(FREE) UPSC Current Affairs 2024 PDF

Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 15 March 2022

::NATIONAL::

The government has notified certain amendments to Census rules to allow online self-enumeration in the upcoming Census and National Population Register (NPR).

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The Centre amended Census Rules, 1990, to include “electronic form” and “self-enumeration” in the schedule of questions to be asked during census enumeration. The amendment has been inserted in clause C of Rule-2, which deals with definitions.
Clause C now reads: “Census Schedule means the schedule containing questions referred to in sub-section (1) of section 8 of the Act, in paper form or in an electronic form and can be canvassed in the said modes including through self-enumeration.”
Section 8 of Census Act, 1948, gives powers to the enumerator to ask questions regarding the Census and makes it obligatory for respondents to answer, with certain exceptions.
An explanation accompanying the new insertions says, “For the purposes of this clause, “electronic form” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (r) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (21 of 2000).”
Another insertion says, ‘self-enumeration’ means filling-up, completion and submission of census schedule by respondents themselves”.

Department of Pharmaceuticals has released an Approach Paper for the Draft National Policy for the Medical Devices, 2022 on its website for consultation.
The Sector is expected to grow in market size from the present 11 billion US dollar to 50 billion US dollar by 2025.

Key features of draft national policy:

Regulatory streamlining in order to optimise regulatory processes and multiplicity of agencies for enhanced ease of doing business, along with harmonisation with global standards.
Quality standards and safety of the devices.
Building competitiveness through fiscal and financial support for stimulating the development of the local manufacturing ecosystem.
Infrastructure development to provide best-in-class physical foundation, including medical devices parks with common facilities, to improve cost competitiveness.
Facilitating R&D and innovation with a focus on enhanced collaboration in innovation and R&D projects, global partnerships, and joint ventures among key stakeholders.
Human Resource Development to ensure relevant curriculum at higher education level, skilling of various stakeholders, creation of future-ready HR with required skill sets across the innovation value chain.

Ukraine claimed that Russian troops used phosphorus munitions, banned by the Geneva Convention.

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The Geneva Conventions are a set of four treaties, formalised in 1949, and three additional protocols, the first two of which were formalised in 1977 and the third in 2005, which codify widely accepted ethical and legal international standards for humanitarian treatment of those impacted by any ongoing war.
Geneva Conventions have been ratified by 196 states, including all UN member states.
Three Protocols have been ratified by 174, 169 and 79 states respectively.

Highlights the conventions:

The First Geneva Convention protects wounded and sick soldiers on land during war. This convention extends to medical and religious personnel, medical units, and medical transport.
The Second Geneva Convention protects wounded, sick and shipwrecked military personnel at sea during war. Also extends to hospital ships and medical transports by sea, with specific commentary on the treatment of and protections for their personnel.
The Third Geneva Convention applies to prisoners of war, including a wide range of general protections.
The Fourth Geneva Convention, protects civilians, including those in occupied territory.

On March 13, United States President Joe Biden approved a $200-million arms package for Ukraine, which would include US-made Stinger Missiles, which are a type of shoulder-fired Man-Portable Air-Defence Systems (MANPADS).

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Man-Portable Air-Defence Systems are short-range, lightweight and portable surface-to-air missiles that can be fired by individuals or small groups to destroy aircraft or helicopters.
They help shield troops from aerial attacks and are most effective in targeting low-flying aircrafts.
MANPATs or Man-Portable Anti-Tank Systems work in a similar manner but are used to destroy or incapacitate military tanks.
MANPADS can be shoulder-fired, launched from atop a ground-vehicle, fired from a tripod or stand, and from a helicopter or boat.
Weighing anywhere between 10 to 20 kilograms and not being longer than 1.8 metres, they are fairly lightweight as compared to other elaborate weapon systems, making them easy to operate by individual soldiers. Operating MANPADS requires substantially less training.

The most common make of MANPADs is the U.S.-made Stinger missiles.
Stinger’s Russian or Soviet-made counterparts are the Igla MANPADS, which also employ Infrared technology.
Sweden makes the RBS-70 MANPADS series, which also uses laser beam technology, while China’s version, FN-6, is akin to the Stinger.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday allowed microfinance institutions the freedom to set interest rates they charge borrowers, with a caveat that the rates should not be usurious.

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In revised guidelines for microfinance loans, which will take effect April 01, 2022, the RBI revised the definition of a microfinance loan to indicate a collateral-free loan given to a household having annual income of up to ₹3 lakh.
Earlier, the upper limits were ₹1.2 lakh for rural borrowers and ₹2 lakh for urban borrowers.
As per the revised norms, regulated entities (REs) should put in place a board-approved policy regarding pricing of microfinance loans, a ceiling on interest rate and all other charges applicable to microfinance loans.
The revision of the income cap to ₹3 lakh will expand the market opportunity and interest rate cap removal will promote risk-based underwriting.

Union Minister visited Gallium Nitride (GaN) Ecosystem Enabling Centre and Incubator facility IndianInstitute of Sciences (IISc), Bengaluru.
The facility has been jointly set up by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and IISc Bengaluru.

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GaNis a very hard, mechanically stable semiconductor.
With higher breakdown strength, faster switching speed, higher thermal conductivity and loweron-resistance, power devices based on GaN significantly outperform silicon-based devices.
It is used in production of semiconductor power devices and light-emitting diodes (LEDs).