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MONTHLY CURRENT AFFAIRS (JANUARY 2022)

National News

Union Government approves the sale of the 19th tranche of electoral bonds

Union Government has approved the sale of the 19th tranche of electoral bonds from 1–
10 January 2022.

Electoral bonds have been promoted as an alternative to cash donations to political

parties as a part of efforts to introduce openness to political fundraising.

The sale of the first batch of electoral bonds took place from 1–10 March 2018. The 18th
tranche of bond sales took place from 1–10 September 2021.

The State Bank of India (SBI) is the only authorised bank to issue electoral bonds.

An electoral bond will be valid for 15 days from the date of issue. No payment will be
made to any payee political party if the bond is deposited after the expiry of the validity
period.

Union Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launches

NEAT 3.0

Union Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched NEAT
3.0, a single platform to provide the best-developed ed-tech solutions and courses to
students of India. He also launched technical books prescribed by the All India Council
for Technical Education (AICTE) in regional languages.

National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT) is an initiative to provide the use
of best-developed technological solutions in the education sector to enhance the
employability of the youth on a single platform for learners’ convenience.

NEAT has 58 education technology companies with 100 products that help to develop
employable skills, capacity building and bridge learning gaps.

Narendra Modi lays the foundation stone for Major Dhyan Chand Sports University
at Meerut in Uttar Pradesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for Major Dhyan Chand Sports
University in the Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh. This university will be established at
Salawa and Kaili villages on the outskirts of the Sardhana town of the district at an
estimated cost of about ₹700 crores.

It will be equipped with modern and state-of-the-art sports infrastructure, including

synthetic hockey ground, besides those of football, basketball, volleyball, handball and
kabaddi.

Telangana tops in the highest number of open defecation free villages

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Telangana stood first in India in the list of the highest number of open defecation free
(ODF Plus) villages under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase-II programme
till 31 December 2021.

Swachh Bharat Mission was launched in 2014.

Telangana

Capital: Hyderabad

Chief Minister: Chandrashekar Rao

Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan

Sushmita Dev becomes the only woman in the 31-member parliamentary panel
examining a bill to raise the marriage age of women

Sushmita Dev became the only woman in the 31-member parliamentary panel led by
Vinay Sahasrabuddhe.

This panel is tasked with examining the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment)
Bill, 2021, which seeks to rise the legal age of women to marry from 18 years to 21 years.

The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill has wider influence over society,
especially females. This Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session
and referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children,
Youth and Sports.

Union Cabinet approves ₹12,000 crores for the second phase of Green Energy
Corridor

The second phase of the Green Energy Corridor of the intra-state transmission system
was approved at a cost of ₹12,000 crores by the Union Cabinet.

This corridor will see 10,750 kilometre-long circuit transmission lines being
constructed across India and help in the Generation of 20 GW of power. Seven states,
including Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and
Himachal Pradesh, are expected to benefit from this corridor, which is set to run for five
years till 2025.

This corridor is a crucial component of India’s plans to generate 500 GW of renewable

energy by 2030.

Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurates India’s first open rock museum

Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated
India’s first open rock museum in Hyderabad.

This open rock museum was set up with the aim of educating and enlightening the masses
about several lesser-known facts, displays around 35 different types of rocks from
different parts of India with ages ranging from 3.3 billion years to around 55 million years
of the Earth’s history.
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These rocks also represent the deepest part of the Earth up to 175 km of distance from
the surface of the Earth.

Union Cabinet approves an MoU with Nepal for the construction of a bridge over the
Mahakali river

The Union Cabinet approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and
Nepal to build a bridge over the Mahakali River at Dharchula in Uttarakhand.

The construction of this bridge will help people living in Dharchula in Uttarakhand and in
the territory of Nepal.

The signing of this MoU will further improve diplomatic relations between the two
countries.

Union Government is set to hold a 35.8 per cent stake in Vodafone India

The Union Government is set to become the largest shareholder of Vodafone Idea as it
owns a 35.8 per cent stake in Vodafone Idea to convert interest on the deferred spectrum
and adjusted gross revenue dues into equity.

The Net Present Value (NPV) of this interest is expected to be about ₹16,000 crores as
per the Vodafone India’s estimates.

The promoter shareholders would hold 28.5 per cent (Vodafone Group) and around
17.8 per cent (Aditya Birla Group) stake.

Union Government organises the first-ever Startup India Innovation Week from 10–
16 January 2022

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) organised the
first-ever Startup India Innovation Week from 10–16 January 2022 to commemorate
the 75th year of India’s independence ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. This week is designed
to showcase the spread and depth of entrepreneurship across India.

This week-long event was launched by the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry.

Rajnath Singh inaugurates India’s first multi-dimensional adventure sports

expedition in France

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off India’s first multi-dimensional
adventure sports expedition conducted by the National Institute of Mountaineering and
Allied Sports (NIMAS) in France.

The expedition team carried out over 250 kilometres of winter trekking in the Alps
Mountain Ranges, which included Tour De Mont Blanc trek covering the French, Swiss
and Italian Alps.

This multi-dimensional expedition culminated with 12 deep scuba dives in the

Mediterranean Sea.

This expedition was organised as a part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the second campus of the Chittaranjan
National Cancer Institute in Kolkata

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the second campus of Chittaranjan

National Cancer Institute (CNCI) in Kolkata, West Bengal, in a virtual event to help in
ensuring quality healthcare to the poor and the middle class.

The second campus of CNCI will offer great convenience, especially to the poor and middle-
class families who have someone coping with cancer.

It is a 400-bed comprehensive cancer centre unit for cancer diagnosis, staging, treatment
and care. Modern facilities such as nuclear medicine (PET), 3.0 Tesla MRI, endoscopy
suite and radionuclide therapy unit, among others, are present at the new campus of
CNCI.

ICMR approves Indian-made kit named ‘OmiSure’ to detect Omicron variant of

coronavirus

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved a testing kit named
‘OmiSure’ for detecting the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

This kit is manufactured by Tata Medical and Diagnostics.

This testing kit will be an enhancement for the detection of the Omicron variant of
coronavirus.

This kit, currently in use to detect Omicron in India, has been developed by the US-based
scientific instrumentation company Thermo Fisher.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates eleven new government medical colleges
across Tamil Nadu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated eleven new government medical colleges
across Tamil Nadu and the new campus of the Central Institute of Classical Tamil in
Chennai.

The new medical colleges will be established in Virudhunagar, Namakkal, The Nilgiris,
Tiruppur, Thiruvallur, Nagapattinam, Dindigul, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Ramanathapuram
and Krishnagiri districts of Tamil Nadu.

These medical colleges are being established at an estimated cost of about ₹4,000 crores,
out of which around ₹2145 crores has been provided by the Union Government and the
rest by the Tamil Nadu Government.

The new medical colleges will have a total capacity of 1450 seats and will be built under
the centrally supported initiative ‘Establishing of New Medical Colleges connected with
Existing District/Referral Hospitals’.

Indian Railways launches Mission Amanat to track the lost belongings of passengers

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The Railway Protection Force (RPF) of the Western Railways zone of Indian Railways
has launched a new initiative called ‘Mission Amanat’ to make it easier for railway
passengers to get back their lost luggage.

Under this initiative, the details of lost luggage and belongings along with their photos are
posted on the official website of the zonal railway.

Union Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar launches the Swachh Vidyalaya
Puraskar The 2021–22

Union Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar launched the Swachh Vidyalaya
Puraskar (SVP) for 2021–22, which is open to all categories of schools, i.e. government,
government-aided and private schools in both rural and urban areas.

The Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar honours, inspires and awards the schools that have
excelled in the areas of water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as providing a baseline and
path for schools to develop in the future.

The schools will be assessed through an online portal and mobile application in six sub-
categories — water, sanitation, hand washing with soap, operation and maintenance,
behaviour change and capacity building and the newly added category on COVID-19
preparedness and response and the system will generate the overall score and rating
automatically.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates an MSME Technology Centre at

Puducherry

Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated an MSME Technology Centre and
Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Manimandapam (an auditorium with open-air theatre) at
Puducherry.

This world-class technology centre is spread over 10 acres with an investment of about
122 crores and will train 20,000 youngsters, help 2000 MSMEs and incubate 200 start-
ups, boosting the local economy to new heights.

The technology centres across India are developed under the flagship Technology Centre
Systems Programme to serve existing and prospective MSMEs by developing
manufacturing facilities, staff, providing consulting and developing a competitive edge
through the adoption of best practices.

Supreme Court appoints a five-member committee headed by ex-judge Indu Malhotra

to probe Prime Minister’s security lapse

The Supreme Court has appointed a five-member committee headed by former

Supreme Court judge Indu Malhotra to probe the alleged security breach during Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Punjab.

This committee will investigate the circumstances surrounding the security breach that
stranded Prime Minister’s convoy for 15–20 minutes while on its route to the National
Martyrs Memorial in Hussainiwala, just a few kilometres from the international border.

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The other members of this committee include the Director-General of the National
Investigation Agency, Director-General of Police Chandigarh, Additional Director-
General of Police (Security) for Punjab, and registrar-general of Punjab and Haryana High
Court.

India grants financial assistance of $900 million to Sri Lanka to overcome a the
forex crisis

India has granted a $900 million loan to Sri Lanka to replenish its depleted foreign
reserves and for food imports in the face of a shortage of practically all critical commodities
in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is facing its all-time worst foreign exchange crisis after COVID-19 pandemic hit
Sri Lanka’s earnings from its tourism and remittances.

India’s strong support to Sri Lanka in the wake of the Reserve Bank of India extending
over US $900 million facilities, which comprises deferment of Asian Clearing Union
settlement of over $509 million and currency swap of $400 million.

India is set to export Brahmos missiles to the Philippines under a $374 million deal

The Philippines accepted India’s BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited supply of Shore-
Based Anti-Ship Missile System Acquisition Project for the Philippines Navy. This
proposal is worth $374.9 million.

The Philippines has become the first foreign nation to place an order for the purchase
of Brahmos-shore based supersonic cruise missile systems for its navy.

BrahMos is the main weapon system of the Indian Navy warships and has been deployed
on almost all of its surface platforms. BrahMos missile flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach or
almost three times the speed of sound.

Union Government inaugurates India’s first coal-to-methanol plant built by BHEL

Union Minister for Heavy Industries Mahendra Nath Pandey dedicated India’s first coal-
to-methanol (CTM) pilot plant built by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) to the
nation as a part of the ongoing ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations.

The 0.25 TPD (tonnes per day) capacity CTM pilot plants that has been indigenously
designed, developed and installed by BHEL is currently producing methanol with a purity
of more than 99 per cent from high-ash Indian coal.

He also inaugurated an exhibition on ‘Products Developed under Aatmanirbhar Bharat’

organised at BHEL’s Hyderabad unit.

Union Ministry of Defence launches Raksha Pension Shikayat Nivaran portal to

resolve pension-related grievances

The Union Defence Ministry has set up an online portal named Raksha Pension Shikayat
Nivaran to resolve pension-related grievances of ex-servicemen (ESM) and their
dependents.

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This portal will allow them to lodge their grievances directly with the Department of Ex-
Servicemen Welfare (DESW).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually addresses the WEF’s Davos Agenda 2022
Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually addressed the World Economic Forum’s
(WEF) Davos Agenda Summit 2022 held from 17 to 21 January 2022.

The theme of this World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Davos Agenda Summit 2022 is ‘The
State of the World’.

India and the United Kingdom launch free trade agreement negotiations

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public
Distribution and Textiles Piyush Goyal launched the free trade agreement negotiations
with the United Kingdom.

The bilateral trade connection between India and the United Kingdom is already strong
and the two countries have committed to expanding it by 2030.

India–UK Free Trade Agreement will provide substantial benefits for both the countries
and expand the overall bilateral trade to €28 billion by 2035.

India extends a $500 million Line of Credit to Sri Lanka for emergency fuel imports

India extended a $500 million Line of Credit (LOC) to Sri Lanka for emergency fuel
imports, days after providing $900 million in relief to the island nation undergoing one
of its worst economic downturns.

This announcement was made after a virtual meeting between Union External Affairs
Minister Jaishankar and Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, when they
reviewed a $1.5 billion credit facility to help Sri Lanka augment its fast-draining foreign
reserves, crucial to importing essential food items, medicines and fuel.

Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs announces ‘Open Data Week’ from 17
to 21 January 2022

The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs have announced Open Data Week
from 17 to 21 January 2022 on the third week of January to encourage the adoption of
open data and promote innovation across India’s urban ecosystem.

This Open Data Week is part of a series of pre-event initiatives being undertaken by the
Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to promote awareness and the use of open
data.

Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology launches ‘Digital

Government Mission’ to deliver various citizen services

The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) has started
working on a new project named Digital Government Mission, which is expected to speed

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up the delivery of various citizen services through the help of advanced technologies such
as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

This project has several already-running initiatives like the Aadhaar Enabled Payment
System, BPO Scheme, Digidhan Abhiyaan, and National Mission on Education using
ICT and others.

This project would also allow citizens to reap the benefits that the Union Government is
presenting without the hassles of traditional bureaucracy like automatic renewals and
reminders of government-issued documents like passports, driver licenses and others.

Union Cabinet approves the extension of tenure of the National Commission for Safai
Karamcharis for three years

The Union Cabinet approved the extension of the tenure of the National Commission for
Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) for three years with effect from 1 April 2022 and it will
remain till 31 March 2025.

This commission is responsible for giving recommendations to the Union Government

regarding specific programmes for the welfare of Safai Karamcharis, studying and
evaluating the existing welfare programmes for Safai Karamcharis and investigating cases
of specific grievances.

The major beneficiaries will be the Safai Karamcharis and identified manual scavengers
in India.

NCSK was founded in 1993, initially for the period of 31 March 1997, under the
requirements of the NCSK Act. The Act’s legality was later extended for five years and
again for two years, bringing it up to 29 February 2004.

The present tenure is valid up to 31 March 2022.

The total implication of the extension for three years will be approximately ₹43.68 crores.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to unveil the world’s second-largest statue in
Hyderabad

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to unveil the world’s second-largest 216-foot tall
statue of the eleventh-century social reformer and saint Ramanujacharya in
Hyderabad.

This outdoor 216 ft statue will be known as ‘Statue of Equality’. It will be the world’s
second-tallest statue featuring a sitting posture. It is composed of ‘panchaloha’, a
combination of five metals comprising gold, silver, copper, brass and zinc.

Sri Ramanujacharya liberated millions from social, cultural, gender, educational and
economic discrimination with the foundational conviction that every human is equal
regardless of nationality, gender, race, caste or creed. He opened the doors of temples to
all people, including those subjected to extreme discrimination.

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Union Government announces a 40 to 100 per cent subsidy to popularise drones in
agriculture

The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has decided to provide a 40 to
100 per cent subsidy until March 2023 in purchasing drones by revising guidelines in
the existing scheme on farm mechanisation.

The guidelines of the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM) have been

changed to allow agricultural institutes to receive up to 100 per cent of the cost of
agriculture drones or ₹10 lakhs, whichever is less as a grant for the purchase of drones
by the Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institutes, ICAR institutes, Krishi Vigyan
Kendras and State Agriculture Universities for taking up large scale demonstrations of
drone technology on the farmers’ fields.

Agriculture graduates establishing Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) will be eligible to

receive 50 per cent of the basic cost of a drone and its attachments or up to ₹5 lakhs in
grant for drone purchases.

In order to provide agricultural services through drone application, 40 per cent of the basic
cost of the drone and its attachments or ₹4 lakhs, whichever less would be available as
financial assistance for drone purchase by existing Custom Hiring Centres, which are
set up by a cooperative society of farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and
rural entrepreneurs.

The FPOs would be eligible to receive a subsidy of 75 per cent of the cost of the drone is
used only for demonstration purposes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveils a hologram statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra
Bose at the India Gate

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a hologram statue of Subhas Chandra Bose at
the India Gate in New Delhi on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji
Subhas Chandra Bose.

The hologram statue is powered by a 30,000 lumens 4K projector. An invisible holographic

screen has been erected in such a way that it is not visible to visitors.

The 3D image of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose has been projected on it to create the effect
of a hologram. The size of the hologram statue is 28 ft in height and 6 ft in width.

Amit Shah launches the District Good Governance Index in twenty districts of
Jammu and Kashmir

Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the District Good Governance Index (DGGI)
in Jammu and Kashmir, which is the first Union Territory to have such an index.

Under this index, the policies, schemes and programmes of the central as well as the state
governments have been monitored at the district level.

The District Good Governance Index has been launched for 20 districts in Jammu and
Kashmir. This index was prepared by the Department of Administrative Reforms and
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Public Grievances (DARPG) in partnership with Jammu and Kashmir’s administration
and is a major reform in bench-marking good governance at the district level.

Union Government launches Koyla Darpan portal to share key performance

indicators of the coal sector

Union Government launched a portal, Koyla Darpan, to share key performance indicators
related to the coal sector. This portal was launched by Union Coal Secretary Anil Kumar
Jain.

This portal has key performance indicators like coal/lignite production, coal/lignite
offtake, exploration data, central sector schemes, and the status of coal stock at thermal
power plants, allocation of blocks and monitoring of major coal mines and coal price.

Kerala gets its first-ever scientific bird atlas

The Kerala Bird Atlas (KBA) is the first-of-its-kind state-level bird atlas in India. This
atlas has details of three lakh records of 361 species which includes 94 very rare species,
103 rare species, 110 common species, 44 very common species and 10 most abundant
species.

Most of the endemic species were found in the Western Ghats, while the threatened species
were mostly found along the coasts.

Indian Navy conducts a workshop on artificial intelligence in Jamnagar

Indian Navy conducted a three-day-long virtual workshop at the Indian Naval Ship
(INS) Valsura in Jamnagar of Gujarat on leveraging artificial intelligence. This workshop
was conducted under the aegis of the Southern Naval Command.

Indian Navy is focused on the incorporation of artificial intelligence and machine learning
in critical mission areas.

Union Minister of State for Culture Meenakashi Lekhi releases a pictorial comic book
named ‘India’s Women Unsung Heroes’

Union Minister of State for Culture Meenakashi Lekhi has released the pictorial comic
book ‘India’s Women Unsung Heroes’ in New Delhi. This book was prepared by Union
Culture Ministry in partnership with Amar Chitra Katha.

This book portrays the tales of valour of our forgotten women freedom fighters.

Karnataka launches the ‘Brain Health Initiative’ to help people beat COVID-19 stress

Karnataka has launched the ‘Brain Health Initiative’, a first-of-its-kind in India,

undertaken by NIMHANS in association with NITI Aayog.

Under this programme, the doctors will be trained in screening and treating mental health
patients. The initiative is being rolled out in Bengaluru, Kolar and Chikkaballapur
districts on a pilot basis.
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South Maubuang becomes Mizoram’s first ODF Plus village

The village of South Maubuang in Aibawk block of the Aizawl district in Mizoram has
been declared a model ODF (Open-Defacation Free) Plus village, having fulfilled all the
criteria as per the Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin Phase II guidelines.

This village, with a population of 649 individuals from 116 households, has emerged as
the first ODF Plus village in Mizoram.

MeitY unveils a roadmap to achieve $300 billion from electronics manufacturing and
exports by 2026

Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Ashwini Vaishnaw

released a five-year roadmap in association with the India Cellular & Electronics
Association (ICEA) for the electronics sector to achieve $300 billion sustainable
electronics manufacturing & exports by 2026.

Mobile manufacturing is expected to cross $100 billion annual production, up from the
current $30 billion and is expected to constitute nearly 40 per cent of this ambitious
growth.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually hosts the first meeting of the virtually India–
Central Asia Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually hosted first India–Central Asia Summit to
deliberate on steps to take forward relations to newer heights as well as the evolving
regional security situation.

This virtual summit will see the participation of five presidents of the Central Asian
countries — Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Kyrgyz
Republic.

This will be the first engagement of its kind between India and the Central Asian countries
at the level of leaders.

This summit is a reflection of India’s growing engagement with the Central Asian
countries, which are a part of India’s extended neighbourhood.

CSIR-CDRI scientists develop a RT-PCR kit for Omicron named ‘Om’

The CSIR–Central Drug Research Institute’s (CIDR) scientists have developed an

indigenous RT-PCR kit called ‘Om’ for testing the Omicron.

