April 2022 Current Affairs

India's Russian Crude buy since Ukraine conflict double than 2021 purchase

Why in News
 India has bought more than twice as much crude
oil from Russia in the two months since its
invasion of Ukraine as it did in the whole of
2021.
 India has taken advantage of discounted prices
to ramp up oil imports from Russia at a time when global energy prices have
been rising.
Key Points
 After the US and China, India is the world's third-largest consumer of oil,
over 80% of which is imported.
 But in 2021, only around 2% of its total oil imports (12 million barrels of
Urals crude) came from Russia, according to Kpler, a commodities research
group.
 But so far, the amount of Urals oil contracts made for India covering March,
April, May and June - around 26 million barrels - is higher than the quantity
purchased during the whole of 2021, according to Kpler.
 Following its invasion of Ukraine, there are now fewer buyers for Russia's
Ural crude oil, with some foreign governments and companies deciding to
shun Russian energy exports, and its price has fallen.

Border Haat at India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya opens after two years

Why in News
 The Border Haat at India-Bangladesh border
in Meghalaya was opened after a gap of two
years.

Key Points
 The decision to open the Border Haat between Balat in East Khasi Hills
District of Meghalaya and Lauwaghar at Dalora in Sunamganj District of
Bangladesh was taken by the Joint Border Haat Management Committee.
 At present, India and Bangladesh have seven established Border Haats and
nine more new Border Haats are in the pipeline.
 Border Haats enable local residents on both sides of the border to trade
the local produce.
Note: As of 2021, India has border Haats only with 4 of its BIMSTEC
neighbours, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal.
 April 2022 Current Affairs

World military spending at all-time high despite pandemic: SIPRI

Why in News
 World military spending continued to grow
in 2021, reaching an all-time high of $2.1
trillion despite the economic fallout of the
pandemic, according to new data on global
military spending published by the
Stockholm International Peace
Research Institute (SIPRI).
Key Points
 The five largest spenders in 2021 were the U.S, China, India, the U.K and
Russia, together accounting for 62% of expenditure.
 India’s military spending of $76.6 billion ranked third highest in the world.
This was up by 0.9% from 2020 and by 33% from 2012.
 In a drive to strengthen the indigenous arms industry, 64% of capital
outlays in the 2021 Indian military budget were earmarked for acquisitions
of domestically produced arms.
 As a result of a sharp economic recovery in 2021, the global world military
expenditure as a share of the world gross domestic product (GDP), fell by
0.1 percentage points, from 2.3% in 2020 to 2.2% in 2021.
About Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI):
 SIPRI is an international institute based in Stockholm.
 It was founded in 1966 and provides data, analysis and recommendations
for armed conflict, military expenditure and arms trade as well as
disarmament and arms control.

Elon Musk acquires Twitter for $44 billion

Why in News
 American billionaire Elon Musk reached an
agreement to buy Twitter for roughly $44
billion.

Key Points
 The deal, which was unanimously approved by
Twitter's board, is expected to close this year. Under the deal, Twitter's
shares will be delisted and it will be taken private.
About Twitter:
 Twitter is an American microblogging and social networking service on
 April 2022 Current Affairs
which users post and interacts with messages known as "tweets".
 CEO: Parag Agrawal

Ukraine requests US to designate Russia as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism”

Why in News
 Ukraine’s President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy has asked President Joe Biden
to designate Russia as a “State Sponsor
of Terrorism”, which would activate
perhaps the harshest suite of sanctions
available with the United States against
the government of President Vladimir
Putin.

Key Points
 The US Secretary of State (the minister primarily in charge of foreign
relations) has the power to designate countries that “have repeatedly
provided support for acts of international terrorism” as “State Sponsors of
Terrorism”.
 The US can place four categories of sanctions on countries that are on this
list: restrictions on US foreign assistance; a ban on defence exports and
sales; certain controls over exports of dual use items; and miscellaneous
financial and other restrictions.
 Sanctions can also be placed on countries and persons that engage in certain
trade with designated countries.
Countries on the list:
 As of now, there are four countries on the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
 The first to be designated among them was Syria (December 29, 1979),
followed by Iran (January 19, 1984), and North Korea (November 20, 2017).
Cuba was re-designated as a state sponsor of terrorism on January 12, 2021.
India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue

Why in News
 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh along with
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar
participated in the 4th India-USA 2+2
Ministerial Dialogue on April 11, 2022 in
Washington DC. Secretary of State Antony
Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd
Austin represented the United States.
 April 2022 Current Affairs
 All four high officials were present as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
President Joe Biden met virtually on April 11, ahead of the 2+2 dialogue.
Key Points
Dialogue with the US:
 The US is India’s oldest and most important 2+2 talks partner.
 The first 2+2 dialogue between the two countries was held during the
Trump Administration, when then Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and
then Secretary of Defence James Mattis met the late Sushma Swaraj and
then Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi in September
2018.
 The second and third editions of the 2+2 dialogues were held in Washington
DC and New Delhi in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
Defence and strategic agreements:
 India and the US have signed a troika of “foundational pacts” for deep
military cooperation, beginning with the Logistics Exchange Memorandum
of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016, followed by the Communications
Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) after the first 2+2
dialogue in 2018, and then the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement
(BECA) in 2020.
2+2 talks between India and allies:
 The 2+2 dialogue is a format of meeting of the foreign and defence ministers
of India and its allies on strategic and security issues.
 India has 2+2 dialogues with four key strategic partners: the US, Australia,
Japan, and Russia. Besides Russia, the other three countries are also India’s
partners in the Quad.

UNGA votes to suspend Russia from Human Rights Council

Why in News
 The United Nations General Assembly
(UNGA) has suspended Russia from the

Key Points
 The resolution titled ‘Suspension of the rights of membership of the Russian
Federation in the Human Rights Council’ was adopted with 93 votes in
favour, 24 against and 58 abstentions, including India.
 With this, Russia became the second country to have its membership rights
stripped at the rights council, which was established in 2006.
 In 2011, Libya was suspended by the assembly.
About United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC):
 The United Nations Human Rights Council is a United Nations body whose
mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world.
 April 2022 Current Affairs
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Founded: 15 March 2006

IPCC report on Mitigation of Climate Change scientifically establishes India’s

position on the historical responsibility of developed countries for consuming
the carbon budget

Why in News
 Welcoming the Summary of
Policymakers (SPM) and the
Working Group III (WG3)
contribution to the Sixth
Assessment Report (AR6) of the
Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) released on
4th April 2022, Minister for
Environment, Forest and Climate
Change, Bhupender Yadav said that
the historical responsibility of developed countries for consuming the
carbon budget is scientifically established by the report, and called for the
need of taking deep and urgent global emissions reduction.
Key Points
 The Report dealing with climate change mitigation and international
cooperation is a major contribution of IPCC to the global fight against
climate change.
 It also states that public finance falls short of the Copenhagen (reiterated
when the Paris Agreement was signed) goal of USD 100 billion per year by
2020.
 Among other important things the Report has underlined the need for deep
and urgent global emissions reduction mentioning that four-fifths of the
total carbon budget for 1.5 deg C temperature increase and two-thirds of
the total carbon budget for 2 deg C warming has been already consumed.
 Both cumulative and per capita annual emissions rose during the pre-2020
period. Pre-2020 emissions reduction in developed countries has been
insufficient in comparison to the developing world’s needs for sustainable
development. Both historical cumulative emissions and per capita annual
emissions show that India’s role (as part of South Asia) is minimal.
In India:
 Further, at COP26 in November 2021 at Glasgow, United Kingdom, as the
implementation of the Paris Agreement began, India reaffirmed its
commitment to climate actions, including the goal of net zero by 2070.
About Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change:
 April 2022 Current Affairs
 It is the international body for assessing the science related to climate
change.
 It was set up in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to provide policymakers
with regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its
impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation.

