Daily news will speed up the preparation for the Civil Services Examination and it also plays a crucial role to grasp the current affairs topic comprehensively. Here we have covered most of the topics related to various categories including National, International, Sports, Science and Technology, and so on.
- Certified E-Tendering Portal “PRANIT”
Why in news?
Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), a central PSU under Ministry of Power has established an e-Tendering Portal-PRANIT.
Key points are:
– It will lead to less paperwork and ease of operation, making the tendering process more transparent.
– It has been certified by Standardisation, Testing and Quality Certification Directorate (STQC), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.
– With this, POWERGRID is now the only organization in India to have an eProcurement solution on SAP Supplier Relationship Management (SRM), complying with all applicable requirements relating to security and transparency as stipulated by STQC.
– POWERGRID in pursuit of digitalisation has been undertaking a number of innovative enhancements within SAP SRM framework.
- UNESCO and National Mission for Clean Ganga
Why in news?
UNESCO New Delhi, along with the National Mission for Clean Ganga and other partners, organized a hybrid event with school children and teachers to celebrate ‘World Water Day 2021’.
Key points are:
– It included felicitating the winners of a water conservation awareness programme, and screening of their winning animation short films.
– UNESCO launched this programme nation-wide last September for school children in India, in partnership with the National Mission for Clean Ganga, the United Schools Organization (USO), Water Digest and India based global animation major Toonz Media Group.
– Entitled “H2Ooooh! – Waterwise program for children of India”, this innovative initiative encouraged school students between the age of 6-14 years to submit story ideas for animated short films to raise awareness on water conservation and its sustainable use.
– As many as 93 shortlisted students, including eight children with disabilities, underwent a training in basics of 2D animation including script writing, character sketching and storyboarding by Toonz Animation mentors as part of the programme.
– The students had been shortlisted after multiple screenings from over 17,000 participants from 43 schools across the country.
– Ganga Quest 2021, an an online competitive quiz organized by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and TREE Craze Foundation was also launched at the event.
– The online competition conceptualized in 2019, has garnered a stupendous response from students of all ages. As many as 11.5 lakh had participated in the 2020 NamamiGangeGanga Quest. For registrations, participants can visit gangaquest.com.
- TRIFED signs MoU with Government of Arunachal Pradesh
Why in news?
TRIFED and Government of Arunachal Pradesh have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on March 19, 2021 for the implementation of the MSP for MFP Scheme and the Van Dhan Yojana in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Key points are:
– As a part of its mission to improve the livelihoods of the tribals(both forest dwellers and artisans) and work towards tribal empowerment, TRIFED has been carrying out several programmes and initiatives.
– The Rural Development Department in State of Arunachal Pradesh will be the nodal agency for the implementation of this scheme while Arunachal Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (ArSRLM) will be the State Implementation Agency.
– Under this agreement, 100 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras are planned to be set-up in the state this year.
– The State Nodal Agency and Implementing Agency teams, along with TRIFED regional officials will be visiting the different villages and districts to oversee the implementation of the scheme.
– Conceptualized and implemented by TRIFED in association with State Government Agencies across 21 states of the country, the ‘Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) through Minimum Support Price (MSP) & Development of Value Chain for MFP’is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, drawing its strength from The Forest Rights Act of 2005,it aims to provide remunerative and fair prices to tribal gatherers of forest produces, almost three times higher than would be available to them from middle men, trebling their incomes.
About Van Dhan Yojana (VDY)
– It is a programme for value addition, branding & marketing of MFPs by establishing Van Dhan Kendras to facilitate creation of sustainable livelihoods for the forest-based tribes is a component of the same scheme.
– The MSP for MFP scheme has been a source of great relief for tribal gatherers during the pandemic and has injected more than Rs 3000 crores directly in the tribal economy.
– The Van Dhan tribal start-ups further complements MSP beautifully as it has emerged as a source of employment generation for tribal gatherers and forest dwellers and the home-bound tribal artisans.
– Together, these two initiatives offer a comprehensive development package for tribals promoting employment and incomes and entrepreneurship.