This Om indigenous kit is set to be launched in the second week of February, after it
receives a nod from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

It is the first kit made by any government institution and the third to be made indigenously
for specific testing of Omicron variant of coronavirus.

This kit will cost around ₹150 and will provide test results in around two hours.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the thirtieth National Commission for
Women’s foundation day programme

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the thirtieth National Commission for
Women (NCW)’s foundation day programme via videoconferencing.

The theme of this year’s programme is ‘She The Change Maker’, which is aimed at
celebrating the achievements of women in different fields.

Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched the NIPER research portal to facilitate
research & innovation in the pharmaceutical sector

Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Chemical and Fertilisers Mansukh
Mandaviya has launched the Research Portal of the National Institute of
Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER). India is the third-largest
pharmaceutical manufacturing country and to make the research more purposeful and
meaningful in the sector.

This research portal was developed to disseminate information about all the NIPERs and
their research activities, patents filed and publication information in one place.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat launches ‘Digital Sansad’ to make live proceedings
accessible to citizens

The Lok Sabha Secretariat has launched a new application, ‘Digital Sansad’ that will
make it easier for people to follow proceedings in the Parliament and also their lawmakers.

This application will also help members of Parliament access services such as checking
personal updates like the status of their notices, House bulletins, etc.

IREDA is set to provide consultancy to Goa Shipyard for a solar power project

State-owned Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) inked a

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Goa Shipyard to provide its techno-
financial expertise to set up a rooftop solar power project.

Under this MoU, IREDA will assist the Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) to set up a rooftop
solar power project at the headquarters of GSL in Vasco da Gama, Goa.

IREDA will also extend its techno-commercial expertise to GSL for Environmental & Social
(E&S) due diligence of rooftop solar and other renewable energy projects as per the
internationally accepted E&S standards.

Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation starts its public awareness campaign

‘SPARSH’ against leprosy

Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) started ‘SPARSH’, a public awareness

campaign, against leprosy under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme.

BMC organised this exhibition in all its 24 administrative zones. It also carries out a door-
to-door campaign to conduct a survey.

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Maharashtra has the highest number of SC entrepreneurs in India: Office of the
Development Commissioner

According to the data furnished by the Office of the Development Commissioner in the
Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Maharashtra topped the
number of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) owned by entrepreneurs from
the Scheduled Castes covered under the Udyam system of registration in India with
96,805 enterprises.

Maharashtra was followed by Tamil Nadu (42,997), Rajasthan (38,517), Uttar Pradesh
(36,913), Karnataka (28,803) and Punjab (24,503).

Maharashtra

Capital: Mumbai

Chief Minister: Uddhav Thackeray

Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari

National Parks: Chandoli National Park, Gugamal National Park, Nawegaon National
Park, Pench (Jawaharlal Nehru) National Park, Sanjay Gandhi (Borivilli) National Park,
Tadoba National Park

Union Textile Ministry extends the timeline for submitting PLI scheme applications
to 14 February 2022

Union Ministry of Textiles extended the timeline for the submission of Production
Linked Investment (PLI) scheme applications to 14 February 2022 from 31 January
2022.

PLI scheme aims to increase the production of man-made fibre (MMF) and technical
textiles in India, which together account for almost two-thirds of international trade in
textiles.

The PLI textiles scheme has a financial allocation of ₹10,683 crores covers 40 MMF (man-
made fibre) garments, 14 MMF fabric products and 10 technical textile items.

This scheme is operational from 24 September 2021 to 31 March 2030.

International News

World’s longest metro line opens in Shanghai, China

China opened the world’s largest metro line in Shanghai with two new metro lines —
Line 14 and Phase One of Line 18.

The opening of the two new lines will bring the total number of fully automatic metro lines
in Shanghai to five, with an operating length of 167 km, ranking first in the world for the
first time.

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The new Line14, with an operating length of 38 km, is the first fully automatic metro
line for eight-car trains in Shanghai.

China

Capital: Beijing

President: Xi Jinping

Currency: Renminbi

India and Pakistan exchange a list of nuclear installations and facilities through
diplomatic channels

India and Pakistan exchanged a list of their nuclear installations that cannot be attacked
in case of an escalation in hostilities as part of an annual ritual that has been in practice
between the two neighbouring countries for more than three decades.

This list was exchanged under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against
Nuclear Installations and Facilities between India and Pakistan, which was signed on
31 December 1988.

This agreement entered into force on 27 January 1991.

This was the 31st consecutive exchange of such lists, with the first one taking place on 1
January 1992.

The term ‘nuclear installation or facility’ includes nuclear power and research reactors,
fuel fabrication, uranium enrichment, isotopes separation and reprocessing facilities, as
well as any other installations with fresh or irradiated nuclear fuel and materials in any
form and establishments storing significant quantities of radioactive materials.

Nine-day long Dhaka International Film Festival was inaugurated

The nine -day long twentieth edition of the Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF)
from 15 to 23 January was inaugurated at the National Museum premises in Dhaka by
the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dr. A. K. Abdul Momen.

There are 225 films in ten categories on display at this film festival. During this festival,
films from 70 nations will be presented in a variety of settings. This festival is attended
by around 50 foreign delegates; many of them are from India.

The Lebanese–German film ‘The Anger’ directed by Maria Ivanova was the inaugural
movie of this festival.

The DIFF is organised by the Rainbow Film Society established in 1977. The DIFF was
started in 1992.

Poet and activist Maya Angelou becomes the first Black woman to feature on the US
coin

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Poet and activist Maya Angelou became the first Black woman to appear on the United
States (US) quarter, in a new version of the coin unveiled by the US Mint.

The other figures set to appear on the coin in 2022 are Sally Ride (the first American
woman in space), Wilma Mankiller (first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation),
Nina Otero-Warren (a suffrage leader) and Anna May Wong (a Chinese-American film
star).

Indonesia names Nusantara as its new capital

Indonesian lawmakers approved the shift of its capital from Jakarta to Kalimantan, a
jungle-covered area on the east of Borneo Island.

The new capital will be known as Nusantara.

The new name ‘Nusantara’ translates to ‘archipelago’ in the Indonesian language.

Nusantara will replace Jakarta, which has been dropping into the Java Sea at an alarming
rate due to the over-extraction of groundwater.

Indonesia

Capital: Nusantara

Currency: Indonesian Rupiah

President: Joko Widodo

Armen Sarkissian resigns as the President of Armenia

The President of Armenia, Armen Sarkissian, announced his resignation, citing his
inability to influence the political life of Armenia.

This resignation comes at a time when Armenia is embroiled in a political crisis as a result
of war with its neighbour Azerbaijan over control of the Nagorno–Karabakh territory.

Armenia

Capital: Yerevan

Currency: Armenian Dram

Prime Minister: Nikol Pashinyan

India pays $29.9 million in the United Nations regular budget assessments for 2022

India has paid $29.9 million in the United Nations regular budget assessments for the
year 2022. India is currently a non-permanent member of the fifteen-nation United
Nations Security Council and its two-year term will end on 31 December 2022.

The Philippines inks a deal worth $375 million for BrahMos missiles

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The Philippines has signed a $375 million deal with BrahMos Aerospace Private
Limited for the supply of shore-based anti-ship variant of the BrahMos supersonic cruise
missiles. This is the first export order for the BrahMos missile, which is a joint product
between India and Russia.

This contract includes the delivery of three batteries, training for operators and
maintainers, as well as the necessary Integrated Logistics Support (ILS)

India and France sign an MoU with scope for cooperation in health research

India and France have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with scope for
cooperation in health research. This MoU was signed between the Council of Scientific
and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Institut Pasteur of France.

CSIR and Institut Pasteur will collaborate to research and focus on emerging and re-
emerging infectious diseases and inherited disorders, allowing for the implementation of
effective and inexpensive healthcare solutions for the benefit of not only the people of India
and France but the entire world.

This MoU provides for developing potential scientific and technological cooperation and
networking in advanced and emerging areas of human health.

India and Israel launch a commemorative logo to mark the thirtieth anniversary of
their diplomatic ties

India and Israel launched a commemorative logo to mark the thirtieth anniversary of
the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Israel.

This logo features the Star of David and the Ashoka Chakra, the two symbols that adorn
the national flags of both countries and form the numeral 30 depicting the thirtieth
anniversary of their bilateral relations.

This unique design represents the strong bonds of friendship, love and admiration that
exist between Israelis and Indians and also depicts the growing strategic partnership
between the two sides.

This winning design of the commemorative logo was created by an Indian student, Nikhil
Kumar Rai.

India and the ASEAN nations approve a digital work plan to combat the use of stolen
mobile handsets

India and the ASEAN nations have jointly approved a work plan under which they will
develop a system to combat the use of stolen and counterfeit mobile handsets, among
other things.

This work plan was approved at the second ASEAN Digital Ministers’ (ADGMIN) Meeting
with India. This meeting was co-chaired by ministers from India and Myanmar.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

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Headquarters: Jakarta, Indonesia

Founded: 8 August 1967

Secretary-General: Lim Jock Hoi

Chairman: Nguyen Xuan Phuc

Australia announces a billion-dollar package to protect the Great Barrier Reef

Australia unveiled a billion-dollar package to protect the climate-ravaged Great Barrier

Reef to prevent the vast network of corals from being removed from the UNESCO World
Heritage List.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the one-billion-Australian-dollar

US$ 700 million nine-year plan, months after narrowly avoiding the Great Barrier Reef
being placed on the UNESCO in the danger list.

Australia

Capital: Canberra

Currency: Australian Dollar

Prime Minister: Scott Morrison

Deputy Prime Minister: Barnaby Joyce

The Netherlands unveils the world’s largest sea canal lock

Netherlands’ King Willem-Alexander opened the Ijmuiden Sea Lock, which is claimed
to be the largest sea canal lock in the world.

This 500-metre long and 70-metre wide sluice replaces a smaller, nearly 100-year-old
one at Ijmuiden, a small port city connecting the North Sea canal to the port of Amsterdam.

The Ijmuiden lock was designed to allow large, modern cargo ships to reach the port of
Amsterdam.

This new sea lock will greatly improve the accessibility of the port of Amsterdam and
stimulate this region’s economy by providing tide-independent space for the increasingly
large seafaring vessels.

Defence News

India joins the Quad members along with Japan and South Korea for Exercise Sea
Dragon 22

The navies of India, the US, Australia, Japan, Canada and the Republic of Korea are
participating in a mega anti-submarine warfare exercise ‘Sea Dragon 22’ in Guam in the
Western Pacific.

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India, Japan, Australia and the US are also part of The Quad nations that carried out the
Malabar exercise.

The Quad nations comprising of India, the US, Australia and Japan is aimed at ensuring
a free and open Indo –Pacific.

Iran launches a solid-fuel satellite carrier rocket into space

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard launched a solid-fuel satellite carrier rocket

into space.

Satellite carriers usually use liquid fuel, but solid-fuel rockets can be adapted for mobile
launchers that can be driven anywhere on a major road or rail system.

Iran

Capital: Tehran

Currency: Iranian Rial

President: Ebrahim Raisi

India successfully test-fires a new version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile

India successfully test-fired new versions of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile off
the coast of Odisha in Balasore.

This missile is a joint venture between India and Russia where the Defence Research
and Development Organisation (DRDO) represents the Indian side and NPO
Mashinostroyeniy from the Russian side.

This missile derives its name from two rivers — the Brahmaputra in India and the Moskva
of Russia.

This BrahMos missile supersonic cruise missile can be launched from submarines, ships,
and aircraft or land platforms.

The BrahMos missile flies at a speed of 8 Mach or almost three times the speed of sound.

Iran, China and Russia hold joint naval drills in the North Indian Ocean

Iran, China and Russia held their third joint naval drills in the North Indian Ocean.

Iran, China and Russia started joint naval drills in 2019 in the Indian Ocean and the Sea
of Oman.

The goal of this Joint naval drill is to improve regional security and its foundations, as
well as to expand multilateral cooperation between Iran, China and Russia to support
world peace, maritime security and the creation of a maritime community with a shared
destiny.

These drills will include various tactical exercises such as rescuing a burning vessel,
releasing a hijacked vessel and shooting air targets at night.

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Indian Navy conducts a 20-day joint maritime exercise ‘Paschim Lehar’at the
Arabian Sea

The Indian Navy conducted a 20-day joint maritime exercise Paschim Lehar at the
Arabian Sea to validate operational plans of the Western Naval Command and enhance
inter-service synergy among the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army and Indian
Coast Guard.

This exercise is called XPL-22 and this intra-theatre exercise included mobilisation and
participation of over 40 ships and submarines of the Indian Navy.

This exercise provided all participating forces an opportunity to operate together under
realistic conditions, responding to contemporary maritime challenges, across the areas of
the Western Command’s responsibility.

Iran, China and Russia navies conduct the joint naval drill exercise named ‘CHIRU-
2Q22’ in the Gulf of Oman

China has sent its naval missile destroyer Urumqi to the Gulf of Oman as part of CHIRU-
2Q22 joint drills with the Russian and Iranian navies to practice actions on ensuring
international shipping safety and combating sea pirates.

This is the third joint naval drill involving Iran, Russia and China since 2019 that will
cover some 17,000 square kilometres and aims at boosting marine security.

Sports News

India lifts the eighth U-19 Asia Cup title

India lifted the eighth U-19 Asia Cup title against Sri Lanka by nine wickets at the Dubai
International Cricket Stadium.

In eight editions of the U-19 Asia Cup, India has now won it eight times, which includes
a shared trophy in 2012.

Pakistani all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez announces his retirement from

international cricket

Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has announced his retirement from

international cricket.

He played in three 50-over World Cups (2007, 2011 and 2019), six 20-over World Cups
(2007, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2021) and three ICC Champions Trophies (2006, 2013
and 2017).

He represented Pakistan in 392 international matches and captained Pakistan in 32

international matches, including 29 T20Is

Rafael Nadal lifts the Melbourne Summer Set ATP 250 event

The 20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal clinched the trophy in the Men’s singles
final of the Melbourne Summer Set ATP 250 event at the Rod Laver Arena.
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He clinched the title against American Maxime Cressy in the finals.

Ashleigh Barty and Gael Monfils wins the 2022 Adelaide International tennis
tournament

Ashleigh Barty of Australia won the Women’s singles championship trophy after
defeating Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan at the 2022 Adelaide International in Adelaide,
Australia.

This is her second Adelaide International title in three years.

Gael Monfils of France won the Men’s singles championship trophy after beating Karen
Khachanov of Russia at the 2022 Adelaide International in Adelaide, Australia.

Bharath Subramaniyam becomes India’s 73rd Chess Grandmaster

Fourteen-year-old Bharath Subramaniyam became India’s 73rd Chess Grandmaster

after completing his third and final GrandMaster norm at Vergani Cup Open in Italy.

He achieved his first Grandmaster norm after securing the 11th place at the Aeroflot
Open in Moscow in February 2020.

He had become an International Master at the age of 11 years and 8 months in 2019.

Mitrabha Guha had become India’s 72nd Grandmaster and Sankalp Gupta became the
71st Grandmaster of India.

Sri Lanka’s Danushka Gunathilaka announces retirement from Test cricket

Sri Lankan batsman Danushka Gunathilaka announced his retirement from Test cricket.

He played his last Test game in 2018, with his eight Test cricket appearances bringing
him 299 runs.

Tata Group becomes the title sponsor of 2022 and 2023 editions of IPL

The Tata Group has replaced Vivo as the title sponsor for the Indian Premier League
2022 and 2023 editions.

For two years of title sponsorship, the Tata Group will pay about ₹670 crores while Vivo
would pay a total of ₹454 crores to terminate the contract.

South African cricketer Chris Morris announces his retirement from all forms of
cricket

South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris announced his retirement from all forms of
cricket.

He made his international debut in December 2012 against New Zealand and played his
first one-day international (ODI) in 2013.

He represented South Africa in four Tests, 42 ODIs and 23 T20 Internationals.

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New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel wins the ICC Player of December Award 2021

New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel won the ICC Player of the Month Award for December
2021.

He was nominated for this award alongside India opener Mayank Agarwal and Australian
pacer Mitchell Star.

In the Mumbai Test against India in early December, he took 14 wickets, including all ten
in the first innings, to become only the third player in Test cricket history to achieve this
remarkable milestone following Jim Laker and Anil Kumble.

Virat Kohli steps down as India’s Test captain after seven years of his captainship

Virat Kohli stepped down from Test captaincy of the Indian cricket team after losing a
Test series in South Africa.

He led the Indian Test cricket team for 68 matches and won 40 of them, making him
India’s most successful Test captain for the past seven years.

He has played 99 Test matches and scored 7,962 runs at an average of 50.39.

He became a Test captain of the Indian cricket team in 2014 after replacing Mahendra
Singh Dhoni.

Tasnim Mir from Gujarat becomes the first Indian to clinch number one spot in U-
19 girls’ singles badminton

Tasnim Mir from Gujarat became the first Indian to grab the number one spot in Under-
19 (U-19) girls’ singles badminton.

She has won four junior international tournaments, with three of them Bulgarian Junior
Championship, Alpes International and Belgian Junior in 2021.

She has also won the under-15 and under-17 titles in the Asian Junior Championships.

India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty win the men’s doubles title at the
Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2022

India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty became the first Indian team to
win the men’s doubles title at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2022 after defeating three-
time world champions Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan.

They had won the Thailand Open Super 500 title in 2019, besides reaching the finals at
the French Open Super 750 in 2019.

They also played a crucial role for India to earn the historic mixed team gold medal in the
2018 Commonwealth Games.

Lakshaya Sen Wins the men’s singles title at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2022

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Lakshya Sen became the first Indian to win an Indian Open men’s singles title on his
debut at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2022 tournament after defeating the world
champion Loh Kean Yew.

This is his first Super 500 title on the Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) tour and
third overall. He had earlier won the bronze medal in the 2021 World Championships
after losing to Srikanth in the semi-final.

India is set to host the AFC Women’s Asia Cup 2022

India is all set to host the twentieth edition of AFC Women’s Asia Cup 2022 from 20
January 2022.

This tournament will be held in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune. It will witness 12
teams competing for the AFC Women’s Asia Cup trophy.

The AFC Women’s Asia Cup will also be the final stage of Asian qualification for the 2023
FIFA Women’s World Cup to be held in Australia and New

The 12 teams at the twentieth edition of the AFC Women’s Asia Cup 2022 have been
divided into three groups. Group A includes India, China PR, Chinese Taipei, and IR Iran,
while Group B includes Australia, Thailand, Philippines, and Indonesia. Japan, Korea
Republic, Vietnam, and Myanmar have been slotted in Group C.

Savita Punia was named the captain of the Indian women’s hockey team for Asia
Cup in Muscat

Indian goalkeeper Savita Punia was named as the captain of the 18-membered Indian
women’s hockey team for the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup 2022 to be held in Muscat,
Oman, from 21 to 28 January 2022.

China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand are the seven
other teams competing at the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup 2022.

Indian tennis star Sania Mirza is set to retire after the 2022 season

India’s most celebrated tennis star and former Wimbledon doubles champion Sania Mirza
and is set to retire after the 2022 season.

She became the first Indian to win a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) singles title in
2005.

She was ranked by the WTA as India’s No. 1 player.

She has won six Grand Slam titles in her career.

She was named one of the ‘50 Heroes of Asia’ by Time in October 2005.

She was appointed as the UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia during the
event held to mark the International Day to End Violence against Women on 25 November
2013.

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She was named in Time magazine’s 2016 list of the 100 most influential people in the
world.

Smriti Mandhana was named in the ICC T20I Women’s Team of the Year 2021

India opener Smriti Mandhana was named in the ICC T20 Women’s Team of the Year
2021 for her superlative show in the T20 format in 2021.

She was the Indian team’s vice-captain in T20format and was India’s highest scorer in
T20 in 2021.

She was the only Indian on the team, which also included several English players,
including Nat Scriver being named captain.

ICC Women’s T20I Team of the Year 2021: Smriti Mandhana, Tammy Beaumont, Danni
Wyatt, Gaby Lewis, Nat Sciver (captain), Amy Jones (wicketkeeper), Laura Wolvaardt,
Marizanne Kapp, Sophie Ecclestone, Loryn Phiri and Shabnim Ismail.

P. V. Sindhu wins the women’s singles title at the Syed Modi International BWF
Super 300 tournament

P. V. Sindhu won the women’s singles title at the Syed Modi India International BWF
Super 300 tournaments held at Lucknow after defeating Malvika Bansod.

