PM Modi to host first-ever India-Central Asia Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host the first-ever India-Central Asia Summit virtually on January 27, 2022. The virtual event will see participation from Presidents of five central Asian nations- Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic. The key focus of the summit is likely to be regional security, Afghanistan issue and trade and connectivity, culture, development partnership and people-to-people ties. This will be the first such high-level engagement between India and the Central Asian countries.

Neeraj Chopra conferred Padma Shri

Tokyo Olympics Gold Medalist Neeraj Chopra was conferred the Padma Shri on January 26, 2022, the fourth-highest civilian award of India. The 24-year-old had created history by becoming the first Indian to win Olympic gold in athletics. He also got the Param Vishisht Seva Medal by the 4 Rajputana Rifles for his distinguished service. Chopra is a Subedar in the Indian Army.

ICC ODI Rankings: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma retain second, third spot

Indian batsmen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retained their rankings on ICC Men's ODI Player Rankings. South Africa's wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock moved up four places and broke into the top five for the first time and batsman Rassie van der Dussen moved up 10 places to reach his career-best 10th rank after they helped their team achieve a memorable 3-10 whitewash in the ODI series against India.

SpaceX Rocket Junk to crash into Moon in March: Experts

A chunk of a SpaceX rocket, which had blasted off seven years ago and was abandoned in space after completing its mission, is expected to crash into the Moon in March 2022. The rocket was launched in 2015 to put into orbit NASA's Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR). The second stage of the rocket has been floating in space in a chaotic orbit, according to astronomers.

Padma Awards 2022: Gen Bipin Rawat, Neeraj Chopra among awardees; Full list of Padma Awards recipients

Padma Awards 2022 winners: The Home Ministry on January 25, 2022, announced the list of recipients of the Padma Awards which is one of the highest civilian awards of India. Padma Awards 2022 has been conferred upon a total of 128 people in three categories- Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. The three Padma Awards are later conferred by the President of India at a ceremonial function that will be held at Rashtrapati Bhawan around March or April every year.

Some of the eminent names announced for Padma Awards 2022 are India’s first Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat who died in December 2021 in a horrific chopper crash. He has been honoured posthumously with Padma Vibhushan.

Olympic Gold Medalist Neeraj Chopra and Singer Sonu Nigam have been awarded Padma Shri while the heads of Microsoft and Google Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai have been named for Padma Bhushan.

View full list here

Andhra Pradesh  gets 13 new districts; Check full AP new districts list

Andhra Pradesh government has announced the formation of 13 new districts under the AP Districts Formation Act, Section 3(5). The new districts in Andhra Pradesh have been formed based on the Parliamentary constituencies. They are carved out from the 13 existing districts, bringing the total number of districts in the state to 26.

The YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Government has announced that the temple town of Tirupati will become a new district and it will be named after the Presiding deity Lord Sri Balaji.

In another significant political move, the state government has decided to name the Vijayawada district after the founding president of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the former Chief Minister NT Rama Rao (NTR). Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had promised to name a district after NT Rama Rao during the election campaign.

Find the names of old districts and the new districts in Andhra Pradesh in the table below:

COVID-19 vaccine: DCGI grants conditional market approval for Covishield and Covaxin

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) granted regular market approval for the COVID-19 vaccines Covishield and Covaxin for use in the adult population subject to certain conditions. The approval has been granted under the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019. 

Earlier on January 19, 2022, the Subject Expert Committee of the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had recommended the regular market approval of Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India for their COVID-19 vaccines COVAXIN and Covishield with conditions for the adult population in the country.

As per India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), SEC had recommended the upgrade of Covaxin and Covishield status from the restricted use in an emergency situation to grant new drug permission with certain conditions in the adult population. The Drugs Controller General of India was to further evaluate the recommendations and will give its decision.

Air India successfully handed over to Tata Group

The Government of India successfully handed over Air India to the Tata Group on January 27, 2022, nearly 69 years after it was taken from the TATAs. According to the officials, the airline was handed over to the conglomerate as all the formalities were close to completion.

The Tata Group, as part of the deal with the Government, are also handed over the Air India Express and a 50% stake in the ground handling arm of Air India SATS.

