Daily Current Affairs: 17:02:2022
Important News: World
1. Lassa fever
Why in News
- Recently, one of the three persons diagnosed with Lassa fever in the United Kingdom has died.
Key Points
About Lassa fever:
- The Lassa fever-causing virus is found in West Africa and was first discovered in 1969 in Lassa, Nigeria, the Centers for Disease Control and Pollution (CDC) notes.
- The fever is spread by rats and is primarily found in countries in West Africa including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Nigeria where it is endemic.
- A person can become infected if they come in contact with household items of food that is contaminated with the urine or feces of an infected rat.
- Symptoms typically appear 1-3 weeks after exposure. Mild symptoms include slight fever, fatigue, weakness and headache and more serious symptoms include bleeding, difficulty breathing, vomiting, facial swelling, pain in the chest, back, and abdomen and shock.
Source: Indian Express
Important News: India
2. Government approves New India Literacy Programme, a new scheme of Adult Education for FYs 2022-27
Why in News
- Government approved a new scheme “New India Literacy Programme for the period FYs 2022-2027 to cover all the aspects of Adult Education to align with National Education Policy 2020 and Budget Announcements 2021-22.
- Adult Education is now ‘Education for All’ in the country.
Key Points
- The objective of the scheme is to impart not only foundational literacy and numeracy but also to cover other components which are necessary for a citizen of the 21stcentury such as critical life skills; vocational skills development; basic education; and continuing education.
- The scheme will cover non-literates of the age of 15 years and above in all state/UTs in the country.
- The target for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for FYs 2022-27 is 5 (five) crore learners @ 1.00 crore per year by using “Online Teaching, Learning and Assessment System (OTLAS)” in collaboration with National Informatics Centre, NCERT and NIOS.
- The estimated total outlay of “New India Literacy Programme” is Rs.1037.90 crore which includes Central share of Rs.700 crore and State share of Rs.337.90 crore respectively for the FYs 2022 -27.
Adult Education is now ‘Education for All’ in the country:
- As a progressive step, it has also been decided that from now onwards that the term “Education For All”will be used in place of “Adult Education” by the Ministry in view of the fact that the terminology “Adult Education” is not incorporating appropriately all non-literates of 15 years and above age group.
- As per Census 2011, the absolute number of non-literates of the country in 15 years and above age group is 25.76 crore (Male 9.08 crore, Female 16.68 crore).
- In consideration of the progress of persons certified as literates being to the tune of 7.64 crore under the Saakshar Bharat programme implemented during 2009-10 to 2017-18, it is estimated that currently around 18.12 crore adults are still non-literate in India.
Source: PIB
3. Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED)
Why in News
- Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar launches the Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED) for the welfare of De-notified, Nomadic and Semi Nomadic Communities.
Key Points
About De-notified, Nomadic and Semi Nomadic Communities:
- The De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes are the most neglected, marginalized and economically and socially deprived communities.
- Most of them have been living a life of destitution for generations and still continue to do so with an uncertain and gloomy future.
- De-notified, Nomadic and Semi- nomadic Tribes somehow escaped the attention of developmental framework and thus are deprived of the support unlike Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
- Accordingly, the first commission was set up in October 2003 during the first NDA Government to look into the problems of these communities.
- The Renke Commission was set up in 2008.
- The National Commission was constituted in 2015 under the chairmanship of Bhiku Ramji Idate for De-Notified, Nomadic and Semi Nomadic Tribes.
- Based on the recommendation of this commission, the Government of India set up the Development and Welfare Board for DNTs, SNTs & NTs (DWBDNCs) in 2019.
Source: PIB
4. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy organizes “New Frontiers: A Programme on Renewable Energy”
Why in News
- The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)’s programme “New Frontiers: A programme on Renewable Energy” to celebrate the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav commenced with the inaugural event “India’s Leadership in Energy Transition” at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
Key Points
- The plenary address was delivered by Bhagwanth Khuba, Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy & Chemicals and Fertilizers.
- Shri Khuba talked about India’s energy transition commitments and achievements; the citizen-centric nature of the transition and Government of India’s energy compacts submitted to the UN for the High Level Dialogue on Energy 2021.
- In the past 7 years, India has increased its installed capacity of 395,000 MW whereas our peak demand is 200,000 MW.
- India now has an integrated national grid.
- Under the PLI scheme for high efficiency solar modules, the Finance Ministry will grant an additional Rs 19,500 crore.
- Diesel pumps will be replaced by solar pumps in the agricultural sector by 2024.
