1. UKRAINE
Three days before he invaded Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin described Russia’s southwestern neighbour as a bogus country with no history, identity, or “stable traditions of real statehood”.
About:
- Ukraine is in the east of Europe, and is bound by Russia to its northeast, east, and southeast, and the Black Sea in the south. In the southwest, west, and north, Ukraine shares borders, in the clockwise direction, with Moldova, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, and Belarus.
- It is the largest country in Europe after Russia itself.
- In July 2021, Ukraine’s population was estimated at 43.7 million. Of this, 77.8% was of Ukrainian ethnicity and 17.3% was Russian.
- Ukraine is the poorest country in Europe in terms of gross domestic product and gross national income per capita. It has deposits of iron ore and coal, and exports corn, sunflower oil, iron and iron products, and wheat.
Ukraine as part of USSR
- Months after the Bolsheviks took power in the October Revolution of 1917, an independent Ukrainian People’s Republic was proclaimed, but a civil war continued between various claimants to power, including Ukrainian factions, anarchists, Tsarists, and Poland.
- In 1922, Ukraine became part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
- In 1991, the USSR was dissolved and the parliament of Ukraine adopted the country’s Act of Independence.
India and Ukraine
- India is Ukraine’s largest export destination in the Asia Pacific region.
- The country’s major export to India is sunflower oil, followed by inorganic chemicals, iron and steel, plastics, and chemicals.
- Ukraine’s major import from India is pharmaceutical products.
2. NARSINH MEHTA
Recently, researchers of Bhakta Kavi Narsinh Mehta University (BKNMU), Junagadh, discovered a new species of spider and named it Narsinhmehtai in honour of Narsinh Mehta, the 15th century poet who was a devotee of Lord Krishna.
About:
- Mehta is believed to have been born in Talaja in present-day Bhavnagar district in 1410 and died in Junagadh in 1480s.
- Mehta used to spend time in Krishna-bhakti (devotion to Lord Krishna) even after his marriage to Manekba, paying little attention to family duties.
- Mehta penned more than 750 poems, called padd in Gujarat.
- They mainly deal with devotion to Lord Krishna, gyan (wisdom) vairagya (detachment from worldly affairs). Others like Shalmshano Vivah, Kunvarbainu Mameru, Hundi and Harmala are believed to be autobiographical accounts of different occasions in his life.
- Vaishanavajn to tene kahiye, Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite bhajan is Mehta’s creation.
3. REVOLUTIONS IN UKRAINE
Since 1990, Ukraine has had one revolution every decade. As Russian forces continue their long march into the former Soviet state, here is a look at some of these revolutions and their outcome.
About:
- Granite Revolution: Ukraine’s first and perhaps least known popular uprising was the granite revolution which took place in October 1990. At the time, Ukraine was still a part of the Soviet Union.
- Orange Revolution: The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine between November 2004 and January 2005.
- Maidan revolution: It took place in Ukraine in February 2014 at the end of the Euromaidan protests, when a series of violent events involving protesters, riot police, and unknown shooters in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv culminated in the ousting of elected president Viktor Yanukovych and the overthrow of the Ukrainian government.
Source : Indian Express
4. HEMANANDA BISWAL
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has expressed deep grief over the passing away of former Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri Hemananda Biswal.
About:
- Hemananda Biswal (1939 – 2022) was an Indian politician.
- Biswal served as Chief Minister of Odisha from 7 December 1989 to 5 March 1990, and again from 6 December 1999 to 5 March 2000.
- Biswal was the first Tribal chief Minister of Odisha.
- He was also the MP of Sundergarh from 2009 to 2014.
5. CHERNOBYL
After a brief but fierce battle, Russian troops were able to capture the Chernobyl nuclear plant in northern Ukraine, the site of one of the worst nuclear disasters in human history.
About:
- Located around 16 km away from the city of Chernobyl and a little over 100 km away from Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv, the power plant witnessed the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 1986.
- The disaster occurred between April 25-26, when a group of technicians in what was then Soviet-controlled Ukraine carried out a botched safety test that led to a series of explosions at Chernobyl’s reactor No. 4 and a partial meltdown of its core. The explosions exposed the core and released clouds of radioactive material into the atmosphere.
- It is said to have released 400 times more radiation than the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima in Japan.
- In fact, the catastrophe is considered one of the key factors that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union a few years later.
- Why did Russia capture Chernobyl? Seizing Chernobyl was a strategic decision that gave Russian troops quick and easy access to Kyiv from Belarus, which is an ally of Moscow. By capturing Chernobyl, Russia has secured a route into Ukraine for its ground forces.
