April 2021 National Affairs

• AP signed MoU with Microsoft to provide Skill Development Training to Students & Unemployed youth
  In a major initiative, state government has roped in Microsoft to take up skill development training for the college students and unemployed youth in the state. Microsoft has agreed to provide training to about 1.62 lakh students in the coming one year.
  
  An Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at a virtual conference held on Friday. This is considered to be biggest and first of its kind initiative by any government to cover entire graduated youth of the state.
  
  The move is aimed at accelerating digital skilling of the youth to enable to employable in the industry. “This first-of-its-kind partnership aims to provide a holistic skilling solution, empowering the youth of the state with next generation digital skills. Microsoft will collaborate with higher education department to create a scalable skilling experience that includes access to learning content on Microsoft’s learning resource center, Microsoft Learn, educational webinars, experiential learning through hands-on lab exercises and industry certifications courses from Microsoft and LinkedIn,” announced Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India.
  
  He said that every learner will receive a free $100 Azure credit for practical experiential learning, test preparation and certification to become a Microsoft Certified Professional.
  
  
• AP CM released 1st instalment of Rs. 671.45 crore under Jagananna Vidya Deevena scheme
  The State government has released Rs 671.45 crore towards the first instalment of Jagananna Vidya Deevena (fee reimbursement) scheme for the academic year 2020-21. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy credited the amount into the bank accounts of mothers of 10,88,439 students pursuing higher education.
  
  Addressing beneficiaries of the scheme through a video conference from his camp office at Tadepalli, the Chief Minister said education is the most valuable asset he is giving to students, whom he referred to as his brothers and sisters. The scheme is envisaged to make education accessible to the poor and the needy in the State. The real wealth which can be given to the future generation is education, which alone can eradicate poverty, he said.
  
  As promised during his 3,648 km PrajaSankalpa Yatra, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government had released Rs 4,207.85 crore for the fee reimbursement of students for the academic year 2019-20, besides clearing Rs 1,880 crore pending dues of the previous government for 2018-19. He also pointed out that none of the previous governments had reimbursed the fee arrears on such a large scale.
  
  Further, Jagan said the State government is committed to developing the education sector and launched schemes like JaganannaGoruMudha, Amma Vodi and VasathiDeevena to ensure that no poor family runs into debts for the sake of getting its children educated.
  
  
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi orders setting up of 551 oxygen plants in hospitals from PM Cares fund
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered setting up of 551 oxygen plants inside government hospitals across the country. PM CARES Fund will provide financial aid in setting up these plants. Mr Modi also ordered the concerned authorities to make these plants functional as soon as possible.
  
  Prime Minister's Office said, in line with Mr Modi's direction to boost availability of oxygen to hospitals, PM CARES Fund has approved allocation of funds for the installation of 551 dedicated Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Medical Oxygen Generation Plants inside public health facilities.
  
  The PMO said, these plants will be established in identified government hospitals in district headquarters in various States and Union Territories. The PMO said that such an in-house captive oxygen generation facility will address the day-to-day medical oxygen needs of these hospitals and the district.
  
  In addition, the liquid medical oxygen (LMO) will serve as a “top up” to the captive oxygen generation. Such a system will go a long way in ensuring that government hospitals in the districts do not face sudden disruption of oxygen supplies and have access to adequate uninterrupted oxygen supply to manage the COVID-19 patients and other patients needing such support, Prime Minister's Office said.
  
  
• Centre bans use of liquid oxygen for all non-medical purposes
  The Centre has directed States and Union Territories to ensure that liquid oxygen is exclusively used for Medical Purposes only. The exception to nine industries has also withdrawn in order to enhance availability of Medical Oxygen in the country.
  
  Union Home Secretary and Chairman National Executive Committee, Ajay Bhalla has written to Chief Secretaries of States and Administrators of Union Territories in this regard. Mr Bhalla has asked all manufacturing units to maximise their production of liquid oxygen and make it available to the government for use for medical purposes only with immediate effect until further orders.
  
  All stocks of liquid oxygen should also be made available to the government for use of medical purposes. Mr Bhalla said, no exception is allowed to any industry with regard to use of liquid oxygen.
  
  
• Indian Navy deploys ‘Oxygen Express’ to Island territories
  As part of the nation's fight against COVID 19, Indian Navy ships under Headquarters, Southern Naval Command at Kochi are progressing with the mission of OXYGEN EXPRESS in order to render support to the local administration of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep (UTL).
  
  In the early hours today, 25 Apr 21, INS Sharda, based at Kochi, undertook transfer of essential medical supplies to the capital of UTL, Kavaratti. The stores consisted of 35 Oxygen cylinders, Rapid Antigen Detection Test (RADT) kits, Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE), masks and other items to fight the COVID 19 pandemic.
  
  The disembarkation of stores was coordinated by personnel from INS Dweeprakshak at Kavaratti. The ship then continued with her mission to the island of Minicoy for disembarkation of Oxygen cylinders and medical supplies.
  
  Additionally, 41 empty Oxygen cylinders from the islands have been embarked onboard Indian Navy hired vessel, Meghna. The vessel is now headed to Kochi for refilling of the empty cylinders and will head back to UTL with filled cylinders soon to ensure that the Oxygen Express continues unabated.
  
  The operations are being progressed under the supervision of the Naval Officer-in-Charge at Lakshadweep in coordination with the UTL Administration.
  
  To assist the civil administration in fighting COVID 19 at the island of Kadmat, a Naval contingent comprising one doctor, two Medical Assistants and one additional sailor reached Kadmat AM today (25 Apr 21). The personnel have been deputed from SNC, Kochi as well as from INS Dweeprakshak, Kavaratti.
  
  HQSNC has also reserved ten beds including ICU facilities for patients from Lakshadweep at INHS Sanjivani, Kochi to cater for shortages in beds at the islands. Also, Naval Air Station INS Garuda has also been placed on to extend Naval airfield facilities for UTL helicopters ferrying patients.
  
  Air Evacuation Pods developed indigenously by the Naval Aircraft Yard, Kochi to airlift COVID-19 patients from the Islands as well as from elsewhere are also being made ready for emergency requirements.
  
  
• When is National Panchayati Raj Day observed?
  National Panchayati Raj Day is observed on April 24 every year. The day is a great opportunity for leaders and others to directly interact with the representatives of the Panchayats or village heads from all across the country.
  
  On National Panchayati Raj Day or Panchayati Raj Diwas, work done by the Panchayat leaders are recognized and appreciated.
  
  Facts to know of National Panchayati Raj Day 2021
  SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) will be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on National Panchayati Raj Day
  
  National Panchayati Raj Day will witness a nationwide rollout of SVAMITVA Scheme and a coffee table book
  
  Around 74,000 Panchayats are participating in the National Panchayati Raj Awards 2021
  
  This is an increase of 28 per cent from last year's participations on National Panchayati Raj Day.
  
  There are more than 2.6 lakh Panchayats in the countrywide three-tier system, which includes the Gram Panchayat (village level), Block Samiti or Panchayat Samiti (block level) and Zila Parishad (district level).
  
  The three-tier Panchayat system works towards social and economic development of people at the grassroot level
  
  Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh declared the first National Panchayati Raj Day in 2010
  
  In 1993, the 73rd Constitutional Amendment came into force institutionalising Panchayati Raj system
  
  
• Defence Minister approves temporary hiring of additional contractual staff
  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved temporary hiring of additional contractual staff in 51 Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme polyclinics across the country.
  
  The move will ensure availability of immediate medical attention to Covid patients. This mechanism will be in force till 15th August of this year.
  
  The contractual staff for identified ECHS polyclinics will be hired through Station Headquarters for night duty.
  
  
• PM Modi directed officials to ensure rapid upgradation of health infrastructure in country
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed officials to ensure rapid upgradation of health infrastructure in the country. Mr. Modi chaired a meeting yesterday with top officials to review the Covid-19 related situation in the country. He got an overview on the situation in the country relating to oxygen availability, medicines and health infrastructure.
  
  The Empowered Group working on boosting Oxygen Supply briefed the Prime Minister on the efforts being made to ramp up availability and supply of oxygen in the country.
  
  They informed the Prime Minister about increasing allocation of Oxygen to states. It was discussed that the production of liquid medical oxygen in the country has increased from five thousand 700 tonnes per day in August last year to the present eight thousand 922 tonnes, as on 25th of April.
  
  The domestic production of liquid medical oxygen is expected to cross nine thousand 250 tonnes per day by the end of this month.
  
  Prime Minister instructed the officials to work closely with state governments to start the PSA Oxygen plants at the earliest. Officers also apprised Mr.
  
  Modi that they are encouraging states to also set up PSA Oxygen plants. He was also briefed about the functioning of the Oxygen Express Railways Service as well as the domestic sorties and international sorties undertaken by Indian Air Force to transport oxygen tankers.
  
  
• Chief of Army Staff visits Siachen & Eastern Ladakh
  Gen MM Naravane, Chief of Army Staff visited Siachen and Eastern Ladakh and reviewed the operational situation in the sectors.
  
  He was accompanied by Lt Gen YK Joshi, Army Commander, Northern Command and Lt Gen PGK Menon, GOC, Fire & Fury Corps.
  
  Gen Naravane interacted with the troops and complimented them for their steadfastness and high morale, while being deployed in some of the harshest terrain, altitude and weather conditions.
  
  The COAS was later briefed by GOC Fire and Fury Corps on the prevailing security situation and operational preparedness in the Corps Zone. The Army Chief is scheduled to return back on 28 April 2021.
  
  
• Govt procures over 232 lakh tonnes of Wheat from more than 22 lakh farmers
  Government has procured over 232 lakh tonnes of Wheat benefitting more than 22 lakh farmers.
  
  The procurement of Wheat has recently commenced in Rabi Marketing Season in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir at Minimum Support Price.
  
  Consumer Affairs Ministry has said that Paddy procurement in the ongoing season Kharif 2020-21 is continuing smoothly in the procuring States with purchase of over 710 lakh tonnes of paddy against the last year corresponding purchase of 646 lakh tonnes.
  
  The Ministry said, more than one crore six lakh farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season procurement Operations with MSP value of more than one lakh 34 thousand crore rupees.
  
  
• Air India to airlift 10,636 oxygen concentrators from various countries
  Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said that Air India is going to airlift 10,636 oxygen concentrators manufactured by Philips from various countries.
  
  Mr Puri said that such 636 concentrators have already flown in from US to India. He said, the consignments are flying in every day and the whole task will be completed within this week.
  
  
• Govt targets 17 million tonnes mustard production by 2025-26
  The Government plans to bring around nine million hectares of land under mustard cultivation and raise the production to around 17 million tonnes (mt) by 2025-26, according to Shubha Thakur, Joint Secretary (Oilseeds), Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
  
  Speaking at a webinar on ‘Mission Mustard 2025’, organised by Solvent Extractors’ Association (SEA) of India on Friday, she said that the average normal area for five years from 2014-15 to 2018-19 was 5.9 million hectares and the production was around 7.7 mt.
  
