Daily Current Affairs April 14 2022

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

International Turban Day- April 13:

• International Turban Day, observed annually on April 13th since 2004, is an occasion that celebrates Sikh Identity.
• The event began to raise awareness about the distinct appearance of Sikhs who love and respect principles of faith which obligate keeping hair uncut and covered with a turban.
• The 2022 Turban Day marks the 553rd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev and the festival of Baisakhi.
• Since 2004, on Turban Day, Sikhs worldwide organize various events to give information about the turban to the general community in their locality.
• Turbans of every hue are represented at these events and posters highlighting information about Sikhi are also displayed and handed out.

38th Siachen Day -13 April:

• The Siachen Warriors celebrated the 37th Siachen Day on 13th April 2021 to honour the soldiers of the Indian army who continue to guard the Siachen Glacier, the northern frontier which is a part of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
• Every year this day is observed to pay solemn tributes to the soldiers who laid down their lives to capture the icy heights of Siachen 38 years ago.
• The day commemorates the courage and fortitude displayed by Indian Army troops in securing the highest and coldest battlefield in the world.
• On 13 April 1984, the Indian Army launched ‘Operation MEGHDOOT’ to secure Bilafond La and other passes on the Saltoro Ridgeline, from Pakistani aggression.
• The Siachen Glacier is the highest battleground on earth, where India and Pakistan have fought intermittently since 1984.
• Both countries maintain a permanent military presence in the region at a height of over 6,000 metres (20,000 ft).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Union Home Minister Amit Shah to inaugurate ‘Amrit Samagam:

• Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation has launched the Amrit Samagam, a summit of the country’s tourism and cultural ministers, in New Delhi.
• The Ministry of Culture is hosting a two-day conference, as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• The six important themes covering policy framework, reforms for strengthening governance, making cooperatives vibrant economic entities, promoting social cooperatives, and the role of cooperatives in social security will be discussed during the conference.
• The Ministry said these efforts will culminate in the formulation of a new robust National Cooperation Policy.
• It will give impetus to strengthen the cooperative-based economic model in the country to realize the vision and Mantra of ‘Sahkar Se Samaridhi’ of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Number of patent filings rises to 66,440 in FY22: Commerce ministry

• The number of patent filings increased from 42,763 in 2014-15 to 66,440 in 2021-22 due to steps taken by the government to strengthen the intellectual property rights (IPR) regime of the country.
• India granted 30,074 patents in 2021-22 as compared to 5,978 in 2014-15.
• There has also been a reduction in the time of patent examination from 72 months in 2016 to 5-23 months at present.
• The number of patent filings increased from 42,763 in 2014-15 to 66,440 in 2021-22, more than a 50% increase in a span of 7 years.
• For the first time in the last 11 years, the number of domestic patent filings has surpassed the number of international patent filings at the Indian Patent (IP) office in the January-March 2022 quarter
• The coordinated efforts by the department for the promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) and the IP office have led to increased awareness among all strata of the society.

IISc Conducted Study, that found Microplastics in the Cauvery River:

• Microplastics in the Cauvery River have been identified as one of the major reasons for deformities in fish and other impacts on marine life, according to a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
• Pollutants like microplastics may be causing growth defects in fish, including skeletal deformities, in the Cauvery River, a new study reveals.
• Published in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety.
• In the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the Cauvery provides a source of drinking water for humans and animals, as well as agriculture.
• Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety is the publication where the research was published.
• The researchers looked at pollution levels in river water samples as well as the microplastic composition.
• They next looked at zebrafish embryos that had been incubated in these substances in the lab and discovered that they had growth and skeletal malformations, a lower heart rate, a shorter life span, and DNA damage.
• It was found out that the Cauvery waters are hypoxic.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UNDP & AIM announces $2.2 million in climate action grants for innovators

• The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and partners of the Adaptation Innovation Marketplace (AIM) have announced $2.2 million in climate action grants for 22 local innovators across 19 countries, including India.
• The first round of funding through the Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA) window.
• It will enhance local climate action and accelerate the delivery of targets outlined in the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals.
• The initiative empowers local actors and contributes to the principles for locally led adaptation action, which have been endorsed by UNDP and partners around the world.
• The new funding proposals will benefit from the technical support and know-how of the Adaptation Innovation Marketplace.
• Ten out of the 22 were from least developed countries or small island developing states.
• Grants were awarded across 19 countries, including seven from Africa, 11 from Asia, and four from the Latin America and Caribbean region.

