World's Highest Railway Bridge in J&K   

• ‘Golden Joint' of the Chenab railway bridge was inaugurated recently, which is the World's highest railway bridge.

• Once finished, the bridge will be 35m higher than the Eiffel Tower.

• To commemorate 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', the world's highest bridge in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir was decked up with the Tricolor by the workers on this occasion.

• The ‘Super Arch Bridge’ on Chenab has been designed to withstand winds of up to 100kmph and has a 120-year lifespan. 

• The project is part of the ambitious 272-km long railway line from Udhampur to Baramulla joining Jammu with the Kashmir valley as an all-weather high-speed alternative, named the 'Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project'.

• The height of the bridge (from the river bed to the formation) is 359m while the main arch span is 467m with a total steel fabrication of approximately 28,660MT.

•  To ensure quality and safety, a National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) laboratory was set up.

• NABL monitored quality at all stages, weld sample tests, etc, saving huge time, and NR permitted the use of a Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing Machine to inspect welds for the first time in the country.

Kerala becomes first state to launch its own Fiber Optic Network

• Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan recently launched the KFON (Kerala Fiber Optic Network) in the state.
• With this Kerala became the first state in the country with its own internet service.
• Close to three years after it was announced, the Kerala Fiber Optic Network (KFON) initiative has received the Internet Service Provider (ISP) license from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
• With the Kerala government inaugurating the first phase of the ambitious Kerala Fiber Optic Network (KFON) project, over 8,000 government offices and educational institutions in the state will get to enjoy the benefits of high-speed connectivity. 
• KFON envisages laying a complementary optical fiber network across the state and augmenting the broadband infrastructure, bringing into the fold a total of 30,000 entities.
• It is a joint venture between the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Ltd (KSITIL), Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). 
• A consortium led by Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) is executing the project and will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the 35,000-km-long network for the next seven years.

Goals

• Announced in 2019, the KFON initiative envisages a total of 35,000 km of optical fiber network across 14 districts.
• KFON aims to create a core network infrastructure that will provide free internet access to 20 Lakh economically-backward households.

NIXI’s New Email Service

The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) announced a new email service that will be available to all.IN domain users.

It was announced in a webinar on “Digital Economy – expanding footprints” to mark the occasion NIXI’s 18th Foundation Day

NIXI will provide a personalized e-mail with 10GB space to every .IN user. 

This e-mail will be available on demand. 

A user may approach registry.in to get a free personalized email. 

Starting with five languages, the. भारत domain is now available in all 22 official languages. 

India is the only country to provide domain in 22 official Indian Languages.

Other Initiatives

• NIXI has earlier launched an education portal for IPv6 called NIXI Academy. 

• NIXI IP-Index, which will showcase the adoption rate for IPv6 in India has also been launched. 

About NIXI

National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) is a not-for-profit organization working since 2003 for spreading the internet technology to the citizens of India through the following activities:

• Internet Exchanges through which the internet data is exchanged amongst ISPs and CDNs.

• .IN Registry, managing and operation of .IN country code domain and. भारत IDN domain for India.

• NIXI manages the National Internet Registry of India delegating Internet Protocol (IPv4 and IPv6) addresses to Indian businesses.

Bharat NCAP: India’s First Car Crash Rating

• The Transport Ministry has proposed a star rating mechanism to assess the crash safety of cars.
• The new Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP), which proposes a mechanism of awarding 'Star Ratings' to automobiles based upon their performance in crash tests, will be rolled out from April 1, 2023.

About Bharat NCAP

• Bharat NCAP will be the new car safety assessment programme for cars that are produced and sold in India.
• The assessment programme proposes a mechanism for rewarding 'Star Ratings' to vehicles on the basis of their performance at a crash test facility. 
• The proposed assessment will rate by giving a star rating  of 1 to 5.

Key Features of New rating

• The Bharat New Car Assessment Programme will be applicable for all vehicles falling in M1 category that have a weight less than 3.5 tonnes and have a seating capacity of less than 9 occupants.
• Bharat NCAP rating will provide consumers an indication of the level of protection offered to occupants by evaluating the vehicle in the areas of -- adult occupant protection, child occupant protection and safety assist technologies.

