yuva plus monthly current affairs booster | febuary 2022 - AWS

YUVA PLUS MONTHLY CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER | FEBUARY 2022 Page

CONTENT

2

Topic Page

National News 3

International News 16

Awards 17

Sports 20

Books & Authors 23

Defence 24

Important Days 27

Obituaries 33

Miscellaneous 35

YUVA PLUS MONTHLY CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER | FEBUARY 2022Page3

NATIONAL NEWSSpituk Gustor Festival celebrated in Ladakh

Spituk Gustor Festival, a two-day annual celebrationof Ladakhi culture and traditional heritage celebrated on30th & 31st January 2022 in Leh and Ladakh UnionTerritory.

On the same day, the Geluk Pa Order of TibetanBuddhism founded by Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) is alsocommemorated, an annual winter festival that aims atincreasing brotherhood and friendship among believers.

It is a celebration of peace and prosperity that iscelebrated at the Spituk Monastery in Leh and LadakhUT. The two-day festival is observed during the 28th and29th days of the 11th month of the Tibetan Calendar.

Famous festivals of Ladakh:Spituk GustorLadakh FestivalDiskit Gustor FestivalChemrey Wangchok FestivalGaldan Namchot FestivalLosar Festival

India’s first geological park will be built inLamheta, Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh

The Geological Survey of India (GSI), Ministry ofMines, approved the setting up of India’s first geologicalpark at Lamheta village, on the banks of the NarmadaRiver in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.

The GSI has sanctioned 1.30 crore for the formationof Geopark in 5 acres of land at the Lamheta villagewhich is located 20 km away from the Jabalpur districtheadquarters.

The estimated cost of this project is Rs 35 crore andany additional funds can be sanctioned if required.

This geopark to be formed in MP is already in theUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and CulturalOrganisation (UNESCO) geo-heritage tentative list for theconservation of the natural heritage. In 1828, the 1stdinosaur fossil was collected from the Lameta Bed byIndian Civil Service (ICS) officer William Sleeman.

MP will also establish a science centre at the cost ofRs 15.20 crore, shared by the Centre and the state (Rs8.65 crore will be financed by state government andremaining Rs 6.55 crore will be provided by NationalScience Museum, Kolkata) at Bhedaghat, Jabalpur, MPthat is known for white marble rock formations and alsoa famous tourist hotspot.

About Madhya Pradesh:Capital: BhopalGovernor: Mangubhai C. PatelChief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Punjab Chief Electoral Officer unveiled itselections mascot named ‘Shera’

Chief Electoral Officer’s office of Punjab unveiled itselection mascot, “Shera” (Lion).

It aims to increase voter awareness, participation andpromote ethical voting in the Punjab Assembly polls thatis scheduled on 20 February 2022. The mascot “Shera”,depicting a lion. It represents the rich cultural heritage ofPunjab.

It is promoted under the Systematic Voters Educationand Electoral Participation (SVEEP) project of theElection Commission of India (ECI). SVEEP project wasstarted in 2009, as the flagship program of the ECI forvoter education.

About Punjab:Capital: ChandigarhChief minister: Charanjit Singh ChanniGovernor: Banwarilal Purohit

Gandhi Mandiram, Smruthi Vanam built atSrikakulam in Andhra Pradesh

Social activists have built a temple for MahatmaGandhi and freedom fighters’ Smrithi Vanam at theMunicipal Park in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh.

Aim: to inculcate patriotism among the youth byremembering the sacrifices of freedom fighters.

Statues of freedom fighters and social activists wereerected in the park with the help of donors.

Arrangements have been made to unveil the Gandhitemple as well as Smrithi Vanam on the eve of Gandhiji’sdeath anniversary.

About Andhra Pradesh:Capitals: Visakhapatnam (executive capital), Kurnool

(judicial capital), Amaravati (legislative capital.)Governor: Biswabhusan HarichandanChief minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy

Torgya Festival celebrated in Arunachal Pradesh atTawang Monastery

The three days long Torgya Festival of the Monpatribal community of Arunachal Pradesh is celebrated atTawang Monastery, Arunachal Pradesh.

This year is the ‘Dungyur Torgya’ festival, whichmarks a special occasion as every 3rd year, the festivalis organized on a broader level with the name Dungyur

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Festival during which Dalai Lama offers blessings (alsoknown as Tse-Boom) to other lamas by sending Feb Jumwhich is a holy item to be used in rituals.

The main attractions of the festival is the ‘Sha-naCham’, the ritual dance performed by monks to showcasethe Choe-gyal Yap & Yum Tsa-Munde deity.

About Arunachal Pradesh:Capital: ItanagarChief minister: Pema KhanduGovernor: D. Mishra

Global Center of Excellence in Affordable andClean Energy launched in IIT Dharwad

A Global Center of Excellence in Affordable andClean Energy has been launched at the IIT Dharwad,Karnataka.

The center is supported by the Corporate SocialResponsibility (CSR) donation from HoneywellHometown Solutions India Foundation (HHSIF).

The first phase of the CSR project with HHSIF is toestablish equipment for the GCoE-ACE mainly as skilldevelopment, fabrication, and R&D equipment.

About Karnataka:Capital: BengaluruChief Minister: Basavaraj S BommaiGovernor: Thawar Chand Gehlot

Tata Sky rebranded itself as ‘Tata Play’Tata Sky (founded in 2006) has dropped the ‘sky’

brand name and rechristened itself as ‘Tata Play‘.One of the largest Direct to Home (DTH) platforms

has joined hands with Netflix to offer new OTT (over thetop) content-centric channel packs as well.

‘Tata Sky‘ is a joint venture between the Tata Sons(60%) and The Walt Disney Company (30%), withTemasek Holdings, Singapore (10%).SIDBI launched ‘Waste to Wealth Creation’programme in West Bengal

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)has launched the ‘Waste to Wealth Creation’ programmefor women in the Sundarbans in West Bengal.

In this, the women will make ornaments andshowpieces from the fish scales. SIDBI will extend benefitsto 50 women indirectly generating revenues fromalternate livelihoods.

Under this program, Later these women are expectedto become a trainer for replicating and disseminating theknowledge among other aspirants. This is a part ofmission Swavalamban of SIDBI that aims to supportartisans to become sustainable.

About West Bengal:Capital: KolkataGovernor: Jagdeep DhankharChief minister: Mamata Banerjee

SIDBI partnered with Bihar govt to promoteMSME Sector

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)has partnered with the Bihar govt to develop the state’sMSME ecosystem. It signed two MoUs with the IndustriesDepartment, Govt of Bihar, and Bihar Industrial AreaDevelopment Authority (BIADA).

Under the MoU, it will deploy Project ManagementUnits (PMU) in making necessary interventions forfacilitating the development of the MSME ecosystem.SIDBI is the principal financial institution for MSMEdevelopment in the country.

Bihar is the 14th state of India with which SIDBI haspartnered to strengthen MSME. SIDBI will place an expertagency with the state industries department of Bihar.

About Small Industries Development Bank of India(SIDBI):

Founded: 2 April 1990Headquarters: Lucknow, Uttar PradeshCMD: Sivasubramanian Ramann

Gujarat announced new Biotechnology Policy for2022-27

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel has announced NewBiotechnology Policy for the year 2022-27, aimed toachieve Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Under this policy, strategic projects, mega and largeprojects are eligible for special packages. This will attractnew investment through anchor units and existingindustries and create new employment opportunities inthe state.

The MSMEs with a capital investment of less than 200crore rupees will be given maximum assistance of 40 crorerupees.

Similarly, the mega and large projects with a capitalinvestment of more than 200 crore rupees and specialprojects like ecosystem empowerment, emergingtechnologies in challenging areas, and strategicimportance will be assisted up to 25 percent of the totalcapital expenditure up to a maximum limit of 200 crorerupees.

About Gujarat:Capital: GandhinagarGovernor: Acharya DevvratChief minister: Bhupendrabhai Patel


Social Justice Ministry launched SEEDScheme for welfare of DNTs, NTs, SNTs

Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment,Dr Virendra Kumar has launched a central sector schemenamed the Scheme for Economic Empowerment forDNTs, (SEED) at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, NewDelhi.

The total financial outlay for SEED Scheme isapproximately Rs 200 crores to be spent over a periodof 5 years starting Financial Year 2021-22 to 2025-26.

It is an umbrella scheme for the empowerment andwelfare of the most deprived and economically weakerIndian communities’ De-notified Tribes (DNTs), NomadicTribes (NTs), and Semi Nomadic Tribes (SNTs).

It will be implemented by the Development andWelfare Board for DNTs, SNTs &NTs (DWBDNCs) alongwith the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), NationalRural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), and National HealthAuthority (NHA).Govt estimated record food grains production ofover 316.06 MT for 2021-22

In the Second Advance Estimates of production ofmajor crops for the year 2021-22 released by the Ministryof Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoAF&W), India’sestimated foodgrains production is 316.06 million tonnes.

It is higher by 5.32 million tonnes than the productionof foodgrains during 2020-21.

The production during 2021-22 is also higher by25.35 million tonnes than the previous five years (2016-17 to 2020-21) average production of foodgrains.

The estimates show the foodgrains output in 2021-22 is expected to be 6 million tonnes (MT) which is nearly2% more than the overall production of 310 MT inprevious year.

As per 2nd Advance Estimates, the estimatedproduction of major crops during 2021-22 is as under:

Foodgrains – 316.06 million tonnes. (record)Rice –127.93 million tonnes. (record)Wheat –111.32 million tonnes. (record)Nutri / Coarse Cereals –49.86 million tonnes.Maize –32.42 million tonnes. (record)Pulses –26.96 million tonnes.(record)Tur –4.00 million tonnes.Gram – 13.12 million tonnes.(record)Oilseeds –37.15 million tonnes.Groundnut – 9.86 million tonnes.Soyabean –13.12 million tonnes.

Rapeseed and Mustard –11.46 million tonnes (record)3. Sugarcane – 414.04 million tonnes.(record)4. Cotton –34.06 million bales (each of 170 kg).5. Jute & Mesta –9.57 million bales (each of 180 kg).

Govt sanctioned Rs 2.26 crores for MedaramJatara Festival of Telangana

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India,has allocated 2.26 Crores for Medaram Jatara 2022Festival in Telangana.

In 2022, the festival is being held from February 16to 19, Medaram Jatara is the second-largest fair in India,after the Kumbh Mela.

Medaram Jatara is conducted in honour of theGoddesses Sammakka and Saralamma. It was declareda State Festival in 1998.

The four-day tribal festival is celebrated once in twoyears in the month of “Magha” (February) on the fullmoon day, in Medaram Village of Mulugu district inTelangana. The festival is organised by the second-largestTribal Community of Telangana, the Koya tribe, incollaboration with the Tribal Welfare Department,Government of Telangana.

Famous festivals of Telangana:Bathukamma FestivalBonaluSammakka Sarakka JataraMonthy Jataras

Telangana flagged off first-ever all-women officerssailing expedition

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Sounderarajan hasflagged off historic first-ever all-women officers offshoresailing expedition of Indian Army between Chennai VizagChennai at Chennai Port Trust.

Governor praised Indian Army for opening its doorsto women and the enhanced role and respect that theycommand to this day.

Women officers completed grueling training for theexpedition which is yet another step towards womenempowerment.

About Telangana:Capital: HyderabadGovernor: Tamilisai SoundararajanChief minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao

LAHDC, Leh launched “Kunsnyom scheme” fordifferently abled persons

Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council(LAHDC), Leh has launched Kunsnyoms scheme fordifferently-abled persons.


Kunsnyoms = Equal for All, Fair for All and aimsinclusive and accessible Ladakh. Under this, Leh Hillcouncil is providing assistive devices, technologies toneedy people at 90 percent subsidy.

Under the scheme, 28 tri-scooters, battery-runwheelchair, walking aids and other aids required forspecial needs of the individuals has been distributed.

About Ladakh:Union territory Fomation: 31 October 2019Capitals: Leh, KargilLieutenant Governor: Radha Krishna Mathur

Centre constituted Ken-Betwa link ProjectAuthority, and 20-member National SteeringCommittee headed by Pankaj Kumar

Centre constituted Ken-Betwa link Project Authority,and 20-member National Steering Committee headed byPankaj Kumar

The Central Government has constituted a SpecialPurpose Vehicle (SPV) i.e., Ken-Betwa Link ProjectAuthority (KBLPA) for the implementation of the Ken-Betwa interlinking of rivers (ILRs) project. The SPV willbe headed by a CEO (Chief Executive Officer) ofadditional secretary rank.

It also formed a 20-member National SteeringCommittee (SC) which will monitor the implementation.The committee will be chaired by the Secretary(Currently- Pankaj Kumar), Ministry of Jal Shakti.

The river Betwa or Betravati which is also called riverVetrawati in Sanskrit one of the major river basins ofMadhya Pradesh (MP). It is a tributary of the Yamuna.It rises in the Vindhya Range just north of Hoshangabadin MP and flows north-east through MP and Orchha toUP.

List of Latest Committee and Headed bySEBI reconstituted 20 members Market DataAdvisory Committee (MDAC): S Sahoo

Ministry of Home Affairs constituted a committee toenquire into the serious lapses in the securityarrangements during PM Modi’s visit to Punjab: SudhirKumar Saxena

SC appointed a high-level committee to investigatePM’s security breach in Punjab: Indu Malhotra

SEBI restructured High-Power Advisory Committeeon Settlement Orders and Compounding of Offences: JaiNarayan Patel (previously headed by Vijay C Daga)

SEBI restructured Advisory Committee on InvestorProtection and Education Fund: G Mahalingam (earlierheaded by Abraham Koshy)

India blocked 54 Chinese mobile apps oversecurity threat and privacy risks

The Ministry of Electronics and InformationTechnology issued interim directions to ban 54 mobileapplications of Chinese origin. India has banned a totalof 321 Chinese apps since May-June 2020.

The ban was recommended by the Ministry of HomeAffairs (MHA), as these apps pose a threat to India’ssecurity. The 54 apps allegedly obtain various criticalpermissions and collect sensitive user data.

The banned apps include Garena Free Fire; BeautyCamera: Sweet Selfie HD; Rise of Kingdoms: LostCrusade; Viva Video Editor; Tencent Xriver among others.

MeitY had banned the apps under Section 69A of theInformation Technology Act 2000 which empowers toissue directions for blocking for public access of anyinformation through any computer resource.Rajasthan topped solar electrification underSaubhagya Scheme

Under the Saubhagya scheme, Rajasthan has themaximum number of households electrified through thesolar-based standalone system.

In hill states of Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim and theUnion Territory of Jammu and Kashmir had nilbeneficiaries under the initiative. Under the SaubhagyaScheme, 2.817 crore households were electrified up toMarch 31 last year, including 4.16 lakh through solar-based standalone systems.

Under the Saubhagya scheme, as many as 1,23,682households were electrified through the solar-basedstandalone system in Rajasthan, followed by Chhattisgarh(65,373), Uttar Pradesh (53,234), Assam (50,754), Bihar(39,100), Maharashtra (30,538), Odisha (13,735),Madhya Pradesh (12,651), Power Minister R K Singh toldthe Lok Sabha.

The Saubhagya scheme was launched on 25thSeptember 2017 to achieve universal householdelectrification covering every village and every district inthe country. Scheme outlay is 16,320 crore includingGross Budgetary Support of 12,320 crores.

About Rajasthan:Capital: JaipurGovernor: Kalraj MishraChief Minister: Ashok Gehlot

Union Cabinet approved setting up of secretariatfor India’s G20 Presidency

Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister of IndiaNarendra Modi approved the setting up of a G20


Secretariat and its reporting structures. India is all set tohold the Presidency of the G20 (Group of Twenty) fromDecember 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023.

This Secretariat, functional till February 2024, will beresponsible for the implementation of overall policydecisions and affairs needed for India’s G20 Presidency.India to host the 2023 G20 Summit in Pragati Maidan,New Delhi.