– TRIFED has so far sanctioned 1770 Van Dhan Kendras (VDKs) in 21 States and 1 UT involving 5.3 lakh tribal gatherers.
– This includes 586 VDVKs sanctioned associated with 1.73 tribal beneficiaries in the North-Eastern States. Arunachal Pradesh was one of the North-Eastern states where the scheme had not yet been started.
TRIFED continues to work towards generating income and livelihoods for tribal people through such flagship schemes like the MSP for MFP and the Van Dhan Yojana.
- Dr Ram Manohar Lohia
Why in news?
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has paid tributes to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia on his birth anniversary on 23 March, 2021.
- CoreNet Global Academic Challenge 6.0
Why in news?
A team of four undergraduate students from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur emerged as winners at the CoreNet Global Academic Challenge 6.0, sponsored by Cushman and Wakefield, KI and IA: Interior Architects.
Key points are:
– The team comprised of Siddhant Samarth (Third Year Undergraduate, Department of Civil Engineering), Pratim Majumdar (Third Year Undergraduate, Department of Chemical Engineering), Rishita Raj (Second Year Undergraduate, Department of Mechanical Engineering) and Utkarsh Agrawal (Third Year Undergraduate, Department of Manufacturing Science and Engineering), and were guided by Prof. Jenia Mukherjee (Department of Humanities and Social Sciences).
– The team from IIT Kharagpur was one of the four teams to progress into the final round out of 1300 teams all over the world and were pitted against the University of Washington, New York University and the University of Denver in the final round hosted online on 18th March 2021.
– This is the first time that a squad from India has emerged as winners in the CoreNet Global Academic Challenge since the inception of the competition in 2015.
About CoreNet Global
– It is a non-profit association, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia (US), representing more than 11,000 executives in 50 countries with strategic responsibility for the real estate assets of large corporations.
– The organization’s mission is to advance the practice of corporate real estate through professional development opportunities, publications, research, conferences, designations and networking in 46 local chapters and networking groups globally.
– CoreNet Global’s mission is to advance the practice of corporate real estate through professional development opportunities, publications, research, conferences, and chapters and networking groups.
– CoreNet Global aims to broaden its network, raise the profile of corporate real estate, serve as the profession’s voice and thought leader and champion the profession’s development and maturity.
– Every year, Corenet Global invites students from around the world to think creatively about a problem facing real estate professionals for renowned companies like Google, Duke Energy, AstraZeneca, Whirlpool, and many others, institutions from all over the globe will compete to address challenges like creating an employee experience that attracts millennials while retaining all other generations of employees; or reducing the gap between the speed of business and the typical speed of real estate.
- Tomar king Anangpal II
Why in news?
The government has recently formed a committee to popularise the legacy of 11th-century Tomar king, Anangpal II.
Key points are:
– Belonged to the Tomar dynasty that ruled parts of present-day Delhi and Haryana between the 8th and 12th centuries.
– Anangpal Tomar II was succeeded by his grandson Prithviraj Chauhan, who was defeated by the Ghurid forces in the Battle of Tarain (present-day Haryana) after which the Delhi Sultanate was established in 1192.
– The Tomar dynasty shifted its capital in the 8th century), to Dhillikapuri (Delhi) during the reign of Anangpal II.
– He gave Delhi its present name and also repopulated it.
– He built Lal Kot fort and Anangtal Baoli.
- Ken-Betwa Interlinking Project Dam
Why in news?
Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have signed a historic agreement to implement the Ken Betwa Link Project (KBLP).
Key points are:
– Conceived as a two-part project, this is the country’s first river interlinking project.
– It is perceived as a model plan for similar interstate river transfer missions.
– The project aims to transfer surplus water from the Ken river in MP to Betwa in UP to irrigate the drought-prone Bundelkhand region spread across the districts of two states mainly Jhansi, Banda, Lalitpur and Mahoba districts of UP and Tikamgarh, Panna and Chhatarpur districts of MP.
The benefits of interlinking are:
– Enhances water and food security.
– Proper utilisation of water.
– Boost to agriculture.
– Disaster mitigation.
– Boost to transportation.
