Daily Current Affairs 15 February 2022 | WBCS, WBPSC, WBP

Daily Current Affairs: 15:02:2022

 Important News: World

1. India signs MoU to hand over wheat to WFP in Kandahar

Why in News

• India signed an agreement with the United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP) for the distribution of 50,000 MT of wheat that it has committed to sending Afghanistan as part of a humanitarian assistance.

Key Points

• The wheat will be taken through Pakistan to the Afghan border crossing and handed over to WFP officials in Kandahar beginning February 2022.
• Iran has also offered to facilitate some of the wheat through Chabahar port and then on to Afghanistan’s border via Zahedan.

Note: Earlier, the Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan was held. The meeting called for “urgent humanitarian assistance” to the Afghan people.

About World Food Program (WFP):

• WFP is the food-assistance branch of the United Nations.
• Formation: 19 December 1961
• Headquarters: Rome, Italy
• The World Food Programme was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020.
• Major Report: Global Report on Food Crisis

India’s Step in Ensuring Food Security:

• National Food Security Mission
• Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi
• The National Food Security Act, 2013
• PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana
• One Nation One Ration Card

Source: The Hindu

2. 4th Japan-Australia-India-U.S. (Quad) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

Why in News

• Recently, the 4th Japan-Australia-India-U.S. (Quad) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was held in Melbourne, Australia.
• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Australia's Marise Payn held the talks in Melbourne.

Key Points

• The meeting was held amid escalating tension between Russia and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries over Ukraine, the Afghan crisis and increasing concerns over China's "coercion" in the Indo-Pacific region.
• They announced plans for a Quad summit including PM Modi, U.S. President Biden and Australian PM Morrison to be hosted by Japan’s PM Kishida in Tokyo in the “first half of 2022”.

Note:

• It was the third in-person meeting of Quad foreign ministers, following their meeting in Tokyo in October 2020 and the inaugural meeting in New York in September 2019.
• The ministers last held talks virtually in February, 2021.
• In March, 2021, US President Joe Biden hosted the first-ever summit of the Quad leaders in the virtual format that was followed by an in-person summit in Washington in September 2021.
• The Quad has been focusing cooperation in areas such as producing vaccines, connectivity projects, facilitating the mobility of students, and looking at promoting startups and technology collaboration.

Source: Indian Express

Important News: India

3. Chairman of Supreme Court panel on Char Dham project Ravi Chopra resigns

Why in News

• Environmentalist and Chairman of the Supreme Court-appointed High Powered Committee (HPC) to oversee the execution of the marquee Char Dham road-widening project Ravi Chopra has resigned from his post, stating the panel to protect the Himalayas “has been shattered.”

Key Points

• Chopra and some members of the HPC had previously argued against such widening on the grounds that it was detrimental to the Himalayan terrain and in violation of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways stated position on the appropriate road width.
• The appropriate road width for the two-lane highway has been a controversial aspect. The HPC itself saw a division, with one set of members saying it would only be 5.5 m wide and another plumbing for a higher road width.
• The SC ruled in September that a 5.5 m width be enforced as it was in conformity with a 2018 circular by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for mountain roads.

Note: The strategic 900-km-long Char Dham project worth ₹12,000 crore aims to provide all-weather connectivity to four holy towns – Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath – in Uttarakhand.

Source: The Hindu

4. Japanese Industrial Townships (JITs) in India

Why in News

• A Joint Meeting was held between India (Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT) and Japan (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) for annual review of progress under Japanese Industrial Townships (JITs) in India.
• It is also worth noting that this year marks the 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Japan.
• The two countries had established diplomatic relations in April 1952.

Key Points

• It may be noted that Japan Industrial Townships (JITs) were set up pursuant to the “Action Agenda for the India-Japan Investment and Trade Promotion and Asia-Pacific Economic Integration” signed between METI, Government of Japan and DPIIT, Government of India in April 2015 to take steps to develop “Japan Industrial Townships” in India especially in Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) and Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) regions in order to facilitate Japanese investment to India.
• Japan is the only country that has dedicated country-focused industrial townships across India.
• Currently there are 114 Japanese companies across the JITs.
• As the 5th largest investor, Japan has contributed over USD 36.2 Billion in cumulative investments since 2000, especially in key sectors such as automobiles, Electronics System Design & Manufacturing (ESDM), Medical Devices, Consumer goods, Textiles, Food processing and Chemicals.

