Current Affairs April 05th 2022| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action:

• The General Assembly approved the decision on December 8, 2005, and declared April 4 of each year to be observed as the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.
• In 2022 the United Nations Mine Action Service marks the Day under the theme “Safe Ground, Safe Steps, Safe Home.”
• It is observed for the establishment and development of people affected by the harmful effects of explosive mine action across the world.
• As these mines and explosive elements cause serious threats to the lives, safety, and health of the civilian population.
• Finally, in 2018, the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) convened, coordinated, and drafted the UNMAS strategy for 2019 to 2023.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Ministry of Culture launches ‘Temple 360’ website:

• Minister of State for Culture & External Affairs, Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi launched the website ‘Temple 360’ in an event organized by Ministry of Culture at IGNCA Ampitheatre, Indira Gandhi National Centre of Arts, New Delhi under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• Temple 360 is a digital platform where anyone can visit or do darshan of 12 Jyotirlinga and Char Dham from any location.
• The website also allows a devotee to perform e-Darshan, e-Prashad, e-Aarti and several other services.
• Temple 360 is a website where one can visit a temple of their choice, anytime and from anywhere from India.

4th edition of India Boat & Marine Show (IBMS) concludes in Kochi:

• The 4th India Boat & Marine Show (IBMS) was held at Bolgatty Palace in Kochi in Kerala between 25th March and 27th March 2022.
• The 4th edition of the India Boat & Marine Show (IBMS) was a showcase of the leading international brands as well as indigenous boat manufacturers from across the country.
• The event is organised by Kochi-based Cruz Expo.
• The IBMS 2022 showcased leading international brands as well as indigenous boat manufacturers from across the country.
• Around 45 exhibitors from all over India and two international exhibitors participated in the expo.

India’s unemployment rate falls to 7.6% in March from 8.1% in Feb 2022:

• Unemployment rate in the country is decreasing with the economy slowly returning to normal, according to CMIE data.
• Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy’s monthly time series data revealed that the overall unemployment rate in India was 8.1% in February 2022, which fell to 7.6% in March.
• On April 2, the ratio further dropped to 7.5%, with urban unemployment rate at 8.5% and rural at 7.1%.
• The report also stated that though the overall unemployment rate in the country is falling, it is still high for a “poor” country like India.
• The decrease in the ratio shows that the economy is getting back on track after being hit by COVID-19 for two years.
• Haryana recorded the highest unemployment rate in March 2022, at 26.7 per cent.
• It was followed by Rajasthan (25%) and Jammu and Kashmir (25 %), Bihar (14.4%), Tripura (14.1%) and West Bengal (5.6%).
• Karnataka and Gujarat registered the least unemployment rate at 1.8 percent each in March 2022.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Nearly half of all pregnancies are unintended – UNFPA report

• According to the annual flagship report titled State of World Population 2022 Seeing the Unseen : The case for action in the neglected crisis of unintended pregnancy released by UNFPA, nearly half of all pregnancies, totalling 121 million each year throughout the world, are unintended.
• The report stated that the staggering number of unintended pregnancies represents a global failure to uphold women and girls’ basic human rights.

Key findings:

• Globally, an estimated 257 million women who want to avoid pregnancy are not using safe, modern methods of contraception.
• In 47 countries, about 40 percent of sexually active women were not using any contraceptive methods to avoid pregnancy.
• Nearly a quarter of all women are not able to say no to sex.
• Contraceptive use is 53 percent lower among women who have experienced intimate partner violence.
• Studies show that rape-related pregnancies are equally or more likely to occur than pregnancies from consensual sex.
• Over 60 percent of unintended pregnancies, and almost 30 percent of all pregnancies, end in abortion.
• 45 percent of all abortions performed globally are unsafe.
• Unsafe abortions hospitalize about 7 million women a year globally and cause 5 to 13 per cent of all maternal deaths, one of the leading causes of maternal death.
• In developing countries, unsafe abortions cost an estimated $553 million per year in treatment costs alone.
• The report also states that this is having a major impact on the world’s ability to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

About UNFPA :

• Founded: 1969
• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Executive Director : Dr Natalia Kanem
• The United Nations Population Fund UNFPA, formerly the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, is a UN agency

Aim :

• To improve reproductive and maternal health worldwide.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

AP CM Jagan Mohan Reddy virtually inaugurates 13 new districts

• On April 04, 2022, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy virtually inaugurated 13 new districts and the inauguration took place via video conferencing organized at his office camp in Tadepalli in the Guntur district,AP.
• The new districts, which have been carved out from the existing 13 districts, increased the number of districts in the state to 26.
• The move is aimed at the decentralisation of governance and balanced development.

