Daily Current Affairs February 08 2022

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation: Feb 6

• International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is a United Nations-sponsored annual awareness day that takes place on February 6 as part of the UN’s efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation.
• It was first introduced in 2003.
• This year theme of International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female: Accelerating Investment to End Female Genital Mutilation.
• Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons and is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights, the health and the integrity of girls and women

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

PM dedicates to the nation 216-feet tall ‘Statue of Equality’:

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation the ‘Statue of Equality’ in Hyderabad.
• The 216-feet tall Statue of Equality commemorates the 11th century Bhakti Saint Sri Ramanujacharya, who promoted the idea of equality in all aspects of living including faith, caste and creed.
• Governor Telangana Tamilisai Soundararajan, Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy were among those present on the occasion.
• The Statue is made of ‘panchaloha’, a combination of five metals: gold, silver, copper, brass, and zync and is among one of the tallest metallic statues in sitting position, in the world.
• It is mounted on a 54-ft high base building, named ‘Bhadra Vedi’, has floors devoted for a Vedic digital library and research centre, ancient Indian texts, a theatre, an educational gallery detailing many works of Sri Ramanujacharya.
• The statue has been conceptualised by Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swami of Sri Ramanujacharya Ashram.

PM kickstarts 50th Anniversary Celebrations of ICRISAT and inaugurates two research facilities:

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi visited the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) campus in Patancheru, Hyderabad and kickstarted the 50th Anniversary celebrations of ICRISAT.
• The Prime Minister also inaugurated ICRISAT’s Climate Change Research Facility on Plant Protection and ICRISAT’s Rapid Generation Advancement Facility.
• These two facilities are dedicated to the smallholder farmers of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
• Prime Minister also unveiled a specially designed logo of ICRISAT and launched a commemorative stamp issued on the occasion.
• Governor Telangana Smt Tamilisai Soundararajan, Union Ministers Shri Narendra Singh Tomar and Shri G. Kishan Reddy were among those present on the occasion.

Under SBM-U 2.0 and AMRUT 2.0, plan preparation has begun to make cities garbage free and water secure :

• The Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri informed that the Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban (SBM-U) 2.0, launched on October 1, 2021 for a Mission period of five years involves urban-rural convergence.
• Whereby infrastructure projects can be taken up on cluster basis to groups of neighbouring Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and rural areas, so that common waste processing facilities are utilized efficiently.
• Similarly, in the recently launched Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0, rural-urban synergy will be affected whereby water markets for reuse of treated used water shall be ascertained in rural urban continuum.
• Co-treatment of sewage/ seepage from nearby villages in spare capacities of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) will be explored by ULBs.
• To facilitate this, National, State and ULB level committees on water/ sewerage/ river/ water body coordination shall be represented by members of rural areas also, especially for peri-urban areas.
• Further, under AMRUT 2.0, there will be a capacity building convergence also between urban and rural, wherever feasible.
• Both SBM-U 2.0 and AMRUT 2.0 have been launched recently on October 1, 2021 and plan preparation has begun to make cities ‘garbage free and  water secure’.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Flags Off NITI Aayog’s Fintech Open Summit:

• NITI Aayog, in collaboration with PhonePe, AWS and EY, has organized a three-week-long virtual summit, ‘Fintech Open’, from 7–28 February.
• The summit was inaugurated by Union Minister for Railways, Communications, and Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw in the presence of NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar.
• A first-of-its-kind initiative, Fintech Open will bring together regulators, fintech professionals and enthusiasts, industry leaders, the start-up community, and developers to collaborate, exchange ideas and innovate.

Indian Footwear and Leather Development Programme (IFLDP) approved for continuation with an outlay of Rs. 1700 Crore:

• Indian Footwear and Leather Development Programme (IFLDP) (erstwhile IFLADP) has been approved for continuation from 2021-22 with an approved financial outlay of 1700 crore.
• IFLDP has been approved by the Union Cabinet on 19.01.2022 as continuation of the erstwhile IFLADP till 31.03.2026 or till further review, whichever is earlier.
• IFLDP aims at development of infrastructure for the leather sector, address environmental concerns specific to the leather sector, facilitate additional investments, employment generation and increase in production.
• The programme has a direct benefit towards quality employment generation especially for women, skill development, decent work, making the industry more environment friendly and prompting sustainable production system.
• The leather clusters located in different parts of the country have accrued benefit in terms of reduction of poverty, gender equality, sector specific skill/education, etc., thus touching many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Foundation stone laid for new border haat in Bangladesh-India border

