Current Affairs by Saurabh Kumar Pandey
Chris Hipkins:
New PM of New Zealand & He succeeded Jacinda Ardern (resigned).
Linda Yaccarino:
Newly appointed CEO of Twitter
Ajay Banga
Indian-American business leader Ajay Banga has been appointed as the
President of the World Bank for a five-year term. He is the first Indianborn nominee to the World Bank president role. He is expected to start
the new job in June 2023 by Succeeding David Malpass.
Banga, a US citizen since 2007, currently serves as vice chair of General
Atlantic, a private equity company. He also serves as co-chair of the
Partnership for Central America, where he worked closely with US Vice
President Kamala Harris to mobilise public, private and non-profit
resources for Northern Central America.
He also served as a CEO of Mastercard.
Mohammad Shahabuddin
On 25th April 2023, Mohammed Shahabuddin was sworn in as the 22nd president of
Bangladesh.
Present PM: Sheikh Haseena
Shivangi Singh.
Shivangi Singh became the first woman fighter pilot to fly a Rafale after
she was selected as a Rafale pilot following a stringent selection process
in 2020. She hails from Varanasi.
About Rafale
The Rafale is a twin-jet multirole fighter aircraft designed and built
by French Company, Dassault Aviation. It is able to operate from both an
aircraft carrier and a shore base. The fully versatile Rafale is able to carry
out all combat aviation missions: air superiority and air defense, close air
support, in-depth strikes, anti-ship strikes and nuclear deterrence. The
Rafale entered service with the French Navy in 2004 and with the French
Air Force in 2006.
In 2015, India signed deal with France to acquire 36 fully built Rafale.
Operation Dost
On 7th Feb, 2023, Under Operation Dost, India has sent search and rescue
teams, mainly three teams of the National Disaster Response Force
(NDRF), a field hospital, materials, medicines, and equipment to Turkey
and Syria.Union Health Ministry provides life-saving Humanitarian
Medical Assistance to quake-hit Turkiye and Syria.
Emergency Relief Material comprising life-saving medicines, protective
items and critical care equipment valued at over Rs. 7 crore arranged and
promptly dispatched to Turkiye and Syria.
Operation Kaveri
India launched a rescue operation– Operation Kaveri on April 24,
2023– to evacuate its stranded citizens from Sudan, which has
witnessed deadly fighting between the country's army and a
paramilitary group.
PM SVANidhi Yojna
The PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi)
was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
(MoHUA) on June 01, 2020 for providing affordable Working
Capital loan to street vendors to resume their livelihoods that
have been adversely affected due to Covid-19 lockdown. This
scheme empower Street Vendors by not only extending loans to
them, but also for their holistic development and socioeconomic upliftment. The scheme intends to facilitate collateral
free working capital loans of up to INR10,000/- of one-year
tenure, to approximately 50 lakh street vendors, to help resume
their businesses in the urban areas, including surrounding periurban/rural areas.
The PM SVANidhi scheme is available to all street vendors who
are engaged in vending in urban areas as on or before March 24,
2020.The duration of the scheme initially was until March 2022.
It has been extended till December 2024.
National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem
(NAMASTE)
Namaste is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Social
Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) as a joint initiative of the
MoSJE and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
(MoHUA), launched in august 2022.
NAMASTE envisages safety and dignity of sanitation workers
in urban India by creating an enabling ecosystem that
recognizes sanitation workers as one of the key contributors in
operations and maintenance of sanitation infrastructure thereby
providing sustainable livelihood and enhancing their
occupational safety through capacity building and improved
access to safety gear and machines.
i.
ii.
NAMASTE would also aim at providing access to
alternative livelihoods support and entitlements to reduce
the vulnerabilities of sanitation workers and enable them
to access self-employment and skilled wage employment
opportunities and break the intergenerationality in
sanitation work.
In addition, NAMASTE would bring about a behavior
change amongst citizens towards sanitation workers and
enhance demand for safe sanitation services.
Global Innovation Index (GII) 2022
India, for the first time, made it to the top 40 countries at the
Global Innovation Index (GII), led by improvement in
information and communication technologies (ICT) services
exports, venture capital recipients’ value, and finance for
startups.
India ranked 40th (out of 132 countries) in 2022 from 46th rank
in 2021 made it to the top most innovative lower middle-income
economy in the world, overtaking Vietnam.
Switzerland is the most innovative economy in the world in
2022 - for the 12th year in a row - followed by the United States
(2nd), Sweden (3rd), the United Kingdom (4th) and the
Netherlands (5th).
Started in 2007, GII released annually by WIPO, Cornell
University and INSEAD. The Index comprises around 80
indicators, including measures on the political environment,
education, infrastructure and knowledge creation of each
economy.
Note:
India Innovation Index
On the framework of the Global Innovation Index, NITI Aayog(National
Institution for Transforming India) and the Institute for Competitiveness
Prepared the India Innovation Index.
The India Innovation Index is a comprehensive tool for the evaluation
and development of the country’s innovation ecosystem. It ranks the
states and the union territories on their innovation performance to build
healthy competition amongst them.
In 2021 Report (Published in July 2022), Karnataka has topped again in
the ‘Major States’ category, Manipur is leading the ‘North East and Hill
States’ category and Chandigarh is the top performer in the ‘Union
Territories and City States’ category.
Major States Category
1. Karnataka
2.Telangana
3. Haryana
North East & Hilly States
1. Manipur
2. Uttarakhand
3. Meghalaya
UTs
1. Chandigarh
2. Delhi
3. A & N
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog is Government of India’s
flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship
in the country and was setup in 2016 under NITI Aayog.
AIM’s objective is to develop new programmes and policies for fostering
innovation in different sectors of the economy, provide platforms and
collaboration opportunities for different stakeholders, and create an
umbrella structure to oversee the innovation & entrepreneurship
ecosystem of the country.
AIM has taken a holistic approach to ensure creation of a problemsolving innovative mindset in schools and creating an ecosystem of
entrepreneurship in universities, research institutions, private and MSME
sector.
Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL)
ATL is a state-of-the-art space established in a school with a goal to foster
curiosity and innovation in young minds, between grade 6th to 12th
across the country through 21st century tools and technologies such as
Internet of Things, 3D printing, rapid prototyping tools, robotics,
miniaturized electronics, do-it-yourself kits and many more.
The aim is to stimulate a problem-solving innovative mindset within the
children of the ATL and nearby communities. Till date, AIM has selected
10,000 schools in 680+ districts of the country for the establishment of
ATLs. More than 7000 schools are funded till now and over 2 million
students have access to ATLs.
Atal Incubation Centres - "An ecosystem of Startups and
Entrepreneurs”
Through Atal Incubation Centres or AICs at universities, institutions and
corporates, AIM is creating an ever-evolving ecosystem of start-ups and
entrepreneurs. These business incubation centres aim to foster and
support world-class innovations and dynamic entrepreneurs, who want to
build scalable and sustainable enterprises. To date, AIM has successfully
operationalised 69 Atal Incubation Centres in 18 states and 3 UTs of
India. More than 2900 startups have been supported by these AICs of
which 900+ startups are led by women and have created 30000+ jobs in
the ecosystem.
Atal New India Challenges - Product and Service Innovations with
National Impact
To create product and service innovations having national socioeconomic impact, AIM has launched over 24 Atal New India Challenges
in partnership with five different ministries and departments of central
government.
Self-Employment & Talent Utilisation (SETU)
Started in 2015 under NITI Aayog, SETU or Self Employment and Talent
Utilization Scheme is a technofinancial, incubation and facilitation programme to give support and
encouragement to young start-ups and other self-employment technologyintensive ideas. It will involve setting up of incubation centres and
enhance skill development.
International Intellectual Property Index 2023
India ranked 42nd (Out of 55 Countries) on the International Intellectual
Property (IP) Index 2023 released by the U.S. Chambers of Commerce.
1. US
2. United Kingdom
3. France.
About International IP Index
The Index evaluates the IP framework in each economy across 50 unique
indicators which industry believes represent economies with the most
effective IP systems.
The indicators create a overview of an economy overall IP ecosystem and
span nine categories of protection: Patents, Copyrights,
Trademarks, Design Rights, Trade Secrets, Commercialization of IP
Assets, Enforcement, Systemic Efficiency, Membership and Ratification
of International Treaties.
Anil Chauhan
The Government on September 28, 2022, appointed former
Eastern Army Commander Lt. General Anil Chauhan as the next
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). The post has been vacant since
the death of the country’s first CDS Gen. Bipin Rawat in a
helicopter crash in December 2021.
In December 2019, the Government approved the creation of
the post of CDS who would also function as the Principal
Military Adviser to Defence Minister and Permanent Chairman
Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC). In addition, the DMA (Deptt.
Of Military Affairs) was created as the fifth department in the
Ministry of Defence (MoD) with the CDS functioning as its
Secretary.
While the tenure of Service Chiefs is 62 years of age or three
years whichever is earlier, the age limit for the CDS is 65 years
of age with no fixed tenure defined.
Arktika-M
Russian Space Agency, ROSCOSMOS, launched its space
satellite Arktika-M in 2021 on a mission to monitor the climate
and environment in the Arctic.
The satellite successfully reached its intended orbit after being
launched from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur cosmodrome by a Soyuz
rocket.
Russia plans to send up a second satellite in 2023 and, combined,
the two will offer round-the-clock, all-weather monitoring of the
Arctic Ocean and the surface of the Earth.
World’s first liquid-mirror telescope
In June, 2022, International Liquid-Mirror Telescope (ILMT)
has been set up at the Devasthal Observatory campus owned by
Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences
(ARIES), Nainital (Located at 2,450 metres above mean sea
level). It will observe asteroids, supernovae, space debris and all
other celestial objects.
Rebecca Grynspan
The UN General Assembly (UNGA) on June 12, 2021 approved
the nomination of Costa Rican economist Rebecca Grynspan
(first woman and Central American) to head the UNCTAD (UN
conference on Trade and Development),UN agency promoting
trade and development.
Note:
UNCTAD: It was established in 1964 as an intergovernmental
organization intended to promote the interests of developing
states in world trade and to deal with potential drawbacks from
economic integration.
Members:- 195
H. Q.- Geneva
2021 UNCTAD meeting: Bridgetown (Barbados)
Report: World Investment Report (Annual)
According to latest report released on June 9, 2022. India has
jumped by one position to 7th in year 2021, among the top
recipients of foreign direct investment (FDI).
As per report, FDI inflows into India reduced to USD 45 billion
in 2021 from USD 64 billion in 2020.
United States with USD 367 billion, remained the top recipient
of FDI whereas China with USD 181 billion and Hong Kong
USD 141 at second and third position.
INS Vikrant
In September, 2022, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi
commissioned the first indigenous aircraft carrier as INS
Vikrant. It is designed by Indian Navy's in-house Warship
Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited.It
is the largest ship (262 metre, 47400 tonne) ever built in
maritime history of India. It can carry a crew of about 1,600 and
operate a fleet of 30 aircraft, including fighter jets and
helicopters
The Indigenous Aircraft Carrier is named after her illustrious
predecessor, India’s first Aircraft Carrier which had played a
vital role in the 1971 war.With the commissioning of Vikrant,
India will have two operational Aircraft Carriers.
DRDO Ghatak
DRDO Ghatak or Swift UCAV is an autonomous stealth
Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle. The Ghatak UCAV is being
developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment
(ADE) of DRDO located in Bangalore.
MH-60R Helicopter
The Indian Navy recently took the delivery of two MH-60R
multi-role helicopters at Kochi as part of a 24-chopper deal
signed with the United States to modernise India’s ageing naval
helicopter fleet.
In 2020, India had ordered 24 Lockheed Martin-Sikorsky MH60R helicopters from the US to strengthen the navy’s antisubmarine/anti-surface warfare and surveillance capabilities.
The government-to-government contract for the helicopters was
worth around ₹14,000 crore, and three of these choppers were
earlier delivered to the navy and it is expected that India will
receive the delivery of all 24 helicopters by 2025.
REC gets 'Maharatna' company status
REC Ltd has been accorded the status of a 'Maharatna' central
public sector enterprise (CPSE), thus giving it greater
operational and financial autonomy.
