Daily Current Affairs: 08:02:2022
Important News: World
1. Second phase of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
Why in News
- Recently, Pakistan signed a new agreement with China to begin the second phase of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Key Points
About China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC):
- The CPEC is a 3,000-km long route of infrastructure projects connecting China’s northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the Gwadar Port in the western province of Balochistan in Pakistan.
- CPEC is a part of the Belt and Road Initiative. The Belt and Road Initiative, launched in 2013, aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes.
India’s Stand on CPEC: India has protested to China over the CPEC as it is being laid through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Source: Indian Express
2. ASEAN-India High Level Conference on Renewable Energy
Why in News
- The ASEAN-India High Level Conference on Renewable Energy, being organized by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Ministry of External Affairs of Government of India on 7-8 February 2022 commenced.
Key Points
- The theme of the conference is “Experience and Innovations for Integrated Renewables Market”.
- The Ministerial session was addressed by Energy Ministers and their senior representatives from the ASEAN member countries.
About the Conference:
- The ASEAN-India High Level Conference will feature 5 technical sessions which would facilitate peer to peer discussions between experts from India and ASEAN on themes of mutual interest.
Facts about Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN):
- The 10 member countries of ASEAN are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.
- Headquarters: Jakarta, Indonesia
- Founded: 8 August 1967
Source: PIB
Important News: India
3. Mansukh Mandaviya launches Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 4.0
Why in News
- Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare launched Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 4.0.
- He also launched the IMI 4.0 portal and released the “Operational Guidelines for IMI 4.0”, “Strengthening Immunization in Urban Areas-A framework for Action” and a handbook for “Mahila Arogya Samiti on Urban Immunization” and awareness material/IEC package developed as part of the campaign.
Key Points
About Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 4.0:
- IMI 4.0 will have three rounds and will be conducted in 416 districts (including 75 districts identified for Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav) across 33 States/UTs in the country.
- These districts have been identified based on vaccination coverage as per the latest National Family Health Survey-5 report, Health Management Information System (HMIS) data and burden of vaccine preventable diseases.
- The first round will start from 7th February 2022 onwards, the second will be from 7th March 2022, and the third round will be from 4th April 2022.
About Mission Indradhanush:
- With the aim to increase the Full Immunisation Coverage, Prime Minister launched Mission Indradhanush in December 2014 to cover the partially and unvaccinated pregnant women and children in pockets of low immunization coverage, high-risk and hard-to-reach areas and protect them from vaccine preventable diseases.
- Under Mission Indradhanush, all vaccines under Universal Immunization Program (UIP) are provided as per National Immunization Schedule.
- Mission Indradhansuh was also identified as one of the flagship schemes underGram Swaraj Abhiyan (16,850 villages across 541 districts) and Extended Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (48,929 villages across 112 aspirational districts).
- Till date, ten phases of Mission Indradhanush have been completed covering 701 districts across the country.
Note: As of April 2021, during the various phases of Mission Indradhanush, a total of 3.86 crore children and 96.8 lakh pregnant women have been vaccinated.
Source: PIB
4. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flags off NITI Aayog’s Fintech Open Summit
Why in News
- In an effort to showcase the importance of the fintech industry, NITI Aayog, in collaboration with PhonePe, AWS and EY, has organized a three-week-long virtual summit, ‘Fintech Open’, from 7–28 February.
- The summit was inaugurated by Union Minister for Railways, Communications, and Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Key Points
- A first-of-its-kind initiative, Fintech Open will bring together regulators, fintech professionals and enthusiasts, industry leaders, the start-up community, and developers to collaborate, exchange ideas and innovate.
- An open platform is created using public investment, wherein numerous private entrepreneurs, start-ups and developers can join to create new solutions.
- A key highlight of the summit will be India’s biggest fintech hackathon ever, which will provide an opportunity to individual developers and the start-up community to present breakthrough ideas with the potential to solve real-world problems.
