Current Affairs in Short: 16 February 2022

Ravidas Jayanti observed across India today: Who was Ravidas?

•  Ravidas Jayanti was observed across the country on February 16, 2022 to mark the 645th birth anniversary of the renowned saint Ravidas. The day is observed every year on Magh Purnima.

•  Sant Ravidas was a Bhakti saint, whose devotional songs and verses created a lasting impact upon the Bhakti Movement.

•  He was born in an underprivileged family in Seer Goverdhanpur, Uttar Pradesh in the 14th century.

•  He was one of the first people to oppose the Indian caste system through his poems and teachings based on spirituality and spread the message of equality. 

Shikhar Dhawan to be named Punjab Kings Captain?

•  Shikhar Dhawan is expected to be named as the new captain of Punjab Kings, taking over the vacant position after former captain KL Rahul was released by the team upon his request.

•  Shikhar Dhawan, who was a part of Delhi Capitals previously, was bought by Punjab Kings for a deal worth Rs 8.25 crore at the IPL 2022 Mega Auction. 

•  The former Punjab Kings captain KL Rahul was drafted by the new IPL franchise, Lucknow Super Giants. He will now lead the IPL team. 

•  Dhawan was released by Delhi Capitals despite having three productive seasons and scoring over 500 runs in each of the three seasons. He scored a total of 1726 runs for the franchise. 

Kannada poet Chennaveera Kanavi passes away at 93

•  Popular Kannada writer and poet Chennaveera Kanavi passed away on February 16, 2022 due to age-related illnesses. He was 93. 

•  The veteran poet was admitted to the SDM Medical College Hospital in Dharwad where he breathed his last.

•  Chennaveera Kanavi was born in Hombal of Gadag district on June 28, 1928. He completed his schooling and college in Dharwad. 

•  He later worked as a director of Prasaranga of the Karnataka University from 1956 to 1983.

•  He received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his work Jeeva Dhwani (Poetry) in 1981.

Bengali singer Sandhya Mukhopadhyay passes away at 90

•  Legendary Bengali singer Sandhya Mukhopadhyay passed away on February 14, 2022 after a brief illness. She was 90. 

•  Mukhopadhyay took Bengali songs to new heights with a new genre of songs. She used to do playback singing for films and also released songs for Durga Puja.  

•  Her first-ever record was in 1945 and her first Durga Puja album was released in 1948. 

• She was a trained classical singer who took to different forms of singing with great ease including playback, folk songs, bhajans and Rabindra Sangeet. She trained under Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and was also associated with legends like Begum Akhtar.  

• The singer was admitted to a state-run hospital on January 28 and was then transferred to a private medical facility. 

Mithali Raj retains number 2 spot in ICC ODI women's rankings

•  Indian skipper Mithali Raj retained her world no. 2 spot in the ICC Women's ODI Batting rankings with 744 points, just behind Australia's Alyssa Healy who tops the list with 749 points. 

•  Mithali Raj recently scored 59 off 73 balls in India's 62-run defeat in the first ODI against New Zealand in Queenstown.

•  New Zealand batter Amy Satterthwaite moved up to the third spot with 730 points after a splendid show in the opening match against India by scoring 67 runs off 63 balls. She was also involved in an important partnership of 98 runs for the third wicket with opener Suzie Bates.