NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
Kerala got its first-ever scientific bird atlas: Kerala Bird Atlas
(KBA), the first-of-its-kind State-level bird atlas in India, has created solid
baseline data about the distribution and abundance of bird species across all
major habitats, giving an impetus to futuristic studies. It is being conducted
as a citizen science-driven exercise with the participation of over 1,000
volunteers of the birdwatching community KBA has been prepared based on
systematic surveys held twice over 60 days a year. Conducted as a citizen
science-driven exercise with the participation of over 1000 volunteers of the
bird watching community, KBA was prepared based on systematic surveys held
twice over 60 days a year during the wet (July to September) and dry (January
to March) seasons between 2015 and 2020.
Note: Kerala Capital: Thiruvananthapuram;
Kerala Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan; Kerala Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan.
2.
Ramgarh Wildlife Sanctuary set to be notified as 4th tiger reserve of Rajasthan: Ramgarh Vishdhari
Wildlife Sanctuary, which is among the proposed five sites in the country, is
expected to be formally notified as tiger reserve (TR) soon before the Global
Tiger Summit, which is to be held at Vladivostok, Russia. The Centre also
announced the development during the 4th Asia ministerial conference on tiger conservation.
The Centre has already given its approval of granting tiger reserve status to
Ramgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary, along with MM Hills in Karnataka, Guru
Ghasidas National Park in Chhattisgarh.
About the Ramgarh Vishdhari
Sanctuary:
(1) The Ramgarh Vishdhari Sanctuary will be
spread across 1,071 sq kms. A 302 Sq Km area in the proposed tiger sanctuary
will be left as critical habitat for Tigers and the rest of the area will act
as a buffer zone for the Ranthambore National Park.
(2) Ramgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary
was established in 1982. The core areas of the sanctuary have 8 villages and
are home to large numbers of wild animals like sambhars, caracals, wild boars,
nilgai, and striped Hyena.
Note: Chief Minister of Rajasthan: Ashok
Gehlot; Governor: Kalraj Mishra.
3.
Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launches revamped website and Mobile App
“MyCGHS”:
The Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched the revamped website and
mobile app of the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS). The website is
www.cghs.gov.in and the mobile app is called “MyCGHS”. The new features will
benefit more than 40 lakh beneficiaries with real-time information from the
convenience of their homes. The website has been made 3U compliant, where u
stands for Usable, User-Centric and Universally Accessible.
4.
CSCs launches Yogyata mobile app to impart skill-based vocational education: The Common
Services Centers (CSC) has launched a mobile phone application named ”Yogyata”
to impart vocational education and skill enhancement opportunities to youth and
citizens in rural areas. Through this Yogyata App, CSCs aims to provide
industry-based skills to youth in rural areas and thereby make them job-ready.
The enrolments under the app will be carried out by the Village Level
Entrepreneurs (VLE).
5.
Meenakashi Lekhi launches pictorial comic book ‘India’s Women Unsung Heroes’: Union Minister of
State for Culture, Meenakashi Lekhi has released a pictorial comic book titled
‘India’s Women Unsung Heroes’, as a tribute to the forgotten women freedom
fighters of the country. The book has been prepared by the Ministry of Culture
in partnership with Amar Chitra Katha, an Indian publisher of Indian comics and
graphic novels. India will be celebrating 75 years of independence this August
15. And so, the book celebrates the lives of 75 unsung women freedom fighters
of India, including Chakali Ilamma, Padmaja Naidu, Durgabhai Deshmukh, among
others.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
Russia-China-Iran conducts joint naval exercise CHIRU-2Q22: The Russian,
Chinese and Iranian navies undertook naval exercises CHIRU-2Q22 in the Gulf of
Oman. The maritime drills conducted in the northern parts of the Indian Ocean
aimed at deepening practical cooperation among the navies of the three countries.
The participants practised various tactics and operations, such as rescuing
ablaze vessels, saving hijacked vessels, shooting at targets, nocturnal
shooting at aerial targets, and other tactical manoeuvres as a part of the
drill. At least 140 warships and over 60 aircraft with nearly 10,000 military
personnel would be taking part in the military exercises.
