About:
- In his speech, PM Modi pegged the project as a source of employment opportunities for the youth in future.
- The Gati Shakti plan will help raise the global profile of local manufacturers and help them compete with their counterparts worldwide. It also raises possibilities of new future economic zones.
- More details and the launch date of the project are awaited. Other significant announcements include the launch of the National Hydrogen Mission and the opening up Sainik Schools for girls.
2. FORTIFICATION OF RICE
About:
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) defines the fortification as “deliberately increasing the content of essential micronutrients in a food so as to improve the nutritional quality of food and to provide public health benefit with minimal risk to health.”
- According to the FSSAI norms, 1 kg fortified rice shall contain iron (28mg-42.5mg), folic acid (75-125 microgram) and Vitamin B-12 (0.75-1.25 microgram).
- In addition, rice may also be fortified with micronutrients, singly or in combination, at the level– zinc(10mg-15mg), Vitamin A (500-750 microgram RE), Vitamin B1 (1mg-1.5mg), Vitamin B2 (1.25mg-1.75mg), Vitamin B3 (12.5mg-20mg) and Vitamin B6 (1.5mg-2.5mg) per Kg.
- The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution had launched a centrally sponsored pilot scheme on “Fortification of Rice and its Distribution under Public Distribution System (PDS)” for a period of three years beginning 2019-20 with a total budget outlay of Rs.174.64 crore. The pilot scheme focuses on 15 districts in 15 states.
- Under the scheme, the blending of rice is done at the milling stage. According to the Ministry, Maharashtra and Gujarat have started distribution of fortified rice under PDS in the Pilot Scheme from February, 2020.
- The Scheme is funded by the Government of India in the ratio of 90:10 in respect of North Eastern, hilly and island states and 75:25 in respect of the rest.
3. FALL OF SAIGON
About:
- The withdrawal of forces by USA is now being likened to the fall of Saigon, a somewhat similar catastrophe that befell the US almost half a century ago when Saigon, the capital of US-backed South Vietnam, fell to Communist-ruled North Vietnam two years after the withdrawal of the American military which had been in the country for 19 years.
- Saigon’s capture on April 30, 1975 (it was later renamed after North leader Ho Chi Minh) signalled the end of the Vietnam War, and the Communists consolidated their hold over the entire country in the next few months.
- The Vietnam War—the first televised war in the world—was a bloody conflict that left 58,000 Americans and 2,50,000 Vietnamese dead, and ended with the US being thrown out of the Southeast Asian country.
- The war lasted from 1954, when North Vietnam’s legendary General Vo Nguyen Giap defeated French colonial troops at the famous strategic spot, Dien Bien Phu, until 21 years later when the same military leader vanquished the Americans and their South Vietnamese protégés at Saigo.
4. CAPTAIN VIKRAM BATRA
About:
- Batra took the CDS exam and was selected by the Services Selection Board (SSB) at Allahabad in 1996. He was commissioned into the Indian Army as lieutenant in the 13th battalion, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles.
- Batra’s battalion, the 13 JAK Rifles came to Drass in early June. By then, the Kargil conflict had been underway for a month and had escalated to a full-out war.
- Batra’s battalion, the 13 JAK Rifles were to act as reserves to the 2nd battalion, the Rajputana Rifles. The 13 JAK Rifles played a significant role in the capture of Point 5140 under the leadership of Lt Col. Yogesh Kumar Joshi.
- It was during the briefing for the capture of Point 5140 that Batra used the phrase ‘Yeh Dil Mange More’ – taken from a popular Pepsi ad campaign – as his success signal.
- Batra was severely injured during the attack, but he killed three enemy combatants and a large number of arms and ammunition were recovered. India didn’t suffer a single loss of life during the capture of Point 5140.
- In fact, the victory started off a string of successful recaptures, and the Indian army captured Point 5100, Point 4700, Junction Peak and the Three Pimple Complex.
- Batra was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest gallantry honour for his valour, posthumously.
5. SUBHADRA KUMARI CHAUHAN
About:
- Subhadra Kumari Chauhan (16 August 1904 – 16 February 1948) was an Indian poet.
- She wrote in the Khariboli dialect of Hindi, in a simple, clear style.
