Daily Current Affairs and GK | 10 and 11 April 2022

Topic: Defence

1. DRDO and Indian Army successfully flight-tested Pinaka Mk-I (Enhanced) Rocket System and Pinaka Area Denial Munition Rocket Systems.

• The Pinaka rocket system has been developed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment, Pune laboratory of DRDO.
• The high Energy Materials Research Laboratory of DRDO has also provided support for the development of the Pinaka rocket system.
• The required accuracy and consistency have been achieved by the rockets during the trial.
• The EPRS is the upgraded version of the Pinaka variant. The upgraded version with advanced technologies will meet the emerging requirements.
• The enhanced version of Pinaka rocket system technology has been transferred to defence industries like Munitions India Limited (MIL) and Economic Explosives Limited Nagpur.
• Pinaka rocket systems can fire 12 rockets in 44 seconds.

Topic: Books and Authors

2. Vinod Rai authored a book titled 'Not Just A Nightwatchman: My Innings with BCCI'.

• Vinod Rai has written a new book titled 'Not Just A Nightwatchman: My Innings with BCCI'. It has been published by 'Rupa’ publication.
• This book is about the tenure of Vinod Rai as the chairman of the Committee of Administrators (CoA) of the BCCI for 33 months.
• He has also written about Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble's rift in his book.
• “Not Just an Accountant: The Diary of the Nation’s Conscience Keeper” and “Rethinking Good Governance: Holding to Account India’s Public Institutions” are some other famous books by Vinod Rai.
• Vinod Rai is a former Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).

Topic: Sports

3. India won its maiden Women's Doubles and Mixed Doubles titles in World Doubles Squash Championships.

• Dipika Pallikal teaming up with Saurav Ghosal and Joshna Chinappa has won mixed doubles and women's double titles in the World Doubles Squash Championships at Glasgow.
• Dipika Pallikal and Saurav Ghosal won the mixed doubles title 11-6, 11-8 by defeating English pair Adrian Waller and Alison Waters.
• Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa won the women's doubles title after defeating Sarah-Jane Perry and Alison Waters of England.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Important Days

4. Sibling Day: 10 April

• Sibling Day is celebrated every year on 10 April.
• The day marks the special bond that exists between brothers and sisters.
• Claudia Evert started the day on the birth anniversary of her sister Lisette in the United States in 1997.
• The Siblings Day Foundation was established in 1997 and became a non-profit organisation in 1999.
• In India, a special day called Raksha Bandhan commemorates the special day of siblings.

Topic: New Developments 

5. IIT Guwahati developed technology to standardize electric vehicles in India.

• IIT Guwahati has developed a technology that evaluates Electric Vehicle (EV) motors and batteries and can help Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in manufacturing the best equipment components suited to the Indian scenario.
• This is a one-of-a-kind system for standardizing electronic vehicles based on Indian driving cycles.
• So far, researchers have not considered Indian drive-cycles. This is why the drive-cycles developed so far are not focused on rural and urban cycles.
• The team at IIT Guwahati worked on both rural and urban climatic conditions in India.
• Researchers from the Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, IIT Guwahati, have developed a method for manufacturing of electronic drivetrain (the set of components that power the wheels).
• OEMs are currently looking at making a standard drive cycle for Indian conditions.
• Researchers are developing this technology for four-wheelers as well, but the current project focuses exclusively on two-wheelers.

Topic: Space and IT

6. Space-X launched the first private mission to the space station.

• The first all-private mission to the International Space Station (ISS) has taken off.
• A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon capsule carrying four people took off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
• Michael Lopez-Alegria, a retired NASA astronaut, is leading the crew.
• The mission is a collaboration between Axiom, SpaceX, and NASA.
• This mission will help in the expansion of commercial space ventures known as the low-Earth orbit economy.
• SpaceX:
  • It is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company founded by Elon Musk in 2002.
  • It is known for its reusable rockets and astronaut capsules.
  • Its headquarters is located in California.
  • CEO of SpaceX is Elon Musk.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

7. Union Minister Bhupender Yadav chaired 20th Meeting of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

• The meeting was held in Pakke tiger reserve in Arunachal Pradesh.
• For the first time in the history of NTCA, its meeting was held outside the national capital.
• Union Minister has directed that NTCA meetings will be held outside of Delhi from now on.
• The Minister issued the Standard Operating Protocol for dealing with the reintroduction and supplementation of tigers in the wild, which was produced by the NTCA.
• Forest fire audit protocol for tiger reserves has been released.
• NTCA has released technical manual on Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of tiger reserves in India.
• The MEE exercise in tiger reserves began in 2006, and four cycles have now been completed. 5th cycle of MEE exercise is starting in 2022.
• Arunachal Pradesh provides a model to follow programmes such as Hornbill Nest Adoption and Air Gun Surrender Abhiyan.
• Arunachal Pradesh started the Air Gun Surrender Abhiyaan in March 2021.

