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GKTODAY, , Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Last Updated: January 18, 2022, Published by: GKTODAY.IN, GKToday © 2022 | All Rights Reserved, The authors and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this E-book is, correct. However, GKToday does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any party for any loss,, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from, negligence, accident, or any other cause., This document is a property of GKToday. Unauthorized Duplication is not allowed.

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Contents, ......................... ..... ....... ... ........ .. ....................................................., News Headlines ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 3, January 1, 2022 ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 3, January 2, 2022 ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 3, January 3, 2022 ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 4, January 4, 2022 ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 4, January 5, 2022 ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 4, January 6, 2022 ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 5, January 7, 2022 ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 5, January 8, 2022 ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 6, January 10, 2022 .................................................................................................................................................................................... 7, January 10, 2022 .................................................................................................................................................................................... 7, January 11, 2022 ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 7, January 12, 2022 ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 8, January 14, 2022 .................................................................................................................................................................................... 9, January 15, 2022 ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 9, January 2, 2022 ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 10, January 1: DRDO Foundation Day ............................................................................................................................................................ 10, ‘Padhe Bharat’ Campaign ............................................................................................................................................................................ 10, January 3, 2022 .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 11, One Nation-One Grid-One Frequency ..................................................................................................................................................... 11, Resignation of Sudan's PM ......................................................................................................................................................................... 12, EWS Quota Committee Report .................................................................................................................................................................. 13, Recent Updates on Census 2021 ............................................................................................................................................................... 13, Mumbai Water Taxi Service ....................................................................................................................................................................... 14, Pakistan's Gas Shortage ............................................................................................................................................................................... 15, India's Aid to Afghanistan ........................................................................................................................................................................... 16, 5G Microwave Absorber ............................................................................................................................................................................ 16, What is 'Iron-Air Battery'? .......................................................................................................................................................................... 17, Energy Transition Advisory Committee (Tarun Kapoor Committee) ............................................................................................. 18, Draft National Air Sports Policy ................................................................................................................................................................ 18, Measures to conserve Western Ghats ...................................................................................................................................................... 19, Sri Lanka's Financial Crisis ......................................................................................................................................................................... 20, What is Monoceromyia flavoscutata? ....................................................................................................................................................... 21, India’s Unemployment rate – Recent Trends ......................................................................................................................................... 21, Quadrantid Meteor Shower ....................................................................................................................................................................... 22, Zero Tillage Technology ............................................................................................................................................................................ 23, January 4, 2022 ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 23, District Level Good Governance Index ................................................................................................................................................... 23, RBI Framework on Offline Digital Payments ........................................................................................................................................ 24, China's construction on Pangong Tso .................................................................................................................................................... 24, ISRO: Missions planned for 2022 ............................................................................................................................................................. 25, MoHUA Climate Change Awareness Campaign .................................................................................................................................. 26, PM's Excellence Award ............................................................................................................................................................................... 27, National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT) 3.0 ............................................................................................................... 27, India’s Monthly Goods Exports – Current Trend ................................................................................................................................ 28, Ayush Aahaar Pilot Project ........................................................................................................................................................................ 29, UNSC Statement on Nuclear War ........................................................................................................................................................... 29, GitHub App Case ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 30, New Covid-19 variant 'IHU' ....................................................................................................................................................................... 31, 2021 Gold Import in India .......................................................................................................................................................................... 31, Indian SARS – CoV – 2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) .......................................................................................................... 32, Bucharest Nine Group ................................................................................................................................................................................ 32, Unified Presentment Management System (UPMS) ............................................................................................................................ 33, Khanij Bidesh India (KABIL) ..................................................................................................................................................................... 34, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 2

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, World Braille Day 2022 .............................................................................................................................................................................. 34, IRDAI guidelines on Surety Insurance ..................................................................................................................................................... 35, Losar Festival of Ladakh ............................................................................................................................................................................. 36, Telangana – UP Potato Ban ...................................................................................................................................................................... 36, January 5, 2022 ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 37, National Youth Festival 2022 .................................................................................................................................................................... 37, Indian Bridge Management System ......................................................................................................................................................... 37, Caste certificate based on Single mother ................................................................................................................................................ 38, Plan Bee .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 39, North Korea Ballistic Missile ..................................................................................................................................................................... 39, Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) .............................................................................................................................. 40, Mud Crab Reovirus (MCRV) ..................................................................................................................................................................... 41, RBI Window for Primary Dealers ............................................................................................................................................................. 41, EU Tattoo Ink ban ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 42, Karnataka e– bike Taxi .............................................................................................................................................................................. 43, OmiSure RT – PCR Kit .............................................................................................................................................................................. 43, 'Khuntkatti’ law ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 44, Trincomalee Oil Tank Deal- Updates ..................................................................................................................................................... 44, Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) .................................................................................................................. 45, Starlink in India ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 45, Karnataka’s first LNG terminal ................................................................................................................................................................. 46, Recent Missions of Tourism Ministry ..................................................................................................................................................... 47, Brand India Campaign ................................................................................................................................................................................ 47, Japan – Australia Defence Agreement .................................................................................................................................................... 48, Emergency COVID Response Plans – II (ECRP - II) funds ............................................................................................................... 49, Digital Yuan Wallet Apps ........................................................................................................................................................................... 49, Chilika Water Bird Status Survey – 2022 .............................................................................................................................................. 50, January 6, 2022 ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 51, Kazakhstan Protests and Emergency ........................................................................................................................................................ 51, North Korea Hypersonic Missile ............................................................................................................................................................... 51, Action Plan for Introduction of Cheetah in India ................................................................................................................................. 52, Khelo India Games 2023 ............................................................................................................................................................................ 53, Drafting of Chile's Constitution - Recent developments ..................................................................................................................... 53, Koppal Toy Cluster ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 54, Automatic Generation Control .................................................................................................................................................................. 55, Delhi Teachers' University Bill 2022 ....................................................................................................................................................... 56, Regulations on Waste Tyres Management ............................................................................................................................................. 56, Multi – Agency Centre ............................................................................................................................................................................... 57, India’s Non – Fossil Fuel Milestone ......................................................................................................................................................... 57, 7 years of UJALA Scheme ......................................................................................................................................................................... 58, IEA on India's Ethanol Consumption ....................................................................................................................................................... 59, India- Germany Bilateral Ties ................................................................................................................................................................... 60, Gujarat: Student Start-ups and Innovation Policy 2.0 ......................................................................................................................... 60, Nirbhaya Kadhi Campaign ......................................................................................................................................................................... 61, Smart Cities and Academia Towards Action and Research (SAAR) ............................................................................................... 62, Fifth Takht of Sikhs ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 62, PMFME Scheme – Recent Initiatives ....................................................................................................................................................... 63, UN – WFP MoU for PM – POSHAN Scheme ..................................................................................................................................... 64, Punjab Panel on PM Security Lapse (Mehtab Singh Gill Committee) ............................................................................................ 64, RBI List of Scheduled Banks – Update ................................................................................................................................................... 65, January 7, 2022 ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 65, Sri Lanka India Oil Deal ............................................................................................................................................................................. 65, Strategic areas in J&K ................................................................................................................................................................................. 66, Green Energy Corridor Phase II ............................................................................................................................................................... 67, Hyderabad Open Rock Museum .............................................................................................................................................................. 67, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 3

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, Uvariopsis dicaprio ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 68, List of Recent Cabinet Approvals ............................................................................................................................................................. 69, Special Protection Group (SPG) Act – Highlights ............................................................................................................................... 69, IndiaSkills 2021 ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 70, National Conference on E – Governance 2022 .................................................................................................................................... 71, Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) ............................................................................................................................................................... 71, Supreme Court Order on NEET PG admissions .................................................................................................................................. 72, Varanasi Agri-Export Hub .......................................................................................................................................................................... 72, Veer Gatha Project ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 73, Exercise Sea Dragon 22 ............................................................................................................................................................................. 74, Mission Jeewan Raksha .............................................................................................................................................................................. 74, Home Ministry Committee on PM Security Lapse .............................................................................................................................. 75, January 8, 2022 ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 76, France “Vaccine Pass” ................................................................................................................................................................................ 76, China's 'Artificial Sun' - Recent Developments ..................................................................................................................................... 76, Study on Children Asthma and Traffic-related pollution ................................................................................................................... 77, What is 'Aquamation'? ................................................................................................................................................................................ 78, Recent Researches in Space Station ......................................................................................................................................................... 78, Study on Maya Civilization ........................................................................................................................................................................ 79, NSO Estimates on FY22 GDP Growth ................................................................................................................................................... 80, HC: Pubic Holiday not a Fundamental Right ........................................................................................................................................ 80, Start-up India Innovation Week ................................................................................................................................................................ 81, National Water Awards .............................................................................................................................................................................. 82, Assam – NDDB Dairy Joint Venture ...................................................................................................................................................... 84, Second phase of Passport Seva Programme ......................................................................................................................................... 84, Rise in Election Expenses Limit ................................................................................................................................................................. 85, CCI Probe on Google ................................................................................................................................................................................. 86, Clouded Leopard ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 86, UK: First human case of Avian flu ........................................................................................................................................................... 87, Modernisation of Kashmir Police Force ................................................................................................................................................. 88, MoCA Suggestions on Use of Drones .................................................................................................................................................... 88, Aceh-Andaman-Nicobar connectivity ..................................................................................................................................................... 89, 75th Anniversary of Bureau of Indian Standards ................................................................................................................................. 90, Investment in India Agri Start – Ups – Recent Trends ....................................................................................................................... 91, DPIIT Helplines for E-Commerce Firms ................................................................................................................................................. 91, January 10, 2022 .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 92, Veer Baal Diwas ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 92, RBI's Fin-Tech Department ....................................................................................................................................................................... 92, Global Surya Namaskar event ................................................................................................................................................................... 93, Assembly Elections in five states ............................................................................................................................................................... 94, U.P's New Revenue villages ....................................................................................................................................................................... 94, What is Devas Case? ................................................................................................................................................................................... 95, What is 'Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO)'? .............................................................................................................. 96, Gangasagar Mela ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 96, New Covid Strain 'Deltacron' ................................................................................................................................................................... 97, Food Processing Ministry Grievance Cell ............................................................................................................................................... 98, India's 73rd Chess Grandmaster .............................................................................................................................................................. 99, Sri Lanka Economic Crisis - 2021-22 ..................................................................................................................................................... 99, Pakistan Snowstorm .................................................................................................................................................................................. 100, Guidelines for Universal Accessibility in India 2021 ........................................................................................................................... 100, Google Doodle: Who was Fatima Sheikh? ............................................................................................................................................ 101, Urjit Patel – New Vice President of AIIB .............................................................................................................................................. 102, Assam Mission on Malnutrition – Project Parvarish .......................................................................................................................... 102, Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas Conference 2022 .............................................................................................................................. 103, Kochi Water Metro Project ...................................................................................................................................................................... 103, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 4

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, January 11, 2022 ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 104, Passport Seva Programme (PSP-V 2.0) ................................................................................................................................................ 104, Sri Lanka Inter-city Train Service with Indian Aid ............................................................................................................................. 105, First on-site evidence of water on Moon .............................................................................................................................................. 105, Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA)- Recent Developments ........................................................................................................ 106, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas: New IMF Chief Economist ..................................................................................................................... 106, Golden Globe Awards Winners .............................................................................................................................................................. 107, Study: 2021 was Earth’s fifth-hottest year ............................................................................................................................................ 108, IUCN assessment on Red Sanders ......................................................................................................................................................... 109, What are 'Western disturbances'? .......................................................................................................................................................... 109, New Directors of 4 IITs ............................................................................................................................................................................ 110, First Pig heart transplant in Human ........................................................................................................................................................ 110, Ban of Conversion therapy in Canada .................................................................................................................................................... 111, Turkmenistan's 'Gateway to Hell’ ........................................................................................................................................................... 112, Precautionary vaccine jabs in India .......................................................................................................................................................... 112, Foreign direct investment in LIC ............................................................................................................................................................. 113, Hindi descriptions of India’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites ........................................................................................................... 114, US – Russia Key Dialogue on Ukraine ................................................................................................................................................... 114, India – Korea Trade Talks ........................................................................................................................................................................ 115, Deployment of James Webb Telescope .................................................................................................................................................. 115, January 12, 2022 ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 116, Odisha: Rise in Upper age limit for Govt jobs ...................................................................................................................................... 116, Developing Country Tag at WTO .......................................................................................................................................................... 117, Ibonia and Ramayana ................................................................................................................................................................................. 118, Omicron sub-lineage BA.1 ........................................................................................................................................................................ 118, Test Fire of Brahmos Advanced Variant ................................................................................................................................................ 119, Indian Government Majority Stake in Vodofone ................................................................................................................................ 120, Jagananna Smart Townships ................................................................................................................................................................... 120, MHA Advisory on Transgender Persons in Prisons ............................................................................................................................ 121, India-South Korea bilateral trade target ................................................................................................................................................ 122, Henley Passport Index 2022 .................................................................................................................................................................... 122, World Bank's 'Global Economic Prospects' Report ............................................................................................................................ 123, The Global Risks Report 2022 ................................................................................................................................................................ 124, US: First Coin featuring Black Woman ................................................................................................................................................. 124, Tamil Nadu Regional Plan Rules, 2021 .................................................................................................................................................. 125, 25th National Youth Festival .................................................................................................................................................................... 126, January 13, 2022 ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 127, UN’s largest Single Country appeal ........................................................................................................................................................ 127, Second Round of Quarterly Employment Survey ............................................................................................................................... 127, Expansion of Orang National Park ......................................................................................................................................................... 128, DRDO Flight Test of MPATGM ............................................................................................................................................................ 129, KVIC’s Khadi Handmade Paper Slippers .............................................................................................................................................. 129, AI- driven Start-Up for Water Purification ........................................................................................................................................... 130, What is 'Purposive testing strategy? ........................................................................................................................................................ 131, India-US Bilateral Trade- Recent Trends ............................................................................................................................................... 131, Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar (SVP) 2021 – 2022 ................................................................................................................................ 132, Indu Malhotra Panel ................................................................................................................................................................................... 133, UK HS2: Discovery of Roman trading settlement .............................................................................................................................. 134, U.K-India Free-trade deal Talks .............................................................................................................................................................. 134, Record High US Inflation .......................................................................................................................................................................... 135, Rise in Banking Ombudsman complaints ............................................................................................................................................. 136, Kumbalangi: First sanitary-napkin-free panchayat .............................................................................................................................. 136, Gulabo: India's oldest sloth bear ............................................................................................................................................................. 137, Vulnerable Witness Deposition Centre (VWDC) Scheme ................................................................................................................. 137, Bio-Restoration of Art Works .................................................................................................................................................................. 138, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 5

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, S Somnath-New Chairman of ISRO ...................................................................................................................................................... 139, Russia: White Swan Strategic Missile Bomber ..................................................................................................................................... 139, January 15, 2022 ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 140, Kenya Transmission Project .................................................................................................................................................................... 140, BARC News Channel Ratings .................................................................................................................................................................. 141, Cryogenic Engine Test for Gaganyaan .................................................................................................................................................. 141, World's largest Khadi National Flag ....................................................................................................................................................... 142, Pakistan's National Security Policy (NSP) ............................................................................................................................................. 143, Army Day 2022 ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 144, First BrahMos Export Order .................................................................................................................................................................... 144, Vision India@2047 ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 145, India’s State of Forest Report 2021 ........................................................................................................................................................ 146, J&K Agricultural Land Regulations 2022 .............................................................................................................................................. 148, Tearless Onions in UK .............................................................................................................................................................................. 149, Oxfam Report on 'Pandemic Billionaires' ............................................................................................................................................. 149, 5-point Reform agenda for FCI .............................................................................................................................................................. 150, North Korea Railway-borne missile ....................................................................................................................................................... 150, AP Mahila Police Wing ............................................................................................................................................................................... 151, What is space anemia? ............................................................................................................................................................................... 151, Mock Test .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 153, Answer Key .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 161, Note: .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 161, , © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 6

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , News Headlines, January 1, 2022, Here are Today’s News Headlines by GK Today for January 1, 2022, , INDIA, – SMILE (Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise) scheme for, rehabilitation of persons engaged in begging to be launched soon: Union Social Justice and, Empowerment Ministry, – VS Pathania takes over as Chief of Indian Coast Guard, – Home Ministry extends validity of FCRA registration of NGOs by 3 months till March 31, – Govt approves 19th tranche of electoral bonds; sale opens on Jan 1, – China says Arunachal Pradesh ‘inherent part’ of its territory; calls it South Tibet, – IAF chief holds talks with top military brass of South Korea, – IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari holds talks with top military brass of South Korea, – Madhya Pradesh gets drinking water supply schemes worth Rs 15,381.72 crore, , ECONOMY & CORPORATE, – Foreign exchange reserves decrease by $587 million to $635.08 billion for the week ended Dec 24, – GST Council decides to retain status quo on GST rate on textile to 5%, – India’s current account slips into deficit in Q2, CAD now at 1.3% of GDP, – PPF, NSC, other post office schemes interest rates remain unchanged for March 31, 2022 quarter, – Vinay Kumar Tripathi appointed as new chairman, CEO of Railway Board, – Sri Lanka agrees to extend lease of strategic WWII oil tank farm to India for 50 years, – Core sectors output slows in Nov to 3.1% month-on-month: Govt data, – Shares of CMS Info Systems settle with over 10% gains in debut trade, , WORLD, – World’s population is projected to be 7.8 billion people on New Year’s Day 2022; grew by 74, million over past year: US Census Bureau, – US: Hundreds of homes destroyed in Colorado state as wildfires spread, – Russia test-fires 10 new Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic cruise missiles, , SPORTS, – Cricket: India beat Sri Lanka by 9 wickets to win U-19 Asia Cup title in Dubai, , January 2, 2022, Here are Today’s News Headlines by GK Today for January 2, 2022, , INDIA, – Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launches ‘Padhe Bharat’, a 100-days reading, campaign, – Uttarakhand: CM Pushkar Singh Dhami launches Free Mobile Tablet scheme for class 10 and 12, students of state government schools, – J&K: 12 killed, 15 injured in stampede at Vaishno Devi shrine, – Haryana: 4 people killed following a landslip at Dadam mining site in Bhiwani district, – India supplies five lakh COVID vaccine doses to Afghanistan, – India, Pakistan exchange lists of civilian prisoners, fishermen in their custody, – India, Pakistan exchange list of nuclear installations and facilities, , ECONOMY & CORPORATE, – PM releases 10th instalment of financial benefit under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PMKISAN) scheme, – FCRA registration of 6,000 NGOs ceases to operate from January 1, – Food aggregators like Swiggy, Zomato to collect 5% GST beginning Jan 1, , WORLD, – China opens embassy in Nicaragua after nation breaks ties with Taiwan, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 3

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , – American TV actress Betty White dies at 99, , January 3, 2022, Here are Today’s News Headlines by GK Today for January 3, 2022, , INDIA, – Centre sticks to Rs. 8 lakh annual income criteria for reservation to Economically Weaker Section, (EWS) candidates, – SC-appointed panel urges citizens with Pegasus-infected devices to contact it by Jan 7, – Parliamentary panel on marriage age raising bill from 18 to 21 years headed by BJP leader Vinay, Sahasrabuddhe, , ECONOMY & CORPORATE, – Public sector banks perceived as risky, merged ones even more, says RBI, – India appeals against WTO dispute panel ruling on sugar export subsidies, – ATF (aviation turbine fuel) price hiked by 2.75%, commercial LPG rates cut by Rs 102.5, – NTPC plans to acquire 5% equity in Power Exchange of India Ltd (PXIL), , WORLD, – Pakistan: Pilgrims pray at renovated century-old temple of Maharaja Paramhans Ji in Khyber, Pakhtunkhwa province, – Sudan’s PM Abdalla Hamdok announces resignation amid political deadlock, – Richard Leakey, Kenyan conservationist who campaigned against ivory trade, dies at 77, , SPORTS, – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France wins world blitz chess title in Warsaw, Poland; world rapid, chess title won by Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan, – PM lays foundation stone of Major Dhyan Chand Sports University in Meerut, – Government releases draft national air sports policy, – Russia’s Ekaterina Reyngold wins women’s singles title at $25,000 ITF tennis in Mumbai, , January 4, 2022, Here are Today’s News Headlines by GK Today for January 4, 2022, , INDIA, – Nationwide COVID Vaccination of children between 15 and 18 years begins; besides Aadhaar &, other national identity cards, children can use school ID cards for registration, – Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla releases CyberPravah – newsletter of Indian Cyber, Crime Coordination Centre, – Ayush Ministry makes available ‘Ayush Aahaar’ at its canteen in New Delhi, – Education Minister and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launches NEAT 3.0, (National Educational Alliance for Technology 3.0), – Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates Kalpana Chawla Centre for Research in Space, Science & Technology at Chandigarh University, – PM pays tributes to Rani Velu Nachiyar, the Sivaganga queen in Tamil Nadu who waged war, against the British, on her birth anniversary, , ECONOMY & CORPORATE, – RBI releases framework on offline digital payments; will be capped at Rs 200 per transaction, – India’s December jobless rate hits four-month high of 7.9%: CMIE, – India achieved highest-ever monthly exports of $37 bn in Dec 2021: Piyush Goyal, , WORLD, – Fire ravages South Africa’s historic 138-year-old Parliament complex in Cape Town, , January 5, 2022, Here are Today’s News Headlines by GK Today for January 5, 2022, , INDIA, – PM inaugurates and lays the foundation stone of various developmental projects in Imphal,, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 4

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Manipur, – PM inaugurates the New Integrated Terminal Building at Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in Agartala, – Dr. Jitendra Singh launches Web Portal for PM’s Excellence Award, says prize money doubled to 20, lakh rupees for awarded District or Organization, – Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh releases Special Postage Stamp commemorating 75th Platinum, Jubilee year of CSIR-National Physical Lab, – Ladakh: BRO (Border Roads Organisation) creates history, Zoji-La pass opens to vehicles for the, first time ever in January, – Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan to discontinue as Chancellor of Universities, – Indian Navy’s 1971 war veteran Vice Admiral S.H. Sarma dies at 100, , ECONOMY & CORPORATE, – RBI notifies market making scheme to promote retail participation in G-Secs, – SBI, ICICI, HDFC Bank continue to remain Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs): RBI, – Power and New and Renewable Energy Minister R. K. Singh dedicates AGC (Automatic Generation, Control) to the nation, aims to achieve government’s target of 500 GW non-fossil fuel-based, generation capacity by 2030, – ICMR approves India-made kit to detect Omicron; manufactured by Tata Medical and Diagnostics, and is named OmiSure, – $30 million of AAI assets seized over Antrix award: Devas, – Sri Lanka Cabinet clears Trincomalee oil tank farm deal with India, – Rotomac owner Vikram Kothari passes away in Kanpur at the age of 73, , WORLD, – World Braille Day celebrated on Jan 4; is birth anniversary of French educator Louis Braille, , January 6, 2022, Here are Today’s News Headlines by GK Today for January 6, 2022, , INDIA, – PM Modi cancels Ferozepur visit after major security breach in Punjab, – ‘Integrated Approach in Science and Technology for Sustainable Future’ announced as theme of, National Science Day 2022 to be celebrated on February 28, – CDS Gen Bipin Rawat chopper crash of Dec 8: No technical snag or sabotage, bad weather, identified as prime reason, – India’s TS Tirumurti assumes new chair of UN Counter-Terrorism Committee, – 3 killed in firecracker unit explosion at Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu, – Renowned social worker Sindhutai Sapkal dies in Pune at 74; awarded Padma Shri in 2021, , ECONOMY & CORPORATE, – UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All) scheme completes 7 years; Over 36 crore 70 lakh, LEDs distributed across the country so far, – Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Pashupati Kumar Paras launches 6 brands under, One District-One Product (ODOP), – Smart Cities Mission launches “Smart cities and Academia Towards Action & Research (SAAR)”, program, – NCLAT sets aside NCLT order approving Twin Star’s bid for Videocon Group, , WORLD, – Former US diplomat Atul Keshap appointed president of U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC), , January 7, 2022, Here are Today’s News Headlines by GK Today for January 7, 2022, , INDIA, – Cabinet approves MoU between India and Nepal for construction of bridge over Mahakali River at, Dharchula (India) – Dharchula (Nepal), – Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurates India’s first Open Rock Museum in Hyderabad, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 5

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , – Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh releases Earthquake Risk Maps of Lucknow and Dehradun Cities, – Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah inaugurates, lays foundation stones for 29, development works worth Rs 2,450 crore in Manipur, – Drinking Water Supply Schemes worth Rs. 6,872 crores approved for Rajasthan under Jal Jeevan, Mission, – Water Atlas mapping all water bodies in the tiger bearing areas of India released by Union, Environment, Forests, and Climate Change Minister, Bhupender Yadav, – Nitin Gadkari inaugurates and lays foundation stones for 572 km of National Highway projects, worth Rs.12981 crore in Uttar Pradesh, – PM Modi holds telephonic conversation with Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz, – Railway Protection Force deploys 244 Meri Saheli teams at major railway stations across country, – Cabinet approves signing of MoU between India & Turkmenistan on Disaster Management, Cooperation, – J&K: 169.75 acres land in Gulmarg, Sonamarg notified as ‘strategic areas’, , ECONOMY & CORPORATE, – Govt approves Green Energy Corridor Phase-II with ₹12,000-crore outlay, – Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) launches mega bond sale to raise $3-5 billion from offshore investors, , WORLD, – Russia-led military alliance CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) to send peacekeeping, forces to Kazakhstan after call for help by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, – Afghanistan’s Taliban regime not to allow any fencing along Durand Line by Pakistan, – Veteran Chinese diplomat Zhang Ming takes over as new Secretary-General of SCO (Shanghai, Cooperation Organization), – Oldest US veteran of WWII, Lawrence N. Brooks, dies at 112, , January 8, 2022, Here are Today’s News Headlines by GK Today for January 8, 2022, , INDIA, – UP ranked best state in water conservation efforts by Jal Shakti Ministry; Rajasthan 2nd, – Expenditure limit for Lok Sabha, Assembly candidates revised, – MHA forms 3-member panel headed by Sudhir Kumar Saxena to enquire into security lapses, during PM’s visit to Punjab on Jan 5, – Union Tourism Minister G. Kishan Reddy virtually inaugurates PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation, and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive) projects at Govardhan, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, – NEET-PG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test–Postgraduate) medical admissions: Supreme, Court upholds 27% OBC, 10% EWS quota, – PM inaugurates 2nd campus of Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute in Kolkata, – Rajnath Singh flags-in India’s first multi-dimensional adventure sports expedition, , ECONOMY & CORPORATE, – Foreign exchange reserves decline by USD 1.466 billion to USD 633.614 billion, – India GDP: Govt forecasts FY22 economic growth at 9.2%, – Centre establishes help desks to ensure supplies of delivery of goods and essential commodities, continue without any restrictions during Covid times, – External Affairs Ministry (MEA) signs agreement for second phase of Passport Seva Programme, with Tata Consultancy Services Limited, – DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) of Ministry of Commerce and, Industry organising Startup India Innovation Week from January 10 to 16, – Advertising industry veteran Gerson da Cunha dies aged 92, , WORLD, – Sri Lanka, India ink deal to jointly redevelop strategic World War II-era Trincomalee Oil Tank, Complex, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 6

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , – Peter Bogdanovich, acclaimed writer-director, dies at 82 in US, , SPORTS, – South Africa (229, 243/3) beat India (202, 266) by 7 wickets in 2nd test at the Wanderers in, Johannesburg to level 3-match series 1-1, , January 10, 2022, Here are Today’s News Headlines by GK Today for January 9, 2022, INDIA, – Assembly elections to be held in UP in 7 phases from Feb 10 to March 7; in Punjab, Uttarakhand &, Goa on Feb 14 and in Manipur on Feb 27 & March 3; counting of votes on March 10, – 24th National Conference on e-Governance 2021 organised in Hyderabad; theme: “India’s, Techade: Digital Governance in a Post Pandemic World”, – Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flags off newly launched Agartala-Jiribam-Agartala Jan, Shatabdi Express train connecting the states of Manipur and Tripura via Assam, , ECONOMY & CORPORATE, – India to start mango and pomegranate exports to US from January 2022, – US to start exports of Alfalfa hay and cherries from April 2022 to Indian market, – FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) licence of Missionaries of Charity restored, can, receive foreign funds, – Assam govt partners with NDDB (National Dairy Development Board) to set up Rs 2,000-cr dairy, joint venture, , WORLD, – Wolf Volcano (1701 m) erupts on Galapagos islands of Ecuador, – Pakistan: 21 dead trapped in vehicles after heavy snowfall in Murree hill station in Punjab province, – Sidney Poitier, first black star to win Oscar for best male actor, dies at 94 in US, , January 10, 2022, Here are Today’s News Headlines by GK Today for January 10, 2022, , INDIA, – India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant begins another phase of sea trials; built by Cochin, Shipyard Limited (CSL), – ‘Veer Baal Diwas’ to be observed on December 26 as tribute to Guru Gobind Singh’s sons, – Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas celebrated on January 9, – Pakistani fishing trawler named ‘Yaseen’ caught by Indian Coast Guard off Gujarat coast, , ECONOMY & CORPORATE, – Centre to organize first ever Startup India Innovation Week from Jan 10 to 16, – Former RBI Governor Urjit Patel appointed Vice President of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, – Centre surveys 17.78 lakh acres of defence land using advanced technologies, , WORLD, – NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope reaches major milestone as ‘Mirror Unfolds’, – China’s Chang’e 5 lunar probe finds first on-site evidence of water on moon’s surface, – Marilyn Bergman, Oscar-winning composer, dies at 93, , SPORTS, – Canada wins ATP Cup tennis with 2-0 win over Spain in Sydney, – Bopanna & Ramanathan win men’s doubles title at Adelaide International tennis, – Spain’s Rafael Nadal wins Melbourne Summer Set 1 ATP 250 tennis title, , January 11, 2022, Here are Today’s News Headlines by GK Today for January 11, 2022, , INDIA, – Administration of ‘precaution dose’ of Covid-19 vaccine to healthcare, frontline workers and those, above 60 years started, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 7

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Health Ministry issues revised advisory for managing HCWs working in COVID and Non-COVID, areas of Health Care Facilities, – ICMR issues an advisory on purposive testing strategy for Covid-19 in India, – Visually challenged students will soon have access to Braille Maps, enabling them for ease of use:, Govt, – Punjab Lok Congress party of Ex-CM Captain Amarinder Singh allotted hockey stick, ball as, election symbol, , ECONOMY & CORPORATE, – Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav releases report on 2nd round of Quarterly Employment Survey, , WORLD, – Sri Lanka launches Jaffna-Colombo luxury train service with India’s assistance, – Kazakhstan: President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev says coup d’etat averted, – Golden Globe Awards: “The Power of the Dog” wins best drama film award; “West Side Story” wins, best musical/comedy film award, – ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) sever relations with Mali in response to its, “unacceptable” delay in holding elections, – New York City apartment building fire kills 19, including 9 children, – Bob Saget, actor known for TV series ‘Full House,’ dies at 65 in US, , SPORTS, – Ten athletes added by Youth Affairs and Sports’ Ministry’s Mission Olympic Cell to TOPS (Target, Olympic Podium Scheme) including golfers Anirban Lahiri, Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar, – Bharath Subramaniyam (14) becomes India’s 73rd chess Grandmaster, , January 12, 2022, Here are Today’s News Headlines by GK Today for January 12, 2022, INDIA, – DRDO tests advanced “Sea to Sea” variant of BrahMos missile from INS Visakhapatnam, – DRDO tests Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM), – Rafale maritime fighter aircraft demonstrates operational capability at INS Hansa naval facility in, Goa, – UNESCO agrees to publish Hindi descriptions of India’s World Heritage Sites on its website; World, Hindi Day celebrated on January 10, – First Colombo Security Conclave Virtual Workshop hosted by India’s National Security Council, Secretariat (NSCS), – No complete ban on cannabis, medical use allowed: Centre to Delhi HC, – Raghuvendra Tanwar appointed Chairman of Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), New, Delhi, – Odia actor Mihir Das dies at 63, , ECONOMY & CORPORATE, – India Digital Summit 2022 organised by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), – Swajal Water Private Limited, an Artificial Intelligence-driven Start-Up by IIT alumni for water, purification, launched by Dr. Jitendra Singh, – Shriram Transport Finance raises $475 million through social bonds, – Govt to own 35.8% in Vodafone Idea after converting dues, says company, – Madras High Court dismisses SpiceJet’s appeal against winding up order; airline has time till Jan, 28 to move SC, – Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo meet, in New Delhi, , WORLD, – IMF names University of California-Berkeley’s Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas as next chief economist, – Kazakhstan: Alikhan Smailov named new Prime Minister, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 8

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , – European Parliament President David Sassoli dies aged 65 in Italy, – European Parliament is headquartered in in Strasbourg, France, – US: Michael Lang, co-creator and promoter 1969 Woodstock music festival, dies at 77, – Poet Maya Angelou becomes first Black woman to feature on US coin, , SPORTS, – Tata Group to replace Vivo as IPL title sponsor from 2022 for two years, , January 14, 2022, Here are Today’s News Headlines by GK Today for January 14, 2022, , INDIA, – Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav releases ‘India State Of Forest Report 2021’; total forest, and tree cover in India is 80.9 million hectares in 2021 which is 24.6% of the geographical area of, the country, – Five killed, several injured as Guwahati Bikaner Express derails near Maynaguri in West Bengal, , ECONOMY & CORPORATE, – Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal meets UK Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie, Trevelyan for launch of India-UK Free Trade Agreement Negotiations, – Classic Legends re-launches Yezdi motorcycle at prices starting from Rs 1.98 lakh, – Govt asks BARC (Broadcasters Audience and Research Council) to release news ratings with, immediate effect; one year after suspension of television news ratings, – RBI Governor-headed FSDC (Financial Stability and Development Council) sub-committee reviews, economic situation, – RBI approves appointment of Ittira Davis as Ujjivan SFB’s new MD & CEO, , WORLD, – U.N. mission speaks to crew members of UAE-flagged vessel ‘Rwabee’ seized by Houthis off the, port of Hodeidah in Yemen with seven Indians on board, , SPORTS, – Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist boxer Lovlina Borgohain appointed DSP in in Assam Police, , January 15, 2022, Here are Today’s News Headlines by GK Today for January 15, 2022, INDIA, – Armed Forces Veterans Day celebrated on Jan 14, – Defence Ministry allots Rs. 320 crores to Armed Forces Flag Day Fund for the welfare of veterans, and their families, – Defence Ministry launches Raksha Pension Shikayat Nivaran Portal designed to speedily redress, pension issues, – Tamil Nadu: On the occasion of Pongal, Jallikattu bull taming event begins in Madurai, – 10th century idol discovered in England, returned to India; goat-headed Yogini went missing from, Lokhari (UP) in the 1980s, – West Bengal: Lakhs of pilgrims take holy dip at Ganga Sagar on Makar Sankranti, – India undertakes Maritime Partnership Exercise with Japan in Bay of Bengal, , ECONOMY & CORPORATE, – Merchandise exports: India had trade deficit of USD 142.44 billion in April-December 2021-22, – Bilateral trade between India and China at USD 125.66 billion in 2021; $69 billion in favour of, China, – India extends USD900 mn aid to Sri Lanka; includes a USD 400 mn currency swap and deferred, payment of USD 500 mn, – Indian economy to grow at 9% in FY22 and 6.7% in FY23: UN, – Philippines becomes first country to buy India’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system in a, contract worth $374.96 million, – RBI proposes new norms for the classification and valuation of the investment portfolio of banks, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 9

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , – Households expecting higher inflation affects bank savings: RBI, – SBI raises $300 million via Formosa bonds, – WPI (wholesale price index-based) inflation declines to 13.56% in December 2021, – Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd (MEIL), Adani Gas top winners of city gas distribution, licences, , WORLD, – Ukraine hit by massive cyber attack warning its citizens to “be afraid and expect the worst”, – No breakthrough over Ukraine as NATO-Russia Council talks end in Brussels, – PM Imran Khan launches Pakistan’s first-ever National Security Policy, – China’s global trade surplus surges to record $676.4 billion in 2021, , SPORTS, – South Africa (223/198) beat India (210 and 212/3) by 7 wickets at the Newlands in Cape Town to, win 3rd Test and series 2-1, , January 2, 2022, January 1: DRDO Foundation Day, 64th foundation day of “Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)” was celebrated on, January 1, 2022., Highlights, In 63 years, DRDO has transformed the landscape of defence research and development in India., DRDO also played a significant role in fighting against COVID-19 pandemic. It set up around 850, oxygen plants and Covid hospitals with the help from PM CARES Fund., It also developed a medicine named 2DG, to fight covid-19., Synergy with the defence industry with respect to development and production has reached to new, heights in India, with more than 175 transfers of technologies happened in 2021 alone., About Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), DRDO is the premier agency, working under the Department of Defence Research & Development in Ministry, of Defence. It is charged with the military’s research and development. The organisation is headquartered in, Delhi., History of DRDO, DRDO was established on January 1, 1958 after merging Directorate of Technical Development & Production, of Indian Ordnance Factories and Technical Development Establishment, with Defence Science, Organisation. In 1979, Defence Research & Development Service (DRDS) was set up as a service of Group, ‘A’ Officers / Scientists., Works of DRDO, DRDO has a network of 52 laboratories. These laboratories are engaged in developing defence technologies, covering fields such as aeronautics, electronics, armaments, life sciences, land combat engineering, naval, systems, materials and missiles., Scientists in DRDO, DRDO is the largest and most diverse research organisation in India. It comprises of about 5,000 scientists, belonging to the DRDS and around 25,000 other subordinate scientific, technical and supporting personnel., Chairman and Secretary, Current Secretary and Chairman of DRDO is Dr G Satheesh Reddy., , ‘Padhe Bharat’ Campaign, On January 1, 2022, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched a 100-day Reading Campaign, called ‘Padhe Bharat’., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 10

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Key Points, Padhe Bharat Campaign was launched to improve learning levels of students., It marks a significant step to improve learning levels because it develops creativity, critical thinking,, vocabulary as well as ability to express in writing & verbal forms., It will help children in relating to their surroundings and real-life situation., Which Children will be covered under the campaign?, Children studying in Balvatika to class 8 will be covered under the campaign., How long the campaign will run?, Padhe Bharat campaign started on January 1, 2022. It will be organised for 100 days or 14 weeks. It will, conclude on April 10, 2022., Aim of the campaign, The campaign was launched with the aim of including the participation of all stakeholders at national as, well as state level including children, educational administrators, teachers, parents, community, etc., Activities under the campaign, Under the 100 days campaign, one activity has been designed per week per group, with the objective, of making reading enjoyable and building a lifelong association with joy of reading., Ministry has prepared a comprehensive guideline on Reading Campaign as well as age-appropriate, weekly calendar of activities. All the guidelines have been shared states and union territories., Foundational Literacy & Numeracy Mission, Reading campaign has also been aligned with goals and vision of “foundational Literacy and Numeracy, mission”., Focus on Indian Languages, The campaign will also focus on Indian languages like mother tongue, local language or regional languages., In line with this goal, the campaign has also been integrated with the “International Mother Tongue Day”, which is observed on February 21. The day will be celebrated with “Kahani Padho Apni Bhasa Main” activity, in India, by encouraging children to read in their mother tongue or local language., , January 3, 2022, 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., Highlights, On this occasion, Free health check-up and medical camps were organised across 70 locations., History of National Grid in India, In India, Grid management started in sixties on regional basis. Initially, grids were inter-connected to, form regional grid. Following this, India was divided into 5 regions on the basis of grid1. Northern Grid, 2. Eastern Grid, 3. Western Grid, 4. North Eastern Grid and, 5. 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 inter-connected to, form a central grid operating at one frequency., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 11

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Southern Region was connected to Central Grid in 2013, with the commissioning of 765kV RaichurSolapur Transmission line., With this, ‘ONE NATION’-‘ONE GRID’-‘ONE FREQUENCY’ objective was achieved., Total Transmission Capacity, Currently, India has a total inter-regional transmission capacity of about 1,12,250 MW. It is likely to enhance, to about 1,18,740 MW by 2022., Significance of Synchronisation, Synchronisation 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, 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 Ministry of Power. It is, headquartered in Gurugram. The organisation engages mainly in transmission of bulk power across India., Power Grid transmits around 50% of the total power generated in India., , Resignation of Sudan's PM, Following mass protests in the capital city Khartoum, Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok announced, his resignation on January 2, 2022., Highlights, Protests are being held against a recent deal that Prime Minister had done to share power with the, army., Before this deal, army had staged a coup in October, 2021., Protesters called for return to the full civilian rule. But army staged another violent crackdown on, them. It left two people dead., Resignation of Hamdok has now left the army in full control of government., Blow to democratic transition, 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 to power-sharing agreement with Army in November 2021. Under the, agreement, reinstated prime minister was supposed to lead the cabinet of technocrats until new elections, were held. However, it was not clear that how much power the new civilian government would have. While,, 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, border with countries of Central African Republic, Egypt, Chad, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Libya, and the, Red Sea. As of 2021, Sudan has the population of 44.91 million people. Sudan is the third-largest country by, area in Africa as well as in 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., Economy of Sudan, Sudan’s economy is described as lower-middle income. The economy relies on oil production irrespective of, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 12

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , long-term international sanctions and isolation. The country is also a member of the United Nations, African, Union, the Arab League, COMESA, Organisation of Islamic Co-operation and Non-Aligned Movement., , EWS Quota Committee Report, On January 1, 2021, A special committee has submitted report to the Supreme Court on reservation for, Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)., Key Facts, In a report, the panel has suggested to implement the recommendations only from the next admission, cycle and not from the ongoing session., This is so, because sudden change will cause major disruption across educational institutes as well, as create complications for authorities and beneficiaries., Background, Special committee was created to review the eligibility criteria of 10% reservations for Economically Weaker, Sections (EWS) in government institutes and jobs. Petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court, to, challenge the income criteria for EWS quota in NEET exam, which determines admissions to medical, colleges. While hearing the petition, court asked the central government on how it arrived at Rs 8 lakh, income limit. Following this, an expert committee was proposed to review the EWS quota criteria., What are the recommendations?, Committee has suggested to drop the existing criteria on residential asset size. It also suggested to, retain the Rs 8 lakh annual income limit., It recommends to continue the existing process, which is in effect since 2019, for the current, admission cycle, It further suggests to use ‘a three-year feedback loop cycle’ for monitoring the actual outcomes of, these criteria and then used them to adjust in future., It also suggests to use data exchange and information technology actively for verifying income &, assets as well as improve targeting for EWS reservations., It suggests to remove residential asset criteria, because mere possession of residential house may, not reflect the economic condition of the candidate or his family., Government’s view, Central government is expected to go with the panel’s recommendations and revise its EWS quota, guidelines as per recommendations., Members of the Panel, The expert committee comprise of three-members:, 1. Ajay Bhushan Pandey who is former finance secretary, 2. VK Malhotra, a member secretary of Indian Council of Social Science Research., 3. Sanjeev Sanyal who is principal economic advisor to the government., EWS quota of 2019, EWS quota notification of 2019 was issued by the Department of Personnel & Training. As per notification,, irrespective of the family income, persons will be excluded from being identified as EWS in following cases:, 1. Whose family owns or possesses 5 acres of agricultural land,, 2. A residential plot of 1,000 square feet, 3. A residential plot of 100 square yards in notified municipalities., 4. A plot of 200 square yards and above in areas other than notified municipalities., , Recent Updates on Census 2021, Central Government has postponed the first phase of the census and collection of details for updating the, National Population Register (NPR) at least till September, 2022., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 13

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Highlights, Earlier in December 2021, freezing of boundaries of districts, sub-districts, talukas, tehsils, police, stations etc. has been postponed till June 2022., Freezing of boundary limits of administrative units is a pre-requisite to conduct the census. It is done, at least three months prior., Finalisation of administrative units call for covering all jurisdictional changes in an administrative, area between two consecutive censuses., As per provisional data compiled by the Registrar General of India (RGI) till June 2021, number of, districts has increased from 640 in 2011 to 736., The sub-districts have increased from 5,925 in 2011 to 6,754 in 2021, census towns from 3,892 to, 5,050 and statutory towns from 4,041 to 4,657., However, villages have decreased from 6,40,934 to 6,39,083, for the same period., First phase of Census 2021, First phase of Census 2021, involving House listing, Housing Census and updating the NPR, was scheduled, to be held from April-September, 2020. However, it was postponed indefinitely amid COVID-19 pandemic., Second Phase, The second and main phase of the census, involving population enumeration, was scheduled to be, concluded by March 5, 2021. But it could not happen since States were banned to create new administrative, units from January 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021., National Population Register (NPR), NPR is a list of all the people residing in India. It includes both citizens and non-citizens. NPR was first, compiled in 2010. It was updated in 2015. It has already compiled a database of 119 crore residents. NPR, was to be updated along with the first phase of 2020 census., Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, It was founded in 1961 by Ministry of Home Affairs, to arrange, conduct and analyse the results of, demographic surveys of India including Linguistic Survey and Census of India. The position of Registrar is, held by a civil servant, who holds the rank of Joint Secretary., The Indian Census, Census in India is the largest single source of several statistical information on different characteristics of, citizens in India. First synchronous census was conducted in 1881., , Mumbai Water Taxi Service, The much-awaited Water Taxi Services is likely to start in Mumbai, from January 2022., New Routes of Mumbai water transport project, This service is likely to provide connectivity between Domestic Cruise Terminal at Ferry Wharf and, terminals at Belapur & Nerul., Government has allotted following routes to several operators:, 1. International Cruise Terminal to Elephanta, 2. Domestic Cruise Terminal (DCT) to Karanjade, Rewas, Dharamtar., 3. DCT to Belapur, Vashi, Nerul, Airoli, Khanderi Islands & JNPT, 4. DCT to JNPT and Navi Mumbai, will be the most significant route., Inauguration of the services, Water Taxi Service is expected to be inaugurated in first week of January 2022, by Prime Minister Narendra, Modi. Presently, there are three operators ready. Fourth operator will join after their catamaran is certified, fit., , © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 14

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Background, Work on the Water Taxi Services project was accelerated after Nitin Gadkari assumed charges as Shipping, Minister., Who started this project?, The Water Taxi Service project is a joint initiative of Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT), Maharashtra Maritime, Board and City & Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO)., Fare for the service, Fares from DTC to Navi Mumbai will be around Rs 1200 to 1500 per passenger, while fares from DTC to, JNPT will be around Rs 750. The fares are high at present. Rates will be decreased once operators get a, large catamaran., Travel time to reach Navi Mumbai, Water Taxi will take 30-minute to ferry from DCT to Navi Mumbai while 15-20 minutes to ferry from DCT to, JNPT. These services can operate from 300 to 330 days in a year. However, it will not operate in extremely, heavy rains., Sea transport from Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, The Gateway of India was earlier connected to Navi Mumbai and Girgaum was connected to Juhu by, catamaran. But the services were shut down in 1994. Currently, there are speedboats, catamarans, and, launches, running on the Mumbai-Mandwa route. Launches also connect Mumbai with Uran, Rewas, Mora,, Mandwa and Elephanta Caves., , Pakistan's Gas Shortage, Natural gas shortage in Pakistan is impacting its most important export industry and is putting more stress, on its economy, which is already struggling with weak currency and high inflation. Shortfall in supply is due, to the inability of energy ministry to arrange supply., Highlights, In December 2021, around $250 million of textiles exports were lost, when mills in Punjab were forced, to shut for 15 days., Factories in Punjab province are dependent on imports of liquefied natural gas, while its domestic, supply is being diverted to other regions., Why there is shortage of fuel in Pakistan?, Pakistan has emerged as a fast-growing import market for LNG, in the backdrop of subsidence of local, supply and diminishing local gas sources over the last few years. The competition for the fuel has increased, due to global shortages. This competition is sending princes to level which Pakistan cannot afford. In, Pakistan, fuel is used as an electricity feedstock and for heating and cooking. Energy crisis is worsening, due to increasing cost of LNG., Textiles industry in Pakistan, Textile industry in Pakistan is one of its few economic bright spots. The industry supplies products, ranging from denim jeans to hats to buyers in the U.S. and Europe., Its production has increased almost 6 per cent in 9 months through March 2021. This sector, accounted for 60 per cent of total exports., Pakistan has exported $11.4 billion of textiles in the nine months through March 2021., Shortage of gas in winter, Pakistan faces gas shortages every winter because its natural gas fields are witnessing a depletion of, around 9 per cent each year while importing LNG is very expensive., How this crisis can be solved?, Government in Pakistan will need to increase taxes. It has recently increased petrol price levies, on a pre© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 15

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , condition to resume its $6 billion bailout program with International Monetary Fund., , India's Aid to Afghanistan, On January 2, 2022 India donated 500,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines to Afghanistan and will further send, another 500,000 doses in coming days as a part of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan., Key Points, Doses were donated to the Indira Gandhi children’s hospital in Kabul., Vaccines were sent via a flight of Iran’s Mahan Air, since there are no direct flights between India and, Afghanistan, currently., India had also sent 1.6 tonnes of life-saving medicines to Kabul hospital, on December 11, 2021., These medicines were routed through the World Health Organization., India to provide Wheat, India had also offered to provide 50,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan via land routes in Pakistan., However, it has been held up because of conditions provided by Pakistan. On December 3, Pakistan stated, to allow wheat and medicines supply via Wagah land border crossing in Afghan trucks. But modalities have, not yet finalised., Starvation in Afghanistan, As per World Food Programme, around 98% of Afghans are starving in the country, because of a worsening, economic crisis, conflict and drought. This figure has increased by 17% since August 2021., India’s Assistance to Afghanistan, India’s development programmes in Afghanistan are based on five pillars:, 1. Large infrastructure projects, 2. Human resource development and capacity building, 3. Humanitarian assistance, 4. High-impact community development projects, 5. Enhancing trade and investment through air and land connectivity, India has signed an agreement to build the Shahtoot dam. The dam would provide safe drinking water, to 2 million residents in Kabul city. It has been built on 202 km Pul-e-Khumri transmission line,, through which India provides power to Kabul city., India has committed USD 3 billion for rebuilding and reconstruction of Afghanistan, since 2001., India also helped in redevelopment of Parliament in Afghanistan., India-Afghanistan Relations, Relations between the people of Afghanistan and India dates back Indus Valley Civilisation. The Mauryan, brought Buddhism from India and controlled southern part of Hindu Kush. Afghanistan has been influenced, by Buddhist, Hindu and Zoroastrian cultures, before Islam arrived in 7th century. Both the countries see, imprint of bilateral timeless relationship through Buddhist symbols of Aynak & Bamyan in Afghanistan as, well as through majestic monuments in Delhi & in Indian cultures, arts, languages, foods, literatures, and, festivals., , 5G Microwave Absorber, Assistant professor Subodh G of Kerala University and research scholar Vidhya Lalan have developed fifthgeneration (5G) microwave absorbers., Highlights, Development of 5G microwave absorbers could act as an effective shield against electromagnetic, radiations., Threat of electromagnetic pollution and radiation is inevitable because of ever-increasing quest for, smarter and advanced electronic devices worldwide., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 16

