Current Affairs 20 April 2022

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Cabinet Approval on April 13, 2022 

On April 13, 2022, Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi approved the following proposals:
i.CCEA has approved the continuation of revamped Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) i.e. ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2026 with a financial outlay of Rs 5911 crore.
ii.The Union Cabinet approved the policy for use of land acquired under the Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition & Development) Act, 1957 [CBA Act]. Under this, the value of such land will be unlocked by utilizing it for the development and setting up of infrastructure relating to coal and energy without transfer of ownership from government companies.
iii.Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, Ministry of Coal, launched a web portal to ensure real time reporting of accidents occuring in Coal Mines. The launch was made during the 47th meeting of the Standing Committee on Safety in Coal Mines in New Delhi, Delhi.
iv.The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for MoC signed between DoWR, RD&GR, Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), and the Ministry of the Environment of Japan in the areas of Decentralized Domestic Waste Water Management
v.The Union Cabinet also approved the signing of Bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and Manitoba Securities Commission, Canada.
About Canada:
Capital– Ottawa
Currency– Canadian Dollar
>> Read Full News

India, Maldives ink seven MoUs under Indian Grant Assistance Scheme to implement HICDP

On April 18, 2022, India and Maldives signed seven Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) for projects to be built under the Indian grant assistance scheme for the High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) through local bodies.

• These projects are worth a total grant of 26.8 million Rufiyaa (equivalent to approximately USD 1.7 million), and will promote health, sports, youth empowerment & heritage preservation along with socio-economic development of Maldives.
• This signing of MoU was on the lines of the announcement made during the official visit of India’s Union Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to Addu City, Maldives in March 2022.

Signatories:
Indian High Commissioner, Munu Mahawar; Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid, and the respective implementing agencies.
About Projects under MoU:
The projects include the following: 

• Establishing a mental health centre at Addu Equatorial Hospital, 
• A speech therapy unit at Kulhudhuffushi Regional Hospital, 
• Prosthetics and orthotics manufacturing workshop at Hulhumale’ Hospital, 
• Preservation of cultural places in Noonu Landhoo Maabudhuge and Thaa Dhiyamigili Ganduvaru, 
• Development of a multi-sports complex in Noonu Manadhoo 
• Development of youth centres in Gaafu Alif Gemanafushi and Alif Dhaalu Dhigurah

Points to be noted:
i.The overarching MoU on Indian grant assistance for implementation of HICDP through local bodies, was initially signed between both nation in 2019, for a total grant of 85 million Rufiyaa. This was renewed with an increment up to 155 million Rufiyaa (equivalent to approximately 10 million USD) in July 2021.
ii.18 projects are currently underway under this grant scheme.
About Maldives:
Capital– Male
Currency– Maldivian Rufiyaa

NSCS Organised NCX-India exercise to promote Cyber Literacy and Cyber Hygiene among strategic leaders

National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) is organising a hybrid exercise over a period of ten days from 18 to 29 April 2022 “National Cyber Security Incident Response Exercise (NCX India)” for Government officials and Critical Sector organisations to strengthen India’s capacity against Cyber Security Threats.

• Objective – To train senior management and technical personnel of Government/Critical Sector organisations and agencies on contemporary cyber threats and handling cyber incidents and response.
• Shri Ajit Doval,KC, National Security Advisor(NSA) has inaugurated the exercise alongwith Lt General  Rajesh Pant, National Cyber Security Coordinator  and Dr.Satheesh Reddy, Secretary DRDO.

