Current Affairs 10 February 2022

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

NITI Aayog Report: Around 65% Hospital Beds Cater to 50% India’s Population

A NITI(National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog report titled ‘Reimagining Healthcare in India through Blended Finance’ revealed that about 65 percent of hospital beds in India cater to almost 50 percent of India’s population.

• The number of beds must be increased by at least 30 percent to ensure equitable access to healthcare facilities for people.
• The report pointed out that India’s healthcare spending is 3.6 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), including out-of-pocket and public expenditure and the combined total government expenditure of both central and state is 1.29 percent of GDP.

• India’s healthcare spending is least among BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) countries, where Brazil spends the most (9.2 percent), followed by South Africa (8.1 percent), Russia (5.3 percent) and China (5 percent).

About Ministry of Health and Family welfare (MoHFW):
Union Minister – Mansukh Mandaviya (Rajya Sabha Gujarat)
Minister of state – Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar (Dindori, Maharashtra)
>> Read Full News

AIM, NITI Aayog & USAID Collaborate to Accelerate Health Innovation & Entrepreneurship in India

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of NITI Aayog, and the U.S. (United States) Agency for International Development (USAID) jointly took over a new partnership under the ‘Sustainable Access to Markets and Resources for Innovative Delivery of Healthcare’ (SAMRIDH) initiative to improve access to affordable and quality healthcare for vulnerable populations in tier-2, tier-3 cities, rural and tribal regions of India.

• It will focus on the healthcare sector and build health system preparedness for future infectious disease outbreaks and health emergencies.

Key points:
i.In 2020, the SAMRIDH initiative was developed by USAID, IPE Global along with the support of Indian government agencies, academia, and the private sector. 

• It blended finance facilities to combine public and philanthropic funds with commercial capital to create and rapidly scale market-based health solutions.

ii.This partnership will enhance SAMRIDH’s efforts to reach vulnerable populations, leveraging AIM’s expertise in innovation and entrepreneurship.
About Atal Innovation Mission (AIM):
It was launched by NITI (National Institute of Transforming India) Aayog, a flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.
Objectives: To develop new programmes and policies for fostering innovation in different sectors of the economy.
Six  Major Initiatives:

• Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs),
•  Atal Incubation Centers (AIC), 
• Atal New India Challenges, 
• Mentor India,
• Atal Community Innovation Centre (ACIC) and
• Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE

Mission Director- Dr Chintan Vaishnav
About  NITI (National Institute of Transforming India) Aayog:
CEO– Amitabh Kant
Chairperson- Prime Minister of India (Narendra Modi)
Formed- 1 January 2015
Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi
About U.S. (United States) Agency for International Development (USAID):
Headquarters- Washington, D.C., United States
Founder- John F. Kennedy
Founded- 3 November 1961
Administrator- Samantha Power 

India is the 5th Largest Exporter of Millets: MoCI Data

As per the data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), India is the 5th largest exporter of millets in the world (as per the 2020 data).

• India is the world leader in the production of millets with a share of around 41 percent of total global millet production in 2020. 
• As per the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare data, India produces around 12 million MT of millets annually.

Key Points over Millet Export:
i.The millets export of India increased continuously at around 3 percent CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) in the last 5 years ending with 2020.
ii.In 2020-21, India exported millets worth USD 26.97 million against USD 28.5 million in 2019-20.
iv.Top Destinations of India’s Millet Export:

• The other 7 destinations in the top-ten list of India’s millet export are Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, UK (United Kingdom), Yemen, Oman and Algeria.

About Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI):
Union Minister – Piyush Goyal (Rajya Sabha Maharashtra)
Minister of State – Anupriya Singh Patel (Constituency – Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh) ; Som Parkash (Constituency – Hoshiarpur, Punjab)
>> Read Full News

ASEAN-India High-Level Conference on Renewable Energy: Organised by MNRE, MEA of GoIThe ASEAN (Association of SouthEast Asian Nations)-India High-Level Conference on Renewable Energy held virtually for two days from February 7 to 8, 2022.

• Organizer – The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India, in collaboration with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), India and the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), Indonesia hosted the ASEAN-India High Level Conference on Renewable Energy (RE) virtually.
• Theme of the conference: “Experience and Innovations for Integrated Renewables Market.

