best civils coaching in bangalore – Vignan IAS Academy

May 11th Current Affairs

admin — Tue, 11 May 2021 15:22:00 +0000

1.Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture’ (MIDH)

IN NEWS:

Union Agriculture Ministry has allocated Rs 2250 Crore for realizing the huge potential of horticulture sector in 2021-22.

Key highlights:

Keeping in view the huge potential and role of the horticulture sector in increasing farmer’s income, the Government of India has allocated Rs. 2250 Crore for development of horticulture sector during 2021-22.

To further promote and for holistic growth of the horticulture sector in the country, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has provided an enhanced allocation of Rs. 2250 Crore for the year 2021-22 for ‘Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture’ (MIDH), a centrally sponsored scheme.

The Ministry is implementing MIDH with effect from 2014-15, for realizing the potential of the horticulture sector covering fruits, vegetables, root and tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew and cocoa.

The allocation is significantly higher than the previous year allocation.

This allocation has been communicated to the States/UTs for preparing Annual Action Plans.

Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture’ (MIDH):

It is a scheme for the holistic growth and development of the Indian horticulture sector.
This Centrally Sponsored scheme covers vegetables, fruits, roots and tuber crops, aromatic plants, flowers, spices, bamboo, coconut, cashew and cocoa.
MIDH also provides technical support and advice to state horticultural missions, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), Saffron Mission and the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA).
MIDH is under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, GOI.
Under MIDH, while Government of India (GOI) contributes 85% of total outlay for developmental programmes in all the states except the states in North East and Himalayas, 15% share is contributed by State Governments. In the case of North Eastern States and Himalayan States, GOI contribution is 100%.

Sub Schemes:

National Horticulture Mission (NHM).

Horticulture Mission for North East & Himalayan States (HMNEH).

National Bamboo Mission (NBM).

National Horticulture Board (NHB).

Coconut Development Board (CDB).

Central Institute for Horticulture (CIH).

SOURCE:PIB

2. ‘Connected Commerce: Creating a Roadmap for a Digitally Inclusive Bharat’

IN NEWS:

NITI Aayog and Mastercard released a report titled ‘Connected Commerce: Creating a Roadmap for a Digitally Inclusive Bharat’.

Key Highlights:

The report identifies challenges in accelerating digital financial inclusion in India.
It provides recommendations for making digital services accessible to its 1.3 billion citizens.
Strengthening the payment infrastructure to promote a level playing field for NBFCs and banks.
Digitizing registration and compliance processes and diversifying credit sources to enable growth opportunities for MSMEs.
Building information sharing systems, including a ‘fraud repository’, and ensuring that online digital commerce platforms carry warnings to alert consumers to the risk of frauds.
Enabling agricultural NBFCs to access low-cost capital and deploy a ‘phygital’ (physical + digital) model for achieving better long-term digital outcomes.
To make city transit smoothly accessible to all with minimal crowding and queues, leveraging existing smartphones and contactless cards and make it an inclusive, interoperable, and fully open system.

SOURCE:PIB

3. Pakistan government to set new rules to meet FATF requirements

IN NEWS:

Pakistan, keen to exit from the grey list of the FATF, is set to introduce new rules relating to anti-money laundering cases and change the prosecution process to meet its remaining tough conditions.

Key Highlights:

Pakistan was put on the grey list by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global watchdog for money laundering and terror financing in June 2018 and the country has been struggling to come out of it.
The changes being made also include the transfer of investigations and prosecution of anti-money laundering (AML) cases from police, provincial anti-corruption establishments (ACEs) and other similar agencies to specialised agencies.
These rules and related notifications for certain changes in the existin schedule of the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2010 (AMLA) would come into force immediately, to be followed by the appointment of administrators and special public prosecutors for implementation.
Based on these measures, the FATF would conclude if Pakistan has complied with three outstanding benchmarks, out of 27, that blocked its exit from the grey list.

Composition:

The FATF currently comprises 37 member jurisdictions and 2 regional organisations, representing most major financial centres in all parts of the globe. It also has observers and associate members.

What is a blacklist and grey list?

Black List: Countries known as Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories (NCCTs) are put in the blacklist. These countries support terror funding and money laundering activities. The FATF revises the blacklist regularly, adding or deleting entries.

Grey List: Countries that are considered safe haven for supporting terror funding and money laundering are put in the FATF grey list. This inclusion serves as a warning to the country that it may enter the blacklist.

