1. CYBERCRIME VOLUNTEER

The Union Home Ministry has said it does not maintain a centralised list of volunteers enrolled under the cybercrime volunteer programme since the police is a “State subject” under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.

About:

• The Ministry, through its cybercrime grievance portal, cybercrime.gov.in, aims to raise a group of “cybercrime volunteers” to flag “unlawful content” on the Internet.
• A digital rights group, the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), has said the programme enables a culture of surveillance and could create potential social distrust by encouraging civilians to report the online activities of other citizens.
• In response to a RTI application on the total number of volunteers who have applied under the Cybercrime Volunteers Programme of the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, the Ministry said the information could be sought directly from the respective States and Union Territories.
• The programme was expected to include 500 volunteers, 200 “cyber awareness promoters” and 50 “cyber experts”.
• The National Cybercrime Ecosystem Management Unit, of which the Cybercrime Volunteers Programme is a constituent, is part of the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) scheme launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in January 2020.
• The project was approved in October 2018 at an estimated cost of ₹415.86 crore. The I4C scheme that includes other components also has been allocated ₹69.80 crore in the 2021-22 Budget.

Source : The Hindu

2. LIQUID OXYGEN

Invoking the Disaster Management Act, the Centre ordered States that all liquid oxygen, including the existing stock with private plants, should be made available to the government and will be used for medical purposes only.

About:

• Liquid oxygen—abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries—is the liquid form of molecular oxygen.
• Liquid oxygen has a pale blue color and is strongly paramagnetic: it can be suspended between the poles of a powerful horseshoe magnet.
• Because of its cryogenic nature, liquid oxygen can cause the materials it touches to become extremely brittle.
• Liquid oxygen is also a very powerful oxidizing agent: organic materials will burn rapidly and energetically in liquid oxygen.

Uses

• It was used as the oxidizer in the first liquid-fueled rocket invented in 1926 by Robert H. Goddard, an application which has continued to the present.
• In commerce, liquid oxygen is classified as an industrial gas and is widely used for industrial and medical purposes. Liquid oxygen is obtained from the oxygen found naturally in air by fractional distillation in a cryogenic air separation plant.
• Liquid oxygen is the most common cryogenic liquid oxidizer propellant for spacecraft rocket applications, usually in combination with liquid hydrogen, kerosene or methane.

Source : The Hindu

3. MARIB

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have taken full control of the northwest Kassara battlefield, advancing close to the centre of Marib city despite heavy casualties.

About:

• Marib is the capital city of Marib Governorate, Yemen.
• It was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Sabaʾ which some scholars believe to be the ancient Sheba of biblical fame. It is located in the region of the Sarawat Mountains.
• Marib and its surrounding oil fields make up the last significant pocket of government-held territory in the north, the rest of which is under rebel control, including the capital Sanaa.
• The loss of Marib would be a major blow for the Yemeni government and for Saudi Arabia which has supported its militarily since March 2015, after the rebels captured Sanaa.

Source : The Hindu

4. DEEP TIME STUDY

A group of French volunteers have emerged from a cave after a 40-day study exploring the limits of human adaptability to isolation. The so-called Deep Time experiment came to an end, allowing the eight men and seven women, aged 27 to 50, who took part to leave the cave.

About:

• The 15 participants lived in the Lombrives cave in south-west France with no phones, clocks or sunlight. They slept in tents, made their own electricity, and had no contact with the outside world.
• The project aimed to test how people respond to losing their sense of time and space.
• During their isolation, the group had to organise tasks without being able to use a measure of time to create deadlines.
• Instead, they had to rely on their body clocks and sleep cycles to structure their days.
• In the cave, they had few modern comforts at their disposal. For example, volunteers had to generate their own electricity with a pedal bike and draw water from a well 45 m (146 ft) below the earth.

Significance

• The scientists behind the project say it will help them understand how people can adapt to extreme living conditions.
• The brain activity and cognitive function of volunteers was analysed before they entered the cave, to gather data for comparative studies after they left.
• The purpose of the study has particular relevance during the coronavirus pandemic, a time when lockdown measures have confined millions of people to isolation.

