March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS

International Relations
PM Narendra Modi addresses 5th BIMSTEC Summit

Why in News
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi
participated in the 5th BIMSTEC
(Bay of Bengal Initiative for
Multi-Sectoral Technical and
Economic Cooperation) Summit
on 30 March 2022 hosted in virtual
mode by Sri Lanka, the current
chair of BIMSTEC.
Key Points
 The Summit‟s theme was “Towards a Resilient Region, Prosperous
Economies, Healthy People”.
 The main outcome of the Summit was the adoption and signing of the BIMSTEC
Charter, which formalizes the grouping into an organization made up of member
states that are littoral to, and dependent upon, the Bay of Bengal.
 Prime Minister Modi along with other leaders also witnessed the signing of
three BIMSTEC agreements which represent progress being achieved in
ongoing cooperation activities:
(i) BIMSTEC Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters
(ii) BIMSTEC Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Cooperation in the
field of Diplomatic Training
(iii) Memorandum of Association on Establishment of BIMSTEC Technology
Transfer Facility
Facts about BIMSTEC:
 Headquarters: Dhaka, Bangladesh
 Founded: 6 June 1997
 Member: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand
Note: With 21.7 percent of the world's population and combined GDP of USD 3.8
trillion, the BIMSTEC has emerged as an influential engine of economic growth.

Ministry of Ayush and WHO signs Host Country Agreement for WHO Global
Centre of Traditional Medicine

Why in News
 The Ministry of Ayush has signed the Host
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Country Agreement with World Health
Organization (WHO) for establishing
WHO Global Centre for Traditional
Medicine (WHO-GCTM) in India at
Jamnagar, Gujarat, with its interim office
at the Institute of Training and Research
in Ayurveda (ITRA) in Gujarat.
 The Agreement was signed in Geneva by Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary,
Ministry of Ayush and Director General, WHO Dr. Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus.

Key Points
 This Centre will be supported by an investment of about USD 250 million from
the Government of India.
 GCTM will be the first and only Global Centre (office) for traditional medicine
across the globe.
 It will focus on building a solid evidence base for policies and standards on
traditional medicine practices and products and help countries integrate it as
appropriate into their health systems and regulate its quality and safety for
optimal and sustainable impact.
 Groundbreaking ceremony will take place on 21st April, 2022 in the august
presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

NASA's Artemis I moon mission

Why in News
 Recently, the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) rolled
out its Artemis I moon mission to the
launchpad for testing at the Kennedy
Space Centre in Florida, United States.
Key Points
 NASA’s Artemis mission is touted as the
next generation of lunar exploration.
 With the Artemis programme, NASA aims to land humans on the moon by
2024.
 Artemis I (formerly Exploration Mission-1) is the first of NASA's deep space
exploration systems.
 It is an uncrewed space mission where the spacecraft will launch on Space
Launch System (SLS) — the most powerful rocket in the world — and travel
2,80,000 miles from the earth for over four to six weeks during the course of
the mission.
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Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s Moon Exploration Efforts:
 Chandrayaan 1
 Chandrayaan-2
 ISRO recently announced India’s third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3, which
will comprise a lander and a rover.

Delhi world's most polluted capital: World Air Quality Report 2021

Why in News
New Delhi continues to be the world’s
most polluted capital city for the fourth
consecutive year, according to the
2021 World Air Quality Report,
prepared by Swissorganisation IQAir.
Key Points
 The report is based on PM2.5 air quality data from 6,475 cities in 117
countries, regions, and territories around the world.
 The data used to create this report was generated by tens of thousands of
regulatory and low-cost air quality monitoring stations operated by
governments, non-profit organizations, research institutions, educational
facilities, companies, and citizen scientists around the world.
Globally:
 Bangladesh was the most polluted country in 2021, followed by Chad,
Pakistan and Tajikistan. India was the fifth most polluted country.
 Among the cities, Dhaka was the second most polluted city in the world with a
PM 2.5 level of 78.1 just below New Delhi which had a PM 2.5 level of 85.1 in
2021.
 Notably, these exceeded the WHO PM2.5 limit of 0-5 µg/m³ by over 10-15
times.
 The data reveals that not a single country in the world managed to meet the
WHO’s air quality standard in 2021.
In India:
 The index listed 35 Indian cities with the worst air quality tag for 2021 with
Rajasthan’s Bhiwadi topping the list followed closely by Uttar Pradesh’s
Ghaziabad.
 In fact, none of the cities in India met the prescribed World Health
Organization air quality standards of 5 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3).
Finlandization

Why in News
 Recently, the French President Emmanuel
Macron suggested Finlandization might be a
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realistic outcome for Ukraine if and when the
Russia-Ukraine war ends.

Key Points
About Finlandization:
 Finlandization refers to the policy of strict neutrality between Moscow and the
West that Finland followed during the decades of the Cold War.
 The principle of neutrality was rooted in the Agreement of Friendship,
Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance (or YYA Treaty, from the Finnish
“Ystävyys-, yhteistyö- ja avunantosopimus”) that Finland signed with the USSR
in April 1948.
 Article 1 of the treaty (translated) reads: “In the eventuality of Finland, or the
Soviet Union through Finnish territory, becoming the object of an armed attack
by Germany or any state allied with the latter (meaning, essentially, the United
States), Finland will, true to its obligations as an independent state, fight to
repel the attack.

World Happiness Report 2022

Why in News
 World Happiness Report 2022
(10th edition) was released on
March 18, 2022, which identified
Finland as the happiest country of
the world, for the fifth time in a row.
Key Points
Top 3 countries of the World Happiness Report, 2022:
1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Iceland
 India, meanwhile, saw a marginal improvement in its ranking, jumping three
spots to 136, from 139 a year ago.
 Published since 2012, the World Happiness Report is based on two key ideas –
happiness or life evaluation measured through opinion surveys and identifying
key elements that determine well-being and life evaluationacross countries.
 Published by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions
Network, the report contains rankings of national happiness based on several
factors, and primarily on the responses by the individuals.
 The World Happiness Report usually ranks 150 countries based on several
factors such as real GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy,
freedom to make life choices, generosity and perceptions of corruption.
 This year, the report ranked 146 countries.
Note: International Day of happiness is observed every year around the world
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on March 20.

India emerges as the largest importer of arms in 2017-21: SIPRI Report

Why in News
 The latest report of the
Stockholm International Peace
Research Institute (SIPRI) on
Trends in International Arms
Transfer, 2021, released in March
2022, reveals that India and
Saudi Arabia had emerged as the
largest arms importers of arms
between 2017-21.
Key Points
 SIPRI has identified 163 states as importers of major arms in 2017-21.
 The top 5 arms importers-India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Australia and China-
together received 38 percent of total global arms imports in 2017-21.
 Between 2012-16 and 2017-21 Indian arms imports decreased by 21 percent.
 Despite this, India was the world's largest importer of major arms in 2017- 21
and accounted for 11 percent of total global arms imports in the period.
 Russia was the largest supplier of major arms to India in both 2012-16 and
2017-21, but India's imports of Russian arms dropped by 47 percent between
the two periods as several large programmes for Russian arms wound down.
 In contrast, India's arms imports from France increased more than tenfold,
making it India's second largest arms supplier in 2017-21.