While this will be the Government of India’s first privatization since 2003-2003, Air India will be the third airline brand in Tata’s stable as the conglomerate holds a majority interest in AirAsia India and Vistara. It is a joint venture by Singapore Airlines Ltd.

Plinth construction starts at Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh

The third phase of the construction of the Ram Temple started at Ramjanmabhoomi in Ayodhya on January 24, 2022, with a laying of granite stones for the plinth. With an aim of achieving physical strength and other physical and chemical features and consequent longevity, the work of plinth with granite stone has begun. Digital instrumentation is also being used for monitoring the safety parameters of the temple and the data of these instruments will be used to study the behaviour of the structure in respect of earthquake, loading, etc. On the basis of the judgment of the Supreme Court on November 9, 2019, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust was entrusted to undertake the work of Ram Temple construction in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

England ends face mask rules and COVID restrictions

England lifted the face mark rules and most of the COVID-19 restrictions on January 26, 2022. The move came after the British Government announced that its vaccine booster roll-out plan has successfully reduced serious illness and COVID-19 hospitalizations. Health officials in Britain have also been saying that they are planning a longer-term post-pandemic strategy that treats COVID-19 more like the flu. Earlier, the World Health Organisation had warned against the dangers of treating Coronavirus like the flu and dropping pandemic restrictions.

Ministry of State for Culture released pictorial comic book ‘India’s Women Unsung Heroes’

The Minister of State for Culture Meenakshi Lekhi released the pictorial comic book ‘India’s Women Unsung Heroes’. The comic book has been prepared by the Ministry of Culture in partnership with Amar Chitra Katha. The latest comic book portrays the tales of valour of India’s forgotten women freedom fighter. It is a fitting tribute to them as it celebrates the lives of women who lit the flame of rebellion in the country. The Minister further informed that the book contains the stories of queens who had battled imperialism and also dedicated their lives to Maa Bharati.

G Balasubramaniam is next High Commissioner of India to Nigeria

The Ministry of External Affairs announced on January 27, 2022, that G Balasubramaniam has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Nigeria. Balasubramaniam has been currently serving as the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. G Balasubramaniam is expected to take up his latest assignment shortly.

Lucknow IPL team to be called Lucknow Super Giants

The Lucknow IPL team, owned by RPSG Group, will be called Lucknow Super Giants. Dr. Sanjiv Goenka, Lucknow IPL Team owner and RPSG Group Chairman unveiled the new name of the Lucknow IPL team in a video message on January 24, 2022.

The Lucknow IPL team had decided to crowdsource its name from the fans under 'Naam banao naam kamao' contest. Based on the responses, the new team name - Lucknow Super Giants - was chosen.

Meta’s new AI Supercomputer to be world’s fastest by mid-2022

Meta, Facebook parent company, has said that its newly unveiled artificial intelligence supercomputer will be the fastest in the world by mid-2022. In an official statement on January 24, 2022, Meta said that the company is introducing AI Research SuperCluster (RSC), which is believed to be among the fastest AI Supercomputers running today. It will be the fastest in the world once fully built out in mid-2022.  Earlier in October 2021, the social media company had changed its name to Meta to reflect its focus on metaverse, which will be the successor to the mobile internet.

Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha to have staggered timing

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are likely to function with staggered timing during the budget session of the Parliament, which is scheduled to start from January 31, 2022 amid rising number of COVID Cases in the country. While the Rajya Sabha is likely to meet in the first half of the day, the Lok Sabha is likely to meet in the second half of the day. President Ram Nath Kovind will address the joint sitting of the two Houses on January 31st. The budget will be presented on February 1st.

National Voters Day 2022

The 12th National Voters Day was observed today to commemorate the foundation day of the Election Commission of India. The Election Commission was set up on January 25, 1950. The National Voters Day aims to encourage the new voters to enroll themselves in the electoral process.

Air India likely to be handed over to Tata on January 27

National carrier Air India is likely to be handed over to the Tata Group on January 27, 2022. The government has decided to complete the disinvestment process by then, as per sources. Talace Pvt Ltd, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons Pvt Ltd, had won the bid last year to acquire 100 per cent equity shareholding of government-owned Air India.

