Current Affairs 23 March 2022

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs  23 March 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

Indian Potash limited inked MoU with Israel Chemicals Ltd for MoP supply for 5 years

i.On March 21, 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was inked between the Indian Potash limited (IPL), under Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers; and Israel Chemicals Limited (ICL).
ii.Under this, there will be supply of Muriate of Potash (MOP) from Israel to India for 5 years, 2022 to 2027, with a yearly quantity of 6 to 6.5 LMT (Lakh Metric Tonnes).
iii.The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers (MoC&F) in Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi (Delhi).
About Indian Potash limited (IPL):
Board of Directors’ Chairman– Sundeep Kumar Nayak
Head Office– Chennai, Tamil Nadu
>> Read Full News

Union Cabinet Approves Continuation of National AIDS and STD Control Programme Till 2026

Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its approval for the continuation of National AIDS (Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome) and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) Control Programme (NACP) for 5 years from  1 April, 2021 to 31 March, 2026  with an outlay of Rs. 15,471.94 crore by approving phase-V of the programme. 

• The Phase-IV (Extension) of National AIDS and STD Control Programme (NACP) was concluded on 31 March, 2021. 
• The NACP Phase-V will work towards the attainment of United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 3.3 of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030 through a comprehensive package of prevention, detection and treatment services.

About  National AIDS and STD Control Programme (NACP):
i.It is a Central sector scheme which is completely   funded by the Government of India. 
ii.The national AIDS response was initiated by the Indian government in 1992 with the launch of the first phase of the NACP. 
iii.Progress of NACP:

• India recorded annual new HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infections declined in cases  by 48% against the global average of 31 % (the baseline year of 2010).
• Annual  AIDS-related deaths have declined by 82 % against the global average of 42 %(the baseline year of 2010).
• HIV prevalence in India continues to be low with an adult HIV prevalence of 0.22%.

What is HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) ?
It  is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. The untreated HIV can lead to AIDS (Acquired Immuno Deficiency syndrome).
About Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs):
These diseases are passed from one person to another through sexual contact.Examples-Gonorrhea, HIV/AIDS, Syphilis.

Narasingapettai Nagaswaram a Music Instrument of Tamil Nadu gets GI tag

The Narasingapettai Nagaswaram, a classical wind music instrument, hand crafted in Narasingapettai Village in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu(TN) got the Geographical Indication (GI) Tag under the category of musical instruments of class 15 from Geographical Indications Registry.
i.On behalf of Thanjavur Musical Instruments Workers Co-operative Cottage Industrial Society Limited, the application for receiving the GI tag for Narasingapettai Nagaswaram Dating back to the 13th century was filed by Tamil Nadu’s Nodal Officer.
Narasingapettai Nagaswaram instrument:
i.Narasingapettai Nagaswaram is a classical wind instrument.It has a length of 2.5 feet. 

• A major portion of the ‘Narasingapettai Nagaswaram’ is made from the Water Resistance Tree aacha (Hardwickia binata).Wood used to craft the Nagaswaram is atleast 100 year old.
• Reeds are made from the leaves of the locally grown plant called ‘Naanal’.
• The instrument has a cylindrical body that flares out into a bell shape at the bottom. It is this form that provides the Nagaswaram with its characteristic volume and captivating tone.
• It is a double-reed wind instrument with a large flaring bell.

ii.The nagaswaram is  being used by artists  is called ‘pari nagaswaram’, which is longer than the ‘thimiri.
iii.The  artisan of Narasinganpettai village inherited the skill of making the instruments from their forefathers, and are making them through a process requiring specialized skills.
Popular GI Tags of Tamil Nadu:

• Dindigul Locks
• Kandangi Saree
• Srivilliputtur Palkova
• Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai

Kerala Becomes First State To Introduce Carbon-Neutral Farming Kerala became the first state in India to introduce carbon-neutral agricultural practices in select locations for better soil health.
i.The Kerala Government in its Budget 2022-23, allocated ₹6 crore for introducing Carbon-neutral farming methods in the state.
ii.In the first phase, the Agriculture Department will implement the carbon-neutral farming in 13 farms including in tribal areas and steps were also taken to convert the State Seed Farm at Aluva to a carbon-neutral farm.
iii.In the second phase, model carbon-neutral farms will be developed in all the 140 Assembly constituencies.
About Carbon-Neutral Farming:
Carbon-neutral farming is the technique of decreasing carbon emissions and aid carbon storage in the soil, through techniques such as Integrated farming methods, Crop rotation, Fertigation, Precision Farming methods, Shifting how the soil is irrigated, and restricting the haphazard use of Fertiliser application.
About Kerala:
Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
Capital: Thiruvananthapuram

