IN NEWS:

• Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman here today attended the Plenary Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee of the Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at the virtual Spring Meetings 2021.
• The meeting was attended by Governors/Alternate Governors representing 190 member countries of the IMF.

Key highlights:

• The discussions at the meeting were based on IMF Managing Director’s Global Policy Agenda (GPA) titled, “Bolstering the Recovery, Countering Divergence”.
• The IMFC was updated by the members on the actions and measures taken by the member countries to combat Covid-19.
• India emphasised that the GPA’s suggestion to hasten the transition to a low-carbon economy for promoting growth that benefits all needs to be viewed in the context of its implications for the Emerging Market and Developing Economies and low-income economies.
• The burden of economic transformation to a low carbon economy would disproportionately be higher for these countries, and positive benefits may not accrue in the short run.
• The focus needs to remain on the agreed principles of equity and differentiated responsibility of climate action.

Important value addition:

International Monetary and Financial Committee

• It is the Ministerial-level committee of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
• It meets twice a year, once during the Fund-Bank Annual Meetings in October and once during the Spring Meetings in April.
• This year, due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the meeting took place through video-conference.

Functions:

1. It discusses the management of the international monetary and financial system.
2. It advises the IMF on any other matters of common concern affecting the global economy.
3. IMFC has 24 members, drawn from the pool of 189 governors, and represents all member countries. India is one of the current members.
4. It operates on consensus, including on the selection of its chairman.

SOURCE:PIB (April 9th Current Affairs)

2. Copyright (Amendment) Rules, 2021.

Context:

The Government of India has notified Copyright (Amendment) Rules, 2021 vide Gazette notification under reference G.S.R. 225(E) dated 30th March, 2021.

Key highlights:

• In India, the copyright regime is governed by the Copyright Act, 1957 and the Copyright Rules, 2013.
• The Copyright Rules, 2013 were last amended in the year 2016.
• OBJECTIVE: bringing the existing rules in parity with other relevant legislations.
• AIM: to ensure smooth and flawless compliance in the light of the technological advancement in digital era by adopting electronic means as primary mode of communication and working in the Copyright Office.
• A new provision regarding publication of a copyrights journal has been incorporated, thereby eliminating the requirement of publication in the Official Gazette.
• The amendments have harmonised the Copyright Rules with the provisions of Finance Act, 2017 whereby the Copyright Board has been merged with Appellate Board.
• The time limit for the Central Government to respond to an application made before it for registration as a copyright society is extended to one hundred and eighty days, so that the application can be more comprehensively examined.
• To encourage accountability and transparency, new provisions have been introduced, to deal with the undistributed royalty amounts and use of electronic and traceable payment methods while collection and distribution of royalties.
• To reinforce transparency in working of copyright societies a new rule has been introduced, whereby the copyright societies will be required to draw up and make public an Annual Transparency Report for each financial year.

SOURCE:PIB (April 9th Current Affairs)

3.Monetary Policy Report:RBI

In News

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released the Monetary Policy Report for the month of April 2021.

Key Points

Unchanged Policy Rates:

Repo Rate – 4%.

Reverse Repo Rate – 3.35%.

Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) – 4.25%.

Bank Rate- 4.25%.

GDP Projection:

Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for 2021-22 has been retained at 10.5%.

Inflation:

RBI has revised the projection for Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation to:

5.0% in Quarter 4 of 2020-21.

5.2% in Quarter 1 of 2021-22.

5.2% in Quarter 2 of 2021-22.

4.4% in Quarter 3 of 2021-22.

5.1% in Quarter 4 of 2021-22.

Accommodative Stance:

• The RBI decided to continue with the accommodative stance as long as necessary to sustain growth on a durable basis and continue to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on the economy, while ensuring that inflation remains within the target going forward.
• An accommodative stance means a central bank will cut rates to inject money into the financial system whenever needed.

