1) Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh Foundation Day: 20 February
•Northern States Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh celebrate their Foundation Day on February 20, since 1987. Arunachal Pradesh is the extreme northern part of the country, which is also known as the ‘land of the rising sun’. The state at the edge of the Himalayas is proud to be called the land of dawn and lit mountains. Arunachal Pradesh became the 24th state of India.
•Mizoram was declared as a separate UT in 1972 under the Northeast Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971. It became the 23rd state of India after the 53rd Amendment to the Indian Constitution, 1986. Mizoram, as well as the state of Arunachal Pradesh, came into existence on 20 February 1987.
2) International Mother Language Day observed on 21 February
•The International Mother Language Day (IMLD) is observed annually on the 21st of February. The day aims to raise awareness regarding linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism. The 2022 theme is “Using technology for multilingual learning: Challenges and opportunities”. The UN mentioned in its statement that this year’s theme raises the potential role of technology to advance multilingual education and support the development of quality teaching and learning for all.
3) PM Narendra Modi inaugurates 550-tonne capacity Gobar-Dhan Plant in Indore
•Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated a 550-tonne capacity “Gobar-Dhan (Bio-CNG) Plant” in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, through video conferencing. This is the biggest Bio-CNG plant in Asia. It has been set up at a cost of Rs 150 crore. The gobardhan plant is based on the concept of waste-to-wealth innovation. Wet urban household waste and waste from cattle and farm is Gobar Dhan.
4) France announces military withdrawal from Mali after nine years
•French president, Emmanuel Macron has announced that France and its European partners will start the military withdrawal from Mali after more than nine years fighting a jihadist insurgency. France first deployed troops against jihadists in Mali in 2013 under the Socialist president François Hollande. The decision has been taken due to a breakdown in France’s relations with the ruling junta government in the country. The heart of this military operation will be shifted from Mali to Niger.
•In recent years, jihadists have taken over swaths of territory in the former French colony, exploiting political turmoil, poverty and the weakness of local authorities. Critics of French strategy in Mali have long accused policymakers in Paris of focusing on the military force at the expense of politics. The withdrawal applies to 2,400 French troops in Mali and a smaller European force of several hundred, which was created in 2020 to reduce the burden on French forces.
5) GoI, World Bank sign loan agreement of $115 million for implementation of REWARD Project
•The Government of India, the State Governments of Karnataka and Odisha and the World Bank have signed a $115 million (INR 869 crore) Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agricultural Resilience through Innovative Development (REWARD) Programme. This programme will help national and state institutions adopt improved watershed management practices to help increase farmers’ resilience to climate change, promote higher productivity and better incomes.
6) UK’s researchers found 180-Million-Year-Old Fossil of ‘Sea Dragon’
•United Kingdom researchers have found colossal 180-million-year-old fossilised remains of an Ichthyosaur, popularly known as a ‘sea dragon’. The researchers show one of the most significant discoveries in the region as the fossil is the biggest and most complete skeleton of its kind found in the United Kingdom. Ichthyosaurs resembled dolphins in body shape and became extinct around 90 million years ago, after first appearing 250 million years ago.
7) TransUnion tieup Ficci for MSME consumer education programme
•TransUnion CIBIL has partnered with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) to launch a unique nationwide MSME consumer education program to support MSME. This program will kick off with MSME clusters in Maharashtra, Assam and Tripura and aims to reach thousands of MSMEs across key MSME clusters in India.
8) Hurun India Wealth Report: India’s millionaire households rose 11% in 2021
•According to the latest Hurun India Wealth Report 2021, the number of dollar-millionaire households in India increased by 11 per cent to 4,58,000 households in 2021, as compared to 2020. A household having a net worth of at least INR 7 crore ($1 million), is referred to as a dollar-millionaire household. The report has estimated that the number of dollar-millionaire households in the country shall increase by 30% over the next five years to reach 6,00,000 households in 2026.
9) Philanthropist Bill Gates conferred Hilal-e-Pakistan honour to eradicate polio
•Microsoft founder and philanthropist, Bill Gates has been conferred with Hilal-e-Pakistan, the second-highest civilian honour in the country, for his efforts to help eradicate polio in Pakistan. Gates is on a day-long visit to Pakistan and has met with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. He also visited the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) that oversees efforts to curb Covid-19.
•According to the statement, Gates appreciated Pakistan’s success against Covid-19 despite resource constraints and the initiatives and measures for public health safety. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been a major contributor in worldwide polio eradication through Gavi, the vaccine alliance. Gates also met Planning and Development Minister and NCOC head Asad Umar and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan.
10) A book titled ‘A Nation To Protect’ authored by Priyam Gandhi Mody
•The book titled “A Nation To Protect” authored by Priyam Gandhi Mody was launched by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. The book highlights the role of PM Narendra Modi during the Covid crisis in the past two years. The book documents the Centre’s leadership in this unprecedented time and how it tided the nation through the crisis.
•During the launch, Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya said he believed that ‘A Nation to Protect’ describes the reality as it unfolded during the last two years. “We have seen what happens when there is a true leadership with a vision,” said Mandaviya referring to PM Modi.
11) A book on Rabindranath Tagore authored by Uma Das Gupta released
•The book titled “A History of Sriniketan: Rabindranath Tagore’s Pioneering Work in Rural Construction” was authored by Uma Das Gupta and published under Niyogi Books ‘Paper Missile’ released. The book contains Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s work in ‘village reconstruction’ by setting up ‘Sriniketan’, a wing of his Visva Bharati International University at Santiniketan in 1922, which is also popularly known as a university town. It is situated in West Bengal.
•The book highlights the efforts of Rabindranath Tagore in improving the condition of the peasantry by using scientific methods of cultivation through laboratory experiments where the expert and the peasant collectively participated.
12) Mumbai to host International Olympic Committee session in 2023
•Mumbai, India will host the International Olympic Committee session in 2023. The IOC Session for 2023 will be held at Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai. The last such session was hosted by India in the year 1983 in New Delhi. In 2022, the IOC session was held in Beijing, China. Nita Ambani is the representative of India on this committee. Mumbai received a historic 99% of the votes in favour of its bid from the delegates participating in the process, with 75 members endorsing its candidature in the session held at Beijing.
