PREFACE
It gives us great pleasure to release the monthly edition of the PRAVAHINI – Monthly e-Compendium & Weekly e-Periodicals of Current Affairs. The magazine’s members have shown considerable cooperation as well as devotion. We at successmantra.in work tirelessly to create this magazine and bring it to you with a great sense of gratitude.
The PRAVAHINI May-2022 eBook covers the current events that happened in the month of May. Current Affairs is a crucial component of any competitive exams including CLAT, AILET, DU-LLB, HM, CAT, IAS, PCS, SSC, Banking, MBA and various other competitive examinations.
Current Affairs play the bigger role in many competitive and government exams. It holds the power of making or breaking your chance of success. Therefore, the candidates should cover the Current Affairs thoroughly and smartly.
The PRAVAHINI May-2022 eBook is divided into different sections keeping in mind the need of various exams. The sections covered namely International, National, Economy, Ecology and Environment, Science & Technology, Legal Affairs, Sports, States News Makers and few others.
We would also be pleased to receive any suggestion that could assist us with the upcoming editions.
Success Mantra (GTB Nagar, Delhi)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
National Affairs
International Affairs
Economic Affairs
Appointments
Awards & Honor
Sports
Dates & Days
Report & Indexes
Science & Technology
Miscellaneous
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
WHAT IS ARTICLE 142 OF INDIAN CONSTITUTION?
Recently, the Supreme Court has invoked its extraordinary powers to do complete justice under Article 142 of the Constitution and ordered the release of A.G. Perarivalan in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
The court protected federalism by holding that States had the power to aid and advice the Governor in case of pleas of pardon under Article 161 made by convicts in murder cases.
Article 161 provides that the Governor of a State shall have the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence against any law relating to a matter to which the executive power of the State extends.
What is the Supreme Court’s Ruling?
Tamil Nadu Council of Ministers’ advice in 2018 to pardon Perarivalan was binding on the Governor under Article 161 (Governor’s power of clemency) of the Constitution.
The Governor’s reluctance to take a call on the pardon plea has compelled the court to employ its constitutional powers under Article 142 to do justice to Perarivalan.
The Supreme Court used Article 142 of the Constitution that grants it extraordinary powers to do complete justice, to release Perarivalan.
The court dismissed the Centre’s argument that the President exclusively, and not the Governor, had the power to grant pardon in a case under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code, saying this contention would render Article 161 a “dead-letter” and create an extraordinary situation whereby pardons granted by Governors in murder cases for the past 70 years would be rendered invalid.
What is Article 142?
Article 142 provides discretionary power to the Supreme Court as it states that the Supreme Court in the exercise of its jurisdiction may pass such decree or make such order as is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it.
INTER-STATE COUNCIL HAS BEEN RECONSTITUTED
Recently, the Inter-State Council (ISC) has been reconstituted with the Prime Minister as Chairman and Chief Ministers of all States and six Union Ministers as members.
Ten union ministers will be the permanent invitees to the Inter-State Council. The government has also reconstituted the standing committee of the Inter-State Council with Union Home as Chairman.
The Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh are also members of the standing committee of the Inter-State Council.
What is the Inter-State Council?
As part of the process of reviewing the working of the existing arrangements between the Union and the States, the Government constituted a commission in 1988 under the Chairmanship of Justice R.S. Sarkaria.
One of the important recommendations of Sarkaria Commission was for establishing a permanent Inter-State Council as an independent national forum for consultation with a mandate well defined in accordance with Article 263 of the Constitution of India.
The inter-state council is a recommendation body that has been empowered to investigate and discuss subjects of common interest between the Union and state(s), or among states.
Composition:
Prime Minister as Chairman
Chief Ministers of all States Members
Chief Ministers of Union Territories having a Legislative Assembly and Administrators of UTs not having a Legislative Assembly and Governors of States under President’s Rule (Governor’s Rule in the case of J&K) Members.
Six Ministers of Cabinet rank in the Union Council of Ministers to be nominated by the Prime Minister Members.
SUPREME COURT RECOGNISED SEX WORK AS PROFESSION
Recently, the Supreme Court passed an order recognizing sex work as a “profession” and said that its practitioners across the country are entitled to equal protection as well as dignity under the law of the nation.
What judgments were passed by the Supreme Court regarding sex workers?
