Daily GK Update- 5th Mar, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. MoWCD launches ‘Stree Manoraksha’ Project: The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) and NIMHANS Bengaluru launched the ‘Stree Manoraksha Project’ on Wednesday with the goal of improving women’s mental health in India. The project would concentrate on increasing the ability of OSC (One-Stop Center) off1icials in terms of tools and procedures for dealing with women who come to One-Stop Centers, particularly those who have experienced violence and distress, with compassion and care.

Key Points:

a)      One-Stop Center performed admirably during the COVID time. There are already over 700 One-Stop Centers operating across the country.

b)      People who work in these one-stop shops will be taught how to appropriately operate the Self Defense Shaheed Women Helpline and counsel them.

c)       The advanced training programme will be delivered in all of the regional languages that they want to be able to comprehend. NIMHANS has also built a website dedicated to this, which contains a wealth of information on training.

Implementation:

a)      The project, which has been painstakingly described by NIMHANS based on the Ministry’s expected requirements, will be delivered in two formats.

b)      All OSC functionaries, including security guards, cooks, helpers, caseworkers, counsellors, centre administrators, paramedical staff, and others, will receive basic training in one format.

c)       The second format will emphasise the advanced course, which will focus on various components such as multi-generational implications and lifetime trauma in cases of violence against women as well as professional principles in counselling.

 

2. Google and MeitY to train 100 Indian startups under Appscale Academy programme: The MeitY Startup Hub, an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and Google have announced a cohort of 100 early to mid-stage Indian startups as a part of Appscale Academy programme. Appscale Academy is a new growth and development programme for startups launched by MeitY and Google to help and train early- to mid-stage startups across India on building high-quality apps and games for a global audience.

About the programme:

a)      These 100 startups were chosen from over 400 applications following an in-depth selection process.

b)      Under the six-month Appscale Academy programme, the 100 startups will be trained through a customised curriculum which includes virtual instructor-led webinars, self-learning material, and mentorship sessions with local and global industry professionals.

Note: Minister of Electronics and Information Technology: Ashwini Vaishnaw;

Google CEO: Sundar Pichai; Google Founded: 4 September 1998; Google Headquarters: Mountain View, California, United States.

 

3. Ujjain creates Guinness Record by Lighting 11.71 Lakh Diyas: Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh has created a Guinness record by lighting 11.71 lakh clay lamps (diyas) in 10 minutes. The diyas were lighted as part of the ‘Shiv Jyoti Arpanam Mahotsava’ on the occasion of Mahashivratri. With this they broke the earlier record of lighting 9.41 lakh diyas created in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh on 03 November 2021. Ujjain is also known as the ‘Land of Mahakal’. The certificate was received by Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

It was a zero-waste programme. The clay from the lamps will be used to prepare idols, while the oil left in the lamps will be offered to gaushalas. The plastic used for the I-cards will be used to make chairs and other items for public gardens.

Note: Madhya Pradesh Capital: Bhopal; Madhya Pradesh Governor: Mangubhai C. Patel; Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

 

4. Herath Festival celebrated in Jammu and Kashmir: Herath or the ‘Night of Hara (Shiva)’, generally known as Maha Shivratri, is the main festival celebrated by the Kashmiri Pandits across Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The festival marks the marriage anniversary of Lord Shiva and Goddess Uma (Parvathi). 2022 Herath Festival was celebrated on 28th February 2022.

About the festival: Herath Festival is celebrated on “Trayodashi” or the 13th day of the dark half of the month of Phalguna (Hindu calendar), between February and March. The Kashmiri Pandits celebrate the festival by distributing walnuts as a mark of respect to the Hindu deities. The rest of the nation celebrates the Maha Shivratri on Chaturdashi or the 14th of Phalguna.

 

5. Akshaye Widhani named as Chief Executive Officer of Yash Raj Films: Film production and distribution company Yash Raj Films (YRF) has named Akshaye Widhani as chief executive officer. Widhani was serving as senior vice-president, finance and business Affairs and head of operations at YRF Studios. He used to head corporate and business development activities for YRF, including finance, business extensions, strategic alliances, joint ventures, co-productions.

