Table of Contents
Important Days
Jan Aushadhi Diwas celebrates on 7th March 2022
The Jan Aushadhi Diwas is celebrated on 7 March 2022 by the Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI). The day is observed to spread awareness about the usages of generic medicines and the benefits of Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana. The theme of the 4 Janaushadhi Diwas is “Jan Aushadhi-Jan Upyogi”.
On this occasion, Doctors, Health Workers, Nurses, Pharmacists, and Jan Aushadhi Mitra will discuss the Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana. The government has set a target to increase the number of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) to 10,500 by March 2025.
Janaushadhi Kendras is the world’s biggest retail pharma chain having around 6,200 outlets in 700 districts of the country. It also provides a good source of self-employment with sustainable and regular earnings. The first Jan Aushadhi Diwas was celebrated on the 7th of March 2019.
CISF observed its 53rd Raising Day on March 06
The 53rd Raising Day ceremony of the Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF) was organized on March 06, 2022, in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has attended and addressed the Raising Day ceremony of CISF at Ghaziabad’s Indirapuram.
The CISF, which functions under the Union Home Ministry, is a central armed police force and among one of the six paramilitary forces of India. Over 30 lakh passengers in Delhi Metro and 10 lakh passengers in airports across the country pass through the security of CISF.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- Director-General of CISF: Sheel Vardhan Singh.
National
PM Narendra Modi inaugurates Rs 11,400 Crore Pune Metro Rail Project
The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi has inaugurated Pune Metro Rail Project on March 06, 2022, and also interacted with differently-abled, visually impaired students present inside the metro coach, during his 10-minute ride in the Pune Metro.
Pune Metro Rail Project has been built at a total cost of INR 11,420 Crore. It has a total length of 33.2 km and 30 stations.
Pune Metro is the first metro project in the country to have Aluminum body coaches, indigenously manufactured under the Make in India policy of GoI. PM Modi also unveiled the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the premises of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and laid the foundation stone and inaugurated multiple developmental projects in Pune.
India’s first FSRU Hoegh Giant Arrives at Jaigarh Terminal
H-Jaigarh Energy’s Terminal in Maharashtra has received India’s first floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU). On April 12, 2021, the FSRU Höegh Giant arrived at Jaigarh Terminal in Maharashtra after sailing from Keppel Shipyard in Singapore. This will be India’s first FSRU-based LNG receiving terminal, as well as Maharashtra’s first year-around LNG facility.
The Hoegh Giant, which was erected in 2017, has a storage capacity of 1,70,000 cubic meters and a regasification capacity of 750 million cubic feet per day (equivalent to about six million TPA). FSRU has been chartered for a 10-year period by H-Energy.
The Hoegh Giant LNG terminal will be connected to the national gas grid via the 56-kilometer Jaigarh-Dabhol natural gas pipeline. The facility will also deliver LNG to onshore distribution via truck loading facilities. Reloading LNG into small-scale LNG vessels for bunkering services is also possible at the plant
H-Energy also plans to boost the region’s small-scale LNG market, utilizing FSRU for LNG storage and reloading into smaller boats.
Telangana topped the Country in terms of Per Capita Net State
Telangana became the top-performing state in India with a population over one crore in terms of the growth rate of Per Capita Net State Domestic Product at Current Prices by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). It succeeded other states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
The Gross State Domestic Price (GSDP) of Telangana increased from Rs 359434 crores in 2011-12 to Rs 1,154,860 crores in 2021-22. It recorded GSDP growth by 31.12 percent from 2011-12. It is one of the highest growth rates for any state in the country.
In terms of the percentage growth in GSDP, Telangana has shown the most rapid increase in its growth rate by around 17% from 2020 to the present.
Major projects include the Rythu Bandhu scheme for farmers, the world’s largest lift irrigation Kaleshwaram project to provide water to the fields, and the Arogya Laxmi scheme for pregnant and lactating women.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- Telangana Capital: Hyderabad;
- Telangana Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan;
- Telangana Chief minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao.
