Current Affairs 22 February 2022

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 22 February 2022, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2022 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

 MP Governor Mangubhai Patel Inaugurates 48th Khajuraho Dance Festival

On 20th February 2022, Madhya Pradesh (MP) Governor Mangubhai Patel Inaugurated the Week long 48th Khajuraho Dance Festival in Khajuraho, located in Chhatarpur district, MP. The 48th edition of Khajuraho Dance Festival will be held from 20th to 26th February, 2022.

• The Khajuraho Dance Festival is organised annually by the Government of Madhya Pradesh, Culture Department through Ustad Alauddin Khan Sangeet and Kala Academy, Madhya Pradesh Sanskriti Parishad, Bhopal

About Khajuraho Dance Festival:
i.The Khajuraho dance festival is one of the most celebrated festivals across India, which showcases various dance forms of India with the gathering of renowned dance artists from India and abroad.
ii.The festival will also be presenting artists with the ‘National Kalidas Award’ for dance for the years 2019-20 and 2020-21 and the ‘MP State Rupankar Kala Award’ at this ceremony.
iii.On the first day, disciples of the late ‘Pandit Birju Maharaj’ will perform which will be the centre of attraction.
About Madhya Pradesh:
Chief Minister – Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Stadium – Holkar Cricket Stadium (Maharani Usharaje Trust Cricket Ground), Captain Roop Singh Stadium
Dance – Jawara, Tertali, Lehangi

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

International Trade Growth to slow in 2022: UNCTAD Global Trade Update

i.In accordance with the Global Trade Update by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the global trade growth will slow in the Q1 (first quarter) of 2022. It is due to macroeconomic trends like persistent inflation in the United States (US) and concerns related to China’s real estate sector.
ii.In 2022 there will be an increase in global demand for environmentally sustainable products.
iii.The value of global trade reached a record level of $28.5 trillion in 2021, which is an increase of 25% in 2020 and 13% higher compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.  
About United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD):
Establishment– 1964
Secretary-General– Rebeca Grynspan (Hailing from Costa Rica, she is the first woman and Central American to serve as UNCTAD’s secretary-general)
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
>> Read Full News

Singapore Air Show-2022: IAF Showcased its ‘Made in India’ Tejas MK-I 

Indian Air Force(IAF) contingent participated in the Singapore Air Show 2022 held from 15th to 18th February 2022 at the Changi Exhibition Centre, Singapore. 
India showcased the IAF’s ‘Made in India’ Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mark-One(MK-1), a 4th generation fighter aircraft. 

• Singapore Air Show is a biennial event that provides a platform for the Global Aviation Industry to showcase its products.
• This is Asia’s largest Aerospace and Defence event. 

Note: 
The Tejas Aircraft has previously participated in the Dubai Airshow 2021 and Langkawi International Maritime Aero Expo (LIMA-2019), Malaysia. 
Singapore Air Show 2022:
i.Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Defence and S Iswaran,  Minister for Transport and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, Government of Singapore, inaugurated the Singapore Airshow 2022 on 15th February 2022. 
Key Points:
i.IAF’s detachment of Tejas MK-1 fighters supported by a 44 member contingent performed aerobatic displays over Changi International Airport in Singapore.
ii.IAF’s participation in the Air show will provide India with the opportunity to showcase the Tejas aircraft and to interact with counterparts from RSAF (Royal Singapore Air Force) & other participating contingents.
About Tejas LCA:
i.The Indian fighter jet, Tejas, was developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the IAF and Indian Navy in collaboration with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA). 
ii.Tejas LCA is powered by a General Electric F404-GE-IN20 engine and can carry a maximum payload of 3,500 kg.
Features: 

• Length 13.2 m.
• Wingspan 8.2 m.
• Height 4.4 m.
• Max Take off Weight 13.5 Tonnes(T).
• Service Ceiling 16 km

BANKING & FINANCE

BFSL & IRCTC Launches Co-branded RuPay Contactless Credit Card –  ‘IRCTC BoB RuPay card’Bank of Baroda (BOB) Financial Solutions Limited (BFSL), a wholly owned subsidiary of BoB, and the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) have launched a co-branded contactless credit card, ‘IRCTC BoB RuPay card’. 