About UNDP :

• The UNDP is a United Nations organization tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development.
• Established : 22 November 1965
• Headquarters : New York City
• Head : Achim Steiner

About AIM :

• AIM was launched by UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner at the Climate Adaptation Summit in January 2021.
• AIM is a strategic platform that promotes scaled-up adaptation at the local level, focusing on civil society, non-government organizations, and women and youth innovators.
• The AIM partners are the International Centre for Climate Change and Development, the Least Developed Countries Universities Consortium on Climate Change, the Global Resilience Partnership, the Climate-Knowledge Innovation Community, and UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) provide technical support to the Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator.
• In 2022, the partners will further collaborate on knowledge sharing and South-South Coordination for the 22 local partners awarded grants in the first round of AFCIA grant giving.

GWEC Report : Global wind energy sector needs four-fold higher growth to meet 2050 Net Zero goal

• According to the Global Wind Report for 2022 published by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) Wind energy installations every year across the world must quadruple from the 94 GW installed in 2021 within this decade to meet the global climate targets.
• Without the necessary amplification, restricting global warming over pre-industrial levels to 1.5 degrees Celsius is a target set by the Paris Agreement & achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050.
• New installations of 6 gigawatt (GW) in 2021 brought global cumulative wind energy capacity to 837 GW, a year-on-year (YoY) growth of 12 percent.

Scope in India :

• In India, more than 4 GW of wind was installed in 2021, exceeding the 1.1 GW of installations during the year 2020.
• The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has set a target of installing 5 GW of offshore capacity by 2022 and 30 GW by 2030.
• India is yet to develop its offshore wind energy facility.
• According to the MNRE, India can generate 127 GW of offshore wind energy with its 7,600 km of coastline.

Global impediments :

1. In 2021, The offshore wind market commissioned 21.1 GW & that represents three times more than the 2020.
2. The global onshore wind market added 72.5 GW in 2021.
3. Europe, South America, Africa and West Asia increased their onshore wind installations by 19 per cent, 23 per cent and 120 percent.
4. GWEC market intelligence expects that 557 GW of new capacity will be added in the next five years under the current policy environment & it is more than 110 GW of new installations each year until 2026.

Additional Info :

• Onshore wind energy refers to turbines that are located on land and use wind to generate electricity.
• Offshore wind energy is the energy generated from the wind at sea.

About GWEC :

• Founded: 2005
• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
• To provide a credible and representative forum for the entire wind energy sector at an international level.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

ADB Approves $2 Million Loan To Support Urban Development In Nagaland

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed an agreement with the Government of India to offer a $2 million project readiness financing (PRF) loan.
• It will provide the loan for designing climate resilient urban infrastructure, strengthening institutional capacity and improving municipal resource mobilisation in Nagaland.

Signatories :

• Shri Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance who signed for the Government of India
• Shri Takeo Konishi, Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission who signed for ADB.
• The PRF loan will help design water supply, sanitation, solid waste management and urban roads in 16 DTHs with climate resilient features and improved access to the poor and vulnerable.

About ADB :

• Established : 19 December 1966
• Headquarters : Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines
• President : Masatsugu Asakawa

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

India’s gold imports increased by 33.34% to Rs 46.14 billion in 2021-22:

• India’s gold imports, which have a bearing on the country’s current account deficit (CAD), rose by 33.34 per cent to USD 46.14 billion during 2021-22 fiscal on account of higher demand.
• Gold imports were worth USD 34.62 billion in 2020-21.
• The surge in gold imports during the last financial year contributed to the widening of the trade deficit to USD 192.41 billion, against USD 102.62 billion in 2020-21.
• Gold imports in volume terms stood at 28 tonnes from April 2021 to February 2022.
• India’s current account deficit widened to USD 23 billion or 2.7 per cent of the GDP in the October-December quarter, according to the RBI data.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Shehbaz Sharif elected as new prime minister of Pakistan

• Pakistan’s parliament has elected Shehbaz Sharif as the country’s new prime minister through voting in the National Assembly.
• He will succeed Imran Khan, who has been removed by a no-trust vote.
• He received 174 votes, two more than the simple majority of 172.
• Shehbaz Sharif was the 23rd prime minister of Pakistan.

About Shehbaz Sharif :

• Shehbaz Sharif, 70 is the current president of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PML-N).
• He, is the younger brother of three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif
• He has been the leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly of Pakistan since August 2018.
• In his political career, he served as the Chief Minister of Punjab three times, making him the longest-serving Chief Minister of Punjab.

About Pakistan :

• Capital: Islamabad
• President: Arif Alvi
• Currency: Pakistani rupee

CURRENT AFFAIRS : AWARDS & HONORS

ACI – List of top 10 busiest airports in the world 2021

• The Airports Council International (ACI) World published the list of the top 10 busiest airports in the world for the year 2021.
• The world airport rankings are based on the preliminary compilation of 2021 global data from airports around the world including passenger traffic, cargo volumes, and aircraft movements
• Georgia’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport regains the top position on the list  with 75.7 million passengers as the busiest airport in the world, followed by Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport 62.5 million passengers and Denver International Airport 58.8 million passengers.
• The report noted a 25% increase in the total global passengers in 2021 from 2020 and a drop of over 50% from 2019.
• Passenger traffic at the top 10 busiest airports, representing collectively almost 10% of global traffic (463 million passengers), witnessed a gain of 51.8% from 2020, or a drop of 29.1% compared with their 2019 results.

