Daily Current Affairs English – JANUARY 24, 2022

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a hologram statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at India Gate in New Delhi. This hologram will be in place till the work of the granite statue of Netaji is completed.
• The statue will be unveiled in the same place to mark the year-long celebration of the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
• This statue is homage to the hero of freedom by the grateful nation and will keep on reminding our institutions and generations the lesson of national duty. He said if Netaji Subhash was determined to do something, then no power could stop him.

• In a major boost to promote precision farming in India, the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has issued guidelines to make drone technology affordable to the stakeholders of this sector.
• The guidelines of “Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization” have been amended which envisages granting up to 100 percent of the cost of agriculture drones or 10 lakh rupees whichever is less to the agricultural institutes.

INTERNATIONAL

Chile president-elect Gabriel Boric unveils women-majority cabinet

• Chile president-elect Gabriel Boric unveils women-majority cabinet
• In Chile, left-wing president-elect, Gabriel Boric has announced his first cabinet giving a majority of the posts to women.
• Fourteen of the 24 new ministers announced are women, including Defence Minister Maya Fernandez, grand- daughter of socialist President Salvador Allende, who was overthrown by a military coup in 1973.

US and Japan agree to boost cooperation on pressing economic and security issues

• US and Japan have agreed to boost cooperation on pressing economic and security issues, including China, North Korea’s missiles, and Russia’s threat to Ukraine.
• Japan would host a meeting of the Quad grouping of the United States, Japan, Australia, and India in the first half of this year with Biden visiting.
• Biden had welcomed Kishida’s decision to increase defence spending and underscored the importance of sustaining these vital investments over time.

ECONOMY

India emerges as largest exporters of cucumber, gherkins in the world

• India has emerged as the largest exporter of cucumber and gherkins in the world. India has exported cucumber and gherkins to the tune of over one lakh 23 thousand Metric Tonnes with a value of 114 million US dollar during April to October 2020-21.

Ministry of Labor & Employment releases provisional payroll data of EPFO

• Ministry of Labor and Employment released the provisional payroll data of EPFO. The ministry said that EPFO added 13 lakh 95 thousand net subscribers during the month of November last year, showing an increase of around 2 lakh 85 thousand net additions over the previous month of October last year with a growth rate of nearly 26 percent.
• The total 13,95,000 net subscribers added during the month and 8 lakh 28 thousand new members have come under the social security cover of EPFO for the first time.

All-India CPI Numbers for agricultural, rural labourers for Dec increased by 5 points

• The All-India Consumer Price Index Numbers for Agricultural laborers for December has increased by 5 points to stand at one thousand and 97.
• The rise and fall in the index varied from State to State. In case of Agricultural Laborers, it recorded an increase of 1 to 20 points in 11 States and a decrease of 1 to 12 points in 8 States while it remained stationary for Odisha.

World Bank says Indian economy to grow at 8.3 percent during current

• World Bank has said that Indian economy is expected to grow at 8.3 percent in the current financial year. It has upgraded India’s GDP growth for the next fiscal to 8.7 percent, reflecting higher investment from the private sector and in infrastructure, and dividends from ongoing reforms.
• It said, global economic growth will dip to 4.1 percent in current financial year and 3.2 percent in the next fiscal.

India, UK launch negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement

• India and the UK have formally launched negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between two countries.
• The India-UK bilateral trading relationship is already significant, and both sides have agreed to double that bilateral trade by 2030, as part of Roadmap 2030 announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in May last year.
• Both parties have agreed that the first round of negotiations will begin on 17th of January, and future rounds of negotiations will take place approximately every five weeks.