Daily Current Affairs and GK | 12 April 2023

Topic: Environment and Ecology

1. Periyar Tiger Reserve is the best-maintained tiger reserve among all tiger reserves in the country.

• According to the 5th cycle of Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE), Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala is the best-maintained among all tiger reserves in the country.
• Periyar Reserve is in the first spot with an MEE score of 94.3%.
• Satpura Tiger Reserve and Bandipur Tiger Reserve are on second and third positions respectively.
• Since 2006, Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) is being used to assess tiger reserves across the country.
• India has currently 53 tiger reserves. 51 tiger reserves with an area of 73,765 sq km have been included in the current cycle of MEE.
• MEE suggested an overall improvement in the management effectiveness of the tiger reserves.
• The overall mean MEE score in the fourth cycle in 2018 was 70% while in the fifth cycle assessment, it is 77.92%.
• 12 Tiger Reserves have scored 90% and above in the fifth cycle assessment. A new category of ‘Excellent’ has been also added to this cycle assessment.
• 12 tiger reserves have been kept in the “Excellent” category while 20 tiger reserves have been placed in the ‘Very Good’ category.
• 14 tiger reserves are in the ‘Good Category’ and 5 are in the ‘Fair’ category. No tiger reserves have been graded as ‘Poor’.
• Management efficiency in the Tiger Reserves over the years has improved in terms of complying with the prescriptions proposed in the Tiger Conservation Plans.
• In the current cycle, a headline indicator- carbon capture and climate change- has received the lowest score.

Topic: Banking System

2. RBI has released the framework for the acceptance of Green Deposits.

• RBI has announced this framework to foster and develop a green finance ecosystem in India.
• As per RBI, the finance sector can play a pivotal role in mobilizing and allocating resources for green activities/projects.
• Under the framework, RBI-regulated entities can accept green deposits from customers.
• The entities shall allocate the proceeds from green deposits for projects in sectors like energy efficiency, renewable energy, promoting climate resilience, and improvement of natural ecosystems and biodiversity.
• As per the framework, all deposit-taking banks shall put in place a comprehensive Board-approved policy.
• This policy shall detail aspects of the issuance and allocation of green deposits.
• The boards shall also put in place a financing framework for the effective allocation of green deposits.
• The financing framework will be subject to independent third-party verification. The third-party verification shall be conducted annually.
• RBI has allowed the banks to decide on the tenor, size, and interest rate as per norms.
• On maturity, customers will be given the option of renewing or withdrawing the green deposits.
• RBI has specified that green deposits shall be accepted in Indian Rupees only.

Topic: Personality in News

3. The birth anniversary of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar will be celebrated as ‘Swatantraveer Gaurav Din’.

• The birth anniversary of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar falls on 28 May.
• Maharashtra government has announced to celebrate it as ‘Swatantraveer Gaurav Din’.
• Next month will mark the 140th birth anniversary of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
• Vinayak Damodar Savarkar:
  • He was born in the Nashik district of Maharashtra on 28 May 1883.
  • He was sentenced to 50 years in jail in 1911 for revolting against the Morley-Minto reforms.
  • He was part of the Hindu Mahasabha. He wrote the famous book ‘The Indian War of Independence 1857’.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

4. Central government has launched a unified portal of the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN).

• Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra launched the unified portal on 11 April 2023 in the presence of other officials and stakeholders.
• The portal will provide solution for all licensing processes related to Bureau.
• The portal will bring efficiency, transparency and accountability to department users.
• Its launch will facilitate business in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) and Controlled Substances in India with transparent and better compliance.
• On this portal, databases of Bharat Kosh, GST, PAN-NSDL authentication, e-Sanchit and other government services including UIDAI are integrated for obtaining license from CBN.
• The exporter, importer, and manufacturer of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances, and Controlled Substances will be benefitted.
• The applicants may file applications from anywhere & anytime 24*7 basis.
• Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN):
  • It is a central government organization. It is affiliated with the Department of Revenue.
  • It is regulated by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.
  • Its headquarters is located at Gwalior. Dinesh Bouddh is the current commissioner of CBN.

