PREFACE
It gives us great pleasure to release the monthly edition of the PRAVAHINI - Monthly e-Compendium & Weekly e-Periodicals of Current Affairs. The magazine’s members have shown considerable cooperation as well as devotion. We at successmantra.in work tirelessly to create this magazine and bring it to you with a great sense of gratitude.
The PRAVAHINI January-2022 eBook covers the current events that happened in the month of January. Current Affairs is a crucial component of any competitive exams including CLAT, AILET, DU-LLB, HM, CAT, IAS, PCS, SSC, Banking, MBA and various other competitive examinations.
Current Affairs play the bigger role in many competitive and government exams. It holds the power of making or breaking your chance of success. Therefore, the candidates should cover the Current Affairs thoroughly and smartly.
The PRAVAHINI January-2022 eBook is divided into different sections keeping in mind the need of various exams. The sections covered namely International, National, Economy, Ecology and Environment, Science & Technology, Legal Affairs, Sports, States News Makers and few others.
We would also be pleased to receive any suggestion that could assist us with the upcoming editions.
Success Mantra (GTB Nagar, Delhi)
Website: www.successmantra.in
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. National Affairs
2. International Affairs
3. Appointments
4. Awards And Honors
5. Important Dates & Sports
6. Reports And Indexes
7. Science & Technology
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
IT MINISTER LAUNCHED INDIA'S SEMICONDUCTOR MISSION
Information Technology Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, launched the India Semiconductor Mission on December 29, 2021.
Under the scheme, interested companies which seek to tap the Rs 76,000-crore incentives earmarked by the Central government for developing semiconductors and displaying the manufacturing ecosystem in India will be able to start applying for it from January 1, 2022.
A portal for the scheme has been prepared in order to receive the applications.
About India Semiconductor Mission (ISM)
ISM is a specialized and independent business division of Digital India Corporation.
The mission has been set up with the objective of building a vibrant semiconductor besides displaying the ecosystem in order for India to emerge as a global hub in electronics manufacturing and design.
It is authorized to negotiate with applicants under semiconductor fab scheme and display fab scheme.
It has also been given autonomy to decide appropriate technology mix, node generation, applications, capacity etc. The scheme was launched with the aim of attracting large investments in manufacturing OLED-based display panels or TFT LCD.
Background: This scheme was notified by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on December 21, 2021.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF ELECTION IN FIVE STATES
The Election Commission of India recently announced the election dates of five states. They are Punjab, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur and Uttarakhand.
The Assembly Elections 2022 in these states are to be held in seven phases. In Uttar Pradesh, the elections are to be held in seven phases.
In Manipur, it is to be held in two phases. In Goa, Uttarakhand and Punjab, the assembly elections are to be held in a single phase.
Parties in Power: BJP is in power in all the five states except Punjab. The Congress party is in power in Punjab.
Elections in India: There are four major types of elections in India. They are Lok Sabha election, Rajya Sabha election, State Election and By Election.
There are also elections conducted for state legislative councils, local governance bodies (panchayat and municipal bodies).
State Elections
• The State Elections are also called Vidhan Sabha Elections.
• The state elections are conducted by the State Election Commission.
• The SEC operates under the supervision of the Central Election Commission.
• The concept of SEC was introduced by the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments.
• Article 324 gives powers to the election commission to conduct elections at central and state level.
MAJOR DHYAN CHAND SPORTS UNIVERSITY
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of Major Dhyan Chand Sports University in Meerut. The University will be established at Salawa and Kaili villages of Sardhana town in Meerut at an estimated cost of about 700 Crore rupees.
The University will have the capacity of training 1080 sports persons including 540 female and 540 male sportspersons.
About the University: The Sports University will be equipped with modern and state-of-the-art sports infrastructure including synthetic Hockey ground, Football ground, Basketball, Volleyball, Handball, Kabaddi ground, Lawn tennis court, Gymnasium hall, Synthetic running stadium, Swimming pool, Multipurpose hall, and a Cycling Velodrome.
It will also house facilities for Shooting, Squash, Gymnastics, Weightlifting, Archery, Canoeing, and Kayaking, among other facilities with the capacity of training.
EDUCATION MINISTER LAUNCHED NEAT 3.0
Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan has launched National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT 3.0), and regional language textbooks prescribed by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
NEAT 3.0 aims to provide the best-developed ed-tech solutions and courses to students on a single platform. It will be beneficial especially among the economically disadvantaged students.
It is a Public-Private Partnership model between the Government (through its implementing agency AICTE) and the Education Technology companies.
58 global and Indian ed-tech startup companies have come together for this solution and are offering 100 courses and e-resources to enhance learning outcomes, develop employable skills as well as overcome learning loss.
The collaboration of global ed-tech companies and Indian start-ups by way of NEAT will help to build on the digital education bedrock of India.