List of 13 new districts :

1. Alluri Sitharama Raju district at Paderu
2. Anakapalli, Annamayya district at Rayachoti
3. Bapatla, Chittoor, East Godavari district at Rajamagendravaram
4. Kakinada at East Godavari district
5. Konaseema district at Amalapuram
6. Nandyal, NTR district at Vijayawada
7. Palnadu district at Narasaraopet
8. Parvathipuram Manyam, Sri Satya Sai district at Puttaparthy
9. Tirupathi district and West Godavari District at Bhimavaram
10. Ananathapuramu, Guntur, Krishna district at Machilipatnam
11. Kurnool, Prakasam district at Ongole
12. Sri PottiSriramulu district at Nellore
13. Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and YSR district at Kadapa.

Note :

• The AP government had issued the official gazette notification for carving out 13 new districts under the AP Districts Formation Act, Section 3(5), on January 25, 2022.

About AP :

• Capital: Amaravati
• Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan

APSBB and WWF India to develop state biodiversity strategy and action plan

• The Arunachal Pradesh State Biodiversity Board (APSBB), in collaboration with WWF India, will be developing the state biodiversity strategy and action plan (SBSAP) in New Delhi during a meeting presided by state Environment and Forest Minister Mama Natung.
• The SBSAP will align with the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and the Pakke Declaration.
• It will be developed through multi-stakeholder consultations and a participatory approach.
• It develops an inclusive action plan to secure nature’s contribution to people.
• The plan will reflect the state and people’s aspirations for sustainable development
• On November 17 2021, the state cabinet adopted the ‘Pakke Tiger Reserve 2047 Declaration on Climate Change Resilient and Responsive Arunachal Pradesh’, which aims to promote ‘climate-resilient development’ in Arunachal Pradesh.

About Pakke Declaration :

• The ‘Pakke Declaration’ focuses on a multi-sectoral approach to low-emission and climate-resilient development based on five broad themes or Panch Dharas.
• The meeting was attended by PCCF and Principal Secretary R K Singh, CEO of WWF India Ravi Singh, Chairman State Biodiversity Board Tayek Goi, Member Secretary of the board Koj Rinya, etc.

About Arunachal Pradesh :

• Chief minister: Pema Khandu
• Governor : B. D. Mishra
• Capital: Itanagar

About WWF :

• WWF – World Wide Fund for Nature
• Founded: 29 April 1961
• Headquarters: Gland, Switzerland
• Director General : Marco Lambertini
• President : Pavan Sukhdev

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

RBI fixes WMA limit for states at Rs 47,010 cr 

• The Reserve Bank of India has decided to reduce the Ways and Means Advances (WMA) for states and Union Territories to Rs 47,010 crore from Rs 51,560 crore, in view of improvement in the pandemic situation.
• On a review of the limits and keeping in view the gradual lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, it has been decided to revert to the WMA limits and timelines for OD for State Governments / UTs as recommended by the Advisory Committee on Ways and Means Advances to State Governments (Chairman: Shri Sudhir Shrivastava).
• These norms will be effective from April 01, 2022 and are subject to review.
• Considering the uncertainties related to the ongoing pandemic, it was decided to continue with the higher WMA limit of ₹51,560 crore for all States, by a further period of six months i.e., up to March 31, 2022.

Special Drawing Facility :

• SDF availed by State Governments/ UTs shall continue to be linked to the quantum of their investments in marketable securities issued by the Government of India, including Auction Treasury Bills (ATBs).

