Daily CURRENT AFFAIRS

Daily Current Affair - UPSC/KAS Exams - 8th March 2022

NEWS

Speaking at the 12th edition of the 'Bengaluru India Nano' which is themed around the subject 'NanoTech for sustainable future', CM said Nano Urea will be a game changer in agri sector

NANO-UREA

WHAT - Nutrient (liquid) to provide nitrogen to plants as an alternative to the conventional urea

WHY -

• Developed to replace conventional urea and it can curtail the requirement of the same by at least 50%
• Contains 40,000 mg/L of nitrogen in a 500 ml bottle which is equivalent to the impact of nitrogen nutrient provided by one bag of conventional urea
• Conventional urea is effective 30-40% in delivering nitrogen to plants, while the effectiveness of the Nano Urea Liquid is over 80%

EFFECTIVENESS

• Tested in over 11,000 farmers’ fields for 94 crops like rice and wheat.
• An average 8% increase in yield has been witnessed.

DEVELOPED AT

• It has been indigenously developed at Nano Biotechnology Research Centre, Kalol, Gujrat in line with Atmanirbhar Bharat and Atmanirbhar Krishi.
• India is dependent on imports to meet its urea requirements.

SIGNIFICANCE

• Increases the production with improved nutritional quality
• Boost a balanced nutrition program by reducing the excess use of Urea application in the soil and will make the crops stronger, healthier and protect them from lodging effect
• Have a huge positive impact on the quality of underground water, a very significant reduction in global warming with an impact on climate change and sustainable development
• Easy on the pocket of farmers and will be effective in increasing farmers' income
• Significantly bring down the cost of logistics and warehousing

NEWS

The Union Labour and Employment Ministry launched the “donate a pension” scheme allowing any citizen to pay the premium amount on behalf of an unorganised worker under the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan Scheme.

DETAILS

• Launched in 2019
• Allows unorganised sector workers between the age of 18 and 40, who earn up to ₹15,000 a month, to enroll by paying a premium amount between ₹55 and ₹200, depending on the age, that would be matched by the government.
• On reaching the age of 60, the beneficiaries would get a ₹3,000 monthly pension.
• Allows a citizen to donate the premium contribution of their immediate support staff such as domestic workers, drivers, helpers, care givers, nurses, in their household or establishment
• The donor can pay the contribution for a minimum of one year, with the amount ranging from ₹660 to ₹2,400 a year, depending on the age of the beneficiary
• The premium amount can be paid through maandhan.in or by visiting a Common Service Centre anywhere in the country

NEWS

Government of India launched a Special Entrepreneurship Promotion Drive for Women – “SAMARTH” on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2022

DETAILS

• Through this initiative, the Ministry is focusing on providing Skill Development and Market Development Assistance to women
• Under the Samarth initiative, 20% seats in free Skill Development Programs organized under skill development schemes of the Ministry will be allocated for Women.
• More than 7,500 women will be benefitted.
• 20% of MSME Business Delegations sent to domestic and international exhibitions under the schemes for Marketing Assistance will be dedicated to women owned MSMEs.
• The ministry is also continuously making efforts to develop entrepreneurship culture among women by offering several additional benefits for women in various schemes implemented by the Ministry. 

NEWS

53rd Raising Day celebrations of Central Industrial Security Force was recently celebrated

CENTRAL INDUSTRIAL SECURITY FORCE

• One of the Central Armed Police Forces in India
• Unique organisation in the paramilitary forces of India
• Works to provide security cover to over 300 industrial units, government infrastructure projects and facilities and establishments located all over India.
• Industrial sectors like atomic power plants, space installations, mines, oil fields and refineries, major ports, heavy engineering, steel plants, barrages, fertiliser units, airports and hydroelectric/thermal power plants owned and controlled by Central Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), and currency note presses
• Set up under an Act of the Parliament of India on 10 March 1969 with a strength of 2,800
• Made an armed force of India by another Act of Parliament passed on 15 June 1983
• Among its duties are guarding sensitive governmental buildings, the Delhi Metro, and providing airport security
• Governed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, and its headquarters are at New Delhi
• Also provides consultancy services to private industries as well as other organisations within the Indian government
• It also plays a major role in Disaster Management
• Has a 'Fire Wing' which helps during fire accidents in Industries where the CISF is on guard.