Key Points:
i.The vision and plans of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and potential benefits for ASEAN member countries joining the alliance was briefed by Dr Ajay Mathur, Director-General, ISA.
ii.India envisages connecting ASEAN Power Grid and expanding the grid integration beyond the grouping to the Indian sub-continent in line with the “One Sun One World One Grid” initiative.
iii.The ASEAN Power Grid (APG) is an initiative to construct a regional power interconnection to connect the region to enhance electricity trade across borders.
iv.Participants: H.E. Tun Lean, Secretary of State, Ministry of Mines and Energy of Cambodia, (the current chair of ASEAN), H.E. Bhagwanth Khuba, Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy and Fertilizers, GoI R.K. Singh, Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy, GoI, have participated in the conference.
Renewable Energy in ASEAN region:
i.The 38th ASEAN Ministers of Energy Meeting (AMEM) held on November 19, 2020, endorsed the APAEC Phase II: 2021- 2025, retaining the same theme of “Enhancing Energy Connectivity and Market Integration in ASEAN to Achieve Energy Security, Accessibility, Affordability and Sustainability for All” with focus on “Accelerating Energy Transition and Strengthening Energy Resilience through Greater Innovation and Cooperation”.
ii.ASEAN will aim to achieve its aspirational targets of 23% share of RE in total Primary Energy Supply and 35% share of RE in ASEAN installed power capacity by 2025 by deploying large-scale RE systems.
Note – Indonesia took over the presidency of G20 in 2022.
About the Conference: 
i.It will feature 5 technical sessions that will facilitate peer to peer discussions between experts from India and ASEAN on themes of mutual interest.  
ii.The conference discusses strategies, achievements and policies to strengthen agreements and explore further opportunities for cooperation between Indian and ASEAN markets 
iii.The sessions also offer global audiences including policymakers, professionals, academia and students from around the world to have a glimpse of India-ASEAN plans for taking their cooperation in renewables forward.
About ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations):
Headquarters – Jakarta, Indonesia
Establishment -1967
Secretary-General – H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi
ASEAN Chairmanship 2022 – Cambodia
Member States – 10 Countries viz Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam.

IIM Kozhikode & DMEO, NITI Aayog Signed SoI on Institutional Partnership

The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode(IIM-K) and the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), an attached office of NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) signed the Statement of Intent (SoI) on Institutional Partnership. 

• The SoI focuses on strategic and technical collaboration to boost India’s overall monitoring and evaluation environment with a special focus on building a data monitoring and evaluation stack.
• The SoI was signed by Debashis Chatterjee, Director of IIM-K and SekharBonu, Director General of DMEO. 
• The target group for the exercise include public officials at the Centre and states in partnership with state/ national ministries/ departments/ institutions in the national organisations.

Objective of the SoI:
To establish a framework for cooperative institutional relations which will focus on encouraging and promoting cooperation in the area of technical development, support appropriate capacity building and joint studies in the field of monitoring and evaluation of government policies and programs through econometric evaluation and monitoring.
Key Points:
i.Under this collaboration with DMEO, IIM-K will organise capacity building programs workshops, forums, seminars and other activities to increase monitoring and evaluation advocacy in India 
ii.IIM-K and DMEO, NITI Aayog will also collaborate for the exchange of best practices in the area of monitoring and evaluation, with endeavours to upload them on websites to ensure better dissemination of study results and increase the advocacy and outreach on the topic. 

Gaurav Khanna, Launched India’s 1st Para-Badminton Academy in Lucknow, UP

Gaurav Khanna, Dronacharya Awardee and Head National Coach of the Indian Para-badminton team, in association with Ageas Federal Life Insurance, launched India’s 1st Para-Badminton Academy in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh(UP). 
i.The state-of-the-art, high-performance centre equipped with advanced equipment and facilities aims to improve India’s medal chances in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. 
ii.The centre consists of 4 courts: 2 with BWF approved Synthetic Mats for Standing Athletes and 2 Wooden courts for Wheelchair athletes. 

• Gaurav Khanna also unveiled the Ageas Federal ‘Quest for Fearless Shuttlers’ programme to identify and train the new talents for the 2028 and 2032 Paralympics. 

PM Modi Kickstarts 50th Anniversary Celebrations of ICRISAT; Inaugurates 2 Research Facilities

Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi visited the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Patancheru, Hyderabad and kickstarted the 50th Anniversary celebrations of ICRISAT. 
ICRISAT is an international organisation that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia & sub-Saharan Africa, established in 1972. 