Overdraft :

Overdraft facility would be provided based on the following guidelines:

1. State Governments/UTs can avail overdraft on 14 consecutive days
2. State Governments/UTs can be in OD for a maximum number of 36 days in a quarter
3. If the OD exceeds 100 per cent of the WMA limit for five consecutive working days for the first time in a financial year, the Reserve Bank will advise the State to bring down the OD level within the 100 per cent of WMA limit.

• If, however, such irregularity occurs on a second or subsequent occasion in the financial year, the Reserve Bank will stop payments notwithstanding clauses (a) & (b) above.

Interest Rates on SDF, WMA and OD :

• Interest rate on SDF, WMA and OD shall continue to be linked to the policy rate of the Reserve Bank i.e., the Repo Rate. Interest will be charged for all the days the advance remains outstanding.

Click here to read more;

RBI announces WMA Limit for Government of India for the first half of the Financial Year 2022-23

• The Reserve Bank of India has announced the limit for Ways and Means Advances (WMA) for the first half of the financial year 2022-23 (April 2022 to September 2022) will be ₹1,50,000 crore.
• The Reserve Bank may trigger fresh floatation of market loans when the Government of India utilizes 75 per cent of the WMA limit.
• It retains the flexibility to revise the limit at any time, in consultation with the Government of India, taking into consideration the prevailing circumstances.

The interest rate on WMA/Overdraft will be:

1. WMA: Repo Rate
2. Overdraft: Two percent above the Repo Rate

About RBI :

• Founded: 1 April 1935
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra,India
• Governor: Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy governors Mahesh Kumar Jain, Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra and T. Rabi Shankar

India’s First KYC Compliant Crypto Token  Redeemption

• Redeemption Digital Technology Private Limited has soft-launched India’s first KYC-compliant crypto token – Redeemption.
• It’s a unique crypto token with which users can earn investing time, instead of money.
• It’s India’s first crypto token which users can redeem for fiat money, even before its listing on exchange.
• Redeemption is an emerging Web 3.0 Technology base, patent-filed crypto token which is developed on Binance Smart Chain (BSC) BEP20 protocol.
• It offers unique selling propositions and operates with a visionary purpose of accelerating economic growth and catalyzing growth of disruptive, tech-oriented startups and SMEs.
• Redeemption crypto token works on “Reward & Redeem” principle.
• Redeemption Mobile App platform has 2 corresponding modules.

1. Reward@Store, wherein various disruptive, promising, tech-oriented mobile apps are showcased.
2. Redeem@Market, wherein various leading eCom portals, partnering with the company, are showcased.

About Redeemption Digital Technology Private Limited :

• Redeemption Digital Technology Private Limited is a Maharashtra based private ltd. Company Registered at dated 09-MAR-2022 on Ministry of Corporate Affairs(MCA),

Click here to read more;

SEBI launches Manthan- ideathon to promote innovation in the Securities Market

• Chairperson of SEBI Madhabi Puri Buch in association with the other market infrastructure institutions and QRTAs, has announced the launch of ‘Manthan’, an Ideathon for supporting new ideas and innovations in the securities market.
• Buch highlighted that adoption of Financial Technology (FinTech) in the securities market presents significant opportunities for stakeholders.
• Adoption of FinTech can go a long way in democratizing financial services, making services cheaper and more accessible to the masses, thereby laying the cornerstone for financial inclusion.
• Similarly, Regulatory Technology (RegTech) and Supervisory Technology (SupTech) present opportunities to have effective regulation of the market while lowering the cost of compliance for the market participants.

About Manthan :

• Manthan is a six-week long ideathon being organised by Sebi in association with BSE, NSE, NSDL, CDSL, KFintech, CAMS, LinkInTime and MCX.
• Anyone over 16 years of age- students, startup founders, professionals from any field -can participate by submitting their ideas at https://manthan.devfolio.co/.
• The event is open for registration from March 30 to May 14, 2022.
• It will facilitate the creation of a pool of ideas and innovative solutions revolving around the securities market.
• The top ten winners of the ideathon stand would get cash prizes worth Rs 5,00,000.

