Daily Current Affairs for 25th April 2018 ( English)
Important Days:
1.
April 24 - National
Panchayati Raj Diwas (Day) is celebrated every year
since 2010.This day marks the passing of Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act,
1992 that came into force with effect from 24 April 1993. The 73rd Amendment
1992 added a new Part IX to the constitution titled “The Panchayats” covering
provisions from Article 243 to 243(O); and a new Eleveventh Schedule covering
29 subjects within the functions of the Panchayats.
2. April 25-World Malaria Day (WMD) is observed every year to recognise the global efforts to
control preventable vector borne disease malaria. The theme of 2018 WMD is
“Ready to beat malaria“. Malaria is mosquito-borne infectious disease most
commonly transmitted through the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquito.
National:
1. Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan at Ramnagar, tribal-dominated
district of Madhya Pradesh was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on National
Panchayati Raj Day (24 April). It is
central government scheme that aims at making rural local bodies
self-sustainable, financially stable and more efficient. It seeks to address critical
gaps that hinder success of Panchayats by enhancing their capacities and
effectiveness, and promote devolution of powers and responsibilities. It will
be implemented during period from April 2018 to March 2022 with outlay of Rs.
7255 crore.
2. Letters of Intent have been awarded to 9 agencies for 22
monuments under Phase-IV of Adopt a Heritage Project: Apni Dharohar, Apni
Pehchaan Scheme by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with Ministry of Culture
and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), State/UTs Governments in New Delhi. This
Scheme aims to preserve rich cultural and natural heritage and to promote
tourism across length and breadth of our country. Under it, selected public
sector companies, private sector companies and individuals will develop tourist
amenities at heritage sites. They are being called as ‘Monument Mitra’ and
adopt the sites essentially under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
activity.
3. The Union Government, Madhya Pradesh Government and World Bank
have signed $210 million loan agreement for Madhya Pradesh Rural Connectivity
Project. The project will cover 10,510 km stretch
of rural roads in Madhya Pradesh that fall under Chief Minister’s Gram Sadak
Yojana (CMGSY) program. Of this 10,000 km will be upgraded from existing gravel
to bituminous surface roads, while 510 km of new roads will be built to same
bituminous surface standard. It will enhance rural road connectivity instate
which will open up opportunities for economic development and access to social
services for beneficiary communities in the state and help in reducing poverty.
The project will focus on improving road safety by collecting accident data and
analysing it at central and state levels through implementation of Road
Accident Database Management System (RADMS) and strengthen road safety capacity
at central level and focus on training territorial waters i.e. 12 nautical miles.
4. A Loan Agreement has signed with the World Bank for IBRD credit
of US$ 125 (equivalent) for Innovate in India for Inclusiveness Project by the
Union Government (Ministry of Finance)
to support India in developing an innovative biopharmaceutical
and medical devices industry, which is globally competitive. The
projects seeks to achieve its objective by bridging critical skill and
infrastructure gaps to promote affordable and innovative healthcare products
generation for inclusive development and increasing competitiveness in India. The project will support
Union Government’s Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Program (BIRAC).
It mainly aims to leverage India’s potential and capability to deliver safe,
effective and low-cost vaccines to tackle a host of diseases that affect
billions of people around the world.
5. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the
centrally sponsored scheme ‘National Bamboo Mission’ (NBM) under the National
Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) for the remaining period of
Fourteenth Finance Commission (2018-19 & 2019-20). The National Bamboo Mission will ensure integrated development
of the bamboo sector by establishing effective linkage of farmers with
industry. Besides, the CCEA also approved the Empowerment of Executive
Committee for formulation of guidelines of the National Bamboo Mission and to
make the changes therein.
6. The state cabinet of Jammu and Kashmir on April 24, 2018
approved the Jammu and Kashmir Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 that provides death penalty to the rapists of children below
the age of 12 years.
7. The Supreme Court on April 24, 2018 asked the Centre and all the
States to remove all the provisions that refer to leprosy as a disability from
statute books. The
move came after the apex court observed that the leprosy is curable and
patients suffering from it should not be victims of social stigma. The Supreme Court bench noted that the references to leprosy as
a disability in the written laws led to the “statutory stigma.” And these laws
must be amended to bring in the parity as with the advancement of medical
science, leprosy is no longer an incurable disease.