• The testing protocol of Bharat NCAP shall be aligned with global crash-test protocols factoring in the existing.

Significance

• Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP) will serve as a consumer-centric platform, allowing customers to opt for safer cars based upon their Star-Ratings.
• It will promote a healthy competition among original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in India to manufacture safer vehicles.
• Bharat NCAP will encourage manufacturers to participate voluntarily in the safety testing assessment programme and incorporate higher safety levels in new car models.
• The initiative is aimed at making mobility safer amid the country witnessing a total of 3,66,138 road accidents during the calendar year 2020, causing 1,31,714 deaths.

U.S. waiver to India for S-400 purchase

• The US House of Representatives has voted in favor of granting India a waiver from CAATSA (Countering American Adversaries Through Sanctions Act).
• The decision comes amid escalating tensions between the US and Russia over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Key Highlights

• The amendment was authored and introduced by Indian-American Ro Khanna, who is the Vice-Chair of the Congressional India Caucus and member of the House Armed Services Committee.
• The amendment received an astounding majority of 330 to 99 and now awaits passage in the Senate.
• If the waiver is indeed granted, it will allow India to freely purchase Russia’s S-400 missile system without the fear of American sanctions.

About CAATSA

• CAATSA or Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act is a US legislation that imposes punitive measures, by way of sanctions, for defence and strategic engagement with “American adversaries” like Iran, North Korea, and Russia. 
• It was passed in 2017. 

Why CAATSA was created?

• The idea behind CAATSA was to punish Russia for the Crimean annexation in 2014 and its alleged role in the 2016 US presidential election.
• The sanctions are intended to economically hurt Russia over its international actions. CAATSA primarily allows the US government punish any country that engages in transactions with Russian defence and intelligence sectors.

European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) law

 European Parliament agreed upon a new law called MiCA to regulate cryptocurrencies. 
 The Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) law is the first comprehensive regulation for cryptos.

Key Provisions
 Registration- The legislature sets up requirements for crypto issuers to publish a " white paper, & quot; to register with the authorities.
 Minimum Liquidity- The legislative mandates currencies like stablecoin issuers to maintain minimum liquidity to provide for sudden large withdrawals by users, and the reserves must also be protected from insolvency.
 Supervision- European  Banking  Authority (EBA) will supervise stablecoins.

 As per law, large coins used as a means of payment will be capped at €200 million worth of transactions per day.
 Under MiCA, crypto companies will be required to declare their environmental and climate footprint.
 It excludes Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT).

Rationale behind the law

 It aims to address concerns with crypto like money-laundering, protection of consumers and investors, accountability of crypto firms, stablecoins and the environmental footprint of crypto mining.
 MiCA was proposed by the European Commission in September 2020 in an attempt to combat a wave of crypto fundraising schemes known as initial coin offerings (ICO) that frequently proved fraudulent.
 Stablecoins came in question amid the downfall of a major stablecoin, Terraform Labs’ Luna.

Partners in Blue Pacific

• The US and its allies- Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United Kingdom have launched a new initiative called ‘Partners in the Blue Pacific’.
• The initiative is launched for “effective and efficient cooperation” with the region’s small island nations.

About Partners in Blue Pacific

• The PBP is a five-nation “informal mechanism” to support Pacific islands and to boost diplomatic, economic ties in the region. 
• It speaks of enhancing “prosperity, resilience, and security” in the Pacific through closer cooperation. 
• It simply means that through the PBP, member countries together and individually will direct more resources for small island nations.

Focus areas

• The initiative members declared that they will “elevate Pacific regionalism”, and forge stronger ties with the Pacific Islands Forum.
• In a joint statement released to announce the initiative, the five member nations said that the forum remains open to cooperating with additional partners.
• The areas where PBP aims to enhance cooperation include “climate crisis, connectivity and transportation, maritime security and protection, health, prosperity, and education”.

Countering China’s growing Pacific ambition?

• As China signed a security pact with Solomon Islands in April, the deal flagged serious concerns about the Chinese military getting a base in the southern Pacific, close to the US island territory of Guam, and right next to Australia and New Zealand.
• The deal, which boosted Beijing’s quest to dominate crucial shipping lanes crisscrossing the region, rattled the US and its allies.

