Daily Current Affairs and GK | 22 February 2022

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

1. DCGI granted emergency use approval to Corbevax for the 12-18 age group.

• Corbevax is India’s first indigenously developed Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) protein subunit vaccine for Covid-19.
• It has been developed by Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company Biological E Ltd.
• In last year December, Corbevax received the emergency use approval for the adult population.
• It is given through the intramuscular route with two doses on the difference of 28 days.
• It is built on the traditional subunit vaccine platform. It triggers immune response by using spike protein. It contains harmless S-protein.
• At present, only ‘Covaxin’ vaccine is used for the 15-18 age group in India.

Topic: Sports

2. Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 concluded on 20 February.

• The Beijing 2022 Winter Games concluded on 20 February with a Closing Ceremony at the National Stadium in Beijing.
• Norway with 16 Gold, 8 Silver, and 13 bronze topped the medal tally.
• Germany with 9 Gold, 10 Silver, and 5 bronze ended the competition on the second spot while China grabbed the third spot with 9 Gold, 4 Silver, and 2 bronze.
• India hasn’t won any medal at the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022.
• Arif Khan was the flag bearer of India at the opening ceremony of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. He recorded India's best-ever performance at Winter Games.

Topic: State News/ West Bengal

3. West Bengal Government to build a memorial in honour of Abul Barkat.

• The government of West Bengal has announced that it will build a memorial of Bhasha Shahid Barkat. It will be built at Babla village in Murshidabad.
• Abul Barkat was killed by the Pakistan police during the Bengali Language Movement on 21 February 1952. He is considered as a martyr in Bangladesh.
• Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made this announcement at a function on International Mother Language Day.
• Bengali Language Movement:
  • Bengali Language Movement was started in 1952 for making Bangla the official language of Pakistan.
  • On 21 February 1952, a famous Dhaka march was organized for the Bengali Language Movement.
  • The Pakistan government recognized Bangla as an official state language in 1956.

Topic: State News/ Assam

4. Assam becomes first state to launch mobile app for night navigation on rivers.

• Assam government has launched a mobile app for navigation on rivers at night.
• Assam is the first state of India to launch this kind of night navigation mobile app for rivers.
• The night navigation mobile application has been launched by the transport department in association with scientists of IIT Madras.
• The first night journey with this navigation system was completed between Guwahati and North Guwahati.
• Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also launched ten Aadhar-based contactless services to make public delivery service efficient.
• The Common Service Centres under the Ministry of Information Technology and Transport Department also signed an MoU for providing online services at the Panchayat level.

Topic: National News

5. Government planning to reorganise the Commerce Department.

• In order to establish coherent trade promotion strategy with clear targets and execution accountabilities, the government is set to revamp the commerce department.
• The government will set up a dedicated trade promotion body to drive overall promotion strategy, export targets and execution.
• It will also set up remedies review committee that will include ministry of commerce and industry, ministry of finance and other ministries for increasing transparency in investigation outcomes.
• Department of Commerce:
  • It is department under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
  • The department formulates, implements and monitors the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) which provides the basic framework of policy and strategy to be followed for promoting exports and trade.
  • It is also responsible for promoting multilateral and bilateral commercial relations, export promotion and trade facilitation, special economic zones, etc.
  • It is headed by a Secretary.
  • Current Secretary: Shri B V R Subrahmanyam
  • The Department is functionally organized into the following 10 Divisions:
    • International Trade Policy Divisions
    • Foreign Trade Territorial Division
    • Export Products Division
    • Export Industries Division
    • Export Services Division
    • Economic Division
    • Administration & General Service Division
    • Finance Division
    • Supply Division
    • Logistics Division

Topic: Books and Authors

6. A book titled ‘A History of Sriniketan’ has been released.

• The book titled “A History of Sriniketan: Rabindranath Tagore’s Pioneering Work in Rural Construction” has been released.
• Famous historian Uma Das Gupta has written this book.
• The book highlights the contribution of Rabindranath Tagore in rural reconstruction through setting up of Sriniketan in 1992 at Santiniketan. Sriniketan was a wing of Visva Bharati International University.
• Other books written by Uma Das are “Rabindranath Tagore: A Biography” and “The Oxford India Tagore: Selected Essays on Education and Nationalism”.
• Rabindranath Tagore was a famous poet, writer, social reformed, and philosopher. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for Gitanjali. His two major compositions: “Jana Gana Mana” and “Amar Sonar Bangla” are currently the national anthems of India and Bangladesh respectively.