It will be guided by an Apex Committee headed bythe PM, and comprising the Finance Minister, HomeMinister, External Affairs Minister, and G20 Sherpa(Union Minister Piyush Vedprakash Goyal, Ministry ofCommerce & Industry; Ministry of Textiles, Ministry ofConsumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution).

A Coordination Committee will also be set up tooversee all G20 preparations and report to the ApexCommittee.

About Group of Twenty (G20):Established: 1999Members: 20 (19 countries + European Union)

Government approved ‘New India LiteracyProgramme’, a new scheme of Adult Education forFYs 2022-27

The Union Government approved a new scheme“New India Literacy Programme” (NILP) which is alsoknown as “Nav Bharat Literacy Program” during the FYs2022-2027 to cover all the aspects of adult education andalso to align with national education policy 2020.

The scheme will cover non-literates of the age of 15years and above in the country. Now, Government hasreplaced the term “Adult Education (*M0L“<6?M7>)” as‘Education for All’ in the country.

It will be implemented through volunteerism throughonline mode.

The total estimation of NILP is Rs. 1037.90 crore, inwhich the Central government and State governmentshare Rs 700 crore and Rs 337.90 crore respectively.Centre sanctioned construction of 60,000 homesunder PMAY(U) in 5 states

Central Government of India gave approval to theproject proposals for the construction of more than60,000 houses in 5 states including Andhra Pradesh,Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka andRajasthan under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana –Urban (PMAY-U), during the 58th meeting of CentralSanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC).

The virtual meeting was chaired by Manoj Joshi,Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs

(MoHUA).The meeting discussed the issues pertaining to

grounding and construction of houses in different Statesunder different verticals of PMAY(U).

At Present, the total number of sanctioned housesunder PMAY(U) stand at 114.04 Lakhs, of which around25 Lakh have been grounded for construction andaround 54.78 Lakh are completed and delivered to thebeneficiaries.

The total investment under the Mission is INR 7.52Lakh crore, with INR 1.87 Lakh Crore as direct assistancefrom the Central Government. So far, Central Assistanceamounting to INR 1.21 Lakh Crore has already beenreleased.NITI Aayog in association with PhonePe launchedFintech Open Hackathon

NITI Aayog in association with PhonePe will launchthe Fintech Open Hackathon. The Hackathon will providean opportunity for innovators, digital creators anddevelopers from all over India to think, ideate and code.

It aims to showcase path-breaking solutions for theFintech Ecosystem. The last date to register for the eventis 23rd February and the deadline to submit the finalentries is on 25th February this year. The winners of theHackathon will be announced on the 28th of February.

About NITI Aayog:Formed: 1 January 2015Headquarters: New DelhiChairperson: Narendra ModiVice Chairperson: Rajiv KumarCEO: Amitabh Kant

Maru Mahotsav or Jaisalmer Desert Festivalcelebrated in Rajasthan

The renowned Jaisalmer Desert Festival, also knownas Maru Mahotsav of the Golden City started from 13 to16 February 2022 at Pokaran village in Jaisalmer,Rajasthan.

Rajasthan Minority Affairs Minister, Shale Mohammadflagged off the event. The festival is celebrated amidstthe beautiful dunes of the Thar Desert in the Sam dunes(42 kilometers from Jaisalmer).

It is a four-day-long annual event started with acolorful grand procession followed by Miss Pokaran andMister Pokran competitions. Regional folk dances such asKalbelia, Kachhi Ghodi, Gair will be performed.

Famous festivals of Rajasthan:GangaurTeej


BundiPushkar Camel Fair

Nitin Gadkari inaugurated 14.5 km long rail-cum-road-bridge over Ganga River in Bihar

The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways,Nitin Gadkari and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumarjointly inaugurated the 14.5 km long rail-cum-road-bridgeover Ganga River at Munger, Bihar.

It has been constructed on NH 333B at the cost ofRs 696 crores. It will get rid of traffic jams, fuel will besaved and traffic will accelerate, along with reducing cost.

One of Bihar’s major tourist and pilgrimage sites, thecity of Munger is well known for its rich ancient history,culture, education, and commerce. With the constructionof this Rail-cum-Road-Bridge, the distance from Mungerto Khagaria will be less than 100 kilometres and also, thedistance from Munger to Begusarai will be less than 20kilometres.

About Bihar:Capital: Patna

Governor: Phagu ChauhanChief Minister: Nitish KumarGovt sanctioned Rs 24 crores for cleaning

Gomati River to boost Indo-Bangla waterwayproject

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways hassanctioned Rs 24.53 crore for cleaning Gomati, atransboundary river between India and Bangladesh, andsetting up 10 jetties for a waterway project to boost Indo-Bangla Waterway Project.

10 floating jetties will be constructed from Udaipur inthe Gomati district, Tripura to Sonamura, Tripura. InlandWaterways Authority of India will help the localadministration for the strategic project.

Out of 93-kilometres proposed waterway fromSonamura in Tripura’s Sepahijala district to Daudkandiin Bangladesh, around 15.5-km stretch requires cleaning.Out of 15.5 km of river, only 1.5-km stretch is in Indiaand the other 14-km is in Bangladesh.

A permanent jetty would come up near Srimantapur


Land Customs Station in Sonamura, Tripura with anestimated cost of Rs 5.04 crore. The MoPSW, India hasset a goal to bring vessels with a carrying capacity of 200-300 tonnes from Daudkandi to Sonamura by the end ofMay 2022.

About Bangladesh:Capital: DhakaCurrency: Bangladeshi takaPresident: Abdul HamidPrime minister: Sheikh Hasina

Dabur India became India’s first 100% PlasticWaste Neutral FMCG Company

Dabur India Limited (Dabur), one of India’s leadingFast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies,announced that the company has become India’s 1st100% Plastic Waste Neutral company.

Dabur is the first FMCG company to achieve this feat.Dabur collects, processes and recycles the same amountof plastic waste that is sold in its product packaging ina year, as a result of this the company has become a‘Plastic Waste Neutral company’.

Dabur launched its plastic waste managementinitiative in 2017-2018. Under this initiative, as ofFebruary 2022, Dabur has collected a total of over 54,000MT of plastic waste from across India.

About Dabur India Limited:Founded: 1884Founder: S. K. BurmanHeadquarters: GhaziabadCEO: Mohit Malhotra

Finance Ministry granted Rs 1154.90 crores forUrban Local Bodies of AP, Bihar, Gujarat, &Sikkim

Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance hasreleased an amount of Rs 1154.90 crore to four statesAndhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, and Sikkim for providinggrants to Urban Local Bodies.

These grants released are meant for Non-Million Pluscities including Cantonment Boards. The 15th FinanceCommission in its report for 2021-22 to 2025-26 hasdivided Urban Local Bodies into two categories.

These are Million-Plus urban agglomerations andcities excluding Delhi and Srinagar, and all other cities andtowns with less than one million population. The 15thFinance Commission has recommended separate grantsfor them. Out of the total grants recommended by theCommission for Non-Million Plus cities, 40% is a basic

grant and the remaining 60% is a tied grant.India will replace diesel by renewable energy inagriculture by 2024

Union Power Minister R K Singh has announced thatIndia will achieve zero-diesel use in agriculture andreplace fossil fuel with renewable energy by 2024.

For this, states should develop action plan to achievethe assigned targets and specific agency dedicated forenergy efficiency and conservation.

This initiative is a part of the government’scommitment to increase the share of non-fossil fuels by2030 and become a net zero emitter by 2070.

Upcoming Government Scheme Project TargetsAgendas List

PM vision of $ 5 trillion Economy-2025To Eliminate TB-2025Housing for All-2022Doubling Farmers income-2022To generate solar Power (500GW)-2030Har Ghar Jal-2024Clean Drinking water to all by-2024Achieve zero road accident fatalities: 2030Net Zero Emissions in India’s Energy System: 2050India brings forward target of 20% ethanol-blending

in petrol -2023Govt approved Rs 26,275 crores outlay formodernization of police forces

The Government has approved the continuation ofthe Scheme of Modernization of State Police Forces (MPFScheme) for five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

Total Central financial outlay for five years is Rs26,275 crores. The scheme is being implemented by theMinistry of Home Affairs (MHA) since 1969-70.

Initiatives to modernize and improve the functioningof Police Forces of States and Union Territories is startedby Home Minister Amit Shah.

MPF is an umbrella scheme that comprises all relevantsub-schemes for modernization and improvement.Scheme for modernization of state police forces hasCentral outlay of Rs 4,846 crores.J&K governor launched 1st of its kind QR code-based mechanism to certify and label handmadecarpets of J&K

Lieutenant Governor of the Jammu & Kashmir,Manoj Sinha launched the Quick Response (QR) Code-based mechanism for labelling the handmade carpets inJ&K, a first-of-its-kind in the country.


With the QR-based application, customers can checkand verify the authenticity and other requisite details ofcarpets produced in Jammu and Kashmir.

He also felicitated UT’s awardees of Handicrafts &Handloom. J&K Handicrafts are repositories of India’screative traditions that are serving as a cultural expression.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has introducedExport Incentive Scheme. Under this scheme, theincentive of 10 per cent of the total volume of GI certifiedHandicrafts and Handloom products exported to anycountry, with maximum reimbursement of up to ¹ 5crores, shall be provided to eligible exporters registeredwith the Department of Handicrafts and Handloom.

About J&K:Lieutenant Governor: Manoj SinhaFormation (Union territory): 31 October 2019Capital: Jammu (winter), Srinagar (summer)

Dept of Social Justice & Empowermentinaugurated SMILE scheme

Department of Social Justice & Empowerment haslaunched the “SMILE: Support for MarginalisedIndividuals for Livelihood and Enterprise” scheme in NewDelhi.

The scheme has been designed for providing welfaremeasures to the Transgender community and peopleengaged in begging.

The schemes include two central sector sub-schemes:Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of TransgenderPersons & Comprehensive Rehabilitation of personsengaged in the act of Begging.

Ministry has allocated Rs. 365 Crore for the schemefor the financial year 2021-22 to 2025-26.Telangana govt signed MoU with British Councilto expand higher education globally

The Government of Telangana and the BritishCouncil, an international organisation for educationalopportunities and cultural exchange, have signed a 3-yearMoU to renew the partnership in education, English andarts.

Aim: To facilitate research between institutions andassist to expand higher education globally, to offer globalopportunities for the youth of Telangana.

Under the extended 3-year MoU, the British Councilhas also signed an agreement with the Research andInnovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) to work closelyto engineer new partnerships between universities,research institutions and centres of excellence in the UK

and in Telangana.About Telangana:Capital: HyderabadGovernor: Tamilisai SoundararajanChief minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao

NABARD launched ‘JIVA Programme’ to promotenatural farming

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development(NABARD) launched the ‘JIVA programme’ to promotenatural farming under its existing watershed and wadiprogrammes in 11 states.

Aim: To effectively implement the principles ofagroecology long-term sustainability and transform thepre-existing social and natural capital towards efficientfarming.

JIVA is an agroecology-based programme, anamalgamation of several projects under the watershedprogramme of NABARD and will be implemented in 11states covering five agro-ecological zones, which are inecologically fragile and rain-fed areas.

The JIVA programme will be implemented with aninvestment of Rs 50,000 per hectare.

About National Bank for Agriculture and RuralDevelopment (NABARD):

Formation: July 12, 1982Headquarters: MumbaiChairman: Govinda Rajulu Chintala

Karnataka developed “Nanna Shale NannaKoduge” app to help in addressing theinfrastructure needs of government schools

Department of Primary & Secondary Education inKarnataka developed an app titled “Nanna Shale NannaKoduge”, which will be launched by Chief MinisterBasavaraj Bommai on February 14, 2022.

Nanna Shale Nanna Koduge app, (Meaning ‘MySchool, My contribution’ app) will be launched to helpin addressing infrastructure needs of government schools,optimal use of hearing aids, shortage of teachers, andutilisation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds.

This app will provide assistance to several departmentin about 80 organisations, that are working to improveschools and school education in Karnataka. It will providedetails of any government school on the app.

Under the programme, an investment of Rs 875 crorewill be required, wherein Rs 200,000 will be dedicatedto each school. Department seeks to develop at least 100schools by 2024-25 academic year.



THDCIL signed agreement to set up 10,000MWsolar projects in Rajasthan

State-owned THDC India Ltd (THDCIL) has signeda pact to build 10,000-megawatt (MW) solar powerprojects entailing an investment of Rs 10,000 crore inRajasthan.

“THDC India Limited (THDCIL) signed the letter ofintent (LoI) of 10,000 MW in Rajasthan with an estimatedinvestment of Rs 40,000 crore for the establishment ofrenewable energy parks/ projects of 10,000 MW.

This will contribute towards the RE capacity additiontarget of 500 gigawatts (GW) by 2030.

About THDC India Ltd (THDCIL):Founded: 12 July 1988Headquarters: Rishikesh, UttarakhandChairman & MD: K. Vishnoi

India’s 1st biomass-based hydrogen plant will beinaugurated in Madhya Pradesh

India’s first commercial-scale biomass-basedhydrogen plant will soon be inaugurated at Khandwadistrict of Madhya Pradesh.

The plant will produce one tonne of hydrogen, from30 tonnes of biomass feedstock on daily basis.

It is being established by a joint venture of WatomoEnergies Ltd and Biezel Green Energy.

The technology used by the plant is ‘Thermallyaccelerated anaerobic digestion (TAD) reactor’ that canproduce hydrogen, methane, and biochar from biomass.

About Madhya Pradesh:Capital: BhopalGovernor: Mangubhai C. PatelChief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

J&K became first Union Territory to be integratedwith NSWS

Jammu & Kashmir became the first Union Territoryto integrate with the National Single Window System(NSWS) which marks a major leap in Ease of DoingBusiness (EoDB) in the UT.

Lieutenant Governor of J&K Manoj Sinha launchedthe J&K Single Window Clearance System integrated withNSWS in the presence of Arun Kumar Mehta, ChiefSecretary, Government of J&K, Sumita Dawra,Additional Secretary, Department for Promotion ofIndustry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ranjan Thakur,

Principal Secretary Industries & Commerce, Governmentof J&K.

NSWS is linked with India Industrial Land Bank (IILB)which hosts 45 industrial parks of J&K that will helpInvestors to discover available land parcels in J&K.

About J&K:Lieutenant Governor: Manoj SinhaFormation (Union territory): 31 October 2019

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off NITIAayog’s Fintech Open Summit

NITI Aayog, in collaboration with PhonePe, AWS,and EY has organized a three-week virtual summit, titled‘Fintech Open’ to showcase the importance of the fintechindustry. The summit will be held from 7 to 28 February.

The summit was inaugurated by Union Minister forRailways, Communications, and Electronics and IT,Ashwini Vaishnaw in the presence of NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Dr. Rajiv Kumar.

It will bring together regulators, fintech professionals,enthusiasts, industry leaders, start-up community,developers to collaborate, exchange ideas and innovate.

It has three objectives:Encourage an open ecosystemFoster innovation and growthEnsure financial inclusionAbout NITI Aayog:Formed: 1 January 2015Headquarters: New DelhiChairperson: Narendra ModiVice Chairperson: Rajiv KumarCEO: Amitabh Kant

Government continued RYSK Scheme for another5 years with an outlay of Rs. 2,710 crores

The Central Government has decided to continue thescheme of “Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram(RYSK)” for another 5 years from 2021 -22 to 2025-26with an outlay of Rs. 2,710.65 crore.

Aim; To develop the personality and leadershipqualities of the youth and to engage them in nationbuilding activities.

Beneficiaries of this scheme are the youth in the age-group of 15 to 29 years (according to the definition of‘youth’ in the National Youth Policy, 2014).West Bengal govt launched ‘Paray Shikshalaya’, anopen-air classroom programme

West Bengal government has launched an open-airclassroom programme Paray Shikshalaya(Neighbourhood Schools) for primary and pre-primary


students.Under the ‘Paray Shikshalaya’ project, primary and

pre-primary students of government schools will be taughtin open spaces. The state government will also providemid-day meals to the students of ‘Paray Shikshalaya’.