Considered in the grey list may face:

Economic sanctions from IMF, World Bank, ADB.
Problem in getting loans from IMF, World Bank, ADB and other countries.
Reduction in international trade.
International boycott.

SOURCE:TH

4. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana

In News

Recently, thirteen states have started distributing foodgrains under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY).
The scheme has been rolled out again for two months (May and June 2021) as the country’s healthcare infrastructure has reached its capacity and several states have taken steps like complete lockdown, night curfew to contain the spread of the disease.

Key Points

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.
It was initially announced for a three month period (April, May and June 2020), covering 80 crore ration cardholders. Later it was extended till November 2020.
However in April 2021, the government had announced its decision to restart the PMGKAY.
The scheme aimed at providing each person who is covered under the National Food Security Act 2013 with an additional 5 kg grains (wheat or rice) for free, in addition to the 5 kg of subsidised foodgrain already provided through the Public Distribution System (PDS).
The new version of the PMGKAY lacks one of its important components which was there in 2020 PMGKAY i:e free-of-cost 1 kg pulses per month to each household covered under the NFSA.
Government of India will bear all expenditure of over Rs. 26,000 crore on account of food subsidy and Central assistance to states/UTs on account of intra-state transportation etc.

Allocation Till Now:

Out of a total monthly allocation of 39.69 lakh Metric Tonnes (MT) under the PMGKAY, 15.55 lakh MT have been lifted by states.

1.01 lakh MT have been distributed to 2.03 crore beneficiaries till May 2021.

Source: IE

5. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx:

IN NEWS:

On May 11, NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft will depart asteroid Bennu, and start its two-year long journey back to Earth.

Key Highlights:

About the mission:

OSIRIS-REx is NASA’s first mission to visit a near-Earth asteroid, survey its surface and collect a sample from it.
In October 2020, the spacecraft briefly touched asteroid Bennu, from where it collected samples of dust and pebbles.
The mission was launched in 2016.

About asteroid Bennu:

Bennu is considered to be an ancient asteroid that has not gone through a lot of composition-altering change through billions of years, which means that below its surface lie chemicals and rocks from the birth of the solar system.
Therefore, scientists and researchers are interested in studying this asteroid as it might give them clues about the origins of the solar system, the sun, the Earth and the other planets.
So far, we know that Bennu is a B-type asteroid, implying that it contains significant amounts of carbon and various other minerals.
Because of its high carbon content, the asteroid reflects about four per cent of the light that hits it, which is very low when compared with a planet like Venus, which reflects about 65 per cent of the light that hits it. Earth reflects about 30 per cent.

Was Bennu the first Mission to land on an Asteroid?

Japan had sent Hayabusa and the European Space Agency had sent Rosetta Mission. Thus, Bennu was not the first mission to land on an asteroid.

Hayabusa Mission

It was launched in 2014 to collect samples from Ryugu. It reached Ryugu in 2018. It spent 18 months there and returned to the earth in December 2020.

Rosetta Mission

The Rosetta Mission was launched by the European Space Agency to explore comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2004.
It was the first mission to orbit a comet. Also, it was the first mission to land a probe on its surface.

SOURCE:IE

The post May 11th Current Affairs appeared first on Vignan IAS Academy.

April 6th Current Affairs

admin — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 14:26:33 +0000

April 6th current affairs

INS VIRAAT
INS Viraat, the Navy’s decommissioned aircraft carrier, has become the “private property” of a ship-breaker who has already torn down 40% of its body, chiefly for scrap, the Supreme Court told a private company, that wants to turn the vessel into a maritime museum-cum-adventure centre.
About:
On February 10, the court had ordered a stay on the process of dismantling the ship.
The carrier was bought by the Gujarat-based Shree Ram Group, a ship-breaking firm, in a bid. The 67-year-old iconic warship was towed to the breaking yard after over three decades’ service in the Navy.
Important Info :
Do you know?
INS Viraat was a Centaur-class aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy.
INS Viraat was the flagship of the Indian Navy before INS Vikramaditya was commissioned in 2013.
The ship was completed and commissioned in 1959 as the Royal Navy’s HMS Hermes, and decommissioned in 1984. It was sold to India in 1987. INS Viraat was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1987 served till 2016 when it was decommissioned.
Source : The Hindu
Defence & Security (April 6th current affairs)