Strategic importance of Pacific 

• Among the 10 largest standing armies in the world, 7 reside in the Indo-Pacific; and 6 countries in the region possess nuclear weapons. 
• Nine of the world’s 10 busiest seaports are in the region, and 60 percent of global maritime trade transits through Asia, with roughly one-third of global shipping passing through the South China Sea alone.

Renewable Energy 2022: Global Status Report 

• India ranked third globally for total renewable power capacity additions with 15.4 GW in 2021, following only China (136 GW) and the US (43 GW).

• The report was titled Renewable Energy 2022: Global Status Report published by REN21.

Renewable status in India in 2021

• It ranked fourth in total solar installations (60.4 GW) for the year 2021, overtaking Germany (59.2 GW) for the first time.

• India ranked third globally for the total installed capacity of wind power (40.1 GW), behind China, the US and Germany.

• India was the second-largest market in Asia for new solar PV capacity, and third globally.

Renewable Investment in India

• India investment in renewables for the year 2021 increased by 70% to $11.3 billion. 

• India also extended its national Rs 18,100 crore ($24.3 billion) solar production programme. 

• In 2021, after India increased its cap on solar PV installations under its net metering scheme, the country’s rooftop PV market hit a record high.

Global Status

• The world, overall, added around 3,146 GW of total installed renewable power capacity in 2021.

• It is a spike of 11% from the previous year.

About REN21

• Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) is a global renewable energy community of actors from science, governments, NGOs and industry. 

• It provides up-to-date and peer-reviewed facts, figures and analysis of global developments in technology, policies and markets. 

• More than 650 experts have contributed to the outcome of the report.

Accidental Firing of Missile on Pakistan

• Recently India acknowledged that “technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile”.

• It was speculated that it was a test of one of India’s top missiles, BrahMos. 

What are the Provisions for Testing Missiles? 

• Under the pre-notification of flight testing of ballistic missiles agreement signed in 2005, each country must provide the other an advance notification on the flight test it intends to take for any land or sea-launched, surface-to-surface ballistic missile. 

• Before the test, the country must issue Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) or Navigational Warning (NAVAREA) to alert aviation pilots and seafarers, respectively.

• Also, the testing country must ensure that the launch site is not within 40 km, and the planned impact area is not within 75 km of either the International Boundary (IB) or the Line of Control (LoC). 

What is Brahmos Missile? 

• It is an Indo-Russian joint venture, has a range of 290 km and is the fastest cruise missile in the world

• BrahMos is named on the rivers Brahmaputra and Moskva.

• It operates on the "Fire and Forgets" principle i.e it does not require further guidance after launch.

•  It can be fired from anywhere, is nuclear-capable, and can carry warheads of 200-300 kg.

INS Visakhapatnam formally dedicated to city of destiny

• Recently, the India-made stealth guided-missile destroyer INS Visakhapatnam was formally affiliated to the Visakhapatnam port.

• This marks the formal induction of the first of the four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers.

• The ship is on her maiden visit to the port city for participating in the MILAN-2022.

• ‘The warship has Dolphin’s Nose and ‘Krishna jinka’, the State animal, as its emblem.

• The ship symbolises India's matured shipbuilding capability and quest for the Make in India initiative towards achieving 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'.

• INS Visakhapatnam is the lead ship of P15B class of guided-missile stealth destroyers and was commissioned on November 21 last year.

• Under the P-15B (Visakhapatnam Class), a total of four warships were planned (Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal, Surat) to be inducted.

• These ships are amongst the most technologically advanced Guided Missile Destroyers of the world,

• It is also equipped to be deployed to fight in Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) warfare conditions.

• These ships are also equipped with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and long-range Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAM).

Indian Navy’s Multi-National Exercise MILAN-2022

• The eleventh edition of MILAN is being hosted by the Eastern Naval Command at the City of Destiny, Vishakhapatnam for the first time. 

• MILAN 22 is being conducted over a duration of 9 days in two phases with the harbour phase scheduled from 25 to 28 February and Sea Phase from 01 to 04 March.