Topic: Personality in News

7. Shakuntala Choudhary, popular as Shakuntala Baideo, passes away.

• Shakuntala Choudhary, a Gandhian social worker and freedom fighter, has passed away recently.
• She hailed from Assam’s Kamrup. She was popularly known as Shakuntala Baideo.
• She worked for wellbeing of villagers, especially women and children. The government has named her for the Padma Shri award for this year.
• She was associated with Vinoba Bhave, who started Bhoodan Movement.

Topic: Important Days

8. World Thinking Day 2022: 22 February.

• World Thinking Day 2022 is celebrated annually on 22 February.
• ‘Our World, Our Equal Future’ is the theme for World Thinking Day 2022.
• World Thinking Day is being celebrated since 1926. It was earlier known as Thinking Day.
• Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, as well as Scout and Guide organizations all over the world, celebrate it.
• 22 February is the birthday of Lord Baden Powell and his wife Lady Olave Baden Powell. Lord Baden Powell was the founder of the Scout Movement.

Topic: Banking/Finance

9. SEBI reconstituted advisory committee on alternative investment policy.

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has reconstituted its alternative investment policy advisory committee.
• It will be chaired by Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy. It has 20 members.
• It includes members from SEBI, the Ministry of Finance, and industry associations.
• It will advise SEBI on issues related to the development of the Alternative Investment Fund industry.
• It will also identify hurdles that can hinder the development of the Alternative investment fund industry.
• Earlier, this committee was formed in March 2015. It has till now submitted three reports on the Alternative Investment Fund industry.
• Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
  • It was set up in 1988.
  • It was given statutory status in 1992.
  • It is headquartered in Mumbai.
  • Ajay Tyagi is its chairman.

Topic: Defence

10. India, Oman begins a bilateral air force exercise in Jodhpur.

• The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) have begun a five-day bilateral air force exercise ‘Eastern Bridge-VI’.
• It will be held at Jodhpur Air Force Station from 21 to 25 February. It is the sixth edition of this exercise.
• It will provide an opportunity to enhance operational capability and interoperability between the two Air Forces.
• It will also promote professional interaction, exchange of experiences, and enhancement of operational knowledge.
• Oman provides operational support to the Indian Navy in the Arabian Sea and it is one of India’s strongest defence partners in the Gulf region.
• India’s all three services conduct bilateral exercises with Oman’s services.

Topic: International News

11. India and France agreed on a roadmap for blue economy and Ocean Governance.

• During External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s three-day visit to France, India and France agreed on a roadmap for Blue Economy and Ocean Governance.
• The roadmap includes maritime trade, marine trade in services, ports, the naval industry, fisheries, scientific research, ocean observation, etc. fields.
• Both sides will cooperate on developing domestic waterways and sharing scientific knowledge.
• India and France will encourage scientific cooperation between their research institutions.
• On 22 August 2019, India and France had agreed that oceans play a key role in combating climate change, and preserving biodiversity.
• India and France are also committed to promote cooperation under the framework of "EU-India Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2025”.

Topic: Books and Authors

12. Union Health Minister released a book titled ‘A Nation To Protect'.

• A book titled 'A Nation To Protect: Leading India Through The COVID Crisis' has been unveiled by Mansukh Mandaviya.
• It is the third book of Priyam Gandhi Mody and it mentions about Prime Minister’s role and motivation during the Covid crisis.
• It also mentioned the role of Mansukh Mandaviya as Fertilisers Minister during the second wave of COVID-19.

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

13. India's millionaire households have increased by 11% in 2021: Hurun India Wealth Report.

• According to the Hurun India Wealth Report 2021, India's millionaire (USD) households have increased by 11% but the happiness Index has fallen as compared to the previous year.
• At present, there are 4.58 lakh households that are millionaires in India. These households have a net worth of at least ₹7 crores.
• As per this report, the number of millionaire households will increase by 30% over the next five years and it will reach to 6 lakh households by 2026.
• The happiness Index of this report is based on the survey of 350 dollars millionaire’s households.
• It indicates that the number of millionaires who classify themselves as happy has decreased from 72 percent to 66 percent in 2021.
• Mumbai topped the list of cities with the most number of millionaires, followed by Delhi and Kolkata.
• This report also throws light on the brand preferences, consumption habits, and lifestyle trends of Indian millionaire.

Topic: Sports

14. India becomes No.1 team in ICC T20I rankings for the first time in the last six years.

• India has overtaken England, which had 269 rating points.
• Previously, India held the top spot in ICC T20I rankings during Mahendra Singh Dhoni's leadership.
• Recently, the Indian team has won the T20 series against West Indies by 3-0.
• India’s last defeat in T20 came in the 2021 T20 World Cup group stage against New Zealand.