In today’s 21 March 2022 Current affairs we are going to see the latest national and international current affairs topics. These current affairs questions and major events will be really helpful for your upcoming NDA, CDS, AFCAT, TA, INET, MNS, ACC exams and other SSB Interview and AFCAT interviews like SSC Tech, TGC, TES, NDA, CDS, AFCAT and more. Download the current affairs PDF file at the end of this article.
DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS 19 – 21 March 2022
International Day Of Happiness
- The International Day of Happiness is celebrated throughout the world on 20 March. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly on 28 June 2012.
- The International Day of Happiness aims to make people around the world realize the importance of happiness within their lives.
- In 2015, the United Nations launched 17 Sustainable Development Goals to make people’s lives happier. Its main development goals are to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality and protect our planet.
- The United Nations invites people of all ages to join in celebrating the International Day of Happiness.
- “Build Back Happier” is the theme for 2022 and is aimed at achieving global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
World Happiness Report 2022
- The World Happiness Report 2022 was published by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the World Happiness Report.
- Published since 2012, the World Happiness Report is based on two key ideas:
- Happiness or life evaluation measured through opinion surveys and
- Identifying key elements that determine well-being and life evaluation across countries.
- The report usually ranks 150 countries based on several factors such as real GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption. This year, the report ranked 146 countries.
- On The Top: Finland has been named the world’s happiest country for the fifth year running followed by Denmark.
- On The Worst: Afghanistan was ranked as the unhappiest nation, followed by Lebanon, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and Botswana, respectively.
- About India: India saw a marginal improvement in its ranking, jumping three spots to 136, from 139 a year ago.
35th Suraj Kund International Crafts Mela
- Chief Minister of Haryana Shri Manohar Lal stated that the Suraj Kund Crafts fair helps thousands of craftsperson from across India to showcase their arts and products to a wider audience.
- Thus, the Mela has also helped in reviving the heritage crafts of India. He further said that this years’ Suraj Kund Crafts Mela is special as organized when we are celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
- The Mela was first organized in 1987 and this is the 35th Crafts Mela organized this year and it is a stage not only for the artisans from Haryana but also from all over India giving opportunity to showcase their talent and encourages to preserve our rich heritage & culture.
- History of Surajkund:
- Surajkund, the site of popular Surajkund International Crafts Mela is located 8 km from South Delhi in Faridabad. Surajkund derives its name from the ancient amphitheater, meaning ‘lake of the sun’ constructed here in the 10th century by Raja Suraj Pal, one of the Tomar chieftains. ‘Suraj’ means ‘Sun’ and ‘Kund’ means ‘pool/lake or reservoir’. The place is built against the backdrop of the Aravalli Mountain range.
- As historians tell us, this area fell under the domain of the Tomar clan. Raja Suraj Pal, one of the chieftains of the clan of sun worshipers, had a sun pool built in this area. It is believed that a temple also stood in its periphery. Archaeological excavations have revealed the existence of a Sun temple here based on ruins that can be seen even now. During the Tughlaq dynasty rule of Feroz Shah Tughlaq (1351–88), the reservoir was refurbished by rebuilding the steps and terraces with stones in lime mortar.
- The Mela is indeed a tribute to the richness and diversity of the cultural heritage of India, organized in the backdrop of this magnificent monument.
NMDC Crosses 40 MT Iron Ore Production
- National Mineral Development Corporation Ltd. (NMDC), Country’s largest Iron Ore producer, a CPSE under Ministry of Steel became the first company in the country to cross 40 million tonnes (MT) iron ore production in a year.
- From a production of 4 MTPA in the late 1960s to 40 million tonnes now, the growth trajectory of the largest iron ore producer of the country has been exceptional. Starting from 4 million tonnes in 1969-70, NMDC crossed 10 million tonnes in 1977-78, added another ten million by 2004-05, crossed 30 million tonnes within a decade and has now breached the 40 million mark.
- It is pertinent to mention that the company has set a target of becoming a 100 MTPA company by 2030. The CPSE also plans to leverage their expertise in moving towards a multi-mineral outlook with coal, diamond, gold and other strategic minerals of national interest in their portfolio.
- NMDC Limited, (formerly National Mineral Development Corporation), is a government-owned mineral producer. It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Steel, Government of India.
- It is involved in the exploration of iron ore, copper, rock phosphate, limestone, dolomite, gypsum, bentonite, magnesite, diamond, tin, tungsten, graphite, etc.
- It is India’s largest iron ore producer and exporter, producing more than 35 million tonnes of iron ore from three mechanized mines in Chhattisgarh and Karnataka. It also operates the only mechanized diamond mine in the country at Panna in Madhya Pradesh.
Weightlifting National Championships 2022
- Sr. National Weightlifting Championships (Men & Women)- 2021-22 will be held at Bhubaneshwar (Odisha) from 19.03.2022 to 31.03.2022. Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB), the sports arm of Indian Railways (IR) will be sending a strong contingent from Indian Railways in this Championship. Indian Railways Men team has been winners in the National Weightlifting Championships continuously for last 04 years and Railways Women team have been winners in the last 02 National Championships.
- It is well known that Indian Railways is one of the largest organizations in the country which provides employment to the sportspersons and Railway Sports Promotion Board as a part of its sports promotion activities and with the motive of “Jahan Khel Wahan Rail” develops sports infrastructure for providing world class training and facilities to not only IR sportspersons but also to the sportspersons of the country for improvement of their sporting skills and for polishing their talent. With approximately 10000 sports employees including around 3000 actively involved in sports activities, IR is largest employer of men and women sportspersons in the country.
