Daily Current Affairs: 14:01:2022

Daily Current Affairs: 14:01:2022

Global Risks Report 2022

Why in News

• The Global Risks Report 2022, 17th Edition, is published by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Key Points

• Cyber security, pandemic, climate change and space advancements are the emerging risks to the global economy.
• It stated that climate change was the number one danger, while erosion of social cohesion, livelihood crises and mental health deterioration were identified as risks which had increased the most since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• The global economy is to shrink by 2.3% by 2024.
• According to Report released ahead of the Davos Agenda, a “global risk is the possibility of the occurrence of an event or condition that, if it occurs, could cause significant negative impact for several countries or industries”.

In India:

• Widespread youth disillusionment, digital inequality, fracture of interstate relations, debt crisis and failure of technology governance are the top five risks for India. 

Facts about World Economic Forum: It is an international NGO.

• Headquarters: Cologny, Switzerland
• Founded: January 1971
• Founder: Klaus Schwab

Source: Business Today

India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021

Why in News

• Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, released the ‘India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021’ prepared by the Forest Survey of India (FSI).

Key Points

• The ISFR 2021 provides information on forest cover, tree cover, mangrove cover, growing stock, carbon stock in India’s forests, forest fire monitoring, forest cover in tiger reserve areas, above ground estimates of biomass using SAR data & climate change hotspots in Indian forests.

Major Findings:

• The total forest and tree cover of the country is 9 million hectares which is 24.62 percent of the geographical area of the country. As compared to the assessment of 2019, there is an increase of 2,261 sq km in the total forest and tree cover of the country. Out of this, the increase in the forest cover has been observed as 1,540 sq km and that in tree cover is 721 sq km.
• Increase in forest cover has been observed in open forest followed by very dense forest. Top three states showing increase in forest cover are Andhra Pradesh (647 sq km) followed by Telangana (632 sq km) and Odisha (537 sq km).
• Area-wise Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in the country followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra. In terms of forest cover as percentage of total geographical area, the top five States are Mizoram (84.53%), Arunachal Pradesh (79.33%), Meghalaya (76.00%), Manipur (74.34%) and Nagaland (73.90%).
• 17 states/UT’s have above 33 percent of the geographical area under forest cover. Out of these states and UT’s, five states/UTs namely Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya have more than 75 percent forest cover while 12 states/UTs namely Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Goa, Kerala, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Assam, Odisha, have forest cover between 33 percent to 75 percent.
• Total mangrove cover in the country is 4,992 sq km. An increase of 17 sq Km in mangrove cover has been observed as compared to the previous assessment of 2019. Top three states showing mangrove cover increase are Odisha (8 sq km) followed by Maharashtra (4 sq km) and Karnataka (3 sq km).
• Total carbon stock in the country’s forest is estimated to be 7,204 million tonnes and there is an increase of 79.4 million tonnes in the carbon stock of the country as compared to the last assessment of 2019. The annual increase in the carbon stock is 39.7 million tonnes.

Source: PIB

Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying launches Fisheries Startup Grand Challenge

Why in News

• The Department of Fisheries, Government of India in association with Startup India, Ministry of Commerce and Industry inaugurated the “Fisheries Startup Grand Challenge”.

Key Points

• The challenge has been launched with an objective to provide a platform to start-ups within the country to showcase their innovative solutions within the Fisheries and Aquaculture sector.
• The challenge is expected to foster start-up culture within the sector and to establish a strong foundation of the entrepreneurial model, the Department of Fisheries has earmarked funds to the tune of Rs. 3.44 Crore for the challenge.

Note:

• Fisheries sector has tremendous potential for growth and the Government of India is providing all necessary support to achieve the one lakh crore export target from the sector by 2024-25.
• India is the second major producer of fish through aquaculture in the world.
• India is the 4th largest exporter of fish in the world as it contributes 7.7% to the global fish production.

Government's Effort to Improve Fisheries:

• Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana
• Seaweed Park
• Palk Bay Scheme
• Marine Fisheries Bill
• Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund
• Marine Products Export Development Authority

Source: PIB

 India and UK launch Free Trade Agreement Negotiations

Why in News

• India and the United Kingdom have formally launched negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
• This announcement has been made by Indian Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and UK Trade Secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

Key Points

• The India-UK bilateral trading relationship is already significant, and both sides have agreed to double that bilateral trade by 2030, as part of Roadmap 2030 announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Boris Johnson in May 2021.
• India and the UK will seek to agree a mutually beneficial agreement supporting jobs, businesses and communities in both countries.
• In parallel to trade negotiations, the India-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee will continue to work in improving the India-UK trading relationship and addressing market access barriers outside of a trade agreement.