• The card offers maximum savings to frequent railway travellers and the card users will also get multiple benefits for shopping across other categories like groceries, fuel etc.,

Benefits of IRCTC BoB RuPay card:
i.The card provides 1% transaction fee waiver for the customers on all train ticket bookings and 1% offer as fuel surcharge waiver across all petrol pumps in India.
ii.Customers will be provided with 1,000 bonus reward points for purchase worth Rs.1,000 or more within 45 days of card issuance.
iii.The card is also used to transact at international merchants and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) through the JCB network.
Other benefits:
i.The customers earn up to 40 reward points (per Rs 100 spent) on 1AC, 2AC, 3AC, CC, or EC bookings made through the IRCTC website or mobile app. 

• It also offers 4 reward points (per Rs.100 spent) on grocery and departmental stores and 2 reward points on other categories.

ii.The reward points can be redeemed on the IRCTC website and IRCTC mobile app, after linking their Loyalty Number (printed on the co-branded credit card) with their IRCTC login ID.
iii.Cardholders can also enjoy 4 complimentary visits per year at partner railway lounges.
About Bank of Baroda (BOB) Financial Solutions Limited (BFSL):
Established – 1994
Managing Director (MD) & CEO – Shailendra Singh 
Headquarter – Mumbai, Maharashtra

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Piyush Goyal Chaired a Meeting on Revamping Department of Commerce To Achieve $2Trillion Export Target by 2027

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal Chaired a Meeting on Revamping Department of Commerce To Achieve $2 Trillion Export Target by 2027 and to become a future ready establishment of the Government by utilizing new age capabilities.

• Along with the Department of Commerce, there will be fortification, and consistent strengthening of trade and investment promotion bodies including the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). 

Key Points:
i.As a part of transformation, a strengthened negotiation ecosystem and a dedicated ‘Trade Promotion Body’ is proposed to look at the overall promotion strategy, export targets, and execution. 
ii.An inter-ministerial Trade Remedies Review Committee including the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Finance, and line ministries is also proposed for transparency in investigation outcomes.
iii.There will be strengthening of negotiations via multi-skilled negotiation teams; and separation between bilateral and WTO (World Trade Organization) negotiations has been envisioned.
iv.Centralization and digitization of trade facilitation processes have been recommended for ease of compliance and scheme administration.
v.Rehauling data and analytics ecosystem via centralized data management and embedded analytics capabilities in the Department of Commerce has been proposed.

Gems and Jewellery sector to achieve export target of 40 Billion dollar in 2022

On February 18-21, 2022, the Inaugural Ceremony of India International Jewellery Show Signature (IIJS) 2022 was held, where it was stated that Gems and Jewellery sector is expected to achieve an export target of 40 Billion dollars in 2022.The Event was organised by the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

• The event was addressed by Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• The sector is expected to register a growth of 6.5% over the pre-Covid levels (2019).

Key Points:
i.Union Budget include a reduction in import duty on cut & polished diamonds from 7% to 5%.
ii.IIJS Signature 2022 will have well-defined and simplified product sections which include Gold & Gold CZ Studded Jewellery; Diamond, Gemstone & Other Studded Jewellery; Silver Jewellery, Artifacts & Gifting Items; Loose Stones, and Laboratories & Education.
Reason for its Export Hike:
i.India and UAE free trade pact which is expected to give a boost to New Delhi’s gems and jewellery exports on the back of a possible waiver of the 5% (MFN) import duty on gold, platinum and silver jewellery by the UAE.
ii.Our Gold and Diamond trade contributes about 7% to our GDP and employs over 50 Lakh persons. The exports already stand at $32 billion in January, 2022.
iii.India has agreed to concessional import duties on gold imports of up to 200 tonnes per year. India imported about 70 tonnes of gold from the UAE in 2020-21.

Tata Power & RWE Renewables Signs MoU for Offshore Wind Projects in India Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited, a 100% subsidiary of Tata Power Company Limited(Tata Power) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with RWE Renewables GmbH (RWE), based in Germany, to explore the potential for joint development of offshore wind projects in India. 

• The MoU is in line with India’s vision of achieving 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind installations by 2030 to meet the increasing power demands of India. 