Topic: Sports

5. Nisha Dahiya won silver medal in Asian Wrestling Championship.

• On 11 April, Nisha Dahiya from India won a silver medal in the women’s competitions of the Asian wrestling championships in Astana, Kazakhstan.
• Nisha, who made a comeback from injury, reached the final but lost 10-0 to Japan's Emi Ishii and finished runner-up.
• This remarkable accomplishment in the women's 68 kg category is a major milestone in her career.
• Nisha defeated China's Feng Zhou 7-6 in the semi-finals.
• Another Indian wrestler, Priya Malik won a bronze medal in the 76 kg category.
• She defeated Japan's Mizuki Nagashima in the repechage round.
• India has secured a total of six medals in competitions until now.
• Asian Wrestling Championship:
  • It is an annual event organized by Asian Associated Wrestling Committee (AAWC).
  • Men’s tournament was started in 1979, the women’s tournament was first staged in 1996.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

6. Second Women-20 international meeting will be held in Jaipur in Rajasthan on 13-14 April.

• The event began on April 12 with the theme “Jan Bhagidari- The Women Journey of Women Empowerment.”
• A panel discussion supported by Jaipur National University, Jaipur Physiotherapist Network, and the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of Rajasthan will also be organized.
• Union Minister of State for Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal will be the chief guest at the event.
• In the W-20 meeting, 120 women leaders from 18 G-20 countries will present their views on issues related to gender inequality and economic empowerment of women globally.
• The meeting will focus on the theme "Unleashing the Untapped Potential of Women-led Development: Building an Inclusive and Sustainable Future".
• India's W-20 agenda focuses on five key priorities - women entrepreneurship, women leadership at the grassroots level, digitally empowering women, education and skill development and climate change.
• On February 27 and 28, 2023, the Women 20 Inception meeting under India's G20 Presidency was held at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

7. International Conference on Defence Finance and Economics started in New Delhi on 12 April 2023.

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the three-day conference.
• The conference will provide a unique platform for policymakers, government officials and academicians.
• They will share their experiences and insights on Defence Finance and Economics.
• Delegates from USA, UK, Japan, Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Kenya will take part in the conference.
• The conference aims to disseminate the experiences, best practices and expertise of various countries.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

8. Gujarat is the state with the highest utilization-to-released fund ratio of MPLADS funds in FY23.

• ₹66 crore was allocated to Gujarat. It utilized ₹95.77 crore as per data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
• Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu are other states having the highest utilization-to-released fund ratio.
• Telangana and Uttarakhand have utilized just 52.8% and 63.6% of the total funds received in FY23.
• Uttar Pradesh has utilized 99% of the funds received in FY 23 as of March 27, 2023.
• Uttar Pradesh received ₹427.5 crore. It is followed by Maharashtra, Bihar and West Bengal.
• They received ₹341.34 crore, ₹219.95 crore, and ₹182.17 crore respectively.
• Sikkim received just ₹2 crore. This was the lowest amount of money received by any state in FY23.
• Four union territories received no money in FY23. They are Lakshadweep, Chandigarh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
• Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS):
  • It is a central government scheme formulated on 23 December 1993.
  • Under this scheme, MPs can recommend development programmes of expenditure of ₹5 crore every year in their constituencies.
  • Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs can recommend projects. The funds for the projects are transferred to local authorities.

Topic: Indian Economy

9. IMF lowered India’s FY 2023-24 growth forecast to 5.9%.

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut down India’s economic growth forecast for the current financial year to 5.9 percent from its earlier estimate of 6.1 percent.
• According to the World Economic Outlook of IMF, the Indian economy is projected to grow by 6.8 percent in the financial year 2022-23.
• World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have also lowered India’s economic growth forecast due to an increase in borrowing costs and risks from global factors.
• IMF’s projection of India’s economic growth for the current financial year is the lowest among forecasts of different agencies.
• IMF projected that India’s headline retail inflation will ease to 4.9 percent in 2023-24 from 6.7 percent in the previous year.
• The IMF also cut down the world economic growth projection for 2023 by 10 basis points at 2.8 percent. The global economic growth is projected to be 3 per cent in 2024.
• Advanced economies' growth is expected to slow from 2.7 percent in 2022 to 1.3 percent in 2023.
• Global headline inflation will decrease from 8.7 percent in 2022 to 7 percent in 2023 due to lower commodity prices. Inflation is likely to decline more slowly.

