Daily Current Affairs and GK | 19 February 2022

Topic: Geography

1. Indian researchers traced tectonic evolution of Greater Maldive Ridge.

• In a recent study, researchers have traced the tectonic evolution and the nature of the Greater Maldive Ridge (GMR).
• The origin of Greater Maldive Ridge (GMR) located in the western Indian Ocean has been the center of debate for many years.
• This study can help in understanding the original Gondwanaland break up, which led to the formation of the present-day configuration of continents.
• The Maldive Ridge is an aseismic ridge and its origin’s understanding will help in understanding the evolution of ocean basins.
• This study has been carried out by the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism. The outcome of the study will help in understanding the plate-tectonic evolution of the Indian Ocean in a better way.
• Researchers have found that Moho is deeper over the Maldive Ridge (MR) segment and shallows southwards in the Deep Sea Channel region (DSC).
• The researchers have estimated that Maldive Ridge might have formed in the close vicinity of the Mid-Oceanic Ridge.
• Meanwhile, the DSC region was under a long transform fault, which hindered melt production and gave rise to gap between Chagos and Maldive Ridge during the Plume-ridge interaction.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: State News/ Mizoram

2. Northeast India’s first motorsport racing track will be created in Mizoram.

• Eastern and northeastern India’s first motorsports racing track will be built in Mizoram.
• An agreement has been signed between the Centre-owned Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) and the Mizoram State Sports Council for the construction of this racing track.
• This racing track will be 2 km long and 6 meters wide and it would be developed at Lengpui.
• Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) will construct the motorsports racing track under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) obligation.
• Note:
  • The Madras Motor Race Track is the India’s first permanent racing circuit. It was built in the late 1980s.
  • The Buddh International Circuit is located in Uttar Pradesh and it hosted the first Indian Grand Prix.

Topic: States News / Maharashtra

3. India's first mobile biosafety lab inaugurated in Nashik.

• Dr. Bharati Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, has inaugurated the India’s first Biosafety level-3 containment Mobile Laboratory in Nashik district.
• The purpose of the mobile laboratory is to examine newly developing and re-emerging viral diseases that are extremely infectious and have the potential to harm humans.
• The Biosafety level-3 Mobile Laboratory is significant addition to the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission's efforts to build healthcare infrastructure.
• The Indian Council of Medical Research has designed the laboratory in partnership with Klenzaids, a Mumbai-based manufacturer of biosafety equipment.
• The Laboratory built at a cost of over 25 crore rupees is a self-sufficient unit in itself.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: MoUs/ Agreements

4. GoI and World Bank signed an agreement for implementation REWARD Project.

• The Government of India, State Governments of Karnataka and Odisha, and the World Bank have signed a loan agreements of 115 million US dollars for the implementation of the “Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agricultural Resilience through Innovative Development” (REWARD) Project.
• It will assist national and state organizations in adopting better watershed management methods to enable farmers to become more resilient to climate change, enhance production, and earn more money.
• The $115 million (INR 869 crore) loan has a maturity of 15 years, including a grace period of 4.5 years.
• By 2030, the Indian government plans to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land and double farmers' income by 2023.
• World Bank:
  • It is one of the world’s largest finance providers aiming to end extreme poverty and promote shared growth.
  • It was established in 1944 and is headquartered in Washington, DC, USA.
  • Current President of World Bank: David Malpass
  • Chief Financial Officer and MD: Anshula Kant

Topic: National News

5. National Science Week begins on February 22 at ICMR-NIN.

• From February 22 to 28 in Telangana, the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) in Hyderabad and the National Institute of Technology, Warangal, will host the National Science Week Festival.
• These two institutions are among the 75 outstanding institutions chosen to host the Science Week Festival from across the country.
• On February 28, National Science Day will be commemorated to mark the anniversary of Sir CV Raman's discovery of the "Raman Effect" in 1928.
• The festival is being organized by Vigyan Prasar, an autonomous entity under the Department of Science and Technology.

Topic: Sports

6. Sakibul Gani became first batter in history to hit Triple-century in his first-class debut.

• Sakibul Gani of Bihar has set a new world record in India's premier red-ball competition, the Ranji Trophy 2022.
• Gani has become the first batter in first-class cricket to score a triple century in his debut match against Mizoram in Kolkata.
• Gani scored 341 off 405 balls with the help of 56 fours and two sixes at an outstanding strike rate of 84.20.

Topic: Space and IT

7. Alcyoneus is the largest galaxy ever discovered by humans.

• Researchers from the Leiden Observatory have found Alcyoneus, the largest galaxy ever discovered by humans.
• Alcyoneus is 240 billion times the size of sun. It is named after the son of Greek god of sky, Ouranos.
• Alcyoneus is 160 times the size of Milky Way galaxy. It spans across 16.3 million light-years. 
• Alcyoneus is four times the size of IC 1101. IC 1101 is a galaxy at the center of Abell 2029 galaxy cluster. IC 1101 is one of largest known galaxies.
• Before the discovery of Alcyoneus, IC 1101 was the largest galaxy. It spanned across 3.9 million light-years.
• Alcyoneus also has a supermassive black hole at the centre. Alcyoneus has been discovered through Europe-based LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) and data from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer satellite observatory.