US places 8,500 troops on 'heightened alert' over Russia-Ukraine standoff

The Pentagon informed on January 24, 2022 that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has placed up to 8,500 troops on heightened alert to prepare them for deployment if needed amid fears of Russia invading Ukraine. This comes after Russia has amassed almost 100,000 soldiers along its border with Ukraine.

Health Minister to hold meeting with health ministries of 9 states/ UTs

The Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will hold virtual meeting with health ministers of nine states and union territories today over the COVID-19 situation. These states and UTs include Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Ladakh and Chandigarh.

ICC Women’s T20 Rankings 2022

Indian opener Shafali Verma has climbed to the top spot on the ICC Women's T20 Batting Rankings 2022. Australia's Beth Mooney is ranked second, followed by Australian captain Meg Lanning at third place. Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma is ranked third in the ICC Women's T201 All-Rounder Rankings 2022.

WHO Chief warns against the talk of endgame in COVID pandemic

The Chief of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that it is dangerous to assume that the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 will be the last one to emerge and that the world is in the endgame of the pandemic. He further added that the situation remains ideal for more COVID-19 variants to emerge. The Director-General of the UN Health Agency said that if the tools such as vaccines and testing are used in a comprehensive manner, it will be possible for the world to exit the acute phase of a pandemic. He also laid out an array of achievements and concerns in global health over issues such as reducing tobacco use, risks of climate change on human health, and fighting resistance to anti-microbial treatments. However, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that ending the acute phase of a pandemic must remain their collective priority.

Indian Government announces 2 lakh US dollar immediate relief assistance to Tonga

The Government of India has announced USD 2 lakh immediate relief assistance to Tonga in wake of the Tsunami. A close friend and partner under the Forum of India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) and as a gesture of solidarity with the friendly people of Tonga, India has extended immediate relief assistance. Disaster Risk Reduction and Management is a significant pillar of India’s Indo-Pacific Ocean’s Initiative which was announced by PM Modi in 2019. On January 15, 2022, a Tsunami had hit Tonga impacting large sections of the country’s population and causing infrastructural damage.

Commemorative logo launched by India and Israel

India and Israel have launched a commemorative logo to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations. The logo was unveiled in a virtual mode in the presence of Ambassador of Israel to India Naor Gilon and Indian envoy to Israel, Sanjeev Singla. The logo launched by India and Israel features the Star of David and Ashok Chakra- the two symbols that adorn the National Flags of both nations- and also forms the numeral 30 depicting the 30th Anniversary of bilateral relations.

Neeraj Chopra to be awarded Param Vashistha Seva Medal on Republic Day

Tokyo Olympics Gold Medalist Neeraj Chopra will be awarded Param Vashistha Seva Medal by 4 Rajputana Rifles on Republic Day. He is a subedar in the Indian Army and had enrolled in 4 Rajputana Rifles as a direct entry Naib Subedar in 2016. Chopra was chosen for training at the Mission Olympics Wing and Army Sports Institute in Pune. The Haryana Government will also showcase the life-size replica of Neeraj Chopra in the form of a tableau during Republic Day Parade 2022. Neeraj Chopra had won the Gold Medal for India in the Javelin Throw event at the Tokyo Olympics. He is the only second individual from India after Abhinav Bindra to win an Olympic Gold Medal.

Tripura to provide free advanced medical treatment to the people of state

The Chief Minister of Tripura Biplab Kumar Deb stated that soon people of Tripura will not have to bear the cost of medical expenses or travel outside the state for advanced treatment. He further added that Tripura has good doctors and government hospitals that give the best possible treatments and most importantly have PM Modi’s support of Ayushman Bharat that has eased the trouble of many poor families in Tripura. The first open-heart surgery that was performed in Tripura was done free of cost as the patient was the beneficiary of the Ayushman Bharat Health Scheme. There is a new dawn in Tripura’s health sector and complicated operations are being done in the regular intervals at a newly introduced Cardiology Department at the hospital.