Sindhu had not won a title since the Badminton World Championship at Basel,
Switzerland, in August 2019.

It took her 35 minutes to clinch her second title at the Syed Modi tournament, having
previously won the same event in 2017.

The Indian duo of Ishan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto clinched the mixed doubles
title at the tournament.

Ladakh women’s team wins the ninth IHAI National Women’s Ice Hockey
Championship

The Ladakh women’s team has won the ninth National Women’s Ice Hockey
Championship organised by the Ice Hockey Association of India (IHAI) held from 15–
21 January in the Kaza area of Himachal Pradesh.

Six teams from Delhi, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Telangana and the Indo-
Tibetan Border Police have participated in this year’s championship.

Smriti Mandhana was named as the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2021

Indian batter Smriti Mandhana was named the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year
2021.

She has won the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy awarded to the ICC Women’s Cricketer
of the Year for the second time after 2018.

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She also became the second woman cricketer after Australia’s Ellyse Perry to win this
honour more than one time.

She was also named in the ICC Women’s T20 International Team of the Year 2021.

Other ICC Awardees for 2021 are:

Name of the Player Category Country

Marais Erasmus ICC Umpire of the Year South Africa

2021

Mohammad Rizwan ICC Men’s T20I of the Pakistan

Year 2021

Tammy Beaumont ICC Women’s T20I England

Cricketer of the Year
2021

Janneman Malan ICC Emerging Men’s South Africa

Cricketer of the Year
2021

Fatima Sana ICC Emerging Pakistan

Women’s Cricketer of
the Year 2021

Zeeshan Maqsood ICC Men’s Associate Oman

Cricketer of the Year
2021

Andrea-Mae Zepeda ICC Women’s Austria

Associate Cricketer of
the Year 2021

Babar Azam ICC Men’s ODI Pakistan

Cricketer of the Year
2021

Lizelle Lee ICC Women’s ODI South Africa

Cricketer of the Year
2021

Joe Root ICC Men’s Test England

Cricketer of the Year
2021

Shaheen Afridi Sir Garfield Sobers Pakistan

Trophy for ICC Men’s

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Cricketer of the Year
2021

India withdraws from the AFC Women’s Asia Cup 2022 due to COVID-19 outbreak

India women’s football team withdrew from the AFC Women’s Asia Cup 2022 tournament
due to the COVID-19 cases in the team.

With the withdrawal of the India women’s football team, all their matches remain
cancelled. The hopes of the Indian women’s football team qualifying for the 2023 FIFA
Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand have also diminished due to this
scenario.

India beat China to bag the bronze medal in the Hockey Women’s Asia Cup 2022

Indian women’s hockey team defeated China (2-0) and won the bronze medal at the 2022
Asia Cup held in Muscat, Oman. Japan won its third title after defeating South Korea.

Ashleigh Barty becomes the first Australian in 44 years to win the women’s singles
title at the Australian Open

The 25-year-old Ashleigh Barty won the women’s singles title by defeating Danielle
Collins in the Australian Open 2022. She became the first Australian in 44 years to win
the women’s singles title at the Australian Open

She became the first Australian to win the Grand Slam event since Chris O’Neil captured
the women’s title in 1978.

Rafael Nadal beats Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open 2022 to win his record
21st Grand Slam title

Rafael Nadal defeated Daniil Medvedev in the 2022 Australian Open men’s singles it is
his 21st Grand Slam title.

Rafael Nadel became the first-ever male player to win more than 20 Grand Slam titles
in singles. He was followed by Roger Federer (20 Grand Slam title) and Novak Djokovic (20
Grand Slam title).

CSK becomes the first Indian sports establishment to gain unicorn status

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) became the first Indian sports enterprise to gain unicorn
status with its market capitalisation surpassing ₹7,600 crores and the share value in the
market trading entering INR ₹ 210–225 price band.

The franchise’s market cap went past its parent entity, India Cements. India Cements’
market cap was at ₹ 6,869 crores.

Magnus Carlsen beats Fabiano Caruana to clinch the 2022 Tata Steel Chess Masters
title

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Magnus Carlsen defeated Fabiano Caruana to win a record eighth Tata Steel Masters
title.

Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi won the Tata Steel Challengers event after a draw with
Thai Dai Van Nguyen of the Czech Republic.

Unnati Hooda and Kiran George win the 2022 Odisha Open titles

Unnati Hooda became the youngest Indian to win an Super 100 tournament by
defeating Smit Toshniwal in straight games to claim the women’s singles title in the 2022
Odisha Open.

Kiran George won the men’s singles title by defeating Priyanshu Rajawat in the 2022
Odisha Open.

Kristina Mladenovic and Ivan Dodig win the Australian Open Mixed Doubles
Championship 2022

Kristina Mladenovic of France and Ivan Dodig of Croatia won the Australian Open Mixed
Doubles Championship 2022 title at Melbourne Park, Australia.

They were crowned the mixed doubles title after defeating Jaimee Fourlis and Jason
Kubler.

Kristina Mladenovic became the Australian Open mixed doubles champion for the second
time in her career, having won the tournament in 2014 and has won two women’s doubles
titles in 2018 and 2020 in the Australia Open among her five major women’s doubles
titles.

Former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor gets three-and-a-half year ban by the ICC

The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) anti-corruption unit has banned former
Zimbabwe cricket captain Brendan Taylor from all forms of cricket for three-and-a-half
years for failing to report an approach from alleged corruptors promptly.

He admitted to one charge of breaking the doping rule, which stems from a failed dope
test in his last international game in 2021.

He tested positive for Benzoylecognine, which is primarily a result of cocaine ingestion.

Banking & Economy

Life Insurance Corporation of India inaugurates Digi Zone to sell policies online

Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India has inaugurated ‘Digi Zone’ as part of its effort
to enhance its digital footprint.

The customers can use LIC’s Digi Zone to buy policies online, pay the premium and avail
other services.

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LIC intends to embark on the next wave of digital transformation in order to reap the
benefits of increased growth, increased client happiness and increased intermediary
productivity and loyalty.

Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Founded: 1 September 1956

Chairman: M. R. Kumar

Securities and Exchange Board of India restructures a Market Data Advisory

Committee headed by S. Sahoo

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has restructured its Market Data
Advisory Committee headed by Sahoo, which recommends policy measures in areas
such as access to securities market data and privacy.

This committee’s responsibilities include defining segment-specific data perimeters, data

demands and gaps, as well as recommending data privacy and data access policies for
market data. It is in charge of suggesting acceptable securities market data access policies.

This committee also recommends the standardisation of data definitions, data

identification logic (usage of uniform codes for identifying and storing data — raw data
and derived data) and data validation techniques (single source of truth, validation).

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)

Headquarter: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Chairman: Ajay Tyagi

Founded: 12 April 1992

Nippon India Mutual Fund launches India’s first auto exchange-traded fund

Nippon Life India Asset Management Limited (NAM India), the asset manager of Nippon
India Mutual Fund (NIMF), has launched the Nippon India Nifty Auto ET, India’s first
auto sector exchange-traded fund (ETF).

This auto ETF is an open-ended scheme replicating/tracking the Nifty Auto Index.

The New Fund Offer (NFO) will open on 5 January 2022 and close on 14 January 2022
and the minimum investment amount required is ₹1000. Investors can add in multiples
of ₹1 thereafter.

This fund will invest in stocks comprising of Nifty Auto Index in the same manner as the
index adding that it will provide exposure to the Top 15 (as per Nifty Auto Index
methodology) representing auto-related sectors like 4 wheelers, 2 and 3 wheelers,
ancillary units and tyre making companies.

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Paisabazaar.com and Axis Bank launches a pre-qualified programme for personal
loans

Paisabazaar.com has partnered with Axis Bank and launched a pre-qualified programme
for unsecured loans on its platform.

Paisabazaar.com’s pre-qualified programme comprises a deep technology and analytics

partnership with banks and non-bank financiers, allowing select consumers to access
personalised and pre-qualified lending offers on the fintech’s platform.

This integration would lead to instant access to credit for these select customers through
an end-to-end digital process, which can be completed through the click of a few buttons
on Paisabazaar.

Fino Payments Bank gets RBI nod to start international remittance business

Fino Payments Bank has received the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) approval for
commencing international remittance business under the Money Transfer Service
Scheme (MTSS).

Fino Payments Bank will be undertaking inward cross-border money transfer activities
in association with an overseas principal.

MTSS is a way of transferring personal remittances from abroad to beneficiaries in India.

Only inward personal remittances into India, such as remittances towards family
maintenance and remittances favouring foreign tourists visiting India are permissible. The
parties involved in an MTSS are overseas principals and Indian agents.

A cap of $2,500 has been placed on individual remittances under the MTSS.

Amounts up to ₹50,000 may be paid in cash to a beneficiary in India under the MTSS.

Only 12 remittances can be received by a single individual during a year.

Fino Payments Bank:

Headquarters: Navi Mumbai

Founded: 2017

RBI releases a framework on offline digital payments

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a framework allowing offline payments up to
₹200 per transaction and an overall limit of ₹2,000 for all transactions until the balance
in the account is replenished in order to push digital transactions in rural and semi-urban
areas. Balance replenishment can only occur in an online mode. An offline digital payment
means a transaction that does not require internet or telecom connectivity.

Under the offline mode, payments can be carried out face-to-face (proximity mode) using
any channel or instrument like cards, wallets, and mobile devices.

These transactions will not require an additional factor of authentication (AFA).

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Reserve Bank of India (RBI):

Founded: 1935

Governor: Shaktikanta Das

Headquarters: Mumbai

CryptoWire launches India’s first index to measure the performance of top

cryptocurrencies

IC15 is a rule-based broad market index by market capitalisation, which tracks and
measures the performance of the top 15 widely traded cryptocurrencies listed on leading
crypto exchanges of the world.

The 15 cryptocurrencies include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance coin, Solana, Cardano,

Ripple, Terra, Dogecoin and Shiba Inu, among others. The base value of the index is set
at 10,000 and the base date is 1 April 2018.

This index will enable crypto enthusiasts, investors and investment managers to monitor
the performance of cryptocurrencies in the global markets.

Apple becomes the first company to hit $3-trillion market value

Apple became the first company to hit a $3-trillion (roughly ₹2, 23, 75,950 crores) stock
market value, as it keeps launching best-selling products and exploring new markets such
as automated cars and virtual reality.

Apple shared the $2-trillion market value club with Microsoft, which is now worth about
$2.5 trillion. Alphabet, Amazon and Tesla have market values above $1 trillion.

Under Tim Cook, who in 2011 became the Chief Executive of Apple following Steve Jobs
‘death, Apple has sharply increased its revenue from services like video streaming and
music. Helped Apple reduce its reliance on the iPhone to about 52 per cent of total
revenue in 2021 fiscal from over 60 per cent in 2018.

NPCI Bharat BillPay introduces the Unified Presentment Management System for
recurring bill payments

NPCI Bharat BillPay (NBBL), the wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Payments
Corporation of India, introduced the ‘Unified Presentment Management System’
(UPMS) for recurring bill payments.

UPMS will enable the customers to set up standing instructions from any channel and for
any mode on their recurring bill payments.

Under the system, bills will be automatically fetched from the billers and presented to
customers to take action in terms of auto-debit and bill payment management.

For billers, UPMS eases the operational management of collections while reducing the
infrastructure overheads on their systems that come during billing cycles.

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National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI):

Founded: 2008

Headquarters: Mumbai

Airtel Payments Bank receives Scheduled Bank status from the Reserve Bank of
India

Airtel Payments Bank has received the status of a Scheduled Bank from the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI).

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) included the Airtel Payments Bank in the Second
Schedule of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.

Airtel Payments Bank can now apply for government-issued requests for proposals
(RFPs) and primary auctions now that it has been designated as a scheduled Bank. It can
also remove take up central and state government-level businesses, besides participating
in government-operated welfare schemes.

Airtel Payments Bank

Headquarters: New Delhi

CEO: Anubrata Biswas

Founded: January 2017

State Bank of India increases the IMPS transaction limit

The State Bank of India (SBI) has increased the limit on Immediate Payment Service
(IMPS) transactions from ₹2 lakhs to ₹5 lakhs as per the directions of the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI).

This will be effective from 1 February 2022.

The charges for sending money via IMPS for amounts between ₹2 lakhs and ₹5 lakhs will
be ₹20 plus GST.

IMPS provides robust and real-time fund transfer, which offers an instant, 24X7,
interbank electronic fund transfer service that could be accessed on multiple channels
like mobile, internet, ATM, SMS.

State Bank of India (SBI)

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Chairman: Dinesh Kumar Khara

Tagline: “The Banker to Every Indian”

State Bank of India, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank remain as Domestic Systemically
Important Banks
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The State Bank of India (SBI), ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank continue to be identified as
Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) or entities that are ‘too big to fail’
under the same bucketing structure as in the 2020 list of D-SIBs.

SBI and ICICI Bank were first named as D-SIBs in 2015 and 2016. HDFC Bank was also
classified as a D-SIB, along with the SBI and ICICI Bank in 2017.

D-SIB means that the bank is too big to fail. According to the Reserve Bank of India,
some banks become systemically important due to their size, cross-jurisdictional
activities, complexity and lack of substitute and interconnection. Banks whose assets
exceed 2 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) are considered part of this group.

Reserve Bank of India cancels the authorisation certificates of two payment system
operators

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the Certificate of Authorisation (CoA)
of Muthoot Vehicle and Asset Finance Limited and Eko India Finance Services
Private Limited for non-compliance with regulatory requirements under the Payment
and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

These companies cannot transact the business of issuance and operation of prepaid
payment instruments.

ICICI Bank facilitates the payment of customs duty online

ICICI Bank announced the launch of a facility for the payment of customs duty online
which is available for both retail and corporate customers.

Corporate customers can pay customs duty through the bank’s Corporate Internet
Banking (CIB) and mobile banking application InstaBIZ, while retail customers can pay
through the bank’s retail internet banking platform.

Customers can make online payments by selecting ICICI Bank from the list of banks on
the website of Indian Customs Electronic Gateway (ICEGATE).

ICICI (Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India)

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

MD and CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi

Tagline: Hum Hai Na, Khyal Apka

Paytm enables users to make payments by tapping a phone on PoS devices to make
offline payments

Paytm launched the ‘Tap to Pay’service, which enables users to make instant payments
through their Paytm registered card by just tapping their phone on a Point-of-Sale (PoS)
machine.

This will be possible even if the phone is locked or there is no mobile data or internet
connection.
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Paytm’s Tap to Pay service is available for both Android and iOS users paying through
PoS devices.

Paytm’s latest Tap to pay service employs its technology to convert the 16-digit primary
account number (PAN) of the chosen card into a secure transaction code or ‘digital
identifier.’

This digital identifier ensures that a user’s credit card information is private and is never
shared with a third-party payment processor. When a customer enters a store, they may
simply tap and pay on the PoS device without having to give their credit card information.

Kotak Mutual Fund launches an Exchange Traded Fund named ‘Kotak Midcap 50
ETF’

Kotak Mutual Fund launched an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) named Kotak Midcap
50 ETF, an open-ended scheme that will track the Nifty Midcap 50 Index.

The new fund offering (NFO) is benchmarked against the Nifty Midcap 50 Index (TRI),
which captures the movement of the mid-cap segment of the market.

This scheme opens for subscription from 6 January 2022 and closes on 20 January
2022. Investors can invest a minimum amount ₹5000 during the new fund offering period.

The Kotak Midcap 50 ETF will replicate the Nifty Midcap 50 Index, which includes the
top 50 companies based on full market capitalisation from Nifty Midcap 150 Index with
preference given to those stocks on which derivative contracts are available on the National
Stock Exchange.

SBI General Insurance launches #BahaneChhodoTaxBachao campaign on tax savings

SBI General Insurance has launched a #BahaneChhodoTaxBachao campaign to

increase awareness of how people can save tax by buying health insurance.

This campaign aims to increase awareness on how buying health insurance can help
people save tax which is crucial and seasonal in the last quarter of the financial year for
all Indians and will also underline the other benefits of opting for health insurance.

Airtel Payments Bank collaborates with Park+ to offer FASTags-based smart parking
solutions

Airtel Payments Bank has collaborated with Park+ to offer FASTags-based smart
parking solutions to marquee commercial and residential properties across India.

This collaboration aims to leverage the deep distribution reach and digital payments stack
of Airtel Payments Bank to digitise the parking ecosystem using FASTags associated with
vehicles.

Airtel Payments Bank is among the top five issuers of FASTags in India.

Airtel Payments Bank

Headquarters: New Delhi

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CEO: Anubrata Biswas

Founded: January 2017

Jammu and Kashmir Bank launches the Special One Time Settlement Scheme 2021
for non-performing assets

Jammu and Kashmir Bank launched the Special One Time Settlement Scheme
2021 for non-performing assets (NPA), which provides a golden opportunity to all the
eligible account holders to settle their accounts and avail the best possible concessions
that can be offered.

This scheme is valid for 30 working days, for which the sanction or otherwise will be
conveyed within seven working days of the receipt of application with a maximum
repayment period of six months.

Reserve Bank of India sets up a separate department for fintech to focus on the
dynamically growing sector

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set up a fintech department to facilitate
innovation, help identify and address challenges & opportunities in the dynamically
growing new sector.

This department will not only promote innovation in this sector but also identify the
challenges and opportunities associated with it and address them in a timely manner.

All matters related to inter-regulatory and international coordination on fintech shall also
be dealt with by this department.

According to the RBI, the fintech department will be administratively attached to

the centralised administrative division (CAD) of the central office.

RBL Bank collaborates with Google to enhance its customer experience

RBL Bank has partnered with Google to improve its customer experience strategy and
enhance its value proposition through its digital platform named Abacus 2.0 to better
serve its fast-growing customer base.

This collaboration will enable RBL Bank to better manage customer data and analytics,
as well as enable successful cross-selling, thereby lowering the cost of client acquisition
significantly.

RBL Bank aims to give a superior and holistic one-stop solution to its existing and new
customers through Abacus 2.0 and distribute its various product offerings across
channels in a seamless manner.

RBL Bank will leverage Google Cloud’s secure and scalable infrastructure for seamless
customer onboarding.

It will also serve as the technological foundation for a product-agnostic client acquisition
engine that would provide more comprehensive access to a variety of goods, including
payments, deposits, insurance, credit cards, investments and secured loans.

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NPCI sets standardised limits for cash withdrawals and mini statements on AePS
transactions

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has introduced limits for cash
withdrawals and mini statements through Aadhaar enabled Payments Systems (AePS).

Acquiring banks will be required to adopt a maximum limit of five approved cash
withdrawal transactions per customer per terminal per day, according to the new
guidelines.

The issuers will also implement a standardised limit of a minimum of five mini statement
transactions per customer per month.

The acquirers must implement two-factor authentication for login of business

correspondents, agents and merchants at least once a day with one of the factors as
Aadhaar-based biometric authentication.

Cash withdrawals from micro ATMs of AePS have a limit of ₹10,000 per transaction.

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

MD & CEO: Dilip Asbe

Founded: 2008

UCO Bank launches RuPay Select contactless debit card

UCO Bank in association with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has
launched a RuPay Select contactless debit card for its premium customer segment.

This card will offer an ATM withdrawal limit of ₹50,000 along with a purchase of up to
₹2 lakhs at point-of-sales (POS) or e-commerce.

All RuPay Select contactless debit cardholders are eligible for an insurance cover of up
to ₹10 lakhs (Death due to personal accident and permanent disability).

UCO Bank

Headquarters: Kolkata

MD & CEO: Soma Sankara Prasad

Tagline: ‘Honours your Trust’

CRISIL launches a new maturity index named ‘CRISIL IBX 70:30 CPSE Plus SDL
Index – April 2025’

CRISIL has launched a new target maturity index named ‘CRISIL IBX 70:30 CPSE plus
SDL Index – April 2025’.

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This index will track the performance of AAA CPSEs (Central Public Sector Enterprises)
and State Development Loans (SDL) securities maturing between 1 November 2024
and 30 April 2025. It will mature on 30 April 2025.

This is the third such index launched by CRISIL on target maturity funds. The earlier two
indexes track the gilt market in 2027 and 2028 maturities.