About National Cyber Security Incident Response Exercise (NCX India):-
i.The NCX India is organised for a period of ten days from 18 April to 29 April 2022.
ii.The aim of the exercise is to help strategic leaders to better understand cyber threats, assess readiness, and develop skills for cyber crisis management and cooperation.
iii.NSCS is conducting this exercise in association with Data Security Council of India (DSCI) as the Knowledge Partner and supported by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). 
iv.The platform for training is being provided by CyberExer Technologies, an Estonian cybersecurity company accredited for globally conducting several large cyber exercises.
Key Points:-
i.The exercise envisages to train more than 140 officials to develop and test cybersecurity skills, teamwork, planning, communication, critical thinking, and decision-making.
ii.The participants will also be trained on various key cyber security areas such as Intrusion Detection Techniques, Malware Information Sharing Platform (MISP), Vulnerability Handling and Penetration Testing, Network Protocols and Data Flows, Digital Forensics, etc.
iii.The training also focuses on actions to be taken against the increasing in Ransomware and Supply Chain attacks taking place in the world.

‘Smart Cities, Smart Urbanization’ Conference started in Surat, Gujarat

On 18th April 2022, The 3-day “Smart Cities, Smart Urbanization” conference has a grand opening event at the Surat International Exhibition & Convention Centre (SIECC), Surat, Gujarat.  Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs took part in the events as the chief guest. 

• The conference, organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India, Government of Gujarat with Surat Smart City Corporation Development Limited., under the clarion call of “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM)”, will be held from 18th to 20th April 2022. 

Highlights:
i.The winners of the India Smart Cities Awards Contest (ISAC) 2020 were felicitated during the event. 
ii.The SCM also released the Integrated portal of MoHUA, AMPLIFI – Assessment and Monitoring Platform for Liveable, Inclusive and Future-ready urban India, which will provide valuable data about Indian cities
About Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA):
Union Minister– Hardeep Singh Puri (Rajya Sabha- Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State– Kaushal Kishore (Constituency- Mohanlalganj, Uttar Pradesh)
>> Read Full News

ICG Commissioned 1st ALH MK-III squadron in Bhubaneswar

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) commissioned the 1st Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) MK-III squadron in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The maritime capabilities took part along the coasts of West Bengal and Odisha. Mk-III was manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The variants of Dhruv are classified as Dhruv Mk-I, Mk-II, Mk-III & Mk-IV. These helicopters are equipped with Surveillance Radar, Electro Optic Pod, Medical Intensive Care Unit, High Intensity SearchLight, SAR Homer, Loud Hailer and Machine Gun. In 2021 three ALH Mk-III were inducted into the stables of the Indian Coast Guard. By May 2022, ICG is expected to induct 10 new ALH.

• The Squadron was commissioned by Director General VS Pathania, PTM, TM, Director General Indian Coast Guard at ICG Air Enclave. The 830 Squadron is commanded by Commandant Anurup Singh, TM and manned by 11 Officers and 46 men.
• The role of ALH MK-III is suited for high altitude operations.

President Ram Nath Kovind Gives Assent To Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill & Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill

President of India, Ram Nath Kovind gives assent to Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill and the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill.Here on, the bill will be termed as Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 and the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2022.
Objective:
The objective of the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 is to authorise for taking measurements of convicts and other persons for the purposes of identification and investigation in criminal matters and to preserve records.
The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022
The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 has replaced the Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920. Several modifications have been made to control the crimes happening in India. 

The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2022
i.The Bill seeks to amend the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957 passed by Parliament.  Later the Act was amended in 2011 by Delhi Legislative Assembly to trifurcate the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi into,

• North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC).
• South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC).
• East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC).  

About The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022
Ministry – Ministry of Home Affairs
Union Ministry of Home Affairs – Amit Shah (Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat)
Ministry of Home Affairs of State – Nityanand Rai, Ajay Kumar Mishra, Nisith Pramanik
>> Read Full News

BANKING & FINANCE

SBI Raises USD 500 Million Via IFSC Gift City Branch

State Bank of India (SBI), India’s largest commercial bank, has raised USD 500 million through a three-year syndicated loan facility, via its International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) City branch.

• The facility is worth USD 400 million, with a USD 100 million green shoe option. SBI, on the other hand, did not provide pricing information.

The SBI’s Gift City branch has raised its first offshore USD Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) linked syndicated loan.

