Rs 5 lakh in cash and a certificate is provided.
Q8. Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana is related to
Rooftop solar panels
Cultivation of Honey
Child Health
Cultivation of Sunflower
Rooftop solar panels
Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana is a centrally sponsored scheme, under which rooftop solar panels will be installed on more than 1 crore houses, with the help of which people will get a clean source of energy.
The objective of this scheme is to include poor and middle class persons under the rooftop solar program and also to bring self-reliance in the energy sector.
Q9. Exercise ‘SADA TANSEEQ’, is conducted between which two countries?
India and Turkey
India and Indonesia
India and Saudi Arabia
India and Kazakhstan
India and Saudi Arabia
The first joint military exercise between India and Saudi Arabia, “SADA TANSEEQ”, took place from January 29 to February 10, 2024.
The exercise was held at the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan.
The exercise aims to improve synergy, interoperability by sharing best practices between the two countries’ armies.
The Exercise will enable both the sides to share their best practices in the tactics, techniques and procedures of conducting operations in sub-conventional domain.
It will facilitate developing interoperability, bonhomie and camaraderie between troops from both sides.
Q10. Which state’s products Adi Kekir and Wancho wooden craft have recently received the Geographical Indication (GI) Tag status?
Assam
Himachal Pradesh
Goa
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Recently, three items of Arunachal Pradesh have received the prestigious Geographical Indication tag, officials said on Wednesday. These are Adi kekir (ginger), Handmade carpets by Tibetan settlers and Wooden items made by the Wancho community.
Q11. Who was the President of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly?
Judge Nawaf Salam
H.E. Dennis Francis
Mr. Peter Thomson
Ajay Banga
H.E. Dennis Francis
Q12. International Purple Fest 2024 was organised in
Punjab
Assam
Goa
Uttarakhand
Goa
International Purple Fest 2024 was organised in Goa. The objective of this festival is to showcase the talents of persons with disabilities through attractive performances in music, dance and entertainment.
An extraordinary moment of the inauguration ceremony was the presentation of Purple named ‘Dhumal’. In this, performances will be given by disabled people from different areas of Goa as well as respected composers of the Indian music industry. Thus, events are primarily a symbol of inclusivity and unity.
Q13. A book named “Gandhi A Life in Three Campaigns” is authored by
Chetan Bhagat
Aravind Adiga
M.J. Akbar
Vivek Singh
M.J. Akbar
Q14. Which country has been selected to host the 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee?
Japan
India
Russia
Kazakistan
India
India is set to chair the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and host its 46th session in New Delhi from July 21 to 31, 2024.
Q15. ‘Polygonum Chaturbhunjam’ recently seen in the news, belongs to which of the following species?
Fungi
Plants
Fishes
Reptile
Plants
A new plant species named Polygonum Chaturbhujanum has been discovered at Gol Pahadi island in the Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Maharashtra. It is an herb.
Additionally, the survey revealed the presence of six plant species endemic to India within the Pench Tiger Reserve, namely Aegineta indica, Boerhavia crispa, Habenaria gibsonii var foetida, Iphigenia pallida, Petalidium barlerioides, and Barleria gibsonii.
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.
‘Varuna’ Naval Exercise conducted by India and France
The 20th edition of the bilateral naval exercise that is named ‘Varuna’ is being conducted by India and France in the Arabian Sea from 30th March till 3rd April 2022.
In this exercise, various units of the two navies which include submarines, ships, fighter aircraft, maritime patrol aircraft, and helicopters are participating.
This exercise is conducted so that the participating units can sharpen and enhance their operational skills in the maritime sector. The participating units also look to improve their inter-operability so that they can undertake various maritime security operations. The units also demonstrate their commitment, as an integrated force, to the promotion of the region’s security, peace, and stability.
In 1993, this bilateral naval exercises between the Navies of the two were countries were first initiated. In 2001, the name of the exercise was christened ‘Varuna’ and it has become an important part of the bilateral strategic relationship between India and France.
India’s First Steel Slag Road at Surat
Surat, Gujarat is the first Indian city to get a road built from processed steel slag (industrial waste). This road has been developed as a joint-venture project by the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), NITI Aayog, Union Steel Ministry, and ArcelorMittal-Nippon Steel (AM/NS), at Hazira, a suburb of Surat.
This steels road’s construction cost is 30 percent cheaper than the roads that are built using natural aggregates. Also, this road’s thickness is 30 percent lesser than the normal ones. As steel slag is used to construct this road its durability is much longer.
