04 March 2022 Current Affairs Updates in English

Important Days

46th Civil Accounts Day Celebrated on 02 March 2022

The 46th Civil Accounts Day has celebrated on 2nd March 2022 at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, Janpath, New Delhi. Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman is the Chief Guest of the occasion.

Finance Minister has launched a major e-governance initiative – the Electronic Bill (e-Bill) processing system as part of ease of doing business and Digital India eco-system.

A Budget 2022-23 announcement, the e- Bill system will be implemented across all Central Ministries and Departments. This will be a further step to enhance transparency, efficiency, and a faceless- paperless payment system. Suppliers and contractors will now be able to submit their claims online which will be trackable on a real-time basis.

World Civil Defence Day observed on 1st March 2022

World Civil Defence Day is annually observed across the globe on 1st March to honor the significance of Civil Defence and the personnel who have sacrificed their lives for it. The purpose of the Day is to promote public awareness about civil defense, civil protection, and emergency management in order to better prepare the civilian population to protect itself in the event of an emergency and to reduce the risk of disaster.

The theme of World Civil Defence Day 2022 is “Civil defense and management of displaced populations in face of disasters and crises; the role of volunteers and the fight against pandemics”.

History of the day:

• Civil Defence Day was officially inaugurated by the International Civil Defence Organisation in 2012
• March 1st was chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the day on which the constitution of the International Civil Defence Organisation(ICDO) came into force.
• The Constitution of the ICDO was adopted on 17 October 1966, came into force on 1st March 1972. It attributes the status of the intergovernmental organizations to the ICDO (United Nations, Treaty Series, volume 985, registration No. 14376).

National

President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurates ‘Arogya Vanam’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated a newly developed ‘Arogya Vanam’ at the President’s Estate, (Rashtrapati Bhavan) in New Delhi. The objective of this Arogya Vanam is to promote the importance of Ayurvedic plants and their effects on the human body.

The concept of Arogya Vanam has been conceived with the aim of publicizing the importance of Ayurvedic plants and their effects on the human body. Spread in 6.6 acres, the Arogya Vanam has been developed in the shape of a human sitting in the Yoga Mudra.

It consists of around 215 herbs and plants used for therapeutic purposes in Ayurveda. Some of the other features of this Vanam are water fountains, a Yoga platform, a water channel, a lotus pond, and a viewpoint.  This Vanam will be now open for public viewing.

India’s first ambulance for street animals launched in Tamil Nadu

India’s first ambulance for street animals has been launched in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It has been started by the Blue Cross of India in collaboration with the international animal welfare organization “Four Paw”.

Madras High Court Justice Dr Anitha Sumanth launched the ambulance. The Stray Animal Care program will be a “hospital on wheels” with an onboard veterinarian to provide on-site treatment to injured and sick street animals.

Apart from the veterinarian, the animal ambulance will also include a para veterinary-worker-cum-driver. The ambulance will include a treatment table, two fans, an inverter, a fridge, and drawers for sterile products and bandages.

It will also come with a washbasin, an anti-skid shock-absorbing mat, a stretcher trolley, a retractable doctor’s seat, a retractable tarpaulin, dog-catching equipment, two movable cages to hold dogs, and overhead cupboards. There will also be a provision to administer intravenous fluids and oxygen on board.

Useful notes for all competitive exams:

• Tamil Nadu Capital: Chennai;
• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister: M. K. Stalin;
• Tamil Nadu Governor: R. N. Ravi.

International

China’s Long March-8 Rocket Launches 22 Satellites into Space

China’s second Long March 8 rocket launched carrying a domestic record 22 satellites for a range of commercial Chinese space companies. The Long March 8 lifted off from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center at 10:06 p.m.

Eastern Feb. 26, with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) later confirming launch success.

These satellites will be mainly used for commercial remote sensing services, marine environment monitoring, forest fire-prevention, and disaster mitigation. The mission marked the 409th flight of the Long March carrier rockets.

Useful notes for all competitive exams: 

• China Capital: Beijing;
• China Currency: Renminbi;
• China President: Xi Jinping.

US, EU, UK decided to eliminate selected Russian banks from SWIFT

Canada, U.S.A., and their European allies have come to a conclusion to remove the key Russian banks from the Interbank messaging system (IMS) of SWIFT. This is a very big step that will cut off the country from much of the worldwide financial system.

The major global powers issued a joint statement announcing this significant retaliatory measure. It said, “This will ensure that these banks are disconnected from the international financial system and harm their ability to operate globally”.

Russia’s removal from SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) will mean that the Russian banks will not be able to communicate securely with foreign banks. Previously, Iran has been removed from SWIFT in 2014 following developments to its nuclear program in Tehran.

The announcement will follow several rounds of joint sanctions that will be imposed on Russia for its unprovoked attack on Ukraine.

SWIFT stands for Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications and is an independent enterprise, which is based in Belgium. SWIFT serves as an internal communication mechanism between around 11,000 banks and financial institutions for more than 200 countries and territories.

