Author: Shivali Varshney, Vidhyarthi Darpan

NATIONAL NEWS 

Career Counselling Workshop ‘Pramarsh 2022’ launched in Bikaner

Minister of State for Culture & Parliamentary Affairs, Arjun Ram Meghwal has launched ‘Pramarsh 2022’, a mega career counselling workshop, for the students of the Bikaner District region in Rajasthan. More than one lakh students from thousands of private & government schools of Bikaner district and mainly from rural areas participated in this workshop. It is the first such incidence in India that more than 1 lakh students participated in Career Counselling in one Workshop. The “Pramarsh 2022” workshop is an extension of the effort to bridge the industry-academia gap and impart the knowledge about various choices available to the student, to help them make a more informed decision. The Workshop was organised jointly by The National Institute of Career Services (NICS), under the Ministry of Labour & Employment and Bengaluru-based educational start-up Edumilestones, with support from the Directorate of Education, Rajasthan.

Amit Shah launches ‘Shastra App’ and ‘Smart Card Arms License’ of Delhi Police.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has launched the ‘Smart Card Arms License’ and ‘Shastra App’ of the Delhi Police, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Delhi Police. In order to provide techno-friendly digital services to the citizens of the national capital. According to Delhi Police, the smart card, with inherent security features, is easy to carry and handle. The card will be printed in-house after verification of data of the arms license holders. The Delhi Police Licensing Unit has introduced ‘Smart Card Arms License’, to replace the existing bulky arms license booklet. With this Delhi Police has become the first police force in the country to introduce such a smart card service. The Smart Card Arms License is easy to carry with inherent security features. It will be printed in the house after verification of data of arms license holders. The card is also integrated with the ‘e-Beat book’ of Delhi Police through the ‘Shastra mobile app’ for effective policing. The Shastra app will help beat officers in identifying the credentials of arms license holders anytime during day-to-day random checking.

17th IBA’s Annual Banking Technology Awards 2021 announced

Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) has announced the IBA’s 17th Annual Banking Technology Awards 2021. In total South Indian Bank has won 6 awards in the event. This year’s IBA Awards celebrating “Next Gen Banking” has recognized technologies and practices in the banking industry that have demonstrated a high degree of innovation over the past year.

7th Soil Health Card Day Observed on 19 February 2022

Every year India observes the Soil Health Card Day on 19 February to commemorate the launch of the Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme, and create awareness about the benefits of the scheme. 2022 marks the seventh year of the launch of the SHC Scheme. The scheme aims at issuing soil health cards to all farmers every two years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Soil Health Card (SHC) Scheme on 19th February 2015 at Suratgarh in Rajasthan. The card would provide details about the nutritional deficiencies in the soil so that the farmers can supplement the soil with suitable fertilizers and increase the yields. The scheme has been introduced to assist State Governments to issue Soil Health Cards to all farmers in the country. It provides information to farmers on the nutrient status of their soil along with recommendations on the appropriate dosage of nutrients to be applied for improving soil health and its fertility.

Football legend Surajit Sengupta passes away.

The former India footballer Surajit Sengupta, who played as a midfielder, has passed away due to COVID-19 complications. He was 71. At the club level, Sengupta had been associated with Kolkata’s three big clubs, Mohun Bagan (1972-1973, 1981-1983), East Bengal (1974- 1979) and Mohammedan Sporting (1980). He was part of the Indian national team that won a bronze medal in the 1970 Asian Games, held in Bangkok, Thailand.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

World Pangolin Day 2022 observed on 19th February

World Pangolin Day is celebrated on the “Third Saturday of February” every year. In 2022, the annual World Pangolin Day is being celebrated on 19 February 2022. It marks the 11th edition of the event. The day aims to raise awareness about these unique mammals and speed up conservation efforts. Pangolin numbers are rapidly declining in Asia and Africa.

World Day of Social Justice observed on 20 February 2022

World Day of Social Justice is celebrated annually all over the world on 20 February. The International Labour Organization unanimously adopted the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization on 10 June 2008. Social justice is an underlying principle for peaceful and prosperous coexistence within and among nations. World Day of Social Justice 2022 Theme: Achieving Social Justice through Formal Employment. The International Labour Organization unanimously adopted the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization on 10 June 2008. This is the third major statement of principles and policies adopted by the International Labour Conference since the ILO’s Constitution of 1919. It builds on the Philadelphia Declaration of 1944 and the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work of 1998. The 2008 Declaration expresses the contemporary vision of the ILO’s mandate in the era of globalization.