This project has been implemented under the Waste to Wealth and Clean India Campaign initiative.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Falguni Nayar and Radha Vembu in Hurun Richest Self-Made Women list 2022
Three Indian women Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw of Biocon, Falguni Nayar of Nykaa, and Radha Vembu of Zoho have been featured in the latest Hurun Richest Self-Made Women in the World 2022 (Hurun list of women self-made billionaires).
Wu Yajun, a Beijing-based property developer has topped this list. Her estimated worth is USD 17 billion. She cofounded Longfor in 1993 with her ex-husband Cai Kui. In 2021, Longfor reported revenues of USD 34.6 billion.
Indians on this list
CEO and Founder of Nykaa, Falguni Nayar with 7.6 billion dollars has been placed in the top 10 richest list. She overtook billionaire Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw to become India’s richest self-made woman. She was also featured in first place in Hurun’s list of Top 10 New Faces.
Among the biggest risers, Radha Vembu is first in India, and second across the world. Vembu is India’s second-richest self-made woman billionaire with USD 3.9bn. Vembu is Zoho’s product manager, a company she founded along with her brother. On the Hurun list, she has been placed on the 25th rank.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, founder and executive chairperson of Biocon Biologics and Biocon Limited, has been placed 26th on the list with a wealth of USD 3.8 bn. From last year she dropped down two places.
Arunachal Pradesh inked pack with WWF India to develop State Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
To develop the State Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (SBSAP) a pact has been inked by Arunachal Pradesh with WWF India. The SBSAP will be aligning with the Pakke Declaration and the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.
Through a participatory approach and multi-stakeholder consultations, the SBSAP will be developed.
This pact will be showcasing Arunachal Pradesh’s participatory conservation initiatives and will be looking to develop an action plan that will be inclusive in nature and will be looking to secure nature’s contribution to people.
The plan will also be reflecting the people as well as the state’s aspirations toward sustainable development.
About Pakke Declaration
In 2021, the “Pakke Tiger Reserve 2047 Declaration on Climate Change Resilient and Responsive Arunachal Pradesh” was adopted by the state Govt and aims to promote development that is climate-resilient in the state.
This declaration also focuses on multi-sectoral approaches for climate-resilient development and low emission which are based on five themes which are Health and Well-being for all; Environment, Forest, and Climate Change; Livelihoods, and opportunities; Sustainable and Adaptive living; and Evidence generation, and collaborative action.
HDFC Limited to merge with HDFC Bank
HDFC’s board of directors has approved the merger of HDFC Bank, India’s largest private sector bank with HDFC (Housing Development Finance Corporation), India’s largest housing finance firm
The deal will be building the housing loan portfolio of the bank and will also be enhancing its existing customer base.
Under the agreement that has been proposed, public shareholders will be 100 percent owning HDFC Bank, and HDFC Limited’s existing shareholders will own 41 percent stake in HDFC Bank.
The proposed agreement will be creating a large net worth as well as a balance sheet that would allow a greater credit flow into the economy. Also, underwriting of larger ticket loans such as infrastructure loans will be enabled due to this agreement.
After merging, the total assets of HDFC Bank and HDFC Ltd will be more than Rs 25 lakh crore. The turnover of HDFC is Rs 35,681.74 crore while for HDFC Bank it is Rs 1.16 lakh crore.
Composer Ricky Kej and Indian-American singer-songwriter Falu: Winners at the Grammy Awards 2022
At the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, two Indian musicians were among the winners. Falu, an Indian-American singer-songwriter won her maiden Grammy in the category of Best Children’s Music Album. Composer Ricky Kej also won his second Grammy as he and Stewart Copeland won the award in the category of Best New Age Album.
Falguni Shah or Falu won the award for her album A Colorful World in the category of Best Children’s Music Album. Falu is a New York-based musician and has collaborated with AR Rahman for the movie Slumdog Millionaire.
In 2015, Ricky Kej had won his first Grammy Award and this win was his second. He won the award with Stewart Copeland for the album Divine Tides. He won the award in the Best New Age Album category.
Jon Batiste won the Best Album of The Year award. The award for the Best New Artist as well as for Best Pop Vocal Album was won by Olivia Rodrigo and Doja Cat won the award for Best Pop Duo/ Group.
India’s export in 2021-2022 touch a record high of USD 418 billion
In 2021-22 fiscal, the merchandise exports of India grew to touch a record high of USD 418 billion. This was due to higher exports of products including engineering goods, petroleum products, jewellery, etc. In 2020-21, the merchandise exports of India were worth USD 292 billion.
During 2021-22, the goods trade (imports and exports) of the country crossed USD 1 trillion.