India’s First 50KW Green Hydrogen Microgrid Project At NTPC-Simhadri 

India will launch its first 50 Kilowatt (KW) green hydrogen microgrid- based energy storage project using electrolyser at National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Simhadri plant near Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The Standalone Fuel-Cell based project produces hydrogen using electrolyser to Bloom Energy India Private Limited-Bengaluru at NTPC Simhadri.
i.The hydrogen would be produced using advanced 240kW of solid oxide electrolyser by taking input power from the nearby floating solar project. 
Step Towards Green And Clean Fuel:
i.The system works in a standalone mode.
ii.The hydrogen produced during sunshine hours would be stored at high pressure and would be electrified using a 50kW solid oxide fuel cell which leads to the creation of green and clean fuel.
iii.As there are no power grids the project plans to be implemented in terrain areas such as Ladakh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, etc.
Projects Of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC):
i.NTPC has the total installed capacity of 68,567 Megawatt (MW), having 23-coal based, 7 gas-based, 1 hydro, 19 renewable energy projects. 
ii.Joint Venture (JV): Under the JV, NTPC has 9 coal-based, 4 gas-based, 8 hydro and 5 renewable energy projects.
Requirement Of Coal:
i.NTPC Ltd has the requirement for about 10 lakh tons of overseas coal and NTPC-Simhadri unit to get 2 lakh tons of overseas coal from Indonesia.
ii.NTPC Simhadri unit requires 35,000 tonnes of coal per day

• The plant seeks for 100 percent utilisation of ash. 
• The plant aims for 100 percent FGD (Flue-gas desulfurization) in all units for SO2 (sulphur dioxide) reduction and combustion modification for Nox (nitrogen oxide) reduction.

National Thermal Power Corporation – Simhadri (NTPC) Rail Neer Plant project:
The NTPC’s Rail Neer bottling Plant project is the first of its kind between Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and NTPC Simhadri, it aims at producing 120 tons of demineralised water from seawater per-day.
About National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC):
Chairman & MD – Gurdeep Singh
Established – 7 November 1975 
Headquarters –  New Delhi, India

Indian Army Engineers Build 1st-of-its-kind 3D Printed House for Jawans

Indian Army’s Military Engineering Services (MES) has constructed 2 houses within 3 weeks using 3D Rapid Construction Technology, the 1st of its kind structures in India, in South-Western Air Command in Gandhinagar, Gujarat for Jawans. These efforts aim to provide the growing accommodation requirements of the Indian armed forces. 

• The structures were constructed in collaboration with the Chennai based startup Tvasta. 
• Each house possesses a built area of around 700 square feet.
• This is a part of the efforts towards widening the horizons of digitized construction. 
• Recently, MES has constructed India’s 1st 3D Printed sanitary blocks with a total built area of about 600 sq ft at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. 

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

UNEP Joins One Health Alliance to Advance Humans, Ecosystem and Animals Health 

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) under the Executive Directorship of Inger Andersen, has signed the Memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the tripartite partnership for One Health, bringing together the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), formally the Quadripartite partnership at its annual executive meeting held on 18 March 2022 at Nairobi, Kenya.
Key Highlights:-
i.The UNEP will offer the expertise required to tackle the ecological dimension of human and animal health.
ii.The Quadripartite alliance will now focus on a One Health Joint Plan of Action, which includes six action tracks: They are

1. Enhancing countries’ capacity to strengthen health systems under a One Health approach.
2. Reducing the risks from emerging or resurfacing zoonotic epidemics and pandemics.
3. Controlling and eliminating endemic – zoonotic diseases, neglected tropical diseases and vector-borne diseases.
4. Strengthening the assessment, management and communication of food safety risks.
5. Curbing the silent pandemic of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
6. Better integrating the environment into the One Health approach.

