Current Affair 1:

MAHARISHI DAYANAND SARASWATI

 

 

 

Why is in news ?

 

200TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF MAHARISHI DAYANAND SARASWATI.

Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati (12 February 1824- 30 October 1883) . Born in Tankara, Gujarat as ‘Mool Shankar’ to a brahman family. He made Swami Virajananda his Guru.

American Spiritualist Andrew Jackson Davis called Maharishi Dayanand “Son of God".

 

Contribution of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati

 

Socio-Religious

 

Believer in Hinduism but rejected man- made ritualism and worship of idols. Gave a call of ‘Back to Vedas’ and established Arya Samaj in 1875.  He was first to give call for Swaraj as "India for Indian" in 1876.  Started Shuddhi Movement wherein purification was imparted to those who sought their way back to Hinduism.

 

 Educational Reforms

 

Set up number of Gurukuls to teach knowledge of Vedas. Dayanand Anglo Vedic College Trust and Management Society was established by his disciples. First DAV High School was established at Lahore in 1886 with Lala Hans Raj as its headmaster.

 

Independence Struggle

 

 His teaching influenced personalities like Lala Lajpat Rai, Madam Cama, Ram Prasad Bismil, etc.

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

Satyarth Prakash, Sanskarvidhi, Yajurved Bhashyam.‘

 

Arya Samaj (reform movement of Vedic dharma): It was founded on two basic tenets i.e., Infallible authority of Vedas and Monotheism. First Arya Samaj unit was formally set up by him at Mumbai (then Bombay) in 1875 and later headquarters were established at Lahore.

 It worked for abolition of social evils like caste system, subjugation of women, etc.

 

Current Affair 2:

PRODUCTION-LINKED INCENTIVES (PLIs)

 

 

Why is in news ?

 

DEPARTMENT OF TELECOM (DOT) has started disbursing PLIs to 42 shortlisted manufacturers who have completed their target for 2021-22.This is expected to generate additional employment of more than 44,000 over five-year scheme period effective from April 1, 2022 onwards.

 

What  is PRODUCTION-LINKED INCENTIVES (PLIs) ?

 

PLI schemes envisages to accomplish Atmanirbhar Bharat vision by providing on average 4-6% of production value as an incentive to approved investors.For telecom sector under design-led PLI, additional incentive of 1% is provided for products that are designed and manufactured in India.

 

 Objectives of PLI

 

Make domestic manufacturing globally competitive.

Create global champions in manufacturing.

Boost existing capacities in domestic manufacturing for sunrise and strategic sectors.

 

KEY POINTS

 

PLI scheme is implemented by concerned Ministries/ Departments and will be within overall financial limits prescribed.Union Budget 2021-22 announced an outlay of INR 1.97 lakh crores for PLI schemes for 14 sectors to create a robust domestic value chain.

14 sectors include automobile and auto components, electronics and IT system, telecom, pharmaceuticals, solar modules, metals and mining, textiles and apparel, white goods, drones, advanced chemistry cell batteries,renewable energy, medical devices, speciality steel, and food products.

 

Current Affair 3:

PALM OIL

 

 

Why :in news?

 

Indonesia, world’s biggest producer, exporter, and consumer of palm oil, is

planning to suspend some export permits to reduce domestic cooking oil prices.

What is Palm Oil?

Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of the oil palms.

USE :  It is used as cooking oil, and in everything from cosmetics, processed foods, cakes,

chocolates, spreads, soaps, shampoo, and cleaning products to biofuel. The use of crude palm oil in making biodiesel is being branded as ‘green diesel’.It is rich in Vitamin A and E with no trans fatty acids.

 

PRODUCTION

 

Indonesia and Malaysia together account for almost 90% of global palm _ oil production. Other major palm oil producers include Thailand, Colombia and Nigeria.India meets half of its annual need for 8.3 million tons of palm oil from Indonesia. India is the biggest importer of palm oil,which makes up 40% of its vegetable oil consumption. Thus, an export ban will affect India’s interests.

 KEY POINTS

India’s major palm oil growing states: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala account for 98% of total production.

To reduce its import dependency, India has launched Centrally Sponsored scheme National Mission on Edible Oils — Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) to cover an additional area of 6.5 lakh hectare for oil palm till 2025-26.

 

Current Affair 4:

BORDER INFRASTRUCTURE

 

 

 

Why in news?

 

Recently, the Minister of External Affairs provided a briefing to the parliament regarding the government's projects on border infrastructure and connectivity.

 

 What is  Border Infrastructure ?

 

Improving cross-border connectivity to neighbouring countries via highways, bridges, inland waterways, railroads, electricity lines and fuel pipelines.Modernising and constructing Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) at all the border crossings to smooth trade, and funding and constructing infrastructure projects in neighbouring countries.

 

 Multi-Pronged Approach:

 

Improving connectivity to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) through roads, bridges and

tunnels.For instance, the length of roads constructed in the China border areas in the period from 2014 to 2022 (6,806 km) is almost double the length constructed from 2008-2014(3,610 km).

 

DEVELOPED PROJECTS OF INDIA IN ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD

 

The report lists dozens of projects in the neighbourhood that have been planned, financed or constructed. These include:

Railway links to Nepal and Bangladesh,

The Mahakali motorable bridge and the Maitri Setu between Tripura and Bangladesh, The Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) which includes a 158 km waterway, the Sittwe port project and road to Mizoram.

South Asia’s first cross-border petroleum products pipeline - between Motihari in India and Amlekhgunj in Nepal;Another High-Speed Diesel pipeline with Bangladesh that will reduce petrol prices and road congestion; and A Bhutanese dry port in Pasakha bordering West Bengal being developed under an Indian government grant.

 

RECENT INITIATIVES

 

Vibrant Villages Programme

The Border Area Development Programme (BADP)

Smart Fencing in India (CIBMS)

Current Affair 5:

Bhashini Mission

 

 

Why in news?

 

Government integrates Bhashini Mission's capabilities with UPI ecosystem to make digital payments through UPI 123 Pay available in more than 20 local Indian language.

 What is bhashini mission ?

 

Bhashini Mission was launched by Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY). It is a local language translator mission that aims to break the barrier between various Indian tongues by using technology.This platform will make Artificial Intelligence (Al) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) resources available to Indian MSMEs, startups and innovators in public domain.Bhashini platform is interoperable and will catalyze entire Digital Ecosystem.

 

SIGNIFICANCE

 

 Digital Inclusion:

It will empower Indian citizens by connecting them to the Digital Initiatives of the country in their own language thereby leading to digital inclusion. It will also encourage participation of startups.  Digital Government:

Mission will create and nurture an ecosystem involving Central/State government agencies and start-ups, working together to develop and deploy innovative products and services in Indian languages.

It is a giant step to realize the goal of Digital Government.

 

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