India’s imports also touched USD 610 billion a record of its own.
In March 2022, the outbound shipments of the country also touched a record high of USD 40.38 billion. In March 2021, the exports of India stood at USD 35.26 billion.
During the period of April 2021 to March 2022 the Agriculture exports crossed USD 48 billion.
The sectors that played a key role in the increase of merchandise exports include engineering, petroleum products, jewellery, gems, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals.
Top export destinations
The US, Bangladesh, the UAE, Singapore, the Netherlands, the UK, Hong Kong, Germany, and Belgium were the top export destinations for the products.
India’s Agriculture Exports in 2021-22 touched USD 50 billion
For FY 2021-22, the exports of agricultural products, including plantation and marine products of India have touched a record USD 50 billion. This is a 20 per cent increase from last year.
The export of marine products which stands at USD 7.71 billion has benefitted farmers of West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
The export of Spices has touched USD 4 billion.
For the first time, coffee exports crossed USD 1 billion and have helped in enhancing the income of coffee growers in Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
This growth in export has been achieved due to a surge in shipments of marine products, rice, buffalo meat, sugar, wheat, and raw cotton.
This growth has been achieved despite facing logistical challenges like container shortages, high freight rates, etc.
This increase in the growth of agriculture export will also enhance the income of the farmers of the country.
The highest ever exports have been achieved by
rice (USD 9.65 billion)
wheat (USD 2.19 billion)
sugar (USD 4.6 billion)
other cereals (USD 1.08 billion).
Tripura and Manipur among Top 3 smaller states performers in NITI AAYOG’S STATE ENERGY & CLIMATE INDEX
The State Energy and Climate Index (SECI) has been launched by NITI Aayog. It is a first-of-its-kind index that aims to track the efforts made in the energy and climate sector by the states and UTs of India.
This index’s parameters have been devised while keeping in mind the country’s goals regarding clean energy transition and climate change.
This index has ranked the states and the UTs of India based on the efforts they have put towards improving energy consumption, energy access, safeguarding the environment, and energy efficiency.
This index has also helped to move toward the agenda of the accessible, affordable, clean, and efficient energy transition at the State level.
Six parameters have been used by this index that are:
Access Affordability and Reliability of Energy
Discoms’ (Power distribution companies) Performance
Energy Efficiency
Clean Energy Initiatives
New Initiatives
Environmental Sustainability
The States and the UTs have been categorized into three groups i.e. Achievers, Front Runners, and Aspirants.
Top 3 performers among the larger states
Gujarat
Kerala
Punjab
Top 3 performers among the smaller states
Goa
Tripura
Manipur
QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022
Recently the QS World University Rankings 2022 by subject has been released. The rankings have been announced for subjects including engineering and technology, humanities and arts, natural sciences, medicine and life sciences, and management and social sciences.
Global higher education think-tank QS Quacquarelli Symonds released this report.
To rank the universities five components were considered
employer reputation,
academic reputation,
h-index,
research citations per paper,
international research network (by broad-faculty area).
World Rankings in ARTS AND HUMANITIES
University of Oxford
University of Cambridge
Harvard University
University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
Stanford University
World Rankings in ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Cambridge
University of Oxford
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU)
Stanford University
World Rankings in LIFE SCIENCES AND MEDICINE
Harvard University
University of Oxford
Johns Hopkins University
University of Cambridge
Stanford University
World Rankings in NATURAL SCIENCES
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Harvard University
University of Cambridge
University of Oxford
Stanford University
World Rankings in SOCIAL SCIENCES AND MANAGEMENT
Harvard University
University of Oxford
The London School of Political Science and Economics
University of Cambridge
Stanford University
Indian Universities in the list
In India, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has topped the list.
IIT Delhi’s four academic programmes have also featured among the top 100 in the rankings.
Under Arts and Humanities category, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the University of Delhi (DU) have secured 101-150 and 151-200 slabs respectively in the History subject.
Under Life Sciences category, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has secured a 204 ranking for the subject of medicine followed by Delhi University (330) and Manipal Academy of Higher Education (375).
Under Natural Sciences category, for Chemistry IISc Bangalore has been ranked 81 followed by IIT Bombay (112) and IIT Delhi (151-200 slab).
For mathematics, IIT Bombay has been placed among the top 200 with a rank of 117. Next on the list are IIT Delhi (128), IIT Kanpur (132), IISc Bangalore (142) and IIT Madras (148).
