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 January -2023 eBook covers the current events that happened in the month of October. Current Affairs is a crucial component of any competitive exams including CLAT, AILET, DU-LLB, HM, CAT, IAS, PCS, SSC, CUET, 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 Current Affairs thoroughly and smartly.
The PRAVAHINI January -2023 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 & Honour
- Important Days and Dates
- Science & Technology
- Miscellaneous
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
COMMISSION OF SUB-CATEGORIZATION OF OBC
In 2017, the President of India constituted a Commission under Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Justice G Rohini. The main objective of the commission was to prepare a report examining the OBC subcategories in the country.
The President formed the commission using his powers under Article 340. The commission was to submit its report within 12 weeks. The work is still pending and the commission recently got a 14th extension.
Why sub – categorization?
Today the Other Backward Castes in the country receive 27% reservation in education and employment. There is a need for subcategorization as most of the reserved seats are grabbed by a few communities.
Current Scenario: In 2018, 10 OBC communities took 25% of the reserved quota on jobs and educational seats. 97% of the total seats reserved for the OBC communities had gone to these 10 communities alone!
NATIONAL MISSION FOR A GREEN INDIA
India is lagging behind in the targets to increase the number and quality of tree- and forest-cover plantations set in the National Mission for a Green India (GIM).
States with significant shortfall in tree cover include Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Kerala.
How is Tree Cover Different from Forest Cover?
Tree cover refers to the total area of land that is covered by trees, regardless of whether or not the trees are part of a forest ecosystem.
Forest cover, on the other hand, refers specifically to the area of land that is covered by a forest ecosystem, which is defined as an area with a tree canopy density of more than 10% and an area of more than 1 hectare. So, all forest cover is tree cover, but not all tree cover is forest cover.
What is the National Mission for a Green India?
GIM is one of the eight Missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. It aims at protecting, restoring and enhancing India’s forest cover and responding to climate change. The target under the Mission is 10 million hectares (Mha) on forest and non-forest lands for increasing the forest/tree cover and to improve the quality of existing forest.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change supports the States/Union Territories for carrying out afforestation activities through this Centrally Sponsored Scheme. Improving tree cover is critical to sequester carbon and bolster India’s carbon stocks as part of its international commitments to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
TARGET TO BECOME '1ST GREEN ENERGY STATE'
The Himachal Pradesh government intends to make the state as the first Green Energy State by the end of 2025 by harnessing hydro, hydrogen and solar energy and switching to green products.
The State is projected as a Power State in the Country and under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the state government is resolute to promote, develop and harness optimally, the huge energy potential of the State.
Initiative led by Himachal Pradesh
The state government would also invest in solar plants and will install 500 MW solar projects during the year 2023-24, out of this, 200 MW would be installed by HPPCL for which land has been identified for 70 MW capacity and the rest of the sites will be finalized soon.
Solar projects up to 150 MW capacity would be installed by HIMURJA through private participation and priority would be given to Himachalis in awarding these projects, he said and added that the capacity of the projects will range from 250 KW to 1 MW.
The Government of Himachal Pradesh has received a dividend of Rs. 2355 crore against the equity contribution of Rs. 1055 crore and 12 percent free power from Nathpa Jhakri and Rampur hydro power projects amounting to around Rs. 7000 crore so far.
WHAT ARE THE MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCES?
The concept of mandatory minimum sentences is common in American and Canadian legal systems. Recently, the Canadian Apex court announced that it is to stop pronouncing mandatory minimum sentences.
Mandatory minimum sentences are judgments that do not leave discretion to the court. Meaning the punishment cannot be reduced in the future.
What are Mandatory Minimum Sentences?
In simple terms, the judgments in which the level of punishment cannot be reduced in the future are called mandatory minimum sentences. Say, a Supreme Court judge pronounced five years of punishment to a convict.
Usually, the convict may appeal to the court for a reduction in punishment after a year or after six months of imprisonment. The court checks if his conduct has changed and based on his realization, it agrees to reduce his punishment. This is called a mandatory minimum sentence.