Some of the new indices launched by CRISIL include CRISIL Broad-Based Long Term Gilt
Index, CRISIL Broad-Based Medium Term Gilt Index, CRISIL Broad-Based Short Term Gilt
Index, CRISIL Broad-Based Gilt Index and CRISIL Money Market Index-Insurance.

Axis Bank ties up with MinkasuPay for smoother biometric-based net banking
payments

Axis Bank has partnered with MinkasuPay to offer the smoothest net banking payment
experience for its customers through biometric authentication solutions.

This partnership will enable Axis Bank customers to make net banking payments in
merchant apps using fingerprint or face ID, without the need for usernames, passwords
and one-time password (OTPs).

This will help enhance user experience and also bolster security and reduce cyber-frauds.

Axis Bank

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

MD & CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry

Tagline: Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi

Federal Bank unveils an instant 30-minutes loan approval portal for MSMEs

Federal Bank has launched an online lending platform, com, to facilitate quick and
hassle-free credit approvals of up to ₹50 lakhs for micro, small & medium enterprises
(MSMEs) across India.

This platform helps MSME borrowers in availing loans in less than 30 minutes digitally
by uploading their income tax returns, bank account statements and online verification
of GST details.

The clients can avail themselves of business loan approvals from the comfort of their
homes without visiting the bank’s branches.

Federal Bank

Headquarters: Aluva, Kerala

MD & CEO: Shyam Srinivasan

Tagline: Your Perfect Banking Partner

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Reserve Bank of India releases the Annual Report of the Ombudsman Schemes 2020–
21

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released the Annual Report of the Ombudsman
Schemes for 2020 –21 for nine months (1 July 2020 to 31 March 2021).

As per this report, the volume of complaints received was increased by 22.27 per cent on
an annualised basis. The overall disposal rate improved from 92.52 per cent to 96.59 per
cent, despite the higher volume of complaints received.

Major areas of complaints under the plan include ATM or debit cards, mobile or electronic
banking and credit cards. This category accounted for 42.74 per cent of all complaints
received. The reporting period was altered to April–March 2021-22 by the RBI.

Chandigarh received the maximum number of complaints, followed by Kanpur and New
Delhi

Paytm Payments Bank leads the Unified Payment Interface Beneficiary Chart in
December 2021

Paytm Payments Bank has emerged as the biggest receiver of Unified Payments
Interface (UPI) amount with 926.17 million transactions in December 2021.

State Bank of India (SBI) topped this chart for being the biggest remitter in December
2021, according to the data released by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

According to the NPCI data, Standard Chartered Bank had the highest approval rate of
96.74 per cent in remittance of UPI transactions, while Citi Bank registered the highest
approval rate of 99.84 per cent among UPI beneficiaries.

Paytm Payments Bank

Headquarters: New Delhi, India

MD & CEO: Satish Kumar Gupta

YES Mutual Fund was renamed as White Oak Capital Mutual Fund

Yes Mutual Fund was renamed as White Oak Capital Mutual Fund.

White Oak was granted a mutual fund licence. White Oak Capital Group provides
investment management and advisory services for over ₹42,000 crores in equity assets.

In September 2021, GPL Finance and Investments, a subsidiary of the White Oak Capital
Group, gained authorisation from the capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange
Board of India (SEBI) to acquire Yes Asset Management from Yes Bank.

Reserve Bank of India authorises South Indian Bank to collect direct and indirect
taxes

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The Reserve Bank of India has authorised South Indian Bank to collect direct and
indirect taxes on behalf of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the Central
Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC).

South Indian Bank

Headquarters: Thrissur, Kerala

MD & CEO: Murali Ramakrishnan

SIDBI sanctions ₹650 crores to AU and Jana Small Finance Banks for co-lending

The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has sanctioned funds
aggregating ₹650 crores to two small finance banks (SFBs), AU Small Finance Bank and
Jana Small Finance Bank, to aid small non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and
microfinance institutions (MFIs) in providing financial assistance to small businesses and
micro-entrepreneurs.

This financial assistance has been extended out of the special liquidity facility (SLF) of
₹16,000 crores sanctioned by the Reserve Bank of India to SIDBI to meet the challenges
being faced by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) due to the COVID-19
pandemic.

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

Headquarters: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Chairman & Managing Director (CMD): S. Ramann

MobiKwik launches ‘ClickPay’ in collaboration with India the NPCI Bharat BillPay
Limited

MobiKwik has launched ‘ClickPay’ in collaboration with the NPCI Bharat BillPay
Limited (NBBL).

MobiKwik customers can use this feature to pay regular online bills (such as mobile, gas,
water, electricity, DTH, insurance and loan EMIs) without having to remember individual
bill details and due dates.

ClickPay is a two-step payment feature that allows consumers to make payments

directly on the payment page once billers provide a unique payment link within the bill-
pay message.

SEBI reduces the timeline for filing settlement applications to 60 days

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has cut the timeline for filing
settlement applications to just 60 days from the current 180 days, aimed at
rationalising norms on settlement proceedings.

A settlement application can currently be filed within 60 days of receiving the show-cause
notice. However, if the applicants pay an additional 25 per cent over the settlement
charges, they will be given an additional 120 days.
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All payments under the settlement regulations will be accepted only through a dedicated
payment gateway.

Under this settlement mechanism, an alleged wrongdoer can settle a pending case with
the regulator without admission or denial of guilt by paying a settlement fee.

This settlement mechanism is a tool for ensuring speedy and efficient resolution of
disputes.

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)

Headquarter: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Chairman: Ajay Tyagi

Founded: 12 April 1992

NSE Indexes launches Nifty India Defence Index

A subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange index services, NSE Indexes has launched
the Nifty India Defence Index aimed to track the performance of a stock portfolio that
reflects the defence theme in general.

This index is expected to act as a benchmark for asset managers and a reference index for
passive funds such as Exchange Trading Funds (ETFs), index funds and structured
products.

The original date for the index is 2 April 2018 and the base value is 1000.

This index reconstitution will be done on a semi-annual basis.

National Stock Exchange (NSE)

Headquarter: Mumbai

MD and CEO: Vikram Limaye

Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company launches three new business

verticals for consumers & SME loans

The Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company has launched three new
business divisions for consumers & SME loans and partnered with leading fintech
companies like BankBazaar, KreditBee and Paytail.

The three new business divisions to drive the next wave of growth are Consumer & Small
Enterprise Loan (CSEL), Secured Business & Personal Loan (SBPL) and SME Loan
(SME).

The CSEL business will focus on three areas such as personal & professional loans (PPL),
micro & small enterprise loans and strategic digital partnerships.

SEBI launches Saa₹thi mobile application on investor education

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The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has launched Saa₹thi mobile
application on investor education to create awareness among investors about the basic
concepts of the securities market.

This application will create awareness among the investors about the basic concepts of
the securities market, KYC (Know Your Customer) process, trading and settlement,
mutual funds, recent market developments and investor grievances redressal mechanism.

This mobile application is available both in Hindi and English.

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)

Headquarter: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Chairman: Ajay Tyagi

Founded: 12 April 1992

National Stock Exchange remains the world’s largest derivatives exchange for the
third consecutive year

National Stock Exchange (NSE) is the world’s largest derivatives exchange for the third
consecutive year in 2021 in terms of the number of contracts traded, according to the
Futures Industry Association (FIA).

The NSE was ranked fourth by the number of trades in cash equities, as per the statistics
maintained by the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) for 2021.

National Stock Exchange (NSE)

Headquarters: Mumbai

MD and CEO: Vikram Limaye

Union Government notifies the new unit-linked insurance policies taxation rules

The Union Government notified new rules to calculate capital gains tax on the proceeds of
high-premium unit-linked insurance policies (ULIPs), following the amendments to
income tax and securities transaction tax rules.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) released a notification explaining the
mechanism for determining whether ULIPs are tax-exempt as per Clause (10D) of Section
10 of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Union Budget 2021had proposed to remove the tax-
exempt status on the proceeds of ULIPs if the annual premium exceeded ₹2.5 lakhs.

ULIPs are insurance policies that offer the potential of wealth creation while providing the
security of a life cover.

Ujjivan Small Finance Bank launches a Platina fixed deposit scheme

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Ujjivan Small Finance Bank launched a Platina fixed deposit scheme that offers
interest of 15 basis points (bps) in addition to the regular Ujjivan Small Finance Bank
term deposit rates.

The general fixed deposit (FD) for 990 days tenure gives 6.9 per cent for general citizens
and 7.65 per cent for senior citizens, but Platina FD offers 15 bps over and above these
interest rates.

The minimum FD Amount is ₹20 lakhs and the maximum amount is less than ₹2 crores.

The Platina FD is a non-callable deposit, where partial and pre-matured withdrawal is not
applicable.

The deposit tenure ranges from 12 months to an utmost of five decades.

World Bank approves a ₹1000 crore loan to support the people of West Bengal

The World Bank has approved a loan of about ₹1000 crores to the West Bengal
Government under the ‘West Bengal Building State Capability for Inclusive Social
Protection’ operation, which will strengthen the capability of West Bengal to expand
coverage and access to social assistance and targeted service for poor and vulnerable
groups.

This loan will assist the West Bengal administration in improving services such as
telemedicine, support for the elderly and differently-abled, financial inclusion of residents
through digital payments and benefit disbursement for government schemes.

World Bank

Headquarters: Washington D.C., United States

President: David Robert Malpass

Founded: 1944

Ola Electric raises $200 million at a valuation of $5 billion

Ola Electric has risen over $200 million from Tekne Private Ventures, Alpine
Opportunity Fund, Edelweiss and others in a funding round that pegged the mobility
startup’s valuation at $5 billion.

Over the past six months, Ola Electric has been focusing on accelerating the development
of its electric scooters.

Ola Electric had raised more than $50 million in a financing round led by Temasek, which
also saw participation from Edelweiss, IIFL, and Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s VSS Investco.

Swiggy becomes a decacorn after its valuation raises to $10.7 billion after a $700-
million fundraise

Swiggy, the Indian food-delivery firm has raised $700 million in additional capital led by
Invesco, making the company a decacorn with a valuation of $10.7 billion.

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A decacorn is a moniker for startups valued at over $10 billion. Swiggy was valued at
$5.5 billion earlier.

Swiggy’s latest valuation is almost double that of Zomato, which was valued at $5.4 billion
before its Initial Public Offer (IPO).

The fundraising will enable Swiggy to further accelerate growth on the core platform and
make meaningful investments to grow its quick delivery business, Instamart.

Hitachi Payment Services and Indipaisa introduce a new fintech platform

Hitachi Payment Services has partnered with Indipaisa to develop a new fintech
platform for India’s micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Under this partnership, Hitachi Payment Services will provide a superior technology
framework for the new fintech platform for India’s MSMEs.

Max Life partners with Policybazaar to offer independent term insurance cover for
homemakers

Max Life Insurance has joined hands with Policybazaar to offer its ‘Max Life Smart
Secure Plus Plan’ on the Policybazzar’s platform as an independent cover to homemakers.

This plan will be available to consumers where household income is a minimum of ₹5

lakh per annum. Different variants of the plan, with mortality and all rider benefits will
be available to homemakers in the age group of 18 to 50 years.

Pencilton launches a debit card with NCMC for teens in partnership with Transcorp

Pencilton, a teen-focused fintech company, has launched PencilCard debit card with
NCMC (National Common Mobility Card) for teens in partnership with Transcorp.

PencilCard is an NCMC-compliant RuPay debit card specially designed for the teenager
segment.

Google is set to invest up to $1 billion in a partnership with Airtel

Bharti Airtel has partnered with Google on a long-term, multi-year agreement to

accelerate the growth of India’s digital ecosystem, under which Google intends to invest
up to $1 billion.

The amount is part of the $10 billion ‘Google for India Digitisation Fund’, which was
announced by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Google and Alphabet Sundar Pichai in
2020.

RBI conducts overnight Variable Rate Repo auction of ₹75,000 crores

Reserve Bank of India conducted an overnight Variable Rate Repo (VRR) auction under
liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) for an amount of ₹75,000 crores to augment the
liquidity shortfall in the economy.

The RBI had conducted an overnight VRR auction of ₹50,000 crores on 20 January.

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The RBI will continue to rebalance liquidity conditions in a non-disruptive manner while
maintaining adequate liquidity to meet the needs of the productive sectors of the Indian
economy.

For the unversed, the RBI borrows money from the banks at the Reverse Repo rate. It
borrows money in two parts, one at a fixed rate of interest and the other at a variable rate
of interest.

The RBI would focus more on the variable rate of interest for a maturity of 14 days.

Union Government approves the merger of Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative

Bank with Unity Small Finance Bank Limited

The Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank merges with Unity Small
Finance Bank Limited (USFBL) under the approval of the Union Government with effect
from 25 January 2022.

The branches of PMC Bank will operate as Unity Small Finance Bank branches.

This scheme of amalgamation envisages the USFBL taking over the assets and liabilities
of PMC Bank, including deposits in terms of the provisions of this scheme.

As per the Banking Regulation Act of 1949, a draft scheme of amalgamation is required to
be placed before the Union Government for its sanction and the government may sanction
the scheme without any modifications or with such modifications as it may consider
necessary.

Unity Small Finance Bank is the twelfth small finance bank in India and opened its first
branch in Mumbai on 1 November 2021 with over ₹1,100crores of equity capital.

Bank of Maharashtra and Lendingkart partner to offer co-lending MSME loans

Bank of Maharashtra has partnered with Lendingkart to offer co-lend business loans to
micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME).

Through this partnership, Lendingkart aims to make economical credit available to MSME
borrowers at their doorstep powered by the ‘zero touch’ technology platform Lendingkart
‘2gthr’.

Lendingkart’s ‘2gthr’ platform enables banks and non-banking financial companies

(NBFC to seamlessly onboard and disburse unsecured business loans up to ₹10 lakhs to
MSME borrowers.

Under this arrangement, the Bank of Maharashtra will also leverage Lendingkart’s
origination platform ‘xlr8’ to distribute MSME loans sourced through multi-channel
strategies supporting its vision of financial inclusion.

SEBI introduces the framework for special situation funds

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced the framework for
Special Situation Funds (SSFs) that will invest only in stressed assets.

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SSFs will only invest in stressed assets, such as stressed loans, that are available for
purchase in accordance with the Reserve Bank of India’s guidelines or as part of a
resolution plan approved under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.

These funds will also invest in Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARC), security
receipts, distressed company securities and any other assets or securities that the board
may prescribe from time to time.

SSFs will be exempted from the investment concentration norm in a single investee
company and there will also be no restriction on investing their investible funds in unlisted
or listed securities of the investee company.

The minimum investment by an investor can be ₹10 crores, whereas it can be ₹5 crores
in the case of an accredited investor and the minimum corpus will be ₹100 crores.

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)

Headquarter: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Chairman: Ajay Tyagi

Founded: 12 April 1992

AIIB invests $150 million in data centre development for emerging services across
Asia

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has committed to invest $150 million in
the development of data centres that mostly serve across Asia through the Keppel Data
Centre Fund II (KDFC-II), a closed-end private equity vehicle managed by Alpha
Investment Partners Limited (Alpha).

AIIB’s investment of $100 million through a parallel fund structure and $50 million
through co-investments mark the final close of KDCF-II, a development fund making
strategic investments in the fast-growing data centre sector with a focus on Asia–

State Bank of India receives approval from the RBI to set up National Asset
Reconstruction Company and India Debt Resolution Company

State Bank of India (SBI) has received approvals for setting up the National Asset
Reconstruction Company (NARCL) and India Debt Resolution Company (IDRCL) from
the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The approval for NARCL was granted under Section 3 of the Securitisation and
Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest
(SARFAESI) Act.

As per the operational structure, NARCL will acquire and aggregate identified non-
performing assests (NPA) accounts from banks, while IDRCL will handle the debt
resolution process.

Paytm Money launches a messenger named ‘Pops’ to invest and track markets

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The updates through Pops will be delivered in real-time and in an engaging manner to
make it easy for users to leverage the information.

This messenger platform will also serve as a marketplace to offer stock recommendations,
news insights and other services.

City Union Bank ties up with GOQii to launch the fitness watch debit card

City Union Bank has tied up with smart-tech-enabled preventive healthcare platform
GOQii launched a payment solution called CUB fitness watch debit card powered by the
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

Customers must hold this wristwatch in front of the Point of Sale (PoS) devices during
payment, similar to how they would tap their card on a PoS device.

Customers must tap and input their Personal Identification Number (PIN) for payments
over ₹5000. This smartwatch debit card costs ₹3499 for the first year, compared to the
annual cost of ₹6499.

This fitness watch enables the wearer to monitor their oxygen level (Sp02), body
temperature, heart rate, blood pressure and 18 exercise modes.

City Union Bank

Headquarters: Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu

CEO: Kamakoti

TerraPay partners with NPCI International Payments Limited to enable real-time and
international payments

The international payments arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI),
NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), has partnered with Netherlands-based global
payments infrastructure company TerraPay, which will allow Indian people with an active
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) ID to receive real-time international payments into
their bank accounts through TerraPay’s secure payments technology.

NIPL’s partnership with TerraPay is aimed at enabling a seamless and convenient cross-
border remittances experience powered by the UPI platform’s best-in-class real-time
capabilities.

State Bank of India raises $300 million Formosa bonds on India International
Exchange Limited

State Bank of India is the first Indian entity to raise $300 million Formosa bonds on
India International Exchange Limited (India INX).

This issuance of Formosa bonds is a testimony of the confidence reposed by the overseas
investors in India’s growth story.

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A Formosa bond is a bond that is issued in Taiwan but is not denominated in the New
Taiwan Dollar. They are issued by Taiwan branches of publicly traded international
financial institutions and must have a credit rating of BBB or better in order to be traded.

This issuance is a step forward in the globalisation of the world, as it allows a bank to
raise funds for markets that have been underserved for numerous years.

SBI had dual-listed $650 million green bonds on India INX and Luxembourg Stock
Exchange in November 2021.

Acquisitions

Reliance Industries is set to acquire a 73.37 per cent stake in Mandarin Oriental
Hotel in New York

Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited (RIL) will acquire a 37 per cent
stake held indirectly by Cayman Island-based Columbus Centre Corporation in
Mandarin Oriental Hotel, New York, for an equity consideration of $98.15 million (₹735
crores).

In April 2021, RIL acquired Stoke Park Ltd, a luxury hotel, spa and country club in the
United Kingdom for $79 million.

Bharti Airtel is set to acquire a 25 per cent equity stake in technology startup Lavelle
Networks

Bharti Airtel would acquire a 25 per cent equity stake in Bengaluru-based technology
startup, Lavelle Networks, which specialises in Software-Defined Wide Area Network
(SD-WAN) solutions.

As part of its NaaS (Network as a Service) portfolio, Bharati Airtel will offer software-defined
connectivity solutions from Lavelle Networks and co-create a host of innovations as part
of its NaaS platform.

This acquisition also aims to bring ‘Made in India’ products and solutions for enterprises
by offering cutting-edge technology and cost efficiencies.

GDP Predictions

Ind-Ra lowers India’s GDP growth forecast to 9.3 per cent in FY22

The ratings agency India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has downgraded the GDP forecast
of India to 3 per cent from 9.4 per cent for the current fiscal FY 2021–22.

India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) estimated that the spread of Omicron will lead to a
reduction of GDP growth by 10 basis points (bps) in FY22.

India Ratings and Research:

Headquarters: Mumbai, India

NSO estimates India’s GDP growth at 9.2 per cent in FY22

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National Statistical Office (NSO) estimated India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at 2
per cent in FY22.

According to the first advance estimates released by the NSO, India’s nominal GDP may
expand to ₹232.1 trillion in FY22 from ₹203.5 trillion in FY20.

SBI Ecowrap projects India’s GDP growth at 9.5 per cent in FY22

The State Bank of India’s economic research team expects the GDP growth of India for
2021–22 (FY22) to be revised upwards to around 5 per cent.

World Bank retains India’s GDP growth rate at 8.3 per cent for FY22

World Bank has retained India’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth forecast at 3 per
cent for 2021–22 (FY22).

World Bank has upgraded India’s GDP growth forecast at 7 per cent for 2022–23 (FY23)
from 7.5 per cent estimated earlier and has projected 6.8 per cent for 2023–24 (FY24).

World Bank

Headquarters: Washington DC, United States

President: David Malpass

Founded: 1944

Oxford Economics projects India’s GDP growth forecast at 7.9 per cent for FY22

Oxford Economics has projected India’s GDP growth forecast to 7. 9 per cent from 7.8
per cent previously for the current fiscal year 2021–22 (FY22).

