1. NITI Aayog and FAO launches a Book : Indian Agriculture towards 2030
Tags: National News
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar released a book titled “Indian Agriculture towards 2030: Pathways for Enhancing Farmers’ Income, Nutritional Security and Sustainable Food and Farm Systems”.
The book is published by Springer
The book captures the outcomes of a national dialogue by NITI Aayog and the Ministries of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare; on Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, which was facilitated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
Indian Agriculture towards 2030 covers the following themes:
Transforming Indian Agriculture
Structural Reforms and Governance
Dietary Diversity, Nutrition and Food Safety
Managing Climate Risks in Agriculture
Science, Technology and Innovation
Symbiosis of Water and Agricultural Transformation in India
Pests, Pandemics, Preparedness and Biosecurity
Transformative Agroecology-Based Alternatives for a Sustainable and Biodiverse Future
The book includes a Foreword by the Hon’ble Vice President of India Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu.
2. Foreign Ministers meeting of BIMSTEC held in Sri Lanka
Tags: International News
The foreign ministers of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 29 March 2022.
It was hosted by the Sri Lankan foreign minister G.L.Peiris and was attended by the foreign ministers of member countries.
The foreign ministers of member countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan India, Maldives ,Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand were present in Colombo while the foreign minister of Myanmar participated virtually.
India was represented by the foreign minister S. Jaishankar.
The foreign ministers meeting was held to prepare for the BIMSTEC summit meeting which will be held on 30 March 2022.
BIMSTEC
It was set up as Bangladesh, India Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) on 6 June 1997 at Bangkok, Thailand .
It was renamed as Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation on 31 July 2004 when the first summit meeting was held in Bangkok, Thailand .
The member countries are Bangladesh, Bhutan India, Maldives ,Myanmar ,Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand .
The group was formed to promote economic cooperation between the member countries
- Headquarters : Dhaka, Bangladesh
3. Indian Foreign Minister S.Jaishankar visit to Maldives and Sri Lanka
Tags: International News
Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishanker is on an official visit to Maldives and Sri Lanka from 26 to 30 March 2022.
Maldives
On the first leg of his visit he visited Maldives on 26 and 27 March 2022. He met the Maldives foreign minister Abdulla Shahid and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
The President Solih assured Jaishankar that his government will follow India first policy.
What is India First Policy of Maldives
Maldives like Sri Lanka is a battleground of India and China to increase their area of influence in the region. During the previous regime of president Abdulla Yameen in Maldives,the influence of China became very strong and he followed anti- India policy. He was ousted from power in 2018 and was put in jail on corruption charges.
He is now out of jail and is leading a vehement anti-India campaign “Out India” in Maldives.
The current regime of Solih is considered a close friend of India and is following a “India First Policy”.
Highlights of the Jaishankar Visit
He met the Maldives foreign minister Abdulla Shahid at Addu City , in Maldives.
India and the Maldives also agreed to mutually recognise the COVID-19 vaccine certificates issued by each other, a move that will facilitate easier travel between the two countries and give a boost to the tourism sector.
Both countries signed an agreement linking India's National Knowledge Network and the Maldives’ Higher Education Network. National Knowledge Network is a multi-gigabit national research and education network, whose purpose is to provide a unified high speed network backbone for educational and research institutions in India. The network is managed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
Jaishankar also inaugurated a police training academy and a drug rehabilitation center built with Indian financial assistance at Addu.
Sri Lanka Visit
Foreign Minister S Jaishankar will be in Sri Lanka from 28 to 30 March 2022. He went to Sri Lanka on the invitation of the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister GL.Peiris.
Highlights of his visit
He met the Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. He assured them of India’s help to Sri Lanka which is facing a severe economic crisis.
Since January, India has extended $2.4 billion in assistance by way of a currency swap, loan deferment and credit lines for essential imports to help Sri Lanka cope with a stifling dollar crisis and shortages.
Along with the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa he virtually inaugurated the Jaffna Cultural Centre in Sri Lanka ,built with an Indian grant of $11 million.
They also virtually toured a camp in Jaffna where “Jaipur foot “ was being fitted. Jaipur Foot is an artificial low cost prosthetic foot made of rubber and it is made by Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Samiti, Jaipur.
- He also attended the Foreign Ministers meeting of the BIMSTEC held on 29 March 2022.
4. President confers Padma awards to the recipients
Tags: National
President of India Ram Nath Kovind conferred the Padma Awards 2022 to the receipts at a ceremony held at the Ashoka Hall in Rashtrapati Bhavan on 28 March 2022. The award ceremony was attended by the Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Ministers.
