National 

News 1.

Danish Royal family first time in India

Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik André Henrik Christian and Crown Princess Mary Elizabeth plans visits India

Purpose of Visit –

Current Affairs: India-Denmark: Partners for Green and Sustainable Progress. Green Strategic Partnership signed by India and Denmark in 2020

The Green Strategic Partnership between India and Denmark, a mutually beneficial agreement, focuses on addressing issues of national as well as international importance and on shifting efforts towards more engagement in green technologies and sustainable practices.

Engagement during visit –

Both are accompanied by Foreign Minister Lars   Rasmussen, Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke and Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities Lars Aagaard

During the visit, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will meet the Vice President and will address the opening session of the India-Denmark: Partners for Green and Sustainable Progress.

Both will also travel to Agra and Chennai. The Danish prince and princess will travel back on March 2 from Chennai.

India’s view

     Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs of India in his tweet quotes about the visit as ‘the visit will further strengthen and enhance the close and friendly ties between India and Denmark’

     The Ministry of External Affairs also quoted that, “India and Denmark as vibrant and open democracies, share common values of a rules-based international order and convergence of views on significant multilateral issues.”

Denmark

Capital – Copenhagen

Currency – Danish Krone (1 Danish Krone = 11.75 INR)

Prime Minister – Mette Frederiksen (June since 2019)

News 2.

Veer Savarkar Garden, theme park & museum proposed

Tourism Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha to attend the formal function in Nashik today

Current Affairs: On the occasion of the death anniversary of Veer Savarkar, today the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation has proposed to develop the Veer Savarkar Garden, Theme Park, and Museum with their funds.

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar

(commonly known as Veer Savarkar)

Born 28 May 1883 in Bhagur, Nashik District

Death 26 February 1966 at Bombay

He was a Freedom fighter, politician, activist, writer. Savarkar developed the Hindu nationalist political ideology of Hindutva while imprisoned at Ratnagiri.

In India, Ganesh Savarkar had organised an armed revolt against the Morley-Minto reforms of 1909. Savarkar was accused of participating in a conspiracy. In the next year, he was arrested in London on multiple charges, and British authorities decided to try him in India.

Savarkar, then aged 28, was convicted and sentenced to 50-years imprisonment and transported on 4 July 1911 to the infamous Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Savarkar Tourism Circuit

The government has announced this project as it is Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s death anniversary today. The government will launch the Savarkar tourism circuit dedicated to the revolutionary freedom fighter and Hindutva icon, ‘Swatantryaveer’ Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

The circuit would involve places like his birthplace Bhagur in Nashik, his hostel room at Fergusson College in Pune, and a temple called Patit Pawan Mandir that he established in Ratnagiri district, the Swatantryaveer Savarkar Rashtriya Smarak in Mumbai among others.

Veer Savarkar Garden

A grand theme park and museum based on philosophy will be built at Nashik. Savarkar, a freedom fighter who made infinite sacrifice and dedication for the nation, will be honoured for his thoughts and work

Maharashtra government order regarding the said project also said ” In this background, the municipal council should pay the amount of work that has been completed at present to the concerned contractor and classify the said work in the status of Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation. After that, the Mahamandal should complete the said work by the contractor as per the administrative approval,”

The order further stated that “Apart from that, if additional work is to be undertaken, the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation should conduct a separate tender process from their funds. The ownership of the said theme park or museum will remain with the city council, but the corporation should build the said project and maintain it regularly from its own funds,”

News 3.

MP has got its first women and child friendly state

The police station is a positive step in women empowerment and gender justice

This is the state’s first women and child-friendly police station. The Police Station has been designed which is not only equipped with  modern facilities but is also women-child friendly in Jhangirabad, Bhopal. The newly designed police station has all the basic requirements such as a waiting room, reception window, feeding room and place for children. The police station ,is however, yet to be inaugurated. 