Facts about Japan:

• Capital: Tokyo
• Currency: Japanese yen
• Prime Minister: Fumio Kishida

Source: PIB

5. ISRO successfully launches earth observation satellite EOS-04 along with two other satellites

Why in News

• ISRO successfully launched earth observation satellite EOS-04 along with two other satellites.

Key Points

• India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C52 successfully injected Earth Observation Satellite EOS-04, into an intended sun synchronous polar orbit of 529 km altitude from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR, Sriharikota.
• The satellite EOS-04 is a Radar Imaging Satellite designed to provide high-quality images under all weather conditions for applications such as Agriculture, Forestry & Plantations, Soil Moisture & Hydrology and Flood mapping.
• PSLV C52 also placed two small satellites. One of them is a student satellite INSPIREsat-1 developed by Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology in association with Laboratory of Atmospheric & Space Physics at the University of Colorado. Another is a technology demonstrator satellite INS-2TD from ISRO, which is a precursor to India-Bhutan Joint Satellite INS-2B.

Note:

• This was the first launch of PSLV since the failure of the EOS-03 mission launched last year.
• The first launch of 2022 has set in motion ISRO’s plans to conduct 18 other missions this year, including the high profile launch of Chandrayaan-3 to the Moon and the much-awaited uncrewed launch of the country’s Gaganyaan mission.

Source: Indian Express

Important News: State

6. Medaram Jathara 2022

Why in News

• The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has sanctioned 2.26 crore rupees for various activities pertaining to the festival of Medaram Jathara 2022.

Key Points

• The Medaram Jathara is the second-largest fair of India, after the Kumbh Mela, celebrated by the second-largest Tribal Community of Telangana- the Koya tribe for four days.
• This Jathara has been declared as a State Festival during 1998.
• This year the Jathara will be held from 16th February to 19th February 2022 (4-days).
• This Jathara is conducted in honour of the Goddesses Sammakka and Saralamma.
• Under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Government has announced that tribal culture and heritage will be the cynosure of 2022.

Source: newsonair

7. Central Jail Indore gets own FM radio channel

Why in News

• In Madhya Pradesh, Central Jail of Indore has started its own radio channel 'Jail Vaani-FM 18.77'.

Key Points

• Through this radio channel, the jail inmates will get to know about the happening in the world.
• The radio channel will also provide the jail inmates with information on health and social issues. 

Source: TOI

Important News: Defence

8. CRNO visit to India

Why in News

• Rear Admiral Saif Bin Nasser Bin Mohsin Al Rahbi, Commander of the Royal Navy of Oman (CRNO) is on a goodwill visit (13 - 17 Feb 22) of to India.

Key Points

• The visit aims to consolidate bilateral relations with the Indian Navy, as also to explore new avenues for defence cooperation with India. 
• The CRNO commenced his visit by paying homage at the National War Memorial on 14 Feb 22.
• The first visit of the incumbent CRNO to India, reverberates the growing cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman, which include operational interactions, training and exchange of Subject Matter Experts.

Note:

• Both Navies have been participating in the biennial maritime exercise ‘Naseem Al Bahr’since 1993.
• This exercise was last conducted in 2020, off Goa and the next edition is scheduled later this year.

Facts about Oman:

• Capital: Muscat
• Currency: Omani rial

Source: PIB

9. IAF to show off ‘Made in India’ Tejas fighter jets at Singapore Air Show 2022

Why in News

• A44 member contingent of the Indian Air Force (IAF) reached Changi International Airport in Singapore to participate in the Singapore Air Show-2022, slated for February 15 to 18.
• The IAF will be pitching the indigenous Tejas MK-I ac alongside participants from across the world.

Key Points

• The Singapore Air Show is a biennial event which provides a platform for the global aviation industry to showcase their products.
• The participation of IAF in the Air Show provides India with the opportunity to showcase the Tejas aircraft and to interact with counterparts from RSAF (Royal Singapore Air Force) and other participating contingents.

Note: In the past, the Indian Air Force had participated in similar air shows like LIMA-2019 in Malaysia and Dubai Air Show-2021 to exhibit indigenous aircraft and formation aerobatic teams.

About Tejas:

• The Tejas is an Indian fighter jet developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy in collaboration with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).
• Tejas was the result of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme that began in the 1980s to replace IAF's ageing MiG-21 fighters.
• The Tejas is the second supersonic fighter developed by HAL.

Source: India Today

Daily Current Affairs: 15:02:2022