Current Affairs in Short: 4 March 2022

Prime Minister Modi chairs meeting to review Ukraine situation

• Prime Minister Modi chaired a meeting to review the Ukraine situation. The meeting was attended by Union Minister Piyush Goyal and S. Jaishankar.

• The other officials present in the meeting were the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, and other senior officials.

• Prime Minister Modi, two days ago, had also held a review meeting on the Ukraine crisis to go through the evacuation situation of Indian students.

• Prime Minister has been continuously holding high-level meetings on the Ukraine crisis since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

NHRC issues notice to Delhi Government over disappearing water bodies

• The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report on the disappearing water bodies in Delhi. The reason given is alleged unplanned growth and negligence by the authorities.

• NHRC has issued notice to Delhi Government and the Delhi Development Authority and has also called for a detailed report on the matter within the period of six weeks.

• It also stated that there are laws and guidelines to safeguard such vital components of the environment.

• The Commission said that water bodies are a vital part of the hydrological cycle which supports rich biodiversity.

Government approves modernization scheme to equip CAPF with modern state-of-art- weapons

• The Central Government has approved the Modernisation Plan-IV scheme for the Central Armed Police Forces. It will equip the force with modern state-of-the-art weapons and equipment.

• The scheme for CAPF with a total outlay of Rs. 1,523 crores will be implemented by the Home Ministry from February 2022 to March 2026.

• The implementation of the scheme will equip the Central Armed Police Forces to improve the overall operational efficiency and preparedness which will benefit the internal security scenario in the country.

• The scheme will also bolster Government’s ability to address the challenges being faced on the international border as well as in different areas.

French President Emmanuel Macron to run for second term

• The President of France Emmanuel Macron announced that he will run for the second term in April’s presidential election in France.

• Macron, 44-year old, had long indicated that he wanted to run in the election which is scheduled to be held in two rounds- April 10 and April 24, 2022. However, his initial campaign plans changed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

• Emmanuel Macron, in a letter to the French published in the local media, stated that he seeks their trust again. He is already leading the polls.

• Valérie Pécresse, the conservative candidate and two far-right figures, Marine le Pen and Eric Zemmour, are expected to be his main challengers.