Daily Current Affairs 25.04.2022
Important News: India
PM Modi holds bilateral talks with British PM Boris Johnson
Why in News
- Recently, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited in India. This was his maiden visit to India as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with British PM Boris Johnson.
Key Points
- India and United Kingdom have decided to do their best to conclude the Free Trade Agreement by the end of 2022.
- India and UK had launched an ambitious Roadmap-2030 to guide the bilateral relationship in this decade.
- India and UK are launching a virtual Hydrogen Science and Innovation hub to accelerate affordable green hydrogen, as well as new funding for the Green Grids Initiative announced at COP26, and collaboration on joint work on the electrification of public transport across India.
- They emphasized maintaining the Indo-Pacific region based on free, open, inclusive, and rules-based order.
- PM Modi welcomed UK's decision to join Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.
- Both sides also agreed on intensifying operations in countering threats in new domains like cyber security, space, and artificial intelligence as well as on strengthening cooperation on counter-terrorism and addressing violent extremism and radicalism.
Source: Indian Express
Important News: State
Shivamogga airport to be named after B S Yediyurappa
Why in News
- Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai recently announced that the under-construction Shivamogga airport will be named after former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.
Key Points
- The proposal will now be sent to the civil aviation ministry.
- The airport will be ready for inauguration in December 2022.
- The project has been taken up under the UDAN (UdeDesh Ka Aam Naagrik) programme.
- The Shivamogga airport will have the 2nd longest runway in Karnataka after Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.
Source: Indian Express
Important News: Defence
iDEX-Prime & 6th Defence India Start-up Challenge
Why in News
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) Prime and sixth Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC 6) during DefConnect 2.0 in New Delhi.
About Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX):
- It was launched in April 2018.
- It aims to achieve self - reliance and foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace by engaging Industries including MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes and academia.
- The aim of iDEX-Prime isto support projects, requiring support beyond Rs 1.5 crore up to Rs 10 crore, to help ever-growing start-ups in the defence sector.
About Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC 6):
- The DISC 6 with 38 Problem Statements was launched.
- Apart from the three Services and some Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) which have participated in earlier editions, DISC 6 witnesses the participation of newly-formed seven defence companies, Indian Coast Guard and organisations under Ministry of Home Affairs for the first time.
- The Problem Statements relate to Artificial Intelligence (AI), Advanced Imaging, Sensor Systems, Big Data Analytics and Autonomous Unmanned Systems and Secured Communication among others.
- Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the Defence India Startup Challenge (DISC) on 4th Aug 2018 at Bengaluru.
Source: PIB
Important News: Environment & Ecology
Parliamentary panel suggests changes to Wildlife Protection (amendment) Bill 2021
Why in News
- The parliamentary panel headed by senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh submitted a 254-page report after reviewing the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill 2021.
- It highlighted several concerns regarding the legislation and urged the Union environment ministry to consider the recommendations of scientists and conservationists mentioned in the report.
About Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972:
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 provides a legal framework for the protection of various species of wild animals and plants, the management of their habitats, and the regulation and control of trade in wild animals, plants and products made from them.
- The Act also lists schedules of plants and animals that are afforded various degrees of protection and monitoring by the government.
- The Act has been amended several times, with the last amendment having been made in 2006.
Key features of the Bill:
- The most important reason given by the environment ministry for introducing the bill was the urgent need to provide legislative backing to commitments made by India over the past many years to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals that came into force in 1975.
- The bill’s objectives include ensuring that international trade in wildlife is legal, sustainable and traceable by implementing CITES.
- The Ministry has streamlined the scheduling of species from the original six schedules to just three — Schedule I for species that will enjoy the highest level of protection, Schedule II for species that will be subject to a lesser degree of protection and Schedule III that covers plants.
Source: HT
Important News: Appointment
Eminent physicist Ajay Kumar Sood appointed Principal Scientific Advisor
Why in News
- Eminent physicist Ajay Kumar Sood has been appointed as the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the government.
Key Points
- Sood, a member of the Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, has been appointed to the post for a period of 3 years to succeed K VijayRaghavan.
- The Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA)'s office aims to provide pragmatic and objective advice to the Prime Minister and cabinet on matters related to science, technology and innovation.
Source: HT
Economist Suman K Bery was appointed as Niti Aayog’s vice chairman
Why in News
- Economist Suman K Bery has been appointed as Niti Aayog’s vice chairman after Rajiv Kumar stepped down from the post.
Key Points
- The Ministry of Personnel in a statement said that the appointments committee of the cabinet had appointed Suman Bery as the full-time member of the Niti Aayog, and later as the vice chairperson from May 1, 2022.
- Suman Bery was the director-general of the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER).
- Bery also served as a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, India’s Statistical Commission and of the Reserve Bank of India’s Technical Advisory Committee on Monetary Policy.
Facts about NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India):
- Formed: 1 January 2015
- Preceding Government Agency: Planning Commission
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Chairperson: Narendra Modi
Source: Indian Today
Important News: Sports
JaspritBumrah, Rohit Sharma named among Wisden's five 'Cricketers of the Year' 2022
- India captain Rohit Sharma and pace spearhead JaspritBumrah have been named among five players in Wisden's 'Cricketers of the Year' in the 2022 edition of the Almanack.
- Besides the duo, the list also features New Zealand batter Devon Conway, England pacer Ollie Robinson and Proteas women star Dane van Niekerk.
About Wisden Cricketers' Almanack:
- Wisden Cricketers' Almanack colloquially the Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom.
Source: ET
Important News: Important Days
April 24, National Panchayati Raj Day
Why in News
- National Panchayati Raj Day is observed on 24 April annually.
Key Points
- Then Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh declared the first National Panchayati Raj Day on 24 April 2010.
- Ministry of Panchayati Raj commemorates 24th April as the National Panchayati Raj Day, as the 73rd Constitutional Amendment came into force on this date.
Note:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Jammu and Kashmir to participate in the celebration of National Panchayati Raj Day 2022.
- The Prime Minister inaugurated the Banihal Qazigund Road Tunnel. The 8.45-kilometre long tunnel will reduce the road distance between Banihal and Qazigund by 16 kilometres.
- The Prime Minister also launched the Amrit Sarovar initiative. It is aimed at developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district of the country.
Source: newsonair
April 25, World Malaria Day
Why in News
- World Malaria Day (WMD) is an international observance commemorated every year on 25 April and recognizes global efforts to control malaria.
Key Points
- The theme for World Malaria Day 2022 is “Harness innovation to reduce the malaria disease burden and save lives.”
- World Malaria Day was instituted by WHO Member States during the World Health Assembly of 2007.
Note:
- In 2020, there were an estimated 241 million new cases of malaria and 627000 malaria-related deaths in 85 countries.
- More than two thirds of deaths were among children under the age of 5 living in the WHO African Region.
Source: who.int
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