Banking & Finance
State Bank of India is set to acquire up to 9.95 per cent stake in India International Clearing Corporation (IFSC) Ltd subject to maximum investment of ‘34.03 crore. The Clearing Corporation is a GIFT City (Gandhinagar, Gujarat) based Market Infrastructure Institution (MII). It is the first international clearing corporation to be set up at GIFT City.
CryptoWire, a global crypto super app which is a special business unit of TickerPlant, announced the launch of India’s first index of Cryptocurrencies – IC15, which is a rule-based broad market index by market capitalisation.
The Base Value of the index is set at 10,000 and the base date is April 1, 2018.
CryptoWire Managing Director and CEO Jigish Sonagara.
Fino Payments Bank has received the RBI approval for commencing International Remittance business under the MTSS.
The Bank will be undertaking inward cross-border money transfer activities and will be partnering with an Overseas Principal. It has also received the approval to partner with one of the largest global remittance service providers as its Overseas Principal. Money Transfer Service Scheme -MTSS.
RBI has set the upper limit for individual offline payment transactions at ‘200 and said such payments could only be done face-to-face.
Offline payments can be made using any channel or instrument like cards, wallets, & mobile devices.
These are part of the its ‘framework for facilitating small value digital payments in offline mode”. An offline payment is a transaction which does not require internet/telecom connectivity.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has stated State Bank of India (SBI), ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank continue to be identified as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs), under the same bucketing structure as in the 2020 list of D-SIBs.
RBI places D-SIBs in appropriate buckets depending upon their Systemic Importance Scores (SISs).
Payment solutions provider Pine Labs Pvt Ltd, which is headed for a US listing, has raised an additional $20 million (around Rs 150 crore) in new investment from the State Bank of India (SBI).
Pine Labs will invest the new funds in scaling Plural, its newly launched brand of online payment products, and aims to become an omnichannel partner of choice for merchants.
The State Bank of India (SBI) stated that IMPS transactions up to Rs 5 L done using digital mediums like Net banking and mobile banking (including Yono) will not attract service charge.
The charges for sending money via IMPS for amounts between Rs 2 L and Rs 5 L will be Rs 20 plus GST.
SBI has increased the IMPS limit for money transfers done at its bank branches.
The Reserve Bank of India has included Airtel Payment Bank in the ‘Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934’. A bank mentioned in the Second Schedule of the Reserve Bank of India Act is known as ”Scheduled Commercial Bank”.
At present, one in six villages in the country is being served by Airtel Payments Bank.
The Reserve Bank of India stated that the Certificate of Authorisation (CoA) of Payment System Operators (PSOs) Muthoot Vehicle and Asset Finance Limited and Eko India Financial Services Ltd has been canceled.
The CoAs of both these PSOs were cancelled by the apex bank on account of non-compliance with the regulatory requirements.
The Reserve Bank has increased the threshold for deposits and other funds of non-financial small businesses by 50% to Rs 7.5 crore (from existing 5 cr) for the purpose of maintenance of Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR), with the aim to better align its regulations with Basel norms and also enable banks to manage liquidity risks more effectively. LCR: proportion of highly liquid assets held by banks to meet short term obligations.
HDFC Bank’s integration with Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) ICEGATE platform has gone live, allowing customers to pay for their customs duty directly via the bank. With this, the bank will offer customers the convenience of directly paying customs duty by selecting HDFC Bank.
HDFC Bank said it has facilitated both retail and wholesale payments of customs HDFC Bank is India’s largest private sector bank by assets.
UCO Bank has announced that it has launched the UCO Bank RuPay Select Contactless Debit Card for its premium customer segment in association with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), on the occasion of the 79th Inauguration Day of the bank.
The card also offers an ATM withdrawal limit of Rs 50,000 along with a purchase of up to Rs 2 lakh at POS or e-commerce.
Private sector lender Federal Bank has launched an online lending platform federalinstaloans.com to facilitate quick and hassle-free credit approvals for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across India.
Eligible borrowers can avail up to’50 lakh through the platform at present. Federal Bank Limited is an Indian private sector bank headquartered in Aluva, Kerala .
HDFC Bank has been adjudged Best Private Bank in India at the Global Private Banking Awards 2021, organised by Professional Wealth Management.
For the Global Private Banking Awards 2021, PWM received over 120 submissions which were reviewed by a panel of 16 judged from four continents.
