Daily Current Affairs and GK | 8 March 2022
Main Headlines:
- 1. India’s export of agricultural & processed food products increased by 23% as compared to last year.
- 2. Mithali Raj becomes first woman cricketer to play in six World Cups.
- 3. Government launched "SAMARTH" initiative to promote women's entrepreneurship.
- 4. An MoU has been inked between Indian Banks Association (IBA) and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).
- 5. RuPay became IPL's official partner for next two seasons.
- 6. Indian Pop Queen Usha Uthup's biography released at Oxford Bookstore.
- 7. President Ram Nath Kovind conferred Nari Shakti Puraskar for the years 2020 and 2021 on International Women’s Day 2022.
- 8. Four-day long Indo-Pacific Military Health Exchange (IPMHE) conference virtually inaugurated by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh on March 07, 2022.
- 9. Government in association with UNICEF launched Kanya Shikhsa Pravesh Utsav campaign.
- 10. NIESBUD inked an MoU with Ministry of Rural Development to promote entrepreneurship in villages.
- 11. Prasar Bharati inked an MoU with Yupp TV to increase its global reach.
- 12. Government launched Donate-a-Pension programme.
- 13. Financial Action Task Force puts UAE on “grey list”.
- 14. Vidya Balan becomes brand ambassador of Bharti AXA Life Insurance.
Celebrate Gandhi Jayanti get 35% Off
Use Coupon code GANDHI24
Topic: Agriculture and allied sectors
1. India’s export of agricultural & processed food products increased by 23% as compared to last year.
- The export of products has increased from 15 thousand 974 million US dollars in April to January 2020-21 to 19 thousand 709 million US dollars in April-January 2021-22.
- The export of rice has also increased by 13 percent as compared to the same period of the previous year.
- The export of wheat has also increased by 387 percent at USD 1742 million during April-January 2021-22.
- The export of other cereals registered a growth of 66 percent during April-January 2021-22 period.
- The export of Meat, dairy and poultry products has also grown by 13 percent as compared to the previous year.
- Fruits and vegetable exports touched to USD 1207 million during April-January 2021-22. The export of Fruits and vegetables has grown by 16 percent.
- Exports of cereal preparations and other processed food items grew by 14 per cent during April-January 2021-22.
- The cashew exports also increased by 11 percent as compared to last year.
- The rise in export of agricultural and processed food products is the result of the various initiatives taken by APEDA.
- APEDA has also promoted the export of geographical indications (GI) registered agricultural and processed food products from India.
Products |
Exports (April-January) 2021-22 in USD million |
Exports (April-January) 2020-21 in USD million |
Growth (%) |
|
Rice |
7696 |
6793 |
13 |
|
Meat, Dairy & Poultry Products |
3408 |
3005 |
13 |
|
Cereal Preparations and Miscellaneous Processed Items |
2956 |
2599 |
14 |
|
Other Cereals |
869 |
527 |
65 |
|
Cashew |
383 |
345 |
11 |
|
Wheat |
1742 |
358 |
387 |
|
Fruits & Vegetables |
1207 |
1037 |
16 |
|
Miscellaneous processed items |
1448 |
1310 |
10 |
|
Total |
19,709 |
15,974 |
23 |
(Source: PIB)
Topic: Sports
2. Mithali Raj becomes first woman cricketer to play in six World Cups.
- She achieved this feat in the opening match of India against Pakistan in the ICC Women's World Cup at the Bay Oval.
- Mithali Raj is the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team. She became only the third cricketer to play six world cups after Sachin Tendulkar and Javed Miandad.
- She has played the world cup of 2000, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2017, and now playing in 2022.
- She is the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket. She also holds the record of most half-centuries in ODIs.
- The ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022 is the twelfth edition of the Women's Cricket World Cup. It is being played in New Zealand.
Topic: National News
3. Government launched "SAMARTH" initiative to promote women's entrepreneurship.
- Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Narayan Rane has launched a Special Entrepreneurship Promotion Drive for Women named "SAMARTH".
- SAMARTH has been launched on the occasion of International Women's Day 2022 in New Delhi.
- The Ministry of MSME, in collaboration with the National Small Industries Corporation and the India SME Forum, hosted an international conference titled "Empowering Women Entrepreneurs" to commemorate International Women's Day.
- The following benefits will be available to aspiring and existing women entrepreneurs under SAMARTH:
- Women will be allocated 20% of seats in free skill development programmes organised by the Ministry.
- Under the Ministry's marketing assistance schemes, 20% of MSME Business Delegations sent to domestic and international exhibits will be dedicated to women-owned MSMEs.