Nepal will become 1st country to deploy India’s UPI platform

Nepal will be the first country to adopt India’s UPI system, which will play a pivotal role in transforming the digital economy of the neighbouring country, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), the international arm of NPCI, has joined hands with Gateway Payments Service (GPS) & Manam Infotech to provide the services. GPS is the authorized payment system operator in Nepal. Manam Infotech will deploy Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in Nepal. The collaboration will serve the larger digital public good in Nepal and bolster interoperable real-time person-to-person (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions in the neighbouring country. Nepal shall be the first country outside of India to adopt UPI as the payments platform driving the digitalization of cash transactions and furthering the vision and objectives of the Nepal Government and Nepal Rastra Bank as the Central bank.

 

NATIONAL NEWS 

Check Schedule Ranji Trophy 2022.

Ranji Trophy 2021-22 will be played in two phases, one before the IPL and one after the IPL. The league phase of the tournament comprising 57 matches will be played between February 16 and March 5. The knockout stage matches will be played after the culmination of IPL from May 30.

BrahMos supersonic cruise missile Test-fires at INS Visakhapatnam.

Indian Naval warship INS Visakhapatnam test-fired naval variant of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile on February 18, 2022. The BrahMos missile system is the main weapon system of the Indian Navy warships. The Indian Navy had conducted a similar test on January 11 as well.

PM Modi, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince virtual summit today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold a virtual summit today with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan. The two leaders are expected to lay out the vision of historic and friendly relations between the two countries during their bilateral talks. 

Ahmedabad Serial Bomb Blast case verdict.

A special court pronounced death sentence for 38 convicts out of the total 49 people found guilty in the 2008 Ahmedabad Bomb Blast Case. The remaining 11 people who were found guilty were awarded life imprisonment for their offences. 

India’s GDP likely to grow at 5.8 per cent in the third quarter of FY 2022: SBI

India’s gross domestic product (GDP) is likely to grow at 5.8 per cent in the third quarter of the financial year 2022, as per the latest SBI research report. India’s economy expanded in the second quarter of 2021-2022 to overtake pre-pandemic levels. However, the GDP growth recorded in the July-September period was slower than the previous quarter.

Chetan Ghate appointed as new Director of Institute of Economic Growth

Chetan Ghate has been appointed as the new Director of the Institute of Economic Growth. He will be succeeding Ajit Mishra at the post. Chetan Ghate was a member of RBI’s first monetary policy committee between 2016-2020. He also served as an economics professor at the Indian Statistical Institute in Delhi for over 18 years. He is also a member of the advisory committee of the national accounts system under the Statistics Ministry. The Institute of Economic Growth is one of India’s leading research and training centres and it conducts advanced research on economic and social development in areas including labour, agriculture, public health, macroeconomics, international trade, environment, demography etc.

LIC likely to launch USD 8 billion IPO on March 11

India’s state-run Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) is set to launch India’s biggest-ever IPO worth USD 8 billion on March 11, 2022. LIC’s IPO is expected to get regulatory approval by the first week of March after which the marketing price band will be set. LIC filed a draft IPO prospectus on February 13, 2022, with the market regulator to sell 5 per cent of the centre’s stake in the company.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

BA.2 subvariant of Omicron may cause severe COVID: Lab Study

The BA.2 subvariant of Omicron coronavirus variant may cause severe COVID-19, as per a lad study. The yet-to-to peer-reviewed study showed that the BA.2 variant may have features that make it capable of causing severe illness, similar to Delta. The World Health Organisation though noted on February 17th that while BA.2 is more transmissible than BA.1, it is not more severe. WHO technical lead Maria Van Kherkhova said that there is no difference between BA.2 and BA.1 in terms of severity. The BA.1 variant is the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

UK shuts golden visa for investors

The United Kingdom on February 17, 2022 decided to close its Tier 1 investor visa to all new applicants due to security concerns. The UK Home Office took the action as the investor visa route failed to deliver for the UK people and it seemed to give corrupt elites access to the country. UK Home Secretary Priti Patel said that she has zero-tolerance for abuse of their immigration system. She said that under her new plan for immigration, she wants to ensure the British people have confidence in the system and this includes stopping corrupt elites who threaten their national security. Patel said that closing the route is the start of the UK’s renewed crackdown on fraud and illicit finance.

