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By admin: March 24, 2022

World Tuberculosis (TB) Day

Tags: Important Days

Every year March 24 is observed as World Tuberculosis Day in the world. 

On this day in 1882, Dr Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis that causes TB.

Theme of the World Tuberculosis Day 2022 : ‘Invest to End TB. Save Lives.

TB is an infectious disease which spreads through air and it affects the lungs.

Robert Koch 

German Physician Robert Koch, is considered to be the  founder of modern bacteriology. He is known for his role in identifying the specific causative agents of tuberculosis, cholera, and anthrax and for giving experimental support for the concept of infectious disease.

Important for Exam 

• India has the largest population of TB patients in the world. According to the World Health Organisation 26% of TB cases in the world in 2020 was reported from India .

• The Indian Government has set a target to eliminate TB in India by 2025.

• The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include ending the TB epidemic by 2030 under Goal 3.

India aims nuclear power capacity of 22480 MW by 2031

Tags: Economics/Business

The Government of India has set a target of  22480 MW of installed nuclear power capacity by 2031. At present the installed nuclear capacity in India is 6780 MW.

The government has approved the construction of 10 indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) of 700 MW capacity each and 500 MW of Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR). Government expects these projects to be completed by 2031 and the total installed capacity in India will be 22480 MW by 2031. 

The Government of India  has  also informed the Parliament  that it has approved the proposal to set up a few new Nuclear power plants in India.

The  newly approved Nuclear Power plants are 

Operational Nuclear Power Plant in India 

• Kaiga(Karnataka):  installed capacity 880 MW

• Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu),Installed capacity 440 MW

• Kakrapar (Gujarat),Installed capacity 440 MW

• Narora (Uttar Pradesh ),Installed capacity 440 MW

• Tarapur (Maharashtra ),Installed capacity 1440 MW

• Rajasthan Atomic power plant , Rawatbhata, Installed capacity 1180 MW

• Kudankulam (Tamil Nadu). It is being built by Russia,  Installed capacity 2000 MW

Presently, India has 22 nuclear power reactors operating in 7 states, with an installed capacity of 6780 MW.

Important for Exam 

• The Atomic Energy Commission was set up in August 1948 and Dr Homi Jhangir Bhahba was its  first director.

• Dr Homi Jahngir Bhabha is considered to be the father of the Indian Atomic programme.

• The first nuclear reactor of India and Asia was set up in Mumbai and became operational in 1956. It was a nuclear research reactor named APSARA.It was shut down in 2009.

• The first nuclear power plant in India was set up at Tarapur,Maharstra in 1969. It was set up with the help of the United States. 

Asia's largest Civil Aviation event ‘WINGS INDIA 2022’, start in Hyderabad

Tags: Economics/Business

Asia's largest Civil Aviation “WINGS INDIA” has started on 24 March 2022 at Begumpet airport in Hyderabad.  The  5th edition of the  event has been organised by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation and FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries) from 24 -27 March 2022.

• However the event will be officially inaugurated by the Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia on March 25,.

• The theme of the “WINGS INDIA” 2022 is :“India@75: New Horizon for Aviation Industry.”

• The event is organised every two years and this is the fifth edition of the  “WINGS INDIA”.

• The four-day event will present a platform for industry leaders, companies, and other stakeholders to interact, discuss business and explore other opportunities.

• India used to hold a single biennial air show in Bengaluru earlier, combining both the defence and civil aviation sectors. In 2008, it was decided that commercial aviation merits a separate exhibition, following which the Indian Civil Aviation Airshow was inaugurated at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad.

• The show's name was changed to Wings India in 2017.

• The defence air show “Aero India“ is organised every two year at at the Yelahanka Air Force Station, Bengaluru Karnataka.

Former CJI Ramesh Chandra Lahoti passes away

Tags: Person in news

Ramesh Chandra Lahoti who served as the 35th Chief Justice of India, from 1 June 2004 to 1 November 2005, passed away at the age of 81.

• Justice Lahoti also served as an independent director on the Board of directors of the Press Trust of India.

• He was also an arbitrator appointed by the Government of India in the ₹20,000-crore high-profile tax dispute case with telecom major Vodafone.

• While condoling his death, the Prime Minister of India remembered him for his emphasis on ensuring speedy justice to underprivileged

Important for Exam

• The Chief Justice of India and the Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President under clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution.

• As per convention, the outgoing CJI recommends his successor – a practice, which is strictly based on seniority. The Union Law Minister forwards the recommendation to the Prime Minister who, in turn, advises the President.