ONE NATION - ONE GRID - ONE FREQUENCY
PowerGrid Corporation Limited celebrated the anniversary of the achievement of “One Nation One Grid”, as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
On this occasion, Free health check-up and medical camps were organized across 70 locations.
History of National Grid in India
In India, Grid management started in the sixties on a regional basis. Initially, grids were interconnected to form a regional grid. Following this, India was divided into 5 regions on the basis of grid-
• Northern Grid
• Eastern Grid
• Western Grid
• North Eastern Grid and
• Southern region.
The North Eastern and Eastern Grid were connected in October 1991. Western Grid and North Eastern Grid were interconnected in March 2003. In 2006, North and East grids were interconnected.
Thus, 4 regional grids Northern, Eastern, Western and North Eastern grids were interconnected to form a central grid operating at one frequency.
The Southern Region was connected to the Central Grid in 2013, with the commissioning of the 765kV Raichur-Sholapur Transmission line.
With this, ‘ONE NATION’-‘ONE GRID’-‘ONE FREQUENCY’ objective was achieved.
Synchronization of all regional grids will help in utilizing the natural resources optimally, by transferring Power from Resource centric regions to Load centric regions.
It will also lead to the establishment of a vibrant Electricity market facilitating trading of power in India.
Power Grid Corporation of India Limited
Power Grid is an Indian statutory corporation, working under the parent head of the Ministry of Power.
It is headquartered in Gurugram. The organization engages mainly in transmission of bulk power across India. Power Grid transmits around 50% of the total power generated in India.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
FRANCE ASSUMED PRESIDENCY OF EU
France has assumed the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union with effect from January 01, 2022. The country will continue to hold the EU presidency for the next six months till June 30, 2022.
This is the 13th time that France has taken over the rotating presidency. The motto of France as EU President is “recovery, strength, belonging.”
France will work to place the continent’s digitization and climate protection at the forefront. The presidency of the EU rotates every six months among the member states of the 27-nation bloc.
Upon the completion of the six months presidency, France will be replaced by the Czech Republic.
INDIA TO HOST 46 NATIONS IN 'EXERCISE MILAN'
India will host 46 nations in mega naval wargames in 2022, known as Exercise Milan.
India has invited 46 foreign government countries to take part in the transnational naval exercise Milan, which will take place in Visakhapatnam from February 25 to February 25, 2022.
Camaraderie, cohesion, and collaboration are the themes of the 11th edition of exercise Milan. This exercise, which began in 1995 and is held every two years, is performed with friendly navies.
During this phase, competent competitions and conferences will help to set the operational tone for the Sea Phase, which will take place from March 1-4.
This step would be used to consolidate the lessons learned during the harbor interplay and to expand on the experience of working together at sea.
According to an official, India has increased its bilateral, trilateral, and multilateral naval interaction with friendly nations since 2018.
SUDAN'S PM ABDALLA HAMDOK RESIGNED
Following mass protests in the capital city Khartoum, Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok announced his resignation on January 2, 2022.
Protests are being held against a recent deal that the Prime Minister had made to share power with the army.
Before this deal, the army had staged a coup in October, 2021. Protesters called for a return to full civilian rule.
But the army staged another violent crackdown on them. It left two people dead. Resignation of Hamdok has now left the army in full control of the government.
Resignation of Hamdok is another blow to fragile attempts by Sudan in transitioning to democratic rule, following a popular uprising which led to the overthrow of long-term authoritarian President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
Background: Sudan’s army had staged a coup on October 25, 2021. This coup had placed Prime Minister Hamdok under house arrest initially. Following this, the civilian and military leaders had signed a power-sharing agreement.
About power-sharing agreement: Prime Minister Hamdok had reached a power-sharing agreement with the Army in November 2021.
Under the agreement, the reinstated prime minister was supposed to lead the cabinet of technocrats until new elections were held.
However, it was not clear how much power the new civilian government would have. Meanwhile, protesters showed distrust towards the military.
About Sudan: Sudan is a Northeast African country. It was declared an independent state on January 1, 1956. It shares borders with countries of the Central African Republic, Egypt, Chad, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Libya, and the Red Sea.
As of 2021, Sudan has a population of 44.91 million people. Sudan is the third-largest country by area in Africa as well as in the Arab League.
Until the secession of South Sudan in 2011, it was the largest country by area in Africa & Arab League. Khartoum is the capital city of Sudan while Omdurman is the most populated city.
ANTIGUA & BARBUDA JOINED INT. SOLAR ALLIANCE
The Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda joined the International Solar Alliance (ISA) as the 102nd member by signing the International Solar Alliance Framework Agreement, the India-led global green energy initiative.
The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne signed the framework agreement in the presence of Indian High Commissioner Dr K. J. Srinivasa to catalyze global energy transition through a solar-led approach.
ISA was jointly launched by India and France in 2015 during the 21st session of the United Nations Climate Change COP-21 in Paris, France to promote solar energy.
Antigua and Barbuda Capital: Saint John’s.
Antigua and Barbuda Currency: East Caribbean Dollar.