- On NSIC's Commercial Schemes, there will be a 20% discount on the annual processing fee.
- Under Udyam Registration, there will be a special drive to register women-owned MSMEs.
(Source: News on AIR)
Topic: MoUs / Agreements
4. An MoU has been inked between Indian Banks Association (IBA) and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).
- They will work together on capacity building for financial creditors on insolvency, bankruptcy, and related matters.
- The MoU was signed at a workshop on “Committee of Creditors: An Institution of Public Faith” organized jointly by IBBI, SBI, and IBA in New Delhi.
- Amit Pradhan, Executive Director of the IBBI, and Sunil Mehta, Chief Executive of the IBA, signed the MOU.
- 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. It is a unique regulator that regulates a profession as well as the process.
- Its chairperson is Ravi Mittal. Its headquarters is in New Delhi.
- Indian Banks Association (IBA):
- Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) was formed in September 1946.
- It is headquartered in Mumbai. Its CEO is Sunil Mehta.
Topic: MoUs/ Agreements
5. RuPay became IPL's official partner for next two seasons.
- For the next two seasons, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has signed RuPay as an official partner of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
- RuPay is the flagship product of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
- RuPay will pay a total of 140 crores over the next two years.
- Previously, Tata Group was the official partner, and now it has become the league's title sponsor after replacing Chinese smartphone maker Vivo.
- The league's other official partners—Dream11, Unacademy, Cred, and Upstox—have all agreed to extend their partnership until the next season with an annual payment of approximately Rs 57 crores.
- Swiggy has signed a three-year contract and it will pay Rs 67 crore every year.
Topic: Books and Authors
6. Indian Pop Queen Usha Uthup's biography released at Oxford Bookstore.
- Usha Uthup's book, The Queen of Indian Pop: The Authorized Biography of Usha Uthup, was launched by Oxford Bookstore.
- Usha Uthup's biography gives a deep insight into her life and career.
- The book was originally written in Hindi by Vikas Kumar Jha titled ‘Ullas Ki Naav’.
- The book is translated by the writer’s daughter Srishti Jha.
- The Penguin Random House India has published the book.
- Oxford Bookstore, which was established in 1919, is one of the country's oldest heritage bookstores.
Topic: Awards and Prizes
7. President Ram Nath Kovind conferred Nari Shakti Puraskar for the years 2020 and 2021 on International Women’s Day 2022.
- International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on 8 March to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
- ‘#Break The Bias’ is the campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2022.
- ‘Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow’ is the UN theme for International Women’s Day 2022.
- Week-long celebration of International Women’s Day 2022 had started on 1st March. The celebration culminated with the conferment of awards by President Ram Nath Kovind.
- In all, 28 awards were presented to 29 individuals. Some of winners of Nari Shakti Puraskar for the years 2020 and 2021 are given in the next table.
Some Nari Shakti Puraskar winners for 2020 |
Some Nari Shakti Puraskar winners for 2021 |
Social Entrepreneur from Bihar Anita Gupta |
Farmer and Entrepreneur from Haryana Pooja Sharma |
Organic farmer and Tribal Activist from Gujarat Ushaben Vasava |
Disability Rights Activist from Odisha Sruti Mohapatra |
Innovator in Environmental Conservation from Jammu and Kashmir Nasira Akhter |
Captain in Merchant Navy Radhika Menon from Kerala (First woman to receive award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea from IMO) |
Artisans in Toda embroidery from Tamil Nadu Jaya Muthu and Tejamma |
Social Entrepreneur from Maharashtra Kamal Kumbhar |
Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings
8. Four-day long Indo-Pacific Military Health Exchange (IPMHE) conference virtually inaugurated by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh on March 07, 2022.
- IPMHE conference is co-hosted by Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) and US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM).
- ‘Military Healthcare in a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA) World’ is the theme of the conference.
- The conference will continue till March 10, 2022. It aims to enhance cooperation and jointmanship in military medicine.
- Chief Scientist, WHO Dr Soumya Swaminathan delivered keynote address. Dr Soumya Swaminathan spoke on ‘Global Health Challenges and the role of leadership in a VUCA world’.
- Indo-Pacific Military Health Exchange (IPMHE):
- It was formerly known as Asia Pacific Military Health Exchange (APMHE).
- It has its origins in Asia Pacific Military Medicine Conference (APMMC). APMMC was first held in 1990.
Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives
9. Government in association with UNICEF launched Kanya Shikhsa Pravesh Utsav campaign.
- The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) in partnership with the Ministry of Education and UNICEF has launched ‘Kanya Shikhsa Pravesh Utsav’ campaign.
