Current Affairs 7 April 2022

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 7 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

MoEFCC Launches Awareness Mascot ‘Prakriti’ & Green Initiatives on Plastic

The Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has launched ‘Prakriti’ (literal meaning ‘Nature’) – an Awareness Mascot & Green Initiatives on Plastic. The Minister of State for Environment, Ashwini Kumar Choubey was also present at the event.

• Prakriti Mascot – Aims to spread awareness among masses about small changes that can be sustainably adopted in lifestyle for a better environment.
• The green initiatives on plastic are taken by the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC) and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to ensure effective Plastic Waste Management (PWM) in India.

Green Initiatives for Plastic Waste Management That Were Launched:
i.National Dashboard on Elimination of Single Use Plastic and Plastic Waste Management by MoEFCC.
ii.Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) by CPCB -A Portal for Plastic Packaging 
iii. The Union Environment Minister has also administered the “Swachh Bharat Harit Bharat Green Pledge”. It was in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of India’s pledge to phase out single-use plastics by 2022, to tackle the challenge of plastic pollution.
>> Read Full News

CMIE: Chhattisgarh tops states with lowest unemployment rate in country

According to the latest data (5 April 2022) released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), Chhattisgarh has been ranked first among states with the lowest unemployment rate of 0.6 percent in the country.

• The overall Unemployment rate in India has decreased to 7.6 percent (March 2022) from 8.10 percent in February 2022.
• As per the data, Haryana has the highest unemployment rate at 26.7 per cent.

Reasons for Decline:
i.The Chhattisgarh government had adopted a new model of development on lines of Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of ‘Gram Swaraj’ envisaging inclusive development of the state and launched various schemes including Suraji Gaon Yojana, Narva-Garva-Ghurva-Bari programme, Godhan Nyay Yojana, Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana etc. for boosting the rural economy.
ii.The state government has also set up the ‘Chhattisgarh Employment Mission’ intending to create around 15 lakh new employment opportunities in the next five years.
Ranking of other states:

NTPC inks pact with GGL to Blend Green Hydrogen in PNG

NTPC Limited (formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited)
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gujarat Gas Limited (GGL) at NTPC Kawas, Gujarat office.  The agreement was signed for the blending of green hydrogen in Piped Natural Gas (PNG).

• GGL is India’s largest City Gas Distribution (CGD) Company.
• The project is the first of its kind in India and a step toward the decarbonization of the cooking sector and achieving self-sufficiency in the energy requirements.

What is Green Hydrogen?
Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced by splitting water by electrolysis. It produces only hydrogen and oxygen.
Key Points:
i.Green hydrogen will be produced by using electricity from the existing 1 MW floating solar project of NTPC Kawas.

• It will be blended with PNG in a predetermined proportion and will be used for cooking applications in NTPC Kawas Township.

ii.Initially, the percentage of hydrogen blending in the PNG shall be around 5% and after successful completion, it shall be further increased.
iii.The NTPC group has a target  to achieve 60 GW of RE (Renewable Energy) in 10 years.
About NTPC Limited:
Chairman & MD-Shri Gurdeep Singh
Founded– 1975
Headquarters-New Delhi

Union Cabinet approves Indian Antarctica Bill

The Union Cabinet has approved the draft legislation, Indian Antarctica Bill, to provide a regulatory framework for India’s research activities in Antarctica and protect the environment in the icy continent. The bill piloted by the Ministry of Earth Sciences(MoES) will be introduced in the ongoing budget session of the Parliament. 
The draft bill is the first domestic legislation with regard to Antarctica in India.

• The bill is expected to support India to fulfil its obligations under the  Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources of 1982 and the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty of 1998.
• The Indian Antarctic programme started in 1981 and has completed 40 scientific expeditions and built three permanent research base stations (Dakshin Gangotri (1983), Maitri (1988) and Bharati (2012)) in Antarctica. Only Maitri and Bharati are fully operational.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Global emissions can be halved by 2030 with Major Transitions in Energy Sector: IPCC report

In accordance with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group III report released on April 4, 2022, titled ‘Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of climate change’, global emissions can be halved by 2030 with major transitions in the energy sector.