India’s labour force participation rate (LFPR)

Why in News
 Data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian
Economy (CMIE) shows that India’s labour
force participation rate (LFPR) has fallen to just
40% from an already low 47% in 2016.
Key Points
 This suggests not only that more than half of India’s population in the
working-age group (15 years and older) is deciding to sit out of the job
market, but also that this proportion of people is increasing.
 The LFPR essentially is the percentage of the working-age (15 years or
older) population that is asking for a job; it represents the “demand” for
jobs in an economy.
 It includes those who are employed and those who are unemployed.
 The Unemployment Rate (UER) is nothing but the number of unemployed
(category 2) as a proportion of the labour force.

Significance of LFPR in India:

 Typically, it is expected that the LFPR will remain largely stable. As such,
any analysis of unemployment in an economy can be done just by looking
at the UER.
 But, in India, the LFPR is not only lower than in the rest of the world but
also falling. This, in turn, affects the UER because LFPR is the base (the
denominator) on which UER is calculated.
 The world over, LFPR is around 60%. In India, it has been sliding over the
last 10 years and has shrunk from 47% in 2016 to just 40% as of December
2021.
Recent Initiatives taken by Government:
 Start Up India Scheme
 Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE)
 PM-DAKSH
 MGNREGA
 Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana
 April 2022 Current Affairs
PM SVANidhi scheme to continue till December 2024

Why in News

 The approval is expected to benefit nearly 1.2 crore citizens of Urban India.
 Under PM SVANidhi, significant achievements have already been made. As
on April 25, 2022, 31.9 lakh loans have been sanctioned and 29.6 lakh loans
amounting to Rs. 2,931 crore have been disbursed.
 This scheme was started in June 2020.

India, again, ‘Country of Particular Concern’ on religious freedom grounds: U.S.

Commission

Why in News
 The United States Commission on
International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)
recommended, for the third year in a row,
that India be designated a ‘Country of
Particular Concern’ (CPC) in 2021, i.e., the
category of governments performing most
poorly on religious freedom criteria.

Key Points
Highlights of the Report:
 It was said in report that religious freedom conditions in India had
“significantly worsened” in 2021.
 The report section on India said that the government had “repressed critical
voices”, especially minority communities and individuals reporting on
them.
 It mentions the arrest of rights activist Khuran Pervez in Kashmir, and the
July 2021 death of octogenarian Father Stan Swamy, arrested in October
2020 under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
 The report touches on challenges faced by Non Governmental
Organisations (NGOs), especially with regard to foreign funding. It also
highlights anti-conversion laws.
Note:
 Other countries recommended for the CPC designation were: Afghanistan,
 April 2022 Current Affairs
Nigeria, Syria and Vietnam.
 USCIRF recommended that the State Department redesignate Myanmar,
China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan
and Turkmenistan as CPCs.
State of Freedom of Religion in India:
 Freedom of religion in India is a fundamental right guaranteed by Article
25-28 of the Constitution of India.
 Further, Article 29 and 30 of the Constitution deal with the protection of
interests of minorities.
About United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
(USCIRF):
 USCIRF is a U.S. federal government commission created by the
International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.
 Founded: 28 October 1998
 Headquarters: Washington, D.C.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurates

'Kisan Bhagidari-Prathmikta Hamari' campaign

Why in News
 The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare is organizing the ‘Kisan Bhagidari,
Prathmikta Hamari’ campaign from 25th
April to 30th April 2022 under ‘Azadi Ka Amrit
Mahotsav’ in association with various other
Ministries & Departments of the Government
of India.
Key Points
 During the week-long campaign, Agriculture Minister will also launch a
country-wide workshop on crop insurance organized by the Common
Service Centre.
 Krishi Mela at each Krishi Vigyan Kendra is also being organised.
 The campaign also highlights the achievements and activities under various
flagship schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, Pradhan Mantri
Fasal Bima Yojana, and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana.
Note: As a part of the 'Kisan Bhagidari-Prathmikta Hamari' Campaign, the
Ministry of Food Processing Industries, under the Pradhan Mantri
 April 2022 Current Affairs
Centre extends ceasefire pact with 3 Naga groups by a year

Why in News
 The Central government has extended
ceasefire agreement with 3 Naga groups
for further period of one year.
Key Points
 The groups include National Socialist
Council of Nagaland-NK (NSCN-NK),
National Socialist Council of Nagaland-
Reformation (NSCN-R) and National Socialist Council of Nagaland-K-
Khango (NSCN-K-Khango).
 All these groups are breakaway factions of NSCN-IM and NSCN-K.
 According to a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs, it was decided
to extend the ceasefire agreements for a further period of one year with
effect from April 28, 2022 to April 27, 2023 with NSCN-NK and NSCN-R, and
from April 18, 2022 to April 17, 2023 with NSCN-K-Khango.
Note:
 The Centre had signed ceasefire agreement with the Niki Sumi faction of the
NSCN-K in September 2021.
 The Centre had signed a “Framework Agreement” with the NSCN (IM) in
August 2015.
Other related Peace Agreements:
 Bodo Peace Accord, 2020
 Bru Accord, 2020
 Karbi Anglong Agreement, 2021

Oil India Limited (OIL) commissions India’s first pure green hydrogen plant in
Assam

Why in News
 Oil India Limited (OIL) has commissioned
“India’s first 99.999% pure” green
hydrogen plant in Assam.
Key Points
 Oil India Limited has taken the first
significant step towards Green Hydrogen
Economy in India with the commissioning
of India’s First 99.999% pure Green Hydrogen pilot plant, with an installed
capacity of 10 kg per day at its Jorhat Pump Station in Assam.
 April 2022 Current Affairs
 The plant produces Green Hydrogen from the electricity generated by the
existing 500kW Solar plant using a 100 kW Anion Exchange Membrane
(AEM) Electrolyser array.
 This plant is expected to increase its production of green hydrogen from 10
kg per day to 30 kg per day in future.

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.

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’
 April 2022 Current Affairs
has beenextended for a further period of
180 days from 19th April, 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 30th March, 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.