UBS Securities projects India’s GDP growth forecast at 9.1 per cent

Swiss brokerage UBS Securities has revised its growth forecast for India downwards for
the current financial year to 9.1 per cent from 9.5 per cent earlier.

India Ratings and Research predicts India’s GDP growth rate at 7.6 per cent for FY23

India Ratings & Research (Ind-Ra) predicted India’s GDP growth forecast at 7.6 per cent
for 2022–23 (FY23).

According to Ind-Ra, the size of the Indian economy in FY23 will be 10.2 per cent lower
than the FY23 GDP trend value.

IMF forecasts India’s GDP growth rate at 9 per cent for FY22

International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut India’s economic growth forecast to 9 per
cent for 2022–23 (FY22) from 5 per cent estimated earlier.

It also projected 1 per cent as India’s GDP growth for the fiscal year 2023–24 (FY23).

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

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Headquarters: Washington D.C., the United States

Managing Director: Kristalina Georgieva

Chief Economist: Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas

Ranks and Indices

India ranks 83rd in the Henley Passport Index 2022

India’s passport power was ranked in the 83rd position in the Henley Passport Index
2022 with a visa-free score of 60, climbing seven places from its 90th rank in 2021.

Japan and Singapore topped the index.

In 2020, India ranked at the 84th position while in 2016, India was ranked 85th along
with Mali and Uzbekistan.

London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners has
released the Henley Passport Index for the year 2022, based on exclusive data provided
by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Chennai International Airport ranks eighth on the global list for on-time
performance by Cirium

The Chennai International Airport was ranked eighth for on-time performance among
large international airports globally for 2021 by Cirium. It is the only Indian airport
ranked in the top 10.

The top three are Miami Airport in the United States, Fukuoka Airport and Haneda
Airport from Japan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tops the list of most popular world leaders: Morning
Consult Political Intelligence

Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued to top the chart of global leaders with the highest
approval ratings, ahead of the United States President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau.

He remains the world’s most popular leader with an approval rating of 71 per cent of
India’s adult population, according to the US-based global leader approval tracker,
Morning Consult.

Morning Consult conducted surveys based on real-time polling data about political
elections, elected politicians and voting problems.

This survey is currently tracking the approval ratings of government leaders of Australia,
Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, Britain
and the United States.

Oxford University Press chooses ‘anxiety’ as the Children’s Word of the Year 2021

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Children have chosen ‘anxiety’ as their Word of the Year for 2021, according to new
research from Oxford University Press (OUP).

While ‘anxiety’ was the top choice, chosen by 21 per cent of children, it was followed by
challenging (19 per cent), isolate (14 per cent) and well-being (13 per cent).

Teachers named ‘resilience’ as their top choice, chosen by 31 per cent, followed by
‘challenging’ (19 per cent) and ‘well-being’ (18 per cent).

India is among the top ten global adopters of artificial intelligence

According to research published by The Brookings Institution, India is among the top
ten countries in the world in terms of technological breakthroughs and funding in
artificial intelligence (AI).

The United States, China, the United Kingdom, France, Japan and Germany are leading
AI advances ahead of India. According to the research, India is followed by Canada, South
Korea and Italy in the top ten AI adopters list.

TCS becomes the second most valuable IT services brand globally

According to Brand Finance, Tata Consultancy Services became the world’s second
most valuable IT services brand, while Infosys (3rd) and Wipro (7th), HCL (8th), Tech
Mahindra (15th) and LTI (22nd) have solidified their positions among the top 25 IT
services brands.

Accenture has retained the title of the world’s most valuable and strongest IT services
brand in the Global 500 IT Services Ranking report for the fourth consecutive year.

Apple has retained its top position in the annual Brand Finance Global 500 rankings,
followed by Amazon and Google.

Virat Kohli retains the second spot in the ICC Men’s ODI batting rankings

Virat Kohli retained the second spot in the ICC Men’s ODI batting rankings followed by
Rohit Sharma at the third spot.

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam topped this list and South Africa’s Quinton De Kock jumped
four spots to be ranked fifth, while his compatriot Rassie van der Dussen jumped 10 spots
to break into the top 10.

India ranks 85th in the Corruption Perception Index of 2021: Transparency

International

India was ranked in the 85th spot from the 86th rank in 2020 among 180 countries in
the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) of 2021, according to a new report by
Transparency International.

Denmark, Finland and New Zealand topped the 2021 index.

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This index ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector
corruption according to experts and business people. It uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0
is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean.

Among those with weak scores are some of the world’s most populous countries such as
China (45) and India (40) and other large economies such as Indonesia (38), Pakistan (28)
and Bangladesh (26), according to a report by Transparency International.

Awards and Recognitions

Sahitya Akademi Awards 2021 were announced for 20 languages

The Sahitya Akademi Award 2021 was awarded for 20 Indian languages.

Some of the Sahitya Akademi Award winners are:

NAME OF THE PERSON LANGUAGE

Daya Prakash Sinha Hindi

D. S. Nagabhushana Kannada

Sanjiv Verenkar Konkani

George Onakkoor Malayalam

Ambai Tamil

Gorati Venkanna Telugu

Namita Gokhale English

Bratya Basu Bengali

Author Namita Gokhale won the Sahitya Akademi Award 2021 in English for her novel
‘Things to Leave Behind’.

Tamil writer Ambai (C. S. Lakshmi) has won the Sahitya Akademi Award 2021 for Tamil
for her short story collection ‘Sivappu Kazhuthudan Oru Pachai Paravai (A Green Bird
with Red Neck).

Megha Majumdar won the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2021 for her debut book ‘A
Burning’, published in 2020.

South Indian Bank wins the UiPath Automation Excellence the Awards 2021

South Indian Bank (SIB) has won the UiPath Automation Excellence Awards 2021 for
tackling a situation strategically using robotic process automation.

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The award was given to the bank for its remarkable use of the robotic process is in
automation technologies to solve significant operational restrictions and ensure the bank’s
continuity during challenging times.

The UiPath Automation Excellence Awards aims to recognise the changemakers of

automation.

South Indian Bank

Headquarters: Thrissur, Kerala

MD & CEO: Murali Ramakrishnan

Forensic Science Laboratory wins the SKOCH Award in the ‘Silver’ category

The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) won the SKOCH award in the ‘Silver’ category
for its work towards combating crime and violence against children at the 78th SKOCH
Summit organised with the theme of ‘State of Governance’.

FSL is a scientific department and a stakeholder in the criminal-trial process that focus
on the examination of the cases related to crime and violence against children due to
physical, sexual, financial or emotional suffering.

Golden Globe Awards 2022 were announced by the Hollywood Foreign Press
Association

CATEGORY WINNER

Best Motion Picture (Drama) The Power of the Dog

Best Actor in a Motion Picture Will Smith for ‘King Richard’

(Drama)

Best Actress in a Motion Picture Nicole Kidman for ‘Being the Ricardos’
(Drama)

Best Motion Picture West Side Story

(Musical/Comedy)

Best Actor in a Motion Picture Andrew Garfield for ‘Tick,

(Musical/Comedy) Tick…Boom!’

Best Actress in a Motion Picture Rachel Zegler for ‘West Side Story’
(Musical/Comedy)

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Kodi Smit-McPhee for ‘The Power of

Picture the Dog’

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Best Supporting Actress in a Ariana DeBose for ‘West Side Story’
Motion Picture

Best Director (Motion Picture) Jane Campion for ‘The Power of the
Dog’

Best Screenplay (Motion Picture) Belfast

Best Motion Picture (Foreign Drive My Car

Language)

Best Motion Picture (Animated) Encanto

Best Original Score (Motion Hans Zimmer for ‘Dune’

Picture)

Best Original Song (Motion Picture) ‘No Time to Die’ from ‘No Time to Die’

Best Television Series (Drama) Succession

Best Actor in a Television Series Jeremy Strong for ‘Succession’

(Drama)

Best Actress in a Television Series Michaela Jae Rodriguez for ‘Pose’ (She
(Drama) is the first transgender actress to win
a Golden Globe Award)

Best Television Series (Musical or Hacks

Comedy)

Best Actor in a Television Series Jason Sudeikis for ‘Ted Lasso’

(Musical/Comedy)

Best Limited Series, Anthology The Underground Railroad

Series or Motion Picture Made for
Television

Best Actor in a Limited Series, Michael Keaton for ‘Dopesick’

Anthology Series or Motion Picture
Made for Television

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Best Actress in a Limited Series, Kate Winslet for ‘Mare of Easttown’
Anthology Series or Motion Picture
Made for Television

Best Supporting Actor (Television) O Yeong-Su for ‘Squid Game’

Best Supporting Actress Sarah Snook for ‘Succession’

(Television)

Uttar Pradesh wins the best state award in the Third National Water Awards 2020
for management of water resources

Uttar Pradesh was awarded the first prize in the Third National Water Awards 2020 in
the best state category, followed by Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. This award is given to
encourage and recognise individuals and organisations doing exemplary work in the field
of water resources management. The Indian Government conferred 57 awards to states,
organisations and individuals in 11 different categories.

Balua in Varanasi won the award for the best village panchayat in the north zone.

Harshaali Malhotra wins the 12th Bharat Ratna Dr. Ambedkar Award for 2022

Harshaali Malhotra was honoured with Bharat Ratna Dr. Ambedkar Award 2022 for
her commendable performance in the Bajrangi Bhaijaan movie and contribution to the
field of Indian cinema.

She featured in Bajrangi Bhaijaan released in 2015 and directed by Kabir Khan.

Maharashtra Government has conducted the Bharat Ranta Dr. Ambedkar national
Awards 2022 ceremony in memory of Dr. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar.

HDFC Bank was adjudged as the ‘Best Private Bank in India’ at the Global Private
Banking Awards 2021

HDFC Bank was adjudged the Best Private Bank in India at the Global Private Banking
Awards 2021 organised by Professional Wealth Management (PWM).

PMW received over 120 submissions for the Global Private Banking Awards 2021, which
were judged by a panel of 16 judges from four continents.

Former West Indies cricket captain Clive Lloyd receives Knighthood honour

Former West Indies cricket captain Clive Lloyd was awarded his knighthood honour
during an investiture ceremony performed by the Duke of Cambridge Prince William at
the Windsor Castle.

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Clive Llyod played in 110 Tests and 87 One-Day Internationals and is one of the most
successful cricket captains of all time.

He was also a former West Indies team manager, selector and ICC match referee. In 2009,
he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

NIRAMAI and InnAccel receive World Bank and Consumer Technology Association’s
Global Women’s Health Tech Awards

NIRAMAI Health Analytix Private Limited and InnAccel Technologies Private

Limited, two startups supported by Department of Biotechnology’s Biotechnology
Industry Research Assistance Council (DBT-BIRAC), have received the World Bank
Group and the Consumer Technology Association’s Global Women’s Health Tech
Awards.

These awards recognise innovative startups that leverage technology to improve women’s
health and safety in emerging markets.

NIRAMAI Health Analytix Private Limited was selected for its novel software-based
medical device that detects early-stage breast cancer in a simple and private way in
women belonging to all age groups.

InnAccel Technologies Private Limited was adjudged as a winner for Fetal Lite. It is a
next-generation, AI-powered fetal heart rate monitor based on fetal ECG signal
extraction technology for mothers in labour or post 37 weeks of gestation.

Shaylyn Ford from America was crowned as the Mrs. World 2022

Shaylyn Ford (also Mrs.America) was crowned the World 2022 title in the final of the
beauty pageant that was held in Nevada, Las Vegas.

She was crowned by the former pageant winner Mrs. World 2020 Kate Schneider from
Ireland.

Shaylyn Ford was followed by Debanjali Kamstra from the UAE and Jaclyn Stapp from
Jordan.

Axis Bank and CRMNEXT bag IBSi’s Innovation Awards 2021

Axis Bank and the leading Customer Relationship Management (CRM) for banks
CRMNEXT have bagged awards for the ‘Best CRM System Implementation’ at the IBS
Intelligence Global FinTech Innovation Awards 2021.

Axis Bank has implemented CRMNEXT for sales and service modernisation enabling
straight-through processing and instant fulfillment.

CRMNEXT also provided real-time customer insights through augmented analytics,

smooth customer onboarding and automated relationship programmes for relationship
managers.

Axis Bank

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Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

MD & CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry

Tagline: Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi

Sumit Bhale wins the gold medal at the International Folk Art Festival in Dubai

Artist Sumit Bhale from Maharashtra’s Pathri in Fulbari taluk has won a gold medal at
the International Folk Art Festival held in Dubai.

His outstanding performance showcased Maharashtra’s splendour on the international

stage.

Robert Lewandowski was named the Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year 2021

Robert Lewandowski was named the Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year 2021 at the
Best FIFA Football Awards 2021, held in Zurich, Switzerland.

Alexia Putellas was named the Best FIFA Women’s Player 2021.

Cristiano Ronaldo received the FIFA Special Best Men’s award.

Edouard Mendy from Chelsea received the Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper 2021 award.

Erik Lamela was conferred with the FIFA Puskas award for 2021.

Thomas Tuchel was named the Best FIFA Men’s Coach 2021.

Pfizer chief Albert Bourla wins the $1 million Genesis Prize

The Chairman and Chief Executive of global pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. Albert
Bourla won the $1 million Genesis Prize from the Genesis Foundation for his efforts in
leading the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Genesis Prize honours individuals who serve as an inspiration to the next generation
of Jews through their outstanding professional achievement and commitment to Jewish
values and the Jewish people.

Former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe was honoured with the Netaji Award
2022

Former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe was conferred with the Netaji Award 2022
by the Netaji Research Bureau on the 125th birth anniversary of the legendary Indian
freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose.

Consul General of Japan in Kolkata Nakamura Yutaka received this honour on behalf of
Shinzo Abe.

Prajakta Koli becomes India’s first UNDP youth climate champion

The content creator and actress Prajakta Koli have become India’s first United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) youth climate champion under her partnership with

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UNDP for her contribution towards mental health, women’s rights and girl child education
through various global social campaigns.

UNDP strives to eradicate poverty, achieve sustainable growth and scale-up human
development in countries where it is most needed.

Jahnavi Dangeti becomes the first Indian to complete the prestigious NASA
programme

A young Andhra Pradesh girl, Jahnavi Dangeti has become the first Indian to complete
NASA’s International Air and Space Programme (IASP) at the Kennedy Space Center
in Alabama, United States.

She is a member of the International Organization of Aspiring Astronauts (IOAA).

Sushmita Sen wins the International Association of Working Women Award

Sushmita Sen won the International Association of Working Women Award for
outstanding performance by a female actor in a television series presented by the DC
South Asian Film Festival 2021 for Aarya 2.

Aarya was also nominated in the Best Drama Series category at the International
Emmys 2021.

Indian film Koozhangal gets the Best Film Award at the Dhaka International Film
Festival

The Indian film Koozhangal, directed by S. Vinothraj, won the Best Film Award in the
Asian Film Competition section at the twentieth Dhaka International Film Festival.

Apart from this, four more Indian entries were included among the 17 awards given away
for the films during the concluding session.

This nine-day long Dhaka International Film Festival featured 225 films drawn from
70 countries.

Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve wins the TX2 award for doubling the tiger population

Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu has won the prestigious TX2 award for
doubling the tiger population (80 tigers) since 2010. Nepal’s Bardia National Park was
also jointly conferred the award for doubling its population of wild tigers.

Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary was declared a tiger reserve in 2013 spread across
1,411.60 sq. km.

The TX2 Tiger Conservation Award is given away by Conservation Assured | Tiger
Standards (CA|TS), Fauna & Flora International, Global Tiger Forum, IUCN Integrated
Tiger Habitat Conservation Programme, Panthera, United Nations Development
Programme’s Lion’s Share, Wildlife Conservation Society and World Wide Fund For
Nature’s (WWF’s) tigers alive initiative.

Padma Awards 2022 were announced

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The Union Government has announced the Padma Awards for 2022. This year (2022) the
President of India has approved the conferment of 128 Padma Awards — 4 Padma
Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Shri awards.

The complete set of Padma Awardees for 2022:

Padma Vibhushan:

S.No Name Field

1 Prabha Atre Art

Maharashtra

2 Radheyshyam Khemka (Posthumous) Literature and Education Uttar

Pradesh

3 General Bipin Rawat (Posthumous) Civil Service

Uttarakhand

4 Kalyan Singh (Posthumous) Public Affairs

Uttar Pradesh

Padma Bhushan

S.No Name Field

5 Ghulam Nabi Azad Public Affairs

Jammu and Kashmir

6 Victor Banerjee Art

West Bengal

7 Gurmeet Bawa (Posthumous) Art

Punjab

8 Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Public Affairs

West Bengal

9 Natarajan Chandrasekaran Trade and Industry

Maharashtra

10 Krishna Ella and Suchitra Ella* (Duo) Trade and Industry

Telangana

11 Madhur Jaffery Others (Culinary) The

United States of America

12 Devendra Jhajharia Sports

Rajasthan

13 Rashid Khan Art

Uttar Pradesh

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14 Rajiv Mehrishi Civil Service
Rajasthan

15 Satya Narayana Nadella Trade and Industry the

United States of America

16 Sundararajan Pichai Trade and Industry the

United States of America

17 Cyrus Poonawalla Trade and Industry

Maharashtra

18 Sanjaya Rajaram (Posthumous) Science and Engineering

Mexico

19 Pratibha Ray Literatures and Education.

Odisha

20 Swami Sachidanand Literatures and Education

Gujarat

21 Vashishth Tripathi Literatures and Education.

Uttar Pradesh

Padma Shri- 107 persons were awarded the Padma Shri for 2022.

Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, Padma Bhushan
for distinguished service of high order and Padma Shri for distinguished service in any
field.

Six Indian Army soldiers were conferred with Shaurya Chakra awards

Six personnel were conferred the Shaurya Chakra posthumously — Naib Subedar M.
Sreejit, Sepoy Maruprolu Jaswanth Kumar Reddy, Havildar Anil Kumar Tomar, Havildar
Kashiray Bammanalli, Havildar Pinku Kumar and Rifleman Rakesh Sharma.

Along with the six Indian Army personnel who have been awarded the Shaurya Chakra,
19 personnel have been awarded Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), 33 have been
awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and 77 have been awarded the Vishisht
Seva Medal (VSM) for their distinguished service.

Four personnel have been awarded the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM), 10 have been
awarded the Yudh Seva Medal (YSM), 84 have been awarded the Sena Medal (Gallantry)
and 40 personnel have been awarded the Sena Medal (Distinguished Service).

Olympic gold medallist Subedar Neeraj Chopra was named for the Param Vishisht Seva
Medal (PVSM).

Appointments

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Vinay Kumar Tripathi was appointed as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
of the Railway Board

The Union Government has appointed Vinay Kumar Tripathi as the Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of the Railway Board till December 2022.

He was working as a General Manager of the North-Eastern Railway of Gorakhpur.

He belongs to the 1983 batch of Indian Railway Service of electrical engineers.

Baldev Prakash was appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
of Jammu and Kashmir Bank

Baldev Prakash was appointed as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of Jammu and Kashmir Bank for a period of three years.

He succeeds Rajesh Kumar Chhibber.

He had joined the State Bank of India (SBI) as a probationary officer in 1991 and was the
Chief General Manager (Digital and Transaction Banking Marketing Department) at SBI,
Mumbai and has over 30 years of experience in banking.

Rupa Gurunath steps down as the President of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association

Rupa Gurunath has resigned from the post of the President of Tamil Nadu Cricket
Association (TNCA).

She is the daughter of former BCCI chief N. Srinivasan.

She became the first woman to head a state cricket association in India. She took over as
the TNCA President in September 2019.

Sivarajah Ramanathan was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Tamil Nadu
Startup and Innovation Mission

The Tamil Nadu Government has appointed Sivarajah Ramanathan as the Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission (TANSIM).

He is expected to take charge as the CEO in the first week of January 2022.

Amir Subhani was appointed as the Chief Secretary of Bihar

The 1987 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Amir Subhani was appointed
as the Chief Secretary of Bihar till April 2024.

He replaced Tripurari Sharan, who retired on 31 December.

Atul Prasad was appointed as the new Development Commissioner of Bihar.

