DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS 28 January 2022
Corruption Perception Index 2021
- Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2021 Was Released By Transparency International.
- Overall, The CPI Shows That Control Of Corruption Has Stagnated Or Worsened In 86% Of Countries Over The Last Decade.
- The Index Ranks 180 Countries And Territories By Their Perceived Levels Of Public Sector Corruption According To Experts And Businesspeople.
- Top Countries Are Denmark, Finland, And New Zealand, Each With A Score Of 88. South Sudan (11), Syria (13), And Somalia (13) Remain At The Bottom Of The Index.
- India Ranked 85 Among 180 Countries In The Current Index (86 In 2020 And 80 In 2019). Transparency International Gave India A CPI Score Of 40.
Air India Strategic Disinvestment Completed
- The Air India strategic disinvestment transaction has been completed today with the Government receiving the consideration of Rs 2,700 crore from the Strategic Partner (M/s Talace Pvt Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of M/s Tata Sons Pvt Ltd), retaining debt of Rs 15,300 crore in Air India and AIXL and transferring shares of Air India (100% shares of Air India and its subsidiary AIXL and 50% shares of AISATS) to the Strategic Partner.
- It is pertinent to mention that following Government’s approval of the highest price bid of M/s Talace Pvt Ltd for strategic disinvestment of Air India, the Letter of Intent was issued to the winning bidder on 11 October 2021. The Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) was signed on 25 October 2021. Thereafter, Strategic Partner (M/s Talace Pvt Ltd), Air India, and the Government worked towards satisfying a set of conditions precedent defined in the SPA including approvals from anti-trust bodies, regulators, lenders, third parties, etc. These conditions have since been met to mutual satisfaction.
4th National Conference on Agriculture
- Union Agriculture Minister addresses 4th National Conference on Agriculture for Summer Campaign 2021-22
- Government efforts proved effective in the increasing area under Zaid crops from 29.71 to 80.46 lakh hectares in the last three years, says Shri Tomar.
- States should focus on using new varieties of seeds developed by ICAR: Shri Tomar
- Center & States should promote organic and natural farming to lower cost of production and increase farmers’ income: Agriculture Minister
- Krishi Vigyan Kendra and Agricultural Technology Management Agency should conduct joint training for small farmers, says Shri Tomar
India’s Women Unsung Heroes of Freedom Struggle
- Union Minister of State for Culture Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi released a pictorial book on India’s Women Unsung Heroes of Freedom Struggle as part of Azadi ka Mahotsav, in New Delhi today. The book has been released in partnership with Amar Chitra Katha which is a household name in India.
- Ministry of Culture has decided to release pictorial books on 75 Unsung Heroes of the Freedom Struggle in partnership with Amar Chitra Katha. The second edition will be on 25 unsung Tribal Freedom Fighters which is under process and will take some time. The third and final edition will be of 30 unsung heroes drawn from other areas.
- The movement to gain India’s Independence brought together millions of people from every walk of life in protest of the colonial rule. However, we all know only a few legendary, iconic leaders of the freedom struggle. In view of this, as a part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) commemorating 75 years of India’s Independence, the Government of India has decided to recall and remember forgotten heroes of our freedom struggle, many of whom might be renowned yet unknown to the new generation.
- Rani Abakka, the Queen of Ullal, Karnataka fought and defeated the mighty Portuguese in the 16th century. Velu Nachiyar, the queen of Sivaganga was the first Indian queen to wage war against the British East India Company. Jhalkari Bai was a woman soldier who grew to become one of the key advisors to the Rani of Jhansi and a prominent figure in the First War of Indian Independence, 1857.
- Matangini Hazra was a brave freedom fighter from Bengal, who laid down her life while agitating against the British. Gulab Kaur was a freedom fighter who abandoned her own hopes and dreams of a life abroad to fight for and mobilize the Indian people against the British Raj. Chakali Ilamma was a revolutionary woman who fought against the injustice of zamindars during the Telangana rebellion in the mid-1940s. Padmaja Naidu, the daughter of Sarojini Naidu and a freedom fighter in her own right, would later become Governor of West Bengal and a humanitarian after Independence.
- The book contains the story of Bishni Devi Shah, a woman who inspired the large number of people in Uttarakhand to join the freedom movement. Subhadra Kumari Chauhan was one of the greatest Hindi poets, who was also a prominent figure in the freedom movement. Durgawati Devi was the brave woman who provided safe passage to Bhagat Singh after the killing of John Saunders and much more during her revolutionary days. Sucheta Kripalani, a prominent freedom fighter, became independent India’s first woman Chief Minister of UP Government.
Budget 2022-23 to be in Paperless Form
- Union Budget 2022-23 to be presented on 1st February 2022 in Paperless form
- To mark the final stage of the Union Budget making process, sweets provided to core staff due for “lock-in” at their work workplace instead of Halwa ceremony due to ongoing Pandemic and health safety concerns
- Union Budget 2022-23 will be available on Mobile App after it is presented in Parliament
- “Union Budget Mobile App” to provide easy and quick access to Union Budget information to all stakeholders
- Mobile App is bilingual (English & Hindi) and is available on both Android and iOS platforms
- Mobile App can be downloaded from the Union Budget Web Portal (www.indiabudget.gov.in)
- All Budget documents will also be available for download on Union Budget Web Portal.