Lending company Indifi Technologies has collaborated with Google Pay to offer instant loans to eligible small merchants on the Google Pay platform. The borrowing process is entirely digital and eligible merchants on the Google Pay for Business app can click on loan offerings from Indifi and submit an application online.
The names of YES Mutual Fund schemes have been changed to WhiteOak Capital schemes as YES AMC is now a WhiteOak group company.
The White Oak Capital group provides investment management and advisory services for Indian equity investors.
YES MF has three schemes ‘ YES Overnight Fund, YES Liquid Fund and YES Ultra Short-term Fund.
Paytm Payments Bank has emerged as the biggest receiver of UPI amount with 926.17 million transactions while public sector bank SBI topped the chart of being the biggest remitter in December, according to data released by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). State Bank of India
followed PPBL as the second-largest beneficiary with 664.89 million transactions.
The road transport ministry has said it will make it mandatory for carmakers to provide a minimum of six airbags in motor vehicles that can carry up to 8 passengers for enhanced safety of occupants from
October this year.
It has been decided to enhance safety features by amending the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR),
1989.
Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd (KMBL) has introduced the Same Day Settlement (SDS) feature for merchants for payments received on its Point of Sale (PoS) terminals.
At a time when digital payments are soaring, the SDS facility is especially useful for businesses with immediate cash flow requirements, those with high inventory turnover and the need to replenish stocks frequently.
Ujjivan Small Finance Bank launched Platina Fixed Deposit, which offers interest of 15 basis points in addition to the regular Ujjivan SFB term deposit rates.
Under regular fixed deposits, general citizens get an interest rate of 6.9 per cent for a tenure of 990 days, while the interest rate for senior citizens is 7.65 per cent.
City Union Bank, the oldest Private Sector Bank in India, in association with smart-tech-enabled preventive healthcare platform GOQii and powered by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has launched a wearable payment solution called CUB fitness watch debit card.
Customers need to hold this wristwatch in front of the PoS device during payment.
The Government has approved and notified the final resolution scheme for Punjab & Maharashtra Cooperative Bank, over two years after it was put under restrictions. All branches of PMC Bank shall operate as branches of Unity Small Finance Bank from Jan. 25, 2022 ‘ the date of amalgamation.
PMC Bank had a deposit base of Rs 10,727 crore and loans worth Rs 4,473 crore.
Pencilton, a teen-focused Fintech startup based in India, recently launched PencilCard, a debit card that is compliant with National Common Mobility Card standards. It has been launched in partnership with Transcorp.
The National Common Mobility Card was developed by India’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in early 2019. It allows the user to pay for travel, toll duties, retail shopping and withdraw money.
Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL) under its modernization initiatives has set up New Bank Note Printing Lines each at Currency Note Press, Nashik and Bank Note Press, Dewas.
SPMCIL,a Government of India owned Miniratna company,is engaged in the manufacture/production of Currency & Bank Notes, Security Paper,Non-Judicial Stamp Papers etc.
RBI has imposed several restrictions on Indian Mercantile Cooperative Bank Ltd, Lucknow, including a cap of Rs 1 lakh on withdrawals.
The restrictions came into force from closure of business hours on January 28, 2022 (Friday).
RBI said the Lucknow-based co-operative bank will not, without its prior approval, grant or renew any loans and advances, or make any investment.
Under the new structure approved by RBI, the bad bank’the National Asset Reconstruction Co. Ltd (NARCL)’will acquire and aggregate the bad loan accounts from banks, while India Debt Resolution Co. Ltd (IDRCL) will handle the resolution process.
It is ready to commence operations with 15 cases worth Rs 50,335 crore to be transferred by March 31.
A total of 38 accounts worth ‘82,845 crore have been identified for transfer to the NARCL
SBI has issued $300 million Formosa bonds and listed the issuance on India INX GIFT IFSC. This is the first such issuance by any Indian Bank in the Formosa Bond market.
SBI through its London branch raised $300 million from Regulation S Formosa bonds at a coupon of 2.49 per cent.
Formosa bond is a bond issued in Taiwan.
SBI is the first Indian entity to raise money through Formosa Bond
FinTech
1. Google Cloud ties up with CryptoWire to develop blockchain, crypto ecosystem
CryptoWire will explore Google Cloud’s advanced solutions including smart data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to deliver a superior customer experience. TickerPlant has entered into an alliance with Google Cloud for the development of the CryptoWire ecosystem, catering to all stakeholders of crypto and the blockchain industry on a common platform.
