Daily Current Affairs and GK | 26 and 27 January 2022

Topic: Science and Technology

1. India’s first graphene innovation centre will be established in Kerala.

• Digital University Kerala (DUK) along with CMET-Trichur will set up India’s first graphene innovation center in Kerala.
• The Ministry of Electronics and IT has approved Rs 86.41 crore for this project.
• Tata Steel Ltd will be the industrial partner of the graphene innovation Center.
• Graphene innovation Centre will bridge the gap between graphene academic research and industrial applications. It will also promote commercial research.
• Scientists from the National Graphene Institute and the University of Manchester will be the main collaborators of the Center.
• The government will also develop skilled manpower by providing Ph.D and master courses in electronics product design, sensors, and energy applications.
• Graphene:
  • It is the thinnest and strongest material in the world.
  • It has high electrical conductivity and a large surface area.
  • It is lightweight and transparent.
  • It is widely used in commercial and industrial applications.

Topic: Banking System

2. Government approves merger of PMC Bank and Unity Small Finance Bank.

• The merger of Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank and Unity Small Finance Bank has been approved by the central government.
• All the branches of the PMC Bank will function as branches of Unity Small Finance Bank Ltd from 25th January 2022.
• In December 2021, RBI had extended the restrictions on Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank till March 2022.
• The draft of amalgamation includes the takeover of assets and liabilities of PMC Bank by Unity Small Finance Bank.
• According to the Banking Regulation Act, the draft scheme of amalgamation is required to be placed before the government for its sanction.
• In 2019, RBI had placed Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank under regulatory restrictions.
• Unity Small Finance Bank is a joint venture between Centrum group and BharatPe.
• It was established with a capital of about Rs 1,100 crore as against the regulatory requirement of Rs 200 crore for setting up of a small finance bank.

Topic: National News

3. India commemorated its 73rd anniversary of Republic Day.

• On January 26, 2022, the 73rd Republic Day Parade was held on Rajpath in New Delhi.
• Every year, the President of India presides over the Republic Day parade on Rajpath in New Delhi.
• ASI Babu Ram of Jammu and Kashmir Police has been awarded the Ashok Chakra posthumously for showing gallantry and courage during the anti-terrorist operation in Srinagar in 2020.
• There were a total of 16 marching squads in the parade, which filled the hearts with pride and the air with music.
• Lieutenant Manisha Vohra was the first woman to lead the all-male Army Ordnance Corps contingent.
• The 12 Tableaux from different States and Union Territories, as well as 9 from Ministries and Departments, added colour to the celebrations.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: MoUs / Agreements

4. India and France signed an MoU on health research collaboration.

• India and France have signed an MoU to work together on health research projects.
• The Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and Institute Pasteur, France.
• Both will work together to determine developing infectious diseases and inherited disorders, as well as develop cost-effective healthcare treatments.
• The MoU provides the direction for future scientific and technological collaboration and networking in advanced and emerging human health fields.
• France:
  • It is a Western European country whose capital is Paris.
  • The President of France is Emmanuel Macron, and the Prime Minister is Jean Castex.
  • The currency of France is Euro.
  • It is one of the five permanent members of the UNSC.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: Personality in News

5. Kathakali dancer Milena Salvini passed away.

• A well-known Kathakali dancer from France Milena Salvini died at the age of 84.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on the death of Milena Salvini.
• The PM said that she will be remembered for his passion for Indian culture.
• The Government of India had awarded her the Padma Shri in 2019 for her contributions to the world of performing arts.

Topic: Appointments

6. HPCL's new chairman and managing director will be Pushp Kumar Joshi.

• Pushp Kumar Joshi has been recommended as the new chairman and managing director of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) by government’s PESB.
• The recommendation will now be forwarded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
• After receiving reports from anti-corruption authorities such as the CVC and CBI, the ACC will make a decision on his appointment.
• Joshi is currently the Director of Human Resources in HPCL, who was selected by PESB on January 24 after interviewing 10 candidates.
• He will take over from Mukesh Kumar Surana, who will be retiring at the end of April.
• If Joshi is appointed, he will be in charge until 31 August, 2024.
• Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL):
  • The Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, which is owned by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
  • It is the third-largest oil refining and fuel marketing company in the country.
  • Its headquarters is in Mumbai.
  • It was founded in 1974.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

7. General Bipin Rawat, Kalyan Singh, Radheshyam Khemka honoured with Padma Vibhushan posthumously.

• General Bipin Rawat, Kalyan Singh, Radheshyam Khemka has been honoured with India’s second-highest civilian award posthumously.
• General Bipin Rawat was first Chief of Defence Staff. Kalyan Singh was Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister during Babri Masjid demolition. Radheshyam Khemka was President of Gita Press.
• Classical Vocalist Prabha Atre has also been conferred second-highest civilian award.
• 17 persons have been awarded Padma Bhushan 2022 and 107 persons have been awarded Padma Shri 2022.
• Padma Shri winners include Tokyo Olympics Gold Medalist Neeraj Chopra, Tokyo Paralympics gold Medalist Pramod Bhagat, Sumit Antil and Avani Lekhara, Singer Sonu Nigam, and Lavni Singer Sulochana Chavan.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

