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Contents
......................... ........ ....... _ .. .. . ........................................................
News Headlines ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
May 1, 2022 .................................................................................................................................................... 3
May 2, 2022 ................................................................................................................................................... 3
May 3, 2022 ................................................................................................................................................... 4
May 4, 2022 .................................................................................................................................................. 4
May 5, 2022 ................................................................................................................................................... 5
May 6, 2022 ................................................................................................................................................... 5
May 7, 2022 .................................................................................................................................................. 6
May 8, 2022 .................................................................................................................................................. 7
May 9, 2022 .................................................................................................................................................. 7
May 10, 2022 ................................................................................................................................................. 8
May 11, 2022 .................................................................................................................................................. 9
May 12, 2022 ................................................................................................................................................. 9
May 13, 2022 ............................................................................................................................................... 10
May 14, 2022 ................................................................................................................................................ 11
May 15, 2022 ................................................................................................................................................ 12
May 1, 2022 .......................................................................................................................................................... 12
Declaration for the Future of the Internet ............................................................................................. 12
Rules for resignation and reinstatement of an IAS officer ................................................................. 14
India's forex reserves ................................................................................................................................... 15
State of employment in India .................................................................................................................... 17
May 2, 2022 ......................................................................................................................................................... 18
States vs Centre on fuel taxes ................................................................................................................... 18
Pilot phase of Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) ........................................................ 19
RBI Report on Currency and Finance ..................................................................................................... 21
IOC Pilot Project of Methanol-blended Petrol ...................................................................................... 22
India's Pharma Exports in 2021-22 ......................................................................................................... 23
May 3, 2022 ......................................................................................................................................................... 25
Coal shortage in India ................................................................................................................................ 25
Electric Vehicle fire incidents .................................................................................................................... 26
All-time high GST collections in April 2022 ........................................................................................ 28
International Research Conference on Insolvency and Bankruptcy ................................................ 29
May 4, 2022 ........................................................................................................................................................ 30
Indo-German Partnership for Green and Sustainable Development .............................................. 30
2022 State of World's Forests Report ..................................................................................................... 31
India-Denmark Business Forum .............................................................................................................. 33
World Tuna Day 2022 .............................................................................................................................. 34
P-75I and Air-independent propulsion(AIP) Technology ................................................................. 35
IIT Bombay's collaboration with India Meteorological Department (IMD) ................................. 36
May 5, 2022 ........................................................................................................................................................ 37
International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure .......................................................... 37
New Member of Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) ....................................................................... 38
Maharashtra Jivhala Scheme .................................................................................................................... 38
Basava Jayanti .............................................................................................................................................. 39
Harshada Sharad Garud ........................................................................................................................... 40
© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in | For printed books & notes visit GKTBOOKS.COM 2
India's first greenfield grain-based ethanol plant .................................................................................. 41
RSF 2022 World Press Freedom Index ................................................................................................. 42
RBI Monetary Policy Committee Announcements - Update (May, 2022) .................................... 43
Vietnam Bach Long Pedestrian Bridge .................................................................................................. 44
Odisha Tribal Health Observatory (TriHOb) ....................................................................................... 45
India - 'Country of Honour' at Cannes Marche' Du Film ................................................................. 46
Plastindia 2023 Plastic Exhibition & Conference ................................................................................. 46
Civil Registration System (CRS) data for 2020 ................................................................................... 47
India's first ‘Flow Chemistry Technology Hub’ ................................................................................... 48
May 6, 2022 ........................................................................................................................................................ 49
ISRO 2024 Venus Mission ....................................................................................................................... 49
Coast Guard's Second Air Squadron ..................................................................................................... 50
India-Nordic Summit 2022- Highlights ................................................................................................. 51
Neobank: India's 100th Unicorn Start-up ............................................................................................. 52
UN ‘Energy Plan of Action’ ....................................................................................................................... 53
Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train .................................................................................................................... 53
World Hand Hygiene Day ........................................................................................................................ 54
Maip macrothorax: Largest Megaraptor Dinosaur .............................................................................. 55
Mukhyamantri Muft Sewer Connection Yojana .................................................................................. 56
Environmental Impact of Jog Falls Project ............................................................................................ 56
May 7, 2022 ........................................................................................................................................................ 57
‘Global Report on Food Crises’ - Update (May, 2022) ..................................................................... 57
Rajasthan: First to surpass 10 GW solar capacity ................................................................................ 58
2022 World Food Prize ............................................................................................................................. 59
WFP- India Talks on procurement of wheat ....................................................................................... 60
Politics of Disinformation Report ............................................................................................................. 61
Punjab: Incentives for Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) ......................................................................... 62
New Draft of National Youth Policy ...................................................................................................... 63
Khelo India University Games- Highlights ............................................................................................ 63
National Report of 5th round of NFHS-5 ............................................................................................ 64
Final Order of J&K Delimitation Panel ................................................................................................... 65
Delhi Startup Policy ................................................................................................................................... 66
May 8, 2022 ........................................................................................................................................................ 67
Russia’s Victory Day ................................................................................................................................... 67
May 9, 2022 ........................................................................................................................................................ 68
National Conference on PM MITRA Scheme ..................................................................................... 68
Periodic Labour Force Survey- Update ................................................................................................. 69
UK Digital Markets Unit ........................................................................................................................... 70
Khelo India Mascot and Logo ................................................................................................................. 70
Merger of L&T Infotech and Mindtree .................................................................................................. 71
India's first regional rapid transit system trainset ................................................................................ 72
Directions to VPN providers to collect customer data ....................................................................... 73
Rs 7,183.42 crore Revenue Deficit Grant ............................................................................................. 74
Rakhigarhi Excavation -Recent finds ...................................................................................................... 74
Cyclone Asani .............................................................................................................................................. 75
May 10, 2022 ...................................................................................................................................................... 76
Monkey Pox Case in UK ........................................................................................................................... 76
7 years of PMJJBY, PMSBY, and APY ................................................................................................... 77
John Lee: Hong Kong’s Next Leader ..................................................................................................... 78
World Thalassemia Day ............................................................................................................................ 79
Madrid Open 2022- Highlights .............................................................................................................. 80
Ladli Laxmi scheme-2.0 ............................................................................................................................. 81
France's Proposal for "European Political Community" ..................................................................... 82
World Lupus Day ........................................................................................................................................ 83
NFAI: World’s Largest Film Restoration Project ................................................................................. 84
Telecom: DoT abolishes NOCC charges .............................................................................................. 84
MHA Clearance to Jet Airways ............................................................................................................... 85
May 11, 2022 ....................................................................................................................................................... 86
Initial Public Offering (IPO) of LIC- Highlights .................................................................................. 86
Sun Temples in India ................................................................................................................................. 86
Pulitzer Prize 2022- Winners ................................................................................................................... 88
'Operation Dudhi'- Key Facts .................................................................................................................. 89
World Bank’s World Governance Indicators (WGI) .......................................................................... 90
RailTel: PM-WANI Based Wi-Fi Access at 100 Stations .................................................................... 91
Appointment of Supreme Court judges in India ................................................................................. 92
USA Affordable Connectivity Program .................................................................................................. 93
15-year low Wheat Procurement ............................................................................................................ 94
UIDAI on Using Aadhar data in crime investigations ......................................................................... 95
Record Fall of Indian Rupee ..................................................................................................................... 96
SEBI Advisory Committee on ESG-related Matters ........................................................................... 96
May 12, 2022 ...................................................................................................................................................... 97
Romain Rolland’ Book Prize .................................................................................................................... 97
Yoon Suk Yeol: New President of South Korea - Update (May, 2022) ........................................ 98
Intersolar Europe 2022 Event .................................................................................................................. 98
UK-India Business Commission .............................................................................................................. 99
AIM-PRIME Playbook ............................................................................................................................. 100
Resignation of Sri Lankan PM ................................................................................................................ 101
Sedition Law: Supreme Court order ..................................................................................................... 102
Katalin Novak: First Female President of Hungary ........................................................................... 103
B.V. Doshi: Winner of Royal Gold Medal 2022 ................................................................................. 103
Tamil Nadu Free Breakfast Program ................................................................................................... 104
National Technology Day ....................................................................................................................... 104
Convergence of Ride-hailing platforms in National Consumer Helpline ...................................... 105
Conference of the Parties (COP15) of UNCCD ................................................................................ 106
May 13, 2022 ..................................................................................................................................................... 107
Centre of Excellence for Khadi (CoEK) ............................................................................................... 107
Kerala Tomato Flu Outbreak ................................................................................................................. 107
NITI Aayog: Experience Studio on Drones ........................................................................................ 108
Gujarat: Utkarsh Samaroh Event ........................................................................................................... 109
MSME RuPAY Credit Card- Phase 2 .................................................................................................... 110
Mumbai: First Organic Waste-powered EV Charging Station ......................................................... 110
MoU for Varanasi Skill India International Centre .............................................................................. 111
International Day of Plant Health ............................................................................................................ 111
Second Global summit on Covid-19 ...................................................................................................... 112
Northern Ireland Protocol - Update (May, 2022) .............................................................................. 113
Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA) ............................................................................. 114
India's Contribution for Hindi @ UN project ...................................................................................... 114
Rajiv Kumar: New Chief Election Commissioner of India ................................................................ 115
Delhi HC Verdict on Marital Rape ......................................................................................................... 116
May 14, 2022 ..................................................................................................................................................... 117
2022 Templeton Prize .............................................................................................................................. 117
Ranil Wickremesinghe- Sri Lanka's New PM ...................................................................................... 117
Breed-Wise Report of Livestock and Poultry ....................................................................................... 118
Madhya Pradesh Startup Policy .............................................................................................................. 119
Marsquake .................................................................................................................................................. 120
'Fostering Effective Energy Transition 2022' Report ........................................................................ 120
Czech Republic: Russia's replacement in UNHRC .............................................................................. 121
May 15, 2022 ..................................................................................................................................................... 122
Decriminalization of Legal Metrology Act ........................................................................................... 122
Retail inflation in India in April ............................................................................................................... 123
‘BHARAT TAP’ initiative ......................................................................................................................... 124
Mock Test .......................................................................................................................................................... 126
Answer Key ........................................................................................................................................................ 134
Note: .................................................................................................................................................................... 134
News Headlines
May 1, 2022
Here are Today’s News Headlines by GK Today for May 1, 2022.
INDIA
– Judicial Infrastructure Development Authority will be formed at state level: Law Minister
Kiren Rijiju
– Joint Conference of Chief Ministers of the States and Chief Justices of High Courts held in
New Delhi
– 21 NPF (Naga People’s Front) MLAs join NDPP (Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party)
in 60-member Nagaland Assembly
– ‘Mother Nature’ a ‘living being’ with legal entity: Madras HC
– India’s multi-alignment policy can provide an answer to current geo-politics: CICA
(Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia) head Kairat
Sarybay
– EAM S. Jaishankar calls on Bhutan’s PM Lotay Tshering in Thimphu
– Degrees of students joining medical colleges in Pakistan after Dec 2018 not valid in India:
National Medical Commission
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– India launches pilot phase of UPI-type protocol ONDC (open network for digital
commerce) in 5 cities
– Cochin Shipyard to build first indigenous hydrogen-fuelled electric vessels says, Union
Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal
– ED seizes over Rs 5,000 crore of Xiaomi Technology India under provisions of FEMA
– Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) wins ‘Green Brand of The Year’ Award at the
IAA Olive Crown Awards 2022
– To plug support package loopholes, NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development) plans farmer distress index
– Shell buys Indian renewables firm Sprng Energy for $1.55 billion
WORLD
– Germany takes Italy to UN court (International Court of Justice) over Nazi compensation
claims
– International Jazz Day observed by UNESCO on April 30
– World’s oldest person, Kane Tanaka, dies in Japan aged 119
SPORTS
– Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda wins Oslo Esports Cup rapid online chess tournament
– P. V. Sindhu wins bronze at Badminton Asia Championships at Manila (Philippines)
– Football: Real Madrid wins 35th La Liga title in Spain
– Sports Minister Anurag Thakur inaugurates 2nd Khelo Masters Games in New Delhi
May 2, 2022
INDIA
– Maiden National Cyber Exercise (NCX) concludes in New Delhi; organised under the
aegis of National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS)
– Foundation day of Gujarat and Maharashtra celebrated on May 1
– Vice President addresses Delhi University’s Centenary Celebration
– DD National Pet Show wins ENBA (Exchange4media News Broadcasting Awards) 2021
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– Indian Oil Corp rolls out methanol-blended petrol on pilot basis
WORLD
– NATO exercises — Defender Europe 2022 and Swift Response 2022 — begin along its
eastern flank, says Poland’s armed forces
– US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi meets Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv
– International Labour Day celebrated on May 1
SPORTS
– 2022 Badminton Asia Championships organised in Manila, Philippines: Malaysia’s Lee Zii
Jia wins men’s singles title; China’s Wang Zhiyi wins women’s singles title
May 3, 2022
INDIA
– PM Modi meets Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin
– India and Germany sign Triangular Development Cooperation and Renewable Energy
Partnership
– External Affairs Ministry accepts Tamil Nadu government’s proposal to send aid to Sri
Lanka
– PM addresses Sanatan Mandir Cultural Centre in Ontario, Canada on the occasion of
inauguration of Sardar Patel’s Statue there through a video message
– Debutant filmmaker Ishaan Ghose’s Bengali film ‘Jhilli’ (Discards) wins Best Film award
in the international competition section of the 27th Kolkata International Film Festival
(KIFF)
– Satyajit Ray film festival being organized in Mumbai on May 2-4 by the National Museum
of Indian Cinema
– Former Petroleum secretary Tarun Kapoor appointed as advisor to PM
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– IRS officer Sangeeta Singh given additional charge of CBDT chairman
– C-DOT and C-DAC sign MoU to boost indigenous technology in telecom and ICT
– DGCA deputes team to investigate turbulence on SpiceJet’s Mumbai-Durgapur flight
WORLD
– World Tuna Day observed on May 2
May 4, 2022
INDIA
– PM Modi, Denmark’s PM Mette Frederiksen Mette Frederiksen hold delegation level talks
in Copenhagen; Review progress of Green Strategic Partnership between two countries
– PM Modi to participate in 2nd India-Nordic Summit hosted by Denmark on May 4 along
with PMs of Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Sweden and Norway
– India, Germany ink pact for encrypted connection between foreign offices
– India, Germany sign joint declaration of Intent on Forest Landscape Restoration
– India and Germany sign joint declaration of Intent on Indo-German Hydrogen Task Force
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– India to receive 10 billion euros for green projects from Germany until 2030
WORLD
– World Press Freedom Day celebrated on May 3; theme: “Journalism under digital siege”
– World Asthma Day observed on May 3
May 5, 2022
INDIA
– 2nd India-Nordic Summit held at Copenhagen in Denmark; participating Prime Ministers
– India: Narendra Modi, Denmark: Mette Frederiksen, Finland: Sanna Marin, Iceland:
Katrin Jakobsdottir, Sweden: Magdalena Andersson and Norway: Jonas Gahr Store
– PM Modi meets Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II in Copenhagen
– IRCTC will run its first Bharat Gaurav Tourist train on June 21
MONETARY POLICY REVIEW
– RBI’s monetary policy committee (MPC) votes unanimously to increase repo rate by 40
basis points (bps)
– Repo rate increased to 4.40%, with immediate effect
– Standing deposit facility (SDF) rate stands adjusted to 4.15%
– Marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate stand adjusted to 4.65%
– Cash reserve ratio (CRR) of banks hiked by 50 basis points to 4.5% of net demand and
time liabilities (NDTL) from May 21
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– Second phase of mandatory hallmarking of Gold Jewellery and Gold Artefacts to come
into force from June 1
WORLD
– Norway tops World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders; India ranked
150th among 180 countries
SPORTS
– Khelo India University Games conclude in Bengaluru; host Jain University tops medals
tally
May 6, 2022
INDIA
– PM Modi holds talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris

– Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurates 3 floating Border Outposts named Sutlej, Kaveri
and Narmada on Indo-Bangladesh Border
– 3-day Swasthya Chintan Shivir-Health Summit being held at Kevadiya, in Gujarat
– Prashant Kishor says will set up Jan Suraaj to work for Bihar’s development
– WHO says 47 lakh people died in India because of Covid-19; Indian govt.’s figure 4.81
lakh in 2020 & 2021
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– Food processing minister Pashupati Kumar Paras launches three ‘One District One
Products’ brands” Brand Anaras: Ri Bhoi, Meghalaya, Brand Madhurmithas:
Muzaffarnagar, UP, Brand Pind Se: Amritsar, Punjab
– SC appoints panel headed by retired HC judge for recovery of monies from defaulters:
NSEL
– First FICCI national conference and awards on Industry 4.0 held in New Delhi
WORLD
– World Portuguese Language Day celebrated by UNESCO on May 5
– EU announces new sanctions against Russia over Ukraine issue; plans to cut off
European purchases of Russian crude oil within six months
– US Fed hikes rate by a half-percentage point; sharpest increase since 2000
– Taliban stops issuing driving licence to women in Kabul & other provinces in Afghanistan
– Taiwan scraps deal to buy US anti-submarine helicopters
– Australia’s Robert Piper becomes UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ special
adviser on internal displacement
– Russia to open humanitarian corridor for evacuation of civilians from the blocked
Azovstal plant in Ukraine’s Mariupol
SPORTS
– Santosh Trophy football: Kerala beat West Bengal in penalty shootout to lift title for
seventh time; final played at Payyanad Stadium in Malappuram
May 7, 2022
INDIA
– EAM Dr S. Jaishankar holds bilateral talks with visiting Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di
Maio in New Delhi
– PM addresses JITO Connect, a global summit organised by Jain International Trade
Organisation (JITO) in Pune
– Fertility rate drops to 2 children; now below replacement level: National Family Health
Survey (NFHS)
– Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar virtually inaugurates five NIELIT (National Institute
of Electronics & Information Technology)) Centres in North East Region
– Meghalaya CM Conrad K. Sangma and Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang inaugurate
Northeast Food Show in Shillong
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– NHAI awarded 6,306 km of highways projects in FY22; built 4,325 km
– Unemployment rate at 8.7% in October-December 2021, says NSO survey
– RBI gives no-objection for merger of Equitas SFB, Equitas Holdings
WORLD
– India highlights food, energy security challenges emanating from Ukraine conflict at
UNSC
– SpaceX brings back 4 astronauts back to earth after six months’ stay at International
Space Station
SPORTS
– 19th Asian Games, originally scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, China from September
10 to 25, 2022, postponed because of Covid-19 concerns
May 8, 2022
INDIA
– Constitution bench to decide who will control Delhi government bureaucrats
– WHO Covid death numbers an attempt to ruin India’s image: State health minsters say
at Conference of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHFW)
– Home Ministry launches portal for retired CAPF and Assam Rifle personnel seeking re-
employment with private security agencies
– PM Modi asks youth to participate in Logo Design Contest for G-20 Presidency of India
– President Kovind to visit Jamaica and St. Vincent & Grenadines from 15th May
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman flags anonymity as ‘inherent risk’ in use of
blockchain
– Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal co-chairs India-Italy Business roundtable
with Italy’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Luigi Di Maio in New
Delhi
WORLD
– Sri Lanka: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declares state of emergency
SPORTS
– 4th Khelo India Youth Games to be held at Panchkula, Haryana from June 4 to 13
May 9, 2022
INDIA
– President appointments Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia, JB Pardiwala as Supreme Court
judges
– Centre defends sedition law and requests Supreme Court to reject pleas challenging it
– President inaugurates permanent campus of IIM-Nagpur
– UP: Prominent crossing in Ayodhya to be developed, named after Lata Mangeshkar
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– DoT abolishes NOCC (network operation and control centre) charges for all telecom
licence holders
– Pushp Kumar Joshi takes charge as new CMD of PSU Hindustan Petroleum Corporation
Ltd (HPCL)
WORLD
– 32 dead after a massive explosion destroys Saratoga Hotel in Havana, Cuba; gas leak is
thought to be the cause of the explosion
– Northern Ireland election: Sinn Fein wins 27 seats in the 90-seat Assembly; emerges as
the largest party for the first time
– Russian Defense Ministry says civilians’ evacuation from Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol,
Ukraine ends
– John Lee Ka-chiu, the sole candidate for Hong Kong’s leadership election, confirmed as
city’s next chief executive
– Nepal’s Kami Rita Sherpa climbs Mount Everest for 26th time to set new world record
– World Red Cross Day observed on May 8; is birth anniversary of ICRC (International
Committee of the Red Cross) founder Henri Dunant
– World Thalassemia Day observed on May 8; Thalassemia is blood disorder characterized
by abnormal formation of haemoglobin
– UN observes ‘Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives
during the Second World War’ on May 8-9
May 10, 2022
INDIA
– Centre tells SC it will reconsider and re-examine provisions of sedition law
– Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘Asani’: Heavy rain likely to lash AP, Odisha and West Bengal from
May 10
– Highest sex ratio at birth in Ladakh (1104); Manipur (880) has lowest, says annual report
on Vital Statistics based on 2020 Civil Registration System report
– Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Commission chaired by Justice (retired) Ranjana
Prakash Desai notifies new J&K Assembly constituencies
– Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi visits Panama, Honduras and
Chile from April 28 to May 5
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– LIC IPO subscribed nearly 3 times; govt raises Rs 21,000 cr
– Shares of Campus Activewear list at premium following successful IPO
– Delhi High Court directs Centre to appoint Chairman, member in Customs, Central Excise
and Service Tax Settlement Commission in 6 weeks
– New UK India Industry Taskforce launched to facilitate free trade deal
– Jan Suraksha schemes — Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri
Suraksha Bima Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana — bring insurance, pension accessible to
common man: FM
– L&T Infotech and Mindtree to merge, cite benefits of scale

WORLD
– Sri Lanka: PM Mahinda Rajapaksa resigns
– Russia: President Vladimir Putin addresses annual Victory Day parade in Moscow; marks
triumph over Nazi Germany in World War II.
– G7 countries pledge to phase out imports of Russian oil
– UN Office for Project Services chief Grete Faremo resigns after probe into investments
– UAE to introduce unemployment insurance in latest economic reform
– NASA climate scientist Cynthia Rosenzweig wins $2,50,000 World Food Prize
SPORTS
– Nobert Kigen (men’s) of Kenya, Bekelech Borecha (women’s) of Ethiopia win Prague
Marathon
– Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz wins men’s singles title at Madrid Open tennis
– Boxing: Russia’s Dmitry Bivol retains his WBA light-heavyweight World title
– D. Gukesh wins Chessables Sunway Formentera International chess tournament
– India’s Abhay Singh wins Archi Factory Open squash tournament in France
– Athletics: Avinash Sable breaks national record in men’s 5,000m
– Athletics: Annu Rani breaks her own National mark in women’s javelin throw
May 11, 2022
INDIA
– Can sedition cases be kept in abeyance till government completes review of Section
124A: SC asks Central govt
– Taking different stands does not help: SC to Centre on identification of minorities
– Rocket-propelled grenade hits Punjab Police Intelligence wing HQ in Mohali; no injuries
– Santoor player and music composer Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma dies at 84; won Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award in 1986, Padma Shri in 1991, and Padma Vibhushan in 2001.
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Bharati Pawar launches Atal
Innovation Mission- Prime Playbook that aims to help entrepreneurs grow and scale-up
– Northern Railways introduces ‘Baby Berth’ on a trial basis in few trains
WORLD
– 4 Indians Danish Siddiqui (posthumously), Adnan Abidi, Sanna Irshad Mattoo and Amit
Dave win Pulitzer Prize 2022 in the ‘feature photography’ category
– Sri Lanka troops issued shoot-on-sight orders as homes of ruling party politicians
vandalised
– Philippines: Ferdinand Marcos Jr elected new President
– France and Germany advocate early ceasefire in Kyiv and Moscow negotiations:
President Emmanuel Macron
May 12, 2022
INDIA
– SC stays 152-year-old sedition law under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code till review
by Govt
– Criminalising marital rape: Delhi High Court delivers 1:1 split verdict
– National Technology Day celebrated in India on May 11; marks Pokhran nuclear tests of
1998
– India unanimously elected as new Chair of Association of Asian Election Authorities for
2022-2024
– New envoys: Ambassador of Slovak Republic Robert Maxian, Ambassador of Republic of
Sudan Abdalla Omer Bashir Elhusain and Ambassador of Nepal Dr. Shankar Prasad
Sharma
– Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav delivers national statement at 15th Session of
Conference of Parties of UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification)
– Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande speaks to Bangladeshi counterpart Gen SM Shafiuddin
Ahmed
– Former union telecom minister, Congress leader Sukh Ram passes away at 95
– India contributes $800,000 for public outreach of UN in Hindi language
– Asani weakens to cyclonic storm; Odisha, West Bengal brace for heavy rain
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– Piyush Goyal holds bilateral meeting with Oman’s Commerce Minister Qais bin
Mohammed al Yousef
– CII President T V Narendran addresses ‘Being Future Ready Business Summit 2022’
WORLD
– “Shot Sage Blue Marilyn”, 20th century painting by US artiste Andy Warhol, sells for $195
million in auction
– Apple discontinues iPod after a more than two decade run
SPORTS
– Red Bull’s Max Verstappen wins Formula One Miami Grand Prix
May 13, 2022
INDIA
– Rajiv Kumar appointed new Chief Election Commissioner
– Extended-range (400 kms) BrahMos ALCM (Air Launched Cruise Missile) test fired from
Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft
– Finish Mathura-Idgah case hearing within 4 months, orders Allahabad HC
– Gujarat: PM addresses “Utkarsh Samaroh” in Bharuch district
– Prasar Bharati inks MoU with Madagascar counterpart for broadcasting collaboration
– External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar speaks to his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin
Farhan Al Saud
– India-UK Healthcare Conference held in London
– Chhattisgarh government chopper crashes at Raipur airport; two pilots killed
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– Country’s foreign exchange reserves declined by USD 28.05 billion to USD 607.31 billion
at the end of March 2022: RBI
– Retail inflation in India surges to 8-year high of 7.79% in April
– Tata Sons appoints Campbell Wilson as CEO & MD of Air India
– Sanjiv Bajaj, CMD of Bajaj Finserv, takes over as CII President
WORLD
– Ukraine halts some Russian gas flows to Europe
– US President Joe Biden convenes 2nd global COVID-19 summit
– FAO celebrates International Day of Plant Health on May 12
– International Nurses Day celebrated on May 12
– AI Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh killed by Israeli troops in Palestine
– Google adds 24 new languages including Bhojpuri & Konkani to its Google Translate
platform
– Google launches Pixel 6A smartphone and Pixel Buds Pro wireless earphones
– Cameroon: Small passenger plane crashes in a forest near capital Yaoundé
– Sri Lanka: Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe (73) appointed new PM
– Nepal’s Lakpa Sherpa (48) reaches summit of Mount Everest for record 10th time;
highest by any woman
SPORTS
– Athletics: Jyothi Yarraji creates new national record in women’s 100 m hurdles
May 14, 2022
INDIA
– ISRO successfully tests large human-rated solid rocket booster for Gaganyaan mission
– IAS officer Nidhi Chibber appointed as Chairperson of CBSE
– 6th Road Safety Conference on “Safer & Sustainable Mobility with Innovations and
Technology” held in New Delhi
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– Union environment ministry relaxes expansion of coal mining norms amid supply crunch
– NITI Ayog launches National Data and Analytics Platform to make available easily govt
data to public
– India-UAE Economic Partnership Summit organised by CII in Mumbai
– RBI opens banks credit for NBFCs to on-lend continuously to priority sector
– India’s industrial output expanded 1.9% in March
– Reliance Industries Ltd (53) is top-ranked Indian company on Forbes’ latest Global 2000
list of public companies worldwide
– NTPC initiates Girl Empowerment Mission for uplifting lives of underprivileged girls
– PepsiCo-USAID (US Agency for International Development) awards 6 women farmers in
Bengal for breaking gender stereotypes
– Swiggy acquires restaurant booking platform Dineout
WORLD
– India abstains in UNHRC resolution on deteriorating human rights situation in Ukraine
due to Russian aggression
– US scientists for first time grow plants in lunar soil brought back to Earth
– Elon Musk says $44-bn Twitter deal on hold, seeks details on spam accounts
– Shell agrees to sell Russian retail business to Lukoil
– Kenya’s Anna Qabale Duba wins $250,000 global nursing award for fighting FGM (female
genital mutilation)
– United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan dies at 73
SPORTS
– Priyanka Mohite becomes first Indian woman to climb 5 peaks above 8000 metres
May 15, 2022
INDIA
– BJP’s Biplab Kumar Deb resigns as Tripura CM
– Union Home and Co-operation Minister, Amit Shah inaugurates National Cyber Forensic
Laboratory (NCFL) in Hyderabad
– New Delhi: At least 27 people killed in massive fire in a commercial building in Mundka
area
– Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav participates in BRICS High-Level Meeting on
Climate Change held virtually
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– Govt bans wheat export with immediate effect
– India’s forex reserves declined by USD 1.774 billion to USD 595.954 billion for the week
ended May 6
– IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launches GatiShakti Sanchar Portal; says it will help in
rollout of 5G network across the country
WORLD
– World Migratory Bird Day celebrated on May 14; focus: Light pollution and its impact on
migratory birds
– UAE: Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan appointed new President
– Indian Embassy in Ukraine to resume operation in Kyiv from 17th May
SPORTS
– Thomas Cup Badminton in Bangkok: India reaches final for the first time in 73-year
history; to face Indonesia in summit clash on May 15
– China backs out from hosting 2023 AFC Asian Cup: Asian Football Confederation
May 1, 2022
Declaration for the Future of the Internet
Recently, the USA and 60 other countries signed a new Declaration for the Future of the
Internet.
What are the goals of the declaration?
To keep the Internet open, free, and neutral.
To prevent rising digital authoritarianism.
To ensure affordability, net neutrality, and removing illegal content without
curtailing free expression.
To reduce the environmental footprint of the Internet and digital technologies.
What are the commitments under the declaration
Protecting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all.
Promoting a global Internet that advances the free flow of information.
Advancing inclusive and affordable connectivity so that everyone can benefit from
the digital economy.
Promoting trust in the global digital ecosystem, including through protection of
privacy.
Protecting and strengthening the multi-stakeholder approach to governance that
keeps the Internet running for the benefit of all.
What are the major countries that signed the declaration?
The USA, European Union (EU), United Kingdom, Canada, France, etc.
Did India sign the declaration?
India did not sign the declaration.
China and Russia are also not part of this declaration.
What are the threats to the internet in present times?
Rising digital authoritarianism where some states repress freedom of expression,
censor independent websites, interfere with elections, promote disinformation, and
deny human rights.
Also, there are cybersecurity risks that undermine the trust and reliability of
networks.
What is the rank of India regarding internet shutdowns?
According to the digital rights advocacy group, “Access Now”, India is the top
country to impose internet shutdowns in 2021 for the fourth consecutive year.
Out of 106 shutdowns in India, 85 were reported in Jammu and Kashmir.
What is net neutrality?
It is the principle that Internet service providers (ISPs) must treat all Internet
communications equally, and not charge users different rates based on content, website,
platform, etc.
What happens if there is no net neutrality?
Internet service providers (ISPs) may prioritize certain types of traffic, or potentially block
traffic from specific services, while charging consumers for various tiers of service.
Is there net neutrality in India?
In 2018, the Government unanimously approved regulations supporting net neutrality.
The regulations are considered to be the “world’s strongest” net neutrality rules,
guaranteeing free and open Internet for nearly half a billion people.
Are there any exceptions to net neutrality rules in India?
The only exceptions to the net neutrality rules are new and emerging services like
autonomous driving and telemedicine, which may require prioritized internet lanes and
faster than normal speeds.
What are the initiatives of the European Union (EU) regarding data and digital services?
1. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
2. Digital Services Act (DSA)
3. Digital Markets Act (DMA).
What is General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)?
It is a law on data protection and privacy in the European Union (EU) and the European
Economic Area (EEA). GDPR also addresses the transfer of personal data outside the EU
and EEA areas. It enhances individuals’ control and rights over their data.
Rules for resignation and reinstatement of an IAS officer
An Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, who resigned in 2019, has been recently
reinstated by the government.
What is resignation?
A resignation is a formal intimation in writing by an officer of his/her intention or a
proposal to leave the service.
Which rules govern the resignation of officers belonging to All-India Services?
The resignation of an officer of any of the three All-India Services — IAS, the Indian Police
Service (IPS), and the Indian Forest Service — is governed by Rules 5(1) and 5(1)(A) of the
All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958.
How resignation is different from Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS)?
Officers who take VRS are entitled to the pension, whereas those who resign don’t
get any pension.
Rule 5 of the Death-cum-Retirement Benefits (DCRB) Rules says, “No retirement
benefits may be granted to a person who has resigned from the Service.”
To whom IAS officer should submit a resignation?
An officer serving in a cadre (state) must submit a resignation to the chief secretary
of the state.
An officer who is on central deputation must submit a resignation to the secretary of
the concerned Ministry or Department.
The Ministry/Department then forwards the resignation to the concerned state.
What is the procedure after an officer submits his/her resignation?
The state will check the information on the issues of dues and vigilance status and
sends that information to the Central Government.
Later, the state will forward the resignation to the central government, along with its
recommendation.
Once the recommendation of the state is received, the competent authorities will
consider the resignation.
Who are the competent authorities?
The competent authorities are:

1. Minister of State at the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) in respect of the
IAS.
2. Minister for Home Affairs in respect of the IPS.
3. Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change in respect of the Forest
Service.
What is the role of the Prime Minister?
As the Prime Minister is in charge of the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), he
himself takes decisions currently in respect of the IAS.
In what cases resignation will be rejected?
A circular issued by the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) in 1988, says that it is
not in the interest of the government to retain an officer who is unwilling to serve. So
generally the resignation will be accepted except in certain circumstances like:
If any dues are outstanding against the officer.
If any cases like corruption cases, disciplinary cases are pending against the officer.
Regarding disciplinary cases, the concurrence of the Central Vigilance
Commission (CVC) is obtained.
If the officer is engaged in important work and if alternatives are not available, the
resignation may not be accepted straight away. Resignation may be accepted only
when alternative arrangements are made.
The government also checks if an officer had executed any bond to serve the
government for a specified number of years on account of having received
specialized training, a fellowship, or a scholarship for studies.
Can an officer withdraw his/her resignation?
According to rule 5(1A) (i) of the amended Death-cum-Retirement Benefits (DCRB) Rules,
the central government can permit an officer to withdraw resignation “in the public
interest”.
Under what circumstances is the withdrawal of an officer’s resignation accepted?
An officer has to send intimation in writing regarding withdrawal of resignation before the
resignation is accepted by the competent authority.
India's forex reserves
India’s foreign exchange (forex) reserves declined for the seventh consecutive week.
What are forex reserves?
Forex or foreign exchange reserves are assets held by the central bank in foreign
currencies as a reserve.
How much forex reserves does India currently have?
According to the latest data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), India’s forex
reserves stood at $600.42 billion as of April 22, 2022.
All components in India’s forex reserves witnessed a fall in the week ending April 22,
2022.
The forex reserves were at an all-time high of $642.453 billion on September 3, 2021.
What are the components of forex reserves?
The components of forex reserves are:
1. Foreign currency assets (FCA)
2. Gold holdings
3. SDRs (special drawing rights) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
4. Reserve tranche position (RTP) in the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Foreign currency assets (FCA) are comprised of?
Foreign currency assets (FCA) are maintained as a multi-currency portfolio comprising
major currencies, such as the US dollar, Euro, Pound sterling, Japanese yen, etc.
Foreign currency assets (FCA) are expressed in terms of which currency?
US dollar.
What is the use of forex reserves?
Forex reserves are usually used for backing the exchange rate and influencing monetary
policy.
Why forex reserves are important?
All international transactions are settled in US dollars and therefore a country should
have enough dollars to support its imports.
Adequate forex reserves limit any vulnerability because of a sudden disruption in
foreign capital flows, which could happen during a crisis.
Holding liquid forex gives the confidence that there is enough forex to support the
country’s crucial imports in case of external shocks.
Why there is a dip in forex reserves of India?
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is selling dollars to prevent a slide in the value of the
rupee amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. The RBI intervention started when
the rupee crossed the 76 level.
The increase in global oil prices crossing $100 per barrel has affected India’s forex
reserves. This is because India depends on imports for 85% of its oil needs.
There is also capital outflow due to sustained selling by foreign portfolio investors
(FPIs).
Thus, the Ukraine war has hurt the country’s currency and its import cover.
What is import cover?
Import Cover measures the number of months of imports that can be covered with
foreign exchange reserves available with the central bank of the country.
What is the present import cover of India?
India’s $600 billion strong foreign exchange reserves are adequate to finance 12 months’
imports as of March 2022.
What are Special Drawing Rights (SDR)?
The SDR is an international reserve asset, created by the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) in 1969 to supplement its member countries’ official reserves.
The value of SDR is based on which currencies?
The value of the SDR is based on a basket of five currencies—the U.S. dollar, the euro, the
Chinese renminbi, the Japanese yen, and the British pound sterling.
What is the Reserve tranche position (RTP) in the International Monetary Fund (IMF)?
A reserve tranche is a segment of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) member
country’s quota that is accessible without fees or economic reform conditions.
State of employment in India
According to the latest data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE),
India’s labor force participation rate (LFPR) has fallen to 40% from 47% in 2016.
What is the labor force?
According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), the labor force consists of
persons who are of age 15 years or older, and belong to either of the following two
categories:
1. Are employed
2. Are unemployed and willing to work and are actively looking for a job.
What is Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR)?
LFPR is defined as the percentage of persons in the labor force in the population.
LFPR includes those who are employed and those who are unemployed.
What is Worker Population Ratio (WPR)?
WPR is defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population.
What is Unemployment Rate (UR)?
UR is defined as the percentage of persons unemployed among the persons in the labor
force.
Which state has the lowest unemployment rate and why?
Chhattisgarh has the country’s lowest unemployment rate. Schemes and programs like
Godhan Nyay Yojana, the constitution of the Tea-Coffee Board, etc. seem to have helped
bring down Chhattisgarh’s unemployment rate to 0.6% by March 2022.
What is the LFPR at the global level?
The world over, LFPR is around 60%. In India, it has been sliding over the last 10 years and
has shrunk from 47% in 2016 to just 40% as of December 2021.
What does falling LFPR indicate?
Falling LFPR indicates that people of the working-age stopped demanding work.
Why is India’s LFPR so low?
The main reason for India’s LFPR being low is the abysmally low level of female LFPR.
What is India’s female and male LFPR?
According to CMIE data, as of December 2021, while the male LFPR was 67.4%, the female
LFPR was 9.4%. It means, less than one in 10 working-age women in India are demanding
work.
What is female LFPR at the global level?
According to World Bank data, India’s female labor force participation rate (LFPR) is
around 25% while the global average is 47%.
Why female LFPR is low?
Lack of adequate job opportunities for women.
Lack of conducive working conditions — such as law and order, efficient public
transportation, violence against women, societal norms, etc.

