Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 13 February 2022

SSC CGL Current Affairs

Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 13 February 2022

::NATIONAL::

Centre okays funds to modernise police force

A central scheme to modernise and improve police forces in all states and union territories will continue for another five years, the home ministry has said.
The umbrella scheme of Modernisation of State Police Forces (MPF) has been approved for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26, the ministry said in a statement on Sunday. The scheme has a total financial outlay of ₹26,275 crore.
Under the MPF scheme, provision has been made for internal security, law and order, adoption of modern technology by police, assisting states and union territories for narcotics control and “strengthening the criminal justice system by developing a robust forensic set-up in the country.”
The Centre will provide ₹4,846 crore for the modernization of state police forces.
The other salient feature of the scheme is to develop operationally independent high-quality forensic sciences facilities to aid scientific and timely investigation through modernization of resources. The government has approved ₹2,080.50 crore under the central scheme for the modernisation of forensic capacities.
“To further pursue this accomplishment, six LWE related schemes with Central outlay of Rs.8,689crore have been approved. These schemes include Special Central Assistance (SCA) to Most LWE Affected Districts & Districts of Concern to consolidate the gains,” it said.
The government has allocated ₹350 crore to raise India Reserve Battalions and Specialised India Reserve Battalions.
It has extended the central sector scheme of assistance to states and union territories for narcotics control with an outlay of ₹50 crore.

::INTERNATIONAL::

Democracy Index 2021 PICS: With full democracy, Norway tops the list

With the highest score of 9.75, Norway topped the Democracy Index 2021 by Economist Intelligence. The list was published on February 10, 2022. India scored 6.91 to rank 46th on the list.
Since the year 2006, the Economist Intelligence has been bringing forth the state of democracy worldwide in around 165 independent nations and two territories through its democracy index. The last year’s democracy index was published on February 10, 2022. Like every other year, it is based on the clearly stated five categories, i.e. electoral process and pluralism, functioning of the government, political participation, political culture and last but not least, civil liberties. According to these categories, the list has been further bifurcated into three categories encompassing nations that enjoy full democracy, flawed democracy, hybrid regime and authoritarian regime.
India with a rank of 46 found its presence in the flawed democracy segment. If you are sad thinking about it, then you should also know that the USA has also been placed as a nation with flawed democracy. Our neighbour Pakistan has been placed further below in the hybrid regime with a rank of 104. But we are not here to discuss these countries. We are here to discuss the top 10 achievers in full democracy and this time, it was topped by Norway.
In the full democracy segment, Norway topped the charts. It had an overall score of 9.75. The nation scored 10 in electoral process and pluralism, 9.64 in the functioning of the government, 10 in political participation, 10 in political culture and 9.12 in civil liberties.
India ranked 46th under 'flawed democracy' by the EIU.

::ECONOMY::

Vande Bharat Mission comes to rescue emigrants

I am one of the NRIs that the NarendraModi government claims to have ‘rescued’ heroically from abroad through its much-celebrated Vande Bharat Mission. However, my experience with this ‘rescue’ mission has been one of the most stressful times of my life.
It was an emotionally and financially draining experience. Finally, I had to sue the Modi government and Air India to get a seat on a Vande Bharat flight back home to Kerala. Here is my story.
I have been living and working in Europe since 2015, and in Munich since 2018. Early 2020, I got a job offer from an IT firm in Bangalore and I was all set to relocate to India. I put in my papers with my German employer and booked my tickets in March to leave Germany on 5 June. And then, both the German and Indian governments announced lockdowns due to the coronavirus crisis.
My German visa, called the EU Blue Card, is connected to my employer. So when the employment contract is terminated, the visa, too, gets terminated. However, considering the travel ban to India, the German government had made provisions for stranded foreigners to extend their stay legally in Germany without hassle. Then the trouble started.

::SCIENCE AND TECH::

Dubai to launch world's first hydrogen-powered flying boat 'The Jet'

A “flying boat” may sound like an oxymoron, but a certain Swiss start-up is ready to prove otherwise.
The Jet ZeroEmission is launching what it claims will be the world’s first hydrogen-powered flying boat next year in Dubai. The startup has partnered with Zenith Marine and DWYN to build the new zero-emissions vessel, which has been fittingly christened the Jet.
With a futuristic, spaceship-like silhouette, the yacht will measure roughly 33 feet from tip to tail and is designed to carry up to 12 passengers and a captain. As its moniker suggests, it can soar like a jet, too.
That’s all thanks to the Jet’s hydrofoils, which will essentially lift it up 3 feet out of the water to ensure less resistance than a normal planing boat. Foiling also makes for a smoother ride with less wake since you’re flying above any choppy seas.
The Jet’s propulsion is just as forward-thinking. It will be equipped with two hydrogen fuel cells that will power the electric motors for quiet, emissions-free cruising at zippy speeds. According to the Swiss outfit, the Jet will reach around 18 knots during take-off and sit somewhere between 35–40 knots while cruising. It will mainly be dedicated to serving hotels and high-end clients, according to the brand.
It’s worth pointing out that pairing hydrofoils with hydrogen is not exactly a new concept. There has been a spate of designs that combine this bleeding-edge tech. In fact, Emirates Team New Zealand is building a hydrogen-powered foiling chase boat to support the AC75 racing yachts in the 37th America’s Cup.

::SPORTS::

Arif Khan makes a mark on tough track on Olympics debut

India's Arif Khan marked his Winter Olympics debut with a creditable 45th place in Giant Slalom at the National Alpine Ski Centre in Yanqing district of Beijing on Sunday. The 31-year-old, India’s only competitor at the Games, braved brutal overhead conditions and a tricky slope to clock 2 minutes, 47.24 seconds across his two runs.
The original start list had 89 participants of which Brazil's Michel Macedo and Armenia's HarutyunHarutyunyan did not race. The first run, marred by heavy snowing, saw 33 fail to finish (DNF) while another eight, including a disqualification, could not finish the second run. In all, 43 of the 89 competitors fell prey to the treacherous Ice River course that had a starting elevation of 1,925 metres and a vertical drop of 424 metres.
“It was a tough course, no doubt. We always knew that the track would be very challenging, so we decided to focus on finishing the race first. He could have definitely gone faster, but that would have increased the probability to crash and bow out early,” said six-time Olympian Shiva Keshavan, who was with the Indian camp in the Chinese capital.