Incorporated in 1969, REC is a non-banking finance company
(NBFC), focussing on power sector financing and development
across India. It comes under the aegis of Power Ministry
Eligibility criteria to be Maharatna:
 Having Navratna status
 Listed on Indian stock exchange with minimum prescribed
public shareholding under SEBI regulations
 An average annual turnover of more than Rs. 25,000 crore
during the last 3 years
 An average annual net worth of more than Rs. 15,000 crore
during the last 3 years
 An average annual net profit after tax of more than Rs. 5,000
crore during the last 3 years
 Should have significant global presence/international
operations.
Maharatna CPSEs
1. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
2. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited
3. Coal India Limited
4. GAIL (India) Limited
5. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited
6. Indian Oil Corporation Limited
7. NTPC Limited
8. Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited
9. Power Grid Corporation of India Limited
10. Steel Authority of India Limited
11. PFC (Power Finance Corporation)
12. REC (Rural Electrification Corporation Ltd)
R Venkatramani
Senior advocate R. Venkataramani has been appointed as the
new Attorney General (AG) of India by President Droupadi
Murmu for a period of three years. Mr. Venkataramani
succeeded K. K. Venugopal, whose term ended on September
30.
With over four decades of practice at the Supreme Court, Mr.
Venkataramani has specialised in Constitutional law, law of
indirect taxes, human rights law, civil and criminal law.
Note:- 1st Attorney General: M.C. Setalvad (1950)
Jovenel Moise
In July 2021, Haiti President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated.
Haiti is an politically unstable Caribbean country that was
already enduring an escalation of gang violence, antigovernment protests. Haiti, where a history of dictatorship and
political upheaval have long stymied the consolidation of
democratic rule.
Sudan Coup
On 25 October 2021, the Sudanese military, led by
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, took control of
the government in a military coup.
Civilian Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok refused to declare
support for the coup and he was house arrested on 26 October.
Later the same day, emergency was declared and a majority
of the Hamdok Cabinet and a number of pro-government
supporters were arrested.
On 21 November 2021, Hamdok and al-Burhan signed a 14point deal that reinstated Hamdok as prime minister and stated
that all political prisoners would be freed but some Civilian
groups rejected the deal and refused continued power-sharing
with the military.
Note: In April 2019, President Omar al-Bashir, who had ruled
the country since the 1989 coup, was overthrown by the military
China: Malaria Free
In June, 2021 China was certified as malaria-free country by the
World Health Organisation, following a 70-year effort to
eradicate the mosquito-borne disease.
The country reported 30 million cases of the infectious disease
annually in the 1940s but has now gone four consecutive years
without an indigenous case.
China becomes the 40th territory certified malaria-free by the
WHO.The last countries to gain the status were El Salvador
(2021), Algeria and Argentina (2019), and Paraguay and
Uzbekistan (2018).
Note:- Over 90% of malaria deaths occur in Africa
New Zealand: Tobacco Ban
New Zealand will ban the sale of tobacco to its next generation,
in a bid to eventually phase out smoking.
Anyone born after 2008, People aged 14 and under in 2027 will
not be able to buy cigarettes or tobacco products in their lifetime.
The package of measures will make New Zealand's retail
tobacco industry one of the most restricted in the world, just
behind Bhutan (1st country which banned cigarette) where
cigarette sales are banned outright. New Zealand's neighbour
Australia was the first country in the world to mandate plain
packaging of cigarettes in 2012.
100% Tap water connection: Jal Jeevan Mission
Seven states and Union Territories have achieved 100 per cent
household water connections under centrally sponsored Jal
Jeevan Mission. Goa (1st state), Telangana, Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu,
Puducherry and Haryana are the states that can now boast of 100
per cent household water connections whereas Punjab, Gujarat,
Himachal Pradesh and Bihar have covered more than 90 per
cent households, and are fast progressing towards attaining the
100 per cent coverage
About the Mission
Launched in 2019 under Jal Shakti Ministry, the Jal Jeevan
Mission aims to provide safe piped drinking water to all rural
households across the country by 2024. The scheme also ensures
coverage to government schools, gram panchayat offices,
community health centres and anganwadi centres.
Key features:
 It envisages supply of 55 litres of water per person per day to
every rural household through Functional Household Tap
Connections (FHTC) by 2024.
 JJM looks to create a jan andolan for water, thereby making
it everyone’s priority.
 The mission ensures functionality of existing water supply
systems and water connections, water quality monitoring and
testing as well as sustainable agriculture.
 It also ensures conjunctive use of conserved water; drinking
water source augmentation, drinking water supply
system, grey water treatment and its reuse.
 The Mission is based on a community approach to water and
includes extensive Information, Education and
Communication as a key component of the mission.
PM Krishi Sinchayi Yojna (PMKSY)
Launched in 2015, the overreaching vision of Pradhan Mantri
Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) is to ensure access to some
means of protective irrigation to all agricultural farms in the
country, to produce ‘per drop more crop’, thus bringing much
desired rural prosperity. It is the joint initiative of Jal shakti
Ministry, Ministry of rural development, Ministry of agriculture
Objectives of PMKSY include:
 Achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at the field
level (preparation of district level and, if required, sub
district level water use plans).
 Enhance the physical access of water on the farm and expand
cultivable area under assured irrigation (Har Khet ko pani).
 Integration of water source, distribution and its efficient use,
to make best use of water through appropriate technologies
and practices.
 Improve on - farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage
and increase availability both in duration and extent.
 Enhance the adoption of precision - irrigation and other
water saving technologies (More crop per drop).
 Enhance recharge of aquifers and introduce sustainable water
conservation practices.
 Ensure the integrated development of rainfed areas using the
watershed approach towards soil and water conservation,
regeneration of ground water, arresting runoff.
 Promote extension activities relating to water harvesting,
water management and crop alignment for farmers and grass
root level field functionaries.
 Explore the feasibility of reusing treated municipal waste
water for peri - urban agriculture.
 Attract greater private investments in irrigation.
PMKSY has been conceived amalgamating ongoing
schemes viz. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme
(AIBP) of the Ministry of Water Resources, River
Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR,RD&GR),
Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP)
of Department of Land Resources (DoLR) and the On
Farm Water Management (OFWM) of Department of
Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC).
Ministry of Rural Development is to mainly undertake
rain water conservation, construction of farm pond,
water harvesting structures, small check dams and
contour bunding etc. MoWR, RD &GR, is to undertake
various measures for creation of assured irrigation
source, construction of diversion canals, field channels,
water diversion/lift irrigation, including development of
water distribution systems. Ministry of Agriculture will
promote efficient water conveyance and precision water
application devices like drips, sprinklers, pivots, rain-guns
in the farm “(Jal Sinchan)”, construction of microirrigation structures to supplement source creation
activities, extension activities for promotion of scienti fic
moisture conservation and agronomic measures.
ATAL BHUJAL YOJANA
Launched by PM Modi in 2019, Atal Bhujal Yojna is a central
sector scheme (under Jal Shakti Ministry) worth Rs.6,000
crore for sustainable management of groundwater with
community participation. Out of this, INR 3,000 crore will be as
loan from the World Bank and INR 3,000 crore as matching
contribution from the Government of India.
The scheme lays emphasis on community participation and
demand side interventions for sustainable ground water
management in identified water stressed areas in seven States
(Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh).
The scheme also envisages improved source sustainability for
Jal Jeevan Mission, positive contribution to the Government’s
goal of ‘doubling farmers income’ and inculcating behavioral
changes in the community to facilitate optimal water use.
PM Gati Shakti
Prime Minister launched PM Gati Shakti - National Master Plan
for Multi-modal Connectivity on 13th October 2021, essentially
a digital platform to bring 16 Ministries including Railways and
Roadways together for integrated planning and coordinated
implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects.The
multi-modal connectivity will provide integrated and seamless
connectivity for movement of people, goods and services from
one mode of transport to another. It will facilitate the last mile
connectivity of infrastructure and also reduce travel time for
people.
Vision of PM Gati Shakti:
PM Gati Shakti will incorporate the infrastructure schemes of
various Ministries and State Governments
like Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land
ports, UDAN etc. Economic Zones like textile clusters,
pharmaceutical clusters, defence corridors, electronic parks,
industrial corridors, fishing clusters, agri zones will be covered
to improve connectivity & make Indian businesses more
competitive. It will also leverage technology extensively
including spatial planning tools with ISRO (Indian Space
Research Organisation) imagery developed by BiSAGN (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications
and Geoinformatics).
6 Pillars of PM Gati Shakti
Comprehensiveness: It will include all the existing and planned
initiatives of various Ministries and Departments with one
centralized portal. Each and every Department will now have
visibility of each other's activities providing critical data while
planning & execution of projects in a comprehensive manner.
Prioritization: Through this, different Departments will be able
to prioritize their projects through cross-sectoral interactions.
Optimization: The National Master Plan will assist different
ministries in planning for projects after identification of critical
gaps. For the transportation of the goods from one place to
another, the plan will help in selecting the most optimum route
in terms of time and cost.
Synchronization: Individual Ministries and Departments often
work in silos. There is lack of coordination in planning and
implementation of the project resulting in delays. PM Gati
Shakti will help in synchronizing the activities of each
department, as well as of different layers of governance, in a
holistic manner by ensuring coordination of work between them.
Analytical: The plan will provide the entire data at one place
with GIS based spatial planning and analytical tools having
200+ layers, enabling better visibility to the executing agency.
Dynamic: All Ministries and Departments will now be able to
visualize, review and monitor the progress of cross-sectoral
projects, through the GIS platform, as the satellite imagery will
give on-ground progress periodically and progress of the
projects will be updated on a regular basis on the portal. It will
help in identifying the vital interventions for enhancing and
updating the master plan.
KIRAN Scheme
The Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement
through Nurturing (KIRAN) Scheme is one of the several
pioneering initiatives started by the Department of Science and
Technology (DST) for promoting women in science.
Key Points

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is
implementing ‘Knowledge Involvement in Research
Advancement through Nurturing (KIRAN)’ Scheme to
provide various career opportunities to women scientists and
technologists.

It is primarily aimed to bring gender parity in the
Science & Technology sector by inducting more women
talent in the research & development domain through various
programmes.

It also provides fellowship support ranging from Rs
25000 to 55000 to women ranging in the age group 27 to
57 years for continuing higher education in Science and
Technology after a break in career.
NIDHI
NIDHI (National Initiative for Development and Harnessing
Innovations), an umbrella program is pioneered by the
Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of
India, for nurturing ideas and innovations (knowledge-based and
technology-driven) into successful startups.NIDHI supports start
ups from the ideation stage to the marketing stage.
INSPIRE Programme
"Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research
(INSPIRE)" is an innovative programme sponsored and
managed by the Department of Science & Technology for
attraction of talent to Science. The basic objective of INSPIRE
is to communicate to the youth of the country the excitements of
creative pursuit of science, attract talent to the study of science
at an early age and thus build the required critical human
resource pool for strengthening and expanding the Science &
Technology system and R & D base.
A striking feature of the programme is that it does not believe in
conducting competitive exams for identification of talent at any
level. It believes in and relies on the efficacy of the existing
educational structure for identification of talent.
PRAGATI
PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance And Timely
Implementation), as the name suggests, is aimed at starting a
culture of Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation.
It is also a robust system for bringing e-transparency and eaccountability with real-time presence and exchange among the
key stakeholders. The platform was launched on March 25,
2015.
It is a multi-purpose and multi-modal platform that is aimed at
addressing common man’s grievances, and simultaneously
monitoring and reviewing important programmes and projects
of the Government of India as well as projects flagged by State
Governments.
The PRAGATI platform uniquely bundles three latest
technologies: Digital data management, video-conferencing and
geo-spatial technology. It also offers a unique combination in
the direction of cooperative federalism since it brings on one
stage the Secretaries of Government of India and the Chief
Secretaries of the States. With this, the Prime Minister is able to
discuss the issues with the concerned Central and State officials
with full information and latest visuals of the ground level
situation.
SWAYAM
SWAYAM MOOCs platform is World’s Largest Online Free ELearning Platform Portal designed to achieve the three cardinal
principles of Education Policy viz., Access, Equity and Quality
by covering School/Vocational, Under-Graduate, Post Graduate,
Engineering and Other Professional Courses.
SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young
Aspiring Minds) MOOC Platform was developed
indigenously by AICTE in 2016 to facilitate hosting of online
courses which could be accessed by anyone, anywhere at any
time free of cost to achieve three cardinal principles of
Education Policy viz. access, equity and quality. SWAYAM
as one of the World’s biggest Massive Open Online Courses
(MOOCs) integrated platform of free online courses, cover
subjects from high school onwards till higher education
including Skill based courses to ensure that every student
benefit from learning material through ICT.
