Current Affairs for Competitive Exam by Gkseries –16 August 2022

Current Affairs is the most important area in all competitive exams. But the difficulty level is very high. That’s why; many aspirants get confused, how to select Current Affairs for Preparation of Competitive Examination? In this Post, Daily Current Affairs 16 August 2022, we have tried to cover each and every point and also included all important facts from National/ International news that are useful for upcoming competitive examinations such as UPSC, SSC, Railway, State Govt. etc.

Current Affairs for Competitive Exam – 16 August 2022

FIFA suspends All India Football Federation (AIFF)

The Bureau of the FIFA Council has unanimously decided to suspend the All India Football Federation (AIFF) with immediate effect due to undue influence from third parties, which constitutes a serious violation of the FIFA Statutes. The suspension will be lifted once an order to set up a committee of administrators to assume the powers of the AIFF Executive Committee has been repealed and the AIFF administration regains full control of the AIFFs.

India loss after suspension:

The suspension means that the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022™, scheduled to take place in India on 11-30 October 2022, cannot currently be held in India as planned. FIFA is assessing the next steps with regard to the tournament and will refer the matter to the Bureau of the Council if and when necessary. FIFA is in constant constructive contact with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in India and is hopeful that a positive outcome to the case may still be achieved.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

• FIFA President: Gianni Infantino;
• FIFA Founded: 21 May 1904;
• FIFA Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland.

Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) Awards 2022 announced

The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne is currently underway, and one of the prominent highlights from the festival is its awards night. The IFFM is held every year in Australia and celebrates the Indian cinematic spirit by showcasing a wide range of shows, films and series from the country. One of the highlights of the festival is the awards night, where select awards are given to the best performers from Indian cinema and the OTT scene from the previous year.

The event hosted by Rithvik Dhanjiani, the event saw big wins for Kabir Khan’s sports drama 83 and its star Ranveer Singh, as well as the Prime Video web series Mumbai Diaries 26 and the film Jalsa. The two films that had the most nominations: Jai Bhim and Gangubai Kathiawadi–failed to win a single award.

Check out the full list of winners from the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2022 awards:

Ramsar sites: 11 more Indian wetlands have got Ramsar recognition

India adds 11 more wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites to make total 75 Ramsar sites covering an area of 13,26,677 ha in the country in the 75^th year of Independence.  75 Ramsar Sites in 75th Year of Independence India. The 11 new sites designated as Ramsar sites included: four sites in Tamil Nadu, three in Odisha, two in Jammu and Kashmir and one each in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

From 1982 to 2013, a total of 26 Indian sites were added to the list of Ramsar sites, However, during 2014 to 2022, the country has added 49 new wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites. During this year itself, a total of 28 sites have been declared as Ramsar sites.

The 11 Indian wetlands which have been designated as new Ramsar sites:

1. Tampara Lake in Odisha;
2. Hirakud Reservoir in Odisha;
3. Ansupa Lake in Odisha;
4. Yashwant Sagar in Madhya Pradesh;
5. Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu;
6. Suchindram Theroor Wetland Complex in Tamil Nadu;
7. Vaduvur Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu;
8. Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu;
9. Thane Creek in Maharashtra;
10. Hygam Wetland Conservation Reserve in Jammu and Kashmir;
11. Shallbugh Wetland Conservation Reserve in Jammu and Kashmir.

What is the Ramsar site?

A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, also known as “The Convention on Wetlands”, an intergovernmental environmental treaty established in 1971 by UNESCO, which came into force in 1975. It provides for national action and international cooperation regarding the conservation of wetlands, and wise sustainable use of their resources

Ayush Grid Project: MoU between Ayush Ministry & MeitY

Ministry of Ayush and Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Ayush Grid Project. As a part of MoU, MeitY will provide technical support to Ministry of Ayush to digitise Ayush Sector, for a period of 3 years.

Highlights of the MoU include;

• This MoU is continuation of a MoU that was inked in 2019.
• Both the ministries will continue to work in together.
• MeitY will provide technical support, including adoption of emerging technologies, for the Ayush Grid project.

About Ayush Grid project:

• Ayush Grid Project was launched by Ministry of Ayush in 2018 to create a backbone for IT sector.
• Project was launched under Digital India Program that support ‘Information and Technology’ in transforming operational efficiency, enhancing service quality and improving delivery of service.
• It will allow integration of all stakeholders and services or functions related to Ayush systems of health care.
• The project seeks to bring all onboard all the facilities of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy), including laboratories and hospitals besides promoting traditional healthcare systems.
• As a part of MoU, entire Ayush Sector will be digitalised, that will help in transformation of health care delivery across all levels, including research, education, drug regulations and various health programmes. Advisory inputs on Ayush Grid project will be provided by a High-Level Advisory Committee (HLAC). This committee would be chaired by Secretary of Ayush and co-chaired by Secretary of MeitY.

Nature Index 2022- Highlights

The Nature Index 2022 was recently released. Survey for the index was conducted based on research articles published in chemistry, life sciences, physical sciences and earth & environment. Rankings were provided on the basis of information secured during April 1, 2021, to march 31, 2022.