Under Engineering and Technology, IIT Delhi (65) and IIT Bombay (67) have been placed among the top 100 ranks in Computer Science subject. Also, IIT Kanpur (109), IIT Kharagpur (109), IIT Madras (114), and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore (144) have also been placed on this list. Among the top 251-300, IIT Roorkee has been placed. Among the top 301-350, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) has been placed and among 351-400 IIT Guwahati and DU have been placed.
Dipika Pallikal won mixed doubles and women’s doubles in World Doubles Squash Championships
Dipika Pallikal won the mixed doubles and women’s doubles championships at the World Doubles Squash Championships teaming up with Saurav Ghosal and Joshna Chinappa respectively.
This is the first time India has won the gold medal in this tournament.
Teaming up with Saurav Ghosal, Dipika first clinched the mixed doubles title with an 11-6, 11-8 win over Alison Waters and Adrian Waller of England.
Dipika teamed up with Joshna Chinappa to win the women’s doubles final with an 11-9, 4-11, 11-8 win over Sarah Jane Perry and Alison Waters who were representing England.
In 2014 and 2016 India won two silver medals in this tournament. In 2016, Dipika and Saurav had lost the mixed doubles final. In 2014, Saurav and Ritwik Bhattacharya had lost the men’s doubles final.
Nilamani Phookan conferred with Jnanpith award
Assam Chief Minister, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma presented the country’s highest literary award, the 56th Jnanpith for the year 2021 to one of the most celebrated poets of Assam, Nilamani Phookan.
Nilmani Phookan is the third person to win the Jnanpith Award from Assam after Mamoni Roisom Goswami and Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya. The Award carried a Citation, a shawl, and Rs. 11 lakh.
BIOGRAPHY: Nilmani Phookan
The octogenarian was awarded the Padma Shri in 1990 and received the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship in 2002.
He was selected as an ‘Emeritus Fellow’ for a period of two years by the Cultural Department, Govt. of India in 1998.
Assam Sahitya Sabha also conferred ‘Sahityacharya’ honour to him.
The notable works of Phukan are ‘Xurjya Henu Naami Aahe Ei Nodiyedi’, ‘Kabita’ and ‘Gulapi Jamur Lagna’.
Waterways Conclave 2022 at Dibrugarh
The Waterways Conclave 2022 was organized by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) on 11th and 12th April 2022 in Dibrugarh.
The aim of this conclave was to focus on harnessing the potential of the international and domestic waterway ecosystem in the country’s North-eastern region.
The industry partner of this conclave was the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).
The conclave was launched by Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and AYUSH.
The conclave was attended by various stakeholders in the sector of the waterway ecosystem like Senior Govt Officials, Policy Planners, Sector Experts, Domestic and International Investors, Infrastructure players, Cruise Tourism industry, Vessel Owners and Operators, Representatives of Major Ports, Cargo Passengers, and representatives from the Govts of Maritime States in India.
The aim of this conclave is to fast-track the Multimodal projects for the development of the country’s Northeast region so that business opportunities, economic activities, and employment generation can be enhanced.
Gauhati University (GU) and the IWAI signed an MoU on the research and development as well as investment and consultancy in inland waterways.
Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL), Dibrugarh and IWAI also signed an MoU for cargo transportation via inland water transport.
Discovery of Megalithic Stone Jars in Assam’s Dima Hasao district
In the Dima Hasao district of Assam, a number of megalithic stone jars have been discovered. This discovery has highlighted the possible links, that date back to the second millennium BC, between Southeast Asia and the Northeast region of India.
Three distinct shaped jars have been documented in the paper, ‘An archaeological survey of the Assam stone jar sites.’
In a site named Nuchubunglo, 546 jars were discovered making it the largest such site across the planet.
The study that has been published in Asian Archaeology has called for more research so as to understand this cultural relationship between Laos and Assam and Indonesia.
Indonesia and Laos are the only two other sites from where such similar jars have been discovered.
The jars that were discovered in Assam were first sighted in the year 1929 by John Henry Hutton and James Philip Mills, British civil servants. The presence of the jars was recorded by them to have been found in six different sites in Kobak, Dima Hasao: Derebore (now Hojai Dobongling), Molongpa (now Melangpeuram), Kartong, Bolasan (now Nuchubunglo), and Ndunglo. In 2016 and 2020 more such sites have been discovered.
ADB loan to Nagaland for Urban Infrastructure Projects
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Govt of India have signed a USD 2 million Project Readiness Financing (PRF) Loan for strengthening the institutional capacity, designing urban infrastructures that are climate-resilient, and improving the mobilization of municipal resources in Nagaland’s 16 district headquarter towns (DHTs).
The loan has been signed by Additional Secretary Rajat Kumar Mishra of the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission, Takeo Konishi.