Support to Financial Institutions:

• RBI would extend fresh support of Rs. 50,000 crore to the All India Financial Institutions for new lending in Financial Year (FY) 2021-22.
• National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) will be provided a Special Liquidity Facility (SLF) of Rs. 25,000 crore for one year to support agriculture and allied activities, the rural non-farm sector and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) – Micro-Finance Institutions (MFIs).
• An SLF of Rs. 10,000 crore will be extended to the National Housing Bank for one year to support the housing sector.
• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) will be provided Rs.15,000 crore under this facility for up to one year for funding of Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSMEs).
• All three facilities will be available at the prevailing policy repo rate.

Review Committee for ARC’s:

• Signalling the importance of Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) to deal with bad loans, the RBI would constitute a committee to undertake a comprehensive review of the working of ARCs in the financial sector ecosystem.
• The committee will recommend suitable measures for enabling such entities to meet the growing requirements of the financial sector.

Extension of Priority Sector Lending:

• A six-month extension to September 30,2021 for Priority Sector Lending (PSL) classification for lending by banks to NBFCs for ‘on-lending’ to sectors that contribute significantly to the economy in terms of export and employment — has been approved.
• On-lending means to lend (borrowed money) to a third party.
• This would provide an impetus to NBFCs providing credit at the bottom of the pyramid.

SOURCE:THE HINDU (April 9th Current Affairs)

4. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES ACQUISITION PROGRAMME (G-SAP)

IN NEWS:

RBI Governor has announced Government Securities Acquisition Programme (G-SAP), through which it will purchase government securities worth Rs 1 lakh crore in the first quarter of FY22.

KEY POINTS:

• It is part of RBIs Open Market Operations.
• Under the programme, the RBI will commit upfront to a specific amount of Open Market Purchases of government securities.
• The first purchase of government securities for an aggregate amount of Rs. 25,000 crore under G-SAP 1.0 will be conducted on 15th April, 2021.

Objective:

To avoid volatility in the G-sec market in view of its central role in the pricing of other financial market instruments across the term structure and issuers, both in the public and private sectors

Significance:

• It will provide certainty to the bond market participants with regard to RBI’s commitment of support to the bond market in FY22.
• The announcement of this structured programme will help reduce the difference between the repo rate and the 10-year government bond yield. That, in turn, will help to reduce the aggregate cost of borrowing for the Centre and states in FY 2021-22.
• It will enable a stable and orderly evolution of the yield curve amidst comfortable liquidity conditions.
• A yield curve is a line that plots yields (interest rates) of bonds having equal credit quality but differing maturity dates.
• The slope of the yield curve gives an idea of future interest rate changes and economic activity.

SOURCE:Indian Express. (April 9th Current Affairs)

5.NET-ZERO GOAL

CONTEXT:

Context:

In its bid to reclaim the global climate leadership, the US is widely expected to commit itself to a net-zero emission target for 2050 at the upcoming virtual Climate Leaders’ Summit convened by US President Joe Biden.

Net-Zero Goal

• Net-zero, which is also referred to as carbon-neutrality, does not mean that a country would bring down its emissions to zero.
• Rather, net-zero is a state in which a country’s emissions are compensated by absorption and removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
• Absorption of the emissions can be increased by creating more carbon sinks such as forests, while the removal of gases from the atmosphere requires futuristic technologies such as carbon capture and storage.
• This way, it is even possible for a country to have negative emissions, if the absorption and removal exceed the actual emissions.
• A good example is Bhutan which is often described as carbon-negative because it absorbs more than it emits.

The global target

• The goal of carbon neutrality is only the latest formulation of a discussion going on for decades, on having a long-term goal.
• A very active campaign has been going on for the last two years to get every country to sign on to a net-zero goal for 2050.
• It is being argued that global carbon neutrality by 2050 is the only way to achieve the Paris Agreement target of keeping the planet’s temperature from rising beyond 2°C compared to pre-industrial times.
• Current policies and actions being taken to reduce emissions would not even be able to prevent a 3–4°C rise by the turn of the century.
• Long-term targets ensure predictability, and continuity, in the policies and actions of the countries. But there has never been a consensus on what this goal should be.