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Electromagnetic interference (EMI) affects the high-end devices as well as they are detrimental to the, health of living organisms., Significance of the development, The problems generated by EMI requires immediate attention in this era of 5G technology and Internet of, Things (IoT). This is because it has become difficult to undertake routine chores without using electronic, devices and internet, which work around electromagnetic waves. Thus, the development of 5H microwave, absorbers is significant for high frequently applications., What is the name of shielding material?, The new shielding material is a ‘mayenite electride’. It is chemically stable. The material has shown, exceptional microwave absorption ability in high frequency region, particularly in the 5G band., The presence of anionic electrons provides this compound a high conductivity, which is responsible, for its high electromagnetic wave attenuation., Apart from conductivity, mayenite electride is also highly porous and consists of a coating of, graphene., Presence of macropores and graphene interface in this material force the electromagnetic waves to, undergo reflections and subsequent absorption, repeatedly., The material has the property of microwave attenuation in extreme high frequency region. It, highlights the potentiality of material for futuristic devices designed for 5G applications., Which scheme supports the development?, The research on mayenite electride was undertaken as part of ‘Microwave Materials Laboratory scheme’,, which is funded by Kerala University., Electromagnetic interference (EMI), EMI is a disturbance generated by an external source, affecting an electrical circuit by electromagnetic, induction, conduction or electrostatic coupling. This disturbance may disturb the performance of circuit or, even stop it from working. EMI could be cause by man-made as well as natural sources generating changing, electrical currents and voltages., , What is 'Iron-Air Battery'?, The QuantumScape Corp, a battery start-up backed by Volkswagen AG is working on a technology called, “Iron-Air Battery”., Highlights, This technology could make car batteries cheaper, more reliable and suitable for quicker recharge., Shareholders of California-based QuantumScape Corp have approved a multibillion-dollar pay, package for Chief Executive Officer Jagdeep Singh, for achieving some performance milestones., What is Iron-air battery?, Iron–air rechargeable batteries are an attractive technology, having the potential of grid-scale energy, storage. Main raw-material of this technology is iron oxide (rust), which is non-toxic, abundant, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly. Most of the iron- batteries are currently being developed using iron oxide for, generating or storing hydrogen through a redox reaction., Where does power come to Iron-air batteries?, Power in the iron-air batteries comes from interaction of iron with oxygen. The steel oxidizes in the same, manner as it would during its corrosion phase in that procedure. Necessary oxygen for the reaction can be, taken from ambient air. Thus, it eliminates the requirement of cell to store it. Iron-air batteries save more, energy as compared to lithium-ion batteries with 600wh/kg., Significance of the batteries, Iron-air batteries are significance because, both ferrous and sodium are highly abundant. They are the, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 17

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , building blocks of alkali solutions. They have a high potential to grow. They have a life span of around 30, years. Iron-oxygen batteries are also resilient to overcurrent, overcharging, and partial discharge. A, rechargeable iron-oxygen battery could supply 100 hours of energy at operating cost as compared to, traditional power stations. It is less than a tenth as compared to price of lithium-ion batteries. These, batteries have gained interest due to their energy density, reversibility and environmental acceptability., , Energy Transition Advisory Committee (Tarun Kapoor Committee), The Energy Transition Advisory Committee was formed by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. It is, headed by Tarun Kapoor, former Secretary of Petroleum Ministry. It will focus on increasing the share of, clean energy sources such as hydrogen, biofuel, nuclear, geothermal, tidal in the energy mix of the country., Why was the committee formed?, To help India achieve its net zero emission target by 2070., To create an energy transition road map (within 6 months)., To create a step – by – step plan for moving from fossil fuels to green energy., Functions of the committee, The committee will primarily focus on biofuel and green hydrogen of all the clean energies. It will create, plans to improve their supply chains., Biofuel, , The bio fuel plans will focus on creating sustainable biomass supply chain. Also, it will focus on increasing, the biofuel infrastructure in the country. India is currently planning to set up 5,000 biogas plants. These, measures are being adopted because India is primarily looking for options to increase domestic production, of fuels. And this can be achieved only by increasing biofuel production., Green Hydrogen, , The committee will focus on increasing green hydrogen production in the country. This has been prioritised, of all the other functions of the committee. Also, the committee will focus on creating a strong value chain, for green hydrogen. The committee’s plan towards Green Hydrogen will help India’s National Hydrogen, Mission (NHM) largely. The mission was announced during 2021-22 Budget. The NHM aims to produce, hydrogen from renewable sources. It had put green hydrogen at the centre of India’s climate change plans, and energy security measures., Other major Transition plans, , The committee will create transition plans for oil companies. It will help the transport sector to move, towards clean energy., How will the committee help India achieve net zero emission target?, During the Leader’s Summit on Climate, India announced to achieve net zero emission target by 2070., In order to achieve this, the oil companies were directed to create plans focusing on improving their, clean energy portfolio. The committee is to review these plans. It will also suggest alternatives. Also,, the committee will provide suggestions in creating the plans., The committee will guide the oil companies in launching their transition plans. For instance,, Hindustan Petroleum, Indian Oil and Bharat Petroleum recently announced to set up 22,000 charging, stations jointly., , Draft National Air Sports Policy, Ministry of Civil Aviation released the draft “National Air Sports Policy (NASP)” on January 3, 2021 for, public feedback., Key Facts, The draft policy is available on Ministry’s website, for which suggestions can be sent by January 31, 2022., , © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 18

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , About National Air Sports Policy (NASP), The NASP seeks to leverage India’s potential for air sports. It places a strong focus to ensure international, best practices in safety. It has been prepared with the vision of brining India among top air sports nations, by 2030. Key Features of the policy are as follows:, 1. It covers sports such as aeromodelling, aerobatics, amateur-built & experimental aircraft, gliding,, hang gliding & paragliding, ballooning, drones, micro lighting & paramotoring; skydiving and vintage, aircraft., 2. Under it, an apex governing body called Air Sports Federation of India (ASFI) will be established., 3. Air sports associations will be accountable to ASFI with respect to regulatory oversight., 4. ASFI will represent India at FAI and other global platforms associated with the air sports., 5. Domestic design, development and manufacturing of air sports equipment will be promoted in, accordance with the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan., 6. Inability to enforce safety standards by an air sports association will attract penal action by ASFI, against such association. It will include financial penalties, suspension or dismissal., 7. All persons and entities that are providing air sports services will be required to register as members, of respective air sports associations., How this policy is significant?, The National Air Sports Policy is significant because it seeks to bring India among top air sports, nations., India has the potential to come among leading nations with respect to air sports., It has a diverse topography, large geographical expanse, and fair-weather conditions., Adventure sports and aviation is growing in India. Apart from direct revenue from air sports activities,, there are several multiplier benefits with respect to growth of infrastructure, travel, tourism, and local, employment, particularly in hilly areas., Why government seeks to develop air sports hubs?, Establishment of air sports hubs in India will also bring in air sports professionals and tourists from, worldwide., Thus, Indian government seeks to promote India’s air sports sector, in order to make it safe,, accessible, affordable, enjoyable and sustainable., , Measures to conserve Western Ghats, Union Environment Ministry has extended measures to conserve the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats. It, will be delayed by another six months. Deadline to notify new rules have been extended till June 30, 2022., Key Facts, Earlier deadlines were set to expire on December 31, 2021., On December 31, environment ministry issued a notification to amend Environment (Protection), Rules, 1986. In rule 5 (3) (d), December 31, 2021, will be substituted by June 30, 2022., This clause is applicable to prohibition or restrictions imposed by government on the location of, industries or carrying the processes and operations in an area., The government seeks to prohibit or restrict industrial and developmental activities across 37% of the, area in the mountain range. It accounts for an area of 59,940 sq km, over five states., Background, Experts had called for demarcation of ecologically sensitive areas immediately, following floods and, landslides in the Western Ghats in Maharashtra and Kerala in June 2021., About the rules, Environment protection act rules mandates the central government to consider all observations and, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 19

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , objections within 120 days of the publication in official gazette., It imposes the new curbs within 180 days, that has been amended to extend the timeline., The six Western Ghats states namely, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat,, have opposed several measures., Recommendations of Madhav Gadgil committee, Western Ghats is an ecologically fragile region., In 2010, Madhav Gadgil committee had recommended to declare 75% of the 129037 sq km area in the, Western Ghats as an environmentally sensitive area. Committee had recommended so, because of, dense forest and large number of endemic species in the western Ghats., In 2013, K Kasturirangan committee had lowered it down to 50%., Recommendations of Kasturirangan report were further diluted, and four draft notifications have been, issued since then., The Western Ghats, Western Ghats is a mountain range, covering an area of 160,000 km2 in a stretch of 1,600 km parallel to, western coast of Indian peninsula. It covers the states of Goa, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala, and, Tamil Nadu. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one among the eight biodiversity hotspots of the world., As per UNESCO, Western Ghats are older than the Himalayas., , Sri Lanka's Financial Crisis, According to World Bank’s Sri Lanka Development Update (SLDU), Sri Lanka is facing an acute economic, crisis because of job & earning losses, and high food inflation., Key Facts, Inflation has been increased due to printing of money by government to pay off foreign bons and, domestic loans., As per World Bank, share of people living under poverty line is expected to increase by 11.7 per cent, since the onset of covid-19 pandemic., Its impact was disproportionately large among people working in more urbanised areas like Western, province, due to impact on industry., Highly rural districts like Kandy and Ratnapura also account for a large share of new poor after, COVID-19 pandemic., Vulnerability among the workforce was very high on weak safety and high informality nets., World Bank on Sectoral Inequality, The COVID-19 pandemic has not impacted all the economic sectors equally. As per sectoral GDP data and, discussion in Chapter 1, industries have been affected more than services and agriculture. But subsectors, witnessed large variations. Weak external demand has impacted export-oriented subsectors. Among, industrial subsectors, textile manufacturing and construction suffered the largest decline because these, sectors are sensitive to demand shocks and require workers to be physically present., Sovereign Ratings, Because of financial crisis, rating agencies such as Moody’s, S&P and Fitch have downgraded their, sovereign ratings for Sri Lanka. Moody’s downgraded its rating by two notches to Caa1, on the other hand,, S&P downgraded its rating down to B- in September and CCC+ in December., World Bank’s suggestion, World Bank has suggested to focus on four priorities for Sri Lanka to transform its economy, achieve a, sustainable trajectory and create more jobs in order to reduce poverty and recover from the impact of, covid-19. The four priorities are:, 1. Increase agricultural productivity & earnings by transitioning farmers towards higher-value, export© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 20

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , oriented crop mixes., 2. Address the constraints for accessing remunerative non-farm jobs in rural areas. This is because they, are important and potentially productive source of livelihoods., 3. Support broader reforms for increasing labour productivity and create jobs, in order to improve the, quality of jobs., 4. Promote spatial transformation and strengthen inclusion., , What is Monoceromyia flavoscutata?, It is a new species recently discovered in India. Along with Monoceromyia flavoscutata, researchers also, found Monoceromyia nigra. These newly discovered species were classified as a new type Syrphid flies., About the discovery, The species were discovered by scientists of a research museum in Germany., They are wasp like flower flies or syrphid flies., Monoceromyia flavoscutata was discovered in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu., Monoceromyia nigra was discovered in Bastar district of Arunachal Pradesh., The species are found in western ghats and north eastern India., They were named so because of their black colored thorax and yellowing in their body., About Monoceromyia, The Monoceromyia genus is generally referred to as syrphid fly. They are generally found in Australasian,, Afrotropical, Neotropical and Oriental regions. Afrotropical includes Africa, Arabian Peninsula, south of, Sahara Desert, southern Iran, Madagascar, islands of western Indian Ocean and extreme south west, Pakistan. The oriental region refers to East, South and Central Asia. Neotropical region includes South, America, Caribbean and Central America., Syrphid flies, They are also called hoverflies or flower flies. They are the major enemies of slow-moving insects and, aphids. As they resemble bees or wasps they are some times called syrphid bees. They often hover around, flowers. Just like the newly discovered species, most of them have black and yellow stripes. These stripes, give them the bee like appearance. They are hairy with short antennae and thin abdomen. They lay white, coloured eggs. Summer is their egg laying season. One single female lays several hundreds of eggs in a, single season., Conservation status, They are listed as endangered in the western ghats and north eastern India., How do they help farmers?, The species feed on nectar and pollen grains. Their larvae feed on decaying plants and animal matter,, aphids and other plant sucking insects. Aphids are crop pests. As these bees or flies, help in pollination and, their larvae control pest population, they are the best friends of farmers. Sometimes, gardeners and farmers, cultivate companion plants to attract these flies., , India’s Unemployment rate – Recent Trends, The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) recently released the unemployment status report of, India for the month of December, 2021. According to the report, the unemployment rate in the country was, 7.91% in December. It was 7% in November., Highest Unemployment Rates, Highest unemployment rate was reported in Haryana. Around 34.1% were unemployed in the state., Rajasthan had the second highest unemployment rate. It was 24.1% in the state. Following Rajasthan,, Jharkhand (17.3%), Bihar (16%) and Jammu and Kashmir (15%) were in second, third and fourth, places respectively., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 21

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , The December unemployment rate was the highest in the past four months. The previous high was, reported in August, 2021 (8.32%)., The urban unemployment rate of the country was 9.3%. It was 8.21% in November., The rural unemployment rate was 7.28%. It was 6.44% in November., Lowest Unemployment Rates, The lowest unemployment rate was recorded in Karnataka (1.4%). Karnataka was followed by Gujarat and, Odisha with an unemployment rate of 1.6%, Chhattisgarh (2.1%), Telangana (2.2%)., Key Findings, The states were forced to impose restrictions due to increasing Omicron cases in the country. For instance,, the capital closed gyms, schools and cinemas. States such as Haryana and West Bengal restricted public, gatherings and imposed other similar curbs. This hit the economic activities very badly and increased the, unemployment rate. The pandemic is shutting down the labour markets all over the world. This has huge, impact in India where one million enter the job market every month., Significance of the report, The report is used by researchers and economists as the most reliable data. This is because India lacks, nationwide official unemployment data. CMIE is a business information company. It was established in, 1976. It creates business and economic databases. Also, it delivers specialised analytical tools to its, customers., How is unemployment rate defined?, It is measured as the percentage of number of unemployed (X) among the total number in labour force (Y)., Mathematically, it is expressed as X/Y * 100. The total labour force is the number of unemployed and, employed., , Quadrantid Meteor Shower, The Quadrantid meteor shower occurs in January every year. The radiant of the shower lies in the Bootes, constellation., Cause of meteor showers, The meteor showers are caused due to debris or trail of dust left by a comet. When the earth moves through, the left-over dust particles, they catch fire. How do they fire up? Earth revolves around the sun at a speed of, 1,00,000 km/sec! When the dust particles encounter such huge speeds, large amounts of frictional forces, are generated. These frictional forces produce the heat energy and fire the particles. Just like a match stick!, Match stick is the earth and match box is the particle (not considering the weight)., Not as bright as Geminids and Perseids – Why?, The Geminids meteor shower occurs in December. The Perseids meteor shower occurs in August. The, Quadrantid meteor shower is not as bright as the Geminids and Perseids. This is because the duration of, peak occurrence is comparatively less. It lasts only for hours. Also, the meteors are faint. Their magnitudes, are between 3 and 6. The magnitude of meteor storm is around 1000. Meteor storms occur during Perseids, and Geminids. But is rare during Quadrantid., Why are Quadrantid meteor showers shorter?, The meteor shower is short because of its thin stream of particles. More the number of particles, heavier, and longer the shower. Also, earth crosses the particles at right angles. This generates less frictional force, against the particles. Thus there is no enough heat energy generated to fire the particles for longer time., Radiant point: Bootes constellation, The radiant point is the celestial point from where the meteors originate. Bootes constellation is located in, the northern sky. It has the fourth brightest star known to humans, orange giant Arcturus., , © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 22

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Comet associated with Quadrantid meteor shower, C/1490Y1. It was first observed by the Chinese and Japanese 500 years ago., , Zero Tillage Technology, Zero tillage is an agricultural practice. It maintains permanent soil cover. It increases natural biological, processes that occur in the soil. It improves sustained crop production and increases soil nutrition. There is, no soil disturbance., What is Zero Tillage Technology?, Tillage is land preparation. Tilling of land means agitating the soil particles by overturning, digging and, stirring. This is done to kill weeds, crop residues and to aerate the soil. However, tilling destroys natural, structure of the soil. If greater soil area is exposed to sunlight (which usually happens while tilling with the, help of tractors), the moisture retaining capacity of soil is lost. On the other hand, zero tillage skips the, tilling process. Here the crop seed is sown without land preparation. And the seeds are drilled into the soil., Benefits of Zero Tillage Technology, It reduces crop duration. Thus, early cropping is obtained. It aids in getting higher yields. It reduces inputs, of land preparation. It utilizes residual moisture in the soil reducing the need for external irrigation. It, decreases greenhouse effect due to increase in carbon sequestration. It prevents soil erosion, water loss by, runoff. Also, it reduces soil compaction. It slows evaporation. This leads to better rainwater absorption., Ultimately land yield increases., Zero Tillage in India, In India, Zero Tillage is followed in Indo – Gangetic plains. Here, wheat is planted immediately after, harvesting paddy. The major challenges faced by Indian farmers in following the method is that, in due, course, the land yield decreases. This is mainly because of long time gap between the successive crops., The land should not be left barren for more than ten days before sowing the next crop. Most of the farmers, fail to stick to the time gap strictly., Other types, If the level of tilling is reduced, it is called conservation tillage. Here tilling is not avoided. It is only reduced., This is also called strip – tillage. If the tilling is done once in two years (or alternate year), it is called, rotational tillage., , January 4, 2022, District Level Good Governance Index, The Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory is to get a district – level Good Governance Index. The index is, modelled on Good Governance Index 2021., What is District Good Governance Index?, 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 Centre 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., What is the plan?, 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, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 23

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , 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., Key Points on District Good Governance Index, It was first announced at the regional conference organised 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., , RBI Framework on Offline Digital Payments, On January 3, 2022, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released a framework for small-value offline, transactions in digital mode., Key Points of the framework, As per framework, offline payments can be made using any channel or instrument such as wallets,, mobile devices or cards. However, they shall be made in proximity, or in face-to-face mode only., Authorised payment system operators (PSOs) and payment system participants (PSPs) including, banks and non-banks, which wants to offer payments in offline mode will require to comply with the, requirements under the prescribed framework., Offline payment transactions can be offered without additional factor of authentication (AFA)., Payment instruments shall be enabled for offline transactions on the basis of explicit consent of the, customer. Such transactions through cards shall be allowed without the need of switching on, contactless transaction channel., Upper limit of an offline payment transaction should be 200., Total limit for offline transactions on a payment instrument should be Rs 2,000 at any point in time., Replenishment of the used limit should be allowed only in online mode with AFA., Bank or non-bank issuer have been mandated to send transaction alerts to users as soon as, transaction details are received. However, there is no compulsion to send alert for each transaction., Payment instruments will be enabled for offline transactions only after receiving explicit consent of, the customer., What is offline payment?, Transaction which does not require telecom or internet connectivity to take effect are called as offline, payment., Grievance Redressal, As per the framework, customers shall have recourse to integrated ombudsman scheme of RBI, as, applicable, for grievance redressal., Background, These guidelines are part of RBI’s “framework for facilitating small value digital payments in offline mode”., It is followed by pilot testing conducted by some entities in between September 2020 to July 2021. RBI had, permitted a pilot scheme in August 6, 2021 for encourage technological innovations which will enable small, value digital transactions done offline., , China's construction on Pangong Tso, In the last two months, it has been observed that China is constructing a bridge connecting the north and, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 24

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , south banks of the Pangong Lake., Highlights, Construction of the bridge is taking place on the Chinese side. However, it is 25-30 km away from, India’s claim of Line of Actual Control (LAC)., The bridge still connects the north and south banks of the Pangong Lake, allowing the Chinese army, quick access to both sides., Background, In August 2020, India had occupied key heights on Kailash range on the southern bank. It provided troops a, strategic advantage as they overlooked the Chinese Moldo garrison. India had pulled back from the height, following a “mutual pullback plan” for easing the tensions., Significance of the bridge for China, Construction of the bridge is significant, as it bridge will facilitate quick induction since it will reduce the, distance and time to reach the contested areas at the Pangong Lake. It will connect the two banks and thus, allow Chinese forces easy access on either side to combat any threat., New Border Law, On January 1, 2021, China implemented its new border law. The new law calls to strengthen its border, defence, infrastructure near the borders and development of villages., It also lays down conditions, under which emergency measures can be imposed across the border, areas., What are India’s concerns?, Ever since tensions started in Ladakh, in May 2021, China has enhanced its troop deployment of about, 50,000 in this sector. Apart from Ladakh, China has been making aggressive moves in Eastern Sector, bordering Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Recently, China also renamed 15 places in Arunachal Pradesh on, its map., Does the law mean for India only?, The Chinese law is not specially meant for India. however, it has significant implications on the border, dispute between India and China, which has intensified since May 2020., Why China is increasing deployment and construction at the LAC?, Possible Reasons are:, 1. India’s decision to strengthen its border infrastructure (eg- construction of Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg, Oldie road)., 2. India’s tilt towards United States (eg- Quad)., China consider India’s assertions on Gilgit-Baltistan, as an attack on the China-Pakistan Economic, Corridor (CPEC) project of China., China’s growing assertiveness in South China Sea., , ISRO: Missions planned for 2022, The Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman K Sivan recently announced about 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, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 25

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Aditya L1 Mission: Hardware loop test completed, GSLV F-10 mission failed because of issues that occurred during cryogenic stage, The design of Chandrayaan 3 was changed, 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 been 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. 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 metres. TRISHNA aims to increase the resolution to 57 metres., With this, scientists can understand the physical, biological and climatic phenomena of water cycle., NISAR Mission, It is 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 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 atmosphere., , MoHUA Climate Change Awareness Campaign, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) announced to develop and launch a Climate Change, Awareness Campaign and a National Photography Competition., Key Facts, Both the events will be held in Surat, Gujarat on February 4th and 5th 2022. Events will be held as a, part of ministry’s preparatory activities under the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav., Both the campaign and the competition will be organised with the aim of raising concerns regarding, climate change, advance climate action in cities and inform the participants of alternative, approaches., Bye-bye campaigns will be led by municipal Commissioners, top heads of urban local bodies, and, Smart City CEOs, in a bid to bring the attention of young minds towards the challenges and solutions, arising from Urban Climate Change and Sustainable solutions across their municipalities., Events under the campaign, During the campaign, city officials will create awareness in academic institutions on Climate Change, and Sustainable actions., City officials will also carry out a social media awareness campaign in which City leaders such as, Mayors, Municipal Commissioners or Smart City CEOs will talk about climate actions, which can be, implemented in their city., issues that will be taken up for discussion include plantation drive, cleaning of water bodies,, promoting the adoption of solar energy, recycling of e-waste, or other such initiatives which promotes, climate adaptation or mitigation actions., National Photography Competition, National Photography Competition will be held in two categories:, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 26

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , 1. Climate Impacts in Cities and, 2. Climate Actions in Cities., Photos for the competition can be submitted before January 26, 2022., Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, The Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav started on March 12, 2021. It marks the 75-week countdown for 75th, anniversary of India’s independence. It is an to celebrate 75 years of progressive India as well as glorious, history of its people, culture, and achievements. It is dedicated to the people of India who have been, instrumental in bringing India this far in its evolutionary journey., , PM's Excellence Award, On January 3, 2022, the Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh launched a web portal for the PM Excellence, Award registration., About PM Excellence Award, The selection process of the award has undergone several changes since 2014. In 2022, the award is, institutionalized based on performance of the district and not on the performance of the collector. Output, and results are prioritized. Also, the award is to be institutionalized based on the scale of implementation of, schemes. The total number of Prime Minister Awards for Excellence in Public Administration is 18., Basically, the award acknowledges, and recognizes the innovative works done by central and state, government officers. The evaluation parameters of the award are changed every year. The award is, presented by the Prime Minister., Prize Money, In 2022, the prize money of the PM Excellence Award has been doubled. It has been increased from 10 lakh, rupees to 20 lakh rupees. The prize money shall be utilized to bridge resource gaps and implement projects., Apart from prize money. the award will also consist of a scroll and a trophy. Also, a certificate of, recognition will be placed in APAR of the collector. APAR is the Annual Performance Assessment Report., What are parameters recognized by the award?, In 2022, all district collectors should register for the award compulsorily. The award is to recognize the, contribution of civil servants in innovation, end – to – end delivery of services, holistic development in one, – district – one – product scheme, good governance in PM SVANidhi scheme, digital payments, promoting, wellness through Khelo India and promoting people participation in Poshan Abhiyan., Evaluation Process of the award, Short listing by the screening committee, expert committee evaluation and recommendation by an, empowered committee. The Prime Minister shall then approve the name based on the recommendations, made by the empowered committee., Evaluation period, 1st April 2019 to December 31, 2021, Inclusions in the application, Quality control, Outcomes, governance and activities covering the production stage., , National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT) 3.0, On January 3, 2022, Union Education Minister & Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched, “National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT) 3.0., Key Points, NEAT 3.0 was launched as a single platform for providing the best-developed ed-tech solutions and, courses to the students in India., On the occasion, minister also launched AICTE prescribed technical books in regional languages., Learning in regional languages will help in developing critical thinking capacity as well as enable, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 27

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , youth to become global citizens., National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT) 3.0, NEAT is an initiative for providing the use of best-developed technological solutions in education sector for, enhancing the employability of youth on a single platform for the convenience of learners. These solutions, make use of artificial intelligence for a customised and personalised experience for better learning, outcomes and skill development across niche areas., Significance of NEAT, NEAT will play a significant role in bridging the digital divide, particularly among the economically, disadvantaged students. It will also help in fulfilling the knowledge-based requirement of India as well as, world., Companies onboard NEAT, Currently, 58 global and Indian start-up ed-tech companies are onboard NEAT. They are offering 100, courses and e-resources for a better learning outcome, for developing employable skills as well as, overcoming learning loss., Integrated courses, According to education minister, AICTE should integrate courses in NEAT with skill India in order to tap, opportunities in emerging areas of skill for boosting employability and prepare youth for future. AICTE and, ed-tech companies should offer e-resources at minimum possible cost., Ed-tech course coupons, Under NEAT 3.0, more than 12 lakhs socially and economically disadvantaged students have been provided, free ed-tech course coupons worth over Rs 253 crore., National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT), NEAT scheme was launched by Ministry of Human Resource Development (now Ministry of Education) to, use technology for better learning outcomes in Higher Education. It was launched with the aim of using, Artificial Intelligence to make learning customized and personalized for learner. It also seeks to recognize, the development of technologies in Adaptive Learning and bring them on a single platform. It also proposes, to create a National Alliance with technology developing EdTech Companies in Public-Private Partnership, (PPP) mode. Under the scheme, a National NEAT platform was created for providing one-stop access to, Adaptive Learning Solutions., Implementing Agency, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is the implementing agency for NEAT scheme., , India’s Monthly Goods Exports – Current Trend, The Ministry of Commerce and Industry recently released the monthly goods export report of the country., According to the report, in December 2021, India exported 37.29 billion USD of goods., Key Findings of the report, The export demand for goods such as petroleum items, engineering products and gems and jewellery were, the highest in December 2021. Between April and December, the exports grew by 48.9%. The cumulative, services exports have reached 179 billion USD in the first nine months (Apr to Dec). It is to reach 230 billion, USD by the end of the fiscal year. The main reason behind the increase in exports is expansion of export, baskets., Merchandise Exports, The merchandise exports of the country between April and December 2021 were 300 billion USD. This was, 26% higher than the same period in 2019. At this rate, the export of India will touch 400 billion USD in, 2021-22. In 2020-21, the exports of the country were 290 billion USD., , © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 28

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Engineering goods, The engineering goods constitute 26% of the total exports. It has grown by 37% as compared to last year., Gems and jewellery, Gems and jewellery constitute 8% of the total exports. It has grown by 15.8%., Merchandise imports, The merchandise imports of the country were 59.27 billion USD in December 2021. It has increased by, 38.06%. In December 2019, it was 49.7%., Trade Deficit, The trade deficit was 21.99 billion USD in December 2021. Last year, it was 15.75 billion USD., Impact of Omicron, The key markets of India such as North America and Europe are witnessing high infections. This might, affect the pipeline of imports and exports. As of now, Omicron has no effect on trade of the country., Imports, The imports in December 2021 were 59.27 billion USD. It increased by 38%, The oil imports in December 2021 were 15.9 billion USD. It increased by 65.17%, , Ayush Aahaar Pilot Project, The project was launched by AYUSH Ministry. Ayush Aahaar is a healthy diet. The ministry is to make this, diet available in its canteen., What is Ayush Aahaar?, It was launched at Ayush Bhawan canteen of the ministry. The project aims to promote healthy living, through nutritious diet. The healthy diet that includes kokum drink, gajar ka halwa, bhajani vada and, vegetable poha. These dishes are rich in nutrition and are very popular among the public. Also, they are, easily digestible., What are future plans?, The Ayush Aahaar is being launched as a test. Forms will be issued to people taking the dishes. Feedbacks, are to be collected. Based on the feedback, a new diet is to be regularised. This is a precursor to promote, Ayush Lifestyle. The ministry has plans to spread awareness about Ayush lifestyle., AYUSH Lifestyle, It mainly aims to reduce the burden of lifestyle diseases. Lifestyle diseases are heart disease, type 2, diabetes, obesity and stroke. AYUSH lifestyle includes taking healthy diet, regular exercise and yoga., Significance of AYUSH Aahaar, India is the world leader in AYUSH practices. There are more than 500 colleges and 3000 hospitals, dedicated to AYUSH. If the project becomes a success, the diet can be introduced in these hospitals., Growth Potential of AYUSH in India, The AYUSH market in India is 10 billion USD. It is predicted to increase by 50% in the next five years. There, are no FDI limits for AYUSH. India is the second largest exporter of alternate medicines in the world. Yoga, and acupuncture are gaining popularity in developed countries. The major AYUSH partners of India are, Japan, Russia, UAE and USA. India is pushing AYUSH largely through National Ayush Misssion. The mission, was launched in 2014 to promote cost effective AYUSH medicines, cultivate medicinal plants, increase, institutional capacities and to provide cost effective medical services., , UNSC Statement on Nuclear War, UNSC statement on Nuclear War was published by Kremlin on January 3, 2022. Five nuclear powers, namely, Russia, China, Britain, the United States and France, stated in a joint statement that further spread of, nuclear arms and a nuclear war should be avoided., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 29

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Key Facts, These five nations further look to avoid war between nuclear states and reduce strategic risks., They also seek to work with all nations for creating an atmosphere of security., Joint Statement, In a joint statement, countries affirmed that, a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. They, also affirmed that nuclear weapons should serve defensive purposes, prevent war and deter aggression, as, long as they exist., Background, Joint statement was published in the light of deteriorating bilateral ties between the United States and, Moscow. Relation between both the countries have deteriorated to its lowest point, since the end of Cold, War. Relations between United States and China are also at its lowest point., Nuclear warfare, Nuclear warfare is a military conflict or political strategy of deploying nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons, are weapons of mass destruction. Such warfare can produce destruction in a shorter time by leaving a longlasting radiological result., Use of nuclear weapons, So far, nuclear weapons have been used in armed conflict that occurred in 1945 with American atomic, bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A uranium gun-type device named “Little Boy” was thrown over, Hiroshima city in Japan, on August 6, 1945. Following that, a plutonium implosion-type device named “Fat, Man” was thrown over Nagasaki city in Japan on August 9, 1945. These two bombings caused deaths of, around 200,000 people in Japan., Which countries have developed nuclear weapons?, After the World War II, nuclear weapons were developed by Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, France, China,, leading to Cold War. India in 1974 and Pakistan in 1998, developed nuclear weapons. Israel and North Korea, are also thought to have developed nuclear weapons. South Africa also manufactured some complete, nuclear weapons, but also became the first country to voluntarily destroy their domestically made weapons., , GitHub App Case, On January 3, 2021, police apprehended an engineering student from Bengaluru to question in connection, with its probe into two apps on which images of Muslim women were posted to “auction” them., Highlights, The latest app came to light on January 1, when targeted women approached police. Previous app, was floated in July 2021., Person taken into the custody is a second-year civil engineering student. He was running a twitter, handle, which was used to upload content from the app., Mumbai cyber police registered an FIR under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 153A, 153 B, 295A,, 354D, 500 and 509 along with Section 67 of the Information Technology Act against unknown, persons., Case was filed on the basis of statements of some women whose pictures were used on the app., Intelligent Fusion and Strategic Operations Unit (IFSO) is also handling the investigations into the July, app., What was the issue with GitHub?, The person was booked in connection with the outrage over shocking ‘auction’ of Muslim women online, through ‘Sulli Deals’ on GitHub. A similar page named ‘Bulli Bai’ circulated profiles and images of women, asking people to join ‘auction.’ Sulli Deals and Bulli Bai were created on open-source platform called GitHub., , © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 30

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , GitHub, Inc., It is a provider of Internet hosting for version control and software development using Git. It offers the, source code management (SCM) and distributed version control functionality of Git, along with its own, features. The app also provides access control and several collaboration features like feature requests, bug, tracking, task management, wikis for every project and continuous integration. It is headquartered in, California and is a subsidiary of Microsoft since 2018. This platform is commonly used to host open-source, projects. It is not a social media platform, but a software repository for developers and coders, which is, used to store codes of their software online. As of November 2021, GitHub reports having over 73 million, developers and 200 million repositories., , New Covid-19 variant 'IHU', Scientists in France have identified a new and more mutated strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus, causing covid-19, disease., Highlights, New virus was identified, when the world is still grappling with highly mutated strain of coronavirus,, called Omicron., Omicron has already been leading to surge in covid-19 cases worldwide., First case with new variant was detected in December, 2021., IHU- New covid variant, New variant of the coronavirus has been named IHU or the B.1.640.2 variant. It was discovered by the, academics at institute IHU Mediterranee Infection. It comprises of 46 mutations, more than Omicron,, making it more resistant to vaccines and infectious., Cases so far, So far, 12 cases of the new variant have been reported near Marseilles. Cases are linked to travel to the, African country Cameroon. Omicron variant is still the dominant strain in most of the countries. But the, threat of IHU variant is rising rapidly. New variant has not been spotted in other countries and World Health, Organisation (WHO) has not yet labelled it as a variant under investigation., Genotype Pattern, The new variant comprises of 14 amino acid substitutions, including N501Y and E484K. Apart from that, 9, deletions are located in the spike protein. This genotype pattern led to creation of new Pangolin lineage, named B.1.640.2. it is a phylogenetic sister group to the old B.1.640 lineage., , 2021 Gold Import in India, India reported a record $55.7 billion on gold imports in 2021. India bought more than double tonnage, as, compared to previous tonnage, as a price drop favoured retail buyers., Key Facts, 2021 gold import bill got doubled the $22 billion, which were spent in 2020., It also surpassed the previous high set in 2011. In 2011, $53.9 billion gold import was reported., India imported 1,050 tonnes of gold in 2021, in volume term. It is far more than 430 tonnes import in, 2020., Why gold import increased?, In the year 2020, demand was robust because lot of weddings were postponed to 2021 amid the covid-19, pandemic. Strict lockdown during the first wave of covid-19 pandemic in 2020 had hit the gold demand., Which act control the sale and holding of gold in India?, Indian Parliament had repealed the “Gold (Control) Act, 1968” and was enacted to control sale and holding, of gold in personal possession., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 31

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Gold Import Policy in India, In India, there is a high demand for gold and negligible indigenous production. This result in high gold, imports, which in turn lead to drastic devaluation of Indian rupee and depletion of foreign exchange, reserves. Thus, India has its gold import policy with the aim of curbing gold imports to a manageable legal, restriction., Restrictions on gold imports, Indian entities are mandated to import gold in the form of gold bars. While, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) have, prohibited the form of coins and medallions. Imports of the yellow metal can be routed only through custom, bonded warehouses. One entity is prohibited to import more than 10 kg of gold (including ornaments) per, passenger., Largest gold exporter to India, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, and China are the largest exporter of gold to India. India also imports Gold from, Dubai. Switzerland has strengthened its position as India’s most significant import partners due to, increasing gold imports. It has replaced Saudi Arabia to become 4th largest import partner of India., , Indian SARS – CoV – 2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), INSACOG is a multi-lab agency. It was established by the Government of India in 2020 to monitor the, genomic variations of COVID-19. In the beginning, there were ten labs. The number has now increased, largely., About INSACOG, The labs identify and expand the genome sequences of COVID-19 virus. Through this they understand how, the virus evolves and spreads. It was established by the Health Ministry. The other establishing partners of, INSACOG are CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Department of Biotechnology and Indian, Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The genome sequencing is essential because it helps to understand, the immune escape of the virus and how its infection increases., Objectives, It aims to ensure the status of Variants of Concern and Variants of Interest. Also, it aims to establish the, surge surveillance and sentinel surveillance mechanisms. These mechanisms help in early detection of the, virus. The labs will find out the presence of variants in the areas reporting higher infection., Working of INSACOG, The samples collected from different places are sent to the INSACOG labs. These labs conduct genome, sequencing. Identify the variants. The information is then passed on to the health ministry. Required actions, are taken to address the concerns. It mainly works to understand the severity of the diseases., What is SCAG?, SCAG is Scientific and Clinical Advisory Group. It was established to assist INSACOG. The Central, Surveillance Unit conducts investigation on the variants based on the recommendations made by the SCAG., What is Genome Sequencing?, Genome is a set of DNAs. Genomics is the study of the structure, evolution, function of the genes in these, DNAs. Genome sequencing is finding the order of DNA., What are the basic steps of genome sequencing?, Isolation of DNA. Fragmentation of DNA, Size selection using electrophoresis, paired end sequencing,, library construction and genome assembly., , Bucharest Nine Group, The Bucharest Nine Group comprises of Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Czech, Republic, Bulgaria and Estonia. The organisation was formed in 2015. It was formed under the initiative of, Romania and Poland. It is also called Bucharest Format or B9. The group was formed at the Romania capital, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 32

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Rome and hence the name., Why was B9 formed?, Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. The B9 was formed condemning the annexation. The B9, members were either a part of Soviet Union before its disintegration or a sphere of influence. The B9 has, proposed to extend the organisation eastward. It wants to include Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. Ukraine is, of great importance to US, EU and B9 because it is the buffer between the western world and Russia., Why is B9 in news recently?, Lithuania recently allowed Taiwan to open an embassy equivalent office in its soil. This angered China., According to China, Taiwan is not a separate country and is an integral part. US and B9 countries are, supporting Lithuania actions., Why did Russia annex Crimea?, The Sea of Azov and Black Sea are connected by Kerch Strait. The Kerch strait is located in Crimea. The, strait is an important sea route. Russia can reach Mediterranean countries through this strait. Russia, annexed Crime for its strategic location. Crimea was a part of Ukraine. The US and EU are against this, annexation. Reason: They do not want Russia to capture the Mediterranean market., What is the Taiwan issue?, After the 1949 civil war, Taiwan leaders declared Taiwan as a sovereign state. However, China brought in, One Country Two System formula. Under this Taiwan was given autonomy. In return, China claimed that, Taiwan is its integral part. This was rejected by Taiwan. The economy of Taiwan is strong. US, Japan and, several other countries use Taiwan as a gateway to make business with China. Through Taiwan, they can, bypass the custom duties and taxes. Thus, they support Taiwan., , Unified Presentment Management System (UPMS), Wholly-owned subsidiary of national Payments Corporation of India, NPCI BillPay Ltd. (NBBL) introduced a, unique functionality called “Unified Presentment Management System (UPMS) with the aim of enriching and, simplifying bill payments in India., Unified Presentment Management System (UPMS), UPMS will help the customers to set up standing instructions, for any mode and from any channel on, their recurring bill payments., Bills will be fetched automatically from the billers and will be presented to customers for their action,, in terms of bill payment and auto-debit management., With the launch of UPMS, the motive is to enable all the Bharat BillPay Operating Units (BBPOU) to, extend the facility for their customers or corporate clients with minimal effort by means of, centralized infrastructure as well as application support provided by Bharat BillPay Central Unit, (BBPCU)., UPMS will also help in democratizing recurring bill payments and making them convenient for, customers., It provides a great opportunity for fintech and service providers of the digital payments ecosystem for, running through this innovative feature in sandbox environment of BBPS., UPMS will enable a common repository of bills. It will ensure that entire bill payment ecosystem gets, updated in real-time., Deployment of UPMS, Technical Service Providers (TSPs) and Several Operating Units (OUs) are actively helping in the rapid, deployment of UPMS. Ecosystem partners like IDFC FIRST bank and Axis Bank are amongst Private Banks, and PhonePe are actively engaged in taking UPMS services for their Billers and Consumers., , © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 33

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Significance of UPMS, UPMS service assumes criticality with undergoing category expansion, as a majority of the transactions in, new categories under BBPS such as mutual fund, subscriptions, insurance, school fee payments, presently, happen through presentment and standing instructions., National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), NPCI is the specialised division of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). It works under the parent jurisdiction of, Ministry of Finance. It was established by RBI for operating retail payments and settlement systems across, India., , Khanij Bidesh India (KABIL), Ministry of Mines has created a joint venture (JV) company called “Khanij Bidesh India (KABIL)” with, participating interest from Hindustan Copper (HCL), National Aluminium Company (NALCO), and Mineral, Exploration Corporation (MECL)., Key Facts, The equity participation ratio of the JV company is- 40 (NALCO): 30 (HCL) :30 (MECL)., This move by government aims to ensure a committed supply of raw materials, particularly for, renewable energy (RE) and e-mobility sectors., India is currently working on acquiring mines of strategic minerals like cobalt and lithium in producing, countries including Argentina, Australia, Bolivia and Chile., India has now decided to acquire lithium & cobalt mines in South America and Australia., Why KABIL has been created?, KABIL has been created in a bid to ensure India’s mineral security and to attain self-reliance in the area of, strategic and critical minerals. KABIL has been mandated to identify and acquire overseas mineral assets, like Lithium, Cobalt etc. KABIL ensure mineral security of the nation as well as help in realizing overall, objective of import substitution., Significance of the move, This initiative is aimed at giving boost to Atmanirbhar Bharat. It will cater to the requirements of crucial, sectors including RE, e-mobility, aerospace, medicine, aviation etc., Shortlisted countries to explore possibilities of mineral asset, On the basis of commissioned study and selection criteria, some countries have been shortlisted to explore, possibilities of mineral asset acquisition abroad. Currently KABIL is engaged with source countries like, Australia, Argentina, Bolivia and Chile., Background, KABIL had signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with 3 State-owned Argentinian, organisations in July, September and December to share information regarding prospective mineral, acreages., , World Braille Day 2022, Every year the World Braille Day is celebrated on January 4. The day is celebrated to spread the importance, of braille. It is celebrated by the United Nations and several other international organizations., About World Braille Day, In 2018, the United Nations passed a resolution to celebrate January 4 as the World Braille Day. Following, this, the first World Braille Day was observed in 2019., Why is World Braille Day celebrated on January 4?, January 4 is the birth anniversary of Louis Braille. Louis invented the Braille language in 1809. January 4, was chosen to honour Louis Braille., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 34

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Who was Louis Braille?, Braille was a French teacher. At the age of three, he lost one of his eye sight in an accident. Braille lost his, other eye while working in his father’s shop. This motivated Braille to invent Braille. Also his passion, towards learned kindled him to invent Braille., What is Braille?, In Braille the alphabets and numbers are created using six dots. There are three different types of braille, scripts. They are as follows:, Uncontracted Braille: It uses letter – by – letter transcription. It is used for education purposes., Contracted braille: It uses abbreviations. It is a space saving script, Grade 3: It is a personal stenography. It is less commonly used., Blindness in India, According to the National Blindness and Visual Survey prevalence of blindness is the highest among old age, people, 80 years old. The major causes of blindness in India are cataract, cataract surgical complication, and corneal opacity., Definition of Blindness in India, Recently, India changed the age-old definition of blindness. In 1976, India defined blindness as the, incapability of the person to count fingers at a distance of six metres. In the new definition, the distance, has been reduced to three metres. The vision impairment in middle income countries is four times greater, than the high income regions., , IRDAI guidelines on Surety Insurance, The IRDAI recently issued guidelines for surety insurance. Under the guidelines, the Insurance Regulatory, and Development Authority of India has capped the surety insurance to 10% of the premium. And the, maximum threshold was set to five hundred crores of rupees., What is surety insurance?, Surety insurance are guarantees without collateral. It protects the lender against default by contractor,, failure of projects or poor services., IRDAI (Surety Insurance Contracts) Guidelines 2022, The guidelines say that the surety or guarantee shall not exceed 30% of project value. Only the insurance, registered under the Insurance act shall issue surety insurance. The company issuing surety insurance, should fulfil the following conditions:, Solvency margin of the company should be 1.25 times or more., The risk assessment and the financial strength of the client should be evaluated, The guarantee cannot be clubbed for multiple projects. One guarantee for one project, How does a surety insurance work?, It is an agreement signed between insurance company, contractor (debt receiver) and the oblige (awarding, authority like that of a government company). Under the agreement, the insurance company promises that it, will pay the balance amount if the debtor fails to adhere to the terms (or fails to pay). There are different, types of surety insurance. They are contract bond, advance payment bond, Bid bond, customs and court, bond, performance bond and retention money., Why is surety insurance important to India?, India has plans to invest five lakh crores of rupees in building roads in the near future., The Gati Shakti Project aims to develop infrastructure worth 100 lakh crores of rupees in the country., The sector is prone to cost overruns. This is mainly due to delays in implementing the project., Surety bonds are popular in international market. Therefore, is seen as a welcoming step by foreign, investors. Countries such as US, Canada, Australia, European countries and New Zealand are already, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 35

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , offering surety insurance or surety bonds. The culture is slowly spreading in southeast Asia and, Africa., , Losar Festival of Ladakh, Losar festival of Ladakh is a religious festival. It is predominantly celebrated by the Tibetan Buddhists. It is, celebrated for 15 days. It starts on Tibetan New Year. They follow Lunar calendar., How is Losar festival celebrated in Ladakh?, The festival is celebrated with music performances, folk dances, special prayers, gifts exchange. During, Losar evening processions called METHO is held. Metho is held in streets, lanes and markets. During, Metho, people carry flaming torches and chant slogans. Special dishes are made and offered to Buddhist, gods. The month-long festival is begun by cleaning the housing, removing unwanted things and unused, things, discarding old materials. This is done to chase away the evil omens in the house. During this, process, the evil spirits are driven away to the streets. The Metho procession then chases them out of the, town or village., History of Losar festival, The Losar festival originated in Tibet. It dates back to pre – Buddhist era, around 17th century. Incense, burning custom is followed in Bon religion. With the arrival of Lord Buddha in Tibet, this custom merged, with the harvest festival and the Losar festival emerged. This happened during the reign of Pude Gungyal., He was the ninth Tibetan king., Why metho ceremony?, The chants and sacred fire torch of the metho ceremony is believed to clean the spirits. It drives away evil, spirits in the town and paves way for the holy spirit. Metho clears the negativity that accumulated in the, town the entire year., Losar Festival in Arunachal Pradesh, The Losar festival is also celebrated in Arunachal Pradesh. Here it is celebrated by the Monpa tribe. It is, celebrated in Tawang region of the state. It is a three-day festival here. Here also, the Losar is celebrated, marking the beginning of calendar. Lo means year. Sar means Year. The celebrations is all the same. Music,, metho, folk, etc. Losar festival is also celebrated in Nepal., , Telangana – UP Potato Ban, The Telangana Government recently banned the potatoes from Uttar Pradesh. Can a State Government do, this? Do state government hold such powers? Yes. The Trade and Commerce is a State Subject under the, Seventh Schedule of the Constitution., What happened?, Around 2,500 kg of potatoes are transported from UP to Telangana every day. Telangana government has, now banned the potatoes imported from UP. This was done for two reasons. One, UP is exporting old, stocks. Two, Telangana has become self sufficient in potato production. Telangana prefers freshly in grown, potatoes (that is potatoes grown within the state) to the old stocks from UP., Why is UP sending old stocks?, The farmers in UP sow potatoes during October to November. They harvest during Feb – Mar. They sell only, one – fifth of the harvest in Mar. They store the rest in cold storages till November end. They then export, the stored potatoes to other states throughout the year. Thus, UP has enough old stocks to send to other, states throughout the year., Why are other states not following UP strategy?, The UP potatoes are long grown, five to six months. The potatoes grown in other states such as HP,, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Punjab are short grown, less than 60 to 75 days. Thus, only UP potatoes can be, stored till November at two to four degrees Celsius. And the short-grown potatoes cannot be stored for, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 36

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , longer time. UP potatoes are actually more nutritious for their longer growing period!, Why did Telangana ban UP potatoes?, Telangana has increased the potato acreage. It is now producing 3,500 to 4,000 acres of potatoes. The, state has become the second largest paddy producer, third largest cotton producer. This is mainly because, Telangana increased its irrigation. They are now producing fresh potatoes, of lesser growth period that can, be sold within four to five days of harvest. Mostly, baby potatoes!, , January 5, 2022, National Youth Festival 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Puducherry on January 12, 2022 to inaugurate the 25th, National Youth Festival., Highlights, The National Youth Festival will be organised by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in Puducherry,, from January 12 to 16., It will start on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda and it also marks 75th year of India’s, independence., The festival is likely to draw around 7000 youths in the age group of 18 to 22 from across the country., Around 500 youths from Puducherry will take part in the event., Covid-19 protocol, Those who are not vaccinated will not be allowed to participate in the Youth Festival., Venue for the festival, The Puducherry Technological University has been chosen as one of the venues to conduct this festival., Entire campus of the University has been brought under the control of Puducherry administration., Accommodation for the youth will be provided in hostels at the University., About National Youth Festival, National Youth Festival us an annual gathering of youth, in India. The festival is celebrated to commemorate, the birth anniversary of youth icon Swami Vivekananda. It is organized by Ministry of Youth Affairs and, Sports, in association with one of the State Governments. Thus, it is organised in a different state each year, during National Youth Week., Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, January 12 marks the Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. The day is always celebrated as National, Youth Day. The week commencing from this day is known as National Youth Week, that is January 12 to, January 16., Aim of the festival, Government of India holds National Youth Festival, as a part of National Youth Week celebrations. It is, organised with the aim of propagating the concept of national integration, brotherhood, spirit of communal, harmony, courage and adventure amongst the youth. This aim is achieved by organizing gatherings of youth, and encouraging them to take part in different activities., When was the festival started?, National Youth Festival started in 1995 as a major activity under the programme held by National, Integration Camp (NIC)., , Indian Bridge Management System, According to Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari, Union Government will framework, a policy to know the age and condition of all the bridges in India., Highlights, Ministry had prepared the Indian Bridge Management System for collecting information on all the, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 37