The para teachers and primary school teachers wouldbe part of this project. They will provide elementaryeducation to children of Class 1-5.

About West Bengal:Capital: KolkataGovernor: Jagdeep DhankharChief minister: Mamata Banerjee

Kanchoth festival celebrated in Jammu andKashmir

The ancient festival of Kanchoth is annuallycelebrated, mainly by the Nag followers, during theShukla Paksha of Magh month which usually falls inJanuary or February.

The festival is celebrated with religious fervour acrossthe Chenab valley region of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

The 3-day festival is celebrated by married womenwho pray for the long life of their husbands.

Kanchoth or Gauri Tritya is widely celebrated in hillykishtwar, Ramban and Doda of Jammu province. Thefestival is celebrated across Bhaderwah (also known asmini-Kashmir), Kotli, Mathola, Ghata, Khakhal, GuptGanga, Chinnote, Kapra, Bhalra, Bheja, Chinchora andother regions.

About J&K:Lieutenant Governor: Manoj SinhaFormation (Union territory): 31 October 2019

Kerala signed an MoU with Social Alpha to developclean energy tech

Kerala Government has signed an MoU with theSocial Alpha’s Energy Lab – “Clean Energy InternationalIncubation Centre (CEIIC)” to support innovative andclean energy technology programmes in Kerala.

The Government of Kerala signed this agreementthrough Kerala Development & Innovation StrategyCouncil (KDISC) and Energy Management Centre (EMC).

The EMC Kerala represents the Power Departmentagencies including the Kerala State Electricity Board,Electrical Inspectorate and ANERT (Agency for New andRenewable Energy Research and Technology).

Aim: To establish a clean energy incubation centre toboost green energy development and energyconservation activities in Kerala.

About Kerala:Capital: ThiruvananthapuramGovernor: Arif Mohammad KhanChief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan

Health Minister launched intensified MissionIndradhanush (IMI) 4.0

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya hasvirtually launched intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI)4.0 to protect children and pregnant women from severediseases.

It will be conducted in 416 districts across 33 states/UTs. It will be implemented in three rounds, beginningfrom 7th February 2022.

Second round will start from 7th March 2022, andthird-round from 4th April 2022.

First-round will cover 11 states: Assam, Uttarakhand,Gujarat, J&K, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland,Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura and Chhattisgarh.

Sonata Software partnered with Microsoft for itslaunch of ‘Microsoft Cloud’

Sonata Software, a global IT Services, andTechnology Solutions Company announced itspartnership with Microsoft for its launch of ‘MicrosoftCloud for Retail’.

The company has been a partner with Microsoft forover three decades. The ‘Microsoft Cloud for Retail’collaboration is expected to further strengthen therelationship.

Sonata Software delivers solutions for retailers world-wide, leveraging world-class IPs, in-house migration andmodernisation tools.

About Microsoft:Founded: 4 April 1975, Albuquerque, New Mexico,

United StatesHeadquarters: Redmond, Washington, United StatesCEO: Satya NadellaChairperson: John W. Thompson

Amazon India signed MoU with Karnataka to turnrural women into entrepreneurs in the state

Amazon India signed an MoU with Karnataka StateRural Livelihood Promotion Society (KSRLPS) to supportthe growth of women entrepreneurs.

Amazon India will launch ‘Sanjeevini-KSRLPS’ in itsplatform and extend benefits of the ‘Saheli’ Programmeto train and empower thousands of rural womenentrepreneurs and also provide online access to a widermarket for their products.


The Saheli Programme offers training and skilldevelopment workshops to help women entrepreneurs.


Surat will become the first station to be ready forIndia’s 1st Bullet Train

Surat, Gujarat is set to become the first station forIndia’s upcoming Bullet Train Project. The upcomingstation in Surat will become the 1st station to be readyb/w Ahmedabad – Mumbai Bullet Train route for India’s1st futuristic High-Speed Rail project, Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) Corridor.

The MAHSR corridor will cover 12 stations: Surat,Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad, Sabarmati, Bilimora,Bharuch, Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi stations.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train will run onJapanese Shinkansen Technology. National High-SpeedRail Corporation Ltd. (NHSRCL) is the implementingagency for the project.

About Gujarat:Capital: GandhinagarGovernor: Acharya DevvratChief minister: Bhupendrabhai Patel

PM Modi kickstarted the 50th AnniversaryCelebrations of ICRISAT, Hyderabad

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the50th Anniversary celebrations of the International CropsResearch Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) inPatancheru, Hyderabad.

During the occasion, PM also inaugurated tworesearch facilities of ICRISAT, which were Climate ChangeResearch Facility on Plant Protection and RapidGeneration Advancement Facility.

These two facilities are dedicated to the smallholderfarmers of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Prime Ministeralso unveiled a specially designed logo of ICRISAT andlaunched a commemorative stamp issued on theoccasion.

About International Crops Research Institute for theSemi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT):

Founded: 1972Founders: S. Swaminathan, C. Fred Bentley, Ralph

CummingsHeadquarters: Patancheruvu, Hyderabad

IIT Hyderabad will set up Suzuki InnovationCentre on its campus

Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IIT-H) andSuzuki Motor Corporation signed a three-year contract tostart Suzuki Innovation Centre (SIC) with the vision of“creating innovations for India and Japan” by way ofproviding a platform for the exchange of knowledgebetween the two organizations.

SIC will be operated as a platform for openinnovation among Industries, Academia, and Startupsand the Centre will also support skill development andexchange of human resources between India and Japan.

As a part of this initiative, IITH has offered thenecessary support for the Centre within the TechnologyResearch Park. Prof B S Murty, Director of IITH, said theCentre is a result of cumulative success stories betweenSuzuki Motor Corporation and IITH over the years.

India Press Freedom Report, 2021: J&K topped inattacks on journalists in 2021

The India Press Freedom Report, 2021 was recentlyreleased by the Rights and Risks Analysis Group.

According to the report, 13 media houses andnewspapers were targeted in the country, 108 journalistswere attacked, and 6 journalists were killed.

The highest number of journalist attacks was inJammu and Kashmir. J&K faced more than 25 attacks.The second highest was in Uttar Pradesh with 23. UP wasfollowed by Madhya Pradesh (16), Tripura (15), Delhi (8),Bihar (6), Assam (5), Haryana(4) and Maharashtra (4),Goa (3), Manipur (3), Karnataka (2), West Bengal (2),Tamil Nadu (2), Andhra Pradesh (1), Kerala (1),Chhattisgarh (1).

Jammu and Kashmir had a maximum number ofattacks. On the other hand, Tripura had the maximumnumber of attacks by non–state actors. Eight womenjournalists faced summons, FIR, and arrest.

24 journalists were attacked physically, obstructed,threatened, and harassed for doing their work. All theseattacks were made by public officials. This includes policeattacks as well. 17 of these attacks were police attacks.44 FIRs were registered against journalists in 2021. Of this21 were registered under Section 153 of IPC.India’s 1st project of mixing hydrogen into naturalgas started by GAIL in Indore, Madhya Pradesh

Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) has startedIndia’s first project of mixing hydrogen into the naturalgas system at Indore, Madhya Pradesh (MP).


The hydrogen blended natural gas will be supplied toAvantika Gas Limited, one of GAIL’s Joint Venture (JV)companies with Hindustan Petroleum CorporationLimited (HPCL) in Indore, MP.

This is a pilot project which is in line with the NationalHydrogen Mission, for establishing the techno-commercial feasibility of blending hydrogen in the CityGas Distribution (CGD) network and moving towards ahydrogen-based and carbon-neutral future.

India has committed to achieving net-zero carbonemissions by 2070. The government plans to raise theshare of natural gas in the primary energy basket to 15percent by 2030 from the current 6.2 percent.

About GAIL (India) Limited:Founded: August 1984Headquarters: New Delhi, DelhiCMD: Manoj Jain

Andhra Pradesh govt’s CLAP- Jagananna SwachhaSankalpam Programme

The government of Andhra Pradesh had started the“Clean Andhra Pradesh (CLAP)- Jagananna SwachhaSankalpam Programme.

The government started the CLAP programme forcleaning rural areas, improving sanitation conditions, andwaste management with public participation.

Under the campaign, rural households are advisednot to dispose of garbage on streets and instead hand itover to the garbage collector.

Since the launch of the mission in October, 22 percentof households gave their garbage to the garbage collector.By January, this figure has reached 61 percent. Thegovernment aims to achieve 100 percent rural householdgarbage collection by October 2022.

About Andhra Pradesh:Capitals: Visakhapatnam (executive capital), Kurnool

(judicial capital), Amaravati (legislative capital.)Governor: Biswabhusan HarichandanChief minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy


Uttar Pradesh selected as best tableau amongstates/UTs at R-Day parade 2022

Uttar Pradesh’s tableau, based on the theme ‘OneDistrict One Product and Kashi Vishwanath Dham’, wasadjudged the best among 12 States and Union Territoriesat this year’s Republic Day parade, while the Ministry ofEducation and Ministry of Civil Aviation were declaredjoint winners among the Ministries and departments.

The marching contingent of the Navy was adjudgedthe best among the Services, while the Central IndustrialSecurity Force (CISF) was named the best among theCentral Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and auxiliaryforces.

The second place went to Karnataka for its tableaubased on ‘Cradle of Traditional Handicrafts’. The thirdposition went to Meghalaya for its tableau on‘Meghalaya’s 50 years of Statehood and its tribute towomen-led cooperative societies & SHGs’.

The theme of the tableau of Ministry of Education andMinistry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship was‘National Education Policy’, while that of the Ministry ofCivil Aviation was based on ‘Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik’.Maharashtra took first place in the best state tableauunder people’s choice awards.

About Uttar Pradesh:Capital: LucknowChief Minister: Yogi AdityanathGovernor: Anandiben PatelPM Modi inaugurated ‘Statue of Equality’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to thenation the ‘Statue of Equality’ in Karnataka

The 216-feet tall Statue of Equality commemoratesthe 11th-century Bhakti Saint Sri Ramanujacharya, whopromoted the idea of equality in all aspects of livingincluding faith, caste, and creed.

The Statue is made of ‘panchaloha‘, a combinationof five metals: gold, silver, copper, brass, and zinc. It isamong one of the tallest metallic statues in sitting position,in the world.

The statue has been conceptualized by Chinna JeeyarSwami of Sri Ramanujacharya Ashram.

Karnataka signed MoU with Ather Energy to establish1000 fast-charging stations for electric 2-wheeler

The government of Karnataka and the Ather Energyand Electric Supply Companies (ESCOMs) has signed anMoU to set up 1000 fast-charging stations for electric 2-wheelers.

Ather Energy will provide free-charging services for

electric vehicle (EV) two-wheelers.ESCOMs will be the nodal agency to provide the

technical support and government agencies willcoordinate with the ESCOMs to share their availablespaces for the charging stations.


Financial assistance scheme “Rajiv GandhiGrameen Bhumiheen Krishi Mazdoor Nyay Yojana”for Landless Labourers launched in Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh became the first state in the country toprovide direct financial assistance to rural landlessagriculture labourers.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched the “RajivGandhi Grameen Bhumiheen Krishi Mazdoor NyayYojana”, financial assistance scheme of the Chhattisgarhgovernment for landless labourers of rural areas ofChhattisgarh.

This is the first-of-its-kind scheme in India for whichthe state government had made a provision of Rs 200crore in the budget for the financial year 2021-22. He alsolaunched the “Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club’scheme” at thefunction and provided financial assistance of Rs 25000to its beneficiaries.

Under the financial assistance scheme Rajiv GandhiGrameen Bhumiheen Krishi Mazdoor Nyay Yojana,financial assistance of Rs 6000 per year in 3 installmentswill be provided to the registered labourers in rural areaswho do not possess agricultural land. Around 55 lakhbeneficiaries of the scheme received Rs 2,000 each intheir bank accounts as the first instalment under the plan.

The Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club’ scheme aims to connectyoung people of Chhattisgarh with creative works,developing leadership skills and making them aware oftheir social responsibilities. Under the scheme, 13,269clubs will be formed in panchayats and urban civic bodiesThe young people aged between 15 to 40 years will takepart in these clubs.

About Chhattisgarh:Capital: RaipurGovernor: Anusuiya UikeyChief Minister: Bhupesh Baghel

Centre approved renaming of three places inMadhya Pradesh

Centre approved renaming of three places in MadhyaPradesh.


About Oman:Capital: MuscatCurrency: Omani rialSultan: Haitham bin Tariq

Dubai will launch World’s first Hydrogen-poweredFlying Boat ‘The Jet’

THE JET ZeroEmission announced the launch of theWorld’s first hydrogen powered flying boat ‘THE JET’ inDubai, United Arab Emirates.

THE JET will have its inaugural flight during theCOP28, which is scheduled to be held in Dubai, UAE in2023.

This announcement comes as a result of theagreement signed between Swiss startup THE JETZeroEmission, UAE-based Zenith Marine Services, andUS-based DWYN to manufacture and operate ‘The Jet’in Dubai.

The boat can silently fly over the waters at a cruisingspeed of 40 knots and also has a capacity of carrying 8-12 passengers.

About UAE:Capital: Abu DhabiCurrency: United Arab Emirates dirhamPresident: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Samsung surpassed Intel to become World’s topsemiconductor company in 2021

Samsung surpassed Intel to become World’s topsemiconductor company in 2021

South Korean electronics manufacturing giant,Samsung Electronics surpassed U.S chipmaker Intel tobecome the world’s leading chipmaker by revenue in2021, according to a report released by research firmCounterpoint Technology Market Research.

Memory vendors continued to lead the industry withSK Hynix and Micron taking the third and fourthpositions, followed by IC design vendors, includingQualcomm and NVIDIA. The year saw 19% YoY revenuegrowth.

While Intel posted relatively flattish results, Samsungtook the lead with a strong DRAM and NAND flashmarket performance in 2021. Samsung also saw solidmomentum in logic chips this year.

About Samsung Electronics:Founder: Lee Byung-chulFounded: 13 January 1969Headquarters: Suwon-si, South KoreaCEO: Kim Hyun Suk, Kim Ki Nam & Koh Dong-Jin

The government of India (GoI) has approved therenaming of 3 places in Madhya Pradesh, HoshangabadNagar as “Narmadapuram”, Shivpuri as “KundeshwarDham” and Babai as “Makhan Nagar”.

In 2021, the government of MP led by Shivraj SinghChouhan has proposed the renaming of the 3 places inMadhya Pradesh. The approval for the renaming wasgranted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The Hoshangabad Nagar named after Hoshang Shah,the first formally appointed Sultan of the Malwa Sultanateof Central India was renamed as Narmadapuram.

Babai has been renamed after the renownedjournalist and poet Makhanlal Chaturvedi. MakhanlalChaturvedi was born in Babai, MP. The government hasnamed a national university of journalism andcommunication at Bhopal after Makhanlal in 1992.

Note: List of Some Important Renamed PlaceGorewada International Zoo: Balasaheb Thackeray

Gorewada International Zoological ParkMohali International Hockey Stadium: Olympian

Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium.Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF): Indian

Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF).Faizabad Railway Junction: Ayodhya CanttMP’s Bhopal Habibganj railway station: Rani

Kamlapati railway stationIndore’s Patalpani Railway Station: Tribal Icon Tantya

Bhil railway stationUP’s Jhansi Railway Station: ‘Veerangana Laxmibai

Railway Station’Gujarat’s Kevadia railway station: Ekta Nagar railway

station

INTERNATIONAL NEWS11th meeting of India-Oman Joint MilitaryCooperation Committee held

11th meeting of India-Oman Joint MilitaryCooperation Committee (JMCC) was held in New Delhi.

The meeting was co-chaired by Defence SecretaryAjay Kumar and Mohammed Bin Nasser Bin Ali ALZaabi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Defence ofOman.

The JMCC is the highest forum of engagementbetween India and Oman in the field of defence. Itevaluates and provides guidance to the overall frameworkof defence exchanges between the two sides.


Japan and India renewed Bilateral SwapArrangement of up to $75 billion

Japan and India have renewed the Bilateral SwapArrangement (BSA) of up to $75 billion with effect fromFebruary 28, 2022.