Incorrect measuring of women’s contribution to the economy. Many women in India
are exclusively involved within their own homes (caring for their family), which is not
measured.
What are the problems regarding the employment situation of the country?
1. The rapid introduction of electric vehicles will cause a decline in employment in the
automobile sector. Increasing pollution will force India to shut down thermal power
plants and coal mines leading to mass unemployment.
2. Agriculture labor is 144 million strong and predominantly low-paid. The government
must enable a smooth transition of these workers into more productive and better-
paying jobs.
3. The disparity amongst states in India is worrisome with Bihar having a meager per
capita income of Rs 50,733 as against the Rs 5.2 lakh of Sikkim.
What is the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE)?
It is a leading business information company. It was established in 1976, primarily as an
independent think tank. It produces economic and business databases.
May 2, 2022
States vs Centre on fuel taxes
The Centre and the states are at loggerheads over taxes and duties on petrol and diesel.
What is the argument of the Centre?
Centre feels that some states are not reducing Value added tax (VAT) on petrol and
diesel in line with the Centre’s cut in excise duty.
Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Maharashtra, West Bengal, Telangana,
Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Jharkhand have not reduced Value added
tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel.
What is the response of states?
States expressed concerns over their fiscal position, especially with the Goods and
Services Tax (GST) compensation regime due to end in June.
Telangana CM said the state had not hiked fuel prices since 2014.
Kerala Finance Minister said the rise in fuel prices is due to the cess and surcharge
levied by the Centre.
How much excise duty was reduced by the centre?
In November 2021, the Centre, for the first time in over three years, cut central excise
duties on petrol (by Rs 5 per litre) and diesel (by Rs 10 per litre).
Did states reduce VAT?
While some States followed in the Centre’s footsteps with a cut in value-added tax
(VAT), many others did not.
Around 21 states and some Union Territories cut VAT in the range of Rs 1.80-10 per
litre for petrol and Rs 2-7 per litre for diesel.
What is the impact of the reduction of VAT on the state’s finances?
As per the RBI’s State Finances report for 2021-22, the revenue loss to states due to this is
estimated at 0.08% of GDP.

What are the components of the retail price of petrol and diesel?
As Retail price of petrol and diesel are made up of mainly 3 components:
Base price (reflecting the cost of international oil)
Central excise duty
State tax.
Excise duty is constant all over India, whereas state taxes (sales tax and value-added tax
(VAT)) vary from state to state.
How much excise duty is levied by the Centre?
As of February 2022, the Central excise duty on petrol had four components:
1. ₹1.40 per litre was charged as basic excise duty (BED).
2. ₹11 per litre was charged as special additional excise duty.
3. ₹2.5 per litre was labelled as agriculture infrastructure and development cess (AIDC).
4. ₹13 per litre was collected for road and infrastructure cess.
Thus, the Central component amounted to ₹27.9 per litre of petrol.
What is the contribution of fuel taxes to the government exchequer?
As per the Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell, the sector’s contribution to the Union
government exchequer stood at Rs 4.55 lakh crore in 2020-21, up from Rs 1.72 lakh
crore in 2014-15.
In the case of states, it rose from Rs 1.6 lakh crore to Rs 2.17 lakh crore over the
same period.
Why is the spillover effect of the rise in fuel prices?
The rise in fuel prices contributes to inflation. Since fuel is used for the transportation of
most goods across the country, the sharp rise in fuel prices will creep into the costs of
other commodities. Recently, Prices of fruits, vegetables, and even packaged items like
milk, coffee powder and instant noodles have increased.
Pilot phase of Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)
Recently, the pilot phase of the open network for digital commerce (ONDC) was launched.
Where is the pilot being conducted?
The pilot is being conducted across five cities Delhi, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Bhopal, and
Shillong. It will be later launched in 100 cities over six months.
What is Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)?
ONDC is an initiative aimed to promote open networks for all aspects of the
exchange of goods and services over digital or electronic networks.
It will be based on open-sourced methodology, using open network protocols
independent of any specific platform.
What is the goal of ONDC?
The goal of ONDC is to change the e-commerce market’s fundamental structure by
moving from the current platform-centric model to an open-network model.
ONDC is an initiative of which department?
ONDC is an initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
(DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

What segments of commerce are covered under ONDC?
ONDC will enable local commerce across segments, such as mobility, grocery, food
order, and delivery, hotel booking, and travel, among others, that can be discovered
and engaged by any network-enabled application.
ONDC will work both for products and services.
What is the need for ONDC?
At present, only two large e-commerce players (Amazon and Flipkart) control more than
half of the country’s e-commerce trade. This creates monopolies and gives rise to issues
like limited access to the market, preferential treatment to some sellers, and a squeeze on
the supplier margins. To prevent such issues ONDC is being launched.
Can the buyers and sellers use different applications?
ONDC platform will allow buyers and sellers to connect and transact with each other
online, no matter what other application they use. Thus, the buyers and sellers do not
have to use the same platform. They can use different applications and still do business
transactions.
What are the advantages of ONDC?
ONDC will democratize e-commerce, curb digital monopolies and create new
opportunities.
It will protect micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and small traders by
granting them equal opportunity in the fast-growing $1 trillion retail market.
As the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has enabled people to make payments and
money transfers through an open network, ONDC will bring a similar change to the e-
commerce segment in India.
How does ONDC benefit small traders?
Access to more buyers.
Better discoverability of products and cost.
Autonomy on terms because of multiple choices for being digitally visible.
Lower cost of doing business.
More options for value chain services like logistics and fulfillment.
How does ONDC ensure a level playing field?
ONDC will put in place the ground rules, the network participation rules, the
obligation, and dispute resolution.
To govern the online trade, it will have a set of top-class protocols in critical areas like
price discovery, vendor match, and cataloging, ostensibly in open source.
Will the ONDC platform become successful?
ONDC’s success depends on how the government builds a seamless platform that is user-
friendly and capable of giving a better shopping environment than the current dominant
e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart. The government should also ensure a
swift dispute resolution.
How big is India’s e-commerce market?
Currently, there are over 4,000 small and big e-commerce companies in India, 500 logistics
companies to deliver goods and more than 20,000 entities including travel and hotels that
provide services through e-commerce. The Indian e-commerce market is expected to
grow to USD 200 billion by 2026.
RBI Report on Currency and Finance
Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the Report on Currency and Finance
(RCF) for the year 2021-22.
What is the theme of the report?
The theme of the report is “Revive and Reconstruct” in the context of nurturing a durable
recovery post-COVID and raising trend growth in the medium term.
What is the impact of the covid pandemic on the economy according to the report?
According to the report, the Indian economy is likely to take over 12 years to
overcome the COVID-19 losses.
Taking the actual growth rate of (-) 6.6% for 2020-21, 8.9% for 2021-22, and assuming
a growth rate of 7.2% for 2022-23, and 7.5% beyond that, India is expected to
overcome COVID-19 losses in 2034-35.
The supply constraints and longer delivery times pushed up shipping costs, and
commodity prices, thereby intensifying inflationary pressures and threatening the
nascent economic recovery across the world.
What are the factors that contribute to the economic growth of India?
1. Sustained thrust on capital expenditure by the government.
2. Push to digitalization.
3. Growing opportunities for new investment in areas like e-commerce, start-ups,
renewable, and supply chain logistics.
On what themes did the report suggest the reforms?
Reforms proposed in the report revolve around seven wheels of economic progress:
1. Aggregate demand.
2. Aggregate supply.
3. Institutions, intermediaries, and markets.
4. Macroeconomic stability and policy coordination.
5. Productivity and technological progress.
6. Structural change.
7. Sustainability.
What are the structural reforms suggested?
Suggested structural reforms include:
Enhancing access to litigation-free low- cost land.
Raising the quality of labor through public expenditure on education and health and
the Skill India Mission.
Scaling up R&D activities with an emphasis on innovation and technology.
Creating an enabling environment for start-ups and unicorns.
Rationalisation of subsidies that promote inefficiencies.

Encouraging urban agglomerations by improving the housing and physical
infrastructure.
What are the other observations of the report?
The report states that for the country to hop on to a strong and sustainable growth
path, price stability is a necessary precondition.
Reducing general government debt to below 66% of GDP over the next five years is
important to secure India’s medium-term growth prospects.
The report emphasized providing opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses.
India’s free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations should focus on the transfer of
technology and better trade terms for high-quality imports from partner countries.
The report says that the task is to create a virtuous cycle of greater opportunity for
entrepreneurs, businesses, and the fiscal authority.
What did the report say regarding the banking sector?
Public Sector banks should not be dependent on the government for recapitalization.
Reducing dependence on government recapitalization will be an important pre-
condition to achieve greater privatization of the sector.
What is the projected growth of the Indian economy?
While the RBI expects the Indian economy to grow at 6.35 in FY24, the International
Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) report pegged India’s
growth rate for FY24 at 6.9%.
IOC Pilot Project of Methanol-blended Petrol
Recently, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) rolled out M15 petrol on a pilot basis in Assam’s
Tinsukia district.
What is M15 Petrol?
M15 is a blend of 15 % methanol and 85 % Petrol.
Why Pilot project is started in Assam’s Tinsukia district?
The pilot rollout was done in the Tinsukia district (Assam) by the Indian Oil Corporation
(IOC) due to the ready availability of methanol, which is being manufactured by Assam
Petrochemical Ltd in the vicinity of the Digboi refinery.
What are the advantages of using M15 Petrol?
It helps lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by about 5 to 10%. Blending 15%
methanol in petrol would bring down GHG emissions by 20% in terms of particulate
matter, NOx, and SOx, thereby improving the urban air quality.
Blending Petrol with methanol will provide respite from the rising global fuel prices.
It helps in achieving fuel independence and reducing the import burden. Blending of
15% methanol in petrol can result in at least a 15% reduction in the import of crude
oil.
Coal reserves and municipal solid waste can be converted into methanol.
What is methanol?
Methanol is a liquid chemical with the formula CH3OH. It is a light, volatile, colorless, and
flammable liquid.
Methanol is produced from which sources?
Methanol is produced from Coal (Indian High Ash Coal), agricultural residue, Natural Gas,
Biomass, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), and most importantly CO2 from thermal power
plants.
How is methanol different from ethanol?
The primary difference is that Methanol (CH3OH) contains only one carbon and ethanol
(C2H5OH) contains two carbon atoms in each molecule.
What methanol and ethanol are being considered as alternative fuels for vehicles?
Methanol and ethanol are liquid and have several physical and combustion properties
similar to gasoline.
In what sectors methanol can be used?
Methanol can be used in the following sectors:
Transport sector (road, rail, and marine)
Energy sector (comprising diesel generator sets, boilers, process heating modules,
tractors, and commercial vehicles)
Retail cooking (replacing LPG [partially], kerosene and wood charcoal).
What is the methanol economy?
The methanol economy is a suggested future economy in which methanol (CH3OH)
and dimethyl ether (CH3OCH3) replace fossil fuels as a means of energy storage,
ground transportation fuel, and raw material for synthetic hydrocarbons and their
products.
Methanol Economy is the “Bridge” to the dream of a complete “Hydrogen based fuel
system”.
NITI Aayog is running a program called ‘Methanol Economy’ to promote the use of
methanol in various industrial activities.
What is dimethyl ether?
Dimethyl ether (DME) is the organic compound with the formula CH3OCH3. Dimethyl
Ether (DME) is a derivative of methanol. The production of DME is via the dehydration of
methanol.
What are the economic benefits of the methanol economy?
According to NITI Aayog, Methanol Economy will create close to 5 million jobs through
methanol production/application and distribution services. Additionally, Rs 6000 crore can
be saved annually by blending 20% DME (Dimethyl Ether, a derivative of methanol) in LPG.
This will help the consumer in saving between Rs 50-100 per cylinder.
India's Pharma Exports in 2021-22
India’s pharma sector recorded its best-ever export performance in 2021-22.
What is the growth of India’s Pharma sector?
India’s pharma sector witnessed a growth of 103% since 2013-14, from Rs. 90, 415
crores in 2013-14 to Rs. 1,83,422 crore in 2021-22.
India’s pharma exports in 2021-22 sustained positive growth despite the global trade
disruptions.
The trade balance continues to be in India’s favor.
What is the contribution of India’s pharma sector to the world?
By virtue of price competitiveness and good quality, Indian pharma companies have
made a global mark. India is a major exporter of Pharmaceuticals, with 60% of the
world’s vaccines and 20% of generic medicines coming from India.
More than 200+ countries are served by Indian pharma exports.
India supplies over 50% of Africa’s requirements for generic medicines.
India is a leading supplier of DPT, BCG, and Measles vaccines. 70% of WHO’s vaccines
(as per the essential Immunization schedule) are sourced from India.
Thus, India has been serving as the ‘pharmacy of the world’.
What is the global ranking of India’s pharma sector?
The Indian pharmaceutical industry is the world’s 3rd largest by volume and 14th largest
in terms of value.
What is the current market size of the domestic pharmaceutical industry?
$50 billion
What are the top destinations for Indian pharma exports?
India’s top five pharma export destinations are the US, UK, South Africa, Russia, and
Nigeria.
It is noteworthy that around 55% of India’s pharma exports cater to highly regulated
markets. Indian pharma companies have a substantial share in the prescription
market in the US and European Union (EU).
What are the reasons for growth in India’s pharma sector?
Cost efficiency: Cost of production is less in India, which helps in competitive
pricing.
Government support: In June 2021, the government announced an additional
outlay of Rs. 197,000 crore that will be utilized over five years for the pharmaceutical
Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme in 13 key sectors such as active
pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), drug intermediaries, etc.
Increasing investment: The foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in the Indian
drugs and pharmaceuticals sector reached US$ 1.206 billion between April-December
2021.
Economic drivers: High economic growth along with increasing penetration of
health insurance is pushing expenditure on healthcare and medicine in India.
Strong industry: The domestic pharmaceutical industry includes a network of 3,000
drug companies and around 10,500 manufacturing units. India has mega-production
capabilities that adhere to industry standards. India also has a large skilled domestic
workforce.
Quality: The largest number of United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
approved plants outside the US is in India. Indian exports meet the standards and
requirements of highly regulated markets of the USA, UK, European Union, and
Canada.
How much foreign direct investment (FDI) is allowed in India’s pharmaceutical sector?
India allows 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in greenfield (new) pharma projects
under the automatic route. For brownfield pharma, or investments in existing companies,
up to 74%, FDI is allowed under the automatic route, and approval is required beyond
that.
According to the recent Economic Survey, FDI in the pharmaceutical sector has seen a
sudden spurt in 2020-21 vis a vis the previous year showing a 200% increase.
May 3, 2022
Coal shortage in India
Currently, India is undergoing a second major power crisis since October 2021.
Why is India facing coal shortage?
The main reason for the coal shortage is the increasing power demand. In 2022, the
demand increased to 132 billion units (BU) per month, from 106.6 BU a month in
2019.
Another reason is the reduction in coal imports. The global coal prices increased due
to global energy shortage and supply disruptions caused by the Russia-Ukraine war.
There are also supply constraints within India due to shortage of rail rakes. The
number of trains committed by the Indian Railways per day is 415, which is 8.4%
lower than the 453 required by the power utilities.
Why there is an increase in power consumption?
Power consumption increased due to unprecedented heatwave in the north and west
India that has boosted demand for electricity, especially domestic and agricultural load.
What is the extent of the coal shortage?
At more than 100 thermal power plants in India, that meets 70% of India’s electricity
demand, coal stocks have fallen below 25% of the required stock (critical mark).
In over 50 thermal plants, the coal stock has depleted below the 10% mark.
Coal inventories at power plants had an average stock of nine days as of April 1, the
lowest since at least 2014.
How much coal stocks should thermal power plants have?
The government guidelines recommend power plants to have at least 24 days of coal
stock on average.
What is the impact of the coal shortage?
The electricity supply in the country fell short of demand by 1.88 billion units, or 1.6%,
during the first 27 days of April, due to a shortage of coal.
Since the start of April, Jharkhand has been facing an average supply shortage of
10-12%, the worst in the country.
Andhra Pradesh, which is home to plants operated by automakers such as Kia
Motors and drug manufacturers such as Pfizer, is facing an electricity deficit of 8.7%,
pushing it to resort to widespread power cuts.
Which states are facing power cuts?
Several states across India, including Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Jharkhand,
Bihar, Haryana, and Uttarakhand, are reeling under long power cuts to meet the increased
demand for electricity.
What is the impact of power cuts on the economy?
Power cuts could stifle industrial activity. For example, Facor Alloys, a producer of
ferrochrome which is used in manufacturing stainless steel, recently said that it will
reduce output by 50% due to the power cuts in Andhra Pradesh.
What is the share of coal in India’s power output?
70% of India’s baseload power generation capacity is met by coal-fired thermal power
plants.
What steps are being taken by the government to tackle the coal shortage?
The Centre has allowed states to use their captive coal reserves up to 25% to meet
growing domestic demand.
Recently, the Indian Railways decided to cancel 753 trips involving 42 passenger
trains to prioritize the delivery of coal rakes across India.
What are the reforms in the coal sector introduced by the Centre last year?
In 2020, the Centre introduced mining reforms to end Coal India Limited’s (CILs)
monopoly on India’s coal manufacturing. The reforms allowed commercial mining in the
coal sector. Any party can bid for coal mines instead of only captive consumers (i.e
companies that use coal for running their businesses). However, the reforms were
criticized for harming the tribal population and forests.
Electric Vehicle fire incidents
Recently, in India, there have been multiple incidents of two-wheeler electric vehicles (EVs)
catching fire.
What is the response of the government?
· The Union Government constituted an expert panel to probe the recent series of Li-
ion battery explosions in electric vehicles (EVs).
· Last month, the government asked the Centre for Fire Explosive and Environment
Safety (CFEES) to probe the incident in Pune and give suggestions to prevent such
incidents.
Who are the major electric vehicles (EVs) manufacturers?
Pure EV, Ola, Okinawa, and Jitendra EV scooters.
What factors contributed to the growth of electric vehicles?
· The growing concern over climate change gave the push to the development of
electric vehicles.
· The cost of Li-ion (Lithium-ion) batteries has decreased significantly in the last
decade.
· The governments are providing incentives and private industry is ramping up plans
for capturing the market.
The convergence of these factors is leading to the transition in the transportation sector.
What is an electric vehicle?
· An electric vehicle (EV) operates on an electric motor, instead of an internal-
combustion engine. Batteries are used to power electric motors.
· As the electric vehicle runs on electricity, it emits no exhaust from a tailpipe and does
not contain the liquid fuel components, such as a fuel pump, fuel line, or fuel tank.
Which type of battery is used in electric vehicles?
The most common type of battery used in modern electric vehicles is the lithium-ion
battery.
Why lithium-ion batteries are most preferred batteries?
Because they charge faster, last longer, and have high energy density. They are also
lightweight and require low maintenance.
What are the components of lithium-ion batteries?
Every Li-ion battery consists of three active components:
1. The anode, typically graphite.
2. The cathode, typically based on nickel, cobalt, and manganese-based oxide.
3. An electrolyte, typically a salt of lithium in an inorganic solvent.
Manufacturing of lithium-ion battery is a complex task involving forming sheets of the
anode and cathode and assembling them into a sandwich structure held apart by a thin
separator.
What is the function of separators in lithium-ion batteries?
The main function of separators is to keep the anode and cathode apart to prevent
electrical short circuits.
What causes battery fires?
Battery fires, like other fires, occur due to the convergence of three parts of the “fire
triangle”:
· Heat: If an adverse event such as a short circuit occurs in the battery, the internal
temperature can rise. This can lead to a series of reactions that release heat in an
uncontrolled manner.
· Oxygen: Such events rupture the sealed battery exposing the components to
oxygen.
· Fuel: The liquid electrolyte, which is flammable and serves as a fuel.
The combination leads to catastrophic failure of the battery resulting in smoke, heat, and
fire, released instantaneously and explosively.
What causes such adverse events?
The trigger for such events can be a result of:
· Internal short circuits (like a manufacturing defect that results in sharp objects
penetrating the separator).
· External events (like an accident leading to puncture of the cell and shorting of the
electrodes).
· Overcharging the battery which leads to the heat releasing reactions on the cathode
(by a faulty battery management system that does not shut down charging).
· Bad thermal design (by not allowing the battery’s internal heat to be released).
How to prevent battery fires?
The fire triangle should be broken. Tightly controlled manufacturing will prevent
accidental short-circuiting. Robust thermal management is critical, especially in India
where temperatures are high. Finally, battery packs need to be protected from external
penetration.
All-time high GST collections in April 2022
India’s gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenues hit a new high of ₹1.68 lakh crore in
April 2022. For the first time, gross GST collection has crossed the ₹1.5 lakh crore mark.
Is the growth in collection uniform across all states?
There were wide variations in growth trends across States.
While Tamil Nadu’s collections grew 10% in April, Odisha saw collections rise by 28%.
Six States and Union Territories reported a contraction in revenues from a year ago,
including Bihar (-2%), Manipur (-33%), Mizoram (-19%) and Tripura (-3%).
Which state recorded the highest growth of GST revenue?
Arunachal Pradesh recorded the highest growth of GST revenue during April 2022 vis a vis
April 2021, with a record 90% jump in GST collection.
How much GST is collected in FY22?
For FY22, total GST collections amounted to Rs 14.83 lakh crore, up 30% from Rs 11.37 lakh
crore in FY21.
What are the steps taken by the government that contributed to high GST collections?
Increase in compliance level: The government introduced a rule, according to which
input tax credit (ITC) will be available only upon timely compliance by the vendors.
This increased the GST tax filing.
Coercive action against tax evaders: To create deterrence, asserts are being made.
Use of technology: Enhanced data analytics and the use of Artificial intelligence to
detect evasion have contributed significantly to the high collections.
The Centre called the record-high collections in April a sign of ‘faster recovery’.
Are the higher collections solely driven by a rebound in economic activity?
Persistently higher input costs and high inflation also contributed to an increase in
GST collections.
Higher GST collections have also been driven by the surge in imports. Imports rose
54% year-on-year in FY22 driven by higher commodity prices.
What will be the impact of the increase in GST collection?
The recent revenue uptick could be seen as a comforting signal about 2022-23
revenue prospects for policymakers at the Centre and the States.
Higher tax inflows will give the GST Council more flexibility to go for the
rationalisation of the GST rate slabs.
What is GST?
Goods and Services Tax (GST) is an indirect tax imposed on the supply of goods and
services. It is a multi-stage, destination-oriented tax.
The 101st Amendment Act of 2016 paved the way for the introduction of the goods
and services tax (GST) regime in India.
What are the components of GST?
1. Central GST (CGST)
2. State GST (SGST)
3. Integrated GST (IGST).
Which component of GST is the largest contributor to GST growth last year?
Due to the surge in imports, integrated GST (IGST) on imports became the largest
contributor to GST growth last year.
What is the GST council?
Goods & Services Tax Council (GST Council) is a constitutional body (Article 279-A) for
making recommendations to the Union and State governments on issues related to Goods
and Service Tax (GST). The GST Council is a joint forum of the centre and the states, with
the Union Finance Minister as the Chairperson.
International Research Conference on Insolvency and Bankruptcy
The first two-day International Research Conference on Insolvency and Bankruptcy was
recently organized in India.
Who organized the conference?
The conference was organized by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI),
jointly with the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA).
What are the highlights of the conference?
The Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation praised the
significant contribution Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016 made by
establishing an effective ecosystem for insolvency resolution in the Indian economy.
He also highlighted that introduction of the proposed cross-border insolvency
resolution framework will be a landmark step in redefining India’s economic
relations with the world.
Chairperson of IBBI noted the importance of evidence-based research in
policymaking.
He emphasized that basic research efforts should be made to cut down the delays at
all stages of insolvency resolution beginning with recognition of stress to final
resolution.
What is Insolvency?
Insolvency is a situation that arises due to the inability to pay off the debts due to
insufficient assets to meet the liabilities.
What is Bankruptcy?
Bankruptcy is a situation wherein an application is made to an authority declaring
insolvency and seeking to be declared bankrupt. A bankrupt would be a conclusive
insolvent.
Thus, insolvency is a state and bankruptcy is a conclusion.
Will all insolvencies lead to bankruptcies?
All insolvencies will not lead to bankruptcies.
Typically insolvency situations have two options – resolution or liquidation.
What is Resolution?
Resolution of an insolvent company means that the company will continue to exist by
bringing in some new management or debt restructuring or other mechanisms. It will not
be closed.
What is Liquidation?
Liquidation means, the company will be closed and its assets will be sold in the market
and whatever money recovered will be given to the creditor.
What is the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016?
IBC 2016 is India’s bankruptcy law, which seeks to consolidate the existing
framework by creating a single law for insolvency and bankruptcy.
Earlier, the process of winding up companies was regulated by the Companies Act,
1956, under the superintendence of courts, which resulted in undue delays.
Under IBC, the winding-up procedure is under the supervision of the National
Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), which ensures quick and prompt action during the
early stage of debt default by a firm, thereby resulting in an optimum recovery rate.
What is the objective of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016?
The prime objective of the IBC is to rescue corporate debtors in distress. The Code
specifies a time-bound insolvency resolution process.
What is the process under IBC?
Company creditors or troubled companies first approach the National Company Law
Tribunal (NCLT). NCLT appoints an insolvency resolution professional. That person then
sets up a committee of creditors to decide on the future of the company.
May 4, 2022
Indo-German Partnership for Green and Sustainable Development
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz signed a joint
declaration of intent (JDI) establishing the Green and Sustainable Development
Partnership.
What is the goal of the partnership?
To intensify bilateral and multilateral cooperation and accelerate actions towards climate
protection.
How much financial assistance will be provided by Germany?
Under the partnership, Germany has made an advance commitment to investing €10
billion in climate change related projects in India. The amount will be invested until 2030.
What are the agreements under the partnership?
As deliverables of the Indo-German Partnership for Green and Sustainable Development,
both countries agreed to:
1. Develop an Indo-German Green Hydrogen Roadmap based on the inputs from the
Indo-German Green Hydrogen Task.
2. Establish an Indo-German Renewable Energy Partnership focusing on innovative

solar energy and other renewables.
3. Establish lighthouse cooperation on “Agroecology and Sustainable Management of
Natural Resources” to benefit the rural population and small-scale farmers in India.
4. Further examine collaboration on Green Energy Corridors, e.g. the Leh-Haryana
transmission line and the project of a carbon-neutral Ladakh.
5. Deepen cooperation in restoring forest landscapes under the Bonn Challenge.
6. Deepen cooperation on the creation of suitable conditions for the successful and
sustainable use of green technologies.
7. Offer sustainable, viable, and inclusive projects in third countries to support the
achievement of climate targets.
What is India- Germany Pact on Green hydrogen?
The India- Germany Pact on Green hydrogen will establish an “Indo-German Green
Hydrogen Task Force” to strengthen cooperation in the production, utilization, storage,
and distribution of green hydrogen.
What is Green hydrogen?
Green hydrogen is defined as hydrogen produced by splitting water into hydrogen
and oxygen using renewable energy such as solar or wind energy.
As hydrogen only emits water as a residue when burnt, it is being considered a
potential substitute for fossil fuel.
What are the flagship initiatives of India and Germany regarding hydrogen?
India has launched the “National Green Hydrogen Mission” to make India the global
hub of green hydrogen production and export.
Germany has developed an ambitious National Hydrogen Strategy to assume global
leadership in hydrogen technologies.
What are the strengths of India and Germany regarding hydrogen technologies?
India is blessed with abundant renewable energy potential and has experience in
implementing renewable energy projects. Thus, India can produce low-cost green
hydrogen and also export it to meet global demand.
Germany’s strengths are innovation and manufacturing. It also has the experience of
implementing numerous hydrogen projects.
How India is encouraging the production of Green energy?
The Centre has set itself a target of setting up 5 million tonnes (mt) of green hydrogen
production by 2030. According to the ‘Green Hydrogen’ policy announced by the
government in February 2022, manufacturers of green hydrogen or ammonia may
purchase renewable power from the power exchange or set up renewable energy capacity
themselves. Inter-State transmission charges are waived for 25 years for such
manufacturers.
2022 State of World's Forests Report
The 2022 edition of The State of the World’s Forests (SOFO), released on day one of the
World Forestry Congress, 2022 (May 2, 2022).
Who published the report?
“The State of the World’s Forests” (SOFO) is the flagship publication of the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published every two years. FAO is a
specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that leads international efforts to defeat
hunger and improve nutrition and food security.
What is the report about?
“The State of the World’s Forests” (SOFO) report presents an analysis of the interaction
between forests and people, with a focus on a specific pertinent topic. It explains the
importance of forests to the global economy and biodiversity. The report is regarded as
one of the most important stocktakes on forest ecosystems.
What are the observations of the report?
The world has lost 420 million hectares (mha), approximately 10.34% of its total
forest area in the last 30 years (between 1990 and 2020) due to deforestation.
Though the rate of deforestation was declining, 10 mha of forests were lost every
year between 2015 and 2020. This poses severe risks for the 68% of mammal species,
75% of bird species, and 80% of amphibian species that inhabit forests.
Forest biodiversity remains under threat from deforestation and forest degradation.
How much area is covered by the forests globally?
Forests cover 4.06 billion ha (31%) of the earth’s geographical area.
What did the report say about infectious diseases?
The report stated that 30% of new diseases, reported since 1960, can be attributed to
deforestation and land-use change.
Deforestation, particularly in the tropics, has been associated with an increase in
infectious diseases such as dengue fever and malaria.
More responsible land-use planning to address the “underlying drivers of disease
emergence”.
What did the report say about India and China?
India and China could emerge as the biggest hotspots for new zoonotic viral diseases over
the next few decades if human pressure on forests continues to increase. Due to
increasing human-wildlife interactions, infectious diseases can easily spread to humans.
What are zoonotic diseases?
A zoonosis is an infectious disease that can be transmitted naturally from a non-
human animal to humans.
Zoonotic diseases are caused by harmful germs like viruses, bacteria, parasites, and
fungi.
Examples of Zoonotic diseases include anthrax (from sheep) rabies (from rodents
and other mammals) West Nile virus (from birds).
What are the suggestions given in the report?
The report suggested three interrelated pathways to achieve green recovery and tackle
environmental crises:
1. Halting deforestation and maintaining forests
2. Restoring degraded lands and expanding agroforestry