• There is a need for immediate mitigation actions to limit global warming to 1.5°C (2.7°F) otherwise it will be beyond reach.
• The report released worldwide was approved by 195 member governments of the IPCC through a virtual approval session that started on March 21. It is the third instalment of the IPCC’s sixth assessment report (AR6), which will be completed in 2022.

Highlights from Report:
i.The report cautioned that limiting warming to around 1.5°C requires global greenhouse gas emissions to peak before 2025 at the latest, and be reduced by 43% by 2030. Methane also needs to be reduced by about a third.
ii.The global temperature will stabilize when carbon dioxide emissions reach net zero. 

• For 1.5°C (2.7°F) net zero carbon dioxide emissions to be achieved globally in the early 2050s; 
• For 2°C (3.6°F), it is to be achieved in the early 2070s.  

iii.In 2010-2019, the average annual global greenhouse gas emissions were at their highest levels in human history.
iv.The steps to limit global warming  include substantial reduction in fossil fuel use, widespread electrification, improved energy efficiency, and use of alternative fuels (such as hydrogen).
v.The implementation of effective policies, regulations, market instruments, infrastructure and technology can reduce 40-70% greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and also improve health and well-being.
Click here for Official Report 
Points to be noted:
i.IPCC is the United Nations (UN) body for assessing the science related to climate change. Its chair is Hoesung Lee and is headquartered at Geneva, Switzerland. It was established by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988. It has three working groups: 

• Working Group I– Deals with the physical science basis of climate change; 
• Working Group II– Deals with impacts, adaptation and vulnerability; 
• Working Group III– Deals with the mitigation of climate change.

ii.The Working Group III report provides an updated global assessment of climate change mitigation progress and pledges, and examines the sources of global emissions.

• AR6 Working Group III includes 278 authors from 65 countries.

Madagascar Enters Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure

Madagascar has become the 30th country to join the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), which was launched by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi  at the United Nations Climate Action Summit in September 2019.

• Madagascar will now be able to collaborate with other CDRI members to promote resilient infrastructure and contribute to the worldwide creation of a safe, resilient, and sustainable future.

Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)
CDRI is a partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programmes, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and knowledge institutions.

• Aim: To promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks in support of sustainable development. 

i.CDRI now has 30 members, including 23 national governments and 7 organizations, as of April 2022.The Headquarters of CDRI secretariat is New Delhi, India.
ii.CDRI promises to encourage the rapid development of resilient infrastructure in order to meet the Sustainable Development Goals’ requirements of expanding universal access to basic services, enabling prosperity, and providing decent work.
Note: 
The International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI) is the annual conference of the CDRI. 

• The fourth edition of ICDRI will be organized in a hybrid format in New Delhi from 4-6 May 2022.
• Indian poet-diplomat Abhay Kumar is the Ambassador of India to Madagascar. 

About Madagascar:
Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa.
President – Andry Nirina Rajoelina
Prime Minister – Christian Ntsay
Capital – Antananarivo 
Currency – Malagasy Ariary (MGA)

AUKUS Defence Alliance Adds Hypersonic Weapons To Security Pact

The United States (US), United Kingdom (UK) and Australia created a security pact and defence alliance known as AUKUS to develop hypersonic missiles and electronic warfare capabilities. The leaders of AUKUS are British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, US President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

• In 2021 the Indo-Pacific alliance included the sharing of nuclear-powered submarine technology.

Trilateral Cooperation:
i.The new trilateral cooperation includes information sharing and deepens cooperation on hypersonics weapons and counter-hypersonics weapons.
ii.The AUKUS also planned to develop conventionally armed submarines for Australia.
iii.It will also focus on cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and additional undersea capabilities.
Hypersonic Weapon Programme:
i.The US and Australia have a hypersonic weapon programme called SCIFiRE (Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment).Also, the UK pretended to join SCIFiRE. 

ii.The AUKUS planned to work together in the area of research and development.

