Daily Current Affairs and GK | 2 and 3 April 2023

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

1. In 2022-23, Paradip port handled the highest annual traffic among all ports.

• Paradip Port has handled a record annual traffic of 135.36 million metric tonnes in 2022-23 against 116.13 million metric tonnes in the last financial year.
• PL Haranadh, Chairman, Paradip Port Authority has given this information during a press conference in Bhubaneswar.
• The Pradip port has recorded the highest-ever growth of 19.2 million metric tonnes (16.56 per cent) of traffic in a single financial year.
• In 2022-23, Paradip port recorded the highest-ever coastal shipping traffic of 58.42 million metric tonnes. It has increased by 16.22 million metric tonnes as compared to the previous year.
• The thermal coal coastal shipping has increased by 14 million metric tonnes.
• Paradip Port has improved its berth productivity to 31050 MT from 27295 MT. It has registered 13.76 per cent growth.
• In the current financial year, the Port handled 20,126 rakes. It is 20.45 per cent more than the previous financial year.
• The Port has handled 2394 ships during the financial year, an increase of 16 per cent than the previous year.
• The Paradip port would become the hydrogen hub port of the country.
• Paradip Port is also planning to develop a 10 MW solar power plant to power the operations of the port. It is also planning to add another 4 berths.
• Mumbai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port is the largest in India.

Topic: Important Days

2. World Autism Awareness Day: 2 April

• World Autism Awareness Day is observed every year on 2 April to raise awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
• The 2023 World Autism Awareness Day observance is being organized by the United Nations Department of Global Communication and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs in association with the Institute of Neurodiversity.
• The first World Autism Awareness Day was observed on April 2, 2008.
• This year the theme of World Autism Awareness Day is “Transforming the narrative: Contributions at home, at work, in the arts and in policymaking”.
• This day gives an opportunity to raise voice in the support of people diagnosed with Autism.
• It encourages individuals, organizations, and governments to take steps for making a world more inclusive and accessible for people suffering from autism.
• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a broad term used to describe a group of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Topic: Defence

3. India exported defense products worth more than 16 thousand crore rupees to other countries.

• India has achieved a significant milestone by exporting defense products worth more than 16 thousand crore rupees to more than 85 countries.
• Due to the reforms and policy initiatives of the government, the country's defense exports have increased by more than ten times in the last six years.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described this achievement as a clear expression of India's talent and enthusiasm towards Make in India.
• He said that the reforms in the field of defense production in the last few years have started showing positive results and the government will continue to support the efforts to make the country a major hub of defense production.
• The Defense Minister said that the Indian defense industry has proved its mettle in terms of design and development of products and at present 100 establishments are exporting defense products.
• The government has taken several policy initiatives to promote exports of defense products and has carried out several reforms in the last five-six years.
• The export procedure has been simplified and many formalities have been removed for ease of doing business.
• The government has issued three free general export licenses to facilitate export of spare parts, transfer of technology and main platforms.
• Till eight years ago, the image of India was that of an importer of defense products, but now India is exporting its defense products.
• These include BrahMos and Akash missiles, radars, Pinaka rockets and launchers, Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, Light Combat Helicopters and aircraft carriers.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: International News

4. Georgia Assembly passed a resolution condemning Hinduphobia.

• The Georgia Assembly in the US has passed a resolution condemning Hinduphobia and has become the first US state to take such a legislative step.
• Condemning Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu bias, the resolution states that Hinduism is the world's largest and oldest religion, with 1.2 billion people living in more than 100 countries.
• The resolution also states that Hinduism is full of different traditions and belief systems, which also have values of acceptance, mutual respect and peace.
• The proposal was introduced by Forsyth County's Lauren McDonald and Todd Jones.
• A large number of Hindu and Indian American communities live in this county of Georgia.
• The resolution states that the American Hindu community makes major contributions in various fields of medicine, science and engineering, information technology, hospitality, finance, academia.
• It also said that the community's contributions to yoga, Ayurveda, meditation, food, music and the arts have enriched the cultural fabric and been widely adopted in American society.
• The resolution noted that there have been documented cases of hate crimes against Hindu-Americans in several parts of the country over the past few decades.
• It said, Hinduphobia has been further institutionalized by some in academia, who advocate eradicating Hinduism and accuse its sacred texts and cultural practices of violence and oppression.
• A move in this regard was spearheaded by the Atlanta chapter of the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), which organised the first-ever Hindu Advocacy Day held on March 22 at the Georgia State Capitol.

