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GS SCORE Current Affairs February 2022 Week 3 PDF

1)  Central Excise Day 2022: 24 February 2022

•Central Excise Day of India is celebrated every year on February 24. The day is being celebrated to honour the service of the Central Board of Excise and Custom (CBEC) to the country. The day is celebrated to honour the officers associated with CBEC and their services. The day is celebrated to commemorate the legislation of the Central Excise and Salt act on 24 February 1944.

2)  PM CARE for Children scheme extended by the Centre till 28th Feb 2022

•The PM Cares for Children Scheme has been extended by the Ministry of Women and Child Development of the Government of India till February 28, 2022. Previously, the scheme was applicable till December 31, 2021. A letter has been written in this respect to all Principal Secretaries/ Secretaries, Women and Child Development, Social Justice & Empowerment Departments of all States and UTs, with a copy to all District Magistrates/District Collectors.

To be eligible for the scheme, the child must be under the age of 18 at the time of their parents’ death, to be considered eligible for payments under this plan. All children who have suffered the following losses are covered under the scheme:

1.Lost both parent due to COVID-19 Pandemic,

2.Legal guardian/adoptive parents/single adoptive parent, from 11.03.2020, the day on which WHO proclaimed and defined COVID-19 as pandemic.

Those who are eligible can now be registered in the PM CARES for Children Scheme until February 28, 2022 via the website https://pmcaresforchildren.in.

3)  GoI launches the “Janbhagidari Empowerment” portal in J&K

•The Central Government launched the “Janbhagidari Empowerment” portal in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, in line with the government’s digital mission. The 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 an information platform. After the movement of this portal on a different server, it has started to open quickly enough, and thus the 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.

4)  Exercise Cobra Warrior 22: India to participate in multi-nation Exercise in March

•Indian Air Force will participate in a multi-nation air exercise named ‘Exercise Cobra Warrior 22’ at Waddington, in the United Kingdom from March 06 to 27, 2022. IAF Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas will participate in the exercise along with fighter aircraft of the UK and other leading Air Forces. Five Tejas aircraft will fly to the United Kingdom. IAF C-17 aircraft will provide the necessary transport support for induction and de-induction.

5)  Union Minister Giriraj Singh releases Rural Connectivity GIS Data in Public Domain

•Giriraj Singh, who is the Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, has released the Rural Connectivity GIS Data in Public Domain. This data includes the GIS data for more than 8 lakh rural facilities which have been collected and digitised using the GIS platform developed for the PM-GSY scheme. Other than Giriraj Singh, other Union Ministers like Faggan Singh Kulaste and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, were also present at the release event.

6)  India Ratings decrease GDP growth at 8.6% for FY22

•India Ratings has revised downwards its GDP growth forecast for 2021-22 to 8.6 per cent from the consensus 9.2 per cent projected earlier. According to an India rating analysis, National Statistical Organisation (NSO) is likely to peg the FY22 real gross domestic product growth at Rs 147.2 lakh crore. This translates into a GDP growth rate of 8.6 per cent, down from the 9.2 per cent forecast in the first advance estimate released on January 7, 2022.

7)  Sanjeev Sanyal named full-time member of Economic Advisory Council to PM

•Finance Ministry’s Principal Economic Advisor, Sanjeev Sanyal has been inducted as a full-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), the panel’s chairman Bibek Debroy announced. The appointment is for a tenure of two years. He had advised the finance ministry to devise economic policies during the pandemic. The EAC-PM is an independent body constituted by the Union government to advise the prime minister on economic matters.

8)  Reliance Jio’s New Subsea Cable ‘India-Asia-Xpress’ To Connect Maldives

•India’s largest 4G mobile broadband and digital service provider, Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. will land the next generation multi-terabit India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) undersea cable system in Hulhumale, Maldives. The high capacity and high-speed IAX system will connect Hulhumale directly with World’s major internet hubs in India and Singapore.

•On the other hand, the India-Europe-Xpress (IEX) system connects Mumbai to Milan, landing in Savona, Italy, and includes additional landings in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean. While IAX is expected to be ready for service by the end-2023, IEX will be ready for service in mid-2024.

