Daily Current Affairs and GK | 5 January 2022

Topic: Art and Culture

1. Ministry of Culture to undertake first ever cultural survey of villages.

• Ministry of Culture in association with Common Services Centers (CSC) will undertake the first-ever cultural survey of India’s villages.
• The survey titled ‘Mera Gaon, Meri Dharohar’ will document the cultural identity at the village level. It is expected to be completed by mid-2022.
• It will identify the uniqueness of village, block, and district. It will conduct meetings with citizens and gather facts about their villages, customs, traditions, festivals, and beliefs.
• Common Services Centers will develop a mobile application and train more than 4 lakh Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) for conducting surveys.
• It will conduct the survey in 6.38 lakh villages and upload the details on the mobile application.
• Common Services Centers:
  • Common Services Centers (CSC) are physical facilities for delivering e-services of Government in rural areas.
  • Common Services Centers (CSC) provide Government to Consumer (G2C), Business to Consumer (B2C), and Business to Business (B2B) services.

Topic: Personality in News

2. Padma Shri Sindhutai Sapkal, famous social worker, passes away.

• Famous social worker Sindhutai Sapkal has passed away recently.
• Sapkal was famously referred to as Mai. She ran an orphanage ‘Sanmati Bal Niketan Sanstha’ in Pune.
• In the orphanage, she adopted more than 1,000 orphan children. She was also known as 'Anathanchi Maye' or 'Mother of orphans'.
• She was conferred with Padma Shri 2021 in the social work category.
• She was awarded Ahilyabai Holkar Award in 2010 from the Maharashtra government.
• She also received Nari Shakti Puraskar from the President of India in 2017.

Topic: Defence

3. Indian Navy’s Milan Exercise will take place in February 2022.

• Indian Navy’s multilateral Milan Exercise is scheduled to take place in February 2022.
• 46 navies are expected to participate in the Milan Exercise.
• The member countries of the QUAD (Japan, the US and Australia) and member nations of AUKUS (the UK, Australia & the US) will participate in the exercise this year.
• China recently delivered Type 035B Ming Class (diesel-electric) submarine to the Myanmar Navy.
• In 2020, India had given a Russian origin Kilo class submarine INS Sindhuvir from its fleet to Myanmar. Myanmar named it UMS Min Ye Thein Kha.
• Milan Exercise:
  • It began in 1995. It is held biennially. Till now, it has been held at Port Blair.
  • Total 40 countries were invited for the 2020 edition of the exercise. But, it was cancelled due to COVID pandemic.
  • 20 ships had participated in the 10^th edition in 2018.

Topic: Indian Economy

4. India’s unemployment rate in December reached to a 4-month high level of 7.91%.

• According to data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), India’s unemployment rate in December has reached a 4-month high level of 7.91%.
• Unemployment rate was 7% and 7.75% in November and October 2021, respectively. It was 8.3% in August.
• Urban unemployment rate increased from 8.21% in November 2021 to 9.30% in December 2021.
• Rural unemployment rate increased from 6.44% in November 2021 to 7.28% in December 2021.
• Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy is an independent non-government organization.
• Unemployment rate is defined as number of unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force. Labour force includes unemployed people as well as those in employment.

Topic: Appointments

5. Alka Mittal appointed as CMD of ONGC.

• Alka Mittal, ONGC Director (HR), has been appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of the company.
• She becomes the first woman to lead the country’s largest oil and gas producer, Oil and Natural Gas Company (ONGC).
• After incumbent Subhash Kumar retired on December 31, 2021, she has been given an additional charge.
• Alka Mittal is the ONGC board's most senior director.
• Nishi Vasudeva was the first woman to head an oil company. She took over the reins of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) in 2014.
• ONGC:
  • Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) was formed in 1956.
  • It is headquartered in New Delhi.
  • ONGC comes under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
  • Hindustan Petroleum Corporation is a subsidiary of ONGC.

(Source: News On Air)

Topic: State News/ Madhya Pradesh

6. TRIFED and Akhil Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram signed an MoU for establishment of TRIFOOD Parks in Madhya Pradesh.