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , bridges of the country., This decision was taken as there are no expiry dates for bridges in India and as a result, several, accidents and deaths occur., Centre is now thinking of using stainless steel in the brides being built on seaside because it will, increase the strength and longevity of the bridges and make brides more secure., Union Minister highlighted the new-age technologies. According to him, new technology will have to, be adopted to connect the spans of bridges., India has a span of 30 metre while, Malaysia has a span of 45 meters. Longer span reduces the cost, of bridge by 30-40 per cent., Emphasis on Multi-storey Road projects, Union Minister further emphasised on multistorey road projects, because land acquisition is not easy in, cities. For instance, in Nagpur, a project has been made to run metro over a two-storey road while in Pune,, government is preparing for a four-storey road project in Pune., Indian Bridge Management System (IBMS), The IBM System has been established for developing data in digital form, for identifying and surveying the, number of bridges and other structures on the National Highways. The system was established with the aim, of identifying the distressed bridges which requires immediate attention. It also seeks to sensitize the, concerned implementation agency to take corrective measures like repair, rehabilitation, reconstruction or, new construction., Inventory creation for Bridge Location Number, During inventory creation, bridges are assigned a unique identification number or National Identity Number, on the basis of state, RTO zone and whether it is situated on a district road, state highways or national, highways. After that, precise location of the bridge is collected through GPS, in terms of latitude &, longitude. Based on this, bridge is assigned a Bridge Location Number. Following this, engineering, characteristics are collected and are used to assign a Bridge Classification Number to the structure., , Caste certificate based on Single mother, On January 4, 2022, deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia handed over the first caste certificate, based on Single mother., Highlights, The certificate was issued to a child of a single mother, on the mother’s credentials. The mother was, struggling to get an SC caste certificate for her child for last eight years., This is for the first time, a child of a single mother belonging to the scheduled caste community, received a caste certificate in Delhi., How caste certificates were issued earlier?, Earlier, SC/ST caste certificates were issued only on the basis of fathers’ caste certificate or paternal side, certificates. because of this procedure, many single mothers were unable to get SC/ST caste certificates for, their children., Background, Circular to amend the procedure for issuance of ‘SC/ST caste certificate’ based on the caste certificate of, single mother was issued on July 20, 2020, after getting approval from the Revenue Minister of GNCT Delhi., Struggle of Geeta Devi, Geeta Devi, aged 30, was struggling to get the Scheduled Caste scholarship for her son in 2020. She was, informed by his son’s school that she requires to submit caste certificate of her son in order to get, scholarship. After visiting the sub-district magistrate (SDM) office, she was asked to bring husband’s cate, certificate as proof to get one for her son. Her struggle ended and her case became the first in city where a, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 38

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , child received caste certificate on the basis of his single mother’s documents., Who issue caste certificates in India?, Caste Certificate for SC/ST/OBC/PC can be issued by any of the following authorities:, 1. District Magistrate or Additional Distt. Magistrate, 2. Collector or Deputy Collector, 3. Deputy Commissioner or Additional Dy. Commissioner, 4. First Class Stipendiary Magistrate, 5. Sub- Divisional Magistrate, 6. Taluka Magistrate, 7. Executive Magistrate, 8. Extra Assistant Commissioner, 9. Chief Presidency Magistrate, 10. Additional Chief Presidency Magistrate, 11. Presidency Magistrate, 12. Revenue Officer of the rank of Tahsildar, 13. Sub Divisional Officer of the area where candidate or family normally resides., , Plan Bee, The Plan Bee was launched by Northern Frontier Railway. It aims to keep the elephants away from the train, tracks. The plan recently won Best Innovation Award from the Indian Railways., What is Plan Bee?, The plan installs unique devices along the railway tracks. These devices create the buzzing sounds of, swarming bees. Elephants get irritated to the buzzing sounds of bees. And try to stay away from the sound., Thus, by creating the buzzing sound, the device keeps the elephants away from the track. The sound, produced by the device is audible from a distance of 400 metres., About the device, The device was first installed near Kamakhya station in Assam. And today the devices are installed in more, than 56 locations. These places are under the jurisdiction of the North Frontier Railways. So far, Plan Bee, has saved 950 elephants., Need for Plan Bee, According to Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, between 2009 and 2021, more than 186, elephants were killed in train accidents. Of these, Assam accounted for the largest number of elephant, deaths due to train accidents. It was followed by West Bengal and Odisha., Other measures to protect elephant deaths due to train accidents, The vegetation along the tracks are cleared frequently. This provides a better view to the loco pilot (the train, driver). Signage boards are used to alert the loco pilot about the elephant zones. The Railways create, overpass and underpass for the safe passage of elephants. The loco pilots have been instructed to reduce, the train speed in vulnerable stretches between sunset and sunrise., What is Eco – Bridge solution to prevent elephant deaths by train accidents?, The eco bridges are natural corridors. They are links in habitat that connect two larger wildlife zones. They, are usually constructed in elephant corridors. Sometimes, the road and railway construction through the, elephant corridor obstructs the movement of elephants from one habitat to the other. In such cases, a, natural link over or under the road and railway track will help them cross the corridor., , North Korea Ballistic Missile, North Korea recently tested submarine launched ballistic missile. North Korea has yet again violated UN, resolution with the test. The United Nations had passed resolution banning North Korea from testing, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 39

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , nuclear devices and ballistic missiles., About the missile, The missile test range was around 310 miles. The test was conducted in the ocean waters between Japan, and North Korea. However, there is no way to confirm the test. Norther Korea considers the missile as the, world’s most powerful weapon. The test information was revealed by Japan., Why is North Korea missile test a concern?, The North Korean missiles tests are a great concern to the US. This is because, most of their missile ranges, are capable of reaching the major cities of the US. For instance, Hwasong – 14 missiles have a range of, 10,000 kilometres. This was the first intercontinental missile of North Korea. Hwasong – 15 is capable of, reaching peaks greater than 4,500 kilometre in space. The International Space Station orbits at 450kilometre altitude from the earth! North Korean missiles are capable of reaching heights ten times the, altitude of International Space Station. Hwasong – 15 has not yet been tested. It is a liquid fueled missile., The size of the missile surprised the world experts when it was put on show in 2020. The missile size was, small for its potent of destruction. Apart from this, North Korea has developed several other dangerous, weapon systems. They are thermonuclear bombs, Nodong missiles, Musudan missile, etc., UN on North Korea missiles, The UN prohibits North Korea from testing ballistic missiles. However, UN allows North Korea to test cruise, missiles., What is the reason behind US – North Korea conflict?, The rift between the countries is highly tense. It started with the Korean war. In recent years, the tensions, escalated with the US military presence in South Korea, US sanctions against North Korea, US – South Korea, joint military exercises in South China Sea., , Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs), As per Reserve Bank of India (RBI), State Bank of India (SBI), HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank continue to be, identified as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs), similar to 2020 list of D-SIBs., Highlights, These three banks continue to be in the list, under the same bucketing structure as it was there in the, 2020 list of D-SIBs., Current update on D-SIBs by RBI is based on data collected from banks as of March 31, 2021., On the basis of bucket in which a D-SIB is placed, an additional common equity requirement is applied, to it., How RBI places D-SIBs in buckets?, RBI places D-SIBs in appropriate buckets on the basis of their Systemic Importance Scores (SISs)., Under RBI’s ‘Framework for dealing with D-SIBs’, SBI has been placed in the third bucket. Under this, bucket, bank is required to maintain Additional Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) at 0.60 per cent of the, Risk Weighted Assets (RWAs)., ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank have been placed in the first bucket. Under this bucket, banks are required, to maintain Additional CET1 at 0.20 per cent of their RWAs., What is D-SIBs?, Some banks become domestic systemically important, because of their size, cross-jurisdictional activities,, lack of substitutability & interconnectedness, and complexity. Such banks are perceived as banks which as, ‘Too Big To Fail’ (TBTF). This perception creates an expectation of government’s support at the time of, distress in these banks. These banks are subjected to additional policy measures in order to deal with moral, hazard issue and systemic risks posed by them., , © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 40

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , What are Systemic risks?, Risks associated with collapse or failure of a company, financial institutions, industry, or an entire economy, are called as systemic risks., What is Moral hazard?, Moral hazard is a situation, where one party gets involved in a risky event after knowing that it is protected, against that risk while other party will incur the cost., , Mud Crab Reovirus (MCRV), Andhra Pradesh recently found that ‘Mud Crab Reovirus (MCRV)’ has been the reason for mass mortality of, wild crab (Scylla serrata)., Highlights, Presence of MCRV in samples collected from Nagayalanka fields was confirmed by Joint research by, Centre for Advanced Study in Marine Biology (Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu) and M.S., Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF)., MSSRF has been noticing mortality in areas like Machilipatnam and Nagayalanka in Krishna district,, since 2019., MCRV has taken a toll on wild crab in every farming method, crab polyculture and crab fattening in, which shrimp and wild crab are cultured in exclusive mud crab ponds and in same pond., Crab fattening technology was introduced in Andhra Pradesh by Central Institute of Brackishwater, Aquaculture (CIBA-Chennai), in 2014., About Mud Crab Reovirus (MCRV), Mud Crab Reovirus belongs the “Reoviridae” family. It is responsible for the mass mortality of wild crabs., The virus mainly affects the connective tissue of hepatopancreas, intestine and gills., International Case, In China, the MCRV had paralysed the wild crab species cultivation in 2007., Case of Andhra Pradesh, In Andhra Pradesh, total area under wild crab cultivation is around 25,000 acres. Around 4,500 acres are, there in Krishna district. The wild crab is cultivated in the districts of Nellore, Guntur, Prakasam, Krishna,, and Godavari districts. Wild crab is exported to South-east Asia region directly from Andhra Pradesh and it, has a large market in Europe. But starting from 2019, around 60% of cultivation has been affected because, of mass mortality in the State., About wild crab or mud crab, Wild Crab are scientifically called as Scylla serrata. They are ecologically important species of crab and are, found in the estuaries and mangroves of Africa, Asia and Australasia. The shell colour varies from deep,, mottled green to dark brown, In their most common form., , RBI Window for Primary Dealers, The Reserve Bank of India recently provided a new special window for bond houses called “Primary, Dealers”. The window allows to exchange illiquid securities. Illiquid securities are those securities that, cannot be sold easily or directly. That is, the investors buying the securities can sell them only in limited, instances., What is the new window?, The primary dealers are those dealers who buy securities directly from the government. They then resell the, security to the others. Thus, their main role is to assist the government in selling bonds or securities. They, earn some fees for selling these securities. The Bond house is the security firm that creates and distributes, bonds. Now, these primary dealers have a separate section or window to buy securities from the, government. The government securities are debt issuances., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 41

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , What is the plan?, A special window is to be opened every month for the primary dealers. Though the window, the dealers can, switch the illiquid securities obtained through Request for Quotes with liquid securities obtained from RBI., What are the benefits of the window?, The move encourages the investors to invest in sovereign bonds. And also makes the primary dealers the, key players in retail investments. Sovereign Bonds are debt obligations issued by government. It is issued, seeking support in government spending. That is, if more number of people are buying a sovereign bond of, a project, it means more people have confidence in the success of the project. This increases the share, value of the government company executing the project., Why are Government Securities important?, It gives resources to the government. It is useful in implementing the fiscal policies. Also, the government, security provides a collateral. It secures the capital. It provides a fixed income to the investor. The most, popular government securities in India are rural development bonds, national defence bonds and gold, bonds., , EU Tattoo Ink ban, On January 4, 2022, a European Union ban on tattoo ink and permanent make-up went into effect., Key Points, European Union has banned tattoo ink and permanent make-up comprising of chemicals which could, cause cancers or other health risks., The ban covers hazardous substances like certain azo dyes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, (PAHs), carcinogenic aromatic amines, metals and methanol., It also covers carcinogenic, chemicals prohibited in cosmetics, mutagenic & reprotoxic substances,, skin sensitisers, metal impurities, skin & eye irritants, aromatic amines and some pigments., EU has however given a grace period for two common colours- green and blue and have allowed time, for alternatives to be found., Which countries have applied the ban?, Seven EU countries have already applied the ban at national level., When was this directive agreed upon?, The directive to ban tattoo ink was agreed by all EU member states in 2019. Now it is applicable across 27, countries of the European Union. The directive also include ban on imports coming from outside the, European Union., What are the health impacts of chemical mixes?, Tattoo inks and permanent make-up comprising of chemical mixes can be hazardous, can cause skin, allergies and lead to serious health impacts like genetic mutations & cancer., How this ink affects the body?, Ink pigments can penetrate deep down the body from the skin. Thus, it affects organs like lymph nodes and, the liver. Furthermore, laser-treatment to erase tattoos can break those substances into smaller particles., Smaller particles then circulate in the body. These chemicals could stay for life in body. Thus, there is, possibility for long-term exposure to potentially harmful chemicals., Which substances are a cause of concern?, The two main substances used in tattoos are-: Pigment Blue 15:3 and Pigment Green 7. For both, substances, no substitutes are currently unavailable. Both of these substances are feared to cause bladder, cancer., Views of Tattoo industry, The tattoo industry argues that, there is no confirm evidence of linking tattoos directly with cancer. They are, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 42

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , of the view that, EU regulations could lead to black marketing of more tattoos., , Karnataka e– bike Taxi, The Karnataka E – Bike Taxi scheme recently received an application. This is the first application received, by the scheme after six months of its unveiling., What is E – Bike Taxi Scheme of Karnataka?, The scheme was launched by the State Government of Karnataka in July 2021. The scheme allows, individual firms and private players to run electric bike taxis in the state’s capital city Bengaluru., Key Feature, The user can avail the electric bike for ten kilometres. An odometer is fixed to measure the distance, travelled. Under the scheme, the fares fall in two slabs. They are Rs 25 for the first five kilometres and Rs 50, till ten kilometres., Considerations, As the response from the private players is not welcoming, the Karnataka Government is planning to revise, the fares. It is considering to the set the base price for the first two kilometres as Rs 10. And Rs 10 for every, next two kilometres. And Rs 50 for ten kilometres. The license issuance for the scheme has currently been, put on hold. The State Government is looking for options revise the features and working principles of the, scheme., Why is the response poor?, The first reason is that the scheme is allowing only e – bikes to function as taxis. And the scheme is not, providing options of mobile app platforms like that of Ola or Uber. The second main reason is that the other, private companies in the business have attached the drivers with the vehicles. They did not make, investment on vehicles. They are earning by providing business to the drivers. Drivers own the vehicles., Here in the scheme, the private player has to invest in buying the vehicles. This is the main reason why the, scheme is not picking up pace., Why was the scheme launched?, The scheme was launched to connect metro stations and bus stops. If it works, it will become the most, affordable transport option for the public, especially to cover short distances., , OmiSure RT – PCR Kit, The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recently approved ‘OMISURE’. Omisure is a RT – PCR kit. It, is used to detect Omicron, a COVID-19 variant. It was manufactured by Tata Medical and Diagnostics., About the kit, The kit was designed and developed by a US – based company Thermo Fisher. It was manufactured by, Tata. The kit uses S Gene Target Failure to detect Omicron. It is currently the only kit in India to use this, method to detect Omicron. The price of the kit is Rs 240. The cost of RT – PCR kits sold by government, agencies is Rs 20 to Rs 30., S Gene Target Failure, S gene is Spike gene of COVID -19 virus. The mutation in this gene deletes amino acids 69 and 70. This, mutation helps them escape RT – PCR test. A kit or test that catches this gene deletion in COVID-19, variants are generally referred to as the S Gene Target Failure kits or S gene drop detection kit., Omicron and S gene, The S Gene target failure or S gene drop out is one of the prominent indicators to establish the presence of, Omicron. In India, the COVID tests screen for Rd, Rp, E and N genes. Even if one of these genes are found,, the test result is positive for COVID-19. So far S gene test was not conducted in the country as there was no, requirement for it., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 43

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Does the kit work against Omicron like variant?, Recently, C.36.3.1 was detected. It carries Omicron like genetic variation. S – gene drop out has been, identified in this new variant. It carries 36 mutations. Of these 9 mutations are in S gene. On the other hand,, Omicron carried 52 mutations and of these 32 were identified in S gene. It is neither a variant of concern nor, a variant of interest. The company is still testing if the kit will work for other Omicron like variants., , 'Khuntkatti’ law, Recently, a man was thrashed by the villagers at Besrazara Bazaar Tand, Simdega in Jharkhand and later, burnt alive in presence of police., Key Facts, The man was burnt alive for allegedly cutting trees illegally and selling them in market, which is, considered as violation of ‘Khuntkatti’ law., According to villagers, the deceased was warned at least twice during Gram Sabha meetings. He was, asked to stop cutting the trees, but he did not listen to the warnings. Thus, villagers decided to teach, him a lesson., What is Khuntkatti system?, ‘Khuntkatti’ system is joint ownership of land by tribal lineage. Under the system, Munda tribals usually clear, the forests and make the land fit for cultivation. The cultivable land is then owned by whole clan and not a, particular individual., History of Khuntkatti system, This system was replaced with the Zamindari system by 1874, with the advent of the British and the, outsider-Zamindars. This caused indebtedness and forced labour among the tribals. As a result of, indebtedness, Munda tribal started to revolt against British rule, under the leadership of Birsa Munda., Impact of the revolt, Birsa Munda movement impacted the government attitude towards their problems, on ground level., Government conducted surveys and settlement operations for them, during 1902 and 1910 to achieve this, purpose. Finally, government decided to abolish the compulsory begar system and passed the Tenancy Act, of 1903. The Tenancy Act of 1903 recognised the Mundari Khuntkatti system. Government also passed, Chotanagpur Tenancy Act in 1908., , Trincomalee Oil Tank Deal- Updates, Sri Lankan Cabinet has given its approval to a new deal with India, announced by the energy minister, for, jointly developing the Trincomalee oil tank farm., Key Facts, Ministers have nod to proposal presented by Minister of Power for allocating:, 1. 24 oil tanks for business activities of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, 2. 14 tanks of the Lower Oil Tank Complex, which are already in use by Lanka IOC for the business, activities of company., Cabinet also gave nod for implementing a development project by a company called Trinco Petroleum, Terminal Pvt. Ltd. of remaining 61 tanks. 51% of the project will be owned by Ceylon Petroleum, Corporation while 49% by Lanka IOC., Why this deal is historic?, This deal is historic, because it is a 35-year-old agreement. The agreement made during the exchange of, letters between then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President J R Jayewarndene. The, agreement was part of annexure to India-Sri Lanka Accord of July 29, 1987. Under the agreement, Indian, and Sri Lankan company had to develop the tank farm jointly., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 44

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Why Trincomalee is significant to India?, Trincomalee is significant because:, 1. It is a pre-WWII era oil storage facility, having the capacity of around 1 million tonnes., 2. The oil farm has a strategic Location in the Indian Ocean. It is located inland from China Bay. The, facility was meant to be serviced by natural harbour at Trincomalee., 3. The oil firm is easily accessible to India. It is nearest port to Chennai., 4. It is a significant counterbalance to southern Hambantota Port, which is backed by China., About Indo-Lanka Accord, This accord is popularly called as the Rajiv-Jayewardene Accord. It was signed in 1987 in the light of Civil, War in Sri Lanka. The accord seeks to balance India’s strategic interests, Tamil minority rights in Sri Lanka, as well as interest of people of Indian origin in Sri Lanka., , Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), scientists have detected a newborn star, and the surrounding cocoon of a complex organic matter, for the first time., Highlights, The discovery revealed the hidden chemical complexity of Universe. It was published in a paper,, in The Astrophysical Journal., The scientists used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile for observing, a newborn star (protostar) in WB89-789 region. It is located in extreme outer Galaxy., They also detected a variety of carbon-, oxygen-, sulfur-, nitrogen-, and silicon-bearing molecules,, including complex organic molecules comprising up to nine atoms., Observations reveal that, several types of complex organic molecules, like methanol (CH3OH), methyl, formate (HCOOCH3), ethanol (C2H5OH), dimethyl ether (CH3OCH3), propanenitrile (C2H5CN), formamide, (NH2CHO), etc., are present in primordial environment of the Galaxy., The complex organic molecules act as a feedstock for larger prebiotic molecules., Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), ALMA is an astronomical interferometer comprising of 66 radio telescopes in Atacama Desert of northern, Chile. The array observes electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths of millimeter and submillimeter. Array, has been constructed at the elevation of 5,000 m in Chajnantor plateau. This location was selected for its, high elevation and low humidity, which are essential factors for reducing noise and decrease signal, attenuation due to atmosphere of Earth., Which countries are part of ALMA?, ALMA is an international partnership between Europe, the United States, Japan, Canada, Taiwan, South, Korea and Chile., Cost of the ALMA, ALMA array costs around US$1.4 billion. It is the most expensive ground-based telescope in operation., When it started operating?, ALMA started scientific observations in 2011. The first images were released in October 2011. ALMA has, been fully operational since March 2013., , Starlink in India, Satellite Internet Company of Elon Musk, Starlink, is facing a tough time in Indian market. Starlink’s India, head Sanjay Bhargava also announced to quit the company., Highlights, Starlink rolled out internet services quietly in India, in early 2021. But it was forced to shut down, services after government intervention., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 45

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , In November 2021, the Department of Telecommunications had warned Indian citizens to avoid, buying Elon Musk’s Starlink Internet Services because, it is not yet licensed in the country., Telecom department had also asked Elon Musk’s company to “get a licence before selling Satellitebased internet services.”, Government had also asked the company to refund all the pre-orders it received, until it gets licence, to operate in India., Pre-orders in India, Starlink has already received more than 5,000 pre-orders for its devices in India. However, it is struggling to, receive commercial licences. Without getting licence, it cannot offer any services here., About Starlink, Starlink is a satellite internet constellation, launched and operated by SpaceX. The satellite constellation, provides satellite Internet access, covering most of the Earth. The constellation has grown to more than, 1,700 satellites as of 2021. It will eventually consist of many more mass-produced small satellites in low, Earth orbit (LEO). Technical possibility of satellite internet service covers most part of the Earth. However,, actual service can be delivered only in those countries that have provided license to SpaceX. Currently, beta, service offering is available across 21 countries., Background, Early-stage planning for the starlink started in 2014. Product development occurred in earnest by 2017. In, February 2018, the company launched two prototype test-flight satellites. Additional test satellites as well, as 60 operational satellites were deployed in 2019. SpaceX, that launches up to 60 satellites at a time,, further aims to deploy 1,584 of the 260 kg spacecrafts to provide services across the global by 2022., , Karnataka’s first LNG terminal, Karnataka Government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Singapore-based LNG, Alliance Company to set up the State’s first LNG Terminal in Mangalore., Key Points, The first LNG terminal will be set up in Karnataka, in collaboration with New Mangalore Port Trust, (NMPT)., Government has investment Rs 2,250 crore to set up the terminal., This project will provide direct employment to around 200 people., Terminal will be set up as a part of the Union Government’s plan to boost alternative fuel market for, achieving net zero carbon by 2070., Liquefied natural gas (LNG), LNG is the liquefied form of natural gas. It has a much smaller volume as compared to natural gas in its, gaseous form. This liquefied condition is used for facilitating carriage of natural gas from long distances., LNG port terminals, Port terminals for LNG are purpose-built port terminals. They are designed to accommodate large LNG, carrier ships which are designed to load, carry and unload LNG. LNG terminals are located adjacent to gas, liquefaction & storage plant (export) or adjacent to a gas regasification & storage plant (import)., LNG Port terminals in India, 1. Konkan LNG Private Limited- This terminal is located in Dabhol in Maharashtra and has the capacity, of 5 million tonnes per year., 2. Dahej Terminal, Petronet LNG Ltd– This terminal is located in Gujarat. The terminal has the capacity, of 15 million tonnes per year., 3. Hazira Terminal, Shell Ltd– This terminal is located in Gujarat and having the capacity of 5 million, tonnes per year., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 46

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , 4. Kochi Terminal, Petronet LNG Ltd, with the capacity of 5 million tonnes per year., 5. [(Mundra)] Terminal, GSPC LNG Ltd., having the capacity of 5 million tonnes per year., 6. (Chennai) Terminal, INDIAN OIL LNG- It is a Joint venture of Indian Oil Corporation, having capacity, of 5 million tonnes per year., , Recent Missions of Tourism Ministry, The Government of India is planning to bring a new tourism policy. The policy aims to provide better, facilities and services to the tourists visiting India. It will create five missions in the country., What are the missions of the tourism policy?, National Green Tourism Mission: To bring sustainability in tourism, National Digital Tourism Mission: To digitize the tourism industry, Sectoral Mission on Skill Development: To provide qualified manpower and trained professionals to, the tourism industry, National Mission on Destination Management: To provide coordination among public and private, stakeholder, National Mission on Tourism MSMEs: To facilitate startups and MSMEs, Other measures, India is to provide five lakh free tourist visas to kick start the functioning of the tourist sector in the, country., The Ministry of Tourism is to launch Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav based programmes showcasing India’s, culture and history. The ministry is to provide incentives to achieve this., Tourism Week was organised between January 3 and January 15, 2022., The Tourism ministry is to launch different initiatives partnering with different stakeholders to, facilitate visits to India., India is to host G-20 meeting in 2022. The preparatory meeting of the meet is to be held in different, tourist spots or cities., Role of Expo 2020 Dubai in Indian Tourism, India participated in Expo 2020 organised by Dubai actively. The Expo 2020 is the first largest in MEASA, after the COVID times. MEASA is Middle East, Africa and South Asia region. It is essential for India to, actively participate in such foreign expos to sustain tourism. Take UAE for instance. India receives 50,000, UAE tourists annually. And UAE receives 6 million Indian tourists annually. And India – UAE tourism sector, is one of the largest tourism sectors in the world., Target, The Government of India is expecting that the tourism sector is to contribute 500 billion USD towards the, country’s GDP by 2030. And the government is to work towards achieving this goal., , Brand India Campaign, Commerce Ministry of India is planning to launch “Brand India Campaign” in order to give momentum to, exports of services as well as products in new markets., About Brand India Campaign, Campaign will be launched in the light that; India’s outbound shipments is set to cross $400 billion in, fiscal year 2021-22., Brand India Campaign would serve as an “umbrella campaign” to promote goods and services, exported by India., Campaign would focus on Indian exports in specific sectors like gems & jewellery; textiles; plantation, products like tea, coffee & spices; healthcare; education, engineering and pharma; in the initial phase., It would focus on quality, technology, heritage, value, and innovation., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 47

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , What is the need of such campaign?, There is a need of such uniform campaign because presently, different sectors are being promoted with, individual identities in different ways., Who will run the campaign?, The Brand India Campaign will be run by India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF)., Branding Steering Committee, Under the campaign, an agency will be selected and a Branding Steering Committee will be set up for the, purpose. Furthermore, uniform logo identity will be created and branding creatives like films, TVCs, digital, banners & print ads will be developed., Approach of the campaign, The campaign approach would include:, 1. Focused export-oriented messaging to buyers as well as consumers;, 2. New potential markets, 3. Indian talent, 4. Tradition and modernity, 5. Promotional events through digital channels & international events., India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), IBEF) is an Indian Government export promotion agency, established in 1996, for the distribution and sale of, Indian products in global markets. It was established by Department of Commerce under Ministry of, Commerce and Industry. It is funded and owned by Indian Government. IBEF works as the branding and, communication partner to facilitate India’s participation at global trade exhibitions. IBEF manages onsite, branding, public relations, media advertisements, Digital marketing, knowledge kits and publishing reports., , Japan – Australia Defence Agreement, On January 6, 2022, Japan and Australia will sign a defence agreement to boost security and defence, cooperation. The signing of the agreement is considered “historic”. This is to anger China. The agreement is, to expand Quad agenda. The agreement will reduce Chinese influence in ASEAN. It will aid in achieving free, and open Indo – Pacific., About the Agreement, The agreement includes sharing military facilities between the countries, landing rights, securing port, access, logistic support, legal regimes, logistic support. This means the advanced F-35s (fighter jet) of, Japan can now practice in Australian soil. The Australian submarines can now operate in Japanese waters., The countries can build special forces together. Both Japan and Australia share a common interest of, keeping the US engaged in the Indo – Pacific., Why will the agreement anger the Chinese?, The following recent issues reflect that the world countries are not ready to accept Chinese domination:, AUKUS Security pact: Signed by Britain, Australia and US. Agreement helps UK to acquire nuclear, powered submarines, QUAD cooperation strengthening by India, Japan, US and Australia. The Malabar military exercise, which was a trilateral exercise (India, US and Japan) till 2020, has now become a QUAD exercise with, Australia participating in the exercise in 2021., Emergence of Japan – Australia – US cooperation, Increase in South Korea – Australia friendly relations, The countries are coming together under one objective. To put an end to Chinese domination., How will the agreement stop Chinese influence in ASEAN?, The ASEAN countries are important for both Japan and Australia. China is trying to break ASEAN countries, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 48

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , away from world countries. China is also trying to weaken their regional cooperation. According to Japan, and Australia, the diplomatic efforts like that of the defence agreement will stop China from turning ASEAN, into its business clients., Still Japan kept away from ANZUS treaty, ANZUS treaty was signed between US, Australia and New Zealand in 1951. The agreement guarantees, mutual security. New Zealand withdrew from the treaty in 1980s after it became anti – nuclear. The, Japanese Diet and US Congress may not agree to a formal alliance agreement., , Emergency COVID Response Plans – II (ECRP - II) funds, The Government of India recently announced that it has disbursed 50% of the ECRP – II funds. The, announcement came as a clarification as some of the media reported that only 26.14% of the funds were, disbursed. ECRP basically aims to accelerate the preparedness of health system., ECRP – II, The ECRP – II is to be implemented between July 2021 and March 2022, For phase II, Rs 23,123 crores has been allocated, Central Share: Rs 15,000 crores and the rest by the states, What are the plans of ECRP – II?, Support to Central hospitals, , The plan aims to support the major COVID centres such as AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital, government, hospitals in Shillong, Imphal, Delhi, Puducherry, Chandigarh; JIPMER. It will repurpose six thousand beds in, these centres., Strengthen NCDC, , Genomic Sequencing machines are to be supplied to National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Also,, Epidemic Intelligence Services, Scientific Control Room and INSACOG support are to be extended to NCDC., Support to implement HMIS, , HMIS is Hospital Management Information System. The ECRP – II will provide financial assistance to, establish HMIS in all district hospitals., Support to expand E – Sanjeevani, , The National Architecture of E – Sanjeevani platform is to be expanded. The everyday tele – consultation, limit is to be increased to five lakhs. Currently it is fifty thousand., Support to IT, , The Central War rooms located at the Department of Health and Family Welfare, COWIN platform, 1075, COVID helplines and COVID portals of the country are to be strengthened., Create paediatric units, , Paediatric units are to be established in all 736 districts., Boost Oxygen supply, , Install Liquid Medical Oxygen Storage Tanks, Augment Ambulance, , Around 8,800 ambulances are to be added., The plan also aims to engage undergraduate and post graduate interns, final MBBS students, nursing, students. It will assist the districts in meeting their COVID-19 medicine requirement and management, requirements. It will also support the states in achieving Test, Isolate and Treat strategy., , Digital Yuan Wallet Apps, Digital Yuan is the digital currency of China. It was first launched in 2014 and has been working (test, working) since then. The Digital Yuan is not a crypto currency. It is controlled by the Central Bank of China., The Government of China has plans to launch the currency internationally at Winter Olympics 2022. It is, equal in value to fiat currency (Paper currency)., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 49

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , How does Digital Yuan work?, There are two aspects in the working of the Digital Yuan. Distribution and Expense (how people spend it?)., The digital Yuan is distributed by the central bank of China to the commercial banks. The commercial banks, then provide the digital currency to the public. The customers can exchange cash for digital yuan. People, have to use a mobile application to receive digital Yuan. These are called the Digital Yuan Wallet Apps., Why is it in news now?, The Digital Yuan Wallet Apps are now available in Android and Apple stores. The app was first launched in, 2019. The number of users using the app has increased to 10 million., Is it similar to Bitcoin?, No. It does not work like other digital currencies like that of bitcoin. Bitcoin is not controlled by a central, authority. It is controlled by the market. Say a company releases digital currency X. The value of X increases, in the market if the business of the company grows. If its exports are higher than the imports. However, this, is not the case with Digital Yuan. The value of Digital Yuan is completely controlled by the central bank., Digital Yuan is backed by gold, The Chinese citizens can exchange Yuan for gold anytime. Unlike UK, India and US where gold at times, exists in paper, in China it is real gold. They exchange Yuan for real gold. This system is allowed for Digital, Yuan as well., , Chilika Water Bird Status Survey – 2022, The Odisha Wildlife Organization recently conducted a bird census in the Chilika lake. The organization was, joined by Chilika Development Authority and Bombay Natural History Society., About the survey, Chilika is the largest brackish water lake. Birds come to the lake to spend their winter. Around 106, personnel were deployed in the survey. This included bird experts from non – governmental organizations, and government organisations. The lake was divided into 21 segments to conduct the census., Key findings, The 2022 survey witnessed 10,74,173 birds. This included the uncommon and rare Mongolian gull as, well. Around 107 water bird species and 76 wetland dependent species were spotted. In 2021, the, count was 12 lakhs., The three major bird species in the lake such as Northern pintail, Eurasian wigeon and gadwall, accounted to a count of one lakh. The population of gadwall and Eurasian wigeon was less than the, previous year., The increase in population was witnessed in common coot, northern pintail and common pochard., The decrease in population was reported in tufted duck, northern shoveler and red crested pochard., In 2022 count, the greater flamingo count reached the highest in the decade. This is mainly due to the, restoration of mudflats in Nalabana., The local species such as Indian moorhen, purple heron, and jacanas were found in high numbers., The lake hosts migratory birds from Himalayas, Ladakh, South east Asia, Aral Sea, parts of Russia,, Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal. They arrive at the Chilika lake for its muddy waters and abundant fish, varieties., Nalabana Bird Sanctuary, The sanctuary is located inside Chilika lake. Around 3,58,889 birds were spotted in the Nalabana sanctuary., The bird count in the sanctuary has decreased by 65,000 as compared to the previous survey. The decrease, in count was due to high water level in the lake and its surrounding. The water birds prefer to flock on, muddy waters. The lake waters were clear due to increase in water level., , © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 50

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , January 6, 2022, Kazakhstan Protests and Emergency, The citizens of Kazakhstan are protesting against the sudden fuel price hike. The ruling government, resigned due to the rising tensions. Emergency has been declared in the Central Asian country, Why protests in Kazakhstan?, The protests began when the ruling government of Kazakhstan lifted the price controls of Liquified, Petroleum Gas. The prices quickly doubled after the lift. Earlier, because of its low price, the citizens had, converted their vehicles to run on the fuel. Their plans shattered due to sudden price hike after the price, control was lifted. This angered them and they started protesting., What is in the protest for Russia?, Around 20% of the Kazakhs are ethnic Russians. Baikonur Cosmodrome of Kazakhstan is used as launch, base for all Russian manned space missions., What is Kazakhstan doing to control the protest?, After the Prime Minister of the country resigned, the president has taken over responsibility. He has created, a security council to control the protest. Kazakhstan has sought help from its military allies, especially, Russia. It has also sought the help of CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization). CSTO comprises of, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Bealrus., What is the root cause?, Kazakhstan is an oil rich country. It has huge foreign investments mainly because of its oil. It had a strong, economy since its independence (after disintegration of Soviet Union). However, its autocratic form of, governance has raised international concerns. The political rifts between the ruling and opposition creates, the unrest. And the authorities often crack down due to the internal protests. Such conditions are always, around oil issues. Oil is used as weapon to capture power., How bad are the protests?, The protestors have taken over the Almaty airport and the aircrafts. The local administrations and, government officials were attacked in three cities. Internet services are disrupted. Some of the security, forces have sided with the protestors., , North Korea Hypersonic Missile, North Korea fired a “hypersonic missile” on January 5, 2022, that successfully hit a target., Key Points, It was North Korea’s second such test, as the country pursues new military capabilities because of, stalled denuclearisation talks., The launch by North Korea was the first since October 2021., It was detected by several militaries in the region., However, this test drew criticism from governments in the United States, Japan and South Korea., Background, North Korea had first tested a hypersonic missile in September 2021 and joined a race headed by major, military powers for deploying the advanced weapons system., North Korea’s Test, In the recent test of North Korea, “hypersonic gliding warhead” detached from the rocket booster and, manoeuvred 120 km laterally and hit “a target 700 km away. Missile also demonstrated its ability to, combine ‘strong lateral manoeuvring and multi-step glide jump fight’. It also confirmed components like, flight control and its ability to operate in winter., Hypersonic weapons, Hypersonic weapons usually fly towards targets at lower altitudes as compared to ballistic missiles. Such, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 51

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , weapons can achieve more than five times the speed of sound, that is around 6,200 km per hour. However,, main feature of the hypersonic weapon is not speed but their manoeuvrability. Hypersonic weapons are the, next generation of arms, which aim to rob adversaries of traditional defeat mechanisms and reaction time., US-led diplomacy on nuclear programme, US-led diplomacy on nuclear programme by North Korea is stalled since 2019 because of disputes over, international sanctions on the North. Joe Biden administration has been calling to resume nuclear, diplomacy at any time, without preconditions. However, North Korea is of the view that, US must first, withdraw its sanctions against it before resuming any talk., Missile defence system by US, In December 2021, United States completed construction of a $1.5 billion long-range radar in Alaska, for a, homeland missile defence system. It can track ballistic missiles and hypersonic weapons from countries, like North Korea., , Action Plan for Introduction of Cheetah in India, On January 5, 2022, the Union government launched an action plan for introducing Cheetah in India., Key Facts, The ‘Action Plan for Introduction of Cheetah in India’ was released by environment ministry in the, 19th meeting of National Tiger Conservation Authority., Under the action plan, 50 cheetahs will be introduced in India, in the next five years., Around 12 to 14 cheetahs will be imported from South Africa or Namibia., Each of the cheetahs will be fitted with a satellite-GPS-very high frequency radio-collar., International transportation, International transportation of the cheetahs will be done by either a commercial airline or by a chartered, flight. They will be transported to Kuno Palpur National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh., Framework for collaboration, Under the plan, Union government, ministry of environment and Cheetah Task Force will form a formal, framework for collaborating with governments of Namibia and/or South Africa., Background, Fastest land animal of the world was expected to be reintroduced in November 2021. However, but the plan, got delayed amid covid-19 pandemic., National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), NCTA was created in December 2005, on the recommendation of the Tiger Task Force, which was, constituted by the Prime Minister of India for management of Project Tiger & Tiger Reserves in India. A, programme called “Tiger Protection Programme” (Project Tiger) was started to project Tiger in 1973, in, collaboration with WWF., Reintroduction of the cheetah in India, Reintroduction of cheetah in India involves re-establishment of a population of cheetahs in those areas, where they had previously existed but were hunted into extinction during Rajput Indian royalty, Maratha, Indian royalty and Mughal Period as well as British Raj. The Mughal emperor Akbar used to keep Cheetahs, to hunt gazelle and blackbucks. In 1948, Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo of Koriya had shot the three, last Asiatic cheetahs from India. Reintroduction process also involves identification and restoration of their, former grassland scrub forest habitats, within the scope of duties of local forest department and by using, Indian Central Government funding., About Cheetah, Scientific name of Cheetah is Acinonyx jubatus. They are a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. They, are fastest land animal, with running speed of 80 to 128 km/h. They occur in a variety of habitats like, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 52

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , savannahs in the Serengeti, hilly desert terrain in Iran and arid mountain ranges in Sahara. They have been, listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List., , Khelo India Games 2023, 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 to 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 International Sports Complex. Separate Funds are to be allocated, for second and third phases., Facilities, The sports stadium is to be equipped with hockey stadium with a capacity of 10,000 spectators, football, area with a capacity of 4,000 spectators, landscaping, parking area, horticulture, guardrooms, gates, internal, service roads, street lights and sewage systems., Progress of works, In the first phase, an indoor sports complex is to be built in Nathu Barkheda village in Bhopal. During the, second phase and third phase, a cricket stadium is to be built., About Khelo India Youth Games 2021, Around 25 sports events are to be organised. 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., Sports Expo, During the Khelo India Youth Games, the Haryana Government is planning to conduct a sports expo. It will, be jointly hosted by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Authority of India., Mallakhamba 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., , Drafting of Chile's Constitution - Recent developments, The Chile’s constitutional assembly, that has been tasked to draft a new constitution, elected a new, president on January 5, 2022., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 53

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Highlights, After nine rounds of voting, members of the constitutional assembly elected epidemiologist Maria, Elisa Quinteros as President., She will replace the body’s inaugural president Elisa Loncon., This change was provided for in the texts of 155-member body, elected in 2021 for drafting the text to, replace Chile’s previous Magna Carta., Quinteros received 78 votes needed to replace Loncon in the post., Her victory was welcomed by Chile’s newly elected next president, Gabriel Boric., Drafting new constitution, The constitutional assembly has been given nine months, with a possible three-month extension, for, drafting the new constitution. After this, it must go to a referendum, which will be set up by Boric’s, government, which is due to take office on March 11, 2022., Boric’s Government, President-elect of Chile is Gabriel Boric. He is a 35-year-old former student movement leader. He, was elected in December 2021. He defeated far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast by 11 percentage points., He will be Chile’s youngest president., About new constitution, The new constitution is likely to bring major changes for the country. Environmental activists hoping the, constitution will bring new protections while Indigenous leaders hoping that it will help in establishing a new, relationship between their communities and the state., Election to the President, Article 26 talks about the electoral requirements. President is elected by direct ballot, with the absolute, majority of the votes validly cast. Two-round system is used to elect the President. In order to win the, election, party of winning candidate must have got more than 50 percent of valid votes, in the first round., Election is held on third Sunday of November in the year immediately before the end of administration of the, president., , Koppal Toy Cluster, The Koppal Toy cluster is the first toy manufacturing cluster. It is to operate from March 2022., About Koppal Toy Cluster, It is to be established in 400 acres of land. It will hold the entire chain of capabilities of toy making. This, includes toy making, tool making, production of packaging, developing electronics, paint making and all, other accessories. After completion, the toy cluster will house 100 small and large manufacturing units in, the Special Economic Zone. This includes units for domestic manufacturing and exports as well., Outcomes, The cluster is to attract Rs 4,000 crores of investment. It is expected to create 25,000 direct jobs and one, lakh indirect jobs. More women participation is expected., Segmentation of the cluster, The cluster is to manufacture different types of toys. This includes electronic toys, plush toys, pre – school, toys, outdoor toys, infant toys, dolls, educational toys. The toys such as remote-controlled cars, electronic, vehicles and ride – on toys have huge markets., Significance, The toy industry of India is highly fragmented. There are more than 4,000 toy manufacturing units operating, in India. However, only 10% of these accounts to organised sector. Therefore, it is essential to create more, such toy clusters., , © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 54

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Role of Aques Infra, The Koppal toy cluster is an initiative of Aequs Infra. It is mainly focused on developing manufacturing, ecosystems in three locations. They are Koppal (Light Engineering Goods and Toy manufacturing), Belagavi, (Aerospace sector and Precision engineering) and Hubballi (Consumer Goods and Appliances)., Background, In February 2021, the Government of India approved eight toy manufacturing clusters at a cost of Rs 2,300, crores. Of these three are to be established in Madhya Pradesh, one each in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and, Tamil Nadu and two in Rajasthan., Part of National Action Plan for Indian Toy Story, The clusters are to be launched under this plan. The aim is to reduce import dependence. India’s toy, imports were 1.5 billion USD in 2020. Of these 90% were from China and Taiwan. The plan aims to establish, 35 toy clusters in the country., , Automatic Generation Control, Power and new & renewable energy minister Raj Kumar Singh launched ‘Automatic Generation Control, (AGC)’ on January 4, 2022., Highlights, The AGC sends signals to the power plants every four seconds in order to maintain frequency. Thus,, it also maintains the reliability of India’s power system., AGC is expected to facilitate for achieving government’s target of reaching to 500 GW non-fossil fuelbased generation capacity by 2030., Who is operating AGC?, Power System Operation Corporation (POSOCO) has been operating the AGC, through National Load, Despatch Centre., Through AGC, POSOCO sends signals to power plants., POSOCO has been taking all measures in order to ensure that the grid frequency always remains, within 49.90-50.05 Hz (hertz) band., Work of POSOCO, POSOCO oversees the India’s critical electricity load management functions through National Load Dispatch, Centre (NLDC), State Load Despatch centres (SLDCs) and regional load dispatch centres (RLDCs). Currently,, India has 33 SLDCs, 1 NLDC and 5 RLDCs, for the five regional grids forming national grid., Significance of AGC, AGC holds significance, because four out of five regional load despatch centres (RLDCs) in India have, witnessed cyber-attacks. Red Echo, which is a hacker group affiliated with Chinese government, has, targeted India’s power grid repeatedly, in 2021., India’s capacity, On India’s march for achieving the renewable energy capacity of 175 GW in 2022, it has achieved an, installed capacity of 150 GW of renewable energy. 63 GW of renewable energy capacity are under other, phases of installation., What is automatic generation control?, AGC is a system for adjusting power output of multiple generators at different power plants, in the electrical, power system. Frequent adjustments to output of generators are required because a power grid needs that, generation & load closely balance moment by moment. The balance can be achieved by measuring the, system frequency. If the frequency increases, more power is being generated than actual requirement. More, power causes all the machines in the system to accelerate. If the frequency is decreases, more load is on, the system than generation can provide, which force generators to slow down., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 55

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Delhi Teachers' University Bill 2022, The Delhi Teachers University Bill was passed by Delhi Assembly on January 4, 2022., What is the purpose of this bill?, The bill seeks to seeks to set up a teachers’ training university in Delhi., About Delhi Teacher’s University, This university will offer a four-year integrated teacher education programme after Class 12., Programme will incorporate BA & B.Ed, BSc & B.Ed, and BCom & B.Ed courses., It will be a public university and will be dedicated to prepare excellent quality teachers for Delhi, across different school stages., Students will be attached with Delhi government schools for entire duration of the course, for handson experience. The hands-on experience will help the students in gaining excellent practical, knowledge in addition to theoretical knowledge., Significance of the University, The Delhi Teacher’s University will act as a centre for excellence which will prepare teachers at pre-service, and in-service in the areas of education studies, policy and leadership. It will help in bridging the gap, between practice, policy and research in teacher preparation. It will also engage constantly with dynamic, concept and realities of quality education in Delhi., When would admission start?, Admission to this University will start for academic session 2022-23. It will enrol 5000 students in the, session., Where will university set up?, Delhi Teacher’s University is coming up at Bakkarwala in east Delhi., , Regulations on Waste Tyres Management, On January 5, 2022, Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change shared the draft notification for, regulations on “extended producer responsibility (EPR) for waste tyres”., Key facts, The regulation will be effective in the fiscal year 2022-23, if finalised., Draft notification was shared in because, NGT data shows that India discards around 275,000 tyres, each year, but there does not exist any comprehensive plan for them., Furthermore, around 3 million waste tyres are imported for recycling., Background, On September 19, 2019, NGT had directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to draft a, comprehensive waste management plan for waste tyres & their recycling. NGT directed this in a case, related to absence of proper management of End-of-Life Tyres/Waste Tyres (ELTs). In this case, petitioner, had said that pyrolysis industry in India produces inferior quality products, which should be banned for, preventing environmental damage. Petitioner also highlighted that industry emits highly carcinogenic or, cancer-causing pollutants, which are harmful for respiratory system., Recycling of waste tyres, Waste tyres are recycled as reclaimed rubber, crumb rubber modified bitumen (CRMB), crumb rubber,, pyrolysis oil/char and recovered carbon black., EPR obligations under draft notification, The draft notification provides for:, 1. 2022-23: EPR obligation of 35 per cent of the quality of tyres manufactured or imported in 2020-2021., 2. 2023-24: EPR obligation of 70 per cent of the quantity of new tyres manufactured or imported in, 2021-22, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 56

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , 3. 2024-25: EPR obligation of 100 per cent of the quantity of new tyres manufactured or imported in, 2022-23., 4. After 2024-25, the EPR obligation will be 100 per cent of the quantity of new tyres manufactured or, imported in the preceding year., 5. For units established after April 1, 2022, EPR obligation will start after two years. It will be 100 per, cent of the new tyres manufactured or imported in the previous year., Who will be covered under the EPR obligations?, Producers and recyclers of waste tyres will be covered under the EPR obligations. Registration will be, compulsory and no entity can carry out any business without registration., What is Extended Producer Responsibility?, It means responsibility of producer of tyres are entitled to ensure environmentally sound management of, such waste tyres in accordance with the provisions of this regulation., , Multi – Agency Centre, The Multi Agency Centre (MAC) was formed to share intelligence inputs. It was formed after the Kargil war., The Intelligence Bureau (IB) was the nodal agency in creating the centre., About MAC, More than 28 national and state organizations are part of MAC. This includes Research and Analysis Wing, (RAW), state polices and armed forces. There are more than four hundred sites connected with MAC, headquarters. It is a common counter terrorism grid operating under the IB., Subsidiary MACs, All the states have SMAC located at their capitals. SMAC is Subsidiary MAC., Information sharing between centre and states, The contribution made by the state agencies towards MAC is less. That is information shared by the state, agencies is far less as compared to that of the central agencies. In order to address this issue, in January, 2022, the Central Government recently asked the State Governments to share the intelligence outputs, through the Multi Agency Centres. This has been made compulsory. The order was issued by the Ministry of, Home Affairs. Though MAC has military links, it operates under Home Ministry., Future plans, The Central Government is looking for options to extend the SMAC connectivity to districts. This is being, carried out by IB. The IB is choosing districts in a phased manner., Need for MAC, MAC will help to fight against illicit use of cyber space, crime terror nexus, narco – terrorism, terror, financing, global terror groups, movement of foreign terrorist fighters., Key Facts, It was formed over the Kargil intrusion. The creation of MAC was suggested by Kargil Review Committee. It, was created based on the UN CIC. CIC is Central Intelligence Agency., Is MAC same as National Memory Bank?, No. The National Memory Bank has interrogation reports data. It mainly focuses on terrorism in and around, Jammu and Kashmir. The State Polices are allowed to access and share data in the National Memory Bank., However, such institutions should have authorised permission to access the information. The Memory bank, was established during UPA times. It was set up to share intelligence inputs after 26/11 attacks., , India’s Non – Fossil Fuel Milestone, The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy recently announced that India has reached its non – fossil fuel, target much ahead of 2030., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 57