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister: Gaston Browne.
Economy of Sudan: Sudan’s economy is described as lower-middle income. The economy relies on oil production irrespective of long-term international sanctions and isolation.
The country is also a member of the United Nations, African Union, the Arab League, COMESA, Organization of Islamic Co-operation and Non-Aligned Movement.
WORLD LONGEST METRO LINE OPENED IN CHINA
Shanghai has opened two new metro lines, upholding its rank as the city with the largest Metro network in the world.
With the new lines, the total length of Shanghai’s metro network has extended to 831 km, continuing to be the longest in the world. China’s Shanghai opened two new metro lines – Line 14 and Phase One of Line 18.
The opening of the two new lines will bring the total number of fully automatic metro lines in Shanghai to five, with an operating length of 167 km, ranking first in the world for the first time.
The city will now enjoy 20 metro lines with 508 stations, 83 of which are transfer ones.
CHILD MARRIAGE BANNED IN PHILIPPINES
The President of Philippines Rodrigo Duterte signed a law prohibiting Child Marriage and it came into force on January 6, 2022, making child marriage illegal in the country.
The law that bans child marriage in Philippines states that the State views child marriage as a practice constituting child abuse because it debases, degrades, and demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of children.
As per the Britain-based rights organization Plan International, the Philippines has the world’s 12th highest rate of child marriage.
The latest law banning child marriage in the Philippines complies with the international accords on women’s and children’s rights.
Philippines bans child marriage: 5 things to know about new law
The law banning child marriage in Philippines stipulates that marrying or cohabiting with anybody under the age of 18 years can result in a 12-years prison sentence.
The same punishment will also apply to those who will organize or solemnize the underage unions.
According to the Philippines Government, the law banning child marriage is consistent with the international conventions on the rights of women and children.
Some portions of the latest law have been suspended for one year in order to allow the transition period for Muslims and indigenous communities in which child marriage is relatively common.
One in every six girls in the Southeast Asian Country marries before the age of 18.
UNSC COUNTER-TERRORISM COMMITTEE FOR 2022
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, T S Tirumurti has been appointed as the Chair of the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee for 2022.
India has assumed the chairmanship of the United Nations Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee (UNSC-CTC) for one year, beginning from January 01, 2022.
Being the Chair of Counter-Terrorism Committee 2022, India will work to further enhance the role of the Counter-Terrorism Committee in strengthening the multilateral response to counter-terrorism, and ensure that global response to the threat of terrorism remains unambiguous, undivided and effective.
India is currently a non-permanent member of the 15-nation UNSC. Its two-year term will end on December 31, 2022.
EXERCISE SEA DRAGON 22 HELD B/W SIX COUNTRIES
The Sea Dragon 22 exercise is a multinational exercise.
The countries that are participating in the exercise are India, Australia, Canada, US, South Korea and Japan. It is held at Andersen Air Force base, Guam. It is a US air force base.
It is a US – led exercise. It will focus on anti – submarine warfare training. During the exercise the countries will discuss traditional maritime security challenges in the Indo – Pacific region. The exercise includes 270 hours of in – flight training.
During the exercise, the different events are to be held among the military forces of the participating countries.
And the country scoring the highest points will be awarded the Dragon Belt Award. In 2021, the Dragon Belt Award was won by the Royal Canadian Air Force.
The exercise is important as some of the participating countries have strained relations with China. In the last 2 decades Chinese interests in the Indian Ocean Region have increased.
This is mainly because 80% of Chinese oil imports pass through the Malacca strait and Indian Ocean. China is expanding its presence in the Indian Ocean under its Look West Policy.
It has made significant infrastructural developments in Sri Lanka, Maldives, Myanmar and Seychelles. China is also looking for opportunities to increase its ties with the western African Indian Ocean states.
China is supplying weapons to Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, in a way trying to colonise the countries.
Why is the Indo – Pacific Region in the centre stage?
The main reason is the sea routes and oil trade. Before the cold war the centre stage was taken by the Atlantic Ocean. India sees the Indo – Pacific as open, inclusive and balanced space.
The US sees the Indo – Pacific as free and open. The ASEAN sees Indo Pacific as a consociational model. Consociationalism is stable democracy, especially in deeply divided states.
JAPAN & AUSTRALIA SIGNED DEFENCE AGREEMENT
The leaders of Japan and Australia signed a “landmark” defence agreement that allows closer cooperation between their militaries and stands as a rebuke to China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met in a virtual summit to sign the Reciprocal Access Agreement, the first such defence pact signed by Japan with any country other than the United States.
About the agreements:
The agreement follows more than a year of talks between Japan and Australia aimed at breaking down legal barriers to allow the troops of one country to enter the other for training and other purposes.
Morrison called the pact a “pivotal moment for Australia and Japan and (for) the security of our two nations and our people.”
The pact builds on the strategic dialogue known as “the Quad,” which includes Japan, Australia, the United States and India.
