Gktoday 16 - 28 February 2022

GKTODAY
Current Affairs [PDF] - February 16-28, 2022
Last Updated: March 1, 2022

Published by: GKTODAY.IN
GKToday © 2022 | All Rights Reserved
The authors and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this E-book is
correct. However, GKToday does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any party for any loss,
damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from
negligence, accident, or any other cause.
This document is a property of GKToday. Unauthorized Duplication is not allowed.
Current Affairs [PDF] - February 16-28, 2022
Contents
......................... ....... ..... ....... ... . . ....................................................
News Headlines ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
February 16, 2022 .................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
February 17, 2022 .................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
February 18, 2022 .................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
February 19, 2022 .................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
February 20, 2022 ................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
February 21, 2022 .................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
February 22, 2022 ................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
February 23, 2022 ................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
February 24, 2022 ................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
February 25, 2022 ................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
February 26, 2022 ................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
February 28, 2022 ................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
February 28, 2022 ................................................................................................................................................................................. 9
February 16, 2022 .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
First-Ever Quadruple Asteroid ............................................................................................................................................................. 9
Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs ............................................................................................................................ 10
February 17, 2022 ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Gurudas Ravidas Jayanti ....................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Fintech Open Month ............................................................................................................................................................................ 12
Secretariat for 2023 G20 summit ..................................................................................................................................................... 12
India's Advice to Citizens to leave Ukraine ..................................................................................................................................... 13
Extension of INSACOG Network to neighbour countries .......................................................................................................... 14
New Rules for Kids on Two-wheelers ............................................................................................................................................. 14
What is 'TriSb92' Molecule? .............................................................................................................................................................. 15
Integrated Plant Nutrition Management Bill, 2022 ....................................................................................................................... 15
India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement .................................................................................................. 16
AAR Ruling: GST on Guest Lectures ............................................................................................................................................... 17
SC on Tribunal Appointments ........................................................................................................................................................... 17
Pasuvula Panduga Cattle Festival ....................................................................................................................................................... 18
DefExpo 2022 ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
First National Maritime Security Coordinator (NMSC) .............................................................................................................. 19
Solar Waste Handling in India ........................................................................................................................................................... 20
Mumbai Water Taxi ............................................................................................................................................................................. 21
Pramarsh 2022 Workshop .................................................................................................................................................................. 21
February 18, 2022 ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 22
Second Advance Estimates of Production of Major Crops ......................................................................................................... 22
H5N1 bird flu Outbreak in Patna & Maharashtra ......................................................................................................................... 23
HIV: First woman cured after Stem Cell Transplant ................................................................................................................... 23
Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link ....................................................................................................................................... 24
New India Literacy Programme ........................................................................................................................................................ 24
Fintech Open Hackathon .................................................................................................................................................................... 25
Finance Ministry's Monthly Economic Review - Update (February, 2022) ........................................................................... 26
Munich Security Conference ............................................................................................................................................................. 26
India's UPI Platform in Nepal ............................................................................................................................................................ 27
Asia's largest Bio-CNG plant ............................................................................................................................................................. 28
Gujarat New Biotechnology policy .................................................................................................................................................. 29
US Resolution on Ukraine crisis ........................................................................................................................................................ 29
G20 Sustainable Financing Scheme ................................................................................................................................................. 30
Study on Greater Maldive Ridge (GMR) ....................................................................................................................................... 30
NAAC Guidelines on Accreditation .................................................................................................................................................. 31
Brazil Floods and Mudslides .............................................................................................................................................................. 32
T.N. Neutrino Observatory-Recent Developments ....................................................................................................................... 32
February 15: Bihar Shahid Diwas ...................................................................................................................................................... 33
Green Hydrogen Policy ...................................................................................................................................................................... 34
Guidelines on EPR for Plastic Packaging ........................................................................................................................................ 34
© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 2
Hilal-e-Pakistan Award to Bill Gates ................................................................................................................................................ 35

February 19, 2022 ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 35
European Union-African Union Summit ......................................................................................................................................... 35
Labharthiyon Se Rubaroo initiative .................................................................................................................................................. 36
NIAB: Detection Method of Japanese Encephalitis Virus ............................................................................................................ 37
Malawi Wild Polio Case ...................................................................................................................................................................... 38
UNCTAD on Global Trade in 2021 ................................................................................................................................................ 38
Removal of UK 'Golden Visas' .......................................................................................................................................................... 39
Falkland Islands Dispute ..................................................................................................................................................................... 40
India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement - Update (February, 2022) ............................................... 40
SC on Krishna Water Dispute ............................................................................................................................................................ 41
Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) ............................................................................................................................................... 42
DGCA Child Restraint System .......................................................................................................................................................... 42
India’s Record Soyoil Import from the United States of America ............................................................................................ 43
I&B Ministry Guidelines on data security ........................................................................................................................................ 43
Indian Army’s Bent-Toed Gecko ..................................................................................................................................................... 44
Omicron-Delta mixed Infections ...................................................................................................................................................... 44
Indian Oil- 1000 EV Charging stations ........................................................................................................................................... 45
Hurun Report on Dollar Millionaires .............................................................................................................................................. 46
Upper Bhadra Project- New National Project ............................................................................................................................... 46
RPF: ‘Operation Nanhe Farishte’ ...................................................................................................................................................... 47
Meri Policy Mere Hath Door-step Campaign ............................................................................................................................... 47
MoHUA Approval to A.P under Garbage Free Cities ................................................................................................................. 48
February 21, 2022 ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 48
UNEP Frontiers Report ....................................................................................................................................................................... 48
World Bank ‘REWARD’ Project ........................................................................................................................................................ 49
Assam: Project Arohan ....................................................................................................................................................................... 50
Taj Mahotsav 2022 ............................................................................................................................................................................. 50
Phase 2 of Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System ...................................................................................................................... 51
Extension of 'Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan' scheme .................................................................................................... 52
RCS UDAN- First flight between Delhi-Khajuraho ..................................................................................................................... 52
NSE Co-Location Case- Explained ................................................................................................................................................... 53
Madhya Pradesh: Khajuraho Dance Festival .................................................................................................................................. 54
New technology to repair Aerospace components ....................................................................................................................... 55
Brainstorming webinar on implementation of Union Budget .................................................................................................... 55
International Mother Language Day 2022 ..................................................................................................................................... 56
J&K: ‘Janbhagidari Empowerment’ Portal ....................................................................................................................................... 57
DBT Draft Paper on Synthetic Biology .......................................................................................................................................... 57
MH-60R Multi-Role Helicopters ...................................................................................................................................................... 58
Revamp of Commerce Department ................................................................................................................................................. 58
What are Kisan Drones? ..................................................................................................................................................................... 59
SC on Gender Cap in Orchestra Bars ............................................................................................................................................. 59
Recent Study on Pollination of Moths ............................................................................................................................................ 60
What are “Fast Radio Bursts?” ......................................................................................................................................................... 60
Mumbai: Host of IOC Session 2023 ................................................................................................................................................ 61
February 22, 2022 ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 62
FSSAI ‘Eat Right Campus’ .................................................................................................................................................................. 62
United States: 'Pickleball' sport ......................................................................................................................................................... 62
Lavender Cultivation’ in Ramban ...................................................................................................................................................... 63
Statehood day of Arunachal Pradesh & Mizoram ........................................................................................................................ 64
Delhi: Specialised Schools of Excellence ......................................................................................................................................... 64
Alcyoneus Galaxy ................................................................................................................................................................................. 65
Japan Hydrogen Train ........................................................................................................................................................................ 65
What is 'Presidential Fleet Review'? ................................................................................................................................................. 66
India- Panacea Biotec New COVID Vaccine ................................................................................................................................. 67
India-France: Roadmap on Blue Economy and Ocean Governance ........................................................................................ 67
Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate Week .......................................................................................................................................................... 68
Storm Eunice across Europe ............................................................................................................................................................. 69

2022 Winter Olympics- Explained ................................................................................................................................................... 69

World Day of Social Justice - Update (February, 2022) ............................................................................................................ 70
ICCR Indian Crafts Fair ...................................................................................................................................................................... 70
Manipur Flag-hoisting Tradition ....................................................................................................................................................... 71
National Digital University .................................................................................................................................................................. 71
EUA to Corbevax for 12-18 Age Group ......................................................................................................................................... 72
Pakistan's New Cybercrime Law ...................................................................................................................................................... 73
Draft India Data Accessibility & Use Policy, 2022 ........................................................................................................................ 73
Nomura Business Resumption Index- Update ............................................................................................................................... 74
February 23, 2022 ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 74
Oil Discovery in Rajasthan ................................................................................................................................................................. 74
Chess: Victory of Praggnanandhaa over Magnus Carlsen .......................................................................................................... 75
MEA Paper on Democracy ................................................................................................................................................................ 75
Israel's C-Dome Defence System ..................................................................................................................................................... 76
US Sanctions on Russia ...................................................................................................................................................................... 76
Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission- Approval of New Clusters .................................................................................. 77
SEA-ME-WE-6 Undersea Cable Consortium ................................................................................................................................ 78
J&K Women Safety Squad ................................................................................................................................................................. 79
Evidence of First Ear Surgery ............................................................................................................................................................ 79
25th Meeting of Financial Stability and Development Council ................................................................................................. 80
Continuation of National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship .......................................................................................................... 80
RBI Sell/Buy Swap Auction ............................................................................................................................................................... 81
Russia-Ukraine Crisis- Recent News ................................................................................................................................................ 82
NITI Aayog on Green Financing ...................................................................................................................................................... 82
JPMorgan's Lounge in the Metaverse .............................................................................................................................................. 83
Rural Connectivity GIS Data ............................................................................................................................................................. 84
RBI's Caution against Carpooling app 'sRide' ............................................................................................................................... 84
IIT Roorkee's 'KISAN' Mobile App ................................................................................................................................................. 85
Eastern Bridge-VI Air Exercise .......................................................................................................................................................... 86
Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAYG) Dashboard ............................................................................................ 86
February 24, 2022 ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 87
Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians ................................................................................................................................ 87
J&K Delimitation Commission- Extension of Term ..................................................................................................................... 88
Angadia System .................................................................................................................................................................................... 88
Nord Stream 2 ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 89
India's Aid to Afghanistan .................................................................................................................................................................. 90
Khaibar-buster Missile ........................................................................................................................................................................ 90
Sanjeev Sanyal: New Member of EAC-PM .................................................................................................................................... 91
Aardvark Calf ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 91
Exercise Cobra Warrior ...................................................................................................................................................................... 92
Delhi: Baba Saheb Musical Show ..................................................................................................................................................... 93
Pune River Clean-up Project .............................................................................................................................................................. 93
European Union Data Act .................................................................................................................................................................. 94
'Nikarshan Sadan' Dredging Museum ............................................................................................................................................ 95
Quantum Key Distribution Link ....................................................................................................................................................... 95
'Milan' Multilateral Naval Exercise ................................................................................................................................................... 96
Workshop on Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace ................................................................................................ 96
J&K FDI Policy ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 97
Jordan: Discovery of 9000-year-old Shrine .................................................................................................................................. 98
Reports on India's COVID-19 Vaccine Development .................................................................................................................. 98
FSSAI Health Star Rating ................................................................................................................................................................... 99
3rd Anniversary of PM-KISAN ........................................................................................................................................................ 99
February 25, 2022 ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 100
National Strategy on Additive Manufacturing ............................................................................................................................. 100
Dearc sgiathanach: New Species of Pterosaur ............................................................................................................................ 100
China: Two Prehistoric Bird Species .............................................................................................................................................. 101
RBI: Amendments in Payments Systems Rules ............................................................................................................................ 102
New Asteroid with Three Moons ................................................................................................................................................... 102

Intracortical Visual Prosthesis .......................................................................................................................................................... 103

National Policy Guidelines on Bio-Medical Innovation and Entrepreneurship ..................................................................... 104
Moody's India Growth Forecast- Update ..................................................................................................................................... 104
OCEANS 2022 conference .............................................................................................................................................................. 105
Chandrayaan-2: Detection of Solar Proton Events ..................................................................................................................... 105
Sustainable Cities India Program .................................................................................................................................................... 106
Delhi Film Policy 2022 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 107
Ombudsperson App for MGNREGA ............................................................................................................................................ 108
USCC International Intellectual Property Index .......................................................................................................................... 108
Euphlyctis jaladhara ........................................................................................................................................................................... 109
Cabinet Committee on Security discusses Russia-Ukraine Crisis ............................................................................................ 109
Manipur Meitei Community ............................................................................................................................................................. 110
National Chess Championship ......................................................................................................................................................... 110
Delhi Police Statistics on Crime ........................................................................................................................................................ 111
What is a 'Megadrought'? ................................................................................................................................................................. 112
February 26, 2022 ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 112
Indian Railway's First Solar Power Plant ........................................................................................................................................ 112
Glass spheres on the Moon ............................................................................................................................................................... 113
Devayatanam Conference .................................................................................................................................................................. 113
IATA Pay Platform ............................................................................................................................................................................. 114
Russia-Ukraine Invasion- Impact on India ..................................................................................................................................... 115
India's FDI Inflow in April-Dec 2021 ............................................................................................................................................. 115
First Plant-Derived COVID Vaccine ................................................................................................................................................ 116
Dharma Guardian Exercise ............................................................................................................................................................... 116
Dayananda Saraswati ......................................................................................................................................................................... 117
Elevation of Union Law Secretary as HC Judge ........................................................................................................................... 117
India's first e-waste eco-park ........................................................................................................................................................... 118
Union Bank MSME RuPay Credit Card ......................................................................................................................................... 119
Russian-Ukraine Crisis: India's Stand in UNSC Draft Resolution ............................................................................................ 119
Immigration Visa Foreigners Registration Tracking Scheme ................................................................................................... 120
Tropical Cyclone Emnati ................................................................................................................................................................... 121
Bhasha Certificate Selfie Campaign ................................................................................................................................................. 121
India-Nepal Task Force for Hydropower Project ....................................................................................................................... 122
Chernobyl Plant ................................................................................................................................................................................... 122
MSME-Technology Centres ............................................................................................................................................................. 123
Snake Island ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 123
February 28, 2022 ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 124
Palk Bay Dugong Reserve ................................................................................................................................................................ 124
Thiomargarita magnifica ................................................................................................................................................................... 125
Study of 'Kombai' Dog ...................................................................................................................................................................... 125
National Polio Immunization Drive, 2022 .................................................................................................................................... 126
Who was Narsinh Mehta? ................................................................................................................................................................ 127
Operation Ganga ................................................................................................................................................................................ 127
North Korea's New Ballistic Missile ............................................................................................................................................... 128
Anonymous' Hackers Group ........................................................................................................................................................... 128
National Science Day 2022 ............................................................................................................................................................... 131
China's Record Launch of 22 Satellites .......................................................................................................................................... 131
World's largest plane ‘Mriya’ ............................................................................................................................................................ 132
SWIFT Ban on Russia ........................................................................................................................................................................ 132
Nepal: Approval of US Aid Grant ................................................................................................................................................... 133
Ladakh Ice Wall Climbing Competition ........................................................................................................................................ 134
Watts on the moon challenge- Phase 2 ......................................................................................................................................... 134
U.S. Report on Sea Level Rise .......................................................................................................................................................... 135
'Hit and Run' Solatium ...................................................................................................................................................................... 136
IAEA Extraordinary Meeting on Ukraine ...................................................................................................................................... 136
India's Export of Fresh Fruits ........................................................................................................................................................... 136
World NGO Day 2022 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 137
Mock Test .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 138

Answer Key ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 145

Note: ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 146

News Headlines
February 16, 2022
Here are Today’s News Headlines by GK Today for February 16, 2022
INDIA
– Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) organising Darkathon–2022 from February 15 to April 22 to find
solutions to unravel the anonymity of darknet markets
– Union Cabinet approves setting up of G20 Secretariat to implement overall policy decisions and
arrangements for India’s G20 Presidency from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023
– Commander of Royal Saudi Land Forces Lieutenant General Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-
Mutair calls on Army chief General M. M. Naravane in New Delhi
– G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and Development of North-Eastern Region
inaugurates two-day “Reimagining Museums In India – A Global Summit” in Hyderabad
– Ranchi: Special CBI court convicts RJD chief Lalu Prasad in final case of fodder scam; quantum of
punishment to be announced on 21st Feb
– Bengali singer Sandhya Mukherjee passes away at 90
– Kannada actress Bhargavi Narayan passes away at 83
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– RBI extends deadline for NBFCS to meet new NPA upgradation norms to March 31; loans
classified as NPA will be upgraded to standard category only if all dues are paid.
– Power Minister R. K. Singh, Australian Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor
chair 4th India-Australia Energy Dialogue
WORLD
– External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar concludes visit to Philippines; holds bilateral meeting with
his counterpart Teodoro L Locsin Jr
– Ethiopia lifts state of emergency as Tigray rebel forces retreat
February 17, 2022
INDIA
– Government approves ‘New India Literacy Programme, a new scheme of Adult Education for FYs
2022-27”; term “Adult Education” to be replaced with “Education For All”
– Road Transport & Highways Ministry amends safety norms, use of safety harness and crash helmet
must for children below four years on motorcycles
– Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar launches Scheme for
Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED); DNTs are De-notified, Nomadic and Semi Nomadic
Communities
– The Energy and Resources Institute’s (TERI) organising World Sustainable Development Summit
on February 16-18 in virtual format
– Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link: Longest tunnel of Indian Railways T-49 of 12.758 km
length connected
– New envoys: High Commissioner of Tanzania Anisa K. Mbega, Ambassador of Djibouti Isse
Abdillahi Assoweh, Ambassador of Serbia Sinisa Pavic and Ambassador of North Macedonia
Slobodan Uzunov
– Bollywood music composer and singer Bappi Lahiri dies in Mumbai at 69
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– Govt. estimates record foodgrains production of 316.06 million tonnes for 2021-22
– Enforcement Directorate arrests K. Ramakrishna the President of Bengaluru-based Sri Guru
Raghavendra Sahakara Bank in connection with misappropriation of public deposits to the tune of
more than Rs. 1,000 crores
– NITI Aayog in association with PhonePe launches Fintech Open Hackathon

WORLD
– Russian defence ministry announces end of Crimea military drills
– Ukraine: Cyberattacks knocks websites of Ukrainian army, defense ministry and major banks
offline
– Air forces of Bangladesh, US to conduct exercise ‘Cope South 22’ on Feb 20-25
SPORTS
– English club Chelsea defeats Brazilian club Palmeiras in final to win FIFA Club World Cup in Abu
Dhabi
– National senior volleyball championships in Bhubaneswar: Kerala (women’s), Haryana (men’s) win
titles
February 18, 2022
INDIA
– Karnataka Government issues circular restricting any religious attire within educational
institutions
– Asia’s largest tribal festival, the Medaram Jathara, being celebrated in Telangana from February
16 to 19
– Maharashtra: India’s first water taxi service inaugurated connecting Navi Mumbai to mainland
Mumbai
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– SC stays Punjab & Haryana High court order staying 75% quota in private sector jobs for Haryana
residents
– Karnataka High Court strikes down state government’s ban on online gaming
– Power Ministry notifies Green Hydrogen/ Green Ammonia Policy to replace fossil fuels
– Nepal to become first country to deploy India’s UPI (Unified Payments Interface) platform for
digitalisation of cash transactions
WORLD
– First meeting of G20 Finance Ministers & Central Bank Governors under G20 Presidency of
Indonesia held
February 19, 2022
INDIA
– PM Modi holds a virtual summit with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al
Nahyan
– Govt. approves implementation of Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) project
– Centre approves continuation of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) scheme for funding
state government universities and colleges till 31st March 2026
– Maharashtra: PM inaugurates two additional railway lines between Thane and Diva
– MP: Name of controversy-hit Vyavsayik Pareeksha Mandal (Vyapam) changed for 2nd time, now
rechristened as MP Karmachari Chayan Aayog
– 2008 Ahmedabad Serial bomb blast case: Special court awards death penalty to 38, life
imprisonment to 11 convicts
– Direct flight between Delhi and Khajuraho (MP) under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik)
scheme inaugurated
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– India’s foreign exchange reserves decline by USD 1.763 billion to USD 630.19 billion in the week
ended Feb 11
– Govt. of India, World Bank sign loan agreement of $115 million for implementation of
“Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agricultural Resilience through Innovative Development” (REWARD)

Project
– India-UAE sign Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)
– PSU NHPC incorporates NHPC Renewable Energy Ltd for clean energy business
– Chetan Ghate appointed new Director of Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi
– IndiaMart.com, Delhi’s Palika Bazaar figure in ‘US Notorious Markets List’ for allowing
counterfeiting and piracy
– IndiGo co-founder Rakesh Gangwal resigns from the company’s board; co-founder Rahul Bhatia is
MD
WORLD
– Bill Gates conferred Hilal-e-Pakistan honour for efforts to eradicate polio; country’s second highest
civilian honour
– Six African countries (Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia) to receive mRNA
(Messenger RNA) technology to set up vaccine production centres: WHO
SPORTS
– Shakibul Gani of Bihar becomes first to score triple hundred on First-Class debut in the Ranji
Trophy match against Mizoram in Kolkata
February 20, 2022
INDIA
– PM flags off 100 ‘kisan drones’ of Garuda Aerospace in different parts of the country for spraying
pesticides and other farm materials
– MP: PM inaugurates municipal solid waste based “Gobar-Dhan (Bio-CNG) Plant” in Indore (MP)
– Delhi: CM Arvind Kejriwal opens 12,430 ’high-tech’ classrooms
– Indian Express journalist Ravish Tiwari dies at 40
– Journalist and retired IIS officer Pratap Bordoloi dies at 72; worked at AIR News and Doordarshan
News
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– First batch of MH-60R copters from US to arrive by July; built by Lockheed Martin
– Centre to launch doorstep distribution drive ‘Meri Policy Mere Hath’ for PMFBY (Pradhan Mantri
Fasal Beema Yojana) agriculture insurance scheme
WORLD
– UNEP (UN Environment Programme) offers solutions for planetary crisis like wildfires in its
‘Frontiers Report’
– 14 dead as Storm Eunice wreaks havoc in Europe
– 58th Munich Security Conference (MSC) organised in Germany on Feb 18-20
SPORTS
– Mumbai to host International Olympic Committee session in 2023
February 21, 2022
INDIA
– Govt. organising ‘Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate’ commemoration from February 22 to 28 to celebrate
Science and Technology achievements over past 75 years
– Statehood Day of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh celebrated on Feb 20; both were Union
Territories before becoming states on February 20, 1987
– Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla leading Parliamentary delegation to UAE from Feb 21 to 25
– Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurates two new
Departments and two new Research Centres at International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
in Deonar, Mumbai
– Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal minister Sadhan Pande dies at 71

ECONOMY & CORPORATE

– Coal India Ltd wins ‘Most Dependable Public Sector in India’ award from Assocham
– India’s leather and footwear exports to cross USD 6 billion in 2022-23: Council for Leather Exports
(CLE)
WORLD
– UN celebrates World Day of Social Justice celebrated on Feb 20; theme: ‘Achieving Social Justice
through Formal Employment’
SPORTS
– 2022 Winter Olympics conclude in Beijing; Norway tops medals tally followed by Germany and
China
– India (184/5) beat West Indies (167/9) by 17 runs in Kolkata, sweep T20I series 3-0
February 22, 2022
INDIA
– 6th Anniversary of the launch of Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission observed
– President Ram Nath Kovind reviews Indian Navy’s fleet at Vishakhapatnam
– Air forces of India, Oman to conduct Eastern Bridge-VI exercise in Jodhpur from Feb 21 to 25
– DCGI grants Emergency Use Authorisation to COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax for children between
12-18 years of age group
– Rs 13,020-cr border management plan approved by centre
– Ranveer Singh (83) and Kriti Sanon (Mimi) win Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival
Award 2022 in the Best Actor and Best Actress category
– 2022 Padma Shri awardee Gandhian Shakuntala Choudhary (102) dies in Guwahati
– Andhra Pradesh: Industries and Information Technology Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy dies at
50
– Fodder Scam Case: Special CBI court sentences Lalu Yadav for 5 years of jail & imposes fine of Rs
60 lakh
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– IRCTC, NPCI, Bank of Baroda (BOB) Financial Solutions launch ‘IRCTC BoB RuPay Contactless
Credit Card’ for railway customers
WORLD
– Ex-US President Trump launches his Twitter-like app ‘Truth Social’ on iOS
– International Mother Language Day celebrated on Feb 21; theme: “Using technology for
multilingual learning: Challenges and opportunities”
– EAM S. Jaishankar holds bilateral talks with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian in Paris
SPORTS
– 16-year-old Indian chess Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa defeats world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen of
Norway in 8th round of Airthings Masters rapid online chess tournament
February 23, 2022
INDIA
– Centre extends National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) till 2025-26; provides
scholarships to meritorious students of economically weaker sections
– PM CARES for Children Scheme Extended up to February 28, 2022
– Union Minister Giriraj Singh launches Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAYG)
Dashboard
– Union Minister Giriraj Singh releases Rural Connectivity GIS (Geographic Information System)
Data in Public Domain; will benefit entrepreneurs
– Union Ministers Jitendra Singh, Kishan Reddy jointly inaugurate “Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate”

(Universal Reverence for Science) program to celebrate the country’s scientific achievements
– Signature tune for “Vande Bharatam” composed by Ricky Kej and Bickram Ghosh released by
Minister of State for Culture & External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi
– J&K delimitation panel gets 2-month extension; headed by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai (retired)
– Karnataka assembly passes bills to hike salary of CM, Ministers and MLAs; additional expenditure
of Rs 92.4 crore per annum
– Himachal Pradesh: 7 killed fireworks factory blast in Una town
– Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla flags off first consignment of humanitarian aid of 50,000 tonnes
of wheat to Afghanistan
– Govt orders blocking of Apps, website and social media accounts linked to banned organization
Sikhs For Justice
– Veteran Malayalam actress KPAC Lalitha dies at 74 in Kochi; won two national awards for best
supporting role
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– Finance Ministry’s Principal Economic Adviser Sanjeev Sanyal inducted into the Economic
Advisory Council to the Prime Minister as a full-time member
– SBI Life Insurance to reclassify BNP Paribas Cardif as non-promoter
WORLD
– Russia recognises independence of breakaway Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk
– Saudi Arabia celebrates its foundation day for the first time on Feb 22; founded in 1727
– External Affairs minister S Jaishankar addresses European Union Ministerial Forum on Indo-Pacific
in Paris
SPORTS
– 34th Federation Cup volleyball championships in Bhubaneswar: Services (men’), Kerala (women’s)
win titles
February 24, 2022
INDIA
– Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya releases reports of Institute for
Competitiveness (affiliated to Harvard Business School) on India’s COVID-19 Vaccination
Programme
– DRDO and IIT Delhi scientists demonstrate Quantum Key Distribution link between two cities 100
kilometres apart
– IAF to participate in multi-nation air exercise ‘Ex Cobra Warrior 22’ in UK on March 6-27
– Chief of Army Staff General M. M. Naravane presents Presidential Colours to four parachute
battalions at Parachute Regiment Training Centre in Bengaluru
– Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb inaugurates Second Bangladesh Film Festival in Agartala
– National Minorities Commission chairperson Syed Shahezadi chairs meeting of full Commission
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– LinkedIn launches Creator Accelerator Program in India; aids 200 creators
February 25, 2022
INDIA
– Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Minister Giriraj Singh launches Ombudsperson App for
MNREGA
– World Economic Forum and the National Institute of Urban Affairs sign a MoU to collaborate on a
jointly designed ‘Sustainable Cities India program’
– Defence Ministry signs MoU to onboard pension services under SPARSH across over 4 lakh
Common Service Centres

ECONOMY & CORPORATE

– BSE Sensex tumbles 2702 points (–4.72%), NSE Nifty down 815 points (–4.78%)
– Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya launches National Policy Guidelines on Bio-Medical
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
– Central Excise Day observed on Feb 24; commemorates the Central Excise and Salt Act enacted on
24th February 1944
– Nitin Gadkari lays foundation stones for 11 National Highways projects worth Rs 5722 crore in
Madhya Pradesh
– RBI cancels registration certificate of P C Financial Services operating ‘Cashbean’ app
– Rakesh Sharma reappointed as MD & CEO of IDBI Bank for a period of 3 years
– India refunds Rs 7,900 cr to Cairn Energy Plc to settle retro tax dispute
WORLD
– Russian forces launch military assault on neighbouring Ukraine
February 26, 2022
INDIA
– Education Ministry launches Bhasha Certificate Selfie campaign to promote Bhasha Sangam
mobile app
– Indian Navy’s multilateral exercise MILAN 2022 being held in Visakhapatnam from Feb 25 to
March 4; theme: ‘Camaraderie – Cohesion- Collaboration’
– India, Japan to conduct military exercise “Dharma Guardian 2022” in Belgaum, Karnataka, from
Feb 27 to March 10
– EAM Jaishankar receives phone call from Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba
– President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurates year-long celebration marking 400th birth anniversary of
Ahom General Lachit Borphukan in Guwahati
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– Defence Ministry awards Rs 1,075 crore contract to BEL (Bharat Electronics Limited) for retro-
modification of commander sight in battle tanks
– Union MSME Minister Narayan Rane launches Union Bank MSME RuPay Credit Card
– Union Minister for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) Narayan Rane announces
establishment of MSME-Technology Centre with an outlay of Rs. 200 crores in Sindhudurg,
Maharashtra
– Moody’s Investors Service scales up its 2022 growth forecast for India to 9.5% with a further
‘upside potential’ from an earlier projection of 7%,
– India is ranked 43 out of 55 countries in the International IP (Intellectual Property) Index: US
Chambers of Commerce
– Foreign exchange reserves increase by USD 2.762 billion to USD 632.952 billion for the week
ended Feb 18
– C-DOT (Centre for Development of Telematics) bags 3 awards for its indigenously designed &
developed innovative Telecom solutions at 12th Annual Aegis Graham Bell Awards
WORLD
– India, Nepal agree to form joint task force on building hydropower project
– High Commission of India in Dhaka launches Suborno Jayanti Scholarship website
– UN World Food Programme appeals for funds to assist those affected by Cyclone Emnati in
Madagascar
February 28, 2022
INDIA
– Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launches National Polio Immunization Drive for 2022
– India, Oman conduct 5-day air exercise ‘Eastern Bridge-VI’ in Jodhpur from Feb 21 to 25
– IAF decides not to deploy aircraft in multi-lateral air exercise Cobra Warrior 2022 in UK in March
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– Cabinet approves supply of coal through common e-auction window instead of sector-specific
auctions
– Govt approves national roll-out of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) with budget of Rs.
1,600 crore for five years
WORLD
– UN Security Council fails to adopt resolution deploring Russian aggression in Ukraine; 11
countries vote in favour while veto wielding Russia votes against, 3 countries (India, China and UAE)
abstain from voting
– Russian troops push toward Ukrainian capital Kyiv
– Amin Awad of Sudan to serve as UN Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine
– Russia suspends space launches from French Guiana in response to the EU sanctions; withdrawing
its technical personnel
– Vietnam: 13 tourists found dead after boat capsized off the coast of Hoi An
– Joe Biden nominates Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, first Black woman, to US Supreme Court
February 28, 2022
INDIA
– Govt. continuing ‘Operation Ganga’ to evacuate Indian citizens stranded in Ukraine
– Over 550 Indian biotechnologists returned to pursue careers in India under the Ramalingaswami
Re-entry Fellowship scheme: Govt.
– Marathi Bhasha Gourav Day celebrated on Feb 27; birth anniversary of author Vishnu Vaman
Shirwadkar alias Kusumagraj
ECONOMY & CORPORATE
– States that don’t appoint MGNREGA ombudsperson in at least 80% districts won’t get funds from
Centre
– RBI proposes to assess impact of its financial literacy campaigns, invites request for proposal
– Jeep India launches Jeep Compass Trailhawk for Rs 30.72 lakh
WORLD
– Russian troops enter Ukraine’s 2nd largest city of Kharkiv
SPORTS
– India complete 3-0 sweep in T20I series against Sri Lanka by winning 3rd match at Dharamshala
– 73rd Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria: India’s Nikhat Zareen (52kg) and
Nitu (48kg) win gold medals
– Dabang Delhi defeat Patna Pirates 37-36 in final to clinch ProKabaddi League title in Bengaluru
– Kolkata Thunderbolts won RuPay Prime Volleyball League title in Hyderabad by defeating
Ahmedabad Defenders in final
– Pooja Jatyan wins silver in Para World Archery Championships in Dubai
– Rafael Nadal wins men’s singles title at Mexican Open tennis at Acapulco
– International Judo Federation suspends Vladimir Putin as honorary president
– West Indies spinner Sonny Ramadhin passes away at 92; 158 wickets in 43 Tests in 1950-60
– Australian athlete John Landy, former men’s 1500m world record holder, dies at 91
February 16, 2022
First-Ever Quadruple Asteroid
Astronomers discovered a third moon orbiting the main-belt asteroid (130) Elektra. This is the first
quadruple asteroid ever found.
Key Facts
Elektra is a large main-belt asteroid. It was first discovered by Litchfield Observatory astronomer
Christian Peters on February 17, 1873.

Elektra has an effective diameter of 199 km and an estimated mass of 7*1018
First moon of Elektra was discovered in 2003 by Dr. William Merline and his team. It was discovered
using “Keck II telescope” at the Mauna Kea Observatory.
First Moon of Elektra
First moon of Elektra is designated as S/2003 (130) 1 or S1.
It has a diameter of 6 km. It orbits 1,300 km away from the parent asteroid, with a period of 5.3 days.
Second Moon of Elektra
Second moon of Elektra is designated as S/2014 (130) 1 or S2.
It was discovered on December 6, 2014 by Dr. Bin Yang and his team, using SPHERE facility on ESO’s
Very Large Telescope.
It has a diameter of around 2 km.
It orbits 500 km away from Elektra, once every 1.2 days.
Third Moon of Elektra
Astronomers have now discovered the third moon, orbiting Elekta and is designated as S/2014 (130) 2 or
S3. It has the diameter of 1.6 km and an orbital period of 0.679 days. It revolves inside S2 orbit, with a semi-
major axis of 344 km. It has an orbital period of 0.679 days.
About 130 Elektra
It is a large outer main-belt asteroid and quadruple system. It has three minor-planet moons. It was
discovered by astronomer Christian Peters at Litchfield Observatory in New York, in February 1873. It has
been named after an avenger in Greek mythology called Electra.
Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs
Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr Virendra Kumar is scheduled to launch the “Scheme for
Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED)” on February 16, 2022.
Highlights
Scheme will be launched for the welfare of De-notified, Nomadic and Semi Nomadic Communities (DNCs) at
Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.
How is this community deprived?
DNTs are the most neglected, marginalized and economically & socially deprived communities.
They have been living a life of destitution for generations.
They have escaped attention of developmental framework and thus are deprived of support unlike
SCs and STs.
They never had access to private land or home ownership, historically.
These tribes used forests and grazing lands for residential use and their livelihood.
National Commission for De-Notified, Nomadic and Semi Nomadic Tribe
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment decided to constitute a “National Commission for De-Notified,
Nomadic and Semi Nomadic Tribes”. It was constituted under the Chairmanship of Bhiku Ramji Idate, for a
period of three years. Commission submitted its report in December, 2017. In the report, commission
prepared draft lists and details of number of communities.
Constitution of Development & Welfare Board for DNCs
On the basis of recommendations of National Commission, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
constituted “Development and Welfare Board for De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities
(DWBDNCs)” in 2019. Board has been tasked to formulate and implement welfare and development
programmes for DNCs.

Outlay of the scheme

Under the scheme, approximately Rs 200 crore will be spent over a period of 5 years, starting from 2021-22
to 2025-26.
Components of the scheme
The Scheme comprises of four components:
1. To provide coaching of good quality for candidates from these communities, in order to enable them
to appear in competitive examinations.
2. Free coaching for DNT Students has been envisioned for educational empowerment of these
communities. This component was added with the objective of providing good coaching quality for
DNT candidates for enabling them to appear in competitive examinations or take admission to
professional courses viz., medicine, engineering, MBA, etc.
3. To provide health insurance to these Communities.
4. To facilitate livelihoods initiative at community level, in a bid to build and strengthen small clusters of
DNT/NT/SNT Communities institutions.
Portal to implement the scheme
Scheme will be implemented through a portal, that has been developed by Department of Social Justice &
Empowerment. Portal comprises of two modules:
1. One for registration of applicant with details of his family, income, Aadhar & bank details, occupation,
caste certificate, etc.
2. Second part comprise of scheme component for which applicant wants to seek benefit with his UID.
February 17, 2022
Gurudas Ravidas Jayanti
Guru Ravidas Jayanti was observed on February 16, 2022, in the honour of birthday of Guru Ravidas.
Key Facts
This festival is celebrated with joviality in North India, specifically in Punjab.
The day marks the birthday of Indian mystic poet-saint, Ravidas and is celebrated on Magh Purnima.
Who was Guru Ravidas?
Guru Ravidas or Bhagat Ravidas was a renowned saint, who is remembered for his contribution to
Bhakti movement. He was contemporary to saint Kabir.
Guru Ravidas was born in Seer Goverdhanpur village in Uttar Pradesh in an underprivileged family.
He was an advocate of human rights and a progressive thinker who spread the message of equality
by means of his poems and teachings based on spirituality.
His written verses are included in Sikh scriptures “Guru Granth Sahib”.
Meera Bai, who was an eminent personality in Hindu spiritualism, recognised Guru Ravidas as her
spiritual guide.
He is considered as the founder of 21st-century Ravidassia religion.
How is the day celebrated?
To celebrate the Guru Ravidas Jayanti, Amritbani Guru Ravidas Ji is read. A special aarti is performed as
well as Nagar Kirtan possession is taken out on the streets. Devotees gather to take a dip in the river, as a
part of customary practice. Prayers are offered in temples dedicated to Guru Ravidas. Celebration takes
place at Shri Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan Mandir at Seer Goverdhanpur in Varanasi, to remember him and
his teachings.
When this day is celebrated?
Guru Ravidas Jayanti is observed on the full moon of Magh month, according to Hindu calendar. As per the
Gregorian calendar, festival falls in February month.

Significance of the day

The Guru Ravidas Jayanti is of great significance for people, who entrust in beliefs and ideologies of
Ravidas religion. It is considered as most significant day of the year.
Fintech Open Month
Fintech Open Month started on February 7, 2022. It is a first-of-its-kind initiative that brings together the
Fintech professionals & enthusiasts, regulators, industry leaders, start-up community, and developers on a
common platform.
Key Points
On this common platform, professions, leaders and start-up communities collaborate, exchange
ideas, and innovate.
It was started by NITI Aayog.
Summit was inaugurated by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in the presence of Vice Chairman of
NITI Aayog, Dr Rajiv Kumar.
Key highlight of the Fintech Open Month summit will be India’s biggest fintech hackathon ever. It will
provide an opportunity to present breakthrough ideas to individual developers and start-up
community with the potential to solve real-world problems.
Theme of the FinTech Month
The FinTech month will create an immersive learning experience, with overarching theme ‘OPEN’. It aims to
achieve three key objectives:
1. Encourage an OPEN ecosystem across the FinTech industry
2. Foster co-innovation and growth
3. Ensure financial inclusion and leverage new models such as Account Aggregator to unleash next
wave of fintech innovation.
Week One of the Fintech month
Week One of the Fintech Open Month included deep dives, in-depth conversations, and panel discussions to
highlight opinions, innovation, and diverse perspectives from industry leaders.
Who is organising the Fintech month?
Fintech Open Month is being organised by NITI Aayog, in collaboration with PhonePe, Amazon Web Services
(AWS) and EY, in order to showcase the importance of the fintech industry. It is a three-week-long virtual
summit, being organised from February 7–28, 2022.
Secretariat for 2023 G20 summit
Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved setting up of a G20 Secretariat and its
reporting structures.
G20 Secretariat
The G20 Secretariat will be responsible for implementing overall policy decisions and arrangements
needed to steer India’s forthcoming Presidency of the forum for international economic cooperation.
It is being established for handling the work related to substantive/ content/knowledge media,
technical, security and logistical aspects of India’s G20 Presidency.
It will be manned by staff and officers from Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and other
line Ministries or Departments and domain knowledge experts.
The Secretariat will be functional till February 2024.
Who will guide the secretariat?
The G20 Secretariat will be guided by an apex committee, headed by Prime Minister. It will also comprise of
Finance Minister, External Affairs Minister, Home Minister, and G20 Sherpa (Commerce & Industry Minister).
It will provide overall guidance to India’s G20 Presidency.

Coordination Committee
A coordination committee will also be set up, to oversee G20 preparations and report it to apex committee.
India’s G20 Presidency
India will hold G20 Presidency from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023. It will culminate with the G20
Summit in India in 2023.
G20 communique on long-term economic recovery
Recently, G20 second Finance and Central Bank Deputies (FCBD) meeting was to produce a communique
draft consisting of long-term economic recovery strategy for better prevention, preparedness and response
to potential future pandemics. The two-day FCBD meeting marked the first series of ‘Finance Ministers and
Central Bank Governors (FMCBG)’ meetings in Finance Track of Indonesia’s G20 Presidency. It was held
under the theme- “Recover Together, Recover Stronger”. The FMCBG meetings will be held on February 17
and 18, 2022.
About G20
G20 is an intergovernmental forum, consisting of 19 countries and the European Union (EU). It works for
addressing major issues related to global economy, like climate change mitigation, international financial
stability, and sustainable development. It is composed of most of world’s largest economies, including
industrialized and developing nations. It accounts for 90% of gross world product (GWP), 75–80% of
international trade, half of world’s land area and two-thirds of the global population.
When was G20 founded?
The G20 was founded in 1999. Since 2008, it has convened at least once a year. The summits involve head
of government or state, foreign minister, finance minister, and other high-ranking officials from each
member state. EU is represented by European Commission and European Central Bank.
G20 troika
Currently, Italy, Indonesia and India are the G20 troika countries.
India's Advice to Citizens to leave Ukraine
Recently, India advised its citizen, including students, to leave Ukraine temporarily, amid increasing tensions
between Russia and Ukraine.
Highlights
India has also advised to avoid non-essential travel to and within the country.
In January 2022, Indian envoy at UN put the number of Indian students in Ukraine at 20,000. The
number has increased from 18,000 estimated in 2020 by Indian Embassy in Kyiv.
Indian nationals were also requested to keep Embassy informed about status of their presence in
Ukraine so that Embassy could reach them where required.
Why was this advice given?
India advice to leave Ukraine, amid concerns that Russia might invade Ukraine. However, Russia denies any
invasion plans.
Why is there is concerns of Russia’s invasion?
Because, Russia has amassed more than 130,000 troops near Ukrainian border. United States has warned
Russia of severe consequences if there is an invasion.
What countries have asked citizens to leave?
Several have urged their citizens to leave Ukraine, including the US, Germany the UK, Australia, Italy, the
Netherlands, Israel, and Japan. Some countries have already evacuated diplomatic staff and their families.
MEA Control Room to help Indians
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India has set up a control room to provide assistance and information
to Indians in Ukraine. A 24×7 emergency helpline has also been set up. Furthermore, India is considering to

increase number of flights between both the countries.

Russia-Ukraine Crisis
Russia started amassing its military personnel and equipment near its border with Ukraine, in March and
April 2021. It is the highest force mobilization since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Troops were partially
removed by June 2021 but was renewed in October and November 2021 by amassing more than 100,000
Russian troops.
Background
The ongoing crisis finds its link with protracted Russo-Ukrainian War that started in early 2014. In December
2021, Russia advanced two draft treaties. The treaty comprised of requests of “security guarantees”,
including a legally binding promise that Ukraine would not join North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It
also had a binding promise of reduction in NATO troops and military hardware in Eastern Europe. NATO has
rejected these requests by Russia.
Extension of INSACOG Network to neighbour countries
Recently, India announced to extend its “SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) network” to
neighbour countries, to fight against Covid-19.
Key Facts
INSACOG is a network of laboratories for genomic sequencing and surveillance.
India will also work for the implementation of “TRIPS waiver”, that it co-sponsored with South Africa
for diversifying its local manufacturing in regional markets.
As part of India’s development assistance package amid pandemic, it has conducted 17 training
modules for around 60 countries focused on entire spectrum of COVID management.
India will take its experience in testing, treating and vaccinating a large population across different
geographies and terrains, in order to create customized and tailor-made capacity building and
technical training programmes for healthcare and front-line workers in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
This move will complement the Quad Vaccine Partnership.
India’s vaccine supply
India has supplied more than 162 million vaccine doses across 97 countries and 2 UN organizations. It also
includes humanitarian assistance to Myanmar and Afghanistan. India is also collaborating with Quad
partners for the delivery of doses in Indo-Pacific region in 2022.
What is INSACOG?
INSACOG stands for “Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genetics Consortium” or “Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on
Genomics”. This forum was set up on December 30, 2020, under the Indian Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare. It was set up to study and monitor genome sequencing and virus variation of covid-19 strains in
India.
How does it work?
INSACOG works as a consortium of 38 national laboratories, located across India. It is involved in genome
sequencing. All these 10 laboratories are mandated to share 5% of positive samples to INSACOG, in order to
conduct further research and studies. Database of all samples of new variants are maintained by National
Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) nodal unit. Furthermore, two national genomic sequencing database
centres are appointed:
1. National Institute of Biomedical Genomics
2. CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology.
New Rules for Kids on Two-wheelers
The Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has notified a new set of rules according to which
children under the age of 4 must wear a helmet and safety vest when riding a two-wheeled vehicle.

Overview:
According to the new rules, the speed of motorcycles carrying children under the age of 4 has been
limited to 40 km / h.
Children should also wear a safety vest that secures them to the driver.
Under the new regulations, the harnesses must be lightweight, durable, made of nylon, and able to
support a weight of up to 30 kg.
How will the child be secured to the driver?
This can be achieved if the driver and the pillion rider wear safety harnesses so the child can be fastened
securely to the driver by attaching the straps to the back of the vest and crossing the straps to form two
large crossover loops that pass between the passenger’s legs and the child sitting on the seat.
When will this act come into effect?
To introduce these rules, the Motor Vehicles Act has been amended and these regulations will come into
force within a year.
What is 'TriSb92' Molecule?
Researchers from University of Helsinki have developed a molecule, that can inactivate the coronavirus
spike protein. It also offers effective short-term protection against the coronavirus.
About TriSb92 Molecule
Cell cultures and animal studies on TriSb92 molecule shows that, it protects against coronavirus
infection for at least eight hours, including in cases of high exposure risk.
Effect of TriSb92 starts immediately after its administration, in contrast to vaccine protection.
TriSb92 is administered nasally.
In animal models, it offered protection against infection in situation wherein all unprotected mice
were infected.
How was TriSb92 developed?
The TriSb92 molecule was developed on the basis of an entirely new technical solution developed in Finland
to target biological drugs. This solution was utilized for inhibiting the functioning of spike protein on SARS-
CoV-2 virus surface. When this inhibitory effect of TriSb92 molecule is targeted to a site of coronavirus
spike protein (common to all variants of virus) makes it possible to effectively inhibit the ability of all the
variants including Omicron.
Significance of the TriSb92
In the study, TriSb92 was able to prevent the spread of SARS, which threatened us in early 2000s. Thus, it
can be assumed that, future variants of SARS-CoV-2 or even entirely new coronaviruses are susceptible to
it. In future, this molecule could serve as kind of biological protection against coronavirus infection, which
is sprayed on the mucous membranes.
Will people need vaccines with TriSb92?
TriSb92 is a solution supplementing the vaccines, instead of competing with them.
Integrated Plant Nutrition Management Bill, 2022
Central government has proposed a law to empowers it to fix maximum selling price of fertilizers and
control its quality and distribution.
Key Points
Department of Fertilizers has asked comments on the draft Integrated Plant Nutrition Management
Bill, 2022, from all the stakeholders.
It is convenient in public interest that central government should take under its control on
distribution, price and quality of standards of fertilizers.

