Daily Current Affairs and GK | 4 February 2022

Topic: Space and IT

1. Chandrayaan-3 to be launched in August 2022.

• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh said that Chandrayaan-3 is scheduled for launch in August 2022.
• The Minister informed that 19 missions are planned during January to December 2022.
• They include 08 Launch Vehicle Missions, 07 Spacecraft Missions and 04 Technology Demonstrator Missions.
• The list of satellites launched in last two years is given below.

• Chandrayaan-2:
  • It was launched on 22 July 2019 by a GSLV Mark III M1 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh. Its lander (Vikram), rover (Pragyaan) and orbiter were developed in India.
  • On 7 September 2019, ISRO had lost contact with the Vikram lander carrying the rover.

Topic: Appointments

2. Lt. Gen. G.A.V. Reddy takes charge as head of Defence Intelligence Agency.

• Lt. Gen. G.A.V. Reddy has taken charge as the head (Director-General) of the Defence Intelligence Agency.
• Lt. Gen. G.A.V. Reddy has taken charge after the retirement of Lt. Gen. K.J.S. Dhillon.
• Lt. Gen. Manoj Pande has taken charge as Vice Chief of Army Staff from Lt. Gen. C.P. Mohanty who superannuated on January 31.
• Lt. Gen. Upendra Dwivedi assumed charge as GOC-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of Northern Command.
• Lt. Gen. R.P. Kalita (Rana Pratap Kalita) assumed charge as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command.

Topic: Important Days

3. International Day of Human Fraternity: 04 February

• International Day of Human Fraternity is celebrated every year on 04 February all over the world.
• The resolution to declare 04 February as International Day of Human Fraternity was adopted by UN General Assembly in December 2020.
• 1^st International Day of Human Fraternity was celebrated on 04 February 2021.
• The choice of 04 February as International Day of Human Fraternity is a reminder of the meeting between Pope Francis and Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad al-Tayeb on 4 February 2019.
• The meeting resulted in the signing of the “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace & living Together”.

Topic: Defence

4. Bharat Dynamics Limited and Indian Army sign contract for Konkurs-M anti-tank guided missiles.

• Bharat Dynamics Limited and Indian Army have signed a contract for manufacturing and supply of Konkurs-M anti-tank guided missiles.
• The contract is worth Rs 3,131.82 crore. It will be executed in three years.
• Bharat Dynamics Limited is manufacturing Konkurs-M under a license agreement with a Russian Original Equipment Manufacturer.
• As a part of its global outreach, Bharat Dynamics Limited is offering Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missiles, Nag, Milan-2T, Amogha and Konkurs-M for export to friendly foreign countries. 
• Konkurs-M:
  • It is a 2^nd generation, mechanized infantry anti-tank guided missile.
  • It can be launched either from a BMP-II tank or from a ground launcher.
  • It has a range between 75 to 4000 metres.

Topic: Appointments

5. Ravi Mittal likely to take over as IBBI’s Chairman.

• Ravi Mittal is likely to take over as Chairman of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).
• He is the former secretary of the Department of Sports. Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved his appointment.
• The appointment will be subjected to clearance from Prime Minister Office. Mittal would be IBBI’s chairman for five years or till the age of 65 years, whichever is early.
• The post of IBBI’s chairman was vacant after the retirement of MS Sahoo on September 20, 2021. Navrang Saini was given additional charge of IBBI’s chairman. 
• Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI):
  • It was established on 1 October 2016 under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
  • It is responsible for the implementation of the IBC code.

Topic: India and its neighbourhood

6. Tripura CM laid foundation stone of third Indo-Bangla border haat at Kamalpur.

• Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi laid the foundation stone of the third Indo-Bangla border haat at Kamalpur in Dhalai district.
• The border haat will be known as Kamalpur-Kumraghat border haat.
• It will help in strengthening cultural and emotional ties between India and Bangladesh. Tripura plays a crucial role in Indo-Bangla friendship.
• In 2020, authorities had jointly identified locations for three additional border haats along the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura.
• Two of these border haat are already operational and two more have been approved.
• Dharmanagar border haat foundation stone will also be laid very soon.
• Border Haats:
  • It is a unique way of duty-free trade between two countries.
  • In these haats, locally grown products are sold to people living within a radius of 5 Km of the Haat.
  • This concept has been adopted for the wellbeing of people from remote areas along the border.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