List of top 10 busiest airports in the world 2021 :

S.NO	Airport	Country	Passenger Traffic
1	ATLANTA GA	United States	7,57,04,760
2	DALLAS/FORT WORTH TX	United States	6,24,65,756
3	DENVER CO	United States	5,88,28,552
4	CHICAGO IL	United States	5,40,20,399
5	LOS ANGELES CA	United States	4,80,07,284
6	CHARLOTTE NC	United States	4,33,02,230
7	ORLANDO FL	United States	4,03,51,068
8	GUANGZHOU	China	4,02,59,401
9	CHENGDU	China	4,01,17,496
10	LAS VEGAS NV	United States	3,97,54,366

About ACI :

• Founded : 1991
• Headquarters: Montreal, Canada

NMDC Wins SKOCH Awards 2022 at 80th SKOCH Summit 2022

• The National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), under the Ministry of Steel, was awarded one gold and one silver award in the 80th SKOCH Summit and SKOCH Awards in New Delhi.
• The theme for the SKOCH Summit was ‘State of BFSI & PSUs’.
• NMDC won the Gold Award in the category social responsibility for the project ‘Promotion of Technical Education & Skill Development in Dantewada District through NMDC ITI Bhansi’ & the Silver Award in the category digital inclusion for the ‘Project Kalpataru’ for ERP implementation.
• The awards were received by Shri Amitava Mukherjee, Director (Finance) via video conferencing on behalf of Chairman and Managing Director, Shri Sumit Deb.

NMDC also received the 3 SKOCH :

• Order of Merit Awards for its exemplary efforts in ensuring seamless digitalization in Project Kalpataru
• Expansive CSR efforts in promoting technical education and skill development in the remote districts of Dantewada
• “Project Safety First” in the category Response to COVID.

About SKOCH Awards :

• The SKOCH Awards, Instituted in 2003.
• It is the highest civilian honour in the country conferred by an independent organisation.
• The award salutes people, projects and institutions that go the extra mile to make India a better nation.
• The SKOCH Awards were given to the winners based on :
• The application is submitted on their website
• Presentation to jury followed by three rounds of popular online voting
• Second round of jury evaluation.

About NMDC :

• Founded : 1958
• Headquarters : Hyderabad, Telangana
• Chairman & MD : Sumit Deb
• It is India’s largest iron ore producer and exporter.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : MOU & AGREEMENT

SJVN signs MoU with BHEL, REMC to develop renewable projects for Indian Railways

• Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two other state owned companies engineering firm Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Railway Energy Management Company (REMC) Limited for the development of renewable energy projects.
• The MoU was signed by RK Gupta, CGM, BDE SJVN Limited, REMC GM Rupesh Kumar and Sudripto De, AGM, BHEL.
• The signing of the MoU would usher in a new era of more efficient consumption of power in the Indian Railways, while also leading to more competitive tariffs for the overall benefit of consumers.
• This pact will be a step toward meeting SJVN’s target of renewable energy as well as Indian Railways’ target of becoming a net-zero carbon emission mission by 2030.
• At present, SJVN has twelve solar power projects of 3,065 MW capacity under various stages of development with a total portfolio of more than 16,900 MW.
• This gigantic portfolio expansion has led to SJVN’s new shared vision – 5,000 MW by 2023, 25,000 MW by 2030 and 50,000 MW installed capacity by 2040.

About SJVN :

• Founded : 1988
• Headquarters : Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
• Chairman & MD : Nand Lal Sharma
• SJVN, is an Indian public sector undertaking involved in hydroelectric power generation and transmission.
• It was incorporated as Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation, a joint venture between Government of India and Government of Himachal Pradesh.

About BHEL :

• Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is an Indian government owned engineering and manufacturing enterprise.
• It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India.
• Founded : 1956
• Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi, India
• Chairman & MD : Nalin Shinghal

About REMC :

• Established : 16th August, 2013 under the companies Act 1956
• Chairman : Mr. Rahul Mithal
• It is a joint venture (JV) company of Ministry of Railways Limited with equity participation in the ratio of Indian Railways( 49%) & RITES Limited (51%).

CURRENT AFFAIRS : RANKING & INDEX

NITI Aayog’s State Energy and Climate Index Round 1 : Gujarat, Kerala, Punjab Top Among Larger States

• Gujarat has topped the Niti Aayog’s State Energy and Climate Index (SECI) -Round 1 among larger states.
• The event was chaired by Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog.