History of Yash Raj Films: Yash Raj Films is one of India’s biggest film production houses. Aditya Chopra is the Chairman and MD of Yash Raj Films. Yash Raj Films was founded by Yash Raj Chopra, in the year 1970.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. China’s Long March-8 Rocket Launches 22 Satellites into Space: China’s second Long March 8 rocket launched carrying a domestic record 22 satellites for a range of commercial Chinese space companies. The Long March 8 lifted off from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center at 10:06 p.m. Eastern Feb. 26, with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) later confirming launch success.

These satellites will be mainly used for commercial remote sensing services, marine environment monitoring, forest fire prevention and disaster mitigation. The mission marked the 409th flight of the Long March carrier rockets.

Note: China Capital: Beijing; China Currency: Renminbi; China President: Xi Jinping.

 

2. NASA launches next-generation GOES-T satellite to track hazardous weather: US space agency, NASA, successfully launched the third in a series of four next-generation weather satellites, Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The satellite is named as GOES-T. Once the satellite gets positioned in its geostationary orbit it will be renamed from GOES-T to GOES-18. GOES-T will be used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to forecast weather and hazardous environmental conditions in the Western Hemisphere.

Note: NASA administrator: Bill Nelson; Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States; NASA Founded: 1 October 1958.

NOAA Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States; NOAA Founder: Richard Nixon; NOAA Founded: 3 October 1970

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament: Nikhat Zareen & Nitu wins gold for India: Indian boxers Nikhat Zareen (52kg) and Nitu (48kg) has won gold medals at the 73rd Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament, held in Sofia, Bulgaria. The Indian contingent ended their campaign at the tournament with three medals including two golds and one bronze.

a)      Nikhat Zareen: Nikhat bagged her second gold medal at Europe’s oldest international boxing tournament with a 4-1 win in the women’s 52kg final. She had previously won the Strandja Memorial title in 2019.

b)      Nitu: Nitu outpunched the reigning Youth World Championships bronze medallist Italy’s Erika Prisciandro 5-0 without breaking a sweat in the women’s 48 kg final.

c)       Nandini: With Nandini also finishing on the podium in the 81kg category and signing off with a bronze medal, the Indian contingent concluded their campaign with three medals at the tournament, which was part of India’s first exposure trip this year.

 

2. Indian shooter Saurabh Chaudhary wins 10m air pistol gold at ISSF World Cup: Indian shooter, Saurabh Chaudhary has won the gold medal in Men’s 10m Air Pistol event at the ongoing 2022 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Cairo, Egypt. The silver medal has been won by Germany’s Michael Schwald while Artem Chernousov of Russia claimed the bronze medal.

In the women’s 10m air pistol section, India’s Esha Singh lost to Anna Korakaki of Greece to win the silver medal. Esha, who had shot better than Anna in the semifinal stage, pushed Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Antoaneta Kostadinova to the bronze.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI cancelled licence of Sarjeraodada Naik Shirala Sahakari Bank: Reserve Bank of India has cancelled the license of Sarjeraodada Naik Shirala Sahakari Bank, Sangli, Maharashtra, as it did not have adequate capital and earning prospects. With the cancellation of the licence, Sarjeraodada Naik Shirala Sahakari Bank Ltd has ceased to carry on banking business with effect from the close of business hours on 2 March. The bank is not complying with various sections of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amount of his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of Rs 5 lakh from the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).

Note: DICGC Chairperson: Michael Patra; DICGC Founded: 15 July 1978; DICGC Headquarters: Mumbai.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Ashneer Grover resigned from BharatPe as MD & Director 2022: Ashneer Grover, co-founder and Managing Director (MD) of BharatPe, a leading Indian fintech company, has resigned as the MD and director of the board of BharatPe. Ashneer Grover, who owns a 9.5% stake worth Rs 1915 crore in BharatPe, will continue as the single largest individual shareholder of the company. BharatPe became the 19th Indian startup to become a unicorn in 2021.

Shashwat Nakrani, the co-founder of BharatPe, owns 7.8% and Sequoia Capital India, a venture capital (VC) investor and the largest shareholder of BharatPe, holds 19.6%, followed by Coatue at 12.4% and Ribbit Capital at 11%. As of August 2021, Tiger Global, Steadview Capital, and Beenext together hold a 60.4% stake in BharatPe.

 

2. Adani Green gets LOA for setting-up 150 MW solar power plant: Adani Green Energy Ltd stated that its subsidiary Adani Renewable Energy Holding Fifteen Limited has obtained a letter of award (LOA) to build a 150-megawatt solar power plant. For a period of 25 years, the fixed rate for this project capacity is $2.34/kWh.