Australia last year also signed the Aukus agreement with the United States and Britain, both of which have pledged to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines.
ZHANG MING TAKEN CHARGE AS SECY. GENERAL OF SCO
China’s senior diplomat Zhang Ming has taken charge as the new Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in which India is a member.
He has taken charge from Vladimir Norov, former Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan for a three-year term. He was until recently China’s ambassador to the European Union.
The SCO comprises eight member states: India, Kazakhstan, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
It also comprises four countries with “observer” status and six more as “dialogue partners”. India joined SCO at the Astana summit in 2017.
2022 will be an important year for India at SCO as, for the first time, it will assume the presidency of SCO, after Uzbekistan, for the period 2022-2023 which will culminate with the SCO Summit to be hosted by the Indian side in 2023.
The SCO Summit is the meeting of the Council of Heads of States (HOS) and along with the Council of Heads of Government (HOG) makes two most important dialogue mechanisms among SCO member states.
ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
EGYPT AS 4TH MEMBER OF NDB
Egypt was added as the fourth new member of BRICS New Development Bank. Bangladesh, UAE, and Uruguay joined BRICS New Development Bank in September 2021.
Membership expansion enables New Development Bank to position itself as a premier development institution for emerging economies.
BRICS New Development Bank is a multilateral bank that was established by Brazil, Russia, China, India, and South Africa to finance sustainable development and infrastructure projects.
The new list of New Development Bank member countries:
Member Countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Uruguay.
• New Development Bank Headquarter: Shanghai, China.
• New Development Bank President: Marcos Prado Troyjo.
• New Development Bank Founder: BRICS;
• New Development Bank Founded: 15 July 2014.
WORLD'S 1ST COMPANY TO TOUCH $3 TRILLION MARKET CAP
The stock market value of Apple Inc. hit $3 trillion and became the world’s first company to do so.
The market cap of Apple hit $182.86 per share, which made it the world’s first company to touch the $3 trillion mark.
However shortly after hitting the mark, the share value dipped below it and did not rise again until the market closed. The iPhone maker passed $2 trillion in 2020 and over $1 trillion in 2018.
The world’s most valuable company reached the milestone as investors bet that consumers will continue to shell out top dollar for iPhones, MacBooks and services such as Apple TV and Apple Music.
In China, the world’s largest smartphone market, Apple continued to lead for the second straight month, beating rivals such as Vivo and Xiaomi, recent data from CounterPoint Research showed.
• Apple Inc. CEO: Tim Cook
• Apple Inc. Headquarters: Cupertino, California, United States
INDIA AS ASIA'S SECOND LARGEST ECONOMY
According to the Information Handling Services (IHS) Markit report, India is likely to overtake Japan as Asia’s second-largest economy by 2030.
Currently, India is the sixth-largest economy, behind the U.S., China, Japan, Germany and the U.K. IHS Markit is a global leader in information, analytics and solutions for the major industries and markets that drive economies worldwide.
Note: The size of a nation's overall economy is typically measured by its Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, which is the value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given year.
GDP Projection: In terms of value, the size of the Indian economy stood at USD 2.7 trillion in 2021, which is projected to grow to USD 8.4 trillion by 2030.
This boom is enough to overtake Japan, making India the second largest economy in the Asia-Pacific region by 2030.
India’s growth rate is projected to be 8.2% in 2021-22, compared to a decline of 7.3% in the previous fiscal.
However, the momentum of the current financial year(FY) will continue in 2022-23 as well and India will achieve 6.7% growth.
APPOINTMENTS
VS PATHANIA TOOK CHARGE AS DG OF ICG
V.S. Pathania took over as the 24th Director General (DG) of the Indian Coast Guard from Krishnaswamy Natarajan who retired from service.
He is an alumnus of Defense Services Staff College, Wellington and National Defense College, New Delhi. He was elevated to the rank of Additional Director General in Nov 2019 and took over the reins as Coast Guard Commander (Eastern Seaboard) at Visakhapatnam.
About the V.S. Pathania:
In a career of over 36 years, Pathania has held several key appointments afloat and ashore and has also commanded all classes of Coast Guard ships namely Inshore Patrol Vessel ‘Ranijindan’, Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) ‘Vigraha’ and advanced OPV ‘Sarang’, it said.
He was elevated to the rank of Additional Director General in November 2019 and took over as Coast Guard Commander (Eastern Seaboard) at Visakhapatnam.
Pathania is the recipient of the President's Tatrakshak Medal for Distinguished Service, Tatrakshak Medal for gallantry and DG Coast Guard Commendation.
ALKA MITTAL TOOK CHARGE AS MD, CHAIRMAN OF ONGC
Dr. Alka Mittal took additional charge as the Interim Chairperson and Managing Director of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on January 4, 2022.
She has become the first woman to hold the post. She succeeds Subhash Kumar who retired on December 31.
