1) Pohela Boishakh (Subho Noboborsho) 2021
•It marks the new Year for Bengal Community. Accross the world, Bengali’s celebrate this day. Usually, the Bengali New Year falls around 14 April or 15 April. This year it is celebrated on 15 April in India.
2) A ‘Healthy normal’ Monsoon forecasts by Skymet
Skymet which is a private weather forecast company and its weather report states:
The report states:
– This year, the monsoon is likely to be 103% of the long period average (LPA). The LPA is the average of all India monsoon consisting of rainfall of 88 cm and is 50-year mean.
– The odds of an El Nino, characterised by a heating of the equatorial central Pacific over half a degree, are low this year.Presently, the Pacific is in a La Nina mode.
– The North India plains along with a few parts of northeast India are at risk of being rain deficient through the season.
– The Indian Ocean Dipole, characterised by a temperature gradient in the western and eastern Indian Ocean. It is expected to be slightly on the negative. Usually a positive dipole aids the monsoon.
– During the season in India, the monsoon in 2019 and 2020 was only the third time in a century of back-to-back years of above normal rainfall.
What is the Impact?
– As per the studies a positive IOD year sees more than normal rainfall over central India.
– A negative IOD complements El NiNo leading to severe drought.
– Also, positive IOD results in more than usual in Arabian Sea.
– In Bay of Bengal, negative IOD results in stronger than usual cyclogenesis. During this time, cyclogenesis in Arabian Sea is suppressed.
3) HGCO19 an mRNA Vaccine Candidate
•An additional government funding has been received by India’s mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccine candidate-HGCO19 for its clinical studies. This funding has been awarded under the ‘Mission Covid Suraksha’.
4) “Online Grievance Management Portal” launched
•Union Minister for Communication & IT and Law & Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad launched the “Online Grievance Management Portal of National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)”.
5) Mental-Health Digital Platform MANAS Launched
•The Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India virtually launched the “MANAS” App to promote wellbeing across age groups.
6) “To Honour” BR Ambedkar, Indian-American Congressman Introduces Resolution
•On 14th April India celebrated the 130th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar.
•In the US House of Representatives, an Indian-American Congressman has introduced a resolution for a second consecutive year to honour Bhimrao Ambedkar, the architect of India’s Constitution on his 130th birth anniversary.