Important Points:

a)      According to a statement issued by the Adani Group company said in a stock exchange filing, Adani Renewable Energy Holding Fifteen Limited, a Wholly-owned Subsidiary of Adani Green Energy Limited, participated in a Tender which was issued by the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited for the acquisition of 250 MW Solar Power from ground-mounted grid-connected solar PV power plants and has received the Letter of Award for setting up a 150 MW Solar Power Project.

b)      Adani Green presently has a totally renewable energy project portfolio of 20.434 MWac capacity, with 5.410 MWac of operational projects. According to the firm, 11,591 MWac projects are now under construction, with 3.433 MWac projects nearing completion.

c)       Adani Green Energy Limited is an Indian renewable energy firm headquartered in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and is part of the Adani Group. In a year, Adani Green Energy shares have returned over 61 per cent, while the company has surged more than 36 per cent in 2022 (year-to-date or YTD) thus far, compared to a 5% drop in the benchmark BSE Sensex.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. MoS Annpurna Devi gives National ICT Award 2020 & 2021: Smt Annpurna Devi, who is the union MoS for Education has given National ICT Awards to 49 teachers from all over the country. In her speech on this event, she told that the NEP-2020 emphasizes on the efficient use of technology in the field of teaching, which will remove the language barriers and increase access for DIVYANG students.

KEY POINTS (Speech OF MoS for Education)

a)      The Information and Communication Technology [ICT] intervention under Samagra Shiksha also has inclusions to provide technological upgradations to schools and Teacher Education Institutes (TEIs).

b)      DIKSHA, school MOOCs on SWAYAM, PMeVIDYA, ePathshala, ICT Curriculum for Teachers and Students and National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement integrated teacher training programme through online mode are among the flagship projects to bridge the digital divide.

c)       The role of teachers in nation-building is appreciable and a Guru (teacher) is given the most respectful person in Indian Society.

d)      The recent budget announcements by the Govt. of India have provided the impetus to each and every digital education initiative.

Daily GK Update- 4th Mar, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Assam government declared the entire state as a “Disturbed Area 2022: The Assam government has extended the contentious Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) in the state for six more months. The notification came into effect from February 28. Initially, it was the Assam Disturbed Area Act of 1955 during the agitation by Nagas in undivided Assam. This Act gave freehand to some extent to the Army that was repealed with the incorporation of the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act, 1958. AFSPA was imposed in Assam in November 1990 and has been extended every six months since then after a review by the government.

About the AFSPA: AFSPA, which gives sweeping powers to the security forces to maintain public order in ‘disturbed areas’, has been a contentious issue in the north-east states. Civil society members and activists have claimed that AFSPA gives security personnel a free hand to carry out excesses.

Note: Assam Capital: Dispur; Assam Chief Minister: Himanta Biswa Sarma; Assam Governor: Jagadish Mukhi.

 

2. GoI think tank, Niti Aayog developing National Gender Index: NITI Aayog is in the process to develop a National Gender Index. The objective of the National Gender Index is to measure the progress and identify the persisting gaps in gender equality to make informed policy decisions. It will serve as a tool to map the progress of India’s States and UTs on defined gender metrics and build the foundation for positive change. The information was released in the Annual Report 2021-22 of NITI Aayog.

Niti Aayog has also developed a draft State Energy and Climate Index to assess the performance of states on indicators such as discoms’ viability and competition; access, affordability and reliability of energy; clean energy initiatives; energy efficiency; generation capacity; and environmental sustainability and new initiatives. The index will help states to efficiently manage their energy resources and provide better access to energy to the people.

 

3. Anup Jalota released book “Udaan Ek Majdoor Bachhe Ki” authored by Mithilesh Tiwari: Bhajan Samrat Anup Jalota has released the book “Udaan Ek Majdoor Bachhe Ki” by Captain AD Manek in a glittering program organized by Shailesh B Tiwari of P Club Education Pvt Ltd in Mumbai. The author of this book is Mithilesh Tiwari. This book is about the life journey of Captain AD Manek, how he travelled from zero to pinnacle in his career graph.

The family of Captain AD Manek is also known as the Flying Family of India. His wife is a hobby flyer while his two sons are professional pilots. One daughter-in-law is the air hostess and the other daughter-in-law is the aircraft dispatcher. All 6 members of this family are serving in the Indian Aviation Industry.

 

4. Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin’s autobiography “Ungalil Oruvan” launched: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched the first volume of Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin’s autobiography Ungalil Oruvan (One Among You) in Chennai. The first part of the autobiography contains his early life experiences. In it, he traces his school and college days, adolescence, early political contributions, marital life and the MISA struggle, recalling 23 years up to 1976.

 

5. National Security Day: 4th of March: In India, March 4 is celebrated as National Security Day (Rashtriya Suraksha Diwas) every year, in the honor of the Indian Security Forces. The day aims to show gratitude to all the security forces, including policemen, para-military forces, commandos, guards, army officers, and other persons involved in security, who sacrifice their life in maintaining the peace and security of the people of the country. Apart from this, National Security Week 2022 is being celebrated from March 4 to March 10, 2022.

History of the day: 4 March also marks the day when the National Security Council (NSC) of India was established, in 1966 by the Ministry of Labour under the Government of India. The first National Security Day (NSD) was held in 1972.

Note: National Security Council of India Founded: 19 November 1998; National Security Council of India head:  Ajit Kumar Doval.

 

6. National Safety Day: 4th of March: The National Safety Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on the 4th of March to commemorate the foundation of the National Safety Council (NSC) of India. The day aims to raise public awareness of all safety principles, including road safety, workplace safety, human health safety, and environmental safety. The year 2022 marks 51st NSD. Every year, this day is celebrated with a different theme. This year, the National Safety Council of India announced the theme to be ‘Nurture young minds – Develop safety culture’.

Significance of the day: It is critical to observe National Safety Day in order to ensure adequate workplace wellbeing. The development of a proactive attitude toward safety, as well as methods for identifying workplace dangers and reducing accidents and exposure to hazardous circumstances and substances, is critical to every employee’s job satisfaction.

History of the day: The first National Safety Day was observed in 1972. The National Safety Council was set up on 4th March 1966 by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, to develop and implement a voluntary routine in the areas of safety, health, and the environment.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. US, EU, UK decided to eliminate selected Russian banks from SWIFT: Canada, U.S.A. and their European allies have come to a conclusion to remove the key Russian banks from the Interbank messaging system (IMS) of SWIFT. This is a very big step that will cut off the country from much of the worldwide financial system.

KEY POINTS:

a)      The major global powers issued a joint statement announcing this significant retaliatory measure. It said, “This will ensure that these banks are disconnected from the international financial system and harm their ability to operate globally”.

b)      Russia’s removal from SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) will mean that the Russian banks will not be able to communicate securely with foreign banks.

c)       Previously, Iran has been removed from SWIFT in 2014 following developments to its nuclear program in Tehran.

d)      The announcement will follow several rounds of joint sanctions that will be imposed on Russia for its unprovoked attack on Ukraine.

e)      After this announcement from the Major global powers backed SWIFT, Denys Shmyhal, who is the Prime Minister of Ukraine, praised the measure in a tweet he wrote, “Appreciate your support and real help in this dark time. Ukrainian people will never forget this! Keep holding the line! We are on our land.”

f)        In addition to this statement, the U.S.A. and its allies announced that they will impose restrictive measures to prevent the central bank of Russia from deploying its international reserves in ways that may undermine the sanctions imposed on them.

SWIFT: SWIFT stands for Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications and is an independent enterprise, which is based in Belgium. SWIFT serves as an internal communication mechanism between around 11,000 banks and financial institutions for more than 200 countries and territories.

 

2. IOC Withdraws Top Olympic Honour From Vladimir Putin: The International Olympic Committee has stripped Russian President Vladimir Putin of the Olympic Order award in response to the invasion of Ukraine. International Olympic Committee urged sports federations and organisers to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from international events following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russia’s participation in the World Cup play-offs next month is also in doubt after FIFA plans to allow them to play on neutral territory were dismissed as “unacceptable” by rivals. The IOC last week urged all international sports federations to cancel forthcoming events in Russia, angry at Moscow violating an “Olympic Truce” with its attack on Ukraine.

Note: International Olympic CommitteeHeadquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland; International Olympic Committee President: Thomas Bach; International Olympic Committee Founded: 23 June 1894, Paris, France.

 

3. World Obesity Day: 4th March: World Obesity Day is observed every year on March 04. It is observed to spread awareness about obesity and encourage action towards its elimination. The day is organised by the World Obesity Federation, a non-profit body that is in official relations with the World Health Organisation. The theme of World Obesity Day 2022 is ‘Everybody Needs to Act’. The campaign aims to improve the world’s understanding, prevention and treatment of obesity.

World Obesity Day Significance: Obesity is one of the biggest health crises in the world, affecting 800 million people with millions more at risk, according to worldobesity.org. To spread awareness about the same and encourage action towards its elimination.

World Obesity Day History: World Obesity Day goes way back to the year 2015, wherein a non-profit organization worked closely with World Health Organisation and Lancet Commission in helping spread awareness. Later in 2016, the focus was shifted to childhood obesity, while later in 2017, the idea was to treat obesity now and avoid consequences later.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. 31st Southeast Asian Games to be held in Vietnam: The 31st Southeast Asian Games will be held in Vietnam from May 12 to 23, 2022. It is the biggest sporting event of Southeast Asia and is a biennial event. The event was originally scheduled to take place in November 2021 however it was postponed due to the Covid pandemic. The Games will feature 40 sports with 526 events, attracting around 10,000 participants, organisers announced at a press conference here. The Vietnamese capital Hanoi will be the main venue alongside 11 neighbouring localities including Quang Ninh, Phu Tho and Bac Ninh, Xinhua news agency reported. Moto of 31st Southeast Asian Games- “For a Stronger South East Asia”.

Points to remember:

a)      In 2023, the Southeast Asian Games will be held at Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

b)      The mascot of the 2021 Southeast Asian Games is “Sao La”, inspired by saola – a rare mammal native to central Vietnam.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Union Bank of India and Ambit Finvest tie-up: Ambit Finvest has announced the signing of a co-lending agreement with Union Bank of India (UBI) for financing to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) customers. Ambit Finvest is the Ambit Group’s non-deposit-taking Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC). This collaboration will enable underwriting for businesses in 11 states now served by Ambit Finvest. Ambit Finvest and Union Bank of India hope to speed up credit disbursement across multiple geographies with this partnership, according to Sanjay Dhoka, COO and CFO of Ambit Finvest.

KEY POINTS:

a)      MSMEs that face higher interest rates or are unable to access banking services would benefit from lower rates of interest, which will translate into cheaper cost of funds, allowing them to deploy capital more effectively in their businesses, according to the company’s statement.

b)      Lal Singh, Union Bank’s CGM, said that the collaboration with Ambit Finvest Pvt Ltd. is part of UBI’s aim to create synergy between the two organisations, allowing us to better serve the most deserving and underserved enterprises.

c)       Lal Singh also added that the effort is part of Union Bank’s commitment to support MSMEs by offering tailored financial solutions and speeding MSMEs’ growth in order to contribute to the country’s economic development

d)      Ambit Finvest will be able to further grow its reach in the MSME category as a result of its co-lending agreement with a large organisation like Union Bank of India, according to Dhoka.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. GST collections in Feb stand at Rs 1.3L cr: Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection crossed the Rs 1.30-lakh crores mark for the fifth time in February 2022. The gross GST revenue collected in the month of February 2022 is Rs 1,33,026 crore of which CGST is Rs 24,435 crore, SGST is Rs 30,779 crore, IGST is Rs 67,471crore (including Rs 33,837 crores collected on import of goods) and cess is Rs 10,340 crore (including ₹638 crores collected on import of goods).

The February mop-up was impacted by the Omicron wave that swept through the country and hence, the gross sales tax collection was lower than the record Rs 1,40,986 crore netted in January. The revenues for the month of February 2022 are 18% higher than the GST revenues in the same month last year and 26% higher than the GST revenues in February 2020.

 

2. T S Ramakrishnan named as new MD and CEO of LIC Mutual Fund: LIC Mutual Fund has announced the appointment of TS Ramakrishnan as its Managing Director & CEO, effective. Ramakrishnan, as the MD and CEO, LIC Mutual Fund Asset Management, will succeed Dinesh Pangtey, its former Wholetime Director and CEO.

About the LIC Mutual Fund: LIC Mutual Fund is one of the oldest and leading mutual funds operating in India. offer a complete basket of 26 products covering debt, equity, hybrid, passive and solution-oriented schemes. The Average Assets under Management (AAuM) is Rs 18,625.52 crores as on January 31, 2022.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Indian Air Force to conduct Exercise Vayu Shakti at Pokharan range, Rajasthan: Indian Air Force (IAF) will conduct the Exercise Vayu Shakti that will take place at Pokharan range in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan on March 7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the Chief Guest of this event. A total of 148 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) will participate in this exercise. Rafale aircraft will participate for the first time in this exercise. Exercise Vayu Shakti is organised by Indian Air Force once in every three years. The last Vayu Shakti Exercise took place in 2019.

Note: Indian Airforce founded: 8 October 1932; Indian Airforce Headquarters: New Delhi; Indian Airforce Chief of Air Staff: Vivek Ram Chaudhari.

Daily GK Update- 3rd Mar, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurates ‘Arogya Vanam’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan: The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated a newly developed ‘Arogya Vanam’ at the President’s Estate, (Rashtrapati Bhavan) in New Delhi. The objective of this Arogya Vanam is to promote the importance of Ayurvedic plants and their effects on the human body. The concept of Arogya Vanam has been conceived with the aim of publicising the importance of Ayurvedic plants and their effects on the human body.

About the Arogya Vanam: Spread in 6.6 acres, the Arogya Vanam has been developed in the shape of a human sitting in the Yoga Mudra. It consists of around 215 herbs and plants used for therapeutic purposes in Ayurveda. Some of the other features of this Vanam are water fountains, Yoga platform, water channel, lotus pond and a viewpoint.  This Vanam will be now open for public viewing.

 

2. India’s first ambulance for street animals launched in Tamil Nadu: India’s first ambulance for street animals has been launched in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It has been started by the Blue Cross of India in collaboration with the international animal welfare organization “Four Paw”. Madras High Court Justice Dr Anitha Sumanth launched the ambulance. The Stray Animal Care programme will be a “hospital on wheels” with an onboard veterinarian to provide on-site treatment to injured and sick street animals.

Apart from the veterinarian, the animal ambulance will also include a para veterinary-worker-cum-driver. The ambulance will include a treatment table, two fans, an inverter, a fridge, and drawers for sterile products and bandages. It will also come with a washbasin, an anti-skid shock-absorbing mat, a stretcher trolley, a retractable doctor’s seat, a retractable tarpaulin, dog-catching equipment, two movable cages to hold dogs, and overhead cupboards. There will also be a provision to administer intravenous fluids and oxygen on board.

Note: Tamil Nadu Capital: Chennai; Tamil Nadu Chief Minister: M. K. Stalin; Tamil Nadu Governor: R. N. Ravi.

 

3. “Industry Connect 2022” inaugurated by Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya: Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Chemicals & Fertilizers has inaugurated the seminar on “Industry Connect 2022”: Industry and Academia Synergy. The stress is on the importance of innovation & technology for the progress of the country and it is for the greater industry-academia partnerships. The innovative zeal and manufacturing quality products at scale will help the Prime Minister’s vision of Make in India and Make for the World.

During the Seminar, there were two technical sessions organised. Many officials from the CIPET, TDB (Technology Development Board) and various industry associations were also present on in this seminar. ORGANISERS:

a)      The Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals.

b)      Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India.

c)       Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET).

d)      Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

OBJECTIVES OF THE SEMINAR:

a)      The first objective is to focus on R&D – Laboratory to Industry.

b)      The second objective is to do the Skill Gap Analysis for the Human Capital in Petrochemicals Sector.

c)       Another objective is to Support Aatmanirbhar Bharat by providing the Indigenous Technology and Aatmanirbhar CIPET with the assistance of the Industry Connect.

d)      The final objective is for the Support of Technology with the assistance of the Technology Development Board to establish coordination between industry and academia for this sector.

