Goaltide Daily Current Affairs 2022
Current Affair 1:
Financial Inclusion Index for March 2022
News:
The Reserve Bank of India had constructed a composite Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index) to capture the extent of financial inclusion across the country, in consultation with the concerned stakeholders including the Government.
The index captures information on various aspects of financial inclusion in a single value ranging between 0 and 100, where 0 represents complete financial exclusion and 100 indicates full financial inclusion.
The FI-Index comprises of three broad parameters (weights indicated in brackets) viz., Access (35%), Usage (45%), and Quality (20%) with each of these consisting of various dimensions, which are computed based on a number of indicators.
The Index is responsive to ease of access, availability and usage of services, and quality of services, comprising in all 97 indicators. A unique feature of the Index is the Quality parameter which captures the quality aspect of financial inclusion as reflected by financial literacy, consumer protection, and inequalities and deficiencies in services.
The FI-Index has been constructed without any ‘base year’ and as such it reflects cumulative efforts of all stakeholders over the years towards financial inclusion.
The value of FI Index for March 2022 stands at 56.4 vis-à-vis 53.9 in March 2021, with growth witnessed across all the sub-indices.
Current Affair 2:
A newly developed biodegradable, biopolymer nanocomposite which can detect relative humidity
News:
A newly developed biodegradable, biopolymer nanocomposite which can detect relative humidity can find application as smart packaging materials, especially for the food industry.
The food industry has an increasing need for non-toxic, biodegradable, low-cost, and environmentally friendly material for use as packaging material to replace petroleum-based material like plastics.
Scientists from the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST have developed a smart biodegradable biopolymer nanocomposite which can detect relative humidity.
In this, two biopolymers, Guar Gum (a variety of beans obtained from plant) and Alginate (obtained from brown algae), were blended with carbon dots (nanomaterial) to make a nanocomposite film that was successfully used to detect relative humidity.
The fabricated nanocomposite film was an excellent smart sensor based on the fluorescence ‘on-off’ mechanisms against humidity. Their research has been published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules.
Current Affair 3:
Right To Marry Is a Fundamental Human Right
Coming to the aid of a young couple, the Madras High Court allowed solemnisation of marriage through virtual mode with the groom in USA and bride in India.
Justice GR Swaminathan of the Madurai bench observed that Section 12 of the Special Marriage Act 1954, gives liberty to the parties to adopt any form of solemnisation of marriage provided that it must be recognised and reasonable and not against public policy.
He also observes that "the Special Marriage Act was enacted in 1954 whereas the technology of computer and internet was introduced much later. Law has to march along with technology. Where there is difficulty, the letter of law cannot be so rigid that it makes it impossible for the parties to follow".
Since there was no contrary decision of the Division Bench of the Madras High Court, the court observed that Right to marry was a fundamental human right.
Current Affair 4:
Parliament Passes Bill to Prevent Doping Activities In Sports
The Parliament passed the National Anti-Doping Bill 2021 to fulfil its international obligation of adopting a statutory framework to prevent doping in sports.
It will also facilitate operation of the National Anti-Doping Agency, the National Dope Testing Laboratory and other allied bodies.
Currently, anti-doping activities are implemented by the National Anti-Doping Agency, which was established as a society. This agency will now become a statutory body. The Bill was cleared by the Lok Sabha on July 27. It was passed by Raya Sabha today by voice vote.
Section 4 stipulates activities that constitute Anti-Doping Rule Violation. This includes:
Violation of anti-doping rules may result in disqualification of results, ineligibility to participate in any competition for a prescribed period, provisional suspension from participating in any competition, financial sanctions.
The Act further contemplates constitution of a National Board for Anti-Doping in Sports to oversee the activities of the Agency towards ensuring compliance with the World standards, matters of integrity and fair play, and strategic planning and implementation of anti-doping policies.
The Board will constitute a National Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel for determining consequences of anti-doping rule violations.
The Act also provides for an Appeal Panel to hear appeals against decisions of the Disciplinary Panel.
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