• The US will invest 4.7 billion United States Dollar (USD) in the research and development of hypersonic missiles.
• The US plans to have a hypersonic missile battery fielded by 2023, a sea-based missile by 2025 and an air-based cruise missile by 2027.
• Also Australia plans to spend 2.6 billion USD to acquire long-range strike missiles for fighter jets and warships.

The United States’s Hypersonic Missile Test:
The Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of US, completed a free-flight test of an aircraft-launched hypersonic missile at a speed of more than Mach 5 (3,800 miles per hour, or 6,100 kilometres per hour). 

BANKING & FINANCE

Union Bank of India to create “Digital Bank within Bank”

Union Bank of India (UBI) announced the creation of “Digital Bank within Bank” as part of its future ready digital transformation project during the Digital Conclave hosted by UBI on 06 April 2022 at Yashwantrao Chavan Centre, Mumbai.
Highlights: 
i.Under the project, the bank launched a Super app.”Union nxt – Do it Yourself”

• It will also enable the setting up of a strong digital ecosystem in line with the EASE (Enhanced Access and Service Excellence) reform agenda.

ii.Later, several digital products like  pre-approved personal Loan (PAPL), union cash (pensioner loan), Shishu Mudra loan, MSME loan auto-renewal, agri loan (KCC) auto-renewal, CRM, Soft POS, branch token and mobile app-based deposit module will be launched.
iii.It will provide facilities such as end-to-end straight through processing (STP), mobile first, customer centricity, enhanced operational efficiency, reduced turn-around time (TAT), minimal clicks with no branch visits.
iv.Shri Rajkiran Rai G, MD & CEO, unveiled ‘Union SAMBHAV – World of Opportunities’, a Future Digital ready transformation project.
v.Union Bank of India (UBI) will spend ₹1,000 crore on digital banking initiatives in a bid to ensure that at least 50 per cent of its business originates via the digital route by FY2025.

About Union Bank of India (UBI):
CEO & MD- Rajkiran Rai G. 
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Founded- 1919
Tagline – Good People to Bank with

SEBI Amends Rules Governing CIS; Listing Obligations & Disclosure Requirements; and Custodians

i.The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), in its board meeting approved an amendment to the SEBI (Collective Investment Schemes) Regulations, 1999 to strengthen the regulatory framework for Collective Investment Schemes (CIS) to bring them on with Mutual Fund (MF) regulations. 
ii.On April 4, 2022, SEBI has formed an ad-hoc committee to review governance norms at Market Infrastructure Institutions (MII) such as stock exchanges. It will be a 6-member panel to be headed by Gurumoorthy Mahalingam, a former whole-time member of SEBI.
iii.SEBI imposed penalties totalling Rs 15 lakh on three entities for indulging in non-genuine trades in the illiquid stock options segment on BSE. It levied a fine of Rs 5 lakh each on Gouri Sankar Agarwal (Hindu Undivided Family- HUF), Sukriti Sinha, and Sanjana Jain.
About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
Establishment– 1992
Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairperson– Madhabi Puri Buch
>> Read Full News

India is Financing Nepal to Set Up Wastewater Treatment Plant

The Indian embassy in Kathmandu has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of the Khumjung Khunde Wastewater Management Project with the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, the Government of Nepal, and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, Soulukhumbu, Nepal.

• This is a community development project that will be built under the India-Nepal Development Cooperation, with financial support from the Indian government, at a total estimated cost of Nepali Rupees 41.13 million.

This project will improve the health and quality of life of the people by providing them with safe water and improved sanitation, which are essential for improving public health.
Key Points:
i.India and Nepal, as close neighbours, have a wide range of multi-sectoral cooperation. The implementation of this project symbolises the Government of India’s persistent support for the Government of Nepal’s efforts to improve the lives of its people.
ii.Since 2003, India has undertaken 523 High Impact Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal, completing 467 projects in the areas of health, education, drinking water, connectivity, sanitation, and the establishment of other public utilities at the grassroots level in all seven provinces of Nepal.

