CURRENT AFFAIRS BT MANDEEP SIR 23 AND 24 MARCH

2022 Abel Prize: American mathematician Dennis P. Sullivan

 One of his key breakthroughs is in developing a new way of understanding rational homotopy
theory, a subfield of algebraic topology.
 Topology is a field of mathematics which was born in the nineteenth century and has to do with
properties of surfaces that do not change when they are deformed.

Exports cross $400 billion annual target

 India’s annual goods exports crossed the $400 billion mark for the first time ever, buoyed by an
increase in shipments of merchandise including engineering products, apparel and garments,
gems and jewellery and petroleum products.
 Exports had reached $331.02 billion in the pre-pandemic fiscal year of 2018-19. Shipments
have so far increased by $25.19 billion during the month of March and by March 31, the total
figure is expected to be $410 billion

State Jurisdiction on Lottery Tax: SC

In News: The Supreme Court has held that a State legislature has the right to impose tax on lotteries
conducted by other States within its jurisdiction.

 A Bench of Justices M.R. Shah and B.V. Nagarathna observed that ‘lotteries’ is a “species of
gambling activity”. The court said ‘betting and gambling’ is part of the State List in
the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.
 Since, there is no dispute that lotteries, irrespective of whether it is conducted or organised by
the Government of India or the Government of State or is authorised by the State or conducted
by an agency or instrumentality of State government or Central government or any private
player, is ‘betting and gambling’,
 State legislatures have the power to tax lotteries under Entry 62 of the State List.

Appeal against HC verdicts

 The judgment came on appeals filed by the Karnataka and Kerala governments against the
decisions of their respective High Courts to quash laws enacted by their legislatures to tax
lotteries organised and promoted by the States of Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim,
Manipur in Kerala and Karnataka.
 The High Courts had found the tax laws enacted by the two States invalid and unconstitutional
and had even directed Kerala and Karnataka to refund the money collected as tax from
lotteries to the north-eastern States.

ShaheedDiwas: 23rd March

 Also known as Martyrs’ Day,honours the valour and commitment of those who sacrificed their
lives for the country. 
 On this day, freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, ShivaramRajguru and SukhdevThapar were
hanged to death by the British rulers of India in 1931.
 The three young revolutionaries were arrested on various charges, including the murder of
British police officer John Saunders in 1928. But they didn’t want to kill John Saunders. 
 CURRENT AFFAIRS BT MANDEEP SIR 23 AND 24 MARCH
 Their target was Superintendent of Police James Scott, who had ordered his men to lathi-
charge protesters leading to the death of LalaLajpatRai.

World Tuberculosis Day: 24rd March

 Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the

lungs.
 Transmission: TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with lung TB
cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air.
 Treatment: TB is treatable and curable disease.

NikshayPoshanYojana (NPY) is a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme for nutritional support
to TB patients rolled out in April 2018 by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

 Under the Yojana, financial incentive of Rs.500/month is to be provided for each notified TB
patient (registered on NIKSHAY portal) for duration during which the patient is on anti-TB
treatment.
 NPY is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under National Health Mission
 ‘TB HaregaDeshJeetega’ Campaign was launched in September 2019 consisting of three pillars –
clinical approach, public health,active community participation

Article 355: 

 Article 355 refers to the provision in the Constitution that states that “It shall be the duty of the
Union to protect every State against external aggression and internal disturbance and to
ensure that the government of every State is carried on in accordance with the provisions of
this Constitution.
 Background: On 21st March 2022, there was a violent fight between two groups of the ruling
party in Bogtui village in Birbhum district, West Bengal. The Deputy Pradhan, ShriBhadu
Sheikh was killed and in retaliation houses in the area were attacked and set on fire resulting
in 12 deaths including that of women and children. All the members belong to the minority
community.

Minimum support price for jute

Context: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Tuesday approved the Minimum Support
Price (MSP) for raw jute for the 2022-2023 season.

 According to an official release, the MSP of raw jute has been fixed at Rs. 4,750 a quintal for 2022-
2023 season, which is Rs. 250 higher than the previous season.
 The MSPs are announced by the Government of India at the beginning of the sowing season
for certain crops on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs
and Prices (CACP). 
 Government announces minimum support prices (MSPs) for 22 mandated crops and fair and
remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane.

PradhanMantriDakshtaAurKushaltaSampannHitgrahi (PM-DAKSH) Yojana  

 CURRENT AFFAIRS BT MANDEEP SIR 23 AND 24 MARCH
Context: Launched by Department of Social Justice and Empowerment during 2020-21 to impart skill
development training to the youth (age between 18-45 years) belonging to Scheduled Castes,

Other Backward Classes/Economically Backward Classes

Safaikaramcharis

including Waste pickers.

 The training is free of cost and is implemented through three Corporations viz. National
Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC), National Backward
Classes Finance & Development Corporation (NBCFDC) and National SafaiKaramcharis
Finance & Development Corporation (NSKFDC) catering to the respective target groups. 
 The main objective of the scheme is to increase the skill levels of the targetted youth by
providing for long term and short term skills, followed by settlement in employment/self-
employment.

Common University Entrance Test (CUET)

Context: From the academic session 2022-23, admission to undergraduate programmes in all 45
central universities in the country will take place through a CUCET.

CUCET new?

 CUET is not new. It had been launched as the Central Universities Common Entrance Test
(CUCET) in 2010 under the UPA-II government
 However, it had failed to gather steam since only 14 central universities had adopted it until
2021.
 CUET is a revamped version of CUCET and it’s now compulsory for all 45 central
universities to adopt it.
 CUCET has come after the announcement of the new National Education Policy (NEP), which
advocates the need for an entrance test for university admissions.
 The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts entrance tests such as JEE (Main) and
UGC-NET, will also conduct CUET for all central universities in the first week of July. 