CHENAB BRIDGE

The Prime Minister has lauded the completion of Arch closure of the Chenab Bridge, World’s highest Railway Bridge in Jammu & Kashmir by Indian Railways.
About:
The length of the Chenab bridge will be 1,315 metres with 17 spans, of which the span of the main arch across Chenab river will be 467m.
The bridge is part of an ambitious 272-km rail link project and is being constructed by the Northern Railway at an estimated cost of ₹28,000 crore.
The bridge will be able to withstand earthquakes with a magnitude of up to eight and high-intensity blasts.
The bridge, which will include a 14-metre dual carriageway and a 1.2-metre-wide central verge, will have a design speed of around 100 kilometres per hour with a lifespan of 120 years.
Source : PIB
Geography (April 6th current affairs)

TRIBUNALS REFORMS (RATIONALISATION AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE) ORDINANCE, 2021
The President of India has promulgated the Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance, 2021, by which the appellate authorities under nine Acts have been done away with and the right to hear appeals under the statute has been conferred to High Courts.
About:
Section 184 of the Finance Act, 2017 has been amended to empower the Central Government to make rules for qualifications, appointment, term of office, salaries and allowances, resignation, removal and other terms and conditions of service of Members of Tribunals.
The Ordinance omits following Tribunals/ Appellate Authorities from the purview of Finance Act:
Airport Appellate Tribunal established under the Airport Authority of India Act, 1994
Appellate Board established under the Trade Marks Act, 1999
Authority for Advance Ruling established under the Income Tax Act, 1961
Film Certification Appellate Tribunal established under the Cinematograph Act, 1952

Further, it substitutes the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission established under the erstwhile Consumer Protection Act, 1986 with a National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission established under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Source : The Hindu
Polity & Governance (April 6th current affairs)

CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (CBI)
The Supreme Court told the government that interim appointments to the post of CBI Director cannot go on.
About:
The remark came during the hearing of a petition filed by Common Cause, represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, objecting to the appointment of Praveen Sinha as interim CBI Director following the retirement of Rishi Kumar Shukla on February 2.
The petition said the government had failed to appoint a regular Director through the high-power selection committee of the Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India and Leader of Opposition.
The Common Cause has argued that an interim appointment through an executive order was not envisaged in the statutory scheme of the 1946 Act.
The agency should function independently outside the pale of the Executive or political powers. This was exactly why a high-powered committee selects the CBI Director.
Important Info :
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)?
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the premier investigating agency of India.
It operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
(India), Originally set up to investigate bribery and governmental corruption, in 1965 it received expanded jurisdiction to investigate breaches of central laws enforceable by the Government of India, multi-state organised crime, multi-agency or international cases.
The CBI headquarter is located in New Delhi.
Source : The Hindu
Polity & Governance (April 6th current affairs)

SADABAHAR
Shrikishan Suman (55 years), a farmer from Kota, Rajasthan, has developed an innovative mango variety which is a regular and round-the-year dwarf variety of mango called Sadabahar, which is resistant to most major diseases and common mango disorders.
About:
The fruit is sweeter in taste, comparable to langra and being a dwarf variety, is suitable for kitchen gardening, high-density plantation, and can be grown in pots for some years too.
Besides, the flesh of the fruits, which is bourn round the year, is deep orange with sweet taste, and the pulp has very less fiber content which differentiates it from other varieties.
The innovative attributes of the variety have been verified by the National Innovation Foundation (NIF), India, an autonomous institution of the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India.
NIF has also facilitated the plantation of Sadabahar mango variety in the Mughal Garden at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.
Source : PIB
Economy

INTEGRATED HEALTH INFORMATION PLATFORM (IHIP)

The Union Minister of Health, Harsh Vardhan launched the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP).
About:
The Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) is the next generation highly refined version of the presently used Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).
According to the minister, India is the first country in the world to adopt such an advanced disease surveillance system.
The new version of IHIP will house the data entry and management for India’s disease surveillance program.
In addition to tracking 33 diseases now as compared to the earlier 18 diseases, it shall ensure near-real-time data in digital mode, having done away with the paper-mode of working.
Terming this as the world’s biggest online disease surveillance platform, he stated that it is in sync with the National Digital Health Mission.
Source : PIB
Health (April 6th current affairs)

