NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
Haryana govt launched crop insurance portal of ‘Mukhya Mantri Bagwani Bima
Yojana’: The
Haryana Agriculture Minister J P Dalal launched the portal of Mukha Mantri Bagwani
Bima Yojana’ with an initial corpus of Rs 10 crore for the scheme. Under this
the farmers will be compensated for the damage caused to their crops due to
adverse weather and natural calamities.
About the scheme:
a)
The
scheme compensates a sum of Rs 30,000 per acre for vegetables and Spices and Rs
40,000 per acre for fruits, which will be compensated to the farmers upon claim
via four categories such as 25 per cent, 50 per cent, 75 per cent and 100 per
cent based on the survey.
b)
The
farmer’s contribution will be only 5 per cent of the insured amount i.e., Rs
750 per acre for vegetables and Spices and Rs 1000 per acre for fruits.
c)
The
Scheme covers 21 crops – 14 vegetables, 2 spices, and 5 fruits. The scheme will
be optional for all those farmers who will get registered under ‘Meri Fasal
Mera Byora’ (a web portal through which the problems of the farmers of the
state will be resolved).
Note: Haryana Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya;
Haryana Capital: Chandigarh; Haryana Chief Minister: Manohar Lal Khattar.
2. Andhra
Pradesh’s First ‘She Auto’ Stands Set Up: In a move to provide safe transport
to women and girl students, the police in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor have set up
three ‘She Auto’ stands, the first of its kind in the state. The three ‘She
Auto’ stands have been set up in RTC Bus Stand, Mahila University, and Ruia
Hospital in Tirupati.
Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, MLA, along with
city Mayor Dr R Sireesha and Urban Superintendent of Police Venkata Appala
Naidu inaugurated the dedicated auto stands at the RTC Bus Stand, Mahila
University and Ruia Hospital. Tirupati is the first city in the state to set up
special auto stands for women like this. Proved that women have a special place
in society by setting up auto stand in RTC bus stand in Tirupati, Women’s University
and Rua Hospital. Earlier, women, auto drivers used to keep their vehicles with
men at other auto stands.
Note: Andhra Pradesh Governor: Biswabhusan
Harichandan; Andhra Pradesh Chief minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy.
3.
Vikas Kumar named as Managing Director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation: Vikas Kumar has
been appointed as the new Managing Director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation
(DMRC). He succeeds Mangu Singh, whose tenure ended on March 31, 2022. Singh
was the managing director of DMRC since January 1, 2012, and his famed tenure
ended. Kumar is the third managing director of the DMRC after E Sreedharan and
Mangu Singh. He will hold the post for a term of five years.
Note: DMRC Opened: 24 December 2002.
4. A
new book “Crunch Time: Narendra Modi’s National Security Crises” by Sreeram
Chaulia: Dr
Sreeram Chauliahas authored a new book titled “Crunch Time: Narendra Modi’s
National Security Crises”. The book was released by Meenakshi Lekhi, Minister
of State for External Affairs at the India International Centre in New Delhi,
Delhi. The book highlights the much needed public faith in the state to protect
the country from security threats posed by India’s external adversaries. The
book analyses PM Modi’s series of decision-making moves during the crises with
China and Pakistan.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
Four agreements and launch multiple projects signed between India- Nepal: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and his Nepalese colleague Sher Bahadur Deuba met in New Delhi,
initiating a number of projects and signing four important agreements across a
variety of fields. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) and Nepal Oil Corporation
Ltd. signed agreements on Nepal becoming the 105th member of the International
Solar Alliance (ISA), technical cooperation in railways, petroleum product
delivery, and technical experience sharing in the petroleum sector.
Key Points:
a)
The
two Prime Ministers also observed the first passenger train service between
India’s Jayanagar and Nepal’s Kurtha, the handover of India’s Solu corridor
transmission project to Nepal, and the progress of 132 health facilities being
built across 10 districts in Nepal under a GoI grant.
b)
The
two countries announced the debut of the Indian RuPay card in Nepal, with the
domestic variation of the RuPay card (about 83 percent of all RuPay cards
issued) being compatible with approximately 1400 POS machines in Nepal.
c)
After
Bhutan, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates, Nepal is now the fourth
country outside of India to accept RuPay.
Jaynagar- Kurtha Railway: The Jaynagar-Kurtha
railway line is part of the Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas train link, which is
being built with a grant of INR 548 crore from the Indian government. It’s a
35-kilometre rail stretch, with 3 kilometres in Bihar, India, and the rest in
Nepal. The project will be the first broad-gauge passenger rail link between
the two countries, bringing a whole new level of cross-border connectivity to
the region.
Solu Corridor: One of the biggest
projects in Nepal under the Government of India’s Line of Credit is the Solu
Corridor 132 kV power transmission line and substation (LoC). The 90-kilometre
132-kV Double Circuit line connects Nepal’s national electrical system to the
remote Solukhumbu, Khotang, and Okhaldhunga districts in North Eastern Nepal.
The transmission line will transmit electricity from existing and upcoming
hydro projects in the area into the national grid, as well as supply power to
adjacent districts’ rural electrification networks, once it is operational.
2.
Arunabha Ghosh appointed by UN Chief to high-level expert group on net-zero
emissions commitments: United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres
appointed Arunabha Ghosh (India) to a High-Level Expert Group on the Net-Zero
Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities. Arunabha Ghosh is the CEO of the
Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a climate and energy think
tank. He has been appointed to the Government of India’s G20 Finance Track
Advisory Group for India’s G20 Presidency in 2023. In 2021, he was appointed as
Co-Chair of the T20 Task Force on climate and energy for Indonesia’s G20 2022.