Mandatory Minimum Sentence in India
The Chief Justice of India recently challenged a petition related to mandatory minimum sentences. The petition requested the Supreme Court to reduce the punishment of the convicts arrested in a gang rape (of a minor girl of 12 years of age).
DRAFT NATIONAL ELECTRICITY POLICY
The Standing Committee constituted to work on Electricity issues in India made recommendations to create a new Electricity Policy. Based on the recommendations, the Ministry of Power constituted an expert committee under the chairmanship of Gireesh Pradhan to create the policy.
The panel submitted the draft policy in October 2021. Now, the ministry has finalized the policy and is circulating it to the states and the CEA (Central Electricity Authority) seeking comments.
About the Draft Policy
The policy was framed invoking Electricity Act, 2003
Private parties shall be invited for distributing power
Quality power supply in rural areas
Reduce dependence on coal
Increase hydrogen storage and hydro storage
Increase investments on mini-grids
Make metering completely smart
Encourage and increase the use of domestic power equipment
STATUS OF PRISON ADMINISTRATION IN INDIA
Recently, the Prime Minister suggested prison reforms to improve jail management and recommended repealing obsolete criminal laws, at the 57th All-India Conference of Director Generals/ Inspector General’s of Police, organized by the Intelligence Bureau (IB).
What is the Status of Prison Administration in India?
Prison administration is an important component of the criminal justice system. There is a paradigm shift in social viewpoint towards prisoners in the last century.
Earlier system of prison with a punitive attitude where inmates were forcibly confined and deprived a variety of freedom as a form of punishment has changed with a change in social perception towards prison and prisoners.
It is now treated as a correction or improvement facility which itself indicates that there is more emphasis on reformation of prisoners than to punish them.
Structure of the Criminal Justice System in India:
The Indian Criminal Justice System is composed of government agencies that enforce the law, adjudicate crimes, and correct criminal behavior.
It has four subsystems:
Legislature (Parliament)
Enforcement (Police)
Adjudication (Courts)
Corrections (Prisons, Community Facilities)
WHAT IS 'PARAKH' INITIATIVE?
The Government of India recently launched PARAKH to assess the performance of secondary and higher secondary students. Different states in the country are following different assessment procedures to evaluate their students.
Because of the variations, students are facing difficulties during their college admissions. PARAKH will bring uniformity to the analysis procedures.
PARAKH – A Part of National Education Policy, 2020
The National Education Policy of 2020 brought in several changes to the education system of the country. Major changes were at the school level. PARAKH was one among them.
The policy aims to achieve inclusion and excellence. PARAKH will help in achieving inclusion. For instance, the state board students face more difficulties to compete with the CBSE school students. This is because of differences in syllabus, exam pattern, and above all the differences in evaluation
FIFTH KALVARI CLASS SUBMARINE 'VAGIR'
Indian Navy is set to commission the fifth Kalvari class submarine Vagir on 23 Jan 2023. The Chief of the Naval Staff Adm R Hari Kumar will be the Chief Guest for the ceremony.
These submarines are being built in India by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai, under collaboration with M/s Naval Group, France. Four of the Kalvari class of submarines has already been commissioned into the Indian Navy.
The former Vagir was commissioned on 01 Nov 1973 and undertook numerous operational missions including deterrent patrols. The submarine was decommissioned on 07 Jan 2001 after serving the nation for about three decades.
INDIAN AIR FORCE TO HOLD EXERCISE 'PRALAY'
The Indian Air Force is to conduct a massive military exercise near the Line of Actual Control. The Government of India conducts such military exercises on the border to control the infiltrations.
Infiltrations are common in the Line of Control, India – Pakistan border, and Line of Actual Control, India – China border. During these military exercises, there is a huge movement of artillery and soldiers to the border. Squadrons move and surround the region during the exercises.
This helps to keep a check on the trouble-causing elements at the border. The PRALAY is to be conducted on the North Eastern border where Chinese infiltrations are rising these days.
About PRALAY Exercise
With PRALAY exercise the Government of India has decided to exhibit its Air Force power in the region. Therefore, PRALAY will be conducted by IAF. It is to be noted that India recently deployed S – 400 missiles in the region. PRALAY will see the participation of India’s leading fighter jets such as the Rafale and Su-30.