• However this convention has been broken twice. In 1973, Justice A. N. Ray was appointed superseding 3 senior judges. Also, in 1977 Justice Mirza Hameedullah Beg was appointed as the chief justice superseding Justice Hans Raj Khanna

• In accordance with Article 145 of the Constitution of India and the Supreme Court Rules of Procedure of 1966, chief justice is responsible for the allocation of cases and appointment of constitutional benches which deal with important matters of law.

• Retirement Age of Supreme Court judges - 65 Years

• Total Strength of Supreme Court - CJI + 33 Other Judges

• The 48th and present chief justice is N. V. Ramana

American Mathematician Dennis Parnell Sullivan wins Abel Prize 2022

Tags: Awards Person in news

American Mathematician Dennis Parnell Sullivan is awarded the Abel Prize for the year 2022, by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.

• Mr Sullivan is affiliated with the Graduate School and University Centre of the City University of New York and the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

• He is awarded for his groundbreaking contributions to topology in its broadest sense, and in particular its algebraic, geometric and dynamical aspect.

• Topology is a field of mathematics which was born in the 19th century and has to do with properties of surfaces that do not change when they are deformed. 

• His another key breakthrough is in developing a new way of understanding rational homotopy theory

About Abel Prize

The Abel Prize is a prize awarded annually by the King of Norway to one or more outstanding mathematicians. It is named after Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel (1802–1829) and directly modelled after the Nobel Prizes. It comes with a monetary award of 7.5 million Norwegian kroner (NOK). 

• First Awarded - 2003

• Indian American mathematician SR Srinivasa Varadhan, who is known for his fundamental contributions to probability theory and in particular for creating a unified theory of large deviations, was awarded the Abel Prize in 2007.

World No 1 Ashleigh Barty announces retirement

Tags: Sports

World No 1, Australian tennis player, Ashleigh Barty stunned the tennis world on Wednesday by retiring from the sport aged just 25 citing fatigue, lack of motivation as the reasons behind her decision.

Her decision came weeks after becoming the first home Australian Open champion in 44 years

About Ashleigh Barty-

• Barty is a 3 times Grand Slam Women’s Singles Winner (Australian Open (2022) French Open (2019) and Wimbledon (2021))

• Barty is just the fifth woman in WTA history to finish three straight years at World No. 1 (Evert, Navratilova, Graf, and Serena)

• She’s one of six women in the Open Era to win their first three Slam finals. 

• Barty is among nine women who have at least one singles Slam title on every surface in the Open Era.

Additional Information-

The Grand Slam in tennis is the achievement of winning all four major championships.

• If in the same calendar year, it is referred to as "Calendar Slam". 

• If not in the same calendar year, it is referred to as “Non-Calendar Year Grand Slam”

• If in any time during the course of a career, it is referred to as “Career Grand Slam”

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) is the governing body of tennis in the world.

The four Grand Slam tournaments are the following-

Airtel Payments Bank partners with ICICI Lombard to provide smartphone insurance

Tags:

In a bid to bolster the Indian mobile insurance industry, Airtel Payments Bank announced its partnership with ICICI General Insurance Company to provide smartphone insurance

• The smartphone insurance cover provides financial protection against damage to the phone and its screen resulting from accidents or liquid spills

• The customers can get insured for a sum equal to the purchase price of their smartphone in the range of Rs 10,000 to Rs 1,00,000

• Monthly Premium starting at Rs 1299

• Customers can buy this insurance policy on their own using Airtel Thanks App within 10 days of purchasing the phone

• Insurance will be issued without any device health check.

• The Company will pay for two claims up to the sum insured for a policyholder during the insurance period, alongside free pickup & delivery for the phone

Important Facts-

• As per 2021 Deloitte Report, India have almost 1.2 billion mobile subscribers. Out of these, about 750 million were smartphone users and this number is likely to reach 1 billion by 2026.

• In February 2022, these two companies also partnered to offer insurance solutions against cybercrimes, and financial frauds to its customers related to banking, credit or debit card, as well as protection against threats such as identity theft, phishing, and email spoofing.

Important for Exam

• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is a regulatory body under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Finance , Government of India and is tasked with regulating and licensing the insurance and re-insurance industries in India. 

• It was constituted by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999 

• Headquarters are in Hyderabad, Telangana

Legislative Assembly’s can impose a tax on other States’ lotteries

Tags: State News

The Supreme Court of India held that a State legislature has the right to impose tax on lotteries conducted by other States within its jurisdiction

• The apex court observed that ‘lotteries’ is a “species of gambling activity” and ‘betting and gambling’ is part of the State List as per Entry 34 of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.

• Court clearly mentioned that lotteries, irrespective of whether it is conducted or organised by the Government of India or the Government of State is ‘betting and gambling.

• So, the power to tax is on all activities which are in the nature of ‘betting and gambling,’ including lotteries, as per Entry 62 of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution under State List.