Source : Indian Express
6. VIP SECURITY COVER
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim has been provided Z plus category security by the Haryana government.
About:
- Protection is generally given to someone who holds a position of consequence either in the government or in civil society — hence the informal description “VIP security”.
- The level of security is decided by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in the case of the Centre, and by the state government in the case of states.
Levels of protection extended to individuals by governments at the Centre and the states
- There are largely six types of security cover: X, Y, Y plus, Z, Z plus, and SPG (Special Protection Group).
- While the SPG is meant only for the PM and his immediate family, other protection categories can be provided to anyone about whom the Centre or state governments have inputs about a threat.
- X category security usually entails one gunman protecting the individual;
- Y has one gunman for mobile security and one (plus four on rotation) for static security;
- Y plus has two policemen (plus four on rotation) for mobile security, and one (plus four on rotation) for residence security;
- Z has six gunmen for mobile security, and two (plus eight) for residence security; and
- Z plus has 10 security personnel for mobile security and two (plus eight) for residence security.
Source : Indian Express
7. P-8I AIRCRAFT
Aviation and defence colossus Boeing delivered India’s 12th maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare P-8I aircraft on February 24.
About:
- The first of these aircraft was inducted in 2013, and it made India the first country outside the United States to get one. The Navy has been receiving them regularly since.
- The first aircraft produced by Boeing flew in 2009, and has been in service with the US Navy since 2013, the same year as the Indian Navy. Apart from India and the US, it has been chosen by six other militaries in the world.
- The aircraft has two variants —
- The P-8A Poseidon, which is flown by the US Navy, the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, and the Royal Norwegian Air Force. It has also been selected by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the Republic of Korea Navy, and the German Navy.
- The aircraft for the Indian Navy are called P-8I, and have replaced the ageing Soviet/Russian Tupolev Tu-142s.
- The P-8A Poseidon, which is flown by the US Navy, the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, and the Royal Norwegian Air Force. It has also been selected by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the Republic of Korea Navy, and the German Navy.
- The P-8Is are capable of anti-submarine; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR); patrolling, coastline defence, and other operations.
Source : Indian Express
8. UNION MSME RuPay CREDIT CARD
Union Minister for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Shri Narayan Rane launched the Union MSME RuPay Credit Card of Union Bank of India in Sindhudurg at the two day MSME Conclave being held in the district.
About:
- The card is being offered by Union Bank of India in association with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). It provides a simplified payment mechanism to MSMEs to meet their business-related operational expenses.
- The RuPay Card offers benefits like anytime digital payments, interest-free period and will carry interest rate similar to the rate charged for loans.
- MSME borrowers will be able to enjoy an interest-free credit period of up to 50 days on their business spends.
9. IMMIGRATION VISA FOREIGNERS REGISTRATION TRACKING (IVFRT)
The Government of India has approved the continuation of the Immigration Visa Foreigners Registration Tracking (IVFRT) Scheme beyond March 31, 2021 for a period of five years from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2026 with a financial outlay of Rs.1,364.88 crore.
About:
- The objective of IVFRT is modernization and up-gradation of Immigration and Visa services.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs aims to provide a secure and integrated service delivery framework that facilitates legitimate travelers while strengthening national security, through this scheme.
- The project has a global outreach and seeks to interlink and optimize functions relating to immigration, visa issuance, registration of foreigners and tracking of their movements in India by covering 192 Indian Missions across the globe, 108 Immigration Check Posts (ICPs) in India and more than 700 Foreigners Registration Officers (FROs) across the country.
Source : PIB
10. BHASHA CERTIFICATE SELFIE CAMPAIGN
Ministry of Education launched a campaign ‘Bhasha Certificate Selfie to encourage cultural diversity and promote mulitlinguism and to foster the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
About:
- Bhasha Certificate Selfie initiative aims to promote Bhasha Sangam mobile app, developed by Ministry of Education and MyGov India.
- Using the app, people can learn 100+ sentences of daily use in as many as 22 scheduled Indian languages.
- The initiative, under the aegis of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat will aim to ensure that people acquire basic conversational skills in Indian languages.
- To achieve this, a target of 75 lakh people acquiring basic conversational skills has been set.
- Bhasha Sangam mobile app was launched by Minister of Education while commemorating Rashtriya Ekta Diwas which is celebrated on October 31 every year to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
- The ‘Bhasha Certificate Selfie’ initiative is encouraging people to upload their selfie with the certificate from their social media accounts using the hashtag #BhashaCertificateSelfie.
Source : PIB