The Supreme Court invoked its special powers under which article to pass this order.
Criminal Law: Under this law, the sex workers of the country are entitled to equal protection of the nation’s law and criminal law must be applied in all cases related to them on the basis of consent and age.
If a sex worker is an adult and participating with consent, the police must not interfere or take any criminal action against them.
The court has said that sex workers must not be penalized, arrested, victimized, or harassed whenever the police conduct a raid on any brothel, as voluntary sex work is not illegal, only the running of the brothel is unlawful.
Medical Care: Sex workers who are sexually assaulted must be provided every facility which includes immediate legal and medical care.
The court has also instructed the cops not to discriminate against those sex workers who have lodged a complaint against sexual offences against the workers.
Right of Child of a Sex Worker: The children of a sex worker must not be separated from their mother merely on the basis of profession. Basic protection of dignity and human decency must be provided to the sex workers and their children.
In case the sex worker claims a child to be their own, then tests can be done to determine the truth of the claim and in case it is true, the minor must not be forcibly separated.
Role of Media: The media must not reveal the identities of sex workers, during raids, arrests, and rescue operations, whether as accused or as victims. The media must not also telecast or publish any photos due to which their identities can be disclosed.
DHARMENDRA PRADHAN LAUNCHED 'PADHE BHARAT'
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has launched a 100-day reading campaign ‘Padhe Bharat.
The launch of the 100 Days Reading Campaign is in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 which lays emphasis on the promotion of joyful reading culture for children by ensuring the availability of age-appropriate reading books for children in local/mother tongue/regional/tribal language.
Padhe Bharat campaign:
Padhe Bharat campaign will focus on children studying in Balvatika to Grade 8. The reading campaign will be organized for 100 days (14 weeks) starting from January 1, 2022, to April 10, 2022.
The reading campaign aims to have the participation of all stakeholders at the national and state level including children, teachers, parents, community, educational administrators etc. This campaign has also been aligned with the vision and goals of the foundational Literacy and Numeracy mission.
UNION GOVT. LAUNCHED SWACHH SURVEKSHAN 2023
The Union Government of India has launched the Eighth Edition of Swachh Survekshan – SS-2023 under Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0.
Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Manoj Joshi launched it at a virtual event in New Delhi. Designed with the theme of ‘Waste to Wealth’ as its driving philosophy, Swachh Survekshan- 2023 is curated towards achieving circularity in waste management.
The survey would give priority to the principle of 3 Rs- Reduce, Recycle and Reuse.
About the Swachh Survekshan
The Swachh Survekshan has developed into an inspiration tool, rather than being just an assessment tool. This largest survey undertaken anywhere has brought about substantive changes at the ground level, with cities performing well and having a sense of pride.
Swachh Survekshan has emerged as the largest Urban sanitation survey in the world. It was observed that whenever the Swachh Survey starts, there is an enhanced level of activities undertaken by the cities and cities are visibly cleaner during the months the survey is conducted.
ROLE OF CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF
The Government is reassessing the concept of post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as well as the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) and is looking to streamline the setup.
The CDS is a four-star General/Officer who acts as the Principal Military Advisor to the Defence Minister on all tri-services (Army, Navy and Indian Air Force) matters.
What is the Role of the Chief of Defence Staff?
CDS acts as the permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee which will also have three service chiefs as members.
His core function will be to foster greater operational synergy between the three service branches of the Indian military and keep inter-service frictions to a minimum.
He also heads the newly created Department of Military Affairs (DMA) in the Ministry of Defence.
The CDS will be the single-point military adviser to the Defence Minister on matters involving all three services and the service chiefs will be obliged to confine their counsel to issues pertaining to their respective services.
As the head of DMA, CDS is vested with the authority in prioritising inter-service procurement decisions as Permanent Chairman-Chiefs of Staff Committee.
PURI HERITAGE CORRIDOR PROJECT IN ODISHA
The Odisha government’s ambitious temple corridor project in Puri has become a subject of political controversy.
What is the Puri Heritage Corridor Project?
It is a redevelopment project of the Odisha government in Puri to create an international heritage site, including the Jagannath temple.
Though conceived in 2016, it was unveiled in December 2019. Under the umbrella project falls the Shree Jagannatha Heritage Corridor (SJHC) or the Shree Mandira Parikrama Project, for the revamp of the area around the temple.
