Daily Current Affairs for State Exams: 20 April 2022

Daily Current Affairs 20 April 2022

Important News: India

PM Modi lays the foundation stone of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Gujarat

Why in News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Jamnagar, Gujarat on April19, 2022, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO).
The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation a new dairy complex and potato processing plant at Diyodar, Banaskantha district. The new dairy complex is a greenfield project.

Key Points

About WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM):

GCTM will be the first and only global outpost centre for traditional medicine across the world.
It will emerge as an international hub of global wellness.
It will focus on data, innovation and sustainability and will optimize the use of traditional medicine.

Note: In 2016, the Ministry of AYUSH signed a PCA (Project Collaboration Agreement) with the World Health Organization (WHO) in the area of traditional medicine.

Source: newsonair

Indo-Finnish Virtual Network Centre on Quantum Computing

Why in News

Recently, VisitingFinland Minister of Economic Affairs, Mika Lintila met Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, Jitendra Singh and the two Ministers announced the decision to establish an Indo-Finnish Virtual Network Centre on Quantum Computing.

Key Points

Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Indian side has identified three premier institutes viz IIT Madras, IISER Pune and C-DAC Pune for Virtual Network Centre on Quantum Computing.
India is keen to develop research collaborations with Finnish R&D institutions and technology collaboration with Finnish Industry especially focusing on the following technology domains and application of Quantum Computing in areas such as: Sustainable Energy Technologies, Environment and Clean Technologies, Biobased Economy, BioBanks and Bio based materials for different applications, Water and Marine Technologies, Food & Agri Technologies, Affordable Healthcare, Technologies for Advanced Manufacturing, Integration of AI and Machine Learning in all domains.

Note: India and Finland are consultative members of the Antarctic Treaty and have active stations in Antarctica. Finland would be hosting the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) in 2023 and India in 2024.

Source: The Hindu

National Cyber Security Incident Response Exercise (NCX India)

Why in News

National Security Council Secretariat organised National Cyber Security Incident Response Exercise (NCX India) for Government officials and Critical Sector Organisations to strengthen India’s Cyber posture.
National Cyber Exercise (NCX) India is being conducted as a hybrid exercise over a period of ten days from 18 to 29 April 2022.

Key Points

About National Cyber Security Incident Response Exercise (NCX India):

The program is being conducted by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), Govt. of India in association with Data Security Council of India (DSCI) as the Knowledge Partner and supported by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The platform for training is being provided by CyberExer Technologies, an Estonian cybersecurity company accredited for globally conducting several large cyber exercises.
The participants will be trained on various key cyber security areas such as Intrusion Detection Techniques, Malware Information Sharing Platform (MISP), Vulnerability Handling & Penetration Testing, Network Protocols & Data Flows, Digital Forensics, etc.

Cyber Security Initiatives:

National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre
Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative
Cyber Swachhta Kendra
Information Technology Act, 2000
Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre

Source: PIB

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package: Insurance Scheme for Health Workers fighting COVID-19

Why in News

The ‘Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP), insurance scheme for Health Care Workers Fighting COVID-19’ has been extended for a further period of 180 days from 19^thApril, 2022.

Key Points

It has been decided to extend the policy so as to continue to provide the safety net to the dependents of health workers who are deputed to take care of COVID-19 patients.

About Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP):

The PMGKP was launched on 30^thMarch, 2020 to provide comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs. 50 Lakh to 22.12 lakh health care providers including community health workers and private health workers who may have been in direct contact and care of COVID-19 patients and may be at risk of being impacted by this.
Further, on account of the unprecedented situation, private hospital staff/retired/ volunteer/local urban bodies/contract/daily wage/ad-hoc/outsourced staff requisitioned by states/central hospitals/autonomous hospitals of central/states/UTs, AIIMS & Institute of National Importance/hospitals of Central Ministries specifically drafted for care of COVID-19 patients are also covered under the PMGKP.
Since the launch of the scheme, so far, 1905 claims of Health workers who died while being deployed for COVID related duties have been settled.

Note: Earlier, the Union Cabinet extended the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) by another 6 months till September 2022.

