NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
NITI Aayog released draft battery swapping policy 2022: NITI Aayog has
released a draft battery swapping policy, under which all metropolitan cities
with a population above 40 lakh will be prioritized for the development of a
battery swapping network under the first phase. All major cities such as state
capitals, UT headquarters, and cities with populations above 5 lakh will be
covered under the second phase. What is Battery Swapping?
a)
Battery
swapping is an alternative which involves exchanging discharged batteries for
charged ones. Battery swapping de-links the vehicle and fuel (battery in this
case) and hence reduces the upfront cost of the vehicles.
b)
Battery
swapping is popularly used for smaller vehicles such as 2 and 3 wheelers which
have smaller batteries that are easier to swap compared to other automotive
segments wherein the same can be implemented mechanically.
c)
Battery
swapping offers three key advantages relative to charging: it is time, space,
and cost-efficient, provided each swappable battery is actively used.
d)
Further,
Battery Swapping provides a level playing field for innovative and sustainable
business models such as “Battery As a Service”.
Note: NITI Aayog Formed: 1 January 2015;
NITI Aayog Headquarters: New Delhi; NITI Aayog Chairperson: Narendra Modi; NITI
Aayog Vice Chairperson: Suman Bery; NITI Aayog CEO: Amitabh Kant.
2.
NIXI-CSC and Tripura signed MOU to set up International Data Centre: The Tripura state
government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the NIXI-CSC
Data Services Centre to develop an international grade Data Centre in the
state. To establish the projected Data Centre, the National Internet Exchange
of India (NIXI) and CSE e-governance services Ltd have formed a joint venture
called NIXI-CSC Data Services Centre. Key Points:
a)
On
behalf of the state government, AK Bhattacharjee, in-charge director of the IT
department, signed the MoU, while NIXI-CSC Data Services Centre CEO Anil Jain
was the signatory.
b)
The
joint venture company will invest Rs 150 crore in the Data Centre, while the
state government will simply supply space.
c)
The
NIXI-CSC Data Services Centre will begin operations in the next one or two
months, despite the fact that it will take a year to turn the Data Centre to a
world-class level.
d)
The
joint venture will allow the state government to host all of its data in the projected
Data Centre, as well as offer data to the state at no cost, according to the
MoU. In addition to the state, the corporation will charge for data exchange
with other government and private players.
3.
Posoco ties up with IIT Delhi for research: Power System Operation Corp. Ltd.’s
(Posoco) Northern Regional Load Despatch Centre signed a memorandum of
understanding with Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT Delhi) to
encourage research on issues relating to India’s power sector and strengthen interaction
between academia and industry. Key Points:
a)
The
partnership’s goals are to improve academia-industry interaction with the goal
of knowledge sharing and capacity building through collaboration, as well as to
promote research on topics related to India’s power sector, such as data
sciences or data analytics, ancillary services for grid operations, short-term
demand and RE forecasting using artificial intelligence and machine learning,
dynamic security assessment, phasor measurement, and unit analytics, among
others.
b)
Posoco,
a state-owned company, is in charge of the national energy grid’s secure and
integrated operations. The National Load Despatch Centre (NLDC) is one of five
regional load despatch centres (RLDCs).
c)
India
wants to increase its focus on clean energy, with the government aiming for
net-zero carbon emissions by 2070 and intermediate goals through 2030.
4.
Babita Singh selected as new Global Peace Ambassador 2022: Babita Singh, a
serial entrepreneur, was named a Global Peace Ambassador for her work in
promoting peace through education, sports, art, culture, and diplomacy at the
India International Conclave 2022, which was held in collaboration with the
Asia Africa Consortium (AAC) in New Delhi. Key Points:
a)
Babita
Singh has been awarded this honour because she is one of the very few people
who have dedicated their lives to practises that promote Universal Moral
Values, Interreligious cooperation, and International Harmony in accordance
with the United Nations Human Rights Charter in order to improve the lives of
billions of people around the world.
b)
The
bureaucrats, politicians, international keynote speakers, celebrity artists,
diplomats, and ambassadors from ten other nations were all in attendees.
c)
The
conference was organised in collaboration with On Sky Global, the United
Nations World Sports Alliance, the World Health Organization, CBSE, Primary
Plus, George Washington University, and the Bangladesh Olympic Association,
with support from CBSE, Primary Plus, George Washington University, and the
Bangladesh Olympic Association.