The project includes Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) building redevelopment, a 600-capacity Srimandir reception centre, Puri Lake, Musa River revival plan, etc.
The Odisha government has listed three objectives for the revamp of the area around the temple- the security of the temple, the safety of devotees, and the creation of a religious atmosphere for devotees.
The government allotted funds for the Project from its Augmentation of Basic Amenities and Development of Heritage and Architecture at Puri (ABADHA) scheme.
The ABADHA scheme includes Land Acquisition Charges/Re-habitation& Resettlement/ Road Improvement for providing better facilities in & around Shree Jagannath Temple.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
INDO-PACIFIC ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK (IPEF)
Recently, India’s Prime Minister participated in an event in Tokyo to launch the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).
This economic initiative came a day before the second in-person summit of the Quad leaders (India, the US, Australia and Japan) in Tokyo.
What is QUAD?
It is the grouping of four democracies –India, Australia, the US, and Japan. All four nations find a common ground of being democratic nations and also support the common interest of unhindered maritime trade and security.
The Quad is billed as four democracies with a shared objective to ensure and support a “free, open and prosperous” Indo-Pacific region.
The idea of Quad was first mooted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007. However, the idea couldn’t move ahead with Australia pulling out of it, apparently due to Chinese pressure. Finally in 2017, India, Australia, the US, and Japan, came together and formed this “quadrilateral” coalition.
What is the Significance of IPEF?
About: It is a US-led initiative that aims to strengthen economic partnership among participating countries to enhance resilience, sustainability, inclusiveness, economic growth, fairness, and competitiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. The IPEF was launched with a dozen initial partners who together represent 40% of the world GDP.
PIYUSH GOYAL TO LEAD INDIA IN WEF, DAVOS MEETING
The World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting kicks off in Davos, Switzerland. The Indian delegation will be led by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal throughout the five-day meeting.
This event will assist to strengthen India’s status as a vital and relevant player in creating the global narrative, especially as it prepares to take over the G-20 presidency next year.
The World Economic Forum will also serve as a platform for promoting India as a desirable investment destination, owing to its strong economic development and stable macroeconomic indicators.
Attendees:
Commerce and Industry Minister: Piyush Goyal
Health and Family Welfare Minister: Mansukh Mandaviya
Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister: Hardeep Singh Puri
Chief Ministers and Senior Ministers from Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Telangana will be among the delegation’s members.
SCO RATS MEETING HELD IN INDIA
Recently, a meeting held between the member nations of the SCO under the framework of the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS). It is the first such meeting in India since Russia’s evasion of Ukraine and China’s transgression along the Line of actual control.
SCO-RATS meeting agenda is to boost cooperation in fighting different global and regional security challenges. India has chaired the Council of Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of SCO (RATS SCO).
What is the Agenda Discussed in the Meeting?
Situation of Afghanistan and security concerns raised due to the fall of Afghanistan in the hands of the Taliban was the main agenda of the meeting.
India has expressed a strong desire to strengthen its security cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure, which focus on security and defence matters.
What is Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure-SCO?
SCO-RATS is a permanent body of the Sanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). It is promoting coordination and interaction between the SCO member states as per as fight against terrorism, extremism and separatism are concern.
The main functions of SCO-RATS are information sharing.
ANTHONY ALBANESE SWORN IN AS AUSTRALIAN PM
Australia’s Labor Party leader, Anthony Albanese was sworn in as the country’s new prime minister.
Albanese claimed the victory in the election, ending his wait for power after nine years and with this Anthony Albanese became the country’s 31st Prime Minister.
Outgoing Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who was heading the Liberal-National coalition, has conceded defeat. The 59-year-old new prime minister was sworn in at a brief ceremony lasting in Government House, Canberra.
Other members of his team to take office included Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who will join Albanese at the Quad summit, Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher.
Australia Capital: Canberra
Australia Currency: Australian dollar.
EXERCISE 'BONGOSAGAR' B/W INDIA & BANGLADESH
The third edition of Indian Navy (IN) – Bangladesh Navy (BN) Bilateral Exercise ‘Bongosagar’ commenced at Port Mongla, Bangladesh on 24 May 2022.