• Amongst these, 78 projects have been undertaken in Province-1 Nepal, including two projects in Solukhumbu District, Nepal.

About Nepal:
Prime Minister – Sher Bahadur Deuba
President – Bidya Devi Bhandari (Devi was the first Woman President of Nepal. She is currently serving her second term in office)
Capital – Kathmandu
Currency – Nepalese Rupees (NPR)

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

ADB projects India’s Economic Growth at 7.5% in 2022; South Asia’s Growth at 7% in 2022

The Manila (Philippines)-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its flagship ‘Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2022-Mobilizing Taxes for Development’, projected India’s economic growth at 7.5% in 2022 and 8% in 2023.

• Inflation in India will be at 5.8% in 2022 and 5% in 2023.
• While South Asian economies collectively will grow at 7% in 2022 and 7.4% in 2023. It will be followed by Southeast Asia with 4.9% and East Asia with 4.7% in 2022.
• However, this outlook can be affected with the uncertainties posed by the Ukraine-Russia War, continuing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, and tightening by the United States Federal Reserve.

Points to be noted:
i.South Asia comprises Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

• India is the sub-regions’ largest economy.

ii.Developing Asia comprises 46 member countries of ADB by geographic group: the Caucasus and Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and The Pacific.
Highlights from Report:
i.The South Asian subregion’s growth dynamics are largely driven by India and Pakistan.
ii.Developing Asia’s economies are predicted to grow by 5.2% in 2022, and 5.3% in 2023 due to robust recovery in domestic demand and continued expansion in exports.
iii.The report predicts inflation in Developing Asia to rise to 3.7% in 2022 and 3.1% in 2023 as the economic recovery continues and energy, commodity prices remain elevated.
Click Here for Official Report

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS     

Elon Musk tops Forbes World’s Billionaires List 2022; Mukesh Ambani ranks 10th 

Forbes has released the 36th annual ranking of billionaires across the globe, Forbes World’s Billionaires List 2022, featuring 2,668 Billionaires from across the globe with a collective worth of USD 12.7 trillion, USD 400 billion less than in 2021. 

• Elon Musk Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tesla and SpaceX has topped the list with a net worth of USD 219 billion, followed by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton SE. 
• Elon Musk has topped the list for the first time. 

Forbes India’s 10 Richest Billionaires 2022:
Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has topped the Forbes list of India’s 10 Richest Billionaires 2022 with a net worth of USD 90.7 billion.

• Mukesh Ambani is followed by Gautam Adani, head of Adani Group, with a net worth of USD 90 billion and Shiv Nadar, Chairman Emeritus of HCL Technologies with a net worth of USD 28.7 Billion.

>> Read Full News   

Bloomberg Billionaire Index: Gautam Adani became India’s & Asia’s richest man

According to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index, as of 2nd April 2022, Gautam Adani, Founder and Chairman of the Adani Group joined the USD 100 billion club and surpassed Mukesh Ambani to become India’s and Asia’s richest person. 

• He has ranked 10th on the Index. so far, His wealth has increased by 23.5 billion in 2022. 
• Mukesh Ambani’s net worth stands at USD 99 billion at 11th rank with an increase of USD 9.03 billion so far this year.
• Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla topped the index with a net worth of USD 273 billion followed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos with USD 188 billion. 

As of 6th April 2022, Gautam Adani is ranked 9th with a net worth of USD 108 billion and Mukesh Ambani is ranked 11th with a net worth of USD 98.5 billion. 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Gulzar Ahmed To Be The caretaker Prime Minister Of Pakistan

Pakistan’s Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan nominated former Chief Justice of Pakistan, Gulzar Ahmed as caretaker Prime Minister. The decision to nominate Caretaker PM is due to the resignation of Imran Khan, as he failed to prove the majority in the parliament and the Deputy Speaker dismissed the no-confidence motion and later the parliament was dissolved by the President. Ahmed was sworn in as the 27th chief justice of Pakistan in 2019 till 2022.

• Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial considered the legality of the current situation and issue a “reasonable order” 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

HAL hands over Gaganyaan mission hardware to ISRO, Vehicle integration facility launched

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) hands over the first set of Gaganyaan mission hardware to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) during the inauguration of HAL’s PS2/GS2 Stage integration facility in Bengaluru, Karnataka, the facility will be used to bring together the primary and secondary stages of the mission before they are rolled onto the launch pad.

• HAL also handed over the 150th Make Satellite Bust Shelter on this occasion.

i.HAL, India’s premier aerospace manufacturer, has been working with ISRO in providing a key set of equipment for the Gaganyaan mission, with this the ambitious Gaganyaan mission that is likely to see the maiden uncrewed flight later this year 2022.
ii.HAL has been working with ISRO in the development of its big launcher, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) – GSLV Mk-II and GSLV Mk-III.
iii.The aerospace unit in 2021 delivered the heaviest Semi-Cryogenic Liquid Oxygen propellant tank (SC120- LOX) fabricated to be used in the GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle for the future missions.
About Gaganyaan Programme:
i.The Gaganyaan Programme envisages undertaking the demonstration of human spaceflight to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in the short-term and will lay the foundation for a sustained Indian human space exploration programme in the long run.
ii.The objective of the programme is to demonstrate indigenous capability to undertake human space flight missions to LEO.
iii.As a part of this programme, two unmanned missions and one manned mission are approved by Government of India (GoI).
Note:
i.ISRO in January 2022, successfully conducted the third long-duration hot test on the liquid propellant Vikas engine that would launch the Gaganyaan mission. 
ii.The engine was fired for 240 seconds at the test facility of ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu.

SPORTS

Tennis: Iga Natalia Swiatek Wins WTA Masters 1000 And Carlos Alcaraz Garfia of Spain wins ATP Masters 1000 in Miami Open 2022

Iga Natalia Swiatek of Poland wins Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Masters 1000 – Miami Open 2022, held in Miami Gardens, Florida, United States, from Mar 21 to Apr 3, 2022. Swiatek defeated Naomi Osaka of Japan in the Finals and also claimed WTA Women’s World Number 1 ranking. She also received the prize money of 646,110 United States Dollar (USD).

• The Miami Open 2022 is played in Hard courts Stadium and it was presented by ITAU,one of the largest banks in the world.
• Swiatek also continues her 17 consecutive winning streak dating back to her championship win at the Qatar Total Energies Open in February 2022, where she defeated Anett Kontaveit of Estonia.

Records Of Swiatek:
i.Swiatek, the 20-year-old became the fourth woman to win the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments back-to-back, which is known as the “Sunshine Double” given the tournaments’ respective locations in California and Florida.

• Other players to win ‘Sunshine Double’ – Victoria Azarenka, Kim Clijsters and Steffi Graf.

ii.She also became the first woman to win the opening three WTA 1000 tournaments in a season such as BNP Paribas Open – 2022, Qatar Total Energies Open – 2022 and Miami Open 2022.
Men’s Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Masters 1000 – Miami Open 2022:
Carlos Alcaraz Garfia of Spain wins ATP Masters 1000 – Miami Open 2022 by defeating World No. 8 CasperRuud in the men’s singles final by the sets (7-5, 6-4).

• The 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz replaced Novak Djokovic as the youngest champion at the Masters 1000 tournament after the victory.
• He also became the first man from Spain to win the Masters 1000 tournament.
• He also became the first man from Spain to win the Miami Open title.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Dharmendra Pradhan Launched a Book titled “Birsa Munda – Janjatiya Nayak” 

Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan released a book titled  “Birsa Munda – Janjatiya Nayak” authored by Prof. Alok Chakrawal, Vice Chancellor of Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. 
About the book:
i.The  book highlights the struggle of Bhagwan Birsa Munda and the contribution of forest dwellers in the freedom movement of India.
ii.Birsa Munda was born in 1875, an Indian tribal freedom fighter, religious leader, and folk hero who belonged to the Munda tribe. He was hailed from Jharkhand (Earlier it was Bengal Presidency). 