Mittal will hold office as ONGC's first woman Chairperson and Managing Director till a period of six months from January 1 or till the appointment of a regular incumbent, whichever is earlier.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the Petroleum Ministry's proposal to entrust additional charge of the post of ONGC's Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) to Alka Mittal for a period of six months with effect from January 1, 2022, or till the appointment of a regular incumbent to the post, or until further order, whichever is earliest.
ONGC’s last full-time director was Shashi Shanker, who had retired from the post on March 31, 2021. No full-time replacement was selected at that time.
Subhash Kumar, former Director (Finance), was given the additional charge of chairman and managing director on the basis of seniority in the PSU’s board of directors.
Who is Alka Mittal?
Dr Alka Mittal has been serving as ONGC Director (HR) since November 27, 2018. She is the senior-most Director on the Board of the energy company.
She has a postgraduate in Economics, MBA (HRM) and Doctorate in Commerce and Business Studies. She had joined ONGC as a Graduate Trainee in 1985.
She became the first woman to join the company’s board on November 27, 2018 and the first woman to hold the charge of a full-time Director in ONGC’s history.
She has been on the board of ONGC Mangalore Petrochemicals Limited (OMPL) since August 2015. She is also on the board of National HRD Network (NHRDN) and IIM Tiruchirappalli.
She has a rich experience spanning over three and a half decades. She brought sustainability in the talent acquisition process by adopting Green Recruitment practice in ONGC through the online application process, saving time, cost and resources.
AWARDS & HONOURS
NATIONAL BREED CONSERVATION AWARD FOR 2021
The All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on poultry breeding, Mannuthy, under the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Science University (KVASU), bagged the national breed conservation award for 2021.
The center received the prestigious award from ICAR – The National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) for the conservation and research activities on the Tellicherry breed, the only registered native chicken breed from the State.
The center started conservation of the Tellicherry breed in 2014. Through scientific selection and management, the breed began laying eggs as early as five months and the annual egg production increased to 160-170 eggs.
About the awards: The award carries a citation and a purse of Rs 10,000.
The award was established by ICAR – NBAGR for their contribution towards the conservation and improvement of registered Indian breeds of domestic livestock and poultry.
NATIONAL WATER AWARDS PRESENTED BY JAL SHAKTI
The National Water Awards is presented annually by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti. The third round of the awards, for the year 2020 was recently announced.
State Awards: Uttar Pradesh was awarded the first prize. Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu were awarded the second and third prizes.
District Awards
• Muzaffarnagar of Uttar Pradesh was presented the “Best District ''.
• In the North Zone, Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar of Punjab was awarded the best district.
• Thiruvananthapuram: South Zone
• Indore, Madhya Pradesh: West Zone
• East Champaran, Bihar: East Zone
• Goalpara, Assam and Siang, Arunachal Pradesh: North East Zone
Purpose of the Awards: To encourage organizations doing exemplary work in the field of water resource management. To provide good opportunities for startups to engage with senior policy makers of water resource management.
• It encourages stakeholders to step towards water management
• It motivates the stakeholders to adopt better water usage techniques
• It creates awareness about efficient and minimal use of water
The awards are presented by the Department of Water Resources, Ministry of Jal Shakti. The ministry presents 57 awards. They are presented in 11 different categories.
They are the best district, best state, best village panchayat, best industry, best urban local body, best institution, best NGO, best water user association, best industry for Corporate Social Responsibility.
Significance of the Awards: It encourages people to focus on water management. This is essential because, according to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the water requirement of India is to increase to 1,100 billion cubic metres per year by 2050.
India holds more than 18% of world population. However, the renewable energy of India is only 4% of the world.
1ST BLACK MAN TO WIN BEST ACTOR OSCAR
Bahamian-American actor Sidney Poitier, who won an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1964, has died at the age of 94.
In 1963, Poitier had made a film in Arizona, Lilies of the Field. The performance led to a huge milestone making him the first black winner of a lead-acting Oscar.
He was awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 by President Obama for his work.
Sidney Poitier started his career as an actor in theatre in the 1940s before his breakthrough film role in the 1950 release No Way Out.
Over a five-decade career in films, he worked both as an actor and director. His last appearance on screen was in the 1997 film Jackal.
SPORTS
KHELO INDIA GAMES 2022
The Khelo India Games were introduced to revive the sports culture in India. The 2021 Khelo India Games were postponed due to COVID crisis.
It is now to be conducted in Haryana in January 2022. The Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur is to attend the games.
The Khelo India Youth Games 2022-23 is to be held in Madhya Pradesh. The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet recently approved to host the games from Bhopal.
The cabinet also approved land allocation of 50 – acre land to establish an international sports complex.
Funds allocated: The Government of Madhya Pradesh allocated Rs 176.59 crores for the first phase. Rs 15.56 crores is to be spent on operation and maintenance of the International Sports Complex. Separate Funds are to be allocated for second and third phases.
Around 25 sports events are to be organized.