5.
Naveen Patnaik released 2 books “The Magic of Mangalajodi” & “The Sikh
History of East India”: Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik released 2
books, a coffee table book titled “The Magic of Mangalajodi” by Avinash Khemka;
and a compilation of the Sikh history of eastern India titled “Sikh History of
Eastern India” by Abinash Mohapatra. The coffee table book “The Magic of
Mangalajodi” provides a bird’s eye view of Mangalajodi in Chilika lake through
various images and descriptions.
Sikh History of Eastern India is a result
of the meticulous research work on Sikh history and philosophy by Abinash
Mohapatra. This is a compilation of 8 books authored by Abinash Mohapatra,
which includes a Sikh history of Bihar, Assam, Bangladesh, West Bengal, Odisha,
Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
Russia test-fired the “RS-28 SARMAT,” world’s “most powerful” nuclear-capable
intercontinental ballistic missile: Russian President Vladimir Putin said that
his military had successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile
capable of carrying a big nuclear payload, but the Pentagon said the missile
did not pose a substantial danger to the US. Russia’s most powerful ICBM is the
RS-28 Sarmat, dubbed “Satan 2” by NATO.
About SARMAT: It is a
super-heavy, thermonuclear-armed intercontinental-range ballistic missile. The
Sarmat was supposed to take the place of the Soviet-built Voevoda, which had
three warheads and was designed in 1962. The Sarmat weighs 200 metric tonnes
(220 tonnes) and has a longer range, allowing it to fly across the North and
South poles and strike targets anywhere on the planet.
2.
UNESCO’s World Book Capital 2022: Guadalajara, Mexico: Guadalajara,
Mexico was named World Book Capital for the year 2022 by the Director-General
of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, on the recommendation of the World Book Capital
Advisory Committee. The city, already a UNESCO Creative City since 2017, was
selected for its comprehensive plan for policies around the book to trigger
social change, combat violence and build a culture of peace.
As a UNESCO Creative City of Media, Arts
Guadalajara has supported its local talents and advancing creative industries
through initiatives that place media arts at the core of their programmes
including in its world-famous International Book Fair. Cities designated as
UNESCO World Book Capital undertake to promote books and reading and to
organize activities over the year. As the twenty-second city to bear the title
since 2001, Guadalajara follows Tbilisi (2021) Kuala Lumpur (2020).
Note: UNESCO Founded: 16 November 1945;
UNESCO Headquarters: Paris, France; UNESCO Members: 193 countries; UNESCO Head:
Audrey Azoulay.
3.
World Intellectual Property Day: 26th April: World Intellectual Property Day is
celebrated on the 26th of April to learn about the role that intellectual
property (IP) rights play in encouraging innovation and creativity. The day
recognizes the huge potential of young people to find new and better solutions
that support the transition to a sustainable future.
History of World Intellectual
Property Day:
The event was established by the World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO) in 2000 to “raise awareness of how patents, copyright, trademarks and
designs impact on daily life.” April 26th was chosen as the day to celebrate
World Intellectual Property Day as it coincides with the date when the
convention establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization came into effect
in 1970.
Note: World Intellectual Property
Organization Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland; CEO of World Intellectual
Property Organization: Daren Tang; World Intellectual Property Organization
Founded: 14 July 1967
4.
International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day: 26th April: International
Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day is observed every year on April 26 to raise
awareness of the consequences of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and the risks of
nuclear energy in general.
