In News: Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowda virtually addressed at National Dialogue on Manufacturing Excellence and Innovation for Competitiveness and Sustainability of Chemicals Manufacturing in New Delhi .

Key takeaways:

• Union minister said that the Chemicals and Petrochemicals sector will play an important role in achieving the goal of 5 trillion-dollar economy.
• The Indian chemicals industry stood at 178 billion dollar in 2019 and is expected to reach 304 billion dollar by 2025 and the demand for chemicals is expected to expand by 9% per annum by 2025.
• The Minister hoped that United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) will support domestic industry with international best practices and policy & technical assistance.
• The Minister thanked UNIDO for taking the initiative for raising dialogue on transforming the chemical industry sector of India into a more efficient, effective and competitive ‘growth engine’.
• UNIDO organised a dialogue under ‘Clean Manufacturing in India’ (Swachh Udyog) and hosted National Dialogue on ‘Excellence and Innovation for Competitive and Sustainable Chemicals Manufacturing in India’.
•  The dialogue discussed opportunities and challenges for chemical manufacturing growth and garner momentum among policy makers, industry sector and other stakeholders on need for knowledge and skill-based transformative change to safeguard and future proof chemicals manufacturing in India.

Significance of chemical industry in INDIA:

• The chemical industry occupies a pivotal position in meeting basic needs and improving quality of life.
• The chemical sector, which is knowledge- and capital-intensive, is the mainstay of industrial and agricultural development, and provides building blocks for downstream industries such as textiles, papers, paints, soaps, detergents, and pharmaceuticals, among others.
• The fertilizer and agrochemical industries ensure food security, and are thus vital to India’s developing and agrarian economy.
• The synthetic fiber industry is crucial to providing affordable clothing, and the pharmaceutical industry gives the country’s vast population access to low-cost drugs.

Important information:

UNIDO(United Nations Industrial Development Organization)

• UNIDO is the specialized agency of the United Nations.
• 170 States are Members of UNIDO as of 1 April 2019
• Mandate: To promote and accelerate Inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States.
• Headquarters: Vienna, Austria.
• It was established in 1966 by the UN General Assembly.

SOURCE:PIB (April 7th current affairs)

2. Aazadi ka Amrit Mahotsav

In News:

The Vice President, Sh M. Venkaiah Naidu  graced the colourful closing ceremony of the 25-day long commemorative Dandi Padyatra as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav near National Salt Satyagraha Memorial , Dandi, Gujarat.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Gandhi’s iconic Dandi Salt March was a watershed moment in our freedom struggle.
• It altered the course of history.
• Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”—a 75 week festival to commemorate 75 years of India’s Independence, was flagged off by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi from Sabarmati Ashram, on March 12, 2021.
• The festival celebrates the rapid strides India has taken in the past 75 years.

BASIC:

About the 1930 Dandi March:

• The Dandi March, also known as the Salt March and the Dandi Satyagraha was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience led by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
• The march lasted from 12th March, 1930 to 6th April, 1930 as a direct action campaign of tax resistance and nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly.
• On 12th March, Gandhiji set out from Sabarmati with 78 followers on a 241-mile march to the coastal town of Dandi on the Arabian Sea. There, Gandhi and his supporters were to defy British policy by making salt from seawater.
• At Dandi, thousands more followed his lead, and in the coastal cities of Bombay and Karachi, Indian nationalists led crowds of citizens in making salt.
• Civil disobedience broke out all across India, soon involving millions of Indians, and British authorities arrested more than 60,000 people. Gandhiji himself was arrested on 5th May, but the satyagraha continued without him.
• On 21st May, the poet Sarojini Naidu led 2,500 marchers on the Dharasana Salt Works, some 150 miles north of Bombay. The incident, recorded by American journalist Webb Miller, prompted an international outcry against British policy in India.
• In January 1931, Gandhiji was released from prison. He later met with Lord Irwin, the viceroy of India, and agreed to call off the satyagraha in exchange for an equal negotiating role at a London conference on India’s future.
• In August 1931, Gandhiji traveled to the conference as the sole representative of the nationalist Indian National Congress. The meeting was a disappointment, but British leaders had acknowledged him as a force they could not suppress or ignore.

SOURCE:PIB (April 7th current affairs)

3. First Meeting of BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors

In News:

• India hosted a Meeting of BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors virtually today on April 6, 2021.
• The meeting was jointly Chaired by Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman and Governor, Reserve Bank of India, Shri. Shaktikanta Das. Participants included Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of the BRICS countries.

Key takeaways:

• As 2021 BRICS Chair, India’s approach is focused on strengthening intra-BRICS cooperation based on Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus.
• This was the first meeting of the BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors under India Chairship in 2021.
• BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors discussed financial cooperation agenda set by India for 2021 –
  • Global Economic Outlook and Response to COVID-19 pandemic,
  • New Development Bank (NDB) Activities,
  • Social Infrastructure Financing and Use of Digital Technologies,
  • Cooperation on Customs related issues,
  • IMF reforms,
  • Fintech for SMEs and Financial Inclusion,
  • BRICS Rapid Information Security channel and BRICS Bond Fund.

