NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
GoI to launch ‘Meri Policy Mere Hath’ to deliver crop insurance policies: Ministry of
Agriculture & Farmers Welfare will launch ‘Meri Policy Mere Hath’ which is
a doorstep distribution drive to deliver crop insurance policies to farmers
under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). The campaign aims to ensure
all farmers are aware with all information on their policies, land records, the
process of claim and grievance redressal under PMFBY.
A flagship scheme of the Government of
India, PMFBY aims to provide financial support to farmers suffering crop
loss/damage arising out of natural calamities. Over 36 crore farmer
applications have been insured under PMFBY, with over INR 1,07,059 crores of
claims have already being paid under the scheme as of 4th February 2022.
About the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima
Yojana:
The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) has completed 6 years of its
implementation. It was launched by PM Modi on 18th February 2016 at Sehore,
Madhya Pradesh.
2.
Career Counselling Workshop ‘Pramarsh 2022’ launched in Bikaner: Minister of State
for Culture & Parliamentary Affairs, Arjun Ram Meghwal has launched
‘Pramarsh 2022’, a mega career counselling workshop, for the students of the
Bikaner District region in Rajasthan. More than one lakh students from
thousands of private & government schools of Bikaner district and mainly
from rural areas participated in this workshop. It is the first such incidence
in India that more than 1 lakh students participated in Career Counselling in
one Workshop.
About the Pramarsh 2022 workshop:
a)
The
“Pramarsh 2022” workshop is an extension of the effort to bridge the
industry-academia gap and impart the knowledge about various choices available
to the student, to help them make a more informed decision.
b)
The
Workshop was organised jointly by The National Institute of Career Services
(NICS), under the Ministry of Labour & Employment and Bengaluru-based
educational start-up Edumilestones, with support from the Directorate of
Education, Rajasthan.
3.
Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh Foundation Day: 20 February: Northern States
Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh celebrate their Foundation Day on February 20,
since 1987. Arunachal Pradesh is the extreme northern part of the country,
which is also known as the ‘land of the rising sun’. The state at the edge of
the Himalayas is proud to be called the land of dawn and lit mountains.
Arunachal Pradesh became the 24th state of India.
Mizoram was declared as a separate UT in
1972 under the Northeast Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971. It became the 23rd
state of India after the 53rd Amendment to the Indian Constitution, 1986.
Mizoram, as well as the state of Arunachal Pradesh, came into existence on 20
February 1987.
Note: Chief Minister of Mizoram: Pu
Zoramthanga; Governor: P.S. Sreedharan Pillai.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister: Pema Kha;
Governor: B.D. Mishra.
4. A
book titled ‘A Nation To Protect’ authored by Priyam Gandhi Mody: The book titled “A
Nation To Protect” authored by Priyam Gandhi Mody was launched by Union Health
Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. The book highlights the role of PM Narendra Modi
during the Covid crisis in the past two years. The book documents the Centre’s
leadership in this unprecedented time and how it tided the nation through the
crisis.
During the launch, Union minister Mansukh
Mandaviya said he believed that ‘A Nation to Protect’ describes the reality as
it unfolded during the last two years. “We have seen what happens when there is
a true leadership with a vision,” said Mandaviya referring to PM Modi.
5.
Table Tennis player Manika Batra joins Adidas as brand ambassador: Table Tennis
player, Manika Batra was named as the brand ambassador of Adidas. The
partnership focuses on empowering women to realize their dreams, cheering for
women to break barriers and boosting participation in sports. With this
association, the duo aims to drive credibility and inclusivity in sports,
further fanning the aspirations of upcoming women sportspersons across the
country.
About the Manika Batra: Manika Batra is
the first Indian woman to win gold in table tennis at the Commonwealth Games
2018. She is the first Indian player to reach the top 10 of the (International
Table Tennis Federation) ITTF World rankings in women’s doubles and top 15 in
mixed doubles, and the first Indian woman to reach the top 50 of the ITTF
Rankings.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
France announces military withdrawal from Mali after nine years: French president,
Emmanuel Macron has announced that France and its European partners will start the
military withdrawal from Mali after more than nine years fighting a jihadist
insurgency. France first deployed troops against jihadists in Mali in 2013
under the Socialist president François Hollande. The decision has been taken
due to a breakdown in France’s relations with the ruling junta government in
the country. The heart of this military operation will be shifted from Mali to
Niger.
In recent years, jihadists have taken over
swaths of territory in the former French colony, exploiting political turmoil,
poverty and the weakness of local authorities. Critics of French strategy in
Mali have long accused policymakers in Paris of focusing on the military force
at the expense of politics. The withdrawal applies to 2,400 French troops in
Mali and a smaller European force of several hundred, which was created in 2020
to reduce the burden on French forces.
Note: Mali Capital: Bamako; Currency: CFA
Franc; Niger Capital: Niamey; Currency: West African CFA franc.
2.
International Mother Language Day: 21st February: The International
Mother Language Day (IMLD) is observed annually on the 21st of February. The
day aims to raise awareness regarding linguistic and cultural diversity and to
promote multilingualism. The 2022 theme is “Using technology for multilingual
learning: Challenges and opportunities”. The UN mentioned in its statement that
this year’s theme raises the potential role of technology to advance
multilingual education and support the development of quality teaching and
learning for all.
History of the day: International
Mother Language Day was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November
1999. The UN General Assembly welcomed the proclamation of the day in its
resolution of 2002.