  Stating that the Government is setting an ambitious target for 2025-26, she said going by the success in the past, the area is expected to increase to around nine million hectares and production to around 17 mt.
  
  Seeking close coordination and cooperation of the industry to achieve this, she said along with the government support and farmers' hard work this can be made possible.
  
  For 2021-22, the government is targeting an area of 7.58 million hectares with a production of 12.24 mt.
  
  The Government targeted 368 districts in 13 States last year for mustard cultivation, and it will be continued this year also. Around ?160 crore was spent on mustard mission last year, she said.
  
  
• Covaxin found to neutralize 617 variant of Corona virus, says Dr. Fauci
  Covaxin, India's home-grown COVID-19 vaccine, has been found to neutralize Double Mutant or 617 variant of the Corona virus. This was stated by White House chief medical adviser and America's top pandemic expert Dr. Anthony Fauci. The statement comes days after Indian Council of Medical Research announced that Covaxin is effective against the Double Mutant.
  
  Dr. Fauci said despite the real difficulty that we are seeing in India, vaccination could be a very, very important antidote against this.
  
  Developed by Bharat Biotech in partnership with National Institute of Virology and Indian Council of Medical Research, Covaxin was approved for emergency use on January 3. Trial results later showed the vaccine has an efficacy of 78 per cent.
  
  
• 40 countries have come forward to provide assistance to India: MEA
  The Ministry of External Affairs has said that 40 countries have come forward to provide assistance to India to fulfil the requirements of several medical equipment and medicines in the country.
  
  Foreign Secretary Harshvardhan Shringla said, consignments carrying medical equipment and medicines have started to arrive in India from various countries. He said, the U.S. has pledged to help the country in its fight against the pandemic. Mr. Shringla informed that three flights are scheduled to arrive from the United States within a week. He said, two flights will reach tomorrow carrying the oxygen generating equipment and oxygen cylinders. He said, a cargo flight arriving tonight from UAE with ventilators and Favipiravir medicines.
  
  The Foreign Secretary said, supply of liquid oxygen is one of the topmost priorities of the government. He said more than 500 oxygen generating plants and four thousands oxygen concentrators are going to arrive in the country within a few days.
  
  Mr. Shringla also informed that several global drug manufacturing companies have assured to provide medicines like Remdesivir, tocilizumab and favipiravir.
  
  The Health Ministry has said, vaccination is a crucial pillar in the fight against the coronavirus and the third phase of Covid-19 vaccination will be implemented from 1st May. The Ministry has informed that the highest numbers of over 11 lakh 80 thousand doses of vaccines are available in Uttar Pradesh, followed by Bihar wherein 8 lakh 36 thousand doses are left to be administered.
  
  Centre provides over 16 crore doses of Covid vaccines to States, UTs free of cost
  The Health and Family Welfare Ministry has informed that more than one crore six lakh doses of Covid vaccines are still available with the States and Union Territories.
  The Union Government has provided over 16 crore 16 lakh doses of vaccines to States and Union Territories free of cost so far. Of this, the total consumption of doses including wastages is over 15 crore 10 lakh.
  
  The Ministry has assured that more than 20 lakh vaccine doses will be provided to States and Union Territories within the next three days. On the alleged shortage of vaccines in Maharashtra, the Ministry has clarified that over one crore 63 lakh doses of vaccines have been received by Maharashtra so far. Of this, the total consumption including wastage was over one crore 56 lakh.
  
  The Ministry said, a total of seven lakh 49 thousand 960 vaccine doses are still available with the State. It added that more than 20 lakh 48 thousand doses of vaccine will be delivered in the next three days.
  
  The Health Ministry has said, vaccination is a crucial pillar in the fight against the coronavirus and the third phase of Covid-19 vaccination will be implemented from 1st May. The Ministry has informed that the highest numbers of over 11 lakh 80 thousand doses of vaccines are available in Uttar Pradesh, followed by Bihar wherein 8 lakh 36 thousand doses are left to be administered.
  
  Char Dhamyatra cancelled due to surge in Covid cases
  In Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Teerath Singh Rawat has said that Char DhamYatra is cancelled due to surge in Covid Cases and the web portals of the four shrines will be opened as per the schedule.
  
  TeerthPurohit and priest of the shrines will perform rituals as earlier but devotees will be not allowed to perform poojaarchana at shrines. Portals of Gangotri, Yamunotri, KedarNath and BadariNath will be open next month.
  
  Agriculture Infrastructure Fund applications cross Rs. 8,000 crore mark
  Agriculture Infrastructure Fund has crossed the eight thousand crore mark. The investment will give a boost to several agricultural projects which will unlock value for farmers across the country.
  
  The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has informed that a total of eight thousand 665 applications worth eight thousand 216 crore rupees have been received for the fund. The largest share of 58 per cent has been contributed by Primary Agricultural Credit Societies followed by agri-entrepreneurs and individual farmers.
  
  The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund has brought farmers and agri-businesses together with newer partnership models. The fund will facilitate medium and long-term debt financing facilities for investment in agricultural projects through interest subvention and credit guarantee.
  
  Under the scheme, one lakh crore rupees will be provided by banks and financial institutions as loans with interest subvention of 3 per cent per annum and credit guarantee coverage for loans up to two Crore rupees.
  
  PM Modi reviews Army’s preparedness and initiatives to deal with Covid situation in country
  
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the Army’s preparedness and initiatives to deal with Covid-19 situation in the country. Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane discussed various initiatives being taken by the Army to help in Covid management.
  
  General MM Naravane informed the Prime Minister that medical staff of the Army is being made available to various state governments. He added that the Army is setting up temporary hospitals in various parts of the country.
  
  Mr. Naravane apprised the Prime Minister that the Army is opening up its hospitals for civilians. He informed that the Army is helping with manpower for imported oxygen tankers and vehicles where specialized skills are required to manage them.
  
  
• Operations of Oxygen Express trains expanded to Haryana and Telangana
  Operations of Oxygen Express trains have been expanded to Haryana and Telangana after Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. Continuing the momentum, there are three more trains on the run either carrying Liquid Oxygen or on the way to the loading plants.
  
  It is expected that cumulative liquid medical oxygen (LMO) carried by Indian railways will reach almost 640 metric tonne in the next 24 hours.
  
  Haryana will receive its first Oxygen express as a train with two tankers from Angul in Orissa. The continuous stream of Oxygen trains to Haryana will ensure oxygen replenishment to the Covid-19 patients in the state.
  
  Telangana government has also requested Indian Railways for Oxygen Express. An empty rake is on its way from Secunderabad to Angul with 5 empty tankers and is expected to reach Angul today.
  
  Uttar Pradesh received its Oxygen Express no. 5 carrying 76.29 metric tonne of liquid medical oxygen yesterday in 5 tankers. One Tanker was offloaded in Varanasi while the remaining 4 tankers are offloaded in Lucknow. Train no. 6 is already on its way to Lucknow and is expected to arrive today carrying 33.18 metric tonne LMO in 4 tankers.
  
  Railways is in full preparedness for providing oxygen transportation services to all the states in need. In the ongoing operation, States provide tankers to the Railways.
  
  Railways then proceeds in fastest feasible mode to bring the Oxygen supplies from the locations and delivers it the requisitioning State. The deployment and use of this Oxygen is done by the State Government.
  
  
• First batch of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V to arrive in country today
  The first batch of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine SputnikV is scheduled to arrive in India today.
  
  The Russian vaccine's arrival is expected to boost India's efforts in ramping up its capacity to vaccinate more people.
  
  
• Import duty on vital diagnostic kits, reagents used in COVID-19 related diagnosis waived off by centre for 6 months
  The Centre has waived off import duty on vital diagnostic kits and reagents used in COVID-19 related diagnosis for the next six months.
  
  The decision has been taken to supplement testing efforts. The exemption has been given till the 31st of October, 2021.
  
  
• Finance Ministry decides to provide additional amount of upto Rs 15,000 cr to States
  The Finance Ministry has decided to provide an additional amount of upto 15 thousand crore rupees to States as interest free 50 year loan for spending on capital projects.
  
  The Department of Expenditure has issued fresh guidelines in this regard on the Scheme of Financial Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure for the financial year 2021-22.
  
  Under the Scheme, financial assistance is provided to the State Governments in the form of 50-year interest free loan.
  
  An amount not exceeding 12,000cr rupees was earmarked for the scheme for the financial year 2020-21 and a sum of over 11,830cr rupees was released to the States. This helped to sustain state level capital expenditure in the pandemic year.
  
  In view of the positive response to the scheme and considering the requests of the State Governments, the Government has decided to continue the scheme in the year 2021-22.
  
  
• Ministry of Tourism signs MoU with Cleartrip and Ease My Trip
  The Ministry of Tourism signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cleartrip and Ease My Trip on 15th April 2021.
  
  The primary objective of this MoU is to provide extensive visibility to accommodation units that have self-certified themselves on SAATHI (System for Assessment, Awareness & Training for the Hospitality Industry) on the OTA platform.
  
  The MoU also outlines both parties to encourage Units to register on NIDHI and thereby on SAATHI and encourage the local tourism Industry with appropriate safeguards for curbing the spread of COVID-19.
  
  The idea is also to gather more information on accommodation units in order to gain actionable insights & designing evidence-based & targeted policy measures and promote safe, honourable and sustainable tourism.
  
  The Ministry of Tourism & the Online Travel Companies will endeavour to take the necessary steps to encourage and promote strategic and technical co-operation in the tourism sector for overall benefit in the identified areas through the MoU. It is expected that more such MOUs will be signed in the future in order to strengthen the Hospitality & Tourism Industry.
  
  
• India Holds National Dialogue on UN Food Systems Summit 2021
  The United Nations Secretary General has called for the first ever UN Food Systems Summit to be held in September 2021 to strategize the actions for positive change in Agri-food systems in the World to realize the vision of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Summit will focus on levers and pathways to shape food systems nationally and globally to accelerate progress in the SDGs.
  
  The Summit 2021 is planned to be essentially participatory and consultative and needs the game changing ideas from the experiences through the National, Sub-national (State) and independent consultation for the five Action Tracks related to safe and nutritious food, sustainable consumption patterns, nature-positive production, advance equitable livelihoods, and resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress.
  
  The COVID-19 pandemic led vulnerability and challenges faced by the humanity in food and related system has further added to the need for reorienting our actions and strategies beyond specific cropping or farming systems to entire agri-food systems covering production, distribution and consumption.
  
  India with close to 18% humanity on the Globe owes paramount stake in this Food System Summit. India has volunteered, but not limited to, to the Action Track 4: Advance Equitable Livelihoods for the UN Food System Summit 2021. To take the process further the Government has constituted ahigh level Inter departmental Group under the Chairmanship of Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog along with the representatives from Ministries of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoAFW), Rural Development and others. The prime function assigned to this group is to conduct National Dialogues with all the stakeholders of agri-food systems for exploring national pathways towards creating sustainable and equitable food systems in India and suitably contribute to transformation in global food systems to meet the needs of present and future. The consultative processes shall culminate in the Food System Summit in September, 2021 in which Hon’ble Prime Minister is likely to participate along with other Global leaders.
  