BASIC:

About BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa)

• On November 30, 2001, Jim O’Neill, a British economist who was then chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, coined the term ‘BRIC’ to describe the four emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
• Established in 2009, BRICS represents the collective voice of the Global South with Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa as its members.
• After its establishment more than a decade ago, BRICS became the first-ever compact non-Western, inter-continental multilateral club.
• It was lauded as a unique experiment to bring together politically, economically and culturally diverse countries who share a range of concerns and interests with regard to the functioning of the western liberal international order.
• BRICS has been driven by the idea to challenge, if not dismantle, western hegemony and bring new ideas on the table for global governance.
• The BRICS is mainly portrayed as a grouping of fast-emerging economies with huge market potential.
• Bilateral relations among BRICS nations are conducted on the basis of non-interference, equality, and mutual benefit.
• There are two components that make up the financial architecture of BRICS:
  • New Development Bank (NDB) (BRICS Development Bank)
  • Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA).

Source:PIB (April 7th current affairs)

4. National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021

In News:

Recently a news article in a newspaper stating that patients of rare diseases will get treatment under Ayushman Bharat scheme of the Government.

Key points:

• It is clarified that under National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021 there is a provision for financial support upto Rs. 20 lakhs under the Umbrella Scheme of Rastriya Arogya Nidhi for treatment, of those rare diseases that require a one-time treatment (diseases listed under Group 1 in the rare disease policy).
• Beneficiaries for such financial assistance would not be limited to BPL families, but the benefit would be extended to about 40% of the population, who are eligible under Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY).
• This financial support for treatment of rare diseases is proposed under the Umbrella Scheme of Rastriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) and not under Ayushman Bharat PMJAY.
• Besides, the Rare Diseases Policy also envisages a crowdfunding mechanism in which corporates and individuals will be encouraged to extend financial support through a robust IT platform for treatment of rare diseases.
• Funds so collected will be utilized by Centres of Excellence for treatment of all three categories of rare diseases as a first charge and the balance financial resources can also be used for research.

IMPORTANT INFO:

National Rare Disease Policy 2021.

Aim:

• To increase focus on indigenous research and local production of medicines.
• To lower the cost of treatment of rare diseases.
• To screen and detect rare diseases early at early stages, which will in turn help in their prevention.

Major Provisions of the Policy:

Categorization:

The policy has categorised rare diseases in three groups:

Group 1: Disorders amenable to one-time curative treatment.

Group 2: Those requiring long term or lifelong treatment.

Group 3: Diseases for which definitive treatment is available but challenges are to make optimal patient selection for benefit, very high cost and lifelong therapy.

Rare Diseases

• There are 6,000-8,000 classified rare diseases, but less than 5% have therapies available to treat them.
• Example: Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSD), Pompe disease, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, haemophilia etc.
• About 95% rare diseases have no approved treatment and less than 1 in 10 patients receive disease-specific treatment.
• These diseases have differing definitions in various countries and range from those that are prevalent in 1 in 10,000 of the population to 6 per 10,000.
• However broadly, a ‘rare disease’ is defined as a health condition of low prevalence that affects a small number of people when compared with other prevalent diseases in the general population. Many cases of rare diseases may be serious, chronic and life-threatening.
• India has close to 50-100 million people affected by rare diseases or disorders, the policy report said almost 80% of these rare condition patients are children and a leading cause for most of them not reaching adulthood is due to the high morbidity and mortality rates of these life-threatening diseases.

SOURCE: PIB (April 7th current affairs)

5. Shri Justice Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana appointed as Chief Justice of India

Key points:

• The President of India, in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India, appointed Shri Justice Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana, Judge of the Supreme Court, to be the Chief Justice of India.
• He will be 48th Chief Justice of India.
• He is first-generation lawyer, having agricultural background, and hails from Ponnavaram Village, Krishna District in Andhra Pradesh.
• He is an avid reader and literature enthusiast. He is passionate about Carnatic music.

Important info:

Procedure for Various Judicial Appointments:

For CJI:

• The President of India appoints the CJI and the other SC judges.
• As far as the CJI is concerned, the outgoing CJI recommends his successor.
• In practice, it has been strictly by seniority ever since the supersession controversy of the 1970s.

For SC Judges:

• For other judges of the SC, the proposal is initiated by the CJI.
• The CJI consults the rest of the Collegium members, as well as the senior-most judge of the court hailing from the High Court to which the recommended person belongs.
• The consultees must record their opinions in writing and it should form part of the file.
• The Collegium sends the recommendation to the Law Minister, who forwards it to the Prime Minister to advise the President.

For Chief Justice of High Courts:

• The Chief Justice of High Court is appointed as per the policy of having Chief Justices from outside the respective States.
• The Collegium takes the call on the elevation.
• High Court judges are recommended by a Collegium comprising the CJI and two senior-most judges.
• The proposal, however, is initiated by the outgoing Chief Justice of the High Court concerned in consultation with two senior-most colleagues.
• The recommendation is sent to the Chief Minister, who advises the Governor to send the proposal to the Union Law Minister.

Related Constitutional Provisions

• Article 124(2) of the Indian Constitution provides that the Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President after consultation with such a number of the Judges of the Supreme Court and of the High Courts in the States as the President may deem necessary for the purpose.
• Article 217 of the Indian Constitution states that the Judge of a High Court shall be appointed by the President consultation with the Chief Justice of India, the Governor of the State, and, in the case of appointment of a Judge other than the Chief Justice, the Chief Justice of the High Court.

SOURCE:THE HINDU

April 7th current affairs

The post April 7th current affairs appeared first on Vignan IAS Academy.

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

 

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