The courses hosted on SWAYAM are in 4 quadrants – (1)
video lectures, (2)specially prepared reading material that can
be downloaded/printed (3) self-assessment tests through tests
and quizzes and (4) an online discussion forum for clearing
the doubts. Steps have been taken to enrich the learning
experience by using audio-video and multimedia and state of
the art pedagogy/ technology.

Goa: 1st Rabies free state in India
India’s 1st Underwater Metro Tunnel
Kolkata is set to welcome India's first underwater metro train which will
allow commuters to travel across the Hooghly river (distributary of
Ganga) which separates West Bengal's capital from Howrah. The metro
authorities undertook a trail run on 12 April from Howrah Maidan to
Esplanade. The underwater metro line is expected to be open for
commuters by the end of 2023.
The East-West Metro Corridor in Kolkata includes a tunnel that spans
520 meters and connects the IT hub of Salt Lake Sector V in the east
to Howrah Maidan in the west, crossing the river. By taking this metro
route, the travel time between Howrah and Sealdah can be reduced to
40 minutes compared to 1.5 hours by road, which will also help
alleviate traffic congestion at both ends. The tunnel is located 13
meters below the riverbed and 33 meters below the surface level.
Note: Kolkata metro: 17th Zone of Indian Railways
Dhola-Sadia Bridge
In 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the DholaSadiya Bridge (or Bhupen Hazarika Bridge) in Assam , which is
India's longest river bridge. Spanning 9.15 km, the bridge is
built across the Lohit river which is a tributary of the
Brahmaputra river.
It connects Assam and eastern Arunachal Pradesh. The total
length of the project, including the approach roads on each side,
is 28.50 km. It connects Sadia town in Assam’s Tinsukia district
with Dhola village, also in Assam. It reduces the travel time
between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh from six hours to just
one hour as the distance will shrink by 165 km.
Chenani Nashri Tunnel (9.2km)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017 inaugurated the
country’s longest road tunnel (longer than Jawahar
tunnel(2.85km)) that links the Kashmir Valley with Jammu. The
tunnel, bypassing snow-bound upper reaches,reduces the
journey time by two hours and provide a safe, all-weather route
to commuters travelling from Jammu and Udhampur to Ramban,
Banihal and Srinagar.
Named after Shyama prasad mukherjee and its length around 9.2
km.
Atal Tunnel
PM Narendra Modi on 3rd October, 2020 inaugurated Atal Tunnel in
Rohtang, which is the highest altitude tunnel in the world.The tunnel is
built with ultra-modern specifications in the Pir Panjal range of
Himalayas at an altitude of 3000 metres (10,000 feet) from the Mean Sea
Level (MSL).
The 9.02 km long tunnel connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley
throughout the year and it reduces the road distance by 46 km between
Manali and Leh and the time by about four to five hours. Atal Tunnel has
been designed for traffic density of 3000 cars per day and 1,500 trucks
per day with max speed of 80 km/hr.
Zojila Tunnel
The under-construction Zojila tunnel, in the rocky Himalayan range in
Kashmir, is set to become the longest road tunnel in India and the longest
bi-directional tunnel in Asia. The 14.15-km tunnel will provide allweather connectivity between Srinagar and Leh (Ladakh plateau) via
Dras and Kargil on the National Highway 1. It will become operational
by 2025
Bogibeel Bridge
PM Modi inaugurated the Bogibeel bridge in Assam on the birth
anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee (25th Dec,2018). The
Bogibeel bridge will connect the south bank of the Brahmaputra river in
Assam’s Dibrugarh to Silapathar in Dhemaji bordering Arunachal
Pradesh. The 4.9 km-long bridge on the Brahmaputra river boasts of
being Asia’s second longest rail-cum-road bridge.The bridge will reduce
travel time from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh to four hours.
Indo-Nepal Petroleum Pipeline
Motihari-Amlekhgunj pipeline (South Asia’s first cross-border oil
product pipeline) is a 69 km long trans-border petroleum pipeline
between Amlekhgunj Oil Depot in Nepal and Motihari of India. This
pipeline transports petroleum from Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to Nepal
Oil Corporation (NOC).
India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline
The India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline Project (IBFPP) aims to
connect Siliguri (West Bengal) with Parbatipur in Bangladesh.
The total cost of this project is Rs.346 crore and length around 130 km
with capacity of 1 million metric per year.The IBFPP will ship fuel from
Assam-based Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL).The project is jointly
implemented by the Numaligarh Refinery Limited of India and Meghna
Petroleum Limited of Bangladesh. It is expected that the construction to
be completed by the end of 2022.
Nobel Prizes 2022
Physics
Alain Aspect (France)
John F. Clauser (US)
Anton Zeilinger (Austria)
“for experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of
Bell inequalities and pioneering quantum information science”.These
experiments have laid the foundations of a new era of quantum computers
and information technology, which will usher in the fourth industrial
revolution.
Chemistry
Barry Sharpless (US) and Morten Meldal(Denmark) are awarded the
Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2022 because they brought chemistry into the
era of functionalism and laid the foundations of click chemistry. They
share the prize with Carolyn Bertozzi(US), who took click chemistry to
a new dimension and began using it to map cells. Her bioorthogonal
reactions are now contributing to more targeted cancer treatments, among
many other applications.
Medicine
Svante Pääbo (Sweden)
“for his discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominins and
human evolution”
Through his pioneering research, Svante Pääbo accomplished something
seemingly impossible: sequencing the genome of the Neanderthal, an
extinct relative of present-day humans. He also made the sensational
discovery of a previously unknown hominin, Denisova. Importantly,
Pääbo also found that gene transfer had occurred from these now extinct
hominins to Homo sapiens following the migration out of Africa around
70,000 years ago. This ancient flow of genes to present-day humans has
physiological relevance today, for example affecting how our immune
system reacts to infections.
Literature
Annie Ernaux (France)
Peace
The 2022 Peace Prize is awarded to human rights advocate Ales
Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial
and the Ukrainian human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties.
Economic Sciences
Ben S. Bernanke
Douglas W. Diamond
Philip H. Dybvig
“for research on banks and financial crises”
Nobel Prize 2021
Physics
This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded with one half jointly
to Syukuro Manabe (Japan), Klaus Hasselmann(Germany) “for the
physical modelling of Earth’s climate, quantifying variability and reliably
predicting global warming” and the other half to Giorgio Parisi(Italy)
for the discovery of the interplay of disorder and fluctuations in physical
systems from atomic to planetary scales”.
Chemistry
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021 is awarded to Benjamin
List(Germany) and David MacMillan(UK) “for the development of
asymmetric organocatalysis”.
Medicine
2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to David Julius
(USA) and Ardem Patapoutian(lebanon) “for their discoveries of
receptors for temperature and touch”.
Literature
The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2021 is awarded to the
novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah “for his uncompromising and
compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the fate of the
refugee in the gulf between cultures and continents.”
Gurnah was born in 1948 and grew up on the island of Zanzibar in the
Indian Ocean but arrived in England as a refugee in the end of the 1960s.
He has published ten novels and a number of short stories.
Peace
2021 Nobel Peace Prize conferred to Maria Ressa
(philippines) and Dmitry Muratov (Russia)“for their efforts to
safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy
and lasting peace.”
Maria Ressa uses freedom of expression to expose abuse of power, use of
violence and growing authoritarianism in her native country, the
Philippines.
Dmitry Muratov has for decades defended freedom of speech in Russia
under increasingly challenging conditions.
Economic Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the
Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences 2021 with one half
to David Card(Canada) “for his empirical contributions to labour
economics” and the other half jointly to Joshua
Angrist(USA) and Guido Imbens(Netherlands) “for their
methodological contributions to the analysis of causal relationships”.
 Albert Einstein conferred with Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921 for
Photoelectric effect (It is a phenomenon in which electrons are ejected
from the surface of a metal when light is incident on it. These ejected
electrons are called photoelectrons. It is important to note that the
emission of photoelectrons and the kinetic energy of the ejected
photoelectrons is dependent on the frequency of the light that is
incident on the metal’s surface)
Some Facts
 Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel and the only
woman to have received it twice -- in 1903 for Physics and in 1911
for Chemistry.
 Malala Yousafzai is the youngest Nobel Laureate who received the
Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 at the age of just 17 years. The oldest
recipient is John B Goodenough who received the Nobel Prize for
Chemistry in 2019 at the age of 97 years.
 Four scientists have won the Nobel Prize twice -- Marie Curie, John
Bardeen, Linus Pauling and Frederick Sanger, Barry Sharpless.
Indian Nobel Laureate
1. Abhijit Banerjee for Economics, 2019
2. Kailash Satyarthi for Peace, 2014
3. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan for Chemistry, 2009
4. Amartya Sen for Economics, 1998
5. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar for Physics, 1983
6. Mother Teresa for Peace, 1979
7. Hargobind Khorana for Medicine, 1968
8. CV Raman for Physics, 1930
9. Rabindranath Tagore for Literature, 1913
Abel Prize 2023
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters has conferred the Abel
Prize for 2023 to American Mathematician Luis A. Caffarelli “for his
seminal contributions to regularity theory for nonlinear partial differential
equations including free-boundary problems and the Monge–Ampère
equation.”
The Abel Prize is a prize awarded annually by the King of Norway to
one or more outstanding mathematicians. It is named after Norwegian
mathematician Niels Henrik Abel (1802–1829) and directly modeled
after the Nobel Prizes.
2022: Dennis Sullivan (US)
Fields Medal
The Fields Medal is a prize awarded to two, three, or
four mathematicians under 40 years of age at the International
Congress of the International Mathematical Union (IMU), a meeting that
takes place every four years.
The Fields Medal is regarded as one of the highest honors a
mathematician can receive, and has been described as the Nobel Prize of
Mathematics
2018 Laureates:- Akshay Venkatesh, Peter Scholze, Alessio Figalli
2022:- James Maynard (UK), June Huh (USA), Maryna Viazovska
(Ukraine), Hugo-Dominil- Copin (France)
Ramanujan Prize
The DST-ICTP-IMU Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians from
Developing Countries is a mathematics prize awarded annually by
the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Italy. The prize is
named after the Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. It was
founded in 2004, and was first awarded in 2005.
The prize is awarded to a researcher from a developing country less than
45 years of age who has conducted outstanding research in a developing
country.The prize is supported by the Ministry of Science and
Technology (India) and Norwegian Academy of Science and
Letters through the Abel Fund, with the cooperation of the International
Mathematical Union.
2021:- Neena Gupta
2022: Mohd. Mustafa Fall (Senegal)
Pritzker Prize
The international prize, which is awarded each year to a living
architect/s for significant achievement, was established by the Pritzker
family of Chicago through their Hyatt Foundation in 1979. It is granted
annually and is often referred to as “architecture’s Nobel” The award
consists of $100,000 (US) and a bronze medallion.
2022:- Diebedo Francis Kere (Burkina Faso)
2023: David Chipperfiled (UK)
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is an award for achievements
in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature and musical
composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by
provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fortune as a
newspaper publisher, and is administered by Columbia University. Prizes
are awarded yearly in twenty-one categories. In twenty of the categories,
each winner receives a certificate and a US$15,000 cash award.
2023: Associated Press (Public Service Category)
2022:- Washington Post (Public Service Category)
Guillermo Cano/ UNESCO Press Freedom Prize
2023: Niloofar Hamedi, Elaheh Mohammadi, Narges Mohammadi (Iran)
2022:- Belarusian Association of Journalists
About the prize
Created in 1997, the annual UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press
Freedom Prize honours a person, organization or institution that has made
an outstanding contribution to the defence and, or promotion of press
freedom anywhere in the world, and especially when this has been
achieved in the face of danger.
The Prize was established on the initiative of UNESCO's Executive
Board and is formally conferred by the Director-General of the
Organization, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, on 3 May.
It is named in honour of Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist
who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper El
Espectador in Bogotá, Colombia on 17 December 1986.
Booker Prize
The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for
Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is
a literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English
and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland.
2022: Shehan Karunatilaka (Sri Lanka) The Seven Moons of Maali
Almeida
2021:- Damon Galgut
The Promise
Note:- Indian Winners
1997 Arundhati Roy The God of Small things
2006
Kiran Desai
Inheritance of Loss
2008
Arvind Adiga
The White Tiger
International Booker Prize
The International Booker Prize is awarded annually for a single book,
translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland.