Swachhata Start-Up Challenge
- Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India, in partnership with Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD)today launched the Swachhata Start-Up Challenge to provide an impetus to innovative start-ups to come forward and drive catalytic transformation in the sanitation and waste management sector.
- In line with Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’, the Challenge seeks to promote an enabling environment for enterprise development under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0).
- The Challenge, which is open to start-ups registered in India and French actors collaborating with an Indian start-up (as a joint venture), invites solutions across four thematic areas viz. (i) social inclusion, (ii) zero dump (solid waste management), (iii)plastic waste management and(iv)transparency through digital enablement.
- The Challenge provides a prominent platform to participating enterprises to showcase their innovative products and services along with significant monetary and mentorship incentives –top 10 awardees stand to receive ₹25 lakhs along with one year of dedicated incubation support from French Tech, the French government’s initiative to promote start-ups.
- Apart from this, eligible startups will get additional incentives which include up to ₹ 50 Lakhs follow-on investment from Villgro, the implementation partner of the Challenge, and up to 100,000 USD worth of credits and technology support from the technology partner Amazon Web Services to each winner. The call for online submission of applications starts from today through the dedicated micro-site launched at the event (www.swachhatastartupchallenge.com) along with a video that details the key modalities of the Challenge.
Bangladesh Parliament Passes Bill for Election Commission Formation
- The Bangladesh parliament Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday passed the bill for the appointment of Election Commissioners and Chief Election Commissioner for the formation of the next Election Commission (EC). The bill was placed in the parliament by the law, justice, and parliamentary affairs Minister Anisul Huq. It was passed by the voice vote, reports the official news agency BSS.
- The bill gives a legal shield to the appointments of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners to form the EC. The tenure of the current Election Commission ends on Feb 14.
- The bill envisages a six member search committee appointed by the president to recommend the names of the Election Commissioners and CEC. The search committee will be headed by a judge of the Appellate Division nominated by the Chief Justice. Its members will include a High Court Division judge, the Comptroller and Auditor General, Chairperson of Public Service Commission and two eminent citizens including one woman.
Bangladesh: Rural hospital wins prestigious RIBA prize for the most transformative building of the world
- Friendship Hospital, in the southwestern town of Satkhira in Bangladesh has been adjudged the most transformative building of the world for the year 2021 by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The 80-bed community hospital designed by the Bangladeshi architect Kasef Chowdhury is designed to ‘work with and withstand the climate change effects of rising seawater in the adjoining area’, said the RIBA in an announcement.
- The Friendship Hospital, Satkhira was chosen from a shortlist of three exceptional new buildings by the Grand Jury, chaired by world-renowned multi-disciplinary French architect Odile Decq.
- The low-cost building is designed to collect the rainwater as it is a valuable commodity in this area where water has become saline due to the impact of cyclone Sidr of 2007 and rising sea level.
- The hospital building uses canal landscaping between its multiple blocks to separate the inpatient department (IPD) and OPD. At either end of this pool of water are two large tanks used to collect rainwater, which is stored and harvested for use at the hospital while preventing waterlogging on the site.
- The building has shadow corridors around all the blocks and courtyards providing natural ventilation and regulating temperature efficiently.
- The bricks for the building were manufactured on the site with ordinary material by local craftspeople helping in cutting down costs and integrating the structure with the local surroundings.
- The simplicity of the design is combined with its innovativeness to make it a unique example of nature compliant architecture.
- The jury citation said that it was refreshing to see a hospital with such a human and natural touch. The Friendship Hospital has particular relevance at this period of time as it addresses the issue of unequal access to healthcare throughout the world, said the jury.
- RIBA International Prize is awarded biennially to a project that demonstrates design excellence and social impact.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
- HQ of Transparency International
- Assam
- Arunachal
- Mizoram
- Manipur
ANSWER: B
- India Ranked ___ Among 180 Countries in the Corruption Perception Index 2021
- 83
- 84
- 85
- 86
ANSWER: C
- The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) was formed in
- 1734
- 1834
- 1934
- 2001
ANSWER: B
- Recently which Indian received the RIBA Royal Gold Medal for Architecture
- Balkrishna Doshi
- V A Vaas
- Charles Correa
- Raj Rewal
ANSWER: A
- Founder of Air India
- Ratan Tata
- Dorabji Tata
- JRD Tata
- Jamshedji Tata
ANSWER: C
- Who among the following is known as ‘Mother of Indian Revolution’ ?
- Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi
- Bhikaji Rustam Kama
- Annie Besant
- Sarojini Naidu
ANSWER: B
- Who launched the All India Home Rule League in September 1916?
- Mahadev Govind Ranade
- Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- Annie Besant
- Joseph Baptista
ANSWER: C
- Who among the following formed the group “Brothers of India”?
- Sarojini Naidu
- Durgabai Deshmukh
- Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
- Annie Beasant
ANSWER: B
- The last Railway Budget was presented in
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
ANSWER: C
- The last Railway Budget was presented in 2016 was presented by
- Arun Jaitley
- Suresh Prabhu
- Nirmala Seetharaman
- Manohar Parrikar
ANSWER: B
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