Note: Currently, 270 banks are connected with the UPI and many entrepreneurs and start-ups have provided solutions that have helped increase the country’s fintech adoption rate—which is the highest globally at 87%.’
Source: PIB
Important News: State
5. Interim Report of Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Commission
Why in News
- The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Delimitation Commission has changed the complexion of most of the 90 Assembly seats, while reconfiguring and renaming 28 new Assembly constituencies and deleting 19 Assembly segments in its interim report.
Key Points
- Besides, it has proposed to redraw all the five Lok Sabha seats.
- The interim report suggested that the Kashmir division will get an additional seat in Kupwara, while the Jammu division will have one additional seat in Kathua district, one in Samba, one in Doda, one in Rajouri, one in Udhampur and one in Kishtwar.
- In December 2021, the Commission, comprising retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and J&K Election Commissioner K K Sharma, proposed seven additional Assembly seats — six in Jammu division and one in Kashmir Valley.
- For the first time, the Commission proposed reserving nine seats for Scheduled Tribes (STs) on the basis of population. Seven seats were proposed for the Scheduled Castes (SCs).
About Delimitation:
- It is the act of fixing or redrawing the limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies (Assembly or Lok Sabha seat) in a country or a province having a legislative body, as per the Election Commission.
- The Delimitation Commission is appointed by the President of India and works in collaboration with the Election Commission of India.
Composition:
- Retired Supreme Court judge
- Chief Election Commissioner
- Respective State Election Commissioners
Note:
- Under Article 82, the Parliament enacts a Delimitation Act after every Census.
- Under Article 170, States also get divided into territorial constituencies as per Delimitation Act after every Census.
Source: The Hindu
6. Jaipur to get world's 3rd largest cricket stadium
Why in News
- Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly laid the foundation stone of world's third-largest cricket stadium which is going to be built in Jaipur.
Key Points
- The International Cricket Stadium in Jaipur will be the second-largest cricket stadium in India and the third-largest in the world.
- The stadium will have a seating capacity of 75,000 spectators.
Note:
- Currently, Narendra Modi Stadium (former Motera Stadium) in Ahmedabad is the world’s largest stadium.
- The second-largest stadium is Australia’s Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Source: India Today
7. West Bengal government launches open-air classroom ‘Paray Shikshalaya’
Why in News
- The West Bengal government launched an open-air classroom programme ‘Paray Shikshalaya’ (Neighbourhood Schools) for students from class 1 to 7.
Key Points
- The aim of this initiative is to encourage students who dropped out of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- For this, the government has selected clubs and parks to hold classes. Under this, the students would be studying in an open area.
Source: Indian Express
8. Centre clears renaming of Madhya Pradesh's Hoshangabad as Narmadapuram
Why in News
- The Centre has approved the Madhya Pradesh government's proposal to rename Hoshangabad district as Narmadapuram and a Babai town as Makhan Nagar.
Key Points
- Hoshangabad, which is located on the southern banks of River Narmada, is 70 km from the state capital Bhopal.
- Earlier it used to be called Narmadapur and was later named Hoshangabad after Hoshang Shah Gori, the first ruler of the Malwa Sultanate.
- Babai, a town in Hoshangabad district, is the birthplace of Makhan Lal Chaturvedi, a famous Hindi poet, freedom fighter and journalist.
Source: TOI
Important News: Appointment
9. Santishree Dhulipadi Pandit appointed first woman Vice-Chancellor of JNU
Why in News
- Santishree Dhulipadi Pandit has been appointed as the first woman Vice-Chancellor of New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) by the Ministry of Education (MoE).
Key Points
- Santishree Dhulipadi Pandit is currently a professor of political science at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU).
- She has been appointed for five years from the date she assumes the charge as the 13th vice-chancellor of the JNU.
Note: Recently, Professor Dinesh Prasad Saklani from HNB Garhwal University has been appointed as the new director of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
Source: TOI
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