The International Booker Prize is an international literary award hosted in
the United Kingdom. Sponsored by the Man Group, from 2005 until 2015
the award was given every two years to a living author of any nationality
for a body of work published in English or generally available in English
translation. It rewarded one author's "continued creativity, development
and overall contribution to fiction on the world stage", and was a
recognition of the writer's body of work rather than any one title.Since
2016, the award has been given annually.
2022:- Gitanjali Shree and Daisy Rockwell Tomb of Sand(Ret Samadhi)
2021:- David Diop (France)
At night all blood is black
Gandhi Peace Prize
The International Gandhi Peace Prize, named after Mahatma Gandhi, is
awarded annually by the Government of India. Government launched this
Prize in 1995 on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Mohandas
Gandhi. This is an annual award given to individuals and institutions for
their contributions towards social, economic and political transformation
through non-violence and other Gandhian methods. The award
carries ₹1 crore cash, a plaque and a citation. It is open to all persons
regardless of nationality, race, creed or gender.
A jury consisting of the Prime Minister of India, the Leader of the
Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Chief Justice of India, Speaker of the
Lok Sabha and one other eminent person decides the awardee each year.
2020:- Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (President and PM of bangladesh)
2019:- Qaboos bin Said Al Said (Oman)
Indira Gandhi Peace Prize:- Launched in 1986
The Indira Gandhi Prize, or the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize, also known
as Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development, is the
prestigious award accorded annually by Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust to
individuals or organisations in recognition of creative efforts toward
promoting international peace, development and a new international
economic order; ensuring that scientific discoveries are used for the larger
good of humanity, and enlarging the scope of freedom. The prize carries a
cash award of 2.5 million Indian rupees and a citation.
2019:- David Attenborough (UK, BBC broadcaster)
2021:- Pratham (Pratham is an innovative learning organization created
to improve the quality of education.)
Jnanpith Award
The Jnanpith Award is the highest literary award given by the Indian
Jnanpith Trust for Indian literature.Any citizen of India who writes in
any of the 22 languages mentioned in the Eighth Schedule is eligible
for this award. The award comprises eleven lakh rupees, a citation
and a bronze statue.The first Jnanpith Award was presented to
Malayalam writer G. Shankar Kurup in 1965.
2022:- Damodar Mauzo (Konkani)
2021:-Nilamani Phookan (Assamese)
Vyas samman
The Vyas Samman is a literary award in India, first awarded in 1991. It is
awarded annually by the K.K. Birla Foundation and includes a cash
payout of Rs 4,00,000 (as of 2019).
To be eligible for the award, the literary work must be in
the Hindi language and have been published in the past 10 years.
2022: Gyan Chaturvedi (Pagalkhana)
2021:- Asgar Wajahat (Mahabali)
Saraswati Samman
The Saraswati Samman is an annual award for outstanding prose or
poetry literary works in any of the 22 languages of India listed in
Schedule VIII of the Constitution
The Saraswati Samman was instituted in 1991 by the K. K. Birla
Foundation. It consists of ₹15,00,000,a citation and a plaque.
2022: Sivasankari (Surya Vamsam)
2021:- Ram Darash Mishra (Main to Yahan hoon) Hindi
Khel Ratna Award
The Khel Ratna Award, officially known as the Major Dhyan Chand
Khel Ratna Award , formerly known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
Award in Sports and Games, is the highest sporting honour of India. It
is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
1st:- 1991-92:- Vishwanathan Anand
2020 Rohit Sharma
Cricket
2020 Mariyappan Thangavelu Paralympic high jump
2020 Manika Batra
Table tennis
2020 Vinesh Phogat
Freestyle wrestling
2020 Rani Rampal
2021 Neeraj Chopra
2021 Ravi Kumar Dahiya
Hockey
Athletics
Freestyle wrestling
2021
2021
2021
2021
2021
Boxing
Hockey
Paralympic shooting
Para-athletics
Para-badminton
Lovlina Borgohain
P. R. Sreejesh
Avani Lekhara
Sumit Antil
Pramod Bhagat
2021 Krishna Nagar
2021 Manish Narwal
Para-badminton
Paralympic shooting
2021 Mithali Raj
2021 Sunil Chhetri
Cricket
Football
2021 Manpreet Singh
Hockey
2022 Sharath Kamal
Table Tennis
Gujarat’s Modhera is India’s first fully-solar village
The solarisation of the Modhera Sun Temple and town happened through
partnership between the Central and state governments. It involved
integrating the village with a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at
Sujjanpura in Mehsana, about 6 km away from the Sun Temple.
More than 1,300 rooftop solar systems have been installed on houses for
power generation. While day time power comes from the solar panels, at
night it is supplied from the BESS. Modhera is also happens to be the
first modern village having a solar based modern electric vehicle charging
station.
Narendra Modi Stadium
The world’s biggest cricket stadium – the Narendra Modi Stadium in
the Motera area of Ahmedabad -- is a refurbished stadium – earlier
known as the Sardar Patel Stadium. It was inaugurated in 2020 and has
the capacity to hold 132,000 spectators, making it the biggest cricketing
venue ever.Overall, it sits second behind the Rungrado 1st of May
Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea, which is the world's biggest
stadium, with a capacity of 150,000 .
World Most Powerful Passport
London-based firm Henley & Partners has released the Henley Passport
Index for the year 2022, Japan tops the list of being the most powerful
passport in the world. Singapore and South korea at 2nd place.
India has improved its rank and is currently placed at 83rd position
( previously 90)
Afghanistan (rank 111) and Iraq (rank 110) continue to be in the 'worst
passports to hold' category
Prachand
Recently, the indigenously developed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)
‘Prachand’, was formally inducted into the Indian Air Force,which is
suitable for operating in high-altitude battlefields.
Developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the 5.8-tonne twinengine LCH is armed with air-to-air missiles, 20 mm turret guns and
rocket systems, and it is capable of destroying enemy tanks, bunkers,
drones and other assets in high-altitude regions.
The helicopter possesses modern stealth characteristics, robust armour
protection and formidable night attack capability, and it is fully capable
of even operating in Siachen, the world's highest battle-field.
The LCH is equipped with requisite agility, manoeuvrability, extended
range, high altitude performance and all-weather combat capability to
perform a range of roles including combat search and rescue (CSAR),
destruction of enemy air defence (DEAD) and counter-insurgency (CI)
operations
India-Maldives
India recently handed over a coastal radar system to the Maldives that
will play a key role in enhancing regional security as the two countries
launched several development projects being implemented under an aid
package worth more than $2.6 billion.
Pinaka Deal
Armenia has signed a contract with India for procuring the ammunitions,
including indigenously developed Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers
of DRDO
Armenia having a long term border dispute with Azarbaijan (ally with
Turkey and Pakistan), including Nagarno Karbakh region.
Brahmos Deal
The US$ 375 million BrahMos deal between India and the Philippines
signed on 28 January 2022. for the supply of shore-based anti-ship variant
of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. This is the first export order for
the missile, a joint product of India and Russia.
Apart from the Philippines and Indonesia, Vietnam is also interested in
acquiring the Brahmos missile.
The BrahMos missile is one of the fastest supersonic cruise missiles in
the world. Due to its tremendous speed of Mach 2.8 – almost three times
the speed of sound, the missile is difficult to intercept.
The 8.4-meter long BrahMos missile can deliver a conventional warhead
weighing up to 300 kilograms. The current variants of the missile have
about 500 kilometers of range. However, the range of the export version
of the missile is capped at 290 kilometers to comply with the Missile
Technology Control Regime (MTCR) restrictions of 300 kilometers.
Nord Stream leak
On September 26, 2022, a severe drop in pressure was found in both NS1
and NS2 and it was associated with a rupture in both pipes due
to sabotage. None of the pipes are currently operational.
Nord Stream is a network of offshore natural
gas pipelines in Europe which run under the Baltic
Sea from Russia to Germany. It comprises two separate projects, Nord
Stream 1 and 2. Both pipelines each comprise two pipes, NS1 A and B as
well as NS2 A and B, for a total of 4 physical pipes.
Nord Stream 1 (NS1) entered in service in 2011 and it is a 1,224 km
underwater gas pipeline running from Vyborg in northwest Russia to
Lubmin in northeastern Germany via the Baltic Sea. The majority owned
by the Russian energy giant Gazprom, it is the primary network through
which gas reaches Germany.
Nord Stream 2 (NS2): 1200km pipeline runs from Ust-Luga in
northwestern Russia (near Estonia border) to Greifswald in Germany
through the Baltic Sea and carry 55 billion cubic metres of gas per year. It
was meant to run along with the Nord Stream 1 system.The pipeline was
built in order to increase gas exports towards Europe, aiming to double
annual capacity. The project was started in 2015 by Gazprom and five
other European firms and completed in 2021, but has not yet entered
service.
Note: Germany is Russia’s biggest European gas consumer, and most of
it comes through the Nord Stream.
95th Academy Awards (2023) : Conferred in Los Angeles (USA)
Best Picture:-
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Actor:Brendan Fraser (The Whale)
Best Actress:- Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once)
Best Director:- Daniel Kwan (Everything Everywhere All at Once)
Best Original Song: Naatu Naatu (RRR) sung by Rahul Sipligunj, Kaala
Bhairava , Written by M. M. Keeravani
Note: The Elephant Whisperers wins Oscar Award for Best Documentary
Short Film directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and Produced by Guneet
Monga & Achin Jain
94th Academy awards (2022)
Best Picture:- CODA
Best Actor:-Will Smith (King Richard)
Best Actress:- Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of tammy Faye)
Best Director:- Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog)
National Film Awards 2022:The 68th National Film Awards were announced
Best Feature Film: Soorarai Pottru(Tamil)
Best Actor (shared): Ajay Devgan (Tanhaji) & Suriya (Soorarai Pottru)
Best Actress : Aparna Balamurli(Soorarai Pottru)
Best Director : Sachidanandan KR (Ayyappanum Koshiyum)
Best Hindi Film : Toolsidas Junior
Dadasaheb Phalke Award
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in the field of
cinema. It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony
by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation set up by
the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The recipient is honoured
for their "outstanding contribution to the growth and development of
Indian cinema". The award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden
Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of ₹10Lakhs.
Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke was an
Indian producer-director-screenwriter, known as "the Father of Indian
cinema".His debut film, Raja Harishchandra, was the first Indian movie
released in 1913.
1st recipient:- Devika rani (1969)
2020:Asha Parekh
Sahitya Akademi Award
The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which
the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually
confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit
published in any of the 24 major Indian languages such as Rajasthani,
English and the 22 listed languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian
Constitution recognised by the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi.
Established in 1954, the award comprises a plaque and a cash prize of ₹
1,00,000. The award's purpose is to recognise and promote excellence in
Indian writing and also acknowledge new trends.
Other Sahitya Akademi Awards:
Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar is given to an author based on
his/her total contribution to children literature and relates to books first
published during the five years immediately preceding the year of Award.
Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar relates to books published by an author
of the age of 35 and below.
Bharat Ratna
‘Bharat Ratna’, the highest civilian Award of the country, was instituted
in the year 1954. Any person without distinction of race, occupation,
position or sex is eligible for these awards. It is awarded in recognition of
exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of
human endeavour.
The recommendations for Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister
himself to the President. The number of annual awards is restricted to a
maximum of three in a particular year.
On conferment of the award, the recipient receives a Sanad (certificate)
signed by the President and a medallion. The Award does not carry any
monetary grant.
In terms of Article 18 (1) of the Constitution, the award cannot be used as
a prefix or suffix to the recipient's name. However, should an award
winner consider it necessary, he/she may use the following expression in
their biodata/letterhead/visiting card etc. to indicate that he/she is a
recipient of the award
Facts on Bharat Ratna
1. The award was started by former President Dr. Rajendra Prasad on
January 2, 1954.
2. The Bharat Ratna can also be awarded to non-Indians as there is no
written rule against the same. Mother Teresa, a naturalised Indian citizen
was conferred with the award in 1980. Non-Indians, Khan Abdul Ghaffar
Khan and Nelson Mandela have also been awarded with the Bharat Ratna.
3. The youngest Bharat Ratna awardee and the first sportsperson to win
the award was Sachin Tendulkar in 2014.
4. A maximum of three Bharat Ratnas can be given each year. It was
awarded to four people in 1999.