Highlights of Nature Index 2022:

In the index, University of Hyderabad has secured first position among Indian Universities while has been placed at 16th position among all institutions in academic sector.

Hyderabad was ranked first with 72 research papers and a share of 19.46 in academic sector.

Ranking of other Indian universities can be summed up as;

• Rank 23rd– Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad.
• Rank 26th– Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Tirupati.
• Rank 54th-Amity University.
• Rank 76th– National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) Hyderabad.
• Rank 82nd– International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Hyderabad
• Rank 92nd– Andhra University
• Rank 108th– Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kakinada
• Rank 122nd– Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati (IIT) Tirupati.

University of Hyderabad:

University of Hyderabad is among major higher education institutions in country. It was set up in 1974 as a central university through an act of parliament.

The Nature Index:

This index is a database of affiliations of author and relationships of institution. It records contributions to research articles, published across 82 high-quality natural science journals. These journals are selected by an independent group of researchers. This database is compiled by Nature Research. It provides real-time proxy of high-quality research output. It is updated monthly.

Arunachal’s 3rd Airport Named ‘Donyi Polo Airport’

Arunachal Pradesh government has named the under-construction greenfield airport in the state capital as “Donyi Polo Airport”. As per reports, the decision to rename the airport was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by state Chief Minister Prema Khandu. The airport which has been built under the Centre’s Capital Connectivity Scheme at a cost of Rs 645 crores, will start operations from August 15.

The name of the only airport in the capital city, according to the official, would represent the long-standing customs and rich cultural legacy of the tribally dominant state and would also reflect the long-standing indigenous respect for the Sun (Donyi) and the Moon (Polo) among the populace. The Airport Authority of India has undertaken a Rs 650 crore project to develop the airport to boost air connectivity in the mountainous areas.

The North-Eastern Connectivity:

The “Donyi Polo Airport” in Itanagar would be Arunachal Pradesh`s third airport after Pasighat and Tezu airports and northeast India`s 16th airport. The Chief Minister had earlier said that work on the airport is on war-footing and shall be made operational soon. Currently, there are 15 operational airports in the northeastern region -Guwahati, Silchar, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Tezpur, Lilalabari, and Rupsi (Assam), Tezu and Pasighat (Arunachal Pradesh), Agartala (Tripura), Imphal (Manipur), Shillong (Meghalaya), Dimapur (Nagaland), Lengpui (Mizoram) and Pakyong (Sikkim).

IAS Piyush Goyal named NATGRID CEO by the Union government

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cleared the appointment of senior Nagaland cadre IAS officer Piyush Goyal as National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) CEO. Goyal is currently posted as additional secretary (AS) in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The post of its CEO was vacant since June when its then chief IPS officer Ashish Gupta was appointed as additional director general of the Border Security Force (BSF). Chandrakar Bharti, a 1996 batch IAS officer of the Union Territory cadre, has been appointed in place of Piyush Goyal. Presently he is Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence.

Kolkata To Host 23rd Edition Of India International Seafood Show(IISS)

India’s booming seafood sector will soon be on display in all its glory as the 23rd edition of the India International Seafood Show (IISS) will be held in Kolkata from February 15-17 next year. The event is to be held in the city’s Biswa Bangala Mela Prangan.

Marine Exports From India:

During 2021-22, India exported 13,69,264 tonnes of marine products worth US$ 7.76 billion, registering an all-time high export by value, while production of shrimp crossed one million MT. With a multipronged strategy, addressing capture fisheries and aquaculture, the export turnover is likely to achieve US$ 15 billion in next five years. Sustainable fishing methods, value addition and increased aquaculture production through diversification are expected to support the ambitious target set for export.

About IISS:

MPEDA Chairman Dr K.N. Raghavan announced that the biennial showpiece event in the seafood sector, the biggest in the industry aimed at showcasing the export potential of India, will be organised at the sprawling Biswa Bangala Mela Prangan in Kolkata. It will provide an ideal platform for interaction between Indian exporters and overseas importers of the country’s marine products.

Defence forces, RBI and PM Office Most Trusted Institutions

Defence forces, RBI and Prime Minister of India are the three most trusted institutions in the country, according to a survey by Ipsos India. The Supreme Court of India came fourth and it was followed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Defence Forces with at least 2 in 3 (65 per cent of respondents) reposing faith in them was ranked first, followed by Reserve Bank of India with 1 in 2 (50 per cent). Prime Minister of India as an institution was at the third spot with 49 per cent citizens having trust in it, the survey said. Smack in the middle was the Parliament (33 per cent) ranked 7th, ranked 8th was the media (32 per cent) and placed 9th was the Election Commission of India (31 per cent), it said. The institutions at the bottom of the heap were politicians (16 per cent), political parties (17 per cent), community leaders (19 per cent) and religious leaders (21 per cent), it said, adding, these institutions have least credibility according to the opinions of the citizens across the cities and target groups polled. 

Who Conducted This Survey:

The survey was conducted by Ipsos India via a quantitative survey using a structured questionnaire, and interviewed 2,950 adults including females.

Respondents from four metros, tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3 towns were included in the survey with a margin of error of +/-5 per cent, it disclosed.