Extreme poverty in India decline 12.3% in 2011-2019: World Bank

Why in News
 According to a policy research working paper
of World Bank, Poverty in India is 12.3% lower
in 2019 compared with 2011. The poverty
headcount rate has declined from 22.5% in
2011 to 10.2% in 2019.
Key Points
 Poverty reduction was higher in rural areas as against urban India.
 Rural poverty dropped by 14.7% while urban poverty declined by 7.9%
during 2011 to 2019.
 According to the study, farmers with small landholding sizes have
experienced higher income growth. Real incomes for farmers with the
smallest landholdings have grown by 10% in annualized terms between the
two survey rounds in 2013 and 2019 compared to a 2% growth for farmers
with the largest landholding.

40th 'Hunar Haat’

Why in News
 Recently, Union Minister for Information &
 Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports, Anurag
Thakur inaugurated the 40th edition of the
'Hunar Haat’ in the presence of Union Minority
Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, in
Mumbai.
Key Points
 April 2022 Current Affairs
 The 40th edition of Hunar Haat, a credible platform to promote 'Swadeshi'
products, is being held in Mumbai from 16th to 27th April, 2022.
 In this 40th edition of Hunar Haat, more than a thousand craftsmen and
artisans coming from 31 states have put up 400 stalls.
 The Minister also spoke about 'One District One Product', where each
district is recognised for one product.
 Shri Thakur also informed about Tejas’a skilling programme which has
been launched by Govt. of India. Under this initiative India will send skilled
manpower to the UAE.
 Hunar Haats are organized by the Ministry of Minority Affairs under
USTTAD (Upgrading the Skills & Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for
Development) scheme.

2021 Human Rights Report on India: United States

Why in News
 The US State Department released a
strong and critical Report on Human
Rights in India in 2021.
Key Points
 The report is submitted each year to
the US Congress.
Key Highlights of the Report:
 Indian law “prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention but both occurred
during the year”, with police using “special security laws to postpone
judicial reviews of arrests”.
 India has "significant human rights issues" such as "restrictions on free
expression and media, including violence" and "threats of violence, or
unjustified arrests or prosecutions against journalists".
 The India chapter of the report also cited "terrorists and extremists
perpetrating killings, violence, and intimidation" against journalists critical
of the government.
 The report noted India was downgraded from free to partly free in the
Freedom in the World 2021 report, and said the government had blocked
Twitter accounts of several journalists who covered the farmers' protest
last year.
 The report highlighted the cases of Amnesty International India, whose
assets were frozen by the Enforcement Directorate, and the suspension of
the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) license of
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) for alleged violations.
Human Rights Related Provisions in India:
Enunciated in the Constitution:
 April 2022 Current Affairs
 Fundamental Rights: Articles 12 to 35 of the Constitution
 Directive Principles of State Policy: Article 36 to 51 of the Constitution
Statutory Provisions:
 Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993 (as amended in 2019)
 India took an active part in drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (UDHR)

GoI–UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023–27

Why in News
 Recently, NITI Aayog and the United
Nations organized a day-long national
validation workshop on the upcoming
Government of India–UN Sustainable
Development Cooperation
Framework (UNSDCF) 2023–27.
 This was the first such congregation that
saw the participation of officials from 30 Union ministries, heads of 26 UN
agencies, and representatives from all states and union territories.
Key Points
 The previous GoI–UNSDF 2018–22 was an agenda of cooperation, results
and strategies to achieve national development priorities and the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
 The 2018–22 framework is guided by the joint steering committee, chaired
by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman and UN Resident Coordinator India, with
members from the Department of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of
External Affairs.
 The 2023–27 framework aims to align the four pillars of the 2030 Agenda—
People, Prosperity, Planet and Participation—with India’s national
priorities and provide direction to the efforts of all the UN entities working
across the country.
 The new framework has identified six outcome areas: (i) health and well-
being (ii) nutrition and food (iii) quality education (iv) economic growth
and decent work (v) environment, climate, wash and resilience (vi)
empowering people, communities, and institutions.

‘SVANidhi se Samriddhi’ program

Why in News
 Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Ministry of
Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
 April 2022 Current Affairs
launched ‘SVANidhi se Samriddhi’
program in additional 126 cities across
14 States/ UTs.
Key Points
About ‘SVANidhi se Samriddhi’
program:
 ‘SVANidhi se Samriddhi’, an additional program of PMSVANidhi was
launched on 4th January 2021 in 125 cities in Phase 1, covering
approximately 35 Lakh Street vendors and their families.
 Considering the success of Phase I, MoHUA launched the program
expansion to additional 126 cities with an aim to cover 28 Lakh Street
vendors and their families, with a total target of 20 Lakh scheme sanctions
for FY 2022-23.
About PMSVANidhi Scheme:
 MoHUA has been implementing Prime Minister Street Vendors
AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi), a Central Sector Scheme since 1st June
2020.
 The scheme aims to provide an affordable working capital loan to Street
Vendors and has successfully crossed the 30 Lakh mark.
 Under the program, socio-economic profiling of PMSVANidhi beneficiaries
and their families is conducted to assess their eligibility for 8 Government
of India’s welfare schemes and facilitate sanctions of eligible schemes.

Utsav Portal

Why in News
 Union Minister for Tourism, Culture and
DONER G. Kishan Reddy inaugurated the 2
days Conference of Amrit Samagam being
held from 12th – 13th April in New Delhi.
 During the inaugural day of the 2 days’ Amrit
Samagam Conference, G. Kishan Reddy also
launched the Utsav Portal.
Key Points
 The Utsav Portal website, a digital initiative launched by the Ministry of
Tourism, aims to showcase all the events, festivals and live darshans across
India to promote different regions of the country as popular tourist
destinations worldwide.
Note:
 The Ministry had also released a digital Calendar on the theme of dedicated
tourist sites on AKAM (Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav) on the occasion of
National Tourism Day on 25th January.
 The Ministry has sanctioned 03 projects during 2021-22 for a total amount
 April 2022 Current Affairs
of Rs 112.25 crore, with the objective of integrated development of
identified pilgrimage and heritage destinations, under the PRASHAD
Scheme.
 The Ministry has also recently revamped its Swadesh Darshan Scheme as
Swadesh Darshan 2.0.

State Energy and Climate Index Round- 1

Why in News
 NITI Aayog has launched the State
Energy & Climate Index (SECI)-
Round I on 11th April 2022.
Key Points
 Gujarat, Kerala, and Punjab have
been ranked as the top three
performers in the category of larger
states.
 Goa, emerged as the top-performing
state in the smaller states category,
followed by Tripura, and Manipur.
 Among UTs, Chandigarh, Delhi, and
Daman & Diu/Dadra & Nagar
Haveli are the top performers.
 The State Energy & Climate Index
Round-I will help initiate a dialogue
with the states on the energy sector
so that much required policy
improvements can be made.
 The State Energy & Climate Index Round-I ranks the states’ performance on
6 parameters, namely, (1) DISCOM’s Performance (2) Access, Affordability
and Reliability of Energy (3) Clean
Energy Initiatives (4) Energy
Efficiency (5) Environmental
Sustainability; and (6) New
Initiatives.
 The parameters are further divided
into 27 indicators. Based on the
composite SECI Round I score, the
states and UTs are categorized into
three groups: Front Runners,
Achievers, and Aspirants.
 The states have been categorized
based on size and geographical differences as larger states, smaller states,
 April 2022 Current Affairs
and UTs.

