Current Affairs April 11th 2023| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

Reserve Bank of India develops online application for Full-Fledged Money Changers & non-bank Authorised Dealers Category-II

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has developed a software application, known as ‘APConnect’ for processing applications related to licencing of Full-Fledged Money Changers (FFMCs), non-bank Authorised Dealers (AD) Category-II, authorisation as Money Transfer Service Scheme (MTSS) Agent, renewal of existing licences/authorisations, for seeking approval and submission of various statements/returns.
• In this regard, RBI has directed them to register on the application within 3 months from the date of circular.
• On receipt of confirmation from the Regional Office of the Reserve Bank regarding generation of licence through APConnect, the existing FFMCs/non-bank AD Cat-II shall surrender their existing licence to the respective Regional Office of the Reserve Bank.

About FFMCs : 

• Full Fledged Money Changer is a company that carries out trading activities like forex currency after prior approval from the RBI.
• These companies are sanctioned under the Foreign Money Exchange Act of 1999.

About RBI :

• Established : 1 April 1935
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Governor : Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy governors : Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao,Michael Patra and T. Rabi Shankar

Bank of Maharashtra launches digitised personal loans

• As part of its ease of banking initiative for customers, Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) has launched a digitised personal loan for customers in select regions & enhanced its WhatsApp banking with the addition of “apply for loan” and “loan balance inquiry features”
• Also BoM announced launch of several new products and utilities including digitised personal loans and upgraded mobile banking.

Key Highlights : 

• The existing customers in Pune region (Pune West, Pune City & Pune East), Bengaluru, Kolkata, Patna and Chandigarh can avail loan up to ₹20 lakhs through digitised medium.
• To add to the customer delight, the bank came up with features for its Visa and Rupay Debit Cards.
• The Rupay Petro Debit Card provides rewarding fuel savings and other benefits to the customers, more particularly creating ease of doing business through cashless cards which shall be used by tour & transport operators etc
• The Mobile banking spectrum has been further improved through several new features viz. ASBA information, mudra loan information, term deposit ROI chart, Government Schemes, FAQ on Demat Account, Agriculture Loan under Kisan Corner & Gold loan information in its continual efforts to enhance ease of banking, for its customers and staff.
• A utility called, Loan lead added by the Bank for canvassing quality MSME accounts, which is going to capture through Digital Banking Units for the Zero Defect Zero Effect (ZED Certified) for MSME customers.
• To increase the bank’s vehicle loan portfolio, the bank made an Integration with Maruti Suzuki & through this integration, digital leads will be captured directly in loan life cycle management software of the bank.

About BoM : 

• Established : 16 September 1935
• Headquarters : Pune, Maharashtra
• MD & CEO : A. S. Rajeev
• Tagline : One Family One Bank

UPI payments emerges as 2nd most popular mode to repay digital loans

• The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has emerged as the second most preferred method of repaying digital loans, coming at 27%, only after e-NACH or electronic National Automated Clearing House which was the preferred route for 36% of the borrowers.

Key Highlights : 

• As per, the Financial Mood of the Millennials Report by financial services platform CASHe for FY23, 84% customers prefer taking a credit line over personal loans (14%) and BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later 2%).
• Satchetised loans of less than ₹10,000 are preferred by 49% of millennials, the data showed adding that there is significant credit demand from bureau-based prime (44%) and near-prime (38%) millennials.
• Unforeseen medical and monthly expenses were the top two reasons found for availing of short-term digital credit followed by shopping, home renovation, education, among others, which reflects the need for unsecured and accessible digital credit products.
• Bengaluru led among cities for credit demand followed by Hyderabad, Pune, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram. West Bengal, Punjab, Gujarat, Assam, and Kerala were the States from where millennials with the highest bureau scores have availed credit.
• SIP (systematic investment plans) has emerged as the most popular option for online investors, accounting for 35% of investing activities, digital gold for 18%, tax-saving products for 15%, goal-based investments for 10%, real estate for 10 per cent and fixed deposits for 5%.