Appointments

Ashneer Grover resigned from BharatPe as MD & Director

Ashneer Grover, co-founder and Managing Director (MD) of BharatPe, a leading Indian fintech company, has resigned as the MD and director of the board of BharatPe.

Ashneer Grover, who owns a 9.5% stake worth Rs 1915 crore in BharatPe, will continue as the single largest individual shareholder of the company. BharatPe became the 19th Indian startup to become a unicorn in 2021.

Shashwat Nakrani, the co-founder of BharatPe, owns 7.8% and Sequoia Capital India, a venture capital (VC) investor and the largest shareholder of BharatPe, holds 19.6%, followed by Coatue at 12.4% and Ribbit Capital at 11%. As of August 2021, Tiger Global, Steadview Capital, and Beenext together hold a 60.4% stake in BharatPe.

Ranks and Reports

GoI think tank, Niti Aayog developing National Gender Index

NITI Aayog is in the process to develop a National Gender Index. The objective of the National Gender Index is to measure the progress and identify the persisting gaps in gender equality to make informed policy decisions.

It will serve as a tool to map the progress of India’s States and UTs on defined gender metrics and build the foundation for positive change. The information was released in the Annual Report 2021-22 of NITI Aayog.

Niti Aayog has also developed a draft State Energy and Climate Index to assess the performance of states on indicators such as discus viability and competition; access, affordability, and reliability of energy; clean energy initiatives; energy efficiency; generation capacity; and environmental sustainability and new initiatives.

The index will help states efficiently manage their energy resources and provide better access to energy to the people.

Awards

Prof Deepak Dhar became the first Indian selected for Boltzmann Medal

Physicist Professor, Deepak Dhar has become the first Indian to be awarded the Boltzmann Medal. The Commission on Statistical Physics of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) presents this medal once in three years for contributions in the field of statistical physics.

The medal presentation ceremony will be held during the StatPhys28 conference scheduled to be held in Tokyo in August this year. He shares the medal with John J Hoefield of Princeton University. Prof Dhar is presently the emeritus faculty at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune.

Sports

31st Southeast Asian Games to be held in Vietnam

The 31st Southeast Asian Games will be held in Vietnam from May 12 to 23, 2022. It is the biggest sporting event in Southeast Asia and is a biennial event.

The event was originally scheduled to take place in November 2021 however it was postponed due to the Covid pandemic. The Games will feature 40 sports with 526 events, attracting around 10,000 participants, organizers announced at a press conference here.

The Vietnamese capital Hanoi will be the main venue alongside 11 neighboring localities including Quang Ninh, Phu Tho, and Bac Ninh, Xinhua news agency reported. Moto of 31st Southeast Asian Games- “For a Stronger South East Asia”.

Points to remember:

• In 2023, the Southeast Asian Games will be held at Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
• The mascot of the 2021 Southeast Asian Games is “Sao La”, inspired by saola – a rare mammal native to central Vietnam.

Dabang Delhi beats Patna Pirates to win maiden PKL title

Dabang Delhi K C defeated Patna Pirates by 36-37 in the final of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 8 in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Dabang Delhi beat three-time champion Patna Pirates. Pawan Sehrawat was awarded the Raider of the season award for his 304 raid points in 24 matches. The winner of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 8 got a cash prize of 3 crores.

Other awardees:

• Defender of the season award: Mohammadreza Chiyaneh;
• Emerging Player of the season: Mohit Goyat;
• Most Valuable Player of the season award: Naveen Kumar.

List of winners of Pro Kabaddi League till now:

Books and Authors

Anup Jalota released the book “Udaan Ek Majdoor Bachhe Ki” authored by Mithilesh Tiwari

Bhajan Samrat Anup Jalota has released the book “Udaan Ek Majdoor Bachhe Ki” by Captain AD Manek in a glittering program organized by Shailesh B Tiwari of P Club Education Pvt Ltd in Mumbai.

The author of this book is Mithilesh Tiwari. This book is about the life journey of Captain AD Manek, how he traveled from zero to pinnacle in his career graph.

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin’s autobiography “Ungalil Oruvan” launched

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched the first volume of Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin’s autobiography Ungalil Oruvan (One Among You) in Chennai.

The first part of the autobiography contains his early life experiences. In it, he traces his school and college days, adolescence, early political contributions, marital life, and the MISA struggle, recalling 23 years up to 1976.

Ex-soldier Captain Deepam Chatterjee authored a new book “The Millennial Yogi”

Former Indian Army Captain, Deepam Chatterjee has authored a new book titled “The Millennial Yogi: A modern-day parable about reclaiming one’s life”. This is a book that mixes mysticism and music that takes readers on a journey of awakening.

The book talks about Jayshankar Prasad, or Jay, who has a shady-yet-mercurial rise in his journey as an entrepreneur and Vini, a mystic monk. The book is published by Ebury Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.