The PRF loan will help in the facilitation of various key preparatory activities to ensure projects that are aimed to improve urban infrastructure and other services to boost the economic potential of Nagaland.
The loan will ensure the state’s project readiness by undertaking feasibility studies, preparing the implementation of detailed engineering designs for selected subprojects and an urban sector strategy, and capacity building of various state-level agencies for the purpose of project implementation, anchoring reforms, and resource mobilization.
Hyderabad and Mumbai recognised as the ‘2021 Tree City of the World’ by Food and Agriculture Organisation
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UN-FAO) along with Arbor Day Foundation has recognized Hyderabad and Mumbai jointly as the ‘2021 Tree City of the World.’
The recognition has been won by the two Indian cities due to their commitment to maintaining and growing greenery and urban trees so as to build resilient, healthy, and happy cities.
This is the first time Mumbai has made it to the list. Hyderabad has been featured on this list for the second consecutive year.
Lieutenant General Manoj Pande appointed India’s New Chief of Army Staff
Lieutenant General Manoj Pande will be replacing General Manoj Mukund Naravane as the 29th chief of the Indian Army. He will be taking charge of this post from 1st May 2022.
On 1st February he replaced Lieutenant General CP Mohanty as the vice army chief.
BIOGRAPHY: Lieutenant General Pande
He is an alumnus of the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun and the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla. In 1982, he was commissioned into the Bombay Sappers after passing out from the IMA.
Lt General Pande held prestigious command and staff assignments in counter-insurgency and conventional operations in all types of terrain during his 39-year military career. In the Western theatre, he has commanded an engineer brigade. He has also commanded an infantry brigade along the Line of Control (LoC), in the Ladakh sector and a corps in the North-east region of the country.
Before taking over as the army’s vice-chief, he has also served as the Eastern Army Commander. From June 2020 to May 2021, he served as the Andaman and Nicobar Command’s commander-in-chief. After General Narvane retires, he will be the senior-most officer of the Army.
He has been conferred with the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Param Vishisht Seva Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal, two times with the GOC-in-C Commendation, and the Chief of Army Staff Commendation.
World Bank Report on Extreme Poverty in India dropped to 10.2% in pre-Covid year of 2019
According to a working paper of the World Bank, extreme poverty in India has dropped from 22.5 percent in 2011 to 10.2 percent in the pre-Covid year of 2019. Also, the pace of poverty reduction in rural India has been more than in urban areas of the country.
In the urban and rural areas poverty level declined by 7.9 percent and 14.7 percent respectively during the period 2011 to 2019.
In 2019, the poverty level stood at 11.6 percent in rural areas and 6.3 percent in urban areas.
Extreme poverty measured based on the number of people living on less than USD 1.90 (around Rs 145) per day has been used to measure extreme poverty.
World’s Highest Tunnel at Shinku La Pass
The world’s highest tunnel will be constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at Shinku La Pass at 16,580 feet. This tunnel will be connecting Himachal Pradesh to Ladakh.
The construction of this tunnel by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will begin by July 2022 and will be completed by 2025.
This tunnel will be connecting Ladakh’s Zanskar Valley to Himachal Pradesh. The tunnel’s south portal will be at Shinku La. The tunnel’s north portal will be at Lakhang.
This tunnel will help in boosting the economy of the Zanskar Valley as the travel time between Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh will be reduced after this tunnel is opened.
National Civil Services Day observed on 21st April
On the 21st of April every year, National Civil Services Day is observed to acknowledge the work of all the officers across the country who are engaged in various public service departments.
This day also acts as a reminder to the civil servants to run the administration of the nation with the dedication to serving the citizens.
This date was chosen to commemorate the day when Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Independent India’s first Home Minister, in 1947 addressed the probationers of Administrative Services Officers at Delhi’s Metcalf House in Delhi.
Civil servants were referred to as the ‘steel frame of India’ by him as they act as the supporting pillars of the country’s administrative system. Father of Indian Civil Service title has been given to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
On 21 April 2006, the first such function was held in New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan and since then this day has been celebrated as National Civil Service Day.
India’s first commercial-Green Hydrogen Pilot Plant commissioned at Jorhat
Oil India Limited (OIL) has commissioned India’s first commercial-grade green hydrogen production plant at Jorhat, Assam.
To produce hydrogen, this plant will be using renewable energy from Oil India’s 500kW solar plant pump station.
The produced hydrogen will be blended with natural gas to run hydrogen buses in the state of Assam.
This newly commissioned pilot project has a daily production capacity of 10kg, which will be increased to 30kg per day.