• Theme of the MILAN 2022 exercise is ‘Camaraderie – Cohesion – Collaboration’ which aims to project India as a responsible maritime power to the world at large. 

• MILAN is a biennial multilateral naval exercise incepted by Indian Navy in 1995 at Andaman and Nicobar Command.

• Originally conceived in consonance with India’s ‘Look East Policy’, MILAN expanded in ensuing years with the GOI’s ‘Act East policy’ and Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) initiative, to include participation from island nations in the Western IOR as also IOR littorals.

• Navy to Navy interactions enhance mutual understanding, cooperation and inter-operability between maritime forces.

• MILAN 22 will witness its largest-ever participation, with more than 40 countries sending their warships/high-level delegations. 

Exercise EKUVERIN 

• 11th Edition of Exercise EKUVERIN between India & Maldives will be conducted at Kadhdhoo Island, Maldives from 06 to 19 December 2021.

• The exercise will enhance synergy and inter-operability between Armed Forces of both the nations in terms of understanding transnational terrorism both on land and at sea, conducting Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Insurgency Operations and sharing best military practices and experiences.

• India and Maldives have been conducting Exercise Ekuverin meaning ‘Friends’ in the Maldivian language since 2009.

• The Defence Ministry said the exercise will go a long way in strengthening India’s relations with Maldives amidst emerging security dynamics in the Indian Ocean Region.

India’s First Underwater Train 

• India’s first underwater train in Kolkata is all set to be fully completed by 2023. 

• This is a one-of-a-kind underwater metro train that is built in India and is being compared to Eurostar which joins London and Paris.

• The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) has made a way to pass under the Hooghly River. 

• The East and West corridor will be connected via this twin tunnel over 500 meters. 

• The train will be 13 meters below the Hooghly River.

• As per reports, the train will run at a depth equal to a 10-story structure while underwater. 

• The tunnel will be built with 1.4 m-wide concrete rings, which will be part of the metro station. 

• The tunnel will have hydrophilic gaskets to prevent water from entering the tunnels.  

• According to the reports, the project has been completed at the cost of roughly INR 8600 crore.

• The project is likely to become operational by March 2023.

India’s first Liquid Mirror Telescope

India has set up its first-ever International 'liquid mirror telescope' (ILMT) in Uttrakhand.

It became the world’s first liquid-mirror telescope to be commissioned for astronomy.

The telescope has been set up at an altitude of 2450 meters at Devasthal Observatory campus of Aryabhatta Research Institute in Uttarakhand. 

The telescope is owned and operated by Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Science (ARIES).  

Countries involved 

• The major instrumentation funding was jointly provided by Canada and Belgium while India will be responsible for the operations and upkeep of the telescope.

• Joint Collaboration of countries- India, Belgium, Canada, Poland and Uzbekistan.

Different from Conventional telescope

ILMT comprises mirrors with a reflective liquid (ILMT has mercury as reflective liquid). On the other hand, a conventional telescope uses highly-polished glass mirrors.

A LMT is a stationary telescope whereas a conventional telescope moves along the direction of the object of interest in the sky.

ILMT will be capturing images of the sky on all nights, conventional telescopes observe specific objects in the sky for fixed hours only.

Significance

Enormous amount of data (10-15 GB/night) will be generated. This will be significant for the global scientific communities.

Latest computational tools, like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and big data analytics will be deployed for screening, processing and analyzing the data.

World’s Fastest Supercomputer- FRONTIER

• “Frontier”, a supercomputer built by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has become the fastest supercomputer in the world.

• It has outperformed “Fugaku” built by Japan.

 About “Frontier” supercomputer

• It has reached the Linmark benchmark score of 1.1 exaflops, making it the world’s first supercomputer to break the exascale speed barrier.

• Fugaku, now at the second position, has a Linmark benchmark score of 442 petaflops.

• 1 exaflop is equivalent to 1,000 petaflops(Peta Floating-Point Operations per Second)

• Frontier is also ranked number one as the world’s most energy-efficient supercomputer, on the Green500 list.

Technology used in “Frontier”

• Frontier is equipped with advanced micro devices (AMD).

• It has 8,730,112 total cores and is built on the latest HPE Cray EX235a architecture.