- It has been launched to re-engage girl students with formal education or skilling system, who had dropped out of school due to various reasons.
- The main objective of this campaign is to enhance the enrolment and retention of girls between 11-14 years of age in school.
- It will be implemented with the help of existing schemes like Schemes for Adolescent Girls (SAG), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP), and National Education Policy (NEP).
- This campaign will be implemented under the Ministry of Women and Child Development’s Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme.
- Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme:
- It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2015 in Panipat, Haryana.
- It aims to encourage enrollment of girls in schools and to improve the efficiency of welfare services meant for women.
(Source: PIB)
Topic: MoUs/Agreements
10. NIESBUD inked an MoU with Ministry of Rural Development to promote entrepreneurship in villages.
- National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) signed MoU with the Ministry of Rural Development to launch Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP).
- It will help in developing a sustainable model for promoting entrepreneurship at the grassroots level.
- Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) is a sub-component of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
- Under this Programme, entrepreneurs in rural areas will get support for setting up enterprises at the village level in non-agricultural sectors.
- Rural entrepreneurs will also get financial support from the MUDRA bank for starting their enterprises.
- Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) will help in creating an innovative ecosystem, accelerating economic and social gains at the community level.
- National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD):
- It is a premier organization of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
- Training of Trainers, Management Development Programmes, and Entrepreneurship-cum-Skill Development Programmes are the major activities of this institute.
- It is located in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
Topic: MoUs/Agreements
11. Prasar Bharati inked an MoU with Yupp TV to increase its global reach.
- The agreement has been signed between the Prasar Bharti CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati and Yupp TV Founder and CEO Uday Reddy.
- The main objective of this agreement is to put forth India’s perspective on various international developments on global platforms.
- Now, DD India can be watched on Yupp TV’s OTT platform in the US, UK, Europe, Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.
- DD India is the international channel of Prasar Bharti. It is available in more than 190 countries.
- It also acts as a bridge between India and its diaspora across the world.
- Prasar Bharati was formed in November 1997. It is headquartered in New Delhi.
Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives
12. Government launched Donate-a-Pension programme.
- It has been launched by Labour Ministry for the future of Unorganised sectors workers.
- It is an initiative under the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) pension scheme.
- Under this scheme, citizens of India can donate the premium contribution of their support staff such as domestic workers, drivers, helpers, etc.
- Labour and Employment Ministry also organized an event “e-Shram” on achieving 25 crore registrations of unorganized workers.
- Minister for Labour and Employment Shri Bhupender Yadav presented eSHRAM awards to States/UTs/ CSC-VLEs.
- He also announced that the e-SHRAM portal will be integrated with National Career Services (NCS) portal.
- The eSHRAM portal is now also available on UMANG mobile application.
- Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM):
- It is a pension scheme for unorganized workers.
- The beneficiary of the scheme should be in the age group of 18-40 years.
- The beneficiary will receive a monthly pension of Rs 3000/- per month after he/she attains the age of 60 years.
(Source: PIB)
Topic: International News
13. Financial Action Task Force puts UAE on “grey list”.
- Financial Action Task Force has said that UAE hasn’t taken enough steps to stop criminals and militants from hiding wealth there.
- The UAE is the financial hub of the Middle East and is home of many international companies headquarters.
- UAE government had formed an Executive Office led by Hamid Al Zaabi to combat illicit flows in the country.
- The UAE has also established a corporate registry and signed extradition agreements with many countries.
- Financial Action Task Force has retained Pakistan on its "grey list".
- The FATF’s “grey list” is not as severe as its “black list”. India is a member of the FATF consultations and its Asia Pacific Group.
- Financial Action Task Force (FATF):
- It is an intergovernmental organization.
- It was established in 1989 to combat money laundering, terror financing, and other related threats for the integrity of the international financial system.
- Currently, it has 39 members including two regional organizations - the European Commission and Gulf Cooperation Council.
- North Korea and Iran are currently on the FATF’s black list.
Topic: Miscellaneous
14. Vidya Balan becomes brand ambassador of Bharti AXA Life Insurance.
- Parag Raja is the managing director and chief executive officer of Bharti AXA Life Insurance.
- Other brand ambassadors in News:
- Coca-Cola announced Shah Rukh Khan as its brand ambassador for Thums Up.
- Tanishka Kotia and her sister Riddhika Kotia have been announced as brand ambassadors of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme for the Gurugram District of Haryana.
- Usha International roped Mithali Raj as its brand ambassador.
- upGrad announced Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador.
Comments