Provisions of the Bill

The bill seeks to establish an ‘Integrated Plant Nutrition Management Authority of India’.
It is aimed at promoting development and sustainable use of balanced fertilizers, including bio-
fertilizers, nano-fertilizers, bio-stimulates, and organic fertilizers.
It seeks to simplify the process for manufacturing production, distribution and price management of
fertilizers across India. This will help in improving the ease of doing business.
Central Government would be able to fix maximum prices or rates at which any fertilizer may be sold
by a dealer, importer, manufacturer, or fertilizer marketing entity.
It also aims to empower Centre to fix different rates or prices for fertilizers having different periods of
storage or for different classes of consumers or for different areas.
No person would be able to manufacture, import for sale, sell, or market without obtaining
appropriate registration.
The state of Indian fertilizer industry
India is home to various small and marginal farmers. But it is often plagued by low quality and low
productivity. Crops are mainly rain-fed and are cultivated on a single piece of land over time. Thus, it
decreases soil fertility in many regions. As a result, increasing quantities of nitrogen fertilizers have been
used across India. Because of this, Indian government has brought economic reforms and ensured that
fertilizers are available at affordable prices in order to increase productivity.
Fertilizer production
Fertilizer production has been witnessing positive growth since 2014. India is among largest consumers of
fertilizers worldwide, with domestic sales continually growing.
India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
On February 18, 2022, India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are set to firm up a Comprehensive
Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), during a virtual summit.
Highlights
Virtual Summit will be held between Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al
Nahyan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Both leaders are likely to lay out their vision of the historic and friendly bilateral relations, at a time
when UAE is marking 50th anniversary of its foundation and India is celebrating 75 years of its
independence.
Both the leaders will discuss bilateral cooperation and exchange views on international and regional
issues of mutual interest.
Signing of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)
At the summit, both the leaders will sign the CEPA, on which negotiations were launched in September 2021
and now stands completed. This agreement would take economic and commercial engagement of both the
countries to next level.
India-UAE-recent development
UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner. Both the countries have collaborated closely during Covid-19
pandemic in critical areas of food security and healthcare. Bilateral trade, energy relations and investment
have remained robust. Both the sides are also strengthening their cooperation in new areas of start-ups,
renewable energy, fintech, etc. India is participating in Dubai Expo 2020, with one of the largest pavilions.
India–United Arab Emirates relations
Relations between both the countries were traditionally close. They had enjoyed close and friendly ties on
the basis of historic and cultural ties. Barter trade for clothes & spices in exchange of dates & pearls and
people-to-people contacts from the region have existed for centuries. Relations flourished with the creation

of federation in 1971. Today, Indians make up ‘largest minority ethnic group’ in the UAE, accounting for
around 38% of UAE’s total residents.
Trade Relations
UAE is currently India’s third-largest trading partner. It is also India’s second-largest export destination after
the US. India was UAE’s second-largest trading partner in 2019. Furthermore, UAE is the eighth-largest
investor in India. India’s major exports to the UAE include petroleum products, stones, minerals, precious
metals, gems & jewellery, food items like sugar, cereals, tea, meat, fruits & vegetables, seafood, textiles etc.
India imports crude petroleum, petroleum products, stones, minerals, precious metals, gems and jewellery,
chemicals, wood and wood products.
AAR Ruling: GST on Guest Lectures
The Authority for Advance Ruling (AAR) of the Karnataka bench has ruled that 18 percent GST will be levied
on the income that is earned from providing guest lectures.
Overview:
The petitioner contacted the AAR to obtain clarification as to whether income earned from guest
lectures will attract any form of taxation.
In passing the ruling, AAR stated that the service in question falls into the other professional,
business, and technical service categories, not the exempted service category. Therefore, 18% GST
will be charged for the services mentioned by the applicant.
This ruling of the AAR means that service professionals with income of over Rs 20,00,000 will have to
pay the Goods and Services Tax of 18% on the revenue earned from guest lectures.
About Authority for Advance Ruling
AAR is a separate quasi-judicial court that makes preliminary judgments in India on the applicable
taxes.
It was initially launched for foreign investment, but later it was made applicable for both non-
residents and residents so that they can request advance ruling if the tax impact is significant.
This applies to both direct as well as indirect taxes. The Central Board of Direct Taxes publishes a
circular for advance rulings on direct taxes.
The general purpose of establishing such an institution is to issue certainty about the tax obligations
associated with the activities proposed by the applicant as well as attract foreign direct investment
and reduce litigation and be transparent on the rulings.
Members of AAR
AAR comprises one member from CGST and one member from SGST who are appointed by the State and
Central governments.
AAR Rulings
The original outlook was that the tax administration as well as the taxpayer couldn’t appeal against the AAR
rulings. But, currently, either party can appeal against the rulings made by the AAR before the Supreme
Court or the High Court. The Supreme Court has decided that an appeal against the AAR decision must first
be filed with the High Court.
SC on Tribunal Appointments
On February 16, 2022, Supreme Court rued the knee jerk actions in filling up vacant posts in tribunals,
stating that, bureaucracy has been taking up this issue lightly.
Highlights
A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana has been dealing with the issue of huge vacancies in
various tribunals in India.
According to the bench, after a few appointments made initially, nothing has happened.

Attorney General K K Venugopal showed the list of vacancies and steps taken to fill them up.
Bench has given two-weeks’ time to hear the issue.
What is the issue?
Supreme court has been asking the central government to make appointments in tribunals, which are facing
a crunch of presiding officers, judicial and technical members. As per data provided in August 2021, about
250 posts are lying vacant in multiple key tribunals and appellate tribunals in India.
Centre’s view
In its affidavit filed in September 2021, central government had maintained that it has made 84
appointments in six tribunals including NCLT and ITAT and no recommendations of Search cum Selection
Committees (SCSC) is pending with it, then. Government had also given the chart containing details of
appointments made in Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), Telecom Disputes and Settlement Appellate
Tribunal (TDSAT), National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL),
National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) and Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT). During
2020 and 2021, total of 84 appointments were made to various tribunals.
Judicial Vacancy
Supreme Court has been raising concern over Government’s lackadaisical attitude towards large number of
vacancies in tribunals and High Courts. As on August 1, 2021, there are 455 vacancies in High Courts.
How Judicial Vacancy affects the working of courts?
As per supreme court, Centre’s delay in making appointments to High Courts is affecting adjudication of
commercial disputes. The number of pending cases is also increasing because of this. Any failure to
allocate required financial and human resources leads to crippling of judicial work across subordinate
courts. It also results into letting down poor litigants and undertrials, who stand to suffer most because of
judicial delay.
What are the reasons of vacancy?
1. Systemic defects in appointment process, untimely exams to fill the vacancies.
2. Lethargic approach for conducting appointment process on time.
3. Recruitment procedures is unclear and there are difficulties in coordination between High Court and
State Public Service Commission.
4. Poor infrastructure of courtrooms to residences for judges.
Pasuvula Panduga Cattle Festival
Pasuvula Panduga is a cattle festival that is observed annually during Kanuma (3rd day of the Sankranthi
Festival), to appease the gods for improving and protecting livestock. This festival is held in the Rangampet
village of Andhra Pradesh. Around 30 people were injured during the recently held festival with the police
booking several cases against the organizers.
Overview:
Before the start of this event, the cows and bulls are colourfully decorated with trophies being attached to
the horns. After that, the animals are forced to go through the narrow road leading to the fields, with
villagers on either side.
The purpose of this sport is to snatch the trophies from the horns of the cattle as it runs via the snaky path
of the village. At times money ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 is also tied to the horns with a winner
takes it all policy. Organizers provide all the prizes that are attached to the horns of the cattle.
The controversy surrounding the festival
The villagers claim that this sport is not brutal but various veterinary doctors say that the cattle are
subjected to severe torture with the constant beating of drums and making them run around the village. This
festival came under the clout after ‘Jallikattu’ in the state of Tamil Nadu came under the scanner of the

judiciary for being extremely brutal. The Pasuvula Panduga festival is considered to be a mild version of the
brutal ‘Jallikattu’ festival.
Difference between Pasuvula Panduga and Jallikattu
Unlike in the state of Tamil Nadu, where only the highest breed of local bulls is bred, trained, and used for
fighting, the poor in the Rangampet village use domestic cattle which are used for ploughing to celebrate
this festival. Local youth, not specifically trained in bullfighting, run with the bulls and grab a prize tied to
their horns, which is kept at their respective home as a sign of prosperity and pride.
DefExpo 2022
The DefExpo 2022 is scheduled to be held from March 10 to March 13, 2022.
Key Points
DefExpo exhibition is India’s biennial marquee event for defence manufacturing industry.
It has received confirmation from more than 900 exhibitors.
Final number is expected to cross more than 1000.
The event will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, for the first time.
During the event, drone show will be organised for the public, on the theme of Expo.
Indian Navy will also showcase some of its assets and capabilities at Sabarmati riverfront for larger
audience.
Largest DefExpo
The DefExpo 2022 will be the largest since it started in 1996, with the participation of 900 exhibitors.
Around 800 exhibitors are form India while other 100 are from 55 nations. It will be organised over an
exhibition space of 1 lakh sqmts.
Which Pavilion booked largest space?
The US pavilion has booked the largest space. On the other hand, from India, Adani and Tata groups will
have the largest stalls.
Theme of the DefExpo 2022
The presiding theme of the DefExpo 2022 is “Celebrating 75 years of India’s Independence”. On the other
hand, main messaging for the expo is “path to pride”.
Aim of the DefExpo2022
The DefExpo 2022 will be held with the aim of showcasing the growth of India’s domestic defence industry.
It will also showcase, how policy interventions by the government have encouraged participation of
domestic players.
Invitation to venture capitalists
The government has also invited venture capitalists for the exhibition. This will provide an opportunity to
defence industry start-ups, in making pitches for funding. It will provide impetus to young entrepreneurs and
start-ups.
50 percent discount has been offered to encourage the participation of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises from defence sector.
Second India-Africa Defence Dialogue
Along with the DefExpo, the second India-Africa Defence Dialogue will also be held. This dialogue was
initiated on the line of DefExpo 2020. For the dialogue this year, invites have been extended to 52 countries.
First National Maritime Security Coordinator (NMSC)
Following the 26/11 terrorist attack, India has been consistently trying to augment the nation’s maritime
security. In regard to this, the government has appointed Vice Admiral (retd) G Ashok Kumar as the nation’s
first national maritime security coordinator with the view of strengthening the country’s maritime security.

Overview:
This move has been made with the aim of ensuring cohesion among the various defense stakeholders of
the nation with the primary aim of securing the country’s interest.
Last year, the security cabinet committee had given its approval for the creation of the said post. Kumar’s
appointment, who retired in the month of July last year, has been seen as a move made by the government
to enhance the nation’s maritime security keeping in mind the 26/11 terrorist attack that the terrorists
commenced via the sea route.
Since the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, the government has authorized a plethora of security measures to
ensure that a repeat of such attacks does not occur again.
Working of the National Maritime Security Coordinator (NMSC)
The NMSC works in tandem with the National Security Council which is headed by Ajit Doval (NSA). The
NMSC is tasked with coordinating with the Coast Guard, the Indian Navy, and various other security
agencies who are involved in providing maritime and coastal security, in 13 Union Territories and coastal
states of the country.
About Vice Admiral (retd) G Ashok Kumar
He served as the nation’s 35th Navy Vice Chief. He assumed this position in the year 2019 and served till
July 2021.
About 26/11 attacks
On 26th November 2008, 10 terrorists from Pakistan made their way into Mumbai via the sea route to create
mayhem in the city. They carried out terrorist attacks in various locations of the city killing 166 people and
injuring many. They were gunned down by the nation’s army after a prolonged gunfight.
Solar Waste Handling in India
While India’s solar power capacity is increasing, the country does not have a proper policy on managing the
waste that is being generated from solar panels and its manufacturing process.
Overview:
Currently, India considers solar waste as a part of its generated electronic waste and thus doesn’t account
for it independently. Also, the nation doesn’t have any commercially operated raw material solar e-waste
recovering facility.
In Gummidipoondi, Tamil Nadu, a facility has been set up for the purpose of recovering solar e-waste
recycling and recovery albeit it is a private firm.
What needs to be done?
In India, solar waste is sold as scrap and it can lead to the increase of solar e-waste if proper recycling is
not done. The government should divert its focus towards drafting a set of rules that will look into dealing
with solar e-waste.
The life cycle of a solar panel is 20 to 25 years, so the problem we are facing is yet to come, but when it will
eventually catch up the nation will be dealing with a huge problem with most of the landfills being filled with
solar waste. Hence, drafting a policy dealing with this is a must.
Solar Energy Capacity in India
By this year, the government has a target of producing 100GW of solar energy. The nodal energy that looks
into this is the Ministry of New and Renewable energy. India has a National Solar Mission whose aim is to
establish the nation as the global leader in the field of solar energy. Production-linked Incentives have been
brought forward to promote this sector.
PM Modi in association with the French President had launched the International Solar Alliance in the year
2015 with the vision of One World, One Sun, One Grid (OSOWOG).

Mumbai Water Taxi

The water taxi service between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai was inaugurated by Maharashtra Chief Minister
Uddhav Thackeray. The Belapur Jetty project began in January 2019 and was wrapped up in September
2021. This project, which was funded under the Sagarmala program, cost a total of Rs. 8.37 crore.
Overview:
The newly inaugurated waterway will connect the water taxi service, with Belapur, Nerul, and Elephanta
Islands. For the first time, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai will be linked by dependable and fast transportation
services, which will help to cut travel time.
About Water Taxi
A water bus or water taxi is a type of watercraft that is used to provide private or public transportation in
urban areas. Service may be planned with multiple stops, similar to a bus, or available on-demand to many
locations, similar to a taxi. The first known water taxi service began operating around the area which later
became known as Manchester, England.
About Sagarmala Programme
The Indian government’s Sagarmala Program aims to improve the country’s logistics industry. The
programme aims to maximize the potential of coastlines and rivers in order to reduce the amount of
infrastructure needed to fulfill the logistics goal of the nation.
This programme is the Ministry of Shipping’s flagship initiative to promote development in India by utilizing
the country’s 7,517-kilometer coastline, 14,500-kilometer network of navigable waterways, and the various
strategic locations along vital international maritime trade routes.
This initiative proposes to improve the nation’s Ports so that shoreline development can contribute to the
country’s economy. It also aims to transform the existing Ports into modern world-class facilities by
integrating the development of industrial clusters and Ports with efficient evacuation systems via rail, road,
coastal and inland waterways which will result in Ports generating economic activity in coastal areas.
Pramarsh 2022 Workshop
Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State for Culture and Parliamentary Affairs launched the ‘Pramarsh
2022’ career counseling workshop for school children in the Bikaner District region. One lakh students from
over a thousand schools across the Bikaner district, mostly from rural areas, took part in this workshop.
Overview
The workshop was organized with the help of the Ministry of Labour & Employment’s National Institute of
Career Services (NICS) and Edumilestones, an educational start-up. Rajasthan’s Directorate of Education
also provided support to this workshop.
The “Pramarsh 2022” workshop was a result of efforts made to bridge the industry-academic divide and
educate students about the different options available to them.
About the workshop
The workshop will include not just teacher training and career workshops for students, but also an online
and offline career evaluation as well as access to Edumilestones’ digital career library for all participating
students.
Students from both government and private schools got advice from professionals in a variety of fields,
including policy planning, business, art, industry associations, journalism, culture, architecture, health,
finance, biotechnology, and marketing.
For smooth execution of the entire programme, about 1000 teachers were educated as career ambassadors
in all Bikaner schools prior to this career counseling event.
About National Institute of Career Services
In October 1964, the National Institute for Career Service was established. It arose from the understanding

that the Employment Service’s efficiency was dependent on well-trained officers and ongoing research into
the employment markets. The Institute was later enlarged in the year 1970 to include the publishing of
career literature, and again in the year 1987 to include the role of dealing with issues related to self-
employment promotion.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the NCS portal in July 2015, with the goal of connecting various
opportunities with the ambitions of the youths by providing employment services in a user-friendly and
transparent manner. The portal will provide these services, as well as career counseling content, through a
variety of channels, including career centers, mobile devices etc.
February 18, 2022
Second Advance Estimates of Production of Major Crops
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare announced the Second Advance Estimates of Major Crop
Production for 2021-22. Foodgrain production is expected to reach a new high of 316.06 million tonnes.
Overview:
Foodgrains – 316.06 million tonnes. (record)
Wheat –111.32 million tonnes. (record)
Rice –127.93 million tonnes. (record)
Maize –32.42 million tonnes. (record)
Coarse Cereals/Nutri –49.86 million tonnes.
Tur –4.00 million tonnes.
Pulses –26.96 million tonnes. (record)
Gram – 13.12 million tonnes. (record)
Oilseeds –37.15 million tonnes.
Soyabean –13.12 million tonnes.
Groundnut – 9.86 million tonnes.
Mustard and Rapeseed –11.46 million tonnes. (record)
Cotton –34.06 million bales.
Sugarcane – 414.04 million tonnes. (record)
Mesta and Jute –9.57 million bales.
Highlights
According to the 2nd Advance Estimates for 2021-22, overall foodgrains in the country reached a new high of
316.06 million tonnes, up by 5.32 million tonnes from the previous year’s production. Also, production in
2021-22 is 25.35 million tonnes higher than the average production of foodgrains during the previous five
years (2016-17 to 2020-21).
Rice production reached 127.93 million tonnes in 2021-22. It is up by 11.49 million tonnes over the previous
five-year average of 116.44 million tonnes.
Wheat production reached 111.32 million tonnes in 2021-22. It exceeds the average wheat production of
103.88 million tonnes by 7.44 million tonnes.
Coarse Cereals/Nutri production is 49.86 million tonnes, which is 3.28 million tonnes higher than the
average.
Pulses production is expected to be 26.96 million tonnes in 2021-22, up by 3.14 million tonnes from the
previous five years’ average of 23.82 million tonnes.
Production of oilseed is expected to be 37.15 million tonnes in 2021-22, up by 1.20 million tonnes from the
previous high of 35.95 million tonnes in 2020-21. Also, oilseeds production in 2021-22 is 4.46 million tonnes
higher than the average production of oilseeds.
Sugarcane production in the country is expected at 414.04 million tonnes in 2021-22, up by 40.59 million

tonnes from the average sugarcane production of 373.46 million tonnes.

Cotton production is expected to be 34.06 million bales, up by 1.12 million bales from the average of 32.95
million bales.
Jute and Mesta production is expected to be 9.57 million bales.
H5N1 bird flu Outbreak in Patna & Maharashtra
According to World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), India reported an outbreak of highly contagious
H5N1 bird flu virus on a poultry research farm in state of Bihar. In similar incident, state administration of
Maharashtra also confirmed on February 17, 2022, that poultry birds at a small farm in Thane have
succumbed to H5N1.
Highlights
The virus killed 787 out of 3,859 birds on the farm in Patna.
All the remaining birds were slaughtered.
Outbreak started on January 18, 2022 and was reported on February 16.
What is H5N1 bird flu?
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 is a subtype of “influenza A virus’’. It can cause illness in humans and many
other animal species. A bird-adapted strain of H5N1 is the highly pathogenic causative agent of H5N1 flu,
commonly called as avian influenza (or bird flu). It is enzootic in many bird populations, particularly in
Southeast Asia. One strain of HPAI A(H5N1) is spreading across the globe, after first appearing in Asia. It is
epizootic and panzootic, that kills millions of birds.
Vaccines for H5N1
Various H5N1 vaccines have been developed and approved. These vaccines are stockpiled by a number of
countries, including United States, France, Britain, Canada, and Australia, for an emergency use.
World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)
The World Organisation for Animal Health, formerly called as Office International des Epizooties (OIE), is an
intergovernmental organization that coordinates, supports and promotes animal disease control. Main
objective of OIE is to control epizootic diseases and prevent their spread. Other objectives of OIE includes-
transparency, international solidarity, scientific information, food safety, sanitary safety, promotion of
Veterinary Services, and animal welfare. It is recognized as a reference organisation by World Trade
Organization (WTO). As of 2018, it had a total of 182 member states. the newest member state is Saint
Lucia.
HIV: First woman cured after Stem Cell Transplant
US woman have become the third person worldwide and first woman, to be cured of HIV.
Highlights
The woman is a leukaemia patient. She received a stem cell transplant from person with natural
resistance to Aids-causing virus.
She has now been free of the virus for 14 months.
An umbilical cord blood transplant was done, in her case. This transplant was proved to be in her
favour. However, this process may not be suitable for most people with HIV.
This transplant was done as a part of her ongoing cancer treatment.
Stem cell transplants
Potential of stem cell transplants was demonstrated in 2007. Timothy Ray Brown was the first person to be
cured of HIV. He underwent a transplant from a donor, who was naturally resistant to HIV. Since then, this
feat has been repeated only twice, with Adam Castillejo and the women patient.
Is this the cure for HIV?
There are some people worldwide, who have natural mutation in their gene. This makes them resistant to

HIV. Now, scientists used ‘umbilical cord blood’ from the donor for bone marrow transplant treatment of
woman with leukaemia. As a surprise, woman was cured of HIV as well. This was possible because donor’s
umbilical cord blood had aforementioned mutation, which cured women’s HIV infection after
transplantation. This was the first ever treatment where umbilical cord blood has been used to cure HIV.
However, mutation screening in umbilical cord blood is important before using it to treat HIV. Thus, it is not
a generalisable treatment, currently.
Human Immunodeficiency Viruses (HIV)
HIV are two species of Lentivirus, that infect humans. They cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
(AIDS) over time, which is a condition where progressive failure of immune system allows life-threatening
cancers and opportunistic infections to thrive. Depending on HIV subtype, Average survival time after
infection with HIV is 9 to 11 years, without treatment. HIV is sexually transmitted infection. It occurs by
contact with or transfer of blood, semen, pre-ejaculate and vaginal fluids. Non-sexual transmission can
occur through infected mother to her infant during pregnancy or during childbirth by exposure to her vaginal
fluid or blood and through breast milk.
Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link
On February 15, 2022, Indian Railways connected the main and longest tunnel of T-49, under the Udhampur-
Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
Key Points
The T-49 tunnel is in between Sumber and Arpinchala station of Katra-Banihal section of USBRL
project.
It is a 12.758-Km-long tunnel.
It is going to be longest tunnel of Indian Railway.
It has surpassed Peer Panjal Tunnel of 11.2 Km length, which was constructed by USBRL on Banihal-
Qazigund section.
South and North Portal of the tunnel
South portal of Tunnel T-49 is located in Sumber Village. It is at a distance of 45-km from District HQ
Ramban. It has been constructed at an altitude of 1,400 meters.
While North Portal of the tunnel is located near Arpinchala village Tehsil Khari, at an altitude of 1600
meters, in Mahu-Mangat Valley.
Udhampur- Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project
The T-49 tunnel is part of larger 272-km-long Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link (USBRL) project. It
would connect the valley to the rest of India. It provides an alternate surface link to the Union territory. Out
of 272-km stretch, work of 161-km has been commissioned and operationalized. Work on stretch of 111-km
between Katra & Banihal is under progress.
Cost of the project
The project is being erected at a cost of Rs 28,000 crore.
India’s first ever cable-stayed rail bridge
Ministry of Railways also shared pictures of India’s first ever cable-stayed rail bridge. This bridge is a part of
the project. It is situated over Anji river and is dubbed as Anji Khad Bridge. It will connect Katra and Reasi
Section, which is a part of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway link.
New India Literacy Programme
The Government of India approved the New India Literacy Programme scheme for the fiscal years
2022-2027 that will cover all areas of adult education and match with the national education policy 2020.
Overview:
The Ministry of Education (MoE) has announced the ‘New India Literacy Programme’ for the next five years,

to cover all aspects of adult education. The ministry has decided to use the term ‘Education for All’ instead
of ‘Adult Education,’ because the previous term didn’t represent all non-literates who are in the age group of
15 years and above.
This programme is expected to cost Rs 1037.90 crore between 2022 and 2027, with the central government
providing Rs 700 crore and the states providing Rs 337.90 crore, respectively.
Implementation of the scheme
Through volunteerism, in an online mode, this newly launched scheme will be implemented. Face-to-face
training, workshops and orientation for volunteers will be arranged. All available information and resources
will be made available digitally so that registered volunteers can easily access them via digital channels
such as radio, television, portals and mobile phone-based free open-source apps.
The Ministry of Education will be the implementing ministry of this scheme.
The objective of the scheme
This scheme’s objectives are to teach not only foundational numeracy and literacy, but also critical life
skills such as digital literacy, financial literacy, awareness and health care, commercial skills, education and
child care, and family welfare. Vocational skills development will also be focused upon so that obtaining
local employment becomes easier and basic education including preparatory, middle, and secondary
education.
Education courses in sciences, arts, culture, technology, recreation, and sports as well as various other
areas of interest to local learners, such as more advanced material on key life skills, are also to be included
under this programme.
The target of this scheme
The target for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for FY 2022-27 is five crore learners using the Online
Teaching, Learning, and Assessment System (OTLAS), which was developed in collaboration with NCERT,
the National Informatics Centre, and NIOS and allows a learner to register with essential information such
as date of birth, name, Aadhaar number, gender and mobile number.
Fintech Open Hackathon
On February 17, 2022, the leading digital payments platform PhonePe announced that, NITI Aayog will host
the first ever ‘Fintech Open Hackathon’ by collaborating with it.
Key Facts
The first-ever open-to-all hackathon will be organised with the aim of showcasing path-breaking
solutions for fintech
The Hackathon will provide an opportunity for digital creators, developers and innovators, from
across India to think, ideate and code.
What will participants do at the hackathon?
At the hackathon, Participants are required to use any open-data APIs such as ‘PhonePe Pulse’ along with
frameworks like Account Aggregator as a foundation to power use cases, such as:
1. Alternate risk models for lending,
2. Insurance or investments with a focus on financial inclusion
3. Innovative products that use power data signals for demographics and goes for broader adoption of
financial services;
4. Improved visualisation and derived intelligence based on digital payments data.
Sources available to participating teams
Participating teams can have one or up to five participants. They will be free to use data sources like Open
Government Data Platform, PhonePe Pulse and RBI reports on payments for building their submission. They
can also access any other open data platforms, along with Setu AA Sandbox or Setu Payments Sandbox to

develop their hacks. At the end of the event, they will present a working prototype of their hack to the
judges. After this, each hack will be judged based on some parameters. While considering the hacks, judges
might ask for additional information on the prototypes.
Cash Prizes
Winners of the Hackathon will be announced on February 28, 2022. Winning teams would be given exciting
cash prizes worth Rs 5 lakhs. The winning team will be given Rs 1,50,000. Two teams at second and third
places, will be given Rs 1 lakh and Rs 75,000, respectively. Judges may decide to award more or fewer
prizes, depending on the submitted hacks.
Last date to register
The last date to register for this event is February 23, 2022. While, deadline to submit final entries is
February 25, 2022.
Finance Ministry's Monthly Economic Review - Update (February, 2022)
On the basis of several efforts taken by the government in Budget 2022-23, the Indian economy is expected
to grow at the fastest rate among the large nations, according to the Finance Ministry’s Monthly Economic
Review.
Overview:
Agriculture will boost food stocks as it continues to rise via crop diversification and the net sown
area which in turn will benefit farmers through large volumes of purchases made at remunerative minimum
support prices and income transfers under the PM KISAN scheme.
The review added that India is still the only major and large country listed by the IMF whose growth
projection has been revised upwards in FY 2022-23, despite IMF’s January 2022 update lowering its global
growth estimate for 2022.
According to the report, the Budget of 2022-23 has reinforced the economic direction set by the previous
year’s budget.
The CAPEX budget, which is 35.4 percent higher than the current year’s budget estimates and rises to 4.1
percent of GDP when grants-in-aid to states for capital works are considered, will power Gatishakti’s seven
engines, reducing the infrastructure gap and helping private investment in the country.
The report said, considering the third wave of COVID-19, overall economic activity remained strong as seen
by the strong performance of numerous high-frequency indicators such as electricity consumption, exports,
PMI manufacturing, and e-way bill generation.
In 2022-23, the Budget has set a nominal GDP growth target of 11.1%, with a GDP deflator of 3.0-3.5%. This
indicated real growth component of just over 8% is similar to the prediction in the Economic Survey for
2021-22, as well as the 7.8% predicted by RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) during the meeting that
was held on February 2022.
The MPC’s accommodative approach, together with the unchanged repo and reverse repo rates,
prioritizes growth during these uncertain times and strengthens the budget’s focus on investment.
Munich Security Conference
Since 1963, the Munich Security Conference has been held in Munich, Germany, as an annual conference on
international security policy. Münchner Konferenz für Sicherheitspolitik and Wehrkundetagung were the
previous names for the conference. It is the largest meeting of its kind in the world.
Overview:
The Munich Security Conference has developed into the most important independent venue for international
security policy decision-makers to exchange ideas during the last four decades.
Every year, it brings together over 350 top officials from over 70 countries to engage in a discussion on
various security concerns. Heads of state, international organizations, and governments as well as

members of parliament, ministers, high-ranking military representatives, civil society, science, the media,
and business are among those expected to attend this conference.
The conference takes place every year in February in the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich, Germany.
History
The conference arose from Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Internationale Schmenzin’s Wehrkundebegegnung /
Münchner Wehrkundetagung, which he created in 1963.
The Stauffenberg circle of resistance fighters advocated for the prevention of future military confrontations
such as the Second World War and gathered together leaders and professionals in security policy to do so.
Henry Kissinger and Helmut Schmidt were among the 60 people who attended the inaugural meeting.
Von Kleist headed the meetings until 1997 when he was succeeded by politician and business manager
Horst Teltschik, who led them from 1999 to 2008.
Wolfgang Ischinger, a veteran diplomat, has led the conference since 2009.
This conference has been cancelled twice, once in 1991 because of the First Gulf War and again in 1997
due to Kleist-Schmenzin’s retirement. The Security Conference started in the year 1999 under Teltschik’s
leadership for military, political, and business leaders from Eastern and Central, as well as India, the
People’s Republic of China and Japan.
Purpose of this conference
Senior politicians, diplomats, military and security experts from NATO and the European Union, as well as
other countries such as India, China, Japan, Iran and Russia, are invited to discuss current issues in defence
and security policies at this conference, which is themed peace through dialogue.
The conference’s goal is to address current major security concerns and evaluate major security difficulties,
all while sticking to the concept of networked security. The discussions of ideas on the future of
transatlantic relations, as well as European and global security in the twenty-first century, are a focal feature
of the conference.
Since the conference is privately organized, it is not a government-sponsored event. It is just used for
debate; there is no authorization for binding intergovernmental decisions. The high-level meeting is also
used for private conversations among the attendees.
2022 Munich Security Conference
This year’s conference is being held from 18th February to 20th February 2022. External Affairs minister, S.
Jaishankar will be representing India at this conference.
India's UPI Platform in Nepal
The first country to adopt India’s UPI system will be Nepal which will be critical in modernising the
neighbouring country’s digital economy.
Overview:
To deliver the services in Nepal, NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), NPCI’s international arm, has
partnered with Manam Infotech and Gateway Payments Service (GPS). In Nepal, GPS is the authorized
payment system operator, and Manam Infotech will implement the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) there.
Purpose of the collaboration
According to NPCI, the collaboration will benefit Nepal’s greater digital public good by strengthening
interoperable real-time person-to-merchant (P2M) and person-to-person (P2P) transactions in the
neighbouring country. This collaboration will allow the citizens of Nepal’s last-mile consumers to benefit
from an interoperable, open payment system that enables real-time financial transfers between merchant
payments and bank accounts.
It will open the way for real-time cross-border P2P transfers between Nepal and India in the future. UPI’s
real-time payment system can help accelerate Nepal’s financial inclusion process while also expanding

business opportunities.
It will aid in the modernization of Nepal’s digital payment infrastructure and provide citizens with the
convenience of digital payments.
About NPCI
The Reserve Bank of India’s specialized section, the National Payments Corporation of India which was
founded in the year 2008 is managed by the Ministry of Finance of the Government of India. It was
established by the Reserve Bank of India to manage India’s retail payment and settlement systems.
About NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL)
NPCI has established a separate business to market its product internationally. Countries in Africa, Asia,
and the Middle East have approached NPCI to strengthen their payment infrastructure. NIPL wants closer
cooperation with international partners in areas such as cross-border remittance, UPI implementation, and
the use of indigenously produced technologies in digital payments.
Asia's largest Bio-CNG plant
On February 19, 2022, Asia’s largest Bio-CNG plant will virtually be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi in Indore.
Highlights
Indore is considered as one of the cleanest cities India.
With the inauguration of bio-CNG plant, it will set another high standard in cleanliness.
How will Bio-CNG plant be operated?
The Bio-CNG plant will be operated using 100 per cent wet waste. It is estimated to produce 18,000 kg gas
per day. As per estimates of Indore Municipal Corporation, amount of Bio-CNG will help in running around
400 buses in the city daily.
Capacity of the plant
The bio-CNG plant has a total capacity of 550 MT. It will produce CNG with 96 per cent pure methane gas.
PPP model
This ‘lighthouse plant’ has been set up under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, by Indore
Municipal Corporation (IMC) and Indo Enviro Integrated Solutions Limited (IEISL). From this, Indore
Municipal Corporation will earn a revenue of Rs 2.5 crore per year.
Significance of the plant
This plant will improve the calorific value as well as increase the effectiveness of Bio-CNG. It will help in
purifying the air quality of densely-populated cities. It will further help in mitigating 1,30,000 tons of carbon
dioxide annually.
Location of the plant
The bio-CNG plant is located at Devguradiya Trenching Ground in Indore.
Features of the plant
This plant has some unique features, like:
1. Fully automated pre-treatment unit and separation hammer mill technology. This will prepare bio-
slurry feed to run digesters.
2. Anaerobic digesters, that have been mounted with agitators. They work on Continuous Stirred Tank
Reactor (CSTR) principle.
3. Use of ‘Pressure Swing Adsorption (VPSA) technology’, to ensure high-quality recovery of bio-CNG
fuel from raw biogas.
Indore: Cleanest City of India
Indore has emerged as the cleanest city in India, over the past few years. It ensures 100 per cent
segregation of solid waste at source. It leads to less than 1 per cent impurities in wet waste. As per experts,

quality of wet waste in Indore is one of the best across the world. This prompted the private partners to
participate in PPP bid to set up the plant.
Gujarat New Biotechnology policy
On February 17, 2022, Government of Gujarat unveiled new Biotechnology Policy, that offers up to 25 per
cent financial support on capital investments in the biotechnology sector.
About the New Biotechnology Policy
Operative period of the new biotechnology policy will be five years, from 2022 till 2027.
The policy seeks to create around 1.2 lakh new employment opportunities.
It will attract estimated investment of more than Rs 20,000 crore in the sector.
It will promote partnerships between stakeholders including NGOs, scientific establishments and
industries.
Apart from providing interest subsidy on term loan for such projects, policy also offers 100 per cent
reimbursement on electricity duty for five years.
Aim of the policy
The new policy aims to make Gujarat a globally-recognized Biotechnology Hub.
Financial Assistance
The new policy offers financial assistance for technology acquisition, alternative energy production,
skill development, quality certification, and bandwidth leasing, in order to make Gujarat’s
biotechnology industry world class. No such assistance was included in old policy.
MSMEs that are investing less than Rs 200 crore, will get assistance up to Rs 40 crore.
Mega or large projects with a capital investment of more than Rs 200 crore will get assistance of up
to 25 per cent of total capital expenditure with a ceiling of Rs 200 crore. Assistance will be provided
in form of 20 quarterly instalments for a period of five years.
Additional assistance will be provided for the industries manufacturing the products which are not
being manufactured India. These industries will be covered under strategically important projects.
Strengthening ecosystem
The new policy seeks to strengthen overall ecosystem. It will encourage special projects like genome
sequencing in private sector, pre-clinical testing, plug and play facilities, manufacturing, testing &
certification laboratories and private sector BSL-3 lab-vaccine development.
US Resolution on Ukraine crisis
On February 17, 2022, The US Senate voted overwhelmingly to show its support for an independent Ukraine.
Key facts
Senate also condemn Russian military aggression toward its neighbour, amid emergence of fresh
fears of a possible invasion which in turn could spiral toward a European war.
This resolution was passed after President Joe Biden noted that, US has every indication of a
potential Russian attack on Ukraine.
Resolution from the Senators
Resolution from the senators does not carry ‘force of law’ but puts legislative body of the US on record with
“unwavering support of United States for a secure, democratic, and independent Ukraine”. It also denounces
the military build-up Russia on Ukraine’s border. The vote was unanimous, without formal roll call or
objection.
Allies of Ukraine in the Senate
Ukraine has strong allies in the Senate. There is also a broad support for sanctions on Russia as powerful
foreign policy tool, that could be used if Russia furthers aggression toward Ukraine.

Ukraine-United States relations

Independence of Ukraine was officially recognised by United States (US) on December 25, 1991. US also
upgraded the status of its consulate in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, as embassy on January 21, 1992. However, in
2002, bilateral relations deteriorated after recordings made during Cassette Scandal revealed an alleged
transfer of Ukrainian defence system to Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Ukraine maintains an embassy in
Washington, D.C.
Why are Russia & Ukraine fighting?
The Russia-Ukraine War started in February 2014, by involving Russia & pro-Russian forces on one hand, and
Ukraine on the other. War started over the status of Crimea and parts of Donbas, which are internationally
recognized as part of Ukraine. As of February 2019, Government of Ukraine classify 7% of Ukraine’s territory
as temporarily occupied territories.
G20 Sustainable Financing Scheme
Central Bank Governors and G20 Finance Ministers are looking for a sustainable long-term international
financial solution with the help of strengthening the global resilience in the event of future pandemics and
closing gaps in health systems between countries.
Overview
The G20 Financial leaders discussed this issue during the two days G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank
Governors (FMCBG) meeting which was held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Indonesia’s finance minister, said to the G20 participants in a discussion panel that
the Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated that the global health system is not prepared to deal with the
pandemic and that the global financing system is still insufficient.
Suggestions put forward
The G20 member countries should work together to create a more resilient global health system, which will
demand more financial investment and resources.
President of the World Bank Group David Malpass advised that the G20 countries create international
platforms to aid developing and low-income countries in their recovery from the crisis.
According to Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, low and middle-income countries, lack the means
to deal with the pandemic and require international assistance. Hence, she has urged the members to
provide quick vaccination deliveries to close the gap between the countries.
Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, Norway’s Minister of International Development, said that in addition to vaccines,
the countries must work together to strengthen healthcare infrastructures by establishing an international
investment in health security.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recommended a new distinct global health fund, directly controlled by
contributors. The fund will be used to give emergency finances, immunizations, and other medical
requirements. The fund will also assist emerging and low-income nations in improving monitoring systems
in order to prepare for future disasters and strengthen the healthcare workforce.
Director-general of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that WHO’s role should also be increased.
WHO should be strengthened and funded because it played a key role in bolstering the global health system
and facilities.
Study on Greater Maldive Ridge (GMR)
Recently, researchers traced the tectonic evolution of “Greater Maldive Ridge (GMR)” which is a geodynamic
feature in western Indian Ocean.
Key Facts
The tectonic evolution can help in reconstruct the original Gondwanaland fracture.
This feature led to present-day configuration of continents, continental fragments, as well as

formation of ocean basins in the Indian Ocean.

What did the team find?
The team found that, Maldive Ridge might have formed in close vicinity of Mid-Oceanic Ridge, where new
ocean floor is created due to divergent motion of spreading centre or lithospheric plates. They also
concluded that, Deep-Sea Channel region (DSC) may probably be oceanic in nature, because of presence of
underplated materials associated with hotspot volcanism. Researchers chalked possible geological cross-
sections along the GMR, with the help of high-resolution gravity data derived from satellite.
Three-dimensional picture along GMR
Research team used gravity anomalies to form a three-dimensional picture of variation along the Greater
Maldive Ridge and adjoining ocean basins.
State of Gravitational Equilibrium
Study provides the crustal architecture as well as the state of gravitational equilibrium between Earth’s
crust and mantle of the GMR segment of larger Chagos-Laccadive Ridge (CLR) system. It was found that,
Moho is deeper across Maldive Ridge (MR) segment and shallows southwards in Deep-Sea Channel region
(DSC). However, effective elastic thickness values were lower over MR compared in DSC region.
Maldive Ridge
The Maldive Ridge is located in the western Indian Ocean, southwest of India. It is aseismic, that is not
associated with earthquake activities. The ridge largely remains uninvestigated. It is of most importance to
gain knowledge on structure and geodynamics of such structures. It is a submarine ridge, extends from
western shore of Hindustan Peninsula to Arabian-Indian Ridge. It is about 3000 km in length, 200-450 km in
width and have the elevation of 2-5 km. Peaks of this ridge rise above the water, to form coral islands
(atolls) namely, the Laccadive Islands, Chagos Archipelago and Maldive Islands.
NAAC Guidelines on Accreditation
National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) recently relaxed the eligibility criteria for
accreditation of higher educational institutions.
Key Points
University Grants Commission (UGC) is likely to address a webinar on new guidelines soon.
These guidelines had been communicated to colleges on January 23, 2022 to receive feedback from
stakeholders.
Out of 280 affiliated colleges, more than 200 affiliated higher educational institutions (HEIs) of DAVV
are not accredited to NAAC accredited yet.
As per new guidelines of NAAC, provisional accreditation for colleges (PAC) will help in ascertaining
the readiness of institutions for final NAAC accreditation.
Last date to apply for provisional certificate is February 24, 2022.
Institutions applying for the PAC process will get feedback on areas they need to work on in order to
reach the threshold level of quality.
Validity of PAC
PAC will be valid for two years. Institutions will not get it more than two times it will give window for
colleges to prepare accordingly.
Why were institutions avoiding from assessment?
Because of poor facilities and sub-standard quality of education provided by the colleges, majority of
institutions have been avoiding from NAAC assessment for several years now. Affiliated colleges fear that,
poor grades will affect the number of admissions.
National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC)
NAAC is a government organization which assesses and accredits Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). It is

an autonomous body. It is funded by the University Grants Commission. NAAC is headquartered in

Bangalore. NAAC was established in 1994, on the recommendations of National Policy in Education (1986).
This policy was put forward to “address the issues of deterioration in quality of education”. NAAC grades
institutes in eight-grades, viz., A++, A+, A, B++, B+, B, C and D.
University Grants Commission of India (UGC)
UGC is a statutory body, set up by Department of Higher Education of Ministry of Education. It was set in
accordance to UGC Act 1956. UGC is charged with coordination, maintenance and determination of
standards of higher education. It provides recognition to universities in India.
Brazil Floods and Mudslides
Death toll from mudslides and floods in colonial-era city of Petropolis in Brazil increased to 117 on February
17, 2022 and was expected to increase further because of heavy rains in the country in almost a century.
Key Points
City recorded 6 cm of rain, resulting into more soil instability and disrupted efforts to clean up the
debris and find survivors.
As per meteorologists, up to 4 cm of rain is expected overnight in the region.
Streets turned into rivers and houses swept away because of heavy storms.
Background
Brazil has been swept by heavy rains since December 2021. Rains have caused several deadly floods and
landslides. In January 2022, torrential rain triggered floods and landslides, killing at least 28 people in
south-eastern Brazil, specifically in Sao Paulo state. Petropolis and surrounding region were earlier hit by
severe storms in January 2011, in which 900 people died due to flooding and landslides.
What is the reason of heavy rains?
As per experts, rainy season in Brazil is being augmented by La Nina which is defined as the cyclical cooling
of Pacific Ocean. It is also due to impact of climate change, because warmer atmosphere holds more water.
Global warming increases the risk and intensity of flooding due to extreme rainfall.
About Petropolis
Petropolis, also called as The Imperial City, is a municipality in Southeast Region of Brazil inside Rio de
Janeiro state. It is located 68 kilometres northeast of Rio de Janeiro city. As per 2010 National Brazilian
Census, Petropolis municipality had 295,917 inhabitants in 2010. It is the largest and most populous city in
Fluminense Mountain Region. It also has the largest GDP and HDI in this region. City is considered as safest
city in Rio de Janeiro and sixth safest city in Brazil. It is a popular destination for tourists, who are fleeing
summer heat of Rio. It is known for leafy streets, imperial palace and stately homes as well as natural
beauty of surrounding mountains.
T.N. Neutrino Observatory-Recent Developments
Tamil Nadu has told the Supreme Court that it does not want the Indian Neutrino Observatory (INO) to be
built in a vulnerable ecological zone in the Western Ghats, at the cost of wildlife and biodiversity, along with
local opposition and public outcry against the project.
Why is the state opposing the implementation of the project?
The proposal for the observatory, according to the Tamil Nadu government, would create permanent
damage to the Western Ghats.
In June 2021, the Chief Minister met with the Prime Minister and requested that the project not be
implemented. In September 2021 a delegation led by Member of Parliament T.R. Balu met with the Ministers
of Industries and Forests to communicate the State’s opposition to the proposal.
According to the State, this corridor connects the Periyar Tiger Reserve on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border
and the Mathikettan Shola National Park.

The project area also has ecological ties to the Srivilliputhur Meghamalai Tiger Reserve, which is located in
the eastern habitats. It is home to tigers from the area, which assists in a genetic spread. The tiger’s
movement would be affected by even the smallest disturbance. The area is also a significant watershed and
catchment zone for the rivers Sambhal and Kottakudi.
Though the experiments in the observatory would be done a kilometer underground excavations,
transporting, and tunneling would jeopardize the zone’s ecology.
So, going through with the implementation of the project will cause harm to this area.
About Neutrino Observatory
The India Neutrino Observatory (INO) is a particle physics research project being constructed in Theni,
Tamil Nadu, to study atmospheric neutrinos. This project is noteworthy because it is expected to give exact
measurements of neutrino mixing parameters. The project has a multi-institutional partnership and is one of
India’s most significant experimental particle physics programmes.
If and when this project will be completed, the world’s largest magnet will be used in the magnetized iron
calorimeter experiment, which will be four times larger than the 12,500-tonne magnet used in the Compact
Muon Solenoid detector at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland.
February 15: Bihar Shahid Diwas
Recently, Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar announced that, February 15 would now be commemorated
as “Shahid Diwas”.
Key Points
February 15 would be commemorated as Shahid Diwas, in the honour of 34 freedom fighters who
were killed by police 90 years ago, in Tarapur town in Munger district of Bihar.
These freedom fighters had never got their due, even though this was the biggest massacre carried
out by the British police after Jallianwala Bagh in 1919 in Amritsar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also referred to the Tarapur massacre in his January 2021 Mann ki
Baat radio address.
About Tarapur Massacre
This incident took place on February 15, 1932, when a group of young freedom fighters had planned to hoist
“Indian national flag” at Thana Bhavan in Tarapur. Police were not aware of their plan but several officers
were present at the spot. During this, police carried out a brutal lathi charge on them. Despite the lathi
charge, one of the freedom fighters (Gopal Singh) succeeded in raising the flag at Thana Bhavan. A strong
crowd of 4,000 pelted the police with stones, in which an officer of civil administration was injured. In
response, police opened indiscriminate fire on the crowd. Around 75 rounds were fired, after which 34
bodies were found at the spot.
Identified freedom fighter
Out of 34 dead, only 13 could be identified namely, Vishwanath Singh (Chhatrahar), Sheetal Chamar
(Asarganj), Santa Pasi (Tarapur), Mahipal Singh (Ramchua), Jhonti Jha (Satkhariya), Sukul Sonar (Tarapur),
Singheshwar Rajhans (Bihma), Basant Dhanuk (Laudhia), Badri Mandal (Dhanpura), Gaibi Singh
(Maheshpur), Rameshwar Mandal (Padbhada), Chandi Mahto (Chorgaon) and Asharfi Mandal (Kastikri).
Centres of activity
There were two centres of activity for freedom fighters in Munger
1. Dhol Pahadi near Tarapur, and
2. Supaur-Jamua village in Sangrampur.
Recognition for freedom fighters
In 1967, MLA from Tarapur B N Prashant (during Bihar government led by Mahamaya Prasad Sinha) first
sought recognition for these freedom fighters. But in 1984, government of Chandrashekhar Singh dedicated

100 square feet land to construct a memorial in front of Thana Bhavan. He installed a marble plaque,
comprising the names of identified freedom fighters.
Green Hydrogen Policy
India’s new green hydrogen policy was unveiled, promising cheaper renewable energy, a 25-year fee waiver
for inter-state power transmission for projects completed before June 2025, land in renewable energy parks,
and mega manufacturing zones to help local industries move away from fossil fuels.
Overview:
The policy aims to boost green hydrogen and ammonia, also making it easier for green power producers to
‘bank’ their surplus renewable energy with an electrical distribution business for up to 30 days. It also
proposes the construction of bunkers near ports for the storage of green ammonia for export.
Importance of Green Energy for India
The race for green energy takes is very important as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis has pushed up
energy prices around the world, particularly in India, which imports 85 percent of its oil and 53 percent of its
natural gas. A transformation to large-scale hydrogen fuel use could assist India’s geopolitical influence as
well as its energy security. India’s strategy is to use its vast landmass and low solar and wind tariffs to
manufacture low-cost green hydrogen and ammonia for export.
Domestic boost caused by the policy
Any new renewable energy facilities built to produce power for green hydrogen generation before July 2025
will receive 25 years of free power transmission under the new policy. This move is projected to make green
hydrogen production more cost-effective for users of hydrogen and ammonia, such as the fertilizer, oil
refining, and steel industries.
Incentives to be provided under this policy
A single portal will be created by the government for all green hydrogen production clearances, as well as
facilities so that excessive energy production can be stored with discoms for up to 30 days and use it as
needed. Energy plants that create green hydrogen/ammonia will be granted priority access to the grid.
Under this policy, power distribution industries may also acquire renewable energy to supply green hydrogen
manufacturers, but only at a reduced rate that includes only the wheeling costs, cost of procurement, and a
small margin defined by the state commission.
About Green Hydrogen
Green hydrogen is created by electrolysis of water, which is a technique for separating water into hydrogen
and oxygen and can be done with renewable energy.
About Green Ammonia
Ammonia is a gas used in the production of agricultural fertilizers. Green ammonia is produced by using
hydrogen from water electrolysis and nitrogen from the air.
Guidelines on EPR for Plastic Packaging
Under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
has issued guidelines on Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) on plastic packaging.
Overview
With effect from July 1, 2022, the rules on extended producer responsibility, as well as the prohibition of
selected single-use plastic items with low usefulness and high littering potential, are essential measures in
reducing pollution caused by plastic waste in the country.
What do the guidelines say?
The guidelines establish a framework for improving the circular economy of plastic packaging waste,
promoting the development of plastic alternatives, and establishing steps for firms moving toward
sustainable plastic packaging. To limit the consumption of new plastic material for packaging, the

standards require the reuse of rigid plastic packaging material.

