DAILY CA: 01 , 02 FEB 2022

 DAILY CA: 01 , 02 FEB 2022

1.       INDIA’S FIRST GEO PARK IN MADHYA PRADESH

·         The Geological Survey of India (GSI), Ministry of Mines, approved the setting up of India’s 1st geopark at Lamheta village, on the banks of the Narmada river in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh (MP).

·         A geopark is a unified area that protects the geological heritage and promotes sustainable, well-being of the people living in that area.

·         This geopark to be formed in MP is already in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) geo-heritage tentative list for the conservation of the natural heritage.

·         Several dinosaur fossils had been found in the Narmada valley, particularly in the Bhedaghat-Lameta Ghat area of Jabalpur, MP.

 

2.       CHENNAI SUPER KINGS BECOMES INDIA’S 1ST UNICORN SPORTS ENTERPRISE

·         Four-time Indian Premier League (IPL) winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK), has become the country’s 1st sports Unicorn with its market cap having touched a high of Rs 7,600 crores and its share in the grey market trading in the Rs 210-225 price band.

·         Currently, CSK has a market cap more than its parent entity, India Cements.

·         CVC Capital acquired the rights for the Ahmedabad franchise for Rs 5,625 crore and the Sanjiv Goenka-led RPSG (RP-Sanjiv Goenka) Group bought the Lucknow franchise (Lucknow Super Giants) for Rs 7,090 crore.

·         Unicorns are privately held start-up companies having a valuation of more than USD 1 billion.

·         Currently, India has the 3rd largest number of Unicorns in the world. As per the Global Unicorn Index 2021 report released by the Hurun Research Institute, India ranked at 3rd (by adding 33 ‘unicorns’ in 2020) by displacing the United Kingdom (UK) to the 4th spot. 

 

3.       BRAND FINANCE GLOBAL 500 2022: APPLE RETAINS MOST VALUABLE BRAND TITLE

·         According to Brand Finance’s annual report titled “Global 500 2022: The annual report on the world’s most valuable and strongest brands”, Apple has retained its title as the World’s Most Valuable Brand in 2022.

·         The valuation of Apple has increased by 35%(USD 355.1 billion) and the report states that Apple has become the first brand to reach a market valuation of USD 3 Trillion.

·         Following Apple, Amazon and Google have been named among the top three most valuable brands. 

·         TikTok has become the World’s fastest-growing brand with 215% incarceration in its valuation in 2022. 

·         China’s WeChat(ranked 13) has been named the strongest Brand for the 2nd year.

·         Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft has topped Brand Finance Brand Guardianship Index 2022 of the world’s top 250 CEOs. 

·         United States(US) and China dominated the claiming two-thirds of brand value in ranking and India sees the fastest growth over course of COVID-19 pandemic among the top nations up 42%. 

·         India’s Tata Group(ranked 78th) is among the top 100 most valued brands globally. Tata group has ranked 77th in 2021 ranking. The company’s valuation has increased 12% in 2022. 

 

4.       SERGIO MATTARELLA RE-ELECTED AS ITALIAN PRESIDENT

·         Italy’s current president Sergio Mattarella, whose 7-year term (from 2015) is ending on 3rd February 2022 has been re-elected for the second term in office.

·         In 2013, Giorgio Napolitano (Mattarella’s predecessor) was the 1st to serve a second term since Italy became a republic in 1946, but he resigned after two years in 2015.

·         Unlike in the United States or France, where heads of state get elected by voting, in Italy, 1,009 parliamentarians and regional representatives choose via a secret ballot.

·         Italy, Capital – Rome,Currency – Euro

 

5.       110TH AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS 2022

·         Rafael Nadal claimed his record-breaking 21st Grand Slam Men’s Singles Title at the first Grand Slam of 2022 i.e. the 2022 Australian Open was held at Melbourne Park, Melbourne in Australia

·         Rafael Nadal Parera of Spain  defeated Russia’s Daniil Sergeyevich Medvedev

·         Women’s Singles– Ashleigh Barty of Australia by defeating the United States’ Danielle Rose Collins

·         Grand Slam tournaments (also called majors) are 4 most important annual tennis events. The 4 Grand Slam events are Australian Open, Wimbledon, French Open & US Open.

·         They are hosted by the International Tennis Federation.

·         Australian Open  – Hard Court

·         Wimbledon London, United Kingdom (UK).  – Grass

·         French Open also known as Roland Garros – Clay

·         US Open – Hard Court

 

6.       BOOK TITLED “FEARLESS GOVERNANCE”

·         Kiran Bedi, Former Lieutenant(Lt) Governor of Puducherry and retired IPS officer, authored a new book titled “Fearless Governance” featuring her memories and ground realities as the Lt Governor of Puducherry from 2016 and 2021 and her experience of 40 years in the Indian Police Service(IPS). 

·         Kiran Bedi was the first woman to join the officer ranks of the Indian Police Service. 