Basic Features of Police Station:

• Visiting rooms 
• Lunch rooms
• Separate Toilets for males and females
• Shed, garden, and platform
• Anti-trafficking room 
• Victims visitors room

Madhya Pradesh 

Madhya Pradesh literally means ‘central province’. It is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore. Indore has been given the title of the Cleanest City in India. Present Chief Monister of State is Shivraj Singh Chaouhan. Madhya Pradesh is the second largest Indian state by area and the fifth largest state by population with over 72 million residents.  It is home to Panna Tiger Reserve along with Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. 

International

News 1.

Pakistan accepts one more IMF condition, agrees to increase interest rate by 200 basis points

Pakistan’s government has agreed to increase the policy interest rate, currently at 17%, by two percent or 200 basis points. 

This is to meet another pre-condition set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for releasing USD 1.1 billion in critical funding, a part of the USD 6.5 billion bailout package. The increase is based on rates set by the government in the auction to raise domestic debt. The decision will push the interest rate to 19%, just below the previous record of 19.5% set in October 1996.

Discussions with IMF Officials on Track

• Sources in the Ministry of Finance revealed that a technical-level discussion had virtually taken place between Islamabad and the IMF review mission. 
• They said that there was an expectation that Islamabad would increase the interest rate by two per cent. 
• Most of the pre-conditions of the IMF had been fulfilled, and the discussion on some power sector issues was in the final stage. 
• Once that is completed, the staff-level agreement with the IMF will be reached.

Pakistani Officials and IMF Staff Conclude Ninth Review of Bailout Package

• Earlier this month, relevant Pakistani officials and the IMF staff concluded the ninth review of the USD 6.5 billion bailout package without a staff-level agreement. 
• However, both sides agreed to a set of measures that could still help clinch the deal. 
• The Pakistani authorities had hoped to convince the IMF about gradually implement the conditions. But the hopes were dashed during the 10-day visit by the IMF mission. 
• Pakistan agreed to implement the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP), which contained policy suggestions by the IMF. Officials still hoped that the staff-level agreement could be reached soon.

Broad Consensus on Economic Measures

• There was a broad consensus about leaving the rupee value to be determined by the market forces, lifting of the restrictions on imports, and allowing the already imported goods to be cleared. 
• The power tariff was also to be increased and new taxes imposed to pave the way for the deal. 
• However, because of the severity of the economic crisis, every agreed measure would be tough on an overwhelming majority of the Pakistani people.

Austerity Measures to Cut Down Expenditures

• In the face of an unprecedented economic crisis in the country, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to cut the number of foreign missions as part of austerity measures. 
• The Prime Minister announced the decision on February 22. 
• Shehbaz has issued instructions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to reduce the number of foreign missions abroad and cut down their offices, staff, and other measures to reduce expenditures by 15%. 
• As per the official communication titled “Rationalisation of Foreign Mission Abroad,” the prime minister constituted a National Austerity Committee (NAC) given the ongoing economic constraints and the consequent need for fiscal consolidation and control of the external deficit.

News 2.

Indian Air Force to participate in Exercise Cobra Warrior at Waddington in UK

Indian Air Force (IAF) will participate in multilateral air exercise ‘Exercise Cobra Warrior’ at the RAF’s Waddington Air Force Base in the UK from March 6 to 24, an official statement said.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to participate in the multilateral air exercise ‘Exercise Cobra Warrior’ at the RAF’s Waddington Air Force Base in the UK from March 6 to 24, according to an official statement. 

The IAF is participating in the exercise with five Mirage 2000 fighters, two C-17 Globemaster III, and an IL-78 mid-air refueller aircraft. The exercise aims to participate in diverse fighter aircraft engagements and learn from the best practices of various Air Forces.

IAF Contingent Departs for the UK

• An Indian Air Force contingent comprising 145 Air Warriors departed from the Air Force Station in Jamnagar on Sunday for the UK to participate in the exercise. 
• The RAF and the IAF will be joined by contingents from Finland, Sweden, South Africa, the US, and Singapore.

Telephonic Conversation between Defence Ministers

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a telephonic conversation with his UK counterpart Ben Wallace on February 21, where he called on UK companies to become part of India’s growth story and participate in co-development and co-production in the country. 
• Both ministers discussed: 
  • a wide range of defence and security issues, including regional developments and the Indo-Pacific, as well as 
  • reviewing their ongoing defence cooperation and 
  • expressing satisfaction at their bilateral military-to-military engagements.