Going beyond emission reduction

• Earlier, the discussions used to be on emission-reduction targets, for 2050 or 2070, for rich and developed countries.
• These unregulated emissions over several decades are mainly responsible for global warming and consequent climate change.
• The net-zero formulation does not assign any emission reduction targets to any country.
• Theoretically, a country can become carbon-neutral at its current level of emissions, or even by increasing its emissions, if it is able to absorb or remove more.

Global actions for net-zero

• Several other countries, including the UK and France, have already enacted laws promising to achieve a net-zero emission scenario by the middle of the century.
• The EU is working a similar Europe-wide law, while many other countries including Canada, South Korea, Japan and Germany have expressed their intention to commit themselves to a net-zero future.
• Even China has promised to go net-zero by 2060.
• India, the world’s third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, after the US and China, is the only major player holding out.

India’s position is unique

• India is the only one opposing this target because it is likely to be the most impacted by it.
• Over the next two to three decades, India’s emissions are likely to grow at the fastest pace in the world, as it presses for higher growth to pull hundreds of millions of people out of poverty.
• No amount of afforestation or reforestation would be able to compensate for the increased emissions.
• Most of the carbon removal technologies right now are either unreliable or very expensive.

Why does India object to net-zero emissions?

• The net-zero goals do not figure in the 2015 Paris Agreement, the new global architecture to fight climate change.
• The Paris Agreement only requires every signatory to take the best climate action it can.
• Countries need to set five- or ten-year climate targets for themselves, and demonstrably show they have achieved them.
• Implementation of the Paris Agreement has begun only this year.
• Most of the countries have submitted targets for the 2025 or 2030 period.
• India has been arguing that instead of opening up a parallel discussion on net-zero targets outside of the Paris Agreement framework, countries must focus on delivering on what they have already promised.

India is already doing more

• India is hoping to lead by example. It is well on its way to achieving its three targets under the Paris Agreement and looks likely to overachieve them.
• Several studies have shown that India is the only G-20 country whose climate actions are compliant with the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global temperatures from rising beyond 2°C.
• Even the actions of the EU, which is seen as the most progressive on climate change, and the US are assessed as “insufficient”.
• In other words, India is already doing more, relatively speaking, on climate than many other countries.

Fuss over developed countries contribution

• New Delhi also repeatedly points to the fact that the developed nations have never delivered on their past promises and commitments.
• No major country achieved the emission-cut targets assigned to them under the Kyoto Protocol, the climate regime preceding the Paris Agreement.
• Some openly walked out of the Kyoto Protocol, without any consequences.
• None of the countries has delivered on the promises they made for 2020.
• Even worse is their track record on their commitment to providing money, and technology, to developing and poor countries to help them deal with the impacts of climate change.

India’s way forward

• India has been arguing that the 2050 carbon-neutrality promise might meet a similar fate, although some countries are now finding themselves in law.
• It has been insisting that the developed countries should, instead, take more ambitious climate actions now, to compensate for the unfulfilled earlier promises.
• At the same time, it has been saying that it does not rule out the possibility of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 or 2060.
• Just that, it does not want to make an international commitment so much in advance.

SOURCE:INDIAN EXPRESS (April 9th Current Affairs)

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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

 

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March 28th Current Affairs – Vignan IAS Academy

UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING:
India delivered on its promise of 2,00,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines for the
United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UNPKF) worldwide, sending a shipment bound
for Copenhagen.
UN Peacekeeping:
UN peacekeepers provide security and the political and peacebuilding support to
help countries make the difficult, early transition from conflict to peace.
Principles: UN Peacekeeping is guided by three basic principles:
Consent of the parties;
Impartiality;
Non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate.

