National & International Appointments
1. S Unnikrishnan Nair appointed as Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
- Dr S Unnikrishnan Nair has been appointed as the Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).
- He will succeed S Somanath, who recently took over as the chairman of ISRO.
- He is currently serving as the director of Human Space Flight Centre.
- He joined VSSC in 1985 and held many important positions like first project director, Human Space Flight Project deputy director, VSSC programme director, etc
- VSSC: space research center of Indian Space Research Organization.
National & International Appointments
2. Paul Collingwood appointed as interim head coach of England cricket team
- England has appointed Paul Collingwood as the interim head coach of the team for the upcoming three-Test tour against West Indies.
- His appointment comes after former head coach Chris Silverwood and managing director (MD) Ashley Giles were sacked, following England's 4-0 Ashes defeat to Australia.
- Paul David Collingwood: Former English cricketer, who played all three formats of the game internationally for England. He is the first T20I captain for England.
National Affairs
3. Ministry of Culture to organize Global Summit ‘Reimagining Museums in India
- Ministry of Culture will organize 2-Day online Global Summit on ‘Reimagining Museums in India’ under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
- It will be held on 15th and 16th February 2022.
- It will bring together leading experts and practitioners of museum development and management field.
- It is being organized in partnership with Bloomberg.
- It will encompass four broad themes: Architecture and Functional Needs, Management, Collections and Education and Audience Engagement.
Summits & Conferences
4. TEPC organizes exclusive International Business Expo ‘India Telecom 2022’
- Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council (TEPC) has organized Exclusive International Business Expo titled as ‘India Telecom 2022’
- It is being held from 8th to 10th February
- Aim: to provide opportunities to the Indian telecom stakeholders to meet qualified overseas buyers
- It will be held under Market Access Initiative Scheme (MAI) of Department of Commerce and with support of Department of Telecommunications and Indian missions in different countries.
Agreement
5. AIM, NITI Aayog, and USAID collaborates under SAMRIDH initiative
- Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced new partnership under Sustainable Access to Markets and Resources for Innovative Delivery of Healthcare (SAMRIDH) initiative.
- It will improve access to affordable and quality healthcare for vulnerable populations in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, rural and tribal regions.
- It will enhance SAMRIDH’s efforts to reach vulnerable populations, leveraging AIM expertise.
Summits & Conferences
6. Identification, Rescue, Rehabilitation of Children in Street Situations
- National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has organized National level meeting on Identification, Rescue and Rehabilitation of Children in Street Situations in New Delhi
- It was organized in connection with Supreme Court’s directions on the issue of identification and rehabilitation of Children in Street Situations.
- NCPCR has developed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 2.0 for Care and Protection of Children in Street Situations.
National Affairs
7. AYUSH Minister launches dedicated storefront for Ayurveda product on Amazon
- AYUSH Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has launched dedicated storefront for Ayurveda products on Amazon in the marketplace.
- This Ayurveda product storefront will enhance the visibility of unique Ayurveda products like skin-care supplements, immunity boosters, oils, juices and more from small businesses and startup brands
- It will make shopping easier as product selection has been done according to focus areas and health benefits like pain management, immunity boosters, etc
Science & Technology
8. Scientists develop new technology platform to detect SARS-CoV-2
- Scientists has developed new technology, platform for fluorometric detection of pathogens (viruses) by measurement of fluorescent light emitted.
- The new technology has been demonstrated for the detection of SARS-CoV-2.
- It can also be used to detect other DNA/RNA pathogens like HIV, influenza, HCV, Zika, Ebola, bacteria, and other mutating pathogens.
- This work has been published recently in the journal ‘ACS Sensors’ and team has also filed patent for novel technology.
National Affairs
9. India tops in terms of digital skills readiness: Salesforce Global Index
- India has scored highest on digital readiness among 19 countries that were surveyed as part of Salesforce Global Index.
- The index measures global employee sentiments and readiness to acquire key digital skills needed by businesses today and over next 5 years.
- India had highest digital readiness score of 63 out of 100, with 72% of respondents as they were actively learning digital skills to prepare themselves for the future of work.
National & International Organizations
10. Govt takes up bilaterally with OPEC and heads of international fora
- Govt said that World Oil Outlook 2021 has projected that the oil demand in India is expected to reach around 11 million barrels per day by 2045 as compared to approximately 4.9 million barrels per day in 2021.
- It is a flagship publication by Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
- Govt has been taking up the issue, bilaterally with crude oil-producing countries with OPEC to convey India's serious concerns over crude oil price volatility
State Affairs
11. NERCRMS organized training programme on plantation Management of Apple
- NERCRMS in collaboration with Ziro Valley Charity Mission Society (ZVCMS), Arunachal Pradesh, has organized training programme on Pruning and Post-plantation Management of Apple Orchards at Apple garden in Supyu village, Arunachal Pradesh
- Nineteen beneficiaries were identified from various Community Based Organizations (CBOs).
- They were trained in pruning method of low-chilling apples as well as on how to protect plants from pests and diseases that affects the crop.
International Affairs
12. Visa-free entry for Indian business travelers to Maldives comes into force
- Maldives has announced that Visa-free entry for Indian business travellers to the island nation, comes into effect.
- It will be effective from 1st February.
- It has commenced the process of granting Indian Nationals visa free entry for business purposes, for a period not exceeding the visa free period of 90 days.
- As part of the reciprocal arrangement, multiple entry, non-resident, business visa will be granted for Indian Nationals for 90 days within 6 months.
State Affairs
13. West Bengal govt launches ‘Paray Shikshalaya’ for students from class 1-7
- West Bengal government has launched ‘Paray Shikshalaya’, which is an open-air classroom in the neighbourhood programme for students from class 1 to 7.
- Aim: to encourage students who dropped out of schools during the Covid-19 pandemic to continue their education.
- Initially, it was meant for primary school students from class 1 to 5.
- Students are being called in batches and arrangements for mid-day meals have also been made for the students taking neighbourhood classes.
State Affairs
14. Gujarat govt announces new IT/ITeS policy to generate 1 lakh employment
- Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel has announced new IT/ITeS policy for the next five years
- Aim: to provide financial incentives up to Rs 200 crore to the entities willing to incur capital expenditures.
- It will also generate employment about 1 lakh youths.
- It also seeks to increase IT-ITeS exports from current Rs 3000 crore annually to 25,000 crore over the next five years
- Its operative period will start from the day of notification to 31st March 2027.
Comments
write a comment