The group was launched by Antonio Guterres
on 31 March 2022. Dr Ghosh will be among three Asians (and the only South
Asian) serving on the expert group. It will be chaired by former Canadian
Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna. The 16-member
expert group comprises independent experts, drawn from different countries.
3.
International Day of Sport for Development and Peace: 6th April: The International
Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) is observed globally on April 6.
To raise awareness of this potential, 6 April was declared as the International
Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) by the UN General Assembly. The
adoption of this Day signifies the increasing recognition by the UN of the
positive influence that sport can have on the advancement of human rights, and
social and economic development.
The global theme of IDSDP 2022 is, “Securing
a Sustainable and Peaceful Future for All: The Contribution of Sport,” which
creates an opportunity for the Day’s celebrations to promote the use of sport
as a tool to advance human rights and sustainable development.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Iga
Swiatek wins Miami Open tennis title 2022: Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek
defeated Naomi Osaka of Japan, 6-4, 6-0. in the final match to claim the 2022
Miami Open tennis tournament. For Swiątek, this is her fourth career WTA 1000
title and the sixth singles title overall. Also, this is her 17th straight
title win. The victory will now place Swiatek to the No. 1 spot in the women’s
rankings.
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.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1.
RBI fixed WMA limit for States/UTs at Rs 47,010 crores: The Reserve Bank
reduced the Ways and Means Advances (WMA) for states and union territories to
Rs 47,010 crore from Rs 51,560 crore on Friday, citing an improvement in the
economic scenario. WMAs are short-term loans provided by the RBI to the
government to help it deal with any discrepancies between receipts and
payments.
Key Points:
a)
Due
to the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, the RBI increased the WMA limit for
all states to Rs 51,560 crore. The new WMA was in effect until March 31, 2022.
b)
RBI
stated it has decided to revert to the WMA limitations and deadlines for Over
Draft (OD) for state governments / UTs, as recommended by the Advisory
Committee on Ways and Means Advances to State Governments, following a review
of the limits and in light of the gradual easing of COVID-19 restrictions.
c)
The
Special Drawing Facility (SDF) used by state governments and UTs would continue
to be linked to the amount of marketable securities issued by the government of
India, such as Auction Treasury Bills, according to the RBI (ATBs).
d)
The
interest rate on SDF, WMA, and OD will continue to be linked to the Reserve
Bank’s policy rate, the repo rate.
e)
The
central bank further stated that interest will be charged for all days the
advance is outstanding.
f)
The
Government of India’s WMA limit for the first half of fiscal year 2022-23 has
been set at Rs 1,50,000 crore.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
SEBI has announced an ideathon Manthan to foster innovation in the securities
business: As
she launched an ideathon to promote innovation, Sebi Chairperson Madhabi Puri
Buch said that India is ideally positioned to harness technology in the
securities market to give bespoke solutions at a very low cost to individuals
across the country.
Key Points:
a)
Buch
stated at the start of the ideathon ‘Manthan’ that the implementation of
financial technology (FinTech) in the securities market offered tremendous
prospects for all parties involved.
b)
Sebi,
in collaboration with BSE, NSE, NSDL, CDSL, KFintech, CAMS, LinkInTime, and
MCX, is hosting a six-week ideathon called Manthan. According to a press
release released by Sebi, it will promote the formation of a pool of ideas and
creative solutions centred on the securities market.
c)
Through
a hackathon, workable ideas from Manthan, which was unveiled at an event in
Mumbai on Wednesday, may be turned into possibilities and prototypes.
d)
With
a long history of entrepreneurship and creativity, India is well positioned to
use technology in the securities market to give tailored solutions at a cheap
cost to individuals in all corners of the country, according to Buch.
2.
The Tata Group is preparing to unveil its super app: On April 7, the
Tata Group will launch Neu, its much-anticipated super app. This software will
be available for download through the Google Play Store. The Tata Group’s key
goal is to expand its digital division so that it can compete with market
leaders like Amazon, Flipkart, and Reliance Group’s JioMart.
It is said that Tata’s neu app will bring
together aeroplanes, hotels, medicines, and groceries on a single platform. The
Tata Neu app UI has also been revealed in a photo. Along with the gloomy
background, this app features a variety of icons that can be used for a variety
of purposes. You’ll be able to hire a car using the app as well.
Features:
a)
Tata
Neu is an all-in-one platform that brings together all of the company’s
services into a single app.
b)
Exclusive
offers, incentives, and more will be available through the app. It’s a
one-stop-shop for a hassle-free buying and payment process.
c)
Tata
Pay allows users to pay for items and bills both online and in-store in
real-time.
d)
According
to the information provided on the Play Store, the Tata Neu app pays users for
shopping, booking flights and hotels, and other activities.
e)
Tata
Neu App gives Neu Coins as an incentive for spending, which can be exchanged
for other services.
OBITUARIES
1. Pulitzer Prize winning American poet Richard Howard passes away: Pulitzer Prize awardee American poet, Richard Howard passed away at age of 92. Richard Joseph Howard was born on 13 October 1929 in Cleveland, Ohio, United States (US). He was an American poet, literary critic, essayist, teacher, and translator. Howard won the Pulitzer Prize in 1970 for ‘’Untitled Subjects’’ and was a National Book Award Finalist in 2008 for ‘’Without Saying’’. His translation of Charles Baudelaire’s “Les Fleurs du Mal” won the National Book Award (then called the American Book Award) in 1983.