Democracy Report 2022

Why in News
 According to the latest report from
the V-Dem Institute at Sweden’s
University of Gothenburg, the level of
democracy enjoyed by the average
global citizen in 2021 is down to 1989
levels, with the democratic gains of the
post-Cold War period eroding rapidly in
the last few years.
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 The study is titled ‘Democracy Report 2022: Autocratisation Changing
Nature?’
Key Points
 The report classifies countries into four regime types based on their score in
the Liberal Democratic Index (LDI): Liberal Democracy, Electoral Democracy,
Electoral Autocracy, and Closed Autocracy.
Main findings of the report:
 Sweden topped the LDI index, other Scandinavian countries such as Denmark
and Norway, along with Costa Rica and New Zealand make up the top five in
liberal democracy rankings.
 Autocratisation is spreading rapidly, with a record of 33 countries
autocratising.
India’s Performance:
 India is part of a broader global trend of an anti-plural political party driving
a country’s autocratisation.
 Ranked 93rd in the LDI, India figures in the “bottom 50%” of countries.
 It has slipped further down in the Electoral Democracy Index, to 100, and
even lower in the Deliberative Component Index, at 102.
 In South Asia, India is ranked below Sri Lanka (88), Nepal (71), and Bhutan
(65) and above Pakistan (117) in the LDI.
Note: Earlier, the Global State of Democracy Report, 2021 was released by the
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.
Financial Action Task Force keeps Pakistan in Grey List

Why in News
 Financial Action Task Force
(FATF) has once again retained
Pakistan on the increased
monitoring list, also known as the
"Grey List" and called the country
to work on "complex money
laundering investigations and
prosecutions.
Key Points
 Pakistan has been on the FATF's grey list for deficiencies in its counter-
terror financing and anti-money laundering regimes since June 2018.
 This greylisting has adversely impacted its imports, exports, remittances,
and limited access to international lending.
Facts about Financial Action Task Force (FATF):
 FATF is an intergovernmental organisation founded on the initiative of the G7
to develop policies to combat money laundering. In 2001, its mandate was
expanded to include terrorism financing.
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 Headquarters: Paris, France
 Founded: 1989
 Membership: 39
Two lists of FATF:
 Grey List: Those countries that are considered safe haven for supporting
terror funding and money laundering. ‘Increased monitoring list’ is another
name for the 'Grey List'.
 Black List: Those countries known as Non-Cooperative Countries are put in
the Black List. These countries support money laundering and terror funding
activities.

UNGA adopts resolution deploring Russian aggression in Ukraine

Why in News
 The United Nations General Assembly
(UNGA) has adopted a resolution deploring
the Russian aggression in Ukraine and
urged Russia to immediately withdraw all
forces fromUkraine.
Key Points
 The resolution came up for voting with 141 members voting for and five
members voting against it.
 India and 34 other nations abstained from voting.
 The emergency session of the UN General Assembly was called by the Security
Council amidst ongoing Russian military operations in Ukraine. It came after
the 193-member assembly convened its first emergency sessionsince 1997.
Note:
 The UNGA resolution was similar to the one circulated in the 15-nation
Security Council recently.
 The UNSC resolution, which received 11 votes in favour and three abstentions,
was blocked after permanent member Russia exercised its veto.

Montreux Convention

Why in News
 Turkey is set to activate the Montreux
Convention in response to Russia's invasion
of Ukraine.
Key Points
 Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey’s foreign minister
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said that the situation in Ukraine had become
a war, a declaration that
authorises Turkey to activate the Montreux Convention and ban Russian war
vessels from entering the Black Sea through the Bosporus and Dardanelles
straits.
Bosporus and Dardanelles straits:
 The Bosporus and Dardanelles straits, also known as the Turkish Straits or the
Black Sea Straits, connect the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea via the Sea of
Marmara.
 It is the only passage through which the Black Sea ports can access the
Mediterranean and beyond.
About Montreux Convention:
 It was signed by Australia, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Japan, Romania,
Yugoslavia, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and Turkey and has been in
effect since November 1936.
 Turkey has control over both the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits.
 In the event of a war, the pact gives Turkey the right to regulate the transit of
naval warships and to block the straits to warships belonging to the countries
involved in the conflict.

IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) on Climate Change

Why in News
 India welcomes the release of the Working
Group II (WG2) contribution to the Sixth
Assessment Report (AR6) of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC).
 The report is about climate change
impacts, risks and vulnerabilities, and adaptation options.

Key Points
Key findings of the Report:
 The Report affirms that climate change due to historical emissions is leading to
serious impacts which are already being felt globally including in developing
countries with low contribution to cumulative emissions.
 These impacts will rise as warming proceeds and will rise rapidly at higher
levels of warming.
 The Report is a clarion call for the world to abandon their unsustainable
production and consumption and move urgently to climate resilient
development.
 The Report notes that the impacts and the consequent limitations to
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adaptation would rise beyond 1.5 degree warming above pre-industrial levels.
In India:
 India notes that the Working Group I contribution to AR6 released in August,
2021 had made clear that developed countries need to rapidly decrease their
emissions and reach net zero by 2050.
 India faces multiple climate hazards and has high vulnerability to climate
change.
 India reaffirmed its commitment to climate actions, including the goal of netzero
by 2070.
About Report:
 The Assessment Reports, the first of which had come out in 1990, are the
most comprehensive evaluations of the state of the earth’s climate.
 The four subsequent assessment reports came out in 1995, 2001, 2007 and
2015. These have formed the basis of the global response to climate change.
The Assessment Reports – by three working groups of scientists:
 Working Group-I – Deals with the scientific basis for climate change.
 Working Group-II – Looks at the likely impacts, vulnerabilities and
adaptation issues.
 Working Group-III – Deals with actions that can be taken to combat climate
change.
About Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC):
 IPCC is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations responsible for
advancing knowledge on human-induced climate change.
 It was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and later endorsed
by the United Nations General Assembly.
 Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, it is composed of 195 memberstates.

Ukrainian President signs formal request to join European Union

Why in News
 Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskiy has said that he hassigned an
official request for Ukraine to join the
European Union (EU).
Key Points
 Zelenskiy has asked the European
Union to allow Ukraine to gain membership immediately under a specialprocedure
as it defends itself from invasion by Russian forces.
Facts about the European Union (EU):
 Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
 Founded: 1 November 1993
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 Members Countries: 27
 The United Kingdom became the first member state to leave the EU on 31
January 2020.
 In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
 Note: European Union has recently joined India’s International Coalition
for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure-CDRI.

Removal of Russian banks from SWIFT system

Why in News
 Recently, in a move to counter
Russia’s war over Ukraine, the US
and the European Union(EU) issued
a joint statement to exclude some
Russian banks from the SWIFT
(Society for Worldwide
Interbank
Financial Telecommunication) messaging system.
Key Points
 The assets of Russia’s central bank are also expected to be frozen,
constraining Moscow’s ability to access its overseas reserves.
 The intention of the moves is to further isolate Russia from the international
financial system.
 Prior to this, only one country had been cut off from SWIFT — Iran.
About SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial
Telecommunication):
 The SWIFT is a secure platform for financial institutions to exchange
information about global monetary transactions such as money transfers.
 While SWIFT does not actually move money, it operates as a middleman to
verify information of transactions by providing secure financial messaging
services to more than 11,000 banks in over 200 countries.
 Based in Belgium, it is overseen by the central banks from eleven industrial
countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden,
Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, besides Belgium.

