• The amount awarded under the ‘Himachal Pradesh Mahila Vikas Protsahan Puraskar’ would be increased from Rs 21,000 to Rs 1 lakh and the district-level awards from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000.

• Mauganj was declared as 53rd district of Madhya Pradesh by the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh.
• Mauganj is presently a tehsil of the Rewa district.

• Max Verstappen won the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix from pole position, leading almost the entire race.

Pole position

First- M. Verstappen-Red Bull (Belgian-Dutch)

Second- S. Pérez- Red Bull (Mexico)

Third- F. Alonso- Aston Martin (Spain)

• Scientists at Paderborn University, Germany have been able to make a unique class of catalysts called Lewis super-acids.
• Named after chemist, G N Lewis, Lewis super-acids derive from Lewis acids.
• A Lewis acid is any substance, such as a Hydrogen ion (H+) that can accept a pair of nonbonding electrons. In other words, it is an electron-pair acceptor.
• They are often used to speed up chemical reactions.
• Lewis superacids are stronger than antimony pentafluoride– strongest Lewis acid — and can break even toughest bonds.
• A Lewis base is any substance, such as OH- ion, that can donate a pair of nonbonding electrons. Therefore, it is an electron-pair donor.

• According to recent research, Erythritol, a popular artificial sweetener, is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Erythritol activates platelets, the blood cells which cause clots when they clump together. Such aggregation of platelets blocks blood flow in blood vessels in different parts of the body.
  • When that happens in blood vessels supplying blood to the heart or brain, fatal or non-fatal cardiovascular events occur.

About Erythritol

• It is a type of sugar alcohol commonly used as a sugar substitute in foods and beverages.
  • Unlike traditional sugars, it has no calories and does not raise blood sugar levels.
• Artificial sweeteners are common replacements for table sugar in low-calorie, low-carbohydrate and “keto” products (high in fat and low in carbohydrates).
• Low Glycemic Index (GI): It is also believed to have a lower GI than other sweeteners, meaning it may not impact insulin levels as strongly.
  • GI is a value used to measure how much specific foods increase blood sugar levels.
• Uses: Sugar-free products containing Erythritol recommended for people who have obesity, diabetes or metabolic syndrome. People with these conditions also are at higher risk for adverse cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke.

Recently, the Ministry of Jal Shakti has organized the “Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman 2023”, to honor the women champions of the rural water and sanitation sector. The event also saw the launch of Jal Shakti Abhiyan – Catch the Rain 2023.

• This event was organized in the run up to the International Women’s Day on 8th March and to highlight and acknowledge the leadership and contribution of women at the grass-root level in the journey towards making a ‘Swachh Sujal Bharat’.
• 36 women WASH(water, sanitation and hygiene) Champions were conferred with the ‘Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman 2023’ for their exceptional and exemplary work at the grassroots level in the implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission – Gramin (SBM-G), Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA-CTR).

Catch the Rain 2023

• The President of India launched ‘Catch the Rain-2023’ as part of efforts to turn conservation of water into a mass campaign in the run-up to the monsoon season.
• Theme 2023: Source Sustainability for Drinking Water.
• Tag line: Catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls.
• Catch the Rain is a Jan Andolan campaign to encourage all stakeholders to create rainwater harvesting structures.
• The campaign is implemented by the National Water Mission (NWM), Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• The campaign takes place across the country, in both rural and urban areas.

• Indian Navy successfully test-fired ship-launched version of BrahMos missile with an indigenous seeker and booster in Arabian Sea.
• Earlier, Indian Air Force had also successfully tested BrahMos missile from Sukhoi Su-30 MKI aircraft.

About Brahmos missile

• BrahMos is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarine, ships, aircraft, or land having range of 450 km.
• It is a joint venture of India and Russia and it’s named after rivers Brahmaputra and Moskva.
• It is a two-stage missile with solid propellant booster engine as its first stage and a liquid ramjet as second stage.
• Operates on Fire and Forget principle.
• It flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach or almost three times speed of sound.

• Out of 111 national waterways 23 river systems have been identified as feasible for navigation.
• The aim is to utilise inland waterways to improve cargo and passenger vessels movement at cheap transportation cost.

About National Waterways

• National Waterways (NWs) are declared under National Waterways Act, 2016 to promote Inland Water Transport (IWT) in India.
• Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River System (Allahabad to Haldia) was first NW declared in 1986.
• Recently, NW-68 between Panjim to Vasco on Mandovi River in Goa was completed.
• India has an extensive network of inland waterways in the form of rivers, canals, backwaters and creeks.
• Inland waterways contribute only around 2% in India’s internal freight movement.
• Benefits- Eco-friendly and cheaper (less fuel consumption per tonne-km), better connectivity to hinterland, require relatively less maintenance, reduced pollution of air, water, noise etc.
• Challenges: Absence of storage facilities, limited number of vessels, inadequate inland ports and logistics system, low technology adaptation etc.
• Initiatives for Inland Waterways Development
  • Establishment of Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) in 1986.
  • Inland Vessels Act, 2021 replaces Inland Vessels Act, 1917.
  • River Cruise Tourism on NWs.
  • PANI (Portal for Asset & Navigation Information) platform for river navigation and infrastructure information.

• EBs were introduced in Union Budget 2017-18.
• Electoral Bond is a bearer instrument in the nature of a Promissory Note and an interest free banking instrument.
• Details
  • Citizen of India or a body incorporated in India is eligible to purchase bond.
  • EBs are issued/purchased for any value, in multiples of Rupee 1,000, 10,000, 1,00,000, 10,00,000 and 1,00,00,000 from specified branches of State Bank of India.
  • Political parties receiving donations through EBs have to redeem them within 15 days otherwise EBs shall be deposited by authorised bank with Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
• Eligibility of political parties: Registered under section 29A of Representation of People Act, 1951 and which secured not less than one percent of the votes polled in last general election to House of People or a Legislative Assembly.

• Recently, the world’s first 200-metre-long bamboo crash barrier has been installed on a Vani-Warora Highway connecting Chandrapur and Yavatmal districts in Maharashtra.
• Named ‘Bahu Balli’, the bamboo crash barrier made from ‘Bambusa Balcoa’ species underwent rigorous testing at various government-run institutions and was rated as Class 1 during the Fire Rating Test and it has also been accredited by the Indian Road Congress (IRC).
• This crash barrier offers a perfect alternative to steel and addresses environmental concerns.

About Indian Road Congress (IRC)

• Indian Roads Congress is the premier technical body of highway engineers which was formed in 1934 as India’s national body for laying down and designing standards for roads and highway construction

The IRC was set up on the recommendations of the Indian Road Development Committee best known as Jayakar Committee (1927) set up by the Government