About One Health:
i.The One Health approach aims to sustainably balance and optimise the health of people, animals,  ecosystems and the wider environment.
ii.It mobilises multiple sectors, disciplines and communities to work together to foster well-being and tackle threats to health and ecosystems.
iii.It also addresses the collective need for clean energy, water and air, safe and nutritious food, action on climate change, and contributing to sustainable development.
About United Nation Environment Program (UNEP):
The United Nation Environment Program was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm on 5th June 1972.
Headquarters location- Nairobi, Kenya
Executive Director- Inger Andersen (Danish)

Cold Response 2022 – Multinational Military exercise kicked off in Norway with NATO troops

Cold Response 2022, is planned to conduct a Multilateral Military exercise involving Army, Navy and Air Force from March 14 to April 1, 2022 by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) at Norway. 
i.The Cold Response exercise is a bi-annual exercise aimed to test how Norway would manage allied reinforcements on its soil, in line with Article 5 of NATO‘s charter which requires member states to come to the aid of another member state under attack.
ii.It is a defensive exercise that would allow participation of around 30,000 troops, 220 aircraft and 50 vessels from 27 nations.
iii.The exercise will be organised every two years, the naval, air and ground drills are held over vast swaths of Norway, including above the Arctic Circle.
iv.Though the exercise was planned before the Russia-Ukraine war, it has become significant considering the rift between the west and Russia.
v.How many countries Lie within the Arctic Circle?? The Arctic region covers parts of eight countries: Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and the United States.
About North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
It is an International military alliance between 30 European and North American countries. The member countries agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by an external party.
Headquarters – Brussels, Belgium.
Secretary General – Jens Stoltenberg. 
About Norway
Capital: Oslo
Currency: Norwegian krone
Prime minister: Jonas Gahr Støre

BANKING & FINANCE

PPSL launches ‘Payment Analytic‘ for Paytm Merchants to make Data Driven Decisions 

The Paytm Payments Services Limited (PPSL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of One97 Communications has launched first-of-its-kind ‘Payment Analytics’ which is designed by Paytm Payment Gateway.

• It is a data analysis feature available to all Paytm merchants i.e. online and offline, at no extra cost. This will be helpful for the merchants of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Key Points:
i.This launch is on the lines of PPSL’s vision of helping merchant partners and entrepreneurs by simplifying their businesses.
ii.It offers three services viz. Payment source analytics, Customer Analytics, and Payment flow analytics.
iii.It will also provide ready-made reports about payment sources, payment flows, user retention, customer behaviour, payment success rates and reasons for payment failures. 
iv.This will enable merchants to ascertain their Gross Merchandise Value and find out the total number of transactions on a day-to-day or monthly basis.
About Paytm Payments Services Limited (PPSL):
CEO– Praveen Sharma

RBI revokes license of People’s Co-operative Bank Ltd, Kanpur, UP

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the license of People’s Co-operative Bank Limited, Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) as the bank failed to adhere to the requirements of Sections 22(3) (a), 22 (3) (b), 22(3)(c), 22(3) (d) and 22(3)(e) – under Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
The bank is found to lack adequate capital and earning prospects under the provisions of Section 11(1) and Section 22 (3) (d) –  under Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 – ‘Act to apply to co-operative societies subject to modifications’.
Key points:
i.The bank is prohibited from continuing its ‘banking’ business such as acceptance of deposits and repayment of deposits as defined in Section 5(b) as mentioned in Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 with effect from the close of business on March 21, 2022.
ii.The RBI has requested the Commissioner for Cooperation and Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Uttar Pradesh to issue an order for winding up the bank and appoint a liquidator for the lender.
iii. Upon liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to a deposit insurance claim amount of his or her deposits from the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC), subject to a monetary ceiling of Rs 5 lakh.
iv.As per the data submitted by the bank, more than 99 per cent of the depositors are entitled to receive the full amount of their deposits from DICGC.
v.The DICGC has sanctioned Rs. 6.97 crore of the total insured deposits under the provisions of Section 18A of the DICGC Act,1961 based on the willingness received from the concerned depositors of the bank as on February 14, 2022.
About Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC):
A wholly-owned subsidiary of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), established under an act of Parliament, The Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Act, 1961 (DICGC Act).
Chairman – Dr. Michael Debabrata Patra, Deputy Governor of RBI
Establishment – 15 July 1978
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

NABARD Allocates Rs. 4,013 Crore Financial Assistance to Odisha

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned a financial assistance of Rs. 4,013 crores to Odisha under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) for the financial year 2021-2022, and Odisha has got a major share of NABARD’s infrastructure funds, the highest in India.

• With this the total sanction has crossed Rs 32,100 crore for Odisha since the inception of the RIDF.
• The RIDF is classified under three broad categories: Agriculture and related sector; Social sector; and Rural connectivity.

