current affairs 13 january 2022

12 January - National Youth Day

India successfully test-fired the naval version BrahMos cruise missile.

• DRDO successfully test-fired an extended range sea-to-sea version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile for the Indian Navy.
• This advanced sea-to-sea version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was launched from INS Visakhapatnam, a stealth guided-missile destroyer of the Indian Navy.
• BrahMos Aerospace, an India-Russian joint venture, produces supersonic cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms.
• The missile can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms.
• BrahMos missile flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach or almost three times the speed of sound.

Bharath Subramaniyam became the 73rd Chess Grandmaster of India.

• Bharath Subramaniyam secured the 3rd and final Grandmaster norm at an event at Cattolica in Italy.
• He scored 6.5 points from nine rounds along with four others and finish seventh in the event.
• He secured his third GM norm here as well as touched the requisite 2,500 (Elo) mark.
• Fellow Indian player MR Lalit Babu emerged the winner of the tournament with seven points.
• He won the title on the basis of a better tie-break score as he tied with three others including Anton Korobov of Ukraine.
• To become a GM, a player must secure three GM criteria as well as pass a live rating of 2,500 Elo Points.

New Zealand spinner Ejaz Patel wins the ICC Player of the Month award.

• India-born New Zealand cricketer Ejaz Patel has won the ICC Player of the Month award for December after his impressive 10-wicket haul against Virat Kohli & Co in the second Test in Mumbai.
• The left-arm spinner was nominated for the award along with India opener Mayank Agarwal and Australian pacer Mitchell Starc, but beat them on the back of his incredibly rare feat.

Actress Harshali Malhotra was awarded the 12th Bharat Ratna Dr Ambedkar Award 2022.

• 2015 film Bajrangi Bhaijaan fame actress, Harshali Malhotra has been honored with the 12th Bharat Ratna Dr Ambedkar Award 2022.
• She received the award from Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Governor of Maharashtra, for her commendable performance in the movie and contribution in the field of Indian Cinema.
• The Government of Maharashtra organized the Bharat Ranta Dr. Ambedkar National Award 2022 ceremony in the memory of Dr. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar as a part of the upcoming 73rd Republic Day.

RBI set up a separate department for "Fintech".

• The Reserve Bank of India has set up a separate internal department for fintech (financial technology).
• A new department has been created with effect from January 04, 2022 by incorporating Fintech Division of the Department of Payment and Settlement Systems, Central Office (DPSS, CO).
• The department will not only promote innovation in this sector but will also identify the challenges and opportunities associated with it and solve them in a timely manner.
• Ajay Kumar Choudhary, who was recently promoted as executive director of RBI, was appointed as the head of the department.