The guidelines will help in the formalization and growth of the plastic waste management industry. The
guidelines enable the sale and purchase of surplus extended producer responsibility certificates,
establishing a market mechanism for plastic waste management for the first time.
The guidelines establish a framework for levying environmental compensation based on the polluter pays
principle when producers, importers, and brand owners fail to meet extended producer responsibility
targets, with the goal of protecting and improving the environment and preventing, controlling, and
lessening pollution.
Environmental compensation does not exempt producers, importers, or brand owners of their
responsibilities under these rules. Unfulfilled EPR responsibilities will be carried forward to the next year.
Implementation
EPR will be implemented through a customized web platform. The online portal will allow organizations to
track and monitor their EPR requirements, as well as lessen their compliance burden by allowing them to
register and file annual filings online. A system of verification and audit of firms will be implemented in
order to verify that EPR responsibilities are met.
The government has also requested that the Central Pollution Control Board create a centralized online
platform by March 31 for the registration and filing of yearly returns by producers, importers, and brand
owners.
Hilal-e-Pakistan Award to Bill Gates
Bill Gates, noted philanthropist and creator of Microsoft have been awarded the Hilal-e-Pakistan, Pakistan’s
second-highest civilian honor, for his efforts to help eradicate polio in the country.
Overview:
A lunch was held at the Pakistani premier’s residence in honor of Bill Gates, who was briefed on Pakistan’s
polio eradication efforts and Covid response.
Through Gavi, the vaccine alliance, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been a major donor towards
global polio eradication.
Gates also met with Asad Umar, the Minister of Planning and Development and the NCOC’s director, and Dr.
Faisal Sultan, the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant for Health.
He was briefed on the NCOC’s function, as well as its accomplishments since the start of the Covid-19
pandemic, as well as the non-pharmaceutical initiatives taken to prevent disease spread.
About GAVI
GAVI is a public-private global health collaboration that aims to improve vaccination access in low-income
countries. By monetary measure, Gavi distributed more than half of total donor aid for health and the
majority of donor help for immunization. GAVI is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
About Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
It is an American private foundation formed by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. It was founded in 2000
in Seattle, Washington, and as of 2020, it is the world’s second-largest charity foundation, with $49.8 billion
in assets. The foundation’s objectives are to improve healthcare and reduce extreme poverty around the
world, as well as to promote educational opportunities and information technology access.
February 19, 2022
European Union-African Union Summit
The Sixth European Union-African Union Summit was held from 17th to 18th February 2022. This summit
took place in Brussels, Belgium.
Overview:
The event was scheduled for October 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was postponed. The
summit was co-chaired by Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and Macky Sall, President of
Senegal, who was also the Chairperson of the African Union at the time.
A study conducted by the European Union
Representatives from the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU), as well as their member states,
attended the event. Despite being Africa’s leading trade partner, the European Union is not seen as a major
partner by African countries. This is according to a study which was done by the European Commission,
with the United States and China ranking higher.
The organization of the summit was done to address some of these problems, as well as other matters
such as African immigration to Europe and the European Union’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A
side event was also organized on the importance of collaborative research and development to EU-Africa
ties by the AERAP Africa-Europe Science Collaboration Platform.
A series of discussions were organized on
vaccine production and health systems
growth financing
vocational training and culture, education, mobility and migration
sustainable development and agriculture
economic integration and private sector support
security, peace, and governance
digital and transport connectivity and infrastructure
energy transition and climate change
Key Tasks
The immediate task is ensuring that vaccines are distributed equally. EU and AU will work together for the
allocation, procurement, and deployment methods for medical products. In association with the Africa
Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT) platform, the EU confirms its commitment to provide at least 450
million vaccine doses to Africa by mid-2022. Europe has contributed more than USD 3 billion to the Covax
Facility and to immunization on the African continent, supporting the AVATT’s efforts.
For the continent to respond to future public health emergencies, the EU is committed to supporting African
health sovereignty. Hence, the EU supports a common agenda for vaccines, medicines, diagnostics,
therapeutics, and health products manufacturing in Africa, which includes investments in production
capacity, voluntary technology transfers, and regulatory framework strengthening to ensure access to
vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics.
The African Union and the European Union discussed the importance of the WTO’s contribution to the
pandemic’s fight and the global economy’s recovery and decided to work constructively toward an
agreement on a response to the pandemic, which includes trade and intellectual property issues.
The European Union has promised to fight illicit financial flows, address domestic tax base erosion and
profit shifting, and work on tax transparency. The EU will also help the AU in its fight against money
laundering, terrorism financing, and proliferation financing, the return of stolen funds and items from
countries of origin.
The EU and AU will increase support for scientific collaboration between researchers in order to increase
the knowledge together and share technology and experience. Through the Erasmus+ programme, the EU
will promote exchanges of volunteers, young citizens, and students, as well as create university
collaborations, in order to improve mutual understanding.
Labharthiyon Se Rubaroo initiative
On February 18, 2022, Ministry of Housing and Urban affairs (MoHUA) interacted with the beneficiaries of
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) in virtual mode, under the “Labharthiyon se Rubaroo” initiative.

About Labharthiyon se Rubaroo initiative

This initiative was launched for monitoring the progress of projects under the Mission by interacting
with beneficiaries directly.
In the session, Secretary of MoHUA interacted with PMAY(U) beneficiaries from Assam, Kerala and
Jharkhand to know about their empowerment stories and life transforming experiences after getting a
pucca house of their own.
Virtual tour of their houses was also undertaken.
This was the 22nd edition of the Initiative, hosted by MoHUA with beneficiaries.
Background
Labarthiyon Se Rubaroo initiative has been planned as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. It was launched in
September 2021, by MoHUA.
Objectives of the initiative
Objectives of Labarthiyon Se Rubaroo initiative are:
1. To monitor the progress of housing projects
2. To bring about able governance and transparency by interacting with the beneficiaries directly.
3. To create a platform for officials from MoHUA and respective States/UTs
4. To facilitate and expedite the construction of houses in their respective cities and
5. To create a feeling of inclusiveness among beneficiaries.
Significance of the mission
Access to a house is the primary indicator of economic and social well-being and dignity of a person. Thus,
the mission recognises this fact and gives impetus to women empowerment by ensuring ownership of
house. Every house under the mission ensures security, safety and access to basic civic amenities such as
toilet, kitchen, water connection and electricity.
About PMAY(U)
PMAY(U) is in its seventh year of implementation. It was launched on 25th June 2015 by the MoHUA. So
far, ministry has sanctioned 114.04 lakh houses against the assessed demand of 112 lakh houses. Out of
the sanctioned houses, 93.25 lakh are grounded for construction while more than 54.78 lakh have been
completed and delivered to the beneficiaries.
NIAB: Detection Method of Japanese Encephalitis Virus
The National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad, has developed the “Fluorine Doped Tin Oxide
(FTO) electrode fabricated with reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO)” to detect the Japanese Encephalitis Virus.
Key Points
Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) is the leading cause of mosquito-borne encephalitis in Western
Pacific and South-East Asia. It is often misdiagnosed as Dengue.
There is no cure available for JEV. Thus, its early detection is essential in order to mitigate a
breakout.
“FTO with rGO” has been as an electrochemical based immunosensor for rapid, specific and sensitive
detection of Non-Structural 1 (NS1) secretory protein. It is suitable biomarker for JEV found
circulating in blood. It has also been reported to elicit an immune response.
What are the concerns with conventional methods for JEV diagnosis?
Conventional methods for JEV diagnosis are expensive, time-consuming and more hazardous. They require
an elaborate laboratory set up besides trained expertise. Thus, development of new biosensor may be able
to overcome these limitations.
Detection of the NS1
Detection of the NS1, rather than antibody has an added advantage since the antigen is present from day 1

of the infection, which facilitates early detection. While, antibodies appear only after Day 4 or 5 of the
infection.
How was this experiment conducted?
In order to identify the specificity of epitopes for different flaviviralNS1 with JEV NS1 antibody paratopes,
docking studies were used. It was followed by JEV NS1 sequence amplification, transformation and cloning.
NS1 protein was expressed in E. coli while it was characterised, and immunized in rabbits in a bid to raise
polyclonal antibodies. Later, NS1 Antibodies were purified from serum, and used as the bioreceptor for
fabricating electrode with reduced graphene oxide. It acted as a conductivity enhancing nanomaterial for
detection of JEV NS1 antigen (Ag).
Japanese encephalitis (JE)
JE is an infection of brain caused by Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). Most infections result in little or no
symptoms, but occasional inflammation of the brain occurs. Symptoms may include headache, fever,
vomiting, confusion and seizures.
Malawi Wild Polio Case
After a case of wild polio was discovered in a three-year-old child, Malawi announced a wild polio outbreak,
the first of its kind in Africa in more than five years. In the year 2020, the continent was declared free of all
kinds of wild polio.
Overview:
Malawi’s government is currently working to contain any spread, including increasing immunization. Only
two nations in the world still have wild polio: Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Malawi strain was connected to
one identified in Pakistan, although it remains unclear how or when it arrived in the south-eastern African
country. According to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the case was confirmed after tests were
performed on samples from the infected child who was suffering from paralysis.
About Polio in Africa
Polio is most common in children under the age of five, and it can result in irreversible paralysis. When
respiratory muscles are harmed, death can occur.
Thousands of children in Africa were paralyzed by the illness twenty-five years ago. However, 95 percent of
the population has been immunized as a result of a massive vaccination effort across the continent.
Although there is no cure, the polio vaccine protects youngsters for the rest of their lives.
About Wild Polio
The most common form of poliovirus is wild polio. Wild polio is spread through the environment, but
another type of polio connected to the oral vaccine (which contains a live, weakened virus) is equally
dangerous. It can remain in the stomach, mutate, and spread in areas where vaccination rates are low. In
recent years, outbreaks of this type of polio have been reported in more than 20 African countries.
Poliovirus is spread from person to person by droplets from the upper respiratory tract in the early stages of
infection or, by ingestion of infected faeces or contaminated material in unhygienic conditions.
About Malawi
Malawi is a country located in south-eastern Africa. Lilongwe is the capital city of the country and Lazarus
Chakwera is the President.
UNCTAD on Global Trade in 2021
According to UNCTAD’s Global Trade Update published on February 17th, global trade in goods
continued strong in 2021, and trade in services finally returned to the levels of pre-COVID-19. Global trade
touched $28.5 trillion which is a record level in 2021, according to the research. This shows a 25% increase
over 2020 and a 13% increase over 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic started.

Overview:
While the majority of global trade growth occurred in the first half of 2021, it continued in the second half of
the year. After a slow third quarter, trade growth accelerated in the fourth quarter, with goods trade
increasing by about USD 200 billion to USD 5.8 trillion. Meanwhile, service trade increased by USD 50 billion
to USD1.6 trillion, which is slightly higher than pre-pandemic levels.
What does the report show?
According to the report, imports and exports in all major trade economies rose sharply over pre-
pandemic levels in the fourth quarter of 2021. However, goods trade increased more quickly in
developing countries than in developed countries.
Exports of underdeveloped countries increased by roughly 30% compared to the same period in 2020,
compared to 15% for wealthy nations.
As commodity prices rose, growth was faster in commodity-exporting regions. Also, with a 32 percent
year-on-year gain, trade grew faster than the global average.
With the exception of transportation equipment, all economic sectors had significant growth in the
value of their trade in the fourth quarter of 2021.
The report stated that high fuel costs are behind the considerable increase in the value of trade in the
energy sector, and trade growth for metals and chemicals was also above average.
The global shortage of semiconductors slowed the growth of trade in communication equipment,
automobiles, and precision instruments.
Predictions for the year 2022
According to the UNCTAD report, growth in trade will slow down in the first quarter of 2022. Both goods and
services trade is expected to grow at a moderately positive rate, keeping trade values at levels similar to the
last three months of 2021. International trade trends are expected to normalize throughout 2022. Given the
macroeconomic trends, trade growth in 2022 is likely to be lower than expected. The International Monetary
Fund has lowered its global economic growth projection by 0.5 percentage points, due to continuing
inflation in the United States and concerns over China’s real estate sector. Attempts to reduce supply
chains and diversify suppliers could influence global trade patterns during 2022. In 2022, there will be
increasing demands for goods that are environmentally sustainable in nature. Also, the report raises
concerns over global debt and its likeliness to increase due to increasing levels of inflation.
Removal of UK 'Golden Visas'
U.K. Home Secretary Priti Patel announced to scrap the “Golden Visa” programme for millionaire investors,
in a bid to cut down on fraud.
Highlights
UK Golden Visas programme will be removed with immediate effect.
The removal of Tier 1 investor visa “is just the start of UK’s renewed crackdown on fraud and illicit
finance”.
This move is followed by a Home Office review into visas that were already granted under the
program and implemented as government seeks to curb the influence of Russian money.
British government started the review in 2018, after the poisoning of former Russian agent Sergei
Skripal in Salisbury. This incident also led to a deterioration in relations between the Kremlin and the
U.K.
Data on Investors visas
As per Home Office data, there were around 1,400 investor visas issued between 2015 and 2020.
Furthermore, a Parliamentary report from 2020 notes that, there had been exploitation of ‘investor visa
program’. It offered ideal mechanisms for illicit finance to recycle through London ‘laundromat’.”

What is UK Golden Visa programme?

The UK Golden Visa program offers wealthy foreigners a path to residency, in case they have invested more
than 2 million pounds in the U.K.
Immigrant Investor Programs
Immigrant Investor Programs allow individuals to obtain residence or citizenship in a country in return of
making qualifying investments. This programme either offer citizenship by investment (golden passport or
cash-for-passports) or residence by investment (golden visa). It also offers immediate residence followed
by accelerated citizenship (hybrid form).
Falkland Islands Dispute
Recently, flights of British military planes to the Falkland Islands stopped at Brazilian airports. This incident
has sparked tensions across the islands.
Highlights
Argentina is concerned with the military flights that may be flying under argument of being
humanitarian flights.
Argentina is in favour of a strict criterion with respect to the flights authorised for making stopovers
in neighbouring countries to be humanitarian, strictly.
Government is also concerned about increasing frequency of flights.
Brazil has defended the flights, while backing Argentina’s sovereignty claims over the islands.
China’s support to Argentina
Chinese embassy in the UK extended its support to Argentina’s legitimate claim to full sovereignty over the
Islands. China has advocated that territorial disputes between countries should be resolved by means of
peaceful negotiations in line with the principles and purposes of the UN Charter.
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in South Atlantic Ocean on Patagonian Shelf. They are about 480
kilometres east of South America’s southern Patagonian coast and 1,210 kilometres from the northern tip of
Antarctic Peninsula. It is located at the latitude of about 52°S. The archipelago is having an area of 12,000
square kilometres. It comprises of West Falkland, East Falkland, and 776 smaller islands. It is a British
overseas territory, with internal self-governance. United Kingdom takes responsibility for defence and
foreign affairs of the islands. Its capital and largest settlement is Stanley on East Falkland.
Controversy over the Falklands
Controversy exists over the discovery of Falklands and subsequent colonisation by Europeans. At several
times, Falklands have had French, Spanish, British, and Argentine settlements. Britain reasserted its rule in
1833, however, Argentina maintains its claim to the islands. Argentine military forces invaded the islands in
April 1982. British administration was restored after the end of Falklands War. Almost entire Falklanders are
in favour that, the archipelago should remain UK overseas territory.
India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement - Update (February, 2022)
India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed a trade agreement that will decrease import duties on
the majority of Indian exports to the UAE. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is
the Narendra Modi government’s first significant trade agreement since coming to power in 2014.
Overview:
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and UAE Economy Minister Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri signed
the agreement in New Delhi. While the government expects the decrease in import duties to benefit a wide
range of products, the government expects it to increase exports of gems and jewellery, as well as clothes,
to the UAE, bringing total trade to USD 100 billion in the next five years. After China and the United States,
the UAE is India’s third-largest trading partner in the world. As of 2020-21, bilateral trade between the two

countries reached USD 43.3 billion, with thousands of items traded. Trade between the two nations are
expected to be USD 59 billion in the pre-pandemic year of 2019-20. 35 lakh people of Indian origin live in the
UAE.
The CEPA is due to take effect in the first week of May because the process will take nearly 60 days. During
that time, a series of business meetings involving companies from both sides will take place across India.
About the agreement
The agreement covers topics like free trade, government procurement, digital economy, and other critical
areas. The agreement will benefit over 90% of all traded items.
Exports of gems and jewellery, leather, textiles, sports goods, footwear, furniture, plastics, pharma, agro
goods, medical devices, and engineering goods are expected to benefit from the agreement. Most of these
sectors are labour-intensive, and it is estimated that if the bilateral trade grows to $100 billion, at least 10
lakh employment for youth will be created.
Tariff concessions on gold have been given to UAE by India while UAE has removed tariffs on the export of
jewellery from India. The UAE has agreed to India’s request that once an Indian medical product has been
accepted by the US, UK, Canada, EU, and Australia and has gone through their rigorous regulatory
processes, such products will be granted market access and regulatory approval in a time-bound manner of
90 days for marketing in the country.
This agreement will also benefit the exports in a high quantity of minerals, metals, petroleum products,
petrochemicals and dates.
SC on Krishna Water Dispute
On February 18, 2022, government of Karnataka moved to Supreme Court and sought to set up of a bench to
hear a plea related to dispute over allocation of water of Krishna River.
Key Facts
The Krishna River flows in states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
SC bench comprising of Justice D Y Chandrachud from Maharashtra, and Justice A S Bopanna from
Karnataka, had recused from the case on January 10, 2022, arising out of the decision of water
tribunal
The judges recused themselves, because they were upset with the tone of mails and letters against
them for being part of this bench on water dispute.
What is the issue?
Karnataka had sought the vacation on a SC order of November 16, 2011, that restrained Central government
from publishing the final order of Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal II (KWDT) in official gazette. This order
was pronounced in 2010 and allocated the river water to Karnataka, Maharashtra and erstwhile Andhra
Pradesh. KWDT had further modified its final order and reported on in November 2013, to allocate surplus
water to Karnataka, Maharashtra, and erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, while preserving the allocation of 2,130
TMC. However, after the bifurcation of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, Telangana & Andhra Pradesh had moved
to the Supreme Court and challenged the allocation share of the KWDT.
Stalled projects
Karnataka argued that its dam and irrigation projects to provide water in its parched northern areas were
stalled for all these years due to 2011 order of not publishing KWDT decisions in Official Gazette in line with
Section 6(1) of the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956.
About Krishna Water Dispute
The Krishna Water dispute started with erstwhile Hyderabad and Mysore states. It later continued between
successors Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Following the dispute, Krishna Water Disputes
Tribunal (KWDT) was set up in 1969, in line with Inter-State River Water Dispute Act, 1956. The tribunal

presented its report in 1973 and was published in 1976. Tribunal divided the 2060 TMC of Krishna water
into three parts, at 75 per cent dependability: 560 TMC for Maharashtra, 700 TMC for Karnataka while 800
TMC for Andhra Pradesh.
Second KWDT
Second KWDT was set up in 2004, as new grievances arose between the states. It presented its report in
2010. The tribunal made allocations of the Krishna water at 65 per cent dependability and surplus flows as-
81 TMC for Maharashtra, 177 TMC for Karnataka, while 190 TMC for Andhra Pradesh. Now, with the
creation of Telangana as a separate state, Andhra Pradesh is in favour to include Telangana as a separate
party at KWDT and is asking to allocate Krishna waters among four states, instead of three.
Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)
Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a four-day global event that takes place from February 18 to 21. It is an
online citizen science or community science project that was first launched in 1998 by Cornell Lab of
Ornithology and National Audubon Society.
About Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)
During this four day event, data is collected by participants on wild birds and the data is shared online on
live website of the GBBC. The event invites people from around the world to spend time in their favourite
places and engage in birdwatching, sharing data and photos online. The importance of the event is that it
helps the scientists better understand the global bird population before one of their annual migrations. The
data is entered into eBird, the world’s largest biodiversity-related citizen science (community science)
project.
Great Backyard Bird Count in India
People in various places in India also participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. E-bird India and
Birdcount-India are organising the event at various places including Kukkarahalli Lake, Karanji Lake,
Hebbala Lake, Lingambudhi Lake, Muganahundi Lake, and Thippaiayana Kere etc. This activity sheds light
on the bird population and its habitat.
Birdwatching in Mysuru
The exercise has provided information into the status of the ecosystem of the state in addition to taking
stock of the birds and their species. The GBBC is hosted in many regions of the state in addition to Mysuru,
but bird-watching and maintaining a database has been popular in Mysuru for decades. This has also
resulted in the creation of a scientific database, which will be further expanded by the ongoing GBBC.
DGCA Child Restraint System
An advisory to implement the Child Restraint System which is specifically designed to restrain and protect a
child or infant during all phases of flight has been sent to all the airline operators in India by the Directorate
General of Civil Aviation.
Overview:
The DGCA has decided to include a Child Restraint System as part of the air safety management protocol,
based on the suggestions of a sub-committee that was formed after the Air India Express accident in
Kozhikode on 7th August 2020.
About the Child Restraint System
This system has a combination of a belt and an internal harness. This device must be attached to the
aeroplane seat and also includes devices that can be attached with the belt of the aeroplane seat so that it
can be secure. One of the most basic and vital aspects of surviving an accident is the right usage of
restraints and thus such devices must be procured.
A Child Restraint System in a dedicated seat is suitable for the child and is the safest way to restrain a child
or an infant in an aeroplane. Airlines have been asked to encourage and increase the usage of the system

by passengers carrying children or infants.

What instructions have been given to airline operators?
For the deployment of the Child Restraint System onboard their aircraft, airlines have been instructed to
make rules, implement Standard Operating Procedures, and guidelines as well as training programmes for
the implementation of thorough safety management systems.
Airline operators have also been also instructed to publish the widths of the narrowest and widest
passenger seats in each class of service for each make, model, and series of aeroplanes used in passenger-
carrying operations on their websites, as well as to prohibit the use of certain types of Child Restraint
Systems during ground movement, take-off, and landing.
India’s Record Soyoil Import from the United States of America
Due to limited supply from drought-stricken South America, Indian exporters have arranged to import a
record 100,000 tonnes of soyoil from the United States, at a time when palm oil prices are reaching new
highs.
Overview:
India, the world’s largest edible oil importer, generally buys soyoil from Brazil and Argentina, but this year’s
low bean output in these two leading producer countries has forced India to sign a contract with the
producers from the United States for import of the oil.
India’s two-thirds of soyoil comes from Argentina while the rest is procured from Brazil. But, the previous
season’s low soybean production has caused the oil reserves to fall in Argentina, thus, forcing Indian
traders to look for alternatives in the US.
Sunflower oil is much cheaper than soyoil but its delivery is at risk due to the geopolitical situation in
Europe.
Last month, soyoil was cheaper than palm and sunflower oil, but a sudden surge in soyoil demand has
pushed prices up by 16 percent in a month to the highest in 14 years.
India depends mostly on imports for two-thirds of its edible oil requirements, primarily palm oil from
Malaysia and Indonesia. But, Indonesia’s move to restrict palm oil exports has driven up the price of tropical
oil and created shortages in the edible oil market.
Shortage of soyoil
The Brazilian statistics agency Conab cut its soy output forecast for the 2021-2022 cycle by around 15
million tonnes this month, while Paraguay’s soybean crop could fall by half. Argentina, the world’s top soyoil
exporter, expects a 5 million-tonne reduction in soybean output in 2021-22. Also, decreasing water levels on
Argentina’s Parana river have made it difficult to fully load soybean vessels, resulting in the cargos being
reduced by up to 30%.
Meanwhile, the US has a surplus of soyoil which has allowed the Indian traders to divert their attention for
the import of soyoil. The traders from India has also procured 30,000 tonnes of soyoil from the Black Sea
region.
I&B Ministry Guidelines on data security
In its new guidelines on data security, Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry has prohibited the
sharing of secret or top-secret documents by its officials over Internet.
What are the guidelines?
They have also been asked not to use digital assistant devices like Amazon’s Echo, Google Home in
office, Apple’s HomePod and turn off digital assistants, including Siri and Alexa, in their smartphones
or watches.
Officials have also been mandated to deposit their smart phones outside the meeting room during
discussions on classified issues.

Why were new guidelines put forward?

Government issued new guidelines after they found that, a large number of government officials use private
messaging platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp for communication of classified information. As per
ministry, such a practice violated the National Information Security Policy Guidelines as well as
Departmental Security instructions.
National Information Security Policy Guidelines (NISPG)
NISPG has been prepared by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), on the basis of experience of existing security
standards & frameworks as well as global best practices & experience of implementation in the backdrop of
expanding information security threat scenario. These guidelines are aimed at improving information
security posture of organization owning any information, like classified information. It does not stop
organizations from adopting additional stringent practices above these guidelines. It also highlights
relevant security & best practices and elaborates baseline information security policy, which government
departments, ministries, and organizations are required to implement in order to protect their information.
Indian Army’s Bent-Toed Gecko
A team of researchers recently discovered a new species of bent-toed gecko or lizard, from Umroi Military
station in Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya.
Key Facts
The new species of Gecko or lizard belongs to the family of Cyrtodactylus exercitus (‘exercitus’
means army, in Latin).
It has been named to honour the valour of Indian Army for their services to India.
These new species was discovered as part of efforts of research team, to uncover herpetofaunal
diversity of North East India.
Genus Cyrtodactylus
The genus Cyrtodactylus is represented by about 320 species across the world. It is the third most speciose
vertebrate genus worldwide. Members of the genus range from South Asia to Melanesia. There is high
diversity of the species in south Asia. North East India has now become home to 16 species of bent-toed
gecko.
Where was the species discovered?
The new species of bent-toed gecko or Cyrtodactylus, from family of Cyrtodactylus khasiensis, was
discovered from Lunglei District of Mizoram. It is named as Cyrtodactylus lungleiensis. These geckos can
be differentiated from other such species by a bent toe, which is similar to that of bird’s toe. The bent-toed
geckos reside only in the wild amid rocks, bushes, and woods. This is the third discovery of a Cyrtodactylus
species in Mizoram.
About bent-toe gecko
Bent-toe geckos are scientifically known as Cyrtodactylus. It is a diverse genus of Asian geckos. This genus
has about 300 described species as of 2020. Thus, it is the largest of all gecko genera.
Omicron-Delta mixed Infections
In a recent study researchers found that, co-infection of Delta and Omicron variants of severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in two epidemiologically unrelated patients, who were
suffering from chronic kidney disease and were requiring hemodialysis.
Key Points
Both the variants of SARS-CoV-2 were co-circulating locally in Sydney at the time of detection.
Co-infection comprising of different SARS-CoV-2 variants was rarely reported during the first wave of
COVID-19 pandemic.
Studies suggested that, such co-infections could result in greater disease severity and duration.

However, co-infections with variants of concern (VOCs) like Delta or Omicron have not been reported
previously, specifically in immunosuppressed hosts.
Key findings of the study
In the recent study, researchers found the first cases of Delta and Omicron co-infection in Sydney, in
two immunocompromised individuals, who were at risk of severe COVID-19.
Researchers identified the co-infection, when there was local co-circulation of both the variants of
SARS-CoV-2.
Case A was aged between 60 to 70 years and presented it to the Emergency Department (ER) with
mild respiratory symptoms. It was later tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by polymerase chain reaction
(PCR).
Case B was aged between 50 to 60 years. He was presented with fever. Later he was diagnosed PCR-
positive for SARS-CoV-2.
Samples from both patients were subjected to genome sequencing, under the genomic surveillance
program in New South Wales (NSW).
A detailed case review revealed that both cases had chronic kidney disease because of type 2
diabetes, as well as ischemic heart disease and obesity. They were receiving hemodialysis thrice
weekly at the dialysis centre.
What researchers observed?
Researchers used amplicon-based and probe-based sequencing with short-read and long-read technologies
for identifying and measuring Delta and Omicron subpopulations in respiratory samples of the patients.
Relative frequency review of 10 Delta and 17 Omicron variant-defining markers highlighted co-infection with
both the variants. All three sequencing methods highlighted the highly similar overall proportion of both the
variants. Thus, findings of study highlighted the significance of genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in
vulnerable populations to diagnose the co-infections. These co-infections may trigger saltational evolution.
Indian Oil- 1000 EV Charging stations
On February 18, 2022, diversified energy major Indian Oil announced that, it has installed more than 1,000
electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) in India.
Key Points
Indian Oil have achieved the first of many milestones in enabling EV revolution in India, with
successful deployment of more than 1,000 EV charging points.
Indian Oil is all set to provide EV charging facilities at 10,000 fuel stations in upcoming three years.
This will provide confidence to customers for an uninterrupted drive and to automobile manufacturers
in enhancing production of electric vehicles.
First EV charger of Indian Oil
Indian Oil installed its first EV charger at Nagpur, for public in 2017. Now, its charging points are present
across 500 towns and cities including multiple state and national highways. Apart from that, Indian oil is
planning to set up a base of 3000 plus charging stations, in order to convert highways into e-highways in
next three years. According to ‘National Mission for Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage’, Indian Oil
is setting up EV charging infrastructure in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Ahmedabad,
Surat, Kolkata, and Pune. It is followed by state capitals, smart cities, major expressways and highways.
National Mission for Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage
National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage was launched with the objective of
promoting clean, shared, connected, sustainable and holistic mobility initiatives. It is valid for 5 years, until
2024. The “National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage” with an “Inter-Ministerial
Steering Committee” is chaired by CEO of NITI Aayog. It recommends and drive the strategies for Phased

manufacturing programmes and transformative mobility for Electric Vehicles, EV Components and
Batteries. The Mission coordinates with key stakeholders in Ministries or Departments and states for
integrating several initiatives in transforming mobility in India.
Hurun Report on Dollar Millionaires
According to the Hurun Report, the rich families in India have grown by 11 per cent in the year 2021 with a
net worth of Rs 7 crore being reported from 4,58,000 dollar-millionaire households.
Overview:
The Hurun Report has been released after a month of Oxfam’s ‘Inequality Kills: India Supplement 2022’
report, which found that since 2015, more and more of India’s wealth has gone to the top 1% of the
population.
According to the Hurun report, the number of wealthy households will increase by 30% to 6,00,000 in the
next five years. With 20,300 such households, Mumbai currently leads the list of cities with the biggest
number of dollar-millionaire households, followed by Delhi with 17,400 and Kolkata with 10,500.
According to Hurun’s Luxury Consumer Survey 2021, the number of Indian millionaires who use e-wallets or
UPI as their preferred payment method has doubled to 36% this year.
The report also states that roughly 33% of High Net-worth Individuals (HNI) have adopted a risk-averse
investment approach, compared to 18% last year.
This report also found that there is a drop in the happiness index, with only 66% of respondents saying they
are satisfied with their personal and professional lives, down from 72% in the year 2020.
About Hurun Report
Hurun Report is a major research, luxury publishing, and events company with offices in India, France, China,
the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, Luxembourg and Canada. Hurun Report is well
known for compiling the rich list report in the world. The founder of Hurun Global is Rupert Hoogewerf.
About Hurun India
In the year 2012, Hurun India was launched. Since then, Hurun India has been reporting on stories of India’s
innovation, wealth creation, and philanthropy.
Upper Bhadra Project- New National Project
On February 16, 2022, Chief Minister of Karnataka Basavaraj Bommai announced that the high-powered
committee of central government gave national project status to “Upper Bhadra Project”.
Highlights
This is the first project from state to get this status.
This status of national project will change irrigation scenario of
central Karnataka.
It will help the state in getting Rs 12,500 crore from the Centre.
It will speed up the ambitious irrigation project and help in transforming central Karnataka from being
water scarce to water rich state.
Upper Bhadra Project
This project was launched with the aim of irrigating 2,25,515 hectares by means of micro-irrigation in
drought-prone districts of Chitradurga, Chikkamagaluru, Davangere and Tumakuru. It will fill up 367 tanks
under drought prone taluks of three districts through Chitradurga and Tumakuru branch canals. This project
was launched with the objective of providing sustainable irrigation facility in Kharif season. Its other
objectives include recharging groundwater table and diluting chemical contaminants of which Fluoride is
predominant. It is worth Rs 16,125 crore project.
Who is undertaking the project?
The Upper Bhadra Project is being undertaken by Visvesvaraya Jala Nigam Ltd. It is a major lift irrigation

scheme under implementation in Karnataka. In the first stage, this project would lift water, from Tunga to
Bhadra. While in second stage, it would life water from Bhadra reservoir and provide it to a tunnel near
Ajjampura. Water will be provided through gravity canal in Tungabhadra sub-basin of Krishna basin.
Background
The Upper Bhadra project was cleared by Investment Committee of Jal Shakti Ministry.
RPF: ‘Operation Nanhe Farishte’
Under “Operation Nanhe Farishte”, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) have rescued more than 1,000 kids
from Railway stations across India, in the month of January, 2022.
Key facts
The RPF is entrusted with providing safety to passengers. It saved 1,045 children who were found
alone or were abandoned at the railway stations.
Out of all, 701 were boys and 344 were girls.
According to the RPF, many children are kidnapped from railway stations every year. They are later
exploited and trafficked.
Child Help Desks
Currently, Child Help Desks are functional across 132 railway stations in the country.
Other Initiatives by Railways
Operation Mahila Suraksha– Indian Railways have been implementing several additional steps under
“operation Mahila Suraksha”. This initiative guarantees enhanced security for female travellers.
Meri Saheli squads– RPF deployed “Meri Saheli” squads at key railway stations, during the month of
January 2022. They were deployed with the goal of providing security to woman passengers,
specifically those travelling alone. The operation was covered in about 13,000 trains in India.
RPF also apprehended five persons under the charges of molestation and eve-teasing. Some 2,185
people were also caught while travelling in ladies’ coaches.
Operation Matrishakti– Under “Operation Matrishakti,” ladies RPF personnel went beyond the call of
duty, to help pregnant women who were in labour while riding the train. Ladies RPF personnel make
up about 9% of the entire strength. In January, assistance was provided seven pregnant women
passengers and were instrumental in their children birth.
Mission Jeewan Raksha– Under “Mission Jeewan Raksha,” RPF personnel saved 42 persons
including 20 males and 22 ladies on duty in January.
Operation Yatri Surakhsha– Under “Operation Yatri Surakhsha”, RPF also supports state police in the
fighting against passenger crime. RPF arrested more than 300 criminals in the same period, who were
involved in 254 passenger-related offences.
Meri Policy Mere Hath Door-step Campaign
With the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) entering the seventh year of implementation in the
upcoming Kharif season, the government has announced a new doorstep crop insurance distribution policy
known as ‘Meri Policy Mere Hath’.
Overview:
The ‘Meri Policy Mere Hath’ door-step campaign has been launched to ensure that all farmers are well
informed about their land records, policies, and the PMFBY’s claim and grievance redressal process.
When will the new campaign be launched?
In the upcoming Kharif season which will be beginning in June, the doorstep campaign will be launched in
all implementing states.
About Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
In the month of February 2016, PMFBY was launched with the aim of providing financial assistance to all

the farmers who have suffered crop damage or loss from natural disasters. As of February 4, 2022, over 36
million farmer applications have been insured under this scheme with over Rs 1,07,059 crores in claims
paid.
Since 85 per cent of the farmers registered under this scheme are small and marginal farmers, the scheme
has been able to provide financial support to the most vulnerable farmers.
In the year 2020, PMFBY was modified to allow farmers to participate voluntarily. It has also been made
easier for farmers to report crop damage within 72 hours after the occurrence of any event, either through
the Crop Insurance App, the CSC Centre, or the nearest agriculture officer, with claim benefits sent
automatically into eligible farmers’ bank accounts.
Key Features of PMFBY
Some of the scheme’s key features include the integration of land records with the PMFBY’s National Crop
Insurance Portal (NCIP), a Crop Insurance mobile app for quick enrolment of farmers, a subsidy release
module, remittance of farmer premium through NCIP, and a claim release module through NCIP.
MoHUA Approval to A.P under Garbage Free Cities
Under the ‘Garbage Free Cities’ vision, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has approved Rs 235 crore
to Andhra Pradesh, the largest one-time approval of money for legacy dumpsite restoration.
Overview:
The Centre will contribute Rs 77.66 crore towards this initiative, with the state covering the remainder.
What are legacy dumpsites?
Legacy dumpsites, according to the housing and urban affairs ministry, are a severe environmental danger
and contribute to air and water pollution. Legacy dumpsites are nothing but mineralized and decomposed
organic waste which is mixed with sand, silt, and fragments of demolition and construction waste.
Cleaning these dumpsites is essential not only for changing the country’s landscape but also for addressing
public health and environmental problems.
About the mission
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 on October 1, 2021, with
the goal of achieving “Garbage Free Cities” by the year 2026.
One of the primary aims of the Mission is to clean 16 crore metric tonnes of legacy garbage dumpsites
which are occupying almost 15,000 acres of municipal land.
At present 118 metric tonnes of uncleaned legacy wastes is present across the state occupying over 463
acres of land.
Conclusion
At present, dumpsite clearance is a priority with more than 260 cities from five different states and Union
Territories have submitted their legacy waste clean-up action plans to the government, showing their
dedication towards the vision of garbage-free cities.
February 21, 2022
UNEP Frontiers Report
The Frontiers Report is released by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The latest report is named
“Noise, Blazes and Mismatches: Emerging Issues of Environmental Concern.” This report which has been
released before the UN Environment Assembly focuses on rising public health problems that are disrupting
natural life cycles and causing environmental impacts around the world.
Overview:
The UNEP Frontiers reports raise awareness of growing environmental challenges. This report turns the
attention towards various environmental challenges which are emerging with the potential of wreaking
global or regional havoc.
The issues raised in this report are now on a small scale, but they have the potential to grow into global
concerns that have a significant influence on people’s livelihoods and the environment.
Key Highlights of the Report
Noise pollution, deadly wildfires, and various environmental threats which are looming could cause
environmental damage and thus it is of utmost priority to address these concerns.
Urban noise pollution, phenological shifts, and wildfires are the three major subjects of this report that
illustrate the urgent need to address the triple global problems of pollution, climate change, and biodiversity
loss.
The report terms noise pollution as a “raucous killer”, and claims that prolonged, unwelcomed, and high-
level sounds from railways, road traffic, or recreational activities harm people’s health and well-being.
Chronic annoyance and sleep disruption caused by traffic can lead to serious heart disease and metabolic
issues in teenagers and children, and it also affects the marginalized and elderly people living near major
roadways.
This report of the UNEP suggested city planners consider making noise reduction a priority by investing in
urban infrastructure that produces positive soundscapes, such as green walls, tree belts, and additional
green spaces in cities, all of which will provide various health advantages.
Phenology is the study that deals with the timing of recurrent life cycle stages that are influenced by
environmental factors, as well as how species living within an ecosystem react to changing conditions.
Climate change upsets this natural phenomenon by pushing plants and animals out of sync with their
normal cycles. Phenological changes in crops also pose a barrier to food production.
Conservation aims such as maintaining suitable habitats and ecological connectivity, strengthening the
stability of biological variety, and coordinating international efforts along migratory pathways are underlined
in the report.
It has been found that between the years 2002-2016 an average of 423 million hectares of land surface
burnt, which implies that dangerous wildfires will become more intense, common, and long-lasting, even in
those areas which were previously unaffected.
The report states that black carbon and other pollutants released by wildfires, can pollute water sources,
cause landslides, accelerate glacier melt, and turn rainforests into carbon sinks.
Conclusion
The report emphasizes putting more effort and increasing investments into establishing preventive
measures to combat environmental hazards which are looming in the background and may soon turn into
major environmental concerns.
World Bank ‘REWARD’ Project
The World Bank, the Government of India, the State Governments of Karnataka, and Odisha, have signed a
USD 115 million deal for the Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agricultural Resilience through Innovative
Development Programme to help national and state governments adopt improved watershed management
practices to help farmers become more resilient to climate change, improve incomes, and promote higher
productivity.
About the REWARD Project
Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agricultural Resilience through Innovative Development (REWARD) is a project
which is being implemented in three-four Indian states. It is planned as a six-year project and is one of the
largest water management programs around the world.
This project Is a joint initiative of the Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development in
association with the World Bank.

Financial Structure of the Project

World Bank’s lending arm, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) will provide
financial support of USD 115 million to this project. The loan has a 15 years maturity period with 4.5 years
grace period.
Karnataka will receive USD 60 million, Odisha will receive USD 49 million while the remaining USD 6 million
will be utilized by the Indian government’s Department of Land Resources.
The objective of the Project
To improve water and land conservations as well as preventing soil run-off, harvesting rainwater,
regenerating natural vegetation, and replenishing the groundwater table.
The project also aims to improve the capacities of the state and the central institutions so that they
can develop and deliver better watershed management and development programs.
How can effective watershed management help rainfed communities improve their livelihoods?
Effective watershed management can help rainfed communities improve their livelihoods while also
establishing a more resilient food system. The REWARD project will aid the state governments to reform
watershed planning and implementation. It will also assist the participating states, as well as others, in
implementing scientific approaches to watershed development.
Assam: Project Arohan
Assam government is set to launch a four-year mentorship programme called Project Arohan.
Key Points
This project will be launched to provide guidance to students and boost their skills.
For this project, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met Anita Rajan, CEO of Tata STRIVE, to
sought their cooperation on this project.
Tata STRIVE is a skill development programme of Tata Trusts.
Tata STRIVE
Tata STRIVE is an initiative of the TCIT. It was launched with the aim of Tata STRIVE started working under
the parent head of Tata Trusts in FY 2017-18. It was started working a result of strategy of ‘Simplification,
synergy and scale’ of Tata Group. This move recognises close synergies between Tata STRIVE and broader
community interventions of Tata Trusts. This initiative is skilling youth from underprivileged backgrounds
by means of innovations in technology, methodology and pedagogy. Since 2014, 6.5 Lakh Individuals have
experienced the advantage of Tata STRIVE.
Significance of the Tata STRIVE
Tata STRIVE initiative is the skill development initiative by Tata Community Initiatives Trust. It addresses
the pressing need of skilling youth in India for entrepreneurship, employment, and community enterprise.
The initiative reaches to communities, acclimatises them with changing work environment develops skills of
people and develops skills of people from financially challenged backgrounds.
Taj Mahotsav 2022
The Taj Mahotsav 2022 is scheduled to happen from March 20 to March 29, 2022.
Key Points
It is a 10-day cultural festival, held in Agra each year.
It is the most well-known art, craft, gourmet, and culture festival, held at the crossroads of winter and
spring.
Earlier it was scheduled to take from February 18 February 27.
Theme of the Taj Mahotsav 2022
The Taj Mahotsav 2022 will be held under the theme- ‘Aazadi ke Amrit Mahotsav sang, Taj ke rang‘.

History of the day

The Taj Mahotsav started in 1992.
Aim of the Taj Mahotsav
It is held with the aim of encouraging craftsmen’s innovative work and assisting them in showcasing their
various skills.
Significance of Taj Mahotsav
The Taj Mahotsav is a melting pot of traditions and civilizations, because of a variety of cultural
performances by domestic and international artists. It seeks to inspire tourism and also reviving the Nawabi
style, which dominated terrain of Uttar Pradesh in the 18th and 19th centuries. It reflects the richness of
India’s craftwork, artistry, cuisines and culture. It is also a must-visit for shoppers.
About Carnival
Under the Taj Mahotsav festival, a vibrant and appealing carnival for children. At this, people of all ages
enjoy the celebration. Taj Mahotsav offers visitors a variety of classical, indigenous, and other art genres. It
honours remarkable work of artists in India. There is a diverse selection of art, including delectable cuisine,
eye-catching artworks, dance, and music.
Goal of the festival
One of the main goals of Taj Mahotsav is to provide a forum for local artisans to display their talents.
Venue for the festival
Taj Mahotsav 2022 will be held at Shilpgram, which is a well-known handicraft village in Agra, Uttar
Pradesh. It is located at about 500 metres from the Taj Mahal.
Phase 2 of Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System
The Government of India has approved Phase 2 of the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS). This
project will cost Rs 3375 crore for the period 2022-23 to 2025-26. This project is being implemented by the
National Crime Records Bureau.
Overview:
ICJS Phase 2 would pave the way for more sophisticated and effective policing. The project would be
implemented as a central sector scheme. A dedicated cloud-based infrastructure with high-speed
connectivity would be used to access the ICJS system.
About Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS)
ICJS is a national platform that helps in integrating the nation’s primary IT system for criminal justice
delivery. The ICJS project aims to connect the five pillars of the system which are:
police (through Criminal and Crime Tracking and Network Systems),
e-Forensics for forensic labs,
e-Courts for courts,
e-Prosecution for public prosecutors,
e-Prisons for prisons.
The initiative will be implemented by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in collaboration with the
National Informatics Centre (NIC) and it will be carried out in partnership with the union territories and the
states.
Phases of Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS)
In Phase 1 of this project individual IT systems were installed and stabilized along with the search of
records being enabled on these systems.
In Phase 2 this system is being developed on the concept of one data, one entry. This means that data will
be entered just once in one pillar and is then available in all other pillars without the need to re-enter the
data individually in each pillar.

About National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)

The National Crime Records Bureau is headquartered in Delhi and was set up in the year 1986 under the
ambit of the Ministry of Home Affairs. NCRB serves as the repository of information on criminals and
crimes to aid investigators in connecting crimes to their perpetrators.
“Crime in India” is published by the NCRB since the year 1953. This report acts as an important tool in
understanding the country’s law and order situation.
Extension of 'Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan' scheme
On February 18, 2022, Ministry of Education approved the continuation of ‘Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha
Abhiyan (RUSA) Scheme’ till 2026.
Highlights
RUSA is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS).
It was launched to fund state government universities and colleges for achieving the aims of equity,
excellence and access.
Extension of RUSA
The new phase of RUSA has set target to reach out the unserved & underserved areas, difficult geographies,
remote areas, rural areas, tier-2 cities, aspirational districts, areas with low GER, in order to benefit the most
disadvantaged areas and Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups. Under the new phase, state
governments will be supported for gender inclusion, ICT, equity initiatives, and enhancing employability
through skill upgradation and vocationalisation.
Expenditure on new phase of RUSA
The proposal seeks to entail an expenditure of Rs 12,929.16 crore. Out of this, central share is Rs 8120.97
crores while state share is Rs 4808.19 crores. It will support around 1,600 projects under new phase of
RUSA.
RUSA and New Education Policy
New phase of the scheme will also implement some of the recommendations and aims of New Education
Policy, that suggests some key changes to current higher education system in order to revamp & re-energize
it and deliver quality higher education to all.
New Model Degree Colleges
Under the new phase, States will also be supported to create new model degree colleges. State universities
will be extended support for multi-disciplinary education and research. Accredited and non-accredited
universities will also get grants to undertake various activities like teaching-learning in Indian languages.
Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)
RUSA is a holistic scheme of development for higher education. It was started in 2013 by the Ministry of
Human Resource Development. It is a centrally sponsored scheme, launched with the aim of providing
strategic funding to higher educational institutions across the country. Under this scheme, funds are
provided by central ministry through state governments and union territories (UT).
RCS UDAN- First flight between Delhi-Khajuraho
Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, recently flagged off the first direct flight between
Delhi and heritage city of Khajuraho.
Key Facts
With the start of this flight, a total of 405 routes would be operationalized under UDAN-RCS scheme.
under the RCS-UDAN 3.0, SpiceJet was awarded with the Delhi-Khajuraho-Delhi route.
SpiceJet will operate flights on 2 days of the week namely Friday and Sunday.
It will deploy its Q400, 78-seater turboprop aircraft, that has been designed for shorter distance
flights on this route.

SpiceJet is largest regional carrier and strongest supporter of the scheme.