• He also inaugurated 2 ICRISAT research facilities: Climate Change Research Facility on Plant Protection and Rapid Generation Advancement Facility, dedicated to the smallholder farmers of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. 
• He also unveiled a specially designed ICRISAT logo and launched a commemorative stamp issued on the occasion.

BANKING & FINANCE

RBL Bank partners with Creditas Solutions to Automate Loan CollectionsRBL Bank (formerly The Ratnakar Bank Limited) has partnered with Creditas Solutions for its SaaS (software as a service)-based ‘Neo Collections’ platform to automate loan collections. This platform, powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technology, is a Do It Yourself (DIY) debt management platform that helps customers to monitor, manage and pay their dues.

• Creditas Solutions, a global technology company in the field of delinquency management.

Key Points:
i.This partnership will enable the bank to offer its customers a convenient, seamless and a non-intrusive repayment experience. 
ii.Customers can access their consolidated account information anytime, on any device and choose the most convenient payment option for repayments of service debt, schedule an EMI (Equated Monthly Installment) plan or opt for payment resolution options.
About RBL Bank (formerly The Ratnakar Bank Limited):
Managing Director & CEO– Rajeev Ahuja (Interim)
Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chatbot– RBL Cares
Tagline – Apno ka Bank

HDFC ERGO launches Cyber Sachet Insurance Policy to counter Digital RisksHDFC ERGO General Insurance Company (HDFC ERGO) launched ‘Cyber Sachet Insurance Policy’ to mitigate cyber-related digital risks for individual customers and keep them internet insured.
About Cyber Sachet Insurance Policy:
i.It is a cyber insurance product providing protection against the all kinds of risks in the digital world at the most affordable price. It is structured into 14 sections with customization options to meet their individual requirements.

• The digital risk includes online fraud, email spoofing, phishing, identity theft, online shopping, reputation restoration, financial loss, and Data Loss, and Cyber Bullying, among others.

ii.Customers can be internet insured with a pocket-sized insurance cover at a nominal premium of less than Rs 2 per day. The sum insured ranges from Rs 10,000 to Rs 5 crores for choice of covers opted for by the customer.
Need behind this product:
Amid pandemic, there is an increasing number of cyber-crime attacks across the globe. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), India recorded 50,035 cases of cyber-crime in 2020 i.e. an 11.8% surge in such offences over 2019. In order to overcome this scenario, this cyber insurance product has been launched.
Point to be noted:
HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company is a 51:49 Joint Venture (JV) between Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) Limited, and ERGO International AG, the primary insurance entity of Munich Re Group.

DBS Bank India signs a pact  with Stellapps Digital Network  to promote digitisation in Dairy Sector

DBS Bank India signed a partnership agreement with Stellapps Digital Network, a leading dairy-tech startup company, as its banking partner to promote digitisation of small dairy industries across India.This initiative aligns with DBS Bank commitment to supporting lives and livelihoods through better business and responsible financing. 
Highlights: 
i.Digitisation of the dairy value chain will improve productivity and quality of milk, transparency and traceability in the supply chain, thereby improving incomes and financial inclusion amongst dairy farmers.
Note- As per UN-FAO data on Dairy Market for 2020, India is the World’s largest Milk producer with 194.8 Million Tones of production, while China is the largest Milk importing country.
ii.Under the agreement, Stellapps Digital Network and DBS Bank will provide dairy farmers with access to funds required for digitisation. 

• The partnership is expected to indirectly benefit 20,000 farmers at present and around 100,000 dairy farmers in the near future.

iii.Stellapps, through its IoT (Internet of Things) based solutions and digital data, offers cloud-based grading of milk. It  brings transparency for the farmers in the quantity and quality of milk supplied and the income derived from it. 
iv.Presently, Stellapps’s digital milk procurement system helps 250 dairy processors, touches over 2.8 million dairy farmers, and provides digital data on over 13 million liters of milk per day. 
About DBS Bank India:
In November 2020, Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) was amalgamated with DBS Bank India.
Operating – 1994
Head Office – Mumbai, Maharashtra (Currently 12 branches in India)
About Stellapps:
Established– 2011 (IIT Madras incubator startup)
CEO – Ranjith Mukundan
Head Office– Bangalore, Karnataka 

Tata Group Picks SBI, BoB, HDFC to Finance Air India’s Old Debt

The Tata Group has chosen State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Baroda (BoB) and HDFC Bank as preferred bankers for India’s largest international airline, ‘Air India’ which was recently taken over by Tata sons from the Government of India.