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

10. For the first time, a human got infected by a plant fungus.

• A 61-year-old man from Kolkata has got infected by a killer plant fungus Chondrostereum purpureum.
• It is the world's first instance of infection by a rare plant fungus to humans.
• The infected person was working with decaying material, mushrooms and various plant fungi for a long time.
• This study has been published in Medical Mycology Case Reports journal. This study is about how plant fungal infections can spread to humans in close contact.
• Chondrostereum purpureum can cause silver leaf disease and mainly affects rose plants. This fungus grows on the exposed part of the plant.
• The person got affected by this fungus is suffering from hoarseness of voice, cough, recurrent pharyngitis, fatigue, and difficulty in swallowing for the last 3 months.
• The fungus can enter the human body through small cuts or scrapes.
• Antifungal medications have been used in the treatment of this fungal infection.
• Chrondrostereum purpureum is a species of fungus that belongs to the family of Corticiaceae. It is commonly known as “violet fungus”.

Topic: Indian Polity

11. Union Minister of Law Kiren Rijiju has released the Dogri version of the Constitution of India.

• The first edition of the Constitution in Dogri version was released on 8 April 2023 at the University of Jammu.
• Dogri language is mainly spoken in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the ethnic language of the Dogras. It was included in the 8^th schedule of the Indian Constitution in 2003.
• The original constitution was written in Hindi and English.
• The Law Minister said that it is necessary for the common man to understand the law to get justice and nothing can be better than codifying it in his mother tongue.
• The government is digitizing around 6,5000 words of legal terminology to create a core glossary for the understanding of all citizens.
• Rs 9,000 crore has been allocated for upgrading infrastructure in the lower judiciary and Rs 7,000 crore for the e-courts project.
• The Constitution of India is one of the longest written constitutions in the world and has guided India's nation-building process for more than seven decades.
• The Ministry of External Affairs, in association with the Parliamentary Research & Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE), also conducted a seminar titled "Seven Decades of the Constitution of India" on 28th March 2023.

Topic: State News/ Himachal Pradesh

12. A bill has been passed by Himachal Pradesh assembly for welfare of orphans.

• The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed the Himachal Pradesh Sukhashraya (Care, Protection and Self-Reliance of the Children of the State) Bill, 2023.
• The Himachal Pradesh became the first state in the country to enact such a scheme.
• The government will provide shelter, education and Rs 4,000 as pocket money to the orphan children.
• The government will take care of over 6,000 orphan children of the state for 27 years.
• Additionally, the government would provide full financial support for the higher education of these children.
• Furthermore, once they reach the age of 27, they would be granted three biswa of land along with financial assistance to build their own homes.
• An expenditure of about Rs 272.27 crore will be involved in the implementation of the provisions of the Bill.
• As per the Bill, Child Welfare Committees will be constituted which will be empowered to order admission of persons in after care institutions.
• However, the opposition members objected to its name.
• Opposition leaders claimed that the CM has named the scheme after himself, adding that most of the provisions of this law are already included in the central scheme.

Topic: National News

13. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology notified final rules for online gaming.

• The Ministry of Electronics and IT has notified amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 associated with online gaming.
• As per the new rules, multiple self-regulatory organisations (SROs) approval will be required for online games with a monetary element.
• As per the rule, there will be multiple SROs and the members will be from different stakeholders.
• SRO must include an educationist, an expert in the field of psychology or mental health, online game users, persons with child rights protection experience, etc.
• The self-regulatory body will have the right to inquire and satisfy itself that the online game does not involve betting on any outcome.
• Online gaming companies will also have to complete a KYC procedure for users.
• As per the amended rules, it has been made mandatory for intermediaries to make reasonable efforts not to host, publish or share any online game which may cause harm to the user.
• The amended rules have imposed additional obligations on online gaming intermediaries in relation to online games involving real money.
• It includes displaying of a mark of verification by the self-regulatory body on such games; informing users of policy for withdrawal or refund of deposit; manner of determination and distribution of winnings.

Topic: Personality in News

14. A renowned theatre actor Jalabala Vaidya passed away.

• Jalabala Vaidya, the co-founder of Delhi's Akshara Theatre, passed away at the age of 86 after battling with respiratory ailments.
• Jalabala Vaidya started her career as a journalist. She worked for various national newspapers and magazines.
• She received various awards in her career such as the Delhi government's Varisht Samman, Sangeet Natak Akademi's Tagore Award, Delhi Natya Sangh Award, etc.
• Jalabala Vaidya's theatrical career started with "Full Circle" in 1968.
• She played roles in more than 20 plays including Full Circle, Larflarflarf, The Ramayana, Let’s Laugh Again, etc.
• She co-founded the Akshara National Classical Theatre in New Delhi with Sharman.