- One of her most popular poems is "Jhansi ki Rani" (about the courageous Queen of Jhansi).
- This and her other poems, Jallianwala Bagh mein Vasant, Veeron Ka Kaisa Ho Basant, Rakhi Ki Chunauti, and Vida, openly talk about the freedom movement.
- They are said to have inspired great numbers of Indian youth to participate in the Indian Freedom Movement.
- The ICGS Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, an Indian Coast Guard ship, was named for the poet.
6. INCEL MOVEMENT
About:
- Incels are a largely online community of men who describe themselves as “involuntary celibates. Men who are part of this movement harbour a deep resentment towards both women and other men who are sexually active.
- The blame women for their own lack of sexual and social status. While views tend to vary, some believe that sex is their right — something that is owed to them by virtue of them being males.
- An extreme section of Incels even advocate violence against women.
What are the ‘red pill’ and ‘black pill’ mentalities promoted by incels?
- The ‘black pill’ theory, often associated with incels, promotes the defeatist idea that your fate is sealed at birth and no matter what changes you try to make, your sexual capital cannot be altered
- ‘Red pillers’, on the other hand, believe the world is biased toward women, and see feminism as female supremacy. They believe there is a systemic bias in favour of women.
7. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL
About:
- If given the award, Gandhi would become the first Indian to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, which is the highest civilian award in the US and has been awarded to the 1980 US summer Olympics team, Robert F. Kennedy, Nelson Mandela and George Washington among many others.
- In every session of the Congress, the legislation to award Congressional Gold Medals are introduced. Congress has commissioned gold medals as its highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions.
8. INDIAN FLAG
About:
- The first national flag, which consisted of three horizontal stripes of red, yellow and green, is said to have been hoisted on August 7, 1906, at the Parsee Bagan Square, near Lower Circular Road, in Calcutta (now Kolkata).
- Later, in 1921, freedom fighter Pingali Venkayya met Mahatma Gandhi and proposed a basic design of the flag, consisting of two red and green bands.
- After undergoing several changes, the Tricolour was adopted as our national flag at a Congress Committee meeting in Karachi in 1931.
- The earliest rules for the display of the national flag were originally governed by the provisions of The Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 and The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
- In 2002, the Flag Code of India came into effect which allowed the unrestricted display of the Tricolour as long as the honour and dignity of the flag were being respected.
- The flag code did not replace the pre-existing rules governing the correct display of the flag; it was, however, an effort to bring together all the previous laws, conventions and practices.
- The Flag Code of 2002 is divided into three parts — a general description of the tricolour, rules on display of the flag by public and private bodies and educational institutions, and rules for display of the flag by governments and government bodies.
9. VANDE BHARAT
About:
- Vande Bharat— the indigenous semi-high speed train set — is being given a boost, with the Railways gearing to roll out at least 10 of them, linking around 40 cities, by August 2022 to commemorate 75 years of Independence.
- Hyderabad-based engineering firm, Medha, which in February secured the contract to supply the electrical systems for 44 Vande Bharat trains, has now been told to advance its production plan, so that at least two prototypes can be rolled out by next March following all trials.
10. RAMSAR CONVENTION
What are the sites added to Ramsar Convention this year?
- Sultanpur National Park in Gurgaon and Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary in Jhajjar (both in Haryana) have been added to the list this year.
- Apart from that, Thol and Wadhwana from Gujarat too have now become a paert of the convention.
- Haryana's Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary is a human-made freshwater wetland. It is also the largest in Haryana.
- The Sultanpur National Park supports more than 220 species of resident, winter migratory and local migratory waterbirds at critical stages of their life cycles.
- The Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat lies on the Central Asian Flyway and more than 320 bird species can be found here.
- Meanwhile, the Wadhvana Wetland in Gujarat is internationally important for its birdlife as it provides wintering ground to migratory waterbirds, including over 80 species that migrate on the Central Asian Flyway.
What is the Ramsar Convention?
- The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty adopted on February 2, 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea.
- It came into force for India on February 1, 1982. Those wetlands which are of international importance are declared as Ramsar sites.
- Last year, Ramsar declared 10 more wetland sites from India as sites of international importance.