• The foundation stone for the third border haat at Kamalpur-Kumarghat on Tripura- Bangladesh border was laid jointly by the Chief Minister of Tripura Biplab Kumar Deb and Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi.
• It will enhance trade relations between the two countries, the border haat will also strengthen friendly relationships between the two countries.
• Also eight border haats are proposed to be built on the border between Tripura and Bangladesh out of which two are already functional at Kamalasagar in Sepahijala district and Srinagar in South Tripura district.
• The border is spread over 75 square metres and can accommodate 100 vendors on each side of the border.
• The cultural and trade ties between India and Bangladesh began under the leadership of Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and these are now furthered by his “worthy daughter Sheikh Hasina.
• The proposed locations at Paharmura of Khowai district, Jagarampur of Sepahijala and Bamutia of West Tripura district.

About Bangladesh :

• President: Abdul Hamid
• Prime minister: Sheikh Hasina
• Capital: Dhaka
• Currency: Bangladeshi taka

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & INSURANCE

Kotak Mahindra General Insurance partners with CARS24 to offer Motor Insurance

• Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company Limited has tied up with CARS24 Financial Services Private Limited to provide motor insurance services to the buyers of used cars.
• As part of the tie-up, CARS24, as a corporate agent of Kotak General Insurance, will extend motor insurance services to its consumers that will fully insure their vehicles with Kotak General Insurance’s comprehensive motor insurance plans.
• The Partnership will offer customers a trustworthy and faster way to avail motor insurance with a fully digital insurance process for a convenient and hassle-free experience.

About Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company Limited :

• Founded: 2015
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• MD & CEO : Suresh Agarwal
• Kotak Mahindra General Insurance is a 100% subsidiary of Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.

About CARS24 Financial Services Private Limited :

• Located at : Gurugram, Haryana
• CARS24 Financial Services is a subsidiary of CARS24, an online used car marketplace.

ADB committed Loans Worth $4.6 Billion To India In 2021

• The Asian Development Bank committed a record $4.6 billion in sovereign lending to India in 2021 for 17 loans, including $1.8 billion for the country’s Coronavirus disease pandemic response.
• Out of$1.8 billion , $1.5 billion was towards vaccine procurement and $300 million to strengthen primary health care in urban areas and the country’s future pandemic preparedness.
• ADB’s regular program supported transport, urban development, finance, agriculture, and skills building.

About ADB :

• Founded: 19 December 1966
• Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Philippines
• President: Masatsugu Asakawa

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ECONOMY

Govt. does switch operation of ₹1,19,701 crore      

• The Government of India to smoothen its liability profile has done a conversion transaction with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on January 28, 2022 for an amount of ₹1,19,701 crore (face value).
• The transaction involved buying back securities maturing in FY 2022-23, FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25 from the Reserve Bank and issuing fresh securities for equivalent market value, to make the transaction cash neutral.
• The transactions were carried out using Financial Benchmarks India Pvt. Ltd. (FBIL) prices as on January 28, 2022.
• The Government of India has been undertaking conversion or switch operations with market participants as well as with the RBI with the objective of smoothening the liability profile as well as for market development.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

GoI appoints Sonali Singh as Controller General of Accounts (CGA) on additional charge

• The Government of India has appointed Sonali Singh to hold the additional charge of the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), under the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.
• She has been appointed in place of Dipak Dash, who superannuated on January 31, 2022.

About Sonali Singh :

• Sonali Singh is an Indian Civil Accounts Service officer from the 1987 batch (ICAS).
• Singh had joined CGA as Additional Controller General of Accounts in October 2019.
• Prior to that, she had also served as Additional Secretary at Central Vigilance Commission.

About Ministry of Finance :

• Cabinet Minister : Nirmala Sitharaman
• Minister of State : Bhagwat Karad, Pankaj Choudhary
• The Ministry of Finance is the apex controlling authority of four central civil services namely Indian Revenue Service, Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Indian Economic Service and Indian Civil Accounts Service.
• It is also the apex controlling authority of one of the central functionality services namely Indian Cost and Management Accounts Service.

