Published on: April 25, 2023

Snippets : 24 April 2023

Snippets : 24 April 2023

  • Data from the Union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) shows that people prefer electric vehicles (EVs) over hybrids, nationally and also in Karnataka, which has the second-highest number of EVs after Maharashtra. A state-wise analysis of data puts Maharashtra on top with 2.9 lakh green vehicles, including 1.9 lakh EVs, followed by Karnataka, with more than 2 lakh (nearly 1.5 lakh being EVs) eco-friendly vehicles, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat
  • The government has launched the fifth round of the Regional Connectivity Scheme — UDAN 5.0 — to further enhance the connectivity to remote and regional areas of the country. It was launched as a Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) under the Ministry of Civil Aviation in 2016, to provide affordable, economically viable and profitable air travel on regional routes to the common man even in small towns.
  • India has improved its ranking on the World Bank’s Logistic Performance Index (LPI) 2023 by jumping to 38th position from 44th place among 139 countries in terms of investment in technology and logistic infrastructure.
  • The Bhaderwah area in the mountainous Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing the ‘purple revolution’, with farmers deriving considerable economic benefits from it. Lavender has been designated by the central government as a “Doda brand product” to promote the rare aromatic plant and boost the morale of farmers, entrepreneurs, and agribusinesses involved in its cultivation as part of this Aroma Mission.
  • According to the ‘Irrigation Census’, the first-ever comprehensive census of water bodies, by the Ministry of Jal Shakti to evaluate the water security situation, India has 24,24,540 water bodies, out of which 97.1 per cent (23,55,055) are in rural areas and 2.9 per cent (69,485) are in urban areas.
  • The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the first time used the fourth stage of its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle as an orbital platform with deployed solar panels to carry out experiments using seven Indian payloads embedded in it.
  • The Corps Commanders of India and China are holding the 18th round of talks on bringing down the tension along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh. The talks are amidst tensions prevailing due to the heavy deployment of troops on both sides of the LAC in Eastern Ladakh.
  • India’s easternmost Changlang district in Arunachal Pradesh received the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration in the category of “innovation” for its initiative New Age Learning Centre (NALC). The NALC is a flexible, state-of-the-art, futuristic, leisure learning space-cum-library established in the Miao subdivision to enable people from all age groups to learn and improve every aspect of their personality. The space is designed as per the comfort needs and demands of the users. Anyone can access the facilities at zero membership fees.
  • Indian swimmer, Aryan Singh Dadiala, , equalled the existing world record of the fastest male swimmer to swim the Sea of Galilee, braving extreme weather conditions. Sea Of Galilee is the second lowest water body in the world, approximately 214 metres below sea level, and poses multiple challenges such as whirlpools and indefinite wind storms.
  • “Earth Day” is an annual global event celebrated on April 22 to promote environmental consciousness and raising awareness of the various issues that impact our planet. The theme for Earth Day 2023 is “Invest In Our Planet“.