Union Government re-appoints Vijay Paul Sharma as the Chairman of the

Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices

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The Union Government again appointed Vijay Paul Sharma as the Chairman of the
Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) after he relinquished the post in
May last year following his completion of the five-year tenure.

The CACP is an attached office of the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare under the Government of India

It came into existence in January 1965. Currently, the Commission comprises a

Chairman, member secretary, one member (official) and two members (non-official).

Asok Kumar was appointed as the Director-General of the National Mission for Clean
Ganga

Asok Kumar, Additional Secretary of the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, took over as the
new Director-General of the National Mission for Clean Ganga under the Union Ministry
of Jal Shakti. He belongs to the 1991 batch of the Indian Administrative Service.

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) was registered as a society on 12 August
2011under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.

It acted as the implementation arm of the National Ganga River Basin Authority
(NGRBA), which was constituted under the provisions of the Environment (Protection)
Act (EPA), 1986.

ONGC appoints Alka Mittal as its first woman Chairman and Managing Director

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation announced the appointment of Alka Mittal as its first
woman Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) after the retirement of Subhash Kumar
on 31 December 2021.

She is currently the Director, Human Resources at the ONGC and has been given an
additional charge as the CMD of the company.

She will hold the position for six months or until a regular appointment for the post is
announced, whichever is earlier.

Tata Power appoints Sanjeev Churiwala as its new Chief Financial Officer

Tata Power has appointed Sanjeev Churiwala as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

He succeeds Ramesh Subramanyam, who is moving into a new role within the Tata
Group.

He has over 27 years of corporate experience and has previously worked with Diageo as
the Regional Finance Director (APAC), Global Travel Retail and with Ambuja Cements.

Reserve Bank of India appoints Ajay Kumar Choudhary and Deepak Kumar as its
Executive Directors

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Ajay Kumar Choudhary and Deepak
Kumar as Executive Directors (ED).

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Deepak Kumar was the head of RBI’s information technology department and Ajay Kumar
Choudhary was the Chief General Manager-in-Charge of the Department of Supervision
before being promoted as ED.

Atul Keshap was appointed as the President of the US–India Business Council

Former US Envoy to India Atul Keshap was appointed as the President of the US–India
Business Council (USIBC).

He succeeds Nisha Desai Biswal.

He most recently served in New Delhi as the United States Charge d’Affaires to India,
leading the US Embassy team.

US–India Business Council (USIBC)

Headquarters: Washington D.C., United States

Founded: 1975

Bank of Baroda ropes Shafali Verma as a brand endorser

Bank of Baroda has roped Indian cricketer Shafali Verma as its brand endorser to
support the youth of India through its various banking and non-banking initiatives.

Shafali Verma became the youngest woman cricketer to play for the Indian cricket team
in her debut game against South Africa.

Sudan Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok announces his resignation

Sudan Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok announced his resignation amid political gridlock
and large pro-democracy protests following a military coup that derailed Sudan’s fragile
transition to democratic rule.

Sudan

Capital: Khartoum

Currency: Sudanese Pound

Vinod Kannan takes charge as the Chief Executive Officer of Vistara Airlines

Vinod Kannan took charge as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vistara Airlines.

He replaced Leslie Thng, whose tenure ended on 31 December 2021.

He spent over two decades working with Singapore Airlines (SIA) and has held several
senior positions in the airline’s head office in Singapore as well as overseas.

Justice Ayesha Malik is set to become Pakistan’s first woman Supreme Court Judge

Justice Ayesha Malik is all set to Pakistan’s first woman to become a Supreme Court
Judge.

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She became a High Court Judge in March 2012 and currently, she is at number four on
the Lahore High Court judge seniority list.

She will also be the senior-most serving judge and likely to become the Chief Justice of
Pakistan in January 2030.

T. S. Tirumurti assumes the Chair of Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee

for 2022

India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations T. S. Tirumurti assumed the

Chair of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee for 2022.

India is currently a non-permanent member of the 15-nation Security Council and its
two-year term will end on 31 December 2022.

Kamakoti was appointed as the Director of IIT Madras

V. Kamakoti, who led the team that designed India’s first indigenously-developed
microprocessor ‘SHAKTI’, would be the next Director of the Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) Madras.

He succeeds Professor Bhaskar Ramamurthi.

He is currently serving as the Associate Dean for Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored
Research and is also a member of Union Government’s National Security Advisory Board.

Rangan Banerjee, a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay was
appointed as the new Director of IIT Delhi.

Former Executive Director of the RBI Umashankar was appointed as an independent

director to the EbixCash board

EbixCash Private Limited, a subsidiary of fintech firm Ebix Inc., has named Uma
Shankar, a former Executive Director of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), as a new
independent director to the EbixCash board of directors.

She had retired from the RBI in 2019 as an Executive Director after 37 years of service.

She has served as the non-executive board member on the boards of Export Credit and
Guarantee Corporation of India Limited, Security Printing and Minting Corporation of
India Limited, Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited, Canara Bank and
UCO Bank.

Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas is set to become the next Chief Economist of the

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has appointed French-born University of

California-Berkeley economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas as IMF’s next Chief Economist.

He replaces Gita Gopinath.

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He joined UC-Berkeley in 2003 and held previous economic posts at the Princeton
University and Stanford University.

Gita Gopinath is the first woman to serve as the IMF’s Chief Economist, is set to take
over from Geoffrey Okamoto as IMF’s first Deputy Managing Director on 21 January.

Alikhan Smailov was appointed as Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister

Alikhan Smailov was appointed as the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan.

He served as the first deputy prime minister in the previous cabinet.

Kazakhstan

Capital: Nur-Sultan

Currency: Kazakhstani Tenge

President: Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

Former RBI Governor Urjit Patel was appointed as the Vice-President of the Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank

Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel was appointed as a Vice-
President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

He Succeeded J. Pandian.

He is currently serving as the Chairperson of the National Institute of Public Finance and
Policy.

He took over as the 24th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), succeeding
Raghuram Rajan on 5 September 2016 and was with RBI till December 2018.

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

Headquarters: Beijing, China

MD & CEO: Jin Liqun

Establishment: 2016

Cyprus Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides announces his resignation

Cyprus Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides had tendered his resignation over the
2023 elections.

He was appointed as the Foreign Minister of Cyprus in March 2018.

Cyprus

Capital: Nicosia

Currency: Euro

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President: Nicos Anastasiades

CSB Bank MD & CEO C. V. Rajendran announces his early retirement

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD &CEO) of CSB Bank V. Rajendran
has announced an early retirement from his post due to health concerns.

He has been the MD & CEO of CSB Bank since 9 December 2016 and the current term is
up to 8 December 2022, but he will continue to lead the bank only till 31 March 2022.

Anup Bagchi was re-appointed as the Executive Director of ICICI Bank

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the re-appointment of Anup Bagchi as the
Executive Director of ICICI Bank for three years, with effect from 1 February 2022.

ICICI Bank has two more executive directors — Sandeep Batra and Vishakha Mulye.

ICICI (Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India)

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

MD and CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi

Tagline: Hum Hai Na, Khyal Apka

OPEC appoints Haitham Al Ghais as its new Secretary-General

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) appointed Haitham Al

Ghais from Kuwait as its new Secretary-General.

He was a veteran of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and Kuwait’s OPEC Governor from
2017 to June 2021.

He is currently serving as deputy managing director for international marketing at KPC

and he chaired the Joint Technical Committee (JTC) of the Declaration of Co-operation
(DoC) in 2017 and subsequently served as a member of the JTC until June 2021.

Union Government extends the tenure of Navrang Saini as the Chairperson of IBBI

The Union Government has extended the additional charge of Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) wholetime member Navrang Saini as the Chairperson
of the insolvency regulator (IBBI) till 5 March 2022.

The IBBI Chairperson is appointed by the Union Government based on the

recommendations of the selection committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary.

South Indian Bank appoints Benny P. Thomas as its Non-Executive Director

South Indian Bank has appointed Benny P. Thomas as its Non-Executive Director.

He is a leading law practitioner in Kochi and has 33 years of experience in the field of law.

He is the managing partner at Thomas & Thomas and was senior partner at Menon & Pai
Advocates in Kochi.
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Somnath was appointed as the new Chairman of the Indian Space Research
Organisation

Eminent rocket scientist Somnath was appointed as the new Chairman of the Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO), replacing K. Sivan.

Sivan was appointed as the ISRO chief in January 2018 and was given a one-year
extension till 14 January 2022.

Somnath will be the 10th Chairman of ISRO.

He is currently serving as the Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).

He served as the Associate Director (Projects) of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and also
as the Project Director of GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle.

Ittira Davis was appointed as the MD & CEO of Ujjivan Small Finance Bank

Ittira Davis was appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD &
CEO) of Ujjivan Small Finance Bank for one year.

Ittira Davis has been with Ujjivan Small Finance Bank since 2015 and was previously the
CEO of Ujjivan Financial Services.

G. V. L. Narasimha Rao was appointed as a new Director of the Tobacco Board

G. V. L. Narasimha Rao, a Rajya Sabha member, has been appointed as a Director in

the Tobacco Board.

According to the Tobacco Board Act of 1975, the Board is represented by a Rajya Sabha
member.

He was previously elected to the Spices Board by the Rajya Sabha and has contributed to
the expansion of the spices industry. He was also the Chairman of the Chilli Taskforce
Committee.

Shersingh Khyalia was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Adani Power

Adani Power has appointed Shersingh Khyalia as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

He is a Chartered Accountant (CA) with over 32 years of experience in managing the

complex business in power industry, including generation, transmission and distribution.

He has worked as the managing director in the Gujarat Power Corporation.

He has been a director on the boards of several power distribution companies, including
Power Exchange (India) Limited, Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited and Uttar Gujarat
Vij Company Limited.

Raghuvendra Tanwar was appointed as the Chairman of the Indian Council of

Historical Research

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Professor Emeritus of the Kurukshetra University Raghuvendra Tanwar was appointed
as the Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) for a period of
three years.

He was appointed as the director of the Haryana Academy of History and Culture in
2016 and is known for his study on India’s partition, particularly Punjab.

Daniel Ortega was elected as the Nicaraguan President for a fourth consecutive term

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega was sworn into office for a fourth consecutive term.

He will be the President of Nicaragua until 2027.

Rosario Murillo was elected as the Vice-President of Nicaragua for a second term.

Republic of Nicaragua:

President: Daniel Ortega

Capital: Managua

Currency: Nicaraguan Cordoba

Narendra Kumar Goenka was appointed as the new Chairman of the Apparel Export
Promotion Council

Narendra Kumar Goenka was appointed as the new Chairman of the Apparel Export
Promotion Council (AEPC).

He replaced A. Sakthivel.

Narendra Kumar Geonka was the Vice Chairman of the apex body of the Indian apparel
exporters before taking charge as the Chairman of AEPC.

AEPC is the official body of apparel exporters in India under the aegis of the Union
Ministry of Textiles that provides invaluable assistance to Indian exporters as well as
importers and international buyers.

Shashank Goel was appointed as the Additional Secretary in the Union Ministry of
Labour and Employment

Shashank Goel was appointed as the Additional Secretary in the Union Ministry of
Labour and Employment.

Manish Kumar Gupta, who is presently serving as the Principal Commissioner of Delhi
Development Authority under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has been
appointed as the Vice -Chairman of Delhi Development Authority in the rank of Additional
Secretary.

Chanchal Kumar has been appointed as the Managing Director of the National
Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited under the Union
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

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Roberta Metsola of Malta becomes the youngest-ever President of the European
Union Parliament

Roberta Metsola of Malta became the President of the European Union Parliament
succeeding David Sassoli.

She became the youngest President of the EU Parliament ever to run the chamber at
the age of 43.

The European Union consists of 27 member Countries and is home to 450 million
People. It is one of the world’s most ambitious political projects.

Vikram Dev Dutt was appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director of Air India
Limited

The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation appointed Vikram Dev Dutt as the Chairman and
Managing Director (CMD) of Air India Limited.

He previously served as the Principal Secretary for the Health and Family Welfare
Department of the Delhi Government in June 2020.

Ramesh Narasimhan was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Worldline India

Ramesh Narasimhan was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Worldline India
succeeding Deepak Chandnani, who was promoted as the Executive Chairman for India
and South Asia.

He joined Worldline as the Head of Digital Commerce (India) through the acquisition of
Ingenico.

Dimitar Kovacevski was appointed as the Prime Minister of North Macedonia

North Macedonia has appointed Dimitar Kovacevski as its Prime Minister succeeding
Zoran Zaev.

He served as the deputy finance minister in the previous government led by Zoran Zaev.

In 2019, Macedonia added north to its official name, resolving a dispute with Greece that
allowed the country to join North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Dileep Sanghani was elected as the Chairman of the Indian Farmers Fertiliser
Cooperative

Dileep Sanghani was elected as the seventeenth Chairman of the Indian Farmers
Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO).

He earlier served as the IFFCO Vice-Chairman elected in 2019.

He was elected as the President of the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI), the
country’s apex cooperative organisation, in 2021.

Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO)

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Headquarters: New Delhi

Universal Acceptance Steering Group appoints Vijay Shekhar Sharma as its

ambassador

ICANN-supported global internet body Universal Acceptance Steering Group has

appointed Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma as its ambassador.

Universal Acceptance Steering Group works on developing and recommending standards

for languages script that are not currently used to access the internet.

Vinod Rai was appointed as an Independent Director of Unity Small Finance Bank

Former Comptroller and Auditor General of India Vinod Rai were appointed as an
Independent Director of Unity Small Finance Bank. His appointment was approved by
the Reserve Bank of India.

He has been the Chairman of Banks Board Bureau (BBB) and was the Independent
Director at IDFC for two terms.

Unity Small Finance Bank is a 51:49 joint venture between Centrum Group and
BharatPe.

Chanchal Kumar was appointed as the Managing Director of National Highways &
Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited

Senior IAS officer Chanchal Kumar was appointed as the Managing Director of National
Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) under the
Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.

He is currently serving in Bihar as the Principal Secretary with the additional charge of
the Principal Secretary of GAD, Principal Secretary of Public Grievances, Grievances and
the Mission Director of Bihar Administrative Reform Mission.

Mia Amar Mottley was re-elected as the Prime Minister of Barbados

Mia Amar Mottley was sworn in as Barbados Prime Minister for a second term.

She secured all 30 seats in the House of Assembly, the lower house of Barbados
Parliament, giving Barbados’ first female leader a second term as Prime Minister.

The next elections in Barbados had been scheduled for mid-2023.

Rama Bijapurkar resigns as the Independent Director of ICICI Bank

Rama Bijapurkar has resigned from the post of the Independent Director of ICICI Bank.

She is engaged with an educational institution where she teaches market and business
strategy and is also associated with a not-for-profit organisation, where she researches
India’s consumer economy.

Union Government appoints Vinodanand Jha as new Chairperson to PMLA

Adjudicating Authority
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A 1983-batch retired IRS officer, Vinodanand Jha, was appointed as the new Chairperson
to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Adjudicating Authority by the Union
Government.

He has been serving as a Member of Finance and Accounts in the PMLA Authority since
September 2018.

The three-member authority is mandated to adjudicate the cases of attachment of assets

orders issued under the PMLA and order for its continuity and further confiscation or
release, considering the merits of the investigation.

Kia India appoints MyungSik Sohn as its Chief Sales Officer

Kia India has appointed MyungSik Sohn as its Chief Sales Officer (CSO) with immediate
effect. He has been associated with Kia Corporation for 27 years and he also served as the
General Manager in China.

LIC Chairman M. R. Kumar’s term was extended by a year

Union Government has extended the term of M R. Kumar as the Chairman of the Life
Insurance Corporation (LIC) by one more year till 13 March 2023. This is the second
extension for M. R. Kumar, whose term was to end on 30 June 2021.

The Union Government also extended the tenure of Raj Kumar as the Managing Director
of LIC by a year beyond 31 January.

Xiomara Castro was sworn in as the first female President of Honduras

Xiomara Castro was sworn in as the first female President of Honduras.

She is the 56th President of Honduras

She replaced Juan Orlando Hernandez.

Her husband Manuel Zelaya ruled Honduras from 2006 until 2009.

Honduras is a Central American country with the Caribbean Sea coastlines to the north
and the Pacific Ocean to the south.

Republic of Honduras

Capital: Tegucigalpa

Currency: Honduran Lempira

Union Government appoints V. Anantha Nageswaran as the Chief Economic Advisor

Anantha Nageswaran was appointed as the Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) of the Indian
Government.

He succeeded Krishnamurthy Subramanian, who had retired in December 2021.

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He was a visiting Professor of Economics at the Krea University and the Dean of the IFMR
Graduate School of Business. He was also a part-time member of the Prime Minister’s
Economic Advisory Council from 2019 to 2021.

Pushp Kumar Joshi was appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director of
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd

Pushp Kumar Joshi was appointed as the new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD)
of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL).

He will replace Mukesh Kumar Surana.

He is currently serving as the Director of Human Resources at HPCL since 1 August 2012.

Agreements and MoUs signed

Jammu and Kashmir Government signs an MoU with LuLu Group to set up food
processing units in Srinagar

The Jammu and Kashmir Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

with hypermarket and retail giant LuLu Group to set up a food processing and logistics
hub in Srinagar.

In India, Jammu & Kashmir is the leading producer of saffron, apple, walnut and
almond. This MoU with the LuLu Group will help the J&K Union Territory reach out to
shoppers at 190 LuLu hypermarkets.

This MoU will further expand the Jammu Kashmir–Dubai collaboration and Jammu
Kashmir–Lulu Group partnership.

United Nations World Food Programme partners with Akshaya Patra Foundation to
enhance the effectiveness of the mid-day meal scheme

The Akshaya Patra Foundation (TAPF) and the United Nations World Food Programme
(WFP) in India have entered into a partnership to enhance the effectiveness of the Pradhan
Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (formerly mid-day meal scheme).

This scheme plays a significant role in the retention of children in school while providing
nutritional security.

WFP and the TAFP will work together to improve food safety and hygiene projects, cooks
or helper capabilities and the nutritional quality of school meals.

BSE’s arm India INX ties up with Sova Capital to provide investors with access to
the Russian market

BSE’s international arm, India INX, has partnered with Sova Capital to provide direct
access to the Russian securities market through its wholly-owned subsidiary India INX
Global Access IFSC.

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This partnership will create a bridge for Indian investors to access trading on Moscow
Exchange (MOEX), Russia’s main trading venue for equities, bonds, derivatives, foreign
exchange and money markets.

This partnership with Sova Capital, an international clearing member of the Moscow
Exchange, comes against the backdrop of a rapid increase in interest in international
markets among Indians.

This partnership will further increase the international proposition and attract greater
participation on the India INX platform.

Edelweiss Group partners with the Indian Bank for co-lending to priority segment

Edelweiss Housing Finance Limited (EHFL) and ECL Finance Limited (ECLF) have
entered into a co-lending partnership with the Indian Bank for lending to priority sector
areas.

Agriculture, microenterprises and advances to the weakest sectors of society are some of
the categories that form the priority sector in the lending space.

This partnership will expand the reach to underserved markets, enabling priority sector
borrowers to get credit at lower costs, given the blended rate of interest.

Assam Government signs a MoU with the National Dairy Development Board to set
up a ₹2000 crore dairy joint venture

The Assam Government and National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) signed an
agreement to create a ₹2000 crore joint venture for holistic development of the dairy
sector in Assam with the target of processing ten lakh litres of milk at six new milk
processing units over seven years.

Two cow feed and organic manure manufacturing units will be established as part of this
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), as well as the import of high-yielding cattle breeds
and artificial insemination.

Google Pay partners with Indifi to offer instant digital credit to MSMEs

Google Pay has joined hands with Indifi Technologies to provide instant digital loans
to medium, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs) on the Google Pay platform.

These loans will be in the range of ₹5 lakhs to ₹3 lakhs.

Indifi has already partnered with many companies, including Amazon, Zomato and
Swiggy.

Indifi has been effective in bridging the credit gap for these disadvantaged enterprises by
combining data and technology to mitigate the underwriting issues associated with
MSMEs.

POWERGRID ties up with Africa50 to develop a transmission project in Kenya

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Power Grid Corporation of India Limited has signed a joint development agreement with
Africa50 to develop the Kenya Transmission Project on a public-private partnership
(PPP) basis.

The 400 kV Lessos–Loosuk and 220 kV Kisumu–Musaga transmission lines will be

developed, financed, built and operated as part of this PPP project.