9)  India to set up its first IIT outside the country in UAE

•The Indian Institute of Technology will establish its first branch outside India in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of the India-UAE trade deal signed. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed between the UAE and India will usher in a new phase of joint strategic cooperation in all sectors. The two nations will also set up an India-UAE cultural council to facilitate and promote cultural projects, cross-cultural exchanges and exhibitions.

•The two countries and realising the need to establish world-class institutions that encourage and support innovation and technological progress, the leaders agreed to establish an Indian Institute of Technology in the United Arab Emirates.

10)  Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh becomes 100th ‘Har Ghar Jal’ District

•Jal Jeevan Mission has achieved the significant milestone of providing tap water to every home of 100 districts across the country. Chamba, in Himachal Pradesh, has become the 100th ‘Har Ghar Jal’ district, the fifth aspirational district to be covered under the initiative. The other four Har Ghar Jal Aspirational districts are Bhadradri Kothgudem, Jayashankar Bhupalpalli, Komram Bheem Asifabad (all in Telangana) and Mewat in Haryana.

•To translate Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of providing clean tap water to every home in the country by 2024, in a short span of two and half years and despite COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown disruptions, Jal Jeevan Mission, has provided tap water supply to more than 5.78 Crore rural households. As a result, today 100 districts in the country are enjoying the benefits of clean tap water supply and Jal Jeevan Mission is on track to fulfil the Government’s resolve to provide tap water supply to every rural household by 2024.

11)  Dredging Museum ‘Nikarshan Sadan’ inaugurated by the Union Minister Sarbananda Sonawal

•Sarbananda Sonowal who is India’s union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and AYUSH has inaugurated Nikarshan Sadan” – The Dredging Museum at DCI campus in Vishakhapatnam. This museum displays models of different types of dredgers, vintage photos & historical milestones from the Eastern Port City of Vizag.

•Union Minister Sonowal also addressed the employees and stated that DCI is a very important organisation in the Maritime Sector. He also added that Dredging is very important for the existence of the port and in the competitive world.

•A presentation on the performance details and future plans of DCI was given by Dr. G Y V Victor (MD&CEO) and the Chairman, K Rama Mohana Rao, including other department heads.

•DCI is celebrating 45 years of its dedicated dredging services to the Nation’s ports, also coinciding with the “Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”.

Minister Sonowal also inaugurated skill development facility -Centre of Excellence in Maritime and Shipbuilding (CEMS) at an event in Visakhapatnam. The Visakhapatnam facility of CEMS has 18 state-of-the-art labs, covering each and every aspect of manufacturing.

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1)  PM Modi inaugurated ‘Kisan Drone Yatra’ and flagged off 100 ‘Kisan Drones’

•Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the ‘Kisan Drone Yatra’, an initiative by Garuda Aerospace Pvt Ltd and flagged off 100 ‘Kisan Drones’ in various cities and towns across India to spray pesticides in farms across the states of India. The 100 Kisan Drones were set off in 100 villages in 16 states across India which includes Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Goa.

2)  GoI organise week-long ‘Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate’ Science exhibition

•The Government of India has organised a week-long science exhibition titled ‘Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate’ from February 22 to 28, 2022, as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav commemoration. It will be conducted simultaneously at 75 locations across the country through a hybrid model. The inaugural programme was held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on the 22nd of February.

•The exhibition will celebrate science and technology (S&T) and display the country’s scientific legacy and technology prowess. The exhibition will culminate on February 28, 2022, which coincide with the National Science Day, commemorated in remembrance of Nobel Laureate Sir C.V. Raman’s path-breaking discovery of the Raman Effect in 1930.

3)  Centre nominates Sanjay Malhotra as a Director of Central Board of RBI

•The Centre government has nominated Sanjay Malhotra, Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, as a Director on the Central Board of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The nomination of Malhotra, a 1990 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre, is effective from February 16, 2022, and until further orders.

•Prior to his appointment as DFS Secretary, Malhotra was the Chairman and Managing Director of REC Ltd. He succeeded Debashish Panda, who completed his term on January 31, 2022.

4)  India and France sign Roadmap on Blue Economy

•India and France have inked a roadmap to enhance their bilateral exchanges on the blue economy and ocean governance. Dr S Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to France, from February 20 to 22, 2022, to attend EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific scheduled for February 22. The agreement on ‘Roadmap on Blue Economy and Ocean Governance’ was signed between India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar’s and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian.