Role of Security Council: The United Nations Charter gives the United Nations
Security Council the responsibility to maintain international peace. For this
reason, the international community usually looks to the Security Council to
authorize peacekeeping operations through Chapter VII authorizations.
Present status: There are currently 12 UN peacekeeping operations deployed.
For its services, UN Peacekeeping has also received the Nobel Peace Prize.
UN peacekeepers are often referred to as Blue Berets or Blue Helmets because of
their light blue berets or helmets.
Source : The Hindu
International

HYPNEA INDICA; HYPNEA BULLATA:
Two new species of seaweed have been discovered by a group of marine biologists
from Central University of Punjab, Bathinda.
About:
Named Hypnea indica (after India) and Hypnea bullata (because of the
blisterlike marks on its body – bullate), the seaweeds are part of the genus
Hypnea or red seaweeds.
While Hypnea indica was discovered Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, and Somnath
Pathan and Sivrajpur in Gujarat, Hypnea bullata was discovered from Kanyakumari
and Diu island of Daman and Diu.
They grow in the intertidal regions of the coast, namely the area that is
submerged during the high tide and exposed during low tides.
The genus Hypnea consists of calcareous, erect, branched red seaweeds. There
are 61 species of which 10 were reported in India. With our two new species,
the total number of species now would be 63.
Source : The Hindu
Environment

CHINA, IRAN SIGN 25-YEAR ‘STRATEGIC PACT’:
China and Iran signed what was described as a 25-year “strategic cooperation
pact”.
About:
While details of the new 25-year pact were not immediately available, it
includes “political, strategic and economic” components.
This document can be very effective in deepening relations and would establish
a blueprint for “reciprocal investments in the fields of transport, ports,
energy, industry and services”.
Background: Nuclear Deal and Sanctions
The agreement comes amid a major push from China to back Iran, which counts on
Beijing, its largest trading partner, as it deals with the continuing weight of
sanctions re-instated following then U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to
withdraw from the Iranian nuclear deal.
Earlier this week, China and Russia called for the U.S. to “unconditionally
return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as soon as possible
and revoke the unilateral sanctions against Iran”.
In this context, they proposed “the establishment of a regional security
dialogue platform to converge a new consensus on resolving the security
concerns of countries in the region”.
Important Info :
China and West Asia
This was signed during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s ongoing six-nation
tour to West Asia. Mr. Wang is visiting Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, the UAE,
Bahrain and Oman.
Five-point initiative: In Riyadh, Mr. Wang proposed “a five-point initiative on
achieving security and stability in the Middle East” advocating “mutual
respect, upholding equity and justice, achieving non-proliferation, jointly
fostering collective security, and accelerating development cooperation.”
Source : The Hindu
International

March 28th Current Affairs – Vignan IAS Academy

MOITREE:
On the occasion of the birth centenary of the founding father of Bangladesh
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, renowned vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty has composed a
new Raag named ‘Moitree’ as a tribute to the Bangabandhu.
About:
The new Raag is dedicated to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with elements of
‘maitree’ or India Bangladesh friendship.
It is a newly composed Raag incorporating the classical rules for the
composition of Raag.
Three compositions will be presented which are written in Sanskrit, Hindi and
Bengali languages.
Source : All India Radio
Culture