• TRIFED, under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, has decided to collaborate with Akhil Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Kendra for establishing TRIFOOD Parks in Madhya Pradesh.
• Since 1952, the Akhil Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Kendra has been working for the benefit of tribal people in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand.
• On January 3, 2021, the two organizations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the establishment of TRIFOOD Parks in five Madhya Pradesh districts.
• Both organisations will collaborate on several programs for improving tribal people's livelihoods.
• They will also implement the Van Dhan Yojana through Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVKs), VPCs, and TRIFOOD Parks.
• Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED):
  • It was established in 1987.
  • It works under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
  • Its objective is the socio-economic development of tribal people in the country by way of marketing development of tribal products.
  • Chairman of TRIFED: Shri Ramsinh Rathwa

(Source: PIB)

Topic: State News/Punjab

7. PM Modi laid foundation stone for Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway at Ferozepur, Punjab.

• PM Modi has laid the foundation stones of development projects worth Rs 42,750 crore at Ferozepur in Punjab on 05 January 2022.
• Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway is one of these projects. It will be 669-kilometre long and developed at a total cost of about Rs 39,500 crore.
• Four-laning of Amritsar - Una section is another project. It will be done at the cost of around 1700 crore. It is a 77-kilometre long and part of the Amritsar to Bhota corridor.
• PM also laid the foundation stone of a new Broad Gauge railway line between Mukerian and Talwara of around 27 Km in length. It will be an extension of Nangal Dam-Daulatpur Chowk railway section.
• PM Modi also laid the foundation stone of PGI Satellite Centre at Ferozepur and two new medical colleges at Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur.
• Punjab:
  • Punjab is a state in the northwest region of India.
  • Its capital is Chandigarh.
  • Its Governor is Banwarilal Purohit.
  • Its Chief Minister is Charanjit Singh Channi.
  • Lok Sabha seats: 13, Rajya Sabha seats: 7
  • Punjabi written in the Gurumukhi script is the official language of the state.

Topic: National News

8. NHRC makes recommendations to Centre to eradicate manual scavenging.

• National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has made a number of recommendations to the center to eradicate manual scavenging.
• NHRC has recommended a new Act on hazardous cleaning. It has recommended strict action against local authorities who employ people as manual scavengers.
• NHRC has recommended that Union Finance Ministry may select and designate particular nationalized banks for each state.
• The designated bank will take up the responsibility of extending loans to the Manual Scavengers and their dependents up to Rs 10 lakhs so that they can take up the business Activity.
• NHRC has recommended that sewer deaths should be monitored by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
• NHRC has said that zero manual scavenging claims of many states are not true and recommended action against authorities for false reporting.
• NHRC has also recommended that a penal section may be put in law to prevent the discrimination and harassment faced by the children of manual scavengers.
• It has further recommended an increase in the amount of compensation paid as one-time cash assistance for rehabilitation of manual scavengers from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 1 Lakh.
• National Human Rights Commission:
  • It is a statutory body. It is not a constitutional body. It was established in 1993.
  • It is made up of a chairperson and five members. It also has seven ex-officio members.
  • The tenure of NHRC chairperson and members is three years or the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.
  • Justice Arun Kumar Mishra is its current chairperson.

Topic: National News

9. CSIR-NPL celebrated its 75^th Foundation Day.

• Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) -National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL) has celebrated its 75^th Foundation Day on 5th January.
• CSIR-NPL is one of the laboratories established under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on 4 January 1947.
• CSIR-NPL also organized National Metrology Conclave under the ‘Metrology for the Inclusive Growth of the Nation’ theme.
• On this occasion, Prime Minister also dedicated National Atomic Timescale and Bhartiya Nirdeshak Dravya Pranali to the nation. He also laid the foundation stone of the National Environmental Standards Laboratory.
• On the occasion of the CSIR-NPL platinum jubilee celebrations, a number of events have been organized. More than 50 thousand people participated in the events.
• Dr. Harsh Vardhan unveiled a book titled “Metrology for Inclusive Growth of India”. It has been edited by Dr. D.K. Aswaland.
• CSIR-National Physical Laboratory:
  • It is India’s “National Metrology Institute” (NMI) by the act of Parliament and is the custodian of “National Standards”.
  • It is responsible for developing India’s measurement standards accepted at the global level.
  • It trains scientists and industry personnel in the field of measurements under the “Skill India” programme.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/ Telangana