International:
1. A giant mosquito with a wingspan of 11.15 centimetres was
discovered by the scientists in China’s Sichuan province. The mosquito belongs to the world’s largest mosquito species
Holorusia mikado. Earlier, this mosquito species was first found in Japan and
normally have wing span of about 8 centimetres.
2. The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is tying up with US and
Finland to develop new pollution-forecast system that will help anticipate
particulate matter (PM) levels at least two days in advance and at greater
resolution. Currently, System of Air
Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), run out of Indian
Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, serves as apex forecaster of
pollution trends in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad. It generates likely air
quality profile for a day in advance, for these cities. The new system will
jointly develop with expertise from Finnish Meteorological Institute and US
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). SAFAR will continue to
be the backbone for pollution forecast.
3. India and Mongolia agreed to explore ways to identify new areas
of cooperation in all sectors of mutual interest and to enhance bilateral trade
and investments. The announcement came
during the meeting of Indian-Mongolia Joint Committee between Mongolian Foreign
Minister D Tsogtbaatar and Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in
Ulaanbaatar.During the Indian-Mongolia Joint Committee meeting on
Cooperation, the two sides discussed global challenges, particularly the
scourge of terrorism and agreed to collaborate bilaterally to stop those who
extend support to terrorist outfits. Both the sides also agreed to
explore the possibility of launching direct air connectivity between New Delhi
and the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar.The two countries agreed to remove
institutional and logistical impediments to boost trade, tourism and people to
people contacts.
Science and
Technology/ Defence:
1. In a bid to boost defence cooperation with the friendly countries,
the Union Government is planning to gift obsolete weaponry that can be
refurbished at minimal cost. Specific military
platforms being looked under this proposal are artillery guns, armoured
vehicles, helicopters, naval patrol vehicles and radar systems that are
obsolete or nearing obsolescence. Fulfilling the requests of these countries
will open way for deeper strategic engagement with these countries. It will
also pave way for long-lasting partnership.
2. ‘Sagar Kavach’- two-day coastal security exercise to strengthen
and assess the loopholes in the coastal security mechanism was held along
Kerala coast. The objective of the exercise
was to provide seamless seaward cover along coast by all concerned security
agencies from coastal belt area to limit of territorial waters i.e. 12 nautical
miles. The exercise saw participation of Indian Coast Guard (ICG), Indian Navy,
Coastal Police and Marine Enforcement wing and various other security stakeholders.
It saw participation of three ships of India Navy, 10 of ICG, four fishing
boats, besides 20 coastal police stations from Vizhinjam to Kasaragod.
3. World’s smallest land fern named Malvi’s adder’s-tongue fern
(Ophioglossum malviae) have discovered by the researchers inAhwa forests of
Western Ghats in Gujarat’s Dang district.The
fingernail-sized fern belongs to group known as adder’s-tongue ferns, named
after their resemblance to snake’s tongue. Its size is just one centimetre (the
most similar adder’s-tongue fern is 10 cm tall). Its minuscule seeds (called
spores) has unique thick outer layer which is not present in similar species.
It is differed from similar ferns in not just size but also in other complex
fern features too.
4. NASA will start work on its Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway by
early 2019 when it will award the first contract for the program. The lunar platform will be NASA's planned ‘staging’
area for studies of the moon and the deep-space environment. It will eventually
also function as a gateway space station for Astronauts travelling to and from
Mars.
Economy: 1. The
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) under the NITI Aayog will be launching the Atal
New India Challenge on April 26, 2018. Under
the Atal New India Challenge, AIM will invite prospective
innovators/MSMEs/start-ups to design market-ready products using cutting edge
technologies across 17 focus areas such as Climate Smart Agriculture, Smart
Mobility, Predictive Maintenance of Rolling Stock, Waste Management etc.
Applicants who will be able to show capabilities, intent and potential to
utilise these technologies will be awarded grants of up to Rs 1 crore.
Announcement !
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