How did this incident happen?
Built-in 1977, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power
Plant was used to make electricity for the then Soviet Union, or in modern-day
Pripyat, Ukraine. Before the horrifying incident, in 1982 the Chernobyl plant
had a partial meltdown of reactor 1, which caused some damage and it took a few
months to repair. This incident wasn’t reported until the Chernobyl disaster
happened. In 1986, an explosion at the nuclear power plant spread a radioactive
cloud over the large territories of Belarus, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation.
The seriousness of the disaster can be known by the fact that around 8.4
million people in the three European nations were exposed to the radiation.
History of the day: After the 30th
anniversary of the accident, on December 8, 2016, the United Nations adopted
the resolution and proclaimed April 26 as the International Chernobyl Disaster
Remembrance Day. The General Assembly in its resolution recognised that even
after three decades of the 1986 disaster, the long-term consequences remained
seriously persistent and the affected communities and territories continued to
experience the related needs.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1.
Serbia Open title: Andrey Rublev defeated Novak Djokovic: Andrey Rublev
(Russian) has defeated world No. 1 Novak Djokovic (Serbia) to win his third
title in the Serbia Open. Andrey Rublev has saved five set points in the second
set to force a tie-break, but he was unable to prevent Djokovic from levelling
the match. Rublev has now equalled Rafael Nadal (Spain) for the most tour-level
titles in 2022 He also clinched crowns in Marseille and Dubai in February 2022.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
BHIM UPI became operational at NEOPAY terminals in the UAE: NPCI International
Payments Ltd (NIPL), the International arm of the National Payment Corporation
of India has announced that BHIM UPI is now live at NEOPAY terminals, across
the UAE. This initiative will empower millions of Indians who travel to the UAE,
to safely and conveniently make payments using BHIM UPI. NIPL and NEOPAY, the
payment subsidiary of Mashreq bank, partnered last year to create the
acceptance infrastructure in the UAE.
With the acceptance of BHIM UPI in the UAE,
Indian tourists can now make seamless payments through BHIM UPI across NEOPAY
enabled shops and merchant stores. This partnership will play a key role in
transforming the P2M payment experience for Indian travellers in the UAE. The
implementation of the BHIM UPI in the UAE is a stepping stone toward providing
a major boost to digital payments in the country.
About the Unified Payments Interface: Unified Payments
Interface (UPI) is an instant real-time payment system developed by the
National Payments Corporation of India for facilitating inter-bank
transactions. The simple, safe, cost-effective mobile-based payments system has
become one of the most prominent forms of digital payments. In the Financial
year 2022 (FY22), UPI enabled 45.6 Billion transactions, worth USD 1 Trillion, making
it the best performing real-time payment eco-system in the world.
Note: NPCI International Payments Ltd
Establishment: 2020; NPCI International Payments Ltd Headquarters: Mumbai,
Maharashtra; NPCI International Payments Ltd CEO: Ritesh Shukla.
OBITUARIES
1.
Former President of Kenya Mwai Kibaki Passes Away: Former president
of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki passed away at the age of 90. He led the country from
2002 to 2013. During his rule, more than 1,100 people died in bloody ethnic
battles after disputed 2007 polls, but to prevent such unrest he adopted a new
constitution with reforms. His rule was ruined by uncontrolled corruption and
lavish spending on flagship projects which increased the country’s debt.
Note: Kenya Capital: Nairobi; Kenya
Currency: Shilling; Kenya President: Uhuru Kenyatta.
2. Noted Padma Shri writer Binapani Mohanty passes away: Eminent writer of Odisha and Padma Shri awardee (2020), Binapani Mohanty passed away at the age of 85. She was born in Berhampur and started her teaching career as a lecturer in Economy in 1960. Her many short stories have been translated into various languages (including Hindi, English, Kannada, Marathi). She had founded an organisation of Odia women writers named ‘Odisha Lekhika Sansad.’
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