2.
Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2021: India ranks 85th: Transparency
International has released the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2021 in which
India has been ranked at 85th spot (Score of 40). The ranking has been topped
jointly by three countries- Denmark, Finland and New Zealand (Score of 88).
This ranking measures how corrupt each country’s public sector is perceived to
be. The results are given on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).
180 countries are ranked in it. Last year (for 2020) India was ranked 86th with
a score of 40. This year’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) reveals that
corruption levels are at a worldwide standstill. The global average remains
unchanged for the tenth year in a row, at just 43 out of 100 points.
3.
Apple retained the title as world’s valuable brand in Brand Finance 2022: Apple has retained
its position as the most valuable brand in 2022 as well, according to the Brand
Finance 2022 Global 500 report. The brand valuation of Apple was recorded at
$355.1 billion in 2022, which is an increase of 35% from last year. This is the
highest brand value ever recorded in the Brand Finance Global 500 ranking
history.
Brands in the top 10: (1) Apple; (2)
Amazon; (3) Google; (4) Microsoft; (5) Walmart; (6) Samsung; (7) Facebook; (8)
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China; (9) Huawei; (10) Verizon
Key Points in the list:
(1) TikTok (18th) has been named the
world’s fastest-growing brand in the list. Its brand value increased from
US$18.7 billion in 2021 to US$59.0 billion in 2022.
(2) Tech remained the most valuable
industry in the list in terms of sector. This was followed by Retail, Banking,
Media and Telecoms in top 5 respectively.
Top Indian brand The Indian
conglomerate Tata Group has emerged as the most valuable brand from India and
also in South Asia. It is the only brand from the country in the top 100. The
Global Rank of Tata Group 78. The brand value of Tata Group is US$23.9 billion.
4.
Data Privacy Day: 28th January: Data Privacy Day is celebrated on January
28, every year across the world. The objective of the day is to sensitize
individuals and disseminate privacy practices and principles. It encourages
everyone to own their privacy responsibilities to create a culture of privacy.
Observance of the day is “an international effort of creating awareness on the
importance of respecting privacy, enabling trust and safeguarding data”. The
theme for this year is ‘Privacy Matters’. It instils a sense of accountability
that Privacy is integral to every individual’s life. Data privacy has been one of the hot topics
of discussion in a digitally connected world. The issue has become pertinent at
the time of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic when more and more
people are forced to spend time in the online world.
OTHER UPDATES:
BANKING AND FINANCE
1.
City Union Bank launches fitness watch debit card in tie-up with GOQii: City Union Bank in
association with smart-tech-enabled preventive healthcare platform GOQii and
powered by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has launched a
wearable payment solution called CUB fitness watch debit card. Customers need
to hold this wristwatch in front of the PoS device during payment like tapping
the card on PoS. For payments above Rs 5,000, customers need to tap and enter
their PIN. The introductory price of a smartwatch debit card is Rs 3,499, as
compared to an actual cost of Rs 6,499).
Customers can set limits for their payments
using Net / Mobile Banking. Payments made using this Debit Card in a Fitness
Watch are safe and secure, the bank said in a statement. For each transaction
done using the watch, SMS will be sent to the registered mobile number.
Customers can raise a request for the Fitness Watch Debit Card through Net
banking/ Mobile banking. Usage of wristwatches can be managed by customers on
their own through CUB All in One Mobile App.
Note: City Union Bank Headquarters:
Kumbakonam; City Union Bank CEO: Dr. N. Kamakodi (1 May 2011–); City Union Bank
Founded: 1904.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
Pencilton Launches Teen-Focused Debit and Travel Card: A teen-focused
Fintech startup based in India, Pencilton has recently launched PencilCard, a
debit card that is compliant with National Common Mobility Card standards. It
has been launched in partnership with Transcorp. The National Common Mobility
Card was developed by India’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in early
2019. It allows the user to pay for travel, toll duties, retail shopping and
withdraw money. Features of PencilCard:
(1) PencilCard works for both online and
offline payments in addition to its utility as a metro and bus card. It can
currently be used for travel on the airport line in Delhi and a KTC bus card in
Pune. It will soon be accepted for metro travel in Pune, Chennai, and Mumbai.
