दैनिक करंट अफेयर्स 21 अप्रैल 2023
Important News: International |
Global Food Policy Report 2023
Why in news: The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) released the Global Food Policy Report, 2023, on April 13, urging stakeholders to invest in long-term solutions to build resilient and equitable food systems.
A.Several crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, natural disasters, civil unrest and political instability have led to an increase in food insecurity across the world during 2020-2022.
B.The IFPRI report suggests focusing on three key areas:
crisis prediction and preparedness;
Building resilience before and during a crisis;
and making crisis response supportive and inclusive for vulnerable groups.
C.The IFPRI report reveals that 205 million people across 45 countries experienced crisis-level acute food insecurity or worse in 2022. The report advocates for strengthening agrifood value chains to support livelihoods and food security during crises.
D.Established in 1975, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries. IFPRI’s vision is a world free of hunger and malnutrition. It focuses on five strategic research areas:
- Fostering Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Food Supply.
- Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for All.
- Building Inclusive and Efficient Markets, Trade Systems, and Food Industry.
- Transforming Agricultural and Rural Economies.
- Strengthening Institutions and Governance.(SOURCE – LIVEMINT)
Exobiology Expansive Life Surveyor (EELS)
Why in news: The US space agency NASA is developing a snake-like robot known as exobiology extant life surveyor (EELS), which can boost space exploration through its diverse adaptability to different terrains.
A.It is a mobile device platform conceived to explore interior structure structures, assess habitability, and ultimately search for evidence of life.
B.It is designed to be adaptable to sea-world-inspired terrain, liquefied media, enclosed maze environments and traversing fluids
C.It is a snake-like robot that can pass through rough terrain.
D.Its purpose is to examine the surface of Saturn's moon and determine if life exists. EELS uses the first of its kind rotating propulsion units that act as underwater tracks, recreational mechanisms and propeller units, allowing the robot to reach a plume vent exhaust and carry it to its ocean source.
E.It is composed of several, identical, segments that include both actuation and propulsion mechanisms as well as the power and communication electronics to drive them.
(SOURCE – INDIAN EXPRESS)
AIIB to Open First Overseas Office in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Why in news: The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has recently signed an agreement to create its first interim operational hub in the Abu Dhabi Global Market, marking its initial entry into setting up a foreign office.
A.AIIB is a multilateral development bank focused on financing infrastructure projects that prioritize sustainability. As the host country for COP28 later this year, the UAE has stressed the importance of climate finance, a major concern for nations as they strive to step up their efforts and commitments towards climate action.
B.AIIB has set up its first interim operations centre in Abu Dhabi Global Market, which will serve as its initial overseas office.
C.The office will have a strategic location in the Middle East and the world, and will support the Bank's development agenda by financing infrastructure projects that prioritize sustainable economic growth, especially in areas where it is most needed.
D.AIIB is a multilateral development bank that was established in 2016 with the goal of financing infrastructure projects in Asia and beyond.
E.The bank is headquartered in Beijing, China, and has more than 100 member countries, including several major economies such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia.
F.AIIB's mission is to promote sustainable economic growth, generate wealth and improve infrastructure connectivity in Asia by investing in infrastructure and other productive sectors.
(SOURCE – ECONOMIC TIMES)
Important News: National |
NHAI to develop 10,000 kms of ‘Digital Highways’ in India by 2025
Why in news: State-owned National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is working towards developing around 10,000 km of optic fibre cables (OFC) infrastructure across the country by fy 2024-25.
A.The National Highway Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), a wholly-owned special purpose vehicle of NHAI, will implement a network of "digital highways" by developing integrated utility corridors along national highways to develop OFC infrastructure.
B.About 1,367 km on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and 512 km on the Hyderabad-Bangalore corridor have been identified as pilot routes for digital highway development
C.Providing internet connectivity to remote locations across the country will help accelerate the roll-out of new-age telecom technologies like OFC network 5G and 6G.
D.The recently inaugurated 246-km Delhi-Dausa-Lalsot section of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway has a three-metre dedicated utility corridor used for laying optical fibre cable, which will serve as the backbone for the roll-out of 5G networks in the region.