The Harbour Phase of the exercise begins from 24-25 May which will be followed by a Sea Phase in the Northern Bay of Bengal from 26-27 May.
About Exercise Bongosagar:
Exercise Bongosagar is aimed at developing a high degree of interoperability and joint operational skills through the conduct of a wide spectrum of maritime exercises and operations between the two navies.
Indian Naval Ships Kora, an indigenously built Guided Missile Corvette, and Sumedha, an indigenously built Offshore Patrol Vessel are participating in the Exercise.
Bangladesh Navy is being represented by BNS Abu Ubaidah and Ali Haider, both Guided Missile Frigates
INDIA JOINS FIRST MOVERS COALITION INITIATIVE
India recently joined a global public-private partnership initiative called the First Movers Coalition.
The initiative was launched by President of the USA Joe Biden and the World Economic Forum (WEF) at COP26. It was joined by 50 new corporate members with a collective market capitalization of USD 8.5 trillion
The First Movers Coalition aims to decarbonize the most carbon-intensive sectors such as the heavy industry and long-distance transport sectors, which are responsible for 30% of global emissions.
It is expected that emissions from these sectors will increase to around 50% by mid-century unless urgent actions are taken on clean technology innovation. The targeted sectors of the First Movers Coalition include aluminum, aviation, chemicals, concrete, shipping, steel, and trucking.
Which countries joined the coalition and what are their commitments?
Apart from India, Denmark, Italy, Japan, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, and the UK joined the First Movers Coalition as government partners. India, Japan, and Sweden also joined the steering board of the First Movers Coalition.
18TH PERMANENT INDUS COMMISSION
The Permanent Indus Commission conference, which is held yearly under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) 1960, began with India and Pakistan.
The Indus discussions have survived the tie-freeze since both countries regard it as a requirement of the IWT.
The most recent summit, held in New Delhi on March 23-24, 2021, focused on the exchange of hydrological and flood data.
In March, India and Pakistan reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the Indus Waters Treaty in its entirety, and expressed the hope that the Permanent Indus Commission’s next meeting will be conducted in India soon.
CHINA'S BUILDING 2ND BRIDGE ON PANGONG TSO
Recently, the Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed that China is building a second bridge on the Pangong Tso lake.
The site of the bridge is around 20 km east of Finger 8 on the lake’s north bank – where the Line of Actual Control (LAC) passes. However, the actual distance by road is more than 35 km between the bridge site and Finger 8.
The construction site is just east of Khurnak Fort, where China has major frontier defence bases. China calls it Rutong Country. It has a frontier defence company at the Khurnak Fort, and further east, a water squadron deployed at Banmozhang.
The bridges are at one of the narrowest points on the lake, close to the LAC. These constructions will connect both sides of the lake, which would significantly cut down time for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to move troops and armored vehicles.
Pangong Tso is a 135-km long landlocked lake located at an altitude of over 14,000 feet i.e., 4350 m above sea level. India and China have around one-third and two-thirds of Pangong Tso Lake respectively.
ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
UN PROJECTED INDIA'S GDP GROWTH
The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) in its ‘World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) Mid-year Update 2022’ report has declined India’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth projections from 6.7% to 6.4% for 2022-23.
For 2023-24, 6% GDP growth is forecasted for India as against 6.1%. In 2021, India’s economy grew at 8.8%. The growth outlook for South Asia is also downgraded by 0.4 percentage points to 5.5% in 2022.
About the report:
The report said that the outlook in South Asia has deteriorated in recent months, against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and higher commodity prices and potential negative spillover effects from monetary tightening in the United States.
In its World Economic Situation and Prospects report as of mid-2022, the UN’s department of economic and social affairs said global inflation is projected to increase to 6.7% in 2022, twice the average of 2.9% during 2010–2020, with sharp rises in food and energy prices.
US BECOMES INDIA'S TOP TRADING PARTNER
The United States overtook China to become India’s top trading partner in 2021-22, reflecting strong economic ties between the two countries. According to commerce ministry data, in 2021-22, bilateral trade between the US and India stood at US$ 119.42 billion as against US$ 80.51 billion in 2020-21.
Exports to the US increased to US$ 76.11 billion in 2021-22 from US$ 51.62 billion in the previous fiscal, while imports rose to US$ 43.31 billion as compared to around US$ 29 billion in 2020-21.
