Daily Current Affairs and GK | 7 January 2023

Topic: Sports

1. The first-ever ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race in India will be held in Hyderabad on February 11.

• The race in Hyderabad will be the fourth race of season 9 of Formula E. 
• The first three races include Mexico City and Riyadh (second and third).
• The track is about 2.8 kms. A total of 11 teams with 22 cars would be participating in racing in Hyderabad.
• The event is climate-friendly as it is a net zero-carbon sport.
• The official promoter of the Formula E Race in India is the Private firm Ace Nxt Gen in partnership with Formula E and the Telangana government.
• Formula E is the apex motorsport in the electric vehicle segment, similar to Formula One for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
• Formula E is officially called the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

Topic: Defence

2. Indian Army has deployed its largest contingent of women peacekeepers in the United Nation mission at Abyei, UNISFA.

• This is India’s largest single unit of women peacekeepers in a UN Mission since it deployed the first-ever all-women’s contingent in Liberia in 2007.
• The Indian contingent, comprising two officers and 25 other Ranks, will form part of an engagement platoon.
• It will specialize in community outreach and perform extensive security-related tasks as well.
• UNISFA stands for United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei.
• Abyei Area lies on the border between South Sudan and Sudan.

Topic: National News

3. Indian Telegraph (Infrastructure Safety) Rules 2022 have been formulated by the Department of Telecommunications under the Ministry of Communications.

• The rules have been notified to protect telecom infrastructure from damage.
• Under the rules, any person who wishes to exercise a legal right to dig or excavate any property which is likely to cause damage to a telegraph infrastructure must give notice to the licensee through the common portal.
• The licensee must provide through the common portal the details of telegraph infrastructure owned/controlled/ managed by them, falling under/ over/ along the property.
• The licensee must also provide precautionary measures for coordination in avoiding damages to the telegraph infrastructure.
• The person digging or excavating shall take appropriate action on the precautionary measures.
• If a licensee does not provide the details within the prescribed time, the person having the legal right to dig or excavate the property shall thereafter be free to dig or excavate the property.
• Anyone who has damaged a telegraph infrastructure by excavating or digging on the property will be responsible for paying damage charges to the telegraph authority.

Topic: State News/ Goa

4. 'Purple Fest: Celebrating Diversity' started in Goa on 06 January 2023.

• It is India's first-of-its-kind inclusivity festival. It aims to showcase how we can come together to create a welcoming and inclusive world for everyone.
• Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar was present at the opening ceremony.
• He also visited an exhibition cum sale of products by Divyangjans.
• Earlier, he inaugurated a two-day sensitization workshop on ‘Issues relating to Empowerment of persons with Disabilities’ in association with the Purple Festival in Goa.
• He said that the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act was introduced in 2016 for ensuring the empowerment of persons with disabilities.
• He said that Goa has organized a unique purple festival, which will go long way in furthering the agenda of empowerment of Divyangjans.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

5. Ghaziabad-Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay section has become the longest automatic block signalling section of Indian Railways.

• This section is 762 km long. It has become fully automated with the commissioning of the Automatic signalling system in the Sath Naraini- Rundhi- Faizullapur Station section of Prayagraj Division.
• Automatic Block Signaling (ABS) is being rolled out by Indian Railways on a mission mode.
• ABS has been commissioned on 268 Route Kilometre (Rkm) during 2022-23.
• As on 31 December 2022, Automatic Block Signaling (ABS) has been provided on 3706 Route km.
• ABS will result in an increase in line capacity to run more trains on existing High-Density Routes of Indian Railways.
• Automatic Block Working is a system of train working in which movement of the trains is controlled by the automatic stop signals. These signals are operated automatically by the passage of trains into through and out of the automatic signalling sections.

Topic: State News/ Uttarakhand

6. The Uttarakhand government has announced its plan to evacuate all the families which are living in the danger zone in Joshimath.

• A temporary rehabilitation centre has been created for residents displaced by damage to their homes.
• Uttarakhand government will also pay them ₹4,000 per month towards rent for the next six months.
• A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team will be deployed in Joshimath on a priority basis.
• On 6 January 2023, the Ministry of Jal Shakti formed a committee to undertake a fast study of the occurrence of land subsidence and its impact in the Joshimath region.
• As per the ministry, the committee will ascertain the cause and effects of landslides.
• It will also ascertain measures to be taken to safeguard human settlements, buildings, highways infrastructure, riverine system, etc.
• It will consist of representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Central Water Commission, the Geological Survey of India, the National Mission for Clean Ganga, Uttarakhand State Programme Management Group, and the National Institute of Hydrology, Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• According to a primary survey by the district administration, 603 buildings have developed deep cracks in Joshimath.
• Joshimath, also known as Jyotirmath, comes under the Chamoli District of Uttarakhand. Joshimath is also known as the gateway to the Badrinath temple.

Topic: Personality in News

7. Italian football player Gianluca Vialli died recently.

• He played a significant role in Italy's European Championship title-winning campaign in 2021 assisting national coach Roberto Mancini.
• Vialli led the Chelsea club to victory in the League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup.
• He also guided Chelsea to victory in the 2000 FA Cup final.
• He is one of nine footballers to have won the three main European club competitions.
• He is also the only player in European footballing history to have both winners' and runners-up medals in all three main European club competitions.