The Bank of Japan, acting as agent for the Ministerof Finance of Japan, and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)signed the Amendment and Restatement Agreement ofthe BSA.

BSA is a two-way arrangement where both authoritiescan swap their local currencies in exchange for the USDollar.

About Japan:Capital: TokyoCurrency: Japanese YenEmperor: NaruhitoPrime minister: Fumio Kishida

India & Nepal will set up a joint task force onbuilding hydropower project

India and Nepal agreed to set up a joint task forceon “proposal to construct a hydropower project” frominvestments of both countries.

The task force will have a maximum of three membersfrom both countries. An agreement was signed at the 9thmeeting of the Nepal-India Energy Secretary-Level JointSteering Committee in Kathmandu.

The meeting was co-chaired by the Secretary of theEnergy Ministry of India Alok Kumar and Secretary ofEnergy Ministry Debendra Karki from Nepal.

The issues including existing transmission linesbetween the two countries, under-construction andproposed interstate transmission line, the Arun IIIhydropower and transmission line and interstate powertrade were discussed.

They agreed to increase the capacity of energy beingimported and exported using interstate 400 KVDhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission This 400 KVtransmission line will span over 140 kilometres, of which20 kilometres will be in Nepal while the remaining 120km will be in Indian territory.

Arun-3 Hydro Electric project is a 900 MW run-of-river project, located on Arun River in Eastern Nepal.Government of Nepal and Sutlej Jal Vikas Nigam (SJVN)Limited had signed a memorandum of understanding forthe project in 2008 to execute on a Build Own Operateand Transfer (BOOT) basis for a period of 30 years, whichalso include five years of the construction period.

About Nepal:Capital: KathmanduCurrency: Nepalese rupeePresident: Bidhya Devi Bhandari

10th International Intellectual Property Index (IIPIndex 2022): India ranked 43rd; US topped

Global Innovation Policy Centre (GIPC) of the UnitedStates Chambers of Commerce (USCC) released the 10thedition of the International Intellectual Property (IIP)Index, ‘Compete for Tomorrow’ (IIP Index 2022). Indiahas ranked 43 out of 55 countries on the 2022 IIP Index.

The Index is topped by the US with 95.48 percentfollowed by the United Kingdom (UK) with 94.14 percentand the third position is occupied by Germany with 92.46percent.

India’s overall score has increased from 40 per cent(19.20 out of 50) in the ninth edition to 38.64 percent(19.32 out of 50) in the 10th edition.

The top 5 countries:Rank 1: United States of AmericaRank 2: United KingdomRank 3: GermanyRank 4: SwedenRank 5: FranceList of India’s Rank in Different Index 2021-22“2019 Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) Report:

3rd; Russia toppedHenley Passport index 2022: 83; Japan & Singapore

topped2021 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI): 85th,

Denmark, Finland, New Zealand toppedEIU’s Democracy Index 2021: 46th; Norway topped9th USGBC top 10 ranking of Countries outside of

US for LEED in 2021: 3rd; China toppedDeloitte 2022 CxO Sustainability Report: Indian

businesses ranked 5th in their concern for climate change.

AWARDSSandeep Bakhshi named Business Standard Banker

of the Year 2020-21Sandeep Bakhshi, managing director (MD) and chief

executive officer (CEO) of ICICI Bank, is the BusinessStandard Banker of the Year 2020-21 for turning aroundthe private sector lender and changing the perceptionabout it during his tenure of the past three and a halfyears.


Bakhshi took charge in October 2018 amid acontroversy around his predecessor, who had to stepdown over corporate governance issues. Since then, hehas not just unhinged the bank from the controversy butalso delivered growth on almost all parameters.

The unanimous decision was taken by a high-profilejury of five, chaired by former Reserve Bank of Indiadeputy governor S S Mundra. Other members were KekiMistry; Anil Singhvi,; P S Jayakumar; and A Balasubram.Rishabh Pant won ESPNcricinfo ‘Test BattingAward’ for 2021

In the 15th Edition of ESPNcricinfo Awards, India’swicketkeeper-batsman, Rishabh Pantwins ‘Test Batting’award by scoring 89 not out, helped India to win theBorder Gavaskar Trophy 2021 by (2-1) and shatteredAustralia’s unbeaten record at Gabba after 32 years.

Rishabh Pant was the top scorer of the series for theIndian team, scoring (274 runs). New Zealand skipperKane Williamson was adjudged ‘Captain of the Year’.

The Test bowling award went to Kyle Jamieson (NewZealand) for his 5 wickets leaving just 31 runs, whichhelped New Zealand in becoming the first World Testchampions (2019-2021).

ICC Ranking (as of February 2022):Test Ranking: Australia (Rank 1), India (Rank 3)

ODI Ranking: New Zealand (Rank 1), India (Rank 4)T20I Ranking: England (Rank 1), India (Rank 2)

Atal Tunnel recognized as ‘Longest HighwayTunnel above 10,000 feet’ by World Book ofRecords

Atal Tunnel has been officially certified as ‘World’sLongest Highway Tunnel above 10,000 Feet’ by theWorld Book of Records.

Atal tunnel is a Highway tunnel built under RohtangPass in eastern Pir Panjal Himalayan range on Leh-ManaliHighway. It is the longest highway single-tube tunnelabove 10,000 feet in the world with a length of about9.02 km

World Book of Records, UK is an organization thatcatalogs, verifies extraordinary records with authenticcertification around the globe.Nitin Gadkari received 18th Late MadhavraoLimaye Award under efficient MP category

Nashik Public Library, Sarvajanik Vachanalayannounced that the Union Minister of Road Transport andHighways Nitin Gadkari from Nashik, Maharashtra will befacilitated for the first time with the 18th late MadhavraoLimaye award in the category of Karyakram Khaasdar(Efficient Member of Parliament) for the year 2020-21.

Earlier, the award was given to Karyaksham Aamdaar,


an efficient Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) fromMaharashtra.

The Sarvajanik Vachanalay annually selects one ofthe members of Vidhan Parishad (Lok Sabha), VidhanSabha (Rajya Sabha) for the Efficient MLA or Memberof Parliament (MP) Award.

The award has been instituted in the memory ofLimaye by his daughter Dr. Shobha Nerlikar. The awardconsists of Rs 50,000 in cash and a memento.Karnataka Bank awarded DX 2021 Award from CIIfor Best Practice in Digital Transformation

Karnataka Bank was awarded the DigitalTransformation Award (DX 2021 Awards), in recognitionof the “innovative” best practice ‘KBL VIKAAS’, by theConfederation of Indian Industry (CII) for Best Practicein Digital Transformation.

KBL VIKAAS, is a digital service launched byKarnataka Bank in 2017, to provide a better digitalexperience to customers including Asset & Liabilityproducts & enhanced customer services.

In 2021, Karnataka Bank also launched the digitaltransformation journey ‘KBL NxT’ as part of ‘KBLVIKAAS 2.0’, with the objective of taking the digitalinitiatives more efficiently.

About Confederation of Indian Industry (CII):Founded: 1895Headquarters: New Delhi, IndiaPresident: V. NarendranDirector General: Chandrajit BanerjeeMotto: Charting Change Enabling Development

New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell won the ICC Spiritof Cricket Award 2021

New Zealand cricketerDaryl Mitchell, has been namedthe winner of the International Cricket Council (ICC)Spirit of Cricket Award 2021 for his gesture of refusingto take a single in the high-pressure 2021 ICC Men’s T20World Cup Semi-Finals against England at the SheikhZayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

He has become the 4th New Zealand player to winthe award after Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum andKane Williamson.

The ICC Spirit of Cricket Award is annually awardedby the ICC to recognise the player most notable for“upholding the ‘Spirit of the Game’”.

About ICC:Founded: 1909Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab EmiratesChairman: Greg Barclay

CEO: Geoff AllardiceNeeraj Chopra nominated for Laureus WorldBreakthrough of the Year Award

Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra hasbeen nominated for the prestigious 2022 Laureus WorldBreakthrough of the Year Award.

The other 5 nominees are Daniil Medvedev(Australian Open runner-up), Emma Raducanu (Britishtennis star), Pedri (Barcelona and Spain footballer),Yulimar Rojas(Venezuelan athlete) and Ariarne Titmus(Australian swimmer).

The winners will be revealed in April following a voteby the Laureus World Sports Academy, made up of 71sporting greats. PR Sreejesh won the World Games Athlete of theYear 2021 Award

India hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh won theprestigious World Games Athlete of the Year 2021.

He became the first Indian man and only the secondIndian to receive the accolade. In 2020, Indian women’shockey captain Rani Rampal became the first Indian towin the honour.

Sreejesh was part of the Tokyo Olympics-bronzemedal-winning side. In the FIH Stars Awards in October2021, Sreejesh was named the goalkeeper of the year for2021.MM Naravane presented Presidential Colours tofour para battalions

Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane haspresented Presidential Colours to four parachutebattalions at Parachute Regiment Training Centre inBengaluru.

The four battalions are the 11 Para (Special Forces),21 Para (Special Forces), 23 Para, and 29 Para battalions.

The award of President’s Colours or the ‘Nishan’ isone of the highest honours bestowed upon a military unitin recognition of its exceptional service to the nation, bothduring the war and in peace.

The Parachute Regiment is an elite force of the IndianArmy and holds an impeccable record in battle, bothbefore and after Independence. It has been conferred with51 Battle Honours, one Victoria Cross, 28 Military Medals(MM), 11 Distinguished Service Orders (DSO), 40 IndianDistinguished Service Medals (IDSM) and 40 MilitaryCross (MC) up to independence.Neena Gupta received Ramanujan Prize for YoungMathematicians for 2021

Mathematician of the Indian Statistical Institute in


Raosaheb Patil Danve also complimented CIL for baggingthe coveted award. CIL is a Maharatna company of theGovernment of India.

About Coal India Ltd.:Founded: 1975Headquarters: KolkataChairman & MD: Pramod Agrawal

Dadasaheb Phalke International Film FestivalAwards 2022 announced

The Dadasaheb Phalke International Film FestivalAwards 2022 was held on 20 February in Mumbai andthe best performances from last year were honoured inthe event this time.

This year Dadasaheb Phalke International FilmFestival Awards 2022 celebrated the opulence of IndianCinema and also commemorated the 75 years ofIndependence or Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Best Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best SupportingRole, and Best Negative Role, were among the other titlesthat were given to the personalities of the Indian filmfraternity.

SPORTSMagnus Carlsen won the Tata Steel Masters chess2022

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen won the Tata SteelMasters chess 2022 after beating Fabiano Caruana.

Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi lost to ShakhriyarMamedyarov of Azerbaijan in the 12th and penultimateround of the tournament.

The Norwegian, who will get a win by forfeit (overDaniil Dubov) in the final round, is a full point ahead ofhis closest competitors — Richard Rapport andMamedyarov. While Gujrathi lost to Mamedyarov andremains on six points.Chennai Super Kings became India’s 1st unicornsports enterprise

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have become the first-ever sports Unicorn in the country to have a market shareof Rs 7,600 crores and its share in the grey market tradingin the Rs 210-225 price band.

CSK is four-time Indian Premier League (IPL) MSDhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated mightyKolkata Knight Riders last year to win their record-extending fourth IPL title in Dubai

The market value of Chennai Super Kings hasbecome higher than that of its parent entity India

Kolkata, Neena Gupta received Ramanujan Prize forYoung Mathematicians for 2021.

She received the award for her outstanding work inaffine algebraic geometry and commutative algebra.

This prize is awarded annually to researchers from adeveloping country funded by the Dept of Science andTechnology (DST) in association with ICTP (InternationalCentre for Theoretical Physics) and the InternationalMathematical Union (IMU).Karnataka Bank bagged 3 awards at 17th AnnualBanking Technology Conference and Awards 2020-21

Karnataka Bank has bagged three awards at the 17thAnnual Banking Technology Conference and Awards:2020-21 Next Gen Banking.

The awards have been instituted by Indian Banks’Association (IBA). The bank has won the awards undercategories: Best Technology Bank of the Year; BestFintech Adoption; and Best Use of AI/ML & DataAnalytics.

About Karnataka Bank:Founded: 18 February 1924Headquarters: Mangaluru, KarnatakaMD & CEO: Mahabaleshwara M. S

Bill Gates conferred Hilal-e-Pakistan honour forefforts to eradicate polio

Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates hasbeen conferred with Hilal-e-Pakistan. It is the second-highest civilian honor in the country. He has beenawarded for his efforts to help eradicate polio in Pakistan.

Gates is on a day-long visit to Pakistan and has metwith Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. He also visitedthe National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) thatoversees efforts to curb Covid-19.


United StatesHeadquarters: Redmond, Washington, United StatesCEO: Satya NadellaChairperson: John W. Thompson

Coal India Ltd won “Most Dependable PublicSector in India” award

Coal India Ltd has been awarded the ‘India’s MostDependable Public Sector Company’

CIL received this honor at the “Energy Meet andExcellence Award” function organized by IndustryChamber “ASSOCHAM” in Kolkata.

Minister of State for Coal, Mines, and Railways Shri


Cements. On January 29, 2022, India Cements’ marketcap stood at Rs 6,869 crores.

Unicorns are privately held start-up companies havinga valuation of more than USD 1 billion.Chelsea won first FIFA Club World Cup bydefeating Brazil’s Palmeiras

Chelsea won the first FIFA Club World Cup bydefeating Brazil’s Palmeiras in extra-time in the final inAbu Dhabi.

Chelsea defeated South American counterparts in thefinal at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium by 2-1. The winnercame from the penalty spot in the 117th minute.

Chelsea Football Club is an English professionalfootball club based in Fulham, West London.

UPCOMING FIFA WORLD CUP & VENUESFIFA World Cup 2022 – QatarFIFA World Cup 2026 – Canada, Mexico, USFIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 – Australia and New

ZealandKeegan Petersen, Heather Knight declared ICCplayers of the month for January 2022

South Africa’s Test sensation Keegan Petersen andEngland women’s team captain Heather Knight werevoted ICC Players of the Month for January 2022.

In the men’s category, South African batter KeeganPetersen was a sensation during the home Test seriesagainst India. He ended the series as the highest run-scorer with 276 runs and was named the Player of theSeries.

For the women’s award, England skipper Knightcaptained England in the one-off Ashes Test againstAustralia in Canberra and finished as the highest run-getter.

ICC men’s & women’s player of the month 2021Jan: Rishabh Pant (Ind), Shabnim ismail (SA)Feb: Ashwin (Ind), Tammy Beaumont (Eng)Mar: Bhuvneswar Kumar (Ind), Lizelle Lee (SA)Apr: Babar Azam (Pak), Alyssa Healy (Aus)May: Mushfiqur Rahim (Ban), Kathryn Bryce

(Scotland)June: Devon Conway (NZ), Sophie Ecclestone (Eng)July: Shakib Al Hasan (Ban), Stafanie Taylor (WI)August: Joe Root (Eng), Eimear Richardson (Ireland)Sep: Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal), Heather Knight

(England)Oct: Asif Ali (Pak), Laura Delany (Ireland)Nov: David Warner (Australia) and Hayley Matthews

(West Indies)

Dec: Ajaz Patel (NZ) Indian Railways will set up country’s biggestWrestling Academy

Ministry of Railways has approved to set up a state-of-art wrestling academy in Indian Railways, atKishanganj, Delhi.

The wrestling academy will be the biggest in India andequipped with advanced training facilities to promote thesports of wrestling in the country. The project will be setup at an estimated cost ofRs 30.76 crores.

According to the ministry, the national transporter hasplayed a key role in promoting wrestling in the countryand most of the elite wrestlers in India are from IndianRailways.Ahmedabad IPL team to be called Gujarat Titans

Ahmedabad’s IPL franchise, which is owned by CVCCapital, has been named Gujarat Titans, ahead of theIndian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction.

The team has roped in Hardik Pandya as theircaptain, Ashish Nehra as the head coach of the team andVikram Solanki as the director. It has also signedAfghanistan spinner Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill.