CHAFF TECHNOLOGY
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an Advanced Chaff Technology to safeguard the naval ships against enemy missile attack.
About:
Defence Laboratory Jodhpur (DLJ), a DRDO laboratory, has indigenously developed three variants of this technology namely Short Range Chaff Rocket (SRCR), Medium Range Chaff Rocket (MRCR) and Long Range Chaff Rocket (LRCR) meeting Indian Navy’s requirements.
Chaff is a passive expendable electronic countermeasure technology used worldwide to protect naval ships from enemy’s radar and Radio Frequency (RF) missile seekers.
The importance of this development lies in the fact that very less quantity of chaff material deployed in the air acts as decoy to deflect enemy’s missiles for safety of the ships.
Source : The Hindu
Defence & Security

LA PEROUSE

Indian Navy Ships INS Satpura and INS Kiltan along with P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft are participating, for the first time; in multi-lateral maritime exercise La Pérouse, being conducted in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region from 05 to 07 April 2021.

About:
The Indian Navy ships and aircraft will exercise at sea with ships and aircraft of French Navy (FN), Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) and United States Navy (USN) during the three day exercise at sea.
The exercise La Pérouse is led by French Navy.
Exercise La Pérouse will witness complex and advanced naval operations including surface warfare, anti-air warfare and air defence exercises, weapon firing exercises, cross deck flying operations, tactical manoeuvres and seamanship evolutions such as replenishment at sea.
Source : LiveMint
International (April 6th current affairs)
SPICES BOARD INDIA
Spices Board India and UNDP India’s Accelerator Lab signed a MoU, with the aim to build a blockchain based traceability interface for Indian spices to enhance transparency in supply chain and trade.
About:
The project will be piloted with over 3,000 farmers engaged in chilli and turmeric farming in select Districts of Andhra Pradesh.
Blockchain is a decentralized process of recording transactions on an open and shared electronic ledger. This allows for ease and transparency in data management across a complex network, including, farmers, brokers, distributors, retailers and consumers, thus simplifying the supply chain.
Important Info :
About Spices Board?
Spices Board is one of the five Commodity Boards functioning under the Ministry of Commerce &Industry.
It is an autonomous body responsible for the export promotion of the 52 scheduled spices and development of Cardamom (Small & Large).
Source : PIB
Economy

GLOBAL GENDER GAP REPORT
India has fallen 28 places in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2021, and is now one of the worst performers in South Asia, trailing behind neighbours Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
About:

India is now ranked 140 among 156 countries.
South Asia incidentally is one of the worst performing regions, followed only by the Middle East and northern Africa.
many countries have fared worse in this year’s rankings compared to last year’s, on account of economic performance.
On its current trajectory, it will now take 135.6 years to close the gender gap worldwide.
The gender gap in political empowerment remains the largest: women represent only 26.1 per cent of some 35,500 parliament seats and just 22.6 per cent of over 3,400 ministers worldwide, according to the report.
In 81 countries, there has never been a woman head of state, as of January 15, 2021.
Source : Indian Express
Social Issues (April 6th current affairs)

The post April 6th Current Affairs appeared first on Vignan IAS Academy.

March 26th Daily Current affairs-Vignan IAS.

admin — Fri, 26 Mar 2021 08:12:46 +0000

JUDICIAL VACANCIES
The Supreme Court asked the government to clarify on the status of 55 recommendations made by the Collegium for judicial appointments to High Courts six months to nearly a year-and-a-half ago.
About:
Of the pending recommendations, 44 were made to fill vacancies in the Calcutta, Madhya Pradesh, Gauhati, Rajasthan and Punjab High Courts. These recommendations have been pending with the government for over seven months to a year.
The total sanctioned strength in the 25 High Courts is 1,080. However, the present working strength is 661 with 419 vacancies as on March 1.
The Supreme Court has been repeatedly conveying to the government its growing alarm at the judicial vacancies in High Courts.
Important Info :
Appointment of Judges
Article 124(2) says that the President of India Shall appoint the judges after consultation with such number of Judges of the SC/HC as he deems necessary. For appointment of any Judge of SC (other than CJI), the CJI must be consulted.
The three Judges case of 1981, 1993 & 1998 has formalised the collegium system for the purpose of consultation.
The collegium for appointing SC judge consists of the CJI and 4 senior-most judges of SC.
Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) was set up after the Third Judge Case of 1998 to provide the process of how the Collegium would recommend names to the Executive.
The President of India can either accept the recommendation or send it back for reconsideration. The reconsidered advice must be accepted by the President.
Source : The Hindu
Polity & Governance