NEWS

March 8 is celebrated as International Women’s Day across the world to promote women’s rights and honour their achievements across the political, economic, social and cultural spheres

DETAILS

• Traced back to the many socialist movements witnessed in the early 20th century
• Adopted by the United Nations in the year 1977 and aided by the second and third waves of Feminism
• Day is a reminder of the grit and determination of women all across the world
• The theme for International Women’s Day 2022 is, “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”
• One of the most important days of the year to:
  • celebrate women’s achievements
  • raise awareness about women’s equality
  • lobby for accelerated gender parity
  • fundraise for female-focused charities
• International Women’s Day was observed by the United Nations for the first time on 8 March 1975. 1975 was also declared the International Women’s Year.
• The very first day for women in the modern era was celebrated in the United States of America on February 28, 1909 when the Socialist Party of America observed a National Woman’s Day.

ALSO KNOW : GOAL 5 – ACHIEVE GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWER ALL WOMEN AND GIRLS

• Even though, gender equality is not a fundamental right, it is necessary for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world, especially for women to live in.
• Some targets of goal 5 are:
  • End all forms of discrimination and violence against all women and girls everywhere.
  • Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.
  • Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.
  • Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate.
  • Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences.

NEWS

NATO reluctant to declare Ukrainian airspace as a ‘No Fly Zone’

NO-FLY ZONE

WHAT

• Particular airspace wherein aircrafts, excluding those permitted by an enforcement agency, are barred from flying
• Articles under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter dealing with ‘Action with Respect to Threats to the Peace, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression’ are invoked to authorise a potential no-fly zone
• Article 39 dictates the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to determine the probable existence of any threat to peace or an act of aggression. It suggests further measures, if required, are to be carried out in accordance to Article 41 and 42 to restore international peace and security.
• Have been implemented without UN mandate too. In 1991 after the first Gulf War, U.S. and its coalition partners imposed two no fly zones over Iraq to prevent Saddam Hussain from attacking ethnic groups
• In non-combat situations, No fly zones can be imposed permanently and temporarily over sensitive installations or for high profile events like Olympics.

What is the feasibility of ‘No fly zone’ over Ukraine?

• No-fly zone declarations are essentially a compromise in situations demanding a response to ongoing violence, but full military intervention is politically untenable.
• NATO has previously imposed No-Fly Zones in non-member states like Libya and Bosnia. With Russia it fears a full-fledged war in Europe. It has been demanding that NATO scale back to the pre-1997 arrangements
• Both Russia and Ukraine are not members of NATO. Due to this, the idea of imposing a ‘no fly zone’ over Ukraine has been rejected outright
• ‘No fly zone’ needs to be implemented meaning NATO deploying aircraft and assets which would result in a direct confrontation with Russia as it may require NATO shooting down Russian fighters or taking down its air defence systems
• Russia has an overall superiority over Ukraine air space, it has not demonstrated that so far in its offensive in Ukraine.
• A ‘No fly zone’ would achieve very little as majority of the Russian attacks on Ukraine are coming from ground attacks rather than air strikes.

• India Global Forum’s (IGF) annual summit will bring together prominent faces of tech-driven disruption and those who have entered the unicorn club, as well as Union ministers, politicians, and global business executives. It was recently held in Bengaluru
• The Ninth Edition of India - Sri Lanka Bilateral Maritime Exercise SLINEX (Sri Lanka–India Naval Exercise) was held at Visakhapatnam recently
• TRAPPIST-1 is a red dwarf star in the Aquarius constellation.