Topic: State News/ Odisha

8. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the world class hockey stadium at Rourkela on 5 January 2023.

• The stadium is named after the famous freedom fighter Birsa Munda.
• The stadium has been constructed in just 15 months at a cost of Rs 261 crore.
• Along with this stadium, he also inaugurated the Hockey World Cup Village, which will house the upcoming Hockey World Cup team.
• The stadium is being billed as the largest in the world, with a seating capacity of twenty thousand spectators.
• It will be one of the two venues where the upcoming hockey tournament will be played.
• The Hockey World Cup is being hosted by Odisha for the second time, which will also be played at the prestigious Kalinga Stadium in the capital Bhubaneswar.
• Starting from 13^th January till 29^th January, 16 teams including India will participate in this prestigious cup.
• CM announced 1 crore rupees each to the players of the Indian team, if it wins Hockey world cup 2023 trophy.

Topic: National News

9. The UGC prepared a draft to pave the way for foreign universities to open their branches in India.

• University Grants Commission has clarified the draft of University Grants Commission (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, 2023.
• The regulations will regulate the entry and implementation of foreign university institutions in India for running various degrees, diploma and certificate programmes.
• The UGC has placed the draft regulations in the public domain for seeking comments and feedback.
• As per the eligibility criteria mentioned in the draft regulations, No Foreign Higher Educational Institutions (FHEIs) shall establish campuses in India without the consent of the UGC.
• In case the applicant is a foreign university, it must be ranked within the top 500 rankings based on subjects issued by the UGC.
• The Commission will set up a Standing Committee to examine the application which will submit its recommendations within 45 days.
• This committee will evaluate each application on merit including the credibility of the educational institution, the proposed program and the proposed academic infrastructure.
• Thereafter, within 45 days, the UGC may give in-principle approval to the foreign institution to set up a campus in India within two years.
• The initial approval will be for 10 years, which can be extended.

Topic: Agriculture and allied sectors

10. India has 212 indigenous livestock breeds as of 4 January 2023.

• In 2022, Indian Council of Agricultural Research- National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBAGR) has registered 10 new breeds of livestock species including 3 new cattle, one buffalo, three goats and three pigs.
• Now, the total number of indigenous breeds in India is 212.
• The newly added breeds are:
  • Cattle breeds- Kathani (Vidarbha), Sanchori (Rajasthan), Masilum (Meghalaya)
  • Buffalo breed- Purnathadi- found in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra
  • Goat breeds- Sojat, Karauli, Gujari (all from Rajasthan)
  • Pig breeds- Banda (Jharkhand), Manipuri Black (Manipur), Wak Chambil (Meghalaya)
• Since 2010, it is the third highest increase in registration of indigenous breeds. In 2018-19, 15 new breeds were registered and in 2019-20, 13 breeds were registered.
• Unregistered or unidentified breeds are called “non-descript”.
• Indigenous breeds are climate resilient and disease resistant. They can tolerate more heat and have better immunity.

Topic: State News/ West Bengal

11. Chief Minister of West Bengal demanded national status for “Gangasagar Mela” to get funds.

• Mamta Banerjee, CM of West Bengal, asked the Central government to give national status to annual Gangasagar Mela.
• The mela will be held from 8-17 January 2023 in Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
• CM also inaugurated three newly-laid helipads in Sagar Island.
• Sagar Island is an island in the Ganges delta lying on the continental shelf of the Bay of Bengal south of Kolkata. It is part of Sundarbans.
• Gangasagar Mela:
  • It is an annual unique fair held in Sagar Island, West Bengal.
  • Every year, devotees from India, Nepal and Bangladesh gather at the confluence of the Ganga and the Bay of Bengal and take sacred dip on Makar Sankranti and offer prayers at Kapil Muni temple.
  • It is considered to be India’s second largest pilgrimage gathering after Kumbh Mela.

Topic: Personality in News

12. A check dam has been named after PM Modi’s late mother Hiraba in Rajkot, Gujarat.

• A check dam is being built on the outskirts of Rajkot city at a cost of Rs. 15 lakhs. The dam has been named after PM Modi’s mother Hiraba as Hiraba Smriti Sarovar.
• Gir Ganga Parivar Trust is constructing the dam on the downstream of Nyari river near Vagudad village on Rajkot-Kalawad Road.
• The dam will be 400 feet long and 150 feet wide. It will help farmers and livestock owners in nearby villages.
• Hiraba passed away at the age of 99 on 30 December 2022 in Ahmedabad.

Topic: Reports and Indices/ Rankings

13. As per ILO report, remote work helped in saving jobs during COVID pandemic.

• International Labour Organisation (ILO) has released a report titled “Working Time and Work-Life Balance Around the World”.
• As per the report, short-time work and work-sharing measures or other forms of job retention helped in reducing the volume of work and saving jobs during COVID-19.
• Flexible working hours helped companies, industries and individuals to reduce the working hours- a trend already started before the pandemic.
• The pandemic created the possibility of increasing the working hours for new economic bottleneck areas- healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.
• Remote working also contributed to the crisis response by decreasing the social contacts of the employees and allowing them to work from home. This helped in maintaining organisational operations and saving jobs.
• The report found that a good portion of the global workforce are working either long or short hours as compared to a standard 8 hour day/40 hour working week.