KEN-BETWA LINK PROJECT (KBLP)
Recently, the Ministry of Jal Shakti has chaired a meeting on Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP), stating that it is the “flagship” project of the national government and it “is crucial for the water security and socio-economic development of Bundelkhand region”.
In December 2021, the Union Cabinet approved KBLP at a total cost of Rs 44,605 crore. In this project. The project has been delayed due to political and environmental issues.
What is the Ken-Betwa Link?
The Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) is the river interlinking project that aims to transfer surplus water from the Ken River in Madhya Pradesh (MP) to Betwa in Uttar Pradesh (UP) to irrigate the drought-prone Bundelkhand region.
The region spread across the districts of two states mainly Jhansi, Banda, Lalitpur and Mahoba districts of UP and Tikamgarh, Panna and Chhatarpur districts of MP.
The project involves building a 77-meter tall and a 2-km wide Dhaudhan dam (to be built within Panna Tiger Reserve) and a 230-km canal. Ken-Betwa is one of the 30 river interlinking projects conceived across the country.
WHAT IS AERO INDIA 2023?
The Defence Ministry has been organizing the Aero – India Show since 1996. Other organizations such as DRDO, the Indian Air Force, Civil Aviation, and the Department of Space join the ministry to organize the show. The show is one of the largest air shows in Asia.
Service providers of Indian aerospace and other manufacturers exhibit their products. Buyers from different countries participate in the show. It is to be held at the Yelahanka Air Force Base near Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Theme: The Runway to a Billion Opportunities
About Aero India 2023
In 2023, big shots of the aviation sector will participate. This includes Boeing or the USA, Airbus of Europe, and other missile manufacturers from Europe. The show is a biennial event. It is held once every two years.
CHINA BUILDING DAM ON MABJA ZANGBO RIVER
Satellite images show that China is constructing a new dam on the Mabja Zangbo river, geospatial intelligence researcher Damien Symon has claimed.
The dam will be sitting just a few kilometers north of the Indian-Nepali-Chinese border trijunction. Satellite images show work is being done on the Mabja Zangbo River in Tibet’s Burang County since 2021.
While the construction of the dam is not complete, it does pose questions regarding China’s hegemony on water supplies downstream in the future.
The Mabja Zangbo River flows downstream into the Ghaghara or Karnali river before eventually meeting the Ganges in India. Mabja Zangbo originates from Mount Kailash, but is not a major tributary of the critically important water of the Karnali.
The Karnali river is the second biggest tributary by length of the Ganges, after River Yamuna, and the biggest tributary of the Ganges by volume.
The river flows past cities like Ayodhya and Faizabad, where it is known as the legendary Sarayu River, Bahraich, Barabanki, Basti, Deoria, Barhalganj, Gonda, Gorakhpur, Sitapur, Siddharthnagar, Saint Kabir Nagar, Kamhariya, Rajesultanpur and Tanda in Uttar Pradesh among other settlements in Bihar.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
INDIA'S STAND ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF 13A
In 1987, India and Sri Lanka signed an agreement to implement the 13th amendment of the Sri Lankan constitution. According to the agreement, the Sri Lankan Government will provide powers to the Tamil community in the country.
Recently, External Affairs Minister Jai Shankar declared that India ponders the implementation of 13A “CRITICAL”. According to India, 13A is essential for the Sri Lankan Government to reconcile with the Tamil community in the country.
What is 13A?
13A is the 13th amendment of the Sri Lankan constitution. It will give more power to the Tamil people in the country. Tamilians are the minority in the country of Sri Lanka.
The Tamil community in the country is demanding a separate state. In 1987, with the Indian Union Government’s efforts, the Sri Lankan Government agreed to increase the powers of Tamilians in the country through 13A. However, 13A was not implemented.
EGYPT PRESIDENT AT CHIEF GUEST OF REPUBLIC DAY
Every republic day and Independence Day celebration, India invites chief guests from different countries. Earlier, that is, between the 1950s and 1970s, India invited chief guests from the Eastern Blocs and NAM.
However, the trend has now changed. We are now inviting our close trade partners and allies to the celebrations. This year, in 2023, India invited the Egyptian President.