WOMEN IN ARMED FORCES
The Supreme Court held that the Army’s “selective” evaluation process discriminates against and disproportionately affects women short service commission officers seeking permanent commission.
About:
The evaluation pattern of women officers has caused them economic and psychological harm, the court said.
The court ordered that the cases of women officers who have applied for permanent commission should be reconsidered in a month and the decision on them should be given in two months.
They would be considered for permanent commission subject to disciplinary and vigilance clearance. The court said physical standards should be kept at a premium during selection.
Important Info :
Supreme court judgement of February 2020
The Supreme Court declared that Short Service Commission (SSC) women officers are eligible for permanent commission and command posts in the Army irrespective of their years of service.
The Supreme Court dismissed the Union government’s submissions that women are physiologically weaker than men as a “sex stereotype.”
The court struck down a part of the government’s 2019 circular that had proposed Permanent Commission to women officers if they had not completed 14 years in service. It commented that there was a “fundamental fallacy” in the centre’s policy of considering only women with less than 14 years for Permanent Commission.
The verdict came on a nearly 10-year-old appeal filed by the government against a 2010 decision of the Delhi High Court to grant SSC women officer’s permanent commission.
Source : The Hindu
Defence & Security

INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM TO EXPLORE POTENTIAL OF YOGA
AYUSH Ministry has set up an interdisciplinary team of experts to explore the potential of Yoga as a productivity enhancing tool for the population.
About:
The committee is chaired by Dr. H. R Nagendra, Chancellor, SVYASA and its members include representatives from AIIMS New Delhi, IIM Bangalore, IIT Bombay, various leading Yoga institutions, the corporate sector and the AYUSH Ministry.
One of the primary tasks of the committee was to review evidence that linked Yoga to productivity and analyse the same. The various possible directions of the productivity dimension could then be identified systematically, and along these directions, protocols could be developed.
The committee will submit its preliminary recommendations by May 2021.
Source : All India Radio
Health

‘MICE ROADSHOW – MEET IN INDIA’; CHHATRASAL CONVENTION CENTRE
Union Minister for Tourism and Culture and Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh will inaugurate the ‘Chhatrasal Convention Centre at Khajuraho developed under Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Ministry of Tourism.
About:
The Ministry of Tourism has framed ‘Development of Iconic Tourist Destinations Scheme’ a Central Sector Scheme for development of nineteen identified iconic destinations in the country following a holistic approach.
They will also launch “MICE Roadshow – Meet in India” Brand and Roadmap for the Promotion of India as MICE Destination (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh.
Source : PIB
Culture

100+ CURRICULUM BASED COMIC BOOKS:
Union Minister of Education launched 100+ comic books created by teachers and students of CBSE schools and curated by NCERT on 24th March 2021.
About:
Department of School Education and Literacy, in its endeavour to provide holistic learning to students and to usher in vision envisaged in New Education Policy 2020 has launched comic books aligned to chapters of NCERT textbooks across grades 3-12.
This innovative initiative will help in increasing the cultural and social sensitivity in our children while imparting knowledge.
These comics can be accessed online on DIKSHA web portal (diksha.gov.in) or via the DIKSHA app on any android Smartphone.
The comics can also be accessed through a new WhatsApp powered Chatbot. The chatbot presents a unique opportunity to expand the scope of digital learning.
Source : PIB
Education

CENTRAL SCRUTINY CENTRE (CSC); IEPFA MOBILE APP
Union Minister for Corporate Affairs launched Central Scrutiny Centre (CSC) and Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority’s (IEPFA) Mobile App — two tech-enabled initiatives by Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA).
Central Scrutiny Centre (CSC)
MCA being one of the key primary sources of corporate data, is required to ensure that the data quality is uncompromised and free from flaws.
With this objective in mind, the MCA has established a Central Scrutiny Centre
The Central Scrutiny Centre will scrutinize certain Straight Through Process (STP) Forms filed by the corporates on the MCA21 registry and flag the companies for more in-depth scrutiny.
Important Info :
Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority’s (IEPFA) Mobile App
The IEPFA Mobile App aims at achieving the goal of financial literacy, spreading investors’ awareness, education, and protection among investors.
The IEPFA App will have the facility of tracking the status and progress of the IEPF claim refund process. Moreover, it also provides a mechanism for investors and common citizens to report on the suspected fraudulent schemes.
Source : PIB
Economy

