Latest Current Affairs For Thursday 20th January, 2022

MSDE sign MoU with IGNOU to link vocational education with higher education

Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship has signed MoU with Indira Gandhi Open University (IGNOU) to further strengthen the vocational and technical training framework. 

Aim: to link vocational education and training with higher education, making India’s youth employable by creating avenues for them to access better work opportunities.

The trainees attached to National Skill Training Institutes (NSTI), Industrial Training Institutes (ITI), PMKK and JSS. 

ICAAP and NCDC jointly release Handbook on Good Practices for Cooperatives

ICAAP and NCDC has jointly released a policy recommendation handbook on SAHAKAR PRAGYA Good Practices for Cooperatives based on ‘Brain Storming Session on International Good Practices Platform for Cooperatives’.

It is a Compendium of Guidelines, Resources, Methodologies, Key Learning, and Case Studies of Best Performing Cooperatives in India and abroad. 

It will help Cooperatives to Innovate and Adopt Best Models for Competitive and Successful Commercial Entities. 

India-UK meet on Sustaining Food Production under Environmental Stress

Union Minister Jitendra Singh has virtually addressed joint India-UK meet on ‘Sustaining Food Production under Environmental Stress’ in New Delhi.

Joint collaboration may include events like students exchange, basic research, technology and product development, process demonstration, among others.

It is being jointly organized by National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali, and University of Birmingham, UK and supported by Newton Bhabha Fund and British Council.

Fifth edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha to be held in February

Fifth edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha will be held in February 2020. 

Pariksha Pe Charcha contest has been launched from 28th December 2021 till 20th January at MyGov portal. 

Winners of this contest are likely to be called in person to participate in Pariksha Pe Charcha. 

Participants: Teachers, Parents, Students. 

Pariksha pe Charcha: programme in which the Prime Minister interacts with the cross-section of Students and Teachers from India and abroad to beat exam stress.

Shashank Goel appointed as Additional Secretary in Employment Ministry

Shashank Goel (1990 batch IAS officer) has been appointed as the Additional Secretary in Ministry of Labor and Employment.

Prior to this, he was serving as the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Telangana.

Apart from him, Shailesh Kumar Singh (IAS of 1991 batch) has been appointed as Additional Secretary and Development Commissioner, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Manish Kumar Gupta has been appointed as Vice-Chairman, Delhi Development Authority.

Winners of Best FIFA Football Awards 2021 announced

Best FIFA Football Awards 2021 ceremony has been held virtually in Zurich to crown outstanding players for excellent achievement in football.

List of Winners:

Best FIFA Men’s Player: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich, Poland). 

Best FIFA Women’s Player: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona, Spain). 

Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper: Édouard Mendy. 

Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper: Christiane Endler. 

FIFA Fair Play Award: Denmark national football team and medical staff. 

MobiKwik launches ‘ClickPay’ in collaboration with NBBL for faster payment

MobiKwik in collaboration with NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd (NBBL) has launched a new facility titled ‘ClickPay’. 

Aim: to enable its customers pay recurring online bills, such as mobile, gas, water, electricity, DTH, insurance, and loan EMIs, with ease. 

It eliminates the need to remember individual bill details and due dates.

It is a two-step payment feature wherein billers generate a unique payment link within the bill-pay message, so that customers can make payments directly. 

JK Lt Governor releases book titled ‘Prakrtik, Vaidik avem Jaivik Kheti’

Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha has released a book titled ‘Prakrtik, Vaidik avem Jaivik Kheti- Graameen Udyamita Ka Naya Swaroop’ at the Raj Bhavan, Jammu.

The book was published by Chudamani Sanskrit Sansthan, Basohli, Kathua. 

It was released as a souvenir after the successful conduct of the Annual Festival and foundation day celebrations. 

In this research-oriented souvenir, scholars of Sanskrit-agricultural science, young researchers have written their research papers. 

Cartoonist Narayan Debnath passes away in Kolkata

Cartoonist Narayan Debnath (98 years) passed away at a private hospital in Kolkata.

He was the creator of Bengali comic strips of Handa Bhonda (1962), Bantul the Great (1965) and Nonte Phonte (1969).

He holds the record of longest running comics by an individual artiste for Handa Bhonda comics series.

Awards: Padma Shri (2021), Sahitya Academy Award, President's Special Recognition Award (2007), Banga Bibhushan (2013), D. Litt. by Rabindra Bharati University (2015).

Legendary Collarwali Tigress passes away in Pench Tiger Reserve

India’s Supermom tigress, popularly known as ‘Collarwali’ (16 years) passed away at Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Madhya Pradesh. 

She was known for giving birth to 29 cubs during her lifetime, which is believed to be a world record.

Official name given to the tigress by forest department was T-15 but she was fondly called ‘Collarwali’ by the native people. 

She became the first tigress in the park to be fitted with a radio collar in 2008.

Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma re-elected as National People’s Party Chief

Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma has been re-elected as the Chief of National People’s Party (NPP) in the party’s main office in Shillong.

