DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: April 19, 2022

India's sugar exports grow by 291% since 2013-14

Tags: Economics/Business

India's Sugar Exports witnessed an astounding growth of 291% from USD 1,177 million in FY 2013-14 to USD 4600 million in FY 2021-22. 

• According to DGCI&S data, India exported sugar to 121 countries around the world.

• Sugar export jumped 65 per cent in 2021-22 corresponding to the previous year.

• The growth was achieved despite logistical challenges posed by COVID19 pandemic in the form of high freight rates, container shortages, etc.

• According to the DGCI&S data, India had exported sugar worth USD 1965 million in 2019-20, which rose to USD 2790 million in 2020-21 and USD 4600 million in 2021-22.  

• In 2021-22 (April-February), India exported sugar worth USD 769 million to Indonesia, followed by Bangladesh (USD 561 million), Sudan (USD 530 million) and U.A.E (USD 270 million).

• India also exported sugar to Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Nepal, China, etc.

• Indian sweetener has also been imported by the USA, Singapore, Oman, Qatar, Turkey, Iran, Syria, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Germany, France, New Zealand, Denmark, Israel, Russia, Egypt, etc.

• Major sugarcane-producing states

–Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka account for nearly 80 percent of the total sugar production in the country.

–The other major sugarcane-producing states are Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Haryana, and Punjab.

–India is the world’s second-largest sugar producer after Brazil.

–Since 2010-11, India has consistently produced surplus sugar, comfortably exceeding the domestic requirements.

Wholesale price inflation accelerated to 14.55% in March

Tags: Economics/Business

Inflation in India’s wholesale prices hit a four-month high of 14.55% in March, from 13.11% in February.

• The main reason for inflation in the month of March 2022 is the rise in the prices of petroleum, natural gas, mineral oil, and basic metals, which has arisen due to disruption in the global supply chain due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

• This is the 12th month in a row that wholesale inflation has exceeded 10%.

• Fuel and power inflation surged to a three-month high of 34.5% in March, from 31.5% in February, while inflation in primary articles accelerated to 15.54% from 13.39%. 

• The month-on-month rise in the fuel and power index was 5.68%, more than double February’s 2.7%. 

• The sharp rise in fuel and power inflation was triggered mainly by an uptick in electricity prices.

• Wholesale price inflation, which was at 7.89% in March 2021, had hit a record high of 14.9% in November 2021 and was at 14.3% in December. 

• What Is a Wholesale Price Index (WPI)?

—it is an important index for calculating inflation in a country.

—Wholesale Price Index (WPI) measures the changes in the prices of goods sold and traded in bulk by wholesale businesses to other businesses.

—WPI is unlike the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which tracks the prices of goods and services purchased by consumers.

–It is published by the Office of the Economic Adviser, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Rajasthan becomes first State to get L-root server

Tags: Science and Technology State News

Rajasthan has become the first State in the country to get the L-root server, which will enable the State government to provide its flagship digital services and enforce e-governance with seamless internet connectivity.

• The new facility will strengthen internet infrastructure and help improve security and resilience of internet-based operations.

• The server, installed at the Bhamashah State Data Centre, has been installed by the government in association with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

• After its installation, even if there is a problem in internet connectivity due to any technical fault or natural calamity in the whole of Asia or India, it will continue to run without any interruption in Rajasthan.

• Along with this, high speed internet connectivity will also be ensured.

• The state government in the State is delivering digital services to the people through e-Mitra, Jan Aadhaar Yojana, Jan Kalyan portal, Jansuchna portal and various mobile phone apps.

• There are at present three J-root servers in New Delhi, Mumbai and Gorakhpur and two L-root servers in Mumbai and Kolkata. 

• The L-root server in Rajasthan is the first one deployed at the State level.

Guru Tegh Bahadur’s birth anniversary

Tags: Popular Person in news

Prime Minister  Narendra Modi will address the nation from Red Fort on April 21, to mark the 400th birth anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

The programme will be organised by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

• About Guru Tegh Bahadur

–He was the ninth Sikh Guru.

—His term as Guru ran from 1665 to 1675.

—He was born at Guru ke Mahal (now a Gurudwara with the same name), Amritsar in 1621.

—He was the fifth and the youngest son of Guru Hargobind Sahib. His childhood name was Tyag Mal.

—He stood up for the rights of Kashmiri Pandits.