Gujarat Titans are debuting in the 15th season of theIPL. Prior to this in January 2022, Lucknow’s IPL teamwas renamed as Lucknow Super Giants by its ownerRPSG Group.

About IPL:Founded: 2008Total Teams: 10 (from 2022)Next edition: 2022Most successful team: Mumbai Indians (5 titles)

Winter Olympics Games 2022 concluded; Norwaytopped the medal tally

The closing ceremony of the 2022 Beijing WinterOlympic Games was held on February 20, 2022, atNational Stadium (known as the Bird’s Nest) in Beijing.

The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, was heldfrom 4 to 20 February 2022. The Games featured arecord 109 events across 15 disciplines in 7 sports. Thevenues of the Games were distributed across three zones-Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou.

Norway has topped the medal table for the secondsuccessive Winter Olympics, winning a total of 37 medals,including 16 golds. This is a new record for the mostamount of gold medals won at a single Winter Olympics.

Germany finished second with 27 medals overall,while the host nation China finished third with 15 medals.

The Indian team at the game was represented by one


male alpine skier, Arif Khan. He was the country’sflagbearer during the opening ceremony, meanwhile, avolunteer was the flagbearer during the closing ceremony.India could not win any medal at the games.

The Presidency of the Games was formally handedover to Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, in Italy, to host the2026 Winter Olympics.16-year-old R Praggnanandhaa defeated world No.1 Magnus Carlsen at Airthings Masters

16-year-old Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaahas defeated world champion, Magnus Carlsen ofNorway in the eighth round of Airthings Masters rapidonline Chess competition.

Prior to this, Indian registered a solitary win versusLevon Aronian along with recording 2 draws and 4defeats. He has become 3rd Indian to beat Carlsen afterViswanathan Anand and P Harikrishna.

Airthings Masters rapid online Chess competition is a16-player online rapid chess tournament.Bihar’s Sakibul Gani became 1st player to hittriple ton on first-class debut

Bihar’s Sakibul Gani become the first player in thehistory of the game to score a triple century on his first-class debut.

He scored 341 off 405 balls, hitting 56 fours and twosixes, in the Plate Group Ranji Trophy fixture againstMizoram at the Jadavpur University Campus ground in

Gani has played List A cricket before this, scoring 377runs from 14 matches including a century. In 11 domesticT20s, he has made 192 runs.Mithali Raj secured 2nd Rank in ICC Women’s ODIPlayer Rankings for batters

India’s One-day International skipper Mithali Raj hasrisen one spot to second in the ICC Women’s ODI PlayerRankings for batters.

Mithali has displaced South African batter Lizelle Lee,who is now third on the list with 731 points. Alyssa Healy(Australia) secured the first position in the ranking.

India opener Smriti Mandhana, who was recentlynamed ‘ICC women’s Cricketer of the Year for 2021‘,continues to maintain her sixth spot.

In ODI All Rounder Ranking of ICC, Indian cricketerDeepti Sharma secured the fourth rank and Ellyse Perryfrom Australia secured In the team ranking, India iscurrently at the 4th place.India won fifth U-19 World Cup title, beat Englandby 4 wickets in final

India defeated England by four wickets to clinch a

record-extending fifth U-19 World Cup title at the SirVivian Richards Stadium, Antigua.

India added the fifth title to their collection, havingpreviously won the trophy in 2000, 2008, 2012, 2018.Yash Dhull becomes the fifth Indian captain to win thetitle after Mohammad Kaif, Virat Kohli, Unmukt Chand,and Prithvi Shaw.

Earlier, England opted to bat after winning the tossbut they were shot out by India for 189 in 44.5 overs.India chases down the target of 190 with 2.2 overs tospare.

India’s Raj Angad Bawa was announced Player of theMatch of the ICC Under19 World Cup 2022 Finalbetween India and England. The Indian all-rounderpicked 5/31, the best bowling figures for any final in thehistory of the championship and also scored crucial 35runs with the bat to help his team in its 4-wicket win.

South Africa’s Dewald Brevis who broke all recordsto score 506 runs in only six innings, the most for anybatter in any Under19 World Cup ever, was named Playerof the Series for his record-breaking showing.International Olympic Committee approvedinclusion of Surfing, Skateboarding & SportClimbing in 2028 Olympics at Los Angeles

The International Olympic Committee (IOC)approved a proposal to include Surfing, Skateboardingand Sport Climbing for the 2028 Summer OlympicsGames that will be organized in Los Angeles (LA), UnitedStates (US).

The 2028 Summer Olympics are officially known asthe Games of the XXXIV Olympiad, or Los Angeles 2028is a forthcoming event scheduled to take place from July21 – August 6, 2028, in Los Angeles, California, US.

The 2024 Summer Olympics games will be organizedin Paris, France. With this Paris becomes only the secondcity to host 3 Summer Olympic games.

Surfing, Skateboarding and Sport Climbing had madetheir Olympic debut in Tokyo Olympics 2021 and will alsobe included in the “additional” list for Paris in 2024.Boxing, weightlifting and modern pentathlon also havethe chance to be included in upcoming Olympics games.

About International Olympic Committee (IOC):Founded: 1894Headquarters: Lausanne, SwitzerlandPresident: Thomas Bach

World’s third-largest cricket stadium’s foundationstone laid in Jaipur

World’s third-largest cricket stadium is going to be


India on this committee.It discusses and decides on the key activities of the

global Olympics movement including adoption oramendment of the Olympic Charter, the election of IOCmembers and office bearers and election of the host cityof Olympics.

India will be hosting this prestigious IOC meeting forthe first time since 1983, in what is set to be the start ofa new era of engagement between India’s youthfulpopulation and the Olympic Movement.

BOOK AND AUTHOR A new book “Fearless Governance’ authored byKiran Bedi released

24th Lt Governor of Puducherry, Kiran Bedi haspenned down her journey of governance in the book‘Fearless Governance’.

It was launched by Indra Nooyi (former chairperson& CEO of PepsiCo) and Prof Debashis Chatterjee(director, IIM Kozhikode).

The book captures Bedi’s ‘fearless’ moments,administrative acumen, and innovative initiatives inPuducherry.India’s 1st-ever season style book titled ‘The Classof 2006: Sneak Peek into the Misadventures of theGreat Indian Engineering Life’, written by AkashKansal

India’s first-ever season style book titled ‘The Class of2006: Sneak Peek into the Misadventures of the GreatIndian Engineering Life’, written by Akash Kansal amanagement professional.

The book was virtually launched at one of the biggestbook launch ceremonies at IIT Kanpur, & DelhiTechnological University. “The Class of 2006” consists of18 different episodes that recall the times spent in College.

The book was released on Amazon Kindle by R.Madhavan, an Indian film actor, writer, director, andproducer.Ro Khanna authored a book titled “Dignity in aDigital Age: Making Tech Work for All of Us”

A new book titled “Dignity in a Digital Age: MakingTech Work for All of Us” authored by Ro Khannareleased.

The book highlights the effects of changing lifestylepatterns of Americans due to technological progress.

It also mentioned about the digital divide i.e., unequalaccess to technology and the revenue, as it is one of the

built in Jaipur, Rajasthan.Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and BCCI president

Sourav Ganguly laid the foundation stone of the projectvirtually. Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) officialsperformed a ‘bhoomi pujan’.

It will be the second-largest cricket stadium in Indiaand the third-largest in the world. It would seat 75,000spectators.

About Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI):Founded: 1928Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, IndiaPresident: Sourav GangulyVice president: Rajeev ShuklaSecretary: Jay ShahMen’s coach: Rahul DravidWomen’s coach: Ramesh Powar

China won AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022 FootballTournament

China PR (People’s Republic) defeated South Korea(Korea Republic), 3-2, to win the AFC Women‘s AsianCup India 2022 final title at the D. Y. Patil Stadium inNavi Mumbai.

This is the record-extending 9th AFC Women‘s AsianCup title won by China. India is hosting the 20th editionof the football AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 fromJanuary 20, 2022, to February 06, 2022.

China now qualifying for the 2023 FIFA Women’sWorld Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand.

The following awards were given at the conclusion ofthe tournament:

Most Valuable Player: Wang Shanshan (China)Top Scorer: Sam Kerr (7 goals) (Australia)Best goalkeeper: Zhu Yu (China)Fairplay Award: South KoreaAbout Asian Football Confederation (AFC):Founded: 8 May 1954, Manila, PhilippinesHeadquarters: Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaPresident: Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa

Mumbai will host International OlympicCommittee session in 2023

Mumbai has been officially elected as the host for the2023 International Olympic Committee (IOC) session,which could possibly see the election for the host countryfor the 2030 Winter Olympics and sports programme forLA 2028 Olympic Games.

An IOC session is the annual meeting of the membersof the IOC, comprising 101 voting members and 45honorary members. Nita Ambani is the representative of


most pressing issues faced by the United States.Ro Khanna is an Indian-American who is a US

Congressman representing California district that includesthe Silicon Valley region.Samuel Moyn authored a book titled ‘Humane:How the United States Abandoned Peace andReinvented War’

A new book titled “Humane: How the United StatesAbandoned Peace and Reinvented War” authored bySamuel Moyn was released.

The book highlights the United States of America(USA) strategy on fighting wars and how armed combatwas transformed from an imperfect tool for resolvingdisputes into an integral component of the moderncondition.

This provocative book argues about the endless warsUSA created in the past including Vietnam War (1955-1975), Korean War (1950-1953), World War II (1939-1945) etc and this development might not representprogress at all.

Samuel Moyn is the Professor of Jurisprudence at YaleLaw School and a professor of History at Yale University.Bill Gates authored a new book titled ‘How toPrevent the Next Pandemic’

A book titled ‘How to Prevent the Next Pandemic’ hasauthored by Bill Gates will be published this year in May2022.

In the book Bill Gates has written about specific stepsthat can only stop future pandemics but, in the process,provide better health care for everyone around the world.

His last book, “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: TheSolutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need”,was released in February 2021. The book, to be publishedby Penguin Random House internationally and Knopf inthe US.Sagarika Ghose authored a book titled “Atal BihariVajpayee”

A book titled “Atal Bihari Vajpayee” authored bySagarika Ghose has been launched. It is a biography ofthe former Prime Minister of India.

Sagarika Ghose is a She has also authored a booktitled “Indira: India’s Most Powerful Prime Minister”. Thebook is based on interviews with Atal Bihari Vajpayee’sclosest confidants and aides.

A new book titled “India-Africa Relations:Changing Horizons” authored by Rajiv Bhatia

Ambassador Rajiv Kumar Bhatia, a Distinguished

Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies Programme at GatewayHouse, has authored a new book (his 3rd book) titled“India-Africa Relations: Changing Horizons” whichexplores the emergence and assertion of Africa as asignificant actor and stakeholder in global affairs and thetransformation of the relationship between India andAfrica.

The book also provides a detailed exploration ofIndia–Africa partnership in all its critical dimensions.

The book describes the historical backdrop andshared colonial past to focus on and contextualise theevolution of the India – Africa engagement.

A book titled ‘Golden Boy Neeraj Chopra’authored by Navdeep Singh Gill

A short biography of Indian athlete Neeraj Choprahas titled ‘Golden Boy Neeraj Chopra’ authored by sportsauthor Navdeep Singh Gill has been released.

The biography on Tokyo Olympics-2021 goldmedalist Neeraj Chopra was released by the chairpersonof Punjab Kala Parishad Surjit Patar and president ofPunjabi Sahit Akademi Lakhwinder Singh Johal, amidthe presence of the author and his family members.

Neeraj Chopra won a gold medal in Javelin Throwat the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The book covers the lifehistory and achievements of Neeraj Chopra right from hischildhood to the Tokyo Olympics.

MS Dhoni’s first look released from graphic novel‘Atharva’: The Origin’ authored by RameshThamilmani

Virzu Studios in association with MIDAS Deals Pvt Ltdhas released the motion poster of its upcoming graphicnovel, Atharva – The Origin. Cricketer Mahendra SinghDhoni has been portrayed as the superhero Atharva inthis graphic novel.

The graphic novel authored by Ramesh Thamilmanifeatures over 150 lifelike illustrations which present thegripping, racy narrative. It is produced by VincentAdaikalaraj and Ashok Manor.

The motion poster features a rugged looking Dhoni,giving fans a glimpse into the world of Atharva and alsoa sneak peek into the first look of him as a superhero.

DEFENCEGoa Shipyard delivered 5th vessel of CGOPVProject named ICGS ‘Saksham’

India’s Goa Shipyard Ltd delivered the 5th and finalvessel of the five Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vehicle


(CGOPV) Project ahead of contractual schedule. Thevessel was named ICGS ‘Saksham’.

All 5 vessels have been delivered before time to theIndian Coast Guard.

The contract for 5 CGOPVs was signed by GSL withthe Ministry of Defence on 26 August 2016. All the fiveCGOPVs will be the most advanced patrol vessels inservice with the coast guard.

About Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL):Founded: 1957Headquarters: Vasco da Gama, GoaChairman & MD: Bharat Bhushan Nagpal

IAF to showcase LCA Tejas at Singapore Air Show2022

Indian Air Force will showcase Tejas light combataircraft (LCA) at the four-day Singapore Air Show 2022.LCA Tejas will display low-level aerobatics to showcaseits superior handling characteristics and maneuverability.

The 44-member contingents of Indian Air Force (IAF)will participate in the Show-2022. The IAF will showcaseits indigenous Tejas MK-I ac during the event. It will alsointeract with counterparts from RSAF (Royal SingaporeAir Force) & other participating contingents.

Singapore Air Show is scheduled to be held fromFebruary 15 to 18, 2022. It is a biennial event for theGlobal Aviation Industry to showcase their products.

US-Bangladesh will conduct joint air exercise‘Cope South 22’

The air forces of Bangladesh and the US will conducta joint air exercise between Feb 20-25.

Bilateral tactical airlift exercise ‘Cope South 22’ willbe conducted at BAF Kurmitola Cantonment, Dhaka, andOperating Location-Alpha, Sylhet, Bangladesh.

Aim: to improve interoperability with the Bangladeshair force and to support the armed forces of Bangladesh’slong-term modernization efforts in order to maintainregional stability.

Note: Some Important Exercise:Red Flag-India and USAl Nagah-India and Oman‘Naseem-Al-Bahr’-India and OmanEkuverin-India and MaldivesGaruda Shakti-India and IndonesiaDesert Warrior- India and Egypt

India & Oman conducted Eastern Bridge-VIexercise in Jodhpur from Feb 21-25

Indian Air Force (IAF) and Royal Air Force of Oman

(RAFO) have organized a bilateral air exercise titled‘Eastern Bridge-VI’ at Air Force Station Jodhpur,Rajasthan.

It is being held from 21st to 25th February 2022. Itwill provide an opportunity to enhance operationalcapability and interoperability between the two AirForces. It was held for the first time in

Exercises Between India and Oman:Naseem Al-Bahr (Navy)AL Nagah (Army)Eastern Bridge (Air Force)

Israeli Defence Forces successfully tested C-Domemissile defense system

Israel has successfully tested the naval configurationof the Iron Dome missile defense system, C-Dome.

C-Dome system is a naval version of Iron Dome,which has been used to shoot down rockets fired fromthe Gaza Strip for the past decade. It is developed byIsrael Missile Defense Organization.

It is being installed on Israel’s latest-generationcorvette ships, which protect Israel’s coastline andoffshore natural gas assets in the Mediterranean Sea.

About Israel:Capital: JerusalemCurrency: Israeli ShekelPresident: Isaac HerzogPrime minister: Naftali BennettIndian Air Force will participate in ‘Exercise

Cobra Warrior 22’ in UKIndian Air Force will participate in multi-nation air

exercise titled ‘Exercise Cobra Warrior 22’ at Waddington,UK. It will be held from 6th to 27th March 2022.

IAF Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas will participatein the exercise along with fighter aircraft of the UK andother Air Forces. Cobra Warrior is the largest annualexercise conducted by UK’s Royal Air Force.

Aim: Providing operational exposure and sharing bestpractices amongst Air Forces, enhancing combatcapability, and forging friendship bond.

