DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: April 18, 2022

Extreme poverty in India declined by 12.3 percentage points during 2011-2019

Tags: Economy/Finance International News

According to the World Bank Report Poverty in India is 12.3 percentage points lower in 2019 as compared to 2011. 

• The poverty headcount rate has declined from 22.5 percent in 2011 to 10.2 percent in 2019. 

• As per a policy research working paper of World Bank, Poverty reduction was higher in rural areas as compared to urban India. 

• Rural poverty dropped by 14.7 percent while urban poverty declined by 7.9 percentage points during 2011 to 2019.

• Study says that farmers with small landholding sizes have experienced higher income growth.

• Real incomes for farmers with the smallest landholdings have grown by 10 percent in annualised terms between the two survey rounds in 2013 and 2019 compared to a 2 percent growth for farmers with the largest landholding.

• Extreme poverty has been measured in terms of the number of people living on less than $1.90 a day (roughly Rs 145).

• About World Bank

– The World Bank is a provider of financial and technical assistance to individual countries around the globe. 

–it comprises 189 countries and five constituent institutions that work towards eradicating poverty and creating prosperity. 

–Currently, the World Bank has two stated goals that it aims to achieve by 2030.

–The first is to end extreme poverty by decreasing the number of people living on less than $1.90 a day to below 3% of the world population. 

–The second is to increase overall prosperity by increasing income growth in the bottom 40% of every country in the world.

–HQ : Washington DC (USA)

Five-day Army Commanders’ Conference

Tags: Defence

The Army Commanders’ Conference began today in New Delhi.

• It is an apex-level biannual event that is held in April and October every year.

• The conference will be held from 18 to 22 April and will be chaired by Army Chief Gen MM Naravane.

• The conference is an institutional forum for deliberations at the ideological level, under which important policy decisions for the Indian Army are taken.

• In the conference, senior officers of the Indian Army will discuss the border situation, full scenario threat assessment and preparedness and capacity development to deal with them.

• Discussions will be held on the issue like infrastructure development in border areas, modernisation through indigenisation, induction of Niche tech and assessment on any impact of the Russia - Ukraine war.

• The senior commanders will also discuss various issues related to regional command apart from work reforms, finance management, use of electric vehicles and digitization of the army.

BRICS meet likely in June

Tags: Summits

India has agreed to attend a virtual summit of leaders of the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa grouping, likely to be held in China at the end of June.

• The summit is likely to be held on June 23-24.

• India hosted last year's BRICS summit which was held virtually, and was attended by leaders of five countries.

• This is the first summit hosted by China since the tensions broke out at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) due to the PLA’s transgressions in April 2020.

• Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Delhi last month was seen as the beginning of a gradual normalisation of relations between the two countries.

• About BRICS

–BRICS is an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

–Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill coined the term BRIC (without South Africa) in 2001, claiming that by 2050, four BRIC economies would dominate the global economy.

–South Africa was added to the list in 2010.

–BRICS represents 41% of the global population, 24% of the global GDP and 16% of the global trade.

–The chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members.

–India presided over it in 2021.

International Water Week 2022

Tags: Important Days

The Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) 2022 will be held from 17 to 21 April 2022 at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore.

• On behalf of India, Director General of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) G. Ashok Kumar participated in water week.

• A presentation was made by India on 'Status of Wastewater generation, Treatment and Management in India: Success through NMCG Initiatives'.

• Kumar spoke in the Hot Issue Workshop hosted by NMCG on 17th April on ‘Sustainable Wastewater Management in Developing Countries: An Innovative Indian Approach in River Rejuvenation’ under theme 3 of the Water Convention.

• About Singapore International Water Week

–It is a global platform for sharing and co-creating innovative water solutions. 

–The biennial event gathers stakeholders from the global water industry to share best practices, showcase the latest technologies, and tap into business opportunities.

Inauguration of 40th 'Hunar Haat’ in Mumbai

Tags: National

Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports, Shri Anurag Thakur inaugurated the 40th edition  of the 'Hunar Haat’ in Mumbai.

• The 40th edition of Hunar Haat is a credible platform to promote 'Swadeshi' products.

• It is being held at MMRDA Ground, Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai from 16th to 27th April, 2022.

• Atma Nirbhar Bharat is being strengthened by initiatives like Hunar Haat.

• In this 40th edition of Hunar Haat, more than a thousand craftsmen and artisans coming from 31 states have put up 400 stalls."

