Current Affairs in Short: 21 January 2022

Former Indian Spinner Harbhajan Singh tests positive for COVID-19

• The former spinner of the Indian Cricket team Harbhajan Singh has tested positive for COVID-19. He announced that he has quarantined himself at home and is taking all the necessary precautions.

• In a tweet, Harbhajan Singh stated that he has tested positive with mild symptoms and is taking all the necessary precautions. He also requested those who came in contact with him to get themselves tested.

• Harbhajan Singh, in December 2021, had announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. He has a record of 295 wickets in limited-overs cricket.

• Harbhajan Singh had played his last red-ball match against Sri Lanka in 2015 while his ODI was against South Africa in the same year.

Home Minister Amit Shah to release District Governance Index

• The Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on January 22, 2022, will release the District Good Governance Index for 20 Districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

• The latest move will make Jammu and Kashmir the first Union Territory in the country to have a Good Governance Index.

• The Good Governance Index of Jammu and Kashmir was prepared by DARPG in collaboration with J&K Government.

• The index represents a major administrative reform in benchmarking good governance at the district level and will also be a significant step for the timely publication and collation of statistics at the state/district level.

Statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose to be installed at India Gate

• Prime Minister Modi has announced that a statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose will be installed at India Gate.

• The Prime Minister via Twitter said that at a time when the country is marking the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, his statue will be installed at India Gate.

• He also informed that till the time the grand statue of Netaji is completed, a hologram statue of the freedom fighter will be inaugurated on January 23, 2022.

• Earlier it was also announced that from now on the Republic Day celebrations in India will start on January 23 which is the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

Government blocks social media accounts for spreading misinformation

• The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has blocked 2 Twitter accounts, 35 Youtube Channels, 2 Instagram Accounts, 2 websites, and a Facebook account for spreading misinformation.

• As per the Joint Secretary, the common factor between all these accounts is that they operate from Pakistan and spread fake anti-India news.

• The blocked accounts by the government have contents on Kashmir, Indian Arm Forces, India’s Foreign relations as well as the death of former CDS Bipin Rawat.

• The blocked social media accounts had over 1.2 crore subscribers with a viewership of 120 crores.