Daily Current Affairs and GK | 16 April 2022

Topic: Reports and Indices

1. According to the UN, over 77 million people went into poverty in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

• As per the UN report released recently, rich countries were able to avoid the worst economic impacts of the pandemic.
• However, as per the report, poorer countries continue to deal with financial debt.
• As per the report, 20% of countries will not reach pre-2019 levels of GDP per capita by 2023 end.
• As per the UN, rich countries on an average spend 3.5% of their revenue on servicing debt.
• However, less rich nations spend up to 14% of revenue on servicing debt. 
• The report has been released on 13 April 2022 and prepared by U.N.'s Inter-agency Task Force on Financing for Development.

Topic: Important Days  

2. 18^th raising day of the Indian Army’s south western command has been celebrated in Jaipur on 15 April 2022.

• On this occasion, a wreath-laying ceremony was held at South Western Command Prerna Sthal (War Memorial).
• South Western Command was established on 15th April 2005. It was operationalized on 15 August 2005.
• It is the seventh and newest command of the Indian Army.
• It is also known as Sapta Shakti Command. It is headquartered in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
• Its General Officer Commanding-in-Chief is Lieutenant General A. S. Bhinder.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

3. The Indian renewable energy sector added a total of 14,077 MW of new capacity in FY22.

• This is the highest ever annual new capacity addition by the Indian renewable energy sector.
• The renewable power sector added new capacities of 7,356 MW and 8,711 MW in FY21 and FY20, respectively.
• The largest yearly capacity addition was recorded at 11,754 MW and 11,320 MW in FY18 and F17, respectively.
• The solar energy sector contributed 12,761 MW (91%) to total renewable energy addition in FY22.

• The renewable energy sector has achieved a total grid-connected power capacity of 110 GW as of March 31, 2022.
• Center has fixed target of achieving 175 GW renewable power installed capacity by 2022-end.
• The target of 175 GW includes 100 GW from solar power, 60 GW from wind power, 10 GW from biomass power and 5 GW from hydropower.

Topic: Agriculture

4. Indonesia removes the ban on agricultural imports from India.

• It has approved the registration of Indian food testing labs for three years.
• Earlier, agricultural imports from India were banned by Indonesia as India did not register its food safety testing laboratories before the March 24 deadline.
• Indonesia imports mainly sugar, wheat, rice, maize, chili, groundnut and onion from India.
• It accounted for about 30% of sugar exports from India last season (ended on September 30, 2021).
• During April-January of FY22, it accounted for about 50% of groundnut exports from India.

Topic: National News

5. Yogotsav countdown program organized by the Ministry of Coal in Delhi.

• Ahead of a few days to go for the International Day of Yoga 2022, the Ministry of Coal organised the Yogotsav countdown programme in New Delhi on 15 April.
• Dr. Anil Kumar Jain, the Coal Secretary, inaugurated the program.
• More than 100 people took part in the Yoga program, which was guided by experts from the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga.
• Effective Y-Break protocol for the office was also demonstrated in detail.
• Since 2015, International Yoga Day or World Yoga Day is being celebrated on June 21.

Topic: State News/ Tamil Nadu

6. Ambedkar's birth anniversary was celebrated as 'Equality Day' in Tamil Nadu.

• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced in the assembly that from this year onwards, April 14, the birth anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar, would be celebrated as 'Equality Day' in the state.
• In a statement to the House, Stalin stated that on Equality day a pledge would be taken across the state.
• A life-size bronze statue of Ambedkar will be placed in the Ambedkar Manimandapam.
• The Chief Minister said that Ambedkar's thoughts have depth and essence, which is a beacon for the future, and his selected works will be published in Tamil (Critical Edition).
• Tamil Nadu:
  • The South Indian state of Tamil Nadu is famous for its Dravidian-style Hindu temples.
  • Its capital is Chennai.
  • Its Governor is R. N. Ravi. Its Chief Minister is M. K. Stalin.
  • Tamil Nadu shares its border with Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Puducherry, and Karnataka.
  • Kabbadi is the state sport of Tamil Nadu. It is also known as Sadugudu.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

7. Three-day Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit will be inaugurated by PM Modi in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on 20^th April.

• Industry leaders, academicians, and scholars will participate at the summit to discuss methods to promote traditional medicines and systems.
• One of the summit's aims is to attract lucrative investments to help India become the world's Global Ayush Destination.
• The WHO Centre for Traditional Medicine will also have a ground-breaking ceremony on April 19 in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
• This center will become a worldwide wellness hub, bringing traditional medicine systems around the world to new heights.
• According to the AYUSH Minister, the present market size of the AYUSH sector has grown at a rate of 17% each year from 2014 to 2020.

Topic: National News

8. Hunar Haat's 40^th edition kicked off on April 16 in Mumbai.

• The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs is hosting a 12-day event with the aim of providing employment opportunities for artisans, craftsmen, and traditional culinary experts from across the country.
• The event, which will take place in the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai's suburban area, will be open to the public.
• Hunar Haat aims to strengthen the 'Vocal for Local' campaign with the tagline 'Confluence of Craft, Cuisine, and Culture.'
• Splendid artwork displays, Bollywood personalities' performances, music and cultural events will be showcased during the Hunar Haat.

Topic: State News/ Manipur

9. 165 feet tall Indian National Flag will be installed at INA Headquarters at Moirang.

