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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS
Earth Hour 2022: 26 March
- Every year, on the last Saturday in March, Earth Hour is observed.
- The date for Earth Hour in 2022 is Saturday, March 26, 2022.
- At 8:30 p.m. local time, Earth Hour will begin and end at 9:30 p.m. local time.
- The topic for Earth Hour 2022 will be “Shape Our Future.”
- This is a pivotal year for everyone and our world. It is up to us to #ShapeOurFuture by raising awareness about the serious issues impacting our world today.
- The Day is a worldwide movement organized by the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), encouraging individuals, communities, corporates, and households to turn off their lights for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
- It was started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 to raise awareness for energy consumption and effects on the environment.
October 5 to be designated as National Dolphin Day, decides National Board for Wildlife:
- The union environment ministry has designated October 5 as National Dolphin Day, to be observed annually starting this year.
- The decision to designate a National Dolphin Day was taken by the standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL).
- Considering that generating awareness amongst the people on the benefits of conservation of dolphins and participation of people in conservation efforts is imperative, the standing committee recommended that every year 5th of October shall be celebrated as National Dolphin Day
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS
Centre extends validity of FCRA registration certificates till June 2022:
- The Centre has decided to extend the validity of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, FCRA registration certificates of certain categories of FCRA registered entities.
- The validity of registration certificates of such entities whose validity was extended till 31st March 31st of March and whose renewal application is pending will stand extended till this year or till the date of disposal of the renewal application, whichever is earlier.
- Also, the validity of FCRA entities whose 5 years validity period is expiring during 1st April 2022 to 30th June 2022 and who have applied for renewal before expiry of 5 years validity period will stand extended up to 30th June 2022 or till date of disposal of renewal application, whichever earlier.
Govt sets target to open 10,500 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras across the country:
- The Government has set a target to open ten thousand five hundred Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) across the country.
- About eight thousand six hundred eighty-nine PMBJKs have been opened covering all districts of the country.
- Around 1.25 to 1.50 crore people on an average purchase medicine from more than eight thousand six hundred PMBJKs in a month across the country.
- The product basket of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana comprises of about over one thousand six hundred medicines and 250 surgical devices, which are available on PMBJKs across the country.
- The price of Jan Aushadhi Medicines is cheaper at least by 50 percent and in some cases by 80 to 90 percent of the market prices of branded medicines
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS
Over 8000 crores digital payment transactions reported during current financial year:
- The government informed more than eight thousand crore digital payment transactions have been reported in the country during the current financial year.
- Over the years, the digital payment transactions have grown multifold from over two thousand crores in 2017-18 to over five thousand crores in 2020-21, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
- BHIM-UPI has emerged as the preferred payment mode of the citizens and has achieved a record of 452 crore digital payment transactions with the value of eight lakh 27 thousand crore rupees till February this year.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das inaugurates Reserve Bank Innovation Hub in Bengaluru, Karnataka
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das inaugurated the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
- The RBI has set up the RBIH as a Section 8 company under Companies Act, 2013, with an initial capital contribution of Rs 100 crore.
- The Hub has an independent Board with Senapathy (Kris) Gopalakrishnan as the Chairman and other eminent persons from industry and academia as members.
Aim :
- To encourage and nurture financial innovation in a sustainable manner through an institutional set-up.
- To create an ecosystem that focuses on promoting access to financial services and products for the low-income population in the country.
Note :
- Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) is one of the five wholly-owned subsidiaries of the RBI.
Federal Bank partners with RBI’s Innovation Hub to advance digital financial inclusion for women
- Private sector lender Federal Bank has teamed up with Reserve Bank Innovation Hub, a subsidiary of the central bank, as scale up partner for the second phase of Swanari TechSprint programme.
- The term Swanari stands for Swanirbhar Nari meaning Self Reliant Lady.
Aim :
- To advance digital financial inclusion for women in India and to create digital solutions for bridging the gender gap.
- RBIH is hosting the Swanari TechSprint during 18-22 April 2022 to create and produce smart, creative, and sustainable solutions supporting women’s advancement in financial growth and independence and for women-owned enterprises in India.
- Techsprint will specifically connect fintechs, financial service providers, innovators, and subject matter experts to collaborate, ideate and solve specific problems in real time.