Note: Green shoe Option (GSO) is a post listing price stabilisation mechanism created to ensure that the company’s share price on stock exchanges does not fall below the issue price.
Key Points: 
i.With this, SBI has taken another major step in promoting IFSC Gift City as an international financial hub, with its Gift City branch becoming the largest in the IFSC.
ii.The substantial footprint SBI has established in offshore financial markets has facilitated the successful execution of syndicated loans at such fine pricing.

• This has enabled SBI to raise funds efficiently even during ongoing financial market instability induced by geopolitical tensions and anticipation of rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve and other central banks across the world.

iii. The joint lenders of the offering are MUFG, Bank of America, and JP Morgan, with First Abu Dhabi Bank serving as the facility agent.
About State Bank of India (SBI):
Chairman – Dinesh Kumar Khara
Establishment – 1955
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra.

RBI Imposes Rs 17.63 lakh Penalty on Manappuram Finance for Non-Compliance of KYC, PPI Norms

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 17.63 lakh on Manappuram Finance Limited for non-compliance with certain provisions of the Master Direction on Issuance and Operation of Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) dated October 11, 2017 (updated as on February 28, 2020) and the Master Direction – Know Your Customer (KYC) Direction dated February 25, 2016 (as updated on April 20, 2020). 

• The penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI under Section 30 of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
• Recently RBI has also imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 93 lakh on Axis Bank and Rs 90 lakh on IDBI Bank.
• RBI has imposed a penalty on Axis bank for non-compliance with RBI directions on loans and advances, KYC guidelines and penalties on non-maintenance of minimum balance in savings accounts.
• In case of IDBI, the penalty was imposed for non-compliance with directions on ‘frauds – classification and reporting by commercial banks and select financial institutions’.
• This penalty on Axis & IDBI Bank has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of section 47 A (1) (c) read with section 46 (4) (i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (the Act).

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

India’s Retail Inflation Spikes To 6.95% In March 2022; IIP Grows 1.7% In February 2022

The National Statistical Office (NSO) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has released two key economic statistics, that revealed

• Retail inflation in India, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), increased to 6.95% in March 2022.
• Manufacturing output of India, measured in terms of Index of Industrial Production (IIP), witnessed a growth of 1.7% in February 2022.

The high rate of inflation in March 2022 was attributed to rise in the prices of crude petroleum and natural gas, mineral oils, basic metals, and other commodities as a result of the global supply chain disruption caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Key Points: 
i.Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based inflation was led by the edible oil (18.79%), vegetables (11.64%), meat and fish (9.63%), footwear and clothing (9.4%), and fuel and light (7.52%) segments.
ii.Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and fuel prices, increased to a 10-month high of 6.29% in March 2022, up from 5.96% in February 2022.
iii. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI), which measures wholesale price-based inflation, reached a four-month high of 14.55% in March 2022.

• The Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued the WPI data, which revealed that crude oil prices were the highest contributor to WPI inflation, followed by fuels and core items.
• The gap between core and non-core inflation has grew at 6.3% and 7.6% in March, 2022.

iv.These figures provide a retrospective validation for the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which revised its inflation and growth projections for fiscal year 2022–23.

Note:

• CPI measures price fluctuations from the standpoint of a retail customer.
• IIP keeps track of manufacturing activities across the economy.
• WPI tracks wholesale inflation, which is inflation at the producer level.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

Cyrus S. Poonawalla tops Hurun Global Healthcare Rich List 2022

Dr Cyrus S. Poonawalla Chairman and Managing Director of Serum Institute of India(SII) has topped the Hurun Global Healthcare Rich List 2022 and became the richest billionaire in the healthcare sector 2022. 

• He has topped the list with a new value of USD 26 billion (up 41%).
• Cyrus Poonawalla is followed by Thomas Frist Jr & Family of HCA Healthcare, Li Xiting and Xu Hang of Mindray at the 2nd position with a net value of USD 19 billion.

• Dilip Shanghvi & Family, of the Sun Pharmaceuticals, is at the 5th position with a net worth of USD 18 billion.