Surface to Surface BrahMos Missile

On 23rd March 2022, the surface-to-surface BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired by
the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Sujalam 2.0 Campaign

On 23rd March 2022, the Sujalam 2.0 campaign was launched by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the
Union Minister of Jal Shakti.
This campaign has been launched for greywater management. The launch event was held virtually by
the Ministry of Jal Shakti’s Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS).
The theme for this campaign
‘Groundwater: making the invisible visible’ is the theme for this campaign.
 CURRENT AFFAIRS BT MANDEEP SIR 23 AND 24 MARCH

The objective of this campaign

The Sujlam 2.0 campaign was launched with the objective of managing greywater through the
participation of the people. Under this campaign, there are plans to mobilize communities such as
schools, panchayats, and anganwadis to help in greywater management.

Foreigners’ Tribunal
 in Assam’s Cachar district has served a notice to a deceased person, asking him to appear before it
by March 30 as he had failed to produce valid documents to prove his Indian citizenship.
What is a Foreigners tribunal?
Foreigners’ Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies established as per the Foreigners’ Tribunal Order,
1964 and the Foreigners’ Act, 1946.
Composition: Advocates not below the age of 35 years of age with at least 7 years of practice (or)
Retired Judicial Officers from the Assam Judicial Service (or) Retired IAS of ACS Officers (not below
the rank of Secretary/Addl. Secretary) having experience in quasi-judicial works.
Who can set up these tribunals?
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964, and has
empowered district magistrates in all States and Union Territories to set up tribunals (quasi-
judicial bodies) to decide whether a person staying illegally in India is a foreigner or not.

 Earlier, the powers to constitute tribunals were vested only with the Centre.

Who can approach?

The amended order (Foreigners (Tribunal) Order, 2019) also empowers individuals to approach the
Tribunals.
Who is a declared foreigner?
A declared foreigner, or DF, is a person marked by Foreigners’ Tribunal (FT) for allegedly failing to
prove their citizenship after the State police’s Border wing marks him or her as an illegal immigrant.

PM Modi virtually inaugurates Biplobi Bharat Gallery in Bengal



 CURRENT AFFAIRS BT MANDEEP SIR 23 AND 24 MARCH
 Prime Minister NarendraModi has inaugurated Biplobi Bharat Gallery at Victoria
Memorial Hall in Kolkata on the occasion of ShaheedDiwas. 
 The inauguration was done virtually via video conferencing.
 The purpose of this new gallery is to provide a holistic view of the events that led up
to 1947 and highlight the important role played by the revolutionaries.

QUICK REVISION MCQ

1.SP leader AkhileshYadav resigns as LokSabha MP from Azamgarh, retains UP assembly seat

2.Haryana Assembly passes Bill against religious conversion through force, undue influence or
allurement

3. Civil Aviation Ministry, FICCI to jointly organise ‘WINGS INDIA 2022’ in Hyderabad from March 24 to 27

4. India’s new Ambassador to China Pradeep K Rawat meets Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation (SCO) Zhang Ming in Beijing

5. Russia stops peace treaty talks with Japan over disputed Kuril Islands which Moscow had occupied since
the end of WWII

6. Bangladesh world’s most polluted country, New Delhi most polluted city says World Air Quality Report of
Swiss air quality technology company IQAir.

7. World Water Day celebrated on March 22; this year’s focus is groundwater
CURRENT AFFAIRS BT MANDEEP SIR 23 AND 24 MARCH
CURRENT AFFAIRS BT MANDEEP SIR 23 AND 24 MARCH
 CURRENT AFFAIRS BT MANDEEP SIR 23 AND 24 MARCH

MCQ
1. Who is the winner of 2022 Abel Prize?

a. Dennis P. Sullivan
b. Hillel Furstenberg
c. Gregory Margulis
d. Andrew Wiles

2. When was the first caste-based Census conducted in India? 

a. 2011
b. 2021
c. 1931
d. 1881

3. Which article of the Constitution states that it shall be the duty of the centre to protect every
State against external aggression and internal disturbance?

a. Article 235
b. Article 72
c. Article 355
d. Article 263

1A
2C
3C

4.In which city, was the “Step-Up to End TB- World TB Day Summit 2022” organised?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Mumbai
[C] Kochi
[D] Chennai
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [New Delhi]

5.What is the theme of ‘Bihar Diwas’ 2022?

[A] JalJivanHaryali
[B] Swachh Bihar
[C] Bihar BetiPadhao
[D] Jal Shakti
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [JalJivanHaryali]
6.NBiren Singh was sworn in as the Chief Minister of which Indian state?
[A] Goa
[B] Manipur
[C] Punjab
[D] Chhattisgarh
Hide Answer
 CURRENT AFFAIRS BT MANDEEP SIR 23 AND 24 MARCH
Correct Answer: B [Manipur]
7.What is the main objective of the ‘Sujalam 2.0 Campaign’?
[A] Ground Water Conservation
[B] Greywater Management
[C] Rainwater Management
[D] Flood Management
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Greywater Management]
8.Whichorganisation successfully test fired the surface-to-surface BrahMos supersonic cruise missile?
[A] ISRO
[B] DRDO
[C] HAL
[D] BHEL
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [DRDO]
9.Who has been awarded the ‘Abel Prize 2022’?
[A] Dennis Parnell Sullivan
[B] Curtis T. McMullen
[C] William Browder
[D] Hal Abelson
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A [Dennis Parnell Sullivan]
10.Which country is the host of the ‘BIMSTEC Summit’ in 2022?
[A] India
[B] Sri Lanka
[C] Pakistan
[D] Bangladesh
Hide Answer
Correct Answer: B [Sri Lanka]