VISION

📰 Delhi govt.’s responsibilities remain: Centre

1)  International Dance Day observed globally on 29 April

•The International Dance Day is observed globally on 29 April every year. The day celebrates the value and importance of the dance and encourages participation and education in this art form through events and festivals. The day 29 April has been chosen as it marks the birth anniversary of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727–1810), who is known as the creator of modern ballet.

•The theme of International Dance Day 2021: ‘Purpose of dance’.

•The day was created in 1982, by the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI), the main partner for the performing arts of UNESCO.

2)  Indian Army signs MoU with HPCL & NIEDO for Ladakh Ignited Minds project

•Ladakhi youth Army under the aegis of Fire and Fury Corps signed MoU for Ladakh Ignited Minds project with corporate partner Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and executing agency National Integrity and Educational Development Organisation (NIEDO) HQ 14 Corps Leh.

3)  China Launches Robot Prototype ‘NEO-01’ Clear Space Debris

•The Chinese government has launched a robot prototype named as ‘NEO-01’, in the Earth’s low orbit, on its Long March 6 rocket. The 30kg robot prototype has been developed by Shenzhen-based space mining start-up ‘Origin Space’.

4)  DRDO Conducts Maiden Trial of Python-5 Air to Air Missile Using LCA Tejas

•The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), successfully test-fired the 5th generation Python-5 Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) from Tejas aircraft, at Goa. This adds the Python-5 Air-to-Air Missile (AAM) in the air-to-air weapons package of India’s indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas.

•The trials also aimed to validate the enhanced capability of the already integrated Derby Beyond Visual Range (BVR) AAM on Tejas. Python-5 air-to-air missile (AAM) has been manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel and is one of the most sophisticated guided missiles in the world.

5)  ADB Projects India’s GDP to grow 11% in FY22

The Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has projected the growth rate of India’s economy, in its latest flagship Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2021, as follows:

•FY22 (2021-22): 11%

•FY23 (2022-23): 7%

ADB has based the rate on the “strong” vaccine drive being undertaken across the country, however, it has also cautioned that the recent surge in COVID cases may put the country’s economic recovery at “risk”.

6)  IHS Markit Estimates GDP Growth Rate of India at 9.6% for FY22

•London-based financial services company IHS Markit has projected the GDP growth rate of the Indian economy to grow at 9.6 per cent in FY22 (2021-22). The revision is based on factors like ongoing lockdown and mobility curbs coupled with fears of an extension, time-wise and across more Indian cities.

7)  India Ranks 49th in Chandler Good Government Index 2021

•India has been placed at 49th position among 104 nations in the Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) 2021. Finland has topped the CGGI Index 2021 and Venezuela is the last ranked country at 104.

Index

•Rank 1: Finland

•Rank 2: Switzerland

•Rank 3: Singapore

•Rank 4: Netherlands

•Rank 5: Demark

8)  Krithi Karanth becomes 1st Indian woman to get ‘Wild Innovator Award’

•Dr. Krithi K Karanth, Chief Conservation Scientist at Bengaluru-based Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS), has been chosen as the first Indian and Asian woman for the 2021 ‘WILD Innovator Award’. This award given by the ‘‘WILD ELEMENTS Foundation” brings together a coalition of innovators, advocates and partners to “disrupt the status quo and identify solutions to global sustainability and conservation,”.

•The Foundation’s distinctive approach to addressing climate change is the “Power of Three,” recognising the interconnectedness of animal-kind, humankind, and plantkind for the future planetary wellness of our shared home.

9)  Cricketer Ravindra Jadeja becomes ASICS brand ambassador

•Japanese Sportswear brand ASICS announced that it has appointed Ravindra Jadeja, the all-rounder of the Indian cricket team and Chennai Super Kings as its brand ambassador. The company, which focuses on sporting gear for the running category.

•ASICS has been working with young and fresh athletic talent across various genres of sports. In India, ASICS is promoted by actor Tiger Shroff. In Asia, ASICS currently has over 55 stores across India, Sri Lanka and Bhutan.