About Federal Bank :
- Founded: 23 April 1931
- Founder : K. P. Hormis
- MD & CEO: Shyam Srinivasan
- Headquarters : Aluva, Kochi, Kerala, India
About RBI :
- Founded: 1 April 1935
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- Governor : Shaktikanta Das
- Deputy governors : Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra and T. Rabi Shankar
SBI inks co-lending pact with 5 HFCs for affordable housing
- Country’s largest lender State Bank of India has signed a co-lending agreement with five housing finance companies (HFCs ) to give loans for affordable homes.
List of 5 HFCs :
- PNB Housing Finance Ltd
- IIFL Home Finance Ltd
- Shriram Housing Finance Ltd
- Edelweiss Housing Finance Ltd
- Capri Global Housing Finance Ltd
- As per the lender, shortage in affordable housing continues to be a major concern for India, especially for the economically weaker section (EWS) and the informal sections of the society.
About the MoU :
- The collaboration will enhance the distribution network, as we aim to extend our credit reach to more Home Loan borrowers of the unserved and underserved segments.
- The partnerships align to accelerate effective and affordable credit to small home buyers in India and contribute to the vision of “Housing for All by 2024“.
- Shriram Housing Finance Ltd & SBI will jointly service housing loan customers as per the 20:80 co-lending model (CLM) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
About SBI :
- Founded : 1 July 1955
- Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- Chairman : Dinesh Kumar Khara
About PNB Housing Finance Ltd :
- Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi, India
- MD : Hardayal Prasad
- It was incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 and commenced its operations on 11 November 1988 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Punjab National Bank (PNB).
About Shriram Housing Finance Ltd :
- Managing Director & CEO : Ravi Subramanian
- Director : Yalamati Srinivasa Chakravarti
CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
CSB Bank appoints Pralay Mondal as interim MD & CEO
- The Reserve Bank of India has approved the appointment of Pralay Mondal, Deputy Managing Director, CSB Bank as interim Managing Director and CEO, for three months from April 1 or till the appointment of a regular Managing Director and CEO, whichever is earlier.
- The Place of MD and CEO at CSB Bank was lying vacant after its full-time MD and CEO, C V R Rajendran announced early retirement due to health reasons.
- C V R Rajendran will continue in the office of the Managing Director and CEO till the close of office hours on March 31.
About Pralay Mondal :
- Mondal is an Engineer from IIT, Kharagpur and a Management graduate from IIM, Calcutta.
- He served as the Senior Group President and Head of Retail and Business Banking at Yes Bank.
- He has nearly 30 years of banking experience across multiple businesses and functions such as retail assets, retail liabilities, business banking, products and technology.
- Before joining CBS Bank, he has recently tendered his resignation from his current position as Executive Director & Head of Retail Banking in Axis Bank between 2019 & 2020.
About CSB Bank :
- CSB Bank – Catholic Syrian Bank Limited
- Founded: 26 November 1920
- Headquarters: Thrissur, Kerala, India
- MD & CEO: Rajendran Chinna Veerappan
CURRENT AFFAIRS : AWARDS & HONORS
American Mathematician Dennis Parnell Sullivan wins 2022 Abel Prize
- The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters has awarded the Abel prize for the year 2022 to American Mathematician Dennis Parnell Sullivan.
- He has been awarded “for his groundbreaking contributions to topology in its broadest sense, and in particular its algebraic, geometric and dynamical aspects.
- Sullivan will receive an award of 5 million Norwegian kroner (nearly US $860,000), funded by the Norwegian government.
About Dennis Parnell Sullivan :
- Sullivan was born in Port Huron, Michigan, on Feb. 12, 1941.
- He began studying topology as a graduate student at Princeton University in the early 1960s.
- He is known for his work in algebraic topology, geometric topology, and dynamical systems.
- He holds the Albert Einstein Chair at the City University of New York Graduate Center and is a distinguished professor at Stony Brook University.
Awards & Honors :
- 1981 Prix Élie Cartan, French Academy of Sciences
- 1994 King Faisal International Prize for Science
- 2004 National Medal of Science
- 2006 Steele Prize for lifetime achievement
- 2010 Wolf Prize in Mathematics, for “his contributions to algebraic topology and conformal dynamics”
- 2012 Fellow of the American Mathematical Society
- 2014 Balzan Prize in Mathematics
About Abel Prize :
- The Abel Prize was founded by the Norwegian Parliament in 2002, to commemorate the 200th birth anniversary of Niels Henrik Abel.
- It is named after Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel.
- It is awarded by ‘The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters’ for ‘Outstanding scientific work in the field of mathematics’.