  The first National Level Dialogue on Agri-Food Systems-Advancing Equitable Livelihoods has been conducted on 12 April, 2021. The National Dialogue was facilitated by the Inter departmental Group constituted by Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers Welfare and the representatives from UN Agencies in Delhi.
  
  The day long deliberations were attended by farmers organisations, farmer producer organisations, civil society organisations, research institutions& experts and the government agencies.
  
  
• PM Modi Inaugurates 6th Raisina Dialogue
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 2021 “Raisina Dialogue”, through video-conferencing. The Raisina Dialogue 2021 is the sixth edition of the annual dialogue, organised from April 13 to 16, 2021, in full digital form for the first time due to the coronavirus pandemic.
  
  Raisina Dialogue is India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, organised annually since 2016.
  
  About the Raisina Dialogue 2021:
  The theme for the 2021 conference is “#ViralWorld: Outbreaks, Outliers and Out of Control”.
  
  The four-day dialogue is jointly organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the think-tank Observer Research Foundation.
  
  President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame and Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen joined the Inaugural Session as Chief Guests.
  
  The event will have a total of 50 sessions. Around 150 speakers from 50 countries and multilateral organisations are participating in the dialogue.
  
  The Raisina Dialogue is one of the leading global conferences on international affairs. It brings together leading minds from the global strategic and policy-making community to discuss broader foreign policy and strategic issues facing the world.
  
  
• When is Civil Services day observed?
  Civil Services day is celebrated on April 21st every year, the day is observed by all Civil Services to re-dedicate and re-commit themselves to the cause of the people.
  
  The day provides an unique opportunity for introspection as also for working out future strategies to deal with the challenges being posed by the ever changing times.
  
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi has wished all the Civil Servants on the occasion of Civil Services Day. Mr. Modi said, in different terrains and across different sectors, they are working tirelessly to help our citizens and enhance national progress.
  
  Minister of State for Prime Minister Office Dr. Jitendra Singh and Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba have greeted the civil servants on the occasion of Civil Services Day.
  
  Dr. Jitendra Singh said, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when India is a front line warrior against corona, India's Civil Services are contributing substantially to live upto this unprecedented challenge.
  
  Cabinet Secretary lauded the efforts of civil servants during the battle against Covid-19 pandemic. He appealed the civil servants to continue their fight against the pandemic and work with a common vision for good governance with an objective of improving the lives of citizens.
  
  
• Bharat Biotech expands its manufacturing capacity to produce 70 crore doses of Covaxin annually
  Bharat Biotech has expanded its manufacturing capacity across multiple facilities in Hyderabad and Bangalore to produce 700 million doses of Covaxin annually.
  
  The government on Monday approved a payment of about 4,500 crore rupees as advance to vaccine makers including Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India (SII) that is producing AstraZeneca’s Covishield in India.
  
  The move came ahead of opening the vaccination drive to all citizens over 18 years of age. SII will supply 200 million doses and Bharat Biotech is set to supply another 90 million doses to the government by July at a pre-agreed rate of 150 rupees per dose.
  
  Bharat Biotech said manufacturing has been scaled up in a step-wise manner, and raw and packing materials, and single-use consumables have been secured adequately.
  
  The company said it is able to expand Covaxin’s manufacturing capacity in a short time due to the availability of new specially designed BSL-3 facilities, a first-of-its-kind for manufacturing in India.
  
  Bharat Biotech said, manufacturing partnerships are being explored in other countries with facilities that have prior expertise with commercial scale manufacture of inactivated viral vaccines under biosafety containment.
  
  To further increase capacities, Bharat Biotech has partnered with Indian Immunologicals (IIL) to manufacture the drug substance for Covaxin. The technology transfer process is underway and IIL has the capabilities and expertise to manufacture inactivated viral vaccines at commercial scale and under biosafety containment.
  
  
• Centre extends insurance scheme for health workers under PMGKY Package for one year
  Central government has extended the insurance scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) Package for health workers for a period of one year.
  
  Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Harshvardhan said that Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package has provided a safety net to the dependents of corona warriors who lost their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic.
  
  
• Railway Minister announces Rs 50,000 award for Mayur Shelke for exemplary act of bravery
  Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has announced 50 thousand rupees award for Mayur Shelke for exemplary act of bravery.
  
  On the 19th of this month, Mayur showed exceptional courage in saving a precious life by rescuing a child who had slipped and fallen on the tracks from the platform.
  
  Mayur Shelke in absolute disregard of his own life rescued the child by running in front of the oncoming train and lifted the child to safety by placing him on the platform.
  
  Mayur Shelke works as a Pointsman at Vangni Railway station in Mumbai Division of Central Railway.
  
  
• Centre rolls out allocation plan for distribution of ‘Remdesivir’ in 19 states
  Centre has rolled out an allocation plan for distribution of anti-viral drug Remdesivir in 19 states reporting higher number of COVID-19 cases.
  
  The allocation includes bulk purchases made by the States as well as supplies through private distribution channels.
  
  This initial allocation is till 30th of this month and it will be reviewed constantly in consultation with the States to ensure all needs can be met within the available supplies.
  
  The Health Ministry has asked the manufacturers to consider supply orders already made to them, geographical proximity with a State and terms of supply and give inputs for mapping of manufacturers to states for the allocated volumes.
  
  They have also been directed to manufacture and dispatch the supplies as per the agreed State allocation and mapping.
  
  All States may place their supply orders to manufacturers either by the Government purchase or distribution channel as per the allocation and manufacturer-wise mapping.
  
  The States have been asked to immediately appoint State Nodal officers who will be responsible for unrestricted and timely movement of Remdesivir within their States.
  
  Control Room set up by National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority will be responsible for monitoring the operations as per the allocations to states.
  
  A Whatsapp group comprising Nodal officers of States is being created to coordinate unhindered movement of Remdesivir within the country.
  
  Keeping in mind the sudden surge in demand for Remdesivir Injection, the government has ramped up the manufacturing capacity of its domestic manufacturers.
  
  The government has extended all support to manufacturers.
  
  The production capacity is being ramped up from current level of 38 lakh vials per month to 74 lakh vials per month, and 20 additional manufacturing sites have been approved.
  
  Export of Remdesivir has also been prohibited to shore up domestic supplies.
  
  
• Union Cabinet approves Rs 13,277 crore subsidy for urea produced through coal gasification
  The Union Cabinet on April 20 approved a plan to boost fertilizer production in India through the use of technology oriented processes. A crucial component of Make in India, a new subsidy costing Rs 13,277 crore will be exclusively provided to Talcher Fertilizers Limited (TFL).
  
  According to CCEA, the project will improve availability of fertilizer to farmers thereby boosting development of eastern region -- Bihar, Odisha and Jharkhand, and will save transport subsidy for supply of urea in eastern part of the country. Also, it would assist in reducing urea imports to the tune of 12.7 LMT per annum leading to savings in foreign exchange, the statement added.
  
  As coal prices are non-volatile and coal is abundantly available, coal gasification plants are strategically important. The CCEA was of the opinion that Talcher plant would reduce dependence on important Natural Gas for production of urea leading to reduction in LNG import bill.
  
  The gasification process adopted in Talcher unit is a clean coal technology giving negligible SOx, NOx and free particulate emissions as compared to directly coal fired processes, the official statement said.
  
  The Cabinet also approved an agreement signed between India and Bangladesh on cooperation in trade remedial measures. It also gave its nod to mutual recognition agreements signed between the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and its counterparts in Australia and New Zealand.
  
  
• CDSCO has extended the license validity for regulated medical devices for 6 months
  The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation on 18th April 2021 has extended the validity of licence for regulation of CT scan equipment, implant devices and MRI equipment’s for another 6 months.
  
  The Health Ministry had earlier notified eight medical items including all Implantable Medical Devices, CT scan equipment, MRI equipment, Defibrillators, PET Equipment, Dialysis Machine, X-Ray Machine, and Bone marrow cell separator to be regulated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act which was to come into effect from 1st April 2021 under Medical Devices Rules 2017).
  
  As per the earlier notification importers/manufacturers are required to take import/manufacturing licence from Central Licencing Authority or State Licencing Authority, as the case may be, for import/manufacture, w.e.f. 1st April, 2021.
  
  
• AP CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launch YSR Zero interest crop loan scheme
  AP Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has released Rs 128.47 crore as interest subvention amount directly into savings accounts of 6,27,906 farmers who took crop loans of up to Rs 1 lakh during the 2019-20 Rabi season and repaid them in the stipulated time.
  
  The amount was credited to their accounts under “YSR Zero Interest Crop Loan Scheme (Sunna VaddiPantaRunalu)”. The amount (Rs 289 crore) for Kharif 2019-20 was already credited to the accounts of the farmers on previous occasions.
  
  Releasing the amount, the Chief Minister said only when the welfare of the farmers is assured, the development of the state is possible. He said as per Food and Agriculture Survey, 60 per cent of 780 crore population in the world are dependent on the agriculture and allied sectors.
  
  He said in the last two years every effort was made to help the farmers in every way. To provide 9-hour free quality power to 18.70 lakh pumpsets in the state, the State government has spent Rs 17,600 crore in the last two years and to ensure free power supply during day time, Rs 1,700 crore was spent to install additional feeders.
  
  He explained that free quality power will benefit farmers and said on an average a farmer with 7.5 hp motors uses 45 units power per day, that is 1,350 units per month. A unit of power costs Rs 5.20 crore, that is Rs 7,020 will be the total cost on a single motor of 7.5 hp. A motor is used for 200 days that is, Rs 46,000 is spent on power.
  
  
• Health Ministry issues revised Clinical Guidance for Management of Adult COVID-19 Patients
  The Health Ministry has issued a revised Clinical Guidance for Management of Adult COVID-19 Patients. The guidelines issued by AIIMS, ICMR-COVID-19 National Task Force and the Joint Monitoring Group DGHS under the Ministry said, under emergency use authorization, Remdesivir may be considered for only those patients with moderate to severe diseases requiring supplemental oxygen within 10 days of onset of symptoms.
  
  It said, Remdesivir is not recommended for those with severe renal impairment or hepatic dysfunction. It said, Remdesivir not to be used in patients who are not on oxygen support or in home settings.
  
  The guidelines recommended Emergency Use Authorization or off-label use of Tocilizumab drug in case of severe diseases, preferably within 24 to 48 hours of the onset of the disease or ICU admission.
  
  It said, Tocilizumab may be considered in patients with significantly raised inflammatory markers and not improving despite use of steroids with there being no active bacterial or fungal or tubercular infection.
  