Highlights:
i.Out of the total fund allocated under the RIDF, about Rs 2,568 crore is allotted for construction of rural roads and bridges.

• It involves the creation or upgrading of roads for 2000 km and bridges for a length of 17.13 km, which would benefit around 10 lakh people.

ii.The implementation of nine mega piped water supply projects worth Rs. 840 crores will bring clean, treated, and safe drinking water to almost 17 lakh rural inhabitants in Odisha.
iii. A total of Rs 605 crore has been allocated for the development of infrastructure in the agriculture, related, and irrigation sectors. It includes the Kusumi irrigation project; livestock vaccine production unit, cluster lift irrigation and flood protection projects.
About National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD):
It was established under the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act (NABARD Act), 1981 and is fully owned by the Government of India (GoI).
Chairman – Govinda Rajulu Chintala
Establishment – 12 July 1982
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

Rupeek, NAPS Partners to Launch of ‘Rupeek Academy’ to Build Gold Appraisers

Rupeek (Rupeek Fintech Pvt Ltd.), India’s leading asset-backed digital lending platform announced the launch of ‘Rupeek Academy’ in collaboration with the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), an initiative by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). This aims to attract young talent who are looking for a career opportunity in the gold loan industry of India. 

• The Rupeek Academy programme developed with NSDC is a first of its kind upskilling programme in the industry.
• 1-year comprehensive programme aims to create a centre for excellence in developing and managing talent for gold appraisers, to balance the demand against the availability of talent issues.
• India has USD 2 trillion worth of gold assets and the programme aims to monetize them by employing gold appraisers.

DBS Bank India Launches Green Deposits Programme

DBS Bank India has announced the launch of Green Deposit Programme for corporate clients which will provide a simple way for the companies to support environmentally friendly projects or avenues. This is in line with the focus on DBS Bank India on responsible banking. 

• Under the bank’s sustainability programme, Green Deposits will fund green industries and initiatives such as green building sustainable water initiatives that include wastewater management, renewable energy and clean transportation.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Fitch declines India’s Growth Forecast for FY23 to 8.5% from 10.3%

On March 22, 2022, Rating agency Fitch in its ‘Global economic Outlook-March 2022’ declined India’s growth forecast for FY23 (2022-2023) by 1.8 percentage points (pp) to 8.5% from 10.3% due to high energy prices amid Russia-Ukraine war.

• On the other hand, for FY22, the agency has increased the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth by 0.6 pp to 8.7% from 8.1%.
• For 2023-24, it is estimated at 7 per cent.

Global Scenario:
i.For FY22, the agency declined the world GDP growth forecast by 0.7 pp to 3.5% from 4.2%.
ii.For FY23, it also revised down world growth by 0.2pp to 2.8% from 3%.
Key Points:
i.Russia supplies around 10% of the world’s energy, including 17% of its natural gas and 12% of oil. Therefore, the rise in oil and gas prices will add to industry costs and reduce consumers’ real incomes.
ii.Inflation will rise further peaking above 7% in the December quarter of 2022 (Q3FY23), before gradually easing. It is expected to remain elevated at 6.1% annual average in 2021 and 5% in 2022.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

NITI Aayog Bestows The Fifth Edition of WTI Award 2021

The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog has presented the Women Transforming India (WTI) Awards to 75 women achievers through its Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), fifth edition, on March 21, 2022.
As the year 2022 marks the 75th year of India’s independence, and India is also celebrating it through the “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”, the WTI was conferred on 75 women achievers to celebrate their contribution towards a ‘Sashakt Aur Samarth Bharat’ (literal meaning Strong and Capable India).

• The Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) is a Government of India (GoI) initiative by NITI Aayog to promote and support prospective as well as established women entrepreneurs in India, assisting and guiding them through the process of starting, scaling up, and expanding their businesses.
• WTI Awards are being launched in partnership with the United Nations(UN), CISCO CSR(Corporate Social Responsibility), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry(FICCI) and Grant Thornton Bharat.