E.National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was set up under NHAI Act, 1988. It is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
(SOURCE –NEWS ON AIR)
First-ever census of water bodies:
Why in news: Bengal tops list of states with highest number of ponds and reservoirs in census of water bodies
A.The Union Jal Shakti Ministry has launched the first census of water bodies in convergence with the sixth minor irrigation census (reference year 2017-18) under the centrally sponsored scheme – "Irrigation Census".
B.The census aims to develop a national database for all water bodies by collecting information on all important aspects including their size, condition, encroachment status, usage, storage capacity etc.
C.The census defines a water body as all natural or man-made units bounded on all sides with some or no masonry work used for storing water for
-Irrigation or
-Other purposes (example industrial, pisciculture, domestic/drinking, recreation, religious, groundwater recharge, etc).
D.59.5% of water bodies are ponds, followed by tanks, reservoirs, water conservation schemes/percolation tanks/check dams, lakes and others.
E.Of the 24,24,540 water bodies enumerated in the country, 97.1% (23,55,055) are in rural areas and only 2.9% (69,485) are in urban areas.
F.West Bengal accounts for the most (7.47 lakh) and Sikkim the least (134) number of water bodies.
(SOURCE – ECONOMIC TIMES)
Garbh-Ini programme
Why in news: Garbh-Ini is a cohort study of pregnant women initiated in May 2015 at the civil hospital in Gurugram, Haryana, India. Women are enrolled within 20 weeks of gestation and are followed until delivery and once postpartum. .
- Garbh-ini (Interdisciplinary Group for Advanced Research on Birth Outcomes—DBT India Initiative) was initiated by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), in 2014 as a collaborative interdisciplinary program. This program is led by Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), NCR Biotech cluster, Faridabad.
B.The aim of which is (i) to gain in-depth fundamental knowledge on adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth (PTB) and fetal growth restriction (FGR)
(ii) Apply this knowledge to identify efficient and sustainable solutions that will help in mitigation. Related mortality, immediate and long-term morbidity.
C.Partner Institutes
Translational Health Science and Technology Institute
National Institute of Biomedical Genomics
Regional Centre for Biotechnology
Gurugram Civil Hospital
Safdarjung Hospital
D.In the long term this platform will serve as an important national resource for answering additional research questions as new hypotheses emerge around birth, maternal health during pregnancy and questions around fetal origin of adult disease.
E.Pregnant women are enrolled at the beginning of pregnancy and certainly before <20 weeks of pregnancy and are ready to continue their care until delivery at GCH.
(SOURCE – NEWS ON AIR)
Mission 50K-EV4ECO
Why in news: Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has launched Mission 50K-EV4ECO, the initiative will fund the procurement of 50,000 EVs in the country to boost the local ecosystem.
A.The pilot phase of 'Mission 50K-EV4ECO' will accelerate the growth for two, three and four wheelers through direct (MSME) and indirect loans (to NBFCs)
B.The scheme is a precursor to the Evolve scheme by SIDBI-World Bank
C.The Indian automobile industry is ranked fifth largest globally and is expected to become the third largest by 2030.
D.Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) (est. 1990 as a subsidiary of IDBI bank; statutory body under Ministry of Finance; HQ: Lucknow) is the apex regulatory body for overall licensing and regulation of micro, small and medium enterprise finance companies in India.
(SOURCE – INDIAN EXPRESS)
National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO)
Why in news: The Central Government recently appointed former Special Protection Group (SPG) chief as the Chairman of the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO).
A.It is a technical intelligence agency under the Prime Minister's Office, National Security Advisor in India. It was set up in 2004 as a technical wing of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the country's external intelligence agency.
B.It is under the direct control of the Prime Minister's Office and works as an autonomous organization.
C.Primary Objective: Gather technical intelligence, including intercepting and analyzing communication signals, imagery intelligence, and cyber intelligence.
D.It also provides technical support to other intelligence agencies of the country including Intelligence Bureau and Research and Analysis Wing. It is responsible for maintaining a database of technology-related information and developing advanced tools and techniques for intelligence gathering.
E.The NTRO is headed by a chairman who reports to the Prime Minister of India.
F.It is headquartered in New Delhi, and has oprational centres in different parts of the country.
(SOURCE – NEWS ON AIR)
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