SpiceJet under UDAN Scheme
The SpiceJet airline operates 65 daily flights under the UDAN scheme. It connects 14 UDAN destinations to
various several part of India. currently, SpiceJet services Jabalpur and Gwalior airports in Madhya Pradesh.
With Khajuraho added to the list, it will be 15th UDAN destination of SpiceJet.
Flight Training Organizations
Apart from the UDAN flight, 2 new Flight Training Organizations will come up in Khajuraho. It will help in
training our commercial pilots.
Khajuraho airport
Khajuraho airport was established in 1978, with flight services to Agra, Varanasi and Delhi. Ministry of Civil
Aviation has invested Rs 50 crore in the airport. Advanced facilities were incorporated, with installation of
instrument landing system, night landing facility, a 1,20,000 sq ft new terminal building, new ATC towers
and recarpeting of runway. The flight started before the start of Khajuraho dance festival.
About UDAN Scheme
UDAN Scheme stands for “Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik”. This scheme was launched as a regional connectivity
scheme in 2016, by Ministry of Civil Aviation. It is an innovative scheme that was launched to develop
regional Aviation market. Scheme was launched with the objective of creating affordable, economically
viable and profitable flights across regional routes. It seeks to make flying affordable to the common man.
Airport seeks to provide connectivity to un-served and underserved airports in India by reviving existing air-
strips and airports. Till date, scheme has been implemented in four phases. It will be operational for a
period of 10 years.
NSE Co-Location Case- Explained
The NSE co-location scam involves market manipulation at India’s largest stock exchange, the National
Stock Exchange of India. Certain people got market information ahead of the rest of the market, allowing
them to earn huge profits, thus violating the NSE’s demutualization exchange governance and transparency-
based system.
Overview:
Insiders’ alleged collaboration in rigging NSE’s Algo-trading and using co-location servers resulted in
large earnings for a group of brokers.
In January 2015 the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), received the first anonymous
complaint through a whistle-blower revealing a multibillion-dollar market fraud.
According to the whistle-blower, members were allegedly able to earn profit from advance knowledge
received from some exchange authorities.
Over five years, the total default amount through NSE’s high-frequency trading (HFT) is anticipated to
be Rs 500 billion.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the
Income-tax Department are investigating the NSE co-location case. They are looking into the
involvement of NSE and SEBI officials, as well as NSE’s current and former executives and
brokerages.
In response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Chennai Financial Markets and
Accountability Authority, the Madras High Court has issued a notice to SEBI, MCA, and ED.
What is Co-location?
Co-location facilities are certain dedicated spaces in the NSE building and are extremely close to the
dedicated exchange servers where algo and high-frequency traders can deploy their programs or systems.
Because the co-location facilities are so close to the stock exchange computers, traders who use them have

an advantage over other traders because of the reduced time taken for order execution. However,
institutional investors and brokers mostly employ co-location for their proprietary traders. Retail investors
have little role in this area.
NSE’s co-location facility was the location of a nearly ten-year-old scam. It was claimed that between 2012
and 2014, one of the trading members, OPG Securities, was given unfair access to the secondary server,
allowing them to log in and acquire the data before the rest of the co-location facility. This preferred access
allowed this member’s algo trades to be executed before those of others.
How did the scam happen?
The broker was helped by certain NSE workers, according to SEBI’s examination through a Technical
Advisory Committee otherwise it would have been difficult for this stockbroker to continuously connect to
the NSE’s secondary server.
The unearthing of the scam
This scam was exposed due to a whistle-blower report to SEBI which revealed the full scheme of the
persons manipulating the system. When Moneylife uncovered the scam, the NSE management filed a
defamation suit against Moneylife for Rs. 100 crores. The case was taken to the Bombay High Court, which
ruled against NSE and rejected its lawsuit. NSE was also ordered to pay a fine of Rs. 50 lakhs for its rude
reply to the media.
The investigation conducted by SEBI
In the year 2016, NSE was asked by SEBI to conduct an assessment of its systems and deposit any earnings
from its co-location facilities in an escrow account. The job of performing a forensic audit of NSE’s systems
was given to Deloitte. SEBI issued an order in 2019 ordering NSE to pay Rs 625 crores plus 12% interest, as
well as prohibiting NSE from raising funds from the stock market for six months.
Chitra Ramakrishna and Ravi Narain, who were in charge of NSE at the time, were ordered to pay back 25%
of their income, and penal orders were issued against others who were found to be manipulating the
system.
NSE has been fined one crore rupees, and Ravi Narain and Chitra Ramakrishna have each been fined 25 lakh
rupees.
Silver Stream Equities and Adroit Financial Services both received a Rs 6 lakh penalty from SEBI for
violating NSE co-location facility rules. During the years 2012-2014, these stockbrokers repeatedly logged in
to the secondary system for no reason.
What is Algo-trading?
Algorithmic trading or Algo-trading is an order executing method using pre-programmed automated trading
instructions that account for price, time, and volume.
Madhya Pradesh: Khajuraho Dance Festival
The Madhya Pradesh Kala Parishad organizes the Khajuraho Dance Festival, a one-week classical dance
festival held annually beside the Khajuraho temples located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh.
This festival takes place from 20th to 26th February.
Overview:
With performances by some of the top practitioners in the field, this festival celebrates the diversity of
Indian classical dance genres such as Bharathanatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathakali, and Manipuri.
Recently, modern Indian dance has been included.
In an open auditorium, generally in front of the Chitragupta Temple which is dedicated to Surya i.e. the Sun
God, and the Vishvanatha Temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva, the dances are performed.
Renowned dance performers from abroad and India gathers to showcase their talents.

Khajuraho Dance Festival 2022

This year’s Khajuraho Dance Festival is the 48th edition of this festival. In this festival, the Madhya Pradesh
State Rupankar Kala Award and National Kalidas Award for dance will be presented to the various artists.
This year’s festival will feature a number of major events which will focus on the cultural landscape of the
various genres of Indian dance.
Visitors will be able to see an exhibition focusing on Kathak-Nepathya, as well as art displays from other
countries and conversations with art experts and artists.
New technology to repair Aerospace components
An Indian scientist recently developed a completely autonomous technology to repair Aerospace
components.
Key facts
The new technology will completely repair and restore high-value components like turbine blades,
moulds, and other aerospace components requiring minimal human intervention.
This technology will leap-frog the repair and restoration industry to the next level.
It will also help in nucleation of cutting-edge laser manufacturing ecosystem for Atmanirbhar Bharat.
It has been developed with support from department of science & technology led “Advanced
Manufacturing Technology Programme”.
How is the new technology significant?
The development of new technology is significant because, existing repair techniques in India like thermal
spraying and welding are ad hoc. They do not provide accuracy and precision. These techniques are
manual. The quality of repair depends on skill set of the person.
Who has developed the new technology?
The new technology has been developed by Professor Ramesh Kumar Singh, from Mechanical Engineering
Department of IIT Bombay.
How this technology works?
The new technology uses a laser for excellent process control. It is completely autonomous and have
minimal to zero human intervention.
With the help of new technology, defective component will be scanned autonomously for damage
detection using a laser scanner.
Deposition path will be determined on the basis of certain algorithms.
Laser-directed energy deposition (LDED) technique will be used for depositing the material, followed
by finishing and automated inspection of restored product.
Process parameters will be obtained from physics-based models for inducing favourable residual
stress. This makes way for development of a science enabled technology’ solutions which are not
available to restore high-value components.
Robotic Restoration System
It comprises of a robotic restoration system and has been designed to function autonomously for all key
activities like damage detection, scanning path planning, deposition, finishing, and inspection.
Brainstorming webinar on implementation of Union Budget
Government of India is holding a series of brainstorming webinars in several key sector for facilitating
efficient and speedy implementation of Budget announcements.
Key Facts
These webinars are being held with the objective of brainstorming with experts from public and
private sectors, industry & academia and identify strategies to move forward towards implementation
of several issues across different sectors.

As part of this series, Ministry of Education is organizing a webinar on education and skill sector on
February 21, 2022.
Webinar on education & skill sector will include sessions on different themes of relevance. It will
witness participation of government officials from different ministries and state governments, skill
development organisations, industry representatives, students, educationists, and other experts.
Themes identified for webinar on education and skill sector
Themes that have been identified for webinar on education and skill sector include:
1. Digital University: Making World Class Higher Education Accessible for All
2. Widening Reach of One Class One Channel: Reaching Quality Digital Education to the Farthest Corner
3. The Digital Teacher: Creating quality e-content and Virtual Labs for Inclusivity, Better Learning
Outcomes and Skilling
4. Towards Fostering Stronger Industry-Skill Linkage
5. India Specific Knowledge in Urban Planning and Design
6. Strengthening Industry-Skill Linkage in AVGC
7. Developing Educational Institutions in GIFT City
Plenary Session of PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the Plenary Session. Under the identified themes, seven parallel
breakout sessions will be held. Participating teams will identify action points, broad strategies and
timelines to implement in line with ease of education principles. They will also focus on harnessing
employment opportunities.
Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City)
GIFT city is an under-construction central business district, in Gandhinagar Gujarat. It is the first operational
greenfield smart city as well as international financial services centre in India. It is located on the banks of
Sabarmati River. It is at a distance of around 12 km from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
International Mother Language Day 2022
The International Mother Language Day 2022 is being observed on February 21. The day is observed every
year for promoting awareness on linguistic and cultural diversity.
Key facts
The day is raises awareness with the aim of promoting multilingualism, that is, the ability to speak
multiple languages or using multiple languages.
It is part of a broader initiative of promoting preservation and protection of all languages that are
used by peoples across the world, as adopted by the UN General Assembly.
History of the day
The international mother language day was an initiative of Bangladesh. It was later approved at the 1999
UNESCO General Conference. Since then, it has been celebrated annually. First ever International Mother
Language Day was observed in 2000. This day was first announced by UNESCO on November 17, 1999. In
2002, it was formally recognised by the United Nations General Assembly.
Significance of the day
The international mother language day signifies how an intergovernmental body like UNESCO believes in
importance of linguistic and cultural diversity for sustainable societies. As per UNESCO, it is within its
mandate for peace that it works for preserving the differences in languages and cultures fostering tolerance
and respect for diversity. The day is significant for raising awareness on native languages because,
Linguistic diversity is coming under threat as more languages are disappearing. As per UN reports, 40
percent of the population worldwide does not have access to education in a language they understand or
speak.

Theme for the day

The theme of International Mother Language Day 2022 is “Using technology for multilingual learning:
Challenges and opportunities”. The theme raises potential role of technology in advancing multilingual
education and support development of quality learning and teaching for all.
Technology for distance learning
COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of technology for distance learning, in field of education. As a
result, UN recognises that technology can potentially address some of the greatest challenges in education.
Thus, theme of year 2022 stresses on how mother tongue based multilingual education is a key component
of inclusion in education.
J&K: ‘Janbhagidari Empowerment’ Portal
Government hosted the “Janbhagidari Empowerment” portal in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, in
line with government’s digital mission.
What is Janbhagidari Empowerment Portal
Janbhagidari Empowerment portal was hosted on a different server with higher bandwidth, in order to
provide easy and ready accessibility to the general public.
This intervention comes amid concerns related to the slow speed or bandwidth issues related to the
portal. This has led to disenchantment among users despite its great value as information platform.
After the movement of this portal on a different server, it has started to open quickly enough, and
thus whole experience of visiting the portal has improved.
About 70 thousand people have accessed the portal until now.
With the increase in bandwidth, the portal is likely to receive more hits in near future.
Importance of the portal
It is a one stop interactive and user-friendly digital platform. It provides detailed insights to people into
nature, status as well as number of developmental works that are being executed in their areas. Works
could be searched with respect to their location in each block or municipality, villages and district. The
portal has also been linked with schemes like MGNREGA, Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural), Swachh Bharat
Mission (Urban), PM Awas Yojana, and PM Gram Sadak Yojana, under execution in Government. Users will
have to click on these links to gain instant access to works that are being carried out under these schemes.
DBT Draft Paper on Synthetic Biology
Department of Biotechnology has released a draft foresight paper on synthetic biology. In its paper,
department has stressed on the need for a national policy to consolidate India’s stand on the issue.
Highlights
This 70-page document also notes that, India should avoid conflicting stands on science and policy.
It looks not only at global policies and protocols that must be refer to develop such a policy but also
defines synthetic biology and how intellectual property rights will be applicable in resulting processes
and products.
The paper was developed through a consultative process with experts from several organisations,
non-profit organisations, and some people from the industry.
It will help in creating a national policy.
What is Synthetic Biology?
Synthetic Biology refers to “science of using genetic sequencing, modification and editing, in order to create
unnatural organisms or organic molecules which can function in living systems. Synthetic biology helps the
scientists in designing and synthesising new sequences of DNA from scratch.
Application of Synthetic biology
Synthetic biology finds its applications across various fields, viz.,

1. Developing synthetic organisms for vaccination

2. Creating natural products in a lab like vanillin, which is the organic compound extracted from vanilla
seeds. These seeds can be grown in yeasts with additional plant genomes.
3. In pharmaceutical industry, synthetic biology can be used for make natural compounds like
artemisinin and Car T cell therapy. Artemisinin is used to treatment of malaria while Car T cell therapy
is used to treat cancer.
4. It will be used in fashion industry as well. Some companies are looking after the possibility of dyeing
jeans without producing hazardous waste.
5. Companies are also using it to deliver fixed nitrogen to plants instead of fertilisers and engineering
microbes for creating food additives or brew proteins.
MH-60R Multi-Role Helicopters
As per defence authorities, first batch of three MH-60R Multi-Role Helicopters is likely to arrive India by July
2022. Indian Navy had ordered the MH-60R Multi-Role Helicopters from the United States.
Key Points
A case is also being prepared to purchase six Kamov Ka-31 early warning helicopters.
Three helicopters were sent to Indian Navy in United States in July 2021. They are currently being
used to teach Indian pilots in Pensacola, San Diego and Florida.
It is going to be Indian Navy’s first significant induction of helicopters for deployment on ships in
decades.
According to Indian Navy, helicopters would be outfitted with several India-specific equipment and
armaments.
MH-60R helicopters will replace Sea King 42/42A helicopters, which were decommissioned in 1990s.
These helicopters will operate from frontline ships and aircraft carriers. Thus, providing them the
crucial traits of flexibility, assault capacity and enhanced surveillance.
Purchase of Kamov Ka-31 helicopters
Defence Acquisition Council is also reviewing the case to purchase six Kamov Ka-31 airborne and early
warning helicopters from Russia (DAC). In November 2020, Contract Negotiation Committee was set up
while commercial bids were opened in September 2021. Some discrepancies from “Request For Proposal
(RFP)” have been identified and are being resolved.
When was deal for MH-60R helicopters signed?
India signed a deal of worth USD 2.2 billion to purchase Lockheed Martin’s MH-60R helicopters, during the
visit of then-US President Donald Trump’s to India in February 2020. All deliveries should be completed by
2025.
Buy Global Deals
Indian Navy is undergoing severe shortage of helicopters on its frontline warships. Despite that, helicopter
purchase has been routinely postponed. Under DAC’s evaluation of all ‘Buy Global deals’, contract for 111
Naval Utility Helicopters (NUH) is being scrutinised. Tender is being completed under Strategic Partnership
method of procurement procedure. Big order for 123 multi-role helicopters is in progress. Apart from that,
Indian navy has submitted a Request for Information (RFI) in April 2021, to lease 24 light helicopters for
cover the deficit.
Revamp of Commerce Department
The government plans to reorganize the commerce department so that it can implement a more organized
trade promotion strategy with clear targets. A dedicated trade promotion organization and a trade remedies
review committee have been proposed as part of the strategy.

Overview:
The Department of Commerce will have a setup that will be sensitive to the market possibilities and
exporter demands in order to establish an ecosystem to reach USD 2 trillion in exports by the year 2027. In
addition, India’s branding would be consistent across all domains, with the focus areas highlighted.
Key facts of the revamp
Under the proposal, the redesigning of the department is being done keeping in mind the strategic
directions as well as directions required for the next decade. The department will also have a setup through
which it will be able to respond quickly to exporting demands and market opportunities.
There is also a need to re-engineer and scale up the operating model with new-age capabilities, so as to
transition to new roles from the inherent ones.
To make scheme administration and compliance easier, further digitization and centralization of the trade
facilitation processes have been proposed. It has also been suggested that the data and analytics
ecosystem be restructured through centralized data management and embedded analytics system within
the department.
Strengthening of various other trade bodies, as well as the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), has
also been proposed.
What are Kisan Drones?
On February 18, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off 100 kisan drones in different cities and
towns of India, in order to help farmers in spraying pesticides in their farms.
Key Facts
This is a new chapter in direction of modern agricultural facilities of 21st century. This move will prove to be
a milestone in development of drone sector and will also open sky to unlimited possibilities.
Background
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced major stimulus for farming and agriculture sector in
Budget 2022-23. As a part, Centre will promote Kisan Drones, public-private partnerships to deliver digital &
high-tech services and chemical-free natural farming, to farmers across India during financial year 2022-23.
She announced while emphasizing the usage of technology, that kisan drones will be promoted for
digitization of land records, crop assessment, and spraying nutrients and insecticides.
Drone Shakti Scheme
This scheme was announced in Union Budget 2022. The budget pushed for promoting drones by means of
start-ups and skilling at Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). Under the scheme, start-ups will be promoted in
a bid to facilitate ‘Drone Shakti’ for Drone-As-A-Service (DrAAS). Under it, courses for skilling will also be
started in some selected ITIs across the States. Sectors where drones can be employed are agriculture,
photography, telecom, mining, insurance, oil & gas, transport, construction, disaster management, defence &
law enforcement, geo-spatial mapping, forest and wildlife etc.
SC on Gender Cap in Orchestra Bars
The Government of Maharashtra had placed a restriction limiting the number of female and male
performers in orchestra bars to four each, but the Supreme Court (SC) overturned it.
Overview:
The SC said the limit of performers should not exceed the number 8 but there should not be any restriction
on gender composition. The bench that passed the order consists of Justice S. Ravindra Bhat and Justice
K.M. Joseph.
The SC said that this gender cap breaks the performers’ fundamental rights as well as those of the license
owners under Article 19 (1) (g) and Article 15 (1) of the Indian Constitution.
Orchestra performances are a common feature for which a license has to be procured namely the Premises

and Performance licenses under the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951’s Licensing and Performance for Public
Amusement including Melas, Cabaret Performance, and Tamashas Rule, 1960.
Which condition was challenged by the appellant?
The Commissioner of Police, Brihan Mumbai, added several conditions to the existing ones. The appellant,
on the other hand, challenged two significant conditions that contributed to the gender difference.
Only four female singers/artists and four male singers/artists are permitted to remain on the
permitted stage by the licensee.
Only eight musicians are allowed to remain on the stage at any given time (four male and four
women).
The High Court had dismissed the appeal to the Commissioner of Police’s conditions, ruling that the right to
impose them was obtained from the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951, and the rules which were framed under
it.
Later, these conditions were overturned by the Supreme Court.
Recent Study on Pollination of Moths
A study has revealed that moths are essential for pollination in northeast India’s Himalayan environment.
The study established that 91 species of moths are pollinators of 21 different species of plants in
Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim in the north-eastern Himalayas.
Overview:
The results are significant as most pollination research focused on daytime pollinators such as butterflies
and bees, while the contribution of nocturnal pollinators received less scientific attention. This research is a
part of a project which has been funded by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and it is
one of the few such large-scale studies in which the research team studied the effect of different altitudes
as well as various seasons on the ecology of pollination of the moths.
The study is based on field studies that were conducted in Himalayan terrains, ranging from the foothills to
elevations of up to 3,000 meters, as well as laboratory investigations of over 1,800 moth proboscides i.e.
the mouthparts of moths.
Where was the study published?
The study was published in Scientific Reports, a publication from the Nature group of journals, in a paper
titled “Settling moths are the important component of pollination in Himalayan environment of North East
India, pollen transfer network technique revealed.” The lead author of this study is Navneet Singh.
Findings of the study
Erebidae (tiger moths, erebid moths, lichen moths, etc) and Geometridae (geometer moths) were found to
be the Himalayan region’s most important families of moths for pollen transportation. It was also found that
moths also frequently interacted with Fabaceae, Betulaceae, Ericaceae, and Rosaceae which fall under the
category of the wind-pollinated plant family.
The study has also found out that Achaea janata which is a well-known pest of numerous important plants
was found as a potential pollinator of three plant families, which shows that moths can provide benefits as
pollinators even when functioning as larval herbivores.
Conclusion
The study has shown the importance that moths play in the nature.
What are “Fast Radio Bursts?”
Fast Radio Bursts (FRB) are bright bursts of radio waves that can be created by celestial objects with
everchanging magnetic fields with millisecond durations, making them difficult to identify and pinpoint their
exact location in the sky. FRB was detected for the first time in 2007.

Overview:
The bursts create a spectrum of radio waves, which spread out or disperse as the waves travel through
matter, with bursts at higher radio frequencies arriving at telescopes earlier than those at lower
frequencies. Signal degradation can occur due to dispersion, especially over long distances.
What can be learned from the dispersions?
Researchers can understand two crucial things from this dispersion which are that they can use this
dispersion to find out more about the materials that radio blasts pass through on their way to Earth. They
can also figure out how far apart things are.
What are the origins of Fast Radio Bursts?
FRBs have been discovered in some far regions of the universe, including our own galaxy. Their origins are
unknown. The number of fast radio bursts detected so far has doubled due to the CHIME research.
Astronomers are hoping to discover the origins of the FRBs soon with more observations.
About CHIME Research
It’s a radio telescope with no moving parts. This telescope was designed to scan the universe’s most
abundant element, hydrogen, over a large area of the universe that can be observed. It has a fast scanning
speed.
In the National Research Council of Canada’s Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory in British
Columbia, Canada this telescope is located.
What is the significance of Fast Radio Bursts?
Researchers are hoping that the distinct properties of the FRBs along with their host galaxies combined with
technical breakthroughs will help in addressing long-standing questions regarding the universe. FRBs can
also be utilized to get knowledge about the early period of the universe’s expansion and evolution and to
understand the three–dimensional structure of matter in the universe.
Conclusion
Using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope, a group of astronomers from Pune have found the first-ever
evidence of a galaxy merger that hosted a Fast Radio Burst.
Mumbai: Host of IOC Session 2023
The city of Mumbai will be hosting the 2023 International Olympic Committee session. This event will see
the election for the 2030 Winter Olympics host country and the sports programme for the Olympic Games
scheduled in Los Angeles for the year 2028. This IOC session will be held either in the months of May or
June the next year.
Overview:
The announcement confirms that India will host the prestigious IOC meeting for the first time since the year
1983. This will help in bringing in engagement between the Olympic Movement and the youths of the nation.
As India gets to host this session, India will be front-runners to host the 2030 Youth Olympics and can push
for the 2036 Summer Olympics.
What is an IOC session?
The annual gathering of the members of the IOC, which consists of 101 voting members and 45 honorary
members, is known as an IOC session.
Decisions and discussions on key aspects of the worldwide Olympic movement, such as the approval of any
change of the Olympic Charter, the election of IOC members, and the selection of the Olympic host city are
done in the IOC sessions.
Conclusion
The 2023 IOC session will be a crucial moment in the sporting chapter of the country as it will establish the
nation on the global sporting map, opening up multiple opportunities in the organization of world-class

training infrastructure, sporting events, nurturing sports talent, enriching the lives of millions of Indian
athletes and sports viewers.
February 22, 2022
FSSAI ‘Eat Right Campus’
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recently certified four police stations of New Delhi
district as ‘Eat Right Campus’.
Key Points
Premises in Delhi are recognised as “Eat Right Campus” under the “Sehatmand Delhi Programme”.
Sejarmand Delhi Programme was launched as a part of “Eat Right India”, which is a flagship mission
of FSSAI,
Eat Right India initiative was launched with the aim of ensuring that the citizens in India get safe and
nutritious food.
Aim of ‘Eat Right Campus’ initiative
FSSAI launched the “Eat Right Campus Initiative” with the aim of promoting safe, healthy and sustainable
food in campuses like universities, schools, colleges, hospitals, workplaces, tea estates etc. across India.
Its objective is to improve health of people and planet as well as promote social and economic development
of the country.
What is the need of this initiative?
Today, in fast-paced environment, working professionals and students are spending majority of their time at
the workplace or college campus. Long working hours, long client meetings and classes coupled with short
deadlines are increasing the time spent at these places. Thus, they are left with little time left for eating
healthy or exercising. Most people eat at least one meal in campus settings. But, eating safe and healthy
food is significant in the light of increasing number of foods borne diseases, non-communicable diseases
like diabetes, hypertension and heart related diseases. In India, 196 million people are undernourished.
Furthermore, 135 million are overweight or obese. Number of foodborne illnesses are also increasing year
by year. Thus, this initiative is a significant step to ensure safe and nutritious food.
Eat Right India Initiative
Eat Right India Initiative was launched by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). This
movement was launched with the aim of cutting down salt, sugar and oil consumption by 30% over three
years. It also aims to enable and engage citizens in improving their health and well being by making right
food choices. It was inspired by “focus on preventive and promotive healthcare” in National Health Policy
2017 and initiatives like POSHAN Abhiyaan, Ayushman Bharat, and Swachh Bharat Mission.
Three themes of the Eat Right India
Eat Right India movement is based on three key themes:
1. Eat Safe
2. Eat Healthy, and
3. Eat Sustainable.
United States: 'Pickleball' sport
A curious sport called “Pickleball” has become one the fastest growing sports in the United States.
Pickleball is a combination of elements taken from tennis, badminton and ping-pong.
How this sport get fame?
In 1965; Joel Pritchard (then congressman from Washington) and Bill Bell (a businessman), returned
to Pritchard’s home and found their families had nothing to do.
Home was equipped with a badminton court, but they could not find a full set of badminton rackets.
Then they decided to improvise with ping-pong paddles and perforated plastic ball.
This idea worked and later players realized the ball bounced off asphalt surface well. Following this,
net was lowered from 60 inches to 36 inches. Later, specific rules for were invented. Rules were
borrowed from badminton.
First permanent pickleball court was constructed in 1967.
What was the purpose of this game?
The purpose of this was, to provide a game that whole family could play together.
When did the game reach India?
The Pickleball game reached India in 2006. A pickleball enthusiast Sunil Valavalkar brought back some
paddles and balls from Canada and started giving demonstrations in Mumbai. As per All India Pickleball
Association, this sport has reached to 16 states in India and has around 3,000 registered players.
Pickleball in the US
As per US Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SIFA), number of pickleball participants has increased
by 21.3 per cent between 2019 and 2020. In 2020, there were 1193000 college graduate pickleball
participants. As of 2022, there are 4.8 million participants across the US, amounting to a growth of 39.3 per
cent.
Who maintains the rules for Pickleball?
The US Pickleball Association governs and promotes this sport and maintains its rules.
Pickleball court
Pickleball is played on a badminton-size court. Net is set to a height of 34 inches at the centre. It is played
with perforated plastic ball and wooden or composite paddles that are twice the size of ping-pong paddles.
First Nationals Pickleball Tournament
First nationals pickleball tournament was held in Buckeye, Arizona in 2009.
Lavender Cultivation’ in Ramban
According to Union Minister of State of Prime Minister’s office, Jitendra Singh, central government was
planning to start ‘Purple Revolution’ in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Highlights
Purple revolution will be planned by encouraging lavender cultivation under CSIR-IIIM’s Aroma
Mission through the Ministry of Science and Technology.
It will be planned on lines of Doda and Reasi districts.
Cultivation of Lavender can be started in Ramban for increasing income sources for youth of the
district.
In Doda and Reasi, more than 500 youth had taken the benefit from purple revolution and augmented
their income.
Purple Revolution (Under Aroma Mission)
Under the mission, farmers were given free lavender saplings for the first time in Doda district of Jammu
and Kashmir. Those who had cultivated lavender before were charged Rs. 5-6 per sapling. This revolution
was started for supporting agro economy based on domestic aromatic crop by moving from imported
aromatic oils to homegrown varieties.
Involved Agencies
Two bodies which are mainly responsible to make this initiative a success are, Indian Institute of Integrative
Medicine, Jammu (IIIM Jammu) and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
Aroma Mission
CSIR has launched the Aroma Mission with the objective of bringing transformative change in aroma sector
through desired interventions in areas of agriculture, processing and product development for the growth of
aroma industry and rural employment. The mission promotes cultivation of aromatic crops for essential oils

which are in great demand by aroma industry. It will help Indian farmers and aroma industry in becoming
global leaders in production and export of essential oils. It aims to provide benefits to the farmers in
achieving higher profits, protecting their crops and utilizing waste lands.
Statehood day of Arunachal Pradesh & Mizoram
On February 20, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted people of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram on
the occasion of statehood day both the states.
Highlights
Year 2022 marked the 36th State Foundation Day of Arunachal Pradesh. North-East Frontier Agency
(NEFA) was given a new name and a new identity as Arunachal Pradesh, 50 years ago.
Arunachal Pradesh became a full-fledged state on February 20, 1987.
Mizoram was the 23rd state of India. It was made a state on February 20, 1987, with 53rd Amendment
Act of Indian Constitution, 1986.
Statehood Day of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh is called as “Land of Dawn-Lit Mountains”. It is a state in Northeast India, which are from
erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region. It became a state on February 20, 1987. It states border
with states of Assam and Nagaland to the south. It has international borders with Bhutan, Myanmar and
China. Itanagar is state capital. It is the largest among Seven Sister States of Northeast India by area.
About Mizoram
It is one among the seven sister states of north-eastern India. Aizawl is its seat of government as well as
capital city. Name of this state is derived from Mizo and Ram’ which means land in the Mizo language.
Thus, Mizoram means “land of the Mizos”. It is the southernmost landlocked state among northeast region
of India. The state share borders with three states namely Tripura, Manipur and Assam. It also shares a 722-
kilometre border with Bangladesh and Myanmar. It was established on February 20, 1987.
Seven Sister States
Seven Sister States is a popular term for contiguous states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya,
Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, before the inclusion of Sikkim into North Eastern Region of India.
The term ‘Land of the Seven Sisters’ was coined by Jyoti Prasad Saikia, to coincide with inauguration of new
states in January 1972. Jyoti Prasad Saikia was a journalist in Tripura.
Delhi: Specialised Schools of Excellence
In the year 2022, 11 new Specialised Schools of Excellence (SoSEs) has been introduced in Delhi, taking the
total tally of such schools to 31.
Key Points
Delhi government established SoSEs for equipping students with world-class facilities and instructors
for curriculum and learning in specialised fields.
These schools provide specialised education across five areas, including Science, Technology,
Engineering & Mathematics (STEM), performing & visual arts, and humanities, Armed Forces
Preparatory School and high-end 21st century skills.
Admission Process
The process of admission for new session has started across these schools now. Students can apply for
admission to class 9 in their preferred domain till February 28, 2022. Apart from that, students can
admission in Class 11 in STEM and Armed Forces Preparatory School (AFPS) in 2022. Students who are
looking to take admissions can reach out to admission help desk, that have been set up at their nearest
SoSE.
Significance of AFPS
This year, Armed Forces Preparatory School (AFPS) has also been included in SoSE. The AFPS seeks to

prepare students who are dreaming to serve India by becoming officers in Indian armed forces.” In
2022-2023 session, admission can be taken in AFPS for Class 9 and 11. AFPS will be residential school,
where students would be trained rigorously to prepare them for Indian Armed forces. Its campus is spread
over an area of 14 acres in Jharoda Kalan.
Eligibility Criteria
As per usual guidelines adopted by Delhi government, students require a minimum of 66% aggregate marks
in Class 7 to take admission in Class 9 of any SoSE. On the other hand, minimum of 75% aggregate marks is
required in Class 9 to take admission in Class 11. 5% waiver will be given for students from OBC, SC, ST,
and CWSN (Children with Special Needs) categories.
Alcyoneus Galaxy
Located around 3 billion light-years away in the Lynx constellation, is a radio galaxy which is named
Alcyoneus Galaxy. This galaxy was discovered using the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)
telescope and the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) network and it is the largest discovered galaxy in the
universe,
Overview:
Currently, it is the largest galaxy discovered, with a width of around 5 million parsecs (16.3 million light-
years). It is the largest known structure created by a single galaxy. A supermassive black hole weighing
400200 million solar masses has also been found in the host galaxy, SDSS J081421.68+522410.
Apart from the size, this galaxy is ordinary. The nearest cluster is 11 million light-years away, therefore it
appears to be a stand-alone galaxy. It has been named Alcyoneus who was one of Heracles’ opponents
according to Greek mythology.
How did Alcyoneus Galaxy become so massive?
It is unknown how Alcyoneus became so massive. Some theories that have been suggested are that it is
less dense compared to its environmental surroundings and it also lies inside a supermassive black hole, a
filament of the cosmic web, powerful jet streams, and an extensive stellar population.
The black hole which is present in the center of this galaxy is around 400 million times the sun’s mass.
About LOFAR
LOFAR or the Low-Frequency Array is a large radio telescope network which is located in the Netherlands
mainly. It was completed in the year 2012 by ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, along
with international partners. LOFAR is operated by the radio observatory of ASTRON.
About Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)
It is a NASA Explorer program’s infrared astronomy satellite telescope. WISE was launched in the year 2009,
and put into hibernation mode in 2011, before being reactivated in 2013 and renamed the Near-Earth Object
Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE). Thousands of small planets and several star clusters were
identified by WISE.
Japan Hydrogen Train
Japan has launched its first hydrogen-powered train. This unveiling is seen as a step towards the country’s
objective of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The hydrogen-fuelled train will be tested in the country in
March.
Overview:
“Hybari” the two-car train costs over USD 35 million or 4 billion yen and can go up to 140 kilometers or 87
miles at a top speed of 100 kilometers per hour on a single hydrogen refuelling.
Who has developed this train?
The train has been developed by East Japan Railway in association with Hitachi and Toyota Motor
Corporation. The nation has plans to replace its diesel fleet with this hydrogen variant of trains and will also

look to export them. In 2030, commercial services are expected to start.

Which country has rolled out the first hydrogen-fuelled train?
In hydrogen-fuelled trains, Europe has been a pioneer. Germany launched the world’s first train in 2018
which was built by Alstom SA. Special fuelling stations and new regional trains are being developed by
Deutsche Bahn AG and Siemens AG, and they will be tested in 2024.
Conclusion
In order to achieve net-zero energy, Japan has made hydrogen a major clean-energy source. Toyota is
looking at increasing the production of its second-generation hydrogen-fuelled Mirai cars by ten times with
more commercial vehicles and fuel-cell buses plying on the road.
The government of Japan has plans to increase hydrogen usage to 20 million tonnes by 2050. Energy
industries such as Kawasaki and Iwatani Heavy Industries are attempting to develop hydrogen supply
chains in order to lower the cost of fuel.
What is 'Presidential Fleet Review'?
On February 21, President Ram Nath Kovind conducted a Fleet Review of Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam.
Highlights
President Kovind is in Visakhapatnam for a three-day visit to Eastern Naval Command.
Visakhapatnam is hosting the Fleet Review for the second time.
First Fleet Review was hosted in 2006 by the then President of India APJ Abdul Kalam.
The Fleet Review is done with the aim of assuring the country of preparedness, high morale and
discipline of Indian Navy.
This year marked the twelfth Fleet Review.
It is being conducted on the occasion of 75th anniversary of India’s Independence.
Why President of India review Indian Naval Fleet?
Every President of India reviews the Indian Naval Fleet, once during their office term, because he is the
Supreme Commander of Indian armed forces.
About Presidential Fleet Review
Being the Supreme Commander of Indian armed forces, the President of India takes stock of capabilities of
Navy in the Fleet Review. The President embarks on a yacht, called the Presidential Yacht and review the
Indian Naval Fleet. In the year 2022, the yacht comprised of more than 60 ships and submarines, and 55
aircraft. It will be distinguished by Ashoka Emblem on her side. It will fly the President’s Standard on the
Mast. This year, ships from all naval commands and Andaman & Nicobar Command were docked on one of
the naval ports for the Review in Visakhapatnam. As part of this exercise, Presidential Yacht sailed past the
columns of ships anchored in lanes, and they were accorded the ceremonial salute. The President was also
given a 21-gun salute during the review.
Naval vessels in 2022 review
As per Defence Ministry, the participating platforms in Fleet Review included:
1. Newly inducted combat platforms,
2. Latest stealth destroyer INS Visakhapatnam and
3. INS Vela, which is a Kalvari class submarine commissioned into Indian Navy recently.
4. Three Shivalik class frigates
5. Three Kamorta class ASW Corvettes
6. Ships from the Coast Guard, Ministry of Earth Sciences and Shipping Corporation of India.
Background
So far, 11 Fleet Reviews have been organized. First fleet was conducted in 1953, under President Rajendra
Prasad. Of all, two reviews in 2001 and 2016 were international, in which vessels from other countries also

took part.
India- Panacea Biotec New COVID Vaccine
Government of India will partner with Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and pharma
company Panacea Biotec, for developing a new Covid Vaccine.
Highlights
They will develop vaccine candidates to provide broad protection against SARS-COV-2 variants as
well as other beta coronaviruses.
CEPI will be partnering with a consortium comprising of Translational Health Science and Technology
Institute (THSTI) which is an autonomous institute of Department of Biotechnology under Ministry of
Science and Technology and Panacea Biotec.
Development of Multi-epitope
CEPI will provide funding of up to USD 12 million for supporting the development of multi-epitope,
advance manufacturing process and nanoparticle-based vaccine candidates.
For this, lead antigen will be designed and selected through proof-of-concept preclinical studies.
Following this, CEPI will undertake initial clinical development through Phase 1 or 2 of studies.
Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)
CEPI is a foundation, taking donations from public, private, civil society organisations and philanthropic
organisations for financing independent research projects in a bid to develop vaccines against emerging
infectious diseases (EID). It focuses on “blueprint priority diseases” of World Health Organization. CEPI was
conceived in 2015. But it was formally launched in 2017 at World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos,
Switzerland.
Blueprint Priority Diseases
WHO’s blueprint priority diseases include:
1. Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV)
2. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
3. Nipah virus
4. Lassa fever virus
5. Rift Valley fever virus
6. Chikungunya virus and
7. Gypothetical, unknown pathogen “Disease X”.
Who founded CEPI?
CEPI was co-founded and co-funded with USD 460 million from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome
Trust and governments of India, Japan, Germany, & Norway. CEPI was later joined by European Union in
2019 and the United Kingdom in 2020. It is headquartered in Oslo, Norway.
India-France: Roadmap on Blue Economy and Ocean Governance
India and France recently agreed on a Roadmap on Blue Economy and Ocean Governance.
Key Points
Both the countries agreed on this roadmap with the aim of contributing scientific knowledge and
ocean conservation.
They seek to ensure that the ocean remains a global common, on the basis of rule of law.
This agreement was signed during three-day visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to France.
Scope of the roadmap will encompass maritime trade, naval industry, marine technology, fisheries,
scientific research, marine eco-tourism, inland waterways, integrated coastal management, and
cooperation between competent administrations on civil maritime issues.
Both the countries have planned to organise an annual bilateral dialogue on blue economy and ocean

governance for exchanging views on their priorities, support ongoing & future cooperation and share
their best practices.
India-France on Blue Economy
India and France seek to make blue economy a driver of progress in their respective societies, apart from
respecting environment and coastal & marine biodiversity. They noted that, fisheries are a vital economic
sector, playing a decisive role in food security and livelihood security, specifically for coastal populations.
According to them, demographic, economic & societal factors have resulted into increased global demand
for marine products and increasing stress on global fish stocks. Both the countries will make blue economy
a priority in development of their economic exchanges.
Visa to entrepreneurs in blue economy
India and France will facilitate contacts between economic actors, technopoles, business heads
organisations, and maritime clusters of both the countries, cross investments, besides visa to
entrepreneurs active in blue economy.
What is Blue Economy?
The concept of Blue Economy was introduced by Gunter Pauli in his 2010 book titled “The Blue Economy: 10
years, 100 innovations, 100 million jobs”. Blue economy means sustainable use of ocean resources for
economic growth, ocean ecosystem health and improved livelihoods & jobs. It provides for greening of
ocean development strategies for conservation of ocean’s health and higher productivity.
Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate Week
On February 22, 2022, President Ram Nath Kovind will inaugurate the ‘Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate programme’
in virtual mode.
Key Facts
Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate is a week-long, nationwide programme of competitions and lectures for
school students and collegians.
To organise this programme, Union Ministry of Science and Technology has selected three
institutions in Madhya Pradesh.
MP Council of Science and Technology (MPCST) will hold the event in Bhopal, SGSITS College in
Indore and Rani Durgavati University in Jabalpur.
In the event, Students from government and private institutions can take part.
To take part in the event, students are required to register on the government website.
Aim of the ‘Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate’ programme
The Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate programme was launched with the aim of attracting students towards scientific
knowledge of articles of daily use. The programme also aims to propagate scientific theories.
Theme of the programme
The Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate programme will be organised with different themes each day. Themes are
listed below:
On February 23, the theme will be “annals of the history of Indian science”.
On February 24- “milestones of modern Indian science and technology”.
On February 25- “swadeshi paramparik inventions and innovations”.
On February 26- “science literature festival”.
On February 27- “science and technology for next 25 years”
On February 28, valedictory function will be held.
Celebration of ‘Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate’ Week
The University Grant Commission has asked colleges to celebrate “Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate Week” or
“Science Week” 2022. As a part of this week, a mega book fair will be held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in

Delhi. Book fair will be held under the Ministry of Culture and Office of the PSA, from February 22 to
February 28, 2022. The Science Week celebration will culminate on February 28, on National Science Day.
National Science Day 2022
National Science Day is observed in India on February 28, each year. The day marks the discovery of Raman
effect by Indian physicist Sir C. V. Raman. Raman effect was discovered on February 28, 1928, for which Sir
C.V. Raman had received Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.
Storm Eunice across Europe
Storm Eunice sparked the first-ever red weather warning in London on February 19, 2022. It was one of the
most powerful storms in Europe since 1984, when the Great Storm hit Britain and northern France.
Highlights
Around 13 people have been killed by high winds, falling trees and flying debris in Europe.
It has knocked 1.4 million households off the grid, with emergency crews battled to restore power.
It caused mayhem with travel in Britain, shut down the English Channel port of Dover and closed down
of bridges linking England & Wales.
It has also halted most trains in and out of London.
Winds touched 200 mph at high altitudes.
Second Storm in a week
Eunice is the second named storm that hit Europe this week. The first storm killed at least five people in
Germany and Poland.
What’s behind dangerous wind storms in Europe?
Eunice Storm is similar to the “Great Storm” of 1987, that had led to hurricane-force winds and claimed 22
lives across Britain and France. Both the storms are predicted to contain a “sting jet”. Sting Jet is a small,
narrow airstream, which can be formed inside a storm and produce intense winds over an area smaller than
100 km. Such storms are difficult to forecast and relatively rare.
How does Sting Jets occur?
Sting jets occur in a certain type of extratropical cyclone, which is defined as a rotating wind system outside
of the tropics. These airstreams are formed about 5 km above the Earth’s surface. They then descend on
the southwest side of a cyclone, closed to its centre. They accelerate and bring fast-moving air from high in
the atmosphere with them. When they are formed, they produce much higher wind speeds on the ground.
2022 Winter Olympics- Explained
The 2022 Winter Olympics ended on February 20, 2022, by uplifting closing ceremony. It saw sporting
drama and milestones. However, it was tarnished by a Russian doping scandal.
Highlights
The Games will be remembered for new stars like Eileen Gu as well as for the doping controversy in
which a 15-year-old figure skater Kamila Valieva was involved. This is because, controversy took
place inside a vast Covid-secure bubble.
Closing ceremony was held at Bird’s Nest stadium, which also took centre stage during 2007 Summer
Games in Beijing.
The snowflake-themed closing ceremony was attended by President Xi Jinping.
During the ceremony, the Games were declared closed and handed over to 2026 hosts Milano-
Cortina.
Iconic figures of Winter Sports
A new global star emerged in form of 18-year-old freestyle skier Gu, since the opening ceremony on
February 4. He was born in California but moved to China in 2019. He became the unofficial face of
the Games.

It also witnessed a new men’s figure skating champion in Nathan Chen (22) from United States. He
dethroned two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu from Japan, in his final appearance at the
Games.
Another iconic figure was American snowboarder Shaun White. His last event ended out of the
medals.
Valieva had failed a drugs test before the Games. This incident catapulted her to the forefront of
Russian doping controversy at the Olympics. She was allowed to skate in Chinese capital but she has
not been cleared of doping.
Winter Olympic Games
Winter Olympic Games are held once every four years for sports that are practiced on snow and ice. The
first Winter Olympic Games were held in 1924 in Chamonix, France.
World Day of Social Justice - Update (February, 2022)
th
On 20 February, the World Day of Social Justice is observed annually. This day works towards promoting
social justice, which includes efforts to tackle issues like exclusion, poverty, unemployment, gender
inequality, social protection, and human rights.
Overview:
The United Nations General Assembly declared 20 February as the World Day of Social Justice, which was
accepted on 26 November 2007, and observed annually since 2009.
Significance of this day
Many organizations, such as the United Nations, and the International Labour Organization (ILO), have
issued statements highlighting the role of social justice.
The United Nations General Assembly recognizes that social justice and social development are crucial for
achieving as well as sustaining international security and peace. Thus, without social justice, there won’t be
security, peace, or support towards fundamental freedom and human rights.
The theme of World Day of Social Justice, 2022
‘Achieving Social Justice through Formal Employment’ is the theme of World Day of Social Justice 2022.
The theme of this year has been selected keeping in mind that almost 60% of the world’s employed
population make their living in the informal economy. And it has been noticed that these individuals are the
ones lacking social protection as well as employment-related benefits.
It is necessary to eliminate inequality and poverty, boost productivity, and ensure long-term sustainability in
order to support the transition to formal employment. Hence, this year the UN has focussed on
strengthening the ability of businesses and people who are looking to enter the formal economy.
ICCR Indian Crafts Fair
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is organizing a crafts exhibition-cum-fair in Delhi with the
aim of popularising traditional Indian crafts among the diplomatic community.
Overview:
This crafts fair is being held as a part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) celebrations. At Bikaner
House, this fair will be held and it has been named ‘Coalescence: Craft-Culture-Community-Climate.’
On 23rd February this fair will be inaugurated by Meenakshi Lekhi, MOS for Culture and External Affairs in the
presence of ICCR president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe.
This three-day fair will provide an experience of India’s cultural history and craft techniques that contribute
to the planet’s ecological balance. Dastkari Haat Samiti’s Jaya Jaitly curated this event.
Textiles, crafts, beauty aromatics, traditional and folk art, and recycled products will be presented by 22
craftspeople from 11 states.
This fair is being organized so that not only India’s dance and music be showcased as part of the country’s

culture, but other traditions like crafts, cuisine, and literature should also be highlighted.
How are the products to be exhibited made?
All the exhibited products are made with organic and natural materials and produced utilizing non-polluting
methods. Due to this, the global community will be able to witness how the country’s traditional culture can
face the difficulties that arise due to climate change.
Upcoming events of ICCR
ICCR has a plethora of upcoming events planned for the rest of the year in its bag related to movies,
language, and academic-related programs. In association with FTII-Pune, a workshop on “Indian Cinema
and Soft Power” will be organized.
ICCR also has plans to tie up with the Hyderabad-based Foreign Language Institute and design courses to
teach languages from nations such as Kazakhstan and Indonesia in India.
About ICCR
Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), was founded on 9th April 1950 with the aim of promoting the
culture of the nation globally as well as to involve in cultural exchanges with other nations and their people.
ICCR is headquartered in New Delhi and Vinay Sahasrabuddhe is the current president. Dinesh K. Patnaik is
the director-general of the organization.
Manipur Flag-hoisting Tradition
With elections in Manipur being scheduled from 27th February to 3rd March, the candidates are holding a
unique flag hoisting ceremony in their constituencies before embarking on campaigning to the people of the
state. This ritual is unique to Manipur, is practiced by people of all races, political parties, religions, and
communities.
Overview:
Generally, on an auspicious date, this ceremony is held in the courtyard of the respective candidate’s home.
The event consists of a priest’s prayers, hoisting of the party flag by the candidate, and blessings from the
elders of the community. The scale of the ceremony varies from one candidate to the other.
The Athenpot Thinba is an important aspect of the flag-hoisting ceremony. The women carry various
vegetables and fruits, traditional snacks, rice, and flowers and place them at the base of the flagpole of the
party. Other gifts are also presented to the candidate to wish him or her good luck in the polls.
Thinba means to present or drop things, and Athenpot means an offering that contains a variety of objects
such as flowers and food.
In religious practice, Athenpot is given to gods to appease them, while in elections it is presented to the
candidates to show support.
The candidate can then converse with the audience or give a speech.
How is the date of the ceremony selected?
The date of this ceremony is chosen based on astrological predictions.
Variations of the ceremony
While this ceremony is shared by all there are variations on how it is performed. The Meiteis may include a
puja in their ritual while the event is presided over by a pastor followed by blessings from elders, and
singing of hymns in the Christian districts of the hill.
Significance of this celebration
Through this ceremony, a candidate declares the constituency they are representing and also showcases
the popularity.
National Digital University
The Union Budget for 2022-23 looks to implement the National Education Policy (NEP). To help this the
decision to establish a National Digital University was announced that will look to solve India’s seat scarcity

problem in educational institutions.

