April 4th Current Affairs -Vignan IAS

NAXALISM
Five security personnel were killed and more than 12 injured in an encounter with Maoists in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh.
About:
Two of the dead were from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). One of them belonged to the elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) of the CRPF, a unit specially trained for operations in areas affected by left-wing extremism.
a 400-strong team of security forces came under attack by a People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) platoon in the Tarrem area near the Sukma-Bijapur border.
The attack comes close on the heels of the March 23 incident when five DRG personnel were killed as Maoists blew up a bus carrying security personnel with an IED in Narayanpur district.
Important Info :
Sukma district?
Sukma district is the southernmost district in Chhattisgarh.
It is located in the Bastar region, known for its tribal culture. It is mainly inhabited by Gonds and other tribals.
The district was carved out of Dantewada in 2012.
Sukma district borders with Odisha (Malkangiri district), Telangana (Bhadradri Kothagudem district) and Andhra Pradesh (East Godavari district).
One major river that flows through the district is Sabari.
The district is one of the least developed districts of India and is severely affected by Naxalism or Maoism.
Source : The Hindu
Defence & Security

 

 DECISION REVIEW SYSTEM (DRS)

The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) cricket committee has made changes to the way lbws will be decided under the Decision Review System (DRS).
About:
The “wicket zone”, the area of the stumps a ball must hit for an on-field not-out decision to be overturned, which previously ended below the bails, will now extend all the way up to the top. The committee also decided to retain the umpire’s call, an element that allows
the on-field decision to stand when there is no conclusive evidence to overturn it. A player can also ask the umpire whether an attempt was made to play the ball before deciding to review an lbw call.
Important Info :
What necessitated the review?
Under DRS, 50% of the ball should predictively hit the “wicket zone” for an on-field not-out decision to be reversed. Earlier, if the ball-tracking simulation showed the ball to be clipping the bails, the on-field verdict, even if it was not out, stood because the “wicket
zone” ended below the bails. This left both players and supporters exasperated because two balls, both predictively shown to be hitting the stumps, can both be out and not out depending on the on-field umpire’s call. The 50% test is also applied for balls projected to hit the outside of the off-stump or leg-stump.
Source : The Hindu
Sports

 April 4th Current Affairs -Vignan IAS

DIGITAL RMB
China in February 2021 launched the latest round of pilot trials of its new digital currency, with reported plans of a major roll-out by the end of the year and ahead of the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February 2022.
About:
Officially titled the Digital Currency Electronic Payment (DCEP), the digital RMB (or Renminbi, China’s currency) is, as its name suggests, a digital version of China’s currency.
It can be downloaded and exchanged via an application authorised by the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), China’s central bank.
China is among a small group of countries that have begun pilot trials; others include Sweden, South Korea and Thailand.
How is it different from an e-wallet? 
Unlike an e-wallet such as Paytm in India, or Alipay or WeChat Pay, which are the two dominant apps in China, the Digital RMB does not involve a third party. For users, the experience may broadly feel the same. But from a “legal perspective”, the digital currency is “very, very different”. This is legal tender guaranteed by the central bank, not a payment guaranteed by a third-party operator. There is no third-party transaction, and hence, no transaction fee. Unlike e-wallets, the digital currency does not require Internet connectivity.
The payment is made through Near-field Communication (NFC) technology. Also, unlike non-bank payment platforms that require users to link bank accounts, this can be opened with a personal identification number. 
Important Info :
Significance
While several countries have been experimenting with digital currencies, China’s recent trials in several cities have placed it ahead of the curve. The central bank-issued digital RMB will turn the logic of decentralised cryptocurrencies on its head, without the privacy and anonymity they offer, by giving regulators complete control over transactions. There are global motivations as well.
Source : The Hindu
Economy