• Tata Sons availed a Rs 10,000-crore loan from SBI and a Rs 5,000-crore loan from BoB that are unrated, unsecured, and pegged at 4.25% interest rate annually. (The loan acquired from HDFC is unknown yet).
• The new debt availed by the Tata Group will be used to refinance Air India’s debt at over 10%.

Background:
i.In January 2022, Tata Group had received sanction letters from at least 12-15 banks, offering about Rs 35,000 crore to finance the debt of Air India.

• The loans sanctioned by banks were in response to Tata Group seeking Rs 23,000-crore 1-year loan.

ii.Of the Rs 23,000 crore that Tata proposed to raise, Rs 18,000 crore was for acquisition of Air India, and Rs 5,000 crore for its working capital.
About Tata Sons & Air India:
i.Talace, promoted by Tata Sons, has acquired Air India, offering Rs 18,000 crore which includes Rs 15,300 crore for the airline’s existing debt and Rs 2,700 crore in cash to pay the government.
ii.As per the agreement, Tata Sons will retain all the employees of Air India at least for a year in its fleet of 117 aircraft.
iii.Tata operates Vistara in partnership with Singapore Airlines and AirAsia India in partnership with Malaysia’s AirAsia Bhd.
About State Bank of India:
Establishment – 1 July, 1955
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director (MD) – C.S. Setty, Ashwani Bhatia, Swaminathan.J, Ashwini Kumar Tewari

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

IIM-S & Flipkart signs pact to promote weavers, artisans in Odisha

In February 2022, Flipkart signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Odisha based Indian Institute of Management, Sambalpur ((IIM-S) to provide market access to artisans and weavers of Odisha to sell their products online.
Key points:
i.IIM-S will identify clusters of artisans and weavers in Odisha to offer training on business management, marketing and accounting. 
ii.Later, the institute will onboard the selected artisans and weavers with Flipkart’s Samarth programme which  will connect their businesses to a pan-India customer base.

• Under Samarth initiative, the Flipkart has partnered with several states across the country, including Odisha, to sell locally made artifacts in Flipkart. 
• The partnership with the Odisha Government’s State Institute for Development of Arts & Crafts (SIDAC) is helping onboard renowned Odia brands such as Boyanika, Utkalika and Sambalpuri Bastralaya  to access pan-India customers online.

iii.The MoU follows the partnership announced between Flipkart and IIM Sambalpur in August 2021 to support and promote small businesses, artisans and weavers by leveraging technology, e-commerce platform and market insights.

• Popular handicrafts of Odisha- Pattachitra, Palm Leaf Painting,  Papier Mache and others.

Signatories: 
Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director of IIM-S and Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Flipkart Group, virtually signed the agreement in the presence of Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Usha Padhee
About Flipkart:
Founded – 2007
CEO- Kalyan Krishnamurthy 
Headquarters- Bengaluru, Karnataka
About Odisha:
Governor-Ganeshi Lal
National Park (NP)- Bhitarkanika NP, Simlipal NP
Wildlife Sanctuary– Satkosia Gorge sanctuary, Nandankanan sanctuary, Lakhari valley sanctuary   

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

19 yr old Zara Rutherford Becomes Youngest Woman to Fly Solo Around the World

Zara Rutherford, a 19-year-old Belgian-British pilot, has set the world record as the youngest woman to fly solo around the world and she has also become the first woman to circumnavigate the world in a microlight aircraft. She is also the first Belgian to circumnavigate the world solo in a single-engine aircraft.

• She completed her ~52,000-kilometre journey covering 41 countries in a bespoke Shark ultralight aircraft(Shark UL plane).
• She began her journey from  Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport in western Belgium on 18th August 2021 and ended on 20th January 2022.

Previously, the record of youngest woman to fly solo around the world was held by American aviator Shaesta Waiz who achieved the feat at the age of 30 in 2017.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS         

Aníbal Torres Vásquez Appointed as PM of Peru; Succeeds Héctor ValerOn 8th February 2022, Peruvian President Pedro Castillo swore in Aníbal Torres Vásquez as the Prime Minister (PM) or President of the Council of Ministers of Peru. This is Pedro Castillo’s 4th cabinet since he took office on 28th July 2021.