2nd TRANCHE OF COMMERCIAL COAL MINING:

India launched its 2nd Tranche of auction for commercial coal mining offering 67 mines for sale of coal. Union Coal Minister launched the auction process.
About:
This is the highest number of mines on offer in a particular tranche of auction after commencement of the auction regime since 2014.
Out of the total 67 mines offered by the Ministry of Coal, 23 mines are under CM(SP) Act and 44 under MMDR Act.
The coal mines on offer are spread across 6 States Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
Important Info :
Rolling auction?
Government of India is moving towards adopting a ‘Rolling Auction’ mechanism for conducting future auctions.
Coal is the first mineral resource where Rolling Auction mechanism is being implemented in which a pool of coal blocks will always remain available for auctions.
Source : PIB
Economy

CLIMATE DATA SERVICE PORTAL:
India Meteorological Department celebrated World Meteorological Day on 23rd March, 2021. Dr. M. Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Science inaugurated Climate Data Services Portal of IMD on this occasion.
About:
Climate Data Services Portal has been developed by IMD, Pune with user-friendly platforms for climate data management and supply to the users.
The Web Portal will be available through IMD Website (http://www.mausam.imd.gov.in/) and IMD Pune website (http://www.imdpune.gov.in/).
It complements fully automated climate data management process from real-time data acquisition to expeditious data dissemination.
The major components of the portal are listed below:
Real-Time monitoring of weather observations recorded by IMD Observatories.
Encapsulated IMD Metadata Portal, other reports and dashboards
Online access to meteorological data through Data Supply Portal.
Free download facility for Gridded Temperature and Rainfall Data of India.
Climatological Tables, Extremes and Normal.
Information on Monsoon Rainfall and Cyclone frequencies.
Data analytics and info graphics.

Source : PIB
Environment

YAMUNA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and Yamuna International Airport sign LoA for civil aviation security.
About:
A Letter of Agreement (LoA) was signed between the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL).
The LoA defines provisions for civil aviation security responsibilities and functions at the upcoming international airport at Jewar, Noida.
The contract of construction of the airport has been awarded to YIAPL, which is a joint venture of the Airport Authority of India (AAI), the Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Zurich international airport.
Source : PIB
Economy

September 3rd Current Affairs

September 4, 2021 No Comments

1. TB Free India by 2025 IN NEWS: Union minister of health and family welfare Shri Mansukh Mandaviya chairs High Level Meet with all States

September 1st and 2nd Current Affairs

September 2, 2021 No Comments

1.INS Tabar Exercises with Moroccan Navy. IN NEWS: INS Tabar, as part of her overseas deployment, made a port call at Casablanca in Morocco on

August 30th Current Affairs

August 30, 2021 No Comments

1. POSHAN Maah. IN NEWS: Thematic POSHAN Maah will be Celebrated Across the Nation Throughout the Month of September as Part of Azadi Ka Amrit

The post March 26th Daily Current affairs-Vignan IAS. appeared first on Vignan IAS Academy.

March 25th Daily Current Affairs – Vignan IAS

admin — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 14:20:56 +0000

http://www.vignanias.com

CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA (CJI)
Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde has recommended Justice N.V. Ramana, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, as the next top judge.
About:
Justice Ramana is now set to take over as the 48th Chief Justice of India from April 24.
The Centre had recently asked Chief Justice Bobde, who is retiring on April 23, to initiate the transition process to the top judicial office.
Justice Ramana will be the CJI till August 26, 2022.
Appointment of CJI:
Article 124 of the Constitution of India provides for the manner of appointing judges to the Supreme Court (SC). But there is no specific provision in the Constitution for appointing the Chief Justice.
CJI should be the senior most judge of the Supreme Court (SC). Law Minister has to seek recommendation of the outgoing CJI for appointment of new CJI at an appropriate time.
In case of doubt about the fitness of the senior-most Judge to hold office of CJI consultation with other Judges under Article 124(2) to be made.
Law Minister then puts up recommendation to Prime Minister (PM) who will advise the President on appointment.
Seniority at the apex court is determined not by age, but by the date a judge was appointed to the SC.
If two judges are elevated to the Supreme Court on the same day, (1) the one who was sworn in first as a judge would trump another; (2) if both were sworn in as judges on the same day, the one with more years of high court service would ‘win’ in the seniority stakes; (3) an appointment from the bench would ‘trump’ in seniority an appointee from the bar.
Tenure:
Once appointed, the Chief Justice remains in office until the age of 65 years.
Article 124(4) of Constitution of India provides that a SC Judge including CJI can be moved only through a process of impeachment by Parliament