Topic: Personality in News

5. Salim Durani, one of the early stars of Indian cricket, passed away at the age of 88 on 2 April.

• A flamboyant all-rounder in the 1960s and 70s, Durani played 29 Tests for India from 1960 to 1973.
• He scored 1,202 runs at the average of 25.04, including one century (104 against the West Indies in 1962) and seven fifties.
• As a left-arm spinner, he took 75 wickets at an average of 35.42.
• He was born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1934.
• He was known for hitting sixes on audience demand.
• Durani was the first cricket player to get the Arjuna Award, which was then the country's highest sporting honour, in the early 1960s.
• At a BCCI award ceremony in Mumbai in May 2011, he was also given the CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award by the Indian Cricket Board.

Topic: National News

6. Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of the CBI inaugurated by PM Modi.

• On 3 April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of the Central Bureau of Investigation in New Delhi.
• On this occasion, the Prime Minister honored the best investigating officers of the CBI with the President's Police Medal and Gold Medal for Distinguished Service.
• The Prime Minister also inaugurated the newly constructed office complexes of CBI at Shillong, Pune and Nagpur.
• He also released a postage stamp and a commemorative coin to mark the Diamond Jubilee Year of CBI. He also launched the Twitter handle of the probe agency.
• Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI):
  • It is an investigating agency in India.
  • It was established on April 1, 1963 through a resolution of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
  • It was established on the recommendation of the Santhanam Committee.
  • Subodh Kumar Jaiswal is the Director of CBI.
  • It derives its powers from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946.

Topic: Space and IT

7. ISRO has successfully carried out Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX).

• The mission was carried out from the Aeronautical Test Range in Chitradurga of Karnataka.
• The RLV took off by a Chinook Helicopter of the Indian Air Force. It flew to a height of 4.5 km above Mean Sea Level.
• The RLV was released mid-air. Its release was autonomous.
• ISRO said that in a first in the world, a winged body has been carried to an altitude of 4.5 km by helicopter and released for an autonomous landing on a runway.
• Autonomous landing was performed under exact conditions for a space re-entry vehicle landing.
• ISRO developed navigation systems, instrumentation, and sensors.
• Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC), Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), and Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) also contributed to the test. 
• In May 2016, ISRO tested the re-entry of their winged vehicle RLV-TD in the HEX mission.
• The vehicle landed on a fictitious runway over the Gulf of Bengal in HEX. The HEX mission did not feature a precise landing on a runway.
• In 2019, the LEX started with an Integrated Navigation test.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Defence

8. Exercise SLINEX-2023 is taking place in Colombo from 3^rd April.

• SLINEX-2023 is the 10th edition of the annual Indian-Sri Lanka Bilateral Maritime exercise.
• It is being carried out in 2 phases of three days each. The two phases are the Harbour Phase and Sea Phase.
• INS Kiltan and INS Savitri are representing the Indian Navy. SLNS Vijayabahu and SLNS Samudra are representing Sri Lanka Navy.
• The Indian Navy Chetak helicopter and Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft along with Sri Lanka Air Force Dornier and BEL 412 helicopters would also take part in the exercise.
• The Special Forces of the two navies will also take part in the exercise.
• The aim of SLINEX-2023 is to enhance inter-operability, improve mutual understanding and exchange best practices in multi-faceted Maritime operations between both navies.
• The ninth edition of Exercise SLINEX was conducted in Visakhapatnam in March 2022.

Topic: State News/ Himachal Pradesh

9. European Commission granted GI tag to Himachal’s Kangra tea.

• India’s unique Kangra tea is grown in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh.
• The European Commission (EC) has granted protected geographical indication (PGI) to Kangra tea, which will come into effect from April 11, 2023.
• Kangra tea is famous for its unique flavour and taste. It is available as black and green teas.
• Kangra tea is grown at a height of 900 to 1,400 metres above sea level in the region where the annual rainfall is 270-350 cm.
• In 1849, Dr Jameson, then superintendent of the Botanical Tea Gardens, declared Kangra valley ideal for tea cultivation.
• The demand for Kangra tea is increasing steadily and is a registered Geographical Indication (GI) in India.
• Kangra tea was given the Geographical Indication status in 2005.
• Kangra tea is a little milder than Darjeeling tea in terms of flavour.
• Darjeeling Tea was the first product to get the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in India.

Topic: National Appointment

10. Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh assumed charge as Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.