Aníbal Torres Vásquez succeeds Héctor Valer who served as PM for just 3 days.

• The cabinet was reshuffled due to continued internal struggles.

Other appointments:
i.Castillo named nuclear physicist Modesto Montoya as environment minister, replacing an inexperienced geography teacher from a Lima school amid an environmental disaster in Lima following the mid-January spill of 11,900 barrels of oil into the Pacific Ocean.
ii.Hernán Condori, a doctor with experience in Amazon Indigenous territories, is named as his health minister amid a surge in cases of the Omicron variant.
iii.Finance Minister Oscar Graham and Foreign Minister César Landa remain in their posts.
About Peru:
Capital – Lima
Currency – Nuevo Sol 

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS       

CCI Approves Acquisition of athenahealth Group Inc by Funds Managed and Advised by H&F, Bain Capital, & GICSIThe Competition Commission of India (CCI), has approved the acquisition of athenahealth Group, Inc., by the funds managed and advised by Hellman & Friedman LLC (H&F), Bain Capital Investors LLC (Bain), and GIC Special Investments Pte. Ltd(GICSI), and Minerva Holdco, Inc. 

• athenahealth Group, Inc., is a cloud-based provider of the medical record, revenue cycle, patient engagement, care coordination, and population health services, as well as point-of-care mobile applications, headquartered in Massachusetts, United States of America(USA),
• The proposed combination is an acquisition of control, shares, voting rights under Section 5(a) of the Competition Act.

Target: athenahealth Group, Inc.
Acquirers: 

• Funds managed and advised by Bain Capital Investors LLC (Bain): Bain Capital Fund XIII, L.P. and Bain Capital Fund (Lux) XIII, SCSP.
• Funds managed and advised by Hellman & Friedman LLC (H&F): Hellman & Friedman Capital Partners X, L.P., Hellman & Friedman Capital Partners X (Parallel), L.P., HFCP X (Parallel-A), L.P., H&F Executives X, L.P., H&F Executives X-A, L.P. and H&F Associates X, L.P.
• Investment holding vehicle managed and advised by GIC Special Investments Pte. Ltd. (GICSI): Viggo Enterprises Pte. Ltd.

Key Points:
i.The proposed combination relates to the acquisition of athenahealth Group by the Acquirers in accordance with the execution of the Agreement and Plan of Merger entered into between Minerva Bidco Inc, a newly incorporated special purpose vehicle (Minerva Bidco), Minerva Merger Sub, Inc., athenahealth Group and athenahealth Holdings LLC.
ii.In terms of the Competition Act, 2002, following the completion of the proposed combination, the Acquirers will get indirect, joint control of the athenahealth Group through Minerva Parent, LP and Minerva Bidco.
iii.The acquisition will allow the athenahealth Group to accelerate its growth and continue to innovate in the healthcare industry 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Cochin Shipyard delivers 3 Floating Border Out-Post vessels to BSF

On February 8, 2022, the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) under the Ministry of Ports, Ships and Waterways delivered the three Floating Border Out-Post (FBOPs) vessels to the Border Security Force (BSF) for its water wing.

• In this regard, Ayyaru Sivakumar, CSL General Manager (GM) signed the delivery and protocol documents with Kumal Mazumdar, DIG (Deputy Inspector General) of BSF, at an event held in Kolkata, West Bengal.
• With this, CSL has delivered six vessels out of nine FBOPs being built for the BSF.
• These 3 vessels will be deployed at Sundarbans near Indo-Bangladesh border waters.

Background:
In March 2019, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), placed orders for design, construction and supply of nine FBOPs for the water wing of the BSF. These vessels are designed in-house by CSL & classed by Indian Register of Shipping. 

• Their overall length is 46 metres, and breadth is 12 metres.
• FBOPs are designed for deployment in Inland waters of India, specifically in the creek area of Kutch (Gujarat) and Sunderbans of West Bengal.
• The vessels will act as a floating base for the flotilla of 4 fast patrol boats and will supply petrol, fresh water and provisions to the smaller boats.