Features of MoU:
i.This MoU will enable the establishment of a competitive offshore wind market in India. 
ii.Under this MoU, based on its global expertise in running and operating offshore wind projects, RWE will support Tata Power to enhance and grow the offshore wind business.
Key Points:
i.Both Tata Power and RWE stated that India is an unexplored and highly attractive market to develop opportunities for offshore wind due to its large coastline of around 7600 kilometres(Km). 
ii.This partnership will boost the sustainable development plans of India and COP26 commitment, which aims to make India carbon-neutral by 2070.
iii.RWE and Tata Power Renewable energy will conduct technical and commercial site assessments to enable the establishment of an offshore wind market in India. 
Additional info:
The government of India is set to conduct a detailed technical study and devise a regulatory framework to establish the first auction for the offshore wind of the coast of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. 
About Tata Power Company Limited(Tata Power):
CEO & MD– Praveer Sinha
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra 
About RWE Renewables GmbH (RWE):
CEO– Sven Utermöhlen
Headquarters– Essen, Germany

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS     

ASSOCHAM Awarded CIL with ‘Most Dependable Public Sector in India’ 2022 Award

Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), Kolkata awarded ‘Most Dependable Public Sector in India award 2022’ to Coal India Limited (CIL), an organization under Ministry of Coal during Energy Meet & Excellence Awards 2022 ceremony in Kolkata, West Bengal

• The award was complemented by the Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi and Minister of state for Coal, Mines and Railways Raosaheb Patil Danve.

About Coal India Limited (CIL):
i.CIL is a state owned enterprise and a Maharatna company that has expanded their operations and emerged as a global giant.
ii.CIL has 7 producing subsidiaries namely Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL)and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) and One mine planning and consultancy company that is Central Mine Planning & Design Institute(CMPDI).

• CIL also has a foreign subsidiary Coal India Africana Limitada (CIAL) in Mozambique 
• CIL has incorporated two new subsidiaries i.e. CIL NaviKarniya Urja Limited and CIL Solar PV Limited

About The Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM): 
Establishment – 1920
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
President – Vineet Agarwal

DPIFF Awards 2022: Ranveer Singh, Kriti Sanon, Asha Parekh Received the Awards

On February 20, 2022, the winners of  the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) Awards 2022, India’s only independent international film festival, were declared in Mumbai, Maharashtra.The award was presented by Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) in memory of Dadasaheb Phalke ‘Father of Indian Cinema’.

• Bollywood stars Ranveer Singh and Kriti Sanon received awards in the Best Actor and Best Actress category for their performances in movies ’83’ and ‘Mimi’.
• Allu Arjun’s movie, ‘Pushpa: The rise’ received the film of the year award. Actress Asha Parekh was honoured with an award for her outstanding contribution to cinema.

Note – The movie ‘83’ is based on Team India’s 1983 World Cup victory led by Kapil Dev. ‘Mimi’, which is the Hindi remake of Samroudhhi Porey’s ‘Mala Aai Vhhaychy’, the National award-winning 2011 Marathi film.
DPIFF Awards 2022 recognizes the outstanding efforts by international as well as national personalities from cinema.
About Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF):
CEO – Abhishek Mishra
>> Read Full News

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

SEBI reconstitutes Alternative Investment Policy Advisory Committee; Chaired by NR Narayana Murthy

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has reconstituted its Alternative Investment Policy Advisory Committee (AIPAC), which has now 20 members and will be chaired by Infosys co-founder Nagavara Ramarao (NR) Narayana Murthy.
Role of the Committee
The committee advises SEBI on a range of issues that impact further development of the Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) industry, and startup ecosystem in India.  It also advises SEBI on issues which need to be taken up with other regulators for development of the AIF.It will advise SEBI on any hurdles that might hinder the development of the alternative investment industry under its purview.

• Constituted by SEBI in 2015 with 22 members, the panel has submitted three reports on the AIF.

