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Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 23 May 2022

::NATIONAL::

On April 5, the Punjab and Haryana High Court passed omnibus instructions to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Bureau of Immigration (BOI) to serve a copy of an issued Look Out Circular (LOC)to the affected person, state the reasons for issuing the LOC and provide a “post-decisional opportunity”. The Supreme Court however, stayed this particular paragraph of the High Court order.

About:

It is a notice to stop any individual wanted by the police, investigating agency or even a bank from leaving or entering the country through designated land, air and sea ports.
The immigration is tasked to stop any such individual against whom such a notice exists from leaving or entering the country. There are 86 immigration check posts across the country.
A large number of agencies which includes the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Income Tax, State police and intelligence agencies are authorised to generate LOCs.
The officer should not be below the rank of a district magistrate or superintendent of police or a deputy secretary in the Union Government.
After several businessmen fled the country after defaulting on loans, the MHA in 2018 brought changes to the 2010 guidelines authorising executives of all public sector banks to generate LOCs against persons who could be detrimental to economic interests of the country.
Many citizens have moved courts to get the LOC quashed.

The Delhi High Courthalted a proposed scheme for doorstep delivery of ration in the national capital.
In March 2018, the Delhi Cabinet approved a scheme for delivery of ration at the doorstep of beneficiaries under the Targeted Public Distribution System.
It was called the ‘Mukhya Mantri GharGhar Ration Yojna’.

The proposed implementation

The foodgrain stock for the scheme was to be lifted by millers empanelled with the Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited and transported to milling units for processing and packaging.
The packed items were then to be delivered at designated Fair Price Shops to be set up by Delhi Consumer’s Cooperative Wholesale Store Ltd.

Mozambique identified its first case of wild poliovirus Type 1 this week after a child contracted the disease.
It is the country’s first such case since 1992 and the second imported case of wild poliovirus in Southern Africa this year.

About Polio:

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Polio is a crippling and potentially deadly disease that affects the nervous system… Because the virus lives in the faeces (poop) of an infected person, people infected with the disease can spread it to others when they do not wash their hands well after defecating (pooping). People can also be infected if they drink water or eat food contaminated with infected feces.”
The virus multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and can cause paralysis. Once that happens, the patient is crippled for life because there is no treatment for the affliction. That is why polio is so dreaded. Polio infection, however, is easily preventable by a vaccine.
There are three variants of the poliovirus, numbered 1 to 3. For a country to be declared polio-free, the wild transmission of all three kinds has to be stopped. For eradication, cases of both wild and vaccine-derived polio infection have to be reduced to zero.
Polio cases in India
India was declared polio-free in January 2014, after three years of zero cases, an achievement that is widely believed to have been spurred by the successful Pulse Polio campaign.
The last case due to wild poliovirus in the country was detected on January 13, 2011. The WHO on February 24, 2012, removed India from the list of countries with active endemic wild poliovirus transmission.

International Tea Day is observed on May 21.
Every year to raise awareness of the long history and the deep cultural and economic significance of tea around the world.
The United Nations aimed to support the tea-producing countries by observing International Tea Day.

About:

The first International Tea Day was held in Delhi, India in 2005. It was in 2015 that the Indian Government proposed to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation to expand this day globally.
The day is observed in the month of May because it is during this time of the year that tea production begins in most countries.
Tea is one of those beverages that is consumed by many around the world, almost in every city or town.
It is believed to have originated from the northeastern parts of India and southwestern China. In these regions, tea production is one of the main sources of livelihood.

India has recorded highest ever annual FDI inflow of USD 83.57 billion in the Financial Year 2021-22.

About:

In 2014-2015, FDI inflow in India stood at mere 45.15 USD billion as compared to the highest ever annual FDI inflow of USD 83.57 billion reported during the financial year 2021-22 overtaking last year’s FDI by USD 1.60 billion despite military operation in Ukraine and COVID-19 pandemic.
India’s FDI inflows have increased 20-fold since FY03-04, when the inflows were USD 4.3 billion only.
FDI Equity inflow in Manufacturing Sectors have increased by 76% in FY 2021-22 (USD 21.34 billion) compared to previous FY 2020-21 (USD 12.09 billion).
Under the sector `Computer Software & Hardware’, the major recipient states of FDI Equity inflow are Karnataka (53%), Delhi (17%) and Maharashtra (17%) during FY 2021-22.

Astrosat, India’s first dedicated astronomy mission, witnessed the birth of black holes for the five hundredth.

Key findings:

Black holes, the ultimate cosmic enigma, have been a subject of intense scrutiny from astronomers from all over the world. However, Indian scientists are making great headway in studying black hole births using the indigenously built space telescope - Astrosat.
Calling it a landmark achievement, Prof. Dipankar Bhattacharya, the current Principal Investigator of CZTI said, the wealth of data obtained on Gamma Ray Bursts is making a big impact worldwide.
It may be noted that astronomers study Gamma Ray Bursts, also called the mini big bangs and X-rays from such bursts to better understand formation of black holes.

Astrosat:

Astrosat with a lift-off mass of 1,515 kilogram was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, on 28th of September 2015.
It is the most sensitive space telescope in the world; consisting of five instruments that can simultaneously study the universe in ultraviolet, optical and X-ray radiation.