Daily Current Affairs and GK | 4 March 2022

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

1. Government has approved a proposal to continue scheme for migrants, repatriates.

• The government has approved the proposal to continue seven existing sub schemes under the Umbrella Scheme “Relief and Rehabilitation of Migrants and Repatriates”.
• It has been approved with a total outlay of Rs 1,452 crore for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26.
• The government had started different schemes at different points of time.
• It will help migrants and repatriates to earn a reasonable income and facilitate their inclusion in mainstream economic activities.
• The scheme will provide financial assistance and other facilities to persons, who were victims of militancy, insurgency, communal and Left Wing Extremism (LWE).
• It will also help displaced families of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and Victims of the 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots.
• The government is giving grants-in-aid to the West Bengal government for infrastructure development in 51 erstwhile Bangladeshi enclaves in India.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

2. NMCG has been awarded ‘Special Jury Award’ at 7th India Industry Water Conclave and 9^th edition of FICCI Water Awards.

• 7th India Industry Water Conclave and 9th edition of FICCI Water Awards was held virtually, from 2nd to 3rd March, 2022.
• Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat inaugurated 2nd edition of the ‘Roorkee Water Conclave’.
• Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee and National Institute of Hydrology are jointly organizing the conclave from 2nd March to 4th March 2022.
• 'Water Security for Sustainable Development' is the central theme of the Roorkee Water Conclave this year.
• National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has set up an exhibition at the Roorkee Water Conclave till 7th March 2022.
• National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) was registered as a society on 12 August 2011. It acted as the implementation arm of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA). G. Asok Kumar is the Director General of NMCG.

Topic: Reports and Indices

3. IPCC report says that extreme climate conditions are threatening food security in South Asia.

• The report mentions that escalated floods and droughts are making India and Pakistan the most vulnerable to climate change.
• The report is titled "Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability". This is report of second working group of three working groups constituted for IPCC‘s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6).
• The report said that if temperature increases from 1 degree to 4 degrees, rice production in India can decrease by 10% to 30% and maize production in India can decrease by 25% to 70%.
• As per the studies cited in the IPCC report released on 28 February, Lucknow and Patna will reach wet-bulb temperatures of 35 degrees Centigrade if emissions continued to increase.
• Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Mumbai, Indore, and Ahmedabad are at risk of reaching wet-bulb temperatures of 32-34 degree centigrade if emissions continued to rise.
• Wet-bulb temperatures in Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Mumbai, Indore and Ahmedabad are at risk of reaching 32-34 degrees centigrade if emissions continue to rise.
• All Indian states have regions where wet-bulb temperature of 30 degrees Centigrade or more will be reached.
• Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab will be the most severely affected.
• Global sea levels may increase by 44-76 cm this century if different governments are able to meet their current emission-cutting pledges.
• However, if emissions continue to grow, sea levels might rise by as much as 2 metres this century and 5 metres by 2150.
• Wet-bulb temperature is temperature measured by a thermometer wrapped in water-soaked cloth over which air is passed.

Topic: Miscellaneous

4. Swiss Air Lines has agreed to use Synhelion's solar aviation fuel.   

• Swiss International Air Lines AG commonly referred to as Swiss or Swiss Air Lines will be first airline in the world to use ‘sun-to-liquid' fuel.
• Synhelion has devised a process, which uses concentrated sunlight to produce carbon-neutral kerosene.
• This year, Synhelion will construct world's first facility for industrial production of solar fuel in Germany. Swiss will become first consumer for solar kerosene in 2023.
• As part of the agreement, Swiss and its parent company Lufthansa will also support Synhelion's commercial fuel production facility in Spain.
• Synhelion is a company. It uses solar energy to change CO2 and water into syngas. Solar kerosene, diesel, gasoline, or hydrogen are the end products of the process.
• Solar fuels are synthetic fuels that are produced from solar energy.

Topic: MoUs / Agreements

5. An MoU signed to promote Start-up in latest Daylight Harvesting Technology.

• The Ministry of Science and Technology has decided to support a one-of-a-kind start-up in the latest Daylight Harvesting Technology in order to reduce carbon emissions and increase building energy efficiency.
• Hyderabad-based "Skyshade Daylights Pvt Ltd" has signed an MoU with the Technology Development Board, a statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology.
• TDB will provide Skyshade a Rs 5 crore grant to develop new technologies for basement illumination on a 24x7 basis.
• The Skyshade has now come up with two more innovative solutions, named Human Centric-Climate Adaptive Building Facade and Central Integrated Daylighting System.
• Daylighting technology is basically bringing natural sunlight inside the rooms. It will reduce electrical lighting energy consumption by 70-80%.

Topic: Important Days

6. National Safety Day 2022: 4 March

• The National Safety Council of India commemorates National Safety Day (NSD) every year on 4th March.
• This day is celebrated with the goal of raising awareness and commitment to work safely.
• The theme of the National Safety Day 2022 is ‘Nurture young minds - Develop safety culture’.
• National Safety Day was first observed in 1972, on the anniversary of the National Safety Council's establishment.
• National Safety Council:
  • It was founded on March 4, 1966, by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
  • Its headquarters is in Navi Mumbai.
  • It was founded to develop and implement a voluntary routine in the areas of safety, health, and the environment.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

7. Ministry of Tourism has started Swadesh Darshan Awards in different categories.

• The entries for awards have been invited under seven different categories from states and Union Territories of India.
• Swadesh Darshan Awards will highlight best practices, which include achievement of planned objectives, innovative approach, and adoption of sustainability principles in planning, design and operations.
• Under Swadesh Darshan scheme, Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned 76 projects in 31 States/Union Territories for more than Rs 5500 Crore. 
• Swadesh Darshan scheme:
  • It is a scheme of Ministry of Tourism. It was launched in 2014-2015. It is a Central Sector scheme.
  • It aims to promote, develop and harness the potential of tourism in India.

