(CONSOLIDATION

1 Current Affairs (CONSOLIDATION)January 2022 (Part I)Drishti, 641, First Floor, Dr. Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009 Phone: 87501 87501, WhatsApp: 92058 85200, IVR: 8010-440-440 Email: and Governance ..1 zProtecting Vulnerable Witnesses: SC ..1 zLok Adalat ..2 zRight to Privacy ..3 zUnemployment in India ..4 zLanguage of Courts in India ..5 zIncreased Election Expenditure Limit ..7 zProtection of Women from Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act, 2013 ..8 zCriminalising Marital Rape ..9 zAssam-Meghalaya Border Dispute ..10 zKrishna Water Dispute ..11 zSurvey of Defence Land using Modern Technology ..13 zIndia s e-passports: Passport Seva Programme (PSP).

2 13 zUniform Civil Code ..14 zPMFME Scheme ..16 zIncome Criterion Remains for EWS Quota ..17 zState of India s Dams ..19 zSuspension of MLAs ..20 zChallenges in India s Rooftop Solar Program ..21 zCitizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 ..22 zDraft National Air Sports Policy ..23 zStatehood Demand by Puducherry ..24 zJal Jeevan Mission ..26 zDefence Research and Development Organisation ..26 z7 Years of UJALA Scheme ..27 zGreen Energy Corridor ..28 zNational Water Awards ..29 Economic Scenario ..30 zGlobal Risks Report 2022 ..30 zIndia & Free Trade zFisheries Startup Grand Challenge ..33 zQuarterly Employment Survey.

3 33 zDeveloping Country Tag to China: WTO ..34 zIndia to become Asia s 2nd largest Economy by 2030 ..36 zIRDAI Proposes a Separate Regulator for Healthcare Segment ..37 zSemiconductor Shortage ..38 zGST Compensation Extension ..39 zFinancial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill ..41 zFirst Advance Estimates for GDP ..42 zSweet Revolution ..42 zIndia s Appeal at WTO ..43 ContentsInternational Relations ..46 zNATO-Russia Council Talks ..46 zCooperation and Mutual Assistance in Customs: India-Spain ..47 zUnrest in Kazakhstan ..48 zChina Builds Bridge across Pangong Lake ..50 zIndia-China Military Talks ..51 zIndia- UK Free Trade Agreement.

4 52 zAmerican Sanctions Over North Korea ..54 zIndia- South Korea Trade Talks ..55 zAsian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) ..57 zUnited Nation Security Council ..58 zCrisis in Sudan ..59 zProhibition of Attacks against Nuclear Installations and Facilities: zPledge to Stop Nuclear Proliferation: Permanent Five of UNSC ..61 zChina s New Border Law ..63 zDalai Lama ..64 zNew Bridge: India & Nepal ..65 zMoU in the field of Disaster Management: India -Turkmenistan ..67 zHomeland Security Dialogue between India and US ..67 Social Issues ..70 zRecognition of Transgender Persons in Indian Prisons ..70 zFaecal Sludge and Septage Management.

5 71 zProhibition Laws and Issues ..72 zGuidelines for Universal Accessibility ..73 zNEAT Initiative ..74 Science & Technology ..76 zMillimetre Wave band in zSecuring Internet of Things ..77 zSolid-State Batteries ..79 zOpen Source Software Platform ..80 zUse of Drones Technology ..81 zNew ISRO Chairman S. & Ecology ..85 zSolar Waste ..85 zVehicular Emissions in India ..86 zMeeting Emission Norms: Coal-based Power Plants ..88 zBioenergy Crops Create Cooling Effect on Cultivated Areas ..89 zIndia State of Forest Report-2021 ..90 zDeforestation in Cerrado: Brazil ..92 zAquamation ..94 History ..96 zRani Lakshmibai.

6 96 zMaya Civilization ..97 Art and Culture ..98 zPRASHAD Projects ..98 zKathak ..99 zKala Kumbh-Artist Workshops ..100 zMakar Sankranti ..101 zJagannath Temple Act, 1954 ..101 Security ..103 zAFSPA Extended in Nagaland ..103 zIndigenous Aircraft Carrier ..104 zIndian Army Day ..106 Miscellaneous ..107 zNari Shakti Puraskar 2021 ..107 zAnimal to Human Transplants (Xenotransplantation) ..108 zAfrican Swine Fever ..108 zGateway of Hell: Turkmenistan ..110 zPravasi Bharatiya Divas 2022 ..110 zCollective Security Treaty Organisation ..111 zGharials ..112 zTracking Animals through e-DNA ..113 zReintroduction of Cheetah.

7 114 zSmart Cities and Academia Towards Action & Research ..115 zMaharaja Bir Bikram Airport: Tripura ..116 zIHU Variant of Covid-19 ..117 zCore Sectors Industries ..118 zFirst Multi-Dimensional Adventure Sports Expedition: NIMAS ..118 zOne Nation-One Grid-One Frequency: National Grid ..119 zPadhe Bharat Campaign ..120 zAyush Aahaar ..121 zSea Dragon 22 Exercise ..121 zOmisure Kit ..121 zChilika Lake: Odisha ..122 zVeer Baal Diwas ..123 zWorld Hindi Day ..124 zNational Youth Day 2022 ..124 zMeteorite (ALH) 84001 ..125 CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2022 1 and Governance zProtecting Vulnerable Witnesses: SC zLok Adalat zRight to Privacy zUnemployment in India zLanguage of Courts in India zIncreased Election Expenditure Limit zProtection of Women from Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act, 2013 zCriminalising Marital Rape zAssam-Meghalaya Border Dispute zKrishna Water Dispute zSurvey of Defence Land using Modern Technology zIndia s e-passports.

8 Passport Seva Programme (PSP) zUniform Civil Code zPMFME Scheme zIncome Criterion Remains for EWS Quota zState of India s Dams zSuspension of MLAs zChallenges in India s Rooftop Solar Program zCitizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 zDraft National Air Sports Policy zStatehood Demand by Puducherry zJal Jeevan Mission zDefence Research and Development Organisation z7 Years of UJALA Scheme zGreen Energy Corridor zNational Water AwardsHighlightsProtecting Vulnerable Witnesses: SCWhy in NewsRecently, the Supreme Court (SC) expanded the meaning of vulnerable witnesses to also include among others sexual assault victims, those with mental illness and people with speech or hearing impairment.

9 The SC referred to a verdict of 1996 in which it had passed similar directions, then in 2004 and in 2017, when it had asked all the High Courts of the country to adopt the guidelines prepared by the Delhi High Court in 2017 for vulnerable Points Vulnerable Witnesses: Vulnerable witnesses will not be limited to mean only child witnesses. It will also include Age-neutral victims of sexual assault. Gender-neutral victims of sexual assault, under section 377 IPC (unnatural offences). Witnesses suffering from mental illness as defined in Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. Witnesses with threat perception and any speech or hearing impaired individual or person suffering from any other disability.

10 Vulnerable Witness Deposition Centre (VWDC): The SC directed that all High Court s (HC) adopt and notify a Vulnerable Witness Deposition Centre (VWDC) scheme within a period of two months. VWDC will provide a safe and barrier-free environment for recording the evidence of vulnerable witnesses. The SC asked HC s to ensure that there is one VWDC in each district. These VDWC should be established in close proximity to Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) centres. Sensitising Stakeholders: The SC also pointed to the importance of conducting training programs to manage VWDC and sensitising all stakeholders including members of the bar, bench and staff.