About SEBI :

• Founded: 12 April 1992
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Chairperson : Madhabi Puri Buch

Click here to read more;

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

MG Motor India launches MG e-Pay: Industry’s 1st End-to-End Online Auto Finance Platform:

• MG Motor India has announced the launch of e-Pay, a one-stop online car finance platform for an end-to-end digital auto finance process that provides instant loan approvals.
• The automaker has partnered with ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Prime and Axis Bank to offer instant financing options under the facility.
• It aims to offer transparent and convenient online car purchase solutions, MG e-Pay will help customers with flexible, seamless, transparent, and quick loan approvals from the comfort of their homes
• Through e-Pay, customers can complete the purchase journey in five clicks and seven steps.
• They will have access to pre-approved loan offers from multiple financiers and can customize the loan tenure, amount and rate of interest as per their needs.
• They can also track loan approval status and sanction letters in real-time and receive their new cars at their doorsteps

Ergos Launches “GrainBank Loyalty Cards for Farmers”:

• The commodity market is a buzz again with Wheat and Maize harvesting in the field and sales starting on the Tech platform ‘GrainBank’ (developed by Ergos).
• This is the first time in India’s history where farmers have direct access to a cutting-edge technology platform ‘GrainBank’ for getting valuable information and income on their farm produce.
• Ashutosh Sinha, Business Head, Ergos Business Solutions Ltd., “GrainBank is farmer relationship based post-harvest solutions for farmers to digitize its grain, which is directly accessible to lenders and processors, and can buy online directly from them in one click.
• GrainBank is able to analyze farmers’ profiles and their crop related data, which helps to analyse most suitable services in the most cost-effective manners.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

UN rights body appoints Tuvalu negotiator Dr Ian Fry as climate change expert

• The UN’s top rights body United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has appointed Dr Ian Fry as an expert on climate change and human rights for the first time.
• He has been appointed for a period of three years.
• The new Special Rapporteur position for human rights and climate change was formally created by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council in October 2021.

Mandate of the new independent expert :

• To study and identify how the adverse effects of climate change, including sudden and slow onset disasters, affect the full and effective enjoyment of human rights and make recommendations on how to address and prevent these adverse effects.

About Dr Fry :

• Dr Fry is a dual citizen of Australia and Tuvalu.
• He is an international environmental law and policy expert.
• He was the latter’s Ambassador for Climate Change and Environment between 2015-2019.
• He has worked for the Tuvalu government for over 21 years and was lead negotiator for Least Developed Countries on the Paris Agreement
• He is the Pacific Regional Representative to the United Nations for the International Council on Environmental Law, a member of the IUCN Commission on Environmental Law, a Research Associate at the Centre for Climate Policy and Law (Australian National University Law School).
• He was a member of the Australian Association for Pacific Studies and the International Association for Small Island Studies.

About UNHRC :

• Founded : 15 March 2006
• President : Federico Villegas
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Parent Organization : United Nations General Assembly
• UNHRC is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world.
• The Council has 47 members.

Hungary PM Viktor Orban wins fourth term

• In Hungary, nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban won a fourth successive term in the General election.
• Preliminary results showed Orban’s Fidesz party leading with 1% of votes versus 35% for Marki-Zay’s opposition alliance of 98% of the count.
• For the first time more than 200 international observers monitored the election in Hungary, an EU member, along with thousands of domestic volunteers from both camps.

About Viktor Orban :

• He has served as prime minister of Hungary since 2010 & previously holding the office from 1998 to 2002.
• In 2021, he became the longest-serving incumbent head of government in the European Union.

About Hungary :

• PM : Viktor Orbán
• President : Katalin Novak
• Capital: Budapest
• Currency: Hungarian forint

CURRENT AFFAIRS : AWARDS & HONORS

HDFC Bank adjudged best performing bank in SHG linkage by NRLM

• HDFC Bank has been adjudged the Best Performing Bank in SHG Linkage by the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India at a function organised at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
• The award was presented by Giriraj Singh, Minister of Rural Development to K Venkatesh, Head – Sustainable Livelihood Initiative, HDFC Bank.
• Notably, HDFC Bank was the only Private Bank to be felicitated for remarkable work in SHGs by the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).

About NRLM :

• The Government of India started National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) in 2011 as a poverty alleviation project under the Ministry of Rural Development.

