Kisan Sabha App
Context :
The CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), New Delhi has developed the Kisan Sabha App to connect farmers to the supply chain and freight transportation management system.
- The app also intends to provide a robust supply chain management required to facilitate the timely delivery of the products at the best possible prices during the present situation of Covid-19.
- Aim :
- Kisan Sabha aims to provide the most economical and timely logistics support to the farmers.
- It also intends to increase the profit margins for farmers by minimizing interference of middlemen and directly connecting with the institutional buyers.
- It will also help in providing best market rates of crops by comparing nearest mandis, booking of freight vehicles at cheapest cost thereby giving maximum benefit to the farmers.
- Stakeholders Involved:
- The app connects the farmers, transporters, Service providers (like pesticides/ fertilizer/ dealers, cold store and warehouse owner), mandi dealers, customers (like big retail outlets, online stores, institutional buyers) and other related entities for a timely and effective solution.
- Function:
- It acts as a single stop for every entity related to agriculture, be they a farmer who needs better price for the crops or mandi dealer who wants to connect to more farmers or truckers who invariably go empty from the mandis.
- Kisan Sabha also provides a platform for people who want to buy directly from the farmers.
Biennial Election for Maharashtra Legislative Councils MLAs
Context :
Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to conduct Biennial Election to the Maharashtra Legislative Councils (MLCs) by the members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) on 21 May 2020.
Highlights :
- Maharashtra assured that various measures have been taken to control pandemic and that in the State Government’s assessment, elections to the nine seats of MLC by MLAs could be held in a safe environment.
- ECI has decided that the Union Home Secretary, who is Chairperson of National Executive Committee in ex-officio capacity under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, should depute an officer of suitable seniority to ensure that the preventive measures are put in place in keeping with the provisions of the said Act for the smooth conduct of the electoral process for the said election.
- Commission has also directed the Chief Secretary to depute an officer from the State to ensure that the extant instructions regarding COVID-19 are complied with while making arrangements for conducting the elections.
- Commission has appointed Chief Electoral Officer, Maharashtra as Observer for this election.
Background :
Nine seats of MLC by MLAs became vacant on 24 April 2020 in Maharashtra (Annexure A). ECI on 3 April 2020 issued an order under Article 324 to defer the elections till further orders in view of COVID-19 circumstances.
NASA partners with private companies for Moon-to-Mars campaign
Context :
The US space agency NASA has partnered with SpaceX, Blue Origin and Dynetics to build lunar landing systems that can carry astronauts to the moon by 2024. The mission is accelerated under the space agency’s Moon-to-Mars campaign.
Moon-to-Mars campaign :
- NASA is planning for a long-term presence on Moon so that it will eventually enable humans to reach Mars. For this campaign, NASA is leaning heavily on private companies built around shared visions for space exploration.
- In 2019, Jeff Bezos unveiled Blue Origin’s design for the lunar lander, Blue Moon.
- SpaceX is on the verge of launching its first manned mission for NASA in June 2020. The company also plans to develop its Starship landing system to send a crew and up to 100 pounds of cargo to the moon.
- For this project, the three companies will share $967 million from NASA.
China to Launch Official Digital Currency
Context :
Recently, China has started testing its official digital currency which is unofficially called “Digital Currency Electronic Payment, DC/EP”.
Highlights :
- The digital currency of China has not been officially released but internal pilot tests are being carried out in four cities of China.
- China is expected to officially make the sovereign digital currency available to the public later in 2020.
- It could be considered the world’s first Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) if it is officially issued by state bank People’s Bank of China.
- The total size of China’s digital currency could reach one trillion yuan ($140 billion), equivalent to about one-eighth of China’s cash.
Digital Currency :
- Digital currency is a payment method which exists only in electronic form and is not tangible.
- Digital currency can be transferred between entities or users with the help of technology like computers, smartphones and the internet.
- Although it is similar to physical currencies, digital money allows borderless transfer of ownership as well as instantaneous transactions.
- Digital currency is also known as digital money and cybercash.
- E.g. Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency :
- A cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security.
- Cryptocurrencies use decentralized technology to let users make secure payments and store money without the need to use their name or go through a bank.
- They run on a distributed public ledger called blockchain, which is a record of all transactions updated and held by currency holders.
- The most common cryptocurrencies are Bitcoin, Libra, Ethereum, Ripple, and Litecoin.
Statehood Day of Maharashtra and Gujarat
Context :
Maharashtra and Gujarat celebrated their statehood day on 1st May, 2020. On the occasion, the Prime Minister and other leaders praised the contribution made by the two states to the development of the country.
Key Points :
- On May 1st, 1960, the bilingual state of Bombay was divided into two separate states by the Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960: Maharashtra for Marathi speaking people and Gujarat for Gujarati speaking people.
- Gujarat was established as the 15th state of the Indian Union.
Maharashtra
- Capital: Mumbai
- Sex Ratio: 929 female per 1000 male (National: 943)
- Literacy: 82.34% (National: 74.04%)
- Arabian Sea guards the western boundary of Maharashtra, while Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are on the northern side. Chhattisgarh covers the eastern boundary of the State. Karnataka and Telangana are on its southern side.
- The State has been identified as the country’s powerhouse and Mumbai, its capital as the centre point of India’s financial and commercial markets.
- Maharashtra has two major ports, Mumbai Port and Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNP) both located in Mumbai harbour.
- According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR)-2019, Maharashtra’s forest cover is 16.50% of the state’s geographical area.
- Bhil, Gond-Madia, Katkari, Koli, Oraon, Warli are the major tribes of Maharashtra.
Gujarat
- Capital: Gandhinagar
- Sex Ratio: 919 female per 1000 male (National: 943)
- Literacy: 78.03% (National: 74.04%)
- The state is bounded by the Arabian Sea in the west, Pakistan and Rajasthan in the north and north-east respectively, Madhya Pradesh in the south-east and Maharashtra in the south.
- Gujarat is the first state in the nation to start a separate department of ‘climate change’ to tackle the issue of global warming.
- Kandla Port is the major port in Gujarat along with 41 minor ports.
- Gamit, Bhils, Dhodias, Bawcha, Kunbi are the major tribes present in the state.
- According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR)-2019, Gujarat has the largest area of wetlands within Recorded Forest Area/Green Wash (RFA/GW) in the country followed by West Bengal.
Source : pib