National
Meghalaya‟s Living Root Bridges in UNESCO‟s tentative list of World Heritage
Sites
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Why in News
 Meghalaya‟s Living Root Bridges, found
in over 70 villages in the state, have been
included in the tentative listof World
Heritage Sites of the UNESCO.
Key Points
About Living Root Bridges:
 It is a type of simple suspension bridge formed by the method of tree shapingto
form living plant roots across a stream or river.
 Once mature, some bridges can have as many as 50 people crossing them andcan
last for over 150 years.
 Locally known as jingkieng jri, these are very common in the southern part of
Meghalaya where villages — from the Khasi and Jaintia tribes — grow them by
training the „ficus elastica„ tree on both sides of water bodies over a periodof
about 10-15 years where the roots form the bridge.
 At present, there are about 100 known living root bridges spread across 72
villages in the state.
India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
 The first sites to be inscripted were Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Agra Fort, andTaj
Mahal, of which all were inscribed in the 1983 session of the World Heritage
Committee.
 The latest site to be inscribed is Dholavira, Gujarat in 2021.
 As of July 2021, 19 of the 36 States and union territories of India are home to the
World Heritage Sites, with Maharashtra having the highest number of sites(5).
 At present, there are 40 World Heritage Sites located in India. Out of these, 32are
cultural, 7 are natural, and 1 is mixed (meeting both cultural and natural criteria),
as determined by the organization's selection criteria.
 India has the sixth largest number of sites in the world.
World's UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
 As of July 2021, a total of 1,154 World Heritage Sites (897 cultural, 218
natural, and 39 mixed properties) exist across 167 countries.
With 58 selected areas, Italy is the country with the most sites on the list.
Cabinet approves USD 808 million for “Raising and Accelerating MSME
Performance”

Why in News
 The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime
Minister, Narendra Modi, approved a
USD 808 million or Rs 6,062.45 crore,
World Bank assistedprogramme on
“Raising and
Accelerating MSME Performance”
(RAMP).
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 RAMP is a new scheme and would
commence in FY 2022-23.
Key Points
 RAMP is a World Bank assisted Central Sector Scheme, supporting various
Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID) Resilience and Recovery Interventionsof
the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MoMSME).
 RAMP programme with impacts across the country will directly or indirectly
benefit all 63 million enterprises that qualify as MSMEs
 However, a total of 5,55,000 MSMEs are specifically targeted for enhanced
performance and, in addition, expansion of target market to include service
sectors and increase of about 70,500 women MSMEs is envisaged.
Background:
 RAMP was formulated and proposed by the Government of India, for
strengthening MSMEs in line with the recommendations made by U K Sinha
Committee, KV Kamath Committee and Economic Advisory Council to the
Prime Minister (PMEAC).

Malabar Rebellion
Why in News
 Recently, the Indian Council for
Historical Research (ICHR) has
deferred its decision on a
recommendation to remove the 1921
Malabar Rebellion martyrsincluding
Variamkunnaathu Kunhahamad Haji
and Ali Musliyar from the list of
India‟s freedom fighters.

Key Points
 The Malabar rebellion, Moplah massacre, Moplah riots or Mappila riots
occurred between August 1921 and 1922 in the southern part of the Malabar
district of the Madras Presidency.
About Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR):
 It is a captive body of the Ministry of Education established by an
Administrative Order.
 It provides financial assistance to historians and scholars through fellowships,
grants, and symposia.
 Headquarters: New Delhi
 Founded: 27 March 1972

States can identify minorities: Centre

Why in News
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 In an affidavit filed in the
Supreme Court, the Union Ministry of
Minority Affairs said “state
governments can also declare a
religious or linguistic community as a
‘minority community’ within the
state”.
Key Points
 The affidavit was filed in response to a 2020 petition by advocate Ashwini
Upadhyay, who said that as per the 2011 Census, Hindus were a minority in
Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, J&K, Arunachal Pradesh,
Manipur, and Punjab and that they should be given minority status in these
states in accordance with the principle laid down by the Supreme Court in its
2002 TMA Pai ruling.
 In the TMA Pai case, the SC had said that for the purposes of Article 30 that
deals with the rights of minorities to establish and administer educational
institutions, religious and linguistic minorities have to be considered state-
wise.

Union Minister of Rural Development felicitates 75 trained candidates of

Project UNNATI under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA

Why in News
 Union Minister of Rural Development &
Panchayati Raj, Giriraj Singh felicitated
75 trained candidates of Project UNNATI
under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA at Dr.
Ambedkar International Centre, New
Delhi as part of the celebration of Azadi
KaAmrit Mahotsav.
 Along with 75 Trained Candidates of
Project UNNATI, the Minister also
felicitated Bankers associated with
RSETI of States/UTs, who have contributed towards the successful completion
of training of Project UNNATI candidates.
Key Points
About Project 'UNNATI':
 Project 'UNNATI', as a skilling project intends to upgrade the skill base of the
Mahatma Gandhi NREGA beneficiaries, and thereby improving their
livelihoods, so that they can move from the current partial employment to full-
time employment and hence reduce their dependence on Mahatma Gandhi
NREGS.
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 This project is meant for providing training for one adult member (of age 18-
45 years old) of a household who has completed 100 days of work under
Mahatma Gandhi NREGA in the previous financial year from the year of
commencement of the project. The households from which candidates are
selected for the training, are continuing to enjoy 100 days of work under
Mahatma Gandhi NREGA.

4th Poshan Pakhwada

Why in News
 The Ministry of Women and Child
Development is celebrating the 4th
Poshan Pakhwada from 21st
March to 4 April, 2022.
th

Key Points
 For the celebration of Poshan
Pakhwada, the emphasis is on two
broad areas viz. identification &
celebration of Healthy Child, and
integration of modern and
traditional practices for healthy India within the thematic areas around
Poshan MITRA (Modern, IT based, Traditional& Regional Activities).
Under the theme for integration of modern and traditional practices, special
focus will be on the following:
 Measurement of Height and Weight of Children under 6 years who are
beneficiaries in the Anganwadi Centres
 Activities focused around Gender Sensitive Water Management and generating
awareness in women about the importance of water conservation and
promoting rainwater harvesting structures including in Anganwadi Centres
 Test Treat and Talk Anaemia
 Promote traditional food for healthy mother and child esp. in Tribal Areas
About POSHAN Abhiyan:
 POSHAN Abhiyan launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 8th
March 2018 has reached a long way in ensuring wider people’s participation.
 Poshan Abhiyan endeavours to improve nutritional outcomes in a holistic
manner in convergence with other Ministries.
 Ministry of Women and Child Development will be the nodal Ministry for
coordinating activities during the Poshan Pakhwada.
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Union Jal Shakti Minister launches Sujlam 2.0 Campaign

Why in News
 Union Minister of Jal Shakti,
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
launched the Sujalam 2.0
campaign for greywater
management at a virtual event
hosted by the Department of
Drinking Water and Sanitation,
Ministry of Jal Shakti to mark the
World Water Day, 2022.
Key Points
 A Joint Advisory was also signed by 9 Ministries namely the Ministry of (M/o)
Jal Shakti, M/o Rural Development, M/o Women & Child Development, M/o
Youth Affairs and Sports, M/o Tribal Affairs, M/o Health and Family Welfare,
M/o Education, M/o Environment, Forest and Climate Change and M/o
Panchayati Raj, on how greywater management will be taken up at their level
based on convergence model with all those who are directly associated in
programme implementation.
 The theme for this year is ‘Groundwater: making the invisible visible.
 Funds to execute the activities for greywater management can be sourced
from SBM-G Phase II or through 15th Finance Commission tied-grants or
MGNREGS or through convergence of all.
 It is estimated that 31 billion litres of greywater is generated every day in
India.
 Under Sujlam 2.0 campaign, over 6 lakh villages will see intense activity on
solid and liquid waste management.