Focus :

• To promote self-employment and create sustainable livelihood opportunities for the rural poor.
• As part of NRLM, HDFC Bank provides access to financial services to over5 lakh individuals in unbanked and underbanked sections of society.
• As of February 2022, the bank has offered advances over Rs 1,000 crore under the National Rural Livelihood Mission.

Additional Info :

• The HDFC Bank has signed MoUs with the State Rural Livelihood Mission of six states, namely Assam, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.

About HDFC Bank :

• Founded: August 1994
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman : Atanu Chakraborty
• CEO: Sashidhar Jagdishan

Click here to read more;

CURRENT AFFAIRS : MOU & AGREEMENTS

Leh to sign tripartite agreement to develop Hanley as Dark Sky Sanctuary

• Leh Administration has set to sign a tripartite agreement to develop Hanley as Dark Sky Sanctuary and Leh Hill Council, WildLife and Tourism departments will jointly develop the area for Astro Tourism.
• The State WildLife Development board has increased the frequency of meetings for early clearances of various projects and compensation fee is increased and the wildlife agencies are instructed to release compensation within 15 days, in case wild animals cause injuries to domesticated cattle.

India & Australia signs economic cooperation and trade pact to boost the economy

• The India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement ( IndAus ECTA) was inked by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan in a virtual ceremony.
• India and Australia began the process for ‘IndAus ECTA’ from September 30, 2021.
• It is under which Canberra would provide duty free access in its market for over 95 per cent of Indian goods such as textiles, leather, jewellery and sports products.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian counterpart Scott Morrison also presented the ceremony.

About the agreement :

• The agreement will help in taking bilateral trade from $27 billion to $45-50 billion in the next 5 years.
• Under the pact, Australia is offering zero duty access to India for about 96.4 per cent of exports (by value) from day one.
• This covers many products which currently attract 4-5 per cent customs duty in Australia.
• It will contribute towards large employment generation, which is estimated at around 10 lakh over the next 5-7 years as the labour-intensive sectors are likely to gain the most.
• India will, in turn, offer preferential access to Australia on over 70% of its tariff lines on goods imports, including ‘lines of export interest to Australia which are primarily raw materials and intermediaries such as coal, mineral ores and wines.
• Tariffs will be eliminated on more than 85% of Australian goods exports to India (valued at more than $12.6 billion a year), rising to almost 91% (valued at $13.4 billion) over 10 years.
• Post study work visas will provide extended options for working in Australia to eligible Indian graduates, post graduates and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) specialists.

Additional Info :

• Australia is the 17th largest trading partner of India, while New Delhi is Canberra’s 9th largest partner.
• Bilateral trade in goods and services stood at USD 27.5 billion in 2021.
• India’s goods exports were worth USD 6.9 billion and imports aggregated to USD 15.1 billion in 2021.

About Australia :

• Prime minister: Scott Morrison
• Capital: Canberra
• Currency: Australian dollar

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENSE NEWS

IAF to celebrate 60 yrs of Chetak helicopter

• On April 02, 2022, Commemorating 60 Glorious years of service by Chetak Helicopter in IAF, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a Conclave hosted by Indian Air Force at Air Force Station, Hakimpet.
• Raksha Mantri released a Special Cover, a Coffee Table Book and a Commemorative Movie on Chetak Helicopters during the conclave.

About Chetak helicopter :

• The Chetak helicopter made by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited under the licence agreement.
• It was inducted into the Indian Air force in 1962.
• The helicopter is the oldest operational flying machine with the Indian Air Force.
• It operates in all terrains be it Siachen glaciers or deserts or seas.

Performance of Chetak helicopter :

• The Chetak Helicopter is a two ton class helicopter.
• The seven seater Chetak helicopter is versatile, multi role, multi purpose, and spacious.
• The helicopter is powered by Artouste – III B turbo shaft engine.
• It is suitable for commuting, cargo / material transport, casualty evacuation, Search & Rescue (SAR), Aerial Survey & Patrolling, Emergency Medical Services, Off-shore operations and Underslung operations.

History :

• It was originally called Aloutte III and was renamed to Chetak for the Indian Armed Forces.
• The first Chetak (Aloutte III) in ‘Fly Away’ condition was delivered in 1965.