RBI excludes Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC from Second Schedule

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) stated that the “Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC” (ADCB) has been excluded from the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act, 1934.
• The Second Schedule to the Act lists the banks that are eligible to operate in India and outlines their respective regulatory requirements.
• ADCB is a leading banking institution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
• However, as of recent times, the bank has been undergoing some significant changes that will affect its operations in India.
• On February 23, 2023, the RBI issued a notification announcing the cessation of ADCB as a banking company under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, which has been published in the Gazette of India (Part III – Section 4) dated March 25 – March 31, 2023.
• As a result, the ADCB would no longer be able to carry on banking business in India.
• Now the ADCB will no longer be listed in the Second Schedule, and therefore, will not be able to operate in India as a banking company.

Reserve Bank of India revised the regulatory framework for urban co-operative banks

• The Reserve Bank of India has revised the regulatory framework for urban co-operative banks (UCBs), prescribing minimum net worth of ₹2 crore for Tier-1 banks and ₹5 crore for all other banks

UCBs shall have minimum net worth as under:

• Tier 1 UCBs operating in a single district shall have minimum net worth of ₹2 crore.
• All other UCBs (of all tiers) shall have minimum net worth of ₹5 crore.
• UCBs which currently do not meet the minimum net worth requirement, as above, shall achieve the minimum net worth of ₹2 crore or ₹5 crore (as applicable) in a phased manner.
• Such UCBs shall achieve at least 50% of the applicable minimum net worth on or before March 31, 2026 and the entire stipulated minimum net worth on or before March 31, 2028.

UCBs shall maintain minimum CRAR as under:

• Tier 1 UCBs shall maintain, as hitherto, a minimum CRAR of 9% of Risk Weighted Assets (RWAs) on an ongoing basis.
• Tier 2 to 4 UCBs shall maintain a minimum CRAR of 12% of RWAs on an ongoing basis.
• UCBs in Tier 2 to 4, which do not currently meet the revised CRAR of 12% of RWAs, shall achieve the same in a phased manner.
• Such UCBs shall achieve the CRAR of at least 10% by March 31, 2024, 11% by March 31, 2025, and 12% by March 31, 2026.
• The instructions come into effect from April 1, 2023.
• Also, RBI revises criteria for classifying UCBs as Financially Sound and Well Managed.
• Tier-2 UCBs are banks with deposits more than ₹100 crore and up to ₹1,000 crore; Tier-3 UCBs are banks with deposits more than ₹1,000 crore and up to ₹10,000 crore; and Tier-4 UCBs are banks with deposits more than ₹10,000 crore.
• Funds raised through Perpetual Debt Instruments included in Tier 1 capital and debt capital instruments included in Tier 2 capital should not be reckoned as part of net worth.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

MUDRA scheme: 40.82 crore loans amounting to ₹23.2-lakh-crore sanctioned in last 8 years

• The Ministry of Finance said that around 41 crore loans amounting to ₹23.2-lakh-crore were sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) in the last eight years of existence of the scheme.
• The PMMY was launched on April 08, 2015.
• Since the launch of the scheme, as of March 24, 2023, about ₹23.2-lakh-crore has been sanctioned in 40.82 crore loan accounts.
• About 68 per cent of accounts under the scheme belong to women entrepreneurs and 51 per cent of accounts belong to entrepreneurs of SC/ST and OBC categories.
• The scheme aims to facilitate easy collateral-free micro credit of up to ₹10 lakh to non-corporate, non-farm small and micro entrepreneurs for income generating activities.
• The loans under PMMY are provided by banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), micro finance institutions (MFIs) and other financial intermediaries.
• The Finance Ministry’s statement highlighted that the scheme aims to fulfill one of the three pillars of the financial inclusion—‘Funding the Unfunded’.
• Other two pillars are ‘Banking the Unbanked’ and ‘Securing the Unsecured’.
• Under the scheme, the loans have been divided into three categories based on the need for finance and stage in maturity of the business.
• These are Shishu (loans up to ₹50,000), Kishore (loans above ₹50,000 and up to ₹5 lakh), and Tarun (loans above ₹5 lakh and up to ₹10 lakh).