National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST)Why in

News
 The National Commission for Scheduled
Tribes (NCST) has been dysfunctional for the last
four years and has not delivered a single report to
Parliament, a parliamentary committee has said in a
recent report.

Key Points
About National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST):
 It is an Indian constitutional body that was established through Constitution
 March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS
(89th Amendment) Act, 2003.
 On the 89th Amendment of the Constitution coming into force on 19 February
2004, the National Commission for scheduled Tribes has been set up under
Article 338A on bifurcation of erstwhile National Commission for Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes to oversee the implementation of various
safeguards provided.
Composition:
 The Commission comprises a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson and threefull-
time Members (including one female Member). The term of all the
Members of the Commission is three years from the date of assumption of
charge.
Legal Provisions:
 Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 against Untouchability
 Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act,
1989
 Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996
 Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of
Forest Rights) Act, 2006

Cabinet approves Minimum Support Price of Raw Jute for 2022 -23 season

Why in News
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs,
chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi,
approved the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for
Raw Jute for 2022-23 season.

Key Points
 The approval is based on recommendations ofthe
Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices.
 The MSP of Raw Jute (TDN3 equivalent to TD5 grade) has been fixed at
Rs.4750/- per quintal for 2022-23 season.
 This would ensure a return of 60.53 percent over all India weighted averagecost
of production.
 The announced MSP of raw jute for 2022-23 season is in line with the principle
of fixing the MSP at a level of at least 1.5 times all India weighted average cost
of production as announced by the Government in the Budget 2018-19.
 The Jute Corporation of India (JCI) will continue as Central Government
Nodal Agency to undertake Price Support Operations and the losses incurred,
if any, in such operations, will be fully reimbursed by the Central Government.
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Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of India declines by 10 points

Why in News
 Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of
India has declined by 10 points as per the
Special Bulletin on MMR released by the
Registrar General of India.
Key Points
 MMR has declined from 113 in 2016- 18 to
103 in 2017-19 (8.8 % decline).
 The country has been witnessing a
progressive reduction in MMR from
130 in 2014-2016, 122 in 2015-17, 113 in 2016-18, and to 103 in 2017-19.
 With this persistent decline, India is
on the verge of achieving the
National Health Policy (NHP) target
of 100/lakh live births by 2020 and
certainly on track to achieve the SDG
target of 70/ lakh live births by 2030.
 The number of states which have
achieved the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target has now risen from 5
to 7 viz. Kerala (30), Maharashtra (38), Telangana (56), Tamil Nadu
(58), Andhra Pradesh (58), Jharkhand (61), and Gujarat (70).
 There are now nine (9) States that have achieved the target of MMR set by the
NHP which include the above 7 and the States of Karnataka (83) and Haryana
(96).
Interventions for improving Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR):
 Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA)
 Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)
 Labour Room Quality Improvement Initiative (LaQshya)
 POSHAN Abhiyaan 
 Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB)
 Surakshit Matratva Ashwasan (SUMAN)
 Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)
 Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) 
 Comprehensive Abortion Care Services 
 March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS
Draft National Medical Devices Policy 2022

Why in News
 The Department of
Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Ministry of
Chemicals and Fertilizers has
released on its website, an
Approach Paper for the Draft
National Policy for the Medical
Devices, 2022, inviting feedback and
remarks of the Industry and
stakeholders, till the 25th of March
2022.
Key Points
Salient Features of the Draft Policy:
 The proposed policy strives to put in place a comprehensive set of measures for
ensuring sustained growth and development of the sector and addressing the
further challenges of the Sector such as regulatory streamlining, skilling of
human resources and lack of technology for high
end equipment and lack of appropriate infrastructure, through a coherent
policy framework.
This Policy envisions that by 2047, our Country
 Will be having few National Institutes of Medical Devices Education and
Research (NIMERs) on the lines of NIPERs
 Will be home & originator to 25 high-end futuristic technologies inMedTech
 Will have a MedTech Industry of $100-300 Bn size with 10-12% of Global
Market Share
State of the Medical Device Industry in India:
 The medical devices sector in India is an essential and integral constituent of
the Indian healthcare sector, particularly for the prevention, diagnosis,
treatment and management of all medical conditions, diseases, illnesses, and
disabilities.
 The Medical Device Sector has remained largely unregulated till 2017 when
Medical Device Rules, 2017 were framed by CDSCO for comprehensive
regulation of MDs in a phased manner, especially on the quality, safety, and
efficacy aspects, under the Drugs and Cosmetic Act, 1940.
 The Indian medical device market has a significant presence of multinational
companies with about 80% of the sales by value generated from imported
medical devices. 
 March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS
“
Project Dolphin

Why in News
 Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh
Shekhawat expressed his displeasure over the
slow pace of the approval process for Project
Dolphin at a meeting of the Empowered Task
Force (ETF) on Ganga.

Key Points
 The ETF on Ganga is the second highest
decision-making body on Ganga, after the
National Ganga Council (NGC) headed by the Prime Minister.
Project Dolphin:
 Project Dolphin is one of the activities planned under Arth Ganga, an
ambitious inter-ministerial initiative of the government, which was approved
at the first meeting of the NGC under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister
on December 14, 2019.
 Special conservation programme needs to be taken up for Gangetic Dolphin
which is the national aquatic animal and also indicator species for the river
Ganga spread over several states.
 Project Dolphin is being “handled” by the Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change.
Gangetic Dolphin:
 Scientific Name: Platanista gangetica
 Discovery: It was officially discovered in 1801.
 Habitat: They live in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-
Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.
Conservation Status:
 Indian Wildlife (Protection), Act 1972: Schedule I
 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES):Appendix I
(most endangered)
 International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN): Endangered Note:
The National Mission for Clean Ganga celebrates 5th October as NationalGanga
River Dolphin Day.

PM-DAKSH Scheme

Why in News
 The amount of funds earmarked under PM-
 March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS
DAKSH (Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur
Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi) Yojana during
2020-21 and 2021-22 are Rs.44.79 crores
and Rs.79.48 croresrespectively.
 Recently, this information was given by the
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in
the Lok Sabha.
Key Points
 Earlier, PM-DAKSH Portal and PM-DAKSH Mobile App were launched by the
Ministry.
 PM-DAKSH portal offers on-line registration for free of cost Skill Development
Training Programmes.
 The main purpose of the scheme is to increase the skill levels of the target
youth by providing for long term and short term skills, followed by settlement
in employment/self- employment.
 The scheme is to be implemented through three Public Sector Undertakings
(PSUs), of the Ministry, i.e. National Scheduled Castes Finance and
Development Corporation (NSFDC), National Backward Classes Finance &
Development Corporation (NBCFDC) and National Safai Karamcharis Finance
& Development Corporation (NSKFDC).
 The Ministry aspires to reach out to 2.71 lakh people between calendar year
2021-22 and 2025-26.
 
