Important News: International |
State of World Population Report 2023
Why in news: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) publishes the State of World Population (SoWP) report annually. The 2022 version of this report has been released recently.
A.The recently released State of World Population Report 2022 is titled "Looking at the Unseen: A Case for Action in the Neglected Crisis of Unintended Pregnancy".
B.With its population estimated to touch 142.86 crore by the middle of this year, marginally ahead of China at 142.57 crore, India is on track to be the world’s most populous country, according to the UNFPA’s State of World Population Report 2023
C.68 per cent of India's total population is between the ages of 15 and 64 years, which is considered to be the working population of a country. About 25 percent are between 0-14 years old; 18 per cent between 10 and 19 years, 26 per cent between 10 and 24 years and 7 per cent above 65 years.
D.The World Population Prospects 2022 had said that India's population will reach 166.8 crore by 2050, which is much more than China's declining population of 131.7 crore. In 1950, India's number was 86.1 crore, while China's share was 114.4 crore. According to UN estimates, India's population is expected to grow for the next three decades, after which it will start declining.
E.The 2023 report finds that life expectancy among men now stands at 71 years while among women it stands at 76 years.
(SOURCE – LIVEMINT)
Wheat Blast
Why in news: Recently, scientists have warned that the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, which is destroying South American wheat crops, could spread worldwide.
A.It is a fungal disease in tropical and subtropical wheat production regions caused by Magnaporthe oryzae.The fungus infects wild and cultivated grasses, most notably rice and wheat.
B.It spreads through infected seeds, and crop residues as well as by spores that can travel long distances in the air.
C.Researchers first detected this pathogen in Brazilian wheat crops in the 1980s.Asia’s first outbreak of this pathogenic wheat blast was reported in Bangladesh in 2016.
D.It is the second most important cereal crop in India after rice.It is a Rabi crop which requires a cool growing season and bright sunshine at the time of ripening.
(SOURCE – INDIAN EXPRESS)
Important News: National |
City Nature Challenge
Why in news: Over 30 Indian cities are set to participate in the City Nature Challenge, an app-based competition that records observations of nature
A.Under this initiative, participants can use the iNeturalist app (available for Android and Apple phones) to click and upload a picture of natural flora and fauna.
B.GPS coordinates for observation are automatically picked from image data. Once an observation is confirmed, it becomes available to scientists and researchers who can use this data to research different plant and animal species or determine biodiversity in an area.
C.The Bombay Natural History Society, World Wide Fund for Nature-India and The Naturalist School have partnered to lead the event.
D.The event was first organized in the US in 2016 by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the California Academy of Sciences of San Francisco.
E.It is an All India Wildlife Research Organization, which has been promoting the cause of nature conservation since 1883.
F.It is a partner of BirdLife International in India. BirdLife International is a global partnership of conservation organizations that seeks to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity.
(SOURCE –NEWS ON AIR)
SATHI PORTAL
Why in news: Union agriculture and farmers welfare minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched the Sathi (Seed Traceability, Authentication and Holistic Inventory) portal and mobile app, a centralized online system designed to address seed production challenges, seed quality identification, and certification.
- Developed by the NIC in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on the theme of ‘Uttam Beej – Samriddh Kisan’ ,the portal aims to curb the sale of spurious seeds and ensure quality seeds reach farmers.
- The portal, consisting of integrated seed chain verticals, will offer quality assurance, seed source identification, and direct subsidies to registered farmers’ bank accounts.
- There will be a QR code under this system, through which the seeds can be traced. Training will be imparted through Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Krishi Vigyan Kendras and State Governments. The government has urged all the states to join the Seed Traceability System.
- The system will consist of integrated 7 verticals of the seed chain - Research Organisation, Seed Certification, Seed Licensing, Seed Catalogue, Dealer to Farmer Sales, Farmer Registration and Seed DBT.
- The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) was established on 16 July 1929 as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. It is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India.
(SOURCE – ECONOMIC TIMES)
Chennai ranks among top 5 in digital payment transactions in 2022: Report
Why in news: Bengaluru topped the list with 29 million transactions worth USD 65 billion, followed by New Delhi with 19.6 million transactions worth USD 50 billion, Mumbai with 18.7 million transactions worth USD 49.5 billion, and Pune with 15 million transactions valued at USD 32.8 billion.