NGT constitutes high-powered committee to revisit environmental nod granted to Great Nicobar Island project

• The eastern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered a stay on the ₹72,000 crore Great Nicobar Island project and constituted a committee to revisit the environmental clearance granted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
• A High-Powered Committee (HPC) headed by the Secretary, MoEF&CC has been asked to submit its proceedings within two months.
• The Great Nicobar Island (GNI) is a mega project to be implemented at the southern end of the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
• The project includes an international container transshipment terminal, an international airport, township development, and a 450 MVA gas and solar based power plant over an extent of 16,610 hectares in the island .
• The Galathea bay in the island is a nesting ground for birds and the project area is part of Coastal Regulation Zones-IA and IB.

India’s first post office constructed using 3D printing technology: Bangalore

• Bengaluru will soon have India’s first post office constructed using 3D printing technology.
• The project at Cambridge Layout in Ulsoor is being implemented by Larsen & Toubro, which has experience in constructing 3D-printed buildings.
• The first 3D-printed post office will be located at the Cambridge Layout in Halasuru, Bengaluru.
• The 1,100 sqft building is expected to cost 30-40 per cent less than conventional buildings because of the technological intervention.
• The post office is being built at a cost of Rs 23 lakh.
• The department has also engaged a technical expert from IIT-Madras to monitor the building construction.

EESL installed more than 1.28 Cr. LED Street Lights across 29 States under Street Lighting National Programme

• The Hon’ble Prime Minister on 5th January, 2015 launched Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP), which is being implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture company of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) of Ministry of Power to replace conventional Street Lights with smart and energy efficient LED Street Lights across India.
• Street Light National Programme (SLNP) is a voluntary programme. Under the programme, EESL had set an objective of converting an estimated number of 1.34 crores existing conventional Street Lights across all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)/Gram Panchayats (GPs) of the country with energy efficient LED Street Lights in 5 years.
• For the same, EESL enters into agreement with ULBs/GPs directly or through the concerned State/UT Governments before replacement of Street Lights is taken up by EESL.
• Being a voluntary programme, no specific targets have been set for SLNP.
• Till date, EESL has installed more than 1.28 Cr.
• LED Street Lights across 29 States/UTs.

KSEB to receive Rs 919 cr German loan for Green Energy Corridor project:

• The Cabinet gave its nod for inking an agreement with the German development bank, KfW, for securing a loan for the Green Energy Corridor (GEC) project being implemented by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB).
• The tripartite agreement will be signed by the State government, KSEB and KfW.
• The Central government and KfW had signed an agreement on November 11, 2022 for the ₹1,457-crore Kerala GEC project.
• To take the loan proposal forward, an agreement needs to be signed by the State government and the KSEB with the German bank.
• The scheme will facilitate grid integration and power evacuation of Renewable Energy (RE) power.
• Three GEC projects will be undertaken under the programme; the North Green Power Corridor Project for Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts, the Attappady Green Power Corridor Project for the tribal areas of the Attappady, Agali and Kottathara regions and the Ramakkalmedu Green Power Corridor Project which will benefit Idukki district.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Spouses of H-1B visa holders can work in United States

• In a big relief for foreign workers in the United States (US) tech sector, a judge has ruled that spouses of H-1B visa holders can work in the US.

Key Highlights : 

• US District Judge Tanya Chutkan made the ruling while rejecting a petition filed by Save Jobs USA.
• The petition urged the repeal of an Obama-era rule that gave employment authorization cards to spouses of certain categories of H-1B visa holders.
• Save Jobs USA is an organization of information technology workers who claim that their jobs are being lost due to H-1B visa holders.
• Tech companies such as Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft had opposed the lawsuit.
• The US has so far issued nearly 1,00,000 work authorisations to spouses of H-1B workers, a significantly large number of whom are Indians.
• This provision has existed for a long time with the permission of the US Parliament and is also recorded in the immigration and citizenship law.
• The Department of Homeland Security has authorized employment not only for students, but also for their spouses and dependents.

What is an H-1B Visa? 

• It is a non- immigrant visa that permits US companies to employ foreign workers in specific occupations.
• This rule was prompted by Ex-US President Mr Barack Obama in the year 2015, which allowed work permits for spouses of those having H-1B work visas waiting for their Green Card.

About US : 

• President : Joe Biden
• Capital : Washington, D.C
• Currency : U.S. dollar

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

Punjab government launched ‘CM di Yogshala’ programme in Punjab

• Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister (CM) Mr Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Mr Bhagwant Mann jointly launched the ‘CM di Yogshala’ programme.

