Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 14 February 2022

SSC CGL Current Affairs

Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 14 February 2022

::NATIONAL::

Anna Hazare ‘suspends’ proposed hunger strike against Mahagovt's wine policy

The social activist said on Sunday the state govt has assured him it will consider citizens' views before going ahead with the decision to allow sale of wine at walk-in stores and supermarkets.
Social activist Anna Hazare, who announced last week he will sit on an indefinite hunger strike from February 14 against the Maharashtra government's policy to allow sale of wine at walk-in stores and supermarkets, declared on Sunday he has ‘suspended’ the strike as the state government has assured him it will consider citizens' views before going ahead with the decision.
“I informed the villagers that the government has decided to put up the cabinet's decision before citizens for their suggestions and objections and only after their approval, a final decision will be taken. Hence, I have decided to suspend tomorrow's hunger strike,” Hazare said after a ‘gram sabha’ in his native village of Ralegan Siddhi in the state's Ahmednagar district.
During the interaction, Hazare also remarked that ‘wine is not the culture of our state,’ adding that the sale of liquor will ‘destroy our culture.’
“There are several beer bars, permit rooms and shops to sell wine, then why should the ruling dispensation sell it in supermarkets and grocery stores? Does it want to spread addiction?” he added.
Earlier, the anti-corruption activist, who, in 2011, led the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement against the then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre, wrote to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, demanding that the policy be scrapped ‘immediately.’
Under the policy, as announced by the ruling MahaVikasAghadi (MVA) alliance--the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress--supermarkets and shops measuring 1,000 square feet and above can sell wine by paying a licence fee; however, norms in place for liquor sale will have to be followed.

::INTERNATIONAL::

4th Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting was held in Melbourne; Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, Japan and the US participated

The external affairs minister is on his first visit to Australia since assuming office. This is the fourth meeting of the foreign ministers of the four Quad nations.
Jaishankar is on an official visit to Australia from February 10-13 at the invitation of his Australian counterpart Marise Payne, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a release. The MEA also said that this will be his first visit as External Affairs Minister to Australia.
Australia is hosting India, Japan and the United States for the fourth Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting and the top diplomats are seeking to bolster cooperation in areas including economy, security, coronavirus pandemic and free and open Indo-Pacific.
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) is a partnership of four nations, each of whom shares a commitment to openness, transparency and challenges coming out of the current global order.
This is the first time Quad Foreign Ministers are meeting since the two Quad Summits last year. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne will be joining Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Hayashi Yoshimasa, and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss the positive and ambitious agenda of the Quad.
They will be discussing ongoing Quad cooperation in their bilateral phone calls and meetings. Since there is a robust bilateral cooperation between the four countries, they are building on their institutional linkages to further Quad cooperation in areas such as healthcare, infrastructure, space, education etc.
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, who will host the four ministers, said that she is looking forward to welcoming foreign ministers of all four countries to discuss our positive and ambitious agenda in support of a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
"We will continue to work to deepen this practical cooperation, including to support our region's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. We will discuss our work together on vaccine distribution in our region, cyber and critical technology, countering disinformation, counterterrorism, maritime security, humanitarian and disaster response, and climate change," she added.
Payne said that Quad partners will continue to champion ASEAN's centrality for the region's stability and prosperity, including by supporting the practical implementation of ASEAN's Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

::ECONOMY::

Union Minister NitinGadkari inaugurates 14.5 km long rail-cum-road-bridge over Ganga River at Munger in Bihar

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, NitinGadkari, inaugurated the 14.5 km long rail-cum-road-bridge over the Ganga river at Munger in Bihar through video conferencing yesterday. The bridge has been constructed on NH 333B at the cost of 696 crore rupees.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said, under the leadership of Prime Minister NarendraModi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the NDA government is committed to empowering every city and village of Bihar with better connectivity. He said, one of the major tourist and pilgrimage sites of Bihar, the city of Munger is known for its rich ancient history, culture, education and commerce.
He said, with the construction of this bridge, the distance from Munger to Khagaria will be less than 100 km and the distance from Munger to Begusarai will be less than 20 km. He said, there will be a saving of three hours in traveling from Munger to Khagaria – Saharsa and 45 minutes in traveling from Munger to Begusarai – Samastipur.
The Minister said, this rail-cum-road-bridge will get rid of traffic jams, fuel will be saved and traffic will accelerate.
MrGadkari said there will be an increase in tourism, agriculture and industry, which will increase employment. He said this project will bring progress and prosperity in the entire region, which will prove to be a milestone in the progress of the state of Bihar and the country
The Minister said green fuels including green hydrogen, LNG, Ethanol and Methanol are fuels of the future and his ministry is pushing for the manufacture and use of these environment-friendly substances.
MrGadkari said agriculture-based states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have huge potential in the ethanol sector. He said, a paradigm shift is going to take place in the automobile sector with thrust on ethanol-blended vehicles, green hydrogen and electric vehicles

::SCIENCE AND TECH::

Isro's PSLV-C52 lifts off with earth observation and 2 small satellites

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C52) blasted off at 05:59am from the first launch Pad of SatishDhawan Space Centre, marking the space agency's first mission launch in 2022.
Isro's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C52 blasted off from the First Launch Pad of SatishDhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota at the scheduled time of 5:59am on Monday morning. The launch vehicle carrying earth observation satellite EOS-04 along with two co-passenger payloads – INSPIREsat-1 and INS-2TD – lifted off from the spaceport at the end of a 25-hour countdown, marking the Indian space agency's first mission launch in 2022.
PSLV-C52 injected EOS-04 into an intended sun-synchronous polar orbit of 529km altitude at 0617am IST, said the Indian Space Research Organisation.
EOS-04 is a Radar Imaging Satellite designed to provide high-quality images under all weather conditions. The images can be used for agriculture, forestry and plantations, soil moisture and hydrology and flood mapping.

::SPORTS::

FIH Men's Pro League: India beat South Africa 10-2

India overcame Saturday's shock defeat to France with a scintillating 10-2 win against hosts South Africa in the FIH Men's Hockey Pro League 2022 on 13-02-2022.
Drag flick specialist Harmanpreet Singh (36', 52', 60', 60') starred in the match with four sensational goals while Surender Kumar (15'), ShilanandLakra (27', 48'), Mandeep Singh (28'), Sumit (45') and Shamsher Singh (56') scored to ensure India ended their South African sojourn on a winning note. For South Africa, Daniel Bell (12') and Connor Beauchamp (53') scored goals.
Earlier in the match, both teams displayed high-intensity hockey offering some thrilling moments for hockey buffs. While it was India who was quick to create a scoring opportunity through a PC in the very first minute of the game, India's ace drag-flicker Harmanpreet's drive was well blocked by the South African defenders.