Aim :

• To rank states and Union Territories (UTs) on six parameters, including discoms’ performance, clean energy initiatives and environmental sustainability.
• The states have been categorised based on size and geographical differences as larger states, smaller states, and UTs.
• Based on the composite SECI Round I score, the states and UTs are categorized into three groups: Front Runners, Achievers, and Aspirants.

Top 3 performers in Larger States Category :

1. Gujarat – 50.1
2. Kerala – 49.1
3. Punjab – 48.6

Lowest :

20. Chhattisgarh – 31.7

Top 3 Performers in Small States Category :

1. Goa – 51.4
2. Tripura – 45
3. Manipur – 36

Lowest :

8. Arunachal Pradesh – 27

Top 3 Performers in UTs :

1. Chandigarh – 55.7
2. Delhi – 55.6
3. Daman & Diu/Dadra & Nagar Haveli – 53.2

Lowest :

7. Lakshadweep – 26.9

SECI Round-1 ranks states and UTs on six parameters :

1. DISCOM’s Performance
2. Access, Affordability and Reliability of Energy
3. Clean Energy Initiatives
4. Energy Efficiency
5. Environmental Sustainability
6. New Initiatives

• The parameters are further divided into 27

About NITI Aayog :

• Established : 1 January 2015
• Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi, India
• CEO : Amitabh Kant
• Chairperson : Narendra Modi

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

1st Khelo India National Ranking Women Archery Tournament held in Jamshedpur:

• First Khelo India National Ranking Women Archery to be held in Jamshedpur on April 12 and 13.
• The Sports Authority of India has approved a total amount of Rs 75 Lakh to host the Khelo India National Ranking Women Archery Tournament over six phases.
• Tata Archery Academy, Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) is set to host the first phase of the tournament on April 12 and 13.
• The tournament will be held across the Recurve and Compound events in the senior, Junior and Cadet Categories, and will be conducted as per the World Archery Rules.
• The Archery Association of India (AAI), in collaboration with the Jharkhand Archery Association and TATA Steel, is organizing the tournament.
• The six Women’s National Ranking tournaments will be held every alternate month with the final phase scheduled for December 2022.
• Past competitions include the U-17 Khelo India Football League and the Khelo India Women’s Hockey League (Under 21), held across three phases of the tournament in New Delhi and Lucknow.

Ravichandran Ashwin becomes 1st player to get retired out in IPL History:

• Ravichandran Ashwin became the first cricketer in Indian Premier League (IPL) history to be retired during the match between Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants.
• During the 19th over of the Rajasthan Royals innings, Ashwin walked off the field and it was declared that the all-rounder was ‘retired out’.
• According to the International Cricket Council (ICC) rules, a batsman can be ‘retired out’ during a dead ball situation after informing the on-field umpires.

Daily CA On April 14:

• International Turban Day, observed annually on April 13th since 2004, is an occasion that celebrates Sikh Identity.
• The Siachen Warriors celebrated the 37th Siachen Day on 13th April 2021 to honour the soldiers of the Indian army who continue to guard the Siachen Glacier, the northern frontier which is a part of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
• Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation has launched the Amrit Samagam, a summit of the country’s tourism and cultural ministers, in New Delhi.
• The number of patent filings increased from 42,763 in 2014-15 to 66,440 in 2021-22 due to steps taken by the government to strengthen the intellectual property rights (IPR) regime of the country.
• Microplastics in the Cauvery River have been identified as one of the major reasons for deformities in fish and other impacts on marine life, according to a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
• The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and partners of the Adaptation Innovation Marketplace (AIM) have announced $2.2 million in climate action grants for 22 local innovators across 19 countries, including India.
• According to the Global Wind Report for 2022 published by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) Wind energy installations every year across the world must quadruple from the 94 GW installed in 2021 within this decade to meet the global climate targets.
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed an agreement with the Government of India to offer a $2 million project readiness financing (PRF) loan.
• India’s gold imports, which have a bearing on the country’s current account deficit (CAD), rose by 33.34 per cent to USD 46.14 billion during 2021-22 fiscal on account of higher demand.
• Pakistan’s parliament has elected Shehbaz Sharif as the country’s new prime minister through voting in the National Assembly & He will succeed Imran Khan, who has been removed by a no-trust vote.
• The Airports Council International (ACI) World published the list of the top 10 busiest airports in the world for the year 2021.
• The National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), under the Ministry of Steel, was awarded one gold and one silver award in the 80th SKOCH Summit and SKOCH Awards in New Delhi.
• Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two other state owned companies engineering firm Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Railway Energy Management Company (REMC) Limited for the development of renewable energy projects.
• Gujarat has topped the Niti Aayog’s State Energy and Climate Index (SECI) -Round 1 among larger states.
• First Khelo India National Ranking Women Archery to be held in Jamshedpur on April 12 and 13.
• Ravichandran Ashwin became the first cricketer in Indian Premier League (IPL) history to be retired during the match between Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants.