CURRENT AFFAIRS SNIPPETS 21ST FEBRUARY 2022

 

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS SNIPPETS

 21st February 2022

National News

 

 

You reap what you sow: Bihar Deputy CM on Lalu Yadav's jail term

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi commented on former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's sentencing in the final fodder scam case and said, "As you sow, so you shall reap." "This is what the outcome is. If we also do this, it will happen to us also." Yadav was sentenced to five years in jail and fined ₹60 lakh.

 

 

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.  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.

 

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.

 

PM Narendra Modi inaugurates 550-tonne capacity Gobar-Dhan Plant in Indore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated a 550-tonne capacity “Gobar-Dhan (Bio-CNG) Plant” in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, through video conferencing. This is the biggest Bio-CNG plant in Asia. It has been set up at a cost of Rs 150 crore.  The gobardhan plant is based on the concept of waste-to-wealth innovation. Wet urban household waste and waste from cattle and farm is Gobar Dhan.  Lakhs of tonnes of garbage have occupied thousands of acres of land for decades across the country causing air and water pollution, the major reason behind the spread of diseases. The plant is based on zero-landfill models, which means no rejects would be generated.

Govt plans ‘Heal by India’ for positioning India as global source for health sector

The government of India will be promoting the ‘Heal by India’ initiative to improve India’s educational institutions in the health sector. The Union Health Ministry recently organized a Chintan Shivir — ‘Heal by India’ for two days.  ‘Heal by India’ initiative is meant to generate job opportunities abroad for India’s trained professionals in the health sector and enhance education to churn out quality human resources in health, thus helping them become eligible to work anywhere in the world.  The government of India is working on assets like well-qualified faculty, no language barrier, availability of advanced technology, positive government policies etc. Especially for those that have high demand outside India.  It includes almost 50-60 streams like dieticians, nurses, lab technicians, paramedics, OT (operation theatre) attendants, physiotherapists, OT technicians, medical attendants for old age patients care etc. They will be trained under the Skill India programme.

GoI, World Bank sign loan agreement of $115 million for implementation of REWARD Project

The Government of India, the State Governments of Karnataka and Odisha and the World Bank have signed a $115 million (INR 869 crore) Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agricultural Resilience through Innovative Development (REWARD) Programme.  This programme will help national and state institutions adopt improved watershed management practices to help increase farmers’ resilience to climate change, promote higher productivity and better incomes.  Terms of Loan: The loan has been provided by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) arm of World Bank and has a maturity of 15 years, including a grace period of 4.5 years.

The bifurcation of the loan amount of $115 million is given below:

Government of Karnataka- $60 million (INR 453.5 crore)

Government of Odisha- $49 million (INR 370 crore)

Central Government- $6 million (INR 45.5 crore)

 

International News

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.

 

 

Porsches, Lamborghinis on ship burning mid-ocean may be worth ₹1,150 cr: Report

A fire on the ship off the coast of Portugal's Azores Islands, that broke out on February 16, is expected to generate at least $155 million (over ₹1,150 crore) in expected losses for Volkswagen, risk solutions company Russell Group has estimated. The ship was carrying Volkswagen group's Porsche, Audi, and Lamborghini vehicles. The ship was reportedly carrying over 4,000 cars.

 

BANKING, BUSINESS AND EOCNOMY

TransUnion tieup Ficci for MSME consumer education programme

TransUnion CIBIL has partnered with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) to launch a unique nationwide MSME consumer education program to support MSME.  This program will kick off with MSME clusters in Maharashtra, Assam and Tripura and aims to reach thousands of MSMEs across key MSME clusters in India.  The program objective is to empower MSMEs with knowledge on how to build a good credit history and CIBIL Rank to avail easier and faster access to finance. TransUnion CIBIL is committed to supporting banks and credit institutions in the sustainable growth of their MSME portfolios while improving reach and driving access to finance for MSMEs.  In addition to offering MSME lenders solutions like CIBIL Rank and commercial credit reports for astute lending, TransUnion CIBIL also publishes insights reports like the MSME Pulse in association with SIDBI and the recent Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) analysis report to support policymakers and the industry with market insights on the MSME sector.

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.