Why the Egyptian President?
Recently, the ties between India and Egypt have been growing strongly. The following events prove the point:
5th India – Egypt Joint Trade Committee meeting held in late 2022.
Trade between India and Egypt increased by 75% in the past year.
Egypt in 2020-21 became one of the largest investment destinations of India.
The Indian investments in the country amount to 3 billion USD.
Defense ties between the countries are growing stronger.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the country in 2022 and signed an MoU.
Cyclone I military exercise was recently conducted between India and Egypt.
Egypt agreed to import wheat from India in 2022.
INDIA INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FESTIVAL
The eighth India International Science Festival is to be held in Bhopal. The Union Minister Jitendra Singh inaugurated the festival. According to the Government of India, the festival is a step in moving towards “AMRIT KAAL”.
The theme of India International Science Festival, 2023: Marching Towards AMRIT KAAL with Science and Technology
Significance of the theme
The theme aligns with and signifies the following:
Self-Reliant India
G20 vision of India in 2023 (India is hosting the 2023 G20 meet)
One Earth One Family One Future
CHRIS KIPKINS AS NEW PRIME MINISTER OF NEW ZEALAND
Chris Kipkins of New Zealand is to succeed Jacinda Ardern as PM. He belongs to the Labour Party of NZ. He is to take charge by February 2023. Currently, Chris serves as the Education minister of the country. He played a big role as Health Minister during the pandemic.
Why is New Zealand electing a new PM?
Jacinda Ardern recently announced that she is to step down as PM. After her announcement, the labor party unanimously voted for Chris. Many believe that his role as health minister during COVID earned him the ranking.
Role of Chris Hipkins
Chris was designated as the health minister during COVID in addition to other portfolios such as education and public service. He also acted as the Leader of the House during that time. Chris is also looking after the police services in the country and tackling crime rates.
SCO MEET: INDIA INVITES PAKISTAN & CHINA
The Shanghai Cooperation Meet is to be held in August 2023 under India’s chairmanship. 2023 is India’s year as the country is hosting two major international meets, the SCO and the G-20.
The Global South looks up to these meetings. SCO members rotate the chairmanship amongst themselves.
And in 2023, the rotating chair will come to India. As a responsible chairperson, India has invited Pakistan and China as they are also members of SCO along with Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Theme: SCO meet is to be held under the theme “FOR A SECURE SCO”. Here SECURE includes the following concept:
S: Security for citizens
E: Economic Development
C: Connectivity
U: Unity
R: Respect
E: Environmental Protection
The theme of G-20, as India says is “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, meaning “World is one family”. On the G-20 website, the Government of India puts the theme as “One Earth – One Family – One Future”
ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
NEW INITIATIVES LAUNCHED AT WEF
The World Economic Forum met at Davos, Switzerland. During their meeting, the world leaders launched more than fifty initiatives focusing on building a resilient and sustainable world. Most of the initiatives addressed the food crisis issues and economic energy issues.
The event is of great significance as economists are expecting an economic crisis due to geopolitical tensions. Also, recessionary risks have been forecasted.
Pressure on food, inflation, and energy is expected to increase in 2023. The Ukraine war and US–China relations are to cause income-related crises and global economic runoff. The initiatives were launched considering the impacts of these issues.
Giving to Amplify Earth Action
The initiative will raise 3 trillion USD for climate and nature. That is, it will ensure that 3 trillion USD is available for the climate and nature-related actions of WEF.
HCL Technologies of India is supporting the initiative along with 45 other stakeholders.
FireAld initiative: It aims to manage wildfires using Artificial Intelligence. Under the initiative, scientists will use data and maps to determine the intensity of wildfires in different parts of the world.
Global Collaboration Village Mission: The main objective of this initiative is to create a space for discussion. The mission will bring in all stakeholders together to discuss the economic development of the world. It aims to bring global development.
WHAT IS ECONOMIC SURVEY 2023?
The report detailing the financial status of the country is called the Economic Survey. The survey is released by the Finance Ministry and submitted by the Finance Minister to the Parliament.
The finance minister submits the survey report after the President’s address. Every Union Budget session begins with the address of the President.
