1.Indian businessmen allowed to enter Maldives without visa
Maldives has announced to allow Indian businessmen to enter without visa. This decision has come into effect from the first of this month. The process of allowing Indian travelers visiting Maldives for business purposes without a visa for a period of 90 days has begun. The Agreement on Visa Facilitation between India and Maldives was signed on 17th December 2018 under which this decision has been taken. Under the visa-free entry regime, the two countries will provide visa-free travel facility to each other’s citizens for a period of 90 days within six months. Any Indian citizen can extend the granted business visa for up to 180 days in a calendar year.
2.Till January this year, more than 43 crore 34 lakh Permanent Account Number – PAN has been linked with Aadhaar
The government has said that till January this year, more than 43 crore 34 lakh permanent account numbers i.e. PAN have been linked with Aadhaar . Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Choudhary, in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, said that the deadline for linking all PAN cards with Aadhaar has been kept till March 31 this year. There could be many reasons for the difficulties being faced by the taxpayers in linking PAN with Aadhaar, he added. There is also a problem of mismatch between the details of PAN and Aadhaar. Problems can also arise due to the wrong mobile number for getting the name, date of birth and OTP for linking the PAN.
3.AYUSH Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal launches dedicated storefront for Ayurveda products on Amazon.in
Union Minister of AYUSH Shri Sarbananda Sonowal launched a dedicated storefront for Ayurveda products on Amazon.in Marketplace in a virtual event . The Minister of State for AYUSH, Shri Munjpara Mahendrabhai and other dignitaries were also present in the program. The program started with a short video film on Ayurveda and its benefits. This storefront of Ayurveda products will enhance the visibility of unique Ayurveda products from small businesses and startup brands like a variety of juices, skin care supplements, immunity boosters, oils etc. This will make shopping easier, as the product selection is tailored according to specific areas and health benefits like pain relief, immunity booster, blood purifier, women’s health, weight control, mental wellness etc.
4.J&K becomes first union territory to be integrated with National Single Window System
In a historic achievement, Jammu and Kashmir became the first Union Territory to join the National Single Window System (NSWS) . This is a big step in the direction of Ease of Doing Business (EODB) i.e. ease of doing business in the Union Territory . Shri Manoj Sinha , Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Launched J&K Single Window Issue System. NSWS is linked to the India Industrial Land Bank (IILB), which hosts 45 industrial parks across Jammu and Kashmir. This will help the investors to find the available plots in J&K. NSWS is a digital platform as part of the Government of India’s budget announcement for the year 2020, which acts as a guide for identifying and applying investors for approvals as per their business requirements. The platform was launched by Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Textiles & Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution in September 2021. NSWS will eliminate the hassle of visiting multiple platforms/offices for investors to collect information and obtain approvals from various stakeholders. Ministry of Corporate Affairs on NSWS Platform Twenty Ministries/Departments including the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have been integrated. At present, applications for obtaining 142 Central Sanctions can be made through the NSWS portal. The 14 states/UTs included in NSWS are Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
5.NITI Aayog and USAID sign MoU to accelerate health innovation and entrepreneurship in India
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) , NITI Aayog , and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a new partnership under the Sustainable Access to Markets and Resources (Samrudh) Initiative for the Innovative Delivery of Health Care, which is a second tier and Improve access to affordable and quality health care for vulnerable populations in tier III cities and rural and tribal areas. 2020In 2015, academia and private sector stakeholders from USAID, IPE Global and the Government of India collaborated with innovative rich blended financial institutions to combine public and philanthropic funds with commercial capital to create and rapidly grow market-based health solutions. Facility developed. This new partnership will enhance Samridh’s efforts to reach out to the vulnerable population, leveraging Atal Innovation Mission’s expertise in innovation and entrepreneurship.
6.World’s first DNA vaccine launched
India has become the first country in the world to have a DNA vaccine against COVID-19 . The DNA-based ZyCov-D is India’s first needle-free and second indigenous COVID-19 vaccine . Earlier this year, the Government of India, Ahmedabad – based vaccine manufacturer Zydus Cadila The DNA vaccine was approved for emergency use. This approval was given on the basis of the results after the third phase clinical trial. Under this, this vaccine is about 66 percent effective for this infection. The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has given permission for its vaccination to children in the age group of 12 to 17 years. Let us tell you that 2 or 3 doses of most of the COVID-19 vaccines are applied. At the same time, 3 doses of ZyCoV-D will be applied. The second dose will be administered at 28 and the third dose at an interval of 56 days. Developed in Partnership The vaccine of Zydus Cadila has been developed in partnership with the Department of Biotechnology. This vaccine is the second indigenous shot of emergency in the country after Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.
7.Dr Unnikrishnan Nair appointed as the new director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Center
Scientist and launch vehicle specialist, Dr S Unnikrishnan Nair took over as the director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) . VSSC is a premier space research center of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and specializes in rockets and space vehicles for satellite programmes. Nair, who started his career at VSSC Trivandrum in 1985, has made significant contributions in the areas of Launch Vehicle Mechanism, Acoustic Security Systems and Payload Fairing during his tenure.
8.SR Narasimhan takes over additional charge as CMD of POSOCO
S R Narasimhan , Director (System Operation) has assumed the additional charge of the post of Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POSOCO) in New Delhi with effect from 1 February 2022 . He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) in Finance. After his initial stint with BHEL, he has over three decades of experience in Power System Operations spread across CEA, POWERGRID and POSOCO.
