Why in news?

• The Ministry of Ayush HAS reiterated that Giloy/Gudduchi (Tinosporacordifolia) is safe and as per available data, Guduchi does not produce any toxic effect.
  • Certain sections of the media have earlier falsely linked again Giloy/Guduchi to liver damage.
• The medicinal herb has to be used in an appropriate dose as prescribed by a qualified physician to get medicinal effects.
• Giloy/Guduchi is used as anti-oxidant, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hyperlipidemic, hepatoprotective, cardiovascular protective, neuroprotective, osteoprotective, radioprotective, anti-anxiety, adaptogenic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, anti-diarrheal, anti-ulcer, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer medicinal herb.
• It is used as a major component of therapeutics for ameliorating metabolic, endocrinal, and several other ailments, aiding in the betterment of human life expectancy.

Why in news?

• Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, launched the Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED) for the welfare of De-notified, Nomadic and Semi Nomadic Communities.
• DNTs, NTs, SNTs are the one of the most deprived and economically weaker communities in India.
• The misery of these communities began with the enactment of the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871 during the British rule. These communities were subjugated, persecuted and neglected. The policies of the colonial government affected lives and livelihood adversely. They were branded as criminals under various colonial acts. This led to the forcible alienation from their traditional occupations and habitations. They remained hunter gatherers and pastoral/peripatetic.
• Even after the Independence; they have not benefitted much from the planned development of over seven decades. They were deprived of state support like the SCs/STs.
• Commissions set up for DNTs
  • Renke Commission was set up in 2008
  • National Commission was constituted in 2015 under the chairmanship of Shri BhikuRamjiIdate.
• Based on the recommendation of Idate commission, the Government of India set up the Development and Welfare Board for DNTs, SNTs &NTs (DWBDNCs) in 2019.

About SEED scheme

• It is an an umbrella scheme for empowerment of these communities.
• The four component of the SEED scheme are:

1. Educational empowerment– Free coaching to students from these communities for Civil Services, entry to professional courses like medicine, engineering, MBA, etc.
2. Health Insurance through PMJAY of National Health Authority.
3. Livelihoods to support income generation, and
4. Housing (through PMAY/IAY)

• The scheme will ensure expenditure of Rs.200 crore to be spent over five years beginning 2021-22. The DWBDNCs has been tasked with the implementation of this scheme.

Why in news?

• Guru Ravidas Jayanti was observed on February 16, 2022, in the honour of birthday of Guru Ravidas.
• This festival is celebrated with joviality in North India, specifically in Punjab.
• The day marks the birthday of Indian mystic poet-saint, Ravidas and is celebrated on MaghPurnima.

About Guru Ravidas

• Guru Ravidas or BhagatRavidas was a renowned saint, who is remembered for his contribution to Bhakti movement. He was contemporary to saint Kabir.
• Guru Ravidas was born in Seer Goverdhanpur village in Uttar Pradesh in an underprivileged family.
• He was an advocate of human rights and a progressive thinker who spread the message of equality by means of his poems and teachings based on spirituality.
• His written verses are included in Sikh scriptures “Guru Granth Sahib”.
• MeeraBai, who was an eminent personality in Hindu spiritualism, recognised Guru Ravidas as her spiritual guide.
• He is considered as the founder of 21^st-century Ravidassia religion.

Why in news?

• The G20 Secretariat will be responsible for implementing overall policy decisions and arrangements needed to steer India’s forthcoming Presidency of the forum for international economic cooperation.
• It is being established for handling the work related to substantive/ content/knowledge media, technical, security and logistical aspects of India’s G20 Presidency.
• It will be manned by staff and officers from Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and other line Ministries or Departments and domain knowledge experts.
• The Secretariat will be functional till February 2024.
• The G20 Secretariat will be guided by an apex committee, headed by Prime Minister. It will also comprise of Finance Minister, External Affairs Minister, Home Minister, and G20 Sherpa (Commerce & Industry Minister). It will provide overall guidance to India’s G20 Presidency.
• India will hold G20 Presidency from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023. It will culminate with the G20 Summit in India in 2023.