A total of 4 Padma Vibhushans, 17 Padma Bhushans and 107 Padma Shri awards was announced by the Government of India on 25 January 2022. However the President presented the award to two Padma Vibhushan, nine Padma Bhushan and fifty-four Padma Shri Award winners in this ceremony.
Padma Awards
- After Bharat Ratna ,Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India announced annually on the eve of Republic Day.
- The Padma Awards was started in 1954 by the Government of India.
- It has been given every year except in the years 1978 and 1979 and 1993 to 1997.
- The Awards are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher order) and Padma Shri (distinguished service).
Committee to decide Padma Awards
- The Padma Awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.
- The Padma Awards Committee is headed by the Cabinet Secretary and includes Home Secretary, Secretary to the President and four to six eminent persons as members.
- The recommendations of the committee are submitted to the Prime Minister and the President of India for approval.
Features of Padma Awards
- The award is normally not conferred posthumously. However, in highly deserving cases, the Government could consider giving an award posthumously.
- The awards are presented by the President of India usually in the month of March/April every year where the awardees are presented a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a medallion.
- The recipients are also given a small replica of the medallion, which they can wear during any ceremonial/State functions etc., if the awardees so desire. The names of the awardees are published in the Gazette of India on the day of the presentation ceremony.
- The total number of awards to be given in a year (excluding posthumous awards and to (Non Resident Indians) NRI / foreigners / OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) should not be more than 120.
- The award does not amount to a title and cannot be used as a suffix or prefix to the awardees’ name
For a detailed list of the Padma awardees 2022 see the 26 January 2022 post
5. CODA wins Best Film at Oscars 2022
Tags: National News
The 94th Academy Awards ceremony or Oscars, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honoured the best films released between March 1 and December 31, 2021, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 27, 2022.
Winners List -
Best picture - CODA. This is the first movie made by a streaming service (APPLE) to win Best Picture Oscar
Best actress - Jessica Chastain. She got the award for acting in the film The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Best actor - Will Smith. He got the award for acting in the film King Richard
Best director - The Power of the Dog. She got the award for directing the film Jane Campion
Best original song - Music and Lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell. They got the award for the title track of the film “No Time to Die”
Best adapted screenplay - CODA
Best original screenplay - Belfast
Best international feature - Drive My Car (Japan)
Best supporting actress - Ariana DeBose. She got the award for acting in the film West Side Story
Best supporting actor - Troy Kotsur. He got the award for acting in the film CODA
Best animated feature - Encanto
Best original score - Hans Zimmer. He got the award for the film Dune
Tamil film, Pebbles, directed by P S Vinothraj, was sent as India’s Official Entry at the 94th Academy Awards.
Indian Oscar winners till date-
Bhanu Athaiya in 1982 received the Oscars for the “Best Costume Design” for the movie “Gandhi”
Satyajit Ray received an Honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement in 1992
A R Rahman won two Oscars in 2009 for the movie “Slumdog Millionaire” in the category of “Best Original Score” and “Best Original Song for Jai Ho”
Resul Pookutty in 2009 won the Oscars for “Best Sound Mixing” for the film “Slumdog Millionaire”
Gulzar in 2009 won the Oscars for “Best Original Song for Jai Ho” for the film “Slumdog Millionaire”
6. Normal International Flights resume from India
Tags: National News
Normal International flights from India resumed on 27 March 2022 after a gap of almost two years. International flights were suspended from March 2020 after the corona pandemic.
six Indian airlines will connect 27 countries and 60 international airlines could provide connectivity to 40 countries.
Until now, travel to and from India was confined to 37 countries with limited flights under “air bubble” agreements.
Important for Exam
The regulator of the Civil Aviation sector in India : DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation). It comes under the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation
Union Civil Aviation Minister : Mr Jyotiraditya Scindia
Also see the 17 March 2022 post
7. El Salvador declares state of emergency after gang killings
Tags: International News
The Central American country of El Salvador parliament has approved the state of emergency that temporarily suspended some constitutional protections in the country following a wave of killings attributed to criminal gangs.
At least 62 people were reported killed on 26 March in a gang war in the country.
The Parliament of the country approved the request of the President of El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele, to impose an emergency in the country.
El Salvador
It is the smallest of the Seven Central American countries of Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Belize.
Capital : San Salvador
Currency : United States Dollar, Bitcoins.