 April 4th Current Affairs -Vignan IAS

H-1B VISA RULE
USA President Joe Biden has allowed a Trump-era H-1B visa rule to expire.
About:
Last June, the administration of former President Donald Trump, a Republican, halted the issuance of non-immigrant work visas of several types, including the skilled worker visa, or H-1B. At the time, the White House had stated that the aim of the policy was to stop foreign workers from cornering American jobs during the economic distress and consequent shortage of economic opportunities brought on by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While the original order was valid until December 31, 2020, it was extended by the Trump administration to be valid until March 31, 2021. Now, the 46th and current U.S. President, Democrat Joe Biden, has allowed the
ban on H-1B visa issuance to expire, potentially bringing relief to a large number of Indian nationals, especially IT workers who are prospective applicants for the visa.
Important Info :
Statistics
Until now, the U.S. issued 85,000 H-1B visas annually, of which 20,000 went to graduate students and 65,000 to private sector applicants, and Indian nationals would garner approximately 70% of these.
Source : The Hindu
International

 April 4th Current Affairs -Vignan IAS

INFLATION TARGETING
On the last day of the financial year 2020-21, the Finance Ministry announced that the inflation target for the five years between April 2021 and March 2026 will remain unchanged at 4%, with an upper tolerance level of 6% and a lower tolerance level of 2%.
About:
This is the retail inflation target that will drive the country’s monetary policy framework and influence its decision to raise, hold or lower interest rates. India had switched to an inflation target-based monetary policy framework in 2015, with the 4% target kicking in from 2016-17. Many developed countries had adopted an inflation-rate focus as an anchor for policy formulation for interest rates rather than past fixations with metrics like the currency exchange rate or controlling money supply growth. Emerging economies have also been gradually adopting this approach. In adopting a target for a period of five years, the central bank has the visibility and the time to smoothly alter and adjust its policies in order to attain the targeted inflation levels over the medium term, rather than seek to achieve it every month.
Source : The Hindu
Economy

 

April 4th Current Affairs -Vignan IAS

SOFT SIGNAL PROTOCOL
The soft signal protocol for outfield catches, which was in the news during the India-England series, was not adjudicated on in the recent meeting of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) cricket committee.
About:
According to the International Cricket Council’s rules, a ‘soft signal’ is a “visual communication by the bowler’s end umpire to the third umpire (accompanied by additional information via two-way radio where necessary) of his/her initial on-field decision prior to initiating an Umpire Review.”
In most cases, the third umpire upholds the ‘soft signal’ (out or not out) of the on-field umpire if there is no conclusive evidence to overturn the first verdict.
Source : The Hindu
Sports

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APRIL 2ND CURRENT AFFAIRS – VIGNAN IAS

 

DADASAHEB PHALKE AWARD
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Rajinikanth after he has been conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2019.
About:
Dadasaheb Phalke award is India’s highest award in cinema.
It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals (an organisation set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting).
The award prize consists of a golden lotus, a cash prize of ₹10 lakh and a shawl.
The award is given to people for their “outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema”.
It was first presented in 1969. The first recipient of the award was actress Devika Rani, “the first lady of Indian cinema.”
Important Info :
Dadasaheb Phalke?
Dadasaheb Phalke (1870–1944), was an Indian film-maker who directed India’s first full-length feature film, Raja Harishchandra (1913).
He is regarded as “the father of Indian cinema.”
Source : The Hindu
Awards and Recognitions

 

 

APRIL 2ND CURRENT AFFAIRS – VIGNAN IAS

LIGHT WEIGHT BULLET PROOF JACKET
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has congratulated DRDO and DMSRDE Kanpur for developing a Light Weight Bullet Proof Jacket.
About:
Defence Materials and Stores Research and Development Establishment (DMSRDE), Kanpur, a DRDO laboratory has developed a Light Weight Bullet Proof Jacket weighing 9 kg meeting the qualitative requirements of Indian Army.
The Front Hard Armour Panel jacket was tested successfully at TBRL Chandigarh and met relevant BIS standards.
Source : All India Radio
Defence & Security

KARGIL ZANSKAR ROAD
Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways has approved a 780 Crore rupees project for upgradation of Kargil Zanskar road.
About:
The 2 lane Kargil Zanskar NH 301 road is sanctioned under Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode.
Zanskar- Kargil road was declared National Highway in 2017 by the Centre.
This road from Zanskar valley, also connects Suru valley, Sankoo valley of Kargil Ladakh with the Highway.
The road will be a key for economic development of the remote region of Ladakh.
Source : All India Radio
Geography