2. RBI sets up fintech department to focus on the ‘dynamically’ growing sector
The new department has been created with effect from January 04, 2022, by subsuming the FinTech Division of Department of Payment and Settlement Systems, Central Office (DPSS, CO).
The department will not only promote innovation in the sector, but also identify the challenges and opportunities associated with it and address them in a timely manner.
Economy
1. Nirmala Sitharaman chairs 46th GST council meet in Delhi
The GST Council’s 46th meeting was held in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman. The GST Council has recommended to defer the decision to change the rates in textiles recommended in the 45th GST Council meeting. Consequently, the existing GST rates of 5 % instead of 12% in textile sector would continue.
2. India's GDP to grow 9% in FY22 and FY23: ICRA
ICRALtd. expects the Indian economy to maintain a real GDP growth of 9.0% each in FY2022 and FY2023, amidst the uncertainty ignited by the Omicron variant of Covid-19. The rating agency highlighted that the available data for Q3 FY2022 does not offer convincing evidence that the Monetary Policy Committee’s (MPC’s) criteria of a durable and sustainable growth recovery. ICRA was established in 1991 with headquarters in India.
3. RIL to raise $5 billion by issuing unsecured US dollar-denominated bonds
Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd has said, the Finance Committee of Reliance board of directors has approved to raise $5 billion in one or more tranches by issuing senior unsecured US dollar denominated fixed rate notes. The bond sale is poised to become the single largest such borrowing by an Indian company.
4. Mamaearth Parent Company Honasa Consumer Becomes First Unicorn Of 2022
Personal care-focused e-commerce platform Honasa Consumer, which sells its products under the labels of Mamaearth, The Derma Co and House of Brands, has raised $52 million in the latest funding round led by Sequoia, valuing it at $1.2 billion, thus becoming the first unicorn in the new year. The round has also given its employees an opportunity to monetise their vested ESOP Varun Alagh is the Co-Founder and CEO of Honasa.
5. GST Collection Stood At ' 1.29 Lakh Crore in December 2021
GST revenue collected in December 2021 was over ‘ 1.29 lakh crore, 13 percent higher than the same month in 2020. The gross GST revenue collected in the month of December 2021 is ‘ 1,29,780 crore, of which CGST is ‘ 22,578 crore, SGST is ‘ 28,658 crore, IGST is ‘ 69,155 crore (including ‘ 37,527 crore
collected on import of goods) and cess is ‘ 9,389 crore.
6. Nippon India MF launches India's first Auto ETF
Nippon Life India Asset Management Limited (NAM India), asset manager of Nippon India Mutual Fund (NIMF) has announced the launch of Nippon India Nifty Auto ETF.
The New Fund Offer (NFO) will open on 5 January 2022 and close on 14 January 2022 and the minimum investment amount required is ‘1,000.
Investors can add in multiples of Re 1 thereafter.
7. DPIIT TO ORGANIZE STARTUP INDIA INNOVATION WEEK
DPIIT is set to organize the Startup India Innovation Week from January 10th to 16th 2022. This weeklong virtual innovation celebration aims to commemorate the 75th year of India’s independence ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ and is designed to showcase the spread and depth of entrepreneurship across India. India is the third largest startup ecosystem in the world.
8. NSO RELEASED FIRST ADVANCE ESTIMATES OF NATIONAL INCOME, 2021-22
Real GDP or GDP at Constant Prices (2011-12) in the year 2021-22 is estimated at ‘147.54 lakh crore, as against the Provisional Estimate of GDP for the year 2020-21 of ‘135.13 lakh crore, released on 31st May 2021. Nominal GDP in the year 2021-22 is estimated at ‘232.15 lakh crore, as against the Provisional Estimate of GDP for the year 2020-21 of ‘197.46 lakh crore. The First Advance Estimates of GDP was introduced in 2016-17.
9. India to surpass Japan as Asia's second largest economy by 2030
By 2030, India is expected to replace Japan as Asia’s second-largest economy, surpassing Germany and the United Kingdom to become the world’s No. 3 economy, according to IHS Markit. India is currently the world’s sixth-largest economy, behind the United States, China, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom. In terms of GDP by purchasing power parity (PPP) basis, India is ranked 3rd in the world.
