DRDO develops light weight Bullet Proof Jacket

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has congratulated DRDO and DMSRDE Kanpur for developing a Light Weight Bullet Proof Jacket. In a tweet, Singh said, India needs more such innovative product design and development to realise the dream of Atma Nirbhar Bharat. DMSRDE Kanpur, a DRDO laboratory has developed a Light Weight Bullet Proof Jacket weighing 9 kg meeting the qualitative requirements of Indian Army. The Front Hard Armour Panel jacket was tested successfully at TBRL Chandigarh and met relevant BIS standards.

-In Jammu and Kashmir, terrorists fired upon the police personnel posted at the residence of BJP leader Anwar Khan, at Aari Bagh Nowgam in the outskirts of Srinagar city on Thursday. In the attack, the police personnel Rameez Raja got seriously injured upon being shifted to SMHS Hospital in Srinagar succumbed to his grievous injuries. Meanwhile, the area has been cordoned off by the security forces and a massive manhunt launched to nab the assailants. Further details are awaited.

-Finance Ministry has released 45 thousand crore rupees as additional devolution to States in Financial Year 2020-21. This is an increase of 8.2 per cent over Revised Estimates 2020-21. As per the Revised Estimates 2020-21, 5 lakh 49 thousand 959 crore rupees being 41 per cent of the shareable pool of taxes and duties were estimated to be released to the States. However, Ministry of Finance has devolved an amount of 5 lakh 94 thousand 996 crore rupees, based on the initial estimates of shareable pool that would be collected in 2020-21. The Ministry of Finance has released these amounts to share the revenue buoyancy seen in 4th Quarter of 2020-21 and in the true spirit of fiscal federalism. The additional amount of 45 thousand crore rupees was released in two installments of 14 thousand 500 crore and 30 thousand 500 crore rupees.

-Bangladesh bans arrival from Europe except UK and 12 other countries. In view of the surge in the COVID 19 cases in the country over the last week, A circular was issued to this effect by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) specifying that passengers from Europe except the UK and Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Chile, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Peru, Qatar, South Africa, Turkey and Uruguay will not be allowed to enter Bangladesh. The airlines operating from all these countries are allowed only to carry transit passengers who will have to stay inside the premises of the Hazrat Shahjalal Airport. The Directorate General of Health Services has identified 31 districts out of 64 in the country as ‘high risk’ based on the daily test positivity rate of over 10 percent. These districts include 11 under the Dhaka division.

-US Attorney General Merrick Garland has announced launching of a 30-day expedited review into how the Justice Department can bolster its efforts to prosecute hate crimes against Asian Americans. In his first memo to employees since taking over the helm of the department earlier this month, Garland said he wants to find ways to improve reporting of hate crimes. He said the recent rise in incidents requires renewed energy and emphasis on investigation and prosecution, increased community outreach, and the improved collection of data critical to understanding the evolving nature and extent of hate crimes and hate incidents in all their forms. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been raising alarm over rise in violence against them.  According to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, the incidence of hate crimes against Asian Americans rose by 149 per cent in 2020 in 16 major cities compared with 2019. The community’s fears were heightened by the fatal shooting of eight people on March 16 at Atlanta-area spas, six of whom were women of Asian descent.