Green hydrogen has the potential of replacing fossil fuels.
Green Hydrogen is being produced in the plant from the electricity that is generated by the existing 500kW Solar plant utilizing a 100 kW Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) Electrolyser array. This is the first time AEM technology is being used in India. This plant is a big step toward the country’s target of achieving energy independence.
Ajay Kumar Sood is the new Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to Govt of India
Ajay Kumar Sood, an eminent physicist has been appointed as the central Govt’s principal scientific advisor (PSA). He will be succeeding renowned biologist K Vijay Raghavan.
He is a member of the Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council to the Prime Minister.
He is known for his work on graphene. Also, he is a physics professor at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
The PSA’s office has the aim of providing objective and pragmatic advice to the cabinet as well as the prime minister on matters that are related to the fields of technology, science, and innovation with a special focus on the application of technology and science in economic and social sectors and critical infrastructure in cooperation with the various Govt departments, industries, and institutions.
NIXI World-Class Data Centre to be setup in Tripura
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been inked between the Govt of Tripura and the NIXI-CSC Data Services Centre to establish an international standard Data Centre in the state.
To set up this proposed data centre, CSE e-governance services Ltd and the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) have floated a joint venture.
The international standard Data Centre will be located at Indranagar, the headquarters of Tripura’s IT Bhavan.
Rs 150 crore will be invested by the joint venture company while the state Govt will only be providing the space for setting up the Data Centre.
The MoU was signed by AK Bhattacharjee, in-charge director of the IT department on behalf of Tripura and CEO Anil Jain, NIXI-CSC Data Services Centre.
Suman Bery appointed as Vice-chairperson of NITI Aayog
The central Govt appointed economist Suman Bery as the vice-chairman of NITI Aayog after Rajiv Kumar resigned from the post on 22nd April 2022.
BIOGRAPHY: Suman Bery
Suman Bery was the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) director-general for a period of 10 years from 2001 to 2011.
He was also a senior visiting fellow at the Centre for Policy Research, Delhi.
He is a Global Fellow in the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars’ Asia programme in Washington, DC. Also, he is a non-resident Fellow of Bruegel which is a Brussels based economic policy research institution.
He had earlier served as a member of India’s Statistical Commission, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, and Reserve Bank of India’s Technical Advisory Committee on Monetary Policy.
From 2012 to mid-2016 he served as the Chief Economist of Shell International and also advised the management and the board of Royal Dutch Shell on global political and economic developments.
Prior to joining NCAER, he was with the World Bank, Washington DC, having joined through the Young Professionals’ Program. At World Bank, he worked on country policy and strategy, and financial sector development notably in the Caribbean and Latin America. His country experience included Argentina, Brazil, Peru, and Chile.
Between 1992 to 1994 he was also appointed as a Special Consultant to the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India
National Panchayati Raj Day observed on 24th of April
On the 24th of April annually, National Panchayat Raj Day is celebrated. In 2010 this day was first celebrated.
In India there are over six lakh villages, with over 750 districts and six thousand blocks that are all governed by the Panchayati Raj system.
Panchayati Raj Institution is one of India’s oldest governing bodies. A panchayat is a five-member assembly that works for the improvement of local communities and settles disputes at a lower level.
History of this day
On this day in 1992, the Indian constitution’s 73rd amendment was enacted. As a result of this amendment, the powers of the grassroots were decentralized and the Panchayati Raj was founded. Hence, this day is commemorated by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj as the National Panchayati Raj Day.
It was necessary to have governing bodies for the country’s rural areas. Hence, in 1957, a committee under the chairmanship of Balwantrai Mehta was established. This committee suggested bringing changes to the central power system and thus the Panchayati raj came into existence. In 1959, the first state to implement this system was Rajasthan.
World Malaria Day observed on April 25
Annually on the 25th of April World Malaria Day is observed across the world to highlight the need for sustained political commitment and continued investment so as to prevent and control malaria across the world.
The World Health Organization has continuously highlighted the need for and also called for innovations and investments to bring in new vector control approaches, antimalarial medicines, diagnostics, and other tools that will help in fighting against malaria.
The theme for this year’s world malaria day is “Harness innovation to reduce the malaria disease burden and save lives.”
In 2007, WHO got the idea of observing this day came from Africa Malaria Day, which is observed by the African Govt since 2001. At the WHO-sponsored World Health Assembly’s 60th session it was proposed to change the Africa Malaria day to World Malaria Day. This was done with the aim of generating greater awareness regarding the fight against malaria.
