Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 24 March 2022

::NATIONAL::

Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launches Sujalam 2.0 campaign for greywater management in New Delhi

• Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched the Sujalam 2.0 campaign for greywater management at a virtual event hosted by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti to mark the World Water Day, 2022 yesterday. A Joint Advisory was also signed by 9 Ministries namely the Ministry of (M/o) Jal Shakti, M/o Rural Development, M/o Women & Child Development, M/o Youth Affairs and Sports, M/o Tribal Affairs, M/o Health and Family Welfare, M/o Education, M/o Environment, Forest and Climate Change and M/o Panchayati Raj, on how greywater management will be taken up at their level based on convergence model with all those who are directly associated in programme implementation.
• While speaking at the launch of Sujlam 2.0 campaign, the Union Minister said, “The theme for this year is ‘Groundwater: making the invisible visible’. It is not only important but also timely. We may not be able to see the groundwater but it's impact is visible everywhere! To focus on this important aspect, my Ministry is launching "Sujlam 2.0" campaign with the objective to manage greywater through people’s participation. Under the campaign, we plan to mobilize communities, our institutions like panchayats, schools, anganwadi to undertake greywater management. Greywater can be best managed where it is generated and turns into a major management and infrastructure challenge, if it is allowed to accumulate and stagnate. Our PRIs would work with people to ensure that greywater is managed at the most appropriate local level through construction of household and community soak pits.”
• Shri Nicholas Osbert, Chief Water & Sanitation UNICEF in his welcome address shared the global perspective on greywater management. He said, “2.2 billion people across the world are facing water crisis. Sustainable Development Goal 6 aims to provide universal access to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation. Today, a number of Ministries under Government of India have come together to prepare the road map for water source sustainability, which is very heartening. The government has put the spotlight on greywater management. It is estimated that 31 billion litres of greywater is generated every day in India. There is need to develop sustainable behaviour practices to conserve water.” 
• Smt. Vini Mahajan, Secretary Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation while speaking on the Indian context said, “We are privileged to garner support from nine Ministries as everyone realizes the importance and pressure on water with growing population and climate change. 6 Crore tap water connections have been provided under Jal Jeevan Mission since its launch in August 2019. A total of 9.24 Crore households in the country have access to water through taps.  In present context, a lot of water will flow out of rural households. I am confident that under Sujlam 2.0 campaign, over 6 lakh villages will see intense activity on solid and liquid waste management. With large number of villages achieving 100% saturation under Jal Jeevan Mission which aims to provide every rural household with tap water connection by 2024, the time has come to focus on management of grey water generated in villages.”

::INTERNATIONAL::

Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov donates his 2021 Nobel Peace Prize medal to refugees from Ukraine

• Russia's Novaya Gazeta newspaper, whose editor Dmitry Muratov was a co-winner of last year's Nobel Peace Prize, said on Friday it would remove material on Russia's military actions in Ukraine from its website because of censorship.
• The newspaper said it would continue to report on the consequences that Russia is facing, including a deepening economic crisis and the persecution of dissidents.
• "Military censorship in Russia has quickly moved into a new phase: from the threat of blocking and closing publications (almost fully implemented) it has moved to the threat of criminal prosecution of both journalists and citizens who spread information about military hostilities that is different from the press releases of the Ministry of Defense," the paper said in a message to readers.
• "There is no doubt that this threat will be realised."
• The newspaper said it could not risk the freedom of its staff but also could not ignore its readers' desire for it to continuing working, even under military censorship.
• It said it was therefore removing materials "on this topic" from its website and social networks.
• "We continue to report on the consequences that Russia is facing: the developing economic crisis, the rapid decline in living standards, problems with access to foreign medicines and technologies, and the persecution of dissidents, including for anti-war statements," it said.
• Muratov, the editor, dedicated his Nobel prize last year to six of the newspaper's journalists who had been murdered for their work.

::ECONOMY::

Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw elected Fellow of Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) in Scotland

• Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson of Biocon and Biocon Biologics, has been elected as the Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), Scotland’s National Academy established in 1783, for the advancement of learning and useful knowledge.
• Kiran will be joining RSE’s current Fellowship of around 1,700 Fellows who are recognized as being some of the greatest thinkers, researchers and practitioners working in or with Scotland today.
• As Scotland’s National Academy, RSE uses the combined knowledge of its Fellows to provide independent expert advice to policymakers and inspire the next generation of innovative thinkers. This knowledge contributes to the social and economic wellbeing of Scotland, its people and the nation’s wider contribution to the global community.
• Previous RSE fellows have included Benjamin Franklin, statesman, author, publisher, scientist, inventor, diplomat and one of the leading figures of early American history; James Watt, Scottish inventor, mechanical engineer and chemist most famous for his work on the world’s first modern steam engine; Melvin Calvin, Nobel Prize-winning American chemist famous for his ground breaking work on photosynthesis; James Clerk Maxwell, Scottish mathematician and scientist responsible for the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation; and Andrew Lawrence, British astrophysicist specialising in the study of active galactic nuclei and quasars.

::Science and tech::

Defense Ministry approves military acquisition of Rs 8,357 crore including Air Defense Fire Control Radar and GSAT-7B satellite

• The Defence Ministry on Tuesday approved the procurement of Rs 8,357 crore worth of military platforms and hardware, including air defence fire control radar and GSAT-7B satellite.
• The procurement proposals were accorded "Acceptance of Necessity" at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the ministry said in a statement.
• The approved proposals included "procurement of night sight (image intensifier), light vehicles GS 4X4, air defence fire control radar (light) and GSAT-7B satellite," it mentioned.
• Acquisition of these equipment and systems will enhance operational preparedness of armed forces by providing better visibility, enhanced mobility, improved communication and increased capability of detecting enemy aircraft, it stated.
• The grant of 'Acceptance of Necessity' clears the way for the tendering process to start.
• As an impetus to "Aatmanirbhar Bharat", all of the aforementioned proposals have been approved under "Buy Indian (IDDM)" category, the ministry noted. IDDM stands for indigenously designed, developed and manufactured.
• All modernisation requirements of defence forces will be indigenously sourced, the ministry stated.
• "In a path-breaking initiative to encourage innovation, the DAC also accorded consolidated Acceptance of Necessity for procurements amounting to Rs 380.43 crore from the iDEX startups and MSMEs," it mentioned.
• Singh said on Twitter that the DAC accorded Acceptance of Necessity for procurement of 14 iDEX products within 30 months of contract for prototype development.

::Sports::

Australia's Ashleigh Barty, the world's number 1 ranked female tennis player, announced her retirement at the age of 25

• Australia's world number one Ashleigh Barty on Tuesday announced her shock retirement from tennis aged just 25.
• Barty has been the No.1-ranked WTA player for 114 consecutive weeks and counting. The outgoing Aussie is one month shy of her 26th birthday.
• "It's the first time I've actually said it out loud and, yeah, it's hard to say," an emotional Barty told former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua in a video posted on her Instagram. "But I'm so happy, and I'm so ready."

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