India will be participating in the exercise for the firsttime. Other countries participating are the UnitedKingdom, Sweden, Saudi Arabia and Bulgaria.

Note: Some Important Exercise:Red Flag-India and USAl Nagah-India and Oman‘Naseem-Al-Bahr’-India and OmanEkuverin-India and MaldivesGaruda Shakti-India and Indonesia


DRDO successfully tested India’s 1st QuantumKey Distribution Technology in Uttar Pradesh

The Defence Research and DevelopmentOrganisation (DRDO), in collaboration with the IndianInstitute of Technology, Delhi for the 1st time successfullydemonstrated India’s indigenous technology, QuantumKey Distribution (QKD) link between Prayagraj, UttarPradesh and Vindhyachal, UP, a distance of morethan100 kilometers.

It is developed by the Centre for Artificial Intelligenceand Robotics (CAIR), Bengaluru, and Mumbai-basedDRDO Young Scientists’ Laboratory– QuantumTechnology (DYSL-QT).

With this success, the country has demonstratedindigenous technology of secure key transfer forbootstrapping military-grade communication security keyhierarchy.

QKD is a secure communication method betweendefense and strategic agencies using cryptography that

Indian Navy’s multilateral exercise Milan-2022began in Visakhapatnam

Indian Navy’s multilateral exercise ‘Milan-2022’ hasbeen organized in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

It will be conducted over a duration of nine days intwo phases with the harbour phase scheduled fromFebruary 25 and the Sea Phase from 1st March to 4thMarch.

It is a biennial multilateral naval exercise incepted bythe Indian Navy in 1995 at the Andaman and NicobarCommand. More than 40 countries are participating inMilan 22.

Theme: ‘Camaraderie – Cohesion – Collaboration’.Note: Some Important Exercise:KAZIND: India and KazakhstanDharma Guardian: India and JapanShinyu Maitri: India and JapanJIMEX: Indian and JapaneseDustlik: India-Uzbekistan


can be achieved over a commercial-grade optical fibre.It enables two parties to produce a shared random secretkey known only to them, which can then be used toencrypt and decrypt messages.

About Defence Research and DevelopmentOrganisation (DRDO):

Founded:1958Headquarters: DRDO Bhavan, New DelhiChairman: G Satheesh Reddy

IMPORTANT DAY1 February 2022: Indian Coast Guard 46th RaisingDay

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) celebrated its 46thRaising Day on 1 February 2022. The fourth-largest CoastGuard in the world, the ICG has saved over 10,000 livessince its establishment in 1977.

The Indian Coast Guard was inaugurated with justseven surface platforms in 1978. Since then, theorganisation has increased its inventory to 156 ships and62 aircraft.

The mission of the Indian Coast Guard is offshoresecurity, marine safety, and coastal security. It has alsobeen given the task of securing India’s ExclusiveEconomic Zone (EEZ). The ICG is responsible for theprotection of the marine environment and providingscientific assistance.

Motto: “Vayam Rakshamah” or “We Protect”.About Indian Coast Guard:Founded: 1 February 1977Headquarters: Ministry of Defence, New DelhiDirector-General: Virender Singh Pathania

NPCI announced UPI safety and awareness weekfrom Feb 1 to 7

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) andthe UPI ecosystem (comprising of leading banks andfintechs) have announced the UPI Safety and Awarenessinitiative to create awareness amongst consumers.

NPCI and the ecosystem comprising leading banksand fintech will observe February 1 to 7 as UPI Safetyand Awareness Week. Whole month of February will beUPI Safety and Awareness Month.

Under this programme, NPCI urges all the customersto follow the concept of UPI Safety Shield, which thecompany has derived to educate customers all about UPIpayments.

About National Payments Corporation of India

(NPCI):Founded: 2008Headquarters: Mumbai, MaharashtraMD & CEO: Dilip Asbe

2 February: World Wetlands DayWorld Wetlands Day is observed on February 2 every

year to raise global awareness about the importance ofwetlands, not only for people but the planet Earth as well.The day also marks the date of the adoption of theConvention on Wetlands on February 2, 1971, in theIranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

This is the first year when World Wetlands Day willbe observed as a United Nations international day,following its adoption by the UN General Assembly onAugust 30, 2021.

The UN defines wetlands as ecosystems where wateris the primary factor controlling the environment and theassociated plant and animal life.

Theme 2022: Wetlands Action for People and Nature2 February: Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day

Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day is observed onFebruary 2 every year to raise awareness about theRheumatoid disease.

Rheumatoid disease, also known as rheumatoidarthritis (RA), is an autoimmune condition in which thebody believes the linings of the joints are foreign tissue,and it attacks and damages them, resulting ininflammation and pain.

The day was created in 2013 by the RheumatoidPatient Foundation (RPF) to help raise awareness for allof the people who function daily with both pain andmisconceptions about this chronic disease.1-7 February: World Interfaith Harmony Week

World Interfaith Harmony Week is an annual eventobserved during the first week of February, after GeneralAssembly designation in 2010.

World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW), wasconceived to promote cultural peace and nonviolence.The World Interfaith Harmony Week is based on thepioneering work of The Common Word initiative.

This initiative, which started in 2007, called forMuslim and Christian leaders to engage in a dialoguebased on two common fundamental religiousCommandments; Love of God, and Love of theNeighbour, without nevertheless compromising any oftheir own religious tenets.

World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW), conceivedto promote culture, peace and nonviolence, was first


proposed by King Abdullah II of Jordan at the UnitedNations in 2010.4 February: World Cancer Day

Every year on February 4th, World Cancer Day isobserved around the world by the Union for InternationalCancer Control (UICC) to raise awareness about cancerand how to cure it.

The day came into existence on February 4, 2000,during the World Cancer Conference for the NewMillennium in Paris, France.

Theme 2022: “Close the Care/ Gap”4 February: International Day of Human Fraternity

The ‘International Day of Human Fraternity’ iscelebrated across the world on 4th February.

The day aims to raise awareness about differentcultures and religions, or beliefs, and the promotion oftolerance; and to educate people that tolerance, pluralistictradition, mutual respect, and the diversity of religions andbeliefs promote human fraternity.

The first International Day of Human Fraternity washeld in The UN General Assembly adopted a resolutionto declare 4 February as International Day of HumanFraternity on 21 December 2020. The Day is a part ofthe ‘World Interfaith Harmony Week’, observed duringthe first week of February, as proclaimed by UN GeneralAssembly in 2010.6 February: International Day of Zero Tolerance forFemale Genital Mutilation

The International Day of Zero Tolerance for FemaleGenital Mutilation is observed on 6 February to createawareness about ending the practice of female genitalmutilation (FGM). The day has been marked since 2012by the United Nations (UN).

The day highlights that systematic global efforts areneeded to end the practice of FGM. The day also drawattention to that more efforts are needed to shape a worldthat respects women’s autonomy, integrity and well-being.

Theme 2022: “Accelerating Investment to End FemaleGenital Mutilation.”8 February: Safer Internet Day 2022

Safer Internet Day is observed every year on thesecond day of the second week of February with the aimof providing a safer and better internet, where every usergets to use the internet responsibly and without gettingtheir data leaked.

This year February 8 is being celebrated as SaferInternet Day across the world. This year marks the 19thedition of Safer Internet Day with actions taking place

right across the globe.In 2004, Safer Internet Day began as an initiative of

the European Union’s (EU’s) SafeBorders project. A yearlater, it was taken up by the Insafe network as one of itsearliest actions.

Theme 2022: ‘Together for a better internet’10 February: World Pulses Day

World Pulses Day is celebrated every year on 10February to recognize Pulses as a global food.

The day has been established by the Food andAgriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations torecognize the importance of pulses (dry beans, lentils, drypeas, chickpeas, lupins) as a global food.

In 2018, the UN General Assembly decided to mark10 February as World Pulses The first WPD was held onFebruary 10, 2019. On 20 December 2013, the UNGeneral Assembly adopted a resolution (A/RES/68/231)proclaiming 2016 as the International Year of Pulses(IYP).

Theme 2021: “Pulses to empower youth in achievingsustainable agrifood systems”.

About United Nations Food and AgricultureOrganization (UN-FAO):

Founded: 16 October 1945, Quebec City, CanadaHeadquarters: Rome, ItalyDirector-General: Qu Dongyu

11 February: International Day of Women and Girlsin Science

International Day of Women and Girls in Science isobserved every year on 11 February throughout theworld.

The 7th International Day of Women and Girls inScience Assembly, taking place on 11 February 2022 aimsto recognize the role of women and girls in science, notonly as beneficiaries but also as agents of change,including in view of accelerating progress towards theachievement of SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).

The Day is implemented by UNESCO and UN-Women in collaboration with institutions and civil societypartners that aim to promote women and girls in science.

In December 2015, the United Nations adopted aresolution to celebrate February 11 as the InternationalDay of Women and Girls in Science. 2016 is the first timeit was celebrated.

Theme 2022: “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: WaterUnites Us”11 February: World Unani Day

World Unani Day is observed on February 11 every


year to mark the birth anniversary of “Hakim AjmalKhan”, an eminent Indian Unani physician.

The first Unani Day was celebrated in 2017 at theCentral Research Institute of Unani Medicine (CRIUM),Hyderabad.

The main objective is to spread the awareness inmasses and action about healthcare delivery through theUnani system of medicine worldwide through itspreventive and curative philosophy.

The theme for the international conference of 2022is ‘Diet and Nutrition in Unani Medicine for good healthand well-being’. The conference will be held on 10 and11 February in hybrid virtual mode due to the COVID-19 pandemic.10 February: National Deworming Day

National Deworming Day (NDD) is annually observedacross India on 10th February with an aim to eradicateintestinal worms also referred to as Soil-TransmittedHelminths (STH), among children of age 1-19 years.

The NDD is a Bi-annual round of deworming.Annually the 10th February and 10th August are observedas the National Deworming Day (NDD).

The 1st round of NDD is conducted in February andthe 2nd round of NDD is conducted in August.

The NDD is a Biannual initiative of the Ministry ofHealth and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government ofIndia that aims to ensure that every child in India is worm-free. The first round of NDD was conducted in February2015.12 February: National Productivity Day

India celebrates National Productivity Day every yearon 12 February. The National Productivity Council (NPC)is the organiser of this special day.

National Productivity Council will be celebratingproductivity week across the nation from 12-18 February.

The NPC’s mission is to stimulate and promoteproductivity and quality awareness in all sectors of thecountry. The importance of marking National ProductivityDay is to raise awareness of productivity, efficiency, andinnovation.

Theme 2022: “Self Reliance Through Productivity.”13 February: National Women’s Day

National Women’s Day is observed each year on 13February to commemorate the birth anniversary ofSarojini Naidu.

This year Nation celebrates her 143rd birthanniversary. She was born on February 13, 1879. Shewas famous for her nickname ‘Nightingale of India’ or

‘Bharat Kokila’ because of her poems. Sarojini Naidu iswell-known across the globe for her contributions toliterature.

She was appointed as the President of the IndianNational Congress in 1925 and later became theGovernor of the United Provinces in 1947. She was alsothe first woman to hold the office of Governor of India.

13 February: World Radio DayWorld Radio Day is celebrated on 13 February every

year to recognize radio as a powerful medium, whichbrings people together from every corner of the globe, topromote diversity and help build a more peaceful andinclusive world.

The day was proclaimed in 2011 by the MemberStates of UNESCO and adopted by the United NationsGeneral Assembly in 2012 as an International Day,February 13 became World Radio Day (WRD).

Sub-themes 2022:Trust in radio journalismTrust and accessibilityTrust and viability of radio stations

13 February 2022: APEDA celebrated its 36thFoundation Day

Agricultural Products Export Development Authority(APEDA) celebrated its 36th Foundation Day on 13thFebruary.

APEDA actively supported the Government in takingthe export of agricultural products to 67 billion dollars in2020-21 from 0.6 billion dollar in 1986 when it wasfounded.

The target given to APEDA in the current financialyear is 23.7 billion dollars, out of which more than 70per cent has been achieved till January this year.

14 February: International Epilepsy Day 2022International Epilepsy Day is observed every year on

the Second Monday of February across the world. In2022, International Epilepsy Day falls on February 14,2022.

International Epilepsy Day seeks to raise awarenessand educate the general public on the true facts aboutepilepsy and the urgent need for improved treatment,better care, and greater investment in research.

The day is organised jointly by the InternationalBureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and the International LeagueAgainst Epilepsy (ILAE) to raise awareness about epilepsyand highlight the kinds of problems faced by victims, theirfriends and family.


11 February: FICCI CASCADE launched ‘Anti-Smuggling Day’

FICCI’s Committee Against Smuggling andCounterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy(CASCADE) has taken the initiative to launch Anti-Smuggling Day, which will be marked on 11 Februaryevery year. The inaugural Anti-Smuggling Day wasobserved on February 11, 2022.

Anti-Smuggling Day will gather momentum and bringtogether policymakers, international institutions,enforcement agencies, industry members, media, andconsumers for their commitment to take action to fightagainst the global menace of smuggling.

‘Anti-Smuggling Day’ will represent a major step in thefight against the global menace of smuggling. With nocountry immune to the impact of smuggling and no singlesector can be said to be an exception, this day willhighlight the mounting hazard of smuggling.

About Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce& Industry (FICCI):

Founded: 1927Headquarters: New DelhiPresident: Sanjiv MehtaSecretary General: Dilip ChenoyDirector-General: Arun Chawla

15 February: International Childhood Cancer DayInternational Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD) is

observed on 15 February every year, to raise awarenessabout the evil that entails this issue and the ways to dealwith the same.

The day is a global collaborative campaign to raiseawareness about childhood cancer and to express supportfor children and adolescents with cancer, the survivorsand their families.

This annual event was created in 2002 by ChildhoodCancer International, a global network of 176 parentorganizations, childhood cancer survivor associations,childhood cancer support groups, and cancer societies,in over 93 countries, across 5 continents.

The 3-year campaign for ICCD 2021-2023 called,‘Tree of Life’, is designed to use the image of paintedhandprints of children to represent survival rates forchildhood cancer on a national, regional andinternational scale.

Theme 2022: ‘Better Survival’ is achievable#throughyourhands15 February: Bihar Shahid Diwas

Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar announced that

February 15 would now be commemorated as “ShahidDiwas”.

February 15 would be commemorated as ShahidDiwas, in honour of 34 freedom fighters who were killedby police 90 years ago, in Tarapur town in Munger districtof Bihar.

These freedom fighters had never got their due, eventhough this was the biggest massacre carried out by theBritish police after Jallianwala Bagh in 1919 in Amritsar.19 February: World Pangolin Day 2022

World Pangolin Day is celebrated on the “ThirdSaturday of February” every year. In 2022, the annualWorld Pangolin Day is being celebrated on 19 February2022.

2022 marks the 11th edition of the event. The dayaims to raise awareness about these unique mammals andspeed up conservation efforts. Pangolin numbers arerapidly declining in Asia and Africa.

Pangolins are the only mammal to be covered inscales. To protect themselves, they curl into balls likehedgehogs. They are the most smuggled mammal in theworld because people want their meat and scales.19 February: Soil Health Card Day

Every year India observes the Soil Health Card Dayon 19 February to commemorate the launch of the SoilHealth Card (SHC) Scheme, and create awareness aboutthe benefits of the scheme.

2022 marks the seventh year of the launch of the SHCScheme. The scheme aims at issuing soil health cards toall farmers every two years. Prime Minister NarendraModi launched the Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme on19th February 2015 at Suratgarh in Rajasthan.

The card would provide details about the nutritionaldeficiencies in the soil so that the farmers can supplementthe soil with suitable fertilizers and increase the yields. The


scheme has been introduced to assist State Governmentsto issue Soil Health Cards to all farmers in the country.20 February: Mizoram and Arunachal PradeshFoundation Day

Northern States Mizoram and Arunachal Pradeshcelebrate their Foundation Day on February 20, since1987.

Arunachal Pradesh is the extreme northern part of thecountry, which is also known as the ‘land of the rising sun’.The state at the edge of the Himalayas is proud to becalled the land of dawn and lit mountains.