Overview:
The digital university will provide access to high-quality higher education in several languages while also
complying with the National Education Policy 2020.
Prospects of Digital University in India
The Indian government plans to establish a digital university to provide world-class quality education and
promote online learning in several Indian languages.
The government will also expand the ‘One Class One TV Channel’ programme under the PM e-Vidya scheme
to address the learning loss which has been caused due to the closure of schools because of the pandemic.
The digital university which has been proposed along with the increased education through television
programmes will help in guiding the nation through a pioneering, modern, and practical blueprint.
There is a growing awareness that the present university model education system is restrictive and has
failed to meet the requirements of the student’s financial conditions, interests, and various cognitive skills.
Hence, there is a need to develop an education system that is flexible in nature and can impart quality
education anytime and anywhere.
Disadvantages of Digital University
The main disadvantage of such a system is that many might not have the required capital or technologies to
avail of this kind of education. The digital divide still prevalent in the nation will cause a hindrance to this
kind of educational system.
Conclusion
The government must help in bringing down the digital divide of the nation. The bigger educational
institutions should also play their part in forming such a flexible and affordable educational system in the
country. SWAYAM, ePG-Pathshala, SWAYAM-Prabha, National Digital Library, eGyanKosh, and Virtual Labs
are examples of the existing resources that can be integrated into the digital university.
EUA to Corbevax for 12-18 Age Group
A vaccine manufacturer based in Hyderabad, Biological E has received emergency use authorization (EUA)
from the drug regulator of India for its Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 12 to 18.
Overview:
Biological E’s Corbevax vaccine was earlier approved by the Drugs Controller General of India for limited
usage in adults during emergency situations in 2019. Based on the results that were seen during the
ongoing Phase II and Phase III clinical research, the Drugs Controller General of India has given its approval
for the vaccine to be used in teenagers who are aged between 12 to 18 years.
Currently, the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination programme includes children aged fifteen to eighteen years,
with only Covaxin from Bharat Biotech approved for this age range.
An advance payment of Rs 1500 crores was made by the central government to reserve 30 crore doses of
vaccine.
About Corbevax
Corbevax is the country’s first indigenously made receptor-binding domain (RBD) protein subunit vaccine
against Covid-19.
Via intramuscular route, this vaccine is administered to the person. Two doses are to be taken which are
scheduled 28 days apart. This vaccine has to be stored at a temperature range of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius.
About Biological E
Biological E is an Indian biopharmaceutical and biotechnology company which is located in Hyderabad. This
company focuses on the production of low-cost vaccines. This biopharmaceutical company was founded in
the year 1953 and Mahima Datla is the Marketing Director of the company.

Pakistan's New Cybercrime Law

Pakistani authorities announced a new law that will help them in combating false news on social media, a
move that free-media groups and the opposition have criticized as being dangerous for being against the
freedom of speech.
Overview:
This law minister of Pakistan announced this new law to be necessary as it will help in stopping the spread
of fake news and will help in clamping down on such harmful contents.
The Pakistan Human Rights Commission (HRCP) has described the new law to be undemocratic. As per
them, the new law will be used to suppress people and opponents of the government forcefully which will
hamper the freedom of speech of the citizens.
Changes made under the law
The Presidential Ordinance 2022, dubbed the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Ordinance, raised the
maximum sentence for defamation of people or institutions from three to five years in prison and restricts
suspected offenders’ access to bail. Spreading false news will be classified as a nonbailable offense
punishable by up to six months in prison.
The opposition of the ruling party has called these changes to be draconian.
Previous Changes
An amendment that was passed last year gave the authorities more power to access the data of the users
which was hugely protested by the opposition as well as the people of Pakistan.
Draft India Data Accessibility & Use Policy, 2022
A draft data policy has been published by the central government. This policy states that all data collected,
maintained, and generated, by every government ministry and agency shall be open and shareable. The
government could also monetize and earn from detailed datasets that have undergone value addition.
Overview:
The policy has been named “Draft India Data Accessibility & Use Policy 2022.” It states that the Indian
Data Council (IDC) and the India Data Office (IDO) will be in charge of forming metadata standards and
enforcing them. IDC will act as the regulatory authority.
The IDC will be made up of the IDO and data officers from five government departments, while the IDO will
be set up by the Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology (MeitY) to streamline data sharing and
access sharing across the government and other stakeholders.
Tasks of the Indian Data Council
The IDC will be tasked with developing frameworks for defining high-value datasets, finalizing metadata
standards and data, and monitoring policy implementation. The various State Governments and
Departments will be nominated to the IDC on a rotating basis, with each department having a two-year term.
What does the draft policy say?
Stakeholders such as start-ups, other businesses, etc will be able to access data through data licensing,
sharing, and valuation within the frameworks of data security and privacy. Also, each central ministry and
the various departments will publish metadata and data standards. These standards would comply with the
open standards policy, interoperability framework, institutional procedures for domain-specific metadata
compilation, and other relevant guidelines which will be published on the e-gov standards portal. The IDC
will finalize data standards which will then be accepted by all government ministries and departments.
This policy will also make provisions regarding the period of holding of the datasets by the government.
Each department or central ministry must establish a data retention period for datasets and ensure that it is
followed when transferring and storing data. Guidelines will be formed and provided to the departments and
the various ministries so as to help them out regarding this policy.

Nomura Business Resumption Index- Update

For the week which ended on 2oth February, the Nomura India Business Resumption Index (NIBRI) reached
a record high of 122.8, up from 119.5 the previous week.
Overview:
The Index showed weak demand due to rising inflation and the scarring due to the pandemic, as the
recovery remains uneven, with sluggish consumption and services even before the third COVID-19 wave.
Findings of the index
NIBRI, at present, has risen around 23 percentage points (pp) higher than pre-pandemic levels, and around
21pp higher than the third wave.
The Index reported that Google workplace rose by 1.4 pp and retail & recreation mobility rose by 6 pp from
the previous week, touching record highs. The Apple driving index increased by 11.3 points, the labor
participation rate remained unchanged at 40.1 percent, and power demand increased by 0.4 percent
following a 1.5 percent drop.
The monthly data until the month of January suggests that the third wave had very little on demand, while
the supply side remained intact.
While the third wave appears to have subsided, concerns about growth remain according to Nomura’s
weekly analysis. This indicates weak rural demand due to the pandemic and greater inflation, while the
industrial areas are suffering from restrictions on the supply-side of the market.
Still, GDP growth of 8.7% in FY22 and 7.8% in FY23, with stronger public CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) along
with services normalization, and easy financial conditions have been forecasted.
February 23, 2022
Oil Discovery in Rajasthan
Vedanta Ltds. Cairn Oil & Gas has discovered oil in the Barmer district of Rajasthan. The company has
notified the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) about
this discovery. This oil was discovered by Cairn Oil & Gas in a block that was given to them under the Open
Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP).
Overview:
The Block RJ-ONHP-2017/1 is located in Chohtan and Gudamalani Tehsil of the district of Barmer.
This block covers 542 square kilometers of area and was one of the company’s 41 blocks that were
awarded in the 2018 OALP-I round of bidding.
In the block, Vedanta owns 100 percent participating interest.
This discovery is the third such discovery that the company has notified under the Open Acreage
Licensing Policy.
‘Durga’ is the name given to this discovery.
About Directorate General of Hydrocarbons
The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) is a regulatory body that falls under the ambit of the
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. DGH was created in the year 1993 by a Government of India
Resolution under the administrative jurisdiction of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. DGH was
created to promote the effective management of natural gas and oil resources while taking into account the
safety, environmental, economic, and technological aspects of the industry.
About Open Acreage Licensing Policy
Under this policy, companies are allowed to mark and explore areas they want for gas and oil. The
interested companies are required to submit an expression of interest for any particular area that they want
to explore throughout the year but such interests are accumulated only three times a year. The sought-after
locations are then auctioned off.
Chess: Victory of Praggnanandhaa over Magnus Carlsen

India’s Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa has defeated the reigning world champion Norway’s Magnus Carlsen.
He did so using black pieces and took 39 moves to checkmate Carlsen. This win came in the eighth round
of Airthings Masters chess tournament’s preliminary stage being held online.
Overview:
This tournament is the first of the nine events that will take place under the USD 1.6 million Meltwater
Champions Chess Tour.
This tour is scheduled to run from February to November 2022.
The tournament is timed at 15 minutes per game per player, with a 10-second increment after each
move.
The 16-year-old Praggnanandhaa is only the third Indian to have defeated Magnus Carlsen after
Viswanathan Anand and Pentala Harikrishna.
About Airthings Masters Chess Tournament
The Airthings Masters features 16 of the world’s best players, including Carlsen, Ding Liren of China, Ian
Nepomniachtchi of Russia, Levon Aronian of the United States, Anish Giri of the Netherlands, and
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan. They are among the six of the world’s top nine chess players.
Praggnanandhaa is among is the third lowest-ranked player in this tournament, with an Elo rating of 2612,
while Carlsen is the top seed, with an Elo rating of 2865.
About R. Praggnanandhaa
He is a chess grandmaster of India. At the age of 16, he is considered to be a chess prodigy and is the fifth
youngest person to have received the title of grandmaster. His sister Vaishali Rameshbabu is also a chess
player and has received the International Masters and the Woman Grandmaster title.
About Magnus Carlsen
Magnus Carlsen is a five-time World Chess Champion and a Norwegian chess grandmaster. He has won the
World Rapid Chess Championship three times and the World Blitz Chess Championship five times. Since, 1st
July 2011, he has been ranked first in the FIDE world chess rankings. With a peak rating of 2882, he holds
the record of having the highest peak recorded in the history of the game. He also holds the record for the
longest unbeaten streak in classical chess at the highest level.
MEA Paper on Democracy
To counter the nation’s democracy ranking from being downgraded, the Ministry of External Affairs created
presentations on democracy and sent them to the Lok Sabha Secretariat so that they can be distributed
among the Heads of Mission in foreign countries.
Overview:
In March 2021, the Swedish-based V-Dem Institute and the US-based Freedom House had
downgraded India’s democracy, giving reasons that there was discrimination against minorities,
limits on civil society, and the crackdown on free speech.
The MEA was extremely critical of the reports presented by these two organizations and hit out at
them by saying that their opinions about the Indian democracy were not needed.
To counter this the MEA created presentations to showcase Indian democracy.
This MEA report is titled ‘The Indian Way’.
What is the Lok Sabha Secretariat?
The Lok Sabha Secretariat is an independent office that works under the direction of the Speaker of the Lok
Sabha.
About Freedom House
Freedom House is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. that carries out research on political

freedom, democracy, and human rights. Eleanor Roosevelt and Wendell Willkie served as this organization’s
first honorary chairpersons when it was created in October 1941. The Freedom in the World report, an
important publication of this organization is cited by political scientists, journalists, and policymakers
globally.
About V-Dem Institute
This institute was founded by Professor Staffan I. Lindberg in 2014. It is supported by various organizations
such as the World Bank and other research institutes. The headquarters of this institute is at the University
of Gothenburg’s Department of Political Science in Sweden. This institute distinguishes among five high-
level democratic principles which are liberal, electoral, deliberative, participatory, and egalitarian, and data
are collected to measure them.
Israel's C-Dome Defence System
A new naval air defence system named ‘C-Dome’ has been successfully tested by Israel. This missile
system will be used on the Sa’ar 6-class corvettes of the Israel Navy.
Overview:
The C-Dome is a naval variant of the Iron Dome of Israel.
The Iron Dome is a missile system of Israel that is used to destroy and intercept missiles and rockets
of short-range from the Gaza Strip.
The successful testing of the C-Dome further strengthens the country’s maritime defence.
The testing was carried out on various incoming threats which included cruise missiles, rockets, and
drones.
This live testing acted as a milestone in Israels’ defence system by showcasing the world the nation’s
capacity to defend itself.
About the C-Dome missile system
This new missile system of Israel has been developed with the objective of countering any attacks on the
maritime security of the country. The C-Dome missile system will be incorporated into the missile defence
system of Israel which has weapons capable of intercepting long-range missiles as well as short-range
rockets. This missile system is similar to the Iron Dome, with it being a naval variant.
About Iron Dome
Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems created the Iron Dome missile system
which is a deployable all-weather air defence system of the country. This missile system has been deployed
to intercept and destroy artillery shells and short-range rockets which are fired from a distance of 4 to 70
kilometers. Israel has plans to increase the range of this system from 70 kilometers to 250 kilometers and
make it versatile enough to intercept rockets coming from two simultaneous directions. The Iron Dome has
successfully intercepted 90 percent of the missiles which were launched towards Israel from the Gaza strip.
US Sanctions on Russia
President Joe Biden of the United States has announced new sanctions against Russia, saying that
Moscow’s recognition of two separatist areas in eastern Ukraine as independent as the start of a Russian
invasion of its neighbour.
Overview:
The US has criticized Russia’s decision to recognize Donetsk’s and Luhansk’s independence and the
authorizing of the deployment of Russian troops under the guise of maintaining peace in the region.
The sanction made by the US has targeted the sovereign debt of Russia and two financial institutions
of the country which include the military bank of Russia.
These sanctions being placed means that Russia will no longer be able to raise money from the
Western as well as the European markets.

Why were the sanctions placed?

The Russian government recognized Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) and Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR)
as independent regions and signed an agreement with them to establish a military presence in the eastern
part of Ukraine. Doing so has made the US term this agreement as to the beginning of the invasion of
Ukraine and has thus placed sanctions on Russia.
Other Sanctions Placed on Russia
Following the agreement of Russia with Luhansk and Donetsk, along with the US, other European nations
have also placed sanctions on the country. The approval of Nord Stream 2, a USD 11 billion gas pipeline
across the Baltic Sea owned by Russia, has been halted in Germany. The UK has placed sanctions against
five Russian banks and three Russian billionaires and has threatened that if Russia continues to attack
Ukraine, it will be designated as a “pariah state.”
What is a pariah state?
A pariah state, also known as a global or international pariah, is a country that is considered to be an
outcast globally. Sanctions, international isolation, or even invasion may be placed on a pariah state by the
other countries who find its existence, actions, and policies to be unacceptable.
About Russia-Ukraine crisis
Since 2013, tensions between Russia and Ukraine have escalated over a trade and landmark deal conducted
by Ukraine with the European Union. In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea on the excuse of protecting its
national integrity. Russia asked for Ukraine to join the Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC), a free trade
agreement that was established in 2015 which was refused by Ukraine. Since then, Ukraine is inching
towards NATO which is opposed by Russia and Russia considers this to be an expansion by NATO which
they say will affect the borders of Russia. All these have led to the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission- Approval of New Clusters
th
Marking the 6 anniversary of Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission, ministry of Rural Development
approved 296 clusters under it. 6th anniversary was observed on February 21, 2022.
About Shyama Prasad Mukherji Mission
The Shyama Prasad Mukherji Mission was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016 for
developing 300 clusters across India holistically by providing economic, social, and physical infrastructure
abilities. The Mission focuses on cluster-based integrated development through Spatial Planning.
Rurban clusters
Rurban clusters are identified across rural areas in India, showing increasing signs of urbanization. These
signs include-
1. Increase in population density
2. High levels of non-farm employment
3. Presence of increasing economic activities and other socioeconomic parameters.
For the purposes of the Mission, Rurban areas refer to a cluster of 15-20 villages with 30 to 40 lakh
population. The clusters are geographically contiguous Gram Panchayats with population between 25000 to
50000 in plain & coastal areas while population between 5000 to 15000 in desert, hilly or tribal areas.
Categories of Rurban Clusters
There are 2 categories of clusters namely, Non-Tribal and Tribal.
Objectives of the mission
Shyama Prasad Mukherji Mission focuses on cluster-based integrated development through Spatial
Planning. The mission aims to transform Rurban clusters by enhancing basic services, stimulating local
economic development, and creating well planned Rurban clusters. The Mission seeks to bridge the rural-
urban divide, related to economic, technological, facilities and services.

Provision of Urban Amenities to Rural Areas (PURA)

Provision of Urban Amenities to Rural Areas (PURA) is predecessor to Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban
Mission. It was announced in 2003. It was aimed at provisions of livelihood opportunities in rural areas and
urban amenities to bridge the rural urban divide and reduce migration from rural to urban areas.
Funding for the Mission
The Mission is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS). It has 2 fund streams:
1. Convergence through schemes such as Central sector, centrally sponsored schemes, CSR funds etc.
2. Critical Gap Funds (CGF).
SEA-ME-WE-6 Undersea Cable Consortium
Bharti Airtel Ltd has joined “SEA-ME-WE-6 undersea cable consortium”, for scaling up its high-speed global
network capacity and serving India’s fast growing digital economy.
Key facts
Airtel is participating as a major investor in SEA-ME-WE-6.
It is anchoring 20% of the overall investment in cable system.
It will add a significant amount of 100 TBps capacity, though the consortium, to its global network.
Airtel has acquired one Fibre Pair on main SEA-ME-WE-6 system.
It will co-build four Fibre Pairs between Singapore – Chennai – Mumbai as part of this project.
It will land SEA-ME-WE-6 cable system at new landing stations in Mumbai and Chennai.
What is SEA-ME-WE-6?
It is a proposed optical fibre submarine communications cable system, that will carry telecommunications
between Southeast Asia, Middle East, and Western Europe. The It is a 19,200 km network, proposed to
connect Singapore and France. It has a bandwidth of 120 Tbps. It will start operating in 2025. It will be
amongst the largest undersea cable systems worldwide.
Members of the consortium
Other consortium members of the SEA-ME-WE-6 include-
1. Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company
2. Dhiraagu (Maldives),
3. Djibouti Telecom
4. Mobily (Saudi Arabia)
5. Orange (France)
6. Singtel (Singapore)
7. Sri Lanka Telecom
8. Telecom Egypt
9. Telekom Malaysia
10. Telin (Indonesia).
Integration with Nxtra
SEA-ME-WE-6 will completely be integrated with Nxtra, through large Data Centers of Airtel in Mumbai and
Chennai. Nxtra is data center unit of Airtel. This move will help global hyperscalers and businesses in
accessing seamless integrated solutions. It will also strengthen India’s position as an emerging data centre
hub in this region.
Airtel’s undersea cable systems
Undersea cable systems with data centres are significant infrastructure to support 5G and digital economy.
Airtel already operates the largest undersea cable network out of India besides biggest network of data
centres. Nxtra by Airtel operates the largest network of data centres including 11 large and 120 edge data
centers, in India.

J&K Women Safety Squad

The Jammu and Kashmir Police recently started Two women safety squad in Srinagar city. Each squad will
comprise of 5 Lady Police officers or personnel each. Both the squads will be headed by Inspector Khalida
Parveen.
What is the purpose of Women Safety Squad?
The women safety squad was started to help women in distress. Its main purpose is to ensure the security
of girls especially across schools, colleges, universities, coaching centres, and other such places. They
would be patrolling all across the city including educational institutions, during the day. Heads of the
Institutions have also been asked to contact women squad in case, any incident takes place outside
their centres.
Significance of the move
The woman safety squad in Srinagar city will make women feel much safer. Several girls were being
harassed outside colleges or coaching centres. This incident will stop as there will be a dedicated squad to
report. The squad will be dedicated to the security of women.
Women’s helpline
Srinagar Police also launched a dedicated Women’s helpline number. It is operational 24×7 exclusively for
women’s safety-related issues.
Background
The women safety squad has been created after a recent acid attack incident that took place in Srinagar
city. The girl suffered grievous injuries in her both eyes. In another incident, two drug peddlers attacked two
girls, leaving them injured.
Evidence of First Ear Surgery
A group of archaeologists have found 5,300-year-old skull in a Spanish tomb, that shows possibly the oldest
evidence of ear surgery.
Highlights
Several cut marks are visible in the skull across the left ear canal. This implies that, surgery may have
been done to relieve pain.
It shows the evidence of two perforations, near its mastoid bones, on both sides of the skull. It
highlights that, surgery was done to relieve growing pressure on the ear canal.
Researchers concluded in an article published in “Scientific Reports” on that, these evidences point to
a mastoidectomy.
Mastoidectomy is a surgical procedure, that was performed to relieve the pain of the prehistoric
individual, who may have suffered because of otitis media and mastoiditis.
Where was skull found?
The skull seems to have belonged to a middle-aged woman from Neolithic Age. It was discovered in a tomb,
known as “Dolmen de El Pendon”. It is located in Burgos, Spain. Researchers had found the skill in 2016,
along with remains of nearly 100 others.
The Dolmen of El Pendon
This tomb is located in the village of Reinoso (Burgos). It is an exceptional site for its occupational
sequence as well as for singular ritual-funerary practices that are documented in its ossuary. In this work,
first results of its excavation are presented. Excavation is still in process. It was developed as a project of
enhancement of the monument, because it was thought to be destroyed completely due to continuous
plundering.
Neolithic Age
Neolithic Age is the final division of Stone Age. During this period, a wide-ranging set of developments

appeared to have arisen independently in several parts of the globe. It is first seen around 12,000 years ago
when the first farming appeared in Epipalaeolithic Near East. This period lasted until the transitional period
of Chalcolithic, in 4500 BC. It is marked by development of metallurgy, leading to the Bronze Age and Iron
Age.
25th Meeting of Financial Stability and Development Council
In the city of Mumbai, the Financial Stability and Development Council’s (FSDC) 25th meeting was held. This
meeting was held under the chair of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Overview:
The council discussed the different mandates of the FSDC as well as important macro-financial
concerns that have arisen as a result of certain domestic and global developments.
The council also stated that government, as well as other authorities, must keep a close watch on the
financial operations and conditions of major financial institutions since this could expose financial
vulnerabilities in the long and medium-term.
The council also talked about the steps that need to be taken to further expand the financial sector
and ensure economic growth while maintaining macroeconomic stability.
The council also talked about currency management operational issues as well as noted the activities
of the FSDC Sub-Committee, which is chaired by the RBI Governor, as well as the actions taken in
response to previous FSDC judgments.
Attendees of the Financial Stability and Development Council’s 25th meeting
The meeting was also attended by
Shaktikanta Das Governor of RBI
Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, MoS (Finance)
Ajay Seth, Economic Affairs Secretary
T. V. Somanathan, Finance Secretary and Expenditure Secretary
Sanjay Malhotra, Financial Services Secretary
Tarun Bajaj, Revenue Secretary
Rajesh Verma, Ministry of Corporate Affairs secretary
Ajay Prakash Sawhney, MeitY Secretary
Ajay Tyagi, SEBI Chaiperson
V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Adviser,
Injeti Srinivas, Chairperson, International Financial Services Centres Authority
Supratim Bandyopadhyay, PFRDA Chairperson
Dr Shashank Saksena, Secretary of the FSDC
T. L. Alamelu IRDAI
What was reason for setting up the Financial Stability and Development Council
The government had set up the Financial Stability and Development Council in association with financial
market regulators. This was done to institutionalize and strengthen the system for maintaining financial
stability, improve inter-regulatory coordination, and promote financial sector development. The Council also
supervises macro-prudential supervision of the economy, especially the functioning of big financial
conglomerates, and resolves inter-regulatory coordination and development issues of the financial sector. It
also focuses on promoting financial awareness.
Continuation of National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship
The continuation of the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) has been approved by the
Ministry of Education (MoE) has approved) till 2025-26 with minimum changes in the eligibility criteria like
increasing the income ceiling from the present Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 3.5 lakh per annum.

Overview:
The scheme’s objective is to provide scholarships to the meritorious students belonging from the
economically weaker sections so that they do not drop out at class 8 and to encourage them to
continue their education.
Under this scheme 1,00,000 scholarships of Rs 12,000 per annum per student are awarded to all
those selected students of class 9 every year.
The renewal and continuation of the monetary scholarship are also done in classes 10 to 12 so that
the students can pursue their education in government-aided, state government, and local body
schools.
In the year 2008-09, this scheme was launched by the government.
Since its launch a total of 22.06 lakh scholarships worth Rs 1,783.03 crore have been awarded under
this scheme.
Rs 1827 crore has been approved for this scheme with an envision to reach 14.76 lakh students.
How are students selected for this scholarship?
The scholarship receiving students are chosen through an exam which is conducted by the governments of
different states and Union Territories. This scholarship scheme has been registered on the National
Scholarship Portal (NSP).
How are the funds disbursed?
The scholarship amount is directly deposited in the student’s bank accounts via electronic transfer using
the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) in Direct Bank Transfer (DBT) mode. The central
government provides 100 percent of the funds under this scheme.
RBI Sell/Buy Swap Auction
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently announced to undertake a “sell/buy swap auction” of USD 5 billion in
March, 2022.
Highlights
The Sell/Buy Swap Auction will help in levelling the liquidity of rupee in the light of expected
behemoth IPO of Life Insurance Corp of India.
This move will lead to inflow of US dollar.
RBI will conduct a spot sale to sell USD 5 billion to banks in exchange of rupees, through this auction
on March 10, 2022.
On March 11, 2024, it will make a forward purchase from banks in two years.
Forward purchase will help in reducing RBI’s current foreign exchange reserves and increase its two-
year forward USD purchases.
What is a swap auction?
Under the swap auction, a bank sell US dollar to the RBI. It is also agreed to buy the same amount of US
dollars at the end of swap period. It is different from Open Market Operations (OMOs), materially. Under
OMOs, central bank buys and sells government securities in open market. While, in swap transaction only
authorised dealers are allowed to deposit US dollars in exchange for rupees.
Fixed Exchange Rate
Swap auction is done with an agreement to reverse the transaction at fixed exchange rate by the end of 3
years. Final exchange rate is decided by an auction where banks put bid on forward premium. Minimum bid
size is USD 25 million and in multiples of USD 1 million thereafter.
Objectives of Swap Auction
Swap Auction is done with the objective of meeting durable liquidity needs of the system. It injects rupee
liquidity for longer duration by means of long-term foreign exchange Buy/Sell swap.

Benefits of Swap Auction

Swap Auction helps in bridging the liquidity deficit.
Russia-Ukraine Crisis- Recent News
On February 23, 2022, Australia became the latest country to announce sanctions against Russia.
Highlights
Prime Minister Scott Morrison unveiled new measures countering “aggression by Russia against
Ukraine.”
At the first place, Australia will enact travel bans as well as targeted financial sanctions on eight
members of Security Council of the Russian Federation.
It will also impose strong economic sanctions against pro-Moscow regions of Donetsk and Luhansk
in eastern Ukraine, which are held by separatist. On February 21, these regions were recognised as
independent by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Target area of the sanctions
Australia’s sanctions target transport, telecommunications, energy, gas & mineral reserves, and oil.
USA’s sanction on Russia
Before Australia, United States imposed a first tranche of sanctions against Russia on February 22, to
counter Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. US imposed sanctions against two Russian financial institutions as
well as Russian sovereign debt. It also imposed sanctions against Russian elites & their family members.
Why were sanctions put?
USA and Australia put sanctions on Russia, after President Vladimir Putin asked Russia’s defence ministry
to deploy forces into two regions Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine and recognized them as
independent. This move by Russia raised fears of imminent war in Europe. US President Joe Biden stated
that, this is the beginning of Russian invasion of Ukraine. USA also promised severe sanctions against
Russia if it invaded Ukraine.
USA’s defensive assistance to Ukraine
United States would continue to provide “defensive assistance” to Ukraine. however, it has no intention to
fight Russia. He has authorized additional movements of U.S. forces, stationed in Europe, in a bid to
strengthen Baltic allies Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania.
Punishment by western nations to Russia
Apart from Australia and United States; other western nations viz., Canada, European Union, and Britain
announced plans to target banks and elites. Germany has halted major gas pipeline project from Russia.
NITI Aayog on Green Financing
According to NITI Aayog, there is a need for more financial instruments to provide a boost to clean mobility
in India, particularly shared mobility, while keeping its focus on finance methods that are widely acceptable,
applicable, and sustainable.
Overview:
NITI Aayog has insisted on taking a sustainable and climate-centric approach both from an
environmental standpoint and also from a financial standpoint.
In order to boost financing in the sector of clean mobility, international and domestic financial
institutions, states, operators, and manufacturers should be brought on the same page.
The aim should be to bring about a balance on the needs of the citizens of India so as to improve
productivity and liveability. This can be done by bringing down logistics costs and accelerating clean
mobility through a sustainable and climate-centric approach.
A ‘Financing for Decarbonization of Transport’ workshop under the NDC-Transport Initiative for Asia
(NDC-TIA) project was organized. This workshop was organized by NITI Aayog in association with the

World Resources Institute (WRI), India, and GIZ India.

How will Green Financing help?
NITI Aayog stated that green financing will enable low-interest financing of electric vehicles. Also, India
requires a proper plan for the purpose of electrification of transport and finance will play an important role
in it.
What is Green Financing?
When there is an increase in the flow of finance from private, public, and not from profit sectors such as
micro-finance, bank, and other financial sectors towards sustainable development then it is known as green
financing. Any financial activity that has been created with the aim of ensuring better environmental
outcomes then it is green financing.
Hurdles faced
One of the most significant hurdles to the decarbonization of the transportation sector is a lack of
financing. Strategic investments and new financing solutions are a must to jumpstart this sector so India
can achieve the COP 26 targets.
JPMorgan's Lounge in the Metaverse
The first bank to set up shop in the metaverse is JP Morgan. A lounge in Decentraland, a blockchain-based
community has been set up by the largest bank in the United States.
Overview:
Users can create virtual avatars and rooms, and travel in the ‘Onyx Lounge,’ of the Ethereum-based
services it offers.
A digitized image of the bank’s CEO, Jamie Dimon, is also displayed in the lounge.
A report describing the metaverse’s growth opportunities has also been published by the bank. The
bank wants to take advantage of the metaverse by establishing a virtual presence.
As a lot of people including celebrities are creating their virtual identities in the metaverse, the bank
feels that this is a perfect time to get a hold in the virtual world.
The advent of blockchain technologies and cryptocurrencies has also opened up new monetizing
avenues for designers in the virtual world.
The real estate market in the virtual world is growing with digital lands being highly sought after.
JPMorgan also feels that the metaverse is evolving at a pace that makes it impossible for businesses
to develop a business plan around it. Nonetheless, the bank wants to avoid the risk of being left
behind and thus, has opened its shop in the metaverse.
About Metaverse
The Metaverse is a virtual world where users through their avatars can do things like shop, socialize, and
even attend events. As augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) headsets are getting more pocket-
friendly, the two technologies have joined to provide an improved user experience.
About JPMorgan Chase
JPMorgan Chase is the United States’ largest bank, the world’s largest bank in terms of market
capitalization, and is the 5 th largest in terms of total assets owned. It was founded in 2000 and is
headquartered in New York. Jamie Dimon is the CEO and Chairman of this bank.
About Decentraland
It is a browser-based 3D virtual world platform. Users can use the MANA cryptocurrency. This
cryptocurrency is based on the Ethereum blockchain and can be used to purchase virtual plots of land in the
platform in the form of NFTs. The Decentraland Foundation manages this 3D world and opened it to the
public in February 2020.

Rural Connectivity GIS Data

On February 22, 2022, the Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj launched rural connectivity GIS
data in public domain.
Key Facts
The GIS data in public domain will facilitate broader use by start-ups, governments, academia, and
civil society to improve lives across rural India.
These data relate to rural roads, social infrastructure and habitations.
To release the Rural Connectivity GIS Data in public domain, National Rural Infrastructure
Development Agency (NRIDA) signed 3 renowned GIS firms and is collaborating with Gati Shakti.
NRIDA is the nodal implementation agency of PMGSY scheme.
Collaboration with Gati Shakti will facilitate data exchange for better planning and implementation of
both the schemes.
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana was launched in the year 2000. The scheme was launched to provide
all-weather road connectivity to eligible unconnected habitations across India, as part of a poverty reduction
strategy. This scheme was later upgraded and consolidated to give a fillip to rural economy. Core network
of the scheme comprises of ‘Through Routes’ and ‘Link Routes’.
Through Routes
Through Routes collect traffic from various link roads or a long chain of 3 habitations, leading to marketing
centres either directly or through higher category roads namely District Roads or State or National
Highways.
Link Routes
Link Routes are the roads connecting single habitation or group of habitations to Through Routes or district
roads which are leading to market centres.
Sanctioned road under PMGSY
Under the PMGSY, 7.83 lakh Km roads have been sanctioned since its launch. 6.90 lakh Km have been
constructed by spending Rs. 2.69 lakh crores.
GIS connection
As part of PMGSY, GIS data for around 800,000 rural facilities as points, more than 2500000 km of rural
roads and 1 million plus habitations have been collected and digitized using the GIS platform that was
developed for the scheme. These collected rural connectivity GIS data will now available in public domain.
Gati Shakti
It is a national master plan and digital platform for planning and executing infrastructure projects across
India for reducing logistics costs and enhancing infrastructure.
RBI's Caution against Carpooling app 'sRide'
On February 23, 2022, the Reserve bank of India (RBI) cautioned public against carpooling app sRide.
Why RBI caution against sRide App?
RBI caution against sRide App, stating that this firm was operating a semi-closed pre-paid instrument,
without receiving authorization from the central bank, under Payment and Settlement Systems Act,
2007.
sRide Tech Private Limited is a registered company, with registered office in Gurgaon, Haryana. This
company is operating a semi-closed (non-closed) pre-paid instrument (wallet) through its ‘sRide’
carpooling app.
Thus, RBI cautioned that persons dealing with the app will be doing at their own risk.

sRide App
sRide app is a carpooling mobile application, that connects people within the community to share rides. The
app help users in sharing the cost of travel, increase mobility, reduce travel time, and build communities.
The app also helps in using existing infrastructure, reducing parking needs, traffic and emissions for cities
and organisations.
Payment and settlement systems in India
In India, payment and settlement systems are used for financial transactions. They are covered under
Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (PSS Act), Reserve Bank of India and Board for Regulation &
Supervision of Payment & Settlement Systems regulate it. India has multiple payments and settlement
systems, including gross and net settlement systems.
Gross settlement
For Gross settlement, India has a real-time gross settlement (RTGS) system.
Net settlement systems
For net settlement systems, India has Electronic Clearing Services (ECS Credit), credit cards, debit cards,
Electronic Clearing Services (ECS Debit), Immediate Payment Service, National Electronic Fund Transfer
(NEFT) system and Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
Real-time gross settlement (RTGS) systems
RTGS systems are specialist funds transfer systems, in which money or securities is transferred from one
bank to any other bank in “real-time” and on “gross” basis. Settlement in “real time” means that, transaction
is not subjected to waiting period. Transactions are settled as soon as they are processed. “Gross
settlement” means the transaction is settled without bundling or netting, on a one-to-one basis.
IIT Roorkee's 'KISAN' Mobile App
The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) has launched a mobile app named ‘KISAN’ for the
farmers. Through this app, agro-meteorological advisory services will be provided to the farmers.
Overview:
A farmer’s awareness program was organized by IIT Roorkee under the Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa
(GKMS) project. Farmers from Dehradun, Haridwar, and Pauri Garhwal districts took part in this
program.
The participating farmers were taught about the Agromet Advisory Services which is jointly provided
by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and AMFU Roorkee.
Agromet Advisory Services are already being provided twice a week to the farmers of six blocks of
Haridwar. Through this KISAN app, the bulletins can be accessed via mobile phone.
One unique feature of this app is that advisory bulletin and weather forecasts will be displayed only
for that particular block that has been selected by the farmers.
The farmers can share feedbacks regarding the bulletins that they are receiving, which will in turn
help in providing better services.
Under the supervision of Dr. C S Jha, at Regional Remote Sensing Centre (RRSC), National Remote
Sensing Centre (NRSC), ISRO, Hyderabad, Dr. Khushboo Mirza, Senior Scientist, RRSC, NRSC, ISRO
developed the ‘KISAN’ app.
As per the requirements of the farmers, this app will be updated.
About Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa
The Ministry of Earth Sciences launched Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa to provide farmers with crop-specific
information twice a week via print, visual, radio, and IT such as SMS. GKMS has been implemented by Indian
Meteorological Department in association with different state agriculture universities and the Indian Council
of Agricultural Research.

Conclusion
As of now, the app provides information to the farmers of Haridwar, and soon in the upcoming months, it
will cover the farmers of the districts of Pauri Garhwal and Dehradun. Soon the app will start covering the
whole of Uttarakhand.
Eastern Bridge-VI Air Exercise
Indian Air Force (IAF) and Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) are taking part in a bilateral exercise names
“Eastern Bridge- VI”, in a bid to bolster operational efficiency through interoperability.
Key Points
The Eastern Bridge- VI Air Exercise is started from February 21, 2022 and would conclude on February
25.
This is the 6th edition of the exercise, taking place at Air Force Station Jodhpur.
Aim of the exercise
This exercise is being held with the aim of providing an opportunity to enhance operational capability as
well as interoperability between two Air Forces.
Significance of the exercise
Participation of IAF and RAFO in the exercise will promote professional interaction, enhancement of
operational knowledge and exchange of experiences. It will also strengthen bilateral relations between both
the countries. It will further provide a platform for both Air Forces to learn best practices from each other
and operate together.
India’s air arsenal at the exercise
For the Exercise, IAF’s contingent will be in action, comprising of MiG-29, Mirage 2000 and Jaguar aircraft.
Background
Bilateral exercise between India and Oman is being organised after Oman’s top defence official Mohammed
Nasser Al Zaabi officially visited India recently. He also co-chaired a meeting of Joint Military Cooperation
Committee, that initiated a series of high-level defence engagements between both the countries.
Last edition of the exercise
The Eastern Bridge V was held at Air Force Base Masirah, Oman, in 2019. The IAF contingent comprised of
MiG-29 and C-17 aircraft. This was the first time that MIG-29 fighter aircraft participated in international
exercise outside India.
India-Oman defence partnership
Oman is among one of the strongest defence partners of India in Gulf region. All the three services in India
have bilateral exchanges and exercises with Oman’s services. Oman also provides operational support to
Indian Navy in Arabian Sea. India has access to the Duqm port. This port has strengthened India’s capability
and maritime strategy in Indian Ocean Region.
Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAYG) Dashboard
On February 22, 2022, Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Shri Giriraj Singh launched
the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin Dashboard.
Key Points
This dashboard will help in stringent monitoring of the scheme.
It will be used by Stakeholders of PMAYG to monitor and manage the scheme.
However, Minister have asked the officials to make portal public in order to make it ”Aam Janta Ka
Portal”.
Zero tolerance against corruption
Dashboard will provide complete transparency in implementation of the scheme. Link of the dashboard will
be reached from Sarpanchs of villages to Members of Parliament of constituencies, for monitoring the

scheme.
End-to-End insight
The Dashboard will provide End-to-End insights, catering to analytical and strategic business intelligence
needs and physical & financial progress of PMAY-G scheme. It also provides actionable insights including
single screen visualization of entire financial and physical progress and state-level reports up to block level.
It also analyses the gap or delays in release of instalments, category-wise data analysis to find out
anomalies, speed of house construction, and discrepancies etc. It further illustrates the trend analysis for
sanction and completion progress by means of dynamic and customizable data visualization with the help
of business users.
Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G)
Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) was rolled out in April 2016, with the objective of providing
“Housing to All” by 2024. The scheme seeks to complete 2.95 crore PMAY-G houses with all basic
amenities. As of now, a total of 1.73 crores PMAY-G houses have been completed out of allocated
cumulative target of 2.62 crore houses.
Aim of PMAY-G
The PMAY-G scheme aims to:
1. Improving the speed and quality of houses construction
2. Ensuring timely release of funds to beneficiaries
3. Direct transfer of funds to beneficiaries’ accounts
4. Technical assistance to beneficiaries
5. Stringent monitoring through MIS-AwaasSoft and AwaasApp.
February 24, 2022
Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians
On February 22, 2022, Professor Neena Gupta, conferred the Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians
2021.
Key Points
Neena Gupta is a mathematician from Indian Statistical Institute in Kolkata.
She conferred the award for her outstanding work in affine algebraic geometry and commutative
algebra.
About Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians
The Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians is a mathematics prize, that is awarded annually by
“International Centre for Theoretical Physics” in Italy. It has been named after Indian mathematician
Srinivasa Ramanujan. The prize was founded in 2004 and first awarded in 2005.
Who are awarded with the prize?
The Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians is awarded to researcher from a developing country who
are aged below 45 years and has conducted outstanding research in developing country. It is supported by
Ministry of Science and Technology (India) as well as Norwegian Academy of Science & Letters through the
Abel Fund, in cooperation of “International Mathematical Union”.
Funding for the scheme
The prize is funded by Department of Science and Technology (DST) in collaboration with International
Centre for Theoretical Physics and International Mathematical Union.
Who was Srinivasa Ramanujan?
Srinivasa Ramanujan was an Indian mathematician. He lived during the British Rule in India. He had almost
no formal training in pure mathematics, but he made substantial contributions to mathematical analysis,
infinite series, number theory, continued fractions, and solutions to mathematical problems, that were then

considered unsolvable. Initially, He developed his own mathematical research in isolation.

International Mathematical Union (IMU)
IMU is an international non-governmental organization, dedicated to international cooperation in
mathematics worldwide. It is a member of International Science Council (ISC). It supports the International
Congress of Mathematicians. National mathematics organizations from about 80 countries are its
members. The IMU was established in 1920, however dissolved in September 1932. In 1950, it was re-
established at the Constitutive Convention in New York.
J&K Delimitation Commission- Extension of Term
The Central Government, for the second time, has extended Jammu & Kashmir Delimitation Commission’s
term. This commission was given the task of redrawing the Union Territories’ assembly constituencies.
Overview:
The term of this commission has been extended for two months and will end on May 6.
The delimitation process plays a crucial role in kickstarting Jammu & Kashmir’s political process.
Election process is to be held in the Union Territory after the completion of the Delimitation process.
The Delimitation Commission was set up on 6th March 2020.
The commission is headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai.
The commission was already granted a one-year extension the last year.
The number of Assembly seats in J&K would increase from 107 to 114 under the Jammu and Kashmir
Reorganisation Bill, which will benefit the Jammu area.
Members of the Delimitation Commission
Along with Desai, ex-officio members of the panel are Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and J&K State
Election Commissioner KK Sharma. The panel also consists of five associate members: National
Conference MPs Mohammad Akbar Lone, Farooq Abdullah, and Hasnain Masoodi, BJP MP Jugal Kishore
Sharma, and Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh. The panel, in its report,
recommended an overhaul of assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in the UT, which is shared with its
five associated members.
To whom was the report shared?
The National Conference’s Abdullah, Hasnain Masoodi, and Akbar Lone (Lok Sabha MPs) and the BJP’s
Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore (Lok Sabha MPs) received the report and their opinions were asked for.
When is the final report expected?
After the submission of the views and objections of Abdullah, Hasnain Masoodi, Akbar Lone, Jitendra Singh,
and Jugal Kishore a final report is expected. The report has ignored the National Conference’s objections to
the proposal of raising the assembly seats in the Jammu region by six against one in the Kashmir region.
Angadia System
Recently, an FIR was registered against three Mumbai Police officials for allegedly threatening Angadias
and extorting money from them. Before this, Angadias shop in Mulund was looted by robbers.
What is Angadia system?
Angadia system is a century-old parallel banking system in India. in this, traders send cash from one state
to another through a person called Angadia. Angadia stands for courier. In this system, huge cash is
involved. It becomes the responsibility of Angadia to transfer cash from one state to another. For this
purpose, Angadia charges a nominal fee.
Who are involved in this system?
This system is mostly used in jewellery business for which, Mumbai – Surat is the most popular route
because they are two ends of the diamond trade. Usually, it is the Marwari, Gujarati, and Malbari community,
that are involved in the business.

Working Mechanism
Angadia system works largely on trust as huge sums are involved. Usually, traders have the same Angadias
for decades together. If a trader from one state wants to pay a trader from other state, he will send an
Angadias to deliver money within 24 hours. They also have fixed trains. To verify authenticity, the trader
gives some number to Angadia and provide the number to the recipient as well. After recipient confirms the
number, Angadia hands over the money to him. After making the payment, the Angadias return to their place
same day.
Legality of the system
Angadia system is legal. But it is suspected that, this system is used to transfer unaccounted money. Since
the business deals are in cash and no account is maintained for the same. Thus, there have been
suspicions that it is used to transfer black money like hawala transaction.
Why are Angadias targeted?
The Angadias carry huge cash, which makes them susceptible to robbery.
Nord Stream 2
The Nord Stream 2 is a 1,200-km pipeline that extends, through the Baltic Sea, from Ust-Luga in Russia to
Greifswald in Germany. This pipeline will be carrying 55 billion cubic meters of gas annually. In the year
2015, the decision to build this pipeline was taken.
Overview:
The Nord Stream 1 pipeline has already been completed, and along with the Nord Stream 2, Germany
will be supplied with 110 billion cubic meters of gas a year.
The decision to build the Nord Stream 2 was taken up by Gazprom, the Russian energy major, and five
other firms in Europe.
The Nord Stream 2 is valued at around USD 11 billion.
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline will run parallelly with the Nord Stream 1.
The pipeline is nearly 98 percent constructed and runs through European Union countries Germany
and Denmark.
Controversies regarding Nord Stream 2
The United States has been critical of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. It believes that this pipeline will increase
Europe’s reliance on Russia for natural gas, thereby emboldening Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Currently, the EU members rely on Russia for 40% of their requirements for natural gas.
This project is also opposed in Eastern Europe, particularly Ukraine whose relationship with Russia has
deteriorated with a war taking place. A pipeline already exists that connects Europe and Russia via Ukraine.
Hence, Ukraine believes that once Nord 2 is completed they will completely be bypassed and the transit fee
payment of USD 3 billion will be denied to them.
The Donald Trump government had signed a law imposing sanctions against any EU company working on
the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The Biden government, though critical of the pipeline, had considered waving
the sanctions to increase its diplomatic ties with Germany, but with the impending invasion of Ukraine by
Russia, the sanctions will be remaining.
Significance of Nord Stream 2
Germany depends on other countries for the import of Gas and Oil. This pipeline will help stabilize the
situation as Germany is more inclined towards a stable manufacturing economy and plans to gradually
move towards renewable sources of energy.
Through this pipeline, Europe will be receiving a sustainable supply of gas, while, Russia will get direct
access to the European market.
Nord Stream 2’s proposed route uses the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and territorial waters of Sweden,

Finland, and Denmark. This will help the national governments of these countries through investments and
job creation.
This pipeline will provide stability on the energy trade as there will be an increase in Russia’s dependence
on Europe and vice-versa. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is also expected to cut gas costs.
India's Aid to Afghanistan
On February 22, 2022, India sent first tranche of 2,500 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan, loaded in 50
trucks.
Key Points
First convoy would hand over the consignment to World Food Programme (WFP) at Jalalabad in
Afghanistan.
Wheat assistance will be delivered in multiple consignments.
India has been insisting for equal distribution of aid to all the needy irrespective of caste and creed.
Each bag is stamped with text “Gift from the people of India to the people of Afghanistan” in English,
Dari and Pashto languages.
Background
This shipment is a part of commitment made by Government of India. For this purpose, Government had
signed an agreement with the WFP, to distribute 50,000 MT of wheat to Afghanistan.
Flagging off the first convoy
The first convoy of 50 trucks carrying 2500 MT of wheat assistance to Afghanistan was flagged off in a
ceremony held at Amritsar. It was flagged off by Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Afghan
Ambassador Farid Mamundzay and Country Director of World Food Program Bishaw Parajuli.
Shelf life of wheat
The sacks are double bagged, in order to preserve the consignment from moisture and any infection. Shelf
life of the wheat is minimum of one year from the date of dispatch. All the necessary information has been
clearly mentioned on the bag.
Fumigation of the consignment
Fumigation of the consignment has been done for long passage time, before handing over to transportation.
Food Corporation of India (FCI) is providing necessary phytosanitary and fit to consumption certificate.
India is also getting wheat quality tested by WFP approved laboratories.
India’s aid to Afghanistan
India is committed to its special relationship with Afghani people. Extending its support, India has already
supplied 500 units of winter clothing, 13 tons of essential lifesaving medicines and 500,000 doses of
COVAXIN. These consignments were handed over to the Indira Gandhi Hospital in Kabul and World Health
Organisation (WHO).
Khaibar-buster Missile
On February 9, 2022, Iran unveiled a new missile called “Khaibar Buster Missile”, which is capable of hitting
nearby US bases and Israel.
About Khaibar-Buster
Khaibar-buster is a reference to Jewish castle, which is overrun by Muslim warriors led by Prophet
Mohammed.
It has a range of 900 miles.
The missile runs on solid fuel.
It has high accuracy and was manufactured completely domestically.
It can defeat missile shield systems.