 

NATIONAL NEWS 

Ratan Tata awarded Asom Baibhav

Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma awarded the state’s highest civilian award to Tata Trusts Chairman Ratan Tata on February 16, 2022. Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi had earlier conferred the state’s three highest civilian awards to 18 other distinguished personalities in different fields during the ceremony.

States/ Uts to end additional COVID-19 restrictions.

The Central government has asked all the states and union territories to end COVID-related restrictions in the wake of decline in overall COVID-19 cases. India reported 30,757 new cases, 67,538 recoveries and 541 deaths in the last 24 hours. The daily case positivity has declined to 2.61 percent. 

Malayalam actor Kottayam Pradeep passes away.

Popular Malayalam actor Kottayam Pradeep passed away after suffering a heart attack on February 17, 2022. The 61-year-old had acted in several Malayalam and Tamil movies and received a lot of praise for bringing humor to the films. The actor’s sudden passing away has sent shockwaves across the Malayalam film industry.

Centre resumes biometric system for central government employees.

The central government has ended the work from home system and resumed the Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance Control System from February 16, 2022. Now, all central government employees, employed in different ministries and departments will be required to report to the office physically.

Shreyas Iyer is Kolkata Knight Riders’ new captain

Shreyas Iyer has been named the new captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders IPL team. He was Knight Riders’ most expensive deal at the IPL 2022 auction, as the team bought him for Rs 12.25 crore. He has become Kolkata Knight Riders’ highest-paid player by overtaking Andre Russell’s salary of Rs 12 crore. Shreyas Iyer will be succeeding Eoin Morgan, under whose captaincy KKR had reached the IPL final last year but lost to Chennai Super Kings.

Civil Aviation Ministry removes the restriction on flights between India and Ukraine 

The civil aviation ministry has removed the restriction on the number of flights between India and Ukraine to facilitate the smooth evacuation of Indian nationals, especially students stranded in Ukraine. Indian airlines have been asked to increase the number of flights between the two nations amid a surge in the demand in the wake of the imminent invasion by Russia. India had earlier advised its nationals in Ukraine to leave the country temporarily but there are reportedly no flights available before February 20, leaving thousands stranded. Indian government clarified that there are no immediate evacuation plans, so there are no special flights. However, the center has removed the limited number of flights under air bubble arrangements. The Union Ministry of External Affairs stated that Indian carriers are being encouraged to operate Chartered flights between India and Ukraine. 

EAM Jaishankar to visit Germany, France from February 18

Union External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar is scheduled to visit Germany and France from February 18-23. He is scheduled to participate in the Munich Security Conference in Germany and also hold bilateral meetings with Foreign Ministers and other delegates on the sidelines of the conference. He will visit France after that and hold a bilateral meeting with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

World’s First Chickenpox Vaccine Developer. 

L Doodle celebrated the 94th birth anniversary of Dr Michiaki Takahashi who developed the world’s first chickenpox vaccine on February 17, 2022. The Japanese virologist had studied medicine and turned his expertise towards effectively combatting the highly transmissible and infectious disease after his son caught it. 

Burkina Faso junta leader inaugurated as new President

Burkina Faso junta leader Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba has been inaugurated as the new President of the country. He was sworn in to the post on February 16, 2022. This development comes three weeks after a coup toppled the elected head of state Roch Marc Christian Kabore. The Constitutional Council of the nation had determined last week that Damiba, who had led the coup on January 24 was president, head of state and supreme commander of Burkina Faso’s armed forces.

Russia announces military withdrawal from Crimea

Russia announced a new withdrawal of military forces from the annexed Crimean Peninsula on February 16, 2022. Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement that the units of the southern military district ended tactical exercises at training grounds on the Crimean Peninsula and are returning by rail to their permanent bases. The state-run media also showed columns of military hardware crossing a recently-constructed bridge connecting the Crimean Peninsula to the Russian mainland. The United States along with NATO and other European leaders have denied that there is any meaningful pullback of Russian troops from the region. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky also stated that Russia’s military personnel were actually rotating.