10. ReNew raises $400 million by issuing green bonds overseas
ReNew Energy Global Plc, one of India’s top renewable energy companies said that India Clean Energy Holdings, a Mauritian entity and a wholly-owned subsidiary of ReNew, has raised $400 million at 4.5%by issuing senior secured dollar notes in the international market. ReNew is the most active international bond issuer from India, having so far raised $3.5 billion. The World Bank is a major issuer of green bonds.
11. World Bank Maintains India's Growth Projection At 8.3% For 2021-22
India’s economic growth is expected to be 8.3 per cent in the current financial year and 8.7 per cent in 2022-23, according to World Bank’s “Global Economic Prospects” report.
The 8.3 percent GDP growth prediction for the current fiscal (2021-22) is the same as what was projected by the World Bank in its last projection released in October 2021.
12. WPI inflation eases to 13.56% in December 2021
The wholesale price-based inflation in December 2021 eased to 13.56%, mainly on account of softening in fuel, power and manufacturing items even though food prices hardened.
WPI inflation has remained in double digits for the ninth consecutive month beginning April. Inflation in November was 14.23%, while in December 2020 it was 1.95 %.
13. India ranks third on tech VC investments in startups in 2021
Global tech VC investment into startups hit a record level of $675 billion in 2021, doubling the previous all-time high of $340.6 billion in 2020.
The investments in 2021 were led by the US at $328.8 billion followed by China at $61.8 billion and India coming in third with a $44.6 billion funding into the sector. Top 3 city hubs were the Bay Area, New York & the Greater Boston Region, all in the USA.
14. India's renewable energy generation to rise by 30 per cent by 2024: IEA
India’s renewable generation is expected to increase by 30 per cent by 2024 relative to 2021, according to a recent report by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
It added that it was driven by state and central auctions, and India’s target of 450 GW of installed renewable capacity.
15. ESG issuances by Indian companies jump 500% to $8.2 billion in 2021
India witnessed a massive surge of 503% increase in ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) labelled issuances at $8.29 billion in the calendar year 2021 as against $1.37 billion in CY2020.
As investors become environmentally conscious and look to put their money in green projects, financiers are rising to the cause.
16. NSE Indices launched Nifty India Digital Index
NSE’s index services subsidiary, NSE Indices Limited recently launched a new index ‘ Nifty India Digital index.
The Nifty India Digital Index aims to track the performance of portfolio of stocks that broadly represent the Digital theme within basic industries like software, e-commerce, IT enabled services, industrial electronics and telecom services companies.
17. HeroMotoCorp, ASDC Team Up For Two-Wheeler Short Term Training Course
Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC) and Hero MotoCorp have joined hands for a comprehensive two-wheeler short-term training course.
Utilising the content provided by Hero MotoCorp, ASDC will deliver a variety of learning modules and certifications in automotive servicing.
18. Optimal hedge ratio for ECBs is at 63%: RBI Paper
The optimal hedge ratio for the External Commercial Borrowings(ECBs) raised by firms in India is estimated at 63% for the periods of high volatility in the foreign exchange (forex) market, as per an RBI Working Paper.
Optimal hedge ratio is a ratio that implies the percentage of total asset or liability exposure that an entity ought to hedge against exchange rate fluctuation ECB are in the form of cash bonds,securitised instruments, preference shares & instrument
19. India Ratings sees FY23 GDP growth at 7.6% on sustained govt spending
India Ratings & Research (Ind-Ra) expects gross domestic product (GDP) to grow 7.6 percent in fiscal year 2022-23 (FY23), helped partly by continued government spending and a favourable global trade outlook.
The ratings agency estimates investments, as measured by gross fixed capital formation (GFCF), to grow 8.7 percent YoY in FY23. The real GDP in FY23 will be 9.1 percent higher than the FY20 (preCovid level) GDP level.
20. Swiggy becomes decacorn, valuation crosses $10.7 bn in new funding round
Food delivery platform Swiggy said that it has raised $700 million in new funding led by asset management firm Invesco. The Bengaluru-based start-up is now valued at $10.7 billion, up from its previous valuation of $5.5 billion just six months ago.
The latest funding makes Swiggy the fourth decacorn ‘ valued at $10 billion or more ‘ after Paytm, Oyo
and Byju’s.