Cabinet approves extension of Atal Innovation Mission

Why in News
 The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has approved
continuation of Atal Innovation Mission
(AIM), till March 2023.

Key Points
The intended targets that will be achieved by AIM are:
 Establishing 10000 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs)
 Establishing 101 Atal Incubation Centers (AICs)
 Establishing 50 Atal Community Innovation Centers (ACICs)
 Supporting 200 startups via the Atal New India Challenges
 The total budgeted expenditure of Rs. 2000+ crore shall be incurred in the
process of the establishment and supporting the beneficiaries.
About Atal Innovation Mission (AIM):
 The Mission has been set up under the NITI Aayog, in accordance with the
Finance Minister's declaration in the 2015 Budget Speech.
 The objectives of the AIM are to create and promote an ecosystem of
innovation and entrepreneurship across the country via interventions at
school, university, research institutions, MSME and industry levels.

‘AVSAR’ Scheme

Why in News
 Airport Authority of India (AAI) has
taken an initiative to allocate space to
Self Help Groups (SHGs) at its airports
for selling/showcasing the self-made
products of their region through ‘AVSAR’
Scheme.
Key Points
About “AVSAR” (Airport as Venue for Skilled Artisans Of The Region)
Scheme:
 Under “AVSAR”, an opportunity to help the indigent to mobilize their
households into functionally effective self-earned groups for self-reliance
and self-dependence, has been provided.
 Under this scheme, an area of 100-200 square feet has been earmarked at
 April 2022 Current Affairs
each AAI operated airport.
 The space is being allotted to the self- help groups, turn on turn basis, for a
duration of 15 days.
 Few outlets have already been commissioned at Chennai, Agartala,
Dehradun, Kushinagar, Udaipur & Amritsar Airport wherein SHGs operated
by local women, are showcasing and marketing their homemade local
products like Puffed Rice, Packaged Papad, Pickles, Bamboo based Ladies
Bag/Bottle/Lamp Sets, local artefacts, traditional craft, natural dyes,
embroidery and indigenous weaves with contemporary design to the air
travellers.

Chhattisgarh ranks first in the country with the lowest unemployment rate

Why in News
 Chhattisgarh has been ranked first among
states with the lowest unemployment
rate in the country.
 According to the latest data released by
the Centre for Monitoring Indian
Economy (CMIE), Chhattisgarh has
registered an unemployment rate of 0.6
percent this March, which is the lowest so
far.

Key Points
 As per the data, Haryana has the highest unemployment rate at 26.7
percent, followed by Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir at 25 percent each
and Jharkhand at 14.5 percent.
 Chhattisgarh ranks first in the country with the lowest unemployment rate
while the country’s unemployment rate stood at 7.6 percent in the same
month (March).
 The Chhattisgarh government adopted a new model of development three
years ago in line with Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of ‘Gram Swaraj’ envisaging
inclusive development of the state and launched various schemes including
Suraji Gaon Yojana, Narva-Garva-Ghurva-Bari programme, Godhan Nyay
Yojana, Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana etc. for boosting the rural economy.
 The state government has set up the ‘Chhattisgarh Employment Mission’
intending to create around 15 lakh new employment opportunities in the
next five years.

‘XE’ variant of coronavirus

 April 2022 Current Affairs
Why in News
 Recently, The Brihanmumbai Municipal
Corporation (BMC) announced that a 50-
year-old woman with a travel history to
South Africa may have been infected with the
newly-discovered ‘XE’ variant of the
coronavirus.
Key Points
 XE, a sub-variant of Omicron, which caused the third wave of Covid-19 this
winter, had not been found in India until now.
XE variant of coronavirus:
 The Omicron variant, which is responsible for over 90 per cent of the
infections detected this year, has two prominent sub-variants, called BA.1
and BA.2. There is a BA.3 sub-variant as well, but that is less common.
 During the initial phase, the BA.1 sub-variant was the most widespread. In
India, however, it was the BA.2 that was the most dominant during the third
wave.
 BA.2 was found to be slightly more transmissible than BA.1, even though it
was not more dangerous.
 In the last couple of months, the BA.2 variety has become the most
widespread across the globe, accounting for almost 94 per cent of all
Omicron infections in the last one month, according to the World Health
Organisation (WHO).

De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-nomadic Tribes

Why in News
 Recently, a standing committee of
Parliament has criticised the
functioning of the development
programme for de-notified,
nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes.
 The Standing Committee on Social
Justice and Empowerment, headed
by BJP Lok Sabha MP Rama Devi,
tabled its 31st report in
Parliament.
 The report said the “Committee are constrained to note that the Scheme for
economic empowerment of DNT communities formulated to provide
coaching, health insurance, facilitate livelihood and financial assistance for
construction of homes for the members of DNT, with total outlays of Rs 200
 April 2022 Current Affairs
crore for the period of five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26 and the
Department could not spend even a single rupee in 2021-22.
Key Points
De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-nomadic Tribes:
 These are communities who are the most vulnerable and deprived.
 Denotified tribes (DNTs) are communities that were ‘notified’ as being
‘born criminal’ during the British regime under a series of laws starting with
the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871.
 Nomadic and semi-nomadic communities are defined as those who move
from one place to another rather than living at one place all the time.

Stand Up India Scheme completes 6 years

Why in News
 The sixth anniversary of the Stand Up India
scheme was on 5th April 2022.
 Over 30 thousand 160 crore rupees have been
sanctioned under Stand Up India Scheme to
more than 1 lakh 33 thousand 995 accounts
since inception of the Scheme.

Key Points
About Stand Up India scheme:
 Stand Up India scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
5th April 2016.
 It facilitates loans to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and women
borrowers for setting up a greenfield enterprise in manufacturing, services,
or trading sector.
Purpose of Stand Up India:
 Promote entrepreneurship amongst women, SC & ST category
 Provide loans for greenfield enterprises in manufacturing, services or the
trading sector and activities allied to agriculture;
 Facilitate bank loans between Rs.10 lakh and Rs.1 crore to at least one
Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe borrower and at least one woman
borrower per bank branch of Scheduled Commercial Banks
Note: In 2019-20, the Stand Up India scheme was extended for the entire
period coinciding with the 15th Finance Commission period of 2020-25.

