Retail Inflation Soars to 17-Month High of 6.95% in March On High Food Prices

• A surge in food price inflation, which quickened to 7.68% from 5.85% in February, combined with rising fuel prices and producers passing on higher commodity prices and input costs to consumers across goods and services to drive the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based inflation print to a 17-month high.
• Consumers in rural India faced a higher level of inflation than urban residents, with overall rural inflation 154 basis points higher at 7.66%, as the rural food price index sped past 8% to 8.04% in March, from February’s 5.81%.
• The uptick in fuel prices and their ripple effects on transport and logistics costs are expected to intensify in April.

India likely to miss year''s solar capacity target

• As of December 2021, India’s cumulative installed solar capacity was 55 GW, with grid-connected utility-scale projects making up 77% of the total and the rest from grid-connected rooftop solar (20%) and mini or micro off-grid projects (3%).
• With just eight months of 2022 remaining, only about 50% of the 100GW target, consisting of 60 GW of utility-scale and 40 GW of rooftop solar capacity, has been met.
• Approximately 19 GW of solar capacity is expected to be added in 2022 — 15.8 GW from utility-scale and 3.5 GW from rooftop solar.

Army seeks loiter munitions for its mechanised forces along western, northern borders

• The CALM System is a pre-loaded canister with loiter ammunition or a drone which once fired can remain aloft for a period of time over the area of operation, and when a target is sighted it can be guided down to destroy the target with the explosive payload that it carries.
• Usually, loiter ammunitions carry a camera which is nose-mounted and which can be used by the operator to see the area of operation and choose targets.
• These munitions also have variants which can be recovered and reused in case they are not used for any strike.

Karnataka govt set to bring eggs on mid-day meal menu

• The current version of the programme, renamed PM Poshan Shakti Nirman or PM Poshan in 2021, traces its roots to 1995; it was launched as a centrally sponsored scheme on August 15 that year across 2,408 blocks for students up to Class 5.
• In 2007, the UPA government expanded it to Class 8.
• The scheme covers 11.80 crore children across Classes 1 to 8 (age group 6 to 14) in11.20 lakh government and government-aided schools and those run by local bodies such as the municipal corporations in Delhi under the provisions of the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA).

Deoghar Ropeway Accident

• The process to build the ropeway started in 2010 after the Jharkhand government gave the consultancy to RITES, a Government of India enterprise under the aegis of Indian Railways.
• Thereafter, Damodar Ropeways and Infra Limited (DRIL) was given the contract through a tendering process.
• Union Finance Minister while presenting Union Budget for 2022-23 announced National Ropeways Development Programme – “Parvatmala” -- will be taken up on PPP mode, which will be a preferred ecologically sustainable alternative in place of conventional roads in difficult hilly areas.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya on 14th April, 2022.

• The Sangrahalaya, being inaugurated during the celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, tells the story of India after Independence through the lives and contributions of its Prime Ministers.
• The Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya is a tribute to every Prime Minister of India since Independence, irrespective of their ideology or tenure in office.
• The Sangrahalaya integrates the erstwhile Teen Murti Bhawan designated as Block I, with the newly constructed building designated as Block II.
• The logo of the Sangrahalaya represents the hands of the people of India holding the Dharma Chakra symbolizing the nation and democracy.

For the first time in 11 years, the number of domestic patent filing surpasses the number of international patent filing in India during Jan-Mar 2022

• This means the total 19796 patent applications filed, 10706 were filed by Indian applicants against 9090 by non-Indian applicants. This is represented as under:
• Filing of patents have increased from 42763 in 2014-15 to 66440 in 2021-22, more that 50% increase in a span of 7 years
• Nearly five times increase in grant of patents in 2021-22 (30,074) as compared to 2014-15 (5978)
• Reduction in Time of patent examination from 72 months in Dec 2016 to 5-23 months at present, for different technological areas
• India’s ranking in Global Innovation Index has increased to 46th in 2021 (+35 ranks) as compared to from 81st in 2015-16

Kishan Reddy launches the Utsav Portal of Amrit Samagam Conference

• The Utsav Portal website, a digital initiative launched by the Ministry of Tourism, aims to showcase all the events, festivals and live darshans across India to promote different regions of the country as popular tourist destinations worldwide.
• The objective is to showcase various elements, dates and details of the events and festivals of India on a global platform and increase tourism awareness, attractions, and opportunities by providing tourists with contextual digital experiences in the form of visually appealing photographs and stills from the events.
• Additionally, the objective is also to let the devotees and travelers experience and view the sights of some of the well-known religious divine shrines in India in the form of Live Darshan.