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , What is the milestone achieved?, At the COP21, India had pledged to install 40% of overall electric energy from non – renewable sources., India aimed to achieve this target by 2030. But it has now achieved this well ahead in November 2021., What is the achieved target?, The total installed electric capacity of India is 392.01 GW. Of this, the total non – fossil- fuel based energy, is 157.32 GW. This is 40.1% of 392.01 GW to be precise., How did India achieve the target so early?, The achieved target is a part of Nationally Determined Contributions. The NDCs were pledged in 2015 Paris, Agreement. India was keen in implementing the NDC very sincerely since signing the agreement. India is the, only G-20 country that has been meeting its climate goals. This helped India achieve the target early. Under, NDC, India pledged to increase its total electricity generation from fossil fuel to 40% of the total electricity, generation in the country. India had also pledged to reduce the emissions by 33% as compared to 2005, levels. The NDCs are to be achieved by 2030., What steps were taken to achieve the target?, India increased its investment in renewable energy programmes. According to REN21 Renewables, 2020 Global Status Report, India made total investment of 64.6 billion USD in renewable energy, sector. In 2019 alone, India invested 11.2 billion USD in the sector., Between 2015 and 20121, the Foreign Direct Investment in the non – conventional energy sector of, India was 7.27 billion USD., Role of AGC in the achievement, AGC is Automatic Generation Control. AGC aims to install 500 GW of non – fossil fuel electricity by 2030., AGC is operated by POSOCO (Power System Operation Corporation). Under AGC, 51 GW of electricity has, been installed so far., What does AGC do?, The National Load Dispatch Centre sends signals (frequency monitoring data) to 50 power plants through, AGC. The data is sent every four seconds. The frequency of electric current changes with supply and, demand. It is essential to maintain constant frequency of the National Power System. The Frequency of, Indian electricity is 50 Hz. All the domestic goods run on this frequency. Change in frequency damages the, goods. The Indian Electricity Rules, 1956 allows change between 48.5 Hz and 51.5 Hz, that is +/- 3%., Frequency decreases with increase in demand and vice versa. As more and more electricity are added on to, the grid, it is essential to check if the frequency is maintained. If not, additional infrastructures have to be, installed., , 7 years of UJALA Scheme, On January 5, 2022, Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) scheme completed 7 years., Achievements of the scheme, UJALA scheme has evolved as the world’s largest zero-subsidy domestic lighting programme, which, addresses concerns such as high electrification cost and high emissions resulting from inefficient, lighting., Scheme has resulted in significant benefits, through its innovative approach., Under the scheme, more than 36 crore 70 lakh LEDs have been distributed so far across India. It has, resulted in saving of around 47 thousand Million Kilowatt-hour per annum energy. It has also avoided, 9 thousand 565 megawatts peak demand., Scheme has also contributed to substantial reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and has reduced, household electricity bills., , © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 58

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Domestic Manufacturing of LED bulbs, Under the UJALA scheme, retail price of LED bulbs has decreased significantly. Domestic manufacturing of, LED bulbs under the scheme has increased from 1 lakh per month to 4 crore per month., About Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA), UJALA Scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 5, 2015. It is spearheaded by, Energy Efficiency Services Limited. This scheme is considered as world’s largest, in non-subsidized LED, lamp distribution projects. Government of India also expanded the LED distribution scheme to United, Kingdom in May 2017. The Scheme was established by replacing Bachat Lamp Yojana. It is a joint initiative, of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) under Power Ministry and Electricity Distribution Company., EESL has reduced the prices of LED bulbs by 75%., How is LED bulb described by the Prime Minister?, Prime Minister Narendra Modi describe LED as “Prakash Path – way to light”., Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), EESL is the implementing organisation of Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP) or the UJALA, scheme. EESL is a joint venture of state-run power companies., , IEA on India's Ethanol Consumption, As per recent research of International Energy Agency (IEA), India is on track to become world’s thirdlargest ethanol market by 2026., Key Facts, India will only be left behind United States and Brazil by 2026, as it has accelerated the transition, towards clean energy environment to become carbon neutral by 2070., This research came after India increased ethanol use in between 2017-2021 by three-fold, to a, projected 3 billion litres., With this, India is set to overtake China as the world’s third-largest ethanol user by 2026., India’s progress in Ethanol Blending, According to IEA, India has made “huge progress” in expanding ethanol blending., Blending was 2 per cent in 2017. By 2021, it had reached to 8 per cent. It thus brought India on target, to attain 10 percent blending in 2022., India’s target, PM Narendra Modi noted in June that, Union Government is committed to meet the aim of 20% ethanol, blending in petrol by 2025. Earlier, the targeted date was 2030. Currently, 8.5% of ethanol is blended with, petrol., IEA on India’s target, According to IEA, the target to obtain 20% ethanol blending has significant problems, including vehicle, compatibility, availability of raw materials, GHG emissions & sustainability standards and incentives to, remain competitive., About Ethanol, Ethanol is one of the principal biofuels. It is naturally produced by fermentation of sugars by yeasts or, through petrochemical processes like ethylene hydration., Objectives of Ethanol Blending in India, Ethanol Blending is done with following objectives:, 1. Energy Security- Increased use of ethanol will help in reducing oil import bill., 2. Incentives for Farmers– Oil companies procure ethanol from sugarcane farmers. Thus, it benefits, them. Indian government has also planned to encourage use of water-saving crops like maize in order, to produce ethanol as well as producing it from non-food feedstock., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 59

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , 3. Impact on Emission– Use of ethanol-blended petrol will help in reducing emissions like carbon, monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and hydrocarbons (HC)., , India- Germany Bilateral Ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held talks and agreed to diversify, bilateral cooperation on January 5, 2022., Highlights, Both sides also agreed to focus on collaborations in the field of green energy and climate action., They reviewed the potential of ongoing cooperation initiatives, including for promoting trade links and, investment., They further agreed on the potential to diversify cooperation and exchanges in new areas as well as, agreed that, there is significant synergy in governance priorities announced by new German, government and India’s economic vision., Background, Olaf Scholz sworn in as chancellor of Germany, and ended the 16-year tenure of Angela Merkel. For the past, 40 years, only three individuals have occupied this position. Thus, new ruling coalition in Germany opened, new scope for enhancing India-Germany relations. Germany is a significant contributor to manufacturing, FDI in India. hence, actions in trade, supply chains and green finance by new chancellor will directly impact, on investment and growth in India., India-Germany Bilateral Trade Relations, Germany is India’s largest trade partner among European countries. Indian mainly exports in textile, sector, chemical products, electrical engineering products, food stuffs, metal & leather goods to, Germany, German goods like metal goods, chemical products, electrical engineering products, motor vehicles, and vehicle parts are highly demanded in India., As per Ministry of External Affairs data, bilateral trade in India and Germany was nearly 21 billion, Euros in 2019., FDI from Germany in India, Germany has been among ten important foreign direct investors in India. Investments from Germany, focus on transport, electrical & metal sectors and service sectors., In between 2000-2019, FDI from Germany was nearly USD 12 billion., Around 1700 German companies are active in India and provide around 400,000 direct and indirect, jobs., Indian investments in Germany are also increasing over years. Indian corporate entities have invested, around EUR 6.5 billion in Germany, especially in sectors like automotive, IT, pharma and biotech., More than 200 Indian companies are operating in Germany., , Gujarat: Student Start-ups and Innovation Policy 2.0, On January 5, 2022, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Education Minister Jitu Vaghani launched “Student, Start-up and Innovation Policy (SSIP) 2.0” in the state of Gujarat., Why was SSIP 2.0 launched?, SSIP 2.0 was launched with the aim of financially supporting the school students in innovation, at, International Conference of Academic Institutions (ICAI-2022). ICAI 2022 is a pre vibrant summit,, which was held at Science City on January 5, 2022., SSIP 2.0 rules provides support to any person aged up to 35 years, who is a school student; or a, vocational, diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate & doctoral student; or an alumna, alumnus or any, dropout from institute, university or school., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 60

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Under it, state government plans to establish functional innovation and incubation centres across all, the universities in state., Vision of SSIP 2.0, SSIP 2.0 is being launched with the vision of sustainable development and inclusive growth, for the, realisation of Aatmanirbhar Gujarat., Significance of SSIP 2.0, SSIP 2.0 is significant in light that, there are so many innovations done by school students. But they do not, get any platform to showcase them. The new policy will support such innovations financially and help in, taking them from “Mind to Market”., Financial Support, As per rules of SSIP 2.0, support system at school level will be provided a maximum of Rs 20,000 per, proof of concept/prototype/innovation for classes 9-12, with the aim of “catching them young”., Support will also be extended to collective/community level support system as well as activities for, others along with large-scale sensitisation, programmes and events to develop the scientific mindset., SSIP 1.0 Vs SSIP 2.0, The outreach of SSIP 2.0 has been increased by five folds, as compared to SSIP 1.0. SSIP 1.0 covered, 10 lakh students of higher & technical education institutes while, SSIP 2.0 will cover 50 lakh students., Out of 50 lakh students 35 lakh are school students while remaining are students from higher and, technical education institutes., SSIP 1.0 had provisioned Rs 100 crore for five years (2017-21). In SSIP 2.0 the overall financial, support for five years has been increased to Rs 500 crore., , Nirbhaya Kadhi Campaign, Ganjam district of Odisha has declared itself a child marriage free district, first in the State., Key Facts, In last two years, 2020 & 2021, Ganjam district administration has been able to stop around 450 child, marriages and video-record 48,383 marriages., Administration has also made Aadhaar card mandatory to produce for any marriages to take place., Nirbhaya Kadhi (Fearless Bud), Nirbhaya Kadhi programme was started in Ganjam. The campaign was started with the objective of, preventing adolescent girls from dropping out of school, and counselling them. Under the programme, all, the heads of educational institutes were directed to inform administration if girl aged 12 to 18 years, remained absent from school for five days. Around one lakh teenagers have undergone counselling under, the programme, in past two years., Award on producing information, Administration had also announced Rs 5,000 for those informing about any child marriage. This amount has, now been increased to Rs 50,000., Prevalence of Child Marriage in India, According to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates, at least 1.5 million girls under 18 get, married in India each year. This makes India a home to largest number of child brides worldwide., Causes of Girl Child Marriage, Child marriages usually happen within a social and economic context. It is embedded in a set of, beliefs regarding the status of women & girls, and their role as wives and mothers., Domestic labour and care work performed by women is also associated with it. There is a belief that, girls should marry early for safety & protection, and as well as to reduce the economic burden of, family., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 61

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Preference for sons result in a greater number of daughters. Thus, underaged girls are more prone to, child marriage., Furthermore, Right to Education Act makes education free and compulsory only up to age of 14., Child Marriages during covid-19, National Family Health Survey (NFHS4) data of 2015-16 shows that, before covid, one in four girls was, being married before turning 18. At the time of survey, 8 per cent of women aged 15-19 years were pregnant, or mother. As per other reports, more child marriages have been noticed amid Covid-19 pandemic., , Smart Cities and Academia Towards Action and Research (SAAR), SAAR was launched by the Smart Cities Mission. SAAR will document the projects implemented by Smart, Cities Mission. It is a part of Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav celebrations., Implementing Agency, SAAR is mainly implemented by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The other institutes that join the, ministry in implementing the project are National Institute of Urban Affairs and other premier institutions in, the country. This includes 15 premier architecture institutes., How is SAAR implemented?, The institutes will document the planning and implementation of smart cities mission. This will help, the students learn urban development processes practically., First, SAAR is to prepare a list of 75 urban projects. The innovative and multi – sectoral projects are, selected under the list., Varanasi – Not a part of SAAR, The cities were short listed by the ministry itself. And therefore, the mission or the municipalities, implementing the smart city mission were not notified officially. Varanasi adopting several smart city, measures and being the constituency of the PM, himself has failed to enter SAAR. Varanasi is being, criticised for this. This reflects that the smart city measures taken in the city are not good enough. Around, 45 cities were chosen. These cities are the outperformers. The mission is implemented in more than 100, cities. And the cities are implementing 5,151 projects at the cost of two lakh crores of rupees. However,, only good performers were chosen., What will SAAR do?, The project will document outcomes of smart city mission and its impact on lives of the urban citizens., Students from the premier institutes will visit the selected smart cities to learn about the work flow of the, mission. This includes data analysis, field investigation, peer review of first draft, research workshops. The, participating students will then submit a report along with suggestions. These documents will act as the, first reference for future research. SAAR is to create a repository of urban projects., , Fifth Takht of Sikhs, Delhi Assembly passed an amendment bill to “Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1971” on January 3, 2022., Key Points, The bill recognises the “Takht Damdama Sahib” as fifth Takht of Sikhs., It also adds one more ex officio member in Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), house. Earlier, there were four ex officio members- chiefs (jathedars) of other four Sikh Takhts., Bill will also make the chief of Takht Damdama Sahib, an ex officio member in DSGMC house, after, approval., What is a Sikh Takht?, Takht (Throne) is a seat of temporal authority for Sikhs. Presently, there are five Sikh Takhts. Out of them,, three are in Punjab, one in Maharashtra and one in Bihar. Five Takhts are understated:, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 62

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , 1. Akal Takht, Akal Takht is located in Amritsar. It is oldest Takhts, and considered supreme among all. Guru Hargobind, had set up this Takht in 1606, who succeeded Guru Arjan Dev, as the sixth Guru. His succession is, considered a turning point in Sikh history. The Akal Takht has been built in front of causeway that led to, sanctorum of the Golden Temple. It symbolises the coming together of temporal authority & political, sovereignty of Sikh community (Miri) with the spiritual authority (Piri)., 2. Takht Keshgarh Sahib, Keshgarh Sahib Takht is Located in Anandpur Sahib in Punjab. Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth guru, raised, Khalsa here in 1699., 3. Takht Patna Sahib, In 1666, Guru Gobind Singh was born here., 4. Takht Hazur Sahib, It is located in Nanded. Guru Gobind Singh spent time and was cremated here in 1708., 5. Takht Damdama Sahib, It is located in Talwandi Sabo of Bathinda. Guru Gobind Singh spent time here., Background, In 1999, Union Home Ministry had recognised the Takht Damdama Sahib as fifth Sikh Takht. This, recognition included the Takht in Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925. Prior to that, SGPC sub-committee had also, declared it the fifth Takht of Sikhs in November 1966., What is the purpose of Sikh Takhts?, The Sikh Takhts issue hukumnamas from time to time on issues related with Sikh community. Since, Akal, Takht is supreme among them, any order concerning the entire community is issued from Akal Takht., , PMFME Scheme – Recent Initiatives, The Ministry of Food Processing Industries recently launched six one district one product (ODOP) brands, under the PMFME Scheme. PMFME is Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises., Background, Earlier the ministry had signed an agreement with NAFED. NAFED is National Agricultural Cooperative, Marketing Federation of India Limited. Under the agreement ten brands of ODOP are to be selected., What are the recently launched brands?, Amrit Phal, Kashmiri Mantra, Cori Gold, Madhu mantra, whole wheat cookies of Dilli bakes and Somdana., Amrit Phal: It is amla juice. It was developed for Gurugram of Haryana. It has lemon juice added and is a, natural elixir. The cost of 500 ml of Amrit Phal is Rs 120., Cori Gold: It is coriander powder. It was developed for Kota of Rajasthan. The product is unique and special, for its flavour. 100 grams of cori gold costs 34 rupees., Kashmiri Mantra: It is a product prepared from Kashmiri red chillies. It has added spices. It was developed, for the Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. 100 grams of Kashmiri mantra costs 75 rupees., Madhu Mantra: It is a type of honey. It was developed for Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. It is a multi –, flora honey. That is, madhu mantra honey is collected from free – range bees. The cost of 500 grams of, madhu mantra is 185 rupees., Whole wheat cookies: It is developed by Dilli Bakes, a bakery. It is unique as it is made of jaggery and not, sugar. 380 grams of whole wheat cookies cost 175 rupees., Brand Somdana: It is ragi flour. It was developed for thane district of Maharashtra. It is gluten free. The, Somdana is rich in calcium, fibre and iron. The cost of 500 grams of Somdana is 60 rupees., About the Products, The products come in unique packaging. They ensure longer shelf life. The brands are supported with, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 63

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , separate investments to push their sale through e – commerce platforms., , UN – WFP MoU for PM – POSHAN Scheme, The United Nations World Food Programme, UN – WFP has signed an agreement with a Bengaluru based, NGO (Non – Governmental Organization) to improve the effectiveness of PM – POSHAN. PM – POSHAN is, Pradhan Mantri POshan SHakti Nirman. The scheme was called the Mid – Day Meal Scheme before., What is the agreement about?, The agreement was signed with the Akshara Patra Foundation. The World Food Programme agreed to, financial assistance to PM POSHAN Shakti Nirman. It will boost the mid-day meal schemes in schools., Role of the NGO, It will form a steering committee. The committee will consist of representatives from WFP, governmental, institutions and also from the NGO. The committee will meet four times a year. It will make plans, review, ongoing plans and make necessary modification to boost the mid-day meal scheme in the country., PM POSHAN Scheme, It was approved in September 2021. It will run for five years, till 2026. The scheme is to be implemented at a, cost of Rs 1.31 trillion. The mid-day meal scheme has been added under this scheme. Read about PM, POSHAN Scheme here., Role of GoI in the scheme, The GoI has allocated Rs 45,000 crores to the scheme. This amount is to be used for procuring food grains., In 2020 – 21, the GoI allocated Rs 24,400 to the scheme. Of this, Rs 11,500 was used for food grains., PM – POSHAN: Revamped Mid – Day Meal Scheme, The PM – POSHAN brought in several changes to the mid-day meal scheme. Earlier, the central government, would transfer the amount to the state government. The state government will then transfer the amount to, the schools. Under PM – POSHAN, the central government is to transfer the funds directly into the accounts, of the schools. This is done to prevent leakage of the funds. Also, Balavatika has been included in PM –, POSHAN. Balavatika is pre – school for children below six years. With this, 24 lakhs more beneficiaries are, added into the scheme., , Punjab Panel on PM Security Lapse (Mehtab Singh Gill Committee), On January 6, 2022, the Punjab Government created a high level team to investigate the security breach of, Prime Minister Narendra Modi., What happened?, On January 5, 2022, Prime Minister landed at Bathinda. He was to visit National Martyrs Memorial in, Hussainwala by helicopter. Because of rain air transport couldn’t be arranged. Therefore, the Prime Minister, decided to visit the memorial via road. On his way, his convoy was blocked by protestors. And he was stuck, for 15 to 20 minutes in a fly over. This was the security breach., Mehtab Singh Gill Committee, Following the security breach, the Punjab Government has formed the Mehtab Singh Gill Committee. Mr Gill, is a retired judge. The committee also comprises of Home secretary of Punjab. The committee is to, produce a report within three days., Why was the PM visiting the memorial?, To inaugurate Rs 43,000 crore development projects. This included construction of roads and hospitals as, well. Also, he was to address a gathering. The visit was cancelled., Who protects the Prime Minister of India?, Special Protection Group. It was formed in 1988 and the sole responsibility of the group is to protect the, PM. SPG protects the PM in India and also in abroad. It also protects the immediate family members of the, PM., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 64

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Special Protection Group (Amendment) Act, 2019, The SPG protects the PM, PM’s spouse, children and parents. The protection is provided to the family, members only in the PM residence. Same goes for former PMs as well. The former PMs and their family, members are protected only in his or her allotted residence. The protection is provided for five years during, PM’s term and for five years after he leaves the office., The “Blue Book” of SPG, The Blue Book is the rule book of SPG. It has all the guidelines for the protection of the PM. According to, the Blue Book, the state police has to prepare the route in case of adverse situations, like the one that has, happened now. The Intelligence Bureau had alerted the state police about the protests. The security breach, has occurred in spite of all these measures., , RBI List of Scheduled Banks – Update, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently included Airtel Payment Bank in the second schedule of RBI Act,, 1934. And HDFC, ICICI and SBI are to remain as D – SIB. D – SIB is Domestic Systematically Important, Banks., Criteria for a D – SIB, The bank should belong to the category of CET 1. CET 1 is Common Equity Tier 1. It is a precautionary to, self-protect from financial crisis. This comes under the BASEL III norms. The BASEL III norms are, international rules. It was introduced to improve supervision and regulation. It is divided into Tier I and Tier, II. The Tier I is divided into CET 1 and AT1. AT 1 is Additional Tier 1. In CET 1, the performance of the bank, is evaluated based on its return. The CET 1 is the ratio between bank’s capital and assets., Banks in D – SIB list, The RBI placed ICICI and SBI as D – SIB in 2015-16. HDFC was placed in the list in 2017., Second Schedule of RBI, The RBI Act, 1934 has four schedules. A bank has to fulfil the following conditions to enter into the second, schedule of RBI:, DTL should not be less than 750 crores continuously for a year, CRAR should be 12% at least, Gross NPA should be less than 5%, Should comply with SLR and CRR, No major supervisory concerns, Terms used in the article, DTL: It is the amount collected through deposits. DTL stands for Demand and Time Liabilities, CRAR: Capital to Risk Weighted Assets Ratio. It is used to protect the depositors., NPA: Non Performing Assets, SLR: Statutory Liquidity Ratio. It is the minimum amount a bank has to maintain in the form of cash or, other securities or gold., CRR: Cash Reserve Ratio. It is the share of total deposit that is mandated to RBI. It is fixed by the, monetary policy committee of RBI, , January 7, 2022, Sri Lanka India Oil Deal, On January 6, 2022, the Sri Lankan Government signed an agreement with the Lanka Indian Oil Corporation, (LIOC). According to the agreement, Sri Lanka will lease oil tanks to IOC., About the Agreement, Sri Lanka has leased 14 tanks to LIOC for fifty years. Another 24 tanks have been leased to CPC. CPC, is joint venture of LIOC and Trinco Petroleum Private Limited. CPC is Ceylon Petroleum Corporation., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 65

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , The CPC is to develop 61 oil farms in the country., Under the agreement signed in 2003, Sri Lanka agreed to lease all of its 99 tank oil farms to India., This has now been nullified by the new agreement. The new agreement brings in new governance, structure., Background, Since 1987, the Indian and Sri Lankan Governments were trying to divide the Trincomalee tank farm. The, Trincomalee deal had remained controversial for several years. The deal remained dormant due to civil wars, in Sri Lanka and also due to political instability., Significance, Trincomalee is located on the shipping route of Asia and Gulf countries. This is one of the busiest oil trade, routes in the world. The port was the major supply hub of the allied powers during second world war. The, port is close to Chennai. The tank farm will help in refueling the Indian ships largely. The agreement will, help Sri Lanka to become a petroleum regional hub., Current Scenario, Sri Lanka is under huge financial pressure. The country has to repay 4.5 billion USD in 2022 alone. Its, foreign exchange reserves are decreasing largely., What is an oil tank farm?, It is an oil storage facility. The petroleum products are transported to the end users from these facilities., The Long History of the Deal, In 1987, the then PM of India Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lanka President Jayawardene signed an agreement to, jointly develop the Trincomalee tank farm. The progress stopped right there and no subsequent measures, were taken to develop the farm due the civil war. In 2002, the war ended with Norway brokering. Later in, 2003, the Lanka IOC (that now signed the deal) was formed. However, the political instability in the country, halted the progress of the deal yet again. India started pushing for the deal hardly after China took over the, Hambantota in 2010. PM Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka in 2015 established a joint task force to create a, petroleum hub in Trincomalee., , Strategic areas in J&K, The Jammu and Kashmir administration gave its approval to declare more than a thousand kanals of land in, Gulmarg and 354 kanals in Sonamarg areas as “strategic areas”., Key Points, This land will be utilised for “operational and training requirements” of the armed forces., In July 2020, the administration had removed a 1971 circular that required a no-objection certificate, (NOC) from J&K home department for requisition or acquisition of land in favour of the Army, CRPF,, BSF, and other similar organisations., Such acquisition is being covered under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land, Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, since July 2020., Administration had also approved an amendment to Control of Building Operations Act, 1988, and, J&K Development Act, 1970. The amendment provides for special dispensation to carrying out, construction activities in “strategic areas” by armed forces., Condition associated with order granting land, The order granting land in Gulmarg and Sonamarg to the armed forces provides a condition that “the, corp commanders shall ensure strict commitment to environment-related laws in order to prevent any, environmental hazard”., furthermore, the armed forces must ensure that “no other applicable law in force in J&K is observed, in breach”., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 66

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Which act empowers to notify strategic areas?, Authorities have notified these areas as strategic areas, by exercising powers under the Jammu and, Kashmir Development Act. Government issued such notification for the first time since two acts “Control of, Building Operations Act, 1988, and J&K Development Act, 1970” were amended in 2020. Amendment to, these acts empowers government to notify “strategic areas” for use by armed forces and to regulate, construction through special dispensation., Jammu and Kashmir Development Act 1970, The 1970 Act deals with zonal development plans to determine land use for public buildings, housing, recreation and roads. It also looks after development plans of industry, markets, business, schools,, hospitals etc. An amendment to the act deleted the “permanent resident” provision in the act. Now,, economically deprived people from across the country will be eligible to buy such housing sites., , Green Energy Corridor Phase II, On January 6, 2022, the Government of India approved Green Energy Corridor Phase – II. The estimated, outlay of the phase is Rs 12,031 crores. Under this phase, 10,750 kilometres of transmission lines are to be, constructed and 27,500 MVA sub stations are to be added. MVA is Mega Volt Ampere. These additions are, of the renewable energy generated in different parts of the country. The project is to be implemented in, seven states. They are Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Kerala, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and, Gujarat., About the project, The Green Energy Corridor Phase II will be implemented between 2021-22 and 2025-26., 33% of the project cost is to be provided by the central government. That is, Rs 3,970 crores. The, Central Government’s assistance will reduce the intra – state transmission costs. And will ultimately, reduce the cost of the power supplied., It will help India achieve its target of 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030., It will generate direct and indirect employment opportunities., The project will boost energy security of the country., Green Energy Corridor Phase I, It is being implemented in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and, Rajasthan. It aims to generate 24 GW of renewable power. It is to be completed by 2022. It will add 22,600, MVA of substations and 9,700 km of transmission lines. This is being implemented at a cost of Rs 10,141, crores. Here the central government has contributed Rs 4.056 crores, that is, 33% of the cost., What is Green Energy Corridor?, The project aims to synchronize the electricity produced from solar, wind and other renewable sources with, the conventional grid. In 2015 – 16, the Intra State Transmission System Project was launched. It delivers, electricity within the state. The project includes substations, transmission lines and all other associated, equipment., Renewable Energy rich states of India, AP, Karnataka, HP, MP, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra., , Hyderabad Open Rock Museum, On January 6, 2021, the Union Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Jitendra, Singh, inaugurated first “Open Rock Museum” in Hyderabad., Open Rock Museum, The museum displays about 35 different varieties of rocks from different parts of India., Age of these rocks are ranging from 3.3 billion years to around 55 million years., These rocks also represent deepest part of the Earth, that is up to 175 km of distance from Earth’s, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 67

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , surface., The Museum was inaugurated at the CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI)., Significance of the Museum, Big Earth data have a strategic high ground in the era of knowledge economies. India has been fully, exploiting this new frontier, by contributing to advancement of earth science., Geosciences contribute significantly towards national priority and self-reliance in New India., India’s first Open Rock Museum- Important facts to know, 1. The Open Rock Museum has been set up in Hyderabad with the objective of educating and, enlightening the public on lesser-known facts., 2. The Museum displays 35 different types of rocks from various parts of India. Rocks have been, sourced from states like Jharkhand, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, etc., 3. The ages of the rocks in the museum range from 3.3 billion years to around 55 million years., 4. Rocks also represent the deepest part of the Earth up to 175 kilometers of distance from the surface, of the Earth., National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), NGRI is a constituent research laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). It was, established in 1961 with the objective of carrying research in multidisciplinary areas of highly complex, structure and processes of Earth system. It has the mandate to conduct research for public-good science in, a bid to enable government agencies, public & private sector stakeholders for making informed decisions on, use of geo-resources sustainably., Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), CSIR was established in September 1942 as an autonomous body. It has now emerged as the largest, research and development organisation of India., , Uvariopsis dicaprio, Uvariopsis dicaprio is a newly identified tree species. It is the first new tree species to be described in 2022., It was discovered in tropical Ebo forest of Cameroon and is native to the region. The tree has been added to, the Strange and Spectacular list of plant species. The tree has been classified as critically endangered., Why is the tree added to Strange and Spectacular list of plant species?, The yellow – green flowers of the tree grows directly on its trunk. Normally flowers are produced from a, modified shoot or modified leaves. They often resemble the branchlets., Reason behind the naming, The tree has been named after the Titanic movie fame Leonardo dicaprio. The actor come environmental, activist has been taking several measures to conserve Ebo forest. The tree has been named after the actor, to boost his campaigns against cutting of trees in the forest., About Uvariopsis dicaprio, The tree is four metres tall. It is closely related to the Ylang – Ylang tree. The Ylang – Ylang tree is native to, India, Indonesia, Philippines and Australia., Conservation status of the new tree, Critically Endangered. The researchers have witnessed only fifty U.dicaprio trees in the Ebo forest. They, were all found in the unprotected area of the forest., Ebo Forest, The Ebo forest is located in Cameroon. It is home to Nigeria – Cameroon chimpanzees and critically, endangered western gorillas. The forest also has endangered drills, endangered elephants and critically, endangered red colobus monkeys. After several fights by the environmentalists and also by Mr Dicaprio, the, Cameroon Government halted the logging concession. The Government in 2020 announced the opening, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 68

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , 68,385 hectares of forest to logging activities., Cameroon, Cameroon is located in Gulf of Guinea. It is located in west – central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria, Chad,, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Congo and Gabon. The coast of Cameroon lies in Bight of Biafra. Bight is a, curve in the coastline and is a geographical feature., , List of Recent Cabinet Approvals, On January 6, 2021, The Union Cabinet gave nod to several proposals including Phase 2 of Green Energy, Corridor and MoU with Nepal for constructing bridge over Mahakali River., Green Energy Corridor Phase 2, Government approved phase 2 of the green energy corridor under the “intra-state transmission, system” for facilitating grid integration and power evacuation of around 20 gigawatts of renewable, energy projects across 7 states., The project is likely to help in achieving the target of 450 GW installed renewable energy capacity by, 2030., Project will also contribute to long term energy security of India., It will add around 10,750 circuit kilometres of transmission lines and 27,500 Mega Volt-Amperes, transformation capacity of substations., Financial Assistance, Total estimated cost of phase 2 of the “Green Energy Corridor” project is Rs 12,031 crore. Central, government is providing financial assistance at 33% of project cost., Which states will be covered under the project?, Phase 2 of the Green Energy Corridor project will cover states of Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala,, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu., India-Nepal MoU on Bridge over Mahakali River, Cabinet also approved a memorandum of understanding between India and Nepal. The MoU provides for, construction of a bridge over River Mahakali. This bridge will help the people living in Dharchula district of, Uttarakhand as well as in the area under Nepal territory., Mahakali River, The Mahakali River is also known as Kali River or Sharda River. The river originates at Kalapani in the, Himalayas at an altitude of 3,600 m. It originates in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand. It flows along, the Nepal’s western border with India. River has a basin area of 14,871 km2. River takes the name “Kali”, from the union of two streams at Gunji. It enters the Terai Plains after Brahmadev Mandi near Tanakpur and, here it is called Sharda River. Sharda River has been named after Sarada, which is another name for, Goddess Saraswati. In Nepal, the river is called as “Mahakali” while in Uttarakhand it is called as Kali, Ganga., , Special Protection Group (SPG) Act – Highlights, The Special Protection Group was created in 1985. The SPG protects Prime Minister and his immediate, family members. It also protects the former prime ministers., Key Features of SPG Act, The act defines “Proximate Security” as providing protection in close distance when the PM travels by, rail, road, watercraft, aircraft or on foot. This includes his residence and other places of engagements, and functions as well., The SPG force is controlled by the Union Government. The directors and assistance directors of the, group are appointed by the Union Government., No member of the group shall resign during his term of service., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 69

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , The members cannot join a trade union or political union or any other unions, They shall not communicate with the press, SPG (Amendment) Act 2019, Earlier the SPG protected the former PMs and their immediate family members for a period of one year after, they left their office. After they leave the office, the protection was provided based on the level of threat, faced by the former PM. The threat should be from a terrorist organization or from a military. It should be, continuous and grave. And to the family members, the protection was provided anywhere else as well. Even, when they were away from PM residence., The above provision was amended. The SPG will provide protection to the former PM and his family, members for five years after he leaves office. And the protection will be provided only at the residence, allotted to him. Also, the protection will be provided to the family members only if they stayed with the, former PM at his allotted residence., While the PM is in power, the protection to his family members is provided only in his residence and not, anywhere else., Why was the act amended?, To reduce the huge drain of resources in allotting SPGs. Most of the times, the allotment was not realistic., It was misused for social status. The SPG protection should be offered only based on threat basis. It is a, distinctive and special force. The GoI puts in huge resources in training these commandos., , IndiaSkills 2021, The India Skills competition is conducted by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). It is held, once in two years. The competition is held in multiple locations. The 2021 India Skills competition is held in, Pragati Maidan, Mumbai, Bengaluru and several other locations. It was commenced at Talkatora Indoor, Stadium located in New Delhi., About India Skills 2021, In 2021, the NSDC is organizing more than fifty skill competitions. It includes welding, cyber security,, painting, floristry, additive manufacturing, patisserie and others. It also included Abilympics. Abilympics is, skill demonstrations by physically disabled persons., It is country’s biggest skill competition. The winners of India Skills 2021 will participate in World Skills, competition. The World Skills competition is to be held in Shanghai, China in 2022. The winners will, compete against 1500 participants from 60 different countries. The World Skills competition is called, “Olympics of Skills”., Why is India Skills important?, To provide opportunity and platform to the emerging professionals to exhibit their skills. It facilitates, cooperation among industries, governments and academicians. It helps the youths earn international, recognition and reputation., World Skills India, It operates under NSDC of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The World Skills India expert, group is responsible to create Team India that participates in World Skills competition., Role of NSDC in India Skills competition, It acts as a secretariat to the World Skills India and India Skills expert team. It creates and establishes, linkages among different stakeholders participating in the competition., Need for India Skills competition, According to the United Nations Development Programme, only 21.1% of the labour force of India are, skilled. The unemployment rate in India in December 2021 was 7.91% according to CMIE (Centre for, Monitoring Indian Economy). The skill development in India is facing several challenges. They are caste© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 70

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , based issues, lack of state government participation, absence of micro level studies. The competition, removes all such hurdles. It gives importance only to the talents of the participants., , National Conference on E – Governance 2022, th, , The 24 National E – Governance Conference is to be organized by the Department of Administrative, Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), State Government of Telangana and Ministry of Electronics and, Information Technology. The conference is to be held at Hyderabad International Convention Centre,, Madhapur., Theme, The conference is to be organized under the theme, “India’s Techade: Digital Governance in a Post, Pandemic World”. The sub themes are emerging technologies, universalization of public services, ease of, living by good governance, universalization of public services, innovation – platformization, government re, – engineering and participation of citizens in government processes., National Awards for E – Governance 2021, The awards are to be presented during the conference. The awards are to be presented in six categories., And the awards are to be presented to 26 E – Governance initiatives. The six categories are excellence in, government re – engineering for digital transformation, excellence in district level e – governance,, universalizing access to e – services, excellent research on citizen centric services, use of ICT in COVID-19, management, outstanding adoption of emerging technologies., Why is the conference important?, It will provide momentum to the e – governance initiatives. It provides opportunities to industries and civil, servants to exhibit their successful interventions in E – Governance. This improves end to end service, delivery., Why is it essential to boost E – Governance?, The Government of India has been digitizing the country through Digital India. E – Governance is important, for social transformation and to induce economic inclusiveness. It is essential to move towards safe e –, governance to tackle cyber fraud, fake news, etc. Also, E – governance helps in cost reduction, ease of, services and real time governance. It also helps in accountability and transparency., , Asian Waterbird Census (AWC), The Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) is an integral part of International Waterbird Census. The international, census is conducted in 143 countries., About AWC, The AWC is jointly held by Wetlands International and Bombay Natural History Society. AWC is held in the, month of January every year. During the census, the volunteers visit the wetlands and count the waterbirds., The major regions covered under AWC are Southeast Asia, Australasia, East Asian – Australasian Flyway,, region between Afghanistan and Japan. It was started in 1987. In 2021, the AWC reported that the overall, waterbird population dipped by four times as compared to 2020., Major Objectives, To provide estimates of bird population, To monitor changes in waterbird distribution, To improve waterbird knowledge, To monitor waterbird sites, To provide information about conservation of waterbirds, To increase awareness about wetland habitats and importance of waterbirds, The Asian Waterbird Census in now being conducted in parts of Delhi., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 71

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , AWC 2022, Sanjay Lake, Delhi, Only 13 species were recorded in the lake. Between 2019 and 2021, 17 species were recorded., However, the number of birds have increased from 90 in 2021 to 132 in 2022., The species diversity in the lake is decreasing. This means that the lake is degrading., The migratory bird species spotted in Sanjay Lake were Cormorant and Eurasian Coot. The Cormorant, migrates from South East Asia. The Eurasian Coot migrates from Temperate Asia., The India Spot Billed duck that is common in Indian Wetlands. However, only one pair was found., Human sewage and boating have reduced the arrival of migratory birds in the lake. Also the lake, faces issues of water availability., Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary, It falls in Central Asian Flyway. The census reported decrease in number of bar headed geese, common teal, and gadwal. Species diversity has increased. However, total number of bords spotted has decreased. The, lake is degrading due to human interference., The Census is still ongoing and will be completed by February, 2022., , Supreme Court Order on NEET PG admissions, On January 7, 2022, the Supreme Court of India allowed the commencement of counselling process for, NEET-PG and NEET-UG for academic year 2021-22 admissions, based on the existing quota system. Court, has upheld the constitutionality of 27% OBC reservation., Highlights, After supreme court’s order, counselling process would start on the basis of 10% reservation for, Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and 27% quota for Other Backward Classes (OBC), in All India, Quota., SC allowed the existing criteria to operate for current academic year, as regards criteria to determine, EWS (8 lakhs gross annual income cut-off), in order to avoid delay in the admission process further., But, future application of EWS criteria will be subject to final outcome of the petitions. The EWS, criteria was stipulated in the Office Memorandum of July 2019., Recommendation of Pandey Committee, Supreme Court has accepted the recommendations of the Pandey committee. Pandey Committee had given, following recommendations:, 1. To use the criteria for EWS stipulated in OM 2019 (for EWS), in a bid to ensure that the admission, process is not dislocated., 2. It recommended to conduct counselling on the basis of NEET PG 2021 and NEET UG 2021, by giving, effect to resolution provided by the notice of July 29, 2021. It recommended to go with 27%, reservation for OBC and 10% reservation for EWS in All India Quota seats., 3. It recommended to use criteria for determination of EWS notified by OM 2019, for identifying the EWS, category who appeared in NEET UG 2021 and NEET PG 2021 examinations., 4. Validity of the criteria determined by Pandey committee to identify the EWS prospectively in future be, subject to final results of the petitions., 5. Based on the recommendations of committee, petition will be listed for final hearing on validity of, EWS criteria, in the third week of March 2022., , Varanasi Agri-Export Hub, On January 7, 2022, the commerce ministry’s arm APEDA identified potential districts in Uttar Pradesh, for, covering it under the Varanasi Agri-Export Hub (VAEH) in a bid to promote exports from that region., Highlights, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 72

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has started, initiatives for promoting exports from Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh, by developing VAEH., Purvanchal region of the state comprises districts of Varanasi, Mirzapur, Prayagraj, Azamgarh,, Gorakhpur, Ghazipur, Basti, Chandauli, Jaunpur, and Sant Ravidas Nagar., In last six months, 20,000 tonnes of agri-produce have been exported from Purvanchal region. Around, 5,000 tonnes of fresh fruits & vegetables while 15,000 tonnes of cereals have been exported to, Vietnam, Nepal, Gulf nations, and Bangladesh., Export from Varanasi region, Varanasi and adjoining areas witnessed an export of 12 MT, 22 MT and 45 MT respectively in the months of, October, November, December 2021. Around 125 MT have been exported from the region., Significance of Varanasi, Varanasi is based in plains of river Ganges. It has rich nutritional composition of soil, having a good amount, of fertility, leading to production of good quality agri-produce. The region also has reputed institutions of, central and international level like Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, (IIVR) and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI),, Mode of exports from Varanasi, Presently, agricultural products are being exported through air route due to establishment of robust, quarantine and custom clearance facilitation centre at Lal Bahadur Shastri International (LBSI) Airport., APEDA has organised around 30 capacity building programmes and eight international buyer-seller meets,, in the region. This has provided a platform for exporters to market their food products in international, marketplace., Projects to monitor production, APEDA is considering to approve an AI Tech Project, for monitoring the product and production. It is, also planning to take member Farmer Producer Organization to different territories in order to unveil, agri-supply chain and market linkage., Government is considering to replicate Varanasi model in Gorakhpur region of Purvanchal because of, commonality in geography, demography and other parameters., , Veer Gatha Project, The Government of India launched “Veer Gatha Project” as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav under which, government has been introducing several events to mark to 75th year of India’s independence., What is Veer Gatha Project?, Veer Gatha project was launched to inspire the school children in India, by making them aware with, stories of war heroes and brave hearts., 25 students have been selected as the winners of this project., Under it, students were motivated to do activities and projects, based on gallantry award winners., This project was organised from October 21, 2021 to November 21, 2021 across India., Which ministry organised the project?, The Veer Gatha Project was organised by Ministry of Education, Department of School Education & Literacy, and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)., How many students participated in the project?, The Veer Gatha project witnessed the participation of more than 8,03,900 students from 4,788 schools, across the country. Students shared their essays, drawings, poems, and multimedia presentations in the, honour of Bravehearts., Winners of the project, A National Committee selected a total of 25 students, being dubbed as “super 25”, after several rounds of, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 73

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , evaluation and were declared the winners., What will the winners receive?, The Super 25 will be felicitated on January 25, 2022, after they will arrive in New Delhi. They will also, witness the Republic Day parade as special guests of Ministry of Defence. Furthermore, they will also, receive a cash prize of Rs.10,000., Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, It is an initiative of the Government of India, launched to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of, progressive India as well as the glorious history of people, culture and achievements of India. The Mahotsav, is dedicated to people of India, who have been instrumental in bringing India thus far. The “Azadi ka Amrit, Mahotsav” commenced on March 12, 2021 and will end on August 15, 2022., , Exercise Sea Dragon 22, 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., About Sea Dragon 22, 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., Dragon Belt Award, 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 Royal Canadian Air Force., Why is the exercise important?, 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 India 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 Indo – Pacific Region in the centre stage?, The main reason is the sea routes and oil trade. Before cold war the centre stage was taken by Atlantic, Ocean. India sees the Indo – Pacific as open, inclusive and balanced space. The US sees Indo – Pacific as, free and open. The ASEAN sees Indo Pacific as consociational model. Consociationalism is stable, democracy, especially in deeply divided states., , Mission Jeewan Raksha, According to an officer of Indian Railways, Under the “Mission Jeewan Raksha”, RPF personnel have saved, 1650 lives from the wheels of running trains at railway stations in last four years., Key facts, Out of this, around 350 lives were saved CR and WR., RPF personnel saved 601 persons, without caring for their own safety, going far beyond their call of, duty in the year 2021., Out of these persons, 20 percent (117 persons) were saved by WR & CR RPF, while 83 were saved by, CR and 34 by WR., Furthermore, RPF personnel returned 123777 left behind luggage to the rightful owners, with value of, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 74

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Rs 23 crores. Out of this, 1973 luggage with value of Rs 4.23 crores were returned by CR and WR RPF, personnel., RPF has also played important role in reuniting lost or separated children with their family., They also rescued more than 11,900 Children, who were in need of care and protection. Out of these, students, 734 were rescued by WR and 976 by RFF., Jeewan Raksha Medals, The President of India have awarded the RPF personnel with 9 Jeewan Raksha medals and one Gallantry, Medals, to recognise their efforts in saving people’s lives in last 4 years., Child Help Desks, Currently, 132 Child Help Desks are functional across India. RPF works with nominated NGO to rescue of, children through these help desks. More than two dozen of desks functional under the CR and WRs, jurisdictions., Railway Protection Force (RPF), RPF security force was established by Railway Protection Force Act, 1957. It was established for better, protection and security of railway property. The force has been given the power to search, investigate,, arrest, and prosecute offenses committed in accordance with the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession), Act 1966. RPF works under the authority of Ministry of Railways., , Home Ministry Committee on PM Security Lapse, Following a breach in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s safety in Punjab, Ministry of Home Affairs has set up, a committee to inquire into the lapses leading to a grave security risk., 3-member committee, The three-member committee is led by: Secretary (Security), Cabinet Secretariat Sudhir Kumar, Saxena., Other two members of the committee include- Intelligence Bureau Joint Director Balbir Singh besides, Special Protection Group Inspector General S Suresh., Committee has been asked to submit its report as soon as possible., After its appointment, the committee visited the Ferozepur-Moga highway to probe the security, lapses, when the PM’s convoy was on that route., How was PM’s security breached?, Prime Minister Modi was scheduled to address a rally and launch projects in Punjab on January 5, 2022. He, landed at Bathinda and was scheduled to visit National Martyrs Memorial in Hussainwala by helicopter. But, air transport couldn’t be arranged because of poor weather conditions. Thus, Prime Minister decided to visit, the memorial via road. While he was on his way, the convoy was blocked by protestors. PM was stuck for 15, to 20 minutes on the fly over, as opposed to the protocol., Who is responsible for PM’s protection and security?, The Special Protection Group (SPG) is responsible for protection and security of the Prime Minister. He is, the only VVIP who is protected by the SPG, after an amendment to the SPG Act. The SPG commando force, is the innermost security cordon surrounding the PM wherever he goes. The PM’s security also comprises, of personnel from other central and state security agencies such as local LIUs, state police and central, intelligence agencies. The SPG has sole responsibility for PM’s security and perimeter routes. State police, is responsible to secure areas which the PM visits, under the supervision of the SPG., How is PM’s security planned?, Prime Minister’s security details and planned routes are discussed, finalized and documented by central, agencies in close association with the SPG. Entire exercise involves central and state agencies., , © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 75

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Advanced Security Liaison (ASL), The SPG carries an Advanced Security Liaison (ASL) for maintaining every minute of Prime Minister’s, planned routes. This exercise is done by involving officials from Intelligence Bureau in concerned state,, police officials and district magistrate. As part of ASL, entire route and venue is completely sanitized by, state police force. Clearance is issued by head of the state police force, which is lastly examined by central, agencies and the SPG., , January 8, 2022, France “Vaccine Pass”, The French Government recently approved a bill on Health Pass. The pass is a stricter COVID-19 vaccine, pass., What does the bill say?, Under the bill, people more than 12 years of age should prove that they have been vaccinated to enter, cultural venues, restaurants, bars or other public transport., Earlier a COVID negative test was sufficient to access public places in France., The pass is to be produced in public transport as well., Same as 2G rules of Germany, The French Vaccine Pass is very much similar to the 2G rules of Germany. Vaccinated and recovered, persons in Germany are referred to as 2G. Only 2G persons can access theatres, swimming pool, museums,, hairdressing, beauty salons, dance studios, fitness centres, etc., Scenario in Italy, The Italian Government has made COVID-19 vaccines compulsory for those aged above 50 years. They will, have to face sanctions if they fail to stick to the rules., Heath Pass in European Union, The European countries were using health pass to travel across borders. The health pass was provided to, those (a) who were fully vaccinated, (b) to those who showed proof of negative COVID-19 test, (c) who had, recovered from COVID-19. The COVID-19 recovery provides immunity for three months. The recovered, patients should be vaccinated after that. For the travellers, EU has opened the option of EU Digital COVID, Certificate. The health pass in digital format is the EU Digital COVID certificate. It can be obtained free of, cost, in national language, comes with QR code and is valid in all the EU Countries., Vaccines being made compulsory, The COVID vaccine is being made compulsory in many countries. This culture mainly developed after the, upturn of Delta variant. The countries are Austria, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Germany, Indonesia, Italy,, Micronesia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Czech Republic, Greece, Malaysia, Russia, etc. In India such measures, are yet to come in., , China's 'Artificial Sun' - Recent Developments, China recently took an experiment on ‘Artificial Sun’ at the Hefei Institute of Physical Science China’s, eastern province of Anhui. The experiment lays a solid scientific and experimental foundation for running of, a fusion reactor., Highlights, More than 10,000Chinese and foreign scientific researchers took part in this $948-million project, called Experiential Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST)., EAST is a fusion reactor, that ran successfully for around 20 minutes at 70 million degrees Celsius in, the recent test. It was five times hotter than Sun., Experiential Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), China is conducting experiment with an “artificial sun,” which is dubbed as Experiential Advanced, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 76

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), for making way to clean energy in the future., The experiments started in December 2021 and is likely to last until June, 2022., EAST seeks to utilise the power of nuclear fusion. This is a less explored way of harnessing nuclear, energy., The setup is similar to nuclear reactions taking place inside the sun, where hydrogen and deuterium, gases are used as fuel., These experiments have potential to bring scientists closer to “unlimited clean energy.”, Why is reactor being tested?, The EAST reactor is being tested in order to make its auxiliary heating system becomes “hotter” and, “durable.”, When was EAST developed?, EAST was designed and built by the Chinese. It has been used for nuclear fusion experiments since 2006., However, researchers have achieved an important milestone in the recent experiment only., How reactor reaches great temperatures?, The reactor reaches to such great temperatures by boiling hydrogen isotopes namely, hydrogen and, deuterium, into a plasma. The fusion of these elements releases huge amounts of energy, which ultimately, takes the form of heat., Significance of the experiments, Experiments on EAST reactor might help scientists to get closer to “Unlimited clean energy”., What are the challenges?, Scientists are now facing the challenge to maintain temperatures above 100 million degrees Celsius and, operate the setup in a stable way for long durations., , Study on Children Asthma and Traffic-related pollution, As per new study on Children Asthma, traffic-related air pollutants accounts for around 2 million new cases, of paediatric asthma, from Mumbai to Los Angeles., Highlights, Asthma is a chronic illness, causing inflammation of the lung’s airways., Researchers studied ground concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which is a pollutant coming, from tailpipe vehicle emissions, industrial sites and power plants. They tracked new cases of asthma, in children from 2000 to 2019 across 13,000 cities., Key Findings of the report, As per study, nitrogen dioxide puts children at risk of developing asthma. This problem is especially, acute in urban areas., Study suggest that clean air must be a critical part of strategies that are aimed at keeping children, healthy., Out of 1.85 million new paediatric asthma cases due to NO2 globally in 2019, two-thirds were from, urban areas., Despite the improvements in air quality in Europe and the US, dirty air or NO2 pollution, has been, rising in South Asia, Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa., Paediatric asthma cases, associated with the NO2 pollution, represent a large public health burden, for Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia., Number of deaths, As per study, in 2019 alone, 1.8 million excess deaths can be linked to urban air pollution., Exposure Level, 86 per cent of adults and children in cities worldwide are exposed to a level of fine particulate matter, which, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 77

