Daily Current Affairs and GK | 11 January 2022

Topic: Defence

1. INS Vikrant begins another phase of sea trials.

• INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, began another phase of sea trials for carrying out complex manoeuvres in high seas.
• It is the largest and most complex warship built in India. It has completed its maiden five-day sea voyage in August and underwent sea trials in October 2021.
• The main objective of this phase of the trial is to check the performance of ship in various conditions.
• It has completed its Basin trials in November 2020, and the ship is expected to be commissioned into the Navy by August 2022.
• This warship will operate MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31 helicopters, MH-60R multi-role helicopters.
• It has 2,300 compartments and a crew of around 1700 people. It has a top speed of around 28 knots.
• INS Vikrant is 262 meters long, 62 meters wide and it has a height of 59 meters.
• The construction of INS Vikrant had started in the year 2009. It is built by Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL).

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: International News

2. Kazakhstan President called help from Collective Security Treaty Organisation to end protest.

• The president of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev urged Collective Security Treaty Organisation to help in quelling the ongoing protest.
• People of Kazakhstan are protesting against the government’s decision to end subsidies on liquefied petroleum gas.
• On 1 January 2022, fuel prices became fully market-based. The cost of LPG has doubled in some places from 60 tenge ($0.14) a litre to 120 tenge.
• CSTO has invoked Article 4 after chaos increased in Kazakhstan. CSTO’s members also agreed to send a peacekeeping force to Kazakhstan.
• Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO):
  • It was signed by Russia and its five allies on 15 May 1992. It is also known as the Tashkent Pact. It came into force in 1994.
  • Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Belarus are current members of this pact.
  • In 2009, it established a rapid-reaction force comprising 20,000 elite personnel.
  • CSTO’s members enjoy cooperation from Russia’s advanced armed forces, including training and arms.

Topic: Important Days

3. National Human Trafficking Awareness Day 2022: 11 January

• On January 11, 2022, National Human Trafficking Awareness Day has been observed.
• The aim of the day is to raise awareness about the condition of human trafficking victims, as well as to promote and protect their rights.
• President Barack Obama had declared the entire month of January "National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month" in 2010 by Presidential proclamation, and each president since has followed this tradition.
• The first National Human Trafficking Awareness Day was observed in 2011.
• United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC):
  • It is a body of the United Nations.
  • It is responsible for promoting and protecting human rights around the world.
  • It has 47 members elected for a three-year term.
  • It was founded on 15 March 2006.
  • It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

Topic: Sports

4. Bharath Subramaniyam becomes 73rd Grandmaster of India in chess.

• After completing his third and final GM norm at the Vergani Cup Open in Italy, 14-year-old Bharath Subramaniyam has become India's 73rd chess Grandmaster.
• Subramaniam scored 6.5 points along with four others in nine rounds to finish seventh overall in the event.
• He earned his third GM norm and the requisite score of 2,500 (Elo).
• A player has to obtain three GM norms and a live rating of 2,500 Elo points in order to become a GM.
• Sankalp Gupta was the 71^st Grandmaster, and Mitrabha Guha had become the country's 72^nd Grandmaster in November 2021.

Topic: National News

5. India Skills 2021 competition concluded on 10 January.

• The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship honoured more than 200 competitors of the India Skills 2021 nationwide competition, which ended on January 10.
• 270 medallions of excellence were awarded to competition winners, including 61 gold, 77 silver, 53 bronze and 79 medallions of excellence.
• Odisha finished first out of 26 states and union territories of this year in the 'IndiaSkills 2021' contest with 51 medals. Odisha won 10 gold, 18 silver, 9 bronze, and 14 medallions.
• With 30 medals, Maharashtra remained in second place, while Kerala took third place with 25 medals.
• The winners of the India Skills 2021 competition will also have the opportunity to compete in the World Skills International Competition in Shanghai, China, in October 2022.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Awards and Prizes

6. Satish Adiga received Subhas Mukherjee Award.

• Dr. Subhas Mukherjee Award has been given to Satish Adiga, a professor of clinical embryology at Kasturba Medical College (KMC) in Manipal.
• The award has been presented by the Indian Council of Medical Research for the year 2020.
• Dr. Adiga has been chosen for his contributions to the field of in-vitro fertilization (IVF).
• He has made important contributions to both clinical IVF and fertility research.
• Dr. Subhas Mukherjee Award:
  • The award has been instituted by the ICMR in honour of Dr. Subhas Mukherjee, who was the inventor of India's first IVF baby.
  • It was instituted in the year 2012.
  • This award is given to a scientist who has made significant contributions in reproductive technology, reproductive biology and endocrinology, and reproductive health.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

7. India’s Commerce & Industry Minister and Republic of Korea’s Minister for Trade hold bilateral meeting.

• On 11 January 2022, India’s Commerce & Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, and Republic of Korea’s Minister for Trade, Han-Koo Yeo, conducted a bilateral meeting to discuss trade-related issues.
• The discussion was focused on addressing the large trade deficit, market access issues, and non-tariff barriers faced by Indian exporters.
• During the meeting, investment-related issues between both countries were also discussed.
• South Korea:
  • It is officially known as Republic of Korea. It is a country in East Asia.
  • It shares its land border with North Korea (officially Democratic People's Republic of Korea).
  • Its capital is Seoul. Its President is Moon Jae-in. Its Prime Minister is Kim Boo-kyum.