About IAF :

• Established : 8 October 1932
• Chief of the Air Staff : Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari

About Ministry of Defence :

• Defence Minister : Rajnath Singh
• Minister of State : Ajay Bhatt

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPS & SERVICES

Chief Justice of India NV Ramana Launches ‘FASTER’ – Software for electronic delivery of orders

• Chief Justice of India NV Ramana launched ‘Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records’ (FASTER), a digital platform to communicate interim orders, stay orders, bail orders etc of the apex court to the concerned authorities through a secured electronic communication channel.

Objective :

• To transmit court orders swiftly and securely through electronic mode, a step that will help in quick communication of judicial orders.

Aim :

• To avoid a situation where release of prisoners gets delayed even after SC grants them bail, solely on ground of delay in jail authorities getting certified hard copies of release order.
• The ‘FASTER’ system has even been developed on a war-footing by the Registry in collaboration with the NIC.
• It has been established in the Registry of the Supreme Court.
• CJI Ramana along with Justices AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud, and Hemant Gupta, and Chief Justices and Judges of High Courts was present at the online launch of the FASTER software.

About FASTER :

• Through this platform court officials would be able to instantly send e-copies of the orders through a secured electronic communication channel to intended parties.
• It was launched after the bench headed by CJI Ramana took suo motu cognizance of delay in the release of convicts even after granting of bail on grounds such as non-receipt or non-verification of judicial orders.
• It will transmit the Record of Proceedings or Orders related to bail and release passed by this Court to the concerned Nodal Officers and duty holders through e-mail.
• To reach all districts of India through this system, so far 73 Nodal Officers have been nominated at various levels.

About Supreme Court of India :

• Established: 26 January 1950
• Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi, India

Click here to read more;

CURRENT AFFAIRS : RANKING & INDEX

UP Overtakes West Bengal as Leading Producer of Vegetables, AP remains Dominance in Fruits

• Uttar Pradesh has reclaimed its position as the top producing State in vegetables relegating West Bengal to the second position after two years, but this time the difference between the two is more than a million tonnes.

Vegetable Production :

• According to statistics presented in the Lok Sabha, Vegetable production in Uttar Pradesh is expected to be 58 million tonnes (mt) in the 2021-22 crop year (July-June), down from 29.16 mt the previous year, while West Bengal output is expected to drop to 28.23 mt from 30.33 mt.
• Madhya Pradesh, with 59 mt, Bihar, with 17.77 mt, and Maharashtra, with 16.78 mt, are the other leading producers of vegetables this year.
• As production of vegetables, spices, and plantation crops decline, the country’s horticulture output is expected to fall by4 percent to 333.25 million tonnes in 2021-22, compared to the previous year.
• While potato and tomato output are expected to decrease, onion production is expected to increase.

Fruit Production :

• Andhra Pradesh remains as the top fruit producer.
• In 2021-22, Andhra Pradesh is expected to produce 01 mt of fruits, up from 17.7 mt last year, while Maharashtra is expected to produce 12.3 mt, up from 11.74 mt last year.
• Uttar Pradesh, with 11.26 mt, Karnataka, with 8.55 mt, and Gujarat, with 8.24 mt, are the other major fruit producers.

Additional Info :

• From 2014 to 2015, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has been instituting a centrally funded scheme called the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) to promote holistic growth of the horticulture sector.
• The Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (CITH) in Srinagar has found low-chill apple types such as Anna, Dorsett Golden, Mayan, and Michael and has started multiplying them.

Note :

• Union Agriculture Minister : Narendra Singh Tomar

Nykaa’s Falguni Nayar among top 10 – Hurun Richest self-made women billionaires in the world 2022

• Nykaa founder Falguni Nayar is ranked into the top 10 list of self-made women billionaires in the world with a massive $7.6 billion wealth according to a compilation Hurun Richest self-made women billionaires in the world 2022 released by the Hurun Research Institute.
• Nayar ranked 10th on the list & the only Indian to do so.
• She was followed by Kiran Mazumdar Shaw of Biocon and Radha Vembu, co-founder of Zoho Corporation with a net worth of $3.9 billion
• The 2022 list has 124 women from 16 countries & the number of Indian self-made women billionaires has tripled over the last decade.
• The average age of the world’s self-made women billionaires is 59.