China (34) has the most healthcare industry billionaires, followed by the United States of America (16), Switzerland (15), Germany (11), and India (9).

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS      

Lt General Manoj Chandrashekhar Pande appointed as 29th Chief of Army Staff

Government of India has appointed Vice Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant (Lt) General Manoj Chandrashekhar Pande as 29th Chief of Army Staff (COAS). He will succeed General Manoj Mukund Naravane on May 1, 2022.Lt General Pande is currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff since February 1 2022. 

• The Vice Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Pande will be the first officer from the Corps of Engineers to become the COAS.
• The tenure of Chief of Army Staff is 62 years of age or three years whichever is earlier.

About Lt General Manoj Chandrashekhar Pande:-
i.Lt General Pande was an alumnus of The National Defence Academy, who was commissioned in the Bombay Sappers in December 1982.
ii.Following the Parliament attack in December 2001, Operation Parakram was launched to mobilise large-scale troops and weapons to the western border along Pallanwala sector, Line of Control, Jammu and Kashmir in which Lt General Pande commanded 117 Engineer Regiment.
iii.Later he Commanded the Andaman and Nicobar Command as the 15th Commander-in-Chief (CINCAN) from June 2020 to May 2021 and he also served as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, having taken over on 1 June 2021.
iv.With the appointment of Lieutenant General Manoj Pande as Indian Army Chief, all three service chiefs of the Indian defence forces will be from the 61st batch of the National Defense Academy (NDA)

• Indian Navy Chief Admiral Hari Kumar and Indian Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari are also from the same NDA course..

Awards:-
i.Lt General Manoj Chandrashekhar Pande has been conferred with following awards –

• Param Vishisht Seva Medal
• Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
• Vishisht Seva Medal
• Chief of Army Staff Commendation 
• General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (twice)

Note: Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) is still vacant due to the untimely demise of the country’s first CDS Gen Bipin Rawat in a chopper crash in December 2021.
About Indian Army:-
Headquarters – Integrated Defence Headquarters, Ministry of Defence, New Delhi
Commander-in-Chief – President Ram Nath Kovind
Chief of Army Staff – General Manoj Mukund Naravane (retire on April 30, 2022)     

Digit Insurance Appoints Jasleen Kohli as MD & CEODigit Insurance, one of India’s fastest-growing private general insurers, has appointed Jasleen Kohli as the new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company effective from 20 April, 2022. 

• Kohli will take over from Vijay Kumar, who has held the position since the company was founded in 2017, and will retire on April 19, 2022.

In 2021, Digit increased its worth to USD 3.5 billion in less than six months after raising USD 200 million in a funding round. 
About Jasleen Kohli:
i. At 42, Kohli will become one of the youngest CEOs in the insurance industry.
ii.Kohli was previously the Chief Distribution Officer (CDO), in charge of Digit’s sales and distribution. She was the first employee of Digit and has worked with the company since its inception.
iii. Before joining Digit as the CDO in 2017, she was the Director at Allianz Technology. 
Note: The company also announced it has promoted Adarsh Agarwal from the role of Appointed Actuary to Chief Distribution Officer (corporate business). Nikhil Kamdar has been appointed as the next Appointed Actuary, replacing Agarwal.
About Digit Insurance:
Digit Insurance is operated by Go Digit General Insurance Limited, which is financed by Canadian billionaire Prem Watsa’s Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited.

• It primarily sells automobile insurance, and it also offers health insurance and travel insurance.

Chairman – Kamesh Goyal
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka

Yemen President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi Resigns Under Saudi Pressure

Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, President of Yemen has stepped down under pressure from Saudi Arabia. At present, President Hadi is under de-facto house arrest. He announced a new 8-member presidential leadership council and transferred his powers to the council. 

• He also removed Vice President Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar from his position and reassigned his responsibilities to the new council. 
• The Cabinet headed by Prime Minister(PM) Khaled Bahah has also handed its resignation to President Hadi. 

Presidential Leadership Council:
iThe 8-member council, headed by Rashad Al-Alimi, former interior minister, has the authority to manage the state politically, militarily and on the security front.
ii.The member of the council includes Aidrous al-Zubaidi, head of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC); Tareq Saleh, a military commander and nephew of late former president Ali Abdullah Saleh; and Sheikh Sultan al-Arada, the governor of Marib, a key battleground in the conflict. 

• The council will be supported by a 50-member consultative body. 
• The formation of the council was announced after the inter Yemeni consultations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 
• The council aims to initiate talks with Houthis to establish peace in Yemen and resolve the seven-year war. 

About Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi:
i.Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi is a former field marshal of the Yemeni Armed Forces who was appointed as the President of Yemen in 2012. 
ii.He served as the vice president under the leadership of Ali Abdullah Saleh from 1994 to 2012.
iii.He has also served as the acting president of Yemen between 2011 and 2012. 
About Yemen:
Capital– Sana’a
Currency– Yemeni rial     

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Agri Minister launches 2 Redeveloped Portals on export/import of Agricultural Commodities & Pesticides Registration

On April 18, 2022, Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW) launched two redeveloped portals, one for the Computerized Registration of pesticide (CROP) and the other for Plant Quarantine Management System (PQMS).

• These portals will help in taking forward digital Agriculture and Ease of doing Business.

Redevelopment of Online Portals: 
i.Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DAFW), MoA&FW through the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage (DPPQS), Faridabad (Haryana) has been catering to Indian exporters and importers of agriculture commodities and Indian Pesticide Industry, through its two portals viz. CROP, and Plant Quarantine Information System (PQIS).

• Now, this current launch is the redevelopment of these two online portals for greater transparency in the existing online system.

ii.The PQMS portal provides a transparent system with no physical touch points for the applicants and ensures convenience to the users, through a online system including e-payments and uploading of documents, online accreditation etc.
iii.Similarly, the re-developed CROP portal will help in ease of doing business and provide greater and timely Crop protection solutions to farmers of the country.
Developers:
DAFW had engaged Centre for Good Governance (CGG), Hyderabad (Telangana) for design, development, technical support maintenance and hosting of seamless integrated e-Governance solution for PQMS on new technology platform; and also for hosting of e-Governance solutions of redeveloped Comprehensive Registration of Pesticides (CROP).

ENVIRONMENT

Actinimenes koyas: New Shrimp Species Discovered Off Agatti Islands, Lakshadweep

Scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR) have discovered a new species of shrimp which has been named “Actinimenes koyas” to honour Koyas, the local community on the Lakshadweep islands, Arabian Sea. 
Discovery:
i.The new species was collected at a depth of 1.0–2.0 m from the coral atoll of Agatti Island, a part of the Lakshadweep group of islands by a team of scientists comprising  Purushothaman Paramasivam, A. Dhinakaran, T.T. Ajith Kumar and Kuldeep K. Lal.
ii.The new species was discovered by the team during their work on documenting the aquatic genetic resources with special attention on fish and shell fish resources. 
About Actinimenes koyas:
i.Actinimenes koyas, the new species is closely related to other shrimp species in morphological traits and it is distinguished from the other species by the structural variation in the fourth sternal plate with a median notch.
ii.The new species is associated with the sea anemone, Heteractis magnifica and this is the 2nd representative of the genus Actinimenes Ďuriš and Horká described from the Arabian sea. 
Additional info:
The NBFGR scientists have previously discovered new shrimp species, Periclimenella agattii named after the Agatti island in 2019 and Arabianensis named after the Arabian Sea in 2020. 

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Liver Day 2022 – 19th April 

World Liver Day is annually observed across the globe on 19th April to create awareness about various liver-related diseases and conditions and the importance of the liver which plays a vital role in the human digestive system.
The day also aims to motivate people to adopt a healthy lifestyle. 
i.According to the World Health Organisation(WHO) report (2018), Liver diseases are the 10th most common cause of death among Indians. 
ii.The most common causes of liver-related deaths in India are Alcohol, Hepatotropic viruses and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
>> Read Full News

World Parkinson’s Day 2022 – April 11

World Parkinson’s Day is annually observed across the globe on 11th April to create awareness about Parkinson’s disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder that affects predominately dopamine-producing (“dopaminergic”) neurons in the substantia nigra,a critical brain region. 
Note: The month of April is observed as Parkinson’s Awareness Month. 
Symbol: The Parkinson Tulip, the red tulip, with a fringe of white is the official symbol of Parkinson’s disease.
Background:
World Parkinson’s Day also marks the birth anniversary of James Parkinson (born on 11th April 1755), an English doctor and scientist, well known for “An Essay on the Shaking Palsy”, which established Parkinson’s disease as a recognised medical condition. 
Parkinson’s Disease:
i.James Parkinson first described the disease as “paralysis agitans” which was later renamed “Parkinson’s disease” by Jean-Martin Charcot, a French neurologist and professor of anatomical pathology.
ii.Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement.
iii.The symptoms of PD, mainly result from low or falling levels of dopamine, neurotransmitters.
The Parkinson Tulip:
i.In 1980, J.W.S. Van der Wereld, a Dutch horticulturalist with Parkinson’s disease (PD), developed a red and white tulip to honour Dr James Parkinson. 
ii.At the 9th World Parkinson’s Disease Day Conference in Luxembourg on April 11, 2005, the tulip was launched as the official symbol of PD.

STATE NEWS

Telangana IT Minister Rama Rao launched Telangana’s SpaceTech Framework on a Metaverse Platform

The Telangana Government in order to promote Private participation in the space technology sector has launched ‘Space Tech Framework’ with the vision to establish the state as a ‘globally recognised one-step destination’ in Space technology.
i.In a first of its kind initiative, the official event was held  on a Spaceship walk through event in a Metaverse platform PartyNite, developed by a Hyderabad based Tech company Gamitronics. 
ii.The event saw the participation of NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S Somanath, Telangana Information and Technology Minister K T Rama Rao among others.
iii.The Space Industry sector is expected to grow at USD 558 billion by 2026.
iv.The Telangana Government also launched the Government’s Space Tech NFT (Non-Fungible Token) collection. The proceeds from the NFT sale will be used to support the technology enabled social impact projects.
Note:

• Hyderabad based Small and Medium Enterprises have contributed over 30 percent parts for ISRO’s Mars Orbiter Mission.

About Metaverse:-
i.The Metaverse is a virtual-reality space in which users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users.
ii.The term “metaverse” was first used in Neil Stevenson’s 1982 novel, Snow Crash.
About Telangana:-
Capital – Hyderabad
Chief minister – Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao

J&K launched ‘Jan Nigrani’ – a Grievance Redressal app

The Department of Rural Development and Panchayati raj, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), under the e-governance initiative has launched an app ‘Jan Nigrani’, intended to help people lodge their complaints related to various schemes online.
What is the Jan Nigrani app?
i.The Jan Nigrani app is a 24×7 internet based platform aimed at reporting and resolving the grievances of the residents of J&K, against various government schemes launched by the department.
ii.The app would act as a single link between the residents and the officials by mapping concerned authorities related to the complaint for faster grievance redressal. 
iii.The app ensures minimal rejections of accounts due to incomplete information, by facilitating accurate reporting of the grievances using customised scheme specific input forms.
iv.In order to provide faster Grievance redressal the app has been set at the block level with a seven-day time slot to redress any particular grievance, also the app checks for the bogus and false complaints raised by the customers.
About Jammu and Kashmir:-
Union territory – 31 October 2019
Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir – Manoj Sinha
Wildlife Sanctuaries – Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary,Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary,Rajparian Wildlife Sanctuary(Also known as Daksum Wildlife Sanctuary),and Overa-Aru Wildlife Sanctuary

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