Union Panchayati Raj Minister to launch SMS sending functionality to inform
MPs/MLAs about the commencement of drone
flying in their constituency under SVAMITVA
Scheme

Why in News
 Union Minister for Panchayati Raj and Rural
Development Giriraj Singh will launch the new
functionality developed wherein SMS will be
rolled out to MPs and MLAs informing about the
commencement of drone.flying in their respective
Constituency scheduled for survey under the
SVAMITVA scheme.
Key Points
 The Minister will launch the functionality on 11 th March 2022 in the presence of
representatives from the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Department of Science &
Technology (DST), Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Survey of India (SoI),
National Informatics Centre (NIC).
 This new functionality will help in wider outreach and transparency of the scheme.
 March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS
About SVAMITVA scheme:
 SVAMITVA, a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj was
launched nationally by the Prime Minister on National Panchayati Raj Day, 24th
April 2021.
 The scheme aims to provide the „record of rights‟ to village household owners in
rural Abadi areas and issuance of Property cards.
 The Scheme is being implemented across the country in a phased manner over a
period of five years (2020-2025) and would eventually cover all villages across the
country by 2025.
 Scheme is achieving a different milestone in its journey of saturating the scheme
across the country, so far drone flying has been saturated in 108 districts across
various States and Union Territories with many more on the verge of completion.

Cabinet approves setting up of National Land Monetization Corporation for

undertaking surplus land monetization

Why in News
 The Union Cabinet has approved the setting
up National Land Monetization
Corporation (NLMC) as a wholly owned
Government of India company with an initial
authorized share capital of Rs 5000 crore and
paid-up share capital of Rs 150 crore.
Key Points
 NLMC will undertake monetization of
surplus land and building assets of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs).
 The proposal is in pursuance of the Budget Announcement for 2021-22.
 With monetization of non-core assets, the Government would be able to
generate substantial revenues by monetizing unused and under-used assets.
 For CPSEs undergoing strategic disinvestment or closure, monetization of
these surplus land and non-core assets is important to unlock their value.

Ministry of Women And Child Development launches campaign ‘KanyaShikhsa

Pravesh Utsav’
Why in News
 On the occasion of International Women’s
Day, the Ministry of Women and Child
 March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS
Development (MoWCD), in partnership
with the Ministry of Education and
UNICEF, launched a landmark campaign
‘Kanya Shikhsa Pravesh Utsav’ to
bring back out of
school adolescent girls in India to the formal education and/or skilling system.
Key Points
 The campaign has been launched with the objective of enhancing enrolment and
retention of girls between 11-14 years of age in school.
 The initiative intends to build on the existing schemes and programmes like
Schemes for Adolescent Girls (SAG), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) and
National Education Policy (NEP) to work on a comprehensive system for out of
school girls.
 The campaign will be rolled out under the umbrella of MoWCD’s BBBP
initiative by targeting more than 400,000 out of school adolescent girls as
primary beneficiaries.

About UNICEF:
 UNICEF, also known as the United Nations Children's Fund, is a United Nations
agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to
children worldwide.
 Headquarters: New York, United States
 Founded: 11 December 1946

Special Entrepreneurship Promotion Drive for Women – “SAMARTH”

Why in News
 On the occasion of International
Women’s Day 2022, Union Minister for
MSME, Narayan Rane launched a Special
Entrepreneurship Promotion Drive for
Women -"SAMARTH".
Key Points
Under the Samarth initiative of the MSME
Ministry, following benefits will be available to aspiring and existing women
entrepreneurs:
 20% Seats in free Skill Development Programs organized under skill
development schemes of the Ministry will be allocated for Women. More than
7500 women will be benefitted.
 20% of MSME Business Delegations sent to domestic & international
 March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS
exhibitions under the schemes for Marketing Assistance implemented by the
Ministry will be dedicated to women owned MSMEs.
 20% Discount on annual processing fee on NSIC’s Commercial Schemes
 Special Drive for registration of women-owned MSMEs under Udyam
Registration
Note: In the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index, India is one of the
worst performers in South Asia, it is now ranked 140 among 156 countries in
2021.
Legislative Framework related to Women:
 The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961
 Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005
 The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and
Redressal) Act, 2013

Union Minister for Women & Child Development launches “Stree Manoraksha
Project”

Why in News
 Union Minister for Women & Child
Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani
launched the “Stree Manoraksha
Project”.
 The Ministry of Women and Child
Development is celebrating the
International Women’s Day week from
1st to 8th March, 2022.
Key Points
 The ‘Stree Manoraksha Project’ was launched in collaboration with
NIMHANS Bengaluru.
 The project is aimed at extending mental health training to 6000 One Stop
Centres (OSC) functionaries across India.
 The project would emphasise on the psychosocial well-being and aim to
improve the mental health of women in India.
Women Empowerment Schemes:
 One Stop Centres (OSC) Scheme
 Women Helpline Scheme
 NIRBHAYA Fund
 Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
 KIRAN Scheme
 March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS
 Mahila e-haat
 Mahila Police Desks and Anti Human Trafficking Units
 Nari Shakti Puraskar
 Mahila Shakti Kendras
Note: International Women's Day is celebrated annually on 8 March.

Cabinet approves implementation of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission with a budget of

Rs.1,600 crore for five years

Why in News
 The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has approved the
national roll-out of the Central Sector
Scheme, Ayushman Bharat Digital
Mission (ABDM) of Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare, Government of
India, with a budget of Rs.1,600 crore for
five years.
Key Points
 The National Health Authority (NHA) will be the implementing agency of
Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
 Under the ABDM, citizens will be able to create their ABHA (Ayushman Bharat
Health Account) numbers, to which their digital health records can be linked.
 The pilot of ABDM was completed in the six Union Territories of Ladakh,
Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Puducherry, Andaman and
Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep with successful demonstration of technology
platform developed by the NHA.

Union Health Minister, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya launches the National Polio
Immunization Drive, 2022

Why in News
 Dr. Mansukh Mandavia, Union
Minister for Health and Family
Welfare launched the National Polio
Immunization Drive for 2022 by
administering polio drops to children
below five years of age.
Key Points
 Universal Immunization Programme is focusing to protect children from more
diseases than ever before and has introduced several new vaccines like
 March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS
Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV), Rotavirus vaccine, and Measles- Rubella
vaccine (MR) in the recent past.
About Polio National Immunization Drive and Polio National Immunization Day
2022 (NID):
 The Polio National Immunization Day 2022 (NID) has been organized across the
country on 27th February 2022.
 India conducts one nationwide NID and two Sub-National Immunization Day
(SNIDs) for polio every year to maintain population immunity against wild
poliovirus and to sustain its polio free status.
 During the Polio NID, Over 15 crore children will be covered across all 36 States and
UTs in 735 districts.
 India has been free of polio for more than a decade, with the last case of wild
poliovirus reported on 13th January 2011.
 However, India continues to remain vigilant to prevent re-entry of the poliovirus into
the country from neighboring countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where wild
poliovirus continues to cause the disease.

