May 4th Current Affairs

1.Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI)

IN NEWS:

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has launched an online portal for ‘Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry’(PLISFPI).

Key takeaways

• Government of India has approved a new Central Sector Scheme namely‘ Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry’ for implementation during 2021-22 to 2026-27 with an outlay of Rs. 10,900 crore.
• Objective: To support creation of global food manufacturing champions commensurate with India’s natural resource endowment and support Indian brands of food products in the international markets.
• Ministry of Food Processing Industries is inviting applications for availing sales based incentives and grants for undertaking Branding & Marketing activities abroad under the scheme from three categories of Applicants:
• Category-I: Applicant under this category could undertake Branding & Marketing activities abroad also and apply for grant under the scheme with a common application.
• Category-II: SMEs Applicants manufacturing innovative/ organic products who apply for PLI Incentive based on Sales.
• Category-III: Applicants applying solely for grant for undertaking Branding & Marketing activities abroad.

SOURCE:PIB

2. Non-basmati rice exports

IN NEWS:

First consignment of non-basmati rice exports from Paradip port, Odisha flagged off to Vietnam.

KEY POINTS:

• This is the first time in the history of Paradip Port, non-basmati rice will be exported.
• Sarala foods group will ship 20 containers of rice followed by around 500 containers over the next three months from PICT to Vietnam.
• The rice exports through PICT would hugely boost India’s exports of non-basmati rice to south-east countries while boosting income of at least two lakh farmers from Odisha and adjoining states.
• During the April – February period of 2020-21, the shipment of Non-Basmati Rice witnessed an impressive spike.
• The non-basmati rice exports were Rs 30,277 crore (4086 US$ Million) during April-February, 2021 against Rs 13,030 crore (1835 US$ Million) reported during April-February, 2020 period. The exports of Non-Basmati have witnessed a growth of 132 % in Rupee terms and 122 % Dollar terms.
• Non-basmati rice exports to African and Asian countries are undertaken from various ports of India such as Kakinada, Vishakhapatnam, Chennai, Mundra and Krishnapatnam. Paradip will soon emerge as one of the major rice-exporting port of the country.

IMPORTANT INFO

• APEDA has promoted rice exports through collaborations with various stakeholders in the value chains.
• The government had set up the Rice Export Promotion Forum (REPF), under the aegis of the APEDA.
• REPF has representations from rice industry, exporters, officials from APEDA, ministry of commerce and directors of agriculture from major rice producing states including West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

SOURCE:TH

3. Asian Development Bank’s annual meeting 2021

IN NEWS:

Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman participates in Governor’s Seminar as part of Asian Development Bank’s annual meeting 2021.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

• Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs and Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Governor for India Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman here today participated in the Governor’s Seminar on “Cooperation for a Resilient Future”, held as part of ADB’s annual meeting 2021.
• Other participants included Japan, Georgia, China, Philippines and Netherlands.
• The virtual seminar was attended by delegates from 68 member nations of the ADB.
• India has been at the forefront of various initiatives aiming at the same through setting up of the SAARC COVID-19 emergency fund, and leading by example in global initiatives of Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) and COVAX. India’s leadership in the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and commitment to Paris Agreement goals has become an example of how positive global climate action can be advanced through partnership.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Asian Development Bank

• ADB is a regional development bank established on 19th December 1966.
• ADB now has 68 members, 49 from within Asia.
• As of 31 December 2019, ADB’s five largest shareholders are Japan and the United States (each with 15.6% of total shares), the People’s Republic of China (6.4%), India (6.3%), and Australia (5.8%).
• It aims to promote social and economic development in Asia.
• ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty.
• ADB is headquartered in Manila, Philippines.

SOURCE:PIB

4. Computed Tomography Scan.

IN NEWS:

CT scans have been in news since several Covid positive patients with mild to moderate Covid symptoms, and some with negative RT-PCR reports having Covid symptoms are coming for the test

KEY POINTS:

CT scan

• It is also known as computed tomography scan.
• It is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to get detailed images of the body noninvasively for diagnostic purposes.
• CT scanners use a rotating x-ray tube and a row of detectors placed in the gantry to measure X-ray attenuations by different tissues inside the body.
• The multiple X-ray measurements taken from different angles are then processed on a computer using reconstruction algorithms to produce tomographic (cross-sectional) images (virtual “slices”) of a body.
• The use of ionizing radiations sometimes restricts its use owing to its adverse effects.

SOURCE:IE

5. Crocidura narcondamica

IN NEWS:

New species of shrew discovered in Andamans’ Narcondam Island

Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have discovered a new species of insectivorous mammal, a white-toothed shrew, from Narcondam Island of the Andaman and Nicobar group of islands.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

About Crocidura Norcondamica

• It is almost the size of the house mouse. It lives in the forest floor and feed on insects. They help to control the insect population in the dense Narcondam forest.
• It belongs to Shrews family. Shrews are not rodents.

Insect Eating Mammal

• A new insect eating mammal species has been discovered in India after four years. The last insect eating mammal to be discovered in India was Jenkin’s Andaman shrew. It was discovered in 1978 on South Andaman Island.
• The recently found Crocidura Norcondamica has been named after the Norcondam Island of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It was found in Norcondam Island.
• Till date, around 422 mammal species have been reported in India.

Norcondam Island

• It is a small volcanic island located in the northern Andaman sea. It is formed of Andesite. It is 124 kilo metres away from the main body of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The island was classified as a dormant volcano by the Geological Survey of India.
• Burma claimed the sovereignty of the island till 1986. It gave up the claim after reaching an agreement with India on delimitation of the maritime boundary. According to the agreement, the countries drew their maritime boundary in the Coco channel, Andaman sea and Bay of Bengal.
• The Narcondam hornbill is endemic to the island and is endangered.
• The Narcondam Wildlife Sanctuary has been listed on the tentative List of World Heritage sites of UNESCO. The island was notified as Wildlife sanctuary mainly to protect the hornbill.

SOURCE:TH