SPORTS

CAF’s Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon 2021: Senegal won its 1st Africa Cup of Nations

Senegal won the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON) (officially French: Coupe d’Afrique des Nations (CAN)) championship for the first time, defeating Egypt. The AFCON 2021 also known as the TotalEnergies 2021 Africa Cup of Nations was organised by the Confederation of African Football(CAF). 

• AFCON 2021, the 33rd edition of the biennial African football festival, was hosted by ‎Cameroon from 9th January to 6th February 2022.
• The final match of the tournament was held at the Olembé stadium, Yaoundé, Cameroon. 

Other Awards:

• Sadio Mané(Senegal) –  TotalEnergies Man of the Tournament.
• Aliou Cissé(Senegal)  – Coach of the Tournament.
• Edouard Mendy(Senegal) – Goalkeeper of the Tournament award. 
• Vincent Aboubakar(Cameroon) – Umbro Golden Boot. 

OBITUARY

Actor, Olympian & Asian Games medallist, Praveen Kumar Sobti passed awayAsian Games medallist, Praveen Kumar Sobti passed away at the age of 74, due to heart attack. He was a hammer throw & discus throw player, film actor, politician, and soldier with Border Security Force (BSF).
i.Sobti was born on 6 December 1947 in Sarhali Kalan, Punjab.
ii.As an actor, he starred in more than 50 Hindi films and played the famous character of “Bheem” in B.R. Chopra’s television series Mahabharat in 1988. 
iii.As a politician he contested the 2013 Delhi Legislative elections on an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ticket. Later, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014.
iv.He has won 4 medals in the Asian Games. In 1996 he won a Gold for Discus throw and a Bronze for Hammer throw; In 1970 he won a Gold for Discus throw and in 1974 he won a Silver for Discus throw.

• He won a silver medal in the Commonwealth Games at Kingston in 1966. Becoming the second Indian, only after Milkha Singh, to win a medal for India in Commonwealth Games.
• He also competed in two Olympics, in 1968 Mexico City, Mexico and in 1972 Munich, Germany.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Safer Internet Day 2022 – February 8 The Safer Internet Day(SID) is annually observed across the globe on the 2nd day(Tuesday) of the 2nd week of February to promote the safe and positive use of digital technology, especially among children and young people. 

SID is the annual flagship campaign under the European Strategy for Better Internet for Children. 
The Safer Internet day 2022 is celebrated with the theme: “Together for a better internet”.

• This aims to encourage people to take part in the movement and to make the most of the potential of the internet to bring people together. 
• Since 2019, “Together for a better internet” has been the theme of SID. 

Safer Internet Day 2022 (SID 2022) observed on 8th February 2022, marks the celebration of the 19th edition of SID. 

• The 18th Edition of SID, SID 2021 was observed on 9th February 2021. 
• The 20th edition of SID, SID 2023 will be observed on 7th February 2023. 

Background:
i.Safer Internet Day was started as an initiative of the European Union (EU)’s SafeBorders project in 2004 and was later taken up by Insafe, a European network of Safer Internet Centres (SICs)
ii.The first ever Safer Internet Day was celebrated on 6th February 2004. It was celebrated in 14 countries (13 EU countries and Australia).
iii.At present, the day is celebrated in ~200 countries across the world. 
Significance:
i.SID is celebrated by the Safer Internet Centres, Safer Internet Day Committees and other supporters in each of the countries. 
ii.Every year, the observance of the SID aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and current concerns from cyberbullying to social networking to digital identity. 
The Better Internet for Kids annual report 2021:
i.On the occasion of Safer Internet Day 2022, a report titled “The Better Internet for Kids review of the year 2021” was released. 
ii.The report provides an overview of a multitude of stakeholder efforts to both protect and empower in their digital lives. 

STATE NEWS

‘Invest Rajasthan Campaign’: Rajasthan Government Signs MoUs Worth Rs 3.05 lakh crore for Renewable EnergyOn 8th January 2022 the Rajasthan government signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)/ Letter of Intent (LoI) with major players in the renewable energy sector, capturing investment of Rs 3.05 lakh crore under the ‘Invest Rajasthan Campaign’.

• The investment includes renewable energy projects with 92.1 GigaWatt (GW) or 92,100 Megawatt (MW) capacity and 4GW solar module manufacturing.
• The companies that signed the MoU include 5 Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) – NTPC Ltd (formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited), NHPC Ltd, Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Limited, THDC India Ltd and Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) along with private players such as Reliance, Axis and SAEL.