7. Narendra Singh Tomar flagged off 1000th Trip of ‘Kisan Rail’ of Central Railway.

• Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar along with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off the 1000^th trip of Kisan Rail of Central Railway.
• The train from Savda, Maharashtra having 23 coaches reached Adarsh Nagar, Delhi with 453 tons of banana.
• So far, 3.45 lacs tonnes farm produce has been transported by Central Railway.
• Kisan Rail is an initiative that helps farmers to transport their agricultural produce to distant marketplaces quickly.
• Kisan Rail is the flagship initiative of the Ministry of Railways that was announced during the Budget 2020-21.
• The Kisan Rail with frozen containers will build a national cold supply chain for perishables like fish, meat, milk, fruits, etc.
• Note:
  • First Kisan Rail was started between Devlali Station of Maharashtra and Danapur Railway Station of Bihar.
  • The first Kisan Rail of South India was started between Anantpur and New Delhi.
  • The 100th Kisan Rail was started from Sangola in Maharashtra to Shalimar in West Bengal.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Important Days

8. World Interfaith Harmony Week: 1-7 February

• World Interfaith Harmony Week is observed every year during the first week of February.
• It is observed to promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith.
• It was first proposed by King Abdullah II of Jordan at the United Nations in 2010.
• In 2010, the UN General Assembly declared the first week of February as World Interfaith Harmony Week.
• “Faith and Spiritual Leadership to Combat Stigma and Conflict During Pandemic Recovery” is the theme of this year’s World Interfaith Harmony Week.
• The World Interfaith Harmony Week is based on the pioneering work of ‘The Common Word’ initiative. It was started in 2007 for dialogue between Muslim and Christian religious leaders.

Topic: International News

9. World's first hydrogen-powered flying boat will be launched in Dubai.

• In Dubai, the world's first hydrogen-powered flying boat will be launched.
• The JET ZeroEmission, a Swiss company, has entered into an agreement to manufacture and operate 'Jet' with UAE-based Zenith Marine Services and US-based DWYN.
• The ‘JET' is equipped with cutting-edge features and technology, allowing it to fly over the water at a speed of 40 knots.
• Boat has two fuel cells, an air conditioner, and other eco-friendly technologies. It can accommodate 8-12 passengers.
• During the next COP28 preparatory meetings in November 2023, "THE JET" cutting-edge fuel cell technology will be delivered in Dubai for an inaugural flight.
• The Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 has also been launched by Dubai.
• Dubai aims to produce 75% of its energy needs from clean sources by 2050 under this strategy.

Topic: Banking System

10. Independence Co-operative Bank's licence has been cancelled by the RBI.

• License of the Nashik-based Independence Co-operative Bank Ltd has been cancelled by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 2 February 2022.
• The Bank ceased to close banking business with the effect from February 03, 2022.
• The RBI has requested Maharashtra's Commissioner for Cooperation and Registrar of Cooperative Societies to issue an order for winding up the bank and to appoint a liquidator.
• Under the rules of the DICGC Act, 1961, every depositor would receive deposit insurance claim amount up to a monetary ceiling of Rupees five lakh from DICGC.

Topic: Sports

11. Government approves continuation of Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations.

• The Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations is the flagship scheme of the central government.
• For the finance commission cycle 2021-22 to 2025-26, the government has approved continuing the Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations.
• The Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations is the main source of funding for the major national and international competitions.
• This scheme provides funding for the preparation of the Olympic Games, Para-Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, etc.
• The financial support given by the government is used by National Sports Federations to conduct national coaching camps, procure sports equipment and provide training.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Science and Technology

12. India’s one of the most powerful supercomputers installed at IISc.

• One of the most powerful supercomputers in India, Param Pravegam, has been installed and commissioned by the Indian Institute of Science.
• It is installed under the National Supercomputing Mission. It will help in diverse research and educational pursuits.
• It has a total supercomputing capacity of 3.3 petaflops. It has been designed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
• Most of the components of this supercomputer have been manufactured and assembled within India.
• National Supercomputing Mission has supported the deployment of 10 supercomputer systems so far. National Supercomputing Mission is implemented by C-DAC and IISc.
• The Param Pravegam system consists of an ATOS BullSequana XH2000 series system.
• PARAM SIDDHI AI is the fastest supercomputer in India. Param 8000 is the first supercomputer of India.

Topic: Important Days

13. World Cancer Day: 4 February

• Every year on 4 February World Cancer Day is observed around the world.
• It is observed to raise awareness about cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment.
• ‘Close the Care Gap’ is the theme of World Cancer Day 2022-2024. It is focused on identifying global disparities in cancer care.
• World Cancer Day was started on 4 February 2000 during the World Cancer Conference for the New Millennium in Paris.
• Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally. Chemotherapy is used in the treatment of Cancer.

Topic: Miscellaneous

14. Chennai Super Kings becomes India's First Unicorn Sports Enterprise.

• Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has become India's First Unicorn Sports Enterprise.
• It has touched a market cap of Rs 7,600 crores and its share price in the grey market is around Rs 210-225.
• Chennai Super Kings (CSK) led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni won its fourth IPL title in Dubai in 2021.
• The shares of Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited (CSKCL) touched their all-time high in the unlisted market on 26 October.
• Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is owned majorly by Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd and India Cements.