Why in news?

• IAS Vineet Joshi has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
• He replaces IAS Manoj Ahuja, who has been appointed as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
• Mr Joshi, a 1992-batch IAS officer of the Manipur cadre, is an Additional Secretary, Department of Higher Education, under the Ministry of Education. He is also the Director-General of the National Testing Agency (NTA). In 2010 as well he got the responsibility of CBSE chairman.

Why in news?

• As per India Justice report, the number of under trials in prisons rose sharply in 2020 even as the number of convicts fell, resulting in under trials accounting for over three-fourths (75%)of all those in jail, the highest proportion in at least a decade.
• The highest increase in the proportion of undertrials was in Punjab, where it jumped from 66% in 2019 to 85% in 2020 followed by Haryana, where it jumped from 64% to 82% and MP where it went from 54% to almost 70%. Chhattisgarh saw an over 10% increase in the proportion of under trials.
• An undertrial is an unconvicted prisoner who is on trial in a court of law.
• Reasons for increase in number of undertrials- low population to judge ratio, delayed investigation, shortage of public prosecutors, most undertrials being poor, illiterate and belonging to marginalised communities etc.
• Measures taken-
  • Establishment of Fast track Courts.
  • E-prisons project to introduce efficiency in prison management.
  • Model Prison Manual 2016 provides information about legal services available to prison inmates.
  • Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records(FASTER) Scheme by Supreme Court on bail orders.
  • Free legal services to undertrials by NALSA.

Why in news?

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on increased the cap on e-RUPI vouchers issued by the central and state governments from the existing Rs 10,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per voucher.
• The central bank has also permitted such e-RUPI vouchers to be used more than once until the amount of the voucher is completely redeemed.

About e-Rupi Digital Voucher

• The e-RUPI is a prepaid digital voucher, which a beneficiary gets on his phone in form of an SMS or QR code, to facilitate cashless payment for various services like donations, corporate gift vouchers, etc.
• It is developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and was launched in August 2021.
• It allows users to redeem voucher without a card, digital payments app or internet banking access.
• It does not require beneficiaries to have a bank account and works on basic phones.

Why in news?

• River Devika rejuvenation Project is expected to completed by June 2022.
• Devika project as North India’s first ever river rejuvenation Project on the lines of Namami Ganga, will offer a unique destination both to the pilgrim tourists as well as recreation tourists.
• The project included the construction of three sewage treatment plants of 8 MLD, 4 MLD and 1.6 MLD capacity, sewerage network of 129.27 km, development of two cremation ghats, protection fencing and landscaping, small hydropower plants and three solar power plants.

About River Devika

• Devika river originates from the hilly Suddha Mahadev temple in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir and flows down towards western Punjab (now in Pakistan) where it merges with the Ravi river.
• Devika river also holds great religious significance as it is revered by Hindus as the sister of river Ganga.

Why in news?

• Government had released a pictorial book on India’s Women Unsung Heroes of Freedom Struggle as part of Azadi ka Mahotsav which narrates the tales of valor of Rani Abbakka.

About Rani Abbakka Chowta

• Rani Abbaka Chowta was the first Tuluva Queen of Ullal.
• She fought the Portuguese in latter half of the 16th century. The queen belonged to the Chowta dynasty, who ruled over parts of coastal Karnataka (Tulu Nadu).
• Capital of the dynasty was Puttige. The port town of Ullal was their subsidiary capital.
• Ullal was strategically placed because of which, the Portuguese made several attempts to capture it. But the queen repulsed their attacks for over four decades. She came to be known as Abhaya Rani, because of her bravery.

Why in news?

• llker Ayci has been appointed as the new CEO and MD of Air India.
• He was previously serving as the Chairman of Turkish Airlines and was on the board of the company before that.
• Ilker Ayci will take charge of his new role on or before April 1, 2022.

About Ilker Ayci

• Born in Istanbul in 1971, Ilker Ayci is a 1994 alumni of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Bilkent University.
• He also did research on political science at UK’s Leeds University in 1995. He then did International Relations from Marmara University in Istanbul in 1997.
• He was serving as the Chairman of Turkish Airlines from 2015 to 2022.
• He has also previously served as the advisor of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 1994.
• Ilker Ayci expressed delight at being chosen for the post. He said that he is honoured to accept the privilege of leading the iconic airline and join the Tata Group.
• He said that by working closely with his colleagues at Air India and Tata Group, they will utilize Air India’s strong heritage to make it one of the best airlines in the world.

Why in news?

• The world-famous Jaisalmer Desert Festival is also known as Maru Mahotsav of the Golden City began at Pokaran.
• The four-day-long festival started with colourful grand procession followed by Miss Pokaran and Mister Pokran competitions.
• Tourism department of Rajasthan associating with district administration is organising Maru Mahotsav this time after two years break due to spread of covid pandemic.
• Four days long festival comprises of various tourist-attracting competitions including Turban tying,  Panihari Matka , Mehandi and mandana competitions. Camel Safari and Camel beautification shows are also scheduled to be organized.
• Festival will conclude with Horse race, Camel dance and attractive firework display on 16^th of February.

Why in news?

• The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar jointly inaugurated the 14.5-kilometre long ‘Rail-cum-Road-Bridge’ in Bihar.
• The much-awaited bridge is constructed over the River Ganga on NH 333B in Bihar’s Munger region. The cost of the ‘Rail-cum-Road-Bridge’ project is Rs 696 crore.
• The new bridge will reduce travel time, give a boost to tourism, agriculture as well as generate employment opportunities.

Why in news?

• International Epilepsy Day is observed every year on the Second Monday of February across the world. In 2022, International Epilepsy Day falls on February 14, 2022.
• International Epilepsy Day seeks to raise awareness and educate the general public on the true facts about epilepsy and the urgent need for improved treatment, better care, and greater investment in research.
• The day is organised jointly by the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) to raise awareness about epilepsy and highlight the kinds of problems faced by victims, their friends and family.
• Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that makes a person go through sudden and recurrent episodes of sensory disturbances.

Why in news?

• In the 15th Edition of ESPN cricinfo Awards, India’s wicketkeeper-batsman, Rishabh Pant wins the ‘Test Batting’ award by scoring 89 not out, helped India to win the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2021 by (2-1) and shattered Australia’s unbeaten record at Gabba after 32 years.
• Rishabh Pant was the top scorer of the series for the Indian team, scoring (274 runs).

Other winners

• New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was adjudged ‘Captain of the Year’.
• The Test bowling award went to Kyle Jamieson (New Zealand)
• England fast bowler Ollie Robinson was named Debutant of the Year.
• Saqib Mahmood’s 4 for 42 in a nine-wicket win over Pakistan got him the top ODI bowling prize.
• Jos Buttler won the T20I batting award.
• Fakhar Zaman(Pakistan) won the ODI top batting prize.
• Shaheen Afridi won the T20I bowling award.