3. Sustainably using forests and building green value chains.
What is Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use?
It is the declaration pledged by more than 140 countries to eliminate forest loss by 2030
and to support restoration and sustainable forestry. To this end, an additional $19 billion
has been allocated to help developing countries achieve these objectives.
India-Denmark Business Forum
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi jointly participated with the Prime Minister of
Denmark, and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, in the “India- Denmark Business
Forum”.
What are the highlights of PM Modi’s speech?
Prime Minister Modi Invoked the popular social media expression FOMO (fear of
missing out) and said those not investing in India will certainly miss out.
He highlighted the business-friendly approach of India and said that economic
reforms created investment opportunities in various sectors like green technology,
cold chains, shipping, and ports.
He emphasized the complementary skillsets of the two economies and invited
Danish companies to take advantage of India’s enormous opportunities.
Over 200 Danish companies in India are actively engaged in taking forward ‘Make in
India’, Jal Jeevan Mission’, Digital India’, and other key national missions.
More than 60 Indian companies in Denmark, mainly in the IT sector, are further
cementing bilateral business-to-business ties.
Which areas were focused on in the event?
1. Green Technology, Innovation, and Digitization
2. Energy Independence and Renewable Energy
3. Water, Environment, and Agriculture
4. Infrastructure, Transportation & Services.
What are the pacts signed during PM Narendra Modi’s one-day visit to Denmark?
1. Declaration of Intent (DoI) on Migration and Mobility
2. Letter of Intent (LoI) on Centre of Excellence in Green Shipping.
3. Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP) between the Ministry of Culture, GoI, and
Ministry of Culture of Denmark for the years 2022-2026.
4. Letter of Intent (LoI) between the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of
Environment of Denmark.
5. MoU on Cooperation in the field of Skill Development, Vocational Education, and
Entrepreneurship.
6. Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) on Cooperation in the fields of Animal Husbandry and
Dairying.
7. Launch of Energy Policy Dialogue at Ministerial level.
8. India to join as the mission partner to ICARS (International Centre for Anti-Microbial
Resistance Solution).
9. Letter of Intent (LoI) between Invest India and Technical University of Denmark to
facilitate start-up collaboration.
What is India-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership?
‘India-Denmark: A Green Strategic Partnership’ was established in September 2020.
During PM Modi’s visit to Denmark, both countries agreed to further strengthen the
Green Strategic Partnership with a focus on green hydrogen, renewable energy, and
wastewater management.
The aim is to push the world for an ambitious green energy transition and
demonstrate the pathways to achieving it, focusing both on energy efficiency and
renewable energy.
What is International Centre for Anti-Microbial Resistance Solution (ICARS)?
It is a research partnership supporting the development & implementation of
context-specific & cost-effective solutions to tackle Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) in
low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
ICARS co-develops tailored solutions with LMIC governments, who then implement
them on the ground using ICARS funding and expertise.
In November 2018, the Danish Government formally announced its ambition to
establish ICARS. In November 2021 ICARS became an independent organization
following the appointment of the first Board of Directors.
How many Indians live in Denmark?
Denmark is home to a robust Indian diaspora of 16,000 people.
World Tuna Day 2022
nd
On the 2 of May, World Tuna Day is observed. This day is celebrated to raise awareness
about the Tuna fish. This fish is very important for both planet Earth and humans.
What does this day promote?
This day looks to promote the importance of the habit of fishing practices that is
sustainable. This day also looks to educate the world about how tuna fish have been listed
in the endangered species category as it has a high demand.
Why is tuna fish important?
Tuna fish is important for developing as well as developed countries as they are a
significant source of food and they also have high nutritional value. This fish species has a
high level of Vitamin B12, Omega 3, minerals, and proteins.
When was World Tuna Day established?
In December 2016, this day was established by the United Nations General Assembly.
What was the aim of establishing this day?
This day was established to generate awareness about the preservation of this fish
species.
In which year was the first World Tuna Day observed?
This day was first observed in the year 2017.
How much tuna is harvested annually?
According to the United Nations, about 7 million metric tons of tuna are being harvested
annually.
How many countries have tuna fisheries?
About 80 countries across the world have tuna fisheries.
On what do several depend on tuna for?
Several nations across the planet depend on tuna for economic development, food
security, livelihood, and employment.
What is the theme of this year’s celebration?
This year’s theme is “Our Tuna, Our Heritage.”
How many countries are involved in Tuna conservation?
Currently, 96 countries are working on tuna conservation and management.
By how much has the tuna population declined?
The Tuna population has declined globally by over 97 percent. Hence, these species of fish
have been placed in the endangered species category.
P-75I and Air-independent propulsion(AIP) Technology
Recently, France’s Naval Group announced that it is withdrawing from the Indian Navy’s
P-75I submarine project.
What is the Indian Navy’s P-75I submarine project?
The Project 75 (India)-class submarines (P-75I) are a planned class of diesel-electric
submarines, which are to be built for the Indian Navy.
Under this project, the Indian Navy intends to acquire six conventional, diesel-electric
attack submarines, which will also feature advanced capabilities – including air-
independent propulsion (AIP), and anti-ship warfare (AShW), and other features.
All 6 submarines are expected to be constructed in India, under the Make in India
initiative.
When Indian Navy’s P-75I submarine project was first approved?
In 1999, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved a 30-year plan for the Indian
Navy to indigenously build and induct 24 submarines by 2030.
In the first phase, two lines of production were to be established — the first, P-75;
the second, P-75I. Each line was to produce six submarines.
What is the status of the P-75 project?
In 2005, a $3.75 billion contract for building six Scorpene-class submarines under
P-75 was signed between India and France.
The executing company on the Indian side was Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd
(MDL) and on the French side, it was the Naval Group, then known as DCNS.
The first submarine under the project was commissioned in 2017.
Subsequently, the other five have been built and the final one, Vagsheer, was
launched in April 2022, and will be commissioned by 2023.
What is the status of the P-75I submarine project?
The P-75I witnessed many delays and the Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued in July
2021.
Why P-75I submarine project is unique?
P-75I project will be India’s first project under the Strategic Partnership Model.
What is the Strategic Partnership model?
Under this model, the government will give the contract to an Indian Strategic Partner
(SP), which will partner with a foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to build
Air-independent propulsion (AIP)-powered submarines in India.
Who are the selected partners under the P-75I submarine project?
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) and Larsen and Toubro (L&T) are the two
selected strategic partners.
The five selected Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are Naval Group
(France), ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (Germany), ROE (Russia), Daewoo
Shipbuilding, and Marine Engineering (South Korea), and Navantia (Spain).
Why did France’s Naval Group withdraw from the Indian Navy’s P-75I submarine project?
The reason given by France’s Naval Group is that it could not satisfy the conditions of the
Request for Proposal (RFP).
What is Air-independent propulsion (AIP) Technology?
Air-independent propulsion (AIP) is a technology that allows a non-nuclear submarine to
operate without access to atmospheric oxygen.
What is the importance of AIP technology?
AIP enhances the submerged endurance of the submarine. AIP allows a submarine to
remain submerged for more than a fortnight therefore the chances of being detected are
less.
How many countries have AIP submarines?
Around 10 countries have developed or are close to building AIP technology, and almost
20 nations have AIP submarines.
IIT Bombay's collaboration with India Meteorological Department (IMD)
Recently, IIT Bombay entered into collaboration with India Meteorological Department
(IMD) to develop climate solutions at the village, city, and district levels.
What are the expected outcomes of the collaboration?
Sensors and Drone-based Smart Monitoring System
Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technology for water and food security
Intelligent and automated early warning systems
Climate and Health
Smart power grid management
Wind energy and heatwave forecasts
Climate forecast and information-based smart applications for different sectors.
Meteorological aviation, observational and instrumentation applications.
Climate change policy information, and human resource development.
What is Climate-smart agriculture (CSA)?
It is an integrated approach to managing landscapes that address the interlinked
challenges of food security and climate change. It aims to simultaneously achieve three
outcomes:
1. Increased agricultural productivity to improve nutrition security and boost incomes.
2. Enhanced resilience and reduced vulnerability to climate-related risks and shocks.

3. Reduced emissions and identify ways to absorb carbon out of the atmosphere.
What is IIT Bombay’s Interdisciplinary Program in Climate Studies (IDPCS)?
IDPCS was set up in 2012 and has completed its 10-year journey with major financial
support from the Department of Science and Technology. IIT Bombay aims to establish a
Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Climate Services and Solutions within IDPCS that will leverage
the expertise of its students and faculty members to conduct solution-oriented research.
IT Bombay also established the first-ever Chair Professorship in climate studies, titled
“Vinaya and Samir Kapoor Chair in Climate Studies”, which will greatly benefit IDPCS.
May 5, 2022
International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure
Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the inaugural session of the
International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI), 2022.
Who hosted the conference?
The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) in partnership with the
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) hosted the
International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI) 2022.
Prime Ministers of Australia and Japan, as well as Presidents of Ghana and
Madagascar, addressed the conference.
What are the highlights of PM Modi’s speech?
PM held that India is committed to meeting the needs of the poor and vulnerable by
building next-generation infrastructure.
He said that people must be at the heart of any infrastructure growth story and they
must be provided quality, dependable & sustainable services in an equitable manner.
What is CDRI?
CDRI is a multi-stakeholder global partnership, launched by the Prime Minister of
India, Narendra Modi, at the 2019 UN Climate Summit.
CDRI is led and managed by national governments, where knowledge is generated
and exchanged on different aspects of disaster resilience of infrastructure.
Which organizations are the supporting partners of CDRI?
The following six organizations are supporting partners:
1. The World Bank Group
2. The Asian Development Bank
3. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
4. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
5. The Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies (ARISE)
6. Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment (CCRI).
What is disaster-resilient infrastructure?
Disaster resilient infrastructure is any infrastructure that is strategically designed to
withstand the impact of a natural disaster like a flood, earthquake, etc.
Examples include elevated foundations that can keep a building out of floodwaters or
earthquake-proof materials and foundations that will stop a building from collapsing.
New Member of Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)
The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) central board gave its approval to appoint Rajiv Ranjan
as an ex-officio member of the RBI’s monetary policy committee.
Who is Rajiv Ranjan and he is replacing whom?
Mridul Saggar is being replaced by Rajiv Ranjan. Saggar retired at the end of April 2022.
Ranjan has been working with the RBI for more than 33 years. Recently, he headed RBI’s
“department of economic and policy research.” This department is in line with the
research function and monetary policy of the central bank.
What do you mean by Monetary Policy?
It is the RBI’s policy regarding the use of monetary instruments that are under the control
of the central bank. The monetary policy’s main goal is to maintain price stability in India
while also considering the growth objective.
What is the function of the monetary policy committee?
The Monetary Policy Committee fixes the interest rate that is applicable in the country.
This committee meets 4 times a year which is once every quarter. The MPC after every
meeting publishes the decisions that have been taken by them.
How many members are there in the monetary policy committee?
The MPC has six members. There are three officials who are from the RBI and there are
three external members who are nominated by the central government. This committee’s
chairperson is the Governor of the RBI.
Who are the members of the MPC?
1. Chairperson- Shaktikanta Das
2. Michael Debabrata Patra
3. Rajiv Ranjan
4. Ashima Goyal
5. Shashank Bhide
6. Jayanth Varma
Members 1 to 3 are officials from the RBI and members 4 to 6 are appointed by the central
government.
When was the MPC formed?
The MPC was first proposed by the Urjit Patel Committee. The idea was to set up a five-
member MPC with 3 from RBI and 2 appointed by the Indian government. The central
government however proposed a seven-member MPC. After much negotiation, a six-
member MPC was decided upon. RBI’s Monetary Policy Department (MPD) helps the
MPC. This committee came into existence on 27th June 2016.
Maharashtra Jivhala Scheme
A loan scheme named Jivhala has been launched by the Maharashtra Department of
Prisons for the inmates who are serving sentences in various jails across Maharashtra.
Which bank is offering this scheme?
Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank is offering this newly launched credit scheme that
has been named Jivhala. This credit scheme is a first-of-its-kind scheme that has been
launched for prisoners in India. The existing loan initiatives that are being provided by the
banks for the inmates of the nation are for the purpose of rehabilitation only after they
complete their prison terms.
Where was the pilot of this scheme launched?
The pilot for this scheme was launched for the prisoners who are in the Yerawada Central
Jail, Pune. This scheme will be implemented in around sixty prisons in Maharashtra.
For whom has this scheme been launched?
This scheme has mainly been launched for all those convicted inmates who are in prison
facing a sentence of more than three years. The majority of such inmates are the sole
breadwinners of their families and due to them being incarcerated their families have no
income sources. Therefore, this loan will be issued to the family members of such inmates
in the inmates’ names.
How much loan will be provided?
In the initial phase of this scheme, a Rs 50,000 loan will be given. The interest rate that will
be applicable is 7 percent. Out of the interest that will be earned by the bank, 1 percent
will be contributed by the bank to the prisoners’ welfare fund. For issuing this loan no
guarantor or mortgage is required. The inmates will be able to utilize this loan for the
medical treatment of their family members, their children’s education, legal fees, etc.
How many loan applications are being processed in the pilot phase?
In this scheme’s pilot phase, 230 loan applications are being processed from the
Yerawada Central Prison. Out of the total loan applications, 222 are from males and 8 are
from females. Based on the response that will be received from the pilot project along
with the inmates’ creditworthiness, the loan amount can be increased.
Basava Jayanti
rd,
On May 3 2022, Basava Jayanti, the birth anniversary of renowned philosopher
Basaveshwara was celebrated.
Who is Basavanna?
Basavanna was a 12th-century poet, philosopher, and social reformer during the reign of
the Kalyani Chalukya/Kalachuri dynasty.
When is Basava Jayanthi celebrated?
As per the Hindu calendar, the birth of Basavanna falls on the 3rd day of Vaisahaka month
in the Shukla paksha. This usually falls either in April or May of the English calendar. It is
celebrated primarily in the states of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Andhra
Pradesh.
Which sect did Basavanna establish?
Basavanna is the founder of Lingayatism.
What is Lingayatism?
It is a Hindu denomination based on Shaivism. Lingayatism emphasizes qualified monism
(vishista Advaita), with philosophical foundations similar to those of the 11th–12th-century
Ramanuja. Lingayatism rejects the authority of Vedas and Puranas.
What social reforms are brought by Basavanna?
Basavanna believed in a society free of the caste system, with equal opportunity for
all.
He rejected superstitions and rituals but introduced the Ishtalinga necklace to every
person to be a constant reminder of one’s bhakti (devotion) to Shiva.
He condemned gender discrimination and animal sacrifices.
He also founded the Anubhava Mantapa (experience pavilion) in the 12th Century
C.E., which welcomed people from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
What is Anubhava Mantapa?
Anubhava Mantapa is an academy, located in Basavakalyan in Bidar district of
Karnataka.
The academy included Lingayat mystics, saints, and philosophers, who would
congregate and share experiences and wisdom of life. Thus, it was the fountainhead
of all religious and philosophical thought about the lingayat sect.
The Anubhava Mantapa is also called the Mahaamane.
The Anubhava Mantapa was also the fountainhead of the Vachana literature.
What are the literary works of Basavanna?
His literary works include the Vachana Sahitya in the Kannada Language. Through
vachanaas, he spread social awareness in society.
Harshada Sharad Garud
Eighteen years old Harshada Sharad Garud has become India’s first weightlifter to have
won a gold medal at the IWF Junior World Championships that is being organized in
Heraklion, Greece from 2nd to 10th May 2022.
In which category did she win the gold medal?
She has secured the gold medal in the women’s 45 kg category. She won the gold with a
total effort of 153kg i.e. 70kg+83kg. Along with her Gyaneshwari Yadav and V Rithika have
also won medals in the 49 kg category.
How many Indians have so far won medals at the Junior World Championships?
Till now only six Indians have won medals at the Junior World Championships for the
country.
Mirabai Chanu (bronze) in 2013.
Jhilli Dalabehera (bronze) in 2018.
Achinta Sheuli (silver) in 2021.
Harshada Sharad Garud (gold) in 2022.
Gyaneshwari Yadav (silver) in 2022
V Rithika (bronze) in 2022
How many Indians are participating in this tournament?
In this tournament, India is being represented by an eight-member team. This team
consists of 6 women and 2 men.
Which organization organizes the Junior World Championships?
The Junior World Championships is organized by the International Weightlifting
Federation. The first tournament was held in the year 1975 in Marseille, France.
What do you know about International Weightlifting Federation?
This organization governs the Olympic weightlifting sports across the globe. It was
founded in the year 1905 and its headquarter is located in Lausanne, Switzerland.
India's first greenfield grain-based ethanol plant
Recently, a greenfield grain-based ethanol plant was inaugurated in Bihar by Bihar Chief
Minister.
What is the cost of the plant?
The grain-based ethanol plant was built for Rs 105 crore.
Which company set up the plant?
Eastern India Biofuels Pvt Ltd.
What are the other facts about the ethanol plant?
The ethanol plant is a zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) plant.
It is the first plant developed since the center gave the go-ahead to Bihar’s ethanol
production and promotion policy-2021.
The plant has been built on 15 acres of land and is expected to produce 65,000 liters
of ethanol per day using 150 tonnes of maize and rice every day.
It will also produce DDGS (distiller’s dried grains with solubles) as a by-product,
which will be sold for animal feed.
A 10-year-long term ethanol purchase agreement has been with the Oil Marketing
Companies (OMCs) like Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, and Hindustan Petroleum.
The plant will help Bihar in its aspiration to foray into ethanol production using sugarcane,
maize, and rice to meet the fuel needs.
What is zero-liquid discharge (ZLD)?
Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) is a wastewater management strategy that eliminates liquid
waste and maximizes water usage efficiency.
What are the favorable conditions for ethanol production in Bihar?
Abundance of raw materials: For example, three maize crops are harvested every
year in Bihar. Sugarcane and broken rice which is not fit for consumption can be
used.
Availability of water: The groundwater level in Bihar is good due to several water
bodies.
Availability of labor: Labour is available at a relatively cheap rate.
What is ethanol?
Ethanol is a clear, colorless organic liquid. It is used as a chemical solvent and in the
synthesis of organic compounds, apart from being an alternative fuel source.
How is ethanol produced?
Ethanol can be produced from the fermentation of biomass (plant materials) or via
petrochemical processes such as ethylene hydration.
What is Bioethanol?
Ethanol produced from biomass is also called Bioethanol. It can be produced from starch-
or sugar-based feedstocks, such as corn, sugarcane, and other plant materials.

Why ethanol is important to India?
To meet the rising energy demand in the country.
To reduce reliance on crude oil imports, thereby enhancing India’s energy security.
To reduce environmental pollution and meet climate goals.
To generate employment through ethanol production plants.
To promote Make in India.
To help increase farmers’ incomes.
To promote Waste to Wealth generation.
What is National Policy on Biofuels – 2018?
The central government notified the National Policy on Biofuels, in 2018 to promote the
use of biofuels including bio-ethanol in India. It allowed the production of Ethanol from B-
heavy Molasses, Sugarcane Juice, and damaged food grains like wheat, broken rice, etc.
which are unfit for human consumption.
What is India’s target for ethanol blending?
India has achieved 9% ethanol blending in petrol. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
advanced the target of achieving 20% ethanol blending to 2025 from 2030.
RSF 2022 World Press Freedom Index
India ranked 150 on the World Press Freedom Index 2022. This index is released by the
Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF).
When was this index published?
This index was published on 3 rd May 2022 which also coincides with the World Press
Freedom Day 2022. This index evaluates press freedom levels in 180 territories and
countries across the globe.
What does the index say about India?
In this year’s index, the country slipped eight positions from 142 to 150th position. India is
said to be one of the most dangerous countries for the press. In the country, an average
of 3 to 4 journalists are killed each year. In this index’s inaugural edition, India was ranked
80th.
What do you mean by the World Press Freedom index?
This index has been published annually since the year 2020. This index is published by the
Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) or Reporters Without Borders. This index is used to rank
countries according to the press freedom levels available to the journalists of a country.
The index doesn’t serve as an indicator of journalism quality.
What is the scoring criteria of this index?
The rankings are based on scores that range from 0 to 100. A score between the range is
assigned to each country or region. 100 is the maximum score that can be given while 0
denotes the worst.
What is the evaluation criteria of this index?
Each region or country is evaluated by using five indicators which are:
legal framework
political context
sociocultural context
economic context
safety
Which are the top 5 countries in the index?
1. Norway
2. Denmark
3. Sweden
4. Estonia
5. Finland
Which are the bottom 5 countries in the index?
176. Myanmar
177. Turkmenistan
178. Iran
179. Eritrea
180. North Korea
What is the ranking of India’s neighbouring countries?
Nepal- 76
Sri Lanka- 146
Pakistan- 157
Bangladesh- 162
China- 175
Myanmar- 176
What is the reason for the fall in India’s ranking?
According to this index, the Indian media faces huge pressure from the state as well as
central governments. Also, India is one of the most dangerous countries across the globe
for media persons. The journalists in the country face ambushes by several political
activists, physical violence, and retribution from corrupt officials and criminal groups.
What is Reporters Sans Frontières?
RSF is an international non-governmental as well as a non-profit organization that
safeguards the right to freedom of information. RSF enjoys consultative status at UNESCO,
the United Nations, the International Organisation of the Francophonie, and the Council of
Europe. It’s headquarter is located in Paris, France.
RBI Monetary Policy Committee Announcements - Update (May, 2022)
Recently, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) held an unscheduled meeting and made
some important announcements.
What are the announcements?
The MPC unanimously decided to increase the policy repo rate under the liquidity
adjustment facility (LAF) by 40 basis points to 4.40% with immediate effect.
The MPC also decided to maintain the accommodative stance.
Which other rates are changed?
As the repo rate increased to 4.4%,
The standing deposit facility (SDF) rate stands adjusted to 4.15%.
The marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 4.65%.
Cash reserve ratio hiked by 50 bps to 4.5% effective May 21.
What are factors considered by MPC in increasing the repo rate?
Global Economy: In recent times, geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions
have increased. The World Trade Organization (WTO) has scaled down the projection
of world trade growth for 2022 by 1.7 percentage points to 3%.
Domestic Economy: In March 2022, headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation
surged to 7% from 6.1% in February. Overall system liquidity remained in large
surplus. India’s forex reserves declined by USD 6.9 billion in 2022-23 (up to April 22)
to USD 600.4 billion.
The main reason for the hike in the repo rate is inflation. MPC expects that inflation will
continue to remain high. Therefore calibrated steps should be taken to reduce inflation.
What is the repo rate?
The repo rate is the rate at which the country’s central bank lends money to commercial
banks. It is used by monetary authorities to control inflation.
How will a hike in repo rate control inflation?
Increasing the repo rate makes borrowing money from the central bank more expensive.
Therefore, commercial banks will hike lending rates. That means the interest rates on
loans will increase. The rising interest rates will discourage consumer and business
spending. As a result money supply reduces and inflation can be brought under control.
What is India’s inflation target?
The inflation target is to maintain consumer price index (CPI) inflation of 4% within a band
of +/- 2%.
How did markets react to the increase in repo rate?
Markets crashed after the RBI announcement to hike the repo rate. The Sensex slipped
1,307 points. Investors reportedly lost Rs 6.27 lakh crore because of the crash.
Vietnam Bach Long Pedestrian Bridge
The Bach Long pedestrian bridge in Vietnam is a glass-bottomed bridge that is suspended
around 500 ft. off the ground. This newly opened bridge is the world’s longest such
bridge.
What is the meaning of the name ‘Bach Long’?
Bach Long means ‘the white dragon.’ This bridge is 2000 ft or 632 metres long. This bridge
is connecting two mountains and is hanging over a lush green valley. This bridge is
located in the Son La Province, Northwest Vietnam.
What is this bridge made of?
This bridge is made out of three layers of 40mm thick tempered glass that has been
produced in France. This tempered glass is able to support up to 450 people at a time. This
bridge is said to surpass the 526-metre long bridge that is located in Guangdong, China.
This claim has not yet been checked by the officials from Guinness World Records. This is
the country’s third glass-bottomed bridge that has been constructed to attract tourists.
How has the bridge been tested?
The company that has constructed this bridge claimed to have tested the strength of the
bridge by running heavy trucks on it. However, people on the bridge will be moving in one
direction at one point of time to ensure their safety.
How will this Bridge help in improving the country’s economy?
Vietnam depends a lot on tourism and COVID disrupted this sector for the past two years.
Hence, the government hopes that this bridge will be attracting tourists from across the
world. In mid-March, the country opened its borders to international tourists. It also
relaxed restrictions related to COVID. The government has also resumed the 15 days of
visa-free travel that is applicable for 13 countries from across the planet.
Odisha Tribal Health Observatory (TriHOb)
A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between Regional Medical Research
Centre (RMRC) and ST & SC Development Department to establish a Tribal Health
Observatory (TriHOb) in the state of Odisha.
Does any other state of India have a tribal health observatory?
This TriHOb is the first in India. This observatory will be looking to establish a depository
regarding the health of all the tribal populations in Odisha.
Who are the signatories of this MoU?
This MoU has been signed between Dr. Sanghamita Pati, Director of RMRC, ICMR, and
Ranjana Chopra, Principal Secretary, ST & SC Dev. Department.
Why has this observatory been launched?
This observatory has been launched to establish a storehouse of the sort that will help to
store information regarding the health of the tribal population of the state. It has been
designed to be a policy-oriented, evidence-based, and virtually established centre that will
perform systematic observation on issues such as health-seeking behaviour, disease
burden, and the healthcare delivery system regarding Odisha’s tribal health.
What survey was launched during the signing of the MoU event?
Sushmita Bagchi, the chairperson of the ‘Mo School’ Abhiyan launched a tribal family
health survey named ‘Odisha Tribal Family Health Survey’ among the state’s indigenous
communities.
What is the purpose of launching the ‘Odisha Tribal Family Health Survey?’
This is a first-of-its-kind survey of the tribal communities in India. Through this survey,
health and demographic data will be collected and made available to make various
policies. This study will also help in furthering the longitudinal cohort studies and their
implementation. This study will generate an idea regarding the reach of the various
policies and health programmes in the tribal areas of the state and will also help by
suggesting any course correction that may be required.
What is the aim of Odisha’s ‘Mo School’ Abhiyan?
The ‘Mo School’ Abhiyan was launched in the year 2017. This initiative has the aim of
creating a platform for the people to collaborate, connect, and contribute to rebuild the
government as well as the government-aided schools in the state.
India - 'Country of Honour' at Cannes Marche' Du Film
India will be the official Country of Honour at the upcoming Marche’ Du Film, as per the
announcement of the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting.
What is the significance?
It is the first time the Marché du Film has an official Country of Honour and India is chosen
as the first country. This comes at a time when France and India are marking 75 years of
their diplomatic relations.
What is Marché du Film?
The Marché du Film (Film Market) is the business counterpart of the Festival de Cannes
(Cannes Film Festival) and one of the largest film markets in the world. It was established
in 1959 and it is held annually in conjunction with the Cannes Film Festival.
What does the ‘Country of Honour’ designation mean to India?
It will ensure India’s presence as Focus Country at the Opening Night of Marche Du Films.
There will be a spotlight on India’s cinema and its rich cultural heritage. There will be
special performances by Indian Choir bands along with Folk Music. Indian Cuisine will also
be served at the event, along with French cuisine.
Which Indian movies are selected for “Goes to Cannes Section”?
India got the opportunity to pitch the following 5 movies at the “Goes to Cannes Section”:
1. Baghjan by Jaicheng Zxai Dohutia – Assamese, Moran
2. Bailadila by Shailendra Sahu – Hindi, Chhattisgarhi
3. Ek Jagah Apni (A Space of Our Own) by Ektara Collective – Hindi
4. Follower by Harshad Nalawade – Marathi, Kannada, Hindi.
What is the Cannes film festival?
The Cannes Festival is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new
films from all around the world. It was founded in 1946.
What is the focus of the India Pavilion this year?
India Pavilion will focus on the theme of “India as the content hub of the world”. It will
showcase Indian cinema across the linguistic, cultural, and regional diversities of India.
Plastindia 2023 Plastic Exhibition & Conference
“Plastindia 2023-11th International Plastic Exhibition & Conference” was recently launched
by Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers.
When will the exhibition be held?
It will be held from February 1 to February 5, 2023, at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
What is the importance of the exhibition?
It will attract international plastic players to India.
It will provide opportunities for the exchange of best practices and technologies
among industry players.
It will provide opportunities for employment generation, facilitate the growth of the
Indian plastic industry and make India a hub for sourcing plastic for global needs.
What are the highlights of the speech of the Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers?
The minister highlighted that India’s Petrochemical Industries has been one of the
fastest-growing industries in the Indian economy.
He suggested the need to create a roadmap for the plastic industry for long-term
policy support, investment as well as export promotion.
He noted that the government is industry-friendly as industrial growth is important
for generating employment and Nation building.
He further said the domestic plastic industry should be competitive in the
international market.
He also asked the plastic industry to focus on research and development (R&D) and
develop technologies to curb pollution.
What is the support given by the government to the plastic industry?
The Indian government is supporting the plastic industry by developing common
infrastructure facilities for all industries. The government set up 10 plastic parks as well as
the Plastic Export Promotion Council to develop the plastic sector.
How much India’s plastic industry is valued?
India’s plastic industry is worth Rs 5 lakh crore currently.
How much plastic is produced and consumed by India?
The domestic production and consumption of plastic is estimated at 25 million tonnes
(MT) currently, which will touch 30 million tonnes (MT) by 2030.
Civil Registration System (CRS) data for 2020
Recently, the Central government published the Civil Registration System (CRS) report
2020 based on birth and death reports.
What is Civil Registration System (CRS)?
The Civil Registration System (CRS) is a universal, continuous, compulsory and permanent
recording of birth, death and stillbirth.
Currently, Registration of births and deaths are done under which act?
Births and deaths are registered under a central Act “Registration of Birth and Death Act
(RBD), 1969”. As per the Act, registration of births, deaths and stillbirths is mandatory in
India. The Act mandates the use of uniform birth and death reporting forms and
certificates throughout India.
In Pre-independence era, births and deaths are registered under which act?
In 1886, a Central Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act was promulgated to
provide for registration throughout British India. But the registration was voluntary.
Who coordinates the registration activities?
The Registrar General, India (RGI) at the Central Government level coordinates and unifies
the activities of registration throughout India.
Who implements the Registration of Birth and Death Act (RBD), 1969?
The implementation is done by the state governments. The functionaries appointed by the
state governments register births and deaths.
What is the birth rate data published by the Civil Registration System (CRS) report 2020?
India registered a 73.7% birth rate. The number of registered births has decreased to
2.42 crores in 2020 from 2.48 crores in 2019.

