Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 23 January 2022

SSC CGL Current Affairs

Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 23 January 2022

::NATIONAL::

Harmeet Singh Kalka of Akali Dal elected DSGMC president

Harmeet Singh Kalka of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) was on Saturday elected the president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) amid heated arguments among the members.
The elections took place at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in New Delhi.
The voting had to be stopped after a member revealed his vote publicly, after which former DSGMC chief Manjit Singh GK, Paramjit Singh Sarna and Harvinder Singh Sarna objected to it.
The SAD (Badal) has 30 members in the House that elected the Sikh body’s chief. The House has 55 members in all but only 51 can vote as the remaining are nominated.

::INTERNATIONAL::

End of Covid-19 pandemic in Europe ‘plausible’ after Omicron: WHO

In what appears as a silver lining in these days of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the World Health Organisation (WHO) has for the first time in a while indicated that the pandemic could come to an ‘end’ in Europe after the current Omicron-driven wave passes over after infecting around 60 per cent of the population of the continent.
Hans Kluge, the WHO Europe director, told the AFP news agency that the Covid-19 pandemic has entered a new phase with the Omicron variant, which could infect 60 percent of people in Europe by March, and that could eventually bring the pandemic to an end.
“It is plausible that the region is moving towards a kind of pandemic endgame,” Hans Kluge told AFP, although urging necessary caution due to the virus's ability to mutate.
The Omicron variant, which studies have shown generally leads to less severe infection among vaccinated people than Delta, has raised long-awaited hopes that Covid-19 is starting to shift from a pandemic to a more manageable endemic illness like seasonal flu.
The WHO official's comments instill some hope for Europe, currently reeling under the highly transmissible Omicron-led wave, but also has a message for the rest of the world.
Kluge said that once the current surge of cases in Europe subsides, “there will be for quite some weeks and months a global immunity, either thanks to the vaccine or because people have immunity due to the infection, and also lowering seasonality.”
Covid-19 may still make a return near the end of the year; however, that does not necessarily equate to the “pandemic” returning, he said.
"So we anticipate that there will be a period of quiet before Covid-19 may come back towards the end of the year, but not necessarily the pandemic coming back," Kluge was quoted as saying.
It is likely that the coronavirus disease will be returning as an endemic, but that is a more favourable situation compared to the current scenario, said the WHO Europe director.
In the WHO Europe region, which comprises 53 countries including several in Central Asia, Omicron represented 15 per cent of new cases as of January 18, compared to 6.3 percent a week earlier, the global health body said.

::ECONOMY::

India's economy has some bright spots, a number of dark stains: Raghuram Rajan

The Indian economy has “some bright spots and a number of very dark stains” and the government should target its spending "carefully" so that there are no huge deficits, noted economist and former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan said.
Known for his frank views, Rajan also said the government needs to do more to prevent a K-shaped recovery of the economy hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
Generally, a K-shaped recovery will reflect a situation where technology and large capital firms recover at a far faster rate than small businesses and industries that have been significantly impacted by the pandemic.
"My greater worry about the economy is the scarring to the middle class, the small and medium sector, and our children's minds, all of which will come into play after an initial rebound due to pent up demand. One symptom of all this is weak consumption growth, especially for mass consumption goods," Rajan told PTI in an e-mail interview.
Rajan, currently a Professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, noted that as always, the economy has some bright spots and a number of very dark stains.
"The bright spots are the health of large firms, the roaring business the IT and IT-enabled sectors are doing, including the emergence of unicorns in a number of areas, and the strength of some parts of the financial sector," he said.
On the other hand, "dark stains" are the extent of unemployment and low buying power, especially amongst the lower middle-class, the financial stress small and medium-sized firms are experiencing, "including the very tepid credit growth, and the tragic state of our schooling".

::SCIENCE AND TECH::

Jhanvi Dangeti becomes first Indian to complete prestigious NASA program

Jahnavi Dangeti, a second-year engineering student from Palakollu in Andhra Pradesh’s West Godavari district, recently completed NASA's International Air and Space Program (IASP) at the Kennedy Space Center in Alabama.
She is the first Indian to attain this goal. This youngster has always been enthralled by the secrets of space. To top it off, her grandmother's bedtime stories about space and planets sparked her interest in space science and study. She was chosen from a group of 20 students from all over the world to receive training in zero gravity, multi-access training, and an underwater rocket launch. She has also had open water scuba diving training in a variety of locations and is an internationally certified open water scuba diver.
She was able to participate in the IASP programme after receiving a scholarship from a Mexican company. "IASP conducts flight-oriented, system-level research and technology development to effectively mature and transition advanced aeronautic technologies into future air vehicles and operational systems," the official NASA website quotes.
Dangeti, who is 19 years old, is in her second year of engineering at a private institution in Punjab. This isn't the first time Dangeti has made her country proud. She has also won a position in the India Book of Records for her achievements in various fields. She previously served as the mission director for 'Team Kennedy,' leading a group of 16 persons from different countries. Under her direction, the crew successfully launched and landed a tiny rocket. Dangeti is the vice-president of Space Magica, a new astronaut training facility for kids and the public.
She's worked as a campus ambassador for a variety of organisations, including Star (Space Technology and Aeronautical Rocketry), an Indian commercial aerospace firm. The International Organization of Aspiring Astronauts (IOAA) has Dangeti as a member. This budding space enthusiast aims to be the first Indian to set foot on Mars.

::SPORTS::

Covid knocks India out of AFC Women’s Asian Cup

“We’re more like thinking about the next test, which is tomorrow,” India head coach Thomas Dennerby told reporters, his expressions hidden under the mask, adding, “so that we don’t have any more cases.”
This was night, moments after hosts India played their first game against Iran at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, and one day after the Indian camp had reported two Covid positive cases, one of them a player.
The situation escalated rather quickly, and heartbreakingly, for the Indian team. On Sunday, India were unable to field the minimum required 13 players for their second Group A match against Chinese Taipei at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai after a dozen players returned positive tests from the 23-member squad in the bio-bubble.