Highlights:
Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Pvt Ltd, the nodal department for Renewable Energy with Bureau of Investment Promotion, the state nodal agency for investment promotion, will coordinate with the investors.

• The revenue department is fulfilling the land related requirements for the investors with full commitment.
• The Rajasthan government is providing a favourable environment and full cooperation to the investors.

About the MoU/LoI:
i.Reliance New Energy Solar Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, signed an LoI for investing Rs 1 lakh crore for generation of 20,000 MW solar power.

• The Reliance New Energy Solar Limited will invest in 1 lakh acres in 5 districts – Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Barmer, Jalore and Bikaner.

ii.NTPC signed an LoI for investment of Rs 40,000 crore to generate 10 GW.
Note:
i. As of August 2021, India was at 4th Global Position for overall installed renewable energy capacity
ii.India has committed to a goal of 450 GW renewable energy capacity by 2030.
About Rajasthan:
Governor – Kalraj Mishra
Zoological Park – Sajjangarh Biological Park (Udaipur Zoo), Kota Zoo
Airport – Jaipur International Airport, Maharana Pratap Airport, Jodhpur Airport

ReNew Power commissions Gujarat’s 1st wind-solar hybrid project 

Gujarat’s first wind-solar hybrid project has been set up by ReNew Power at the Chlor-Alkali unit of Grasim Industries in Vilayat, Bharuch, in southern Gujarat. The project is being developed by ReNew Green Solutions (RGS), the B2B (Business to Business) arm of ReNew Power.

• The first phase of the hybrid project, with 17.6 MW (Mega Watt) commercial-scale wind-solar, has already commenced its operations through which 80 million units of renewable energy generation is expected annually mitigating ~75,000 tCO2e (carbon emissions) annually.

Key Points:
i.Its Phase-II will be commissioned in the next financial year (FY23) with an additional 16.68 MW.
ii.Once both phases are commissioned with a combined capacity of 34.28 MW, the partnership is expected to generate a total of approximately 160 million units of renewable electricity annually, mitigating a cumulative ~150,000 tCO2e (carbon emission) a year.. 

• Both phases together have a total investment of ~Rs 3.82 billion or ~$51 million through an equity partnership.

iii.ReNew Power and Grasim Industries have entered into a 25-year PPA (Power Purchase Agreement), which will see the project supply power for the plant at Vilayat, Bharuch, via an Open Access mechanism.
About ReNew Power:
Founder, Chairman and CEO– Sumant Sinha
Headquarter– Gurugram, Haryana

J&K Becomes the 1st Union Territory to be integrated with NSWS

Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) became the 1st Union Territory (UT) to integrate with the National Single Window System (NSWS) which marks a major leap in Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) in the UT.

• Lieutenant Governor of J&K Manoj Sinha launched the J&K Single Window Clearance System integrated with NSWS in the presence of Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, Government of J&K, Sumita Dawra, Additional Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ranjan Thakur, Principal Secretary Industries & Commerce, Government of J&K.

About NSWS:
i.NSWS is linked with India Industrial Land Bank (IILB) which hosts 45 industrial parks of J&K that will help Investors to discover available land parcels in J&K.

• Currently, the portal hosts applications for 142 central approvals.

ii.NSWS will eliminate the need for investors to visit multiple platforms/offices to gather information and obtain clearances from different stakeholders.
iii.20 Ministries / Departments and 14 States/UTs are on board on NSWS that includes Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
NSWS Access:
i.The NSWS is a digital platform that serves as a guide for investors to identify and to apply for approvals as per their business requirements which was announced in the 2020 budget.
ii.The Know Your Approval (KYA) module on NSWS guides investors to identify approvals required for their business based on a dynamic intuitive questionnaire.

• Currently, the module hosts more than 3,000 approvals across Centre & States.

Background:
i.The NSWS platform was soft launched in September 2021 by the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Textiles and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Piyush Goyal. 
ii.The NSWS portal has over 16,800 visitors, out of which 7,500 KYA queries have been serviced and over 1,250 investors have registered on the portal.
About Jammu & Kashmir:
Lieutenant Governor – Manoj Sinha
Lakes – Wular Lake, Surinsar Lake
Dams – Pakal Dul Dam, Salal Dam, Sewa St II Dam, Uri-II Dam

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