NATIONAL NEWS
1)NHAI to develop 10,000 kms of ‘Digital Highways’ in India by 2025
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is set to develop around 10,000 kilometres of Optic Fibre Cables (OFC) infrastructure across India by the fiscal year 2025, an official statement has said.
State-owned NHAI’s special purpose vehicle National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) will be handling the project of implementing the network of “digital highways” by developing integrated utility corridors along the national highways to develop Optic Fibre Cables infrastructure.
As per the report, around 512 km on the Hyderabad-Bangalore corridor and 1,367 kms on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway have been identified by the authority to carry out the pilot tracks for the development if digital highways.
2)Central Government notified the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023
The Central government has recently issued the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, which are designed to comply with the guidelines set by the Supreme Court in a writ petition involving the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and the People for Elimination of Stray Troubles. The Supreme Court had issued several orders emphasizing that the relocation of dogs was not permissible.
Animal Birth Control Rules
- Effective implementation of the rules can help reduce the stray dog population and address animal welfare issues.
- Municipal corporations must jointly implement the Animal Birth Control and Anti Rabies Programmes.
- The rules provide guidelines on how to deal with human and stray dog conflicts without relocating dogs.
STATE NEWS
1)‘Mehngai Rahat Camp’
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is set to inaugurate the ‘Mehngai Rahat Camp’ on April 24 at Mahapura village panchayat of Sanganer. The camp, which will continue till June 30 this year, aims to provide relief to the general public and deprived sections from rising prices and inflation.
Objective
The main objective of the Mehngai Rahat Camp, as stated by the Chief Minister, is to empower the common people. Through the camp, the government aims to provide complete information about rights, schemes, and eligibility to the general public and deprived sections. The camp will act as a platform to connect people with the public welfare schemes of the state government, providing relief from inflation and rising prices.
2)Kerala launches ‘One Panchayat, One Playground’ to revive sports culture
The ‘One Panchayat, One Playground’ project was inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at Kallikkad here where he said that a good sports culture was essential for building a healthy and happy society.
The playgrounds would serve as a hub of local gatherings and social interactions. “It is with this goal in mind that the ‘One Panchayat, One Playground’ project has been devised,” the Chief Minister said at the event.
Within three years, the playgrounds will be built and for the first phase of the project, a list of 113 panchayats has been prepared, the Chief Minister said.
DEFENCE
Exercise INIOCHOS-23
Exercise INIOCHOS-23 is a multi-national air exercise hosted by the Greece Air Force, in which the Indian Air Force (IAF) will be participating. It is one of the three exercises that the IAF will be taking part in simultaneously, along with Exercise Cope India with the U.S. underway at Kalaikunda and a multilateral exercise Orion hosted by France, in which four Rafale fighters are participating. Exercise INIOCHOS-23 will be held at the Andravida Air Base in Greece from April 24 to May 4.
Exercise INIOCHOS-23’s goal is to strengthen international cooperation, synergy, and interoperability amongst the participating Air Forces. The exercise provides a platform for different countries to come together, share their knowledge, expertise, and best practices, and learn from each other’s experiences.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Antineutrinos detected using water for the first time
In a lab buried around 2000 kilometres under the ground in Canada, scientists accidentally discovered antineutrinos using extremely pure water for the first time.
Antineutrinos are the antimatter of neutrinos. They have an almost non-existent mass and charge and they rarely if ever interact with other particles. This makes them especially difficult to detect. They are produced as a byproduct when neutrons separate into protons and electrons in nuclear reactors.
RANKS AND REPORTS
India jumps 6 places on World Bank’s Logistic Performance Index
India has climbed six places on the World Bank’s Logistic Performance Index (LPI) 2023, now ranking 38th in the 139 countries index, as a result of significant investments in both soft and hard infrastructure as well as technology. India was ranked 44th on the index in 2018 and has now climbed to 38th in the 2023 listing. India’s performance has drastically improved from 2014, when it was ranked 54th on the LPI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government had announced PM Gati Shakti initiative, a National Master Plan for multimodal connectivity, in October 2021 to reduce logistics cost and boost the economy by 2024-25. In 2022, the prime minister had launched the National Logistics Policy (NLP) to ensure quick last-mile delivery, end transport-related challenges, save time and money of the manufacturing sector and ensure desired speed in the logistics sector.
Previous current affairs :https://www.pmias.in/tnpsc-important-current-affairs-april-18/
Source:https://www.dinamalar.com/
