• Ace Indian shuttler, PV Sindhu has bagged the women’s singles title at the Syed Modi International Tournament in Lucknow. Sindhu beat fellow Indian Malvika Bansod 21-13 21-16 to win her second Syed Modi title after 2017.The 2022 Syed Modi International badminton tournament was held at Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh from 18 to 23 January 2022.

Winners in other categories:

• Men’s singles: Final was declared a ‘No Match’ between Arnaud Merkle and Lucas Claerbout, after one of the finalists tested positive for Covid-19.
• Men’s doubles: Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun (Malaysia)
• Women’s doubles: Anna Cheong and Teoh Mei Xing (Malaysia)
• Mixed Doubles: Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Castro (India).

• The Syed Modi International Badminton Championships is an international badminton tournament, which is held annually in India.
• In 2009, it was turned into a BWF Grand Prix event. Since then the tournament is being annually held in Lucknow at the Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium, although it was temporarily shifted to Hyderabad in 2010.

• International Day of Education is observed every year on 24th January across the world to celebrate the role of education in bringing global peace and sustainable development.
• Theme 2022: Changing Course, Transforming Education.
• It was first observed in 2019.
• United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution, proclaiming January 24 as International Day of Education on 3rd December 2018
• It is led by UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

• Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been conferred with Netaji Award 2022 by Netaji Research Bureau, based in Kolkata.
• The award was accepted by Consul General of Japan in Kolkata, Nakamura Yutaka on behalf of Shinzo Abe.
• Netaji award was presented on January 23, 2022 to commemorate 125th birth anniversary celebration of legendary freedom fighter, Subhas Chandra Bose at his Elgin Road residence in Kolkata.
• He revamped the Indian National Army (INA)

• NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) members kick off 12-day maritime exercise titled as ‘Neptune Strike ’22’ in the Mediterranean Sea.
• Naval drill will conclude on February 4, 2022.
• Aim: to demonstrate NATO’s ability to integrate high-end maritime strike capabilities of an aircraft carrier strike group
• NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance between 27 European countries, 2 North American countries, and 1 Eurasian country.

• Scientists at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), US have discovered underground ocean buried beneath the surface of ‘Death Star’ like moon of Saturn, named Mimas
• It will help the scientists in understanding Saturn’s rings and pave the way for further investigation towards possible signs of life on the planet.
• If the discovery turns out to be true, Mimas Ocean will represent a new class of small, ‘stealth’ ocean worlds.
• This report was published recently in Icarus journal

• India has emerged as the World’s largest exporter of cucumber and gherkins after exporting cucumber and gherkins to the tune of 1,23,846 Metric Tonnes with a value of USD 114 million during April-October, 2021.
• India has crossed $ 200 million mark of export of agricultural processed product, pickling cucumber, which is globally referred as gherkins or cornichons
• India had shipped 2,23,515 Metric Tonnes of cucumber and gherkins with a value of USD 223 million in 2020-21

• Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2022 has been conferred to recognize and honour invaluable contribution and selfless service by individuals and organizations in the field of disaster management

• Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (Institutional category)
• Professor Vinod Sharma (Individual category)
• Award carries a cash prize of Rs. 51 lakh and certificate in case of an institution and Rs. 5 lakh and certificate in case of an individual.

• Union Agriculture Ministry has amended guidelines of Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) to provide 40% to 100% subsidy until March 2023 in purchasing drones for farm mechanization.
• After amendment, grant for the purchase of drones up to 100% of the cost of agriculture drones or ₹10 lakhs, whichever is less.
• Existing CHCs or new ones or to be set up by cooperative society of farmers, FPOs and rural entrepreneurs are entitled to receive 40% subsidy.

• Ministry of New and Renewable Ministry (MNRE) has announced to infuse ₹1,000 crores in Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).
• It has been done to enhance the capital asset base of SECI
• As per present RBI norms, agency can extend loans on 20% of its net worth
• With infusion of Rs 1000 crore in SECI its network will increase and hence it can extend more loans.
• With this additional capital infusion, the government aims at financing renewable energy capacity of 3,300 MW.

• Kerala Bird Atlas (KBA), first-of-its-kind State-level bird atlas in India, has created solid baseline data about distribution and abundance of bird species across all major habitats, giving an impetus to futuristic studies
• It is being conducted as a citizen science-driven exercise with participation of over 1,000 volunteers of the birdwatching community
• KBA has been prepared based on systematic surveys held twice over 60 days year.