  The guidelines recommended off-label use of convalescent plasma only in the early moderate disease, preferably within seven days of symptom onset and only on availability of high titre donor plasma.
  
  It said, upper respiratory tract symptoms or fever without shortness of breath or hypoxia has been categorised as mild disease and people have been advised home isolation and care.
  
  
• Steel fraternity supplied 1.43 lakh metric tons of medical oxygen to different states: Dharmendra Pradhan
  Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan has said that the steel fraternity stands with the nation in it's collective fight against covid-19 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
  
  The Minister revealed that the steel plants from across the country have already supplied 1.43 lakh metric tons of medical oxygen to different states with the central public sector enterprises in the steel sector contributing about 39 thousand metric tons of medical oxygen till now.
  
  Union Steel Minister Mr Pradhan said that the Rourkela Steel plant under the Steel Authority of India Limited and the Kalinganagar plant of Tata Steel in Odisha are also pitching in with their efforts to augment supply of medical oxygen to different states.
  
  Both the Rourkela Steel plant and Tata Steel plant in Odisha have already supplied about 70 metric tons of medical oxygen to Delhi and Maharashtra.
  
  In response, the chief minister of Delhi Mr Arvind Kejriwal and the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thakre have thanked Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for helping them with logistics for supply and transportation of medical oxygen from Odisha to their respective States.
  
  Earlier, Mr. Patnaik, speaking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over phone, had promised Odisha's cooperation at the national level including ramping up oxygen production to assist other states during this emergency.
  
  
• 25 new manufacturing sites approved for Remdesivir production: Govt
  Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said that 25 new manufacturing sites for Remdesivir's production have been approved since 12th of this month. In a tweet, Mr Mandaviya said, production capacity is now ramped up from 40 lakhs vials per month to around 90 lakhs vials per month. He said, very soon, three lakh vials per day will be produced. The Minister said, monitoring is being done on daily basis and government will do all possible to supply Remdesivir.
  
  
• When is National Administrative professional day observed?
  Administrative Professionals Day, also known as Secretaries Day or Admin Day, is celebrated every year on April 21 to honor and thank the over 3.6 million administrative and clerical assistants in the US, who work tirelessly to make businesses successful.
  
  It falls on the Administrative Professionals Week observed every year from April 18 to 24.
  
  This year, the day assumes added significance as the majority of administrative professionals has been working from home, battling the COVID-19 outbreak.
  
  Initially christened National Secretaries Day by the International Association of Administrative Professionals in 1952, using the last full week of April to thank the administrative professionals has undergone many changes, depending on the changing face of administrative responsibilities in today's workforce.
  
  Here are five different ways to show administrative professionals your gratitude for their hard work.
  Gifts To Cheer Them Up: According to staffing firm Robert Half, gifts can help a manager express his gratitude to his support staff. A sweet treat, gift basket, or a book can show them their work is valued. Now that the pandemic has forced us indoors, a video tribute or an e-card can also be a great gift idea.
  
  Time Off To Relax: Allowing them to log off early or giving them some extra rest time is an ideal way to thank them. Virtual breaks, where the staff can share a coffee or talk about a non-work topic, is also a refreshing idea.
  
  Words Of Appreciation: Though one needn't wait for Administrative Professionals Day to thank support staff, the day is a reminder as to why good words are important. Also, ensure that your words are tailor-made for each staffer, as a personal touch can work wonders.
  
  Team Building Activities: Gift them with training activities. Every administrative professional would appreciate the effort to hone his or her skill. This can have an immediate effect on productivity besides boosting employees' job satisfaction.
  
  Giving Awards: Robert Staff also stresses the significance of offering internal accolades such as employee of the month. Giving a certificate that acknowledges and honors the staffer and sharing an email praising their work on the company's intranet can make the employee feel special.
  
  
• Centre bans export of Remdesivir& its active ingredients till Covid situation improves in country
  Centre has prohibited exports of injection Remdesivir and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients of Remdesivir till the COVID situation in the country improves.
  
  India is witnessing a recent surge in COVID cases and there are over 11 lakh active COVID cases. This has led to a sudden spike in demand for injection Remdesivir used in treatment of COVID patients. There is a potential of further increase in this demand in the coming days.
  
  All domestic manufactures of Remdesivir have been advised to display on their website, details of their stockists and distributors to facilitate access to the drug. It said, Drugs inspectors and other officers have been directed to verify stocks and check their malpractices and also take other effective actions to curb hoarding and black marketing.
  
  The States and UTs have been advised that these steps should again be communicated to all hospitals, both in public and private sector, and compliance monitored.
  
  Seven Indian companies are producing injection Remdesivir under voluntary licensing agreement with Gilead Sciences, USA. They have an installed capacity of about 38 lakh 80 thousand units per month.
  
  
• Volcano again erupts on Island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
  In the Caribbean islands of St Vincent and the Grenadines, a new explosion was reported today at the La Soufrière volcano which first erupted on Friday blanketing the island in a layer of fine volcanic rock ash.
  
  According to reports, the island is witnessing power outages and cutoff in water supplies.
  
  The volcanic eruption has forced around 16,000 people to evacuate their homes.
  
  
• President Ram Nath Kovind to be on 3-day visit to Purvanchal in Uttar Pradesh
  President Ram Nath Kovind will be on a three-day visit to Purvanchal in Uttar Pradesh. During his visit, he will participate in many programmes in Sonbhadra and Mirzapur districts. Elaborate security arrangements have been made in and around the programme venues.
  
  President Ramnath Kovind will pay obeisance and perform Pujan at the Baba Vishwanath Temple . In the evening, he will witness the world famous Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamegh Ghat on the banks of the river Maa Ganges. Tomorrow, The president will attend the BanavasiSamagam program at Chhapki of Sonbhadra district and dedicate the newly constructed building of Seva Kunj Ashram there.
  
  The President is also scheduled to visit the Mirzapur district tomorrow afternoon and pay obeisance to Maa Vindhyavasini Devi. On Monday, the third day of his visit the President will attend the inaugural session of the program on 'Ganga, Environment and Indian Culture' organized by the Media House Jagran Forum.
  
  
• Jal Shakti Minister to chair Conference of Ministers of States, UTs on Jal Jeevan Mission
  Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will be chairing a Conference of States and UTs Ministers on Jal Jeevan Mission tomorrow and review the progress made under the Mission.
  
  The conference is being organized to discuss planning, implementation and progress made so far as well as the way forward so that the remaining households in villages get tap water connections at the earliest.
  
  The Mission is a flagship programme of the Centre for providing tap water connection in every rural household by 2024. Since announcement of Jal Jeevan Mission on 15th August 2019, significant progress has been made across the country. So far, more than 3.79 crore rural households have been provided with tap water connections.
  
  
• Mera Ration Mobile App for migratory ration card holders launched
  Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has launched Mera Ration Mobile App for the benefit of those ration card holders who move to new places in search of livelihood.
  
  Addressing media in New Delhi Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said that at present 32 States and Union Territories are covered under One Nation One Ration Card- ONORC and integration of remaining four States and UTs is expected to be completed in next few months.
  
  He also informed that at present, the system covers nearly 69 Crore National Food Security Act- NFSA beneficiaries in the country. Mr. Pandey informed that the ONORC has proved to be a tremendous value-added service to each NFSA beneficiary during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly migrants, which allowed them to avail the benefit of subsidised foodgrains.
  
  
• INS Karanj, Third Scorpene-Class Submarine Commissioned Into Indian Navy
  INS Karanj, India's third stealth Scorpene-class submarine, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in Mumbai on Wednesday. The diesel electric submarine was commissioned into the Indian Navy in Mumbai in presence of Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh and Admiral (Retired) VS Shekhawat.
  
  Speaking at the launch event, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh said, "Indian Navy has been a strong proponent of indigenization and self-reliance in defence over past seven decades. At present, out of 42 ships and submarines on order, 40 are being constructed in Indian shipyards."
  
  "The impetuous to atmanirbharta or indigenization is a fundamental tenet of Indian Navy's growth story and future trajectory," he added.
  
  
• India’s fintech sector valuation to touch $150-160 billion by 2025: Report
  India is strongly poised to realise a fintech sector valuation of USD 150-160 billion by 2025, translating to an incremental value-creation potential of about USD 100 billion, a report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Ficci said.
  
  The report, titled ‘India FinTech: A USD 100 Bn opportunity’, noted that over the past five years, Indian fintech companies have raised about USD 10 billion from investors all over the world, catapulting the sector’s total valuation to an estimated USD 50-60 billion.
  
  “India is strongly poised to realise a fintech sector valuation of USD 150-160 billion by 2025, translating to an incremental value-creation potential of approximately USD 100 billion.
  
  “Further, it is estimated that to meet this ambition, India’s fintech sector will need investments of USD 20-25 billion over the next five years,” it added.
  
  India has seen a sharp rise in the number of financial technology (fintech) firms. Of the over 2,100 fintech firms existing in India currently, 67 per cent have been set up in the past five years.
  
  While Indian fintechs have cumulatively raised more than USD 10 billion since 2016, eight fintech companies have reached the ‘billion-dollar-valuation’ milestone (unicorns) and an additional 44 are valued at over USD 100 million as of date, it added.
  
  The report said COVID-19 has accelerated the pace of digitisation across categories. While certain fintech segments (for example, lending) may see a blip in the near term, there is a large sustainable behaviour change towards digital offerings in financial services.
  
  Between March 2020 and January 2021, UPI payments (by value) have risen to 3x of their pre-pandemic value, while other payment modes have declined. Similar acceleration has also been seen in online broking, where the share of active clients with fintech discount brokers (Zerodha, Upstox, 5paisa) grew from 43 per cent to 57 per cent in the same timeframe.
  
  
• Bengaluru airport launches India’s first dedicated express cargo terminal
  The Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru now has India’s first dedicated Express Cargo Terminal exclusively for export and import of international couriers.
  
  It has a dedicated space for customs offices with direct access to both Landside and Airside wing of the airport.
  
  The exclusive Terminal for express couriers at south India’s busiest Cargo Airport in Bengaluru will enable ease of doing business and reduce transaction time and cost for the shipper.
  
  The new facility will enable Bengaluru Airport to process 150,000 Metric Tonnes annually, taking the Airport’s overall annual cargo capacity to 720,000 MT, from the existing 570,000 MT.
  
  
• India’s biggest floating solar plant to be commissioned in next three months
  India’s largest national power company (NTPC) is developing India’s largest floating solar power plant in terms of power generation (100MW) in Ramagundam in the Peddapalli district of Telangana.
  
  The project is in line with India's commitment to achieve the goal of achieving 175 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2022, including 100 GW of installed solar capacity.
  
  Floating solar power plants refer to the deployment of photovoltaic panels on the surface of water bodies. They are a viable alternative to terrestrial solar arrays used in India.
  
  There are a large number of large reservoirs in the southern region, which provides a huge opportunity for using floating solar energy to obtain renewable energy.
  
