1. S.Jaishankar visit to Philippines
Tags: International News
Indian external affairs minister, S. Jaishankar visited the Philippines from February 13 to 15 2022. It was his first visit to the Philippines after becoming the External Affairs Minister.
He met his counterpart, Teddy Locsin Jr ,Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines (Foreign Minister of Philippines).
Philippines became the first country in the world to buy India -Russia developed Brahmos missiles from India.
The $375 million deal was signed between the two countries on January 28, 2022. The Philippines Navy will receive the first of these missiles by the end of 2022.
Fact File
Philippines
It is an archipelago consisting of more than 7000 islands . It is a part of South East Asia in the Western Pacific Ocean.
Capital : Manila
Currency : Philippine Peso
President: Rodrigo Duterte
Asian Development Bank has its headquarter at Manila
2. First Global Summit on Reimagining Museums in India
Tags: Summits National News
Minister of Culture, Tourism and Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER), Govt. of India Mr G. Kishan Reddy ,inaugurated the two day Global Summit on ‘Reimagining Museums in India” in Hyderabad on 15 Janaury 2022.
The summit will be held on 15 and 16 February 2022.
The global summit is being organised by the Union Ministry of Culture
The summit is being attended by the delegates of India, Australia, France, Italy, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom online .
3. India improves its rank on Democracy Index 2021
Tags: National News
India has improved its ranks by 7 places to move to 46 rank in the Democracy Index 2021 released by the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) on 10 February 2022. It was ranked 53rd in the Democracy Index 2020.
India was categorised as aflawed democracy along with the U.S.
Highlights of the Index 2021
The Democracy Index 2021 ranks167 countries and territories of the world .
The EIU democracy Index ranks the country on the rating of 0 to 10. Country which scores 10 is a perfect democracy and a country scoring 0 is an Authoritarian country.
The top ranked country was Norway with a score of 9.75 and Afghanistan was ranked at the bottom,167th with a score of 0.32.
India is ranked 46 on the global index with an overall score of 6.91. It has the lowest score of 5 on political culture and the highest score of 8.67 on electoral process and pluralism. It scores 6.18 on civil liberties, 7.22 on political participation.
Economic Intelligence Unit has divided the world into four types; Full democracy, Flawed democracies, Hybrid regimes, Authoritarian regimes.
The top ranked Democratic countries were (rank wise ); Norway, New Zealand,Finland , Sweden , Iceland.
The bottom ranked countries: 167 ranked Afghanistan , 166 th Myanmar ,165th ranked North Korea, 164 ranked Congo and 163 ranked Central African Republic.
Full form for Exams
EIU : Economic Intelligence Unit
4. Germany’s President Steinmeier re-elected for second five-year term
Tags: International News
Frank-Walter Steinmeier was elected to a second term as Germany's president on Sunday after a special assembly vote on 13 February 2022.
He has been elected for a five year term.
The President in Germany has little power and the real power is with the Chancellor of Germany.
Currently the German Chancellor is Olaf Scholz
The German president is elected by members of the German parliament Bundestag and the members of the Parliament of the 16 states of Germany
5. President unveils the Statue of Swarna Ramanujacharya
Tags: Person in news National News
President Ramnath Kovind visited Srirama Nagaram in Muchintal ,Hyderabad, Telangana on 13 February 2022. He inaugurated the 120-kg statue of Sri Ramanujacharya made of gold as part of the Sriramanuja Sahastrabdi Samaroh, marking the 1,000 years of the birth of the saint poet at Muchintal in Telangana.
Srirama Nagaram is a place in Muchintal, Hyderabad where 108 Vaishnavite shrines have been set up along with the Statue of Equality.
Statue of Equality was Inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 February 2022. (For Statue of Equality kindly see 5 February 2022 post)
Important for Exam
Place :
Srirama Nagaram: It is a temple complex in Muchintal, Hyderabad.
6. ISRO launches first satellite of the 2022
Tags: Popular Science and Technology National News
The Indian Space Research Organisation- (ISRO) successfully launched a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle -C52(PSLV-C52) on 14 February 2022 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
The PSLV-C52 rocket carried three satellites EOS-04 ,INSPIR Esat-1and INS-2TD)
Satellites carried by PSLV-C52
ESO-04 Satellite
It is a Radar Imaging Satellite designed to provide high quality images under all weather conditions for applications such as Agriculture, Forestry and Plantations, Soil Moisture and Hydrology and Flood mapping.
It is a 1,710 kg satellite which was built at the UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru.
It will be deployed into a sun synchronous polar orbit of 529 km.
INSPIREsat-1
It is a micro satellite made by students of Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology ,Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala in association with Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics at University of Colorado, Boulder, Nanyang Technology University (NTU), Singapore and National Central University(NCU),, Taiwan.