5)  Israel successfully tests fire ‘C-Dome’ new naval air defence system

•Israel successfully tested a new naval air defence system “C-Dome,” to be used on the Israeli Navy’s Sa’ar 6-class corvettes. C-Dome is the naval version of the Iron Dome, an all-weather air defence system of Israel to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and missiles, from the Gaza Strip. The successful test further strengthens the missile defence systems of the Israeli Navy to safeguard the maritime assets of the State of Israel.

6)  Russian President Putin divided Ukraine into 3 countries

•Russian President, Vladimir Putin has recognised the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine – Donetsk and Luhansk. Putin’s announcement paved the way for Russia to openly send troops and weapons to the long-running conflict pitting Ukrainian forces against Moscow-backed rebels. Russian-backed rebels have been fighting Ukrainian troops in Donetsk and Luhansk since 2014, with regular violence despite a ceasefire agreement.

•Putin signed decrees recognizing the Donetsk and Luhansk regions’ independence, eight years after fighting erupted between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces, and called on lawmakers to approve measures paving the way for military support.

7)  Gurugram sisters chosen as ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ brand ambassadors

•International Chess Player woman FIDE Masters, Tanishka Kotia and her sister Riddhika Kotia are appointed as Brand Ambassadors of ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ scheme for the Gurugram District of Haryana. Tanishka Kotia won the Limca Book of Records for being the youngest chess player in 2008. They belong to the Haryana state.

•Tanishka Kotia ranks 2nd in the country in the under-16 category, World Chess Federation rankings released in 2019. She won a gold medal at the ASEAN Chess Championship in 2013 and silver at the Commonwealth Chess Championship In 2014 in Scotland. Riddhika Kotia represented India at several prestigious international events, including the World Junior Chess Championship 2020.

8)  Assam Govt Launches India’s First Night Navigation Mobile App In Rivers

•Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma has launched India’s first Night Navigation mobile application for ferry services on the Brahmaputra River in Guwahati, Assam. It was developed by the State Transport Department in association with K Raju, the principal scientist of IIT Madras. The first night journey of the IWT (Inland Water Transport) ferry between Guwahati and North Guwahati was started on 19 February 2022.

•The Chief Minister also launched ten Aadhar-based contactless services of the State Transport Department to make public service delivery time-efficient and budget-friendly. The CM also launched an e-ticketing system for Dhubri and Silchar ferry services. An MoU was also signed between the Common Service Centres (CSCs) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the State Transport Department to provide online services at the panchayat level.

9)  Lavender designated as brand product of J&K’s Doda district

•The Union Minister of Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, chaired the District Development Coordination & Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meetings of several districts in Jammu & Kashmir recently. A key decision taken during the meeting was to designate Lavender as a Doda brand product, to promote lavender under the ‘One District, One Product’ initiative of the Modi Government.

•Doda district in J&K is the birthplace of India’s Purple Revolution or the cultivation of Lavender. Though, Lavender cultivation is practised in almost all the 20 districts of Jammu & Kashmir.

10)  India’s R Praggnanandhaa becomes youngest player to beat World No 1 Magnus Carlsen

•India’s teen chess Grandmaster, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa has created history as he defeated world number one chess champion, Magnus Carlsen, of Norway in an online chess tournament. The Airthings Masters is the first of the nine events of the 2022 Meltwater Champions Chess Tour, being held from February to November 2022.

•The 16-year-old Pragg achieved the feat in the eighth round of the Airthings Masters, an online rapid chess tournament, in 39 moves with black pieces. Pragg is also only the third Indian grandmaster to win against Magnus Carlsen apart from Viswanathan Anand and Pentala Harikrishna.

11)  Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz creates history, becomes youngest ATP 500 winner

•The 18-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz has clinched the Rio Open tennis title after defeating Diego Schwartzman in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The seventh-seeded Alcaraz defeated third-seeded Schwartzman 6-4, 6-2 to become the youngest ATP 500 champion since the category was created in 2009. It is the second tour-level title of the teen’s career following his breakthrough in Umag last year.

•Alcaraz converted five of his six break points in the match. Overall, he won 55 per cent of his return points to put constant pressure on his veteran opponent.