President : Nayib Bukele
8. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visits Nepal after India Visit
Tags: International News
The Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Nepal in the last leg of his South Asian tour. He first visited Pakistan and participated in the Summit of the Foreign Minister’s of the Organisation of Islamic Countries held in Islamabad, Pakistan. He then visited Afghanistan before making a surprise visit to India. From India, he visited Nepal on 26 March 2022.
This is the first visit of a high-ranking Chinese official to Nepal since Sher Bahadur Deuba became the Prime Minister of Nepal in July last year.
China and Nepal signed nine MOU(Memoranda of Understanding )
Under the economic and technical cooperation, China will increase its annual assistance to Nepal from Rs. 13 billion to Rs. 15 billion.
Another agreement is on cooperation on the feasibility study of China-Nepal Power Grid interconnection where China will finance the new alignment of the Ratamate-Rasuwagadhi- Kerung transmission line.
China will donate an additional 4 million doses of the Sinovac covid vaccine to Nepal.
Important for Exam
Nepal
It is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is located between India to the east, south, and west and the Tibet area of China to the north.
President of Nepal : Bidhya Devi Bhandari
Prime Minister of Nepal : Sher Bahadur Deuba
Capital of Nepal : Kathnmadu
Currency : Nepalese rupee
It has the world's highest mountain peak: Mount Everest in the Himalayas.
9. Anurag Thakur launches TEJAS Skilling Project at Dubai Expo
Tags: National
Union minister Anurag Thakur, who is in Dubai to participate in the India Pavilion in Dubai Expo 2020, launched Training for Emirates Jobs And Skills (TEJAS) on 27 March 2022. He was visiting the Indian Pavilion at theExpo 2020 Dubai, being held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The TEJAS project is aimed at skilling, certification and overseas employment of Indians. Tejas is aimed at creating pathways to enable Indian workforce to get equipped for skill and market requirements in UAE.
Tejas aims at creating a 10,000 strong Indian workforce in UAE during the initial phase.
Expo 2020 Dubai
World Expos are one of the oldest and largest international events on the Earth which take place every five years and last for six months.
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo ever hosted in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region.
Expo 2020 Dubai will run for six months from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022.
The Theme of the Expo 2020 Dubai is “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”
Kindly Also see 19 February 2022 post
10. PMGKAY extended till September 2022
Tags: National News
The Government of India has extended the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) scheme for another six months, till September 2022 (Phase VI). The phase V of the scheme was to end on 31 March 2022.This will cover nearly 80 crore beneficiaries across India.
PMGKY is the world's largest food security programme which was launched in April 2020 to provide relief to the poor and migrant population suffering due to the corona -19 induced lockdown and the consequent hardship faced by them.
Features of the PMGKAY
PMGKAY is a part of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) to help the poor fight the battle against Covid-19.
Its nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Finance.
Under this scheme, the government Provides additional free of cost 5 kg per person per month food-grains (rice/wheat) to around 80 crore beneficiaries of National Food Security Act (NFSA) including the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) beneficiaries.
The scheme is fully funded by the government of India
The Government has spent approximately Rs. 2.60 Lakh Crore so far and another Rs. 80,000 Crore will be spent over the next 6 months till September 2022 taking the total expenditure under PM-GKAY to nearly Rs. 3.40 Lakh Crore
The Government of India had allocated about 759 Lakh Million Tonnes (LMT) of free foodgrains under the PM-GKAY till Phase V. With another 244 LMT of free foodgrains under this extension (Phase VI), the aggregate allocation of free foodgrains under the PM-GKAY now stands at 1,003 LMT of foodgrains.
The PMGKAY has now been linked withOne Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) plan where migrant workers can get the benefit of the scheme through any ration shops in India.
Phases of the PMGKAY Scheme
Phase I from April to June 2020
Phase II from July to November 2020
Phase III from December 2020 to May 2021 to June 2021
Phase IV from July 2021 to November 2021
Phase V from December 2021 to March 2021
Phase VI from April 2022 to September 2022
Important Government Scheme
National Food Security act (NFSA)
The Public distribution system in India is covered under the National Food security act 2013. It covers 75% of the rural population and 50% Urban areas.
Food Grains are provided to beneficiaries in two categories,Antodaya Anna Yojana(AAY) and Priority Household (PHH).
The Antodaya Anna Yojana beneficiaries get 35 kg of foodgrains per month and the Priority Household gets 5kg per person per month .
The beneficiary gets rice/wheat or coarse cereals at a highly subsidised price .
For One Nation One Ration Card scheme kindly see 2 February 2022 post