- The report also revealed that frequently visited physical merchant categories like grocery stores, restaurants, clothing and apparel, pharmacy, and household appliances accounted for over 43 percent of volume and about 40 percent of value across the country in 2022.
- E-commerce space, gaming, utility, and financial services contributed to over 85 percent of transactions and 25 percent of value, while the education, travel, and hospitality sector accounted for 15 percent in volume and 75 percent in terms of value.
- On the other hand, education, travel and hospitality sector contributed the remaining 15 per cent and 75 per cent in terms of volume and value, respectively.
- A digital payment, sometimes called an electronic payment, is the transfer of value from one payment account to another using a digital device or channel. This definition may include payments made with bank transfers, mobile money, QR codes, and payment instruments such as credit, debit, and prepaid cards. Digital payments can be partially digital, primarily digital, or fully digital.
(SOURCE – NEWS ON AIR)
Union Cabinet gives nod for ₹6,003 crore Quantum Mission
Why in news: A work-in-progress globally, quantum computers are a reliable class of computers that work several times faster than the speediest machines of today and also facilitate exponentially secure communication networks, with wide applications.
- The new mission targets developing intermediate scale quantum computers with 50-1000 physical qubits in 8 years in various platforms like superconducting and photonic technology.
- Satellite based secure quantum communications between ground stations over a range of 2000 kilometres within India, long distance secure quantum communications with other countries, inter-city quantum key distribution over 2000 km as well as multi-node Quantum network with quantum memories are also some of the deliverables of the Mission.
- The mission will help develop magnetometers with high sensitivity in atomic systems and Atomic Clocks for precision timing, communications and navigation. It will also support design and synthesis of quantum materials such as superconductors, novel semiconductor structures and topological materials for fabrication of quantum devices.
- Single photon sources/detectors, entangled photon sources will also be developed for quantum communications, sensing and metrological applications.
- Four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) will be set up in top academic and National R&D institutes on the domains - Quantum Computing, Quantum Communication, Quantum Sensing & Metrology and Quantum Materials & Devices. The hubs which will focus on generation of new knowledge through basic and applied research as well as promote R&D in areas that are mandated to them.
- The mission would greatly benefit communication, health, financial and energy sectors as well as drug design, and space applications. It will provide a huge boost to National priorities like digital India, Make in India, Skill India and Stand-up India, Start-up India, Self-reliant India and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
- Quantum Technology is based on the principles of Quantum mechanics that was developed in the early 20thcentury to describe nature at the scale of atoms and elementary particles.
(SOURCE – INDIAN EXPRESS)
Important News: States |
Hakki-Pikki tribe
Why in news: Recently, some people of the HakkiPikki Tribe survived Covid-19 in Karnataka.
A.The HakkiPikki tribes are semi nomadic tribal people, have four clans namely the Gujrathioa, Kaliwala, Mewara and Panwara.
B.They speak many south Indian languages such as Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam along with Vagribooli which is similar to Guajarati.
C.The HakkiPikki, meaning “bird catchers” in Kannada.It is a Scheduled Tribe in Karnataka.
D.The origin of HakkiPikki tribal communities has a rich history and is said to be an ancestral relation with the legendary Ranapratap Singh.
E.The HakkiPikki tribal community are a Kshatriya or warrior tribal community who had to migrate to southern India after their defeat with Mughal kings.
(SOURCE – NEWS ON AIR)
Important News: Days |
Civil Services Day
Why in news: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated the 16th Civil Services Day programme. The nation should always be the guiding principle.
A.Every year on April 21, the Government of India celebrates 'Civil Services Day' to commemorate the day in 1947 when Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Home Minister of independent India, addressed the probationers of administrative service officers in Delhi. The first such festival took place on April 21, 2006.
B.Civil Services Day is an opportunity for civil servants to rededicate themselves to the interests of citizens and renew their commitments and excellence in work.
C.On this day in 1947, The Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, referred to civil servants as the 'Steel Frame of India'
D.Gives a civil servant a unique opportunity to serve and uplift the people.
E.The 'Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Public Administration' are presented annually during the occasion.
(SOURCE – NEWS ON AIR)
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