This project will be Kenya’s first Independent Power Transmission (IPT) and will serve
as a benchmark in Africa as the first PPP-based financing of transmission lines, once it
gets completed.

This project will also increase power transmission supply and reliability in Western Kenya,
as well as serve as a model for private sector investment in Africa’s power transmission
networks, which is crucial for closing the Africa’s electricity access gap.

Canara Bank ties up with Lendingkart to offer online loans to MSMEs

Canara Bank has tied up with Lendingkart to provide low-cost business loans of up to
₹10 lakhs to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across India.

These loans will be provided with a fast turnaround time for approvals powered by
‘Lendingkart 2gthr’ platform using ‘zero touch’

This partnership aims to broaden Canara Bank’s reach to support MSME borrowers to
enhance financial inclusion under the Reserve Bank’s Priority Sector initiative.

Federal Bank and Equirus Wealth launch an exclusive US Dollar Fixed Maturity Fund

Federal Bank, in association with Equirus Wealth, has launched a ‘US Dollar offshore
fund’ exclusively for their customers.

This is in collaboration with a Singapore-based global fund management company, SCUBE

Capital.

Both Non-Resident Indian (NRI) and resident customers of Federal Bank will be able to
invest in this fund.

This fund has a portfolio return target of roughly 6.50 per cent per year and a tenor of
three years from the date of fund closure with the option to extend by one year.

International Financial Services Centres Authority signs an MoU with the Insurance
Institute of India for capacity building in the insurance sector

The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has signed a

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Insurance Institute of India (III) for
capacity building in the insurance sector.

According to this agreement, the III will conduct research to modify the academic
curriculum to meet the current needs of IFSCA members in the insurance business with
the view to introducing certificate courses and professional examinations.

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The III functions under the Union Ministry of Finance and is responsible for developing
and updating curriculums as well as providing training to professionals in the insurance
sector in India and overseas.

India and Denmark agree to initiate joint research on green hydrogen

India and Denmark have agreed to initiate joint research and development on green fuels,
including green hydrogen, during the Joint S&T Committee meeting.

This virtual meeting put a special focus on green solutions for the future, such as strategy
for investments in green research, technology and innovation.

They agreed to organise 3 to 4 webinars for partnership development and stressed

promoting the call for proposals in green fuels, including green hydrogen.

One Web partners with Hughes Communications India Private Limited to provide
low-earth orbit connectivity

Hughes Network Systems LLC (Hughes) has signed a six-year distribution agreement
with Bharti Enterprises and UK-Government-owned OneWeb to provide low-earth orbit
(LEO) connectivity services across India.

Hughes Communications India Private Limited will deliver services to enterprises and
government with One Web capacity, especially in areas outside the reach of fiber
connectivity.

ICICI Direct partners with Wealth Desk to offer portfolios providing holistic wealth
management to users

WealthDesk and ICICI Direct have entered into a partnership to offer readymade
portfolios called Wealth Baskets, an internet-scale investing technology platform that is
developing the Unified Wealth Interface (UWI), which would allow retail clients to invest
through their broking accounts across mobile applications and websites.

The users of ICICI Direct can now invest in more than 40 Wealth Basket portfolios from
a wide range of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)-registered professionals
with investment sizes ranging from ₹1000 to over ₹10 lakhs.

These Wealth Basket portfolios can be long-term, short-term, balanced, asset allocation-
based, thematic, and sectoral and other portfolios providing holistic wealth management.

Fullerton India partners with Paytm to expand lending products

Fullerton India has partnered with Paytm to expand digital lending to micro, small and
medium enterprises (MSMEs) and consumers from smaller cities and towns.

This programme will offer Paytm Postpaid (buy-now-pay-later) to millions of consumers

on the Paytm platform while utilising Fullerton India’s deep risk assessment capabilities
and scale.

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Fullerton India and Paytm are expanding their product offerings to include instant
personal loans that are digitally originated and distributed end-to-end, leveraging Paytm’s
technology and Fullerton’s pan-India reach.

NITI Aayog, Rocky Mountain Institute and RMI India releases the report on ‘Banking
on Electric Vehicles in India’

NITI Aayog, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and RMI India released a report titled
‘Banking on Electric Vehicles in India’, which outlines the importance of priority-sector
recognition for retail lending in the electric mobility ecosystem.

This report provides considerations and recommendations to inform the inclusion of

electric vehicles in the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) priority-sector lending (PSL)

Banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) in India have the potential to
achieve an electric vehicle (EV) financing market size of ₹40,000 crores by 2025 and ₹3.7
lakh crores by 2030.

Priority-sector lending in India strives to increase financial access and enhance job
prospects. The RBI may assess various EV segments and use cases based on five
characteristics, according to the report, socio-economic potential, livelihood generation
potential, scalability, techno-economic viability and stakeholder acceptability.

This report also recommended a clear sub-target and penalty mechanism for priority
sector lending to renewable energy and EVs to maximise the impact of the inclusion of
EVs.

AgNext Technologies and NAFED collaborate to organise pulses’ quality assessment

training for Maharashtra’s FPOs

India’s leading agri-tech company AgNext Technologies collaborated with the National
Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) to organise
a virtual training and awareness programme for Maharashtra’s biggest FPOs (Farmer
Producer Organisations) on pulses’ quality assessment.

This training Programme’s goal was to educate FPOs on the various market quality
standards for toor dal. The commodity (toor dal) is graded and priced in the market based
on this assessment.

Liberty General Insurance partners with National Insurance Academy to manage

electric vehicle claims Effectively

Liberty General Insurance has partnered with the National Insurance Academy to
design an industry-first and certification course on electric vehicles (EVs) for its claims
team.

This course will cover topics such as the anatomy of electric vehicles —private cars,
commercial vehicles, two--wheelers; the present and future of EVs in India and
understanding EVs from a claims perspective.

Tata Consultancy Services and Microsoft Cloud join hands for retail partnership
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Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has joined hands with Microsoft for the newly-
launched Microsoft Cloud for Retail.

After this partnership, TCS will collaborate with leading retailers using its multi-horizon
cloud transformation framework to enable retail clients to use Microsoft Cloud for Retail
to accelerate their growth and transformation journeys.

Microsoft Cloud for Retail is a secure industry-specific cloud that brings together various
Microsoft technologies linked by a common data model to connect across the end-to-end
shopper journey with integrated and intelligent capabilities.

Books and Authors

Chandrachur Ghose authors a new book titled ‘Bose: The Untold Story of an
Inconvenient Nationalist’

Chandrachur Ghose has authored a new book titled ‘Bose: The Untold Story of an
Inconvenient Nationalist’, which is a biography of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

The publisher of this book is Penguin Viking.

Ruskin Bond’s new book is titled ‘A Little Book of India’

A new book titled ‘A Little Book of India’ was authored by Ruskin Bond. This book is an
amalgamation of the physical and spiritual attributes of our Indian homeland and takes
you on a journey filled with nostalgia and devotion.

This book was published by Penguin Random House India (PRHI).

Former Indian Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg authors a new book titled
‘The $10 Trillion Dream’

Former Finance Secretary of India Subhash Chandra Garg authored a new book titled
‘The $10 Trillion Dream’, which claims to explore the critical policy issues that India
faces today and suggests reforms for it to become a $10 trillion economy by the mid-
2030s.

The publisher of this book is Penguin Random House India and is set to be released in
February 2022.

Subhash Chandra Garg was a member of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) for over
36 years and has served in various key positions for both the Union Government and the
Rajasthan Government. He was designated the Union Finance Secretary in March 2019.

Science & Technology

New variant of coronavirus named ‘IHU’ was identified in France

A new variant of coronavirus named ‘IHU’ was identified in France, which is said to be
a more mutated strain than Omicron.

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The 1.640.2 or IHU variant was first identified by the academics at the institute IHU
Mediterranee Infection and contained 46 mutations, which is more than Omicron.

This strain has the E484K mutation, which makes it more vaccine-resistant. It also has
the N501Y mutation, which was initially detected in the Alpha variant and is thought to
make it more transmissible, according to experts.

India tests the advanced sea-to-sea variant of BrahMos missile from INS
Visakhapatnam

India successfully tested an extended range sea-to-sea variant of the BrahMos

supersonic cruise missile from the Indian Navy’s newly commissioned INS
Visakhapatnam.

BrahMos was originally deployed on naval warships in 2005 and has the potential to
hit sea-based targets beyond the radar horizon.

This naval variant was originally tested in October and December 2020 from the Indian
Navy’s indigenously-built stealth destroyer INS Chennai and Rajput-class destroyer INS
Ranvijay.

This version of the missile has been designed to launch either in a vertical or a horizontal
mode from moving/stationary assets to target both land and sea targets. The missiles fired
at a speed of 2.8 Mach or nearly three times the speed of sound and significantly increase
the capability of the ships in engaging long-range targets.

Meta builds the world’s fastest supercomputer named RSC

Meta (formerly Facebook) has built the world’s fastest artificial intelligence (AI)
supercomputer named RSC as a part of its ambitious plan to build a virtual metaverse
in order to boost its capacity to process data.

RSC will assist Meta’s AI researchers in developing new and improved AI models that can
learn from trillions of examples, work across hundreds of languages, analyse text, photos
and video in real time and develop new augmented reality (AR) capabilities, among other
things.

Obituary

American music composer Stephen J. Lawrence passed away

Emmy award-winning composer for ‘Sesame Street’ Stephen J. Lawrence passed away
at the age of 82.

He composed the film score for ‘AKA Communion’ (1976), which received the Music
Award from the Paris Festival of Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1977.

He was the music director and the co-writer of four songs for the film ‘Sooner or Later’
(1979); including the gold singles ‘You Take My Breath Away’.

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Renowned pianist and founder of Shillong Chamber Choir Neil Nongkynrih passed
away

Renowned pianist and founder and conductor of the Shillong Chamber Choir Neil
Nongkynrih passed away at the age of 51.

He was fondly known as Uncle Neil.

He was conferred with the Padma Shri for his contribution towards promoting music, art
and culture in 2015.

Oscar, Emmy and Grammy award-winning lyricist Marilyn Bergman passed away

The Oscar, Emmy and Grammy award-winning lyricist Marilyn Bergman passed away at
the age of 93.

She was the first woman president and chairman of the board of the American Society of
Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) from 1994 to 2009.

She and her husband were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1980 and
received its Johnny Mercer Award in 1997.

Veteran Kannada writer and activist Chandrashekar Patil passed away

Veteran Kannada writer, activist and public intellectual Prof. Chandrashekhar Patil
passed away at the age of 82.

He was popularly known as He was also a well-known poet, playwright and was considered
as one of the foremost voices of the ‘Bandaya’ movement.

He was the editor of the influential literary journal ‘Sankramana’.

He became chairman of the Kannada Development Authority and president of Kannada

Sahitya Parishat. He was the president of the 83rd Kannada Sahitya Sammelan held at
Mysuru in 2017.

First Black Actor to win the Best Actor Academy Award Sidney Poitier passed away

The first Black actor to win the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in ‘Lilies of the Field’
Sidney Poitier passed away at the age of 94.

He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 by the then US President
Obama for his work. A dual citizen of the United States and the Bahamas, he served from
1997–2007 as Bahamian Ambassador to Japan.

European Parliament President David Sassoli passed away

The President of the European Parliament, an Italian socialist and former journalist
David Sassoli passed away at the age of 65.

He began his career as a journalist and became a member of the European Parliament in
2009 and it’s Speaker in 2019.

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He was a member of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats.

Olympic Sprinter Deon Lendore passed away

Three-time Olympic sprinter from Trinidad and Tobago Deon Lendore passed away at
the age of 29 due to a car accident.

He competed in three Olympic Games, winning a bronze medal for his country in the
men’s 4×400 m relay final at the 2012 Olympics in London.

At the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, he won a silver medal in the same event,
before winning solo bronze medals in the 400 m at the 2016 and 2018 World Indoor
Championships.

Trinidad and Tobago

Capital: Port of Spain

Currency: Trinidad and Tobago dollar

Legendary Kathak dancer Birju Maharaj passed away

Kathak legend Pandit Birju Maharaj passed away at the age of 83.

He was a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan in 1986 and he was fondly called Pandit-ji
or Maharaj-ji by his disciples and legions of followers and was one of India’s best-known
artists.

Veteran journalist Sam Rajappa passed away

Veteran journalist Sam Rajappa passed away at the age of 82.

He started his career with Free Press Journal and moved over to The Statesman as chief
of New Delhi bureau was instrumental in launching India Today in 1975.

He was the BBC’s correspondent in South India and worked as consultant editor with
Mathrubhumi.

He was awarded the Raja Ram Mohun Roy award by the Press Council of India in 2017
for his long and distinguished service to the cause of journalism.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu passed away

Former Prime Minister of Japan Toshiki Kaifu passed away at the age of 91.

He was elected as a Japan Premier in August 1989 and served until November 1991.

He was best known for sending the Maritime Self-Defense Force to the Persian Gulf in
1991.

He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1960 and went on to hold important
government positions such as Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary as well as Education
Minister until becoming Japan’s Prime Minister in August 1989.

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Former Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita passed away

Mali’s former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita passed away at the age of 76.

He served as the President of Mali from 2013 until Mali’s military pushed him out in 2020.

Noted social activist Shanti Devi passed away

A well-known Gandhian and social worker from Odisha, Shanti Devi passed away at the
age of 88.

She served the poor for six decades in the insurgent-hit Rayagada district of Odisha.

She was recently conferred with India’s third-highest civilian honour Padma Shri in 2021
by President Ram Nath Kovind for her six decades of dedication to the impoverished and
underprivileged, as well as the upliftment of tribal females.

In 1955–56, she met Gandhian follower Acharya Vinoba Bhave. She became involved in
his Bhoodan Movement after being inspired by his beliefs.

Noted cartoonist Narayan Debnath passed away

Veteran cartoonist and the creator of Bengali comic characters ‘Bantul the Great’, ‘Handa
Bhonda’ and ‘Nonte Phonte’, Narayan Debnath passed away at the age of 97.

He received Bengal’s highest award Banga Bibhusan in 2013.

He was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi award in 2013 and the Padma Shri in 2021.

Noted environmentalist Professor M. K. Prasad passed away

Noted environmentalist and crusader for a sustainable environment Professor M. K.

Prasad passed away at the age of 89.

He held various academic positions in Kerala, including the post of Pro Vice-Chancellor of
Calicut University and Principal of Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam. He has also authored
numerous books in Malayalam on environmental issues and popular science.

French actor Gaspard Ulliel passed away at 37

Gaspard Ulliel, a French actor best known for acting in Chanel perfume commercials
and portrayed fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent in a 2014 biography, passed away at
the age of 37 after a skiing accident.

He won the French Cesar award in 2017 for the best actor for his role in ‘It’s Only the
End of the World’.

Former Supreme Court judge S. Ranganathan passed away

Former Supreme Court judge Ranganathan passed away at the age of 94.

He enrolled with the Bar Council in 1952 and commenced his legal practice before joining
the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) as its judicial member in 1964.

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Later, he became the President of ITAT and got elevated as a judge of the Delhi High Court
in 1977. He became a Supreme Court judge in 1987 and retired from service in 1992.

Veteran mountaineer and retired Indian Army officer Major Hari Pal Singh Ahluwalia
passed away

Retired Indian Army officer, trained mountaineer, author and social worker Major Hari
Pal Singh passed away at the age of 85.

He was one of the first Indians to conquer Mount Everest and has also been a former
President of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation and the Delhi Mountaineering
Association.

He has written over 13 books, including his autobiography ‘Higher than Everest’.

Eminent archaeologist and epigraphist R. Nagaswamy passed away

Eminent archaeologist, scholar, writer and epigraphist Ramachandran Nagaswamy

passed away at the age of 92 years.

He served as the Director of the Department of Archaeology from 1966 till 1988.

He penned a book, Masterpieces of Early South Indian Bronzes, in 1983 and compiled a
coffee table book for the Tamil Nadu Government to mark the World Classical Tamil
Conference.

US singer Meat Loaf passed away

The United States singer Meat Loaf passed away at the age of 74.

He was one of the most iconic voices in rock music and tracks such as Dead Ringer for
Love, Paradise by the Dashboard Lights and I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do
That).

His debut ‘Bat out of Hell’ became one of the best-selling albums of all time.

World’s oldest man Saturnino de la Fuente Garcia passed away

The world’s oldest man, Saturnino de la Fuente Garcia, from Spain passed away at the
age of 112 years.

The Guinness World Records named Saturnino de la Fuente Garcia as the world’s oldest
man in September 2021, when he was 112 years and 211 days old.

He was born on 11 February 1909.

Former Lok Sabha member and businessman D. N. Patodia passed away

Former Lok Sabha member and prominent businessman D.N. Patodia passed away at
the age of 94.

He was a member of the fourth Lok Sabha (1967–1971), representing Jalore in Rajasthan.

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He served as the President of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and
Industry (FICCI) in 1985–86.

He was named the President of the Indian Council of Arbitration in 1985, headed the
Economic and Scientific Research Foundation from 1990 to 1993 and was the founder
President of the All India Bank Depositors Association (1968).

Padma Shri awardee Milena Salvini passed away at 84

Noted Kathakali dancer Milena Salvini of France passed away at the age of 84. She was
an ambassador of Kathakali and other Indian classical art forms in France. She was
honoured with the Padma Shri in 2019 for her contributions in the field of Kathakali.

Hockey legend Charanjit Singh passed away at 92

Hockey legend, Padma Shri and Arjuna Awardee Charanjit Singh passed away in Una
district of Himachal Pradesh. He had led the Indian hockey team to a historic gold medal
in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and was also part of the Indian team that won the silver in
the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.

He was honoured with the Arjuna Award in 1963 and the Padma Shri in 1964.

Olympic gymnastic gold medallist Szilveszter Csollany passed away

Olympic gymnastic gold medalist Szilveszter Csollany from Hungary passed away at
the age of 51 due to COVID-19.

He won the gold medal in the men’s rings at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

He won the title Hungarian Sportsman of the Year in 2000.

He was again chosen as Sportsman of the Year in 2002 after winning a gold medal at that
year’s World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

Padma Shri awardee Baba Iqbal Singh passed away at 96

Social worker Baba Iqbal Singh passed away at the age of 96 in the Sirmaur district of
Himachal Pradesh. He was the president of Kalgidhar Society/Trust and Chancellor of
Eternal University. He was listed for receiving the 2022 Padma Shri for his social work.

Renowned Marathi author Anil Awachat passed away

Renowned Marathi author and social activist Anil Awachat passed away at the age of 78.

He was the founder-director of the Muktangan Rehabilitation Centre in Pune and

associated with several social causes.

His popular books are Purnia, Manasa, Gard, Karyarat, Swatahavishayi, Karyarat,
Karyamagna and Katuhalapoti.

State News

Sikkim Government renames Jawaharlal Nehru Road as Narendra Modi Marg

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Sikkim Government has renamed a second road linking Tsomgo Lake and Nathula
border pass with Gangtok as ‘Narendra Modi Marg’, which was inaugurated by Sikkim
Governor Ganga Prasad.

The older name of this link route is called Jawaharlal Nehru Road.

Sikkim

Capital: Gangtok

Chief Minister: Prem Singh Tamang

Governor: Ganga Prasad

Jammu and Kashmir is set to become the first Union Territory to have a district-
level good governance index

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) would soon become the first Union Territory in India to
have a district-level good governance index.

The good governance index at the district level would enable each of the 20 districts of
Jammu & Kashmir to rise to the level of some of the best-administered districts of India,
with time-bound disposal of office files and other matters, increased transparency,
increased accountability and increased citizen participation.

The District Good Governance Index (DGGI) framework has 58 indicators drawn from
different aspects of development and district administration distributed in an all-
encompassing 10 sectors such as agriculture and allied sector, commerce and industry,
human resource development, public health, public infrastructure and utilities, economic
governance, welfare and development, public safety and judiciary and citizen-centric
governance.

Jammu and Kashmir

Capital: Srinagar (summer), Jammu (winter)

Lt. Governor: Manoj Sinha

National Parks: Hemis National Park, City Forest (Salim Ali) National Park, Dachigam
National Park, Kishtwar National Park

Wildlife Sanctuaries: Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, Gulmarg Wildlife

Sanctuary, Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary, Baltal-Thajwas Wildlife Sanctuary, Karakoram
(Nubra Shyok) Wildlife Sanctuary

Lakes: Mansar Lake, Nagin Lake, Wular Lake, Surinsar Lake, Dal Lake

Odisha’s Ganjam district is now free of child marriages

Odisha’s Ganjam district has declared itself a child marriage-free district.