Out of the total registered births, the share of males and females is 52% and 48%
respectively.
Lakshadweep recorded the maximum change in the birth rate of 14.3%, followed by
Haryana with 11.7% and Bihar with 8.4%.
In case of registration of births within the prescribed time period of 21 days,
Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh achieved more than 80% registration of births
within 21 days.
What is the death rate data published by the Civil Registration System (CRS) report 2020?
The registration of deaths (due to COVID-19 and other reasons) has increased by
4.75 lakh in the year 2020 as compared to 2019. Thus, the total number of registered
deaths has increased from 76.4 lakhs in 2019 to 81.2 lakhs in 2020.
Out of the total registered deaths, the share of males and females is 60.2% and 39.8
% respectively.
Bihar saw the maximum increase in the death rate with 18.3%, followed by
Maharashtra with 16.6% and Assam with 14.7%.
Manipur recorded a -25.4% decrease in the death rate. Chandigarh witnessed a
-22.1% decrease in the death rate. Telangana saw a -11.0% decrease in the death
rate.
What are the issues with Civil Registration System (CRS)?
There are issues regarding efficiency and uniformity of data, which is resulting in delayed
and under-coverage of births and deaths in the country.
India's first ‘Flow Chemistry Technology Hub’
Recently, a Flow Chemistry Technology Hub (FCT Hub) was opened in Hyderabad.
Where is the FCT hub located?
It is located at Dr. Reddy’s Institute of Life Sciences (DRILS), Hyderabad. The hub is
initiated by the Telangana government.
What is flow chemistry?
“Flow chemistry”, also known as “continuous flow chemistry” is the process of performing
chemical reactions in a tube or pipe. Here, a chemical reaction is run in a continuously
flowing stream rather than in batch production.
What are the advantages of flow chemistry?
Faster reactions
Cleaner products
Safer reactions
Easy scale-up.
What are the benefits of having an FCT hub?
The hub will help in the greater incorporation of flow chemistry techniques in the pharma
sector as well as the adoption of continuous synthesis for the manufacturing of active
pharma ingredients (APIs).
Which city is regarded as the Life Sciences capital of India?
Hyderabad is regarded as the Life Sciences capital of the country.
Why Hyderabad is regarded as the Life Sciences capital of India?
Hyderabad has over 800 pharmaceutical companies and hosts the highest number of
United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approved facilities globally.
Two out of three adult vaccines for Covid and two vaccines for children have been
developed in Hyderabad.
The largest pharma cluster is being planned in Hyderabad.
Hyderabad contributes to about 35% of India’s overall pharmaceutical production.
What are the achievements of Telangana in the life sciences sector?
Telangana has succeeded in attracting investments worth Rs 6,400 crore in the life
sciences sector from 215 companies. Telangana has set a target of doubling the value of
the life-sciences ecosystem to about USD 100 billion by 2030 from the current USD 50
million with the creation of about 4 lakh jobs.
May 6, 2022
ISRO 2024 Venus Mission
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to launch a spacecraft to
Venus in December 2024.
What are the objectives of the ISRO Venus mission?
To study what lies below the surface of the Venus.
To study Venus’ atmosphere, which is toxic and corrosive in nature as clouds of
sulfuric acid cover the planet
What experiments are planned by the ISRO under the Venus mission?
Investigation of the surface processes and shallow sub-surface stratigraphy,
including active volcanic hotspots and lava flows.
Studying the structure, composition, and dynamics of the atmosphere.
Investigation of solar wind interaction with the Venusian Ionosphere (where the
atmosphere meets space).
Why December 2024 is suitable to launch the spacecraft to Venus?
If the spacecraft is launched in December 2024, orbital manoeuvre can be planned in 2025.
In 2025, the Earth and Venus would be aligned in a manner that it would require minimum
amount of propellant for the spacecraft to enter the orbit of the Venus.
When is the next similar window available?
A similar window to conduct the mission would next be available in 2031.
Which instrument will be used to study the surface of Venus?
High resolution synthetic aperture radar will be used, that will examine Venus’ surface,
despite the clouds around the planet, which lowers visibility.
Is the sub-surface of the Venus studied till now?
No prior observation of the sub-surface of Venus has been done till now by any country.
India will be flying the sub-surface radar for the first time, which will penetrate the sub-
surface of Venus up to a few hundred meters.
What is Orbital manoeuvre?
Orbital manoeuvre is the use of propulsion systems to change the orbit of a spacecraft.
What is Stratigraphy?
Stratigraphy is a branch of geology in which rock layers and layering are studied.
Which is the hottest plant of solar system?
Even though Mercury is closer to the Sun, Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system.
Coast Guard's Second Air Squadron
The second air squadron of the Indian Coast Guard has been commissioned. This
squadron is equipped with the indigenously designed as well as developed advanced light
helicopter (ALH) MK-III.
Where has this squadron been commissioned?
The squadron has been commissioned at the Coast Guard Air Enclave, Nedumbassery,
Kochi on the 4 th of May 2022. Director-General V S Pathania commissioned the 845
squadron (CG) in Kochi.
Who is leading this squadron?
Commandant Kunal Naik is leading this squadron comprising 35 men and 9 officers.
Why has this squadron been commissioned?
The squadron has been commissioned to improve the country’s self-reliance in the area of
long-range maritime surveillance and search and rescue operations. This commission is in
line with the government’s “Atmanirbhar Bharat” plan. So far 12 ALH MK-III helicopters
have been inducted into the Indian Coast Guard with the latest four helicopters being
positioned in Kochi with the aim of covering the entire coast of Kerala, Karnataka, and
Lakshadweep.
What are the features of the ALH MK-III helicopters?
This indigenously developed helicopter features a variety of state-of-the-art sensors that
will help increase the country’s maritime prowess. The helicopters are fitted with:
the powerful Shakti engines
a searchlight that has high intensity
a full-glass cockpit
collision-avoidance system
traffic alerts system
automatic identification system
advanced communication systems
automatic flight control system.
The helicopters are also equipped with modern surveillance radar and electro-optical
equipment. This enables the helicopters to undertake long-range maritime
reconnaissance and can also help provide long-range search and rescue both during day
and night. The helicopters have also been fitted with heavy machine guns. A removable
medical intensive care unit (MICU) has also been equipped so as to facilitate any critically
ill patients during medical evacuation.
India-Nordic Summit 2022- Highlights

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the Second India-Nordic Summit.
Where was the summit held?
Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark.
What are the highlights of the summit?
The Nordic countries reiterated their support for India’s permanent membership of
the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
The leaders agreed to work together to fight and address climate change.
They reiterated their commitment to ambitious cooperation on renewable energy,
energy diversification, smart grids, and energy efficiency.
The leaders affirmed their strong commitment to multilateralism and cooperation.
Prime Minister Modi invited Nordic companies for investing in the blue economy
sector, especially in Sagarmala Project. He also invited the sovereign wealth funds of
the Nordic countries to invest in India.
The PM also noted that India’s Arctic Policy provides a good framework for the
expansion of India-Nordic cooperation in the Arctic region.
Which are the Nordic countries?
The Nordic countries are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the
North Atlantic. The Nordic countries include Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden,
and the Faroe Islands (an archipelago of islands as an autonomous country within the
kingdom of Denmark).
How women Prime ministers of Nordic countries are tackling climate change?
Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir of Iceland is a fervent supporter of the
environment. She has mobilized Iceland to address climate change by reducing
emissions, restoring wetlands, planting trees, and switching to renewable fuels — all
to make Iceland carbon neutral by 2045.
Prime Minister Sanna Marin of Finland is considered progressive due to her ideas on
ways to combat climate change, which is on top of her agenda since she came into
power.
Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of Sweden supports the fair distribution of
resources.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark had promised to work toward cutting
carbon emissions (as much as 70%) by 2030.
When was the first India-Nordic Summit held?
The first India-Nordic Summit was held in 2018 in Stockholm, Sweden.
What is the significance of the India-Nordic Summit?
Apart from the United States, India is the only other country with which the Nordic
countries have summit-level engagement.
How much is the trade between India and Nordic countries?
India’s trade with Nordic countries stands at over USD 5 billion (2020-21).
Neobank: India's 100th Unicorn Start-up

Open, a Bengaluru-based neobank platform has become the 100th unicorn start-up in
India.
What is the valuation of Open?
The start-up has raised fresh funds that increased its valuation to USD 1 billion. The new
investment round to raise funds was led by IIFL, a Mumbai-based investment firm along
with the existing investors, Temasek, Tiger Global, and 3one4 Capital. USD 50 million was
raised in the latest round.
Who are the other investors of this start-up?
Temasek, Google, SoftBank, and Visa have invested USD 100 million in this neobank start-
up Open.
When was Open founded?
The start-up was founded in the year 2017 by Anish Achuthan, his wife Mabel Chacko, and
his brother Ajeesh Achuthan. Deena Jacob is the fourth founding member of this
organization. In the month of May 2018, USD 2 million was raised by this start-up.
CEO- Anish Achutan
Chief Operating Officer- Mabel Chacko
Chief Technology Officer- Ajeesh Achutan
Chief Financial Officer- Deena Jacob
What does Open offer?
This start-up offers a platform through which all the tools that are used by small
businesses are integrated with the current account of the business. In India, 20 lakh
businesses are using this platform and annually more than USD 30 billion worth of
transactions are being processed on this platform. Open also has the aim of launching
three new products:
early settlement card offering Settl
revenue-based financing Flo
working capital lending Capital
What are Neobanks?
Neobanks are digital banks having zero branches. Instead, such organizations have their
presence online. Neobank organizations target the tech-savvy customers. Neobanks
basically are fintech firms providing mobile-first and digital services like debit cards,
payments, lending, money transfers, etc. The services of the neobanks can be accessed via
an app.
What are Unicorns?
A Unicorn is a start-up company that is privately held and has been valued at more than
USD 1 billion. This term was made popular by venture capitalist Aileen Lee who is the
founder of Cowboy Ventures.
How many Indian unicorns are profitable?
India has 100 unicorn start-ups but only 23 out of them are churning profits.
UN ‘Energy Plan of Action’

Recently, the United Nations launched the “UN-Energy Plan of Action Towards 2025” and
“Energy Compact Action Network”.
What is the UN-Energy Plan of Action?
It sets out a framework for collective action by nearly 30 UN and international
organizations.
What is the aim of the UN-Energy Plan of Action?
The aim is to achieve the massive pledge made by the organizations at the time of the
High-level Dialogue on Energy last September.
What were the commitments made?
To support 500 million more people to gain access to electricity.
To support 1 billion more people to gain access to clean cooking solutions.
To ensure a 100% increase in renewables capacity globally.
To ensure there are no new coal power plants in the pipeline after 2021.
To facilitate 30 million jobs in renewable energy and energy efficiency by 2025.
To ensure doubling annual clean energy investment globally.
What are the seven areas identified by the UN-Energy Plan of Action?
Scaling up collective UN-Energy action to ensure just, inclusive energy transitions.
Catalysing multi-stakeholder partnerships by scaling up Energy Compacts, including
through the Energy Compact Action Network.
Growing the momentum, by spearheading a global campaign for Sustainable
Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) action.
Leading by example, by greening UN-Energy organizations’ operations.
Convening an annual Global SDG 7 Action Forum on the margins of the UN General
Assembly (UNGA) High-level Week in September.
Informing global agenda-setting by providing analytical inputs and policy guidance
to key intergovernmental processes.
Leveraging the power of data, digitalization, and visualization for strengthening
monitoring, tracking, and accountability.
What is the aim of the Energy Compact Action Network?
To match those governments that are seeking support for their clean energy goals with
those governments and businesses that pledged over $600 billion to support these
commitments regarding clean energy.
What is Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7)?
It is one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations
General Assembly (UNGA) in 2015. It aims to “Ensure access to affordable, reliable,
sustainable and modern energy for all.”
Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation’s (IRCTC) first Bharat Gaurav Tourist
Train will be run under the aegis of the new policy of the Ministry of Railways. On 21st June
2022, this train will be commencing its maiden journey.
On which route will the train run?
This train will be showcasing all the prominent places that are associated with Lord
Rama’s life and also including Janakpur, Nepal which is the birthplace of Goddess Sita. This
train’s 18-day maiden journey will begin from the Safdarjung Station, Delhi. It will be
running on the Ramayana Circuit of the Swadesh Darshan scheme.
What will be available on this train?
This train will be equipped with a pantry car that will be well-equipped to provide freshly
made vegetarian meals to the tourists. An infotainment system will also be fitted along
with security guards and CCTV cameras. A safety kit containing a face mask, a hand
sanitizer, and hand gloves will also be provided. The temperatures of all the staff and the
tourists will also be checked. The train will also be frequently sanitized at the halt stations.
What are Bharat Gaurav Tourist Trains?
The Indian Railways introduced the Bharat Gaurav Tourist Trains with the aim of
showcasing the country’s historical places and the rich cultural heritage to the citizens of
India as well as to tourists from across the world. These trains are theme-based tourist
circuit trains. The trains have been launched under the central government’s “Dekho Apna
Desh” initiative.
What are the halts of this train?
Ayodhya- Lord Rama’s birthplace. Here the tourists will be visiting Hanuman temple
and Shri Ram Janmbhumi temple.
Buxar- here the tourists will visit the Ramrekha Ghat and the hermitage of Maharishi
Vishwamitra
Sitamarhi- From here the tourists will be taken by road to visit Janakpur. They will
visit the Ram-Janaki Temple
Varanasi- The tourists will be visiting Prayag, Varanasi Sita Samahit Sthal, Chitrakoot,
and Shringverpur.
Nasik- Trimbakeshwar temple and Panchvati will be visited by tourists.
Krishkindha, Hampi- Shri Hanuman’s birthplace atop the Anjaneyadri Hills will be
visited along with other religious and heritage sites.
Rameshwaram- Dhanushkodi and Ramanathaswamy temple will be visited.
Kanchipuram- The tourists will visit Vishnu Kanchi, Shiv Kanchi, and Kamakhshi
temple.
Bhadrachalam, Telengana- Last stoppage of this train.
Then, the train will be returning back to Delhi. It will cover around 8000 kilometres during
this tour.
World Hand Hygiene Day
th
On the 5 of May, World Hand Hygiene Day is observed annually across the planet. This
day is observed to increase visibility, global promotion, sustainability, and the importance
of hand hygiene in health care.
What is the theme for this year’s celebration?
“Unite for safety: clean your hands” is the theme under which this year’s day is being
observed. This theme focuses on encouraging people across the planet to clean their
hands using the correct products at the right times. Doing this can help achieve a higher
quality of global safe care.
What is the history of this day?
In the year 2009, WHO launched a global campaign titled “Save Lives: Clean Your Hands.”
This campaign was launched with the aim of highlighting the importance and need for
handwashing among the health care workers as well as the people across the globe. This
campaign of the WHO is celebrated as World Hand Hygiene Day on the 5th of May.
What does WHO state about hand hygiene?
WHO urges people at all levels to create an environment that will promote knowledge
regarding the importance of cleaning one’s hands. Hand hygiene can be promoted by:
Education
system change
training
feedback and monitoring
reminders regarding hand hygiene
cultural changes
It also looks to make this behaviour a part of every culture. WHO also urges patients,
health care workers as well as the general public to frequently clean their hands and to
embrace it as a habit.
Maip macrothorax: Largest Megaraptor Dinosaur
An apex-predator dinosaur has been discovered by Argentine palaeontologists. This
dinosaur measured to be as tall as three stories building from its nose to its tail. It also
used to disembowel its prey with its curved and sharp claws.
Where has the study of this dinosaur been published?
The details regarding this newly discovered dinosaur have been detailed in a study that
has been published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports. “Maip macrothorax” is the
scientific name given to this dinosaur.
Where was the fossil of this dinosaur discovered?
A team of researchers discovered this dinosaur fossil in Argentina’s Santa Cruz Province in
the year 2019. The dig was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What is the size of this dinosaur?
This dinosaur measured about 33 ft in length. It also had two sharp and curved claws in
each front paw. The talons were 15.7 inches in length. This megaraptor is the largest that
has been discovered. This megaraptor was lightweight and had powerful legs. This made
it agile and fast.
During which period did this dinosaur exist?
This newly discovered dinosaur lived around 70 million years ago somewhere during the
end period of the Cretaceous period. This species became extinct about 66 million years
ago.
What did the newly discovered megaraptor eat?
This newly discovered six-ton megaraptor used to feed on smaller dinosaurs after ripping
them to shreds with its talons.
Mukhyamantri Muft Sewer Connection Yojana
25,000 households located in East Delhi will be provided with free sewer connections
under the ‘Mukhyamantri Muft Sewer Connection Yojana.’
In how many colonies will the sewer connection be provided?
The free sewer connections will be provided by the Delhi government in 12 colonies in
Mustafabad and Karawal Nagar. The colonies will be including Chandu Nagar, Rajiv
Gandhi Nagar, and parts of Khajuri Khas. Rs 19 crore has been allocated by the state
government for the implementation of these connections.
Where will the waste generated be carried to?
Through the free sewer connections, the households will be connected to Delhi’s existing
sewer network. The waste generated will be carried to the Yamuna Vihar sewage
treatment plant. The aim of providing the free sewer connection is to prevent the sewage
that is generated from landing in the River Yamuna. The sewer connections in these
colonies will help to prevent 2.5 crore litres of untreated waste from falling into River
Yamuna.
What other projects were approved?
During the meeting for free sewer connections, a project was approved to lay sewer
connections in the 25 km unsewered areas of Burari and 10 km of Narela. The Rithala
Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) having a capacity of 40 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) will
be upgraded so as to reduce the total suspended solids and biochemical oxygen demand
in the treated water. Also, in Sonia Vihar, a new 7 MGD STP will be set up by the state
government.
30 RO plants at JJ colonies will also be set up with the aim of increasing the supply of
drinking water. Each plant will be providing about 50,000 litres of water every day and it
will be free. At Okhla, a 6 MGD water treatment plant will be set up to treat ammonia. The
WTPs of the Delhi Jal Board at present can treat ammonia for only up to 0.9 ppm and the
one that will be set up at Okhla will be able to treat up to 10 ppm.
What is the acceptable ammonia limit?
According to the Bureau of Indian Standards, the acceptable ammonia limit in drinking
water is 0.5 ppm.
Environmental Impact of Jog Falls Project
The centre has asked whether any environmental impact study has been carried out
before giving environmental clearance for a five-star hotel at the Jog Development
Projects
What proposal did Karnataka submit?
Earlier, a proposal was submitted by Karnataka to seek diversions of 0.8536 hectares of
forest land in the Nadavada Talakalale village, Sagar Taluk. The proposal was submitted to
build a five-star hotel.
Who has sought additional clarifications?
The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change’s (MoEF&CC) Regional
Empowered Committee (REC) sought details and clarifications regarding the project and
has pointed out that this proposed project is amidst the Western Ghats fragile ecosystem.
MoEF&CC enquired about any study that has been conducted regarding the
environmental impact of the project and whether any precautionary measures have been
developed. The government of Karnataka was looking to demolish the existing PWD guest
house that was already in this area to build the hotel. The MoEF & CC also asked whether
approval was taken by the state government under Forest Conservation Act 1980 to
construct the existing structure.
Which organization had filed objections?
The Living Earth Foundation (LEAF), an environmental research and advocacy organisation
that is based in Bengaluru had filed objections regarding the developmental projects and
the MoEF&CC also enquired about whether the objections have been clarified or not.
What other projects were to be constructed in this area?
Along with the 5-star hotel view decks, retail outlets, landscape work, a grand entrance, a
ropeway, and a dedicated transit hub have been planned to be constructed to transform
the Jog Falls as a tourist destination.
What would be the environmental impacts?
To develop this area into a tourist attraction significant amount of construction would
need to be done on the forest land within the Sharavati Valley Lion Tailed Macaque
Sanctuary’s Eco-Sensitive Zone. The LEAF has stated that the constructions in this zone will
cause major environmental impacts which will affect the flora and fauna of this area. Also,
after construction, the increase in footfalls in this area will bring rise to additional
challenges such:
increase in dry and wet waste
water consumption
additional vehicular traffic and this will cause emission
The area will be receiving artificial light due to the vehicles which will be harmful to
the flora and fauna of the area
LEAF also argues that no study has been conducted to gauge the environmental impacts
of the developmental project and no plans have been developed to lessen the impacts.
May 7, 2022
‘Global Report on Food Crises’ - Update (May, 2022)
The 2022 Global Report on Food Crises was recently published, highlighting acute food
insecurity globally.
Who published the report?
Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC).
Where the report does focus on?
The report focuses on those countries and territories where the magnitude and severity of
the food crisis exceed the local resources and capacities.
How many people are facing acute food insecurity?
Around 193 million people in 53 countries or territories experienced acute food insecurity
at crisis or worse levels in 2021.
Did food insecurity worsen in 2021 as compared to 2020?
Around 40 million more people globally experienced acute food insecurity at crisis or
worse levels in 2021 than in 2020.
Which countries are most suffering from food insecurity?
Around 6 lakh people in Ethiopia, southern Madagascar, South Sudan, and Yemen were
classified in the most severe phase of acute food insecurity.
What are the three main drivers of food insecurity as per the report?
The three main drivers are:
1. Conflict: Conflict forced 139 million people in 24 countries into acute food insecurity.
2. Weather extremes: Weather extremes forced over 23 million people in eight
countries into acute food insecurity.
3. Economic shocks: Due to economic shocks, around 30 million people in 21
countries/territories suffered acute food insecurity in 2021.
What are the suggestions given to tackle food insecurity?
There is a need to tackle the root causes of food crises rather than just responding
after they occur.
There is a need to prioritize smallholder agriculture as a frontline humanitarian
response to overcome access constraints.
What is Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC)?
It is an international alliance of the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), and
governmental and non-governmental agencies working to tackle food crises together.
Rajasthan: First to surpass 10 GW solar capacity
According to Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker, Rajasthan became the first state in the
country to surpass 10 GW of cumulative large-scale solar installations.
What is the total installed power capacity of Rajasthan?
Rajasthan has a total of 32.5 GW of installed power capacity.
What is the contribution of renewable energy to Rajasthan’s total installed power capacity?
Renewable energy contributes to 55% of installed power capacity. Whereas thermal
energy contributes 43%, and nuclear energy contributes the remaining 2%.
What is the share of solar energy?
Solar is the predominant source in Rajasthan, which accounts for around 36% of the
power capacity mix and 64% of renewables. According to Mercom’s India Solar Project
Tracker, Rajasthan has over 16 GW of solar projects under development.
What are the favorable conditions in Rajasthan for the generation of solar power?
The favorable conditions are:
Rajasthan enjoys the highest solar irradiation levels in India.
Availability of land to commission solar projects.
Minimal power curtailment issues.
What is Rajasthan’s solar energy policy?
Rajasthan’s Solar Energy Policy 2019, which aims to achieve a target of 30 GW of
solar power by the FY 2024-25.
Of this, utility or grid-scale solar parks have a major share, which will account for 24
GW.
What is the installed solar capacity of India?
As of December 2021, the cumulative solar installed capacity of India is 55GW. Within the
55GW, grid-connected utility-scale projects contribute 77%.
What is Mercom India?
It is a subsidiary of the US-based Mercom Capital Group. It is a clean energy research and
communications firm providing expertise in Indian cleantech markets.
2022 World Food Prize
The World Food Prize is an award that is given with the aim of recognizing the
achievements of individuals from across the world who have helped in advancing the
development of humans by improving the quantity, quality, or availability of food across
the world.
Who was awarded the 2022 World Food Prize?
Cynthia Rosenzweig, NASA’s head of the Climate Impacts Group and a senior research
scientist at Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) received this year’s prize from the
World Food Prize Foundation on 5th May 2022. She received USD 250,000 along with a
commemorative sculpture and a diploma.
Why was Cynthia Rosenzweig awarded?
She received the award for her research that helped understand the relationship between
food systems and climate and the forecast of how both will be changing in the future. Her
work has provided policymakers across the globe to come up with strategies that will help
mitigate climate change and help the food systems adapt to the changing planet.
When was the prize established?
This award was conceived by Norman Borlaug, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. In the
year 1986, this prize was established with the support of General Foods. The first prize was
given in the year 1987.
What does this prize envision?
The prize has been envisioned as the Nobel prize in the field of agriculture and food. The
World Food Prize Foundation now awards this prize with the support from numerous
sponsors.
This prize recognizes contributions in which field?
This prize has been awarded annually since to recognize contributions in all those fields
that involve world food supply like:
Aquaculture
animal science
water conservation
soil science
health
nutrition
seed science
plant science
crop protection
plant pathology
food safety
food technology
research
policy
emergency relief
infrastructure
hunger
poverty alleviation
Who received the first World Food Prize in the year 1987?
In the year 1987, the first recipient of this award was M.S. Swaminathan. He was given this
award for contributing to the introduction of high-yield rice and wheat varieties in India
and also for starting the country’s green revolution.
WFP- India Talks on procurement of wheat
The United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) is in discussions with India on the
procurement of Indian wheat.
Why World Food Programme (WFP) wants to procure wheat from India?
This is because many countries all over the world are facing food security challenges due
to the supply chain disruptions caused by the Russia-Ukraine war.
How much do Russia and Ukraine contribute to global wheat exports?
Russia and Ukraine together account for about 30% of the total global exports of wheat.
How much wheat is produced in India?
India produced 109.59 million tonnes of wheat in the 2020-21 crop year (July-June).
How much wheat stockpile does India have?
India has a wheat stockpile estimated at around 100 million tonnes.
What is the global rank of India in wheat production?
India is the world’s second-largest producer of wheat after China.
Recently, how much wheat did India donate to Afghanistan?
India has pledged 10 million tonnes of wheat donations to Afghanistan.
What are the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules on exports of food?
WTO restricts exports of food, which is procured by governments at support prices. This
rule is limiting wheat exports from India, as the Indian government procures wheat at a
minimum support price (MSP) from farmers.
What is the World Food Programme (WFP)?
It is the food-assistance branch of the United Nations (UN). It was founded in 1961 and is
the world’s largest humanitarian organization focused on hunger and food security. It is
headquartered in Rome. The WFP was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 for its
efforts to provide food assistance in areas of conflict and to prevent the use of food as a
weapon of war.
Politics of Disinformation Report
The Politics of Disinformation report has been released by the Future of India Foundation,
a non-profit organization that is based in Delhi. This report states that in this age where
user engagement is being boosted, social media companies across the globe cannot and
must not use ‘freedom of expression’ as an excuse for letting false information spread
and leading to an increase in propaganda.
What does the report say?
According to the report, the huge amount of disinformation floating around on the social
media platforms is harming the youths in India. The companies are also not putting
serious efforts to combat this menace of disinformation.
How has the report understood social media habits?
Discussions were held with the youths from 8 states with the aim of understanding their
social media habits and the impact misinformation and harmful content have on them. In
India, 70 percent of internet users are below 35 years of age.
What does the report say about disinformation?
Disinformation, which means using misinformation deliberately, is a political problem. The
solution to this cannot be found only in the laws that have been enacted by the
government and their execution. The report has stated that social media platforms play a
huge role in the spread of disinformation. The report also stated that amplification is
being driven by engagement and not by the content’s quality or trustworthiness of the
sources. This is causing the spread of disinformation and the platforms are not doing
enough to curb it.
What is the major source of information?
For smartphone users, the dominant sources of information are the social media
platforms while TV news that is broadcasted in regional languages is the only other source
that is more dominant than the social media platforms.
What does the report say about the consumers?
Most of social media users are passive consumers. However, the active users have
demonstrated passive information consumption through their platform feed. The report
states that most of the users do not and cannot differentiate between personal posts and
news as the country has low digital literacy and the media also has low credibility. The
report states that the content sources are significant drivers of the way information is
received. The report has also observed that most misinformation can be linked to
narratives that have been propagated by business and political entities.
What does this report urge from the social media platforms?
This report has urged accountability from the social media platforms. The platforms must
also stop the amplification of misinformation, return back to chronological feeds, or must
take ownership regarding the choice of distributions of unfiltered content. Another
method is to amplify only those specific content providers that undergo a screening
process so as to ensure that the content that is being spread has passed through some
methods of quality and integrity irrespective of its affiliation. The social media platforms
must increase their fact-checking mechanism to curb the spread of disinformation. This is
very necessary for the present scenario as the youth in the country must be protected
from the spread of disinformation as it is slowly becoming difficult to differentiate
between truth and lie.
Punjab: Incentives for Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR)
The Punjab government recently announced incentives for farmers opting for Direct
Seeding of Rice (DSR).
How much incentive is provided by the Punjab government?
Rs. 1,500 per acre.
How Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) technique is different from the Traditional transplantation method?
In the traditional method, where the paddy is transplanted, the farmer first prepares
nurseries. The seeds are sown in these nurseries and raised to young plants. After 25-35
days, these seedlings are uprooted and sown in the field.
In the Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) technique, the seeds are sown directly in the field
rather than transplanting the seedlings. A tractor-powered machine is used to drill the
seeds into the soil. There is no nursery preparation.
How much area in Punjab is under the DSR technique?
Last year, 5.62 lakh hectares of area in the state were under the DSR technique. This is 18%
of the rice area in the state.
What is the government target?
Punjab government has the target of bringing 10 lakh hectares under the DSR technique.
Why Punjab government is encouraging the DSR technique?
Because the DSR technique helps in reducing water usage for growing the paddy crop.
How much water is required to grow one kg of rice?
According to the studies by Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) around 3,600 liters to
4,125 liters of water are required to grow one kg of rice depending on the paddy variety.
How much water is used in Punjab every year to grow rice?
Punjab needed 5,400 billion liters of water to produce 135 lakh tonnes of rice. This is based
on the study of Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), which estimated that one kg of rice
requires 4,000 liters in Punjab.
How much water can DSR help save?
According to an analysis by the Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), the DSR technique
can help save 15% to 20% of water. In Punjab, DSR can save 810 to 1,080 billion liters of
water every year if the entire rice crop is brought under the DSR technique.
What are the other benefits of the DSR technique?
It solves the problem of labor shortage, as there is no nursery preparation in the DSR
technique.
It enables groundwater recharge as it prevents the development of the hard crust.
The field studies also indicated that yield in the DSR technique is higher than
puddled transplanted rice.
What is the extent of groundwater exploitation in Punjab?
Punjab is facing rampant depletion in its groundwater levels. Of the 150 blocks in Punjab,
117 are categorized as “overexploited” in terms of groundwater use.
New Draft of National Youth Policy
A new draft of the National Youth Policy (NYP) has been prepared by the central
government of India. The new draft has been prepared after the government reviewed
the existing National Youth Policy, 2014.
What does this draft policy envision?
A ten-year vision for the development of youth has been envisioned by this draft policy
that India is looking to achieve by the year 2030.
Which organization is seeking suggestions regarding this policy?
The Department of Youth Affairs has asked for suggestions and comments regarding the
draft of the NYP from all stakeholders across the country. The suggestions, as well as the
comments regarding the new draft policy, must be sent within 45 days i.e. the 13th of June
2022.
This draft policy is aligned with which goals?
This policy has been aligned with the country’s Sustainable Development Goals and it also
looks to unlock the potential of the country’s youth.
The policy has sought action across how many areas?
This policy is looking to establish extensive action regarding youth development across
five priority areas which are:
entrepreneurship and employment
education
development and youth leadership
social justice
sports, fitness, and health
The priority areas have been identified under the principle of social inclusion. This will help
in achieving equitable progress by including the country’s most marginalized sections.
Khelo India University Games- Highlights
th
From 24 April 2022 to 3 rd May 2022, the Khelo India University Games 2021 was
successfully conducted at Jain University, Bengaluru. This is the second edition of these
games.
How many games were held in this competition?
In this competition, a total of 20 games were played. 3900 students from across 210
Universities in the country have participated in this edition of the Khelo India University
Games.
What indigenous sporting competitions were held in this edition?
Mallakhamba and Yogasana were introduced for the first time in this edition of the games.
How many medals were awarded?
A total of 852 medals were awarded which have been categorized into
Gold medals- 259
Silver medals- 258
Bronze medals- 335
Which were the top three universities in this competition?
The top three universities in this competition were:
1. JAIN University- They won 20 gold, 7 silver, and 5 bronze medals.
2. Lovely Professional University- They won 17 gold, 15 silver, and 19 bronze medals.
3. Punjab University- They won 15 gold, 9 silver, and 24 bronze medals.
Who were the most successful athletes in this competition?
Jain University’s swimmer Siva Sridhar was the most successful male athlete at KIUG 2021
having won 9 medals (7 golds, 2 silvers). Jain University’s female swimmer Shrungi
Bandekar won 5 medals (4 golds, 1 silver) and was the most successful female athlete in
this competition.
National Report of 5th round of NFHS-5
Recently, the Union Health Minister released National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 data.
When was the survey conducted?
The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) was conducted between 2019 and 2021.
What did the report say regarding marriage age?
National average of underage marriages has come down.
According to NFHS-5, 23.3% of women surveyed got married before attaining the
legal age of 18 years, down from 26.8% reported in NFHS-4.
However, in some states like Punjab, West Bengal, Manipur, Tripura, and Assam,
underage marriages increased.
West Bengal and Bihar are the states with one of the highest rates of underage
marriages in the country. Underage marriages are lowest in Jammu and Kashmir,
Lakshadweep, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Nagaland, Kerala, Puducherry, and
Tamil Nadu.
Tripura has seen the largest jump in marriages under the legal age of 18 years for
women. And biggest gains in improving legal marriage have been seen in
Chhattisgarh.
What did the report say about contraceptive usage?
The knowledge of contraceptive methods is almost universal in India. But the use of
modern contraceptives for family planning is only 56.4%
Women who are employed are more likely to use modern contraception.
Contraceptive usage increases in communities and regions that have seen more
socioeconomic progress.
Usage of modern contraceptives also increases with income.
What is the total fertility rate?
Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is the average number of children that would be born to a woman
if she were to live to the end of her child-bearing years and give birth to children in
alignment with the prevailing age-specific fertility rates.
What is India’s Total fertility rate (TFR)?
Total Fertility Rates has declined from 2.2 (NHFS-4) to 2.0 (NFHS-5) at the national level.
Thus, the TFR is currently below the replacement level of fertility.
What is the replacement level of fertility?
Replacement level fertility is the level of fertility at which a population exactly replaces
itself from one generation to the next.
How many states in India have a fertility rate above the replacement level of fertility?
Only five states are above the replacement level of fertility of 2.1. These five states are
Bihar (2.98), Meghalaya (2.91), Uttar Pradesh (2.35), and Jharkhand (2.26) Manipur (2.17).
What is the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)?
The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) is a large-scale, multi-round survey conducted
on a representative sample of households throughout India.
What information is provided by the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)?
NFHS provides state and national information for India on fertility, infant and child
mortality, the practice of family planning, maternal and child health, reproductive health,
nutrition, anemia, utilization, and quality of health and family planning services.
What are the goals of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)?
NFHS has two specific goals:
1. To provide essential data on health and family welfare for policy and program
purposes.
2. To provide information on important emerging health and family welfare issues.
Who is designated as the nodal agency?
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) designated the International Institute
for Population Sciences(IIPS) Mumbai, as the nodal agency, to provide coordination and
technical guidance for the survey.
Final Order of J&K Delimitation Panel
Recently, the Delimitation Commission on Jammu and Kashmir signed its final order
redrawing the Jammu and Kashmir’s assembly constituencies.
Who is the head of the Delimitation commission?
The three-member Delimitation Commission on Jammu and Kashmir was headed by
Justice (retd) Ranjana Desai.
Who are the ex-officio members?
Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and the state election commissioner of
Jammu and Kashmir are its ex-officio members.
What is the responsibility of the delimitation commission?
The Delimitation Commission has the responsibility of delimiting the Assembly and
Parliamentary constituencies in the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir.
Which census was considered by the delimitation commission?
The Delimitation was carried out based on the 2011 Census.
The delimitation exercise was carried out under which acts?
The Delimitation exercise was carried out by the provisions of Part-V of the Jammu and
Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, and the provisions of the Delimitation Act, 2002.
How many assembly seats were there in the undivided state of Jammu and Kashmir?
The undivided state of Jammu and Kashmir had 87 assembly seats, of which:
Ladakh region had 4 seats.
Jammu region had 37 seats.
Kashmir had 46 seats.
In 2019, the state of Jammu and Kashmir was reorganized and 2 Union territories (Ladakh
and Jammu & Kashmir) were formed.
How many assembly seats did the delimitation commission propose?
The delimitation commission proposed increasing the number of seats in the Union
Territory (UT) of J&K from 83 to 90. Out of the 90- seats:
43 seats will be from the Jammu region.
47 seats will be from the Kashmir region.
How many assembly seats do Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) have?
There are 24 seats in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). According to the Election
Commission, these seats continue to remain vacant.
How many assembly seats are proposed for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes?
The delimitation commission proposed 9 assembly seats for Scheduled Tribes.
7 seats have been reserved for Scheduled Castes, all of which are in the Jammu
region.
How many parliamentary constituencies are there in Jammu and Kashmir?
Five parliamentary constituencies.
What are the major changes regarding parliamentary seats?
The Anantnag constituency will be called the Anantnag-Rajouri and will comprise 11
assembly segments from Kashmir and seven assembly segments from Jammu.
Delhi Startup Policy
Recently, the Chief Minister of Delhi launched the ‘Delhi Startup Policy’.
What is the aim of the ‘Delhi Startup Policy’?
To promote entrepreneurship in Delhi by creating an enabling ecosystem for people to
launch startups. The government wants to make Delhi the “startup destination of the
world”.
How many startups will be supported?
The government aims to encourage, facilitate, and support 15,000 startups by 2030.
How will the Delhi government promote entrepreneurship?
The government will provide financial assistance to build a successful business.
The government will form a task force consisting of 20 members which will assist
budding entrepreneurs in setting up their businesses and also decide on registration
applications from startups.
The task force will have chartered accountants, lawyers, government officers,
academics, and trade representatives.
What are the key focus areas under the startup policy?
The key focus areas are education; healthcare; tourism and hospitality; transportation &
logistics; automotive; e-governance; artificial intelligence (AI); machine learning (ML);
Internet of Things (IoT); Software-as-a-Service (SaaS); fintech; e-waste management;
robotics & automation; green technology; bio-pharma & medical Devices; & Information
Technology (IT).
How will the government provide financial assistance?
The government will provide financial assistance to startups through collateral-free loans,
financial parts of rent, and employee salaries. For example, the government will pay up to
50% of the rental cost of a startup office.
What are non-fiscal incentives?
Facilitating strong linkages between the startup and industry association.
Facilitating participation of companies for subsidized subscriptions of technology
offerings.
Organising fundraising events.
Relaxing government procurements process for startups.
Providing access to government data to drive e-governance pilot projects.
How will the government encourage entrepreneurship in colleges?
The government decided to introduce entrepreneurship classes and the “business
blasters” program in colleges. The Delhi government will also offer 1-2 years of leave to
students of Delhi government-run institutes to develop their businesses and return to get
their degree.
Who will oversee the Delhi Startup Policy?
A Startup Policy Monitoring Committee which will be headed by Delhi’s Finance Minister
will oversee the Delhi Startup Policy. The committee will also consist of the Industries
Minister of Delhi and senior representatives of other state departments as members.
May 8, 2022
Russia’s Victory Day
May 9 is celebrated as “Victory Day” in Russia.
Why Victory day is celebrated?
To commemorate the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II. It
was first celebrated in 1965 under Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. It was occasionally
marked in the Soviet era and revived by President Boris Yeltsin for the 50th anniversary in
1995. In 2008, Vladimir Putin made it an annual event featuring military hardware. 2022
marks the 77th anniversary.
How is it celebrated?
Victory Day is marked by a military parade in Moscow, and Russian leaders traditionally
stand on the tomb of Vladimir Lenin in Red Square to observe it.
When did Germany invade USSR?
On June 22, 1941, the German army began its invasion of the Soviet Union.
What is the code name of the invasion?
Operation Barbarossa is the code name for the German invasion of the Soviet Union.
Why did Germany invade USSR?
To conquer the western Soviet Union and create more Lebensraum (living space) for
Germany. Nazi Germany aimed to eventually exterminate the indigenous Slavic peoples by
mass deportation to Siberia and repopulated the western Soviet Union with the Germans.
Why did Germany got defeated?
Hitler arrogantly believed the war would last no longer than three months; his soldiers did
not even bother to bring winter clothes. By 1943, the Germans’ rapid advance collapsed
under the weight of the fierce Russian winter and partisan guerrillas.
Why this year’s victory day is significant?
This year the victory day event gained significance as Russia is actively engaged in a
military conflict with Ukraine. It is believed that Putin might try to leverage the symbolism
of the day to make a key announcement. It is expected that Putin may either declare
success in Ukraine or escalate the “military operation” in Ukraine.
May 9, 2022
National Conference on PM MITRA Scheme
A National Conference on PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel Park (PM
MITRA) Parks Scheme was recently held.
Who organized the conference?
Ministry of Textiles.
What are the highlights of the conference?
Officials from 13 State Governments enumerated the contours of the 18 proposals
for setting up of PM MITRA Parks in their respective states.
Each state government showcased its strengths in the textiles sector and detailed
the incentives being provided. For example, Special Chief Secretary (Industries) of
Andhra Pradesh state explained the facilities being provided by the Industry Policy
2020-23 and AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC).
Representatives from the industry also shared their suggestions and apprehensions
about the PM MITRA scheme.
What are the features of PM MITRA scheme?
PM MITRA Parks will offer an opportunity to create an integrated textiles value chain
right from spinning, weaving, processing/dyeing and printing to garment
manufacturing at one location.
The scheme is intended to generate around 1 lakh direct and 2 lakh indirect jobs per
park.
Sites for PM MITRA Parks will be selected by a Challenge Method based on objective
criteria.
Proposals of States having ready availability of contiguous and encumbrance-free
land parcel of 1,000+ acres along with other textiles related facilities will be
welcomed.
How will PM MITRA scheme benefit textiles sector?
Since, PM MITRA offers the opportunity to create an Integrated Textiles Value Chain
at one location, it will reduce logistics cost of Industry and ensure economies of
scale.
The parks will also attract cutting edge technology and boost local & foreign
investment in the textiles sector.
It will also help in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)
9: “Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster
innovation”.
What is the vision of PM MITRA scheme?
The PM MITRA scheme is inspired by the 5F vision – Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to
Foreign.
Periodic Labour Force Survey- Update
In the period of October-December 2021, the unemployment rate for all those aged 15
years and above in the country’s urban areas slipped from 10.3 per cent that was
recorded in the same quarter a year ago to 8.7 per cent. A periodic labour force survey by
the National Statistical Office (NSO) showed this.
What is unemployment rate?
The percentage of unemployed persons that are in the country’s labour force is known as
the unemployment rate (UR).
Why was the unemployment rate high from October to December 2020?
From October to December 2020, the UR was high as India was reeling under the impact
of the lockdown that was imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
From July to September 2021, what was the unemployment rate?
In the period from July to September 2021, the unemployment rate for all the individuals
in the country aged 15 years and above was 9.8 per cent in the urban areas of India. This
was highlighted in the 13th Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS).
What was the unemployment rate among females and males?
The unemployment rate for the females who are aged 15 years and above in the
country’s urban areas declined from 13.1 per cent which was recorded during the
same time period in 2020 to 10.5 per cent from October to December 2021. From July
to September 2021 it was 11.6 per cent.
The unemployment rate among the males in the country’s urban areas decreased
from 9.5 per cent which was recorded a year ago to 8.3 per cent in October-
December 2021. For July-September 2021 it was 9.3 per cent.
What is the labour force?
It refers to that part of the country’s population that supplies labour so as to conduct
economic activities to produce goods and services. Hence, this includes both unemployed
as well as employed individuals.
What is the labour force participation rate?
In Current Weekly Status (CWS) the labour force participation rate in the urban areas of
India for all those aged 15 years and above was 47.3 per cent during the October-
December 2021 quarter. During the July-September 2021 quarter, it was 46.9 per cent.
What is the Worker Population Ratio in October-December 2021?
In the urban areas, the worker population ratio in CWS stood at 43.2 per cent for the
October-December 2021 quarter. During the same quarter in 2020, it was 42.4 per cent. In
July-September 2021 quarter it was 42.3 per cent.
UK Digital Markets Unit
In the United Kingdom, large tech companies like Facebook and Google will have to follow
the new competition rules, or else huge fines will be imposed on them by the government.
UK’s new Digital Markets Unit (DMU) will have the power to put a stop to the predatory
practices that are followed by some firms.
Where has the Digital Markets Unit been established?
The UK government has established a Digital Markets Unit (DMU) within the Competition
and Markets Authority (CMA) with the aim of operationalizing the digital markets’ pro-
competition of the future.
What will the DMU oversee?
The DMU will be overseeing a new kind of regulatory regime that will be made applicable
to the most powerful digital firms. This will promote greater innovation as well as
competition in these markets. It will also protect the businesses and the consumers from
any form of unfair practices. It also aims to give the users more control of their own data.
Also, the DMU will ensure that people are able to switch between the operating systems of
phones such as Android or IOS without losing their messages and data.
What is the DMU looking to prevent in the future?
In the future, the DMU has the aim of preventing giant tech firms such as Meta from
buying a smaller rival when and if it identifies that the smaller firm possesses competition
to the tech giants. Also, the giant tech firms will have to report any such takeovers before
it is completed to the CMA so that the CMA can investigate before giving a green light.
How much fine will be imposed for not complying with the rules of the DMU?
It will also be able to impose fines on the companies up to 10 per cent of their total global
turnover. 5 per cent extra will also be charged per day if the companies continue to
commit offences.
Khelo India Mascot and Logo
The mascot, official logo, theme song, and the official jersey of the Fourth Khelo India
Youth Games were launched on 7th May 2022 at Panchkula, Haryana by Anurag Thakur,
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports.
What is the name of the mascot?
The name of the mascot is ‘Dhakad.’
Which state will be hosting the Khelo India Youth Games 2021?
Haryana will be hosting the fourth edition of the youth games from 4th June to 13th June
2022 at Panchkula and other cities. The cities that will be hosting the games are:
Panchkula
Chandigarh
Shahabad
Ambala
Delhi
This was supposed to be held in the year 2021 but got delayed due to the COVID-19
pandemic. The competition is being organized by the Sports Authority of India and the
state government of Haryana.
Where were the earlier editions of the youth games held?
2018- Delhi
2019- Pune, Maharashtra
2020- Guwahati, Assam
How many athletes will be participating?
In this edition of the Khelo India Youth Games, over 8,500 athletes will be participating.
Five traditional games have been introduced which are:
thang-ta
gatka
mallakhamb
kalarippayattu
yogasana
Along with these, the athletes will be taking part in talent in 20 sports disciplines in this
competition.
Merger of L&T Infotech and Mindtree
Recently, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) announced the merger of its two software companies,
Larsen & Toubro Infotech (LTI) and Mindtree.
What is the market capitalization of both companies?
Larsen & Toubro Infotech (LTI) has a market capitalization of Rs 1.03 lakh crore, whereas
Mindtree has a market capitalization of Rs 65,285 crore.
What will the combined entity be called?
LTIMindtree.
Who will lead the LTIMindtree?
Mindtree CEO Debashis Chatterjee will lead the combined entity of “LTIMindtree”.
What will be the aggregate revenue of LTIMindtree?
Around $3.5 billion.
How the shares will be adjusted after the merger?
All shareholders of Mindtree will be issued shares of Larsen & Toubro Infotech (LTI) at the
ratio of 73 shares of Larsen & Toubro Infotech (LTI) for every 100 shares of Mindtree.
What are the benefits of the merger?
The highly complementary businesses of Larsen & Toubro Infotech (LTI) and
Mindtree will make this integration a ‘win-win’ proposition for customers, investors,
shareholders, and employees.
Merger will combine the strengths of both these organizations to unlock synergies
through economies of scale, cross-vertical expertise, and talent pool.