Topic: State News/Gujarat

8. Tourism facilities for SeemaDarshan at Nadabet have been inaugurated by Home Minister Amit Shah.

• 'The SeemaDarshan project was started to provide people a glimpse into the lives and activities of BSF officers on our border.
• SeemaDarshan programme in Nadabet, Banaskantha district, Gujarat cost is around Rs. 125 crore.
• He also visited Nadeshwari Mata Temple at Nadabet.
• He said that BSF personnel guard the 6,385 km long border of India.
• Border Security Force (BSF):
  • It was founded on 1 December 1965. ‘Jeevan Paryant Kartavya’ is the motto of the Border Security Force.
  • Its headquarters is located in New Delhi. It works under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
  • Pankaj Kumar Singh is the current Director-General of the Border Security Force.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Banking System

9. Reserve Bank decided to allow all banks to introduce cardless cash withdrawal facilities from ATMs.

• During the monetary policy meeting, RBI proposed to make the card-less cash withdrawal facility available across all banks and ATM networks using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
• This initiative will help in preventing frauds like card skimming, and card cloning.
• The cardless cash withdrawal facility will allow individuals to withdraw cash without using any debit card at Automated teller machines (ATMs).
• An individual can withdraw a maximum of ₹10,000 per day or ₹25,000 per month by using this facility.
• At present, banks like SBI, ICICI, and HDFC are giving this facility to customers.
• Customers will be identified using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) while settlement of transactions will be done through the ATM network.
• Unified Payments Interface (UPI):
  • It is an instant real-time payment system for transferring money in bank accounts.
  • It was launched in 2016.
  • It was developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

10. 4^th India and US 2+2 dialogue will be organized in Washington.

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation at the 4th India and US 2+2 dialogue.
• Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will attend the dialogue from the US side.
• The 2+2 Dialogue gives an opportunity to exchange views related to important regional and global issues.
• Both sides will discuss agendas related to foreign policy, defence, and security.
• This year’s 2 plus 2 Ministerial Dialogue will celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations.
• Apart from the US, India also takes part in 2+2 Dialogue with Japan, Russia and Australia.
• India-US Ministerial 2 plus 2 Dialogue:
  • It was first held in 2018 in New Delhi.
  • It is the highest level institutional mechanism between US and India in which the defense and foreign ministers from both countries meet.
  • The second 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue was held in 2019 in Washington DC.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Awards and Prizes

11. Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu conferred Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship and Sangeet Natak Awards for the year 2018.

• M. Venkaiah Naidu also awarded eminent artists with the National Awards of Lalit Kala Akademi in New Delhi.
• Four artists have been awarded Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship and 40 were honoured with Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards.
• 23 artists including three fellows received Lalit Kala Akademi Awards.
• Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, Jatin Goswami, Dr Sonal Mansingh and Thiruvidaimarudur Kuppiah Kalyanasundaram were awarded Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship.
• Himmat Shah, Jyoti Bhatt and Shyam Sharma are awarded with the prestigious Fellowships of the Lalit Kala Akademi.
• Sangeet Natak Akademi is also organising a festival of Performing Arts in New Delhi.
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards:
  • The Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards are the highest national recognition given to practising artists.
  • First Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards was conferred in 1952.
  • Sangeet Natak Akademi also confers Fellowships to eminent artists and scholars of music, dance and drama.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

12. AAI launched ‘AVSAR’ scheme to promote local products of SHG.

• Under the “AVSAR” (Airport as Venue for Skilled Artisans Of The Region) scheme, an area of 100-200 square feet will be allocated to self-help groups at each Airports Authority of India (AAI) operated airport.
• It will give an opportunity for self-help groups for showing their local products at Airports.
• Some outlets have been already commissioned at Chennai, Agartala, Dehradun, Kushinagar, Udaipur & Amritsar Airport.
• The allocated area will be given on a turn basis for a duration of 15 days.
• SHGs operated by women can showcase their homemade local products like Puffed Rice, Packaged Papad, Pickles, etc.
• The main aim of this initiative is to support Self Help Group by promoting their local products.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

13. UIDAI and ISRO signed MoU for Technical Collaboration.

• The Unique Identification Authority Of India (UIDAI), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) signed an MoU for technical collaboration.
• As per the agreement, NRSC will develop 'Bhuvan-Aadhaar' portal which will provide the location information of Aadhaar card centres across the country.
• Apart from this, NRSC will also provide a web portal to collect and store data pertaining to existing and new enrolment centres.
• The agreement has been signed by UIDAI Deputy Director General Shailendra Singh and NRSC Director Prakash Chauhan.
• Bhuvan will provide complete geographic information storage, retrieval, analysis and reporting of Aadhaar centres, with the help of high-resolution satellite images.
• Unique Identification Authority Of India (UIDAI):
  • It was established as a statutory authority under the Aadhaar Act 2016.
  • It works under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
  • It has so far issued Aadhaar numbers to more than 132 crore residents.
  • Dr. Saurabh Garg is the Chief Executive Officer of Unique Identification Authority of India.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Important Days

14. World Homoeopathy Day: 10 April

• Every year World Homoeopathy Day is observed on 10 April to commemorate the birth anniversary of the founder of Homoeopathy, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann.
• It is observed to mark the importance of homoeopathy and its contribution to the world.
• World Homeopathy Awareness Week is celebrated annually from 10th April to 16th April.
• On this occasion, the Ministry of Ayush has organised a two-day scientific convention under the theme ‘Homoeopathy: People’s Choice for Wellness’.
• Samuel Hahnemann is known as the “Father of Homeopathy”.