NATIONAL:
1. India’s GI Tag List in FY 2022-23
Why in news - Kerala has secured the maximum number of Geographical Indication (GI) tags among states for the financial year 2022-23.
Key Points –
• GI products from UP - Chunar Glaze Pottery, Banaras Zardozi, Mirzapur Pital Bartan, Banaras Wood Carving, Banaras Hand Block Print, Rataul Mango, and Mau saree.
• Foreign products to get GI tags in India –
(a) Brandy De Jerez (Spain).
(b) Provolone Valpadana (Italy).
• The Geographical Indication relates to a particular location and product manufactured from that region.
2. National Electricity Plan (NEP) for 2022-27
Why in news - The latest draft of NEP was released by Central Electricity Authority (CEA) under the Electricity Act, 2003.
Key Points –
• The first NEP was notified in 2007.
• NEP 2022-27 marks a significant departure from its previous edition, which had focused primarily on renewable energy.
NEP 2022-27 –
Key takeaways –
• Focus – Production of additional coal-based capacity of 28 GW by 2031-32 (1 GW = 1000 MW).
• Rise in the coal-fired power plants’ plant load factor (PLF), from 55% in 2026-27 to 62% in 2031-32.
• India’s current installed generation capacity is 410 GW.
• Non-fossil fuel-based energy resources - 175 GW. It is well over 40% of the total electric power installed capacity.
• India’s coal-fired thermal power plants of 200 MW series are more than 25 years old, run on old technology and do not promise robust reliability.
3. Adani Power (Jharkhand) Limited (APJL)
Why in news – Adani Power's thermal plant in Jharkhand began commercial operation.
Key Points –
• Location – Godda, Jharkhand.
• It would supply the power under a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to Bangladesh.
4. 54 Feet-Tall Statue of Lord Hanuman
Why in news – Amit Shah unveiled a 54-feet-tall statue of Lord Hanuman at Sarangpur temple in Botad district, Gujarat on April 6, 2023.
Key Points –
• It also coincided with 44th BJP Sthapana day (6 April 1980).
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES:
1. Indian Space Policy 2023
Why in news – The Union Cabinet approved the Indian Space Policy 2023 to streamline the process of participation by private players.
Key Points –
• The policy clearly states the roles and responsibilities of private players, public-private mediator IN-SPACe and the commercial arm of ISRO New Space India Limited.
• Indian space market is worth $7 billion, which is just about 2% of the global space market.
• The Cabinet also approved setting up of LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) at Maharashtra’s Hingoli.
• Aim - to detect and track cosmic gravitational waves.
• Scheduled to be completed by 2030.
• There are only two LIGO observatories in the world, both of them in the USA (California and Massachusetts).
ECONOMY:
1. Kirit Parikh Panel
Why in news – The government amended the domestic pricing model of natural gas in line with the recommendations of the Kirit Parikh committee on gas pricing.
Key Points –
• Prices of domestic natural gas would now be announced every month, and be pegged at 10% of the international price of the Indian crude basket.
• The move is expected to reduce the prices of piped natural gas (PNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) by 10%.
• The government has approved a floor price of $4 per MMBtu (metric million British thermal units) for the next 2 years (ceiling price - $6.5 per MMBtu).
• The committee had said India should have a free and market-determined pricing for natural gas extracted from legacy fields and remove all caps by January 1, 2027.
IMPORTANT DAYS:
1. International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
Why in news – It is observed every year on April 6.
Key Points –
• Theme – “Scoring for People and the Planet”.
• It is a link to the inaugural modern Olympic Games in 1896.
SCIENCE – TECHNOLOGY:
1. 3D-Printed Cryogenic Engine
Why in news – Skyroot Aerospace test-fired its 3D-printed Dhawan II engine for a duration of 200 seconds.
Key Points –
• The engine was developed by Skyroot for its heavier vehicle, Vikram II.
• Launch vehicle - Vikram S rocket (single-stage solid fuel).
• It was carried out at Solar Industries propulsion test facility in Nagpur.
• Dhawan-II is a 3.5 Kilo Newton (kN) engine that has been created using Cryogenic Technology.
2. TEMPO Instrument
Why in news – SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched a new NASA device that can track air pollution over North America.
Key Points –
• TEMPO - Tropospheric Emissions Monitoring of Pollution.
• It was placed on an Intelsat communications satellite in geostationary orbit.
• Geostationary orbit (35,786 km above the equator) is a common orbit for weather and communications satellites, but an air quality instrument measuring gases hadn’t been there yet.
BOOKS & AUTHORS:
1. “Gandhi: Politics and Communalism”
Why in news – Piyush Babele has written a new book titled “Gandhi: Politics and Communalism” (Gandhi: Siyasat aur Sampradaiykta).
Key Points –
• Theme – Developments leading up to India’s Partition in 1947.
• It cites extracts from Dr. Ambedkar’s book “Pakistan or the Partition of India”.
SPORTS:
1. Kim Cotton
Why in news – Kim Cotton (New Zealand) became the first female on-field umpire in a full-member men’s international cricket match.
Key Points –
• She officiated in a T20 match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in Dunedin (New Zealand).
• Claire Polosak - First female umpire to officiate in an ODI and Test match.
2. Sanjita Chanu
Why in news – Sanjita Chanu has been slapped with a 4-year ban by NADA panel for failing dope test.
Key Points –
• She is an Indian weightlifter and two-time Commonwealth Games champion.
• She had tested positive for Drostanolone Metabolite (anabolic steroid).
• She was banned by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) in 2018 after she tested positive for anabolic steroid testosterone.
POINTERS:
• Which country has imposed a fine of 12.7 million pounds on Tiktok for illegally processing the data of 1.4 million children under the age of 13 – Britain.
• China has announced the renaming of 11 places in which Indian state - Arunachal Pradesh.
• Which state government has launched the “Cool Roof” Strategy to lower temperatures in metropolitan regions of the State – Telangana.
• Who has won his first “Australian Grand Prix 2023” - Max Verstappen.
• Which product of Varanasi has recently been given GI tag - Banarasi paan, Banarasi Langda Mango, Ramnagar Bhanta (Brinjal), and Adamchini Rice.
• Who has successfully scaled the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro in South Africa while wearing a traditional Gaddi dress (Luanchadi) - Anjali Sharma.
• In which state Fernarium (fern collection) was found in Eravikulam National Park for the first time – Kerala.
• Who is the author of the launch book titled “Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire” – Nandini Das.
• In which state the Air Force of India and US will conduct the Cope India exercise from April 10 to April 21, 2023 - West Bengal (Kalaikunda).
• According to the India Justice Report 2022, which state has topped among 18 large states in providing justice – Karnataka.