  The thermal power plant in Ramakundan will be one of the renewable (solar) power plants developed by NTPC, with an installed capacity of 447MW in its southern region, and its full capacity will be put into use in March 2023. National Thermal Power Co., Ltd:
  
  NTPC Ltd. is a central public sector enterprise (PSU) under the Ministry of Electric Power. It is the largest energy group in India, and its roots can be traced back to 1975. It was established to accelerate the development of electricity in India.
  
  It aims to provide reliable power supply and related solutions in an economical, efficient and environmentally friendly manner through innovation and agility. It became Maharatna Corporation in May 2010. It is located in New Delhi.
  
  
• When is the Pi Day observed?
  Pi Day is celebrated on March 14, commemorating Pi (the Greek letter p). This idea originated in the United States. In the United States, it is agreed to write the date in a format that represents March 14th as 3/14.
  
  These three numbers match the value of pi to up to two decimal places, which is 3.14.
  
  Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter of the circle. Pi is also the area of the circle divided by the square of its radius. The ratio is always constant.
  
  Pi is an irrational number, represented by the symbol "p".
  
  Pi is used in geometry, trigonometry, physics, astronomy, and other sciences. It appears in various formulas. Several important formulas are:
  
  The area of the circle is pr2.
  
  The volume of the cylinder is pr2h.
  
  The surface area of the ball is 4pr2.
  
  The volume of the sphere is 4/3 (pr3).
  
  The volume of the cone is 1/3 (pr2h).
  
  
• Centre likely to allow residents to fill their NPR details online
  The Centre will allow residents to fill the National Population Register (NPR) form on their own, through the online mode, a month before the door-to-door enumeration by Census officials starts.
  
  After filling the form online, residents will get a reference code that they can mention to the field enumerator at the time of her or his visit.
  
  Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on February 1 that 3,768 crore had been allocated for the Census in the financial year 2021-22.
  
  Though no separate budget for the NPR has been allocated in this fiscal, 3,941.35 crore was approved for updating the NPR in 2019-20.
  
  The first phase of the decennial Census exercise — the House-listing and Housing Census along with updating the NPR was scheduled to be held from April 1, 2020.
  
  It was postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is unlikely to be held this year.
  
  The second and main phase of Census — the population enumeration — was to be concluded by March 5 this year.
  
  On January 21, 2020, residents were to be given an option to self-enumerate only in the second phase.
  
  As per an annual report of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the option will now be made available for updating the NPR also.
  
  The NPR earlier collated in 2010 and 2015 has an electronic database of more than 119 crore residents.
  
  
• Government to shed AAI stake in Delhi, Mumbai airports
  on an ambitious asset monetisation drive to raise additional resources, and hoping to raise Rs 20,000 crore through sale of assets under the Ministry of Civil Aviation in 2021-22, the Government is looking to divest the remaining equity stake held by Airports Authority of India (AAI) in the Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports.
  
  The Ministry would obtain requisite approvals for the divestment of equity stake of AAI in the joint ventures for the Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports.
  
  Once approval comes through, the Government is likely to sell the remaining shareholding of AAI in these four key airports.
  
  Currently, AAI holds 26 per cent stake each in the Delhi and Mumbai airports, 13 per cent in Hyderabad and 13 per cent in the Bengaluru facility. The GMR Group owns 54 per cent stake in the Delhi airport, while Adani Group hold 74 per cent in the Mumbai airport.
  
  In addition to these four airports, AAI holds 49 per cent stake in Nagpur, 7.47 per cent in Kannur, and 51 per cent in Chandigarh.
  
  The stake sale will lift the Government’s asset monetisationprogramme to drive development projects and boost economic activity.
  
  But AAI’s equity presence is also important because it ensures crucial oversight, especially in terms of keeping user costs within reasonable limits.
  
  Last year, the Government had privatised six airports — Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Mangalore, Jaipur, Guwahati and Thiuvananthapuram — and the AAI Board approved leasing of at least six more for undertaking operations, management and development through PPP.
  
  Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that as part of its asset monetisationprogramme, the Government plans to privatise AAI-owned airports in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
  
  Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola had said that AAI was exploring a new model wherein a profitable airport and a non-profitable airport will be clubbed together before being brought to the table.
  
  The Government has set an ambitious target of around Rs 2.5 lakh crore through asset monetisation in 2021-22, comprising various asset classes across eight ministries.
  
  Sources confirmed that the Ministry of Railways has a target of over Rs 90,000 crore for the year FY’22, Department of Telecom Rs 40,000 crore, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways Rs 30,000 crore and Ministry of Power Rs 27,000 crore.
  
  The Ministries of Civil Aviation, and Youth Affairs and Sports, have targets of Rs 20,000 crore each for FY’22.
  
  
• All about 2020 Sahitya Akademi Awards
  The National Academy of Letters announced the name of the "2020 SahitayaAkademi Award" on March 12, 2021. These names were announced during the opening of the annual "Literature Festival" event.
  
  The award will be awarded to politician writer M VeerappaMoily, poet Arundhathi Subramaniam and 20 other writers. Subramaniam's collection of poems "When God is a Traveler" won the grand prize in English. VeerappaMoily was named Kannada for his epic poems, named "Sri Bahubali Ahimsa Digvijayam". This list includes seven poems, five short stories, four novels, two plays, one memoir, and one epic, including 20 Indian languages.
  
  The awards for Nepali, Malayalam, Odiya and Rajasthani languages will be announced later.
  
  In the "Poetry Category", the award was organized by Harish Menaksi (Gujarati), RS Bhaskar (Konkani), Anamika (Hindi), IrungbamDeven (Manipuri), Nikhileshwar (Thailand). Lugu) and RupchandHansda (Santali) awarded.
  
  In the "novelty category", Imaiyam (Tamil), Nanda Khare (Marathi), Mahesh Chandra Sharma Gautam (Sanskrit) and Sri Hussain-ul-Haque were named the winners. Apurba Kumar Saikia (Assamese), HidayKoul Bharti (Kashmiri), DharanidharOwari (Bodo), Gurdev Singh Rupana (Punjabi) and Kamakant Jha (Maithili) won the short story award.
  
  These books were selected based on the recommendations of a three-member jury in the relevant language. They made the final decision based on the procedures established for this purpose. According to the resolution, the Executive Board will announce the award based on the unanimous selection of the jurors or the selection of the majority vote.
  
  The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in our country India. It was awarded by Sahitya Akademi, the National Writing Institute of India. The award is given to the most outstanding literary achievement books, which are published in any of the 24 major Indian languages, including Hindi, English and the other 22 languages of the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. The award includes a casket, which consists of an engraved bronze plaque and a shawl, in the amount of 1,00,000 rupees.
  
  
• Centre asks States, UTs to ensure hassle free movement of Oxygen carrying vehicles
  The Centre has asked all States and Union Territories to ensure hassle-free inter and intra-state movement of Vehicles carrying Medical Oxygen.
  
  Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has asked them to fully comply with the supply plan prepared for distribution of medical logistics including Medical Oxygen.
  
  Mr. Bhalla urged the state governments to ensure that no restrictions shall be imposed on oxygen manufacturers and suppliers to limit the oxygen supplies only to the hospitals of the State in which they are located.
  
  The Centre has said that Medical Oxygen is an essential public health commodity and any impediment in its supplies can critically impact the management of patients suffering from COVID-19 disease in other parts of the country.
  
  
• Railways Ministry approves to transport Liquid Medical Oxygen container trucks on Roll-on roll-off basis
  Indian Railways has given in-principle approval to transport Liquid Medical Oxygen container trucks on Roll-on roll-off (Ro-Ro) basis.
  
  In a first of its kind operation approved by the Railway Ministry, the Indian Railways will soon carry cryogenic tanker trucks loaded with Liquid Medical Oxygen from one part of the country to another.
  
  The decision has been taken by the Railway Ministry in view of request received from Maharashtra government for transportation of liquid oxygen into the state.
  
  The Railways have said that through this mechanism a significant amount of transportation cost and crucial time can be saved while delivering Medical Oxygen to Health care facilities, specially in view of surge in COVID cases.
  
  
• Govt ramping up medical infrastructure to deal with Covid pandemic, says Health Minister
  Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has said the government is continuously ramping up its medical infrastructure to deal with COVID-19 pandemic. He said, there is no shortage of essential items like medical oxygen and ventilators.
  
  Dr. Harshvardhan today visited AIIMS Trauma Centre facility in New Delhi. The Minister will visit various health care facilities over the next few days to assess and further scale-up facilities in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases.
  
  The Minister will hold a meeting tomorrow with the Health Ministers of States where the cases are rising at a rapid pace.
  
  The Health Minister stressed on the need to strict adherence of Covid appropriate behaviour.
  
  
• Indian Air Force Commanders’ Conference 2021 concluded in New Delhi
  The Indian Air Force Commanders’ Conference 2021, themed ‘Reorienting for the Future’ concluded at Air headquarters in New Delhi on Friday. The three day conference saw detailed deliberations on ways and means to enhance the operational capabilities of the IAF.
  
  Air Officers Commanding-in-Chief of the seven commands and key appointments from Air headquarters attended the conference. The conference was addressed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh yesterday.
  
  The Chief of Defence Staff, Navy Chief and Army Chief also addressed the conference and interacted with the commanders on subjects of future war-fighting through joint planning and integration of service capabilities.
  
  The actions and follow-up plans for implementing the directions given by Prime Minister during the Combined Commanders’ Conference were discussed by the participants.
  
  The other key subjects included reorientation of the Indian Air Force for future challenges across all threat domains, and the roadmap for effective utilisation of assets and future inductions.
  
  The contours of the operational philosophy and organisational aspects of Air Defence and Joint Command Structures were also discussed.
  
  In his address to the Commanders, the Air Force Chief emphasised the need for incorporation of new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and 5G, enhanced utilisation of cyber and space domains and continuous update of doctrines, tactics and procedures.
  
  He stressed upon empowerment of junior leadership through comprehensive HR reforms and increasing efficiency through organisational restructuring. He also highlighted the requirement for innovative and low cost solutions for enhancing training effectiveness as well as adopting a scalable contingency response model.
  
  
• Railways starts 71 unreserved passenger trains
  Indian Railways starts the services of 71 unreserved trains.
  
  They include Varanasi- Sultanpur, Amritsar- Pathankot, Jalandhar City- Pathankot, Ferozpur- Ludhiana, Bhatinda- Ferozpur, Delhi-Rohtak, Delhi-Panipat.
  
  These trains will be run by Northern Railway.
  
  Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has said that these trains will ensure safe and comfortable journey for the passengers.
  
  
• PM Modi to interact with students, teachers and parents through Pariksha Pe Charcha on April 7
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with students, teachers and parents in this year's Pariksha Pe Charcha at 7 PM on 7th April of this month.
  
  This will be a first edition of this mega event which will be held in a virtual mode due to restrictions posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. During the Pariksha Pe Charcha programme, Prime Minister will share ideas and suggestions to prepare and appear in exams without taking any stress.
  