Vice-Chancellor of JNU M Jagadesh Kumar Appointed Chairman Of UGC                      

• According to the Ministry of Education, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice-Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar was appointed chairperson of the University Grants Commission (UGC) for a period of five years, or until he turns 65, whichever is earlier.
• The post was vacant since December 7 when ex-Chairman DP Singh, who had taken charge in 2018, resigned upon turning 65.
• Pune University vice-chancellor Prof Nitin R Karmalkar and director of Inter-University Accelerator Center (IUAC) Prof Avinash Chandra Pandey were also shortlisted for the UGC chairperson post.

About Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar :

• Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar was born in Mamidala, Nalgonda district, Telangana.
• He did his Masters and PhD in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.
• He is a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Delhi.
• He is Chairman of the governing body of National Council of Science Museums.
• Kumar’s five-year term as JNU V-C had ended in January 2021, but he was asked to stay on till his successor is picked.
• This is the second time he has been given the charge of chairman of UGC & he held the charge of Chairman, UGC from 14 January 2017 to 2 February 2017.
• He has received the “ISA-VSI TechnoMentor Award”, with the award being presented by Dr. R. Chidambaram (Principal Scientific Advisor to Government of India).

About Ministry of Education :

• Cabinet Minister : Dharmedra Pradhan
• Minister of State : Subhas Sarkar, Annapurna Devi Yadav, Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh
• The Ministry of Education (MoE) is responsible for the implementation of the National Policy on Education.

About JNU :

• Established : 22 April 1969
• Chancellor : V. K. Saraswat
• Located at : New Delhi, Delhi, India

About UGC :

• Founded: 1956
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
• Chairperson : D. P. Singh
• It has six regional centres in Pune, Bhopal, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Guwahati and Bangalore.
• The University Grants Commission of India (UGC India) is a statutory body set up by the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India in accordance with the UGC Act 1956.
• This recommendation was made by the University Education Commission of 1948-1949 which was set up under the chairmanship of S. Radhakrishnan.

IndiGo appoints co-founder Rahul Bhatia as Managing Director      

• InterGlobe Aviation-run IndiGo has appointed its co-founder and promoter Rahul Bhatia as the company’s managing director with immediate effect.
• The board of directors unanimously approved the appointment of Bhatia as the managing director with immediate effect, subject to the approval of the shareholders.
• Bhatia stated his agenda would be transformational and would focus on expanding the airlines presence in India and in international markets and building for the long term.
• Bhatia would oversee all aspects of the airline, and actively lead the management team.

About Rahul Bhatia :

• Rahul Bhatia is also the Vice Chairman of InterGlobe Enterprises.
• He holds a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.
• In 2011, Bhatia was awarded as the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ by Ernst & Young.
• In 2016, he was featured on the Forbes’ Global Game Changers List.

About IndiGo :

• Founded : 2005
• Headquarters : Gurgaon, Haryana, India
• Chairman : M. Damodaran
• CEO : Rono Dutta
• Founders : Rahul Bhatia, Rakesh Gangwal
• InterGlobe Aviation Ltd d/b/a IndiGo is an Indian low-cost airline & it is the largest airline in India by passengers carried and fleet size, with a 53.5% domestic market share as of October 2021.

PESB Picks captain BK Tyagi as next CMD of shipping corporation of india                  

• Under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Captain Binesh Kumar Tyagi has been picked by the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) to be the next Chairman and Managing Director at the state-run carrier Shipping Corporation of India Ltd (SCI).
• Binesh Kumar Tyagi will replace Mrs H.K Joshi.

About Binesh Kumar Tyagi :

• Binesh Kumar Tyagi graduated from Meerut University and joined SCI in 1990 as a Trainee Nautical officer.
• He served onboard various ships in different ranks including Master of the ships.
• In 2004, he absorbed the shore office and served Technical, Vetting, Chartering, Fleet Personnel Departments in various ranks.
• He has overall 30 years of rich experience in various aspects of shipping.
• He has all-around professional qualifications covering areas like Ship operations, Navigation, General Management, Shipping management, and legal aspects.

About Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways :

• Cabinet Minister : Sarbananda Sonowal
• Minister of State : Shripad Yesso Naik, Shantanu Thakur

About SCI :

• Founded: 2 October 1961
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• The Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) is an Indian public sector undertaking that operates and manages vessels servicing both national and international lines.
• It is under the management of the Ministry of Shipping, Government of India.
• The SCI has immensely contributed to the growth of India’s EXIM trade and the national exchequer, by being a net earner/saver of valuable foreign exchange.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : AWARDS & HONORS

Karnataka Bank Awarded With Digital Transformation Award by Confederation of Indian Industry

• Karnataka Bank has been awarded the digital transformation award, ‘DX 2021 Awards, in recognition of the “innovative” best practice ‘KBL VIKAAS’, by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for Best Practice in Digital Transformation.
• KBL VIKAAS, launched by the bank in 2017, has enabled the bank in implementation of digital capabilities, namely, digital journeys for assets and liability products, enhancement in customer experience under ADC products and bringing in a strong culture of sales and marketing.
• Recently, the bank launched the digital transformation journey KBL NxT as part of wave 2.0 of ‘KBL VIKAAS’, with an objective of taking the digital initiatives to the next level and eventually emerge as ‘the digital bank of future’”.

About Karnataka Bank :

• CEO: Mahabaleshwara M. S
• Part-Time Non-Executive Chairman : P. Pradeep Kumar
• Headquarters: Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
• Founded: 18 February 1924
• Tagline : Your Family Bank Across India

About Confederation of Indian Industry :

• President: T. V. Narendran
• Director General: Chandrajit Banerjee
• Headquarters: New Delhi, India
• Founded: 1895
• Motto: Charting Change Enabling Development
• The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is a non-governmental trade association and advocacy group.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : MOU & AGREEMENTS

SIDBI Signs MoU with CDAC to strengthen Cyber Security capabilities & allied sectors

• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), the principal financial institution engaged in the promotion, financing and development of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), a premier R&D organization under the Ministry of Electronics and IT, Government of India, in a virtual event.

Key People :

• The MoU was signed by Shri Sudatta Mandal, Deputy Managing Director, SIDBI, and Shri Magesh E, Executive Director, C-DAC, in the presence of Shri Satheesh G, Senior Director and Head, Cyber Security Group, Shri Senthilkumar K.B and Dr. Dittin Andrews, Joint Directors from C-DAC and Shri Ravi Tyagi, Chief General Manager, SIDBI, Shri Paramendra Tiwary, Chief Technology Officer, SIDBI, Shri Sudhir Tandon, General Manager, SIDBI.
• SIDBI and C-DAC will collaborate to explore innovation and use of emerging technologies in the areas of Cyber Security, AI/ML, block chain, etc. and related training and capacity building aspects in the Banking Sector.

About SIDBI :

• Founded: 2 April 1990
• Headquarters: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
• Chairman & MD : Sivasubramanian Ramann

About Ministry of Electronics and IT :

1. Cabinet Minister : Ashwini Vaishnaw
2. Minister of State : Rajeev Chandrasekhar

• Secretary : Ajay Prakash Sawhney

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA plans to destroy the ISS in 2031                      

• NASA plans to “deorbit” the ISS and crash it into the Pacific Ocean in January 2031.
• According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the orbiting laboratory, which launched in 1998, will splash-land 1,678 miles (2,700 kilometers) from land at Point Nemo, the final Pacific Ocean resting place for many dead satellites and space stations such as Russia’s Mir.
• On January 31, 2022, NASA announced that the Biden-Harris administration had extended the space station’s operations until 2030.
• NASA has signed agreements with three private companies to launch commercial space stations for use by both private companies and government astronauts.
• NASA has awarded contracts to three companies : Blue Origin, Nanoracks, and Northrop Grumman – to build private space stations in Earth orbit.

About ISS :

• Director : Robyn Gatens
• The International Space Station (ISS) is a modular space station in low Earth orbit.
• It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada).

About NASA :

• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• Founder: Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Founded: 29 July 1958, United States
• Motto : For the Benefit of All
• Administrator : Bill Nelson
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.

Google unveils new Chromebook devices for teachers, students

• Google has introduced a new lineup of secure and long-lasting Chromebook devices and updated programmes, resources, and Chrome OS advancements, designed entirely for
• Chromebooks play an important role in the classroom, assisting 50 million students and teachers to learn and collaborate from wherever they are.

About the new Chromebook :

• The new Chromebook discovery page allows you to easily search for device capabilities such as graphic design and lesson planning.
• It also finds which Chromebooks have features like LTE connectivity, improved video conferencing and camera-based document scanning.
• New Chromebooks designed for teachers, such as the Acer Chromebook Spin 713, HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook, and Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook, have improved stylus capabilities, design, and performance.
• Teachers, who use the same operating system as their students, can easily assist them in troubleshooting and navigating the latest updates.