Source : The Hindu
Polity & Governance

‘DOUBLE MUTANT’ CORONAVIRUS VARIANT
A unique “double mutant” coronavirus variant — with a combination of mutations not seen anywhere else in the world — has been found in India, the Union Health Ministry said.
About:
However, it is still to be established if this has any role to play in increased infectivity or in making COVID-19 more severe.
Genome sequencing of a section of virus samples by a consortium of 10 laboratories across the country, called the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG), revealed the presence of two mutations, E484Q and L452R together, in at least 200 virus samples.
Mutations in the virus per se are not surprising but specific mutations that help the virus evolve to thwart vaccines or the immune system or are linked to a spike in cases or in disease severity are causes of concern.
While the two mutations have been individually identified in other variants of SARS-CoV-2 globally and have been associated with a reduction in vaccine efficacy, their combined effect and biological implications have not yet been understood.
In the days ahead, the INSACOG will submit details of this variant to a global repository called GISAID and, if it merits, classify it as a “variant of concern” (VOC).
So far, only three global VOCs have been identified: the U.K. variant (B.1.1.7), the South African (B.1.351) and the Brazilian (P.1) lineage.
After the new double variant has been submitted to GISAID, it will be categorised under a formal lineage, and will have its own name.
Source : The Hindu
Health

ZABARWAN RANGE
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked everyone to visit tulip garden, located at the foothills of Zabarwan range in Jammu and Kashmir.
About:
The tulip garden will be thrown open to public on March 25, 2021.
The garden will see over 15 lakh flowers of more than 64 varieties in bloom.
The Zabarwan Range is a short sub-mountain range between Pir Panjal and Great Himalayan Range in the central part of the Kashmir Valley in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in India.
Source : The Hindu
Geography

NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR ALLIED AND HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS BILL, 2021
The Lok Sabha cleared the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professionals Bill, 2021. The Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha last week.
About:
The Bill seeks to regulate and standardise the education and practice of allied and healthcare professionals.
The Bill defines ‘allied health professional’ as an associate, technician, or technologist trained to support the diagnosis and treatment of any illness, disease, injury, or impairment. Such a professional should have obtained a diploma or degree under this Bill.
A ‘healthcare professional’ includes a scientist, therapist, or any other professional who studies, advises, research, supervises, or provides preventive, curative, rehabilitative, therapeutic, or promotional health services. Such a professional should have obtained a degree under this Bill.
The Bill specifies certain categories of allied and healthcare professions as recognised categories. These include life science professionals, trauma and burn care professionals, surgical and anaesthesia related technology professionals, physiotherapists, and nutrition science professionals.
The Bill sets up the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions. It will
frame policies and standards for regulating education and practice,
create and maintain an online Central Register of all registered professionals, and
providing for a uniform entrance and exit examination, among others.

The Commission will constitute a Professional Council for every recognised category of allied and healthcare professions.
Within six months from the passage of the Bill, state governments will constitute State Allied and Healthcare Councils.
Source : The Hindu
Health

CBSE ROLLS OUT ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK
The Central Board of Secondary Education has rolled out a new assessment framework for Classes 6-10 in English, Maths and Science in collaboration with the British Council.
About:
Under the new system, teachers will be trained to create question papers and other assessment methods that test the actual competency of students in these subjects, rather than their ability to memorise chunks of text.
The new framework was launched by Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.
It is aligned with the National Education Policy’s vision of achieving a global standard in assessments.
Important Info :
Timeline:
In the first phase, the framework will be implemented in select Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas, CBSE schools in Chandigarh, and a few private schools.
By 2024, it will be rolled out to 25,000 CBSE schools across the country, with 1.32 lakh teachers and two crore students.
Source : The Hindu
Education

