Daily Current Affairs and GK | 13 and 14 March 2022

Topic: National News

1. Government released draft of national medical devices policy for consultation.

• The Department of pharmaceuticals has recently released an Approach Paper for the Draft National Policy for the Medical Devices, 2022.
• The government has invited feedback and remarks of the industry and stakeholders till 25 March.
• The proposed policy comprises a comprehensive set of measures for the growth and development of the sector.
• It will also help in resolving challenges of the sector like regulatory streamlining, skilling of human resources and lack of technology for high-end equipment and lack of appropriate infrastructure, etc.
• The policy also aims for setting up National Institutes of Medical Devices Education and Research (NIMERs).
• This policy will ensure Quality standards and safety of the devices at global standards.
• The medical devices sector is an important pillar of the Health care sector in India. It remained unregulated till 2017.
• According to a government estimate, the market size of the medical devices sector, popularly called as MedTech Sector, will reach $50 billion by 2025.

Topic: State News/ Kerala

2. Kerala topped in maternal and child health.

• According to the latest data, India’s maternal mortality ratio (MMR) has improved to 103 for the period 2017-19.
• The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of Kerala has dropped from 42 to 30. Kerala has achieved the UN Sustainable Development Goals of MMR in the year 2020 itself.
• The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has worsened in West Bengal, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Chhattisgarh.
• The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) has drastically improved in UP, Rajasthan, and Bihar.
• Kerala, Telangana, and Maharashtra are included in the top 3 states with the lowest MMR in India.
• Italy, Norway, Poland, and Belarus have the lowest MMR in the world.
• Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is defined as the number of maternal deaths per 100000 live births.

Topic: Art and Culture

3. India’s ‘Writing with Fire’ got nominated in Best Documentary feature category at Oscars.

• ‘Writing With Fire’ has been selected in the last five for the best documentary feature category at the Oscars.
• It is based on a story of Khabar Lahariya, the only news agency in India run by Dalit (oppressed-caste) women.
• ‘Writing With Fire’ had won Audience and Jury Awards at the Sundance Film Festival last year.
• It is produced by Ticket Films and directed by filmmakers Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh.
• ‘Khabar Lahariya’ is a newspaper founded in May 2002 in Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Sports

4. Six Indian boxers have won gold at the ASBC Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships.

• At the 2022 ASBC Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships in Amman, Jordan, six Indian junior boxers, led by Vini (50kg), Yakshika (52kg), and Vidhi, won the gold medals.
• The Indian team has won 39 medals in total, 21 in junior and 18 in youth category, at the continental event, which includes both men's and women's age groups.
• India had won 39 medals, including 14 gold, at the 2021 edition of the competition held in Dubai.
• 352 boxers from 21 nations including India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan participated in the competition.

Topic: Important Days

5. International Day of Mathematics 2022: 14 March

• Every year on March 14, the world celebrates International Day of Mathematics.
• The theme of the International Day of Mathematics 2022 is ‘Mathematics Unites.’
• Its aim is to raise awareness of the importance of mathematics in science and technology.
• In 2019, UNESCO had adopted the International Day of Mathematics during its 40^th General Conference.
• Before 2019, it was celebrated as Pi Day. The mathematician Archimedes of Syracuse was the first to calculate value of Pi.
• In India, National Mathematics Day is observed on December 22.

Topic: Important Days

6. World Glaucoma Day: 12 March

• World Glaucoma Day is celebrated every year on 12 March.
• It is commemorated to educate and raise public awareness about glaucoma and the harm it can do to our eyes.
• Every year, between March 6 and 12, World Glaucoma Week (WGW) is also commemorated.
• This day is a collaborative project between the World Glaucoma Association and the World Glaucoma Patients Association.
• Glucoma is a group of eye diseases that damages the optic nerve making a person blind. Glaucoma is the second biggest cause of vision loss after cataracts, and it has become a global health issue.