INDIA-BANGLADESH RELATIONS:
India and Bangladesh signed 5 MoUs in the fields of Disaster Management, trade,
NCC, ICT and setting up of sports facilities during the official visit of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh.
About:
Foundation stone was laid for infrastructure development for power evacuation
facilities from the Rooppur Nuclear power plant.
The Bangladesh leg of the Banagabandhu-Bapu Digital Exhibition was inaugurated
by the two Prime Ministers. It will be taken to other parts of the world
including the UN.
Both the leaders also unveiled the foundation stone for the construction of a
memorial at Ashuganj honoring the martyrs of Indian armed forces in the 1971
Liberation War of Bangladesh.
India gifted 109 life support ambulances to Bangladesh and also 1.2 million
doses of the Covishield vaccine.
Three border haats were also opened along the India-Bangladesh border.
During the visit a number of announcements were made.
A direct passenger train named ‘Mitali Express’ will run between Dhaka and New
Jalpaiguri.
Prime Minister Modi invited 50 young entrepreneurs from Bangladesh to connect
with India’s start up ecosystem.
1000 Subarno Jayanti Scholarships were announced for the Bangladeshi students
to study in India at the Undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
A Bangabandhu Chair will be established at Delhi University to facilitate
Bangladesh studies.
Both countries agreed to start a new area of cooperation in the Civil nuclear
and space sectors.
Important Info :
Places visited
Prime Minister also visited the birthplace of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
at Tungipara and placed a wreath at his mausoleum to pay tribute to the father
of the nation of Bangladesh.
Prime Minister Modi visited the Jeshoreshwari temple in Satkhira. He announced
that a cyclone shelter cum community hall will be built at the temple for use
by the people.
He also visited Orakandi where he was given a community reception. He paid
respect at Harimandir in Orakandi and addressed the representatives of the
Matua community.
Source : All India Radio
International

March 28th Current Affairs – Vignan IAS Academy

RESOLUTION 46/L1:
India abstained from voting on a resolution in the United Nations Human Rights
Council (UNHRC) that makes a wide-ranging and damaging commentary on the human
rights situation in Sri Lanka.
About:
Resolution 46/L1 has decided, among other things, to “strengthen” the Office of
the High Commissioner on Human Rights to collect evidence and develop possible
strategies for future accountability processes for gross violations of human
rights in Sri Lanka.
It refers to “persistent” lack of accountability for rights abuses committed
through the years by “all parties” in Sri Lanka, including the LTTE.
Most seriously, it expresses a lack of confidence in the ability of the present
government in Colombo to address the shortcomings.
Among the 14 countries that abstained were Japan, Indonesia, Bahrain and Nepal.
Among the 11 that voted against were China, Cuba, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Russia,
and Venezuela.
Important Info :
Comment
This is the eighth resolution on Sri Lanka at the Human Rights Council since
the end of the war against the LTTE in 2009.
India’s record of voting on these resolutions shows the ups and downs of New
Delhi-Colombo relations, the pressures on coalitions in India, the influence of
politics and parties in Tamil Nadu, and the ebb and flow of regional and
international geopolitics.
Source : Indian Express
International

CRYPTOCURRENCY:
The corporate affairs ministry has announced companies will have to disclose
any holding or dealings in cryptocurrencies or virtual currencies in their
financial statements filed with the Registrar of Companies (RoC).
About:
All companies will now have to disclose in their statutory financial filings to
the RoC
any profit or loss on transactions involving cryptocurrency,
the amount of cryptocurrency held on the reporting date, and
any deposits or advances received from anyone for the purpose of investing in
cryptocurrencies or virtual currencies.

Some experts have said these disclosure requirements indicated the government
is open to regulating cryptocurrencies instead of banning them.
Important Info :
View of Government on Cryptocurrency
The government’s new bill – Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital
Currency Bill, 2021 — aims to prohibit all private cryptocurrencies while
setting the stage to roll out the legal framework for an “official digital
currency”.
However, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said the Centre will
take a calibrated approach to cryptocurrencies and will not close the window on
experimentation with cryptocurrencies.
Source : Indian Express
Economy

BIHAR SPECIAL ARMED POLICE BILL, 2021:
The Opposition in Bihar has called a statewide bandh on March 26 to protest the
passed of the Bihar Special Armed Police Bill, 2021 by the Bihar Assembly.
About:
The bill aims to develop the Bihar Military Police into a well-trained and
fully equipped armed police force with multi-domain expertise to cater to the
development needs and the larger interest of the state.
At present, the Bihar Military Police is entrusted with the security of the
Mahabodhi Temple in Gaya, the Darbhanga airport, and other industrial and
commercial establishments.
The new Bill renames the Bihar Military Police as the Bihar Special Armed
Police, and gives the force more teeth, on the lines of the Central Industrial
Security Force (CISF), so it can better secure the commercial and industrial
assets of the state.
Mandate of the force will be the “maintenance of public order, combating
extremism, ensuring the better protection and security of specified
establishments in such manner as may be notified and perform such other duties,
as may be notified.”
It empowers Special Armed Police officers to carry out searches and arrests
without warrant, and courts being able to take congnizance of certain offences
by the officers only after government sanction.
The mahagathbandhan in Bihar has called the Bill “draconian”.
Source : Indian Express
Defence & Security

