Why in news?

• Debashis Mitra has been elected as the President of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) for the year 2022-23.
• Mitra, who is serving his third term in ICAI Council, has been in the accounting profession for more than 34 years. Apart from being a Chartered Accountant, he is also a Cost Accountant and a Company Secretary. He holds a master’s degree in commerce and is also a law graduate as well as a qualified Information Systems Auditor.

About Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

• The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)is the national professional accounting body of India. It was established to regulate the profession of Accountancy.
• It is the only licensing cum regulating body of the financial audit and accountancy profession in India.
• It recommends the accounting standards to be followed by companies in India to National Advisory Committee on Accounting Standards (NACAS).

Why in news?

• The Government has approved the continuation of the Scheme of Modernization of State Police Forces (MPF Scheme)for five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26. Total Central financial outlay for five years is  26,275 crores.
• The scheme is being implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) since 1969-70.
• The objective of the scheme is to gradually reduce the dependence of the State Governments on the Army and the Central Armed Police Forces to control internal security and law and order situations by equipping the State Police Forces adequately and strengthening their training infrastructure.
• The focus of the scheme is to build cutting edge level police infrastructure by the construction of secure police stations, training centres, police housing (residential), equipping the police stations with the required mobility, modern weaponry, communication equipment and forensic set-up etc.

Why in news?

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday launched the first colour souvenir coin on ‘Panchtantra’ on the occasion of 17th foundation day of Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL).
• The Panchtantra was authored by Vishnu Sharma during 200 BC. It is an ancient Indian collection of interrelated animal fables in Sanskrit verse and prose.
• About SPMCIL–
  • It is a wholly owned Schedule ’A’ Miniratna Category-I company of Government of India.
  • It is involved in the manufacture/ production of currency and bank notes, security paper, Non Judicial Stamp Papers, Postal Stamps and stationery, Travel Documents, Cheques, Bonds, Warrant, Special certificates with security features etc.

Why in news?

• The National Health Authority on Friday announced the integration of its flagship Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission with the Aarogya Setu app, allowing users to create the 14-digit unique Ayushman Bharat Health Account numbers from the app.
• This integration takes the benefits of the Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) number to the Aarogya Setu user base.
• People can use their ABHA number to link their existing and new medical records, including doctor prescriptions, lab reports and hospital records and also share those with health professionals and health service providers.
• Aarogya Setu app has a huge active user base and is already being used for COVID-19 related contact tracing to check risk factors, vaccine booking, certificate download and status check, among other things. This integration with ABDM will add another feature of generating ABHA numbers for the app users.

Why in news?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid tributes to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay on his death anniversary.

About Deen Dayal Upadhyay

• He was a visionary and leader of Bharatiya Jan Sangh, forerunner of present day Bharatiya Janta Party.
• Contributions-
  • started the movement Ek Vidhan, Ek Nishan, Ek Pradhan( One Constitution, one Flag, One Prime Minister)
  • Publication- Journalist in ‘Rashtra Dharma’ daily, worked as editor for ‘Panchjanya’ and wrote a column named Political Diary for the weekly The Organiser’.
  • He established the publishing house ‘Rashtra Dharma Prakashan’ in Lucknow.
• His philosophies of ‘Integral Humanism’ and ‘Antyodaya’ provide inspiration to many to serve the nation and the downtrodden.

Why in news?

• As per the TomTom Traffic Index Ranking 2021,Mumbai has been ranked at 5th, Bengaluru at 10th in terms of the most congested cities in the world in 2021.
• Delhi and Pune ranked 11th and 21st among 404 cities across 58 countries, according to TomTom Traffic Index’s global top 25 lists.
• Istanbul, Turkey has been declared as the most congested city in the world as per the ranking. while Moscow came in second.
• The ranking covers 404 cities across 58 countries. The report said India’s congestion level in 2021 was 23% lower than pre-Covid times, with a decrease of 31% specifically during peak hours.
• In 2020, the traffic congestion in three Indian metros- Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi – made it to the top 10 list.

Why in news?

• National Productivity Day is observed every year in India on February 12.
• The objective of the National Productivity Council is to stimulate and promote productivity and quality consciousness across all sectors in the country.
• The main observance of the day is to encourage all stakeholders in the implementation of productivity tools and techniques with contemporary relevant themes.
• The day is celebrated by the National Productivity Council (NPC)to promote productivity culture in India.
• National Productivity Council (NPC) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Government of India is a premier institution for propagating productivity movement in India. NPC works for providing solutions towards accelerating productivity, enhancing competitiveness, increasing productivity.

Why in news?

• Department of Social Justice & Empowerment launched the “SMILE: Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise” scheme on February 12, 2022, in New Delhi.

About SMILE Scheme

• SMILE is a Central Sector scheme. It was launched by Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment. The scheme has been designed for providing welfare measures to Transgender community and people engaged in begging.
• The scheme comprises of two sub-schemes namely,
  • Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons.
  • Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging.
• Objectives of the scheme- SMILE scheme seeks to strengthens and expands the reach of Rights that give necessary legal protection and secured life to targeted group. It keeps in mind the social security required through multiple dimensions of identity, education, medical care, shelter, and occupational opportunities.
• Ministry has allocated Rs. 365 Crore for the scheme for the financial year 2021-22 to 2025-26.
• Components of ‘Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons’
• It includes:
  • Scholarships for Transgender Students studying in IX and till post-graduation to complete their education.
  • Skill Development and Livelihood under PM-DAKSH scheme
  • Composite Medical Health package in convergence with PM-JAY to support Gender-Reaffirmation surgeries through selected hospitals
  • Shelter Homes ‘Garima Greh’, where all the basis facilities (food, clothing, medical support) recreational facilities and skill development opportunities, will be provided.
  • Transgender Protection Cell will be set up in each state for monitoring cases of offences and ensuring timely registration, investigation and prosecution.
• Components of ‘Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging’
  • Survey and Identification of beneficiaries by Implementing Agencies.
  • Outreach work will be done for mobilising the persons engaged in begging to avail services available in Shelter Homes.
  • Shelter homes will facilitate education for children engaged in the act of Begging.

Why in news?

• Luc Montagnier,a French virologist who shared a Nobel Prize in 2008 for discovering the virus that causes AIDS, passed away. He was 89.
• Luc Antoine Montagnier (born 18 August 1932) was a French virologist and joint recipient, with Françoise Barre-Sinoussi and Harald Zur Hausen, of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
• He has worked as a researcher at the Pasteur Institute in Paris and as a full-time professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China.
• The discovery of H.I.V. began in Paris on Jan. 3, 1983 when Dr. Montagnier, who directed the Viral Oncology Unit at the Pasteur Institute, received a piece of the lymph node that had been removed from a 33-year-old man with AIDS.

Why in news?

• India has ranked 46^th position in the 2021 Democracy Index’s global ranking, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit.
• With the highest score of 9.75, Norway topped the Democracy Index 2021 by Economist Intelligence.
• India scored 6.91 to rank 46th on the list. Pakistan has been placed further below in the hybrid regime with a rank of 104.
• Top 10 countries in the list: Norway, New Zealand, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, Ireland, Taiwan, Australia, Switzerland.

About Economist Intelligence Unit

• The Economist Intelligence Unit is the research and analysis division of the Economist Group, providing forecasting and advisory services through research and analysis, such as monthly country reports, five-year country economic forecasts, country risk service reports, and industry reports
• The Economist Intelligence Unit was founded in 1946.
• Its headquarters are located in London.