24th March, 2025 Current Affairs

NATIONAL
Centre disburses ₹14,020 crore incentive under PLI scheme

• The industry has welcomed the central government’s commitment to bolstering India’s manufacturing sector following the disbursement of ₹14,020 crore under the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. The scheme, spread across multiple sectors, has resulted in cumulative sales of ₹14 lakh crore so far.
• According to data compiled by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, incentives worth ₹14,020 crore have been disbursed under the PLI schemes in 10 sectors, including large-scale electronics manufacturing, IT hardware, bulk drugs, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, telecom products, food processing, white goods, automobiles, and drones.
• The PLI schemes, designed in line with India’s vision of achieving self-reliance (‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’), cover 14 key sectors and have attracted investments worth ₹1.6 lakh crore.

Project PARI: Revitalizing Public Spaces Through Art

• The Ministry of Culture, through the Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA) and National Gallery of Modern Arts (NGMA), is dedicated to preserving public art installations created under the Public Art of India (PARI) project.
•  As the nodal agency, the LKA has implemented a comprehensive preservation strategy to maintain these installations, ensuring their sustainability and longevity. The initiative not only safeguards India’s artistic heritage but also transforms Delhi’s public spaces into vibrant artistic landmarks, promoting regional art forms globally.
• Showcases regional art forms like Phad, Thangka, Gond, and Warli paintings.
• Over 200 artists contributed to the project.
• Transforms Delhi’s public spaces into cultural landmarks.
• Aims to promote India’s rich heritage on a global stage.

ECONOMY
First-Ever Export of Anthurium Flowers from Mizoram to Singapore

• In a major milestone for India’s floriculture sector, particularly from the North Eastern Region (NER), the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has facilitated the first-ever export of Anthurium flowers from Mizoram to Singapore.
• The consignment, consisting of 1,024 cut flowers (70 kg) in 50 corrugated boxes, was exported via Kolkata. This initiative highlights Mizoram’s floriculture potential, strengthens India’s agricultural exports, and provides economic benefits to local farmers, including women.
• A statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India.
• Committed to promoting India’s agricultural and processed food exports globally.

IRDAI Appoints Five New Members to Insurance Advisory Committee

• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has announced the appointment of five new members to the reconstituted Insurance Advisory Committee. These appointments are made under Section 25 of the IRDA Act, 1999, and Regulation 3A of the IRDA (Insurance Advisory Committee) Regulations, 2000.
• The new members bring extensive experience from the banking, insurance, and financial sectors. The appointments will be effective from the date of publication in the official gazette.

New Members Appointed

• MR Kumar – Former LIC Chairman, now Non-Executive Chairman of Bank of India.
• Dinesh Kumar Khara – Former Chairman of State Bank of India (SBI).
• Visakha Mule – CEO of Aditya Birla Capital.
• Nilesh Shah – MD of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company.
• Kotak Ellis G Vaidyan – Former CMD of GIC Re, currently Independent Director at Air India and Tata AIA Life Insurance.

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
New milestone in indigenous development of gaseous detector important for mega science FAIR project in Germany

• Researchers have developed an innovative technique using a radioactive source that can simplify the study of radiation effects on Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detectors, a crucial step in nuclear and particle physics experiments.
• Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detector are particle detectors used as tracking devices in high-energy physics experiments that utilizes a thin, perforated foil with a high electric field to amplify particles produced by ionizing radiation, allowing for precise detection of particles like muons by significantly multiplying the initial signal generated by the particle's interaction with the gas within the detector.
• They are also strong candidates for diagnostic applications in medical technology because of their good position resolution. First introduced by Prof. Fabio Sauli in 1997, GEM detectors consist of a 50 μm thick Kapton foil, with 5 μm copper cladding on both sides.
• Despite their advantages, the inclusion of Kapton, a radiation-resistant polyimide film with excellent insulating properties, in the active volume makes these detectors sensitive to radiation-induced effects, particularly the charging-up of the dielectric medium. During operation, ionizing radiation deposits energy into the detector, initiating electron avalanche formation.
• This process results in charge accumulation on the Kapton foil, which in turn enhances the electric field within the GEM holes—the primary region for electron multiplication. This increase in the electric field boosts the detector’s gain and efficiency. Over time, a dynamic equilibrium is established, stabilizing the gain and ensuring consistent detector performance.
• India has the full responsibility of building all the GEM chambers that will be used in the future Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiment at FAIR and will be operated at very high radiation environment. For this, it is important to enhance the understanding of the charging-up effect in GEM detectors, a phenomenon that remains inadequately understood.

AWARDS
Vinod Kumar Shukla Selected for 59th Jnanpith Award

• Eminent Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla has been named the recipient of the 59th Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary honour.
• At 88 years old, he is recognized for his outstanding contribution to Hindi literature, with a unique writing style that blends linguistic creativity and emotional depth. Notably, he is the first author from Chhattisgarh to receive this prestigious award and the 12th Hindi writer to be honored with it.
• The decision was taken by the Jnanpith Selection Committee, chaired by Pratibha Ray, along with members like Madhav Kaushik, Damodar Mauzo, Prabha Varma, Anamika, A Krishna Rao, Prafful Shiledar, Janki Prasad Sharma, and Madhusudan Anand.
• Award Components: The award includes a cash prize of ₹11 lakh, a bronze Saraswati statue, and a citation.

Published date : 25 Mar 2025 12:25PM