Ganjam is the first district in Odisha that has been declared child marriage-free.

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The district administration has increased the reward for people informing about the
occurrence of child marriage to ₹50,000 from ₹5000.

This district administration launched Nirbhaya Kadhi, an innovative awareness

campaign for the empowerment of adolescents and to prevent child marriage, in
September 2019.

ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute launches a tribal intervention project in

Anamalai Tiger Reserve

The ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute (ICAR-SBI) in Coimbatore collaborated with

Anamalai Tiger Reserve and conducted a campaign on ‘knowledge empowerment of
tribals’. It also launched its STC (Scheduled Tribe Component) project at Attagatti in
Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR).

During the ‘knowledge empowerment of tribals’ campaign, the tribal population in these
settlements would be instructed on how to set up and maintain a nutrition garden and
would be supplied kitchen garden seed kits.

Kochi becomes India’s first city with a ‘water metro’ project

Kochi has become India’s first city to have a water metro project operated by Kochi
Metro Rail Limited.

This project envisions the creation of an integrated water transportation system with the
development of 15 identified routes connecting 10 islands, along a 76-kilometer network
of routes, with a fleet of 78 fast, electrically propelled hybrid ferries serving 38 jetties.

The aim of this project was to improve ridership by introducing contemporary, energy-
efficient, environmentally friendly and safe boats with low wake and draught
characteristics at a high frequency.

Kochi Metro Rail Limited plans to operate 23 boats, each having a capacity to carry 100
passengers on 15 routes. The headways would vary between 10 to 20 minutes across
various routes at peak hours.

Andhra Pradesh Government increases the retirement age of Andhra Pradesh

government employees from 60 to 62 years

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy has raised the retirement age
for Andhra Pradesh state government employees from 60 to 62 years old and outlined a
schedule for the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

He also announced a fitment of 23 per cent, where the new pay scales will come into force
from January 2022.

This decision will put an additional burden of ₹10,247 crores on the Andhra Pradesh
treasury.

Andhra Pradesh

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Capital: Amaravati

Chief Minister: S. Jaganmohan Reddy

Governor: Biswa Bhushan Harichandan

Folk dances: Kuchipudi, Vilasini Natyam, Bhamakalpam, Veeranatyam

National Parks: Sri Venkateswara National Park, Rajiv Gandhi National Park, Papikonda
National Park

KVIC launches India’s first mobile honey processing van in Uttar Pradesh

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has launched India’s first mobile
honey processing van at the Sirora village in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

The mobile van has been designed in-house by KVIC at its multi-disciplinary training
centre in Panjokehra at the cost of ₹15 lakhs.

This mobile honey processing unit can process up to 300 kg of honey in 8 hours. This
van is also equipped with a testing laboratory that would instantly examine the quality of
honey.

Uttar Pradesh

Capital: Lucknow

Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath

Governor: Anandiben Patel

National Park: Dudhwa National Park (Tiger Reserve)

Odisha increases the upper age limit for state civil services exams to 38

The Odisha Government has increased the upper age limit for entry to state government
service to 38 years from the existing 32 years.

The Odisha Government has made an amendment to the State (Odisha) Civil Services
Rules, 1989 Act and this rule is only applicable to advertisements made from 2021 to
2023.

Odisha

Capital: Bhubaneswar

Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik

Governor: Ganeshi Lal

Lakes: Kanjia Lake, Chilika Lake, Ansupa Lake, Pata Lake

Dams: Hirakud dam, Indravati dam, Rengali dam, Jalaput dam, Mandira dam, Patora
dam
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National Parks: Bhitarkanika National Park, Simlipal National Park, Nandankanan
Zoological Park

Indian Railways renames Kevadiya station in Gujarat as Ekta Nagar railway station

Indian Railways has renamed Kevadiya station in Gujarat as Ekta Nagar railway
station.

The Indian Railways have approved the renaming of Kevadiya railway station, which is
located near the Statue of Unity. The ‘Ekta Nagar’ railway station will be placed in the
Vadodara division and will be designated as Kevadiya station.

The station code of Ekta Nagar railway station will be EKNR and the numerical code of
the station will be 08224620.

Kachai Lemon Festival begins in Manipur’s Ukhrul

The eighteenth edition of the two-day-long Kachai Lemon Festival began in Manipur
on 13 January at the local ground of Kachai village in the Ukhrul district.

Kachai lemon of Manipur has been accorded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag and
is widely grown in the Kachai village of the Ukhrul district.

The Kachai Lemon Festival is organised annually to promote this unique kind of lemon
fruit and to encourage lemon farmers of Manipur.

This year (2022) the festival is organised under the theme ‘Organic Kachai Lemon for
Safe Environment and Rural Transformation’.

Manipur

Capital: Imphal

Chief Minister: Biren Singh

Governor: Najma Heptulla

Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya observe their fiftieth statehood day on 21 January

This year (2022) marks the fiftieth statehood day of Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya.

Tripura and Manipur were granted the status of union territories while Meghalaya was a
part of Assam.

In 1969, Meghalaya received the recognition of an autonomous state through the Assam
Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act, 1969.

On 21 January 1972, the North East Reorganisation Act, 1971, was implemented that
provided statehood to the three North-East states — Tripura, Meghalaya and Manipur.

Jammu and Kashmir declares Jerri Hamlet as the first milk village

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Jammu and Kashmir administration has declared Jerri Hamlet in the Reasi district as
the first ‘milk village’ of Jammu and Kashmir and sanctioned 57 more dairy farms under
the Integrated Dairy Development Scheme (IDDS) for this hamlet.

This milk village houses 73 individual dairy units with 370 cows, which will give financial
security to the local farmers.

Under the IDDS, dairy units of five animals are provided with a 50 per cent subsidy.

This scheme also has a provision for milking machine, bulk milk cooling unit at 50 per
cent subsidy (maximum subsidy of ₹5 lakhs), paneer making machine, khoya making,
Dahi making, cream separator, ice cream making machine, butter and ghee making
machine (maximum subsidy of ₹3.5 lakhs), milk van (maximum subsidy of ₹2 lakhs and
milk ATM subsidy of ₹5 lakhs).

Karnataka launches India’s first Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics
Centre of Excellence

Karnataka Government has launched India’s first Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming
and Comics (AVGC) Centre of Excellence, promoting it as a cutting-edge high-tech digital
media hub.

Karnataka became the first state to bring an AVGC policy in 2012.

Karnataka has also become India’s first to set up such a Centre of Excellence (CoE),
which is also believed to be the biggest in Asia.

Karnataka

Capital: Bengaluru

Chief Minister: Basavaraj Bommai

Governor: Thaawarchand Gehlot

National Parks: Anshi National Park, Kudremukh National Park, Bandipur National Park,
Bannerghatta National Park, Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarahole) National Park

Himachal Pradesh Statehood Day – 25 January

Himachal Pradesh celebrated its Statehood Day on 25 January to commemorate its

formation on 25 January 1971 under the State of Himachal Pradesh Act.

The State of Himachal Pradesh Act was passed on 18 December 1970.

It became a Union Territory of India in 1956 and was finally recognised as the eighteenth
state in the Indian union in 1971.

Himachal Pradesh is known as ‘Dev Bhoomi’ or the ‘Land of God’.

Himachal Pradesh

Capital: Shimla (summer), Dharamshala (winter)

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Chief Minister: Jai Ram Thakur

Governor: Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar

National Parks: Inderkila National Park, Simbalbara National Park, Great Himalayan
National Park, Pin Valley National Park, Khirganga National Park

Karnataka Government launches the Grama One programme

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai launched the ‘Grama One’ programme to
offer various government departments’ services’ in rural areas of 12 districts in
Karnataka.

The documents, such as income, caste, residency certificates, RTCs (Rights, Tenancy &
Crops) and other documents, will now be issued at the Grama One centres.

Grama One centre at the gram panchayat would be linked to Tahsildar, Assistant
Commissioner Offices and Atal Seva Kendras to provide these services.

A separate cell is set up with equipment and data entry operators in the offices of
Tahsildars to receive these applications.

The E-Governance Department will be monitoring and reviewing this programme. This
programme will prevent people in villages from going to the Taluk offices and reduce
corruption.

Karnataka

Capital: Bengaluru

Chief Minister: Basavaraj Bommai

Governor: Thaawarchand Gehlot

National Parks: Anshi National Park, Kudremukh National Park, Bandipur National Park,
Bannerghatta National Park, Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarahole) National Park

Andhra Pradesh is set to get 13 new districts

Andhra Pradesh Government issued draft notifications for carving out 13 new districts
out of the existing 13, taking the total number of districts to 26 for better administration
and development of these areas.

According to a notification issued by the Andhra Pradesh Government, the reorganisation

of the districts is being done under Section 3 of the Andhra Pradesh Districts
(Formation) Act, 1974.

Andhra Pradesh has 25 Lok Sabha constituencies and each is supposed to be made into
a revenue district.

The Lok Sabha constituency of Araku is being split into two new districts as the size is too
large and spread over many districts.

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The two new tribal districts will be: Manyam with headquarters in Parvathipuram and
Alluri Sitarama Raju named after the legendary Telugu freedom fighter with its
headquarters in Paderu.

Andhra Pradesh

Capital: Amaravati

Chief Minister: S.Jagan Mohan Reddy

Governor: Biswa Bhushan Harichandan

Folk Dances: Kuchipudi, Vilasini Natyam, Bhamakalpam, Veeranatyam

National Parks: Sri Venkateswara National Park, Rajiv Gandhi National Park, Papikonda
National Park

Kerala is set to establish India’s first graphene innovation centre

India’s first innovation centre for graphene will be set up in Kerala by the Digital
University Kerala (DUK), along with the Centre for Materials for Electronics
Technology (C-MET) in Thrissur, for an investment of ₹86.41 crores (over $11.5
million).

Tata Steel Limited is set to be the industrial partner of the graphene innovation centre.

Graphene is known for its extraordinary electrical and electronic properties and as per
the latest research; it could replace indium and bring down the cost of organic light-
emitting diode (OLED) screens in smartphones.

Kerala

Capital: Thiruvananthapuram

Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan

Governor: Arif Mohammed Khan

National Parks: Anamudi Shola National Park, Eravikulam National Park, Mathikettan
Shola National Park, Pambadum Shola National Park, Periyar National Park, Silent Valley
National Park

Tamil Nadu Government plans to erect a statue of Colonel John Pennycuick in the
United Kingdom

Tamil Nadu Government has planned to erect a statue of British army engineer Colonel
John Pennycuick at his birth place in Camberley, the United Kingdom.

He was as a British engineer who built the Mullaperiyar Dam in 1895 in Kerala’s Idukki,
which provides water to Theni, Dindigul, Ramanathapuram, Sivagangai and Madurai
districts of Tamil Nadu.

Mullaiperiyar Dam is currently operated by the Tamil Nadu Government.

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Tamil Nadu

Capital: Chennai

Chief Minister: M. K. Stalin

Governor: R. N. Ravi

National Parks: Mukurthi National Park, Guindy National Park, Gulf of Mannar Marine
National Park, Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) National Park, Mudumalai National Park

India’s largest electric vehicle charging station was commissioned at Gurugram

India’s largest electric vehicle (EV) charging station, comprising 72 AC slow chargers
and 24 DC fast chargers, has been commissioned at Gurugram, Haryana.

This charging station, equipped with 100 charging points for four-wheelers, was
commissioned in Sector 52 of Gurugram.

This project is aimed at demonstrating the competitive advantage of owning a charging

station business over petrol pumps in terms of ease in getting the necessary licensing,
designing, commissioning, installation, electrification and safety certifications.

Prior to this, India’s largest EV charging station was located in Navi Mumbai that houses
16 AC and four DC chargers.

Important Days

Global Family Day – 1 January

Global Family Day is observed on 1 January every year to promote peace, unity and
harmony among people.

The first Global Family Day was observed on 1 January 2000.

The idea to celebrate Global Family Day originated from a 1996 children’s book ‘One Day
In Peace’ authored by Steve Diamond and Robert Alan Silverstein.

DRDO Foundation Day – 1 January

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) celebrated its 64th
Foundation Day on 1 January 2022.

DRDO was formed in 1958 to make India strong and self-reliant in terms of science and
technology and especially in military technologies.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)

Headquarters: New Delhi

Chairman: G. Satheesh Reddy

Founded: 1958

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World Braille Day – 4 January

World Braille Day is marked to honour Louis Braille, the inventor of the Braille system
of reading and writing for the visually challenged.

Braille Day has been observed on 4 January since 2019 after the United Nations General
Assembly picked it in 2018.

National Vision Board Day – 8 January

National Vision Board Day is celebrated on the second Saturday in January every year,
which is observed on 8 January this year (2022) to encourage us to set our goals visually.

Kellan Lutz and Ryan Daly founded the National Vision Board Day in June 2015 to
motivate people to take action by assisting them in visualising their goals.

NRI Day or Pravasi Bharatiya Divas – 9 January

NRI Day (Non-Resident Indian Day) or Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is observed on 9

January every year to strengthen the engagement of the overseas Indian community with
the Government of India and reconnect them with their Indian roots.

The first Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was observed on 9 January 2003.

World Hindi Day – 10 January

World Hindi Day is observed on 10 January every year to honour Hindi language and to
make Hindi a part of public opinion.

The first World Hindi Day Conference was organised on 10 January 1975 in Nagpur,
Maharashtra.

This day is observed in India from 2003.

In 2006, the Union Ministry of External Affairs began the tradition of celebrating World
Hindi Day in other countries with the goal of promoting Hindi as a global language.

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day – 11 January

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day is observed on January 11 to raise

awareness about the persistent issue of human trafficking.

Despite the fact that the entire month of January has been recognised as National Slavery
and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, this day is dedicated to raising awareness and
preventing the criminal practise of human trafficking.

This day has been observed since 2007.

National Youth Day – 12 January

National Youth Day or ‘Yuva Diwas’ is observed on 12 January to mark the birth
anniversary of Swami Vivekananda as well as encourage the Indian youth to work hard
and contribute to the overall development of India.
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The Government of India declared Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary as the National
Youth Day in India in 1985.

The theme for National Youth Day 2022 is ‘It’s all in the mind’.

National Startup Day – 16 January

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared 16 January as National Startup Day to
bring new opportunities and horizons for startup ecosystems in India.

Startups are a boost to India’s Economy, so several policies are brought up by the Union
Government every year to help startups grow by generating capital.

Army Day (India) – 15 January

Army Day (India) is observed on 15 January to honour each soldier in the Indian Armed
Forces for their selfless service for India and its citizens.

This year (2022) marks the 74th Army Day (India).

On 1 April 1895, the British Indian Army was founded within the British administration
and was known as the British Indian Army. After India became independent in 1947, it
was not until 15 January 1949, that India received its first-ever Indian chief for the Indian
Army.

The world’s largest Indian national flag made from khadi was displayed along the India–
Pakistan international border in Rajasthan’s Longewala on the occasion of 74th Army
Day (India)

Thiruvalluvar Day – 15 January

Thiruvalluvar Day is observed on 15 January to mark the birth anniversary of Tamil

poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar.

Thiruvalluvar is most known for his poetry collection Thirukkural, which is a compilation
of couplets about politics, love, ethics and economics. Thirukkural is regarded as one of
Tamil literature’s most important works.

National Disaster Response Force Raising Day – 19 January

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) holds its raising day annually on 19
January to commemorate its formation day.

NDRF came into existence on 19 January 2006.

This year (2022) marks the celebration of the seventeenth NDRF Raising Day.

NDRF is formed for the purpose of specialised response to natural and man-made
disasters and its parent body is the National Disaster Management Authority (NMDA).

Parakram Diwas – 23 January

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Parakram Diwas is observed on 23 January every year to commemorate the birth
anniversary of Indian freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose.

This year (2022) marks the 125th birth anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose.

He was the first to refer Mahatma Gandhi as the ‘Father of the Nation’.

He was also popularly known as ‘Netaji’, a title given to him by German and Indian
officials at the Special Bureau of India in Berlin.

National Girl Child Day – 24 January

National Girl Child Day is observed on 24 January every year to raise awareness about
the rights of girl children and to promote the importance of their education, health and
nutrition.

The main objective of this day is initiated by the Union Ministry of Women and Child
Development and the Union Government organises awareness campaigns under the Beti
Bachao, Beti Padhao (Save the girl child, Educate the girl child) scheme to mark National
Girl Child Day and to increase the consciousness of people towards female foeticide and
provide new opportunities to girls in society.

International Day of Education – 24 January

International Day of Education is observed on 24 January every year to celebrate the

role of education for peace and development.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed International Day of Education
on 24 January 2018.

This year (2022), the world is celebrating the fourth International Day of Education.

The theme for International Day of Education 2022: ‘Changing Course, Transforming
Education’.

National Voter’s Day – 25 January

National Voter’s Day is observed on 25 January every year to encourage Indian voters
to participate in the electoral process.

This year (2022) marks the twelfth edition of National Voter’s Day. The first-ever National
Voters’ Day was celebrated on 25 January 2011, an initiative by the Election Commission
of India.

The theme for National Voters’ Day 2022: ‘Making Elections Inclusive, Accessible and
Participative’.

National Tourism Day – 25 January

National Tourism Day is observed on 25 January every year to appreciate India’s beauty
and spread awareness about the importance of tourism and its impact on the Indian
economy.

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The Union Ministry of Tourism is commemorating National Tourism Day under the aegis
of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, a 75-week grand celebration to mark 75 years of Indian
independence.

The theme for National 2022: ‘Rural and Community Centric Tourism’.

Republic Day (India) – 26 January

The Republic Day of India is observed on 26 January every year to mark the day on
which the Constitution of India came into effect in 26 January 1950, superseding the
previously existing Government of India Act of 1935 and turning India into an independent
republic.

This year (2022) marks the 73rd Republic Day of India.

On this day, the people of India celebrate and honour the achievements of the nation, pay
tribute to the people who have sacrificed their lives for the safety of India and remember
the rich history of India’s freedom struggle.

International Customs Day – 26 January

International Customs Day (ICD) is observed on 26 January every year to raise

awareness about the importance of customs authorities and their role in the smooth
movement of goods across borders.

This day commemorates the inaugural session of the World Customs Organization
(WCO), which was held on 26 January, 1953.

The World Customs Organization was formed in 1952 as the Customs Co-operation
Council (CCC) and its function is to boost the efficiency and effectiveness of customs
administrations.

The theme for International Customs Day 2022 is ‘Scaling up Customs’ Digital
Transformation by Embracing a Data Culture and Building a Data Ecosystem’.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day – 27 January

The International Holocaust Remembrance Day was established by the United Nations
General Assembly on 27 January to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust, which
wiped out roughly two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population between 1933 and 1945.

The theme of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day for 2022 is ‘Memory,
Dignity and Justice’.

Data Privacy Day – 28 January

Data Privacy Day is observed every year on 28 January to raise awareness and promote
best practices in privacy and data protection. This day promotes events and activities that
stimulate the development of technology tools that promote individual control over
personally identifiable information.

Lala Lajpat Rai’s 157th Birth Anniversary – 28 January 2022

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Lala Lajpat Rai was a veteran leader of the Indian Nationalist Movement. He was born in
1865 in Punjab’s Dhudike village. He was also the founder of organisations like Hisar
Arya Samaj, Hisar Bar Council and National DAV managing Committee. He passed away
on 17 November 1928.

Martyrs’ Day (India) – 30 January

Martyrs’ Day or Shaheed Diwas is celebrated in India every year on 30 January to

remember freedom fighters who laid down their lives for India to become independent from
British colonisation. This date also marks the date of the assassination of Mahatma
Gandhi by Nathuram Godse in 1948.

Shaheed Diwas is mainly observed in India on two days 30 January and 23 March.

World Leprosy Day – 30 January

World Leprosy Day is celebrated on the last Sunday of January every year to raise
awareness about leprosy (also known as Hansen’s disease) across the world.

This year (2022), the day falls on 30 January. This day was first initiated in 1954 by
French philanthropist Raoul Follereau who made people know about this ancient disease.

The theme for World Leprosy Day 2022 is ‘United for Dignity’.

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