Malaria
The day is significant as despite being a treatable disease, Malaria continues to impact the livelihoods of people all over the world.
According to the WHO, in the year 2020 around 241 million new cases of malaria and 6,27,000 fatalities due to malaria in 85 nations were witnessed.
In the African region, more than two-thirds of the reported fatalities were among children who were below the age of 5.
Meghalaya Enterprise Architecture (MeghEA) Project won UN Award – World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum Prizes 2022
The Govt of Meghalaya’s Planning Department’s initiative of the “e-Proposal System”, has won the UN Award – World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum Prizes 2022. The “e-Proposal System” is a part of Meghalaya Enterprise Architecture (MeghEA), which eliminates 75 per cent physical work of files in all Govt departments in the state.
About MeghEA Project
The Meghalaya Enterprise Architecture Project (MeghEA) was launched with the aim of improving governance and service delivery for the people of the state using the power of various digital technologies.
Enterprise Architecture (EA) is the process by which various organisations standardise and organise their Information Technology related infrastructure to achieve various business objectives.
This initiative of the state Govt of Meghalaya is spread across six different pillars that are Human Resources, Governance, Primary Sector, Entrepreneurship, Environment, and Infrastructure.
Through this initiative Meghalaya will be made into a high-income state by 2030.
MeghEA is supporting the digital Govt goals that are:
A planned transformation initiative of the state Govt which demands efficient coordination among policies, strategies, services, processes, and organizational capacity.
All information and communications technology (ICT) initiatives will be coordinated under one umbrella to provide a better holistic perspective.
Implementation of ICT enabled state Govt process with the aim of providing multi-channel service delivery.
Ensuring that the systems and applications of the state Govt provide users with all relevant information.
Crafting an ecosystem to boost the digital economy by leveraging ICT for growth and employment.
India 3rd top military spender: SIPRI Report on World Military Expenditure
A report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on World Military Expenditure stated that India was the world’s third-highest military spender behind the US and China.
The global defence expenditure in 2021 reached an all-time high and stood at USD 2.1 trillion despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, the US has accounted for 38 percent of the world’s military spending. China accounts for around 14 percent and the UK has moved up two ranks as it spent USD 68.4 billion.
Top five military spenders account for 62 percent of the world’s global military expenditure. The five countries are:
The United States
China
India
The United Kingdom
Russia
Military spending of India
Military spending of India stood at USD 76.6 billion in 2021, which is a 0.9 percent increase from 2020 and a 33 percent increase from 2012.
India is facing ongoing border tensions and disputes with Pakistan and China that occasionally cause armed conflicts. Hence, India is constantly modernizing its armed forces and is increasing its self-reliance in the production of armaments.
Jammu’s Palli village is India’s First ‘Carbon-neutral Panchayat’
Palli village located in the Samba district of Jammu has become India’s first panchayat to become carbon neutral, fully solar energy powered, and all its records have been digitized which will help in receiving all benefits of Central schemes easily.
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the 500 KW solar plant at this carbon-neutral panchayat. With this inauguration Palli has become the country’s first panchayat to become carbon-neutral.
Palli will now be looked at as a model panchayat, and this will motivate the other panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir, and India to become carbon-neutral.
In Palli in a total area of 6,408 square metres 1,500 solar panels have been set up. These solar panels will be providing clean electricity to 340 houses that are located in the panchayat.
The central Govt has been pushing for major technology-related measures, modes of payments, and e-swaraj with the aim of making Panchayats of the country more powerful.
Carbon Neutrality
This refers to achieving zero carbon dioxide emissions. This can be achieved by balancing carbon dioxide emissions with their removal or through the elimination of emissions.
The term “net-zero” is used to describe a comprehensive commitment to climate action and decarbonization. Net-zero emissions can be achieved only when an organization’s greenhouse gas (CO2-e) emissions are balanced by their removal.
Odisha’s oldest fortified settlement at Asurgarh
An advanced radiocarbon dating technique that has been conducted on the Asurgarh fort settlement in the Kalahandi district of Odisha has placed this settlement in the ninth century BC or the Iron Age. This makes the settlement 2,500-2,600 years older than Odisha’s oldest fortified settlement, the Sisupalgarh fort.
Archaeologists have used the Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon technique to establish that this settlement spanned over three cultural phases beginning from the ninth century BC to the third or fourth century AD. This settlement was earlier believed to be from the Mauryan period.
The Sisupalgarh fort dates back to the fifth to sixth century BC.
Asurgarh fort consists of exterior fortification and the main fort. The main fortification is spread over an area of 12 hectares.