International
Study in India meet 2022 inaugurated in Dhaka
The two-day-long Study in India (SII) 2022 meeting was inaugurated in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The event organized by the High Commission of India was inaugurated by the Education Minister of Bangladesh Dr. Dipu Moni and the High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami.
Education Minister of Bangladesh said the educational exchange between the two countries will further strengthen the friendly relations between the two countries. She said that students of today have the responsibility to find solutions for the common issues like poverty that are faced by the countries of South Asia.
A large number of students from various educational institutions took part in the event. They explored the opportunity for studying abroad provided by some of the best colleges and universities in India.
Mobile World Congress 2022 held in Barcelona
The Global System for Mobile Communications Association(GSMA) has organized the 2022 Mobile World Congress (MWC), which took place in Barcelona, Spain from 28 February to 3 March.
The focus on 5G and maximizing its potential for benefiting countries and economies is the centerpiece of MWC this year which is taking place amid an ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Global Mobile Economy Report expects 5G connections globally to reach 1 billion in 2022 by 5G adoption. An increase in the 5G network connection will increase the global GDP by 5% up to$5 trillion in 2025.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- GSMA Established: 1995;
- GSMA Headquarters: London, United Kingdom;
- GSMA Chairperson:Stéphane Richard.
Appointments
SBI named ex-Ujjivan Small Finance Bank CEO Nitin Chugh as DMD
State Bank of India (SBI) has appointed former Ujjivan Small Finance Bank CEO, Nitin Chugh as Deputy Managing Director (DMD) to drive digital banking operations. He has been appointed for an initial term of three years.
Prior to this appointment, Chugh was CEO and managing director of Ujjivan Small Finance Bank. He joined there from HDFC Bank where he served as the Group Head of Digital Banking.
According to public notice by SBI, the position would be responsible for envisioning, developing, and executing of bank’s digital banking strategy and business plan for imparting digital knowledge/skills in a constructive, empowering, and collaborative way.
Summits and Conferences
Minister of Electronics & IT inaugurates Tech Conclave 2022
National Informatics Centre (NIC) has partnered with governments on digital initiatives. We’ve constructed state-of-the-art PAN-India ICT infrastructure, digital platforms, and solutions for the government’s exclusive usage over the years. We’ve helped the federal and state governments automate their procedures and deliver public services electronically.
NIC has been hosting a Tech Conclave on Emerging Technologies, which is particularly useful in e-Government. “Next-Gen Technologies for Digital Government” is the theme of this year’s Tech Conclave.
The benefits can range from gaining a better grasp of the industry’s ICT best practices to disseminating awareness of the latest technologies and trends that are useful in society’s big digital transition.
The Tech Conclave will provide IT, managers, from government ministries and departments with information on the latest ICT technology and its applications, as well as industry best practices.
Business
Future Generali India Insurance Launches ‘FG Dog Health Cover’ Insurance
Future Generali India Insurance Company Limited (FGII) has announced the launch of FG Dog Health Cover, comprehensive health insurance for pet dogs, along with industry-first ‘Emergency Pet Minding’ cover. The FGII also focuses on a digital campaign named ‘Oh My Dog!’ with an aim to create awareness on purchasing dog health insurance cover and also targets on social media like Instagram and Twitter.
The insurance policy covers pet dogs aged between six months to four years for giant breeds and seven years for small, medium, and large breeds. The exit age is ten years for small, medium, and large breeds and six years for giant breeds.
This comprehensive coverage will protect pet parents against the cost of their dogs’ surgery and hospitalization, terminal illness, mortality, and funeral expenses. With add-on covers, pet parents will, also, be able to insure their dogs against third-party liability, theft or loss, emergency pet minding, veterinary consultation, and doctor on call.
With FG Dog Health Cover, pet parents will be able to choose a veterinarian, budget their pet care costs, and avoid the dip into emergency funds with easy documentation.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- FGII CEO: Anup Rau;
- FGII Headquarters location: Mumbai;
- FGII Founded: 2000.
Defence
India’s first indigenous Flying Trainer HANSA-NG completes sea level trials
India’s first indigenously developed Flying Trainer, ‘HANSA-NG’, successfully completed the sea-level trials at Puducherry. HANSA-NG was flown from Bengaluru to Puducherry on February 19, covering a distance of 140 nautical miles in 1.5 hours at a cruising speed of 155 km/hr.