Source : The Hindu

5. ASEAN

In a first big effort to address the political crisis in Myanmar, leaders and foreign ministers of ASEAN countries met in Indonesia capital Jakarta. They urged the head of the Myanmar army, General Min Aung Hlaing to end the violent crackdown in the country and release political prisoners immediately.

About:

• ASEAN stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
• It is a political and economic union of 10 Asian countries aimed at promoting the economic growth, political stability of individual countries, and regional stability among its members.
• Apart from economic and political growth it also focuses on social progress, social-cultural evolution among member countries, and provision of mechanisms and strategies to resolve differences peacefully.
• History: It was formed in 1967, by Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Membership has been extended to include Vietnam, Burma/Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Brunei.
• Secretariat: Jakarta, Indonesia.

Source : LiveMint

6. OXYGEN EXPRESS

In the middle of the second wave of Covid-19, hospitals in India are facing a massive shortage of medical oxygen.

About:

• In a bid to meet the high demand of the critical gas meant for the treatment of coronavirus patients, the Indian Railways has started “Oxygen Express” trains to ferry oxygen tankers from one region to another.
• The Railways are running the “Oxygen Express” train from steel plants that produce oxygen to different parts of the country.
• The first Oxygen Express carrying seven tankers filled with liquid medical oxygen from Visakhapatnam reached Maharashtra on April 23.

Source : Indian Express

7. MAHAVIR JAYANTI

Prime Minister Modi greeted people on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti.

About:

• Also known as: Mahaveer Janma Kalyanak.
• What is it? Mahavir Jayanti is the birth anniversary of 24th and last Jain Tirthankar Lord Mahavir.
• When observed? As per the Gregorian calendar, the holiday occurs either in March or April.
• Celebrations: It is one of the most important religious festivals for Jains. The followers of Lord Mahavir celebrate this festival by chanting prayers, offering Prasad and participating in chariot processions.

Lord Mahavir?

• Name: Mahavira is also known as Vardhamana.
• Significance: He was the 24th tirthankara who revived Jainism.
• Birth: He was born in 6th century BC into a royal Kshatriya family in present-day Bihar, India.
• Kevala Jnana: He left home at the age of 30 and became an ascetic. He practiced intense meditation for 12 years, after which he attained Kevala Jnana (omniscience).
• Five vows: After attaining Kevala Jnana, Mahavira taught that observance of the five vows of ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (chastity), and aparigraha (non-attachment) is necessary for spiritual liberation.
• Death: He attained nirvana at the age of 72, and his body was cremated.
• Agamas: Mahavira's teachings were compiled by Indrabhuti Gautama (his chief disciple) as the Jain Agamas.

Source : PIB

8. PM CARES FUND

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered setting up of 551 oxygen plants inside government hospitals across the country. PM CARES Fund will provide financial aid in setting up these plants.

About:

• Full name: The Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund).
• Background: It was created on 27 March 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
• Objective: The fund will be used for combating, and containment and relief efforts against the coronavirus outbreak and similar pandemic like situations in the future.
• Members: Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, is the chairman of the fund, and trustees include the Minister of Defence, Rajnath Singh; Minister of Home Affairs, Amit Shah, and Minister of Finance, Nirmala Sitharaman, in the Government of India.
• Donations to this fund will be exempted from income tax under section 80(G).

Source : All India Radio

9. AGRICULTURAL EXPORT

India has recorded 30 percent increase in agricultural export in 2020-21 in comparison to 2019-20 financial year despite Covid situation.

About:

• Around 1.3 lakh crore rupees of export business was recorded last year in comparison to 1.1 lakh crore rupees in previous financial year.
• The pandemic gave an opportunity to India to provide reliable food and nutritional support to the world.
• APEDA Chairman said that there was also 40 percent increase in export of organic products this year in comparison to last financial year. He said that there was huge demand for herbal and medicinal products in Europe, US and Middle East and APEDA is all set to explore all the options.

Source : All India Radio