- It is also a matter of records that Indian Railways sportspersons have played an excellent role in bringing laurels to the country at the International platforms. Be it Commonwealth Games, Asian Games or the Olympics, IR sportspersons have a large contribution in performance of India.
- Indian Railways have produced star weightlifters like Ms. S. Mirabai Chanu, who brought silver medal for the country in the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and became the first ever weightlifter from India to win a silver medal at Olympics, Arjuna awardees like Mr. Sathish Sivalingam, Ms Renu Bala, Ms. Sanjita Chanu and many more.
Fumio Kishida Visits India Holds Bilateral Talks
- Highlights:
- The 14th India Japan Annual Summit is the first meeting of Mr. Modi and Mr. Kishida.
- India and Japan signed six agreements in the areas including cyber security, wastewater management, and clean energy after the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit in New Delhi
- PM Modi holds productive talks with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida to boost bilateral economic and cultural ties.
- India presents limitless possibilities for Make in India for the world.
- Japan’s cooperation in India’s flagship projects such as the Dedicated Freight Corridor and the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail has been remarkable.
- Both India and Japan understand the importance of a secure, trusted, predictable, and stable energy supply.
- Japan will raise its investment target in India to 5 trillion Yen or 3.2 lakh crore rupees over the next five years.
- India-Japan Economic Forum towards realizing the unparalleled potential of the economic partnership.
- India and Japan call for an immediate end to violence and peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict
World Sparrow Day
- World Sparrow Day is a day designated to raise awareness of the house sparrow and then other common birds to urban environments, and of threats to their populations, observed on 20 March. It is an international initiative by the Nature Forever Society of India in collaboration with the Eco-Sys Action Foundation (France) and numerous other national and international organisations across the world.
- The Nature Forever Society was started by Mohammed Dilawar, an Indian conservationist who started his work helping the house sparrow in Nashik, and who was named one of the “Heroes of the Environment” for 2008 by Time for his efforts.
- The idea of marking World Sparrow Day came up during an informal discussion at the Nature Forever Society’s office. The idea was to earmark a day for the house sparrow to convey the message of conservation of the house sparrow and other common birds and mark a day of celebration to appreciate the beauty of the common biodiversity which is taken so much for granted.
- The first World Sparrow Day was celebrated in 2010 in different parts of the world. The day was celebrated by carrying out different various kinds of activities and events like art competitions, awareness campaigns, and sparrow processions as well as interactions with media.
- Theme 2022: “I Love Sparrows”.
Tunisian Independence Day
- The Republic Of Tunisia, Is The Northernmost Country In Africa. It Is A Part Of The Maghreb Region Of North Africa And Is Bordered By Algeria To The West And Southwest, Libya To The Southeast, And The Mediterranean Sea To The North And East, Covering 163,610 Sq Km, With A Population Of 11 Million.
- Tunisia Achieved Independence From France On 20 March 1956 With Habib Bourguiba As Prime Minister. 20 March Is Celebrated Annually As Tunisian Independence Day. A Year Later, Tunisia Was Declared A Republic, With Bourguiba As The First President.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
- International Day Of Happiness
- January 19
- March 20
- April 12
- July 14
ANSWER: B
- _____ Proposed The Idea Of The International Day Of Happiness At The UNGA
- Jayme Illien
- Amartya Sen
- Mahbub ul Haq
- Esther Duflo
ANSWER: A
- Theme For 2022: The International Day Of Happiness
- Together & Happier
- Build Back Happier
- Stand With Ukraine
- Life, Love & Happiness
ANSWER: B
- World Happiness Report Is Published By
- UN Development Program
- UN General Assembly
- UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network
- UN Office For Human Rights
ANSWER: C
- United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network
- 2010
- 2011
- 2012
- 2013
ANSWER: C
- How Many SDG’s Are There
- 10
- 15
- 17
- 20
ANSWER: C
- Agenda 2030 Was Adopted By UNGA In
- 2010
- 2013
- 2015
- 2018
ANSWER: C
- India Stood At _____ In World Happiness Report 2022
- 136
- 139
- 140
- 141
ANSWER: A
- The Global Competitiveness Report Is Published By The
- International Monetary Fund
- United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
- World Economic Forum
- World Bank
ANSWER: C
- _____ Topped In World Happiness Report 2022
- France
- Finland
- Iceland
- Norway
ANSWER: B
- Capital Of Finland
- Helsinki
- Oslo
- Stockholm
- Nairobi
ANSWER: A
- Surajkund International Crafts Mela Is Held In
- Rajasthan
- Haryana
- Uttarakhand
- Bihar
ANSWER: B
- Surajkund International Crafts Mela Was 1st Held In
- 1985
- 1986
- 1987
- 1988
ANSWER: C
- HQ Of National Mineral Development Corporation
- Bhubaneshwar
- Hyderabad
- Mumbai
- Ranchi
ANSWER: B
- Silver Medal At The 2020 Tokyo Olympics Weightlifting
- Sanjita Chanu
- Santoshi Matsa
- Mirabai Chanu
- Swati Singh
ANSWER: C
- Mirabai Chanu Hails From
- Assam
- Arunachal
- Manipur
- Nagaland
ANSWER: C
- World Sparrow Day
- January 19
- March 20
- April 12
- July 14
ANSWER: B
- Capital Of Tunisia
- Tunis
- Gabes
- Ariana
- Testour
ANSWER: A
- Tunisia Gained Independence In
- 1947
- 1952
- 1956
- 1964
ANSWER: C
- Before Independence Tunisia Was A
- British Colony
- French Colony
- Dutch Colony
- Spanish Colony
ANSWER: B
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