Topic: Committees / Commissions / Taskforce

7. SC appointed AK Sikri as chairperson of the Committee on Char Dham project.

• The Supreme Court had formed this Committee to look after the environmental concerns and other issues related to the Char Dham highway project.
• He has been appointed after the resignation of environmentalist Ravi Chopra, who was the chairman of the High-Powered Committee.
• The High-Powered Committee was established by the Supreme Court in August 2019 with the mandate to assess the environmental impact of the 899-kilometer project.
• Citizens for Green Doon, an NGO, had previously petitioned the Supreme Court, raising environmental concerns about the Char Dham highway project.
• Chardham Project:
  • It is a program initiated by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to improve connectivity for Chardham (Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri) in Uttarakhand.
  • It is being built by the Border Roads Organization.

Topic: Sports

8. 11^th Khel Mahakumbh inaugurated in Ahmedabad by PM Modi.

• Khel Mahakumbh was started with 16 sports and 13 lakh participants and now 36 general sports and 26 para-sports are played.
• For the 11^th Khel Mahakumbh, almost 45 lakh sports people have registered.
• Due to the Covid pandemic, the Mahkumbh was postponed for two years.
• It is a one-of-a-kind combination of traditional sports like kabaddi, kho-kho, yogasana, and mallakhambh with modern sports such as artistic skating, tennis, and fencing.
• It began in Gujarat in 2010 under the leadership of Shri Narendra Modi, the then Chief Minister.
• It has also promoted para-sports in Gujarat.

Topic: State News/ Maharashtra

9. Maharashtra Deputy CM and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar presented the state Budget 2022.

• A revenue deficit budget was presented by Ajit Pawar in the Maharashtra assembly with a total outlay of Rs.5.84 lakh crore (13% higher than Budget Estimates for 2021-22).
• FM of Maharashtra said that Maharashtra will become the first state to have a $1 trillion economy.
• The economy of Maharashtra will grow by 12.1% which is higher than the expected growth rate (8.9%) of the Indian economy.
• To achieve the above mentioned goals, the government has launched a new five-point development agenda called Panchasutri of Development. Rs 4 lakh crore will be made available in the next three years for this programme.
• The five elements of Panchasutri are agriculture, health, human resource, transport and industry.
• The state has focused on building both physical and social infrastructure. This will result in higher job creation, increase income and boost the state’s economy.
• The state is also focusing on establishing a safe and fast transportation system to promote industrialisation, tourism and agriculture.
• The government will waive off the loan of Land Development Bank worth Rs 964 crore for 34,788 farmers and also clear Rs 275.40 crore dues of bank employees.
• In the health sector, the budget proposed to establish 100-bed women hospitals in 16 districts and a state-of-the-art ‘Indrayani Medicity’ near Pune city. Telemedicine centres will also be set up in every district hospital through ‘Shiv Arogya Yojana’.
• The budget proposed mobile services to 1.2 lakh Anganwadi workers and supervisors through e-Shakti Yojana and setting up of Amrut Mahotsavi Mahila and Bal Bhavan in every district.
• Hindu Hruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Samruddhi Highway will be extended from Nagpur to Bhandara-Gondia and Nagpur to Gadchiroli.
• Government has announced a new scheme- “Pandita Ramabai Smriti Shatabdi Mahila Udyojak Yojana”. Under the scheme, there is a provision of 100% interest refund to start a self-employment project for women who lost their husbands due to COVID-19.
• The budget proposed GST amnesty scheme (named Maharashtra Settlement of Arrears of Tax, Interest, Penalty or Late Fee Scheme, 2022) and reduction in VAT on compressed natural gas (CNG) from 13.5% to 3% and reduce stamp duty.
• Maharashtra government has allocated Rs 100 crore for improvement works in slum areas outside Mumbai.
• As per the economic survey of the State, service sector accounts for about 60% of the state’s economy and is expected to grow by 13.5%.
• As per the Budget estimates, revenue receipts will be Rs 4,03,427 crore and revenue expenditure will be Rs 4,27,780 crores.
• The allocations to major sectors are given in the below table:

Topic: National News

10. PM dedicated Rashtriya Raksha University’s building to nation.

• Rashtriya Raksha University is situated at Lavad village near Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
• Rashtriya Raksha University will emerge as a center for national security and defense.
• Gujarat has National Forensic Science University and National Children University. These are the first two such universities in the world.
• Rashtriya Raksha University:
  • It is a central University located in Gujarat.
  • It was established by the Government of Gujarat in 2009.
  • It was upgraded as the Institutions of National Importance through Rashtriya Raksha University Bill, 2020.
  • It provides academic qualifications in the field of counter-terrorism, Counter-insurgency, and cyber security.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

11. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs organized a national level ‘India Water Pitch-Pilot-Scale Start-up Conclave’ on 12 March.

• This conference has been organized at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
• Its main aim is to start communication with the Startups in the water sector.
• The Government has also launched the ‘India Water Pitch-Pilot-Scale Start-up Challenge’ during the conclave.
• Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs will provide Rs 20 lakh to the winners of this challenge.
• More than 50 Startups showcased their innovative solutions for urban water problems.
• On 1 October 2021, the government had launched the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation 2.0 (AMRUT 2.0) for making Indian cities ‘Aatma Nirbhar’ and ‘Water Secure’.
• The Technology sub-mission is a key component of AMRUT 2.0. It focuses on providing financial support and mentoring to start-ups find solutions of the water problems of Indian cities.
• Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT):
  • It was launched in June 2015.
  • Its main objective is to ensure a strong sewage network and water supply for urban transformation.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Personality in News

12. Tiger Woods inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

• He was elected to the Hall of Fame in March 2020.
• During his career, Tiger woods has won 82 PGA TOUR events along with 15 major championships.
• He also is a two-time winner of THE PLAYERS Championship and is the first two-time winner of the FedExCup.
• He was ranked No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking for a record 683 weeks.
• World Golf Hall of Fame:
  • It is located at World Golf Village in Florida.
  • It is backed by a group of 26 golf organizations from around the world.

Topic: State News/ Tripura

13. Tripura government announced “Mukhyamantri Chaa Srami Kalyan Prakalpa” scheme for tea garden workers.

• Tripura government has launched this scheme to provide social security cover to more than 7000 tea garden workers.
• The scheme will provide housing, rations and financial support to the tea garden workers.
• The government has allocated 85 crores for the implementation of the scheme.
• The government has also increased daily wages of workers from Rs.130 to Rs.176.
• Providing land to farmers for constructing house, allocating land of defunct tea garden on lease through cooperative, providing drinking water, electricity, etc. are the key components of the scheme.
• The government will also promote residents of the state to send their children in pre-primary and Higher secondary schools.
• The government will also provide Maternal and Child Health Care assistance and ensure health insurance also.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

14. TDSAT organized a seminar on “25 Years of TRAI Act: The Way Forward for Stakeholders (Telecom, Broadcasting, IT, AERA and Aadhaar)”.

• Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated this seminar to commemorate 25 years of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Act.
• The main objective of the seminar is to create awareness about the regulatory mechanism including dispute resolution.
• Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also released the TDSAT Procedures 2005 and TDSAT Rules, 2003.
• National Telecom Policy, 1994 allowed private entities entry into the telecom sector of India which led to the establishment of TRAI.
• Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Act:
  • It was enacted in 1997 to regulate the telecommunications sector in India.
  • It was amended in the year 2000 for establishing a Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT).
• Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT):
  • It was established to protect the interests of service providers and consumers of the telecom sector.
  • Its headquarters is located in New Delhi.
  • Its current Chairperson is Chief Justice DN Patel.

(Source: News on AIR)