Significance of the day: The day signifies
how an intergovernmental body like UNESCO believes in the importance of
cultural and linguistic diversity for sustainable societies. According to
UNESCO, it is within its mandate for peace that it works to preserve the
differences in cultures and languages that foster tolerance and respect for
diversity.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1.
Bihar’s Sakibul Gani became 1st player to hit triple ton on first-class debut: Bihar’s Sakibul
Gani become the first player in the history of the game to score a triple
century on his first-class debut. He scored 341 off 405 balls, hitting 56 fours
and two sixes, in the Plate Group Ranji Trophy fixture against Mizoram at the
Jadavpur University Campus ground, Jadavpur, Bengal. Gani has played List A
cricket before this, scoring 377 runs from 14 matches including a century. In
11 domestic T20s, he has made 192 runs.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1.
SBI, PNB, BoB, UBI, Canara Bank and BoM acquires stake in IDRCL: State Bank of India
(SBI), Punjab National Bank (PNB), Bank of Baroda (BoB), Union Bank of India
(UBI), Canara Bank, and Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) have announced their
subscription to the shares of India Debt Resolution Company Ltd (IDRCL). Public
Sector Banks (PSBs) and Public FIs will hold a maximum of 49% in stake of IDRCL
while the remaining stake will be with private-sector lenders. The NARCL has
been incorporated under the Companies Act, and public sector banks will hold 51
per cent in NARCL.
The stakes acquired by these banks is given
below. The Banks will further reduce their stake in IDRCL which is also given:
|
Name of Bank |
Stake acquired |
Reduces stake by March
31, 2022 |
|
State Bank of India
(SBI) |
12.30% |
5% |
|
Punjab National Bank
(PNB) |
11.18% |
5% |
|
Union Bank of India
(UBI) |
12.30% |
10% |
|
Canara Bank |
14.90% |
5% |
|
Bank of Maharashtra
(BoM) |
6.21% |
4% |
|
Bank of Baroda (BoB) |
12.30% |
9.90% |
The objective of IDRCL: India Debt
Resolution Company Ltd (IDRCL) and National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd (NARCL)
have been set up by banks and financial institutions to consolidate and take
over the existing stressed debt in the banking/ financial system and then
manage and dispose the assets to Alternate Investment Funds.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
SBI Ecowrap report: India’s GDP projected at 8.8% in FY22: State Bank of India
(SBI) Research Report, Ecowrap, has revised downwards the gross domestic
product (GDP) growth rate of India for FY22 (2021-22) to 8.8 percent. Earlier
this was estimated at 9.3 per cent. The report projects the GDP to grow at 5.8
per cent in the third quarter (Q3) of FY2021-2022 (October-December). The
country’s economy expanded by 8.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2021-22, to
cross pre-pandemic levels. However, the GDP growth in the July-September period
was slower than the 20.1 per cent expansion in the previous quarter.
2.
Institute of Economic Growth named Chetan Ghate as its news Director: The Institute of
Economic Growth has appointed Chetan Ghate as the new director succeeding Ajit
Mishra. He was a member of the Reserve Bank of India’s first monetary policy
committee between 2016-2020, is the winner of the 2014 Mahalanobis Memorial
gold medal for the best research economist in the country under the age of 45.
He is currently an external affiliate of the Centre for Research in
Macroeconomics and Macro-Finance at Swansea University (Wales, UK).
About the Institute of Economic
Growth: The
Institute of Economic Growth conducts advanced research on economic and social
development in areas as diverse as macroeconomics, labour, international trade,
public health, environment, agriculture, demography, sociology and industrial
organization. IEG is one of the leading research and training centres in India
with a global reputation for research on the Indian economy. The Institute also
provides induction training for the Indian Economic Service Officers.
Note: Institute of Economic Growth
Chairperson: Tarun Das; Institute of Economic Growth Founder: V. K. R. V. Rao;
Institute of Economic Growth Founded: 1952.
DEFENCE
1.
Amit Shah launches ‘Shastra App’ and ‘Smart Card Arms License’ of Delhi Police:
Union
Home Minister Amit Shah has launched the ‘Smart Card Arms License’ and ‘Shastra
App’ of the Delhi Police, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Delhi
Police. In order to provide techno-friendly digital services to the citizens of
the national capital. According to Delhi Police, the smart card, with inherent
security features, is easy to carry and handle. The card will be printed
in-house after verification of data of the arms license holders.
About the Smart Card Arms License:
a)
The
Delhi Police Licensing Unit has introduced ‘Smart Card Arms License’, to
replace the existing bulky arms license booklet. With this Delhi Police has become
the first police force in the country to introduce such a smart card service.
b)
The
Smart Card Arms License is easy to carry with inherent security features. It
will be printed in the house after verification of data of arms license
holders.
About the Shastra mobile app:
a)
The
card is also integrated with the ‘e-Beat book’ of Delhi Police through the
‘Shastra mobile app’ for effective policing.
b)
The
Shastra app will help beat officers in identifying the credentials of arms
license holders anytime during day-to-day random checking.
OBITUARIES
1. Football legend Surajit Sengupta passes away: The former India footballer Surajit Sengupta, who played as a midfielder, has passed away due to COVID-19 complications. He was 71. At the club level, Sengupta had been associated with Kolkata’s three big clubs, Mohun Bagan (1972-1973, 1981-1983), East Bengal (1974- 1979) and Mohammedan Sporting (1980). He was part of the Indian national team that won a bronze medal in the 1970 Asian Games, held in Bangkok, Thailand.
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