About Economic Survey
The report explains the performance of India in the previous financial year.
It talks about the inflation rate
Trends in major sectors of the country such as agriculture, infrastructure, and foreign exchange reserves
Lists the economic challenges in front of the Government
Suggests recommendations to overcome the challenges
GDP growth is projected
Facilitates allocation of funds in the Budget
Prepared by: The Department of Economic Affairs prepares the Economic survey. The department operates under the Ministry of Finance. The Chief Economic Advisor of India supervises the economic survey preparations. The current Chief Economic Advisor of India is Mr Anantha Nageswaran.
HEALTH EXPENDITURE AT 2.1% OF GDP FOR FY23
Health Expenditure has been a major concern for the government since the COVID pandemic. As the pandemic started reducing, the governments were burdened heavily to focus on the lost track of other disease elimination programs.
For instance, the cases of malaria, AIDS, hepatitis, etc in India and several other countries increased exponentially. These diseases increased because the governments were forced to pay less attention. The entire attention and complete focus were on the COVID pandemic.
Health expenditure was not sufficient to focus on all diseases. In the fiscal year 2022-23, central and state governments spent 2.1% of their GDP in 2023. In 2022, it was 2.2% and in 2021, it was 1.6%.
What did the Economic Survey say about Health Expenditure?
Health expenditures made on social services increased to 26% in the fiscal year 2023. It was 21% in the fiscal year 2018-19.
The government’s share in the total expenditure of the country increased to 40.6% in the fiscal year 2018-19. It was 28.6% in 2013-14.
Out of Pocket Expenditure decreased to 48.2% in the fiscal year 2018-19. It was 64.2% in 2013-14
Social security expenditure in the health sector increased to 9.6% in the fiscal year 2018-19.
It was 6% in 2013-14. The social security expenditure on health includes the following
Medical reimbursements the central government makes to the government employees
Social Health Insurance Programmes
Health insurance schemes financed by the government
AWARDS & HONOURS
UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE CENTRE: CHARAIDEO MAIDAMS
The Centre has decided to nominate the Charaideo Maidams in Assam for the UNESCO World Heritage Centre this year.
There is currently no World Heritage Site in the category of cultural heritage in Northeast India. The nomination of the Charaideo Maidams has attained significance at a time when the country is celebrating the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan.
What is Charaideo Maidams?
The Charaideo Maidams, represents the late medieval (13th-19th century CE) mound burial tradition of the Tai Ahom community in Assam.
It enshrines the mortal remains of the members of the Ahom royalty, who used to be buried with their paraphernalia. After the 18th century, the Ahom rulers adopted the Hindu method of cremation and began entombing the cremated bones and ashes in a Maidam at Charaideo.
Out of 386 Maidams or Moidams explored so far, 90 royal burials at Charaideo are the best preserved, representative of and the most complete examples of mound burial tradition of the Ahoms.
IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF EDUCATION: 24TH JANUARY
The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 24 January as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development.
tion plays a key role in building sustainable and resilient societies. Providing quality education for all is of utmost importance for the creation of a peaceful and prosperous world. Moreover, education gives people the knowledge and skills they need to grow as human beings.
Recently, Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay has decided to dedicate the 2023 International Day of Education (January 24) to Afghan girls and women.
Currently, 2.5 million (80%) of school-aged Afghan girls and young women are out of school, 1.2 million of whom were denied access to secondary schools and universities following the decision of the de facto authorities.
Since August 2021, UNESCO has adapted its interventions to support the continuity of education in challenging circumstances.
The fifth International Day of Education will be celebrated on 24 January 2023 under the theme “to invest in people, prioritize education”.
INDIA TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL VOTERS' DAY
India is to celebrate its 13th National Voters Day on January 25. The first NVD was celebrated in 2011. The Election Commission of India will host the celebrations.
ECI has released a logo marking the theme of the celebrations. On NVD, the President of India is to present the National Awards in the category of Electoral Practices.
The theme of National Voters Day, 2023: Nothing Like Voting. I Vote for Sure
How does India celebrate NVD?
