Daily Current Affairs and GK | 31 March 2022

Topic: Appointment

1. Raj Subramaniam becomes new CEO of FedEx.

• Raj Subramaniam will take place of Frederick W Smith as the new Chief Executive Officer of FedEx.
• He will be responsible for providing strategic direction for all FedEx operating companies.
• Frederick W Smith, founder of FedEx, will step down from the post of CEO in June 2022.
• He has also served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of FedEx Express.
• FedEx:
  • It is an American courier delivery services company.
  • Its headquarters is located in Memphis.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

2. A massive fire erupted in Sariska Tiger Reserve.

• A massive fire has broken out at Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan's Alwar district.
• The fire erupted in the Akbarpur range has spread over an area of around 8-10 sq km.
• Air Force Helicopters have been deployed for sprinkling water in affected areas.
• Sariska Tiger Reserve has a total of 27 tigers and nine tigers are living in the area affected by the fire.
• Tropical dry forests are more prone to fire because they contain high fuel.
• Causes of fire forest:
  • Due to lightning and thunderstorm, forest fire incidents occur.
  • Dried leaves are more vulnerable to fire and even a spark leads to a raging fire.
  • It can be caused due to human carelessness like throwing cigarettes or bidi.
• Sariska Tiger Reserve:
  • It is located in the Alwar district of Rajasthan.
  • It attained the status of a national park in 1979.
  • It is spread over 881 km² and has tropical, dry, deciduous, and tropical thorn forests.
  • It is well known for its large population of Rhesus Monkeys.

Topic: Indian Economy

3. Cabinet approved World Bank aided program for MSMEs worth over Rs 6,000 crore.

• The Union Cabinet has approved a Rs 6,062.45 crore program to improve the performance of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), with assistance from the World Bank.
• The Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) program is a World Bank-supported central sector scheme that will support the COVID-19 pandemic-related Ministry of MSMEs' resilience and recovery interventions.
• A total of Rs 6,062.45 crore will be spent on this scheme, of which Rs 3,750 crore will come from the World Bank loan and the remaining Rs 2,312.45 crore will be from the Government of India.
• The program aims to improve market and credit access, strengthen institutions and governance at the Centre and state levels, improve center-state linkages and cooperation, and handle late payment difficulties.
• The Apex National MSME Council headed by MSME Minister will monitor and look after the policy overview of RAMP.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

4. Mirabai Chanu has been selected as the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year 2021.

• To win the prize, Chanu defeated the other four nominees, who were badminton player PV Sindhu, golfer Aditi Ashok, boxer Lovlina Borgohain, and Para-shooter Avani Lekhara.
• Mirabai Chanu created history by winning the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
• Shefali Verma, an 18-year-old women's cricketer, has been awarded the BBC Emerging Player of the Year.
• She became the youngest Indian cricketer to represent the national team in international cricket in all formats in 2021.
• Karnam Malleswari, the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in 2000, has been awarded the BBC Lifetime Achievement award.

Topic: International News

5. Democratic Republic of the Congo joined the East Africa Community.

• The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has become the East Africa Community's (EAC) seventh member.
• The other members of the community are Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
• The DRC is the EAC's largest and most populous member.
• The joining of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will increase the GDP of the region from $193 billion to $240 billion.
• Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC):
  • The Democratic Republic of the Congo is Africa's second-largest country by area and the world's 11^th largest.
  • Its capital is Kinshasa.
  • Its currency is the Congolese franc.
  • Its President is Felix Tshisekedi.
• East African Community (EAC):
  • It is an intergovernmental organization made up of seven countries in East Africa's Great Lakes region.
  • The population of the EAC is about 175 million.
  • Its headquarters is in Arusha, Tanzania.
  • It was first established in 1967 and re-established on 7 July 2000.

Topic: State News/ Karnataka

6. Anti-untouchability campaign will be launched by Karnataka government.

• The state government will launch the "Vinaya Samarasya Yojana," a public awareness campaign aimed at ending untouchability in rural areas.
• The scheme is named after Vinay, a three-year-old Dalit kid whose family was fined when he tried to enter a temple in Koppal, Karnataka.
• On the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti (14 April), Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will launch the "Vinaya Samarasya Yojana".
• The campaign would be implemented in all gram panchayats of Karnataka.
• As a show of encouragement, the government would provide additional funding to panchayats that have eliminated untouchability.
• The scheme was announced in the Karnataka budget for 2022-23 to promote awareness about untouchability in the state.
• Karnataka:
  • It is the largest state in South India.
  • It shares its border with Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
  • At present, it has 31 districts.
  • Chief Minister is Sri Basavaraj Bommai and Governor is Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot.

Topic: Science and Technology

7. MATLAB software suite has been launched on Indian Science Technology and Engineering facilities Map (I-STEM) portal.

• India’s academic researchers can access the MATLAB software suite at no cost through the I-STEM portal for the first time in the country.
• MATLAB software suite is hosted on I-STEM's cloud servers to provide user-friendly access from anywhere in India.
• I-STEM portal lists more than 25,000 pieces of equipment from 1750 institutions across India.
• MATLAB has been developed by MathWorks. It is a numeric computing and programming language platform.
• I-STEM:
  • It is an initiative of the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser to Indian government under the aegis of PM-STIAC.
  • I-STEM portal was launched by PM Modi in January 2020 during the Indian Science Congress of 2020. 
  • It was launched as the national web portal for sharing R&D facilities.
• Prime Minister Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) was set up in August 2018. K Vijay Raghavan is its chairperson.