• Fugaku, the second most powerful supercomputer, has 7,630,848 cores. 

India’s Supercomputers

• Two of India’s Supercomputers are in the top 100 in the Top500 list of fastest supercomputers in the world.

• Pratyush and PARAM -Siddhi are two supercomputers of India in top 100.

Dual-mode locomotive – NAVDOOT

After e-bikes, e-cars, and e-buses, the country's dream of having an e-train is coming true. Navdoot is a battery-operated dual-mode locomotive built by West Central Railway.

Navdoot is currently being used on a trial basis during train shunting at Jabalpur, Mudwara, and other stations. After clearing all the trials, it will be used more widely.

Function and Capacity

·  The engine runs on both modes i.e. battery and electricity.

·  The e-engine can pull 18 coaches at a speed of 30 kmph. 

·  It has 84 batteries and has a capacity to pull 400 tonnes at present. 

·  Railways will save 1000 liters of diesel every day with this new locomotive. 

This Dual Mode Locomotive has also received the Best Innovation Award from the Railway Board.

West Central Railway: It is one of the 18 zones of the Indian Railways, which provides rail route coverage to the west-central region of the country. WCR serves eastern & central Madhya Pradesh, southern Uttar Pradesh, and northeastern Rajasthan.

Country’s first 2G Ethanol Plant

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated India’s first “second generation (2G)” Ethanol plant in Panipat, Haryana.

• The plant is based on state-of-the-art indigenous technology and is built at an estimated cost of over Rs 900 crore by IOCL and is located close to the Panipat Refinery.

• The plant can utilize two lakh tonnes of rice straw annually to produce about 30 million liters of ethanol annually.

• It will produce 100 kilolitre ethanol per day, after processing 750-tonne paddy straw in a day.

• This plant would provide employment to around 250 people directly and to 1000 people indirectly.

• The plant is based on ‘Enfinity’ technology developed by private firm Praj Industries Limited.

• Through the reduction in the burning of rice straw (parali), the project will contribute to a reduction of Greenhouse Gases equivalent to about 3 lakh tonnes of Carbon Dioxide equivalent emissions per annum, which can be understood as equivalent to replacing nearly 63,000 cars annually on the country’s roads.

• The first generation (1G) ethanol is manufactured from feedstock such as cereals, sugarcane juice and molasses as raw materials while Second Generation (2G) feed stocks include agri-residues like rice & wheat straw, cane trash, corn cobs & stover, cotton stalk, bagasse, Empty Fruit bunches (EFB), etc.

Cyclone ASANI 

• Cyclone Asani is expected to grow into a 'severe cyclone' over the Southeast portions of the Bay of Bengal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

• The name Cyclone Asani has been given by Sri Lanka that means ‘wrath’ in Sinhalese.

• The IMD classifies cyclones on the basis of the Maximum Sustained Surface Wind Speed (MSW) they generate.

• The IMD provides cyclone and storm surge advisories to 13 countries across the north Indian Ocean.

Occurrence of cyclones in INDIA:

• The cyclone season in India occurs twice a year, from March to May and October to December. 

• Cyclones under rare circumstances, strike between June and September.

Tropical cyclones, are powerful circular storms that form over warm tropical oceans and are marked by low air pressure, strong winds, and heavy rain.

There are six Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres (RSMCs) worldwide and five regional Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres, which are mandated for issuing advisories and naming of cyclonic storms.

IMD is one of the RSMCs and is tasked with giving a title to a cyclone that forms over the northern Indian Ocean.

High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature and People 

• India has joined the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, a group of more than 70 countries encouraging the adoption of the global goal to protect 30×30 targets. 

Key facts: 

• The High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People was initiated at the “One Planet Summit” in Paris in January 2021. The coalition aims to promote an international agreement to protect at least 30 % of the world's land and ocean by 2030 (30×30 targets). 

• The 30×30 target is a global target that aims to halt the accelerating loss of species and protect vital ecosystems that are the source of our economic security. 

• HAC is co-chaired by Costa Rica and France, and by the United Kingdom as Ocean co-chair. 