This includes five traditional games such as Yoga, Malkhamb, Thang – Ta, Kalariyapattu and Gatka. It is to be held in five venues. They are Ambala, Panchkula, Chandigarh, Shahabad and Delhi. More than 8,500 players are to participate in the games.
Mallakhamb or Malkhamb: It is a traditional sport and the athlete performs gymnastic postures and aerial yoga. He or she also performs wrestling grips on a hinging wooden pole. The pole is made of Indian rosewood, called Sheesham and is polished with castor oil. It is played widely in Madhya Pradesh.
Thang Ta Games: It is martial arts of Manipur. It is dedicated to worship and fighting. It integrates weapons such as dagger, sword. Thang Ta is also called Huyen Lallong. It means the method of safeguarding. It also includes controlling the physical through worship.
Kalaripayattu: It is widely practiced in Kerala. It is also a kind of martial arts just like Thang Ta. It is also called Kalari. It is the oldest surviving martial art in the country. It is 3000 years old. It includes yoga and dance forms. Kalaripayattu includes kicks, strikes, grappling and healing methods.
Gatka: Gatka is a martial art. It is mostly associated with the Sikhs in Punjab. It is very popular among the Hindkowans. It includes stick fighting. Gatka means “wooden stick” in Punjabi.
IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES
DRDO CELEBRATED 64TH FOUNDATION DAY
On January 1, 2022, the "Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO)" celebrated its 64th anniversary.
In 63 years, the DRDO has changed India's defense research and development landscape.
The DRDO was also instrumental in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. With the help of the PM CARES Fund, it was able to set up around 850 oxygen plants and Covid hospitals.
It also created a drug called 2DG to combat covid-19. In India, synergy with the defense industry in terms of development and production has reached new heights, with more than 175 technology transfers occurring in 2021 alone.
Defense Research and Development Organization
DRDO is the highest-ranking agency within the Ministry of Defense's Department of Defense Research and Development.
It is in charge of research and development for the military. The headquarters of the organization are in Delhi.
The Defense Science Organization was formed on January 1, 1958, when the Directorate of Technical Development & Production of Indian Ordnance Factories and the Technical Development Establishment merged.
The Defense Research and Development Service (DRDS) was established in 1979 as a service for Group 'A' Officers/Scientists.
WORLD BRAILLE DAY OBSERVED ON 4TH JANUARY
World Braille Day, observed on 4 January, highlights the importance of Braille as a means of communication for partially sighted and blind people. The day has been marked by the United Nations since 2019.
World Braille Day also marks the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, who was born on 4 January, 1809. The French educator invented the Braille system, after being blinded at a young age.
What is Braille?
According to the UN, Braille “is a tactile representation of alphabetic and numerical symbols using six dots to represent each letter and number, and even musical, mathematical and scientific symbols”.
The language is used by partially sighted and blind people to read books and periodicals.
People use their fingers to touch and figure out the Braille code and understand the information being given through the language. The invention of the code helped visually impaired people communicate more easily and also made a wider range of reading materials available to them.
According to the UN Convention on the Rights of People With Disabilities, Braille is seen as necessary for social inclusion, education, freedom of expression and opinion.
Significance of Braille: According to the World Health Organization, about one billion people have a distance or near vision impairment that was either preventable, or is yet to be addressed.
Due to the coronavirus lockdowns across the globe, people with visual disabilities have faced several issues in terms of isolation and independence.
The pandemic has highlighted the necessity of providing essential information in accessible formats including Braille and audio, as many people with disabilities can face a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 due to lack of guidelines available to them.
PRAVASI BHARTIYA DIWAS OBSERVED ON 9TH JAN
The Non-Resident Indian Day or also known as the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas is celebrated every year on 9th January every year.
The aim of the event is to strengthen the engagement of the overseas Indian community with the Government of India and reconnect them with their roots.
On the occasion of 2022 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan will speak at a virtual youth PBD conference on the “role of Indian diaspora” in innovation and new technology.
History and Significance: On 9 January 1915, Mahatma Gandhi came to India from South Africa and became the greatest Pravasi who led India’s Freedom Struggle and made India free from British or colonial rule.
As a Non-Resident Indian or Pravasi, he is presented as a symbol of a change and development that could bring into India.
According to the Indian Government, NRIs have global exposure in terms of business and development strategies around the world. If some opportunity is provided to them, they will contribute to the developmental process by infusing their ideas and experiences on their motherland i.e. India.
Some Key Facts of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas:
• Its objective is to provide an open platform for NRIs to express their feelings, outlooks and perceptions about India.
• To create a network of NRIs in all the countries of the world and connect the younger generation with immigrants.
• On this day, the government puts a focus on reconnecting overseas Indians with their roots so that they can contribute significantly to the development of the country.
• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is held in New Delhi.
• Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is organised outside India.
• 2015 marked 100 years of the return of Mahatma Gandhi.
• At the convention of PBD, awards are given to the deserving ones.
• PBD’s main aim is to connect the Indian Diaspora.