• Tejas Skills Program is a program launched by the Government of India.

• Under this initiative India will send skilled manpower to the UAE.

• Within a year, 30,000 skilled job-seekers will be sent to the UAE.

• About 'Hunar Haat’

–it is an exhibition of handicrafts and traditional products made by artisans from the minority communities.

–launched in 2016

–its theme is Vocal for Local.

–organiser - Ministry of Minority Affairs under USTTAD (Upgrading the Skills & Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development) scheme.

–its aim is to provide market exposure and employment opportunities to artisans, craftsmen and traditional culinary experts.

Visit of Prime Minister of Mauritius to India

Tags: International Relations

Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth arrived in Mumbai on an eight-day visit to India.

• Mr Jugnauth is accompanied by his wife Kobita Jugnauth and a high-level delegation.

• He has visited India with an aim to further strengthen the ties between the two countries.

• He will attend the inaugural program of Global Centre of Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar, Gujarat.

• After this, on April 20, he will also attend the Global AYUSH Investment and Innovation Summit in Rajkot.

• Bilateral relations between India and Mauritius

–India-Mauritius relationship is very significant for India’s geostrategic policies in the Indian Ocean Region. 

–India and Mauritius jointly inaugurated an India-assisted social housing units project in Mauritius.

–both the countries signed a USD 100 million Defence Line of Credit agreement

–in 2019, the main import partners of Mauritius were India (13.85%), China (16.69%), South Africa (8.07%), and UAE (7.28%).

–India has been one of the largest trading partners and exporter of goods and services to Mauritius since 2007.

–India’s exports to Mauritius are largely of petroleum products.

“UDAN” scheme selected for Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration

Tags: National Government Schemes

The UDAN (UdeDeshkaAamNagrik) Scheme has been selected for Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2020 under the category “Innovation (General) – Central”.

• Ministry of Civil Aviation will receive the award on 21st April i.e. Civil Services Day.

• A special event has been organised by the Government of India at VigyanBhawan on the occasion of “Civil Service Day” where the representative of the ministry will be facilitated with the award.

• Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration

–Government of India has instituted this scheme in 2006 

–its purpose is to acknowledge, recognize and reward the extraordinary and innovative work done by Districts/ Organisations of the Central and State Governments.

–The Scheme was restructured in 2014 for recognizing the performance of District Collectors in Priority Programs, Innovations and Aspirational Districts.

–The Scheme was restructured again in 2020, to recognize the performance of District Collectors towards economic development of the District. 

• UDAN Scheme

–It was launched under the Ministry of Civil Aviation in 2016.

–its objective is to develop the regional aviation market.

–It is also known as the regional connectivity scheme (RCS)

–it seeks to improve air connectivity to tier-2 and tier-3 cities through revival of unused and underused airports.

–The scheme will be jointly funded by the central government and state governments.

–The scheme will run for 10 years and can be extended thereafter.

World Haemophilia Day

Tags: Important Days

World Haemophilia Day is celebrated on April 17 every year.

• The aim of the day is to increase awareness about haemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorders.

• World Haemophilia Day was started in 1989 by the World Federation of Haemophilia (WFH).

• The day is celebrated in the honour of Frank Schnabel, founder of the World Federation of Haemophilia (WHF).

• The theme of the year 2022 is 'Access to all'.

• What Is Haemophilia?

–Haemophilia is a sex-linked recessive disease, in which a single  cut in an affected individual will result in non-stop bleeding. 

–A sex-linked disease is one which is passed down through families through one of the X or Y chromosomes, which are sex chromosomes. 

–Sex-linked recessive diseases most often refer to X-linked recessive diseases.

World Heritage Day

Tags: Important Days

Every year, World Heritage Day is celebrated on April 18 in order to spread awareness about the dying cultures and natural heritage around the globe. 

• The theme for World Heritage Day 2022 is "Heritage and Climate".

• It is decided by the International Council on Monuments and Sites every year.

• This year’s theme offers a platform to respond to questions of climate change and equity to protect heritage in the background of climate justice.

• Last year’s theme for World Heritage Day 2021 was “Complex Pasts: Diverse Futures.” 

• During a seminar in Tunisia, the International Council of Mountains and Sights suggested celebrating World Heritage Day on April 18, 1982.

• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) approved it in 1983.

• World Heritage Day was started in 1983.