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , exceeds the guidelines set by the World Health Organisation., Way Ahead, Reduction in fossil fuel-powered transportation can help adults and children breathe easier and lead to, fewer cases of paediatric asthma & deaths. It will also help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions., , What is 'Aquamation'?, On January 8, 2022, the body of Nobel Peace Prize winning Anglican archbishop Desmond Tutu underwent, aquamation in Cape Town. Aquamation is a green alternative to traditional cremation methods., What is aquamation?, Aquamation, also called as alkaline hydrolysis, is a process in which the dead body is immersed in a, mixture of water and a strong alkali in pressurized metal cylinder, for a few hours. It is then heated to, about 150 degrees centigrade., Combination of gentle water flow, alkalinity and temperature accentuate the breakdown of organic, materials., As per Cremation Association of North America (CANA), alkaline hydrolysis is a “flameless, cremation”., This process is considered as an environment friendly way of disposing of a body., It is also dubbed as water cremation, green cremation or chemical cremation., What is left behind the water cremation?, The process of water cremation leaves behind bone fragments and neutral liquid called effluent., Decomposition through this process is similar to what happens during burial, just sped up dramatically by, using chemicals. The effluent is sterile, and it comprises of amino acids, salts, sugars, and peptides. No, tissue and DNA is left after this process. The neutral liquid is discharged with all other wastewater and it, can be added to the water systems., When was this process developed?, Amos Herbert Hanson had developed and patented this process in 1888. He was a farmer who was trying to, develop an ingenious way of making fertilizer from animal carcasses. However, the first commercial system, was installed in 1993 at Albany Medical College. After that, this process continued to be in use by hospitals, and universities. In 2011, this process was used in funeral industry in Ohio and Florida., Significance of Aquamation, Aquamation uses five times less energy than fire. It reduces the amount of greenhouse gases by about 35%,, as compared to other way of cremation., Why did Tutu’s body undergo water cremation?, Because, he had always been passionate about protecting the environment. He had always wanted a simple, funeral ceremony. He wished for a cheap coffin and eco-friendly cremation., , Recent Researches in Space Station, The International Space Station is the most expensive laboratory in the world. It has more than twenty years, of operation. The tests and experiments conducted in the ISS has provided insights into the effect of, microgravity on human body and other interesting things., The regeneration ability of stem cell during spaceflight, Any organ can be regenerated using stem cells. The stem cells are found in embryos and adults. An, experiment in ISS showed that stem cells from human heart survived, regenerated and proliferated in, weightless environment., Performing work outs in space improves bone quality, The astronauts suffer from bone loss during their stay in space. However, this can be avoided by performing, regular exercises in space. Also, it was found that bone loss in astronauts can be predicted through the, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 78

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , elevation of certain biomarkers., Microbes can bio – mine in space, The microbial organisms such as bacteria, fungi and virus can extract metals from martian rocks and lunar, surfaces. The name of the experiment that proved this is “BIOROCK”. The microbes extracted 283% more, Vanadium on the space station than on the earth. Bio – mining is more environment friendly and also, cheaper., Mysterious weather phenomena, The instrument called ASIM (Atmosphere Space Interaction Monitor) shed light on generation of terrestrial, gamma rays. It accompanies lightning and is highly energetic. It also made new discovery on Blue Jets., Blue jets are lightning bursts that shoot upwards. They are generated by charged particles on the top of the, clouds. ASIM recently found that the blue color of the nitrogen ions can shoot up to 50 kilometres per, second., Cement making is possible, The experiment called MICS created cement in space. MICS is Microgravity Investigation of Cement, Solidification. The experiment proved that cement making is possible in space., Reducing radiation exposure, The mineral called Colemanite is capable of protecting the astronauts from space radiation. It is boron rich, mineral., , Study on Maya Civilization, The reason for the collapse of Maya Civilization is till date debated. Some researches believe that draught, was the cause of collapse. Some others are against this belief. Recently, a study revealed that the even, during extreme draught conditions Maya Civilization had 500 edible species of plants., What does the study say?, The plant physiologist Louis Santiago and Archaeologist Scott Fedick recently published a research, analysis on Maya Civilization. According to their research, the residents of Maya Civilization had more than, 500 edible plants. Many of these plants were drought resistant. Of these, 59 species are available even, today., What are the drought resistant species used by the Mayans?, According to the researchers, the drought resistant species that exist even today are cassava, Chaya and, palm. Chaya is a shrub and is even consumed by the descendants even today. It is rich in potassium, iron, and Calcium., Current Scenario, The researchers are still not able to find the cause of collapse of Maya civilization. Majority of them, including these scientists believe that drought was not the cause of collapse., Maya Civilization, It is a Meso American Civilization. It existed in the 9th Century BC in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. The, Mayans began their journey as nomadic farmers. They then transitioned to a settled life practicing, agriculture., Maya Today, Today Mayas are found in southern Meso America. Their population is around 8 million. Their language is, Mayan. It is taught in schools and colleges even today. Their culture gains attraction mainly for their, traditional medicines. Their medicines and treatments have cure for cancer, diabetes and AIDS., Maya Civilization followed Milpa System, It is a traditional intercropping system followed by the Mayans. Milpa system includes intercropping, slash, and burn, rotational cropping. It follows two years of cultivation and eight years of fallow. This helped in, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 79

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , natural regeneration of the soil., , NSO Estimates on FY22 GDP Growth, According to first advance estimates of National Statistical Office (NSO), India’s gross domestic product, (GDP) is estimated to grow 9.2% in the financial year 2021-22., What is supporting the growth?, Growth in GDP is supported by an uptick in the farm sector output, mining sector output and manufacturing, sector outputs., What was the scenario in 2020-21?, In 2020-21, GDP had contracted to 7.3 percent, amid the covid-19 induced lockdown., NSO vs RBI estimate, The NSO estimate is lower as compared to GDP forecast by RBI in December 2021 policy review. RBI, had projected a GDP growth of 5 per cent., The RBI has further estimated the growth of 6.6 per cent and 6 percent respectively in the third, quarter (Oct-Dec 2021) and fourth quarter (Jan-Mar 2022)., NSO’s estimate, As per NSO data, absolute GDP and Gross Value Added (GVA) will recover and better the numbers as, compared to 2019-20., Government’s spending will remain buoyant. Investments have picked up and are likely to be more, than the level in 2019-20., Demand is expected to remain sluggish, at 55 per cent of the GDP, lower than the level in 2019-20., Government final consumption expenditure is expected to be 7.6 per cent more than FY21 while 10.7, per cent more than FY20., Investment activity has also increased and buoyant gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) is growing, by 14.9 per cent in FY22, 2.6 per cent more than 2019-20., Private final consumption expenditure (PFCE), Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is still visible on private final consumption expenditure (PFCE). PFCE is, likely to grow 6.8 per cent. It will be at Rs 80.80 lakh crore for FY22, lesser than pre-pandemic level of Rs, 83.21 lakh crore., Growth in different sectors, Agriculture is likely to grow at 3.9 per cent in FY22 as compared to 3.6 per cent growth in FY21., Manufacturing sector is growing by 12.5 per cent. Electricity generation is likely to grow 8.5 per cent as, compared to 1.9 per cent last year. Services like trade, hotels and transport are estimated to grow at 11.9, per cent., , HC: Pubic Holiday not a Fundamental Right, The Bombay High Court recently pronounced that whether to announce public holiday or not is government, decision. And public holiday is not a fundamental right., Why did the judgement come up?, Dadra and Nagar Haveli is a Union Territory. It was completely liberated from the Portugal rule on August 2,, 1954. And therefore, the UT celebrates its Liberation Day on this day. Recently, the administrator of the UT, submitted a petition seeking to establish August 2 as a public holiday. According to the administrator,, August 2nd remained public holiday between 1954 and 2020. This practice was discontinued in 2021., About the Judgement, The High Court pronounced that India has too many public holidays. It is important to reduce them. The, court also referred to a previous judgement made on the UT. Which is, Good Friday in the territory is a, restricted holiday and not a gazette holiday. Restricted holiday is an optional holiday. The person can opt to, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 80

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , take leave or work., What is a Gazette holiday?, The public and private working bodies should compulsorily remain closed on a gazette holiday. A gazette, holiday means the schools, banks and every other working body in the country should remain closed. This, term is used in countries that were colonized by the British. It is used in India, Singapore, Australia and, Pakistan., Who decides on the Gazette Holiday in India?, Ministry of Personnel, public grievances and pensions. As of December 2021, there are 16 gazette holidays, and 30 restricted holidays in the country. The gazette holidays are as follows:, Republic Day: January 26, Maha Shivarathri, Holi, Mahavir Jayanti or Meshadi or Vishu or Vaisakhi, Good Friday, Id – Ul – Fitr, Buddha Purnima, Id – Ul – Zuha or Bakrid, Muharram, Independence Day: August 15, Janmashtami, Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti: October 2, Dussehra Diwali, Guru Nanak Birthday, Christmas: December 25, , Start-up India Innovation Week, The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is going to organise “Start-up India, Innovation Week” during January 10-16, 2022., Start-up India Innovation Week, Start-up India Innovation Week is a virtual innovation celebration, to be organised with the aim of, commemorating the 75th year of India’s independence., It has been designed to showcase the spread and depth of entrepreneurship in India., The programme is likely to bring together top policy makers, industry, investors, academia, all, ecosystem enablers and start-ups from, Sessions during the week, Start-up India Innovation Week will comprise of the sessions on topics including:, 1. Enhancing market access opportunities, 2. Discussions with industry leaders, 3. Best practices by states, 4. Capacity building of enablers, 5. Reverse pitching by incubators, 6. Technology exhibitions, 7. Corporate connects etc., Background of Start-up India initiative, Start-up India campaign was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2015 at Red, Fort. The campaign was introduced as an initiative of developing more than 75 start-up support hubs across, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 81

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , India., What is Start-up India Scheme?, Start-up India scheme was launched on January 16, 2016 with the aim of promoting and supporting the, start-ups in India by providing bank finances. Scheme was inaugurated by the former finance minister, Arun, Jaitley. It is organised by the Department for promotion of industry & internal trade. Scheme was started, with the objective of discarding restrictive States Government policies including License Raj, Foreign, Investment Proposals, Land Permissions and Environmental Clearances., Three Pillars of Start-up India Scheme, The Start-up India scheme is based on three pillars:, 1. Providing funding support & incentives to different start-ups of India., 2. Providing Industry-Academia Partnership and Incubation., 3. Simplification and Handholding., Benefits of the scheme, Key benefits of the scheme include:, 1. It reduces the patent registration fees., 2. It improves the Bankruptcy Code and ensures a 90-day exit window., 3. It provides freedom from mystifying inspections and capital gain tax during first 3 years of operation., 4. It creates innovation hub under Atal Innovation Mission., 5. It also encourages entrepreneurship across India., , National Water Awards, The National Water Awards is presented annually by 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, Muzzafarnagar 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, National Water Awards Important Facts, 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 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., , © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 82

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Best NGO, Coastal Salinity Prevention Cell of Ahmedabad, Vivekananda Kendra NARDEP, Kanyakumari, Gramvikas Sanstha of Aurangabad, Vivekananda Research and Training Institute of Bhavnagar, Best Water User Association, Panchgachiya MDTW WUA, Hooghly, West Bengal, Hatinada, Champa Purulia, West Bengal, Amtore Mini River Lift Irrigation WUA, Purulia, West Bengal, Best Industry for activities, ITC Limited, Kolkata, West Bengal, Adani Foundation, Gujarat, HAL, Bengaluru, Karnataka, Dharampal Satyapal Limited, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, , Assam – NDDB Dairy Joint Venture, The Assam Government recently signed an agreement with the National Dairy Development Board. Under, the agreement, the signatories agreed to establish Rs 2000 crore joint venture., About the Agreement, The joint venture to be established can process ten lakh litres of milk. Around six new units will be, established. The units are to be established in seven years. The processing unit will collect milk from, more than 4,100 dairy cooperative societies. This is to benefit more than 1,75,000 farmers., In addition, two manufacturing units are to be established. They are cattle feed manufacturing unit, and organic manure manufacturing unit., Supportive measures by the Government, The Government of Assam is to provide market subsidies to the milk producers. With this, they will be, saved from market fluctuations. Also, the government is creating awareness among the cooperatives, to engage in healthy competition., The Assam Government is also looking for ways to adopt new technologies in animal husbandry., More than 15,000 high milk-yielding Gir cows are to be brought to Assam., Concerns, The milk production in Assam is dominated by the small-scale milk producers. These small holders have to, be pulled into the supply cycle. Also, the milk producers face shortage of feed, late maturity in Indian cattle, breeds, lack of education and training, lack of hygiene conditions, poor marketing and pricing., Significance of the Venture, The milk processing helps to preserve the milk for days, months and even weeks. Also, it kills pathogens., During process, the milk undergoes HTST and UHT. During HTST, milk is heated to 72 degrees Celsius for, 15 seconds. In UHT process, milk is heated to 135 degrees. HTST is High Temperature Short Time, pasteurization. And UHT us Ultra High Temperature sterilization., NDDB, NDDB is a statutory body. The Operation Flood was launched under NDDB in 1970 in order to modernize the, dairy sector. NDDB plays vital role in milk production in the country., , Second phase of Passport Seva Programme, On January 7, 2022, the external affairs ministry and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) signed an agreement, for second phase of the Passport Seva Programme (PSP-V2.0)., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 84

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , About Passport Seva Programme, The PSP-V 2.0 provides for rolling out of microchip-embedded e-passports., It is the largest e-governance programme of India, wherein TCS would deploy the latest technologies, to ease the services., During this phase, e-passport will be unveiled., What is e-passports?, The e-passports comprise of a microchip with secure biometric data. Chip of an e-passport usually contain, biometric information of the holder. The biometric information is printed on the data page of document and, a biometric identifier. Such passports are digitally secured, in a bid to prevent unauthorised reading of data, stored on the chip., Creation of new data centre, Under the second phase, new data centre will be created. Apart from that, it envisages to create a disaster, recovery centre and Government Secure Repository linked to all Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs), passport, offices, Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSKs), and Indian missions abroad., Electronic File System, Under the second phase, an electronic file system for processing passport across the passport issuance, ecosystem; Security Operation Centre (SOC) and monitoring & supervision through a Network Operation, Centre (NOC) will also be created., Who will bring technology for e-passports?, India’s largest software exporter, TCS, is likely to bring in technology for e-passports. However, authority to, grant and print passports will remain with the government. All security aspects, including strategic assets, like database, data centres, and application software will also be owned by government. The e-passports, will also comply with the guidelines of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)., Who is designing the security features?, National Informatics Centre and Indian Security Press in Nashik are involved in designing security features, for the e-passport., Significance of PSP-V 2.0, The PSP-V 2.0 will ensure a digital ecosystem, improve citizen interface, process overhauling & integration, among different stakeholders & database, upgraded technology, as well as a stronger data security., , Rise in Election Expenses Limit, Election Commission of India (ECI) has enhanced election expenditure ceiling for candidates in assembly, constituencies, ahead of assembly elections across five states., Key Points, ECI enhanced election expenditure from the existing Rs 20 lakh to Rs 28 lakh and from Rs 28 lakh to, Rs 40 lakh, in respective states and Union territories., In case of parliamentary constituencies, limit has been increased from the current Rs 54 lakh to Rs 75, lakh, and from Rs 70 lakh to Rs 95 lakh., These new figures will be applicable in all the upcoming elections., Committee to study cost factors, Election Commission of India (ECI) had set up a committee to study the cost factors, and Cost, Inflation Index 2014. Committee also factored into changing modes of campaigning, which has, gradually shifted to virtual campaign., Committee also recommended to:, 1. Increase the expenditure limit after considering factors like demand from political parties, 2. Increase in number of electors from 2014 to 2021 (up by 12.23 per cent) and, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 85

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , 3. Increase in Cost Inflation Index from 2021 to 2022 (up by 32.07 per cent)., Background, ECI had done the last major revision in expenditure limit in 2014. The limit was further increased by 10 per, cent in 2020., What does rulebook say on expenditure?, Candidate are free to spend between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 70 lakh, depending on the state they are, contesting Lok Sabha election from., For all states, except Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Goa, candidate can spend up to Rs 70 lakh on, canvassing. Limit in these three states is Rs 54 lakh., In Delhi, the limit is Rs 70 lakh while for other Union Territories, limit is Rs 54 lakh., What is the need for a ceiling on expenditures?, Limits on campaign expenditure seeks to provide a level-playing field for candidates contesting the, elections. It ensures that, winning probability of a candidate is independent of financial conditions. The, 255th Report of the Law Commission on electoral reforms also is of the view that, unregulated or underregulated election financing might lead to “lobbying and capture” in the elections., , CCI Probe on Google, The Competition Commission of India recently ordered an investigation against Google for its dominance in, news. Most of the online traffic of news websites come from Google. The accusations made are as follows:, Violation of Law, The Section 4 of Competition Act, 2002, deals with abuse of dominant position. That is no individual, business man or entity should misuse its domination in the field. Google is using its dominance in the news, genre to intervene advertising plans of the news channels., Indispensable, According to CCI, Google is protecting its position by mishandling its dominance. Several news channels, are dependent on Google for their traffic. This makes Google an indispensable trade partner., Who filed the complaint?, The complaint against Google was filed by Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA). According to, DNPA, Google is holding monopoly. Google makes unilateral decisions about the money paid to the news, publishers. The amount is decided based on the traffic. The traffic of sites occurring in first search page is, more. And it is Google that decides which website should appear in the first page., Revenue, Google never shares its revenue generated through advertising on web sites or other news channels. Only a, meagre part is displayed., Publishers Loss, Despite of generating credible news, the news websites face loss of advertising revenue. The advertisers, and the news channels have no choice. They will have to accept on Google’s Terms and Condition., What is the Advertising Issue?, When the user types a word in Google search bar, the search engine lists web pages related to the word., This listing is created based on the algorithm designed by Google. Higher rankings in the listing fetches, greater ad revenue for the websites. According to the news websites, Google is not transparent in, disclosing the algorithm. None can question Google about this algorithm. The websites have to, compulsorily accept to the terms and conditions decided by Google. Therefore, the ad revenue generation of, the new websites lies in the hands of Google and not with the company., , Clouded Leopard, The Clouded leopards were spotted in a community forest in Nagaland recently. This is the first time the big, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 86

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , cat is seen in the region. It was spotted at an altitude of 3.7 kilometers along the Indo – Myanmar border., About the spotting, The Clouded Leopard are locally called “Khephak”. It was captured in a camera trap. The forests where the, leopard was found is managed and owned by local communities of Nagaland., Clouded Leopard: Inhabitation, They are found in the region between foothills of Himalayas and the mainland Southeast Asia. And also, till, the southeast Asian region., Physical Characteristics, It has irregular spots and dusky grey blotches. It hunts during night and rests on the tree during day. Its fur, is dark grey in color. They have rotating ankles and sharp, powerful legs. The legs and ankle help them in, climbing up fast and also hanging upside down., Extinction, The clouded leopard is locally extinct in Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam and Hainan Island. It is highly, threatened due to poaching and deforestation., Conservation Status, IUCN: Vulnerable, CITES: Appendix I, United States: Endangered, Hunting is banned in India, China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Taiwan, Nepal, Vietnam. However, the ban is, poorly implemented in Thailand, India and Myanmar., Occurrence of Clouded Leopard in India, States, , Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram. Tripura, subtropical forests of Meghalaya, West, Bengal and Sikkim., National Parks and Reserves, , Manas National Park, Dampa Tiger Reserve, Balpakram Baghmara landscape, Khangchendzonga Biosphere, Reserve, Pakke Tiger Reserve, Culture, The Rukai people are considered as Taboo. Taboo is a ban on something. Taboo is often seen as a, protection to the human. Rukai are the indigenous people of Taiwan. They are also called Tsalisen or, Tsarisen. Clouded Leopard is the state animal of Meghalaya., Threats, Hunting, Wildlife trade and Deforestation. The body parts are used in traditional Asian medicines., , UK: First human case of Avian flu, United Kingdom has reported the first human case of Avian flu. A 79-year-old man named Alan Gosling is, the first UK resident to catch the H5N1 strain of bird flu. He kept pet ducks at his home in England., What is Avian Influenza?, Avian influenza is also known as avian flu or bird flu. It is a type of influenza caused by viruses adapted to, birds. The type with greatest risk is highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). It is similar to swine flu, horse, flu, dog flu, and human flu, because illness caused by strains of influenza viruses in all the flu adapts to a, specific host., Types of influenza viruses, Out of the three types of influenza viruses namely A, B, and C, influenza A virus is a zoonotic infection. It is, having a natural reservoir almost entirely in birds. For most purposes, Avian influenza refers to the influenza, A virus. Influenza A is adapted to birds, but it can also stably adapt and sustain person-to-person, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 87

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , transmission., Types of influenza based on Pathogenicity, Based on pathogenicity, Avian influenza strains are divided into two types:, 1. High pathogenicity (HP), 2. Low pathogenicity (LP)., H5N1 strain of Avian influenza, H5N1 is the most commonly known HPAI strain. It was first isolated from a farmed goose in 1996, in, Guangdong Province of China. It also has low pathogenic strains found in North America., , Modernisation of Kashmir Police Force, The Jammu & Kashmir police force is going to become the first police force in India, to possess modern, American weaponry., Key Facts, Government has decided to equip the police force in Jammu & Kashmir with Sig Sauer MPX 9mm, American pistols and American Sig Sauer rifles, in order to modernise it., Jammu and Kashmir Police recently invited global bids for arms procurement on the GeM, (Government e-Market) portal., Police force will get 500 ‘Sig Sauer 716 rifles’ and 100 ‘Sig Sauer MPX 9mm pistols’ for special, operations groups (SOGs)., Significance of the import, Import of the modern pistols will make Jammu Kashmir police more aggressive against terrorism. The new, weaponry will also help the police to face any tough situation such room intervention of any building, where, terrorists hide as well as during long-range attacks on terrorists., Sig Sauer-716 assault rifle, The 7.62x51mm cartridges of Sig Sauer-716 assault rifle is more powerful as compared to 5.56x45mm, intermediate cartridges of Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) rifles used by the police currently. The rifle, can fire 650-850 bullets per minutes, without a magazine. It can prove to be an effective weapon in counterinsurgency operations because of its range of 500 meters. The weapon is gas powered., SIG MPX 9mm pistol, The 2.94 kg SIG MPX 9mm pistol can fire 850 bullets in a minute, without the magazine. It is a gas-powered, pistol., Lightweight bulletproof Jackets, Jammu Kashmir police has already been equipped with new latest lightweight bulletproof jackets as well as, bulletproof vehicles for fighting terrorism in the union territory., Background, India had signed a contact with Sig Sauer in 2019, for 72400 Assault Rifles, at the cost of around Rs 700, crore., Assault rifle, Assault rifle is a selective fire rifle, which uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine., Assault rifles were first put into mass production during World War II. By the end of the 20th century,, assault rifles became the standard weapon and replaced full-powered rifles. Some of the successful assault, rifles are AK-47, Heckler & Koch G36, M16 and IMI Galil., , MoCA Suggestions on Use of Drones, The Ministry of Civil Aviation recently made certain suggestions on using drones. The suggestions were, made from surveillance to disaster management. Also, the ministry suggested the Home Ministry to deploy, UAVs for crime control, aerial vehicles for surveillance, disaster management, VVIP security and situational, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 88

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , analysis. Different suggestions were made to different ministries. The suggestions made on drones are as, follows:, Power and Petroleum, The Ministry of Power and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas were asked to use drones for inspection,, theft prevention, construction planning, surveillance of assets, etc., Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, To use for evidence gathering, monitoring forests, anti – poaching activities, pollution assessment., Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, For high quality videography events and in places that are difficult to reach, This will facilitate videography without noise. Also, the drones shall be replaced with helicopters, thereby reducing costs and resources to great extent., Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Collection of samples from remote areas, delivery of medicines and also to collect samples from pandemic, affected areas, Ministry of Defence, To deploy drones for communication in remote areas, for combat, counter drone solutions., Recommendation made on Unmanned aerial Vehicles, It can be used for incidence response, disaster management, project monitoring, inspection or maintenance, works., Why were the suggestions made?, To aid in implementing Drone Rules, 2021. The rules increased the coverage of drones from 300 kg to 500, kg. Drone corridors were developed. The red tape involved in the process of getting a drone flying certificate, was reduced. Flying fees and application fees were reduced. Drones were classified as Nano drones, micro, drones, small drones, medium drones, large drones based on their weight. No Permission – No Take Off, software and hardware were released., Significance, It will help to make India a global hub of drones. It will boost Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan., , Aceh-Andaman-Nicobar connectivity, External Affairs Minister of India Dr S Jaishankar and Indonesia’s foreign minister Retno Marsudi discussed, issues including the Aceh and Andaman Nicobar Island connectivity recently., Highlights, Both the countries had decided to cooperate in connectivity between Andaman & Nicobar Island and Aceh, Province of Indonesia, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Indonesia in 2018. During 2018 visit,, both sides also decided to set up a joint task force for undertaking projects for port-related infrastructure, around the Sabang., Distance between both the countries, Sabang port in Aceh is about 90 nautical miles from Indian islands of Andaman & Nicobar. Sabang is at the, entrance of Strait of Malacca, which is considered as a key global choke point. Any stoppage of traffic at, this point can impact countries like China, as major chunk of energy & trade passes through the strait., India-Indonesia Talk, During the conversation, India and Indonesia also discussed the Covid-19 crisis and situation in, Myanmar & Afghanistan., Indonesia, being is member of ASEAN, has been concerned about the developments in Myanmar., Situation in Myanmar, Myanmar went through a coup in February 2020, with major political leaders being detained. There are, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 89

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , reports on large-scale violence in the country., Why Indonesia is concerned about Afghanistan?, Because, Indonesia has been a key stakeholder in Afghanistan, just like India., India-Indonesia relations, The diplomatic relation was established in 1951. Both countries are neighbours, because Andaman &, Nicobar Islands of India share a maritime border with Indonesia in the Andaman Sea. Relationship between, Indian-Indonesian dates back to almost two millennia. India had established an embassy in Jakarta while, Indonesia is having an embassy in Delhi. India considers Indonesia as a key member of ASEAN. Both the, countries are among the largest democracies of world. They are member states of G-20, E7 (countries),, United Nations and Non-aligned Movement., , 75th Anniversary of Bureau of Indian Standards, The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) came into existence in January 6, 1947. In 2020, BIS celebrated its, 75th anniversary. During the anniversary celebrations, the Minister of Food and Consumer Affairs Shri Piyush, Goyal provided five growth mantra., Five Mantras, To grow in future, To develop a global organization by learning and integrating global standards and experiences, To work on gap analysis and also to assess laboratory attesting needs, To set up high quality modern labs. And also maintain quality of products at effective cost, To bring in “One Nation One Standard” and establish standard revolution, About BIS, It operates under Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public, Distribution. It was established under BIS Act, 2016., Regulatory Framework, National Building Code of India, , It regulates building construction activities. It provides detailed guidelines for maintenance, construction of, buildings. This includes placements of garages, kitchen, electric line distances, water tank measures, etc., Indian Standards Act, 2015, , The BIS was established as the National Standards Body of India. It enabled the GoI to make hallmarking of, precious metals mandatory. It also enabled the Government to make the certification regime mandatory for, services and processes related to health, environment and safety., What is the difference between ISI and BIS?, ISI is Indian Standards Institute., BIS: Standardization, Quality certification and testing, ISI: TO certify standards, Functions of BIS, To formulate, recognize and promote standards. It provides product certification for Indian manufacturers,, foreign manufacturers, Indian importers. As of 2019, BIS formulated 20,000 standards., Organizations associated with BIS, NITS: National Institute of Training for Standardization: It is a training programme for developing, countries., Laboratories for testing chemical products, electrical and mechanical products., Small Scale Industry Facilitation Cell, Grievance Cell, Collaboration with International standard bodies, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 90

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Investment in India Agri Start – Ups – Recent Trends, The AgFunder and Omnivore, a capital released the “India AgriFood Startup – Investment Report”. According, to the report, the investment in agri and food tech start ups increased by 97% in 2020-21. It increased to 2.1, billion USD. The investments are mainly driven by restaurant funding., Key Findings of the Report, The investment in the agri tech and food tech investments doubled. It was 1.1 billion USD in 2019-20., The number deals signed by the startups increased from 133 in 2019-20 to 189 in 2020 – 21., The restaurant market places raised 1.33 billion USD. It is 64% of total agri food tech funding., The downstream startups raised 1.77 billion USD. This was in 2020-21 and was 140% higher than, 2019 – 20. The downstream start up includes e – grocery, premium branded foods and restaurant, market places. Zomato contributed to significant downstream investment. 1.2 billion USD., The upstream start up investments decreased as compared to the previous years. The upstream, startups are agricultural value chains, farmers. It contributed 42% of total investment in 2019 – 20. It, fell to -15% in 2020-21., Seed investments grew three fold., The investments in the farm tech category were 527 million USD in 2020-21. It was 431 million USD in, 2019-20., The agribusiness market places raised 86 million USD in 2020-21. It was 30 million USD the previous, year., How did the investment increase?, The GoI acted as a key catalyst. The National Centre for Management and Agricultural Extension (MANAGE), was established. Food and Agri sector accelerators were launched by Department of Science and, Technology. Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (Irrigation sceheme) was launched. ATMA was, established. ATMA is Agricultural Technology Management Agency., Way Forward, The potential of Indian agricultural system is huge. The food and agricultural startups are digitizing the, supply chain and are easing the burden on farmers., , DPIIT Helplines for E-Commerce Firms, The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) recently launched helpline numbers for, E – Commerce. The helpline will aid in smooth functioning of e – commerce supply chains., Who can use the helpline?, Wholesaler, manufacturers, transporters, E – commerce companies facing transport difficulties,, mobilization of resources and distribution of goods., Significance of the helpline, It is essential to maintain the supply chain of E – Commerce sector, especially during the pandemic times., The helpline will contribute to the growth of government initiatives such as Startup India, Skill India, Digital, India, Make in India. It is essential to encourage the growth of e – commerce firms because they have now, become the most important element in multilateral and bilateral discussions such as RECP (Regional, Comprehensive Economic Partnership), BRICS and World Trade Organization., Steps taken to boost E – commerce in India, E – Commerce Policy aims to address six main issues such as E – Commerce Market places, infrastructure, development, regulatory issues, stimulating domestic digital economy, export promotion through E –, commerce. The limit of Foreign Direct Investment was increased to 100%. Reserve Bank of India has, allowed the interoperability of PPIs (Prepaid Payment Instruments) such as prepaid telephone top – up, cards, prepaid cash coupons, digital wallets, etc., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 91

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Concerns, The issued faced by E – Commerce sector in the country are domestic trade, international trade, consumer, protection, competition policy, information technology, etc., Why are E – Commerce firms important to a country?, They make buying and selling easy. They help in perfect competition and increased productivity. They help, in transaction cost reduction. Starting a business online is easy and simple. Growth and Development in E –, Commerce firms help in increasing revenues from export, boost employment, increase tax collection., Challenges faced by E – Commerce Sector, Accountability of E – Commerce sector is less. Lack of legislation and clear rules. Loss of sensitive, financial information and fraudulent transactions. Protecting IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) is the biggest, challenge in the E – Commerce sector., , January 10, 2022, Veer Baal Diwas, On January 9, 2022, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that December 26 would be celebrated as, “Veer Baal Diwas”. The day will be celebrated to pay tribute to Sahibzades, that is, the four sons of Guru, Gobind Singh., Why December 26?, It was on the same day Sahibzada Fateh Singh and Sahibzada Zorawar Singh attained martyrdom. They, were sealed alive in wall. They preferred death rather than following a non – dharmic path. The four, Sahibzades never bowed to injustice. They wanted to create a harmonious world., Sahibzades, Sahibzade in Punjabi means sons. The term is usually used to refer to the four sons of the Sikh guru Guru, Gobind Singh. He was the tenth Guru of the Sikhs. His birth anniversary is celebrated on January 9 every, year. His four sons were Sahibzada Baba Ajit Singh, Jujhar Singh, Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh., Chotta Sahibzade, The younger pair of the sons were called the Chotta Sahibzade. They were martyred by the Mughals, together. Sahibzada Fateh Singh was less than six years old. Shahibzada Zorawar Singh was eight years, old. They were bricked alive by the Mughals. Even at such tender age they refused to bow down to the, Mughals. The Gurudwara Fatehgarh Sahib marks the execution of the Sahibzades. It is located in Sirhind., Vaada Sahibzade and Zafarnamah, The older sons of Guru Gobind Singh are called Vaada Sahibzade. Baba Arjit Singh and Jujhar Singh died in, the second Battle of Chamkaur. They died in the age of 18 and 14 respectively. The battle was fought, between the Khalsa army led by Guru Gobind Singh and the Mughal Army on the order of Aurangazeb. The, battle was fought in December 1704. Guru Gobind Singh refers to the battle as Zafarnamah., Sangat, The Sahibzades died between December 21 and December 26. Every year, the Sikhs observe Sangat during, this period. Sangat in Punjabi means company or association. During this time, the Sikhs chant hymns and, perform kirtans., , RBI's Fin-Tech Department, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) set up an internal “FinTech department” for focusing on the dynamically, changing financial landscape in India., When was this department set up?, As per RBI circular, the FinTech department was set up on January 4, 2022., Decision to set up the department was taken in a bid to further focus on the area and innovation in, FinTech sector in keeping pace with dynamically changing landscape., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 92

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , What is the purpose of this department?, FinTech department was created for following purposes:, 1. To give a thrust to fintech innovation, 2. To look into regulations., 3. To promote innovation in the sector, 4. To identify the challenges and opportunities associated with the sector as well as to address such, challenges., Framework for research, The FinTech department will also provide a framework to conduct further research on subject that can aid, the policy interventions by the Bank. Thus, the department will deal with all the matters related to, facilitation of constructive innovations & incubations in fintech sector, which are having a wider implication, for financial sector or markets and which falls under the purview of the Bank. It will also deal with matters, related to inter-regulatory coordination and internal coordination on fintech., Establishment of FinTech Unit, RBI had set up a FinTech Unit in the Department of Regulation after June 2018 to act as a central point of, contact in bank for all activities associated to fintech., Upgradation of FinTech Unit, Now, RBI had upgraded the “FinTech Unit” into a “FinTech department” with the aim of promoting innovation, in the sector, identifying the challenges and opportunities related with it as well as addressing them in a, time bound manner., , Global Surya Namaskar event, The Ministry of AYUSH has decided to organise a “Global Surya Namaskar Demonstration Programme” on, January 14, 2022, on the occasion of Makar Sankranti., About Global Surya Namaskar Demonstration Programme, The event will be organised for 75 lakh people across India., During the event, Surya Namaskar will be offered as a salutation to the Sun for exhibiting one’s, gratitude for its rays because it nurtures all living being., Mass Surya Namaskar demonstration programme also seeks to carry the message of global warming, and climate change., Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation or Salute to the Sun, Surya Namaskar is a practice in yoga as exercise, which incorporates a series of a twelve gracefully linked, asanas. It was first recorded as yoga during 20th century. However, similar exercises were in use in India, before that, especially among wrestlers. The set of 12 asanas is dedicated to the solar deity Surya. In some, Indian traditions, each position is linked with a different mantra., Origin of Surya Namaskar, The precise origins of the Surya Namaskar are uncertain. However, the sequence was made popular by, Bhawanrao Shriniwasrao Pant Pratinidhi, in the early 20th century. It was adopted into yoga by, Krishnamacharya in the Mysore Palace., Significance of Surya Namaskar, Surya Namaskar is known to develop immunity and improve vitality, which are significant amid the covid-19, pandemic. Exposure to the Sun provides Vitamin D to the human body, which is widely recommended in all, medical branches worldwide., Makar Sankranti, Makar Sankranti is the transition day of Sun into the Capricorn. During this phase, the sun moves, northwards in the Hindu calendar. It is dedicated to the deity Surya. The day is observed each year when, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 93

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Sun enters the Capricorn zodiac, corresponding with the January month of Gregorian calendar. This day, marks the first day of the sun’s transit into Makara Rashi., , Assembly Elections 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., About the announcement, 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 single phase., Dates, UP: February 10, Goa, Uttarakhad and Punjab: February 14, Manipur: February 27, The vote counting is to begin on March 10., Parties in Power, BJP is in power in all the five states except Punjab. The Congress party is in power in Punjab., Safety Measures, The Election Commission has taken enough measures to conduct the election safely. Physical rallies have, been banned until January 15, 2022 due to the Omicron wave spreading in the country. Safety measures at, the polling booth are to be implemented as prescribed by the ECI. Also, COVID safety measures framed for, voters. The frontline workers will receive third dose vaccine. Around 95% of voters in Goa are vaccinated., 82% in Uttarakhand, 45% in Manipur and 52% in UP have been vaccinated. Also the rules and guidelines, issued by the respective State Disaster Management Authority would apply., 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., , U.P's New Revenue villages, On January 9, 2022, Uttar Pradesh government declared four villages across the Nepal border in the, Bahraich district as revenue villages., Highlights, The four villages are Bhavanipur, Tedhia, Dhakia and Bichhia., They are located in Mihinpurwa tehsil of the Bahraich district., All these villages are Vantangiya villages., Vantangiya Community, The Vantangiya community consists of people, who were brought from Myanmar to plant trees, during the, colonial rule., What is a revenue village?, A revenue village is a small administrative region, having defined borders. One revenue village may, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 94

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , comprise of many hamlets. It is a geographic area comprising many Tehsils, which in turn cover villages., The Revenue Divisional Officer exercises some fiscal and administrative powers over its jurisdiction. It is, headed by a Revenue Divisional Officer., How is this decision significant?, With this decision, people of these villages will now get the benefits of all the government schemes., How many districts of UP share border with Nepal?, Total of seven districts in UP share border with Nepal. These districts are- Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Bahraich,, Kheri, Balrampur, Shravasti, Maharajganj and Siddharthanagar. The border is under the jurisdiction of, Central Police force SSB., About Bahraich, Bahraich is situated in North eastern part of Devipatan Division. The district shares an international border, with Nepal on Northern part. Within UP, it shares borders with “Barabanki & Sitapur to the South, Khiri to the, West and Gonda & Shrawasti to the east. Northern part of the Bahraich is Tarai region which is covered by, dense natural forest. Main forest areas of the districts are Sujauli, Chakia, Mihinpurwa, Nishangara, and, Bichia & Baghauli. Major rivers of the district are Sarayu and Ghaghra., The Sarayu River, Sarayu River originates to the south of Nanda Kot Mountain in Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand. It flows, through towns like Kapkot, Bageshwar, and Seraghat and discharge into Sharda River at Pancheshwar at, India—Nepal border. Sharda river then joins the Ghaghara River in Sitapur District of UP. Lower Ghaghara is, also popularly known as Sarayu River in India., , What is Devas Case?, Devas is a multi-media 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 Department of Space., Antrix – Devas Deal, 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 S – band satellite leased, from Antrix., In 2011, this agreement was cancelled by the UPA government. 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 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., Why is it in news now?, On January 3, 2022, Devas announced that it had won an order. The order allows Devas to seize 30 million, USD worth properties of Air India. The order was generated by a Canadian court., How can a Canadian court issue 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, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 95

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , 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., Why AAI when deal is with Antrix?, Say X (GoI) owns B (AAI) and C (Antrix). B has borrowed Rs 5 from P (Devas) and has failed to return. Now, P can collect these 5 rupees from C or X as well, right? It is of the same concept. The assets of an, organization (Air India or B in our case) shall be seized if that organization is a alter ego (Antrix or C in our, case) of the State (GoI) that fails to comply with arbitrary rules., , What is 'Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO)'?, On January 6, 2022, Russian paratroopers and Belarusian special forces boarded planes for Almaty, which, is one of the largest metropolises of Kazakhstan. The country has witnessed mass unrest in recent days,, over government’s decision to do away with subsidies on liquefied petroleum gas., What is the issue?, The decision was taken three years back, but on January 1, 2022 the fuel prices became fully marketbased., As a result, cost of LPG increased suddenly. It has doubles in some places from 60 tenge per litre in, December 2021 to 120 tenge by January 2., Thus, protests broke out, immediately in Zhanaozen and spread across the Kazakhstan., When things became out of control, President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev, called on the, Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) to curb the protests., About Collective Security Treaty Organisation, Collective Security Treaty Organisation is a military alliance, comprising of six members namely,, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Belarus, Tajikistan and Russia. Uzbekistan was also a member but it quit, the organisation in 2012., When was CSTO formed?, When the Cold War ended in 1991, the Warsaw Pact dissolved. Warsaw Pact was an alliance of eight, socialist states and Soviet Union’s answer to NATO. Within a year, Russia and its five allies in, Commonwealth of Independent States, signed a new Collective Security Treaty. This treaty came into force, in 1994. In 2002 it declared itself as the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, when America had invaded, Afghanistan., Growth of CSTO, Ambition of CSTO has grown over time. In 2007, it agreed to create a 3,600-strong peacekeeping, force. In 2009, it established a rapid-reaction force consisting of 20,000 elite personnel who are kept, on high alert., It has also held joint exercises, including some high-profile “anti-terrorism” drills in 2021, against, growing chaos in Afghanistan., For the first time, CSTO invoked Article 4 in January 2022 to control the chaos in Kazakhstan. It is, similar to NATO’s Article 5, which provides that response may include armed force, but it does not, mandate it. NATO actually promises to take “such action as it deems necessary” for restoring and, maintaining security., , Gangasagar Mela, The Gangasagar Mela started on January 10, 2022 in the which occurs at West Bengal’s Gangasagar Island., It will continue till January 16, 2022., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 96

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Key Facts, The Gangasagar Mela is organised during Makar Sankranti every year., The mela is being organised after Calcutta high court gave a go-ahead to the government, to conduct, the event by taking necessary covid-19 measures., There was a major cry regarding its cancellation because of surge in covid-19 cases, amid Omicron, variant outbreak., How this event is marked?, On the occasion of Makar Sankranti, thousands of pilgrims, seers & tourists take a holy dip in the, confluence of Ganga and Bay of Bengal, to mark this event. They also offer prayers at the Kapil Muni, Temple., Court’s concern, Calcutta high court showed concerns regarding the virus spreading because of oral and nasal droplets, transmitting through river water after pilgrims take holy dips in the confluence. However, government, reportedly informed in the court that residents of Sagar Island have taken both jabs of Covid-19 vaccine and, test-positivity rate was under control. Furthermore, government is expecting the headcounts at annual, pilgrimage below 5 lakhs., High court’s instructions, High court has directed the state government for constituting a three-member panel containing the, leader of opposition at the state assembly, chairman of West Bengal Human Rights Commission, and, representative of the state. The panel will ensure compliance of Covid-19 measures in the, Gangasagar Island., State have been asked to ensure that all persons and pilgrims at the Gangasagar Mela ground wear, masks, adhere to social distancing norms and use sanitisers., Court instructed to set up five RT-PCR testing facilities along with some rapid antigen testing centres,, at all entry points, including Howrah and Sealdah railway stations., Gangasagar, Gangasagar is a village and a gram panchayat, in the jurisdiction of the Sagar police station in Sagar CD, block of South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal. It has an average elevation of 4 metres., , New Covid Strain 'Deltacron', According to Leonodios Kostrikis, a professor of biological sciences at University of Cyprus, a strain of, Covid-19 combining delta and omicron was found in Cyprus., Highlights, The discovery has been named “deltacron” because of identification of omicron-like genetic, signatures within delta genomes., The team has identified 25 such cases., Its statistical analysis highlights that, relative frequency of combined infection is higher among, patients hospitalized due to Covid-19 as compared to non-hospitalized patients., The sequences of 25 deltacron cases were sent to GISAID, which is the international database for, tracking changes in the virus., Out of 25, 11 were already hospitalized patients with Covid while 14 were among general public., One Mutant Strain, COVID-19 infection usually involves only one mutant strain. However, in extremely rare cases two can attack, at the same time. If the strain also infect the same cell, they may be able to swap DNA and combine for, forming a new version of the virus., , © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 97

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Hybrid Mutant, In December 2021, Moderna had warned about a hybrid mutant. Moderna feared that hybrid mutant would, be worse than the strains currently widely spread worldwide. The researchers also caution that such events,, scientifically called ‘recombination events’, are possible. But they require very specific circumstances and, coincidence of mostly uncontrollable events., How Covid develop new variants?, COVID mostly relies on random mutations for developing new variants. It happens when virus makes copies, of itself and errors appears in the covid genes. In most instances, these changes are harmless. However,, sometimes they can trigger an advantage like being more permeable or better able to avoid vaccines., How was Omicron variant emerged?, Omicron variant possibly emerged in a long-lasting infection in an immunocompromised individual. It, allowed the virus to mutate multiple times for infecting humans and train itself to evade immunity., How combined form of virus emerge?, The combined form of virus emerges with the collision of two different virus, when a person is infected with, two strains of the coronavirus, possibly from two different sources at the same time., , Food Processing Ministry Grievance Cell, Union Food Processing Ministry has created a dedicated grievance cell, for maintaining uninterrupted, supplies of food-related essentials., Key Points, Decision to create ‘grievance cell’ was taken as State governments in India have started imposing, several restrictions for curbing the surge in Covid cases., Grievance cell is meant for the food and food-related industry for ensuring a hassle-free operations, and uninterrupted supply of essentials for citizens., The cell was created, highlighting the commitment towards all food processing and related, industries. It will also provide the necessary support for ensure successful continuity of business of, agri-food industry across India., Grievance cell during first wave, Union Ministry had set up a similar grievance cell, during the first wave of covid-19 as well, when the, national lockdown was imposed in 2020. It also took steps for addressing production and logistics related, grievances of the food processing industry amid second wave of the pandemic in 2021., What is Food Processing?, Food Processing is the process involving transformation of any raw product of agriculture, meat, dairy,, animal husbandry, fishing or poultry in a way that its original physical properties will undergo a change. The, transformation process involves employees, power, machines or money. In this process, the transformed, product has commercial value and it is suitable for human and animal consumption. It also involves the, process of value addition in order to produce products by means of preservation, addition of food additives,, drying etc., Significance of Food Processing, The Food Processing Industry (FPI) in India is significant, as it provides linkages and synergies, between the two pillars of the economy, namely, agriculture and industry., It also provides direct and indirect employment opportunities, since the industry acts as a bridge, between Agriculture and Manufacturing., With the increasing demand for agri-products, there will be increase in the price paid to the farmer., Thus, this industry will help in doubling the farmer’s income., Processed foods when fortified with vitamins and minerals, will help in reducing the nutritional gap., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 98

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , India's 73rd Chess Grandmaster, On January 9, 2022, Fourteen-year-old Bharath Subramaniyam became India’s 73rd chess Grandmaster. He, secured the third and final Grandmaster norm at an event at Cattolica in Italy., Key Points, He scored 6.5 points from nine rounds along with four others and finish seventh in the event., He secured his third GM norm here as well as touched the requisite 2,500 (Elo) mark., Fellow Indian player M R Lalith Babu became the winner in the tournament, with seven points. He won, the title on the basis of a better tie-break score as he tied with three others including Anton Korobov, from Ukraine., Six wins for Bharath, Bharath finished with six wins and one draw. He lost two games, against Korobov and Lalith Babu., When did Bharath won first GM norm?, He won his first GM norm at Aeroflot Open in Moscow in February 2020, after securing 11th place., He won the second GM norm in the Junior Roundtable Under 21 tournament in Bulgaria in October, 2021. He was placed 4th, with 6.5 points., How can a player become a Grandmaster (GM)?, In order to become a GM, a player has to secure three GM norms as well as cross the live rating of 2,500 Elo, points., When did Subramaniyam become an International Master?, Subramaniyam had become an International Master in 2019, at the age of 11 years and 8 months., Who were 72nd and 71st GM?, Mitrabha Guha had become India’s 72nd GM in November 2021 while, Sankalp Gupta became the 71st GM, in the same month., Who is called a Grandmaster (GM)?, GM is a title awarded to chess players. It is awarded by world chess organization FIDE. It is the highest title, a chess player can attain. This title is held for life, once achieved. However, the title has been revoked for, cheating, exceptionally. GM title is open to all players regardless of gender., , Sri Lanka Economic Crisis - 2021-22, As per World Bank’s Sri Lanka Development Update (SLDU), Sri Lanka is facing an acute economic crisis, because of job & earning losses, high food inflation and dwindling finances in the country., World Bank’s Sri Lanka Development Update, Inflation has been increased, as government is printing money to pay off domestic loans and foreign, bonds., Share of people living under the poverty line is expected to increase by 11.7 per cent or by more than, half a million people, since the onset of Covid-19 pandemic., The impact is disproportionately large among people working in more urbanised areas like Western, province. This is due to large impact on industry., Places with high numbers of poor before covid, like Northern, Eastern, Uva and Sabaragamuwa, provinces, has also been impacted., Highly rural districts including Kandy and Ratnapura, also account for a large share of new poor post, the COVID., Vulnerability among the workforce was high because of high informality and weak safety nets. It, reduced their capability to fight with economic shocks., Which sectors have been impacted more?, As per World Bank, Covid has not impacted all the economic sectors equally. According to sectoral GDP, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 99

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , data, industries have been affected more as compared to services and agriculture. There are large, variations across subsectors. Weak external demand has impacted export-oriented subsectors. Within, industrial subsectors, construction & textile manufacturing suffered the most because these sectors are, sensitive to demand shocks and need workers to be physically present., Sri Lanka’s sovereign ratings, Credit rating agencies including Moody’s, S&P and Fitch downgraded their Sri Lanka sovereign ratings., Moody’s downgraded its rating by two notches to Caa1. S&P downgraded its rating down to B- in September, 2021 and CCC+ in December 2021. Fitch downgraded the rating to B- in April 2021 and CCC in November, 2021., Way forward, World Bank has suggested the Sri Lankan government to focus on “four priorities” in order to transform its, economy, create jobs and achieve sustainable trajectory for poverty reduction:, 1. Increase agricultural productivity & earnings by extending support to farmers’ transition towards, export-oriented crop mixes., 2. Address the constraints for accessing remunerative non-farm jobs in rural areas, 3. Support broader reforms for increasing labour productivity and create jobs., 4. Promote spatial transformation and strengthen inclusion., , Pakistan Snowstorm, On January 9, 2022, death toll reached to 23 in Pakistan’s popular hill station of Murree, because of, unprecedented snowfall and rush of tourists. A minor girl, suffering from severe cold & pneumonia, also, died as she could not be rushed to the hospital in time., Key Facts, Tourists visited Murree after the picturesque town in Rawalpindi received a record-breaking snowfall., The snowfall left the local administration helpless and freezing to death in their stranded vehicles., Snowfall in Murree, Murree received 6.5 inches of snowfall on January 5, 2022. Next day it reached to 8.5 inches while by, January 8, it reached to 16.5 inches. The Pakistan Meteorological Department had predicted heavy, snowfall from January 6 to 9 in Murree and Galiyat., Where is Murree?, Murree is a mountain resort town, in the Galyat region of Pir Panjal Range, in the Rawalpindi District of, Pakistan. It is the outskirts of Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area. It is located at a distance of 30 km,, from northeast of Islamabad. The average altitude in Murree is 2,291 metres. Murree was the summer, headquarters of colonial Punjab Government until 1876. In 1876, the headquarter moved to Shimla., When was this town constructed?, Murree town was built by the British, during their rule in order to escape the scorching heat in plains of, Pakistan’s Punjab province, during the summer. They started constructing this town in 1851 in the hill of, Murree. It was constructed as a sanatorium for British troops. Permanent town of Murree was constructed, in 1853. The municipality was officially created in 1850., When was it identified a hill station?, Murree was first identified as a potential hill station in 1847, by Major James Abbott., , Guidelines for Universal Accessibility in India 2021, In December 2021, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) released the “Harmonised Guidelines and, Standards for Universal Accessibility in India 2021”., Key Facts, The new guidelines have covered several aspects of built environment, ranging from design plan to, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 100