About Energy Compacts:
- Energy Compacts are voluntary commitments of action, with specific targets and timelines to drive the progress on the achievement of SDG7, to accelerate action for clean, affordable energy for all.
- Submission of energy compacts is open to all relevant stakeholders including member states and non-state actors, such as companies, regional/local governments, NGOs and others.
Source: PIB
5. PM Modi delivers inaugural address at TERI’s World Sustainable Development Summit
Why in News
- The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi delivered the inaugural address at The Energy and Resources Institute’s (TERI) World Sustainable Development Summit 16th February, 2022.
Key Points
- World Sustainable Development Summit is TERI’s annual flagship event.
- The theme for this year’s Summit is ‘Towards a Resilient Planet: Ensuring a Sustainable and Equitable Future’.
- The Summit will discuss a wide range of issues including climate change, sustainable production, energy transitions, global commons and resource security.
- The Prime Minister pointed out that very little has been done despite lot of talk over the last 50 years, since the 1972 Stockholm Conference.
Related India’s Initiates:
- Ujjwala Yojana
- PM-KUSUM scheme
- LED bulbs distribution scheme
- National Hydrogen Mission
- ''One Sun, One World, One Grid''
Note: With 2.4% of the world's land area, India accounts for nearly 8% of the world's species.
Source: PIB
Important News: Economy
6. NITI Aayog in association with PhonePe launches the Fintech Open Hackathon
Why in News
- As a part of the Fintech Open Month, NITI Aayog in association with PhonePe will be hosting the first-ever open-to-all Hackathon event for ideating and coming up with the most creative solutions for the FinTech space.
Key Points
- The Hackathon will provide an opportunity for innovators, digital creators and developers from all over India to think, ideate and code.
- Participants at the hackathon need to use any open-data APIs like PhonePe Pulse along with frameworks such as Account Aggregator as a foundation to power.
- The last date toregister for the event is 23rd February, 2022 and the deadline to submit the final entries is 25th February, 2022.
- The winners of the Hackathon will be announced on 28th February, 2022.
Source: PIB
Important News: State
7. Public order: A constitutional provision for curbing freedoms
Why in News
- The Karnataka High Court is hearing a challenge to the constitutionality of the state government’s ban on students wearing a hijab in educational institutions.
- The judges heard an argument on whether the state can justify the ban on the ground that it violates ‘public order’.
About public order:
- Public order is one of the three grounds on which the state can restrict freedom of religion. Public order is also one of the grounds to restrict free speech and other fundamental rights.
- Article 25 of the Constitution guarantees to all persons the right to freedom and conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and propagate religion subject to public order, morality and health.
- Public order is normally equated with public peace and safety.
- According to List 2 of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, the power to legislate on aspects of public order rests with the states.
How does it relate to the hijab ban?
- According to the government order issued under the Karnataka Education Act, 1983, “public order” is one of the reasons for not allowing students to wear a headscarf in educational institutions along with “unity” and “integrity.”
How has the state responded?
- Karnataka’s Advocate General has argued that the government order makes no mention of “public order” and that the petitioners reading of the order could be an error in translation. The order, in Kannada, uses the words “sarvajanika suvyavasthe”.
Source: Indian Express
Important News: Appointment
8. Vineet Joshi takes charge as new CBSE chairperson
Why in News
- Vineet Joshi, additional secretary in the Ministry of Education, has been assigned the charge of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
Key Points
- Joshi’s appointment comes after his predecessor Manoj Ahuja was appointed as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the department of agriculture and farmers welfare.
- Currently, he is the Director General of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and also looks after the Institutes of Eminence (IoE), and Higher Education Funding Agency (HEFA), among other verticals of higher education.
- Joshi, a 1992-batch IAS officer had previously also served as the CBSE chairperson.
Source: HT
Important News: Personality
9. Music composer and singer Bappi Lahiri passes away
- Legendary Bollywood music composer and singer Bappi Lahiri passed away at 69.
- Bappi Lahiri, whose real name was Alokesh, was known for delivering popular songs in several films of the late 1970s-80s like Chalte Chalte, Disco Dancer, and Sharaabi.
Source: newsonair
10. Karnataka's Samanvaya Kavi Nadoja Channaveera Kanavi passes away
- Popularly known as Samanvaya Kavi or the poet of reconciliation, Nadoja Channaveera Kanavi passed away at 93.
- The Central Sahitya Akademi has honoured him with the Akademi award for his collection of poems Jeevadhwani in 1982.
- He is also honoured with the Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Award, Karnataka Rajyotsava Award, Pampa Award and Nadoja honorary D.Litt by Hampi Kannada University.
Source: The Hindu
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