• He  is known for challenging the Christian missionaries and revolting against the conversion activities along with the Munda and Oraon communities.

iii.Munda Rebellion- it  is one of the prominent 19th century tribal rebellions of India. Birsa Munda led this movement in the region south of Ranchi in 1899-1900. 

• The ulgulan, meaning ‘Great Tumult’, sought to establish Munda Raj and independence.

Meena Nayyar & Himmat Singh Shekhawat Authored a New Book titled “Tiger of Drass: Capt. Anuj Nayyar, 23, Kargil Hero”

Meena Nayyar, Mother of Captain Anuj Nayyar and Himmat Singh Shekhawat, a part of Rashtriya Riders, a biking group that pays homage to martyrs and their families has authored a new book titled “Tiger of Drass: Capt. Anuj Nayyar, 23, Kargil Hero”, published by HarperCollins Publishers India.

• The book features the story of  Capt. Anuj Nayyar(23 years old), who martyred during the 1999 Kargil War while fighting to secure the Drass sector which was critical to the success of Operation Vijay and India’s victory in Kargil.
• Captain Anuj Nayyar was honoured with the Maha Vir Chakra(posthumously), the second-highest gallantry award in 2000.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 2022 – April 6

The United Nations(UN)’s International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) is annually observed across the globe on 6th April to create a platform to recognise the role of sports and physical activities in communities and lives of the people across the globe. 
6th April 2022 marks the observance of the 9th edition of IDSDP. 
The theme of IDSDP 2022 is “Securing a Sustainable and Peaceful Future for All: The Contribution of Sport”.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/67/296 on 23rd August 2013 and proclaimed the 6th April of every year as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP). 
ii.The first-ever International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) was observed on 6th April 2014.
>> Read Full News 

World Table Tennis Day 2022 – April 6 

World Table Tennis Day(WTTD), is annually observed across the globe on 6th April to celebrate table tennis, as well as the universality and social inclusiveness the sport represents.

• Bringing people together in a spirit of harmony and understanding, it has been the theme ever since inaugurated in 2015

Background:
i.World Table Tennis Day is an initiative of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), launched with a fundamental mission to promote Table Tennis across the globe.
ii.The first-ever WTTD was observed on 6th April 2015 with the theme “Table Tennis for all”. 
About International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF):
CEO– Stephen Dainton
Headquarters–  Lausanne, Switzerland
>> Read Full News

Prevention of Blindness Week 2022 – April 1-7

Prevention of Blindness Week is annually observed across India from 1st to 7th April to create awareness about blindness. The week is annually organised by the Government of India with the aim to raise awareness of the importance of eyes to visually impaired people across India. 

• The week also educates people about various eye injuries, visual impairments, their prevention, cure and treatment

The week is annually organised across India by the National Society for the Prevention of Blindness, India. (NSPB-I).
Background:
i.The National Society for the Prevention of Blindness-India(NSPB-I) was formed on the basis of the resolution of the National Association for the Blind in 1959. 
ii.The Society was registered on 24th August 1960 under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
iii.Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, then Health Minister, Government of India was elected as its first President and then Prime Minister(PM) Jawaharlal Nehru was its Chief Patron in 1962.
iv.The NSPB has undertaken several intensive campaigns on different aspects in order to create awareness among the masses about avoidable blindness throughout India. 

• Prevention of Blindness Week is a campaign of the National Society for the Prevention of Blindness, India. (NSPB-I).

WHO on Blindness: 
i.Globally, at least 2.2 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment. In at least 1 billion of these cases, vision impairment could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed.
ii.The prevalence of distance vision impairment in low- and middle-income regions is estimated to be four times higher than in high-income regions 

STATE NEWS

Punjab Mandi Board introduced ‘digital J form’ to farmers for its procurements 

The Punjab Mandi Board in order to bring transparency as well as empowering farmers has decided to send a ‘digital J form’ to the WhatsApp number of farmers from this Rabi procurement season , which started from April 1,2022. 

• This will make Punjab the first state in the country to provide ‘form J’ on a real time basis.
• The move is expected to benefit around 9 Lakh registered farmers who will be looking to sell their crop (Wheat) at MSP during this procurement season.
• The form is available in a website https://emandikaran-pb.in.