Flights under „Operation Ganga‟ to evacuate stranded Indian nationals in Ukraine

Why in News
 Following the closure of
Ukrainian airspace, India is
facilitating evacuation of stranded
Indians from Ukraine through its
land border crossings with
Romania, Hungary, Poland and
Slovakia.
 India has named the
evacuation mission as 'Operation Ganga'.
Key Points
 The Ukrainian airspace has been closed for civil aircraft operations sinceFebruary
24 when the Russian military offensive began.
Note:
 Ukraine is in the east of Europe, and is bound by Russia to its northeast, east,and
southeast, and the Black Sea in the south.
 In the southwest, west, and north, Ukraine shares borders, in the clockwise
direction, with Moldova, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, and Belarus
 Recently, Russia recognised two independent republics out of Ukraine (Donetskand
Luhansk - Donbass region), signaling the inevitable war that followed.
 March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS

State
Assam and Meghalaya signed historic agreement for settlement of inter-state
border dispute
Why in News
 In presence of the Union Home Minister
Amit Shah, a historic agreement was
signed in New Delhi by the Chief
Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa
Sarma, and the Chief Minister,
Meghalaya Conrad K. Sangma, for
settlement of the interstate boundary
between the
States of Assam and Meghalaya, in respect of 6 out of 12 areas of difference.
Key Points
 Since July last year, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his
Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma have been in talks to resolve the long-
standing dispute along its 884-km-long border.
 While there are 12 areas of dispute between the two states, in July 2021, both
governments identified six areas (Hahim, Gizang, Tarabari, Boklapara,
Khanapara-Pilingkata, Ratacherra) for resolution in the first phase.
Note:
 During British rule, Assam included present-day Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh
and Meghalaya besides Mizoram, which later became separate states.
 Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972, and has held a different
interpretation of the border since.

Gujarat gets India's first 'steel road'

Why in News
 The Diamond City of India, Surat,
 Gujarat has become the first in India

to get a road that is made out of steel

 waste.



Key Points
 March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS
 Laid in the Hazira Industrial Area, the road consists of 100% processed steel slag.

Narasinghapettai Nagaswaram, the classical musical instrument of Tamil

Nadu gets GI tag

Why in News
 Narasingapettai Nagaswaram, the
classical wind musical instrument of
Tamil Nadu has been granted the
Geographical Indication (GI) tag
under the category of musical
instruments ofclass 15.
Key Points
 The musical instrument is
traditionally made by artisans based
in a village near
Kumbakonam who make them through specialized processing skills, a
technique inherited from their forefathers.
About Narasinghapettai Nagaswaram:
 Nagaswaram is a wind instrument made of wood and metal. The instrument has
also been accorded a high status as a ‘Mangala Vadyam’ and is played in
religious ceremonies, auspicious occasions, and classical concerts.
Geographical Indication tag:
 The Geographical Indication tag is issued for agricultural, natural, or
manufactured goods that have a unique quality, reputation, or other
characteristics attributable to their geographical origin.

India’s first medical city ‘Indrayani Medicity’ to come up in Maharashtra

Why in News
 Maharashtra Government has
 announced to set up the country’s first

medical city named ‘Indrayani Medicity’

 in Pune district’s rural area.



Key Points
 Indrayani Medicity will not only provide medical education and research
facilities, but also all kinds of specialty treatment under one roof.
 The Medicity will be set up by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development
Authority (PMRDA).
 March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS
 It will be developed through a public-private partnership (PPP) with an
investment of over Rs10,000 crore.

India‟s first 100% women-owned FLO Industrial Park inaugurated inHyderabad

Why in News
 India‟s first 100% women-owned FLO
industrial park in Hyderabad, promoted by
FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO) in
partnership with the Government of
Telangana, was inaugurated.
Key Points
 The 50-acres FLO Industrial Park was established with an investment of Rs. 250
Crores, is the Flagship project and the first of its kind at a national level with
participation open to Chapter Members and the national members of FLO.
 The park became operational by 25 women-owned and operated units
representing 16 Green Category Industries.
About FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO):
 FLO was established in 1983, as a division of the Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) which is the apex body of
industry and commerce in India.
 As an All India Organisation for women, FLO has 18 Chapters pan India -
Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Indore,
Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Kanpur, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Northeast, Pune,
Amritsar, Northeast & Uttarakhand, with its Head Office in New Delhi.

Demand for Rajya Sabha Seat to Chandigarh

Why in News
 The Chandigarh Municipal
Corporation approved a proposal to
amend Article 80 of the Constitution
so that its councillors could send a
representative to the Rajya Sabha.
Key Points
Private Member Bill — the Constitution (Amendment Bill, 2021) and
Amendment of Article 80:
 The Private Member Bill is a bill introduced by a Member of Parliament (MP),
who is not a minister. MPs sitting in the Opposition mostly bring Private
 March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS
Member Bills in the house.
 Article 80 of the Constitution of India deals with the composition of the council
of states also called the Upper House.
Where does Chandigarh stand?
 Chandigarh is a Union Territory without any legislative assembly.
 Chandigarh has a seat of Member of Parliament (MP) in the lower house
(Lok Sabha) or House of the People.
 Chandigarh residents elect an MP every five years through direct voting.
Note:
 The union territories of Puducherry, Jammu and Kashmir and the National
Capital Territory of Delhi have representation in the Rajya Sabha, while
Ladakh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli — Daman and Diu, Andaman and
Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep are unrepresented in the upper house.

Economy
RBI launches UPI123Pay that allows UPI payments on feature phones

Why in News
 Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor
Shaktikanta Das launched the Unified
Payments Interface (UPI) service for feature
phones.
 Termed as UPI123Pay, the service will allow
40 crore feature phone users across India to
access the payment service.
 Additionally, the central bank also launched a
24×7 helpline for digital payments called
DigiSaathi.

Polity
Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill,
2022

Why in News
 The Rajya Sabha passed the
Constitution (Scheduled Castes and
 March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS
Scheduled Tribes) Orders
(Amendment) Bill, 2022.

Key Points
 The Bill seeks to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 to omit
Bhogta community from the list of Scheduled Castes in Jharkhand and the
Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 for inclusion of certain communitiesin
the lists of Scheduled Tribes in the State.
 The Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment)
Bill, 2022 was introduced in the Upper House of Parliament onFebruary 7, 2022.

 The Scheduled Castes order specifies the castes, races and tribes deemed to be
Scheduled Castes in various states and Union territories, while the Scheduled
Tribes order specifies the same for tribes and tribal communities.
Note: Earlier, Lok Sabha passed a bill to include the „Darlong‟ community as asub-
tribe of the „Kuki‟ in the list of Scheduled Tribes of Tripura
Legal Provisions:
 Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 against Untouchability
 Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act,
1989
 Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996
 Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest
Rights) Act, 2006

Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022

Why in News
 Union Minister of State for Home, Ajay
Misra Teni, introduced the Criminal
Procedure (Identification) Bill 2022
in the Lok Sabha.
Key Points
 The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill 2022 authorises law enforcement
agencies to collect, store and analyse physical and biological samples of
convicts and other persons for the purposes of identification and investigation
in criminal matters.
 The Bill seeks to repeal The Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920 whose scope
was limited to taking recording finger impressions and foot-print impressions
of a limited category of convicted and non-convicted persons and photographs
on the order of a Magistrate.
 The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) will be the repository of physical
and biological samples, signature and handwriting data that can be preserved
 March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS
for at least 75 years.
 Resistance to or refusal to allow the taking of measurements under this Act
shall be deemed to be an offence under section 186 of the Indian Penal Codes.

