Daily Current Affairs and GK | 21 May 2022

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

1. Election Commission of India to lead 'Democracy Cohort on Election Integrity’ in association with 100 democratic countries.

• The Election Commission of India will share its knowledge, technical expertise and experiences with other democratic countries.
• As part of the 'Summit for Democracy', the Election Commission of India will also give training and organize capacity building programmes for election management bodies.
• Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar explained how the grassroots awareness programmes like Electoral Literacy Clubs, and 'Chunav Pathshalas’ have created awareness among the masses about electoral rights.
• New Zealand, Finland and the European Union have shown interest in joining the Cohort.
• ‘Summit for Democracy’ was started as a two-day virtual event in December 2021. It has now become a year-long event for dialogues on different themes related to democracy.
• Civil society organisations, the private sector, media and others have participated in the Summit for Democracy. It was hosted by United States.

Topic: Indian Economy

2. India recorded the highest ever annual FDI inflow of 83.57 billion dollars in the last fiscal year.

• FDI inflow in the last financial year has registered growth of 85% in comparison to FDI inflow received in the financial year 2014-15.
• India had recorded an FDI inflow of 45.15 billion US dollars in the financial year 2014-15.
• FDI inflows have grown 20-fold since the financial year 2003-04. The FDI inflows were 4.3 billion US dollars in the financial year 2003-04.
• FDI inflow in the manufacturing sector has grown by 76% to 21.34 billion US dollars in the last fiscal in comparison to the fiscal year 2020-21.
• Computer software and hardware are the top recipient sectors of FDI inflow. They are followed by Services Sector and Automobile Industry.
• Karnataka is the top FDI recipient state followed by Maharashtra and Delhi. Karnataka has a 38% share in the total FDI inflow reported during the fiscal year 2021-22.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National Appointments

3. 1998 batch IAS officer Gyanesh Bharti has been appointed new commissioner of unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

• 1992 batch IAS officer Ashwani Kumar has been appointed as the special officer in the unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
• Ashwani Kumar will be the seniormost bureaucrat to administer the city’s civic affairs until elections for the combined MCD are held.
• The appointments of Gyanesh Bharti and Ashwani Kumar will come into effect on May 22.
• Three civic bodies - South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), and East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC)- will merge on 22 May.

Topic: State News/Punjab

4. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann launches lok milni (public interaction) programme.

• Lok Milni is a flagship programme of Punjab government for on-the-spot redressal of the people’s grievances.
• CM said that the programme is aimed to ensure a single window platform for the redressal of people’s complaints.
• The program was earlier named ‘janta darbar’ but it was later renamed.
• He directed the department of social justice to release the arrears of the ‘shagun scheme’.
• Shagun Scheme, also known as Aashirwad Scheme, is a financial assistance scheme under which the state government will provide Rs. 15000 to Rs 21000 for the marriage of daughter belonging to the low income family in Punjab. It will help in reducing the percentage of child marriage in the state.  

Topic: Important Days

5. International Tea Day 2022: 21 May

• Every year on May 21, International Tea Day is commemorated.
• The United Nations recognised it for the first time in 2019.
• This day is observed to enhance public awareness of tea's cultural and economic importance around the world.
• The theme of the International Tea Day 2022 is “Tea and Fair Trade."
• Tea is a beverage. It is made from the Camellia Sinensis plant. After water, tea is the most consumed drink in the world.
• It is believed to have originated from northeastern India, northern Myanmar, and southwest China.
• Kenya is the world's largest exporter of tea, followed by China and Sri Lanka.
• China is the largest producer of tea in world, followed by India and Kenya.

Topic: National Appointments

6. Pieter Elbers has been appointed as the new CEO of IndiGo.

• He will assume the role as Chief Executive Officer, with effect from October 1, 2022.
• Elbers has been the President and CEO of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines since 2014.
• He will succeed Ronojoy Dutta, who has announced to retire on September 30, 2022.
• IndiGo:
  • It is the largest airline in India by passengers carried and fleet size.
  • It is headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana. It was founded in 2006.
  • Its chairman is M. Damodaran, and Its MD is Rahul Bhatia.

Topic: Committees/Commissions/Taskforces

7. Supreme Court has appointed Committee of Administrators to manage All India Football Federation’s affairs.

• The Committee of Administrators (CoA) has three members. It is headed by former judge AR Dave.
• The CoA also includes Dr SY Qureshi, former Chief Election Commissioner and Bhaskar Ganguly, former captain of the Indian Football Team.
• The CoA will oversee adoption of its constitution by All India Football Federation in line with National Sports Code and model guidelines.
• All India Football Federation (AIFF):
  • It is the governing body of football in India.
  • It was founded on 23 June 1937.
  • Its headquarters is located in New Delhi.

