01 Jan 2022 Current Affairs and Gk Updates in English

January 1, 2022
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Current Affairs in English

National

PM Modi inaugurated Bina (MP)-Panki (UP) Multiproduct pipeline project

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 356 Km long Bina Refinery (Madhya Pradesh)- POL Terminal at Panki (Kanpur, UP) Multiproduct pipeline project ( capacity of 45 million metric tonnes per annum) with an outlay of Rs 1524 crore (Rs. 1227 crores in UP and Rs. 297 crores in MP).

The project has been completed and commissioned one month ahead of the approved completion schedule of December 2021 (3 years from PNGRB authorization) and within the approved cost.

It will provide for safe and efficient evacuation of products from Bina Refinery and also improve the availability of products in Eastern U.P, Central U.P., Northern Bihar, and Southern Uttarakhand.

PM has also inaugurated the completed section of the Kanpur Metro Rail Project and undertook a metro ride from the IIT metro station to Geeta Nagar. The entire length of the Metro Rail Project in Kanpur is 32 Km and is being built at a cost of around ₹11,000 crores. PM also attended the 54th Convocation Ceremony of IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Kanpur.

International

Egypt became a fourth new member of the New Development Bank

Egypt added as the fourth new member of BRICS New Development Bank. Bangladesh, UAE, and Uruguay joined BRICS New Development Bank in September 2021.

Membership expansion enables New Development Bank to position itself as a premier development institution for emerging economies.

BRICS New Development Bank is a multilateral bank that was established by Brazil, Russia, China, India, and South Africa to finance sustainable development and infrastructure projects.

The new list of New Development Bank member countries:

S.NoMember Countries
1Brazil
2Russia
3India
4China
5South Africa
6Bangladesh
7United Arab Emirates
8Egypt
9Uruguay

Useful notes for all competitive exams:

  • New Development Bank Headquarter: Shanghai, China;
  • New Development Bank President: Marcos Prado Troyjo;
  • New Development Bank Founder: BRICS;
  • New Development Bank Founded: 15 July 2014.

Appointments

ITBP DG Sanjay Arora to hold SSB additional charge

ITBP director general Sanjay Arora will hold the additional charge of another border guarding force Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) as the latter’s chief Kumar Rajesh Chandra is set to retire on December 31.

Arora, a 1988-batch officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, was appointed the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) DG in August and he took charge of the India-China LAC guarding force on September 1. The SSB is primarily tasked to guard unfenced Indian borders with Nepal and Bhutan.

Anupam Ray to become India’s new ambassador to UN Conference on Disarmament

Senior diplomat Anupam Ray has been appointed as India’s next permanent representative to the UN Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.

Ray, a 1994-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently serving as a joint secretary in the MEA’s headquarters in Delhi.

Ray will succeed Pankaj Sharma. Sharma, a 1991-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, has been appointed as India’s next ambassador to Mexico.

Vijay Raaz & Varun Sharma were named as Brand Ambassadors of EaseMyTrip

Bollywood actors Vijay Raaz & Varun Sharma have been named as brand ambassadors for EaseMyTrip.com (Easy Trip Planners Ltd), an online travel company based in India.

EaseMyTrip founded by Nishant Pitti and Rikant Pitti in 2008 was started as the Business-to-Business (B2B) portal and entered into the business-to-consumer (B2C) segment in 2011.

Raaz and Sharma will be coming together as a duo for the first time for any brand campaign. The actors with their mass appeal and strong connection with the audience will complement the brand’s image.

Vasudevan PN reappointed as MD & CEO of Equitas Small Finance Bank

Vasudevan Pathangi Narasimhan has been reappointed as the Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited (ESFBL) for three years (from July 23, 2022, to July 22, 2025), by the Board of Directors (BoD). He is currently serving as the MD and CEO of the bank.

Earlier he was working as the MD of Equitas Holdings Limited. He holds a bachelor’s degree in science (physics) from the University of Madras. A qualified company secretary from the Institute of Company Secretaries of India, he has extensive experience in the financial services sector.

Useful notes for all competitive exams:

  • Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd Founded: 2016;
  • Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu;
  • Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd Part-Time Chairman: Arun Ramanathan;
  • Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd Tagline: It’s Fun Banking.

Defence

Indian Army set up Quantum Lab at MCTE in Military Headquarters Of War

The Indian Army has established the Quantum Lab at the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering (MCTE), in Military Headquarters Of War (Mhow), Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

Indian Army’s research in the field of Quantum Technology will help in leapfrogging into next-generation communication and transforming the current system of cryptography in Indian Armed Forces to Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC).