About G20

• G20 is an intergovernmental forum, consisting of 19 countries and the European Union (EU). It works for addressing major issues related to global economy, like climate change mitigation, international financial stability, and sustainable development.
• It is composed of most of world’s largest economies, including industrialized and developing nations. It accounts for 90% of gross world product (GWP), 75–80% of international trade, half of world’s land area and two-thirds of the global population.
• The G20 was founded in 1999. Since 2008, it has convened at least once a year. The summits involve head of government or state, foreign minister, finance minister, and other high-ranking officials from each member state. EU is represented by European Commission and European Central Bank.
• Currently, Italy, Indonesia and India are the G20 troika countries.

Why in news?

• RailTel has bagged the ICAI award for excellence in financial reporting for the year 2020-21 in Public Sector Entities Category. The company was adjudged as the winner in the category “plaque”.
• Financial Reporting includes the preparation and presentation of financial information. Effective Financial Reporting plays a significant role in accelerating the economic growth of a country as the information provided through annual reports enables the management and other relevant stakeholders in taking various effective business, investment, regulatory decisions.
• The award was given by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI),the premier accounting body which has been holding the annual competition for these awards since 1958.
• This award has been instituted with a view to promote better standards in the preparation and presentation of information in the financial statements.

Why in news?

• World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region (SEAR) has launched a ‘Quit Tobacco App’.
• This application helps people to give up the use of tobacco in all forms, including smokeless and other newer products.
• The App was launched by Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO-SEAR, during WHO’s year-long ‘Commit to quit’ campaign, which is the latest tobacco control initiative by the WHO South-East Asia Region.
• The app, the first such by WHO, and the first that targets all forms of tobacco, helps users to identify the triggers, set their targets, manage cravings, and stay focused to quit tobacco.
• Tobacco is the world’s leading cause of preventable death and kills nearly 8 million persons every year. It claims 1.6 million lives in the WHO South-East Asia Region which is amongst the largest producers and consumers of tobacco products.

Why in news?

• Education Minister of Himachal Pradesh announced  the second state university, SardarVallabh Bhai Patel University, at Mandi will start functioning from April 1.
• Addressing a gathering today on Thakur Ram Singh’s birth anniversary celebrations at Vallabh Government Degree College, Mandi.

Why in news?

• Dabur India has become the first Indian consumer goods company to become completely plastic waste neutral.
• It has done this by collecting, processing and recycling around 27,000 metric tonnes of post-consumer plastic waste during FY21-22.
• Dabur has achieved the landmark of surpassing its plastic packaging usage with recycling. Dabur’s Plastic Waste Management initiative was launched in 2017-18 as part of the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rule.

Why in news?

• Recently, Ministry of Tribal Affairs has sanctioned 2.26 Crores rupees for Meda ram Jathara.

About Medaram Jathara

• It is the second-largest fair of India, after the Kumbh Mela.
• It is celebrated by the tribal community of Telangana for four days.
• It is biennially celebrated and organized by the Koyas tribes in collaboration with Telangana government
• It is a festival with no Vedic or Brahmanic influence.
• Jampannavagu river (a tributary to river Godavari) is worshiped as one of the parts of rituals.
• It assists the tribals to preserve their unique tribal traditions, culture and heritage.

Why in news?

• Recently one of the three persons diagnosed with Lassa fever in United Kingdom, died.
• Lassa fever is a viral haemorrhagic fever that is primarily transmitted to humans via contact with food or household items contaminated with urine or faeces from Mastomys rats.
• Lassa fever is zoonotic disease caused by Lassa virus.
• It was first discovered in 1969 in Nigeria.
• It is endemic in parts of West Africa including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria.
• Symptoms include bleeding, difficulty in breathing, vomiting, facial swelling, pain in the chest, etc.
• It spreads through infected rats, rarely spread via direct contact with a sick person’s body fluids.
• Ribavirin an antiviral drug that is used for its treatment and maintaining hydration, oxygen levels etc.