Highlights:
i.The event was presided over by Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog; Anna Roy, Senior Adviser of NITI Aayog, and Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator in India.
ii.The WEP Anthem was presented at the occasion, which was written, composed and sung by noted Bollywood singer Kailash Kher.
iii. The WTI Awards 2021 was presented under one or more than one of the following seven categories.
>> Read Full News

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS      

N Biren Singh sworn in as Manipur CM for Second Term

On March 21, 2022, Nongthombam (N) Biren Singh, sworn in as the Chief Minister (CM) of Manipur for the second consecutive term. The oath of office was administered by Manipur Governor La Ganesan at the Raj Bhawan in Imphal, Manipur. He is the 12th CM of Manipur(Excluding Repetition).

• N Biren Singh was elected from the Heingang seat for the record fifth time, in the recently concluded 12th Manipur assembly elections. BJP won 32 seats in the 60-member house.

Other Appointments:
Five Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), four from the BJP and one from the Naga People’s Front (NPF), were sworn in as members of the council of ministers. They are:
i.Thongam Biswajit Singh
ii.Yumnam Khemchand Singh, speaker in the last assembly
iii.Govindas Konthoujam
iv.Nemcha Kipgen, lone woman minister to be sworn-in.
v.Awangbou Newmai, NPF leader, an ally of NDA (National Democratic Alliance) 
About Nongthombam Biren Singh:
He initiated his career as a footballer, playing for the Border Security Force (BSF). In 1992, he quit the BSF to start publishing his vernacular daily Naharolgi Thoudang, and worked as the editor till 2001.

• In 2002, he joined the Democratic Revolutionary People’s Party 
• In 2003, he joined the Congress and retained the seat in 2007. 
• In 2016, he quit the Congress and joined the BJP in 2016.
• In 2017, Biren Singh won the elections and became the first BJP chief minister of Manipur.

Other Participants at the oath-taking ceremony:
BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sharma, Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb, among others.
About Manipur:
Rivers– Nambul River, Khuga River, Tuitha River
Lakes– Loktak Lake, Kachou Phung Lake, Waithou Lake    

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS        

Flipkart’s PhonePe Acquired 100 percent stake in GigIndia  

PhonePe, a digital payment company backed by Flipkart announced the acquisition of 100 % stake in GigIndia, which is a network for freelance micro-entrepreneurs.
Objective-To strengthen its offerings to corporate and enterprise partners.
Highlights:
i.Under the acquisition, PhonePe will get the leverage of GigIndia’s network of 1.5 million freelance micro-entrepreneurs to help corporates and promote development.

• GigIndia’s customer base includes companies like Amazon, Paytm, Tata Group, Reliance Industries, Swiggy, PayU, among others. 

ii.PhonePe has a network of over 27 million merchant outlets across India and 365 million registered users. 
About PhonePe:
Founded- 2015
CEO-Sameer Nigam
Headquarters– Bengaluru, Karnataka 

SPORTS

India Secured One Silver and Ranked 9th in ISSF World Cup 2022 For Shotgun 

Indian trio, Prithviraj Tondaiman, Zoravar Singh Sandhu and Vivaan Kapoor wins Silver medal in Men’s Trap Team event in International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup (8 March 2022 -19 March 2022), for Shotgun in Nicosia, Cyprus. India secured 9th rank with 1 Silver medal in the overall medal standings.
i.As per National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), an 11-member shotgun contingent participated in the ISSF representing India.
ii.Over 350 athletes participated from 50 countries in the ISSF World Cup 2022.
Qualification Round:
India scored 214 out of 225 and secured second-place in the 12-team qualification round, Kuwait topped with 217 points.
Gold Medal Match Of Men’s Trap Team Event :
India and Kuwait participated in the Gold medal match, where Kuwait scored a total of 6 points (Gold medal) and India scored 2 points to secure Silver medal.
Bronze Medal Match  Of Men’s Trap Team Event: 
Poland and Turkey participated in the Bronze medal match, where Poland scored a total of 6 points and Turkey scored 4 points. And Poland secured the Bronze medal.

Cristiano Ronaldo Becomes All-time Leading Scorer with 807 Goals

Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo has become the all-time leading scorer (professional football) with 807 goals, after scoring 3 goals against Tottenham Hotspur during the English Premier League 2022.
Previously the record was held by Austro-Czech Josef Bican who scored 805 goals from 1931 to 1955.

• Cristiano Ronaldo scored the 807 goals while playing for Lisbon (5), Manchester United (136), Real Madrid (450), Juventus (101) and the Portuguese national team (115).

• Brazilian strikers Pele and Romário de Souza Faria each have scored more than a 1000 goals during their careers, but the statistics include goals in amateur, unofficial and friendly matches.