Topic: State News/Kerala

8. India’s first state-owned OTT platform will be launched by Kerala.

• The first state-owned over-the-top (OTT) platform, CSpace, will be launched on November 1.
• The launch of CSpace will coincide with Kerala’s formation day on November 1.
• The films will be available on CSpace only after their theatrical release.
• CSpace is an initiative of Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC).
• KSFDC is the first public sector corporation for film development in India.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

9. Indian Railways to partnership with IIT Madras for developing an indigenous Hyperloop System.

• Hyperloop technology-based transportation will reduce carbon emissions and bring a new revolution to the transport system.
• A team comprising 70 students, named "Avishkar Hyperloop”, was formed by IIT Madras in 2017.
• The team “Avishkar Hyperloop” won the ‘Most Scalable Design Award’ at the European Hyperloop Week – 2021.
• They are using frugal engineering for developing Hyperloop based transportation system.
• Indian Railways in association with IIT Madras will also set up a "Centre of Excellence for Hyperloop Technologies".
• The Hyperloop system works on a technology which uses magnetic levitation in low-pressure tubes for transporting people and goods at high speeds
• The hyperloop concept was proposed by Elon Musk.

(Source: Indian Railways)

Topic: Space and IT

10. 'Astrosat' witnesses the birth of black holes for 500th time.

• India's first dedicated astronomy mission, 'Astrosat', has witnessed the birth of black holes for the 500th time.
• Space telescope 'Astrosat' is playing a key role in studying black hole births.
• Black holes are regions with a strong gravitational pull which does not allow particles or electromagnetic radiations to pass through them. Even light cannot pass through the Black holes.
• Astrosat was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota on 28th September 2015.
• Cadmium Zinc Telluride Imager – CZT is a part of the ‘Astrosat’ telescope, which has discovered the birth of black holes. It has the ability to measure the polarisation of X-rays.

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

11. Indian economy projected to grow at 6.4% in 2022: UN report

• According to the World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report, India’s GDP is projected to grow at 6.4 per cent in 2022.
• The growth of the economy is slower than the last year but it is still the fastest among the major economies. In 2021, India’s GDP had grown by 8.8 per cent.
• India's growth is projected to be 6 per cent for the fiscal year 2023.
• In 2021-22, the global economy is projected to grow by 3.1 per cent, which is less than the earlier projected growth of 4%.
• Global inflation is projected to increase to 6.7 per cent in 2022.
• The higher prices and shortages of farming inputs are impacting the agriculture sector in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
• According to this report, high inflation and issues related to the labour market have reduced private consumption and investment.
• The Ukraine-Russia war has triggered a humanitarian crisis in Europe by increasing food and commodity prices.
• This report has been produced by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), in association with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the five United Nations regional commissions.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

12. India and Saint Vincent and Grenadines signed an MoU on 'Refurbishment of old Calder Community project'.

• The MoU has been signed during President Ramnath Kovind’s visit to Saint Vincent and Grenadines.
• Both countries also signed an MoU for the exchange of information and assistance in the collection of taxes.
• India and Saint Vincent and Grenadines also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Health and Medicine.
• President Ramnath Kovind also addressed the Parliament of Saint Vincent and Grenadines.
• President Ramnath Kovind also met Governor-General Dame Susan Douga.
• Saint Vincent and Grenadines:
  • It is an island country in the Caribbean Sea.
  • The capital is Kingstown.
  • It consists of the island of Saint Vincent and the northern Grenadine Islands.

Topic: Important Days

13. National Endangered Species Day: 20 May

• National Endangered Species Day is observed on the third Friday of May. This year, it was celebrated on 20 May.
• It is observed to raise awareness about the importance of saving Endangered Species.
• This day was started by David Robinson and the Endangered Species Coalition in 2006.
• The National Endangered Species Day theme 2022 is “Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration”.
• Bengal Tiger, Snow Leopard, One-horned Rhinoceros, Blackbuck, etc. are the most common Endangered Species in India.
• The growing human population and urban construction have threatened the existence of the Endangered Species.
• Climate change, deforestation, Loss of Habitat and poaching are the main threats to the Endangered Species.

Topic: Indian Polity

14. GST Council suggestion are not binding on the Centre and state: Supreme Court

• Supreme Court bench ruled that the binding ‘recommendations’ of the GST Council could disrupt fiscal federalism.
• The bench comprised Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and Vikram Nath.
• The bench said that Parliament intended the recommendations of the GST Council to only have a persuasive value.
• The decision came in a case related to the levy of inter-state GST (IGST) on ocean freight.
• The bench said that according to Article 246A, Parliament and the state legislature have equal power to legislate on matters of taxation.
• The court said that the recommendations of the GST Council have only persuasive value.
• Under Article 279A of the Constitution, the GST Council gives recommendation to the Union and the States on issues related to model GST law, principles to levy GST, GST rates etc.