• During the 78^th anniversary of Flag Hoisting Day, CM of Manipur N Biren Singh said that a 165 ft tall national flag would be installed at INA headquarters at Moirang, Manipur.
• This would be the highest flag in the northeast region.
• On 3 February 2022, CM of Arunachal Pradesh Pema Khandu hoisted a 104ft tall National flag at Buddha Park in Tawang, the second-highest in terms of altitude (10,000 ft).
• Currently, Belagavi or Belgaum Fort in Kote Kere, Karnataka has the highest national flag at 361ft (highest in India). It was inaugurated in 2018 followed by a 360 ft national flag installed at the Attari border, Punjab.  
• The biggest national flag of India was inaugurated in Leh, Ladakh. The flag has a length of 225 feet, a width of 150 feet and weighs 1000 kilogram. It is made up of Khadi cloth.
• Flag Hoisting Day is celebrated on 14th April to commemorate the hoisting of Tricolor Flag of Free India in 1944 by Lieutenant Colonel Shaukat Ali of Indian National Army (INA), under the guidance of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose for the first time on Indian soil at Moirang.
• Indian National Flag:
  • The present Indian national flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 22nd July 1947. 
  • The tricolor flag has three horizontal stripes of saffron, white and green color with the Ashoka Chakra (24 spoke wheel) in the middle.
  • According to the Flag Code of India, 2002, the ratio of the National flag should be 2:3 (height to width ratio).
  • The first national flag in India was hoisted on 7th August 1906 in the Parsee Bagan Square (Green Park) in Kolkata. The flag had three horizontal stripes of red, yellow and green color.
  • In 1931, the flag officially adopted by the INC had three stripes of saffron, white and green color with Gandhi’s spinning wheel at the centre.
  • Currently, Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha, Hubli is the only licensed flag production and supply unit in India.

Topic: Indian Economy

10. Egypt accredited India as wheat supplier.

• Egypt is one of the biggest importers of wheat in the world. Currently, it imports the majority of wheat from Russia and Ukraine.
• Approval for India as a wheat supplier has created a new window of opportunity.
• Growth in wheat exports is dependent on demand from countries like Bangladesh, UAE, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Oman and Malaysia. APEDA is trying to boost wheat exports to countries like Yemen, Afghanistan and Indonesia.
• India had been a marginal player in the global wheat trade till 2020-21. It could export only about 0.2 million tonnes of wheat in 2019-20 and 2 million tonnes of wheat in 2020-21.
• A task force has been set up on wheat exports with representatives from different ministries like commerce, shipping, railways and exporters.
• Wheat Production in India and World:
  • Wheat is the main cereal crop grown in India. The total area under wheat crop is around 30 million hectares.
  • Major wheat growing states in India are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Gujarat.
  • India mainly exports wheat to Bangladesh, Nepal, UAE, Sri Lanka and Yemen.
  • India is the second largest wheat producer in the world followed by Russia. China is the largest wheat producer in the world.
  • As per data for 2020 by FAO, Russia is the largest exporter of wheat in the world followed by US and Canada.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

11. IIT Madras signed an MoU to meet the needs of the Indian Airforce.

• Indian Air Force joined hands with IIT Madras to develop indigenous solutions for the maintenance of various weapon systems.
• Air Force has identified various areas of cooperation including the development of technology.
• IIT Madras will provide research advisory for prototype development and feasibility studies.
• IIT Madras will contribute to the indigenisation efforts by the Base Repair Depots (BRDs) of the IAF’s Maintenance Command.
• The MoU was signed by Air Commodore S Bahuja and Professor H S N Murthy.
• Base Repair Depots (BRD) carry out repair and maintenance of aircraft and equipment of the Indian Air Force.

Topic: Indian Economy

12. Government collected Rs 96,000 crore through asset monetization.

• During FY 2022, the Government has surpassed its target of Rs 88,000 crore by collecting 96,000 crores through asset monetization.
• The government has set a target of asset monetization worth Rs 1.62 trillion for FY 23.
• The list of assets to be monetized this year is being prepared by the NITI Aayog along with different ministries.
• In 2021-22, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways monetised assets worth Rs 23,000 crore while the Ministry of Power monetised assets of Rs 9,500 crore.
• During FY 2022, around 31 mineral blocks were auctioned with a value of Rs 18,700 crore.
• The government has identified assets of about Rs 6 trillion to be monetized over the next four years period.
• The Ministry of Railways has monetized assets worth Rs 800-900 crore against its target of Rs 17, 810 crores.
• The government is planning to monetize assets worth Rs 1.79 trillion and Rs 1.67 trillion in FY 24 and FY 25 respectively.

Topic: Sports

13. Tamil Nadu wins men’s title in 71^st Senior National basketball championship.

• Tamil Nadu men’s team defeated defending champion Punjab by 87-69 in the finals.
• Indian Railways women’s team won the title by defeating Telangana in the final.
• In the men's section, Karnataka and Indian Railways stood third and fourth respectively.
• In the women’s category, Tamil Nadu and Kerala finished the tournament in third and fourth place respectively.
• National Basketball Championship:
  • It is an important basketball tournament in India.
  • The 71st edition of the National Basketball Championship was held at Nehru Stadium in Chennai.

Topic: State News/ Himachal Pradesh

14. April 15 has been observed as Himachal Day.

• Himachal Pradesh came into existence as a centrally administered province on 15 April 1948.
• It was formed by merging four districts- Mandi, Chamba, Mahasu, and Sirmour with 30 princely states.
• Himachal Pradesh was categorized as a ‘C’ state under the Indian Constitution in 1951.
• On 18th December 1970, the State of Himachal Pradesh Act was passed by Parliament and Himachal Pradesh became the 18th state of the Union of India in 1971.
• Facts about Himachal Pradesh:
  • Himachal is the amalgamation of two Sanskrit words, “Hima” (snow) and “Anchal” (lap).
  • Himachal was declared India’s second open-defecation-free state in 2016.
  • According to India Corruption Study 2017, Himachal Pradesh was the least corrupt state in India.
  • The Kalka-Shimla Railway known as the “toy train”, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • Jai Ram Thakur is the current Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh.

(Source: News on AIR)