The main objective of celebrating NVD is to create awareness of voting among the citizens. On NVD, ECI presents EPICs to the new voters. EPIC is an Elector Photo Identity Card.
The President will present this award to different categories. They are state level, central level, district level, etc. The officers are to be awarded for their performances in different spheres such as Security Management, IT initiatives, accessible election, etc.
PARAKRAM DIWAS OBSERVED ON 23RD JANUARY
On the Occasion of Parakram Diwas (23rd January) 2023, 21 unnamed islands of Andaman and Nicobar have been named after Param Veer Chakra awardees.
Netaji’s Memorial, a National Memorial dedicated to Netaji will be built on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Dweep. Parakram Diwas is celebrated to commemorate the 126th birth anniversary of freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose.
What is the Purpose of Naming Islands?
The islands named after Param Vir Chakra awardees will be the site of inspiration for generations to come. People are now visiting Andamans to learn India’s history.
Param Vir Chakra is India’s highest military decoration awarded for displaying distinguished acts of valor during wartime whether on land, at sea or in the air.
It aims to pay tribute to Indian heroes, several of whom had made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the sovereignty and integrity of India. The islands have been named after Major Somnath Sharma, Subedar and Hony Captain (then Lance Naik) Karam Singh, Nayak Jadunath Singh, etc.
NATIONAL GIRL CHILD DAY: JANUARY 24TH
Every year India celebrates National Girl Child Day on January 24. The main objective of the celebrations is to create awareness about education for girls and provide them with good health and nutrition.
Also, the day aims to eliminate gender biases in the country. The Ministry of Women and Child Development leads the celebration activities. India has been celebrating the day since 2008.
The government of India launched several initiatives to raise the status of girl children in the country such as Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.
The Government of India has not announced any themes for this year’s celebrations. However, earlier the Government had planned to celebrate the day on “Digital Generation, Our Generation, Our Time is Now, Our rights and Our Future”
International Girl Child Day
It is celebrated on October 11 by the United Nations and several other international organizations. The first International Girl Child Day was celebrated in 2012.
NATIONAL TOURISM DAY OBSERVED ON 25TH JANUARY
The Government of India is celebrating this year's National Tourism Day at Pochampally of Telangana.
In 2021, the United Nations World Tourism Organization selected the village as one of the Best Tourism Villages in the world, and therefore, the Indian Government is launching its national-level celebrations of the day from this village.
The village is famous for its IKAT sarees. They are unique and hand woven. In 2021, India earned 9 billion USD of foreign exchange earnings from the tourism sector.
National Tourism Day
The first National Tourism Day was celebrated in 1948. In 1948, India formed its first tourism promotion committee called the Tourist Traffic Committee. In 1958, a separate department was created for tourism under transport. Today we have a separate minister for the tourism sector.
World Tourism Day
The United Nations and other international organizations celebrate World Tourism Day on September 27.
The UN celebrates the day to spread awareness of tourism. Also aims to create awareness about its role in social, financial, and political fields. World Agri tourism Day is celebrated on May 15 by the UN.
DATA PROTECTION OR DATA PRIVACY DAY
Data Protection Day, or Data Privacy Day, is celebrated on January 28. The aim is to create more awareness about the right to data protection and the various ways in which people can keep their data more safe.
The world is slowly but steadily moving towards digitisation, but this also means our data is becoming more vulnerable.
This year, leading organizations are expected to invest heavily in updating more robust cybersecurity policies and procedures, enabling security automation, and monitoring attack surfaces.
The theme for this year is ‘Think Privacy First’. In this digital age, it is pragmatic to prioritize data privacy, both for individuals and businesses.
INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY: JAN 27TH
Holocaust means destruction on a large scale. International Holocaust Day is marked to commemorate the Jewish people killed or massacred by Hitler and his army.
More than six million Jews were killed during this period. The day is marked on January 27. The United Nations passed a resolution in 2004 to mark this day.
The theme of the 2023 International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Home and Belonging
Why did Adolf Hitler, the Nazi leader, hate Jews?
Many are of the misconception that Hitler invented hatred for Jews. No. Hatred of Jews prevailed since the middle ages. According to his book Mein Kampf, Hitler was prejudiced against Jews.