Central govt exempts genome edited crops from stringent GM regulations

Why in News
 April 2022 Current Affairs
 The Central government has for the first
time issued an order exempting certain
types of genome edited crops from the
stringent regulations applicable on
genetically modified or GM crops thus
giving a big boost to their further
research and development.
Key Points
 The Ministry of Environment and Forest in an order issued recently,
exempted SDN1 and SDN2 genome edited plants from Rules 7-11 of
the Environment Protect Act (EPA) for manufacture, use or import or
export and storage of hazardous microorganisms or genetically engineered
organisms or cells rules-1989.
 Genome editing or gene editing was discovered back in 2012, but Indian
regulators took nearly a decade to comprehend its potential for developing
crops resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses and with nutritional
superiority.
Genome editing:
 A decade ago, scientists in Germany and the US discovered a technique
which allowed them to ‘cut’ DNA strands and edit genes. For agriculture
scientists this process allowed them to bring about desired changes in the
genome by using site directed nuclease (SDN) or sequence specific nuclease
(SSN).
Note: Globally, European Union countries have bracketed genome edited crops
with GM crops. Countries like Argentina, Israel, US, Canada, etc have liberal
regulations for genome edited crops.

Railway Protection Force: Operation Upalabdh

Why in News
 Recently, RPF (Railway Protection
Force) conducted a Pan India Drive
against the touts under Operation
Upalabdh.

Key Points
About Operation Upalabdh:
 The month long drive under Operation Upalabdh has been able to curb the
activities of touts substantially and make railway tickets available to the
common man.
 Indian Railways advises the common public not to procure tickets from
unauthorised persons as it is not only likely to be forfeited once detected,
 April 2022 Current Affairs
but may also land the buyer in legal trouble.
About Railway Protection Force (RPF):
 RPF is a security force under the ownership of Indian Railways, Ministry of
Railways, Government of India established by the Railway Protection Force
Act, 1957.
 It has the power to search, arrest, investigate, and prosecute offenses
committed under Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act 1966,
Note: In February 2022, the RPF had launched a nationwide operation to curb
human trafficking named Operation AAHT.

State

Tamil Nadu passes 2 bills to take away governor's powers to name VCs

Why in News
 The Tamil Nadu assembly passed two bills
to amend the laws of 13 universities to
transfer the power to appoint their vice-
chancellors from the governor to the state
government.
Key Points
 Chief Minister M K Stalin said the state government's lack of power to
appoint vice-chancellors had a huge impact on higher education.
 He pointed out that in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, the state government had been appointing vice-chancellors from
three names recommended by a search committee.
 The proposed bills stress that “every appointment of the Vice-Chancellor
shall be made by the Government from out of a panel of three names”
recommended by a search-cum-selection committee.

Mumbai recognized as ‘2021 Tree City of the World’ by United Nations

Why in News
 Mumbai has been recognised as ‘2021 Tree
City of the World’ by the Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the
United Nations (UN) jointly with Arbor
Day Foundation.
Key Points
 Mumbai received recognition for its “commitment to growing and
 April 2022 Current Affairs
maintaining urban trees and greenery in building healthy, resilient and
happy cities”.
 Mumbai is the second city in India to receive this distinction.
 Previously, Hyderabad was the only city in India to receive this honour.
 The United Nations’ ‘Tree City of the World’ programme provides direction,
assistance, and worldwide recognition for communities’ dedication to its
urban forest, and provides a framework for a healthy, sustainable urban
forestry.

Punjab-Haryana dispute over rivers waters and SYL Canal

Why in News
 The Haryana Vidhan Sabha has passed a
resolution seeking completion of the Sutlej
Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal, bringing back
into focus the contentious issue of sharing
of river waters between Haryana and
Punjab.

Key Points
The river waters:
 The canal, once completed, will enable
sharing of the waters of the rivers Ravi and
Beas between the two states. The issue
dates back to 1966 at the time of
reorganisation of Punjab and formation of
Haryana. Punjab was opposed to sharing
the waters of the two rivers with Haryana, citing riparian principles.
The shares:
 A decade before the formation of Haryana, the water flowing down Ravi and
Beas was assessed at 15.85 million acre feet (MAF) per year. The Union
government had organised a meeting in 1955 between the three stake-
holders — Rajasthan, undivided Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir — and
allotted 8 MAF per year to Rajasthan, 7.20 MAF to undivided Punjab and
0.65 MAF to J&K.
The canal:
 On April 8, 1982, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi launched the
construction of the SYL Canal with a groundbreaking ceremony in Kapoori
village in Patiala district. A stretch of 214 km was to be constructed, out of
which 122 km was to cross Punjab and 92 km in Haryana. But the Akalis
launched an agitation in the form of Kapoori Morcha against the
construction of the canal. Then in July 1985, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
and then Akali Dal chief Sant Harchand Singh Longowal signed an accord
 April 2022 Current Affairs
agreeing for a new tribunal to assess the water.
Punjab’s argument:
 As per a state government study, many areas in Punjab may go dry after
2029. The state has already over-exploited its groundwater for irrigation
purposes as it fills granaries of the Centre by growing wheat and paddy
worth Rs 70,000 crore every year.
Haryana’s claim:
 Haryana has been staking claim to the Ravi-Beas waters through the SYL
Canal on the plea that providing water for irrigation was a tough task for
the state. In southern parts, where underground water had depleted up to
1700 feet, there was a problem of drinking water.

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 LIC.
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
 April 2022 Current Affairs
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".

Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)

Why in News
 So far, India has signed 13 Free
Trade Agreements (FTAs) with its
trading partners, including the 3
agreements, namely India-
Mauritius Comprehensive
Economic Cooperation and
Partnership Agreement (CECPA),
India-UAE Comprehensive
Partnership Agreement (CEPA)
and India-Australia Economic
Cooperation and Trade
Agreement (IndAus ECTA) signed during the last five years.
 This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry, Smt. Anupriya Patel, in the Lok Sabha recently.
Key Points
 The economic impact assessment of FTAs undertaken both in terms of data
analysis and stakeholder consultations from time to time, has revealed that
there has been growth in both exports and imports with FTA partners.

Polity
Policy for use of land acquired under the Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition &
 April 2022 Current Affairs
Development) Act, 1957

Why in News
 The Union Cabinet has approved the policy for
use of land acquired under the Coal Bearing
Areas (Acquisition & Development) Act, 1957
[CBA Act].

Key Points
 The policy provides for utilisation of such land for the purpose of
development and setting up of infrastructure relating to coal and energy.
 The CBA Act provides for acquisition of coal bearing lands and their vesting
in Government companies, free from any encumbrance.
 The approved policy provides a clear policy framework for utilisation of
following types of lands acquired under the CBA Act: Lands no longer
suitable or economically viable for coal mining activities; or Lands from
which coal has been mined out / de-coaled and such land has been
reclaimed.

Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of

Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022

Why in News
 Recently, Lok Sabha passed Weapons of
 Mass Destruction and their Delivery

Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful

 Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022.

Key Points
 The Bill moved by External affairs
Minister S. Jaishankar amends the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their
Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005.
 The 2005 Act prohibits unlawful activities (such as manufacturing,
transport, or transfer) related to weapons of mass destruction, and their
means of delivery.
 Weapons of Mass Destruction are biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons.
 The present Bill bars persons from financing any prohibited activity related
to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.
 To prevent persons from financing such activities, the central government
may freeze, seize or attach their funds, financial assets, or economic
resources (whether owned, held, or controlled directly or indirectly).
 It may also prohibit persons from making finances or related services
 April 2022 Current Affairs
available for the benefit of other persons in relation to any activity which is
prohibited.