REPORTS AND INDEXES
DEATH OF TIGERS IN INDIA: NTCA
According to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), in 2021 India reported the death of around 126 tigers.
Recently, a tiger was found dead in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, taking the toll to 44 in MP in 2021. NTCA is investigating the cause of the recent death of Tiger in Madhya Pradesh.
Before that, a tigress died in the Dindori area of Madhya Pradesh, allegedly due to poisoning. Madhya Pradesh with 44 tiger deaths, is followed by Maharashtra (26) and Karnataka (14).
Status of Tiger: The tiger is globally listed as “endangered” on the International Union for the conversion of Nature (IUCN) Red List. As of 2015, the global wild tiger population was estimated between 3,062 and 3,948 mature individuals.
Most of the population are living in small isolated pockets. Presently, India hosts the largest population of tigers.
National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
NTCA was established in December 2005 on the recommendation of the Tiger Task Force. It was constituted by the Prime Minister of India to manage the Project Tiger and many Tiger Reserves in India.
Project Tiger: Project Tiger, a tiger conservation programme, was launched in April 1973. It was launched with the aim of ensuring a viable population of the Bengal tiger in its natural habitats, preserving areas of biological importance and protecting tigers from extinction.
DISTRICT LEVEL GOOD GOVERNANCE INDEX
The Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory is to get a district – level Good Governance Index. The index is modeled on the Good Governance Index 2021.
The index will assess the governance in different districts of Jammu and Kashmir. It is to be calculated considering 58 indicators in ten different sectors.
The Center for Good Governance (CGG) provided the technical support to create the framework of the index. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) is to prepare the index.
The index is to be calculated based on the performance of the districts in 10 sectors such as citizen centric governance, public safety and judiciary, welfare and development, economic governance, public infrastructure and utilities, public health, human resource development, commerce and industry and agriculture and allied sector.
Significance: The index will help Jammu and Kashmir increase its district governance to the level of other best administered districts in the country.
The next step is to take good governance to block levels and tehsil levels. The index aims to change the work culture in government organizations.
It will help the Union Territory march towards “Maximum governance and minimum government”. Also, the index will help in time bound disposal of office files, Increased citizen participation, increased accountability and transparency.
It was first announced at the regional conference organized by DARPG (Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances) in Uttar Pradesh.
The DARPG operates under the Ministry of Personnel, public grievances and pension. It is the nodal agency for administrative reforms and public grievance redressal.
Good Governance Index: It was released by DARPG on Good Governance Day (December 25). Gujarat topped the ranking and was followed by Maharashtra and Goa. It is essential to release these indices in order to assess the governance in the state.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
PLANNED MISSIONS OF ISRO IN 2022
The Indian Space Research Organization Chairman K Sivan recently announced plans for 2022. He also provided details about the missions accomplished in 2021.
Missions planned for 2022
• Earth Observation Satellites 4 and 6 are to be launched on PSLV.
• ISRO will also launch Aditya L1, Chandrayaan 3, XpoSat, Technology demonstration missions and IRNSS in 2022.
• The other 2022 plans are DISHA, Venus Mission, ISROCNES, TRISHNA
Missions accomplished in 2021
• NISAR Mission: S – Band SAR Payload delivered to NASA
• Aditya L1 Mission: Hardware loop test completed
• GSLV F-10 mission failed because of issues that occurred during cryogenic stage
Gaganyaan: Tests are in progress for cryogenic stage, L-IIO Vikas Engine, service module propulsion system and crew escape system motors. The astronauts have completed the spaceflight training. Parachute drop test has commenced.
TRISHNA: The satellite aims to map the surface temperature of land. It is jointly developed by India and France. TRISHNA will also monitor water use.
Similar India – France operations include Megha – Tropiques and SARAL – AltiKa. The SARAL mission will study the ocean from space using ARGOS. ARGOS is a data collecting system. Megha – Tropiques will study the energy exchanges in the tropical region and water cycle.
It will also study the natural resources using thermal infrared imaging. Currently, the earth temperature from space is obtained at a resolution of 100 meters.
TRISHNA aims to increase the resolution to 57 meters. With this, scientists can understand the physical, biological and climatic phenomena of the water cycle.
NISAR Mission: It is a joint mission of NASA and ISRO. NISAR means NASA – ISRO – SAR. SAR is Synthetic Aperture Radar.
The radar is to be used to measure the changes occurring on the earth surface. NISAR will carry the largest reflector antenna (designed by NASA).
The main objective of the NISAR Mission is to scan the earth every 12 days for three years. It will send images of sea ice and ice sheets.
DISHA: DISHA is a twin satellite system. It will study the aeronomy of the earth. That is, the uppermost layer of the earth's atmosphere.
CHINA & ELON MUSK SPACE TUSSLE
Recently, Chinese citizens lashed out against Elon Musk’s space programme, after China complained that its space station had to take evasive action in order to avoid collision with satellites launched by Musk’s Starlink programme.