Aim: 

• To create a mass movement to carve out a healthy and prosperous Punjab
• The initiative was initially launched for 4 cities of punjab : Patiala, Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Phagwara
• Under this initiative, people will be able to avail free yoga classes in these 4 cities.
• A ‘CM di yogshala’ portal was also launched on the occasion.
• The formation of these Yogshalas will be under a pilot project.
• Trained Yoga instructors will impart free Yoga training to people in open parks and other public places.
• On the occasion, Mr Bhagwant Mann and Mr Arvind Kejriwal also handed over a cheque for Rs 90 lakh to the district authorities for the renovation of Polo Ground in Patiala.

About Punjab : 

• Governor : Banwarilal Purohit
• Chief Minister : Bhagwant Mann
• Capital : Chandigarh
• National Park : Abohar National Park, Bir Bhadson National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuary : Jhajjar Bachauli Wildlife Sanctuary, Kathlour Kushlian Wildlife Sanctuary

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

Apple BKC to be the first Apple Store in India

• Apple has officially announced its first-ever flagship retail store in Mumbai called ‘Apple BKC’.
• An official teaser has also surfaced on the Apple India Store website.
• Apple has revealed the banner of its first retail store in India at Jio World Drive Mall, Mumbai, marking the opening of Apple BKC.
• The store is inspired by the ‘Kaali Peeli’ taxis art popular in Mumbai.
• The tech giant plans to open the gates of the store later this month.
• Apple is expected to open its second store in India in New Delhi at a later date.
• DescriptionApple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California.
• Timothy Donald Cook is an American business executive who has been the chief executive officer of Apple Inc. since 2011

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Indian-American mathematician C R Rao awarded math ‘Nobel Prize’

• The Indian-American statistician Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao has been awarded the 2023 International Prize in Statistics, which is statistics’ equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
• It was established in 2016 and is awarded once every two years to an individual or team “for major achievements using statistics to advance science, technology and human welfare.
• Rao’s groundbreaking paper, ‘Information and accuracy attainable in the estimation of statistical parameters’, was published in 1945 in the Bulletin of the Calcutta Mathematical Society, a journal that is otherwise not well known to the statistics community.
• The paper was subsequently included in the book Breakthroughs in Statistics, 1890-1990.
• Rao will receive the prize, which comes with an $80,000 award, in July at the biennial International Statistical Institute World Statistics Congress at Ottawa in Canada.
• Apart from being conferred with the Padma Bhushan in 1968 and Padma Vibhushan in 2001, Rao received the SS Bhatnagar prize in 1963 and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1967.
• He also received the Wilks Medal of the American Statistical Association in 1979 and US National Medal of Science in 2002.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND REPORTS

Mumbai ranks among world’s tree-rich cities 2022, second time in a row

• India’s commercial capital Mumbai has been included in the World Tree City 2022 list, for the second consecutive year.
• The Arbor Day Foundation Chief Executive Dan Lambe has awarded the TCW certificate signed by Hiroto Mitsugi to the BMC authorities
• The United Nations Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and ADF conduct the TCW programme and in the past 50 years, the ADF has planted more than 35 crore trees worldwide, with a target of 50 crore more trees by 2027.
• Since 2019, the TCW was implemented to recognise efforts of cities globally that strive to balance the trees and environment and are included in the TCW list.
• Mumbai fulfilled the five ADF criteria for the award like determining responsibilities for tree care, setting rules to govern urban forests and tree management, maintaining an up-to-date inventory or assessment of local tree assets, allocating resources for a tree management plan, and organizing an annual tree festival to educate citizens.
• With this accolade, Mumbai is once again part of cities worldwide promoting best practices in urban forestry for the second time – in 2021, it shared the honour with Hyderabad.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Kal National Rifle Association of India     

• Senior Vice President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo assumed charge as the President of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).
• He replaced Raninder Singh.

Key Highlights : 

• Raninder served as the president of NRAI from December 29, 2010 till December 29, 2022 & he completed 12 years of his service.
• As per the National Sports Code, the Sports Ministry issued a directive that the heads of National Sports Federations (NSFs) cannot hold office for more than 12 years.
• As per the code, Raninder cannot continue as NRAI chief any further.