Members of Committee:
The committee includes members from SEBI, Ministry of Finance, AIF players and industry associations. Some members are as follows:

• Gopal Srinivasan, chairman and managing director, TVS Capital Funds
• Gopal Jain, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Gaja Capital 
• Vipul Roongta, managing director and CEO, HDFC Capital Advisors 
• Renuka Ramnath, Chairperson, Indian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (IVCA) 
• Prashant Khemka, founder and partner at White Oak Capital Management
• Gautam Mehra, partner at PwC
• Subramaniam Krishnan, partner at Ernst & Young
• Deepak Ranjan, Deputy Director, DEA (Department of Economic Affairs), Ministry of Finance
• Mahavir Lunawat, Vice Chairman, Association of Investment Bankers of India (AIBI)
• Sujit Prasad, Executive Director at SEBI.Click here to read the other members

Tanishka Kotia & Riddhika Kotia Appointed  as ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ Brand Ambassadors of GurugramInternational Chess Player woman FIDE (International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation) Masters, Tanishka Kotia and her sister Riddhika Kotia are appointed  as Brand Ambassadors ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ scheme for the Gurugram District of Haryana State.
About Tanishka Kotia & Riddhika Kotia:
i.Tanishka Kotia won the Limca Book of Records for being the youngest chess player in 2008.They belongs to the Haryana state.
ii.Tanishka Kotia ranks 2nd in the country in the under-16 category, World Chess Federation rankings released in 2019.
iii.She won a Gold medal at the ASEAN Chess Championship in 2013 and  silver at the Commonwealth Chess Championship In 2014 in Scotland.
iv.Riddhika Kotia represented India  at several prestigious international events, including the World Junior Chess Championship 2020.
About  ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ scheme:
The scheme was launched in 2015 at Panipat, Haryana.
Objective- To promote gender equality, significance of educating girls and improve the efficiency of welfare services intended for girls.
Ministries included– Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoW&CD), Ministry of  Health & Family Welfare (MoH&FW) and Ministry of Education.

GoI Nominates DFS Secretary Sanjay Malhotra as a Director of Central Board of RBI

The Government of India(GoI) has nominated Sanjay Malhotra (1990 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre),the Secretary of the  Department of Financial Services(DFS), under the Ministry of Finance, as the Director of the Central Board of Reserve Bank of India(RBI) with effect from 16th February 2022 and until further orders. 

• He has also been nominated as the Director on the central board of directors of State Bank of India(SBI), with immediate effect and until further order.
• He has served as the Chairman & Managing Director of REC Limited(formerly Rural Electrification Corporation Limited).

SPORTS

Cricket: Overview of West Indies Tour of India – 2022West Indies cricket team toured India for 3 One-Day Internationals (ODI) and 3 Twenty-20 Internationals (T20I) in February,2022. It was a complete whitewash series win for India over West Indies.

• In the ODI cricket, India defeated West Indies by 3-0 and in the T20I cricket, India defeated West Indies by 3-0.

Records of Indian Cricket Team:
i.The Indian Cricket Team is the first ever team to play 1000 ODI matches, followed by Australia which played 958 ODI matches.
ii.Also, the Indian cricket team became the second team to win 100 T20I matches followed by Pakistan.
iii.India secured International Cricket Council (ICC) No.1 Rank (10484 points) in T20I after the win against West Indies.
Man of the Series in the West Indies Tour of India – 2022: 
i.Prasidh Krishna was adjudged Man of the Series in ODI’s.
ii.Suryakumar Yadav was adjudged Man of the Series for India in T20I’s
Records Of Rohit Sharma Captaincy:
i.Rohit equalled Sarfaraz Ahmed (Former Pakistan Captain) record of nine consecutive T20I wins as a skipper.
ii.Rohit hence became the first Indian captain, and fifth overall in world cricket, to win consecutive bilateral T20I series (minimum 3 matches).
Debutants For India in the West Indies Tour of India – 2022: 
i.Deepak Hooda, in ODI’s
ii.Ravi Bishnoi and Avesh Khan, in T20I’s.
>> Read Full News

OBITUARY

Social Worker and Padma Awardee Shakuntala Choudhary passed away

The Padma Shri recipient Shakuntala Chowdhary passed away at the age of 102 years due to age related ailments.
i.Shakuntala Choudhary, also known as Shakuntala ‘Baideo’ (elder sister), was born on 25 June 1920 in Guwahati, Assam. She was an Indian social worker known for her commitment and devotion to the popularization of the Gandhian way of life.
ii.In 1947, she joined the Assam branch of the Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust (KGNMT). 