Many of the German nationalists during the Hitler period were anti-jews. But their ideologies were not as cruel as that of Hitler’s.
Most Germans believe that Hitler developed a hatred for Jews because of the First World War. Germany lost the First World War. The Jews, communists, and democrats were considered responsible for the defeat of the country in the world war. And for this reason, Hitler started hating Jews vehemently.
NATIONAL ANTI-LEPROSY DAY 2023
India is fighting hard to eliminate leprosy. The country has set a target of eliminating the disease completely by 2027. The set target is three years ahead of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
To aid the fight against Leprosy in the country and to create awareness about the disease India is marking National Anti–Leprosy Day on January 30.
The theme of National Anti–Leprosy Day 2023
Let us make Leprosy a History; Let us fight against leprosy
Leprosy and SDG
The United Nations aims to eradicate leprosy by 2030 by achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The international organization believes that it can eradicate the disease by following the following goals:
Goal 1: End Poverty
Goal 3: Quality and affordable health care for all
Goal 6: Clean water for all
Goal 10: Reduce inequality
But India is to eliminate Leprosy three years ahead of UN goals.
REPORTS & INDEXES
HINDENBURG RESEARCH: ADANI GROUP ROW
The Hindenburg financial research company recently released a research report on the Adani Group. According to the report, the group was involved in stock manipulation. Gautham Adani, his brother, and other family members used tax havens and established shell companies.
While the shell companies were not operating in reality, the company fraudulently posed itself as blooming in business. This increased the stock prices of the group by 815% in a few months.
After the research report released by the Hindenburg financial research enterprises, the investors of Adani have lost more than one lakh crore rupees.
Current Scenario
Adani Group released a 413-page reply to the Hindenburg report. Adani accuses the research company to be unethical and the report as baseless. To this Hindenburg responded that it has released only 30 pages of its evidence.
The remaining 330 pages of court records have not yet been released. According to Hindenburg, the finance researcher holds evidence against irrelevant initiatives of Adani, misuse of female entrepreneurship benefits, etc.
IMF RELEASED WORLD ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
The International Monetary Forum recently released the World Economic Outlook. According to the report, the Inflation in India is to reduce to 6.8% in March 2023.
Further by the end of 2023, the inflation will reduce to 5%. In 2024, Indian Inflation will be 4%. The report also said that global inflation is to reduce to 6.6% in 2023. It was 8.8% in 2022.
Key Highlights of the report
The Consumer Price Index is to decrease in more than 84% of the world’s countries
Global inflation will fall down to 6.6% in 2023. In 2024, it will further reduce to 4.3%
In developed economies like the US, France, and Russia the average inflation is to reduce to 4.6% in 2023. Further, it will reduce to 2.6% in 2024. It was 7.3% in 2022.
In developing economies like East Asian and South Asian countries, the inflation is to reduce to 8.1% in 2023. Further, it will reduce to 5.5% in 2024. In 2022, the inflation in these economies was 9.9%
In Low – Income countries the inflation is to reduce to 8.6% in 2024. In 2022, the inflation here was 14.2%
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
EUROPEAN UNION TO LAUNCH THE JUICE SPACECRAFT
The European Union is to launch the JUICE Spacecraft in April 2023. The spacecraft is to explore the moons of Jupiter. Specifically, the mission is to study the three major moons of Jupiter namely Ganymede, Europe, and Callisto.
Out of the 80 moons of the planet, these three were selected for their large oceans. The satellite is to be launched from French Guiana. Ariane 5 will carry the satellite. JUICE is the first satellite from the earth to enter the orbit of Ganymede.
About JUICE
JUICE stands for Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer. The satellite was developed by Germany and tested by France.
The main objective of the mission is to study the microbial life on the icy moons of the planet. It will also study the Polar Regions and the magnetosphere of the planet.
JUICE will enter the orbit of Ganymede to study its composition. If launched in April 2023, the satellite is expected to enter Jupiter orbit by 2034. It will be deorbited in 2035.
DRACO: NUCLEAR FISSION POWERED SPACECRAFT
DARPA of the USA is working on nuclear fission-powered spacecraft along with NASA called the DRACO. DARPA is the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency.