Mizoram was declared as a separate UT in 1972under the Northeast Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971. Itbecame the 23rd state of India after the 53rd Amendmentto the Indian Constitution, 1986. Mizoram, as well as thestate of Arunachal Pradesh, came into existence on 20February 1987.20 February: World Day of Social Justice

World Day of Social Justice is celebrated annually allover the world on 20 February to raise a voice againstsocial injustice happening across the world. TheInternational Labour Organization unanimously adoptedthe ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a FairGlobalization on 10 June 2008.

This is the third major statement of principles andpolicies adopted by the International Labour Conferencesince the ILO’s Constitution of 1919. It builds on thePhiladelphia Declaration of 1944 and the Declaration onFundamental Principles and Rights at Work of 1998.

The 2008 Declaration expresses the contemporaryvision of the ILO’s mandate in the era of globalization.Social justice is an underlying principle for peaceful andprosperous coexistence within and among nations.

Theme 2022: Achieving Social Justice throughFormal Employment21 February: International Mother Language Day

International Mother Language Day is observed everyyear on 21 February. The day aims to raise awarenessregarding linguistic and cultural diversity and to promotemultilingualism.

International Mother Language Day was proclaimedby the General Conference of the United NationsEducational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) in November 1999. The UN GeneralAssembly welcomed the proclamation of the day in itsresolution of 2002.

Theme 2022: “Using technology for multilinguallearning: Challenges and opportunities”.

22 February: World Thinking Day & World ScoutDay

Every year on February 22, World Scout Day isobserved. This day is also observed as World ThinkingDay (celebrated annually on 22 February) by Boy Scoutsand Girl Guides / Girl Scouts, and the World Associationof Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) worldwide.

The day is observed to think about fellow brothersand sisters around the world, address their concerns andunderstand the true meaning of guiding.

Back in 1926 at the fourth girl scout internationalconference, it was decided by the delegates that “thinkingday” would be celebrated on 22 February, the birthdayof both Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scoutmovement, and Lady Olave Baden-Powell, his wife andthe World Chief Guide.

In 1999, at the 30th World Conference, held inIreland, the name was changed from “Thinking Day” to“World Thinking Day”, to emphasize the global aspect ofthis special day.

World Thinking Day Theme 2022: Our World: OurEqual Future: The Environment and Gender Equality24 February: Central Excise Day

Central Excise Day of India is celebrated every yearon February 24. The day is being celebrated to honourthe service of the Central Board of Excise and Custom(CBEC) to the country.

The day is celebrated to commemorate the legislationof the Central Excise and Salt act on 24 February 1944.

In India, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes andCustoms (CBIC) is responsible for administering Customs,Goods, and Service Tax (GST), Central Excise, ServiceTax, and Narcotics in India.

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs isformerly known as the Central Board of Excise andCustoms. The Customs and Central Excise/ Central GSTdepartment was established to administer customs laws.27 February: World NGO Day

World NGO Day is observed every year on 27thFebruary in several countries across the world. Non-Governmental Organizations or NGOs work in theupliftment of society.

It is an international day to recognise, celebrate andhonour non-government and non-profit organisationsand also those who contribute their time and efforts inmaking society a better place to live in.

World NGO Day aims to create awareness about thesector and encourage people across the world who work


in the sector for a good cause.The Baltic Sea NGO Forum of the Council of the

Baltic Sea State officially recognised this day on April 27,2010. It was adopted in the forum’s Final StatementResolution two years later. In 2014, February 27 wasdeclared as World NGO Day and it became a historic dayfor the NGO community across the globe.27 February: Polio National Immunization Day2022

In 2022, the Government of India has organized thePolio National Immunization Day 2022 (also known as‘’Polio Ravivar”) on February 27, 2022, to give two dropsof oral polio vaccine (OPV) to every child in the countryunder the age of five.

Over 15 crore children will be covered under the driveacross all 36 States and UTs in 735 districts. The NationalPolio Immunization Drive for 2022 was launched byUnion Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr.Mansukh Mandaviya on February 26, 2022.

In India, one nationwide NID and two Sub-National

Immunization Day (SNIDs) for polio is held every yearto maintain population immunity against wild poliovirusand to sustain its polio-free status.

India was removed from the list of polio-endemiccountries in 2012 and in 2013 the entire Southeast AsiaRegion was declared Polio free. The last case of wildpoliovirus reported in India was on 13th January 2011.27 February: National Protein Day

In India, February 27th is celebrated as the NationalProtein Day, to create awareness about protein deficiencyand encourage people to include of this macronutrient intheir diet.

The day also helps people to learn more aboutdifferent sources of plant and animal protein. Protein Dayis celebrating its third year in 2022.

The day was launched on February 27, 2020, by the‘Right to Protein’, a national-level public health awarenessinitiative to educate people about the importance ofadequate protein consumption for better nutrition, health,and wellbeing.


Theme 2022: ‘Food Futurism‘.28 February: National Science Day

Every year on February 28, India celebrates NationalScience Day (NSD) to mark the discovery of the RamanEffect by Indian physicist Sir Chandrasekhara VenkataRaman.

On February 28, 1928, he discovered the RamanEffect, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize inPhysics topic in 1930.

The day is celebrated to spread the message aboutthe importance of science in the daily life of the people.The government of India designated 28 February asNational Science Day in 1986.

Theme 2022: ‘Integrated Approach in S&T forSustainable Future’.28 February: Rare Disease Day 2022

The Rare Disease Day s observed every year on thelast day of February. This year in 2022 it falls on February28, 2022.

The day is observed to raise awareness for rarediseases and improve access to treatment and medicalrepresentation for individuals with rare diseases and theirfamilies.

Rare Disease Day was first launched by EuropeanOrganisation for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS) and itsCouncil of National Alliances in 2008.

The first Rare Disease Day was coordinated by theEuropean Organisation for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS)and held on February 29, 2008, in numerous Europeannations and in Canada through the CanadianOrganization for Rare Disorders. The date was chosenbecause February 29 is a “rare day”.

Theme 2022: “Share Your Colors.”

OBITUARIESSenior advocate & Additional Solicitor General

Rupinder Singh Suri passed awaySenior advocate and Additional Solicitor General

(ASG) Rupinder Singh Suri passed away. Suri wasappointed the ASG in June 2020.

Suri was designated as a senior advocate in 2009 andalso served as the President of the Supreme Court BarAssociation and the Supreme Court Advocates on RecordAssociation.

He served as standing counsel in the Supreme Courtfor Punjab for about 15 years.

Actor & filmmaker Amitabh Dayal passed away

Actor and filmmaker Amitabh Dayal has passed awayafter suffering a heart attack.

Mr Dayal has worked in films like Kagaar: Life on theEdge (2003) with Om Puri, Bhojpuri film Rangdari (2012)and Raj Babbar’s Dhuaan (2013), Amitabh Bachchan’sVirrudh (2005).

Veteran actor and Producer Ramesh Deopassed away

Prominent film personality Ramesh Deo, known forplaying a diverse range of roles, in Marathi and Hindimovies, passed away at Mumbai’s Kokilaben AmbaniHospital due to a heart attack.

During his career spanning several decades, the multi-faceted film personality has acted in over 450 Hindi andMarathi feature films, apart from working in severaltelevision shows and commercials.

Former President of Greece ChristosSartzetakis passed away

Former Greek President Christos Sartzetakis passedaway at the age of 92 years due to respiratory failure inAthens, Greece.

He was a Greek jurist and a judge of the SupremeCourt, who resisted against the militants during the 1967-1974 Rule of the Colonels.

He served as the President of Greece for a four-yearterm (1985 to 1990), after getting nominated by thesocialist PASOK party.

About Greece:Capital: AthensCurrency: EuroPresident: Katerina SakellaropoulouPrime Minister: Kyriakos MitsotakisIndia’s nightingale Lata Mangeshkar passed

awayIndia’s nightingale, playback singer Bharat Ratna Lata

Mangeshkar passed away after a prolonged illness,including covid complications.

Born in 1929 to Marathi classical singer and theatreactor Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar and his Gujarati wifeShevanti in Indore, Mangeshkar has sung for over sevengenerations of female actors in India, with her voice oftenbeing described as ‘virginally pure’ and her playback foran actress symbolic of the latter having made it inBollywood, particularly through the 1960s and 70s whenthe singer was at her peak.

Widely respected in the Indian film industry andaffectionately called ‘Didi’ (elder sister) by all,Mangeshkar, has recorded songs in over a thousand Hindi


films across thirty-six regional Indian languages andforeign languages, primarily in Marathi, Hindi, andBengali.

Lata Mangeshkar recorded her first Hindi song called“Mata Ek Sapoot Ki Duniya Badal De Tu” for the Marathifeature Gajaabhaau, which had released in 1943.

She has been honoured with the Dadasaheb PhalkeAward, Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan and PadmaBhushan as well as several National and Filmfare Awards.

Former BJP Lok Sabha MP from Telangana,Chandupatla Janga Reddy passed away

The first Lok Sabha MP for the BJP from south IndiaChandupatla Janga Reddy passed away.

Reddy was one of the only two BJP Lok Sabha MPselected in the 1984 general elections, conducted after theassassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The other BJP MP was A K Patel, who was electedfrom Mehsana in Gujarat.

‘Kabir of Karnataka’ Padma Shri IbrahimNabisaheb Sutar passed away

Padma Shri Ibrahim Nabisaheb Sutar, a social workerfondly referred to as ‘Kabir of Karnataka’, has passedaway in Mahalingpur, Bagalkot, Karnataka.

Ibrahim Nabisaheb Sutar was a part of the group thatfloated ‘Bhaivaikyada Janapada Sangeetha Mela’ in1970. The government of India has honored him withPadma Shri in 2018 for art.

The government of Karnataka has honored him withthe Rajyotsava Award, the 2nd highest civilian honour ofKarnataka, in 1995.

Odisha’s 1st tribal Chief Minister HemanandaBiswal passed away

Former Odisha Chief Minister and prominent tribalCongress leader Hemananda Biswal passed away at aprivate hospital in Bhubaneswar. He was the first tribalchief minister of Odisha.

Biswal was elected chief minister for the first time forthe period December 7, 1989, to March 5, 1990, andagain from December 6, 1999, to March 5, 2000.

Legendary West Indies spinner SonnyRamadhin passed away

West Indies spin legend Sonny Ramadhin has passedaway at the age of 92. He was a part of the side thatwon its first away series in England in 1950.

He made his Test debut against England at OldTrafford in 1950. Ramadhin ended up playing 43 Testsand taking 158 wickets at an average of 28.98.

Astronomer R Rajamohan, who led the 1st

asteroid discoveries in independent India, passedaway

Professor R Rajamohan, who was an astronomer atthe Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, fordecades, passed away.

He is best known for his Kalki Project, which aimedto discover asteroids using the 48-cm Schmidt telescopein Kavalur VBO and discovered a new asteroid, number4130, from India. This was the first asteroid discoveredin India in 104 years.

Mahabharat’s actor Praveen Kumar Sobti whoplayed Bheem passed away

Actor-athlete Praveen Kumar Sobti, best known forplaying Bheem in the TV series “Mahabharat” and forwinning an Asian Games gold medal, passed away.

He represented the country across various athleticevents in hammer and discus throw and even won fourmedals at the Asian Games, including two gold medalsin 1966 and 1970.

Praveen Kumar Sobti also won a silver medal inHammer Throw during the 1966 Commonwealth Games.The athlete gained further popularity after he began hisacting career and was featured as Bheem in BR Chopra’sclassic “Mahabharat” in 1988.

Former Chairman of Bajaj Group &Industrialist Rahul Bajaj passed away

Former chairman of Bajaj Auto Rahul Bajaj passedaway due to age-related ailments. He was 83.

He resigned from his position of non-executivedirector and chairman at Bajaj Auto on 30 April last year.Rahul Bajaj used to head the Bajaj Group of companies.He held a Bachelor’s degree in economics, a law degreefrom Mumbai University and an MBA from Harvard.

Bajaj was a former member of the Rajya Sabha.Besides, he had been the chairman of the InternationalBusiness Council, World Economic Forum.

He was a successful entrepreneur and philanthropistwho made a big contribution to the progress of thecountry on all economic fronts.

Award: Padma Bhushan in 2001.Nobel winning virologist Luc Montagnier who

co-discovered HIV passed awayLuc Montagnier, a French virologist who shared a

Nobel Prize in medicine with colleague Francoise Barr-Sinoussi in 2008 for discovering the virus that causesAcquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), passedaway.

The discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus


(HIV) began in Paris on Jan. 3, 1983. That was the daythat Dr Montagnier (pronounced mon-tan-YAY), whodirected the Viral Oncology Unit at the Pasteur Institute,received a piece of the lymph node that had beenremoved from a 33-year-old man with AIDS.

He for the first time identified an infectious double-stranded RNA from cells infected with the murineencephalomyocarditis virus, a small single-stranded RNAvirus in Kingsley Sanders’ laboratory at Carshalton nearLondon.

The first description of infectious viral RNA from thetobacco mosaic virus by Fraenkel-Conrat and Gierer andSchramm inspired him to become a virologist in 1957.

Kannada poet Chennaveera Kanavi passedaway

Kannada writer and poe tDr Chennaveera Kanavipassed away due to age-related illnesses at a privatehospital in Dharwad.

He was also known as ‘Samanvaya Kavi’(Poet ofReconciliation). Katavi’s first book, Kavyakshi, waspublished in 1949.

Dr Kanavi received the Sahitya Akademi Award in1981 for his work Jeeva Dhwani (Poetry).

Renowned Bengali singer SandhyaMukhopadhyay passed away

The Veteran Bengali singer Sandhya Mukhopadhyaypassed away at the age of 90 years due to cardiac arrestin Kolkata, West Bengal.

She was an Indian playback singer and musician,specializing in Bengali music. She got the fame for herplayback singing for films, which emerged as a new genreand labeled modern Bengali songs (“adhunik gaan”).

Sandhya Mukhopadhyay’s first album of Durga Pujasongs was released in 1948 and her first playback singingwas for the film ‘Samapika’ released in 1948.

She received National Film Award in the Best FemalePlayback Singer category in 1970, and Banga Bibhushan,the highest civilian honour to be conferred in WestBengal, in 2011. She had recently refused to accept thePadma award from the central government that wasawarded in January 2022.

Former Indian footballer Surajit Senguptapassed away

The former Indian footballer Surajit Sengupta passedaway due to COVID-19 complications in Kolkata.

Sengupta had been associated with Kolkata’s threebig clubs, Mohun Bagan (1972-1973, 1981-1983), East

Bengal (1974- 1979), and Mohammedan Sporting(1980).

He represented the national team from 1973 to 1979and was in the national team for the 1978 Asian Games.

Legendary Singer-composer Bappi Lahiripassed away

Singer-composer Bappi Lahiri passed away at the ageof 69 in Mumbai. He was ailing for some time and diedat CritiCare Hospital in Juhu, Mumbai, due to ObstructiveSleep Apnea.

He was lovingly called Bappi Da & Disco King ofBollywood in the industry, and he was known fordelivering iconic songs in several films of the late 1970s-80s like Chalte Chalte, Disco Dancer, and Sharaabi. Hislast Bollywood song was Bhankas for the 2020 filmBaaghi 3.

The singer is known for his gold chains. His real namewas Alokesh Lahiri. He joined BJP in 2014. He wasdeclared a BJP candidate from Srerampur (Lok Sabhaconstituency) in West Bengal for the 2014 Indian generalelection and lost.

MISCELLANEOUSWorld Economic Forum signed MoU with NIUA

to collaborate on ‘Sustainable Cities Indiaprogram’

World Economic Forum has signed MoU with theNational Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) to collaborateon ‘Sustainable Cities India program’.

Sustainable Cities India program enable cities todecarbonize in systematic and sustainable way that willreduce emissions and deliver resilient and equitable urbanecosystems.

Aim: to create an enabling environment for cities togenerate decarbonization solutions across the energy,transport, and built environment sectors.