The combined entity will enable it to tap into broader market prospects, reduce
costs, and lower risk.
By market capitalization, the combined entity will surpass Tech Mahindra to become
the fifth-largest IT services provider.
What is the status of IT firms in India?
Large IT outsourcing firms are expanding into areas such as cybersecurity, and
automation, and moving beyond lower-margin traditional back-room services. Software
companies have been witnessing a surge in demand, as digitization got accelerated
during COVID-19.
Which company tops in terms of market valuation?
Currently, TCS ranks first among the IT firms with the highest market valuation. TCS is
followed by Infosys, HCL Tech, and Wipro.
India's first regional rapid transit system trainset
The first trainset of India’s first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) was recently handed
over to National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC).
Are the trains indigenous?
These trains are 100% indigenous. This is in line with the government’s Make in India
program and Aatmanirbhar Bharat’s ambition.
Where is the trainset designed and manufactured?
The trainset was designed at Alstom’s Hyderabad engineering center and
manufactured in Alstom’s factory in Savli (Gujarat).
The propulsion systems and electricals are manufactured in Maneja (Gujarat).
What are the safety and passenger comfort features?
Ergonomically built 2×2 transverse seating
Wide gangways for comfortable standing space
Overhead luggage racks
CCTV cameras and exterior camera
Fire and smoke detector, fire extinguisher
Door status indicators, grab handles
Wi-Fi, laptop/mobile/USB charging stations,
Dynamic route display maps
Auto controlled ambient lighting system
Large windows for a panoramic view
Ergonomically designed areas to support disabled people.
What is Delhi–Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS)?
It is an 82.15 km long semi-high speed rail corridor connecting Delhi, Ghaziabad, and
Meerut. The corridor is under construction.
It is one of the three rapid rail corridors planned under Phase I of the Regional Rapid
Transport System (RRTS) project of the National Capital Region Transport
Corporation (NCRTC).
What is National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC)?
National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) is a joint venture company of
the Government of India and the States of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar
Pradesh (UP).
It is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
(MoHUA).
It is mandated for implementing the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project
across the National Capital Region (NCR) of India.
Which signaling system is used in Delhi-Meerut RRTS?
The Delhi-Meerut RRTS will be the first in India to adopt the European Train Control
System (ETCS) hybrid Level 2 signaling system. This is the core signaling and train control
component of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS).
What will be the speed of the trains?
The RRTS corridors will operate the fastest trains in India with a design speed of 180
kmph.
Directions to VPN providers to collect customer data
Recently, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) issued a new
directive to Virtual private network (VPN) service providers.
What is the directive about?
The CERT-In directive mandates that Virtual private network (VPN) service providers must
maintain all customer data for five years.
What data should be maintained by the VPN service providers?
The CERT-In asked VPN service providers to maintain details such as the validated names
of their customers, the purpose and period for which they hired the service, the IP
addresses allotted to these users, the email addresses, etc.
Why CERT-In want to collect these details?
The CERT-In wants to effectively trace anti-social elements and cybercriminals indulging in
various nefarious activities online.
What is a Virtual private network (VPN)?
A virtual private network (VPN) creates a safe network within the larger global network of
the internet and masks the Internet Protocol address (IP address) of the user.
How does a Virtual private network (VPN) work?
A virtual private network (VPN) acts as a tunnel and takes data originating from one server
and masks it in a different identity before delivering it to the destination server (rerouting
data). Thus, a VPN creates proxy identities of data and delivers it safely without disturbing
the content of the data.
What is the advantage of VPN?
The main advantage is that VPN provides privacy or anonymity. VPN has also been of vital
importance in countries that try to suppress dissent.
How did VPN service providers react to the new directive?
According to VPN service providers, the new directive will result in a total loss of privacy
for the users. Since privacy is the most important unique selling point of such services,
loss of privacy will destroy the business.

What is CERT-in?
Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) is the government’s nodal agency for
detecting and responding to cyber incidents. It is under the Union ministry of electronics
and information technology (MeitY).
Rs 7,183.42 crore Revenue Deficit Grant
Recently, the Department of Expenditure (Ministry of Finance) released Rs 7,183.42 crore
as a revenue deficit grant to 14 states. This is the 2nd monthly installment of the Post
Devolution Revenue Deficit (PDRD) grant to states.
Who recommended Post Devolution Revenue Deficit (PDRD) grant to states?
Fifteenth Finance Commission.
Which states were recommended for Post Devolution Revenue Deficit (PDRD) grant?
The 14 States that have been recommended for Post Devolution Revenue Deficit (PDRD)
grant by the Fifteenth Finance Commission during 2022-23 are Andhra Pradesh, Assam,
Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan,
Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.
How is the eligibility of states decided?
The eligibility of States was decided by the Fifteenth Commission based on the gap
between the assessment of a State’s revenue and expenditure after taking into account
the assessed devolution.
How much Post Devolution Revenue Deficit (PDRD) grant is recommended?
The Fifteenth Finance Commission has recommended a total Post Devolution Revenue
Deficit (PDRD) Grant of Rs 86,201 crore to 14 states for the financial year 2022-23.
The grant will be released in how many installments?
The Department of Expenditure (Ministry of Finance) will release the grant to the
recommended states in 12 equated monthly installments (EMIs).
How much amount has been released till now?
With the recent release, the total amount of Revenue Deficit Grants released to the States
in 2022-23 has gone up to Rs 14,366.84 crore.
Why Post Devolution Revenue Deficit (PDRD) grant is provided to the states?
To meet the gap in Revenue Accounts of the States post-devolution.
Under which article of the constitution the Post Devolution Revenue Deficit (PDRD) grant is provided?
Article 275 of the Indian Constitution.
Rakhigarhi Excavation -Recent finds
The latest round of excavations at the Rakhigarhi site led to some discoveries
What things have been found in the latest round of excavations?
The latest round of excavations revealed the structure of some houses, lanes and
drainage systems, and a jewelry-making unit. Pieces of copper, gold jewelry, terracotta
toys, earthen pots, and seals were also found.
Who conducted the excavations?
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) conducted the three-month-long phase of
excavations.
What is the significance of the present round of excavation?
This is the first time excavations have been done on Mound No. 3, which has revealed “an
aristocratic settlement”.
Where the findings will be kept?
An agreement is in process between the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the
Haryana government. As per the agreement, antiquities from Rakhigarhi will be displayed
at the adjacent under-construction museum being built by Haryana for Rs 23 crore.
What is the aim of excavation?
To understand Rakhigarhi and to identify the individuality and interrelationship of
the seven mounds.
To make Rakhigarhi accessible to people by exposing the structural remains and
conserving them for the future, along with providing amenities to the visitors.
What is the significance of Rakhigarhi?
It is an archaeological site belonging to the mature phase of the Indus Valley Civilisation,
dating to 2600-1900 BCE. It was among the largest settlements of the ancient civilization,
though most of it remains unexcavated. The site is located in the Ghaggar-Hakra River
plain.
Where is Rakhigarhi located?
Rakhigarhi is in Haryana’s Hisar district. It is situated around 150 km from New Delhi.
Rakhigarhi is among the five iconic sites announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman during her Budget Speech in February 2020.
What are the other four iconic sites?
The other iconic sites are Hastinapur in Uttar Pradesh, Sivasagar in Assam, Dholavira in
Gujarat, and Adichanallur in Tamil Nadu.
When was the Rakhigarhi site first excavated?
The site was first excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1998-2001. Later,
Deccan College, Pune, excavated the site from 2013 to 2016.
Cyclone Asani
th
On May 9 the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the severe cyclonic
storm ‘Asani’ is likely to weaken in the next 48 hours. Asani is the first cyclonic storm of
the season.
Which country gave the name Asani?
Sri Lanka.
What is the meaning of Asani?
Asani means ‘wrath’ in Sinhalese (Srilankan language).
Where cyclone is situated and in what direction is it moving?
The cyclonic storm ‘Asani’ was situated about 680km in direction of the south-
southeast of Puri and 580km from Visakhapatnam as of noon on May 9th.
It is moving northwest at a speed of 25km per hour in the Bay of Bengal towards
coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
Where is the cyclone expected to move?
Cyclone Asani is expected to recurve north-northeastwards and move towards the
northwest Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast.

What will be the impact of the cyclone?
Light to moderate rainfall may occur from May 10th (Tuesday) evening in many districts
across coastal Odisha and heavy rainfall (7 -11cm) at one or two places over Gajapati,
Ganjam, and Puri.
How is the government prepared for the cyclone?
National and state disaster relief departments are on alert. Distant warning signal 2
(asking ships not to come near the coast) has been hoisted in all ports in Odisha.
What is a tropical cyclone?
Tropical cyclone is a low-pressure system formed over warm tropical waters.
Tropical cyclones can continue for many days, even weeks, and may follow quite
erratic paths. A cyclone will dissipate once it moves over land or cooler oceans.
What are the favorable conditions for the formation of a tropical cyclone?
1. Sufficiently warm sea surface temperatures (at least 26.5 °C )
2. Atmospheric instability
3. High humidity in the lower to middle levels of the troposphere
4. Enough Coriolis force to develop a low-pressure center
5. A pre-existing low-level focus or disturbance
6. Low vertical wind shear.
What will be the name of the next cyclone in the North Indian ocean?
The cyclone that will form after Asani will be called Sitrang, and the name has been given
by Thailand.
What are the upcoming names suggested by India?
Ghurni, Probaho, Jhar, and Murasu are the upcoming names from India.
May 10, 2022
Monkey Pox Case in UK
A patient in the country of England has been diagnosed with monkeypox disease. The UK
Health Security Agency (UKHSA) announced that a patient has been diagnosed.
Monkeypox is a rare kind of viral infection which does not spread among people easily.
Hence, the overall risk of this disease to the public is very low.
Where did the patient contract this disease from?
According to the UKHSA, the patient might have contracted this disease in Nigeria. The
patient is currently being treated at the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust,
London.
What is monkey pox disease?
It is a rare kind of viral infection. Most people suffering from this disease recover within a
few weeks’ time as it is a mild self-limiting disease. However, some individuals can be
affected severely.
When was this disease discovered?
In the year 1958, this disease was first discovered after two outbreaks of a pox-like disease
occurred in the monkey colonies that were being kept for research. Thus, the name
‘monkey pox’ was given. In the year 1970, the first human case was recorded in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
What are the symptoms of this disease?
The symptoms include:
headache
fever
backache
muscle aches
chills
swollen lymph nodes
exhaustion.
A rash might develop which often begins on the face. It then spreads to other body parts.
The rash changes overtime before it forms a scab. The scab falls off later.
How does this disease spread?
This disease spreads when someone if a person is in close contact with an individual who
is infected. This virus can enter a person’s body through the respiratory tract, broken skin,
nose, eyes, or mouth. Rodents which also include pet animals as well as monkeys can
carry and transmit this disease.
What are the prevention measures for monkeypox?
Avoiding any contact with animals that can transmit the disease.
Avoiding any contact with materials like bedding, etc that have been in contact with
the animals infected with this disease.
Infected patients must be isolated to avoid the risk of infection.
Proper hand hygiene must be practiced after coming in contact with infected
humans or animals.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) must be used when caring for and treating a
patient infected with this disease.
What is the treatment for monkeypox?
At present, there is no safe and proven treatment for this disease. To control the outbreak
of this disease the health officials can use antivirals, smallpox vaccines, and vaccinia
immune globulin (VIG).
7 years of PMJJBY, PMSBY, and APY
Social security schemes Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri
Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Atal Pension Yojana (APY) have completed seven
years of their launch.
When were the schemes launched?
These three schemes were launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 9, 2015 in
Kolkata.
What is Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)?
It is a life insurance scheme that offers coverage for death due to any reason.
Any individual in the age group of 18-50 years having a savings bank or a post office
account are eligible to enroll under the scheme.

It provides life insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh against a premium of Rs 330 per annum.
What are the achievements of PMJJBY?
As on April 27, 2022, the cumulative enrolments under PMJJBY have been more than 12
crore and an amount of Rs 11,522 crore has been paid for around 5.76 lakh claims.
What is Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)?
It is accidental insurance scheme that offers coverage for death or disability due to
accident.
Any individual in the age group of 18-70 years having a savings bank or a post office
account is eligible to enroll under the scheme.
It provides accidental death cum disability cover of Rs.2 lakh for death or disability
due to an accident. Rs.1 lakh is provided in case of partial disability.
The premium that should be paid is Rs 12 per annum.
What are the achievements of PMSBY?
As on April 27, 2022, the cumulative enrolments under PMSBY have been more than 28
crore, and an amount of Rs 1,930 crore has been paid for 97,227 claims.
What is Atal Pension Yojana (APY)?
APY is an initiative of the Government to provide financial security for the people in
the unorganized sector.
All bank account holders in the age group of 18 to 40 years are eligible.
The contributions to APY differ, based on pension amount chosen.
A guaranteed minimum monthly pension of Rs 1,000 or Rs 2,000 or Rs 3,000 or Rs
4,000 or Rs 5,000 at the age of 60 years will be provided to the subscribers, based on
the contributions made by the subscriber after joining APY.
Who administers the Atal Pension Yojana (APY)?
It is administered by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) under
the overall administrative and institutional architecture of the National Pension System
(NPS).
What are the achievements of APY?
As on April 27, 2022, more than 4 crore individuals have subscribed to APY.
John Lee: Hong Kong’s Next Leader
John Lee Ka-chiu, a former security chief has recently been elected as the next leader of
Hong Kong. This move is being widely regarded as the Chinese government’s move to
tighten its grip on the city.
Who will be replaced by John Lee?
Carrie Lam is being replaced by John Lee after the city’s chief executive election was held.
From 1st July 2022, Lee will begin his five-year term as the city’s chief executive.
What role did Lee play during the violent crackdowns in 2019?
In 2019, he was serving as the Secretary for Security when the police started violent
crackdowns on the pro-democracy protests. The protests began after a controversial bill
was announced that would allow an individual to be extradited to mainland China. Lee
permitted Hong Kong’s police force to use rubber bullets, tear gas, water cannons, and
even at certain times live ammunition on all those who were protesting.
Why was John Lee economically sanctioned by the United States?
In the month of August 2020, the United States put economic sanctions against him for
diminishing the autonomy of Hong Kong as well as restricting freedom of expression. This
sanction came after 2 months of passing a security law that criminalized most activisms
and protests and reduced the judicial autonomy of Hong Kong. The US accused him of
using force to arrest, pressurize, imprison, and detain the citizens and of creating a special
police unit so as to implement the draconian law.
Which party was banned during Lee’s watch?
The Hong Kong National Party was banned under Lee’s watch. It was the first party that
supported independence for Hong Kong after the British handed the region to China in
the year 1997. This party was banned in the year 2018. The party was accused by Lee to
have spread hatred against mainland China.
What is his stance on the extradition bill?
Lee passed the extradition bill due to which he faced a lot of backlashes. However, during
his election campaign, his tune regarding the bill changed, and said there isn’t any need
to talk about the extradition bill anymore. After the protests and the backlashes, the bill
was not fully initiated.
World Thalassemia Day
th
Every year, May 8 is celebrated as World Thalassemia Day.
What is the theme of World Thalassemia Day, 2022?
The theme for World Thalassemia Day 2022 is, “Be Aware. Share. Care: Working with the
global community as one to improve Thalassemia knowledge”.
When the World Thalassemia Day was first observed?
The event was first organised by the Thalassemia International Federation (TIF) in 1994, in
memory of George Englezos, the son of Thalassemia International Federation (TIF)
founder, who lost his life to the Thalassemia. Since then, the day is observed every year on
May 8th.
What is the aim of World Thalassemia Day?
World Thalassemia Day aims to create awareness about Thalassemia and support
patients, their families and health care workers with information to combat it.
What is Thalassemia?
Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder passed to a child by either of the parents.
What happens if one gets Thalassemia?
Thalassemia causes defective red blood cell production leading to low haemoglobin
and such patients require lifelong blood transfusion to cope with their lives.
The defective red blood cells also cause a lot of problems, such as anaemia,
shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, and irregular heartbeats.
When there is not enough haemoglobin, the body’s red blood cells don’t function
properly, which causes anaemia.
Why Thalassemia will lead to anaemia?
The body of a person suffering from thalassemia makes less haemoglobin than that of a
normal person. Haemoglobin is responsible for carrying oxygen to the different parts of
the body. When there is not enough haemoglobin, the body’s red blood cells don’t
function properly, which causes anaemia.
What are the types of Thalassemia?
There are two types of thalassemia — alpha and beta.
What are the sub-categories of Thalassemia?
Thalassemia Minor, Thalassemia Intermedia and Thalassemia Major are the sub-
categories.
How many children suffer with Thalassemia in India?
According to the Indian government, around 10,000 to 15,000 infants are born each year in
India with Thalassemia Major. About 67,000 patients suffer in India from beta
Thalassemia.
Is there any cure for Thalassemia?
Stem cell or bone marrow transplants are the only cure for Thalassaemia, but there are
risks involved.
Madrid Open 2022- Highlights
The 2022 Madrid Open was a professional tennis tournament that was organized from 28th
April to 8 th Amy 2022. It was played on the outdoor clay courts at Park Manzanares,
Madrid, Spain. This tournament was sponsored by Mutua, the largest insurance company
of Spain.
The recently played tournament is which edition of this tournament?
This was the 20th edition of this tournament on the ATP Tour. On the WTA Tour, it is this
tournament’s 13th edition.
What was this tournament classified as?
This tournament was classified as:
WTA 1000 event under the 2022 WTA Tour
ATP Tour Masters 1000 event under the 2022 ATP Tour
Who are the winners of the Madrid Open 2022?
Men’s Singles- Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) won after defeating Alexander Zverev
(Germany).
Women’s Singles- Ons Jabeur (Tunisia) won after defeating Jessica Pegula (USA).
Men’s Doubles- Wesley Koolhof (Netherlands) and Neal Skupski (United Kingdom)
won after defeating Juan Sebastián Cabal (Colombia) and Robert Farah (Colombia).
Women’s Doubles- Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada) and Giuliana Olmos (Mexico) won
after defeating Desirae Krawczyk (USA) and Demi Schuurs (Netherlands)
What is ATP Tour Masters 1000?
The ATP Masters 1000 tournament was earlier known as ATP Masters Series. It is a nine-
tennis tournament that is held annually featuring all the top-ranked players. After the four
majors, in men’s tournaments, the ATP Finals, and the ATP Masters are the most coveted
trophies.
Who holds the most titles in the ATP Tour Masters series?
Singles tournament- Novak Djokovic has the most titles with 37 trophies since the
series began in the year 1990. In 2018, he won the titles of all nine Masters singles
tournaments and became the only player to achieve the Career Golden Masters. In
the year 2020, he again completed the Career Golden Masters.
Doubles Tournament- The Bryan brothers Bob and Mike have won the doubles titles
39 times as a team. They and Daniel Nestor are the only doubles players to have
achieved the Career Golden Masters in the doubles tournaments.
What is the WTA 1000 tournament?
It is a tennis tournament category in the Women’s Tennis Association tour. The earlier
Premier 5 and the WTA Premier Mandatory tournaments were merged into a single event
and since 2021 it is being implemented after the schedules reorganization.
Who holds the most titles in the WTA 1000 tournaments?
Most titles have been won by Serena Williams (23 Titles).
Ladli Laxmi scheme-2.0
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister launched the second phase of the Ladli Laxmi scheme
(Ladli Laxmi scheme-2.0) on May 8th, 2022.
What is Ladli Laxmi scheme-2.0?
Ladli Laxmi scheme – 2.0 is an innovative initiative to encourage girl children to pursue
higher education and make them self-dependent.
What is the objective of the Ladli Laxmi scheme?
Ladli Laxmi Scheme is being implemented by the government of Madhya Pradesh
since 2007 to enhance the economic and educational status of the girls.
Ladli Laxmi scheme is a comprehensive scheme that offers financial assistance for a
girl from birth until her marriage in installments.
What are the eligibility criteria?
The family of the girl child should be a permanent resident of Madhya Pradesh.
The family should come under below the poverty line (BPL), i.e., should not be an
income taxpayer.
Maximum of two daughters can be registered under this scheme.
What are the incentives provided to the girl child?
The Madhya Pradesh Government purchases a National Savings Certificate worth
Rs.6000 for five years for every girl child applied for under this scheme.
The first installment of Rs.2000 is made when the candidate is studying the 6th
standard.
While entering the 9th standard, Rs.4000 is provided. Rs.7500 will be given when the
candidate is studying 11th standard and an amount of Rs. 200 is issued every month
during the higher education of 12th grade.
On completion of 21 years, the candidate will be paid a final payment of Rs.1 lakh if
unmarried and desires to pursue higher studies.
What are the achievements of the Ladli Laxmi scheme?
The implementation of the scheme has changed the attitude of the society towards
girl child, due to which there has been a success in ending social evils like child
marriage.
In Madhya Pradesh, more than 42 lakh girls have been registered till April 2022
under Ladli Laxmi Scheme.
More than 9 lakh girl students have been paid a scholarship amount of Rs 231 crore.
The sex ratio at birth in the state has increased from 927 to 956.
What is Ladli e-Samvad?
It is an app launched by the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister to establish a continuous
dialogue with Ladlis. In this app, all Ladli Laxmis will be linked to the education portal
through Samagra ID, enabling continuous tracking of their educational status.
What are ‘Ladli Friendly’ gram panchayats?
The Gram Panchayats which take the best care of the girl child will be declared ‘Ladli
Friendly’ gram panchayat.
France's Proposal for "European Political Community"
Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, is of the belief that a “European political
community” must be established which would be much broader than the present
European Union (EU). The political community will also be including the nations that are
not EU members. Currently, the EU has 27 members
What will the European Political Community’s goal?
The main goal of the political community will be to maintain the region’s stability. It will
also be looking to further the European Union as relying solely on it will not be enough.
The vision of the community was outlined by President Macron in a speech that he
presented to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.
How will the new organization help the democratic European nations?
This community will allow the democratic European nations to cooperate in a new space
politically in the fields of
Energy
Security
Infrastructure investment
Transport
Freedom of movement
How will this new community help in getting memberships?
Becoming an EU member is a quite lengthy process. It often takes years or even decades
as the membership criteria of the European Union are very strict. This community will be
allowing a parallel entry instead of diluting the stringent standards. This will provide a
quick way for any country that is willing to join the bloc. Even the countries which had
earlier exited can re-join.
Why did President Macron put forward this proposal?
This proposal of creating a new European political community was put forward as Ukraine
is looking to join the EU as a candidate country and also looking for support against the
ongoing Russian invasion.
World Lupus Day
th
On the 10 of May, World Lupus Day is observed annually. This disease fatally affects more
than 5 million people across the planet.
What is the aim of this day?
This day is observed with the aim of generating awareness about this autoimmune
disease which is also known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This disease can
affect the skin, brain, kidneys, as well as other organs of an individual. This disease can
affect people of all races, nationalities, genders, ethnicities, and ages. This day also puts
focus on improving the healthcare services and boosting research about the cures and
causes of lupus.
What is the history of this day?
This day was created by Lupus Canada in the year 2004 with the aim of raising awareness
about this disease, providing better services to the suffering patients, increasing funding
for research, and improving epidemiological data. The World Lupus Federation sponsors
this day.
What causes this disease?
The exact cause of this disease’s occurrence is yet unknown but it has been suspected
that it is due to certain factors like genes, hormones, and the environment.
What are the symptoms of Lupus?
The symptoms of this disease can come suddenly or it can also develop slowly. It may be
severe or mild and can be permanent as well as temporary. Depending on its severity,
inflammation of the skin, joints, and vital organs can occur. Severe lupus might also cause
irreversible damage to the lungs, heart, kidneys, and brain. This disease’s most common
symptoms are:
Fever
Fatigue
Stiffness
Joint pain
Butterfly-shaped rash on the face of the individual or rashes at other parts of the
body
Swelling
Toes and Fingers turn blue or white after being exposed to cold or during an
individual’s stressful periods
Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Headaches
Dry eyes
Memory loss
Confusion
What are autoimmune diseases?
Autoimmune diseases are those due to which the body’s immune system malfunctions.
The immune system cannot differentiate between healthy tissues and pathogens and thus
creates antibodies that attack the healthy tissues and destroys them.
NFAI: World’s Largest Film Restoration Project
Recently, the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) said that Rs 363 crore
has been allotted to take up the world’s largest film restoration project under the National
Film Heritage Mission (NFHM).
Where the restoration project will be set up?
The restoration project is set to come up at the National Film Archive of India (NFAI), Pune.
How many films will be restored?
Under the project around 2,200 films of different languages will be restored.
Who shortlisted the films to be restored?
The films for restoration have been shortlisted by language-wise committees consisting of
filmmakers, film historians, and producers such as Aparna Sen, Shriram Raghavan, Anjali
Menon, and Vetrimaaran.
What will be done under restoration?
The restoration project will involve digital and semi-automated manual picture and
sound restoration from the best surviving source material.
The damages will be cleaned during the restoration process. The sound will be
restored using hi-technology. After restoration, the digital picture files will be color
graded and balanced to achieve the look of the film at the time of the original
release.
After restoration, all the films would be well preserved digitally
What is the National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM)?
National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM) was approved by the Information and
Broadcasting (I&B) ministry in 2014 for restoring and preserving the film heritage of India.
It was allocated a budget of Rs 597 crores. It is one of the world’s largest film preservation
missions. This mission has taken care of the digitization/restoration of films available with
the National Film Archive of India (NFAI) and other media units.
Telecom: DoT abolishes NOCC charges
Recently, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has abolished the network
operation and control center (NOCC) charges.
What is the Network operation and control center (NOCC) charge?
It is a charge levied on the use of space segments by telecom service providers for satellite
telephony, broadband, etc.
When was NOCC introduced?
The NOCC levy regime was introduced in 2003.
How much is the NOCC charge?
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) levied Rs 21 lakh per transponder every
year for 36 MHz of spectrum on a pro-rata basis. The government also charged Rs 6,000
for every trial of antenna that is used for receiving and transmitting signals.
For which services NOCC charge is abolished?
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) said that there shall be no NOCC charges
for use of space segment for all DoT licensees for commercial and captive VSAT services,
GMPCS (satellite phone service), NLD (national long distance), and other telecom licensees
having a unified license or standalone license.
Why the NOCC charge is abolished?
To provide a fillip to upcoming satellite broadband companies.
To ensure more competition and growth in the Indian satellite broadband market.
Which companies are planning to launch satellite broadband services in India?
Currently, Sunil Bharti Mittal’s OneWeb and Elon Musk’s Starlink are the providers
planning to launch satellite broadband services in India using low-earth orbit
satellites.
Reliance Jio announced a joint-venture with SES, Luxembourgish satellite-based
content connectivity solutions provider to deliver satellite broadband services.
How abolishing NOCC will benefit internet consumers in India?
Since Satellite communication operates don’t have to pay the NOCC charges anymore for
hiring transponder capacity, Indians can look forward to lower broadband-from-space
prices.
MHA Clearance to Jet Airways
Recently, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has granted security clearance to the
new Jet Airways promoters. The security clearance will pave the way for the relaunch of
the Jet airways’ operations.
What is the story so far?
Once a pioneer in India’s private aviation industry, Jet airways’ operations was closed in
2019 due to financial constraints. Jet Airways, owned by Naresh Goyal, operated its last
flight on April 17, 2019. In June 2019, insolvency proceedings were initiated for Jet Airways.
Who took over Jet Airways?
In October 2020, the Jet airways’ Committee of Creditors (CoC) approved the resolution
plan of the consortium of the United Kingdom’s Kalrock Capital and the UAE-based
entrepreneur Murari Lal Jalan. Thus, the Jalan-Kalrock Consortium is currently the
promoter of Jet Airways.
Who approved the resolution plan and when?
The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved the resolution plan in June 2021.
What are the next steps to launch operations?
Last week, Jet Airways conducted its first test flight from Hyderabad to Delhi. After the test
flight, Jet Airways has to conduct proving flights after which it will get an air operator
certificate.
What are Proving flights?
Proving flights are similar to commercial flights, but with Directorate-General of Civil
Aviation (DGCA) officials and airline officials as passengers and cabin crew members on
board.
Who will grant the air operator certificate?
The Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will grant the air operator certificate to Jet
Airways depending on the test flight results.
Who is appointed as the CEO of Jet Airways?
Last month, Jet Airways appointed Sanjiv Kapoor, former chief strategy and commercial
officer at Vistara, as its CEO.
May 11, 2022
Initial Public Offering (IPO) of LIC- Highlights
The biggest-ever initial public offering (IPO) of India is by the Life Insurance Corporation
of India (LIC). It has been fully booked under all the offered categories
What percentage of shares is being sold?
LIC’s IPO has received bids for 2.95 times the shares that were being offered. This helped
the central government to raise Rs 21,000 crore as they sold 3.5% of the stake in LIC.
By how many times have the shares been subscribed in the different categories?
The IPO size is 16.2 crore equity shares but bids have been received for 47.77 crore equity
shares. The categorically wise subscriptions are:
Policyholders- This portion has been subscribed by 6.11 times the allotted quota.
Employees- This portion has been subscribed by 4.39 times the allotted quota.
Retail Investors- This portion has been subscribed by 1.99 times the allotted quota.
Qualified Institutional Buyers- This portion has been subscribed by 2.83 times the
allotted quota.
Non-institutional Investors- This portion has been subscribed by 2.91 times the
allotted quota.
When will the shares be allocated to the bidders?
On 12th May, the bidders of this IPO will be allocated shares. On 17th May 2022, it will be
listed on the stock exchanges.
What is the price band of the shares?
Rs 902-949 per equity share was fixed by the LIC for the issue. The eligible employees as
well as the retail investors got a discount of Rs 45 per equity share. The policyholders
received a discount of Rs 60 per share.
What is an initial public offering?
An IPO is a process of offering shares to the public in which a company offers newly
issued shares for the first time. IPOs are used to generate new equity capital for the
companies. Through IPOs the investments of the private shareholders like the founders of
the company can be monetized. After the IPOs are offered and listed the shares are freely
traded on the stock exchanges.
Sun Temples in India
Recently, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor participated in prayers at the Martand
Sun temple. But Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) said that the event violated rules.
What prayers were conducted at the Martand Sun temple?
Navgrah Ashtamangalam pooja was held at the premises of Martand Sun temple.
For what events permission is required?
Rule 7(1) of the 1959 Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR)
act, states that meetings, receptions, parties, entertainment, or conferences cannot be
held at a protected monument without permission in writing from the Union government.
Is permission required for religious events?
According to Rule 7(2) of the 1959 Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and
Remains (AMASR) act, permission is not required for any event held “in pursuance of
a recognized religious usage or custom”.
If a site was a functional place of worship when it came under the jurisdiction of the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), then it would continue to be a place of worship.
Is Martand Sun temple a functional place of worship?
According to Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials, Martand Sun Temple is not a
functional place of worship, so permission had to be sought.
What are the functional places of worship under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)?
Some protected sites that were functioning places of worship when the Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI) took charge of them include Jamia Mosque, Srinagar, and the
Fatehpur Sikri mosque.
Where is Martand Sun temple located?
The Martand Sun Temple is located in Anantnag in the Kashmir Valley of Jammu and
Kashmir (union territory), India. This eighth-century temple is one of the oldest Sun
temples in India and was dedicated to Surya, the chief solar deity in Hinduism. In Sanskrit,
Surya is also known as Martand.
Who destroyed the Martand Sun temple and when?
The temple was destroyed by Sikandar Shah Miri between 1389 and 1413.
What is a Sun temple?
A sun temple is a building used for religious or spiritual activities dedicated to the sun or a
solar deity.
What are the other famous sun temples in India?
Modhera Sun Temple, Gujarat, built during the rule of Bhima I of the Chaulukya
Dynasty.
Konark Sun Temple, Odisha, was built in the 13th century CE. It is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
Dakshinaarka Temple, Bihar. It is mentioned in the Hindu religious book Vaayu
Purana.
Arasavalli Sun Temple, Andhra Pradesh, built in the 7th century CE by King Devendra
Varma, a ruler of Kalinga.
Sun temples are found in which other countries?
Such temples were built by several different cultures and are distributed around the
world. Apart from India, they are also found in China, Egypt, Japan, and Peru.
Pulitzer Prize 2022- Winners