During 2021-22, India’s two-way commerce with China aggregated at $115.42 billion as compared to $86.4 billion in 2020-21, the data showed.
Exports to China marginally increased to $21.25 billion last fiscal year from $21.18 billion in 2020-21, while imports jumped to $94.16 billion from about $65.21 billion in 2020-21. The trade gap rose to $72.91 billion in 2021-22 from $44 billion in the previous fiscal year.
India’s Top Trading Partners 2021-22:
In 2021-22, the UAE is India’s third-largest trading partner with USD 72.9 billion. It is followed by Saudi Arabia (USD 42.85 billion) as 4th, Iraq (USD 34.33 billion) as 5th, & Singapore (USD 30 billion) as its 6th largest trading partner.
BIHAR HAS INDIA'S LARGEST GOLD RESERVE
A survey by the Geological Survey of India has stated that gold reserves of around 222.88 million tonnes including 27.6 tonnes of mineral-rich ore are present in the Jamui district of Bihar.
The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar has now decided to give permission for the exploration of what is being called India’s largest gold reserve.
The State Mines and Geology Department is in consultation with agencies engaged in the exploration, including GSI and the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), for the exploration of gold reserves in Jamui.
The Bihar government is likely to sign a memorandum of understanding with a central agency or agencies for G3 (preliminary) stage exploration within a month’s time, adding that in certain areas G2 (general) exploration can also be carried out.
APPOINTMENTS
VINAI KUMAR SAXENA AS DELHI NEW L-G
Vinai Kumar Saxena will be the new lieutenant governor of Delhi, President Ram Nath Kovind’s office announced.
The President of India has been pleased to appoint Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena to be the Lt. Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi with effect from the date he assumes charge of his duties.
The President of India has accepted the resignation of Anil Baijal as Lt. Governor National Capital Territory of Delhi.
Brief profile of the new Delhi L-G:
Saxena is the current chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, an organisation under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
He was born on March 23, 1958, and is a Kanpur University alumnus with a Pilot license. In March 2021, he was appointed by the Union government as a member of the national committee to commemorate 75 years of India’s independence.
In November 2020, he was nominated as a member of the Padma Awards selection panel for the year 2021. In 1984, Vinay Kumar Saxena joined the well-known JK Group in Rajasthan as an assistant officer. In the group’s white cement plant in the state, he worked for 11 years in various capacities.
In 1991, he founded the National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL), a non-profit NGO with its headquarters in Ahmedabad. NCCL is recognised by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
AWARDS & HONOURS
INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE 2022
‘Tomb of Sand’ became the first Hindi novel to win the International Booker Prize 2022. The novel claimed the title despite not having been reviewed by any major British newspaper.
It is the first time that an Indian language won an International Booker Prize and the first in Hindi to even secure a nomination.
‘Tomb of Sand’ or in Hindi known as ‘Ret Samadhi’ narrates the story of an 80-years old woman who experiences a deep depression after the death of her husband.
Eventually, she overcomes the depression and decides to visit Pakistan to finally confront the past that she had left behind during partition.
The Chair of the judges of 2022 International Booker describes ‘Tomb of Sand’ as an ‘extraordinarily exuberant and incredibly playful book’, even though it deals with the topics such as bereavement and India’s partition from Pakistan.
Who is Geetanjali Shree? Author of ‘Tomb of Sand’
Geetanjali Shree was born in UP’s Mainpuri and is presently based in Delhi. She has authored three novels and several collections of short stories, many of which have been translated into French, English, Serbian, German and Korean.
IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES
ANTI-TERRORISM DAY OBSERVED ON 21ST MAY
Anti-Terrorism Day is observed every year on 21 May, on the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He was assassinated on May 21, 1991, by the LTTE terrorists while campaigning for the Congress Party at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu.
Rajiv Gandhi became India’s youngest PM when he was sworn in at 40. He took over as the sixth PM of the country after Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984. He served from 1984 to 1989.
Significance of Anti-Terrorism Day 2022:
Anti-Terrorism Day is celebrated to promote peace and harmony. Terrorists feel the need to inflict disaster on innocent people either because they are brain-washed because they believe it is their religious purpose or simply because they don’t have a conscience.
Whatever be their motivation, there’s no denying the fact that their activities are immoral.