21. India emerges as largest exporters of cucumber and gherkins
India has become the world’s top exporter of gherkins. During the months of April to October, India exported 1,23,846 metric tonnes of cucumber and gherkins for US$ 114 million (2020-21).
India has crossed the $ 200 million mark of export of agricultural processed product- pickling cucumber, which is globally referred as gherkins or cornichons, in the last financial year.
Nearly 15 percent production of the world’s gherkin requirement is grown in India.
22. IMF raises GDP growth forecast by 50 bps to 9% for FY23
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised its forecast for growth in India’s gross domestic product (GDP) in FY23 by 50 basis points (bps) to 9 percent.
The National Statistical Office’s first advance estimate for national income for FY22 has pegged GDP growth for the year at 9.2 percent.
India’s GDP growth forecast for FY24 was also raised by 50 bps to 7.1 percent.
23. Darwinbox joins the unicorn club with $72 million fresh funding
Human resource technology startup Darwinbox has raised $72 million in Series D funding led by Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV), catapulting the company into the coveted unicorn club ‘ firms with valuation of $1 billion or more.
Founded in 2015 by Chaitanya Peddi, Jayant Paleti, and Rohit Chennamaneni, Darwinbox competes with global leaders like SAP, Oracle and Workday.
3 other startups- Mamaearth,Fractal & LEAD School have attained unicorn status this year.
24. India: 5th largest trading partner of Brazil in 2021
India became the 5th largest trading partner of Brazil in 2021. The bilateral trade chain exceeded US$ 11 billion, an increase of 63% compared to 2020, and a significant difference from the level observed since 2015.
For 2020, pharmaceutical products correspond to almost 30% of India’s exports to the country.
In 2019,India was Brazil’s 7th largest import source country &18th export destination.
25. Ola rebrands quick commerce segment as Ola Dash; aims to set up 500 'dark stores'
ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd, parent of ride-hailing company Ola, has rebranded its quick commerce business as Ola Dash and aims to set up 500 so-called dark stores, or warehouses that do not have retail storefronts, in the next six months across 20 Indian cities amid rising competition for quick
commerce in the country.
The quick commerce service was launched in 2021 as Ola Store.
26. Exports of electronic goods register 49 percent surge between April and December 2021: Govt
Commerce and Industry Ministry said that electronic goods export has registered a tremendous growth of 49% between April to December 2021.
During the same period in 2020,7.4 billion US dollars worth of electronic goods were exported while in 2021, electronic items worth 11 billion were exported.
Maximum 18% of electronic goods items were exported to USA followed by UAE.
Important Days
1. DRDO celebrates its 64th foundation day today
Defence Research and Development Organisation is celebrating its 64th foundation day. It was on this day (Jan1st) in 1958 when DRDO was formed to make India strong and self-reliant in terms of science and technology and especially in military technologies. In the span of 63 years the organization has transformed the landscape of defence research and in the country. Dr G. Satheesh Reddy is the chairman of DRDO
2. World Braille Day: January 4
Commemorating the birth anniversary of the inventor of the Braille system, Louis Braille, and remembering his contribution towards the welfare of visually impaired people, January 4 is observed as the World Braille Day.
World Braille Day was formed in 2019 by the United Nations General Assembly.
3. World Day of War Orphans: January 6
Every year on January 6, the World Day of War Orphans is recognized.
The World Day of War Orphans 2022 reminds the world that caring for children in awful conditions is a duty, particularly in the face of a pandemic.
The French organisation SOS Enfants en Detresses founded the World Day of War Orphans.
4. Birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh being celebrated as Prakash Parv
Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti is celebrated every year to mark birth anniversary of the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji. This year, it falls on 9 January 2022. The auspicious occasion is also known as Prakash Parv.
Guru Gobind Singh was a great warrior who also founded the Khalsa tradition in 1699. He was extremely popular for standing up against oppression in society.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji declared Guru Granth Sahib as Sikhism’s holy scripture in 1708.
5. Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas 2022: January 9th
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, also known as Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Day is celebrated to strengthen the engagement of the overseas Indian community with the Government of India and reconnect them with their roots.
It is celebrated every two years on 09 January.
The date, 09 January, was selected to mark the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India in 1915. First Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was celebrated on 9 January 2003.
6. Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that December 26 shall henceforth be marked as ‘Veer Baal Diwas
Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that December 26 shall henceforth be marked as ‘Veer Baal Diwas’ to pay homage to the courage of the ‘Sahibzades’, four sons of Guru Gobind Singh, the last Sikh guru. While all four were martyred, the date has been chosen as it was the day observed as the martyrdom day of the Sahibzadas Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh.
7. National Youth Day 2022 | marked on January 12
The birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda is celebrated across India as National Youth Day, to honour one of the greatest philosophers and spiritual leaders.
The decision to celebrate Vivekananda’s birthday as National Youth Day was taken in 1984, and it was first marked on January 12, 1985.
8. Indian Army Day 2022: January 15
India celebrates Army Day with tremendous zeal on January 15. It commemorates Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa (K. M. Cariappa), who’d been the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.
Every year, the day is marked by conducting a military parade and many other martial displays at Delhi Cantonment’s Cariappa Parade Ground. We will mark the 74th Indian Army Day with almost the same pride, zeal & passion in 2022.
9. PM Modi announces January 16 as ‘National Startup day’
The country will celebrate January 16 as National Startup Day.
In 2021, India granted 28,000 patents compared to 4,000 in 2013-14, while 2.5 lakh trademarks were registered in 2020-21 compared to 70,000 in 2013-14, a government statement revealed.
Noting that 42 unicorns-startups valued at over $ 1 billion– came up in India last year
10. MoHUA launches ‘Open Data Week’ to encourage adoption of open data and promote innovation by smart cities
With an aim to encourage adoption of open data and promote innovation across India’s urban ecosystem, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has announced the initiation of the Open Data Week from 17 January to 21 January.
The Open Data Week is part of a series of pre-event initiatives, leading up to the ‘Smart Cities: Smart Urbanization’ conference.
11. Tripura celebrates 44th Kokborok day | 19 January
Tripura has observed the anniversary of the recognition of Kokborok dialect as an official language of the state with a series of programs and colourful events.
Kokborok was recognised as an official language in 1979 but still it is not included in the 8th schedule. The activities include cultural programmes and literary activities.
12. International Day of Education : January 24
International Day of Education 2022 will be celebrated on January 24. Every year, this day is marked with various events to discuss and understand the role of education in building a sustainable and peaceful world.
The United Nations initiated the commemoration of International Day of Education at the UN General Assembly on December 3, 2018.
13. National Girl Child Day: January 24
Ever since 2008, the date of January 24 is celebrated as the National Girl Child Day in India every year. The celebrations across the country are led by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
This year, Ministry of Culture is organising an event called ‘Umang Rangoli Utsav’, as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
14. National Voters’ Day : January 25
The National Voters’ Day is celebrated every year on January 25 to encourage the country’s voters to participate in the electoral process.
The theme for this year’s National Voters’ Day is ‘Making Elections Inclusive, Accessible and Participative’.
15. National Tourism Day : January 25
National Tourism Day is celebrated on January 25 every year across the country.
This day is observed by the government to encourage tourism and explain the essential role of tourism in the growth of the country.
This year’s theme for National Tourism Day is ‘Rural and Community Centric Tourism’.
16. Nation celebrates 73rd Republic Day
India marks January 26 as its Republic Day every year. In 2022, the country is celebrating its 73rd Republic Day.
While India gained independence from the British Raj in 1947, it wasn’t until January 26, 1950, that the Indian Constitution came into effect, and India became a sovereign state, declaring it a republic. The celebrations this year are special as it falls on the 75th year of Independence.
17. International Customs Day: January 26
Instituted by the World Customs Organization (WCO), International Customs Day is held on January 26, which commemorates the day in 1953 when the inaugural session of the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC) was held in Brussels, Belgium.
In 1994 the CCC was renamed World Customs Organization (WCO) and today custom organizations from 179 countries are WCO members.
18. Martyrs’ Day / Shaheed Diwas: 30th January
Martyrs’ Day is observed every year on January 30 to mark the death anniversary of the father of the nation Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. He was assassinated on this day in 1948.
In India, Shaheed Diwas is mainly observed on two days — 30th January and 23rd March. On both days people pay homage to the freedom fighters who have sacrificed their lives for their motherland.
19. World Leprosy Day: 30th January
World Leprosy Day takes place on the last Sunday of January worldwide to raise awareness about leprosy (Hansen’s disease) and teach people about it. In India, World Leprosy Day is celebrated on 30 January, the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s death.
The theme for World Leprosy Day 2022 is ‘United for Dignity’.
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