DRDO successfully flight tests Indian Army version of MRSAM off Odisha coast

Why in News
 Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) conducted two
successful flight tests of the Indian Army
version of Medium Range Surface to Air
Missile (MRSAM) at Integrated Test
Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
Key Points
 The first launch was to intercept a medium altitude long range target and
second launch was for proving the capability of a low altitude short range
target.
About Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM):
 This MRSAM version is a Surface-to-Air Missile developed jointly by DRDOand
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Israel for use by the Indian Army.
 The MRSAM Army weapon system comprises multi-function radar, mobile
launcher system and other vehicles.
 It is a land based variant of the Barak Air and Missile Defence System (AMD).

Exercise Cold Response 2022

Why in News
 The military exercise ‘Cold Response 2022’ has
been organized by the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) in Norway.
 The exercise started on 14 March and will
continue to 1 April 2022.

Key Points
 Over 30,000 soldiers from 27 countries, as well as a number of civilian
agencies participate in the exercise.
 This exercise is held biennially in Norway.
 Cold Response 2022 is a long-planned exercise bringing together thousands of
troops from NATO Allies and partners, testing their ability to work together in
cold weather conditions across Norway – on land, in the air andat sea.
 Cold Response 2022 is organised by the Norwegian Armed Forces.
 The first exercise was the largest military exercise in Norway in 2006.
 March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS
About North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO):
 The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance,
is an intergovernmental military alliance among 28 European countries and 2
North American countries.
 Established in the aftermath of World War II, the organization implements the
North Atlantic Treaty, signed 4 April 1949.
 Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium

Appointments/Resignations
Gilbert Houngbo will be the next Director-General of ILO

Why in News
 Gilbert Houngbo from Togo will be the
next Director-General of the
International Labour Organization
(ILO).
Key Points
 Gilbert Houngbo was elected by the ILO’s
Governing Body, comprising
representatives of governments, workers
and employers, during their meeting in Geneva.
 Houngbo is currently President of the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD).
 He will be the 11th Director-General of the ILO, and the first African to hold the
post.
 His five-year term will begin on October 1, 2022. The current Director-
General, Guy Ryder, from the United Kingdom, has held the office since 2012.
About International Labour Organization (ILO):
 It is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and
economic justice through setting international labour standards.
 Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
 Formation: 11 April 1919
 The ILO has 187 state members.
 India is a founder member of the International Labour Organization. Note:
India has assumed the Chairmanship of the Governing Body of ILO in2020.
 March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS
Indian Economist Jayati Ghosh appointed in UN Advisory Board on
Multilateralism
Why in News
 Indian development economist Jayati Ghosh has
been appointed by UN Secretary General Antonio
Guterres to a new high-level advisory board on
effective multilateralism.

Key Points
 UN chief Guterres announced the establishment of the Advisory Board on
Effective Multilateralism to be co-chaired by former Liberian president and
Nobel laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and former Swedish Prime Minister
Stefan Lofven.
 Ms Ghosh has been named to the 12-member board, which will be supported
in its work by the Centre for Policy Research of the United Nations University
in close coordination with the Executive Office of the Secretary-General.
 She is also a member of the UN's high-level Advisory Board on Economic and
Social Affairs.
 Jayati Ghosh, 65, is a professor of economics at University of Massachusetts
Amherst.
Note: The first United Nations High-level Advisory Board was established in June
2018 as a key element of the efforts to support the U.N. Member States in
implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Gabriel Boric becomes Chile's youngest president

Why in News
 Ex-student protest leader, Gabriel Boric
Font has been appointed as the new and
36th President of Chile.
Key Points
 The 36-year-old leftist, Gabriel Boric is the
youngest leader to hold the office in Chile’s
history.
 Boric will hold the office for the period
between 2022-2026.
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Tata Sons’ chief N Chandrasekaran appointed Air India chairman
Why in News
 Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran has
been appointed the Chairman of Air India.
 The development came days after Ilker Ayci,
former chairman of Turkish Airlines, turned
down the Tata Group's offer to be the Chief
Executive Officer and Managing Director of
Air India.
Key Points
 The Tata Group took over the airline on January 27, 2022.
 Chandrasekaran also serves as the non-executive chairman of several other
Tata Group companies, including Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors, Tata
Steel, Tata Chemicals and Tata Consumer Products.
 He was reappointed Tata Sons’ executive chairman last month for another five
years.

Yoon Suk Yeol elected as new President of South Korea

Why in News
 In South Korea, opposition candidate
Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative former
top prosecutor, has been elected as the
country's new President.
Key Points:
 Yoon Suk Yeol defeated his ruling liberal
party opponent Lee Jae-myung.
 Yoon will take office in May and serve a
single five-year term as leader of the world‟s
10th largest economy.

Awards & Honours

Oscar Awards 2022; Will Smith wins first Oscar as best actor; Dune bags six
awards and CODA takes three
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 The 94th Academy Awards (Oscar
Awards) ceremony, presented by the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best
films released between March 1 and
December 31, 2021.
 Will Smith won the first Oscar as Best Actor
of his career for his performance in
King Richard. Jessica Chastain won Best Actress for The Eyes of Tammy
Faye.
 CODA was the big winner, winning the Best Picture award. The film was
nominated in three categories and won all three.
 Dune won six awards at the Oscars out of its ten nominations.
Some of the other prominent awards:
 Best Picture: CODA
 Best Actor: Will Smith for King Richard
 Best Actress: Jessica Chastain for The Eyes of Tammy Faye
 Best Director: Jane Campion for The Power of the Dog
 Best Supporting Actor: Troy Kotsur for CODA
 Best Supporting Actress: Ariana DeBose for West Side Story
 Best Documentary Short Subject: The Queen of Basketball
 Best International Feature Film: Drive My Car

Karolina Bielawska from Poland wins the Miss World 2021 crown
Why in News
 Karolina Bielawska from Poland has won
the 70th edition of the Miss World
pageant (Miss World 2021) that took
place in Puerto Rico.
Key Points
 Indian-American Shree Saini from the
United States bagged the first runner-up
title, followed by Olivia Yace from Cote
d'Ivoire as the second runner-up.
 Femina Miss India World 2020 Manasa
Varanasi represented India at the Miss
World 2021. She reached the Top 13
contestants but could not make it to the Top 6 finalists.

IISER professor Deepak Dhar becomes first Indian to bag Boltzmann Medal 2022
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Why in News
 Physicist Professor Deepak Dhar has
become the first Indian to be awarded the
Boltzmann Medal 2022.
Key Points
 He shares the medal with John J Hoefield
of Princeton University.
 Prof Dhar is presently the emeritusfaculty
at the Indian Institute of
Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune.
About Boltzmann Medal:
 The Commission on Statistical Physics of the International Union of Pure and
Applied Physics (IUPAP) presents this medal once in three years for
contributions in the field of statistical physics.
 The medal presentation ceremony will be held during the StatPhys28
conference scheduled to be held in Tokyo in August this year.