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , the implementation., These are a revised version of “Harmonised Guidelines & Space Standards for Barrier-Free Built, Environment for Persons with Disabilities & Elderly Persons” which was released in February 2016, by, CPWD, under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)., It has been drafted by a team of Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee and National Institute of, Urban Affairs of MoHUA., What revisions have been made?, Earlier, guidelines were to create a barrier-free environment. It now focuses on universal accessibility., As per new guidelines, ramps are significant for providing an accessible mobility option. But ramps, should adhere to given guidelines., It provides the gradient and length of ramps. For instance, for a length of six metres, it recommends, the gradient of 1:12. It recommends to keep minimum clear width of the ramp as 1,200 mm., Guidelines have been provided for persons with disabilities (PwD) as well as for those involved in, planning projects, starting from construction of government buildings to master-planning cities., It covers making public buildings and transport fully accessible for wheelchair users. It has also, covered users including parent pushing a child’s pram while carrying groceries or other bags or, women wearing saris, who are likely to experience temporary problems., It calls to incorporate accessibility symbols for PwD, family-friendly facilities and transgender, among, the symbols for other user groups., Central Public Works Department (CPWD), CPWD is the Central Government authority, charged with the public sector works. It works under the Ministry, of Housing and Urban Affairs. It deals with buildings, bridges, roads, flyovers, complicated structures such, as stadiums, auditoriums, bunkers, laboratories, border roads, hills roads, border fencing, etc. The authority, was established in July 1854, when Lord Dalhousie established a central agency to execute public works, and set up Ajmer Provincial Division., , Google Doodle: Who was Fatima Sheikh?, Fatima Sheikh was a feminist, educator. She is widely considered as the first Muslim woman teacher of, India. In 1848, she co – founded the Indigenous library along with savitribai Phule and Jyotirao., About Fatima Sheikh, She was born in Pune in 1831. She lived with her brother. Mian Usman Sheikh was her brother. The Sheikhs, opened their house for Savitribai Phule and Jyotirao Phule when they were evicted for educating the lower, caste people. Jyotirao Phule was an activist, social reformer. He and his wife Savitribai Phule educated the, women in the country. They wanted to eradicate caste system and untouchability. Fatima met them in an, American missionary run by Cynthia Farrar. She taught in all the five schools established by the Phules., Indigenous Library, It was opened under the Sheikh’s roof. Here Fatima Sheikh and Savitribai Phule taught the children of the, dalit and lower caste Muslims. They also taught women and children for whom education was denied on, caste, religion or gender basis., Sheikh’s contribution, She went door – to – door to invite people to learn at her Indigenous Library. The dominant classes resisted, her campaigning., Satyashodhak Samaj, Sheikh actively participated in the activities of Satyashidhak Samaj. It was founded by Jyotibai Phule in, 1873. The main mission of the organization was to education the under privileged and increase the social, rights and equality. It mainly focused on the Shudras and Dalits in Maharashtra. The Samaj was against the, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 101

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Brahmanical traditions. It also fought against the priestly social and political superiority. It fought against, the Shetji – Bhatji class. They were the moneylender landlords. After the death of Phule, the Samaj was, revived by the Shahu maharaj, the Maratha ruler., Honours, In 2014, the Indian Government shed light on Sheikh’s achievements by including her profile in Urudu, textbooks., , Urjit Patel – New Vice President of AIIB, th, , Urjit Patel served as the 24 Governor of RBI (Reserve Bank of India). He was recently appointed as the Vice, President of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank., Urjit Patel, He was born in Kenya. In 2018, he resigned as RBI governor. His resignation came in as a shock to the, country. He resigned after serving for two years. He cited personal reasons for his resignation., Career, In 1990, he joined the International Monetary fund., In 1995, he went on deputation to the RBI. In RBI he played an advisory role., Between 2000 and 2004 he worked with several high-level committees. This included Task Forces on, Direct Taxes, Group of Ministers on Telecom Matters, PM Task force on infrastructure, high level, expert group on civil and defence services, expert group on state electricity boards, etc., In 2013, he became the deputy governor of RBI., In 2016, he became the Governor of RBI., Controversies around his resignation, Experts believe that Patel was forced to resign as RBI governor. The Government of India wanted the RBI to, provide more money to solve its fiscal deficit issues. Patel did not agree citing long term financial stability, issues., AIIB, The AIIB was established in 2015. The AIIB has approved more loans for India than any other member., China is the first largest and India, the second largest share holders in the bank. Japan and US are not the, members of the bank., India – AIIB, The AIIB has funded 6.7 billion USD worth projects to India. Currently it is helping India in several of its, green projects and also in its COVID initiatives. India had applied for loan in AIIB and Asia Development, Bank (ADB) to procure 667 million COVID doses. ADB is expected to lend 1.5 billion USD of under its APVAX, initiative. APVAX is Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility. AIIB is to lend 500 million USD. In 2021, AIIB, approved 356.67 million USD for the expansion of Chennai metro rail system., , Assam Mission on Malnutrition – Project Parvarish, The Assam Mission on Malnutrition was launched in 2020 to eradicate malnutrition among children in the, age group of six months to five years. It was launched under the name Project Parvarish., About the Mission, It was launched during Poshan Maah 2020. POSHAN Maah is celebrated in the month of September., It is celebrated to increase people participation in the nutrition initiatives, especially Poshan Abhiyan., It was launched by the Cachar Deputy Commission, The main aim of the project is to reduce the number of malnourished children who cannot provide, nutritious food and also for malnourished children below poverty line., The mission aims to improve the nutritional status of the children in the state., The main objective of the mission is to reduce the Severe Acute Malnutrition in children belonging to, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 102

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , BPL (Below Poverty Line)., So far, the project has helped 800 children. Of this 704 recovered from acute malnourishment., SKOCH Award, The project was recently awarded the SKOCH award for its socio-economic approaches. The SKOCH awards, were launched in 2003. They were launched for people and projects that make India a better nation. It, recognizes citizen service delivery, capacity building and empowerment, corporate governance, change, management, inclusive growth, excellence in technology and application., What is Severe Acute Malnutrition?, The mission focuses on SAM. It is the condition where in the Z – score is below -3 or the mid upper arm, circumference is less than 115 milli metres. It is a social and medical disorder., , Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas Conference 2022, The Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas is also called Non – Resident Indian Day. It is celebrated on January 9 every, year. It is celebrated to encourage the overseas Indian community to reconnect with their roots., Why is it celebrated on January 9?, On January 9, 1915, Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa. He travelled to South Africa in, 1893. He fought against racialism in South Africa. Till date Gandhiji is celebrated for his fight for the blacks, in South Africa. As a non – resident India, he earned pride for his country. He emerged as a symbol of, change and development. This is why January 9 was chosen to celebrate the Non – resident Indians in the, country., About Parvasi Bharatiya Diwas Conference, The conference is a platform for the NRIs to express their outlooks, feelings and perceptions., It aids in creatin a network of NRIs distributed all over the world., The conference reconnects the NRIs with their roots. It acts as a platform for the NRIs to contribute, towards the development of the country., India also conducts Regional Parvasi Bharatiya Diwas. It is conducted outside India., During the conference, outstanding NRIs are felicitated with awards., The main aim of the conference is to connect the Indian diaspora., Role of the Indian diaspora in the country’s development, There are more than 18 million NRIs located in different parts of the world. They contribute 13% of the, global remittances. Remittances is nothing but the money sent by the NRIs to their families and friends in, India. These remittances account to 3.2% of Indian GDP., Indian Diaspora in the World, There are two major categories of Indian diaspora. Technological graduates and manual labour., Technological graduates are in high value jobs. The are majorly located in western countries such as Europe, and US. The manual labours are those people employed in low – skilled occupation. They are mainly in west, Asian countries and Arab countries., , Kochi Water Metro Project, The Kochi Water Metro Project is a ferry transport project. It provides feeder service to the suburbs. With, this Kochi has become the first city in India to launch water metro project., About the Project, The project is operated by the Kochi Metro Rail Limited. 15 routes are identified under the project. It, connects ten islands. The distance span is around 76 kilometres. 78 fast electrically ferried and, hybrid ferries will ply to 38 jetties., More than one lakh islanders will benefit from water metro. It will operate as a socially inclusive, transport system., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 103

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , The project will also focus on improving tourism based initiatives and will improve livelihoods., It will introduce energy efficient, modern and environment friendly and safe boats., The project will reduce traffic congestions and pollution., It will also ease access to urban households and business areas in the mainland., About the boats, The boats were constructed at Cochin Shipyard. They are fully air conditioned. They have wide windows, providing good view of the backwaters and banks. The project will operate 23 boats. The boats can carry, hundred passengers., Funds Allocated, The total cost of the project is Rs 819 crores. Major part of the project is financed by Indo – German, Cooperation. KFW, the German Funding Agency is investing 85 million Euros, that is, Rs 102 crores. The, Kerala Government has allocated Rs 102 crores. The land acquisition cost is Rs 72 crores., Features of the Project, The transport system is powered by LTO battery technology. This is the first time in the world, battery power, centrally controlled water system is implemented. LTO is Linear Titanium Oxide is a rechargeable battery. It, charges at a rapid rate as compared to other lithium – ion batteries. However, the energy density of the, lithium – ion batteries are less. Currently they are used in some of the Japanese versions of electric, vehicles. And Kochi water boats will be the first boats to use the technology in a larger scale., , January 11, 2022, Passport Seva Programme (PSP-V 2.0), The Passport Seva Programme Version – 2 is an extension of Passport Seva Programme Version – 1. It is, an online service. It was launched under the National E – Governance Plan., Why in News recently?, The Government of India is to launch e – Passports very soon for citizens renewing their passport or, applying for new passport., About PSP – V – 2.0, It is an expansion of PSP – 1. It brought in several changes to the delivery of passports. The main, objective of the second version is to create a digital platform for passport related services. This is to, make the process more transparent, accessible and reliable., Under the second version, several technological upgrades are to be added. This includes Chat – Bot,, advance data analytics, auto – response, cloud enablement and natural language processing., Also, the new version will issue e – passports., The Government of India is planning to create new data centres for implementing the project. Also, it, will create disaster recovery centre, passport seva kendras and Post Office Passport Seva Kendras., What are E – Passports?, The main aim of providing e – passports is to make them more secure. It will make immigration easy., It is an upgrade of the traditional passport., The E – Passports come with a chip. The chip carries personal details of the holder including, biographical information. This prevents unauthorized data access., The software for the E – Passport was developed by National Informatics Centre and IIT Kanpur., The E – Passports have been designed in accordance with the ICAO standards. ICAO is International, Civil Aviation Organization. ICAO operates under United Nations. It was established in 1944., Role of TCS in PSP – v – 2.0, TCS is to create the e – passport technology. However, the data centres, databases and application, software will be owned by the GoI., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 104

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Role of NIC in PSP – V – 2.0, The National Informatics Centre is to designing the security features. The features will provide a secured, digital ecosystem, integration among stakeholders, overhauling, database upgrade., , Sri Lanka Inter-city Train Service with Indian Aid, Sri Lanka had created an inter-city railway service with the help of India. India provided diesel units to the, project. Railway services were launched between Jaffna and Colombo. With this India wanted to send a, strong message that it has a big role in improving infrastructure in the Indian Ocean Region., About the Inter – City Project, The service was launched between Mount Lavinia (Colombo) and Kankesanthurai (Jaffna)., India provided AC DMUs, that full Air – Conditioned Diesel Multiple Units for the project., The train service facilitates people – to – people exchange and also lays emphasis on beneficial, cooperation between India and Sri Lanka., Other Projects, RITES supplied passenger coaches under an Indian Line of Credit. It had already supplied 120 of 160, coaches. RITES is Rail India Technical and Economic Service Limited. It was established in 1974., RITES is owned by Ministry of Railways. It was initially created to provide consultancy services to, operators in India and abroad. Later it was extended to planning other infrastructure projects such as, ports, airports, urban planning and highways., IRCON is upgrading the railway tracks between Maho Anuradhapura and Omanthai.IRCON is Indian, Railways Construction Limited. It is owned by Indian Railways. It is a construction and engineering, corporation. It was established under the Indian Companies Act, 1956., India – Sri Lanka recent developments, Currently, India is developing 3.5 billion USD worth projects in Sri Lanka. Of these 570 million USD are, grants., Also, India is creating new railway infrastructure in the country. It is also helping Sri Lanka in, modernizing its railways., The Indian Housing project is to build 50,000 houses in Sri Lanka. The houses are to be built in war, affected areas., India has made an overall commitment of Rs 1,372 crores. It is the largest projects undertaken by, Government of India abroad., , First on-site evidence of water on Moon, Chang’e 5 lunar lander of China has found first-ever on-site evidence of water on the surface of moon., Highlights, Study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances on January 8, 2022., It revealed that the lunar soil at the landing site comprises of less than 120 grams water per ton, or120 parts-per-million (ppm) water., It further reveals that, a light, vesicular rock carries 180 ppm water., These are much drier as compared to that of Earth., Confirmation of Water, Presence of water on Moon had been confirmed by remote observation earlier. However, lander has, detected signs of water in rocks and soil., How was water detected?, Water was detected on the spot for the first time, by a device on-board the lunar lander. The device, measured the spectral reflectance of regolith and rock., Water content in the regolith and rock can be estimated since water molecule or hydroxyl absorbs at, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 105

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , a frequency of around three micrometers., What contributed to humidity of lunar soil?, According to researchers, Solar wind contributed to the most humidity of lunar soil. Solar wind brought, hydrogen, which makes up the water. While, additional 60 ppm water in the rock is believed to be originated, from the lunar interior., The Chang’e-5 spacecraft, It is the fifth lunar exploration mission of Chinese Lunar Exploration Program. It is also the first lunar, sample-return mission of China. It has been named after the Chinese moon goddess Chang’e. The space, craft was launched on November 23, 2020 from Hainan Island and it landed on the Moon on December 1,, 2020. It collected around 1,731 g of lunar samples and returned to the Earth on December 16, 2020. The, spacecraft had landed on one of the youngest mare basalts, which is located at a mid-high latitude on the, moon., What samples did it collect?, The spacecraft collected the samples, which are a mixture of granules. It was collected from both on the, surface and beneath., , Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA)- Recent Developments, The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked to further extend the deadline of framing the rules of, “Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019”., Highlights, MHA sought extension from parliamentary committees in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha., Third and the latest extension expired on January 9, but MHA failed to notify the rules., Why MHA made separate requests?, MHA has to make separate requests to two committees. Earlier, Ministry had sought time till April 9, 2021., It was then extended to July 9, 2021 by the committees to notify the rules., Under what rule extension is given?, Manual on Parliamentary Work contain provisions for extension. It says, in case the Ministries or, Departments failed to frame rules within six months, after a legislation is passed, they can seek extension, of time from the Committee on Subordinate Legislation”, stating reasons for the move. The time can be, extended for three months, at a time., The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, CAA was passed by Parliament on December 11, 2019. President gave his assent on December 12,, 2019., Ministry of Home Affairs had notified in January 2020 that the Act will be implemented from January, 10, 2020. However, the same was postponed amid the covid-19 pandemic., The act seeks to provide citizenship to the six undocumented non-Muslim communities from, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, on the basis of religion. They would be provided citizenship, if, they entered India on or before December 31, 2014., It also exempts the members of these six communities from any criminal case under the Passport, Act, 2920 and Foreigners Act, 1946, if they entered India before December 31, 2014., Why was the law criticized?, CAA was criticized because it does not grant such eligibility to Muslims from the three Muslim-majority, countries. Furthermore, religion had been used overtly for first time, as a criterion for citizenship under, Indian law., , Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas: New IMF Chief Economist, The International Monetary Fund (IMF) have appointed Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas as the new Chief, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 106

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Economist., Key Points, He succeeds Gita Gopinath as its chief economist., Gourinchas is presently the director of Clausen Center for International Business & Policy, at the, University of California., He will start his new position on January 24, 2022 part time., He will be transitioning to full time on April 1, 2022., Background, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas is a French national. He was program director of international finance &, macroeconomics at the National Bureau of Economic Research. From 2009 to 2016, He was an IMF visiting, scholar as well as editor-in-chief of the IMF Economic Review., Former Chief economist of IMF, Gita Gopinath was the former chief economist of IMF. She was also the first woman to hold this position. It, was announced in December 2020 that, she will now take over as the institution’s first deputy managing, director on January 21, 2022 from Geoffrey Okamoto., International Monetary Fund (IMF), IMF is an international financial institution. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. The institution, comprises of 190 countries. It is working to foster global monetary cooperation, facilitate international, trade, secure financial stability, promote sustainable economic growth, promote high employment and, reduce poverty worldwide. It was created in 1944 but started working formally on December 27, 1945. It, came into existence with 29 member countries., MD and Chairwoman of IMF, Presently, Bulgarian economist Kristalina Georgieva is the managing director (MD) and Chairwoman of the, IMF., Why was IMF created?, The IMF was originally created as a part of the Bretton Woods system in 1944. During the Great Depression,, countries raised the barriers to trade in order to improve their failing economies. This resulted into, devaluation of national currencies and decline in world trade. Breakdown in international monetary, cooperation created a need for oversight. Thus, representatives of 45 governments met at the Bretton, Woods Conference, in the United States, to discuss a framework for an international economic cooperation, and to rebuild Europe., , Golden Globe Awards Winners, Hollywood opened its “awards season of the Golden Globe”. The Golden Globe Awards event was organised, behind the closed doors on January 9, 2022., Key Facts, “The Power Of The Dog” won the Best Film (Drama) Award while its director “Jane Campion” won the, Best Director award, Will Smith won his first Golden Globe, that is Best Film Actor (Drama) for King Richard., Nicole Kidman won the fifth Golden Globe award that is Best Film Actress (Drama) for Being The, Ricardos., Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Storywon awards including1. Best Film Actress (Comedy/Musical) for Rachel Zegler, 2. Best Film (Comedy/Musical), and, 3. Best Supporting Actress (Film) for Ariana DeBose., Andrew Garfield won Best Film Actor (Comedy/Musical) for his movie called “tick, tick… BOOM!.”, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 107

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Awards in TV Category, In the TV category, Succession won three awards. Jeremy Strong won Best Actor (Drama) while and, Sarah Snook won Best Supporting Actress., Succession also won the Best Drama Series award., Best TV actor award, Jason Sudeikis won Best TV Actor (Comedy/Musical) for Ted Lasso., Hacks won big in the category of “TV comedy”., Squid Game fetched an early win for O Yeong-su, winner of Best Supporting Actor (Television)., Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed since January 1944. It is bestowed by the 87 members of the, Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The award recognizes excellence in American & international film, and television., When is the ceremony held?, The annual ceremony is usually held in the month of January, every year to present the awards., Eligibility period for the awards, Eligibility period for the Golden Globes corresponds to calendar year that is from January 1 through, December 31. However, 78th Golden Globe Awards were presented as an exception to this rule amid the, COVID-19 pandemic., , Study: 2021 was Earth’s fifth-hottest year, Recently a report was made public by Copernicus Climate Change Service, which is a European Union, programme. The report found that, 2021 was the fifth-hottest year on the Earth., Key Findings of the report, As per report, last seven years have been the warmest on record. 2021 was ranked fifth among those, 12-month spans because of continued rise in greenhouse gas emissions., Scientists warn that, rise in greenhouse gas emissions could propel the Earth to suffering irreversible, damage., Report found that, mean global temperature was between 1.1 to 1.2 degrees Celsius higher in 2021,, as compared to pre-industrial levels. The temperature was in the range of 2 to 2.2 degrees., Scientists note that, average temperature rise surpassing 1.5 degrees Celsius could result into, permanent damage to the Earth and have huge detrimental environmental impacts., Hottest Summer in Europe, 2021 was another year of extreme temperatures and hottest summer in Europe. There were unprecedented, high temperatures in North America and heatwaves in the Mediterranean. In Europe, devastating floods, were observed, fuelled by heavy rainfall. Sicily, in Italy, experienced the hottest temperatures in recorded, history in Europe., Scenario in North America, Several regions in North America and Northeast Canada experienced temperature anomalies in 2021., Temperatures were atypically warm during the beginning of the year as well as during the fall. For North, America, heatwave caused June to be the warmest on record., What does satellite data show?, Preliminary satellite data showed carbon dioxide emissions continued to rise in 2021. The carbon, dioxide emissions come from a wide source including burning of fossil fuels. However, the rising rate, increase was slightly less as compared to recent years., Levels of methane, which is second-most prevalent greenhouse gas, also increased considerably in, 2021., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 108

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , IUCN assessment on Red Sanders, The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) recently categorised the Red Sanders (or Red, Sandalwood) again into the ‘endangered’ category in its Red List., Red Sanders, The species, called Red Sanders, is scientifically called as Pterocarpus santalinus., It is an Indian endemic tree species and its geographical range is restricted to Eastern Ghats., The species is endemic to a distinct tract of forests in Andhra Pradesh., It was classified as ‘near threatened’ in 2018. It was a moment of celebration when species was lifted, off from the endangered category since 1997., Why was the species categorised in endangered list?, The Red Sanders species has been experiencing a decline in population by 50-80 percent, for last three, generations. Thus, it was again added to Endangered category., CITES status, Red Sanders is listed under Appendix II of CITES. As a result, it is banned from international trade. The, harvest of the tree is also restricted across states, but illegal trade is there in practice., IUCN red list, The Red List is maintained by IUCN. It is a list of flora and fauna species and categorises them on the basis, of their conservation status. The status include:, 1. Least concern– It is for the species, which are abundant in numbers., 2. Extinct– It is for those species, which have completely disappeared from the planet., 3. Critically endangered- This category is for threatened species., 4. Endangered– Threatened species are added to this list, 5. Vulnerable– The category is reserved for threatened species., Significance of Red Sanders, Red Sanders are known for their rich hue and therapeutic properties. They are highly demanded across Asia,, especially in China and Japan, to use them in cosmetics and medicinal products. It is also used to make, furniture, woodcraft and musical instruments., , What are 'Western disturbances'?, The India Meteorological Department (IMD) projected that; western disturbance is likely to hit the eastern, states from January 11, 2022., Key Points, Making these predictions, IMD issued yellow and orange alerts for the states of Jharkhand, Odisha,, West Bengal and Bihar, for January 11 to January 13., Scattered to fairly widespread light or moderate rainfall is expected over these states., Isolated thunderstorms with lightning or hail are also predicted for Jharkhand, Bihar & Gangetic West, Bengal on January 11 while for Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim & Telangana on January 12., What is western disturbance?, Western disturbance is an extratropical storm originating in Mediterranean region. The disturbance brings, sudden winter rain over northern parts of Indian subcontinent. It extends in east up to northern parts of, Bangladesh and South eastern Nepal. It is a non-monsoonal precipitation pattern and is driven by the, westerlies. Western disturbances are more frequent and stronger in the winter season.[6], How moisture originates?, The moisture in such storms originates over Mediterranean Sea, Caspian Sea and Black Sea. Extratropical, storms are a global phenomenon, wherein moisture is carried in upper atmosphere. They are different than, their tropical counterparts, in which moisture is carried in lower atmosphere. In Indian subcontinent,, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 109

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , moisture is shed as rain when this storm system encounters the Himalayas., Significance of Western Disturbances, Western disturbances are significant for the development of Rabi crop, which includes staple wheat., How is it formed?, Western disturbances originate in the Mediterranean region. A high-pressure area over Ukraine and its, neighbourhood consolidates. The consolidation results into intrusion of cold air from polar regions towards, an area of warmer air with high moisture. It creates favourable conditions for cyclogenesis in upper, atmosphere, leading to formation of an eastward-moving extratropical depression. The disturbance travels, at the speed of up to 12 m/s, towards the Indian subcontinent until Himalayas inhibits its development., After this, the depression rapidly weakens., , New Directors of 4 IITs, Government appointed new directors to the Indian Institutes of Technology in Delhi, Indore, Madras, and, Mandi, on January 10, 2022., Name of the new directors, Prof Rangan Banerjee was appointed as next director of IIT Delhi., Prof V Kamakoti has been elevated as director of IIT Mandi., Prof Laxmidhar Behera has been appointed as director of IIT Mandi, Prof Suhas Joshi has been appointed as director of IIT Indore., Who were the outgoing directors?, The outgoing directors of IIT Delhi Prof Ramgopal Rao and of IIT Madras Prof Bhaskar Ramamurthi, were, serving on extension. Their five-year tenures were ended in April 2021. IIT Mandi was being led by acting, director Prof Ajit Kumar and IIT Indore was being led by Neelesh Kumar Jain., NIRF ranking of these IITs, In the National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings 2021, IIT Madras had topped the list in, engineering category. IIT Delhi was placed at 2nd place, IIT Indore at 10th, while IIT Mandi was placed at 31st, rank., Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), IITs are autonomous public technical universities in India. They have been established under the jurisdiction, of Ministry of Education. IITs are governed by the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961. The act declared the, IITs as Institutes of National Importance as well as provided for their powers, duties, and framework for, governance. The Act of 1961 lists twenty-three institutes. Each IIT is autonomous and is linked to the others, by means of a common council called IIT Council., IIT council, Minister of Education acts as the ex officio Chairperson of IIT Council., , First Pig heart transplant in Human, Recently, doctors transplanted a pig heart into a patient in a last effort to save his life, in Maryland hospital, in USA. It was done for the first time in the history of medical., Key Points, The patient is doing well three days after this highly experimental surgery., This marks a significant step in the decades-long debate on using animal organs for life-saving, transplants. However, it is too soon to know, if the operation will work., As per Doctors at University of Maryland Medical Center, transplant highlighted that heart from a, genetically modified animal can function in human body, without immediate rejection., Who was the patient?, The patient was David Bennett aged 57. He knew there was no guarantee of whether the experiment would, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 110

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , work. But he was ready for the operation because he was dying and was ineligible for a human heart, transplant., Why this experiment was conducted?, There is a huge shortage of human organs, which are donated for transplant. This drives scientists to figure, out how to use animal organs for transplant instead. In 2021, there were just around 3,800 heart transplants, in the U.S. so, if this experiment works, there will be endless supply of these organs from animals for, patients., Prior attempts, Prior attempts of such transplants have failed, largely. This is because, patients’ bodies rapidly rejected the, animal organ. For instance in 1984, Baby Fae, who was a dying infant, lived for 21 days with a baboon heart., How was the recent transplant different?, In the recent transplant, Maryland surgeons used a heart from a pig after it underwent gene-editing in a bid, to remove a sugar in its cells which is responsible for hyper-fast organ rejection., Xenotransplantation, Xenotransplantation or heterologous transplant, is the transplantation of living cells, organs or tissues from, one species to another. Such cells, organs or tissues are called xenografts or xenotransplants. The, technique of Xenotransplantation of human tumour cells into immunocompromised mice is often used in, pre-clinical oncology research., , Ban of Conversion therapy in Canada, On January 7, 2022, the Canadian government officially implemented a bill on ‘ban of Conversion therapy’, which was passed by the Canadian Parliament in December 2021., Key Points, With the ban of conversion therapy, Canada joined a select list of countries that have discontinued, the discredited treatment which claims to be able to change a person’s gender identity or sexual, orientation., The bill has made “providing, promoting, or advertising the conversion therapy” a criminal offence. It, will now be illegal to promote, advertise, benefit from, or subject someone to this harmful or hateful,, because rights of LGBTQ2 are human rights., What is LGBTQ2?, LGBTQ2 acronym is used by the Canadian government. “2” refers to Two-Spirit that is male and female., Thus, LGBTQ2 is a culturally-specific identity used by Indigenous people for indicating a person whose, gender identity, sexual orientation or spiritual identity comprises both male and female spirits., What are the provisions of new law?, Under the new law, anyone who seeks to subject someone of any age, with his consent or not, to the, conversion therapy will face imprisonment of up to five years., If someone is found to be promoting, advertising, or profiting from this practice, they will face, imprisonment of up to two years., Conversion Therapy, The conversion therapies are based on the belief that sexual orientation can be cured or changed. This, practice is often performed by religious leaders. However, some licensed clinicians are also involved in the, practice., Which countries have banned the conversion therapy?, Apart from Canada, countries like Brazil, Germany, Ecuador, and Malta have banned the practice. While,, countries like Argentina, Samoa, Uruguay, Fiji, and Naura have banned this practice indirectly. US, Australia, and Spain have banned the practice in some areas., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 111

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Turkmenistan's 'Gateway to Hell’, Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov recently ordered officials to find a method of, finally extinguishing the ‘Gateway to Hell’ in the country., Key Points, Turkmenistan’s Gateway to Hell is the raging flames, burning for five decades in a large natural gas, crater., This is not the first time, when officials have been ordered to find a way to extinguish the huge fire., This decision was taken as man-made crater “negatively affects the environment as well as health of, the people living nearby., Is it a natural phenomenon?, No, the Gateway to Hell is not a natural phenomenon. But a human disaster, despite this fact, the crater, attracts a lot of tourists from worldwide., The Darvaza gas crater, The Darvaza Crater, which is also called as the Door to Hell, is 225 feet wide 99 feet deep, crater. It has a, diameter of 70 metres, across an area of 5.5 square metres. It is a natural gas field collapsed into a cavern, near Darvaza in Turkmenistan., How was the Door to Hell created?, It is believed that, in 1971, a simple miscalculation by Soviet scientists led to the creation of this, crater., The Soviet scientists had underestimated the amount of fuel laying below. Their boring equipment, drilled through an underground cavern. Because of this, a deep sinkhole was created., After the gas driller fell into the pit, scientists were concerned that the crater would release noxious, gases. Toxic methane gas had already started leaking into the atmosphere., Thus, in order to stop the methane from reaching neighbouring areas and causing damage to the, environment & living organisms, scientists decided to set the crater ablaze., Did crater ablaze help?, Scientists had expected that, gas would burn out quickly as and when fire would consume all of it and thus, flames would be doused. But the flame did not get extinguished and a massive fire has been burning, continuously since 1971., , Precautionary vaccine jabs in India, The Government of India is to provide third dose of vaccine. This third dose has been named “precaution, dose” or booster dose., About the precaution dose, The health care workers, comorbid patients (people with severe medical conditions) and frontline, workers are eligible to get the precaution dose., Five states in the country are to go for elections. They are Manipur, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and, Uttarakhand. Personnel to be deployed in the election duty will be treated as front line workers. And, they will also receive the precaution dose., The gap between the second dose and precaution dose is nine months., The precaution dose is the same as the previous doses., The eligible citizens will receive SMS from CoWIN., After administering precaution dose, a digital vaccination certificate will be sent., New Vaccines in the country, Recently, India approved two new vaccines. They are Convax of Serum Institute of India and Corbevax of, Biological E. Both the vaccines were authorized for “restricted use in emergency situation”. So far India has, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 112

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , approved eight vaccines., Current Vaccines used, COVISHIELD of Serum Institute of Technology, COVAXIN of Bharat Biotech and Sputnik V of Russia are, being used currently., Other Approved vaccines, ZyCoV – D of Cadilla. It is the first DNA vaccine against COVID-19., Moderna vaccine. It is a two-dose vaccine. It uses genetic code of messenger RNA., Johnson and Johnson vaccine. It is a single dose vaccine., Corbevax of Biological E. It is a two dose vaccine, It was designed using similar technology used to, develop Hepatitis B., Covovax of American biotechnology, Treatments approved in India, Molnupiravir is an anti-viral medication, Tocilizumab was developed by Swiss pharmaceutical Roche. In India, it is imported and distributed by, Cipla, 2 – DG, that is, 2 – deoxy – D – glucose developed by DRDO, REGEN – COV2 developed by Roche, , Foreign direct investment in LIC, The Government of India recently decided to allow 20% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in LIC (Life, Insurance Corporation). This is to be done by amending the Foreign Exchange Management Rules (FEMA)., What is the plan?, The DFS, DIPAM are to create a plan to amend the FDI in insurance sector after consulting DPIIT. DFS is, Department of Financial Services. DIPAM is Department of Investment and Public Asset Management and, DPIIT is Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). Why is the consultation required?, DIPAM operates under Finance Ministry and DPIIT operates under commerce and industry ministry., Changes to be made, Changes have been proposed in FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management) rules, 20% FDI in LIC, The current FDI policy of India does not foreign investments in body corporates. This is to be, changed. A body corporate is an entity that has separate legal existence., How is body corporate different from company?, Company is any organization that is registered under the Companies Act 2013. On the other hand, a body, corporate is defined as the company incorporated outside India. This does not include co – operative, society or central government institutions. For instance, Reliance, Tata Steel are all companies. Microsoft,, Alphabet, Facebook are all body corporate. If the same company is incorporated in India or registered under, Companies act, 2013, then they are called company. For instance, Google India Private Limited is a, company while Google is a body corporate., Challenges in making the changes, Currently 74% of FDI is allowed in the insurance sector. However, this does not apply to LIC as it has its own, statute. That is the operations of LIC are governed by LIC act. LIC is a statutory body. A statutory body is, one which is governed by a law. Such bodies have their own statutes (rules of the organization). Therefore,, the GoI has to amend the LIC act along with FEMA rules to implement the changes related to LIC., Predictions made by GoI, According to GoI, the entire 20% cap may not be used by the foreign companies. Investments till 5% is, expected., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 113

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Hindi descriptions of India’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites, January 10 is celebrated as the World Hindi Day. On the World Hindi Day of 2022, the World Heritage Centre, announced that it is to provide Hindi descriptions of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of India. WHC, operates under UNESCO., World Hindi Day, It is also called Vishwa Hindi Divas. It is celebrated on January 10 to mark the first World Hindi Conference, held on January 10, 1975. It was held in Nagpur. It was hosted by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi., Around 30 countries participated in the conference. The main aim of celebrating the day is to promote Hindi, language all over the world. The decision of celebrating January 10 as World Hindi Day was made during a, World Hindi Conference held in 2005. This was announced by the then PM Manmohan Singh. The first World, Hindi Day was celebrated in 2006., How is World Hindi Day different from National Hindi Divas?, The National Hindi Divas is celebrated on September 14. This day is celebrated to commemorate the, adoption of Hindi as the official language. This is celebrated in India. While World Hindi Day is observed by, the Indian embassies located in foreign lands., Key Facts on Hindi, Hindi is spoken by more than 260 million people. It is the fourth most spoken language in the world. The, most widely spoken language is English. It is followed by Spanish and Mandarin., World Heritage Sites, These are natural or man-made areas. These sites require special protection. They have international, importance. The World Heritage sites are important for humanity. They hold great cultural value. The sites, list is maintained by the WHP. It is made of 21 member states. In order become a World Heritage Site, the, place should be historically and geographically unique. The site is chosen in the interest of international, community and based on national interests. However, the recommendations to include a site under the list, are made by the member countries., , US – Russia Key Dialogue on Ukraine, On January 10, 2022, the US and Russian officials met in Geneva. They are to discuss on several issues, including the tensions around Ukraine., Why has the dialogue come up?, The US and other western countries are under the fear of Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine is supported, by US and other western countries. Ukraine was formed after the disintegration of Soviet Union., Russia’s stand during the dialogue, Russia demanded several concessions from the US and NATO allies. Russia denied attacking Ukraine during, the talks. However, Russia has actually stationed thousands of troops in the Ukraine border. This triggered, a cold war between US and Russia., US’s stand during the dialogue, US threatened to impose severe sanctions if Russia attacked. Also, NATO – Russia Council meet is to be, held in Brussels. The conference is to focus Ukraine issue. Also, the Organization for Security and, Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is to meet in Vienna to discuss on the same issue., What are the other organizations involved?, NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It is a military alliance between the European, American and, Eurasian countries., OSCE: It mainly deals with arms control, freedom of press, human rights and fair elections. The members, are mainly from Europe, Asia and North America, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 114

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , What is the issue?, The issue started when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Crimea is located in Ukraine. It holds Strait of, Kerch. This strait is the only route for Russia to reach the Mediterranean countries. The strait connects Sea, of Azov and Black Sea. It is a major trade route. The US and the western countries support Ukraine mainly to, make shipping difficult for Russia. Economical competition and rivalry is the main reason behind this., What are Russia’s demands?, Russia wants NATO to go back to where it was in 1997. This will make Poland and the Baltics vulnerable to, Russian influence. These countries have joined in the support of the west. Also, Russia wants Georgia and, Ukraine to be barred from joining NATO. In 2008, Russia invaded Georgia., , India – Korea Trade Talks, On January 11, 2022, India and Korea held a bilateral trade talk. The talks focused on non – tariff barriers,, market access issues, trade deficit faced by the Indian exporters. The countries also discussed investment, related issues., Background, The India – Korea bilateral trade was 20 billion USD in 2018. However, it started decreasing after that. And it, was largely hit by the pandemic. The recent talks mainly discussed on this issue., About the Talks, The talks aimed to make the relations “Equitable and Balanced and mutual advantage“. India raised the, issues faced by the Indian exporters in Korea. This included difficulties faced while exporting products such, as engineering, steel and agri products. The difficulties are around the stringent regulatory rules of Korea., The other Indian products facing market access issue in Korea are meat, pomegranate, grapes, eggplants, and okra., India has sought investments in sectors such as e – vehicles, semiconductors and technical textiles., CEPA in the talks, The countries reviewed CEPA upgradation. CEPA is Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement., CEPA is a Free Trade Agreement. The agreement provided better access for the Indian service industries., This included engineering, IT, finance, engineering and legal field. With the agreement, Korean, manufacturers were provided huge tariff concessions to 1%., Trade Agreements between the countries, In 2010, India and Korea signed Economic Cooperation Agreement. This increased the trade and investment, in both the countries., Trade Relations, In 1962, the countries established the trade relations. In 1973, it was upgraded to ambassador – level, relations. Then Korea became one of the major focus of India’s “Act East Policy”., Trade Deficit, India faces trade deficit against Korea. That is the Indian exports to Korea is less than the Indian imports, from the country. In 2008 – 09, the trade deficit was 5 billion USD. This increased to 8 billion USD in, 2020-21., Target set, In 2018, the countries had set a target of 50 billion USD of trade by 2030. During the talks they assured to, work mutually to achieve the target., , Deployment of James Webb Telescope, The James Webb telescope was launched by NASA on Christmas eve. The telescope can unfold only when, it is in the orbit. The telescope succeeds Hubble telescope., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 115

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , About James Webb Telescope, It was jointly developed by NASA, Canadian Space Agency and European Space Agency. It was launched in, Ariane rocket. The unfolding of the telescope is human controlled., Milestones, The telescope was launched to scan the galaxies and stars formed 13.7 bilion years ago. Cost of the, telescope is 10 billion USD., Deployment of James Webb Telescope, The telescope took 15 days to align to its right form. It had 18 segments and they were all aligned manually., It took 12 days to align the mirrors. The alignment process is still going on and it is to take three months to, get the telescope ready for its first flight., Objectives, The telescope will look further back than the Hubble’s telescope. It has a larger mirror. These mirrors, are tuned to the IR (Infra red)., James Webb Telescope is to study exoplanets and atmospheres., Also, the telescope will search for atmospheres similar to the earth’s., It will search for galaxies formed during big bang. Also, it will determine the evolution process of, galaxies. It will observe the star formation. Also, the telescope will measure chemical and physical, properties of planets., Location, The telescope is to be placed in an orbit that is 1.5 million kilometres from the earth. This is called second, Lagrange Point L2. It is not placed in the orbit of the earth., James Webb Telescope to study the Dark Ages, There are five ages of the Universe. They are Primordial Era, Stelliferous Era, Degenerate Era, Black Hole Era, and Dark Era., Primordial Era, During this time, the Big Bang, inflation and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis occurred. Big Bang is nothing but the, universe expansion. Then the electrons recombined with the nuclei., Stelliferous Era, Here the matter is arranged in the form of stars, galaxy clusters and galaxies., Degenerate Era, It is the era of brown dwarfs, neutron stars, white dwarfs, black holes., Black Hole Era, At the end of this era only low energy protons, positrons, electrons and neutrinos will remain., Dark Era, Here very diffusive matter remains. The energy levels are low. The positrons and electrons combine to form, positronium., , January 12, 2022, Odisha: Rise in Upper age limit for Govt jobs, The Odisha Government recently increased the upper age limit of candidates to enter into State Civil, services exams. The age was increased from 32 years to 38 years. This was done by amending the State, Civil Services Rules, 1989., About the rise in upper age limit, The increase in age limit has been made for 2021, 2022 and 2023 exams only. Odisha government relaxed, the age limit for people belonging to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Socially and Educationally, backward classes, persons with disabilities and for women., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 116

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , What are the relaxations?, SC/ST/OBC: The maximum age limit is now 43 years, that is, 38+5., Women of all categories: 38+5 = 43 years, General category: 38+10 = 48 years, SC/ST/SEBC PwD categories: 53 years, Why were the provisions made?, The age limit has been relaxed to nullify the COVID induced delays in conducting the exam. Because of the, pandemic, the age of the candidates passed by and they are not able to appear in exams. It is essential to, make such alterations to improve employment rate in the states., Employment Status in Odisha, The Labour Force Participation rate in Odisha is 48.3%. This mirrors national rate of 48.3%. The worker, population ratio is 44.9%. And the National worker population ratio is 46.8%. The unemployment rate in the, urban areas is higher than that of the employment rate., Demographic dividend, In Odisha, 56% are engaged in agriculture. 18% in construction and 7.8% in other services. Around 30% are, engaged in other services. Informal sector is the largest job provider in Odisha. With such conditions, it is, essential to increase the employment window in the state. The extension of age limit will help achieve this., Steps taken by Odisha Government towards the issue, Odisha Urban Wage Employment Initiative: The programme provided employment opportunities in, development of community centres, playgrounds, public parks, water bodies, etc., MUKTA – Mukhyamantri Karma Tatpara Abhiyan was launched to generate employment for the urban poor., , Developing Country Tag at WTO, The World Trade Organization recently provided the “developing country” tag. This couldn’t be accepted by, several countries., About the tag at WTO, The organization has officially not created any definitions for “Developed” or “developing “countries., However, when a tag is provided other countries can challenge the offering. Though, WTO has not provided, the definition, two – third of its members claim themselves as developing countries. As the members can, themselves declare them as developing, China has taken advantage to declare itself as developing. With, this, China is trying to widen its dominance in the world trade., Why is China after the “Developing” Tag?, The WTO offers several privileges to a developing country. The S&DT provisions in WTO agreements offer, special rights to the developing country. S&DT is Special and Differential Treatment provisions. These, provisions allow members to treat them favorably. Low tariff, exemption from import duty, free trade, etc., The developing tags provide lenient target to the countries. China has recently been claiming that it is the, world biggest developing economy., India on the issue, The per capita income of the Chinese in 2020 was 10,435 USD. On the other hand, the per capita income of, India was 1,928 USD. India has questioned the Chinese stand based on World Bank Definition of a, developing country., World Bank on Developing countries, The World Bank classifies the countries into four groups based on the per capita income of the countries., Here are the types based on the per capita income:, Lower Income Countries: 1,0256 USD or less, Lower middle-income countries: 1.026 USD and 3,995 USD, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 117

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Upper Middle-income countries: 3,996 USD and 12,375 USD, High Income Countries: Greater than 12,375 USD, Other countries, US, Australia and European countries are opposing, Why are countries opposing Chinese developing status?, The countries have called China “Unfair”. Some of Chinese unfair practices include data restrictions,, referential treatment for state enterprises and inadequate enforcement of intellectual property rights. Also,, China is currently the world second largest economy. It accounted for one – fourth of the global GDP in, 2021., , Ibonia and Ramayana, According to Indian poet and diplomat Abhay K., the Malagasy epic of Ibonia is similar to Indian epic of, Ramayana in its grand plot., Highlights, According to the poet, Ramayana is popular in South East Asian countries, specifically in Indonesia., In Indonesia, it is still played and performed., Thus, it was believed that Madagascar should create its own version of Ramayana because, origin of, Merina people of Madagascar is traced to Indonesia., What are the similarities between Ibonia and Ramayana?, 1. Abduction of Ibonia’s betrothed wife Rampela by Ravato, is similar to abduction of Rama’s wife Sita, by Ravana., 2. Ibonia’s fight with Rabato to get his wife Rampela back is similar to Rama’s fight with Ravana to get, back Sita., 3. 300 words in Malagasy language from Sanskrit., What is Ibonia?, Ibonia is an epic poem of Madagascar. It dates back to at least several hundred years. It comprises of tale, of conception, birth, struggle, betrothal, and death of its hero Ibonia. The poem has been told in various, forms in the island of Madagascar. It predates the introduction of printing press in Madagascar in early part, of 19th century. First known transcription of the story was recorded in 1870s. it rapidly gained canonical, status in African literature tradition., What Ibonia is all about?, Story in Ibonia starts with the conception and birth of Ibonia, who’s demand is to be betrothed to Joy-Giving, girl while being in the womb of his mother. However, the Joy-Giving girl is taken away by Trouble-Stone man,, before they can be married. Before fighting to win the girl back, Ibonia engages in a verbal duel with Great, Echo and beats him. In return, Great Echo offers Ibonia advice on how to pass a series of tests in order for, him to confront on his quest to regain his wife. Lastly, Ibonia wins his confrontation with him and escapes, with the Girl. Both remain married for around ten years before Ibonia’s peaceful death., , Omicron sub-lineage BA.1, In less than two months three sub lineages of Omicron has been detected. Omicron is a COVID-19 mutant, variant. The Pango lineage of Omicron called the B.1.1.529 was declared as Variant of Concern by the, World Health Organization. This has now spawned (reproduced or produced) into three sub types called, BA.1, BA.2 and BA.3., What is sub – lineage?, Lineage means a genetically related group or the one that derived from a common ancestor. For instance, a, cousin holds lineage. Sub lineage is virus having different sequence. Or a different mutation. Viruses, generally avoid to mutate as it obscures it reproduction and induces error into its genetic code., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 118

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , What is BA.1?, All the four lineages such as B.1.1.529, BA.1, BA.2 and BA.3 belong to the Pango lineage. The BA.1, accounted to more than 99% of the samples submitted to GISAID., What about BA.2 and BA.3?, There are very less number of BA.2 instances. And there are no occurrence of BA.3 sub lineage in India as, of now., What are the challenges?, The Omicron variant has more advantage over Delta. The doubling time of Omicron is two to three days., What is the difference between mutation, lineage and variant?, Mutation: It is a single change in the genetic code of the virus. Mutations happen frequently. It changes the, characteristics of the virus very rarely, Lineage: The lineages have a common ancestor., Variant: It is a genetic code that contains one or more mutations. They are classified as Variant of Concern, and Variant of Interest., Why is BA.1 the one to watch out for?, The BA.1 variant is spreading just like the Delta variant. The sub lineages of BA.1 is increasing as compared, to the original Omicron strain. BA.1 is the well-travelled member of the B.1.1.529 family., , Test Fire of Brahmos Advanced Variant, On January 11, 2022, the Defence Research Development Organization test fired the Brahmos Advanced, Variant. It is a sea – to – sea variant of the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile. It was tested from INS, Vishakhapatnam., About the Test Fire, This is a step of India becoming self-reliant. Also, the test confirmed the readiness of Indian Navy. Brahmos, was developed under joint collaboration of India and Russia. It can be launched from air, sea and land. The, target range of Brahmos is 290 kilometre. The range was capped at 290 km because of MTCR (Missile, Technology Control Regime), MTCR and Brahmos, MTCR is an informal organization. It has 35 members. China is not a member of MTCR. India exports, Brahmos to Vietnam under the MTCR. MTCR helped India procure Arrow II missile from Israel. The Indian, arms exports increased due to MTCR. The Indian Space Researches are now able to access high end, technologies due to MTCR., INS Vishakhapatnam, It is one of the four indigenously built missile destroyer. It was built under Project 15B. It was, commissioned in November 2021., Brahmos, It is a supersonic cruise missile. The name was formed by coining Brahmaputra and Moskva. The first stage, of the Brahmos engine is fired by solid rocket booster, second stage by liquid ramjet. The propellant used in, the first stage is solid fuel and that used in the second stage is liquid fuel. It can attain a maximum speed of, Mach 2.0 to 2.8., India – Russia on Brahmos, The countries have agreed to manufacture 2000 Brahmos supersonic missiles and export them to their, friendly nations. India has inducted the missile in eight warships. They are Rajput class destroyers, Talwar, class frigate, Shivalik class, Kolkata class, Vishakhapatnam class and Nilgri class., Export of Brahmos, Brahmos was exported to Egypt, South Africa, Vietnam, Oman, Chile and Brunei., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 119

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Indian Government Majority Stake in Vodofone, The Vodofone recently announced that its board members have given permission to convert the Adjusted, Gross Revenue dues to equity. With this GoI will now have 35.8% of share in Vodofone company. This, makes it the largest shareholder of Vodofone., Background, The Vodofone had to pay Rs 58,254 crores of Adjusted Gross Revenue to the Government of India. It has, already paid around 7,000 crores of rupees. The pending is around 50,000 crores of rupees. The company, has converted this pending amount into shares., What happened?, In 1999, the Government of India shifted from fixed model to revenue sharing model. In fixed model, the, telecom companies have to pay a specific and constant spectrum fee. In revenue sharing model, they have, to pay a part of their revenue as spectrum charges. In 2003, the Department of Telecommunication included, AGR payment in the fee. AGR is the revenue earned from all sources. This included dividend from non –, telecom sources as well. The telecoms were against this. They went to TDSAT (Telecom Disputes, Settlement Appellate Tribunal). Issue couldn’t be settled. In 2019, Supreme Court pronounced that the, definition of AGR as given by the GoI, that is, by the Department of Telecommunications is the right one., What is the current situation of Vodofone?, The Vodofone Group is the promoter. It will now hold 28.5%. The Aditya Birla Group has 17.8% share., Earlier, Vodofone had 44.39% and Birla had 27.66%. After the proposal was announced the Vodofone shares, dropped by 19% in the share market. The Vodofone has allotted the shares at Rs 10 to the GoI., Role of Reliance, Several companies started facing market issues after Reliance Jio of Mukesh Ambani entered. The, maximum impact was on Bharti Airtel and Vodofone Idea. Airtel has to pay a due of Rs 43,980 crores. It has, so far paid Rs 18,004 crores. And is yet to pay Rs 25,976 crores. However, Airtel is not ready to convert the, interest amount to equity., , Jagananna Smart Townships, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, launched the “Jagananna Smart Township, website” on January 11, 2022. The website was launched from the Tadepalli Camp office., Why was the website launched?, The website was launched because most middle-class families attempt to buy a house or land for building, their dream home, but they fall prey to real estate agents sometimes and end up into a deal which isn’t, economically sound. The website would help the citizens in completing their dream of owning a house. The, website will provide land with clear and litigation-free titles in a transparent manner as well as provide, reasonable price below non-profit market., Who is setting up the Townships?, State government of Andhra Pradesh is being set up by Jagananna Smart Townships (MIGs) for fulfilling the, dream of middle-class families to own a home in urban as well as rural areas., First Instalment or phase, In the first instalment, layouts have been prepared at understated places so far:, 1. Navalur near Mangalagiri in Guntur district, 2. Dharmavaram in Anantapur district, 3. Kandukur in Prakasam district, 4. Rayachoti in Kadapa district, 5. Kavali in Nellore district and, 6. Eluru in West Godavari district., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 120