HARYANA’S AMENDED RULES OF PROCEDURE, CONDUCT OF BUSINESS OF LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
Haryana has amended several provisions under its Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Legislative Assembly of the state.
About:
Several new provisions have also been added in order to maintain the decorum of the House and to ensure that prompt action is taken on recommendations made by the committees constituted by the Speaker.
In Rule 76, a new provision has been added, according to which during every sitting of the House, presence of at least two ministers is a must, which was not maintained at times during discussion on certain Calling Attention Motions or other Business of the House.
To maintain decorum of the House, another new provision has been added, according to which the members “shall not tear off documents in the House in protest”.
The new Sub-Rule 46(11) reads: “The question shall not contain more than 150 words in any case either typed or handwritten on one side of the page.” Officials say it has been done to have better clarity for the Ministers to give a specific reply to the query raised by the Member.
As per the new definition, Leader of Opposition means Leader of a Legislative Party having the largest number of members other than the party/parties that has formed the government and having the strength at least equal to the strength of the quorum of the House
Source : Indian Express
Polity & Governance

APRIL 2ND CURRENT AFFAIRS – VIGNAN IAS

BAIKAL-GVD
Russian scientists launched one of the world’s biggest underwater neutrino telescopes called the Baikal-GVD (Gigaton Volume Detector) in the waters of Lake Baikail, the world’s deepest lake situated in Siberia.
About:
The construction of this telescope, which started in 2016, is motivated by the mission to study in detail the elusive fundamental particles called neutrinos and to possibly determine their sources.
The Baikal-GVD is one of the three largest neutrino detectors in the world along with the IceCube at the South Pole and ANTARES in the Mediterranean Sea.
Important Info :
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal is a rift lake located in southern Siberia, Russia.
Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake by volume in the world, containing 22 to 23% of the world’s fresh surface water.
With a maximum depth of 1,642 m (5,387 ft), Baikal is the world’s deepest lake.
It is the world’s oldest lake at 25–30 million years.
It is the seventh-largest lake in the world by surface area.
Lake Baikal formed as an ancient rift valley and has a long, crescent shape.
The region to the east of Lake Baikal is referred to as Transbaikalia or as the Transbaikal, and the loosely defined region around the lake itself is sometimes known as Baikalia.
UNESCO declared Lake Baikal a World Heritage Site in 1996.
Source : Indian Express
Science & Tech

MyNEP2020
Union Education Minister launched the “MyNEP2020” Platform of NCTE Web Portal.
About:
The platform seeks to invite suggestions from the stakeholders for preparing draft for development of National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) and National Mission for Mentoring Program membership (NMM).
The “MyNEP2020” platform will be operational from 1st April 2021 to 15th May 2021.
For preparing the documents on above two major recommendations of NEP 2020, NCTE will work in close consultation with individuals/organizations.
Expert committee will extensively review the inputs collected during the consultation period and will finally formulate the Drafts for public review. Comments by the reviewers from the stakeholders will then be used to prepare a final Draft for notification.
Important Info :
National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) is a statutory body of Indian government set up under the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993 in 1995 to formally oversee standards, procedures and processes in the Indian education system.
Source : PIB
Education

APRIL 2ND CURRENT AFFAIRS – VIGNAN IAS

 JOINT LOGISTICS NODE (JLN)

Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat operationalised and dedicated to the Armed forces the 3rd Joint Logistics Node (JLN) in Mumbai.
About:
These JLNs will provide integrated logistics cover to the Armed Forces for their small arms ammunition, rations, fuel, general stores, civil hired transport, aviation clothing, spares and also engineering support in an effort to synergise their operational efforts.
Establishment and operationalisation of JLNs is a very important first step in the direction of logistics integration of our three Services. The JLN would enhance joint inter-operability between the Services.
The Joint Operations Division (JOD) under the aegis of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (Hq IDS) enabled establishment of the JLNs
Government Sanction Letter for establishment of JLNs in Mumbai, Guwahati and Port Blair was signed on October 12, 2020.
The JLNs in Guwahati and Tri-Services, Andaman and Nicobar Command, Port Blair were operationalised on January 01, 2021.
Source : PIB
Defence & Security