And DARPA is the research and development wing of the US military. Just like the DRDO of India. DARPA is to launch the DRACO Spacecraft. DRACO stands for Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations.
DRACO is to run on nuclear fission reactions. This is considered a big leap in the space industry as no nuclear rockets have been launched till 2021. The USA began testing the technology in 1955. Due to a lack of funds, the project was stalled.
Nuclear Thermal Rocket
The rocket that uses a nuclear fission reactor to fly is called a nuclear thermal rocket. No country on earth has succeeded in this technology. China, Russia, and the USA are space racing on technology. India has not yet started working on the technology.
WHAT IS SKYGLOW?
Recently, a new study has found that non-natural light had increased the brightness of Skyglow, by 9.2-10% every year between 2011 and 2022 with significant ecological, health and cultural implications.
Researchers have analyzed a global database of what the dimmest star visible from a particular location is; the database had more than 51,000 entries submitted by citizen scientists.
What is Skyglow?
The Skyglow, is an omnipresent sheet of light across the night sky in and around cities that can block all but the very brightest stars from view.
The brightening of the night sky over inhabited areas because of streetlights, security floodlights and outdoor ornamental lights cause the Skyglow.
This light floods directly into the eyes of the Nocturnal (active at night) and also into the skies and misleads their path. 'Skyglow' is one of the components of light pollution.
What is the Scenario of Skyglow?
The Skyglow had brightened around 6.5% over Europe, 10.4% over North America, and 7.7% over the rest of the world. The finding is significant because it disagrees with satellite-based data, which has indicated that the rate of increase has been around 2% per year.
ISRAEL'S ASTROPHYSICS MISSION: ULTRASAT
NASA and Israel will soon sign an agreement on a space mission. Under the agreement, the United States will help Israel in its upcoming Astrophysics Mission called ULTRASAT. The mission is currently being developed by the Israel Space Agency and Germany.
ULTRASAT will operate in Geostationary orbit. It is to carry a UV telescope. The main objective of ULTRASAT is to look for UV signatures in space. Precisely it will look for UV emissions from mergers (collision of neutron stars) and supernova explosions.
About ULTRASAT
The weight of the satellite is 1,100 kg
To be launched in2026
Operational time: three years
Purpose: To look for gravitational waves
Total Cost: 110 million USD
WHAT IS ADITYA L1 SOLAR MISSION?
The Indian Space Research Organization is working on a space project that will study the sun. The name of the project is Aditya L1. Recently, the ISRO chairman announced that the spacecraft is to be launched in June or July this year. The Aditya spacecraft will study solar magnetic storms and the impact of the solar atmosphere on the earth.
About Aditya L1
The spacecraft is to study the following:
Solar Winds: These winds are created due to the expansion of the sun’s plasma
Photosphere and Chromosphere of the sun
Corona of the sun
Energetic particles of the sun
Aditya will study corona heating
Coronal Heating: Scientists are yet to find the solution to the million-dollar question.
Why is the temperature of the sun’s corona a million kelvins, but the temperature of its core is only thousands of kelvin?
This is generally called the corona heating problem. The spacecraft will help Indian space scientists find solutions to the coronal heating problem.
MISCELLANEOUS
INDIA SURPASSED CHINA IN TERMS OF POPULATION
In a significant development, India may have already surpassed China as the world's most populous country. According to projections from the World Population Review (WPR), India’s population was 141.7 crore as of the end of 2022.
That's a little more than 50 lakh more than the 141.2 crore declared by China on January 17, when there was the first fall since the 1960s, according to official announcements.
India, a country where 50 percent of the population is under 30, is anticipated to have the world's fastest-growing major economy.
The milestone was supposed to be reached later this year, according to the UN. According to WPR, India's population increased to 142.3 crore people as of January 18. WPR predicts that, though India's population growth has slowed, it will still climb until at least 2050.
The most recent figure for India is 142.8 crore, according to a different estimate from the research platform Macrotrends. After postponing population surveys due to pandemic disruptions in 2021, the nation did not release its once-every-ten-year census statistics.