About Google :

• CEO: Sundar Pichai
• Founded: 4 September 1998, Menlo Park, California, United States
• Headquarters: Mountain View, California, United States
• Founders: Larry Page, Sergey Brin
• Parent organization: Alphabet Inc.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : RANKING & INDEX

Salesforce Global Digital Skills Index, 2022: India tops on readiness

• According to the Salesforce Global Digital Skills Index, among 19 countries, India has the Indexs highest digital readiness score at 63 out of 100.
• In India 72 percent, of respondents say they are very actively learning digital skills now to prepare themselves for the future of work
• 66 percent of respondents in India also said they feel very equipped with resources to learn digital skills.
• Globally (51 percent) of respondents and in India (54 percent) of respondents want to learn new skills to help them grow their current career.
• The Index also stated that globally, younger respondents have greater confidence and ambition to learn new skills – over one-third of Gen Z are ‘very actively’ learning and training for skills needed over the next five years.
• However, in India, Baby Boomers are leading the way with 83 per cent of respondents actively learning and training for skills.
• 31% of Gen Z respondents, the first truly digital native generation, feel “very equipped” for a digital-first job right now. Not many Gen Z respondents believe they have “advanced” digital skills in areas like coding (20%), data encryption & cyber security (18%), and AI (7%).
• 64% of Sales force’s global index respondents rated themselves as “beginners” in AI digital skills.
• 82% plan to learn new skills to help them grow in their current career or a new career.
• The vast majority of respondents (83%) claim “advanced” or “intermediate” everyday social media skills and 76% say the same for everyday digital communication skills.

About Salesforce Global Digital Skills Index 2022 :

• The Index is based on a survey of over 23,500 workers in 19 countries, with an average global readiness score of 33 out of 100.

About Salesforce India :

• CEO & Chairperson : Arundhati Bhattacharya

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

ICC U-19 World Cup: India lifts a record fifth title after beating England:

• In the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, India lifted a record fifth title after beating England by four wickets in the summit clash at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.
• Earlier, batting first after winning the toss, England posted 189 runs losing all wickets in 44.5 overs with the help of James Rew’s 95-run knock.
• For India, Raj Bawa picked up a 5-wicket haul while Ravi Kumar took four.
• In reply, the Yash Dhull-led Indian side overhauled the target for the loss of six wickets in 47.4 overs riding on the fifties smashed by Shaikh Rasheed and Nishant Sindhu.
• For England, Joshua Boyden, James Sales and Thomas Aspinwall scaped two wickets apiece.
• Earlier, India had won the U19 World Cup in 2000, 2008, 2012, and 2018.
• Meanwhile, BCCI secretary Jay Shah has announced cash rewards for under-19 Indian team.
• Each player from the victorious Indian team will get a cash reward of 40 lakh rupees.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar passes away at the age of 92:

• Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar passed away at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai, February 6, 2022.
• The veteran singer, popularly known as the Melody Queen, was 92.
• She had been admitted to hospital on 8 January after having tested positive for COVID-19.
• Government has announced a two-day national mourning in memory of Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar.
• As a mark of respect, the national flag will fly at half-mast for two days.
• A state funeral will be accorded to the legendary singer, who received the Bharat Ratna, in 2001.

About Lata Mangeshkar:

• Lata Mangeshkar was born on September 28, 1929, to a Marathi and Konkani musician Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar.
• Originally named Hema, she was the eldest of five siblings, including veteran singer Asha Bhosle.
• Her father Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar was a classical singer and theatre actor.

Her Achievements:

• Lata Mangeshkar recorded her first playback song for a Marathi film, Kiti Hasaal, at the age of 13, and even acted in a Marathi film, Pahili Mangalagaur in the year 1942.
• In year 1946, she recorded her first Hindi film playback song for Aap Ki Seva Mein, directed by Vasant Jogalekar.
• In 1972, Lata Mangeshkar won the first National Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the film Parichay.
• Over the years, the veteran singer won numerous national and international awards including the prestigious Bharat Ratna, the title of Officer of the French Legion of Honour, Dadasaheb Phalke Award, three National Film Awards, four Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards, Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award and many more.
• In 1984, the State Government of Madhya Pradesh instituted the Lata Mangeshkar Award, while the Government of Maharashtra also instituted a Lata Mangeshkar Award in 1992 to promote singing talent.

