22nd April, 2022 Current Affairs

22nd April, 2022 Current Affairs

NATIONAL
Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurates a nationwide meeting on agriculture for the 2022 Kharif campaign

• Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Agriculture Minister, recently launched the National Conference on Agriculture for the Kharif Campaign 2022-23 at the NASC Complex in New Delhi.
• The Minister expressed his delight that, according to the 2nd Advance Estimates (2021-22), total food grain production in the country will reach 3160 lakh tonnes, a new high.
• The production of pulses and oilseeds will be 269.5 lakh tonnes and 371.5 lakh tonnes, respectively.
• Horticulture production is expected to reach 3310.5 lakh tonnes in 2020-21, the greatest level ever for Indian horticulture, according to third advanced projections.
• The Minister added that the centre and states will collaborate to secure the availability of herbicides and seeds, lowering farmers’ input prices.
• He argued that a method for replacing urea with Nano-urea should be developed. He stated that the government would continue to prioritize natural and organic agriculture.
• While agriculture exports have increased, the Minister stated that quality products must be prioritized in order to compete in international markets. Both farmers and exporters should benefit.

India’s first pure green hydrogen plant commissioned in Assam

• India’s first 99.999% pure Green Hydrogen pilot plant has been commissioned by the Oil India Limited (OIL) at its Jorhat Pump Station in Assam.
•  The plant has an installed capacity of 10 kg per day. The plant produces Green Hydrogen from the electricity generated by a 500kW Solar plant using a 100 kW Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) Electrolyser array. The use of AEM technology is being used for the first time in India.
• This plant is expected to increase its production of green hydrogen from 10 kg per day to 30 kg per day in future. The company has initiated a detailed study in collaboration with IIT Guwahati on the blending of Green Hydrogen with Natural Gas and its effect on the existing infrastructure of OIL. The company also plans to study use cases for commercial applications of the blended fuel.

Scorpene-class Submarine ‘VAGSHEER’ inaugurated at Mazagon Dock Limited

• The Indian Navy launched the sixth and last submarine, Yard 11880, of the French Scorpene-class under Project 75, at the KanhojiAngre Wet Basin of Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.
•  The submarine has been named ‘Vagsheer’. The submarine will now undergo rigorous harbor trials and sea trials, before being commissioned in the Indian Navy. These submarines are designed by French naval defence and energy company ‘DCNS’ while Mazagon Dock Limited, Mumbai has manufactured them.

List of other submarines under Scorpene-class submarines:

• First submarine: INS Kalvari- commissioned on 14 December 2017.
• Second : INS Khanderi – September 2019
• Third: INS Karanj – March 2021
• Fourth: INS Vela – November 2021
• Fifth: INS Vagir- launched in November 2020 and is undergoing sea trials.

ECONOMY
Reserve Bank of India capped lending limits of NBFCs

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has tightened the rules for non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) relating to their large exposures.
• RBI capped aggregate exposure of NBFCs which are in the upper layer toward one entity at 20% of the capital base. The limit can only be extended by another 5% with the board’s approval.
• For a particular borrower group, the cap is at 25%, with an additional 10% if exposure is towards infrastructure. The upper-layer NBFCs are typically the top 10 ones in terms of asset size.
• However, NBFCs that are into infrastructure finance can have exposure of 25 per cent, with an option of an additional 5 per cent of Tier I capital to a single counterparty.
• For a group of connected counterparties, infrastructure companies can have an exposure of 35 per cent of Tier-I capital. These norms will come into effect from October 1, 2022.

APPOINTMENTS
Lt Gen. Manoj Kumar Katiyar named as next DG of Military Operations

• Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar has been appointed as the next Director-General of Military Operations.
• He would take charge of the new office on May 1st. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Lieutenant General Katiyar was commissioned in the 23rd Battalion of the Rajput Regiment in June 1986.
• Lieutenant General Katiyar is presently the General Officer Commanding of 1 Corps, a strike formation responsible for offensive operations against both Pakistan and China. He was posted as Director of General Staff Duties at Army Headquarters. He also commanded an infantry brigade along the Western borders and a mountain division

Shanti Sethi appointed as Kamala Harris’s defence advisor

• Indian-American Navyveteran Shanti Sethi has been appointed as USA Vice President Kamala Harris’s Defence Adviser.
•  Shanti Sethi is the first Indian-American commander of a major US Navy combat ship.
• Shanti Sethi commanded the guided-missile destroyer, USS Decatur, from December 2010 to May 2012. She joined the Navy in 1993.
• When she joined the Navy in 1993, the combat exclusion law was still in effect so she was limited in what she could do. However, when she was an officer, the Exclusion Act was lifted.
• Recently, US Senate has confirmed the appointment of Ketanji Brown Jackson (the first Black woman) to Supreme Court Judge.

Published date : 22 Apr 2022 06:12PM