Daily Current Affairs 26th January, 2022

Daily Current Affairs 26 January 2022 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India ranks 85 in Transparency International’s corruption index
With a score of 40, India ranks at 85th position in the Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), 2021. The report cites India’s case as “particularly worrying”.

• India’s neighbours Pakistan has got a score of 28 and stands at 140th position whereas Bangladesh has 26. Bangladesh, Pakistan, Cambodia, and Singapore have also been marked as countries that have increased digital surveillance to silence those trying to hold governments accountable during the pandemic. 
• The countries that have fared well are Denmark, Finland, and New Zealand, each with a score of 88 followed by Norway (85), Singapore (85), Sweden (85), Switzerland (84), the Netherlands (82), Luxembourg (81) and Germany (80). South Sudan, Syria, and Somalia with scores of 11, 13, 13, remain at the bottom of the index. 
• According to CPI 2021, countries experiencing armed conflict or authoritarianism tend to earn the lowest scores and those include Venezuela (14), Afghanistan (16), North Korea (16), Yemen (16), Equatorial Guinea (17), Libya (17) and Turkmenistan (19).

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

IMF Downgrades India’s Economy Growth Forecast to 9% in FY22
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut India’s economic growth forecast to 9 per cent for the current fiscal year ending March 31, joining a host of agencies which have downgraded their projections on concerns over the impact of a spread of new variant of coronavirus on business activity and mobility.

• In its latest update of World Economic Outlook, the Washington-based international financial institution, which had in October last year projected a 9.5 per cent GDP growth for India, put the forecast for the next fiscal FY23 (April 2022 to March 2023) at 7.1 per cent.
• The Indian economy had contracted by 7.3 per cent in the 2020-21 fiscal year.

AWARDS

Babar Azam Named ICC ODI Cricketer of The Year
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam was named ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year following his exploits in 2021 when he scored 405 runs in six games at an average of 67.50.

• The 27-year-old was the second-highest run-scorer with 228 runs and was the Player of the Match in both of Pakistan’s wins in the 2-1 series victory against South Africa.
• The architect of Pakistan’s chase of 274 in the first ODI, Babar made a century and laid the foundation with an 82-ball 94 in the final ODI where the visitors posted 320 batting first.

Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra gets Param Vishisht Seva Medal 
Olympian Neeraj Chopra honoured with Param Vishisht Seva Medal. Neeraj Chopra is the first track and field athlete to win a gold medal for India at the Olympics.

• President Ram Nath Kovind honoured 384 defence personnel with Gallantry and other awards at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The awards include 12 Shaurya Chakras, 29 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, four Uttam Yudh Seva Medals, 53 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, 13 Yudh Seva Medals, three Bar to Vishisht Seva Medals.
• The President also honoured the winners of 122 Vishisht Seva Medals, three Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 81 Sena Medals (Gallantry), two Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry), 40 Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty), eight Nao Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty), and 14 Vayu Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty). 

 Padma Awards 2022 announced
The names of 128 recipients of Padma Awards including 2 duo cases were confirmed by President Ram Nath Kovind. Among the awardees this year are veteran actor Victor Banerjee, playback singer Sonu Nigam, and filmmaker Chandraprakash Dwivedi.

• The list comprises 4 Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Shri Awards.  34 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 13 Posthumous awardees.
• The award seeks to recognise achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved. The awards have been given annually since 1954. 

Padma Vibhushan:

Padma Bhushan:

Jai Bhim, Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham enter Oscars 2022 long list
Suriya’s ‘Jai Bhim’ and Mohanlal’s ‘Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham’ have been included in the long list of films eligible for the Oscars 2022. The two films found a place in the shortlist of 276 films which are in contention to get nominated at the 94th Academy Awards.

• The final list of films shortlisted for the Oscars will be announced on February 8 and the award ceremony will be broadcasted on March 27 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

CDRI develops Omicron Testing Kit name, “Om”
The CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) has developed an indigenous RT-PCR diagnostic kit, called ‘Om’, for testing the new Omicron variant of Covid-19.

• It is the first kit made by any government institution, and the third to be made indigenously, for specific testing of Omicron.The kit will cost around Rs 150 and give the test result in around two hours.
• At present, two more such kits developed by private players are available in the market.

IMPORTANT DAYS

73rd Republic Day
India celebrated its 73rd Republic Day with the iconic parade at Delhi’s Rajpath showcasing its military prowess and cultural pageantry. A flypast by 75 aircraft and helicopters was the highlight of this year’s parade. 

• This year’s celebrations are significant – it’s the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence, being observed as ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ across the country.
• The parade, led by Lieutenant General Vijay Kumar Mishra, started after the tricolour was unfurled with a 21-gun salute. The winners of the country’s highest gallantry awards, Param Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra, led the contingents in saluting the President, the Supreme Commander of armed forces.

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