• The judgment came on appeals filed by the Karnataka and Kerala governments against the decisions of their respective High Courts to quash laws enacted by their legislatures to tax lotteries organized and promoted by other States.

Important Note for Exam-

• Kerala High Court is a common High Court established in 1948 and located at Kochi. It is the highest court both for the state of Kerala and also the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.

• Common High Courts can be formed by Parliament as per provisions of 7th Amendment Act, 1956

• List of other common High-Courts-

India achieves $400 billion merchandise exports well before target date

Tags: Economics/Business

For the first time ever, India’s annual merchandise goods exports crossed the $400­billion mark in FY22, nine days ahead of the target, even after registering a dip in FY21 due to pandemic. This is a key milestone in India’s Atma Nirbhar Bharat journey on the theme of “Local Goes Global - Make in India for the World”.

• This is far higher than the previous record of USD 330 billion achieved in 2018-19. 

• December 2021 recorded the highest ever monthly merchandise exports recorded at USD 39.3 billion.

• This is achieved through an increase in shipments of merchandise, including engineering products, apparel and garments, gems and jewellery and petroleum products.

• Agriculture sector too had recorded its highest­ever export during 2021-­22 with the help of export of rice, marine products, wheat, spices and sugar.

• Both Basmati and Non-Basmati varieties of rice, achieved 90-100% of the total export target.

• Engineering goods exports have gone up by nearly 50% vis-à-vis last year

• Export of Cotton Yarn/Fabrics/Made-ups, Handloom Products etc, Gems and Jewellery, Other Cereals and Man-Made Yarn/Fabrics./Made-up etc. have registered a growth rate between 50%-60%

• There was a detailed strategy in place behind the achievement of the export target, including specific targets set - country-wise, product-wise & Export Promotion Council(EPC)-wise, monitoring and course correction.

• This boost in the exports will bolster India’s position in the ongoing negotiations for Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with several trade partners

• Despite the surge, India’s balance of trade remains negative

Efforts made to boost exports-

• The Interest Equalisation Scheme has been extended to exporters and is likely to benefit a large number of MSME exporters.

• Roll out of Export Incentive Schemes like-

• Rebate of State & Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) Scheme

• Remission of Duties and Taxes on Export Products (RoDTEP) Scheme

• PLI schemes for 13 key sectors of manufacturing

• Districts as Exports Hub (DEH) initiative has been adopted to boost local production and make Districts active stakeholders in driving export growth of local products/services.

• Coordination among multiple stakeholders to set up a firm backward - forward linkage, starting from the district level to the overseas market

Rail Green Points for Freight Customers

Tags: Economics/Business

Indian Railways has laid down Policy guidelines recently to assign carbon saving point, termed as Rail Green Points, to freight customer. 

• It will be applicable only to the freight customers who are registered on e-Registration of Demand(e-RD) portal of Freight Operations Information System(FOIS).

• Every customer who places demand online (on e-demand module) for freight services will be given the details of the expected saving of carbon emission called Rail Green Points.  

• The green points will be credited to customer’s account on Freight Business Development portal. 

• Downloadable certificate displaying Rail Green Points will also be provided.

• The Rail Green Points can’t be claimed for any benefit from Railways. 

• Rail Green Points will be reckoned on financial year basis. 

• Corporate customers can mention the Green Points on their website, and in their Annual Reports.

• The module for Rail Green Point will be developed by Centre for Railway Information Systems/Freight Operations Information System (CRIS/FOIS). 

• The scheme is likely to be launched in April 2022. 

Shimla to get India’s first National Centre for Mountain Terrain Biking

Tags: Sports

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with the Youth Services and Sports department of the Government of Himachal Pradesh is set to build India’s first-ever Sports Authority of India (SAI) National Centre of Excellence(NCOE) to train athletes in Mountain Terrain Biking and Bicycle Motocross in Shimla.

• There are 18 Olympic Medals for Mountain Terrain Biking and Bicycle Motocross.

• The NCOE, which will have the capacity to train around 200 cyclists for Olympic-level preparations.

 Important Notes for Exam-

• Anurag Thakur is the current Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports 

About Himachal Pradesh-

• Governor - Rajendra Arlekar

• Chief Minister - Jai Ram Thakur

• Capital    -

• Shimla (Summer)

• Dharamshala (Winter

List of all SAI-NCOE disciplines-

• Focused sports discipline : Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Cycling, Fencing, Hockey, Judo, Rowing, Swimming, Shooting, Table Tennis, Wrestling, and Weightlifting

• Other Disciplines : Football, Gymnastics, Basketball, Handball, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Kayaking & Canoeing, Para Sports, Taekwondo, Volleyball, Wushu