As per China, satellites from Starlink Internet Services had two close encounters with the Chinese Space Station on July 1 and October 21.
To prevent collision and for safety reasons, Space Station of China implemented preventive collision avoidance control.
Increasing risk of space collisions: About 30,000 satellites and other debris are believed to be orbiting the planet. So, scientists have urged governments to share data for reducing the risk of space collisions.
SpaceX has deployed around 1,900 satellites for serving its Starlink broadband network and has planned more such launches.
About Starlink: Starlink is a satellite internet constellation. It is operated by SpaceX. The satellite provides Internet access, covering most of the Earth.
The constellation has grown to around 1900 satellites as of 2021. It will eventually comprise more of mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). As of November 2021, beta service offering is available across 21 countries.
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX): SpaceX is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services. It is headquartered in Hawthorne, California.
The company was started by Elon Musk in 2002, with the objectives of reducing space transportation costs.
CHINA SUCCESSFULLY TESTED 'ARTIFICIAL SUN'
China has been experimenting with its ‘artificial sun’ to facilitate a way for clean energy in the future.
In a recent successful test of China’s artificial sun, the fusion reactor ran successfully for almost 20 minutes at a stunning 70 million degrees Celsius.
The machine strives at utilizing the power of nuclear fusion which is a less explored way of harnessing nuclear energy.
The steps during a test of China’s artificial sun imitated the nuclear reactions that take place inside the sun, where hydrogen and deuterium gasses are used as a fuel.
China’s artificial sun is dubbed EAST- Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak. EAST, which is designed and built by the Chinese, has been used for nuclear fusion experiments since 2006, however, it was only recently that the researchers came up with a significant milestone.
The fusion reactor is being tested by Chinese researchers so that its auxiliary heating system becomes more ‘hot’ and ‘durable’.
Gong Xianzu, in charge of this EAST experiment, informed that the recent operation lays a solid experimental and scientific foundation towards the running of a fusion reactor.
Reportedly, more than 10,000 Chinese and foreign scientific researchers were part of this $948 million project and the experiments that started in early December 2021 are expected to last until June 2022.
MISCELLANEOUS
JHANSI RLY. STATION RENAMED AS VEERANGANA LAXMIBAI
The Government of Uttar Pradesh has renamed the Jhansi Railway Station as ‘Veerangana Laxmibai Railway Station’. Jhansi station's new name has been decided after Rani Laxmibai.
The Chief Minister of UP Yogi Adityanath made the announcement regarding the new name of Jhansi station on December 29, 2021, via a tweet.
The Uttar Pradesh Government also issued a notification and the Railways has also started preparations to implement the change in the name of Jhansi Railway Station.
The decision by Uttar Pradesh behind announcing a new name for Jhansi Railway Station has been taken to boost the tourism in the area and as per the state government, it is also likely to benefit the Bundelkhand area in the state.
Who was Rani Laxmibai?
Rani Laxmibai or Jhansi ki Rani was an Indian queen. She was the Maharani consort of the Maratha Princely State of Jhansi from 1843 to 1853 as the wife of Maharaja Gangadhar Rao.
Rani Laxmibai was one of the leading figures of the 1857 Indian Rebellion and she also became a symbol of resistance to the British Raj for the Indian Nationalists.
WHAT IS DEVAS CASE?
Devas is a multimedia company. It offers satellite-based services. Antrix is an Indian Government owned company. It is the commercial arm of ISRO.
That is, ISRO launches satellites and provides technological assistance for private firms through Antrix. It is operated by the Department of Space.
In 2005, Antrix and Devas signed an agreement. Under the agreement, Devas was to provide multimedia services to mobile users. The services were to be provided using the S – band satellite leased from Antrix.
In 2011, this agreement was cancelled by the UPA government. The UPA government wanted the S – band for national security.
Devas went to the International Chambers of Commerce and also to two BIT (Bilateral Investment Treaty) arbitrations. Devas also filed a case in the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The PCA ruled that Antrix has to pay 1.6 billion USD as compensation.
Why was the deal cancelled in 2011?
It was cancelled because of non – compliance of rules, conflict of interest, favoritism and financial mismanagement.
On January 3, 2022, Devas announced that it had won an order. The order allows Devas to seize 30 million USD worth of properties of Air India. The order was generated by a Canadian court.
How can a Canadian court issue an order?
Canadian jurisdiction follows restrictive immunity. (India also follows restrictive immunity).
Restrictive immunity means a state is immune from the jurisdiction of other state (or country) courts to a certain extent. That is, it need not listen or look upon other country’s rules and regulations to a certain extent.
Immune in relation to those actions where the sovereign power shall be excised. On the other hand, absolute immunity means total immunity. Other countries or foreign firms cannot sue or seize the country’s assets.
What options do India have?
India can either challenge the decision in an appellate court of Canada or it can comply. It is highly unlikely that India will comply with the judgement.