Topic: State News/Assam

8. Assam government to launch ‘Project Arohan’.

• Assam government will launch ‘Project Arohan’, a four year mentorship programme to guide students and hone their skills.
• For Project Arohan, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma met CEO of Tata STRIVE, skill development initiative of Tata Trusts.
• In the meeting, Assam CM sought their cooperation in launching of the project.
• Assam:
  • The state capital is Dispur. The largest city is Guwahati.
  • State Dance: Bihu, State Bird: White-winged wood duck
  • The State Governor is Jagdish Mukhi and Chief Minister is Himanta Biswa Sarma.
  • Lok Sabha seats: 14, Rajya Sabha Seats: 7

Topic: Awards and Prizes

9. Bill Gates conferred with Hilal-e-Pakistan award on his first visit to Pakistan.

• Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates conferred with the Hilal-e-Pakistan award for his efforts to eradicate polio in Pakistan.
• Bill Gates was on his first-ever visit to Pakistan. He also visited the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) to see the efforts in fight against Covid-19.
• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has played a key role in polio eradication through the vaccine alliance ‘Gavi’.
• Nishan-e-Pakistan is the highest civilian award of Pakistan.
• Hilal-e-Pakistan:
  • It is given to those people who have made a meritorious contribution to the national interests of Pakistan.
  • It is the Pakistan's second-highest civilian award.
  • It is given by the President of Pakistan every year.

​​Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

10. PM dedicated two additional railway lines connecting Thane and Diva to nation.

• On 18 February 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated two additional Indian Railways lines connecting Thane and Diva to nation.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi also flagged off two suburban trains of the Mumbai suburban rail network.
• The two additional rail lines includes a 1.4-kilometer-long rail flyover, 3 major bridges as well as 21 minor bridges. It has been built at a cost of Rs 620 crores.
• These lines will segregate suburban trains and long distance trains route. Two rail tracks will be used for slow local trains while other two will be used for fast trains.
• Railways have allocated more than 11,000 crores to Maharashtra in the 2022-23 budget.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Environment and Ecology

11. Government notified guideline on Extended Producers Responsibility on plastic packaging.

• Ministry of Environment has notified guideline on Extended Producers Responsibility on plastic packaging under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
• It will help in minimizing plastic waste generation and ensure separate storage of waste at source.
• The guidelines on extended producer responsibility have been coupled with the prohibition of single-use plastic items. It will become effective from 1 July 2022.
• The guidelines will provide a framework to strengthen the circular economy of plastic packaging waste, and promote development of new alternatives to plastics.
• Extended Producers Responsibility guidelines will be implemented through a customized online platform. It will help in tracking and monitoring EPR obligations.
• The guidelines will promote the formalization of the plastic waste management sector.
• The guidelines will allow the sale and purchase of surplus extended producer responsibility certificates, which will help in setting up a market mechanism for plastic waste management.

Topic: National News

12. Government approved implementation of Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System project.

• Ministry of Home Affairs has approved the implementation of the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System project for the period 2022-23 to 2025-26.
• Phase-II of the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System project is an important step towards modern and effective policing. It will be implemented as Central Sector Scheme.
• Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System project will be implemented by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in association with National Informatics Center (NIC).
• The ICJS system would be accessible via a dedicated cloud-based infrastructure with high-speed connectivity.
• In phase- II, the system is being built on the principle of ‘one data one entry’.
• Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS):
  • It was launched in 2019.
  • It aims to integrate the CCTNS (Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and System) project with different pillars of the Judiciary like e-courts, forensic labs, prosecution and juvenile homes, etc.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

13. Government launched career counselling workshop 'Pramarsh 2022'.

• Minister of State for Culture & Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal has launched the career counselling workshop 'Pramarsh 2022' for the students of the Bikaner District.
• Around 1 lakh students participated in this workshop from more than thousands schools of Bikaner district.
• This workshop has been conducted with the support of the National Institute of Career Services (NICS) and educational start-up Edumilestones.
• In this workshop, students from remote areas got guidance from the expert of Business, Policy planning, Industries Associations, Art, Culture, etc.
• “Pramarsh2022” workshop is an extension of the efforts to bridge the gap between industry and academics.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Sports

14. Chelsea wins 2021 FIFA Club World Cup by defeating Brazilian club Palmeiras by 2-1.

• Chelsea becomes the third English team to win the FIFA Club World Cup.
• The final match between Chelsea and Palmeiras was held at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi.
• The 2021 FIFA Club World Cup was the 18^th edition of the FIFA Club World Cup.
• It was organized by FIFA from 3 to 12 February 2022 in the United Arab Emirates.
• Brazilian footballer Thiago Silva gets the best player award of this tournament.