About NRAI : 

• Founded : 1951
• Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi, India

Objective : 

• To promote and popularize the shooting sports in India.
• The first speaker of Lok Sabha, Sh. G.V. Mavlankar was the founder and the first president of NRAI
• It is affiliated to the International Shooting Sport Federation, Asian Shooting Confederation, Commonwealth Shooting Federation, South Asian Shooting Confederation and Indian Olympic Association.

India elected to United Nations Statistical Commission for 4-year term starts in 2024

• India has been elected to the United Nations (UN) Statistical Commission for a four-year term starting from 1st January 2024.
• India received a resounding 46 out of 53 votes, ahead of South Korea (23), China (19), and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (15).
• India was elected by secret ballot while Argentina, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Ukraine, the United Republic of Tanzania and the United States of America were elected by acclamation for a 4-year term of office beginning January 1, 2024.

About UN Statistical Commission : 

• Established : 1947
• Location : New York, United States
• Chairperson of UN Statistical Commission for the year 2023 : Ms. Gabriella Vukovich (Hungary)
• The UN Statistical Commission is the highest body of the global statistical system bringing together the Chief Statisticians from member states from around the world.
• It is the highest decision-making body for international statistical activities, responsible for setting of statistical standards and the development of concepts and methods, including their implementation at the national and international level.
• The Commission consists of 24 member countries of the United Nations elected by the United Nations Economic and Social Council on the basis of an equitable geographical distribution.
• 5 members are from African States, 4 from Asia-Pacific States, 4 from Eastern European States, 4 from Latin American and Caribbean States and 7 members from Western European and other States.
• The current members from the Asia-Pacific States are Japan (2024), Samoa (2024) as well as Kuwait and Republic of Korea, whose terms are ending 2023.
• The Statistical Commission oversees the work of the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD).

Toms  Global Brand Ambassador   

• Tommy Hilfiger, the premium fashion brand owned by NYSE-listed PVH Corp, has signed Tollywood star heroine Samantha Ruth Prabhu as the new brand ambassador for their women watches category.
• From now on, Sam will appear in the women’s watch ads of the Tommy Hill figure company.
• As part of the Spring Summer 23 campaign, Samantha will appear in the advertisements of the Tommy Hill figure release in the month of April, 2023
• Tommy company is a global brand.
• This company offers products for every person to have their own personal style and design.

Suzlon board appoints J P Chalasani as new Chief Executive Officer

• The board of members of Wind and turbine manufacturer Suzlon Energy has appointed J P Chalasani as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company.
• He has replaced Ashwani Kumar, who resigned from the post on account of personal reasons.

About J P Chalasani : 

• He joined Reliance Group (undivided) as a Vice President in 1995.
• He also served as the first CEO and the Director on the Board of BSES Rajdhani and BSES Yamuna Power Limited.
• He had been Group CEO of Suzlon from April 2016 to July 2020 .
• He continued as Strategic Advisor to the Suzlon Group thereafter.
• He was also the Group CEO and Managing Director of Punj Lloyd.

About Suzlon Energy Limited : 

• Founded : 1995
• Headquarters : Pune, Maharashtra, India
• Suzlon Energy Limited is an Indian multinational wind turbine manufacturer.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

Indian Navy conducts offshore security exercise ‘Prashthan’

• Indian Navy conducted the offshore biannual security exercise ‘Prashthan’ in the offshore development area (ODA) off Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• The current exercise was conducted on the Greatdrill Chaaya platform about 30 nm South West of Mumbai harbour.

Aim : 

• To validate measures and procedures to address contingencies that may occur in oil production platforms.