When was it unveiled?

Missile was unveiled during a visit to surface-to-surface missile base of Guards’ air force.
Significance of the missile
Israel’s closest point to Iran is 620 miles away. Iran has missiles, which can travel up to 1250 miles. Iran
also has the largest arsenal of missiles in the Middle East.
Iran’s ballistic missiles
On December 24, Iran fired 16 ballistic missiles to conclude military drills, which is described as a warning
to Israel. According to International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Iran has around 20 types of
ballistic, cruise missiles and drones. Their capabilities vary, with the Qiam-1 range of 500 miles and Ghadr-1
range of 1,100 miles. Current priority of Iran is to increase the accuracy of its missiles.
Solid-fuel rocket engine
In January 2022, Iran tested an engine for a solid-fuel rocket, that has been designed to launch satellites.
About Iran
Iran was known as Persia before 1935. It was one of the greatest empires of ancient world. The country is
bordered by Iraq & Turkey to the west, Azerbaijan & Armenia to the north-west, Caspian Sea & Turkmenistan
to the north, Afghanistan & Pakistan to the east, and Gulf of Oman & Persian Gulf to the south. It is the
fourth-largest country by area, entirely in Asia. Tehran is its Capital. Iran is a founding member of the United
Nations, OIC, ECO, and OPEC.
Sanjeev Sanyal: New Member of EAC-PM
Recently, Sanjeev Sanyal has been appointed to the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-
PM) as a full-time member.
Overview:
Sanyal had previously served as the Finance Minister’s Principal Economic Adviser under Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
He had been working in the financial markets since the mid-1990s. Till 2015, he was the Managing
Director and Global Strategist at Deutsche Bank.
In 2017, he was appointed as the Indian government’s Principal Economic Adviser. He also serves as
the of the G20 Framework Working Group.
In 2007, he received the Eisenhower Fellowship for his work on urban issues.
The Government of Singapore had honored him at the World Cities Summit in 2014.
He has written several books which include The Indian Renaissance: India’s Rise After a Thousand
Years of Decline,’ ‘Land of the Seven Rivers: A Brief History of India’s Geography,’ and, The Incredible
History of India’s Geography.
Sanjeev Sanyal attended Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi, and as a Rhodes Scholar the St.
John’s College, Oxford.
About EAC-PM
The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) is an independent body that was
constituted to provide advice to the central government and the PM on economic and related problems. The
council provides its inputs regarding key economic issues from a neutral viewpoint. Since India’s
independence, this council has been constituted multiple times with PM Modi reviving it in 2017. The
current chairman of this council is Dr. Bibek Debroy.
Aardvark Calf
A zoo in Cheshire, United Kingdom witnessed the birth of an aardvark calf in January 2022, for the first time
in its 90-year history.

Highlights
It’s a girl aardvark, and they are “over the moon”.
Staff have named the aardvark ‘Dobby’ because wrinkled, hairless skin and dangling ears of the calf
seemed to remind of Harry Potter character by that name.
She was born on January 4, 2022; however, zoo declared its gender recently.
Who Are Aardvarks?
The aardvark is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal. It is native to Africa. It is the only living
species of Tubulidentata order. It has a long pig-like snout, used to sniff out food. It roams across most of
the southern two-thirds of African continent. It avoids areas that are rocky. It is a nocturnal feeder, that
subsists on ants and termites, digging out of their hills using its powerful legs and sharp claws. It also digs
to create burrows to live and rear its young. Aardvarks are afrotheres, a clade that also includes elephants,
hyraxes and manatees.
IUCN Status
The animal has been listed as “least concern” by the IUCN, even though its numbers are decreasing. Zoos
across Europe only have 66 aardvarks. Their population in the wild is declining because of encroachment of
their habitats by humans. They are also hunted for meat.
Features of the animal
Aardvarks are nocturnal animals. They use their long noses and keen sense of smell to sniff out termites
and ants. They have a long tongue, up to 25 cm in length. It is covered in sticky saliva. They also have
powerful claws that they use to dig underground burrows to sleep in or tear open termite mounds.
Exercise Cobra Warrior
India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, that has been indigenously designed, developed and
manufacture, is set to take part in the famed ‘Cobra Warrior’ exercises.
Key Points
Cobra Warrior is a multi-nation air exercise, that will be held at Royal Air Force (station) Waddington
in United Kingdom.
Earlier, Tejas took part in flying displays at international air shows in Dubai and Singapore.
For the first time, it will be out in an international air exercise of this magnitude.
About Cobra Warrior Exercises
Cobra Warrior Exercises are the largest joint military exercises, which are conducted by Royal Air Force
(RAF) in United Kingdom for more than a decade. These exercises are the most challenging training for
aircrew. It is also the final step for aircrew that seek to qualify as Qualified Weapons Instructors (QWI), QWI
Intelligence, Qualified Multi-engine Tactics Instructors, Surveillance & Reconnaissance and Qualified Space
Instructors Course.
2022 edition of the exercise
The upcoming Cobra Warrior exercises will witness:
1. Pilots from Indian Air Force, who will be flying five Tejas fighters
2. Combat aircraft from Royal Air Force and other leading air forces, including　from Belgium, Saudi
Arabia, and Sweden.
On February 23, five Tejas fighters would fly out to the United Kingdom. Necessary transport support to
Tejas will be provided by an IAF, C-17　Globemaster III military transport aircraft and two C-130Js. These
aircrafts will help in induction and de-induction of Tejas. They would also ferry maintenance crew and
ground equipment.
When will the exercise be held?
The exercise is scheduled to be held from March 6, 2022 to March 27, 2022.

Aim of the exercise

The Cobra Warrior Exercises will be held with the aim of providing operational exposure and share best
practices amongst participating air forces. It will also enhance combat capability and forge bonds of
friendship. On this platform, LCA Tejas would demonstrate its manoeuvrability and operational capability.
Delhi: Baba Saheb Musical Show
On February 25, 2022, ‘Babasaheb: The Grand Musical’, play is all set to be screened in Delhi. It is a play on
the life of father of the Indian Constitution, BR Ambedkar.
Key facts
The Mega show will run till March 12, 2022 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
It will have two shows a day. First show will start at 4 PM while the second show at 7 PM every day.
Chief Minister Minister Arvind Kejriwal had decided to organize the show on Mahaparinirvan Divas. It
was earlier scheduled to start on January 5. However, it got postponed amid the third wave of
Covid-19.
Grand musical show
The great and inspirational life of Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar will be depicted by means of a grand
musical play. It will be a treat to the audience. For this purpose, a 100-foot stage, a 40-foot revolving
platform and dozens of LED screens and digital props have been set. More than 160 dancers, performers
and Delhi-based artists will perform in the event.
Who have directed the play?
The play on Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar is directed by theatre artist Mahua Chauhan. Renowned artist Rohit Roy
will be playing the role of Bhimrao Ambedkar. Indian Ocean has contributed to the music for the play.
Ticket for the show
The grand musical show will be absolutely free for general public. However, people can book tickets for the
mega show in advance.
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was an Indian jurist, economist and leader of the untouchables. He was head of
the committee that drafted Indian Constitution from the consensus achieved in debates of Constituent
Assembly. He also served as Minister of Law & Justice in first cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru between 1947 to
1951. He later renounced Hinduism and inspired Dalit Buddhist movement.
Pune River Clean-up Project
A green signal has been given by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for tendering a Rs
1000 crore project to clean up Pune’s rivers, Mula, Mutha, and Mula-Mutha.
Overview:
The sewage of the city is thrown into the Mula and Mutha rivers, thus making them extremely
polluted.
This project aims to improve the water quality in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) area by
increasing sewage treatment facilities and sewage collection infrastructure.
The Rs 1000-crore assistance that will be given by JICA will be used to reduce pollution in the Mutha,
Mula, and Mula-Mutha rivers, as well as to improve living conditions and sanitation in the downstream
area and the city.
The money will be used to build pumping stations, sewer lines, and treatment plants for sewage
treatment before it is discharged into the Mula, Mutha, and Mula-Mutha rivers.
Under this project 55 km of trunk lines and 11 new sewage treatment units (STP) will be installed. The
combined capacity of these 11 newly installed STPs would be 396 million liters per day (MLD).
Aside from the 11 STPs, JICA will help set up a 113-kilometer sewer network, 24 community toilets,

and four sewage pumping stations.

The expanded network will cater to the city’s sewage generation up to the year 2027.
Why is this project important?
Pune’s population is expected to grow to 5.7 million by 2027 and 8.4 million by 2047. This will result in an
increase the sewage needs and generation. In the PMC area, a total of 744 MLD of sewage is generated,
with around 476 MLD being processed in nine STPs and released into the water. Hence, the implementation
of this project is very important from the viewpoint of this city.
About JICA
Japan International Cooperation Agency is a government agency of Japan. This organization helps in social
and economic growth in developing countries and also looks to promote international cooperation.
Professor Shinichi Kitaoka is the president of JICA and its headquarters is in Tokyo.
European Union Data Act
On February 23, 2022, the European Commission published its draft Data Act, after much anticipation.
Highlights
European Commission sets a raft of new rules for data sharing.
It forms part of European Union’s strategy, in order to make the bloc a leader in data-agile economy.
Aim of the proposed legislation
The proposed legislation is aimed at making data sharing and using easier and set a standard at EU-wide
level. It calls manufacturers to allow owners of connected devices, in a bid to see what data they are
gathering. It seeks to give companies and consumers more control over what can be done with their data. It
also clarifies who can access data and on what terms. The new rules also mean government bodies and
public bodies will be able to request access to privately-held data for legal obligations or public
emergencies but not day-to-day law enforcement activities.
Application of the draft legislation
The draft legislation will be applicable to manufacturers of products and services, like cloud service
providers and Internet of Things (IoT) devices in the EU. It will also affect users, including individuals and
businesses. It would mean that, they would require to open up their data to the users. Users will be able to
provide data to third parties or use it for their own purposes. Users can also demand to make this data
available directly to third parties. however, data sharing must respect trade secrets.
What does new legislation mean for the Big Tech and EU?
The new legislation seeks to place safeguards against unlawful data transfer. This could affect US or other
foreign companies. Data disputes between EU and US tech giants have been increasing since 2013, when
Edward Snowden revealed the mass US surveillance. Recently, Meta announced to pull Facebook and
Instagram out of Europe citing data transfer debate.”
Will it boost European innovation?
The new legislation could have big impact on Europe’s data economy and could offer innovation. It will offer
opportunities and challenges. It depends on a company’s business model as well as its ability to adapt and
prepare whether challenges or opportunities prevail.
Provisions of the Data Act
1. Under it, products and services should be designed to allow easy accessibility by users.
2. Data access will be granted without undue delay, free of charge and in real-time.
3. Data holders will provide comprehensive information on data generated when using the services or
product.
4. Data holder will be request by the user who provide data to a third party authorised by him.

'Nikarshan Sadan' Dredging Museum

On February 23, 2022, the union minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways and AYUSH, Sarbananda Sonowal
inaugurated “Nikarshan Sadan Dredging Museum”.
Highlights
The Nikarshan Sadan Museum is built by “Dredging Corporation of India”, at DCI campus in
Visakhapatnam.
The museum displayed models of different types of dredgers, historical milestones, and vintage
photos of this dredging behemoth from Eastern Port of Vizag City.
Significance of DCI in Maritime Sector
While addressing the DCI employees, minister noted that, Dredging Corporation of India is a very important
organization in Maritime Sector. He noted that all the employees will have to work together as a team
because expectation is high. According to him, Dredging is very significant for existence of the port and
strengthening India’s economy.
Dredging Corporation of India Limited (DCI)
DCI is unit engaged in business of dredging. It does dredge for Indian seaports exclusively. It occasionally
dredges at foreign seaports in countries like Dubai, Sri Lanka and Taiwan. It is primarily involved in
maintenance dredging. DCI carries almost all the maintenance dredging in Indian seaports, due to
government regulations. It is also involved in capital dredging, land reclamation and beach nourishment.
Main seaports in which DCI conducts its business include Haldia, Kandla, Visakhapatnam Port, Ennore Port,
and Cochin Port.
45 years of DCI
This year, DCI is celebrating 45 years of rendering dedicated dredging services to India’s ports coinciding
with “Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”.
Centre of Excellence in Maritime and Shipbuilding (CEMS)
On the occasion, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also inaugurated a skill development facility called
“Centre of Excellence in Maritime and Shipbuilding (CEMS)” in Visakhapatnam. CEMS will provide
opportunities to youth for enhancing their skills and improving employability. Visakhapatnam facility
comprise of 18 state-of-the-art labs and covers every aspect of manufacturing ranging from simulation,
design, analysis and production. CEMS also has a campus at Mumbai. It supports PM Gati Shakti initiative
by means skill development programs. It equips students with employable engineering, technical skills in
the areas of Ship Detailed Design, Ship Hull Design, Repair & Overhaul (MRO), Shipbuilding & Maintenance,
robotics, advanced digital manufacturing, and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM).
Quantum Key Distribution Link
A joint team of scientists from IIT Delhi and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO),
successfully demonstrated Quantum Key Distribution Link, for the first time in India.
Key Facts
Quantum Key Distribution link will be created between Prayagraj and Vindhyachal in Uttar Pradesh, for
a distance of around 100 km.
Quantum key distribution is a secure communication method, that implements a cryptographic
protocol comprising of components of quantum mechanics.
It enables two parties for producing a shared random secret key that is known only to them. The
secret key can be used to encrypt and decrypt messages.
How was this feat achieved?
The technological feat was achieved over a commercial grade optical fibre, that are already available in
field. With this, India demonstrated indigenous technology of secure key transfer to bootstrap military grade

communication security key hierarchy. Performance parameters have been measured and have been found
to be within reported international standards of up to 10 KHz.
Significance of the technology
This technology will enable security agencies with planning a suitable quantum communication network,
with a backbone of indigenous technology.
What is Quantum key distribution (QKD)?
Quantum key distribution is a secure communication method, that implements a cryptographic protocol
comprising of components of quantum mechanics. It enables two parties in producing a shared random
secret key known only to them. It is often incorrectly called quantum cryptography, because it is best-
known example of a quantum cryptographic task. Quantum key distribution is used only to produce and
distribute a key, but not transmit any message data. This key can be used with any chosen encryption
algorithm for encrypting and decrypting a message. This message can then be transmitted through
standard communication channel.
'Milan' Multilateral Naval Exercise
‘Milan’ is the name of the multilateral naval exercise which is hosted by the Indian Navy. This is a biennial
exercise and features seminars, sports, social events, and professional exercises among the participating
nations.
Overview:
This exercise was started in the year 1995.
Along with the Indian Navy, the navies of Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka had
participated in the inaugural edition of this exercise.
All editions of Milan were held in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, under the Andaman and Nicobar
Command.
The Navy, in 2020, announced that the next edition of Milan will be held at Visakhapatnam, under the
Eastern Naval Command.
This exercise is held under various themes like anti-submarine warfare, and other areas.
Capacity building, training, marine domain awareness, technical assistance, hydrography, and
operational exercises are among the areas of cooperation for the exercise.
Through professional engagement with friendly navies, the exercise aims to hone operational
abilities, instill best practices and procedures, and enable learning in the maritime environment.
About Milan Exercise 2022
This year’s Milan Exercise will be the largest edition of this exercise with 46 countries invited to participate.
This year’s Milan exercise will be held in Visakhapatnam in February 2022. The QUAD countries will also be
participating.
Milan 22 is being held in two phases over a nine-day period, with the harbor phase being held from February
25 to February 28, and the sea phase from March 1 to 4.
The theme for this year’s exercise is ‘Camaraderie – Cohesion – Collaboration’ through which India will be
projected to the world as a responsible maritime power.
Workshop on Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace
On February 23, 2022, Union Law Secretary Anoop Mendiratta asserted that sexual harassment at workplace
is a violation of Fundamental Rights guaranteed in the Indian Constitution.
Highlights
He further asserted that, until and unless women come out in open against it, it will be difficult to
bring in changes.
He was addressing the first workshop on Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace. The

workshop was organised by Department of Legal Affairs.

He noted that, there were multiple challenges attached to the issue. The first step involves talking
and writing the complaint or incident to the complaints committee.
Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act, 2013
Supreme Court in the “Vishakha and others v State of Rajasthan 1997 case” gave the “Vishakha guidelines”.
These guidelines formed the basis for “Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition
and Redressal) Act, 2013 or the “Sexual Harassment Act, 2013”. The act defines sexual harassment at the
workplace as well as creates a mechanism for complaints redressal.
Internal Complaints Committee
Under the act, every employer is required to set up an Internal Complaints Committee at each office or
branch having 10 or more employees. Complaints Committees have the powers of civil courts to gather
evidence. The Committees are required to provide conciliation before initiating any inquiry on the request of
the complainant.
Penalty provisions
The act also provides for penalties for employers. Non-compliance with provisions of the Act is punishable
with a fine. Repeated violations could lead to higher penalties and cancellation of registration of license to
conduct business.
Responsibility of Administration
State Government are mandated to notify the District Officer in every district. The district officer will
constitute a Local Complaints Committee (LCC), in order to enable women in unorganised sector or small
establishments to work in sexual harassment free environment.
J&K FDI Policy
Jammu & Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has approved a foreign direct investment (FDI) policy
for the union territory with a foreign stake of a minimum of 51 percent.
Overview:
L-G Manoj Sinha approved the Policy for Promotion of Foreign Investment in the Industrial Sector in
J&K during a meeting of the Administrative Council (AC) in Jammu.
This new policy has been based on the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade’s
(DPIIT) and Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) guiding framework on FDI.
This policy will be effective for the next ten years.
The FDI policy in J&K aims for foreign investments worth more than Rs 100 crore with a minimum
foreign stake of 51 percent.
How will this policy help Jammu & Kashmir?
This policy will help in attracting foreign investments in the UT. Doing so will help the UT in creating more
jobs and generating investments.
The J&K government has plans to develop multifunctional complexes for foreign investment. These IT
Tower projects will be developed through the use of private players in Pampore, Sempora, and Exhibition
Ground, Jammu.
The government of Jammu and Kashmir has already approved the transfer of approximately 290 acres in
seven villages in 17 places in Budgam and Srinagar districts for the construction of housing complexes
accessible to foreign investment.
What is FDI?
FDI or Foreign Direct Investment is a type of investment where an organization of a foreign country makes
an investment in a business in another country. This is usually done to expand business in a foreign
country.

Jordan: Discovery of 9000-year-old Shrine

At a remote Neolithic site in Jordan’s eastern desert, a team of Jordanian and French archaeologists
discovered a 9,000-year-old shrine.
Overview:
The ritual complex was discovered beside large structures which are known as desert kites or mass
traps. These traps were thought to have been used to gather wild gazelles for killing in a Neolithic
campground.
These traps are made up of two or more long stone walls converging toward an enclosure and are
found all over the Middle East’s deserts.
This site is unique because even being 9000 years old it is almost intact.
What was found inside the shrine?
Two carved standing stones with anthropomorphic figures, one with a representation of the desert kite as
well as an altar, hearth, marine shells, and a miniature model of the gazelle trap, were found within the
shrine.
What does the proximity of the site to the traps suggest?
The site’s proximity to the traps shows that the inhabitants were hunters and the traps that were laid out
were at the heart of their symbolical, cultural, and economic life.
About Jordan
Jordan is a country located in Western Asia just at the crossroads of Asia, Europe, and Africa. Jordan
shares its border with Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Israel, Palestinian West Bank, and the dead sea. The capital
of Jordan is Amman and it is also the largest city in the country. Bisher Al-Khasawneh is the Prime Minister
and Abdullah II is the Monarch of the country.
Reports on India's COVID-19 Vaccine Development
Two reports, from the Institute for Competitiveness which is India’s chapter of a global network, have been
released by Mansukh Mandaviya, the Union Health Minister, on India’s Covid-19 vaccine development and
administration journey.
Overview:
This report focused on how coordination at the central, state, and district levels helped the massive
adult vaccination drive succeed.
This report also highlighted the online portal that helped with vaccine management and registration
as well as effective communication that resulted in very little vaccine hesitancy.
In a country as huge as India, the first challenge for a successful vaccination drive was to address
vaccine hesitancy and scale up production. This has been successfully tackled.
The report also talked about how through the use of technology such as Arogya Setu, CoWin, the
nation effectively tackled the vaccination drive.
What strategy was used in India for vaccine development?
This report stated two strategies that the government adopted for its vaccine development. The first was
the support of Rs 100 crore provided from the PM CARES fund for the development of an indigenous
vaccine, and the second was allowing Indian pharmaceutical companies to collaborate with global
candidates for clinical trials in the country.
The two vaccines whose maximum number of doses were used in India are the indigenously developed
Covaxin by Bharat Biotech and Covishield which was developed by Serum Institute of India in association
with Oxford/AstraZeneca.
Which kind of training approach helped the vaccination drive in India?
The hybrid training approach which was adopted for skilling the healthcare workers who were crucial to the

massive drive, as well as the CoWin platform for registering beneficiaries while simultaneously
disseminating Covid-19 vaccines on a real-time basis, were praised in the report.
Communication through gram sabhas, engagement of celebrities, local leaders, etc, along with a
communication channel through which National Media Rapid Response Cell sent alerts to district collectors
to tackle fake news was also praised in the report.
FSSAI Health Star Rating
Consumers will soon be able to tell whether their food packaging is harmful or healthy and nutritious.
According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), packaged food goods will soon
display a ‘health star’ as part of the new system.
Overview:
This system will be similar to the one that is being used by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency for
assessing the energy efficiency in electrical devices.
The packaged foods will have number of stars displayed on them which will indicate whether the item
is healthy or unhealthy.
The amount of fats, sugar, and salt in the food item will be used to determine the rating.
A study was conducted by IIM Ahmedabad regarding the methodology to be used to display the
health ratings of the food items
The display of star ratings was recommended in this study as it would be easier for the customer to
understand.
It has been decided that the ratings will be placed in front of the packets as studies show that this
method is much more effective towards affecting the choice of the consumer.
Why was this decision taken by FSSAI?
The study showed that energy-dense foods are readily available in the country which is leading to non-
communicable diseases and obesity in India, which is why the FSSAI began looking for ways to educate
consumers about the nutrition profile of the food they are consuming.
About FSSAI
The FSSAI was established as a statutory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. FSSAI was
formed under the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006, which is an act related to food regulation and
safety in the country. FSSAI is in charge of promoting as well as protecting public health in the country by
effectively regulating food safety. Its headquarter is located in New Delhi and Rajesh Bhusan is the
Chairperson. Arun Singhal is the CEO of this organization.
3rd Anniversary of PM-KISAN
PM-KISAN is a scheme of the central government that was introduced in 2019. This scheme was launched
to help farmers holding land with their financial needs. This year is the PM-KISAN scheme’s third
anniversary.
Overview:
Through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), Rs 6000/- is deposited into the bank accounts of farmers
across the country in three equal installments every four months.
This scheme was initially launched for small and marginal farmers having up to 2 hectares of
landholdings, but in June 2019 it was extended to include all landholding farmers.
Since the scheme’s inception a number of technological and process developments have been done
to ensure that the maximum number of beneficiaries can benefit from it.
Aadhar validation has been made compulsory to make the whole process transparent and authentic.
How many farmers have received benefits from this scheme?
Around 11.78 crore farmers have received benefits under this scheme. Rs 1.82 lakh crore have been

distributed to the beneficiaries under this scheme. Out of this amount, Rs 1.29 lakh crore has been
distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Self-Registration Mechanism of PM-KISAN
In order to provide an advantage to the farmers the process of self-registration of beneficiaries has been
made simple through the use of a mobile app, walk-ins at Common Service Centers, and the PM KISAN
portal.
Recovery mechanism of PM-KISAN
The recovery mechanism has been made simple and transparent in the case of ineligible beneficiaries. This
process includes an automatic transfer from a state department’s account to the central government
account, making it incredibly efficient and time-saving.
Grievance Redressal
A grievance redressal mechanism has been envisaged to address the problems faced by the beneficiaries.
The Central Project Management Unit of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana will be set up to streamline the
process. A centralized helpdesk has also been established to assist beneficiaries with any issues they may
face or query they might have during the registration process.
February 25, 2022
National Strategy on Additive Manufacturing
Ashwini Vaishnaw, MeitY, Communications & Railways, and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MOS Electronics &
Information Technology and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship announced the National Strategy on
Additive Manufacturing to cater to the next generation of digital manufacturing and also aiming to mitigate
the immediate disabilities which are being faced by the local industries.
Overview:
MeitY is looking to increase the share of India to 5 percent in global additive manufacturing within 3
years. It also hopes to add USD 1 billion GDP by that time.
According to the National Strategy for Additive Manufacturing, India is aiming to reach certain goals
by 2025, which includes 50 India-specific technologies for machines, materials, and software, 100
new additive manufacturing firm start-ups, and 500 new products.
Through these start-ups and new opportunities MeitY is looking to provide jobs to at least 1,00,000
new skilled workers over a three-year time period.
What is additive manufacturing?
3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a method of creating prototypes or models of
products that are functional by laying down layers of materials such as resin, plastic, metal, thermoplastic,
ceramic, or fiber. The model to be printed is created by the computer using software, which then sends
instructions to the 3D printer.
What should be the strategy for additive manufacturing?
According to MeitY’s national strategy, India must implement additive manufacturing or 3D printing in all
sectors, including defense and the public sector, so that the nation can stay ahead in the additive
manufacturing or 3D printing sector. To lead this mission, an apex body consisting of subject matter
experts as well as leaders from global and local industries might be established.
Dearc sgiathanach: New Species of Pterosaur
Researchers have discovered new species of Pterosaurs, who were the first vertebrates to evolve flight. The
species include the largest flying animals in history of Earth.
Key Facts
Some of the last-surviving species were of the size of airplanes.
Pterosaurs were earlier thought to be restricted to small body sizes with wingspans of 1.6-1.8 m,
from Triassic origins to throughout Jurassic period.

But the newly-discovered species named “Dearc sgiathanach”, is the largest Jurassic Pterosaur yet
known. Its bones and skull are the longest of any other Jurassic specimens.
About Dearc Sgiathanach
Dearc Sgiathanach is the flying reptile, with wingspans of over 2.5 m or perhaps larger over 3 m. It belonged
to a group of early pterosaurs called Rhamphorhynchidae and lived around 170 million years ago. It is the
biggest pterosaur known from the Jurassic period.
Who discovered the skeleton?
Spectacularly preserved skeleton of the new species was discovered by team member Amelia Penny in
2017 at Rubha nam Brathairean on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. It is the best-preserved skeleton of a
pterosaur ever found in Scotland. Pterosaurs preserved in such quality are rare and are usually reserved to
some of the rock formations in China and Brazil.
How was study conducted?
CT scans of skull of Dearc sgiathanach revealed large optic lobes, indicating that species would have had
good eyesight. To achieve flight, they had hollow bones with thin bone wall. It made their remains incredibly
fragile and unfit for preservation for millions of years.
About Pterosaurs
Pterosaurs were flying reptiles of extinct clade or order Pterosauria. They lived during most of the
Mesozoic, that is from Late Triassic to the end of Cretaceous. They are the earliest vertebrates known to
have evolved powered flight. Their wings were formed by a membrane of muscle, skin and other tissues. It
was stretching from ankles to fourth finger.
China: Two Prehistoric Bird Species
In China, researchers have discovered specimens of two Prehistoric Bird Species. Its findings appeared in
the Journal of Systematics and Evolution.
Changma Locality in China
The specimens were discovered from Changma locality in northwestern China.
It is an important place for paleontologists, to study bird evolution.
It is the second-richest Mesozoic fossil bird site worldwide.
However, more than half of the fossils found there belong to Gansus yumenensis.
Gansus Yumenensis
Gansus Yumenensis is a species of aquatic bird. It lived approximately 120 million years ago, during early
Cretaceous epoch. It is the first known true Mesozoic bird in the world, because Archaeopteryx is more
dinosaur-like.
Specimens from Changma site
The new six specimens from Changma site are just skulls and necks. Its parts are not preserved in known
specimens of Gansus yumenensis. Fossils were also smashed by their time deep in the Earth, making its
analysis difficult. But these new specimens include two new species, which will increase knowledge of
Cretaceous bird faunas. In the specimens, researchers have found combinations of dental features that
were never seen in any other dinosaurs.
New Species
Researchers have found that, four of the six new specimens belong to Gansus yumenensis. While, two other
specimens are considered new species namely, Meemannavis ductrix and Brevidentavis zhangi. Both of the
new species are ornithuromorph birds, similar to Gansus yumenensis. Ornithuromorph is the group
containing modern birds. Like present day birds, Meemannavis ductrix was toothless. On the other hand,
Brevidentavis zhangi had small, peg-like teeth and were packed close together in its mouth.

Brevidentavis zhangi
It is an ornithuromorph bird with teeth. In ornithuromorphs with teeth, there is a little bone at the front of jaw
called “predentary”.
RBI: Amendments in Payments Systems Rules
The Reserve Bank of India has amended the Payments and Settlement Systems Regulations. This system
allows the companies who are seeking to run payment businesses to apply for licenses from the regulator.
Overview:
The application for licensing should include the technology platform which is to be used, the
operator’s process flow, interoperability with operators of the other payment systems, and security
features.
As per the rules that have been set, the operators will be required to submit all documents and
information which are desired by the RBI from time to time.
Three months after the closing of the account, annual accounts also have to be submitted by the
system provider to the regulator along with a copy of the audited balance sheet.
What is a payments system?
It is a system that is used to settle financial transactions. It is done through monetary value transfer and
includes several mechanisms that facilitate fund transfer from one party to another. The payment system
includes the participants and the users, the technologies and standards on which the system operates, and
the rules and regulations that guide its operation.
The Board for Regulation and Supervision of Payment and Settlement Systems (BPSS), which is RBI’s sub-
committee is India’s highest payments systems related policy-making body.
About Payment System Operators (PSOs)
PSO is an organization that has been granted permission to operate a payment system. PSOs mostly
outsource their settlement and payment-related activities to several other entities.
What is the function of the Board for Regulation and Supervision of Payment and Settlement Systems
(BPSS)?
It is a sub-committee of the RBI and the country’s highest body related to the payments system. BPSS is
empowered to authorize, prescribe policies, and set certain standards for supervising and regulating the
country’s payment and settlement systems. RBI’s Department of Payment and Settlement Systems acts as
the Secretariat of the BPSS and executes its directions.
New Asteroid with Three Moons
Astronomers have recently discovered 3 bodies orbiting Elektra asteroid system, making it the 1st
quadruple asteroid system. Previously only two outer moons were known. New moon was discovered
recently.
About Elektra
Elektra is having a 5.5-year-long orbit, with a width of 200 kilometres.
It is not gigantic as per asteroid standards, but large enough.
It was discovered on February 17, 1873, by astronomer Christian Peters. It has been named after
Electra, an avenger in Greek mythology.
The first moon of Elektra was discovered in 2003 while second moon was discovered in 2014.
Discovery of the second moon did not create any waves, as the other asteroid Sylvia had already been
found to have two moons nine years before.
Discovery of third moon
A team of researchers from NARIT, reanalysed the data acquired three days after the discovery of second
moon. During this, presence of the third moonlet was discovered. The third moon has been provisionally

named S/2014 (130) 2.

The first moon-S/2003 (130) 1
It measures 6 kilometres in diameter. The moon orbits Elektra at a distance of around 1300 kilometres.
Despite being in a close orbit, it is orbiting at a distance making it easier to spot. Sizes of the second and
third satellites are comparable respectively at 2.0 and 1.6 kilometres wide.
Why it took so long to discover the third moon?
Second moonlet was discovered instantly from 2014 data. Third and second moon had similar dimensions.
The third moon orbits even closer to Elektra, at 344 kilometres. But it is 15,000 times fainter than the
asteroid it orbits. As a result, its light is readily lost in brightness of Elektra. Furthermore, the third satellite
is so close to Elektra that irregularities in parent body’s shape distort its already eccentric orbit.
Why have Elektra three moons?
Asteroid moons are sometimes formed, when collisions break off chunks of the parent body. The broken
part never gets far enough to escape its gravity. This is likely what happened with the second and third
moon because, both of these moons have overlapping orbits and similar spectra as well as composition.
Intracortical Visual Prosthesis
The Intracortical Visual Prosthesis (ICVP) is a type of implant that bypasses the optic nerves and the retina
to link directly to the brain’s visual cortex. At Rush University Medical Center, this was successfully placed
surgically in the study’s first participant.
Overview:
The surgery that was conducted is a part of Phase I Feasibility Study of an Intracortical Visual
Prosthesis for Blind People.
The ICVP system was developed by a team which is led by Philip R. Troyk, executive director of
Illinois Institute of Technology’s Pritzker Institute of Biomedical Science and Engineering.
This research represents nearly three decades that were dedicated to providing artificial sight to
those who have lost their sight due to eye disease or trauma.
About Intracortical Visual Prosthesis
The Intracortical Visual Prosthesis System is the first intracortical visual implant that uses a collection of
fully implanted tiny wireless stimulators to see if blind people can benefit from the artificial vision it
provides.
This visual prosthesis method allows the devices to be permanently implanted, which is an advantage that
gives researchers plenty of time to figure out how the device works and the recipient also gets plenty of
time to figure out the device.
How does Intracortical Visual Prosthesis work?
The ICVP uses small wireless stimulator modules which are implantable and can send image data
that has been captured by a video camera straight to the brain.
No connectors or wires cross the scalp because each module, known as a wireless floating
microelectrode array (WFMA), receives its power and digital commands via a wireless link.
Camera images are sent directly to the brain by sending commands to the WFMAs, resulting in the
creation of a crude visual image.
While these crude perceptions will not be identical to normal vision, they may be useful in doing tasks
that are visually guided.
About the clinical test
The Illinois Tech team tied up with neurosurgeons from Rush University Medical Center during the
preclinical phase to develop and optimize surgical procedures. This resulted in the successful implantation
of 25 stimulators with a total of 400 electrodes in a blind person. The aim of the clinical test was to see if

the prosthesis improves the participants’ ability to navigate and complete basic tasks which were visually
guided. After a 4-6-week recovery period, testing will commence at The Chicago Lighthouse.
National Policy Guidelines on Bio-Medical Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The National Policy Guidelines on Bio-Medical Innovation and Entrepreneurship was launched by Union
Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya in New Delhi.
Overview:
The aim of this policy is to develop an entrepreneurial environment in India that will be innovation-
driven with the ultimate goal of improving human health and well-being.
This policy has been launched as it is the perfect time to show the world the nation’s strength through
innovative initiatives and research in the health sector.
The newly launched policy will incentivize, motivate, and give a boost to all the stakeholders in this
sector.
By promoting initiatives like Make-in-India, Start-Up-India, and Atmanirbhar Bharat, this policy will look
to ensure multidisciplinary collaboration and the promotion of start-up culture to establish an
innovation-led ecosystem at medical institutes across the country.
This policy will connect technical institutions with the industry to promote commercial translation of
innovations in the health sector.
How will the policy encourage the medicinal professionals of the country?
Medical professionals and doctors of the nation will be encouraged to pursue entrepreneurial enterprises,
taking up roles such as scientific advisors, etc. Doctors will also be able to work on industry and inter-
institutional projects on their own or through enterprises, license technology to businesses, and revenue
generation for social benefit and self-sufficiency.
The medical professional will also be allowed to take a sabbatical for the purpose of commercialization of
their innovations through their respective start-ups or industry collaboration.
Conclusion
More importance should be given to the field of research and innovation so that India becomes self-reliant.
The policy will help the nation in providing the world with the best innovative medical device which will be
made in India and research in the medical sector.
Moody's India Growth Forecast- Update
The GDP growth prediction for India has been raised by Moody’s Investors Service. The prediction for the
current financial year has been raised to 9.5 percent from 7 percent.
Overview:
The GDP forecast has been increased citing an economic recovery that has been stronger than
expected starting from the national lockdown of 2020 to the COVID-19 second wave in mid-2021.
The FY 23 GDP forecast has been retained at 5.5 percent.
According to Moody’s, the retail activity, collection of sales taxes, and Purchasing Managers Indices
(PMI) all point to further growth. Supply disruptions and high oil prices will, however, continue to drag
down the GDP.
Moody’s has also said that the forecast of 9.5 percent for 2022 has been based on restricted
consecutive growth rates.
It has also added that the budget of 2022 has prioritized growth and the RBI’s monetary policy
supports it.
What does the calendar year forecast say?
According to the calendar year predictions, growth for FY 23 will be 8.4 percent growth and for FY24 it will
be 6.5 percent.

The projection for FY23 is 60 basis points higher than what the Reserve Bank of India forecasted at 7.8
percent. The central government’s Economic Survey for 2021-22, however, forecasted a real GDP growth
rate of 8 to 8.5 percent for the next financial year. The budget of the year 2022 assumed an 11.1 percent
nominal GDP growth rate.
About Moody’s Investors Service
Moody’s Investors Service which is often referred to as Moody’s, is Moody’s Corporation’s bond credit
rating business. This organization provides financial research globally on the bonds which are issued by a
government and commercial organizations. Moody’s, along with Fitch Group and Standard & Poor’s, is
considered to be the Big Three credit rating agencies. It is headquartered in New York.
OCEANS 2022 conference
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras Research Park in association with the National Institute of Ocean
Technology (NIOT) hosted the “OCEANS 2022 conference”.
Highlights
OCEANS conference is a bi-annual event of global marine researchers.
It was hosted in India, for the first time.
Department of Ocean Engineering of is coordinating the OCEANS 2022 conference, on behalf of
Marine Technology Society and Institution of Electrical & Electronics Engineering (IEEE) Ocean
Engineering Society.
Hybrid Mode conference
The OCEANS 2022 conference was held in hybrid mode. It had 400 presentations by delegates on topics like
climate change, global warming, marine pollution, microplastics, vagaries of weather and combating coastal
erosion. It was a four-day event that started on February 21, 2022.
Theme of the conference
The theme of the “OCEANS 2022” conference was “inspire-innovate-sustain”.
Agenda of the conference
The OCEANS 2022 conference highlighted on how the “U.N. Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable
Development” is making attempts to reduce impact of climate change through renewable energies.
NIOT Mandates
One of the start-ups of NIOT, Plays Technologies, is making small underwater vehicles to explore the ocean.
It has also been mandated to design, develop and demonstrate technologies for a sustainable exploration
and using ocean resources. First project of NIOT is with IIT Madras on extraction of energy from oceans.
Marine Technology Society
Marine Technology Society was incorporated in June 1963. It was incorporated to give members of
academia, industry and government a common forum to exchange of information and ideas. Their purpose
is to promote awareness, advancement, understanding, and application of marine technology.
IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society
IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society works for advancement of theory and practice of electrotechnology, allied
branches of engineering, as well as related arts and sciences, besides maintenance of high professional
and ethical standards among its affiliates and members.
Chandrayaan-2: Detection of Solar Proton Events
‘Chandrayaan-2 Large Area Soft X-ray Spectrometer (CLASS)’ payload of Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter detected
solar proton events recently.
Highlights
The Solar Proton Events significantly increase the radiation exposure to humans in space.
CLASS Payload also recorded coronal mass ejections (CMEs), on January 18, 2022.

Such multi-point observations help astronomers in understanding the propagation and its impact on
different planetary systems.
What are Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)?
Coronal Mass Ejections are a powerful stream of ionised material and magnetic fields, that reach the Earth
a few days later. It led to geomagnetic storms and lighting up of polar sky with auroras.
When does solar flares occur?
When the sun is active, spectacular eruptions occur which are called as solar flares. Such incident
sometimes also spews out energetic particles into interplanetary space, which are called as solar proton
events. Most of these flares are high energy protons, impacting space systems and significantly increasing
radiation exposure to humans in space. Solar proton events cause ionisation on large scales in middle
atmosphere of the Earth.
Classification of Solar flares
Solar flares are classified in accordance with their strength. The smallest ones are A-class, which is
followed by B, C, M and X. Each letter represents a 10-time increase in energy output. Thus, M class flare is
10 times more intense than C-class flare while 100 times intense than B-class flare. Within each class, there
is a finer scale ranging from 1 to 9. M2 flare is double the strength of M1 flare.
M-class solar flares
Recently, there were two M-class solar flares:
1. One flare was M5.5- It spewed out energetic particles into interplanetary space
2. Second flare was M1.5- It was accompanied by a CME.
CLASS detected SPE due to an M5.5 class solar flare, that occurred on January 20, 2022. It also detected a
CME event, while passing through the moon due to an M1.5 class solar flare.
About CLASS
CLASS payload of Chandrayaan-2 measures Moon’s X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectra in order to examine
the presence of major elements like Aluminium, Magnesium, Calcium, Silicon, Iron, Titanium, and Sodium.
Sustainable Cities India Program
On February 24, 2022, the World Economic Forum (WEF) and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) inked
a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to design ‘Sustainable Cities India’ program.
Key Points
This partnership between WEF and NIUA is significant in the light of India’s commitment of achieving
net zero carbon emission by 2070, made at COP26 summit in Glasgow.
WEF and NIUA will adapt WEF’s ‘City Sprint’ process as well as ‘Toolbox of Solutions’ for
decarbonisation of five to seven Indian cities in two years.
City Sprint process
City Sprint Process is a series of multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder workshops that involved government,
business, and civil society leaders to enable decarbonisation, specifically through clean electrification and
circularity. It will help to jumpstart and accelerate net zero action and planning. The workshop series will
shortlist relevant policies and business models, which will help in reducing emissions and maximizing
System Value, like improved air quality or job creation.
Toolbox of solutions
The City Sprint Process uses “Toolbox of Solutions”, which is a digital platform comprising of more than
200 examples of clean electrification, efficiency & smart infrastructure best practices and case studies
across energy systems, buildings, and mobility from 110 cities of the world.
Pilot Solutions
The City Sprint process is also likely to enable cities to run pilot solutions. Based on the findings, India will

be able contribute 10 to 40 best practice case studies. These case studies will be integrated into the
‘toolbox of solutions’ and showcased worldwide.
About Sustainable Cities India Program
The Sustainable Cities India Program is aims to enable cities to generate decarbonisation solutions in
different sectors including energy and transport.
It seeks to enable cities to decarbonise in a systematic and sustainable way, in a bid to reduce
emissions and deliver equitable and resilient urban ecosystems.
World Economic Forum (WEF)
The WEF is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation. It is headquartered in Geneva,
Switzerland. It was founded on January 24, 1971 by Klaus Schwab.
Delhi Film Policy 2022
Government of Delhi is all set to pitch Delhi as an international filmmaking destination, by approving “Delhi
Film Policy 2022”.
Highlights
On February 24, 2022, Delhi Cabinet approved India’s most progressive state film policy in a bid to
promote Delhi as a hub for cinema activities of European standards.
Delhi Film Policy 2022 was approved to enable inclusive growth through tourism in the union territory.
It is an extremely progressive policy, introduced after studying film promotion and tourism policies
closely, on a global scale.
It will help in generating jobs, boosting sectors of the economy, and instilling a sense of pride among
the people.
Objectives of Delhi Film Policy 2022
Objectives of the ‘Delhi Film Policy 2022’ include:
1. To promote an environment where city residents associate with what they visualise on silver screen
with their society and culture.
2. To enable branding of Delhi as a destination, that has been developed for promoting film production
and attracting enthusiastic audiences to Delhi.
3. To promote growth of artistic expression and languages with focus on the fact that, regional
languages are provided support, throughout India and abroad.
Single Window Clearance
As per new policy, Delhi government will provide single window clearance portal called “e-film clearance
portal”, to get all the clearances related to area, roads, security and likewise on a single platform. For
clearance, they will have to apply online and pay online. Within 15 days, they can get all approvals or
rejections.
Delhi Film Fund
Delhi government will also provide subsidies of up to Rs 3 crore for the films made in Delhi. This will reduce
overall production cost of the film. Subsidies will be provided as per certain parameters. Delhi Film Fund,
with an initial allocation of Rs 50 crore, will be established to brand Delhi as a national and international
tourism destination from film promotion POV.
Delhi Film Card
Delhi Film Card of a value of Rs 1 lakh will also be introduced, for offering special deals and packages to
production agencies and filmmakers. Those in possession of the film card, will be offered a package of
discounted services such as travel within Delhi, accommodation, logistics, and security personnel
management.

Delhi’s international film festival

International film festival will also be held in Delhi, every year. Delhi Film Excellence Awards will also be
introduced.
Ombudsperson App for MGNREGA
Giriraj Singh, Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, launched the Ombudsman App for
MGNREGA. This App is a step toward e-governance, and it will help in accountability and transparency.
Overview:
This app will help the Ombudsman in carrying out their duties in a transparent and accountable
manner.
The minister showed concern regarding the appointment of Ombudspersons, and that in many
districts the appointment of an Ombudsperson has yet to be made. Hence, all states and UTs have
been asked to work with the union government to make MNREGA more transparent by utilizing the
Ombudsperson App.
Why was this app developed?
The Ministry of Rural Development developed this app with the aim of smooth categorization and reporting
of grievances by the appointed Ombudsperson based on complaints that they have received from various
sources i.e. digital, physical, and mass media, related to the MGNREGA Scheme implementation in the
States and UTs.
This app will allow for easy tracking and timely redressal of complaints by the Ombudsperson. The app will
also allow the Ombudsperson to upload annual and quarterly reports to the website.
Currently, how are grievances reported and resolved?
Currently, the grievances are reported, as well as resolved in a physical format. Ombudsperson App is
designed to make reporting and resolving complaints as quickly as possible. This will assist the
Ombudsperson in carrying out their duties without facing any difficulty.
How is the registration done?
After an Ombudsperson joins, their registration has to be done by the State. After the completion of
registration, the Ombudsperson will use the password and User name that was created to use this App.
USCC International Intellectual Property Index
According to an annual report which has been published by the prominent US Chamber of Commerce’s
Global Innovation Policy Center, India’s total IP score has risen from 38.4 percent to 38.6 percent, and the
country is now ranked 43 out of 55 countries on the International Intellectual Property Index.
Overview:
The overall score of India has increased from 38.40 percent (19.20 out of 50) in the ninth edition of
this report to 38.64 percent (19.32 out of 50) in the latest edition.
The report of this year analyzed data of the last 10 years and revealed that the global IP environment
has consistently improved over time, even in the last two years of turmoil due to the pandemic. The
report also states that emerging economies are strengthening their IP regimes.
The Top 5 Countries in the International Intellectual Property Index
1. United States of America
2. United Kingdom
3. Germany
4. Sweden
5. France
About US Chamber of Commerce (USCC)
It is the world’s largest business federation, representing over 3 million companies of all sectors, sizes, and

regions, as well as regional and state chambers of commerce and industry groups. It also advocates
policies that help in growing the economy of businesses and their job creation. USCC was founded in the
year 1912 and is located in Washington D.C. Suzanne P. Clark is the CEO of this organization.
About Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC)
The USCC’s principal institution is the GIPC and handles all the issues which are related to creativity and
innovation by advocating strong standards of intellectual property. The GIPC is working to promote
creativity and innovation across the globe through intellectual property standards that save lives, create
jobs, cultural prosperity, and advance global economy.
Euphlyctis jaladhara
The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Pune, has discovered a new frog species which are growing in the
freshwater regions along all the states spanning the Western Ghats.
Overview:
Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), the National Institute of Science Education and
Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, Mount Carmel College (MCC), Bengaluru, tied up on the discovery.
This discovery was the Zoological Survey of India’s (WGRC, Kozhikode) part of a faunal exploration
and documenting effort in the Thattekad Bird Sanctuary.
This new species looks quite similar to the common skittering frog (Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis), which
is found generally in the eastern coastal plains, the Western Ghats, and the Deccan Plateau.
About Euphlyctis jaladhara
The common name of this frog is Jaladhara skittering frog and Euphlyctis jaladhara is the scientific name.
This species was first discovered in freshwater bodies located near the Thattekad Bird Sanctuary in
Ernakulam District of Kerala. This is the second skittering frog species discovered in this area. The Kerala
Pond Frog (Phrynoderma Kerala) was also discovered in the same area. Multiple populations of this species
have been discovered in forest surveys which have focused on freshwater bodies in Goa, Karnataka, Gujarat,
Maharashtra, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. Conservation plans have to be made focusing on
this newly discovered frog species so that the population grows.
Cabinet Committee on Security discusses Russia-Ukraine Crisis
On February 24, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over a crucial meeting of Cabinet Committee
on Security (CCS) to discuss the crisis led by Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.
Key Points
Modi also spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on this issue.
Meeting was held on a day when global Brent crude oil increased to more than 8% to cross USD 105 a
barrel in intra-day trade. It is the highest since 2014.
Price increased as Russia’s attack in Ukraine raised concerns about disruptions in global energy
supply.
During the meeting, macro-economic impact of the Russia-Ukraine crisis on India was deliberated
upon, amid increase in global crude oil prices and slide in stock markets.
It was centred around potential steps of minimising spill over effect of this conflict on Indian
economy.
If oil prices continue to increase, Indian government might be forced to cut fuel taxes in order to
soften the blow to consumers.
New Sanctions against Russia
On February 24, Joe Biden unveiled a fresh round of sanctions against Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.
New sanctions target Russia’s largest banks and companies, by cutting them off from western financial
markets. Restrictions have also been imposed on the exports of advanced technology that are used to

power Russia’s military and tech sector. Latest round of sanctions would impact around 80% of all banking
assets in Russia, threatening its economy and weakening the geopolitical posture.
US’s meeting with other countries
United State imposed new sanctions and warned Russia following Joe Biden’s meeting with the leaders of
Britain, France, Canada, Japan, and Italy. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, NATO
secretary general Jens Stoltenberg and European Council president Charles Michel, also attended the
meeting. Joe Biden also convened a meeting of US national security council.
US’s warning
US President Joe Biden warned to intervene if Russia moves into NATO countries. Countries on NATO’s
eastern flank, specifically Baltic states of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, have already received the first
batches of US military troops and equipment.
Current situation in Ukraine
Russian forces are pressing their advance towards Ukraine’s capital. On the other hand, Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskiy asked for international help and do more, stating that sanctions announced so far
were not enough. According to Ukrainian President, 137 people, including 10 military officers, have been
killed while 316 people got injured so far. Ukraine has lost control of Chernobyl nuclear site.
Manipur Meitei Community
Demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the majority Meitei community, has become a huge election
issue in Manipur. The Meiteis are dominant in two-third of 60 constituencies in Imphal Valley.
Highlights
In the Imphal Valley, Meitei intellectuals and people are debating for and against the ST status
demand.
Yambem Laba, a former chairperson of the Manipur Human Rights Commission, believes that
although most Meiteis are Hindus, but they still follow the old tribal system.
Status of Meiteis
Till 1935, Meiteis were entered in census of India as ST.
When the Constitution was drafted in 1949-50, former Assam Chief Minister Gopinath Bordoloi asked
whether the Meiteis wanted to be included as ST. They opted for opinions of just three people- 2
Brahmins and a Sanskritised Meitei. They were of the view that, they cannot become ST because of
socio-economic lifestyles of the tribals.
Areas dominated by Meiteis
Meiteis used to control areas up to Chindwin in Myanmar as well as Surma Valley in Bangladesh. Now, they
are confined to 8 per cent in Manipur’s area. Now, Tribals are infiltrating Imphal by putting candidates in
polls.
Why is there demand for ST Status?
Demand for ST status is not because the Meitei community want jobs in Central sector. But because they
can’t buy land in hill areas. So, even if Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms Act can be amended, there
cannot be any concern related to ST.
National Chess Championship
th
In the 58 Senior National Chess Championship, that started on February 25, 2022, Grandmaster B Adhiban
heads a star-studded field. It includes 23 GMs and 30 International Masters.
Highlights
Former champion Adhiban of Petroleum Sports Promotion Board was given the top billing.
He is expected to face stiff challenge from likes of fast-rising Arjun Erigaisi, by defending camp
Aravindh Chithambaram, S P Sethuraman, Karthikeyan Murali, and M R Lalith Babu.