·         Yes Madam, Sir” directed by Megan Doneman, is the biopic of Kiran Bedi. 

·         She was honoured with the Ramon Magsaysay Award and the Nehru Fellowship in 1994. 

 

7.       WORLD LEPROSY DAY - JANUARY 30 2022 

·         The last Sunday of January is celebrated annually as World Leprosy Day (WLD). This year it is observed on January 30, 2022 on the theme ‘United for Dignity’. 

·         It should be noted that in India, WLD is celebrated annually as Anti Leprosy day on January 30 i.e.  on the death anniversary of the Father of Nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi aka Mahatma Gandhi.

 

8.       MARTYRS DAY 2022 – JANUARY 30

·         Martyrs Day, also known as Shaheedi Diwas, is annually observed across India on 30th January to pay respect to the martyrs who lost their lives during India’s freedom struggle.

·         The day also marks the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

·         Shaheedi Diwas or Martyrs Day is observed across India on two days 30th January and 23rd March.

·         23rd March pays homage to the freedom fighters, Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar, who were hanged to death by the British. 

 

9.       DUBAI TO LAUNCH WORLD’S FIRST HYDROGEN-POWERED FLYING BOAT ‘THE JET’ 

·         THE JET ZeroEmission announced the launch of the World’s first hydrogen powered flying boat ‘THE JET’ in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

·         THE JET will have its inaugural flight during the COP28, which is scheduled to be held in Dubai, UAE in 2023.

·         The boat is equipped with two fuel cells and an air conditioner as well as other clean-tech, environmentally friendly technologies that help reduce carbon emissions.

·         Hydrogen, with atomic number 1, is the lightest element and hence escapes towards the upper atmosphere very easily. That’s why hydrogen is rarely found in its pure form.

·         National Hydrogen Mission (NHM) of India aims to cut down carbon emissions and increase the use of renewable sources of energy and focus on generation of hydrogen from green power resources.

·         Hydrogen production .Hydrogen can be produced by several processes such as Thermochemical Processes, Electrolytic Processes, Direct Solar Water Splitting Processes, Biological Processes.

·         But it is generally produced from methane or by electrolysis of water. 

·         Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field in Japan, is the world’s largest hydrogen-production facility.

 

10.    INDIAN ECONOMY CONTRACTS BY 6.6% IN 2020-21: NSO DATA

·         The National Statistical Office (NSO),  Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the First Revised Estimates of National Income, Consumption Expenditure, Saving and Capital Formation for the financial year 2020-21

·         The data showed that the Indian economy contracted by 6.6 percent in 2020-21 as against the earlier estimate of 7.3 percent in May 2021.

·         The NSO has also revised downward the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth number for 2019-20 to 3.7 percent as against the earlier estimate of 4 percent.

 

11.    WORLD GAMES ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 2021 AWARD

·         Veteran India hockey goalkeeper Parattu Raveendran (PR) Sreejesh (33) from Kerala won The World Games Athlete of the Year 2021 for his performances 2021.

·         With this he became the 1st Indian man & 2nd Indian to receive this accolade after Indian women’s hockey captain Rani Rampal who became the first Indian to win this in 2020.

·         He will receive a trophy and prize from the official sponsor of The World Games Athlete of the Year i.e. Protective Life. 

·         In the FIH Stars Awards in October 2021 , PR Sreejesh was named as the Goalkeeper of the year 2021.

 

12.    PORTUGAL PM ANTONIO COSTA RE-ELECTED

·         The Socialists party led by Antonio Costa, the current Prime Minister (PM) of Portugal, has secured 117 seats out of 230 seats in the country’s Parliament, to secure an absolute majority victory in the recently concluded snap elections. 

·         In 1498 Portuguese traveler Vasco da Gama reached Calicut in the Malabar Coast. 

·         In 1503, the first Portuguese fort was established at Cochin (now known as Kochi), Kerala.

·         Goa was captured from the Bijapur Sultanate Adil Shah by Alfonso Albuquerque and in 1530 Goa declared as the capital of Portuguese India. 

·         Capital- Lisbon,Currency- Euro 

 

13.    ASIAN GAMES 2022 TO FEATURE 40 SPORTS; CRICKET TO BE BACK AFTER 11 YEARS

·         Asian Games 2022 which is set to take place in September 2022 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China will feature 40 sports with a total of 61 disciplines including several Olympic Sports.

·         Cricket (in T20 format ) is set to be featured in the Asian Games after 11 years.

·         Following the approval from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), E-sports and breakdancing will debut in the 2022 Asian Games. 

 

14.    INDIAN COAST GUARD CELEBRATES 46TH RAISING DAY – 1ST FEBRUARY 2022

·         Indian Coast Guard Day is annually observed across India on 1st February to commemorate its Raising Day of the Indian Coast Guard(ICG), operating under the Ministry of Defence.

·         Indian Coast Guard is the 4th Largest Coast Guard in the World. 

·         Indian Coast Guard Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi, Motto– “Vayam Rakshamah” – We Protect