th
On 9 May 2022, the winners of the Pulitzer Prize 2022 in Drama, Journalism, Music, and
Books were announced. The winners include Indians Irshad Matto, Amit Dave, Adnan
Abidi, and late Danish Siddiqui of Reuters in the category of Journalism.
The journalists of which country received a special citation?
The journalists from Ukraine who are working effortlessly to bring out the reports of the
ongoing war were recognized with a special citation.
Who are the winners of the Pulitzer Prize 2022 in Journalism?
Public Service- The Washington Post received this award for its coverage of the
assault on the Capitol on 6th January 2021.
Investigative Reporting- Rebecca Woolington, Corey G. Johnson, and Eli Murray of
the Tampa Bay Times received the award for their role in exposing highly toxic
hazards inside Florida’s only battery recycling plant.
Breaking News Reporting- The Miami Herald Staff’s received this award for their
coverage of the collapse of Florida’s Seaside apartment towers.
Local Reporting- Chicago Tribune’s Cecilia Reyes and Better Government
Association’s Madison Hopkins received this award.
Explanatory Reporting- The Staff of the Quanta Magazine, mainly Natalie Wolchover
received this award for their reporting on the working of the Webb Space Telescope.
International Reporting- The New York Times Staff received this prize.
National Reporting- The New York Times Staff received this prize.
Commentary- Kansas City Star’s Melinda Henneberger won this award.
Feature Writing- The Atlantic’s Jennifer Senior won this award.
Editorial Writing- The Houston Chronicle’s Michael Lindenberger, Lisa Falkenberg,
Luis Carrasco, and Joe Holley won this award.
Criticism- The New York Times’s contributing critic Salamishah Tillet won this prize.
Breaking News Photography- Los Angeles Times’s Marcus Yam received this prize for
the images of the departure of the US from Afghanistan. Getty Images’s Drew
Angerer, Win McNamee, Samuel Corum, Spencer Platt, and John Cherry won this
award for their photos of the attack on the US Capitol.
Illustrated Reporting and Commentary- Insider’s Anthong Del Col, Fahmida Azim,
Walt Jockey, and Josh Adams won this prize.
Audio Reporting- The staff of PRX and Futuro Media won this award for ‘Suave.’ It
talks about a man who is re-entering society after spending over 30 years in Prison.
Feature Photography- Sanna Irshad Mattoo, Adnan Abidi, Amit Dave along with Late
Danish Siddiqui of Reuters won this prize for their images of India’s COVID toll.
Who are the winners of the Pulitzer Prize 2022 in Drama, Books, and Music?
Drama- “Fat Ham” written by James Ijames.
Fiction- “The Netanyahus: An Account of a Minor and Ultimately Even Negligible
Episode in the History of a Very Famous Family” written by Joshua Green.
Biography- “Chasing Me to My Grave: An Artist’s Memoir of Jim Crow South” written
by late Winfred Rembert as told to Erin. I Kelly of Bloomsbury.

History- “Covered with Night” written by Nicole Eustace (Norton/ Liveright) and
“Cuba: An American History” written by Ada Ferrer (Scribner)
Poetry- “frank: sonnets” written by Diane Seuss.
Music- “Voiceless Mass” which is written by Raven Chacon.
General Notification- “Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City”
written by Andrea Elliott.
What is the Pulitzer Prize?
Pulitzer Prize is an award that is given for achievements in newspapers, magazines,
musical composition, online journalism, and literature. This prize was established in the
year 1917 by the provisions that were written in the will of Joseph Pulitzer. Columbia
University administers this prize. These prizes are being given annually in 21 categories. In
20 categories, the winners each receive USD 15,000 and a certificate. The winner in the
prize’s Public Service Category receives a gold medal.
'Operation Dudhi'- Key Facts
Recently, the surviving soldiers of Operation Dudhi were felicitated by Assam Rifles. In
1991, 72 militants were eliminated by the Assam Rifles in a single counter-insurgency
operation that was conducted in Jammu & Kashmir.
What was Operation Dudhi?
This operation was undertaken by the Assam Rifles while it was in Jammu & Kashmir
from the years 1990 to 1992.
A team of 15 soldiers gunned down 72 Pakistan-trained extremists.
This remains the most successful counter-insurgency operation that has been
conducted by any security force till date.
The battalion had killed 72 militants and apprehended 13 others.
The column of the Assam Rifles had moved from Battalion Headquarters that was
located in Chowkibal for a routine patrol. The patrol was conducted to check the
Dudhi post that was vacated due to winter.
In the fierce firefight that took place till late night on the 5th and 6th May, soldiers Ram
Kumar Arya and Kameshwer Prasad attained martyrdom. RK Yadav had sustained
injuries during this mission.
When was Operation Dudhi conducted?
This operation was conducted on 3rd May 1991.
This mission was undertaken by a column that comprised a Junior Commissioned
Officer (JCO) along with 14 other ranks under Naib Subedar Padam Bahadur
Chhetri’s command.
What were the soldiers equipped with?
The soldiers were only equipped with light machine guns as well as 7.62 mm self-loading
rifles. The soldiers surrounded the enemy and then rained heavy fire at them.
How long did the battle last?
This battle between the soldiers and the militants lasted for over six hours until
reinforcements arrived. The reinforcements consisted of:

three columns that comprised 1 JCO and 25 other ranks all under an officer with the
major rank
35 other ranks were led by another Major rank officer
A medical corps team was also sent that was led by a Major rank medical officer.
What was seized from the militants?
For the next 4 days, search operations were carried out in the region. A huge cache of
ammunition and weapons that included 70 AK-47 rifles were seized from the militants.
World Bank’s World Governance Indicators (WGI)
According to a presentation prepared in 2020, by the then Principal Economic Advisor in
the Ministry of Finance, Sanjeev Sanyal, inputs that go into the making of the World Bank’s
World Governance Indicators (WGI) are arbitrary.
What is the presentation about?
A presentation titled— “Subjective Factors that impact India’s Sovereign Ratings:
What can we do about it?” — was prepared by the Ministry of Finance for internal
circulation within the government to counter the negative commentary on India.
The 36-page presentation noted that around 18-26% of India’s sovereign rating is
based on subjective factors and World Bank’s World Governance Indicators (WGI) is
used as a proxy for these subjective factors.
What are World Governance Indicators (WGI)?
The Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) project reports governance indicators for
over 200 countries for the following six dimensions of governance:
1. Voice and Accountability
2. Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism
3. Government Effectiveness
4. Regulatory Quality
5. Rule of Law
6. Control of Corruption
These aggregate indicators are based on over 30 individual data sources produced by a
variety of survey institutes, think tanks, non-governmental organizations (NGOs),
international organizations, and private sector firms such as Economist Intelligence Unit
(EIU), Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Project and Freedom House, etc.
What is the concern of the Indian government?
According to the government, World Governance Indicators (WGI) is based on
impressions from the Western press or small surveys of NGOs and a handful of
academics, many of them do not even have an India expert.
Due to the negative commentary on India by these institutes there will be a drop in
WGI scores.
This could downgrade India’s Sovereign Ratings.
Regarding which issues there was negative commentary in recent times?
Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act of 2019, Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019,
National Register of Citizens (NRC), construction of a Hindu temple at a disputed religious

site, etc. were the topics on which there was negative commentary.
Which sovereign rating agencies downgraded India’s ratings and why?
On June 1, 2020, Moody’s had downgraded India from Baa2 to Baa3 (the lowest
investment grade of ratings) and maintained a negative outlook.
On June 18, 2020, Fitch Ratings also revised India’s outlook to negative from stable,
although it affirmed the rating at BBB-. Fitch said that relations with Pakistan are
negatively affected by the repeal of the special status for Jammu and Kashmir and
recent changes to the status of illegal immigrants based on their religion.
What should the government do to avoid negative commentary?
The government should reach out to these agencies, initiate continuous discussions,
clearly spell out India’s reform measures and sensitize them on India’s internal matters.
What steps did the government take?
The government reached out to sovereign rating agencies. On October 5, 2021, Moody’s
Investors Service raised the outlook on India’s sovereign rating to ‘stable’ from ‘negative’.
RailTel: PM-WANI Based Wi-Fi Access at 100 Stations
The “Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI)” scheme has been
recently launched by RailTel. Through this scheme access to RailTel’s free and fast public
WiFi services will be provided in 100 Indian Railways stations across the country having
2,384 WiFi hotspots.
What is PM-WANI?
PM-WANI is the Department of Telecom’s program that helps facilitate the use and
proliferates broadband usage across the country. The framework of the PM-WANI has
been developed and designed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT).
Through the PM-WANI last-mile internet access is being provided across the country.
The stations are spread over how many states?
The 100 railway stations are spread across 22 states of the nation and include:
71 Category A1 railway stations
29 railway stations that are of other categories.
Who launched this PM-WANI-based WiFi access?
The chairman and managing director of RailTel Puneet Chawla launched this WiFi access
scheme.
How can a user access the WiFi network?
An individual can access the WiFi network via an android based mobile app named ‘Wi-
DOT’which is available on the Google Play Store. This mobile app has been developed in
association with the C-DOT. This method will be an addition to the already existing
method that allows WiFi access at these stations by selecting RailWire Service Set
Identifier. The PM-WANI will be facilitating the ease of use via a Know Your Customer
(KYC) so as to avoid One Time Password (OTP) based authentication every time an
individual tries to access the networks.
PM-WANI-based access will be spread across all stations by which year?
The government has plans of extending this PM-WANI-based WiFI access to all the 6102
railway stations having a Wi-Fi facility in a phased manner by June 2022’s end.
Appointment of Supreme Court judges in India
Recently, the Union government notified the appointment of two judges as judges of the
Supreme Court.
Who are the two new judges of the Supreme Court?
Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia: Justice Dhulia hails from Uttarakhand and is the grandson
of a freedom fighter who took part in the Quit India Movement. He became the Chief
Justice of the Gauhati High Court on January 10, 2021.
Justice Jamshed Burjor Pardiwala: Justice Pardiwala will be the fourth Parsi to be
elevated to the Supreme Court. He is the son of Burjor Cawasji Pardiwala, who
served as the Speaker Legislative Assembly of Gujarat. His appointment is the first
from the minority community in the past five years. He could become the chief
justice of India (CJI) upon the retirement of Justice PS Narasimha as the chief justice
of India (CJI).
Who recommended the names of judges?
On May 5 th, 2022, the Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana
recommended the names of judges for appointment as Supreme Court judges.
Who are the other 4 members of the collegium?
The other four members of the Supreme Court Collegium are Justices UU Lalit, AM
Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud, and L Nageswara Rao.
Where is the procedure to appoint judges to Supreme Court mentioned in the constitution?
The procedure to appoint judges to the Supreme Court of India is listed under clause 2 of
Article 124 of the Constitution of India.
Who can be the judge of the Supreme Court?
To be a Supreme Court judge, a person must necessarily be a citizen of India and must
have either been a judge of a High Court or two or more such Courts in succession for at
least five years or must have been an advocate of a High Court or two or more such
Courts in succession for at least ten years.
What is the procedure to appoint Supreme Court judges?
When a vacancy for the post of a Supreme Court judge arises, the CJI sends his
recommendation to the Union Minister of Law, Justice, and Company Affairs.
The CJI decides on his recommendation in consultation with a collegium of the four
senior-most judges of the Supreme Court.
The Union Law Minister presents the CJI’s final recommendation to the Prime
Minister, who then advises the President of India.
Once the warrant of appointment is signed by the President of India, a notification is
also issued in the Gazette of India.
What is the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court?
After the appointment of two new judges, the Supreme Court will have its full sanctioned
strength of 34 judges. However, two other vacancies will arise soon with Justice Vineet
Saran set to retire on May 10 and Justice Nageswara Rao on June 7.
USA Affordable Connectivity Program
A new initiative has been announced by US President Joe Biden to expand the access to
high-speed internet for low-income households across the United States for around USD
30 per month.
How many broadband providers have partnered for this program?
For this program, 20 broadband providers have partnered and they will be covering over
80 percent of the country. The partners include Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, and Spectrum.
The service providers have agreed to either increase internet speed without increasing
cost or reduce rates.
When was the Affordable Connectivity Program created?
In the year 2021, the Affordable Connectivity Program was created by the Biden
administration with the aim of providing subsidies to reduce the service costs of the
internet. The eligible families will be determined on an income basis as well as enrollment
in various other assistance programs.
How will a household be eligible for this program?
A household can be eligible for this program if the income of the household is at or below
200 per cent of the US Federal Poverty Guidelines, or if a household’s member meets at
least one of the following criteria:
Meets the participating provider’s eligibility criteria for the low-income internet
program
Has received a federal pell grant during the current ongoing year
If a member of a low-income household participates in any of the following assistance
programs:
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
The National School Lunch Program
The School Breakfast Program
Federal Public Housing Assistance
Medicaid
WIC
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Lifeline
Veterans Pension or Survivor Benefits
They will also be eligible if a person of a household takes part in one of the following
assistance programs as well as lives on Qualifying Tribal lands:
Tribal TANF
Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
Tribal Head Start (income-based)
Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
How can a household apply?
They will have to visit AffordableConnectivity.gov to apply or print out an application that
can be mailed in. The households then can contact their preferred service provider so as
to select a plan and then the discount will be applied to their bill.
How many households have already enrolled?
The families will be able to save around USD 30 per month or USD 75 per month on the
tribal lands. In the country, around 48 million households qualify to be a part of this
program and till 9th May 2022 over 11.5 million households have already enrolled.
15-year low Wheat Procurement
In the current marketing season, Wheat procurement by government agencies is set to
dip to a 15-year low.
How much Wheat procurement is expected in the current season?
It is expected that 18.5 million tonnes (mt) of wheat will be procured this time by
government agencies. This will be the lowest since the 11.1 mt bought in 2007-08. Also,
this time wheat procured from the new crop (18.5 mt) is less than the public stocks at the
start of the marketing season (19 mt). Usually, fresh procurement always exceeds the
opening balance stocks.
How much Wheat can be sold by the government?
With opening stocks of 19 mt and expected procurement of 18.5 mt, government agencies
would have 37.5 mt of wheat available for 2022-23. A minimum operational stock-cum-
strategic reserve also has to be maintained. For which, the closing stock requirement for
March 31st is 7.5 mt. After that 30 mt will be available for sale from government godowns
this fiscal.
Is the quantity sufficient for government welfare schemes?
The quantity with the government will be sufficient for the public distribution system
(PDS), midday meals, and other regular welfare schemes, whose annual wheat
requirement is around 26 mt. However, over the last two years, wheat requirements
increased because of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) scheme
and open market sales to flour mills, for which wheat quantity will be insufficient. The
Centre recently decided to slash allocation under the PMGKAY from 10.9 mt to 5.4 mt for
April-September 2022.
How much wheat was procured in 2021-22 by the government agencies?
The year 2021-22 witnessed unprecedented levels of both opening stocks (27.3 mt) and
procurement (43.3 mt).
Why wheat procurement by government agencies has fallen this time?
1. Increasing export demand: Supply disruptions from the Russia-Ukraine war led to
skyrocketing prices and a further increase in demand for Indian wheat.
2. Lower production of wheat: The sudden spike in temperatures from the second
half of March has reduced the yield. In most wheat-growing areas farmers have
reported a 15-20% decline in per-acre yields.
What is the minimum support price (MSP) for wheat?
The minimum support price (MSP) for wheat is Rs 20,150/tonne. The government is
procuring wheat at MSP.
UIDAI on Using Aadhar data in crime investigations
Recently, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has told the Delhi High Court
that fingerprints found at a crime scene cannot be matched against the Aadhaar database
to identify criminals.
Why did UIDAI object to using fingerprints for identifying criminals?
According to UIDAI, using fingerprints to identify criminals is against the Aadhaar Act
2016. Section 29 of the Aadhaar Act 2016 says that no “core biometric information”
collected under the Act shall be shared with anyone for any reason, or used for any
purpose, other than the generation of Aadhaar numbers and authentication under
the law.
Also, regulation 3 of the Aadhaar (Sharing of Information) Regulations, 2016 says
“core biometric information collected by the Authority under the Act shall not be
shared with anyone for any reason whatsoever”.
It is also not possible because of technology-related constraints. This is because
UIDAI does not collect biometric information based on technology or procedures
suitable for forensic purposes.
What is core biometric information?
According to the Aadhaar Act 2016, core biometric information includes fingerprints and
iris scans.
In what cases information can be disclosed?
Section 33 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016 says that identity information or authentication
records can be disclosed if such an order is made by a high court or Supreme Court judge,
after giving an opportunity of hearing to the UIDAI and the Aadhaar-holder. However, this
provision also says that “core biometric information shall not be disclosed under this
subsection”.
What information can be shared under Section 33 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016?
Information such as a photograph, demographic information, and authentication records
of an Aadhaar-holder can be shared by UIDAI under Section 33 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016.
What is UIDAI?
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is a statutory authority established
under the provisions of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies,
Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 (“Aadhaar Act 2016”) in 2016. It is established under the
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
What are the responsibilities of UIDAI?
Under the Aadhaar Act 2016, UIDAI is responsible for Aadhaar enrolment and
authentication, developing the policy, procedure, and system for issuing Aadhaar
numbers to individuals, and performing authentication.
Record Fall of Indian Rupee

th
On May 9 Indian Rupee fell to its all-time low against the US Dollar, closing at 77.50 per
USD.
Why did the value of the Indian Rupee fall?
Due to rising inflation, US Federal Reserve increased the interest rate. This led to the
strengthening of the US Dollar.
There is a sustained outflow of capital from India, which also led to the depreciation
of the rupee. The data from NSDL showed that so far in 2022, foreign portfolio
investors (FPIs) sold more than Rs 1.3 lakh crore worth of Indian equities. Recently,
India’s foreign exchange reserves also fell below $600 billion.
What is the impact of the depreciation of the Indian rupee?
Depreciation of the Indian rupee will give a boost to exports as exporters will get
better value for their foreign shipments pegged to the US dollar.
Imports will become costlier. As India is a net importer, a depreciating rupee will
worsen inflation. For example, India relies on imports to meet around 85% of its oil
requirements. If the rupee depreciates, fuel will become costlier.
Which sectors will benefit?
Sectors like Information technology (IT), agriculture, textiles, and engineering goods will
benefit from the decline in the Indian rupee, as they are most exported from India.
Which other major currencies weakened recently against the US dollar?
Chinese yuan and the Japanese yen also weakened recently against the US dollar.
What can RBI do to control further depreciation of the rupee?
To control the depreciation of the Indian rupee, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) can sell
dollars. The RBI can also use monetary policy tools, to influence the value of the Indian
rupee.
SEBI Advisory Committee on ESG-related Matters
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) recently set up an advisory committee
for advising on Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) related matters in India’s
securities market.
Who will be the head of the advisory committee?
The advisory committee on ESG-related matters will be headed by Navneet Munot, CEO of
HDFC Mutual Fund.
How many members are there on the committee?
The advisory committee has 19 expert members.
Who will be the secretariat to the committee?
4 Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) officials will be secretariat to the advisory
committee.
What are the terms of reference (TOR) of the committee?
Bringing enhancements in the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report
(BRSR), Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) ratings, and Environment, Social
and Governance (ESG) investing.
Regarding Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR), the advisory

committee is responsible for reviewing essential indicators and leadership indicators.
What is the purpose of the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR)?
From an investor’s perspective, it will enable them to make informed & evidence-
based decisions wrt how their investments have an impact on the environment,
economy & society.
From an organization perspective, BSBR will encourage them to look beyond
financial parameters alone and incorporate sustainability reporting.
By demonstrating their sustainable performance, organizations can create long-term
value for their stakeholders. If the ESG report is clear, more investments can be
attracted by the company.
What disclosures are made in Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR)?
Environmental disclosures include resource efficiency, greenhouse (GHG) emissions,
transitioning to a circular economy, waste management practices, biodiversity, etc.
Social disclosures include Gender and social diversity, welfare benefits, occupational
health, training, etc.
What is ESG investing?
Under ESG Investing, investments are made considering their impact on the environment,
society, and human wellbeing.
Why ESG investing is becoming popular?
The popularity of ESG investing is rising because investors are increasingly becoming
aware that the long-term value of their investments will depend on social and
environmental factors such as climate change, pandemics like COVID-19, etc.
May 12, 2022
Romain Rolland’ Book Prize
The Bengali translation of the French novel “Meursault, contre- enquête” (The Meursault
Investigation) was awarded the Romain Rolland Book Prize 2022. This year’s award is the
5th edition of this book prize.
Who is the writer of the novel “Meursault, contre- enquête?”
This is Algerian journalist and writer Kamel Daoud’s debut novel.
Who received the Romain Rolland Book Prize 2022?
This prize was awarded to publisher Esha Chatterjee and translator Trinanjan Chakraborty
of Patra Bharati. It is one of the leading publishers of prestigious Bengali books. Patra
Bharati has received this award for the first time. Both the publisher and translator will be
visiting the Paris Book Fair 2023 (Livre Paris 2023) as part of this prize.
When was this award given?
This award was given during the “French Literary Festival-French LitFest 2022” that was
held at Bikaner House, New Delhi on 7 th May 2022. The French Institute in India had
organized this award ceremony.
When was the prize established?
In the year 2017, the Romain Rolland Book Prize was established to honour the best
translation of French literature into any Indian language as well as English.

The prize jury is composed of whom?
The jury for this prize consists of professors from different French and Indian universities.
Also, literary translators from India and France are also present to assess the translated
work’s quality. The jury is chaired by the French Embassy in India.
Yoon Suk Yeol: New President of South Korea - Update (May, 2022)
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On 10 May 2022, Yoon Suk-yeol was sworn in as the new president of South Korea in
Seoul’s National Assembly. He took office at a time when there are high ongoing tensions
with North Korea.
When was the election result announced?
In March 2022, the election results were announced and Yoon had won the election by a
very slim margin.
What promises did the new president make regarding North Korea?
Yoon Suk-yeol has promised to deal sternly with North Korea and Kim Jong Un while also
keeping open a channel for dialogue. He wants to settle talks with North Korea peacefully
but will deal with any matter sternly if such a need arises.
What promise did Yoon Suk-yeol make regarding the country’s domestic issues?
Various domestic issues were addressed by the new president which he will be working
upon. This includes slowing of the country’s economic growth and rising unemployment.
He is looking to boost the economy as well as improve the country’s scientific as well as
technological advancements.
Who is being replaced by Yoon Suk-yeol?
Yoon Suk-yeol has replaced Moon Jae-in as the new president of South Korea. Jae-in was
the 12th president of the country and was in charge from 2017 to 2022.
The new president represents which political party?
Suk-yeol represents the People Power Party. He joined this party on 30th July 2021.
Intersolar Europe 2022 Event
The solar industry has gathered in Munich, Germany for the Intersolar Europe 2022 that is
being held from 11 th to 13 th May 2022. This event is providing a wide range of solar
thermal, photovoltaics (PV), and solar plant solutions.
Who are attending this event?
This event is being attended by over 20,000 people including secretaries and ministers
from various countries across the globe. Representatives and CEOs of big multinational
companies from the renewable energy sector such as Siemens, ABB, 3S Swiss Solar
Solutions, Ercon, BayWa r.e. AG, Meyer Burger Technologies AG, etc are also taking part in
this event.
What discussions are being held at this event?
In this event, discussions are being held regarding technologies, markets, and financing of
PV projects. Highlights will also be given to large-scale PV power plants, especially Floating
PV and Agri-PV. Other topics like the potential of digitalization, Artificial Intelligence, new
business models, integrated solar PV systems, and the development of the PV market are
also being discussed.

What does the event focus on?
The event focuses on:
Photovoltaics
solar plants
solar thermal technologies
solutions for renewable energy integration
grid infrastructure
This event was founded in 1991 and since then it has become the solar industry’s most
important event for the suppliers, manufacturers, service providers, and distributors.
Who is representing India in this event?
Bhagwanth Khuba, Minister of State for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy will be
attending this event on 12th May 2022. A keynote address will be delivered by him titled
“India’s Solar Energy Market.” Through this event, India will be looking to generate
benefits like:
International investments in the solar manufacturing sector
Technology transfer in the area of solar
Knowledge sharing pacts
Investments from the KfW development bank
Hence, this event is also very important from India’s viewpoint.
UK-India Business Commission
Recently, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Confederation of British
Industry (CBI) inked a pact to establish the UK-India Business Commission.
What are the objectives of the UK-India Business Commission?
To increase collaboration among industries of the United Kingdom (UK) and India.
To advocate the removal of the barriers to bilateral trade and reduce tariffs.
To push for the early conclusion of the UK-India free trade agreement (FTA).
What will be the function of the UK-India Business Commission?
The UK-India Business Commission provides a platform to discuss ways to ensure that the
UK-India free trade agreement (FTA) works to the advantage of industries and businesses
in both the UK and India.
The UK-India Business Commission will also provide ground-level business intelligence to
both the United Kingdom (UK) and India at the ministerial level. It will also help in
addressing the common concerns and identifying the mutual interests of both countries.
What is the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)?
It is a non-governmental trade association, registered under Societies Registration Act,
1860. It was established in 1895 and is headquartered in New Delhi. It is a membership-
based organization and engages leaders from various areas.
What is the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)?
It is a non-profit business organization based in the United Kingdom (UK). It was formed
in 1965 and is one of the largest business organizations. It promotes the interests of the
businesses through methods like lobbying the governments, providing business

intelligence, etc. both in the United Kingdom (UK) and at the international level. The CBI
also has an office in New Delhi, India.
When is the UK-India free trade agreement (FTA) expected to conclude?
At a recent meeting in New Delhi between Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom (UK)
and India, it was decided that Diwali will be the deadline for the completion of a draft
agreement between both the countries.
How many rounds of negotiations have been held till now for FTA?
Three rounds of negotiations for the UK-India free trade agreement (FTA) have been held
till now, with the third round of negotiations held last week in New Delhi, India.
AIM-PRIME Playbook
The AIM-PRIME (Program for Researchers in Innovation, Market Readiness, and
Entrepreneurship) Playbook has been launched by NITI Aayog.
What is the aim of the AIM-PRIME playbook?
The AIM-PRIME playbook has been launched with the aim of promoting early-stage deep
technology ideas that are science-based to the market via guidance and training for a
period of over 12 months. This will be done by using a learning curriculum that will be
blended in nature. The area of focus will be on deep technology entrepreneurship that will
be science-based as well as knowledge-intensive.
Who will be implementing the AIM-PRIME programme?
This programme is a national project of NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission. It is being
implemented by Venture Centre, Pune in association with the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation. Venture Centre is a non-profit technology business incubator that is being
hosted by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–National Chemical Laboratory
(CSIR-NCL).
Who will be the beneficiaries of this programme?
The beneficiaries include:
Technology developers who have deep tech business ideas that are science-based.
CEOs as well as Senior incubation managers of Atal Incubation Centres that are
looking to support deep tech entrepreneurs.
What are the other benefits of the AIM-PRIME programme?
PRIME Library- it is a curated information source that is shared by expert mentors
and the faculty of the programme.
PRIME Videos- an open-access collection of videos of all the lectures that have been
delivered in the PRIME Classroom.
What will the candidates selected for this programme get access to?
The candidates who will be selected for this programme will be getting access to various
kinds of in-depth learning through:
team projects
lecture series
mentoring that will be project-specific
various exercises
The candidates will also be able to access a playbook that will be related to deep-tech
start-ups as well as various other learning opportunities.
What is deep technology?
Deep technology is mostly start-up companies that are looking to provide technology
solutions that are based on various important engineering and scientific challenges as
well as scientific discoveries and advances. Deep Tech is generally set apart due to its
intense enabling power and the changes it can create.
Resignation of Sri Lankan PM
Recently, the Sri Lankan Prime Minister (PM) Mahinda Rajapaksa tendered his resignation
as Prime Minister to the Sri Lankan President.
Why did the Sri Lankan Prime Minister resign?
Amid the economic crisis and intensified protests and violence, Sri Lankan citizens have
been demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister. Also, Sri Lankan President
Gotabaya Rajapaksa wanted Prime Minister to resign, as it will enable him to form an
interim government and pave the way for a solution to the present crisis in Sri Lanka.
Why are the earlier positions held by Mahinda Rajapaksa?
Mahinda Rajapaksa also served as a President. During his term, Sri Lanka witnessed the
defeat of Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009. His term is marked by allegations of corruption,
human rights abuses, and nexus with China, which led the country into a debt trap.
What happens after the resignation of the Sri Lankan Prime Minister?
The Sri Lankan cabinet will be dissolved and a new Prime minister will be selected. A unity
government with the Opposition can be formed by the President. The Parliament may be
dissolved and fresh elections can be conducted for the Parliament.
How the new Prime Minister will be selected?
A national council appointed by the President will select the new prime minister and
Cabinet comprising all parties in the Sri Lankan Parliament.
Can the Sri Lankan President dissolve Parliament?
President can dissolve the Parliament. But as per the constitution of Sri Lanka, the
president cannot dissolve parliament until midway through its five-year term (until
February 2023). To dissolve the parliament before February 2023, the parliament has to
pass a resolution.
What is the crisis in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis. The nation does not even have enough
foreign exchange reserves to import essential items like fuel, medicines, and food. It also
defaulted on its foreign debts. The economic turmoil gave rise to political instability and
civil strife.
What are the reasons for the economic crisis in Sri Lanka?
The economy was already in decline and the Covid-19 pandemic further worsened the
economic situation. Exports like tea drastically fell due to the pandemic, and the
remittances were also reduced. The tourism sector on which the Sri Lankan economy is
dependent also suffered. Decisions like reducing corporate income tax, and abruptly
moving towards organic farming also aggravated the economic crisis.
Sedition Law: Supreme Court order
The Supreme Court through its order stalled the operation of the sedition law.
What did the Supreme Court say?
The Supreme Court in its order said that it will not be appropriate to continue the
usage of the Sedition law by the governments, till its re-examination is complete.
The Court said that it expects no new FIRs should be filed for sedition.
The Court also said that all the cases already pending trial will be kept on hold.
How can an individual get relief if a sedition case is registered by the government?
If any new sedition case is registered, the affected individual can approach the court for
relief.
What is the response of the Central government?
The center told the Supreme Court that it will issue a directive to states and Union
Territories (UTs) regarding the new application of the sedition law in the wake of the
Supreme Court’s order.
Earlier, the Union Home Ministry announced that it will review the sedition law.
What are the concerns?
Often the Supreme Court rulings do not trickle down to the lowest level of governance
and continue to be misused. For example, cases are registered under Section 66A of the IT
Act, 2000 act even after it is struck down by the Supreme Court in the Shreya Singhal case
in 2015.
Also, the burden of deciding the validity of the sedition law is shifted from the Supreme
Court to the government. However, the government did not inform who will review the
sedition law, whether it is Parliament or a separate committee will be formed.
What is sedition?
Sedition is defined in Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Sedition is showing
hatred or disaffection towards the Government.
What is the punishment for sedition?
Under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), an individual can be punished with
imprisonment for life and can also be fined.
When was the sedition law introduced in India?
Sedition law is a colonial-era law. Sedition was included as an offense under section 124A
Indian Penal Code (IPC) in 1890.
Who are the famous freedom fighters charged under the sedition law?
Mahatma Gandhi, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Maulana Azad, Annie Besant, Shaukat Ali and
Mohammad Ali.
Is the sedition law constitutional?
In Kedar Nath Singh v Union of India, 1962, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional
validity of Section 124A of IPC. However, the Supreme Court held that unless there is
incitement of violence, criticism of the government cannot be called sedition.
Katalin Novak: First Female President of Hungary

Katalin Novak has been elected as the first female President of the country. She is also
Hungary’s youngest President at 44 years of age.
She replaced whom as the new President?
Janos Ader was replaced by Katalin Novak as the new President of the country. Novák will
be holding this post for a five-year term.
When was she elected as the President?
On 10th March Novak was elected as the president of the country by the Parliament of
Hungary.
Who was her opponent in the Presidential election?
Peter Rona was her opponent during the 2022 Presidential election. He was nominated by
United for Hungary, a political alliance that was created for the president’s post.
Katalin Novak is a member of which Hungarian political party?
She is a member of Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Alliance. She has also served as a member of
the National Assembly from the year 2018 to 2022. Under the fourth Viktor Orbán
Government, she had also served as the Minister for Family Affairs from the year 2020 to
2021.
B.V. Doshi: Winner of Royal Gold Medal 2022
Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi has been conferred with the prestigious Royal Gold Medal
2022. This award is said to be one of the world’s highest honours that one can receive in
the field of architecture.
Who presented this award to B.V. Doshi?
Simon Allford who is the president of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
presented this award to B.V. Doshi at his residence in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Why is this medal awarded?
This award is presented to recognize a lifetime’s work of an individual that had a
significant impact on advancing the field of architecture. Queen Elizabeth of the United
Kingdom personally approves this prestigious medal.
What are some of the famous works of B.V. Doshi?
He has worked on 100 projects that include educational facilities, cultural buildings,
housing developments, etc. Some of his important projects include:
Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
Ahmedabad School of Architecture
Aranya Low-Cost Housing
Indian Institute of Management, Udaipur
Tagore Hall and Memorial Theatre, Ahmedabad
NIFT Delhi
In which year did he receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize?
In the year 2018, he became the first Indian to be conferred with the Pritzker Architecture
Prize. This award is said to be the Noble Prize for architecture. After receiving the Royal
Gold Medal, he becomes the first Indian and very few from across the globe to have
received both prizes.