Taking Flight with Glory: The Indian Air Force

• The Indian Air force (IAF) is the Air wing of the Indian armed forces. Its objective is to ensure:
  • the Indian airspace and 
  • to engage in aerial warfare during a conflict.
• India Air Force is the fourth largest in the world after the USA, China, and Russia.
• IAF or the Bharatiya Vayu Sena was initially established as an auxiliary air force unit of the Royal air force of Brittain. The title Royal was given to the air force in the honor of India’s aviation service during world war II.
• The name Royal Airforce was kept until India had dominion status. As the government transitioned to a republic in 1950, the prefix Royal was removed.
• The President of India holds the rank of supreme commander or Commander-in-chief of the IAF. 
• The motto of the IAF is ‘Nabhah Sparhsam Diptam’ which is taken from the Bhagavad Gita, and means to ‘Touch the sky with glory’.

Science and Technology 

News 1.

30 seconds and the test results are ready

IIT-B alumni turned entrepreneur developed smartphone-based health test kit

A technology has been developed by IITians that can test the urine sample and provide the test results within 30 seconds. Three alumni of Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Anurag Meena, Nikunj Malpani and Pratik Lodha founded a startup called “NeoDocs”. The health officer at Nashik District Administration said they have signed an MoU with NeoDocs for using their instant service.   Last year they have received Maharashtra Startup Week Award and this idea was presented at the recent Indian Science Congress as well. 

How does the Technology work?

A person has to dip a card (supplied in the test kit) in urine for a second, and click a photo of it on his/her phone using the ‘Neodocs’ app.

As the photo gets uploaded on their cloud server, an algorithm uses computer vision to scan the card and gives results within 30 seconds. 

What led to this idea?

value of diagnostics has remained important in any socio-economic system but this became crucial during the COVID-19 lockdown time then they realised the importance of the quantification of health. So, This test kit was developed thinking that it will help in bringing healthcare to every doorstep and reduce the overall cost of testing significantly, without discriminating between rich and poor. 

What lies ahead?

The trio is working further on researching and developing instant test kits for various human bio-fluids (blood, vaginal discharge, semen, etc). They are also manufacturing chronic kidney disease and elderly test kits. In a similar way there is a maternity care kit for women to be used throughout pregnancy

IIT – Bombay (Indian Institute of Technology)

IIT Bombay was the second Indian Institute of Technology to be established in 1958 with assistance from UNESCO and with funds contributed by the Soviet Union. It is an institute of National Importance. Its present chairman is Dr. Sharad Kumar Saraf. 

News 2.

IOC to set up green hydrogen plants at all refineries

IOC chairman said the company plans to set up 7k tons annually green hydrogen-producing facility

Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation Shrikant Madhav Vaidya revealed that the company is planning to set up green hydrogen plants at all its refineries by 2047. This project is a part of a 2-lakh crore green transition plan to achieve net-zero emissions. 

IOC is reorganizing its business with a more emphasis on petrochemicals to face volatility in the fuel business. Moreover, transforming petrol pumps into energy outlets that offer EV charging points and battery-swapping options in addition to conventional fuels.

Hydrogen is rightly considered to be the fuel of the future as it is seen as the cleanest known fuel that emits just oxygen and water when burned. However, it is more costly than alternative fuels and limits its use in businesses. Refineries that convert crude oil into fuels like gasoline and diesel use hydrogen to reduce the Sulphur content in diesel fuel.

This hydrogen is created utilising fossil fuels such as natural gas. IOC intends to split water using electricity generated from renewable sources such as solar to produce green hydrogen. In the coming decade, Green hydrogen is expected to account for 50 per cent of total hydrogen output and 100 per cent.  IOC wants to install electric vehicle charging stations at 10,000 gas stations during the next two years, increasing the capacity of renewable energy from 256 MW to 12 gigawatts.

