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 20 January 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.
Daily Current Affairs 20 January 2022
Global unemployment level in 2022 projected at 207 million: ILO WESO Trends 2022
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) released its World Employment and Social Outlook – Trends 2022 (WESO Trends) report on January 17, 2022. The report analyses comprehensive labour market projections for 2022 and 2023 and assesses how labour market recovery has unfolded worldwide. In the WESO 2022, ILO has downgraded its forecast for labour market recovery in 2022.
Key figures in WESO Trends 2022
- The global unemployment level in 2022 is estimated at 207 million, compared to 186 million in 2019.
- The total hours worked in 2022 will be 8% below the 2019 level, means there is a deficit of 52 million full-time equivalent jobs, on an assumption of 48-hour working week.
- The global labour force participation rate, the number of people in work or seeking employment is projected to be 59.3% in 2022 which is 1.2 percentage points below 2019 level.
- In 2022 around 40 million people will no longer be participating in the global labour force.
ILO states that there can be no real recovery from this pandemic without a broad-based labour market recovery.
Centre appoints Vikram Dev Dutt as new CMD of Air India
Senior bureaucrat Vikram Dev Dutt has been appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director of Air India Ltd as part of a senior-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre on January 18, 2022. Dutt is a 1993-batch IAS officer of AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territory) cadre. Prior to this, he was the Principal Secretary (Tourism) in Delhi government.
AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 Football Tournament to begin from January 20
India is hosting the 20th edition of the football AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 from January 20, 2022 to February 06, 2022.
The AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 will be held across three venues in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune, featuring a total of 12 teams divided in three groups, contesting for the coveted title. India is hosting the competition for the second time after the first one being hosted in 1979. Hosts India are placed in Group A, along with China PR, Taiwan and IR Iran.
Microsoft to acquire video gaming company Activision Blizzard for $68.7 bn
Microsoft said it agreed to buy video game company Activision Blizzard in a $68.7 billion all-cash deal, making it the third-largest gaming company in the world.
The deal, which is expected to close in the fiscal year 2023, will accelerate the growth in Microsoft’s gaming business across mobile, personal computer, console and cloud, and “will provide building blocks for the metaverse”, the company said. Activision Blizzard is famous as the maker of Candy Crush and Call of Duty, Xbox, among other leading video games.
Upon the completion of the deal, Microsoft will become the world’s 3rd largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony. This is the biggest deal ever by Microsoft and also the largest-ever deal in the history of the gaming industry.
Cabinet approves Rs 1500 Cr infusion in IREDA
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, approved the equity infusion of Rs.1500 crore in Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) on January 19, 2022.
This infusion will raise the lending capacity of IREDA to Rs 12,000 crore to the renewable energy sector.
The Cabinet has also approved an extension of tenure of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis beyond March 31, 2022, for three years.
IIMK LIVE and Indian Bank ink MoU to disburse loans upto Rs 50 Crore for Startups under ‘IndSpring Board’ Scheme
The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode’s (IIMK) Business incubator Laboratory for Innovation Venturing and Entrepreneurship (LIVE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Bank to financially support early stage startups. Under the MoU, a startup funding scheme, ‘IndSpring Board’ has been launched. The inked agreement launched a startup funding scheme, ‘IndSpring Board’ to support early stage startups by providing loans upto 50 Crore INR, in the presence of Prof. Debashis Chatterjee, Director IIMK and Shri. Imran Amin Siddiqui, Executive Director of the Chennai Headquartered Indian Bank.
The startups can use the loan amount to meet its operational expenditure and capital expenditure which includes working capital, purchase of fixed assets and other expenses.
India and Japan conducts Maritime Partnership Exercise in the Bay of Bengal
The Navies of India and Japan conducted a major maritime partnership exercise in the Bay of Bengal on January 13, 2022 to improve defence collaboration between the two nations. From India, the Indian Naval ships INS Shivalik and INS Kadmatt took part in the exercise. The Indian side was represented by Indian Naval Ships (INS) Shivalik and INS Kadmatt while JMSDF Ships Uraga and Hirado participated from the Japanese side.
The main objective of the exercise was to further strengthening bilateral relations, promoting defence cooperation, enhancing mutual understanding and interoperability, and sharing best practices between IN and JMSDF.
Some Important Exercise:
- Red Flag: India and US
- Al Nagah: India and Oman
- ‘Naseem-Al-Bahr’: India and Oman
- Ekuverin: India and Maldives
- Garuda Shakti: India and Indonesia
- Desert Warrior: India and Egypt
Noted environmentalist & ‘Save Silent Valley’ campaigner M.K. Prasad passes away
Eminent environmentalist and former Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) president Professor MK Prasad has passed away due to complications of COVID-19. He was 89. He played leadership role in the ‘Save Silent Valley’ campaign in the state in 1970s.
The campaign was considered as the first popular campaign for protecting a forest ecosystem in the State. Prof. Prasad, who had served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Calicut University, was in the forefront of environment protection activities in the State.
SEBI Launches Mobile App ‘Saa₹thi’ For Investor Education
Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on January 19, 2022 launched “Saa₹thi” – a mobile app on investor education in Mumbai. The new app aims to create awareness among investors about the basic concepts of the securities market, KYC process, trading and settlement, mutual funds, recent market developments, investor grievances redressal mechanism, etc. In the app SaaRthi, R is denoted using the Indian Rupee (INR) symbol.
Roberta Metsola elected as new President of the EU Parliament
Maltese center-right politician Roberta Metsola has been elected as the new European Parliament President, a week after the body’s previous head David Sassoli died suddenly, and she immediately faced questions around her stance on abortion rights.
The 43-year-old is the only third woman and the youngest president ever to run the chamber. She is also the first Maltese person to hold the office. The Parliament is composed of 705 members and has headquarter in Strasbourg, France. It is the only directly-elected institution of the European Union (EU).