• Members: At present, the group has more than 70 countries encouraging the adoption of the global goal to protect 30×30. The members of HAC currently include a mix of countries in the global north and south. These include European, Latin American, Africa and Asia countries are among the members. 

• India is the first BRICS country to join the HAC. 

NOTE: The HAC coalition aims to promote an international agreement in order to protect at least 30 percent of the world's land and ocean by 2030. 

WHO: Revise Air Quality norms 

• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced a tight revision in its air quality guidelines (AQG). This is the first revision in the global air quality by WHO since 2005. 

• In the new guidelines, WHO has lowered the acceptable exposure levels to key pollutants, including ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter (PM). 

Key Highlights: 

• The guidelines recommend new air quality levels to protect the health of populations, by reducing levels of key air pollutants, some of which also contribute to climate change. 

• By striving to achieve these guideline levels, countries will be both protecting health as well as mitigating global climate change. 

• WHO move sets the stage for eventual shifts in policy in the government towards evolving newer stricter standards. 

• WHO’s new guidelines recommend air quality levels for 6 pollutants, where evidence has advanced the most on health effects from exposure. 6 classical pollutants include particulate matter (PM 2.5 and 10), ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO). 

Impact on India 

• The move does not have an immediate effect in India as the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) do not meet the WHO’s existing standards. 

• The government has a dedicated National Clean Air Programme that aims for a 20% to 30% reduction in particulate matter concentrations by 2024 in 122 cities, keeping 2017 as the base year 

Steps taken by India: 

• Under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), India is committed to minimise 20-30 percent of air pollution in cities. 

• NCAP was launched in January 2019 by the MoEFCC. It is the first-ever effort in India to frame a national framework for the management of air quality with a time-bound reduction target.

Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII)

• G7 countries recently launched the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII).
• The Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) was unveiled in Elmau, Germany during the G7 Summit.

About PGII

• This is an ambitious plan unveiled by US President Joe Biden and other G7 leaders to mobilize USD 600 billion in funding by 2027 to deliver transparent and game-changing infrastructure projects in developing countries like India.
• The US aims to mobilize $200 billion for PGII over the next 5 years through grants, Federal financing, and leveraging private sector investments.

What’s there for India?

• U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) will invest up to USD 30 million in Omnivore Agritech and Climate Sustainability Fund.
• The Fund seeks to invest in companies that increase food security and promote both climate resilience and climate adaptation in India, as well as improve the profitability and agricultural productivity of smallholder farms. 

Status of global infrastructure

• Internationally, infrastructure has long been underfunded, with over $40 trillion in estimated need in the developing world.
• Many low- and middle-income countries lack adequate access to high-quality financing that meets their long-term infrastructure investment needs.

How will the fund be provided?

• Grants
• Federal Funds
• Private Investments

How will the initiative benefit?

The initiative will be geared towards:

• Tackling climate change
• Improving global health
• Achieving gender equity
• Building digital infrastructure.]

About G7 countries

• The G7 is an informal forum of leading industrialized nations as per IMF, which include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. 
• Representatives of the European Union are always present at the annual meeting of the heads of state and government of the G7. 
• The G7, originally G8 (along with Russia), was set up in 1975 as an informal forum bringing together the leaders of the world’s leading industrial nations.
• After annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, Russia was excluded from the grouping.

World Bank’s REWARD Project

• The World Bank, the Government of India, the State Governments of Karnataka, and Odisha, have signed a USD 115 million deal for the Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agricultural Resilience through Innovative Development (REWARD) Programme. 

• It aims to help national and state governments adopt improved watershed management practices to help farmers become more resilient to climate change, improve incomes, and promote higher productivity.

• The objectives of the Project are to improve water and land conservations as well as prevent soil run-off, harvest rainwater, regenerate natural vegetation, and replenish the groundwater table.

• This project Is a joint initiative of the Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development in association with the World Bank.

• It is planned as a six-year project and is one of the largest water management programs around the world.

24th Financial Stability Report

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently released the 24th issue of the Financial Stability Report.

Report Key Highlights 

• The global economic recovery has been losing momentum in the second half of 2021 in the face of resurfacing COVID-19 infections.

• The corporate sector is gaining strength and bank credit growth is improving.

