Table of Contents
Important Days
NDRF celebrates its 17th Raising Day on 19 January 2022
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) celebrates its Raising Day every year on January 19, since it came into existence on January 19, 2006. In 2022, the NDRF is observing its 17th Raising Day. There are 12 NDRF battalions located in different parts of the country and comprise as many as 13,000 NDRF personnel who work to build a safer country.
The NDRF has earned a good name and fame nationally and internationally with its selfless service and unmatched professionalism in disaster management. NDRF has saved more than one lakh lives in its 3100 operations and rescued/evacuated over 6.7 lakh people during disasters.
NDRF is an Indian specialized force under the National Disaster Management Authority, constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, to carry out the special responses in situations of threatening disaster.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- Director Generals of NDRF: Atul Karwal.
National
DPIIT organized Startup India Innovation Week from 10 to 16 January
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has virtually organized the 1st-ever ‘Startup India Innovation Week’ from 10th -16th of January 2022. The week commemorates the 75th year of India’s independence ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ and showcases the spread and depth of entrepreneurship across India.
Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal launched the Startup India Innovation Week. As part of the Start-up India Innovation Week, Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode’s (IIMK) business incubator, Laboratory for Innovation Venturing and Entrepreneurship (LIVE), and Indian Bank has signed an MoU to launch a start-up funding scheme ‘IndSpring Board’ to support early-stage start-ups with loans up to Rs 50 crore.
International
Roberta Metsola takes over EU parliament presidency
Roberta Metsola, a Christian Democrat from Malta, was elected president of the European Union’s parliament. Her election comes a week after the shock death of outgoing parliament president David Sassoli, who was due to step down as part of a power-sharing pact.
She is only the third woman elected to the post. she is the European Parliament’s youngest president. Metsola was the candidate of the parliament’s biggest group, and she received 458 of the 616 votes cast.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- European Union’s parliament Headquarters: Strasbourg, France;
- European Union’s parliament Founded: 10 September 1952, Europe.
Business
JIO becomes 1st telecom company to roll out UPI AUTOPAY
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Reliance Jio have announced that UPI AUTOPAY has now been introduced for the telecom industry with Jio.
Jio’s integration with UPI AUTOPAY has made it the first player in the telecom industry to go live with the unique e-mandate feature that was launched by NPCI.
Using the UPI AutoPay launched by NPCI, customers can now enable recurring e-mandate using any UPI application for recurring payments such as mobile bills, electricity bills, EMI payments, entertainment/OTT subscriptions, insurance, mutual funds among others.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- National Payments Corporation of India Founded: 2008;
- National Payments Corporation of India Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra;
- National Payments Corporation of India MD & CEO: Dilip Asbe.
MobiKwik launches ‘ClickPay’ in collaboration with NBBL
MobiKwik, one of India’s largest mobile wallets and Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) Fintech companies launched ‘ClickPay’ for its customers, in collaboration with NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd. (NBBL).
This feature enables MobiKwik customers to pay recurring online bills (such as mobile, gas, water, electricity, DTH, insurance, and loan EMIs) with ease by eliminating the need to remember individual bill details and due dates.
ClickPay is a two-step payment feature wherein the billers generate a unique payment link within the bill-pay message, allowing customers to make payments directly on the payment page. MobiKwik is focused on providing the Indian middle-class population a simple and secure payment platform to make daily life payments.
Defence
India & Japan conducted Maritime Partnership Exercise in the Bay of Bengal
A Maritime Partnership Exercise was held between the Indian Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) in the Bay of Bengal in a non-contact mode amid COVID-19.
The Indian side was represented by Indian Naval Ships (INS) Shivalik and INS Kadmatt while JMSDF Ships Uraga and Hirado participated from the Japanese side. Strengthening bilateral relations, promoting defense cooperation, enhancing mutual understanding and interoperability, and sharing best practices between IN and JMSDF.
Some Important Exercise:
- Red Flag: India and US
- Al Nagah: India and Oman
- ‘Naseem-Al-Bahr’: India and Oman
- Ekuverin: India and Maldives
- Garuda Shakti: India and Indonesia
- Desert Warrior: India and Egypt
Awards
Axis Bank & CRMNEXT won IBSi Innovation Awards 2021
Axis Bank & CRMNEXT Solution won the IBS Intelligence (IBSi) Global FinTech Innovation Awards 2021 for the “Best CRM (Customer Relationship Management) System Implementation”. It is one of the most prominent awards for global bankers and IT (Information Technology) consultants across the world.
The Axis Bank implemented CRMNEXT for sales and service modernization and it also enables smarter lead processing, automated routing, complete tracking, and visibility. It identified and honored technology players and banks for their excellence in banking technology implementations and innovations using emerging technologies.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- Axis Bank Founded: 3 December 1993;
- Axis Bank Headquarters: Mumbai;
- Axis Bank MD & CEO: Amitabh Chaudhary;
- Axis Bank Chairperson: Shri Rakesh Makhija;
- Axis Bank Tagline: Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi.
The Best FIFA Football Awards 2021 announced
The Best FIFA Football Awards 2021 ceremony was held virtually in Zurich, Switzerland to crown outstanding players for excellent achievement in football.
Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas and Poland/Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski were awarded the Best FIFA Players in women’s and men’s football respectively. Lewandowski won the Best FIFA Men’s Player Award for the second straight year, after getting the first one in 2020.
