Current Affairs 3 & 4 April 2022

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 3 & 4 April 2022, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2022 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Union Government extended Foreign Trade Policy by another 6 monthsThe Ministry of Commerce and Industry has extended the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20 which was valid upto March 31, 2022 by another six months upto September 30, 2022 for boosting external commerce in goods and services.The Extension was issued by Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).

• It will enable exporters to pursue the incentives under some existing schemes  including the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products(RoDTEP) which replaced the flagship Merchandise Exports From India Scheme, or MEIS, from January 1, interest equalisation scheme and transport subsidy scheme (for farm exports).

Note – The government has budgeted Rs 13,000 crore for the RoDTEP scheme for FY22.
i.Following the outbreak of Covid-19, the policy was first extended by a year upto 31 March 2022.
ii.The policy will aim to complement the ongoing revamp of the special economic zones (SEZ) policy to make it compliant with World Trade Organisation rules.
iii.It will also cover ease of doing business, a ‘districts as exports hub’ scheme, promote geographical indication (GI) products and e-commerce.
iv.The policy provides guidelines for enhancing exports to push economic growth and create jobs and incentives under different schemes such as Duty Free Import Authorisation (DFIA) and Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG).

Leh to Sign Tripartite Agreement to Develop Hanle as Dark Sky SanctuaryThe Leh administration is set to sign a tripartite agreement to develop Hanle as Dark Sky Sanctuary. The Leh Hill Council, WildLife and Tourism departments will jointly develop the area for Astrotourism.

• The declaration of Hanle as a dark sky sanctuary was announced during the high-level meeting by Pawan Kotwal, Principal Secretary (Planning, Development and Monitoring Department), Ladakh.

Astro tourism:
i.Ladakh’s administration in association with the Indian Institute of Astrophysics aims to promote Astro-tourism in the village of Hanle in the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh.
ii.The village of Hanle, located in the Hanle river valley, which has been declared as a dark sky sanctuary, will offer an unequivocal dark sky experience to tourists. 
>> Read Full News

India And Australia Signed Economic Cooperation And Trade Agreement To Boost The EconomyIndia’s Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan signed India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (IndAus ECTA) in a virtual ceremony with the presence of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and Australian PM Scott Morrison.

• The above agreement is set to provide zero-duty access to 96 per cent of India’s exports to Australia including shipments from key sectors such as engineering goods, gems and jewellery, textiles, apparel and leather.
• It also set to provide 85 per cent of Australia’s exports zero-duty access to the Indian market, including coal, sheep meat and wool, and lower duty access on Australian wines, almonds, lentils, and certain fruits.
• The bilateral trade was emphasised to raise the existing 27 billion USD to 45-50 billion USD in the upcoming 5 years.

About India & Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) :
i.This is the first trade agreement that India has signed with a developed country after a decade.
ii.Also, India will be offering 70 percent of its tariff lines, which includes export interest of Australia such as raw materials and intermediaries such as coal, mineral ores and wines etc.
iii.Australian goods exports to India (valued at more than $12.6 billion a year), rising to almost 91 per cent (valued at $13.4 billion) over 10 years.
iv.Zero-duty access for Indian goods is set to be expanded to 100 per cent over five years under the agreement.
v.Under the agreement, Indian graduates from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) will be granted extended post-study work visas.
Exports And Imports:
i.Australia is the 17th largest trading partner of India, and New Delhi will be Canberra’s 9th largest partner.
ii.India’s goods exports worth United States Dollar (USD) 6.9 billion and imports aggregated to USD 15.1 billion in 2021.
iii.In 2021 the bilateral trade in goods and services stood at USD 27.5 billion.
About Australia:
Prime Minister – Scott Morrison
Capital – Canberra
Currency – Australian dollars

IOM & NITI Aayog Partners to Organise National Panel Discussion on Safe Migration
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations(UN)’s agency has partnered with NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) organised a National Conclave on “The Impact of COVID-19 on Migration: Benchmarking of Good Practices & Preparing for the Future” on 29th March 2022 at Hotel Taj Palace in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, Delhi. 

• The conclave aimed to initiate, contribute to and support a holistic analysis on and of the core areas of migration.
• This also aims to support in achieving inclusive, broad-based and effective governance of migration through sharing best practices and expertise. 