The objectives of sea level trials are to evaluate handling qualities, climb / cruise performance, balked landing, structural performance including positive & negative G, power plant, and other systems performance.
The aircraft has been designed and developed by CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), under the aegis of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
HANSA-NG is one of the most advanced flying trainers, designed to meet the Indian flying club needs and it is an ideal aircraft for Commercial Pilot Licensing (CPL) due to its low cost and low fuel consumption. A trainer aircraft is designed specifically to facilitate flight training of pilots and aircrews.
Sports
BCCI named RuPay as the official partner for Tata IPL 2022
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s, Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council has announced National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)‘s flagship product RuPay as an official partner for the Tata IPL 2022. This will be a multi-year partnership. RuPay offers tech-led, innovative, and customized offerings to people across India, being accepted in India and internationally.
Tata IPL 2022 will be co-presented by Dream11 and co-powered by Tata and CRED. Swiggy, Prystin Care, Zepto, Livspace, L’Oreal, and Spinny have been signed-on as associate sponsors.
The 15th edition of Tata IPL 2022 will start on 26th March 2022. A total of 70 league matches will be played across four international venues in Mumbai and Pune. The venue for the playoff matches will be decided later.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- BCCI Founded: 1928;
- BCCI Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India;
- BCCI President: Sourav Ganguly;
- BCCI Vice president: Rajeev Shukla;
- BCCI Secretary: Jay Shah;
- BCCI Men’s coach: Rahul Dravid;
- BCCI Women’s coach: Ramesh Powar.
Mithali Raj becomes first woman cricketer to appear at six Cricket World Cups
Indian women cricket captain, Mithali Raj has become the first woman to appear in six World Cups. She is the only third cricketer overall to play six world cup after Sachin Tendulkar and Javed Miandad.
She has played in the ICC women’s cricket world cup events in 2000, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2017, and now in 2022. The ICC women’s cricket world cup 2022 is being held in New Zealand.
In the women’s game, the Indian batter surpassed former New Zealand cricketers, Debbie Hockley and Charlotte Edwards of England. Fast bowler Jhulan Goswami, Raj’s India teammate for the longest time, stands second on the list with five World Cup appearances.
Books and Authors
The Queen Of Indian Pop: The Authorised Biography Of Usha Uthup
The biography of pop icon Usha Uthup titled “The Queen of Indian Pop: The Authorised Biography of Usha Uthup” was released. The book was originally written in Hindi titled “Ullas Ki Naav” by author Vikas Kumar Jha.
“The Queen of Indian Pop: The Authorised Biography of Usha Uthup” is the English translation of the book, translated by the writer’s daughter Srishti Jha. The book is published by Penguin Random House India (PRHI).
The 74-year-old pop icon, who completed 50 years as a professional singer in 2020, is widely known for evergreen hits such as “Hari Om Hari”, “Rambha Ho” and “Jeete Hain Shaan Se”. She has sung in several Indian and foreign languages including Bengali, Hindi, English, German, Italian and Sinhalese.
A book titled ‘The Blue Book’ by authored by Journalist Amitava Kumar
Indian writer and journalist, Amitava Kumar has come out with a new book titled ‘The Blue Book: A Writer’s Journal’. The book has been published by HarperCollins India.
The Blue Book is the outcome of the diary-keeping by the author during the time of lockdown due to pandemics. The author has used watercolor drawings as well as words to depict the experience, both individual and collective, of the pandemic.
Obituary
Former Australian cricketer Rod Marsh passes away
Former Australia cricketer (wicketkeeper), Rodney William Marsh has passed away in Adelaide Australia. He was the 1st Australian wicketkeeper to score a century in test cricket and finished his career with 3 centuries.
He held a test record of 355 dismissals by a wicketkeeper, including 95 off the bowling of pace bowler Dennis Lillee. He has played 96 test matches for Australia from 1970 to 1984 and 92 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) for Australia and later retired from top-flight cricket in February 1984.