Election was held for three positions in the party: National President, National General Secretary and National Party Treasurer.

Conrad K Sangma was re-elected as the Party Chief and Thomas A. Sangma was elected as National General Secretary for 2022-2025 unopposed.

There was no application for the post of treasurer.

Roberta Metsola becomes youngest President of EU Parliament

Centre-right Maltese lawmaker Roberta Metsola (43 years) has been chosen as youngest President of European Union (EU) Parliament. 

She is the only 3rd woman to head European Parliament, despite controversy over anti-abortion stance. 

She is a member of the largest bloc, European People’s Party, who won large majority with 458 votes. 

She first elected to as a Member of European Parliament in 2013, representing Malta, and became First VP of European Parliament in Nov 2020. 

PM Narendra Modi to be awarded prestigious Lokmanya Tilak Award 2023

The Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust (Hind Swaraj Sangh) would confer the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2023 to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Pune on August 1, 2023.

Reason: This award recognizes PM Modi's supreme leadership under which India has climbed the ladder of progress

It is presented annually on the occasion of Lokmanya Tilak's death anniversary.

Other awardees: Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Sharad Pawar, Cyrus Poonawalla, and Manmohan Singh. 

J&K Bank wins award for Best Performance in CASA

Jammu & Kashmir Bank has been felicitated for the Best Performance in CASA-India (1st Runner up in Small Bank Category) at ICC Emerging Asia Banking Conclave & Awards 2022.

The event was participated by banks from India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka & Myanmar.

The function was organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Goa.

Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is a non-governmental trade association and advocacy group headquartered in Calcutta.

India poised to become world’s 2nd-largest economy by 2075: Goldman Sachs

According to the Investment Bank Goldman Sachs, India is poised to become the world’s second-largest economy by 2075.

As per the report, India would cross Japan, Germany, and the US With a population of 1.4 billion people.

India’s GDP is estimated to expand remarkably, reaching 52.5 trillion dollars surpassing the US GDP projection.

The labour force participation set to make India the second-largest economy in the world by 2075.

L&T and Spain's Navantia sign agreement for submarine project

L&T has signed a teaming agreement with Spanish-based Navantia for the submission of a techno-commercial bid for the Indian Navy’s prestigious P75 (India) submarine program.

P75 (India) Submarine Project is expected to be valued at €4.8 billion.

Navantia would carry out the design of P75(I) submarines based on its S80 class of submarines.

The first S80 class submarine was launched in 2021 and is undergoing sea trials prior to its delivery to Spanish Navy. 

India overtakes China as most attractive emerging market for investing

According to a study by Invesco Global Sovereign Asset Management, India has overtaken China to become the most attractive emerging market for investing in sovereign wealth funds this year.

Reason: This is due to its solid demographics, political stability, and proactive regulation. 

Positives for the nation also include the rapidly expanding demography, strong regulatory actions, and a welcoming climate for sovereign investors.

World Population Day 2023: 11 July

World Population Day is observed every year on July 11 in order to raise awareness about global population issues, including population control.

2023 theme: Unleashing the power of gender equality: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world’s infinite possibilities. 

It was established by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1989, after the day the world approximately reached a population of five billion, which was observed on 11 July 1987.

MoHUA conducts SBM-U 2.0 Planning & Implementation Review-cum-Workshop

The Housing Ministry organized a review-cum-workshop to evaluate and accelerate the planning and implementation of the SBM-Urban 2.0.

PM Modi launched the 2.0 versions of SBM-U and AMRUT on October 1, 2021.

SBM-U 2.0: Achieving 100% waste segregation in all households and premises and 100% door-to-door collection of segregated waste from each. 

AMRUT 2.0: To provide complete coverage of water supply to all households and sewerage and septage in 500 AMRUT cities. 

Gujarat CM launches pilot project of ‘Antyodaya Shramik Suraksha Yojana’

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel launched the Antyodaya Shram Suraksha Accident Insurance Scheme from Kheda

All those registered under the e-Shram portal from Nadiad will benefit from the scheme.

It is being implemented through the Indian Postal Department, the IPPB, and the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Under this scheme, insurance with a premium of Rs. 289 and Rs. 499 per year will be a big support to workers in the event of death or partial disability.

OCA elects Sheikh Talal as the new President

Kuwait’s Sheikh Talal Fahad Al Ahmad Al Sabah has been elected as the new President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

He replaced his older brother Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, who led the OCA for 30 years until 2021.

The OCA was founded in 1982 by his father Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who led it until 1990.

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is a governing body of sports in Asia, currently with 45 member National Olympic Committees.

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance wins Insurer Innovation Award 2023

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has won the Insurer Innovation Award 2023 for the APAC region at the 8th World Digital Insurance Awards, hosted by TDI - The Digital Insurer.

Recognition: Bajaj Allianz Life's ground-breaking WhatsApp Conversational Platform - empowering customers to digitally services their policies seamlessly. 

The award entries were shortlisted by industry experts and the winner was selected by the community through pre-voting and live event voting.