CURRENT AFFAIRS DESTINATION FOR UPSC & STATE CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATIONS
Pakistan President Arif Alvi conferred the award of Hilal-e-Pakistan, the country’s second-highest civilian award, to Bill Gates for his efforts to help eradicate polio. Pakistan, along with neighbouring Afghanistan, is one of two countries in the world where polio continues to circulate. Bill Gates was honoured with the award during a special investiture ceremony held in Islamabad on February 17. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is playing a critical role Read More …
Nobel-winning virologist Luc Montagnier, who discovered the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS, died in Paris on February 8, 2022. The 89-year-old Montagnier, born on August 8, 1932 in central France, won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2008 for the discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS. The Frenchman Montagnier shared the award with fellow researcher Françoise Barré-Sinoussi. Montagnier and Françoise had shared half of the Read More …
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Hyderabad) has launched the beta version of job portal named ‘Swarajability’. The portal is powered by artificial intelligence that helps people with disabilities acquire relevant skills and find jobs. The portal was launched virtually by Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Union Government. The platform will analyse the profiles of the job seekers and suggest the skills they would require to become eligible. GS Read More …
Unnikrishnan Nair S. has been appointed as the new director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram. Mr. Nair succeeds S. Somanath who took over as Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), in January 2022. Mr. Nair is heading the Human Space Flight Centre established by the ISRO in Bengaluru for the Gaganyaan programme. He will continue to hold the post until further orders. About Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Read More …
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice-Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar was on February 4 appointed chairperson of the University Grants Commission (UGC). A notification issued by the Ministry of Education (MoE) said the appointment has been made for a period of 5 years, or until he turns 65, whichever is earlier. Jagadesh Kumar, an alumnus of IIT Madras’s electrical engineering department, was appointed as the Vice Chancellor of JNU in Jan 2016. Read More …
The Data Protection Day was celebrated on January 28, 2022 across the world with the theme of ‘Privacy Matters’. The objective of the day is to sensitize individuals and disseminate privacy practices and principles. It encourages everyone to own their privacy responsibilities to create a culture of privacy. In 2006, the Council of Europe launched a Data Protection Day to be celebrated each year on 28 January. This year’s Data Read More …
Lahore High Court’s Justice Ayesha Malik was sworn in as the Pakistan Supreme Court’s first female judge on January 24, 2022. The Pakistan Supreme Court was established in 1956 and it took 67 years for for a woman to reach this position. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, women reportedly account for 17 per cent of judges overall and 4.4 per cent in high courts. In India, where Read More …
Shinzo Abe-the former Prime Minister of Japan, was conferred with the Netaji Award 2022. The award was given by Netaji Research Bureau on January 23, 2022. Nakamura Yutaka-the Consul General of Japan in Kolkata received the honour on behalf of Mr. Abe at a function at the Elgin Road residence of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary.
The Prime Minister conferred Subhas Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskars for the year 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 in the investiture ceremony. This award was instituted by the Union Government to recognize and honour the invaluable contribution and selfless service rendered by the individuals and organisations in India in the field of disaster management. Subhas Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskars Winners For 2022: Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management and Professor Read More …
The Telangana State Cabinet on January 17, 2022 approved ‘Mana ooru, mana badi’ programme. It aims allround development and creation of effective basic infrastructure in schools across the State. The programme will be implemented in three years with a budget of Rs 7,289 crore to benefit 19.84 lakh children of 26.065 schools. The amount will be spent on setting up digital classrooms, construction of additional classrooms and taking up repairs Read More …
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) on January 16 announced the initiation of the Open Data Week to encourage adoption of open data and promote innovation across India’s urban ecosystem. The Open Data Week is part of a series of pre-event initiatives being undertaken by MoHUA to promote awareness and use of open data. It will be conducted during the third week of January, i.e., from 17th January 2022 to Read More …
Pandit Birju Maharaj-one of the foremost masters of Kathak, passed away on January 17, 2022 at the age of 83. The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has expressed deep grief over the passing away of legendary Kathak dancer Pandit Birju Maharaj. He was from Lucknow’s Kalka-Bindadin Gharana. Born Brij Mohan Nath Mishra, Birju Maharaj began dancing when he was four. Kathak was in the family. His father, Achhan Maharaj was Read More …
Ms. Vinisha Umashankar, a student innovator turned environmentalist from Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu, has been selected as a “changemaker” and Batonbearer for the ongoing 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay (12-15 January 2022) in India. The young innovator and buddying environmentalist Ms. Vinisha has been an inspiration for many, and that was an important driver for being selected as a baton-bearer. The 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay started at the Buckingham Palace Read More …
Rocket scientist S. Somanath has been appointed Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Space Secretary. Dr. Somanath has been serving as the Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST). He joined the VSSC in the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) project in 1985, after obtaining his B.Tech. in mechanical engineering from the TKM College of Engineering, Read More …
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte for fourth term in office. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte embarked on a fourth term on January 10, leading a coalition that took office amid a nationwide coronavirus lockdown. Rutte has already led three coalitions and is now set to become the Netherlands’ longest-serving prime minister. For the first time in Dutch political history, half Read More …