INS-2TD
It is a technology demonstrator satellite which is a forerunner to the India-Bhutan satellite INS 2-B
Fact about ISRO PSLV Mission
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle is a four stage rocket of ISRO which was launched on 30 September 1993 for the first time .
This was the 80th launch vehicle mission from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota;
It was the 54th flight of PSLV;
It was the 23rd flight of PSLV in the XL configuration (6 strap-on motors).
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
ISRO was set up on 15 August 1969
Chairman of ISRO: S Somnath
Headquarters of ISRO : Bengaluru, Karnataka
Space Station from where ISRO launches rockets
Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
Full form for Exam
ISRO: Indian Space Research Organisation
PSLV : Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
EOS : Earth Observation Satellite
SDSC: Satish Dhawan Space Centre
- SHAR :Sriharikota Range
7. Government of India launches SMILE scheme
Tags: National News
Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar launched the Government of India scheme “SMILE: Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise” on 12 Feburary 2022 in New Delhi .
The scheme aims to provide welfare and rehabilitation facility to the Transgender community and the people engaged in the act of begging.
The SMILE scheme includes two sub schemes :
‘Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons’ and
Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of engaged in the act of Begging’
‘Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons
The main features of the scheme are :
It provides Scholarships for Transgender students studying in IX and till post-graduation to enable them to complete their education.
It has provisions for Skill Development and Livelihood under the PM-DAKSH(Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi) scheme.
Through Composite Medical Health it provides a comprehensive package in convergence with Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana ( PM-JAY) supporting Gender-Reaffirmation surgeries through selected hospitals.
The Housing facility in the form of ‘Garima Greh’ ensures food, clothing, recreational facilities, skill development opportunities, recreational activities and medical support etc. to the Transgender community and the people engaged in the act of begging.
The Provision of Transgender Protection Cell in each state will monitor cases of offences and to ensure timely registration, investigation and prosecution of offences.
The National Portal & Helpline will provide necessary information and solutions to the Transgender community and the people engaged in the act of begging when needed.
‘Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging’
It will focus on survey and identification, mobilisation, rescue/ shelter home and comprehensive resettlement of the persons engaged in the act of begging .
The Government of India has launched pilot projects on Comprehensive Rehabilitation in ten cities namely Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Indore, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna and Ahmedabad.
Full form for exam
SMILE : Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise;
PMJAY : Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana;
PM DAKSH : Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi;
8. Freedom Convey in France to protes Covid Restrictions
Tags: International News
Inspired by the truckers that shut down the Canadian capital Ottawa, thousands of demonstrators from across France made their way to Paris in a “freedom convoy” of cars, trucks and vans.
This is a latest protest which rocked many countries where people are protesting the covid related restriction.
People have protested in the Australian capital of Canberra and New Zealand capital Wellington against the government rules of compulsory vaccination against covid.
Important for exams
France
It is a North Western European country
Capital : Paris
Currency: Euro
President: Emmanuel Macron
India has bought Rafale fighter aircraft from France for its Air Force .
Australia
It is the smallest continent by area on Earth after Asia, Africa, North America , South America, Antarctica ,Europe and Australia.
It is the 6th largest country in the world after Russia, Canada, China, United States, and Brazil.
Its Capital : Canberra
Currency : Australian Dollar
Prime Minister : Scott Morrison
New Zealand
It is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean .
Capital : Wellington
Currency : New Zealand Dollar
Prime Minister : Miss Jacinda Ardern
9. WFP will handle Indian wheats in Afghanistan
Tags: International News
The Indian Government has signed an agreement with the United Nations World Food Programme((WFP)) for the distribution of 50,000 tonnes of wheat ,which will be supplied by India to Afghanistan as a humanitarian assistance .
India has committed to supply 50,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan free of cost through Pakistan’s land route.
Last year on October 7, India proposed to supply wheat to Afghanistan through the Pakistan road route and Pakistan agreed to it .
India has also committed to provide Rs 200 crore for development assistance to Afghanistan.
Earlier, India has also supplied six tonnes of medicine and 5 lakh doses of Covid vaccine out of the total 10 lakh vaccines promised by India to Afghanistan.
India does not recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan which came to power after the Ashraf Ghani government fled from Kabul on 5 August 2020. Whatever assistance is provided by the Indian government to Afghanistan is through a neutral partylike the UN or its agencies.
WFP
The World Food Programme(WFP) is the largest humanitarian agency of the United Nation.
It provides food to people displaced by conflicts and made destitute by disasters.
It provides food to children in poor countries through school feeding programmes
It helps countries and communities to prepare and cope with climate related changes.
It helps the small farmers in improving productivity.
WFP headquarters : Rome
It was founded in 1961
It won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020.
Chairman : David Beasley
10. Australia and India signed an MOU on Tourism
Tags: International News
Australian minister of Trade, Tourism and Investment, Dan Tehan visited India on 10-11 February 2022.
He signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tourism cooperation in the field of Tourism with Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles on behalf of the Tourism ministry on 11 February 2022.
