1. LATA MANGESHKAR
Lata Mangeshkar, affectionately called a “Nightingale of India”, passes away at 92. The Rajya Sabha will be adjourned for an hour on Monday morning in honour of the singer who was a member of the House from 1999 to 2005.
About her:
- Lata Mangeshkar (born as Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer.
- She is widely considered as one of the greatest and most influential singers in India.
- Her contribution to Indian music industry in a career spanning seven decades gained her honorific titles such as the Nightingale of India, Voice of the Millennium and Queen of Melody.
- She recorded songs in over thirty-six Indian languages and a few foreign languages, though primarily in Hindi, Bengali, Marathi.
Awards
- She was the recipient of three National Film Awards.
- In 1987 the Dadasaheb Phalke Award was bestowed on her by the Government of India.
- In 2001, in recognition of her contributions to the nation, she was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour and is only the second female singer, after M. S. Subbulakshmi, to receive this honour.
- France conferred on her its highest civilian award, Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour, in 2007.
2. NO-BUILD ZONE AROUND MONUMENTS
The 100-metre radius around Centrally protected monuments where construction is prohibited could be replaced with site-specific limits to be decided by an expert committee, as the Union Culture Ministry was working on amendments to the relevant Act.
About:
- The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958, was amended in 2010 to declare the 100-metre radius of protected monuments as prohibited areas and the next 300-metre radius as regulated areas.
- However, according to Ministry officials as well as a recent Parliamentary Standing Committee report, there was no specific reason for the 100-metre and 300-metre limits.
- The proposed amendment would change Section 20A of the Act, which refers to the prohibited area, to rationalise the prohibited and regulated areas. Expert monument committees would decide the prohibited area around a monument.
- These areas could be as wide as 500 metres for some sites like the Taj Mahal.
- The amendment would also enable the ASI to act against encroachment by holding the relevant authorities liable in case of illegal buildings at a protected site, the official said. This would be similar to the enforcement powers under the Indian Forest Act.
3. 2022 ICC UNDER-19 CRICKET WORLD CUP
India won a record-extending fifth Under-19 World Cup title, beating England by four wickets in the final.
About:
- The 2022 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup was an international limited-overs cricket tournament that was held in the West Indies in January and February 2022 with sixteen teams taking part.
- It was the fourteenth edition of the Under-19 Cricket World Cup, and the first that was held in the West Indies.
- The ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup is an international cricket tournament organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) contested by national under-19 teams. it was first contested in 1988 as the Youth World Cup.
- India have won the World Cup on a record five occasions, while Australia have won three times.
4. SPUTNIK LIGHT COVID VACCINE
The Drugs Controller General of India has granted emergency use permission to single-dose Sputnik Light COVID vaccine in the country, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said.
About:
- This comes following recommendations of an expert panel of India’s central drug authority to grant restricted emergency use authorisation to Sputnik Light subject to various regulatory provisions.
- Sputnik-Light is the same as component-1 of Sputnik V.
- The Sputnik Light vaccine, like Sputnik V, is based on a proven well-studied human adenovirus vector platform; these vectors cause the common cold and have peacefully coexisted with humanity for millenia.
- This is the ninth COVID-19 vaccine in the country. This will further strengthen the nation’s collective fight against the pandemic.
5. INDIA-BANGLADESH RAILWAYS CONTRACT
The Bangladesh railways will procure 420 broad-gauge wagons from India.
About:
- The agreement was signed in Dhaka between the project director of Bangladesh railways Mizanur Rahman and the Hindustan Engineering and Industries Limited.
- The agreement worth Tk. 231 crore will be implemented within 27 months of the signing of the contract.
- This project is being implemented with the joint funding of the Government of Bangladesh and Asian Development Bank (ADB) under the Rolling Stock Operation Improvement Project.
- These are high speed bogies with automatic air brake systems so that the general and specialised products like various food grains, fertilisers, stones, wood etc. can reach the destination safely at low cost and in less time. The wagons are equipped with a stainless steel body.