 

 

Officer's Choice whisky maker Allied Blenders picks banks for IPO: Report

Allied Blenders & Distillers, which makes Officer's Choice whisky, has chosen ICICI Securities and Axis Capital to manage its IPO, Bloomberg reported. The Mumbai-based company plans to file preliminary offer documents by April and is targeting to list as soon as this year. Bloomberg earlier reported that Allied Blenders is planning to raise as much as $300 million through IPO.

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 in the table below. The Banks will further reduce their stake in IDRCL which is also given in the table below:

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%

 

India growing at 9.2%, among fastest-growing large economies: NITI Aayog CEO

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Monday said the Indian economy is growing at 9.2% and is among the fastest-growing large economies in the world. "Today, India is witnessing unprecedented levels of economic development and technological disruptions," he said. The Centre's Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme will add $520 billion to India's output in the next five years, Kant said.

 

 

 

Awards News

Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2022

The prestigious ceremony of Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2022 was held on February 20. The event was held in Mumbai and the best performances from last year were honoured in the event this time.  This year Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2022 celebrated the opulence of Indian Cinema and also commemorated the 75 years of Independence or Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Coal India gets 'India's Most Trusted Public Sector Company' award

Maharatna company of the Government of India, Coal India Limited has been awarded the 'India's Most Trusted Public Sector Company' award. Coal India received this honour at the “Energy Meet and Excellence Award” function organized by Industry Chamber “ASSOCHAM” in Kolkata.  The company has got this honour at a time when Coal India has not allowed the situation of power crisis in the country by significantly increasing coal production and supply in the last few months to meet the increased demand for coal for the power sector.  In the midst of all these difficulties, Coal India has continuously increased its coal production and supply and did not allow the shortage of coal required to generate electricity in the country.

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

Microsoft founder and philanthropist, Bill Gates has been conferred with Hilal-e-Pakistan, the second-highest civilian honour in the country, for his efforts to help eradicate polio in Pakistan.  Gates is on a day-long visit to Pakistan and has met with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. He also visited the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) that oversees efforts to curb Covid-19.

Books and Authors News

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.

A book on Rabindranath Tagore authored by Uma Das Gupta released

The book titled “A History of Sriniketan: Rabindranath Tagore’s Pioneering Work in Rural Construction” was authored by Uma Das Gupta and published under Niyogi Books ‘Paper Missile’ released.  The book contains Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s work in ‘village reconstruction’ by setting up ‘Sriniketan’, a wing of his Visva Bharati International University at Santiniketan in 1922, which is also popularly known as a university town. It is situated in West Bengal.  The book highlights the efforts of Rabindranath Tagore in improving the condition of the peasantry by using scientific methods of cultivation through laboratory experiments where the expert and the peasant collectively participated.

Sports News

 

You made India proud: Sachin on Praggnanandhaa beating world no. 1 Carlsen

Sachin Tendulkar took to Twitter to congratulate 16-year-old Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa after he defeated world number one Magnus Carlsen in eighth round of Airthings Masters, an online rapid chess tournament. "All of 16 and to have beaten...experienced...Carlsen ...that too while playing black, is magical...you've made India proud!" he wrote. The GM became third Indian to beat Carlsen.

 

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.

Mumbai to host International Olympic Committee session in 2023

Mumbai, India will host the International Olympic Committee session in 2023. The IOC Session for 2023 will be held at Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai. The last such session was hosted by India in the year 1983 in New Delhi.  In 2022, the IOC session was held in Beijing, China. Nita Ambani is the representative of India on this committee. Mumbai received a historic 99% of the votes in favour of its bid from the delegates participating in the process, with 75 members endorsing its candidature in the session held at Beijing.  The IOC Session is the yearly meeting of the 101 voting members and the 45 honorary members where they come together to decide amendments to the Olympic Charter, the election of IOC members and office-bearers and so on.

Important Days

International Mother Language Day observed on 21 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.  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.

Obituaries News

Senior journalist Ravish Tiwari passes away

Senior journalist, Ravish Tiwari has passed away. He was the national bureau chief of Indian Express. He was popular for his political news reporting.  Before this, he had also served as Senior Assistant Editor at Economic Times, Associate Editor at India Today and Senior Assistant Editor at the Indian Express. He had done his graduation from IIT Bombay and master's from the University of Oxford.

 

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