Source: PIB

Important News: Economy

IMF slashes forecast for India’s FY23 GDP growth to 8.2% from earlier 9%

Why in News

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its latest World Economic Outlook Report released recently, slashed its forecast for India’s FY23 GDP growth to 8.2 percent from earlier 9 percent.

Key Points

The IMF has also slashed its global growth outlook for calendar year 2022 to 3.6 percent from 4.4 percent saying that global economic prospects have worsened significantly due to commodity price volatility and disruption of supply chains caused by the war in Europe.

Note: Earlier, the World Bank has cut India's GDP forecast for FY22-23 to 8 percent. Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also sharply cut India's growth projection at 7.2 percent for FY22-23, while the second advance estimate of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation had said that GDP growth would be 8.9 percent.

Facts about International Monetary Fund (IMF):

Formation: 27 December 1945
Headquarters: Washington, D.C., U.S.
Membership: 190 countries
Managing Director: Kristalina Georgieva
First Deputy Managing Director: Gita Gopinath

Source: TOI

Government amends FEMA rules to allow 20% FDI in LIC

Why in News

The Central government has amended rules of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), paving the way for up to 20 percent FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) in the insurance behemoth

Key Points

The government is planning to dilute its stake in LIC through the Initial Public Offering (IPO).
LIC in February, 2022 had filed the Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) before the markets regulator SEBI for the IPO.
Following the Cabinet approval, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) on March 14, 2022 had amended the Foreign Direct Investment policy to facilitate overseas investment in LIC ahead of the mega public offer.
FEMA notification was required to operationalise the provisions DPIIT issued through a press note, including FDI policy changes that will allow large foreign portfolio investors to subscribe to shares of LIC.
These rules may be called the Foreign Exchange Management (Non-debt Instruments) (Amendment) Rules, 2022.
The notification has inserted a paragraph in the existing policy, allowing up to 20 percent FDI in LIC through the automatic route.
Foreign investment in LIC shall be subject to the provisions of the Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956, (LIC Act) as amended from time to time and such provisions of the Insurance Act, 1938, as amended from time to time, as are applicable to LIC.

About Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA):

FEMA is an Act of the Parliament of India "to consolidate and amend the law relating to foreign exchange with the objective of facilitating external trade and payments and for promoting the orderly development and maintenance of foreign exchange market in India".
It was passed in 1999 in parliament, replacing the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA).
It enabled a new foreign exchange management regime consistent with the emerging framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Source: Business Standard

Important News: State

'Radio Aksh'- India's first radio channel for visually-impaired people launched in Maharashtra

Why in News

Country's first-ever radio channel for the visually impaired, named 'Radio Aksh' has been launched in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

Key Points

It has been launched with the help of the Blind Relief Association Nagpur and Samdrushti Kshamata Vikas Avam Anusandhan Mandal (Saksham).
This concept was created as a substitute for audiobooks provided by Samdrushti Kshamata Vikas Avam Anusandhan Mandal to the visually impaired on their digital devices, access to which was cut off due to the COVID-19 pandemic due to restrictions on travelling.

Source: TOI

Important News: Science

Indian scientists develop plasma-based decontaminant for COVID-19

Why in News

Indian Scientists have developed a plasma-based disinfectant generated with the help of Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma (CAP) which could act as a green decontaminant for COVID 19.

Key Points

A team of scientists from the Life Sciences and Physical Sciences divisions from the Institute of the Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), an autonomous research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, Guwahati, Assam has demonstrated that the plasma generated by cold atmospheric pressure has the potential to deactivate SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, which binds to human ACE2 receptor for inducing viral infection and subsequent COVID-19.
Plasma, the fourth state of matter which makes up most of the universe when produced in controlled conditions in the lab and is termed as Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma (CAP).
This research recently published in the international journal of the RSC (Royal Society of Chemistry) Advances shows that short-lived highly reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) generated in the plasma led to complete deactivation of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein occurs within 2 min of CAP treatment.
The RT-PCR analysis has also established that CAP can deactivate the RNA of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Source: Business Today