Also in the works is utilization on BEST buses in Mumbai.
(2) PencilCard is also a Platinum RuPay
card that brings additional perks such as free access to all airport lounges in
India. Users can activate their card via the Pencilton app for loading money,
getting a category-wise spend analysis, blocking or unblocking cards, setting
limits, establishing savings goals, saving in a ‘digital piggy bank’, finishing
chores given by parents for bonus pocket money and accessing a variety of other
functions.
2.
Air India formally handed over to Tata Group 2022: The government of
India officially handed over India’s flag carrier, Air India to the Tata Group
on January 27, 2022, almost 69 years after acquiring the conglomerate. The
total value of the deal is Rs 18,000 crore (US$2.4 billion). The strategic
disinvestment transaction of Air India includes the transfer of a 100 per cent
stake of GoI in Air India to Tata Sons, along with management control.
The transaction covers three entities
namely, Air India, Air India Express and Air India SATS (AI SATS). Under the
deal, the Tata group will also be handed over Air India Express and a 50 per
cent stake in ground handling arm AI SATS.
Note: Tata Group Founder: Jamsetji Tata;
Tata Group Founded: 1868, Mumbai; Tata Group Headquarters: Mumbai.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1.
Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve bags TX2 award: Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (Erode
district, Tamil Nadu) has been given the prestigious TX2 award after its tiger
numbers doubled to 80 since 2010. Apart from the STR, the Bardia National Park
in Nepal has won this year’s TX2 award for doubling the population of wild
tigers. Sathyamangalam wildlife sanctuary was declared a tiger reserve in 2013
and the reserve that spread across 1,411.60 sq km is an important link between
the Nilgiris and Eastern Ghats landscape. The Nilgiri biosphere landscape that
this reserve is part of is currently the home to the largest tiger population
in the world. It is connected to other well-established tiger habitats like
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Bandipur Tiger Reserve and BR Hills Tiger Reserve.
About the TX2 award: The award
acknowledges the efforts by the State governments and the local communities
which have played one of the most important roles to turn a relatively new
tiger reserve into one of the source populations of tigers in India. The awards
are presented by the Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CA|TS), Fauna and
Flora International (FFI), Global Tiger Forum (GTF), IUCN’s Integrated Tiger
Habitat Conservation Programme (ITHCP), Panthera, UNDP, The Lion’s Share,
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and WWF.
OBITUARIES
1.
Veteran Marathi author and social activist Anil Awachat passes away: Renowned Marathi
author and social activist Anil Awachat has passed away. Awachat was the
founder of a de-addiction center called Muktangan Rehabilitation Center in Pune
in 1986. He was known for his several Marathi books like “Manasa”,
Swatahavishayi, “Gard”, “Karyarat”, “Karyamagna” and “Kutuhalapoti”. In the
early 1970s, he edited a popular Marathi journal called Sadhana which featured
his trenchant writings on social issues, notably in his reportage of the 1972
drought that ravaged Maharashtra. His many books include ‘Kondmara’ (1985) on
Dalit atrocities and ‘Dharmik’ (1989), a penetrating expose on the cult of
false godmen in Maharashtra.
2.
Noted Kathakali dancer and Padma Shri Recipient Milena Salvini Passes Away: Noted Kathakali
dancer Milena Salvini of France has passed away. Italian-born Salvini was a
regular visitor to India, especially Kerala where she learnt Kathakali, and ran
‘Centre Mandapa’, a school for Indian dance forms, in Paris. The Government of
India conferred the Padma Shri award on Salvini in 2019 for her contribution in
the field of performing arts.
3. Former Indian Hockey Team Captain Charanjit Singh Passes Away: Former Hockey mid-fielder Charanjit Singh has passed away, after suffering a cardiac arrest and prolonged age-related illnesses. He was 90. He was the Captain of the Indian hockey team which won gold in the Tokyo Olympics of 1964. He was also a member of the Indian team which won silver medals in the 1960 Games in Rome, and in the 1962 Asian Games at Jakarta.
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