Top 10 in 2022 self-made women billionaire rich list :

Rank	Name	Wealth (billion)	Country	Company
1	Wa Yajun	$17	China	Longfor
2	Fan Hongwei	$13	China	Hengli
3	Wang Laichun	$11	China	Luxshare Precision
4	Zhong Huijuan	$10	China	Hansoh
5	Chen Lihua	$9.2	China	Fu Wah
6	Diane Hendricks	$9	USA	ABC Supply
7	Denise Coates	$8.2	UK	Bet365
8	Cheng Xue	$7.9	China	Haitian
9	Zhou Qunfei	$7.8	China	Lens
10	Falguni Nayar & Zhao Yan	$7.6 & $7.6	India & China	Nykaa & Bloomage

• The Hurun Institute report is a comprehensive evaluation of the wealthiest people in the world and the largest compiler of the rich list globally.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Pixxel launches India’s first private commercial imaging satellite Shakuntala to space by SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket

• Pixxel, a space-technology startup, has successfully launched its first fully-fledged commercial satellite Shakuntala (Technology Demonstrator-2) with the SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket which was launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, US.
• The satellite hosts one of the highest resolution hyperspectral commercial cameras that have ever been flown to space, which brings it a step closer to building a 24×7 health monitor for the planet.

About Shakuntala (TD-2) :

• Shakuntala weighs less than 15 kilograms and is capable of capturing orbital images with a resolution of 10 metres per pixel.
• The satellite is capable of capturing up to 150 bands of colour from the visible and infrared spectrum.
• The startup claims that its 10-metre hyperspectral imaging satellite ‘far exceeds’ the specificity of 30-metre per pixel hyperspectral satellites launched by organisations such as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), European Space Agency.
• Shakuntala will begin relaying information back to earth within a few weeks of launch.
• It will uncover the invisible changes of our planet like deforestation, natural gas leakages, pollution, declining crop health and melting ice caps.
• Recently, Pixxel had raised $25 million from Seraphim Space Capital, Radical Ventures, Relativity Space co-founder Jordan Noone, Lightspeed Partners, Blume Ventures, and Sparta LLC among others.

About Pixxel :

• Founded : February 2019
• Headquarters : Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
• Founders : Awais Ahmed, Kshitij Khandelwal
• CEO : Awais Ahmed

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Australia wins ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022:

• Australia defeated England by 71 runs to win the ICC Women’s World Cup in Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand.
• The batter, who opened the innings after Australia were invited to bat first, scored 170 off 138 deliveries to help her side pile a gigantic 356/5 in 50 overs.
• In response, England were bundled out for 285 in 43.4 overs.
• The Player of the Tournament went to Alyssa Healy.
• Sophie Ecclestone of England was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, with 21 dismissals.
• The 2022 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup was the 12th edition of the Women’s Cricket World Cup.
• The tournament was held in New Zealand from 4 March to 3 April 2022.

Iga Swiatek wins Miami Open tennis title 2022:

• Iga Swiatek of Poland won the 2022 Miami Open tennis tournament by defeating Naomi Osaka of Japan in the final match, 6-4, 6-0.
• Switek has won four WTA 1000 titles, including six singles titles.
• This is also her 17th title win in a row.
• Swiatek will now be ranked No. 1 in the women’s standings due to her victory.
• With the victory, the 20-year-old Swiatek becomes only the fourth woman to win the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments back-to-back, a feat known as the “Sunshine Double” given the tournaments’ respective locations in California and Florida.

A New book “Crunch Time: Narendra Modi’s National Security Crises” by Sreeram Chaulia:

• A new book titled “Crunch Time: Narendra Modi’s National Security Crises” has been released.
• It has been authored by Sreeram Chaulia, a social scientist and an opinion maker on international issues.
• The new book gives a comprehensive analysis of how ‘new India’ under the prime ministership of Narendra Modi since 2014, helped to transform India’s national security policy.
• The book was released by Meenakshi Lekhi, Minister of State for External Affairs at the India International Centre in New Delhi.