  Mr. Modi said, memorable discussion will be held with the exam warriors, parents and teachers in a new format having several interesting questions on a wide range of subjects.
  
  During the last year's Pariksha Pe Charcha event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shared valuable tips to the participants. He said, students will play an important role in building a new India in this decade.
  
  Terming Pariksha Pe Charcha close to his heart, Mr. Modi said that through this event, he can find out what the yound mind think. Mr. Modi told that he wants to help the students in overcoming the stress related to exam as a family member.
  
  Pariksha Pe Charcha is a part of a larger initiative - Exam Warrior - led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to create a stress-free atmosphere for youngsters. This is a much-awaited annual event where Prime Minister will held a brain storming session with the school students, teachers and parents. During the event, the Prime Minister will respond to questions related to stress in examination.
  
  The questions were invited through MyGov platform and selected questions will be featured in the programme. School students, teachers and parents from all across the country have been selected through an online creative writing competition designed specifically for them on MyGov platform.
  
  There were different topics assigned for students, parents and teachers in the contest. A small group of students from among the winners, will also get an opportunity to interact with the Prime Minister.
  
  
• India contributes $300,000 to UN Women
  India has contributed $300,000 to the United Nations agency for gender equality and women empowerment, a contribution lauded by the UN entity.
  
  He said India reaffirms its support for gender equality and women empowerment, describing UN Women as a “valued partner in our progress from women’s development to #women-led development.”
  
  Assistant-Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women Anita Bhatia thanked India for the contribution and its support to UN Women and said that “Women-led development envisions women as agents of change driving measurable impact in the lives of women & girls.”
  
  
• Vice President releases book ‘Suparipalana’ by Dr Shailendra Joshi
  Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has released a book named ‘Suparipalana’. Suparipalana book has been written by retired civil servant Dr Shailendra Kumar Joshi.
  
  The book highlights administration, public policy, and Governance in India and also includes various topics such as “laughter is the best medicine” to “the relevance of swadeshi in the modern perspective”.
  
  Shri AnnavarapuBrahmaiah has translated this book into Telugu and was published by Shri Maruthi.
  
  Suparipalana is a Telugu version of “Echo T Calling: Towards People-Centric Governance”.
  
  former Telangana Chief Secretary, Shri S K Joshi authored “Echo T Calling: Towards People-Centric Governance” book.
  
  
• MEA says Raisina Dialogue 2021 to go fully digital
  The organisers of Raisina Dialogue 2021 have decided to host this year’s edition as a fully digital event, instead of the hybrid event planned earlier.
  
  The Observer Research Foundation and the External Affairs ministry, which jointly organise the Raisina Dialogue, had earlier planned to hold the event with limited in-person attendance of around 100 people, including foreign dignitaries, in New Delhi scheduled to be held next week.
  
  The decision to move to a fully digital version was made as a measure of abundant caution, given the Covid-19 situation in various parts of the world. The spokesperson said, it underlines the strong sense of responsibility that the organisers feel towards the safety of all those involved with the dialogue.
  
  
• CBI interim appointments cannot go on, says SC
  The Supreme Court remarked that interim appointments of the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) cannot go on.
  
  A bench comprising of Justices L Nageswara Rao and Vineet Saran was hearing a petition filed by NGO Common Cause seeking the appointment of a regular director. Attorney General (AG) KK Venugopal said that the senior-most person was appointed as CBI interim director.
  
  The AG further informed that the meeting of the High-Powered Committee comprising of Prime Minister, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Leader of Opposition has been deferred to May 2nd in view of the ongoing elections and also the impending retirement of the incumbent CJI SA Bobde on April 23.
  
  
• When is the National Maritime Day observed?
  National Maritime Day is being observed on 5th April 2021.
  
  5th of April is a landmark date in the navigation history of India. It is on this day in 1919 when Indian shipping embarked on its maiden voyage as India’s first merchant vessel, the SS Loyalty, journeyed from Mumbai to London.
  
  In India, more than 90 percent of the goods of a country’s trade are moved through maritime transport. The number of vessels in the Indian Shipping Register has increased from a paltry 59 in the year 1947 to an impressive 1,392 ships in 2019, with the gross tonnage rising commensurately to over 12 million GRT.
  
  
• IMF upgrades India's growth forecast to 12.5 percent in 2021 backed by recovery and vaccination drive
  The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has upgraded its growth projection for India to 12.5 per cent for Financial Year 2021-22. In its latest World Economic Outlook report, the IMF has pegged India's GDP to grow 1 per cent higher than its previous report published in January this year.
  
  The Washington-based International Financial Institution has projected a contraction of 8 percent in the growth in the last fiscal while it has forecasted a growth of 6.9 per cent in the next financial year beginning in 2022. IMF has also said that inflation will taper down to 4.9 per cent in the current financial year.
  
  The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines and vast sums of government aid will accelerate global economic growth to a record high this year in a powerful rebound from the pandemic recession, the International Monetary Fund said in its latest forecast.
  
  The 190-country lending agency said yesterday that it expects the world economy to expand 6% in 2021, up from the 5.5% it had forecast in January. It would be the fastest expansion for the global economy in IMF records dating back to 1980.
  
  
• Indian chemicals industry is expected to reach USD 304 billion by 2025
  The Indian chemicals industry is expected to reach USD 304 billion by 2025.
  
  The Chemicals and Petrochemicals sector will play an important role in achieving the goal of a 5 trillion-dollar economy. The chemical industry occupies a pivotal position in meeting basic needs and improving quality of life as well.
  
  
• India crosses a Landmark Milestone with Highest Single day Vaccine Coverage of more than 43 Lakh doses administered in the last 24 hours
  In a landmark achievement in India’s fight against Covid19, more than 43 lakh vaccination doses were administered in the last 24 hours. This is the highest single day vaccination coverage in the country so far.
  
  As on Day-80 of the vaccination drive (5th April, 2021), 43,00,966 vaccine doses were given. Out of which, 39,00,505 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 48,095 sessions for 1st dose and 4,00,461 beneficiaries received 2nd dose of vaccine.
  
  In another significant development, the cumulative number of COVID19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 8.31 Cr today. The first dose vaccinations have also exceeded the landmark figure of 7 crore (7,22,77,309) doses.
  
  Cumulatively, 8,31,10,926 vaccine doses have been administered through 12,83,816 sessions. These include 89,60,061 HCWs who have taken the 1st dose and 53,71,162 HCWs who have taken the 2nd dose, 97,28,713 FLWs (1stdose), 42,64,691 FLWs (2nddose), 3,41,06,071 1st dose beneficiaries and 8,12,237 2nd dose beneficiaries more than 60 years old and 1,94,82,464 (1st dose) and 3,85,527 (2nd dose) beneficiaries aged 45 and above.
  
  The total COVID tests conducted in the country has crossed the 25-crore mark. The cumulative positivity rate has marginally increased to 5.07%.
  
  
• President promulgates Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021
  The President promulgated the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 on 4th April 2021. The Cabinet had approved on 31st March 2021 the proposal to make amendments in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (Code), through the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021.
  
  The amendments aim to provide an efficient alternative insolvency resolution framework for corporate persons classified as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) under the Code, for ensuring quicker, cost-effective and value maximising outcomes for all the stakeholders, in a manner which is least disruptive to the continuity of MSMEs businesses and which preserves jobs.
  
  The initiative is based on a trust model and the amendments honour the honest MSME owners by trying to ensure that the resolution happens and the company remains with them.
  
  The Amendment Ordinance seeks to amend sections such as 4, 5, 11, 33, 34, 61, 65, 77, 208, 239, 240 & insert new sections such as 11A, 67A, 77A and a new chapter as IIIA on Pre-Packaged insolvency resolution process for MSMEs in the Code based on recommendations made by the Insolvency Law Committee (ILC).
  
  
• All about INS SARVEKSHAK IN MAURITIUS
  INS Sarvekshak, a hydrographic survey ship, is on a deployment to Mauritius for undertaking joint hydrographic surveys along with their Mauritian counterparts. During the deployment, training of Mauritian personnel on advanced hydrographic equipment and practices will also be undertaken. The ship visited Port Louis, Mauritius and commenced the hydrographic survey of ‘Deep sea area off Port Louis’.
  
  INS Sarvekshak, a specialised survey ship is fitted with state-of-the-art survey equipment like Deep Sea Multi-Beam Echo Sounder, Side Scan Sonars and a fully automated digital surveying and processing system. In addition, the ship carries an integral Chetak helicopter, which would be extensively deployed during the survey.
  
  INS Sarvekshak has undertaken various foreign cooperation surveys over the last few years in Mauritius, Seychelles, Tanzania and Kenya.
  
  
• Union Agriculture Minister launches 'Madhu Kranti Portal' & 'Honey Corners'
  Madhu Kranti Portal” is an initiative of National Bee Board (NBB), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare under National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM).
  
  This portal is being developed for online registration to achieve traceability source of Honey and other beehive products on a digital platform. The technical and banking partner for development of this digital platform is Indian Bank. An MoU between NBB and Indian Bank was signed for this project.
  
  Keeping in view the importance of beekeeping, a new Central Sector Scheme entitled National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM) was approved by Government of India for Rs. 500.00 crores allotted under AatmaNirbhar Bharat Announcement for overall promotion and development of scientific beekeeping & to achieve the goal of “Sweet Revolution”.
  
  NBHM is implemented through National Bee Board (NBB). The scheme has three Mini Missions (MM-I, II & III) under which main thrust is given on awareness, capacity building/trainings, focus on women empowerment through beekeeping, setting up of requisite infrastructural facilities, viz.; Integrated Beekeeping Development Centres (IBDCs), Honeybees Disease Diagnostic Labs, Setting up of/upgradation of Honey Testing labs, Beekeeping Equipment Manufacturing Units, Custom Hiring Centres, Api therapy Centres, Development of Quality Nucleus Stock Centres & Bee Breeders, etc., Digitization/online registration, etc. under MM-I, processing, value addition, market support, etc. under MM-II and R&D under MM-III.
  
  
• Dr. Harsh Vardhan launches Tribal Health Collaborative ‘Anamaya’
  Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare along with Shri Arjun Munda, Union Minister of Tribal Affairs launched ‘Anamaya’, the Tribal Health Collaborative through video conference today.
  
  A multi-stakeholder initiative supported by Piramal Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF),‘Anameya’ will converge efforts of various Government agencies and organisations to enhance the health and nutrition status of the tribal communities of India.
  
  Also the Tribal TB Initiative was launched by both the Ministries to fulfil the Prime Minister’s goal of ‘TB MuktBharat’ by 2025, five years ahead of the global deadline.
  
  
• Cabinet approves PLI Scheme for Air Conditioners and LED Lights worth Rs 6238 crore
  The Union Cabinet also approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for White Goods - Air Conditioners and LED Lights with a budgetary outlay of Rs 6,238 crore.
  