EXERCISE SHANTIR OGROSHENA 2021
Multinational Military Exercise SHANTIR OGROSHENA 2021 (Front Runner of the Peace) will be held at Bangladesh to commemorate the birth centenary of Bangladesh ‘Father of the Nation’ Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and mark 50 years of liberation.
About:
Indian Army contingent comprising of 30 personnel including Officers, JCOs and Jawans of a Battalion from The DOGRA Regiment will participate in the exercise along with contingent of Royal Bhutan Army, Sri Lankan Army and Bangladesh Army from 04 Apr to 12 Apr 2021.
The theme of the exercise is “Robust Peace Keeping Operations”.
Military observers from USA, UK, Turkey, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Singapore will also be in attendance throughout the exercise.
Source : All India Radio
International

 

UTKAL DIWAS
In Odisha, a number of programmes have been organised to mark the 86th statehood day today. Celebrated as Utkal Diwas, the day commemorates the coming into being of Odisha as a state in 1936.
Modern History of Odisha:
The British had occupied the Northern Circars, comprising the southern coast of Odisha, as a result of the Second Carnatic War by 1760, and incorporated them into the Madras Presidency gradually.
In 1803, the British ousted the Marathas from the Puri-Cuttack region of Odisha during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. The northern and western districts of Odisha were incorporated into the Bengal Presidency.
In 1903, the Utkal Sammilani organisation was founded to demand the unification of Odia-speaking regions into one state.
On 1 April 1912, the Bihar and Orissa Province was formed.
On 1 April 1936, Bihar and Orissa were split into separate provinces.
The new province of Orissa came into existence on a linguistic basis during the British rule in India, with Sir John Austen Hubback as the first governor.
Following India’s independence, on 15 August 1947, 27 princely states signed the document to join Orissa.
Source : All India Radio
History

SHIVAKUMARA SWAMIGALU
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has bowed to Sree Sree Sree Sivakumara Swamigalu on his Jayanti.
About:
Shivakumara Swamigalu (1907 – 2019) was an Indian spiritual leader. He was a Lingayat religious figure and head of the Siddaganga Matha in Karnataka. He was described as the most esteemed adherent of Lingayatism.
Educationist: He founded the Sri Siddaganga Education Society. He founded over 100 institutions for education and training, that range from nursery to colleges for engineering, science, arts and management as well as vocational training.
Awards and Honours:
in 2007, the Government of Karnataka awarded him the Karnataka Ratna award, the highest civilian award of the state.
In 2015 the Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan.
He was also referred to as Nadedaaduva Devaru (walking God) in the state of Karnataka.

Important Info :
Do you know?
The Lingayats is a numerically and politically strong community of Karnataka.
They are followers of Basaveshwara, a 12th century Kannada philosopher during the reign of the Kalachuri-dynasty king Bijjala I in Karnataka who founded the Lingayats sect.
Source : PIB
Culture

APRIL 2ND CURRENT AFFAIRS – VIGNAN IAS

 

The post April 2nd current affairs – Vignan IAS appeared first on Vignan IAS Academy.

April 1st current affairs – vignan ias

India-Mauritius
Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement.

Context: India and Mauritius signed the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) on 22 February 2021. The CECPA is the first trade Agreement signed by India with a country in Africa. Both sides have completed their internal legal procedures and the India-Mauritius CECPA will enter into force on Thursday, 01 April 2021.

Key takeaways:

·        It is a limited agreement, which will cover Trade in Goods, Rules of Origin, Trade in Services, Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, Dispute Settlement, Movement of Natural Persons, Telecom, Financial services, Customs Procedures and Cooperation in other Areas.

·        CECPA providesfor an institutional mechanism to encourage and improve trade between the two
countries.

·         The CECPA between India and Mauritius covers 310 export items for India. 

·      Indian exporters have to obtain a Certificate of Origin (CoO) from the authorised Indian agencies to avail the preferential benefits under the CECPA.

 Important value addition:

CECPA(Comprehensive Economic
Cooperation and Partnership Agreement.)

v It is a kind of free trade pact that aims to provide an institutional mechanism to encourage and improve trade between the two countries.

v Under this agreement, countries reduce or eliminate the duties on the products. The countries also give relaxation in the norms to promote the services trade.

Types of Trade Agreements

Free Trade Agreement (FTA):  A free trade agreement is an agreement in which two or more countries agree to provide preferential trade terms, tariff concession etc. to the partner country. India has negotiated FTA with many countries e.g. Sri Lanka and various trading blocs as well e.g. ASEAN.

Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA): In this type of agreement, two or more partners give preferential right of entry to certain products. This is done by reducing duties on an agreed number of tariff lines. Tariffs may even be reduced to zero for some products even in a PTA. India signed a PTA with Afghanistan.

Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA): Partnership agreement or cooperation agreement are more comprehensive than an FTA. CEPA covers negotiation on the trade in services and investment, and other areas of economic partnership. India has signed CEPAs with South Korea and Japan.

Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA): CECA generally covers negotiation on trade tariff and TRQ (Tariff Rate Quotas) rates only. It is not as comprehensive as CEPA. India has signed CECA with Malaysia.

SOURCE:PIB 

April 1st current affairs – vignan ias 

SMALL SAVINGS INSTRUMENTS
The government has sharply slashed the rates on all small savings instruments
for the first quarter of 2021-22.

About:
It has brought the rate of return on the Public Provident Fund down from 7.1% to 6.4% and effecting cuts ranging from 40 basis points (0.4%) to 110 basis points (1.1%) through a notification. The sharpest cut was seen in the quarterly interest rate paid on one-year term deposits, from 5.5% in the January to March quarter to 4.4% in this quarter. The rate of return on the Senior Citizen Savings’ Scheme was cut from 7.4% to 6.5%, while the Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme’s return was reduced from 7.6%
to 6.9%.
The interest rate paid on National Savings Certificate and Kisan Vikas Patra were also reduced significantly, from 6.8% to 5.9%, and from 6.9% to 6.2%, respectively. Consequently, the Kisan Vikas Patra, which used to mature in 124 months, will now mature in 138 months. While savings deposits earned the lowest rate of 4% till now, that return has now been further slashed to 3.5%. Among time deposits, the return on five year deposits has been reduced from 6.7% to 5.8%. For savers, the option with the highest returns at this point is the Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme, followed by the Senior Citizens’ Savings Schemes and the Public Provident Fund.
Important Info :
Comment – While the government resets the interest rate on small savings instruments every quarter, this round of rate cuts assumes significance as the government is keen to lower interest rates to make it easier to execute its borrowing plans for the year and spur growth. The government plans to borrow ₹12.05 lakh crore in 2021-22, on the back of a record gross borrowing of ₹13.71 lakh crore in 2020-21. High small savings rates have been cited by the central bank as a major impediment in ensuring policy rate cuts get transmitted into the banking system.

Source : The Hindu
Economy

April 1st current affairs – vignan ias

Mi;itary Farms:

Iindian Army Formally closes Down Military Farms

About:
Military Farms were set up with sole requirement of supplying hygienic cow’s milk to troops billeted in various garrisons across British India.
First Military farm was raised on 01 Feb 1889 at Allahabad.
After independence Military Farms flourished with 30,000 heads of cattle in 130 Military Farms all over India. Military Farms were even established in Leh and Kargil in late 1990s, with the role of supply of fresh and hygienic milk to troops at their locations on daily basis.
Another major task was management of large tracts of defence land, production and supply of Baled Hay to animal holding units. Military Farms are credited with pioneering the technique of Artificial Insemination of cattle and introduction of organised Dairying in India. In collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, they established “Project Freiswal”, credited to be the world’s largest cattle cross-breeding program. They also teamed up with DRDO in development of Bio-Fuel.
After 132 years of glorious service to the nation, curtains were drawn on this organisation.

Source : PIB
Defence & Security

ARTICLE 244(A) OF THE CONSTITUTION:
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi promised to implement Article 244 (A) of the Constitution to safeguard the interests of the people in Assam’s tribal-majority districts.
About:
Article 244(A) allows for creation of an ‘autonomous state’ within Assam in certain tribal areas.
Inserted into the Constitution in 1969, it also has a provision for a Legislature and a Council of Ministers.
Information:
How is it different from the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution?
The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution — Articles 244(2) and 275(1) — is a special provision that allows for greater political autonomy and decentralised governance in certain tribal areas of the Northeast through autonomous councils that are administered by elected representatives.
In Assam, the hill districts of Dima Hasao, Karbi Anglong and West Karbi and the Bodo Territorial Region are under this provision.
Article 244(A) accounts for more autonomous powers to tribal areas. In Autonomous Councils under the Sixth Schedule, they do not have jurisdiction of law and order.

