Pb. Current Affairs - UPSC Preparation Made Easy

13th, April, 2022

Rajeev Ahuja, director, Indian Institute of Technology-Ropar, is among top five material science scientists in India and Sweden.
Research(.) Com has published a list of top scientists in the field of materials science in Sweden. The list includes 105 professors from Sweden. Prof Ahuja, who has been placed on the fourth rank, has worked at Uppsala University, Sweden, for more than 30 years before joining IIT-Ropar in 2021. He has H-Index of 91 with 35,857 citations and 976 publications to his credit.
Prof Ahuja, a renowned world scientist (condensed matter theory group), believes hydrogen as a clean alternative energy source for emerging technological future. He’s a distinguished scientist who’s working on the storage of hydrogen materials using Density Functional Theory (DFT).

(Source: Punjab Tribune)

Centre accedes to Punjab’s request to revisit shrivelled grain criteria.
Acting on a request of the state government to revisit specifications for shrivelled grains in the wheat being purchased across the state, the Department of Food and Public Distribution, Government of India, today decided to constitute five teams to assess the extent of the problem in the state.
A spokesperson for the Punjab Government said the teams would arrive in the state tomorrow and visit 15 districts to make first-hand assessment of the extent of shrivelled grain problem. The data would be considered while taking a final decision on grant of appropriate relaxation in the specifications, he said.

Due to extreme heat conditions the wheat grain has reportedly shrivelled in many areas. The produce arriving in certain mandis contains shrivelled grains beyond the permissible limit of 6 per cent.
The Punjab Government has sought relaxation in the norms for shrivelled wheat grains in view of the change in appearance of the grain as a result of early onset of heat wave. The Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister, Lal Chand Kataruchak, said the unprecedented heat wave has caused the grain to shrivel. The Centre has allowed only 6 per cent of shrivelled grain in the purchase of wheat.
The spokesperson further added that during the visits of these teams, the ongoing purchase at certain mandis might be temporarily disrupted. He appealed to the farmers and functionaries of the procurement agencies to cooperate in that regard.

Five teams have been formed by the Centre to assess the extent of problem.
The teams will arrive on Wednesday and visit 15 districts to make first-hand assessment.
The data will be considered while taking a decision on the grant of relaxation in specifications.

In a letter to the Union Government, Patiala MP Preneet Kaur has written to Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, urging him to provide compensation to farmers for the loss of yield due to extreme heat wave. She said: “Heat has broken all records this year and has affected the wheat crop. The yield has declined by 25%this year, with an estimated loss of about five to seven quintal per acre.”

(Source: Punjab Tribune)

Finance & Cooperation Minister MLA Harpal Singh Cheema launched the website of The Punjab State Co-op Agricultural Development Bank www . agribankpunjab . dronicsoft. com for the convenience of the farmers of the State of Punjab. FM congratulated the management of the Bank for taking this initiative.
PunjabCabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann approves Punjab Rural Development (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022. Move aims to strengthen rural mandis infrastructure and provide an efficient procurement system to farmers.
The Punjab Government declared the Mahavir Jayanti/Baisakhi/Birth Anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar falling on April 14th, 2022 (Thursday) as a holiday also under the interpretation of the Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act-1881 besides already declared gazetted holiday.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann orders private schools to display list of shops selling books and uniforms. CM directs the education department to ensure strict compliance of these orders. Education Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer personally monitors complaints against private schools.
Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan participating in 8th Indian Region Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference being held under chairmanship of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla from 11-13 April at Guwahati. Kultar Singh Sandhwan also paid obeseince at Gurdwara Shaheedan Singha Lalmati.