Daily Current Affairs and GK | 9 February 2022

Topic: Miscellaneous

1. ‘World's largest Igloo Café’ opened in Gulmarg.

• The world’s largest Igloo Café has been opened in Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir. It’s called Snowglu.
• It has become a center of attraction for tourists. It has a height of 37.5 feet and a diameter of 44.5 feet.
• It can accommodate 40 people at a time. It has a thickness of five feet.
• It has been created in 64 days with the help of 25 people.
• According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the biggest igloo café is in Switzerland. Its height is 33.8 feet and its diameter is 42.4 feet.
• Gulmarg:
  • It is a famous hill station in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir.
  • It is situated in Pir Panjal Range in the Western Himalayas.

Topic: Sports

2. Ashok Gehlot and Sourav Ganguly virtually laid foundation stone of world’s third-largest cricket stadium.

• Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly virtually laid the foundation stone of the world’s third-largest cricket stadium.
• The stadium is going to be built in Jaipur on the Jaipur-Delhi bypass. It will be constructed in three years.
• The stadium is the second-largest under construction cricket stadium in India.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

3. UNEP and Maharashtra Government signed MoU.

• UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and Maharashtra Government have signed an MoU.
• UNEP has signed the MoU to support the Maharashtra government’s 'Majhi Vasundhara' campaign. 
• Majhi Vasundhara is an initiative of the Maharashtra government’s Environment and Climate Change Department.
• Its aim is to empower citizens with knowledge on the impacts of climate change and environmental issues.
• UNEP will support Maharashtra government in educating and mobilising youth on plastic pollution and marine litter through UNEP's Tide Turner Challenge across all educational institutes in the state.

Topic: Books and Authors

4. Sports author Navdeep Singh Gill has written a book on Neeraj Chopra.

• Sports author Navdeep Singh Gill has written a book on Neeraj Chopra. The book is titled ‘Golden Boy Neeraj Chopra’.
• The book was recently released at a ceremony. It covers the life history and achievements of Neeraj Chopra from childhood to Tokyo Olympics. It is a short biography of Neeraj Chopra.
• Author Navdeep Singh Gill said that books on Olympic shooter Abhinav Bindra and world-famous athlete Usain Bolt are under printing.
• In August 2021, Neeraj Chopra had won a Gold medal in Men’s Javelin Throw at Tokyo Olympics.
• Neeraj Chopra was recently selected as a nominee for 2022 Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

5. Ministry of Culture will organize a global summit on "Reimagining Museums in India."

• On 15 and 16 February 2022, the Ministry of Culture will organise a first-of-its-kind two-day Global Summit on "Reimagining Museums in India."
• The summit is being organized to celebrate the glorious history, culture, and achievements of its people.
• The Global Summit will bring together the museum's leading luminaries, domain experts, and practitioners around the world to discuss best practices and strategies.
• The Summit is being held in collaboration with Bloomberg.
• Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Minister of Culture will inaugurate the summit.
• The online summit will cover four major themes:
  • Architecture and Functional Needs
  • Management
  • Collections (including Curation & Conservation practices)
  • Education and Audience Engagement

Topic: New Developments

6. A method has been developed to make Sea Water Drinkable by IIT Gandhinagar.

• Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, have developed a cost-effective and environment-friendly water desalination method for making seawater drinkable.
• With the help of an electric field and potassium chloride ions, the researchers developed controllable water transport channels in graphite crystals. It allows only freshwater to move through while blocking salt ions.
• The research is based on how trees naturally get water. Trees use the capillary effect to get water.
• It is the first method that can control graphite inside an aqueous solution without damaging the structural integrity of graphite.
• A team led by Prof Gopinadhan Kalon has developed this method.

Topic: National News

7. AIM, NITI Aayog, and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) enter into partnership under SAMRIDH initiative.

• AIM, NITI Aayog, and USAID have announced a new partnership under Sustainable Access to Markets and Resources for Innovative Delivery of Healthcare (SAMRIDH) initiative.
• It will enhance access to affordable and quality healthcare for vulnerable populations in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, and rural and tribal regions.
• This collaboration will boost SAMRIDH’s efforts to reach vulnerable populations. It will focus on innovations across the healthcare landscape.
• SAMRIDH blended finance facility was developed by USAID, IPE Global, and stakeholders from the Indian government, academia, and the private sector in 2020.
• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM):
  • It was launched in 2016. It is a flagship initiative of NITI Aayog to promote innovation and entrepreneurship.
  • Atal Tinkering Labs is a major initiative under Atal Innovation Mission to promote a creative, innovative mindset in schools.