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , In the first phase, government has distributed 31 lakh house pattas to middle-class families, so far., Construction of 15.6 lakh houses have been undertaken in the first phase., Segregation of plots, Plots have been segregated into 3 categories:, 1. MIG-1 (150 sq. yd), 2. MIG 2 (200 sq. yd), and, 3. MIG 3 (240 sq. yd)., Plots have been prepared as per the demand, comprising of all the permits and facilities., Who are eligible to apply for plots?, Citizens who are having an annual income of up to Rs 18 lakh are eligible to apply for plots in the, Townships. The payments can be done in 4 instalments, in the period of one year. After completing the, instalments, state government will hand over the developed plot to them. In the first place, 10 percent of the, fixed value of the plot has to be paid followed by 30 percent after the agreement and 30 percent within six, months. The remaining amount will have to cleared within 12 months or by the date of registration., , MHA Advisory on Transgender Persons in Prisons, On January 10, 2022, Ministry of home affairs (MHA) has released advisory on transgender persons in, prisons., What advisory has been issued?, Ministry has asked prison authorities to make arrangements inside the jails in order to recognise the, identity of transgender inmates and their rights are not discriminated., It has asked prisons chiefs and state governments to create separate wards or enclosures and, earmark separate shower & toilets facilities for transwomen and transmen in order to preserve their, right to privacy and dignity of the inmates., While making provision for a separate ward or enclosure for transgender prisoners, authorities have, been advised to take due care so that, it may not result in complete isolation or propagate social, stigma among transgender prisoners., Ministry advises to respect self-identity of transgender persons at all times while conducting, admission procedures, frisking, clothing, medical examination, treatment & care inside prisons and, requisitioning of a police escort. Thus, ministry asked prisons to facilitate the process of acquiring, the transgender identity certificate., It further asked ‘transgender’ to include as a category in the prison register and electronic records., The prison authorities have also been asked to provide health care facilities and arrange meeting with, family & legal advisors at par with other prisoners., Training for staff, Ministry has also asked the prison chiefs to train and brief the staff about protecting the rights of, transgender persons., Under what act was the advisory issued?, The advisory was issued in accordance with the “Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019”., The act came into effect from January 2020., Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, The act provides for recognition of identity of transgender persons., It prohibits them against discrimination., It also including them in education, social-security, health facilities as well as other welfare measures, taken by government., , © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 121

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , NCRB on transgender, As per National Crime Records Bureau, there were 70 transgender prisoners in jails across India in 2020., , India-South Korea bilateral trade target, India and South Korea have set to achieve bilateral trade target of 50 billion USD by 2030. The target was, set during the summit held in 2018. Recently, the foreign ministers of the respective countries met to, discuss on terms to achieve the target., How will the target be achieved?, The target is to be achieved by giving fresh momentum to the CEPA (Comprehensive Economic, Cooperation Agreement). Also, the governments will hold back-to-back discussions with their, respective industrial leaders to boost the trade., During the meet, the ministers agreed to instruct their respective negotiating teams to meet on, regular basis to address the trade issues. This will help to conclude CEPA terms., The countries are to negotiate regularly to address the supply chain resilience., Current Scenario, The bilateral trade between the countries from January 2021 to June 2021 was 10.97 billion USD. This is, 38% higher than 2020. During this period, the South Korean exports to India increased and imports, increased. The exports from the country were 7.4 billion USD and it increased by 38.5% as compared to, 2020. The imports were 3.6 billion USD and it increased by 37.4% as compared to 2020., Trade Deficit, India is facing trade deficit with South Korea. When the exports to a country is less the imports, it is called, trade deficit., Agreements between the countries, The following agreements have been signed by the countries so far:, Agreement on Trade Promotion and Economic and Technological Cooperation, 1974, Agreement on Cooperation in Science and Technology in 1976, Convention on Double Taxation Avoidance in 1985, Bilateral Investment Promotion or Protection Agreement in 1996, Investments, South Korea is the fifth largest investor of India. The major investments have been made by Samsung and, LG. The South Korean companies began their trade investments in India after the 1997 Asian financial, crisis. The crisis began in Thailand. It affected South Korea, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Philippines, Malaysia,, Laos., , Henley Passport Index 2022, Henley Passport Index 2022 was recently released. The latest edition shows record-breaking levels of travel, freedom for the top-ranking countries, Japan and Singapore., Key Findings of the report, The report also reveals that, there was the widest recorded global mobility gap since the index was, created 17 years ago., Passport holders of two Asian nations, Japan and Singapore, can now enter 192 destinations, worldwide visa-free. It is 166 more than Afghanistan., Afghanistan has been listed at the bottom of this index., India’s Passport Power, As per the Index, in first quarter of 2022, India has improved its passport power. India has climbed seven, places up and has been ranked at 83rd position. In 2021, it was ranked at 90th position. Now, India has, access to 60 countries without a prior visa. In 2021, visa free scope was valid for just 58 countries. Oman, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 122

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , and Armenia have been recently added to the list of prior visa requirement., Best Passports to hold in 2022, Japan and Singapore have been ranked 1 st , with passport holders have accessibility of 192, destinations visa-free., Germany and South Korea have been placed at 2nd position, with passport holders able to access 190, destinations visa-free., Finland, Italy, Spain and Luxembourg shared 3rd place with a score of 189., Austria, Denmark, Sweden, France and Netherlands at 4th place, with visa-free score of 188., Passports of US and UK regained their previous strength and now placed at the 6th place with visafree or visa-on-arrival score of 186. In 2020, they had slipped to 8th place, lowest in 17-year history of, the index., Worst passports to hold in 2022, North Korea have been ranked at 104th spot with access to 39 destinations., Nepal and Palestinian territories are at 105th spot, with the score of 37., Pakistan have been ranked at 108th position with score of 31., Afghanistan with access to just 26 countries, emerged as the worst performer., The Henley Passport Index, The index provide ranking to 199 passports in accordance with the number of destinations their holders can, access visa-free or visa-on-arrival. The index is updated in real time throughout the year. It is prepared on, the basis of exclusive data provided by International Air Transport Association (IATA)., , World Bank's 'Global Economic Prospects' Report, World bank’s Global Economic Prospects’ Report was released on January 11, 2022., Key Findings of the report, The report notes that, Global economic growth will decrease sharply to 4.1% in 2022 and 3.2% in, 2023, from 5.5% in 2021., It projects India’s annual growth to be 8.3% in the fiscal year 2021-2022, 8.7% in 2022-23, while 6.8%, in 2023-24., It also flagged the risks posed by rising inflation and growing inequality., It noted that, after having recovered in 2021, global economy is headed towards “pronounced, slowdown”, because of new Covid-19 variants, increasing inflation, debt & income inequality, reducing, fiscal & monetary support and decreasing demand., Impact of Omicron variant, Rapid spread of the Omicron variant shows that, covid-19 pandemic is likely to disrupt economic, activity. Furthermore, deceleration in major economies including United States & China, will weigh on, external demand in emerging and developing economies., Report notes that, at this time when governments across many developing economies lack policy, space for supporting activity if needed, new Covid-19 outbreaks, inflationary pressure and supplychain bottlenecks could increase the risk of a hard landing., Outlook for South Asia, In the outlook for South Asia, India stands at a relatively bright spot. World Bank’s projection of 8.3% in, India in 2021-22 is unchanged from its June 2021 report. However, forecast for 2022-23 and 2023-24 has, been changed to 8.7% and 6.8%, respectively. It reflects higher investment from private sector and in, infrastructure., Advance estimates from India’s statistics office, As per advance estimates from statistics office, India’s economy is likely to grow by 9.2% in the financial, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 123

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , year 2021-22., World Bank’s concerns over South Asia, Report of World Bank flags risks specific to South Asia because emergence of Omicron is likely to hinder, economic activity with mobility restrictions and lower external demand. Upward price pressures are, expected to increase the inflation. The region is vulnerable to several factors including climate change, because of., 1. Worsening domestic financing conditions, 2. Eroding real incomes, 3. Weakening financial sector, Region is also vulnerable to climate-induced increases in poverty, food prices, disease and child mortality., , The Global Risks Report 2022, The World Economic Forum recently released the Global Risks Report 2022. Cybersecurity, pandemic,, climate change and space advancements are the emerging risks to global economy., Key Findings, The global economy is to shrink by 2.3% by 2024. However, in developing countries this is to be 5.5%. In rich, countries, it will be 0.9%, Digital security, The online platforms have increased tremendously during the pandemic. The COVID has brought in major, work shift. People are now attending classes online. This has increased the security risks., Cyber Threats, The cyber threats are growing at humanely uncontrollable rates. The criminals are using tougher tactics and, therefore, the cyber threats are becoming more aggressive day by day. Cryptocurrencies are creating easy, path of escape for the cyber criminals. Today 90% of the ransomware attacks are paid in cryptocurrencies., Space, The costs of rocket launching technologies are falling. This has led a new space race, not between, countries, but between government and private companies. While private launchers such as Elon Musk, Jeff, Bezos are launching satellites and astronauts, governments are focusing on military satellites. This is, creating friction in the orbit. The risks of debris collision, congestion are increasing., Climate change, The three top climate risks are loss of biodiversity, extreme weather and failure to act on climate change., While economies are trying to move towards zero emissions, rapid actions are required. The report calls the, climate actions by world countries as “Disorderly”. Faster shift from the intense carbon polluters is the need, of the moment., Observation, In the pas two years, during the pandemic, the world top 20% (the richest) has recovered their losses. On the, other hand, the bottom 20% have lost 5% more., Perception of the people, Less than 16% of the people (participated in the survey) were optimistic about the economic outlook of the, world., Predictions, Environmental risks are to dominate for long term and short term. The climate change risks are to increase, exponentially in the next ten years., , US: First Coin featuring Black Woman, Maya Angelou becomes the first black woman to appear on US coin. The coin was rolled out by US Mint as, a part of the American Women Quarters Programme., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 124

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , About Maya Angelou, Maya was raped by her mother’s boyfriend at the age of seven. The latter was beaten to death by her, uncles. Maya became silent after the tragedy. During her silence she started writing. She is known for her, speaking voice and lyrical prose. She is an African American. She died at the age of 86 in 2014., Literary Works, She has produced seven autobiographies, several books of poetry, three books of essays. Her, autobiographies brought her fame. Her first autobiography “I know the Caged Bird Sings” fetched, international recognition., About the Coin, The coin has Maya on one side and the US first President George Washington on the other side. Maya is, shown along an eagle in the coin., Awards won by Maya, She has received more than 30 honorary degrees. In 1992, she read the “On the Pulse of Morning” at the, inauguration of President Clinton. In 2010, President Obama presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom., In 2013, she won the Literarian Award., American Women Quarters Programme, The programme was launched to mint twenty coins. The coins are to honor historic contributions. This, includes civil rights, women suffrage, abolition, humanities, government, science and arts. Apart from Maya,, the programme also features Wilma Mankiller and Sally Ride. Sally was the first woman to travel to space., Wilma was the first principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. Cherokee is the largest tribe of the United, States., US Mint, The US Mint is a government organization that produces coins for US. These coins are used to conduct, trade and commerce in the country. It does not produce paper money. It was created in 1792. There are four, US mints. They are Denver, Philadelphia, West Point and San Francisco., , Tamil Nadu Regional Plan Rules, 2021, Government of Tamil Nadu notified the “Regional Plan (Preparation, Publication and Sanction) Rules, 2021”, in accordance with the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971., Key Points, As per notification, the Regional Planning Authority (RPA) should prepare a land-and building-use map, for regional planning areas as well as for different parts of regional area, within 18 months of its, constitution., RPA should further prepare a draft regional plan for regional planning area in association with the, development & local planning authorities, within two years of preparation of map for land- and, building- use., What are the components of Draft plan?, The draft regional plan comprises of following components, pertaining to the region:, 1. Location, 2. Historic evolution, 3. Topography, geology and geomorphology, 4. Hydrology (surface and ground water), 5. Climate, 6. Administrative profile, 7. Functional areas and, 8. Ratio of urban and rural development., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 125

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , 9. Extent of land use for residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural and recreational purpose, 10. Extent of land use for forest or for mineral exploitation, 11. Tentative land requirement projections for various zones., Regional Planning, In the year 1955, the Housing & Regional Planning Panel had highlighted the significance of regional, planning. The objectives of balanced regional development were attempted to be achieved through, industrial location policy because region based balanced and coordinated development of industrial &, agricultural economy would help India in attaining higher standard of living., Regional Planning in Tamil Nadu, Tamil Nadu has been divided into eight regions by considering factors like geographical boundary, market, potential & facilities, resource base, population threshold etc., What other plans are prepared?, 1. Master Plans (MPs): Master plan is prepared for town and cities by emphasizing on zoning regulation, for judicious use of urban land. Apart from suggesting broader land use restrictions, it also identify, the problem areas in traffic and transport, recreation sites, location for education, etc., 2. Detailed Development Plans (DDPs): DDPs are prepared in conformity with Master Plan proposals. It, is prepared for smaller areas within the urban area. Under these action plans, development projects, and programmes are envisaged. It is a micro-level plan comprising of detailed road network., 3. New Town Development Plans (NTDPs): Areas are developed by completely utilizing their potential, into new towns, by taking into account the special features of the area like industries, education,, history & heritage and tourism. There are 10 notified NTDAs in Tamil Nadu, as of now., , 25th National Youth Festival, th, , 25 National Youth Festival was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Puducherry on the, occasion of birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda., Highlights of PM’s address, On the occasion, prime minister highlighted that; world looks at India’s young demography with hope, & faith and India is young in its thoughts & consciousness., India’s thinking and philosophy have always accepted change., Youth have democratic values as well as demographic dividend and India considers the youth as a, demographic dividend and development driver., About Youth Festival 2022, The festival will be held on January 12 and 13, in virtual mode because of covid-19 pandemic., Youth festival is being organised with the aim of shaping the minds of Indian youth and transforming, them into “united force for nation building”., It also aims to bring diverse Indian cultures and integrate them into a united thread of ‘Ek Bharat,, Shreshtha Bharat’., During the festival, participants will see recorded video capsules of Puducherry, Auroville, Immersive, City Experience, folk games and indigenous sport games., National Youth Summit, After the inauguration of the youth festival, “National Youth Summit” also took place. During the summit,, panel discussions on four themes:, 1. Environment, climate & sustainable development goals (SDG) led growth, 2. Technology, entrepreneurship and innovation, 3. Indigenous and ancient wisdom, 4. national character, nation building and home grown., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 126

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , National Youth Festival, National Youth Festival is an annual gathering of youth in India, with various activities. It is celebrated every, year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. It is it is organized by Ministry of Youth, Affairs and Sports, is association with one of the State Governments. Thus, the festival is held in different, state each year during National Youth Week, that is January 12 to 16., About Swami Vivekananda, Swami Vivekananda’s birthday falls on January 12 and is always celebrated as National Youth Day. His, original name was Narendranath Datta. He was an Indian Hindu monk, a philosopher and the chief disciple, of 19th-century Indian mystic Ramakrishna., , January 13, 2022, UN’s largest Single Country appeal, The United Nations recently launched the largest country specific appeal for Afghanistan. The appeal was, launched after Pakistan called the international organization to revive the banking system in the, Afghanistan., About the appeal, It is a 5 billion USD appeal. That is, according to the United Nations member countries, 5 billion USD is, required to save Afghanistan. The United Nations members have appealed to save the collapsing services in, Afghanistan., Need for the appeal, Afghanistan is facing the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. Half of the Afghans are facing hunger., More than nine million in the country are homeless. Around 22 million are in need of assistance. 5.7 million, Afghans are in need of help beyond the borders., Significance, Absence of banking system in the country will lead to security concerns. Also, humanitarian agencies can, operate in Afghanistan only if there is cash in the country., Current Situation in Afghanistan, The situation in Afghanistan is highly changing. It is dangerous. It is to become more volatile. After the, withdrawal of US troops in August 2021, the ability to help individuals has become highly limited. 90% of, health clinics are to shut down. This is to threaten COVID-19 responses. It will also increase disease, outbreaks in the country., Hunger crisis, After the US left Afghanistan, the Taliban, which is also called Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan took control., After this, the international donors suspended their humanitarian assistance to the country. This led to, drought and hunger crisis in the country. Also, the country is facing cash shortage. The food process are, rocketing. The Afghanistan was dependent on foreign funds to pay its health workers, public servants,, teachers, etc. The previous Afghan Government was depended on foreign funds for its 75% of public, spending., , Second Round of Quarterly Employment Survey, The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment recently released the second round of Quarterly Employment, Survey. According to the survey, nine sectors hired two lakh people. This accounted to 85% of the total, employment of the country. The survey was for the period July to September 2021., Key Findings of the Survey, The total employment in the nine sectors are 3.10 crores. This is two lakhs higher than the, employment in the first round. The first round of the survey was held between April and June, 2021., 90% of the establishments had less than hundred workers. 30% of the BPO and IT sector had at least, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 127

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , hundred workers., The number of female workers in the country were 32.1% of the total workers. It was 29.3% in the first, round., 20% of the workers were contractual in the construction sector. Also, 6.4% were casual., Around 5.6% of the establishments in the country reported vacancies. This was around 4.3 lakhs., However, the reasons of vacancies were not specified. The vacancies were created due to, resignation. And 11.7% of the vacancies were created due to retirement of employees., What are the nine major sectors that contributed to the employment?, Construction, Manufacturing, Education, Transport, Trade, Restaurants, Accommodation, financial services, and IT/BPOs., Other Three Surveys, The ministry is also conducting three other surveys. They are survey on migrant labours, domestic workers, survey and area based employment survey., What is Quarterly Employment Survey?, It assesses the employment situation in organisations with ten or more workers. This is mainly from the, above mentioned nine sectors. The survey provides following information:, Gender – wise data, Number of vacancies, Nature of Employment, Significance, Employment is the most crucial indicator of economic growth of a country. Also, it is a measure of policy, implementation. QES ensures that high quality data is available for the policy makers., Difference between QES and Labour Force Survey, The QES is a part of All India Quarterly Establishment based Employment Survey. It focuses on demand, side. On the other hand, the labour force survey focuses in supply side of the labour market., , Expansion of Orang National Park, The Assam Government has recently decided to increase the size of Orang National Park. The park is to be, expanded thrice., About the Expansion plan, The State is to add 200.32 square kilometre to the Orang National Park. The area to be added consists of, Brahmaputra river. It also includes sandbars and islands of the river., Why the expansion?, Tigers and Rhinos are using the islands and sandbars that are being included. Orang region in the northern, bank of Brahmaputra is essential to Kaziranga Orang Riverine Landscape. This is because animals move, between the Orang and Kaziranga stretch through these lands. This stretch is 180 km. It is a corridor, connecting two habitats., Future plans for Kaziranga – Orang, Gharials became extinct in the region six decades ago. The Assam Government is planning to reintroduce, gharial here., Significance, The rhinos and Gangetic Dolphins are to be benefitted greatly with the addition of this extra land. It will also, benefit 16 species of turtles., About Orang, Orang is a major rhino habitat. It became a tiger reserve in 2016. The other seven national parks in Assam, are Dehing Patkai, Dibru – Saikhowa, Manas, Kaziranga, Nameri, Raimona., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 128

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Who decides on land for National Park? State or Centre?, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries are declared under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. On the, other hand, the Biosphere reserves are declared under UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve, Programme, 1971., The Wildlife Protection Act says that the area comprised within the forest as decided by the State, Government is declared as the wildlife sanctuary and National Parks., National Parks – State List or Centre List?, The National Parks, Wild Life sanctuaries and other wildlife related subjects were moved to Concurrent List., Earlier it was under the state list. In 1976, the 42nd constitutional amendment moved these subjects to, concurrent list., , DRDO Flight Test of MPATGM, The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) flight tested the Man Portable Anti-Tank, Guided Missile (MPATGM), successfully., Highlights, During the flight test, final deliverable configuration of the MPATGM was tested., MPATGM is an indigenously developed anti-tank missile, a low weight and a ‘fire and forget’ missile., It was launched from a launcher, which was man portable. It was integrated with thermal sight., During the test, the missile impacted designated target with precision and destroyed it., Why this test was conducted?, The missile was flight-tested to prove the consistent performance for missile system at its minimum range., Significance of the flight test, In the modern-day battlefields, since World War I, development of ammunition which can beat the armours, of tanks is an ongoing race, because of strategic importance of tanks and armoured vehicles., Background, Indian Army has been mainly using several imported anti-tank guided missiles in the past while DRDO has, been working on ATGMs, which can be launched from different platforms under the Integrated Guided, Missile Development Programme. In the recent past, indigenously developed MPATGM, Helicopter launched, ATGM Nag or Helina and ATGM Nag have been successfully tested. In December 2019, Indian government, also procured Anti-Tank Spike missiles from Israel along with allied systems for meeting the operational, requirements of Indian Army., What is MPATGM?, The MPATGM, dubbed as “Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile”, is a third-generation fire-and-forget antitank guided missile. It has been derived from Nag ATGM. It has been developed by DRDO in association, with Indian defence contractor VEM Technologies Private Limited. It is a low weight, long cylindrical missile,, comprising of four fins across its mid-section. The missile is fitted with high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT), warhead. It has a length of 1,300 mm and diameter of 120 mm. It has a weight of 14.5 kg. Command launch, unit (CLU) of the missile is of 14.25 kg. Missile can cover a minimum range of 200-300 m and maximum, range of 4 km., , KVIC’s Khadi Handmade Paper Slippers, KVIC is Khadi and Village Industries Commission. It operates under Ministry of MSME. It has recently, launched hand made use and throw paper slippers and also khadi baby wear slippers., About Khadi baby wear, For the first time, the KVIC has introduced baby wear produce. The Khadi baby wear can be used by babies, up to two years. It is made of hand-woven khadi cotton. The cotton is of supreme quality. It is skin friendly, and breathable. As it is created using natural fibres, it is eco – friendly. No harmful dyes or chemical, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 129

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , treatment are used in preparing the baby wear., Use and throw Paper Slippers, The product was launched to support the handmade paper industry. The launch will strengthen traditional, art in the country. It will generate employment for the artisans. The slippers are made of thick and soft, paper board. These boards are handmade. This is a new product. And therefore, is expected to be, welcomed by the consumers., Features of Use and Throw Paper slippers, These slippers were developed for the first time. They are 100% eco – friendly and cost – effective. They, are best suited to be used in homes, hospitals, hotels, laboratories. They are available in two types. They, are slip – on and flip flop., Why were the products introduced?, To diversify the product range, to increase the consumption of Khadi fabric and also to generate income for, the Khadi artisans., Manufacturing Units of the Products, The paper slipper manufacturing unit is to be established near Kashi Vishwanath Temple on Makar, Sankranti. It is meant for devotees entering the temple. The price of the slippers is Rs 50. The idea of paper, slippers came up after PM Modi visited the temple. When the PM visited the temple, he learnt that people, work on barefoot in the temple. This is because rubber and leather products are forbidden in temple, premises., , AI- driven Start-Up for Water Purification, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh launched Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven Start-Up for water purification, through innovative technology., Key Points, AI driven start-up for water purification has been developed by an IIT Alumni., The start-up was launched with the aim of providing clean drinking water at a lesser price, as, opposed the market price., Signing of a MoU, The Technology Development Board (a statutory body of Science & Technology department) also signed a, MoU with M/s Swajal Water Private Limited which is a tech Start Up company founded by ex-IITians. The, company focuses on innovative technologies for making reliable clean drinking water accessible to, communities at affordable prices. Their project on IoT has enabled the use of “Solar Water Purification Unit”, for villages, slums, and High Utility Areas., Who extended financial support?, Financial support was extended to “Swajal” by Technology Development Board., Ministry’s Support, Ministry of science and Technology is committed towards reaching to potential small and viable start-ups, with skill and talent pool. However, they lacking resources., Way Ahead to clean drinking water, According to union minister, Centre’s initiatives such as National Rural Drinking Water Programme, (NRDWP) and Jal Jeevan Mission has been contributing towards clean drinking water objective. But, Private Sector should also come forward with state-of-the-art tech solutions for covering around 14, Crore households where clean drinking water has not yet reached., Within two years of the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission, more than four crore families are getting water, from taps., Heli-borne survey technology– It was launched for groundwater management. The technology was, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 130

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , developed by CSIR-NGRI Hyderabad in collaboration with the union minister for Jal Shakti. States of, Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat, and Haryana are being taken up for this survey., Clairvoyant– This system uses artificial intelligence for optimizing purification systems and, predicting future breakdowns. Thus, it allows to manage system remotely, update, and repair each, system in real time., Water ATMS– Clean drinking water solutions in Water ATMS have also been developed. It combines, Internet of Things technology with solar energy for providing clean drinking water., , What is 'Purposive testing strategy?, The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) issued new guidelines on “Purposive Testing Strategy”,, amid rising cases of covid-19 cases., What is Purposive Testing Strategy?, ICMR issued guidelines on who needs to get tested for the infection, and who doesn’t., As per the guidelines, asymptomatic individuals, and contacts of Covid patients are not required to be, tested unless identified as “high-risk individuals” based on co-morbidities or age., It also mentioned that at-risk contacts of patients would be person aged above 60 years and, individuals with co-morbidities such as chronic lung or kidney disease, diabetes, hypertension,, malignancy and obesity., People undertaking “inter-state domestic travel are also not required to get tested., Which people need to be tested?, 1. In community settings, following people need to be tested:, Symptomatic individuals, At-risk contacts (elderly and individual with co-morbidity) of laboratory confirmed cases., Individuals undertaking international travel., International travellers arriving at Indian airports or sea-ports or ports of entries., 2. In hospital settings, following guidelines have to be followed:, Testing may be undertaken as per discretion of the treating doctor., Emergency procedure (surgeries, deliveries etc) should not be delayed for lack of a test., Patients should not be referred to other facilities, in case there is lack of testing facility., Asymptomatic patients undergoing surgical or non-surgical invasive procedures or pregnant women, in or near labour, should not be tested unless symptoms develop., What are the Modes of testing?, As per ICMR, testing can be undertaken through RT-PCR, CBNAAT, True Nat, CRISPR, RT-LAMP, Rapid, Molecular Testing Systems or Rapid Antigen Test. Home or Self-Test and Molecular Test should be, considered confirmatory, without any repeat testing. Symptomatic individuals, who are testing negative on, home/self-test or RAT should undertake RT-PCR test., Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), ICMR is the apex body for formulating, coordinating and promoting biomedical research. It is one among the, oldest and largest medical research bodies worldwide. The body is funded by Indian Government, through, Department of Health Research under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare., , India-US Bilateral Trade- Recent Trends, As a part of bilateral deal, India has agreed to allow import of pork and pork products from the US. The deal, would also facilitate for exporting Indian mangoes and pomegranate to the US., Key Points, This decision was taken months after government from both the countries renewed the India-US, Trade Policy forum (TPF)., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 131

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , With the renewal of India US Trade Policy Forum (TPF), both the countries agreed to iron out issues, including market access pertaining to the agriculture sector., World Largest pork producer of pork, In 2020, US was the third-largest pork producer and second-largest exporter, worldwide, Global sales of, these products valued at $7.7 billion. In the year 2021, US exported around $1.6 billion of agricultural, products to India., Export of Mangoes, Under the bilateral trade deal, India will start exporting mangoes. Export will start with Alphonso variant to, the US in March, 2020. Under the signed framework agreement, both the countries will follow a joint, protocol on irradiation for mango & pomegranate exports from India to the US and import of Alfalfa hay and, cherries from the US., Previous exports, In the financial year 2018, India had exported 800 MT of mangoes to US. Mangoes were worth $2.75 million,, in terms of value. In FY19, 951 MT mangoes and in FY20, 1095 MT mangoes were exported. As per, estimates, export of mangoes in 2022 is likely to surpass the figures in 2019-20., India-US Bilateral Trade, Bilateral trade between India and US was at USD 88.75 billion in 2019-20. USA is among few countries with, which India maintain a trade surplus. The trade surplus with USA increased to USD 17.42 billion in 2019-20,, as compared to 16.86 billion in 2018-19. India was sixth largest supplier of services imports for USA,, because of India’s large market, economic growth, and progress towards development., What are the Issues in bilateral trade?, Both the countries highlight the issue of tariff and non-tariff barriers besides, multiple regulations, and practices that disadvantage foreign companies., Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) Programme– Under this programme, USA decided to, withdraw duty-free benefits for Indian exporters., For India, USA’s temporary visa policies is another issue. This policy affects Indian nationals working, in USA., They also have different opinion on how to balance IP protection, in order to incentivize innovation, and support other policy goals., , Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar (SVP) 2021 – 2022, Subhas Sarkar, Minister of State for Education, Subhas Sarkar, launched the Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar, (SVP) 2021 – 2022, in virtual mode on January 12, 2022., Key Points, While launching the awards, the minister highlighted the importance of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, in Schools because it plays a significant role in deciding the learning outcomes, health of students,, attendance, and dropout rate., He also noted, the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in schools will help in securing, healthy school environment and protects children from illness & exclusion., What is the purpose of Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar?, The Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar help in recognising, inspiring and awarding the schools, that have, undertaken exemplary work pertaining to water, sanitation and hygiene. The award also provides a, benchmark and roadmap for schools for make further improvements in future., When was Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar instituted?, The Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar was first instituted in 2016-17 with the objective of creating self-motivation, and awareness on sanitation., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 132

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Who instituted the Puraskar?, Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar was first instituted by Department of School Education & Literacy., Which Schools can take part?, The Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar 2021-22 is open to all categories of schools, ranging from Government,, Government aided and Private schools across both rural and urban areas., How will schools be assessed?, The schools will be assessed by an online portal & mobile app across 6 sub-categories1. Water, 2. Hand Washing with soap, 3. Sanitation, 4. Operation & Maintenance, 5. Capacity Building and Behaviour Change, 6. COVID-19 Preparedness and Response., The online portal will generate the overall score and rating automatically., Five-star rating system, Schools will be awarded at the District, State and National level on the basis of an internationally recognized, five-star rating system. School will also receive a certificate of participation, which will mention their, category-wise scores and overall rating. It will thus help in promoting sustainable practices of improved, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene across schools. This year, 40 schools will be selected under overall category, at, the National level., Award Money, Under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme, award money has been increased this year from Rs. 50,000 to Rs., 60,000 per school. Furthermore, 6 sub-category wise awards have been introduced for the first time., Schools will get an award money of Rs. 20,000/- per school, sub-category wise., , Indu Malhotra Panel, On January 12, 2022, the Supreme Court appointed an inquiry committee headed by former judge, Justice Indu Malhotra to probe the Prime Minister Narendra Modi security breach in Punjab on January 5., Highlights, While setting up the inquiry committee, the bench headed by CJI and including Justices Surya Kant &, Hima Kohli noted that, this matter cannot be left to one-sided enquiries., The bench emphasised that, matter must be looked into by a judicially trained mind in a bid to submit, a comprehensive report for court’s consideration., Before that, SC had also ordered the Punjab and Haryana HC Registrar General to seize and secure all, records related to the PM’s security on visit and keep them in safe custody. Now, all the records will, be hand over to Justice Indu Malhotra., About the Inquiry Committee, The Inquiry committee has been set by supreme court to look into who is responsible for the security, breach. Committee will also suggest safeguards, which are necessary for security of the PM and, Constitutional functionaries., Members of the Committee, Inquiry Committee will be headed by Justice Indu Malhotra., It will also include the Registrar General of Punjab and Haryana Court., Director General of National Investigation Agency or an officer nominated by him, who is not below, the rank of Inspector General, ADGP (Security) of Punjab Police., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 133

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Background, The supreme court reserved orders on a plea by Delhi-based ‘Lawyer’s Voice’ on January 10. The plea, sought a probe into PM security breach and action against the Chief Secretary and Director General of, Police, Punjab for the security gap., What was the security breach?, On January 5, 2022, PM and his convoy had remained stuck on a flyover while they were heading towards, Hussainiwala for around 20 minutes because of protests during his visit., , UK HS2: Discovery of Roman trading settlement, HS2 archaeologists recently uncovered a wealthy Roman trading settlement near a village in South, Northamptonshire., Highlights, The team of around 80 archaeologists from MOLA Headland Infrastructure, are involved in excavating, an Iron Age village, The iron village was developed into a wealthy Roman trading settlement., Presence of an archaeological site in this area has been known since 18th century., Original use of settlement, Original use of the settlement started in the Iron Age. Then this village was formed of over 30, roundhouses. These houses have been uncovered alongside an Iron Age Road., The site is known as Black grounds, because black soil is found there., It is located near the villages of Edgcote and Chipping Warden., These houses are believed to have been established in 400 BC., Settlement was developed into a wealthy Roman trading town., Expansion of settlement, Discovery highlights that, settlement expanded over time. It became more prosperous during the Roman, period, with the construction of new stone buildings and roads. Team have uncovered a 10m wide Roman, road, which is described as exceptional in its size., Other Findings, HS2 archaeologists also found evidence of kilns, workshops, fiery red-coloured earth and several, “beautifully preserved wells”., It indicates that activities of bread-making and metal work occurred in that time., They also found coins, glass vessels, jewellery, highly decorative pottery, and evidence of make-up., Traces of the mineral galena, lead sulphide, was found. This substance was crushed and mixed with, oil as make-up., Roman Empire, Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. It comprised of large territorial holdings, around the Mediterranean Sea in Europe, Western Asia and Northern Africa., , U.K-India Free-trade deal Talks, On January 13, 2022, UK government announced the launch of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with, India., Key Facts, This move is being described as a golden opportunity, of putting British businesses at the front of, Indian economy., FTA is likely to take UK’s historic partnership with India to the next level., With this FTA, sectors like Scotch whisky, financial services and cutting-edge renewable technology, are set to benefit., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 134

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , India-UK FTA is believed to create huge benefits for both countries. It has the potential to boost, bilateral trade by GBP 28 billion a year by 2035., The deal will also help in increasing the wages by GBP 3 billion across the UK., First round of negotiations, The first round of negotiations is likely to start in January 2022 only. British government would make this, round, UK’s quickest start of formal talks between negotiating teams., What is an FTA?, Under the FTA, two trading partners significantly reduce or eliminate the import duties on maximum number, of goods traded between them., India-UK Bilateral Trade, India has a strong historical tie with the UK. Presently, UK is one of the most important trading partners of, India. UK is significant for India as an FDI investor, after Mauritius and Singapore which have been ranked, second and first respectively. Among G20 countries, UK is also one among the largest investors in India., Bilateral trade between both the countries was 15.5 billion USD in 2019-20 as opposed to 16.87 USD billion, in 2018-19., What are the significant sectors?, India engages with the UK in sectors including textiles, pharma, leather, furniture, industrial machinery, and, toys. India is further looking to the UK to support it with technology-based products like medical devices,, automobiles and high-quality cameras., , Record High US Inflation, On January 12, 2022, the Labour Department in United States (US) reported that consumer prices increased, to 7% in December 2021 as compared to 12 months earlier, that is December 2020., Highlights, The jump in the consumer prices was hottest year-over-year inflation since June 1982., The core inflation also increased to 5.5% in past year, in fastest pace since 1991. It excluded the, volatile energy and food prices., Bacon prices have increased to 19%, as compared to year 2020., Men’s coats and suits prices have increased by 11%, living & dining room furniture by 17%, while, renting a car by 36%, as compared to December 2020., What are the causes of spike in inflation?, Major surge is a result of healthy economic trends., Amid the pandemic in 2020, the economy was paralyzed and lockdowns were imposed. Businesses, were closed or cut hours. Consumers were inside home as a health precaution while employers, slashed 22 million jobs., As a result, economic output reached to 31% annual rate in April-June quarters. Companies cut the, investment and Restocking was postponed. Thus, economy moved towards recession., When it will last?, Increased consumer price inflation is likely to endure as long as companies struggle to meet the, consumers’ demand., How is it affecting consumers?, Though, strong job market is increasing wages, but is not enough to compensate for higher prices. As per, Labor Department, hourly earnings for all private-sector employees had decreased to 1.7% in November, 2021. But as an exception, after-inflation wages increased by 14% for hotel workers and 7% for restaurant, employees., , © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 135

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Rise in Banking Ombudsman complaints, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released its “Annual Report of the Ombudsman Schemes for the year, 2020-21”, highlighting a rise in Banking Ombudsman complaints., Key Findings of the report, During April 2020-March 2021, report witnessed a 22.27 per cent increase in number of complaints, under various ombudsman schemes., ATM & debit cards, mobile banking and credit cards accounted for major chunk of the complaints., During this period, volume of complaints stands at 4,04,143., Chandigarh, Kanpur and Delhi received the maximum number of complaints., Major areas of complaints, Under the scheme, major areas of complaints are related to ATM or debit cards, mobile or electronic, banking and credit cards. This area collectively accounted for 42.74 per cent of the total complaints., This year, RBI changed the reporting period to April-March., Complaints related to credit cards, direct selling agents (DSAs) and failure to meet commitments, have increased during July 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021 as opposed to July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020, period., City with maximum complaints, RBI data further highlights that, Chandigarh received the maximum complaints during the same, period. Total number of complaints stand at 28019. It accounts for 10.26 per cent of the total, complaints., Chandigarh is followed by Kanpur with 21,168 complaints and New Delhi with 18,767 complaints., Kanpur accounts for 7.75 per cent and Delhi accounts for 6.87 per cent of the total complaints., Zonal complaints, North zone accounted for maximum share of complaints, that is 43.10 per cent, in 2020-21., It is followed by West zone with 24.35 per cent of the complaints., South zone with 19.18 per cent of the complaints and, East zone with 13.37 per cent of the total complaints., With respect to terms of complaints growth, West zone registered the highest year-on-year growth, with 13.51 per cent. It is followed by North zone with 12.65 per cent, East zone with 9.00 per cent, while South zone with 4.73 per cent growth., , Kumbalangi: First sanitary-napkin-free panchayat, Kumbalangi village in Cochin is all set to become India’s first sanitary-napkin-free panchayat., Key Points, The village has previously won acclaim as India’s first model tourism village., This move is a part of ‘Avalkayi’ initiative, which is being implemented in the Ernakulam parliamentary, constituency, in association with “Thingal Scheme” of HLL Management Academy’s and Indian Oil, Corporation., Avalkayi Initiative, Under this initiative, menstrual cups will be distributed to women aged 18 and above in Kumbalangi village., 5000 menstrual cups will be distributed under it., Model Village, In the same event, Governor will also declare Kumbalangi village as a model village. The model village, project is implemented as a part of ‘Pradhan Mantri Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (PM-SAGY)’. A new tourist, information center will also be set up in the village., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 136

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , About Kumbalangi, Kumbalangi is an island village, located in the outskirts of Kochi city of Kerala. It is a major tourist, attraction and is famous for the Chinese fishing nets. It is situated amidst backwaters, about 12 km from, the city center. The village is also the first eco-tourism village in India. The village is having an area of 16, km2 and is located about 15 km from Ernakulam Junction railway station. Cochin International Airport is, around 40 kms from it., What is the main occupation in Kumbalangi?, Main occupation in Kumbalangi is fishing. There are more than 100 Chinese nets in the backwaters, facing, the village. Mangroves separate the land from the water, that provides a breeding ground for prawns,, oysters, crabs, and small fishes. Kumbalangi is home to fishermen, toddy tappers, farmers, labourers, and, coir spinners., Kumbalangi Integrated Tourism Village project, This project seeks to transform the tiny island of Kumbalangi into a model fishing village and tourism spot., Project is being implemented by panchayat (village council) while state government is providing financial, assistance. This project was started in 2003 to help the local people, economy and locality through tourism., , Gulabo: India's oldest sloth bear, On January 10, 2022, India’s oldest sloth bear, named Gulabo, died at the Van Vihar National Park and Zoo, in Bhopal. The bear was aged 40., Highlights, The female sloth bear was one of the star attractions of this park., She was rescued from a Madaari or street performer, when she was 25-year-old, in May 2006., Autopsy report mention the cause of death as failure of internal organs because of old age., She was cremated by park staffers, as per the norms., Which institute take care of sloth bears?, At Van Vihar, Wild Life (SOS) Institute takes care of the health and upkeep of sloth bears., The sloth bears, The sloth bears are scientifically known as Melursus ursinus. They are a myrmecophagous bear species,, which are native to the Indian subcontinent. They feed on fruits, ants and termites. They have been listed in, Vulnerable category on the IUCN Red List, because of degradation and habitat loss., Why are they called labiated bear?, The bear is also called as “labiated bear” because of their long lower lip and palate, which they use for, sucking up insects., What are other features of the bear?, They have a long, shaggy fur and a mane around the face. They also have long and sickle-shaped claws. The, bears are lankier than brown and Asian black bears. They share the features of insectivorous mammals., Breeding Season, Sloth bears breed during spring and early summer while give birth near the start of the winter., Habitat of the bears, The global range of sloth bear includes India, temperate climatic zones of Bhutan & Sri Lanka and Terai, region of Nepal. They occur in a wide range of habitats ranging from moist and dry tropical forests,, scrublands, savannahs, and grasslands below 1,500 m on the Indian subcontinent. They are also found, below 300 m in dry forests of Sri Lanka. However, they are regionally extinct in Bangladesh., , Vulnerable Witness Deposition Centre (VWDC) Scheme, The Supreme Court has directed the High Courts of the country to provide an estimate of manpower, required to create Vulnerable Witness Deposition Centre (VWDC) scheme in their states within three, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 137

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , months. It has introduced new definitions to the vulnerable victims., Who are vulnerable victims?, The Supreme Court has included the sexually assaulted victims in the vulnerable witnesses. The other, vulnerable victims are as follows:, Gender neutral victims of sexual assault, Witnesses under threat perception. These witnesses are those included under the Witness Protection, Scheme of the Union launched by the Central Government in 2018., Witnesses suffering from mental illness as defined in mental health care act, Hearing impaired or speech impaired individuals, Person suffering from other disabilities as defined by the courts, Sexual assault victims as defined by Section 377 of IPC, About the VWDC Centre, The centre will create a safe environment to record the statements of the vulnerable victims. Under the, scheme, the high courts should establish a VWDC committee. The need to establish these centres were, pending before the court for two decades., Key Features of the scheme, Training programmes to manage the VWDC centre are to be conducted. The training will be provided, for staff, bench and bar. The initial tenure of the chairperson of the VWDC committee will be two, years., At least One VWDC centre should be established in one district., In places where the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centres are located within the court premises, or in close distance to the courts, the VWDC centres shall be located within the ADR centres., It asked the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development to appoint a nodal officer coordinate, the implementation of the scheme., Some HC already have VWDCs. Such HC shall make necessary modifications., Earlier definition of Vulnerable Victims, Before, the Supreme Court had defined the vulnerable victims as those who are under the age of 18 years,, witnesses suffering from mental illness and sexual assault victims. This time, the definition has been made, wider by including victims under serious threats., , Bio-Restoration of Art Works, The Art restoration processes use laser techniques and chemicals to remove oil, dirt, glue and pollutants, from stone works, monuments and paintings. But after 1980s, they have been using microorganisms., Microorganisms to remove dirt, Researchers first used Desulfovibrio vulgaris bacteria to clean a marble monument. The monument was, obtained from Cave Hill Cemetery located in Louisville, US., In 2013, the same Desulfovibrio vulgaris was used to recover the artwork called “Allegory of Death”. This, was recovered from an English cemetery in Florence., Florence Mysteries, The Florence city is located in Italy. It holds many masterpieces of renaissance. Several master art works in, Florence were recovered using bacteria. They are as follows:, A researcher team in Florence washed away the dirt in the hair of a marble statue. This was done with the, help of Pseudomonas stutzeri bacteria. The P stutzeri bacteria have been cleaning a range of monuments,, granite slabs, historic bridges and chapel walls in Spain. It was also used to restore Church of Santos, Juanes in Spain and Camposanto Monumentale in Italy. These monuments belong to 17th century. The P, stutzeri bacteria was used clean the Triumph of Death fresco. This cemetery at Campo Santo was bombed, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 138

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , during second world war., Rhodococcus bacteria is used to clean the oil, casting mould and glue., Working of the Bio restoration process, The cleaning of art works using microorganisms is done in different ways. This includes immersion of, portable monuments in solutions with bacterial cells, using delivery mediums such as carbogel, sepiolite,, cotton, hydrobiogel. Before applying to the monuments, these bacteria are grown in different media., Grime Eating Bacteria, The bacteria used in the process of artwork restoration are called grim eating bacteria. The Archaeological, Survey of India is looking for options to employ these bacteria to restore the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal, suffers from discoloration due to pollution. Scientists believe that calcifying bacteria can be used on Taj., , S Somnath-New Chairman of ISRO, Dr S Somnath is to become the new chairman of ISRO. He is to succeed K Sivan. He is the fourth Keralite to, occupy the top most place in ISRO. The previous Keralites were K Radhakrishnan, Madhavan Nair and K, Kasturirangan., About Sivan and his extension, Somnath was nominated way back in 2019. He was nominated based on his seniority. However, the term of, Sivan was extended for one year., About Somnath, Somnath completed his college pre – degree in Maharaja College, Ernakulam. He studied his engineering in, TKM College of Engineering. He joined the VSSC centre in 1985. HE completed his master’s in Indian, Institute of Science in aerospace engineering., Works in ISRO, He was associated with PSLV project in its early phases. Under his leadership, the experimental test, flight of LVM3-X/CARE was completed., In 2010, he became the Associate Director of ISRO., He was the project director of GSLV Mk – III, In 2014, he acted as the Deputy Director of Propulsion and space Ordinance Entity, In 2015, he was made the director of Liquid propulsion system centre at Valiamala,, Thiruvananthapuram., Currently he is the Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)., Somnath’s Appointment, He was appointed by the personnel ministry. He is to act as the director of ISRO for three years. Later his, tenure will be extended based on public interest. Somnath has specialised in structural design, launch, vehicle system engineering, structural dynamics, mechanism design, pyrotechnics., About Chairman of ISRO, The chairman of ISRO is the secretary to the Government of India. He is an executive of Department of, Space. The Department reports to the prime minister directly. Vikram Sarabhai is the longest serving, chairman of ISRO. He served for 12 years. In 1962, he urged Nehru to establish INCOSPAR (Indian National, Committee for Space Research) under Department of Atomic Energy. INCOSPAR became ISRO in 1969., , Russia: White Swan Strategic Missile Bomber, The Russian defence forces recently unveiled a new Tupolev Tu-160M. It is a missile bomber. It is also, known as “White Swan”., About White Swan, The White Swan can fly at an altitude of 600 metres. The bomber has been designed to carry nuclear, war heads. It is one of the most heaviest supersonic miliary aircraft., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 139

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , The White Swan has been unveiled while Russia – NATO tensions are at the peak due to Ukraine, crisis., It can carry 34 tonnes of load. The bomber can deliver 24 cruise missiles. It can trace 14,000 km, without refuelling., The machine can be in the sky for more than a day during combat duties., How is White Swan related to Ukraine crisis?, The White Swans are the remodelled Tu-160. The Tu-160 was developed by Soviet Union. After, disintegration of Soviet Union in 1991, the 194th regiment remained with Ukraine. And so did some of the, Tu-160 missile carriers. These carriers stood idle for several years. In 1998, US companies cut the missile, carriers to be used as scrap metal. Now amidst tensions, Russia is unveiling an advanced version of Tu-160,, that is, Tupolev Tu-160, that is, White Swan or Black Jack., Key Features, It is a supersonic bomber. It is the largest and heaviest Mach 2+ military bomber built in the world., It was designed by Tupolev and built by Kazan Aircraft Production Association., White Swan is a heavy bomber, It is capable of delivering largest payload. They have the longest range. The heavy bombers were, superseded by the strategic bombers in the latter half of 20th century., NATO Reporting Name: Black Jack, The NATO reporting names are the names of military equipment of China, Russia and Eastern Bloc. Eastern, Bloc are Russia and other countries of Warsaw Pact. They provide easy English names to the military, equipment designed by these countries. The NATO Reporting Name of White Swan is Black Jack., , January 15, 2022, Kenya Transmission Project, Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd signed a joint development agreement with Africa50, to continue to, develop “Kenya Transmission Project” in public-private partnership mode., Kenya Transmission Project, Kenya Transmission Project provides for the development, construction, financing, and operation of, “400kV Lessos – Loosuk” and “220kV Kisumu – Musaga” transmission lines., This project is going to be the first independent power transmission (IPT) in Kenya, once completed., It will also set a reference point in Africa as the first financing of transmission lines in PPP mode., It will improve the supply and reliability of power transmission in Western Kenya as well as create a, demonstration effect to help in increasing private sector investments in expansion of power, transmission networks in Africa. This expansion would ultimately help in bridging the electricity, access gap in the continent., How PPP mode will work?, Under the PPP mode, State-run Power Grid will provide technical and operational know-how for the project,, while Africa50 will provide its project development and finance expertise. Africa 50 will also act as a bridge, between private investors and the Kenyan government., Why Transmission matters?, Transmission plays a significant role in bringing efficiency in entire electricity supply chain. A robust, transmission network imparts reliability & security to the electricity grid as well as allows nondiscriminatory access for the buyers and sellers., About Africa50, Africa 50 is an infrastructure investment platform, involved in developing and investing in infrastructure, projects. It catalyses public sector capital, and mobilises private sector funding. It currently has 31, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 140