About International Organization for Migration(IOM):
Director General- António Vitorino
Established – 1951
Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland

Finance Ministry kept Interest Rate of Small Savings Schemes Unchanged for Q1FY23i.The Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance, has kept the rate of interest on various small savings schemes unchanged for the first quarter (April-June, 2022) of FY23.
ii.In this regard, interest rates on national savings certificate (6.8%), senior citizen savings schemes (7.4%), public provident fund scheme (7.1%), Kisan Vikas Patra (6.9%), Sukanya Samriddhi Account scheme (7.6%) for the Q1FY23 are same as Q4FY22.
About Ministry of Finance: 
Union Minister– Nirmala Sitharaman (Constituency – RajyaSabha, Karnataka)
Ministers of State– Pankaj Chaudhary (Constituency – Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh); Dr. Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad (Constituency – Rajya sabha Maharashtra)
>> Read Full News

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India Contributes $500,000 to UN Women’s Core BudgetIndia contributed USD 500,000 to the United Nation (UN) Women, an agency for gender equality and women empowerment,for their core budget.
It was handed over by India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, TS Tirumurti to Executive Director (ED) Dr Sima Bahous (UN Women Chief).
Highlights:
i.With this contribution, India reaffirmed its support for gender equality and women empowerment and development. 
ii.Earlier in 2021, India also contributed USD 300,000 to the United Nations agency for gender equality and women empowerment.
Note-  Gender Equality is the 5th Sustainable Development Goal(SDG) 
The six main organs of the United Nation (UN)-

• UN General Assembly (UNGA),
• UN Security Council (UNSC),
• UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC),
• UN Trusteeship Council,
• UN International Court of Justice (ICJ),
• UN Secretariat.

About United Nation (UN) Women:
Headquarters-New York, United States (US)
Founded- 2010
Executive  Director-Sima Sami Bahous

BANKING & FINANCE

IOB Signs MoU with STPI & STPINEXT Under Finblue Initiative
As part of the FinBlue initiative to promote innovation through financial technologies, the public sector Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and AIC STPINEXT INITIATIVES (a Section 8 company of STPI).
FinBlue Initiative:
A FinTech (financial technology) Centre of Entrepreneurship (CoE) set by the STPI at Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Objective: To help provide resources such as mentoring, technology support and funding for FinTech start-ups. It offers an integrated program for start-ups to scale up through its incubation facility.
Software Technology Parks of India (STPI):
A premier Science & Technology organization under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

• Director General – Aravind Kumar

AIC STPINEXT INITIATIVES is established by STPI as a section 8 company to serve as the nodal agency and common implementation vehicle for its startup and entrepreneurship initiatives. It is headquartered in New Delhi, Delhi.
About Indian Overseas Bank (IOB):
Managing Director & CEO – Partha Pratim Sengupta
Establishment – 10th February 1937
Headquarters – Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Tagline – Good People to Grow with

IFSCA signs Information Exchange Pact with IRDAI On April 1, 2022, International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) for strengthening of inter-regulatory exchange of information, technical cooperation and supervisory collaboration.
Signatories:
It was signed by Injeti Srinivas, Chairperson, IFSCA; and Debasish Panda, Chairperson, IRDAI at IRDAI’s head office in Hyderabad, Telangana.
Key Points:
i.The MoU enables Indian insurtech (insurance industry) startups to explore foreign jurisdiction and vice versa as it contains a mechanism for Inter Operable Regulatory Sandbox.
ii.Both regulators will attract global insurance industry players to develop innovative insurance solutions for India and the world.
iii.The IFSCA is responsible for development and regulation of international financial services, including that of insurance sector.
iv.The IRDAI is entrusted with all-round development and regulation of the insurance sector across India.
Click Here for Official Notification 
About International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA):
Establishment– 2020, under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019
Headquarter– GIFT (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City), Gandhinagar in Gujarat.

RBI reduces WMA limit for States/UTs To Rs 47,010cr On April 1, 2022, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reduced the Ways and Means Advances (WMA) for states and Union Territories to Rs 47,010 crore from Rs 51,560 crore amid uncertainties related to COVID-19 w.e.f. April 1, 2022 and are subject to review.

• WMAs are temporary advances given by the RBI to the government to tide over any mismatch in receipts and payments.
• The limit for WMA for the Government of India (GoI) for the first half of FY23 (H1FY23) has been set at Rs 1,50,000 crore.
• The limit was changed after the recommendation by the Advisory Committee on Ways and Means Advances to State Governments (Chairman: Shri Sudhir Shrivastava). These norms will be effective from April 01, 2022 and are subject to review.