8. Ministry of Civil Aviation has notified drone certification scheme.

• Ministry of Civil Aviation has notified drone certification scheme to ensure minimum safety and quality requirements.
• The scheme will boost indigenous manufacturing. It has been notified on January 26, 2022, under Rule 7 of the liberalized Drone Rules, 2021.
• The scheme is a step in making India the drone hub of the world by 2030.
• The certification criteria mentioned in drone certification scheme will be applicable to indigenous drone manufacturers, assemblers and importers.
• A multi-stakeholder steering committee chaired by a known professional, will oversee the scheme, along with QCI (Quality Council of India) secretariat.
• On 16 September 2021, Ministry of Civil Aviation had approved a PLI (production-linked incentive) scheme for drones and drone components with an allocation of Rs 120 crore over three financial years.

Topic: Indian Economy

9. IMF cut India's economic growth forecast to 9% for FY 2022.

• The IMF lowered India's economic growth forecast from 9.5% to 9% for FY 2022.
• In latest World Economic Outlook report, the forecast for the next FY 2023 has been kept at 7.1 percent.
• The Indian economy had shrunk by 7.3 per cent in the 2020-21 fiscal year.
• According to the IMF, the main factors for economic growth in 2023 will be the improvement in the credit growth, investment and consumption.
• IMF forecasted that global growth will remain 4.4 percent in 2022. The global growth rate is expected to remain at 3.8 percent in 2023.
• The rapid increase of the Omicron variant has increased labour shortages, inflation, and the demand supply gap in many countries.
• For FY 2022, Central Statistics Office has forecasted 9.2% growth rate for India and the world bank has predicted 8.3% growth rate.
• French economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas has become the new chief economist of IMF.

Topic: Report and Indices

10. India improved its rank in corruption perception index.

• Transparency International has released the corruption perception index (CPI) 2021.
• India's rank has been kept on 85th position with 40 points in the corruption perception index (CPI) of 2021 among 180 countries.
• This index uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean.
• India's rank has improved by one place to 85 in 2021 from 86th in 2020.
• Denmark, Finland, New Zealand and Norway topped the list with the highest score.
• South Sudan is the most corrupt country in the world, followed by Syria and Somalia.
• As per this report, high-performing countries have also shown signs of decline in their score.
• The report highlighted the risk of journalists and activists from attacks by the police, political militants, criminal gangs, and corrupt local officials.
• Transparency International (TI):
  • It measures and prevents corruption activities arising out of corruption.
  • It’s a German NGO headquartered in Berlin.
  • It provides ranking to 180 countries by their perceived levels of public sector corruption.

Topic: International News

11. Taliban and Afghan civil society begin Oslo talks.

• The Taliban delegation has begun talks in Oslo with Afghan civil society members.
• It is focused on the issue of human rights and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
• The Taliban delegation headed by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi began their talks with women activists and journalists.
• Taliban delegation will also meet with the representatives of the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Italy and the European Union.
• The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan began after the Taliban came to power last year.
• International aid finance 80% of the Afghan budget but it was halted after Taliban control on Afghanistan.
• According to the United Nations, the Afghanistan government need $4.4 billion to address the humanitarian crisis.

Topic: Important Days

12. International Customs Day: 26 January

• International Customs Day is observed every year on 26 January.
• International Customs Day was started by the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC) in 1983.
• It is observed to mark the contribution of customs officials and agencies in the flow of goods across the world.
• In India, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes (CBIC) is responsible for administering Customs. It is a part of the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance.
• Customs Cooperation Council (CCC) was renamed as World Customs Organization (WCO) in 1994. It is an international body responsible for looking at issues related to international custom.
• Customs Duty is a tax imposed on imports and exports of goods between two countries.

Topic: Personality in News

13. Eminent archaeologist Thiru R Nagaswamy passed away.

• Noted archaeologist and epigraphist Thiru R Nagaswamy died at the age of 91.
• He is known for his work on temple inscriptions and the art history of Tamil Nadu.
• He was the first director of the Tamil Nadu government's Department of Archaeology. He founded the Institute of Epigraphy and Archaeology in 1973
• He played a key role in bringing back the Chola-era bronze Nataraja to Tamil Nadu.
• He authored a book titled Masterpieces of Early South Indian Bronze. His other books are on Uttaramerur and Gangaikondacholapuram.
• He started the famous Chidambaram Natyanjali festival.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Awards and Prizes

14. 939 Policemen were awarded Police Medal on the occasion of Republic Day.

• On the occasion of Republic Day, the government has announced to honor 939 policemen with medals this year. It includes 189 medals for the gallantry award.
• Policemen were awarded the Police medal for gallantry, the President’s police medal for distinguished service, and the police medal for meritorious service.
• Among the 189 gallantry awards, 134 personnel have been awarded for their bravery in the Jammu and Kashmir region.
• Jammu and Kashmir Police has received the highest number of bravery medals, followed by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
• 88 personnel have received the distinguished service medal while 662 have been given the meritorious service medal.
• Param Vir Chakra is the highest gallantry award during wartime.

(Source: News on AIR)