Daily CA On April 05:

• The General Assembly approved the decision on December 8, 2005, and declared April 4 of each year to be observed as the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.
• Minister of State for Culture & External Affairs, Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi launched the website ‘Temple 360’ in an event organized by Ministry of Culture at IGNCA Ampitheatre, Indira Gandhi National Centre of Arts, New Delhi under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• The 4th India Boat & Marine Show (IBMS) was held at Bolgatty Palace in Kochi in Kerala between 25th March and 27th March 2022.
• Unemployment rate in the country is decreasing with the economy slowly returning to normal, according to CMIE data.
• MG Motor India has announced the launch of e-Pay, a one-stop online car finance platform for an end-to-end digital auto finance process that provides instant loan approvals.
• The commodity market is a buzz again with Wheat and Maize harvesting in the field and sales starting on the Tech platform ‘GrainBank’ (developed by Ergos).
• According to the annual flagship report titled State of World Population 2022 Seeing the Unseen : The case for action in the neglected crisis of unintended pregnancy released by UNFPA, nearly half of all pregnancies, totalling 121 million each year throughout the world, are unintended.
• On April 04, 2022, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy virtually inaugurated 13 new districts and the inauguration took place via video conferencing organized at his office camp in Tadepalli in the Guntur district,AP.
• The Arunachal Pradesh State Biodiversity Board (APSBB), in collaboration with WWF India, will be developing the state biodiversity strategy and action plan (SBSAP) in New Delhi during a meeting presided by state Environment and Forest Minister Mama Natung.
• The Reserve Bank of India has decided to reduce the Ways and Means Advances (WMA) for states and Union Territories to Rs 47,010 crore from Rs 51,560 crore, in view of improvement in the pandemic situation.
• The Reserve Bank of India has announced the limit for Ways and Means Advances (WMA) for the first half of the financial year 2022-23 (April 2022 to September 2022) will be ₹1,50,000 crore.
• Redeemption Digital Technology Private Limited has soft-launched India’s first KYC-compliant crypto token – Redeemption.
• Chairperson of SEBI Madhabi Puri Buch in association with the other market infrastructure institutions and QRTAs, has announced the launch of ‘Manthan’, an Ideathon for supporting new ideas and innovations in the securities market.
• The UN’s top rights body United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has appointed Dr Ian Fry as an expert on climate change and human rights for the first time.
• In Hungary, nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban won a fourth successive term in the General election.
• HDFC Bank has been adjudged the Best Performing Bank in SHG Linkage by the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India at a function organised at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
• Leh Administration has set to sign a tripartite agreement to develop Hanley as Dark Sky Sanctuary and Leh Hill Council, WildLife and Tourism departments will jointly develop the area for Astro Tourism.
• The India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement ( IndAus ECTA) was inked by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan in a virtual ceremony.
• On April 02, 2022, Commemorating 60 Glorious years of service by Chetak Helicopter in IAF, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a Conclave hosted by Indian Air Force at Air Force Station, Hakimpet.
• Chief Justice of India NV Ramana launched ‘Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records’ (FASTER), a digital platform to communicate interim orders, stay orders, bail orders etc of the apex court to the concerned authorities through a secured electronic communication channel.
• Uttar Pradesh has reclaimed its position as the top producing State in vegetables relegating West Bengal to the second position after two years, but this time the difference between the two is more than a million tonnes.
• Nykaa founder Falguni Nayar is ranked into the top 10 list of self-made women billionaires in the world with a massive $7.6 billion wealth according to a compilation Hurun Richest self-made women billionaires in the world 2022 released by the Hurun Research Institute.
• Pixxel, a space-technology startup, has successfully launched its first fully-fledged commercial satellite Shakuntala (Technology Demonstrator-2) with the SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket which was launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, US.
• Australia defeated England by 71 runs to win the ICC Women’s World Cup in Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand.
• Iga Swiatek of Poland won the 2022 Miami Open tennis tournament by defeating Naomi Osaka of Japan in the final match, 6-4, 6-0.
• A new book titled “Crunch Time: Narendra Modi’s National Security Crises” has been released.