 

4. Quantum Key Distribution tech tested by DRDO successfully between Vindhyachal & Prayagraj: A team of scientists, for the first time in the country, from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi successfully demonstrated a Quantum Key Distribution link between Prayagraj and Vindhyachal in Uttar Pradesh, spanning over 100 kilometres. Key Points:

a)      This technological breakthrough was accomplished using a commercial-grade optical fibre that was already on the market. The country has shown domestic safe key transfer technology for bootstrapping military grade communication security key hierarchy, according to the DRDO.

b)      This technological advance was made possible by the use of a commercially available optical fibre. According to the DRDO, the country has shown a domestic secure key transfer technique for bootstrapping military grade communication security key hierarchy.

c)       G Satheesh Reddy, Secretary of Defense R&D and Chairman of DRDO, thanked the scientists and professors of DRDO and IIT Delhi for the successful demonstration of this technology. He noted this in his speech to the scientific community as one of the shining examples of synergistic research between the DRDO and the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

d)      Professor Rangan Banerjee, Director of IIT Delhi, also commended the DRDO faculty and scientists involved in this breakthrough for their dedicated initiatives to strengthen the country’s technological capability.

Quantum key distribution: Quantum key distribution is a secure communication tech method that uses quantum physics to construct a cryptographic protocol. It allows two parties to generate a shared secret key that is only known to them and can be used to encrypt and decrypt messages.

 

5. Prof Bhushan Patwardhan named as chairman of NAAC: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has appointed educationist and research scientist Professor Bhushan Patwardhan as chairman, of the executive committee of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Bengaluru. The position was vacant after Prof Jagadish Kumar was appointed as chairman of UGC. About the NAAC:

a)      NAAC is an autonomous body established by the UGC on September 5, 1994, with Prof Ram Reddy as founding chairman and Prof Arun Nigavekar as its first director.

b)      NAAC undertakes assessment and accreditation of higher educational institutions (HEI) such as colleges, universities, or other recognized institutions to assess the quality status of these institutions.

c)       NAAC grades are based on predefined criteria of assessment of quality and performance denoting Very good (A), Good (B), Satisfactory(C), and Unsatisfactory (D) levels respectively. NAAC accreditation is a globally accepted indicator of the credibility and quality of the institution and has bearing on the academic, financial, and perceptual benefits. the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU).

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Japan and India renews the Bilateral Swap Arrangement (BSA): Japan and India have renewed the Bilateral Swap Arrangement (BSA) the size of which is up to USD 75 billion. The BSA is a two-way arrangement where both authorities can swap their local currencies in exchange for the US Dollar. The interest rate charged in this case is fixed at the time of signing the agreement and hence it reduces the risk caused due to fluctuations in the exchange rate. The actual Bilateral Swap Arrangement (BSA) was signed between the Bank of Japan and the Reserve Bank of India in 2018.

What does BSA between India and Japan mean?

a)      It means that Japan and India can borrow money from each other in either their currency i.e Indian Rupee or Japanese Yen or US Dollar. This can be further explained as mentioned below:

b)      When India wants to borrow money from Japan it can borrow in US Dollars or Japanese Yen up to the limit of $75 billion.

c)       When Japan wants to borrow money from India it can borrow in US Dollars or Indian Rupees up to the limit of $75 billion.

d)      The countries will pay interest on the amount actually borrowed at an interest rate fixed at the time of borrowing the money.

Note: Japan Capital: Tokyo; Japan Currency: Japanese Yen; Japan Emperor: Naruhito; Japan Prime minister: Fumio Kishida.

 

2. World Wildlife Day: 3rd March: The World Wildlife Day is observed every year on March 3 to raise awareness about the world’s wild fauna and flora. The day also reminds us of the need to fight against wildlife crime and human-induced reduction of species causing various wide-ranging economic, environmental and social impacts. World Wildlife Day will be celebrated in 2022 under the theme “Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration”, as a way to draw attention to the conservation status of some of the most critically endangered species of wild fauna and flora, and to drive discussions towards imagining and implementing solutions to conserve them.

History of the day: The day was proposed by Thailand and recognised in 2013 by United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). March 3 has been chosen as it is the day of signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973.

Note: World Wildlife Fund Headquarters: Gland, Switzerland; World Wildlife FundFounded: 29 April 1961, Morges, Switzerland; President and CEO of World Wildlife Fund: Carter Roberts.

 

3. World Hearing Day: 3rd March: World Hearing Day is held on 3rd March each year by World Health Organisation (WHO). The day aims to raise awareness on how to prevent deafness and hearing loss and promote ear and hearing care across the world. The World Hearing Day 2022 with the theme “To hear for life, listen with care” will focus on the importance and means of hearing loss prevention through safe listening.