Source: Indian Express
Polity & Governance

April 1st current affairs – vignan ias

ECLGS 3.0
In recognition of the continuing adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic on certain service sectors, the Government has now extended the scope of Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) through introduction of ECLGS 3.0.
About:
ECLGS 3.0 will cover business enterprises in Hospitality, Travel & Tourism, Leisure & Sporting sectors which had, as on 29.02.2020, total credit outstanding not exceeding Rs. 500 crore and overdues, if any, were for 60 days or less, on that date i.e., 29th Feb 2020.
ECLGS 3.0 would involve extension of credit of upto 40% of total credit outstanding across all lending institutions as on 29.02.2020. The tenor of loans granted under ECLGS 3.0 shall be 6 years including moratorium period of 2 years.
Further, the validity of ECLGS i.e., ECLGS 1.0, ECLGS 2.0 & ECLGS 3.0 have been extended upto 30.06.2021 or till guarantees for an amount of Rs. 3 lakh crore are issued. Last date of disbursement under the scheme has been extended to 30.09.2021.
The modifications introduced in the scheme, while providing an incentive to MLIs to enable availability of additional funding facility to the eligible beneficiaries will go a long way in contributing to economic revival.
The revised operational guidelines in this regard shall be issued by National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Ltd (NCGTC).
Source : PIB
Economy

FOREIGN TRADE POLICY 2015-2020
The Union Commerce and Industry Ministry announced extension of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) of Government of India.
About:
The present Policy which came into force on 1st April 2015, was for 5 years and was extended thereafter upto 31st March, 2021.
In view of the persisting COVID-19 pandemic, the Government has decided to continue benefits under various export promotion schemes by extending existing Foreign Trade Policy by another six months i.e., up to 30th September, 2021.
Exemption from payment of IGST and Compensation Cess on the imports made under Advance/EPCG Authorisations and by EOUs etc. has also been extended up to 30.09.2021.
Similarly, validity period of the Status Holder Certificates is also extended. This will enable the Status Holders to continue to avail the specified facilities/benefits.

Source : PIB
Economy

April 1st current affairs – vignan ias

JAL JEEVAN MISSION
The Ministry of Jal Shakti has decided to use sensor-based IoT devices to effectively monitor the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in more than six lakh villages.
About:
For this, National Jal Jeevan Mission in collaboration with Tata Community Initiatives Trust (TCIT) and Tata Trusts recently completed pilot projects in several remote villages of five States i.e., Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Himachal Pradesh.
The Internet of Things (IoT) based remote monitoring provides near real-time information without any manual intervention by using sensors.
This would not only allow effective monitoring and management on-ground, but also enable real-time visibility to State water supply/ PHED officials, and citizens.
Several types of sensors have been deployed including flow meters, ground water level sensors, chlorine analyzers, pressure sensors, pump controller etc. to measure all the relevant aspects of water service delivery.
Important Info :
Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), Union Government’s flagship programme, is implemented in partnership with States/ UTs to provide tap water connection to every rural household by 2024.
It envisions creating a Digital Wall and Remote Command & Control Centre for monitoring and managing supply of prescribed quality water in adequate quantity (55 Liters Per Capita per Day – LPCD) every day through household tap connections across all rural villages.

Source : LiveMint
Water

PRIME MINISTER’S YOGA AWARDS (PMYA)
The nomination process for this year’s Prime Minister’s Yoga Awards (PMYA) will begin from 30/03/2021, with the last date for the submission of the entries being 30/04/2021.
About:
One of the key initiatives of the Ministry of AYUSH (MoA), the International Day of Yoga (IDY), has gained international recognition.
PM Narendra Modi, on the second International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2016,had announced two categories of Yoga awards – one being International and other being National – to be announced on the occasion of the International Day of Yoga (IDY).
The purpose of the awards is to recognize and felicitate the individual(s)/organization(s) who/which have made a significant impact on the society, for a sustained period, by the way of promotion and development of Yoga.

Source : PIB
Awards and Recognitions

April 1st current affairs – vignan ias

The post April 1st current affairs – Vignan IAS appeared first on Vignan IAS Academy.

