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By admin: Jan. 26, 2022

26th January: Republic Day

Tags: Important Days

Republic Day is celebrated every year on 26th January, to commemorate the adoption of the Indian Constitution which came into effect on this day in 1950.

• India will be celebrating 73rd Republic Day in 2022.
• On this day the President of India hoists the National Flag at Rajpath in New Delhi.
• There will be no Foreign Chief Guest on this Republic day due to the corona pandemic. There were no chief guests in 1952,1953, 1966,2021 and 2022. 

26th January: International Customs Day

Tags: Important Days

The theme for International Customs Day 2022 is ‘Scaling up Customs Digital Transformation’.

The International Customs Day (ICD) is observed every year on 26th January to commemorate the inaugural session of the World Customs Organisation WCO), which was held on this day in 1953.

• This day raises awareness about the importance of customs authorities and their role in the smooth movement of goods across borders.

World Customs Organisation:

The World Customs Organisation was formed in 1952 as the Customs Co-operation Council (CCC).

• The main function of this independent governmental body was to boost the efficiency and effectiveness of customs administrations.
• The inaugural session of the council was held on 26 January 1953.
• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.
• Secretary-General: Kunio Mikuriya

Padma Awards 2022

Tags: Awards National News

Ahead of Republic Day 2022, the Government of India on 25th January 2022 announced the Padma Awards. Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian awards of the country which is conferred in three categories, i.e. Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.

• A total of 4 Padma Vibhushans, 17 Padma Bhushans and 107 Padma Shri awards have been conferred this year. 34 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 13 Posthumous awardees.
• These awards are conferred by the President of India at the ceremonial functions which are held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March / April every year.

Padma Vibhushan (4):

This award is awarded for exceptional and distinguished services.

• Former Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, India’s first CDS General Bipin Rawat, Hindustani Classical vocalist Prabha Atre and Radheshyam Khemka of Gita Press have been named for the Padma Vibhushan.
• Apart from Gen. Rawat, Singh and Khemka have been conferred the award posthumously.

Padma Bhushan (17):

This award is awarded for distinguished service of a high order.

Padma Shri (107):

This award is awarded for distinguished service in any field.

Note:

• Former West Bengal Chief Minister buddhadeb Bhattacharjee turned down the Padma Bhushan.
• Veteran singer Sandhya Mukherjee refused to accept the Padma Shri.

India improves on the Corruption Perception Index 2021

Tags: National News

 According to the latest Corruption Perception Index 2021 report, released by the Berlin based Transparency International, India's rank improved one place to 85 among 180 countries with a score of 40.

• Last year India was ranked 86.  
• The index, which ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and business people, uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean.
•  The least corrupt countries were Finland, Denmark and New Zealand with a score of 88 at the top. 
• They were followed by Norway, Singapore and  Sweden with a score of 84 .
• The most corrupt was South Sudan at the bottom with a score of 11

Gallantry Award and other Military Honours 2022

Tags: Defence Awards

On the eve of Republic Day 2022 (i.e. 25th January 2022) the President and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Ram Nath Kovind approved award of 317 Gallantry and other Defence decorations to Armed forces personnels.

• The President honours the country’s military personnel for their show of gallantry and valour with a total of six awards: Param Vir Chakra, Mahavir Chakra, Vir Chakra, Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra.
• This year’s list of Gallantry and Distinguished awards being conferred on the occasion of Republic Day- 2022: 
  • Param Vishisht Seva Medal: 19
  • Uttam Yudh Seva Medal: 4
  • Ati Vishisht Seva Medal: 33
  • Shaurya Chakra: 6
  • Yudh Seva Medal: 10
  • Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry): 3
  • Sena Medal (Gallantry): 81
  • Sena Medal (Distinguished): 40
  • Bar to Vishisht Seva Medal: 3
  • Vishisht Seva Medal: 74
  • Mention-in-dispatches (Various military operations): 44

The President will also honour the winners of :

• The 3 President’s Police Medals for meritorious service, for distinguished service, and for gallantry to law enforcement personnel in the country.
• Correctional Services Medal under two categories  “Distinguished Service- 5”, and “Meritorious Service- 37” for their duties in the country’s correctional facilities.
• The 42 President’s Fire Medals which are similar to the President’s Police Medals. Out of these, the President’s Fire Service Medal for Gallantry is awarded to one personnel and the Fire Service Medal for Gallantry is awarded to two personnel for their respective acts of valour and gallantry.
• 25 Civil Defence & Home Guards Medals
• 51 Jeevan Raksha Padak awards to the civilians for saving lives from drowning, fire, or natural calamities. It is divided into three categories: Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak and Jeevan Raksha Padak.

