NATIONAL:
1. ‘Of the Women, By the Women, For the NATION’
Why in news: Study titled ‘Of the Women, By the Women, For the NATION’ released by SBI
Key points: Highlights of the report
• Incomes of female members of SHGs have more than tripled in the last five years.
• 97.5% of the SHGs have bank accounts.
• 65% of rural SHG members have moved upwards in terms of relative income in FY24 as compared to FY19.
• With rise in income of female SHG members, rural Female Labour Force Participation Rate (all ages) is also rising with the correlation of 0.91.
2. Credit Assistance Program for Jan Aushadhi Kendras
Why in news: Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers inaugurated a Credit Assistance Program for Jan Aushadhi Kendras
Key points:
• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) exchanged an MoU for providing credit of working capital to existing and proposed Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs).
• Program proposes to use GST-Sahay platform and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) while providing unsecure working capital loan for small businesses.
• It also adds a ‘credit layer’ in DPI, apart from identity and payment layer.
• There are around 11,000 JAKs operating in India, which the government aims to expand to 25,000 in next 2 years.
• JAKs are outlets under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) which provide generic medicines at affordable prices.
PERSONS/PLACES IN NEWS:
1. Kochrab Ashram
Why in news: Prime Minister visited Sabarmati Ashram and inaugurated redeveloped Kochrab Ashram on 12th March.
Key points:
• On 12th March 1930, Gandhiji started Salt Satyagraha March or Dandi March from Sabarmati Ashram to the coastal town of Dandi.
• At Dandi, Gandhiji broke the British government’s salt law by gathering natural salt on the sea shore.
• Kochrab Ashram in Ahmedabad was the first Ashram established by Mahatma Gandhi after coming to India from South Africa in 1915.
• Jivanlal Desai, a fellow lawyer, helped Gandhiji setup the Ashram.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY:
1. Samudrayaan Mission
Why in news: Minister for Earth Sciences (MoES) announced that Samudrayaan mission is set to explore ocean bed by 2025-end.
Key points:
• Aim: To develop a self-propelled manned submersible to carry 3 human beings to a water depth of 6000 meters in the ocean with scientific sensors and tools for deep ocean exploration.
• It is part of Deep Ocean Mission of MoES.
• For this, National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) Chennai has developed Matsya 6000.
2. Atmospheric Research Testbed in Central India (ART-CI)
Why in news: Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) inaugurated the first phase of ART-CI in Madhya Pradesh.
Key points:
• Aim: Advancing weather research for better understanding on processes governing monsoon convection and landatmosphere interactions over core monsoon zone.
• It is a first of its kind testbed facility spearheaded by the Pune-based In dian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
• It has been established under Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services (ACROSS) umbrella scheme of MoES.
3. Miniature Space Laboratory, ‘AsteriX Lab’
Why in news: IIT Madras is collaborating with Vellon Space for demonstrating its miniature space laboratory, ‘AsteriX Lab,’ in orbit.
Key points:
• The ‘Extra-Terrestrial Manufacturing’ (ExTeM-IITM) research centre at IIT Madras will be the pilot customer for Vellon Space’s in-orbit demonstration mission.
• During its demonstration, the AsteriX Lab will undergo space qualification to conduct biological experiments, particularly in long-duration cell culture under Lower Earth Microgravity.
RANK/INDICES:
1. Human Development Report 2023-2024
Why in news: India Jumps 14 Ranks on UNDP Gender Inequality Index
Key points:
• In the Gender Inequality Index 2022, India ranked 108 out of 193 countries, with a score of 0.437.
• Human Development Report 2023-2024 released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
• The country has improved its ranking by 14 positions on the Gender Inequality Index (GII) 2022 compared to the previous year.
• This marks a significant improvement from the 2021 ranking of 122 out of 191 countries, with a score of 0.490.
The top-ranked countries in the GII 2022 are:
• Denmark
• Norway
• Switzerland
• Sweden
• Netherlands
APPOINTED/ELECTED:
1. Gyanesh Kumar, Sukhbir Sandhu
Why in news: Gyanesh Kumar, Sukhbir Sandhu Appointed as New Election Commissioners
Key points:
• The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led three-member committee has appointed Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu as new Election Commissioners.
• These appointments are the first to be made by the reconstituted selection panel, which now includes the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and a designated Union Cabinet minister.
• The Chief Justice of India is no longer part of the panel, following the enactment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.
• With the retirement of Anup Pandey in February and Goel’s resignation, the three-member Election Commission panel was left with only the Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar.
Controversy Regarding Selection Panel:
• The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a plea on March 15th, challenging the exclusion of the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel for the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners.
• The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has filed this plea, alleging that the Supreme Court’s previous ruling on the selection panel has been overruled without addressing the basis of the judgment.
IMPORTANT DAY:
1. International Day of Action for Rivers 2024
Why in news: The International Day of Action for Rivers is observed annually on March 14th
Key points:
• Theme: "Water for All".
• The International Day of Action for Rivers has its roots in the First International Meeting of People Impacted by Dams, held in Curitiba, Brazil, in March 1997.
• River experts from 20 nations declared March 14th as the “Day of Action for Rivers,” with the aim of forming a coalition against the degradation of ecologically sensitive water bodies, rivers, and watersheds.
AWARDS/PRIZES:
1. Erasmus Prize 2024
Why in news: Author Amitav Ghosh won Erasmus Prize 2024
Key points:
• He has been awarded for his significant contributions to the theme “imagining the unthinkable” through his writings on the climate crisis and human interactions with nature.
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