current affairs 01 january 2022

IIT Madras secured the 1st position in the ARIIA Rankings 2021.

• IIT Madras has secured the 1st position in the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) 2021 for the third consecutive year, under the category of CFTIs/ Central Universities/ Institute of National Importance (Technical).
• IITs dominated the centrally funded institute category in the third edition of the ARIIA rankings.
• There are seven IITs in the top-10 list.
• IIT-Madras is followed by IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IT Kanpur and IIT Roorkee.
• The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru secured the 6th position in the category.

KVASU has received the National Award for Breed Conservation.

• The All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Poultry Breeding, Mannuthi under Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) received the National Breed Conservation Award for 2021.
• The centre received the prestigious award from ICAR – The National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) for the conservation and research activities on the Tellicherry breed, the only registered native chicken breed from the State.
• The center started conservation of the Tellicherry breed in 2014.
• Through scientific selection and management, the breed started to lay eggs within five months and the annual egg production increased to 160–170 eggs.

Russia's 1st versatile nuclear-powered icebreaker to boost India's Arctic plans.

• Russia has launched its first Project 22220 versatile nuclear-powered icebreaker in the series known as Sibir.
• This icebreaker will support a growing fleet of icebreakers to keep the Northern Sea Route open for year-round shipping through the Arctic and enable India's wider presence in the Arctic region.
• The construction of Sibir was started in 2015 and the icebreaker was ordered on 22 December 2017.
• Sibir was handed over to Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation for exploitation; The Delivery-Acceptance Act was signed on 24 December at the Baltic Shipyard, St. Petersburg, Russia.
• The icebreaker is 173.3 m (568.6 ft) long and 34 m wide with a displacement of 33,500 tonnes.

PM Modi launched Blockchain-based digital degree at IIT Kanpur.

• Under the National Blockchain Project, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a blockchain-based digital degree at the 54th convocation of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur.
• Later the Prime Minister also inaugurated the completed section of Kanpur Metro Rail Project and Bina-Panki Multiproduct Pipeline Project.
• These digital degrees are globally verifiable and are inexhaustible.
• The blockchain technology being used by IIT Kanpur for awarding digital degrees has been developed internally.
• It is being described as a revolutionary technology for the education sector.
• The technology is already being used in the financial sector.
• The technology has been developed by the institute under the National Blockchain Project.

Egypt became the 4th new member of the New Development Bank.

• Egypt has joined as the fourth new member of the BRICS New Development Bank.
• Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates and Uruguay joined the BRICS New Development Bank in September 2021.
• Membership expansion enables the New Development Bank to establish itself as a premier development institution for emerging economies.
• The BRICS New Development Bank is a multilateral bank that was established by Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa to finance sustainable development and infrastructure projects.