Topic: Space and IT

8. The first on-site evidence of water on the surface of the moon found.

• The first on-site evidence of water on the surface of the moon has been found by China’s Chang’e 5 lunar probe.
• According to the study published in the journal Science Advances, lunar soil at the landing site contains less than 120 parts-per-million (ppm) water.
• Remote observation has earlier confirmed the presence of water. The lander has now found signs of water in rocks and soil.
• Scientists can estimate water content as the water molecule or hydroxyl absorbs at a frequency of about 3 micrometers.
• According to the researchers, solar wind is the main contributor to the humidity of lunar soil because it brought hydrogen that forms the water.
• The researchers think an additional 60 ppm of water in the rock may originate from the lunar interior.
• The study has also revealed that the moon had turned drier within a certain period because of degassing of its mantle reservoir.

Topic: Agriculture

9. KVIC launched India’s first Mobile Honey Processing Van.

• Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has launched India’s first Mobile Honey Processing Van at village Sirora in Ghaziabad.
• It has been designed by KVIC at its Multi-disciplinary training center in Panjokehra.
• This mobile honey processing unit can process up to 300 kg of honey in 8 hours.
• It can also examine the quality of honey with the help of its testing laboratory.
• The Mobile Honey Processing Van has been launched under the KVIC’s Honey Mission.
• It will distribute bee boxes to farmers and help educated and unemployed youth of villages to earn extra income through beekeeping activities.
• It will help in making beekeeping a more profitable business for small beekeepers and also help in maintaining the purity and quality of honey.
• Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC):
  • The Khadi and Village Industries Commission is a statutory body established in 1956 by the Government of India.
  • It is an apex organization under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises for khadi and village industries in India.
  • Vinay Kumar Saxena is its current chairman.
  • Its headquarter is located in Mumbai.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National News

10. Government released revised guidelines of universal accessibility.

• The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has released the “Harmonised Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility in India 2021”.
• It has been drafted by a team of the IIT-Roorkee and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA). Professor Gaurav Raheja was the principal investigator and consultant of the project.
• These guidelines are the revised version of the guidelines released by the CPWD, under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in February 2016.
• These guidelines have fixed the gradient and length of ramps. The minimum clear width of a ramp should be 1,200 mm.
• These guidelines are not only for persons with disabilities (PwD) but it is also for persons involved in the planning and construction of government buildings.
• The main objective of the guidelines is to make public buildings and transport fully accessible for wheelchair users.
• The guidelines are also for State governments, government departments, and the private sector. It will be used as a reference by architecture and planning institutes.

Topic: Report and Indices

11. Union Labour Minister released a report on 2nd round of Quarterly Employment Survey.

• Union Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav released a report on the second round of the Quarterly Employment Survey.
• Nine sectors hired around two lakhs more people during July-September 2021 as compared to April-June 2021.
• These nine sectors are Manufacturing, Construction, Trade, Transport, Education, Health, Accommodation and Restaurant, IT/ BPO and Financial Services
• These nine sectors have generated 3.10 crore employment in the July-September 2021 quarter. It was 3.08 crore during the April-June 2021 quarter.
• According to the survey, 90% of the establishments had less than 100 workers, while 30% of the IT/BPO establishments had at least 100 workers.
• The overall percentage of female workers has also increased in this quarter as compared to the first quarter.
• 87% of the estimated workforce in these nine selected sectors were Regular workers while 2% were casual workers.
• In the construction sector, 20% of the workers are contractual and 6.4% are casual workers.
• 5.6% of the total establishments had reported vacancies. 65% of vacancies were due to unspecified reasons while 23% are due to resignation.

Topic: State News/ Uttar Pradesh

12. Uttar Pradesh government declared four villages as revenue villages.

• Four villages located near the Nepal border have been declared as revenue villages.
• These four villages are Bhavanipur, Tedhia, Dhakia, and Bichhia. These are located in Mihinpurwa tehsil of Bahraich district.
• ‘Vantangiya' community people live in these villages. ‘Vantangiya' community people were brought from Myanmar to plant trees during British rule.
• This decision will help the people of these villages in availing the benefits of all government schemes.
• Revenue village:
  • A revenue village is a small administrative region with defined borders. It can contain many hamlets.
  • Each revenue village is headed by a Village Administrative Officer.
  • The concept of revenue village was introduced by Raja Todar Mal during Akbar’s time.

Topic: Important Days

13. World Hindi Day: 10 January

• World Hindi Day is celebrated every year on 10 January to mark the anniversary of the first World Hindi Conference.
• The first World Hindi Conference took place in Nagpur on 10 January 1975. It was inaugurated by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
• It is celebrated to spread awareness about Hindi as an international language.
• In 2006, the Government of India had decided to celebrate 10 January as World Hindi Day.
• Hindi is the third most spoken language after English and Mandarin.
• In India, Hindi Diwas is observed every year on 14th September.
• According to Article 343 of the Indian constitution, Hindi in the Devanagari script is the official language of India.

Topic: State News/ Assam

14. 9^th edition of North East Festival concludes in Guwahati.

• The 9th edition of the North East Festival concluded in Guwahati on 9 January.
• The main objective of this festival is to promote and highlight the commercial and tourism potential of the North East region.
• North East Festival was inaugurated by Governor Jagdish Mukhi on 7 January.
• During this festival, seminars have been organized and handloom and handicraft products were displayed.
• It has been organized in the carnival format with live music and dance performance.
• It was supposed to be organized at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi but got cancelled due to high covid cases in Delhi.