10. Telangana topped in highest number of ODF villages.

• Under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase-II programme, Telangana has the highest number of open defecation free (ODF Plus) villages.
• Telangana is followed by Tamil Nadu with 4,432 villages (35.39%) and Karnataka with 1,511 villages (5.59%).
• Telangana’s 13,737 villages out of 14,200 villages have been declared as open defecation free villages.
• Telangana government has enacted a new Telangana Panchayat Raj Act for the holistic development of villages. The state government has appointed Multi-purpose workers to maintain sanitation in villages.
• A secretary has also been appointed in every panchayat for close monitoring, and digital reporting of holistic development of villages.
• Telangana government has also created 12,769 dedicated compost sheds in all gram panchayats.
• Under the Palle Pragathi programme, sanitation drives have been carried out on regular basis in villages.
• Swachh Bharat Mission:
  • It was launched in 2014.
  • It is an initiative by the Government of India to eliminate open defecation and improve solid waste management.
  • Swachh Bharat Mission – Gramin is being implemented by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
  • Swachh Bharat Mission- Urban is being implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Topic: International News

11. US, Russia, Britain, France, and China adopted a joint statement to restrain spread of nuclear weapons.

• The United States, Russia, Britain, France, and China have adopted a joint statement to further restrict the spread of nuclear weapons.
• According to this joint statement, permanent members of the United Nations Security Council should consider it their primary responsibility to avoid war between the nuclear countries.
• According to the Joint statement, all five Countries should take the responsibility to create an atmosphere of security.
• Chinese Vice Foreign Minister said that the mutual trust, coordination, and cooperation among nuclear-powered countries should be increased.
• This joint statement has been released after the bilateral relations between the United States and Moscow have fallen to their lowest point since the cold war.
• France has also released the statement and said that all five countries are committed to nuclear arms control and disarmament.
• The United Nations Disarmament Commission (UNDC) was set up in 1952 under the UN Security Council for the regulation and reduction of armed forces.

Topic: International News

12. India voted in favour of a UNSC resolution to renew mandate of CTC Executive Directorate.

• India has voted in favour of a resolution to renew the mandate of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate.
• The UN Security Council has renewed the mandate of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) till December 2025.
• Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) is assisted by the Executive Directorate. It implements policy decisions and conducts expert assessments of the United Nations’ member states.
• India is chairing the UN Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) from 1 January 2022.
• India will take necessary steps to further enhance the role of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) in response to counter-terrorism.
• Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED):
  • The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) was established by UN Security Council Resolution 1535.
  • CTED visits UN member countries and assesses their efforts against terrorism.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

13. R K Singh dedicated Automatic Generation Control to the nation.

• Union Power and New and Renewable Energy Minister, R K Singh has dedicated Automatic Generation Control to the nation.
• It will help in achieving the government’s target of 500 GW non-fossil fuel-based generation capacity by 2030.
• Automatic Generation Control will be operated by Power System Operation Corporation (POSOCO) through National Load Despatch Centre.
• POSOCO will send signals to every power plant through AGC every 4 seconds to maintain the frequency and reliability of the Power System.
• R.K. Singh has also released a report titled “Assessment of Inertia in Indian Power System”. It has been prepared by POSOCO with the help of IIT Bombay.
• India has achieved an installed capacity of 150 GW of renewable energy and aims to achieve a renewable energy capacity of 175 GW in 2022.
• Power System Operation Corporation:
  • It is responsible for monitoring the integrated operation of the Power System in India.
  • It consists of 5 Regional Load Despatch Centres (RLDCs) and the National Load Despatch Centre (NLDC).
  • It is a central public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Power.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Indian Economy

14. India recorded highest-ever monthly export of $37.29 billion in December.

• Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said that India has achieved the highest ever monthly export of $37.29 billion in December 2021.
• India’s export has increased by 37 percent from the figures of December 2020. The import has also increased by 38 percent from last December. 
• India's exports of goods will cross 400 billion dollars in this fiscal year.
• According to the data, outbound shipments during April-December 2021 crossed $300 billion.
• Engineering goods export has grown by 37% over the last December while export of Gems and jewellery has grown by 15.8%.
• Readymade garments and cotton yarn export has grown by 22% and 46% over the last December respectively.
• India’s export of services during April-December 2021 was $178.81 billion.
• India will soon sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with the UAE to increase export.