29th January, 2022 Current Affairs
Sakshi Education
NATIONAL
Government appoints AnanthaNageswaran as Chief Economic Advisor
- Dr V. AnanthaNageswaran has been appointed Chief Economic Advisor to the government of India. He assumed charge. Prior to this appointment, Dr.Nageswaran has worked as a writer, author, teacher and consultant.
- He has taught at several business schools and institutes of management in India and in Singapore.
- Dr.Nageswaran was the Dean of the IFMR Graduate School of Business and a distinguished Visiting Professor of Economics at Krea University.
- He has also been a part-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India from 2019 to 2021.
- He holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and a doctoral degree from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.
S Somanath officially takes charge as New Chairman of ISRO & Secretary of DoS
- Eminent rocket scientist S Somanath, who was chosen as the successor of K Sivan, assumed charge as the Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary of the Department of Space (DoS).
- Previously serving as the Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) since 2018, SSomanath also served as the Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) for two-and-half years.
INTERNATIONAL
India and UK conclude first round of talks for Free Trade Agreement
- India and the United Kingdom have concluded the first round of talks for India-UK Free Trade Agreement.
- Commerce and Industry Ministry has said that technical experts from both sides came together for discussions and covered 26 policy areas.
- Discussions were held on Trade in goods and services including Financial Services and Telecommunications, Investment, Intellectual Property, Customs and Trade Facilitation, Government Procurement among others.
- Negotiations were productive and reflected shared ambition to boost trade between India and UK. The second round of negotiations will take place from 7 to 18 March this year. Both the countries have set an ambitious target to conclude negotiations by the end of this year.
Russia says, it does not want war over Ukraine; hints willingness to engage with US security proposals
- Russia sent its strongest signal so far that it is willing to engage with US security proposals and reiterated that it does not want war over Ukraine.
- Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrovtold Russian radio stations in an interview that Russia don't want war. Russia has massed tens of thousands of troops near the Ukrainian border as it presses demands for a redrawing of post-Cold War security arrangements in Europe.
- The United States and its allies have warned President Vladimir Putin that Russia will face swift and tough economic sanctions if he attacks Ukraine.
- Lavrov said the West was ignoring Russia's interests but there was at least something in written responses submitted by the United States and NATO to Russia's proposals.
- While the responses have not been made public, both have stated they are willing to engage with Moscow on arms control and confidence-building measures. They have ruled out acceding to other demands, including that Ukraine must never be allowed to join NATO.
- Lavrov said he expected to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken again in the next couple of weeks.
- He said, without giving details, that the US counter-proposals were better than NATO's. Russia was studying them and Putin would decide how to respond.
ENVIRONMENT
Australia announces billion-dollar package to protect Great Barrier Reef
- Australia unveiled a billion-dollar package to protect the climate-ravaged Great Barrier Reef, hoping to prevent the vast network of corals from being removed from UNESCO's World Heritage list.
- Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the 1 billion Aus$ (US$700 million) nine-year plan, months after narrowly avoiding the reef being placed on UNESCO's in danger list.
- Morrison said that they are backing the health of the reef and the economic future of tourism operators, hospitality providers and Queensland communities that are at the heart of the reef economy.
- The move comes ahead of a general election expected in May, when Morrison will have to win key Queensland seats near the reef to remain in power.
- When the UN previously threatened to downgrade the reef's World Heritage listing in 2015, Australia created a Reef 2050 plan and poured billions of dollars into protection.
- The measures are believed to have arrested the pace of decline, but much of the world's largest reef system has already been damaged.
- A recent study found bleaching had affected 98 percent of the reef since 1998, leaving just a fraction of it untouched.
- Australians are overwhelmingly in favour of action to limit climate change, having experienced a string of global warming-worsened disasters such as bushfires, droughts and floods.
- A 2021 poll by Sydney's Lowy Institute found 60 percent of Australians believed "global warming is a serious and pressing problem".
- Eight in 10 Australians supported a net-zero emissions target by 2050, which the government reluctantly adopted ahead of a landmark United Nations climate summit in Scotland last year.
SPORTS
Ashleigh Barty wins Australian Open Women’s Singles title
- In Tennis, World Number One Ashleigh Barty, won her first Australian Open title after beating Danielle Collins of the United States in the Women's Singles final at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.
- Top seed Barty defeated Collins in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6.
- The Men's doubles final is an all-Australian affair, as Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios will take on Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell.
- In the Men's Singles final, 20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal will clash with World No.2, Daniil Medvedev, at Rod Laver Arena.
Women’s Asia Cup Hockey: India beat China 2-0 to win Bronze medal
- Japan continued their impressive run at the 2022 Hockey Asia Cup as they thrashed the mighty South Koreans 4-2 at Muscat. India won bronze medal beating China 2-0 for third and fourth place play of.
- Sharmila Devi in the 13th minute and Gurjit Kaur in the 19th minute scored goals for India.
Published date : 29 Jan 2022 06:12PM