Advantages:

• Clean Fuel 
• Will combat Climate Change 
• Reduce dependency on fossil fuels 

Hydrogen 

Hydrogen is a chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. It is the lightest element. At standard conditions, hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula H2. It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, and highly combustible. It is the most abundant chemical substance in the universe, constituting roughly 75% of all normal matter. 

Green Hydrogen 

Green hydrogen (GH2 or GH2) is hydrogen generated by renewable energy or from low-carbon power. It has significantly lower carbon emissions than grey hydrogen, which is produced by steam reforming of natural gas.

Legal

News 1.

Four men acquitted of Delhi riots, 2020

The court acquitted the accused persons giving them the benefit of doubt.

Delhi’s Karkardooma Court’s Judge Pulastya Pramachala has recently acquitted four accused (Dinesh Yadav alias Michael, Babu alias Sahil, Sandeep alias Mogli and Tinku) of rioting, theft and burning shops in the Gokul Puri area in February 2020.

Facts of the case: – 

The court was hearing a case against nine men accused of being part of a riotous mob that torched a medical store on the main Brijpuri Road in Bhagirathi Vihar on February 25, 2020.

Despite knowing the names and particulars of the accused, the constable formally recorded the information with a delay on March 20, 2020.

A charge sheet was filed by officials at Gokalpuri police station, for various provisions, including rioting, of the Indian Penal Code.

Observation by the Court : –

• IDENTITY OF ACCUSED : The identity of the accused was not proved by the evidence of two police officials and Constable Vipin remained the only prosecution witness to establish that they were part of the mob. For the identification of the accused, three public witnesses including the complainant did not support the prosecution’s case and were declared hostile.
• DELAY IN FIR :For a delay point, the Judge observed that, Keeping in view such delay in disclosure of vital information being recorded, I find it desirable to apply the test of consistent testimony of more than one witness in the present case.
• APPLICATION OF ‘TEST’ : the constable’s sole testimony was not sufficient to assume the presence of any of the accused in the mob.

DECISION : 

In such a situation, accused persons are given the benefit of doubt. Hence, the court acquitted four men in a case of rioting, vandalism, arson and theft by mob.

News 2.

Government questioned by Supreme Court

The Union Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment ordered to file Affidavits

While deciding PIL filled, SC on Wednesday ordered Union to file implementation of Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, within six weeks.

PIL :-

 Balram Singh, in person has filed a petition in the way of PIL before SC, demanding court to issuance of directions to implement provisions, inter alia, of the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of DryLatrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993 and the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013

 Union of India being made Respondent in the present Petition, was represented by Advocate Bhati, Additional Solicitor General of India.

Observation by Court :-

 Court observed that, this court has dealt with the issue of manual scavenging previously. In a landmark judgement of Safai Karmachari andolan, this court in the year 2014 ,already abolished the manual scavenging and ordered state governments to provide financial assistance and rehabilitation to those who had lost a family member to the inhuman practice.

In the above-mentioned case, court after keeping provisions of Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act,

2013, have issued certain directions such as –

• The payment of Rs 10 lakh to the family of those who died cleaning sewers since 1993
• Provision of residential plots or a flat to the deceased’s family and scholarship to the children
• All states to implement the new 2013 law, prohibiting manual scavenging entirely.
• Railway to adopt time bound strategy to abolish manual scavenging.
• One adult from such families to be given loan for establishment of new occupation
• One adult member of such families to be given training in certain skill and while the training to be paid with stipend., Etc

Court Order :-

Keeping in mind the previously issued direction, SC while issuing directions in the instant case have ordered Union to state steps taken by it in implementing the previously given directions. Court also demanded Union to provide data regarding steps taken to abolish dry laterins, steps taken for rehabilitation, status of dry laterins, alternative mechanism used in place of manual scavenging, internet tracking facility development for tracking real time sewer deaths.

Court also ordered The Union Secretary and Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment to file their affidavits on record regarding the above-mentioned data, within six weeks of time.

SC has fixed this PIL in April month for further compliances to be done by Union, as per directionsof SC.