NATIONAL NEWS

Revised Rural Area Development Plan Formulation and Implementation (RADPFI) Guidelines

• Shri Giriraj Singh called upon Panchayati Raj Institutions to take the RADPFI Guidelines as a “Sankalp Patra ” for vision India 2047.
• RADPFI Guidelines will help in improving the quality of life in rural areas, says Shri Giriraj Singh
• All Panchayati Raj Institutions should have a vision for respective Panchayats for the next twenty-five years till India’s centenary of Independence in 2047.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

AIIB invests $150 mn in Data Center Development

• Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a multilateral development bank has committed USD 150 million to invest in the development of data centers that mostly serve emerging Asia.
•  This project is being AIIB’s 1st data center project. India is a key founding member of AIIB.
• AIIB’s investment of USD 100 million through a parallel fund structure and USD 50 million through co-investments mark the final close of KDCF II, a development fund making strategic investments in the fast-growing data center sector with a focus on the Asia Pacific.

ABOUT AIIB

• Headquarters: Beijing, China.
• Member: 105 Members.
• Foundation: 16 January 2016.
• Head: Jin Liqun.

BANKING

Fullerton India partners with Paytm

• Fullerton India and Paytm will further expand their product offerings to include instant personal loans, which are end-to-end digitally originated and disbursed using Paytm’s technology and Fullerton’s pan India presence.
• Leveraging Paytm’s deep insights and engagement with merchants, the partnership will also offer merchant loans across the country.
• The two institutions would establish a wide network, specifically catering to MSMEs across small cities and towns and help them grow their business.

ABOUT Fullerton

• Fullerton India CEO : Shantanu Mitra.
• HQ : Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Saa₹thi Mobile App

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on January 19, 2022, launched Saa ₹thi, a mobile app on investor education.
• The app will create awareness among investors about basic concepts of the securities market, KYC (Know Your Customer) process, mutual funds, trading and settlement, recent market developments and investor grievance redressal mechanism, among others.

ABOUT SEBI

• Established on 12 April 1988 and given Statutory Powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992.
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Chairperson: Ajay Tyagi

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Voters Day 2022 celebrated on January 25

• The 12th National Voters’ Day is being celebrated on 25 January 2022.
•  The theme for the year’s voters’ day is ‘Making Elections Inclusive, Accessible and Participative’.
• Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu will be the Chief Guest at the national function being organized in New Delhi . However, due to his inability to attend the function
• Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju will be the Guest of Honor.
• On the occasion, National Awards for the Best Electoral Practices for the year 2021-22 will be conferred on State and District level officers for their outstanding performance in the conduct of elections in different spheres such as IT initiatives, Security Management, Election Management, Accessible Elections and contribution in the field of voter awareness and outreach.
• National Voters Day was first celebrated in 2011  on Election Commission's 61st foundation day.

National Tourism Day 2022 celebrated on 25 January

• National Tourism Day is celebrated across the country on January 25 every year to appreciate India’s beauty and spread awareness about the importance of tourism and its impact on the economy.
•  The ministry of tourism is observing National Tourism Day under the aegis of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, a 75-week grand celebration to mark 75 years of India’s independence.
•  This year’s theme for National Tourism Day is ‘Rural and Community Centric Tourism’.

73^rd Republic Day on 26 January 2022

• India is celebrating the 73 rd Republic Day on 26 January 2022. The celebrations this year are special as India is in the 75th year of Independence - being celebrated as Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• Republic Day is celebrated on January 26 every year to remember the day when the Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950.
• According to the Ministry of Defence , for the first time, an Indian Air Force performed grand fly-past by 75 aircraft or helicopters.
• A drone show by 1000 indigenously developed drones has been planned for the ‘Beating the Retreat’ ceremony, along with projection mapping was shown for the first time.

AWARDS / PRIZES

Dhaka International Film Festival

• P S Vinothraj directed film Koozhangal from India won the best film award in the Asian Film Competition section at the 20th Dhaka International Film Festival held in Dhaka.

Award for different categories:

• The best actor award - Jayasurya for Ranjith Sankar-directed film “Sunny”.
• The Best Script Writer Award - Indranil Roychowdhury and Sugata Sinha for Indranil Roychowdhury-directed Ind0-Bangla film “Mayar Jonjal”.
• The special audience award - Aimee Baruah Directed film ‘Semkhor”.
• The best director award - Sujit Bidari directed the film “Aina Jhyal Ko Putali” from Nepal.
• In the Women film maker’s section, the best feature film award - Maryam Bahrololumi-directed film “Shahrbanoo (Lady from the City)” from Iran.
• Two Bangladeshi films, Nurul Alam Atique-directed Lal Moroger Jhuti and N Rashed Chowdhury-directed Chandrabati Kotha got the Audience Award.
• Information and Broadcasting Minister of Bangladesh Hasan Mahmud gave away the awards as Chief Guest during the concluding session organized at the National Museum auditorium in Dhaka.

OBITUARIES NEWS

Archeologist R Nagaswamy passes away in Chennai

• Renowned archeologist, art historian and Padma Bhushan awardee R Nagaswamy, who was the first director of Tamil Nadu government’s Department of Archeology died.
• He was 91. He has authored more than 100 books and his latest book was Senthamizh Naadum Pandbum, published in January 2022.