When was B.V. Doshi conferred the Padma Bhushan?
He was conferred the Padma Bhushan by the Indian central government in the year 2020.
It is the country’s third-highest civilian award.
Tamil Nadu Free Breakfast Program
Speaking in the Tamil Nadu assembly, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister (CM) M. K. Stalin
announced a free breakfast scheme for government school students.
What are the other announcements made by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin?
The other schemes announced by the CM are:
1. A scheme to eradicate nutrition deficiency in the state.
2. Establishment of schools of excellence.
3. Establishment of primary health centers (PHCs) in urban areas.
4. Expansion of the grievances redress system called ‘CM in Your Constituency’.
Why the free breakfast scheme was introduced in the state?
The scheme was introduced because it was found that usually, many government school
children skip their breakfast before attending school. This is because of their family
situation and also lack of time, as schools are far away from their home.
What is the significance?
With the introduction of this scheme, Tamil Nadu will be the first state in India to offer
breakfast along with mid-day meals to government school children.
To which class students’ free breakfast is provided?
CM Stalin announced that free breakfast will be provided to students of Classes 1-5 on all
working days of the school. Initially, the scheme will be launched in some municipalities
and villages and will be later expanded to the entire State in a phased manner.
Who will implement the free breakfast scheme?
The free breakfast scheme will be implemented through the local bodies.
What did the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 say about free breakfast in schools?
The National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 recommended providing breakfast at school.
This is because studies show that providing a healthy breakfast will enhance the cognitive
development of school children.
National Technology Day
th
Every year, May 11 is celebrated in India as National Technology Day.
Why May 11th is celebrated as National Technology Day?
To mark the anniversary of the Pokhran nuclear tests (Pokhran-II) conducted in May 1998.
What were the Pokhran-II nuclear tests?
They were a series of five nuclear tests conducted under the administration of Dr. APJ
Abdul Kalam at the Indian Army’s Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan’s Thar desert from 11th
to 13th May 1998.
What was the code name of the Pokhran-II nuclear tests?
Operation Shakti.
When did India conduct its first nuclear test?
The first nuclear tests were conducted by India in 1974. It was code-named, Smiling
Buddha.
When National Technology Day was first observed?
It was first observed on 11th May 1999.
What is the theme for this year’s National Technology Day?
Integrated Approach in Science & Technology for Sustainable Future.
How National Technology Day is celebrated?
The National Technology day pays honors scientists and engineers for their technological
contributions to India. The Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Department
of Science and Technology calls for applications for the national awards for the
commercialization of technologies.
Under what categories, the awards are given?
The awards are given under the following three categories: National Awards, Micro, Small,
and Medium Enterprise (MSME) awards, and Startup awards.
What is Technology Development Board (TDB)?
Technology Development Board (TDB) is a statutory body, established in 1996 under the
Technology Development Board Act, 1995. The objective of TDB is to promote the
development and commercialization of indigenous technology.
Convergence of Ride-hailing platforms in National Consumer Helpline
Ride-hailing companies such as Ola and Uber were directed by the Department of
Consumer Affairs (DoCA) to become convergence partners in the National Consumer
Helpline (NCH).
What is the need for convergence?
Converges ensures better grievance redressal for consumers. It will also ensure
compliance with Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and E-commerce Rules, 2020.
What are the major ride-hailing apps in India?
Ola, Uber, Rapido, Meru Cabs, Jugnoo, etc.
What are the major consumer grievances against ride-hailing apps?
Deficiency in service provided by the platforms
Inaccessible customer support to the consumers
Unreasonable cancellation charges
Fairness of calculation of the ride fares by the algorithms
What are the service-related grievances?
Refusal of online mode of payment by the drivers.
Including services such as insurance without obtaining explicit consent from the
consumer.
Charging a higher amount on the same route traveled previously at a lesser charge.
Unprofessional behavior of the driver
Lack of comfort like not switching on the AC by the driver.
What are the issues with customer support?
Customer care number is not easily available on the app.
Details of grievance redressal officers are also not mentioned on the app.
Instead of talking in real-time with the customer and redressing the grievance, an
automated pre-written message is provided.

What are the issues regarding the levy of cancellation charges?
Customer is not shown the time within which canceling a ride is allowed and the
cancellation charge amount is not clearly mentioned on the app before booking the
ride.
Cancellation Charges are arbitrary.
Often drivers force users to cancel the rides and the user has to bear the cancellation
charges.
What are the issues with algorithms?
For the same route, a frequent customer is charged higher than the person who is
traveling for the first time. Thus, the calculation of fares by the algorithm is arbitrary.
Conference of the Parties (COP15) of UNCCD
The 15th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations
Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is being held from 9 th May to 20th May
2022.
Where is the COP 15 taking place?
Abidjan, a city in Cote d’Ivoire.
What is the theme of COP 15?
Land. Life. Legacy: From scarcity to prosperity.
What is the objective of COP 15?
To bring together stakeholders from governments and the private sector to drive
progress towards sustainable management of land.
What is the top agenda of COP 15?
Drought, land restoration, land rights, gender equality, and youth empowerment are the
focus areas of COP 15.
Who represented India at COP 15?
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav.
What are the highlights of the environment minister’s speech at COP 15?
He called for action to ensure that land is sustainably managed and stressed the role of
land in achieving the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He also
said that to reduce pressure on land, change should be at the individual level.
What is the recent report released by UNCCD?
UNCCD released the Second edition of Global Land Outlook (GLO2), which is being
discussed at COP 15. The report observed that around 40% of all ice-free land is degraded.
What is the observation regarding droughts at COP 15?
As per the Drought in Numbers, 2022 report released at the COP 15, the frequency and
duration of drought are increasing across the world. According to the report, India is one
of the severely drought-impacted countries. Around 66% of India suffered a drought
during 2020-2022.
What is UNCCD?
Adopted in 1994, UNCCD is the only internationally legally binding framework established
to address the problem of desertification. It is ratified by the European Union (EU) and 196
countries, thus it has universal reach. The Conference of the Parties (COP) to UNCCD
oversees the implementation of UNCCD.
May 13, 2022
Centre of Excellence for Khadi (CoEK)
Union Minister for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) recently inaugurated
the Centre of Excellence for Khadi (CoEK).
Where is the Centre of Excellence for Khadi (CoEK) located?
The hub of the Centre of Excellence for Khadi (CoEK) is located at the National Institute of
Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi, and its spokes are in Gandhinagar, Shillong,
Kolkata, and Bengaluru. Thus, it follows the hub and spoke model.
Who signed the MoU to set up the Centre of Excellence for Khadi (CoEK)?
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for setting up of Centre of Excellence for Khadi
(CoEK) was signed in 2021 between KVIC (Khadi and Village Industries Commission) and
the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi.
What will be the function of the Centre of Excellence for Khadi (CoEK)?
Its function is to introduce the latest designs and create new fabrics adhering to the global
standards and also meeting the needs of domestic and foreign buyers. Its will design
apparel, home furnishing, and accessories for people. It will also upskill the khadi
institutions to introduce the latest designs and manufacturing techniques. A Knowledge
Portal for Khadi is also being developed by CoEK to reach out to all the Khadi Institutions.
How will the Centre of Excellence for Khadi (CoEK) promote Khadi?
The CoEK will help in the branding and packaging of khadi products. It will also increase
the international reach of khadi by organizing khadi fashion shows.
Kerala Tomato Flu Outbreak
Kerala has been struck by another viral disease known as the Tomato Flu. It is a rare viral
disease due to which blisters shaped like tomatoes are formed. As of 11 th May 2022,
around 80 children of the state who are under the age of five have already been affected.
This disease has been detected in which district of Kerala?
All the 80 cases in Kerala have been detected from the Kollam district. But since then,
some cases of tomato flu have been detected in the Anchal, Neduvathur, and Aryankavu
districts. Due to this outbreak, the neighbouring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have
increased their border surveillance.
What is the Tomato Flu?
This is a flu that causes red blisters and rashes on the body of the infected child. They are
mostly generally red in colour and hence it is known as Tomato Fever or Tomato Flu.
Several health experts have said that this viral disease is most probably an after-effect of
dengue fever or chikungunya.
What are the symptoms of this disease?
The main symptoms of this disease include:
Large blisters that are red in colour and are tomato sized
Body ache
High fever
Swelling of joints.
Nausea
Abdominal cramps
Fatigue
Vomiting
Discolouration of knees, hands, and buttocks.
What is the treatment for Tomato Flu?
This disease has no specific treatment. This disease is also highly contagious. Doctors have
also suggested that the infected children must not scratch the blisters that have been
caused by the flu. Also, patients infected with this disease must keep themselves hydrated
as well as maintain proper sanitation and hygiene. Also, to stop this disease from
spreading, one must avoid close contact with the person infected with this disease.
NITI Aayog: Experience Studio on Drones
An experience studio on drones at NITI Aayog was launched by the Union Minister of Civil
Aviation.
What is the aim of the experience studio on drones?
To create a collaborative ecosystem, thereby encouraging innovation and pushing for the
usage of drones for public services.
How the experience studio on drones will be beneficial to the drone industry?
It will promote various applications of drones and helps in building a robust drone
industry in India.
Start-ups can showcase their innovations and unique solutions with the help of an
experience studio.
The government departments can have direct experience with drone technologies
and consider using them in the delivery of public services.
What are the highlights of the minister’s speech at the launch event?
The minister said that India’s drone sector is on the path of exponential growth,
therefore India requires more than 1,00,000 drone pilots in the near future.
Minister also said that India can be a global drone hub by 2030. For that, we need to
push for the usage of drones in various sectors.
He mentioned that the government is taking various steps to make drone services
easily accessible to all citizens of India.
He also announced the launch of various competitions, which will be held by NITI
Aayog in collaboration with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA).
What competitions were launched by the minister?
Drones for Social Impact Competition: This competition is for the start-up community
to enable them to showcase their capabilities in bringing solutions to critical
problems.
Robotics Workshop and Competition: This competition is for students of Atal
Tinkering Labs (ATLs) to encourage the spirit of innovation.
How the government is promoting the adoption of drones?
The government is liberalizing the drone rules and increasing awareness regarding
drones through programs like Drone Shakti and Kisan Drones.
Gujarat: Utkarsh Samaroh Event
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually addressed the ‘Utkarsh Samaroh’ event that
was held at Bharuch, Gujarat on 12 th May 2022. This programme was organized to
celebrate the 100 per cent saturation of four key state government schemes in this
district. While interacting with the people of this district PM Modi talked about the Utkarsh
Initiative.
What is the Utkarsh Initiative?
The Bharuch district administration carried out this initiative from 1st January to 31st March
2022 with the aim of providing the citizens of this district a complete coverage of the four-
state government schemes for the elderly, widows, and impoverished citizens.
How many beneficiaries were identified?
Under the four schemes, a total of 12,854 beneficiaries were identified.
What are the four schemes?
The four schemes are:
Indira Gandhi Vrudh Sahay Yojana
Ganga Swaroopa Aarthik Sahay Yojana
Rashtriy Kutumb Sahay Yojana
Niradhar Vrudh Aarthik Sahay Yojana
The district administration had set up a taluka-wise WhatsApp helpline so as to collect
data about all those people of this district who couldn’t avail of the four-state government
schemes.
Why were Utkarsh camps organized?
In the Bharuch district, Utkarsh camps were set up wherein any applicants producing
necessary documents were provided with instant approvals under the four schemes.
What is Gujarat Ganga Swaroopa Aarthik Sahay Yojana?
This scheme was launched to help the women of the state who have lost their husbands.
The women are being helped financially under this scheme so that they can take care of
their families.
What is Indira Gandhi Vrudh Sahay Yojana?
This scheme was launched to help all those beneficiaries who are aged 60 years and above
and belong to the Below Poverty Line category.
What is Niradhar Vrudh Aarthik Sahay Yojana?
This scheme was launched to help the destitute persons with disabilities as well as the
destitute old people of the state to lead dignified life by providing them with financial
help.
What is Rashtriy Kutumb Sahay Yojana?
When the main breadwinner of a family living Below Poverty Line dies then the family
members are eligible for financial benefits under this scheme.
MSME RuPAY Credit Card- Phase 2

Union Minister for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) launched the second
phase of the MSME RuPay Credit Card with the National Payments Corporation of India
(NPCI) and 4 banks- Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bank of Baroda, SBM Bank (India), and HDFC
Bank.
What are the benefits offered by MSME RuPAY Credit Card to MSME borrowers?
Anytime digital payments.
50 days interest-free credit period for MSME borrowers on their business spending.
EMI facility on the business-related purchases of MSMEs.
Thus, the MSME RuPAY Credit Card provides a simplified payment mechanism for Micro,
Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to meet their operational expenses.
How will MSME RuPAY Credit Card benefit banks?
Banks can monitor the transactions of MSME borrowers at a micro-level. With the
availability of digital payments, the MSME RuPAY Credit Card will reduce the demand for
cash withdrawal.
Can MSME RuPAY Credit Card be used for personal purposes?
The MSME RuPAY Credit Card cannot be used for personal purposes. Banks may prohibit
the usage of this card on some Merchant codes like Gambling, Jewellery, etc. based on the
activity of the borrower.
Who launched the RuPAY card?
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
What are the cards offered by RuPAY?
RuPay offers debit cards, credit cards, prepaid cards, and government scheme cards.
What are the government scheme cards offered by RuPAY?
The government scheme cards offered by RuPAY include RuPay Mudra, RuPay Kisan credit
card, RuPay PMJDY (Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana) card, etc.
Mumbai: First Organic Waste-powered EV Charging Station
India’s first organic waste-powered Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station has been
inaugurated at Keshavrao Khadye Marg, Mumbai, Aditya Thackeray, Maharashtra’s
Minister of Environment and Tourism inaugurated this charging station on 9th May 2022.
Who has developed this organic waste-powered charging station?
This organic waste-powered charging station has been jointly developed by AeroCare
Clean Energy and ward D of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
How much garbage is daily processed by this plant?
Daily this plant processes around 2,000 kgs of garbage.
How much units of energy are generated from this plant?
220 units of energy are generated from this waste management plant and it powers the
streetlights. Now, this plant will also be acting as an EV charging station. Fats-charging will
also be made available for the EV owners at a reasonable price. This plant can also
generate around 80 to 110 cubic metres of gas daily.
How much food waste has been utilized so far by this plant?
In the year 2021, this plant was installed. To generate electricity, this facility has till now
already utilized around 1.5 lakh kilograms of food waste. The BMC has plans of installing
more organic waste-powered EV charging stations so that EV adoptability increases in the
region.
MoU for Varanasi Skill India International Centre
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the National Skill
Development Corporation (NSDC) and DP World of UAE so as to develop a Skill India
International Centre at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The MoU was signed by Hindustan Ports
Private Limited, the Indian unit of DP World.
Why was this MoU signed?
This MoU has been signed to encourage the youth of India to pursue overseas
employment opportunities in the areas of port operations, logistics, and allied areas.
What is the aim of the Skill India International Centres?
The aim of the Skill India International Centres is to provide the Indian youth with high-
quality training. These centres will be hosting training facilities, that will provide skills to
the youth of the country as per the demand of various international employers who are
located in the countries such as Canada, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) region, and Australia.
How will the partnering organizations of the Skill India International Centres help?
These centres will be having a wide network of overseas recruiters and partnering
organizations that will help facilitate the supply of certified and skilled workforce. The
partnering organizations will also be working with the NSDC to increase the demand for
the Indian workforce in the overseas markets.
What other services will be provided by the Skill India International Centres?
These centres will also be offering other services like:
Counselling
Mobilisation
pre-departure orientation
skill training
placement support
foreign language training
post-placement and immigration support.
What is the Gulf Cooperation Council region?
GCC is an economic and political alliance that comprises 6 Middle Eastern countries that
are Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Bahrain.
International Day of Plant Health
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in March 2022 passed a resolution to mark
May 12th as International Day of Plant Health (IDPH) to raise awareness regarding the
safety of plants and the importance of protecting plant health.
Which countries signed the resolution?
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution was co-signed by countries like
Bolivia, Finland, Pakistan, the Philippines, Tanzania, and Zambia.
What are the objectives of the International Day of Plant Health (IDPH)?
1. To increase the awareness regarding the importance of keeping plants healthy to
achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 i.e Zero Hunger.
2. To minimize the risk of the spread of plant pests through international travel and
trade.
3. To strengthen early warning systems to protect plant health.
4. To ensure sustainable pesticide management to keep plants healthy.
5. To encourage investment in research and development regarding plant health.
Why protecting plant health is important?
Protecting plant health will help in eliminating hunger, reducing poverty, protecting
biodiversity, and boosting economic growth and development. This is because Plants
contribute to 80% of food needs and 98% of oxygen.
What are the threats to plants?
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), every year around 40% of
food crops are lost due to invasive pests and diseases. Climate change and destructive
human activities are also damaging the plant ecosystems and contributing to the loss of
biodiversity. Global warming also helps pests to grow and thrive.
What is the impact of pest and disease attacks on plants?
Pest and disease attack damages agriculture, which leads to growing food insecurity all
over the world. This also threatens rural livelihoods which are heavily dependent on
agriculture. Plant diseases cost the global economy around USD 220 billion and invasive
insects cost more than USD 70 billion.
When was the International Year of Plant Health celebrated?
The year 2020 was declared as International Year of Plant Health (IYPH) by the United
Nations (UN). However, the IYPH was extended till 1 July 2021 to complete the pending
activities, which were severely disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Second Global summit on Covid-19
The Second Global Summit on COVID-19 was recently held virtually.
Who hosted the Second Global Summit on COVID-19?
The summit was co-hosted by the United States, Belize, Germany, Indonesia, and Senegal.
What are the objectives of the Second Global Summit on COVID-19?
1. To accelerate efforts to increase global vaccine coverage.
2. To enhance access to tests and treatments.
3. To protect the health workers.
4. To ensure health security for future health crises.
What is the theme of the Second Global COVID Summit?
Preventing Pandemic Fatigue and Prioritizing Preparedness.
What are the commitments by India?
India said it will continue efforts to extend the coverage of COVID-19 booster doses to
eligible populations and strive towards complete vaccination coverage for India’s adult
population. India highlighted the increased funding allocated for the health sector in the
recent budget and said that it will increase the number of integrated public health labs, as
well as bio-safety labs. India also said that it is committed to supplying vaccines to
neighboring countries and will share COVID-19 genomic data.
What are the commitments by the USA?
President Joe Biden said that the USA will share technologies used to make Covid-19
vaccines through the WHO. The USA will contribute an additional $200 million to a global
health fund.
What are the highlights of PM Modi’s speech at the summit’s opening session?
PM highlighted the contribution of India’s Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) to the
global database on COVID-19.
PM said that India fully vaccinated almost 90% of the adult population and supplied
around 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to 98 countries.
He said that India manufactures 4 World Health Organization (WHO) approved
vaccines.
PM called for reforms in World Health Organization (WHO) to create resilient global
health security architecture.
What is INSACOG?
Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) is a consortium of 38 labs to monitor
the genomic variations in SARS-CoV-2.
Who set up the INSACOG?
INSACOG is set up under the Union Health Ministry of Health and Family welfare.
Northern Ireland Protocol - Update (May, 2022)
The Northern Ireland Protocol is becoming a point of tension between the European
Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK).
Where is Northern Ireland located?
Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom (UK). It shares a border with the Republic
of Ireland (a member of the EU).
What is the Northern Ireland Protocol?
The protocol is a part of the UK’s Brexit agreement with the European Union (EU). Before
Brexit, there was no need for checks or paperwork to transport goods across the UK-
Republic of Ireland border because both countries are part of the EU. But after Brexit,
checks, and paperwork is required at the border as the EU has strict rules.
However, as per the Northern Ireland Protocol, instead of the Northern Ireland – Republic
of Ireland border, inspections and document checks will be conducted at the Northern
Ireland- Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) border. Northern Ireland continues
to follow EU rules on product standards.
Who is opposing the Northern Ireland Protocol?
The protocol is opposed by unionists in Northern Ireland. Unionists are those who want
Northern Ireland to remain within the UK.
What are the changes demanded by the UK?
Getting rid of checks between Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) and
Northern Ireland.
Goods that remain in Northern Ireland only need to meet the standards of the UK.
Removing the role the European Commission and the European Court of Justice have
in overseeing the working of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
What are the proposals of the EU in response to the demands of the UK?
80% reduction in checks on food products arriving in Northern Ireland from Great
Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) and 50% reduction in the amount of
paperwork.
Reducing the customs information that organizations need to provide.
Allowing continuing the trade in medicines between Great Britain (England, Scotland,
and Wales) and Northern Ireland by bringing a law.
Relaxing rules so chilled meats can be sent across the Irish Sea.
However, the EU demanded extra safeguards in return to prevent products from Great
Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) from entering the Republic of Ireland (a member of
the EU). But the United Kingdom (UK) rejected this offer.
Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA)
India is elected as the new Chair of the Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA) for
2022-24.
Who is the current chair of AAEA?
Commission on Elections, Manila.
When was India elected as chair of AAEA?
India was unanimously elected as the Chair of AAEA at the meeting of the Executive Board
and General Assembly in Manila, the Philippines held on May 7th, 2022.
Who represented India at the meeting?
The Election Commission of India’s (ECI) 3-member delegation attended the Executive
Board meeting in Manila. It was headed by Deputy Election Commissioner Nitesh Vyas.
The other two members of the delegation are the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Manipur
and the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Rajasthan.
What did the delegation present to the Executive Board?
The delegation presented the plan of work for the coming years and also gave a
presentation on ‘Gender Issues in Elections’. The presentation outlined various targeted
initiatives of ECI to break socio-political barriers in electoral processes which pave for
inclusive elections.
What is the Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA)?
The AAEA, established in 1998, is a non-partisan forum that enables sharing of the best
practices among election authorities of various countries to promote free and fair
elections and strengthen governance & democracy. The Election Commission of India
(ECI) is the founding member of AAEA’s Election Management Body (EMB).
India's Contribution for Hindi @ UN project
India has contributed $800,000 to the Hindi@UN project to encourage the use of Hindi in
the United Nations (UN).
What is the ‘Hindi @ UN’ project?
It is a project launched by the Government of India in collaboration with the UN
Department of Public Information in 2018.
What is the objective of the ‘Hindi @ UN’ project?
To enhance the public outreach of the United Nations (UN) in Hindi. This helps in
spreading awareness about global issues among the Hindi-speaking population.
What are the other efforts taken by the Indian government to promote Hindi at the UN?
Since 2018, India is providing a voluntary financial contribution to the United Nations
Department of Global Communications (UN DGC) to mainstream its news content in Hindi.
News of the United Nations is being disseminated in Hindi since 2018 through the United
Nations website and social media handles. Further, every week, a UN News-Hindi audio
bulletin (UN Radio) is released.
Is Hindi the official language at the United Nations?
No. However, India is making efforts to get Hindi recognized as the official United Nations
language.
What are the official languages of the United Nations?
Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. These six languages are used in UN
meetings and in these six languages all official UN documents are written.
What are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat?
English and French are the two working languages used by the United Nations Secretariat.
Which other language used in India is being proposed as the UN official language?
Bengali. In 2009, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister argued at the UN General Assembly session
that Bengali should be made one of the official languages of the UN. The Indian state of
West Bengal has passed a resolution in this regard.
What is the process to recognize a language as the official language of the UN?
A resolution should be adopted by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) with at least a two-
thirds majority.
Rajiv Kumar: New Chief Election Commissioner of India
th,
From May 15 2022, Rajiv Kumar, the current Election Commissioner (EC), will take over as
the next Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). This announcement was made by the Union
Ministry of Law and Justice.
Who is the current Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)?
Sushil Chandra is the incumbent Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) who will demit his
office on May 14th, 2022.
Who will appoint Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)?
According to Article 324 (2) of the Indian Constitution, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)
will be appointed by the President of India.
What were the earlier positions held by Rajiv Kumar?
Rajiv Kumar is a retired IAS officer of the 1984 batch of Bihar/Jharkhand cadre. He
superannuated from the IAS in February 2020. He served as the Director, Central Board of
Reserve Bank of India (RBI), SBI, and NABARD. He also served as a member of many
Boards and Committees. He was appointed as the chairman of the Public Enterprises
Selection Board (PESB) in April 2020. Since September 1st, 2020 Rajiv Kumar is serving as
the Election Commissioner (EC).
What is the structure of the Election Commission of India (ECI)?
According to Article 324 (2) of the constitution, the Election Commission of India (ECI) shall
consist of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other election commissioners, if any,
as the President may from time to time fix. Currently, ECI consists of the CEC and two
Election Commissioners (ECs).
What is the salary of CEC?
According to the Election Commission (Condition of Service of Election Commissions And
Transaction of Business) Act, 1991, the salary of the CEC is the same as the salary of a
Judge of the Supreme Court of India.
How can CEC be removed from office?
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) can be removed from office only in a manner and on
grounds similar to a Judge of the Supreme Court of India.
Delhi HC Verdict on Marital Rape
A two-judge division bench of the Delhi High Court (HC) on May 11th delivered a split
verdict on a batch of petitions seeking the criminalization of marital rape.
What did Delhi High Court judges say?
Justice C. Hari Shankar opposing the criminalization of marital rape said that
legitimate expectation of sex is an inexorable aspect of marriage. He upheld the
validity of Exception 2 of Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Justice Rajiv Shakdher supporting the criminalization of marital rape said that the
right to withdraw consent at any time is the core of the woman’s right to life and
liberty. He struck down Exception 2 of Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
However, both judges agreed on granting a certificate of leave to appeal to Supreme
Court, as petitions involve substantial questions of law which require a decision from the
Supreme Court.
What is the Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)?
Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) defines the acts that constitute rape by a man.
However, according to exception 2 of Section 375 of IPC sexual intercourse by a man with
his wife is not rape. According to the act, the wife should not be under 15 years of age.
However, in 2017, the Supreme Court increased the age to 18 years.
What are the petitions about?
The petitions before the Delhi High Court challenged the exception provided to marital
rape in Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The petitioners called the exception
unconstitutional because it violated the fundamental rights of women such as the right to
live with dignity. The petitions were filed by NGO RIT Foundation, All India Democratic
Women’s Association, and a marital rape victim.
Who opposed the petitions?
An NGO called Men Welfare Trust has opposed the petitions.
Why the petitions were opposed?
It is argued that intercourse between a husband and wife cannot be treated similarly to
non-marital relationships, because marriage implies consent.
Is marital rape defined by Indian laws?
No law in India defines marital rape.
How is marital rape treated around the world?
Around 77 countries criminalize marital rape through law. 10 countries including India,
Singapore, and Sri Lanka explicitly allow marital rape.
May 14, 2022
2022 Templeton Prize
The 2022 Templeton Prize was awarded to Frank Wilczek, a theoretical physicist who had
won the Nobel Prize, author, and professor at the Arizona State University. His works on
nature’s fundamental laws have transformed the understanding of the forces that govern
the universe. He has become the 6th Nobel laureate who has received the Templeton Prize.
In which year did Frank Wilczek win the Nobel Prize?
In the year 2004, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics along with H. David Politzer and David
Gross. They won the prize for discovering asymptotic freedom in the strong interaction
theory.
What are some important publications of Wilczek?
2021- “Fundamentals: Ten Keys to Reality Fundamentals”
2008- “The Lightness of Being”
What is the Templeton Prize?
This is an award given annually to a person who is living and whose meritorious
achievements advance the philanthropic vision of Sir John Templeton which is to harness
the power of science with the aim of understanding the deepest questions regarding the
universe and humankind.
When was the Templeton Prize established?
In the year 1972. This prize was established, administered, and funded by John Templeton.
Currently, this prize is co-funded by the John Templeton Foundation, Templeton World
Charity Foundation, and Templeton Religion Trust. This prize is currently administered by
the John Templeton Foundation. This prize was originally awarded to the people who are
working in the area of religion but in the 1980s the field was expanded to include people
working at the intersection of religion and science. The first recipient of the Templeton
Prize was Mother Teresa in the year 1973.
Ranil Wickremesinghe- Sri Lanka's New PM
On 12 May 2022, Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the 26th prime minister of Sri
th
Lanka. He was sworn in as the PM to steady the nation’s economy which is debt-ridden
and to end the ongoing political turmoil. His appointment has been welcomed by India.
Who did Wickremesinghe replace as the country’s PM?
Wickremesinghe has replaces former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa who had recently resigned
from this post. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa administered the for the new PM of the
country. Former PM Rajapaksa is currently hiding in an undisclosed location as the country

