DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: Jan. 17, 2022

E-Governance award for Nagaland’s Mon district

Tags: National News

Nagaland’s Mon District Administration has been conferred with the prestigious National Award for e-governance 2020-21 (Silver) at the recently concluded 24th National Conference on e-Governance at Hyderabad on 7th - 8th January 2022.

The theme for this year’s conference is “India’s Techade: Digital Governance in a Post Pandemic World”

• The award was presented by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) by Union Minister of State (MoS) Dr. Jitendra Singh.
• The district’s project titled “Technology in Aid to Administration” won silver in the category of “Use of information and communication technology in the management of COVID­19”
• The project was initiated to mitigate the hardships caused to the public while enforcing COVID-19 Appropriate Behaviour (CAB), and thereby curb the escalating spread of COVID-19 infections.
• The project has been reducing the hardship of people, increasing the effectiveness of administration, and keeping people safe from Covid.

Department of Post launches postage stamp on Covaxin

Tags: National News

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya virtually launched a postage stamp on the indigenously developed vaccine Covaxin to mark one year of the inoculation drive. Mr. Mandaviya said the stamp signifies the remarkable work done by the country's frontline, healthcare workers, and the scientific community in protecting people against the pandemic.

• The stamp consists of the ICMR’s logo and a picture of a woman getting jabbed by a healthcare worker. It also has a vial of the Covaxin, where its scientific name has been written. (BBV152)
• The drive was rolled out on January 16, 2021, with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase.
• Covaxin is an inactivated vaccine developed indigenously jointly by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech.

 What are Commemorative Stamps 

Commemorative stamps are issued to commemorate important events, prominent personalities in various fields, aspects of nature, beautiful or rare flora and fauna, environmental issues, agricultural activities, national/international issues, games etc.

• These stamps are only available at Philatelic Bureau and counters or under the Philatelic Deposit Account Scheme. 
• They are printed in limited quantities.

Saanya Bhandari Jain is the brand ambassador of the ‘2041 Climate Force’ expedition

Tags: National News

A 22-year-old Delhi girl and travel blogger, Saanya Bhandari Jain is one of the youngest women who would represent India on a global platform as she has been chosen for the ‘2041 ClimateForce’ expedition to Antarctica as a global ambassador.

• 80 people from every continent will participate in this expedition with the common mission to benefit our home planet.
• The expedition will be led by polar explorer and sustainability champion Robert Swan, the first person to trek to both of Earth’s poles.
• The ‘carbon-negative’ expedition aims to inspire, develop, and train the next generation of leaders to promote a more sustainable future and spread awareness on climate change.

Point to Note-

• Larsen B is an ice shelf in Antarctica that has collapsed due to climate change.

First coal-to-methanol plant starts commercial production

Tags: National News

India’s first indigenously developed Coal to Methanol (CTM) Plant through gasification route has started functioning with more than 99 % of purity opening a new avenue to convert high ash coals to methanol.

• Union Minister for Heavy Industries Mahendra Nath Pandey dedicated the plant to the nation, as part of the ongoing 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' celebrations.
• The 0.25 TPD (Tons per Day) capacity CTM pilot plant was designed, developed, and installed by the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited(BHEL)
• The project was supported by the Department of Science and Technology under the Clean Energy Research Initiative.
• It is installed at BHEL’s in-house plant located in Hyderabad.
• This technology will help the country move towards the adoption of clean technology and promote the use of methanol as a transportation fuel (blending with petrol), thus reducing crude oil imports.
• The broad process of converting coal into methanol consists of the conversion of coal to synthesis (syngas) gas, syngas cleaning and conditioning, syngas to methanol conversion, and methanol purification. 
• Coal to methanol plants in most countries are operated with low ash coals. So, it was a challenge for India because of its high ash content.

Vicky Kaushal is the brand ambassador of Pearson India

Tags: Person in news

Pearson has announced Bollywood actor Vicky Kaushal as its new brand ambassador.

Pearson is a British company which is in the business of publishing books for Schools, University etc.  

Vicky Kaushal is a famous Hindi film actor who won the National film award for best actor in 2020 for his film ”Uri:The Surgical Strike."

RajKumar Rao is the brand ambassador of RenewBuy

Tags: Person in news

Online insurance platform RenewBuy has launched its first 360-degree ad campaign with film actor Rajkummar Rao as its first brand ambassador. 

Raj Kumar Rao is a Hindi film actor who has won National Film awards for Best actor for his film Shahid  in 2013. 

MP’s famous ‘Collarwali’ tigress dies at 17

Tags: State News

T15 or Collarwali, the legendary big cat of Madhya Pradesh’s Pench Tiger Reserve in Chhindwara district who earned the title of “super mom” after giving birth to 29 cubs, died after prolonged illness at the age of 17.

• She was also known as Mataram.
• She gave birth to 29 cubs in eight litters during 11 years - between 2008 and 2018 out of which 25 survived.
• She was cremated on Sunday at the hands of Shanta Bai, a local tribal leader who heads the Ecovikas Samiti and has played an important role in improving living conditions among tribals.
• According to the All-India Tiger Estimation Report 2018, the tiger population in India had risen to 2,967 in 2018 from a record low of 1,411 in 2006.
• Madhya Pradesh was home to 526 tigers, the highest in any state of the country.
• India is home to around 75 percent of the world's tigers.

Birju Maharaj, the legendary Kathak dancer, dies at 83

Tags: National News

Pandit Birju Maharaj, the torchbearer of Lucknow's Kalka-Bindadin Gharana of Kathak, passed away at the age of 83.