Important Days
March 24, World TB Day

Why in News
 World TB Day Tuberculosis(World
Day) is observed onMarch 24 each
year to raise publicawareness
about Tuberculosis(TB).
Key Points
 The theme of World TB Day 2022
is ‘Invest to End TB. Save Lives.’
 On this day in the year 1882, Dr.
Robert Koch announced the
discovery of the bacteria that causes TB. It paved the way for diagnosis andcure
of this deadly disease.
 World TB Day is one of eleven official global public health campaigns marked
by the World Health Organization (WHO), along with World Health Day, World
Chagas Disease Day, World Blood Donor Day, World Antimicrobial Awareness
Week, World Immunization Week, World Malaria Day, World No Tobacco Day,
World Hepatitis Day, World Patient Safety Dayand World AIDS Day.
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March 23, Shaheed Diwas or Martyrs’ Day

Why in News
 March 23 is observed as Shaheed Diwas or
Martyrs’ Day in India.

Key Points
 On March 23, 1931, Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar
were hanged to death by the British in Lahore Jail.
 In order to honour and remember their sacrifice for India's freedomstruggle,
March 23rd is celebrated as Shaheed Diwas.
 Martyr’s Day or Shaheed Diwas is also observed every year on January 30
in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi.
Note: On the occasion of Shaheed Diwas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will
inaugurate Biplobi Bharat Gallery at Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata.

March 22, World Water Day

Why in News
 World Water Day is observed every
year on 22nd March.
Key Points
 The theme for World Water Day
2022 is ‘Groundwater: Making the
Invisible Visible’.
 The United Nations General Assembly
adopted a resolution by which 22
March of each year was declared World
Day for Water, to be observed starting
in 1993.
 A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable
Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.

March 8, International Women’s Day

Why in News
 International Women’s Day is
celebrated every year on March 8.
Key Points
 The theme for International
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Women’s Day, 2022 is ‘Gender
equality today for a sustainable
tomorrow’.
 The first International Women's
Day celebration took place in the year 1911.
Note:
 On International Women’s Day 2022, President of India Ram Nath Kovind will
confer Prestigious Nari Shakti Puraskars to 29 outstanding Individuals for
the years 2020 and 2021.
 ‘Nari Shakti Puraskar’ is an initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child
Development to acknowledge the exceptional contribution made by
individuals and institutions, to celebrate women as game changers and
catalyst of positive change in the society.

March 01, Zero Discrimination Day

Why in News
 Zero Discrimination Day is an annual day
celebrated on 1 March each year by the
United Nations (UN) and other international
organisations.
Key Points
 The theme of the Zero Discrimination Day is
“Remove laws that harm, create laws that
empower”.
 The day aims to promote equality before
the law and in practice throughout all of the member countries of the UN.
 The day was first celebrated on March 1, 2014, and was launched by UNAIDS
Executive Director Michel Sidibé on 27 February of that year.
Source: un.org

February 28, National Science Day

Why in News
 National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated
annually on February 28.
Key Points
 The theme for NSD of the year 2022 is 'Integrated Approach in S&T for
Sustainable Future'.
 National Science Day is celebrated to commemorate the discovery of Raman
Effect by Nobel laureate, physicist CV Raman on this day in 1928.
 For his discovery, Sir C.V. Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in
1930.
 March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS

Science & Technology

Dr. Jitendra Singh announces launch of Data-Driven Research to EradicateTB-

“Dare2eraD TB”

Why in News
 Union Minister of State (Independent
Charge) Science & Technology Dr. Jitendra
Singh announced the launch of Data-
Driven Research to Eradicate TB-
“Dare2eraD TB” by the Department of
Biotechnology, M/o Science & Technology,
on the occasionof World TB Day.
Petascale Supercomputer “PARAM Ganga” established at IIT Roorkee under
National Supercomputing Mission
Why in News
 National Supercomputing
Mission (NSM) has now deployed
“PARAM Ganga”, a supercomputer
at IIT Roorkee, with a
supercomputing capacity of 1.66
Petaflops.
 The system is designed and commissioned by C-DAC under Phase 2 of the
build approach of the NSM.
Key Points
About National Supercomputing Mission (NSM):
 The National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) which is being steered jointly by
Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeiTY) and the
Department of Science and Technology (DST) and implemented by Centre for
Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) and Indian Institute of Science
(IISc), Bangalore, has progressed significantly.

Environment
 March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS
New gin berry species discovered in southern Western Ghats

Why in News
 A team of scientists from the Botanical
Survey of India (BSI) has discovered a
new gin berry species from the
Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary in
Tamil Nadu.
Key Points
 The species, named Glycosmis
albicarpa with a distinct large white
fruit, is endemic to the southern
Western Ghats.
 The species belongs to the Orange family, Rutaceae.
 The findings have been published in the latest issue of Nordic Journal of
Botany, published from Sweden.
 Many of the related plants of these taxonomic groups are being utilised for
their medicinal values and food.

Sports

Mirabai Chanu wins the BBC ISWOTY 2021 award

Why in News
 Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has been
announced the winner of the third edition of
the BBC Indian SportswomanOf The Year
(ISWOTY) 2021 award.

Points
 Mirabai Chanu created history in 2021 when she became the first Indian
weightlifter to clinch a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
 The „BBC Emerging Player‟ award has been presented to Shafali Verma,the
youngest female cricketer who played for India in Women‟s Twenty20
International match in 2019.
 The first Indian woman to have won a medal at the Olympics in 2000,
Karnam Malleswari has been presented the BBC Lifetime Achievement
award.
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Swiss Open Badminton Championships 2022: PV Sindhu wins women's singles title

Why in News
 In Swiss Open Badminton
 Championships 2022, two-time Olympic
medallist P. V. Sindhu has won the
 Women‟s Singles title beating Thailand‟s
 Busanan Ongbamrungpha.

Key Points
 This is the 2nd title for PV Sindhu in Basel, where she won her maiden World
Championships title in 2019.
 This is also the 2nd title of the 2022 season for Sindhu after she won the Syed
Modi India International in January.

BYJU‟S named as official sponsor of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022Why in

News
 Ed-tech company BYJU‟S has been named
as an official sponsor of the FIFAWorld
Cup Qatar 2022.
Key Points
 The 2022 FIFA World Cup is scheduled totake
place in Qatar from 21 November to 18
December, 2022.

Pankaj Advani wins Asian Billiards Championship for the eighth time

 Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani defeated

compatriot Dhruv Sitwala to win his eighth title
at the 19th Asian 100 UP Billiards
Championship 2022 in Doha, Qatar.
 This is Advani’s 24th international title and 8th
Asian crown.

Mithali Raj becomes first woman cricketer to play in six World Cups

Why in News
 India captain Mithali Raj
 March 2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS
became only the third cricketer and
the first woman to appear in six
World Cups, joining the iconic
Sachin Tendulkar and Pakistani
great Javed Miandad.
Key Points
 Raj, a 39-year-old veteran of
many memorable matches, had made her maiden World Cup appearance in
2000, before playing the event in 2005, 2009, 2013, 2017 and now in 2022.

Important Personality
Australian cricketer Shane Warne passes away

 Former Australian cricketer and spin

bowling legend Shane Warne passed
away at the age of52 years.
 Warne was named as one of
Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the
Century for his unparalleled
achievements in a 15-year career
between 1992 and 2007.
 In 2013, the year he retired from the
game completely, he was inducted
into the ICC Hall of Fame.