Sixth scorpene submarine ‘INS Vagsheer’ launched in Mumbai

Why in News
 Yard 11880, the sixth and last submarine
‘INS Vagsheer’ of the Indian Navy’s
Kalvari class submarines of Project 75
has been launched at the Kanhoji Angre
Wet Basin of Mazagon Dock Limited
(MDL).

Key Points
 The first of the Project - 75 submarines was commissioned into the Navy in
December 2017 and presently four submarines (INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi
and INS Karang, and INS Vela) of this Project are in commission in the Indian
Navy.
 The fifth submarine ‘INS Vagir’ is progressing with the Sea Trials and is
likely to be delivered this year.
 The sixth submarine will now commence setting to work of various
equipment and their harbour trials.
 The submarines are being manufactured at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders
Limited (MDL) in collaboration with Naval Group, France.

Anti-Tank Guided Missile ‘HELINA’ successfully flight tested

Why in News
 Indigenously developed helicopter
 launched Anti-Tank Guided Missile
(ATGM) ‘HELINA’ was successfully
flight tested at high-altitude ranges as
part of user validation trials in
Pokhran.
Key Points
 The flight-test was jointly conducted by the teams of scientists from
 April 2022 Current Affairs
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Indian Army and
Indian Air Force (IAF).
 The flight trials were conducted from an Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH)
and the missile was fired successfully engaging a simulated tank target.
 Helina has a maximum range of seven kilometers and has been designed
and developed for integration on weaponized versions of the ALH.
 Helina has been developed by Defence Research and Development
Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad under the Missiles and Strategic Systems
(MSS) cluster of the DRDO. Successful user trials of the missile have been
conducted since 2018.

Appointments/Resignations
TCS’ Krishnan Ramanujam appointed as Nasscom Chairperson for 2022-23

Why in News
 Nasscom announced that Krishnan
Ramanujam, President, Enterprise Growth
Group at Tata Consultancy Services has been
appointed as its Chairperson for 2022-23.
Key Points
 Ramanujam succeeds Rekha M. Menon, Chairperson and Senior Managing
Director of Accenture in India, in this role.
About National Association of Software and Services Companies
(Nasscom):
 Nasscom is an Indian non-governmental trade association and advocacy
group, focused mainly on the technology industry of India.
 Headquarters: New Delhi
 Founded: 1 March 1988

Emmanuel Macron re-elected for second consecutive term as President of

France

Why in News
 Emmanuel Macron has won a second
term in France's presidential election.
Key Points
 April 2022 Current Affairs
 Emmanuel Macron defeated far-right
rival Marine Le Pen.
 This is the first time in two decades that
France has chosen a president for a
second straight term.

Government appoints Lt Gen Manoj C Pande as next Chief of Army Staff

Why in News
 Government has appointed Lt Gen Manoj C
Pande, presently Vice Chief of the Army Staff,
as the next Chief of the Army Staff (29th) with
effect from April 30, 2022.
Key Points
 Manoj C Pande is the first officer from the
Corps of Engineers to become the Chief of
Army Staff.
 He will succeed General Manoj Mukund Naravane, who is scheduled to
complete his 28 month-tenure on April 30.
 For his illustrious service, Lt Gen Manoj C Pande has been conferred with
Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva
Medal.

Iqbal Singh Lalpura reappointed as Chairperson, National Commission for

Minorities

Why in News
 The central government re-appointed
 retired Punjab-cadre IPS Officer Iqbal Singh
Lalpura as the chairperson of the National
 Commission for Minorities (NCM).


Key Points
 Lalpura, who was first appointed as chairman in September last year, had
to resign from the post in December to contest as the BJP candidate from
Ropar assembly constituency, which he lost.
About National Commission for Minorities (NCM):
 The Union Government set up the National Commission for Minorities
under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.
 Six religious communities, viz; Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists,
 April 2022 Current Affairs
Zoroastrians and Jains have been notified in Gazette of India as minority
communities by the Union Government all over India.
 Founded: 17 May 1993
 Headquarters: New Delhi

Shehbaz Sharif elected Pakistan's 23rd Prime Minister

Why in News
 Shehbaz Sharif, the Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz (PML-N) president,
was elected unopposed as the 23rd
Prime Minister of Pakistan by the
National Assembly, after a week-long
constitutional crisis that climaxed
when Imran Khan lost a no-confidence
vote.
Key Points
 Shehbaz, the younger brother of former three-time Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif, received 174 votes.
 He has served as chief minister of the country's most populous and
politically crucial Punjab province thrice.

Hungary PM Viktor Orban wins fourth term

Why in News
 Nationalist Hungarian Prime Minister
Viktor Orban's Fidesz party had won a
fourth term in office.
Key Points
 Viktor Orban in November 2020 became
the country's longest-serving Prime
Minister. In December 2021, he became the longest-serving incumbent
head of government in the European Union.
 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.
Facts about Hungary:
 Capital: Budapest
 Currency: Hungarian forint

Awards & Honours

 April 2022 Current Affairs

PM Modi receives first Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award

Why in News
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi received
the first Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar
Award for his selfless service to the nation
and society at the 80th annual Master
Deenanath Mangeshkar Awards ceremony in Mumbai.
Key Points
 The Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award was instituted in the memory and
honour of Lata Mangeshkar who died at the age of 92 on February 6, 2022.
Other Recent Awards won by PM Modi:
 Bhutan’s Highest Civilian Award (2021)

 Global Energy and Environment Leadership Award (2021)

 Legion of Merit by the US Government (2020)

David Attenborough receives the UN’s most distinguished environment award

Why in News
 The United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) has awarded
David Attenborough the Champions
of the Earth Lifetime Achievement
Award for his dedication to research,
documentation and advocacy for the
protection of nature and its restoration.
Key Points
 This Lifetime Achievement Award is given in a historic year for the global
environmental community. 2022 marks fifty years since the 1972 United
Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden,
which was one of the first international meetings on the environment.
 The conference spurred the formation of environment ministries and
agencies around the world, kick started a host of new global agreements to
collectively protect the environment, and led to the formation of UNEP,
which is observing its 50th anniversary this year.
Facts about United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):
 Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya
 Founded: 5 June 1972
 April 2022 Current Affairs
 Executive Director: Inger Andersen

Civil Aviation Ministry’s “UDAN” scheme selected for Prime Minister’s Award
for Excellence in Public Administration

Why in News
 The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA)
flagship Regional Connectivity Scheme
UDAN (UdeDeshkaAamNagrik) has
been selected for Prime Minister’s Award
for Excellence in Public Administration
2020 under the category “Innovation
(General) – Central”.
Key Points
About the Award:
 Government of India has initiated this award to acknowledge, recognize and
reward extraordinary and innovative work done by Districts and
Organizations of State/Government.
 This scheme emphasises on Good Governance, Qualitative achievements,
and last mile connectivity rather than only on achievement of quantitative
targets. The award consists of a trophy, scroll and an incentive of Rs 10
lakhs.
Note: The Ministry of Civil Aviation will receive the award on 21stApril, i.e. Civil
Service Day.
About UDAN scheme:
 Launched in 2016, UDAN scheme aims to fulfill the aspirations of the
common man by following the vision of UdeDeshkaAamNagrik,with an
enhanced aviation infrastructure and air connectivity in tier II and III cities.