List of Bharat Ratna winners till date
Pranab Mukherjee (2019)
Bhupen Hazarika (2019)
Nanaji Deshmukh (2019)
Madan Mohan Malaviya (2015)
Atal Bihari Vajpayee (2015)
Sachin Tendulkar (2014)
CNR Rao (2014)
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (2008)
Lata Dinanath Mangeshkar (2001)
Ustad Bismillah Khan (2001)
Prof Amartya Sen (1999)
Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi (1999)
Loknayak Jayprakash Narayan (1999)
Pandit Ravi Shankar (1999)
Chidambaram Subramaniam (1998)
M. Subbulakshmi (1998)
Dr Abul Kalam (1997)
Aruna Asaf Ali (1997)
Gulzari Lal Nanda (1997)
JRD Tata (1992)
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1992)
Satyajit Ray (1992)
Morarji Desai (1991)
Rajiv Gandhi (1991)
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1991)
Dr B R Ambedakr (1990)
Dr Nelson Mandela (1990)
M G Ramachandran (1988)
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1987)
Acharya Vinoba Bhave (1983)
Mother Teresa (Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu) (1980)
K. Kamraj (1976)
V V Giri (1975)
Indira Gandhi (1971)
Lal Bahadur Shastri (1966)
Dr P V Kane (1963)
Dr Zakir Hussain (1963)
Dr Rajendra Prasad (1962)
Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy (1961)
Purushottam Das Tandon (1961)
Dr Dhonde Keshav Karve (1958)
Pt Govind Ballabh Pant (1957)
Dr Bhagwan Das (1955)
Jawaharlal Nehru (1955)
Dr Mokshagundam Vivesvaraya (1955)
C. Rajagopalachari (1954)
Dr C. V. Raman (1954)
Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan (1954)
Note:The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India, after
Bharat Ratna, announced annually on the eve of Republic Day. The
Awards are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional
and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of
higher order) and Padma Shri (distinguished service). The award seeks to
recognize achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an
element of public service is involved.
The Padma Awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the
Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister
every year. The nomination process is open to the public. Even selfnomination can be made.
Padma Vibhushan 2023
1. Shri Balkrishna Doshi
(Poshumous)
2. Shri Dilip Mahalanabis
(Posthumous)
3. Mulayam Singh
Yadav(Posthumous)
4. Shri Zakir Hussain
5. Shri S M Krishna
6. Shri Srinivas Varadhan
Padma Vibhushan 2022
Name
Ms. Prabha Atre
Shri Radheyshyam Khemka
(Posthumous)
General Bipin Rawat
(Posthumous)
Shri Kalyan Singh (Posthumous)
Field
Art
Literature and
Education
Civil Service
Public Affairs
Note:Republic Day Chief Guest 2023:- Abdel Fateh El Sisi (Egypt President)
1st
1950:-
Sukarno ( President of Indonesia)
Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) Awards 2022
Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2022 were
conferred to the recipients in a ceremony held on February 20, 2022.
Best Film
The Kashmir Files
Film Of The Year
RRR
Best Actor
Ranbir Kapoor (Brahmastra Part One: Shiva)
Best Actress
Alia Bhatt (Gangubhai Khatiawadi)
Best Director
R Balki (Chup)
Greta Thunberg
Greta Thunberg is a Swedish environmental activist who is
internationally known for challenging world leaders to take immediate
action against climate change. Thunberg initially gained notice for her
youth and her straightforward speaking manner, both in public and to
political leaders and assemblies, in which she criticises world leaders for
their failure to take what she considers sufficient action to address
the climate crisis. She received numerous honours and awards including
an honorary Fellowship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society,
inclusion in Time's 100 most influential people, being the
youngest Time Person of the Year, inclusion in the Forbes list of The
World's 100 Most Powerful Women (2019), and two consecutive
nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize (2019 and 2020). Gulbenkian
Prize for Humanity, 2020, the first recipient of this prize. International
Children's Peace Prize, October 2019.
Parakram Diwas
The union government had declared January 23rd as Parakram Diwas last
year to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas
Chandra Bose. PM Modi had announced earlier on January 21st that a
grand statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose will be installed at India
Gate as a symbol of the country's "indebtedness" to him. The statue is
expected to be 28 feet in height and 6 feet in breadth. It will be made of
granite.
Golden Globe Awards 2023
Best Film- Drama: The Fabelmans
Best Actor - Drama: Austin Butler (Elvis)
Best Actress - Drama: Cate Blenchett (Tar)
Best Director- Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans)
Best Original Song: Naatu Naatu (RRR)- Composed by M M Keervani
& Chandrabose
2022
Best Film- Drama: The Power of the Dog, Netflix
Best Actor - Drama: Will Smith (King Richard)
Best Actress - Drama: Nicole Kidman (Being The Ricardos)
Best Director- Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog)
Note:-The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by
the Hollywood Foreign Press Association starting in January
1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and
television.
National Water Awards 2020
In the 3rd National Water Awards 2020 organized by Ministry of Jal
Shakti, Uttar Pradesh has secured a first position in the ‘Best State
Category’, followed by Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. The National Water
Awards aim at recognizing and encouraging the exemplary work and the
efforts made by the States, individuals, districts, etc. across the country in
attaining the government’s vision of ‘Jal Samridh Bharat’.
 Time person of the Year:2022: Volodymyr Zelensky (President of Ukraine) & The Spirit of
Ukraine
2021 Elon musk
Note:- 1930:- Mahatma Gandhi
TIME is an American News Magazine
 Bhutan has honored Prime Minister Modi with the country's highest
civilian award- Ngadag Pel gi Khorlo. It is an acknowledgment of
unconditional friendship between India and Bhutan which has further
strengthened under PM Modi's leadership.
 Miss Universe 2022: R'Bonney Gabriel (USA)
2021 Miss Universe: Harnaaz Sandhu (India) created history by
bringing home the Miss Universe crown after a gap of 21 years
after Lara Dutta
Miss World 2021:- Carolina Bielawska (Poland)
Note:- 1st Indian Miss Universe:- Sushmita Sen (1994)
1st Indian Miss world:- Reita Faria
 Balkrishna Doshi, an acclaimed architect from India has won ‘Royal
Gold Medal 2022’ which is one of the world’s highest honours for
Architecture.
Statue of Equality
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated the ‘Statue of
Equality commemorating the 11th-century of Vaishnavaite Saint Sri
Ramanujacharya in Hyderabad.The statue is 216-feet tall and erected in
the 40-acre land in the outskirts of Hyderabad.
Born in 1017, Ramanujacharya also known as Ilaiya Perumal.
He is known for his influential thinking towards devotional Hinduism.
The great poet-saint Ramanuja was an eminent teacher and the founder of
Vishishtadwaita. He was an expert in Vedic scriptures. A community of
Vaishnavites has been following his path called Vedanta. Sri
Ramanujacharya was also known for his social reforms.
 Katalin Novák – Hungary’s First Female President
 Yoon Suk-yeol: New President of South Korea
 The largest reclining statue of Lord Buddha in India is being built in
Bodh Gaya, Bihar.The statue will be 30 feet high and 100 feet long.

On February 28, 2022, the government appointed Madhabi Puri Buch
as the new chairperson of SEBI. Madhabi Puri Buch is the first
woman chairperson of the Securities and Exchange Board of India
(SEBI).She was the former head of ICICI Securities. In between 2017
to 2021, she also served in SEBI, as a Whole Time Member. Now,
she succeeded Ajay Tyagi as the chairperson of SEBI.

Bill Gates, noted philanthropist and creator of Microsoft have been
awarded the Hilal-e-Pakistan, Pakistan’s second-highest civilian
honor, for his efforts to help eradicate polio in the country.
 The Government of India has appointed Anantha Nageswaran as the
new Chief Economic Advisor.
 PMEAC (PM Economic Advisory Council) Chairman:- Bibek
Debroy
 The Olympic Gold medal winner Neeraj Chopra was honoured with
the Prama Vishisht Seva Medal.

Smriti Manadhana of India has won the ICC Women Cricketer of the
year 2021. She is the second woman player to win the award in the
world. Ellyse Perry of Australia was the first woman player to win the
award.
 The Indonesians are moving to a new capital East Kalimantan and It
is now called ‘Nusantara’. Earlier, Jakarta was the capital of
Indonesia. The plan to shift the capital here was announced in 2019
and It was announced by President Joko Widodo. Jakarta is in Java
island and Nusantara is in Borneo island.

Dr S Somnath became the new chairman of ISRO. He succeeded K
Sivan.
 Present Chairman of DRDO: Dr. Sameer V. Kamat
 Present Intelligence Bureau Chief (IB works Under Home Ministry):
Tapan Deka
 Present Raw(Research & Analysis Wing) Chief: Samant Goel
RAW works Under Cabinet Secretariat
 The Assam Mission on Malnutrition was launched in 2020 to
eradicate malnutrition among children in the age group of six months
to five years. It was launched under the name Project Parvarish. It
was launched during Poshan Maah 2020.
POSHAN (Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition)
Abhiyaan is a Multi-Ministerial Convergence Mission with the vision to
ensure the attainment of Malnutrition Free India by 2022. The
Government launched the POSHAN Abhiyaan, earlier known as National
Nutrition Mission, on March 08, 2018, to address the problem of
malnutrition in the country. The Abhiyan aims to reduce malnutrition in
the country in a phased manner through a life cycle approach.
Under the POSHAN Abhiyaan, ‘Rashtriya Poshan Maah’ is celebrated
each year in September with the aim to create awareness about nutrition
and healthy food.
Ministry of Women and Child Development is celebrating the 5th
Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2022 across the nation from September 01 to
September 30. The objective is to trigger Poshan Maah through Gram
Panchayats as Poshan Panchayats with a key focus on “Mahila aur
Swasthya” and “Bacha aur Shiksha”.
 Urjit Patel was recently appointed as the Vice President of Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank.
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral
development bank that aims to improve economic and social outcomes
in Asia. The bank currently has 105 members, including 16 prospective
members from around the world. China is the first largest and India, the
second largest share holders in the bank.
H. Q.:- Beijing
Note:-He also served as the 24th Governor of RBI (Reserve Bank of
India).
 The Global Environment and Climate Action Citizen Award was
presented in Dubai, on December 23, 2021. It was presented to
Surat’s noted industrialist Viral Desai (popularly known as
Greenman).
 Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointment Catherine
Russell as the head of UN children’s agency UNICEF.
 Petr Fiala has been named as new Prime Minister of Czech Republic.
 India’s highest science award called “Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar
Award 2021” was presented to the 11 scientists on the occasion of
80th foundation day of Council for Scientific & Industrial Research
(CSIR).
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) award has been named after the founder
& Director of CSIR, late Dr Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar.This award has
christened as ‘Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) Prize for Science and
Technology’.It is given to scientist for their outstanding contributions to
science and technology, every year.The prizes comprise of Rs 5,00,000.
 Najla Bouden Romdhane has become the first female prime minister
of Tunisia on September 29, 2021.
 Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, has been conferred with
the “SDG Progress Award” and was introduced as the “jewel in the
crown of the day” at an event on September 20, 2021.Award was
conferred by the UN-sponsored Sustainable Development Solutions
Network (SDSN).She was awarded for Bangladesh’s steady course in
responding to the universal call of action to end poverty, protect the
planet as well as ensure peace & prosperity for all.
 Avani Lekhara has become the 1st Indian women to win two
Paralympic medals at a single edition of the Paralympics on
September 3, 2021. Avani Lekhara won a bronze medal in women’s
50m Rifle category
Ramon Magsaysay Award 2022 Winners
The 2022 Ramon Magsaysay Award winners included Gary
Bencheghib (Indonesia), Bernadette Madrid (Philippines), Sotheara
Chhim (Cambodia), and Tadashi Hattori (Japan).
Gary Bencheghib-He:
He fought against plastic pollution & He is Well known for his
inspiring battle against marine plastic pollution.
Bernadette J. Madrid-She:
She is a children's rights devotee & She has been acknowledged for her
honest and dedicated responsibility to noble and challenging advocacy.
Tadashi Hattori-He:
He is a sight-saving humanitarian. Tadashi is identified for his simple
humankind and tremendous benevolence as an individual and a
professional.
Sotheara Chhim-He:
He is a mental health advocate.He is remembered for "his quiet bravery
in surmounting deep trauma to become his healer.
He was pushed to work in Khmer Rouge camps as a child for over
three long years.