GS SCORE Geography  Mapping Mineral Belts in India PDF

GS SCORE Current Affairs April 2021 Week 4 PDF

📰 China wary as India, Australia, Japan push supply chain resilience

1)  World Day for Safety and Health at Work: 28 April

•World Day for Safety and Health at Work is observed globally on 28 April every year. This day is observed to promote the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally and raise awareness to ensure health and safety at the workplace.

•The theme for 2021 is “Anticipate, prepare and respond to crises – Invest Now in Resilient Occupational Safety and Health Systems”.

2)  Workers’ Memorial Day: 28 April

•The Workers’ Memorial Day, also known as International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers occurs every year on 28 April. The day has been organized worldwide by the International Trade Union Confederation since 1996.

•Theme 2021: ‘Health and Safety is a fundamental workers‘ right.’

•Its purpose is to remember workers killed in incidents at work or by diseases caused by work and honour the victims of occupational accidents and diseases by organizing worldwide mobilizations and awareness campaigns on this date.

3)  India third highest military spender in 2020

•India has retained its position as the third biggest military spender in the world in 2020, according to new data titled ‘SIPRI Military Expenditure Database’ published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on April 26, 2021.

4)  DRDO develops single crystal blades for helicopter engines

•The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed single-crystal blades technology for helicopters and has supplied 60 of these blades to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) as part of their indigenous helicopter development programme for engine application. The DRDO will develop a total of five sets (300 blades) of single-crystal blades.

•This is part of a programme taken up by the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) to develop five sets of single-crystal high-pressure turbine (HPT) blades using a nickel-based superalloy.

5)  Uttar Pradesh won e-panchayat award

•The Uttar Pradesh government won the “E-Panchayat Puraskar 2021”, ranking first in Category I. It was followed by Assam and Chhattisgarh at the second position, while Odisha and Tamil Nadu stood third. Every year, the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj awards those states, which ensure maximum use of information technology to keep a tab on the work done by gram panchayats.

6)  Oxford Economics Projects India’s FY22 GDP Growth Forecast to 10.2%

•The Global forecasting firm Oxford Economics has revised downwards the GDP growth forecast for India to 10.2 per cent for fiscal 2021-22. Earlier it predicted this at 11.8 per cent. The downward revision is based on the country’s serious health burden, weak vaccination rate and lack of a convincing government strategy to contain the pandemic.

7)  Arun Raste named new MD & CEO of NCDEX

•Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has given approval to the appointment of Arun Raste as MD and CEO of National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) for a period of 5 years.

•Raste is currently associated with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) as an Executive Director and prior to NDDB, he has worked with organisations like IDFC First Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, NABARD, ACC Cement, and a non-profit NGO IRFT.

8)  PESB selects Amit Banerjee as CMD of BEML

•Public Enterprise Selection Board selected Amit Banerjee as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Bharat Earth Movers Limited, (BEML) an Indian Public Sector Undertaking. The PESB announced on meeting held on April 26, 2021. Currently, he is serving as Director (Rail & Metro), BEML Limited.

•In his professional career spanning over three decades in BEML, Shri Banerjee has worked in R&D and manufacturing functions. His experience involves the design & development of various products like SSEMU, Metro cars, Catenary Maintenance Vehicle, etc.

📰 A pragmatic approach for COVID-19

 What is the issue?

• The Government of India unveiled a completely revamped vaccine strategy.
• The resultant vaccine inequity could make containment measures more difficult.

What is the recent decision?

• Two key elements are the hallmark of this new strategy, which will be implemented from May 1, 2021.
• 1) The phased roll-out of the vaccination drive (initiated on January 16, 2021), under which the vaccine-eligible sections of the population were gradually increased, has now been extended to the entire adult population.
• All above 18 years will now get vaccinated.
• 2) A significant deregulation of the vaccine market has been effected.
• Vaccine manufacturers now have the freedom to sell 50% of their vaccine production to State governments and private hospitals.
• This can be sold at prices that can be substantially higher than that hitherto fixed by the government.
• A third element of the vaccine strategy, which was not announced formally, is a grant of ₹45 billion to the two vaccine manufacturers to boost their capacities.
  • Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech.

What are the concerns?