- In 2007, R. Srinivasa Varadhan became the first Black person to win the prize.
About Topology :
- Topology is a field of mathematics which was born in the nineteenth century and has to do with properties of surfaces that do not change when they are deformed.
- According to the University of Waterloo in Ontario, the field is sometimes called “rubber-sheet geometry,” because objects can be stretched into different shapes like rubber but cannot be broken
CURRENT AFFAIRS : MOU & AGREEMENTS
HP govt signs MoU with NIPER as Knowledge Partner for Medical Devices Park
- Himachal Pradesh Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali as the knowledge partner for the upcoming Medical Devices Park in Nalagarh area of Solan district.
- The MoU was approved by the board of members from the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Government of India.
Fund Allocation :
- The State Planning Department has sanctioned Rs 74.95 crore for the development of the park to the State Implementation Agency.
- The Department of Pharmaceuticals, Government of India will soon release the first installment of worth Rs 30 crores of grant-in aid.
- On behalf of HP Government, Director Industries cum Managing Director, HPSIDC, Rakesh Kumar Prajapati signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Director, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali Professor Dulal Panda.
Significance of the Partnership :
- HPSIDC is the State Implementing Agency for the cooperation, development and execution of the medical devices park.
- NIPER Mohali will establish a Centre for Excellence in Medical Devices Park that will enable Industry-Academia linkage.
About Himachal Pradesh :
- Chief minister: Jai Ram Thakur
- Governor : Rajendra Arlekar
- Capital : Shimla, Dharamshala
About NIPER :
- Established : 1998
- It operates as autonomous bodies under the aegis of Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
Tripartite agreement signed to promote yak dairy enterprise in Nepal
- A tripartite agreement between The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the Surketham Dairy Cooperative Limited (SDCL) and the Nepal Dairy Private Limited (NDPL) signed to promote yak dairy enterprise that can sustain the age-old yak herding culture in the highlands of the eastern Nepal.
Aim :
- To develop a viable yak-based business model to generate attractive and sustainable employment opportunities for rural youth in the Kangchenjunga landscape of Nepal.
- Pema Gyamtsho, Director General, ICIMOD, Heramba B Rajbhandary, Executive Chairman, NDPL and Maita Bahadur Libang, Chairperson, SDCL signed the Letter of Exchange.
Note :
- In 2009, the Surketham Dairy Cooperative Limited, an institution formed by the yak and cattle farmers in Panchthar district, Nepal, ventured into yak dairy processing.
- The Kangchenjunga Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative (KLCDI) under the ICIMOD took initiative for the project keeping in mind the mission to save yaks and yak farming culture from extinction and showcase their economic viability.
About ICIMOD :
- Founded : 5 December 1983
- Headquarters : Lalitpur, Nepal
- DG : Dr Pema Gyamtsho
- Membership : 8 member countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan)
CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
North Korea confirms test-firing of biggest ICBM Hwasong-17
- North Korea test-fired its biggest-yet intercontinental range ballistic missile Hwasong-17 under the orders of authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un.
- The launch was North Korea’s 12th round of weapons launches in 2022.
About Hwasong-17 :
- The Hwasong-17, which has been shown on a transporter vehicle with 11 axles, would be one of the largest road-mobile ICBMs in the world if it becomes operational.
- It reached a maximum altitude of 6,248 kilometers (3,880 miles) and traveled 1,090 kilometers (680 miles) during a 67-minute flight before landing in waters between North Korea and Japan.
- Its diameter is estimated to be between 4 and 2.5 metres, and its total mass, when fully fuelled, is likely to be somewhere between 80,000 and 110,000kg.
Note :
- Earlier in November 2017, North Korea tested its Hwasong-15 ICBM with an altitude of 4475 km & covered 950 km over 53 mins.
About North Korea :
- Supreme leader: Kim Jong-un
- Capital: Pyongyang
- Currency: North Korean won
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS
15th edition of Indian Premier League 2022 to begin on 26th March.
- The 15th edition of Indian Premier League – TATA IPL 2022 will begin on 26th
- There are 10 teams to compete for four playoff spots in this edition.
- BCCI added two new teams, Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans for this season of IPL.
- A total of 74 T20 matches are to be played.
- Defending champion Chennai Super Kings will take on Kolkota Knight Riders in the opening match in Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
- The final match of the tournament is likely to be played in Ahmedabad on 29 May.