This is the first time that 23 GMs and 30 IMs are taking part in national championship.
58th Senior National Chess Championship
The tournament features a total of 184 players. It will be played under Swiss System with rounds within 90
minutes with 30-second increment from first move.
Prizes in the Championship
Cash prizes to the tune of Rs 30 lakh have been set for championship. The winner is set to receive Rs 6 lakh
as prize money. The national championship winner will also receive 25 bonus points.
National Chess Championship
It is the annual national chess championship in India. It was established by Andhra State Chess Association
in 1955. It was a biannual event, but since 1971 it has been played yearly. Its first edition was held in Eluru,
Andhra Pradesh. The women’s championship started in 1974.
Delhi Police Statistics on Crime
Over 15 percent rise in crime has been recorded in Delhi in 2021 as compared to 2020. This increase in the
rate has been attributed to less number of cases lodged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rakesh Asthana is
the police commissioner of Delhi.
Overview:
In 2021, 3,06,389 cases were reported while in 2020 it was 2,66,070 cases.
In 2021, 5,740 heinous crime cases while in 2020 it was 5,413.
Under ‘other IPC sections’ (robbery, theft, burglary) 2,87,563 cases were registered last year.
Also last year, under ‘total IPC’ (theft and heinous) 2,93,303 cases were registered while under ‘local
and special laws’ (NDPS, arms-related crime,) 13,086 cases were lodged.
In 2021, around 70 percent of all the crimes that were reported were robbery, burglary, and theft.
In 2021 9,383 cases of snatching were reported while in 2020 it was 7,965, an increase of 15 percent.
13 percent rise was also recorded in arrests related to snatching cases.
In 2021, a 17 percent increase in arrest was recorded as compared to 2020.
1,47,115 arrests were made in 2021 whereas in 2020 it was 1,25,986.
There was a 3 percent decrease in murder cases to 459 in 2021 from 472 in 2020.
1,050 people were arrested in murder case connections whereas in 2020 it was 1,015.
There was a 35 percent increase in an attempt to murder cases from 485 in 2020 to 655 in 2021.
1,629 people were arrested related to these cases which is 45 percent higher than in 2020 in which
1,126 arrests were done.
17 cases of ransom-related kidnapping occurred in 2021 and all of them were solved whereas in 2020
it was 11 cases that were also solved.
87 percent of extortion cases were solved in 2021 with 170 cases lodged. In 2020, 120 cases were
lodged.
In an attempt to murder, murder, and robbery/dacoity cases, firearms usage went down by nine
percent.
In 2021 there was a 9 percent increase in crimes committed against senior citizens and 41,113 such
cases were registered.
In 2021, 15,146 PCR calls were received and for dacoity and robbery 2,359 cases were lodged. In
2020, PCR calls received were 11,790 and cases were 1,972.
21 major gangs who were active in the outlying districts of the nation’s capital were identified and 7
dreaded criminals were neutralized.
Strategies adopted by the Delhi Police
Delhi Police adapted 3 strategies to control crime in the city. They are proactive policing, tactical analysis,

and comprehensive action.

What is a 'Megadrought'?
A megadrought is a drought that lasts at least two decades. In the past, megadroughts have been linked to
prolonged La Niña conditions.
Overview:
Megadrought is a term that refers to the length of a drought rather than its acute intensity. The term
is used in scientific literature to describe droughts that last several decades.
Multiyear droughts which were less than a decade, like the 1930s Dust Bowl drought, are not
considered as megadroughts.
Impacts of Megadroughts
Megadroughts have resulted in large-scale human migration away from the drought-affected areas,
resulting in considerable population decline compared to pre-drought levels. Megadroughts are suspected
of playing a major role in the collapse of many pre-industrial civilizations such as the Khmer Empire of
Cambodia, the Anasazi of the North American Southwest, the Tiwanaku of Bolivia, the Mayan of
Mesoamerica, and the Yuan Dynasty of China.
The African Sahel region has experienced many megadroughts, the most recent of which lasted from
around 1400 to 1750 AD. During the Medieval Warm Period, North America witnessed at least four
megadroughts.
Sources for Determining the Frequency and Occurrence of Megadroughts
Lakes dry up during megadroughts, and other plants and trees grow in the beds of the dry lake. When the
drought ends, the lakes refill, submerging the trees and causing them to perish. These trees have been
preserved in some locations and maybe researched for accurate radiocarbon dates, as well as the tree rings
can be researched upon. In California’s Tenaya and Mono lakes, Ghana’s Lake Bosumtwi, and other lakes
such trees have been discovered.
Dendrochronology is the study and dating of annual tree rings. According to tree-ring data, droughts in the
Western United States have lasted ten times longer than anything seen in the modern United States.
On the basis of annual tree rings, the drought patterns, since 1700, over most of the U.S. have been
recorded by NOAA.
Sediment core samples were collected from the volcanic caldera of Valles Caldera in New Mexico, as well
as other locations. The cores from Valles Caldera date back 550,000 years and reveal evidence of
megadroughts lasting up to 1000 years during the mid-Pleistocene Epoch, when summer rains were scarce.
February 26, 2022
Indian Railway's First Solar Power Plant
A 1.7-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant has been commissioned by Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) at
Bina, Madhya Pradesh for the Indian Railways.
Overview:
Power to the traction systems of Indian Railways will be fed directly through this plant.
This plant was commissioned after the Indian Railways decided to become self-reliant for their
electricity need and planned to solarise railway stations by utilizing the vacant lands it has for various
Renewable Energy (RE) projects.
This is the first such Solar Power Plant commissioned on the Indian Railways network to directly feed
Traction Power.
The Solar Plant commissioned at Bina covers an area of over ten acres. 5800 solar modules are put
on 145 sets of modular mounting structures on 1015 pile foundations at the Solar Plant.
The electricity generated in this plant will be provided to the Indian Railways free of cost.
8 MU of electricity per year is being expected to be generated from this Solar Plant.
2,160 Tonnes of Carbon dioxide emission annually will be saved from this Solar Plant.
The Plan of Utilizing Solar Energy to Power the Railway Stations
In the Union Budget 2017-18, it was announced that solar power would be used to power approximately
7,000 railway stations across the country in the medium term.
The government declared in the budget that 2,000 railway stations would be built as part of its 1000-
Megawatt solar project.
The objective of the Indian Railways to become a Net Zero Carbon Emission Rail Network will be
accelerated by the usage of solar power. To achieve this, the Indian Railways had developed plans to set up
20 GW capacity solar power plants by utilizing its vacant land by 2030.
About BHEL
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited is a government-owned manufacturing and engineering organization which
is headquartered in New Delhi. It falls under the ambit of the Ministry of Heavy Industries. BHEL is India’s
largest power generation equipment company and was established in 1956. Nalin Shinghal is the Chairman
& Managing Director of BHEL.
Glass spheres on the Moon
Chinese rover Yutu-2 recently discovered mysterious glass spheres on far side of the moon. The paper
highlighting the discovery was published in Science Bulletin.
Key Facts
Peculiar morphology, geometry, and local context of the glass globules, collectively, are consistent
with being anorthositic impact glasses.
As the first discovery of translucent and macroscopic glass globules on the Moon, the study predicts
that such globules should be abundant across lunar highland. It also provides promising sampling
targets to reveal early impact history of the Moon.
The cube-like object was sighted on the horizon, around 80 metres from its location. It triggered new
speculation over what it could be.
Solar-powered Yutu, called as “Jade Rabbit” in Chinese, will cover a distance of 80 metres in two to
three lunar days.
Why was Glass discovered on moon?
Glass isn’t uncommon on the Moon. Glass forms when silicate material is subjected to high temperature.
Silicate material and high temperature are readily available on the Moon. There was extensive volcanism in
the lunar past, which in turn lead to the formation of volcanic glass. Furthermore, impacts from smaller
objects like meteorites also generate intense heat, which led to formation of glass.
About Yutu
Yutu-2 is a robotic lunar rover component of Chang’e 4 mission to the Moon, by CNSA. It was launched on
December 7, 2018. The rover entered lunar orbit on December 12, 2018 before its first soft landing on far
side of the Moon on January 3, 2019. It is currently operational as most long-lived lunar rover. It is the first
lunar rover to traverse the far side of the Moon. It is operating in Von Karman Crater in South Pole-Aitken
Basin. As of January 2022, it has travelled a distance of around 1,000 metres along the Moon’s surface.
China National Space Administration (CNSA)
CNSA is the government agency of China, which is responsible for international space cooperation and civil
space administration. It organizes or leads foreign exchanges and cooperation in aerospace field. It works
under ‘Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’. It is headquartered in Haidian District, Beijing.
Devayatanam Conference
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is organising “Devayatanam Conference”, as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit

Mahotsav.
Key Facts
Devayatanam conference is a two-day international conference. ‘Devayatanam is an odyssey of Indian
temple architecture.
Conference is being held on February 25 and 26, 2022 at Hampi, Karnataka.
It was inaugurated by union minister for Culture, Tourism and DoNER Shri G Kishan Reddy.
Aim of the conference
The conference is being organised with the aim of deliberating upon philosophical, social, religious,
technical, economic, scientific, art and architectural aspects of temple. It also seeks to initiate a dialogue
on evolution and development of various styles of temple architecture like Vesara, Nagara, Dravida, Kalinga
and others. Aim of the conference would be creating interest among scholars and students, to learn and
respect our heritage.
Inaugural Session
The inaugural session took place at Pattabhirama Temple in Hampi. The academic sessions will be held in
Auditorium, Kannada University in Hampi. During the conference, eminent scholars discussing on various
facets of the great temples of India. different sessions of discussions include:
1. Temple- From the Formless to Form
2. Temple- Evolution of Temple Architecture
3. Temple-Regional Development Forms and Styles
4. Temple-Epicenter of art, culture, education, administration and economy
5. Temple-Protector of environment
6. Temple- Culture diffusion in South east Asia.
Significance of the conference
The conference will be beneficial for students of Indian history, scholars, archeology, culture and
architecture as well as general public.
Temples in India
Temple has been an integral part of Indian life, always. Temple construction was practiced as a pious act in
the subcontinent and it also travelled to the nearest neighbourhood like south-east and East Asia. Thus, it is
an interesting study as to how art and technique of temple architecture was modified and spread from India
to other regions.
IATA Pay Platform
On February 24, 2022, Global banking group Standard Chartered announced its partnership with
International Air Transport Association (IATA) to launch a payment platform for airline industry in India.
Key Facts
In addition to existing payment options like credit cards, IATA Pay will be a new payment option that
will enable participating airlines to offer instant payment options like UPI Collect (Request to Pay),
UPI Scan and Pay.
This service is already available in several European markets.
It leverages the Unified Payment Interface (UPI), a domestic real-time payments scheme. This, it
enables consumers to pay for airline tickets from their bank accounts, instantly.
After its launch in India, Standard Chartered will support the rollout of IATA Pay in other markets as
well.
IATA Pay
In India, IATA Pay is powered by Straight2Bank Pay platform of Standard Chartered. It is a payment
platform, which helps online merchants digitalise collections using multiple payment options through a

single global connectivity. This service will simplify the payment process for consumers, enable IATA to
provide an industry-wide e-commerce solution as well as streamline the collection and settlement process
for airlines. It will help participating airlines in avoiding bilateral integrations with multiple service providers
as well as eliminate the need of paying an acquiring fee to card acquirers.
IATA EasyPay
Standard Chartered and IATA had launched IATA EasyPay in India in 2021. It is a pay-as-you-go payments
solution, streamlining the ticketing and settlement process among IATA-affiliated travel agents, IATA and
member airlines.
International Air Transport Association (IATA)
IATA is a trade association of world’s airlines. It was founded in 1945. It has been described as a cartel. It
sets up technical standards for airlines as well as organize tariff conferences serving as a forum for fixing
price. It is headquartered in Canada with executive offices in Geneva, Switzerland.
Russia-Ukraine Invasion- Impact on India
On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine, which
was termed as “full-scale invasion” by Ukrainian foreign minister.
Highlights
US President Joe Biden called this move of Russia “an unprovoked and unjustified attack”.
The US & its allies have been responding to Russian invasion by imposing sanctions on Russia.
Impact on Global Markets
Global markets also reacted in kind to ‘demilitarisation and denazification’ of Ukraine.
Major indices are trading in a deep sea of red.
Gold hit the highest since early 2021.
Impact on Energy
As a result of invasion, Crude oil prices have increased to 7-year high. Brent oil prices increased above USD
100 a barrel for the first time since 2014. Russia is a key supplier of energy, worldwide. Europe relies on
Russia for about quarter of its oil supplies as well as third of its gas. According to JPMorgan Chase & Co,
oil prices are likely to average USD 110 a barrel in second quarter because of Russia-Ukraine crisis. China is
the largest single customer for Russia’s oil exports. While Asia and Oceania accounts for 42% of total crude
oil of Russia. In 2020, China was the largest importing country of Russia’s crude oil and condensate, at 31%.
It is likely that, oil would come to market, but due to geopolitical risks will keep the prices at high levels.
Impact on India
According to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Russia-Ukraine tension and increase in crude oil prices
pose risk to financial stability in India. India accounts for less than 1% share of Russia’s crude oil exports.
This is because most Indian refineries cannot process heavy crudes that Russia exports. Higher crude oil
prices will result into higher CPI inflation for longer. Furthermore, as European Union is the biggest market
for India’s exports, there will be supply disruptions there and a greater demand for steel, engineering goods,
etc. for which India is an alternate supplier.
India's FDI Inflow in April-Dec 2021
According to data from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), during April-
December 2021, India’s Foreign direct investment (FDI) equity inflows contracted by 16 percent to USD
43.17 billion.
Overview:
During the same time period the previous year, inflows stood at USD 51.47 billion.
Total FDI inflows (reinvested earnings, equity inflows, and other capital) totaled USD 60.34 billion in
the first nine months of this fiscal year, compared to USD 67.5 billion the previous year.

In the 3rd quarter of this fiscal (October-December 2021), the equity inflows declined to USD 12 billion.
In the corresponding time period of 2020, the amount stood at USD 21.46.
During the third quarter of the current year, FDI inflows fell to USD 17.94 billion whereas in the
previous year-ago period it stood at USD 26.16 billion.
During April-December 2021 period, with investments of USD 11.7 billion, Singapore came out on top.
US with USD 7.52 billion, Mauritius with investments of USD 6.58 billion, Cayman Islands with USD
2.74 billion, Netherlands with USD 2.66 billion, and the UK with USD 1.44 billion followed Singapore.
Which sectors witnessed the highest inflows?
The highest inflows were in the hardware and computer software sector with USD 10.25 billion during the
nine-month period of this fiscal year.
The automobile industry with USD 5.96 billion stood second and it was followed by the services sector with
USD 5.35 billion, construction (infrastructure) activities with inflows of USD 1.6 billion, and pharma with
inflows of USD 1.2 billion.
About DPIIT
It is a central government department that falls under the ambit of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
This department is responsible for the implementation and formulation of developmental as well as
promotional measures for industrial sector growth while keeping in view the socio-economic objectives and
national priorities.
Individual ministries are responsible for the distribution, production, planning, and development of the
industries assigned to them, while the overall industrial policy is the responsibility of the DPIIT.
First Plant-Derived COVID Vaccine
The first country in the world that has authorized the use of a plant-based COVID-19 vaccine is Canada. The
two-dose vaccine of Medicago can be given to adults who are aged between 18 to 64, but little data is
available on the shots received by people aged 65 and above.
Overview:
The decision to authorize the vaccine was based on a study conducted on 24,000 adults that showed
the efficacy rate of the vaccine is 71% at preventing COVID-19 – although the tests were conducted
before the omicron variant emerged.
Side effects of this vaccine were mild fatigue and fever.
Covifenz is the name given to this vaccine.
Canada agreed to buy 20 million doses of this plant-based vaccine, with an option to purchase 56
million additional doses.
How is the vaccine produced?
Plants are used as living factories by Medicago. These plants are used to grow virus-like particles that
mimic the coronavirus spike protein. The particles are purified after being removed from the plants’ leaves.
An adjuvant, which is an immune-boosting substance produced by GlaxoSmithKline, is added to the shots.
About Medicago
Medicago is located in Quebec City and is developing various types of plant-based vaccines against
multiple types of diseases. This plant-based COVID-19 vaccine will help garner more interest in this new
type of medical manufacturing.
Dharma Guardian Exercise
Dharma Guardian is the name of an Indo-Japan Joint Military Exercise that began in 2018. This exercise
takes place between both countries’ armies.
Overview:
This exercise with Japan is significant and crucial in the matters of security challenges that are faced

by both nations in the backdrop of the current global situation.

This exercise covers platoon-level joint operations training in semi-urban and urban environments and
forests.
About Exercise Dharma Guardian 2022
The latest edition of this exercise will begin from 27 February to 10 March 2022 and will be conducted at
Foreign Training Node, Belagavi, Karnataka.
Indian Army’s 15th Battalion the MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY Regiment and Japan’s 30th Infantry Regiment
of Japanese Ground Self Defence Forces are participating in this year’s exercise.
This exercise is being conducted between the two troops to share various experiences gained during
operations so as to enhance inter-operability in the execution and planning of various operations in jungle,
urban and semi-urban terrain.
What will the joint exercise schedule include?
This 12 day long joint exercise includes raids on terrorist hideouts in semi-urban terrain, house interventions
drills, unarmed and close-quarter combat firing, combat first aid, planning and executing a series of well-
developed tactical drills for neutralization of likely threats, etc.
On the 8th and 9th of March 2022, a two-day validation exercise will be conducted which will complete the
joint combat discussions, joint field training exercises, and joint demonstrations.
Special emphasis will be given to enhancing the tactical skills required to fight global terrorism and on
enhancing the two forces’ interoperability.
Dayananda Saraswati
Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti 2022 is being celebrated on February 26, 2022.
When was he born?
Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati was born on February 12, 1824. According to traditional Hindu calendar, he
was born on the Dashami Tithi of Phalguna Krishna Paksha. Thus, in 2022, occasion is being celebrated
February 26.
How is the day celebrated?
In India, this day is celebrated by all the Vedic institutions and religious establishments, with great pomp
and enthusiasm. Several schools and academic institutions organise debates, essay competitions, and such
events.
Who was Dayanand Saraswati?
Dayanand Saraswati was the founder of Hindu reform organisation called Arya Samaj. He was born on
February 12, 1824 in Gujarat. His original name was Mool Shankar Tiwari. He was named Mool because he
was born when the Mool Nakshatra prevailed. He was born to Karshanji Lalji Kapadi, and Yashodabai. He
was a social leader, Indian philosopher, and reform movement of the Vedic dharma. He was the first to give
the call for Swaraj “India for Indians” in 1876, which was later taken up by Lokmanya Tilak.
Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj is a monotheistic Indian Hindu reform movement, that promotes practices and values based on
the belief in infallible authority of the Vedas. It was founded by Dayanand Saraswati on April 10, 1875. It
was the first Hindu organization to introduce proselytization in Hinduism. It has worked towards the growth
of civil rights movement across India since 1800s.
Elevation of Union Law Secretary as HC Judge
In October 2019, Anoop Kumar Mendiratta became the first serving judge to be appointed as Union Law
Secretary, among 60 candidates. On February 25, 2022, he became the first Union Law Secretary to be
appointed as a judge in High Court.

Key Facts
The former district and sessions judge at the Karkardooma courts will now take his seat in Delhi High
Court, for three years.
In July 2021, Delhi High Court had made eight recommendations for judges.
On February 3, 2022, Supreme Court collegium recommended six from that list of judges for
appointment.
Which article provides for appointment of judges?
The President of India, by exercising power conferred in Clause (1) of Article 217 of Indian Constitution,
appointed:
1. Neena Bansal Krishna
2. Dinesh Kumar Sharma
3. Anoop Kumar Mendiratta
4. Sudhir Kumar Jain, as judge of the Delhi High Court, in the order of seniority.
Number of judges in Delhi High Court
With these appointments, the working strength of Delhi High Court will increase to 34, against the
sanctioned strength of 62 judges.
Indian Judiciary
Indian Judiciary is a system of courts, interpreting and applying the law. It uses a common law system, that
has been inherited from legal system established by former colonial powers and princely states. This
system is managed and administrated by officers of judicial service, who are intended to fill district judge
post and other civil judicial posts inferior to district judge. President of India appoints judges of the High
Courts and Supreme Court on the recommendation of a collegium.
Classification of judicial system of India
Judicial System of India is classified into three levels:
1. Supreme Court or Apex Court– It is the top court and the last appellate court in India. Chief Justice
of India is the top authority of apex court.
2. High Courts– High courts are the top judicial bodies in the states. They are controlled and managed
by Chief Justices of States.
3. District Courts or subordinate courts– These courts are controlled and managed by District &
Sessions Judges. This system is divided into:
Civil court– It is headed by a Sub-Judge
Munsif court
Criminal court– It is headed by Chief Judicial or Metropolitan Magistrate at top, followed by ACJM or
ACMM & JM or MM at the lower level.
India's first e-waste eco-park
On February 24, 2022, the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, announced that Delhi will get
India’s first e-waste eco-park.
Key Points
First electronic-waste eco-friendly park will be set up in Delhi, to handle the increasing e-waste.
Dismantling, Re-cycling, Re-furbishing and re-manufacturing of the waste will be done in a safe and
scientific manner.
It will be built on 20 acres of land.
Waste Generation in Delhi
Currently, Delhi produces 2 lakh tonnes of e-waste every year. However, it is not being handled scientifically
and safely. It is handled and recycled by informal recyclers. This led to many life-threatening incidents such

as fire breakouts, which in turn impacts the health of residents and waste handlers of Delhi.
Features of Such Eco- Park
The e-waste eco-part will comprise of an authorised refurbishing market as a secondary product sale
market for batteries, electronic goods, laptops, chargers, mobiles and PCs.
Across the 12 zones, collection centres will be set up, in order to channelise e-waste.
The e-waste eco-park will provide infrastructure, training and tools to the operators from informal
sector, in a bid to groom them as formal recyclers.
This facility will comprise of dismantling, refurbishing, segregation, plastic recycling, material wise
storage, and testing, and precious metal extraction facilities, from Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs)
through high-end technologies.
It will provide integrated and environmentally-safe disposal of e-waste, using innovative technologies.
This will help in reduce the pollution and adverse impact on environment.
The activities in the park will be targeted towards small and medium scale enterprises clusters, which
are involved in e-waste recycling. They will include refurbishment, segregation, disassembly, stocking
of segregated materials such as plastics, metals, glass and components.
Union Bank MSME RuPay Credit Card
On February 25, 2022, the Union Bank of India (UBI) launched “Union MSME RuPay Credit Card” in
association with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
Key Facts
The “Union MSME RuPay Credit Card” was launched to meet business related operational
expenses of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
The Card comes with interest free credit up to 50 days.
Dedicated card for MSMEs is available to eligible borrowers of Union Bank of India.
It also offers EMI facility for the customers on their business-related purchases.
On this card, MSMEs will get specially curated business services. It will help MSMEs in taking their
business on most of the digital platforms.
Insurance Coverage for MSME customers
On this card, MSME customers will get accidental insurance coverage of up to Rs 10 lakh. They will also get
domestic airport lounge access of 2 per quarter and other rewards. Card will also help in improving digital
delivery channel in servicing MSME clientele. It will also help in reducing demand for cash withdrawal by
MSMEs for business expenses, apart from simplifying their payment mechanism.
Union Bank of India (UBI)
UBI is an Indian government-owned bank, having 120+ million customers and a total business of USD 106
billion. This bank came into effect on April 1, 2020, after amalgamation with Corporation Bank and Andhra
Bank. The amalgamated bank became the fifth largest PSU bank, with respect to branch network of 9500.
Four of these branches are located in Hong Kong, Dubai, Sydney and Antwerp. It also has representative
offices at Beijing, Shanghai, and Abu Dhabi. UBI is also operating in United Kingdom through its wholly
owned subsidiary called “Union Bank of India (UK)”.
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)
NPCI is the specialised division of Reserve Bank of India, under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Finance. It
was created by RBI to operate retail payments and settlement systems across India.
Russian-Ukraine Crisis: India's Stand in UNSC Draft Resolution
India abstained from a United Nations Security Council resolution sponsored by the United States that
strongly condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. India stated that discussion is the only way to
resolve differences and issues, and expressed regret that diplomacy was abandoned.

Overview:
Russia, chaired the meeting as it holds the presidency for the month of February vetoed the
resolution. China along with United Arab Emirates (UAE) has also abstained.
The UN Security Council voted on the draft resolution which was presented by Albania and the US and
was co-sponsored by Estonia, Australia, Georgia, Finland, Italy, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,
Lithuania, Norway, New Zealand, Romania Poland, and the United Kingdom and others.
The Council reaffirmed its support to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and
unity, within internationally recognized borders.
The resolution further stated that Russia must withdraw all of its military forces from Ukraine’s
territory within its internationally recognized boundaries totally, immediately, and unconditionally.
It also demanded that Moscow unconditionally and immediately rescind its decision on the status
given to specific sections of Ukraine’s Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
As Russia vetoed this resolution, even though the members voted for it, the resolution did not pass.
Why did India abstain from the resolution?
India did not support the resolution’s strong language that was used in condemning the actions of Russia.
Since India has key partners on both sides, i.e. the Western bloc led by the United States and Russia, it aims
to maintain a balance between both of them. India has always tried to maintain a balance between both
sides and had earlier abstained from a procedural vote regarding the discussion of the Ukraine issue.
India, without naming Russia, said that the recent turn of events is deeply disturbing. India has appealed for
the cessation of violence, with PM Modi having had a telephonic conversation regarding this. One of India’s
main concerns was about the Indian nationals stuck in Ukraine and the ways they can be rescued. India also
addressed territorial integrity, sovereignty, and international law and highlighted its importance in the
current global situation. India has advocated diplomacy by highlighting that dialogue is the only way
forward. T S Tirumurti, India’s Permanent Representative at the UN laid out these points in front of the
council.
Immigration Visa Foreigners Registration Tracking Scheme
The Government of India has given its approval for the Immigration Visa Foreigners Registration Tracking
(IVFRT) scheme’s continuation for a period of five years till 31 March 31, 2026, with Rs 1,364.88 crore
financial outlay.
Overview:
This scheme looks to optimize and interlink functions that are related to visa issuance, immigration,
registration of foreigners, and tracking their movements in the country.
The government’s commitment to the IVFRT’s fundamental goal of upgrading and modernizing visa
and immigration services has been demonstrated by the scheme’s continuation.
About Immigration Visa Foreigners Registration Tracking scheme
IVFRT has a global reach and aims to optimize and connect functions which are related to visa issuance,
immigration, foreigner registration, and movement tracking in India by involving 192 Indian missions around
the world, 12 Foreigners Regional Registration Officers and offices, 108 Immigration Check Posts in India,
and over 700 Foreigners Registration Officers, Deputy Commissioners of Police and Superintendents of
Police across the country.
After the implementation of the IVFRT, the number of visas and Overseas Citizens of India cards issued
increased at a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.7% from 44.43 lakh in 2014 to 64.59 lakh in
2019.
During the pre-IVFRT period, 15 to 30 days was the average visa processing time and that has been reduced
to a maximum of 72 hours, with 95 percent of e-visas being issued within 24 hours.

Over the last 10 years, foreign traffic to and from India has increased at a CAGR of 7.2 percent from 3.71
crores to 7.5 crores.
What is Compounded Annual Growth Rate?
CAGR is the mean yearly growth rate of an investment over a period of time greater than one year. It is one
of the most accurate methods for calculating and determining returns for investment portfolios, individual
assets, and anything else that has the potential to increase or decrease in value over time.
Tropical Cyclone Emnati
Cyclone Emnati wreaked havoc on Madagascar. It made landfall just north of the south-eastern district of
Manakara.
Overview:
The storm, which passed just north of the Indian Ocean islands of Reunion and Mauritius, had slightly
weakened by the time it approached Madagascar’s eastern coast, but it still had winds of roughly 100
km/h with gusts of 140 km/h.
On 5th February, Cyclone Batsirai, another storm, had struck the island, affecting around 2,70,000
people and claiming 121 lives.
21,000 people still remain displaced from the time when the tropical storm Ana had struck in January.
Tropical storm Dumako affected 5,000 people.
According to the United Nations, which blames climate change for the catastrophe, the southern
section of Madagascar has been affected by drought, the worst in 40 years.
Between November and April each year, the island is prone to numerous cyclones and storms.
What are Tropical Cyclones?
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm with a center of low-pressure, strong winds, a closed low-level
atmospheric circulation, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms causing heavy squalls (sudden violent
wind gusts) or rain. Tropical cyclones which are also known as hurricanes or typhoons are one of the most
destructive weather phenomena of nature. They are strong circular storms that form over tropical ocean
which are warm.
Bhasha Certificate Selfie Campaign
The Bhasha Certificate Selfie campaign has been launched by the Ministry of Education with the aim of
promoting multilingualism and encouraging cultural diversity so as to foster the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat
spirit.
About Bhasha Sangam mobile app
This initiative aims to promote the Bhasha Sangam mobile app which has been developed by MyGov India
and the Ministry of Education. By using this app, 100+ sentences of daily use in around 22 scheduled Indian
languages can be learned by people. This initiative aims to ensure that the people of the country acquire
basic conversational skills in several Indian languages. 75 lakh people learning basic conversational skills
have been set as a target to achieve the objective of this initiative.
Minister of Education and Skill Development Shri Dharmendra Pradhan had launched the Bhasha Sangam
mobile app.
About Bhasha Certificate Selfie initiative
The ‘Bhasha Certificate Selfie’ initiative encourages people to use the hashtag #BhashaCertificateSelfie
while posting a selfie with their certificate on their social media accounts.
How to receive the certificate?
To receive a Ministry of Education-approved certificate, a user must first download the mobile app, which is
accessible on both Android and iOS platforms. Then the user can choose any language from a list of 22
Indian languages, complete all levels, take a test, and receive the certificate.

About Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat

The “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat” scheme was launched by PM Narendra Modi on 31 October 2015 with the
aim of celebrating India’s cultural diversity while also establishing a strong mechanism for inculcating
cultural awareness and nationalism among the citizens of India.
India-Nepal Task Force for Hydropower Project
On February 24, 2022, India and Nepal agreed to set up a joint task force on “proposal to construct a
hydropower project” from investments of both the countries.
Highlights
The task force will have maximum three members from both the countries.
Agreement was signed at the 9th meeting of Nepal-India Energy Secretary-Level Joint Steering
Committee in Kathmandu.
Meeting was co-chaired by Secretary of the Energy Ministry of India Alok Kumar and Secretary of
Energy Ministry Debendra Karki from
What issues were discussed during the meeting?
During the meeting, both sides discussed issues like:
1. Existing transmission lines between the two countries
2. Under-construction and proposed interstate transmission line
3. Arun III hydropower and transmission line and
4. Interstate power trade.
They also agreed to increase the capacity of energy being imported and exported using interstate 400
KV Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission line. This 400 KV transmission line will span over 140
kilometres, of which 20 kilometres will be in Nepal while remaining 120 km will be in Indian territory.
Arun-3 Hydro Electric Project
Arun-3 Hydro Electric project is a 900 MW run-of-river project, located on Arun River in Eastern Nepal.
Government of Nepal and Sutlej Jal Vikas Nigam (SJVN) Limited had signed a memorandum of
understanding for the project in 2008 to execute on Build Own Operate and Transfer (BOOT) basis for a
period of 30 years, which also include five years of construction period.
What is Build Own Operate and Transfer (BOOT)?
BOOT stands for “build, own, operate, transfer”. It is a public-private partnership (PPP) project model,
wherein private organization conducts a large development project under contract to a public-sector
partner. In this model, public-sector sign contracts with a private developer, to design and implement a large
project.
Run-of-the-river Project
Run-of-the-river hydroelectric projects are hydroelectric systems, which harvest energy from flowing water
to generate electricity. Such projects primarily use natural flow rate of water to generate power, rather than
using the power of water falling from a height.
Features of such projects
These projects are less expensive to build. They can be built over a shorter period of time.
They have a smaller environmental footprint, as compared to dams with large amounts of water
storage.
Chernobyl Plant
On February 24, Russian troops launched a full-scale invasion in Ukraine and targeted its bases and cities
with airstrikes and shelling.
Highlights
The Russian army captured airfield near capital of Ukraine, Kyiv. It also took control of the Chernobyl

nuclear plant. It has attacked Ukraine, from three sides (Land, Sea, Air). So far, 137 people had been killed,
including civilians. Ukraine also claimed that 7 Russian planes have been shot down while 50 Russian
soldiers have been killed.
Why is Russia Capturing Chernobyl?
The Russian army has deliberately captured the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Chernobyl is the shortest
route to reach Kyiv through Belarus. However, it is not very important from a military point of view. It is
fastest route from Belarus to Kyiv, just 20 kms from Belarus border. This nuclear plant is located 108 km
north of the capital Kyiv.
Destruction At Chernobyl plant
According to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the nuclear power plants are operating securely.
There has been no destruction of the residual waste and other facilities at the site.
Nuclear accident at Chernobyl Nuclear Plant
World’s deadliest nuclear accident occurred at the nuclear plant in April 1986. Then, a nuclear reactor
exploded and spread radioactive radiation across Europe. This plant is located in Pripyat, which is at a
distance of 130 from Kyiv. The reactor has now been covered with a protective device in order to prevent
radiation leakage. Entire plant has been disabled. After the Chernobyl accident, 18 million Soviet rubles
were required to be spent to free environment from nuclear radiation. After explosion, effect of radiation
spread up to 2600 sq. km. According to scientists, no human can live in this place for the next 24 thousand
years. It acts as a storage centre for nuclear waste.
MSME-Technology Centres
Narayan Rane, the Union MSME Minister has announced the formation of the MSME Technology Centre at
Sindhudurg, Maharashtra. This will be set up at a cost worth Rs 200 crore.
Overview:
The Konbac Sfurti Cluster in Kudal was also launched. This will support 500 honey bee boxes, 300
artisans. 100 electric pottery wheels and 100 agarbatti production machines were also distributed to
provide opportunities for self-employment.
Rupay Card was also launched which offers perks such as digital payments at any time, an interest
rate that is comparable to that applicable to loans, and an interest-free period.
Importance of MSME-Technology Centre
Through the MSME-Technology Centre the best technology, incubation, and advisory support will be
provided to the industry, especially MSMEs. This will be done with the objective of enhancing their
competitiveness and providing skilling services for both the unemployed as well as employed youth of the
area so as to increase their chances of employability.
Since 2016, Around 2000+ new manufacturing units have been set up in Konkan, to boost employment in
Maharashtra.
MSME Industry in India
The MSME sector has contributed significantly to the country’s socio-economic development. The sector
has grown in importance in India as a result of its contribution to the country’s exports and GDP. This sector
has also made significant contributions to entrepreneurship growth, particularly in India’s semi-urban and
rural areas. As per data, India has around 6.3 crore MSME industries.
Snake Island
Snake Island, or Zmiinyi Island, also known as Serpent Island is an island belonging to Ukraine and is
located in the Black Sea, near the Danube Delta. It plays an important role in delimiting the territorial waters
of Ukraine.

Overview:
Bile, a rural settlement, was established in 2007 with the objective of consolidating the island’s status
as an inhabited place.
From 2004 until 2009, the island was at the center of a boundary dispute between Romania and
Ukraine. The International Court of Justice, in 2009, delineated the territorial limits of the continental
shelf around Snake Island and gave Romania over 80 percent of the disputed island.
Around 100 inhabitants lived on this island, most of them being technical personnel and frontier
guards along with their families.
The island has been demilitarised and was under development.
In accordance with a treaty signed between Ukraine and Romania in 1997, the Ukrainian government
withdrew a radio division of the army, destroyed a military radar, and transferred all remaining
infrastructure to the civilians.
History of the Island
During the Ottoman Empire, this island was renamed as Fidonisi by the Greeks and from it, the naval battle
of Fidonisi was named. The island became part of the Russian Empire in 1829, following the Russo-Turkish
War of 1828–1829, and remained so until 1856. After the 1877–1878 Russo-Turkish War, the Ottoman
Empire transferred this island along with the Northern Dobruja region to Romania as compensation for
Russia’s takeover of Romania’s Southern Bessarabia province.
World War I
A radio station was operated on this island by the Russians as part of the Romanian-Russian alliance, which
was destroyed in 1917 when it was bombarded by the Turkish ship Medilli.
World War II
During the Second World War, the island was under Romanian control and an Axis radio station was located
on it, making it a target for the Soviet Black Sea Fleet.
In 1944, the Romanian marines stationed on this island were evacuated and the Soviet troops occupied it.
2022 Russian Invasion
On the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine’s first day, two Russian naval warships, Moskva and Vasily Bykov
attacked this Island. On the same day, a second attack followed and the Russian force’s invaded and
captured the island. Thirteen Ukrainian border guards who were stationed on this island were killed during
the battle after they refused to surrender.
February 28, 2022
Palk Bay Dugong Reserve
Tamil Nadu government has begun work to set up the first Dugong Conservation Reserve of India in the Palk
Bay region. Dugongs are endangered species and are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act’s, 1972
Schedule 1.
Overview:
Tamil Nadu’s Environment, Forests, and Climate Change Department accepted the concept note of
Shekhar Kumar Niraj, the Chief Wildlife Warden, and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, for the
Dugong Conservation Reserve’s creation.
He was directed to send a draft notification to obtain the Union environment ministry’s approval.
The size of the reserve will be spread over around 500 sq km and will be located in Palk Bay’s
northern part from Adiramapattinam to Amapattinam.
For the first 5 years, Rs 5 crore would be the initial cost for the reserve’s establishment.
There are plans to build enhanced seagrass beds and an international conservation centre under the
Climate Change Mission.

About Dugong
The dugong is a sirenian species found along the Indian coast. Dugongs are related to manatees and have a
similar plump appearance to them, but they have a tail that looks like a dolphin’s fluke. Unlike manatees,
which live in freshwater, dugongs are purely marine mammals. Dugongs are also known as Sea Cows. They
graze, on seagrass, in shallow coastal waters of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans.
The population of Dugong in India
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) states that only 200-250 dugongs are left, of which 150 are found in the
Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay. The dugong is on the verge of becoming extinct. The Dugong population of
the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is less than 100. In the Gulf of Mannar, there are only a few left. There are
only a few sporadic records in the Gulf of Kutch. They were once common in Lakshadweep but are now
extinct locally.
About Palk bay
Palk Bay, a semi-enclosed shallow water body is located between the southeast coast of India and Sri Lanka
and has a maximum water depth of 13 m. It is said to be one of the Gulf of Mannar’s major sinks for
sediments.
Thiomargarita magnifica
Scientists have discovered a bacterium that is big enough to be seen through the naked eye. It has been
named Thiomargarita magnifica and is said to be the size of a fly.
Overview:
This huge string-like bacterium can grow up to 2 cm in length, about the size of a fly, and is native to
Caribbean mangroves.
It’s nearly 5,000 times bigger than most other microorganisms.
The scientific name Thiomargarita magnifica has been given by an international team of researchers,
including scientists from the CNRS in France, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the US.
This newly discovered bacterium is 50 times bigger than the other giant bacteria.
This discovery could be the missing link in answering how complex life developed over a billion years
ago from the most primitive single-celled organisms.
Reason for Thiomargarita magnifica’s huge size
Thiomargarita magnifica’s genetic material, which is completely uncommon, could be the reason for its big
size. T.Magnifica’s big genome is not free-floating inside its cell like those of other bacteria, thus it is
blurring the differences between eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Its genome is wrapped in a membrane. The
genome’s size surprised experts when they sequenced it with 11 million bases lined up to form 11,000
genes.
It also possesses a substantially larger membrane sac, which is filled with water and accounts for 73% of
the microbe’s volume. This external sac helps the creature to grow so huge while keeping its vital
organelles packed into a small space that allows molecules diffusion.
Difference between Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes
Prokaryotes include bacteria and other single-cell microorganisms known as archaea, whereas eukaryotes
include multicellular organisms such as humans and trees. One of the main differences between the two is
that prokaryotes have free-floating DNA, whereas eukaryotes have their genetic information packaged in a
nucleus.
Study of 'Kombai' Dog
In his Mann ki Baat broadcast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged security agencies to include Indian
breeds, instead of foreign ones in their dog squads, in the direction of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Key Points
In this direction, most security agencies have taken steps to train and enlist Indian breeds of repute
such as Mudhol hounds, Rajapalayam and Rampur Hounds.
Mudhol Hounds played an important role in helping Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in establishing
Hindavi Swarajya.
PM Modi had suggested to use dogs to check smuggling of drugs from across the border.
He advised to train dogs, that are found at the border of Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Use of Mudhol Hounds
Mudhol Hounds are found at the border of Maharashtra and Karnataka. These dogs were used by traders in
the Middle Ages for security purpose, who travelled through ancient Silk Route. The Silk Route witnessed
long caravans of traders who used to travel from China to Europe through Iran and Arab countries. They
used dogs for the security of traders and they were of Arabic and Turkish breeds. These are also called as
Saluki in West Asia.
Shivaji’s squad of hounds
Shivaji used Carvani breed. The dogs of this breed are very faithful and always ready to protect their
masters. They keep their master informed about the enemy.
Dogs of foreign breeds
Dogs of foreign breeds were introduced during British rule. Use of Indian breeds started declining, after the
decline of the Marathas and establishment of British rule in India. Until 1857, British were afraid of these
breeds as they used to jump and attack them.
Preservation of Carvani breed
The-then ruler of Mudhol, Malojirao Raje Ghorpade, worked to preserve Carvani breed. The ruler was
associated with Sisodia clan of Mewar. He was born in 1884. He took a fancy to the dogs used by hunters
and tribes of his kingdom. These dogs had special traits of jumping and attacking enemy with great speed.
Thus, he started conserving these breeds. During his visit to Great Britain, he had gifted the-then monarch
two dogs of Indian breed. The British monarch had named these dogs “Mudhol Hounds”.
India’s focus on domestic breeds of dogs
Following the appeal of PM, the common people and security agencies have now turned their gaze towards
indigenous breeds of dogs. ICAR started genetic registration of indigenous dogs. Before PM’s appeal, some
security agencies were using Indian breeds in a limited scale. For instance, Indian Army, NSG and CISF had
already used Mudhol Hounds. CRPF was using Kombai. But now the security agencies are taking steps
towards using indigenous breeds and Mudhol Hounds are the centre of attraction.
National Polio Immunization Drive, 2022
Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandavia, launched the National Polio
Immunization Drive for 2022, on February 26.
Highlights
On the Occasion, the Minister noted that, India’s strategic fight against polio is a success story of its public
health policy against vaccine preventable diseases. India is vigilant and is ensuring that every child under 5
years of age get polio drops.
Universal Immunization Programme (UIP)
The Universal Immunization Programme is focusing on protecting children from more diseases than ever
before. In the recent past, several new vaccines have been introduced, such as Pneumococcal Conjugate
Vaccine (PCV), Measles-Rubella vaccine (MR), and Rotavirus vaccine. Government has also introduced
“injectable Inactivated Polio Vaccine” into the immunization program for additional protection of the
children.

Mission Indradhanush
Mission Indradhanush was launched with the aim of fully immunizing more than 89 lakh children who are
either partially unvaccinated or unvaccinated under UIP. The mission targets children aged under 2 years
and pregnant women for immunization. It provides vaccination against 12 Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
(VPD) namely, diphtheria, tetanus, Whooping cough, tuberculosis, polio, hepatitis B, meningitis &
pneumonia, Japanese encephalitis (JE), rotavirus vaccine, Hemophilus influenza type B infections,
pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) and measles-rubella (MR). Vaccination against Japanese
Encephalitis and Haemophilus influenzae type B are administered in selected districts.
Intensified Mission Indradhanush
The Intensified Mission Indradhanush was launched in 2017 to reach each and every child aged under two
years and those pregnant women who have been left uncovered under routine immunisation programme. It
mainly focuses on urban areas.
Polio National Immunization Day 2022 (NID)
The Polio National Immunization Day 2022 was organised on February 27, 2022.
Pulse Polio Immunization Programme
Pulse Polio Immunization Programme was launched in India in financial year 1994-95, following the World
Health Assembly resolution in 1988. It was launched with the objective of achieving 100 percent coverage
under Oral Polio Vaccine.
Who was Narsinh Mehta?
Researchers of Bhakta Kavi Narsinh Mehta University (BKNMU) in Junagadh recently discovered a new
species of spider. It has been named “Narsinhmehtai”, to honour Narsinh Mehta and put his name to global
map.
Key Points
Narsinh Mehta was the 15th century poet and a devotee of Lord Krishna. He was born in Nagar sub-
caste group of Brahmin community.
Members of Nagar sub-caste group of Brahmin community objected to the nomenclature, citing that
he was already a global name and there was no need to associate his name with a spider.
Who was Narsinh Mehta?
Narsinh Mehta was born in 1410, in Talaja, in present-day Bhavnagar district. He died in Junagadh in 1480s.
His family had its origin in Vadnagar in north Gujarat. Original caste name is believed to be Pandya but
because members of the family were officers in kingdoms, they were called Mehta. He used to spend time
in Krishna-bhakti, even after his marriage to Manekba. He paid little attention to family duties.
Poetry of Narsinh Mehta
Narsinh Mehta had written more than 750 poems, which are called padd in Gujarat. Poems mainly deal with
devotion to Lord Krishna, wisdom and detachment from worldly affairs. In his poem “Padho re popat raja
ramna”, he referred mind of a person as parrot. He urges the parrot worship and praise the god.
Mehta and Nagar community
Mehta is believed to have been declared an outcast by Nagar community in Junagadh as he used to go to
harijanvas and sing bhajans and kirtans with harijans. Furthermore, Nagars were devotees of Hatkeshawar
or Lord Shiva while Mehta declared himself a devotee of Lord Krishna. He even mingled with Dalits.
Operation Ganga
On February 27, 2022, the ministry of external affairs set up 24×7 control centres in order to assist
the evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine. India also launched a multi-prong evacuation plan titled
‘Operation Ganga’.