  The prime objective of the PLI scheme is to make manufacturing in India globally competitive by removing sectoral disabilities, creating economies of scale and ensuring efficiencies. The scheme is expected to attract global investments, generate large scale employment opportunities and enhance exports substantially.
  
  The PLI Scheme for White Goods will extend an incentive of 4 to 6 per cent on incremental sales of goods manufactured in India for a period of five years to companies engaged in manufacturing of Air Conditioners and LED Lights. A number of global and domestic companies including MSMEs are likely to benefit from the Scheme.
  
  
• Education Minister Ramesh PokhriyalNishank launches SARTHAQ initiative for implementation of NEP
  A new initiative SARTHAQ launched which will help in the implementation of National Education Policy in the country.
  
  The students and teachers holistic advancement through quality education, SARTHAQ has been initiated as a part of the Amrit Mahotsav celebrations.
  
  It will pave the way for the children and youths to meet the diverse national and global challenges.
  
  It will also help them to imbibe 21st century skills, indian tradition, culture and value system as envisioned in National Education Policy.
  
  The implementation of SARTHAQ would benefit all stakeholders including 25 crore students, 15 lakh schools, 94 lakh teachers.
  
  All the stakeholders to use this plan as a guiding light to undertake transformational reforms in the school education sector.
  
  
• NITI Aayog to launch Online Dispute Resolution handbook
  NITI Aayog will launch the first-of-its kind Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) handbook in India.
  
  ODR is the resolution of disputes outside courts, particularly of small and medium-value cases, using digital technology and techniques of alternate dispute resolution such as negotiation, mediation, and arbitration.
  
  Supreme Court Judge, Justice D Y Chandrachud will deliver the opening address and launch the handbook.
  
  
• Teeka Utsav to be organised from tomorrow (April 11th) across the country
  Teeka Utsav is being organized across the country from tomorrow (April 11th) to fight against the surging COVID-19 cases. The mass vaccination programme will be conducted till 14th of this month.
  
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a mass vaccination programme from tomorrow till 14th of this month and observe it as a vaccination festival.
  
  11th April is the birth anniversary of Jyotiba Phule and 14th is the birth anniversary of Baba Saheb Ambedkar. Mr Modi urged the youth to come forward and help senior citizens and others who need help to register for COVID vaccination.
  
  All eligible persons can register and book an appointment with the help of CoWIN portal and AarogyaSetu App. On-site registration facility is also available. India is witnessing rapid rise in Covid-19 cases. People are requested to come forward for vaccination.
  
  
• Governor approves AP vote-on-account budget ordinance
  Governor Biswabhushan Harichandan on Sunday approved Andhra Pradesh Vote-on-Account Budget Ordinance. The ordinance okays a total expenditure of Rs 70,994.98 crore over a period of three months.
  
  An amount of Rs 86,000 crore has been approved for the first three months of this financial year, that is, till the end of June.
  
  The state government had earlier planned to hold a budget session of the AP Legislative Assembly to okay the vote on account. But the session had to be postponed because of gram panchayat and municipal elections in the state.
  
  The government has thus taken the ordinance route for the vote on account, which has now received the Governor’s approval.
  
  The ordinance became mandatory for the new financial year, as the state government has to pay salaries, pensions and make other payments.
  
  
• AP CM Jagan inaugurates Kurnool Airport
  Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday inaugurated Kurnool Airport located at Orvakal and named it after the freedom fighter Uyyalavada Narasimha Reddy.
  
  After inauguration, the Chief Minister said that the flight operations from the airport will commence from March 28, servicing to Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam, and Chennai routes.
  
  He stated that the airport is equipped with all the latest technology, fine infrastructure, which can facilitate parking for four aircraft.
  
  Stating that this will be the sixth civilian airport in the State after Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Vijayawada, Rajamundry and Kadapa, the Chief Minister said that the airport was set up in the Judicial Capital of Andhra Pradesh, connecting other states.
  
  The State government had developed the airport on a war footing within a year and a half by spending ? 110 crore on completing all the pending works, building lounges, getting ATC and DGCA permissions, and even establishing power substations and two high-end fire engines were made available at the airport.
  
  The Chief Minister unveiled the statue of the former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy in front of the Airport Passenger Terminal building and inspected the buildings inside the airport.
  
  The Chief Minister released a special postage stamp on the occasion of the inauguration of Kurnool Airport.
  
  
• 40% of RTI rejections last year did not invoke valid reason
  The Centre has rejected 4.3% of all Right to Information (RTI) requests in 2019-20, the lowest ever rate, according to the Central Information Commission’s annual report.
  
  However, almost 40% of these rejections did not include any valid reason, as they did not invoke one of the permissible exemption clauses in the RTI Act, according to an analysis of report data by RTI activist Venkatesh Nayak.
  
  This includes 90% of rejections by the Prime Minister’s Office.
  
  Public authorities under the Central government received 13.7 lakh RTI requests in 2019-20, out of which 58,634 were rejected for various reasons.
  
  Rejection rates have fallen since the 13.9% rate in 2005-06, and have been steadily trending downwards since the 8.4% spike in 2014-15. In 2019-20, they hit their lowest level so far.
  
  The CIC’s annual report covers more than 2,000 public authorities across the Central government as well as the union territories.
  
  An analysis of CIC macro-data from Central ministries by Mr. Nayak shows that the Home Ministry had the highest rate of rejections, as it rejected 20% of all RTIs received.
  
  The Agriculture Ministry’s rejection rate doubled from 2% in 2018-19 to 4% in 2019-20. The Delhi Police and the Army also saw increases in rejection rates.
  
  The RTI Act allows public authorities to reject RTI requests on a number of grounds, ranging from information which would endanger life and safety to that which involves irrelevant personal information, Cabinet papers, foreign governments, copyrights, or sovereignty, security and intelligence matters.
  
  Public authorities are expected to cite the relevant clause of the Act to invoke the exemption.
  
  In 38.7% of rejections in 2019-20, however, public authorities failed to cite these permissible exemption clauses, and were classified under the ‘Others’ category in the CIC data.
  
  This is an increase from the 33% seen the previous year.
  
  The Finance Ministry alone rejected more than 10,000 cases (40% of its total RTI rejections) without providing a valid reason under the Act.
  
  
• N K Singh bats for health DFI, moving sector to concurrent list
  Health should be shifted to the Concurrent list under the Constitution, and a developmental finance institution (DFI) dedicated to healthcare investments set up, Fifteenth Finance Commission Chairman N.K. Singh said.
  
  Making a case for enhancing government spending on health to 2.5% of GDP by 2025, Mr. Singh said primary healthcare should be a fundamental commitment of all States in particular and should be allocated at least two-thirds of such spending.
  
  Bringing health into the Concurrent list would give the Centre greater flexibility to enact regulatory changes and reinforce the obligation of all stakeholders towards providing better healthcare.
  
  Addressing the NATHEALTH summit, he said the health sector was in dire need of a DFI similar to the one being set up to stimulate infrastructure investments.
  
  Such a DFI would increase healthcare access in tier-2 and tier-3 cities and also come in with technical assistance that ensures proper usage of funds.
  
  He also emphasised the importance of universalising healthcare insurance as a large section of the society still remained uncovered.
  
  While the PMJAY covers the bottom two income quintiles, commercial insurance largely covers top-income quintile, thereby creating a ‘missing middle’ class in between.
  
  This refers to people in the middle two income quintiles, where the population is not rich enough to afford commercial insurance and not poor enough to be covered under government-sponsored health insurance schemes.
  
  
• India will be the textbook guidance to the world in TB Elimination
  Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare has launched the “Tribal TB Initiative” .
  
  A Guidance Note on Joint Action Plan for Tuberculosis (TB) Elimination, a Special Edition of Tribal Ministry’s Publication ‘ALEKH’ on TB, and a document on Tribal Tuberculosis (TB) Initiative was also released at the event.
  
  The Union Health Minister noted the topical need to organize the event. He highlighted that India witnessed over 18.04 lakh TB notifications, notwithstanding the difficulties presented because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its related regulation/preventive strategies.
  
  In spite of all the unforeseen challenges of COVID 19, the Government of India was able to convert all those into opportunities for TB Elimination by introducing bidirectional screening for COVID-19 and TB, strengthening diagnostic networks and combining TB screening in COVID surveillance activities’ he pointed out.
  
  Health being a holistic subject influenced by all aspects of life, the necessity to have a multisectoral collaboration with various Ministries and Departments to reach out to the most vulnerable population categories was underscored to achieve the elimination target by 2025.
  
  Health Minister reiterated that the UT of Lakshadweep and district of Badgam in Jammu & Kashmir have been declared TB Free on World TB Day this year while several other States and Districts across the country have been awarded for their progress made towards achieving the SDGs related to TB.
  
  The Government accords top priority to ensuring Universal Access to free treatment and care for TB across the country.
  
  In India, we have over 10 Cr tribal population living with a huge diversity in their population dynamics. Through constant efforts, our government is able to see developments in their health indicators and overall wellbeing.
  
  The government has already increased the Budget allocation for TB in India a four-fold in the last 5 years.
  
  High quality drugs, diagnostics, digital initiatives, innovative private sector interventions and community engagement intervention, are all aligned to rapidly decline TB incidence and mortality in the country.
  
  The Ministers were apprised that over 104 million tribal population lives in India, across 705 tribes, accounting for 8.6 % of the country’s population.
  
  177 tribal districts were identified as high priority districts where physical remoteness, malnutrition, poor living conditions and lack of awareness contribute to the vulnerability of the tribal population to TB.
  
  Initially, the activities of the joint plan will be focusing on 161 districts across 18 identified States.
  
  They would involve deploying improved vulnerability mapping techniques, organization of sensitization and capacity building workshops for volunteers, periodic TB active case finding drives, provision of TB Preventive Therapy (IPT) to identified vulnerable population and develop long term mechanisms for vulnerability reduction.
  
  The Union Health Minister mentioned that the linking of NIKSHAY Portal of MoHFW and Swasthya Portal of the M/o Tribal Affairs will help boost data compilation on TB and pave way for efficient and convergent actions.
  
  India will be the textbook guidance to the world in TB elimination, if we could achieve this by 2025, even before the global SDG target of 2030.
  
  
• Green Zone Sites approved for Drone Operations
  34 Green Zone sites were approved for “No-Permission-No-Take off’ (NPNT) -compatible drone operations.
  
  The Ministry of Civil Aviation has approved the licensing of drone operations for “No-Permission-No-Take off’ (NPNT) in another 34 green areas to facilitate, simplify and promote drone operations in the country.
  
  The approved location allows drones to be used up to 400 feet Above Ground Level (AGL). These areas are in addition to the 26 green zone sites approved in February 2021 and the 6 green zone sites approved in April 2020.
  
  According to the regulations of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), “NPNT or ‘No Permission – No Take-off’" compliance enables all remotely piloted aircraft (except Nano) to obtain a valid permit through the Digital Sky platform before operating in India.
  