 

INDIAN RHINOCEROS:

With the BJP frequently invoking Assam’s
world-famous one-horned rhino to connect with the people of the state, the
animal has now become a part of poll rhetoric, with promises to save “the pride
of Assam”.

 

About:

The projection of rhino as the pride of Assam began during the
Assam Movement (1979-85).

Rhino started emerging as a player in the political narrative of
Assam as “its poaching was linked to the control of indigenous people over
land, resources and influx of immigrants”.

According to the rhino census of 2018, there are 2,413 rhinos in
Kaziranga alone.

It is common for every party contesting in Bokakhat and Kaliabor,
the two constituencies that cover most of Kaziranga (the park spreads over
six constituencies), to say that they will protect the rhino.

Important Info :

•The
Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is also called the Indian rhino,
greater one-horned rhinoceros or great Indian rhinoceros.

It is a
rhinoceros species native to the Indian subcontinent.

 

Subject: Environment

March 28th Current Affairs – Vignan IAS Academy

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Daily Current Affairs March 27th- Vignan IAS

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE:
With $200 billion of India’s trade flows with Europe, North America and South America at risk due to the blockage of the Suez Canal, the Department of Commerce is planning re-routing shipments through the Cape of Good Hope.
About:
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa.
A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa. Contemporary geographic knowledge instead states the southernmost point of Africa is Cape Agulhas.
When following the western side of the African coastline from the equator, however, the Cape of Good Hope marks the point where a ship begins to travel more eastward than southward.
Important Info :
Cape Agulhas
Cape Agulhas is a rocky headland in Western Cape, South Africa.
It is the geographic southern tip of the African continent and the beginning of the dividing line between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
Source : The Hindu
Geography

NISAR:
NASA and ISRO are collaborating on developing a satellite called NISAR, which will detect movements of the planet’s surface as small as 0.4 inches over areas about half the size of a tennis court.
About:
NISAR is an SUV-sized satellite that is being jointly developed by the space agencies of the US and India.
The name NISAR is short for NASA-ISRO-SAR. SAR here refers to the synthetic aperture radar that NASA will use to measure changes in the surface of the Earth.
Essentially, SAR refers to a technique for producing high-resolution images.
Because of the precision, the radar can penetrate clouds and darkness, which means that it can collect data day and night in any weather.

The partnership agreement was signed between NASA and ISRO in 2014.
NASA will provide one of the radars for the satellite, a high-rate communication subsystem for science data, GPS receivers and a payload data subsystem.
ISRO, on the other hand, will provide the spacecraft bus, the second type of radar (called the S-band radar), the launch vehicle and associated launch services.

The satellite will be launched in 2022 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, India, into a near-polar orbit.
It will scan the globe every 12 days over the course of its three-year mission of imaging the Earth’s land, ice sheets and sea ice to give an “unprecedented” view of the planet.
Source : Indian Express
Science & Tech

TIGRAY:
Eritrea will pull its troops out of Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, said. It is a potential breakthrough in a drawn-out conflict that has seen atrocities carried out against civilians.
About:
The Tigray Region is the northernmost of the nine regions (kililat) of Ethiopia.
Tigray is the homeland of the Tigrayan, Irob and Kunama peoples.
Tigray is also known as Region 1 according to the federal constitution.
Its capital and largest city is Mekelle.
Tigray is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Sudan to the west, the Amhara Region to the south and the Afar Region to the east and south east.
Important Info :
Recent conflict:
The Tigray War is an ongoing armed conflict that began in November 2020 in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia.
It is fought between the by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF)-controlled Tigray Regional Government, and the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF).
The conflict escalated in September, when Tigray held local elections in insubordination of the Ethiopian federal government. these elections were considered “illegal” by the federal government, further leading to conflict with Tigray authorities.
Source : The Hindu
International