The US administration has once again amended the H-1B visa norms by changing the rules to give priority to higher wages and skills for selection of deserving candidates. The old lottery system of work visa selection will not be followed now

What is the new wage-based H-1B work visa regime?

• The new wage-based work visa regime will now give priority in selection of visas to applications of those employers where the “proffered wage equals or exceeds” the prevailing level in that area of employment.
  
• The proffered wage is the wage that the employer intends to pay the beneficiary.
  
• This will be done for both the 65,000 regular visas and the 20,000 advanced degree exemption visas.
  
• This regime will also take into account the skill set that the respective worker brings to the country and cross check it whether such skill set is available at the same cost among the US workers.
  

Source : Indian Express

A supermassive black hole, which is estimated to weigh up to 100 billion times the mass of the Sun, is seemingly missing, leaving astronomers perplexed

• Scientists have been looking for the black hole using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope, and have so far found no evidence that it is anywhere to be found.
  
• The black hole is supposed to be located in Abell 2261, an enormous galaxy cluster that is about 2.7 billion light-years away from our planet.
  
• At 2.7 billion light-years away, the Abell galaxy is at an overwhelmingly large distance away from us.
  

Important Info :

• Every large galaxy in the universe has a supermassive black hole at its centre, whose mass is millions or billions of times that of the Sun.
• The black hole at the centre of our galaxy– the Milky Way– is called Sagittarius A*, and is 26,000 light-years away from Earth.

Source : Indian Express

After culling of ducks and chickens in Kerala, the Haryana government has decided to cull poultry birds in Barwala after some of them tested positive for the avian influenza

• Mass slaughter of domestic poultry birds, such as chickens and ducks, to contain the spread of bird flu is called culling.
  
• During culling operations, all domestic birds in an infected area, i.e., an area in which a case of bird flu has been detected, are slaughtered and their remains buried.
  
• Though wild and other birds may also carry the bird flu, only domestic poultry birds are culled since they are present in close proximity with people, raising the chances of transmission of the virus to humans.
  

Important Info :

• In India, culling is done in a radius one kilometre from the site of infection, which is called the ‘infected zone’. This means all domestic birds present in commercial farms, backyard farms or live bird markets in the infected zone are culled.

Source : Indian Express

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the National Youth Parliament Festival – 2021 on January 12, 2021

• The Festival is organised on 12th January on the occasion of the National Youth Day in order to encourage the youth in the age group of 18-25 years to engage with public issues and understand the common man’s point of view.
  
• The First National Youth Parliament Festival was organized in January-February, 2019.
  

Important Info :

• National Youth Day is celebrated on 12 January being the birthday of Swami Vivekananda.
• In 1984 the Government of India declared this day as National Youth Day and since 1985 the event is celebrated in India every year.

Source : All India Radio

In Manipur, the Cherry Blossom Mao Festival was held at Senapati district marking the beginning of pink season in the district

• The Mao area of Senapati district in Manipur is known for Cherry Blossom, a plant which is popularly known as Sakura in Japan.
  
• The Manipur government started organizing the festival every year from 2017 onward.
  
• The festival features the picturesque landscape of Mao town adorned with beautiful Cherry Blossom flowers.
  

Important Info :

• A cherry blossom is a flower of many trees of genus Prunus.
• Prunus cerasoides, called wild Himalayan cherry, Indian wild cherry, and sour cherry, is known in Hindi as padam, pajja, or padmakashtha.

Source : All India Radio

Assam government will provide khadi shirt, eri shawl and eri stole to Grade IV employees in a phased manner, in a move to pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and his movement for Khadi

• Eri silk comes from the caterpillar of Samia ricini, found in northeast India and some parts of China, Japan.
  
• The name “eri” is derived from the Assamese word “era”, which means “castor”, as the silkworm feeds on castor plants.
  
• Eri silk is also known as endi or errandi in India.
  
• The woolly white silk is often referred to as the fabric of peace when it is processed without killing the silkworm. This process results in a silk called Ahimsa silk. Moths leave the cocoon and then the cocoons are harvested to be spun.
  
• The eri silkworm is the only completely domesticated silkworm other than Bombyx mori.
  

Source : All India Radio

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