• Vice-Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh became the new Vice-Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS) on April 2.
• Sanjay Jasjit Singh succeeds S N Ghormade, who demitted office on March 31 after his superannuation.
• Sanjay Jasjit Singh was commissioned in 1986 in the Executive Branch of the Navy.
• He was awarded the Nao Sena Medal in 2009, and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2020.
• Vice-Admiral Suraj Berry became the Chief of Personnel (COP) while Vice-Admiral Atul Anand took over as the Director-General Naval Operations (DGNO).
• The post of COP was vacant after Vice-Adm Dinesh K. Tripathi assumed the charge as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Western Naval Command.
• V. Adm. Anand had joined into the Executive Branch of the Navy. He served as the Flag Officer Commanding, Maharashtra Naval Area.
• V. Adm. Berry is a specialist in gunnery and missile warfare. He Joined the Indian Navy in 1987.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

11. A deal has been signed by UK to join trade pact with 11 Asia and Pacific nations.

• Three years after it officially left the European Union, the UK has signed a deal to join a trade agreement with 11 countries in Asia and the Pacific.
• The deal to join the group would boost UK exports by cutting tariffs on goods such as cheese, cars, chocolate, machinery, gin and whisky.
• However, the government's own estimates suggest that being in the bloc would only increase the size of the UK economy by 0.08 per cent.
• In 2018, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) was established and which includes countries like Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.
• Membership of the CPTPP lowers restrictions on trade between member countries and lowers tariffs.
• The agreement is expected to be formally signed by the end of the year following final approval from Parliament and 11 member states.
• The 11 members together generate about 13 per cent of the world's income and Britain has become the first European country to join after 21 months of negotiations.

Topic: National Appointment

12. Rudrendra Tandon has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Greece.

• Currently, he is posted as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.
• Rudrendra Tandon also took charge as India's Ambassador to Afghanistan in September 2020.
• He was also posted in the Indian Embassies in Paris (France), Algiers (Algeria), Kabul (Afghanistan) and Moscow (Russia) and served as the Consul General of India in Jalalabad (Afghanistan).
• Ambassador:
  • An ambassador is the highest-ranking diplomatic officer of a country in another country with which it has diplomatic relations.
  • The ambassador is usually assigned an embassy, whose territory, staff, and vehicles are usually given diplomatic immunity in the host country.
  • Ambassadors have some responsibilities: protecting their citizens, promoting prosperity, and working for peace in the host country.

Topic: Economy/Banking/Finance

13. India and Malaysia agreed to trade in Indian rupees.

• Ministry of External Affairs has announced that India and Malaysia have agreed to settle trade in Indian Rupee (INR) in addition to the current modes of settlement in other currencies.
• This decision has as part of official efforts to Safeguard Indian trade from the impact of the Ukraine crisis.
• The U.S. dollar is the dominant currency in the International trade. About half of international trade is done in Dollars.
• This step indicates India’s willingness to take concrete steps towards the ddollarization of its international trade.
• In July 2022, RBI has allowed the settlement of international trade in the Indian Rupee (INR).
• This initiative of RBI aims to support the interests of the global trading community in Indian rupees and to facilitate the growth of global trade.
• After the Russian economy was sanctioned by western countries, trade in the US dollar has become difficult.
• India International Bank of Malaysia (IIBM) has also opened a special Rupee Vostro Account through its Corresponding Bank in India to facilitate the trade settlement in Indian Rupees.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

14. As per a study, India ranks fifth in contribution to warming.

• As per a new study, India is responsible for 0.08 degrees Celsius warming from 1850 to 2021.
• From 1851-2021, India’s emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) have resulted in 0.04°C, 0.03°C and 0.006°C of global warming.
• According to the research published in Scientific Data, India ranks fifth among the top 10 contributors to warming.
• The study analysis showed that CO2 is responsible for 1.11°C of warming as compared to methane’s 0.41°C and nitrous oxides 0.08°C.
• The United States topped the list with a contribution of 0.28°C (17.3 per cent) of the temperature rise.
• China is in second position with 0.20°C (12.3 per cent) of warming, followed by Russia.
• Brazil is in the fourth position with 0.08°C (4.9 per cent).
• Indonesia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada contribute 0.03-0.05°C to warming.
• Since the industrial revolution, the emissions from developed countries contributed more to warming.
• The researchers highlighted that CH4 and N2O emissions are more uncertain than that of fossil CO2.
• Land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) has contributed 38 per cent to the total warming from CH4 emissions and 72 per cent in N2O emissions between 1851-2021.