Key Highlights : 

• The exercise is held every six months under the aegis of the Indian Navy and involves the participation of all stakeholders in the maritime domain.
• This exercise is an important element of ensuring offshore security and aims to integrate the efforts of all maritime stakeholders involved in offshore defence.
• A number of ships and helicopters from the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Indian Coast Guard, ONGC and Directorate General of Shipping were deployed for the exercise.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Chennai to host Street Child Cricket World Cup in September

• The city of Chennai has always welcomed the sport of cricket with open arms, and has played the perfect host to several national and international tournaments.
• Come September, Chennai will witness another cricket tournament, but one with a difference – the Street Child Cricket World Cup 2023.
• Organised by Street Child United in partnership with Shree Dayaa Foundation, the tournament will take place at Amir Mahal, the official residence of the Nawab of Arcot from September 20 to 30.
• This is the second edition of the Street Child Cricket World Cup.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

National Safe Motherhood Day 2023: April 11

• National Safe Motherhood Day is celebrated on the 11th of April every year.
• In India significance the importance of care in pregnancy, and skilled care during childbirth and the first few weeks after birth.
• The theme of the National Safe Motherhood Day 2023 is “Remain at home amid coronavirus, protect mother and infant from coronavirus”.
• The National Safe Motherhood Day was first proposed by (WRAI) White Ribbon Alliance.
• On the 11th of April, Kasturba Gandhi’s birthday was designated as National Safe Motherhood Day by the Indian Government in 2003 proposed by WRAI.
• In 2018 most recent data shows that 26 thousand maternal death occurs in India each year.

Daily CA One- Liner: April 11

• The Ministry of Finance said that around 41 crore loans amounting to ₹2-lakh-crore were sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) in the last eight years of existence of the scheme
• The eastern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered a stay on the ₹72,000 crore Great Nicobar Island project and constituted a committee to revisit the environmental clearance granted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
• Bengaluru will soon have India’s first post office constructed using 3D printing technology.
• The Hon’ble Prime Minister on 5th January, 2015 launched Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP), which is being implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture company of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) of Ministry of Power to replace conventional Street Lights with smart and energy efficient LED Street Lights across India
• The Cabinet gave its nod for inking an agreement with the German development bank, KfW, for securing a loan for the Green Energy Corridor (GEC) project being implemented by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB)
• Apple has officially announced its first-ever flagship retail store in Mumbai called ‘Apple BKC’
• The Indian-American statistician Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao has been awarded the 2023 International Prize in Statistics, which is statistics’ equivalent of the Nobel Prize
• India’s commercial capital Mumbai has been included in the World Tree City 2022 list, for the second consecutive year
• The city of Chennai has always welcomed the sport of cricket with open arms, and has played the perfect host to several national and international tournaments
• National Safe Motherhood Day is celebrated on the 11th of April every year
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has developed a software application, known as ‘APConnect’ for processing applications related to licencing of Full-Fledged Money Changers (FFMCs), non-bank Authorised Dealers (AD) Category-II, authorisation as Money Transfer Service Scheme (MTSS) Agent, renewal of existing licences/authorisations, for seeking approval and submission of various statements/returns.
• As part of its ease of banking initiative for customers, Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) has launched a digitised personal loan for customers in select regions & enhanced its WhatsApp banking with the addition of “apply for loan” and “loan balance inquiry features”
• The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has emerged as the second most preferred method of repaying digital loans, coming at 27%, only after e-NACH or electronic National Automated Clearing House which was the preferred route for 36% of the borrowers.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) stated that the “Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC” (ADCB) has been excluded from the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act, 1934.
• The Reserve Bank of India has revised the regulatory framework for urban co-operative banks (UCBs), prescribing minimum net worth of ₹2 crore for Tier-1 banks and ₹5 crore for all other banks
• In a big relief for foreign workers in the United States (US) tech sector, a judge has ruled that spouses of H-1B visa holders can work in the US.
• Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister (CM) Mr Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Mr Bhagwant Mann jointly launched the ‘CM di Yogshala’ programme.
• Senior Vice President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo assumed charge as the President of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).
• India has been elected to the United Nations (UN) Statistical Commission for a four-year term starting from 1st January 2024.
• Tommy Hilfiger, the premium fashion brand owned by NYSE-listed PVH Corp, has signed on Tollywood star heroine Samantha Ruth Prabhu as the new brand ambassador for their women watches
• The board of members of Wind and turbine manufacturer Suzlon Energy has appointed J P Chalasani as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company.
• Indian Navy conducted the offshore biannual security exercise ‘Prashthan’ in the offshore development area (ODA) off Mumbai, Maharashtra.