Current Affairs for BANK, IBPS Exams - 23 January 2022

::National::

Niti Aayog plans to set up EV charging infra at railway stations

The Niti Aayog has prepared a draft policy for the Indian Railways to set up electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure at railway stations across the country, in a bid to promote the use of such vehicles. The draft policy, which has been shared with the ministry of railways, also recommends supply of renewable energy to the charging facilities in line with Indian Railways’ aim to become net-zero carbon emitter by 2030.
The policy is under discussion with the ministry of railways, said Amitabh Kant, Niti Aayog’s chief executive officer. The apex public policy think tank has recommended that while the railways can plan to put in place EV charging facilities at all stations in a phased manner till 2030, the facility can be immediately provided at 123 redeveloped railway stations.
“Railway stations are landmark locations and they play a unique role in the entire transport sector, which make them strategic locations for providing public charging solutions for EVs,” Kant said. Niti Aayog officials have recently discussed the draft policy with the railway ministry officials. Rajeev Jain, additional director general, PR, railway ministry, said, “We have very recently received the communication. We are working on it.”
Under the Centre’s FAME-II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and EV) scheme, the push is towards adoption of EVs, especially in public and shared transportation, in a big way in the country. The aim is to support approximately 7,000 e-buses, 500,000 electric three-wheelers, 55,000 electric four-wheeler passenger cars and one million electric two-wheelers through subsidy, said a NitiAayog official.
For this, providing a good and accessible EV charging infrastructure network is critical. While the Centre has taken several initiatives to scale up EV charging facilities, NITI officials said, railway stations can provide a secure and accessible charging infrastructure to city residents.

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::International::

‘Plot to install pro-Russia regime in Ukraine’

The UK government has taken the unusual step of making a formal statement to warn of a Russian plot to install a pro-Kremlin leader in Ukraine amid growing tensions in the region.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) named former Ukrainian MP Yevhen Murayev as a potential Kremlin candidate and once again warned Russia of “severe costs” of activities to subvert Ukraine.
“The information being released today shines light on the extent of Russian activity designed to subvert Ukraine, and is an insight into Kremlin’s thinking,” UK foreign secretary Liz Truss said in a statement.
Russia rejected a British claim that Russia was seeking to replace Ukraine’s government with a pro-Moscow administration.
“The disinformation spread by the British Foreign Office is more evidence that it is the Nato countries, led by the Anglo-Saxons, who are escalating tensions around Ukraine,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on the Telegram messaging app on Sunday. “We call on the British Foreign Office to stop provocative activities, stop spreading nonsense.”
The White House called the UK government assessment “deeply concerning” and said it stands with the duly elected Ukrainian government. “This kind of plotting is deeply concerning,” National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said.
Meanwhile, US secretary of state Antony Blinken on Sunday rebuffed the idea of imposing economic sanctions on Russia now, saying that doing so would undercut the West’s ability to deter potential Russian aggression against Ukraine.

::Economy::

UNCTAD Report: FDI inflows into India to decline by 26% in 2021

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows to India dropped 26 per cent in 2021 as compared with the previous year as large mergers and acquisitions deals recorded in 2020 were not repeated, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) data showed.
"FDI flows to India were 26 per cent lower, mainly because large M & A deals recorded in 2020 were not repeated," according to UNCTAD's Investment Trends Monitor published on 19 January.
Global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows showed a strong rebound in 2021, up 77 per cent to an estimated $1.65 trillion, from $929 billion in 2020, surpassing their pre-COVID-19 level.
"Recovery of investment flows to developing countries is encouraging, but stagnation of new investment in least developed countries in industries important for productive capacities, and key Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) sectors - such as electricity, food or health - is a major cause for concern," UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan said in a statement.
Developed economies saw the biggest rise by far, with FDI reaching an estimated $777 billion in 2021 - three times the exceptionally low level in 2020, the report shows.
In Europe, more than 80 per cent of the increase in flows was due to large swings in conduit economies. Inflows in the United States more than doubled, with the increase entirely accounted for by a surge in cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M & As).
FDI flows in developing economies increased by 30 per cent to nearly $870 billion, with a growth acceleration in East and South-East Asia (+20 per cent), a recovery to near pre-pandemic levels in Latin America and the Caribbean, and an uptick in West Asia.
Inflows in Africa also rose. Most recipients across the continent saw a moderate rise in FDI; the total for the region more than doubled, inflated by a single intra-firm financial transaction in South Africa in the second half of 2021.
Of the total increase in global FDI flows in 2021 ($718 billion), more than $500 billion, or almost three quarters, was recorded in developed economies. Developing economies, especially least developed countries (LDCs), saw more modest recovery growth.

Govt. to promote Drone use in Agriculture for precision farming in the country

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 upto 100 percent of the cost of agriculture drones or 10 lakh rupees whichever is less to the agricultural institutes.
The grant will be provided for the purchase of drones by the Farm Machinery Training and, Testing Institutes, ICAR institutes, Krishi Vigyan Kendras and State Agriculture Universities for taking up large-scale demonstrations of this technology on the farmers’ fields.

::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.

::Sport::

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.