Telangana Affairs
Telanganas economic activity took a big hit during 2nd wave
Telanganaalong with West Bengal and Assam bore the brunt during the second wave of Covid-19 by registering negative values on the economic activity index (EAI).
Stating this in its latest EAI report, the Reserve Bank Of India which released such a report for the first time said had only 11 months of positive EAI values between March 2020 and February 2022, while the remaining months reported negative (restrictive) values.
The negative value of EAI was the highest for Telangana in April 2020, which stood at 2.12, among all the states in the country. During the second wave beginning from February 2021, the negative values stood at 0.18 and in May last year, the state recorded a negative value of 0.25.
While the EAI values improved after the first wave receded, the economic activity took a hit with the arrival of the second wave, the report said.
National and International Affairs
The new scheme, to be implemented during the remaining four years of the15thFinance Commissionfrom 2022-23 to 2025-26 have anoutlay of Rs.6,600 crore.
The PM-DevINE is in addition to the quantum of Resources available for the development of the NE region. It will not be a substitute for existing central and state schemes.
PM Modi declares Modhera as India’s first 24×7 solar powered village
Modi said Modhera was known for the Sun temple, now it will also be known as solar-powered village.
Modhera is famous for its Sun temple, which is situated on the river Pushpavati. It was built by King Bhima-I of the Chaulukya dynasty in 1026-27.
According to the Gujarat government, which shared information in a series of tweets, over 1000 solar panels have been installed on the village houses, generating electricity round the clock for the villagers. Significantly they will be provided with solar electricity at zero cost.
The Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index 2022
New index shows governments worldwide stoked an inequality explosion during COVID-19 pandemic
Half of the poorest countries saw Health spendings drop despite the pandemic, while 95 percent of all countries froze or even lowered taxes on rich people and corporates
Rich and poor countries alike have exacerbated an explosion of economic inequality since the outbreak of the pandemic from 2020, reveals new research by Oxfam and Development Finance International (DFI).
The overwhelming majority of governments cut their of health, Education and social protection spending. At the same time, they refused to raise taxes on excessive profits and soaring wealth.
The2022 Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index(CRI Index) is the first detailed analysis into the type of inequality busting policies and actions that 161 countries might have pursued during the first two years of the pandemic.
China launches Kuafu-1, its first comprehensive solar probe
China launched its first comprehensive solar probe, the Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S), according to the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
It’s the world’s first near-Earth satellite Telescope to simultaneously monitor solar flares, coronal mass ejections and the sun’s , according to Gan Weiqun, the satellite’s principal scientist from the Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
The mission is a combination of several innovations such as the development of the solar-monitoring instrument installed on the satellite.