OBITUARY

Ex Prime Minister of Mali,  Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga Passed Away

Former Prime Minister (PM) of Mali, Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga passed away at the age of 67 in Bamako, Mali. He  served as  the PM of  Mali for the tenure of  2 years (2017- 2019).
About Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga:
i.Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga was born on  8 June 1954 in Gao, Mali.He was the  leader of the Alliance for Solidarity party in Mali.
ii.He was a journalist by training and in the 1990s he was appointed as  the director of intelligence services by President Alpha Oumar Konaré.
iii.Before joining as the PM, He  served as  Minister of Foreign Affairs (2011-12)under President Amadou Toumani Touré.
iv.He also served as Minister of Defense (2013 -14) under President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Home Minister Amit Shah Unveils the book titled “The Shield: Covishield”, Chronicling Journey of SII in producing Covishield 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled the coffee table book titled “The Shield: Covishield” authored by Prakash Kumar Singh, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at Serum Institute of India(SII). Adar C Poonawalla, the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of SII was also present during the launch. 

• The book encapsulates the journey of SII, world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, in producing COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covishield’. 
• The book aims to introduce readers to the chronological journey of the Covishield vaccine from lab to people.

Key Points:
i.The Covishield was developed by SII in collaboration with Oxford University and AstraZeneca. 
ii.According to the data of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW), more than 150 crore doses of Covishield have been administered in India so far.
iii.In line with India’s philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family), the Covishield has been supplied to more than 79 countries.
iv.The author dedicated the book to the efforts of Team Government of India, Team Serum Institute of India, scientists, frontline healthcare and frontline workers who contributed to the launch of world’s largest vaccination drive on 16th January 2020.
About Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. (SII):
Chairman and Managing Director– Dr. Cyrus S. Poonawalla
CEO– Adar C. Poonawalla
Headquarters– Pune, Maharashtra

Richa Mishra Authored a New Book Titled “Unfilled Barrels: India’s oil story”

Indian journalist and reporter (Hindu Business line) Richa Mishra has authored a new book titled “Unfilled Barrels: India’s oil story”. The book is published by Bloomsbury Publishing India Pvt. Ltd(Bloomsbury). 

• Through this book, the author aims to recount the story of India’s upstream sector (Oil and Gas) and highlight the need of producing own oil and gas. 

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Water Day 2022 – March 22

The United Nations (UN)’s World Water Day is annually observed across the globe on 22nd March to celebrate water and focus on the importance of freshwater.
The day also aims to create awareness of the 2.2 billion people who are living without access to safe water. 

• The observance of World Water Day is led by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 

The theme of World Water Day 2022 is “Groundwater: Making the invisible visible”.
Background:
In 1992, the United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/47/193 and proclaimed the 22nd March of every year as World Water Day. 
The first-ever World Water Day was observed on 22nd March 1993.
About UN-Water:
UN-Water is the United Nations inter-agency coordination mechanism for all freshwater related matters, including sanitation. 
It was formalized in 2003 by the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination.
Chair of UN-Water– Gilbert F. Houngbo
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland 
>> Read Full News

World Sleep Day 2022 – March 18 

World Sleep Day(WSD) is annually observed across the globe on the Friday before Spring Vernal Equinox of each year. The day aims to celebrate sleep and acts as a call to action on major issues related to sleep, including medicine, education, social aspects and driving.
The World Sleep Day 2022 was observed on 18th March 2022. The Spring Vernal Equinox of 2022 was observed on 20th March 2022. 
18th March 2022 marks the observance of the 15th annual World Sleep Day. 

• The World Sleep Day 2021 was observed on 19th March 2021. 
• The World Sleep Day 2023 will be observed on 17th March 2023. 

The slogan for 2022 World Sleep Day is “Quality Sleep, Sound Mind, Happy World”.

• The observance of World Sleep Day is organised by the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Sleep Society. 

Background:
i.World Sleep Day is a global awareness event held annually and hosted by the World Sleep Society, an international association whose mission is to advance sleep health worldwide, since 2008.
ii.The first-ever World Sleep Day was observed on 14 March 2008.
Somnology & Somnologist:
i.Somnology is the study of sleep and sleep disorders and A doctor who specializes in sleep disorders is also called a Somnologist.
ii.Sociologists study human behaviour, interaction, and organization and they also observe the activity of social, religious, political, and economic groups, organizations, and institutions. 

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