  This further allows the drone to be unable to operate until the necessary approvals.
  
  When flying in these approved "green zones", you can know the time and location of the flight just through the Digital Sky portal or app.
  
  The framework requires users to register on an online portal, which is a national unmanned traffic management system for remotely piloting aircraft.
  
  The flight of drones in green zones sites should meet the applicable conditions of the 2021 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules.
  
  
• Justice N.V. Ramana set to take over as 48th Chief Justice of India
  The current Chief Justice of India (Judge of the Supreme Court) recommends Supreme Court Judge Ramana (N.V. Ramana) as the next (48th) Supreme Judge.
  
  The judges of the Supreme Court of India and the Supreme Court of India are appointed by the President in accordance with Article 124(2) of the Constitution. As far as CJI is concerned, the outgoing Chief Justice of India (CJI) recommends his successor.
  
  The Union Minister of Law forwards the recommendations to the Prime Minister, who in turn provides recommendations to the President. The Supreme Court ruled in the "Second Judge Case" (1993) that only the Supreme Court of the Supreme Court should be appointed to the position of CJI.
  
  The collegiate panel of the Supreme Court is led by the Chief Justice of India and is composed of four other senior judges of the Supreme Court. The collegiate panel system is a system of appointment and transfer of judges developed through the Supreme Court’s judgments (judge cases) rather than through the parliamentary law or the provisions of the Constitution.
  
  In 2019, the Standards Committee ruled that the Office of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) falls under the jurisdiction of the Right to Know (RTI) Act of 2005.
  
  
• President Ram Nath Kovind gives assent to three farm bills passed by parliament
  The bills are Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) bill, 2020. The act aimed at transforming agriculture in the country and raising farmers’ income.
  
  The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 permits the electronic trading of farmers’ produce and allows setting up of transaction platforms for facilitating direct online buying and selling of farm products.
  
  The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act , 2020 provides for a farming agreement prior to the production or rearing of any farm produce.
  
  A guaranteed price to be paid for the purchase of farming produce will be mentioned in such agreements.
  
  The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 allows the central government to regulate the supply of certain food items only under extraordinary circumstances such as war and famine.
  
  The new act aims at creating additional trading opportunities outside the APMC market yards to help farmers get remunerative prices due to additional competition. This will supplement the existing MSP procurement system which is providing stable income to farmers.
  
  The act will create an ecosystem where the farmers and traders will enjoy freedom of choice of sale and purchase of agri-produce. It will open more choices for the farmer, reduce marketing costs for the farmers and help them in getting better prices.
  
  
• India initiates 3rd phase of Indian beamline project in Japan
  The third phase of the Indian beamline project, a facility for materials research set up under India-Japan Scientific and Technological Cooperation, was initiated on March 23, 2021, with special focus on industrial application research.
  
  The initiation of the third phase took place with the signing of MoU between Ambassador of India in Japan Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma with Director, Institute of Material Structure Science, Dr. KOSUGI Nobuhiro.
  
  The phase would increase the number of young researchers from India to be trained in advanced X-ray techniques of material research. Besides, steps will be taken to allocate more beamtime so that more researchers can get access to it. At present, only 50 % of Indian researchers who apply receive beamtime.
  
  The Indian beamline has been constructed and maintained by Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP), Kolkata and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bangalore, in Japanese synchrotron light source Photon Factory (PF) of High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), with support from Nano Mission, Department of Science and Technology (DST).
  
  This India-Japan Scientific and Technological Cooperation project was initiated between the DST and the KEK on 24 July 2007. In the first phase (2009-2015) of this project, an X-ray beamline (BL18B) was constructed by SINP in PF, and over the years, this facility has provided substantial amount of quality beamtime for the use of Indian scientists to carry out front-ranking research in advanced materials including nanomaterials.
  
  So far, 45 Indian Institutes across the country have used this facility and published research papers in top-ranking International Journals. In the second phase (2016-2021), JNCASR and SINP jointly developed the beamline further to cater to the need of various users from India by implementing various modes of operation of the Indian beamline.
  
  The required planning was finalized during a one-year extension (April 2015 to March 2016) of first phase through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), and it was mentioned in the Joint Statement in Japan during the visit of Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, from 30 August to 3 September 2014. Recognizing the successful operation of the Indian Beam Line at High-Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) at Tsukuba as a flagship cooperative activity, both sides announced their decision to take forward this collaboration in structural materials science area to the second phase for the study of advanced materials. Now it has been extended to the third phase.
  
  
• President gives assent to Bill that says 'government' in Delhi means 'Lieutenant Governor'
  The Act has amended sections (21, 24, 33 and 44) of previous act of 1991. In summary, it says that the ‘Government’ in NCT of Delhi means the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi.
  
  The Bill says that the opinion of LG should be obtained before making any executive decision based on decisions taken by the Cabinet or any minister. The Act also empowers the LG with discretionary powers in matters where the Legislative Assembly make laws.
  
  It prohibits the Assembly and its committees from making rules to commence matters concerning everyday administration or to have inquiries in relation to administrative decisions.
  
  The Existing Act of 1991 allows the Legislative Assembly to make laws in every matter except the Public order, Police and Land.
  
  Under Article 239AA of the Constitution given by the 69th Amendment Act, 1991, Delhi is a Union territory with a legislative assembly.
  
  Elected government was not sending the files of any executive decisions to L-G before implementation. It has been keeping the L-G alongside in administrative developments, but it was not always before implementing or executing any decision.
  
  After the assent, the elected government is bound to take the L-G’s advice before taking any decision.
  
  The continuous tussle between the centre and elected government was mostly regarding the decision making policy and the L-G’s powers. In 2018, the Supreme Court judgment gave the Delhi Government an upper hand in policy decisions.
  
  The Elected government sources always said that due to the SC’s judgments, the Delhi government is able to clear policies easily. As per the state government, the amendment will substantially take away the government’s autonomy and the desire of full statehood to Delhi.
  
  
• NITI Aayog releases report on investment opportunities in India’s healthcare sector
  NITI Aayog has released a report outlining the range of investment opportunities in various segments of India's healthcare sector, including hospitals, medical devices and equipment, health insurance, telemedicine, home healthcare and medical value travel.
  
  The report was released by NITI Aayog Member Dr VK Paul, CEO Amitabh Kant, and Additional Secretary Dr Rakesh Sarwal.
  
  India's healthcare industry has been growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of around 22% since 2016. At this rate, it is expected to reach USD 372 billion in 2022. Healthcare has become one of the largest sectors of the Indian economy, in terms of both revenue and employment.
  
  In the first section, this report provides an overview of India's healthcare sector, including insights about its employment generation potential, the prevailing business and investment climate as well as the overarching policy landscape.
  
  The second section highlights the key drivers of growth for the sector and the third elaborates upon the enabling policies and investment opportunities in seven key segments—hospitals and infrastructure, health insurance, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, medical devices, medical tourism, home healthcare as well as telemedicine and other technology-related health services.
  
  
• Centre to soon roll out Unique Land Parcel Identification Number system in country
  Centre will soon roll out a Unique Land Parcel Identification Number system in the country allotting distinct IDs for each land parcel.
  
  This would be of international standard and in compliance with the Electronic Commerce Code Management Association standard and Open Geospatial Consortium standards. It will provide compatibility so that all states can adopt it easily. It will enable in keeping the land records always up-to-date. A link of all property transactions would get established.
  
  The system would ensure delivery of citizen services of land records through a single window. It would also ensure sharing of land records data across departments, financial institutions and all stakeholders. Proper land statistics and land accounting through this system will also help develop land banks and lead towards Integrated Land Information Management System.
  
  
• Govt releases Rs 4608 crore to states for providing grant-in-aid to local bodies
  The Finance Ministry has released an amount of 4 thousand 608 crore rupees to the States for providing grant-in-aid to the local bodies.
  
  The grants are both for the Rural Local Bodies and Urban Local Bodies. The grants have been released as per the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission.
  
  In the last financial year, Centre released a sum of 87 thousand 460 crore rupees to 28 States as local body grants. Out of the total amount 60 thousand 750 crore rupees have been released for Rural Local Bodies while the remaining 26 thousand 710 crore rupees have been released for Urban Local Bodies.
  
  The grants to the Rural local bodies will be partly utilised for sanitation and maintenance of open-defecation free status and supply of drinking water, rain water harvesting and water recycling. In the Urban areas, the fund will also cater to the needs of improvement in air quality, solid waste management and sanitation.
  
  
• Govt sets up three committees on occupational safety
  Central Government has constituted three expert committees to review the existing rules and regulations on safety, health and working conditions standards, pertaining to factories, docks and construction work.
  
  One committee will look into the safety parameters of industries, docks and ports while the other two committees have been asked to study and suggest rules for the building and other construction works and the fire safety.
  
  The committees include experts from industry as well as subject matter, from both public and private sector across the country.
  
  
• Railway logs highest ever route electrification in single year
  Indian Railways has logged highest ever electrification of sections covering over six thousand route kilometer in a single year during 2020-21.
  
  Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, it has surpassed the previous highest of over five thousand route kilometer achieved in 2018-19.
  
  Indian Railways has given a lot of emphasis on electrification in the recent years to reduce the country's dependence on imported petroleum-based energy.
  
  
• The PM-KUSUM scheme was launched by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)
  The first farm-based solar power plant under the Prime Minister’s Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme has come up in Jaipur (Rajasthan) district’s Kotputli tehsil with a provision for production of 17 lakh units of electricity every year.
  
  PM-KUSUM consists of three components and aims to add a solar capacity of 30.8 GW by 2022:
  
  Component-A: 10,000 MW of decentralised ground-mounted grid-connected renewable power plants.
  
  Component-B: Installation of two million standalone solar-powered agriculture pumps.
  
  Component-C: Solarisation of 1.5 million grid-connected solar-powered agriculture pumps.
  
  
• India's biggest floating solar power plant to be set up at Ramagundam in Telangana
  India's biggest floating solar power plant with a capacity of 100 MW will be set up at Ramagundam in Telangana. The project expected to be opened in May, is being set up at Ramagundam thermal power plant reservoir.
  
  The solar project is commissioned by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC). The project, which is estimated to cost around 423 crore rupees, will have 4.5 lakh photovoltaic panels.
  
  The solar panels will cover 450-acre area of the reservoir and can be expanded in the future. NTPC's efforts to set up floating solar power projects is aimed at reducing its carbon footprints and accelerate its green energy production to 30 per cent of its capacity.
  
  
• India pitches for easing cuts in crude oil production
  India on Friday pressed for easing cuts in crude oil production saying high oil prices are hurting the consumption-led recovery of several countries.
  
  OPEC and OPEC Plus have announced last week a slight easing of crude production cuts, even though it is still far below the originally announced schedule of cuts.
  
  The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) plays a key role in policy formulations relating to crude production. The OPEC Plus comprises the OPEC countries, Russia and several other crude producers.

Published date : 19 Apr 2021 02:37PM