RTI REJECTIONS:
The Centre has only rejected 4.3% of all Right to Information (RTI) requests in 2019-20, the lowest ever rate, according to the Central Information Commission’s annual report.
About:
However, almost 40% of these rejections did not include any valid reason, as they did not invoke one of the permissible exemption clauses in the RTI Act, according to an analysis of report data by RTI activist Venkatesh Nayak.
This includes 90% of rejections by the Prime Minister’s Office.
Public authorities under the Central government received 13.7 lakh RTI requests in 2019-20, out of which 58,634 were rejected for various reasons.
Rejection rates have fallen since the 13.9% rate in 2005-06 and have been steadily trending downwards since the 8.4% spike in 2014-15. In 2019-20, they hit their lowest level so far.
The Home Ministry had the highest rate of rejections, as it rejected 20% of all RTIs received. The Agriculture Ministry’s rejection rate doubled from 2% in 2018-19 to 4% in 2019-20.
The Delhi Police and the Army also saw increases in rejection rates.
Important Info :
The RTI Act allows public authorities to reject RTI requests on a number of grounds, ranging from information which would endanger life and safety to that which involves irrelevant personal information, Cabinet papers, foreign governments, copyrights, or sovereignty, security and intelligence matters.
Public authorities are expected to cite the relevant clause of the Act to invoke the exemption.
Source : The Hindu
Polity & Governance

MAHARASHTRA BHUSHAN AWARD:

Legendary singer Asha Bhosle will be presented the Maharashtra Bhushan award for the year 2020, the State government’s highest honour.
About:
A committee headed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray held a meeting earlier today in this regard.
The award, instituted in 1996 by the State government to recognise distinguished work and achievements of eminent persons from the State, representing different walks of life, carries a cash prize of ₹10 lakh and a citation.
Born on September 8, 1933, in Maharashtra’s Sangli district, Ms. Bhosle was initiated into music by her father, the renowned Marathi stage actor-singer Dinanath Mangeshkar.
Bhosle received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2000.
Important Info :
The first Maharashtra Bhushan awardee was Marathi writer P.L. Deshpande and the last winner of this award was historian Babasaheb Purandare who got it for the year 2015.
Her sister Lata Mangeshkar won the award for 1997.
Source : All India Radio
Awards

INDIAN BEAMLINE PROJECT:

The third phase of the Indian beamline project, a facility for materials research set up under India-Japan Scientific and Technological Cooperation, was initiated on March 23, 2021, with special focus on industrial application research.
About:
The phase would increase the number of young researchers from India to be trained in advanced X-ray techniques of material research.
Besides, steps will be taken to allocate more beamtime so that more researchers can get access to it. At present, only 50 % of Indian researchers who apply receive beamtime.
The Indian beamline has been constructed and maintained by Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP), Kolkata and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bangalore; in Japanese synchrotron light source Photon Factory (PF) of High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), with support from Nano Mission, Department of Science and Technology (DST).
This India-Japan Scientific and Technological Cooperation project was initiated between the DST and the KEK on 24 July 2007.
In the first phase (2009-2015) of this project, an X-ray beamline (BL18B) was constructed by SINP in PF. In the second phase (2016-2021), JNCASR and SINP jointly developed the beamline further to cater to the need of various users from India.
Source : PIB
Economy

TRIBAL TB INITIATIVE:

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched ‘Tribal TB Initiative’ in pursuit of TB Mukt Bharat.
About:
A Guidance Note on Joint Action Plan for Tuberculosis (TB) Elimination, a Special Edition of Tribal Ministry’s Publication ‘ALEKH’ on TB, and a document on Tribal Tuberculosis (TB) Initiative was also released.
Over 104 million tribal population lives in India, across 705 tribes, accounting for 8.6 % of the country’s population.
177 tribal districts were identified as high priority districts where physical remoteness, malnutrition, poor living conditions and lack of awareness contribute to the vulnerability of the tribal population to TB.
Initially, the activities of the joint plan will be focusing on 161 districts across 18 identified States. This would involve periodic TB active case finding drives and provision of TB Preventive Therapy (IPT) to identified vulnerable population and develop long term mechanisms for vulnerability reduction.
Important Info :
the Union Territories of Lakshadweep and district of Badgam in Jammu and Kashmir have been declared TB Free on World TB Day this year.
The government has already increased the Budget allocation for TB in India a four-fold in the last 5 years.
Source : PIB
Social Issues

NATIONAL CLEAN AIR PROGRAMME (NCAP):

In the presence of Union Minister of Environment the MoU was signed by representatives of State Pollution Control Boards, Urban Local Bodies and Institutes of Repute for 132 identified cities for implementation of city specific action plans under National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
About:
The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) is a long-term, time-bound, national level strategy to tackle air pollution problem across the country in a comprehensive manner.
It targets to achieve 20% to 30% reduction in Particulate Matter concentrations by 2024 (with 2017 as base year).
A National Knowledge Network comprising leading air quality specialists has also been constituted as a technical advisory group to support activities under NCAP and guide local Institutes of Repute (IoRs) in conducting air quality researches.
Source : PIB
Environment

INDO-KOREAN FRIENDSHIP PARK:

India’s First Indo-Korean Friendship Park was jointly inaugurated by Mr Suh Wook, Minister of National Defence, Republic of Korea and Rajnath Singh, Raksha Mantri, at Delhi Cantonment on 26 March 2021.
About:
It is in Delhi Cantonment.
The park’s significance is not only because of it being a symbol of strong India-South Korea friendly relations, but also as a monument to India’s contributions as part of 21 countries which participated in Korean war 1950-53, under the aegis of the United Nations.
The park has been developed in joint consultation with Ministry of Defence, Government of India, Indian Army, Delhi Cantonment Board, Embassy of Korea and Korean War Veterans Association of India.
One of the pillars in the park encompasses Nobel Laureate Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s narration of Korea as “The Lamp of the East” which was published in Korean daily “Dong-A-llbo” in 1929.
Source : PIB
Defence & Security

EXIT POLL:

Election Commission of India, in exercise of the powers under sub-section(1) of Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 has notified the period between 7:00A.M on 27th March, 2021 (Saturday) and 7.30 PM on 29thApril, 2021 (Thursday), as the period during which exit polls are banned.
About:
During this period, conducting any exit poll and publishing or publicizing the result of exit poll by means of the print or electronic media or in any other manner shall be prohibited in the ongoing General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal & Puducherry.
Further, under Section 126(1)(b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951,displaying any election matter including results of any opinion poll or any other poll survey, in any electronic media, would be prohibited during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for conclusion of poll.
Important Info :
In multi-phase elections it is prohibited to conduct exit polls from the 1st phase till the last phase of elections to prevent influencing voters’ behaviour. After last phase one can conduct an exit poll and publish result.
This was done by bringing amending the Representation of the People Act, 1951 in 2009 which inserted Section 126A was inserted into the RPA.
Contravention of Section 126A has been made punishable under Section 126A(3) with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine or with both.
Additionally, Section 126B has also been inserted to the RP Act, 1951 for punishment to companies who commit any offence under Section 126A.
Source : PIB
Polity & Governance

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Information: It follows increasing demands by employees at Google for policy overhauls on pay, harassment and ethics, and is likely to escalate tensions with top leadership.

Source : Economic Times
Science & Tech

• September 3rd Current Affairs
• September 1st and 2nd Current Affairs
• August 30th Current Affairs
• August 27th and 28th Current Affairs
• August 26th Current Affairs

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