Topic: National News

8. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has transferred the mandate of four film media units to NFDC.

• The mandate of production of documentaries and short films, organisation of film festivals and preservation of films have been transferred to NFDC.
• The mandate of four film media units (Films Division, Directorate of Film Festivals, National Film Archives of India and Children’s Film Society, India) have been transferred to NFDC.
• The decision to merge these four film media units was taken by union cabinet in December 2020. 
• The mandate of production of documentaries and organisation of film festivals was being carried out by Films Division and Directorate of Films Festivals, respectively.
• NFDC will now organize major upcoming film festivals like Mumbai International Film Festival, International Film Festival of India at Goa, and Children’s Film Festival.
• National Film Development Corporation (NFDC):
  • It is a Public Sector Undertaking working under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It was founded in 1975.
  • NFDC is already carrying out the mandate of the production of feature films. It is headquartered in Mumbai.

Topic: Defence

9. India successfully conducted test-fire of medium-range Surface-to-Air Missiles system at Chandipur.

• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted two back-to-back tests of the Army version of the Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM).
• On 27^th March, flight tests were carried out to test the accuracy of the weapon system against high-speed aerial targets.
• The second trials have been conducted to check the accuracy and reliability of the weapon system in sea-skimming and high-altitude modes.
• This MRSAM version is a Surface-to-Air Missile, which has been jointly developed by DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for the Indian Army.
• It provides air defense against fighter aircraft, UAVs, and cruise missiles.
• The MRSAM Army weapon system is equipped with multi-function radar, a mobile launcher system, and other vehicles.

Topic: Defence

10. Indian Navy commissioned its second P-8I aircraft squadron in Goa.

• The Indian Navy formally commissioned Indian Naval Air Squadron 316 at INS Hansa in Goa.
• INAS 316 is also known as ‘Condors’ which are one of the largest flying land birds with a massive wingspan.
• The Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 316 will operate four P-8I aircraft. The Navy had procured eight P-8Is under a deal signed in 2009.
• P-8Is aircraft are used for Maritime Surveillance, Electronic warfare missions, Search and Rescue operations, etc.
• INAS 316 is commanded by Commander Amit Mohapatra. He has also served as the Executive Officer of INS Tarkash.
• India is the 'Preferred Security Partner' in the Indian Ocean region and the commissioning of INAS 316 is also another milestone in enhancing maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region.

Topic: Books and Author

11. Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu released a book titled ‘Spoorthi Pradatha Sri Somayya’.

• This book is based on the life of Shri Somepalli Somaiah, a noted social worker from Andhra Pradesh.
• It is authored by K. Syam Prasad.
• This book is a compilation of the work done by Shri Somepalli Somaiah during his life.
• Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu mentioned that Shri Somayya is one of his foremost ‘gurus’.
• Shri Somepalli Somaiah:
  • He dedicated his life for the betterment of society.
  • He joined the RSS IN 1942 at the age of 15.
  • He participated in the Satyagraha of 1948 against the ban on RSS.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

12. Scientists detected Microplastic pollution in human blood for the first time.

• The tiny particles of Microplastic have been detected in human blood for the first time.
• Scientists of the Netherlands have found Microplastic in almost 80 percent of the total people tested.
• Microplastic can damage human cells in the laboratory but its impact on the human body is not known yet.
• Blood samples of 22 people were analyzed. Half of the samples contained plastic used in making bottles, and particles of polystyrene have been found in one-third of the samples.
• The research has been published in the journal 'Environment International'
• The pieces of plastic smaller than 0.2 inches in diameter are called Microplastic.

Topic: National News

13. Shaktikanta Das dedicated Varnika Ink Manufacturing Unit of BRBNMPL to the Nation.

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das inaugurated Varnika Ink Manufacturing Unit of Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited (BRBNMPL) in Mysuru.
• RBI Governor has emphasized the importance of building capacity in banknote manufacturing.
• Varnika Ink Manufacturing Unit has an annual ink manufacturing capacity of 1,500 MT. This unit will also manufacture Colour Shift Intaglio Ink (CSII).
• It will help in reducing the cost of printing banknotes and ensure self-sufficiency in banknote ink production.
• The entire requirement of banknote printing inks will be produced now in India.
• Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited (BRBNMPL) is a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) owned subsidiary. It was established in 1995.

Topic: State News/ Rajasthan

14. Rajasthan Foundation Day celebrated on 30 March.

• Rajasthan Foundation Day is celebrated every year on 30 March to mark the formation of Rajasthan.
• On 30 March 1949, the kingdoms of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, and Jaisalmer were merged to form a new state.
• A state-level function has been organized at the historical Albert Hall in Jaipur. It has been celebrated as the ‘Rajasthan festival’ across the state.
• This year, the people of Rajasthan celebrated the 73rd foundation day.
• Rajasthan:
  • Rajasthan is made up of two words, ‘Raj’ and ‘sthan’, which means the place of kings.
  • It is the largest state of India in terms of area.
  • It is surrounded by Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab.
  • It is famous for its custom, forts and palaces, folk music, and sand dunes.
  • Ashok Gehlot is the Chief Minister of the state.
  • Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan.

(Source: News on AIR)