Senior politician C Janga Reddy and BJP’s first torchbearer in Lok Sabha, passes away:

• The noted Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Chandupatla Janga Reddy has passed away at the age of 86 due to following health issues in
• His native is Warangal and a former MLA in Andhra Pradesh.
• He also served as Member of Parliament in the 8th Lok Sabha in the year 1984 and marked sthe BJP’s debut in the Lok Sabha.
• Reddy who was born in 1935, had his early grounding as a Jan Sangh worker. Between 1967 and 1984, he also had stints as an MLA representing the Parakal and Sayampet Assembly segments in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh Assembly.
• He was one of the only two BJP MPs who got elected to the Lok Sabha in 1984 in 543 Parliament constituencies.
• The other was A K Patel. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly in undivided Andhra Pradesh thrice.

Former President of Greece Christos Sartzetakis passes away:

• Former Greek President Christos Sartzetakis, a judge widely respected for resisting pressure from military dictators who ultimately imprisoned him without trial in the late 1960s, has died following a long hospitalization.
• He was 92.
• Sartzetakis had been hospitalized in the intensive care unit of Athens’ Laiko hospital and died in the early hours of respiratory failure, the hospital.
• Born in April 1929, Sartzetakis held the largely ceremonial post of president of Greece from 1985-1990, a politically tumultuous time in the country.

Daily CA On Feb 08 :

• International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is a United Nations-sponsored annual awareness day that takes place on February 6 as part of the UN’s efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation.
• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation the ‘Statue of Equality’ in Hyderabad.
• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi visited the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) campus in Patancheru, Hyderabad and kickstarted the 50th Anniversary celebrations of ICRISAT.
• The Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri informed that the Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban (SBM-U) 2.0, launched on October 1, 2021 for a Mission period of five years involves urban-rural convergence.
• NITI Aayog, in collaboration with PhonePe, AWS and EY, has organized a three-week-long virtual summit, ‘Fintech Open’, from 7–28 February.
• Indian Footwear and Leather Development Programme (IFLDP) (erstwhile IFLADP) has been approved for continuation from 2021-22 with an approved financial outlay of 1700 crore.
• The foundation stone for the third border haat at Kamalpur-Kumarghat on Tripura- Bangladesh border was laid jointly by the Chief Minister of Tripura Biplab Kumar Deb and Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi.
• Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company Limited has tied up with CARS24 Financial Services Private Limited to provide motor insurance services to the buyers of used cars.
• The Asian Development Bank committed a record $4.6 billion in sovereign lending to India in 2021 for 17 loans, including $1.8 billion for the country’s Coronavirus disease pandemic response.
• The Government of India to smoothen its liability profile has done a conversion transaction with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on January 28, 2022 for an amount of ₹1,19,701 crore (face value).
• The Government of India has appointed Sonali Singh to hold the additional charge of the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), under the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.
• According to the Ministry of Education, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice-Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar was appointed chairperson of the University Grants Commission (UGC) for a period of five years, or until he turns 65, whichever is earlier.
• InterGlobe Aviation-run IndiGo has appointed its co-founder and promoter Rahul Bhatia as the company’s managing director with immediate effect.
• Under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Captain Binesh Kumar Tyagi has been picked by the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) to be the next Chairman and Managing Director at the state-run carrier Shipping Corporation of India Ltd (SCI).
• Karnataka Bank has been awarded the digital transformation award, ‘DX 2021 Awards’, in recognition of the “innovative” best practice ‘KBL VIKAAS’, by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for Best Practice in Digital Transformation.
• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), the principal financial institution engaged in the promotion, financing and development of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), a premier R&D organization under the Ministry of Electronics and IT, Government of India, in a virtual event.
• NASA plans to “deorbit” the ISS and crash it into the Pacific Ocean in January 2031.
• Google has introduced a new lineup of secure and long-lasting Chromebook devices and updated programmes, resources, and Chrome OS advancements, designed entirely for
• According to the Salesforce Global Digital Skills Index, among 19 countries, India has the Index’s highest digital readiness score at 63 out of 100.
• In the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, India lifted a record fifth title after beating England by four wickets in the summit clash at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.
• Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar passed away at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai, February 6, 2022.
• The noted Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Chandupatla Janga Reddy has passed away at the age of 86 due to following health issues in
• Former Greek President Christos Sartzetakis, a judge widely respected for resisting pressure from military dictators who ultimately imprisoned him without trial in the late 1960s, has died following a long hospitalization.