9.Tractor exports at an all-time high, witnessing a growth of about 72% since 2013
India’s tractor exports grew by over 72% to $1025 million in April-December 2021 from $ 594 million in April-December 2013 . The major destinations of tractor exports are the US (25.2 per cent), Nepal (7.3 per cent), Bangladesh (6.5 per cent), Thailand (5.4 per cent) and Sri Lanka (5.3 per cent). India’s exports are showing steady growth. It is noteworthy that India’s commodity trade grew by 23.69 percent in January 2022 to $ 34.06 billion as compared to $ 27.54 billion in January 2021. It registered a growth of 31.75 percent as compared to $25.85 billion in January 2020.
10.NASA will retire the International Space Station in 2031
According to NASA , the International Space Station will continue its operation until 2031 and then will crash into an uninhabited area in the Pacific Ocean, known as Point Nemo . It will be replaced by three free-flying space stations to continue work after the retirement of the ISS. To provide the ISS’s first commercial module, NASA has partnered with Axiom Space in Houston.also chose For more than two decades, the International Space Station (ISS) has been orbiting Earth at nearly eight kilometers per second, while cosmonauts and an international crew of astronauts conducted unprecedented scientific investigations that opened the door to deep space exploration. have been given. But now NASA has announced that the spacecraft will cease to operate in 2031, after which it will fall out of orbit and fall into the waters of the South Pacific Ocean.
11.Salesforce Global Index: India achieves index’s highest Digital Readiness Score
According to the Salesforce Global Digital Skills Index , out of 19 countries , India has achieved the index’s highest Digital Readiness Score with a score of 63 out of 100 . In India, 72 percent of respondents say they are actively learning digital skills to prepare themselves for the future of work. 66 percent said they are equipped with the resources to learn digital skills. The index is based on a survey of more than 23,500 workers in 19 countries, with an average global score of 33.
12.ICICI Lombard ties up with Airtel Payments Bank for cyber insurance
ICICI Lombard General Insurance has partnered with Airtel Payments Bank to offer cyber insurance to the bank’s customers . This cyber insurance policy provides customers with a banking, credit or debit card; identity theft; Provides financial protection against potential financial fraud related to phishing or email spoofing etc. Airtel Payments Bank customers can buy this cyber insurance policy within minutes using the Airtel Thanks app .
13.Seasonal migration of wildlife to Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary begins
Seasonal migration of wildlife from nearby wildlife sanctuaries in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) in Kerala with the onset of summerhas started. Due to easy availability of fodder and water throughout the year, this sanctuary is a favorite refuge of wildlife during summers. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) located in Kerala is an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. It was established in the year 1973. The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve was the first biosphere reserve in India to be included in the UNESCO-designated World Network of Biosphere Reserves (designated in 2012). Other wildlife parks that come under this reserve include Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Bandipur National Park, Nagarhole National Park, Mukurthi National Park and Silent Valley.
14.BDL will supply Konkurs-M Anti-Tank Guided Missile to the Indian Army
Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and the Indian Army signed a contract worth Rs 3,131.82 crore for the manufacture and supply of Konkers-M Anti-Tank Guided Missiles . This contract will be completed in three years . BDL’s order book position is Rs 11,400 crore, which includes the Konkers-M contract. The Konks-M Anti-Tank Guided Missiles are being manufactured by BDL under a license agreement with a Russian Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). This missile has been made indigenous to the maximum extent. BDL is also offering Konkers-M missiles for export to friendly countries. Konkers-M is a second generation mechanized infantry anti-tank guided missile.
15.RPF launched Operation Aahat
Railway Protection Force (RPF) has launched Operation Aahat to stop human trafficking . It will mainly focus on the trains that are running from the bordering countries. This operation is being done under the Ministry of Railways. RPF works under the Ministry of Railways. Under this operation, RPF will deploy special forces in long distance trains. The operation will mainly focus on rescuing women and children from traffickers. This operation will be implemented in every train operated by Indian Railways. Indian Railways operates a total of 21,000 trains. According to RPF, railways are the most reliable mode of transport for smugglers.
16.Sri Lankan fast bowler Suranga Lakmal announces retirement
Veteran Sri Lankan fast bowler Suranga Lakmal has announced his retirement from international cricket after Sri Lanka ‘s upcoming tour of India . The 34-year-old right-arm fast bowler and right-handed batsman aims to join English county club Derbyshire after retirement. Derbyshire County Cricket Club has signed Lakmal on a two-year contract. In his international career spanning over 12 years, Lakmal has represented Sri Lanka in 165 international matches.
17.China wins AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 football tournament
China PR (People’s Republic) defeated South Korea (Republic of Korea) 3-2 to win the final of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai . This is the record 9th AFC Women’s Asian Cup title won by China. India is hosting the 20th edition of the Football AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 from January 20, 2022 to February 06, 2022. China is now qualifying for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand.
Professor R Rajamohan , an astronomer at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) , Bengaluru for decades, passed away. He is best known for his Kalki project , which aimed to search for asteroids using the 48-cm Schmidt telescope at Kavalur VBO and discovered a new asteroid, number 4130, from India. It was the first asteroid discovered in India in 104 years.