Key Points:
i.The Special Drawing Facility (SDF) availed by state governments/ UTs (Union Territories) will continue to be linked to their investments in marketable securities issued by the GoI, including Auction Treasury Bills (ATBs).
ii.Interest rate on SDF, WMA and OD (Overdraft) will continue to be linked to the policy rate of the Reserve Bank, the repo rate.
iii.Interest will be charged for all the days the advance remains outstanding.
iv.The higher WMA i.e. Rs 51,560 crore was applicable till March 31, 2022.
Overdraft facility would be provided based on the following guidelines:
i.State Governments/UTs can avail overdraft on 14 consecutive days;
ii.State Governments/UTs can be in OD for a maximum number of 36 days in a quarter;
iii.If the OD exceeds 100 per cent of the WMA limit for five consecutive working days for the first time in a financial year, Reserve Bank will advise the State to bring down the OD level within the 100 per cent of WMA limit. If, however, such irregularity occurs on a second or subsequent occasion in the financial year, the Reserve Bank will stop payments notwithstanding clauses (a) & (b) above.
The prevailing rates are retained as given below:

SEBI Launches Ideathon ‘Manthan’ To Promote Innovation in Securities MarketOn March 30th 2022 ,TMs. Madhabi Puri Buch, Chairperson of SEBI, formally launched the “Manthan,” an Ideathon,a new initiative of SEBI to foster new ideas and innovations in the securities market, in collaboration with other market infrastructure institutions and qualified registrar and transfer agents (QRTAs) at an event in Mumbai,Maharashtra.
Highlights:
i.Financial Technology (FinTech) adoption in the securities market will offer considerable opportunities for stakeholders.
It will help in democratizing financial services by making them more affordable and accessible to the general public, thereby establishing the foundation for financial inclusion.
ii.Similarly, Regulatory Technology (RegTech) and Supervisory Technology (SupTech) provide opportunities for effective market regulation while reducing the cost of compliance for market participants.
About Manthan:
i.It is a 6-week long Ideathon by SEBI in association with BSE, NSE, NSDL, CDSL, KFintech, CAMS, Link Intime, and MCX to promote innovation in the securities market. 
ii.Manthan will help to create a pool of new ideas and solutions centred on the securities industry. 
iii. The event is open for registration from March 30, 2022 to May 14, 2022 and anyone over 16 years of age, including students, startup founders, professionals, and academicians, can participate by submitting their ideas at https://manthan.devfolio.co/
iv.It invites innovative ideas in the themes such as Investor Education, Protection and ease of investing, Securities Market Development, Market Regulation, and Integration within the financial ecosystem.

• The top ten winners of the ideathon stand would get cash prizes worth Rs. 5,00,000. 

About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
Chairperson -Madhabi Puri Buch
Establishment – 12 April 1992
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

Ergos launches “GrainBank Loyalty Cards for Farmers”Ergos Business Solutions Private Ltd developed a digital platform ‘GrainBank’. This is the first time in India, where farmers will have  valuable information and income on their farm produce by getting direct access to digital platform.
Key points:
i.GrainBank is farmer relationship based post harvest solutions for farmers to digitize its grain, which is directly accessible to lenders and processors, and can buy online directly from them.

• It has several features like options for delaying sales,loans at minimal interest rates directly from the bank, etc.

ii.GrainBank can analyze farmers’ profiles and their crop related data, which helps to analyze most suitable services in the most cost effective manners.
iii.It connects through several Fintech companies and gives farmers access to digital payments, predicts prices through “Price Intelligence” and AI-based tools. 
iv.The tech-enabled warehouses are synced with the cloud and data is pushed to the server. The warehouses have Kiosk like GrainBank ATM / Loyalty Card, and farmers use smartphones to access their deposits. 

• It also has ‘Weather Sensing tools’, that enable GrainBank operation in the most efficient manner.

About Ergos Business Solutions Private Ltd:
CEO and Director-Kishor Kumar Jha
Headquarters- Patna, Bihar 

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

HDFC Bank Adjudged as Best Performing Bank in SHG Linkage by NRLM 

HDFC Bank Limited (HDFC Bank) has been adjudged Best Performing Bank in Self Help Group (SHG) Linkage by Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission(DAY-NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development(MoRD), Government of India at the event organised at the Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, Delhi.  

• HDFC bank is the only private bank to be honoured with the award for their contribution in SHGs by NRLM. 

