Chhattisgarh Affairs
TheChhattisgarhgovernment has decided to introduce a special promotion package for “electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries” sector in its industrial policy 2019-2024 to encourage setting up of large, mega and ultra-mega industrial units in the state.The statecabinet, presided over by chief ministerBhupesh Baghel, decided to extend its policy of providingClass-IIIand Class-IV jobs only to local people in Bastar and Surguja regions.
As per the cabinets decision, under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, only local residents of Bastar and Sarguja divisions would be eligible for recruitment on the vacancies ofGrade-IIIand Grade-IV posts and this decision will be enforced till December 31, 2023. The state cabinet has also decided to increase the rebate on guideline rates of the properties of municipal corporations and their areas by 10 % which means, now 40 % rebate would be provided on guideline rates instead of 30 %.
To encourage plantation in Chhattisgarh, draft concerning the amendment in previous rules for felling of trees in private sector under Chief Minister Plantation Promotion Scheme was approved.
National and International Affairs
Kalpana Chawla Centre For Research Launched By Defence Minister
At Chandigarh University, Rajnath Singh inaugurates the Kalpana Chawla Centre For Research.
Highlights:
The Kalpana Chawla Centre for Research in Space Science and Technology (KCCRSST) at Chandigarh University was inaugurated by DEFENCE Minister Rajnath Singh.
The Union Minister also announced the launch of a Rs 10 crore Defence Scholarship Scheme at Chandigarh University for the children of three-service military officers. Kalpana Chawla was the first woman of Indian descent to travel to space.
It was founded with the goal of educating students in space science and satellite creation, as well as addressing future difficulties in space research.
India Ranks 85th In Corruption Perceptions Index
The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2021 was announced by Transparency International, and India was rated 85th (Score of 40).
Highlights:
The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2021 was announced by Transparency International, and India was rated 85th (Score of 40).
Three countries, Denmark, Finland, and New Zealand shared first place in the ranking (Score of 88).
This ranking assesses how corrupt each country’s government is thought to be.
The results are graded on a scale of 0 (extremely corrupt) to 100 (very clean) (very clean). There are 180 countries ranked in it.
India was placed 86th with a score of 40 last year (for 2020).
The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for this year shows that corruption is at an all-time low around the world.
For the tenth year in a row, the global Average remains steady at 43 out of 100 points.
Data Privacy Day: 28 Jan 2022
Annually on 28 January, Data Privacy Day is commemorated to raise privacy awareness.
Highlights:
The day is observed as “an international effort to raise awareness about the need of respecting privacy, fostering trust, and protecting data.”
Individual privacy is a means of safeguarding everyone’s online safety.
As more people are forced to spend time in the virtual world due to the covid-19 pandemic, it has become a hot issue of conversation in the digitally connected world.
World’s-Largest Canal Lock In Netherlands
Ijmuiden, Amsterdam, Netherlands, has opened the world’s giant canal lock.
Highlights:
Ijmuiden, a small port city in the Port of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, has opened the world’s giant canal lock.
King Willen-Alexander of the Netherlands opened the sea lock. The sea lock at Ijmuiden is 500 meters (1,640 ft) long and 70 meters broad.
The major project began in 2016 and was supposed to be completed by 2019. It also exceeded the budget by roughly 300 million ($338 million).
The Fastest AI Supercomputer in The World
Facebook parent company Meta’s new ” supercomputer” will be the fastest across the planet by the center of the year 2022.
Highlights
Meta introduced the AI Research SuperCluster (RSC) on January 24, 2022. It’s believed to be among the fastest AI supercomputers running today.
Currently, AI can perform tasks like translating text between languages and help in identifying potentially harmful content.
However, the development of the next generation of AI would require powerful supercomputers capable of quintillions of functions per second.