56th Jnanpith Award presented to Assamese poet Nilamani Phookan

Why in News
 Eminent Assamese poet Nilamani
Phookan was conferred the 56th Jnanpith
Award, the ceremony of which was held for
the first time in Assam.
Key Points
 Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the Chairperson of
Jnanpith Selection Board Pratibha Ray handed over the trophy, cheque and
other mementos to the 88-year-old Phookan.
 Phookan is the third Assamese to receive the Jnanpith Award after novelist
Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya (1979) and Mamoni Raisom Goswami
 April 2022 Current Affairs
(2000).
 Phookan had won the Sahitya Academy Award in 1981 for his poetry
collection ‘Kobita’.

 The Jnanpith Award is the oldest and the highest Indian literary award
presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their
"outstanding contribution towards literature".

PM Narendra Modi to receive inaugural Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award

Why in News
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be honoured
with the inaugural Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar
Award, instituted in the memory of the veteran
singer (Lata Mangeshkar) who passed away in
February this year.
Key Points
 Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Smruti Pratishthan informed that the
award ceremony will be held on 24th of April at Mumbai’s Shanmukhanand
Hall.
 The Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Puraskar will be given every year to only
one individual who has made path-breaking, spectacular and exemplary
contributions to the nation, its people and society.

Ramdarash Mishra selected for Saraswati Samman 2021

Why in News
 Noted poet and litterateur Prof Ramdarash
Mishra will be awarded the prestigious

Key Points
 Born in Dumri village in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur district on August 15,
1924, Mishra has excelled in different branches of Hindi literature.
About Saraswati Samman:
 The Saraswati Samman is an annual award for outstanding prose or poetry
literary works in any of the 22 languages of India listed in Schedule VIII of
the Constitution of India.
 The Saraswati Samman was instituted in 1991 by the K. K. Birla Foundation.
It consists of ₹15,00,000, a citation and a plaque.
 Candidates are selected from literary works published in the previous ten
years by a panel that included scholars and former award winners.
 April 2022 Current Affairs
Grammy Awards 2022
 The 64th Annual Grammy Awards
were held at the MGM Grand Garden
Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. This was
the first time a Grammy Awards
ceremony was held in Las Vegas,
USA.
 Every year, the Grammys honour
musical artistes, compositions and
albums.
 They have been held every year since
1959.
 Jon Batiste emerged as the biggest winner, with 5 wins out of 11
nominations.
 Indian-American singer Falguni Shah has won the Grammy Award 2022
for the Best Children’s Music Album for A Colourful World.
List of main winners of the 64th annual Grammy Awards:
 Album Of The Year: ‘We Are’ by Jon Batiste
 Record Of The Year: ‘Leave the door open’ by Bruno Mars and Anderson
Paak
 Best New Artist: Olivia Rodrigo
 Best Rap Album: “Call Me If You Get Lost,” Tyler, the Creator
 Best Country Album: “Starting Over,” Chris Stapleton
 Song Of The Year: “Leave the Door Open,” Silk Sonic (Brandon
Anderson, Christopher Brody Brown, Dernst Emile II and Bruno Mars)
 Best Rock Album: “Medicine at Midnight,” Foo Fighters
 Best Rock Song: “Waiting On a War,” Foo Fighters
 Best Music Video: “Freedom,” Jon Batiste
 Best Country Song: “Cold,” Chris Stapleton
 Best Folk Album: “They’re Calling Me Home,” Rhiannon Giddens with
Francesco Turrisi
 Best Music Film: “Summer of Soul”

Important Days

April 24, National Panchayati Raj Day

 April 2022 Current Affairs
Why in News
 National Panchayati Raj Day is observed on 24
April annually.
Key Points
 Then Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh
declared the first National Panchayati Raj Day
on 24 April 2010.
 Ministry of Panchayati Raj commemorates 24th April as the National
Panchayati Raj Day, as the 73rd Constitutional Amendment came into force
on this date.
Note:
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Jammu and Kashmir to participate in
the celebration of National Panchayati Raj Day 2022.
 The Prime Minister inaugurated the Banihal Qazigund Road Tunnel. The
8.45-kilometre long tunnel will reduce the road distance between Banihal
and Qazigund by 16 kilometres.
 The Prime Minister also launched the Amrit Sarovar initiative. It is aimed at
developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district of the
country.

April 25, World Malaria Day

Why in News
 World Malaria Day (WMD) is an international
observance commemorated every year on 25
April and recognizes global efforts to control
malaria.
Key Points
 The theme for World Malaria Day 2022 is “Harness innovation to reduce
the malaria disease burden and save lives.”
 World Malaria Day was instituted by WHO Member States during the World
Health Assembly of 2007.
Note:
 In 2020, there were an estimated 241 million new cases of malaria and
627000 malaria-related deaths in 85 countries.
 More than two thirds of deaths were among children under the age of 5
living in the WHO African Region.

April 22, International Mother Earth Day

Why in News
 April 2022 Current Affairs
 International Mother Earth Day (Earth
Day) is observed on 22 April every year.
Key Points
 The theme for International Mother Earth
Day 2022 is "Invest In Our Planet".
 The United Nations General Assembly
(UNGA) designated 22 April as
International Mother Earth Day through a resolution adopted in 2009.
 The UN Conference on the Human Environment 1972 in Stockholm marked
the beginning of a global awareness as well as the establishment of World
Environment Day on 5 June and the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP).

April 13, Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

Why in News
 The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, also known as
the Amritsar massacre, took place on 13 April
1919.

Key Points
 Around 50 soldiers of the British Indian Army, under the command of
Colonel Reginald Dyer, fired on unarmed people who had gathered for
Baishakhi at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar.
 The people, a majority of whom were Sikhs, had gathered in Jallianwala
Bagh to celebrate Baisakhi and also to condemn the arrest and deportation
of two freedom fighters, Satya Pal and Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew.
 According to the British government, 379 people died and 1,200 were
wounded in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

IIT Madras launches India’s first indigenously developed polycentric prosthetic

knee'Kadam'

Whyin News
 IIT Madras researchers have
launched the country’s first
Made-in-India polycentric
 April 2022 Current Affairs
prosthetic knee ‘Kadam’.
Key Points
 The polycentric knee has been
developed in association with
Society for Biomedical
Technology (SBMT) and
Mobility India.
 SBMT was established under
DRDO by former President Dr.
APJ Abdul Kalam to enable indigenous medical device development.
 Mobility India, an NGO in Bengaluru, will mass manufacture and take
Kadam to the market along with overseeing the processes of fitment and
training and ensuring easy access for the users.
 It was developed by a team at TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and
Device Development (R2D2) at IIT Madras, which also developed and
commercialized ‘Arise,’ the country's first standing wheelchair and NeoFly-
NeoBolt, an active wheelchair.