 

NATIONAL NEWS 

Assam to change the name of cities

Assam state government has decided to launch a portal to invite suggestions to change names of cities, villages and towns that are currently contrary to their civilization, culture, and derogatory to any caste or community. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma emphasised that the name of a city, town or village should represent its culture, civilization, and tradition. 

Singer Bappi Lahiri passes away at 69

Veteran singer and composer Bappi Lahiri passed away at the age of 69 years on February 15, 2022. His death has come as a shock to the country, with condolences pouring in from all corners including the Prime Minister and President. Bappi Lahiri has several blockbuster numbers to his name such as I am a Disco Dancer, Taaki Taaki, Tamma Tamma, Naino Main Sapna, Yaar Bina Chain Kahan Re, Chalte Chalte, Pag Ghoongroo, Yaad Aa Raha Hai. His most recent hits included Ooh La La for The Dirty Picture, Tamma Tamma for Badrinath Ki Dulhania, and Tune Maari Entriyaan for Gunday.

Ravidas Jayanti observed across India today: Who was Ravidas?

Ravidas Jayanti was observed across the country on February 16, 2022, to mark the 645th birth anniversary of the renowned saint Ravidas. The day is observed every year on Magh Purnima. Sant Ravidas was a Bhakti saint, whose devotional songs and verses created a lasting impact upon the Bhakti Movement. He was born in an underprivileged family in Seer Goverdhanpur, Uttar Pradesh in the 14th century. He was one of the first people to oppose the Indian caste system through his poems and teachings based on spirituality and spread the message of equality. 

Kannada poet Chennaveera Kanavi passes away at 93

Popular Kannada writer and poet Chennaveera Kanavi passed away on February 16, 2022, due to age-related illnesses. He was 93. The veteran poet was admitted to the SDM Medical College Hospital in Dharwad where he breathed his last. Chennaveera Kanavi was born in Hombal of Gadag district on June 28, 1928. He completed his schooling and college in Dharwad. He later worked as a director of Prasaranga of the Karnataka University from 1956 to 1983. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his work Jeeva Dhwani (Poetry) in 1981.

Bengali singer Sandhya Mukhopadhyay passes away at 90

Legendary Bengali singer Sandhya Mukhopadhyay passed away on February 14, 2022, after a brief illness. She was 90.  Mukhopadhyay took Bengali songs to new heights with a new genre of songs. She used to do playback singing for films and also released songs for Durga Puja. Her first-ever record was in 1945 and her first Durga Puja album was released in 1948.  She was a trained classical singer who took to different forms of singing with great ease including playback, folk songs, bhajans, and Rabindra Sangeet. She trained under Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and was also associated with legends like Begum Akhtar. The singer was admitted to a state-run hospital on January 28 and was then transferred to a private medical facility. 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Three cases of Lassa fever detected in the UK, one newborn dies

Three cases of Lassa fever were detected in the United Kingdom, out of whom one died from the infection. The patient who died of Lassa fever was a newborn. Lassa fever is a rare, hemorrhagic fever that is caused by the Lassa virus, a member of the arenavirus family of viruses. It is an animal-borne virus and the host is mastectomy rat. 

Saudi Land Forces Commander visit to India. 

The Saudi Land Forces Commander, Lieutenant General Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutair arrived on a three-day visit to India on February 14, 2022. This was a historic first, as it is the first such visit to India by a Saudi Land Forces Commander. The Saudi Commander called on India’s army chief General M M Naravane during his visit and held a crucial bilateral dialogue to expand defense cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia.

SPORTS NEWS 

BWF Asia Team Championships 2022.

The Indian men’s badminton team lost their opening Group A match against South Korea by 5-0 on February 15th at the BWF Asia Team Championship 2022. India is now placed at the bottom of the points table. They will have to win their next two games against Hong Kong and defending champions Indonesia to keep their semi-final hopes alive.

Mithali Raj retains number 2 spot in ICC ODI women’s rankings.