• This branch of the Trust in Guwahati, known as the Kasturba Ashram or the Sarania Ashram. It was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1946.

iii.She was also closely associated with Vinoba Bhave who initiated the ‘Bhoodan Movement’ in India. She worked with him in translating his lectures from Hindi to 
Assamese, and was an active participant in Padayatra undertaken by Vinoba Bhave in Assam during the Bhoodan movement. 
Awards- 

• Jamnalal Bajaj Award ( 2010) for the Development and Welfare of Women And Children.
• Padma Shri award (2022), for  distinguished service in the field of social work.
• Vayoshestha Samman – National Awards For Senior Citizens 2021

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Mother Language Day 2022 – February 21

The United Nations(UN)’s International Mother Language Day is annually observed across the globe on 21st February to promote multilingualism and to create awareness about linguistic and cultural diversity. 

• The theme of International Mother Language Day 2022 is “Using technology for multilingual learning: Challenges and opportunities”. 

Observance in India: Matribhasha Diwas: 
On the occasion of the International Mother Language Day (Matribhasha Diwas), the Ministry of Culture, Government of India has organised 2-day events (21st & 22d February 2022) under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav at Indira Gandhi National Center of Arts, New Delhi, Delhi. 
>> Read Full News

World Day of Social Justice 2022 – February 20 

The United Nations(UN)’s World Day of Social Justice is annually observed across the globe on 20th February to speak out against injustice and promote worldwide social justice.

• The day is observed to tackle the issues like poverty, exclusion, gender inequality, unemployment and human rights.

The theme of World Day of Social Justice 2022 is “Achieving Social Justice through Formal Employment”.
>> Read Full News

STATE NEWS

Assam Becomes First State to launch India’s First Night Navigation App for ferry services Chief Minister (CM) of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma launched India’s first Night Navigation mobile application (app) 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(Indian Institute of Technology) Madras.

Highlights:
i.The first night journey of the IWT (Inland Water Transport) ferry between Guwahati and North Guwahati was started on 19 February 2022.
ii.The CM also launched ten Aadhar-based contactless services of the  State Transport Department to make public service delivery time efficient and budget friendly.
iii.The CM also launched an e-ticketing system for Dhubri and Silchar ferry services. 
iv.A Memorandum of Understanding  (MoU) was also signed between the Common Service Centres (CSCs) under the  Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and State Transport Department to provide online services at the  panchayat level.
About Assam:
Governor- Prof. Jagadish Mukhi
Dam- Karbi Langpi Dam, Umrong Dam

Govt in J&K hosts ‘Janbhagidari Empowerment’ portal with Higher Bandwidth 

Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir hosted the ‘Janbhagidari Empowerment’ portal on a different server with higher bandwidth to provide easy and ready accessibility to the general public. 

• The portal can be accessed by logging on to the website https://janbhagidari.jk.gov.in/

Key points: 
i.It aims to minimize the digital divide and encourage the citizens to access the website to gain awareness and information about the works in their respective areas.
ii.It provides detailed information about the nature,status and the number of developmental works being executed in their areas such as in each district, block/municipality and village.
iii.The portal is also linked  to schemes like MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) , Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PM-AY), SMB (Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban), SBM-Rural and PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana). Citizens will get instant access and  information about the works being carried out under these schemes.
About Jammu & Kashmir (J&K):
On  5th August, 2019 J&K was bifurcated into two Union Territories (J&K and Ladakh) after the abrogation of its ‘Special Status’ provided under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. 
Lieutenant Governor –Manoj Sinha
Ramsar  sites-  Wular Lake, Surinsar-mansar Lakes, Hokera Wetland

Kerala CM Inaugurates 3rd Edition of ‘Huddle Global 2022’; KSUM Partners with Google for Startups to Foster Global Links

During the ‘Huddle Global 2022’, Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) collaborated with Google to launch Google for Startups Accelerator, India  to attach native startups with the worldwide startups and to leverage Google’s programme which comprises mentorship and coaching of startup groups to assist scale up their options.

• The third edition of the 2 day  ‘Huddle Global 2022’ organised by KSUM was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Benefit of the Partnership:
The initiative will join KSUM to an elite group of the world’s prime accelerators, permitting it to share info and leverage assets, it mentioned.

• With this collaboration India will become a part of a rising community of prime, unbiased accelerators throughout Latin America, Africa, Europe, and Asia.
• Paul Ravindranath, will head Google for Startups Accelerator, India.

About KSUM:
KSUM is the nodal company of the Kerala authorities for entrepreneurship improvement and incubation actions.
Establishment – 2006
CEO – John M Thomas

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