Topic: Defence

8. More than 140 aircraft of Indian Air Force will participate in 2022 edition of Vayu Shakti.

• Vayu Shakti 2022 will be held at Rajasthan’s Pokhran test facility on March 7.
• Rafale, LCA Tejas, Sukhoi-30, and other fighter jets will take part in Vayu Shakti 2022.
• The exercise will demonstrate Indian Air Force’s capability to conduct full-spectrum operations.
• It will also demonstrate Indian Air Force’s capability to defend vital areas and points by employing surface-to-air guided weapons.
• Vayu Shakti is Indian Air Force’s biggest exercise. It is held every three years to showcase India’s air power. Its last edition was held on February 16, 2019.  

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

9. India and International Telecommunication Union signed Host Country Agreement (HCA) during WTSA-20 assembly.

• India and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) signed the Host Country Agreement (HCA) for establishing an Area Office & Innovation Centre of ITU in New Delhi.
• The Host Country Agreement provides the legal and financial framework for the establishment and operations of the Area Office.
• The Area Office and Innovation Centre of ITU will encourage research and development in telecommunication technologies in South Asia.
• The Innovation Centre will provide a platform to academics, start-ups, and SMEs to showcase their innovation at a global stage
• The World Telecommunications Standardisation Assembly-20 (WTSA-20) is a global conference for the standardization of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs).
• India will host the next WTSA in 2024. ITU recognized one of the three technologies standard developed for 5G.
• International Telecommunication Union:
  • It is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies.
  • 193 countries are members of this Union.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Environment and Ecology

10. 5^th UN Environment Assembly concluded in Nairobi.

• The Fifth UN Environment Assembly ended with 14 resolutions to strengthen actions for nature to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
• The overall theme for UNEA-5 was “Strengthening Actions for Nature to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals”.
• Three resolutions were related to ecosystem restoration, biodiversity protection, resource efficiency, consumption, and production patterns.
• Member countries also signed a resolution on animal welfare for protecting animals, and their habitats.
• The Assembly also adopted a resolution to accelerate actions to significantly reduce nitrogen waste from all sources.
• Member nations agreed to create an intergovernmental committee to negotiate and finalize a legally binding plastics treaty by 2024.
• It will help in reducing plastic pollution in marine and other environments.
• Members states also agreed upon the urgent need to halt the global decline of biodiversity and the fragmentation of habitats.
• UN Environment Assembly brings together businesses, civil society, and other stakeholders to agree on policies to resolve environmental challenges. It has 193 members.

Topic: Defence

11. 19^th edition of India-US Military Cooperation Group (MCG) meeting concluded in Agra.

• It was co-chaired by Air Marshal BR Krishna from the Indian side and Lieutenant General Stephen D Sklenka from the US side.
• Both leaders discussed various topics including strengthening the ongoing defence engagements between both sides.
• They also discussed ways to improve ongoing engagement between both countries.
• India-US MCG is a forum to promote defence cooperation between both countries through regular talks at the strategic and operational levels.
• India-US Defense cooperation:
  • India- U.S signed the ‘New Framework for India-U.S. Defense Relations’ in 2005.
  • India and the United States had launched a Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) to simplify technology transfer policies and possibilities of co-development.
  • In 2016, the U.S. recognized India as a "Major Defence Partner”.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: State News/ Rajasthan

12. Rajasthan government announced ‘Camel Protection and Development Policy’.

• Camel is the state animal of Rajasthan but its number is continuously declining.
• Rajasthan government has allocated a budget of Rs 10 crore for the rearing, protection, and overall development of camels.
• At present, less than two lakh camels are left in Rajasthan and in the entire country, the number of camels has reduced by 1.5 lakh since 2012.
• According to the 2019 livestock census, around 2.52 lakh camels have left in India.
• About 85 percent of camels are found in Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.
• The Rajasthan government had declared the camel as the state animal in 2014.
• World Camel Day is observed every year on 22 June to recognize the importance of camels to the livelihood of a large population.
• Camel:
  • Camel is an even-toed ungulate (hoofed animals) that belongs to genus Camelus.
  • There are three species of Camel- One-humped Dromedary (Arabian Camel), Two-humped Bactrian camel and Wild Bactrian Camel (not domesticated -critically endangered). More than 90% of the camels in the world are dromedaries.
  • It is a sustainable livestock having lowest ecological footprints.

Topic: Space and IT

13. NASA launched next generation weather satellite to monitor environment and climate.

• The satellite named Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-T) has been launched for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
• It is third in a series of next-generation weather satellites.
• It was launched from United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
• It will help National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in forecasting “hazardous weather conditions” like hurricanes, thunderstorms, floods, and fires in the western hemisphere.
• It will also forecast space weather near earth that can interfere with satellite electronics, GPS, and radio communications.
• GOES-T has been kept in a geostationary orbit 22,300 miles above earth.
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA):
  • It is an independent space agency of the U.S. federal government.
  • It is responsible for the space program, and space research in the USA.

Topic: Banking System

14. RBI cancels license of Sarjeraodada Naik Shirala Sahakari Bank Ltd.

• The license of Sangli-based Sarjeraodada Naik Shirala Sahakari Bank Ltd has been cancelled due to lack of adequate capital and earning prospects.
• The bank with its present financial position is unable to pay its present depositors in full.
• RBI has prohibited it from conducting business, which also includes acceptance of deposits and repayment of deposits.
• The bank is not complying with various sections of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
• On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim up to Rs 5,00,000 from Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).
• RBI has also given an order to appoint a liquidator for the Sarjeraodada Naik Shirala Sahakari Bank Ltd.