• He was a descendant of the Maharaj family of Kathak dancers, which includes his two uncles, Shambhu Maharaj and Lachhu Maharaj, and his father and guru, Acchan Maharaj, who served as court dancer in Raigarh princely state. 
• He also practiced Hindustani classical music and was a vocalist
• In 1964, he received the honorary Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and in 1986 he received Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second-highest civilian honor.
• He has choreographed for several films like Shatranj Ke Khiladi by Satyajit Ray till Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, Devdas, Bajirao Mastani, and many others.

Classical Dance form of India 

According to the government of India there are Eight classical dance form in India 

Dance  Origin /State 

Bharatnatyam:  Tamil Nadu 

Manipuri Dance : Manipur 

Kathak: North India, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan Delhi, Madhya Pradesh.

Odissi : Odisha 

Kathakali : Kerala 

Mohiniattam : Kerala 

Kuchipudi: Mainly Andhra Pradesh 

Sattriya : Assam 

Bollywood lyricist-poet Ibrahim Ashk dies

Tags: Person in news

Lyricist Ibrahim Ashk (70), known for penning songs for films like “Kaho Na Pyaar Hai” and “Koi… Mil Gaya”, died on 16th January 2022, due to COVID-19 pneumonia.

• Born in Madhya Pradesh, Ashk did his post-graduation in Hindi Literature in 1974 from Indore University. Also an Urdu poet, he later went on to work as a journalist.

Australia dominated the Ashes and asserted its supremacy

Tags: Sports News

Australia underlined its Ashes supremacy by crushing England’s hopes through a 4­-0 series triumph.

The series was played at five venues across Australia from 8 December 2021 to 18 January 2022

Man­ of ­the Series: Travis Head of Australia.

The Australian team captain was Pat Cummins and the England team captain was Joe Root.

The Ashes is a 5 match Test cricket series played between England and Australia hosted in turn by the two nations. 

The term ‘’Ashes’’ originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, “The Sporting Times”, immediately after Australia's 1882 victory at The Oval, its first Test win on English soil. 

There have been 72 Ashes series: Australia have won 34, England have won 32 and six series have been drawn.

Rajasthan govt launches “I am Udaan” scheme

Tags: State News

The Rajasthan government has launched a women-friendly project, "I am Udaan".Costing Rs 200 crore, under this scheme each girl and woman in the state will receive free sanitary napkins.

• Under the first phase of the project launched on December 19 last year, 26 lakh girls will be benefited as 12 napkins each month will be provided to each girl in senior secondary, secondary and higher secondary schools.
• In the rural areas, 1,412 Anganwadi centers in 282 blocks of village areas have been identified in which sanitary napkins are being distributed to 3 lakh adolescent girls and women in the 18-45 age group.
• Overall 29 lakh women and girls will be benefited in the first phase of the project.
• In the recently released National Family Health Survey 5, 62 percent of the women are unaware of period hygiene and 24 percent of adolescent girl students mark their absence from school during periods. The survey also reveals that only 57 percent of women in the country use sanitary napkins.

Lakshya Sen wins his maiden Indian Open Title

Tags: Sports News

India’s Lakshya Sen secured his maiden Super 500 title by winning the Yonex-Sunrise India Open with a stunning straight-game victory over reigning world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in the men’s singles final on 16th January 2022.

• Meanwhile, in the doubles final, the top doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty scripted a stunning straight-game win over three-time world champions Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia to become the first men’s team from the country to win the Yonex-Sunrise India Open.
• Busanan Ongbamrunghphan of Thailand won the Women's Singles title.

Yonex-Sunrise India Open

The Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2022 was held from 11th to 16th January 2022 at the K. D. Jadhav Indoor Hall in Delhi.

• The 2022 India Open was the first tournament of the 2022 BWF World Tour and was part of the India Open championships, which had been held since 1973.

Djokovic deported from Australia

Tags: Person in news Sports News

Tennis star Novak Djokovic has lost his chance to defend his Australian Open title after an Australian court upheld a government deportation order.

• The sensational 11-day battle over Djokovic’s COVID-19 vaccination status has ended his dream of winning a record 21st Grand Slam in Australia.
• Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic lashed out at Australian authorities saying that they have humiliated Djokovic with this mistreatment of  him for 10 days.

Migrants from Honduras stopped at Guatemala

Tags: International News

Several hundred migrants who had departed from the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula in hopes of reaching the United States entered Guatemalan territory where they were intercepted by the authorities who asked them to return to their homeland.

Highlights

• Some 300 migrants, mainly Hondurans and Nicaraguans, arrived in Corinto, Honduras on 15th January 2022 and crossed into the Guatemalan border province of Izabal, where they were met by hundreds of anti-riot agents from the national police and army.
• According to the Guatemalan Migration Institute, discussions on returning the migrants to their home countries have begun. "People are being returned, everything in order, humanely," the institute's general director Carlos Emilio Morales said.
• According to a Nicaraguan man, people were migrating in search of a better life for their families. Many had been the victims of natural disasters like floods and drought.

The administration of US President Joe Biden is considering a seven billion dollars aid package for Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, to create homegrown jobs.

Eminent theatre personality Saoli Mitra Passed away

Tags: Person in news

Saoli Mitra, who was the recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2003, Padma Shri in 2009, and Banga Bibhusan in 2012, died at her residence in South Kolkata on 16th January 2022 of heart ailments.

• She would be remembered for her solo performance as Draupadi in Naathvati Anaathbat (which she also wrote and directed), and as Sita on Sitakatha or Bitata Bitangso.
• Mitra was the daughter of legendary theatre artists Shambhu Mitra and Tripti Mitra.