About J Form:
i.‘J form’ is the sale receipt for a farmer’s agricultural produce in mandis (grain market). 
ii.These forms will be delivered directly to the farmer’s WhatsApp number immediately after a sale is confirmed on the system by the arthiyas (commission agents) and buyers, who are mainly government procurement agencies and earlier, these forms were issued manually by the arthiyas.
iii.The ‘J form’ can be used for raising loans from financial institutions, Income Tax waivers, subsidy claims, farmer’s insurance among others.
iv.The J forms in digilocker, are legally at par with original physical documents under Rule 9A of the Information Technology (Preservation and Retention of Information by Intermediaries providing Digital Locker facilities) Rules, 2016 notified on February 8, 2017.
v.It also benefits the government by maintaining a proper record of the land under cultivation for both the wheat and paddy crops in the state as well as an idea of their average per acre yield.
About Punjab:
Governor – Banwarilal Purohit 
Capital – Chandigarh

MP govt Launches  ‘Mukhyamantri Udyam Kranti Yojana’ to Give Loan up to Rs 50L with Subsidized Interest Rate for Self-employment

On 5th April 2022, Madhya Pradesh (MP) Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched ‘Mukhyamantri Udyam Kranti Yojana’  at Kushabhau Thakre International Convention Center to give loan up to Rs 50 Lakhs  with subsidized interest rate for self-employment.

• It is implemented by the Madhya Pradesh’s Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

i.The government will give 3 percent interest subsidy and bank loan guarantee fee for a maximum period of 7 years in the form of financial assistance to the beneficiaries of “Mukhyamantri Udyam Kranti Yojna”.
Objective:
To boost  self-employment  and build employment opportunities for the skilled  youth in MP.
Highlights: 
i.Under this scheme, the government of MP will provide a loan guarantee of Rs 1 lakh – Rs 50 lakh for self-employment with subsidies on the interest rates. 

• It targets to benefit 1 lac youth in the financial year 2022-23 and also focuses on building startup policy in MP.
• India’s biggest medical devices park  will be established  on 360 acres in Ujjain, MP.

ii.The govt.  also  provides guarantee on bank loans worth Rs 140 crores for self-employment.
iii.The MP govt. provided loans and subsidies to 16 lakh people for self-employment.
iv.A New self-employment scheme, youths of the state who have passed 12th and are in 18 to 40 age group will get one lakh to 50 lakh rupees for manufacturing activities and Rs one lakh to 25 lakh for service/business activities.
About Madhya Pradesh:
Governor- Mangubhai C. Patel 
Lakes-Bhojtal, Lower Lake, Moti Lake
Rivers- Narmada river, Tapti river, Mahi river

CM Jagan Mohan Reddy launches 13 new districts in Andhra Pradesh

On April 4, 2022, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Yeduguri Sandinti Jagan Mohan Reddy formally launched 13 new districts in the state taking the total number to 26 Districts through a video conferencing at Tadepalli, in Guntur district. 

• The decision is aimed at a more efficient administration by taking offices closer to people

i.The primary objective of the new districts was to take a substantial leap in the efforts to achieve United Nations (UN) – Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
ii.With the formation of 13 new districts the average population of districts will come down to 19.07 Lakh from 38.15 Lakh as per the census 2011, which was one of the highest in the country.
iii.Andhra Pradesh is the seventh largest state among the 28 states of India and has 25 Lok Sabha seats and 11 Rajya Sabha seats.
iv.The new districts are Parvathipuram Manyam, Alluri Sitharama Raju, Anakapalli, Kakinada, Konaseema, Eluru, NTR, Bapatla, Palnadu, Nandyal, Sri Satyasai, Annamayya and Tirupati, which was earlier named Sri Balaji. 

Related Information:
i.Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of districts at 75. 
ii.Goa has the least number of districts at two. 
iii.Arunachal Pradesh, one of the smallest States, had 25 districts for a population of 1.38 crore.

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