Human settlements in Asurgarh began around the ninth century BC, but the iron tools found in this site are believed to have been developed between the fourth century BC to the second century AD which coincides with the Mauryan period.
This site’s cultural period has been divided into three phases that are:
Iron Age (9th century BC – 4th century BC)
Early Historic Period (2nd century BC – 1st century AD)
Late Period (2nd century AD – 3rd -4th century AD).
417 antiquities have been excavated from this site so far including beads of coral, carnelian, lapis lazuli, jasper, glass, shell, garnet, milky quartz, agate, kaolin, terracotta, and soft stone. The people of that period were good with iron technology and its uses. The iron materials that have been found at the Asurgarh site have not yet rusted as they have high ‘Fe’ content.
The first excavation on this site was done by N K Sahu in 1973 on behalf of the Postgraduate Department of History, Sambalpur University. Later in 1973, this site was declared protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav – North East Festival
The week-long Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav – North East Festival began on 28th April 2022 and it will be showcasing the potential of the Northeast region.
This week-long festival will be held across the 8 states of the northeast region in their own significant and special manner.
This festival’s coordinating body is the Ministry of DoNER.
This festival is being leveraged to discuss the various fundamental aspects of the development of India’s Northeast region. This festival will be celebrating aspiration, hope, and vision for a prosperous and developed North East Region.
Starting from the 29th of April, every day will be celebrated under a different theme across the 8 different states. Cultural programs will also be held that will celebrate the uniqueness of this region and will also be highlighting its potential.
Themes of the festival
Shillong: Investment Potential and future energy needs of North East (29th April)
Itanagar: Welfare of Tribals and Border Management (30th April)
Gangtok: The Smart City Revolution in the North East (30th April)
Agartala: Role of women in the development of North East (1st May)
Aizawl: Eco-Tourism in North East (2nd May)
Dimapur: Agri Horti and organic products potential of North East (2nd May)
Sports Potential of the North East region will be celebrated as a parallel to Sports week.
Imphal: The culmination would be celebrated (3rd May)
Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) program launched
The launch of the Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) program was announced by the Govt of India with the aim of creating Microprocessors for the country’s and the world’s future and to achieve industry-grade commercial silicon and design for the next generation of microprocessors by the month of December 2023.
RISC-V is an open and free ISA that will enable a new era of processor innovation through collaboration. This initiative is in line with the Govt’s ambition toward Atmanirbhar Bharat.
DIR-V will be witnessing partnerships between academia, start-ups, and multinationals with the aim of making India not a talent hub of RISC-V as well as a supplier of RISC-V SoC (System on Chips) to the world for mobile devices, servers, IoT, automotive, microcontrollers, etc.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship unveiled the blueprint for the roadmap of implementation and design of the DIR-V Program with the VEGA Processor by C-DAC and the SHAKTI Processor by IIT Madras.
Ministry of Electronics and IT has plans to join the RISC-V International as a premier board member to contribute, collaborate, and advocate India’s expertise with other global leaders of RISC-V.
IIT Madras’s director, Professor V. Kamakoti will be the Chief Architect and the program manager will be S. Krishnakumar Rao of the DIR-V Program.
Maharashtra Gene Bank is first-of-its-kind project in India
Recently, Maharashtra Cabinet approved the ‘Maharashtra Gene Bank’, a first-of-its-kind project in India.
Objective of the Maharashtra Gene Bank Project is to conserve genetic resources in Maharashtra including marine diversity, seeds of local crops, and animal diversity.
The ‘Maharashtra Gene Bank Project’ will work on seven themes:
Marine biodiversity
Local crop/seed varieties
Indigenous cattle breeds
Freshwater biodiversity
Grassland, scrubland, and animal grazing land biodiversity
Conservation and management plans for areas under forest right
Rejuvenation of forest areas.
In the next five years, an amount of ₹172.39 crores will be spent on these seven focus areas.
Indigenous knowledge resources will be tapped. The species and the knowledge of local communities will be well documented.
Genetic and molecular samples will be preserved and their breeders will be supported.
To preserve crop biodiversity, the Govt will encourage genome carriers who conserve seeds of local crop varieties and create seed banks.
About National Gene Bank of India
The Indian National Gene Bank has been established by the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) to conserve the national heritage of germplasm collections in the form of seeds, vegetative propagules, tissue/cell cultures, embryos, gametes, etc. National Gene Bank can preserve about one million germplasm in the form of seeds.
About National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR)
National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) was established in 1976 as the nodal agency at the National level for the Management of plant genetic resources (PGR) for food and agriculture, and to carry out related research and human resource development.
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.
