Daily Current Affairs For BPSC as on 28.04.2023

NATIONAL:

1. 7th National Health Accounts Estimates for India (2019-20)

Why in news - The National Health Accounts Estimates 2019-20 was released.

Key Points –

• Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) in Total Health Expenditure - 47.1% in 2019-20 (62.6% in 2014-15).

• Government Health Expenditure to total GDP increases - 1.35% in 2019-20 (1.13% (2014-15).

• Government Health Expenditure in Total Health Expenditure - 41.4% in 2019-20. (29% in 2014-15).

• In per capita terms, Government health expenditure has doubled from Rs. 1,108 to Rs. 2,014 between 2014-15 to 2019-20.

• Share of Social Security Expenditure (SSE) - 9.3% in 2019-20 (5.7% in 2014-15).

About National Health Account (NHA) Estimates –

• Prepared by - National Health Accounts Technical Secretariat (NHATS).

• Prepared on the basis of the internationally accepted standard of System of Health Accounts, 2011, developed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

2. National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC)

Why in news - Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the NTCPWC-Discovery Campus of IIT Madras on April 24, 2023.

Key Points –

• “Discovery Campus” is the 163-acre campus of IIT Madras, located at Thaiyur, about 36 km from the main campus at Guindy.

• IIT Madras was declared an “Institution of Eminence” in 2019.

About NTCPWC –

• Technology arm of Ministry of Shipping.

• Mandate - to bring cutting-edge technology to the Port and Waterways sectors.

• Objectives - Boosting “Make in India” for Port, Coastal and Inland water transport and engineering.

INTERNATIONAL:

1. Blue Hole

Why in news - The second-deepest blue hole has been discovered in Chetumal Bay off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.

Key Points –

• Name - Taam Ja.

• Depth - About 900 feet.

• Blue hole - A massive underwater sinkhole that is hundreds of metres long.

• They are believed to be formed during the latter ice ages around 11,000 years ago because of the erosion of limestone terrains.

• Deepest blue hole - Dragon Hole in the South China Sea.

GOVERNMENT SCHEMES:

1. National Medical Devices Policy 2023

Why in news - The Union Cabinet approved the National Medical Devices Policy, 2023 on April 26, 2023.

Key Points –

Salient Features –

Vision –

(a) Achieving 10-12% share in the global market over the next 25 years.

(b) Grow medical devices sector from present $11 Bn to $50 Bn by 2030.

• Mission - Access & Universality, Affordability, Quality, Patient Centred & Quality Care, Preventive & Promotive Health, Security, Research and Innovation and
Skilled manpower.

Value addition –

• The medical devices sector in India is a sunrise sector that is growing at a fast pace.

• Market size of the medical devices sector in India - $11 billion (approximately Rs 90,000 Cr) in 2020. (Global share - 1.5%).

• 4 Medical devices Parks - Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

• Under the PLI (Production Linked Incentive) scheme for Medical Devices, a total of 26 projects have been approved, with a committed investment of Rs 1200 crore.

RANKS & INDICES:

1. Index of Economic Freedom 2023

Why in news - The index was published by The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal.

Key Points –

• It measures the degree of economic freedom in the world's nations.

• The Index is divided into four categories - Rule of law, government size, regulatory efficiency and market openness.

India’s position –

(a) Classified as "Mostly Unfree".

(b) Rank - 131st.

(c) Rank in the Asia–Pacific region - 27th.

(d) Overall score - 52.9.

SCIENCE – TECHNOLOGY:

1. Failed Private Moon Landing

Why in news - Japanese startup ispace Inc’s first private moon landing had failed after losing contact with its Hakuto-R Mission 1 (M1) lander.

Key Points –

• It had most likely crashed on the lunar surface.

• Only the United States, the former Soviet Union and China have soft-landed spacecraft on the moon.

• Attempts by India and a private Israeli company of soft landing ended in failure.

AWARDS & HONOURS:

1. Goldman Environment Prize 2023

Why in news - The respected award honored 6 activists from 6 continents who work on grassroots efforts to help the environment.

Key Points –

• Winners - Alessandra Korap (Brazil), Tero Mustonen, Delima Silalahi, Chilekwa Mumba, Zafer Kizilkaya and Diane Wilson.

• Alessandra Korap is a Munduruku Indigenous woman from the Brazilian Amazon rain forest.

• Itaituba city and Tapajos river basin is located in Brazil.

About Amazon Rainforest –

• Spread – Brazil (60%), Peru (13%), Colombia (10%) and minor amounts in Venezuela, French Guiana, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guayana and Suriname.

• World’s largest tropical rainforest.

• Covers 6% of the earth’s surface.

IMPORTANT DAYS:

1. World Intellectual Property (IPRs) Day 2023

Why in news – It is observed on April 26.

Key Points –

• Theme - Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity.

• IPRs - Patents, Copyright, Trademarks, Industrial designs, Geographical indications and Trade secret.

About WIPO (1967):

• World Intellectual Property Organization.

• Global body for the promotion and protection of IPRs.

• Specialised agency of United Nations.

• Headquarter - Geneva, Switzerland.

• India joined WIPO in 1975.

Value addition –

• Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (1883) – It covers Inventions (patents), Trademarks and Industrial Designs.

• Berne Convention (1886) - For the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.

• WIPO Performance and Phonograms Treaty (1996) – It deals with the rights of two kinds of beneficiaries in the digital environment i.e., performers (actors, singers etc) and producers of phonograms (fixation of sounds).

• Marrakesh Treaty (2016) - Exceptions to copyrighted works for visually impaired persons.

POINTERS:

• Which state government has proposed a plan to develop 26 acres around Rang Ghar as an international tourist destination – Assam.

• Which body has released the “State of World's Children Report” for 2023 – UNICEF.

• The 7th edition of “Ajeya Warrior 2023” held at which place - Salisbury Plain, UK.

• What is the name of Bangladesh's army chief who embarked on a three-day visit to India - General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed.

• Recently, USA has signed a nuclear weapons agreement with which country in response to North Korean threats - South Korea.

• India and which country has agreed to establish Net Zero Innovation Virtual Centre focusing on industrial decarbonisation and launching the first-ever scientific deep sea voyage - United Kingdom.

• Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the Summit on Farm Machinery Technology, organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Tractor and Mechanization Association (TMA) in which city - New Delhi.

• Global partners announced which effort to vaccinate millions of children and restore immunization progress lost during the pandemic - The Big Catch-up.

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India, Armenia and Iran held the first trilateral political consultations in which city – Yerevan, Armenia.

• Who has been appointed as the President of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)-1 Federation - Mahavir Singh Phogat.

 

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