Here is the Complete List of Winners:
| Category | Winner |
| Best FIFA Men’s Player | Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich, Poland) |
| Best FIFA Women’s Player | Alexia Putellas (Barcelona, Spain) |
| Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper | Édouard Mendy (Chelsea, Senegal) |
| Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper | Christiane Endler (Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon, Chile) |
| Best FIFA Men’s Coach | Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea, Germany) |
| Best FIFA Women’s Coach | Emma Hayes (Chelsea, England) |
| FIFA Fair Play Award | Denmark national football team and medical staff |
| FIFA Special Award for an Outstanding Career Achievement | Christine Sinclair (Female) & Cristiano Ronaldo (Male) |
India to host AFC Women’s football Asian Cup 2022
India is all set to host AFC Women’s football Asian Cup India 2022 from 20th January 2022 in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Pune. The tournament will witness 12 teams competing for the trophy.
AFC Women’s Asian Cup India will also be the final stage of Asian qualification for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Five teams will qualify for the main event directly while two of them will progress to the inter-confederation play-offs.
Japan is the defending champion of the Women’s Asian Cup, having won it in 2018. Hosts India has been placed in Group A alongside China, Chinese Taipei, and Iran. Meanwhile, Australia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia have been placed in Group B. Defending champions Japan find themselves in Group C along with South Korea, Vietnam, and Myanmar.
Books and Authors
A book titled “Bose: The Untold Story of An Inconvenient Nationalist” by Chandrachur Ghose
A new biography titled “Bose: The Untold Story of An Inconvenient Nationalist” authored by Chandrachur Ghose will be released in February 2022.
The book contains the thoughts and opinions of Subhas Chandra Bose about the development of independent India, communalism, geopolitics, and political ideology. It also marked the untold and unknown stories of Netaji (Subhas Chandra Bose).
Obitaury
Noted environmentalist & ‘Save Silent Valley’ campaigner M.K. Prasad passes away
Noted environmentalist & ‘Save Silent Valley’ campaigner Prof M K Prasad passed away recently. He was a prominent figure in the historic grassroots level movement to save the evergreen tropical rain forests in Kerala’s Silent Valley from destruction.
He had also led the popular science movement, ‘Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishath’. Prof. Prasad, who had served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Calicut University, was at the forefront of environmental protection activities in the State.
Renowned Bengali theatre personality Saoli Mitra passes away
Renowned Bengali theatre personality Saoli Mitra has passed away. She had acted in Ritwik Ghatak’s avant garde film Jukti Takko aar Gappo in 1974. She also wrote, directed, and acted in the hugely popular Katha Amritsamman (Words that are like Nectar) another adaptation of the Mahabharata.
Mitra, who was the recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2003, Padma Shri in 2009, and Banga Bibhusan in 2012 would be remembered by her fans and critics alike for her solo performance as Draupadi in Naathvati Anaathbat (Five husbands, yet an orphan), which she also wrote and directed, and as Sita on Sitakatha.
Legendary Bengali comics artist, writer, and illustrator, Narayan Debnath passes away
Legendary Bengali comics artist, writer, and illustrator, Narayan Debnath, has passed away after a prolonged illness. He was 97. The celebrated cartoonist was the creator of popular Bengali comic strips like Handa Bhonda (1962), Bantul the Great (1965), and Nonte Phonte (1969).
He holds the record of longest-running comics by an individual artiste for the Handa Bhonda comics series which completed its continuous 60 years of running. In 2021, Debnath was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India.
Miscellaneous
Legendary Collarwali Tigress who gave birth to 29 cubs passes away
India’s “Supermom” tigress, popularly known as ‘Collarwali’, has passed away at Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Madhya Pradesh, due to old age. It was over 16 years old. ‘Collarwali’ tigress was known for giving birth to 29 cubs during her lifetime, which is believed to be a world record.
The official name given to the tigress by the forest department was T-15 but she was fondly called ‘Collarwali’ by the native people. She gained the Collarwali title as she became the first tigress in the park to be fitted with a radio collar in 2008. Madhya Pradesh also gained an identity as a ‘Tiger State’ due to the significant contribution of this supermom.
Dubai opens its Infinity Bridge for traffic for the first time
Iconic ‘Infinity Bridge’ in Dubai, United Arab Emirates has been formally opened to traffic for the first time on 16th January 2022. Its design resembles a mathematical sign for infinity (∞). It represents the limitless, infinite goals of Dubai.
It consists of six lanes in each direction and a combined 3-meter track for pedestrians and cyclists. It is 300 meters long and 22 meters wide.
The bridge consists of six lanes and improves the link between Deira and Bur Dubai. It features a combined 3-meter track for pedestrians and cyclists.
First announced in 2018, the Infinity Bridge is part of an Al Shindagha Corridor Project. Consisting of six lanes in each direction, the bridge has an arch shaped like the infinity symbol – which symbolizes Dubai’s unlimited ambitions.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- UAE Capital: Abu Dhabi;
- UAE Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham;
- UAE President: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
- Daily Current Affairs in English 11 Sep 2022 – Useful for all Competitive Exams
- Hindu Editorial with Vocabulary: Sep Month – Day 10
- 11 Sep 2022 Daily Current Affairs in Hindi – सभी प्रतियोगी परीक्षाओं के लिए महत्वपूर्ण
- 10 Sep 2022 Daily Current Affairs in Hindi – सभी प्रतियोगी परीक्षाओं के लिए महत्वपूर्ण
- Hindu Editorial with Vocabulary: Sep Month – Day 9
- Daily Current Affairs in English 10 Sep 2022 – Useful for all Competitive Exams