India provides $ 2 lakh assistance to Tsunami hit Tonga

Tags: National News

The Government of India has announced an immediate relief of USD 2 lakh  to the Kingdom of Tonga for reconstruction and  rehabilitation work.

• The Pacific island country was hit by a Tsunami caused by an undersea Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcanic eruption on 15 January 2022. 
• According to  American National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) the the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano eruption  was hundreds of times stronger than the US atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in August 1945,
•  According to NASA the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano spewed debris as high as 40 kilometres  into the atmosphere during the January 15 eruption that triggered huge tsunami waves.
• The volcanic ash  blanketed the country having a population of  about 100,000 in a layer of toxic ash, poisoning drinking water, destroying crops and completely wiping out at least two villages.
•  Neighbouring countries New Zealand, Australia and Japan are providing relief material to the country 

Stampede kills 8 football fans in Cameroon

Tags: International News

At least 8 football fans were killed in a stampede on 24 January 2022  at a stadium in Cameroon,s capital, Yaounde. The football fans were trying to enter the Olembe Stadium to watch a match between Cameroon and Comoros football team for the African Cup of Nations tournament .

 Cameroon government allowed only vaccinated fans to watch the match and many fans who were not vaccinated against coronavirus tried to forcefully enter the stadium resulting in stampede.

Cameroon 

It is an African country.

It's capital is Yaounde

Currency: Central African franc 

IMF raises Indian Growth rate for FY 23 to 9%

Tags: Economics/Business

International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised the growth prospect of the Indian economy in 2022-23 to 9 % from the earlier forecast of 8.5%.

The IMF “World Economic Outlook report” released on 25 January 2022 has cut the economic growth rate for the world with weak growth forecasted in the United States and China.

Main Points of the Report 

• It expects the world economy to grow by 4.4% in 2022 and 3.8% in 2023.  The world economy grew by 5.9% in 2021.
• The main reason for the drop in world growth is due to lower growth in the US and China.
• The main reason for the weak world economic outlook is the spread of the  Omicron variant of coronavirus which has led to a curb on  mobility  by countries . This has led  to the  disruption in the world supply chain and  rise in inflation  in all the countries.
• It expects the world's second largest economy China to grow by 4.8% and the largest economy in the world , the US  is expected to grow by 4% in 2022.

India a lone Bright spot

• Among major economies of the world India’s growth rate is expected to be one of the highest in the world.
• The Indian economy  growth rate has been increased from the earlier 8.5% to 9% in 2022-23.
• India's GDP growth forecast for FY24 was also raised by 50 bps to 7.1 percent.
• According to the IMF an expected improvement in India’s credit growth will boost  consumption and investment . Also the financial sector growth in India is better than expected, boosting its overall growth rate prospect. 

Government of India has approved the merger of PMC bank with Unity Bank

Tags: Economics/Business

Government of India has approved the merger of  the troubled Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) bank with the Unity Small Finance Bank  effective from 25 January 2022.

• According to RBI ,all the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank Ltd (PMC Bank) branches will operate as Unity Small Finance Bank Ltd. branches from January 25, 2022.
• PMC bank was a multi-state cooperative bank whose board was superseded by the RBI in September 2019 after detection of a major fraud in the bank.
• It has since then been administered by the RBI.
• The Unity Small Finance bank will take over the liabilities of the PMC bank .

Unity Small Finance Bank 

• Unity Small Finance Bank is a 51:49 joint venture between Centrum Group and Resilient Innovations Pvt. Ltd owner of the payments app Bharatpe.
•  It started  its operation in November, 2021 as the 12th Small Finance bank in India.
•  Its Headquarters is at New Delhi