1. QUAD
Calling for justice for the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai (2008) and the Pathankot airbase attack (2016) for the first time since the group was formed, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. said the Quad was already cooperating on sharing intelligence on threats in the Indo-Pacific region.
About:
- The group of Ministers, who held their fourth Quad Ministerial meeting in Melbourne, also resolved to speed up delivery of more than a billion COVID-19 vaccines to be manufactured in India, to hold a special meet on climate change this year, and to step up efforts to ensure maritime security in the region.
- The statement also made a veiled reference to China’s actions in the South and East China seas, reaffirming a commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, “in which states strive to protect the interests of their people, free from coercion”.
Source : The Hindu
2. MILAN
The Navy is set to hold the 12th President’s Fleet Review (PFR) on February 21 at Visakhapatnam and few days from that it will host the largest multilateral exercise in this region, Milan 2022.
About:
- Milan 2022 will see participation of all major Navies including Quad countries, Russia and from West Asia amid tensions in Ukraine and developments in West Asia.
- This year’s Milan will see the participation of all Quad countries, with the U.S. being invited for the first time.
- Exercise Milan is scheduled to be held from February 25 to March 4 for which 46 countries have been invited. The harbour phase is scheduled from February 25 to 28 and the sea phase from March 1 to 4.
- It has several themes such as ant-submarine warfare among others along with deliberations, including by subject matter experts.
- During the exercise, the Navy will also be showcasing its Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV) capabilities meant to rescue submarines in distress. India is one of the few countries in the region which possesses this capability.
Source : The Hindu
3. SMILE: SUPPORT FOR MARGINALISED INDIVIDUALS FOR LIVELIHOOD AND ENTERPRISE
The Department of Social Justice & Empowerment is launching the Central Sector scheme “SMILE: Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise” at BHIM Auditorium, Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.
About:
- This umbrella scheme is designed to provide welfare measures to the Transgender community and the people engaged in the act of begging.
- This scheme includes two sub-schemes:
- ‘Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons’ and
- ‘Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging’.
- ‘Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons’ and
- The scheme strengthens and expands the reach of the Rights that give the targeted group the necessary legal protection and a promise to a secured life.
- It keeps in mind the social security that is needed through multiple dimensions of identity, medical care, education, occupational opportunities and shelter.
- The Ministry has allocated Rs. 365 Crore for the scheme from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
Source : PIB
4. ARIF KHAN
India’s Arif Khan has qualified for both, slalom and giant slalom, the two Winter Olympic skiing sports.
About:
- While Arif is not the first Indian to take part in the Winter Olympics, he is the only athlete from the country to be a part of the 2022 Beijing Games. He is also the only Indian skier to have ever qualified for both events together.
- Alpine skiing is a type of ski sport that is made up of five different events — the downhill, Super G, Alpine combined, slalom and giant slalom.
What is the difference between slalom and giant slalom?
- While slalom is the shorter of the two events, it is the more technically challenging one since the gates are smaller and skiers have to focus on their zigzagging technique rather than their speed in this event.
- Giant slalom on the other hand combines the technical aspect of slalom with the speed of downhill skiing events. The giant slalom event sees skiers reach up to 80 kilometres an hour. The increase in speed means that the ‘gates’ have to be larger.
5. CAPITAL GAINS TAX
In an almost 10-fold increase in tax collections from stock markets, the government is expecting to collect Rs 60,000-80,000 crore this financial year as a tax on capital gains in the stock markets as against Rs 6,000-8,000 crore in the previous fiscal.
About:
- Under the Income Tax Act, gains from the sale of capital assets, both movable and immovable, are subject to ‘capital gains tax’. Movable personal assets such as cars, apparel, furniture are excluded from this tax.
- In the Budget for 2018-19, the government had introduced a tax for long term capital gains exceeding Rs 1 lakh at the rate of 10 per cent without allowing the benefit of any indexation but grandfathered gains till January 31, 2018.
- Equity shares or units of equity-oriented mutual funds held for more than 12 months are considered long-term, while house property held for 24 months is considered a long-term capital asset.