Topic: National News

8. RPF launches Operation AAHT, a nationwide operation against human trafficking.

• Railway Protection Force (RPF) has launched Operation AAHT, a nationwide operation against human trafficking.
• As part of Operation AAHT, special teams will be deployed on all long-distance trains/routes.
• The teams will focus on rescuing victims, particularly women and children, from traffickers.
• Each year, the National Crime Records Bureau records approximately 2,200 cases of human trafficking.
• Railways is the largest, fastest and most reliable mode of transportation for traffickers.
• Railway Protection Force (RPF):
  • Railway Police was formed in 1854 and was given legal status under Police Act 1861.
  • It was established as RPF under Railway Protection Force Act 1957.
  • The force has the task to ensure the protection of railway property and to protect against related crimes.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

9. 7 Railway Protection Force personnel conferred with Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards 2021.

• President has approved the conferment of Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards 2021 to Seven Railway Protection Force personnel.
• Late Shri Gyan Chand, Anil Kumar, Dinker Tiwari, Tridip Paul, Rajbir Singh, Sanjeet Kumar Ram, and Bongu Narasimha Rao received this year’s Jeewan Raksha Padaks Series of Awards.
• RPF personnel have been conferred with Jeewan Raksha Padaks Series of Awards 2021 in the following categories:
  • Sarvottam Jeewan Raksha Padak (SJRP):
  • Uttam Jeewan Raksha Padak (UJRP)
  • Jeewan Raksha Padak
• The RPF personnel are given Jeewan Raksha Padaks every year since 2018 for their bravery.
• RPF personnel have saved 1650 lives from the wheels of running trains in the last four years.
• Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards are given to a person for meritorious act of human nature in saving the life of a person. It was instituted in 1961.

Topic: National News

10. Government released Central Media Accreditation Guidelines-2022.

• The Central government has released Central Media Accreditation Guidelines-2022.
• It has been released after several journalist organizations questioned the manner in which the government has arbitrarily changed practices related to accreditation.
• According to new guidelines, accreditation will be withdrawn or suspended if a journalist acts in a manner prejudicial to the country’s security, sovereignty, and integrity.
• Accreditation can also be withdrawn for contempt of court, incitement to an offense, and defamation.
• It also lays down guidelines for the accreditation of journalists working for online news platforms.
• If a journalist presents forged information or documents, his/her accreditation may also be suspended.
• Accreditation allows journalists access to government offices and official functions.
• The government will also form Central Media Accreditation Committee (CMAC) chaired by the principal director general, Press Information Bureau (PIB).

Topic: State News/ Jammu and Kashmir

11. Jammu and Kashmir government launched Single Window Clearance System.

• The government of Jammu and Kashmir has launched Single Window Clearance System.
• Jammu and Kashmir has become the first Union Territory to be integrated with the National Single Window System.
• Now, investors can apply for their business approvals in J&K through the National Single Window system.
• Around 130 industrial services have been made online through the single window system and more than 160 services would be further integrated into the single window system this year.
• The Single Window Clearance System will ensure ‘Ease of Doing Business’ & ‘Ease of Living’ through minimum regulatory compliance.
• Jammu and Kashmir:
  • It became a Union territory on 31 October 2019.
  • It shares its boundary with Ladakh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Pakistan.
  • Its winter capital is Jammu and its summer capital is Srinagar.
  • Manoj Sinha is the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

12. India topped Salesforce Global Digital Skills Index 2022.

• Salesforce, a leading company in Customer Relationship Management (CRM), has released the Global Digital Skills Index, 2022.
• India topped the Salesforce Global Digital Skills Index 2022 with a score of 66 out of 100.
• Brazil and Thailand are on the second spot and third spot with a score of 53 and 48 respectively.
• The index measures global employee sentiments and readiness to acquire key digital skills.
• It is based on a survey of more than 23,500 workers from 19 countries.
• 72% of respondents in India say that they are learning new digital skills.
• 66% of respondents in India also said that they feel very equipped with resources to learn digital skills.
• Digital marketing has been ranked as the top workplace skill in India.
• According to this Index, India will create 1.3 million jobs and new business revenues of $66.4 billion by 2026.

Topic: Sports

13. China wins AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022.

• China has won AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022 Football Tournament.
• China defeated the Korea Republic by 3-2 in the final of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
• The head coach of the Chinese team Shui Qingxia has become the first former player to win this title as a coach.
• China won the AFC Women's Asian Cup title for the ninth time.
• AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022:
  • It was the 20^th edition of the AFC Women's Asian Cup.
  • India hosted the tournament from 20 January to 6 February.
  • 12 teams have participated in the tournament.

Topic: Miscellaneous

14. Akshay Kumar named as brand ambassador of Uttarakhand.

• Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has been appointed as the brand ambassador of Uttarakhand.
• Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announce his appointment on 7 February.
• Other brand ambassadors in News:
  • Cashify named Rashmika Mandanna as their brand ambassador for an integrated marketing campaign
  • MediBuddy, one of India’s largest digital healthcare platforms, made Amitabh Bachchan their official brand ambassador.
  • Bata India announces Bollywood actor Disha Patani as its new brand ambassador.