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , shareholders and comprises of 28 African countries besides Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO),, African Development Bank and Bank Al-Maghrib., Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, It is an Indian statutory corporation, established under the parent head Ministry of Power. It is, headquartered in Gurugram. The organisation engages in transmission of bulk power across different, states in India. It transmits around 50% of the total power generated in India., , BARC News Channel Ratings, Information & Broadcasting Ministry asked the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC India) to, resume “news channel ratings” with immediate effect., Key Facts, Ministry has asked to release of viewership data of news channels as well as to release the last three, months data of news channels in monthly format., As per ministry, reporting of viewership data of news and niche genres will be done on the basis of, ‘four week rolling average concept’., When and why were ratings paused?, BARC India had stopped releasing news channel TV ratings data in October 2020. It was stopped in the, backdrop of Mumbai police investigation around rigging of viewership data., Revision of Process, BARC has revised its processes, oversight mechanisms and protocols., It has initiated changes in governance structure in-line with TRP committee report and TRAI, recommendations., It has also initiated reconstitution of its board and technical committee for inducting independent, members., Furthermore, BARC has formulated a permanent oversight committee and has also revamped access, protocols of data., Revised System, According to revised system, reporting of News and Niche Genres will be on a ‘four week rolling average, concept’., Working Group, Ministry has also set up a ‘Working Group’ under the Chairmanship of Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar, Vempati. The working group will look into leveraging return path data capabilities for TV viewership data, service, based on recommendation of TRAI and TRP Committee Report., Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), BARC India is a joint industry body. It was founded by organisations representing Indian broadcasters (IBF),, advertising and media agencies (AAAI) and advertisers (ISA). It is the largest television measurement, science industry body worldwide. It uses audio watermark technology for measuring viewership of TV, channels. It also measures time-shifted viewing. BARC was incorporated in 2010. It is headquartered in, Mumbai, India., Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), TRAI is a regulatory body, set up in accordance with section 3 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Act, 1997. The body regulates the telecommunications sector in India. It comprises of a chairperson, two, full-time members and two part-time members., , Cryogenic Engine Test for Gaganyaan, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted the qualification test of cryogenic, engine for Gaganyaan programme on January 12, 2022., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 141

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Key Points, The test was conducted for 720 seconds at ISRO Propulsion Complex, in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu., Performance of the engine met with the test objectives and parameters of the engine closely matched, with predictions during entire duration of the test., This engine will be tested for four more times, for a cumulative duration of 1810 seconds., Following this, one more engine will undergo two short-duration tests and one long-duration test, in a, bid to complete cryogenic engine qualification for Gaganyaan Programme., Significance of the test, Successful long-duration test is a significant milestone for Human Space Programme Gaganyaan., The test ensures the reliability and robustness of cryogenic engine for induction into human-rated, launch vehicle for Gaganyaan., Gaganyaan Mission, Gaganyaan Mission has been planned by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Under the, Gaganyaan Mission,, 1. Three flights will be sent into orbit., 2. Out of 3, two will be unmanned flights while one human spaceflight., Orbital Module: The Gaganyaan system module is dubbed as Orbital Module. The module will have, three Indian astronauts, including a woman., Gaganyaan would circle the Earth for 5-7 days, at a low-earth-orbit at an altitude of 300-400 km from, earth., Payloads under the Mission, Payload under the Gaganyaan mission consists of:, 1. Crew module – A spacecraft to carry human beings., 2. Service module – It is powered by two liquid propellant engines and will be equipped with emergency, mission abort and emergency escape., 3. Launch– Gaganyaan would be launched aboard the GSLV Mk III, also dubbed as LVM-3 (Launch, Vehicle Mark-3)). It is a three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle., Training of the candidates, Human Space Flight Centre of the ISRO and Russian government-owned Glavkosmos signed an agreement, to train the candidates, their selection and conduct their medical examination. During the training period,, candidates are studying the systems of Soyuz manned spaceship in detail. Soyuz is a spacecraft of Russia,, which carries people and supplies to space station., , World's largest Khadi National Flag, On January 15, 2022, world’s largest national flag, made of Khadi fabric will be put to display, to celebrate, the “Army Day”., Key Points, It will be displayed at Longewala, along the India – Pakistan Border in Jaisalmer., Longewala was the centre stage of historic battle of 1971 between India and Pakistan., It will be the fifth public display of the Khadi flag., About the Monumental National Flag, The Monumental National Flag is 225 feet long and 150 feet wide. It is approximately 1400 kgs in weight., 70 khadi artisans prepared this flag in 49 days. Its making has created about 3500 man-hours of additional, work for Khadi artisans and allied workers. 4500 meters of hand-woven, hand-spun, Khadi cotton bunting, has been used to make the flag. It covers an area of 33, 750 square feet. The Ashok Chakra in the flag has a, diameter of 30 feet., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 142

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , 5th display of the flag, This will be the 5th public display of the National Flag, after it was first unveiled in Leh on October 2,, It was displayed later at Hindon Airbase to mark the Air Force Day on October 8, 2021 and at Red Fort, on October 21, 2021, marking the completion of 100 crore Covid-19 vaccinations across India., Furthermore, it was displayed at the Naval Dockyard near Gateway of India in Mumbai, on December, 4, 2021, to celebrate Navy Day., Why is the Monumental National Flag significant?, Monumental National Flag symbolizes the collective spirit of Indian-ness as well as the heritage artisanal, craft of Khadi., Who have conceptualized the flat?, The flag has been conceptualized and prepared by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), for, celebrating ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’. Flag has been handed over to the Defence forces by KVIC, for, displaying it at prominent places on historic occasions., Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), KVIC is a statutory body, created in April 1957 in accordance with the ‘Khadi and Village Industries, Commission Act of 1956′. It is an organisation under Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises. The, organisation seeks to plan, promote, organise, facilitate and assist in establishment and development of, khadi & village industries across rural areas in association with other agencies involved in rural, development., , Pakistan's National Security Policy (NSP), Pakistan launched its first-ever National Security Policy (NSP) on January 14, 2022., Highlights, With this launch, Pakistan makes it imperative to deter war and defend its territorial integrity and, sovereignty by using all elements of national power, at all costs., The NSP 2022-26 has been framed after seven years of rigorous analysis and diligent, with references, to India., National Security Division led the consultations to frame the policy., Public version of the NSP, The 110-page NSP document will remain classified. But a shorter, about 50-page version of NSP is, being published. The shorter version will provide an insight into overall vision and direction of, Pakistan’s national security., Section V of the NSP provides an insight into traditional concept of security and efforts made by, policymakers for dealing with various threats., NSP guidelines mandates to deter war by all elements of national power, while exercising “right to, self-defence”, in case war is imposed., It asks to deter any aggression by maintaining a cost-effective and adaptive military, which is focused, on modernisation and optimisation of force structures., Guiding principle of the NSP, The guiding principle of NSP reads as “Ensure the defence and territorial integrity of Pakistan in all their, manifestations.”, Objective of the policy, The cardinal objective of the policy is to “defend Pakistan’s territorial integrity at all costs”. The policy, provides that, it is possible by having conventional capability and full-spectrum deterrence., Reference to India, In reference to India, policy says that; prospects of violent conflict have grown over time, ‘with a regressive, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 143

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , and dangerous ideology which is gripping the collective conscience in immediate neighbourhood. NSP, warns that Pakistan is committed towards defending its territorial integrity against any military, misadventure., NSP on nuclear capability, According to NSP, nuclear deterrence occupies a critical role in security calculus of South Asia., Hybrid Warfare, As per policy, hybrid warfare is an evolving concept having expanding and blurring boundaries. In Pakistan,, hybrid threats originate from states & their proxies and from non-state actors., , Army Day 2022, 74th Indian Army Day is being celebrated in India on January 15, 2022., Highlights, Indian Army Day is celebrated to honour soldiers of the armed forces in India, for their selfless, service., The day is celebrated at all army command offices across India as well as the headquarters in New, Delhi., Why is the day marked on January 15?, The day is marked on January 15, every year because on this day Lieutenant General KM Cariappa was, appointed to the post in 1949. He became the first Indian to head the forces. Since then, this day has, become a significant day for Indian history. It was the first time an Indian soldier took reigns of the armed, forces., How is the day celebrated?, Indian Army Day marks the celebration of not only the brave soldiers, but also marks the transfer of, power from British rule to India., On this day, a grand parade is organised at Cariappa parade ground in Delhi cantonment., The salute of this parade is usually taken by Indian Army Chief. Thus, in 2022, General Manoj Mukund, Naravane will make the salute on the occasion., Apart from this, the Day also involves a showcase of all the weapons in Indian Army arsenal. The, latest kind of weapons, helicopters, drones, etc are displayed with great pride., In 2022, latest weapons that were acquired, indigenously-developed and imported, will be showcased., Latest additions on display include- 155mm Soltum Gun, BLT T-72 ‘Bharat Rakshak’ tank, and, BrahMos Missiles., Bravery Awards, Bravery awards including unit credentials and Sena medals will also awarded in 2022, to mark the Indian, Army Day., New Camouflage Uniform, In 2022 celebration, all new camouflage uniform will also be showcased during the parade. The uniform has, been designed in partnership between Indian Army and National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT)., The Indian Army, Land based Indian Army is the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the, Supreme Commander of the Army. Indian Army is professionally headed by Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who, is a four-star general. Indian Army in its current form was founded on February 26, 1950., , First BrahMos Export Order, India and Philippines are expected to sign a $374.9 million deal in last week of January 2022, for ‘BrahMos, shore-based supersonic cruise missile systems’ supply., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 144

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Key Facts, This deal will be signed as part of Philippines’ plan to strengthen its defence amid territorial conflict, with China., The deal would involve an unspecified number of missiles & launchers, payment schedule, spare, parts, and delivery & training schedule., Prior to this, Philippines’ Department of National Defence published a ‘Notice of Award’, asking, BrahMos to sign the contract. This means, Philippines has accepted Indian proposal and is now, looking to sign the contract., To sign the deal, an Indian delegation is scheduled to visit Manila. With this deal, first export order for, the BrahMos cruise missile will be made, which has a range of 290 km., This deal is for shore-based variant of anti-ship missile system., It will help in boosting Philippines’ defence capability, in the backdrop of increasing Chinese, aggression., What was the recent conflict between China and Philippines?, Chinese coast guard ships had blocked and used water cannons on two supply boats of Philippines, in, November 2021. The ship was headed to a disputed shoal, that has been occupied by Filipino marines in, South China Sea. After this, Philippines government issued a warning that its vessels are covered under, Philippines-United States mutual defence treaty., Philippines Defence Preparedness, In March 2021, India and Philippines signed a key enabling pact, paving way for government-togovernment deals on defence equipment, including BrahMos., In December 2021, budget department of Philippines issued two “special allotment release, orders(SARO)”. worth Peso 1.3 billion and Peso 1.535 billion. SARO allows the Department of, National Defence of Philippines to finalise contracts for military hardware., India-Philippines BrahMos deal- Background, India and Philippines had been negotiating for BrahMos for the last few years. However, in December 2020,, it hit a roadblock. Philippines cited budgetary limitations due to Covid-19 pandemic. This deal is a part of, defence pact signed between both the countries in March 2021., , Vision India@2047, The Government of India is to finalize the 2047 plan by May 2022. The plan is being framed by a Sectoral, Group of Secretaries. That is, the sectaries are from ten different sectors. They will draw a plan that will, start by this decade., Aim of Vision India@2047, The aim of the vision is to create an action plan. Under the plan, a road map will be created for each sector., The execution of the plan is to begin this decade., Principle of the vision, The vision follows “Whole of country” or “Whole of Government” approach., The plan will build expertise within the government., It will leverage international capital, It will involve international expertise, It will involve experts from different fields to draw a “Future India” template, Priorities, The plan is to provide priority to the following:, To develop new age agriculture, Future – ready cities, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 145

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , To create an ecosystem that will facilitate emergence of Indian global champions, To leverage growing soft power of the country, What is New – Age agriculture?, It addresses the issues such as climate change, scarcity of water, lack of land availability and exploding, population. The New – Age agriculture increases crop productivity per field. It increases the use of modern, technology. It limits usage of water. It produces climate resilient crops. It also includes enhanced seeds,, farm equipment, etc. It uses end sensors and provides information about soil conditions, environmental, conditions and crop conditions., What are future – ready cities?, According to United Nations, more than five billion people are to live in cities by 2030. And cities occupy, only 3% of the total land on the earth. But they account to 60% to 80% of energy consumption. The future, ready cities are those that are prepared to face these conditions. Such cities encourage their urban, population to construct building upwards. They urge to switch towards electrical power and reduce carbon, emissions. They also encourage underground construction, climate resilient activities and construction., About the plan, The plan will benefit the 100th year of Indian independence. It will have targets that are to be completed in, 25 years. It will first free up foreign defence acquisitions that are made by India. It will make India self, reliant. It is to restructure the public sector banks. The plan is looking to merge three to four big banks. It, aims to develop semi – conductor complexes. The government processes are to be re – engineered. It will, eliminate the unnecessary interference made by the government on the lives of the citizens. On the science, and technology side, the plan is to build ten labs. The plan is to turn India in to a skill capital. It is develop at, least ten Indian Institutions and bring them among the top hundred in the world. The SGoS has been asked, to perform a gap analysis in government and private sector. The plan will mainly focus on ten sectors, What are the ten sectors?, The plan will focus on agriculture, urban landscape, infrastructure, defence, science and technology,, governance, banking, oil and gas, etc., , India’s State of Forest Report 2021, The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change recently released the State of Forest Report 2021., It is called the ISFR, 2021. The report says that there has been a continuous growth of forest cover in India., The current forest cover of India is 7,13,789 square kilometres., Increase in Forest Cover, In the last two years, the forest and tree cover has increased by 1,540 square kilometres., Around 21.71% of the land area is under forest cover. In 2019, it was 21.67%., Tree cover in the country has increased by 721 square kilometres. Tree cover is the patches of trees, in the land size less than one hectare. They occur outside forest area., State – wise forest cover, Telangana has shown the highest increase in forest cover of all the states. Here the forest cover has, increased by 3.07%. Followed by Telangana, in Andhra Pradesh, the forest cover has increased by, 2.22%. At the third place is the state of Odisha. In Odisha, the forest cover has increased by 1.04%., The increase in these states is due to agroforestry and plantation., The states with forest loss were Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya., The state with highest forest cover is Madhya Pradesh. It was followed by Arunachal Pradesh,, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra. This ranking is area – wise, that is, states holding largest, amount of forest land., The states with highest percentage of land cover of forest were Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh,, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 146

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland. This is percentage of forest land in the total land area of the, state., Mountainous states, Jammu and Kashmir lost very dense forest. It now has 4,155 square kilometres of very dense forest., In 2019, it had 4,270 square kilometres of very dense forest., The state of Himachal Pradesh forest area has increased by 9 square kilometres. However, the, moderately dense forest in the state has decreased., The Himalayan states such as Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Uttarakhand are, to record maximum increase in temperature mainly due to forest cover loss., The north eastern states are to face extreme rainfall due to forest cover loss., Mangroves, They have increased by 17 square kilometres. The total mangrove cover in India is 4,992 square kilometres., Forest Fires, In India, 35.46% of forest cover is prone to forest fires. Of this, 11.51% are highly prone, 7.85% are very, highly prone, 2.81% are extremely prone., Climate Change, 45% to 64% of forests in India are to experience climate change by 2030. The highly vulnerable climate hot, spots are all forests except those in Tripura, Meghalaya, Assam and Nagaland. Of all the forest areas,, Ladakh will be affected the most., Carbon Stock, The forests of India currently hold 7,204 million tonnes of carbon. This is referred to as forest carbon, stock. FOREST CARBON STOCK OF INDIA = 7,2014 million tonnes., The carbon stock is the atmospheric carbon that is currently sequestrated (held or stored or, captured). If the forests are destroyed, they will be released to the atmosphere., Bamboo Forest, The bamboo forest cover is 53,336 million stems or culms. It was 13,882 million stems in 2019., Decline in Natural Forest, The moderately dense forests have decreased by 1,582 square kilometre. These are the natural forests., However, the scrub area has increased by 5,320 square kilometre. This means the forest areas in these, regions are replaced by scrubs. This is an indicator to decline in forest area., The very dense forest has increased by 501 square kilometres., Decline in North East Forest Cover, The overall forest cover in this region has declined by 1,020 square kilometres. This is mainly due to, shifting agriculture, felling of trees, developmental activities., New Features of ISFR, 2021, For the first time, the ministry has included tiger corridors, tiger reserves and Gir forest., Tiger Reserves and Corridors, In the tiger corridors, the forest cover has increased by 37.15 square kilometre. This increase, happened between 2011 and 2021. It is 0.32%., In tiger reserves, the forest cover has decreased by 22.6 square kilometres. This is 0.04%., Between 2011 and 2021, forest cover has decreased in 32 tiger reserves and increased in 20 tiger, reserves., The tiger reserves showing increase in forest cover are Anamalai Tiger reserve in Tamil Nadu,, Indravati Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh, Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal., The tiger reserves showing the highest loss in forest cover are Sunderbans tiger reserve in West, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 147

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Begal, Kawal tiger reserve in Telangana and Bhadra Tiger Reserve in Karnataka., Definitions, Forest Area: It is the legal status of the land, Forest Cover: Presence of trees in the land, Very Dense Forest: Canopy Density>70%, Moderately Dense Forest: Canopy density – 40% to 70%, Open Forest: Canopy density – 10% to 40%, Scrubs: Canopy density – less than 10%, Canopy: It is the uppermost branch of the trees. They form continuous layer of foliage., What does the forest survey cover?, It covers “recorded forest area” and also other forest cover irrespective of ownership and land use., Recorded Forest area covers forests that are included in government records only. The forest survey, includes other forest covers apart from the recorded forest area. This may be private forest land, tea, estates, teak plantations, etc., , J&K Agricultural Land Regulations 2022, The Administration of Jammu and Kashmir recently notified Jammu and Kashmir Agricultural Land, (Conversion for Non-Agricultural Purposes) Regulations 2022., Legalities of the rules, The rules were notified under the Jammu and Kashmir Land Revenue Act, Samvat 1996., Rules, An agricultural land can be used for a non – agricultural purpose only after taking permission from, the district collector. The collector will have to get recommendations from the district level, committee., The party seeking permission has to deposit a requisite fee., The land shall be used only for the purpose included in the permit. It shall not be used for other, purposes., The applicant should start the work within one year of getting permission. Failing to do so, the, permission will lapse. The collector shall extend the permission after one year for unavoidable, reasons. However, the maximum limit to such permission is two years., The application shall be filed online in the exclusive portal., Process, After getting the application, the district collector forwards it to revenue field agencies. A copy of the, application should also be sent to power department, jal shakti department, National Highway of, India, irrigation flood control, airport authority, railway authority. All these departments should, provide” No Objection Certificate”., After receiving the No Objection Certificate, the collector holds a meeting with the District Level, Committee. The committee makes recommendations based on the genuineness of the claim made by, the project., About the District Level Committee, It meets on weekly basis. It notifies the general public about the project and its proceedings. It also notifies, the general public about the applicants. The committee should consider court cases filed against the, changes in land use., Role of district Collector, After taking the recommendations from the committee, the collector communicates the deficiencies of the, project with the applicant. He will also pass on the comments and decisions taken over the project. This is, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 148

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , done in a prescribed time frame. The time period to decide on an application is around 30 days., , Tearless Onions in UK, The tearless onions are called “Sunions”. It is to be sold in United Kingdom. These onions were produced by, cross breeding onion varieties that are less pungent., About Sunions, The Sunions are sweet onions. They are to be sold in the Waitrose supermarkets of UK. They are ideal for, those who have children or sensitive eyes. Sunions can be used in salads and also for cooking. These, onions sold in UK are grow in the United States. They are grown in Washington DC and Nevada. They are, crunchy and mild. The Sunions become sweeter day by day. They are brown in colour. The cost of Sunions, are thrice as that of the normal onions. They are not genetically modified., Why do eyes tear while cutting onions?, When cut, the onions produce syn – propanethial S – oxide. It is a chemical irritant. This chemical, causes the tears in the eyes. This S – oxide is a lachrymator. Lachrymator is tear producer., The sulfenic acid in the onions rearrange themselves to form the S – oxide when cut. The sulfenic, acid is highly unstable. When the onions are cut, the enzymes in the onions work to convert the amino, acids into lachrymator. More the cut or damage more are the irritants produced. Soaking onions in, water dissolves the amino acids in the onion., Lachrymal glands, The syn – propanethial S – oxide stimulates the lachrymal glands. The glands are located in the orbit above, the lateral end of the eyes. These glands are the creators of tears. The tears produced in the eyes actually, cleanses the eyes. It is fluid that lubricates and moistens the eyes., How are tears produced while cutting onions?, The S – Oxides generated in the onions when they are cut are highly volatile. They spread in the air when, onions are chopped. Volatile means gets vaporised easily., , Oxfam Report on 'Pandemic Billionaires', Oxfam has recently released its report on “Pandemic Billionaires”. As per report, covid has not only took, livelihood for millions but it has also created new billionaires., Findings of the report, As per report, people in Asia witnessed their wealth zoom during the covid-19 pandemic. These, people were mostly associated with pharmaceuticals sector., By March 2021, profits from the pharmaceuticals, services required to fight covid and medical, equipment made 20 people rich even amid the lockdowns and economic stagnation., These people were from India, China, Japan and Hong Kong., The Asia-Pacific region saw the total number of billionaires growing by almost a third from 803 in, March 2020 to 1,087 by November last year., Their collective wealth increased by three-quarters that is 74 per cent., Richest 1 per cent owned more wealth as compared to poorest 90 per cent in Asia., Report mentions that, wealth gap is further set to increase., Who are the billionaires?, New billionaires include:, 1. Li Jianquan– His firm named Winner Medical makes personal protective equipment (PPE) for health, workers., 2. Dai Lizhong– His company, Sansure Biotech, makes COVID-19 tests and diagnostic kits., Projected number of millionaires, Number of millionaires is projected to increase at 15.3 million, by 2025. It accounts for a 58 per cent, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 149

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , increase on 2020., Increasing inequality, World Bank and IMF have also stated that, coronavirus will result into significant increase in global, economic inequality. World Bank had also predicted that, global extreme poverty is likely to increase due to, pandemic related disruptions. Pandemic is expected to push an additional 88 million to 115 million people, towards extreme poverty in 2022., , 5-point Reform agenda for FCI, th, , On the 58 Foundation Day of Food Corporation of India (FCI), the food Minister Shri Piyush Goyal released, a “5-point reform agenda for FCI”. It is also called “5 Sutras”. The agenda aims to improve FCI and its, progress., What are the five points?, 1. To change the public perception of FCI. Currently the public see the FCI as inefficient and corrupt., This perception will now be converted to inclusive, dynamic and honest entity., 2. To focus on end – to – end tech solutions. This includes everything starting from procurement to, delivery. This is to be achieved by reducing PDS response time and efficient tracking of the food, grains. Ultimately, this will result in leakage free operational efficient system., 3. To establish grievance redressal mechanism. This will help in reducing the reaction time to a, problem. Also, it will help in addressing the issues of farmer producer organization, especially those, in high distress. This is to be achieved through “Jan Jagrukta” programmes., 4. To plan and create modern infrastructure and logistics. It will upgrade the warehouses to, international standards. The agenda includes increasing the storage capacity for power, network, facility and CCTV., 5. It will increase the global practices and make India as “Food Hub”., Way Ahead, According to the food ministry, India should focus on improving its Global Hunger Index. India ranked 101 in, the Global Hunger Index 2021. It ranked 94th in 2020. Also, India should focus on nutritional security., Around 18 lakh children in India are undernourished. 7.7% are severely wasted. 35.5% are stunted. 19.3%, are wasted., Current Scenario, FCI procures 1,300 lakhs metric tonnes of wheat and paddy currently. In 1965, it procured 13 lakh metric, tonnes. The distribution of food grains in the country has increased from 18 lakh million tonnes in 1965 to, 600 lakh million tonnes in 2021. The storage of food grains in the country has increased from 6 lakh million, tonnes in 1965 to 800 lakh million tonnes in 2021., , North Korea Railway-borne missile, North Korea recently tested the railway-borne missile. With this, North Korea has tested three missiles in, January 2022 amidst rising tensions with the US. This has pushed for fresh sanctions by the US., About the Missile Test, The railway-borne missile recently tested by the North is a ballistic missile. The missiles that were, tested previously were hypersonic missiles., The missile flew 800 kilometres and struck a target in the east coast of North Korea., Railway borne missile means the missile is launched from a train., North Korea tested two railway – borne missiles., North Vs South, The test comes after the South Koreans tested the submarine – launched ballistic missile. With this, it, became the first country to develop such as system without nuclear weapons. The Koreans have been, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 150

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , indulging in arms race and are unveiling more capable weapons and missiles., International Reaction, The former nuclear potential hypersonic missile test and the recent ballistic missile tests have received, international condemnation. With these tests, North Korea has violated the United Nations Security Council, resolutions. And has also posed threat to its neighbours., Intentions of North Korea, According to strategists, North Korea is steadily increasing its missile arsenals with the support of Russia., Also, its intentions are to return to the US sanctions relief. If the north is increasing its missile weapons, the, US will call for peace talks. And will sign agreements where it will remove sanctions. In return, the north will, agree to reduce its missile and weapon accumulation. Most of the missiles produced by the north korea are, in the range of targeting the American cities., Difference between Hypersonic and Ballistic Missiles, Short range ballistic missiles earth’s atmosphere. Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles follow a sub orbital, trajectory. They are known for their strike distance. On the other hand, the hypersonic missiles are known, for their speed. Their very high speeds make them un – intercepted. That is, they cannot be detected., , AP Mahila Police Wing, The Andhra Pradesh State Government recently notified rules for the Mahila Police Wing. Also, it has, created a separate women police cadre., About the new women police wing, The uniform of the new women police is Khaki colour. The wing comprises of inspectors, sub, inspectors, senior mahila police, assistant sub inspectors, mahila police personnel. Also, the women, police will wear a special separate emblem called the Mahila Police Emblem. They will also wear a, beret cap., 90% of the posts are to be recruited by the police recruitment board. 5% from eligible villages and 5%, from home guards., The inspectors and sub inspectors of the mahila wing will report to DSP and ACP respectively. DSP is, Deputy Superintendent of Police and ACP is Assistant Commissioner of Police., Women Police in India, Women make 12% of the police force in the country. Chhattisgarh has the highest number of women police, in the country. It accounts of 18% of the total women police force in the state. In Bihar, 25% form the non –, gazetted police officers in the state. Only 8% are gazetted officers. Gazetted officers means those who are, in the rank of DIG, SP, ASP, ADSP, IGP, GP, etc. On the other hand, inspectors, sub inspectors and, constables are all non – gazetted. Kerala accounts to least number of women police force. Only 0.26% of, police force of Kerala are women., Challenges faced by the women police forces in India, In 2009, the Home Ministry had set a target to achieve 33% of women police force in the country. According, to the Status of Policing in India report, 2019, only 7.28% of the police force are women. Women inclusion is, less in police forces. Most of the women police officers are limited to in – house tasks such as filing FIRs,, maintaining registers, etc. Only make police officers are engaged in patrolling, investigation and other law, and order duties. The work environment of women police officers is not conducive. They are not getting, weekly off., , What is space anemia?, The space travel damages the red blood cells in human body. Such condition where the RBC count in the, body reduces due to space travel is referred to as Space anemia. In simple terms, lower RBC count in space, is called space anemia., © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 151

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , What is space anemia?, The red blood cells are rich in iron. They carry oxygen to different parts of the body. When a human is on the, earth, his body creates and destroys two million Red Blood Cells per second. However, when the same, person is in space, around three million Red Blood Cells are destroyed per second. This results in loss of, 54% more RBCs when the person in space. This lower count of RBC is referred to as space anemia., Earlier misconceptions, When the astronauts are in space, their bodily fluids shift towards their upper body. This happens due to, lack of gravity. It increases pressure in eyes and brain. This leads to cardiovascular diseases. Also, as the, bodily fluids shift towards the upper body parts, the astronauts lose 10% of the liquid in their blood vessels., Earlier researchers believed that space anemia occurred due to this shift of the bodily fluids. They also, believed that the loss of RBCs was temporary. The count restored and returned to normal after the, astronauts spent ten days in space. However, the recent findings have proved that it is not so., Recent findings, The research team measured the RBC destruction in space. The RBC has hemoglobin. Heme is iron and, globin is a protein. The hemoglobin carries oxygen. The researchers found that every time the RBC is, destroyed, a molecule of carbon monoxide was created. This means the RBC count does not restore to, normal in space. Rather it deteriorates the health by producing carbon monoxide., Impacts, Having lesser RBC count in space is not an issue. However, space anemia can affect the energy levels of, astronauts landing on moon or mars. They might lose strength or may even fall sick. This might affect the, overall objective of a mission., , © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 152

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Mock Test, The questions in this Mock Test are sourced from GKToday’s Current Affairs 2022 Daily 20 MCQ Series in, GKToday Academy Android Application., , 1. The latest version of ‘Consumer Protection Act’ was passed in which year?, [A] 2010, [B] 2015, [C] 2019, [D] 2021, 2. Which state’s legislative council has passed a bill to give more powers to Higher Education Minister in the staterun varsities?, [A] Andhra Pradesh, [B] Maharashtra, [C] Telangana, [D] Tamil Nadu, 3. As per the Ratings agency ICRA, what is the estimated real GDP Growth of India in FY 2022?, [A] 12.5 %, [B] 11 %, [C] 10%, [D] 9%, 4. What is the Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) of India in the year 2020-21?, [A] 918, [B] 920, [C] 937, [D] 951, 5. Which is the most innovative educational institute of India in the technical category, as per the ARIIA 2021, ranking?, [A] IIT Kanpur, [B] IIT Madras, [C] IIT Bombay, [D] IIT Delhi, 6. Which institution released the ‘Women and girls left behind: Glaring gaps in pandemic responses’ report?, [A] World Economic Forum, [B] World Bank, [C] UN Women, [D] NITI Aayog, 7. Which football legend’s statue has been unveiled in Panaji, Goa?, [A] Sunil Chetri, [B] Bhaichung Bhutia, [C] Cristiano Ronaldo, [D] Lionel Messi, 8. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has been extended in which state for another six months?, [A] Assam, [B] Nagaland, [C] Arunachal Pradesh, [D] Sikkim, 9. Which institution released the ‘Compendium on the innovations on technology’?, [A] World Bank, [B] NITI Aayog, [C] International Monetary Fund, [D] World Economic Forum, 10. The Indian Army’s ‘Quantum computing laboratory and a centre for artificial intelligence (AI)’ has been set up in, which state?, [A] Gujarat, [B] Maharashtra, [C] Madhya Pradesh, [D] Kerala, 11. Which two countries are claiming ‘Senkaku Island’ Group located in the East China Sea?, [A] Japan and China, [B] China and Philippines, [C] China and South Korea, [D] Japan and Singapore, 12. ‘Financial Stability Report (FSR)’ is the flagship report released by which institution?, [A] NITI Aayog, [B] Reserve Bank of India, [C] World Bank, [D] Asian Development Bank, 13. ‘Begonia gigantica’, the world’s largest specimen of a Begonia species, is found in which country/region?, [A] Tibet, [B] Siberia, [C] Australia, [D] UK, 14. ‘Yuva Puraskar and Bal Sahitya Puraskar’ are the awards announced by which institution?, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 153

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , [A] Archaeological Survey of India, [B] Bharatiya Jnanpith, [C] Sahitya Akademi, [D] National Council of Educational Research and Training, 15. E-Daakhil Portal, which was seen in the news, is associated with which sector?, [A] Right to Information, [B] Consumer complaints, [C] Life Certificate, [D] Goods and Services Tax, 16. Which city has the longest metro rail network in the world?, [A] New Delhi, [B] Singapore City, [C] Shanghai, [D] Tokyo, 17. China has complained to the UN, about collision with satellites launched by which project?, [A] Starlink Internet Services project, [B] Psyche Mission, [C] Google Loon Project, [D] Oneweb Satellite Project, 18. Which Asian Economy is set to ratify its membership of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, (RCEP) in 2022?, [A] Bangladesh, [B] Indonesia, [C] Sri Lanka, [D] Thailand, 19. The GST Council has decided to defer the increase in GST Rate on which product?, [A] Textile, [B] Automobile, [C] Mobile Phones, [D] Cotton, 20. Which state government slashed Rs 25 per litre on petrol and diesel prices for two-wheelers owned by the poor?, [A] Odisha, [B] Tamil Nadu, [C] Jharkhand, [D] Kerala, 21. What is the deadline for KYC updation for bank accounts, as per the recent notification of RBI?, [A] January 31, 2022, [B] March 31, 2022, [C] June 30, 2022, [D] September 30, 2022, 22. Highest number of complaints ntpagainst women in the year 2021 has been received from which state in India?, [A] Uttar Pradesh, [B] Maharashtra, [C] Chhattisgarh, [D] Assam, 23. As per APEDA, which is the top exported commodity in India in 2020-21?, [A] Non-Basmati Rice, [B] Tomato, [C] Cotton, [D] Milk, 24. Major Dhyan Chand Sports University is being established in which place?, [A] Delhi, [B] Meerut, [C] Kolkata, [D] Hyderabad, 25. Padhe Bharat campaign is launched by which ministry?, [A] Ministry of Women and Child Development, [B] Ministry of Home Affairs, [C] Ministry of Education, [D] Ministry of Defence, 26. Which State team clinched the Vijay Hazare Trophy title in 2021-22?, [A] Maharashtra, [B] Tamil Nadu, [C] Bengal, [D] Himachal Pradesh, 27. Which neighbouring country of India has formed a ‘Hindu Temple Management Committee’?, [A] Pakistan, [B] Afghanistan, [C] Bangladesh, [D] Myanmar, 28. Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, which was seen in the news, is located in which state/UT?, [A] Jammu & Kashmir, [B] Uttarakhand, [C] Sikkim, [D] Uttar Pradesh, 29. Where is the headquarters of the ‘Conference on Disarmament’ located?, [A] Geneva, [B] Paris, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 154

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , [C] Rome, [D] New York, 30. China has recently released a list of “standardised names” for 15 places in which Indian state?, [A] Sikkim, [B] Uttarakhand, [C] Aruchanal Pradesh, [D] Assam, 31. Which Union Ministry has set up six Task Forces on 6 G technology?, [A] Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, [B] Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, [C] Ministry of Communication, [D] Ministry of Commerce and Industry, 32. ‘SMILE’ scheme is to be implemented by which Union Ministry?, [A] Ministry of Education, [B] Ministry of Women and Child Development, [C] Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, [D] Ministry of Rural Development, 33. What is the existing annual income limit for identification of economically weaker section (EWS)?, [A] Rs 6 lakh, [B] Rs 8 lakh, [C] Rs 9 lakh, [D] Rs 10 lakh, 34. Nodirbek Abdusattorov, the youngest ever World Rapid Chess champion, is from which country?, [A] Switzerland, [B] Russia, [C] Uzbekistan, [D] Ukraine, 35. Which Indian company has commissioned India’s largest solar power project at Rajasthan?, [A] Adani Power, [B] Azure Power, [C] Tata Power, [D] ReNew Power, 36. What is the name of the annual meteor shower, which is active during January?, [A] Quadrantids, [B] Geminids, [C] Leonids, [D] Ursids, 37. Which is the first state/UT to have ‘District-level Good Governance Index’?, [A] Goa, [B] Jammu and Kashmir, [C] Ladakh, [D] Sikkim, 38. As per recent amendments to Environment (Protection) Act, what percent of fly ash is to be utilised by Coal and, Lignite-based Thermal Power Plants?, [A] 25, [B] 50, [C] 75, [D] 100, 39. Where is the ‘Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization (WTOAB)’ based at?, [A] New York, [B] Geneva, [C] Paris, [D] Nairobi, 40. How many women M.Ps are present in the Parliamentary panel, which was set up to examine the Prohibition of, Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill?, [A] 1, [B] 2, [C] 3, [D] 5, 41. Abdalla Hamdok, who announced his resignation recently, was the Prime Minister of which country?, [A] Israel, [B] Sudan, [C] Syria, [D] Ghana, 42. Which Union Ministry has released draft National Air Sports Policy (NASP)?, [A] Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, [B] Ministry of Civil Aviation, [C] Ministry of Renewable Energy, [D] Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, 43. What is the theme declared for the DRDO Day 2021?, [A] Atmanirbhar Bharat, [B] Export, [C] Critical defence technologies, [D] Strength and Science, 44. INSACOG is the forum set up by which country to monitor genome sequencing and variation of Covid strains?, [A] USA, [B] Russia, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 155

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , [C] India, [D] UK, 45. Which state/UT celebrates Losar festival as the traditional New Year by the Buddhist Community?, [A] Ladakh, [B] Sikkim, [C] Uttarakhand, [D] Arunachal Pradesh, 46. What is the limit of offline digital payment per transaction, as per RBI’s recent notification?, [A] Rs 100, [B] Rs 200, [C] Rs 500, [D] Rs 1000, 47. Khurnak Fort, which was historically a part of India, is under the control of which country, at present?, [A] Pakistan, [B] China, [C] Bangladesh, [D] Afghanistan, 48. ‘NEAT 3.0’ is a platform associated with which Union Ministry?, [A] Ministry of Education, [B] Ministry of Labour and Employment, [C] Ministry of Commerce and Industry, [D] Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, 49. The new COVID variant named IHU (B.1.640.2), has been discovered in which country?, [A] USA, [B] France, [C] Italy, [D] South Africa, 50. ‘KABIL’ is a joint venture company created by which Union Ministry?, [A] Ministry of Mines, [B] Ministry of Steel, [C] Ministry of Power, [D] Ministry of MSME, 51. Rani Velu Nachiyar, who was seen in the news, was a Queen of which present-day state?, [A] Kerala, [B] Tamil Nadu, [C] Karnataka, [D] Odisha, 52. 'Seema Bhawani' is the name of which team of the Border Security Force (BSF)?, [A] Camel Contingent, [B] Creek Crocodile, [C] All-women Biker Team, [D] All-women Creek Crocodile, 53. Atal Tunnel, which was seen in the news recently, is located in which state/UT?, [A] Himachal Pradesh, [B] Arunachal Pradesh, [C] Sikkim, [D] Uttarakhand, 54. Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi(IGRUA), which was making news recently, is located at which state?, [A] Uttar Pradesh, [B] Uttarakhand, [C] Bihar, [D] West Bengal, 55. "Blue Book", which was seen in the news, is the manual of which armed force/group?, [A] Central Reserve Police Force, [B] Special Protection Group, [C] National Security Guard, [D] Indian Coast Guard, 56. Nandur Madhmeshwar bird sanctuary is situated in which state/UT?, [A] Tamil Nadu, [B] Karnataka, [C] Maharashtra, [D] Madhya Pradesh, 57. Which state/UT is set to host the 25th National Youth Festival in 2022?, [A] Maharashtra, [B] Puducherry, [C] Goa, [D] Assam, 58. Mud Crab Reovirus (MCRV), has been recently found in which state/UT?, [A] Kerala, [B] Andhra Pradesh, [C] Tamil Nadu, [D] Odisha, 59. Nalabana Bird Sanctuary is located in which state/UT?, [A] West Bengal, [B] Odisha, [C] Andhra Pradesh, [D] Karnataka, 60. Which country recently fired a "hypersonic missile", after its first test in September?, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 156

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , [A] Israel, [B] North Korea, [C] Iran, [D] UAE, 61. India’s first RT-PCR kit to detect the Omicron variant, named ‘Omisure’ is developed by which company?, [A] Tata MD, [B] Piramal, [C] Sun Pharma, [D] Apex Pharma, 62. Japan recently signed ‘Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA)’ with which country?, [A] USA, [B] Australia, [C] Brazil, [D] Russia, 63. Sindhutai Sapkal, who passed away recently, was associated with which field?, [A] Politics, [B] Social Service, [C] Business, [D] Literature, 64. Which payments bank has been granted the status of a Scheduled bank by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)?, [A] Airtel Payments Bank, [B] Aditya Birla Payments Bank, [C] NSDL Payments Bank, [D] Jio Payments Bank, 65. Which Central Asian country’s government resigned recently after massive protests due to fuel price increase?, [A] Kazakhstan, [B] Kyrgyzstan, [C] Uzbekistan, [D] Turkmenistan, 66. What was India’s target in installed electricity capacity from non-fossil energy sources, to be achieved by 2030?, [A] 30%, [B] 40%, [C] 50%, [D] 60%, 67. What is the aim of the ‘SAAR; program recently launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs?, [A] Solid Waste Management, [B] Documentation of Projects, [C] Geo-spatial Mapping, [D] Climate Change Awareness, 68. Which organisation has partnered with Akshaya Patra Foundation for effective implementation of PM-POSHAN, scheme?, [A] IMF, [B] World Bank, [C] United Nations - WFP, [D] UNICEF, 69. Kuno Palpur National Park, which was seen in the news recently, is located in which state?, [A] Madhya Pradesh, [B] Karnataka, [C] Tamil Nadu, [D] Maharashtra, 70. Which South-American country is drafting a new Constitution?, [A] Chile, [B] Brazil, [C] Argentina, [D] Bolivia, 71. “Teachers' University Bill” has been passed by the Legislative assembly of which state / UT?, [A] Tamil Nadu, [B] Kerala, [C] Puducherry, [D] Delhi, 72. Environment Ministry released Guidelines on ‘Extended producer responsibility (EPR)’ for which product?, [A] Bio-medical Waste, [B] Waste Tyres, [C] Plastic Waste, [D] E- Waste, 73. ‘Olaf Scholz’ is the recently appointed head of which country?, [A] Australia, [B] Brazil, [C] Germany, [D] France, 74. Which Union Ministry implements the ‘UJALA’ programme?, [A] Ministry of Power, [B] Ministry of Environment, [C] Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, [D] Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, 75. India’s first Open Rock Museum is located in which city?, [A] Hyderabad, [B] Mysuru, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 157

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , [C] Trivandrum, [D] Varanasi, 76. Mahakali River flows along the border of which neighbourhood country?, [A] Bangladesh, [B] Nepal, [C] Myanmar, [D] China, 77. What is the income limit for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota, as of 2022?, [A] Rs 6 lakh, [B] Rs 8 lakh, [C] Rs 9 lakh, [D] Rs 10 lakh, 78. 'Mission Jeewan Raksha' is associated with which institution?, [A] Indian Army, [B] Indian Navy, [C] Railway Police Force, [D] National Security Guard, 79. Who is the head of the committee set up by Union Home Ministry, to probe on Prime Minister's Security Lapse?, [A] Sudhir Kumar Saxena, [B] Ajay Bushan Pandey, [C] Surjit Bhalla, [D] Ranjan Gogoi, 80. The ‘Artificial Sun’ is an ambitious project of which country?, [A] Russia, [B] USA, [C] China, [D] India, 81. Which Union Ministry released 'Code of Practice for Securing Consumer Internet of Things (IoT)' report?, [A] Ministry of Communication, [B] Ministry of Electronics and IT, [C] Ministry of Science and Technology, [D] Ministry of Labour and Employment, 82. ‘Aquamation’, which was seen in the news, is related to .........., [A] Cultivation of sea animals, [B] Sewage Water Treatment, [C] Water Cremation, [D] Bio-Toilets, 83. The Special Protection Group Act, 1988 was passed to provide security to.........., [A] Nuclear Power Plants, [B] Prime Minister and former Prime Ministers, [C] India’s land borders, [D] India’s water borders, 84. ‘’Abilympics” are the competitions held for Persons with Disabilities, in which field?, [A] Sports, [B] Coding, [C] Skill Demonstration, [D] Business Administration, 85. ‘Hyderabad declaration’, which was seen in the news, is associated with?, [A] Climate Change, [B] E-Governance, [C] Women Empowerment, [D] Covid-19 Protocol, 86. Which group of countries participate in ‘Sea Dragon 22’ Military Exercise?, [A] Indo-Pacific countries, [B] QUAD Group, [C] Indian Ocean Rim Countries, [D] Balkan Countries, 87. Which state won the first prize in Third National Water Awards-2020 in the best state category?, [A] Tamil Nadu, [B] Uttar Pradesh, [C] Gujarat, [D] Maharashtra, 88. Competitive Commission of India has ordered a probe against which tech company for its abuse of dominant, position?, [A] Microsoft, [B] Google, [C] Facebook, [D] Twitter, 89. Which vulnerable animal species has been spotted for the first time in Nagaland?, [A] Clouded Leopard, [B] Marbled Cat, [C] Snow Leopard, [D] Ocelot, 90. ‘The Bureau of Indian Standards’ works under the aegis of which Union Ministry?, [A] Ministry of MSME, [B] Ministry of Commerce and Industry, [C] Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, [D] Ministry of Law and Justice, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 158

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , 91. In which year, the first Start-up India ‘Innovation Week’ was launched?, [A] 2025, [B] 2018, [C] 2020, [D] 2021, 92. What is the expenditure limit for candidates for Lok Sabha elections, as per recent notification of Election, Commission?, [A] Rs 95 lakhs, [B] Rs 75 lakhs, [C] Rs 60 lakhs, [D] Rs 50 lakhs, 93. ‘Aceh province’ and ‘Sabang port’, which were making news recently, are located in which country?, [A] Nepal, [B] Myanmar, [C] Bangladesh, [D] Indonesia, 94. India’s first multi-dimensional ‘adventure sports expedition’ was carried out in which country?, [A] USA, [B] France, [C] Switzerland, [D] Australia, 95. ‘Ecowrap’ is the flagship report released by which institution?, [A] Asian Development Bank, [B] NITI Aayog, [C] Reserve Bank of India, [D] State Bank of India, 96. The New Jan Shatabdi Express inaugurated between Agartala and Jiribam connects Tripura with which state?, [A] Kolkata, [B] Manipur, [C] Sikkim, [D] Assam, 97. Wolf Volcano, which was seen in the news, is the highest peak in which island group?, [A] Hawaiian Islands, [B] Galápagos Islands, [C] Mariana Islands, [D] Caroline Islands, 98. “Veer Baal Diwas” is associated with which religion?, [A] Hinduism, [B] Sikhism, [C] Buddhism, [D] Jainism, 99. Which Indian has been appointed as the New Vice President of Asian Infrastructure Investment Fund (AIIB)?, [A] Raghuram Rajan, [B] Urjit Patel, [C] D Subbarao, [D] Y V Reddy, 100. Which Union Ministry released the ‘Harmonised Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility in India, 2021’?, [A] Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, [B] Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, [C] Ministry of Law and Justice, [D] Ministry of Women and Child Development, 101. India set a bilateral trade target of $50 billion before 2030, with which country?, [A] South Korea, [B] USA, [C] Japan, [D] UAE, 102. What is the main objective of the ‘James Webb space telescope’?, [A] To find out about the surface of Sun, [B] To find out about the origin of the Universe, [C] To study the most distant known galaxies, [D] To explore the structure of planetary systems, 103. Which state has extended the upper age limit for entry to state government service to 38, up to 2023?, [A] Kerala, [B] Tamil Nadu, [C] Odisha, [D] West Bengal, 104. ‘BA.1, BA.2 and BA.3’ are the sub-lineages of which Covid Variant?, [A] Alpha, [B] Gamma, [C] Delta, [D] Omicron, 105. Sri Lanka has asked which country to restructure its debt repayments, amid economic crisis?, [A] India, [B] China, [C] USA, [D] Japan, 106. Which country has officially banned ‘Conversion therapy’ which claims to change a person's sexual orientation, © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 159

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , or gender identity?, [A] Brazil, [B] New Zealand, [C] Canada, [D] Saudi Arabia, 107. Which Union Ministry announced a dedicated Grievance Cell, for uninterrupted supply of essentials?, [A] Ministry of Home Affairs, [B] Ministry of Food Processing Industries, [C] Ministry of Textiles, [D] Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, 108. The new COVID strain named ‘Deltacron’ was identified originally in which country?, [A] South Africa, [B] USA, [C] Cyprus, [D] Italy, 109. Which country’s Lunar Probe has identified the first-ever on-site evidence of water on the surface of the, moon?, [A] USA, [B] UAE, [C] China, [D] India, 110. Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas is the new Chief Economist of which institution?, [A] World Bank, [B] International Monetary Fund, [C] World Economic Forum, [D] Asian Development Bank, 111. What is the name of the first indigenously-developed microprocessor of India?, [A] SHIV, [B] SHAKTI, [C] BHARAT, [D] AKASH, 112. Which country is the first to successfully conduct a human heart transplant from a genetically modified pig?, [A] China, [B] Russia, [C] USA, [D] UK, 113. Western disturbance, which was seen in the news recently, is associated with?, [A] Culture, [B] Meteorology, [C] Economy, [D] Politics, 114. The Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) is an autonomous body under which Union Ministry?, [A] Ministry of Culture, [B] Ministry of External Affairs, [C] Ministry of Education, [D] Ministry of Tourism, 115. 'Ibonia', which was seen in the news recently, is a similar version of Ramayana found in which country?, [A] Nepal, [B] Madagascar, [C] Sri Lanka, [D] Mauritius, 116. Alikhan Smailov is the new Prime Minister of which country?, [A] Uzbekistan, [B] Kazakhstan, [C] Russia, [D] Syria, 117. Which institution releases the ‘Global Risks Report’ every year?, [A] International Monetary Fund, [B] World Economic Forum, [C] World Bank, [D] NITI Aayog, 118. Who is the first Black woman to appear on US coin?, [A] Maya Angelou, [B] Phillis Wheatley, [C] Wanda Coleman, [D] Gwendolyn Brooks, 119. Which state government notified the ‘Regional Plan Rules, 2021’?, [A] Kerala, [B] Tamil Nadu, [C] Andhra Pradesh, [D] Karnataka, 120. Which state/UT played host to the ‘25th National Youth Festival’ in 2022?, [A] Goa, [B] Lakshadweep, [C] Puducherry, [D] Assam, , © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 160

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Current Affairs [PDF] - January 1-15, 2022, , Answer Key, 1. C 2. B 3. D 4. C 5. B 6. C 7. C 8. B 9. B, C 17. A 18. B 19. A 20. C 21. B 22. A 23. A, C 31. C 32. C 33. B 34. C 35. B 36. A 37. B, C 45. A 46. B 47. B 48. A 49. B 50. A 51. B, B 59. B 60. B 61. A 62. B 63. B 64. A 65. A, B 73. C 74. A 75. A 76. B 77. B 78. C 79. A, A 87. B 88. B 89. A 90. C 91. D 92. A 93. D, B 101. A 102. B 103. C 104. D 105. B 106. C, C 113. B 114. C 115. B 116. B 117. B 118. A, , 10. C 11. A 12. B 13. A 14. C 15. B, 24. B 25. C 26. D 27. A 28. A 29. A, 38. D 39. B 40. A 41. B 42. B 43. B, 52. C 53. A 54. A 55. B 56. C 57. B, 66. B 67. B 68. C 69. A 70. A 71. D, 80. C 81. A 82. C 83. B 84. C 85. B, 94. B 95. D 96. B 97. B 98. B 99. B, 107. B 108. C 109. C 110. B 111. B, 119. B 120. C, , 16., 30., 44., 58., 72., 86., 100., 112., , Note:, The above 120 questions are part of Daily Current Affairs 20 MCQs Series in GKToday’s Academy, Android Application. This series with daily 20 MCQs, Answers and Explanations can be subscribed in the, app only for Rs. 1100/- for entire year. Download Now., QR Code to download GKToday Android app, , Printed Books, , For Printed Books, please visit GKTBOOKS.COM, , © 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in, , 161