Ramon Magsaysay Award is the highest honour in Asia. It was
established in April 1957 and is widely regarded as the equivalent of the
“Nobel Prize in Asia”. The award is presented to individuals who have
made extraordinary contributions in eradication of poverty and
development of the society in Asia.
 The founder of the Serum Institute of India (SII) in Pune,
businessman Cyrus Poonawalla has been named the winner of the
prestigious National Lokmanya Tilak Award 2021.
 Rudreswara Temple which is located at Palampet, Mulugu district, in
the state of Telangana has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World
Heritage list. On 25th July, 2021 this decision was taken at the
44th session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee. Ramappa
temple was proposed by the government of India as its sole
nomination for UNESCO World Heritage site tag, 2019.
About Rudreswara temple
In 1213 AD, during the rule of the Kakatiya Empire, the Rudreswara temple
was constructed.This temple was constructed by Kakatiya king Ganapati
Deva’s general Recharla Rudra.
Ramalingeswara Swamy is the presiding deity of this temple.
This temple is also known as Ramappa temple, named so after the sculptor
who, for 40 years, executed the work in the temple.
Note:- 40th Indian Heritage Site in UNESCO:- Dhaulavira (Gujarat)
Global Peace Index 2022
Recently, Released by Sydney-based Institute for Economics & Peace
(IEP)and 163 Countries rank published this year.
Most Peaceful Countries in the World
1. Iceland
2. New Zealand
3. Ireland
Least Peaceful Countries
163. Somalia
162. Afghanistan
161. Syria
135:- India
159:- Pakistan
19:-Bhutan
9:- Singapore
10:- Japan
World Happiness report 2023
Recently, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network released the
World Happiness Report 2023 which ranks countries on happiness.
Finland has been named the world's happiest country for the Sixth year in
a row followed by Denmark (2nd) and Iceland (3rd) whereas Afghanistan
ranked as the unhappiest, closely followed by Lebanon, Sierra Leone,
Zimbabwe.
the World Happiness Report 2023 ranked India 126th (out of 136) — tenth
from the bottom of the list.
Note: In 2022, India ranked 136th position out of 146 countries.It even lags
behind its neighbouring nations like Nepal, China, Bangladesh and Sri
Lanka.
World Press Freedom Index 2023

On the World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) (3rd May), The
2023 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters
Without Borders (RSF), a French NGO, has placed India
at161st among the 180 countries.
Norway, Ireland and Denmark occupied the top three positions.
Vietnam, China and North Korea were at the bottom on the list.
Sri Lanka: 135th
Pakistan: 150th
Human Freedom Index 2022
This year’s Human Freedom Index report, India was ranked 112 out of
165 countries.
Top Ranks:Switzerland, New Zealand, Estonia
The report, co-published by two think tanks — Cato Institute in the US
and the Fraser Institute in Canada
India’s rank is better than its neighbours China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh,
but it has fared worse than Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka.
Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2022
Prepared by European NGOs of Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.
The GHI is calculated annually.
This year, India Ranked at 107(Out of 121), the country is behind
neighbours like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
GHI scores are based on the values of four component indicators:
o
Undernourishment
o
Child stunting
o
Child wasting
o
Child mortality

Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Chile, China and Croatia are the
top five countries in GHI 2022.

Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Central
African Republic and Yemen are the countries ranked at the
bottom of the index.
Note:- In 2021 report: India ranked 101 (out of 116)
Human Development Report 2021-22
Recently, Human Development Report (HDR) 2021-22 released by
the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), India ranked 132
(Previous Rank:130) among 191 countries.
Top Performers: 1.Switzerland
1. Norway
2. Iceland
Note:
Sri Lanka (73) emerged as the best performer in the Indian sub-continent.
China (79)
Bhutan (127)
Bangladesh (129)
Nepal (143)
Pakistan (161)
 On December 29, 2021, the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB)
announced to add Egypt as its new member. Egypt is the fourth
new member admitted into NDB, following Bangladesh, United
Arab Emirates (UAE) and Uruguay.
NDB is a multilateral development bank. It was jointly founded by the
BRICS countries in 2014, at the 6th BRICS Summit in Fortaleza, Brazil.
But it was formally opened on July 2015. The bank was set to support the
infrastructure and sustainable development efforts in BRICS grouping
and other underserved & emerging economies for a faster development
through cutting-edge technology and innovation. Its headquarter is at
Shanghai, China.
NDB President:- Dilma Rousseff (Brazil)
 On December 29, 2021, government released the “Atal Ranking of
Institutions on Innovation Achievement (ARIIA) 2021” award list
was released.Top position was achieved by IIT Madras. It topped the
ranking as the most innovative educational institute in India in
technical category.
IIT Madras won this recognition for the third consecutive time.
Institutes which are among top 10 institutions include- IIT Bombay, IIT
Delhi, IIT Roorkee, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, Indian Institute of
Science (IISc) and IIT Hyderabad.
NITI Aayog’s Fourth Health Index 2021
NITI Aayog prepared this report in collaboration with the Ministry of
Health & Family Welfare as well as with the technical assistance from the
World Bank.
According to NITI Aayog’s health index, Kerala has emerged as the top
performer with respect to overall health performance among larger states.
On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh has been ranked the last.
However, Uttar Pradesh topped in terms of incremental performance
since it registered the highest incremental change in reference year 201920 as compared to the base year 2018-19.
Tamil Nadu emerged as second while Telangana emerged as the third
Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra have been ranked among top five.
NASA Psyche Mission


NASA’s Psyche mission is going to be launched in August 2022. It
will be the first launch to explore a giant metal asteroid known as
Psyche in the main asteroid belt.The asteroid Psyche is in between
Mars & Jupiter and is orbiting the sun.
The Psyche mission is one among the two missions of NASA to
explore early Solar System. The Lucy mission is another mission to
explore Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids in order to study early Solar
System.
Tennis Grandslams
Aus Open 2023
Men’s Singles Novak Djokovic (Serbia) defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas
(Greece)
Womens’s Singles Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) defeated Elena Rybakina
(Kazakhstan)
French Open 2022
Men’s Singles
Rafael Nadal defeated Casper Ruud (Norway)
Women’s Singles Iga Świątek(Poland) defeated Coco Gauff (USA)
Wimbledon 2022
Men’s Singles
Novak Djokovic(Serbia) defeated Nick Kyrgios(Aus)
Women’s Singles Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan) defeated Ons
Jabeur(Tunisia)
US open 2022
Men’s Singles
Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) defeated Casper Rudd
(Norway)
Women’s Singles Iga Swiatek (Poland) defeated Ons Jabeur (Tunisia)
Note:- Maximun no. Of Grandslam Winner:- Rafael Nadal 22
Novak Djokovic 22
Roger Federer 20
Female :- Margret Court (Aus) 24
Serena Williams 23
Steffi Graff 22
Some Important persons and Posts
Attorney General of India:- R Venkatramani
CAG of India:- G C Murmu
RBI Governor:- Shaktikanta Dass
RBI deputy Governors:- M.K Jain, M. D. Patra, M. Rajeshwar
Rao, T. Rabi Shankar
WTO Dir- General:- Ngoji-Okonjo- Iweala (1st woman and 1st
African)
World bank :- Charirman David Malpass, MD and CFO:Anshula Kant (first woman)
IMF:- MD:- Kristalina Georgieva, first deputy MD:- Gita
Gopinath
CEC:- Rajiv Kumar (succeeded Sushil Chandra)
NITI aayog:- Vice Chairman:- Suman Bery (Succeeded Rajiv
Kumar),
CEO:-BVR Subramaniam
Commonwealth Games 2022
Athletes participating
5,054
Events
280 in 20 sports
Opening ceremony
28 July 2022
Closing ceremony
8 August 2022
Mascot:- Perry
Venue: Birmingham (UK)
Results
Australia
67
57
54
178
England
57
66
53
176
Canada
26
32
34
92
India
22
16
23
61
Indian Gold Medalists in CW games 2022
1. Saikom Mirabai Chanu
Saikom Mirabai Chanu opened India’s streak of winning gold by getting one in the
Women’s 49 kg Weightlifting event. On the second day of CWG 2022, Chanu lifted 248 kg.
She lifted 88 kg in snatch and 113 kg in clean & jerk.
2. Jeremy Lalrinnunga
The second gold for India at the Birmingham CWG 2022 was won on the third day. The 19years-old Jeremy Lalrinnunga took it in the Men’s 67 kg Weightlifting event. He lifted 140
kg in snatch and 160 kg in clean & jerk, making it 300 kg.
3. Achinta Sheuli
On the same day as Jeremy Lalrinnunga, Achinta Sheuli won third gold for India Gold
Medal in Men’s 73 kg Weightlifting event. He lifted a total of 313 kg by lifting 143 kg in
snatch and 170 kg in clean & jerk.
4. Rupa, Lovely, Nayanmoni, and Pinki
India got its fourth medal in the Lawn Balls Women’s fours event. The Indian team for the
sporting event included Rupa Rani Tirkey, Lovely Choubey, Nayanmoni Saikia and Pinki.
These four girls played an exciting game against their South African opponent and won
with a score of 17-10. Their historic win is India’s first medal in Lawn Balls.
5. Sharath, Harmeet, Sathiyan and Sanil
Men’s Team won the next gold and the fifth in number in the Table Tennis event. The team
had Sharath Kamal, Harmeet Desai, G. Sathiyan, and Sanil Shetty. The team competed
against Singapore in the finals and recorded their win.
6. Sudhir
Sudhir won the first one in the Men’s heavyweight Para-Powerlifting event against his
opponent from Nigeria.
7. Bajrang Punia
Bajrang Punia won the ninth Gold medal for India after defeating his Canadian opponent in
the Men’s 86 kg freestyle wrestling event.
8. Sakshi Malik
India won its next Gold medal in the Women’s 62 kg category. Sakshi Malik defeated her
Canadian opponent Ana Gonzalez and won the wrestling match.
9. Deepak Punia
Deepak Punia, after winning the Men’s freestyle 86 kg final match, got India its eighth
Gold medal. He defeated Pakistan’s two times gold medalist Muhammad Inam Butt. in the
final.
10. Ravi Kumar Dahiya
Ravi Kumar Dahiya made the next addition to India’s Gold medals in the Men’s Freestyle
57 kg wrestling event.
11. Vinesh Phogat
Vinesh Phogat took the next and tenth Gold medal against his Sri Lankan opponent in the
Women’s freestyle 53 kg wrestling final match.
12. Naveen Kumar
In another wrestling event, the Men’s Freestyle 74 kg final match Naveen Kumar defeated
Pakistan’s Muhammad Tahir and won the twelfth Gold medal for India.
13. Bhavina Patel
Bhavina Patel won the thirteenth Gold medal for India in the Para Table Tennis Women’s
Singles C3-5 event.
14. Nitu Ghanghas
Defeating her English opponent in the Women’s 48 kg boxing event, Neetu Ghanghas on
the next Gold Medal for India.
15. Amit Panghal
In Men’s Flyweight Boxing event at CWG 2022, Amit Phangal won India’s fourteenth Gold
medal.
16. Nikhat Zareen
The celebrated Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen won the sixteenth Gold medal for India in the
Women’s 52 kg light flyweight boxing event after defeating North Ireland’s Carly McNaul.
17. Eldhose Paul
Eldhose Paul took a 17.03 m long jump and got India its seventeenth Gold medal in CWG
2022 and the first Gold medal in Men’s Triple Jump.
18. Sharath Kamal and Sreeja Akula
In the final match of the Mixed Doubles Table Tennis event at CWG 2022, the Sharath
Kamal and Sreeja Akula team bagged India’s eighteenth Gold medal with a 3-1 in over
their Malaysian opponent pair.
19. PV Sindhu
The famous Indian Badminton player PV Sindhu won the nineteenth Gold medal for India
against her Canadian opponent Michelle in Women’s Singles Badminton event.
20. Lakshya Sen
Following Sindhu’s win, the successive Gold medal was brought in the same sport by
Lakshya Sen in Men’s Singles Badminton event.
21. Achanta Sharath Kamal
After winning Gold medals in Men’s Team and mixed Doubles Table Tennis events, Achanta
Sharath Kamal again won a Gold medal in Men’s Singles Table Tennis event bringing
India’s Gold medal total to 21.
22. Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty
Ending India’s Gold winning streak in the CWG 2022, Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy and Chirag
Shetty won the Badminton Men’s Doubles event defeating their English opponent pair.