History of the day: The WHO, on March 3 in 2007, observed World Hearing Day for the first time. In 2016, they decided to declare this day as World Hearing Day. It was known as International Ear Care Day before that. Communication is a fundamental human right and people with disorders and difficulties find it difficult to connect. Across the world, 360 million people suffer from disabling hearing loss. Educating people and teaching them about their rights will help them.

Note: WHO Established: 7 April 1948; WHO Director General: Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; WHO Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Dabang Delhi beats Patna Pirates to win maiden PKL title: Dabang Delhi K C defeated Patna Pirates by 36-37 in the final of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 8 in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Dabang Delhi beat three-time champion Patna Pirates. Pawan Sehrawat was awarded with the Raider of the season award for his 304 raid points in 24 matches. The winner of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 8 got a cash prize of 3 crores.

Other awardees:

Defender of the season award: Mohammadreza Chiyaneh;

Emerging Player of the season: Mohit Goyat;

Most Valuable Player of the season award: Naveen Kumar.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. CDSL becomes first depository to register more than 60 million Demat accounts: On the 1st of March, 2022, the Central Depository Services (India) announced that it now has more than six crores (i. e. equivalent to 60 million) active Demat accounts. A Demat account is a kind of account that can be used to keep online copies of securities and shares. A Demat account is a dematerialized account in its entire form. The main purpose of a Demat account is to keep shares that have been bought or dematerialized (that means conversion from physical to electronic form of shares), making online share trading easier for users.

KEY POINTS:

a)      The sole listed depository in India is Central Depository Services (India) Limited (CDSL).

b)      Ananta Barua, Whole Time Member, Securities and Exchange Board of India, said at a ceremony to commemorate the achievement that Dematerialisation has arose as a result of the issues that physical shares had with them.

c)       Barua also said that the new milestone demonstrates that access to the Indian securities market has become safe, convenient, and simple.

d)      Furthermore, Barua stated that new investors must be educated about the Indian securities market, the role of market infrastructure organisations, and investor protection in order to make well-informed judgments.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. NSO projects GDP growth for India in 2021-22 at 8.9%: National Statistical Office (NSO) has released the second advance estimates of national accounts. The GDP growth rate projection as per NSO for 2021-22 (FY22) and 2020-21 (FY21) is given below:

For 2021-22 (FY22)= 8.9% (earlier it was 9.2% in first advance estimates)

For 2020-21 (FY21)= -6.6% (earlier it was -7.3%)

According to NSO data, Gross Value Added (GVA) growth in the manufacturing sector growth remained almost flat at 0.2 per cent in the third quarter of 2021-22, compared to a growth of 8.4 per cent a year ago.

 

2. Google starts ‘Play Pass’ subscription in India: Google has announced the launch of ‘Play Pass’ subscription service in India that will provide Android device users access to over 1,000 applications and games without ads, in-app purchases, and upfront payments. Play Pass, which is currently available in 90 countries, will offer a high-quality and curated collection of 1000+ titles across 41 categories from developers across 59 countries including many from India, Google said in a statement.

About the Play Pass: Play Pass will give users access to well-known games like Jungle Adventures, World Cricket Battle 2, and Monument Valley, along with apps such as Utter, Unit Converter and AudioLab, Photo Studio Pro, Kingdom Rush Frontiers TD, among others.

Note: Google CEO: Sundar Pichai; Google Founded: 4 September 1998;

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Prof Deepak Dhar became the first Indian selected for Boltzmann Medal: Physicist Professor, Deepak Dhar has become the first Indian to be awarded the Boltzmann Medal. The Commission on Statistical Physics of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) presents this medal once in three years for contributions in the field of statistical physics. The medal presentation ceremony will be held during the StatPhys28 conference scheduled to be held in Tokyo in August this year. He shares the medal with John J Hoefield of Princeton University. Prof Dhar is presently the emeritus faculty at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune.

About Prof. Deepak Dhar:

a)      Prof Dhar was born in 1951 and completed his graduation in Science in 1970 from the University of Allahabad, then Masters’s in Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur in 1972.

b)      Then he went to the US for PhD and after completing his PhD joined the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) as a research fellow in 1978.

c)       He worked at TIFR over the years as a full-time professor and retired in 2016. Since then, he has joined IISER Pune as a visiting faculty.