Source: PIB 

Purposive Testing Strategy for COVID-19: ICMR 

Why in News

• Amid the rising cases of COVID-19 and its highly contagious Omicron variant, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has issued fresh guidelines on Purposive Testing Strategy.

Key Points

Purposive Testing Strategy:

• ICMR issued fresh guidelines on who needs to get tested for the infection, and who doesn’t.
• Asymptomatic individuals and contacts of COVID patients do not need to be tested unless identified as “high-risk individuals” based on age or co-morbidities.
• People undertaking “inter-state domestic travel” need not get tested.

Modes of testing

• As per the new guidelines of ICMR, testing can be undertaken either through RT-PCR, True Nat, CBNAAT, CRISPR, RT-LAMP, Rapid Molecular Testing Systems or through Rapid Antigen Test (RAT).

Source: Indian Express

Union Minister launches Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven Start-Up for water purification

Why in News

• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh launched Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven Start-Up by IIT alumni for water purification through innovative technology.
• A MoU was also signed between Technology Development Board (TDB), a statutory body of Department of Science & Technology, Government of India and M/s Swajal Water Private Limited, a tech Start Up company founded by ex-IITians based in Gurugram.

Key Points

• The facility aims to provide clean drinking water at a price much lesser than the market price.
• The company is focused on innovative technologies to make reliable clean drinking water accessible to communities at affordable price, for their project on IoT (Internet of Things) enabled point of use Solar Water Purification Unit for slums, villages and High Utility Areas.
• This technology will help to achieve India’s ambitious target of providing clean drinking water to all by 2024.

Note: The Central government has launched Jal Jeevan Mission, National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) and Heli-borne survey technology for groundwater management for providing clean drinking water for households.

Source: PIB 

David Bennett, world first human receives a Pig Heart Transplant

Why in News

• David Bennett, a US man has become the first person in the world to get a heart transplant from a genetically-modified pig.

Key Points

• The possibility of using animal organs for so-called xenotransplantation to meet the demand has long been considered, and using pig heart valves is already common.
• Pigs are increasingly becoming popular candidates for organ transplantation.
• This is because their organs are anatomically similar to those of humans.

Source: BBC News

Important News: Appointment

Eminent rocket scientist S Somanath appointed new chairman of ISRO

Why in News

• Eminent rocket scientist S Somanath has been appointed the new chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as well as the Space Secretary.

Key Points

• S Somanath will succeed K Sivan who completes his extended tenure as ISRO chief.
• He will be the 10th chairman of ISRO.
• He is currently Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).
• The post of the ISRO chairman, the Space Secretary and the Space Commission chief is usually held by one person only.

Source: newsonair

Important News: Award and Honours

DBT-BIRAC supported start-ups InnAccel and NIRAMAI have received World Bank Group and the Consumer Technology Association's Global Women's Health Tech Awards

Why in News

• NIRAMAI Health Analytix Pvt. Ltd. and InnAccel Technologies Pvt. Ltd., two start-ups supported by DBT-BIRAC, have received the World Bank Group and the Consumer Technology Association's Global Women's Health Tech Awards.

Key Points

• The award recognises innovative startups that leverage tech to improve women's health and safety in emerging markets.

About Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC):

• BIRAC is a not-for-profit Section 8, Schedule B, Public Sector Enterprise, set up by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India as an Interface Agency to strengthen and empower the emerging Biotech enterprise to undertake strategic research and innovation, addressing nationally relevant product development needs.

Source: PIB

Important News: Books

A book on Arundhati Bhattacharya “Indomitable: A Working Woman’s Notes on Life, Work and Leadership” released

Why in News

• Former State Bank of India (SBI) Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya turned author with her autobiography - 'Indomitable - A Working Woman's Notes on Life, Work and Leadership'.

Key Points

• The book focuses on Arundhati Bhattacharya's personal & professional journey.
• The book is published by HarperCollins India.
• In 2016, Forbes named her the Most-Powerful Woman in the World list, and she held the 25th spot.

Source: ET