Giriraj Singh, Union Minister of Rural Development presented the award to K Venkatesh, Head of Sustainable Livelihood Initiative of HDFC Bank.
Additional info:
i.The HDFC Bank has signed Memoranda of Undertading (MoUs) with the State Rural Livelihood Mission of 6 states: Assam, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. 
ii.As of February 2022, the HDFC bank has offered advances of more than RS 1000 crore under the NRLM. 
iii.As a part of the NRLM, HDFC bank provides access to financial services to more than 4.5 lakh individuals in unbanked and underbanked sections of the society. 
About National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM):
National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) in June 2011 is a poverty alleviation project.This rural income generation scheme is also known as Aajeevika Mission.
This was aided in part through investment support by the World Bank. 
Aim:
To encourage self-employment and create sustainable livelihood opportunities for the rural poor.
About HDFC Bank:
MD & CEO– Sashidhar Jagdishan
Incorporated – 1994
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra 
Chatbot– EVA

Hurun Richest Self-Made Women in the World 2022: Falguni Nayar of Nykaa among Top 10 

According to the list of Hurun Richest Self-Made Women In The World 2022 released by the Hurun Research Institute. Falguni Nayar, Founder and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Nykaa, is ranked 10th with a wealth of USD 7.6 billion. She is the only Indian among the top 10.

• Radha Vembu, co-founder & product manager of Zoho is the second-richest self-made woman billionaire in India with US$3.9bn & ranked 25th in the global list.Radha Vembu is top in India, and second across the world, in the list of Biggest Risers. 
• Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, executive chairperson and founder of Biocon Limited and Biocon Biologics, is 26th on the list, down two places from last year. She has a wealth of US$3.8 bn.
• Top 3 on the list:Wu Yajun co-founder of Longfor(China has topped the list followed by Fan Hongwei, Chairman/President, Hengli Petrochemical Co Ltd(China) and Wang Laichun of Luxshare Precision Industry(China).
• According to the list, there are 124 Self-Made Women Billionaires In World and china contributes to two-thirds of the world’s self-made women billionaires with 78 followed by the United States with 25 and the United Kingdom with 5.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS           

Dr. S Raju Became new  DG of Geological Survey of IndiaOn 1st April 2022, Dr. S Raju was appointed as the Director General (DG) of Geological Survey of India (GSI) in Kolkata, West Bengal. He succeeded  R. S. Garkhal who superannuated on 31st March 2022.
About Dr. S Raju:
i.Prior to this appointment, he was holding the post of Additional Director General and National Head of  Mission-III & IV at GSI.

• He had been serving in various fields such as  planning, programming and implementation of various geoscientific projects of national importance.

ii.He joined the GSI in 1988. He started with the project of geological mapping of Bundelkhand Granitic Complex in Uttar Pradesh and also executed an investigation on gold mineralization carried out  geo-environmental appraisal of Bundelkhand Region, Uttar Pradesh. 
iii.He also supplemented the geology of Tamil Nadu especially, establishing the metamorphic and tectono-magmatic history of the Sathyamangalam Group of rocks.
iv.He has also served as Deputy Director General of State Unit: Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, GSI Chennai from 2015 to 2018, during his tenure he has expedited several mapping and mineral exploration projects of Tamil Nadu and also he has given special emphasises on developments of Geological monuments of Tamil Nadu including National Fossil Wood park atThiruvakkarai, National Geological Monuments of Charnockite at St. Thomas Mount, Chennai.
About Geological Survey of India (GSI):
i.It works under the aegis of  the Ministry of Mines. It conducts geological surveys and studies.
ii.It is the prime provider of basic earth science information to the government, industry and the general public.

• Its main function is related to creation and update of national geoscientific information and mineral resource assessment.

Established-1851 
Headquarters– Kolkata, West Bengal

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS         

UBI sells 21% stake in IFLIC to BoB for Rs. 766 Crore

Union Bank of India (UBI) has sold 21% stake in IndiaFirst Life Insurance Company Limited (IFLIC), to Bank of Baroda (BoB) for Rs. 766.29 crore. IFLIC is a joint venture (JV) between BoB, UBI and Carmel Point Investments India Private Limited.UBI owned a 30% stake in IFLIC as a result of its acquisition of Andhra Bank.

• The divestment is made in line with the insurance regulator Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India’s (IRDAI) directive to bring down UBI’s stake in IFLIC to below 10%.

UBI’s investment in IFLIC has dropped to 9% as a result of the divestment. BoB now has a 65% stake in IFLIC, whereas Carmel Point Investments India has 25% stake in IFLIC.
Key Points:
i.UBI has transferred about 13.93 crore equity shares of IFLIC to BoB at Rs. 55 per share.
ii.The process of stake sale was completed on March 31, 2022 and the sale is expected to boost UBI’s fourth quarter (FY22) bottomline.
iii.UBI also has a 25.10% stake in Star Union Dai-Ichi (SUD) Life Insurance Company Ltd.

• Besides UBI, the other shareholders of SUD Life are Bank of India (28.96%) and Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company (45.94%).

About Union Bank of India (UBI):
Managing Director & CEO – Rajkiran Rai G.
Establishment – 11 November 1919
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline – Good People to Bank with

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Pixxel launches India’s 1st Private Commercial Imaging Satellite ‘Shakuntala’ By SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket

On April 1, 2022, Indian space-tech startup Pixxel’s first satellite ‘Shakuntala (TD-2)’ hosting one of the highest resolution hyperspectral commercial cameras ever flown to space via the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket under its ‘Transporter 4 mission’.

• It is a rideshare mission, which launch ~40 small payloads around the world from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, United States (US).
• Shakuntala is a part of Pixxel’s 36-satellite planned constellation.
• ‘Shakuntala’ – incidentally the second satellite that Pixxel built, and is a part of the first three technology demonstration satellites in its constellation.

About Shakuntala:
i.Weighing less than 15 kg, Shakuntala is capable of capturing orbital images in more than 150 bands of colour from the visible and infrared spectrum with a resolution of 10-metres per pixel. 

• This resolution exceeds the specificity of 30-metre per pixel hyperspectral satellites launched by a few select organisations including ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation).

ii.Shakuntala will help Pixxel to begin its hyperspectral satellite imagery and satellite-based data analytics services as the former will begin providing information regarding natural gas leakages, deforestation, melting ice caps, pollution, and declining crop health, among others.

About Transporter 4 mission:
It was SpaceX’s 4th dedicated small satellite rideshare launch since January 2021, and the 2nd of four Transporter rideshare flights planned in 2022. Apart from 40  microsatellites, it also includes CubeSats, picosatellites, an orbital transfer vehicle, and hosted payloads.

• SpaceX launched the first Transporter mission on Jan. 24, 2021, with a record 143 satellites on a single rocket. The Transporter 2 mission on June 30, 2021, carried 88 payloads into orbit, and Transporter 3 launched Jan. 13 with 105 spacecraft.

Points to be noted:
i.Pixxel recently raised $25 million as part of its Series-A funding, which it will use to further build its entire constellation. from Radical Ventures, Seraphim Space Capital, Relativity Space co-founder Jordan Noone, Lightspeed Partners, Blume Ventures, and Sparta LLC, among others.
ii.Pixxel was founded in 2019 by BITS Pilani alumni, Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal.
iii.ISRO to launch India’s Earth Observation Satellite (Eos)-6, part of the Indian Oceansat programme

SPORTS

Logo, Jersey, mascot and anthem were unveiled for the 2nd edition of KIUG 2021

The Governor of Karnataka, Thaawar Chand Gehlot and Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur launched the logo, jersey, mascot and anthem in the 2nd edition of Khelo India University Games 2021 (KIUG 2021) at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru,Karnataka.
i.The below things were unveiled during the event:-

• • Logo and official mascot of the games – Veera,
  • Khelo India App for live updates,
  • The official anthem was sung by Chandan Shetty and Nikhil Joshi, and 
  • The jersey for the 2nd edition of Khelo India University Games 2021

ii.The Khelo India University Games is a platform aimed at identifying talent for the Asian Games, CommonWealth Games and for the Olympics.
iii.The event saw the participation of 4500 athletes, representing 20 sports from across India and the event was hosted by Jain University, Karnataka.
iv.The KIUG 2021 is indeed the first sporting event to introduce Yogasana and Mallakhamb in the competition category, among 20 sporting disciplines.
v.The Karnataka government has declared the KIUG 2021 as Green Games – zero-waste, zero-plastic Games.
vi.The first edition of Kehlo India university Games 2020 was hosted by Odisha.

OBITUARY

Pulitzer Prize awardee poet Richard Howard passed away

Pulitzer Prize awardee American poet Richard Howard passed away at age of 92 in Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York, the United States of America(USA).
About Richard Howard:
i.Richard Joseph Howard was born on 13 October 1929 in Cleveland, Ohio, United States (US).He was an American poet, literary critic, essayist, teacher, and translator. 
ii.He won the Pulitzer prize in 1970 for ‘’Untitled Subjects’’ and was a National Book  Award Finalist in 2008 for ‘’Without Saying’’. 
iii.His translation of Charles Baudelaire’s “Les Fleurs du Mal” won the National Book Award (then called the American Book Award) in 1983.
Popular books of Richard Howard-

• ‘’Inner voices’’
• ‘’Two-part inventions’’
• ‘’Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World’’

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Devika Rangachari Authored a New Novel Titled “Queen of Fire”

Award winning children’s writer and historian Devika Rangachari has authored a new novel titled “Queen of Fire”, which explores the story of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi. 
The book is published by Duckbill Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. 
About the book:
i.The book focus on the journey of Rani Lakshmibai as a queen, soldier, and statesman.
ii.The book provides a detailed account on how the queen took over the kingdom as a widow and joined the revolutionaries to rebel against East India Company. 
About Devika Rangachari:
i.Devika Rangachari is a historian who has conducted post-doctoral research on gender in early medieval Indian history. 
ii.She has authored several books which includes, 

• Queen of Ice
• Queen of Earth
• Puffin Lives: Swami Vivekananda: A Man with a Vision
• 10 Indian Monarchs Whose Amazing Stories You May Not Know 

iii.Her book Queen of Ice was on the White Raven List and won the Neev Young Adult Book Award. 

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Autism Awareness Day 2022 – April 2The United Nations(UN)’s World Autism Awareness Day(WAAD) is annually observed across the globe on the 2nd April to create awareness about the need to help improve the quality of life of people with autism and support them to lead a full and meaningful life as an integral part of society.
WAAD 2022: Inclusive Quality Education for All

• WAAD 2022 addresses the inclusive education in the context of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) – 4 through a virtual event “Inclusive Quality Education for All”.
• The theme of inclusive education is linked with the focus of the 2021 WAAD observance, “Inclusion in the Workplace”.

Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/62/139 on 18th December 2007 and proclaimed the 2nd April of every year as “World Autism Awareness Day”. 
ii.The first–ever World Autism Awareness Day(WAAD) was observed on 2nd April 2008. 
>> Read Full News

International Children’s Book Day 2022 – April 2 International Children’s Book Day(ICBD) is annually observed across the globe on the 2nd April to inspire children toward reading and to call attention to books.
The day also marks the birth anniversary of Hans Christian Andersen, the Danish author who is well known for his literary fairy tales.

• The theme of 2022 ICBD is “Stories are wings that help you soar every day”. 
• The author of the ICBD 2022 message was Richard Van Camp and the 2022 poster was designed by Julie Flett. 
• IBBY Canada is the international sponsor of the celebration of the 2022 ICBD. 

About International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY):
President– Mingzhou Zhang (2018-2022)
Headquarters- Basel, Switzerland
>> Read Full News

STATE NEWS

Arunachal Pradesh and WWF-India inks pact to develop State Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

On April 1st 2022,  Arunachal Pradesh State Biodiversity Board (APSBB) inks a pact with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)- India to develop, the State Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (SBSAP) in New Delhi during a meeting presided by the State Environment and Forest Minister Mama Natung.
i.The action plan involves multi-stakeholder consultations and a participatory approach which develops an inclusive action plan to secure nature’s contribution to people.
ii.The SBSAP will align with the UN Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD)’s Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and Arunachal Pradesh’s recent Pakke Declaration.
About Pakke Declaration:
i.The Arunachal Pradesh state cabinet on November 17 2021, adopted the ‘Pakke Tiger Reserve 2047 Declaration on Climate Change Resilient and Responsive Arunachal Pradesh’, which aims to promote ‘climate-resilient development’ in the state.
ii.The ‘Pakke Declaration’ focuses on a multi-sectoral approach to low-emission and climate-resilient development based on five broad themes or Panch Dharas (environment, forest and climate change; health and wellbeing of all; sustainable and adaptive living; livelihoods and opportunities; and evidence generation and collaborative action).
About Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework:
i.The Post-2020 global biodiversity framework builds on the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and sets out an ambitious plan to implement broad-based action to bring about a transformation in society’s relationship with biodiversity.
ii.The Framework comprises 21 targets and 10 ‘milestones’ proposed for 2030, ensuring that by 2050 the shared vision of ‘living in harmony with nature’ is fulfilled.
About World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) – India:
Headquarters (WWF) – Gland, Switzerland
Director General (WWF) – Marco Lambertini 
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of WWF India – Ravi Singh

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