2026 CW games Venue:- Victoria, Australia
About Commonwealth Games:-The Commonwealth Games, often
referred to as the Friendly Games, are a quadrennial international multisport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The
event was first held in 1930, and, with the exception of 1942 and 1946
(cancelled due to World War II), have successively run every four years
since.
Note:- India Hosted Once, 2010
Draupadi Murmu
Draupadi Murmu ( belongs to Santhal Tribe) is the 15th and current
President of India. She was the first person from India's designated tribal
communities to be elected president. She is the youngest and first
individual born after India's independence in 1947 to have been elected
president. Murmu is only the second woman after Pratibha Patil to serve
as the President of India.
She is also the former cabinet minister of Odisha and the former governor
of Jharkhand.
Jagdeep Dhankar
Jagdeep Dhankhar, a former governor of West Bengal and NDA
candidate, recently took oath as India’s 16th vice president. President
Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to him.
On August 6, Dhankhar won the vice presidential election. He won by
outdueling Margaret Alva of the opposition.
 National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has created a Guinness
World Record for longest continuously laid bituminous lane of 75
kilometres, on national highway between Amravati and Akola
districts of Maharashtra, in 105 hours and 33 minutes.
 On the occasion of World Food Safety Day, the Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare released the Food Safety and Standards Authority
of India (FSSAI) led 4th State Food Safety Index (SFSI).In the index,
Tamil Nadu secured first rank, in the category of large states.
About FSSAI
FSSAI stands for Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
It is an autonomous body, working under the Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare. It was established in accordance with the Food Safety
and Standards Act, 2006. It aims to promote and protect public health by
means of various regulations and supervisions of food safety.
 NASA is set to launch a mission called “DAVINCI Mission”.
DAVINCI stands for “Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of
Noble gases, Chemistry and Imaging Mission”.Before this mission,
only two NASA missions have visited earlier, namely, Pioneer in
1978 and Magellan in early ’90s.
 2022 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) was released recently,
ranking 180 countries on 40 performance indicators in 11 issue
categories of climate change performance, ecosystem vitality and
environmental health.
In the index, India has been ranked at 180th position, bottom of the 2022
Index. Pakistan has been ranked at 176th position while Bangladesh at
177.
Denmark has been ranked 1st, followed by United Kingdom, Finland.
 On June 3, 2022, SHRESTHA (Scheme for Residential Education for
Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas) Scheme was launched
by Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment with the aim of
providing quality education & opportunities to 3,000 SC category
students. It envisions high quality free residential education for
meritorious SC students of class 9th to class 12th.
 On June 4, 2022, the Scientists, researchers and activists from across
the world gathered in Stockholm. They were expected to issue a
strong resolution for to phase out fossil fuels as well as to support
developing nations in their transition to clean energy.
What is Stockholm+50?
It is an international meeting, led by the United Nations General
Assembly. It is a global treaty, that aims to protect human health and
environment from the effects of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). It
was recently held in June 2022, to commemorate 50 years since the 1972
United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, that made
environment a global issue for the first time.
 Türkiye: Turkey’s new official name
 The Railway Protection Force (RPF) under Operation Mahila
Suraksha has rescued 150 women and girls from falling into the trap
of human trafficking
 On 1st June 2022, the Har Ghar Dastak 2.0 campaign began across
the nation to ensure that all eligible beneficiaries receive complete
Covid-19 vaccination. This campaign gives special focus on the
vaccination of those aged between 12 to 14 and precaution doses for
those above the age of 60.
 Samia Suluhu Hassan becomes Tanzania's first woman President
 'Operation Ganga' is the initiative launched by the government of
India to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine. Under this, India has
already successfully brought back more than a 1,000 of its nationals
from the country.
 This year, the theme for International Day of Yoga is “Yoga for
Humanity.” This theme reflects the importance of yoga and how it
benefits the masses in keeping safe and healthy during the outbreak of
coronavirus.The 8th edition of International Yoga Day also witnessed
an innovative programme ‘Guardian Ring’. The programme
included participation of enthusiasts, along with the sun’s movement,
i.e. beginning from the east and marching towards the west.
Note:-Even though the history of practising Yoga dates back to thousands
of years ago, the concept of celebrating International Yoga Day was the
brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who, back in September 27,
2014, first presented the idea at The United Nations General Assembly
(UNGA) during his address. Taking cognisance of the widely acclaimed
benefits and growing popularity of Yoga across the globe, United Nations
proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga.
Statue of Peace
Indian PM Narendra Modi virtually unveiled the Statue of Peace in
Rajasthan recently, on the 151st birth anniversary occasion of Jain monk
Acharya Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj.
12.5 feet tall statue has been made using ashtadhatu, which comprises,
majorly, of copper and a combination of eight metals. The statue has been
installed at Vijay Vallabh Sadhana Kendra in Rajasthan.
The saint, Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj, lived during 18701954, and worked selflessly to spread the message of Lord Mahavira. It is
common knowledge that the saint also worked tirelessly for the welfare
of masses, abolition of social evils, and spread of education. He also
actively supported the freedom and Swadeshi movement
 India ranks 85th (out of 180) in corruption perception index
It uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very
clean.
India's rank improved by one place to 85 in 2021 from 86th in 2020,
Except for Bhutan, all of India's neighbours are ranked below it. Pakistan
dropped 16 spots in the index and was ranked at 140.
Denmark, Finland, New Zealand and Norway topped the list with the
highest score.The index is published annually by the non-governmental
organisation Transparency International (Berlin, Germany) since 1995.
 Fujian
On June 17,2022, China unveiled its first indigenous aircraft carrier , the
new-generation Fujian. Touted to be the most-advanced aircraft carrier so
far, it marks a milestone for a nation that is looking to extend its military
power, especially in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.
 Frontier(USA)
Frontier — a supercomputer at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge
National Laboratory (ORNL) — has taken the top spot on the latest
TOP500 list, and its score of 1.102 exaFLOPS on a benchmark test makes
it the world's first exascale computer. It replaced FUGAKU (Japan)
 India's Fastest Supercomputer ‘Param Pravega’, commissioned under
the National Supercomputing Mission that is spearheaded by the
Department of Science and Technology and the Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology.
 PM Vaya Vandna Yojna
Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY) is a Pension Scheme
announced by the Government of India exclusively for the senior citizens
aged 60 years and above which was available from 4th May, 2017 to 31st
March, 2020. The scheme is now extended up to 31st March, 2023 for a
further period of three years beyond 31st March, 2020.
Minimum Entry Age: 60 years (completed)
Maximum Entry Age: No limit
Policy Term : 10 years
Investment limit : Rs 15 lakh per senior citizen
 India, The Maldives and Sri Lanka are holding the 15th edition of the
biennial trilateral coast guard exercise ‘Dosti’, in the Maldives.
 The Indian Navy is set to commission INS Vela, on November 25,
2021, which is the fourth stealth Scorpene class submarine under
Project 75.
Project 75 (between India’s Mazgaon Dockyard Limited(Mumbai) and
France’s DCNS) comprises of construction of six submarines of Scorpene
design. Out of six, three submarines namely Karanj, Kalvari, Khanderi,
have already been commissioned. Other 2 names are: INS Vagir, INS
Vagsheer.
 Indian Railways has launched a new scheme called “Bharat Gaurav
Scheme” on November 23, 2021. Under this scheme, private tour
operators can take trains on lease from railways and run these trains
on any circuit of their choice.
 NITI Aayog launched “Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Urban Index and Dashboard 2021-22”. Shimla has topped the list of
cities by scoring highest on the index. Key Points Coimbatore and
Chandigarh have been ranked at second and third position.
 World’s tallest rail bridge pier will soon come up in North-eastern
state of Manipur. This bridge is being constructed by Indian Railways
at Noney Valley in Manipur. Bridge is having the height of 141
metres. It is a part of ambitious 111 Kilometre long Jiribam-Imphal
railway line.
 Barbados has become the World’s newest republic, around 400 years
after it became a British colony.Barbados, the Caribbean Island nation,
removed Queen Elizabeth II as the head of the state.Dame Sandra
Prunella Mason, took over as the President of Barbados.Mason was
selected to become the first president of Barbados in October 2021.
 Skyroot Aerospace test-fired India’s first privately built cryogenic
rocket engine called Dhawan-1.Skyroot Aerospace demonstrated the
upper stage of its Vikram-2 launch vehicle.
The cryogenic rocket engine is 100 per cent 3D printed and 100 percent
made in India.It has been named after Satish Dhawan, who was the third
chairman of ISRO. He pioneered the development of advanced launch
capabilities of India.
 Shillong’s famous Cherry Blossom Festival 2021 was held from
November 25 to 27, 2021 in Meghalaya.
 Virtual Science Lab launched under CSIR Jigyasa Programme
Union Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh launched
India’s first Virtual Science Lab for Children on November 22,
2021.Virtual Science Lab was launched under CSIR Jigyasa Programme.
This programme will connect students with scientists across India.
This Lab will provide a virtual tour of CSIR laboratories as well as
expose students to research infrastructure.
 Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has joined
hands with Google India Pvt Ltd (GIPL) to support micro, small and
medium enterprises (MSMEs). Highlights The partnership will pilot a
social impact lending programme, providing a financial assistance of
up to Rs 1 crore at competitive interest rates to MSMEs.
 The 21st Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Annual Council of
Minister’s (COM) Meeting was held in Dhaka on November 17, 2021.
India took part in the conference in virtual mode.
 On November 17, 2021, India was re-elected to the executive board
of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization) for the term of 2021-2025.
 World’s largest solar power park in Bhadla
Bhadla Solar Park, located in Rajasthan, is the World’s largest solar
power park.As of 2020, Bhadla solar park is largest solar park worldwide.
It is spread over an area of 5,700 hectares in Bhadla, Jodhpur district of
Rajasthan. Park has a total capacity of 2245 MW.
 COP27 United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2022: Hosted
by Egypt at Sharm El-Sheikh.
 German-watch in collaboration with Climate Action Network (CAN)
and New Climate Institute, published the “Climate Change
Performance Index 2022”. This Report was released on the side-lines
of COP26 (conducted at Glasgow,UK) to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
CCPI 2022 finds that, major emitting economies which announced their
Net Zero emission release targets poorly in climate change performance
over 2021.
India’s Rank
In the index, India maintained its 10th rank. India continued to be among
top-performing countries within G20.
Rank 1 Denmark is followed by Sweden and Norway.
 World’s longest bi-lane road tunnel called “Sela Tunnel” is being
built on Balipara-Charduar-Tawang (BCT) road by the Border Roads
Organisation (BRO), under Project Vartak. The Sela tunnel is being
constructed at an altitude of 13,800ft(around 3000m) near the IndoChina border. It is being built to provide all-weather connectivity
between Guwahati in Assam and Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. This
project comprises of two 1,790 m & 475 m long tunnels and an
escape tube of 980 m. It will cut down the travel time by an hour.
 President of Chile, Sebastian Pinera, was impeached on November 9,
2021 by the lower house of Chile’s congress, due to allegations
regarding Pandora Papers.
 World Economic Forum (WEP) published its report titled “Mission
2070: A Green New Deal for a Net-Zero India” to provide a roadmap
for India’s energy transition. Highlights The report was published in
the backdrop of India’s target to achieve net zero emissions by 2070.
 On November 8, 2021, Srinagar has joined the UNESCO’s network
of creative cities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the inclusion
of Srinagar as a fitting recognition for vibrant cultural ethos of this
old city. UNESCO has designated Srinagar as a creative city of craft
and folk arts.
 Astronaut Wang Yaping has become the first Chinese woman to walk
in space.
 e-EPIC
The Election Commission of India launched the Electronic
Electoral Photo Identity Card (e-EPIC) on January 25, 2021
during the National Voters' Day celebrations.
The e-electoral photo identity card will be a non-editable digital
version of the voter ID card, which can be printed in PDF
format and saved in facilities like Digi locker.The main
objective behind the launch of the e-EPIC programme is to
provide faster delivery and easy accessibility to the document,
as the physical card takes time to print and reach the voter.All
voters with a valid EPIC number will be eligible to receive the
Electronic Electoral Photo Identity Card.
 The Fifth Khelo India Youth Games 2022 organized by Madhya
Pradesh from January 31 to February 11. It witnessed the
participation of 8,500 athletes. This edition featured a total of 27
sports disciplines, with water sports being included for the first
time. Sports fields like Canoe Slalom, Kayaking, Canoeing, and
Rowing also be featured at this edition.