Indian skipper Mithali Raj retained her world no. 2 spot in the ICC Women’s ODI Batting rankings with 744 points, just behind Australia’s Alyssa Healy who tops the list with 749 points. Mithali Raj recently scored 59 off 73 balls in India’s 62-run defeat in the first ODI against New Zealand in Queenstown. New Zealand batter Amy Satterthwaite moved up to the third spot with 730 points after a splendid show in the opening match against India by scoring 67 runs off 63 balls. She was also involved in an important partnership of 98 runs for the third wicket with opener Suzie Bates. 

Shikhar Dhawan to be named Punjab Kings Captain?

Shikhar Dhawan is expected to be named as the new captain of Punjab Kings, taking over the vacant position after former captain KL Rahul was released by the team upon his request. Shikhar Dhawan, who was a part of Delhi Capitals previously, was bought by Punjab Kings for a deal worth Rs 8.25 crore at the IPL 2022 Mega Auction.  The former Punjab Kings captain KL Rahul was drafted by the new IPL franchise, Lucknow Super Giants. He will now lead the IPL team. Dhawan was released by Delhi Capitals despite having three productive seasons and scoring over 500 runs in each of the three seasons. He scored a total of 1726 runs for the franchise.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Sansad Television’s Youtube channel hacked

Sansad Television informed on February 15, 2022 that its YouTube channel-Sansad TV got compromised due to unauthorised activities by some scamsters including live streaming at around 1 am today morning. The channel’s name was also changed to Ethereum by the hacker. Sansad TV’s social media got the channel restored early morning around 3.45 hours. YouTube has started fixing the security threats permanently.

Former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar resigns from Congress  

Former Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar resigned from the Indian National Congress on February 15, ending his 46-year-long association with the grand old party. The former Minister sent his resignation to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, saying that he can best serve national causes outside the party fold. He said, It was a painful decision. I thought long and hard and realised the way internal processes of Congress are in place today, I couldn’t continue any longer consistent with my dignity and self-esteem. I thought my shoulders weren’t strong enough to carry the weight of indifference. Congress is not the party that it was…We don’t have a transformative and inspiring leadership to lead the party… I have neither quit politics nor public service, I’ll continue to discharge my obligations to the nation, Kumar added. 

Former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav convicted in fodder scam case 

Former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav was convicted in the fodder scam case on February 15, 2022. He was found guilty of fraudulent withdrawal from Doranda treasury by a CBI Special Court in Ranchi. Overall, 36 people have been given jail term of 3 years each by the CBI Special Court. While Lalu Prasad Yadav has been convicted, his quantum of punishment is yet to be pronounced. The hearing for the pronouncement of his quantum of punishment will take place in court on February 21, 2022. The Jharkhand High Court had earlier granted bail to the RJD Chief in April 2021 in relation to the case. He had already been granted bail in the Chaibasa Treasury Scam case in October 2020 and in the Deoghar Treasury Scam case in February 2020.

MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan tests positive for COVID-19 for 2nd time

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time.  The CM took to Twitter on February 15th to inform that he underwent the RT-PCR test for COVID-19 in which he tested positive. He said that he has normal symptoms and has isolated himself following the COVID-19 guidelines. The Chief Minister had contracted the virus earlier in 2020 as well and he was hospitalised then for a few days.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Novak Djokovic willing to sacrifice Grand Slams if current vaccine mandate stays 

Tennis world number one Novak Djokovic told BBC in an interview recently that he did rather miss out on future trophies than be forced to get a Covid vaccine jab. The tennis star claimed that he is not anti-vaccination but added what goes into his body is his choice. When asked if he would sacrifice taking part in French Open and Wimbledon over his stance on the vaccine, he said, Yes, that is the price that I’m willing to pay. Novak Djokovic could not participate in the Australian Open 2022 last month after his visa was revoked and he was deported by the Australian government after a row over his vaccine status.

Israel became first country to allow drones in civilian airspace.

Israel becomes the first-ever country to allow drone flights in civilian airspace. The certification was issued to the Hermes Starliner unmanned system by the Israeli Civil Aviation Authority and was manufactured and developed by Elbit Systems, an Israeli defence electronics company. The UAVs will be used for the benefit of agriculture, the environment, public welfare, economic activity and against crime. For safety reasons, international aviation regulations prohibit uncertified aircraft from flying in civilian airspace, limiting the operation of UAVs to unsegregated airspace.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invokes Emergencies Act for 1st time.

Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau has invoked never-before-used emergency powers to support provinces in ending the blockades and public disorder that have gripped Ottawa for 18 days at the hands of participants in the so-called “Freedom Convoy.” The demonstrations shut a main economic corridor between Canada and the United States for six days before it was reopened on the 13th Feb.

NATIONAL NEWS 

List of sold and unsold Players in IPL Mega Auction

The two-day IPL Mega Auction 2022 ended on February 13, 2022. The most expensive player was Ishan Kishan who signed a 15.25 crore deal with Mumbai Indians, followed by Deepak Chahar who received Rs 14 crore deal from his former team Chennai Super Kings.

India Ban 54 Chinese Apps. 

India has decided to ban 54 more Chinese apps that pose a threat to India’s security, as per ministry of electronics and information. The newly banned Chinese apps include Garena Free Fire, Beauty Camera, Dual Space Lite, Viva Video, Sweet Selfie HD, Tencent Xriver, Isoland 2: Ashes of Time Lite, Equalizer & Bass Booster and AppLock.

Assembly Elections 2022: Check voter turnout in UP

The second phase of assembly polls were held in Uttar Pradesh on February 14, 2022. Around 51.93 percent voter turnout was recorded till 3 pm in Uttar Pradesh. There are 586 candidates in the fray this time including five Ministers. The areas going to the polls this time are considered to be the strongholds of the Samajwadi Party.

Single-phase voting held in Goa and Uttarakhand

Single-phase assembly elections were held in Goa and Uttarakhand on February 14, 2022. While in Goa, the assembly elections took place across 40 assembly seats with 301 candidates in the fray, 70 constituencies went to polls in Uttarakhand with 632 candidates in the fray including 152 independents.

ISRO: EOS-04 Radar Imaging Satellite Successfully Launched

ISRO successfully launched EOS-04, a radar imaging satellite along with its two passenger satellites, INSPIREsat-1 and INS-2TD aboard Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle on February 14, 2022 from the first launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.  In Andhra Pradesh. This was ISRO’s first launch mission of 2022.

Himachal Pradesh Cabinet to reopen all educational institutions from February 17

Himachal Pradesh Cabinet has decided to reopen all educational institutions, cinema halls and gyms from February 17th. The state cabinet has also decided to grant revised pension and family pension to about 1.73 lakh pensioners from February 1, 2022. The minimum pension would now increase from Rs 3500 per month to Rs 9000 per month from Jan 1, 2016. The cabinet also gave its approval to increase the limit of gratuity from Rs 10 lakhs to Rs 20 lakhs from January 1, 2016.

India’s retail inflation likely to touch 6 percent in January: RBI Governor

India’s retail inflation for January might have risen to 6 percent, touching RBI’s upper tolerance limit, said RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on February 14, 2022. The RBI Governor said while addressing a press briefing that it should not be a surprise. The retail inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) stood at 5.59 percent in December 2021. In November 2021, it was recorded at 4.59 percent.

MHA seeks recommendations for ‘Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation’ award 

The Home Affairs Ministry has directed all the chiefs of state/UT police forces and central investigation agencies to recommend names for Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation 2022. The recommendations for the award have to be submitted by April 30. The names received after April 30 will not be considered. The Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation is conferred to the members of central investigation agencies or state/ UT police forces for excellence in an investigation. The medal was constituted in 2018 to promote high professional standards of investigation of crime.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Australia lists koalas as ‘endangered’ species Australia officially listed koalas as endangered on February 11, 2022 after their numbers saw a massive plunge due to the impact of bushfires, land-clearing, drought and disease. Conservationists have warned that the koalas are now sliding towards extinction. Australian Environment Minister Sussan Ley said that the koala population has been designated as endangered to offer them a higher level of protection in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland. The koala is a globally recognised symbol of Australia’s wildlife. The Koalas had been listed as vulnerable on the eastern coast just a decade earlier.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier re-elected as German president. 

Frank-Walter Steinmeier was re-elected as Germany’s president on February 13, 2022. He won the second term after a special assembly voted for the veteran politician. He won 77 percent of support at Bundesversammlung (Federal Convention) in Berlin. He is widely seen as a symbol of consensus and continuity, in the largely ceremonial post. The special assembly session comprised members of Germany’s Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, and an equal number of delegates chosen by the country’s 16 states.