ICMR-NIV scientists find presence of IgG antibodies against Nipah in 51 bat

samples from southern India

Why in News
 Scientists at Pune’s Indian Council of
Medical Research – National Institute
of Virology (ICMR-NIV) were able to
detect the presence of IgG antibodies
against Nipah virus infection (NiV)
in 51 bats that were captured from
Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Key Points
 Nipah virus (NiV) is one of the priority pathogens with a pandemic
potential. Though the spread is far slower than SARS-CoV-2, case fatality is
the biggest concern.
 The first human infection with NiV was identified during an outbreak of
severe encephalitis in Malaysia in 1998–1999.
 Both animal-to-humans and human-to-human transmission has been
documented during different outbreaks.
 More than 700 human cases of Nipah virus infections were reported from
Malaysia, India, Bangladesh, Singapore and Philippines during 1998− 2018.
Antibody:
 Antibody, also called immunoglobulin, is a protective protein produced by
the immune system in response to the presence of a foreign substance,
called an antigen.
 April 2022 Current Affairs
 A wide range of substances are regarded by the body as antigens, including
disease-causing organisms and toxic materials.
 Antibodies recognize and attack onto antigens in order to remove them
from the body.
Different Types of Antibodies:
 IgG, IgM, IgA, IgD, IgE

Parliamentary panel suggests changes to Wildlife Protection (amendment)

Bill 2021

Why in News
 The parliamentary panel headed by senior
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh submitted a
254-page report after reviewing the Wildlife
Protection (Amendment) Bill 2021.
 It highlighted several concerns regarding the
legislation and urged the Union environment
ministry to consider the recommendations of scientists and
conservationists mentioned in the report.
Key Points
About Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972:
 Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 provides a legal framework for the
protection of various species of wild animals and plants, the management
of their habitats, and the regulation and control of trade in wild animals,
plants and products made from them.
 The Act also lists schedules of plants and animals that are afforded various
degrees of protection and monitoring by the government.
 The Act has been amended several times, with the last amendment having
been made in 2006.
Key features of the Bill:
 The most important reason given by the environment ministry for
introducing the bill was the urgent need to provide legislative backing to
commitments made by India over the past many years to the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES), a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals that
came into force in 1975.
 The bill’s objectives include ensuring that international trade in wildlife is
legal, sustainable and traceable by implementing CITES.
 The Ministry has streamlined the scheduling of species from the original six
 April 2022 Current Affairs
schedules to just three — Schedule I for species that will enjoy the highest
level of protection, Schedule II for species that will be subject to a lesser
degree of protection and Schedule III that covers plants.

Scientists discover new eel species from Kerala, Bengal

Why in News
 A group of Indian scientists have
discovered a new species of eel from
among specimens collected from the
Kalamukku and Digha Mohana fishing
harbours in Kerala and West Bengal
respectively.

Key Points
 The newly discovered eel belongs to the Congrid eels group and has been
named Ariosoma indicum.
 Scientists from the Indian Council of Agriculture Research-National Bureau
of Fish Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBFGR), Lucknow and the Estuarine
Biology Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Gopalpur-on-Sea,
Odisha, confirmed Ariosoma indicum as a new species.
 The total length of the new species is 362 millimetres.
 The Ariosoma genus has 7 species, including the newly identified eel that
have been documented in Indian waters. Globally, there are 223 species in
the genus.
Note: The new eel species is not listed as ‘Threatened’ or ‘Endangered’ by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List.

Sports

Australia’s Victoria state to host 2026 Commonwealth Games

Why in News
 Australia’s Victoria state will host the 2026
Commonwealth Games.
Key Points
 April 2022 Current Affairs
 The Games will be staged in March 2026 across
multiple cities and regional hubs including
Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and
Gippsland, each with its own athletes’ village.
 An initial list of 16 sports, including Twenty20 cricket, have been put
forward for the Games, with further sports to be added later this year.
 It will be the sixth time that Australia has staged the Commonwealth
Games and the second time in Victoria.
Note: The 2022 Commonwealth Games are due to be held in Birmingham,
England, from July 28 to August 8.
About Commonwealth Games:
 The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games, is an
international multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth
of Nations.
 The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exception of 1942 and 1946,
has taken place every four years since then.

Australia wins 7th ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022 title

Why in News
 Australia won the ICC Women's Cricket
World Cup 2022 title after defeating
England in the final by 71 runs at Hagley
Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Key Points
 This is the record for the seventh time Australia women have won the world
cup.
 The 2022 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup was the twelfth edition of the
Women's Cricket World Cup, which was held in New Zealand in March and
April 2022.

Books & Authors

Geetanjali Shree’s ‘Tomb of Sand’ first Hindi novel on International Booker
shortlist
 April 2022 Current Affairs
Why in News
 Author Geetanjali Shree’s novel ‘Tomb
of Sand’ became the first Hindi language
work of fiction to be shortlisted for the
International Booker Prize.

Key Points
 Shree’s book, translated into English by Daisy Rockwell and described
by the judges as “loud and irresistible novel”, will compete with five other
titles fromaround the world for the prestigious 50,000 pounds literary
prize, which is split evenly between the author and translator.
 Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh-born Shree is an author of three novels and several
story collections, with her work translated into English, French, German,
Serbian, and Korean.
 Complementing the Booker Prize for Fiction, the international prize is
awarded every year for a single book that is translated into English and
published in the UK or Ireland.
 The winner for 2022 will be announced at a ceremony in London on May
26.

Obituaries

Noted writer Binapani Mohanty passes away

 Noted Odia writer Binapani Mohanty

passed away at 85.
 Mohanty has more than 100 books to her
credit.
 Besides getting the Padma Shri in 2020,
Mohanty received Sahitya Akademi
Award, Sarala Samman, and Atibadi
Jagannatha Das Sammana by Odisha
Sahitya Akademi.
 April 2022 Current Affairs
Legendary Odia musician and singer Prafulla Kar passes away

 Legendary Odia music composer, singer,

writer and lyricist Prafulla Kar passed
away at 83.
 He was popular for his numerous songs
including 'Kamala Desha Rajakumara'.
 He had received the prestigious Padma
Shri award in 2015 and was honoured with the Jayadeva award in 2004. He
had received the state film award eight times, six times in a row.

Pakistani humanitarian activist Bilquis Bano Edhi passes away

 Pakistani humanitarian activist Bilquis Bano Edhi passed away.

 Bilquis Bano Edhi was a Pakistani
professional nurse and one of the most
active philanthropists in the country.
 Bilquis worked shoulder to shoulder with
her husband in establishing the Abdul
Sattar Edhi Foundation, a welfare
organisation that gained worldwide fame
for its humanitarian work in many areas.
 For her contributions, she was awarded the 1986 Ramon Magsaysay Award
for Public Service and the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for
Social Justice in 2015.