Key thrust areas include Quantum Computing, Quantum Key Distribution, Quantum Communication, and Post Quantum Cryptography. The Quantum Lab was established with the support of the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) to spearhead research and training in this key developing field.

Banking

SBI to acquire 9.95% stake in GIFT-IFSC-based Clearing Corp

State Bank of India will acquire up to a 9.95 percent stake in India International Clearing Corporation (IFSC) Ltd subject to a maximum investment of Rs 34.03 crore.

The Clearing Corporation is a GIFT City (Gandhinagar, Gujarat) based Market Infrastructure Institution (MII). The Corporation is the first international clearing corporation to be set up at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT) International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).

The Clearing Corporation acts as a central counterparty providing clearing & settlement and risk management services to India International Exchange (IFSC) Ltd.

Useful notes for all competitive exams:

  • State Bank of India Founded: 1 July 1955;
  • State Bank of India Headquarters: Mumbai;
  • State Bank of India Chairman: Dinesh Kumar Khara.

Summits and Conferences

India to chair Counter-Terrorism Committee of UNSC in January 2022

India will chair the Counter-Terrorism Committee of UNSC in January 2022 after 10 years. The Counter-Terrorism Committee was established by Security Council resolution 1373 adopted unanimously on 28 September 2001 in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks in the US.

The Committee was tasked with monitoring the implementation of resolution 1373 which requested countries to implement a number of measures aimed at enhancing their legal and institutional ability to counter terrorist activities at home and around the world.

Awards

KVASU bags national award for breed conservation

The All India Co-ordinated Research Project (AICRP) on poultry breeding, Mannuthy, under the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Science University (KVASU), bagged the national breed conservation award for 2021.

The center received the prestigious award from ICAR – The National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) for the conservation and research activities on the Tellicherry breed, the only registered native chicken breed from the State.

The center started conservation of the Tellicherry breed in 2014. Through scientific selection and management, the breed began laying eggs as early as five months and the annual egg production increased to 160-170 eggs.

Sahitya Akademi Award 2021 Announced

Sahitya Akademi announced its prestigious Sahitya Akademi Awards, Yuva Puraskar and Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2021 in various languages.

According to the board, an engraved copper plate, shawl and an amount of Rs 1 lakh will be given to the main Sahitya Akademi prize winner, and an engraved copper plate and an amount of Rs 50,000 each will be given to the Yuva Puraskar and Bal Sahitya Puraskar.

Sahitya Akademi Award 2021:

The Sahitya Akademi Award 2021 was given in 20 Indian languages, the winner of Gujarati, Maithili, Manipuri, and Urdu languages will be announced at a later date. Seven books of poetry, two novels, five books of short stories, two plays, one book each of biography, autobiography, criticism, and epic poetry have won the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2021. Author, Namita Gokhale was awarded for her novel Things to Leave Behind

  1. Anuradha Sarma Pujari (Assamese)
  2. Bratya Basu (Bengali)
  3. Mwdai Gahai (Bodo)
  4. Raj Rahi (Dogri)
  5. Namita Gokhale (English)
  6. Daya Prakash Sinha (Hindi)
  7. DS Nagabhushana (Kannada)
  8. Wali Mohd Aseer Kashtawari (Kashmiri)
  9. Sanjiv Verenkar (Konkani)
  10. George Onakkoor (Malayalam)
  11. Kiran Gurav (Marathi)
  12. Chhabilal Upadhyaya (Nepali)
  13. Hrushikesh Mallick (Odia)
  14. Khalid Hussain (Punjabi)
  15. Meethesh Nirmohi (Rajasthani)
  16. Vindeshwariprasad Mishr “Vinay” (Sanskrit)
  17. Niranjan Hansda (Santali)
  18. Arjun Chawla (Sindhi)
  19. Ambai (Tamil)
  20. Gorati Venkanna (Telugu)

Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2021:

The Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2021 were awarded for 22 Indian languages and the award in Tamil will be declared later, there was no award given in Rajasthani language this year. Author Megha Majumdar won the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2021 for her debut book ‘A Burning’, published in 2020.