is boiling with anti-government protests.
Which party is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe?
The United National Party’s head is Ranil Wickremesinghe. This party is the current main
opposition party in Sri Lanka. Ranil Wickremesinghe had already served as the nation’s
Prime Minister four times and this will be his fifth time in office.
When did former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa resign?
On 9 th May 2022, former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned as Sri Lanka continues to
struggle with a devastating economic crisis.
Why are there ongoing protests in Sri Lanka?
The country is facing widespread shortages of food, and fuel as well as rising inflation and
skyrocketing prices of essential commodities. The nation is also facing hours-long power
cuts and hence the citizens of the nation are protesting all across the country against the
government. In Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, groups of anti and pro-government
activists had clashed after the protestors were demanding the resignation of President
Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The protestors had set fire to the ancestral home of the Rajapaksa
family.
Breed-Wise Report of Livestock and Poultry
Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying released the Breed-Wise
Report of Livestock and Poultry.
When was the data collected?
The breed-wise data collection was done during 20th Livestock Census (2018-19).
What is the unique thing about the latest data collection?
It is the first time in India that breed-wise data is collected digitally instead of on paper
mode.
What is the coverage of the report?
It collected data regarding 184 indigenous/exotic & crossbred breeds of 19 species that
are recognized by the NBAGR (National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources).
What are the findings of the report?
Buffaloes: Murrah breed has the highest share. It is found in UP and Rajasthan.
Sheep: There are 3 exotic breeds and 26 indigenous breeds. The Corriedale breed
has a major contribution to the exotic breed. The Nellore breed has a major
contribution to the indigenous breed.
Goats: There are 28 indigenous breeds. The Black Bengal breed has the highest
contribution.
Pigs: In exotic/crossbred pigs, the crossbred pig has a major share. In indigenous
pigs, the Doom breed pig has a major share
Horse & Ponies: Marwari breed has a major share.
Donkeys: Spiti breed has a major share.
Camel: Bikaneri breed has a major share.
Poultry: Desi fowl and Aseel breed have a major share.
What did the report say about the cattle population?
The share of Indigenous and Non-descript (non-identified) cattle is 73.5%, and the
remaining share is of exotic and crossbred cattle. Crossbred Jersey has a major
contribution to Exotic/Crossbred cattle. Gir, Lakhimi, and Sahiwal breeds have the highest
share in Indigenous Cattle. Indigenous cattle declined by 6%, i.e their share in the total
cattle population fell to 73% in 2019 from 79% in 2012.
Which cattle breeds have seen a maximum decline in their numbers?
Khariar , Kherigarh , Kenkatha , Motu and Hariana.
Which cattle breed has the highest population in terms of absolute number?
Gir cattle breed had the highest population of 68.57 lakh followed by Lakhimi and Sahiwal
cattle breeds.
What is the share of cattle among the total livestock population?
As per the 20th Livestock Census, 36.04% of the total livestock population belongs to
cattle.
Madhya Pradesh Startup Policy
The Madhya Pradesh Start-up Policy was launched by PM Modi during the Madhya
Pradesh Start-up Conclave that was being held in Indore on the 14th of May 2022. The
launch was done by the PM via video conference.
What other launch was done by the PM?
The Madhya Pradesh Start-up portal was also launched by the PM. This portal will help
facilitate and promote the start-up ecosystem of the state. During the launch, the PM also
interacted with the start-up entrepreneurs.
What is the aim of Madhya Pradesh’s Start-up Policy and Implementation Plan – 2022?
The government of Madhya Pradesh has launched this with the aim of promoting start-
ups in the state and encouraging the state’s budding entrepreneurs. This policy has been
developed with the objective of strengthening and bringing the entrepreneurial ideas of
the state’s youth to reality. A slew of events across the state has been planned by the state
government to generate awareness about this new start-up policy.
How many start-ups are running in Madhya Pradesh?
In the state, there are 1,937 start-ups that have been recognized by the government and
out of these 45 per cent are being run by women.
What is the Start-up centre?
In the new start-up policy, there is a concept of “MP Start-up Centre.” This centre will have
a dedicated office, a mentor as well as experts for every start-up, who will be helping the
start-up community of the state to grow.
Who were the participants of the Madhya Pradesh Start-up Conclave?
At this event, government policymakers, mentors, entrepreneurs, innovators, investors,
academicians, and various other stakeholders took part. A Start-up Expo was also
displayed at the conclave that displayed new innovations and trends.
What events were organized at the Start-up Conclave?
In this conclave, various events were organized such as a speed mentoring session where
the start-ups had a dialogue with the leaders of various educational institutions as well as
those from the start-up environment. There were events on how to start a start-up where
start-ups were guided by various policymakers. There were funding sessions where the
entrepreneurs learnt about various funding methods. Pitching sessions were also
conducted where the start-ups pitched their ideas to the investors. An ecosystem support
session was conducted where the participants learnt about brand value and the
promotion of start-ups.
Marsquake
NASA recently announced the detection of the quake on Mars, called marsquake.
What is the magnitude of the quake recorded?
NASA reported that it recorded a magnitude 5 marsquake. The largest previously detected
“marsquake” was in August 2021. Also, this is the largest quake ever observed on another
planet.
Which equipment detected the present marsquake?
InSight Mars lander. The mission was launched in May 2018 and was successfully landed
on Mars in November 2018. Since then it has detected 1,313 quakes.
Where did the latest marsquake originate?
Scientists believe that it mostly originated near the Cerberus Fossae region, which is
around 1,000 kilometers from the InSight Mars lander.
What is the significance of detecting marsquakes?
With the help of smaller quakes recorded earlier, scientists charted the thickness of the
crust, mantle, and core of Mars. Large quakes will help in finding the precise location of
the epicenter and also help in understanding the interior of Mars.
How quakes on Mars are different from those on Earth?
Earthquakes happen due to the movement of tectonic plates. However, Mars does not
have tectonic plates so marsquakes happen due to stresses that cause rock fractures in its
crust.
Is the InSight mission looking for life on mars?
InSight is not looking for life on Mars.
What is the objective of the InSight mission?
To study what Mars is made of, investigate its interior structure, and how much heat seeps
out of it.
Why is it important to study Mars?
Because, though, Earth and Mars were similar earlier, they took different paths 3-4 billion
years ago. Studying Mars and comparing it with Earth will help scientists to understand
how planets evolve and change.
In what way the paths of both planets were different?
Mars did not change, whereas Earth started evolving and now supporting life on it.
Which missions are investigating the possibility of life on Mars?
United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s Hope mission, China’s Tianwen-1, and NASA’s Perseverance
rover.
'Fostering Effective Energy Transition 2022' Report
Fostering Effective Energy Transition 2022 report was recently released which called for
urgent action by both public and private sectors to ensure resilient energy transition.
Who released the report?
It is a special edition report on the global energy transition released by the World
Economic Forum (WEF) in collaboration with Accenture.
What are the key insights of the report?
1. The report found that energy transition is not matching with the growing urgency
for change. Energy affordability, energy security, and sustainability are becoming
more important than ever. Thus, a comprehensive approach with a proper timeline is
critical to achieving long-term climate goals.
2. Energy unaffordability is threatening the goal of fair and just transition. The
governments should prioritize access to affordable energy for all. Energy equity can
be ensured with the help of direct benefits transfer (DBT) and other support
measures.
3. There is a lack of energy diversity.  To ensure energy security, there is a need for dual
diversification i.e both supply source and supply mix should be diversified. For
example, import-dependent countries must try to import energy from many
countries and not overly depend on a few countries. Domestic energy can be
diversified with low-carbon alternatives which make countries self-reliant and ensure
energy security.
4. Regulatory frameworks need to be made robust to attract investments in clean
energy and to ensure that commitments turn into legally binding frameworks that
endure political cycles. This also ensures that projects are implemented on time.
5. There is a need for change in energy consumption patterns. Supply-side
interventions alone are not enough. They need to be augmented with demand-side
efficiencies.
6. Decarbonizing industries is critical to the energy transition. Multi-stakeholder
collaborations are important to ensure a greater focus on emission reduction targets
& goals.
Why transition toward clean energy is important?
To fight climate change and address the issues like environmental pollution, sustainability,
energy security, and affordability of energy. The recent fuel shortages and the spike in fuel
prices highlight the urgency of the energy transition. By increasing investments in clean
energy and reshaping changing energy consumption patterns, we can tackle climate
issues.
Czech Republic: Russia's replacement in UNHRC
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in a secret ballot voting elected the Czech
Republic to replace Russia on the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
How many countries voted for the Czech Republic?
157 countries voted in favor of the Czech Republic in the United Nations General Assembly
(UNGA) and there were 23 abstentions. The Czech Republic retains the UNHRC seat till 31
December 2023.
Why was Russia suspended from UNHRC?
Russia was suspended from UNHRC by a vote in the United Nations General Assembly
(UNGA) for its human rights violations in Ukraine. Later, Russia announced that it had
withdrawn from UNHRC before the vote.
Can Russia participate in UNHRC sessions?
Although Russia is suspended from UNHRC, it can participate in the UNHRC sessions as it
has observer status.
Country from which region can replace Russia?
The seats in United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) are divided among regional groups
and a replacement for Russia had to come from an East European country. The Czech
Republic, an East European country, submitted a candidacy proposal to UNHRC in April.
Which other country was suspended from UNHRC in recent years?
In 2011, Libya was suspended from UNHRC because of the violence against protesters by
forces supporting then-leader Muammar Gaddafi.
What is UNHRC?
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a UN organization that aims to
protect human rights. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
in 2006. It replaced the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR). The
headquarters of UNHRC is in Geneva in Switzerland.
How many members are there in UNHRC?
The UNHRC has 47 members elected for three-year terms and the seats are divided on a
regional group basis. No member can occupy the UNHRC seat for more than two
consecutive terms.
How the UNHRC seats are distributed?
The UNHRC seats are divided into the following regional groups: 13 for Africa, 13 for Asia,
6 for Eastern Europe, 8 for Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC), and 7 for the
Western European and Others Group (WEOG).
May 15, 2022
Decriminalization of Legal Metrology Act
Speaking at the National Workshop on the Legal Metrology Act, the Union Minister of
Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution urged state governments to support the
decriminalization of the Legal Metrology Act.
What is legal metrology?
It is regulation and standardization of methodology of weighments and measurements.
What is the aim of the National Workshop on Legal Metrology Act?
To take opinions from all stakeholders regarding the decriminalization of offenses under
the Legal Metrology Act. It was attended by representatives of around 30 states and Union
Territories (UTs). It was organized by the Department of Consumer Affairs.
Who chaired the National Workshop on Legal Metrology Act?
Piyush Goyal (Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution).
What are the highlights of the speech of the Union minister at the workshop?
Minister said that there is a need to simplify the act and decriminalize offenses under it,
however, habitual offenders should be strictly punished. He suggested that differentiation

between bonafide and malafide intentions of businessmen is important and there is a
need to deliberate whether parameters should be the same for small vendors and big
businessmen.
What is the purpose of the Legal Metrology Act 2009?
To enforce standards related to weights and measures in India.
What is the punishment for violation of the Legal Metrology Act 2009?
The act contains provisions for fines and also imprisonment for second or subsequent
offenses.
How many cases are booked under the act?
In 2021-22, around 74,000 cases were booked for the first offense stood. However, only 11
cases were booked for the second offense.
Why is it important to decriminalize the legal metrology act?
To promote ease of doing business in India. To ensure that laws that were brought to
protect consumers should not be misused to harass businessmen.
Retail inflation in India in April
According to the data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), retail inflation in
April is 7.79%. Rural inflation surged to a near 8-year high of 8.38%, whereas urban
inflation was at an 18-month high of 7.09%.
What is inflation?
Inflation is the general rise in the prices of goods and services in an economy.
Why April’s retail inflation is worrisome?
Because retail inflation reached an 8-year high and it is the fourth straight month that the
retail inflation crossed the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) inflation target.
What was the previous highest inflation?
The previous highest inflation was 8.33 %, seen in May 2014.
How much is the food price inflation?
The food price inflation (combined for rural and urban) in April 2022 is 8.38%.
Which state witnessed the highest inflation rate?
The highest inflation rate is seen in West Bengal, followed by Madhya Pradesh and
Telangana.
How much is the core inflation?
Core inflation in April is 6.97%.
What is core inflation?
Core inflation is the inflation measure that excludes prices of volatile items like food and
fuel prices while measuring inflation.
Why did the inflation rate increase in April?
Inflation surged to record high levels due to rising fuel and food prices, especially
vegetables, spices, and oils. Russia-Ukraine war, interest rate hikes by the United States
Federal Reserve, and supply disruptions caused by COVD-induced lockdowns contributed
to the surging inflation.
What are the effects of the increase in the inflation rate?
People’s purchasing power will be reduced. As items become expensive, people reduce
consumption. This will reduce overall demand in the economy.
How is retail inflation measured in India?
Retail inflation is measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
What is the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) inflation target?
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is mandated by the Central government to maintain the
inflation rate at 4%, with a lower tolerance of 2% and upper tolerance of 6%. If inflation
breaches the 2%-6% band for three consecutive quarters, it is legally considered the
failure of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
‘BHARAT TAP’ initiative
BHARAT TAP initiative was launched by the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs
at the ‘Plumbex India’ exhibition.
What is the aim of the BHARAT TAP initiative?
To provide low-flow fixtures and sanitary ware at a mass scale to enable a reduction in
water consumption at the source and help the country in its water conservation efforts
and thereby ensure sustainable growth.
What activities will be done to achieve the aim of the BHARAT TAP initiative?
Awareness generation will be done to promote Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Certified
Water-Efficient Plumbing Fixtures to ensure water savings of a minimum of 40%. Water-
saving will also save energy as less energy will be required for activities like pumping,
transporting, and purification.
What is the ‘Plumbex India’ exhibition?
It is India’s biggest standalone exhibition on Plumbing, Water, and Sanitation Products
and service. It is a 3-day event started on 12th May 2022 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The
exhibition is conducted under the aegis of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and
Transformation 2.0 (AMRUT 2.0) and Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 (SBM 2.0). Various
enterprises including water treatment systems, water harvesting, water metering, etc.
represented at the exhibition.
What are the highlights of the Minister’s speech at the exhibition?
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that sanitation is the foundation in the hierarchy
of basic services expected by the citizens. He highlighted that India achieved 100% toilet
coverage in rural areas. He also said that Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and AMRUT are
critical in the creation of basic infrastructure and achievement of sustainable
development.
What is the other initiative launched at the ‘Plumbex India’ exhibition?
‘Nirmal Jal Prayas’ initiative was launched at the exhibition by Hardeep Singh Puri, Union
Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs.
What is ‘Nirmal Jal Prayas’ initiative?
It is an initiative of NARDECO MAHI to save 500 crore liters of water annually. Through the
initiative, NAREDCO Mahi aims to generate awareness regarding saving water. For
example, it will work to encourage builders to move towards “Net Zero Water”.
Mock Test
The questions in this Mock Test are sourced from GKToday’s Current Affairs 2022 Daily 20 MCQ Series in
GKToday Academy Android Application.
1. ‘Declaration for the Future of the Internet’ which was announced recently, is associated with which field?
[A] Prevention of Digital authoritarianism [B] Tax on Digital advertising
[C] Artificial Intelligence [D] Data Protectionism
2. As a part of Mission SAGAR IX, INS Gharial recently delivered critical medicines to which country?
[A] Maldives [B] Sri Lanka
[C] Nepal [D] Afghanistan
3. Which country recently issued a proposal to ban menthol cigarettes and flavoured cigars?
[A] China [B] India
[C] USA [D] UK
4. ‘IUCN STAR Score’, which was sometimes seen in the news, is associated with which field?
[A] Power Rating [B] Species Extinction
[C] Air Quality [D] Solid Waste Management
5. Ardeshir B.K. Dubash recently received the ‘Order of Merit in the Diplomatic Service’ by which country?
[A] Canada [B] France
[C] Peru [D] Japan
6. ‘Whitely Gold Award’ is presented to people who contribute in which field?
[A] Literature [B] Sports and Games
[C] Social Service [D] Wildlife and Bio-diversity Conservation
7. When is the ‘World Veterinary Day’ annually observed?
[A] Last Friday of April [B] Last Saturday of April
[C] Last Sunday of April [D] First Monday of May
8. Which organisation approved USD 47 million project to support India’s Karmayogi program?
[A] ADB [B] AIIB
[C] World Bank [D] IMF
9. As per SEBI, what is the time-limit for allotment and listing after closure of issue of REIT and InvIT units?
[A] 10 days [B] 8 days
[C] 6 days [D] 3 days
10. Which infrastructure project won the ‘Indian Building Congress' (IBC) 'Best Infrastructure Project'?
[A] Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel [B] Atal Tunnel
[C] Rohtang La Pass [D] Zoji La Pass
11. Which Union Ministry is associated with the pilot phase of the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)?
[A] Ministry of Commerce and Industry [B] Ministry of MSME
[C] Ministry of Home Affairs [D] Ministry of Electronics and IT
12. A commemorative coin to mark the birth centenary of Jawaharlal Darda was announced recently. He was a
businessman and Minister in which state?
[A] Uttar Pradesh [B] Maharashtra
[C] Andhra Pradesh [D] Telangana
13. The Madras High Court has invoked the “parens patriae jurisdiction” to declare which entity as a ‘living being’?
[A] Tamil Language [B] Mother Nature
[C] Food Grains [D] Agricultural Lands
14. India ranks at which place worldwide for production in terms of volume of Pharma exports?
[A] First [B] Second
[C] Third [D] Fifth
15. When was the ‘Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)’ launched in India?
[A] 2014 [B] 2016
[C] 2018 [D] 2020
16. 'International Dark Sky Week’ is celebrated in which month?
[A] April [B] May
[C] June [D] July
17. Which is the public sector bank to go live on Account Aggregator (AA) framework?
[A] State Bank of India [B] Union Bank
[C] Canara Bank [D] Bank of India
18. India’s P V Sindhu won which medal/position in the Asian Championships 2022?
[A] Gold [B] Silver
[C] Bronze [D] Fourth Place
19. The first May Day celebration in India was organised in which Indian city?
[A] Kolkata [B] Chennai
[C] Pune [D] Delhi
20. When is the ‘Ayushman Bharat Diwas’ celebrated in India?
[A] April 25 [B] April 30
[C] May 1 [D] May 5
21. Which state launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Mitaan Yojna’ programme?
[A] Odisha [B] Chhattisgarh
[C] West Bengal [D] Madhya Pradesh
22. What is the rank of India in the ‘RSF 2022 World Press Freedom Index’?
[A] 87 [B] 104
[C] 150 [D] 176
23. India signed a pact on ‘Green Hydrogen Task Force’ and agreed to work on AI-startups with which country?
[A] UK [B] USA
[C] Germany [D] France
24. India’s first green-field grain-based ethanol plant has been inaugurated in which state/UT?
[A] Gujarat [B] Odisha
[C] Bihar [D] Telangana
25. Which organisation releases the State of the World’s Forests (SOFO) Report?
[A] NABARD [B] Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
[C] Food and Agricultural Organisation [D] World Wide Fund for Nature
26. When is the ‘World Tuna Day’ celebrated every year?
[A] April 30 [B] May 2
[C] May 4 [D] May 6
27. ‘The Bach Long bridge’ is the longest glass bridge, is located in which country?
[A] China [B] Vietnam
[C] Japan [D] Germany
28. CubeSat LakshyaSAT, a nano-satellite built by an Indian Research Scholar, was launched from which country?
[A] USA [B] UK
[C] Australia [D] Israel
29. Project-75 (India) or P-75I is associated with which Indian Armed Force?
[A] Indian Air Force [B] Indian Army
[C] Indian Navy [D] Indian Coast Guard
30. Which country hosted the ‘International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI)’?
[A] France [B] UK
[C] India [D] New Zealand
31. ‘Kadiri-Lepakshi 1812’, which was seen in the news, is a variety of which crop?
[A] Cotton [B] Ground Nut
[C] Rice [D] Wheat
32. Which states have the highest ratio of undertrials in jails, as per latest NCRB Data?
[A] Uttar Pradesh and Bihar [B] Delhi and Jammu &Kashmir
[C] Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh [D] West Bengal and Assam
33. India’s first ‘Tribal health observatory (TriHOb)’ has been announced by which state/UT?
[A] Madhya Pradesh [B] Jharkhand
[C] Gujarat [D] Odisha
34. The Indian Coast Guard commissioned its second Air Squadron ‘845 Squadron (CG)’, at which place?
[A] Goa [B] Kochi
[C] Mumbai [D] Vishakhapatnam
35. Which country is the first-ever official Country of Honour at the Marche’ Du Film of Cannes Film Festival?
[A] Ukraine [B] India
[C] USA [D] New Zealand
36. As per the Civil Registration System (CRS) report 2020, what is the birth rate registered by India in 2020?
[A] 69.1 % [B] 70.2 %
[C] 73.7 % [D] 78.2 %
37. Which city is the host of the ‘Plastindia 2023-11th International Plastic Exhibition & Conference’?
[A] Pune [B] New Delhi
[C] Gandhi Nagar [D] Hyderabad
38. Which is the hottest planet in our Solar system?
[A] Mercury [B] Venus
[C] Mars [D] Jupiter
39. Which University won the ‘Khelo India University Games (KIUG) 2021’?
[A] Punjab University [B] Madras University
[C] Jain University [D] Lovely Professional University
40. ‘Hallmarking of Gold jewellery’ is associated with which Ministry?
[A] Ministry of Mines [B] Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
[C] Ministry of Commerce and Industry [D] Ministry of Home Affairs
41. Which state has announced incentives for farmers opting for Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR)?
[A] Rajasthan [B] Punjab
[C] Uttar Pradesh [D] Telangana
42. Which Indian state/UT recently passed a ‘Startup Policy’, to support 15,000 start-ups by 2030?
[A] Assam [B] New Delhi
[C] Rajasthan [D] Punjab
43. Cynthia Rosenzweig, who was seen in the news, is the recipient of which prestigious award?
[A] World Food Prize [B] Booker Prize
[C] Pulitzer Prize [D] Abel Award
44. 'Lusophones' represent people and countries recognizing which language as official language?
[A] French [B] Portuguese
[C] Latin [D] Spanish
45. 'Mukhyamantri Muft Sewer Connection Yojna’ is implemented by which state/UT?
[A] New Delhi [B] Madhya Pradesh
[C] West Bengal [D] Haryana
46. Which institution released the report titled ‘Politics of Disinformation’?
[A] NITI Aayog [B] Amnesty International
[C] Future of India Foundation [D] Reporters without Borders
47. The Government has reviewed the draft of National Youth Policy which was approved in which year?
[A] 2004 [B] 2006
[C] 2008 [D] 2014
48. Which became the largest fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company of India, surpassing HUL?
[A] ITC Ltd [B] Godrej Consumer Products
[C] Patanjali Ayurved [D] Adani Wilmar Ltd
49. Which state government launched ‘e-Adhigam’ scheme to provide tablets to five lakh students?
[A] New Delhi [B] Haryana
[C] West Bengal [D] Odisha
50. Which state has developed a mobile application named ‘Shylee’ for population-based screening for lifestyle
diseases?
[A] Tamil Nadu [B] Kerala
[C] Chhattisgarh [D] Telangana
51. Which Indian state launched Vehicle Movement Tracking System (VMTS) mobile app?
[A] New Delhi [B] Haryana
[C] Punjab [D] Assam
52. Which country marks ‘Victory Day’ on May 9 annually?
[A] USA [B] UK
[C] Russia [D] Japan
53. Tony Brooks, who passed away recently, was a pioneer in which sports?
[A] Tennis [B] Basket Ball
[C] Formula-1 Racing [D] Squash
54. ‘Nethanna Bima’ is flagship scheme of which Indian state?
[A] Kerala [B] Karnataka
[C] Telangana [D] Tamil Nadu
55. Which country is the host of 24th Summer Deaflympics in 2022?
[A] India [B] Brazil
[C] Australia [D] Greece
56. Which company has designed India’s first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS)
[A] DRDO [B] HAL
[C] Alstom [D] Siemens
57. Which country established a ‘Digital Markets Unit (DMU)’ to curb authority of big tech companies over news
publishers?
[A] USA [B] France
[C] UK [D] Australia
58. After merger, what is the position of LTI-Mindtree in terms of market-capitalisation among IT Firms?
[A] Third [B] Fourth
[C] Fifth [D] Seventh
59. India’s largest lithium-ion battery plant is located in which state?
[A] Maharashtra [B] Gujarat
[C] Tamil Nadu [D] Andhra Pradesh
60. As per new rules released by CERT-in, VPN Companies should preserve data on their clients for how many years
[A] Three [B] Five
[C] Seven [D] Ten
61. Which Ministry/institution launched North East Capacity Building (NECB) 2.0 Project?
[A] Ministry of Electronics and IT [B] Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
[C] NASSCOM [D] NITI Aayog
62. Germany withdrew its case against which country, over war reparations for Nazi victims in the International
Court of Justice (ICJ)?
[A] Russia [B] Italy
[C] France [D] USA
63. When was the first ‘World Athletics Day’ celebrated?
[A] 2022 [B] 2020
[C] 2010 [D] 1996
64. Which is the venue of the 19th Asian Games scheduled to be held in 2022?
[A] Tokyo, Japan [B] Colombo, Sri Lanka
[C] Hangzhou, China [D] New Delhi, India
65. ‘Malpe Floating Bridge’ which was seen in the news, is located in which state?
[A] Kerala [B] Karnataka
[C] Andhra Pradesh [D] Odisha
66. Where is the headquarters of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) located?
[A] Ladakh [B] Guwahati
[C] Nainital [D] New Delhi
67. ‘A fast spinning neutron star consuming a smaller companion star’ is called as?
[A] White Widow Binary [B] Black Widow Binary
[C] Hungry Man Binary [D] Cannibal Star
68. ‘Red-whiskered bulbul, white-throated kingfisher, and brown shrike’ are the species found in which state/UT?
[A] West Bengal [B] Uttarakhand
[C] Tamil Nadu [D] Andaman and Nicobar Islands
69. ‘Network operation and control centre’ (NOCC) charges, seen in the news sometimes, is associated with which
sector?
[A] Defence [B] Telecommunication
[C] Internal Security [D] Secondary Market
70. The Martand Sun Temple, which was seen in the news, is located in which state/UT?
[A] Jammu and Kashmir [B] Gujarat
[C] Punjab [D] Rajasthan
71. What is the theme of the ‘World Red Cross Day’ 2022?
[A] Be Human Kind [B] Red Crescent Movement
[C] Warless World [D] We Need Peace
72. Which Indian state/UT houses the permanent office of Lokpal?
[A] Mumbai [B] New Delhi
[C] Ahmadabad [D] Kolkata
73. What is the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court of India?
[A] 30 [B] 34
[C] 36 [D] 40
74. ‘National Film Heritage Mission’ is associated with which Union Ministry?
[A] Ministry of Communication [B] Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
[C] Ministry of Culture [D] Ministry of Tourism
75. Which is the first Indian company to cross USD 100 billion annual revenue?
[A] Adani Industries [B] Reliance Industries
[C] Tata Industries [D] Future Enterprises
76. By selling a 3.5 per cent stake in LIC, what is the total amount to be raised by the Government?
[A] Rs 64000 Crore [B] Rs 45000 Crore
[C] Rs 36000 Crore [D] Rs 21000 Crore
77. ‘Section 33 of the Aadhaar Act’, which was seen in the news, is associated with which action?
[A] Disclosure of information [B] Identity of Children
[C] Security of Information [D] Storage of Information
78. iTIC Incubator at which institution selected eight deep tech start-ups for pre-incubation and incubation
support?
[A] IIT Madras [B] IIT Hyderabad
[C] NIT Warangal [D] NIT Tiruchirappalli
79. ‘Shivkumar Sharma’ who passed away recently, is known for popularising which musical instrument?
[A] Bansuri [B] Santoor
[C] Sitar [D] Sarangi
80. ‘Romain Rolland’ Book Prize is awarded to the best translation of which language book into Indian language/
English?
[A] German [B] French
[C] Spanish [D] Japanese
81. India recently established a ‘Business Commission’ to fast-track free trade agreement (FTA), with which
country?
[A] UAE [B] UK
[C] Australia [D] Japan
82. How many Indians have been awarded the Pulitzer Prize 2022?
[A] One [B] Two
[C] Four [D] Six
83. As per the recent Civil Registration System (CRS) report 2020, what is the year-on-year percentage change in
number of deaths in 2020?
[A] 1.2 % increase [B] 1.2 % decrease
[C] 6.2 % increase [D] 6.2 % decrease
84. Who was the Prime Minister of India, when India successfully conducted the Pokhran-II nuclear in 1998?
[A] Rajiv Gandhi [B] Atal Bihari Vajpai
[C] Manmohan Singh [D] P V Narasimha Rao
85. Which is the venue of the Jain International Trade Organisation’s ‘JITO Connect 2022’ Conference?
[A] Mumbai [B] New Delhi
[C] Pune [D] Varanasi
86. Operation Dudhi, a counter-insurgency operation was led by which Indian armed force?
[A] Assam Rifles [B] Border Security Force
[C] Indo-Tibetan Border Police [D] Indian Army
87. ‘World Lupus Day’ is observed each year on May 10. What is ‘Lupus’?
[A] An endangered fish [B] A Disease
[C] A Minority Race [D] A Language
88. Which is the first Asian country to join NATO’s cyber defence group?
[A] India [B] South Korea
[C] Sri Lanka [D] Bangladesh
89. The Sawa Lake, a biodiverse wetland seen in the news, is located in which country?
[A] India [B] Sri Lanka
[C] Iraq [D] Afghanistan
90. Which Indian architect has been conferred the prestigious Royal Gold Medal 2022?
[A] Balkrishna Doshi [B] Sheila Sri Prakash
[C] Brinda Somaya [D] Hafeez Contractor
91. ‘Experience Studio on Drones’, has been launched at which institution?
[A] DRDO [B] ISRO
[C] NITI Aayog [D] New Space India
92. ‘1915’ is the national helpline associated with which service?
[A] Child Labour [B] Human Trafficking
[C] Consumer Grievance [D] Ombudsman Service
93. PRIME (Program for Researchers for Innovation, Market Readiness and Enterpreneurship) is an initiative of
which institution?
[A] Skill India Mission [B] NITI Aayog
[C] NASSCOM [D] NCERT
94. ‘Annada Shankar Smarak Samman’ is an award conferred for literary works of which language?
[A] Kannada [B] Telugu
[C] Odia [D] Bengali
95. ‘Belfast Good Friday Agreement’ which was seen in the news is associated with which country?
[A] Russia [B] Ukraine
[C] Ireland [D] Argentina
96. Which Indian Grandmaster won hat-trick titles after he clinched the 1st Chessable Sunway Formentera 2022
tournament?
[A] D Gukesh [B] R Praggnanandhaa
[C] Adhiban Baskaran [D] P Harikrishna
97. Which organisation has partnered with NITI Aayog to use AI, IoT, Blockchain and Drones to support small and
marginal farmers?
[A] World Bank [B] WEF
[C] IMF [D] ADB
98. Which US-based e-commerce firm has partnered with North Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development
Corporation (NEHHDC) to support small sellers?
[A] Walmart [B] Etsy
[C] Target [D] Ebay
99. Which country has been elected as the new Chair of the Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA) for
2022-2024?
[A] Russia [B] USA
[C] India [D] China
100. ‘Katalin Novak’ was elected recently as the first female and youngest President of which country?
[A] Finland [B] Romania Romania
[C] Hungary [D] Poland
101. ‘Tomato Flu’, which was seen in the news recently, is endemic to which state?
[A] Tamil Nadu [B] Kerala
[C] Karnataka [D] Odisha
102. Which Union Ministry is associated with the ‘Legal Metrology Act’?
[A] Ministry of Home Affairs [B] Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
[C] Ministry of Law and Justice [D] Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
103. The birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale is celebrated as which day on May 12 every year?
[A] International Nurses Day [B] International Doctors Day
[C] International Healthcare Day [D] International Vaccination Day
104. Which country is the host of the ‘Second global pandemic summit’ held in May 2022?
[A] Indonesia [B] USA
[C] India [D] Australia
105. Who has been announced as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), after CEC Sushil Chandra?
[A] Rajiv Kumar [B] Ramesh Chand
[C] Anup Chandra Pandey [D] V K Saraswat
106. ‘Murrah’, is the most common breed of which animal found in India?
[A] Pig [B] Buffalo
[C] Horse [D] Donkey
107. National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) partnered with UAE’s DP World to develop Skill India
International Centre at which city?
[A] Mumbai [B] Varanasi
[C] Guwahati [D] Shimla
108. Which country recently replaced Russia in the UN Human Rights Council?
[A] Poland [B] Czech Republic
[C] Syria [D] Chile
109. Which institution releases the 'Fostering Effective Energy Transition’ Report?
[A] World Bank [B] World Economic Forum
[C] International Monetary Fund [D] International Energy Agency
110. Who is the recipient of the 2022 Templeton Prize?
[A] Roger Penrose [B] James Peebles
[C] Arthur Ashkin [D] Frank Wilczek
111. Which Union Ministry launched ‘BHARAT TAP’ initiative?
[A] Ministry of Jal Shakti [B] Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
[C] Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare [D] Ministry of MSME
112. Which state recently has launched its "Startup Policy and Implementation Plan - 2022"?
[A] Maharashtra [B] Madhya Pradesh
[C] Gujarat [D] Kerala
113. The Air Force test-fired the extended-range BrahMos missile for the first time from which air craft
[A] Su-30 MKI aircraft [B] Dassault Rafale
[C] HAL Tejas [D] MiG-21
114. After the resignation of Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Sri Lanka?
[A] Ranil Wickremesinghe [B] Gotabaya Rajapaksa
[C] Maithripala Sirisena [D] Chandrika Kumaratunga
115. Foxtail orchid (Rhynchostylis retusa) is the state flower of which Indian state?
[A] Tripura [B] Assam
[C] Sikkim [D] Mizoram
116. Which Insurance company has launched financial literacy campaign ‘InspiHERs- enabling an empowered
future’?
[A] HDFC Life Insurance [B] Bharti AXA Life Insurance
[C] Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance [D] IndiaFirst Life Insurance
117. India's public broadcaster Prasar Bharati partnered with which country recently for collaboration in
broadcasting?
[A] Sri Lanka [B] Ukraine
[C] Madagascar [D] Japan
118. Ministry of Rural Development has partnered with which e-Commerce company to support women artisans?
[A] Flipkart [B] Amazon
[C] Jio Mart [D] Tribes India
119. Which Indian bank launched ‘Trade nxt’, a cross border trade finance service?
[A] State Bank of India [B] Canara Bank
[C] Union Bank of India [D] Bank of Baroda
120. Who has been appointed as the CEO and MD of Air India?
[A] Campbell Wilson [B] Ajay Singh
[C] Alan Joyce [D] Maen Razouqi
Answer Key
1. A 2. B 3. C 4. B 5. C 6. D 7. B 8. C 9. C 10. B 11. A 12. B 13. B 14. C 15. B 16.
A 17. B 18. C 19. B 20. B 21. B 22. C 23. C 24. C 25. C 26. B 27. B 28. B 29. C 30.
C 31. B 32. B 33. D 34. B 35. B 36. C 37. B 38. B 39. C 40. B 41. B 42. B 43. A 44.
B 45. A 46. C 47. D 48. D 49. B 50. B 51. B 52. C 53. C 54. C 55. B 56. C 57. C 58.
C 59. B 60. B 61. A 62. B 63. D 64. C 65. B 66. D 67. B 68. D 69. B 70. A 71. A 72.
B 73. B 74. B 75. B 76. D 77. A 78. B 79. B 80. B 81. B 82. C 83. C 84. B 85. C 86.
A 87. B 88. B 89. C 90. A 91. C 92. C 93. B 94. D 95. C 96. A 97. B 98. B 99. C 100.
C 101. B 102. B 103. A 104. B 105. A 106. B 107. B 108. B 109. B 110. D 111. B 112.
B 113. A 114. A 115. B 116. B 117. C 118. B 119. C 120. A
Note:
The above 120 questions are part of Daily Current Affairs 20 MCQs Series in GKToday Android
Application. This series with daily 20 MCQs, Answers and Explanations can be subscribed in the app
only for Rs. 850/- for entire year. Download Now.

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