The day also helps us remember the sacrifices made by thousands of soldiers and policemen who fought against terrorism to protect their country and their people.
History of this Anti-Terrorism Day:
Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, in a suicide bombing, by a woman from the Liberation of Tamil Tigers Eelam (LTTE), a terrorist group.
The woman had explosives under her clothes and approached Rajiv Gandhi and bent down as if to touch his feet when the bomb exploded leading to his death and approximately 25 others. This is the inland terrorism that created fear and caused us to lose our PM.
WORLD TURTLE DAY OBSERVED ON MAY 23
World Turtle Day is celebrated every year on May 23 globally to raise awareness about helping turtles survive and thrive in their natural habitat.
The objective of World Turtle Day 2022 is also to educate people about the things that they can do to protect the habitats of turtles as well as tortoises.
World Turtle Day 2022
World Turtle Day was founded by the American Tortoise Rescue (ATR) in 1990. ATR is a non-profit organization which was established by a husband and a wife duo, Susan Tellem and Marshall Thomspon.
ATR rescues and rehabilitates all the species of tortoise and turtles who are endangered, vulnerable, or critically endangered. Since its establishment, American Tortoise Rescue has taken care of about 4,000 tortoise and turtles,
World Turtle Day 2022 Theme
The World Turtle Day 2022 theme is- ‘Shellebrate!’ Asks Everyone to Love and Save Turtles.
WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY: MAY 31ST
World No Tobacco Day is observed every year on May 31 to raise awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco usage.
World No Tobacco Day 2022 highlights the negative impacts of tobacco and its industry on human health and the environment.
It also alerts people about the steps that can be taken to keep themselves and their surroundings safe from tobacco.
World No Tobacco Day 2022 promoted by the World Health Organisation also promotes the governments around the world to put policies into action that can help reduce smoking as well as the use of other tobacco products. As per the global health body, tobacco kills more than 8 million people around the world every year.
The Indian Government also came up with various initiatives to control tobacco consumption in the country. On World No Tobacco Day 2022, learn more about the COTPA Act and how it affected tobacco consumption in the country.
World No Tobacco Day was created by the member states of the World Health Organisation in 1987. The same year, a resolution was also passed by the World Health Assembly for the creation of a World No Smoking Day.
REPORTS AND INDEXES
WEF TRAVEL & TOURISM DEVELOPMENT INDEX 2021
In the WEF Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021, India has been ranked at 54th place. In 2019, India had ranked at 46th position.
However, the country still topped within the South Asia region. This index is the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index’s direct evolution, having been published biennially for the last 15 years.
In the 2021 index, the top place has been grabbed by Japan. The country is followed by the United States, Spain, France, and Germany respectively. The score of India in this list is 4.2.
Which are the top 10 countries on the list?
Japan (5.2)
United States (5.2)
Spain (5.2)
France (5.1)
Germany (5.1)
Switzerland (5.0)
Australia (5.0)
United Kingdom (5.0)
Singapore (5.0)
Italy (4.9)
The Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021 of the World Economic Forum comprises 117 countries.
This index has shown that despite various positive trends, the tourism and travel industry is still facing hurdles and are yet to recover properly.
STATE OF INEQUALITY IN INDIA REPORT
Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council Chairman Dr. Bibek debroy, launched the State of Inequality in India Report (EAC-PM).
The Institute for Competitiveness authored the research, which provides a comprehensive examination of the level and type of inequality in India.
The study combines data on inequality in the health, education, household characteristics, and labour market sectors. Inequities in these areas, according to the research, render the population more vulnerable and lead to multidimensional poverty.
Key Points of State Inequality Report:
There has been significant progress in strengthening health infrastructure capacity, with a particular focus on rural regions.
In 2005, there were 1,72,608 total health centres in India; by 2020, there would be 1,85,505.
Between 2005 and 2020, states and union territories like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Chandigarh expanded the number of health centres (which include Sub-Centres, Primary Health Centre’s, and Community Health Centres).
State of Inequality Report Data:
The report looks at five main factors that determine the nature and experience of inequality. It is divided into two parts: Economic Facets and Socio-Economic Manifestations.
Income distribution and labour market dynamics, as well as health, education, and household characteristics, are among them.