• The capital to risk-weighted assets ratio (CRAR) of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) rose to a new peak.

• FSR is published by RBI bi-annually on behalf of the Financial Stability and Development Council, an umbrella group of regulators which gives an overview of the health of India's financial system.

• It reflects the collective assessment of the Sub Committee of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) on risks to financial stability and the resilience of the financial system in the context of contemporaneous issues relating to development and regulation of the financial sector.

RBI Monetary Policy Committee 

• The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the RBI kept the repo rate unchanged at 4 percent, in order to revive & sustain growth. 

Key points: 

• The Monetary Policy Committee has also ensured that inflation remains within the target. Reverse repo rate was also kept as earlier at 3.35 per cent. 

• Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and bank rate also remain unchanged at 4.25 per cent. 

• For the financial year 2021-22, CPI inflation is projected at 5.3 per cent.

• As per RBI, food inflation is predicted to remain muted in upcoming months, as a result of record production of food-grains.

About Monetary Policy Committee (MPC): 

• The RBI has a government-constituted Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) which is tasked with framing monetary policy using tools like the repo rate, reverse repo rate, bank rate, cash reserve ratio (CRR). 

• It has been instituted by the Central Government of India under Section 45ZB of the RBI Act that was amended in 1934. 

• Functions: The MPC is entrusted with the responsibility of deciding the different policy rates including MSF, Repo Rate, Reverse Repo Rate, and Liquidity Adjustment Facility.

India’s Medals at Commonwealth games

• So far, Indian athletes have won 9 medals, 3 gold, 3 silvers and 3 bronze, at the Commonwealth Games 2022. 
• The Commonwealth Games 2022 are to be held between July 29 to August 8  Birmingham, England.

 Gold Medals

• Star weightlifter Mirabai Chanu claimed India’s first gold medal.
• Jeremy Lalrinnunga maintained country’s dominance in the weightlifting arena when he claimed the second gold medal.
• While Weightlifter Achinta Sheuli clinched India’s third gold in the Commonwealth Games.

Silver Medals

• Weightlifter Bindyarani Devi clinched a silver in the women’s 55kg.
• Sanket Sargar, the Indian weightlifter opened the country’s medal count at the Commonwealth Games by claiming a silver in the men’s 55kg category.
• Judoku Shushila won Silver in Judo, women’s 48 kg class.

Bronze Medals

• P. Gururaja clinched Bronze in the Men’s 61 kg weight category.
• Vijay Kumar Yadav won Bronze in Judo, men’s 60kg class.
• India’s Harjinder Kaur claimed the bronze medal in the women’s 71kg weightlifting competition.

About Commonwealth Games

• The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games is a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. 
•  The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exception of 1942 and 1946, have successively run every four years since.
• The Commonwealth of Nations  is a political association of 56 member nations, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. 

First Indian to win International Booker Prize

About the novel

Indian author Geetanjali Shree has won the International Booker Prize 2022. She has won this prize for her novel “Tomb of Sand”.

The novel titled “Tomb of sand” was first published in Hindi in 2018 titled “Ret Samadhi” which was then translated into English and released in 2022.

This is the first book written in an Indian language to have won the award.

Other Indians winning Booker Prize

• Geetanjali Shree is the first Indian to win the International Booker prize.

• However Indian authors and authors of Indian origin like Salman Rushdie, Kiran Desai, Arundhati Roy and Arvind Adiga have won the Booker Prize.

About International Booker Prize

• The International Booker Prize was initially known as Man Booker International Prize and was formed in 2005. 

• Between 2005 and 2015, the award was given every two years, since 2016 it has been given annually for a single book, translated into English. 

• The winner gets 50,000 pounds and recognition which also translates into sales.

Difference between Booker Prize and International Booker Prize

• International Booker Prize is given to an author for their work written in an international language, then translated into English.​​​​​​​

• Booker Prize which was started in 1969 is awarded to a book/novel written in English every year.

New Chief Election Commissioner 

• Former Union Finance Secretary Rajiv Kumar has been appointed as the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).

• He will oversee the 2024 national polls as well as the assembly elections in some states during his tenure including Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, etc.