  1. Abhijit Bora (Assamese)
  2. Gourob Chakraborty (Bengali)
  3. Gautom Daimary (Bodo)
  4. Arun Akash Dev (Dogri)
  5. Megha Majumdar (English)
  6. Drashti Soni (Gujarati)
  7. Himanshu Vajpai (Hindi)
  8. L.Lakshmi Narayan Swamy (Kannada)
  9. Razi Tahir Bhagat (Kashmiri)
  10. Sharddha Garad (Konkani)
  11. Amit Mishra (Maithili)
  12. Mobin Mohan (Malayalam)
  13. Lenin Khmancha (Manipuri)
  14. Pranav Sakhadeo (Marathi)
  15. Mahesh Dahal (Nepali)
  16. Debabrata Das (Odia)
  17. Veerdavinder Singh (Punjabi)
  18. Swetapadma Satapathy (Sanskrit)
  19. Kuna Hansdah (Santali)
  20. Rakesh Shewani (Sindhi)
  21. Thagulla Gopal (Telugu)
  22. Umar Farhat (Urdu)

Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2021:

The Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2021 was given in 22 Indian languages, no Bal Sahitya Puraskar was given in Gujarati and Punjabi languages this year. Anita Vachharajani has been named as the recipient of the Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2021 for the biography “Amrita Sher-Gil: Rebel with a Paintbrush”. Hindi writer Devendra Mewari won the award for his play titled “Natak Natak me Vigyan”.

  1. Mrinal Chandra Kalita (Assamese)
  2. Sunirmal Chakraborty (Bengali)
  3. Ratneshwar Narzary (Bodo)
  4. Narsingh Dev Jamval (Dogri)
  5. Anita Vaccharajani (English)
  6. Devendra Mewari (Hindi)
  7. Basu Bevinagida (Kannada)
  8. Majeed Majazi (Kashmiri)
  9. Sumedha Kamat Desai (Konkani)
  10. Anmol Jha (Maithili)
  11. Raghunath Paleri (Malayalam)
  12. Ningombam Jadumani Singh (Manipuri)
  13. Sanjay Wagh (Marathi)
  14. Sudarsha Ambatey (Nepali)
  15. Digaraj Brahma (Odia)
  16. Kirti Sharma (Rajasthani)
  17. Asha Agarwal (Sanskrit)
  18. Sova Hansda (Santali)
  19. Kishin Khubchandani “Ranjayal” (Sindhi)
  20. Mu. Murugesh (Tamil)
  21. Devaraju Maharaju (Telugu)
  22. Kausar Siddiqui (Urdu)

Ranks and Reports

IIT Madras bagged the first position in ARIIA Rankings 2021

IIT Madras has bagged the first position in the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) 2021, for the third consecutive year, under the category of CFTIs/ Central Universities/ Institute of National Importance (Technical).

IIT-Madras is followed by IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IT Kanpur, and IIT Roorkee. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru bagged the sixth position in the category.

In the state and deemed to be universities category, Panjab University (Chandigarh) topped the ranking followed by Delhi Technological University, and Netaji Subhas University of Technology (Delhi).

In the government engineering colleges category, the College of Engineering in Pune stood first, followed by PSG College of Technology in Tamil Nadu, and LD College of Engineering in Gujarat.

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology Khordha (Odisha) topped the private university category. G H Raisoni College of Engineering in Maharashtra was recognized as the most innovative private college.

Indira Gandhi National Open University (Delhi) topped the category among centrally funded institutions followed by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kozhikode.

Sports

Jasprit Bumrah Achieves Milestone of Picking 100 Test Wickets

Jasprit Bumrah has achieved the milestone of picking 100 wickets away from home in 22 Test matches. Van der Dussen became Bumrah’s 100th Test victim in overseas conditions.

The 28-year-old now has 105 wickets, out of which 101 have come away from home. Bumrah, who made his Test debut in South Africa in 2018, has played 25 Tests, 23 of which have come on the road.

Mohammed Shami becomes 11th Indian bowler to take 200 wickets in Test cricket

Mohammed Shami became just the 11th Indian bowler to claim 200 wickets in Test cricket in just 55 test matches. During this process, he became the only 5th Indian pacer to bag 200 wickets in the purest format of the game.

Also, Shami is the third fastest Indian pacer to reach this milestone as Kapil Dev and Javagal Srinath bagged 200 Test wickets in 50 and 54 Tests respectively.

Science and Technology

Houston COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax gets DCGI approval for use in India

The Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) and Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) announced that Corbevax, a protein subunit Covid vaccine, has received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to launch it in India.

The initial construct and production process of the vaccine antigen was developed at TCH’s Centre for Vaccine Development.

Useful notes for all competitive exams:

  • Drugs Controller General of India: V. G. Somani.
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