About World Economic Forum (WEF):Founded: January 1971Founder & Executive Chairman: Klaus SchwabHeadquarters: Cologny, SwitzerlandIndia will set up its first IIT outside the country

in UAEThe Indian Institute of Technology will establish its first

branch outside India in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)as part of the India-UAE trade deal signed.

The Comprehensive Economic PartnershipAgreement (CEPA) signed between the UAE and India


will usher in a new phase of joint strategic cooperationin all sectors. The two nations will also set up an India-UAE cultural council to facilitate and promote culturalprojects, cross-cultural exchanges and exhibitions.

The two countries and realising the need to establishworld-class institutions that encourage and supportinnovation and technological progress, the leaders agreedto establish an Indian Institute of Technology in the UnitedArab Emirates.

The agreement was signed after a virtual summit heldwith an agenda to boost trade and investments betweenboth countries and usher in a new era of economicprogress.

About UAE:Capital: Abu DhabiCurrency: United Arab Emirates dirhamPresident: Khalifa bin Zayed Al NahyanAdani Group tied up with Ballard Power

Systems for commercialisation of Hydrogen FuelCells in India

Adani Group, an Indian multinational conglomerate,has signed a non-binding MoU with Canada’s Nasdaq-listed Ballard Power Systems, a global leader in fuel celltechnology, to evaluate a joint investment case for thecommercialisation of hydrogen fuel cells in mobility andindustrial applications in India.

Adani Group partners with Ballard to create a sharedfuel cell ecosystem in India. Under this MoU, AdaniGroup and Ballard will examine the options to cooperate,including potential collaboration for fuel cellmanufacturing in India.

The efforts taken under this MoU will be coordinatedby Adani New Industries Ltd (ANIL), the newly formedsubsidiary of Adani Enterprises. ANIL is focused on thegeneration of green hydrogen, green electricitygeneration, manufacture of electrolysers and windturbines.

About Adani Group:Founded: 1988Headquarters: Ahmedabad, GujaratChairman: Gautam AdaniManaging Director: Rajesh AdaniIndia and France signed Roadmap on Blue

Economy and Ocean GovernanceIndia and France have signed a roadmap to enhance

their bilateral exchanges on the blue economy and oceangovernance.

This tie-up will help to explore the potential for

collaboration in marine science research for a betterunderstanding of oceans and ensure that the oceanremains a global common, a space of freedom and trade,based on the rule of law.

India and France underscored that fishery is a vitaleconomic sector and plays a decisive role in food securityand livelihood security, particularly for coastalpopulations.

The agreement was signed between India’s ExternalAffairs Minister S Jaishankar and his French counterpartJean-Yves Le Drian.

About France:Capital: ParisCurrency: EuroPrime Minister: Jean CastexReliance Jio will launch India-Asia-Xpress

(IAX) undersea cable system in MaldivesReliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RJIL), a subsidiary

of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) will introduce its nextgeneration multi-terabit India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) underseacable system in Hulhumale, Maldives in collaborationwith Ocean Connect Maldives.

The new subsea cable system will connect theMaldives, Hulhumale directly with world’s major internethubs in India and Singapore. Another subsea cablesystem India-Europe-Xpress (IEX) is also built by RJILthat connects Mumbai and Milan.

Undersea cable systems along with data centressupports 5G and the digital economy that builds largeintegrated capacities to enable India’s digital ecosystem.

About Maldives:Capital: MaleCurrency: RufiyaaPresident: Ibrahim Mohamed SolihDeloitte 2022 CxO Sustainability Report:

Indian businesses ranked 5thAs per the ‘Deloitte 2022 CxO Sustainability Report:

The DisconnectBetween Ambition and Impact’, Indianbusinesses rank 5th in their concern for climate change.

According to the report, 80 per cent of Indianexecutives see the world at a tipping point for respondingto climate change compared with just 53 per cent eightmonths ago.

The report was released by Deloitte Touche TohmatsuLimited (DTTL). DTTL is also known as Deloitte Global.The Deloitte survey, done across 21 countries duringSeptember-October 2021, has found a higher number oftop-level executives in India responding to the issue of


climate change compared to the survey conducted inJanuary-February 2021.

List of India’s Rank in Different Index 2021-22Hurun’s Global Unicorn Index 2021: 3rd; US topped“2019 Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) Report:

3rd; Russia toppedHenley Passport index 2022: 83; Japan & Singapore

topped2021 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI): 85th,

Denmark, Finland, New Zealand toppedEIU’s Democracy Index 2021: 46th; Norway topped9th USGBC top 10 ranking of Countries outside of

US for LEED in 2021: 3rd; China toppedRussian President Putin divided Ukraine into 3

countriesRussian President Vladimir Putin on February 21,

2022, recognised the independence of separatist regionsin eastern Ukraine – Donetsk and Luhansk.

Putin’s announcement paved the way for Russia toopenly send troops and weapons to the long-runningconflict pitting Ukrainian forces against Moscow-backedrebels.

Russian-backed rebels have been fighting Ukrainiantroops in Donetsk and Luhansk since 2014, with regularviolence despite a ceasefire agreement.

About Russia:Capital: MoscowCurrency: RoublePresident: Vladimir Putin21st TERI’s World Sustainable Development

Summit 2022 held virtuallyThe 21st edition of the annual flagship event of The

Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), the WorldSustainable Development Summit (WSDS) 2022, heldvirtually from 16th – 18th February 2022.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has delivered theinaugural address at the summit virtually. Environmentministers from nearly a dozen countries took part in theevent which had delegates from ~131 countries.

Vedanta has signed an MoU with TERI at the WSDS2022 to ‘Sustainable Use of Resources for a ResilientPlanet through Transformative Actions’ and improve itsenvironmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.

Vedanta plans to invest around Rs 200 crore over thenext five to 10 years on R&D (Research andDevelopment) and sustainability initiatives to promoteand build a sustainable ecosystem.

Theme of the event: ‘Towards a Resilient Planet:

Ensuring a Sustainable and Equitable Future’.About The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI):Founded: 1974Headquarters: New Delhi, DelhiDirector General: Dr Vibha DhawanFrance announced military withdrawal from

Mali after nearly ten yearsFrench President Emmanuel Macron has announced

that France and its European partners will start themilitary withdrawal from Mali after nearly ten years offighting a jihadist insurgency.

France first deployed troops against jihadists in Maliin 2013 under the Socialist president François Hollande.The decision has been taken due to a breakdown inFrance’s relations with the ruling junta government in thecountry. The heart of this military operation will be shiftedfrom Mali to Niger.

In recent years, jihadists have taken over swaths ofterritory in the former French colony, exploiting politicalturmoil, poverty, and the weakness of local authorities.

The withdrawal applies to 2,400 French troops in Maliand a smaller European force of several hundred, whichwas created in 2020 to reduce the burden on Frenchforces.

About Mali:Capital: BamakoCurrency: West African CFA francTata Power collaborated with RWE to develop

offshore wind projectsTata Power has collaborated with Germany-based

RWE Renewable GmbH to explore the potential for jointdevelopment of offshore wind projects in

A corresponding MoU has been signed between TataPower Renewable Energy Ltd and RWE RenewablesGmbH, one of the world’s leaders in offshore wind.

The MoU between Tata Power Renewable Energy andRWE becomes significant in the light of the Central govt’sannouncement of achieving 30GW of offshore windinstallations by

About Tata Power:Founded: 1911Founder: Dorabji TataHeadquarters: MumbaiCEO: Praveer SinhaIndia, UAE signed a Comprehensive Trade

AgreementIndia and the United Arab Emirates signed a

Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement


(CEPA).It will cover goods, services, and digital trade, among

others, that will allow 90% of the country’s exports duty-free access to the Emirates.

The bilateral trade pact is India’s first in the regionand the first comprehensive trade agreement with anycountry in a decade. UAE is India’s third-biggest tradingpartner behind the US and China.

About UAE:Capital: Abu DhabiCurrency: United Arab Emirates dirhamPresident: Khalifa bin Zayed Al NahyanGlobal trade rose 25% to hit record high of

$28.5 trillion in 2021, according to UNCTADUnited Nations Conference on Trade and

Development (UNCTAD) has published the Global TradeUpdate which shows that in 2021, world trade in goodsremained strong and trade in services finally returned toits pre-COVID-19 levels.

Overall, the value of global trade reached a recordlevel of $28.5 trillion in 2021. That’s an increase of 25%on 2020 and 13% higher compared to 2019.

Meanwhile, trade in services rose by $50 billion toreach $1.6 trillion, just above pre-pandemic levels.

About United Nation Conference on Trade andDevelopment (UNCTAD):

Founded: 1964Headquarters: Geneva, SwitzerlandSecretary-General: Rebeca Grynspan (Costa Rica)Nepal will become 1st country to deploy India’s

UPI platformNPCI announced that Nepal will be the first country

to adopt India’s UPI system. This will play a pivotal rolein transforming the digital economy of the neighbouringcountry.

NPCI International Payments Ltd, the internationalarm of NPCI, has joined hands with Gateway PaymentsService (GPS) and Manam Infotech to provide theservices in

GPS is the authorized payment system operator inNepal. Manam Infotech will deploy Unified PaymentsInterface (UPI) in Nepal.

About Nepal:Capital: KathmanduCurrency: Nepalese rupeePresident: Bidhya Devi BhandariJPMorgan became world’s first bank to set up

shop in the metaverse

The largest bank in the US JPMorgan has become theworld’s first bank to set up shop in the metaverse.JPMorgan has opened a lounge in the blockchain-basedworld

Users can create their virtual avatars, build virtualspaces, and roam in the lounge christened ‘Onyx Lounge’after its suit of Ethereum-based services. The lounge alsofeatures a digital image of the bank’s CEO Jamie Dimon.

Metaverse is a virtual universe where users can domultiple activities like socializing, shopping, or evenattending events through their avatar. Augmented Reality(AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) headsets are becomingmore pocket-friendly, and both technologies havetogether contributed to a significantly enhanced userexperience.

About JPMorgan Chase & Co.:Founded: 1 December 2000Headquarters: New York, New York, United StatesCEO: Jamie DimonWHO launched ‘Quit Tobacco App’ to help

people end Tobacco consumptionWorld Health Organization launched the ‘Quit

Tobacco App’ to help people quit tobacco use in all formsincluding smokeless and other related products.

It is a first-of-its-kind app which helps users identifythe triggers, set their targets, manage cravings, and stayfocused on quitting tobacco.

The ‘WHO Quit Tobacco App’ is the first suchinitiative of the WHO. It was launched during WHO’syear-long ‘Commit to quit’ tobacco control campaign.

About World Health Organization (WHO):Headquarters: Geneva, SwitzerlandFounded: 7 April 1948Director-General: Tedros AdhanomPaul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba declared as

President of Burkina FasoIn Burkina Faso, the military junta has appointed

lieutenant colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba as theinterim President of the country following the militarycoup.

Burkina Faso military coup took place on January 24,2022, which was led by Damiba. After this, PresidentRoch Marc Christian Kaboré and Prime Minister LassinaZerbo were disposed from their position, and parliamentand constitution were declared dissolved

One of the world’s poorest and most volatilecountries, Burkina Faso is struggling with a jihadistcampaign that has claimed more than 2,000 lives and


forced around 1.5 million to flee their homes.About Burkina Faso:Capital: OuagadougouCurrency: West African CFA francPresident: Paul-Henri Sandaogo DamibaTomTom Traffic Index Ranking 2021: Mumbai

5th most-congested cityTomTom Traffic Index Ranking 2021 has been

released covering 404 cities across 58 countries.As per the TomTom Traffic Index Ranking 2021,

Mumbai has been ranked 5th, Bengaluru is ranked 10th,New Delhi has been ranked at 11th place, and Puneranked 21st in terms of most congested cities in the worldin 2021.

Istanbul, Turkey has been declared as the mostcongested city in the world as per the ranking. whileMoscow came in second.

India to help Sri Lanka launch a ‘Unitary DigitalIdentity framework’ modelled on the Aadhaar card

India to help Sri Lanka launch a ‘Unitary DigitalIdentity framework’ modelled on the Aadhaar card

India has agreed to provide grant to Sri Lanka toimplement ‘Unitary Digital Identity framework’,apparently modelled on Aadhaar card.

It will be categorized as a national-level programme.This will provide personal identity verification devicebased on biometric data, digital tool that can representidentities of individuals in cyberspace, and identificationof individual identities that can be accurately verified indigital and physical environments.

About Sri Lanka:Capital: Jayawardenepura KotteCurrency:Sri Lankan RupeePrime Minister: Mahinda RajapaksaPresident: Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Instagram launched ‘Take a Break’ campaign toencourage breaks from social media

Instagram has launched ‘Take a Break’ campaign thatwill alert users scrolling on Instagram to periodically takebreaks from the platform and focus on other things.

It has been launched by Instagram in India andvarious other countries. The campaign will also alert usersof the new inclusion with a notification.

It was first launched in US, UK, Ireland, Canada, NewZealand, Australia. User can spend a certain amount oftime on app after they joined campaign.Gautam Adani overtook Mukesh Ambani as Asia’sRichest Person in Bloomberg Billionaires Index

In accordance with the Bloomberg Billionaires Index,Gautam Adani net worth reached $88.5 billion overtakingMukesh Ambani’s $87.9 billion becoming Asia’s richestperson as on 8th February 2022.

With a nearly $12 billion jump in his personal wealth,he has become the 10th richest person in the world.

Globally Elon Musk was named as the world’s richestperson with a total net worth of $235 Billion. He wasfollowed by Jeff Bezos with a total net worth of $183Billion & Bernard Arnault with a total net worth of $168Billion.L&T & Microsoft India signed MoU to developregulated sector-focused cloud offering

Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) and Microsoft Indiasigned an MoU to develop a regulated sector-focusedcloud offering to empower customers with the best-of-breed cloud computing and infrastructure service.

Aim: To modernize traditional data centres topotentially hybrid cloud architecture.

Under this MoU, both companies will engage with aset of large customers in regulated sectors to designarchitectures and roadmaps for modernizing theirtraditional data centers and advancing their digitaltransformation goals.

Under this MoU, L&T and Microsoft India will set upa joint governance group to define future platformdesigns, investments, and commercial/business models toservice the regulated sectors’ emerging technologyrequirements


United StatesHeadquarters: Redmond, Washington, United StatesCEO: Satya NadellaChairperson: John W. ThompsonBangladesh Railway signed agreement with

HEIL to procure 420 broad gauge wagonsBangladesh Railway has signed an agreement with the

Hindustan Engineering and Industries Limited (HEIL), anenterprise of the Hindustan Group, to procure 420 broadgauge wagons from India, in the presence of Md. NurulIslam Sujon Railway Minister of Bangladesh in Dhaka,Bangladesh.

The total cost of the agreement is ~Tk 231 crore(Tk– Bangladeshi Taka) (~ Rs 200 crore). At present, theBR has a total of 3,221 wagons which includes 918 tankwagons, 1030 covered wagons and 1273 open wagons.

Bangladesh Railway Minister stated that, as a part of


the modernisation initiative of the government, rivers andseaports are being connected to the railways, and single,one-way lines are being converted into two-way doublelines.

About Bangladesh:Capital: DhakaCurrency: Bangladeshi takaPresident: Abdul HamidPrime minister: Sheikh HasinaNATO chief Jens Stoltenberg appointed as

Governor of Norway central bankThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) chief,

Jens Stoltenberg will take over as Norway’s central bankGovernor at the end of the year.

The appointment comes amid escalating tensions

between the West and Russia. Western nations fearMoscow has plans to invade Ukraine, which aspires to jointhe NATO alliance.

But Mr. Stoltenberg, a 62-year-old trained economist,insisted that he would stay on as NATO Secretary-Generaluntil the end of his term in October. Norway’s centralbank determines monetary policy but also manages thecountry’s enormous sovereign wealth fund, the biggest inthe world.

About North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO):Founded:4 April 1949Headquarters: Brussels, BelgiumChairman of the NATO Military Committee: Admiral

Rob BauerMember countries: 30

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