WORLD AIR POWERS RANKING OF 2022
The World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA) has released the World Air Powers ranking of 2022.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has been placed at the third position on the World Air Power Index in terms of the total fighting strength of the various air services of different nations of the world.
This report has placed the Indian Air Force (IAF) above the Chinese Aviation based armed forces (PLAAF), Japan Air Self-Preservation Power (JASDF), Israeli Aviation based armed forces, and French Air and Space Power.
The report says that the Indian Air Force (IAF) currently counts 1,645 total units in its active aircraft inventory. The Global Air Powers Ranking (2022) report has given the highest TvR score to the United States Air Force (USAF).
In addition, it maintains dedicated strategic-level bombers, a sizeable helo, CAS aircraft, fighter force and hundreds of transport aircraft and the USAF will be reinforced in the coming days with hundreds of units still on order.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
SUPERCOMPUTER 'PARAM PORUL' INAUGURATED AT NIT
A supercomputer named Param Porul was inaugurated at NIT Tiruchirappalli under National Supercomputing Mission (NSM).
The NSM is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
Param Porul supercomputing facility is established under phase two of the national supercomputing mission to facilitate computational research.
About the Param Porul: The Param Porul is based on direct contact liquid cooling technology to obtain high-power usage effectiveness and thereby reducing the operational cost.
Multiple applications from various scientific domains such as Weather and Climate, Bioinformatics, Computational Chemistry, Molecular Dynamics, Material Sciences, Computational Fluid Dynamics etc. have been installed on the system for the benefit of researchers.
The system is equipped with a mix of CPU nodes, GPU nodes, high memory nodes, high throughput storage and high-performance Infiniband interconnect to cater for the computing needs of various scientific and engineering applications.
MISCELLANEOUS
REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN ARMED FORCES
Recently, Captain Abhilasha Barak, created history by becoming the first woman officer to join the Army Aviation Corps as a Combat Aviator (pilot).
At present women are only given the responsibility of traffic control and ground duty in the Aviation Department but now Abhilasha Barak will take over the responsibility of the pilot.
Captain Barak has been assigned to the second flight of the 2072 Army Aviation Squadron that operates the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH).
While women officers in the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy have been flying helicopters for long, the Indian Army paved the way for women pilots in 2021 by starting the ‘Army Aviation course’.
What is the Army Aviation Corps?
Army Aviation Corps is the component of the Indian Army which was established on 1st November, 1986. The Army Aviation Corps is headed by a director-general at the Army headquarters in New Delhi.
It was immediately inducted into ‘Operation Pawan’ which was a crucial test for the newly formed corps.
75TH WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY IN GENEVA
Mansukh Mandaviya, the Minister of Health, emphasized the need of creating a robust global supply chain to provide fair access to vaccines and medicines.
The Minister, speaking at the 75th World Health Assembly in Geneva, advocated for simplifying WHO’s vaccine and treatment approval procedures and strengthening WHO to establish a more robust global health security infrastructure.
Mr. Mandaviya reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthening the global health security framework.
India feels that this year’s theme, which connects peace and health, is contemporary and relevant since there can be no sustainable development or universal health and wellness without peace, according to the Minister.
India also expressed its disappointment and worry at the latest WHO exercise on all-cause excess mortality, in which country-specific genuine data was collected.
India also expressed its disappointment and worry at the latest WHO exercise on all-cause excess mortality, which ignored country-specific accurate data released by the statutory body.
NEW MONKEY SPECIE NAMED AFTER 'SELA PASS'
A new species of old-world monkey recorded from Arunachal Pradesh has been named after Sela Pass, which is a strategic mountain pass at 13,700 ft above sea level, and the New Species has been named Sela Macaque.
It was identified and analysed by a team of experts from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and the University of Calcutta. Sela is situated between Dirang and Tawang towns in western Arunachal Pradesh.
The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Sela macaque was geographically separated from the Arunachal macaque (Macaca munzala) of Tawang district by Sela.
Phylogenetics relate to the evolutionary development and diversification of a species or group of organisms.
It was found to be genetically different from the other species of monkeys reported from this region. The study describes the Sela macaque as genetically closer to the Arunachal macaque.
The two have some similar physical characteristics such as heavy-build shape and long dorsal body hair. Both species have troops that either avoid proximity to humans or are used to human presence.