- Short-term capital gains are chargeable to tax at normal slab rates applicable to the taxpayer, except where such gain is arising from the sale of equity shares in a company or units of equity-oriented mutual fund or unit of a business trust, which attracts a tax of 15 per cent, while long-term capital gains in excess of Rs 1 lakh for equity is taxed at 10 per cent.
- The Budget for 2022-23 has introduced a capping of surcharge at 15 per cent for long-term capital gains on all types of assets irrespective of the capital gain.
6. LUC MONTAGNIER
Nobel-winning virologist Luc Montagnier, who died in Paris, was a brilliant and controversial figure who often challenged the core principles of science and scientific discourse.
About:
- The 89-year-old won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2008 for the discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS.
- The Frenchman shared the award with fellow researcher Françoise Barré-Sinoussi. The duo had shared half of the Nobel with German scientist Harald zur Hausen for his discovery of human papilloma viruses that cause cervical cancer.
Source : Indian Express
7. KOALAS
Once found in abundance, Australia’s much-loved koalas have now been officially classified as ‘endangered’ after widespread bushfires, drought and land clearing destroyed much of their eucalyptus-rich habitat.
About:
- Government upgraded the conservation status of the marsupials from ‘vulnerable’ to ‘endangered’ in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, based on the recommendation of the threatened species scientific committee.
- Koala species have inhabited parts of Australia for at least 25 million years, a WWF report states. But today, only one species remains — the Phascolarctos cinereus. They are found in the wild in the southeast and eastern sides of Australia — in coastal Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria.
Source : Indian Express
8. INDIA-AUSTRALIA COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC COOPERATION AGREEMENT (CECA)
India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Government of Australia have announced reaching an understanding on the Interim agreement and finalizing it in the next 30 days.
About:
- The two nations are expected to sign the Interim Agreement in March 2022.
- The India-Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) is expected to be concluded in 12 months thereafter.
- The areas covered under the interim agreement should include goods, services, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, Customs procedure, and Legal and Institutional issues.
- Speaking on the occasion Shri Goyal recalled watching the classic movie ‘Dil Chahta Hai’, which was partially shot in Australia. He saud that CECA FTA is like a ‘Dil Chahta Hai FTA’, which represents the hope, aspiration & ambition of the people of our two great nations.
Source : PIB
9. COMMUNITY INNOVATOR FELLOWSHIP
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog in collaboration with UNDP, India launched the Community Innovator Fellowship (CIF) marking the “International Day of Women & Girls in Science”.
About:
- This is going to be a one-year-long intensive fellowship program which has been designed for an aspiring community innovator irrespective of their socio-economic background.
- During the course of this fellowship, each fellow will be hosted at one of the AIM’s Atal Community Innovation Centres (ACICs) and shall acquire SDG awareness, entrepreneurial skills and life skills while they are working on their idea.
- The ACICs would nurture youth-led innovations by providing suitable resources in terms of operating facilities, co-working space, maker labs and a dynamic business network to the innovator.
- ACICs have been established with a focus to develop the start-up and innovation ecosystem in the underserved regions of the country. Currently, there are 12 ACICs across 9 states in the country and the target is to establish 50 such centres in the country.
Source : PIB
10. INDIA - AUSTRALIA MOU ON TOURISM
India and Australia have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tourism cooperation in the field of Tourism on 11th February 2022 in New Delhi.
About:
- Australia is one of the most important tourism generating markets for India (ranked 4th in terms of Foreign Tourist Arrivals to the country in 2019 and contributing 3.4% in total tourism share of foreign tourists in the country).
- The signing of Memorandum of Understanding with Australia will be instrumental in increasing tourists’ arrival from this important source market.
- India and Australia had previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding on tourism cooperation in the field of tourism on 18.11.2014. Under the framework of the said MoU three meeting of Joint Working Group Meeting on tourism between India and Australia were conducted. This above Memorandum of Understanding had expired in the year 2019.
- Presently, Ministry of Tourism has MoUs with 45 countries.
Source : PIB