6. POST DEVOLUTION REVENUE DEFICIT (PDRD) GRANT
Ministry of Finance has released the monthly Post Devolution Revenue Deficit (PDRD) Grant of 9, 871 crore rupees to 17 States.
About:
- This was the 11th installment of the PDRD grant released to the States.
- Ministry of Finance said that the grants are released to the States as per the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission to meet the gap in Revenue Accounts of the States post-devolution.
- The Commission has recommended PDRD grants to 17 States and the same being released in equal monthly installments.
- The Fifteenth Finance Commission has recommended a total Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant of 1,18,452 crore rupees to 17 States in the financial year 2021-22.
7. SOWA RIGPA
For the first time, the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine - National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, NCISM-NEET, has conducted an entrance test to Bachelor of Sowa Rigpa Medicine and Surgery (BSRMS) (Menpa Kachupa).
About:
- Including Central Institute of Buddhist Studies, CIBS, and National Research Institute For Sowa Rigpa, NRISR, in Leh, the entrance is conducted in Dharamshala , Varanasi, Gangtok and Darjeeling.
- Sowa-Rigpa, the Science of Healing, is one of the seven Ayush systems, received UGC recognition in October last year. Sowa Rigpa is one of the oldest and well documented systems of traditional medicine in the world, and is popular in Himalayan region.
- The results of the entrance test will be declared on 8th of this month and academic sessions for first batch BSRMS will begin from March 14th this year.
8. MOTION OF THANKS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address in the Lok Sabha in the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament on February 7, 2022.
About:
- The Budget Session had begun with the President Ram Nath Kovind's address to both Houses of Parliament assembled together at Central Hall on 31st of January.
- The debate on the motion of thanks on the President's address began on 2nd of February in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
- Under Article 87 of the constitution, President of India specially addresses both Houses of Parliament together at the beginning of the first session of each year.
- The discussion on the Address is initiated by a Motion of Thanks.
- Motion of Thanks is moved by a member and seconded by another member. Members who have to move and second the Motion are from the ruling party.
- The notice of such a Motion is received through the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
- The Chairman allots time for the discussion of the Address under article 87(2) in consultation with the Leader of the House.
- At the end of the discussion, the Prime Minister replies to the debate.
- Thereafter, the amendments are disposed, and then the Motion of Thanks is put to vote in the House. If any of the amendments is accepted then the Motion of Thanks is adopted in the amended form.
9. SACHINDRA NATH SANYAL
The Nation is remembering Revolutionary Sachindra Nath Sanyal on his 80th death anniversary.
About:
- He was the founder of the Hindustan Republican Association also known as Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. It was created to carry out armed resistance against the British Empire in India.
- Sachindra Nath Sanyal was a mentor for revolutionaries like Chandrasekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh.
- He along with Rashbehari Bose attacked Viceroy Hardinge and injured him while he was entering new capital of Delhi.
- Sanyal was closely involved in the plans for the Ghadar Conspiracy. He was sentenced to life for his involvement in the conspiracy and was imprisoned at Cellular Jail.
- He was also jailed by the British for his involvement in Kakori Conspiracy.
- Sachindra Nath Sanyal passed away in Gorakhpur Jail on 7th February 1942.
10. WORLD CANCER DAY
World Cancer Day is observed on the 4th of February every year to create awareness about cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment.
About:
- World Cancer Day is led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration, written in 2008.
- The primary goal of World Cancer Day is to significantly reduce illness and death caused by cancer.
- The day is observed by the United Nations.
Important Info :
History
- World Cancer Day was established on 4 February 2000 at the World Cancer Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium, which was held in Paris.
- The Charter of Paris Against Cancer, which was created to promote research, prevent cancer, improve patient services, also included an article establishing the anniversary of the document's official signing as World Cancer Day.