Second edition of SAAF, 56th National Cross-Country Championships commence in Nagaland’s Kohima:
- The second edition of South Asian Athletics Federation (SAAF) cross country championships and the 56th National Cross-Country Championships commenced at Indira Gandhi Stadium at Kohima in Nagaland.
- This is the first international event being hosted by the state.
- Five South Asian countries namely India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka are participating in the championships.
- Close to 50 Athletes are taking part in the international section, while at the National Level, 34 states and Boards are participating with 378 men and 296 women.
- SAAF Cross Country race events include, Men (10 Km), Women (10 Km).
- U-20 Boys (8 km) and U-20 Girls (6 Km)
- Categories for National Cross-Country races are Men (10 Km), Under-20 Boys- (8 Km), U-16-(6 Km).
- Women-(10 Km), U-20 Girls- (6 Km), Under 18 Girls-(4 Km) and Under 16 Girls (2 Km)
India finishes in WTT Contender 2022 championship with two medals:
- India ended their campaign at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Contender 2022 championship at Doha in Qatar with two medals.
- Mixed Doubles pair of Manika Batra and Gnanasekaran Sathiyan settled for a silver while Achanta Sharath Kamal bagged a Bronze in Men’s Singles at the tournament.
- In mixed doubles, the third seed Indian pair of Manika Batra and Gnanasekaran Sathiyan lost to the top-seeded Chinese Taipei pair of Lin Yun-Ju and Cheng I-Ching 4-11, 5-11, 3-11.
- In Men’s Singles, four-time Olympian Sharath Kamal went down fighting 3-4 (5-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7, 11-5, 10-12, 9-11) in the semifinals against China’s Yuan Licen.
- The veteran Indian paddler fought hard but lost and therefore had to be content with a bronze taking India’s tally to two medals with one silver and one bronze.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHOR
A Children’s Book ‘The Little Book of Joy’ authored by Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu:
- A picture-book edition of a bestseller co-authored by the Nobel Peace Prize winners the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu will be published.
- Random House Children’s Books announced Tuesday that “The Little Book of Joy” will come out September 27, with Rachel Neumann and Douglas Abrams collaborating on the text, and illustrations provided by artist Rafael López.
- In 2016, Archbishop Tutu and the Dalai Lama worked together on “The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World,” which has sold more than 1 million copies and has been translated into more than 40 languages.
- Tutu died last year at age 91.
Daily CA On Mar 27th & 28th:
- Every year, on the last Saturday in March, Earth Hour is observed.
- The union environment ministry has designated October 5 as National Dolphin Day, to be observed annually starting this year.
- The Centre has decided to extend the validity of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, FCRA registration certificates of certain categories of FCRA registered entities.
- The Government has set a target to open ten thousand five hundred Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) across the country.
- The government informed more than eight thousand crore digital payment transactions have been reported in the country during the current financial year.
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das inaugurated the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
- Private sector lender Federal Bank has teamed up with Reserve Bank Innovation Hub, a subsidiary of the central bank, as scale up partner for the second phase of Swanari TechSprint programme.
- Country’s largest lender State Bank of India has signed a co-lending agreement with five housing finance companies (HFCs ) to give loans for affordable homes.
- The Reserve Bank of India has approved the appointment of Pralay Mondal, Deputy Managing Director, CSB Bank as interim Managing Director and CEO, for three months from April 1 or till the appointment of a regular Managing Director and CEO, whichever is earlier.
- The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters has awarded the Abel prize for the year 2022 to American Mathematician Dennis Parnell Sullivan.
- Himachal Pradesh Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali as the knowledge partner for the upcoming Medical Devices Park in Nalagarh area of Solan district.
- A tripartite agreement between The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the Surketham Dairy Cooperative Limited (SDCL) and the Nepal Dairy Private Limited (NDPL) signed to promote yak dairy enterprise that can sustain the age-old yak herding culture in the highlands of the eastern Nepal.
- North Korea test-fired its biggest-yet intercontinental range ballistic missile Hwasong-17 under the orders of authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un.
- The 15th edition of Indian Premier League – TATA IPL 2022 will begin on 26th
- The second edition of South Asian Athletics Federation (SAAF) cross country championships and the 56th National Cross-Country Championships commenced at Indira Gandhi Stadium at Kohima in Nagaland.
- India ended their campaign at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Contender 2022 championship at Doha in Qatar with two medals.
- A picture-book edition of a bestseller co-authored by the Nobel Peace Prize winners the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu will be published.