Highlights
Indian nationals will be evacuated through border crossing points with Poland, Hungary, Romania, and
Slovak Republic. Ministry has activated a dedicated Twitter handle, ‘OpGanga’.
Evacuation of Indians
India started the evacuation of stranded citizens on February 26, under Operation Ganga, as Russia
intensified its offensive against Ukraine. Evacuation operation started after Ukrainian airspace was shut for
civil aircraft operations from February 24. So far, Indian government has managed to fly three special flights
of Air India to bring back stranded citizens. The India Government is bearing the cost of evacuation, amid
prevailing emergency situation. Under Operation Ganga, around 15,000 stranded Indians will be evacuated
from Ukraine.
Evacuation Route
Ukraine has shut down its air space due to the ongoing tensions. Thus, Indian evacuation flights are
operating from neighbouring countries like Hungary and Romania. Government is also facilitating
evacuation of stranded Indians from its borders crossing Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Poland. So far,
three flights of Air India, two from Budapest to Delhi & one from Bucharest to Mumbai, have been able to
bring back around 700 Indians from Ukraine to India.
North Korea's New Ballistic Missile
On February 27, 2022, North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile. It was the first test since nuclear-
armed country conducted a record number of launches in January 2022.
Key points
During the firing, missile flew to an altitude of about 390 miles and a range of 190 miles.
According to Japan, this launch was part of “frequent launches” since the beginning of 2022. It is of
the view that, North Korea was threatening the security of Japan and international community.
Last test by North Korea
North Korea conducted its last test on January 30, by firing a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic
missile. This missile was capable of reaching the US territory of Guam.
Nuclear Weapons Program of North Korea
North Korea has a military nuclear weapons program. As of early 2020, it is estimated to have an arsenal of
around 30 to 40 nuclear weapons as well as sufficient production of fissile material for six to seven nuclear
weapons per year. The country has also stockpiled a significant quantity of biological and chemical
weapons. It withdrew from Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) of nuclear weapons in 2003. Since 2006, it has
been conducting a series of six nuclear tests and prompting the imposition of sanctions. On October 10,
2020, North Korea unveiled a massive intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), during a military parade for
75th anniversary of Workers’ Party of Korea. It is believed to be one of the world’s largest road-mobile
ballistic missiles.
Non-Proliferation Treaty
It is an international treaty, formulated with the objective of preventing the spread of nuclear weapons &
weapons technology, promoting cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and furthering the goal of
achieving nuclear disarmament. This treaty was negotiated by Eighteen Nation Committee on Disarmament,
between 1965 and 1968.
Anonymous' Hackers Group
Anonymous is an international decentralized activist and hacktivist group and movement known for its
cyber-attacks against government agencies and institutions, governments, corporations, and the Church of
Scientology.

Overview:
In 2003, Anonymous originated on the imageboard 4chan.
It represents the idea of many offline and online community users operating as a digitized anarchic
hivemind simultaneously.
The members of Anonymous are called Anons.
Anons wear Guy Fawkes masks to hide their identity. Some Anons use voice changers or text-to-
speech tools to hide their voices.
First venture into hacktivism
Following a series of attacks against the Church of Scientology known as Project Chanology, Anonymous
became associated with hacktivism in 2008. Raid on the Church’s websites, sending black faxes designed
to waste ink cartridges, prank-calling their hotline, and initiating DDoS attacks were organized by 4chan
users. A video was also posted online where the group warned the Church of Scientology about eviction
from the internet.
About Operation Payback
In 2010, Anons came to know about Aiplex Software, an Indian software company that worked with movie
companies to launch DDoS assaults on copyright infringement websites like The Pirate Bay. Through
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) coordination, Anons used a DDoS attack on Aiplex’s website and shut it down for a
day. The group next targeted the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Motion Picture
Association of America (MPAA), shutting down both sites.
About Operation Avenge Assange
In 2010, when WikiLeaks started leaking US diplomatic files, Amazon.com removed WikiLeaks from its
servers, while PayPal, MasterCard, and Visa stopped providing service to the group. Anons expanded
Operation Payback to include Operation Avenge Assange and assaulted PayPal blog via DDoS attacks.
Other organizations such as PostFinance, a Swiss financial company that had denied WikiLeaks service,
EveryDNS, a web-hosting company that had also denied service, and the website of U.S. Senator Joe
Lieberman, who had supported the cut off were also targeted. The websites of Mastercard and VISA were
also attacked.
About Operation Tunisia
During the Tunisian Revolution, Anonymous launched a series of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS)
attacks against the government websites of Tunisia. The protestors were provided the documentation
necessary to overthrow the incumbent government, Greasemonkey script to escape government proxy
interception by Anonymous. They also helped in passing information related to the protests to and from the
country.
Cyber Attack Against Aaron Barr
In 2011, Anons targeted Aaron Barr, CEO of HBGary Federal a computer security firm as he threatened to
release the identity of Anonymous members. The HBGary website was attacked and Barr’s password was
stolen to spam his twitter feed with racist tweets. Anons also uploaded a massive cache of HBGary’s e-
mails as a torrent file on Pirate Bay. According to the e-mails, Barr and HBGary suggested to Bank of
America a strategy to discredit WikiLeaks in revenge for a planned leak of Bank of America papers.
Following the attacks of Anons, Barr stepped down from the position of CEO with his reputation being
destroyed. HBGary also distanced itself from Barr and negotiated with Anonymous to not target them
further.
Targeting Homophobic Organizations
Anons have also targeted organizations that were accused of Homophobia. The site of Ugandan Prime
Minister Amama Mbabazi was also targeted after his government considered bringing out an anti-

homosexuality law.
About Operation Darknet
In 2011, Anons started Operation Darknet, which targeted websites that hosted child pornography. The
group hacked a child pornography site called “Lolita City,” and released 1,589 usernames. Anons also took
down forty image-swapping paedophile websites. In 2012, in OpDarknetV2, Anons exposed the names of
users of a suspected child porn site. As a follow-up to Operation Darknet, Anonymous started the
#OpPedoChat campaign on Twitter in 2012. Anonymous used the Internet forum PasteBin to post the
emails and IP addresses of suspected paedophiles in an attempt to remove child pornography from the
internet.
Attacking Chinese Websites
In 2012, in retaliation to the treatment received by the Chinese citizens, Anonymous took down 485 Chinese
government websites.
Attacking Israel
Anonymous took down Israeli websites after the military operation of Israel in the Gaza Strip in 2012.
Attacks in 2014
The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) had made death threats during the Ferguson riots, thus Anonymous declared
cyberwar on the KKK. They hacked the KKK’s Twitter account, targeted servers hosting KKK websites, and
began leaking members’ personal information. After Tamir Rice, a twelve-year-old kid armed only with a BB
gun, was shot and killed by a police officer in a Cleveland park, Anonymous took down the city website and
posted a video. Anonymous also released the phone number and address of a police officer who was
involved in the shooting.
Attacks in 2015
In 2015, following the Charlie Hedbo attack, Anonymous declared cyberwar against Al-Qaeda and ISIS. They
also released email ids and phone numbers of KKK members.
Following the November 2015 Paris Attacks, Anonymous targeted ISIS websites and took down 20,000 of
them. They also doxxed (the act of revealing personal information of an individual or organization to the
public) several recruiters of ISIS.
Attacks in 2020
Anonymous targeted the website Minneapolis Police Department following the murder of George Floyd.
About BlueLeaks
BlueLeaks or #BlueLeaks is the 269 terabytes of internal US law enforcement data, which was disclosed by
Anonymous in 2020.
Attacks in 2021
Following the Texas law banning abortion, Anonymous targeted anti-abortion websites. They also targeted
and took down the Republican Party of Texas’s website. This operation was called Operation Jane.
About Epik Date Breach, 2021
Anonymous also targeted Epik, a web hosting company, that provides services to websites that host neo-
Nazi, far-right, and other extremist content. Their data was breached and all information’s regarding the
extremists were dumped into public domains.
Attacks in 2022
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Anonymous declared cyberwar against Russia and targeted
government websites. And took them down. Anonymous also released 200GB of emails from Tetraedr, a
Belarusian weapons firm that offered logistical support to Russia during its invasion of Ukraine.
Furthermore, Anonymous hacked into Russian television channels, broadcasting uncensored news from
Ukraine and playing Ukrainian music through them.

National Science Day 2022

On 28 February, every year National Science Day is celebrated to recognize the contributions of scientists
towards the nation’s development.
Overview:
On 28 February 1928, an important discovery in the field of spectroscopy was made by renowned
Indian Physicist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman. Later, this discovery was named after him i.e. the
Raman Effect.
In 1930, CV Raman received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work.
The theme of National Science Day 2022
‘Integrated Approach in Science and Technology for Sustainable Future’ is the theme for this year’s National
Science Day.
History of this day
In 1986, National Council for Science and Technology Communication asked the Indian government to
declare February 28 as the National Science Day. The day was named National Science Day after the
government accepted the proposal. On February 28, 1987, the first National Science Day was observed in
India.
Significance of this day
The objective of National Science Day is to increase awareness about the importance of science. Radio,
public speeches, science movies, television, science exhibitions on various concepts and themes, quiz
competitions, debates, science model exhibitions, and lectures are some of the ways that educational
institutions celebrate National Science Day.
About CV Raman
CV Raman was an Indian physicist and is known for his work in light scattering under the fields of physics.
He and his student K. S. Krishnan, using a spectrograph developed by Raman, discovered that when light
passes through a transparent medium, the frequency, and wavelength of the deflected light change. They
named this phenomenon “modified scattering” and was later termed the Raman scattering or Raman effect.
In 1930, CV Raman received the Nobel Prize in Physics for this discovery and was Asia’s first person to
receive a Nobel Prize in science.
China's Record Launch of 22 Satellites
On February 27, 2022, China launched a Long March-8 rocket to place 22 satellites in space.
Highlights
With the launch, China set a domestic record for the most spacecraft launched by a single rocket.
The rocket blasted off at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in southern Hainan Province. It sent
the satellites into pre-set orbits.
It marked the 409th flight of Long March carrier rockets.
Uses of the satellites
These satellites will be used for commercial remote sensing services, forest fire prevention, marine
environment monitoring, and disaster mitigation.
Long March 8
Long March-8 rocket is an orbital launch vehicle. It has been developed by China Academy of Launch
Vehicle Technology. It can launch up to 5000 kg into Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) with an altitude of 700
km. It is based on the Long March 7 with its first stage and two boosters. It also uses existing liquid
hydrogen burning third stage of Long March 3A/3B/3C and 7A as its second stage. First flight of the Long
March 8 was launched on December 22, 2020 from Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site.

Long March 7
Long March 7 is a Chinese liquid-fuelled launch vehicle, belonging to Long March family. It has been
developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CAST). Its inaugural flight was made
on June 25, 2016. It was designed as a replacement of Long March 2F.
Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO)
Sun-synchronous orbit is also called a heliosynchronous orbit. It is a nearly polar orbit around a planet. In
this orbit, satellite passes over any given point of the surface of planet at the same local mean solar time. It
is an orbit arranged so that it undergoes one complete revolution each year, thus, maintaining same
relationship with the Sun.
World's largest plane ‘Mriya’
On the fourth day of Russian invasion to Ukraine, Russia destroyed the largest plane in the world called
“Ukraine’s Antonov-225 cargo plane”. The plane was destroyed outside Kyiv.
Key Points
According to weapons manufacturer Ukroboronprom, restoring “AN-225 Mriya” would cost over USD 3
billion and could take over five years.
The aircraft was unique to the world. It was 84 meters long and could transport up to 250 tonnes of
cargo at a speed of 850 kilometres per hour.
Missile has been named Mriya, which means “dream” in Ukrainian.
Where was it located amid Russia-Ukraine crisis?
The An-225 aircraft was located at Hostomel Airport when Russia launched an attack on Ukrainian airport
on February 24, 2022. It was destroyed on February 27.
Background
Maria was initially built as part of Soviet aeronautical program. It made its first flight in 1988. Mriya has
been operated by Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines for cargo flights. It was in high demand during Covid-19
pandemic.
Antonov An-225 Mriya
Antonov An-225 Mriya was a strategic airlift cargo aircraft. It was designed by ‘Antonov Design Bureau’ in
Ukrainian SSR within Soviet Union during 1980s. The unique aircraft was developed, as an enlargement of
Antonov An-124, initially to transport Buran-class orbiters.
Records of Antonov An-225 Mriya
As an oversized aircraft, it held multiple records including:
1. Heaviest aircraft ever built.
2. Largest wingspan of any aircraft in operational service.
3. It has the capability to carry up to 640 tonnes.
Design of the aircraft
The aircraft was designed to airlift Energia rocket’s boosters and Buran-class orbiters for Soviet space
program. It was developed to replace the Myasishchev VM-T. The original mission and objectives of An-225
are almost similar to that of United States’ Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. The lead designer of the An-225 was
Viktor Tolmachev.
SWIFT Ban on Russia
The United States and the European Union (EU) have decided to cut off a number of Russian banks from
SWIFT, the main international payment system. Russia’s central bank assets will also be frozen, which will
limit Moscow’s ability to access its foreign reserves.
Overview:
This move’s intention is to further isolate Russia from the international financial system keeping in

view the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

These sanctions are the most severe against Moscow since its forces invaded Ukraine. This is going
to have a significant impact on Russia that relies significantly on the SWIFT platform for its natural
resource trade, such as gas and oil exports.
In the financial world, cutting a country off from SWIFT is equivalent to restricting a country’s Internet
access.
Prior to Russia, has any country been cut off from SWIFT?
Prior to Russia, Iran was the only country that was cut off from the SWIFT. Being cut off from SWIFT
resulted in losing a third of Iran’s foreign trade revenue.
How many Russian banks have been cut off from SWIFT?
As of now, the action against Russia has only been partially implemented, with only a few Russian banks
receiving the sanctions. The option of broadening the sanction to a pan-country ban is being held back by
as of now the US and its allies as a further escalatory action.
How will this move affect Russia?
Excluding Russian banks from the SWIFT platform will have a significant negative impact on the country’s
economy. Only a few banks have been targeted to keep the possibility of further escalation open while also
ensuring that the sanctions have the greatest possible impact on Moscow while avoiding a major impact on
European companies that deal with Russian banks for their gas import payments. Also, the restrictions on
Russia’s central bank will prevent it from using its foreign exchange reserves to mitigate the impact of
sanctions.
About SWIFT
Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) system is a secure platform that is
used by various financial institutions to exchange information related to global monetary transactions like
money transfers.
SWIFT does not directly move money around. Instead, it serves as a middleman by providing secure
financial communications services for more than 11,000 institutions located in over 200 countries. SWIFT is
located in Belgium and central banks from 11 countries oversee it.
The countries are France, Canada, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, the United
States, the United Kingdom, and Belgium.
Nepal: Approval of US Aid Grant
The parliament of Nepal has approved a contentious USD 500million US grant, despite opposition and street
protests from the Communist parties. In 2017, the US government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation
(MCC) pact was signed by Nepal for infrastructure projects but its ratification had been on hold as there
were divisions within political parties, including the coalition that was ruling.
Overview:
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s coalition allies voiced strong opposition, claiming that this pact
jeopardized Nepal’s sovereignty.
As part of a compromise, the vote included a declaration stating that Nepal will not join any strategic,
security, or military, alliance, including the United States’ Indo-Pacific Strategy.
There were some reports blaming China for the spread of misinformation regarding this pact.
About Millennium Challenge Corporation
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a United States bilateral international aid agency
established in 2004 by the US Congress. It is a separate organization from the USAID and State Department.
It gives funds to countries that have been found to have the potential for economic growth and good
economic policies. The country qualification method is objective, comprising scores in 20 different

categories provided by third parties. A country that is eligible for a grant must apply with a specific project
in mind. This organization is headquartered in Washington D.C.
Ladakh Ice Wall Climbing Competition
On February 26, 2022, the North-West Frontier Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) organised an ice wall
climbing competition in Ladakh, for the first time.
Key Points
More than 100 climbers took part in the competition.
It was attended by the lieutenant governor of Ladakh, Radha Krishna Mathur.
This event was organised by North-West Frontier Headquarters, ITBP, Leh, in association with the
Ladakh Mountaineering Guide Association.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
ITBP is the primary border patrol organization of India, for its border with Tibet Autonomous Region. It is
among the five Central Armed Police Forces of India. It was constituted on October 24, 1962, under the
CRPF Act, in the aftermath of Sino-Indian War of 1962.
Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force Act, 1992
Parliament of India enacted the “Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force Act, 1992” in September 1996, to provide
constitution and regulation of the ITBP, in order to ensure security of Indian border.
First head of ITBP
First head of the ITBP was designated Inspector General Balbir Singh. He was a police officer, who
belonged to the Intelligence Bureau.
Battalions of ITBP
The ITBP was started with 4 battalions. It has undergone expansion to a force of 60 Battalions, since
restructuring in 1978.
Mountain Force
The ITBP is a specialised mountain force. Currently, ITBP soldiers mainly cover an area of 3,488 kilometres,
ranging from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh. They also cover high-altitude
outposts on the Western, Middle, and Eastern sectors across Indo-China border. It is trained in disaster
management, Civil Medical Camp, and nuclear, biological & chemical disasters. ITBP personnel have also
been deployed abroad in UN peacekeeping missions in Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Western Sahara, Haiti, Afghanistan, Sudan, Afghanistan, and other places. Two battalions of ITBP have also
been deputed to National Disaster Response Force.
Watts on the moon challenge- Phase 2
American Space Agency NASA have planned to return to the Moon using innovative technologies, under
Artemis, in a bid to explore more lunar surface than ever before.
Key Facts
These technologies will require lunar surface systems, which can deliver continuous, reliable power
for supporting mining and construction, human habitation and research activities.
Newest phase of “Watts on the Moon Challenge” will offer up to USD 4.5 million in prizes to design,
construct and demonstrate a prototype, which addresses technology gaps in energy storage and
power transmission.
Minimizing system mass and Maximizing system efficiency will be an important part of what
participants address in their designs, provided that, transportation of needed equipment will require
multiple missions to sustain human presence on the lunar surface.
This challenge seeks advanced technology, which is well-positioned to progress toward future
operation and flight readiness on the lunar surface after the challenge.

Significance of the challenges

Challenges like Watts on the Moon provide chance to utilize creativity of academia, industry, and public to
power return to the Moon.
Phase 1 of Watts on the Moon
Phase 1 of Watts on the Moon was opened in September 2020. It was focused on ideation of energy
management, storage solutions and distribution. In May 2021, seven winners were awarded a total of USD
500,000. Teams were required to submit ideas in Phase 1, in order to support aspects of a hypothetical
mission scenario that is, harvesting water and oxygen from a dark crater at the South Pole of the Moon.
Phase 2 of Watts of the Moon
NASA is now inviting applications to Phase 2 of Watts of the Moon. NASA has invited previous participants
as well as in Phase 2. This phase will last for around 30 months. It will take place in three segments, called
competition levels. In each level, eligible teams will submit the required materials. They will be evaluated on
their submission.
Who manages the challenge?
Watts on the Moon Challenge is managed by Centennial Challenges. It is based at agency’s Marshall Space
Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
U.S. Report on Sea Level Rise
According to NOAA-led report, The United States is likely to experience as much sea level rise by year 2050
as it witnessed in last hundred years.
Key Facts
The report was released by NOAA, in partnership with other federal agencies.
The report is titled as “Sea Level Rise Technical Report”.
Report provides up-to-date sea level rise projections for United States, by decade for next 100 years
and beyond.
It is based on a combination of satellite observations and tide gauge.
All the model ensembles from Sixth Assessment Report of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC).
Findings of the report
This report projects that, sea levels along the coastline will increase an additional 10-12 inches by
2050. Specific amounts will vary regionally, due to land height changes.
It updates the sea level rise projection in 2017 by federal government and provides additional
information on wind, tide, and storm-driven extreme water levels that affects current and future
coastal flood risk.
As per report, sea level rise will create a profound increase in frequency of coastal flooding, even in
the absence of heavy rainfall or storms.
Significance of the report
The report projections will help businesses and communities they support, make investments and
understand risks in upcoming years. This is a global wake-up call and provides information needed to act
now in order to best position for the future. The updated data can inform coastal communities and others
regarding current and future vulnerabilities in light of climate change. It will also help them in making smart
decisions to keep people and property safe in long run.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
IPCC is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations. It is responsible for advancing knowledge on
human-induced climate change. IPCC was established in 1988 by World Meteorological Organization
(WMO). It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It comprises of 195 member states.

'Hit and Run' Solatium

The Road Transport and Highways Ministry have decided to increase the compensation to the kin of hit-and-
run victims by eight times to Rs 2 lakh in case of death starting April 1. The solatium for a person who
suffers serious injuries in a hit-and-run case would be increased from Rs 12,500 to Rs 50,000.
Overview:
Compensation to Victims of Hit and Run Motor Accidents Scheme, 2022 might be the name given to
this scheme.
The ministry has come up with a method for conducting extensive investigations of road accidents,
preparing Detailed Accident Reports (DARs), and reporting them, as well as timelines for the various
stakeholders for quick claim settlements.
The Solatium Scheme, 1989 will be superseded by this new scheme from April 1, 2022, onwards.
What are the changes made under the new scheme?
The government will also establish a Motor Vehicles Accident Fund, which will be used to compensate the
victims of hit-and-run accidents and provide treatments for those who have been injured.
The application process for compensation and the victims’ release of payment has also been made time-
bound. Rules have also been published by the ministry regarding the Motor Vehicles Accident Funds
operation, creation, sources of funds, etc.
Road accident in India
In 2019, 1,655 persons were injured and 536 persons were killed in accidents that were categorized as ‘hit
and run’ in the national capital. According to the latest data of the government, during 2020, in India, a total
of 3,66,138 road accidents occurred which caused 1,31,714 deaths.
IAEA Extraordinary Meeting on Ukraine
The International Atomic Energy Agency has decided to hold an emergency meeting regarding the war
situation in Ukraine. The country has four nuclear power plants that are operational and various waste
facilities including Chernobyl.
Overview:
Board members Poland and Canada called the meeting on Ukraine’s request which is not on the IAEA
board.
The member states of the International Atomic Energy Agency that are not on IAEA’s Board can call a
meeting but if a Board member calls one the possible range of topics is increased.
Since the beginning of the invasion last week, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has called upon everyone to
refrain from any activity that could threaten the safe operation of all nuclear sites and nuclear
material security.
Ukrainian authorities have said that a Russian missile hit a site of radioactive waste disposal
although there was no visible damage and the results of on-site radioactive monitoring were still
pending.
About International Atomic Energy Agency
The IAEA is a non-governmental organization that aims is to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy
while prohibiting its use for military purposes, such as nuclear weapons. In 1957, the IAEA was established
as an autonomous organization. The IAEA, even though it was established independently of the United
Nations by its own international treaty i.e. the IAEA Stature, reports to both the United Nations General
Assembly and Security Council. Its headquarter is located in Vienna, Austria and has 173-member nations.
India's Export of Fresh Fruits
Fresh fruits export from India has witnessed a major growth. The major destinations of exports of fresh
fruits include the Netherlands, Bangladesh, the UK, the UAE, Iran, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Qatar, and

Oman.
Overview:
In April-January 2021-22, guava exports have risen to USD 2.09 million against USD 0.58 million
recorded in April-January 2013-14.
Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) and Curd (yogurt) exports have increased as well, to USD 30 million in
April–January 2021-22 from USD 10 million in April–January 2013-14.
Which fruits and vegetables are mostly exported from India?
Pomegranates, Grapes, Bananas, Mangoes, and Oranges are the most variety of fruits that are exported
from the country. In vegetables, Mixed Vegetables, Onions, Tomatoes, Potatoes, and Green Chilly take the
major share of exports from India.
What are the major destinations of export of dairy products?
The UAE, the United States, Bangladesh, Singapore, Bhutan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and
Indonesia are all the major destinations of dairy export from India.
What will be the effect on the fruit exported from India due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis?
New restrictions, such as Russia’s exclusion from the SWIFT system, are likely to have an impact on India’s
grape and mango exports. The restrictions will severely limit the ability of the Indian exporters to explore
market opportunities in the United States. Currently, grapes are being exported in full swing from India and
the sanctions on Russia will hamper this. The sanctions will not only affect the payments of the Indian
exporters but will also hamper the movement of containers.
World NGO Day 2022
Every year on February 27, people all over the world celebrate World NGO Day to honour the work and
contributions of various NGOs. NGO stands for Non-Governmental Organization, and it is a type of
organization that works to improve society.
Overview:
This day recognizes, honours, and celebrates non-profit and non-governmental organizations, as well
as people who volunteer their time and effort to make society a better place to live.
History of this day
In 2010, 12 countries from the Baltic Sea NGO Forum in Vilnius, Lithuania, recognized and proposed World
NGO Day. Denmark, Belarus, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, Poland, Sweden,
and Norway were among the Baltic Sea NGO Forum’s members.
On February 27, 2014, Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs sponsored the first global inaugural event of
World NGO Day in Helsinki, Finland. The heads of UNESCO, UNOPS, the European Union, UNDP, the Nordic
Council, and other international organizations were among the international guests.
Aim of this day
World NGO Day strives to raise awareness about this sector and inspire those working in this sector for a
good cause all around the world. One interesting feature about World NGO Day is that each country’s
government appreciates the people associated with this sector in the official language of their state.

Mock Test
The questions in this Mock Test are sourced from GKToday’s Current Affairs 2022 Daily 20 MCQ Series in
GKToday Academy Android Application.
1. Ilker Ayci, former Turkish Airlines Chairman has been appointed as the MD and CEO of which Indian Airlines?
[A] Spice Jet [B] IndiGo
[C] Air India [D] Vistara
2. Which Union Ministry launched ‘New Frontiers’ program, as a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav?
[A] Ministry of New & Renewable Energy [B] Ministry of Power
[C] Ministry of Coal [D] Ministry of External Affairs
3. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an agency functioning under the aegis of which Ministry?
[A] Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs [B] Ministry of Culture
[C] Ministry of Tourism [D] Ministry of Tribal Affairs
4. Which Indian company has formed a joint venture (JV) with Foxconn, to manufacture semiconductors in India?
[A] Vedanta [B] Tata
[C] Hindalco [D] NALCO
5. Which state has witnessed protests for including Bhojpuri and Magahi as “regional languages” in Government
jobs?
[A] Madhya Pradesh [B] Jharkhand
[C] West Bengal [D] Chhattisgarh
6. Which country has signed USD 375 million deal with India to buy three batteries of the BrahMos cruise missile?
[A] Indonesia [B] Philippines
[C] Sri Lanka [D] Nepal
7. ‘Babushka batallion’, which was seen in the news, is associated with which country?
[A] Ukraine [B] Israel
[C] Afghanistan [D] Pakistan
8. Which is the nodal agency for implementing Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri–Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY)?
[A] National Health Authority [B] NITI Aayog
[C] AIIMS [D] IMA
9. Which country has invoked a never-before-used Emergency power, to curtail protests demanding end of Covid
restrictions?
[A] USA [B] Canada
[C] Australia [D] Brazil
10. The Lassa fever, which was seen in the news, is spread by which species?
[A] Rats [B] Bats
[C] Mosquitoes [D] Swine
11. Which High Court recently struck down the state’s ban on online gambling (after Kerala and Tamil Nadu)?
[A] Odisha [B] Karnataka
[C] Rajasthan [D] Gujarat
12. Asteroid (130) Elektra, which was seen in the news, is known for which feature?
[A] First quadruple asteroid [B] Largest Asteroid
[C] Nearest Asteroid to Earth [D] Hottest Asteroid
13. What is the outlay of Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY), in the Union Budget 2022-23?
[A] Rs 96000 Cr [B] Rs 75000 Cr
[C] Rs 48000 Cr [D] Rs 36000 Cr
14. India signed a LoI on New and Renewable energy technology with which country?
[A] Israel [B] Australia

[C] USA [D] New Zealand

15. What is the main objective of PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP)?
[A] Skill Development [B] Infrastructure Development
[C] Healthcare Development [D] Export Development
16. Which country is the co-host of the UN pledging summit to address the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan?
[A] India [B] UK
[C] Germany [D] France
17. Which Union Ministry launched the Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED)?
[A] Ministry of Tribal Affairs [B] Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
[C] Ministry of Law and Justice [D] Ministry of Women and Child Development
18. What is the name of the Earth companion following the same path around the Sun as Earth does?
[A] Exo-planet [B] Earth Trojan
[C] Earth Pointer [D] Earth Ally
19. Which institution organised the ‘Fin-tech Open month’?
[A] Reserve Bank of India [B] UIDAI
[C] NITI Aayog [D] SEBI
20. Who is the head of the Apex Committee that will guide the G-20 Secretariat established in India?
[A] Minister of External Affairs [B] Prime Minister
[C] Minister of Home Affairs [D] Minister of Finance
21. ‘Splitting the post of Chairman and Managing Director’ was mandated by SEBI, after the recommendations of
which panel?
[A] Uday Kotak panel [B] Adi Godrej Panel
[C] Narayana Murthy Panel [D] Nandan Nilekani Panel
22. ‘INSACOG’ is a ‘SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium’ of which country?
[A] China [B] India
[C] USA [D] Israel
23. India has advised its citizens in which country to ‘consider leaving temporarily’?
[A] Afghanistan [B] Ukraine
[C] Syria [D] Iran
24. Which Ministry has announced the initiative of ‘Pan India 3D maps’?
[A] Ministry of Earth Sciences [B] Ministry of Science and Technology
[C] Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change [D] Ministry of Rural Development
25. Which institution developed a Programming Language “A Tensor Language” (ATL), for High-Performance
Computers?
[A] IIT Bombay [B] Massachusetts Institute of Technology
[C] Oxford University [D] Indian Institute of Science
26. Which Ministry has released the draft Integrated Plant Nutrition Management Bill?
[A] Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare [B] Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
[C] Ministry of Rural Development [D] Ministry of Science and Technology
27. Which Union Ministry/Institution organized Global Summit on ‘Reimagining Museums in India’?
[A] Ministry of Culture [B] Ministry of Tourism
[C] NITI Aayog [D] UNESCO
28. Crimson Rose, which was seen in the news recently, belongs to which species?
[A] Flower [B] Butterfly
[C] Panda [D] Snake
29. Which is the venue of ‘DefExpo 2022’ Defence Exhibition?
[A] Goa [B] Chennai

[C] Gandhi Nagar [D] Varanasi

30. As of 2022, which is the longest tunnel of Indian Railways?
[A] Peer Panjal Tunnel [B] Sangaldan Tunnel
[C] Rapuru Tunnel [D] Maliguda Tunnel
31. As per recent AAR Ruling, what is the rate of GST to be paid on income earned from providing guest lectures?
[A] 8 per cent [B] 10 per cent
[C] 18 per cent [D] NO GST
32. Who has been appointed as India’s first National Maritime Security Coordinator (NMSC)?
[A] G Ashok Kumar [B] Ajit Doval
[C] Hari Kumar [D] Karambir Singh
33. Which Indian city recently inaugurated ‘Water Taxi Services’?
[A] Chennai [B] Mumbai
[C] Kolkata [D] Ahmadabad
34. National Institute of Career Services (NICS) functions under which Ministry?
[A] Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship [B] Ministry of Labour and Employment
[C] Ministry of Education [D] Ministry of Rural Development
35. As per the Second Advance Estimates of production of major crops for 2021-22, what is the estimated
foodgrains production?
[A] 216.06 million tonnes [B] 276.06 million tonnes
[C] 316.06 million tonnes [D] 376.06 million tonnes
36. Where is the headquarters of the ‘United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’ located?
[A] Geneva [B] Washington
[C] Paris [D] Brussels
37. Where was the 6th African Union - European Union Summit held?
[A] Brussels [B] Cairo
[C] Rome [D] Johannesburg
38. Who has been conferred with Hilal-e-Pakistan – the 2nd highest civilian award of Pakistan, in 2022?
[A] Bill Gates [B] Malala Yousafzai
[C] Elon Musk [D] Xi Jinping
39. ‘Green Hydrogen and Ammonia Policy’ has been launched by which ministry?
[A] Ministry of Power [B] Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
[C] Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change [D] Ministry of Science and Technology
40. ‘Sustainable international financing scheme’, is associated with which global association?
[A] G 20 [B] ASEAN
[C] BRICS [D] SAARC
41. Which is the first country outside India to adopt India's UPI system?
[A] Bangladesh [B] UAE
[C] Sri Lanka [D] Nepal
42. Which country has not sent its delegation to the Munich Security Conference 2022?
[A] Russia [B] USA
[C] Ukraine [D] India
43. Asia's biggest Bio-CNG plant has been inaugurated in which Indian state?
[A] Madhya Pradesh [B] Maharashtra
[C] Gujarat [D] West Bengal
44. Which South American country has been hit by torrential rains resulting in deadly floods and landslides?
[A] Argentina [B] Brazil
[C] Chile [D] Bolivia

45. Which Ministry organised the ‘Labharthiyon Se Rubaroo’ initiative?

[A] Ministry of Power [B] Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
[C] Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare [D] Ministry of Textiles
46. Which country has scrapped its ‘Golden Visa’ Route for Millionaire Investors?
[A] UK [B] UAE
[C] New Zealand [D] Brazil
47. Which other country claims ‘Falkland Islands’, which is a territory of the United Kingdom?
[A] Argentina [B] China
[C] Australia [D] USA
48. India signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with which country in February 2022?
[A] UAE [B] China
[C] Brazil [D] Russia
49. ‘Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS)’ is associated with which Union Ministry?
[A] Ministry of Law and Justice [B] Ministry of Home Affairs
[C] Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs [D] Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
50. Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) has been approved for continuation till which year?
[A] 2024 [B] 2026
[C] 2030 [D] 2032
51. Project 'Arohan' is a mentorship programme of which Indian state?
[A] Assam [B] Gujarat
[C] Maharashtra [D] Odisha
52. Which state renamed its Professional Examination Board known as ‘Vyapam’ into ‘Karmachari Chayan Aayog’?
[A] Gujarat [B] Maharashtra
[C] Madhya Pradesh [D] West Bengal
53. Cyrtodactylus exercitus, which is a new species of Gecko, has been identified in which state?
[A] Meghalaya [B] Uttar Pradesh
[C] Manipur [D] Haryana
54. Which Indian PSU has set up 1000 EV charging stations in India?
[A] REC Limited [B] Indian Oil
[C] NTPC Limited [D] PFC Limited
55. Under the 'Garbage Free Cities', MoHUA has approved a proposal of Rs 235 crore to which state?
[A] Uttar Pradesh [B] Andhra Pradesh
[C] Madhya Pradesh [D] Rajasthan
56. 'Meri Policy Mere Hath' is a campaign related to which scheme?
[A] PM-FBY [B] PM-JJBY
[C] PM-SBY [D] PM-JAY
57. ‘Khajuraho Dance Festival’ is a famous event organised in which Indian state?
[A] Gujarat [B] Bihar
[C] Madhya Pradesh [D] Maharashtra
58. The Supreme Court has scrapped the 'gender cap' on performers in orchestra bars in which state recently?
[A] Maharashtra [B] Karnataka
[C] West Bengal [D] Andhra Pradesh
59. Which nocturnal pollinator has been found to have vital role in ‘Pollination’ in the Himalayan ecosystem?
[A] Moths [B] Bees
[C] Butterflies [D] Bats
60. Which Indian city has been elected as the host of 2023 International Olympic Committee's (IOC) session?
[A] New Delhi [B] Mumbai

[C] Chennai [D] Hyderabad

61. What is ‘Alcyoneus’, which was discovered recently with respect to Space Science?
[A] Galaxy [B] Exo-planet
[C] Asteroid [D] Satellite
62. Which country has unveiled its first Hydrogen-powered train?
[A] China [B] Japan
[C] USA [D] Israel
63. What is the theme of the ‘World Day of Social Justice’ 2022?
[A] Achieving Social Justice through Formal Employment [B] Achieving Social Justice through Equal Pay
[C] Achieving Social Justice through Equal Opportunities [D] Achieving Social Justice through Awareness
64. When is the ‘International Mother Language Day’ observed across the world?
[A] February 28 [B] February 20
[C] February 21 [D] February 23
65. ‘Janbhagidari Empowerment’ portal is an initiative of which state/UT?
[A] Assam [B] Jammu and Kashmir
[C] Arunachal Pradesh [D] Haryana
66. Which country recently flagged off 100 drones, to be used for spraying pesticides in farms?
[A] China [B] India
[C] Israel [D] Australia
67. ‘Eat Right India’ is a flagship mission of which institution?
[A] National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development -NABARD [B] Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
[C] Food Safety and Standards Authority of India –FSSAI [D] Food Corporation of India- FCI
68. Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh were accorded Statehood on February 20, in which year?
[A] 1965 [B] 1972
[C] 1987 [D] 1992
69. Specialised Schools of Excellence (SoSEs) is an initiative of which state/UT?
[A] Odisha [B] New Delhi
[C] Kerala [D] Chhattisgarh
70. Which Indian authority reviews the Indian Naval Fleet once during their term, under ‘Fleet Review’?
[A] Prime Minister [B] President
[C] External Affairs Minister [D] Governors
71. What is the name of the new week-long commemoration before the ‘National Science Day’?
[A] Atmanirbhar Vigyan [B] Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate
[C] Celebration of Science in Past [D] ‘Science in Culture’ Celebrations
72. India, along with which country, agreed on ‘Roadmap on Blue Economy and Ocean Governance’?
[A] USA [B] UAE
[C] France [D] Japan
73. ‘CEPI’ has announced partnership with which Indian pharma company to develop Covid Vaccine?
[A] Panacea Biotec [B] Cadila Healthcare
[C] Cipla [D] Sun Pharma
74. Which country topped the medal tally in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics?
[A] China [B] USA
[C] Norway [D] Germany
75. Which region is affected by Storm Clusters including three Storms- Eunice, Franklin and Dudley?
[A] North America [B] Europe
[C] Australia [D] Africa
76. Which state/UT Police has started a dedicated ‘Women Safety Squad’ to help women in distress?

[A] West Bengal [B] Jammu and Kashmir

[C] New Delhi [D] Goa
77. Dolmen de El Pendon, where the oldest evidence of ear surgery, was found, is located in which country?
[A] Greece [B] Spain
[C] China [D] UK
78. ‘Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)’ functions under which Union Ministry?
[A] Ministry of Culture [B] Ministry of External Affairs
[C] Ministry of Tourism [D] Ministry of Home Affairs
79. ‘Athenpot Thinba’ is a practice followed in which state/UT?
[A] Madhya Pradesh [B] Assam
[C] Manipur [D] West Bengal
80. Which is India's first indigenously developed Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) protein sub-unit vaccine against
Covid-19?
[A] Covaxin [B] Corbevax
[C] Cadila’s DNA Covid-19 vaccine [D] None of the above
81. Which Union Ministry published the “Draft India Data Accessibility & Use Policy 2022”?
[A] Ministry of Information and Broadcasting [B] Ministry of Electronics and IT
[C] Ministry of Communication [D] Ministry of Science and Technology
82. ‘Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA)’ is associated with which neighbouring country of India?
[A] Sri Lanka [B] Bangladesh
[C] Pakistan [D] China
83. ‘Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission’ is the flagship initiative of which Union Ministry?
[A] Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs [B] Ministry of Rural Development
[C] Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare [D] Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
84. Which country successfully tested a new Naval Air Defence system ‘C-Dome’?
[A] Russia [B] Israel
[C] China [D] France
85. Umbrella Scheme of “Border Infrastructure and Management” (BIM) is associated with which Union Ministry?
[A] Ministry of External Affairs [B] Ministry of Home Affairs
[C] Ministry of Road Transport and Highways [D] Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
86. Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa is associated with which game?
[A] Chess [B] Hockey
[C] Soccer [D] Cricket
87. Which Indian PSU has been recognised as “'India's Most Trusted Public Sector Company” by ASSOCHAM?
[A] Indian Oil [B] NTPC
[C] ONGC [D] Coal India Limited
88. Which institution authorises all Pre-paid Instruments (PPI) in India?
[A] NPCI [B] RBI
[C] Finance Ministry [D] Enforcement Directorate
89. Which Indian mathematician was conferred ‘Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians’ 2021?
[A] Neena Gupta [B] R Praggnanandhaa
[C] Dr. B. Uma Shankar [D] Dr. Kuntal Ghosh
90. Who chairs the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC)?
[A] RBI Governor [B] Union Finance Minister
[C] Prime Minister [D] NITI Aayog CEO
91. National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) has been extended till which year?
[A] 2023-24 [B] 2025-26

[C] 2029-30 [D] 2031-32

92. Which Union Ministry implements ‘Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAYG)’ scheme?
[A] Ministry of Road Transport and Highways [B] Ministry of Rural Development
[C] Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs [D] Ministry of Panchayati Raj
93. The ‘Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline’ is constructed under which Sea/Ocean?
[A] Black Sea [B] Baltic Sea
[C] Mediterranean Sea [D] Pacific Ocean
94. Chester zoo, where an aardvark calf is born after 90 days, is located in which country?
[A] USA [B] UK
[C] Australia [D] Germany
95. The ‘Soil Health Card’ scheme was launched in which year?
[A] 2010 [B] 2015
[C] 2018 [D] 2020
96. Which is the venue of the multi-nation air exercise 'Ex Cobra Warrior 22'?
[A] India [B] UK
[C] France [D] Oman
97. When is the ‘Central Excise Day’ observed every year in India?
[A] February 22 [B] February 24
[C] February 26 [D] February 28
98. KPAC Lalitha, who passed away recently, was associated with which field?
[A] Politics [B] Theatre Art
[C] Sports [D] Business
99. Which state/UT recently approved the Policy on promotion of foreign investment in the industrial sector?
[A] Goa [B] Assam
[C] Jammu and Kashmir [D] Ladakh
100. ‘Health Star Rating’ is an initiative of which organisation?
[A] Food Corporation of India [B] FSSAI
[C] NABARD [D] NITI Aayog
101. Which Union Ministry launched the ‘National Strategy for Additive Manufacturing’?
[A] Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology [B] Ministry of MSME
[C] Ministry of Commerce and Industry [D] Ministry of Science and Technology
102. Which global association has recently published its draft ‘Data Act’?
[A] G-20 [B] European Union
[C] SAARC [D] ASEAN
103. Nikarshan Sadan, a Dredging Museum has been inaugurated in which city?
[A] Kochi [B] Visakhapatnam
[C] Chennai [D] Mumbai
104. "Vishaka Guidelines", seen in the news sometimes, was associated with which issue?
[A] Environment Protection [B] Sexual Harassment
[C] Child Trafficking [D] Coal Mining
105. Dearc sgiathanach, a new species identified in Scotland, belonged to which species?
[A] Spider [B] Flying Reptile
[C] Fish [D] Snake
106. ‘Meemannavis ductrix and Brevidentavis zhangi’ are the two new bird species, found in fossil bird site of which
country?
[A] Greece [B] China
[C] Egypt [D] Turkey

107. The third Saturday of which month is celebrated as ‘World Pangolin Day’?
[A] February [B] March
[C] April [D] May
108. Euphlyctis jaladhara, which has been discovered along the Western Ghats, belongs to which species?
[A] Fish [B] Frog
[C] Turtle [D] Gecko
109. The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme was launched un which year?
[A] 2014 [B] 2016
[C] 2019 [D] 2020
110. Which space mission/ satellite of ISRO has detected ‘Solar proton events’ for the first time?
[A] Chandrayaan-1 [B] Chandrayaan-2
[C] Mars Orbiter Mission [D] Mangalyaan 2
111. National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) signed MoU with which institution to collaborate on ‘Sustainable
Cities India program’?
[A] NITI Aayog [B] World Economic Forum
[C] World Bank [D] UNDP
112. Which is the venue of the ‘Devayatanam – An odyssey of Indian temple architecture’ conference?
[A] Puri [B] Hampi
[C] Mysuru [D] Varanasi
113. Who chairs the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in India?
[A] Defence Minister [B] Home Minister
[C] External affairs Minister [D] Prime Minister
114. Which country has authorised the world's first plant derived Covid vaccine?
[A] India [B] China
[C] Japan [D] Canada
115. Which of the following is a Capital Account Component of Balance of Payment?
[A] Trade of Goods [B] Trade of Services
[C] Income from Gifts and Donations [D] Foreign Direct Investment
116. A solar photovoltaic power plant for the Indian Railways, which directly feeds power to traction, has been
developed in which place?
[A] Mumbai [B] Kolkata
[C] Jhansi [D] Bina
117. The Government of which state / UT has approved a new Film Policy for 2022?
[A] Puducherry [B] Delhi
[C] Jammu and Kashmir [D] Maharashtra
118. Which Ministry has developed an Ombudsperson App for MGNREGA?
[A] Ministry of Information and Technology [B] Ministry of Agriculture
[C] Ministry of Cooperation [D] Ministry of Rural Development
119. Which Ministry has launched the “Policy on Biomedical Innovation and Entrepreneurship”?
[A] Union Education Ministry [B] Union Home Ministry
[C] Union Health Ministry [D] Union Electronics and Information Technology Ministry
120. Meitei is a major community demanding for Scheduled Tribe (ST) in which state?
[A] Himachal Pradesh [B] Assam
[C] Manipur [D] Odisha
Answer Key
1. C 2. A 3. B 4. A 5. B 6. B 7. A 8. A 9. B 10. A 11. B 12. A 13. C 14. B 15. B 16.
B 17. B 18. B 19. C 20. B 21. A 22. B 23. B 24. B 25. B 26. B 27. A 28. B 29. C 30.

A 31. C 32. A 33. B 34. B 35. C 36. A 37. A 38. A 39. A 40. A 41. D 42. A 43. A 44.
B 45. B 46. A 47. A 48. A 49. B 50. B 51. A 52. C 53. A 54. B 55. B 56. A 57. C 58.
A 59. A 60. B 61. A 62. B 63. A 64. C 65. B 66. B 67. C 68. C 69. B 70. B 71. B 72.
C 73. A 74. C 75. B 76. B 77. B 78. B 79. C 80. B 81. B 82. C 83. B 84. B 85. B 86.
A 87. D 88. B 89. A 90. B 91. B 92. B 93. B 94. B 95. B 96. B 97. B 98. B 99. C 100.
B 101. A 102. B 103. B 104. B 105. B 106. B 107. A 108. B 109. C 110. B 111. B 112.
B 113. D 114. D 115. D 116. D 117. B 118. D 119. C 120. C
Note:
The above 120 questions are part of Daily Current Affairs 20 MCQs Series in GKToday’s Academy
Android Application. This series with daily 20 MCQs, Answers and Explanations can be subscribed in the
app only for Rs. 1100/- for entire year. Download Now.
QR Code to download GKToday Android app
Printed Books
For Printed Books, please visit GKTBOOKS.COM

Gktoday 16 - 28 February 2022

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Gktoday 16 - 28 February 2022

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

GKTODAY

Current Affairs [PDF] - February 16-28, 2022

Last Updated: March 1, 2022

Hilal-e-Pakistan Award to Bill Gates ................................................................................................................................................ 35

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 3

2022 Winter Olympics- Explained ................................................................................................................................................... 69

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 4

Intracortical Visual Prosthesis .......................................................................................................................................................... 103

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 5

Answer Key ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 145

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 6

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 3

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 4

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 5

ECONOMY & CORPORATE

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 6

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 7

ECONOMY & CORPORATE

Christian Peters on February 17, 1873.

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 10

Outlay of the scheme

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 11

Significance of the day

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 12

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 13

increase number of flights between both the countries.

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 14

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 15

Provisions of the Bill

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 16

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 17

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 18

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 19

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 20

Mumbai Water Taxi

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 21

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 22

tonnes from the average sugarcane production of 373.46 million tonnes.

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 23

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 24

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 25

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 26

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 27

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 28

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 29

Ukraine-United States relations

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 30

formation of ocean basins in the Indian Ocean.

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 31

an autonomous body. It is funded by the University Grants Commission. NAAC is headquartered in

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 32

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 33

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 34

standards require the reuse of rigid plastic packaging material.

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 36

About Labharthiyon se Rubaroo initiative

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 37

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 38

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 39

What is UK Golden Visa programme?

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 40

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 41

© 2022 GKToday | All Rights Reserved | https://www.gktoday.in 42