—He was publicly killed in 1675 on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi for himself, refusing Mughal rulers and defying them.

—He was publicly assassinated in Delhi in 1675 on the orders of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

• His Contributions

—He opposed the forced conversion of non-Muslims to Islam during the rule of Aurangzeb.

—He contributed several hymns to the Guru Granth Sahib, including salokas, or couplets.

—He is known to have travelled extensively to propagate the teachings of Nanak.

—He had set up community kitchens and wells for the local people wherever he went.

—He founded the city of Chak-Nanki in Punjab, which later became a part of Anandpur Sahib, a famous holy city and a global tourist attraction in the foothills of the Himalayas.

—Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak (1469–1539) in the 15th century in the Punjab district of then-undivided India and Pakistan.

Government appoints Lt Gen Manoj C Pande as next Chief of Army Staff

Tags: National Popular Defence Person in news

Presently Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Manoj C Pandey has been appointed by the Government as the next Chief of Army Staff.

• His appointment to the post will be effective from the afternoon of April 30, 2022.

• Born on May 06, 1962, Lt Gen Manoj C Pande was commissioned on December 24, 1982 in the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers) of the Indian Army. 

• During his long and distinguished service spanning over 39 years, he has served in a variety of Command, Staff and Instructional appointments.

• The Command appointments of Lt Gen Manoj C Pande include Command of an Engineer Brigade in the Western Theatre, as part of Strike Corps and an Infantry Brigade along with Line-of-Control in Jammu & Kashmir. 

• Other important Command appointments include a Mountain Division in the high-altitude area of the Western Ladakh and Command of a Corps, deployed along the LAC and in the Counter Insurgency Operations area of Eastern Command. 

Bengaluru Karaga temple festival

Tags: State News

The centuries-old Karaga (temple fair) festival was recently held at the Dharmaraya Swamy Temple in Bengaluru.

• It is celebrated annually in the month of Chaitra (March/April) according to the Hindu calendar.

• The festival has its roots in the epic Mahabharata.

• It honours Draupadi as the ideal woman and goddess Shakti.

• The word 'karaga' refers to an earthen pot, which refers to a floral pyramid and an idol of the goddess.

• The karaga is carried over the head of the carrier without touching it.

• The bearer wears a woman's dress with bangles, mangalsutra and vermilion on her forehead.

• Significance of Karaga

• The Karaga procession makes a customary stop at the Astana-e-Hazrath Tawakkal Mastan Shah Soharwardi Dargah to pay homage to Tawakkal Mastan.

• The dargah has been looked after for many generations by the Mujavwar family, a symbol of syncretic Sufism.

• According to him, the history of the dargah is at least 300 years old when Tawakkal Mastan, who came to Bengaluru with his horses in search of trade opportunities, was revered as a saint.

National Cyber Security Incident Response Exercise (NCX India)

Tags: National News

Recently, the National Security Council Secretariat organised the National Cyber Security Incident Response Exercise (NCX India).

• It will be conducted as a hybrid exercise over a period of ten days from 18 to 29 April 2022.

• The aim is to train senior management and technical personnel of Government/Critical Sector organisations and agencies on contemporary cyber threats and handling cyber incidents and responses.

• The program is being conducted by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), Govt of India in association with the Data Security Council of India (DSCI).

• It is supported by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

• The platform for training is being provided by CyberExer Technologies, an Estonian cybersecurity company.

• More than 140 officials will be trained through training sessions, Live Fire and  Strategic exercises.

• The participants will be trained on various key cyber security areas such as Intrusion Detection Techniques, Malware Information Sharing Platform (MISP), Vulnerability Handling & Penetration Testing, Network Protocols & Data Flows, Digital Forensics, etc.

President Kovind gives assent to Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 and the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2022

Tags: National

During the Budget Session, Parliament passed Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill 2022 and  Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022.

• Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 

—The objective of the Act is to authorise for taking measurements of convicts and other persons for the purposes of identification and investigation in criminal matters and to preserve records. 

—It also provides legal sanction for taking appropriate body measurements of persons who are required to give such measurements which include finger-impressions, palm-print and foot-print impressions, photographs, iris and retina scan, physical, biological samples, and their analysis among others. 

—The new Act has replaced the Identification of Prisoners Act, of 1920.

• Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2022

—It aimed at unifying the three existing Municipal Corporations of Delhi into one Municipal Corporation of Delhi.