Election Commission of India 

• Election commission of India is an autonomous constitutional authority which administers elections to Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies and offices of the President and Vice President in the country.

• It is constituted under Article 324 of the Indian constitution. 

• It consists of three members- One Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners.

• The office term is 6 years or until they attain 65 years, whichever happens first.

World’s Highest Tunnel: Shinku La Pass

• The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will build the World’s Highest Tunnel at Shinku La Pass, which is at an altitude of 16,580 feet.

• This tunnel will be connecting Himachal Pradesh to Ladakh.

• Project Yojak has been set up by the central government to execute this ambitious project.

• The tunnel’s south portal will be at Shinku La and north portal will be at Lakhang.

• This tunnel will aid in the economic development of the Zanskar Valley by reducing travel time between Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh, once it is completed.

 ABOUT BRO:

• The organization falls under the control of the Ministry of Defence since the year 2015.

• This organization plays an important role in the development of infrastructure in the border areas of the nation.

• The headquarter of BRO is in NEW DELHI.

Ken-Betwa River Interlinking Project- Schemes and Policies 

• The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the funding and implementation of the Ken-Betwa river interlinking project at a cost of ₹44,605 crores.

• It will be the first major centrally-driven river interlinking project in the country.

• The Ken-Betwa Link Project lies in Bundelkhand, a drought-prone region, which spreads across 13 districts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

• The project involves transferring of water from the Ken river to the Betwa river through the construction of the Daudhan dam and a canal linking the two rivers.

• The project is expected to provide annual irrigation of 10.62 lakh hectares, drinking water supply to about 62 lakh people and also generate 103 MW of hydropower.

Ken is one of the major rivers in the Bundelkhand region of Central India. It flows through the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Betwa river rises in the Vindhya range. It flows northeast through Madhya Pradesh and Orchha to Uttar Pradesh. 

Copyright (Amendment) Rules, 2021

• The Government of India notifies Copyright (Amendment) Rules,2021. The amendment has been made to bring the existing Copyright rules in the country with parity with the other relevant legislation.

Key Highlights:

• In India, the copyright regime is governed by the Copyright Act, 1957 and the Copyright Rules, 2013.

• The Copyright Rules, 2013 were last amended in the year 2016.

• The objective of the amendments is to bring the existing rules in parity with other relevant legislations.

• Publication of a copyrights journal has been incorporated eliminating the requirement of publication in the Official Gazette.

• The journal would be available at the website of the Copyright Office.

• In order to encourage accountability and transparency, new provisions have been introduced to deal with the undistributed royalty amounts and the use of electronic and traceable payment methods while collecting and distributing royalties.

About Copyright:

• Copyright is intellectual property. It gives the owner the exclusive right to make copies of his or her creative work. It can be education, artistic, literary, or music.

• According to the World Intellectual Property Organisation, Copyright protects two types of rights. They are Economic rights and moral rights.

ULPIN: Unique Land Parcel Identification Number 

• The Centre plans to issue a 14-digit identification number to every plot of land in the country within a year’s time.

• The Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) scheme has been launched in 10 States in the year 2021 and will be rolled out across the country by March 2022.

Key Points:

• It will subsequently integrate its land records database with revenue court records and bank records, as well as Aadhaar numbers on a voluntary basis.

• The scheme will enhance the service deliveries to the citizens of the country and will also function as inputs to the schemes of the other sectors like Agriculture, Finance, Disaster Management etc.

• The ULPIN is described as “Aadhaar for land”. The number will be used to identify every surveyed parcel of land.

• The ULPIN is a fourteen-digit Alpha Numeric ID.

• The identification number is to be launched based on the latitude and longitude coordinates of the land parcel.

Smart Anganwadis 

• The Government of Kerala has sanctioned ₹9 crore for the conversion of conventional anganwadis into “smart” anganwadis with better amenities.

• The smart anganwadis will be built in order to provide early childhood care in a phased manner.

• These facilities will be established with the aim of making it more child-friendly. This way these facilities will help to nurture mental and physical development of children. 

• Anganwadi scheme is a type of rural child care centre that was started in the year 1975 by the Indian government. This scheme runs under the Integrated Child Development Services program.  It seeks to combat child hunger and malnutrition.