INDIA TB REPORT
In 2020, there were 18.05 tuberculosis notifications, which was a fall of 24% from 2019 due to the disruptions caused by the pandemic, according to the India TB report released by the Health Ministry.
About:
Between January and February 2020, the notifications were on an upward trajectory, with 6% more cases reported in the same period in 2019.
As a result of the lockdown, notifications in the public sector fell by 38% and 44% in the private sector in April and May.
Of the reported 24.04 lakh TB cases in 2019, treatment success was 82%, mortality rate was 4%, 4% patients were lost to follow up and treatment failure and regimen change after initiation of treatment was about 3%.
The approved budgets toward the programme have increased substantially, from ₹640 crore in 2016-17 to ₹3,333 crores in 2019-20, however, there was a fall in budget to ₹3,110 crore in 2020-21.
Over 95% of all cases reported were initiated on treatment in 2020 and the treatment success rate for patients reported in 2019 was 82% (83% among patients in the public sector and 79% in the private).
The report said 20,892 (42%) of patients were initiated on a shorter MDR-TB regimen at the time of diagnosis. This is a significant decline from 2019.
Source : The Hindu
Health

SPECIAL PURPOSE ACQUISITION COMPANIES (SPACs)
Earlier this month, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued an investor alert, which was the first warning of sorts, when it came to or special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs).
About:
A SPAC, or a blank-cheque company, is an entity specifically set up with the objective of acquiring a firm in a particular sector.
The aim of this SPAC is to raise money in an initial public offering (IPO), and at this point in time, it does not have any operations or revenues.
Once the money is raised from the public, it is kept in an escrow account, which can be accessed while making the acquisition. If the acquisition is not made within two years of the IPO, the SPAC is delisted, and the money is returned to the investors.
Certain market participants believe that, through a SPAC transaction, a private company can become a publicly-traded company “with more certainty as to pricing and control over deal terms as compared to traditional IPOs.
Important Info :
Indian scenario:
In India, renewable energy producer ReNew Power last month announced an agreement to merge with RMG Acquisition Corp II, a blank-cheque company, in what became the first involving an Indian company during the latest boom in SPAC deals.
Source : Indian Express
Economy

SUEZ CANAL
The Suez Canal, a critical shipping artery that connects the Mediterranean and Red Seas through Egypt, has been blocked after a large cargo ship ran aground while passing through it, bringing traffic on the busy trade route to a halt.
About:
A human-made waterway, the Suez Canal is one of the world’s most heavily used shipping lanes, carrying over 12% of world trade by volume.
Built in 1869, it provides a major shortcut for ships moving between Europe and Asia, who before its construction had to sail around Africa to complete the same journey.
The 150-year-old canal was controlled by British and French interests in its initial years but was nationalised in 1956 by Egypt’s then leader Gamal Abdel Nasser. Over the years, the canal has been widened and deepened.
In 2015, Egypt announced plans to further expand the Suez Canal, aiming to reduce waiting times and double the number of ships that can use the canal daily by 2023.
Important Info :
Why is the Suez Canal blocked?
The vessel blocking Suez is the Ever Given – a Panama-registered container ship that is on its way to Rotterdam in the Netherlands from China. The 2018-built vessel, which is 400-m long and 59-m wide, got stuck here due to a mishap caused by bad weather.
Egypt, which heavily depends on revenues from the canal, is now diverting ships to an older channel to minimise disruption to global trade.
Source : Indian Express
International

SHIGMO
With a rise in Covid-19 cases in Goa, questions are being raised over the scale of celebrations for the annual Shigmotsav.
About:
While the Goa Carnival was held with all the pomp in February, ‘Shigmo’ as it is called in Konkani, is another vibrant celebration full of colour, song and dance rooted in Goan culture and traditions.
Shigmo is the celebration of a ‘rich, golden harvest of paddy’ by the tribal communities of Goa.
Agricultural communities including the Kunbis, Gawdas and Velips celebrate the festival that also marks the onset of spring. Shigmo celebrations last over a fortnight in the months of Phalgun-Chaitra months of the Hindu calendar that correspond with March-April every year.
Folk dances like Ghodemodini (a dance of equestrian warriors), Gopha and Phugadi are among the many dances performed by the participating communities.
Source : Indian Express
Culture

Contact Vignan IAS – avail 50% discount on foundation course – Visit Vignan IAS Academy -HSR Layout
Read More…. 24th Current affairs

The post March 25th Daily Current Affairs – Vignan IAS appeared first on Vignan IAS Academy.