Note:-Khelo India (Let’s play India) initiative was launched by the
Indian Government in 2017 to promote a sporting culture in the
country by involving children at grassroot levels. Under this initiative,
Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) and the Khelo India University
Games (KIUG) are organized every year, where youngsters represent
their states and universities respectively. The initiative started with the
organizing of the Khelo India School Games in 2018 in New Delhi. In
2019, this event was renamed as Khelo India Youth Games.
36th National Games
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated the 36th National
Games in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. (Mascot: Savaj)
Almost 7,000 athletes from 28 Indian States, eight Union Territories and
Services,competed for medals in 36 different sports. These included
traditional Olympic disciplines as well as indigenous sports like
mallakhamb, kho kho and kabaddi, amongst others.
Services won the National Games 2022 with 128 medals, including 61
golds, 35 silvers and 32 bronze.
1 Services
61 35 32 128
2 Maharashtra 39 38 63 140
3 Haryana
38 38 40 116

Spain, defending champions won the FIFA U-17 Women's World
Cup against the first-time finalists Colombia.The FIFA U-17
Women’s World Cup is held every two years. 2022 edition hosted
by India
 16-year-old R Praggnanandhaa, India’s young grandmaster,
defeated world number one Magnus Carlsen for the third time this
year. He defeated Carlsen 4-2 in the final round of the FTX Crypto
Cup.
 Reliance Industries (RIL) has partnered with Indian Olympic
Association (IOA) to set up first-ever India House at Paris
Olympics 2024. RIL-IOA partnership is directed towards elevation
of performances of Indian athletes. They will also extend support
to national sports federations.
 India’s first National Air Sports Policy (NASP 2022) has been
released by Ministry of Civil Aviation. It aims to provide a safe,
accessible, sustainable, and affordable air sports ecosystem in India.
It has a vision of making country a hub for air sports nation by
2030.
 India created history by winning the Thomas Cup title for the first
time ever after defeating Indonesia by 3-0 in the final at bangkok.
It is an international badminton competition among men’s teams.Since
1982, Thomas cup championships are held every two years. Before that,
they were conducted once every three years.The first Thomas cup
tournament was conducted in 1948–1949.
 Dipika Pallikal won the mixed doubles and women’s doubles
championships at the World Doubles Squash Championships teaming
up with Saurav Ghosal and Joshna Chinappa respectively.
 The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup 2022
was held in Cairo, Egypt from 26th February to 8th March 2022. With
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a total of seven medals, the Indian team took first place in the medals
tally, with four gold, two silver, and one bronze. The first gold medal
was won by Saurabh Chaudhary.
ICC U-19 World Cup final 2022, India cruised to a four-wicket
victory against England, at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua,
on February 5, 2022.
India played its thousandth ODI match.The match was played against
West Indies and Indian team won the match under the captainship of
Rohit Sharma.
Veteran Indian hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, recently won ‘World
Games Athlete of the Year, 2021. He was part of men’s team, which
claimed a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics. He became only the
second Indian to receive this award. He is the first man and second
hockey player after Women hockey team captain Rani Rampal (2019)
to win the title.
P V Sindhu won the 2022 Syed Modi India International Badminton.
The Davis Cup 2021 was won by Russian Tennis Federation. The
Davis Cup finals was held between Daniil Medvedev and Andrey
Rublev of Russia. And Daniil Medvedev won the match
 First Women Inspector Generals of CRPF
Two women officers who were recently promoted to the rank of
Inspector General are IG Seema Dhundiya and IG Annie Abraham.
 Lula da Silva recently elected as new President of Brazil after
defeating incumbent far right President Jair Bolsonaro.
 UK Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned just 45 days after taking office.
With the resignation, Liz Truss became the shortest-served British
Prime Minister.
 The SASTRA Ramanujan Prize was recently bestowed to Yunqing
Tang – an Assistant Professor at the University of California.
The prestigious award was instituted by the Shanmugha Arts, Science,
Technology & Research Academy (SASTRA) in the year 2005. It
includes a cash prize of 10,000 USD. The award recognizes individuals
aging 32 and below who have made significant contributions in the field
of mathematics that is broadly influenced by Srinivasa Ramanjuan.
 Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently received the
UNHCR’s Nansen Refugee Award.While Merkel was the Chancellor
in 2015 and 2016, Germany welcomed more than 1.2 million refugees
and asylum seekers, especially from Syria.
 Giorgia Meloni is set to become the first female prime minister of
Italy.
 Former Chief Economic Adviser of India K. Subramaniam was
recently appointed as the Executive Director of India at the
International Monetary Fund (IMF). He succeeded Surjit S Bhalla.
 On 23rd May 2022, President Ram Nath Kovind appointed Vinai
Kumar Saxena as Delhi’s new Lieutenant Governor. Before being
appointed as the LG of Delhi, he served as the chairperson of the
Khadi and Village Industries Commission.
 In France, Elisabeth Borne has been appointed as the country’s new
prime minister on 16th May 2022. She becomes the second woman in
the history of France to hold this post.
 BSE Limited announced SS Mundra as the company’s new
chairperson.
 Manik Saha: new Chief Minister of Tripura
 Ranil Wickremesinghe: President of Sri Lanka & Dinesh
Gunawardhane: PM
 The 2022 Templeton Prize was awarded to Frank Wilczek.His works
on nature’s fundamental laws have transformed the understanding of
the forces that govern the universe.
This is an award given annually to a person who is living and whose
meritorious achievements advance the philanthropic vision of Sir John
Templeton which is to harness the power of science with the aim of
understanding the deepest questions regarding the universe and
humankind.
 Ajay Kumar Sood, an eminent physicist has been appointed as the
central government’s principal scientific advisor (PSA).
 Gilbert F. Houngbo has recently been elected as the International
Labour Organization’s 11th Director-General. He is the former Prime
Minister of Togo. He is the first African to have been elected to this
post.
 The Stockholm Water Prize 2022 has been awarded by The
Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) to Professor Wilfried
Brutsaert for his innovative work in evaluating environmental
evaporation.
 Debasish Panda has been appointed as the new chairperson of the
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI)
for a three-year term.
 Xiomara Castro was sworn in as the first woman president of
Honduras.
 The temple city of Varanasi was nominated as the first-ever SCO
Tourism and Cultural Capital during the recently held SCO Summit.
 The 13th Petersburg Climate Dialogue was held on July 19th and 20th,
2022 in Berlin, Germany. It was chaired by Germany and Egypt,
which are also hosting the 2022 annual climate meet (COP-27).
During the informal ministerial meeting, countries agreed on
consensus and provide political direction in a bid to resolve
divergences, with the objective of improving implementation of
climate action, in line with the goal of COP-27.
 The United Nations Ocean Conference 2022: Lisbon (Portugal)
 First-ever India-European Union (EU) Security and Defence
Consultations held in Brussels, on June 10, 2022.
 The 19th Shangri-La Dialogue was hosted in Singapore, from June 10
to June 12, 2022, in Singapore after two-years. It is Asia’s premier
defence summit, in which ministers’ debate on pressing security
challenges in the region and engage in important bilateral talks.The
Shangri-La Dialogue is officially known as Asia Security Summit.
 QUAD Summit 2022: Tokyo
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, commonly known as the Quad, is a
strategic security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan and the United
States. The dialogue was initiated in 2007 by Japanese Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe, with the support of Australian Prime Minister John
Howard, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and U.S. Vice
President Dick Cheney. The dialogue was paralleled by joint military
exercises of an unprecedented scale, titled Exercise Malabar. The
diplomatic and military arrangement was widely viewed as a response to
increased Chinese economic and military power.
 The 5th BIMSTEC Summit was held on 30th March 2022 in Sri
Lanka
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic
Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an international organisation of seven South
Asian and Southeast Asian nations. The BIMSTEC member states –
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand
H.Q.: Dhaka
 In the Conference of Parties (COP-4) Minamata Convention on
Mercury, the participating parties have agreed to expand the mercuryadded products list that has been planned to be phased out. Overview:
The COP-4 Minamata Convention on Mercury, took place in Bali,
Indonesia from 21st to 25th March 2022.
 Hyderabad recently received the prestigious World Green City Award
2022.
 An igloo café was recently opened in Jammu and Kashmir. It is now
the largest igloo café in the world. The name of the Café is Snowglu.
 US News and World Report, an American media company, released
Best Countries 2022 ranking recently. India was ranked at
31st position among 85 countries. Switzerland is the top performer,
followed by Germany, Canada, the United States and Sweden.
Belarus (85th rank), Uzbekistan (84th rank)
 The multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) was recently released by
the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford
Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).Over the past 15
years, the number of poor people has declined by 415 million but
India still has the highest number of poor people in the world and
Nigeria has the second-highest poor population.
 The 19th edition of the Times Higher Education World University
Rankings was released recently. It ranked 1,799 universities from 104
countries and regions. This edition covered 137 more universities than
last year. Oxford University in the UK holds the top position for the
seventh consecutive year. The United States continue to dominate the
ranking with 7 universities holding the top 10 positions
 Living Planet Report 2022 is a joint endeavor of the World Wildlife
Fund and Zoological Society of London.According to the flagship
publication, there has been a 69 per cent decline in the global wildlife
population between the years 1970 and 2018.
 The Education 4.0 India report was jointly released by the WEF,
UNICEF and YuWaah (Generation Unlimited India).The Education
4.0 report assesses the progress and findings from Education 4.0 India
initiative, which focuses on the use of Industrial Revolution 4.0
technologies in improving the learning outcomes and reducing
inequalities in India’s education sector. It aims to address the
disparities in the country’s education sector and recommends strategy
to improve the Indian school system. It also seeks to empower
students using ed-tech.
 The report titled “The global forest sector outlook 2050: Assessing
future demand and sources of timber for a sustainable economy” was
released recently by the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) at the 26th Session of the Food and Agriculture
Organization Committee on Forestry in Rome.
 The World Bank’s report titled “Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2022:
Correcting Course” provides the first comprehensive assessment of
the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on poverty in developing countries.
The report projected that the world is unlikely to end the extreme
poverty by 2030 because of the economic shocks caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic
 NITI Aayog has declared Haridwar city of Uttarakhand as the best
aspirational district
 The World Economic Forum recently released its “Gender Gap
Report 2022”.In the report, India was ranked at 135th position, out of
146 countries.
It has scored 0.629, on a scale of 0 to 1. This is India’s seventh-highest
score in last 16 years. In this report, India registered the most important
and positive change in its performance on Economic Participation and
Opportunity. Iceland has been ranked at first position, followed by
Finland and Norway.
 The Global Liveability Index 2022 was published by the “Economist
Intelligence Unit (EIU). Vienna has topped the ranking.
It is followed by Copenhagen, at second position.
Among the least 10 liveable cities, Tehran, Karachi, Dhaka
Bengaluru have been ranked at 146th position. It is the least liveable city
in India.
Delhi has been placed at 140th. Mumbai has been placed at 141st.
The Economist Intelligence Unit published “Global Liveability Index”
annually. In the index, 172 global cities are listed for the urban quality of
life based on stability, healthcare, culture, education, environment, and
infrastructure.
 The department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT)
released third edition of “States’ Start-up Ranking 2021”, on July 4,
2022. In terms of developing ‘start-up ecosystem for entrepreneurs’,
Gujarat and Karnataka emerged as the Best Performers among states
including NCT of Delhi.
Meghalaya was ranked first among UTs and North-eastern (NE) states.
Gujarat has been recognised as the best performer for third consecutive
year.
 Government’s think tank NITI Aayog published its report titled
“Harnessing Green Hydrogen- Opportunities for Deep
Decarbonisation in India”. This report has been prepared in
collaboration with Delhi-based think tank RMI India.In its report,
NITI Aayog has recommended to reduce or exempt the GST &
Custom duties on production of green hydrogen, in order to boost the
production in India.It also proposed to set up green hydrogen
corridors as well as offer grants to start-ups that are working on green
hydrogen solutions domestically.
 NITI Aayog recently published its report titled “India’s Booming Gig
and Platform Economy”.In its report, NITI Aayog has proposed fiscal
incentives for companies, such as tax breaks or start-up grants.It
proposed to provide incentives for companies having one-third of
their workforce people with disabilities and women.
This move was directed towards increasing participation of women in
the gig economy.NITI Aayog also recommended to extend social security
measures like income support, insurance, paid sick leaves, and pension
plans for people working on platform companies like Swiggy, Ola,
Zomato, and Uber.